Investigate a given organisation to analyse its current position, Essay

Investigate a given organisation to analyse its current position, evaluate the strategic options available, and recommend the strategic route - Essay Example Besides the technology advancement, competition is rapidly increasing in almost every industry, and this could send some businesses into oblivion. In line with that, this paper seeks to analyse the current position, evaluate the strategic options and recommend the most appropriate strategic route for the Dyson Company. Founded in 1993 by James Dyson, Dyson Company is a UK-based firm, which specialises in the designing and subsequent manufacturing of heaters, bladeless fans, dryers and vacuum cleaners. Though based in the UK, the company extends it services to 80 other countries around the globe, and as of December 2013 the firm’s profit stood at a staggering  £800,000,000. It currently provides employment to over 5,000 people around the world 1.Innovation has been the key driver of this company as evidenced by the creation of Ballbarrow, an alternative wheel for wheelbarrows that James Dyson invented after finding it hard to use the then ordinary wheelbarrow. A business current position is judged through its various parameters including its values, unique selling point (USP) and market share. A business has to remain distinct among other competitors in order to remain not just afloat, but also ensure it achieves its goals. By offering a unique product, a firm sets itself above others; with values that correspond to the needs of people a firm attracts a list of clientele 2. Identifying the market where a firm belongs helps it in focusing on the same to ensure the clients are served properly. In the case of Dyson, the current position is that it is well positioned despite the presence of other players in the market. The above assertions are informed by the recent statistics, which show the firm’s growth increasing each year. For instance, in 2011 the firm’s profits increased by 8% followed by 30% in 2012 and there has no announcement of loss in the last two years either 1. Besides the profits increasing annually, the firm’s market share

Globalisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Globalisation - Essay Example Globalization is the process of moving towards a single-world society which has led to an increase in the economic activity in the world. For the purpose of this paper globalization would mean economic globalization which has been defined as the integration of national economies into the international economy through trade, foreign direct investment (FDI), through the flow of workers and flows of technology Bhagwati, 2004). Debates ensue but the benefits of globalization are established; however while globalization has many benefits it also has many negative effects as reflected in the poor standard of living in some nations. Globalization has also been viewed as the dominance of western economic and cultural interests over the rest of the world, as the perpetuation of inequality between the rich and the poor countries and region (Brinkman and Brinkman, 2002). This is because corporate power by the MNCs has been utilized for maximizing profits without social responsibility. Frankel ( 2006) agrees that globalization has intensified competition thereby reducing costs and enhancing quality; it has led to liberalization, deregulation and privatization and opened up capital markets. Frankel emphasizes that at the same time, globalization has undermined the economic prospects for millions around the world. The gap between the poor and the rich has increased as the benefits and costs of globalization are unevenly distributed across the world. Bhagwati believes that charges of hypocrisy, unfair trade practices and double standards against the rich nations are baseless and instigated by NGOs such as OXFAM. Such charges instigate protectionism by the developing countries which can only hurt their own prosperity. Bhagwati fails to recognize that nations that have opened up their economy and have not been protectionists may have registered high growth rates but this does not necessarily translate into poverty reduction, as stated by Akoum(2008). Growth and poverty reduction are the ultimate goals of efforts geared towards development but policies that concentrate on growth may only be looking at a part of the development problem. For instance, Latin America can be cited as a model of trade openness but in terms of standards of living, the results are abysmal. This conforms to the standard economic model, as pointed out by Singer (2004, p92) which suggests that no one’s economic welfare can be improved without reducing the welfare of at least one another person. Unconstrained globalization can no doubt lead to economic efficiencies but the ruling elite have to ensure overall welfare. At the same time due to cost efficiencies, when world production shifts to countries that do the poorest jobs, efficiency is adversely affected. This occurred when the US shifted jobs to Mexico as a result of free trade; this resulted in increase in salaries in Mexico but adversely affected incomes in the United States (Singer, 2004, p78). The drivers of globalizati on include efforts to reduce transportation and communication costs by the private sector and efforts towards reduction of trade and policy barriers by the public sector (Frankel, 2006). Finding a strong connection between poverty and globalization, Singer (2004) asserts that technological upgradation has taken place in developing nations but

