Is the War on Terrorism a War Essay

The Global War on Terrorism is a military run that began shortly after the terrorist onslaughts of September 11th 2001. First used by George W. Bush. the phrase ‘war on terror’ has become to be conceptualized as a term used to mean ‘global military. political. lawful. and conceptual battle aiming both organisations designated as terrorists and governments accused of back uping them. † The war on panic chief focal point has been with Islamist activists and Al-Qaeda. The war in Afghanistan and Iraq are both considered to be portion of the war on terrorist act. There is much guess on whether the war on panic is really a war. This essay will reason that both points of position are valid. There are grounds which validate the war on terrorist act as being considered an existent war such as the fact that an existent decelaration of war was waged by both the US and Al-Qaeda. it can be considered a new manner of war. and that finally like war. terrorist act is a mean to a political terminal. On the other side of the spectrum. it may non be considered a war because it does non hold a clear terminal or possible triumph. it does non hold a confined conflict infinite as regular wars. and it is a ‘war’ against an immaterial construct such as the wars on poorness. drugs. and offense. There is an extended sum of literature on the topic of terrorist act and particularly the war on panic. Mia Bloom in ‘Dying to Kill: The Allure of Suicide Terror’ examines the usage schemes. successes. and failures of self-destruction bombardment in Asia. the Middle East. and Europe. She claims that in many cases the attempt of Israel. Russia. and the United States have failed to discourage terrorist act and suicide bombardments. Bloom besides contemplates how terrorist groups learn from one another. and therefore how they react and retaliate to counterterror tactics the funding of terrorist act. and the function of suicide onslaughts against the background of larger cultural and political struggles. Another current bookman authorship on terrorist act is Mark Juergensmeyer. Juergensmeyer surveies spiritual terrorist act more specifically. Bruce Hoffman gives a superb penetration to terrorist act and all its facets. Hoffman describes its historical development and the mentality of the terrorist. He examines this unseeable enemy and his tactics and motive in a globalized universe. Hoffman argues that the 9/11 onslaughts on the Twin Towers radically altered the USA’s and the Wests position on terrorist act. When trying to reply the above inquiry it is of import to clear up and specify the footings. Terrorism has a huge figure of definitions and varies greatly depending on who is seeking to specify it and from what position it is being defined and at which range. For illustration one definition of terrorist act is the FBI’s definition of it as ‘the improper usage of force or force against individuals or belongings to intimidate or hale a Government. the civilian population. or any section thereof. in farther political or societal objectives’ . Another definition is from the Department of Defense which states it to be as ‘the calculated usage of improper force or menace of improper force to instill fright ; intended to hale or to intimidate authoritiess or societies in the chase of ends that are by and large political. spiritual. or ideological aims. A concluding illustration of one of the many definitions of terrorist act is that of the Department of homeland Security which states it as ‘any activity that involves an act that is unsafe to human life or potentially destructive of critic substructure or cardinal resources ; and†¦must besides appear to be intended ( I ) to intimidate or hale a civilian population ; ( two ) to act upon the policy of a authorities by bullying or coercion ; ( three ) to impact the behavior of a authorities by mass devastation. blackwash. or nobbling. ’ These definitions vary rather greatly from one to another. Any definition of terrorist act suits a peculiar bureau and how they look at the act of force. whereas really few expression at the causes for it and what its kernel is. Notice the selected vocabulary for each definition will accommodate the type of agency’s profile. The job with specifying terrorist act is one that it is a subjective thing. and two that the parties seeking to specify it seek to include everything and nil in it. They try to set and assorted different events that happened and state of affairss every bit good to assist specify it so as to do certain that terrorist act encompasses a big figure of things. For illustration the discotheque bombardment of Bali. It seems that the definitions need to include anything that attacks the West. With respects to the war on panic. is it the war on panic or terrorist act? Is there truly a war on terrorist act and if so harmonizing to whom? The USA? Al-Qaeda? And in which theaters and locations are we speaking about? The war on panic might be a war on panic in Afghanistan but non in other topographic points. Besides the rubric of the inquiry is rather equivocal because is terrorist act is an act of war. or is war is an act of terrorist act? Each one can be unfolded onto the other easy. It is besides of import to see who is included in the war on panic. is it all terrorists groups including terrorist groups like the IRA? Or is it merely limited to Islamist hawkish terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda? It is non ever clear who are the terrorists and who are the terrorized†¦ â€Å"All political relations is a battle for power. and the ultimate sort of power is force. † Hoffman writes that terrorist act is where political relations and force intersect in the hope of presenting power. And that all terrorist act involves a pursuit for power. Power to make many things such as to rule. coerce. control but finally to ‘effect cardinal political alteration. Clausewitz’s definition of war was ‘war is the continuance of Politick by other means’ . In this context terrorist act tantrums in conformity to his definition as terrorist act excessively can be considered portion of war. Terrorism can be considered a tactic or act of war. or war a tactic or act of terrorist act. For illustration the Gallic used anguish during the Battle of Algiers. the US uses panic tactics itself such as Abu Ghraib. It is really hard to divide war from terrorist act neatly. Bing a terrorist is a stepping-stone to going a politician. Therefore because of the really equivocal relationship and line between war and terrorist act. terrorist act can be considered as a new manner. or military maneuver of contending war. Therefore anything that tries to counter onslaught it can besides be considered a war. Therefore riping the war on terrorist act a war. Terrorism is ‘a complex phenomena in which force is used to obtain political power to readdress grudges ’ In order for one to see the war on terrorist act as an existent war. an existent statement of engaging war has had to been made. This is the instance with the war on terrorist act. Al-Qaeda did declare war on the USA in 1998. The bush disposal created the term of the ‘axis of evil’ and the USA did contend a conventional war in Iraq in 2003. The war on terrorist act might non be a war in itself but it could be made up and composed by several on traveling wars such as Chechnya. the authorities of Sri Lanka versus the Tumult Tigers ( which was really the first state to successfully get the better of terrorist act ) . and Mali. There have been clear aims set out and enemies to get the better of. Although this enemy is unseeable. and the manner of contending the conflicts are different ( due to the asymmetrical facet of the war on panic ) it does non intend this is non a war. The regulations have changed. the conflict infinite as good. the manner of thought of the enemy and war has changed drastically. But it is still war. It is merely a new face of war. However. the war on terrorist act is difficult to specify as an existent ‘war’ for several grounds. One. because it seems the US and the West are merely patroling and prosecuting in state edifice to advance broad democracy. Hoffman mentions the 2nd factor. which is immensely of import in discrediting the war on terrorist act as a war saying that ‘unlike traditional wars. the war on panic does non hold a clear end’ . This is because the triumph seems unachievable. Terrorism won’t dice along with the terrorist leaders. Not even when the most wanted terrorist has been killed. DCIA Leon E. Panetta stated that â€Å"I don’t think there’s any inquiry that when you get the figure one terrorist in the universe. that we’re a small safer today than we were when he was alive. But I besides don’t think we ought to pull the leg of ourselves that killing Usama Bin Ladin kills al-Qa’ida. Al-Qa’ida still remains a menace. they’re still traveling to seek to assail our state. and I think we have to go on to be argus-eyed and go on the attempt to finally get the better of these cats. We damaged them. but we still have to get the better of them. † In order for a war to be a war. shouldn’t it hold a clear terminal? Or at least a possible one? The war on terrorist act besides is discredited as being an existent war because it does non take topographic point on a clear conflict infinite. The manager of public prosecutions. Sir Ken Macdonald quoted â€Å"London is non a battleground. Those inexperienced persons who were murdered on July 7 2005 were non victims of war. And the work forces who killed them were non. as in their amour propre they claimed on their farcical pictures. ‘soldiers’ . They were deluded. egotistic inadequates. They were felons. They were fantasists. We need to be really clear about this. On the streets of London. there is no such thing as a ‘war on terror’ . merely as there can be no such thing as a ‘war on drugs’ He continues by saying that ‘the battle against terrorist act on the streets of Britain is non a war. It is the bar of offense. the enforcement of our Torahs and the winning of justness for those damaged by their violation. † The war on panic could merely be a war against a ‘thing’ such as the war on poorness. drugs. offense tc†¦ There is no existent manner to get the better of. destroy and free the planet of such immaterial constructs. The war on terrorist act looked under these facets becomes more hard to truly accept as a war. It is hard to reply the inquiry if whether the war on terrorist act is an existent war. It appears that there is a battle between Al-Qaeda contending secula rism. consumerism. and immorality and the US and the West is contending against retardation and against groups of people who reject western values and globalisation. Is this what the existent war being fought is about? Is this the existent war that is traveling on? There are both facets crediting the war on terrorist act as a war and others discrediting it. This inquiry nevertheless is extremely relevant and intertwines to other facets of IR305 such as the altering nature of war ( is the war on panic the new type of war? ) . the different types of warfare ( is the war on panic the new western manner of warfare and terrorist act the Arab manner of warfare? ) . and the subject of hazard societies ( are we engendering more terrorist act by contending the war on panic. therefore making more hazard ) . All of these assorted facets of IR305 are relevant to the subject of the war on terrorist act.

