The Alchemist

Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist: Following your dream is no easy task. Thesis Statement: Paulo Coelho’s book, The Alchemist (1988), demonstrates a boy named Santiago following his dream, also known as his â€Å"Personal Legend†, and encounters various obstacles, which will convey him to what he will become. The connection made by Paulo Coelho in this manuscript was, all that is around him will eventually assist the effort made by the individual (Santiago). Paulo Coelho reveals many spiritual/religious references tied with the acts and decisions of Santiago, and how they guide him, and how he follows them up to obtain his desired dream.Introduction: An old man that he had met in his village awakes Santiago, a young shepherd. Awoken in the sense that this man declared he was a King, and had inspired Santiago to follow his â€Å"Personal Legend†, basically, his dream, and had served knowledge to this young fellow. Throughout Santiago’s journeys, good omens had ma de him pursue his goal. The shepherd encounters various strangers, which help him, willingly or not, to chase his goal. During his quest, he awakes various senses he never had before, such as profound wisdom, communicating with nature, a spiritual connection with God, and the art of Alchemy.Santiago constantly takes life-threatening risks, which are considered challenges in the face of God. Throughout his whole journey, Santiago persistently follows his one and only reason of being, his dream, which is to find the treasure he dreamed of as a shepherd, and throughout his whole adventure, every little detail that crossed him, every lesson that he had been taught, with or without words, the soul of the world that he understood to communicate with, every little detail had defined his true treasure. Body Essay: As pointed out, Santiago was a dream chaser, he wanted to discover his Personal Legend†, what pushed him to do so was a wise old king Melchizedek. The fact that a King would speak to a shepherd is very odd, although the King was doing it for several reasons, it may include the fact that he wanted to make other people realize and drive them to know their â€Å"Personal Legend† as shown: â€Å"Why would a king be talking with a shepherd? † the boy asked, awed and embarrassed. â€Å"For several reasons. But let’s say that the most important is that you have succeeded in discovering your Personal Legend. † (21) This explains how the king is trying to help the Santiago realize his reason of life.As stated previously, he had overcome an obstacle that had given him patience, wisdom, and a lesson. He necessitated to understand that everything had a soul, which when he was an apprentice crystal merchant, had taught him these qualities. â€Å"Everything on earth is being continuously transformed, because the earth is alive . . . and it has a soul. We are part of that soul, so we rarely recognize that it is working for us. But in the crystal shop you probably realized that even the glasses were collaborating in your success. (79) This spiritual reference indicates that if he insisted on succeeding his dream, everything around him, conscious/unconscious will be of assistance to him. Long travels were endured by Santiago; yet, he was on the verge of giving up his â€Å"Personal Legend† for a woman, which is natural. The love he felt for Fatima, (the woman he loved), was an asset that pushed him to go further on and chasing his dream, yet, at the same time, it made him doubt the fact that if this was all worth the chase, the gamble of life and death. â€Å"During the third year, the omens will continue to speak of your treasure and your Personal Legend.You’ll walk around, night after night at the oasis, and Fatima will be unhappy because she’ll feel it was she who interrupted your quest. But you will love her, and she’ll return your love. You’ll remember that she never asked you to stay, because a woman of the desert knows that she must await her man. So you won’t blame her. But many times you’ll walk the sands of the desert, thinking that maybe you could have left . . . that you could have trusted more in your love for Fatima. Because what kept you at the oasis was your own fear that you might never come back. At that point, the omens will tell you that your treasure is buried forever. (120) Here is another example of the proverb shown in the book, â€Å"†¦when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it†, as which everything around him drives him to go further and pursuit his dream. He realized that his dream had shown him all these magnificent experiences; nothing would stop him at this point, even Santiago, a shepherd, a boy, did not fear death. His dream meant everything to him. Conclusion: Santiago, a simple shepherd, made it very far in life by just pursuing in an extremist way his true goal i n life, his Personal Legend.He had overcome every obstacle God and nature intended to test him with, and succeeded in a redeeming way. It is wonderful how Paulo Coelho shows that when you pursue what you love in life, everything around you, living or unconscious, will help you. Santiago proves bravery, strength, wisdom, patience, and various other qualities. It is astonishing how by doing things with love, and joy, you connect with the world and God. Santiago at this point, had completed his emptiness, he achieved his one true meaning, his dream and goal.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Essay

Literature is considered a mirror of the society. The pool of content in literary writing stems from the environment in which the writer is placed. A writer will use this environment to advance his/her views of the society and at the same time drive into the audience/readers important information that he/she wishes to pass. Hunter S. Thompson has used his creativity in the novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas written in the 1960s to reflect on American society with Las Vegas as the point of reference. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas describes the American society as hypocritical. The Duke and Gonzo attend a conference on narcotics and dangerous drugs. The theme of the conference is slated as an appeal for knowledge sharing on drugs between those with knowledge on drugs and those that do not. Their attendance is hypocritical in that they have already decided that they were not going to offer their services at the conference. Thompson on page 143 notes that Duke and Gonzo had made it clear that they would be crazy to try any teaching at the conference and they would rather sit and enjoy their drugs. Furthermore, the police who are tasked with law enforcement are also hypocritical, instead of enforcing laws on drugs and alcoholism they engage with criminals in committing crimes. This is illustrated by the police officer from Georgia. Secondly, the American society is as a blacked out society. Drugs, alcoholism and black market enterprises characterize a blacked out society. A black market society is a consumer based society characterized by both legal and illegal business the duke and the attorney are not drug dealers but heavy consumers. As soon as they get to Mint hotel the Attorney orders four shrimp cocktails, four club sandwiches, quart rum and fresh grape fruits. He says they will need to have all they can get. There stay in Las Vegas is characterized by heavy drug abuse and alcoholism. The sorry state of this vices forces the administration to organizes conference to tackle issues of drugs and alcohol dubbed In addition, Fear and Loathing Las Vegas reveals racist nature of the American military and the decay of moral values. This is portrayed in a copy of the Las Vegas Sun newspaper. â€Å"†¦she was just a slope anyway.† This is in reference to killing of Asiatic origin person. His killing is considered right for simple reason that he from the race of the enemy camp. A ‘slope’ referred to Asiatic community. The massive killings during the Vietnam War were ironically regarded as success by the American government. As the Duke continues to read the newspaper, a small article talks about how Mohammed Ali has a final appeal of a case in court which he had been sentenced to five years in prison for refusing to kill â€Å"slopes.† This illustrates the moral decay of the society. A criminal was likely to get a shorter jail term than a person who had refused to join the military and aid in killings. What is right is considered a serious offence. Consumerism and capitalist culture has been embraced in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. This is well brought out by the two protagonists in the novel. The lifestyle of the Duke and his attorney on the journey to Las Vegas is characterized by heavy spending on drugs, accommodation, transportation and gambling. Duke says their car trunk looked like a police narcotics lab (Thompson 4). This shows they had bought so many expensive drugs which the writer goes ahead to acknowledge that they did not actually need but for the fun of it. Moreover, the two protagonists are searching for American dream using a fascinating car â€Å"†¦we are looking for the American dream†¦that is why they gave us this white Cadillac† (Thompson 164). This demonstrates the capitalist nature. The car has to be a Cadillac which was a status car of the might in the society. Lastly, the novel’s central theme revolves around the American dream. The American dream is an idea stating that success comes through hard work. However, the dream is a dying one which has not materialized because of the society’s greed, selfishness and corruption as depicted in Fear and Loathing in Vegas by Thomson. Drug business, prostitution and gambling have replaced legal businesses in Las Vegas. Law forces have been tangled up in this game as they watch this acts being committed for a few pennies from the dealers. The picture of a crowd of Las Vegas residence in a casino at early hours of the morning gives more dimensions to the American dream. Emerging from a casino having won seems to epitomize what the society feels about the American dream. Patriotism among American citizens in the pursuit of this dream cannot be disputed despite being portrayed negatively. The Duke says â€Å"†¦I will have a natural American car or nothing at all† (Thompson 104). This illustrates pride in American products as opposed to products from other countries. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Thompson Hunter S. arguments have negatively portrayed the American society in the 1960s and 1970s. Drugs and alcohol abuse, racism, hypocrisy, failed institutions and the dying American dream continue to daunt the image of the Las Vegas society. However all is not lost as the issues addressed have continued to be a point of reference not only to the Americas past but the future ambitions. Thompson plays his role as an author in bringing into public what is ethically wrong or right. Reference Thompson, Hunter S. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream. London: Flamingo, 1972 Source document

Regulations for the Licensure of Hospitals in Virginia Essay

Regulations for the Licensure of Hospitals in Virginia - Essay Example Also, the hospital must declare if it intends to be a General, Special, Nursing home, Outpatient, or surgical hospital, or combination of as defined by the regulations. Next, according to 12 VAC 5-410-140, a hospital must undergo an inspection, unless previously accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and certified for participation in Title XVIII of the Social Security Act. If the hospital has already been approved by these two organizations, it can be assumed that it will fulfill all requirements of the Department of Health. Thus, it is easier if the accreditation and certification process is completed before applying for a license, but not mandatory. If the hospital has not already been accredited and certified, before obtaining a license then the hospital must undergo a rigorous inspection according to Part II of the Regulations for Licensure of Hospitals. Part II covers Organization and Management, Patient Care Services, Special Services, Environmental and Maintenance Services, and Physical Plant Requirements for existing Buildings. The differing parts of the inspection are not listed in detail, but it d oes list that the hospital has an opportunity to submit a plan of correction. (12 VAC 5-410-150) According to Part II of the Virginia State Board of Health's "Rules and