Effects of Climate Change on the Middle East

Effects of Climate Change on the Middle East The Effects of Climate Change on the Middle East The Middle East is going to experience a very tough patch in the coming years, with Climate Change threatening basic life, political tensions dividing countries and the economy relying on depleting oil reserves. Of course this is not true for the whole region but mealy a vague overview and this is what this essay aims to look at in more depth. Global climate change is predicted to have many effects across the face of the earth, some of which can be seen right now. The Middle East is one of the most water scarce places on Earth. A person living in this region only has access to â€Å"1,200 cubic meters of water per year, compared with the average of about 7,000 cubic meters worldwide†. As temperatures rise due to anthropogenic climate change, evaporation rates will also rise, leading to reduced output from any surface water storages (reservoirs and rivers). The first effect will be water shortages hitting agriculture as there will be lack of water to feed crops, then ordinary lower class civilians with basic jobs will also feel the impact of water shortages. The result would cause crop failure and lead to starvation as basic local food becomes scarce (Saudi Arabia is nearly self sufficient in wheat but without water crops will be lost). Food prices will rocket as they have to import more to meet the demand. This has already been seen as two recent droughts in Iraq 1999/00 and 2000/01 caused non-irrigated wheat production to decrease by 90%. Exports of agricultural products will cease and over sea revenue will dwindle excluding the oil industry. This will lead to increased poverty across the region. Lack of available jobs and poverty mixed together with food and water scarcity may push people to extreme political groups as those in Iraq and Afghanistan, thus making stable regions ticking time bombs. The lack of available drinking water would embark on people finding other sources which could distort their health increasing cholera and other water born diseases, as countries in the Middle East do not have well developed sewerage systems outside of main cities and that people relieve themselves where ever possible⠁ ´. This pressure puts immense strain on services such as the health service, but also on the government as citizens will be demanding action, raising political tensions. The government could respond by importing more water at a financial cost but also an environmental one. By importing water you require transport. Pipe lines are expensive and time consuming to build, so short term solutions will include the transportation of water by either lorry or ship, into the country either from Asia or Europe. This method releases even more COâ‚‚ and acts as a positive feedback towards climate change, so is not a suitable method as it leads to even greater water scarcity. Aquifer sources are already under serious depletion in this region⠁ ¸ and as the demand increases it will require more to be abstracted, which means improvements in technology will be made so that more water can be pumped to the surface at a faster rate. However it will have devastating consequences such as subsidence or saline water intrusion which will be just as serious. Subsidence is already occurring in western Saudi Arabia due to over abstraction of groundwaterand that the majority of the water supplies are retrieved from non-renewable water with only a small percentage coming from internally renewable sources. The West Bank and Gaza are in a much more comfortable situation compared to Saudi as they have much more internally renewable water but that does not exempt them from a water crisis. Of Gazas available sources of water, only 5-10% is potable due to contamination. The diagram above shows that the Middle East (especially Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Syria) has a very high stress for water availability. Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in desalination plants with money from the oil industry but is still struggling to cope with demand. The country is now abstracting from â€Å"underground supplies in its east province reducing the agriculture and water availability of Qatar and Bahrain†Ã¢  ¸ and the annual recharge rate is a mere 0-5mm⠁ µ. This climate in Saudi Arabia is predominantly arid and semi arid but temperature extremes can be found at the Najd high Plateau with very hot summers and bitter cold winters. The coastal region experiences a slightly less harsh climate due to the Red Sea. The mean annual rainfall for this region is very worrying already (see diagram below) without the predicted impacts of climate change. The diagram also highlights that large areas are unable to cultivate crops without heavy irrigation which leads back to the political tensions arising over abstraction of underground water supplies and reduced output of crops. As you can see Turkey and the North West of Iran have much wetter climates but this could all change. Precipitation is expected to shift in the negative direction around the Middle East as shown in diagram from the IPCC Technical Paper leading to a decline in soil moisture content which increases daytime temperatures⠁ ´. Countries on the northern side, for example Turkey, are expected to bit hit hard due to their reliance on rivers and surface water storages. Turkeys average annual rainfall fluctuates depending on the area. Coastal regions experience 668mm per year, but central regions can get as low as 382mm per year. Large drops in annual rainfall could cause serious droughts as rivers and surface storages dry up leading to consequences highlighted earlier in this essay. Precipitation extremes will become more frequent due to climate change in this area, which would vastly increase the chances of flooding around the Jordan River as well as leading to serious soil erosion by rain splash. The sheer volume of precipitation will cause channels Climate Change and Water and gullies to form, washing the soil and sediments into water bodies. In turn it could reduce potable water even more so due to contamination as synthetic fertilisers and nutrients are washed out of soilsas well as having the effect of increasing turbidity. Predicted increases of runoff in the northern region of the Middle East will not help matters. Eutrophication is a major consequence leading to a decline in aquatic life as the excess nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorous) enter a water body and cause an algae bloom. This blocks sunlight from reaching bottom dwelling photosynthesising organisms which results in them dying. Zooplankton which feed on algae also live and hide amongst the lower photosynthesising organisms so their population will decline rapidly promoting algae growth to increase further (predator prey relationship). The algae have a high turnover rate (high growth and high death rates) and the dead algae are decomposed by respiring organisms which uses the oxygen up. This has been noted in the Keban Dam in eastern Anatolia. Pollutants like those leaked from the oil industry would have detrimental effects on the surrounding plant and wildlife with increased runoff, ultimately leading to decreasing biodiversity and the loss of environmentally sensitive areas along the Red Sea coast line. Coastal regions are also becoming under immense stress and are extremely vulnerable to increases in sea level. The table taken from The Impact of Sea Level indicates the overall effects of increases in 1m sea level changes across the Middle East and North Africa. A 1m increase would cause 24,000 sq km to be impacted which is a huge amount but the only country to be largely affected by this is Qatar. Around 13% is predicted to be impacted with a 5m increase ²Ã‚ ². This will cause mass displacement of people, forcing migration of people living close to the coast. Their quality of life will be directly affected as would the standard of living unless governments intervened and relocated them in permanent locations. If not, refugee camps will be a large regional problem. A Comparative Analysis 5% of UAEs population will experience the consequences of a 1m rise but 10-15% will be exposed to further increases. Qatars GDP will suffer greatly (10%) leading to further money deficit problems, and unable to counter the consequences of climate change and increased sea level ²Ã‚ ². The country will fall to outside help but whether it receives it is another matter. The population and economy are not the only victims of climate change. Precious wetlands will be lost in the Middle East around coastal countries like Qatar, Kuwait and UAE. With a 1m rise in sea level over 20% of Qatars wetlands will be affected which is alarming as they are essential for bird and invertebrate diversity. Populations are very small and are very vulnerable to slight changes. The red sea is home to a large variety of coral reefs. The increasing concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is not only causing increasing temperatures and sea levels, but also the sea to become more acidic. These three effects are having direct impacts of precious coral reefs around the world. Coral structures are being weakened by carbonic acids reacting with their skeletons due to the acidification of the sea, making them more prone to damage. What is more alarming is corals chose a habitat with a very limited tidal range. With increasing sea levels There will be catastrophic social and economic consequences due to anthropogenic climate change. The social classes are already distorted in the third world oil exporting countries. The poor do not benefit from the oil revenues directly and it often has the effect of bringing about authoritarian and repressive regimes. Saudi Arabia owns 20% of the worlds oil reserves and is also the main producer of crude oil, with an estimated production of 10.72 million barrels a day. This is a huge over sea revenue generator and without it Middle Eastern countries like Saudi, Kuwait and United Arab Emirates would find it very difficult to develop as huge investments in infrastructure are needed. With increasing worry about serious climate change, many things are bound to happen in the near future. The first prediction is that MEDCs stop buying oil completely due to worldwide cooperation against climate change (which is extremely unlikely as no main alternative for the transport sector has been fully developed and applied on a large scale⠁ ´ let alone countries committing to such ‘risky deals). Alternatively large COâ‚‚ cuts may be sanctioned and oil will fall to this. The UK has agreed to 80% emission cuts by 2050. The hypothetical reason behind this is that as climate change becomes more rooted in politics, more action will be taken. Eventually oil will run out anyway and some governments in the coming century may take the first leap for their countries and find ways to live entirely on renewable resources. This would be devastating for Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates as oil exports are their biggest revenue generator. Saudi Arabias eco nomy revolves around oil, â€Å"the petroleum sector accounts for roughly 80% of budget revenues, 45% of GDP, and 90% of export earnings. About 40% of GDP comes from the private sector. Roughly 6.4 million foreign workers play an important role in the Saudi economy, particularly in the oil and service sectors†, the countries with their biggest reliance on oil in their economy is highlighted in the diagram above, and out of the top five, four of them are situated in the Middle East with nearly 97% related to oil. If countries stop buying this oil, then the demand will dramatically drop leading to a vast decrease in the price of a barrel of oil (simple supply and demand economics), a decrease in $1 per barrel would lose $3.4billion in revenue. This will lead to decreased public spending on projects like motorways, airports and hospitals, but the whole crude oil industry could be vulnerable to total collapse if a worldwide embargo was set to stop the use of crude oil. Saudi citi zens benefit from not paying taxes due to the shear flow of capital from the oil industry but without it, life will become much harder. It would have direct effects on employment; although oil exporting countries are trying to diversify their economy before it is too late, showing that there is a concern over the coming future. As the public spending dwindles, development will start to cease. The infrastructure will not improve as large amounts of revenue needed cannot be found and unemployment rates will sky rocket, even though unemployment rates are the highest in the world already at 13.2%. Standard of life will drop significantly as well as quality of living. This is where the most social consequences will be seen as education will be in jeopardy as will health and well being. If schools cannot be built then children are denied of learning which vastly decreases the chances of a higher skilled job and lowers literacy rates. As road building slows down, trade will be limited as i t requires vast networks which are not fully installed in the more rural areas. In result foreign investors will be put off, and agricultural trade will be limited to local markets⠁ ´. Tourism will be greatly affected by the changing climate, political tensions and rising concerns over food and water security. â€Å"The Middle East totalled 46 million international tourist arrivals and continues to be one of the tourism success stories of the decade so far, despite ongoing tensions and threats† in 2007. This is leading to a vast increase in pressure but is also fuelling the diversification of the economy. Hotels are struggling to cope with numbersand the indication of extreme events does not seem to be slowing the average annual growth of 9.3% ³Ã¢  ´. The tourism industry will be ruined by any such event mentioned previously due to the reputation of the area; but does deeply depend on how the governments handle the situations. If the countries in this region act now by carefully managing scare non-renewable water supplies as well as energy usage and keeping cooperation between countries going they stand a good chance of adapting to the effects of anthropo genic climate change. Investing in the local economy would benefit the region as a whole, by providing more jobs and help areas to develop which would otherwise be left on their own to cope with the changes. In conclusion it is clear that climate change will have enormous effects on this region of the world, ranging from the social distortion from dwindling unemployment rates to the increase in precipitation extremes leading to soil desertification. 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AL-HARTHI,http://www.springerlink.com/content/k24237u861k4rwh2/fulltext.pdf Date accessed 14-01-2010 Gazas Water Supply Near Collapse, Mel Frykberg, http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/09/17-7 Date accessed 14-01-2010 Aquifers in the Middle East Region, Shaminder Puri Ralf Klingbeil http://www.geopotenzial-nordsee.de/nn_459046/EN/Themen/TZ/TechnZusammenarb/Politikberatung__GW/Downloads/pbgw__puri,templateId=raw,property=publicationFile.pdf/pbgw_puri.pdf Date accessed 14-01-2010 Climate of SaudiArabia, December 1992, http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/aneplacesgeography/qt/ClimSaudiArabia.htm Date accessed 14-01-2010 http://maps.linefeed.org/regional/middle_east/middle_east_rainfall_1973.jpg Date accessed 27-12-2009 BBC, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3754520.stm#top Date accessed 14-01-2010 Turkeys Climate Regions, http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com/WhenToGo/ClimaticRegions.html Date accessed 14-01-2010 Changes in Temperature and Precipitation Extremes in the IPCC Ensemble of Global Coupled Model Simulations, VIATCHESLAV V. KHARIN, FRANCIS W. ZWIERS, XUEBIN ZHANG, GABRIELE C. HEGERL, http://ams.allenpress.com/archive/1520-0442/20/8/pdf/i1520-0442-20-8-1419.pdf Date accessed 14-01-2010 Effect of extreme rainfall events on the water resources of the Jordan River, Rana Samuels, Alon Rimmer, Pinhas Alpert, July 2009, http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=MImg_imagekey=B6V6C-4WNRK7S-1-R_cdi=5811_user=486651_orig=search_coverDate=09%2F15%2F2009_sk=996249996view=cwchp=dGLbVtb-zSkzVmd5=def4e3d16a3559b93c6763ed0353c362ie=/sdarticle.pdf Date accessed 18-01-2010 Technical Paper :Climate Change and Water, http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/presentations/briefing-bonn-2008-06/observed-projected-changes%20.pdf Date accessed 14-01-2010 Indices of precipitation extremes in Southern Portugal a geostatistical approach, R. Durao, M. J.Pereira1, A. C.Costa, J. M.Cˆorte-Real, and A. 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Yurteri, August 1996, http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=MImg_imagekey=B6VBS-3SWJMJ2-M-3_cdi=5934_user=486651_orig=search_coverDate=04%2F15%2F1997_sk=999029998view=cwchp=dGLbVzz-zSkWbmd5=48bf35a8ccce93e5d25cbc0d67be5c64ie=/sdarticle.pdf Date accessed 17-01-2010 Oil spills effects on the environment, http://archives.chennaionline.com/science/environment/oilspills.asp, Date accessed 17-01-2010 http://www.unep.ch/regionalseas/main/persga/samb6.pdf Date accessed 21-01-2010 The Impact of Sea Level Rise on Developing Countries: A Comparative Analysis, Susmita Dasgupta, Benoit Laplante, Craig Meisner, David Wheeler and Jianping Yan, February 2007, http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/IW3P/IB/2007/02/09/000016406_20070209161430/Rendered/PDF/wps4136.pdf Date accessed 18-01-2010 QATAR, INTRODUCTION, Abdul Aziz Al-Midfa and Robert Nation, http://www.wetlands.org/RSIS/WKBASE/MiddleEastDir/QATAR.htm Date accessed 17-01-2010 Finding Corals Ideal Environment, http://serc.carleton.edu/images/eslabs/corals/coral_reef_distribution.jpg Date accessed 18-01-2010 Top World Oil Producers, Exporters, Consumers, and Importers, 2006, http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0922041.html Date accessed 16-12-2009 Central Intelligence Agency, Middle East, Saudi Arabia, November 2009, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sa.html Date accessed 13-01-2010 Economics Basics: Demand and Supply, http://www.investopedia.com/university/economics/economics3.asp Date accessed 13-01-2010 BBC ,Ben Thompson, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8144171.stm Date accessed 13-01-2010, Industrial diversification lifts off in Saudi Arabia, http://www.ameinfo.com/65654.html Date accessed 13-01-2010 Rates are Highest in the Middle East http://www.ppionline.org/ppi_ci.cfm?knlgAreaID=108subsecID=900003contentID=254026 Date accessed 21-01-2010 Vulnerability to Climate Change in the Middle East, http://www.arabenvironment.net/archive/2009/11/969153.html Date accessed 18-01-2010 UPDATE ON TOURISM STATISTICS, http://www.tourism.go.ke/ministry.nsf/doc/Facts%20%20figures%202007.pdf/$file/Facts%20%20figures%202007.pdf Date accessed 21-01-2010 iddle Eastern Tourism Analysis, 01 May 2007, http://www.tourism-review.com/top_weekly_full.php?id=305 Date accessed 21-01-2010

Of Mice and Men :: essays research papers

John Steinbeck wrote Of Mice and Men in an effort to illustrate the social limitations imposed upon the working class during the Great Depression era by creating various characters who shared one common dream, the â€Å"American Dream,† Steinbeck dramatized on one individual level, the life of the protagonist, George, the grueling struggles and sanguine dreams of an entire social class of people Poet Robert Burns once said, â€Å"The best laid plans of mice and men gang oft a-glae,† Steinbeck parallels this quote with the ill-fated dreams of iterant workers. Delving into the mind of George, Steinbeck exposes his yearning desire to be on his own and his conflicting desire to remain guardian of Lennie and follow their dream. George recognizes that without Lennie’s companionship their dreams will never suffice.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  George, one of the two protagonists of the novel, provides insight into the psyche of a member of the working class during the destitute 1930s. Like all migrant workers during this time period he has a dream, the central theme of the novel, to â€Å"live offa the fatta the lan† and have his own place. Unfortunately, this dream is unrealistic, living in an oppressive society which views him as a nonentity and confines him to the ranch and bunkhouse, a symbol Steinbeck utilizes to represent drastic limitation, he knows his dream is in vain. George’s dream is ironically barred by his relationship with Lennie, his burly companion who suffers from mental disabilities, and often wonders what it would be like without Lennie. He would be free of all obligations and able to go out with the guys, drink and spend his money. He often blames Lennie for depriving him from activities such as these. Despite his desire to be on his own, George realizes that life with out Lennie would be meaningless. George’s desire for freedom constantly conflicts with necessity of Lennie’s friendship in an otherwise bleak world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The affectionate companionship between George and Lennie is unusual among single, white migrant workers. The arrogance and selfishness of other workers on the ranch, reinforces the importance of the friendship George and Lennie uphold throughout the novel. The friendship between George and Lennie replaces desolation is experienced by many of the workers. Their friendship also allows them to sustain their dream, which remains alive through their conversation. George tells Lennie, the story of their dream so often that even a smart-minded worker like George comes to believe it.

