Formal statements that are prevalent Essay

Formal statements that are prevalent -? Suggest what about the organization? â€Å"Cisco Systems’ vision is to change the way we work, live, play and learn. Our mission is to shape the future of the Internet in ways that empower individuals to participate fully in our vision. This powerful shared vision and mission is what we all have in common at Cisco. Equally compelling is the broad spectrum of unique skills, perspectives, values and behaviors that influence how we each like to work, live, play and learn. This is what defines Cisco’s diversity† (Chambers, 2003). Cisco’s culture drives the company to set high standards for corporate integrity and to give back by using Cisco’s resources for a positive global impact. Strong, mutually beneficial relationships with partners, customers, shareholders, and the people who work for, with and near Cisco are essential to the business (Good opening statement) Workspace: The Organizational Culture Spare lines, bare walls, and sweeping curves are the non-ornaments of the CISCO workplace; these are cultural clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s for futurism and modern thinking that have been used since the 1920’s. Flat screen monitors are hung like paintings on the wall. More modern than the design proper is the CISCO Vice President Dave Rossetti’s concept of the ideal office. Brad Stone of Newsweek writes, â€Å"CISCO VP Dave Rossetti heads a research group of 100 colleagues working on the office of the future. Rossetti talks about a workspace comprising free-floating employees who walk into a building and find an empty â€Å"generic office† nearest to their current team of collaborators. The office features boringly blank walls and surfaces when unoccupied, but senses when an employee wants to sit there, perhaps by reading his ID badge. Then it automatically customizes itself. Suddenly, the proper e-mail account appears on the PC, and the Internet telephone adopts that employee’s extension. Even the digital picture frames render photos of the employee’s family, or a favorite Ansel Adams vista.† Clearly, the message is that the workers make the workplace come alive. Customization for the individual indicates the company’s desire to make sure the worker is comfortable. The fact that each office would be identical illustrates that all workers would have equal resources. Corporate colors in the Executive Briefing Center are a sea like green/blue and a tan as shown in the promotional brochure. Warm yellow light flows from recessed fixtures in a design of radiating hoops. Clearly the message is â€Å"we are a global company†. The color scheme replicates that of the globe. To be seen as an agile competitor in the marketplace, a competitive company will ensure that its workers have the necessary tools they need to do the job well. Slogans -? Inform people in the culture The article The Best Team in the Business, (Doyle, 2004) describes a CISCO conference that was held in Honolulu. During the conference CISCO used an IP-based interactive polling system to pound Hawaiian drums and scroll the words â€Å"Incredible things happen† across a screen. The CEO enters the stage to an AC/DC song blasting over the large sound system. This type of slogan and saying provides the public with the impression that CISCO is up to date on technology, innovative, and motivates the crowd on the company. With the loud beat and demonstrations, the public immediately receives the impression that CISCO works towards making sure the incredible things happen statement becomes a reality. Deliberate role modeling, training and teaching is emphasized. CISCO produces many different unique ways to provide employees with empowerment and therefore has developed teams to handle any type of situation CISCO refers to these teams as their channel teams (Doyle, 2004). Channel teams provide business experiences that actually allow an organization to quickly resolve a situation. Having this type of team allows the organization to pull resources together to brain storm, work towards resolving conflict, come up with project plans, and work towards future enhancements. Channel teams provide role modeling, training and teaching allowing an organization to depend on all resources and have them organized to handle the task at hand. Rewards -? Used to motivate employees There are a few rewards and status symbols that motivate the employees at CISCO. CISCO offers employees a comprehensive and flexible benefits package. Depending on the work site, employees may have access to additional services to help them balance the competing demands of work and home. In addition, CISCO leaders support ongoing training and continual career growth. Regardless of location, all employees have access to e-learning activities. Traditional instructor-led sessions are also available in most locations. Managers also have discretion to identify other creative ways their employees can develop new skills. One benefit most focused upon was telecommuting. The benefits most cited by telecommuters are qualitative–reclaimed commute time, flexible working hours, fewer interruptions, as well as more family time. The average telecommuters savings (not including tolls and parking) resulting from a reduced IRS-established mileage rate). Their wardrobe and dry-cleaning costs were reduced by 40%, and lunch and snack expenses were reduced by a factor of five. Employees are able to work in an environment that is designed to meet their individual needs and style. Better relationships with spouses and children, improved personal morale and fewer sick days are cited by more than 80% of individuals who work some of their time at home. Stories, legends and myths The history of a company often tells a story that epitomizes the very nature of the company. CISCO Systems Inc. has such a story that shows the CEO’s concern for his employees. During 2002, John Chambers was CEO of CISCO SYSTEMS INC. When he learned that a CISCO employee needed a surgical procedure that only three doctors in the country could perform, he called and made the arrangements himself. (Hooper, 2002) This shows how culturally this company is like one big family. Organizational activities ?- Organizational Reactions to Critical Incidents CISCO’s leaders measure and control many organizational activities, processes, and outcomes. An important facet of CISCO’s business is the intertwined relationships between quality control, inventory, planning, and ordering. To assist with this process CISCO partners with dozens of companies. In particular, Flextronics, one of the largest electronics contract manufacturers, has partnered to create a secure and seamless integration between the two giants. (Roberts, 2000). CISCO has also controlled a past internal downsizing event. After jobs were cut, CISCO gave employees an option to stay with the company and work, at a reduced salary, for a nonprofit organization. Approximately 80 employees opted for the chance to continue to work (Murray, 2001). This program allows CISCO to reduce its workforce temporarily, while giving themselves the future option and control to bring trained and qualified employees into the workforce again. CISCO’s organizational leaders are quick to react to incidents and crises. Recently, an approximated 800 megabytes of software code, used to direct Internet traffic, was reportedly stolen by criminal hackers. CISCO spokesman, Robert Barlow, responded to the attack by stating, â€Å"CISCO is fully investigating what happened. As a matter of policy, we take security very seriously and we continue to take every measure to protect our intellectual property, employee, and customer information† (Musich, 2004). This attack is not just a security threat for CISCO, but the entire Internet. CISCO is maintaining a strong stance and will â€Å"continue to actively monitor the situation and will respond according to established processes and procedures, should the need arise† (Musich, 2004). Describe the workflow and organizational structure. In 2001 Cisco started to arrange its business structure from line of business to 11 technology groups, centralizing its engineering and marketing organizations to support this structure. (Pallatto, 2001) Details of this structure can be found at Cisco’s Website (http://newsroom.cisco.com). (This is a good way to direct the reader to an area, without including it in the paper). In the future it may be hepful to say ie search â€Å"corporate structure† on left side of website. The eleven areas that Cisco decided to focus on are Access, Aggregation, Core Routing, Ethernet Access, Internet Switching and Services, Cisco IOS Technologies Division, Network Management Services, Optical, Storage, Voice, and Wireless. This new organizational structure was developed to better enable Cisco to integrate solutions through out a company seamlessly across extranets, intranets, and the Internet. Organizational systems and procedures Organizational structure impacts the performance of the firm. Alfred Chandler suggested in his classic research that structure follows strategy. Through the years, organizations have altered their structures to better meet the demands of the competitive marketplace. CISCO Systems announced a number of changes in their organizational structure during the summer of 2001. Changing customer requirements and the inherent market opportunity were at the heart of the change. When CISCO created its line of business structure in April 1997, our enterprise, commercial, and service provider customers were building separate networks with predominantly unique product requirements. â€Å"Today, our customers want our products to move across all of these customer segments. They want a network of networks that are seamless and have transparent integration across extranets, intranets, and the Internet. As our customers and the industry evolve, CISCO continues to evolve its organization† (Chamber, 2001). The new centralized technology groups and marketing organization are a logical extension of CISCO’s Six-Point Plan. They began organizing the company around profit contribution, aligning resources to create efficiencies, and focusing on markets with growth opportunities. Centralized technology is also consistent with the breakaway strategy to take advantage of inflection points in the market. â€Å"We believe our changing customer requirements signal an important market transition point. Our new organizational structure will accelerate innovation and aggressively expand CISCO’s product leadership capabilities consistent with customer expectations for a single product architecture and strategy with clear product roadmaps† (Chambers, 2001). However, this new structure will allow CISCO’s technology differentiation to be at the forefront of messaging and competitive positioning. This change will lead to more efficiency in CISCO’s time-to-market with pro ducts, better use of engineering resources, and deliver a stronger competitive position overall. Organizational goals and associated criteria CISCO Systems is one of the most innovative companies in the high-technology industry.(Doyle, 2004) They hire talented people who can continue CISCO’s global leadership, delivering networking products and solutions that help customers achieve their business goals. Employers who invest in certifications experience a quick return on their training and certification investment. Investing in their skills brings improved employee morale, confidence, and productivity, while increasing the CISCO bottom line. To be part of the team an individual must be willing to accept a lot and part with nearly as much. Travel, for example, is intense. Team members say they rarely get by on anything less than 60-hour work weeks, and that doesn’t include time in the air, which is significant when considering they frequently huddle together all over the world for team meetings. Often, there are requisite get-togethers that are not considered part of the job, but merely adjuncts to it. That would include the weekend that members of Mounford’s team spent skiing in Chamonix, France, where he maintains a ski chalet. Then there are the rigors of the job, which can be intense. They’re compounded by the competitiveness of the individual team members. References Doyle, T. C. (2004, May). The Best Team in the Business, Cover Story. VARBusiness. Hooper, L. (2002). No. 7 John Chambers. Computer Reseller News 74. Retrieved May 24, 2004, from the RDS Business and Management database at the UPO Library London, Simon. (2004, May). CISCO shares fall on investor fears. The Financial Times, 17. Retrieved May 22, 2004, from InfoTrac OneFile database. Murray, Sarah. (2001, October). Human resources: Jobless staff gain community spirit: CISCO employees have the option of being seconded to non-profit organizations. The Financial Times, 2. Retrieved May 22, 2004. Musich, Paula. (2004, May). CISCO source code reportedly stolen. eWeek. Retrieved May 22, 2004, from InfoTrac OneFile database. Pallatto, J. (2001, October). Cisco searches for a market recovery. Internet World, 7 (18): 22, October 2001. Retrieved May 25, 2004, from the RDS Business and Management database at the UPO Library Roberts, Bill. (2000, July). Ready, fire, aim. Electronic Business, v26(7) 80. Retrieved May 22, 2004, from InfoTrac OneFile database. Stone, Brad. (2003, April) Newsweek, Vol. 141 Issue 17, p46, 2p, 1c. Retrieved May 23, 2004, from EBSCOHost Research Database. Unknown. (2001, August). Q&A: John Chambers Discusses. NEWS @ CISCO. Retrieved May 24, 2004 from http://newsroom.CISCO.com/dlls/hd_082301.html

Implication and conclusion week 7 Essay

What are the most important concepts you have learned this week? I have learned that leadership is essentially the same among countries. The leadership styles of minorities, men and woman remain consistent. What would you recommend to your management/leadership based on these concepts? Last week, I learned that one must be a leader and a manager in order to be effective. A manager must have strong leadership skills in order to motivate his or her group. Likewise, a leader needs to have a rapport with employees, but needs to focus on accomplishing the company’s goals. How will these concepts impact you personally and professionally? In order for leaders to be successful, they need to have good communication skills and they must be able to demonstrate responsibility. A good leader takes the time to make a plan, be consistent in carrying it out, and can motivate his or her employees to follow it. My study of the readings has taught me that my own life experiences have helped me to develop strategies that I use at work to be a strong, effective, charismatic leader. What is the value-added from these concepts, or what differences can these concepts make to your organization? As in previous weeks, the value-added from these concepts are to reduce misunderstandings, mistakes, and miscomputation while increasing respect, good communication, and the motivation of every person. One must understand one’s own leadership characteristics in order to determine whether or not an individual is a natural leader. Describe important references used this week. List the references in proper APA style. Argyris, C. (1976) Increasing Leadership Effectiveness, Wiley, New York, House, R. J. (2004) Culture, Leadership, and Organizations: The GLOBE Study of 62 Societies, SAGE Publications, Thousand Oaks â€Å"In what ways could leadership training and education be improved? † SMeech. net – Tech Ed and Web Design Retrieved on November 5, 2006 from, http://www. smeech. net/2006/03/in-what-ways-could-leadership-training. htm Mercurious, N. (2006, March). Leadership: become a digital-age thinker. Retrieved on November 4, 2006 from, Techlearning. com Newton, L, (2006) Leaders are Born, Not Made Retrieved on November 4, 2006 from, http://www. imakenews. com/masswit/e_article000115018. cfm Torbert, W. (2004) Action Inquiry: the Secret of Timely and Transforming Leadership, San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers. Warneka, T. (2006). Leading People the Black Belt Way: Conquering the Five Core Problems Facing Leaders Today. Asogomi Publications Intl. Cleveland, Ohio.