Retail Sector in Uk

THE UK RETAIL SECTOR Retailing is one of the major economic sectors of United Kingdom, with retail sales of ? 221 billion, employing around 3 million people and operating over 300,000 shops. Within the sector there is a scale polarisation at both the business and the store level. The leading retailers are huge, multinational businesses which dominate the sector. They operate a range of stores from major hypermarkets and supercentres through to small convenience stores. Retailing is also significant it its social dimension as well.Whilst economically retailing bridges production and consumption, in social terms it effects most of the population every day. It is the rare person who does not go shopping, or indeed has not worked in retailing or been involved in it in some way. For some, retailers offer their major social intercourse of the day or week and act as a social network, setting or centre. The quality of UK retailing and its locations thus has both an economic and a social bear ing on the perceptions of the country.COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS 1. 1 Political Structure and Trends The activities of retailers and thus shoppers are affected by the political structure and trends in a number of ways. It would be wrong, however, to see this as a direct relationship derived through a body of legislation specifically targeted at retailing or shopping. Instead, trends in retailing and shopping are more dependent on a number of national debates and initiatives that have been developed recently by various levels in the political process.The main direct effect that politicians have on retailing and shopping is through their exercise of power over location through the levers of the land-use planning system. Whilst land-use planning is a local authority activity, national government can intervene to provide directions and guidance on the assessment of development opportunities and proposals. Whilst land-use planning towards retailing in the 1980s allowed decentralised activity, since the early 1990s there has been a growing consensus on the tightening of restrictions on off-centre and green field evelopment. Thus it has become much harder to obtain planning permission for developments away from existing town centres and newer forms of retailing such as factory outlet centres and regional shopping centres have become harder to accommodate. This consensus has emerged through a general concern with the health of town centres and a desire to see town centres as vital and viable parts of the urban structure, fulfilling traditional nodal activities, including providing a focus for shopping.Whilst land-use planning affects the location of retailing, other instruments of government can affect the operations of the business, although as we note there is no overall retail trading legislation. Instead, shoppers are affected by a battery of public policy which attempts variously to regulate competition, safeguard consumer interests and to regulate trading conditions. Recent changes in this arena have seen an easing of restrictions on trading hours for example but a strengthening of powers over retail selling and employment practices. Concerns over public health have led to tighter regulation on food stores.In essence the approach could be summed up as ensuring that retailers do their jobs properly and that there is as much a level playing field as possible. Again there is no reason to suspect that this will change, though the scale of the legislation will change as globalisation continues in this market. Big retailers will be created on a pan-European level and will be subjected to standard operating conditions across for example Europe, which safeguard consumer interests. The European dimension obviously has another political aspect as well, most notably in terms of the Euro.Whilst decisions about the Euro are beyond this report, retailers as a key service sector, will have to deal with its introduction (or not). For some this is already antici pated through their acceptance of Euros in the UK, their Irish and continental European experiences and in their forward planning of technological (eg POS) investment. Smaller retailers in particular however may be less prepared for any positive decision. Overall there will be costs in implementation, as well as potential trading disruption depending on timing of introduction. 1. 2 Economic Structures and TrendsTo a considerable extent, the economic structures and trends driver for change operates at such a macro-level of the economy that it is very hard to consider it in any detail. The general economic position of the country will condition to a great extent the outcomes retailers experience from the shopping activity. Thus the volume and value of retail sales is of importance in this arena, but it is hard to be certain of magnitudes looking forward. Political policy can have an impact by its promotion of certain sectors and locations in the economy, in pursuit for example of grea ter social inclusion and a fairer distribution of wealth.However alternative policies could equally be considered. The economic structure also has an affect on the retail landscape through the encouragement or otherwise of the construction of landscapes for consumption. Businesses have to be willing to invest in the built environment and to feel comfortable that such investments will make a return. Probably the only safe assumption to be made is that the broad economic structures will remain in place and that in the future Britain will be economically approximately ranked similarly to where it is now in the world.Taking this assumption, then it would seem that we can expect many of the trends we have seen in recent years to continue. Thus, there would seem to be scope for further growth in retail sales, if we take a broad definition of retailing. There will be developers wishing to invest in the UK in commercial property, but much of this development may take the form of redevelopme nt or enhancement of existing locations. The exceptions to this might be purpose built new facilities in areas of identified deprivation, though the exact form of these facilities will be open to question.The economic structure has an impact on retailers and retail structure. British retailing is dominated by large corporate chains, many of which are head-quartered outside the country. Whilst there is in a sense a requirement to improve local knowledge to meet consumer needs, large retailers have demonstrated that computing power can be used to understand markets. Knowledge management becomes a key element in the future economy. There does not seem therefore to be any particular reason why current trends towards bigger and foreign retailers (eg.Wal-Mart) dominating more of the market should not continue, although they will probably structure some of their activities on a national (ie. local) basis. There will be opportunities for local and new retailers, but overall the market struc ture is likely to remain dominated by such big and increasingly global players. The interaction of the political will and the economic situation of the country and locations and individuals within the country will be important in determining the affluence of otherwise of the population, and thus the attractiveness of sites for retailers.This personal disposable income is critical to the future of locations, though it is tempered by the aspirations and lifestyle choices, and the costs of these eg. monthly rental of satellite television reduces out-of-home shopping. Most recently there has been announced major investment in the country’s infrastructure, funded in part by increased tax and NI revenues. This could affect perceptions of affluence and personal disposable income for years to come. More worryingly perhaps is the possible pensions timebomb which is currently being exposed through the switch out of final-salary schemes.Continuing concerns over mortgage payments based u pon endowment policies and the high level of credit in the economy reinforce these worries. Socio-Cultural and Lifestyle Aspirations Changing socio-cultural and lifestyle considerations have fuelled much of the change in shopping and retailing in recent years. Attitudes and beliefs as well as wants and needs have been transformed. They continue to develop and further change can be expected. In particular, attitudes to work and leisure are worth identifying separately as they are potentially so important.Modern consumers are a mass of contradictions, many of which are inexplicable on any rational basis. Some travel miles by car, damaging the environment, to refill a plastic bottle which costs virtually nothing, or to place bottles in a bottlebank located on a superstore car park. Branded products with a conspicuous logo are purchased in preference to identical generic products selling at a vastly reduced price. People pay 50% more for a 30% smaller microwaveable pot of baked beans ra ther than have to open a tin and heat the product ‘normally’.Ready-washed salads or chopped vegetables in their millions are purchased to ‘save time’ or to cover up for lost culinary ‘skills’. Understanding and predicting change in this arena is therefore a little difficult. What can be said is that there is a tension in this aspect of shopping. On the one hand consumers have ever broader experiences and expectations that have been increased by their exposure to new events, horizons, ways of doing things etc. So holiday experiences are brought back and combined with UK products and behaviours. Things that are seen in TV programmes become available in local stores.On the other hand, the very nature of the global experience, particularly through leisure products such as TV and cinema, tends to reduce things to the lowest common denominator – Pringles, Coke, Gap, Nike – and it is no coincidence that the majority of exemplars are Amer ican. This differentiation/similarity paradox will also emerge in other ways, and in particular in terms of the attitudes and belief statements of individuals and the way they translate these into shopping actions. Single-issue causes are fundamentally important now and look set to remain a force.Attitudes to corporate or government activities may lead to both small-scale individual behaviour changes but possibly to more aggregate corporate behaviour changing movements. The ‘battle’ over GM foods and the rapid development of organic food sales are examples of the start of this rather than the end. Consumers and businesses will spend a lot of time in the future working out their positions on issues and changing behaviours appropriately. However, the number of individual positions by their very nature will outnumber choices available.This points to a continuing fragmentation of much of consumer demand, but overlain by certain common themes. For retailers, identifying thes e themes early will be critically important and reacting quickly will be vital. The issue of mobility is complicated. It is clear that people’s understanding of mobility has been transformed in a number of directions. The overall perception of mobility has extended significantly. This extension is both in terms of the mental view of locations and travel and a dramatic extension of what may be possible and also a willingness and ability to actually travel.The location of holidays and the influence this has on price perception and product purchase is one example of this. The willingness to travel longer distances to shop on a regular or an irregular (shopping centres) basis is another. It is also the case that as we are spending more time ‘on the move’, our needs in consumption terms have changed. We need to be able to consume as we go (food, music, information etc) and retailers have changed locations, products and shop formats to adjust to this. 1. 4 Demographic Structures and TrendsShopping and retailing are obviously heavily dependent on people, both as an industry, but also as the basic consuming unit. Changes in the population structure and the location of this population, as well as the make-up of the households in which people live, are fundamentally important to retailers and to understanding the shopping future. For example, population growth in specific locations or of age-groups of people encourage or discourage retailers to construct the retail environment differently.The ‘baby-boomers’ or ‘Generation X’ concepts have their reality in the shopping behaviour each group carries out and the demand for experiences and products they exhibit. Similarly, the growth of children as consumers and acknowledgement of the spending power of the â€Å"tweenies† represent new foci for retailers and service providers. Similarly, the breakdown of the nuclear family and the rise of single person households changed t he consumption landscape, both in non-food because of the absolute number of households, but also in food due to pack size issues and so on.More but smaller households will have an effect on the type of products and services purchased and the shopping trips undertaken. In short, understanding likely future demographic structures and trends provides a good base from which to examine future shopping, and because of the nature of population dynamics provides us with a solid foundation of understanding. New births notwithstanding, we have good estimates of population demography for the next twenty years.Population estimates for the UK suggest that there will be in the next twenty years an extra 4 million people in the country on the current base of 58 million. It is forecast that current trends will continue leading to a substantially older composition of the population than at present. There will be significant growth in the 45+ age groups, many of whom will be young in body and mind a nd will be able to finance their consumption (a group of time rich/cash rich). There is within this also an increase in the 75+ age group which will present significant issues for the delivery of shopping opportunities.The ageing of the population will present an opportunity to target older consumers, but it would seem to be likely that the differences within this group will be as great as differences between the 45+ age group and other groups. The ageing of the population has another dimension of interest to retailing. Retailing is a traditional user of young people and the workforce in retailing has been seen as being more youthful and transient than many other sectors. With a decline in the youth cohort and a large increase in older consumers, retailers are going to have to question their hiring policies.Some retailers have been aware of this for some time, but it is going to become a wider phenomenon. Older consumers are going to want to be served by older well-informed staff an d retailers are going to have to draw on this older workforce in order to keep their stores staffed in the first place. Willingness to work and the expectations of work for these groups may be much changed in the future. 