Death rituals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Death rituals - Essay Example I have seen that the death rituals have remained the same over the years. These have comprised the gathering of near and dear ones to make sure that the affected family feels that they are not alone in their tough times (Gilbert, 2011). The close family members and friends come up and meet the concerned family and tell them what they thought of the deceased individual. They showcase how good or strong the person was who had passed away. It implicates for empathy on their part that they understand the situation and are ready to be a part of the death rituals that the family is undertaking at the present. I believe these death rituals will almost be impossible to change as time moves ahead. This has been seen in the recent past when one of my dearest aunties had died. We exhibited the same death rituals that were present at the time of my niece’s passing away some 4 years back. The death rituals did not change at all, and this strengthened my belief that the same steps and processes were going to be followed whenever someone is going to pass away in the family. However, there would be minor amendments within the death rituals as and when required but on the whole the basic agenda would more or less be what I experienced at the time of my aunt’s death. She was close to us and we loved her dearly. I noticed that nearly all the women in the family wore white clothes to pay homage to aunt’s soul (Hazan, 2004). They sat together, spoke at length about her qualities and the manner under which she used to help people around her. This was quite an enlightening experience for me since I learned that the best way to pay respects was to talk about the deceased itself rather than the worldly events that people usually talk about. The death rituals in my family will always change as and when there is a need but the bottom line remains the same – there is immense respect for the person who has died so that his/her soul rests in peace. I am

Architecture Good Practices on Project Management Research Paper

Architecture Good Practices on Project Management - Research Paper Example Project managers make use of various tools to achieve organizational goals. â€Å"I Opt† is one such tool that facilitates the process of teambuilding (Kliem and Anderson). Project managers in the contemporary organizational environment use this tool to process information and make decisions that influence teambuilding. Success of a project fundamentally depends upon the skills of people as they are â€Å"the most critical project management resource† (Nauman and Khan 1). There is a lot of variation in the types of skills a project manager is expected to exhibit. The planning and management processes are much different from other processes like issuance of customer invoices both in nature and scope (Cooke-Davies and Arzymanow 172). In order to gain customers’ satisfaction, the project manager needs to exhibit both good business and technical skills. Such an integrated framework is shown in the figure below: Integrated framework (Angelides 79). Likewise, effective project communication is a fundamental part of good project management practice. â€Å"Project communications management is required to ensure timely and appropriate generation, collection, dissemination, storage, and ultimate disposition of project information† (Peltoniemi and Jokinen). Works cited: Angelides, Demos C.

Compare and contrast the opportunities and threats facing global Essay

Compare and contrast the opportunities and threats facing global companies in the three Triad markets. To what extent do these differences suggest different app - Essay Example This essay describes multinational corporations, that till two decades ago were vertically integrated and hierarchically organized. Now the multinationals disperse the core activities including the technological development. Today the â€Å"developing countries† are developing cutting edge technology. Software development and pharmaceutical research is being done in India while mobile and telecommunications is concentrated in China. Advanced aerospace work is being done in Brazil. The reason for driving work to these nations is due to the push to cut costs as globalization has heightened competition. In the case of technology development, the basic research and development was done at some central laboratories while the application was carried out at triad production facilities. At the same time there is a pull of growth markets in emerging economies that requires new engineering and technology development. This paper discusses how the strategies in the triad markets have diff ered and the causes thereon. The researcher then presents some examples on the subject, such as UK has used strategies like disruptive innovation apart from having a conservative approach which is responsible for the slow growth in every sector. Japan has a positive approach and believes in having strong vendor relations which has been duplicated by the US. It is then concluded that while threats arise from different factors, opportunities too are plenty and the right strategy is to be at the right place in the right way at the right time.

Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 82

Assignment - Essay Example In addition, Lorcaserin is used by patients exhibiting at least one weight-related health problem such as hypertension and type-2 diabetes. In 2006, Phase III of the lorcaserin development program was started, and this involved three main trials: Behavioral Modification and Lorcaserin for Overweight and Obesity Management (BLOOM) trial, Behavioral Modification and Lorcaserin Second Study for Obesity Management (BLOSSOM) trial and the Behavioral Modification and Lorcaserin for Overweight and Obesity Management in Diabetes Mellitus (BLOOM-DM) trial (Bays, 2011). In general, all these trials showed that the participants showed weight reduction of between 5 and 10%. In all these trials, weight loss was observed after 52 weeks from the period of administering the drug. Overall, this drug has been found to be effective in reducing weigh in patients with and without the type-2 diabetes (Bays, 2011). In addition, the three trials also revealed that most of the patients involved in the study were satisfied with the performance of the drug. Since lorcaserin appears to be ell received by both patients and clinicians, it does offer an alternative to surgery. Despite the impressive results noted in the trials, a number of side-effects are associated with the use of lorcaserin. These include headache, nausea, dizziness, upper respiratory tract infections and nasopharyngitis (DiNicolantonio, et al 2014). In addition, there is concern that the use of lorcaserin is associated with increased incidences of depression. There is need for further analysis and understanding of the degree to which lorcaserin contributes to these side effects and how they can be minimized. Obesity is a big issue across the world. It is a major health concern because of the chronic illnesses associated with it. This brochure is therefore intended to enlighten adults, mainly between the ages of 18 and 65 years, on this new development in the treatment of

Art History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Art History - Essay Example This was followed by the High Renaissance to Early Modern Art period from 1400-1880; which included 1400 to the1500s – there was the Fifteenth-Century Italian Art; from 1495 to1527 - The High Renaissance; from 1520 to1600 – The Mannerism era; followed by The Renaissance in Northern Europe from 1325 to 1600, which had Baroque Art, The Rococo, Neo classicism / Romanticism, Realism and Impressionism. Lastly, this led to Modern art (1880- to the present time). Each period of Art reflects not only the growth in intellect but also the evolution of techniques which were honed to change the expression of art. The three types of art which will be discussed are Renaissance, as a whole from the 1200 to the 1600, which was the most exciting time for art. Romanticism marked another change in the art movement, where concepts and perceptions took a new turn. The third type of art is Impressionism, which began looking at things in a new light. Firstly, renaissance era is considered the renewal of interest in the lost arts of Greece and Rome. The birth place of the renaissance era is considered to be Italy. The art of the renaissance era shows the revival of the Romanesque and Gothic art forms. The Renaissance era is important because of the colossal change that occurred during this time, as it marks the start of an intellectual movement and the realization of a knowledge based change in perceptions. The changes in artistic perceptions were showed the drastic change in themes which occurred and the objective changed to an individual’s display of superiority. In the middle ages there was more focus on religious art forms, which was not really swayed from, but with this new breed of educated artists which were emerging were bringing about a change in artistic movement, setting new standards and reaching new heights. During this time, there was a change in the artists’ mentality and their own perceptions about themselves, where they adopted new styles w hich showed their own artistic individuality, particularly in sculptures which were made at that time. Because of the increase in trading in areas, and the new found wealth, the people had a very high standard of living at that time, because of which, the people aspired to acquire knowledge in different fields and it was described as a time of increased growth, as there were new ideas which were thought of and new applications being used. There was a great influx in the building of many educational institutions in the area. There was a class of scholars who had a variety of interests in science, philosophy and mathematics. Because of this newfound need for knowledge, there was a drastic change in the styles of art seen during that period. The use of mathematics, in order to improve the accuracy of figures being painted, was also seen for the first time in this era. What is ironic to know is that these practical mathematical techniques applied to art, were born during this period, wh ich today, we take and use for granted. The study of humanistic characteristics was also initiated in this era. With the discoveries being made while studying the human anatomy, again found its use of this knowledge, which was the new craze at that time, to improve the human figures which were painted to make them look as real as possible. Prior to the renaissance era, the art forms were not as life like or even close, with human forms being depicted with disproportionate use of lines. But this new era brought about for the first

Termination of Pregnancy on Women Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Termination of Pregnancy on Women - Essay Example This paper will analyse the impact such TOP's have on women from the perspective of different genres, facilitated by my work in gynae nursing and looking after women undergoing such medical conditions along with other gynae related ones. To enhance my understanding of this along with the needs of these women, I feel an urge to explore this issue in more detail with relevant research producing this article. There are eight different types of miscarriages with the following five self explanatory: threatened miscarriage, incomplete miscarriage, complete miscarriage, missed miscarriage and recurrent miscarriage. Blighted Ovum occurs when the fertilized egg implants itself into the uterus but fetal development never begins. Ecotopic pregnancy occurs when the fertilized egg implants itself in places other than the uterus which can cause severe maternal complications if not treated in time. The last, Molar Pregnancy, is abnormal growth of tissue within the uterus during the fertilization process. They are all generally referred to as miscarriage by most though, applicable when the fetus is lost within the first 20 weeks of gestation. Vaginal bleeding is meant to last for a week or so, on the same pattern as a normal menstruation. Light bleeding is also an after effect, known as spotting due to the clots and/or bits of tissue. As for the normal monthly menstruation cycle, it should resume after three to six weeks though. Symptoms of pain are usually centered around the lower abdominal area and may last up to two days, often resembling that pain during a womans' period. Breast discomfort may also be an after-effect, lasting for approximately a week in the form of engorgement or leaking milk. Some of the pregnancy hormones are also said to remain in the blood for about a month or two after the miscarriage. Religious and Cultural Most religions and cultures place a high value on sexual purity, privacy and modesty and the woman plays a key role due to her 'child bearer' status. In India as well as Pakistan, a womans' procreative role is a salient disappointment when failed, often leading to emotional imbalances for the weaker sex. As for small agrarian societies, the disappointment may be more pronounced due to ignorance and an anthropologically sounder footage for extremism. To Wetzel (1982) in the article 'Miscarriage: A Special Type of Family Crisis' (1987, p. 305), "Miscarriage is a special type of dismemberment; the unborn fetus occupies a limited, semi-visible role. After the spontaneous abortion, there is usually no funeral or death ritual, but loss is felt". The vagueness of the term 'life' has led to cultural uncertainty and a lack of culturally defined rituals for the miscarriage process. In fact, hospital procedures regarding the dead fetus disallow the mother to see it and furthermore, most of them end up as remains in hospital sewage. Thus, the unavailability of such ritualistic transitions

Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) Security Essay Example for Free

Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) Security Essay IPv4 is an end-to-end network model that supports the multicast operation. Multicast operations or communications involve information transfer from one node in as single transmission to multiple receivers within the network. Moreover, it facilitates the broadcasting of multimedia information like videos and audio teleconferences. IPv4 utilizes MAC addresses and IP addresses to send data packets within and outside the Local Area Network respectively. For security purposes, routers are used in the interconnection of multiple networks to map the IP addresses to related MAC addresses. IPv4 uses 32-bit addresses that are divided into octets, each octet separated by a period. This gives different address ranges that are used for different purposes. This protocol establishes the use of group access controls, router trusts and group center trusts. However, since information is being sent to group users sharing the same address, it becomes challenging to implement encryption standards and authentication infrastructures. Although sharing a public key may remedy the situation, it is only successful if the number of receivers is limited (Bachert, 2002). As a result, while some receivers get error-free transmissions other may not even see the data that has been transmitted. Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) provides a homogeneous security mechanism framework within the IP suite. IPsec offers a security protocols that operate independently from data origin authentication, cryptographic, replay protection and key exchange mechanisms used in protecting explicit applications. To be put into consideration, IPsec depends on the founding of Security Associations (SAs) between the individual hosts involved in sheltered communications. The SAs agree with clear-cut authentication algorithms, security and cryptographic features that the host uses to securely communicate with another host.