Assignment - Team Work in Business Essay Example for Free

Assignment – Team Work in Business Essay Some management teams are bound to succeed while other are not due to a number of factors. A team, according to Adair (1986), is more than just a group with a common aim. It is a group in which the contributions of individuals are seen as complementary. Collaboration, working together, is the keynote of a team activity. Adair suggests that the test of an effective team is: â€Å"whether its members can work as a team while they are apart, contributing to a sequence of activities rather than to a common task, which requires their presence in one place and at one time. † Below is a discussion of some of the major factors that create a difference between winning and losing management teams . Management teams are usually formed by a sponsor who recognizes that reaching an organizational goal will require a group of individuals working together to provide the leadership necessary to move a company, division or unit towards the organization’s goals. It is the sponsor’s responsibility to create a ‘charter’ that establishes the management team and its primary focus. In addition, the sponsor establishes specific goals the team is to accomplish. The sponsor will also select the team leader and gain his or her commitment to lead the leadership team in defining and carrying out the needed actions. Lack of will or proper direction by the sponsor ( e. g board of directors in a company) can lead to team failure. These include physical factors such as working proximity, plant or office layout. In general, close proximity aids group identity and loyalty, and distance reduces them. Other environmental issues include the traditions of the organisation under which the management team operates, and leadership styles. Formal organisations tend to adopt formal group practices. Autocratic leadership styles prefer group activities to be directed. Small groups tend to be more cohesive than larger groups; small groups tend to encourage full participation; large groups contain greater diversity of talent. A shared understanding of the management team’s stakeholders, their expectations of the team, and the values the team embraces is essential to create the focus needed as the management team members plan and execute the actions necessary to achieve the team’s goals. Specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound goals should be established by the team’s sponsor and then broken into sub-goals by the management team. Without SMART goals, the team will lack the milestones necessary to drive action. Team leadership is the most critical success factor for the performance management team. A leader with strong performance management skills and the ability to develop others virtually guarantees a successful performance initiative. Every management team needs a leader who focuses the members of the team on the mission, purpose, and goals of the team. This individual must be committed to the team’s results and must be willing to be held accountable by the team’s sponsor and other stakeholders, for leading the team through processes that insure the team’s goals are reached. The team leader must engage each team member in the processes of the team and build a platform of mutual trust that leads to open debate, collaboration, individual commitment, and personal accountability. The most important element of successful team work is the establishment of a platform of mutual trust that enables the management team to engage in open debate and decision making that leads to commitments to action by individual members of the team. Building this trust requires an openness that allows team members to know and understand the beliefs and behaviors of all members of the team so that team actions can be structured to take advantage of each member’s uniqueness and talents. Behavioral and values assessments are powerful tools in developing an understanding how each member of the management team views themselves and responds to others in the team. An effective management team will have team members who are actively engaged in the work and focus of the team. This will require that each team member emotionally commits to actively and openly participate in the team’s processes in the pursuit of the team’s goals. The team member must willingly commit to carry out action plans to complete individual actions necessary for the team to reach their team goals. The team member must be dependable and carry the full weight of personal responsibility to complete their individual commitments by the date committed to. Engaged team members enthusiastically support each other and add value to other team members. They prepare for team processes and choose to engage others in a positive manner to find solutions to issues and challenges they individually or as a team face. They constantly seek to improve themselves for the benefit of the team and never, never, never quit. The Apollo Syndrome is a phenomenon that having too many people with a high mental abilities grouped together to solve a problem is, in many instances, detrimental to the teamwork process. Team members spend much of their time trying to persuade the team to adopt their own views as well as figuring out ways to point out weaknesses in the rest of the team’s ideas. They have difficulty reaching consensus in decisions and are focused on their own work, paying little attention to what their fellow team members agree doing. Occasionally the team will pick up on the fact they are having problems, but will then overcompensate to avoid confrontation. This leads to even more problems in making sound decisions. A knowledgeable team, skilled at group working, and with a wider range of talents is much more likely to succeed than an inexperienced group with a narrow range of talents. The work of a management team is carried out by individual members of the team. When a team has developed a plan of actions that are necessary to achieve their goals or overcome barriers, individual members must commit to carrying out specific actions which in many cases will include actions by the individual teams they in turn lead. The management team’s collaborative processes must include steps to: * Define individual actions, * Gain the commitments by individual team members to complete the actions, * Document due dates, and * Establish status reporting processes. Team goals will usually not be realized until individual commitments are completed. Management team members must embrace a discipline to complete their commitments as scheduled. They must agree to hold each other personally accountable for completing, as scheduled, the commitments each person has made to the team. Each management team member must continuously report the status of their open commitments to the team so that barriers to completion can be identified early in order to permit the management team leader and other team members the opportunity to deal with the issues before overall deadlines are impacted. 12. Identification and Removal of Barriers Barriers to team and individual progress will occur in every management team effort and must be dealt with quickly to continue progress towards the team’s goals. The team leader must continuously monitor the status of each individual’s commitments and initiate barrier removal processes where appropriate. Team-based processes for developing action plans to overcome barriers impacting individual commitments should be instilled as a part of the team’s culture. The ability for a management team to clearly state it’s goals and objectives and gain buy-in among the people they lead ( e. g. employees )along with a synergistic team that can carry out their responsibilities is vital to performance success. The vision and/or mission of the team must be accepted by all the team members and critical goals viewed as the collective responsibility of the team. If a return to profitability is a critical goal of an executive team, priorities and time commitments must be pulled from elsewhere. Focusing on results that in any way does not support the critical goal(s) of the team will lead to team failure. While a skilled management team can improve performance with very little tools and only an effective approach, with proper technology to support the team’s needs, and the proper data to drive decision making, there is almost no limit to the improvements an organization will yield. Innovating is a key aspect of teamwork and involves challenging the way things are currently being done. Technology is changing so quickly that the way you are currently performing tasks may no longer be the best way. If you are not up-to-date in your practices, your cost structure may be too high or you may no longer be delivering competitive service. Innovating is essential for all work teams. There are always better ways of doing things if you only take time to discover them. To obtain the resources – people, money, and equipment – to carry out your work, you have to ‘sell’ what you are doing to other people. Resources to implement new ideas will only be given if your team can persuade and influence people higher in the organization. Promoting to customers or clients both inside or outside the organization is also important if you are to continually deliver what people want. Many ideas don’t see the light of day because they are impractical. The Developing activity ensures that your ideas are molded and shaped to meet the needs of your customers, clients, or users. It involves listening to their needs and incorporating these in your plans. Developing will ensure that what you are trying to do is possible, given the resource constraints of your organization. Regular checks on work activities are essential to ensure that mistakes are not made. Quality audits of your products or services will ensure that your customers or clients will remain satisfied. Inspecting also covers the financial aspect of work in your team, as well as the security aspects, the safety aspects and the legal aspects. All management teams need to uphold standards and maintain effective work processes. Your car will fail if it does not have its regular service. Teams can fail too, if the team processes are not regularly checked and maintained. Maintaining ensures that quality standards are upheld and that regular reviews of team effectiveness take place. Linking is the activity that ensures all team members pull together, and makes the difference between a group of individuals and a highly effective and efficient team. It covers the linking of people, linking of tasks and leadership linking. Assignment – Team Work in Business. (2016, Nov 20).

Postmodernism, Feminism and Social Science Essay

Postmodernism, Feminism and Social Science - Essay Example The essay "Postmodernism, Feminism and Social Science" states the social theories of interpretivism and feminism and how they are important for research in nursing in home care and nursing homes. Feminist is the way which helps women to know things and it gained support in the year 1980. â€Å"Women’s way of knowing† was the book which argued women have intuitive understanding. Sandra Harding explained about the contribution of feminism and increasing presence of women in the field of feminist sciences. Elsie Clew Parsons focused on gender and explained its influence on career of women. Feminist methodologies emphasizes on the idea that women have distinctive ways of knowing. There were many critiques that rejected the notion and even the methodology or reasons to be gendered. Feminists study the systematic oppression of women and the current wave of feminist thought includes the concept of empiricist principles. Nursing is primarily considered a woman’s professi on as the ideal of nurturing and caring is the essence of nursing which is associated with feminine aspect of human beings. Feminists theories believes the knowledge gained by the scientific methods is considered legitimate knowledge but, according to Hubbard, scientific knowledge may reflect the interest and outlook of producers. Feminists oppose the rigid scientific epistemology. It is necessary to have a nonsexist approach for research in feminism and the influence of social concepts on the working of female nurses in nursing homes.

Political theories and ideologies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Political theories and ideologies - Essay Example Political ideology is an ideology whose focus is on the political arena. The political system is a way in which the existing societies make and analyze their decisions about the most important value. Political ideologies have two partial exceptions; two cases in which focuses on the importance of religious beliefs, that is those of liberation and Islam. Political philosophy, political ideology, and political theory all relate in that they focus on the different ways of thinking about all the political ideas. All political philosophies which are every political statement about how the government or the people should behave has a statement on how they behave, which is political theory This paper tackles the ideologies of nationalism, globalism, and feminism; it comprises some comparisons of the three ideologies. For nationalism, it is set of beliefs, which help produce a divergent set of the already existing nationalisms. Nationalism is important today; there are forces, however, that diminish nationalism, and these forces include internationalism, globalization, and religionalism. Nationalism also means the national awareness of oneself as part of a bigger group, identification with a group and patriotism. However contradicting the theory of nationalism is, scholars still view it as an ideology some state that nationalism is the most powerful tool in the political ideologies. They say that it is one of the least expected ideologies but still one of the most important in contemporary international politics. This results from the increased awareness about national identities through pressing for their distinctiveness and rediscovering their national history and making of demands under national self-determination. Nationalism has both the bad and the good aspects, which mean theirs and ours. The good and the bad often reflect the analysis of all the types of nationalism and the impacts associated to it. Traditionalist view nationalism

Mandatory Recycling in the USA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mandatory Recycling in the USA - Essay Example Air pollution that coming from the process of burning fossil fuels is one of the common factors that causes acid rain. (U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1999) In other words, electric utility plants are among the major sources of emitted sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide that are present in the atmostphere. As explained by Science, global warming and the nitrogen oxide present in the acid rain could cause negative impact on the environment aside from declining the annual crop yields due to the presence of flood caused by typhoon and/or prolonged hot season that often leads to the growth of new pesticides and fungicides. (Hampton, 2008; Union of Concerned Scientists, 2006) For this reason, income from agricultural activities becomes lesser. On the other hand, the thinning of the ozone layer could cause human beings to suffer from skin cancer and other related health detriments. (The Daily Galaxy, 2007) Aside from causing serious damage on agricultural products, acid rain could also severely damage our natural sources of water such as lakes and streams. (U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1999) Given the fact that trees absorb water from the ground, there is a higher chance that trees and other plants would die caused by high amount of acid found in the ocean, lakes, streams, rivers, and water reservoir. For this reason, forest degradation is most likely to occur.