Marketing Planning & Strategy – Nestle

BHO3435: MARKETING PLANNING & STRATEGY INTRODUCTION TO STRATEGIC MARKETING PLAN: ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS Prepared by: Sarah Aljenfawi Bashayer S. Kout Fatimah Rawan Membership of Reporting Body: – Environmental Analysis – Market & Customer Analysis – Competitive Analysis – Internal Analysis 1. Membership of Reporting Body: In response to the assessment our group has mutually agreed to investigate the strategic operations of the Boost Juice. The team is composed of four members. Each member has been allocated a specific scope to investigate further as listed below: †¢ Environmental Analysis: Market & Customer Analysis: †¢ Competitive Analysis: †¢ Internal Analysis: 2. Aim of Report: 3. Background and Context: I. Brief Description of Industry: Nestle is a multinational company based in Switzerland. Nestle operates in food industry. In 1905, Nestle was formed as a result of a merger between a Swiss and English company which was established in 18 66. Initially, Nestle started to offer condensed milk formula and milk related products to customers (Nestle, 2013). Later on, it expanded its offerings to other food related items.Gradually, Nestle grew and made significant success stories. In the First World War and also in Second World War, Nestle expanded its products to other countries. The company produces snack and health related products. The head quarter of Nestle is in Vevey. In terms of revenues, Nestle is the largest food company of the world. The objectives of Nestle are to become leader in Health and Wellness and nutrition. In addition to this, the company also aims to be trusted by other stakeholders regarding its business and financial performance.Nestle offers wide range of products and services. The portfolio of company covers all categories of food and beverages industry. The aim of Nestle is to provide healthy eating and drinking experience to customers so that they can enjoy every stage of their life. In 2010, N estle offered a Nestle Cocoa Plan which aimed at provision of 38 plantlets to farmers to help them to rejuvenate productivity of their farms. In 2011, Nestle became the first company which made a partnership with Fair Labor Association (Nestle, 2013).Through this partnership, Nestle helped to investigate child labor practices in the cocoa farms which supply raw materials in its factories. II. Brief Description of Company: The industry analysis of food and beverages suggests that there will be significant growth in future. The global food and beverages industry composes different sectors which include food production, distribution, marketing, retailing and catering. Since 2009, global food and beverages industry has surpassed the total value of $5. trillion. In the economic growth of every country, this industry is one of the significant contributors. It is expected that by 2014, global food and beverages industry will grow at the rate of 3. 5% and will achieve value of $7 trillion ( Business Vibes, 2013). In 2008, food product sector had value of $3. 2 trillion. This industry included agriculture sector products. It is expected that by the end of 2013, the value of this sector will reach to $4 trillion (Business Vibes, 2013).The beverages sector of global food and beverages industry consisted products such as soft drinks, spirits, ciders, beers and wines. This industry accounted for $1. 4 trillion in 2008. It is expected that by the end of 2013, this industry will reach at $1. 6 trillion. This generates a growth rate of 2. 6% in beverages sector (Business Vibes, 2013). The growth trends in global food and beverages industry suggest that there is great opportunity of further investment in this industry.This growth rate is also reflected in the consuming power of customers. New companies can achieve substantial share from market in this growth phase period of global food and beverages industry. On the other hand, existing firms in global food and beverages indust ry can also expand their businesses. III. Key trends affecting the industry According to Nestle’s annual report for the year 2010, it has shown that several trends have occurred and caused a major impact on the food industry in general and Nestle in particular.Whereas, the recession that has happened in the year 2009 has caused a major decline in the economic growth for almost all of the businesses and especially in Nestle, which also has led to an increase in the unemployment rate. Therefore, the company’s economic environment has continued to be ambiguous in the year 2010, and that would basically has led to an inflation period regarding the business’s raw materials, as well as currency instability in the mentioned year. (Consolidated Financial Statements, 2010)Although the world’s economic crisis presence in the year 2009, however, Nestle has experienced its strongest growth by the final quarter of that year, and that mainly gave Nestle a great opportu nity to enter the industry with their maximum power. Furthermore, with the company being motivated and be able to perform with its best has remained consistent throughout the year, even in the end of the year 2010 when almost all of the businesses were suffering and trying to recover from the world economic crisis.Thus, Nestle has entered the year 2011 with great energy and was able to put themselves together and perform with their best, As Nestle has stated: â€Å"this will help us to manage the challenges? that we face and to take full advantage of our opportunities to drive? better performance and enhance shareholder value. † (Consolidated Financial Statements, 2010). IV. Key industry success factors â€Å"Key success factors have a share in enabling a company to differentiate itself from its competitors and to offer a ‘unique selling proposition’ to customers or consumers†. Batra, Myers and Aaker 1996; Ketelhohn 1998). 4. Statement of problem to be inv estigated References Nestle, 2013. History. Available at: http://www. nestle. com/aboutus/history Assessed on 17th March, 2013 Business Vibes, 2013. Available at: http://www. businessvibes. com/blog/facts-and-figures-global-food-and-beverage-industry Assessed on 17th March, 2013 Batra, R, J G Myers and D A Aaker (1996), Advertising Management. 5th ed. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall

Psychological Impact of Socio-Political Factors Essay

A society is composed of distinct cultures which identifies itself from others. The cultures of societies are distinct and people’s lives are usually patterned from prevalent traditions, practices and beliefs within that culture. Culture could be held responsible in the upbringing of an individual. People continuously conform on the dynamic culture of the society as they adhere on the norms, practices and values. Culture is an ever-changing feature of a society and incessantly develops and redefines attributes based on lifestyles and conditions. It is influenced by various factors that create sustained tight cultures. This will further result on the variations in cultures of a global society. We attribute cultural differences in its historical and ecological context. Socio- political factors also influenced our culture. These factors influence psychological appendages of an individual. As world trade and globalization are greatly emphasized, interaction across culture is increased and cultural diversity becomes a hindrance to fully achieve its objectives. Socio-political factors are in many forms and are inherently embedded in culture. These factors play significant role in molding the identity of a particular society. Socio-political factors are founded based on our beliefs and values and our behavioral tendencies and they were accustomed in our daily lives (Schneider, 2004). Stereotyping There were so many social groups in every country and it makes that particular nation a diverse geographic area. We could easily picture a collage of the various social groups but we could fail to include the real identities and configurations of these social groups (Stangor & Schaller, 1996). We may generate a statement on the perception of the characteristics and utilized it to describe the whole group. For example, Germans are hot-tempered and African Americans are rowdy. This process of thought depicts the conventional definition of stereotypes in social psychology, in which stereotypes are regarded as the main picture portraying the totality or the representation of a particular group of individuals. Stereotyping could also exist in the minds of the persons who are being stereotyped (Stangor & Schaller, 1996). Stereotyping is a type of socio-political factor where we categorized people based on our beliefs. Perception plays a large part in the social context. Stereotyping is how we perceive people as established by a particular circumstance. In the course of time, stereotypes are considered synonymous to certain constructs that is ordained in the study of stereotypes. Stereotypes are considered as products of categorization, labels, schemas- these constructs tend to overlap each other for they were closely related (Schneider, 2004). Stereotypes is a result of our behavior towards others, it also affect our behavioral patterns toward different kinds of people. There is a substantial participation of group members in fostering stereotyping in people. Shared experiences suggested that stereotypes grew impliedly when members of a particular group perceived a certain category on the other group of individuals (Schneider, 2004). We think in-groups and out-groups as natural phenomena and we perceive them differently. Categorization of groups evolved into stereotyping. Stereotyping could render negative implications, this includes depriving opportunities to the persons being stereotyped based solely on the biased belief of the one assessing them. Stereotyping could be an individual problem and shall consider that it is not a shared knowledge, but when the perception was common in all members of the community; its effects become more noxious because it affects the whole society in the same way (Stangor & Schaller, 1996). Stereotyping, therefore, could be looked at two perspectives. It could exist in the person’s mind, as representations of a person’s beliefs and values. It could also be viewed as a piece of society’s social fabric, a part of a larger scale of commonly shared perception of social groups (Stangor & Schaller, 1996). It becomes a question if the existence of social reality is individualized or dwell as a shared understanding. The particular distinction between the two lies mainly in the assumed relevance of this common knowledge and its importance and impacts on the lives of each individual within the social group (Stangor & Schaller, 1996). Racism Stereotyping could evolve into other socio-political factors that may render detrimental effects. Racism can be widely utilized in everyday life. The concept of racism is negatively burdened, injected with political and moral descriptions. Therefore, claiming someone to be a racist is considered as inappropriate and even immoral. The definition is inclined for connoting political abuse. The definition also offers significance in the field of academics and raise political and moral argumentation (Miles & Brown, 2003). Racism is the generalized body of information, real or imaginary, pertaining to a person or group of individual that render benefits or gain on the racist and expense on the one being judged (Memmi et al. , 1999). Racism is the mistreatment of people based on their race. We all belong in a particular race, human race. This resulted from the inequality in the social structures and configurations. It is also a product of inequitable and unequal stratification of economic, political and social means (Sherover-Marcuse, 2000). Racism is defined improperly. There is no established definition for racism, if we would think philosophically, if racism is defined as morally and politically undesirable. There must be a shared understanding on why it is unacceptable. the definition could not established a concrete criteria on whether an account is racist or not. Utilizing the existing definition, we could be all racists. If the broad definition will be adhered, then it impliedly says that American people are all racists (Miles & Brown, 2003). Sometimes the description on the person being discriminated is inaccurate and they were being judged based on their color and cultural identity. Thus, it result to social empowerment of the racists and the judgments were passed into concurrent society that affects everyone (Sherover-Marcuse, 2000). Sexism Another socio-political factor that becomes a major dilemma in the society is the concept of sexism. Sexism directs us in the delving into gender studies, but it is a critical issue for it deals with a lot of aspects of gender inequality. Sexism is the inherent belief of the superiority of a particular sex over the other and therefore claims the right to be dominant in society (Curry, 1995). This will lead us in perceiving that in conventional society male is dominant over the female specie. This is evident in our history books and even in the holy scriptures of religions. Most of the messages were addressed to males. The dominance of males connotes the inferiority of females and the deprivation of prerogatives and rights enjoyed by the other sex. Many uprisings of the women sectors have been accounted in history in attempt in obtaining liberation and equality in treatment and opportunities. For example, the acquisition of suffrage is a pivotal event in women’s history and the ability to participate in major economic and political activity was celebrated by women in the society. Although there are claims that sexism no longer exists in our society. We could say that it is impliedly manifested through various of means. There were still claims in mistreatment in the workplace and females were not given equal opportunities. Mass media greatly contributes in reinforcing the concept of sexism through the portrayals of women in ads and programs depicting the traditional concept of women as inferior, weak, dependent and as home providers. There is a lack of portrayal of the emerging female specie- dynamic, strong and nurturing. Psychological Impact These socio-political factors have an undeniable psychological impact to a culturally diverse individual. Each person was raised in a society with inherent culture established that distinguished the group of individuals to other group of individuals. Every one of us is composed of layers of cultural learning ascribed or acquired that make up the totality of our individuality. These layers of cultural teachings were acquired through various influences. Every individual was shaped ethnicity, race, religion, education, profession, organization and parents. These attributes are the primary factors that affect the formation of the individuality of a person. One’s gender, peers, family and origin are also vital in redefining the one’s cultural identity (Gardenswartz & Rowe, 1998). Because we acquired our cultural teachings in different sources we are programmed differently and were reared heterogeneously. Therefore our individual differences make us culturally diverse. The socio-political factors aforementioned could be well-explained and examined under the specific branch of psychology- Evolutionary Psychology. This new branch of psychology is focused on establishing explanations on mental and psychological traits of individuals. There is a growing symbiotic and significant relationship between environmental and social psychology. Evolutionary theory is slowly infiltrate social psychology researchers. Evolutionary psychology examines new frontiers with specialty, like the socio-political factors mentioned above (Perilloux & Webster, 2008). It was argued that these factors shaped a person’s psychological mechanisms. It was stated that the concept of self do not exist but it was layers of psychological mechanisms (Perilloux & Webster, 2008). These socio-political factors discussed above are somehow interconnected with each other. Stereotyping could render significant psychological impacts in the upbringing of an individual. They may obtain wrong information about persons they stereotyped. For stereotypical roles, though shared by a lot of people could not be regarded as true. Stereotyping will reflect implicit behavioral comments like that there are roles more appropriate for men and women. This will create a general perception that some roles are only intended for a particular sex and that the other could not offer strong decisions and capabilities in participating in these certain fields (Swim et al. , 2001). This also indicates that men are better in male-dominated fields (Swim et al. , 2001). Due to the stereotypical roles and attributes being tagged to persons, they were undermined of their capabilities and capacities. It will also say that women are inferior and passive (Swim et al. , 2001), which is untrue about women nowadays. More women are participating in the fields dominated by male before and show exemplary performance in doing tasks. But the greatest implication would be an animosity for women (Swim et al. , 2001). Because of stereotyping, people will create an attitude towards the stereotyped individual.

