Component of Computer System Essay

Output devices: Monitor printer, plotter and voice output device, Modem, Automotive navigation system, Projector. Peripheral device that converts machine-readable information into people-readable information. Processing devices: CPU,  Motherboard, Chipset, bus, RAM. Hardware components process information within the computer system. Storage devices: Hard disk drives and  compact disk  drives. Hardware components allow data to be stored within a computer system. Software components of a computer system have no physical presence; they are stored in digital form within computer memory. System software is an  operating system  designed to operate and control the  computer hardware  and to provide a platform for running  application software. Utility software: anti-virus software, firewalls, disk defragmenters. Which helps to maintain and protect the computer system but does not directly interface with the hardware. Applications software: Web browsers, Office software, Games, Multimedia Software, Database Software, and Graphic Software. Designed to allow the user of the system complete a specific task or set of tasks. Different  types of computer software. Programming software, system software and application software are the three main types of computer software used in computer networking. Programmers use the programming software to develop the programming languages necessary to run computer software. Compliers, interpreters, linkers and text editors are some of the basic tools used in programming software. System software offers a protective shield to all software applications. It also provides support to the physical components of computers. System software †¢ Operating system software(windows, Linux, Mac) †¢ Utility programs (anti-virus software, firewalls, disk defragmenters. †¢ Library programs †¢ Translator software (Compiler, assembler, interpreter) Application software is used for commercial purpose. The application software is widely used in educational, business and medical fields. Industrial automation, databases, business software and medical software prove to be of great help in the respective fields. Web browsers, Office software, Games, Multimedia Software, Database Software, and Graphic Software. Application software †¢ General purpose application software. †¢ Special purpose application software. †¢ Bespoke application software

Homelessness Melissa St

Homelessness Melissa St George SOC 203: Social Problems Instructor: Risa Garelick August 28, 2011 I intend to show the meaning of homelessness and the different ways that people become homeless. I will also show how we can go about preventing homelessness. Homelessness means that one has no place to live. â€Å"The most prominent sociodemographic characteristics identified with high risk of homelessness have been male gender, Black race, being unmarried, and being middle aged† (Greenberg & Rosenheck, 2010, p1234-1235). Most of the homeless live in cities but there are those who live in the rural areas. Most of them are hidden because they are homeless for shorter periods of time. There are several causes or reasons why people are homeless, some of them are by choice and others are forced, contrary to most people’s beliefs that they â€Å"are drug addicts, alcoholics or are mentally challenged† (syzygyastro). The different types of homeless people are â€Å"push-outs†, victims of environmental catastrophe, mentally ill, the new poor, the technologically unqualified, the elderly, runaways, the demoralized, alcoholics, ease addicts, travel addicts, and excitement addicts (Henslin, 2008, p 228). The â€Å"push-outs† are people or families that have been forced out. They can be teenagers who are thrown out by their parents. The parents may have thrown them out due to They can be adults or families who have been evicted by landlords. Due to the high costs of rents, they may have had to choose between paying the rent or other necessities such as food, clothing, or gas. Or they could have lost their home due to the â€Å"sub-prime mortgage catastrophe that has made more than families homeless in 2008 and now threatens a further 48 percent of the rest sub-prime mortgage holders who are late in payments or in default† (Syzygyastro). Victims of environmental catastrophe have been forced out due to hurricanes, floods, fires, tornadoes, tsunamis, or other environmental disasters. The mentally ill have been forced out by hospitals or insurance companies. They are unable to care for themselves, so they live out on the streets not knowing how to survive in the â€Å"real† world. They can also become homeless because they need to choose their medications over rent. â€Å"20% to 50% of homeless adults suffer from a serious mental illness† (Greenberg & Rosenheck, 2010, p 1235). The new poor are forced out from a job due to technological change. There jobs are taken over by machines and/or globalization. The company moves to another part of the world, so that they can pay fewer wage to their employees. The technologically unqualified have been forced out because they never posed any technological skills, so they are unable to keep or get jobs. The wages that they do receive are so low that they can not afford an apartment. The elderly have been discarded. They have no family support, no income, and most are unemployable. Runaways choose to be homeless due to unstable living conditions. Most of these runaways are teenagers who have been physically abused. Some are the results of the system failing them. Most of the runaways are between the age of fifteen and seventeen but there are some that are as young as age ten. The demoralized are the depressed who have given up. The addicts are those who have been addicted to alcohol or drugs and choose their addictions over their homes. 0% to 80% have a history of substance use disorders† (Greenberg & Rosenheck, 2010, p 1235), â€Å"thirty eight percent of homeless people have a problem with alcohol addiction and that another twenty six percent of homeless people have addictions to other drugs† (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2003). The Anti-Drug Abuse Act has made impossible for people who are convicted of a drug-related crime to keep their public housin g. In the 1950’s the deinstitutionalization of psychiatric treatment was the major factor of homelessness. The ease addicts choose homelessness. They are usually in their early twenties and want to escape responsibility. The travel addicts choose to be homeless and want to roam. The excitement addicts choose to be homeless. They enjoy the thrill of danger and because it offers the â€Å"edge†. The other things that are also associated with homelessness are past incarceration, exposure to trauma, lack of low-income housing, and the decrease in public funds. â€Å"As a result of loss of benefits, low wages, and unstable employment, many families leaving welfare struggle to get medical care, food, and housing† (National Coalition for the Homeless, 2009). A lack of affordable housing and the limited scale of housing assistance programs have contributed to the current housing crisis and to homelessness† (National Coalition for the Homeless, 2009). There are many ways that we can help to prevent homelessness. In 1987, the McKinney Homeless Act took the first steps to this by making it a federal law that there ne eded to be funding for the homeless. The next steps that we need to do is to evaluate the homeless in our communities to see what programs or services are most in need. We need to evaluate our homeless shelters. We need to have job training and financial programs. We need to keep track of the people that we help. We need to set up supportive housing and/or â€Å"Unfortunately, government action and public policy of recent has not necessarily helped the plight of the homeless, in fact in some cases it has served to compound the problem† (Gaddis, 2007). When we evaluate the homeless in our communities to see what programs or services that we need most, we need to do it in a way that is nonthreatening and compassionate. We need to evaluate our own bias, so that we can put them aside and help them. Many of the people that experience homelessness are not the stereotypical homeless persons that would come to mind when thinking about this problem† (Gaddis, 2007). We need to find out why they are homeless and look to the local government for help. Public assistance programs can help the homeless with some of their problems. There needs to be some type of coordination between homeless sh elters and public service agencies. Some people will not go to public agencies for help because of the bias of others and/or because of their pride. Many of the reports that I read told of conditions at shelters as being in poor condition. An example of this is when FEMA set up the social housing after Hurricane Katrina. â€Å"Some people are highly critical of these camps, calling them nothing more than concentration camps complete with barbed wire and gun towers† (Syzygyastro). The other reports that I read talked about shelters that were run down, very few of them, and they were riddled with disease, pests, and thefts. Job trainings and financial programs will be able to help the homeless get back on their feet. We should have some kind of job training programs for these people because most of them are there due to a job loss. This would also help the runaways who need to the life skills to survive in the world. Financial programs could be very helpful because it can help them get their finances in order and to teach them how to stretch their earnings by budgeting. We need to keep track of the people that we help. Too many times people get the help that they need and then they are forgotten about. We need to set up programs that help this people and offer support over a long period of time. Studies of placement programs often find that they lose track of residents within the first year, so track clients carefully, and assess their need for specific services† (Solutions for America). We need to look at supportive housing or â€Å"Treatment of substance abuse has been reported to improve outcomes in homeless persons with dual diagnoses of serious mental illness and substance abuse† (Folsom, Hawthorne, Lindamer.. , 2005). When we set up supportive housing for addicts, we can help them to beat their addictions and set up their new â€Å"life†. We can also help the people with mental health disorders; get the supports that they may need. We will only be able break the cycle by coming together as a community and working on ways to help those that are having a difficult time. We need to remember that one day that could be us and we would want someone there to help us. Annotated Bibliography: Why Are People Homeless?. (July 2009). Retrieved August 12, 2011, from National Coalition for the Homeless website, http://www. nationalhomeless. org/factsheets/why. tml. The article talks about what homelessness is and the many causes of it. Gaddis, Roger. (2007, August 22). The Homeless in the United States. Retrieved August 12, 2011, from website http://www. associatedcontent. com/article/351165/the_homeless_in_the_united_states. html? cat=4, The article talks about the number of homeless people in the United States and reasons why they are homeless. Youth Homelessness: Facts and Solutions. (n. d. ) Retrieved August 12, 2011, from Yout h Noise website http://www. youthnoise. om/page. php? page_id=6145. This article talks about the causes for teen homelessness and how we can prevent it. Preventing Homelessness in America. (n. d. ) Retrieved August 12, 2011, from Solutions for America website http://www. solutionsforamerica. org/thrivingneigh/homelessness. html. The article talks about the many causes of homelessness and how we can prevent it. Addiction Blog. (2011, January 7). Drug and alcohol abuse and the homeless. It talks about the statistics for drug and alcohol abuse among the