Global Division Of Labour Sociology Essay

Global Division Of Labour Sociology Essay The GDL is defined as the division of socially necessary activities, including productive and reproductive tasks, on an international level. Classically, this would see the specialisation of countries in the production of particular types of products. Few inclusive analyses of the GDL have been offered, as differing opinions exist in relation to the GDL. According to classical theorists such as Adam Smith, division of labour has allowed for an increase in production and has allowed industrious nations to experience universal opulence (Smith, 1776: book 1); specialisation, for Adam Smith, is the key to productivity and substantial development. Karl Marx, who focused on changes into the modern times, viewed capitalism as a system of production that contrasted previous economic orders in history (Giddens, 1993: 708); capitalism would advance with the intensification of the division of labour. Émile Durkheim, who concentrated on the social implications of the division of labour, concluded that new forms of social cohesion form resulting from advances in the division of labour (Giddens, 1993: 707). Theories of this GDL have altered over the years. The classical division of labour saw two domains of production linked by one-way trade in raw material and factory-made products, respectively; the metropolitan countries were countries with the most factories, with the colonial countries having less. This classical international division of labour continued in the postcolonial period, with Northern hemisphere countries still dominating as the worlds industrial hubs; Southern hemisphere countries predominantly engaged in primary sector production. Furthermore, the classical theory persisted in the form of the modernisation theory, which suggests, that uneven world development can be linked to the advance of industrial societies overtaking traditional societies (Macionis Plummer, 2012: 306) industrial societies being northern countries, and traditional societies being those in the south. The main differences between these countries include their cultural identity, where northern countries focus on individualism, and southern countries on community and family. As long as traditional culture stays strong, the classical division will remain and modernisation will remain a struggle to achieve. Carefully related to the modernisation theory is the world systems theory, which revolves around a clear division concerning the core and periphery. It is because of this belief that there is only a single world that is connected by a complex network of economic exchange relationships (Macionis Plummer, 2012: 306), that some believe is an unequal international division of labour (Macionis Plummer, 2012: 306). Immanuel Wallerstein further described this phenomenon as a system encompassing of three spheres, namely the core, periphery and semi-periphery. Based on the logic of capitalism, the system promotes unevenness, absorbed with wealth and power in the core, leaving the periphery facing poverty and exclusion (Macionis Plummer, 2012: 306). As a result of unexpected development in some peripheral regions in the 1970s, the classical international division of labour was altered to the emerging New International Division of Labour (NIDL). It was because of falling profitability that resulted in the relocation of some manufacturing processes to the peripheral countries from the core. This was a reaction to the rapid industrialization of East Asia and other newly industrialised countries (NICs) and to the partial deindustrialisation of the old heartlands of capitalist production (Cohen Kennedy, 2007: 197). This global industrial shift did occur due to the supply of labour in the periphery, and the low-cost labour-intensive manufacturing processes. The global division of labour, although focused on economic issues, did also have its hand in social issues, initiating advantages and disadvantages in both areas of society. It was Durkheim who concluded that the increasing division of labour allowed for an increase in independence; it is here where Durkheim would link this view with his study of anomie the feeling of aimlessness provoked by certain social conditions (Giddens, 1993: 707). In an ever-growing economic world, it becomes clear that societies do not grow socially as they do economically. As industry is one of the most globalised manufacturing sectors (Giddens, 1993: 546), one could say that it has a more far-reaching effect than any other in terms of the GDL. It is here, with Transnational Corporations, that one can see the driving force of the division of labour. Tracing back to the Industrial Revolution, for example British East India Company being the first multinational (Robins, 2006: 24), TNCs have been the only winners. Whenever a company exports any sort of capital money, or labour it contributes to the unemployment in the home country, like in the case of the NIDL (Cohen Kennedy, 2007: 197), benefitting only the consumer and the TNCs who abuse cheap labour. These companies do develop infrastructures in peripheral countries, developing a dependence on the core countries by the periphery. Contrastingly it is also possible to move from periphery to core, which was the case for Japan, rising from the periphery to the second position in the core bloc in the 1970s (Cohen Kennedy, 2007: 196). The global division of labour is not only about factories moving, but people as well. This entails people searching for jobs across borders as well as internally in a country. As a result of large labour migrations, friction can occur in the form of xenophobia against a workers culture, or an issue involving trade unions. It is in this case that NIDL, a form of glabalisation, has generated more extreme forms of racism as people try to defend their own national identity (Macionis Plummer, 2012: 164). Globalisation, a result of the GDL, is for many women around the world a concrete process of exploitation (Macionis Plummer, 2012: 514) as there is no known instance of society in which women are more powerful than men (Giddens, 1993: 173). This should not come as a shock to anyone as women remain compelled to work in the sweatshops of the world' (Macionis Plummer, 2012: 513). This is a solid example of just one gender group marginalised by the GDL. It is in peripheral countries where workers are exploited to produce goods for the richer nations, as in Korean enterprises where many Burmese workers work on textile production (Macionis Plummer, 2012: 513). The spread of work between genders across borders are as questionable as the wealth gaps between First and Third World nations. The GDL, as a result of its differing theories and forms, can be described as complex. Smith, Durkheim and Marx had classified it differently as a result of opinions; similarly the process has evolved from its classical form to the NIDL. Furthermore, complexity is seen in a lack of a simple international arrangement as the global workforce is divided, shaped by social and economic factors. The GDL can be socially valuable or destructive as it is inclusive on a world scale yet it functions on the basis of division and inequality. By accessing the winners and losers, one can deduce the contradictions this procedure is known to harvest. (1198)

Capital Punishment Should Remain Legal Essay -- Pro-Death Penalty Essa

I am going to argue that capital punishment is a morally and logically justifiable punishment for criminals. I will demonstrate this by showing how the logic behind not having the death penalty is invalid. I will also present examples that will defend my argument. I will then present counterarguments and their implications. The death penalty in the United States is a contested subject, and even recently it has been voted to be unconstitutional by some states. Currently there are many states that still have the death penalty, though many have not executed anyone in recent years. Outside of the United States the issue is also split, with many countries recently eliminating the death penalty. Crimes that usually receive the death penalty as punishment usually involve being directly involved with the death of another person. Though the majority of the United States still is in favor of capital punishment, there exists a large and growing minority that believes that the death penalty is an immoral punishment to use against another human being. The opposition to capital punishment often uses the logic that even though this person has committed a horrible crime that they still deserve the right to life, that it is something that does not have a right to be taken away. This argument is flawed based on the fact that lives are often saved because of the death penalty on a larger scale. Though there is the loss of the criminal’s life when he is executed, if he were to receive a normal punishment and go to prison, he may eventually be able to get out and commit more crimes again. Capital punishment is usually only sentenced when the prosecution feels that the crime is so unjust that there is no other recourse but the death ... ...an effective deterrent to crime as it is meant to be. Some opponents of capital punishment point to the fact that capital punishment is rarely used in comparison to the amount of actual murder convictions. The logic behind this claim seems to be at fault. This is especially noticed when considering that many of the opponents of capital punishment believe life to be the most important thing that one can have, that it is a basic right bestowed to everyone. Logically, wouldn’t threatening to remove the most important thing in somebody’s life serve as deterrence to committing such a crime? This counterargument is shown to be invalid on this basis. After considering counterarguments and presenting my arguments against them I feel I have presented sufficient information to support my claim that capital punishment is a logical and moral practice when used reasonably.

The Origin of Life :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

How life arose is a question that is fundamental to both philosophy and science. Responses to it enable one, in turn, to answer such questions as, â€Å"Who am I?†, â€Å"Why am I here?†, and â€Å"How do I make sense of this world?† This secondary set of questions can be answered in a myriad of ways for a variety of reasons, but the answer to the first question has only two responses. As Douglas Futuyuma says, â€Å"Creation and evolution, between them, exhaust the possible explanations for the origin of living things† (197). Either we are the product of the chemical and physical laws of nature operating over time, or we have been formed, at least in part, by some supernatural Force or Deity. The acceptance of one of these options as a foundation will determine how one will establish a belief system to determine his place in the world. This is a matter of crucial importance, yet in most biology classes offered at U.C. Davis, we learn that life c ame from nonlife by strictly natural (as opposed to supernatural) processes. The possibility that perhaps the origin of life cannot be explained by a natural mechanism is ignored, and this is disturbing. For if we limit what explanations we are willing to accept for the origin of life, we could be closing our eyes to reality. Francis Crick, co-discoverer of DNA, has said that â€Å"the origin of life appears to be almost a miracle, so many are the conditions which would have to be satisfied to get it going† (Horgan 27).2 Noted evolutionary astronomer Frederick Hoyle has described the chances of life having evolved from nonlife to be about as likely as the chances that â€Å"a tornado sweeping through a junkyard might assemble a Boeing 747 from the materials therein† (Johnson 106). Why do respected scientists doubt what textbooks teach as fact? It would appear that these scientists know something that current theories describing the origin of life fail to explain. While current theories describe scenarios in which genetic material such as RNA becomes entrapped in a protective cell membrane as a likely recipe for the formation of life, they generally do not focus on the difficulties of forming and concentrating all of these components in the first place.3 To clarify, current theories suffer from what I call the â€Å"cookbook mentality.

