International Monetary Fund and World Bank Essay

International Monetary Fund and World Bank - Essay Example "Due to their considerable financial resources, technical assets, and global presence, the IFIs1 (i.e. the World Bank and the IMF, S.K.) have the capacity to assist in maintaining or recreating an environment of peace and stability."2 The World Bank's focus is on the provision of long-term loans to support development projects and programs. The IMF, on the other hand, concentrates on providing loans to stabilize countries facing short-term financial crises. The World Bank and IMF are directed by the governments of the world's richest countries. Combined, the "Group of 7"3 holds more than 40% of the votes on the Boards of Directors of these institutions and the U.S. alone accounts for almost 20% of the votes. It was the U.S. policy during the Reagan Administration in the early 1980s, to expand the role of the World Bank and IMF to manage developing economies4. The statutory purposes of the IMF are, first, utilizing a permanent institution for the purpose of ensuring international monetary cooperation which also makes available expertise to deal with relevant problems. Second, bringing about an increase in the balanced growth of international trade, which will result in significantly reduced levels of unemployment. Third, ensuring that the stability, orderly arrangements and avoidance of competitive depreciation in respect of exchanges is maintained. Fourth, elimination of restrictions which hinder world trade by helping in the establishment, in respect of current transactions, between members. Fifth, reducing the duration and lessening the amount of disparity in the international balances of payments of members5. Their fundamental difference is that the World Bank is primarily a developmental institution whereas the IMF is a cooperative institution that seeks to maintain an orderly system of payments and receipts between nations. Each has a different purpose, a distinct structure, receives its funding from different sources, assists different categories of members and strives to achieve its distinct goals through methods specific to itself. The primary aim of the World Bank was the financing of economic development and accordingly, the Bank's first loans, during the late 1940s, were disbursed in order to finance the reconstruction of the war-ravaged economies of Western Europe. When these nations recovered some measure of economic self-sufficiency, the Bank turned its attention to assisting the developing countries, to which it has given more than $330 billion as loans. The World Bank's main aim is to promote economic and social progress in developing countries, by bringing about an increase in their productivity in order to enable their citizens to have a better quality of life6. The IMF is involved in key policy negotiations with regard to the exchange rate and the budget deficit. The monitoring of country's economic performance by the IMF provides the basis of so-called IMF surveillance activities over members' economic policies. The World Bank, on the other hand, is far more involved in the actual reform process through its country-level representative office and its numerous technical missions. Moreover, the World Bank is also present in most of the line ministries; the reforms in health, education, industry, agriculture, transportation, the environment, and so on are under

Beauty Is a Combination of Qualities Essay Example for Free

Beauty Is a Combination of Qualities Essay Beauty is a combination of qualities that give pleasure to the senses. It is an inborn instinct in human to appreciate beauty. Beauty both of nature and of human form have been a powerful attraction for men and women of all times and climes. A beautiful object fills the heart with joy and delight. The soul gets stirred by the external view of beauty. Man has developed an eye for beauty right from the Stone Age. The earliest cave-paintings depicting animals and trees prove the cavemans love for beauty. Artistic creations are mans attempts to depict the joy created by beauty. A person may see a beautiful thing for a short duration but its memory lasts for a long time. Man cherishes the beautiful moments in life. The imagination helps to revive and relive the happy moments spent in the company of beautiful things. A colorful butterfly seen for five minutes gives instant delight for the same time, but if that scene is recaptured twenty, the joy becomes twenty fold. Beauty abounds in nature. The sunrise, the sunset, the moon, the starts, the rainbow and the seasons delight the senses. Beautiful sight and sounds of nature provide pleasure to man. The rivers, the forests, the green mountains, the snow-capped peaks and the flowers are beautiful objects of nature. They leave an impression on the mind of man. Recollection of this impression becomes a constant source of joy. Beautiful objects are a source of inspiration for poets to compose poetry. Poets are more moved by beautiful sights than people of ordinary imagination. Keats was a great lover of beauty in all its varied forms. In most of his poems, Keats appreciate different forms of beauty. The dancing daffodils seen by Wordsworth during his travel left a mark in his memory. He composed a poem on daffodils after four years of that visit but he felt the same delight, which reflected in the poem. This proves that any aspect of beauty leaves and ever-lasting impact on human heart and soul. The great Sanskrit poet Kalidas has also graphically described in his poem Kumar Sambhav, the beauty of the forest blooming all round with the touch of spring. Beautiful sights influence the painter to draw the same. His paintings are a poetry of colors which depicts nature as it is on the canvas. A painter always remains in search of a place where he could find ay form of beauty whether of nature or human to adorn his canvas with everlasting charm of beauty. A human face painted by a master painter will not only show the physical structure in its exact form but also reveal the emotion of the subject. The paintings of Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Hogarth, Rabindra Nath Tagore, Nand Lal Bose, M.F Hussain an others are a feast for the eyes and the mind. What is true of poets and painters is equally true of sculptors, architects and musicians. They derive pleasure by creation of beauty. Their beautiful works are appreciated by all. A musician creates beauty by the harmonious blending of various notes and tunes. This harmony is a source of pleasure for the listeners. The music of Tansen, Baiju Dawra, Ustad Faiz Khan, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, R.D Drman and others have been widely appreciated and applauded. Beauty is present every where like nature, literature, sculpture, architecture etc. Cement, stone, wood, brick all these things have no shape and beauty but when they are used artistically by the architect, they take the form a beautiful building. A number of historical building all over the world is a great world. Taj Mahal in India, Eiffel Tower in Paris, Opera House in Australia, The Great wall of China, are some of the buildings which are famous for their beauty. Spiritual beauty is something nobler and higher than physical beauty. It is related to the beauty of the spirit and the soul. Spiritual beauty touches or soul. The pleasure and joy, we derive from it is sublime. Spiritual beauty is accompanied by truth and goodness- Satyam Shivam Sundaram as expressed by sage. We find a similar view in Keats poem, when he says, Beauty is truth, truth beauty. Keats regards spiritual beauty as the source of true joy. Beauty according to Shelly is eternal. An object of nature may decay and man may die, yet both survive in thought, for beauty never dies. Beautiful objects of nature also uplift the sprit if a pessimist. One takes a break from the environment of big cities and flocks to hill stations. The beautiful sights of nature in the hill stations refresher the mind. They influence a person to perform his task more efficiently then before. Beauty of nature has a soothing effect in it. In one of his poems, Shelly said that even death will be peaceful for him while watching the beautiful aspects of nature. Beauty, whether physical or spiritual always gives us joy. There is harmony in the beautiful objects. This harmony is the attribute of the soul. Beauty links man with eternity. A thing of beauty is a joy forever.

The Peoples Republic of Power Essay -- Literary Analysis

The essay under critical analysis is entitled, â€Å"Philadelphia’s Radical Caucus That Propelled Pennsylvania to Independence and Democracy,† written by Gary B. Nash. This analytical essay consumes the fourth chapter of the book Revolutionary Founders: Rebels, Radicals, and Reformers in the Making of the Nation, edited by Alfred F. Young, Gary B. Nash, and Ray Raphael. His essay, along with the twenty-one other accounts in the book depicting lesser-known individuals, whose contributions in securing independence from Great Britain and creating a new government in America rival that of the nation’s more notorious and beloved founders, such as Thomas Jefferson or James Madison. Dr. Nash focuses his efforts on Philadelphia’s Radical Caucus of the 1770’s and 80’s and the lasting influences of the 1776 constitution it created within American politics as well as several nations around the world. Within his analysis and interpretation of Pennsy lvanian politics during the American Revolution, Dr. Nash utilizes a pro-whiggish, radically sympathetic stance to assert the Radical Caucus’ remarkable ability to gain support from and bestow power upon the common working man, take political power from conservatives within Pennsylvania’s public offices, and revolutionize democratic thought through their landmark reformations of the state’s constitution. Respecting the fact that Dr. Nash’s position on this subject required extensive research through first hand accounts, pamphlets, newspapers and the analysis of countless preserved records, indicates that the account he has given is very credible. Complying with his presentation of facts and the significance of the topic within early American history has prevented a well-rounded counter-argument ... ...ailable. Charles A. Beard argues this point in his book An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution of the United States, stating that â€Å"The Constitution was essentially an economic document based upon the concept that the fundamental private rights of property are anterior to government and morally beyond the reach of popular majorities.† Works Cited Beard, Charles A. An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution of the United States. New York: Dover, 2004(1913). Print. Lynd, Staughton, and David Waldstreicher. "â€Å"Free Trade, Sovereignty, and Slavery: Toward an Economic Interpretation of American Independence." William and Mary Quarterly (October 2011): 597-656. Print. Young, Alfred Fabian, Gary B. Nash, and Ray Raphael. Revolutionary Founders: Rebels, Radicals, and Reformers in the Making of the Nation. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2011. Print.