Green Grid Computing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Green Grid Computing - Essay Example Initially, The Green Grid has formed four initial technical working groups - Data Collection and Analysis, Data Center Technology and Strategy, Data Center Operations, and Data Center Metrics and Measurements - comprised of experts from the founding companies and open to others interested in participating. Other work groups may be developed as needs are identified. In addition, the group will engage with end-users in meaningful two-way dialog and work with other organizations, governmental bodies, and NGOs to provide a comprehensive and holistic view of data center energy efficiency (See: . The collective viewpoint of Green Grid members is that energy efficiency in the data center is the most significant issue facing technology providers and their customers today. This situation is not only due to exponential increases in power and cooling costs over the past few years, but also because customer demand for concentrated computing is outpacing the availability of clean reliable power in many places around the world. The Green Grid is the first industry initiative chartered to take a holistic view of the computing ecosystem, with a focus on addressing the pressing issues facing data center users (Green Consortium, Feb 2007). On the other hand, The Green Grid is an ambitious project to create a shared high-performance computing infrastructure for science and engineering at Dartmouth College. The Green Grid was created with the support of the Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Sciences to promote collaborative computing for the entire Dartmouth community.  

Classical Argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Classical Argument - Essay Example According to Carey, the National Public Radio, states that college students borrow very huge loans to supplement their stay in college. However, the government is also working very hard to ensure that the rates of borrowing loans for college students are low and the government does not care whether the students have borrowed loans surpassing the one trillion dollars. The government is also intending to double these rates since rumor has it, in order to enable the stay of the students comfortable in college. Eventually, this means that not only will the cost of college fees increases at the WVU university increase but also the amount the students will have to pay back in payment for loans are doubling. This arguments and matters may actually discourage other students anticipating on joining college when especially they think about the increasing cost of Fees and increasing money to pay back as loans after college. Although it is a pleasure that the government gives enough loans to the students, it is an advantage to wise students since they can decide to invest. In this case, the loans will help them positively in a better way. On the other hand, it is a disadvantage for the students will incur many debts with the government and thus it may become a great burden to the students who just do not utilize these loans and thus unless they find jobs on time, it may become very hard to repay the loans. Consequently, several changes have occurred in college tuitions over the last several decades. Tuition at colleges in the current generations cannot have any comparison to the college tuitions in the olden days. Following Feldman’s, Myths and Realities about Rising College Tuition, discusses the changes statistically, historically, and in a way that is not biased. In the past days, college tuition fee used to be very affordable and most people could afford it comfortably as compared to the current days where the college tuition fee is very high for the peasants to afford. This increasing of the cost of the college tuition is due to many factors, which include, one, the rising economy. The increasing cost of life has greatly affected the college tuition fee; this is because of the high prices for food and other household equipments and the increasing needs of the people. This in turn causes the lot of straining to the parents or guardians providing and catering for the college students. On the other hand, in the olden days, very few students qualified to join colleges, and thus this became very convenient for the institutions to provide very affordable accommodation, food and quality tuition at an affordable tuition fee. In addition, the cost of living had not yet risen to greater levels thus parents were very comfortable to pay the tuition fee. On the other hand, the government provided little loans to the students since the government also understood that the cost of life was affordable in comparison to the current cost of life in the colle ges. Life has generally become very demanding and expensive and thus the college students require more money. In the current days also, many students got admissions into colleges hence causing lot congestion into the institutions. The institutions require setting up more structures to accommodate the rising population of the institution

Rape and sexual assault in deployed military Term Paper

Rape and sexual assault in deployed military - Term Paper Example However, some senators have taken a bleak view of the lackadaisical manner, in which the armed forces deal with such incidents. For instance, Senator Kay Bailey Hitchison wrote to the Air Force Secretary, directing an investigation into 24 cases of rape of females at the Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas. What was of great significance was that she was apprehensive regarding the manner, in which these cases would be dealt with. In addition, she had serious misgivings about whether the rape victims would obtain justice from these investigations (News in Brief. National , 2004). The US military gives the victims of sexual assault, two choices, in respect of reporting. The first is that of restricted reporting, wherein the assault is brought to the notice of a chaplain, DSARC, UVA or medical provider. Such reporting remains uninvestigated or unreported to the next superior officer, in the chain of command. The other option provided is that of unrestricted reporting, in which the assault is not reported to any entity of restricted reporting. Such unrestricted reports have to be perforce investigated and brought to the notice of the appropriate authority in the chain of command. There is a provision for victims to commence restricted reporting and subsequently change over to unrestricted reporting (Pariante, 2009). The victim obtains the same medical care, irrespective of the mode of reporting. They are provided with treatment that addresses physical injuries, pregnancy or infection with sexually transmitted diseases, pursuant to the sexual assault. In addition, such individuals are also provided with psychiatric assistance to come to terms with emotional effects, like depression, flashbacks, suicidal thoughts and rape trauma syndrome. Many a victim of rape has reported numbness, a dazed feeling, sense of being withdrawn from the surroundings, fear for personal safety, humiliation, shame and guilt (Pariante,

Infringement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Infringement - Essay Example Section 10 of the Trade Mark Act 1994 states. A person infringes a registered trade mark if he uses in the course of trade a sign where because – (a) the sign is identical with the trade mark and is used in relation to goods or services similar to those for which the trade mark is registered, or, in specifically addressing the question at hand concerning Adam, (b) the sign is similar to the trademark and is used in relation to goods or services identical with or similar to those for which the trade mark is registered, there exists a likelihood of confusion on the part of the public, which includes the likelihood of association with the trade mark. In English statute or case law, there is no definition for what is use as a mark. Use as a mark will depend on the facts of each case, in particular, the nature of the mark and the goods and services concerned. English case law indicates that the judges are looking for use which is taken by the public as a badge of origin, in other w ords as an indication that the goods and services are from a particular trader. This requirement is not the same as a requirement that the relevant public should know the identity of owner’s of trade marks, but nevertheless associate the marks of products with a particular trade origin. It will be more difficult for an applicant or proprietor to show use as a trade mark with very non-distinctive marks or where the use has been mainly in conjunction with another trade mark.

Challenges Faced by Fisrt Year Students Essay Example for Free

Challenges Faced by Fisrt Year Students Essay You are expected to submit the pre-writing stage before final submission of the essay The pre-writing stage should be a clear outline of how you are going to write your final essay and an annotated bibliography of not less than five sources.. The purpose of the assignment is to; 1. help you develop the ability to research, reflect on and write an academic essay 2. develop the ability to integrate sources ( i.e. direct quotes, paraphrases and summaries) in your work to demonstrate your perspective on the assignment topic 3. The paper should be written in an academic writing format and should be word processed, font Roman Times or calibri, size 12, line spacing 1.5 and not more than one and a half pages long. 4. The paper should be well researched and thought-provoking. All sources from which your information was obtained should be properly cited using the APA style, and a reference list written at the end of the paper. 5. The reference list should be in a separate page Choose any of the following topics and write an academic essay. 1. Is the law that prohibits the use of cellular phones while driving in Botswana fair? 2. Why is the media important in society? 3. To what extent does the mass media (TV, radio and newspapers) influence an individual’s personality? 4. Damage of the environment is an inevitable consequence of worldwide improvements in the standard of living. Discuss 5. 6. 7. 8. What are the challenges faced by students at university level that may lead to poor performance. Discuss the different ways through which poverty can be eradicated What is culture? Discuss the different elements of culture. Exams often do little more than measure a person’s ability to take exams so exams should be abolished in favour of another form of assessment 9. Evaluate the importance of a counseling centre in a university 10. What is the difference between sex and gender? What are gender roles? Deadline for pre-writing stage: 03 March Due date: 08 March

Tourism Is, Perhaps, An Impossible Dream Essay Example for Free

Tourism Is, Perhaps, An Impossible Dream Essay Tourism is considered as a very important sector for most developing countries. It has been viewed as a source of both foreign currency and income for the natives. In this essay I will discuss the importance of tourism and whether it can be sustained, by first trying to represent how important tourism is to developing countries and then making a point how sustainable development can be different to sustainable tourism. I will discuss the problems of modern day tourism and will conclude whether sustainable tourism is possible. The tourism industry has shown to be very important to most developing countries as a source of government revenue and therefore a chance to achieve economic growth and development. A successful tourism industry might mean, that the country’s unemployment rate will fall, as now there will be more job opportunities available. Therefore standards of living are likely to increase due to the fact that more jobs are provided, which indicates that the native population will have more disposable income available for spending. Therefore on the second Earth Summit in 1997 â€Å"Earth summit II† tourism was debated as a recognised economic sector (Holden, (2008). Countries such as Jamaica, who continues to derive most of its foreign exchange from tourism, have remittances equivalent to tourism revenues accounting for nearly 20% of GDP (CIA, (2009)). This is an example of how important tourism can be to a developing country, which poses great physical natural beauty. Therefore the aim of its government should be to protect and sustain this habitat in order to keep the tourism industry alive. However, today’s situation of global recession for example threatens the country with an increase in unemployment as a decline in consumer confidence is expected during 2009, which will take its toll on demand for tourism (WTO, (2009)). Therefore the need to attract tourists brings us to the concept of sustainable development. Sustainable development is a term that has been raised accompanying the heightened awareness of environmental problems (Holden, (2008)). Development cannot take place upon a deteriorating environmental resource base and neither can the environment be protected when the development excludes the  costs of its destruction. However, the need for economic growth often does not take in consideration the need for sustainable development. Tourism in developing countries can be viewed as a way of achieving development. Therefore sustainable development and sustainable tourism are linked together but are not the same. Sustainable tourism places the emphasis on the customer and marketing considerations of tourism to sustain the tourism industry and sustainable development emphasises on developing tourism as a means to achieve wider social and environmental goals (Holden, (2008)). â€Å"Since the early 1990s, the sustainable tourism debate has become more holistic to cover not just environmental issues but also socio-cultural, economic and political dimensions† (Holden, (2008), p158). There are some traditions through which sustainability has been injected into tourism. The first one is the resource based tradition, which emphasises conservation and the need to protect the nature and culture of the country from the potential threats of tourism activities (Holden, (2008)). This brings us to the next tradition, which is the â€Å"activity-based† tradition, which accepts that tourism development can contribute to sustainability. â€Å"This is a position that is strongly advocated by the tourism industry in a desire to sustain tourism and its resource base for future development, aiming to sustain the capital investment in tourism† (Holden, (2008), p161). The third â€Å"community based† tradition focuses on the political economy by advocating the wider involvement of stakeholders. The difference between the resource based traditions is that it views sustainability in a physical way, whereas the other two have a bias towards social construction of sustainability, in which decisions are made about acceptable levels of trade-off between economic and social gains against natural resource losses (Holden, (2008)). The key difference between the two is the important relationship between the stakeholders and those parties who hold the absolu te power of decision making (Holden, (2008)). These traditions however are affected by political forces, which determine which stakeholders have access to and management of natural resources. Therefore a huge threat to the country’s tourism is the desire of local government and hotel owners to maximise their profits from the increased foreign interest in their natural country’s beauty, by building more and more hotels. This  leads to the destruction of a big part of the surrounding natural habitat, which will not only harm the country’s nature but also will chase away the tourist, who coming with the idea to escape one metropolis is put into a different one, or as from my own personal experience – a half-ready metropolis, meaning that some of the hotels are still in construction. Therefore it is necessary to realise that sustainable tourism is not merely connected with conservation or preparation of the physical environment but incorporates cultural, economic and political dimensions (Holden, (2008) ). A common definition for sustainable tourism is â€Å"tourism development that avoids damage to the environment, economy and cultures of the locations where it takes place† (Forsyth, (2000)). It aims to ensure that the development is a positive experience for local people and tourists themselves. Despite this, sustainable tourism is not widely understood, as it is sometimes compared to ecotourism. Ecotourism is â€Å"a form of tourism that focuses exclusively on wildlife, nature, or exotic cultures† (Forsyth, (2000)). Such tourism has been show not to be good for environment, or for the people who experience this attention. Therefore, sustainable tourism is â€Å"an attempt to improve the impacts of all types of tourism, and this implies seeking ways to build partnerships between tourism companies and local governments or managers of resorts† (Forsyth, (2000)). However to what extent is sustainable tourism achievable? Sustainable tourism requires co-operation between companies and the managers of destinations. It does not, however, require a marked interest from consumers as it is believed. Sustainable tourism does not have to be advertised as environmentally or culturally sensitive in order to succeed, rather:†profits may be increased simply by adopting some general environmental principles, such as recycling waste, planning for long-term sustainability, and seeking local partnerships for resort management. If these actions result in cleaner, less crowded, holiday resorts, then they are in effect sustainable tourism without being labelled so.† (Forsyth, (2000)). One way of achieving this is to increase the vertical integration of tourism companies, so that individual companies have greater control over the marketing of holidays, transportation of tourists, and then management  of resorts (Forsyth, (2000)). Another way of achieving sustainable tourism is by reducing competition from smaller companies, which may result in reducing the pressure for lower prices of holidays, as presence of competition leads to the rapid over-development of resorts and the reluctance of large companies to increase their costs by attending to the long-term sustainability of locations (Forsyth, (2000)). However there are some aspects of tourism that might inhibit it to be sustainable. The first one is that the primary product of tourism is heritage, wealth, and expected legacy of the community that serves as the tourist destination, not something produced by the industry. If these business activities, promoting the â€Å"saleable† or appealing aspects, degrade the community’s heritage and wealth, then the community suffers more directly than the consumer, who can return to his or her own country without responsibility for or awareness of the impacts of his tourist activities (ICLEI, (1999)). This unfortunately is the situation for mass tourism. Mass tourism holds the threat of bringing large numbers of uninformed foreigners into local social systems that with their tourism activities can undermine and degrade pre-existing social relationships and values, as well as destroying the sights by leaving their mark or taking a â€Å"souvenir† (ICLEI, (1999)). Also the intrusion of large numbers of foreigners with high consumption into natural areas can produce severe changes in those areas. This is going to be inevitable in the future, as the world population has been predicted to increase by 47% by the year 2050 (ICLEI, (1999)). Therefore the future of sustainable tourism might be in danger due to the high amount of resources that will have to be used in order to support the population and satisfy the needs of the tourists. More and more resorts are likely to become overcrowded and will lose their credibility as an attractive destination. Solutions to most tourism impacts are found in the shared interest of local communities, tourism businesses, and tourism consumers to maintain the natural wealth and social heritage of the tourist destination (ICLEI, (1999)). Therefore to achieve sustainable tourism over the short-run,  companies and resort managers must be provided with the right incentives to influence them to reduce the negative impacts of tourism. However over the long-run tourists and companies have to think more about how tourism can impact other people. Marcel Proust once stated that most tourists seem to want to travel through one hundred countries with one pair of eyes, whereas the best journey would be to travel through one country with a hundred pair of eyes (Forsyth, (2000)). Providing more diversity of holiday destinations may help avoid some of the negative impacts and will assure a better experience. However, tourism will never be completely sustainable as every industry has impacts, but it can work towards becoming more sustainable. References Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2009) â€Å"The World Factbook: Jamaica† available at: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/jm.html as at 21st April 2009 Forsyth T. (2000) â€Å"What is Sustainable Tourism?†, available at: http://www.fathom.com/course/21701788/session1.html as at 21st April 2009 Holden A. (2008) Environment and tourism, Second edition, Abingdon, Routledge, p150-162 Department of Economic and Social Affairs: International Council on Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) (1999) â€Å"Tourism and sustainable development: sustainable tourism: a local authority perspective†, available at: http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/csd/iclei.pdf as at 21st April 2009 Sustainabletourism (2009) â€Å"Sustainable tourism† available at: http://www.sustainabletourism.net/ as at 21st April 2009 World Tourism Organization (WTO) (2009) â€Å"World tourism barometer†, available at: http://www.unwto.org/facts/eng/pdf/barometer/UNWTO_Barom09_1_en_excerpt.pdf as at 21st April 2009