The Landmark Intellectual Property Case Essays

The Landmark Intellectual Property Case Essays The Landmark Intellectual Property Case Essay The Landmark Intellectual Property Case Essay Essay Topic: Left To Tell This was the first major case to address the application of copyright laws to peer-to-peer file-sharing. Introduction Plaintiffs 1. Aamp;M Records, a subsidiary of Universal Music Group 2. Geffen Records, a subsidiary of Universal Music Group 3. Interscope Records, a subsidiary of Universal Music Group 4. Sony Music Entertainment 5. MCA Records, a subsidiary of Universal Music Group 6. Atlantic Records, a subsidiary of Warner Music Group 7. Island Records, a subsidiary of Universal Music Group . Motown Records, a subsidiary of Universal Music Group 9. Capitol Records, a subsidiary of EMI 10. LaFace Records, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment 11. BMG Music d/b/a The RCA Records Label, subsidiaries of Sony Music Entertainment 12. Universal Records, a subsidiary of Universal Music Group 13. Elektra Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of Warner Music Group 14. Arista Records, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment 15. Sire Records Group, a subsidiary of Warner Music Group 16. Polygram Records, a subsidiary of Universal Music Group 17.Virgin Records America, a subsidiary of EMI 18. Warner Bros. Records, a subsidiary of Warner Music Group Defendant Napster, it provided a platform for users to access and download compressed digital music files, specifically MP3s, from other users machines. Legal Issues In 2000, Aamp;M Records along with 18 other record companies sued Napster. Under the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act, Aamp;M accused Napster for contributory and vicarious copyright infringement. Rules amp; Principles Audio Home Recording Act Congress enacted the AHRA in 1992 in response to the advent of digital audio ape recording equipment and supplies entering the American market. The law imposed monetary duties on the equipment and supplies, but in exchange permitted noncommercial users to be protected from copyright infringement liability when they make copies of digital musical recordings or analog musical recordings. The court swiftly dismissed any argument that these protections could apply to the copies of MP3 files that Napster users make when they download files to their computers. The AHRA applies to the use of a digital audio recording device. Such a device may well include a computer, but the definition in the Copyright Act specifies about the device: the digital recording function of which is designed or marketed for the primary purpose of, and that is capable of, making a digital audio copied recording for private use. The court ruled that a computer and its hard drives do not have their primary purpose of making audio recordings. Moreover, the court- with no scrutiny of the statutory language- ruled that the sounds saved to a computer drive are not within the statutory definition of a digital music recording.Digital Millennium Copyright Act Congress enacted the DMCA in October 1998, and it is a lengthy and complex bill addressing numerous issues of copyright law and making many fundamental changes in the Copyright Act. One of those changes was the addition of provisions offering a safe harbor from liability for online serve providers that provide access to computer network systems on which a user may ultimately commit a copyright infringement. The DMCA holds the possibility of protecting Napster itself from liability for the infringements committed by its users.The appeals court agreed with Napster that the DMCA provisions could conceivably apply in this case. But the court outlined a series of questions that remained unresolved with respect to the parties’ compliance with the specific procedures in the code and whether Napster itself is a service provider within the meaning of the statute. The appeals court left these questions for the lower court to resolve at trial- should this case ever actually go to trial.With simple words Aamp;M accused Napster not of violating copyright itself, but of contributing to and facilitating other people’s infringement. Argument (Fair Use) The determination of whether or not an activity is within fair use depends on an application and balancing of four factors outlined in Section 107 of the Copyright Act: 1. The purpose of the use 2. The nature of the work being used 3. The amount of the work used 4. The effect of the use on the market for or value of the original work.Purpose of the Use The court found two reasons for determining that this factor does not favor fair use: the use of the music is not transformative, and the users of Napster stood to gain a commercial benefit which was found in repeated and exploitative copying the works, even if they are not offered for sale. In both instances, the analysis is weak and often flawed, but the court gave little hint that regardless of any adjustments in its approach it might be more sympathetic to the users.Nature of the Original Work The court ruled that because more creative works receive greater protection than fact-based works, and because the music al compositions and recordings are creative in nature, this second factor weighs against fair use. In light of a long series of recent court rulings reinforcing this premise, the court found little flexibility. The court held that this factor made little or no difference in the analysis, because a parody is possible of any type of work. Amount of the Work UseThe court found that Napster users engage in wholesale copying of entire works, which weighed against fair use. Effect on the Market The appeals court held that the use of Napster results in at least two forms of harm to the music industry: 1. The loss of sales of compact disks. 2. A heightened barrier to entry by the music industry into the market for electronic delivery of music. The court noted that market harm could include not merely damage to the present market, but also to future markets that the copyright owner may seek to exploit.Overall, the court gave little room for Napster to make a credible claim of fair use, havin g found rather summarily that all four of the factors weigh against fair use and in favor of infringement. Conclusion Napster still exists, but it operates under a new structure and new policy. Today Napster’s operations are both legal and ethical. To sum up with, I believe that Fanning’s idea for creating this software was innovative and highly creative.However it lacked the legal and ethical base it should have in order to successfully protect intellectual property rights of creators. Finally, I consider that Napster, as it functions today, not only protest these rights, but also promotes music itself and music industry since it gives the chance to users to listen numerous music samples which later, they can buy. At the same time they can access to older or rare songs that can’t be easily found. The important thing is that intellectual property rights of creators are respected and protected by all means, as they should.

Images of the Evangelist Matthew in the Book of Durrow and the Colbertinus Codex Faith and Devotion for the Evangelist

