Alice and Coraline

Austin Way English I Mr. Keiter February 28, 2013 Alice and Coraline Comparison The book Alice in Wonderland was written by Lewis Carroll. Coraline was written by Neil Gaiman. Each book was later turned into films to help better get a picture of the adventurous lands the girls traveled through. In the movies Alice in Wonderland and Coraline there are many similarities but also many differences. Though having many differences and similarities each film taught a lesson to the audience by showing the interesting journey of each girl and their adventures along the way.There are many similarities between the movies. In both stories the viewpoint figure meets a talking cat. The girls were around the same age during their adventures. They both went forward into a different reality due to their curiosity. When they arrived to this unknown place it was cool and interesting to them. They both went through a hole to get to this â€Å"opposite/wonderland†. They each started out pretty muc h unhappy with the way their life was. They both returned with a new sense of life.Both were in danger by a female dominate figure (Queen of hearts/Other Mother). Alice was uncertain about all that was happening around her. Coraline adored the change at first. Alice was set up more colorful and strangely cheery. Coraline was gothic looking and dark. Coraline had to help the souls of other girls who had fallen to the Other Mother, Alice didn’t. Alice grew and shrunk throughout the book/film, while Coraline stayed the same. In Alice in Wonderland Alice follows a talking white rabbit down a hole.In this hole is where her journey begins. Alice must kill Jabheiwoki to return to her normal life. Sadly when Alice returns home her family is the same. Though upset things haven’t changed Alice is now strong enough to stand up to her fiance that she doesn’t want to get married to. â€Å"Alice† is mostly a book without a plot telling of Alice's dream experiences whic h don’t particularly make sense but are not supposed to make sense. It is a dream tale. Alice herself is the viewpoint character and as such is very â€Å"normal†.Alice seems no different in â€Å"Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There†. Coraline is also the viewpoint character and very normal, but the events that happen to her, within the story, are supposed to be â€Å"real†, not a dream. In Coraline she also enters another world because her family doesn’t pay attention to her. She must trick and kill the other mother to return to her real life and get out of this button fancy. Coraline also saves her real family in the fancy land. When they return to real life the family is much closer and has a stronger relationship. Coraline† has a plot in which a mysterious spidery woman is attempting to persuade Coraline into remaining in this other world forever. No such temptation is ever laid before Alice. In Coraline others have previ ously been taken captive by the ruler of the world in which Coraline finds herself which is a plot element the like of which does not exist in â€Å"Alice†. Coraline must rescue them. â€Å"Alice† has some characters appear more than once, for example, the Duchess, the Cheshire Cat, and the Hatter but nothing that corresponds to a main plot. Coraline gets out of the clutches of the spidery woman by being clever.Alice gets out of her dream by just waking up. Coraline must crawl back through the hole after killing the other mother. Alice does not change in the story, or at least we are not shown enough of what she was like before the dream or after to see what kind of change in her personality may have occurred. Coraline changes and becomes happy for what she had but is also grateful that this whole experience brought her and her family closer. This was a big difference in the movies because this showed the message the author was trying to send to the audience.If the Que en of Hearts is compared to the spidery woman, it will be observed that they are quite different. The Queen of Hearts seems to be brutal but the reader is told that the many beheadings she orders never actually occur and that we are shown that the King pardons the poor gardeners. The Queen, like most characters in the story are mad, but she is being coddled and protected in her madness. The spider woman, on the contrary, is a force to be reckoned with and has real power. Later both girls realized it was just a front and the places become scary.Each girl then finds themselves fighting to get back home to their normal lives. The adventures, though scary, changed the lives of the young girls. They both became stronger in who they were. Although the girls weren’t very happy with their real life before their journeys, they were still happy to be home. They both learned something or became a stronger individual. Though they were scared during their journey, something good comes fro m everything bad. The girls learned to appreciate what they had and to be careful what they wish for.

Critical Thinking Sc Essay

The video I decided to watch was â€Å"blood money†. This is my Critical thinking scenario on the situation that was discussed in the video. When it comes to describing the relationship between critical thinking and ethics, there is quite a bit to think about. The â€Å"participants† don’t really have a moral responsibility as they aren’t even alive to know what exactly is going on, and this can be deemed unethical. There really are not any stakeholders involved with the black market trade of organs of executed criminals other than the people doing the dealings. In terms of ideals and obligations that come into conflict from critical thinking and ethics side of things. The ideals of the people that are involved are that they are helping people, at least they think so, and that they are obligated to make sure money is made and organs are delivered as needed. From an ethical standpoint this isn’t ethical at all. Now the best outcome given the consequences is that even though this is black market organs, someone is possibly having their life saved. CONCLUSION In conclusion, there are a lot of ethical and unethical things that happen and are involved in the black market trade of organs from executed criminals in Japan. Right off the bat, people think this is extremely unethical; however, if you critically think about it, there are some ethical CRITICAL THINKING SCENARIO 3 sides to this. One example is that even though no matter how unethical, these people believe, and potentially are, helping to save someone’s life. CRITICAL THINKING SCENARIO 4 REFERENCES https://media. pearsoncmg. com/pls/us/phoenix/1269738887/ANN_11-20- 06_BloodMoney. html.

Staging of Strategic Initiatives Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Staging of Strategic Initiatives - Assignment Example Consequently, strategic initiatives are bound by time, that is, time is specified for starting and completion of initiatives. The power of buyers dictates the number of sales that a firm makes. A firm has a large customer base if it uses giant retail outlets such as Wal-Mart. The store is a strategic distribution point since it is frequented by many buyers. However, this also implies that the buyers have immense power in dictating the success or failure of the firm. Thus, the buyers of Memorex flash drives have more power. Firms that are effective in reducing operational cost and also making products that look different from competitor’s products are better off than firms that implement cost leadership and differentiation separately. A differentiating firm is usually a step ahead in the market since customers tend to think theta the products are not close substitutes. This leads to more production at low costs, courtesy of economies of scale. Repeating the same task every time enhances the simplicity of the task. Consequently, an individual can understand various effects that can arise from a specific activity. This enhances the clarity and thus ability to be more productive. Repeatability enables a company to dedicate resources in new productive contexts, thus triggering more growth. A product loses value once new entrants impose substitutes on the market. The substitutes perform the same function as the original product, thus, purchase of one brand reduces sales of other substitutes. The market forces pull the prices down until an equilibrium price is achieved. This is the reason why the price of Laser teeth whitener fell from $500 to $100 upon introduction of other products that perform the same purpose. Espresso machines brew coffee and Starbucks roasts coffee beans and also makes a coffee beverage. However, the espresso process is automatic and involves pressurized  water mixing with coffee to produce the beverage.  

Why does religious extremism produce terror Essay

Why does religious extremism produce terror - Essay Example This is the reason why terrorism is abhorred across the board and the reasons seem to be aplenty. When terrorism is fueled by religious extremism, there is evidence available to justify why this form of fundamentalism should be kept at a distance, otherwise terrorism can be ignited with absolute wrath and destruction towards the sanity of this earth. The thing that essentially comes out too religious about religious extremism is the fanaticism which is found in almost all major religions and monotheistic faiths. If this element is removed from these religions and beliefs, there is a definite sign of optimism which can be obtained undoubtedly. Terror has no place within any religion of the world and this has been proven through evidence of study, research and practice. This paper discusses how terrorism is producing some of the biggest horrors in the world of today and how religious extremism is playing its negative role all along. An effort has been made to understand the issues plag uing the various religions and how the monotheistic faiths are combating this menace within their boundaries. Even though this seems like a difficult process, this paper has incorporated the ideologies in a manner which is in line with the discussion at hand. Moving on with what has been presented earlier, it would be fair to state that religious extremism is a dangerous precedent for the coming generations, more so because all of these have started in the present times and not more than 20 years ago. It seems to be in an upward trend – a fact which is all the more distressing to note. Terrorism has come about because people have stopped believing in a global good, yet not all people are responsible for the same undertaking. There are individuals who are still doing efforts to make sure this world remains a better place than it is at the present. Then again, there are some people who would like to think the very opposite of what has been documented. These individuals believe in fighting for the sake of religion, no matter who gets killed or what form of destruction happens. This is ironic of any society in the world and for this reason, it is rightly adjudged as the worst form of religious extremism. Just because some segment of the society does not quite believe in a philosophy which is making the rounds, stands no chance to bring about the act of religious intolerance which essentially leads to killings, mass slaughtering of human beings and destruction for public property. There needs to be a reason behind this madness and the same should be understood by one and all because it is the need of the time. Perhaps this is the discussion which is cropping up amongst youngsters, adults and elders whenever they meet at a place and talk about the growing insurgency that the common man has in this day and age. There must be an end to religious extremism and one should believe attaching the ‘religion’ premise is more than half of the problem itsel f. Even when religion is not the buzzword here, the element of spirituality is spoken about which is somewhat convincing enough for extremists to get up and take the arms in their own hands. This is unfortunate yet quite true because it brings with it a sense of fear for the people, who are busy within their own lives and who have got nothing to do with a subject or matter they know little about. With the advent of time, the terror groups have been formed which is a stark revelation for present times. This is because these terror bodies have largely addressed the need for getting their point across to the people in a forceful way and they believe that this is the only rightful stance which they can take at a particular time. Unfortunate

Tesco Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Tesco Management - Case Study Example The company is a new entrant in the American market and has only about 53 stores all of them located in USA. Any organization irrespective of size or motive (profit or not-for-profit), whether it is publicly owned or not will be affected by many factors and influences. These might be external and internal. This paper is divided into two parts and the first one will analyse the external and internal influences on TESCO. The second part of the paper will discuss the topic of globalization with reference to the above mentioned company. In the process it will take the following three issues into consideration. It will analyse how globalisation influences policies and decision making in TESCO. It will then critically evaluate the effectiveness of the organisation's response to those issues and finally provide some areas for improvement in the response of the organisation. The paper will begin with a short history and development of the company. As with most organisations TESCO started off as a single grocery stall in 1919. The shop was started by Jack Cohen who named the shop TESCO in 1924. The inspiration behind the name was a tea supplier called T E Stockwell. Cohen used the T E and S, the first three letters of the name and CO to form the word. The company began to grow rapidly and soon had a headquarters in North London in the year 1932 and also became a private limited company in the same year. The company went public in the year 1947. Expansion continued mainly though acquisitions of other stores. The company also began building superstores and also entered the retail petrol sale in UK. The current name of TESCO Plc was taken in 1983. The company's first overseas expansion was in 1995 to Hungary. The Company entered the Asian market two years later. Its internet portal and shopping facility TESCO.com is launched in 2000. TESCO entered the highly competitive market in the year 2007 only. Internal influences: The internal factors are those which can be controlled to a large extent by the company management and staff. Internal influences include, the management strategy, the human resources of the company, the marketing strategy, the level of technology, the organisational culture etc. Management strategy: The overall strategy formulated and practiced by the management will have a great influence on the company. If the policies are not properly taken, it will have a negative influence and correct ones will have a positive influence. It is also said that implementation of the strategy is more important than the strategy itself. "A study of 275 portfolio managers reported that the ability to execute strategy was more important than the quality of the strategy itself." (Kaplan and Norton 2001, p.1). The management strategy of TESCO can be easily understood and reviewed from what the company calls its steering wheel. The basic vision of the company with regard to customer service is the words 'every little helps' that appears in most of the company's pages. Their strategy is classified into five sections namely customer, community, operations, people and finance. Customer strategy includes great service by the staff, eliminating the need for queuing, providing a wide variety of goods that customers can get his needs under one roof, offer the lowest possible prices and obtain lifelong customer