Discussing Teens Drug Abuse Problems Social Work Essay

Discussing Teens Drug Abuse Problems Social Work Essay There are various drugs which are abused by teenagers and adults. Most of these are addictive and have adverse health effects to users. The common drugs of choice are alcohol, cigarettes, speed, prescription drugs, heroin, cocaine and marijuana. Alcohol is the most abused drug, and it inhibits judgment among users (Stimson 34-48). Long term use leads to liver and kidney failure. Tobacco, or cigarettes are one of the most addictive drugs and their long term use leads to development of cancer, impotency, lung collapse and others. Cocaine and heroine are drugs which are injected, smoked or taken orally. They are very addictive and they distort reality among users. Long term use may lead to heart problems, mental disorders and high blood pressure. Sharing of needles may transmit STDs while drug overdose may be fatal. Marijuana is another common drug abused and it distorts reality among users. Long term use may lead to mental damage, and some researchers have linked it to development of s chizophrenia. Prescription drugs are also commonly abused by the old and young alike. Although done innocently, these drugs may cause sudden death due to overdose or fatal combination of drugs, as has been witnessed among many celebrities who have died early due to use of prescription drugs (Isralowitz 122-123). Causes of drug abuse There are various causes of drug abuse. Drug abuse can be blamed on parents, friends, individuals and society at large. These causes will be briefly discussed to show how everyone is responsible for the problem of drug abuse. Lack of parental supervision Parents have an important role in their childs upbringing. They serve an important purpose of instilling values in their children through socialization at early age. Parents should ensure that their children are morally upright and that they do not engage in social vices. However, in the modern world, parents have put professional lives ahead of their families and delegated the role of raising children to nannies and teachers. As a result, the children do not acquire much needed guidance on lifes issues, and many end up taking drugs through peer influence. Lack of supervision from parents, who pursue their careers at the expense of their families, can therefore be blamed for the high number of drug abuse cases among teenagers. Parents should supervise their children at all times to avoid negative influence from peers. Poor communication between parents and teens Lack of communication between children and parents, especially during teenage years is also another causality of drug use. Many teenagers are unable to effectively communicate with their parents since neither group understands the others needs. Parents appear too harsh to teenagers while teenagers appear to demanding to parents. When parents and teenagers are unable to effectively communicate about issues teenagers face, teenagers are left to seek advice from peers, who may influence them to take drugs. Parents should understand childrens needs and vice verse, if drug abuse is to be eliminated. Mental Physical abuse Domestic violence and abuse has been one of the most common triggers of drug abuse. When people are emotionally or physically abused, and they do not seek help, they may engage in drugs to forget their problems. Since most abuse cases are perpetrated by close family members, this makes it harder for victims to overcome, and many opt to try out drugs, which they perceive will distort reality and make them forget their concerns (United States Department of Justice Website 2000). Drugs of choice in such circumstances include alcohol, tobacco and marijuana. However, victims are unaware that use of drugs increases their problems since it leads to addiction, which needs to be treated. Publicizing abuse, passing tough laws and offering free help to victims will help reduce abuse cases and thereby reduce drug use cases. Media influence Media influence is a major causality of drug abuse, especially regarding drugs such as alcohol and tobacco. The media makes it appear cool to use such drugs through flashy advertisements in the media. However, less emphasis is placed on adverse effects of such drugs; hence teenagers are influenced to use them without enough information on repercussions faced due to drug use. This leads to addiction, and by the time victims realize, they cannot do without drugs. This influence from media can be stemmed through use of warning labels and bans on certain forms of drug advertising which targets the youth. Warning signs There are various symptoms and warning signs which are associated with drug use. These symptoms vary according to drugs used, genetic make up of users, quantity used, personality and other aspects. It is important to note that presence of a particular symptom does not automatically means that the individual abuses drugs, rather that it shows that further investigation should be done to ascertain drug use by the individual. Some of these signs are discussed below; Dropping Grades Sudden drop of grades without clear reasons may indicate drug use. This may be linked to missing of classes when taking drugs, or harmful effects of drugs which affect the brain and cause poor academic performance. This behavior is usually accompanied by disrespect for school authorities and fellow students. Missing Curfew Missing curfews without adequate explanation of ones whereabouts may also indicate drug use. When teenagers are unable to explain their movements, this shows that they are secretive, and drug use may explain this situation. However, teenagers movements should be established before accusing them of drug use. Disrespectful to parents Drug users are usually disrespectful to other people. This is due to the label which society gives them of drug addicts, which makes them harbor hatred towards society. Teenagers who use drugs are unable to explain their odd behavior to parents and much resort to disrespect as a means of covering up drug use (Giannini 69-73). Others are influenced by drugs to make irrational choices leading to disrespect of family, friends and the community. Stealing lying Stealing is a common trait amongst drug users and it emanates from the need to purchase drugs. Drugs are expensive to purchase and drug users may be forced to steal from family and friends to maintain the vice. When questioned about it, they are likely to lie about it. This makes it a symptom of drug abuse, and parents should be careful to note such behavior from their children. Who to blame Various discussions have centered on who is to blame for the problem of drug abuse. However, there is consensus that everyone is to blame for the problem. Parents have neglected their children and left nannies and teachers to raise them, as they pursue professional goals. Teachers have also neglected students since they focus on academic curriculum at the expense of social development. The society has tolerated drug abuse and perceived it as normal behavior without taking action against drug users (Roleff 39-44). This has left adolescents to seek advice from peers, who may influence them to abuse drugs. Teachers and parents ought to give attention to teenagers and advice them on harmful effects of drug use. The society should also condemn and punish drug users, since this will deter them from practicing the same. Risks involved There are many risks which are involved in drug use. These risks affect the health of the user, their relationships with family, society and friends, and their ability to achieve full potential in later life. In addition to this, some risks may be potentially fatal to users. Risks associated with drug abuse include addiction, health problems, transmission of STDs, accidents, mental disorders and problems with law enforcers. These risks will be discussed below in more detail; Addiction Most drugs are addictive to users. The degree of addiction varies according to several factors including specific drug used, genetic make up of user, quantities used and other factors. However, since most drugs are addictive, users become dependent on the drugs for performance of everyday activities. Drug addiction is the most harmful effect of drugs since it ensures that users are unable to quit drugs, and instead use more quantities of drugs to achieve the state of intoxication over time. Some of the most addictive drugs include cocaine, heroine and tobacco. However, other drugs such as alcohol, prescription drugs and marijuana are also addictive and may make users dependent on them. This makes it expensive to sustain abuse, and users may use illegal means of getting money to satisfy the addiction. Drug manufacturers use the aspect of addiction to ensure they have a steady supply of cash from addicts. STDS Many drugs affect the ability to make reasonable judgments by users. Some drugs, especially alcohol, marijuana, cocaine and other hard drugs interfere with decision making abilities of users and may allow them to engage in irresponsible sexual behavior. This behavior may lead to transmission of STDs among people who engage in this behavior after drug abuse. In addiction, users who share needles when injecting themselves may acquire STDs as a result. Some STDs such as HIV are incurable and developing them leads to fatalities after a period of time. Others which are curable are expensive to treat, which leads to financial burdens on families of such drug users. Health problems Several health problems are linked to drug use. In fact, all drugs have a side effect or health problem associated with it. Drugs such as alcohol lead to kidney and liver failure while others such as tobacco may lead to development of cancer or lung damage (Learn about alcoholism website 2009). Hard drugs such as cocaine and heroin may lead to high blood pressure and heart problems. As earlier stated, sharing of needles may transmit STDs. It is clear that all drugs have adverse health repercussions. This leads to high medical costs to victims, and these problems may also lead to fatalities. This is an economic cost to families and governments around the world. Drug overdose may lead to instant death to users. Mental disorders There are various drugs which may lead to the development of mental disorders amongst users. These drugs adversely affect the brain leading to distortion of reality, leading to mental disorders. Drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, heroin and others have been known to cause psychosis and illusions, which may develop into mental disorders. People with such disorders may perform unreasonable acts as they perceive themselves as normal and the rest as abnormal. These disorders are expensive to treat, and may at times be incurable to victims. Accidents Many accidents are caused by drivers or pedestrians who have taken drugs. Alcohol is the most common drug linked to accidents, although others also lead to accidents in our roads. In the US, over 37,000 people died as a result of accidents caused by drink-driving, while this figure exceeded 41,000 in the previous year. These figures show the severity of the matter. This is a matter of great concern especially when sober drivers are exposed to accidents caused by drunk drivers, which end up taking their lives. There are also other accidents at the workplace which are caused by working while intoxicated, especially in industrial plants where there is dangerous machinery. Accidents cause serious injuries or fatalities to victims. Trouble with the law Many drug users are arrested at some point in their lives due to drug use. Drug use causes addiction, which forces users to seek more. Since most drugs are illegal, law enforcers arrest drug users through elaborate schemes and plans put in place to deter drug use. Arrests over drug use have adverse repercussions including heavy fines and prison sentences. It also leaves a record which may affect future employment opportunities. Families suffer when breadwinners are arrested, and one loses employment when arrest over drugs is publicized. This creates a large population of social deviants who are a liability to society. Solutions In order to solve the problem of drug abuse, each society stakeholder should join efforts to fight the vice. The problem of drug abuse needs to be publicized and help given to drug users. In addition, stiffer punishment should be given to traffickers. These and more interventions will be discussed below; Family Counseling Counseling is the first step in solving the drug abuse problem. Users need to accept that they face a problem and counseling will enable them see the effects of drugs to themselves and their families. Family counseling also teaches families to be supportive of drug users in attempts to stop drugs (Evans Sullivan 75-76). This is important as drug users have families as primary socialization units. Family counseling should also address problems such as domestic violence which are causalities of drug abuse. Community and youth programs Community and youth programs educate youth on harmful effects of drugs. These programs also offer youth alternative activities to do with leisure time such as sports activities. When youth are aware of harmful effects of drugs, they are likely to avoid using them, thereby reducing the problem of drug abuse. Harsher punishment In order to deter trafficking and sale of drugs, laws which heavily punish drug use and trafficking ought to be passed. These should involve heavy fines and long prison sentences. When such laws are passed, they will deter drug traffickers, and when drugs are unavailable, the problem of drug abuse will reduce, if not completely eradicated. Harsh laws are very effective in deterring commission of crime. Communication In order to solve the drug problem, better communication between teenagers, teachers and parents should be developed. This will enable teenagers to share their concerns with parents and guardians, who will advice them on choices to make as opposed to peers, who may give wrong guidance and direction. Communication will also provide opportunities to teenagers to be aware of adverse effects of drug use. Summary The problem of drug use has been discussed in detail. Common drugs abused have also been discussed. Drugs have been seen to be harmful not only to users but also to their friends and families. Their harmful effects include health complications, fatalities, loss of employment, and economic burdens amongst other effects. Every member of the society is responsible for the problem of drug abuse and appropriate interventions should be implemented to discourage the vice. These include communication with teenagers, stricter laws against drug trafficking, family counseling and community programs which publicize the problem of drug use. This will ensure that teenagers are safe and free from drug abuse.