Images of the Evangelist Matthew in the Book of Durrow and the Colbertinus Codex Faith and Devotion for the Evangelist Introduction Although apparently quite different in sophistication and complexity as pieces of art, the Man, Symbol of St. Matthew, from the Book of Durrow and St. Matthew from the Codex Colbertinus share a common origin in intense faith. These two images of portray the same religious figure from three hundred years apart. They reveal the same devotion to the scripture and the faith that inspired them. Both use the best techniques available to them to glorify and invest with meaning and seriousness the role and person of Matthew the Evangelist.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Images of the Evangelist Matthew in the Book of Durrow and the Colbertinus Codex: Faith and Devotion for the Evangelist specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Identification of the work of art Unknown artist. The Man: the symbol for St. Matthew, from the Book of Durrow, latter half of the 7th century, CE. Ink and tempura on parchment. Description of t he work of art The 7th century image of St. Matthew in the Book of Durrow depicts a male figure with pale hair and what appears to be a beard or sideburns. He is wrapped from neck to ankles in a heavily decorated cloak. His feet appear sideways, in the manner of ancient Egyptian representations of the legs and feet, making it very clear that these are feet, and not something else. The figure of Matthew is surrounded by elaborate scrolls, evocative of vining plants but not specifically depicting any plant. They are familiar to anyone who has purchase a piece of jewelry labeled as Celtic, and similar designs appear in sculpted crosses from the same period and before and after in the British Isles. The dominant colors appear to be red, black, gold, or what passes for gold and white or off-white. The condition of this page is good, but there appear to be missing areas of color in the scrolling. A reconstruction suggests that there was a lot more green in the scrolling and in the cloak d ecoration. The overall size of the page is roughly 9 5/8 x 6 1/8, or equivalent to a modern trade book. The image is executed in ink and tempura on parchment, meaning that the surface could be sheep, calf, or goat skin. The tempura, a mixture of pigments and egg yolk, was typical of the period. One might infer that the outline was drawn in ink and then filled in with tempura colors. The Book of Durrow is now housed at Trinity College, in Dublin, Ireland. However, its source may have been elsewhere, for example in the ancient Christian center on the isle of Iona. Such texts were precious, and could have been looted or given as a gift over the centuries.Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Identification of the work of art Unknown artist. St. Matthew from the Codex Colbertinus. 11th to 12th century, CE. Tempura on vellum (calf skin). Description of the work of art The fig ure of Matthew appears under an arch supported by columns. He wears a cloak, and his feet are bare, but depicted as seen from the front. He holds up a forefinger and thumb with one hand, and a book in the other. His pose, his wide open eyes, perfectly arched eyebrows, suggestion of a top-knot, and the neck folds are reminiscent of early depictions of the Gautama Buddha. His archway, which appears to evoke Roman architecture, and is in front of what seems to be a basilica style church, stands next to the letter L. This begins the Gospel of Matthew, the first words of which are â€Å"Liberi generationis†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This phrase refers to the genealogy that the writer of this account of the life of Jesus then proceeds to list at length. The purpose of the genealogy is to connect Jesus, the son of Joseph and Mary, to the patriarchs and founders of the Jewish people. It also foreshadows the fulfillment of scripture that Matthew emphasizes so heavily in describing the events in Jesusâ⠂¬â„¢ life. The letter L contains many smaller figures, some of them fantastical, others perhaps simply ill-informed. There appear to be figures of a swan, a leopard, a dog, flowers and seed pods, a naked man, a man in parti-colored hose, raptor birds, and additional canidae. The prominent colors are red, blue, green, olive, white, gold, black, and variants of these. The condition of the page seems very good, although there may have been some fading in some spots. It is currently housed at the National Library of France. The manuscript is in Latin, but there is another manuscript in Greek, from Cyprus, that is sometimes referred to by the same name. Comparing and contrasting the two works The Colbertinus image of Matthew is a much more sophisticated piece of art but not one bit more heartfelt in its evocation of a historical person who was believed to have been a witness to the life of Jesus. While the Durrow image inevitably reminds a modern viewer of the strategies for representin g the human figure that are adopted by very young children, the careful decoration shows the evidence of a devoted hand. Thus, they both reflect a deep faith in the scripture underlying the image.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Images of the Evangelist Matthew in the Book of Durrow and the Colbertinus Codex: Faith and Devotion for the Evangelist specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The composition of the Durrow image is apparently simpler, since it presents the viewer with a single figure in a border. The Colbertinus image’s composition, on the other hand, includes a complex background that hints at buildings, as well as the elaborate fanciful decorations within the Letter L. However, the decorative curlicues surrounding the Durrow Matthew engage the eye as thoroughly as the figures twining through the Letter L. The curlicues represent a two-dimensional version of the knot-work that the Celtic peoples of this re gion had been perfecting for centuries in textiles and in stone, among other media. The knot-work may have had a specific symbolic message that is now lost. The way that the figures of Matthew fill the space is quite different. The Colbertinus Matthew dominates his little archway, standing squarely on two feet on a carefully laid pavement, confidently and clearly offering his gospel from the backdrop of a large and complex structure. He is instantly recognizable as a teacher of something, even to the non-Christian. He is rounded, and even though the drawing is very simple, there is an attempt to depict folds and shading to signal the volume of his body. The use of shading is carried out in all the other figures, but more subtly. The Durrow Matthew, on the other hand, almost floats in the space of his vining frame. There is no background, middle ground, or foreground. There is only Matthew. He is armored by his elaborately patterned cloak. His hands are not visible. Nothing that a mo dern viewer can recognize specifically identifies him as the Evangelist. Only the traditional iconography from the Book of Revelation, placing four creatures around the throne of the deity (lion, eagle, ox, face of a man) connects him to the historical and religious character of Matthew. He almost looks, to modern eyes, as though his sideways facing feet would like to carry him off somewhere. Matthew looks intensely forward, as direct in gaze as in the Colbertinus image, but inactive. The Durrow image has no shading or indication of volume. An uncharitable assessment would term it cartoonish, but there is clearly no intention to be childish or simplistic. The eyes are intense, the mouth is determined, and the pose is upright.Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The major use of light and dark is in the alternating colors in the complicated checkerboard pattern on the cloak. This gorgeously decorated cloak has the convenient of effect of signaling a special or elevated individual without requiring the artist to attempt to convey the shape of the body with the limited techniques at the artist’s command. This is a clever solution to this challenging problem. The colors in the Durrow image are more limited than those used in the Colbertinus image, perhaps reflecting the earlier artists more limited access to sophisticated pigments. However, the Durrow image uses the limited palette in varied ways, generating several different patterns of checkerboards for the cloak’s decoration. The overall contrast in color values in the Durrow image is lower. However, this may reflect deterioration of the pigments. The Colbertinus image has higher contrast, and uses a wider range of colors to depict birds, beasts, and Matthew’s clothing. There is also more sophisticated use of the background surface, which is white/off-white, to denote Matthew’s skin, the sky, and the lighter portions of the animals and flowers. There is not the variety of saturation and value within colors that one would expect in a modern painting. This is more like a kid using colors from a kit: blue is blue, green is green and red is red. There is no light blue, light green, or pink. This distinguishes the 11th century image from what we would see today. Nonetheless, overall, the Colbertinus Matthew simply appears to have more vivid impact because there are more colors. This draws the eye and accords the appropriate weight to the great Evangelist. However, there is no for lack of effort on the part of the 7th century monk who decorated the Durrow codex. The Durrow image carefully places light and dark colors next to one another to create contrast even with the very limited palette. This technique also accords gravity to the image of the Evangelist, clothed in the most decorated vestments possible. There is very little texture revealed in either image. The background and the fanciful animals and flowers in the Colbertinus image do demonstrate some texture – through hatching and suggestion of spots on the leopard and feathers on the large birds. However, the Colbertinus image of Matthew is notable for smoothness of face and skin elsewhere. The Durrow image offers even less texture, except in the decoration of the cloak. The hair is almost undifferentiated, and the face has minimal modeling. There is a suggestion of beard. The very simple nature of both images fits with the modest scale of both pieces. The artist did not choose this size – it was determined by the size of the skins for the parchment and the upper limit of weight and size for a book. The small scale makes the relative simplicity of the images tolerable. At a huge scale, these images would look to modern eyes even more cartoonish and child ish. As accompaniments to the reading of the Bible, these are eye candy, reinforcing the message of the scripture. The historical context of these two works Both the Colbertinus and Durrow images were an outgrowth of the religious atmosphere of their time. In the 7th century, the Christian religion had expanded to most of Europe. Each region had a very distinctive and fervent ‘flavor’ of Christianity, with their own decorative approach to the iconography. Thus, the Durrow image reflects Celtic knots and Matthew is as blond as any Scotsman is. The historical context of the 7th century must also include the founding of Islam. This spread swiftly throughout North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, and moved into the southern edges of Spain, Italy, Greece, and even France. Although there is no direct evidence of contact with Islam in the Durrow image, it is important to remember that from this point on, there were three great monotheistic religions in Europe, and two of them were willing to kill to defend their faith. The intense effort invested in Matthew’s image may somehow reflect this sense of embattledness. By the 11th and 12th centuries, there had been contact with the Holy Land via the Crusades to retrieve control of holy sites from Muslim control. The Middle Ages were at their height. Any deviation from the Roman Catholic faith was punishable as heresy. The Roman church was declaring itself the true heir to St. Peter, and separating itself from the Byzantine church. This confidence is reflected in image from Colbertinus. The Colbertinus image looks like a Roman wall painting, an expression of a powerful religious empire. Conclusion In both cases, religion was at the center of life, and the gospels were the central sacred texts. Both of these beautiful images convey the importance of the Evangelist, the most Jewish of the four. Each artist or team of artist has used the best materials and techniques at their disposal to impress the reader /viewer. The apparent simplicity of the Durrow image belies the artist’s effort and care taken to display through obsessive decorative detail the glory of one who lived with the one that they regarded as the Savior. The Colbertinus image lavishes all the joyous imagination of the artist on surrounding the serene and welcoming image of Matthew with the birds, beasts, and folk of the created world. Bibliography Unknown. Man, the symbol for St. Matthew: Book of Durrow. Trinity College Library, Dublin. Unknown. St. Matthew: Codex Colbertinus. The National Library of France, Paris.

Not That Big of a Deal

Not That Big of a Deal Not That Big of a Deal Not That Big of a Deal By Maeve Maddox A reader dislikes this commonly heard idiom: This is a losing battle, I’m sure. I constantly hear – and am annoyed by – people expressing reservations about something with phrases like â€Å"It’s not that big of a deal,† or â€Å"It’s not that good of a movie† etc.   As far as I know, the â€Å"of† is superfluous; you just say â€Å"not that big a deal† or â€Å"not that good a movie.†Ã‚   Adding the â€Å"of† seems unnecessary and grating to me.  I’d be interested in your thoughts on this point. The reader is correct in feeling that the â€Å"of† in â€Å"not that big of a deal† is superfluous. As one of the writers at The Grammarphobia blog points out, â€Å"An extra word can be justified if it serves an emphatic or supportive purpose, as in â€Å"first time ever†Ã‚  or â€Å"three different times.† Adding of to â€Å"not that big a deal† and â€Å"not that good a movie† serves no emphatic or supportive purpose. Nevertheless, â€Å"big of a deal† is commonly heard in spoken English and, judging by the Ngram Viewer, seems to be creeping into print. The first year the phrase â€Å"big of a deal† occurs on the Ngram Viewer is 1945. It doesn’t make much of a showing in print until the 1980s, when it shoots upward. The usage may have originated by analogy with the standard construction in which a noun is described by another noun (noun + â€Å"of a† + noun): I have a whale of a tale to tell you, Lads. San Andreas is a disaster of a movie. My girlfriend has been dating a loser of a boyfriend. The dog has made a hell of a mess in the garage. The pattern adjective + â€Å"of a† + noun is also standard- some of the time. For example, some adjectives of quantity are used in this way: One effect of this mechanism is to make it extremely difficult for third party or independent candidates ever to make much of a showing in the Electoral College. But for many researchers, having equal numbers of women and men in the scientific ranks is less of a priority than having a system that is fair and furthers science itself.   Thats more of a commitment than  many emerging market investors want to make. Youd think that  people  would  have had enough of  silly love songs. Big and good are adjectives of quality. â€Å"It wasn’t that good of a supper† is all right as dialect, but its nonstandard. The big of a deal construction may have migrated from dialect to the ranks of colloquialism, but it still has no place in written English, other than in dialogue or direct quotation. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:"Because Of" and "Due To" How to spell "in lieu of"Dozen: Singular or Plural?

