Focus on Siemens AG Company

There is a state of ambivalence over bribery in organizations. Some people regard bribery as a type of pecuniary corruption since it involves the transfer of money or any form of gift aimed at altering the behaviour of the recipient (Dowling 2008). In deed the Black’s law Dictionary defines bribery as a form of crime that involves giving, offering, soliciting for or receiving any item that has value in order to manipulate the actions of a person or official performing a certain duty (Dowling 2008).In this case, what makes bribery bad is the fact that the person receiving the bribe may act in a manner that would be detrimental to other operations in an organizations or related organizations. Such operations may include substandard services in which the bribery is used to protect the parties involved (Dowling 2008). On the other hand, some people view bribery as an act that is part of development ambitions in organizations. For instance, Lemieux (2005) argues that many countries whose underground economies have grown could not be where they are today were it not for bribery.And this seems to be the secret behind many organizations such as Siemens AG, which have to deal with authorities in terms of taxation and other legal requirements. Along this line, Lemieux (2005) opines that it is often not possible, or it is very costly, for a company or an individual to escape the restrictions and other prohibitions that are prerequisites to operation of business. Lemieux (2005) also notes that bribery in organizations is a phenomenon that cannot be easily gotten rid of because it is perfectly impossible to enforce the measures required to maintain a bribery-free business environment.Instead, the stricter measures to stop bribery in many organizations only serve to amplify the phenomenon (Lemieux 2005). Cash bribes are often used as donations to many political parties, and non-cash bribes may also be used to seek support in certain business ventures. Thus, according to Lemieux (2005), there is a common dictum among organizations: bribe them (the authorities) if you want to do peaceful business. Siemens AG was a company of high repute as the largest engineering firm in Europe, but its image was clouded when it ventured into bribery in order to expand its operations (OECD 2005).As discussed in this paper, Siemens AG was involved in massive bribery deals both locally and internationally in a bid to maintain a good image of the corporation as a global leader in engineering (Economist. com). But as further discussed, bribery is not only expensive but also a phenomenon that can tarnish the name of a company given the fines that Siemens AG had to pay and the numerous apologies it had to make ( Economist. com). The company also had to suspend many of its staff who were allegedly involve in the bribery claims, thus slowing down its vigour in the market (Economist.com). This makes bribery a topic that is amenable to further discussion as to whether it is a mechanism to advance the operations of a business or it is a vice that should be abhorred by organizations if they want to be successful. The Siemens AG Bribery Scandals Siemens AG’s slogan â€Å"Be Inspired† of the mid-1990s was perhaps of the most inspiring slogans to have been used by leading organizations in the world (Economist. com). However, the inspiration later turned out to involve murky deals aimed at promoting the company globally.So did the managers of the company lack the inspiration to build the company or they were just inspired to build it using alternative means? Siemens AG’s managers were involved in mischievous ways of funnelling huge sums of money to corrupt leaders of many authorities and politician the world over (OECD 2005). The methods used in the bribery cases were just astounding. According to Economist. com, the company bribed its subjects with a lot of trust and candour that no one could figure out the vice in many business transa ctions.To facilitate the bribery operations, the company set up three â€Å"cash desks† in its offices from which the bribery operations were performed (OECD 2005). Company employees would bring empty suitcases to the desks, which would be filled with cash in a manner that could raise no suspicion. As a result of such deals, as much as â‚ ¬1 million or $1. 4 million was withdrawn at different times to facilitate securing of contracts for Siemens AG’s telecoms equipment division (OECD 2005).The cash desks for bribery deals operated on honour mechanisms and not many questions were asked about the operations, nor was proof documentation required (Economist. com). In addition, managers who made application for money from the company were allowed to approve their requests without following due procedures (Economist. com). In fact, by the year 1999 Siemens AG was openly claiming tax deductions to cater for bribes, and the dealings were recorded in accounts books as useful expenditure (Economist. com).In the context of the bribery deals, it is worthwhile to note that Siemens AG considered bribery as a business venture aimed at widening its scope of operations. As a matter of fact, Siemens AG spent about $67 million in â€Å"suitcases† between 2001 and 2004 (OECD 2005). Nevertheless, according to OECD (2005), the people involved in the bribery transactions felt confident about what they were doing and knew that there was nothing wrong. The point here is that bribery was considered as a normal activity that required no questioning.The seemingly conducive culture of bribery continued with illicit payments even after Germany had banned bribing of foreign officials in the year 1999 (Balzli, Deckstein & Schmitt 2007). Thus, when Siemens AG listed its shares on United States’ New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in 2001 and it was subjected to stringent American anti-bribery measures, the managers desisted from counting cash in office (Balzli, Decks tein & Schmitt 2007). Instead, they turned to the use of cash cheques to perform the same operations.The cheques were deposited in various accounts but the company did not keep records in its own books so that it could make more nefarious payments (Balzli, Deckstein & Schmitt 2007). In order to disguise the underhand operations, Siemens AG managers outsourced most of its accounts works to â€Å"business consultants† so that no it would not be culpable in any secret operation would be unearthed (Economist. com). In bid to cover their operations further, the managers of the company used more eccentric mean to avoid being found (Balzli, Deckstein & Schmitt 2007).When they authorised the bribery payments, they used removable sticky notes, which would be easily destroyed to conceal all evidence of any transaction (Fernando & Bellamkonda 2007). The sums of money transferred by the managers of Siemens AG were staggering. According to Balzli, Deckstein and Schmitt (2007), a total of $805 million was handed over by the company to foreign officials in bribes. The money handed out was aimed at ensuring that Siemens won as many contracts as it could in many foreign markets (Economist. com).In other instances, the bribes were meant to woo labour representatives in supervisory areas to support Siemens AG policies when they would obviously need to rejected (Fernando & Bellamkonda 2007). Along this line, Fernando and Bellamkonda (2007) note that the German government’s stance on bribery was perhaps a contributing factor in Siemens AG’s underhand operations. This is because many companies understood that the German law and even the law in many other OECD countries permitted bribery and even offered subsidies to companies in order to enhance their operations in spite of the huge sums of money given out in form of bribes.Implications of the bribery cases When the Siemens AG bribe scandals were unearthed between 2006 and 2007, it was dubbed the â€Å"$2 bill ion bribes-for-business scandal† (Bushan 2008). When the details of scandal spilled out, German authorities raised siemens AG’ s offices in Germany an further investigations were initiated in countries such as the United States, Italy, Greece, and Switzerland where the company hand major investments (Bushan 2008). What followed were court suits, apologies, and a general decline in the company’s performance.The first reaction by the company managers was a fallout in which the CEO, Heinrich von Pierer and head of the company’s supervisory board, known as Klaus Kleinfeld, resigned in spite of the fact that they were not directly implicated (Bushan 2008). On December 15 2008, Siemens AG agreed with its host country Germany and the United States to pay them $1. 