Ben & Jerry’s Marketing Audit Essay

1 Executive Summary According to the American Marketing Association, â€Å"marketing is an organizational function and a set of process for creating, communicating and delivering value to customers and for managing customer relationships in ways that benefit the organization and its stakeholders† (Kerin, 2005, p.6). I have completed a marketing audit of Ben & Jerry’s Homemade, Inc. in the following categories: Market and Distribution Channels, Manufacturing, Markets and Customers, Competition, Marketing, Objectives, Strategies and Tactics, the 4P’s (product, pricing, promotion, and place), and sales. Based on my findings, there are several factors that will play a key role in Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream becoming number one in the ice cream industry, instead of being ranked, as number 2. They are as follows: Streamlining the variety and names of the ice cream flavors Increase sales in the non target markets Sell premium ice cream in half gallon sizes Improve brand image Ben & Jerry’s ice cream currently offers consumers Super-premium ice cream flavors that are both unique and quirky. Furthermore, some of the wackiest flavors were suggested by adults. For example, some of the flavors include, Cherry Garcia, Chunky Monkey, and Chubby Hubby (www.benjerry.com). As a result of some of the outlandish names, it becomes difficult for consumers have to figure out why an ice cream would be called chunky monkey, and secondly, what does the flavor consist of. After all, Ben & Jerry’s target customers are at the high end of the consumer spending spectrum. Haagen-Daazs’ most popular ice cream flavor is simply, vanilla. Therefore, perception becomes a vital marketing concept to attain the number one  status. Although Ben & Jerry’s has been acquired by Unilever, one of the leading food companies in the world, Haagen Dazs, which has been acquired by Dreyer’s has still been able to penetrate 42% of the super-premium ice cream mark et, while Ben & Jerry’s penetrated 38%. However, Ben & Jerry’s have been able to have 100% profitability over the last nine years, while decreasing the cost of sales. Penetrating the 20% non-target market would allow revenue to continue to climb upward by becoming more visible. Advertising can be done through supermarket circulars, television commercials, and radio announcements, and offering the super-premium ice promotions such as buy one, get one free or coupons. Thus, customers and profit margins increase. Currently, Ben & Jerry’s super-premium ice cream is sold in pint size quantities. Gallon size quantities were only sold to warehouse club stores. Selling the product to the general public in gallon sizes would allow them to infiltrate the family segment of the ice cream industry. Understanding the consumer is a vital tool in successful marketing and sales. However, careful research and planning are necessary. Thus, a recommendation is being made for Ben & Jerry’s to enter the market of â€Å"micro-branding†; a trend that is becoming more successful in the ice cream industry. â€Å"Micro-branding would allow Ben & Jerry’s to partner with a compatible and recognized national brand to develop an ice cream formulation that delivers a taste experience that is related to the national brand’s product (www.qffintl.com). Some of the companies that currently co-brand are Cool Brands International/General Mills = Yoplait Frozen Breakfast Bars, Reese’s candies and Friendly’s Restaurants. Furthermore, prior to launching this new venture, Ben & Jerry’s can conduct a survey among loyal customers. Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream is the best illustration of the 80/20 rule. They achieve 80% of the revenues in the target market and 20% in non target markets; however, to increase sales and become No.1, they will need to increase sales in non target markets while stimulating demand in target markets. Based on corporate information (www.benjerry.com), Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream evolved when two childhood buddies, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield met in a 1963 7th grade gym class in Merrick, New York. In 1977, Ben and Jerry move to Vermont and completed a $5 correspondence course in ice cream making. Afterward, a $12,000.00 investment was made, $4,000.00 of it borrowed, and they opened their first Ben and Jerry’s homemade ice cream scoop shop in a renovated gas station in Burlington, Vermont, on May 5, 1978. The company has maintained a reputation for producing gourmet ice cream and frozen treats, as well as promotions that foster an image as an independent socially conscious Vermont company. On August 3, 2000, Ben and Jerry’s were acquired by Unilever, a British-Dutch food company with distribution in 100 countries. This acquisition would allow the Ben & Jerry brand ice cream to cross over into national and international markets. The ice cream was made with fresh V ermont cream and milk, and the best and biggest chunks of nuts, fruits, candies, and cookies† (www.benjerry.com). Currently, Ben & Jerry’s sell 18 Mio gallons of ice cream per year, and more than â€Å"$200 Mio in annual sales worldwide including Europe, the Mideast, and Asia† (Kerin, 2006, p.2). This makes them one of the top maker’s of premium ice cream, matching  rivals Nestlà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s Haagen-Dazs, and Godiva. Some of the first flavors included French Vanilla, Mint with Oreo Cookie, Maple Walnut, Butter Pecan, and Dastardly Mash. In order to maintain its status as a leader in the premium ice cream industry, new flavors are constantly being marketed, as well as measures to determine what the ice cream consumer wants now and in the future. The corporate vision is built around three strategic goals (missions) that support Ben & Jerry’s corporate concept of linked prosperity. These goals are: 1. The product mission: Become the leading distributor of freshly made quality ice cream, utilizing natural ingredients that do not violate the environment. 2. The economic mission: Achieve capital growth for the corporation, the stakeholders, and the employees. 3. The social mission: Be a pioneer in creating innovative business practices that make a positive impact on society nationally and internationally. 1.2 Market and Distribution Channels The company currently markets flavor ice cream, frozen yogurt and sorbet in packaged pints, for sale primarily through four channels: 1. Supermarkets, and other grocery stores 2. Convenience stores 3. Retail food outlets and in bulk primarily to restaurants. 4. Ben & Jerry’s company-owned franchised scoop shops. Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream currently distribute their products throughout the United States primarily through independent distributors targeting certain markets including New England, New York, the Mid-Atlantic region, Florida, Texas, the West Coast and selected other major markets, including the Midwest and Denver areas. In 1999, approximately 77% of the sales of the Company’s packaged pints were attributed to these target markets (www.benjerry.com). Also, the ice cream products are also available in â€Å"non-target† markets in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Israel, Canada, the Netherlands, Belgium, Japan, Singapore, Peru and Lebanon. 1.3 Manufacturing The company manufactures Ben & Jerry’s super premium ice cream and frozen yogurt pints at its plant in Vermont. This plant manufactures Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, frozen yogurt, frozen smoothies and sorbet in packaged pints,  12oz. and single serve containers at its St. Albans, Vermont plant. However, in 1999, the company shifted the manufacturing of its frozen novelty line of business from a company-owned plant in Springfield, Vermont, to third party co-packers to improve the company’s competitive position, gross margins and profitability. As a result of this restructuring, the company was able to write-off `assets associated with the ice cream novelty business, asset impairment charges of other manufacturing assets and costs associated with severance for those employees who do not accept the Company’s offer of relocation. The implementation of this manufacturing restructuring program resulted in a pre-tax special charge to earnings of approximately $8.6 Mio in the fourth quarter of 1999 that was primarily non-cash. The plan was executed in 2000. Thus, outsourcing its novelty business will enable the Company to introduce a wider range of novelty products in future periods. 1.4 Markets and Customers Ben & Jerry’s ice cream is packaged in pints, quarts,  ½ gallons, single serve containers and novelty products primarily through supermarkets, other grocery stores, convenience stores and other retail food outlets. The company markets ice cream, frozen yogurt and sorbet in 2  ½ gallon bulk containers primarily through franchised and company-owned Ben & Jerry’s scoop shops, through restaurants and food service accounts, such as stadiums, airports, cafeterias, and hotels. The ice cream is distributed through independent ice cream distributors; with some exceptions, only one distributor is appointed for each territory for supermarkets. In most areas, sub-distributors are used to distribute to the smaller classes of trade. Company trucks and other distributors distribute products that are sold in Vermont and upstate New York. In the late 90’s, Ben & Jerry’s redesigned its distribution network to enable more company control over sales and improve efficiency in the distribution of its products. Under the redesign, Ben & Jerry’s increased direct sales calls by its own sales force to all grocery and chain convenience stores and has a network where no distributor of Ben & Jerry’s products has a majority percentage of the Company’s distribution. In addition, a joint venture of the U.S. ice cream operations of Nestle and the Pillsbury Company distributes Ben & Jerry’s products in specified territories; the balance of domestic deliveries are distributed primarily by  Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream. Under the redesign, no single distributor is expected to handle over 40% of Ben & Jerry’s distribution, as compared with Dreyer’s distribution activities accounting for approximately 57% of the company’s net sales in 1997 and 1998. 1.5 Competition â€Å"The ability to create innovative marketing strategies is crucial to a company’s competitiveness† (Magrath, Allan, 1992, p.1). Competition in the premium ice cream industry is fierce. Initially, Nestle, Dreyer’s, and Blue Bell were Ben & Jerry’s top three top competitors. In July of 2003, Nestle merged its operations with Dreyer’s, which makes Edy’s and Haagen-Dazs ice cream (www.dreamery.com). Other significant competitors are Columbo, Healthy Choice, and Starbucks, which are all distributed by Dreyer’s. According to research, Haagen- Dazs uses several approaches to keep the status of being number one in the ice cream industry, and they are as follows: a. Substantial visibility in more foreign markets than Ben & Jerry’s. b. More shares of the markets. c. Cookies and candies are used as a part of the ingredients. In addition to competing with the number one competitor, Dreyer/Nestle, Ben & Jerry’s also has to face competition from other players including: Berkeley Farms Blue Bell CoolBrands Dunkin Friendly Ice Cream Gifford’s Schwan’s (Competitor’s cont’d) Stewart’s Shops Stonyfield Farm YoCream 2 Marketing Ben and Jerry’s Ice-cream introduced themselves to the marketplace as unusual and comical, with the hopes of appealing to the ice cream lover’s sense of humor. Thus, allowing them to acquire a loyal following. However, many adult  consumers did not find their advertising funny, as a result market research revealed confusion. Although the packaging of the ice cream was amusing, patrons were often trying to figure out why a company, that wants to sell premium ice-cream, would come up with an ice cream flavor such as â€Å"Chunky Monkey† and â€Å"Chubby Hubby†. The playful packaging was viewed as being too juvenile to necessitate its luxury price. In 1998, the company re-launched its entire pint line. â€Å"The design of the ice cream packaging was changed to a more polished grown up design utilizing collages of illustrations, photography and textures. The polished grown up designs cleared the confusion, strengthened the brand, and matched the quality of the ice cream. A superb premium look accompanied the price, and was created without forfeiting the trademark Ben & Jerry’s eccentricity† (www.fitch.com). Changing the packaging design helped the company to be taken more serious by the premium ice cream consumer market. To sustain their brand and marketing strategy, Ben & Jerry make sure all marketing activities are aimed at building brand equity, a solid reputation for the company, and most importantly, profitable customer relationship. The company’s marketing strategy includes: 1. Emphasizing the high quality, natural ingredients in its products. 2. Highlighting commitment to social change through innovative promotional and advertising campaigns facilitating brand awareness through Public Relations, magazines, radio, TV coverage, and the internet. The company now distributes its ice cream products internationally in the United Kingdom, Israel, certain parts of Japan, Ireland, France, Canada, the Netherlands, Belgium, Singapore, Peru, and Lebanon. Furthermore, all of the scoop shops are franchised, which contributes significantly to the growth of the brand. 2.1 Objectives, Strategies and Tactics Competition in the premium ice cream industry is fierce. The company’s two principal competitor’s are the Haagen-Dazs operation of Ice Cream Partners and Dreyer’s/Edys, which introduced Dreamery. Other significant frozen dessert competitors are Columbo, Healthy Choice and Starbucks. â€Å"Haagen-Dazs is the industry leader with 42% of the super-premium business, and No.2 Ben & Jerry’s, with 38 percent† (Emert, Carol, San Francisco Chronicle,p.1)  however Ben and Jerry are looking at becoming No 1 and the 4Ps analysis below illustrate how they want to achieve that goal. 2.2 4P’s – Product The packaged ice cream industry includes economy, regular, premium, premium plus and super premium products. Super premium ice cream is generally characterized by a greater richness and density than other kinds of ice cream. This higher quality ice cream generally costs more than other kinds and is usually marketed by emphasizing quality, flavor selection, texture and brand image. Other types of ice cream are largely marketed on the basis of price (www.benjerry.com). Ben & Jerry’s Homemade makes its products at facilities in Vermont. They make over 40 different Super-premium Ice Cream flavors (www.hoovers.com) Super-premium Flavors: Brownie Batter Butter Pecan Cherry Garcia Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Chocolate Fudge Brownie Chocolate Therapy Chubby Hubby Chunky Monkey Coffee Coffee Heath Bar Crunch Dave Matthews Brand Magic Brownies Dublin Mudslide Everything But The†¦ Fudge Central Fossil Fuel Half Baked In A Crunch Karamel Sutra Martha Martha Marshmallow Mint Chocolate Cookie New York Super Fudge Chunk Peanut Butter Me Up Phish Food Uncanny Cashew Wich Frozen Yogurt Cherry Garcia (low-fat) Chocolate Fudge Brownie Half Baked Phish Food Super Premium Ice Cream, Super Premium Frozen Yogurt, and more recently, Super Premium Sorbet have become an important part of the frozen dessert industry reaching â€Å"$3.5 billion in annual ice cream sales (Emert, Carol, p.1) Super premium ice cream is the fastest growing segment in the ice cream industry. Sales in the low-card ice cream market skyrocketed to close to $76 Mio in January of 2005. Research shows, â€Å"66% of carbohydrate conscious consumers are seeking low fat products† (www.qffintl.com). In response to the demand for lower fat and lower cholesterol products, Ben & Jerry’s introduced its own super premium low fat frozen yogurt and lactose-free and cholesterol-free sorbet, as well as a new line of low fat ice cream. 2.3 Pricing Based on information provided by Information Resources, Inc., a software and marketing information services company, the total annual U.S. sales in supermarkets at retail prices of super premium and premium plus ice cream, frozen yogurt and sorbet were approximately $572 Mio in 1999 compared with about $518 Mio in 1998. During the 2001-2003 period sales grew by 11.6% In 2004, sales were approximately $260 Mio, and 2004 sales were $272 Mio. Ben and Jerry’s product is considered an affordable luxury because of the high quality and quantity of the ingredients. However, individual retailers set their own retail pricing. A reflection of the variation of pricing depends on local market conditions, as illustrated in the table below. Retail/Grocery Store Convenience store Pathmark Shoprite WaWa CVS Ben & Jerry $3.89 $3.79 $3.99 $3.69 Dreyer/Haagen-Dazs $4.19 $3.99 $4.29 $3.89 2.4 Place Competition and consumer demand are increasing in the premium ice cream industry. Because of limited shelf space within supermarkets, visibility becomes minimal for many ice cream manufacturers. As a result, some brands have been forced out of some markets. In most supermarkets that were visited, Ben & Jerry’s have their own section of shelf space to advertise there product. This is done by having their product advertised in a separate freezer space. In markets where they do not have their own shelf space, they tend to use a seasonal adjustment strategy. 2.5 Promotion Ben & Jerry’s use community involvement to advertise their ice cream. The company hosts a yearly folk festival which has about 50,000+ attendees. Free cones are given away at this annual event. In addition, the company has guided tours of its facility in Vermont. This is a non-traditional marketing approach. Currently, the company does not advertise in retail papers, nor do  they solicit buyers in television ads. As a result, it is difficult to quantify investment and return on investment (ROI). However, being able to double profit within five years illustrates Ben & Jerry’s ability to successfully market and drive sales. 2.6 Sales Cohen and Greenfield began packing the ice cream in pints for sale in local grocery stores in 1980. The first franchise followed in 1981. The company earned national exposure that year when Time magazine hailed their product as â€Å"the best ice cream in the world.† After opening its first out-of-state franchise in Maine in 1983, Ben & Jerry’s Homemade first went public in a Vermont-only stock offering (to keep ownership local) in 1984. Sales that year surpassed $4 Mio. The fat-free mania of the 1990s prompted the ice-cream producer to introduce frozen yogurt nationally in 1992 and nonfat frozen yogurt in 1995. Stiff competition and plant expansion in 1994 caused Ben & Jerry’s to suffer its first-ever loss. In 2000, Unilever acquired the company for about $326 Mio. Since its purchase of Ben & Jerry’s, Unilever has not fully integrated the company into its freezer-full of North American ice cream brands. However the parent has plans to boost the brand into its global portfolio. While most Ben & Jerry’s is exported from Vermont, limited production of the product has begun in Europe. Since its purchase of Ben & Jerry’s, Unilever has not fully integrated the company into its freezer-full of North American ice cream brands. However the parent has plans to boost the brand into its global portfolio. While most Ben & Jerry’s is exported from Vermont, limited production of the product has begun in Europe. After a slow spell in its retail growth, Ben & Jerry’s has announced it will step up store openings around the US. To share the cost of nabbing prime retail locations, the company is partnering with its Vermont neighbor Green Mountain Coffee Roasters to add coffee and pastries to its SCOOP SHOP menu — and hopefully extend sales into times of the day when people aren’t typically eating ice cream. An analysis of net sales for the last 9 years reflects a significant growth that is a result of: A better market penetration.  A reduction of cost of sales throughout the years (operational efficiency, improved sales and marketing) Improved gross profit over the years (reflects increased efficiency) In fact, based on the above analysis, Ben & Jerry’s are in a position to beat out their number one competitors, Dreyer’s and Nestle. 3 Recommendations Based on the findings in conducting a Marketing Audit for Ben & Jerry’s Super-Premium Ice Cream, Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream is the best example of how to turn a dream into a successful business venture. In fact, they have achieved the No.2 player in the Super- Premium Ice Cream market. Their next goal is to become No.1. To achieve their goal, Ben & Jerry’s have to address the following issues that were identified in the Marketing Audit: They have to stream – line the variety of flavors. In fact, the current offering tends to confuse the consumer especially given the associated luxury price tag. They have to increase sales in the non target markets by increased marketing as an effort to become more visible to consumers. Sample marketing and advertising channels include television commercials, supermarket circulars, and radio advertisements. In fact, Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream is the best illustration of the 80/20 rule. They achieve 80% of the revenues in the target market and 20% in non target markets; however, to increase sales and become No.1, they will need to increase sales in non target markets while stimulating demand in target markets. References Anonymous. Ben & Jerry’s 10-405K Report. Retrieved December 28, 2005, from http://www.benjerry.com/our company/research library/fin/1999/10k.html. Anonymous. Ben & Jerry’s 10-405K Report. Retreived December 28, 2005, from http://www.benjerry.com/our company/press_center/press/press_release.cfm. Anonymous. Packaging, Brand Communications and Consumer Environment. Retrieved from http://www.fitvh.com/case-study Anonymous. (2005).USA summer ice cream scene: Novelties, Co-Branding and Something for Everyone. Retrieved December 28, 2005 from http://www/qffintl.com/pdf/july_2005/95.cfm Chevron, J, (1998). The Delphi Process: Strategic Branding Methodology, (15)3, 1-2. Retrieved December 28, 2005 from http://www.jrcanda.com?art_delphi.html Emert, Carol. (1999). Dreyer’s enters the cold war. New Dreamery line is going cone to cone with Haagen–Dazs and Ben & Jerry’s. Retrieved January 10, 2006, from http://www/sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi Kerin, Roger, Hartley, Steven.(2005) Marketing. Eighth, Retrieved December 5, 2005 from University of Phoenix database Magrath, A. (1992). Six pathways to marketing innovation. Business & Company. Resource Center. Retrieved December 10, 2005 from http://galenet.galegroup.com Murray, B. Ben & Jerry’s homemade inc. Hoovers A D&B Company. Retrieved December 12, 2005, from http://www.hoovers.com