Comparing Rebels in Pleasantville, Fahrenheit 451, and Lord of the Flies :: comparison compare contrast essays

Rebels in Pleasantville, Fahrenheit 451, and Lord of the Flies Despite the fact that rebels are viewed as troublemakers, in the long run, they help a society grow for the better. In Pleasantville, Fahrenheit 451, and Lord of the Flies, there have been so called "rebels" and these rebels were looked down upon for their different points of view. These rebels were what made these books and movie interesting because in a society, change is sometimes good. In all of these cases, change was feared and thought impossible, but eventually these changes happened, and there was a better civilization because of it. In Pleasantville, one world came clashing with another. These two different worlds had different values and perceptions of a perfect and pleasant life. When David and Jennifer entered the town of Pleasantville and became Bud and Mary Sue, they were looked at differently because they knew something that the others in Pleasantville didn't know. They knew of change, color, and true beauty and because they were spreading this knowledge, they were considered rebels. After color started to spread, the town of Pleasantville was never the same and they now knew what they were missing. A rebel is defined as a minority, going against the majority. As time passed, and more color appeared, the more "rebels" there were. When these "rebels" become the majority, they are not considered different or threatening anymore. Once everybody changed from black and white to color, Pleasantville was now happy again. But this happiness was not because of a boring routine, but because of beautiful change and multicolored experiences. Times change and these rebels that see differently than everyone else influence these changes. Change is what makes the world go round. In Fahrenheit 451, there were also rebels that existed and viewed what everyone was used to, as a living hell. The rebels that I speak of are people like Clarisse McClellan, Guy Montag, Professor Faber, and Granger. These rebels are people that are sick of the way things are and want change to occur. These characters are all bright, intelligent, and bring forth fresh and sensible ideas that nobody even thought of or considered because it was out of the norm and it was risky.

Lifestyle and Hobbies Essay

Barbara is a busy mother, who focuses much of her energy and attention on her children and financing their education. When she doesn’t work, she takes care of home and her focuses on cleaning, cooking and shopping for food and clothes for her family. Barbara doesn’t have enough time to watch much television and â€Å"doesn’t pay attention† to the few moments of commercial advertising that she is exposed to. However, she often listens to radio while working in her alternation shop. She often switches the radio channels looking for the classic music, broadcasts or news depending on her mood. Moreover, Barbara is too busy to look for a product; therefore, the anti aging cream should be easily accessible through home delivery or retailers, which Barbara visits relatively often like supermarkets or pharmacies. Proposition for P n G The findings imply that the most effective method of advertising P&G’s product for this target segment is by the means of radio advertising. P&G should consider advertising its products through radio channels between broadcasts listened by the target segment. According to Research from 2008 made by Commercial Radio Australia, 95% of Australians listen to the radio weekly, which makes this medium one of the most effective and at the same time an inexpensive alternative of targeting the consumers. Therefore, to target segment represented by Barbara, P&G has to establish anti-aging cream which is simple, price compatible and accessible through supermarkets such as Coles or Woolworth. (Kotler & Armstrong, 2007) Purchasing behaviour Opinion of the interviewer (Barbara) Barbara uses the elimination-by-aspects decision rule while shopping. She tends to assign the importance rank and cut-off points to the evaluative criteria of the products she purchases. She chooses the products which are closest to her criteria rank. The key factor in Barbara’s purchase decision making is price. She doesn’t pay much attention to packaging or brand of the product. She often shops in Coles and Paddies Market. Proposition for P n G P&Q can increase the likelihood of the product being chosen by offering free samples, special price discounts and promotional packages. This method is called operant/instrumental conditioning and is particularly effective while introducing a new product to the market (Appendix 1). If Barbara tries the product under those conditions and she likes it, she is likely to continue purchasing it in the future (Davis, 270). The promotional package containing anti-aging cream, moisturising body lotion or shower cream can be a perfect â€Å"excuse† for Barbara to purchase the products that will benefit not only her, but, also her entire family. (Kotler & Armstrong, 2007) Likes and dislikes Opinion of the interviewer (Barbara) Barbara travels to and from her workplace six times a week. She dislikes waiting for the trains and buses. Proposition for P n G This finding cares an implication for P&G marketing team to consider placing billboards of their product on bus stops and train stations. More cost efficient option to that, would be repetitively advertising through MX free daily newspaper distributed on railway stations, tram and bus stops in Australia (Wikipedia, 2008). Because Barbara is strongly focused on wellbeing of her family, it would be sensible to use iconic rote method by advertising a range of products (moisturiser, shower cream etc. ) with an association to happiness and wellbeing of a whole family. (Murray, 2006) References Kotler , P & Armstrong, G 2007. Principles of Marketing. Prentice Hall; 12 edition. Murray , C 2006. The Marketing Gurus: Lessons from the Best Marketing Books of All Time. Portfolio Hardcover.

Discussion #4 Ethics Example

Discussion #4 Ethics Example Discussion #4 Ethics – Essay Example American Capitalism: Wage Discrepancy between CEOs and Other Workers Compensation of CEOs and other workers should be based on the contribution of the employee to the organization. It follows that pay differences should reflect each person’s effort towards the success of the firm. Executive members are responsible for major decisions and thus have more liability in case of business failure. As a result, their package should reflect the risk they take and obligations towards the continuity of the organization. However, this does not imply that the CEOs increase their salaries indiscriminately without consideration of the widening wage gaps as it poses a social-economic risk to the country. Firms downsize the workforce due to reasons such as financial stress or restructuring. In financial distress, it is unfair to increase a CEO’s salary while firing workers. It is ethical for CEOs to also accept a pay cut to save the jobs of fellow workers. However, if the downsizing is a result of restructuring, then the pay increase of CEOs cannot be morally unjust. The revisions on compensation of CEOs should follow well-structured system that involves a non-partisan board. The board should consider all relevant issues affecting compensation like growth in the revenues of the firm as a result of CEO’s actions, risk adjustments, economic considerations and also wage gap issues. Compensation for the CEOs and other workers can be adjusted without subjecting workers to pay cuts and layoffs as a result of pay increase of the executive. The government can regulate the ratio of the CEO salary to that of the average workers. By doing this, the workers can also benefit from an increase in the salary of the CEOs.

Sistine Chapel Ceiling essays

Sistine Chapel Ceiling essays I am looking only at the pictures painted by Michelangelo on the ceiling in the Sistine Chapel. The Sistine Chapel is amazing, all I can think about is the length of time it had to take to fresco the ceiling. I chose Michelangelo because I have an appreciation for his paintings, especially the Sistine Chapel Ceiling. The graphic pictures remind me of the bible stories my mother read to me when I was a child. I think he gives an accurate representation of the bible and the people in it. In every painting on the ceiling his subjects were religious figures presented to us in the bible. This is why his pictures have an extreme impact on me. I was raised in a religious family. The family that went to church every week, said prayers with their meals, and read the bible. So when I see the paintings on the ceiling, I remember the stories that were told in the bible, which ultimately gives me a greater understanding of my religion. Once you look at the ceiling in great detail you will notice all of the little details on each person, and then you think of it on fresco which had to take years. He has shading on the people which makes them three dimensional. He also used colors that make you look at the key people in each picture. Something to draw your attention to focus on what the painting actually meant. These little details show you that he is a professional painter but also a hard working painter that takes his time making every second count. Michelangelos great love was for sculpting, so he did very few paintings, but the paintings that he did do, he made them big with great qualities. I am only looking at the Sistine Chapel ceiling which is made up of around twenty-five scenarios or people that you would have read about in the bible. He put all of the scenes together to make one great painting somewhere around 130 feet long and 143 feet wide. That is an astonishing size for a fresco painting. It is also amazing that you can ...

Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge

Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge The National Wildlife Refuge Service is the worlds largest collection of protected areas dedicated to wildlife preservation, more than 150 million acres of strategically located wildlife habitat protecting thousands of species. There are wildlife refuges in all 50 states and U.S. territories, and most major U.S. cities are no more than an hours drive from at least one wildlife refuge. But how did this system of wildlife preservation begin? What was Americas first national wildlife refuge? President Theodore Roosevelt created the first U.S. national wildlife refuge on March 14, 1903, when he set aside Pelican Island as a sanctuary and breeding ground for native birds. Location of Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge is located in the Indian River Lagoon, on the Atlantic coast of central Florida. The nearest town is Sebastian, which lies just west of the refuge. Originally, Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge included only 3-acre Pelican Island and another 2.5 acres of surrounding water. Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge was expanded twice, in 1968 and again in 1970, and today comprises 5,413 acres of mangrove islands, other submerged land, and waterways. Pelican Island is an historic bird rookery that provides nesting habitat for at least 16 species of colonial water birds as well as the endangered wood stork. More than 30 species of water birds use the island during the winter migratory season, and more than 130 bird species are found throughout the entire Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge also provides critical habitat for several threatened and endangered species, including manatees, loggerhead and green sea turtles, and southeastern beach mice. Early History of Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge During the 19th century, plume hunters, egg gatherers and common vandals exterminated all the egrets, herons and spoonbills on Pelican Island, and nearly destroyed the population of brown pelicans for which the island is named. By the late 1800s, the market for bird feathers to supply the fashion industry and adorn ladies hats was so lucrative that plume feathers were worth more than gold, and birds with fine plumage were being slaughtered wholesale. The Guardian of Pelican Island Paul Kroegel, a German immigrant and boat builder, established a homestead on the west bank of the Indian River Lagoon. From his home, Kroegel could see thousands of brown pelicans and other water birds roosting and nesting on Pelican Island. There were no state or federal laws at that time to protect the birds, but Kroegel started sailing to Pelican Island, gun in hand, to stand guard against plume hunters and other intruders. Many naturalists became interested in Pelican Island, which was the last rookery for brown pelicans on the east coast of Florida. They also took a growing interest in the work Kroegel was doing to protect the birds. One of the most influential naturalists who visited Pelican Island and sought out Kroegel was Frank Chapman, curator of the American Museum of Natural History in New York and a member of the American Ornithologists Union. After his visit, Chapman vowed to find some way to protect the birds of Pelican Island. In 1901, the American Ornithologists Union and the Florida Audubon Society led a successful campaign for a Florida state law that would protect non-game birds. Kroegel was one of four wardens hired by the Florida Audubon Society to protect water birds from plume hunters. It was dangerous work. Two of those first four wardens were murdered in the line of duty. Securing Federal Protection for the Birds of Pelican Island Frank Chapman and another bird advocate named William Dutcher were acquainted with Theodore Roosevelt, who had taken office as President of the United States in 1901. The two men visited Roosevelt at his family home in Sagamore Hill, New York, and appealed to him as a conservationist to use the power of his office to protect the birds of Pelican Island. It didnt take much to convince Roosevelt to sign an executive order naming Pelican Island as the first federal bird reservation. During his presidency, Roosevelt would create a network of 55 wildlife refuges nationwide. Paul Kroegel was hired as the first national wildlife refuge manager, becoming the official guardian of his beloved Pelican Island and its native and migratory bird populations. At first, Kroegel was paid only $1 per month by the Florida Audubon Society, because Congress had failed to budget any money for the wildlife refuge the president had created. Kroegel continued to watch over Pelican Island for the next 23 years, retiring from federal service in 1926. The U.S. National Wildlife Refuge System The national wildlife refuge system that President Roosevelt established by creating Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge and many other wildlife areas has become the worlds largest and most diverse collection of lands dedicated to wildlife preservation. Today, the U.S. National Wildlife Refuge System includes 562Â  national wildlife refuges, thousands of waterfowl protection areas and four marine national monuments throughout the United States and in U.S. territories. Collectively, these wildlife areas total more than 150 million acres of managed and protected lands. The addition of three marine national monuments in early 2009- all three located in the Pacific Ocean- increased the size of the National Wildlife Refuge System by 50 percent. In 2016, public land advocates nationwide were shocked when armed gunmen took over the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon. This action at least had the benefit of bringing to the publics attention the importance of these lands, not only for wildlife but also for people. Edited by Frederic Beaudry

Formal Report Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Formal Report - Research Paper Example The study utilizes information from both secondary and primary sources. The primary source of the information is a questionnaire that was submitted to Market Industry Service Branch of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC). The results were analyzed and some statistically projected to create an overview of the trade and its success rate. The secondary sources utilized in the report include internet searches, some scholarly articles reporting on Canada’s agri-food business and Hong Kong’s demographics and current food situation. The other secondary sources include articles in periodicals and a book that details comprehensive information on cold chain logistics. The report is addressed to AAFC, which in turn is supposed to expand the business ties of Agri-food products to Hong Kong. The key outcome of the report is that UTi Worldwide Inc. has a potential business opportunity to provide the refrigerated transport services for Agri-food from Canada to Hong Kong. The coming of globalization has converted the world into one small village where some key important factors towards economic growth such as communication, and transportation have become easy to achieve. However, when it comes to logistics it is important to note that physical separation remains to be an important reality that we have to keep in mind (Theo Notteboom and Rodrigue 217). It takes a considerable time to efficiently and effectively to transport goods over long distances especially overseas. This shipment becomes a delicate business especially when there are delays and the shipment is for perishable products. It is for this reason that many industries such as food, medical, agricultural, and pharmaceutical industries are resorting to the cold chain technology. Many transportation companies have realized this niche and developed specialized services that focus on transportation of

Analysis of Audi's Human Resource Practices Essay

Analysis of Audi's Human Resource Practices - Essay Example There are numerous definitions by scholars on what organizational culture is. Two of these definitions are as follows: Ravasi and Schultz (2006) wrote ‘organizational culture is a set of shared assumptions that guide what happens in organizations by defining appropriate behavior for various situations’. Needle (2004), ‘Organizational culture signifies the beliefs, collective values, and principles of members in an organization’. Culture includes the organizations values, norms, systems, vision, language, symbols, beliefs, assumptions, and habits. The culture of organizations makes it unique and different from other organizations. It explains why there are many companies that deal with automobiles, producing the same products and make of cars but which are completely different due to their operations, values and their executions. Denison’s model (1990) states that ‘organizational culture is described by 4 general dimensions: Adaptability, Consistency, Involvement, and Mission’. The model shall be used to explain Audi’s culture. An organization’s mission refers to its reason of existence. The reason as to why it was founded and the objectives it aims to achieve. Denison further divided the mission into three: Vision, Strategic Direction and Intent, and Goals and Objectives. Audi’s Vision is ‘To develop Audi into the world’s leading brand in the premium automobile segment’ (Audi Corporate strategy, 2015). The vision defines Audi’s culture because it portrays the direction which it wants the company to go. As a result the personnel work towards making this vision a reality. They manufacture cars that are of good quality and that meet their consumers’ demand, which shall make it become the best brand of all the other automobile manufacturers in the world. The strategic direction and intent of Audi is to delight customers worldwide. They aim at achieving this by being innovative, creating experiences for

Moral Issues in Our Lives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Moral Issues in Our Lives - Essay Example I do know that the former always brings the latter; however, I particularly like instances when I am able to influence the consequences directly regardless of the previous actions. In such situations, I feel the maximum freedom. This, in turn, allows me to think about the actions that I am about to perform and the decisions tend to be correct ones. As for the rule that I consider to be the most important in my life, I might mention the Golden Rule of interaction. I do believe that others should be treated just like one wants to be treated. Several times in my life I was able to prove the validity of this kind of thinking and saw that it brings positive results for the people that apply it. For example, I want to be respected, therefore I always behave in a respective way towards other people. I think that this rule allows one to structure social interactions in the most effective way. There are many ideas and role models in my life that I would like to adhere to. However, the most significant of them of the Prophet Mohammed. I admire that He was able to be a successful spiritual guide, effective political leader, and a victorious warrior. It would not be a mistake to suggest that He lived life to its fullest and should become a role model for every active person. Furthermore, many events from His life teach how to behave in difficult situations. A good person is one who does his or her best to contribute to the good in the world. One would make no mistake that such definition engages extremely broad notions such as good and bad. Nevertheless, it is my strongest belief that all people have an innate ability to distinguish between the two and various religious systems simply guide this ability and teach people to use it. Indeed, sometimes, detecting bad can be rather simple.

Conflict and Plan for Improvement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Conflict and Plan for Improvement - Essay Example Conflict and Plan for Improvement Thus, I would think that I am logical when dealing with conflict. Whenever I am faced with a situation that is a sure way to start a bigger conflict, I first try to look at the intent of the other person. I believe that we first have to look at the intent of a person when they do an act because miscommunications often lead to disagreements. The context of the situation and how a person says something or relays his thought must be considered before we react. I think that I am objective when dealing with conflict. There are times when I could be prone to outbursts especially if I am not in a particularly good mood prior to the conflict. When I am not feeling well or I have problems in other aspects of my life, I cannot help but to be irritated easily with other matters. I also noticed that I am prone to snap in certain situations like when I’m hungry. I could be passive aggressive that I sometimes make it seem that I am okay when I’m not. In these situations, I burst out when I become fed up and it becomes harder for me to let go of issue. I stand by my point to the extent that I cannot let it go until the other person affirms my belief. I am not one to easily get mad but once I do, it becomes harder for me to listen to other people’s point of view. People in my life affirm that I do not easily get mad but my mom says that I have a tendency to be emotional. Nevertheless, I am able to say sorry and acknowledge my guilt even when I was little.

Iranian economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Iranian economy - Essay Example The performance of the Iranian economy in the early twenty-first century has witnessed a marked deterioration, in absolute terms as well as relative to other countries in the region. The growth of the economy has slackened drastically (Ramin, 2004). The economy, with a rapidly expanding population, has experienced a marked decline in investment, low labor productivity, a widening trade gap, a fast accumulation of debt and, above all, a sharp decline in the standard of living. What are the determinants of economic performance? There is broad agreement among economists that macroeconomics stability – characterized by moderate and predictable inflation, a small budget deficit, and the relative stability of the real exchange rate – is essential for long-term economic growth (Sciolino, 2005). Several empirical studies suggests that stable prices, a sensible exchange rate that does not discourage exports and good fiscal and monetary disciplines are necessary, though not suffi cient, conditions for a sustainable improvement in living standards. Viewed from this perspective the deterioration of in the performance of the Iranian economy since 1980 can be largely explained by the macroeconomic stability that has characterized this post revolutionary period (Sciolino, 2005).The theme of this proposal is centered on the role of the state in the process of economic and social development in the post revolutionary period. The emphasis, however, is on economic performance.... there is general consensus amongst close observers of the Iranian economy about the 'decisive' historical role of the state. Furthermore, a distinctive feature of the current Iranian state is that sizeable oil revenue accrues to the government because of its monopoly right over oil. The rentier nature of the state provides it with economic power and financial independence, although the state plays a central role in distributing this wealth to the population through direct subsidies and the creation of economic activities. 2. Iran's Economy in a Comparative Context There has been a remarkable deterioration in the growth performance of the Iranian economy since the late 1980s, both relative to its past performance and compared to international standards. This is reflected in the below table, which shows comparative per capita GDP trends for Iran and United States. Though the comparison does show a major difference, it is to be noted that here we have compared a lower middle income economy to a higher economy. Table: Comparative Figures of Iran and US Economy for the years 2003 - 2005 Source: World Bank Data Banks. 3. Economic Policy and Industrial Structure The rapid growth of the Iranian economy during the two decades preceding the 1979 Revolution took place in the context of an import substitution industrialization strategy. The paradoxical result of this strategy was to make the economy increasingly dependent on oil export revenues in order to finance the intermediate and capital goods imports needed by Iran's heavily protected industrial sector (Halliday, 1979). In the immediate aftermath of the revolution a considerable portion of large-scale modern industry, and the entire banking and insurance