tempmagic Magic in Shakespeares The Tempest :: Tempest essays

Magic in Shakespeare’s Tempest The magic in The Tempest was able to create many abnormal happenings as well as different feelings that are shown through the characters of Milan. There were two different types of magic that were shown one was represented by witches and wizards, this type of magic was not the beneficial type of magic. The beneficial type of magic was created by studies that were done in secret and used to discover new forces, and to study the greater effects of physics. All this magic that took place results in many of the illusions that were created on the island. There are many illusions that seem to happen quite frequently, while the shipwrecked persons of Milan were on the island that was created by Prospero's powers. Many of these encounters may not even be illusions but figments of their imagination as well as hallucinations. While others tend to happen because of the magic that Prospero creates with his mind. The spirits of the air are the highest type these include Ariel, Ceres, Iris, Juno, as well as the nymphs. Each part of the magic symbolizes a certain part of the island. The spirits of the air I have already mentioned another type would be the spirits of the earth. These would include the goblins, the dogs and hounds that were used to disease Caliban and his associates. (: "Our natures do pursue, Like rats that ravin down their proper bane, A thirsty evil; and when we drink we die. [Act 1, sc. 2]) Another form of the earth spirits would be the nymphs (Prospero: "Go make yourself like a nymph o' th' sea. Be subject To no sight but thine and mine, invisible to every eyeball else. Go take this shape and hither come in't. Go! Hence with diligence! Exit[Ariel] . Awake, dear heart, awake! Thou hast slept well. Awake!{act 1, sc. 2} Out if Prosperos' anger he creates a vicious storm at sea causing the ship to become shipwrecked on his very own island. He uses this as an advantage to make the island as a task for all the Millan characters to find themselves. This would be their task as they are on the island. Prospero uses some of his most intriguing magic spells to manipulate his guests that will be staying on the island. The people are aware of the power that the island holds but they are unaware that Prospero is in existence at this point. Part of the manipulation process that Prospero creates is gaining the trust amongst the many tempmagic Magic in Shakespeare's The Tempest :: Tempest essays Magic in Shakespeare’s Tempest The magic in The Tempest was able to create many abnormal happenings as well as different feelings that are shown through the characters of Milan. There were two different types of magic that were shown one was represented by witches and wizards, this type of magic was not the beneficial type of magic. The beneficial type of magic was created by studies that were done in secret and used to discover new forces, and to study the greater effects of physics. All this magic that took place results in many of the illusions that were created on the island. There are many illusions that seem to happen quite frequently, while the shipwrecked persons of Milan were on the island that was created by Prospero's powers. Many of these encounters may not even be illusions but figments of their imagination as well as hallucinations. While others tend to happen because of the magic that Prospero creates with his mind. The spirits of the air are the highest type these include Ariel, Ceres, Iris, Juno, as well as the nymphs. Each part of the magic symbolizes a certain part of the island. The spirits of the air I have already mentioned another type would be the spirits of the earth. These would include the goblins, the dogs and hounds that were used to disease Caliban and his associates. (: "Our natures do pursue, Like rats that ravin down their proper bane, A thirsty evil; and when we drink we die. [Act 1, sc. 2]) Another form of the earth spirits would be the nymphs (Prospero: "Go make yourself like a nymph o' th' sea. Be subject To no sight but thine and mine, invisible to every eyeball else. Go take this shape and hither come in't. Go! Hence with diligence! Exit[Ariel] . Awake, dear heart, awake! Thou hast slept well. Awake!{act 1, sc. 2} Out if Prosperos' anger he creates a vicious storm at sea causing the ship to become shipwrecked on his very own island. He uses this as an advantage to make the island as a task for all the Millan characters to find themselves. This would be their task as they are on the island. Prospero uses some of his most intriguing magic spells to manipulate his guests that will be staying on the island. The people are aware of the power that the island holds but they are unaware that Prospero is in existence at this point. Part of the manipulation process that Prospero creates is gaining the trust amongst the many

Report on Cybermediaries

4. 724 E-BUSINESS A REPORT ON THE CYBERMEDIARIES OF THE NEW ZEALAND RESTAURANT INDUSTRYÂ   The use of the information systems and applications to drive and support the processes of a business, mainly using the web technology is known as E-Business. This helps the companies to connect their processes (Internal and External) much more effectively and efficiently. This also allows them to have a much more closed interaction with their suppliers and partners, which leads to a higher level of customer satisfaction and overall business performance (The National B2B Centre). The business process which lies in between the ends of a value chain is known as Intermediation.These businesses have a much classified role of being the entities that serve the market by connecting multiple buyers and sellers. The core essence of the intermediary is mainly a content provider (service based on information). Hence when these kinds of businesses take place using the web is known as Cybermediation. In the present business world, all the companies are trying to develop their virtual image with the help of the internet. The restaurant industry is one of the major industries contributing to the New Zealand economy. Hence the development of cybermediaries in the NZ restaurant industry is very obvious.There are lots of different websites which work as cybermediaries for the NZ restaurant industry, but in this report we specifically concentrate on two of them, and they are 1) www. menumania. co. nz 2) www. menus. co. nz 1|P ag e 2. 0 SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES Cybermediaries 1: www. menumania. co. nz Menu Mania is a community based guide for restaurants in New Zealand founded in 2006 by Cristian Rosescu. The primary aim of the Menu Mania is to connect the people with great local restaurants or eating places. It provides a platform for the passionate and influencing people to share their experiences about various eating places.It provides a great channel for local businesses to market th emselves at no extra cost. Menu mania knows that recommendation of friends is the best and the most reliable way of finding restaurants, so it collects and organizes the recommendations and suggestion of people in one place. Thus www. menumania. co. nz is a site where people find where and what to eat on the basis of the real reviews given by the real people. Cybermediaries 2: www. menus. co. nz Menus is considered to be one of the oldest websites in New Zealand related to restaurants. The website has on an 2|P ag e average of more than 64,000 visitors every month (Menus).Menus can be considered as the easiest mode for the local businesses that are related to food industry to create or increase their internet exposure, as they have partnerships and associations with reputed companies. The website basically provides a basic free listing for the local businesses, it provides free coupons to their registered customers at specific occasions, the go extra mile to provide reservation faci lities to their customers, they provide personalized list of menu according to the preference of the member and also gives a map featuring the location of the restaurant. Thus www. menus. co. z wants the people to comment and give reviews of the restaurants that are listed on their site. They appreciate both the positive and negative comments and feedback, while expect the customers to give their suggestions on positive improvements. Thus both the cybermediaries namely www. menumania. co. nz and www. menus. co. nz have their own market importance. Customers and businesses use them as a guiding factor for either the selection of the restaurant or menu from customer’s perception while the businesses use the comments, reviews or suggestions of the customers in order to improve themselves and create their image in the market.Both the websites have similarities and differences in the service they provide, which are discussed as under. 3|P ag e 2. 1 Similarities The selected cyberm ediaries of the Restaurant Industry have certain similarities which can be considered as the basic features of the cybermediaries, which are as under: Reviews and Comments: Both the cybermediaries have lists of restaurants from all over New Zealand and these websites give people a chance to give their personal reviews about different restaurants they have visited. It also allows them to give a negative feedback if they had a bad experience and asks for suggestions. Mobile Application: These websites have developed a specific application for I-Phone users in order to make it much more convenient to their customers, as the trend is shifting from using computers to mobiles for internet access. – Search Options: Both the cybermediaries have a search option which helps the consumers to find their required restaurant much more easily. In the given search option the consumers can search restaurants on the basis of location, cuisine, kind of restaurant, categories and key words. 4|P ag e –Member Login: These websites have a special login facility for the members; this is kind of a loyalty program for the frequent visitors of the website. They send newsletters, articles, reviews, deals and special offers of different restaurants. – Featured Restaurants: These websites have an especially dedicated portion of their website for the featured restaurants or businesses, which display some of the best and the finest restaurants of the selected place. – Best for Occasion: These websites have a special search option in which the customers can search and choose the restaurants that are best for the particular occasion.They have options of restaurants for the occasions like Private Functions, Business dinners, wedding functions, private parties, romantic dinners, group outings, kids friendly, kids parties, outdoor catering and many more. Thus these are some of the similarities in the two chosen cybermediaries of the New Zealand Restaurant Industry. 5|P ag e 2. 1 Differences The selected websites are for a particular restaurant industry and thus needs to differentiate from each other in order to create their own reputation and market image. Menu Mania: What’s New: The website gives the information about the new things happening in the particular area.This section gives information about the new menus, the new photos of the restaurants that the customers have uploaded and the reviews about the two. Browse by Price: This is an extra feature provided in order to help the customers to differentiate or categorize the restaurants according to the price of the food they sell. They categorize the restaurants as Cheap (Under $15), Moderate ($15 – $25), Spendy ($25 – $35) and Splurge (Above $35). Hot in City: This section of the website gives the information about the latest restaurants in the particular area.It gives the information about the good restaurants for different cuisines like Japanese, Asian, A La Carte, Mid dle Eastern, Fast Food and many more. 6|P ag e – Latest News: This section of the website gives the latest information about the new updates on the website, restaurants, cuisines, culture and others. It also gives the information about the various competitions and awards happening in the restaurant industry. – Special Offers: The special offer section of the website gives the special deals to their customers from the restaurants that offer them. –Browse by more features: This section of the website gives the customers to browse the restaurants on other features like the restaurants Good for Groups, Outdoor Seating, Wifi Access, BYO and Wheelchair Accessible restaurants. Menus: Categories of Venues: This website gives the option to the customers to choose venues more easily by categorizing the restaurants as Bars & Bistros, Cafes, Pubs, Restaurants, Takeaway Foods, Wine Bars and Wineries & Vineyards. 7|P ag e – Craving Something? This is a special section of the website that helps the customers to view some of the best restaurants for the particular food item they wish to eat. Reservation Facilities This website gives the option to the customers to do reservation for the restaurants they wish to go. This is very beneficial for the customers, as they view the comments or feedback for the restaurant and then do the reservation for the same. – Competitions They organize competitions for the customers who visit their website. They give away prices for the winners in the form of gift vouchers or coupons for the various restaurants. – Menu Articles This section of the website gives the customers an option for reading articles for different sections like General Interest, Where to Eat, Best for and Spotlight Recipes This section of the website gives the recipes for different cuisines. These recipes are uploaded by the different customers. 8|P ag e 3. 0 CONSUMER BENEFITS The selected cybermediaries of the New Zealand Restaurant Industry have several benefits for the customers, who visit their websites. ? These websites provide the customers or the food lovers with a platform to give their opinion or review about their experience of a particular restaurant or a local eating place so it can be positive or negative.For Example if a person had some very good experience about a particular restaurant, then he can come to the website, and write about his experience on the listing of that restaurant. ? Based on the reviews or comments of other people, its gives a fair idea about the restaurants or eating places to the other customers. Hence it becomes much easier for them to choose good restaurants from the list. For Example if a person is searching restaurant for Japanese food, then it becomes easy for him to decide which one to go in, on the basis of the reviews and comments of the other customers who had already visited the restaurant. These websites also categorize the different eating places into different t ypes such as Bars, Cafes, Restaurants, Takeaways and many more. ? They also provide the customers with the different search options, which make it easy for them to choose the restaurants or other places according to the type of the cuisine, location, occasion, price and other features. 9|P ag e ? These websites have special sections in which they provide the special offers or deals of the different restaurants that use this medium as a mode of marketing themselves. ?They also make use of the latest technologies like the Mobile Applications, which makes it more convenient for the customers to access the information. For example if a customer wants to suddenly find a restaurant providing the best Chinese food, while he is driving he can check on his mobile application for the best Chinese restaurant/takeaway in the particular location. ? These websites also provide a lot of extra information to their viewers in the form of articles related to the restaurant industry, award functions, competitions and others. ? These are also a very good platform for the food lovers and the ones who try making new dishes.The people can upload their own recipes and others can learn new recipes and comment on these recipes. ? These websites along with finding the proper restaurant also provide the customers with the details of restaurant like the menu, contact details and timings. Some of them also provide them with the extra facility of reservation or booking a table at their chosen restaurant. For Example the customer can find a good place for eating Thai food from the lists, now they can use the reservation facilities provided and can book a table for the numbers of prop 10 | P a g e 4. REVENUE MODEL The revenue model of any E-business is the model which shows how the company generates revenue for the particular period of time. The cybermediaries identified for the New Zealand Restaurant industry also have some particular revenue models which helps the companies to make revenue from the services they provide. The revenue model for the identified cybermediaries www. menumania. co. nz can be considered to be consisting of one major way and that is the Advertisement Charges. 4. 1 Advertising Charges Menu Mania website offers two different kinds of advertising options.The first option is ‘Restaurant Advertising’ where in businesses related to the restaurant industry can give their ads on the website and the second option is ‘Banner/Display Advertising’ where companies other than the restaurant industry can give their ads. 4. 1. 1 Restaurant Advertising In the first option of advertising the restaurants or the eating places give their ads. These ads are featured at two places in the website namely on the top of the search result for that particular category in which the restaurants falls and in between the other restaurant pages. 1 | P a g e On the Top of the Search Result Between the page of other Restaurant 12 | P a g e They have wee kly charges for giving advertisements, they charge $12/week if the customer pays for one whole year or they charge $13/week for one month. They also have option of pay the whole amount at one go that is $600 + GST for one year or $55 + GST for one month. They also give their customers a special option of 30 days free trial and if customer wants to continue advertising they charge $15. 92 + GST/ Week or $69 per month.They also provide 20% discount to the members of the Restaurant Association or the Hospitality Association (Menu Mania). 4. 1. 2 Banner / Display Advertising In the second option of advertising, any company can give ads on the website of Menu Mania at the fixed location. The advertising banners are on the right side of the website. 13 | P a g e 5. 0 CONCLUSION Thus it can be concluded that with the development of the internet, there is development of different businesses which are only virtually present on the web. These cybermediaries are helpful to both the customers a s well as the businesses.The businesses get a better way to promote their business to the particular targeted audience and in the same way the customers get the benefits of the price comparison, product comparison, get to know news products and services. Hence the cybermediaries are main source of information for the customers irrespective of the industry the customer is looking for. 14 | P a g e REFERENCES Chaffey, D. E-Business & E-Commerce Management. Prentice Hall – Pearson Education Limited. Menu Mania. (n. d. ). Retrieved Nov 2012, from Menu Mania: http://www. menumania. co. nz/restaurants/browse/auckland-city Menu Mania. n. d. ). Advertising on MenuMania. Retrieved Nov 2012, from Menu Mania: http://www. menumania. co. nz/restaurant/advertising. php Menus. (n. d. ). Retrieved Nov, from Menus: http://www. menus. co. nz/ Menus. (n. d. ). Why should I list my business on Menus? Retrieved Nov 2012, from Menus: http://www. menus. co. nz/help/list-business/ The National B2B C entre. (n. d. ). What is E-Business? Retrieved November 2012, from http://www. nb2bc. co. uk/what_is_ebusiness/ Vidal, D. (2012). E-Business. Lecture Notes / Module Slides . Auckland, New Zealand. 15 | P a g e