34 billion in response to bribe charges (Dowling et al 2008). This ended a two-year inquiry that had been made by the German Government to Siemens AG officials all over the world.In the agreement, Siemen s AG paid â‚ ¬395 million to settle to the German Government’s inquiry expenses and a further $800 million as the charges raised by the United States Security Exchange Commission (Dowling et al 2008). In addition, Siemens AG pleaded guilty to flouting the United States anti-bribery laws, which resulted into a penalty of a further $1. 36 billion (Dowling et al 2008). In an attempt to recover the massive losses, Siemens AG sued eleven of its former board executives led by Heinrich von Pierer and Klaus Kleinfeld (Dowling et al 2008).The new management of Siemens said that the action was meant to seek compensation from the former managers for damages that the company incurred as a result of their wanton actions (Dowling et al 2008). Some of the damages that were inflicted on Siemens and which the company would take time to recover from included a fall in the company’s share price by 23 cent to â‚ ¬47. 15 on the Frankfurt stock market. In addition, Siemens’s st ock in the market plummeted by 56 per cent in 2008 (Dowling et al 2008). What the Bribery Scandal in Siemens AG means about Bribery in OrganizationsGiven that the law in Germany and other OECD countries was somehow supportive of bribery, the efforts by the German Government to investigate the bribery claims can be considered to have been aimed at dignifying international laws on trade and laws against bribery (Dowling et al 2008). This is particularly true since other countries such as the United States, Greece, Italy and Switzerland were involved. According to Lemieux (2005), countries usually support corporations that have significant influence on the magnitude of their gross national product, as was the case of Siemens in Germany.Here, the fact that the German government provided subsidies to Siemens AG to facilitate its bribery payments cannot be gainsaid and is a clear pointer that even the though the government reacted, its officials had been well aware of the underhand operat ions. The Siemens AG bribery case also points out the weaknesses in governments when it comes to dealing with giant corporations. It is particularly worthy noting that Europe is still miles behind the United States when dealing with corruption cases particularly bribery (Georgiev 2008).According to a further analysis in Economist. com, Siemens invited group of lawyers from a United States firm called Debevoise & Plimpton to represent it with the hope that doing so would make it win sympathisers and have its name cleared from the bribery scandal. Nevertheless, this move made things even worse as the lawyers carried out a private investigation that cost the company a further â‚ ¬204 million. Thus, according to Economist. com, an investigation by German investigators would not have unravelled as much.Although Siemens AG paid many fines, the amount of money cannot equal the damage it did to markets both locally and at the international level. Considering the fact that Siemens AG was used to paying bribes, the fines were just meant to polish the name of the company. Nevertheless, other companies lost several contracts due to Siemens AG’s bribery (Balzli, Deckstein & Schmitt 2007). This perhaps is the worst effect of the bribery claims as companies that seemingly would have been more competent than Siemens AG were denied the chance to compete for tenders due to the bribe mask.This shows how unpopular companies are treated unfairly at the expense of pleasing giant companies, which have the ability to finance illegal operations. Siemens AG was able to influence market policies through bribery and this therefore leaves a question of whether the giant organizations of the world actually reach the top through excellent performance or through underhand deals as portrayed by firm. According to Economist. com, the confession by Siemens AG of involvement in bribery was triggered not by the fact that bribery is a vice in the organizational environment.Rather, it was due to the realization that the company was bound to lose a major market in the United States- which was firmly against the deals, as well as other markets in Greece, Italy, and Switzerland. A question that arises therefore is what would have happened had the bribery scandal not been raised in the public limelight. Would Siemens AG have been praised as a company that has roots all over the world and experiencing rapid growth to necessitate government subsidies, or would it have been criticised to have grown based on underhand operations?Probably the answer lies in viewing bribery a vice and not an incentive within organizations, and realizing that fair competition should not involve bribery. Conclusion Bribery in organizations is viewed with different standpoints depending on the effect it has on the respective organizations. For large organizations such as Siemens AG, bribery is seen as a mechanism to augment expansion since restrictions such as laws are avoided. Nevertheless, the adverse effects of bribery include massive fines against the organizations involved and a significant corporate damage as was realized in the case of Siemens AG. ReferencesBalzli, B, Deckstein, D & Schmitt J 2007, New Report Details Far-Reaching Corruption, Spiegel Online International, Available from http://www. spiegel. de/international/0,1518,462954,00. html (16 March 2009) Bhushan, A 2008, Bribes-for-Business: Siemens AG Sues 11 former management board executives, CEOWORLD Magazine, Available from http://ceoworld. biz/ceo/2008/07/31/bribes-for-business-siemens-ag-sues-11-former-management-board-executives/ (16 March 2009) Dowling, P; Welch, D E ; Festing, M & Engle A D 2008, International human resource management: managing people in a multinational context, Cengage Learning EMEA, New YorkEconomist. com, 17 Dec 2008, The stench of bribery at Siemens signals a wider rot in Europe, Available from http://www. economist. com/business/displaystory. cfm? story_id=12800474 (16 March 2 009) Fernando, R & Bellamkonda, B 2007, The Bribery Scandal at Siemens AG, Available from http://www. caseplace. org/d. asp? d=375 (16 March 2009) Georgiev, P K 2008, Corruptive patterns of patronage in SE Europe, VS Verlag, London Lemieux, P 2006, In defense of bribery, Available from http://mises. org/story/1884 (16 March 2009) OECD 2005, Fighting corruption and promoting integrity in public procurement, OECD Publishing, London

Drink Business Plan Essay