LGBTQ blog post Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

LGBTQ blog post - Essay Example The plight of homosexuals has continued to roll over the decades and even the 21st century is seemingly no different. The social stigmatization that homosexuals receive in the contemporary society cannot be overlooked. Immediately one is identified as a gay or lesbian that becomes the genesis of their stigmatization. Many people even in the countries that boast of being developed still view lesbians and gays as malevolent and a lot of dereliction is directed to them. Different people have postulated unfounded opinions and judgments concerning homosexuality. Some think it is a developmental problem that has psychological contributions. Others have had several questions unanswered concerning the issue of homosexuality. â€Å"†¦..what factors contributed to its purported prevalence? Was it a holdover of primitive instincts usually found only in ‘uncivilized’ groups? Or was it an effect of modern life?’’ (Kaufman and Terry 27). These demonstrate how much people have pondered about the issue which has resulted into faulty perceptions about the gay and lesbian people as w ell as the transgender. With different persons coming up with diverse explanations, stigma and disgrace has been the order of the day in the homosexual world. As reported in the International Journal of Sexual Studies, gay parents are more susceptible to stigmatization. The outcome of this empirical study conducted to determine the extent of social stigmatization of the gay parents revealed much more that what had been hypothesized. People tend to look at the gay parents as ‘undeserving’ parents who are misleading examples to the society. It is not any news to hear that some countries have declared homosexuality illegal and that those found oriented to this sexual bearing should be sentenced to death. Uganda is one of the countries that surprised the world by its coarse laws

Teen pregnancy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Teen pregnancy - Essay Example In relation to the idea of making valuable ideas, my stand in this case will significantly focus on the cons of teen pregnancy as opposed to the pros. Teen pregnancy may be viewed as something profitable to mothers since they are considered to be a milestone ahead in the reproductive category and thus considering teen pregnancy not as an immoral action but as an action of negligence of failure to take actions (Arai, p.199). However, the cons are so alarming than the pros. For instance, early pregnancy has a higher percentage of causing obstetric complications which most often than not result into complications in the newborn (Baker p, 81). Again, people in different cultures in the world especially on the religious point of view agree that a child is a blessing, but the truth is the bearer will be economically affected. Take for example a young girl who happens to get unplanned pregnancy instead of going on with her education, the implications are that, she will have completely disoriented her life both socially and academically, since she is most likely to find problems in planning anything (Wakle, p,105, 107) further notes that the teen in question will be in deep stress of wanting to terminate the pregnancy or not to as well as pressure from her parents who always would want her to continue with her studies. Moreover, another disadvantage of teen pregnancy is that teens who have been affected end up living as social handicapped since they end up living as single mothers (Hoffman p, 52). Economically, they are more vulnerable to living under the line of poverty as indicated by Hoffman (P, 52) who further argues that statistically, bearing a child at an early age results in to the social effects under the economic trends.They live so poorly with a lot of stress of making the ends meet. Academic wise they either decide to bear the responsibility of having the

Financial Decision Making and Risk Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Financial Decision Making and Risk - Coursework Example The new assembly cell will require three call programmer/operators who will be recruited at a salary of  £20,000 per year each. The cell robots are expected to last for 5 years, after which they can be sold off for an estimated price of  £1,000 each. Your company’s cost of capital is currently 10%. As the Financial Director of your company, you are required to submit a detailed report to the Managing Director and your fellow Board members evaluating the proposed investment, fully justifying any recommendation you will make and identifying any potential problem areas and offering potential solutions. â€Å"Investment appraisal is the process of assessing potential investment projects to see which ones are most viable (and profitable) for the firm.† (Samuels et al, 2000). This report is aimed at understanding whether investing in the automated assembly cell will be beneficial for the company. To analyze the benefits of the investment a number of different calculations including the payback period and sensitivity analysis have been made. These have been included in the next few sections along with the investment decisions based on the calculations. Payback period is one of the simplest methods of investment appraisal. This method is generally beneficial for short-term projects and for projects where the returns are fixed and accurate. The most beneficial feature of this method is that it takes into account the liquidity of the project, which is useful for businesses to understand and concentrate on the cash flows of the company. Also, this is a very simple method comparatively (Samuels et al, 2000). Net Present Value (NPV) is the most commonly used method and it utilizes the discounted cash flows to compute the returns from an investment. In this method, initially, all the future cash flows that will be generated by the project are discounted to present value.  

Security Management in Maritime Organisations Case Study

Security Management in Maritime Organisations - Case Study Example TT Club aims at providing practical security measures which are limited to particular countries while the objective of the ISPS code is to establish an international maritime security framework. With the mutual coordination of contracting and local governments of shipping port facilities, the ISPS Code provides a complete theoretical solution to maritime possible threats and risks. One of the main reasons for comparing the TT Club manual with the ISPS code is to determine the extent to which the implementation of International Convention for the safety of Life at Sea adopted on December 12, 2002 made possible and followed. Other reasons to follow the ISPS Code are to list out all those possible threats which have never been considered before. The Club is a maritime Insurance company which provides all kinds of transport insurance to 80 countries of the world while the ISPS code targets all the shipping ports throughout the globe. TT Club provides pro-active determination of loss at some cost to its business members, but is limited to 80 countries. Another reason for comparing both the manuals is that the ISPS code is applied to all passenger and cargo ships (3.1) and one cannot ignore the fact that TT Club as an Insurance company is limited to provide maritime Insurance. Therefore it is obvious that TT Club would not take into account the hidden real world pro blems. Let us begin with the functional requirements of both the manuals. The TT Club manual is published with a view of preventing loss at the utmost. Moreover it serves as 'loss prevention guide'. The best evidence for calling it as 'loss prevention guide' is that it avoids security threats by avoiding computerised systems at the utmost. On the other hand, the ISPS Code is all about security of ships and ports and presents all techniques of preventing threats and risks and follows the functional requirements of the port (1.3). Ship Security Plan (SSP) containing Audits According to the ISPS Code 16.58, it is the responsibility of the SSP to conduct regular or updated audit reviews with the help of Company Security Officer (CSO) and Ship Security Officers (SSO) whereas the TT Club Manual suggests that Audit surveys are not limited to the responsibility of any particular person. However the main concern for both the manuals behind conducting audits i.e., ISPS code and TT Club Manual is to assess security at all levels to determine vulnerable access points. According to Security Level 1 of Section 7 of the Ship Security which sets appropriate controlling, monitoring and supervising access to different areas of the ship including deck, cargo and ship's stores, TT Club manual takes hold and observes all access points of the ship. These include all kinds of used and unused gates, access to the port facilities, and physical and logical security threats. Security Levels of the ISPS Code The security levels are set by priorities of their associated risks. Like level 1 is the normal level which is usually followed by the ships and ports. Security level 2 is applied in a condition which in addition to the threat exposure is experiencing a critical risk. Therefore the level is applied as long as the risk is there. Similarly level 3 entail exceptional threats, which usually do not occur in

How does financial crisis affect currency Research Paper

How does financial crisis affect currency - Research Paper Example The levels of blame on the causes of the disaster were assigned partly to financial institutions, consumers, credit agencies, government housing policies, and regulators. The most proximate cause, however, was the rise in subprime lending (Blinder, 2013). It was difficult to understand how the collapse of the sub-prime mortgage threatened to collapse the US financial system and the economy. The governments had to inject trillions of taxpayers’ dollars into the financial systems and still, especially in the US, people lost their homes, savings and jobs. The collapse of the housing bubble was the spark that ignited the chain of events that eventually brought the fall of the 2008 crisis. The collapse was fueled by easy and available credit, low interest rates, toxic mortgages, and scant regulations. This means that there were trillions of dollars embedded in the risky mortgages throughout the system. As the mortgage related securities got sold to the investors around the world, packaged and repackaged, there was a lot of money embedded in the risky business. Markets and financial institutions that had been exposed to these mortgages and that had borrowed heavily against them suffered losses worth billions of dollars in the mortgages, as well as their related securities. The losses were magnified by synthetic securities and other derivatives not only in the US, but also around the globe. Through this, the trading ground was brought to a halt and the stock market plummeted, plunging the economy into a deep recession. The effects of the financial crisis were universal mainly due to the financial markets being globalized, as well as the existence of technology, which transformed the speed, efficiency and complexity of financial transactions and instruments. Many great economies reported the worst market declines after the twin towers’ crisis of September 11th,