Conflict and Plan for Improvement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Conflict and Plan for Improvement - Essay Example Conflict and Plan for Improvement Thus, I would think that I am logical when dealing with conflict. Whenever I am faced with a situation that is a sure way to start a bigger conflict, I first try to look at the intent of the other person. I believe that we first have to look at the intent of a person when they do an act because miscommunications often lead to disagreements. The context of the situation and how a person says something or relays his thought must be considered before we react. I think that I am objective when dealing with conflict. There are times when I could be prone to outbursts especially if I am not in a particularly good mood prior to the conflict. When I am not feeling well or I have problems in other aspects of my life, I cannot help but to be irritated easily with other matters. I also noticed that I am prone to snap in certain situations like when I’m hungry. I could be passive aggressive that I sometimes make it seem that I am okay when I’m not. In these situations, I burst out when I become fed up and it becomes harder for me to let go of issue. I stand by my point to the extent that I cannot let it go until the other person affirms my belief. I am not one to easily get mad but once I do, it becomes harder for me to listen to other people’s point of view. People in my life affirm that I do not easily get mad but my mom says that I have a tendency to be emotional. Nevertheless, I am able to say sorry and acknowledge my guilt even when I was little.

Education Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Education Law - Essay Example Khan has experienced, the law as practiced has proved to be inadequately enacted throughout the UK school system. This paper will examine legal standards expected of schools as they relate to students with special needs and to what degree schools are implementing these standards. Throughout and again mentioned in the conclusion, this paper will outline what steps a parent can take to ensure their child is placed in an environment best suited to those individuals needs. Relevant legislation involving religious provisions and how they differ with the U.S. will be discussed as the religious cultures of these countries vary significantly as do their policies and general understandings of to what level of participation government entities should be allowed to have concerning religious studies in schools. To guide Mr. Khan to the most effective avenues to ensure the most appropriate school setting for his daughter, a determination of how she is classified under UK law is necessary before looking into the rights to which she is entitled. Amina has had a Statement of Special Education Needs (SEN) for three years. According to the DDA, a person has a disability â€Å"if they have a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.† (Disability Discrimination Act, 1995). The Local Education Authority (LEA) has determined and maintained for three years that Amina is a SEN’s child thus providing for each aspect of the act’s definition of a disability. Further, the Department for Education and Skills (DES), a government agency, states that children â€Å"have special educational needs if they cannot manage the lessons, access the curriculum or get around the school building in th e same way as other children of the same age, and special arrangements are needed to support them.† (School Coordinators, 2005). The guidelines of

Reality TV Essay Example for Free

Reality TV Essay Unscripted program, real people NOT actors in a specific environment Normal people with no discernible talent, no discernible insights, but who are willing, eager to be seen and heard living their own life. -â€Å"real life† television is filmed with out stoppage time, and then edited to catch the viewers eye -certifiable global pop-culture phenomenon Reality TV comes is all different forms now from daily life of real people such as Big Brother and Jersey Shore, sports shows, business shows like undercover boss and dirtiest jobs, talent shows such as American Idol and Dancing with the stars, family shows John and Kate plus 8, and motivational shows like biggest loser and survivor. This eventually led to being filmed and put on TV in 1948. â€Å"Candid Camera† (CQ researcher: Reality TV: Maryann Haggerty -In 1989 COPS came on air because of the writers guild of American strike. This show followed police during their daily activities. It began with no music or narration just a simple camera following a police. -Over on ABC, beginning in 1990, people were turning their own cameras on family and pets to make â€Å"Americas Funniest Home Videos -In 1992, reality TV was a novelty. In 2000, it was a fad. In 2010, its a way of life. Time Magazine article It wasnt until the premiere of ‘The Real World’ on MTV in 1992 that we began to witness the emergence of many of the textual characteristics that would come to define the genres current format,† -In 2008, the Emmys awarded a stature to the best host of a reality TV show for the first time, which was exciting news to all -ABC NBC Fox MTV CBS -In 2010 Reality TV is now a valid career choice. The New York Times estimated that at any given time, there are 1,000 people on air as reality TV stars. Topic 3: Addictiveness of Reality TV One reason for their popularity is financial: an hour of reality can cost a few hundred thousand dollars, compared to the one to three million for a scripted drama. But part of the reason fans become involved in the show is that they get invested in the good guys and bad guys. -Thats how people watch reality TV: you can doubt it, interrogate it, talk back to it, believe it, or not.