1. 5 Product and Process Innovation Of all the drivers of change, the one that is most obviously in the news with respect to shopping and retailing is that of product, or more particularly, process innovation.The rapid development of the digital revolution, linked on occasions to the development of electronic commerce has caught the imagination of many, but perhaps blinded them to some of the pitfalls. Despite the fall from grace of the B2C Internet, most large retailers have a web site and are seriously exploring the opportunities or dangers of this new channel. The implications of this wave of experimentation for home delivery and for the very nature of retail organisations needs to be considered.In short, is the Internet the new way of shopping and retailing, whi ch will eventually conquer all, or is it a small additional channel of limited impact? Whilst it is crucial to consider the possible implication in this area, it is important to emphasise (unlike perhaps the UK Foresight process) that retail futures are not all technologically based or driven. Product innovation is almost impossible to predict due to the rapid development and innovation of technology and other components. There are some possible ‘straws in the wind’ associated with developments in miniaturisation, communications and digitisation.Books, videos, films and music may all be transformed by product changes associated with new mechanisms for making, storing and communicating such material. Beyond that however it is almost impossible to predict what new products will be around and futile to attempt to predict in any detail what we will be buying. Process innovation is however another matter. The process of shopping has for well over a century been composed of m ultiple channels, but process innovation in the form of e-retailing is challenging the balance amongst these channels, chiefly because the nature of the medium has changed.In addition, the current implementation of e-retailing has the scope to change the nature and cost structures of retail activities. The â€Å"traditional† model – in which the customer via self service undertakes most of the shopping tasks (and bears the costs) -changes with many tasks and the associated costs transferred to the retailer. The retail business economics of e-retailing differ from those of store based retailing. Predicting the extent of Internet or e-retailing take-off is foolhardy given the breadth of experimentation and the pace of change. It is however worth reflecting on the use to which the new format is being put.It would appear that e-retailing is being used in three different ways at least for shopping. First, there are sites and opportunities that are essentially price driven. The focus is on getting the cheapest price for the product. Secondly however some sites are being used to provide a form of service delivery. In this case, products are sought because they are special, unique, different or distinctive or because they are hard to find and thus a broad data source is needed. In short, the Internet can allow the breadth of retailing to be consulted more quickly than might otherwise be the case.It is possible to identify a third type of use, namely the time-saver, when basic components of shopping (provisioning? ) are routinised into some form of home delivery service. These three illustrations are themselves further (and this time ‘virtual’) examples of the categorisation of shopping behaviour outlined earlier. With the exception of downloadable digitised products such as video and music, most products purchased remotely will require some form of home delivery system. Shopping in the real world, with the exception of mail order places the onus for this aspect primarily on the consumer.However, Internet retailing separates these activities and thus reinforces the distinction between purchasing and obtaining. In order to obtain virtual purchased goods, home delivery points will probably be needed and solutions will need to be found to the problems of delivery timings, people absent deliveries and the like (though other solutions are possible focusing on local stores/distribution points). It is also the case that one of the conventionally perceived benefits of Internet retailing, namely the removal of many car journeys, might be obviated by the expansion of local home (or workplace) delivery services.In terms of process, the emergence of the Internet has also had effects ‘behind the scenes’. 1. 6 Environmental Changes and Trends The UK is a congested set of islands, although this can be overstated by those living in the South East of England. As such the environmental aspects of shopping and retailing are p articularly important given that the sector is a large user of land and the consumers are travellers to and from locations. Retailing of course is not only about consumers moving products, as shops are the commercial end of an entire supply chain.The way in which land is used for retailing and the retail supply chain have not remained static and there is good reason to presume that this will continue. Similarly the design and architecture of retail locations is not static and plays a considerable role in both the construction of the ‘feel’ of the retail location and experience and also, in environmental terms, its efficiency and effectiveness. Retailing uses land and locations for its physical activities. Consumers tend to travel to the store or shop components of this system.Space use by retailers has changed dramatically with broad trends towards the polarisation of shop size. In the main this has not led to any particular problems over space although many retailers h ave sought the prime locations. However some problems have been felt in secondary locations as concentration and competition effects have washed through the system. All the pressures being identified thus far suggest that there is not going to be a dramatic increase in space needs but rather that it is the quality of the space that will be most important. Current estimates of retail space, from CB Hillier Parker, suggests a stock of over 1. billion square feet of gross shop floorspace, which translates into 524 million square feet of net floorspace. Of the total gross floorspace 17. 7% is in â€Å"managed† retail environments (town and out-of-town shopping centres and retail warehouses), compared to 13. 5% in 1990 and 8% in 1980. Longer term however, it might be that existing space may be more problematical leading to either wholesale transformation or re-use as something else. Retail Sector Structure Size and Scope of Retail Sectors As has already been indicated, the definit ion of retailing has become more problematic.The horizontal and vertical blurring of activities and boundaries means that putting precise dimensions on the sector as a whole, and any component sub-sectors, is more difficult than before. Many examples of the issues abound, but we could for example contrast the coffee shop in the local Tesco, to the purchase of take-away sandwiches at Pret-a-Manager and the purchase of sushi for lunch at Sainsbury. Are they all retailing? Similarly Tesco sell pre-packaged insurance at the store but the same ‘product’ is available via the telephone and from banks and brokers. Where do we draw the line for retail sales?Even Delia Smith’s cookery programmes on the BBC could conceivably be seen as a retail activity, given the direct correlation between transmission and product purchase. The boundaries of retailing are highly blurred and volatile and government conceptualisations and statistics focused on product are not necessarily the most appropriate or helpful. There has been growth in product purchase, though of course in most cases the products themselves have not been static. New products have been introduced and dramatically changed categories, as computers replace typewriters and sunglasses, watches and fashion jewellery are sold by clothing chains.In non-food we can point to new products such as CDs and mobile phones, and in food ready meals would be a simple example. Furthermore in most product categories the range and choice available has expanded Organisational Structure and Competition As major retailers have grown in scale, so they have expanded their activities into new domains. With emerging scale has come a greater degree of knowledge and power in the channel. The pace of growth of retailers has been greater than for many manufacturers. Allied to operational changes such as the development of retailer brands and the better knowledge of consumer atterns and trends, retailers have reconstructed the traditional supply chain. In essence a dominant retail organisational type has emerged, characterised by strong vertical power which has been used to control, administer and command supply chains. Major retailers have also been involved in the use of horizontal power through their construction and reconstruction of the retail landscape. Where retailing locates and the form it takes has been transformed by the activities of major retailers and developers. Decentralisation is a key theme in this, and ‘waves’ of off-centre or out-of-town development have been identified.In most cases, these developments represent retail formats (eg. the food superstore and non-food retail warehouse) that can not readily be accommodated in existing centres. Such new locations tap into consumer needs, but have an impact on existing retailers and customers not able to travel to them. Moreover, they are in virtually all cases operated by major retailers and thus reinforce the competitive imba lance amongst organisational types. International Opportunities and Threats British retailers have had a chequered history in terms of international operations.At the same time, Britain is an open market and retailers who wish to enter the market can in most cases do exactly as they wish. The exceptions to this are those formats eg. Supercentres, which are constrained by land-use planning on the grounds of space use and various dimensions of impact. Essentially though the UK is a retail supermarket with the best bits of many retailing cultures. This open market is illustrated by the growing presence of many non-indigenous retailers in British retailing. This presence has been generated both by organic growth and by takeover.It encompasses most, if not all, retail sectors and formats. An increasing proportion of UK retail sales is therefore being captured by non-UK businesses operating here. This inward investment is a threat to the main ‘British’ retailers in competitiv e terms. Whilst international activity is risky, the retailers coming here are entering in many places a cosmopolitan market and one used to purchasing non-local products or travelling abroad. As such it seems not to matter to consumers where a retailer is from or who owns whom. If however competitive action combined with technological change eans that more imports are then generated and managerial head office positions, including research and development, are located outside the country, then these should be issues of concern for the country. For retailers entering this market, they have to adapt to a different (generally higher) cost structure and this can create difficulties for their positioning and performance. It is not likely that the pressure from overseas retailers will subside. Britain is a large market with a relatively small number of major cities and centres.For retailers looking for organic growth and being town or shopping centre-located, entry is relatively easy. Mor e problematic is the entry for free-standing or off-centre stores, where sites may not be as available. More likely however is entry via take-over. Given most major UK retailers are publicly quoted, such an entry is available at any time at the ‘right’ price. Whilst it is true to note that British retailers have not been overwhelmingly successful when they have internationalised, there is emerging evidence that some leading UK retailers are now seeing success.In a number of sectors, leading retailers have expanded across the globe, but particularly into Europe and Asia. Some of this expansion is due to opportunities to buy companies at reduced prices, and some is due to knowledge gained as international sourcing has expanded. Retailers such as Kingfisher, Tesco, and WH Smith are well known international retailers and have imported some of their experiences abroad back into their UK formats. Other smaller chains have also internationalised capitalising on niche strengths (eg Signet, Courts, Body Shop, Lush, Carphone Warehouse, Game, Thomas Pink).