The following marketing plan forms the basis for the introduction of an innovative new product by the Coca-Cola Company. The analysis allows us to outline the best strategies to follow for the achievement of the company’s strategic goals. â€Å"Bubble Buzz† will be marketed as a unique functional drink while striving to reinforce the company’s status as the leader in innovation and successful product launches. The marketing strategies will enable to reach a market size of an estimated 8,688,300 people (targeted) with a forecasted sales growth prospect of 7. 3% over the next 4 years ($243,029. 47 profits), while satisfying the needs of the still-unserved market for ready-to-drink bubble tea. Success will be reflected by a sizeable capture of market shares within this market, while strategically carrying the company up to the top spot as the market leader in the functional drinks segment of soft drinks. Export potential will be considered in China. [pic] Brief description of the company The Coca-Cola Company’s core undertaking is to benefit and refresh everyone it reaches. Founded in 1886, we are the world’s leading manufacturer, marketer, and distributor of non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups, which are used to produce nearly 400 beverage brands that make up for our wide portfolio. Our corporate headquarters are established in Atlanta, and we are holding local operations in over 200 countries around the world. Our activities cover all sectors of the beverage industry. We are the second leading player in functional and Asian specialty drinks, while ranking number one in value for the ready-to-drink tea sector (ref. 1, p. 1). Brief description of the new product, & strategic role in the future position of the company â€Å"Bubble Buzz† will be a bottled beverage and will be positioned as the only ready-to-drink Bubble Tea product available on the market. The beverage will have a green tea base with enhanced fruit flavors (passion fruit, strawberry and lime) as well as tapioca pearls. It will bring an entirely unique drinking experience to its consumers. It will present itself as a funky and unusual alternative to traditional tea while providing the great taste of authentic fruit juice in an attractive and convenient packaging. The strategic role of Bubble Buzz for The Coca-Cola Company is centered around three objectives: †¢ To stay at the forefront as the market leader in innovative product introductions and successful product launches; †¢ To strengthen and satisfy the needs of the more adventurous Generation Y consumers with a new eye-catching and FUNctional product; †¢ To become the market leader in the functional drinks segment with increased market shares. [pic] INDUSTRY ANALYSIS Consumption: The sales volume for the functional drinks segment (ref. D2) in Canada has reached $342. 2 millions in 2004 for a volume of 125. 9 million liters (ref. 2). This product segment has shown a steady growth since 1999: an increase of 13. 5% over a period of 6 years (Appendix A). The consumption rate per capita in 2004 has reached 3. 94 liters, which represents a 4. 0% increase compared to 1999 (ref. 3). The growth of this particular market is largely due to a slow shift in consumer trends. Trends: Through the early 1960s, soft drinks were synonymous with â€Å"colas† in the mind of consumers. In the 1980s and 1990s, however, other beverages (from bottled water to tea) became more popular. Coca-Cola and Pepsi responded by expanding their offerings through alliances (e. g. Coke & Nestea) and acquisitions (e. g. Coke & Minute Maid), but also by focusing efforts on portfolio diversification. Today, while the soft drink industry’s value has increased in 2004, the volume sales of carbonated soft drinks has declined due to a large proportion of consumers who are opting for the trend towards healthier alternatives in the functional drink segment (energy drinks, smoothies, milk & juice drinks, sports drinks) as well as bottled juices and water (ref. 5). Companies have been actively engaged in new product developments in order to counter the growing concerns about negative health impacts of high-fructose drinks, but also to increase the demand in a market where product offerings are quickly maturing (ref. 4). New flavor introductions and health-conscious formulations have been launched in an attempt to offset the decline in carbonated soft drink sales (ref. 6). The functional market is expected to show sustained growth and consumer interest in the future years as consumption shifts to trendier, healthier and more sophisticated products (ref.7). Profitability & future growth potential: In 1993, Concentrate Producers earned 29% pretax profits on their sales, while bottlers earned 9% profits on their sales, for a total industry profitability of 14%. While the functional drinks sector only accounts for 3. 7% of the total soft drinks sales in 2004 (Appendix B), estimates are forecasting a growth of 7. 3% in sales and 11. 0% in volume consumption by 2009 (ref. 4). SWOT ANALYSIS (Strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats) |Strengths |Weaknesses | |Brand strength |Reliant upon line extensions | |Effective stride in new markets |Reliant upon particular carbonated drinks | |Results of operations |Brand dilution | |Strong existing distribution channels |Entrance into difficult non-core categories | | |Saturation of carbonated soft drink segment | |Opportunities |Threats | |New product introductions |Strong competition | |Brand is attractive to global partners |Potential health issues | | |Free trade | Explanations in APPENDIX C COMPETITION Coca-Cola’s top competitors for the soft drinks industry are PepsiCo (31. 6%) and Cadbury-Schweppes (15. 8% of market), which combined, represent about 48% of the total market (ref. 9). Coca-Cola is leading with 43. 7% of the total soft drinks market. In the functional drinks sector, PepsiCo is the current market leader with 60. 5% of the market shares in 2004. Coca-Cola Co is second with 32. 8% (ref. 2, see Appendix D1). Bubble Buzz will launch into a currently unserved subset of that market (RTD â€Å"Ready-To-Drink† Bubble Tea), which is until now unexisting. It is anticipated that the following brands could potentially compete with Bubble Buzz in the functional drinks market: Brisk, Lipton Iced Tea, Sobe (owned by PepsiCo), as well as Snapple’s and Hawaiian Punch (owned by Cadbury/Schweppes). Bubble Buzz also creates a potential situation for cannibalism with Coca-Cola’s very own brands of iced tea and other functional drinks. The current market for traditional Bubble Tea is fragmented, since the distribution is restricted to local outlets and selling points such as counters and small Bubble Tea shops in scattered locations across Canada. However, direct competition from these local players is not anticipated, since the marketing roll-out will initially emphasize on product awareness and both sales channels do not reach or serve the same market (retailing vs. counter/restoration). A strong distribution system already exists with Coca-Cola, since partnerships and channels are already in place. This will facilitate the product’s reach into its target market. Further data concerning competing market shares and distribution channels are available in Appendix D(1-3). Barriers to entry: |Business practices |Manufacturing | |Due to the number of competitors, it will be hard to prevent |Producing bottled Bubble Tea requires sizeable capital | |imitation behaviour (especially from PepsiCo) |investments for the specific needs of the manufacturing chain | | Risk of competing with emerging private labels (e.g. President’s|(from ingredients to final packaging specifications) | |Choice) |The marketing campaign to make this unknown brand popular | |Given the wide array of brands (saturation in the soft drink |requires more promotional expenditures than a traditional brand | |market), it becomes a challenge for Bubble Buzz to stand out |extension | TARGET MARKET. Segment identification: RTD (Ready-to-drink) bottled Bubble Tea, to be established within the Functional Drinks sector Segment needs: The product will cater to both physiological needs (hydrating and nutritional value) and social needs (perception of a social, fun drink with a sense of belonging within peer consumer groups) † (ref. 11, p. 127). Segment trends: The current trends include a shift away from junk foods and carbonated drinks, a growing interest for healthier / beneficial products for the â€Å"mind and body† (ref.10), the trend towards the availability of on-the-go products for those with an active lifestyle, as well as the trend for personalization through customization (or for beverages, through variety-seeking in a wide introduction of flavours † ref. 6). Segment growth potential: Statistical reports anticipate a segment growth of 1. 