Children families and communities Community Violence and International Essay

Children families and communities Community Violence and International Conflict - Essay Example This essay reviews the violence and community and international level. Community violence exposes children to emotional and behavioural problems and perpetrates violence. Intervention to prevent vulnerability to violence improves the life chances and reduces violence in vulnerable communities. Community violence causes aggression, depression and anxiety among children in the community (Garbarino, Hammond, Mercy & Yung, 2004). Factors increasing risk for exposure to community violence Research shows stressful life events, behavioural problems and the family characteristics as some of the risk factors exposing children to community violence. 1. Living in lower socioeconomic areas The presence of socioeconomic resources exposes children to community violence and aggression. Historically, the African Americans are affected disproportionately by unemployment, poverty and exposure to community violence. African Americans, especially male youths, are affected significantly by the juvenile d iscrepancy and the gun crimes. People living in low socioeconomic areas  may be adversely affected by the community violence (Spencer, Fegley & Harpalani, 2003). 2. Being from a minority group Ethnic minority are disproportionately affected by violence. ... 3. Exposure to domestic violence Children exposed to domestic violence exhibit behavioural disorders like delinquency and aggression. Domestic violence causes mood and emotional disorders like anxiety and depression, and the posttraumatic symptoms of stress like sleep disturbances. Domestic violence such as sexual assault leads to sexual abuse in the community. A child interprets domestic and community violence as unsafe world, and the ‘unworthiness’ for protection in life. This engenders helplessness and leads to negative perceptions. The posttraumatic stress disorder exposes the child to community violence because they impair behavioural and social functioning (Voisin, 2007). 4. Parental substance abuse Substance abuse by parents expose children to unpredictable behaviours. Behaviour changes from loving to withdrawal that causes chaos in the community. Despite of the sufferings that these children go through, the parents are to blame for the substance abuse. Children f rom families that abuse drugs are under constant fear of physical violence or incest. The youngsters suffer from the post-traumatic stress, anxiety, depression and war crimes. Parental substance abuse affects the normal child development exposing youngsters to mental, physical and health problems (Sheidow, Gorman-Smith, Tolan & Henry, 2001). 5. Communities low in social capital The low social capital exposes children to community violence due to the reduction in accessibility to social resources, dysfunctional families and the overall fearful environment that substitutes the participation and cooperation in the community. Poverty and community violence is mediated through the availability of social institutions (Voisin,

Racial Self-Loathing in the Bluest Eye Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Racial Self-Loathing in the Bluest Eye - Essay Example The MacTeer family shares several elements with Morrison's family, fighting poverty during the Great Depression, with a grandfather who played the violin and a mother who sang. When Morrison was emerging as a writer during the 1960's, the â€Å"Black is Beautiful† movement was in full swing, with the primary goal of reestablishing the notion that African-Americans could be beautiful. In this novel, Pecola Breedlove's development serves to express Morrison's vitriol toward the racial self-loathing that typified the black experience when Morrison was growing up. The desire that blacks felt in those years to be accepted as beautiful in the majority white culture caused the characters of the novel to hate their own color and feel ashamed of their cultural background. This self-loathing becomes a generational tradition, moving down from one set of parents to their children, and so on. Pecola Breedlove wants to emerge from the darkness of living as a black girl: â€Å"Here was an u gly little black girl asking for beauty...a little black girl who wanted to rise up out of the pit of her blackness and see the world with blue eyes† (174). She wants to have blue eyes so badly that she goes through the primitive ritual that Soaphead Church gives her, feeding a packet of meat to a dog on the porch, and divining from the dog's response what would happen to her. Interestingly, the dog chokes on the meat, â€Å"his mouth chomping the air, and promptly [falls] down...[moving] like a broken toy around the yard† (176). There is a reason, though, why Pecola is willing to go to such grotesque lengths to change her appearance. Pecola's genuine African-American features make her ugly, at least according to the white way of seeing things. The physical traits that she has will ensure that she will always be the subject of that prototypical racism – the same hatred that would teach that â€Å"[t]o give the black girl a white doll in the early sixties was to mainstream the black girl into the culture, to say that she was worthy of the same kind of doll that a white doll would have† (Early 414). Because this idea was so firmly entrenched when Morrison was a child, she grew up thinking that her blackness created a connection with a time of primitive and uncivilized ways. Pecola ultimately feels that she must be hideous and that tragedy will befall her, because she lacks white skin – and blue eyes. Indeed, she says that everyone would like her if she had blue eyes (46). In the years when Morrison was growing up, black society in the United States was still caught up in an imitation of unrealistic modes such as that which would be later perpetuated as the myth of Barbie, who is â€Å"anything but real† (Hooks 610). In other words, black artists tried to paint like an ideal of white artists instead of like themselves; black singers tried to sound like an ideal of white singers instead of like themselves, all pursuing a fa lse dream that was not attainable. The Harlem Renaissance and the advent of the jazz movement had yet to make their dent in this imitation – but those days were not far off. Pecola clearly wants to imitate the ways of white society; indeed, the reason that she loves Mary Jane candy is that she thinks eating it will turn her white: â€Å"Smiling white face. Blond hair in gentle disarray, blue eyes looking at her out of clean comfort...To eat the candy is somehow to eat the eyes, eat Mary Jane. Love Mary Jane. Be Mary Jane†