Comparing two pathways,Nussbaum's and McConnell's to tolerance and Essay

Comparing two pathways,Nussbaum's and McConnell's to tolerance and world peace - Essay Example On the other hand, McConnell in Don’t neglect the Little Platoons agree to the fact that moral education is needed in schools, but it such learning has to start with affection towards those close to us, and then spread outwards. According to McConnell, humanity is too abstract at large. Therefore, the strong patriotism in U.S citizens and its affirmation of universal norms of justice should not be viewed as to oppose cosmopolitanism, but have to be treated as a positive step towards it. Therefore, there is need for children to learn to love the good; religion would play an active role in facilitating this learning. Therefore, though the two writers had similar sentiments, their differences were on how cosmopolitanism had to be approached. The former advocated for an outward -Inward approach, while the latter advocated for an inward-outward orientation. ... In other words, McConnell asserts that without having a solid attachment and establishing stronger bonds through understanding those closer to you, one cannot purport to extend such understanding and loyalty to those far away from home. Similarly, Nussbaum a proponent of world citizenship agreed to this assertion by McConnell. Nussbaum agrees on the assertion that it was reasonable and good for one to be identified with a particular family, religion, political party, or any other body that offers a sense of belonging to ensure one achieves true identity and is able to appreciate others.3 Personal identity therefore according to the two writers comes first in promoting any type of citizenry. The difference between the two writers is portrayed in the way they approach the issue of cosmopolitanism from two different perspectives. Nussbaum believes that there are many benefits in embracing cosmopolitan education for the local concerns at home. Therefore, American students by critically e xamining the world, they would be in a better chance to learn about their own country and other undertakings, such different child rearing approaches, and that a two nuclear parent family does not function as a pervasive style of children rearing in the current world.4 Nussbaum explains the many advantages achievable in cosmopolitan education, and which can be used in formulating a better life for the American children, and help them become more responsible adults who have a deeper understanding of problems in other countries, and who can stand up for the sake of humanity globally. In other words, one has to learn many other things before one is in a position to

Cultural Viewpoint of the End of Life Research Paper

Cultural Viewpoint of the End of Life - Research Paper Example Death is not a feared and neither does it worry these people. This is because in several these people, death is generally embraced and besides, others celebrate its occurrence. It is of paramount importance to note that the same way other events taking place among the Hispanics are treated as family affairs, death of individuals is similarly viewed as a family issue, and all family members are always involved irrespective of their religions. In the funeral homes that specialize in their burial ceremonies, several families bring clothes as well as dresses to the departed, while a good number of them prepare the hair of the deceased by stitching it. In addition, inside the casket is lined with fabrics and the photos of Virgin Mary are pinned in the casket, moreover, Rosaries together with jewelry, books, as well as poems are also included. A wake generally takes place just before the commencement of the funeral, which is a social event whereby time is taken in order to recall the good times the family members had with the deceased. It is very hard for Hispanics to donate the bodies of the deceased or their organs in the event of death. They are usually not willing to donate based on their religious beliefs, as they believe that an individual cannot make to heaven when some parts of his body are lacking. The rights conducted before death of an individual entails anointing the sick person and confession of sins by the individual who is dying. Besides, absolution is also conducted and a prayer as well as communion is offered to the individual, and after all these, the individual is blessed. During the death of an individual, another person must be with him or her until he dies; this is to make sure that the death does not occur when the individual is alone. They always insist that a person who is on the deathbed has company. The devotion as well as care provided by these people cannot be compared with any other culture. During the final moments of an individual, he/ she receives utmost love and care (Van, & Meleis, 2003). Burial arrangement usually commences after the demise of a person and it starts with the wake. During the wake, the family of the departed person will sit the departed’s body just to provide the dead with company. The wake is very important for these people. The family gathers just to recall the good times they had with the departed. As the wake goes on, several people will play cards. Usually, individuals are served with food as well as drinks (Cuevas, n.d). During the funeral, which priests conduct, individuals pay final respect to the departed person. People usually speak their thoughts as they also bid goodbye to the departed. In several cases, personal effects are placed into the casket together with the departed individual. Hispanics represent a huge array of cultures who may be immigrants from countries that are culturally diverse like Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Nicaragua, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, and Per u. Because there is no one culture for the Hispanic, there may be variations in the manner in which grieving as well as bereavement are carried out. The Hispanics usually value and have respect for those in their deathbed. In the Hispanic culture, entire families are always involved when critical life decisions are made, as they usually have very strict hierarchies in their families and these have to be honored

Organisational behaviour Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Organisational behaviour - Case Study Example The employees became aware that the company paid low salary, overworked employees, and fired them without valid reason. This paper will present a case analysis of the situation facing the Nordstrom Company. Evidently, there is a critical problem in the Nordstrom Company. Over the years, the Nordstrom Company has exhibited a poor organizational culture. More specifically, the company does not have rewarding compensation schemes for the employees who have ensured that the company is successful. According to the case study, the employees face the compulsion of putting more hours without any overtime. In other cases, employees work for many days without having an opportunity to rest. The pay they receive does not match with the number of hours they put in as well as the increasing demands of their jobs. Many of the employees feel that their job is continually in jeopardy. They are constantly in fear of being laid off (Aquinas, 2006). For example, Ms. Lucas highlights that working at Nordstrom Company translated into working for free. The increasing demands of the ability to produce thank-you letters and other customer service books took so much time, but the pay was minimal. As a result, s he developed ulcers because of the continued stress from her job. Her case is not unique because many other employees described in the case study have highlighted that the company did not reward them as expected. Therefore, the poor organizational culture has contributed to limited levels of employee satisfaction and increased employee turnover (Fox, 2006). Although the company is highly committed to delivering exemplary customer service, it does not promote employee satisfaction and loyalty because many workers operate under stress. The accusations filed against the company indicate that it has poor labor practices. One of the potential solutions for the company is to hire a consultant who can investigate

Evaluating Markets to Invest Abroad Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Evaluating Markets to Invest Abroad - Case Study Example Firstly, Victoria Pernarella will consider the process of internationalization. In this, she evaluates three aspects. First is whether BFSI possesses owner-specific competitive advantage in Tennessee which can be transferred to the potential foreign market based on. This advantage needs to be firm-specific, powerful and transferable. She also identifies location-specific advantage to determine whether the foreign market has traits that can allow the entrant to exploit its competitive market in the potential market. This focus is on costs- productive labor, unique raw materials, centers of advanced technology, formation of custom unions and regional trading blocs (Gitman, Joehnk & Billingsley, 2011). She evaluates the ability to safeguard competition by control of the complete value chain in the industry which is internalization. This is done through foreign direct investment. Secondly, she considers the model of entry which should be based on the needs of the business clients. Another key factor is the availability of adequate resources by BFSI as well as the projected volume of international business. Other key considerations relate to knowledge and experience on foreign markets, structure of BFSI, tax considerations, customer profiles and current regulation of market in the target nation. The organizational culture determines the objectives of the firms and the behaviors that need to be set in correspondence to the existing cultures. The experience with foreign markets is an added advantage which helps to determine the relevance and reliability of this market (Gitman, Joehnk & Billingsley, 2011). Does it fluctuate regularly and what effects are observed from these fluctuations. Can is sustain economic growth and what factors lead these fluctuations. The volume of projected international business identifies at what rate the firm may expand upon entry and also the risks that are involved in the

SNCC and the Rise of Black Power Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

SNCC and the Rise of Black Power - Essay Example However, some key events over the years such as â€Å"Freedom Summer and Atlantic City National Democratic Convention† played a key role in the political radicalization and shift of ideology to â€Å"Black Power† (Davies ). Stokely Carmichael became the new radical leader of SNCC and was at the forefront of black power. He was infamous for advocating that African Americans should use self defence when attacked and agitating for revolutionary violence against oppression (Davies). Consequently, he further radicalized SNCC until his exit in 1967 to the Black Panther Party. The foremost tactics of the SNCC during its inception was aimed at protesting against the segregation culture that affected African Americans at the time. Later, in the mid 1960s, its involvement in fighting for political rights was majorly due to the denial of voter rights to African Americans in the South. The final metamorphosis to ‘Black Power’ in the late 60s was after the countless vio lent acts that African Americans were subjected to by the Southern racists. Moreover, the federal government had frustrated their quest for political liberalization from southern racist politicians. Consequently, the shift in ideology and strategies reflected the racial injustice, violence, and political intolerance that African Americans faced during the early 1960s to late