Gay Rights Persuasive Speech

What’s the definition of marriage to you? To me, it’s a great bond of two people under holy matrimony. Notice that I didn’t say a great bond of man and woman. Ninety percent of people might disagree on what I have said, but what about the other ten percent? The other ten percent have another twist on the fact that marriage doesn’t necessarily have to be the bond between man and woman, but may be as well, a brilliant bond between man and man or woman and woman. I truly believe that homosexuals should have the right to be able to marry their significant other and should be able to have as many rights as an average married couple because they should go ahead and love the person they really love, without any laws holding them back just because they’re homosexual. Homosexuals should be able to have rights, just like us. The reason that homosexuals choose to marry is due to the fact that marriage isn’t mainly about benefit, or respect, but mainly about love and family; the same reason that heterosexuals (straights) choose to marry. But, the one thing that holds them back is the law. Many states in the U. S banned homosexual marriage due to the fact that marriage between man and woman has been around for the past millennia. Lots of people thinks that same-sex marriage is one of the reasons that and that it supposedly wrecks the balance between traditional marriage and the balance between man and woman that’s supposed to equally balance the differences and family to create a brand- new creation to create man and woman as one. Phooey. People don’t know who is able to enforce marriage. The government has the actual power to marry people but society helps families through the emotional parts. Since marriage has no absolute definition, it’s not fair to not let gays marry. The state should allow gays to be with each other so that they can have a â€Å"marital† relationship. Even though most of society doesn’t accept the fact that homosexuals should marry, they are beneficial to others as well as states. Most homosexuals have the weight of pressure society gives to them in order for them to live a daily and average life. They’re like a very fragile vase ; they are beautiful people on the inside, but shatter instantly if you hurt them. Many homosexuals try very hard to fit in society, and yet society brings them own to a certain extent that they have no choice but to either commit suicide or hide in celibacy. Just think of washing your hair. If shampoo gets in your eyes, you feel an awful sensation and you want to wash it out right away. To homosexuals, fitting in into society and being accepted into society is just like that, but the pain never goes away. It just shatters my heart and feelings that society look down towards homosexuals, and that they tease them just how my older cousin did to me when I was a kid . Perhaps there would be more happy families and fewer sad deaths every day if society was more considerate and content for homosexuals. One of the main things that society doesn’t understand is that the ability to love and commit to each other is such a special gift that no one can take away or give two people the ability to love each other. The state could recognize these commitments, or they couldn’t. If you truly love someone to such a point where you basically die for the right of marriage, then I don’t really get it if the state were to not legalize homosexuals marrying, and at the same time, making many homosexuals die for the sake of legalizing just one tiny law out of thousands, maybe even millions. Homosexuals should have the right to marry their significant other. You all, being very well educated citizens of this so called â€Å"free nation† , should stand up and fight for the protection of another unique human; a homosexual. I would choose to gladly accept a law to rid of the invisible chain that locks the homosexuals to the law. Would you?