Time in The Great Gatsby :: Great Gatsby Essays

Time in The Great Gatsby Time is an idea described in different periods and aspects, for example philosophical, psychological, physical and biological. This time flows evenly but is broken into the past, present and future. Since we only live in the present forever planning for our futures and dreams, when we try to live in the past it restricts our future. Throughout Fitzgerald's novel, Gatsby wasted time and his life for a single dream, and it was his illusion of his ideal future that made time a key dimension in his life. Gatsby suffers from past memories of Daisy and tries to relive the relationship and in the process Gatsby was murdered. Nick says, "Almost five years! There must have been moments even that afternoon when Daisy tumbled short of his dreams - not through her own fault, but because of the colossal vitality of his illusion". Gatsby's idealistic view of Daisy was, she was of pure and perfect form and after he kisses her, his ideal perfect relationship starts to decay, "...and the incarnation was complete". The incarnation meaning Daisy cannot be ideally perfect anymore now that Gatsby's with her. Daisy is not pure and perfect like Gatsby thought she was in the past. From Gatsby's illusions of the past preoccupying all his thoughts, he forgets about the key dimension he exists in which is the present. Although Gatsby was persistent on reliving the past, Gatsby vaguely lived for the present. This is apparent when he cancels his biology by leaving home, changing his name, and leaving his heritage behind which was not done by following the past. In the past Jay Gatsby made, "...a platonic conception of himself". What Nick said about Gatsby's platonic theory of himself was that Gatsby "...was a son of God". From Jay Gatsby's theory he makes a ideal conception of himself, of which he projects himself into the future. Ultimately Gatsby is left with the choices to "...suck on the pap of life, gulp down the incomparable milk of wonder," or kiss Daisy and "...his mind would never romp again like the mind of God". In Gatsby's choices he is to climb "the ladder" to God which represents Gatsby's future or choose Daisy and choose the past.

Fertility Treatments Essay -- Infertility Birth Pregnancy Papers

Fertility Treatments I. Introduction It is assumed by most that we will all be able to grow up, fall in love, get married, and then have children of our own. This is not the lifestyle that all people choose, but it is still the view accepted by the majority of society. What happens when the unthinkable occurs and a happily married couple is unable to get pregnant? This is a reality for 7.1%, or 2.8 million, of the married couples in the United States (Lenox, 1999). Today, there are many people all over the world that decide to use fertility treatments to help them conceive a child, and this often leads to the birth of twins, triplets, or even higher order multiples. There are many risk factors that are involved in this type of pregnancy, and these issues have created a cloud of debate around this subject. The use of fertility treatments in recent years has been accompanied by an increase in the number of multiple births seen annually. The twin birth rate has increased by 59% since 1980, and the triplet and higher order multiples birth rate is up 423% (Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughter’s, 2004). There are two main forms of assisted reproductive therapy (ART) that are used currently. These are ovulation induction using fertility drugs alone and In vitro fertilization (IVF). II. Fertility Treatment Options Ovulation induction through the use of different forms of fertility drugs is the most common type of assisted reproductive therapy. The drug known as clomiphene, delivered in the form of an oral tablet, is commonly used for ovulation induction. It is taken over a restricted period of time during the menstrual cycle (Jacobs, 2004). This can vary between patients and physicians. The drug functions by all... ...Academic Search Premier [Online Database AN: 3358771]. Jacobs, Barry, M.D.. Multiple Births. Retrieved October 13, 2004, from http://www.texasfertility.com/nextstepmultiple.htm Lenox, Naomi. (1999). When Fertility Therapy Runs Amok: Debating the ethics and dangers of multiple births. Midwest Today. Retrieved November 1, 2004, from the World Wide Web: http://www.midtod.com/fertility.phtml Malpani, Dr. A&A. (2004). How Much Does Treatment Cost?. Retrieved November 1, 2004, from the World Wide Web: http://infertility.adoption.com/chapter47.php Morrow, Lance. (1999). Is This Right? Who has the right to say?. Time. Vol. 153, Issue1, p.41. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier [Online Database AN: 1402892]. Shady Grove Fertility Centers. Blastocyst Transfer. Retrieved October 14, 2004, from http://www.fertilitynetwork.com/articles/articles-blastocyst.htm Fertility Treatments Essay -- Infertility Birth Pregnancy Papers Fertility Treatments I. Introduction It is assumed by most that we will all be able to grow up, fall in love, get married, and then have children of our own. This is not the lifestyle that all people choose, but it is still the view accepted by the majority of society. What happens when the unthinkable occurs and a happily married couple is unable to get pregnant? This is a reality for 7.1%, or 2.8 million, of the married couples in the United States (Lenox, 1999). Today, there are many people all over the world that decide to use fertility treatments to help them conceive a child, and this often leads to the birth of twins, triplets, or even higher order multiples. There are many risk factors that are involved in this type of pregnancy, and these issues have created a cloud of debate around this subject. The use of fertility treatments in recent years has been accompanied by an increase in the number of multiple births seen annually. The twin birth rate has increased by 59% since 1980, and the triplet and higher order multiples birth rate is up 423% (Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughter’s, 2004). There are two main forms of assisted reproductive therapy (ART) that are used currently. These are ovulation induction using fertility drugs alone and In vitro fertilization (IVF). II. Fertility Treatment Options Ovulation induction through the use of different forms of fertility drugs is the most common type of assisted reproductive therapy. The drug known as clomiphene, delivered in the form of an oral tablet, is commonly used for ovulation induction. It is taken over a restricted period of time during the menstrual cycle (Jacobs, 2004). This can vary between patients and physicians. The drug functions by all... ...Academic Search Premier [Online Database AN: 3358771]. Jacobs, Barry, M.D.. Multiple Births. Retrieved October 13, 2004, from http://www.texasfertility.com/nextstepmultiple.htm Lenox, Naomi. (1999). When Fertility Therapy Runs Amok: Debating the ethics and dangers of multiple births. Midwest Today. Retrieved November 1, 2004, from the World Wide Web: http://www.midtod.com/fertility.phtml Malpani, Dr. A&A. (2004). How Much Does Treatment Cost?. Retrieved November 1, 2004, from the World Wide Web: http://infertility.adoption.com/chapter47.php Morrow, Lance. (1999). Is This Right? Who has the right to say?. Time. Vol. 153, Issue1, p.41. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier [Online Database AN: 1402892]. Shady Grove Fertility Centers. Blastocyst Transfer. Retrieved October 14, 2004, from http://www.fertilitynetwork.com/articles/articles-blastocyst.htm Fertility Treatments Essay -- Infertility Birth Pregnancy Papers Fertility Treatments I. Introduction It is assumed by most that we will all be able to grow up, fall in love, get married, and then have children of our own. This is not the lifestyle that all people choose, but it is still the view accepted by the majority of society. What happens when the unthinkable occurs and a happily married couple is unable to get pregnant? This is a reality for 7.1%, or 2.8 million, of the married couples in the United States (Lenox, 1999). Today, there are many people all over the world that decide to use fertility treatments to help them conceive a child, and this often leads to the birth of twins, triplets, or even higher order multiples. There are many risk factors that are involved in this type of pregnancy, and these issues have created a cloud of debate around this subject. The use of fertility treatments in recent years has been accompanied by an increase in the number of multiple births seen annually. The twin birth rate has increased by 59% since 1980, and the triplet and higher order multiples birth rate is up 423% (Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughter’s, 2004). There are two main forms of assisted reproductive therapy (ART) that are used currently. These are ovulation induction using fertility drugs alone and In vitro fertilization (IVF). II. Fertility Treatment Options Ovulation induction through the use of different forms of fertility drugs is the most common type of assisted reproductive therapy. The drug known as clomiphene, delivered in the form of an oral tablet, is commonly used for ovulation induction. It is taken over a restricted period of time during the menstrual cycle (Jacobs, 2004). This can vary between patients and physicians. The drug functions by all... ...Academic Search Premier [Online Database AN: 3358771]. Jacobs, Barry, M.D.. Multiple Births. Retrieved October 13, 2004, from http://www.texasfertility.com/nextstepmultiple.htm Lenox, Naomi. (1999). When Fertility Therapy Runs Amok: Debating the ethics and dangers of multiple births. Midwest Today. Retrieved November 1, 2004, from the World Wide Web: http://www.midtod.com/fertility.phtml Malpani, Dr. A&A. (2004). How Much Does Treatment Cost?. Retrieved November 1, 2004, from the World Wide Web: http://infertility.adoption.com/chapter47.php Morrow, Lance. (1999). Is This Right? Who has the right to say?. Time. Vol. 153, Issue1, p.41. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier [Online Database AN: 1402892]. Shady Grove Fertility Centers. Blastocyst Transfer. Retrieved October 14, 2004, from http://www.fertilitynetwork.com/articles/articles-blastocyst.htm

John Steinbeck’s Short Story, The Chrysanthemums Essay -- Chrysanthemu

Chrysanthemums She was wearing â€Å"a man’s black hat†¦clod-hopper shoes, heavy leather gloves† and â€Å"a big corduroy apron† doing her best to cover up her femininity. In John Steinbeck’s short story, â€Å"The Chrysanthemums†, we are introduced to Elisa Allen. Elisa is living during a period after the Great Depression when women’s rights issues were becoming a topic of public concern. Steinbeck uses the character Elisa Allen to portray the women’s struggle for equality. She is a woman deprived of social, personal and sexual fulfillment in a male-dominated world. Elisa struggles to find satisfaction in her womanhood and a desire to escape from her isolated world. â€Å"She was thirty-five. Her face was eager and mature and handsome†¦her figure looked blocked and heavy†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Elisa seems to be very masculine in appearance, and envious of the male authority. She has a very strong character and wishes to be independent and free herself. She struggles with the idea of women being inferior to men and feels that she must live up to what society believes a woman should be, passive. Elisa is unhappy and bored with the traditional roles she must play being a woman and frequently tries to behave as a man would. In several points in the story, she seems to take on a masculine role. For instance, when the man looking for work came by the house, she took authority and told him sternly â€Å"I tell you I have nothing like that for you to do†, a typical male response. She shows her strong qualities as she refuses him work making her feel like she has authority over him. Elisa tries so hard to be equal to her husband; she works so h ard in her garden as he works on the farm. He compliments her garden, â€Å"you’ve got a strong new crop coming†, makin... ...es from having masculine characteristics to positive female ones and finally regresses to a low point of weakness and inadequacy. All she ever wanted was to be appreciated and noticed by men at an equal level, however, it never happened. Many women suffered, like Elisa, during this point in history. Steinbeck portrays the women of the past through Elisa’s isolated life in which she can not change. Inside she feels that she is a strong, dominant, female, but she never gets the opportunity to have her accomplishments noticed. After many failed attempts to bring herself to the same level as the men in her life, she sadly realizes that she will never be able to live up to her expectations she has for herself. Life was difficult for women during the 1930’s, however, without their fight for equality, women today wouldn’t have the great freedom and equality they possess.