Strategic Planning Report to Mr. Komori Term Paper

Strategic Planning Report to Mr. Komori - Term Paper Example Currently, the profits are falling and copy approach that is engraved deep into the veins of the company is not doing justice to its potential. Hence, Fujifilm needs to follow a policy that gives chance to employees to bring out their create efforts and innovate in order to make sure that the company does not lose on money and does not lose on profitability. In simple terms, the company needs to kill the elephant and bring out a lion. It should be more creative, more aggressive and fiercer in dealing with opportunities, competitors and its clients. It cannot afford to be passive anymore due to the fast-changing nature of the world, and cannot use the same strategies to catch its prey anymore; instead a new more innovative approach is need every time the company goes out to catch its prey. The word â€Å"prey† in this context is Fujifilm’s market share and profitability. It is one thing that every company, and not just Fujifilm, would love to catch every time its goes ou t in wild to hunt. The competition will also be harsh since they are fighting the same battle, but Fujifilm needs to be harsher if it wants to succeed in the current market place and environment. There is an old saying â€Å"You have to be cruel to be successful† and Fujifilm needs to adopt this philosophy to be successful. However, it does not need to be cruel to its own people, but instead it need to tackle its competition by being fiercer and more aggressive. (Robbins, 2004) Mr. Komori recently moved to a more centralized approach. The restructuring plans showed that Research and development department was put under the control of the Board of Directors. In other words, the Research and Development department was accountable to the board rather than the departments for which it would be working for. This approach may lead to cost-containment, but it may kill the purpose of carrying out proper research and development. Hence, the decentralized research and development depar tment is the need of the company if it wants to become more innovative. The board should not interfere with the operational issues in the company; it should only give vision, mission and sense of direction to the company. Hence it is suggested that Research and Development should be dropped from Board of Director’s agenda and should be placed under the control of departments and division head. However, these department heads should be accountable to the board if it is deemed that the Research and Development is not being used properly or cost is rising rapidly. Since the film and camera business is declining and professional photography is much less in demand, Fujifilm cannot afford to cling onto its historical film and camera business. It needs to diversify to maintain the historical profit margins and rates. If the company keeps following the elephant approach or passive approach then it can die. Hence, the new vision and mission statement should show that the company is aw are of the needs of its shareholders and client and will do everything to make sure that their needs are fulfilled. (Daft, 1994) A good mission statement usually consists of three parts. It discusses the purpose of the firm, its values and also talks about the business that the firm is in. In the case of Fujifilm, the purpose of the company has changed since the decline of its Film and Camera business. The new war that the company

Ethical and Psychological Egoism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ethical and Psychological Egoism - Essay Example Egoism states that people act in their own self-interest. Psychological Egoism contends that people always act in their own self-interest, while Ethical Egoism states that people 'ought' to act in that fashion. Unlike Kantian ethics, which gives us a choice that is driven by its own moral good, Psychological Egoism leaves the actor no choice. It strips free will and turns our decisions over to a primal need to be self satisfied and self-fulfilled (Moseley 2006). Accordingly, every action we take is in our own self-interest. Psychological Egoism has been rejected as a theory because it can not be proved, its opposite can not be disproved, and it is a closed theory. If every action we take is in our own self-interest, then no matter what we do we simply justify the action by altering the definition. Every action is driven by self-interest. Therefore all self-interest actions are actions and all actions are actions. It becomes a tautology and a closed theory. It has a weak version that allows for altruism. However, it disproves itself by stating that: A. All actions are self-interest and B. Some actions may be altruistic. If B is true then A is false and vice-versa. Ethical Egoism states that we 'ought' to act in our own self-interest. This theory allows man to make a choice and only dictates what the choice 'should' be. It allows for emotion, judgment, and free will. Capitalism, as described by Ayn Rand, is based on Ethical Egoism (Bass n.d.). It contends that there is no greater good or larger entity outside the self. It also allows for altruism as a self-serving action. The strong version states that it is always moral to act in self-interest and it is never moral not to. The weak version allows for a situation where not acting in your self-interest may be moral. This could include selflessly helping an accident victim or sharing your money with the poor. The Ethical version of Egoism states that we should always act in self-interest. If we follow the philosophy, we would always act in self-interest and would be acting in the same manner as the Psychological version, which says we always do. However, the difference lies in the Ethical version's allowance for man's judgment. It is not driven by a deep psychological force, but rather by thought and reason. These are the contrasting motivational forces behind the theories. This difference is apparent when we are faced with a decision. According to the Psychological version, there is no decision to be made. We will take an action and it will be defined as self-interest. Ethical egoism gives us a choice. Its advocates believe that what is good for the individual is good for the family, country, and world. It is this belief in individual attainment and satisfaction that supporters say fuels capitalism. Critics of Egoism contend that it leads to greed, avarice, and exploitation. Psychological Egoism, besides its unprovable circular logic, is faced with another problem. As Crouch (2007) says, "If our egoism is subconscious then we cannot even know by deep introspection if our actions are motivated by self-interest". Ethical Egoism is more generally accepted because it allows actions that may not be in self-interest. It also accounts for the definition of self-interest. Taking a friend's money may seem to be self-interest, but the consequences are not. The Ethical version

Management in Libraries Essay Example for Free

Management in Libraries Essay Economic threat to the libraries by escalation of books and journals, fewer resources, constant growth changes in technology and user high expectation have shown that management is the critical factor that determines efficiency and effectiveness of all types of libraries. Thus managers are expected to play different functions in order to be effective and efficient. In this assignment different functions and roles played by managers in different libraries are discussed showing how they improve efficiency and effectiveness and different laws of library management are discussed. DEFINITION OF TERMS Management Effectiveness defined by Bateman, T is â€Å"doing things right†. This means that the manager has the responsibility for selecting the right goals and appropriate means to achieving it. Efficiency is measuring the cost of attaining a given goal, concerned about how resources such as money, time, equipment, personnel obtain given goals. Thus a manager needs to be effective and efficient in order to achieve the goals of the library. MAIN DISCUSSION Library management comprise more than just making changes, it involves managing ongoing operations in the optimal fashion for your institution in the context of its goals, other department’s activities and patrons needs. Thus we realize that different libraries may require managerial different managerial skills in order to perform their duties effectively. Managers help in giving direction to the library showing where it is going. Library management involves planning, organizing, leading and controlling. Planning is about systematical making decisions about the library goals. In planning the manager defines the objectives the objectives of the library, stating the purpose of its existence, defining the user community and their information needs. This is important as it facilitates efficiency. It helps in understanding the library stakeholders. A public library is an omnibus organization. It carters for everyone in the community thus the need for every user must be known and fulfilled. A public library serves a diverse community of adults, children and teens thus a manager has to plan on resources to be acquired. A manager can plan on different resources that can be acquired ranging from entertainment, fiction, nonfiction for general research, children story books because there are no specific users, the resources must benefit everyone in the society. A manager also organize and coordinate human, financial , physical, informational and other resources needed to achieve library goals. The manager establishes the activity authority relationship of the library. The activities necessary to achieve the objectives are then grouped into working divisions, departments and grouped together. In an academic library a manager can group together activities like accession and cataloguing The manager has to establish standards for performance; this will make sure that the library is performing in such a way as to arrive at its destination. According to Griffin â€Å"controlling helps to ensure effective and efficiency needed for successful management† As a leader the manager is responsible for staffing which is concerned with allocating prospective employees to fulfill the jobs created by organizing process. It involves the process of reviewing the credentials of the candidates of the jobs and trying to match the job demand with the application s abilities keeping each employee qualified. It also involves the development and implementation of a system for appraising performance and providing feedback for performance improvement. In a special library where the main target is a specific audience, for example ZIMRA library its serves the ZIMRA staff and mainly the manager have to recruit someone who posses research skills because mainly it deals with research for its company. The manager is responsible for choosing the right candidate, who knows how to research, even on the internet where there is information overload the candidate must be able to extract relevant information using the right search engine, mainly in a special library every one depend on the information provided by the librarian. The manager is also responsible for keeping the librarian qualified for the job by providing ongoing training since the librarianship profession is dynamic thus this will improve effectiveness and efficiency of libraries. A manager also gives s direction that will help the library in achieving its goals. Directing builds a climate, provides leadership and arranges the opportunity for motivation this is further explained by Rachel’s laws of library management, it says save time of your staff. This means that the staff must be given support they need for them to achieve goals effectively and efficiently this include providing training for them where it is needed. Each boss must plan and oversee the wok of each of his or her subordinates. In an academic library there are different services offered for example cataloguing and accession section can be directed by one manager then the E- resource section can be under another manager e- journals purchased, subscriptions etc. This will ease the load as one manager is focusing on a specific service thus he spend more time trying to improve the services and working with his subordinates and improves efficiency in the library. As a manager attempts to perform the managerial job effectively and efficiently there is a need to ‘wear different hats’ in interaction with employees. Managers interacts with others besides subordinates they work with other peer level managers in some other departments and outside contacts (suppliers and clients). Thus a manager is building contacts through which to gather information. Rachel agrees with this in the laws of management which says library resources are for use. A library manager is expected to connect resources with the user achieving the library goals. Through the liaison role a manager is able to network with other libraries. Academic libraries can practice resource sharing if there are shortages of material in specific departments the two libraries can share the available resources to both libraries and this will give the patrons a wide variety of information thus fulfilling their needs, this will improve efficiency. The manager is exposed to new ideas or methods that may improve the work unit operations. The manager initiates activities that will allow and encourage the work unit to use the idea most advantageously. Rachel’s law of management says that a library is a growing organism. A manager needs to open to change and help the library evolve to meet the needs of patrons. We can look at public library, the introduction of automation the staff may resist change having fear of losing their jobs thus a manager is responsible for encouraging and motivating the staff showing them the advantages of automating the library services and how it can reduce their workload, providing training for them thus the duties are performed effectively and efficiently satisfying the needs of different patrons. An effective manager is an active leader who creates a positive work environment in which the organization and its employees have the opportunity and incentive to achieve high performance (†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. ) In order to perform duties effectively and efficiently Rachel says that â€Å"every task its doer†. The manager encourages ownership and responsibility to each staff member. Every staff member his/ her work, the manager must know people’s skills and strength and staff can then be deployed according to their abilities then the duties can be done perfectly improving effectiveness and efficiency in a library. Even though the staff is divided according to their abilities it is the duty of a manager to create a spirit oneness and togetherness amongst the subordinates. They should work as a team to achieve the library goals; Bavakuty M (2000) agrees that libraries can become effective and efficient by â€Å"strong top management support, a system approach and strategic planning, a customer focus, an emphasis on employee team work, empowerment training, the use of measurement and analysis technique and commitment to continuous improvement†. The manager seeks and receives wide variety of special information to develop through the understanding of the library and the environment, emerges as the nerve centre about the library. The manager monitors internal and external events, ideas, trends and analysis. The manager then uses the information to detect changes, problems and opportunities and to construct decision making scenario. The manager as the disseminator transmits information from other employees to other members of the library. The manager can bring external information received into the organization and facilitate internal flow of information. Thus we realize that management is the heart of any type of library and facilitate efficiency and effectiveness. BIBLIOGRAPHY Bavakutty, M (2000). Management of libraries In the 21st Century. Ess Ess Publication. India. Griffin, R. (1987). Management 2nd editition. Maffin Co Mohant, T. C. (2008). Research Methodology in Library Science. alpha Publishers India. Plunket, R. (1983). Introduction to Management. Kent Publication. United States of Amenrica.