Be able to work in a person-centred way Essay

2.1- Work with an individual and others to find out the individual’s history, preferences, wishes and needs I should refer to any previous files held with regards to that person Social workers/agencies/person involved in placing the individual into our care should provide as much background info as possible, (psychical, mental, social and emotional health, medical history, behavioural history, personal interests so forth)- myself and the rest of my staff team should familiarise themselves with these files. A new client will undergo assessment, assessing the client’s wishes, preferences and needs. This assessment should be completed within 6 weeks of coming into our care. It allows us to truly acknowledge the clients care needs and wishes, providing us with the grounds to formulate and implement an effective care plan that shows a true reflection of the client’s needs, character and preferences. Individuals in our care will be given chances to engage in regular discussions about their care and how we are promoting their care towards their own wishes and preferences.Comments will be required from the individual to evidence they are given several opportunities to have their input when discussing their care and care strategies. If a care plan doesn’t reflect a true individual’s wishes and needs and does not promote person centred care then I have the responsibility of reporting this to my line manager, in order for it to be altered to a more effective person centred document. 2.2- Demonstrate ways to put person-centred values into practice in a complex or sensitive case Complex cases vary depending upon the client and their individual circumstances, values and beliefs. For instance a client’s care needs may be that they require support in personal care, however the client wishes for this support is to be as minimal as possible to maintain some dignity and self independence. Here our service needs to assess how we can me the individual’s care needs but also promote person-centred care by accommodating the client’s wishes. This can be done by figuring out what support the client is comfortable with and not. For example the client may be happy to have assistance when bathing, providing intimate areas are correctly covered, and staff allow them to dress and undress on their own to maintain privacy. Here all care needs regarding personal care and hygiene are being met as well as delivering it in a person-centred approach. 2.3- Adapt actions and approaches in response to  an individual’s changing needs or preferences Care records and individual risk assessments need to be constantly reviewed in order to make in an appropriate working document. Strategies, approaches and the clients preferences may alter meaning methods of delivering care may change. Therefore in order to ensure care needs can be met in a person centred care approach, records need to be changed and staff need to be communicated and updated on strategy changes. Staff should have full training in ‘care plans’ and how they work; therefore they will be able to monitor the care plan on a daily basis and act in according to the care strategies. They will become aware of any changes in the client and whether they need to implement alterations. If I notice certain areas of the care plan are not working efficiently to meet the needs our client and could be improved, it is then my responsibility to report this back to my man ager, so they can review and update if necessary. When working with the client if I notice any unusual behaviour or causes of concerns I should report it to my manager then depending on the circumstances the care records and risk assessments will be reassessed and the client’s behaviour will be monitored. Be able to establish consent when providing care or support 3.1 Analyse factors that influence the capacity of an individual to express consent The term â€Å"consent capacity† describes an adult’s ability to understand information relevant to making an informed decision. These decisions can vary on the importance such as what the client eats, to activities they participate in, medical consent, so forth. In more complex care decisions such as care strategies, medical options, safe guarding approaches, etc consent from the client may actually not be what’s best for client. Ones mental/intellectual ability can be affected for various reasons, disorders, conditions, and injuries can affect a person’s ability to understand such information. Informed consent is a phrase often used to legally indicate that the consent a person gives meets certain minimum standards. In order to give informed consent, the client concerned must have adequate reasoning ability and be in possession of all relevant facts at the time consent is given. Impairments to reasoning and judgment which may make it impossible for someone to give informed consent. For example basic intellectual or emotional immaturity, high levels of stress such as PTSD, or  severe learning difficulties, mental illnesses affecting one’s own welfare, intoxication, severe sleep deprivation, Alzheimer’s disease, or being in a coma. In these cases consent would need to sought elsewhere, this needs to be from the acting legal guardian for the client (even if its short or long term guardian ship, until the client is able to make appropriate decisions for their own welfare, consent will be needed from legal guardians) such as an acting family member taking legal parental ownership, social workers, having actual legal guardian status, etc.

Research Technique Essay

Suppose your sociology instructor has asked you to do a study of homelessness. Which research technique (survey, observation, experiment, existing sources) would you find the most useful? How would you use that technique to complete your assignment? If my sociology instructor has asked me to do a study of homelessness, I will choose the observation research technique because I think this method is the most useful to me. In definition, observation means collecting information through direct participation and/or by watching a group or community engaged, which means, this is a technique which researchers observe carefully the behaviors of people involved in their hypothesis. Although there are various types of observational research techniques (naturalistic observation, participant observation†¦), each of them has both strengths and weaknesses. Personally, I believe participant observation is the most suitable method for the study of homelessness. Firstly, this technique allows me to gain information in my own point of view as I’m the observer and participant as well. Secondly, by using this method, the subject behaviors (homeless people) remain natural, therefore, giving the results high validity and reliability. Thirdly, it’s flexible as I can myself test the hypotheses and be able to redefine possible personal conceptions. Fourthly, by directing involving the research, my results will contain highly-detailed, high-quality information about the homelessness’s behaviors. However, this technique also has some disadvantage. First, it’s likely for me to have a close relationship with others which may influence the results. Second, it’s quite difficult for me to be accepted in the group (maybe I’m too different from them). Third, this technique requires a great deal of skill and commitment from the researchers. I must have the ability to fit-in with the people being observed and the ability to communicate naturally to them without letting them know my purposes. Finally, I have to make sure that I have enough money, time, resources, skills and support to go through this research. More details about my study. After having finished 3 important steps (defining the problem, reviewing the literature, formulating the hypothesis), I’ll continue the fourth step: collecting and analyzing data by using the observation technique (participant observation). I’ll join the homeless communities, which usually gather to sleep in the parks, under the bridges or in the verandas of the private or public houses†¦It’d be easier for me to participate if I can show them for sure that I’m a real homeless person (little money, no mobile phone, have acceptable reason to become homeless, dirty clothes†¦). The length of my stays are going to be about 6 months to 1 year as this time is long enough for me to have a generally view about this problem (however, it mainly depend on the time which the instructor allows me to so that I can limit/expand the areas researched). During the time I’m homeless, I’ll try to gain the acceptance in the group studied in order to collect the information needed without raising close relations or letting them know who I am, which will affect the conclusion of my study. Then, I’ll listen to their stories about the reason why they become homeless (of course I must have a reason for myself), observe their feeling, their behaving in life as well as their attitudes about their present conditions. Besides, I also have to try fulfill my study by finding the answers for these following questions: 1. How did they become homeless? (different people will have different answers) 2. Do they feel like the government is helping them to reduce homelessness? 3. How has being homeless affected them? (difficulties in all aspects) 4. What are the main causes of people becoming homeless? 5. What should the government do to help the homeless people? 6. The link between being homeless and having social diseases (HIV, syphilis†¦) 7. Where do the homelessness rates have the highest/lowest percentage? What are the differences in these areas? These 5 questions are the basic information that I have to find the answers by asking directly through normal conversations, by observing, by listening†¦ Besides, I think I can conclude some other useful results so as to have a general overview to support for my study thank to the time I’m being homeless. My conclusion will include these data: 1. Trends in homelessness recently. 2. Characteristics of persons experiencing homelessness 3. Causes of homelessness 4. Effect of homelessness. 5. Homeless policy initiatives 6. How different places have different rate of homelessness. Reasons? Solutions (If I can) 7. Outlook for the future (solutions) Finally, I’ll finish the final step: developing the conclusion base on the data I have to support or redefine the hypothesis.

Strategic Management in Amazon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Strategic Management in Amazon - Essay Example In 1995 a company was born called Amazon.com which started out as online bookstore. Amazon.com became very popular in its niche of online books sales due to its large inventory book selection and prices that were below market value. Towards the end of the decade the .com bubble occurred and many e-stores when out of business, only the strongest players survived. Amazon was one of the e-retailers that survived the bubble due to its customer centric approach, great levels of service, low prices and good variety of items. As the 21st came upon us Amazon.com changed its strategic focus and decided to diversify to expand its product selection to other areas outside the typical products at a book store. This report provides an internal and external analysis of Amazon.com during the middle par of the 21st century. It then provides a strategic outlook based on the reality of Amazon in 2008. A SWOT analysis is marketing strategic tools that analysis internal and external factors affecting the operation of a corporation. The strength and weakness variables are used to perform an internal analysis of the company, while the opportunities and threats variables involved and external analysis of the environment (Kotler). One of the biggest strengths Amazon.com has developed over the years is a strong brand identity among consumers worldwide. In its core business division its online bookstore Amazon has a strong reputation for providing value and excellent customer service. The company has able to develop its human capital and organizational knowledge of ecommerce since it entered the market 13 years ago. The company experience has been achieved through a learning curve in which they learned from their mistakes. The firm’s diversification strategy allowed Amazon.com to have the distinction of having the world largest collection of goods and services. Establishing such a wide range of product and service offering increases a company’s changes of

Construction Safety Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Construction Safety - Assignment Example The design problems and stress overloading that resulted into the failure of the bridge were part of the management faults since through proper design; the situation could have been rectified. The collapse could have also been caused by faults during construction as a result of workers overlooking some important issues regarding to construction safety. There were some concerns on the safety of the bridge before the project started. The company had a lot of financial constraints before the project started. Kranakis (2004) argues that the government was not willing to part with large sums of money at that time and hence the safety issues became overlooked due to an exorbitant budget. The company however went ahead with the construction despite its financial conditions that could not have allowed the construction of the project. These were all calculated human errors that led to the collapse of the final project. According to the Cleveland State University (n,d), system theory is aimed at controlling and preventing the hazards. This is done through identifying the interactions between components rather than the failures of the components which include the non technical elements of the system. In the case of the Quebec bridge collapse the elements making up the bridge were not in harmony to create safety. The environmental conditions might have affected the bridge leading to swinging beyond the stress limits provided. This might have been caused by poor welding or jointing between the various parts making the bridge. The bridge design might not have been designed to carry the total weight of the bridge or the supporting beams used to strengthen and support the bridge may have failed due to unforeseen circumstances. It could also have happened that part of the ground that the bridge was elected yielded due to weight leading to the collapse. Kranakis (2004) explains that the design drawings and the plans

Customer Relationship Management in the Business-to-Business Market in Assignment

Customer Relationship Management in the Business-to-Business Market in Brazil - Assignment Example Research has identified that development of trust in B2B marketing is imperative, especially when there is a cultural or geographical disparity between both partners (Moment 2001; Burkert 1994). Trust is the most critical value-added constituent in this business relationship. Companies that engage in B2B marketing, especially when working with international partners, must focus on establishing conviction and reliance in order to progress forward and experience the long-run synergies provided by successful partnership development. This report focuses on business-to-business marketing in Brazil, a country in which there are established hierarchies of business relationship development that actually do take into consideration the dynamics of interpersonal relationship development in order to build the necessary trust between partners. The report also focuses on the tangibles of customer relationship with Pfizer, an international pharmaceutical company operating in B2B environments. Pfizer believes that value-added activities are critical to establishing an appropriate customer relationship management system to ensure long-run sustainability of the marketing relationship. The majority of these activities include reliance on technology to support interactivity between trading partners. Vendors that have been pre-approved are granted access to Pfizer’s technology systems, allowing them to track their own invoice movements and also submit orders through Pfizer’s e-business website (Pfizer 2013). This not only adds convenience but sets the foundation for the vital trust required. According to Starnes, Truhon and McCarthy (2010) trust is only established over time and building this relationship is a cyclical process of reciprocal acts.  