Approaches to Climate Change and Energy Crisis Essay Example for Free

Approaches to Climate Change and Energy Crisis Essay The acclaim and mass appeal that was garnered by the An Inconvenient Truth, no to mention Al Gore’s Noble Prize win, is a testament to the interest on the issue of climate change (Lawrence Bender Productions Guggenheim, 2006). One of the main areas of concern is the development of industries that do not damage or endanger the environment is an urgent concern as industries now face dwindling resources, greater demand and more regulation both locally and internationally (Schnietz Epstein, 2005). Whereas before when interest in environmental concerns were seen more as deterrents to a company’s operations. The increase of judicial decisions levying companies to pay for environmental damages due to their products or manufacturing processes has changed the view to one that treats environment concerns and conserving energy resources as part of ensuring profitability. An assessment done by the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) (2002) indicates that the deterioration of the environment has global implications. They point that the depletion of the ozone layer has been linked to stress marine and terrestrial resources though the depletion is mainly concentrated on the poles. Furthermore, scientists estimate that at the current rate of consumption and pollution, the earth’s ecosystems will simply collapse from human demands. De Man (2005) also points out that there are higher social expectations concerning environmental awareness and responsibility among business organizations. National and international efforts have sought to develop universal relevance of the issue not only to promote it as a concern but also to established responsibility for the issue. Robbins (2003) considers these an indication of the urgency and importance of the issue which in turn is to establish it as global critical priority. At the same time, climbing of energy prices due to demand has highlighted the need to raise efficiency and promote conservation. However, there are varying opinions on the approaches to be taken. One of the issues that have been subject to extensive debate is in the development of air pollution control programs. Wigley (2006) points out that because air has no geographic border nor physically contained and all countries have to compete for energy sources such as oil, the issue is an inherent global concern. This global perspective is the basis for the Kyoto Protocol which aims to establish an international monitoring and management system for carbon emissions. The Kyoto Protocol sets a quota for industrial emissions per country where residual allowances can be traded off to other countries and economic sanctions can be applied to violators. Thus, countries are not only politically motivated to control their emissions but also can gain monetary compensation for their efforts. Accession and implementation of the protocol has proven challenging. Opposition to the policies point out that aside from the operational difficulties of the policy and can deter economic growth and development since most industries are energy-intense and impact the environment (Bohan, 2007). Critics of the Kyoto approach to the issue suggest a national interest approach. In contrast to the former, the latter suggests that, â€Å"whats good for the nation as a whole in international affairs†. Using this perspective, instead of developing an international policy, each country must formulate its own towards a common goal (Roskin, 1994, p. 1). As each country is able to achieve individual environmental goals, public interest, which includes the global community, will be met effectively. Thus, what seems to be an inward-looking or even selfish approach to environment and energy issues can be in fact a means to accomplish international goals. Critics of the approach contend in turn that there are no assurances that independent states will develop and implement environmental and energy efficiency protocols. Also, they believe that by leaving consequence at the discretion of national governments, implementation will not be effectively policed. To date, there has still has not been full accession to the Kyoto Protocol: the Untied States and Australia have both rejected it. At the same time, national interest approaches have been significant deterred through the need for compliance to international political, security or economic organizations. According to Setting a Value on the Future, Stephen Gardiner believes that the lack of a consensus on how to deal with the world’s environmental and energy crises is because it is â€Å"politically convenient not to deal with†. Both approaches have proven to be extremely problematic. One difficulty that Thomas Palley of the Economics for Democratic and Open Societies sees in national interest perspectives is a failure to recognize the distinction between corporate and national interests, (as cited in Jacobson, 2006). The suggestion is that confusing corporate interests, which primarily is centered on profit, the national interests that will be defined will be the interest of a few instead of the public’s and that it most likely will neither support environmental or conservation objectives (Wigley, 2006). On the other hand, without industrial development, there will be little headway in the development of efficiency and productivity technologies or the means to put them in practice (Jacobson, 2006). The most critical realization is that the issue is not just a political issue. Just as critical should be the realization that whatever, polices are to be implemented, they should be able to stand the test of time and changes in international relations. This because, achievement of environmental and energy goals will likely take a number of years before they are attained. President George W. Bush has raised a valid point regarding this issue: The fundamental question is whether or not we will be able to grow our economy and be good stewards of the environment at the same time, (as cited in Jacobson, 2006). Neither the Kyoto approach nor the national interest approaches, as they are utilized today, seem to fully address these concerns. However, this should deter the commitment to environmental protection and rehabilitation as well as energy conservation. In conclusion to recognize non-political elements influencing the issue, to institute long-term policies and resources and to develop and implement policies that recognizes both perspectives. Reference http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSN1537871920071015

The Inhabitants Of Wales History Essay

The Inhabitants Of Wales History Essay The most populous Celtic community in Great Britain are the inhabitants of Wales in the western part of England. The Welsh who call themselves Cymry and their country Cymru had been Christians long before the Angles and Saxons adopted Christianity and they are proud of their literary tradition the beginnings of which predate English literature. The motif of the red dragon in the Welsh flag is a symbol of the Welsh people ´s resistance against Anglicization and of the perpetuation of their culture and language. The number of ethnic Welsh people is not known. As for the speech community of Welsh this accounts for 0.58 million speakers and they make up 21 per cent of the total population of Wales. Some 50,000 Welsh-speakers live outside Wales in other parts of England, most of them in the region of Greater London. The level of language maintenance has remained stable during the past two decades. Assimilation to English, though, has been a trend with continuity. About a hundred years ago there were still some 0.9 million Welsh speakers. Most speakers of Welsh live in the western and northern parts of Wales where the rates for language maintenance are between 40 and 50 per cent. In the South the level has fallen below 20 per cent. The Welsh language does not suffer from a lack of transmission to the younger generation like Scottish-Gaelic (> Highland Scots). In the youngest age range (i.e. between 3 and 15 years) Welsh is spoken by 32 per cent. Proficiency in Welsh is much lower in all other ag e groups, even among the older generation (i.e. 24 per cent in the age range, 65 and over). At the beginning of the twentieth century there were still 0.28 million Welsh people who could not speak English but only their native tongue. At the end of the twentieth century their number had been reduced to a minimum of 21,500 which is less than 1 per cent of the Welsh speech community. Those who speak Welsh are bilingual, speaking English as second language. Together with Breton in Brittany and Cornish, formerly spoken in Cornwall, Welsh forms the Brithonic subgroup of Insular Celtic (see Irish for the Goidelic subgroup). Already in the late sixth century, Welsh had developed local features which set it aside from other varieties of Celtic in Britain. The origins of Welsh literature are shrouded in the mist of medieval history. The works of two poets of the sixth century, Aneirin and Taliesin, mark the beginnings of a literary tradition in Welsh. Their literary works, though, are only preserved in manuscripts of the thirteenth century. It is assumed that the texts in the manuscripts are copies of much older originals. Highlights of medieval literature are the collection of narrative prose, the Mabinogion (eleventh thirteenth centuries), the codification of Welsh laws compiled by Hywel Dda (tenth century) and bardic lyrics composed by Dafydd ap Gwilym (thirteenth century). The translation of the whole Bible into Welsh was completed in 15 88. It appeared in a second edition in 1620, and its language became influential for the elaboration of a modern literary standard. Since the Welsh literary language continues language use of the seventeenth century it holds a bridging function between the modern and the ancient so that the connection with the medieval literature is not lost for the reader of today. Those Celtic tribes who had settled in Wales some two thousand years ago saw the advent of the Romans and experienced Roman rule over Britain. After the Roman conquest of Britain in 43 c.e. Wales was integrated into the Roman Empire as a region of military interest but Roman settlers did not come to live there. The Celts in Wales learned about Latin from the Roman administration but it was only during the time when Christianity spread over Britain that Latin became the vehicle of cultural and social innovation in the Celtic communities. The oldest layer of religious terminology in Welsh dates to the third and fourth century; e.g. eglwys  ´church ´ Medieval history is dominated by the struggle of the Celts in Britain against Anglo-Saxon supremacy. The historical king Arthur who has been acknowledged as the founder of the British lineage of kings rose to legendary fame as the protector of the Celtic Christians in their fights against the Germanic heathens in Britain. In the late eighth century, the king of Mercia, Offa, had an earthen wall built to separate the Celtic territory of Wales from the Anglo-Saxon settlements. For centuries, the Celts remained west of Offa ´s wall and the Anglo-Saxons east of it. Wales was finally conquered in 1282 and annexed to England. The status of Wales as a region under the authority of the British Crown was formalized in 1536, and the monopoly of English as the language of administration was confirmed. The English rulers practised a policy of apeasement to avoid social unrest by exchanging privileges for loyalty and to accept the Welsh aristocracy into their service. The Welsh à ©lite was s upposed to adopt the English language and English lifeways as a precondition to keeping their privileges. One of the lineages of the assimilated Welsh à ©lite was very successful. These were the Tudors whose representatives eventually ascended the English throne. The first Tudor to rule over England was Henry VII (reigned 1509 1547). Until the eighteenth century, Welsh society was divided into an Anglicized à ©lite of Welsh descent, loyal to the kings of England, and Welsh peasantry whose lifeways remained practically untouched by English culture. The seventeenth century saw the introduction of a Protestant movement which has dominated religious life among the Welsh up to the present, Calvinistic Methodism. Things changed with industrialization evolving, a process which unfolded in three stages on a prolonged horizon of time, ranging from c. 1780 to c. 1900. The area of southern Wales was of particular interest because of its riches in coal. The opening of coal-mines triggered a migratory movement of greater parts of the rural population to the urban and industrialized centers of the South where assimilation pressure was strong and language shift to English was swift. The British Education Acts of 1870 and 1889 stipulated English as the only medium of instruction at all schools and on all levels of education (i.e. from primary to higher), and these regulations promoted radical Anglicization. The romantic, all-European interest in the preservation of the local heritage and the movement of national awakening of the nineteenth century found its concrete manifestation in the cultural activities of the Celtic Revival. In Wales, this led to the establishment of a cultural institution, the Eisteddfod (literally  ´session ´), which was held for the first time in Aberdare in 1861. This is a sort of fair which offers a cross-section of all domains of Welsh culture and language, including literature, theater and the visual arts. The Welsh language has been a crucial issue in the process of social and political reforms since the 1940s. After four hundred years of a monopoly of the English language in administration in Wales Welsh was granted official status alongside English in 1942. This regulation first concerned only the use of both languages at court and was extended to the use of Welsh in regional and parliament elections, in 1967. Furthermore, a trio of Acts in the decade 1988-1998 provide a new statutory infrastructure and institutional context to enable social reform in education, language rights and governance, (Williams 2008: 124). Constituents of this network of reforms are the Education Act (1988), the Welsh Language Act (1993) and the Government of Wales Act (1998) which are the pillars of Wales as an autonomous region within the United Kingdom and which provide the statutory platform for a National Assembly for Wales, established in 1999. Harald Haarmann Further Reading Aitchison, John and Harold Carter. A Geography of the Welsh Language 1961-1991. Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 1994. Davies, John. A History of Wales. London: Penguin Books, 1994. Morris, John. The Age of Arthur. A History of the British Isles from 350 to 650. London: Phoenix, 1993. Williams, Colin H. Cymric (Welsh). In Wieser Encyclopaedia Western European Languages, eds. Ulrich Ammon and Harald Haarmann, vol. 2, 109-129. Klagenfurt, Wien Ljubljana: Wieser, 2008.