Potential impact of biotechnology on modern society Essay

Potential impact of biotechnology on modern society - Essay Example yeast cells have been genetically manipulated to produce vaccine against hepatitis B virus. myeloma cells and b-cells of immunized mice were hybridized to produce hybrid cells that consisted the characteristics of both the cells which were cell division and antibody production. following are the areas where biotechnology has done best.The maximum benefits to biotechnology have been utilized by health care. Biotechnology derived proteins and polypeptides from the new class of potential drugs. for ex insulin was primarily extracted from slaughter animals. since 1982 human insulin have been produced by micro organism in fermenters.some of the important products that have been produced are interferon for cancer and viral infection, human urokinase for plasminogen activator used in vascular disorder, insulin for treatment of diabetes, human factor for clotting for hemophilia, lymph lines for auto immune functioning, serum albumin in surgery, attenuated pseudo rabies virus antigen for vacc ine against rabies, tissue plasminogen activator in treatment of heart attack. Currently there are about 35 biotechnology derived therapeutics and vaccines approved by the USFDA alone for medical use, and more than 500 drugs and vaccines to reach in market . Agriculture:-biotechnology is making new ground in the food agriculture area. current public debate about BSTC, bovine somatotropin (a hormone administered to cows to increase the milk production).is an example of biotechnology product testing public acceptance. Food biotechnology valuable and viable alternatives to food problems, and a solution to nutritionally influenced disease such as diabetes, hypertension , cancer, heart diseases, arthritis etc.a transgenic golden rice have been produced by introducing three genes for the production of vitamin A in Taipei rice. A transgenic cotton named 'Inguard' was released in Australia which contain bt genes which provided resistance against insects. molecular farming is a new concept were therapeutic drugs are produced in farm animals for example therapeutics proteins secreted in goat milk. there are about dozen of countries that produce lactoferrin., tPA, hemoglobin, melanin, and interleukins in cows, goat and pigs. however it is not surprising that vegetables producing vaccines insulin interferon's and growth hormones would be available in market in 21st century, beside, human clones and several other miracles. Human genome project (HGP):- The major landmark in human history is the human genome sequence. the HGP is an international research development. almost the whole human genome has been sequenced and chromosome map has been developed in various labs World wide. objectives of human genome project are to :-construct the detail genetic and physical map of human genome, 1. determine the complete nucleotide sequence of human DNA, 2. store information in database, 3. locate the estimated 50,000-100,000 genes within the human genome 4. address the ethical, social, legal issues (ELSI )that may arise from the project, 5.perform similar analysis on the genomes of several other organisms. Environment:-the natural biodegrability of pollutants present in environment has increased with the use of biotechnology. the bioremediation

Supreme Court Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Supreme Court - Assignment Example Relying on the letter of the amendments would therefore be retrogressive and be a threat to justice in the contemporary environment (Exploring Constitutional Conflicts, n.d.). Opinion that the constitution is an outline of regulations from which actual rules should be derived is another justification of the non-originalist perspective to interpretation of the constitution, is valid because of the diverse needs that cannot be outlined and provided for in a legal document, and validates non-originalist theory. Existence of minor variations in phenomena explains this (Schults, 2009). In addition, the legal system allows for independence in judicial decisions if facts of a case justify such independence. Applications of case laws, distinguishing precedents in particular and especially based on difference in facts to a case, explains the need for relativism in interpretation of laws. Based on this acceptable practice in the judicial system, and variation in facts on cases, it becomes a ne cessity for interpretation of the constitution to consider the changes (Antoine, 2008). Interpretation of the second amendment is actually a good example because the current environment, with security personnel, undermines needs for arms as provided for by the amendment. The position for a non-originalist perspective is therefore rational and reliant on contemporary facts. Exploring Constitutional Conflicts. (n.d.). Theories of constitutional interpretation. University of Missouri-Kansas City. Retrieved from:

Is Lakoff's analysis of the language and moral assumptions of liberals Essay

Is Lakoff's analysis of the language and moral assumptions of liberals and conservatives correct , based on what you see in this - Essay Example Boaz argues that the nation may be liberal towards giving a portion of their income but would not give the government total control of the money to use as it sees fit. Therefore, it is right to support Lakoff’s analysis of the language of liberals and conservatives on issues and ideology. â€Å"Moral Politics† by Lakoff goes out to show the language the politicians use in their different sides of thought towards the public. In this book, Lakoff analyses the unconscious and rhetorical observations of liberals and the conservatives. He asserts that there is a radical but a consistent difference between the liberals and the conservative’s origins of morality. His main agenda is to formulate a model that not only clarifies why the liberals and conservatives take the positions they do but to also join the collections of liberal and conservative political stands in public eyes. He argues that the nation is a family and liberals present a different model of the family v iew compared to the conservatives. The liberals present a nurturing parent (NP) while the conservatives take the assumption of a strict father model (SF). Together encompass decent principals nevertheless; they differ in the most important priorities making them drastically conflicting. With these morals, Lakoff agues out his models to decipher the moral construction inside the language of politics and strategy. In the article â€Å"One Bad and Eight Good Reasons to Cut Taxes† Boaz uses the patterns Lakoff analyses in his metaphorical models giving the opposite priorities in terms of tax cut at the time of Bush government. The individuals backing lofty taxes were opposed the proposition to cut taxes based on the less difference it can make on the economy. This made them hold on the high taxes the government is conducting. In Boaz’s arguments, he asserts that the people who earn money possess it and giving the government the sole control is not wise. This is a liberal a cclamation in that the family members can make a decision on the family function as opposed to the strict father who will impose strict orders in the family set up. Through the proposition of cutting taxes Lakoff’s analysis of an NP model giving the members a better angle to present their views. Lakoff affirms that people appreciate the fact that they are part of what is going on rather thinking of solutions themselves. This is a result of the fact that the society does not know what it really believes and desires to be informed of the thoughts. Boaz article is a good example of a suggestion that the government could consider. During the Bush administration, there was the strict father model and that encompasses the decisions he made without consultation like the invasion of Iraq. This provides the hypothesis that the father is the sole decision maker consequently punishing the children who wrong. Programs given to the public get scrutiny and views as things that citizens get without earning them. This makes the public assume that the government is liable for their needs making them immoral. Bush administration suggests the cut in taxes to have the people have more money in order to reduce social programs but this does not necessarily mean the stoppage of military activities. Consequently, the public is hooked to Bush ideals since they associate with the strict father model. The liberal counter to this assumption is that the

E-crime against Stilianos Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

E-crime against Stilianos - Assignment Example This study looks into electronic crime, a new phase of technological mishap that to a large extent thwarts the effort of achieving secured information system and network system running. Electronic crime or e-crime basically refers to a situation whereby crime is committed by the use of technology. In most cases, these crimes are committed by against information systems and other technologically enhanced systems. Typical examples can be given as the invasion of a person’s bank details by the use of technology or breaking into the database system of a university by the use of technology. It is in this direction that Crime Wales notes that â€Å"e-Crime generally refers to a criminal activity where a computer or computer network is the source, tool, target, or place of a crime.† Crime Wales therefore concerns a deliberate attempt to invade or harm a computer system. This is very common today because of the general growth and use of technology and technology tools. It can b e observed that modern growth in technology use has resulted in a situation whereby all major global institutions are hooked unto a network in one form or the other. Very common among these network systems are the use of the systems to create electronic commerce and protection of data from public domain. E-crime is a major form of cyber threat that has resulted in a lot of advocacy programs to combat the situation. The e-crime Bureau therefore notes that â€Å"The development of appropriate legislations and policies across corporate and government departments is an integral aspect of mitigating the cyber threat.† ... It will be noted that â€Å"Linux is a multitasking, multiuser operating system, which means that many people can run many different applications on one computer at the same time† (Grove, 1998). By this, there is a very high change of taking advantage of the multiplex nature of the accessibility core of the Linux. But indeed, the mere fact that Linux allows for multiuser system does not permit just any person to break into the system of other people. From the case study, it can be noticed that there is a particular hub that has been invaded by whoever is behind the plot. There confirmation that there was a specific target on one of the hubs is the fact that when nmap scan of the suspect system was done using the IT technician’s laptop, there were conflicting output listings as against the running of the lsof program to list the open transport layer network file descriptors on the same suspect system. Basically, Linux operates with a shell. A shell has been explained as â€Å"a program that takes the commands you type and translates them into instructions to the operating system† (Grove, 1998). In the person’s effort to invade Stilianos’ system without Stilianos’ notice, it is very much likely that the shell was the first system component to be tampered with. It is for this reason that according to the case study, two listening services on TCP ports 3457 and 32411 did not show up when viewed from within the system. b) Answers to the following questions: When and how Stilianos’ machine was initially compromised? The indication has already been given that the shell might have been tempered with as the first move to invade Stilianos’ system. As far as the shell of the Linux system

The Populations Future in the Homeless Shelter Assignment - 1

The Populations Future in the Homeless Shelter - Assignment Example This paper illustrates that experiences of the subpopulation, which identify barriers to change in the people’s lifestyle, explain Declan’s position that the group of people has a limited chance of escaping homelessness. Financial barriers are one reason because while people of the low economic class are homeless, as malnutrition among the subpopulation suggests, health complications such as communicable diseases and chronic diseases further burden members of the subpopulation and they have to spend their limited earnings on healthcare. Drug abuse, another major challenge that the subpopulation faces, also constrains the people’s financial stability and therefore limit their chances of affording shelter. Members of the subpopulation also report cases of mental illness, a condition that reduces a person’s rationale to the extent of not perceiving benefits of living in a home. Declan, therefore, knows that the population has a limited chance of escaping home lessness because of the characteristics of the population that sustain the homelessness condition. Depression disorder is the mood disorder to which Declan should pay particular attention when assessing his clients because of the relatively high significance of the disorder among the subpopulation, relative to other disorders. Maurer and Smith identify the significance of the disorder among homeless people, report an incidence rate of about 50 percent and recommend that care personnel that works with the subpopulation should occasionally assess for depression. Empirical data on mood disorders also identifies relative significance of depression disorder over other mood disorder. A study by Hodgson, Katherine, Shelton, Marianne, Bree, and Los also identifies the significance of depression as a mood disorder. While considering the prevalence of three mood disorders, the authors only identify the prevalence of depressive disorder over a week’s interval with zero percent prevalenc e rate for dysthymia and bipolar I-II disorder.

Assignment 3 High School Math Problem Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Assignment 3 High School - Math Problem Example f '(x) = -2x + 200 = 0 Hence: x = 100 c. Graph the function: Profit The given graph is parabolic. As expected, the profit is positive from x = 20 to x =180 verifying our answer in b. It can also be seen that the maximum profit can be found in x = 100. 2. The population of the country is 50 million. Two months ago, the government required its citizen to purchase an identity card. After one month, 6 million people had it and by the end of the second month, 10 million people had one. a. Model N (number of cards) as a function of t (months) using the form: N = a + b/ (t+c) Given are the following: When t = 1 then N = 6,000,000 hence: 6,000,000 = a + b/(1+c) [eq.1] t = 2 N = 10,000,000 hence: 10,000,000 = a + b/(2+c) [eq.2] and of course, when t = 0 N = 0 hence: 0 = a + b/c or a= -b/c [eq.3] Simplifying eq. 1 and inserting the value of a from eq. 3, we have: 6,000,000 = -b/c + b/(1+c) 6,000,000 = (-b -bc +bc) / [c*(1+c)] 6,000,000 = -b/[c*(1+c)] but -b/c = a 6,000,000 = a / (1+c) a = 6,000,000 + 6,000,000c [eq.4] Simplifying eq. 1 and inserting the value of a from eq. 3, we have: 10,000,000 = -b/c + b/ (2+c) 10,000,000 = (-2b -bc +bc) / [c*(2+c)] 10,000,000 = -2b/[c*(2+c)] but -b/c = a 10,000,000 = 2a / (2+c) a = 10,000,000 + 5,000,000c [eq.5] By equation 4 & 5, we can get easily get the value of a & c: a = 30,000,000 c =4 By eq. 3, a = - b/c or b = -ac. Hence: b = -120,000,000 The model equation is therefore: N = 30,000,000 + (-120,000,000)/ (t +4) b. What is the function called Graph and define its features: The function is of the type Rational function because the equations can be expressed as a ratio of two polynomial...The intersections of the revenue and cost lines represent also the value where there is no profit or loss. In addition, it can be seen that costs and average costs intersect at some point. This can be determined with the following solution: 6. Market research suggests that potential market for a product is 800,000. At year 1, the market penetration has reached 50% or 400,000. At year 2, the market penetration has reached 75% or 600,000. Using the following model below, answer the following questions:

The Populations Future in the Homeless Shelter Assignment - 1

The Populations Future in the Homeless Shelter - Assignment Example This paper illustrates that experiences of the subpopulation, which identify barriers to change in the people’s lifestyle, explain Declan’s position that the group of people has a limited chance of escaping homelessness. Financial barriers are one reason because while people of the low economic class are homeless, as malnutrition among the subpopulation suggests, health complications such as communicable diseases and chronic diseases further burden members of the subpopulation and they have to spend their limited earnings on healthcare. Drug abuse, another major challenge that the subpopulation faces, also constrains the people’s financial stability and therefore limit their chances of affording shelter. Members of the subpopulation also report cases of mental illness, a condition that reduces a person’s rationale to the extent of not perceiving benefits of living in a home. Declan, therefore, knows that the population has a limited chance of escaping home lessness because of the characteristics of the population that sustain the homelessness condition. Depression disorder is the mood disorder to which Declan should pay particular attention when assessing his clients because of the relatively high significance of the disorder among the subpopulation, relative to other disorders. Maurer and Smith identify the significance of the disorder among homeless people, report an incidence rate of about 50 percent and recommend that care personnel that works with the subpopulation should occasionally assess for depression. Empirical data on mood disorders also identifies relative significance of depression disorder over other mood disorder. A study by Hodgson, Katherine, Shelton, Marianne, Bree, and Los also identifies the significance of depression as a mood disorder. While considering the prevalence of three mood disorders, the authors only identify the prevalence of depressive disorder over a week’s interval with zero percent prevalenc e rate for dysthymia and bipolar I-II disorder.

Experiment with acetic acid chloride, ethanol Essay Example for Free

Experiment with acetic acid chloride, ethanol Essay Experiment 1: Bromination of Acetanilide1 Precautions: Ethanol is flammable Sodium hypochlorite is an oxidizing agent and releases toxic fumes (handle in fume hood) Acetic acid is corrosive, harmful if inhaled, flammable and can cause burns (handle in fume hood) Gloves are recommended to avoid chemical contact with skin Reaction Scheme: Conversion of acetanilide to p-bromoacetanilide Procedure: To a 125 mL Erlenmeyer flask containing a mixture of 95% ethanol (6 mL) and acetic acid (5 mL), dissolve acetanilide (7.4 mmol) and sodium bromide (1.8 g). Place the reaction flask in an ice bath (at least 5oC) for 5 minutes (keep this reaction in the hood). Add sodium hypochlorite (8.3 mmol) by addition of household bleach; leave the reaction flask in the ice bath 5 min. After removing the flask from the ice bath and placing a watch glass over the opening, allow the reaction mixture to come to room temperature over 15 minutes. Place the reaction flask into the ice bath and quench the unreacted bromine by addition of both 5 mL of sodium thiosulfate solution (1 g/5 mL) and 5 mL sodium hydroxide solution(1 g/5 mL ); collect the product by suction filtration. Recrystalllize the brominated product from a minimum amount of solvent. You will need to select a solvent from water, 50% ethanol or 95% ethanol. To identify the best solvent, use what you have learned in Organic I Chemistry Lab, hint: think about what properties makes a good recrystallization solvent. Test your recrystallization solvent in test tubes using the tip of a spatula of your compound. Remember to use a water bath to heat organic solvents. NEVER heat organic solvents directl y on a hot plate-always use a hot water bath! Dry the product and obtain melting point range (one fast and one slow) and an IR spectrum. Be sure to record observations in your laboratory notebook. 1 From â€Å"A Multistep Synthesis Incorporating a Green Bromination of an Aromatic Ring† J. Chem. Educ. 2012, 89, 1063 Prelab: In your lab notebook, write: 1. Date, Title of lab, Purpose and Mechanism of Reaction 2. Copy the following tables into your laboratory notebook and fill in MM 3. Write a brief description (bullet points) of the procedure Substance Acetanilide Sodium Bromide Sodium Hypochlorite 95% Ethanol Acetic Acid MM (g/mol) mmol g mL Product Data MM (g/mol) mmol g before recrystallization recrystallization solvent mL recrystallization solvent g after recrystallization % Recovery Theoretical Yield, g Percent yield Melting point range fast Melting point range slow Literature Mp Value Reference for Lit. Mp Value p-bromoacetanilide Waste Disposal: Place the filtrate from the reaction in the basic halogenated waste. Place the filtrate from recrystallization in the halogenated waste (as it may contain some p-bromoacetanilide). For your lab report: Continue in your lab notebook from the prelab. Complete the tables and show all calculations (clearly label where each calculation is in the notebook by providing each calculation with a title). Finally write a conclusion that includes a discussion of results and attach the IR (assign peaks) and the 1H NMR (be sure to assign all peaks on the NMR). Hand in the original of the carbonless copy pages as your lab report.