Effects Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Effects - Essay Example According to the Encyclopedia of Earth (2010), the average Northern American emits an average of 20 tons worth of CO2 equivalent in a year. Latin America hosts the world’s most biodiversity in its forests, the Amazon, which is currently facing a challenge due to the amount of deforestation taking place for the sake of construction projects (Global Change). The problems are not restricted to these two aspects, the industrial revolution and the government policies established to promote the industrial sector causes harmful gases to be released in the air which can be a cause of acid rain. This can cause a number of health hazards for a lot of people and even destroy structures with the passage of time. The effects of climate change and global warming is not isolated in a particular region or continent, it is a global issue and has caused numerous disasters across the world. Over the last 35 years there has been a significant increase in the number of category 5 hurricanes which has been linked to the rising ocean temperatures due to the depletion of the ozone layer (NRDC). The weather extremes have also gone over the edge of the spectrums as droughts have now a higher probability of occurring. Summer temperatures in certain regions such as Australia are already high but due to the steady rise in temperature wildfires are more prone to occurring. Such fires have cost governments across the globe millions of dollars due to the extensive damages. Rainy season is also become a threat as the recent floods in Australia, Brazil, Germany and other countries led to intense levels of flooding and caused a large number of deaths. The effects are not confined to the human population alone but according to the National Resources Defense Council (2011) there could be an extinction of about 1 million species of by the year 2050 if the current trend does not change its course. It has also brought to attention that due to the lesser number of ice floes in the polar caps th e polar bears are drowning as they cannot manage to swim the long distances from one floe to another in search of food or shelter. Forests such as Bermudas mangrove forest are also slowly disappearing as the sea levels continue to rise while glaciers that sustain life are slowly melting. In order to avoid a complete upheaval in the natural order of the world there needs to be serious rethinking in the way of doing certain things. There can be many legislative steps that can be taken to pen out laws at a national and international level to maintain checks and balances on industries and other businesses to curb their output of harmful gases. Governments also need to stop the trend of sustaining themselves on non-renewable resources and look for cleaner and cheaper ways to maintain a steady energy source. Wind, solar and hydra power are renewable and practical especially for developed countries that have the resources and the capital to be able to set up such plants. Even nuclear power would cut down on the waste that is emitted in the air by coal and gas and oil burning but that does come with hazards of its own. Fossil fuels are not only a danger when they are burned but their transportation and extraction itself can be hazardous to the

Corporate social responsibility in the global business community Assignment

Corporate social responsibility in the global business community - Assignment Example Also, it changes the business entrepreneurs perception towards business and society. Today, business is not just about profits, but it is more about profit sharing with society and employees (Kiran & Sharma, 2011). The majority of the world-renowned firms and organizations, for instance, the world bank, as well as European Commissions are mostly actively promoting and supporting the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility. However, Modern corporations attempt to put significant focus on the politics, economy, and the society of a country (Baxi, 2006). Perhaps, the developing nations are supposed to focus more on the Corporate Social Responsibility implementation and from the planning process. In addition, they can form alternatives to lifting the development of the social sector, and a suggested way is to develop viably and strategized public-private partnerships. Currently, the greatest challenge for most governments is on how to create Corporate Social Responsibility practices policies aa well as nurture a framework that is durable and would assist society and companies to translate the public policies to deliverables (Kiran & Sharma, 2011). Therefore, the paper focuses on defining CSR, identifying a global business that implements a CSR strategy, explain why, how, and where the global market they implement their strategy. The overall objective of the paper is to get a better understanding of how and why global companies are becoming more responsible. The paper also include the interpretation and conclusion. Nestle is one of the global renowned and largest, beverage and food companies. Nestle is a very old organization that started its activities almost 130 years ago. Its key success is innovations of its product. Alongside with its innovative capabilities, its brand business acquisitions that have made it be the large food firm all over the world. However, with time the passing, the Nestle company has swiftly grown and penetrated into the production of

Marine Biodiversity as a Part of Public Goods Essay

Marine Biodiversity as a Part of Public Goods - Essay Example In the recent past, over-fishing done by greedy individuals has led to an imbalance in the marine ecosystem. The general worries that scientists and conservationists have on over-fishing and pulverization of habitats are set apart in many parts of the biosphere and the result is that they have harmed the marine environment irreversibly. Disturbance of this adjusted biological system by individuals for medicinal drugs, food, tourism and trading activities hinder the development, ecosystem.Governments have come up with standard procedures and measures to solve the problem of over-exploitation of fisheries. The latter being a good example to highlight on how aspects of marine conservation have been carried out in the past. Overfishing is believed to arise from two possibilities in marine ecosystem; first, fisheries as a resource brings forth rivalry when it comes to consumption. This is due to the fact that the exact value and benefit of one fish caught by a fisherman cannot be enjoyed by the other. Secondly, the fishermen cannot be restricted from using the fisheries since it is a public good. Consequently, the agencies that manage fisheries use equipment and methods that focus on addressing basic issues brought by over-fishing (Geuss 117). For example, putting restrictions on inputs such as the vessel sizes, limiting the output, in this case, the total catch for every resource user. Lastly, the right of accessing the fisheries or pastures in case of pastoralists can also be limited.

Database security risks Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Database security risks - Term Paper Example Also, this research will outline the main problems with the database privacy and security. Data and information are precious assets for any organization or business. â€Å"Information refers to data that has been improved and structured by processing and purposeful intelligence† (Whitten, Bentley, & Dittman, 2000, p. 45). Here, data refers to a basic explanation of events, things, persons, processes, and transactions that are collected, categorized, and stored, however they are not structured to convert any definite meeting. Data items include figures, numeric, alphanumeric, sounds, or images. A database encompasses data and information that are organized for retrieval (Turban, Leidner, McLean, & Wetherbe, 2005, p. 51) and (Laudon & Laudon, 1999, p. 7). According to (Stair & Reynolds, 2003), a database consists of organized collection of data and information. A database can include data and information on, workers, clients, inventory, sales information, competitors, online dealings, and so on (Stair & Reynolds, 2003, p. 17). A database is a most valuable asset for any organization which is necessary to run the business. Therefore, security of this asset is very necessary. Security consists of the guidelines, activities, and actions used to stop unlawful access or modification, theft, and physical damage to database (Laudon & Laudon, 1999, p. 502). Privacy refers to right of organizations and individuals to forbid or incarcerate the compilation and utilization of information about them. In addition, few years ago, information privacy was straightforward to maintain because information was stored in different locations, for instance, each business had its own acknowledgment files, and each government agency maintained detached records, doctors kept their own patient files. However, presently, huge databases store this data online. A large amount of this data is private and secret and should be reachable only to permitted users (Shelly, Cashman, & Vermaat,

Police System In Japan Essay Example for Free

Police System In Japan Essay In Japan, police system generally enjoy wide community support and respect. The system, so called keisatsu seido consists of approximately 220,000 police officers who are organized into prefectural forces coordinated and partially controlled by the National Police Agency in Tokyo. Concerning the historical development, during the Edo period we are talking about the years 1600 1868 here, the Tokugawa Shogunate ( the form of those days governing the country ) developed elaborate police system based on town magistrates who held samurai status and served as chiefs of police, prosecutors and criminal judges. The system was extended by citizens  ´s groups such as five-family associations ( gonin gumi ) . These groups were composed of neighbours, collectively liable to the government for the activities of their membership. After the Meiji Restoration in 1868, the main change in the whole Japanese history, the Home Ministry was established in 1873. With jurisdiction over the Police Bureau, it effectively controlled the police. This new, centralized police system had wide-ranging responsibilities, includng the authority to issue ordinances and handle quasi-judicial functions. It also regulated public health, factories, constructions, businesses and issued permits, licenses and orders. In 1911 the Special Higher Police was established to help control proscribed political activities. Later in 1928 it was strengthened with the introduction of the Peace Preservation Law. When the Sino-Japanese War began in 1937, the police were given the added responsibilities of regulating business activities for the war efforts, mobilizing labour and controlling transportatioon. Also regulation of publications, motion pictures, political meetings, and election campaigns came under police direction. After World War II, Japan as a defeated country was under strong pressure and influence mainly from the U.S., on all branches of life, including the police system. The National Diet the highest organ of state power was required to enact a new Police Law. This 1947 law abolished the previous  Home Ministry. It decentralized the system by establishing about 1,600 independent municipal police forces in all cities and towns with population of over 5,000 smaller communities. These were served by the newly created National Rural Police. General contol of the police was supposed to be ensured by the establishment of civilian public safety commissions. As to present structure, today the Japanese police system is based on prefectural units that are autonomous in daily operations yet are linked nationalwide under the National Police Agency. Prefectural police headquarters, including the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, control everyday police operations in each prefecture. In effect, the prefectures pay for the patrol man on the beat, traffic control over domestic security units, which are funded by the national government, as are the salaries of senior national and prefectural police officials. Prefectures are divided into districts, each with its own police station under direct control of prefectural police headquarters. There are about 1,250 of these police stations nationwide. Districts are further subdivided into jurisdictions of urban police boxes ( koban ) and rural residential police boxes ( chuzaisho). The mainstay of the Japanese police system is the uniformed patrol officer (omawari san ). The patrol officers supply the police boxes and patrol cars and comprised 40 percent of al incidents and crimes and then move them to the specialized units for further investigation. The sphere of police resposibilities remains broad. Besides solving ordinary crimes, criminal investigators establish the causes of fires and industrial accidents. Crime prevention police hold added responsibility for juveniles, businesses and the enforcement of special laws regulating gun and sword ownership, drugs, smuggling, prostitution, pornography and industrial pollution. Public safety commissions usually defer to police decisions. Police contact with the community is extended by the requirement that koban based police visit every home in their jurisdiction to gather information,  pass on suggestions regarding crime prevention and hear complaints. Neighbourhood crime prevention and traffic safety associations provide another link between police and community, further promoting extensive public involvement in law and order.