Management Law Tenants

Management Law Tenants Property management as defined in wikipedia is the operation of commercial and/or residential real estate. The duties of property management includes accepting rent, responding to and addressing maintenance issues, advertising vacancies for landlords, and doing credit and background checks on tenants. One important role of property management is that of liaison between the landlord and tenant. There are several definition of property management, one is that property management might mean keeping their own property safe, secure and pleasant to the eye. For others, property management could mean paying someone else to make sure your property is in tip top shape. Some types of properties that may need property management are; houses, condos, duplexes, town homes, apartments, shopping centers, malls, offices buildings, airports and public transportation buildings, hospitals and many more. Property management is very similar to the role of management in any business. In this coursework the writer will analyze the complaints and problems presented to the property manager of Megadosh Management by their client. To be able to do so we need to define important terms such as landlord, tenant and rent. The writer also presented the roles and rights of each person involve in the business. Property management agreement depends on the service needed by the client. The payment of their service is also mentioned. Upon understanding the role of property management the writer will now present the responses on the letter sent to the property manager. Discussion of each letter and identifying the problem is needed to response on their inquiry accurately. In the conclusion the paper will include his point of view and some important facts. Definition of Terms Landlord as defined in www.lectlaw.com, is an owner of real property who leases (rents) that property to a tenant under a lease agreement. He is bound to perform certain duties and is entitled to certain rights. His obligations are: (www.lectlaw.com) To ensure that he abide on the covenant that they both agree. To secure to the tenant the quiet enjoyment of the premises leased; but a tenant for years has no remedy against his landlord, if he be ousted by one who has no title, in that case the law leaves him to his remedy against the wrong doer. But the implied covenant for quiet enjoyment may be qualified and enlarged or narrowed according to the particular agreement of the parties and a general covenant for quiet enjoyment does not extend to wrongful evictions or disturbances by a stranger The landlord is bound by his express covenant to repair the premises, but unless he binds himself by express covenant the tenant cannot compel him to repair. His rights are: (www.lectlaw.com) To receive the rent agreed upon and to enforce all the express covenants into which the tenant may have entered To require the lessee to treat the premises demised in such manner that no injury be done to the inheritance and prevent waste To have the possession of the premises after the expiration of the lease. Tenant as defined in Thesaurus as the one who pays the rent to use or occupy land, a building, or other property owned by another. In law, the one who holds or possesses lands, tenements, or sometimes personal property by any kind of title. (www.landlordzone.co.uk). Tenants Legal Right and Obligations Commercial Obligation It is the obligation of the tenant to pay the exact amount for rent. It is the obligation of the tenant to pay the rent on time. Commercial Right It is the right of the tenant to have a comfortable property. Residential Right Know the terms of the tenancy. Know the name and address of the landlord (normally included in the agreement) Accommodation which is in a good tenantable state of repair free from defects. Reasonably quick and effective repairs if you report defects. Safe accommodation, all electrical, gas and other systems and appliances meeting modern safety standards and are subject to regular checks. A CORGI Gas Inspection Certificate annually and on entry to the accommodation  Ã‚   Operating instructions, safety warnings and emergency procedures where appliances and systems may be unfamiliar. Peaceable and quiet enjoyment of the accommodation, free from demands for access without notice and/or interference with utilities or other supplies to the property. A rent book if the rent is payable weekly. A reasonable (statutory) period of notice if the landlord wants you to leave. The return of the security deposit within a reasonable period Residential Obligation Give honest and truthful statements during the tenancy application process.   Pay a reasonable (market) rent. Pay the rent as and when it is due. Respect and care for the landlords property, furniture and fittings. Pay the landlord for any damage (beyond normal wear and tear) at the end of, or during a tenancy. Pay the landlord for any exceptional cleaning and rubbish removal at the end of a tenancy. Report defects to the landlord immediately they become apparent. Not use the premises for any purpose other than residential accommodation. Not keep pets, unless approved by the landlord and the tenancy agreement. Not do anything in or around the premises which would cause nuisance, damage or annoyance to the landlord or the neighbours. Not bring into occupation other residents without informing the landlord. (Such additional   adult occupant/s will be required to sign a tenancy agreement) Not leave the accommodation unoccupied for more that 14 days without informing the landlord or his agent. Give notice to quit in writing, which must be at least 4 weeks, where the rent is paid monthly. Not to use the security deposit in lieu of rent. Observe all the terms of the tenancy agreement Property Management Operation of property as a business, including rental, rent collection, maintenance, and so on. Role of Property Management One important role of the property management is to negotiate between the landlord and tenant. The property management should be aware of the laws and rights of both the landlord and the tenant. Problems and conflicts usually arise when the project managers are not aware of the covenants agreed upon by the landlord and the tenant. Property Management is being performed by the project managers. In exchange of the service they provide, property management companies charge landlords a percentage of the gross rent collected each month, in addition to lease commissions. Property managers may manage construction, development, repair and maintenance on a property. A property manager relation with tenants gives a face to the landlord and provides them the necessary buffer servicing their desire to profit and distance themselves from their tenant constituency. The property manager or the property management company has a primary responsibility to the landlord and a secondary responsibility to the tenant. Relationships the property manager or property management team have with the landlord and with the tenant are crucial in forming the expectations of both parties to the lease since both parties will seek and expect certain rights and benefits out of it. Owners expectations from the property manager/ property management team are to carry out the owners instructions, control costs and maximize revenue to maintain a stabilized cash flow as a return on capital invested, exercise control over the building to safeguard the capital invested, provide a duty of care through proper maintenance of the building, to be professional and well informed, enhance the value of the property by making improvements that will increase its market value, retain and enhance pride of ownership Problems in Property Management Property Management is the one responsible for the covenant that the landlord and tenant agreed on. Any problems or violation of the said agreement would lead to problems and misunderstanding of both parties. This is where the role of the property management enters. They are the one who mediate and solve the agreement. When problems happens property management usually work hand in hand with the trained attorneys. During this situation the focus will be given on landlord/tenant law and most commonly evictions, non-payment, harassment, reduction of pre-arranged services, and public nuisance. Therefore, it is a necessity that a property manager be current with applicable municipal, county and state laws and practices. The Megadosh Management In the last few days Megadosh received four letters from their client stating several points regarding their request for maintenance, end of lease and extension of property. Megaosh need to reply on the four letters, to be able to do so we must need to analyze the problems and the covenant between the landlord and the tenant. In the first letter, Mr. Smalls request to renew their lease for another term of 21 years. The landlord has the right to terminate or to not allow the renewal of contract. The request of Mr. Smalls would depend on the decision of the owner as to renew it or terminate the agreement. The contract ends on March 24, 2008, if the owner does not want them to renew the contract the tenant has the right to request for a 3 months extension to have them the time to relocate. The extension for lease may not be given authority of the owner since he is planning to renovate the whole area and putting up building as residential. If given extension on the contract Mr. Smalls still has no right to do the construction without the consent of the owner. In Commercial Tenancies Act R.S.O. 1990, c. L.7, the Lease until Breach (3)  Ã‚  For the purposes of this section, a lease limited to continue only as long as the lessee abstains from committing a breach of covenant is and takes effect as a lease to co ntinue for any longer term for which it could subsist, but determinable by a proviso for re-entry on such a breach. R.S.O. 1990, c.  L.7, s.  20  (3). In this Act of Tenancies it shows that landlord has the right to refuse continuation of lease as well as expanding the property. The Letter forwarded by Ms.K. Holmes of Unit 22 Desolation Row Shopping Centre on February 28th, 2008. Includes suggestion and request for the repair of the part of the structural roof of the Shopping Centre, which directly covers her unit. The tenant asks for the repair to be on summer. She also refuses to replace the lights because she cannot afford it. The question would be who will replace the lights? Whose obligation is it? Specimen Lease of Business Premises includes the following rights of the tenant: the Lessee may occupy and use any portion of the Leased Premises, subject to payment as daily rental for each and every day of the period up to the date of commencement of the Term of the Lease during which any portion of the Leased Premises is so occupied and used by the Lessee, at the end of such period, of the aggregate of the amount determined by multiplying. Internally you said you wanted me to change all the lighting to low energy bulbs, and to renew some damaged plasterwor k on one of the walls. Another question would be who is the legally assigned person to handle the replacement of the light bulb? In the specimen lease covenant it was stated that lessor will be the one who will handle the repair and replacement of the light bulbs. To support the claim of the writer we will present the part of the Generic Lease/ Specimen Lease of Business Premises. Below is part of the Agreement to help Megadosh decide on this matter. Services and Equipment The Lessor shall, at all times during the Term, at the Lessors own expense and to the satisfaction of the Lessee provide for and to the Leased Premises, maintain, and as appropriate, install and keep in good repair and operating condition, all in accordance with the Schedules entitled Standards for Leased Accommodation and Cleaning Specifications appended hereto: a constant supply of hot and cold water to all washbasins and sinks; a drinking fountain on each and every floor of the Building in which the Leased Premises are located; all heat, ventilation, air conditioning, air circulation and humidity control required in and for the Leased Premises; lighting and all electrical power required on the Leased Premises except as herein specifically otherwise provided, and, as lamps, bulbs, ballasts and fuses wear out, replacement thereof; a fire alarm system for use in emergency situations; an auxiliary supply of electricity and power for emergency services and systems throughout the Building, whenever a failure in the normal supply of electricity and power occurs; a constant supply of all dispensary items and deodorant blocks and all maintenance and repairs from time to time required to keep lavatory and toilet room equipment and accessories in good operating condition; removal of ice and snow from all outside parking areas and the roadways, walks, steps and fire escapes leading to and from the Building, all such parking spaces, roadways, walks, steps and fire escapes to be kept, at all times, free and clear of snow and ice; all maintenance and repairs required to keep the common areas at all times clean, tidy, free and clear of any refuse, garbage, waste products and, obstructing materials whatsoever, and in good condition and repair; where available, removal of garbage and recyclable materials from the Leased Premises whenever and so often as may be necessary and, in any event, not less often than once daily, to keep the Leased Premises at all times neat, tidy and free and clear of any refuse, garbage, waste products and obstructing materials whatsoever; all labour and materials for the cleaning of the Leased Premises, the Lessees Improvements and the furnishings therein, the windows of the Leased Premises and the common areas and the Lessor shall, at all times during the Term, clean the said Leased Premises, Lessees Improvements and furnishings, windows and common areas and keep the same clean and free of dust and dirt and maintain the grounds forming part of the Lands in the manner and not less often than as specified in the Schedule entitled Cleaning Specifications; all elevator service required with one or more elevators in operation and available for use at all times, throughout each and every hour of each and every day of the term and the remainder of which shall be in operation daily at all times throughout the period from 6:30 to 18:30  hours in each and every day, except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays observed by the Lessee and on which the Leased Premises are closed to the public generally; window and floor coverings and replacement thereof whenever required by reason of wear and tear; safe and convenient access for persons with disabilities to and from the Lands, the Building and the Leased Premises and the facilities for the use of persons with disabilities situated in and out of the Leased Premises; if so requested by the Lessee, a mutually acceptable location for bicycle racks, provided by the Lessee and in the care of the Lessor, having a capacity of at least bicycles; provide all labour and equipment necessary for the collection, storage and removal of recyclable material in order to comply with the Multi-material and Paper recycling program of the Lessee, to the extent that a recycling infrastructure is operational in the community in which the Building is located, with the understanding that the Lessor will make available to the Lessee any records the Lessor has at his disposal on the total weight of recycled material removed from the Building; Clause # 4 supports the claim of the lessee not to shoulder the expenses for the changing of the lighting and the repair of the plasterwork on the wall. Megadosh can work this out with the owner. It is better to review the agreement carefully to avoid further problem and conflict. Another letter from Mr and Mrs Hiolternionen was forwarded with the subject for early termination of lease. Upon reviewing their agreement it was stated that: ‘If the Tenant wishes to determine this lease on the 25th March 2008 or on any date thereafter and of such wish gives to the Landlord not less than six months written notice and up to the date of expiry of such notice pays all rents due under this Lease and materially performs all the other obligations of the Tenant under this Lease then on the expiry of such notice this Lease shall forthwith determine. A six month rent deposit is still on the hand of the owner. The said amount will be returned when the Lease is at end. In this case the tenant should have given the landlord or forwarded a letter to Megadosh 6 months before they decided to move out. It was clearly stated in the agreement that they should have informed the landlord thru written notice not less than six months. Under the Leases (C0mmercial and Retail) Act 20 01 Sect 119 the lessor may contest termination    (1)       The lessor may, within 14 days after being served with a termination notice, contest the termination by application to the Magistrates Court.    (2)       The only ground for contesting a termination under this section is that— (a)       the lessor acted honestly and reasonably and ought reasonably to be excused for doing the thing that constituted the ground for termination under section 117 (Right to terminate—no disclosure statement etc) or section 118 (Failure to notify material change in disclosure statement); and (b)       the tenant is substantially in as good a position as the tenant would have been in had the lessor not done the thing. The tenant should stay on the location for 6 months until they will be able to get the 6 months deposit they have given the property management. This will be the respond of Megadosh on their letter. If question arises they can read the copy of the agreement signed by them. Until all of their obligations are paid in full the refund for the deposit will be given to them at once. The last letter comes from Mr. Pants he is requesting to let Harry Trash to use the rear part of the yard for repairs. Upon reviewing the lease of Mr. Pants Megadosh found the only restriction on assignment, it contains tenants covenant. The tenants covenant are as follow ‘not without the prior written consent of the Landlord, such consent not unreasonably to be withheld, to assign this Lease; the user clause in the Lease states: ‘The Tenant covenants (a) not to use the building comprised within the premises otherwise than for the retail sale of gentlemens clothing or for such other specific retail purpose as the Landlord may from time to time approve in writing, such approval not unreasonably to be withheld, and (b) not to use the rear yard otherwise than for parking and loading of vehicles and/or for temporary storage of goods in connection with the authorised use of the building.