SWOT and PESTEL Analysis of Samsung

SWOT and PESTEL Analysis of Samsung Samsung was founded by Lee Byung-chul. In 1938 Samsung was born as a company that was dealing with fruit vegetable and dried fish. The company was exporting its product from South Korea to Beijing in China. In 1969, Samsung Electronics was born. From there, the company started acquiring and creating different business establishments including a hospital, paper manufacturing plant, life insurance company, department stores and many others. The company was destined to become a household name starting in its mother country and spanning its reach to many other cities internationally. http://www.streetdirectory.com/travel_guide/116664/electronics/the_history_of_samsung.html In 1974, electronics started catering to the international market in the seventies kicking off with the corporations acquisition of half of Korea Semiconductor which made it the leading electronics manufacturer in the country.The success of Samsung as a technology provider continues to grow through the eighties as Samsung Electronics was merged with Samsung Semiconductors and Telecommunications. This paved the way towards a stronger hold on the international market with high-tech products that will become a staple in every home. This development continued on through the next decade as Samsung kept on going beyond its boundaries and restructuring its business plan to accommodate the global scene. Adopting a new form of management proved to be a wise move for the company as its products made their way on the list of top must-haves in their various fields. TV-LCDs, picture tubes, Samsung printers and other high-tech products became popular acquisitions due to their high quality. When Sa msung ventured into the LCD industry in 1993, it became the worlds best. http://www.streetdirectory.com/travel_guide/116664/electronics/the_history_of_samsung.html To date, Samsung continues to maintain its status as the worlds best technology provider. Its highly qualified workforce is still striving for excellence in their respective fields making the whole company a huge success in the making. The secret to the companys continuous success is in the constant improvement of its management structure and the application of its philosophies: We will devote our human resources and technology to create superior products and services, thereby contributing to a better global society. http://www.streetdirectory.com/travel_guide/116664/electronics/the_history_of_samsung.html MICRO ENVIRONMENT ANALYSIS OF SAMSUNG The aim of this section is to conduct an internal environment analysis of Samsung which will investigate the environment in which Samsung operates in. components of the analysis will be those in which the company has control over, as known as internal environment. Organisation Size Strengths Samsung is the second biggest telecommunication industry in the world through its innovation smart phone. Samsung has wide range of product includes Cell phones, Tables, Tvs Cameras, Home appliances, laptops, etc. Samsung have increase their brand value in this past three to four years Samsung is leading in design features. For example Samsung was the first one produce dual screen phones, and they have a thinnest and lightest note pad ever. Their design are attractive and stylish at the result their sales are moving in high volumes Weaknesses Their prices are low, hence their product loss value easy in the market They launch a new phone after another that can cause confusion to the customers. Poor creativity in terms of software, mostly they steal Apples software ideas Their products are not use friendly, as compare to Nokia phones They are leading in hardware but they have too much dependence for their software from other parts. EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT ANALYSIS OF SAMSUNG This section will focus on the Macro environment of Samsung and I will explain how the external factors affect the company by looking in their opportunities and threats also go through PESTEL analysis. Opportunities Samsung need to introduce user friendly products and educate their market about their product, because there is a big market in Africa yet the majority is uneducated, Here in South Africa they need to open their own stores, where they go to sell only their own products Samsung could launch no name brand like MTN and Vodafone whereby they will take the out date old model, change only a cover and sell with cheaper price. Threats Low cost competitors from China can affect Samsung All Samsung competitors bought their product parts in Chine that can lead a future fall to Samsung. The war between Samsung and Apple might contaminate the image of Samsung Samsung was banned from importing their products in a Euro Zone Apple use Chine to fight Samsung Amalgamation of Apple and Nokia could be a threat to Samsung http://www.marketing91.com/swot-analysis-samsung/ PESTEL ANALYSIS The PESTEL analysis is an analysis of the external macro environment in n n which an which an organization operates. These are often factors which are beyond the control or influence the business (RapidBi, 2013). PESTEL will be used as a tool to analyze the Macro environment of Samsung. Political environment Looking at the political environment, how the impact of politics affecting Samsung globally, As much as Samsung is a good company not everybody see like that, due to the strong competition between Apple and Samsung it ended up involving government in other countries. American government trying to stop Samsung influences the Euro zone to block Samsung to have market around Europe. Specifically in German Samsung was forced to withdraw its Galaxy tablet. Also South Korea stops Samsung to operate in there due to the political differences between Japan and South Korean government. Economic environment Samsung has expanded its business to more than 58 countries. Samsung mostly they invest heavily to the infrastructure in each end every country they have a business in. Here in South Africa they bought a land whereby they going to build the big plant, whereby it will manufacture or assemble its products for whole Africa, it means there are employment opportunities coming and there is an opportunity for South African economy. This plant is expected to employ more than 3000 people. Social Environment Social trend in South African environment are constantly changing as new innovation technology and services have impact to the needs and wants of South African communities. The stats show that there is an increase attraction to the technology which has become the primary means of communication. Samsung find that gaps to improving peoples lives. The challenge is that many people do not know how to use Samsung products in a proper way especially these new tablet phones. People steal need to be educated on how to use these tablets phone that is a challenge of our societies. Technological environment Technology in South Africa has advance and grown rapidly over the years and has affected the way we do things here in South Africa. Technology has change the way the business is done as social media has a crucial role in sustainability strategy of most businesses. Samsung find a way of take a business out of the building structure to the pocket. By introducing Galaxy Note 2 is more tablet like than phone like, it mean that you can do you work in the public transport, in the restaurants, anywhere, without filling intermediated of carrying big machine. Ecological environment Samsung Electronics is operating its own voluntary take-back system across Korea (Republic), using a network of 130 of service centers and Anycall Plaza retail outlets (exclusive outlets for Samsungs Anycall brand). End of Life mobile phones are collected either free of charge, or in some cases with a customer reward. The returned phones are then sorted and transported to recycling facilities for scrapping. They makes an effort to develop environment-friendly product that minimizing an impact to environment through whole process from getting raw materials, production, transportation, usage and end-of-life disposal by adding environment on function, price, quality, design that were the essence for product development, Samsung reporting the recycling amounts for Korea and Japan from 2004, for Europe from 2005, and for the United States from 2006. For 2006, they have forecasted an estimate of volumes they expecting to recycle this year. http://www.samsung.com/us/aboutsamsung/corpcitizenship/environmentsocialreport/environmentsocialreport_VoluntaryPrograms.html Legal environment The South African government has decided in April of 2011, the Consumer Protection Act68 of 2008 should come in operation. This might have a negative impact to the company like Samsung because they have a tendency of dumping their low quality product in third world country to maximize their profit as they did in India. There are strong labour laws in South Africa which might have a strong negative impact to Samsung operating in South Africa as they intend to open a big factory in Johannesburg as a distribution center for Africa; it will be a challenge to them if they think they are going to exploit people in South Africa. MARKETING ENVIRONMENT This section will be focusing on the Marketing Environment in which Samsung operates and I will be evaluating its effects on the new Tablet in term of the competitive in the industry. Industrial Challenges This section will be broken into three parts: Porters 5 forces, competitive analysis by comparison and industry trend Michael porters porters fives forces Porter five forces analysis is a framework for industry analysis and business strategy development formed by Michael E. Porter of Harvard Business School in 1979. It draws upon industrial organization (IO) economics to derive five forces that determine the competitive intensity and therefore attractiveness of a market. Attractiveness in this context refers to the overall industry profitability. An unattractive industry is one in which the combination of these five forces acts to drive down overall profitability. A very unattractive industry would be one approaching pure competition, in which available profits for all firms are driven to normal profit. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Porters_five_forces.PNG http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Porters_five_forces.PNG http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Porters_five_forces.PNG This model will be used to analyse the Industry Challenges faced by Samsung The threat of potential new entrants (Low) High capital is required to compete in technology industry. Capital to buy the equipments and capital to carry out the marketing activities and other expenses should be available. However, Microsoft will release its new first Tablet soon, this mean Microsoft will be a new threat to Samsung. Microsoft will lavage on the success of their software Product Differentiation So far theres no different on how the market design its software, hence the market hope that Microsoft will bring something new in the market, if not they will not survive in this industry because this only way they can differentiate themselves Even then, overcoming issues such as customer loyalty and switching costs would be another large barrier to entry such as Microsoft. The threat of substitutes (High) The threat of substitute products within the industry, however, is low. Even though there is an increased popularity of Tablets, they are busy doing same thing. However Samsung is the one who inventing a new trend that shift from tablet to galaxy phone which it have all feature that tablets has and smart phone features. This is the only direction the market goes. The bargaining power of buyers (High) Reliability is one of the area the companies should concentrate in, however if an organisation loss its focus on customer wants, it is easy for customer to move to another company. Companies should know how much the customer is will to pay. Buyers easily switch cost with the increased of choices of mobile companies because this products are similar to one another; If the company does not beat market, the buyer will switch to those companies that have better features or better price. However Samsung is sitting on top of the game, they always want to beat the market by releasing designs and they consider their prices they offer their customers, even now Samsung is the one have a cheaper tablet in the market. Bargaining power of supplier Samsung is its own supplier of most components. Samsung also happens to be its own supplier for raw materials and they design for themselves. The bargaining power of suppliers is high because suppliers goods are critical to the buyers marketplace success, for example Samsung is a supplier of Apple which is the have a significant role in Apple prices. (The intensity of competitive rivalry (High) The smart phone industry has many competitors that are equally balanced, and thus rivalry is high. The market for smart phones has slowed in growth since its boom, so pressure to take customers from competitors is also high. Differentiation in the smart phone industry is also at a point where it is very short-lived (Huvard et al, 2011, p.9)

What Is Astrology :: essays research papers

What Is Astrology Astrology is the study of planetary influences and their affect on the world and everything in it. Astrology is usually limited to human beings--their nature, and their affairs, although a chart can be drawn up for just about any event. The horoscope is a blue print or pattern of the solar system cast for a particular moment of time. It is from this that the astrologer bases the interpretation or delineation as indicated by the nature of the sun, moon, and planets. The natal horoscope is a chart drawn at the moment of birth to see and understand the nature and makeup of the soul of the newborn as it takes residence in the physical vehicle or body. The human soul is a focal point of cosmic energy, and the pattern of the heavens, as charted in the horoscope, is the means the soul comes to know itself and its destiny. Astrology points the way to soul development and growth. The soul's strengths and weaknesses are noted in the horoscope. Life is an opportunity given to soul for further enhancement. Because the heavens are in constant motion, and because this motion is quite ordered and exact, it is possible to project the positions of the sun, moon, and planets for any given time. Astrologers use this information to draw-up a horoscope and forecast the "influences" that will affect the soul at that time. Astrologers usually do not predict actual events in the future. They can only say what might happen, or could happen, but not what will happen--much like a weather forecast; although many psychics do make predictions, and astrology is the tool they use to focus their abilities. Another common feature of astrology is the comparison of birth charts to ascertain the compatibility of two people. This is a straightforward method used by over-laying one chart upon the other. The aspects or angles formed by the planets are then analyzed to determine how the energy fields of each person blend together.