72% over the next 9 years (2015) for the 10-29 years old subsets (ref. 12). Refer to Appendix E. Size of the segment (population): 8,688,300 (329,600 L). Refer to Appendix E. |Segmentation variables and breakdowns for Canadian consumer market of Bubble Tea | |MAIN DIMENSIONS |VARIABLES |BREAKDOWNS | | |Region |Nationwide (all provinces and territories) with emphasis on urban / metropolitan areas, and| | | |adapted strategies for all geographical groups | | |Area size |5000-19,999 to 4,000,000+ | | |Density |Urban, suburban | | |Climate |All (East, West) | | |Age |10-29 years old (teenagers, studying age and young adults) | | |Gender |Male and Female | | |Income |All under $30,000 | | |Occupation |Students; new graduated; new workers; young professionals | | |Education |Elementary 4th grade, High school, CEGEP and University | | |Race |All: Asian, Black, White, Native; other; with adapted strategy for Asian consumers already | | | |familiar with Bubble Tea | | |Home ownership |Renting apartment/condo, living with parents | | | |(Highly discretionary in personal spending) | | | Personality |Brand conscious, anchored in popular culture, inclined for differentiation and | | | |sophistication, very tolerant towards multiculturalism and internationalism (open-minded), | | | |quick maturation with modern products | | |Lifestyle |Most of them dependent on parents, no major responsibilities, highly influenced by peer | | | |groups, active life, importance of school, work and social life | | |Benefits sought |COMMUNICATION BENEFITS | | | |-Nutritional information | | | |-Informational text on history of product | | | |FUNCTIONAL BENEFITS | | | |-Healthier than soft drinks | | | |-Convenient, easy to take out | | | |PERCEPTUAL BENEFITS | | | |-Quality/Premium price | | | |-Social standing/good-looking | | | Usage rate |Seasonal (peak in summer), daily-basis, weekly basis | | |User status |Non-user, regular user (current user through existing bar-shops) | | |Loyalty status |None, medium, strong | Positioning strategy: The only RTD bottled bubble tea available. Funky & eye-catching bottle, functional packaging, premium-priced, cool, new and unusual, unique drinking experience, aspects of play (tapioca pearls, oversized colored straw), variety of flavors, sweet, refreshing, for hip & young people, healthier alternative to heavy-sugar drinks. CUSTOMER ANALYSIS Profile: Name: Bob Thomson Date of Birth: 25. 03. 85 Age: 20 Occupation: University Student Country: Canada Needs: Healthy lifestyle/Social belonging People: Roommate/Friends/Family Places: Clubs/Coffee shops/University/Gym Activities: Basketball Team Due to his active and quick-paced life, Bob wakes up at 6:30AM every morning. Today, he puts on his trendy Lacoste Polo and Diesel Jeans, and of course, he always has his Puma shoes on. After having called his friends with his new Samsung camera phone, he leaves his apartment and goes to his gym by metro, while listening to his favourite music that he downloaded to his iPod. Bob usually likes to work out before he has to head to University. That way, he feels he has more energy and feels ready to confront his busy day attending courses and getting things done. On his way to school, Bob knows he is thirsty and he feels the need for something very refreshing. He stops at a convenience store next to the gym. Standing in front of all the choices in the beverages aisle, one particular bottle catches his sight. And he instantly recognizes the brand. He knows that this is a bottle of Bubble Buzz, because not only does his other friends often drink it, but he also heard them talk about this brand new product that Coca-Cola just launched. He also previously saw Bubble Buzz ads when he surfed on his favourite websites. He grabs a bottle, and takes a closer look at the nutritive information label. He is very pleased to see that the new drink is more nutritive and definitely healthier than the other soft drinks that were available on the shelves next to it. The higher price of the product doesn’t bother him, since he perceives â€Å"Bubble Buzz† as a high-quality, functional product, which is manufactured by a well renowned company. Plus, he did not feel like simply buying bottled water, or carbonated soft drinks. Because of his inclination towards more sophisticated tastes, and because he likes to try new products on his own, he thinks this bottle is worth the price. Because of his busy schedule, Bob prefers to save time as much as he can. Thus, he decides to buy two bottles. One to quench his immediate thirst, and another one that he wants to save for later in the day. He sees that the packaging is so convenient and easy to carry, and so when he exits the store, he puts the second bottle in his backpack. He attends all of his classes. During his break, he always hangs out with his friends. A lot of them are drinking from different â€Å"Bubble Buzz† flavours. He opens his second bottle, since he had such a great experience with the first one. He liked that the beverage was so unusual, yet refreshing. The drink surpassed many of his expectations. He has no doubt about it. Bob will continue to buy Bubble Buzz for its good taste, and also because at his age, he sees it is the coolest trend right now. [pic] Based on the aforementioned analysis, Bubble Buzz appears to be a profitable and innovative product with a strong outlook for market share presence and segment growth opportunity. Upon implementation of the marketing plan, the Coca-Cola Company will regain increased market shares and claim its targeted situational position of market leader in the functional drinks segment as well as keeping its long-standing consumer recognition for innovative and successful product launches in diversified markets. Projected profits will be $243,029. 47 (see financial projections). Marketing Plan Part 2: Marketing Strategy [pic] The objectives of the marketing plan are strategically centered around 3 criteria: to create a strong consumer awareness towards a completely new bubble tea product from Coca-Cola, to establish a wide brand recognition through the capture of market shares in the functional drinks segment, and to become the top market leader in that particular segment within the forecasted sales figures. [pic] PRODUCT STRATEGY The core o Bubble Tea beverage in a pre-bottled, ready-to-drink format. The actual product o Packaging and labeling: see figure below o Branding: colorful, aspect of play, round shaped, prominent Bubble Buzz logo written in modern font, catchphrases such as â€Å"Think outside the Bubble† and â€Å"Get Your Buzz†. o Trade name: Bubble Buzzâ„ ¢, a Coca-Cola product o Brand personality: energy, funky, cool, functional, original, funny, healthy, etc. o Brand equity: Coca-Cola provides a quality, consistent, innovative and accessible soft drink reputation. Augmented product o Nutritional information, Status (social drink), Features promoting the website, Health benefit of a green tea base (ref. 17) Marketing considerations o Product life cycle: Bubble Buzz is a low-learning product. With a strong marketing campaign, â€Å"sales [will] begin immediately and the benefits of the purchase are readily understood† (ref. 11, p. 301). Since Bubble Buzz is prone to product imitation, Coca-Cola’s strategy is to broaden distribution quickly, which is currently feasible thanks to the company’s high manufacturing capacity. o Product class: Food & beverage ( Soft Drinks ( Functional Drinks (refer to Appendix D2 for a break-down of the functional drinks market). o Bubble Buzz follows the practice of product modification (ref. 11, p. 304): Coca-Cola is introducing an existing beverage (bubble tea) but redefines the drink with a new, more