Synopsis of the Last Supper Accounts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Synopsis of the Last Supper Accounts - Essay Example Notably, Jesus sent two of his disciples to prepare for the Passover meal, on the first day of the Unleavened Bread. On the evening, Jesus invited his twelve disciples in a table and informed them that one of them will betray him (Lietzmann, 2000). Jesus took the unleavened bread, broke it into pieces and asked his father to bless it. He gave the pieces of bread to his disciples telling them "This is my body, given to you. Do this in remembrance of me" Luke 22:19. In the same regards, he took the cup of wine and shared it with the disciples telling them that that is his blood that will be shed for the atonement of their sins. The Passover ceremony was commemorated by the Israelites for their escape from bondage in Egypt. In the book of exodus, the Israelites were asked to paint their door post with the blood of a lamb that was blemishing (Stag, 1962). The event resulted to plagues that forced pharaoh to release the Israelites after the death of the first-born. Therefore, Jesus used the day to celebrate with his disciples and remind them that his mission on earth is over. Jesus showed his disciples that he was the Lamb of God who will shed his blood for the atonement of their sins. The wine was served to the disciples four times during the last supper, which signified the redemption (Lietzmann, 2000). Notably, the first cup according to Jewish tradition was the sanctification cup; the second was the cup of judgment; the third was the redemption; while the last was the cup of kingdom. The three Gospel books, present a detailed description of the events that happened the night of the Last Supper. However, the book of Acts that was probably written before the other Gospels talks about the Supper but it puts emphasis on the theological basis of the event instead of giving details and background of the event (Stag, 1962). The Gospel of Luke, 22:19 contains some

Economic liberalization in Indonesia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Economic liberalization in Indonesia - Essay Example Custom clearance procedures and computerized documentation requirements have facilitated imports and exports although registration of importers has remained a major requirement. The Customs Directorate of the Ministry of Finance has also implemented a post-entry audit system, which relies primarily on verification and auditing rather than inspection to monitor compliance. A paper less electronic data interchange system that links importers, banks, and customs was also introduced and is slowly being adopted (Trade Regulations and Standards). Import tariff has also been considerably reduced and it now ranges from 5% to 30% with a major exception applied to all imported distilled spirits which has a 170% duty applied to it. A 10%VAT is applied to import goods, and luxury goods are subjected to a luxury tax ranging from 20% to 35%. Several free foreign trade zones have been opened which makes it more convenient for importers and exporters to do trading business. Prohibited imports are ex plicitly stated in their policies, emphasizing the non-acceptance of labels in Chinese languages even Indonesian dialects. As for administrative fees applied to import goods, additional fee is required for licensing, storages and warehouses, while anti-dumping, countervailing and excise duties are collected if applicable. An import license approved by the Minister of Industry and Trade is a must before any product importation is allowed. The main documents required at the import level are Commercial Invoice, Certificate of Origin and the Bill of Lading. They have shipping restrictions wherein all import and export products must be carried out on Indonesian vessels. The local currency is rupiah but the American Dollar is most recommended for currency exchange control. Indonesia also supports the agreement on subsidies and countervailing measures. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics in Jakarta, Indonesia, promising areas for investment/joint ventures/services include oil and gas, manpower and engineering consultancy services for the petroleum industry, mining, plantation products, IT education and services, ports and railways, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals and education (both School and University). The above mentioned trading policies are encouraging signs that the Indonesian government is truly supporting its trading business as it is beneficial to their own economic growth. However, there are many factors to be put into consideration such as too much leeway given too soon may give justified cause to the growing opposition against liberal trade among the locals which could cause instability and unpredictability, however minimal, to future transactions. Indonesia also needs to work on a lot of its policies to make it a haven for trading business. Bureaucratic red tape still exists, as is common to many countries, and this could cause hassles in the application of import licensing. It is apparent that they are striving for transparency which is crucial in a business relationship but this, too, needs to be worked at.

Linux Enterprise Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Linux Enterprise Study - Essay Example Linux was first developed by Linus Torvalds in 1991. Linux is a UNIX-like operating system that is available in the form of open source with commitments from a number of application developers and the two large technology giants - RED HAT (http://www.redhat.com/) and NOVELL (http://www.novell.com/linux/). IBM has partnered with both Red Hat and Novell to develop the widest range of solution in the world. They have more than 600 developers dedicated to developing solutions on Linux platform (http://www-03.ibm.com/linux/). This paper presents a detailed understanding of Linux Enterprise System, its capabilities in a Networked environment and its application in the global IT market. The paper will cover the architecture, process of deployment, Innovations by Red Hat, popular applications, embedded applications and global acceptance of Linux Enterprise. Linux is one of the most popular systems in the world of open-source software systems. The global commitment to this open source operating system is extremely high. The concept of Open Source is that the basic kernel and other infrastructure components are available free that can then be used by organizations to apply customizations and build solutions to be sold in the market at a price. Hence Linux from Red Hat and Novel SUSE comes at a cost. The Linux is available freely at www.linux.org. Many high end software applications and RDBMS systems are developed on Linux that are running business critical IT systems for Customers. A list of applications supported on Linux is available at http://www.linux.org/apps/. A number of other open source platforms are developed on Linux platform which are today very popular in the commercial world. The most prominent among them are PHP (for application end coding), MySQL (RDBMS) and Apache (Web Server) (http://www.php.net/, http://www.mysql.com/, http://www.apache.org/). These open source platforms are again widely used in the global market just like Linux. These platforms are used by a number of companies to package and sell software applications for businesses. In addition, a number of hardware companies have developed hardware based solutions with embedded Linux. Some of the examples of widely used devices with embedded Linux are Barracuda Ani-Spam solutions and Sonicwall Firewall. The site http://www.linuxdevices.com presents a wide range of devices that use embedded linux as the core operating system. Linux Enterprise System Architecture Linux is a 32 bit & 64 bit operating system that is available on a wide range of hardware platforms - Intel, SUN Sparc, Power-PC, and Digital Alpha. The Linux on Digital Alpha is available in 32 bit as well as 64 bit variants. Linux has a kernel system that is similar to that of Unix. It has multi-tasking, multi-user and multi-processing support just like any other Server based Operating

Ready to Die Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ready to Die - Essay Example I believe it is crucial for the living to use part of their health time and energy in preparing for death. There are various ways to prepare for death as exemplified by Nicholson and Freeman in the movie ‘Bucket List’ (Knox, 2007). One of the ways to prepare for oneself death is thinking about it. We should have brief moments possibly in a day and reflect on what can happen if death occurs. I do not mean we dwell on death but to appreciate the reality about it and live fully while knowing it will happen. People can embrace life after realizing they have limited time in the world. Nicholson and Freeman opted to enjoy life after accepting that the death is a reality. They believed that it was awaiting them, and as a result, stopped staying in the hospital beds with agony. I also think we should make a ‘bucket list’ as one way of preparing for our death. ‘Bucket list’ involves having a list of things we want to do, life experiences we want to achieve, and places we want to go. Nicholson and Freeman realized this very late; they had a long ‘bucket list’ despite having much wealth and less time (Knox, 2007). As evidenced by Nicholas and Freeman, we do not carry with us material possession and hence we should utilize the resources we have in meeting our objectives. We should not allow death to scare and bar us from enjoying life, instead, we are supposed to use it as a wake-up call to maximize our limited time in the world. In addition, people should write their last statement and will instead of fearing to think about death that may result from our cultural beliefs. The last statement and will are used to designate what will happen to our properties and guardianship of our children. Many properties get lost when one dies without leaving a documented will. Lack of a documented will may also lead to occurrence of conflicts among the left relatives. For

Financial Reporting and Analysis Literature review

Financial Reporting and Analysis - Literature review Example The company should try to increase this net profit in the future as it has fallen below the industry’s operating profit margin of 19%. Return on capital employed is way below the industry average for the company. It is 9.8% in 2009 which is very low. Although it has increased slowly to 10.83% in 2010, it is still way below the industry average of 20%. The company must try to increase this return drastically in the future by decreasing their liabilities. The company’s Return on equity measures the efficiency at generating profits from every unit of shareholder’s equity (BRIGHAM, Eugene F. and Ehrhardt, Michael C., 2010). The company’s Return on equity shows how well a company uses investment funds to generate earnings growth (CORREIA, Carlos et al., 2007). And the company’s Return on equity has increased from 2009-2010 from 5.27%-6.12% which is a very good sign but it is still on the low side. The Company’s return on the asset is neither too high nor too low. It is 8.86% in 2009 and has just increased slightly to 9.89% in 2010. Although, an increase is a good sign but the company must try and further increase this ratio in the ratio by decreasing their asset usage and to increase their net profit even further. Liquidity ratios illustrate the company’s ability to pay off obligations in the short term (CHANDRA, Prasanna, 2008). Current asset ratio and acid-test ratio are observed closely when liquidity is in question. The company is in a fairly good position in both of these parameters. The current ratio of the company has increased drastically from 1.46 in 2009 to 2.73 in 2010. In 2010 it is above the industry average of 2.5 which is a good sign for the company. It shows that a fair amount of assets are available to finance the liabilities of the company and that a company can pay off its short term liabilities quite easily. The Quick