MacDonald’s Corporation Essay

McDonald’s Corporation is an American based world’s leading company in the fast food industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice. McDonald in 1948 they reorganized their business as a hamburger stand using production line principles. Ray Kroc joined the company in 1955 as a franchise. A McDonald’s restaurant is operated by either a franchisee, an affiliate or the corporation itself. McDonald’s Corporation revenues come from the rent, royalties, and fees paid by the franchisees, as well as sales in company-operated restaurants. In 2012, McDonald’s Corporation had annual revenues of $27.5 billion, and profits of $5.5 billion. Products: Macdonald’s primarily sells hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken burgers, French fries, breakfast items, soft drinks, milkshakes and deserts including ice-creams. Currently restaurant also expanded its menu to include salads, fish, wraps, smoothies and fruits in order to change the taste of the consumers. Company also serve soup in the Asian countries. The menu of the company differs according to the serving countries like prawn burger in Singapore. In Germany and western European countries MacDonald’s serve beer also. Operating countries: Macdonald’s corporation is one of the largest fast food selling company. It have 31,800 flagship restaurants serving nearly 68 million people in each day among the 119 countries worldwide. Mainly, company operated by franchisee, an affiliate or the corporation itself. Basically company is operated largely in America, Canada and European countries like U.K., Competitors: There are many fast food restaurant running currently in the market. However, Macdonald’s is one of the largest company operating internationally. Though, MacDonald’s itself is a brand but also it have some of the competitors in the market. There are many small fast food restaurant like as chicken and chips shops which serve the most of the items served by MacDonald’s in context to U.K. Besides these small fast food operating restaurant some of  other big company are also running internationally. Such as Burger King, KFC fast food, Sam, Subway, etc. All of these are the main competitors of the MacDonald’s. PESTLE ANALYSIS. POLITICAL FACTOR: The international operations of McDonald’s are highly influenced by the individual state policies enforced by each government. (2001) For instance, there are certain groups in Europe and the United States that clamour for state actions pertaining to the health implications of eating fast food. (2005) they have indicated that harmful elements like cholesterol and adverse effects like obesity are attributable to consuming fast food products. On the other hand, the company is controlled by the individual policies and regulations of operations. Specific markets focus on different areas of concern such as that of health, worker protection, and environment. All these elements are seen in the government control of the licensing of the restaurants in the respective states. For instance, there is an impending legal dispute in the McDonald’s franchise in India where certain infringement of rights and violation of religious laws pertaining to the contents of the food. The existence of meat in their menus in India is apparently offensive to the Hindu religion in the said market. In terms of the Asian countries there are many people who do not consume beef burger and it hurts their religion as well. This kind of act arise the dispute and violence and it affects the business of the company. Like also in Middle East countries, they have their political law that meat provided in the country should be Halal. The company should f ocus on the religion, ethnic and the political status of the operating countries for the sustainable business. There are also other studies that points to the infringement of McDonald’s Stores with reference to the existing employment laws in the target market. Like any business venture, these McDonald’s stores have to contend with the issues of employment procedures as well as their tax obligations so as to succeed in the foreign market. Political system: 1. Liberal democracy (less than half 191 UN members) A liberal democracy is a form of representative democracy in which elected representatives who hold power are limited by a constitution that emphasizes protecting individual liberties, equality and the rights of minority groups. Among the many liberties that might be protected are freedom of speech and assembly, freedom of religion, the right to private property and privacy as well as equality before the law and due process under the rule of law. Such constitutional rights, also called liberal rights, are guaranteed through various controlled institutions and statutory laws. Additionally, the constitutions of most contemporary liberal democracies prohibits majorities, which is rule by the will of majority, when it harms those in the minority. 2. Authoritarian or absolutist (Burma, Saudi Arabia) A political theory holding that all power should be vested in one ruler or other authority. b. A form of government in which all power is vested in a single ruler or other authority. 2. An absolute doctrine, principle, or standard. 3. Communist (china, Cuba, North Korea) Communist reg the term â€Å"Communist state† is generally applied to a state with a republican form of government characterized by single-party or dominant-party rule by a Communist party which sets as its ultimate aim the construction of communism. Technically, â€Å"communist state† is a contradiction in termini as a communist society is in principle stateless; hence such states do not refer to themselves with this term, but rather as socialist states or workers’ states. It should therefore be understood that â€Å"Communist†, in this sense, refers to the Communist organization governing the state rather than the state structure itself (imes) 4. Theocratic (Iran, Vatican) Theocracy is a society governed by priests, or one whose government is heavily influenced by religious leaders. Originally, theocracy meant a system where divine law was the basis of all humanly enacted law, and in which religious and political hierarchies were merged. Today, the term  theocracy is applied to refer to the dominance of religion over state. Technological Factor: McDonald’s generates a demand for their own products. The Company’s key tool for marketing is by means of television advertisements. There are similarly some claims that McDonald’s are inclined to interest the younger populations more. The existence of play spots as well as toys in meals offered by the company shows this actuality. Other demonstration of such a marketing strategy is apparent in the commercials of they use. They employ animated depictions of their characters like Grimace and Ham burglar. Other advertising operations employ popular celebrities to promote their products. Company also have its marketing strategy like as Facebook, Google Ads, etc. The like has become endorsers for McDonald’s worldwide â€Å"loving’ it† campaign. Moreover, the operations of McDonald’s have significantly been infused with new technology. Elements like the inventory system and the management of the value chain of the company allows for easy pa yments for their suppliers and other vendors which the individual stores in respective markets deal with. The integration of technology in the operations of McDonalds tend to add value to their products. Basically, this is manifested in the improvements on its value chain. The improvement of the inventory system as well as its supply chain allows the company to operate in an international context. According to (computing.co.uk) MacDonald’s are inventing the new ideas of technology. The company is also introducing wireless networking, PlayStation 2 video games consoles, internet terminals, flat screen televisions and music videos into its revamped stores. They are also providing free WiFi in the context to U.K. market. According to (marketingmagazine Jan 2011) MacDonald’s have started using contactless card payment service in U.K. This services helps in faster service for the consumer and saves the time period. Macdonald’s also have invented their new machinery equipment for the better service. They use new process for oil refining and latest machines which help in le ss pollution. They also use their cooked oil as bio diesel for their own delivery trucks. SOCIO- CULTURAL FACTOR Articles on the international strategies of McDonald’s seem to function on  several fields to guarantee lucrative returns for the organisation. To illustrate, the organisation improves on establishing a positive mind-set from their core consumers. McDonald’s indulge a particular variety of consumers with definite types of personalities. It has also been noted that the company have given the markets such as the United Kingdom, an option with regards to their dining needs. (2005) pointed out that McDonald’s has launched a sensibly valued set of food that tenders a reliable level of quality for the respective market where it operates. Additionally, those who are aged just below the bracket of thirty-five are said to be the most frequent consumers of McDonald’s franchises. As socio – cultural includes the attitudes of people, religion, their culture, taste, family, etc all this factor may affects the MacDonald’s company. As matter of fact, MacD onald’s opened in India have to be concern in selling the meat products like beef, mutton, and pork. The religion where these products are as offensive will not be consumed. Another example is selling meat products in Muslim based countries also. All the meat products should be Halal otherwise the consumer will not use the products. Other meat is pork which is not allowed to sell in the countries of Middle East like U.A.E, Dubai, Qatar etc. MacDonald’s should focus on the culture of the operating countries. The culture and tradition of the country also impact on MacDonald’s. Many people have tradition of not using the market cooked foods or they don’t have culture of eating outside, this also may affect the business of the company. Education and awareness is another factor. People may have the bad image of the food they consume if the quality of the food is not well. As a result they spread the negativity which may arise the fall in the sell. Another is age groups of people. So, company should emphasis on the socio-cultural aspect of the operating countries in order to provide the best service and obtain well business. Currently in U K MacDonald’s faced social problem. As from report from BBC, it was found about the sexual poem in the Kid Meal which was complained by the parents of the country and later the company apologised. LEGAL FACTOR In the external environment legal factor also have its impact in the different organisation and companies. In context to the fast food companies it arises the different problems. The legal issues regarding the quality of  foods, employees, environment and many more are some of them. There was a current roar against the fast food industry. It has forced McDonald’s to apply more close examination on their corporate social responsibility. As a whole it has addressed to requirement of the company to generate its corporate reputation to more positive and the more socially responsible company. The reputation of McDonald’s is obviously a huge question. Noticed on company’s web site, seems, that they have got steps to take in hand the key social condemnation that they abused them in the last decades. The company gave to their clients the corresponding data in which they need the relation of food essence of their products. This is to attend to the arguments of obesity c harged against the products of the company. In the same way consumers have provided freedom in a choice, whether they want to buy the meal. It is connected with socio-cultural market signs which they influence. For example, operations in predominantly Muslim countries demand, that their meat corresponded to Halal requirements of the law. In the same regard, those that operate in countries in the European Union should correspond to the existing laws forbidding usage of genetically modified meat products in their meal. Other legal concepts as tax obligations, employment standards, and requirements to a degree of quality are only a few of important elements on which the company should consider. Otherwise, smooth operations should be difficult to reach. Some issues may be: company sells fatty foods it may be changed in the operating countries. Other, MacDonald’s opens 24 hour in some places which also may be changed by the law and gets affected. PORTER’S FIVE FORCES 1. The threat of entry of new competitor   McDonalds, has make an entry barriers that others competitor cannot enter the fast food industry easily because, McDonalds have good product and services that customer has learned to expect from fast food industry.  · As we can see, people more choose McDonalds compare to others fast food like KFC, Burger King or A&W because MacDonald’s has cheaper price a lots of menu that suitable with Malaysian taste and good service like MC Delivery compare to others fast food restaurant.  ·The greatest strength was creating an image in the minds of the people and introducing them to the fast food culture. Delivery speed, customer care and cleanliness are the core strengths on  which these stores expanded. They created a corporate symbol and their advertisement campaigns were highly successful in establishing the brand image and logo in the minds of the millions. Two main competitors generally identified with McDonald are the Burger King a nd the KFC. McDonald marketing strategy is concerned with the internal resources.  ·A large amount of product differentiation exists in the industry. The McDonald brand ranks as 8th in Business Weeks Scoreboard over global brands. Furthermore the brands KFC and Pizza Hut are also represented (with place nr. 61 and 63 on the scoreboard). This signifies a large consumer preference to the global brands, and would create somewhat of a barrier for new entrants. 2. The bargaining power of supplier Different suppliers have different bargain powers in the fast food industry. There is the soft drink industry where mayor supplier brand names supplies products and brand value to the fast food industry. Then there is the large amount of smaller suppliers that delivers other products to the fast food industry. For example, Coca Cola and Pepsi. The market for soft drinks is dominated by a few companies. Mainly Coca Cola and Pepsi. These soft drinks suppliers are the only ones who have the capacity to match the needs of the global fast food chains. The domination of a few suppliers in an industry with more customers sets a high bargaining power for the suppliers.  · The fast food industry is interested in having the soft drink producers being a part of their own branding. The Pepsi and Coca Cola brand have a global brand ranking of respectively 23 and 1.  · With the smaller fast food places the soft drink suppliers are holding all the bargaining power, since the individual fast foo d companies does not form a significant part of the supplier clientele, and their business could be partially dependent of the suppliers willingness to provide necessary equipment for the company. 3. The bargaining power of customers (buyers) Since the industry is flooded with many different kinds of fast foods and many different suppliers of fast food, then the buyer are in a situation where many suppliers are offering products that have a certain similarity. Since the global fast food chains have been trying to match each other’s successful products and product packages, then the buyers can actually buy  similar products from multiple suppliers, and that is a situation the empowers the buyer.Furthermore, if the fast food industry does not match the demands of the buyers and the general consumer trends, then the buyers can choose not to buy their product and convince others to do the same.  · A good example of this is the movie ‘Super Size Me’ in America. It is a movie showing an ordinary consumer trying living of McDonald’s fast food, and the purpose of the movie was to see what the traditional fast food from MC Donald could do to your health if you were to eat their products for every mea l. This movie shows what the buyers possible reactions could be if not satisfied or not being pleased. The reactions from the whole market were a large change in consumer preferences and brand preferences. 4. The threat of substitute products or services The generic products of fast food are mainly considered as convenience. Convenience and availability are the main drivers for choosing fast food. However, this is backed up by focus on value. Since the market as a whole consists of many differentiated fast food companies, then the customers are used to having the option of choosing the best value products.  · The value of the substitute products in general matches the fast food products and the consumer preferences of the consumers. The substitute product offers both cheap value meals and quality products for both ends of the quality scale that the fast food industry normally targets. Furthermore, it offers healthy alternatives to match the consumer needs and wishes.  · The differences between McDonald and their others competitive are services of delivery that is Mc Delivery that give a good service, faster and make customer easy to buy from any kind of set of menu at McDonald’s. 5. The rivalry among existing firms in the industry McDonald however is far larger than most in the industry with 31,000 outlets compared to its nearest hamburger competitor Burger King, with 11,500 (Reuters, 2008). KFC (owned by 2nd largest competitor Yum! Brands (Yahoo7finance, 2008), Burger King and countless others sell similar product to McDonald.  · McDonald traditional competitors include many of the other fast food outlets across the country has been shown that the presence of a Burger King, for example, will increase the likelihood that McDonald will  open nearby. Thus, it can be seen that the threat of competition from traditional rivals is intense and should never be over looked. In general, McDonald and its main competitors (Burger King Corporation, Wendy’s International, Inc., Hardee’s, and Jack in the Box) are active in making fresh moves to improve their market standing and business performance by introducing their product innovation and launching many outlets franchise. A good example of this would be the price competition between multiple fast food chains’ value meals. Price dumping is normally a good way to attract new customers, or stealing customers from competing companies, and since it have been a growing consumer trend to go after these value meals, then it is a product category that have been adapted from most of the global fast food companies. The high level of competition forces the individual competitors to copy of each others are products and ideas quickly since the competitors are always keeping an eye out for new ideas for themselves, and so far there have been no way of protecting a burger or sandwich recipe. In Malaysia, every Chinese New Year, there will be a prosperity burger. Thereby they have found a way to differentiate, which gives them a bit more space to move in, and thereby a little less fierce competition.  · The main competition goes through the branding. In addition, the competition to create the strongest brand is fierce. Firstly, normal advertising through TV, posters radio-commercials are regular. However, the biggest brands like McDonald’s and Burger King have been branding their own brand through piggy backing on other brands power. Ecological Factors affecting International Business Environment or ecological factor is one of the aspect of external environment. Ecological factor is any factor, biotic (living) or abiotic (non-living) that influences living organism. All the environmental factor brings marked distributional, structural and functional changes in the living creatures which directly affects the business internationally. International business is highly influenced by the different ecological factors. Manufacturing industries, different organisations, food selling companies, etc faced the several problem through many environmental factors. For the sustainable growth and development of any business all the aspect  should be well matched. In absence or excess of any factor, which is necessary in the business may arise the depletion in the business. As a matter of fact, ecological factor should be considered vitally for the growth of international business. Below we will discuss some of the ecological factor that affects the business. 1. Climate, weather and climate change Any business can only be success in the favourable climate and weather of the place. Climate and weather is very important in order to have a growth of business. It affects the business in the unfavourable conditions. Especially climate, weather and climate change affect the industries such as tourism, farming, insurance etc. The adverse effect of climate change causes many problem in the industries. However, businesses that are dependent on long-term investment are likely to have larger impacts, because the consequences of climate change increase over time. So the industries of construction, real estate, transport and infrastructure are likely to be the most effected by climate change impacts. As for the example, tourism sector will be directly affected by the climate change and the weather condition of the place. People couldn’t broad to their destination due to the inconvenience. Climate change may occur high temperature, low temperature, high rainfall etc. in the improper time period which result problem for the tourist. Currently, in USA there was a high snowfall in the history which is due to the climate change. As a result the industries and companies are not able to run their business accordingly. Climate change will affect almost all forms of infrastructure: electricity, gas, and water in the utilities as well as transport access and telecommunications. This in turn will affect people. 2. Natural calamities Natural calamities or disasters are another factor of ecology which affect dynamically on the business. These disaster came unknowingly and create the adverse effect not only on the business but also affect people. Natural disaster affect all small and large types of business. Natural disaster includes flood, landslides, earthquake, volcano, tsunami, storm, hurricane, and others. If one of these occurs than it brings the wide problem in all  companies and industries. Additionally, natural disasters have larger repercussions for small businesses because they often operate from a single location. As small businesses also gets the majority of their business from customers in the surrounding area, any of these disaster may bring the adverse effect. As for example last year storm in New York causes several problems. Business are closed for many days due to unviability of electricity, water, telecommunication, transportation etc. Due to this factor business cannot take off and there was a huge loss in all sector of businesses. Another example is flood in Pakistan, Tsunami in Philippines, volcano in Indonesia, earthquake in japan etc. As of the report Japan nearly need a year to recreate it business in all of the sector. Not only the host countries businesses get affected but also they affects worldwide. There will be shortage of supply and recession may arise. 3. Pollution and wastes Another ecological factor affecting the business internationally is pollution. It is one of the most important factor which is to be consider in the change in businesses. Mainly there are air, water, noise and land pollution. All of these four pollution creates the adverse effect in current business sector worldwide. All type of businesses are influenced from pollution. Manufacturing industries are highly affected through this factor. Due to high pollution businesses cannot produce high number of product due to which it generate loss in the industries. Chemical industries are main source of water pollution, they are advised to deactivate their chemicals and proper managements for their waste and build separate place to dispose it. Due to which companies need to spend big amount of money for the waste management. In china government encourage to use the public transport instead of private due to extreme air pollution. This directly affects the motor industries sector as their sales ge t decrease. According to the report from BBC, due to the extreme air pollution in Hong Kong it is very difficult for the people. Tourism industries is influenced as people cannot see the proper scenery due to the air pollution. As from report air quality in Hong Kong is three times worse than London and New York. Wastes management also affect the business sector. Proper waste management gives the healthy environment. Mainly food factories and restaurants are affected due to waste  pollution. 4. Global warming and depletion of resources Global warming is the average increase in the temperature of the earth in air level and oceans. Industries including agriculture, tourism, health, real – state etc. are main sector of business which are affected. Due to the pollution and global warming the depletion of Ozone layers is highly occurring as a result the UV rays of sun will directly fall in the earth surface and increases its temperature. This affects the wildlife, agriculture and others sector dynamically. The business in this sector gets affected and it creates the vital problem. Another is depletion of natural resources. Raw materials are one of the important ingredients to run any type of business. All the manufacturing industries required raw material to run their business. Due to the global warming and improper use of resources it difficult for the companies to find raw materials which may result closing of the businesses. Scarcity of raw materials typically slow down the long term strategies and responses b y the business, thereby missing on opportunities to make early moves and position themselves competitively. Ecological Factor affecting MacDonald’s MacDonald’s corporation is one of the largest fast food selling company globally. It have its companies in more than 119 countries serving 68 millions of people each day. McDonald’s is growing day by day by increasing the number of restaurant. The main source of ingredient and packaging is nature. McDonald’s has a Rain Forest Policy, which declares its commitment to beef purchasing practices that do not contribute to tropical de-forestation. Everyday McDonalds using a huge amount of napkins, carryout bag, tray lines, clamshells. Oil and water is other major ingredient using in MacDonald’s. Environment is the most important in context to the business of MacDonald’s. As most of the ingredients came from the environment and they need depend on it. However, due to different ecological factors there is imbalance in the ecosystem and environments gets affected. As a result various impacts affects the business of MacDonald’s. Some of the ecological factors which affects MacDonald’s corporation are discussed below: 1. Global Warming and climate/weather change The process of changing the temperature of the earth surface gradually and occurring the unfavourable climate is known to be global warming. In a common way, having the imbalance climate and weather in earth surface which is not acceptable for the living creatures indicates as global warming. MacDonald’s is the fast food selling company which is highly affected due to the impact of climate change and global warming. Most of the materials used by the company are fully available from nature. First of all let we discuss the resources used by the MacDonald’s to run its business. They use different animals such as beef, chicken, pork, etc. Vegetables and salad are also most important for their productions. Organic coffee beans which comes from tropical rain forest is another raw materials which are used. Other several resources are used to run the business. Climate change and global warming creates impact in the whole environment not only in the numbers of product. MacDonald’s use the coffee beans from African tropical forest, due to the climate change their will not be the favourable environment to produce the organic coffee, as a result company need to use for cost to recreate its business. On the other hand, customers may not be fully satisfied because of non-organic and in concern to the health. Also tropical deforestation is becoming one of the vital problem which generates the low production of resources. This result the fall in the business. Different animals are used in the burger of MacDonald’s, due to global warming the UV rays of the sun are reflect back into the earth and its temperature rises gradually which makes difficult for the creature to survive. Global warming brings the unpredictable weather conditions. This will bring the bad impact in the business like MacDonald’s. As of the current example, heavy snowfall in New York City which is due to the global warming. Many places were affected due to that unpredictable snowfall. As a result all the companies including MacDonald were also closed for several days. Overall, global warming and climate change is one of the hot topic of concern in current situation. Food sectors and many more are adversely affected through unpredictable change in the environment. All the business sectors are fully responsible to do a research and generate awareness in controlling the environment. 