convenient package. Bubble Tea will now become a widely available drink in multiple retailing (distribution) channels. [pic] PRICE STRATEGY The price strategy that will be undertaken should consider the following aspects: 1. Consumer demand 2. The product lifecycle 3. Potential substitutes Customer demand. Customer demand is a crucial factor which is driven by tastes, income and availability of others similar products at a different price (mentioned later in the potential substitutes section). For a lot of consumers, value and price are highly related: ‘’the higher the price, the higher the value’’. Consequently, Coca-Cola’s intention to position Bubble Buzz as a unique, innovative and attractive product gives it a certain control over Bubble Buzz price. To be able to implement higher pricing though, the minimization of the non-monetary costs to customers should also be include along with awareness of the product (notably by advertising) and value (benefits) . The product lifecycle. The company should take advantage also to the fact that the newer the product and the earlier in its lifecycle the higher the price can usually be. It ensures a high profit margin as the early adopters buy the product and the firm seeks to recoup development costs quickly and it also brings a certain prestige to the product. Potential substitutes Coca-Cola is constrained by the monopolistic market in which it competes. The main characteristic however is product differentiation. Other constraints (See Appendix M) PROMOTION STRATEGY Objectives: †¢ To initiate strong awareness about the launch of Bubble Buzz throughout Generation Y (10-29 years old) consumers as well as their parents. †¢ To win market shares over our top functional drinks competitor, PepsiCo. Message: The promotional outputs will convey the clear message that â€Å"Bubble Buzz is a healthy drink for sporty and young people who simply enjoy taking care of their body and life. † Concepts: †¢ â€Å"Think outside the bubble†: Be Bold, Be Original, Be Different, Be Yourself. †¢ â€Å"A good spirit in a good body. † †¢ â€Å"For the out-of-the-ordinary individuals who like to challenge themselves. † Media selection: Before choosing the appropriate medias, it is important to note that Generation Y consumers only give partial attention to media. However, they can be reached through integrated programs. They are typically using more than one communication media at a time; a behaviour that is often called â€Å"multitasking†. This group of consumers doesn’t give its full attention to one single message, but rather uses continuous partial attention to scan the media. Marketers can still communicate with Generation Y by using a variety of targeted promotional tools. Another important tactic to reach our target market is through â€Å"Viral† or â€Å"Buzz† marketing, which Coca-Cola will heavily use in this campaign (campus, contests). Advertising: Refer to APPENDIX H for detailed explanations |Output |Examples | |Television |MTV, Much Music, VrakTV, YTV | |Radio |MIX96, CKOI 96. 9, 94. 7 FM, Universities | |Magazines |For girls: Cosmo, Elle | | |For boys: Sports Illustrated (or Kids edition) | |Internet |Banners on select websites (gaming, sports, etc. ) | | |Official promotional website: www. BubbleBuzz. ca | |Outdoors |Billboards and prints in select areas including: | | |Campuses, transportation (bus, metro, stations) | | |Tourist areas in high seasonal periods | | |Outskirts of key cities in geographical reach | | Others |Not relevant | |Personal selling |Direct contact with retailers, sales kit strategies to be explained later in the | | |text. | |Public relations |Stands or special displays and events in schools, malls, sports events (i. e. 2008 | | |Beijing Summer Olympic Games), sponsorship activities | |Publicity |Conferences, press releases (print and online), buzz marketing through TV coverage | Promotional Mix: Consumer oriented: †¢ Contests: â€Å"Win another Bubble Buzz flavour†, â€Å"Uncover a secret code underneath the bottle cap and win sporting goods and electronics by logging on the website†, â€Å"Win a trip for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing†. (Arguments: It will increase consumer purchases and encourage consumer involvement with the product). †¢ Samples: distributed in supermarkets, school/universities. Samples are a way to avoid product resistance since people are not used to find bubbles in their drinks. Arguments: It will encourage new product purchases and it represents low risk for consumers since they get it for free. They have nothing to loose by trying it. †¢ Point-of-purchase: in supermarkets (to reach the parents of generation Y). Arguments: It is also a mean to increase product trial and provides a good product visibility. †¢ Others: In subsequent years, engage in product placement in TV shows or movies. Trade oriented: †¢ Allowances and discounts: case allowance (Arguments: The â€Å"free goods† approach will be used so it can encourage retailers to buy more of the product to get a certain amount for free). †¢ Cooperative advertising: to encourage retailers to buy our product and to maintain our high level of advertisement that consumers expect from Coca-Cola. Other considerations: †¢ Scheduling of the advertising: Pulse scheduling (promotional presence year-round, but emphasized and intensified before and during summer). †¢ IMC (integrated marketing communication) Target Audience: †¢ Intermediary: personal selling will be more often used. †¢ Ultimate consumer: Coca-Cola will use more of mass media because the amount of potential buyers is large. PLACE (DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY) Bubble Buzz will be distributed through these channels: supermarkets, convenience stores, independent food stores, discount stores, multiple grocers, vending machines, direct sales. [pic] |Projected Financial Performance | |Revenues |$ 597,124. 00 |Based on sales @ different channel’s price | |COGS |214,964. 64 |Based on weighted average percentage in past data | |C. M. |382,159. 36 |Revenues – COGS | |Fixed Costs : | | | |SG&A cost : |113,453. 56 |Half of the O/H costs estimated, based on past data | |Capital expenditures : |25,676. 33 |4. 3% of revenue, based on past data | |Profits |243,029. 47 |CM † SG&A † Capital expenditures | Requirement for success analysis: C. M. per bottle = 382,159. 36 / 328,000 = $1. 17 Break-even: (113,453. 56+25,676. 33) / 1. 17 = 118,914 (bottles) Market share: 118,914 / 1,000,000 = 11. 9% In one year, if Coca-cola can sell 118,914 bottles of Bubble Buzz, or in other words achieve 11. 9% of the functional drink market share, it will break even. After this point, every bottle Coca cola sells will generate average $1. 17 towards the profits. The potential profits can up to $1,030,770. 00[1] based on our target market. Expected Costs: COGS: $597,124 * 36% = $214,964. 64. O/H: $597,124* 38% = $226,907. 12 Expected Revenues (total) = $597,124 (refer to Appendix J) [pic] China is the target country we’re going to expand our product. Reasons: 1. With a total population of 1,313,015,000 in the end of 2005 and 327,714,000 in our target market (age 10 to 25 years old), compared with the total population of Canada—304,453 million, there definitely is a great potential worth to work on. 2. absolute expenditure on food and non-alcoholic beverages is expected to increase from 1,777 billion in 2005 to 2,154 billion in 2010 (though the proportion of consumer expenditure on this part is decreasing from 28. 39% to 25. 75% ) 3. Soft drinks industry is one of the fast growing industries in China, especially fruit/vegetable juice, RTD tea, and Asian speciality drinks and bottled water have shown a sharp increase during 1998 to 2003. 4. Bubble tea was originated in Taiwan. Soon after its introduction in China, it became one of the most popular beverages sold in tea stores on the streets due to the similar taste and similar cultural background. So, it is a good chance for us to enter into this market. 