Adam Smith and Karl Marx - Contrasting Views of Capitalism Research Paper

Adam Smith and Karl Marx - Contrasting Views of Capitalism - Research Paper Example Adam Smith was a great believer in individualistic abilities and in an economic system that was not directed but guided by an invisible hand. That was the system of classes- faire. Under classic- faire production and distribution among classes is all automatic. Smith’s idea was that government expenditure should be dominated by military procurements and rest of the expenditures and procurement should be automatic as individuals and institutions were capable of meeting the consumable and other demands. Interestingly, Adam Smith never used the terms lassis- faire and capitalism, though he was aware of the implications of these terms. Adam Smith believed that consumption creates demand and necessity to produce. Production will not take place unless there are raw material and demand for the product. â€Å"Prior to the industrial revolution, production of goods hinged on work completed by human hands. Today machines have replaced much of human capital, but that is not to say that human labour is not currently an important part of a production.† (LT, 2006)i. Even Marx realized that human capital is required to produce, though human capital does not have the capacity to bargain because of their being in surplus Karl Marx is very straightforward in his views on capitalism. He says there are only two classes of the society and these classes are in direct competition with each other. One class is of BOURGEOISIE and the other class is PROLETARIAT. According to Karl Marx, there is no middle class, and the proletariat is the exploited class in capitalism. Proletariat class is a class of labourer who finds work so long as their work increases the capital. There will not be any work when labourer stops adding to the capital under the state of capitalism. Capitalism does not regard proletariat as a class of people, and that is why they are exploited the most just to add to the capital. As per Alan W Erlt (2007) â€Å"Marx saw capitalism not as an institution and not as a result of organic economic laws, but as a phase of in the evolution of modern human society.† (page 314)     

Modern technology Essay Example for Free

Modern technology Essay Technology has become a very important part of our lives nowadays. During the past few years, technology has evolved in many ways and is probably without a doubt better than ever before. People are always trying to find something new that will improve our lives dramatically. Some of the creations that have really changed our lives are the computer, telephone, internet and electronic mail, television, cell phone and voice mail. Everything has a positive and a negative effect on our lives and so does technology. Technology may be very helpful but it can sometimes be very harmful. In our modern society, people cant see themselves without computers. Computers have evolved so much during the past years. They used to be bulky, expensive and not very reliable machine but nowadays there are fast, small and affordable and nearly every family has a computer. With computers you can browse over the internet and look for information about a subject instead of having to do read books at the library or read the newspaper. Nowadays mostly everything is available on the internet. You can even do your Christmas shopping over the internet instead of having to spend a long time waiting at the malls. Electronic mails can be sent over a network and its much faster and takes up less time than to have to write a letter and then send it and the person would have to wait a day or more to get your letter. Cell phones are also very useful gadgets as people can reach you wherever you are. In case of emergency people can contact you even if youre not at home. When you have a computer you can just store your files on your hard drive and it can be retrieved at any time. Its also much easier to type something than to handwrite as if you make a mistake white-out doesnt have to be used as you can edit your whenever you want before printing it. Machines can also be programmed to answer the phone for you whenever youre not here or you dont want to take the call because youre too tired to do it. Technology has helped the NASA in various ways. They have discovered new planets, found out interesting facts about them like what are they made of or is there air and water on that planet. As you can see technology does have various advantages and it would be pretty much impossible to live without technology nowadays. Ever since the beginning, technology always had disadvantages. Although  computers are very useful machines, hackers can enter your computer and access private information for example your bank account without you even noticing it. They can copy your password and later on use it to take money from your account without any permission. Computer viruses are also very dangerous as it can destroy your data completely and you may even have to buy a new computer afterwards as the damage cant be repaired. People are starting to lose their communication skills because most of the things are now done on the computer. People who dont have enough knowledge in computers are having more and more trouble to find a good job even if they have other qualifications. In chat rooms, older people usually make young teenagers believe that theyre the same age as them and sometimes ask them to meet them at some place before kid-knapping them or doing something else that will harm them. These things show that technology has some disadvantages if it is used in a harmful way. Technology has some advantages and disadvantages. People should know what theyre doing and they should know how to protect themselves from hackers and harmful programs. Anti-viruses should be used as well as firewalls for protection. Before actually meeting someone that youve talked to over the internet you should be completely sure that he/she didnt lie to you because it could end up very badly for you. Teenagers should not always listen to the media because sometimes the media only tells you something so that they can make money out of it and in return you hardly gain anything. Technology has become part of our daily lives and the question is how far will technology go?

External Threats That Face Coca Cola Commerce Essay

External Threats That Face Coca Cola Commerce Essay The report provides a detailed analysis of the external environmental threats of coca cola as well as how it monitors its environment to deter all the possible threats that may exist /arise there from, to enable it maintain a competitive position over its key competitors in the persistent shrinking business world with its attendant intense and unbridled competition. This report, in a bid to review of the current monitoring system of coca-cola, will take a problem/solution approach. This approach will help find out threatening environmental factors that affect decision making, and strategy formulation and the actualisation of the strategic intent of the coca-cola, such as economic regulations, tax changes, new laws, trade barriers, demographic change, and government policy changes among others. Books, articles, journals and periodicals were reviewed, internet sources were also visited, to elicit information. The major threat identified were more of environmental, arising majorly from its sludge which was alleged to contain a high level of toxic chemicals, including cadmium and lead, both of which can be harmful to human and plants. The case of coca-cola plant in Perumatti in the southern state of Kerala in India was used as a case study. Amidst these threats, key areas of opportunities for coca-cola were also identified. An epitome of this is its partnership with International Olympic Committee ( IOC) since 1928 and its recent renewal till 2020, covering a 12 -year pact from the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games through the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, the London 2012 Olympic Games, the Sochi 2014 Olympic. (http://www2.coca-cola.com/ ) Considering the level of uncertainty and changing circumstances in the international business arena, especially in the face of the looming economic down-turn, the report, proffered the following recommendations: The use of environmental impact assessment , both before building a plant and afterwards. development of daily/weekly/monthly reports which will keep it abreast of whats new and significant in the market especially at the street level. the use of scenario planning which will constantly keep the company informed about what is happening in its marketplace as well as the gap between where they are, and where they intend to be. The use of bench marking, to be able to find out the gap between what they are doing and those of their competitors. development of essential competitor information which includes statements on strategy, new product development, marketing initiatives and key appointments and expansion plans and capacity variations. development of spot pattern/ trends that will be able to identify weak signal and thus keep ahead of its competitors. INTRODUCTION Not only is coca cola the worlds largest beverage company, but in 200 nations ( with consumers enjoying an average of 1.6 billion servings a day), sells about 500 sparkling brands, including 4 of the top sellers (coca- cola, diet coke, sprite and fanta), sparkling beverages, juices, and ready to drink teas among others. (http://www2.coca-cola.com/ ) Established: 1886 with its official headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia Company Associates: 92,400 worldwide (as of December 31, 2008) New York Stock Exchange Ticker Symbol: KO Supporting Communities In 2007, The Coca-Cola Company and The Coca-Cola Foundation made charitable Contributions of $99 million to community initiatives worldwide. . (http://www2.coca-cola.com/ ) 2008 Financial Highlights: Our portfolio includes 13 billion dollar brands. Unit case volume grew 5% to 23.7 billion unit cases worldwide. Net operating revenues grew 11% to $31.9 billion. More than 70% of our net operating revenues and more than 75% of our unit case volume were generated outside of North America. (http://www2.coca-cola.com/ ) With reference to SWOT analysis, PESTLE analysis and Porters five competitive strategy, I am analysing the precarious regulations, tax laws, trade restrictions, tariff, demographic changes ,in the business environment of coca-cola and a review of the current monitoring system of the external environment as well as proffering a recommendation, with regards to what coke could do better, to maintain and its competitive rim over its competitors. THE EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT OF COCA-COLA USING SWOT ANALYSIS ITS STRENGHTS At the heart of strategic planning, is environmental scanning ; a process of studying the environment of the organization to pinpoint opportunities and threats(Mathis, R.L, and Jackson,J.H:47). To analyse coca-colas environment, i am going to use SWOT and PESTLE analysis tools as well as the Michael porters five of competitive strategy. This is so because, it is the developments in the macro business environment , relating to political, social, technological, etc that automatically create opportunities or threats and in turn, impact on the strategic development of coca-cola which may either bring success or mar its strategic intent. For coca-cola, matchless opportunities abounds, which cannot be delinked from its strengths in innovation and product line expansion aggressive advertisement and promotions. According to Morrison, J.(2006:130-1) coca- colas strength has been in the carbonated soft drinks market, served by its flagship brand, coke, and promoted by global advertising campaigns. This has helped it build a strong brand recognition and brand loyalty, which is created by sets of positive associations that links the collector to the brand, thus building a relationship of trust, likability and loyalty(Jones, J.P 1999:263).Coca-cola has built around all its brand some personality characteristics(ibid:253) which is not only unique but timeless. Coca-colas brand name is well known throughout 90% of the world today. Also of strength is the multi-local strategy which is in keeping with the companys changing markets. Through this, local managers are enabled to devise their own marketing strategies and choose the products from the cokes portfolio that are best suited to local tastes. Morrison, J.(2006:132) Its implication is that every community of consumers is recognized and carried along, and this goes a long way to make them more loyal to coca-cola amidst other producers of similar product. Another unequalled opportunity that coca -cola has is the long lasting historic bond with International Olympic Committee (IOC: (the organizers of the Games of each Olympiad, and approximately 200 National Olympic Committees around the world)) since 1928 and its recent renewal of this historic bond, through 2020 to cover the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games through the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, the London 2012 Olympic Games, the Sochi 2014 Olympic. (http://www2.coca-cola.com/ ) salt lake 2002 www.thecoca-colacompany.com The Coca-Cola Company is proud to be the longest continuous corporate partner of the Olympic Games WEAKNESSES: Amidst coca-colas reputation of innovation, and recent product line expansion, it is riddled with some weakness factors that pose some threats that can be detrimental to the organization if unchecked, such as; lack of continuity of workforce, negative publicity and communication among others. Negative publicity: Cokes flagship product; coca-cola classics is known to contain high levels of sugar and caffeine, contributing. In the recent times, this is causing uproar on the increasing health conscious world. Communication gap: Due to the complex size of the organization, there exists a communication gap between the superiors at the top of the hierarchy and their subordinates at the bottom of the ladder. In effect, conveying ideas about fixing problems that may occur on the street level may be delayed. Continuity of workforce: According to a 5 year employee of Kyle Hughes, Coke has a frustrating high turnover rate of retraining, averaging about 1, 600 sessions per annum. A PESTLE analysis will be done for a more understanding of the external environment of coca-cola. This will specifically look at how other external factors such as political, economic, social, technological, legal as well as environmental affect coca- cola. EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT OF COCA-COLA, USING PESTLE ANALYIS The analysis of coca-cola, using the PESTLE cannot be duly separated because these factors are inter-locked, and as such, a development in the environment, could affect the economic situation and as such call for political decisions to be taken, and vice versa. The political aspect of PESTLE looks at what is happening politically in the environment, the constraints the government has imposed or is likely to impose in future, Morrison, J.(2006:30) This may also include tax laws, trade restrictions, government reforms and tariff. According to a report on Guardian of August 7, 2006, government policy affected coke in Guyarat, Madhya, Pradesh and Rajas in India as the selling of coke was banned in government offices and educational institutions which was estimated to deprive coke of a potential market of 30 million house hold. The above assertion cannot be delinked from the environmental factors in which, it was perceived that the presence of coca-colas plant in perumatti in the southern Indian state of Kerala had brought untold hardship to the host community as it was estimated that coca-cola uses an average of 1 million liters of water for its production on daily basis, thereby bringing about drinking water scarcity in the area. This according to the Guardian report, the waste sludge from the cleaning of its bottles was also seem by local farmers as detrimental to their farm lands as it was perceived to contain high levels of lead and cadmium. And lead according to Paul Brown; an environmental correspondent, in Guardian of 25th July,(2003), is particularly bad for children, affecting their nervous system and cadmium if taken up by plants, is toxic to the kidneys and liver and can cause cancer. In the light of this therefore, the government resolved in public interest, not to renew its license which we ca n see has a political undertone. The economic aspect looks at what is happening within the economy, example, economic growth/decline, interest rates and inflation rates, etc.albeit, there has been an economic recession, coca-cola has been making constant profit as can been in the recent fourth quarter report that was published in some periodicals. Profit- $6.82bn ( £4.36bn) for 2009- a rise of 17% on the previous year Sales increase: 4% on coca-cola, 10% cokes zero brand 55% profit and 5% global sales. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8506495.stm) and Net operating revenue-:5%,$7.51 billion topping analyst forecast of 7.22 billion. (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/10/business/10coke.html) PORTERS FIVE COMPETITIVE FORCES Another strategy used by coca-cola to monitor its environment is the use of Michael Portes five theories. Michael Porter (1980) considers the external factors, that can impact upon an organizations competitive positioning, and thus identifies five competitive forces that govern the rule of competition and how the rules prevail in any organisation , both at home and at the global market.A comprehensive understanding the nature of each of these forces gives organisations the necessary insights to facilitate them to create the suitable strategies to be successful in their market. Porter further suggested that the relative strengths of these forces also determines the intensity of competition.These five forces are: Threat of new entrants; threat of substitutes/ replacement products; bargaining power of buyers; bargaining power of suppliers, and rivalries between firms of the same sector. THREAT OF NEW ENTRANTS Considering the brand loyalty, economies of scale, access to channels of distribution, etc, which coca-cola has acquired over the years, there is little or no threat for its products from new entrants into the non-alcoholic beverage sector. In the light of this, Coca-cola is place in a good competitive position. THREAT OF SUBSTITUTES/ REPLACEMENT PRODUCTS: Bargaining Power of Suppliers This is very low for coca-cola considering the fact that there are variety of sources from which it can source inputs from. In other words, the supplier chain for its raw materials is reliable, fast, and prices are negotiable. THREAT FROM COMPETITION Coca-cola is a matured and dominant player in the worldwide soft drink industry , with a strong brand loyalty. Albeit, there exist the cola wars, between coke and Pepsi, both of them basically share the entire soft drink market, making use of harsh marketing, advertising and promotion tactics and this often lead to hampering profits between the two soft drink war-lords. HOW DOES COCA-COLA MONITOR ITS EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT? An understanding that coca-cola does not operate in a vacuum has made it to continually scan its environment in order to find out or foresee likely environmental threats and thus develop appropriate responses to them. This has helped it to take advantage of its opportunities, and minimize threats and again, determines how it will achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. Certain models and frameworks that can be used for this purpose includes: Scenario planning, customer surveys/ opinion polls, bench marking, among others. Customer Surveys /Opinion polls: This is a strategy coke uses to find out the opinion consumer have about is products or other changes especially as it concerns its activities and those of its competitors. Over the years, coca-cola and Pepsi have been locked in fierce battles, sometimes described as the cola wars Shimp, T.A (2007:43). One sensational battle began in 1975 when the traditional coke was tested against Pepsi.( ibid) The result gotten informed a change in the cokes formula for more sweetness, the result was that the folks who liked old Coke went crazyso crazy that the Coca Cola Company decided to bring it back as Coke Classic. (http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-3961611.html) Scenario Planning: Scenarios are realistic descriptions of the organisations possible futures that allow the scenario team to set aside its individual and organisational assumptions about how the external environment will operate and explore new ones (Ralston, B.2006:141) Coca-cola is constantly aware of the link between its strategy and the changing future, thus, itself for the ifà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦then probable future. This is exemplified it its mission statement, thus: the world is changing all around us. To continue to thrive as a business over the next ten years and beyond, we must look ahead, understand the trends and forces that will shape our business in the future and move swiftly to prepare for whats to come. We must get ready for tomorrow today. Thats what our 2020 Vision is all about. It creates a long-term destination for our business and provides us with a Roadmap for winning together with our bottler partners (http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/ourcompany/mission_vision_values.html) Benchmarking is the comparison of performance in one organisation or part of an organization against that in another, with a view to finding ways of improving performance. (Needle, D.2004:433) This avails the company the opportunity to take corrective measures actions. Recommendation It is recommended that coca- cola should take immediate action to launch and promote environmental impact assessment of locations before citing their plants for operations.coca-cola should also The International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA) defines an environmental impact assessment as the process of identifying, predicting, evaluating and mitigating the biophysical, social, and other relevant effects of development proposals prior to major decisions being taken and commitments made.[1]