Discipline and Punish: a Critical Review Essay

Overview The main ideas of Discipline and Punish can be grouped according to its four parts: torture, punishment, discipline and prison. Torture Foucault begins by contrasting two forms of penalty: the violent and chaotic public torture of Robert-Franà §ois Damiens, who was convicted of attempted regicide in the mid-18th century, and the highly regimented daily schedule for inmates from an early 19th century prison (Mettray). These examples provide a picture of just how profound the changes in western penal systems were after less than a century. Foucault wants the reader to consider what led to these changes. How did western culture shift so radically? He believes that the question of the nature of these changes is best asked by assuming that they weren’t used to create a more humanitarian penal system, nor to more exactly punish or rehabilitate, but as part of a continuing trajectory of subjection. Foucault wants to tie scientific knowledge and technological development to the development of the prison to prove this point. He defines a â€Å"micro-physics† of power, which is constituted by a power that is str ategic and tactical rather than acquired, preserved or possessed. He explains that power and knowledge imply one another, as opposed to the common belief that knowledge exists independently of power relations (knowledge is always contextualized in a framework which makes it intelligible, so the humanizing discourse of psychiatry is an expression of the tactics of oppression).[2] That is, the ground of the game of power isn’t won by ‘liberation’, because liberation already exists as a facet of subjection. â€Å"The man described for us, whom we are invited to free, is already in himself the effect of a subjection much more profound than himself.†[3] The problem for Foucault is in some sense a theoretical modelling which posits a soul, an identity (the use of soul being fortunate since ‘identity’ or ‘name’ would not properly express the method of subjection—e.g., if mere materiality were used as a way of tracking individuals then the method of punishment would not have switched from torture to psychiatry) which allows a whole materiality of prison to develop. In What is an Author? Foucault also deals with notion of identity, and its use as a method of control, regulation, and tracking. He begins by examining public torture and execution. He argues that the public spectacle of torture and execution was a theatrical forum the original intentions of which eventually produced several unintended consequences. Foucault stresses the exactitude with which torture is carried out, and describes an extensive legal framework in which it operates to achieve specific purposes. Foucault describes public torture as ceremony. The intended purposes were: * To make the secret public (according to Foucault the investigation was kept entirely secret even from the accused). The secret of the investigation and the conclusion of the magistrates was justified by the publicity of the torture. * To show the effect of investigation on confession. (According to Foucault torture could occur during the investigation, because partial proofs meant partial guilt. If the torture failed to elicit a confession then the investigation was stopped and innocence assumed. A confession legitimized the investigation and any torture that occurred.) * Reflecting the violence of the original crime onto the convict’s body for all to see, in order for it to be manifested then annulled by reciprocating the violence of the crime on the criminal. * Enacting the revenge upon the convict’s body, which the sovereign seeks for having been injured by the crime. Foucault argues that the law was considered an extension of the sovereign’s body, and so the revenge must take the form of harming the convict’s body. â€Å"It [torture] assured the articulation of the written on the oral, the secret on the public, the procedure of investigation on the operation of the confession; it made it possible to reproduce the crime on the visible body of the criminal; in the same horror, the crime had to be manifested and annulled. It also made the body of the condemned man the place where the vengeance of the sovereign was applied, the anchoring point for a manifestation of power, an opportunity of affirming the dissymmetry of forces.†[4] Foucault looks at public torture as the outcome â€Å"of a certain mechanism of power† that views crime in a military schema. Crime and rebellion are akin to a declaration of war. The sovereign was not concerned with demonstrating the ground for the enforcement of its laws, but of identifying enemies and attacking them, the power of which was renewed by the ritual of investigation and the ceremony of public torture.[5] Some unintended consequences were: * Providing a forum for the convict’s body to become a focus of sympathy and admiration. * Redistributing blame: the executioner rather than the convict becomes the locus of shame. * Creating a site of conflict between the masses and the sovereign at the convict’s body. Foucault notes that public executions often led to riots in support of the prisoner. Frustration for the inefficiency of this economy of power could be directed towards and coalesce around the site of torture and execution. Public torture and execution was a method the sovereign deployed to express his or her power, and it did so through the ritual of investigation and the ceremony of execution—the reality and horror of which was supposed to express the omnipotence of the sovereign but actually revealed that the sovereign’s power depended on the participation of the people. Torture was made public in order to create fear in the people, and to force them to participate in the method of control by agreeing with its verdicts. But problems arose in cases in which the people through their actions disagreed with the sovereign, by heroizing the victim (admiring the courage in facing death) or in moving to physically free the criminal or to redistribute the effects of the strategically deployed power. Thus, he argues, the public execution was ultimately an ineffective use of the body, qualified as non-economical. As well, it was applied non-uniformly and haphazardly. Hence, its political cost was too high. It was the antithesis of the more modern concerns of the state: order and generalization. So it had to be reformed to allow for greater stability of property for the bourgeoisie. Punishment The switch to prison was not immediate. There was a more graded change, though it ran its course rapidly. Prison was preceded by a different form of public spectacle. The theater of public torture gave way to public chain gangs. Punishment became â€Å"gentle†, though not for humanitarian reasons, Foucault suggests. He argues that reformists were unhappy with the unpredictable, unevenly distributed nature of the violence the sovereign would inflict on the convict. The sovereign’s right to punish was so disproportionate that it was ineffective and uncontrolled. Reformists felt the power to punish and judge should become more evenly distributed, the state’s power must be a form of public power. This, according to Foucault, was of more concern to reformists than humanitarian arguments. Out of this movement towards generalized punishment, a thousand â€Å"mini-theatres† of punishment would have been created wherein the convicts’ bodies would have been put on display in a more ubiquitous, controlled, and effective spectacle. Prisoners would have been forced to do work that reflected their crime, thus repaying society for their infractions. This would have allowed the public to see the convicts’ bodies enacting their punishment, and thus to reflect on the crime. But these experiments lasted less than twenty years. Foucault argues that this theory of â€Å"gentle† punishment represented the first step away from the excessive force of the sovereign, and towards more generalized and controlled means of punishment. But he suggests that the shift towards prison that followed was the result of a new â€Å"technology† and ontology for the body being developed in the 18th century, the â€Å"technology† of discipline, and the ontology of â€Å"man as machine.† Discipline The emergence of prison as the form of punishment for every crime grew out of the development of discipline in the 18th and 19th centuries, according to Foucault. He looks at the development of highly refined forms of discipline, of discipline concerned with the smallest and most precise aspects of a person’s body. Discipline, he suggests, developed a new economy and politics for bodies. Modern institutions required that bodies must be individuated according to their tasks, as well as for training, observation, and control. Therefore, he argues, discipline created a whole new form of individuality for bodies, which enabled them to perform their duty within the new forms of economic, political, and military organizations emerging in the modern age and continuing to today. The individuality that discipline constructs (for the bodies it controls) has four characteristics, namely it makes individuality which is: * Cellular—determining the spatial distribution of the bodies * Organic—ensuring that the activities required of the bodies are â€Å"natural† for them * Genetic—controlling the evolution over time of the activities of the bodies * Combinatory—allowing for the combination of the force of many bodies into a single massive force Foucault suggests this individuality can be implemented in systems that are officially egalitarian, but use discipline to construct non-egalitarian power relations: Historically, the process by which the bourgeoisie became in the course of the eighteenth century the politically dominant class was masked by the establishment of an explicit, coded and formally egalitarian juridical framework, made possible by the organization of a parliamentary, representative regime. But the development and generalization of disciplinary mechanisms constituted the other, dark side of these processes. The general juridical form that guaranteed a system of rights that were egalitarian in principle was supported by these tiny, everyday, physical mechanisms, by all those systems of micro-power that are essentially non-egalitarian and asymmetrical that we call the disciplines. (222) Foucault’s argument is that discipline creates â€Å"docile bodies†, ideal for the new economics, politics and warfare of the modern industrial age – bodies that function in factories, ordered military regiments, and school classrooms. But, to construct docile bodies the disciplinary institutions must be able to (a) constantly observe and record the bodies they control and (b) ensure the internalization of the disciplinary individuality within the bodies being controlled. That is, discipline must come about without excessive force through careful observation, and molding of the bodies into the correct form through this observation. This requires a particular form of institution, exemplified, Foucault argues, by Jeremy Bentham’s Panopticon. This architectural model, though it was never adopted by architects according to Bentham’s exact blueprint, becomes an important conceptualization of power relations for prison reformers of the 19th Century, and i ts general principle is a recurring theme in modern prison construction. The Panopticon was the ultimate realization of a modern disciplinary institution. It allowed for constant observation characterized by an â€Å"unequal gaze†; the constant possibility of observation. Perhaps the most important feature of the panopticon was that it was specifically designed so that the prisoner could never be sure whether they were being observed at any moment. The unequal gaze caused the internalization of disciplinary individuality, and the docile body required of its inmates. This means one is less likely to break rules or laws if they believe they are being watched, even if they are not. Thus, prisons, and specifically those that follow the model of the Panopticon, provide the ideal form of modern punishment. Foucault argues that this is why the generalized, â€Å"gentle† punishment of public work gangs gave way to the prison. It was the ideal modernization of punishment, so its eventual dominance was natural. Having laid out the emergence of the prison as the dominant form of punishment, Foucault devotes the rest of the book to examining its precise form and function in our society, laying bare the reasons for its continued use, and questioning the assumed results of its use. Prison In examining the construction of the prison as the central means of criminal punishment, Foucault builds a case for the idea that prison became part of a larger â€Å"carceral system† that has become an all-encompassing sovereign institution in modern society. Prison is one part of a vast network, including schools, military institutions, hospitals, and factories, which build a panoptic society for its members. This system creates â€Å"disciplinary careers†[6] for those locked within its corridors. It is operated under the scientific authority ofmedicine, psychology, and criminology. Moreover, it operates according to principles that ensure that it â€Å"cannot fail to produce delinquents.†[7] Delinquency, indeed, is produced when social petty crime (such as taking wood from the lord’s lands) is no longer tolerated, creating a class of specialized â€Å"delinquents† acting as the police’s proxy in surveillance of society. The structures Foucault chooses to use as his starting positions help highlight his conclusions. In particular, his choice as a perfect prison of the penal institution at Mettray helps personify the carceral system. Within it is included the Prison, the School, the Church, and the work-house (industry) – all of which feature heavily in his argument. The prisons at Neufchatel, Mettray, and Mettray Netherlandswere perfect examples for Foucault, because they, even in their original state, began to show the traits Foucault was searching for. They showed the body of knowledge being developed about the prisoners, the creation of the ‘delinquent’ class, and the disciplinary careers emerging. Criticism Theoretical arguments in favor of rejecting the Foucauldian model of Panopticism may be considered under five general headings: 1) Displacement of the Panoptical ideal by mechanisms of seduction, 2) Redundancy of the Panoptical impulse brought about by the evident durability of the self-surveillance functions which partly constitute the normal, socialized, ‘Western’ subject, 3) Reduction in the number of occasions of any conceivable need for Panoptical surveillance on account of simulation, prediction and action before the fact, 4) Supplementation of the Panopticon by the Synopticon, 5) Failure of Panoptical control to produce reliably docile subjects.[9] The first point concerns Zygmunt Bauman’s argument that the leading principle of social order has moved from Panopticism to seduction. This argument is elaborated in his 1998 essay ‘On postmodern uses of sex’.[10] The second argument concerns surveillance redundance, and it is increasingly relevant in the age of Facebook and online self-disclosure. Is the metaphor of a panopticon appropriate for voluntary surrender of privacy? The third argument for post-Panopticism, concerning action before the fact, is articulated by William Bogard: The figure of the Panopticon is already haunted by a parallel figure of simulation. Surveillance, we are told, is discreet, unobtrusive, camouflaged, unverifiable – all elements of artifice designed into an architectural arrangement of spaces to produce real effects of discipline. Eventually this will lead, by its means of perfection, to the elimination of the Panopticon itself . . . surveillance as its own simulation. Now it is no longer a matter of the speed at which information is gained to defeat an enemy. . . . Now, one can simulate a space of control, project an indefinite number of courses of action, train for each possibility, and react immediately with pre-programmed responses to the actual course of events . . . with simulation, sight and foresight, actual and virtual begin to merge. . . . Increasingly the technological enlargement of the field of perceptual control, the erasure of distance in the speed of electronic information has pushed surveillance beyond the very limits of speed toward the purest forms of anticipation.[11] This kind of anticipation is particularly evident in emergent surveillance technologies such as social network analysis. The ‘Synopticon’ concerns the surveillance of the few by the many.[12] Examples of this kind of surveillance may include the theatre, the Coliseum, and celebrity tabloid reporting. This â€Å"reversal of the Panoptical polarity may have become so marked that it finally deconstructs the Panoptical metaphor altogether†.[9] Finally, the fifth point concerns the self-defeating nature of Panoptical regimes. The failure of surveillance states is illustrated by examples such as â€Å"prison riots, asylum sub-cultures, ego survival in Gulag or concentration camp, [and] retribalization in the Balkans.†[9] In their 2007 article, Dobson and Fisher[13] lay out an alternative model of post-panopticism as they identify three panoptic models. Panopticism I refers to Jeremy Bentham’s original conceptualization of the panopticon, and is it the model of panopticism that Foucault responds to in Discipline and Punish. Panopticism II refers to an Orwellian ‘Big Bro ther’ ideal of surveillance. Panopticism III, the final model of panopticism, refers to the high-technology human tracking systems that are emergent in this 21st century. These geographical information systems (GIS) include technologies such as cellphone GPS, RFIDs (radio-frequency identification tags), and geo-fences. Panopticism III is also distinguished by its costs: Panopticon III is affordable, effective, and available to anyone who wants to use it. Initial purchase prices and monthly service fees are equivalent to cell-phone costs. In less than five years, the cost of continuous surveillance of a single individual has dropped from several hundred thousand dollars per year to less than $500 per year. Surveillance formerly justified solely for national security and high-stakes commerce is readily available to track a spouse, child, parent, employee, neighbor, or stranger.