5. Since we are the top sponsor for the upcoming Beijing Olympic in 2008. With more opportunities to expose to the public, it is going to benefit our sale there. Our entry-strategy for entering China is through licensing. Reasons: 1. We have already provided licenses for manufacturing our products in China (licensing the bottlers and supply them with our syrup required for producing). Therefore, added in one or two more products in our production chain would not be that difficult. 2. It is relatively low risk when compared with direct investment there. It is low cost to export our new products there since we can maintain lower labour cost and lower material cost if we produce our products locally, especially in China. Changes to be made: 1. Price: Price sold in China is going to change to accommodate the local desire. As we set our price sold in Canada $2. 00. Compared to the price sold in the bubble tea store ($ 3. 50), it is about 57. 14%. So, with the information we gathered from the tea store in China[2], the price sold there would be 57. 14% of what sold in the tea store—$12 Yuen in China currency. Then, it would be around $7 Yuen, about CAD$1[3]. 2. Naming the product: In order to be recognized and accepted more easily for the local market, we need not only translate our product name but also make sure there’s not hidden unintended meaning that would damage our product. 3. Develop other flavours that would attract the local market: Since milk based bubble tea sell better in China, we will add in this product line. Also, we will avoid using too many artificial colors as they are not appreciated as much as in Canada. Moreover, people in China are becoming more and more health concerned, especially the amount of sugar and additives added in the drinks. We will make some changes in the ingredients used to appeal the local market, i. e. less sugary drinks. 4. Promotion: In contrast to the radio ads in Canada, we will use more TV and Web advertisement there due to the highly exposed environment in China. Also, we will put more emphasis on the ads on the public transportation such as underground/subway system and bus service due to the more frequent use of the public transport service there. Also, since the outdoor display screen is quite popular in big cities, we will also take advantage of it. [pic] [pic] APPENDIX A (ref. 2) [pic] APPENDIX B (ref. 4) [pic] APPENDIX C (ref. 1 & 8) STRENGHTS Brand strength (see Appendix F for brand rankings) The Coca-Cola Company is the largest manufacturer, distributor and marketer of nonalcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups in the world. The Coca-Cola brand is unarguably one of the most recognizable brands in the 200 countries where it sells its products. The strong brand name is one of the basis for the company’s competitive advantage on several of its core markets. Effective strides in new markets. Coca-Cola has partnered with several companies (such as the joint venture with Nestle) in order to increase the ability to react to demands and changes in the markets of iced tea, coffee and juices. The developing markets are more complex than the carbonated soft drinks. Results of operations In 2004, net-operating revenues totaled approximately $21. 9 billion, an 8% increase from 2002. Gross profit totaled $14. 3 billion in 2004. The company generated $5,968 million from its operating activities and re-invests heavily into its business. The ability to generate significant cash flows is one of the its key strengths (ref. 16). Strong existing distribution channels Coca-Cola has operations worldwide and is well established in its distribution channels (such as store retailers or vending machines). Therefore, a new product launch can typically rely on the existing distribution system in order to reach the majority of its target market while requiring no major supply / delivery developments. WEAKNESSES Relying upon line extensions Coca-Cola is relying on brand extensions increase sales in specific lines, particularly its long-time carbonated soft drink products (i. e. the introduction of Vanilla Coke helped maintain sales for the core Cola beverages). However, there is a strong risk of cannibalizing existing sales in the long term (for example, Bubble Tea might deter on sales for iced tea). Reliant upon particular carbonated drinks The long-time presence of Coca-Cola’s Coke beverage has established this particular line as a flagship product. While the core Coke products bring a solid base of sales and loyalty to the company, consumers’ expectations also become more and more anchored and single-lined, taking away freedom in the areas of line diversification and product modifications (taste, packaging, price). Brand dilution The tremendous amount of existing brands and new product being introduced by the company could diminish the value and differentiating strength of each product that is being manufactured. Entrance into difficult non-core categories The Coca-Cola Company is a truly global multinational business giant. While some categories of products are distributed in many areas of the globe (Coke, Powerade, etc. ), geographical needs already require that these global brands are heavily adapted to their target region. Furthermore, many smaller and diversified product lines are more or less popular in one particular region over another. Therefore, the process of diversifying the production and marketing each product involves costly investments. These capital requirements typically increase as the product becomes heavily focused (for example, since the Coca-Cola brand is highly recognizable worldwide, marketing a bottle of Coke in Japan would be less difficult than marketing a bottle of â€Å"Qoo† in that same country † â€Å"Qoo† being a lesser-known non-carbonated drink which was one of Coca-Cola’s newest brand introduction in 1999). Saturation of carbonated soft drink segment Due to the countless number of brands available on the market, it becomes increasingly difficult in the soft drinks segment to innovate and create new products that genuinely stand out from their competition. And as we have seen, an analysis of the industry has shown that growth in the soft drinks market becomes difficult and challenging when the conditions and consumer trends cause a market demand that stays stagnant. OPPORTUNITIES New product introductions The functional drinks market is one that particularly allows more innovation opportunities and gives greater freedom for creativity in the design, production, manufacturing, distribution, promotion and retailing choices and processes. Brand is attractive to global partners. Because of the company’s size (including value, brand name and operating revenues) and wide portfolio base, Coca-Cola enjoys a strong purchasing power over its suppliers, and also attracts large partnerships with various levels of consumer reach (e. g. Burger King, movie studio promotions, sponsorship agreements, etc. ). Existing brand awareness also provides an international playing field for powerful marketing strategies. THREATS Strong competition Coca-Cola is competing in a global market that is characterized by an oligopoly between several (but few in numbers) competitors. The fight for market shares and sales in crowded markets becomes a complex one. Potential health issues. The current trend of consumer and consumers groups’ awareness towards goods and services is both beneficial and threatening for companies in the food and beverages industry. Over the last few years, concerns over health issues have risen in the media through an expanded and ever-growing network of â€Å"knowledge outputs† (journals, TV channels, internet and so on). The move of the younger generation towards a healthier lifestyle call for careful planning and decision-making in new product developments. Large companies can also easily become the target of consumers’ apprehension.