Critical Issues Faces By Low Cost Airlines Management Essay

Critical Issues Faces By Low Cost Airlines Management Essay Ryanair started its operation in 1985. In the first year more than 5,000 passengers traveled between South Eastern Ireland and London. The company expanded continuously and by 1989 the company had 14 aircrafts over 600,000 passengers traveled per year. Over the four years the costs increased considerably and ends up with lpss of  £20 million In 1990 the current CEO Mr.Michael OLeary took over the management and conducted major changes in the company. Ryanair followed the the low cost-low frills concept and reduces the routes from 19 to 5 by 1991. The company increased the fleet to 21 over the next 6 years and remarkable increase in passenger traveled in Ryanair due to its low pricing policy. Ryanair unable to increase unto the market due to strict regulation imposed on European airlines. Ryanair took full advantage in 1997 open new routes in Continental Europe due to deregulation of European Union air transportation regulation. Over 160 routes have been established by 2001 and hubs have been set up all around the continent in London, Glasgow, Brussels, Frankfort, Milan, Now Ryanair is the key players within the European budget airline industry and perhaps the most profitable airline Identifying critical issues and core problem faces by low cost airline Regulation by domestic and EU European airline industry is always subject to regulation from both domestic and European Union. Before 1980 heavy restriction imposed by the individual countries to protect their national careers. Towards deregulating industry Ireland and UK signed bilateral agreement. In 1997 EU also deregulate the industry and any European airline can operate anywhere within the Europe. Ryanair benefited by this move. Subsequently EU introduces competition law which it prevent taking state aid and commission. Also any airline having dominant position in the market should not abuse the dominant position. Ryanair affected by this rule Charter carriers and Franchises of major airlines Charter flight operators have taken significant market share in Europe. Major charter operators are owned by the major travel agents or major commercial airlines operators. Small carriers such as Virgin Express have become franchise of major flag carriers. The flag carriers use these independent airlines as franchises to compete with low cost budget carriers such as Ryaniar and easyjet. Budget carriers cost base doesnt allow them to compete effectively on short-haul routes. Customer service satisfaction Ryanair has eliminated traditional in-flight services such as seat allocation, complementary meals and drink and news papers. Instead Ryanair earn profit from such secondary services by charging customers for in-flight services and other travel expenses such as travel insurance, car hire, Internet. Ryanair is extremely sensitive in changing the fare value. Recently it was widely on the media that Ryanair considering to charging fee for them for using the lavatory. Meanwhile Ryanair recently announced that its raising its checked luggage fee from à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬15 to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 20 per bag. (Appendix 10). Although the Ryanair has remarkable track record for punctuality, flight completion the perception of the softer side of its customer service has not always been good with much bad media. Ryanairs objectives and long term vision Ryanair objective to operate the largest amount of routes with lowest fare compare to any European Airline without compromising low cost carrier business model including quality of service. (Appendix 1 ) Purpose of this assignment Purpose of this assignment is to analyze Ryanairs long term vision of the business model and submit a report to the management in order for them for the future planning for the success of the company and to avoid any future threats. This report demonstrate Detailed study of Ryanairs current strategy and the management approach which impact on business operations and functions towards carriers customer relation. and the steps management has to focus in order to stay in strong position in the low cost market. It evaluate Ryanairs current strategy and the action plan to be carried out by the management in the future to avoid any future threats by the company. It also gives brief evaluation of Ryanairs financial analysis and how the environmental factors affect the European airline low cost industry. Method and theory used The strategies and theory put forward in this analysis are industry analysis, environmental analysis, and financial analysis Strategic factors and capabilities 6.1.0 External environment The PESTEL analysis Michael Porters five forces analysis clearly talk about external factors on Ryanair function and the strategies which are adapted by the organisation. Hence, a good perceptive of Ryanair external environment will identify the opportunities and avoid threats (Refer appendix diagram) An airline industry includes well established key players and to compete with each and other but rynair has high potential of attracting the market. Thus, the PESTEL variables in macro environment have major force on the performance of Ryanair . Internal environment. This environment analyses about the strengths and weaknesses of Ryanair. This aspect talks about Ryanair internal factors like skills, competitors and capabilities. Its measures the Rynairs efficiency and effectiveness to acquire competitive advantage (Refer appendix diagram) According to the value chain analysis it is mainly rely on Ryanairs primary and supporting activities. Value chain analysis creates a value for Ryanair. However, through this analysis it is clearly focus on quality of Ryanair. Industry analysis Before arrival of low-cost airline, major company such as British Airways dominated the Europium airline industry. Until 1997 one member nation could not fly passengers within another nations domestic market. The Ryanair enter in the low-cost market with grate obstacle to overcome. Nevertheless Ryanair able to bust the market with operating low cost while maintain the profit. As a result Ryanair has become the largest low cost carrier in Europe. In 1990 Ryanair operates with 74 aircraft including 41 Boeing 737-800, 21 Boeing737-200, 06 Boeing 737-300 and 6 BAE 146. The company offers approximately 475 short-haul flights per day serving 84 locations in the UK, Ireland and Europe. 2004 was the best year for Ryanair overtaking low-cost airline Easyjet became largest airline in terms of passenger in Europe carrying more than 23 million passengers brought in revenues of US $ 1.32 billion, an increase of 43% from the previous year. It crates strong Ryanair brand name and became Britain favorite low cost airline. Ryainair having all Boeing aircraft, hence it has grater bargaining power from the supplier. In 2002 Ryaniar placed half of its order towards increase its aircraft by 112 in the next 10 years. (Appendix 1). Also it planed to purchases technology more advance and environmental friendly Boeing 737-800 and retiring old Boeing 737-200. Boeing737-800 reduces fuel burn and CO2 emission per passenger kilometer by 45% All of the Boeing 737-800 that Ryanair has bought or committed to buy is certified for category IIIA landings (automatic landing with minimum horizontal visibility of 300 metros and no vertical visibility). Also Ryanair has installed Operational Flight Data Monitoring (OFDM) system on each of the Boeing 737-800 aircraft. The purpose of the system is to monitor operational trends and inform the management. By analyzing this report management able to identify potential area of risk to rectify any deviation from the normal operating procedure, thereby ensuring Ryanairs flight safety standard. During its past 24 year operation history Ryanair has not had any single incident involving injury to passengers or member of its flight crew. Positioning Ryanair is the very competitive low cost airline in the Europe. Towards lower its cost Ryanair uses secondary airports whereas the closest competitor Easyjet does not. (Appendix 4) Ryanair became no 1s in many areas. passenger traffic -over 23m for 2004 over take Easyjet passenger growth European routes (149) and bases (11) Customer service delivery punctuality, flight completion, and fewest lost baggage. Process of strategic management followed by Ryanair The Low cost carrier business model is highly competitive and the model enhances the development of strategy formulation skill by guiding business model systematic and comprehensive study of each business situation (Appendix 2) External factors sharpening competitive positioning the Ryanair There are not one but many factors which determine the strength of competition, the level of profitability of low cost carrier market. New entrance brings competition to the industry and risk of fall of market share and profitability. Environmental analysis European Union Regulations: The European airline always subject to regulation from European Union. The introduction of the competition law by European Union it prevents getting state aid, beneficial relationship with airport operators. EU expects by introducing this regulation there will be healthy competition among flight operators. The well discussed fact that Ryanair had more favorable relationship with airport operators has benefited the carrier in a tine industry growth and aggressive pricing. EU commission in February 2004 which ruled that Ryanair had been receiving illegal state subsidy for its base airport at publically owned by Charleroi Airport Appendix 8 Competition: After introduction of the competition law, competition in the airline industry increases dramatically. This creates an environment for new entrants in to the market. Due to the price competitions many of them could not lasted long. The main competition among the players in the industry dived into four main categories. The four categories are flag carriers, Independent airline, franchises of major airlines and charter operators. The independent carriers include low fare carriers such as Ryanair, easyjet. These low cost carriers slightly lower fare than flag carriers. Flag carriers uses independent carriers such as Virgin Express as franchises to compete effectively the low cost airlines in the short-haul routes. External forces. Airline industry has always subject to changes in the world. Especially outbreak of foot and mouth in the UK, the SARS epidemic in Asia, Terrorist attack on 9/11, Gulf war, Economic downturn and recent volcano eruption in Island. Financial analysis After Ryanair introduces low fare business model every year the number of passengers travelling increased. From 2002 the company starts to purchases Boeing 737-800