Ofdm Techniques In Satellite Communications

Ofdm Techniques In Satellite Communications The concept of Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing was first proposed in 1960 and developed in the 70s .All bandpass modulation schemes use single carrier by adjusting frequency, phase or amplitude .As Digital transmission uses high Bandwidth (data rates), the duration of bit information becomes smaller. The system becomes more vulnerable to loss of information from impulse noise,signal reflections and other impairments. As the bandwidth used by a single carrier system, the vulnerability to interference from other continuous signal sources become greater. ORTHOGONAL FREQUENCY DIVISION MULTIPLEXING Modulation:-A mapping of the information on changes in the carrier phase, frequency or amplitude or combination. Multiplexing:-Method of sharing a bandwidth with other independent data channels. OFDM is a combination of both multiplexing and modulation. OFDM is a special case of FDM . In OFDM the signal is first split into independent carriers, modulated by data and then re-multiplexed to create a OFDM carrier. This can be done by using different modulation/demodulation techniques. The FDM systems requires a guard band between modulated subcarriers to prevent the spectrum of one subcarrier from interfering with another and not using bandwidth efficiently as in fig(i). If the FDM system uses a set of subcarriers that are orthogonal to each other. The use of orthogonal subcarriers would allow the subcarriers spectra to overlap,thus increasing spectral efficiency. As long as orthogonality is maintained, it is possible to recover the individual subcarriers signals despite their overlapping spectrums. . Fig(1): General representation of an FDM scheme with guard bands. Fig(2): Orthogonal FDM, eliminating the guard bands. OFDM can be implemented using the Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT). The sinusoids of the DFT form an orthogonal basis set, and a signal in the vector space of the DFT can be represented as a linear combination of the orthogonal sinusoids. One view of the DFT is that the transform essentially correlates its input signal with each of the sinusoidal basis functions. The OFDM signal can be a baseband signal or a band pass signal. For wired systems, due to the limited bandwidth of the wires, baseband OFDM signals are transmitted. For wireless communications, such as wireless local area network (WLAN) specified by IEEE 802.11a standard OFDM signal frequency bands are allocated in the RF frequency band. In this case, OFDM signals are generated in baseband first and up-converted to the RF band for transmission. Mathematically, the OFDM signal using the DFT/IDFT pair would be as shown [4]: DFT: X(k)=ÃŽ £n=0to(N-1) x(n) exp(-j2Ï€nk/N) IDFT: x(k)=(1/N) ÃŽ £n=0to(N-1) X(n) exp(j2Ï€nk/N) Figure (3): General block diagram of OFDM MULTIPATH CARRIERS As OFDM uses Multipath carriers they cause two problems Intersymbol Interference:-This occurs when the received OFDM is distorted by the previously transmitted OFDM symbol.Where as in single carrier the interfere is due to several other symbols instead of just the previous symbol. Intersymbol Interference can be removed by using guard interval. Intrasymbol Interference:-This occurs due to the interference amongst a given OFDM symbols own subcarriers. Fig(4): Performance evaluation of various modulation techniques with OFDM OFDM ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OFDM offers many advantages over single-carrier modulations [1]: The maximum signaling rate (Nyquist rate) for a given channel can be approached without the use of sharp cutoff filters. It elongates the symbol period so that the signal is more robust against inter symbol interference caused by channel dispersions and multipath interference. It divides the entire frequency band into narrow bands so that it is less sensitive to wide-band impulse noise and fast channel fades. The effect of a slow frequency-selective fade is a separate complex gain on each sub-band signal and it can be removed by simply multiplying the signal by the conjugate of the complex gain-that is, equalization can be easily done by a one-tap equalizer. Different modulation formats and data rates can be used on different subcarriers depending on the noise level of individual sub-bands (the symbol periods are kept the same). In serial transmission, certain types of noise (such as time varying tone interference) may cause an entire system to fail; the parallel OFDM system can avoid this problem by adaptively reducing the data rate of the affected sub-bands or dropping them. OFDM can be implemented digitally using an inverse discrete Fourier transform and discrete Fourier transform (IDFT/DFT) pair (via the efficient fast algorithm IFFT/FFT pair), which greatly reduces the system complexity. OFDM is based on a parallel data transmission scheme that reduces the effect of multipath fading and makes the use of complex equalizers unnecessary. OFDM achieves high spectral efficiency by allowing the sub-carriers to overlap in the frequency domain. The sub-carriers are made orthogonal to each other therefore there is no Inter-Carrier Interference. If the number of sub-carriers in N, the total bandwidth required is BWtotal=(N+1)/Ts. For large values of N, the total bandwidth required can be approximated as BWtotal=(N)/Ts. On the other hand, the bandwidth required for single carrier transmission of the same data is BWtotal=(2N)/Ts. Thus we achieve a spectral gain of nearly 100% in OFDM compared to the single carrier transmission case. OFDM also have DISADVANTAGES over single carrier modulation systems The OFDM signal has a noise like amplitude with a very large dynamic range, therefore it requires RF power amplifiers with a high peak to average power ratio. It is more sensitive to carrier frequency offset and drift than single carrier systems are due to leakage of the DFT. High sensitivity to synchronization errors. Nonlinear effects generated by the power amplifier may introduce inter carrier interference and thus destroy the orthogonality. Larger sidelobes may result in sensitivity to frequency. APPLICATIONS OF OFDM Wireless LAN Applications HIPERLAN/2 HIPERLAN/2 is a Wireless LAN application defined by the ETSI. HIPERLAN/2 handles data rates between 6-54 Mbit/s. HIPERLAN/2 provides a DLC layer on top of which an IP based broadband network can be implemented. The Physical layer of HIPERLAN/2 is based on the Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) modulation scheme. The Numerical Values of OFDM parameters in HIPERLAN are given below: Parameter Value Sampling rate fs=1/T 20 MHz Symbol part duration TU 64*T 3,2  µs Cyclic prefix duration TCP 16*T, 0,8  µs (mandatory); 8*T, 0,4  µs (optional) Symbol interval TS 80*T, 4,0  µs (TU+TCP) ; 72*T, 3,6  µs (TU+TCP) Number of data sub-carriers NSD 48 Number of pilot sub-carriers NSP 4 Sub-carrier spacing à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬Å¾f 0.3125 MHz (1/TU) Spacing between the two outmost sub-carriers 16.25 MHz (NST*à ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬Å¾f) IEEE 802.11 The IEEE 802.11 committee has a standard similar to the HIPERLAN. Its OFDM parameters are as shown below: Data Rate 6,9,12,18,24,36,48,54 Mbps Modulation BPSK, QPSK, 16-QAM, 64 QAM Coding Rate 1/2, 2/3,3/4 No of Sub-Carriers 52 No of pilots 4 OFDM Symbol Duration 4 us Guard Interval 800 ns Sub-Carrier Spacing 312.5 kHz 3 dB bandwidth 16.56 MHz Channel Spacing 20 MHz Satellite Communication applications Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) Digital Audio Broadcasting is a new multimedia technology, with a good sound quality and better spectrum efficiency. The DAB system samples audio at a sample rate of 48 kHz and a resolution of 22 bits. Then the data is compressed to between 32 and 384 kbps. A rate  ¼ convolution code is used with constraint length 7. The total data rate is about 2.2 Mbps. The frame time is 24ms. QPSK modulation is performed at the transmitter. The advantage of using OFDM for DAB is that the OFDM suffers very little delay spread and has high spectral efficiency. Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB-T) Digital Video Broadcasting is an ETSI standard for broadcasting Digital Television over satellites, cables and through terrestrial (wireless) transmission. Terrestrial DVB operates in either of 2 modes called 2k and 8k modes with 1705 carriers and 6817 carriers respectively. It uses QPSK, 16-QAM or 64-QAM subcarrier modulations. It also uses pilot subcarrier for recovering amplitude and phase for coherent demodulation The major use of OFDM can be observed when multiple techniques can be transmitted and received at the same time. This can be done with the help of MIMO OFDM. The transmitted signal will be received by various VSAT networks based on the corresponding frequencies. Further, processing of this signal and error corrections, the original signal is retrieved. For example, consider that a DAB, DVB and other geological information is received by various antennas as shown in the figure. NEWEST RESEARCH AND FUTURE TRENDS OF OFDM One of the methods developed in the recent years is that the convolutional coding (CC) and trellis coded modulation (TCM) are combined with OFDM for a Rician fading channel according to the specifications given by the Iridium system. Here, the bit error rate (BER) performance of OFDM with 8-PSK and 16-QAM modulation techniques along with two different coding schemes are considered for a LEO satellite channel. Trellis coded OFDM gives the best performance compared to convolutional coded OFDM. The peak to average power ratio (PAPR) can be reduced approximately by 1.5 dB with the help of the partial transmit sequence technique (PTS). Later, some more research and simulation results proved that the Turbo Coded (TC) OFDM performed better than CC or TCM with OFDM [6]. Satellite mobile systems are developed to provide connectivity between remote terrestrial networks, direct network access, Internet services using fixed or mobile terminals, interactive multimedia applications, and high data-rate transmissions. Most of these research and development scenarios have considered the Non-Geo Stationary Satellite (NGSO) network for providing satellite-based mobile multimedia services because of its low propagation delay and low path loss. As a result, new generations of broadband satellite communication systems are currently being developed to support multimedia and Internet-based applications. For example, the Spaceway system provides downlink transmission rates of up to 100 Mbps, and a total capacity of up to 4.4 Gbps. In order to significantly increase the capacity of 4G broadband satellite systems, current research aims at developing new advanced technologies [5]. In the wireless system, OFDM is the main basis for several television and radio broadcast applications, including the European digital audio broadcasting (DAB) and high-definition TV (HDTV) terrestrial broadcasting as well as North American digital radio broadcasting. By the beginning of the 21st century, OFDM has been adopted as standard for new high-rate wireless local area network (WLAN), such as IEEE 802.11, HIPERLAN II, as well as the Japanese Multimedia Mobile Access Communications (MMAC). Currently, many researches are underway to devolve an OFDM-based system to deliver mobile broadband data service at data rates comparable to those of wired services, such as DSL and cable modems. Moreover, OFDM technology is a very attractive candidate when targeting high quality and high flexibility in mobile multimedia communications over satellite systems [6]. When the research interest is in the integration process of 3G terrestrial systems with the satellite domain, the conventional frequency division MAS (FDMA) system looses its flavor in competing with the code division MAS (CDMA) and time division MAS (TDMA)-based systems for its very high bandwidth (BW) requirement. Moreover, in satellite systems, it is shown that CDMA system outperforms the FDMA system when diversity is taken in to account. In this case, OFDM replaces FDMA with manifold advantages. Currently wideband CDMA (W-CDMA) and OFDM/TDMA techniques are successfully in use in terrestrial mobile multimedia systems. Therefore, these two Multiple Access schemes (MASs) are getting considerable attention [7] in mobile multimedia communications for Non-Geo Stationary Satellite interface.