The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir Essay -- Essays on The Second Sex

Simone de Beauvoir, in her 1949 text The Second Sex, examines the problems faced by women in Western society. She argues that women are subjugated, oppressed, and made to be inferior to males – simply by virtue of the fact that they are women. She notes that men define their own world, and women are merely meant to live in it. She sees women as unable to change the world like men can, unable to live their lives freely as men can, and, tragically, mostly unaware of their own oppression. In The Second Sex, de Beauvoir describes the subjugation of woman, defines a method for her liberation, and recommends strategies for this liberation that still have not been implemented today. De Beauvoir, in attempting to define the subjugation experienced by woman, notes that women lag behind other oppressed groups of her epoch, like Jews and blacks. She argues that women are behind in terms of civil rights mainly because they have not identified that they are indeed being oppressed, despite their lack of social and professional status. De Beauvoir writes that â€Å"the epithet of female has the sound of an insult,† (1) meaning that women experience discrimination and social inequity. Further, she asserts that man is responsible for the construction of a world based upon his values, his norms, and his capabilities. She is unsurprised by the fact that woman has achieved comparatively less – in a male-oriented culture, how could anyone possibly expect woman to accomplish as much as man? This societal commentary transcends legal status. The acquisition of civil rights will not be enough to right the wrongs perpetrated upon woman as a whole, according to de Beauvoir. Liberalism, therefore, is also insufficient to address the problems wom... ...ated socialism as a method of societal structure based on reciprocity, but our current system of capitalism fosters aggression and competition instead. The quest for material possessions and wealth as signs of power and success leads to endless competition. This runs counter to the induction of reciprocity into our society and therefore means that reciprocal relationships, defined by de Beauvoir as requisite to the emancipation of woman, are not the culturally accepted norm. To truly state that de Beauvoir’s vision has been realized, Western society would need to entirely scrap its capitalist system and redefine itself in terms of community, reciprocity, and sharing. This has definitely not happened yet, and until it does the world will continue to be defined on male terms. Works Cited Beauvoir, Simone De. The Second Sex;. New York: Knopf, 1953. Print.

James Dickey All American Poet Essay -- essays papers

James Dickey All American Poet James Dickey was an American Poet whose life has been very diverse, and in his poetry that diversity is shown. He has a lifestyle that most poets do not get to experience. He has lived in many states and countries. That gives me the reason to think that his poetry resembles this life’s diversity. James Lafayette Dickey, III was born in the town of Atlanta, Georgia on February 2, 1923. His parents were Maibelle and Eugene Dickey. He went to Ed S. Cook Elementary School and North Fulton High School as a kid, both of which are in Atlanta. He was athletic as a child. He played football and track, but his football career led him to a scholarship at the University of Clemson, in Clemson, South Carolina. But, before he went off to college he spent one year at the Darlington School in Rome, Georgia for one year in preparation for a college. He didn’t last longer than a year in Clemson though because he enlisted into the Army Air Corps. He served in WWII as a flight radar observer and navigator. After serving in the army he went to school at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee. He went there on the G. I. Bill. After graduating from Vanderbilt with a M. A. in English, he started to teach. He taught first at the Rice Institute in Houston, Texas. His time there was cut short because he was recalled to duty in Korea as flight training instructor. But as soon as he was discharged from the Corps he returned to teach again at Rice University. He taught at Rice until 1954 when he left to go to Europe on the Sewanee Review fellowship. After returning to the U.S. he joined the English Department at the University of Florida. He did not stay there long because he resigned after a dispute after he h... ...veryone else. He wakes up every day ready to crow his symbol to bring on that day. In the poem he is ready to protect all the female chickens, from another cock that could be in there house. He is ready to battle to the death for what he thinks is his. In this poem he uses ridicule, when he is talking about the old man in a terminal ward, and he also uses connotations. Some example of connotations are when he uses words like; enraged, sullenly, savagery, unappeased and terminal. The life of James Dickey was very diverse and involved many different people. His poetry showed this diversity in many ways too. He has over 2,000 poems, all of which have different genres and different places they have came from. Some of which could have been from past jobs, and others could have been from his past places of residence. That is why he was a very popular poet for his time.

Affirmative Action :: Quotas Race Minority Academics Essays

Affirmative Action In Texas, acceptance to public universities for high school students is now based on academic achievement - if a student is at the top ten percent of his or her class, he or she will be automatically accepted. This is a way to counter the unfairness of affirmative action causes because the admission has nothing to do with race or sex. Arguably, this policy is reasonable because students studying at the same high school receive equal opportunity to learn and educate themselves. This may seem fair, but the same problem still exists. If a student has to work part-time just to make a living because his or her family is unable to sustain financially, how is this student going to find time to study and be successful in school, and therefore, be in the top ten percent? In recent supreme court ruling, the point system that were using in admitting law students at the University of Michigan was ruled unconstitutional and therefore taken out. The university used a point system that quantified the qualification of the applicant's status. If a student's points exceed a certain number, he or she is admitted to the school. The university gives an extra twenty points to the minorities in terms of enforcing affirmative action and helping the disadvantaged. The six of the judges believe that the defined number system is in many ways similar as having a set quota in admitting minority students, which was banned in the case of University of California v. Bakke of 1978. The judges believe that having a rule in admitting students strictly by race is impersonal. In Bakke's case, the University defends itself for having such quota with the fact that admitting minority students into medical school can help improve social discrimination because the minority are less likely to have the education or the financial status to go to a medical school. As a result, being a doctor becomes majority profession. The judges at the time countered the university's statements by stating that the school is being unfair to the non-minority applicants, who are not directly responsible of the social discrimination. The Supreme Court ruled the University of Michigan's point system unconstitutional in the undergraduate level, but kept the same system for the Law school. They believe race should be taken into consideration, but should not quantify qualification. Although the judges opposing this ruling stated that "A fixed numerical score for racial minority status has the virtue of honesty.