SIA Airlines Essay Example for Free

SIA Airlines Essay QUESTION:The industry analysis is necessary in the strategic marketing planning in order to identify the opportunities and threats in the competitive environment. Choose the airlines as an industry to apply the Michael Porters five forces model and discuss how one established airline like SIA should respond to the competitive environment, after analyzing the industry. SIA is internationally recognised as one of the worlds leading carriers. The company had recognised that in this highly competitive market, any advantage gained by one airline over others will be short-lived, and ideas that are new will become commonplace in a matter of months. As such, SIA noted the importance of having to always stay at the forefront both in service and technology. This strategy of SIA focuses primarily not on reducing costs, but on enhancing quality or service and preventing any customer problem from arising. SIA has succeeded most uniquely with this type of strategy in the airline industry, a strategy commonly employed in service businesses that command premium prices with high margins, businesses in which there are a high degree of repeat business, with word-of-mouth praise by customers as one of the most important marketing channel. Internally, three cost items account for half of SIAs operating cost: fuel, aircraft depreciation and wages. There is little that can be done with respect to fuel cost except for judicious hedging. As for aircraft cost, SIA is universally acknowledged as being second to none in securing the best prices and purchase terms from aircraft and engine manufacturers. That leaves wages. The airlines fixed wages amount to less than $800 million a year, roughly one tenth of total operating expenditure, a modest proportion indeed. Variable wages comprise the rest, consisting mainly of profit-based bonuses and crew allowances based on actual hours of flying by pilots and cabin attendants. The recent wage cuts were a result not of lavish recruitment or over-indulgent pay rises in the past, but of the cumulative damage wrought by terrorism, war and SARS, and the need to stay competitive as other carriers undergo major restructuring of their cost structures. Externally, the industry analysis has a direct effect on a companys strategic competitiveness and above-average returns. While companies, in this case, our very own SIA, cannot directly control the elements of the general environment, it can influence and will be influenced by factors in the airline industry and competitor environments. The intensity of competition in the airline industry and its profit potential are a function of Michael Porters five forces model of competition: the treats posed by new entrants, the power of suppliers, the power of buyers, product substitutes, and the intensity of rivalry among competitors. Studying these forces allows SIA to find a position in the airline industry where it can buffer itself from the power of the forces in order to increase its ability to earn above-average returns. Threats posed by new entrantsNew entrants to an industry typically bring to it new capacity, a desire to gain market share, and substantial resources (Wheelen and Hunger, 7th Ed, pg 61). New entrants to an industry can raise the level of intensity of the competitiveness among companies, thereby reducing its attractiveness. The threat of new entrants largely depends on the barriers to entry obstructions that make it difficult for a company to enter an industry (Wheelen and Hunger, 7th Ed, pg 62). High entry barriers exist in some industries (e.g. shipbuilding) whereas other industries are very easy to enter (e.g. estate agency, restaurants). Key barriers to entry include the need to gain economies of scale quickly, the need to gain technology, large capital and investment requirements, high customer switching costs, lack of access to industry distribution channels, the likelihood of retaliation from existing industry players, and potential saturation of the market. Despite all the numerous barriers to entry, new companies sometimes enter industries with higher quality products, lower prices and substantial marketing resources. It is the management strategists job to identify such threats from potential new competitors and to monitor the new rivals strategies, so as to counterattack as needed, and to capitalise on existing strengths and opportunities. Budget airlines such as Air Asia have been emerging in recent times which represent the emerging point-to-point budget model symbolized by Southwest, JetBlue, EasyGroup and RyanAir. With the economy still on its way to recovery, travellers are still reluctant to spend. The low carrier model works best in short-haul point-to-point market where price is extremely important and the deciding factor is price. The advantage of the low-cost model is that it fits well with current consumer demand as budget flights are cheap and offer more attractive deals to such travellers. One important factor for the emerging budget airline is that travellers main concern is to reach a destination. There is always a group of travellers with just this simple need to be satisfied. Those travellers have no need for in-flight or ground-level services. In face of growing competition, SIA would be launching their very own budget carrier called Tiger Airways. I believe that this is a good strategic move by SIA to tackle the threat from the new budget airlines that are entering the industry currently. Power of suppliersSuppliers are the businesses that supply materials other products into the industry (Wheelen and Hunger, 7th Ed, pg 64). Suppliers can affect an industry through their ability to raise prices or reduce quantity of supply. The cost of items bought from suppliers (e.g. raw materials, components) can have a significant impact on a companys profitability. The bargaining power of suppliers affects the intensity of competition in an industry especially when there are a large numbers of suppliers, when there are only a few good substitute raw materials, or when the cost of switching raw materials is costly. If suppliers have high bargaining power over a company, then in theory the companys industry is less attractive. Companies should pursue backward vertical integration to gain control or ownership of suppliers. This strategy is effective when suppliers are unreliable, too costly, or not capable of meeting a companys needs on  consistent basis. Companies can negotiate more favourably with suppliers when backward vertical integration is a commonly used strategy among rival companies in an industry. Boeing and Airbus dominate the whole airline industry because they are the two major suppliers of aircrafts. There are no satisfactory substitute products available to airline companies as aircrafts are the only form of commercial air transport. Airlines are not a significant customer group for the two suppliers because they can supply aircrafts to governments/military as well. Boeings and Airbuss aircrafts are critical to the airline companys marketplace success because aircrafts are the most important resource in the airline industry. This in turn leads to high bargaining power of Boeing and Airbus they can increase prices and reduce the quality of their aircrafts, without any retaliation by any airlines including SIA. However, another major supplier of SIA is Singapore Airport Terminal Services (SATS), which provides ground-handling and in-flight catering services at Changi Airport. It is a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines (SIA) and now has about 80 per cent market share. It is a fine example of vertical integration undertaken by SIA to gain ownership of supplies. SIA was also very successful with other airline-related companies such as SIA Engineering Company which are now large groups of companies based all over Asia, with profits around the $200 million level, a significant proportion contributed by associate companies. Power of buyersBuyers are the people or organisations that create demand in an industry (Wheelen and Hunger, 7th Ed, pg 64). When the buyers are concentrated or large, or buy in big volume, their bargaining power represents a force affecting the intensity of competition in an industry. Buyers affect an industry through their ability to force down prices, bargain for higher quality or more services, and play competitors against each other. The bargaining power of buyers is higher when the products being purchased are standard or undifferentiated. Whenever the bargaining power of buyer is substantial, rival companies may offer extended warranties or special services to gain customers loyalty. Air travellers and transportation companies purchase a large portion of the airline industrys total service. The sale of tickets to air travellers and cargo space to transportation companies account for a significant portion of the airline companys annual revenues. Buyer groups experience low switching costs as they can choose one airline company over another, depending on which offers better deals. When there are low switching costs, competitors can attract travellers through pricing and service offerings. As such, buyer groups have high buying bargaining power companies in the airline industry have to be more focused on the needs and desires of their customers in order to better serve and satisfy them. SIAs KrisFlyer gives its members more rewards and privilege that come with travelling so as to gain customer loyalty and to entice repeated sales. This is just one, but excellent, way of better serving and satisfying travellers who have considerable power. Product substitutesSubstitutes are products that appear to be different but can satisfy the same need as another product (Wheelen and Hunger, 7th Ed, pg 63). In many industries, companies are in close competition with producers of substitute products in other industries. For example, tea can be considered as a substitute for coffee. According to Porter, substitutes limit the potential returns of an industry by placing a ceiling on the prices companies in the industry can profitably charge (Wheelen and Hunger, 7th Ed, pg 64). In other words, it means that the presence of substitutes put a ceiling on the price to be charged before the consumers will switch to the substitute product. The presence of substitute products lowers the industry attractiveness and profitability because of the limited price levels. The competitive strength of substitutes is best measured by the market share those products obtain and those companies plans for increased capacity and market penetrationSubstitutes to aircrafts include sea and land transports which are much cheaper alternatives. However, they pose no serious threats to the airline company because air transport is still considered as the faster and most effective way to reach a destination. Nevertheless, with rapid advancements in technology, new and better modes of  transport may gradually emerge as better alternatives to aircrafts. In view of this, airlines such as SIA should keep developing strategies to differentiate itself along dimensions that travellers and transportation companies value, so as to reduce any substitutes attractiveness. The intensity of rivalry among competitorsThere are many airline companies in the industry. As a result, intense rivalries are common. The companies are generally aware of competitors actions, often choosing to respond to them. Due to the 911 incident and SARS, the airline industry has been experiencing slow growth which makes rivalry even more intense as companies battle to increase their market shares by attracting competitors customersSome airline companies are viewed as having few differentiated features or capabilities. Rivalry intensifies when a number of airline companies offer the same level of service. In view of this, travellers will then make the decision based on price. What SIA can do to counter the intense rivalry is to take competitive actions and competitive responses in efforts to be successful. The most important thing is of course to differentiate itself from competitors offerings in ways that travellers and transportation companies value and in which SIA has a competitive advantage. ConclusionAs can be seen from the above industry analysis, with threats posed by budget airlines; high bargaining power of Boeing and Airbus; high bargaining power of air travellers and transportation companies; and lastly, intense rivalry among competitors in the airline industry; SIA has to continuously improve itself in order to stay competitive in the airline industry. In fact, the company is doing that very well. It has been fast in reacting to the changes in the industry environment, as evident from their current strategies of introducing a budget airline, cutting costs, focusing attention on business class travellers and implementing long haul flights. Following such moves, will SIA then be able to continue staying ahead of competitors and be ensured of its position as one of the worlds leading carriers for many years to come? The answer remains to be seen. References Thomas L. Wheelen and J David Hunger (2000) Strategic Management And Business Policy 7th Edition Prentice Hall InternationalFred R. David (2001), Strategic Management Concepts And Cases 8th Edition. Prentice Hall InternationalMary Coulter and Stephens P. Robbins (1999) Management 6thEdition, Prentice Hall InternationalJ. David Hunger and Thomas L. Wheelen (2003) Essentials of strategic management, Prentice Hall InternationalCharles W.L. Hill and Gareth R. Jones (2002) Strategic management : an integrated approach 2nd Edition, Houghton MifflinPhilip Kotler (2003) Marketing Management 11th Edition, Prentice Hall International