Bassano’s Last Judgment

The Last Judgment, by Leandro Bassano 16th century Venetian Artist, religious painting of Christ Finished in 1596, currently residing in the National Museum of Western Art; Tokyo, Japan (Ueno). Visited on 11/2/09 from 10:15-11:30 Bassano’s The Last Judgment Painted by Leandro Bassano, a 16th century Venetian artist, The Last Judgment is a stunning work of scared art that takes one’s breath away upon first sight. Finished in 1596, the oil painting stands 73 x 51 cm tall and currently resides in the National Museum of Western Art in Tokyo, Japan. Visiting this piece on a Monday, I had the pleasure of seeing it mostly to myself. Most people walking by stopped to take a brief look at the well lit painting and I couldn’t help but wonder if they were Christian or not and whether or not the piece would have had a bigger impact if they were. At first glance it was pretty easy for me to see this piece’s relationship to Christianity and the event that it depicts. The painting, to me, appears in 3 sections: the central and most eye drawing section on top, the middle section, and the bottom section. The top section depicts Jesus of Nazareth basked in a glowing light holding a white flag of salvation while a man, most likely his father God, floats above him. He is surrounded by angels and pure followers of Christ at, what the title suggests, is the last judgment. This section is the brightest and most eye catching part of the painting due to the well played contrasting colors surrounding it. All other parts following this are duller and darker in color and really help to create a glowing light in the darkness effect for this top portion. The middle section, duller in tone to its predecessor, appears in two parts. The left side portrays people of the church while the right side shows commoners. I felt this section depicted those who were neither tainted nor completely pure; those who were almost in reach of salvation but who could yet still fall. I thought this section, although smallest in portrayal, represented the largest portion of the Christian community as we are often on the path to salvation but can still easily sway. This middle section was what I believed to be the middle way. As it appears, the top portion of the painting conveys salvation and Christ, while the middle section depicts the church and the people, so all that remains are those in redemption and those who are already damned. This is the bottom and darkest part of the piece. On the left side sits those who can still be saved; the image of angels helping men stand up covey great feelings of regret and redemption. The right side of the section, the darkest and grimmest part of the painting, depicts devils and demons carrying and torturing the tainted and damned. When I first saw The Last Judgment I was curious as to why the brightest piece was on top and not dead center as it was what drew my eye first and foremost; however a quick look at the other sections of the painting quickly draws one to the conclusion of an order with heaven on top, earth in the middle, and hell down below. The colors and style of the painting resemble that of other renaissance pieces surrounding it and really does well in drawing one back in time; giving the viewer a wonderful feel of the Christian religion. Overall this was an amazing piece depicting a holy and scared event in the Christian religion. The Last Judgment, by Leandro Bassano 16th century Venetian Artist, religious painting of Christ Finished in 1596, currently residing in the National Museum of Western Art; Tokyo, Japan (Ueno). Visited on 11/2/09 from 10:15-11:30