Grocery market in UK

Grocery market in UK INTRODUCTION It is a fact that the last couple of years most of the industry and service sectors worldwide have lost their reliability on customers confidence. Fortunately, lately there have been some significant efforts by some industries mainly with the help of their major players (larger companies), to get back to the game. The industry sector that we are going to analyse is the food industry retailing in the United Kingdom. In order to help the simple reader to have a taste of what are the situations that occur inside the sector, we will provide some significant informations about the size of the sector, the general activities taking place in it, statistics and forecasts and generally as many informations as we can to help him understand whats happening inside the sector. Size of the grocery market in UK The calendar year 2009, the grocery markets value was  £146.3bn, an increase of 4.8% concerning 2008. For every  £1 of food and grocery expenditure , 52p goes for retail accounts for in every . 21p in every  £1 spent in food grocery is spent in convenience stores. Number of grocery stores in the UK The number of grocery stores in UK is 92,796. There are split into four main sectors, which are defined as followed : 1. Convenience stores: These are stores with less than 3.000 sq ft sales area. They are open for many hours during the day and their selling products that have at least eight different grocery categories, (e.g Co-operative Group, Londis, SPAR). Traditional retail: These stores have less than 3,000 sq ft sales area.This includes newsagents (selling confectionary, newspapers and tobacco), specialist off-licences,specialist grocers, food specialists (chains of bakers, health foods,butchers, etc.) and independent specialists. Hypermarket, supermarkets superstores: In this category, we have the Supermarkets which have sales area of 3,000-25,000 sq ft ,Superstores with sales area over 25,000 sq ft and Hypermarkets with over 60,000 sq ft sales area. All of them are selling a broad range and a variety of mainly grocery items. Non-food products are also sold in those stores (eg Tesco, Asda). Online channel: Here we have the category of sales via internet. We must mention the fact that approximately 70% of sales are made in superstores and supermarkets. The remainder majority is accounted by convenience retailing, with traditional small retailers that account for only 7% of sales. Table 1 provides a breakdown by category. Table 1 UK Grocery Retail Sales by Category, 2009 value % food and drink  £ 91.6 bn 62.6 % tobacco  £ 16 bn 11 % non-food grocery  £ 23.5 bn 16.1 % non-grocery  £ 15.2 bn 10.3 % Total retail sales through UK grocery outlets  £ 146.3 bn source: IGD Grocery Retailing 2009 As we can see from table 1, food and drink are by far the category that is consumed more by the public. What is really interesting and for that reason we provide Table 2 is the increase of non-food grocery category by the amount of  £6.5 bn (38%) from 2005 to 2009. It is also very important the fact that there has been a general increase of the total retail sales through UK grocery outlets by 21% in that period of time. UK Grocery Retail Sales by Category, 2005 value % food and drink  £ 78 bn 65 % tobacco  £ 12 bn 10 % non-food grocery  £ 17 bn 14 % non-grocery  £ 12 bn 10 % Total retail sales through UK grocery outlets  £ 120 bn source: IGD Grocery Retailing 2005 Value of sales Continuing the above, we add the fact that through grocery, outlets have increased by 3% per annum in real terms over the last 10 years. This growth reflects rising non-grocery sales and higher average spend (i.e. better quality or ‘premium food, more convenience purchasing etc). UK Grocery Market Performance Grocery market performance. Source: IGD Research 2009 As we can observe from the diagram above, year by year there has been an improvement on the UKs Grocery Market Performance. Some of the multiple reasons that we present here is first the fact that demand and technological trends have reinforced each other. Larger stores with a wider product variety and range have encouraged customers to make larger and less frequent shops. Also, the technological improvements (i.e. checkout scanning, stock control, longer shelf-lives, fresh produce) have further reduced the costs and attracted consumers. Loyalty card schemes have indeed given retailers a new insight into consumer preferences as well as managed to enable them to get more involved into product development. Aggregate Market Share The diagram below shows the larger groceries in UK, according to their share in the domestic market. Tesco currently has a steadily and commanding increasing of slightly more than 30 % share of the non-convenience grocery market in the UK. During the 1990s, Sainsbury and Tesco enjoyed analogous market shares (of 20 to 25 %), however Sainsbury has lost a lot of ground since. Number of employees Employment in food drink retailing exceeded the number 1.2 million of employees in December 2009. This number aproaches almost 5 % of the employees in the UK. Over 60 % of the employees were either part-time or female employees (45 % were both female as well as part-time occupied). Profit Margins Supermarket profit margins range typically between 2% and 6%. According to Food Industry News, (just-food.com, 2010), the beginning of 2010 for the UK grocery retailing group were much improved in comparison with last year. More accurately, there was a 4% rise on grocery sales in relationship with 2009. Group revenue from ABFs (Assosiated British Foods) continuing businesses was 17% ahead of the same period last year. The matrix below shows the sales and the profit margins for the year 2009 for the UK retailers. source: DTI Added Value Scoreboard 2009 Forecast Circumstances look set to remain really challenging for retail throughout 2010. Verdict is forecasting growth of just 1.3% for 2010, the second smallest growth rate, following 2009. Verdict is predicting a low growth in retail sector over the next couple of years, as the impact of the recession continue to be felt by customers. Food inflation continues to ease in Q1 2010, at 1.7%, compared to 8.9% in the same period a year ago. Inflationary pressures are subsiding due to falling commodity prices, less seasonal price fluctuations and price competition within the sector. In fact, we are forecasting food inflation of 1.9% for the year, down from 4.4% in 2009. Major Challenges Establishing an Online Grocery One of the major challenges that food retailing industry is dealing with nowadays is the online grocery market. The Internet grocery market is an extension of the home-shopping philosophy. It is a sector that has already demonstrated considerable growth and that promises further substantial increases in the future. Online grocery sales in the UK are expected to double by 2014, according to researchby industry analystsIGD (just-food.com, 2010). Internet sales across many product sectors have achieved and continue to achieve high annual growth rates in the UK. Indeed, consumers passion for and propensity towards purchasing items online show no sign of abating. Last year, 13% of adults shopped online for groceries an increase of 63% on 2008, according to the IGD data. UK consumers will spend GBP7.2bn on food and grocery shopping online by 2014, nearly double the figure for 2009, IGD supports. For retailers, the online option provides a new channel through which to sell their products, display a wide range of items to their customers and develop their share of what continues to be one of the fa stest-growing sectors of the grocery market. Internet grocery, offers to the consumer, a variety of options and a number of advantages: It enables them to view a wide range of products, to compare prices and to arrange delivery at a convenient time. From the moment that these options and these benefits are appeared to the consuming public, a necessity is created for the food retailing sector and more specific for the large supermarkets to respond to this major challenge. The Internet or online grocery market in the UK is dominated by four of the UKs major supermarket chains Tesco, Sainsburys, ASDA and Waitrose and by a fifth supplier, Ocado, which is a warehouse-based online operation and a partner distributor to Waitrose. Outside of these five major suppliers, the market is mainly populated by a wide range of niche, specialised retailers, many of which offer products that are not always available in the major supermarkets. Apart from the five leading online suppliers, no other supermarket chain in the UK operates in the online grocery market not even Morrisons, which is the fourth-largest supermarket chain by market share. The way UKs retailing sector and its marketers are responding to this major challenge, is -as we have just mentioned- by setting in the front line its Supermarket and hypermarket chains to create a profitable and competitive online grocery. Tesco, leading the online offers in the domestic market, provides a variety of benefits that the customer-member can enjoy. Visiting the companys site (www.tesco.com) we can find not only everything that is related with food-product variety and prices, but also a number of other services (non-food) like books and entertainment, clothing, mobiles and a number of banking and insurance services as well. This way, the consumer can be informed about any price of the product that he is interested on buying and calculate the exact total amount of money needed for his/her supermarket expenses, rather than making an off-hand calculation in the duration of his/her shopping. Also, the non-food services create the feeling of a complete market in which the con sumer can find almost everything. A similar approach is been followed by the other supermarkets too. Another innovative way that the British grocery has invented is the club-card. This card is provided to every customer-member of a specific supermarket, either by registering online or by simply asking to the supermarket to provide him/her one when he/she visits the supermarket for shopping. That way, every time the consumer buys a product, a small amount of money is been credited in his account with the form of points, and after a predetermined period of time -when a number of points is collected-, a letter arrives to his address informing him that he can exchange the number of points with a number of products depended on his decision (i.e. a voucher of 10 pounds for consuming products), or with a number of gifts that the supermarket has decided to provide (i.e. a T.V. set for each consumption of products, valued above 500 pounds ). Home delivery, is another very important benefit of services that the online grocery provides. Throughout a wide variety of products that the consumer can find on the web-site of every online grocery, he can order the desirable products and have them home delivered in an exchange of a small amount of money (usually 4-5 pounds). That way he can save a lot of time from going to the supermarket, waiting in the queue and carry all those bugs to his house. In addition, exclusive research commissioned for this report showed that 17.8% of all respondents purchased groceries via the Internet at least once in a year, with 3.8% making online purchases at least once a week and a further 2.4% making them two or three times a month. One in 20 respondents said they purchased groceries online once a month. However, almost a third of those who said they bought groceries via the Internet agreed that, due to the recession, they had reduced the amount they usually spent on online grocery purchases. The recent focus of the five major online grocers has seen them expand their distribution networks, improve their stock availability levels and enhance the functionality of their websites. However, in the current recession, other factors are now being given more attention particularly price competition between the sites, which is becoming increasingly important. In addition, environmental issues have become more significant. For example, the leading suppliers have introduced measures to reduce the number of plastic bags used for home-delivered orders and to use more fuel-efficient delivery vehicles. As at December 2008, the UK had the fifth-highest number of broadband subscriptions among the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) group of countries (and the third-largest number among the European OECD countries). These high broadband connection rates have enabled the UK to become a leading centre for online sales in general, and for online sales of grocery products in particular. Plans have been outlined to construct a super-fast broadband network across the UK, and this should in turn allow the online grocers to develop new website designs and technologies in order to take advantage of such developments. Key Note forecasts that in the 5 years up to 2013, the UK Internet grocery market will continue to demonstrate high annual rates of market expansion and to account for an increasing proportion of grocery sales overall. The value of the Internet grocery market is projected to more than double by 2013, compared with the size of the market in 2008. Promoting Sales of Healthy Brands Another great challenge for the British food retailing sector -in order to maintain its position, its good reputation but also to increase it is to promote the sales of healthy strong brands. But what is a healthy strong brand and what are the key points for the marketers for energizing a healthy brand? A healthy and strong brand generates more results than just bigger sales. It sustains a product over time through consistency and excellent communication, providing at the same time value to its target customers. It is based on a proposition of genuine substance and value to the target customer. It wins, builds and retains customer loyalty and also maintains its relevance over time by evolving in response to changing customer expectations and perceptions. It creates a competitive advantage, increases the profitability of the business and also it is consistent with the business strategy. It provides a protective for growth strategies but also tries and most of the times succeeds to become a barrier for new entrants or substitutes to the market. Ways of succeeding some of the above goals we are providing to the following paragraphs. Trust is one of the drivers of brand credibility. Its an intangible that overrides the importance of any product, service or experience. Yet, as we have mentioned in the beginning (the latest years most of the industry and service sectors worldwide have lost their reliability on customers confidence), trust has eroded. In order for a company to gain customer trust is first of all to be simple and dont give great promises that could be proved untrue or impossible to be realised. Of course every promise must be kept. Going forward, trust is growing in importance, to become one of the most important and sustainable competitive advantages an organisation can own. If a brand and its marketers follow that strategy combining with being close to the customers, the long term affects could be unpredictably well. Adding value to the brand is in our opinion also a major factor to the sales promotion of a healthy brand and in order to achieve this we need what we call innovation. Imagining and creating new value requires seeing what others dont. In a food retailing sector, innovation could be achieved either by influencing or shaping the companys vision, or to inspire to come up with a new business concept, an entirely new venture, or a new brand. vale edo mia kainotomia ton supermarket morrisson. Other innovative ways could also be the addition of a new product, service or experience for a certain customer segment or the effort to speak the language of those consumers already â€Å"living† a trend so they can produce new products adjusted to the new trends and needs. The goal of any organisation is to create sustainable competitive differentiation, by providing to customers what they value and want in ways that others cant. One way to beat competition, according to Kim and Mauborgne in their book Blue Ocean Strategy, is to stop trying to beat the competition. Instead, create uncontested market space to create and capture new demand. Thereby, the competition becomes irrelevant. The classic example of creating a blue ocean (referenced in their book) is Cirque du Soleil. From a group of 20 street performers in 1984, Cirque is now a major artistic entertainment company delighting almost 90 million spectators a year. The company looked at traditional circus acts like Ringling Brothers and transformed them into â€Å"Broadway meets artistic music and dance† experiences. While increasing customer value and ticket prices, they simultaneously eliminated the largest cost items of the circus, including the star performers and animal shows. This is an extremely good example of how health brand marketers managed to create an uncontested market space. Finally, we can support that the more you know about your customers as real people looking beyond their obvious needs to their hopes, dreams, fears and challenges the more you can help them achieve. In return, you will have customers who become enthusiastic fans of your organisation. The most significant method that should be used to achieve this is through the social media and its ways. Social media has really changed the way brands are connecting with their customers. More and more companies are starting to realize the value of social media and are quickly adapting this new form of communication. However in order to have a successful social media strategy, it is important to have an internal culture that is ready to accept and learn. Some effective ways to achieve social media method are the following: 1.Internal engagement. Internal engagement gives employees, the ones who power your brand, the chance to shine. One of the best examples is Best Buy Connect. Best Buy has been a brand at the forefront of social media, using blogs, social networking tools, forums, and video to build brand awareness and keep consumers up-to-date with Best Buy News. Best Buy has given people a platform to share and discuss technology and tech-related products. In this platform, someone can find â€Å"Product Discussions† and discuss topics like Computers, TV, Gaming, Appliances, Audio, Cameras, iPods, Mobile Devices and more. They also have a section for â€Å"Customer Service†, â€Å"Reward Points†, and â€Å"Meet the Moderators†; who by the way take the time to make sure the forum is a stimulating environment where there are valuable conversations. 2. Collaboration. Another very important technique is to create mechanisms for customers to influence your products and services. The best example here is Dells IdeaStorm. Through this innovative website-idea of Dell the visitors-customers of the website can view all the posted ideas from the community, post their ideas for Dell products or services, promote or demote ideas by voting, or seen their ideas become a reality by sending them to authorised people of the company who examine them and if there are eligible they make them true. By surfing a little bit on the web-site, we found some amazing informations like that people who where participating to this web-site have contributed 11,790 ideas, theyve posted 84,546 comments and the site has been promoted 667,054 times. Most important, Dell has implemented 337 ideas based on customer input.This web-site provides a real contact with the customer. It is a web-site where everybodys ideas reign. 3. Authenticity. Hear we provide an excellent example where Mayo Clinic (One of the best clinics in the USA) keep their customers (old people in this specific example) happy by buying them a piano. In the video that we are referencing, someone can really see the happiness on their faces when the old couple is playing the piano. 4. Feedback. Some companies lately have created a site that really communicates with the customers. An expert daily replies to a number of customers through twitter or other similar methods where he really helps them with any kind of problems that they have or answer to any possible question. ComcastCares is a very good example to describe such a situation. 5. Participation. My Starbucks Idea is a web-site that Starbucks has created where they have pursuit their customers that they know better than anyone else what they want from Starbucks. There, people are able to share their ideas, express what they think of other peoples ideas and join the discussions. Finally experiences (create new ways of delivering experiences that fit with their lifestyles), conduit (allowing customers to share with each other through you rather than driven by you) and sharing (allow customers to share their ratings) are some supplementary methods that can be considered as effective ways to achieve social media method. Summary-Conclusion As we have seen so far, there has been a significant effort with a variety of ways -by the food retailing sector in Britain- to attract their customer confidence again. In our opinion, the approach that overrules every other method is the fact that the new strategy includes the customer as a real part of the organisation or the sector. This new era, sets the customer in the top of the pyramid making him the one who takes the basic decisions of what he really needs and giving then the green light to the companies to make it true. When people feel like they matter to the company, and when you engage them in ways they value and want, theyll matter more about you. This way, company and customers are acting no more individually and rivalry to each other. On the contrary, they move hand by hand on the same side of the river trying to accomplish the best outcome for both of them. Once again, the forecast predicts rise tade% until 2015 Finally, if the online grocery continuous this way, it will give more push to the top