Biography of Alexander the Great

Biography of Alexander the Great What would you do if you could rule the world? This seems like a preposterous question to most, but to one man it started to become a reality. It all started with the dreams of one King, Alexander the Great. Alexander was born in 356 BC in Macedonia, the area around present day Thessaloniki in northern Greece. Though the Macedonians might have considered themselves part of the Greek cultural world, the other Greeks viewed them as a half-barbaric mountain tribe. Alexander was the King of Macedonia in 336 BC, the Pharaoh of Egypt starting 332 BC, the King of Persia in 330 BC, and the King of Asia from 331 BC until the time of his unfortunate death in 323 BC. He was first crowned King of Macedonia at the young age of 19. Barely an adult, Alexander managed to transform his small Macedonian country into his own domain consisting of the three largest and most feared Empires in just 13 years. Right after his father’s death, Alexander had started his plans to conquer and unite all of the Ancient Greek city-states, along with the empires of Persia, Asia, and India. Although he was not successful in all of his plans, he managed to conquer and unite all of Ancient Greece, and conquer Persia and Asia, as well as some of India. Therefore, Alexander managed to transform the lesser known small mountain village of Macedonia into the largest and most powerful empire in all of Ancient Europe. The biographical novel Alexander The Great by Philip Freeman singlehandedly details all of the battles and important occurrences in Alexander’s life from his childhood until his death, as well as the legacy of the Empire he left behind which lasted several hundred years after his death. With the help of nobody but a select few of his father’s old generals, mainly his father’s right hand man Parmenion; Alexander was able to revolutionize the way of ancient warfare and destroy any Empire that stood in his way. As an absolute genius at psychological and unconvention al warfare, along with some high risk and high reward decisions, Alexander overcame some of the greatest obstacles in his way without breaking a sweat. I have always found Alexander has always been an extremely interesting and inspiring man to learn about in History, so I decided to learn more about his life and how he was able to conquer the Persian Empire, an Empire with the army size of almost twice that Alexander had in his control. In the following speech, I will tell the story of Alexander the Great and his adventures, many victories and very few defeats, during his conquest of the entire region of Greece, Persia, and Asia. Alexanders father King Philip was an impressive ruler who had started the systematic policy of expanding the control of Macedonia. Philips main conquest was that of the Greek mainland, after his victory at Chaeronea [Karineea] in 338 BC. The call to adventure was first introduced to Alexander while he was still in his teens, his father wanted to give him to commanded the Macedonian cavalry during this battle to prove Alexander’s worth as an heir to the throne. The Battle of Chaeronea took place in 338 BCE on an early August morning outside the town of Chaeronea[Karineea] in Boeotia [Beeotia], Greece. Although for centuries the cities of Athens and Sparta dominated Greece, politically, militarily and economically, the Battle of Chaeronea, one of the most renowned of all Greek battles, only involved one of these cities: Athens. However, Athens was not alone. They combined forces with Thebes including the sacred band of thebes, an elite group consisting of 150 pairs of male soldi ers who were the most fearsome warriors of Ancient Greece. The soldiers were all male lovers which, although peculiar, was effective because they wanted to impress and defend each other with their lives because they didn’t want to see their lover perish in battle. Both armies came together with the idea that they would destroy the conceited army of Macedonians and send them back to their homelands in the mountains. However, we quickly learn that this was not the case. Philip reorganized the old, traditional strategy of phalanx (which was a tightly moving group of soldiers) and replaced the outdated hoplite spear with the sarissa, an 18 to 20 foot pike, adding a smaller double-edged sword. Finally, he redesigned the antiquated shield and helmet, making them much more sturdy and viable. The Macedonians under Philip II’s rule would soon prove their worthiness and skill in this battle by slaughtering the enemy army including the sacred band of thebes. The Macedonians lost under 100 soldiers while the enemy forces casualties included 2,000 dead and 4,000 captured. Alexander decided to burn down and completely destroy the city as an example to other Greek states to show them what would happen if they rebelled. The Macedonian victory at Chaeronea would put Greece into a deep slope, both politically and militarily. It would never again regain its supremacy in the Mediterranean. Macedonia had established troops in Corinth and all of Ancient Greece recognized him as their leader and couldn’t afford to revolt. Philip was determined to transform his weaker citizen-based army into a worthy army of highly trained professional soldiers. Having well succeeded at this, it didn’t take long for him to reveal to the rest of Greece the might of the Macedonian army, attacking and defeating the Thracians to the north, proving to the people of Athens that Philip was a viable threat. Alexander’s first trials came around the same time of his father’s death. Philip II served as king from 359 BC until he was assassinated in 336 BC. Alexander was the runner up as King since he was Philip’s own child. However, seizing the throne after an untimely death of a beloved King can be chaotic so Alexander was not unopposed. He slayed his potential threats for the throne and secured his position as king of Macedon at just the age of 19. After securing the throne, he began to put his plans of conquering Ancient Europe into action. After gathering an impressive amount of troops consisting of highly determined and war-hardened Macedonians, Greek mercenaries, thracian troops and the whole Athens fleet, Alexander began his war against the Persians in 334 BC. At the time the Macedonian leader was twenty-two years old.Darius was prepared for battle having selected this spot to meet his enemy.After his defeat at Issus two years previously, Darius made sure that th is battleground favored his army and its tactics; mainly being war chariots. The ground here was flat which was perfect for chariots. Darius made it even flatter by ordering the terrain plowed and leveled. All was ready and on October 1, 331 BC the Persian army of possibly 200,000 faced off against Alexanders 35,000. The Macedonian leader immediately sized up the Persians tactical advantage and countered by ordering his cavalry to shift to the right along with Alexander himself hoping to move his enemy away from their flat field. The Persians marched parallel along with him, far outflanking him upon their left. Then the Persian cavalry rode along the line and came into contact with the front men of Alexanders army; nevertheless he still continued to defensively march towards the right, and almost entirely got beyond the ground that had been cleared and leveled by the Persians. Then Darius, fearing that his chariots would become useless if the Macedonians advanced upon the uneven gro und, ordered the front ranks of his left wing to ride round the right wing of the Macedonians, where Alexander was commanding, to prevent him from marching his wing any further. As soon as Darius set his whole battle line in motion, Alexander ordered Aretes, his general controlling the left ground units and javelineers to attack those who were riding clear around his right wing; and up to that time Alexander himself was leading his men in column. But when the Persians made a break in the front line of their army by having their cavalry charge to aid those executing the flanking movement, Alexander wheeled towards the gap, forming a wedge between the cavalry and part of the phalanx. He led them with a loud battle cry that every unit in his army followed in with that was so loud it frightened the Persians and caused the frontline to start a retreat. Darius quickly saw what was happening and commanded them to stay and fight. Alexander rode straight towards Darius, looking for the glory that would come if he killed the Great King of Persia himself. Then came a short hand-to-hand melee; but as Alexander and his troops pressed on vigorously, thrusting themselves against the Persians and striking through forces with their great sarissas, Darius, whose courage already had been shaken had turned and fled. Likewise the Persians who were trying to outflank, panic-stricken at the vigorous attack of Aretes, took to flight; a the Macedonians chased after and slaughtered those who they caught. Alexander’s victory at the battle of Gaugamela on the Persian plains was a decisive conquest that insured the defeat of the Persian King Darius III. Alexander then moved to the city of Sardis, the capital of Ancient Lydia. This was an important city due firstly to the amount of Persian troops stationed there, secondly to its control on an import ant road leading from the inside of Sardis outward to the Aegean[Ajian] coast, and thirdly to it’s access to the wide and fertile plains of the Hermus where important direct food to the city could be grown and developed year round. He then moved on to Phoenicia, an ancient civilization composed of independent city-states which lay along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. First starting with Baalbek. Baalbek was a religiously devoted city that was not loyal to the Persians who currently ruled them with constant religious interference. Because of this, they surrendered to Alexander and his army without a fight. Next came his destruction of the Phoenician city Sidon. Alexander attempted a peace offering to allow Sidon to