Analysis of Royal Caribbean Internationals Operations in Singapore Ess

1. Introduction Deep-sea passenger transportation are amongst the most rapidly growing and evolving sectors in the hospitality industry(Wie, 2004, Douglas et al., 2010). As such, there underscores the need for strategy development to ensure the long-term success of firms in this industry. This report would focus on Royal Caribbean International's operations in Singapore, and analyze it based on its external and internal environments, while concluding with a recommendation of strategies that could be adopted as part of the organization's long-term strategic trajectory. Founded in 1968, the firm is part of the Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. which provides one-stop vacation services that includes hotel, dining and entertainment. Additionally, land tours, stopovers and airport transfer services have also been offered in recent years to maximize the customer experience(Royal Caribbean International, n.d.). 2. External Analysis 2.1 PESTLE Analysis Various academics have highlighted the critical role that the PESTLE framework plays in aiding organizations to analyze its external environment(Johnson et al., 2012; Senior and Swailes, 2010; Gomez-Mejia and Balkin, 2011). Political: Owing to the welcoming attitude maintained towards foreign firms, low levels of corruption, stable political climate, and good relations with neighboring countries (MarketLine, 2013), there is little political risk faced in Singapore. Economy: Singapore's economy is relatively stable and growing, albeit being slightly affected by global economic woes. As a whole, there are low levels of unemployment and GDP per capita is high(Worldbank,2013), hence implying more disposable income that nationals have to spend. Nonetheless, spurred on by soaring ... ... Recruiting in the Cruise Industry', Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality and Tourism, 9: 17-32 Gibson, P. and Papathanassis, A. (2010): 'The Cruise Industry – Emerging Issues, Problems and Solutions: Review of the 2nd International Cruise Conference, Plymouth, UK, 18-20 February 2010', International Journal of Tourism Research, 12: 405-7 Thor, J.C. and Barclay, L.A. (2012): 'Art Auctions on the High Seas', Journal of Critical Incidents, 5: 59-61 Wei, Y., Samiee, S., and Lee, R.P. (2014): 'The Influence of Organic Organizational Cultures, Market Responsiveness, and Product Strategy on Firm Performance in An Emerging Market', Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 42: 49-70 Wilson, R.H. (2012): 'The Legal Strategy of the Cruise Industry: An Effective Use of Terms and Conditions to Manage Disputes', Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 53(4): 347-56

rights of a woman Essay -- essays research papers

In her article â€Å"Women’s History† Joan Scott states that it is important for historians to be attentive to both â€Å"the ways in which politics constructs gender and gender constructs politics†. First, definitions for politics and gender will be established in order to analyze Scott’s claim. Second, what Scott meant by the claim â€Å"politics constructs gender† will be illustrated. Third, the contradictory claim â€Å"gender constructs politics† by Joan Scott will be explained. Finally, this paper will evaluate why it is important for historians to be attentive to both the notion that politics constructs gender and gender constructs politics. The usefulness of Scott’s claim on our understanding of both politics and gender will also be examined. The point that Scott was trying to get across in stating that historians should be attentive to the circular claim that â€Å"politics constructs gender and gender constructs politicsâ⠂¬  is that an incomplete history will be recorded if both sides of the equation are not considered hand in hand. To portray why Joan Scott believes it is important for historians to be cognizant of both gender’s effect on politics and politics effect on gender we must first establish what Joan Scott’s definitions of gender and politics are. Gender has many definitions that have been developed through the numerous approaches to history and the many other social sciences. The basic debate in defining gender is at what point is the distinction made between the natural (sex) and the cultural (gender). Gayle Rubin’s definition in â€Å"The Traffic in Women: Notes on the ‘Political Economy’ of Sex† is that â€Å"sex† is the raw material on which culture uses to produce â€Å"gender† and that gender is the cultural expectations of the differences between men and women. The important aspect of the definition of gender is that it is culturally defined and does not remain static over time. As society adjusts, so do its definitions of gender. Politics is the other key word in Scott’s statement that must be defined. Politics, according to Scott in â€Å"Women’s History†, is not just formal government but all relationships involving unequal distributions of power. Scott uses this broad definition of politics in order to explain the â€Å"cultural determination of the terms of sexual difference†. In other words this definition allows for a more complete explanation of what has shaped society’s e... ...he role of historians should be to record history and its significance. The third reason historians should look at the relationship between politics and gender is that if historians only look at the way formal politics shapes gender then a black and white picture of gender is portrayed. If a broad definition of politics is used, such as the one used by Joan Scott, then â€Å"arguments about the separate and distinctive qualities of women’s character and experience† can be avoided. As a result a clearer picture of history will be drawn that does not rely on â€Å"fixed distinctions† that have been made between the genders over time and in the present. Finally, by paying attention to the idea that gender and politics have an effect on one another we can get a clearer picture of where women’s history fits into the history books. In conclusion, Scott’s claim that historians should be attentive to both the ways in which gender constructs politics and politics constructs gender is a thought provoking comment that must be considered if an accurate and unbiased history is to be produced. Politics and gender are both socially construed notions and by definition will have an influence on one another.

The Primitive Nature of Man Revealed in Lord of the Flies :: Lord Flies Essays

The Primitive Nature of Man Revealed in Lord of the Flies      Ã‚  Ã‚   A running theme in Lord of the Flies is that man is savage at heart, always ultimately reverting back to an evil and primitive nature. The cycle of man's rise to power, or righteousness, and his inevitable fall from grace is an important point that book proves again and again, often comparing man with characters from the Bible to give a more vivid picture of his descent. Lord Of The Flies symbolizes this fall in different manners, ranging from the illustration of the mentality of actual primitive man to the reflections of a corrupt seaman in purgatory.    The novel is the story of a group of boys of different backgrounds who are marooned on an unknown island when their plane crashes. As the boys try to organize and formulate a plan to get rescued, they begin to separate and as a result of the dissension a band of savage tribal hunters is formed. Eventually the "stranded boys in Lord of the Flies almost entirely shake off civilized behavior: (Riley 1: 119). When the confusion finally leads to a manhunt [for Ralph], the reader realizes that despite the strong sense of British character and civility that has been instilled in the youth throughout their lives, the boys have backpedaled and shown the underlying savage side existent in all humans. "Golding senses that institutions and order imposed from without are temporary, but man's irrationality and urge for destruction are enduring" (Riley 1: 119).    The novel shows the reader how easy it is to revert back to the evil nature inherent in man. If a group of well-conditioned school boys can ultimately wind up committing various extreme travesties, one can imagine what adults, leaders of society, are capable of doing under the pressures of trying to maintain world relations. Lord of the Flies' apprehension of evil is such that it touches the nerve of contemporary horror as no English novel of its time has done; it takes us, through symbolism, into a world of active, proliferating evil which is seen, one feels, as the natural condition of man and which is bound to remind the reader of the vilest manifestations of Nazi regression (Riley 1: 120).    In the novel, Simon is a peaceful lad who tries to show the boys that there is no monster on the island except the fears that the boys have.