Dumex Web Site

The Danone Dumex Web site located at is the online presence of Dumex (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.. , a Malaysian health food company operating since 1958. The Web site serves as a company brochure and features company news, the company's products, tips on various health-related topics like nutrition, advice, and child development, as well as health news and recipes. Strengths The site is presented in a clutter free way. It's easy to see what the whole site has to offer, so the user does not get lost.The content also allows for returning visitors, or visitors who go back to the site for updates and new information. The New This Month, and Featured This Month section, not only encourages returning visitors, it also highlights the things that they haven't seen since their last visit, so that they won't have to go through material they've seen before. Also, the site can be navigated easily. The menu bar at the left side of the page points the user to various areas of the Web site, from news, to recipes, to the company's products, to medical advice, etc.It's all there, near each other. The site encourages more user participation and interactivity with its contests. It provides the user with a meaningful experience by featuring user photographs, writings, experiences and advise. On the company side, it allows them to build a reputation and image of being an expert on health issues. By featuring health experts' advice and opinion, along with health-related news, they are positioning themselves in a way that they can be trusted with one's health. The site also offers a display case for all their products.Content-wise, the site features news and information that is valued highly by its target market. Since the product is for babies and pregnant mothers, their content is geared towards issues related to pregnancy and children. This makes it a one-stop resource for their customers, further consolidating their brand and company image. Weakness As a healthcare-related Web site, th e site should include language warning users that the site might have insufficient advice and implores users to seek further medical attention or to see their doctor.The disclaimer would put the user's best interest in mind specially if he's really sick, or have a condition that might need individual care. An example is the site's pregnancy teaser on the home page which says â€Å"Pregnant? Don't forget to exercise†. Colette Bouchez at WebMD writes that although exercise during pregnancy is not only recommended, it also have certain benefits for both mother and baby, the mother should be aware of some warning signs like vaginal discharges and bleeding, and stop exercising. This caution is not on the Dumex home page.As such, it is highly probable that while material on the site might have been checked and is reliable, it might adversely affect some people who follows medical, nutritional advise without consulting their doctors. Also, while the site has its products online, the re is no way to order their products on the site. * * * As a consumer, I need to be sure of what I'm purchasing. It has to give me value for my money. It has to deliver its promises. For me, I want to be an informed consumer, price is only secondary.Web sites like Dumex provides me with the necessary information that I would not normally see in other forms of advertisements. A good Web site should let me know about the product, for me to know its benefits, potential threats and how it fares against the competition. And I don't have to leave home to do it, it's all, literally, at the tips of my fingers. Aside from information, good product Web sites offer their customers other related information. That would keep me informed of the things I need to be aware of.In the case of Dumex, it also tells me how their products would fit my needs. Lastly, Web sites offer the convenience of purchasing at home, which would give me more time to do other more important things, and other perks like avoiding the long lines at the supermarket or horrendous traffic. Effects of IT Employment. Information technology makes it easier to do the tasks that would have been more difficult and time consuming without it, a prime example of which is the use of the word processor instead of the manual typewriter.According to Michael Handel at the SRI Institute, however, automation using I. T. may lead to unemployment. If you have computers that run certain processes or monitor certain activities running, then you don't need to hire somebody to do that for you (Handel, 2003). Privacy and Individuality. Information technology is also changing the way we live. With the advent of social networking sites like Friendster, Myspace and countless of others, it has been easier to find new friends and maintain relationships and contact (Dwyer, 2007) .IT, while making it easier to buy products and services and have them delivered to your doorstep without leaving your home, like a book from Amazon. Com, also raised privacy issues like hackers gaining access to your credit card information, or personal data. Even one's behavior patterns on the World Wide Web, like the sites being accessed, and the amount of time being spent on a particular site can be monitored. Co-workers, hackers, and family members may have their own personal motivation now have access to illicit computer programs to get such information from one's computer.(Rittenhouse, 2004). Computer Crimes. Computer crimes are on the rise and it may involved the unauthorized use of a computer (stealing passwords, or accessing another's computer via a backdoor program); spreading malicious computer programs like trojan, virii and worms; or an online version of stalking and harassment. The underlying premise is that computer crimes are done by people who lack respect for property and privacy of other people (Standler, 2002). Ironically, computer crimes are also being battled via I. T.Various Web sites have come up with online p rivacy tools, virus detection and deletion programs, tips on how to detect illicit computer activities, among others. Societal Solutions. One of the most widespread and easily-seen effect of I. T. on society is the way people get their news nowadays. Before, people have to rely on rumors and the next morning's papers, and eventually, the evening broadcast and breaking news on T. V. The thing is, people have to wait before they get the news. Now, all they have to do is to log on to various news Web sites to get the latest happenings, on a wider variety of topics.They can get news from Somalia, or news on the latest Britney happening. The problem with this is that there tends to be a lot of wrong news coming from unverified sources. An example of which comes from the the Virginia Polytech Institute and State University shooting a year ago. At that time, many students, checked out sites on the Internet, like Fark. Com, Facebook. Com and other social networking sites to get information on the shooting. But then, it happened that one unnamed student became suspected as the gunman when his own Facebook. Com profile showed pictures of him and his gun collection.The student became the subject of death threats, and hate campaign, until news came out that the real gunman was shot dead and the unnamed student's identity was verified (IDG News Service, 2007). Health Issues. Speaking of misinformation, the World Wide Web is full of it. While the Web has made it easier to obtain information on various topics like what to do when you're pregnant, how to make bombs, how to cook the best lambchops, it would be wise to check the reliability of the information presented first. Make sure that the site, or the writer of the article is authoritative on the subject matter.Take special care when it comes to one's health. As in the case of Dumex's Web site, take all information presented there with a grain of salt and a word of caution. While healthcare advice is plentiful on the Web, it might be best to consult one's physician if you're sick. Leslie Teach at Emory University puts it succinctly when she says that previously health-related videos, books, brochures were tediously edited and reviewed before released to the public, and that's not happening with Web sites. Health improvement, disease prevention, and information about diseases are the primary health-related information that are being accessed.Teach gives a number of criterion for evaluating health-related Web sites, including: ? a clearly stated purpose of the site; ? no evident bias; ? the site is not a disguised advertisement; ? all aspects of the subject are adequately taken up; ? the site provides accurate information, with documented sources. * * * Information technology is here to stay. In fact, the widespread and pervasiveness of this technology has made so many profound effects on our daily lives that it has become a part of our culture, and our psyche. As with other advances, it has its drawb acks.But the simple truth is, the benefits outweighs the dangers. And the disadvantages can be easily fought, with a little awareness, knowledge and a critical mind, one can be safe. References Bouchez, Colette. (2007). Exercise During Pregnancy: Myth Vs. Fact. WebMD. Com. Retrieved on 18 April 2008. Danone Dumex Web page. (2008). Retrieved on 18 April 2008. Dwyer, Cathy. (2007). Digital Relationships in the MySpace Generation: Results From aQualitative Study. Proceedings of the 40th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences – 2007. Retrieved on 16 April 2008. Handel, Michael J. (2003). Complex Picture of Information Technology and Employment Emerges. SRI International. Retrieved on 18 April 2008. Rittenhouse, David. (2004). Information Technology Abuse — Privacy Issues. Retrieved on18 April 2008. Standler, Ronald. (2002). Computer Crime. Retrieved on 18 April 2008. Teach, Leslie. Evaluating Health-related Web Sites. Emory University. Retrieved on 18 Apr il 2008. Virginia Tech shooting shows benefits, pitfalls of social networking sites. (2007). IDG News Service. Retrieved on 19 April 2008.

International Accountancy Quiz Question from Test Bank

* Question 1 2. 5 out of 2. 5 points | | | The following inventory information above was taken from the records of BlobeKom Ltd. :Historical Cost  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   $12,000Replacement Cost  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   $ 9,000Expected selling price  Ã‚   $10,000Expected selling cost  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   $  Ã‚  Ã‚   500Normal profit margin  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   10% of selling priceUnder U. S. GAPP, what should the Balance Sheet report for Inventory? Answer| | | | | Selected Answer:|   Ã‚  $9,000| | | | | * Question 2 2. 5 out of 2. 5 points | | | How should the cost of borrowing funds to acquire or construct property, plant, and equipment be accounted for under IASB rules, as revised in 2007?Answer| | | | | Selected Answer:|   Ã‚  It should be added to the other costs of acquiring fixed assets to determine the amount for the balance sheet. | | | | | * Question 3 2. 5 out of 2. 5 points | | | The following inventory information above was taken from the recor ds of BlobeKom Ltd. :Historical Cost  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   $12,000Replacement Cost  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   $ 9,000Expected selling price  Ã‚   $10,000Expected selling cost  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   $  Ã‚  Ã‚   500Normal profit margin  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   10% of selling priceUnder IAS 2, what should the Balance Sheet report for Inventory?Answer| | | | | Selected Answer:|   Ã‚  $9,500| | | | | * Question 4 2. 5 out of 2. 5 points | | | Under IAS 16 (Property, Plant, and Equipment), subsequent revaluation decreases are:Answer| | | | | Selected Answer:|   Ã‚  first recognized as a reduction in any related revaluation surplus| | | | | * Question 5 2. 5 out of 2. 5 points | | | Which of the following is generally true about the differences between U. S. GAAP and IASB standards? Answer| | | | | Selected Answer:|   Ã‚  U. S. GAAP tends to be more rule-based, and the IASB standards tend to be principles-based. | | | | * Question 6 2. 5 out of 2. 5 points | | | Th e â€Å"Seventh Directive† issued by the European Commission is a statement to the European Union (EU) members concerning:Answer| | | | | Selected Answer:|   Ã‚  Consolidated financial statements| | | | | * Question 7 2. 5 out of 2. 5 points | | | What basis does the International Accounting Standards Board use in formulating its IFRS? Answer| | | | | Selected Answer:|   Ã‚  A framework of accounting principles| | | | | * Question 8 2. 5 out of 2. 5 points | | | What was the â€Å"Norwalk Agreement? Answer| | | | | Selected Answer:|   Ã‚  A pledge between the Financial Accounting Standards Board in the U. S. and the IASB to make their reporting standards compatible| | | | | * Question 9 2. 5 out of 2. 5 points | | | How does IAS 34 (Interim Financial Reporting) differ from U. S. GAAP? Answer| | | | | Selected Answer:|   Ã‚  U. S. GAAP takes the position that interim periods are an integral part of the full year. | | | | | * Question 10 2. 5 out of 2. 5 points | | | W hich of the following statements is true about accounting harmonizaiton?Answer| | | | | Selected Answer:|   Ã‚  All of the above are true about accounting harmonization| | | | | * Question 11 2. 5 out of 2. 5 points | | | From a practical standpoint, what is the goal of accounting standards harmonization? Answer| | | | | Selected Answer:|   Ã‚  Reducing the conflict among national accounting standards| | | | | * Question 12 2. 5 out of 2. 5 points | | | Which of the following inventory valuation methods commonly used in the U. S. is NOT allowed under IAS 2 (Inventories)? Answer| | | | | Selected Answer:|   Ã‚  LIFO| | | | | * Question 13 . 5 out of 2. 5 points | | | Why does the IASB believe that a principles-based approach to standard setting is superior to a rules-based perspective? Answer| | | | | Selected Answer:|   Ã‚  Detailed prescriptions or rules encourage accountants to look for ways to circumvent the rules rather than trying to provide useful information. | | | | | * Question 14 2. 5 out of 2. 5 points | | | In which of the following countries is the use of IFRS not allowed for domestic companies listed on its stock exchanges? Answer| | | | | Selected Answer:|   Ã‚  United States| | | | * Question 15 2. 5 out of 2. 5 points | | | What types of issues cause differences between International Financial Reporting Standards and U. S. GAAP? Answer| | | | | Selected Answer:|   Ã‚  All of the above may be different between IFRS and U. S. GAAP| | | | | * Question 16 2. 5 out of 2. 5 points | | | According to the Framework for Preparation and Presentation of Financial Statements of the IASB, what is the definition of INCOME? Answer| | | | | Selected Answer:|   Ã‚  Increase in equity (other than from contributions by owners)| | | | * Question 17 2. 5 out of 2. 5 points | | | In 1990, the European Commission stopped issuing directives related to accounting. Why? Answer| | | | | Selected Answer:|   Ã‚  The EU was leaving the formulation of accoun ting standards up to the IASC. | | | | | * Question 18 2. 5 out of 2. 5 points | | | If a company chooses the revaluation model permitted in IAS 16 for fixed asset measurement:Answer| | | | | Selected Answer:|   Ã‚  it must update the valuation so that the balance sheet represents fair value on the balance sheet date. | | | | * Question 19 2. 5 out of 2. 5 points | | | Which of the following items is considered to be the most significant impediment to accounting harmonization? Answer| | | | | Selected Answer:|   Ã‚  Nationalism| | | | | * Question 20 2. 5 out of 2. 5 points | | | According to IAS 16 (Property, Plant & Equipment), what is the term used to indicate the amount for which an asset could be exchanged between knowledgeable, willing parties in an arm's length transaction? Answer| | | | | Selected Answer:|   Ã‚  Fair market value| | | | |