Strategic Analysis of the Uk Fast Food Industry

Business and Management Strategy BAM6012 A Strategic and Competitive Analysis of the UK’s Fast Food Industry Executive Summary The food industry in the UK is a multi-billion pound industry that is mainly dominated by a few competitors such as McDonalds, Burger King, KFC and Subway. Most of the food sold in these fast food restaurants is unhealthy, which is becoming a huge concern as there are many people dying of obesity and other health related problems. This is one of the key social factors facing the fast food market at the moment.The fast food industry is a ‘red ocean’ as it is already well defined where rivalry is intense. It is also a perfectly competitive industry as the barriers to entry are low and there are many rivals each with similar products. Information about any of the competitors is freely available. The industry does have a few characteristics of an oligopolistic industry too as there is a couple of companies that have the main market share and h ave power over the buyers and suppliers.The main features that influence a firm’s ability to compete and gain profitability depend on who their main competition is. For example there are different strategic groups in the industry such as McDonalds and Burger King who compete at the top of the industry and single privately owned fast food retailer that compete on a much lower level with much smaller budgets. The customer requirements are very low in this industry as a lot of the products sold by different firms are very similar; however the requirement of a cheap and fast meal is always at the top of their needs.Any potential strategy to increase profitability within the industry will need to be assessed properly and to realise the risks involved and other potential threats to it. Table of contents Pg. Executive Summary†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 2 Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 4 History of the fast food market†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 4 Current market conditions†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 4 PESTEL analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 5 Porter’s Five Forces†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Industry attractiveness†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 9 Opportunities†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 9 Threats†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 9 Possible strategies†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 10 Bibliography†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 11 Introduction This report aims to give a strategic and competitive analysis of the UK’s fast food industry. It will cover the main structural features of the industry that influence competition and profitability. The report will give an overview of the whole industry rather than just one company within it.I shall also aim to analyse the industry attractiveness showing why possible companies would like to enter the marketplace. Another aim of the report is to analyse the competition and customer requirements in order to identify opportunities to gain a competitive advantage within the industry. The final aim of the report is to develop possible strategies to influence and improve on profitability. Whilst developing a strategy, the difficulties and risks involved in using these strategies will be covered. History of the fast food industry in the UKThe UK has embraced a lot of different types of fast food over the years, ranging from pizza to burgers, kebabs to Chinese, curry to fish & chips and healthy offerings. There is a lot of competition in the market at present with high profile companies such as McDonalds, Subway, Burger King, and KFC, not to mention the amount of privately owned single store fast food outlets. Current market conditions The value of the fast food market in the UK grew by 3. 3% in 2011 to reach a total value of $7,860. 3 million. The forecast for the market value is set to increase to $9,147 million by 2016.This is an increase of 16. 4% by 2011. Transactions in the fast food market also grew in 2011 by 1% to reach a total volume of 2,785. 2 million transactions. The market volume is set to increase by 6. 8% by 2016 to a total of 2,975. 4 million transactions. Fast Food Industry Profi le: The United Kingdom’ 2012, Fast Food Industry Profile: United Kingdom, pg 1-35, Business Source Premier, EBSCO host, viewed [25/11/2012] PESTLE analysis â€Å"PESTLE analysis will help to capture understanding about aspects of the context by using the prompts political, economic, sociological, technological, legal and environmental.It is a technique that facilitates a wide scan of the context and actual or potential factors that would affect objectives if left unmanaged. † (Webster-Murray, R. 2010. pg. 88) Political factors * There is an increasing amount of pressure from the government to encourage people to eat healthier as the number of deaths relating to obesity and an unhealthy lifestyle is on the increase year after year. * The government can allocate grants to business start-ups to try and promote fair competition within the marketplace. There is speculation over the government introducing a new ‘fat tax’ on fast food served over a counter. This will add on another 20% to the current price in taxes. http://www. guardian. co. uk/society/2012/may/16/fat-tax-unhealthy-food-effect Economic factors * Consumers will have less disposable income with the current economic climate and therefore may be less likely to spend money on fast food as it may be seen as a luxury. * Exchange rates may affect profitability on the business if they are sourcing materials (all the ingredients used to create their food) from outside the UK. Unemployment levels are high at the moment in the UK which means there will be even more consumers without the money to purchase fast food. The current unemployment rate currently sits at 7. 8%. http://www. ons. gov. uk/ons/key-figures/index. html * The inflation rate is at 2. 2% currently in the UK. This does not pose a problem as businesses will not be phased by this to invest more and grow. http://www. bbc. co. uk/news/business-19959827 Sociocultural factors * The current social trend of eating healthy and ha ving a healthy lifestyle is pushing customers away from eating at fast food restaurants. With London just hosting the Olympic Games in the summer of 2012 then a lot of people are trying to start a much healthier diet and lifestyle for themselves, therefore cutting back on the amount of fast food they currently eat. * The high standard of education in the UK means that children are more aware and knowledgeable about the health implications that arise from eating fast food. * With the current fast paced lifestyle that a lot of consumers have, it is easy for them to just pick up food at a fast food outlet rather than cook for themselves.This shows that fast food can be seen as convenient. * Companies must try and add value to their brand by being reasonably priced and of an equal quality in relation to the price. * Consumers already have a large variety of choice within the fast food market therefore a menu should also offer a lot of choice so that the customer can be satisfied and the ir ever changing taste can be satisfied too. * The fast paced lifestyle of consumers means that the service of fast food must also match that and be quick too. * Healthy options must be made available as to encourage a balanced diet.Technological factors * Fast food companies now have a wide range of tools available to them in order to promote their brand and products. Different ways they can do this is through the use of TV, radio, internet, direct mail, interactive billboards and many other options. * Companies can now use the internet not just to promote their brand but also to take orders and let the customer make transactions. This can be helpful to lower the cost of using employees. * Technological advances mean it is easier for a company to keep track of stock levels and also take orders in store.This minimises the risk of human error. Environmental factors * Companies in the fast food industry now need to monitor the amount of waste they dispose of as there is a lot of empha sis now on cutting down the amount of waste and turning it into recyclable and reusable products. Businesses are now turning to recyclable packing. * The amount of energy that is consumed in the process of making the fast food and where all the energy comes from to power a fast food outlet. Can be seen as a good ethical policy to use or create off shore wind farms that power outlets. Legal factors Have to stick to a law that means they cannot mislead consumers on the nutritional value of their products. * Companies have to abide by certain health and safety laws for both the employees and the customers. * Other laws that a business will have follow are laws on employment, fair competition and food hygiene. Through the use of a PESTLE analysis we can see that there are many factors that affect the UK’s fast food industry. Most of these factors arise in the sociocultural section as it is here that the fast food industry gains most of its unwanted attention.This is mainly down t o the fact that the foods served by the companies are mainly unhealthy, carrying lots of calories, salt and sugars. Porters Five Forces Model In 1980, Michael Porter came up with a model that identified five forces that have an influence on an industry. This model â€Å"focuses on five forces that shape competition within an industry: (1) the risk of entry by potential competitors: (2) the intensity of rivalry among established companies within an industry: (3) the bargaining power of buyers: (4) the bargaining power of suppliers: and (5) the closeness of substitutes to an industry’s products. (Hill, C. W. L, Jones, G. L. 2010, pg. 42) Threat of New Entrants * Low barriers to entry mean that it is easy for a company to start up a business in the fast food industry. However would be unable to compete directly with the large organisations already in the market. * Easy for a new entrant to differentiate their product and atmosphere of the outlet (shop). * Once a good location i s found then it could ensure the success of a new entrant. Could be possible to dominate the market in a certain location. Capital investment is not too high or out of reach for most individuals. Bargaining Power of Suppliers * Companies in the fast food industry could change their suppliers quite easily as there are a lot of suppliers that would be happy to receive the amount of revenue they could gain from using such a large company as Burger King or McDonalds. * The larger companies in the fast food industry have a lot of bargaining power over their suppliers as they could make up a very large proportion of the suppliers revenue, if not all of it. Bargaining Power of Buyers Due to the sheer volume of customers that purchase fast food, the bargaining power of the buyer is low. For example, a customer could barter with a butcher’s market stall about the price of meat whereas they could not walk into a Subway store and negotiate the price of a sandwich down to their preferred amount. The price shown is the price that will be paid. * Only bargaining power the customer has is the lack of switching costs. A customer could purchase from a McDonalds instead of Subway without costing them anything. Threat of substitutes The threat of substitute products is very high as firstly the lack of switching costs means that a customer could change preferences and purchase from another company immediately as long as it fitted their standard of quality and price. * The market is currently flooded with products that are all very similar (McDonalds burgers are in theory the same as Burger King) therefore a new product could arise and sell particularly well as long as it had a good taste and quality. Rivalry among Existing Firms * Rivalry is high in the current market as top firms such as McDonalds and Burger King compete for the highest market share.Due to the sheer size of these companies they can spend heavily on advertising and use aggressive tactics to ensure success. * Constant funds are being ploughed into advertising to try and promote not just the products companies offer but also to try and promote their brand. For example, McDonalds now tries to show more on the ethical side of the company saying that all of their ingredients are sourced locally. Through the use of Porter’s Five Forces model, we can see that the threat of substitutes, rivalry among existing firms and threat of new entrants to the market are moderate to high.Whereas the bargaining power of both suppliers and buyers are relatively low. This shows that the companies in the market currently have a lot of power. Industry attractiveness * Massive industry worth $7,860. 3 billion. * Huge volume of transactions at 2,785. 2 billion. * Small market share can still mean high revenue. * Possibility to create a large and global company similar to that of McDonalds. * Possibility to run a franchise business model. * Has a very broad market segment. * Could be a good industry in a recession as consumers cut down spending on eating at more expensive restaurants. Industry is predicted to continue growing. Opportunities There are many opportunities and threats that arise from the use of the PESTLE analysis and Porter Five Forces model such as: 1. Due to the current unemployment rate of 7. 8% this means that large companies such as McDonalds could use this to their advantage and open a number of new stores to create new jobs and in turn create more revenue for the industry. This could enhance the image of the industry as it is helping the nation out by creating jobs in this time of economic downturn. . As consumers have less disposable income then they will be less likely to eat out at more expensive restaurants and may turn to fast food outlets as they are cheaper. This is a great opportunity to advertise heavily on a menu that is less expensive than the normal menu. For example creating a meal that only costs the consumer ? 2. This should attract a lot of pote ntial customers to spend more in the fast food industry. 3. Differentiate the industry by offering healthier foods on a whole to gain the interest of the health conscious consumers.This would increase the volume of the industry. Threats 1. If an outbreak of foot and mouth disease or BSE (mad cow disease) were to arise then consumers would not be purchasing any type of beef which would mean a downturn in the amount of revenue gained by the fast food industry. 2. Any type of negative feedback from the media would shine an unwanted spotlight on the fast food industry. For example, if someone were to find a hair in their burger at a fast food outlet then it might influence customers to eat elsewhere.Strategies to influence industry structure and improve industry profitability * Create new menus that will offer healthy food to the consumer. This will engage with a new target audience and therefore enhance the volume of transactions the industry already has. The amount of revenue earned b y the industry will also increase. This will lead to new competitors in the market place offering a different product type and increase the amount of competition amongst the already competing firms. * Companies could vertically integrate in order to gain control over the production of the ingredients that it needs to create the foods.This would be risky for some businesses as the vast majority of their expertise is in the retailing of fast food. Conclusion Overall, the fast food industry is a highly competitive industry that is dominated by a few main players. The main features that influence competition are the changing tastes of the customer and their willingness to try other fast food outlets. Profitability is not only based now on the products that a company sells but also the way in which the customer perceives the ethical values of a company.Although the requirements of a customer needing a cheap meal at a fast pace is still high on their agenda of needs. For a company to surv ive and improve upon its current position in the marketplace it should think about different strategies such as growth (new products or different areas) differentiation and vertical integration. Bibliography * Fast Food Industry Profile: The United Kingdom’ 2012, Fast Food Industry Profile: United Kingdom, pg 1-35, Business Source Premier, EBSCO host, viewed [25/11/2012] * Murray-Webster, R. (2010) Management of risk: guidance for practitioners.The stationery office: Norwich * Dennis Campbell (2012) ‘Fat Tax’ on unhealthy food must raise prices by 20% to have effect says study. (01/12/2012) http://www. guardian. co. uk/society/2012/may/16/fat-tax-unhealthy-food-effect * Office for national statistics (2012) Key figures. (02/12/2012) http://www. ons. gov. uk/ons/key-figures/index. html * BBC (2012) UK inflation rate slows to 2. 2% in September, ONS says. (01/12/2012) http://www. bbc. co. uk/news/business-19959827 * Hill, C. W. L & Jones, G. L. (2010) Strategic Man agement an integrated approach. Cengage learning: USA