The Physics of Volleyball Essay -- Sports Athletics Essays

The Physics of o Volleyball From six thirty one morning to three O’ clock the next morning was my longest volleyball day ever. Fourteen and a half hours of play with only 3 breaks for food, makes for an exhausting event. So what makes volleyball worth such a sacrifice? It is the endless possibilities and outcomes that can occur by playing this magnificent sport and challenging the basic laws of physics. In the sport of volleyball the same thing never happens twice. Things may seem similar but there are always slight differences. The differences are caused by trying to manipulate those ever so important laws of physics. Volleyball is the constant confirmation of Newton’s first Law. Every object remains at rest or in motion in a strait line at a constant speed unless acted on by an unbalanced force(P.31). The unbalanced forces that the team members try to manipulate are what make volleyball so interesting. The goal in volleyball is to keep a ball in legally in motion for your team, while trying to force the opponent to fail at keeping the ball in motion. There a few basic possible ways of legally contacting the ball: serving, passing, setting, hitting, and blocking. Each is unique and yet similar. The contact between the player and ball forces a â€Å"collision† and different laws of physics explain the actions or reactions of these collisions. This is what makes volleyball so exciting. One type of contact is a serve. To serve a player must be standing behind the end line and hit the ball over the net. The player tosses the ball into the air with one hand, and forces the ball over the net by hitting it with the other hand. A serve is required to start the game and is repeated after each play. So, after the ball... ...ts collide into each other and make the total kinetic energy decrease where the objects move in separate directions. In the game of volleyball the laws of physics are evident in most of these different types of collisions. Trying to manipulate objects to challenge these laws is what brings the spice and flavor into the game. Physics might be a hard subject but it can explain what makes this sport worthwhile. Works Cited Farnsworth, Debbie. Century High School volleyball coach. Personal interview. April 30, 2003. Gozansky, Sue . Volleyball Coach's Survival Guide. Paramus, NJ Parker Publishing Company, 2001. Kirkpatrick,Larry D. & Wheeler,Gerald F. A world view. Physics textbook. Copyright 2001,1998,1995,1992 by Harcourt Inc. Tingey, Allison . The Physics of Volleyball. Online. Goggle.1995. Nov. 2002. http://www.kent.k12.wa.us/staff/trobinso/

Edgar Allan Poes Life and Work Essay -- Edgar Allan Poe biography, wr

Edgar Allan Poe was an excellent horror, suspense, and mystery writer of the eighteenth century. His use of literary devices and different literary techniques makes this writer important to American literature. This paper will show how Edgar Allan Poe has made an impact on Society and American literature as well as how Edgar Allan Poe developed the short story. I will also discuss and analyze some of his works and techniques he uses in his short stories and poems. Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts on January 19, 1809. His parents, who were actors, died when Poe was a small child. Poe was then adopted and raised by John Allan, a tobacco exporter, and Frances Allan in Richmond, Virginia (Magill, 1640). Poe was sent to the best schools because of Allan’s job. When Poe was six years old he was sent to private school. Poe kept studying and went to the University of Virginia for one year. After one year in the University Poe quit school because Allan refused to pay his debts, and he did not have money to pay for Poe’s education. Later, Poe left Boston in 1827 where he enlisted in the army. Poe served two years in the military after he quit school. After two years in the military Poe was dismissed for neglect of duty. His foster father then disowned him permanently. He stayed very little time there because Allan, once again, refused to send Poe any money. (Hoffman, Daniel) Edgar Allan Poe went to New York City where he had some of his work published. He submitted his stories to a number of magazines and they were all rejected. Poe had no friends, no job and he was having financial trouble. He wrote a letter to John Allan but he did not help Poe with his financial problems. Four years later in 1835 Poe finally got ... ...story writers all over the world. Although he had an unusual, unique, and peculiar way of writing he still had a great influence and impact on society during his time, up to the present day. Poe’s writing has changed the way present day writers write about love, pride, beauty and death. Works Cited Buranelli, Vincent. "Edgar Allan Poe". 28 October 2009 . Carlsen, G. Robert. Insights Themes in Literature. New York: Webster Division, McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1967. Hoffman, Daniel. "Biography of Edgar Allan Poe". 26 October 2009 . "Literary elements used by Poe." 123HelpMe.com. 07 Jan 2010 . Magill, Frank N. Volume 5. New York: Marshall Cavendish Corporation, 1991. Walker, Tara. The Raven. Canada: Ryan price, 2006 Edgar Allan Poe's Life and Work Essay -- Edgar Allan Poe biography, wr Edgar Allan Poe was an excellent horror, suspense, and mystery writer of the eighteenth century. His use of literary devices and different literary techniques makes this writer important to American literature. This paper will show how Edgar Allan Poe has made an impact on Society and American literature as well as how Edgar Allan Poe developed the short story. I will also discuss and analyze some of his works and techniques he uses in his short stories and poems. Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts on January 19, 1809. His parents, who were actors, died when Poe was a small child. Poe was then adopted and raised by John Allan, a tobacco exporter, and Frances Allan in Richmond, Virginia (Magill, 1640). Poe was sent to the best schools because of Allan’s job. When Poe was six years old he was sent to private school. Poe kept studying and went to the University of Virginia for one year. After one year in the University Poe quit school because Allan refused to pay his debts, and he did not have money to pay for Poe’s education. Later, Poe left Boston in 1827 where he enlisted in the army. Poe served two years in the military after he quit school. After two years in the military Poe was dismissed for neglect of duty. His foster father then disowned him permanently. He stayed very little time there because Allan, once again, refused to send Poe any money. (Hoffman, Daniel) Edgar Allan Poe went to New York City where he had some of his work published. He submitted his stories to a number of magazines and they were all rejected. Poe had no friends, no job and he was having financial trouble. He wrote a letter to John Allan but he did not help Poe with his financial problems. Four years later in 1835 Poe finally got ... ...story writers all over the world. Although he had an unusual, unique, and peculiar way of writing he still had a great influence and impact on society during his time, up to the present day. Poe’s writing has changed the way present day writers write about love, pride, beauty and death. Works Cited Buranelli, Vincent. "Edgar Allan Poe". 28 October 2009 . Carlsen, G. Robert. Insights Themes in Literature. New York: Webster Division, McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1967. Hoffman, Daniel. "Biography of Edgar Allan Poe". 26 October 2009 . "Literary elements used by Poe." 123HelpMe.com. 07 Jan 2010 . Magill, Frank N. Volume 5. New York: Marshall Cavendish Corporation, 1991. Walker, Tara. The Raven. Canada: Ryan price, 2006