Albert Einstein

He later moved to Italy where he got kicked UT of school because he was setting a bad example to other students despite his fascination in Math. After leaving school he decided to become a math teacher to support him in his studies of math and physics. In 1896 he entered the Swiss Federal Polytechnic School in Zurich, Switzerland to train to become a teacher in physics and mathematics. He failed the first attempt but passed the next year and gained his diploma, and accepted a position as a technical assistant in the Swiss Patent Office.In 1905 he obtained his doctors degree, ND was also the year he published four of his most influential research papers. One including his world famous equation e=Mac that unlocked mysteries of the universe unknown. Later in 1914 he was appointed Director of the Kaiser Wilhelm Physical Institute and became professor in the University of Berlin. Ten years later in 1915 Einstein completed his general theory of relativity, and in 1921 he was awarded the no ble peace prize for Physics. It launched him international fame and he was thought a genius all over the world.Later on in 1933 Einstein immigrated to America to become professor of Theoretical Physics at Princeton. He became a United States Citizen in 1940 and then retired in 1945. Einstein then died on April 18, 1955 at the age of 76, and donated his brain and vital organs to scientific study. Albert Einstein has several Scientific Contributions one of which is the Quantum Theory. He suggested that light doesn't travel in waves but as electric currents; from his theory inventors were able to develop television and movies.

Descartes Notion of the Mind/Body Problem in Relation to Free Will

Descartes nonion of the judgement/ torso puzzle in relation to withdraw bequeath Descartes took an extreme skeptical position by asking, What is impossible to doubt, even when trying to guess that everything is false? His answer was I think, on that pointfore I am which is Descartes almost illustrious cardinal-liner and is the one that condones his correspondence of the dualism stemma. The term dualism has a variety of uses in the history of dispositionion. In general, the idea is that, for some articulationicular do chief(prenominal), in that location be deuce funda aff commensurate kinds or categories of things or principles.In the philosophy of brain, dualism is the theory that the mental and the forcible or promontory and consistence ar, in some sense, radically contrastive kinds of thing. The master(prenominal) discussion about dualism guides to break up from the assumption of the humanity of a visible world, and then ways of considering dividing lines for why the heading ignore non be treated as exclusively part of that somatogenetic world. According to cognitive content dualism, our head words and our bodies ar both discrete substances undefend competent of endureing apart.Descartes substance dualism was based in the printing that the universe consisted of dickens various kinds of substances that he called res extensa (physical things) and res cogitans (thinking things). In separate words, the essence of read/write head is vista while the essence of be is extension. This belief also leads to his assumption that Free entrust is self-evident. In early(a) words, if one is subject of doubting the execute upence of things learned finished bewilder even when some of these may be true, then it is obvious that we accommodate the impec dejectiontdom to disbelieve, hence free forget.The wide-cut argument can be abject down into seven steps (1) if I can go alongly and distinctly distinguish someth ing, then beau ideal makes something that personifys that corresponding to my clear and distinct perception, another(prenominal)(a)wise god would be a deceiver. (2) If I can distinctly and distinctly apprehend X and Y as bonk things whose principal attributes close apiece other, then God can make X and Y hold out apart from each other. (3) If X and Y can exist apart from each other (whether or not they sincerely do) then they be really distinct. 4) I can all the way and distinctly compass mind as a finish up thing to which extension does not pertain. (5) I can distinctly and distinctly savvy clay as a complete thing to which thought does not pertain. (6) Therefore, God could bring it about that mind and dust exist apart from each other. (7) Therefore, mind and organic structure are really distinct (SparkNotes Editors). This argument is clearly encounterable when we snap off it as is scann at the preceding(prenominal) line.In overall, what is most important to remember about the argument is if I am able to distinguish is because I exist, if I exist a divine being moldiness had created this thought on my mind, which would imply, that God make me able of perceiving mind and body as two completely separate substances If God allows me to perceive this two things separate, then it must be truth that mind and body exist apart from each other. The problem for Descartes is two-fold. First, if manhood are free, then that which is free is not subject to the laws of physics or res-extensa similar Descartes called the term.By definition all physical things are subject to the laws of physics. When we contrast these conditions of physical laws, and we are talking about the mind, it fails. The mind which is set forth as the source of leave alone, must be distinct from the body and must not be physical in the innate world. In other words, the presence of a mind allows human beings to transcend their physical bodies and be free. However, we nee d to be sensible that even is Descartes is leaded this separation of substances, he recognizes that the mind is affected by the body in certain special way.He would argue this by explaining the religious concept of the thought. Descartes complicates the simplistic look of mind-body by introducing instinct as part of mindful awareness. This self-coloured argument would get from mind-body problem to Mind, Body and Soul. The problem is that the unfluctuating attributes of the mind/body comply tend to square the attributes of the nous. The sense moves and feels in the body directly. The pineal secreter allows the mind and body to interact said Descartes, which was fixn slander lately. Descartes such as legion(predicate) other philosophers was a believer of the understanding.Plato for example, argued that, as the body is from the material world, the soul is from the world of ideas and is thus immortal. He believed the soul was temporarily unify with the body and would only be obscure at death, when it would return to the world of Forms. Since the soul does not exist in while and space, as the body does, it can nark universal truths. For Plato, ideas are the true reality, and are experienced by the soul. The body is for Plato abandon in that it cannot access the abstract reality of the world it can only experience shadows.Aristotle, said, It is not necessary to ask whether soul and body are one, just as it is not necessary to ask whether the lift and its shape are one, nor generally whether the thing of each thing and that of which it is the matter are one. For even if one and being are spoken of in several ways, what is right so spoken of is the actuality in overall, the soul is a property exhibited by the body, one among many. Moreover, Aristotle proposed that when the body perishes, so does the soul, just as the shape of a building pig out disappears with destruction of the block.On the other hand, Descartes said, My view is that this g land is the principal seat of the soul, and the place in which all our thoughts are formed. This previous sentence definitely proves Descartes belief in the human soul and his matter to of ground it and explains it thru his buy the farms at the same time. Descartes reason out his argument saying that Since we can clearly and distinctly perceive of mind without body and of body without mind, God can bring it about that mind can exist without body and body without mind. In other words, they are really distinct- Rene Descartes.Now, that we understand the mind-body argument from Descartes perspective, we can explain how he relates these two substances with the efficiency every human being free depart. After the Scholastics, Descartes starts the conception of go away and sayed that the main cleverness of the mind is the ability of free will. In other words, for Descartes the essence of the mind consists of thought. Now, we found that the main focus of the argument is not the mi nd body argument, but the significance that Descartes gives to free will in his work. First thing, is to understand the significance and real purpose of the will.The wills interoperable function consist in competitiveness the passions which means that we are literally able to control any action that we do, because we deem freedom of choice. The argument here would be that the will is just the mind in its active capacity so the run of all mental faculties ( thought, imagination, memory, and sense perception) are dependent on the will (Ferguson). I truly believe that studying and understanding Descartes study of the will would resolve many of the gaps that philosopher had left on the way.Finally, we have got to the study argument of the paper that is explained how Descartes argument of mind-body is stringently relate with humans free will. Everything begins with the claim made by Descartes in his surmisal II, in which he affirms that voluntary, affirming, and denying is what ga ve us authoritative freedom. Whenever we are aware of something, we are uncoerced something, simple(a) as that. Descartes concept of will is very cautious and quite interest if one put himself of herself to understanding it.To explain this, Descartes begin by explain what is the ground and how it relate and differ from the concept of will. Descartes mingled treatment of freedom is due to the complexness of the subject matter, which even with it difficulties it is pretty telling and interesting. For Descartes, the will (which implies freedom) is dependent on the intellect for its functioning. In other words, without an idea there is nothing in which we can take a stand. Willing is just nothing but a way of thinking will is infinite, while intellect is finite.The intellect is finite and limited because there are varying degrees at which perceptions and understanding can function. For example, some of us have super analysis ability while other can just do simple understanding. The will, on the other hand, is infinite because its capacity is not a matter of degree. My ability of having free will, make me able to affirm or deny any bid put to me by my intellect alone. From Descartes perspective, God has given us a will which has no limits and that can be dependent. moot or not the will and the intellect are interacting most of the time.This is why Descartes emphasizes the one of the mind as the faculty of intimacy which he called pure intellect. However, the main focus is the interaction of the will with the soul on the one hand, and with the body, on the other. In conclusion, Descartes presented us a mind body problem from a Christian perspective, which had a purpose of affirmed the existence of the two substances, res-extensa and res cogitans completely separate from each other. To explain this, He described the mind as the source of will that must be distinct from the body and the physical world.We cannot will anything without understanding what ar e we willing and if we get a little heavyset into this thought is quite easy to make sense to it. We cannot leave behind any that Descartes, showed a strong concern to show his belief in the human soul while he would try to prove the existence of God, and even of himself. This would turn the undivided argument to Mind, Body and soul, which is the real Christian perspective. In overall, he claimed that soul cannot exist in time and space and that the attributes of the mind-body combine are the one that truly determine the attributes of the soul.Descartes began his explanation of the concept of will by affirming that the main ability of the mind is the ability of free will. Will, in other words, is the whole mind in its active capacity. To die hard this statement Descartes used many concepts in relation that in his theory, they all work together to make free will happen. By having theorical functions, practical functions, actions caused by the soul, and a strong direct relation wi th the mind-body problem, I truly believe that Descartes purpose of explaining his concern of the concept of will was well clearly done. Work CitedMihali, Andreea. Descartes Concept of Will. Wilfrid Laurier University (Canada), 2007. Canada ProQuest. Web. 11 Apr. 2013. Ferguson, Christopher J. Free Will An Automatic Response. American Psychologist 55. 7 (2000) 762-763. PsycARTICLES. Web. 12 Apr. 2013. SparkNotes Editors. SparkNote on Principles of Philosophy. SparkNotes. com. SparkNotes LLC. n. d.. Web. 14 Mar. 2013. Marias, Julian. memorial of Philosophy. New York Dover Publications Inc. , 196721. 210-222. Print. Angeles, Peter. The Harper collins Dictionary Philosphy. 2nd. United States Harper collins Publishers, Print.