2. Natural Disaster, pollution and resources depletion. Natural disasters are those calamities which have not any time period to happen. They happens automatically and unknowingly. It includes flood, landslides, earthquake, volcano, etc. Food selling companies like MacDonald’s are directly affected due to this type of disasters. Normally, people are affected in the places of occurrence. So, the business of that places influenced badly. In terms of MacDonald’s in U.K, beef are provided from Scotland. If disaster like landslides or earthquake happens than there will be difficulties in the transportation facilities. Other like communication, electricity, water facilities, etc are also affected. Due to which there will not be supply of goods. As a result it slow down the business of MacDonald’s and customer are will not be satisfied. As for the example, tsunami in Japan, Flood in Pakistan, storm in USA, etc directly affects the business. Due to this factor MacDonald’s are closed for long period of time. Pollution is also one of the ecological factor which created disturbances in the business of food selling companies. As MacDonald’s corporation use most of the natural resources for it food production, pollution mainly affects the environment. Harmful gases are released by the different manufacturing industries which creates air pollution. Due to this pollution there is more probability of acid rain which dynamically affects the living creatures and plants. MacDonald’s use coffee bean seeds from tropical rain forest, but due to acid rain it will generate several problems and will not be more organic. Different kinds of diseases will emerge in the animals like beef, chicken and pork. As MacDonald’s is popular for Hamburger, the diseases like swine flu will directly affect in the pork, another bird flu in chicken and others. Government may apply the new rules regarding water, noise and land p ollution which may also affects the opening of new branches worldwide. Depletion of natural resource is another major factor. Deforestation, water resource depletion, wildlife degradation are some of them. All this will adversely affect the ecosystem which creates scarcity of resources. MacDonald’s may face the scarcity of the raw materials required for its production due to deforestation in the tropical forest. Due to lack of water resources it generate the negativity in the productions of drinks and other products. Hence, natural disaster, pollution and resources depletion affect the business of MacDonald’s in a major way. MacDonald’s need to focus on these factors to create its business  successfully in worldwide. Preservation and long term usage of production should be in action. Long term strategies and external sources should be implemented in order to get the sustainable business and growth of the company. MacDonald’s responding to the ecological factors. a) Other areas of improvement include coffee beans and milk. McDonald’s now only uses those beans certiï ¬ ed by the Rainforest Alliance; and uses organic milk for milkshakes and hot beverages. It has Rainforest policy where it is completely against tropical deforestation supporting the balance in eco-system. b) Recycling and reusing of the products (to decrease the pollution) c) Separate agriculture and farming facilities to produce for its own use. (eg, beef, pork, chicken, vegetables) d) Use of vacuum urinating facilities(preserve water resources) e) Using paper bags instead of plastic, easy to dispose f) Use its grease oil for its own delivery trucks g) it have its separate waste management site which helps to make community clean h) McDonald’s worked with Conservation International to develop an environmental scorecard. It drives greater awareness of resource use (energy, water, air emissions and waste) with the ultimate goal of reducing our environmental impacts i) To provide customer with both good food and good value, MacDonald consider priorities for food safety, quality and cost–as well as sustainability–when making sourcing decisions. Their vision for a sustainable supply chain links responsibility for ethical, environmental and economic outcomes. j) McDonald’s has developed a next generation â€Å"low oil volume† (LOV) fryer that uses about 40% less cooking oil and 4% less energy maintaining the SAME Great taste. Hence these are available in restaurants around the world. As a result of this, environmental action plans have been developed to address these issues. For example, McDonald’s has a policy of sourcing its food as close to home as possible, with approximately 70 percent of the company’s food coming from the UK and Ireland k) In a ï ¬ rst for the quick-service restaurant industry, McDonald’s opened the world’s ï ¬ rst hydroï ¬â€šurocarbon (HFC)-free restaurant in 2003 in Denmark. The result is that the restaurant does not use Freon in its  refrigerants, thereby helping cut down on harmful climate changing emissions. As further proof of its commitment, McDonald’s’ efforts at efficient packaging and recycling have been recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Also, the Campus Ofï ¬ ce Building received the LEED-EB Platinum award in2009, in recognition for its ‘green’ initiatives. Future developments work MacDonald’s can use the electrical heating instead of gas to save the resources Also can use the latest machinery equipment which produce less emission of harmful gases Using less fridge and freezer which emits harmful gas such CFC. Use new technology to open the new restaurant which have less effect on environment featuring the Rainforest Alliance Certified MacDonald’s celebrate their work with the Rainforest Alliance and want to inform customers that they should feel good about purchasing their espresso beverages that are brewed with 100% Espresso from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms. Environment awareness campaign Intellectual properties: Patents Patents protect what makes things work – like what makes a wheel turn or the chemical formula of your favourite fizzy drink Copyright Copyright is an automatic right which applies when the work is fixed, that is written or recorded in some way Trade mark Trademarks are signs (like words and logos) that distinguish goods and services in the marketplace Design Designs protect the appearance of a product/logo, from the shape of an aeroplane to a fashion item Types of Market: 1. Monopoly 2. Oligopoly 3. Monopolistic Monopolistic competition is a market structure where many companies sell similar products, but are not identical. Firms in this market structure are a monopolist for their brand. There is freedom of entry and exist into the industry as there are no barriers such as strategic raw material, very high  start –up cost and lack of information. Mc Donald’s maintains its competitive advantage with ‘Big Mac’ as its biggest attraction and backbone of the corporation.(ukessay) So how McDonald has managed to compete with other monopolies? McDonald’s have their own profitable specialty coffee in the form of McCafes, a concept taken from Starbucks. Recently, McDonald’s has remodelled the design of some of their restaurants, replacing their fiberglass tables and industrial steel chairs with wooden tables, comfortable faux leather chairs, and have painted their interiors of muted colours of orange, yellow, and green. McDonald’s not only have borrowed Starbucks’ concept of coffee, but have also begun borrowing the same design and feel. McDonald’s has gone under this remodelling with their restaurants to bring down other top competitors such as Burger King and Wendy’s since they are not as successful and cannot afford such upgrades to their own restaurants. Non-price competition is a way of how firms attract consumers with factors other than price, such as style, service, or location. So how McDonald has used non-price competition to convince customers to come to them instead of other burger places. Macdonald’s has not only been trying to beat other top competitors in the burger industry. It has also been competing with restaurants that are not even fast food chains. One of the examples of non fast food chains that McDonald’s has been trying to draw customers away from is Panera Bread. McDonald’s has also been trying to bring customers away from Chipotle, a Mexican chain that was originally owned by McDonald’s until October 2006. McDonald’s has also competed with Starbucks Coffee with the selling of their McCafes. 4. Perfect competition Globalisation, its indicator and main driver. Hetal (1999) defines globalisation as, ‘ the widening, deepening and speeding up of all worldwide interconnectedness in all aspects of contemporary social life, from the cultural to the criminal, financial to the spiritual. It helps in following: increased international trade a company operating in more than one country greater dependence on the global economy freer movement of capital, goods, and services Recognition of companies such as McDonalds and Starbucks in less economically developed countries. INDICATORS OF GLOBALISATION: 1. International trade 2. Financial flows 3. Migration DRIVERS OF GLOBALISATION: 1. Economic ( benefits of economies of scale, cheap labour) 2. Technology (communication and transportation) 3. Political/regulatory BARRIERS TO GLOBAISATION: 1. Government regulation( tarrifs and subsidies, border and immigration control, public procurement, control on capital flows) 2. Cultural and geographic distance (taste, culture, language, religion, corruption, work culture) DEMOGRAPHIC FEATURES: 1. Population 2. Ethnicity 3. Religion CSR and MacDonald’s Corporate Social Responsibility is a management concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and interactions with their stakeholders. CSR is generally understood as being the way through which a company achieves a balance of economic, environmental and social imperatives (â€Å"Triple-Bottom-Line- Approach†), while at the same time addressing the expectations of shareholders and stakeholders. Key CSR issues: environmental management, eco-efficiency, responsible sourcing, stakeholder engagement, labour standards and working conditions, employee and community relations, social equity, gender balance,  human rights, good governance, and anti-corruption measures. Being a responsible corporate citizen, McDonald’s firmly believes in giving back to the communities it operates in. they love to provide support and encouragement to the people who need it the most. All our restaurants contribute to their local community and every year we help set up and support numerous educational, sporting and charity programs designed to help a wide range of people. McDonald’s has a proactive approach to charities and sponsorships. We believe these help inspire and support the people of Pakistan, especially the underprivileged ones, to live a better life. We are dedicated to delivering great experiences through our ongoing community support programs. Some of the program done by MacDonald’s: 1. In Pakistan, litter patrol set up in the neighbour to pick up litter and aware the people, cleaning campaigns, walk for cruelty of killing animals, support woman, support the thalassemia society in Pakistan. 2. In UK, clean the surrounding near the restaurant, fix litter patrol, keep Britain clean campaign, feeding program in London Olympics, charities and support to the different clubs, support education sectors. 3. Support various community based programs such as sponsoring education for the poor people in India and Asian countries. 4. Support in sports and encourage children to physically fit. MacDonald’s use low energy LED light bulbs, energy saving equipment and waterless urinals, and recycle used cooking oil into biodiesel to fuel more than half of our delivery trucks. They also recycle the cardboard boxes used in more than 89% of our restaurants, and more than 85% of our packaging is made from renewable resources. They are the Community Partner Community Partner of t he four nations’ Football Associations. This means it work with local football clubs, schools, youth teams and junior leagues around the UK. MacDonald’s programme gives people the chance to volunteer and qualify as a football coach so they can give free, high-quality coaching to young people across the country. They also organise daily litter patrols and work with environmental charities Keep Britain Tidy , Keep Wales Tidy , Keep Scotland Beautiful and Tidy Northern Ireland. Most of our charity work is focused on supporting Ronald McDonald House Charities, an independent charity which McDonald’s has supported for over 20 years. Ronald McDonald House Charities provides a ‘home away from home’ for families with children undergoing  treatment in hospital. The Charity relies on voluntary donations, and you can find collection boxes in every single one of our restaurants. MacDonald’s also invest over  £360 million a year in the UK agricultural industry. The majority of our ingredients come from Britain and Ireland, with more than 17,500 British and Irish farmers providing us with ingredients such as beef, Freedom Food pork, free-range eggs, organic milk and potatoes. E Business: McDonald’s is one of the most recognisable brands in the world, yet also has to battle a fair amount of negative publicity The McDonald’s UK page has more than 30m fans, and its local market pages have all attracted several hundred thousand ‘likes’. Data collected by Internet Access – Households and Individuals, 2013 In 2013, 36 million adults (73%) in Great Britain accessed the Internet every day, 20 million more than in 2006, when directly comparable records began. Access to the Internet using a mobile phone more than doubled between 2010 and 2013, from 24% to 53%. In 2013, 72% of all adults bought goods or services online, up from 53% in 2008. In Great Britain, 21 million households (83%) had Internet access in 2013. Broadband Internet connections using fibre optic or cable were used by 42% of households, up from 30% in 2012. Globalisation strategy of McDonald: McDonald’s has developed their unique globalisation strategy. McDonald include their fore main characters to make perfect business strategy. Are shown as below 1 Think globally but act locally 2 Pricing 3 Advertising strategies 4 Social responsibility 1. Think Globally but Act Locally: The main aim of the McDonald’s Corporation is to focus locally with the global strategy. It always performs and supply all the operation, systems as per the requirement of the local factors. It always try to be fit in local traditions, cultures, society and political. McDonald’s Corporation always  keep special factors in mind while making their business strategy. It always performs as per the requirements of the different markets. Macdonald expenses lots of resources to develop and create its products as pre the local demands and traditions. However, once McDonald’s corporation failed to do this, while establishment in Germany and Netherlands, consumers did not accept their local menu in the year 1970 because they wanted American food rather than their local menu. After this experience company realised that every restaurant’s local menu should incorporate some local tests as well but at a minimal level.At the time of establishing in India, McDonald has considered that Hindu community does not eat beef as per their Hindu belief. Therefore, they specially introduced new vegetarian series of the product in their menu. Also taking Muslim community in focus that Muslims did nit consume poke. Therefore, they only sell chicken and lamb. It had done separate preparation for Vegetarian and non-vegetarian. 2. Pricing: The other most important feature is their price differentiates than their competitor. This pricing strategy of McDonald’s corporation is very reliable and unique. While fixing the price McDonald’s takes some factors in consideration like local life style, income of the family, location etc. The time of fixing price for the products, they also focus on the primary target group of the company, lower and power level. McDonald’s enters in most of metropolitan city of the country in which it enters.Sometime during period of lean time company offers discounted price to boost their sell in short McDonald’s corporation believes that to stay longer life in the market we should have unique pricing policy. 3. Advertising/Promotional strategies: Advertising is the other platform to the company by the help of which company introduce their product, boost to the customers etc. every organization have their unique and own promotional strategies. Here McDonald’s arranges their promotional strategy as a part of advertisement. The worldwide promotional activities of the McDonald’s corporation is organised by â€Å"DDB Needhamand Leo Burnettas† well their local collaborates in different countries. It sometimes organised by the local advertising company also. Other than advertisement, McDonald’s corporation uses more promotional tools to promote their product. Company offers their product at law price; it gives toys to  the children etc. most successful promotional strategies became very popular now days .McDonald’s has for decades maintained an extensive advertising campaign. In addition to the usual media (television, radio, and newspaper), the company makes significant use of billboards and signage, sponsors sporting events ranging from Little League to the Olympic Games and makes coolers of The Orange with their logo available for local events of all kinds. Nonetheless, television has always played a central role in the company’s advertising strategy. In January and February 2008 there was an offer of buy one get one free by McDonald’s UK particular for the Big Mac. Company introduced press coupons and those coupons can be exchanged at the McDonald’s restaurant to get benefit of the product. To date, McDonald’s has used 23 different slogans in United States advertising as well as a few other slogans for select countries and regions. At times, it has run into trouble with its campaigns