Philosophy of Plato Essay

?By studying Plato’s views on the soul, virtues, and forms, one can understand his outlooks on the individual and natural purpose, or telos. Plato had a teleological worldview, so he believed everything in nature had an end, or purpose. In his famous Allegory of the Cave, along with the Sun and Line analogies, Plato outlines the spiritual and intellectual journey of a human from ignorance into goodness and knowledge, which symbolizes a human reaching his or her purpose. This essay will evaluate Plato’s teleological view regarding humans by analyzing his Allegory of the Cave with relation to his views of the tripartite soul, virtues, and forms; in addition, I will determine if Plato’s views of virtue and happiness are feasible or not. Plato had an interesting view on the soul and its relation to the body. He believed that the soul had three parts: the appetitive, spirited, and rational. In his famous work the Republic, Plato argued that the soul must be tripartite because â€Å"the same thing cannot at the same time with the same part of itself act in contrary ways about the same† (Republic, IV, 1). This argument makes sense, for if the soul was just one part, it would contradict itself when it desires a thing at one time but does not desire it at another time. Plato related the soul to virtue by comparing the tripartite soul to the ideal city-state. He emphasized that, in order for one’s soul to remain good and orderly, its parts must not â€Å"interfere with one another [and not] do the work of others† (Republic IV, 5). This is what Plato calls justice, and it relates to an individual in one class not doing the business of another in another class. Accordingly, wisdom is the virtue of the rational part of the soul, relating to teachers, and courage is the virtue of the spirited part, correlating with soldiers. Finally, moderation occurs when the parts of the soul work together cooperatively, making the soul unified and complete, similar to a unified and flourishing city-state. Plato claimed that the natural purpose of humans is to reason well, and in order to fulfill this, humans must have these virtues of their soul. Plato, like many other ancient philosophers, thought of virtue as excellence. In the Republic, Plato regarded the virtues of justice, moderation, courage, and wisdom as the most important virtues, which is clear since he included them in his account of the soul. For our souls to reach their purpose, which is ultimately happiness, we must understand and live out these virtues in our lives. For example, according to Plato, one can master the virtue of justice by performing one’s work, or function, well, without interfering with someone else’s business. Also, in book IV of the Republic, Socrates attempts to convince Glaucon and Adeimantus that living the virtuous life is the best, happiest life. Plato, through Socrates, argued, â€Å"virtue is the health and beauty and well-being of the soul† (Republic IV, 6). Therefore, for humans to reach our end and find happiness, we must live a virtuous life. Plato had a very unique view on forms. He believed forms, as metaphysical entities, exist in a separate universe from the material world and that this universe of forms is absolutely perfect. Things in the material world that relate to forms are independent of the forms themselves. For example, a knife is sharp, but Plato believed it was separate from the form of sharpness. Plato believed virtues were forms, and notably that the â€Å"form of the good is the most important thing to learn about† (Republic, VI, 1). Like the virtues, the most important forms include justice, moderation, and courage, but the highest form of all is the form of the good. Plato believed that understanding these forms, especially the form of the good, is crucial to one’s purpose and happiness. Plato said, â€Å"Every soul pursues the good and does whatever it does for its sake† (Republic, VI, 2). Plato’s teleological view is shown here; the soul’s ultimate purpose is to find the good (and happiness), and if it does this, it will understand everything else. This idea is further explained in the Allegory of the Cave, which I will discuss in the next paragraph. The Allegory of the Cave describes a person on an intellectual journey from ignorance to reason. Most humans are like the prisoners in the cave; they are ignorant and fail to learn new things because they are comfortable with what they already know, despite the lack of reason. Plato said that humans must free themselves from their previous thoughts and see that these thoughts lacked reason, just like the prisoner who saw that the shadows were actually produced from objects and were not â€Å"real† themselves. Once outside the cave, humans can learn about virtues and forms, similar to the prisoner who sees natural objects and not human-made copies of them. Ultimately, at the end of their intellectual journey, humans will see that every form is derived from the form of the good, which is denoted by the sun in the story. Plato’s sun analogy is essentially within the Allegory of the Cave. The sun provides light, allowing us to see things for what they truly are; similarly, the form of the good allows us to understand other forms and therefore gives us knowledge. His line analogy is important in linking the visible and intelligible realms as well as metaphysics and epistemology. The lowest part of the visible realm includes images and pictures and is linked with imagination. The next part includes the material objects themselves and compares to belief. Entering the intelligible realm, there are numbers and shapes, associated with thought. Finally, the highest area involves forms and is linked, accordingly, with knowledge and understanding. In the throne of the highest area sits the form of the good, which is key to understanding everything else. Plato believed that virtuous people would do virtuous things. Initially, this seems to make perfect sense; a just person will do just things and an unjust person will do unjust things. Plato believed people are motivated by desire when making decisions, whether we choose the morally right or wrong option. He does not take into account, however, that a virtuous person might have to perform some immoral acts in order to produce a virtuous end. If a good man kills a murderer because he is a murderer, this is clearly an immoral act, but his intention is good and it is virtuous that he saved future victims of the murderer. The action is important in developing virtue as seen by others, but it does not necessarily improve one’s virtue because only the individual knows if he or she is actually being virtuous or not. Therefore, I believe Plato’s account of virtue is ultimately inadequate. Regarding Plato’s view on forms and the Allegory of the Cave, is it every individual’s purpose to find the good? Certainly everyone would desire to understand the form of the good, but Plato seems to reserve this for philosopher-kings, the wisest people destined to rule over others. This is a major problem in Plato’s philosophy, as he said everyone desires the good, but since only a few seem to have the intellectual capability to reach it, only these few should pursue it in a just city-state. It is, therefore, the job of these philosopher-kings to teach about the good, but as shown in the Allegory of the Cave, people who are not enlightened have a very difficult time understanding it and may reject it altogether. Since Plato believed that understanding the form of the good leads to happiness, he must have believed that only those with the intellectual capability to understand it are truly able to be happy. I think this is a major hole in Plato’s view of happiness, because people can definitely be happy without this knowledge of the good. Plato’s philosophy outlines a very ordered society and soul. His strong belief that everything in nature has a purpose appears in all his philosophy. His account of the soul is relatively complex due to his tripartite view, and his view of forms is also complex and unlikely, as Aristotle and other philosophers later rejected it. As shown in the previous paragraphs, his accounts of virtue and happiness are also insufficient. Despite this, Plato was an incredibly influential and important philosopher, and he is still effective in describing the individual and natural purpose through his philosophic beliefs.