Transculturation in Our Sister Killyjoy and Nervous Conditions Essay

Transculturation in Our Sister Killyjoy and Nervous Conditions Postcolonial insights include theories of Diaspora, cultural hybridity and transculturation. The latter, ‘transculturation’ is the term used to define ‘cultural change induced by introduction of elements of a foreign culture.’[1] The term ‘transculturation’ was first coined by Cuban anthropologist and sociologist Fernando Ortiz in 1947 to describe the phenomenon of merging and converging cultures. Transculturation covers war, ethnic conflict, racism and multiculturalism, hence it is a concept very relevant to the postcolonial period and subsequently to postcolonial literature. When transculturation affects ethnicity the term ‘ethnoconvergence" comes into being and is opposed by ‘ethnocentrism’ the view that one's culture is of greater importance than another’s. Ethnocentrism manifests itself in various aspects of culture, though the main ethnocentric divider is always religion or belief, these ethnic divides are most frequently binary. ‘Our Sister Killjoy’ and ‘Nervous Conditions’ both show aspects of transculturation, perhaps the most obvious sign are the narrator's adoption of the dominant English language to write their novels. At varying points in each novel it is also clear that both Aidoo and Dangarembga have difficulty in choosing between the two cultures in their own personal struggles with transculturation. I shall go on to explore these instances of transculturation within both novels. Tsitsi Dangarembga’s 1988 novel ‘Nervous Conditions’ is a landmark in postcolonial literature as it was the first published English novel written by an African woman. Set in 1960’s Rhodesia and emerging from the shadows of apartheid, it chronicle... ...147 [10] Dangarembga, Tsi Tsi. Nervous Conditions. Scattle: The Seal Press, 1988 page [11] Okonkwo p6 [12] Odamtten, Vincent O. The Art of Ama Ata Aidoo: Polylectics and Reading Against Neocolonialism (Florida: University Press of Florida, 1994) page 122 [13] Aidoo, Ama Ata Our Sister Killjoy (New York: Longman, 1977) page 13 [14] Aidoo, Ama Ata Our Sister Killjoy (New York: Longman, 1977) page 57 [15] Odamtten, Vincent O. The Art of Ama Ata Aidoo: Polylectics and Reading Against Neocolonialism (Florida: University Press of Florida, 1994) page 125 [16] Aidoo, Ama Ata Our Sister Killjoy (New York: Longman, 1977) page [17] Aidoo, Ama Ata Our Sister Killjoy (New York: Longman, 1977) page 112 [18] Pratt, Mary Louise Imperial Eyes: Travel Writing and Transculturation (London, Routledge 1992)

Individual Assignment Two Essay

The popularity of Southwestern University’s football program under its new coach, Bo Pitterno, surged in each of the 5 years since his arrival at the Stephenville, Texas, college. With a football stadium close to maxing out at 54,000 seats and a vocal coach pushing for a new stadium, SWU president Joel Wisner faced some difficult decisions. After a phenomenal upset victory over its archrival, the University of Texas, at the homecoming game in the fall, Dr. Wisner was not as happy as one would think. Instead of ecstatic alumni, students, and faculty, all Wisner heard were complaints. â€Å"The lines at the concession stands were too long†; â€Å"Parking was harder to find and farther away than in the old days† (that is, before the team won regularly); â€Å"Seats weren’t comfortable†; â€Å"Traffic was backed up halfway to Dallas†; and on and on. â€Å"A college president just can’t win†, muttered Wisner to himself. At his staff meeting the following Monday, Wisner turned to his VP of administration, Leslie Gardner. â€Å"I wish you would take care of these football complaints, Leslie†, he said. â€Å"See what the real problems are and let me know how you’ve resolved them†. Gardner wasn’t surprised at the request. â€Å"I’ve already got a handle on it, Joel†, she replied. â€Å"We’ve been randomly surveying 50 fans per game for the past year to see what’s on their minds. It’s all part of my campus-wide TQM effort. Let me tally things up and I’ll get back to you in a week†. When she returned to her office, Gardner pulled out the file her assistant had compiled (see the following table). â€Å"There’s a lot of information here†, she thought. Questions: 1. Using at least two different quality tools, analyze the data and present your conclusions. 2.  How could the survey have been more useful? 3.  What is the next step? Fan Satisfaction Survey Results (N = 250) Rochester Manufacturing Corporation (RMC) is considering moving some of its production from traditionally numerically control machines to a flexible machining system (FMS). Its numerical control machines have been operating in a high variety, low volume intermittent manner. Machine utilization, as near as it can be determine, is about 10%. The machine tool sales persons and a consulting firm want to put the machines together in a FMS. They believe that a $3,000,000.00 expenditure on machinery and the transfer machines will handle about 30% of RMC’s work. There will, of course, be a transition and start up cost in addition to this. The firm has not yet entered all its parts into a comprehensive group technology system, but believes that the 30% is a good estimate of products suitable for the FMS. This 30% should fit very nicely a â€Å"family†. A reduction, because of higher utilization, should take place in the number of pieces of machinery. The firm should be able to go from 15 to about 4 machines, and personnel should go from 15 to perhaps as low as 3. Similarly, floor space reduction will go from 20,000 square feet to about 6,000. Throughput of order should also improve with this family of parts being processed in 1 to 2 days rather than 7 to 10 days. Inventory reduction is estimated to yield a one-time $750,000 savings and annual labor savings should be in the neighborhood of $300,000.00. Although the projections all look very positive, an analysis of the project’s return on investment showed it to be between 10% and 15% per year. The company has traditionally had an expectation that projects should yield well over 15% and have payback periods of substantially less than 5 years. Questions: 1.  As the production manager for RMC, what would u recommend? And why? 2.  Prepare a case by a conservative plant manager for maintaining the status quo until the returns are more obvious 3.  Prepare the case for an optimistic sales manager that you should move ahead with the FMS now. ACM is an electronics component manufacturer that has been located in Singapore since 1991, supplying original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) with quality components. In the past several years, ACM has experienced increasing pressure from other manufacturers located in other countries. In Singapore, while labor remains quite inexpensive, there has been a relatively steady increase in labor costs. In addition, utility costs – most notably water and energy costs – have led the firm to contemplate moving operations elsewhere in Asia in an attempt to make the firm more competitive. ACM remains profitable, but margins have shrunk, and management is interested in ensuring that the firm remains competitive in the medium term to long term against other component manufacturers. A team of senior management has formed a committee to reach a decision regarding possible relocation. The committee has identified two additional locations as possible candidates for relocation: Hong Kong (People’s Republic of China [PRC]) and Kuching (Malaysia). Hong Kong’s main attractions stem from the fact that since 1997, when its sovereignty was transferred back to the PRC, labor costs have decreased as access to labor has increased. Hong Kong enjoys a large seaport and very good transportation infrastructure, and this is important in moving in raw materials and moving out finished components  to customers. Senior management believes that an increasing number of OEMs will move to the PRC in the next several years, as has been the case in the past decade. This will only increase the attractiveness of locating the manufacturing facility in Hong Kong. Kuching is located in the Malaysian province of Sarawak, on the island of Borneo. It is the fourth-largest city in Malaysia and home to a population of around 650,000. Several points make Kuching attractive to the relocation committee. First, locating here would give access to natural resources and other production inputs. Second, the transportation infrastructure is good, and the city hosts a deep sea port for moving raw materials in and finished good out. That said, the port is not as large or accessible as those of Hong Kong or Singapore, and several committee members have expressed concern about the frequency of ship visits to Kuching. If the port does not receive regular service from container ships, transportation costs to ship components to OEMs will doubtlessly stable and inexpensive in Malaysia. The committee has contracted the government of Singapore to elicit possible incentives to not relocate to another country. Singapore is offering a five-year exemption on taxes for ACM if the plant remains in Singapore. The government will also assist by partially subsidizing labor, water, and energy costs for five years. Committee members realize that the Singapore plant, which has been operating for years, has already been amortized, and opening a new plant would require additional capital costs. That said, opening a new factory would also provide an opportunity to upgrade production equipment to more productive and energy-efficient alternatives. Questions: 1.  What advantages and disadvantages does each potential location offer? 2.  What other relevant factors that are not mentioned in this case study might play a role in this decision? 3.  Why is transportation infrastructure so important in this decision? 4.  This is a long-term, strategic decision; what factors might change in the next 10 to 20 years? How will this influence the decision? 5.  Which alternative would you recommend, under which circumstances?† Henry Coupe, the manager of a metropolitan branch office of the state department of motor vehicles, attempted to perform an analysis of the driver’s license renewal operations. Several steps were to be performed in the process. After examining the license renewal process, he identified the steps and associated times required to perform each step as shown in the following table. State Automobile License Renewals Process Times Step 1. Review renewal application for correctness 2. Process and record payment 3. Check file for violations and restrictions 4. Conduct eye test 5. Photograph applicant 6. Issue temporary license Average Time to Perform (seconds) 15 30 60 40 20 30 Coupe found that each step was assigned to a different person. Each application was a separate process in the sequence shown below. Coupe determined that his office should be prepared to accommodate the maximum demand of processing 120 renewal applicants per hour. He observed that the work was unevenly divided among the clerks, and the clerk who was responsible for checking violations tended to shortcut her task to keep up with the other clerks. Long lines built up during the maximum demand periods. Coupe also found that the Steps 1 to 4 were handled by general clerks who were each paid $12 per hour. Step 5 was performed by a photographer paid $16 per hour. (Branch offices were charged $10 per hour for each camera to perform photography.) Step 6, issuing temporary licenses, was required by state policy to be handled by uniformed motor vehicle officers. Officers were paid $18 per hour, but could be assigned to any job except photography. A review of the jobs indicated that Step 1, reviewing the application for correctness, had to be performed before any other step could be taken. Similarly, Step 6, issuing temporary licenses, could not be performed until all the other steps were completed. Henry Coupe was under severe pressure to increase productivity and reduce costs, but he was also told by the regional director of the Department of Motor Vehicles that he had better accommodate the demand for renewals. Otherwise â€Å"heads would roll.† Questions: 1.  What is the maximum number of applications per hour that can be handled by the present configuration of the process? 2.  How many applications can be processed per hour if a second clerk is added to check for violations? 3.  If the second clerk could be added anywhere (and not necessarily to check for violations, as in (2)), what is the maximum number of application the process can handle? What is the new configuration? 4.  How would you suggest modifying the process in order to accommodate 120 applications per hour? What is the cost per application of this new configuration?