Business Studies †Marketing Mix Essay

All businesses offer some form of service as part of the product that they supply to customers. This is true of businesses supplying manufactured goods, as well as those that only supply services. By meeting (or exceeding) customers’ expectations, businesses can improve their image and establish a reputation for supplying products with high -quality characteristics. The features of quality service include: * Making sure the customer is safe – This is crucial for a high profile business like IKEA otherwise the media will be straight on to them issuing bad press against them, potentially giving IKEA a bad name, furthermore the customer may wish to take legal action if he/she feels mistreated by IKEA. Again causing problems for IKEA. * Delivering good customer service – Decisive for IKEA to maintain the good name they have, customers in this day and age will not accept poor service, otherwise it’s likely they will look elsewhere. * Improving the quality of the product – Its important IKEA continue improving the quality of there products otherwise customers will begin to lose interest in the company due to its lack of creation and continued progress; customers want to see new/improved products on each visit they make to IKEA. * Making sure the customer is not kept waiting – If IKEA let customers wait for there service, its likely they will simply leave the store and go else where, so its important there staff are motivated and wanting to give IKEA a good name. * Demonstrating good after sales care – Once the sale is done its easy to take the money and that’s it, but with IKEA if a problem arises they will want to help the customer in any way possible. It’s vital for them to retain customers and not lose them to a competitor, and clearly IKEA are doing a good job at this as there profits continue to increase meaning the customers are happy with how they are treated both before and after sales. To see how business offer service in practice, let’s look at some real examples. IKEA sells their products ready to be fitted, meaning the products they sell have to match customer’s precise requirements and also come with good instructions to help them build it at home. Otherwise people will see it as a hassle, meaning they re less likely to purchase from IKEA again. IKEA has bought it self a good name due to fact they offer good after sale services so if needed to contact a member of staff its possible, they give you a good instructional manual, if that’s not enough you can phone them, email them or even talk 1 to 1 with a member of staff on their website via their web chat facility. It is this combination of products together with a range of services that is important in shaping and determining Ikea’s reputation, the distinct characteristics of its products and the company’s competitiveness. IKEA’s website is also a key part in generating sales for there products, its important they describe the product clearly, and give the customer as much information about the product as possible, its less likely that someone will make a visit to IKEA for a product they aren’t given much information about on their website. The above picture is the basic layout for all IKEA products on there website, it has a clear picture of the product, price, special features, measurements, whether it requires assembly, care instructions, material made out of. It also gives the customer the option to see whether they have that product in stock at your local IKEA store, which from personal experience is very useful and practical. IKEA do give a lot of information which reassures the customer that this is the product they want, giving them a buzz and actually wanting to get down to IKEA as soon as possible to purchase the product. B) Price is the amount charged by a business for its products. The factors determining the price of a product can be summarised as the three Cs: Cost, Competition and Customer value. * The cost of producing the product: If a business is to make a profit, then it clearly needs to charge a price that covers the cost of making and selling the product. * The price charged by competitors: A business might want to charge a price at or below that of its competitors. However, if the product is sufficiently unique and superior, then the business might feel it is acceptable to charge a price above that of its competitors. IKEA excels here, in the sense that it offers prices cheaper then its competitors, putting them ahead of the game. * The price customers are willing to pay: This is determined by the value of the product to the target market. If consumers in the target market believe that they can gain significant benefits from the product, then they will be willing to pay a high price. However, if the product provides few benefits, consumers will only be prepared to pay a low price, for example, the price someone is willing to pay for a house will depend on its location, the number of rooms and other factors such as the size of the garden. A business will consider all these factors before deciding on a price for each of its products. In certain situations, it may be appropriate to set a relatively high price. For example, Ikea may set a premium price on a high quality piece of furniture that is widely recognised as being superior to other similar products made by competitors. In other situations a business may opt to set relatively low prices. For example, a new company operating in a very competitive market may set low prices relative to its competitors in an attempt to win business and build a customer base. IKEA are renowned for their cheap prices and high quality products. This has helped them build a huge reputation, and ultimately there cheap prices are a unique selling point, when people think, where can I get good, yet cheap furniture from? Instantly in most cases they think IKEA. IKEA is renowned for being value for money. c) Promotion is a series of marketing activated designed to make consumers aware of products. The ultimate aim, of course, is to persuade them to buy those products. Promotion is an important part of the marketing mix, and business can use a variety of different types of promotion. One of the methods is advertising, advertising is a means by which businesses pay for communication with actual and potential customers through newspapers, television, radio, the internet and other media. It can be expensive, but advertising is often highly successful in influencing consumers’ purchasing decisions. Advertising can be informative, by setting out to increase consumer awareness of a product. This type of advertising is based on facts rather then images. On the other hand, persuasive advertising attempts to convince consumers to purchase a certain product. Persuasive advertising aims to persuade that the advertised product is better than the competition. Sales promotion is any activity that provides a financial incentive to purchase a product. For instance Ikea may hand out free samples of food in their newly built restaurant or perhaps have demonstrations of how to put together some of their products to show customers that’s its easy, and can be done by anyone. IKEA advertising in the UK is intended to raise awareness of the IKEA brand and drive traffic to the stores. Some people love IKEA’s unique style of retail advertising, some hate it, but everyone who sees there advertising has a strong opinion and subsequently it provokes conversation and debate. Despite having some of the most controversial television advertising campaigns in the UK this includes criticising the taste of the British public, invisible furniture, an exaggerated homosexual man advertising for IKEA. IKEA have raised awareness of there brand, let people know they are different to other home furnishing companies and most importantly increased sales. The advertising department includes all aspects of advertising and brand communication from television advertising and sponsorship to magazine and radio promotions. Advertising is used to support many different areas of the business including brand awareness, store themes, catalogue drops and store openings. The term merchandising covers a range of tactics used by businesses at the point of sale (the location at which the products are actually purchased) to achieve higher sales figures. For example, a business might offer retailers special display stands or point-of-sale adverts to encourage them to place the business’s products in a more favourable and prominent position withen stores. Merchandising can be important when: * Consumers make decisions at the point of sale. – This includes a lot of information about the product, making it bright, clear and attractive. * Competitors make extensive use of merchandising. * A variety of rival products are on display in stores. * Rival products have only minor differences. Businesses seek good publicity, and public relations (PR) is designed to improve businesses standings in the eyes of consumers and other interested groups,. Larger organisations have their own PR staff. Ikea engage in a variety of PR activity including: * Making donations to charities – IKEA support unicef to help young children in less fortunate countries around the world. * Sponsoring sporting and cultural activates, and IKEA support the local community by donating products to schools which don’t sell in stores, this is very popular in the community, and keeps the public happy, which creates good press for IKEA. * Allowing the public to visit the business – Makes the customer feel more welcome, and at home with IKEA if they feel involved by learning more about the company. Public relations can be a very expensive form of promotion, and it can be difficult for businesses to assess the effect of public relations on sales. Catalogues are a huge part of advertisement for IKEA, it’s relatively cheap when compared to TV adverts, and its fairly easy to get to the customer, IKEA print 131 million copies of there catalogue making it the most widely distributed commercial publication in the world. Having picked up a couple of the latest IKEA catalogues and handbooks, it’s clear that IKEA thrive on simplicity. The IKEA text is the same font on all brochures, with the traditional blue and yellow logo on the bottom hand side of the page this creates continuity which means people recognise it straight away when they see it again, the traditional yellow and blue logo is based on the colours of there home country Sweden. The background images are warm, cosy, family pictures, one containing a large sofa with numerous pillows, the other an aqua blue kitchen. This gets the message across to the reader that there is a large range of products available, furthermore on the front cover they get the message about there prices, â€Å"Pay less, enjoy more† and â€Å"your 100 page guide to making an affordable, inspired choice†. This encourages the public to go through the IKEA catalogue. Furthermore the catalogue brings the IKEA store into your home, it’s the best way to prepare for a visit to IKEA. d)Place is another term for distribution. It covers the range of activities necessary to ensure that goods and services are available to customers. Deciding on the right place involves a range of decisions. A business needs to consider the most cost-effective way of getting its products and service to the customers. It needs to look at the implications for its profit margins of each means of distribution. The growth in use of the internet has encouraged even small businesses to use websites to sell their products to what can be a global market. This can be highly cost effective means of reaching a wide target audience, but is not suitable for all business and all products. Businesses seek to design marketing mixes that are complementary and work together to benefit the business and to maximise sales. For example, Ikea promotes itself to its target audience on the basis that it offers the lowest possible prices. Place is important to Ikea, and the company locates stores in areas where it costs less to set up, eg on the outskirts of major cities. Which targets both high income earners and low. IKEA’s transport methods are highly effective, large volumes in combination with flat packages are important in helping IKEA to transport products economically from the supplier via the stores to the customers. Flat packs mean that IKEA do not have to pay for transporting or storing unnecessary air – and that not only means lower warehousing and distribution costs, but also less impact on the environment. At present 20 % of all IKEA goods are transported by rail. 6) It makes sense for Ikea to target a wide range of customers. This is referred to as mass marketing. But there’s the other side of it where in some situations they will target small sections of the market. Taken to the limit, this might involve catering for a small select group of customers – a target market that has very specific needs. I.E children’s section. In mass marketing, Ikea would aim their products at most of the available market and normally try to sell a range of similar products to all customers. Mass marketing is possible if the products are popular and purchased by many different types of people. For example Ikea’s furniture products are well suited to being sold in mass markets. Businesses must be able to produce on a large scale if they are to sell successfully in a mass market. A company may have to invest heavily in resources such as buildings, machinery and vehicles. Usually, firm’s also have to be very price competitive to flourish in mass markets. By contrast, niche marketing involves companies identifying and meeting the needs of relatively small areas of the market. The aim is to cater for the needs of customers that have not been met sufficiently by other business, and niche marketing is one way in which small businesses can operate profitably in markets that are dominated by large firms. An example would be Ikea and their play pen for younger children. Market research helps businesses to identify whether they should adopt a mass or niche marketing strategy. In general, this would depend on: * Whether the needs of customers within all parts of the market are being met. * The extent to which a business can provide specialist products capable of meeting the needs of select groups of customers. – This gives IKEA good idea whether there is a need for a unique product on the market, or a product aimed at a special selection of customers, doing this research could potentially uncover new opportunities for them. * The degree to which competitors are currently meeting the needs of all customers within the market. 7) Market research is the systematic collection and analysis of data to enable a business to take better quality marketing decisions. In simple terms, market research allows businesses to find out what customers want. There are a number of reasons why businesses invest in market research. To determine whether IKEA should focus on mass marketing or niche marketing, they can use market research. Most products are only likely to be mainly purchased by particular groups of customers: the market of young working-class males, for example, is very different to that of middle aged wealthy couples. Market research can assist a firm in identifying which parts of the market are most likely to buy its products. It is vital for a business to know who its customers are. This allows the business to: * Design products to best meet the needs of these customers This makes it more efficient at what it does as it specifically meets the needs of IKEA’s customers, meaning its something which grabs there attention, or they can relate to and want to purchase. * Target advertising, promotions and special offers at these groups People like a bargain, once they see a discount on a product they are looking for they are likely to purchase it from IKEA. * Conduct further in-depth research with specific groups of customers to uncover their needs as fully as possible. 5) Businesses need to know what’s happening in the market. To be able to plan its product and marketing effectively, a business like Ikea needs to address three important questions. What is the size of the market? A way of measuring the size of the market is to consider the volume of sales made by all businesses selling furniture. What is the structure of the market? This means discovering the number and size of businesses that make up a market. Are there, for example a few large firms, or many small firms? Or a mixture of large and small firms? If a business is in competition with large firms, it may decide to avoid competing on price terms as larger firms may be able to produce their products more cheaply. Is the market growing or shrinking? Market research can reveal what is happening to sales in market over a period of time. A business may feel more confident about entering a market which is growing, as it should be easier to win sales when some customers are not yet loyal to particular brands or manufactures. The market for DIY furniture has kept growing recently mainly due to Ikea’s success. If IKEA are planning on releasing a new product, its likely they will do research into other products in a similar field to see whether the market for them specific products are increasing or decreasing. This will give them a good idea whether it is worth a full-scale launch of the product they have in mind. 9) Total Quality Control is the most necessary inspection control of all in cases where, despite statistical quality control techniques or quality improvements implemented, sales decrease.The major problem which leads to a decrease in sales was that the specifications did not include the most important factor, â€Å"What the customer required†. To maintain their quality and standards is vital to IKEA, the quality and reliability and workmanship of their products is crucial to there brand. Both to keep their customers and to be legally correct. * Marketing had to carry out their work properly and define the customer’s specifications. * Management had to confirm all operators are equal to the work imposed on them and holidays, celebrations and disputes did not affect any of the quality levels. * Inspections and tests were carried out, and all components and materials, bought in or otherwise, conformed to the specifications, and the measuring equipment was accurate, this is the responsibility of the QA/QC department. * Any complaints received from the customers were timorously and satisfactorily dealt with. This will help keep IKEA a favourites with the customers. To conclude, the above forms the basis from which the philosophy of Quality Assurance has evolved, and the achievement of quality or the â€Å"fitness-for-purpose† is â€Å"Quality Awareness† throughout the company. IKEA hire highly trained quality control workmen, to check that the products in the warehouse are looked after sensiblely and that they are delivered to the customer effeciantly. Quality control is to check that there product meets customer demands and possibly look for ways to improve it. Its important for a business like IKEA to have regulary quality control checks to make sure that the products they sell are always up to standards, making sure the high IKEA standards don’t drop without them being aware. To make sure of this IKEA have a test lab in Almhult which tests both textiles and furniture, around 50,000 tests are carried out in accordance with current standards each year. For several years in succession the IKEA Test Lab has been accredited for it quality system and test methods in accordance with the international standards. All these tests have been developed to correspond to many years of regular use in a domestic enviroment in the areas for which the product is intended. IKEA not only test products during development, but also selects random samples from among the products on sale in the stores. As IKEA say â€Å"It is our customers that we want to come back – not our products† This makes sure that IKEA’s customers get there full value for money and a long lasting product.