surrender without a fight. They distastefully refused, calling Alexander a tyrant. Alexander was so insulted by being called a Tyrant that he ordered his engineers to besiege the high city walls and invaded the city with no mercy. Killing over 2000 soldiers and 1000 civilians, Alexander captured and sold the rest off into slavery, hoping to make an example of them. This seemed to work because after the fall of Sidon, the important and very wealthy trading city of Aleppo sent delegates to Alexander offering a golden crown as a symbol of their surrender. Following the fall of Aleppo came the long besiege of the very well protected Tyre. After Tyre fell to Alexander’s control quite easily once the walls came down, Alexander conquers Syria, who more than willingly surrendered without hesitation. Alexander then finished the conquest of Levant, the name given to the widely to the eastern Mediterranean coastal lands of Asia Minor and Phoenicia. Alexander then moved on to the mysterious lands of Egypt and was welcomed as a liberator and conquered Egypt without a fight.Alexander and all of his empire now called him the Pharaoh of Egypt, King of Asia, as well as King of Persia and King of Macedonia. In conclusion, Alexander was a man destined for greatness from the time of his birth. Turning a small Macedonian state into one of the largest Empires to exist in the Ancient world, his influence on the modern world comes in many different forms. He was undefeated in battle and is widely considered one of historys most successful military commanders. The traits that contribute to him being one of the most successful military commanders of all time are not only limited to his high intelligence in battle however. As Niccolà ² Machiavelli, an italian philosopher influenced directly by Alexanders’ own tutor Aristotle himself, once famously quoted â€Å"The lion cannot protect himself from traps, and the fox cannot defend himself from wolves. One must therefore be a fox to recognize traps, and a lion to frighten wolves.† He expressed behaviors of the lion when he revoked his merciful nature, and acted as a fox in his attentive yet generous manner when attempting to win his battles in a peaceful way. He was a merciful and generous leader, believing in fairness and equality no matter what religion or race you were. However, when his authority was challenged, he revoked his mercy to secure his position as a leader of the Ancient Greek Empire. He was never unjust in his punishments, and always gave his enemies a chance at peace. Alexander’s behaviorisms as a leader were very logical, reasonable, and most importantly merciful. These qualities are what I believe every human should aspire to have and for this reason he is my personal hero. â€Å"A horse must be a bit mad to be a good cavalry mount, and its rider must be completely so.† â€Å"A cavalrymans horse should be smarter than he is. But the horse must never be allowed to know this.† â€Å"This man has conquered the world! What have you done? The philosopher replied without an instants hesitation, I have conquered the need to conquer the world.† â€Å"Always attack. Even in defense, attack. The attacking arm possesses the initiative and thus commands the action. To attack makes men brave; to defend makes them timorous.† â€Å"Fame Imperishable and glory that will never die that is what we march for!† â€Å"When deliberating, think in campaigns and not battles; in wars and not campaigns; in ultimate conquest and not wars.† â€Å"There is nothing impossible to him who will try.† â€Å"A tomb now suffices him for whom the world was not enough.

Business and Management Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Business and Management - Personal Statement Example I also took money for giving out keys to the clients and maintained a strong relationship with the clients for continuous business transactions. My experience and passion for business have also been informed by my duration of work at Psh, a car rental company, in 2012. I worked as a part-time agent with the organization for six months where I dealt with high clients and luxury cars. In this role, I took deposits, organized appointments, and showed the cars to the clients. I believe that the skills I have gained make me competent personnel in the field of business and management. I also take myself as a multi-cultural being based on the diverse language skills I have acquired that will enable me relevant in any part of the world where the languages apply. The experience makes me qualified to own and manage my own business in the future. My hobbies include reading books, swimming, going out with friends and listening to music. The idea of learning to communicate with people of diverse language and cultural origins has appealed to me over the years, which I hope to accomplish by being my own manager in the

Abelard and Heloise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Abelard and Heloise - Essay Example However, they were still people true to their age and perhaps what might be considered liberal may have had a deeper meaning. Both of these scholars were known, from time to time, to deviate from what the norm was concerning gender roles in their societies. Their writings display a characteristic that was particularly common among the writers of that age; they were liberal to a certain extent and their opinions were openly stated. However, when it came to doing something about changing their societies so that they would conform to their liberal views, they took no action. It can, therefore, be said that although Abelard and Heloise, in their writings, showed several instances of being liberal concerning gender roles, they remained remarkably conservative in their actions. Abelard continued to advocate for a male dominated society  while Heloise supported the role of a subservient woman, who had to submit to the will of man. The love affair between Abelard and Heloise also shows the gender issues, which were prevalent in their society. Both of them were profoundly influenced by the opinion of their society when it came to gender roles, and this is clearly shown in their writings. Some instances of their opinions on gender shall be considered and analyzed in this paper. In a majority of his letters, Abelard displays a respect for the competence of women, something that is truly surprising for a man of the middle ages. Most of his works concerning women are based on his religious opinion of them. In some of his work, he states that women are much closer to Christ due to the opinion that women are particularly closely tied to the earth than men. Abelard in general shows a strong admiration for women, and he states that their virtue is much more pleasing to God than that displayed by men. Alongside this admiration is also his belief that women are lesser to men; that men are the better part of humanity while women are the lesser. He states that while women are mor e intimately tied to the earth, men are strongly tied to the spiritual. Because of this, women tend to be more susceptible to sin than men are  because they do not have the spiritual capacity to withstand temptation (Ruys 1). Therefore, his reference to women’s virtue being more pleasing to God may imply that they have to overcome their spiritual advantage over men in order to become virtuous. Abelard’s point of view concerning women is not as liberal as one might think, and instead, he shares the opinion concerning them that was prevalent during his time. He barely deviates from the views of his contemporaries, and, in fact, it can be said that he is a leading proponent of a male dominated society  while women remain in the background. At first glance, Heloise’s writings are extremely liberal because they push the boundary of what was considered proper at that time. She displays a wide knowledge in her work and  her letters to Abelard; she often challenge s him and asks his opinions on various issues. However, despite the liberal views, she is still hugely much influenced by the way of thinking that was common at her time. While addressing Abelard in her letters, she acts as a submissive woman and not as his equal (Zollinger 231). One would argue that it is because they had been married that she would address him with such submissiveness. However, this will be found not to be the case because, in their letters, extremely little is ever mentioned of their married life. It can be said that Heloise displays the medieval society’s belief that women are inferior. She accepts the conclusions, which Abelard makes concerning diverse matters, and more often than not, she is seen seeking his approval or opinion on a large number of subjects. Heloise is an intellectual, and this is something that

Cb2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cb2 - Assignment Example This, therefore, means that the social class can be based the objective of classification, how people think of others and the reputation that an individual claims or deserves. This is different from income in that a person may have high-income levels and yet his or her reputation is low within the society. Therefore, a person’s income is just one of the factors that can determine the social class but it is not the social class itself. An achieved status refers to the status that is acquired through struggle and merit. This could be the status related to educational status or research achievements. It is therefore related to skills, abilities and efforts. On the other hand, an ascribed status is considered to be beyond the person’s control. This is based, therefore on attributes of a person that are fixed and natural. The classes related to sex, race and deformity are ascribed rather than acquired. Income is just one of the factors likely to be considered in describing the social class. However earning more money does not always lead to a change in social class (Wood, 2012). This is because influence, success and the impact that a person has in the society are always stronger indicators of social class than income. Therefore, a person may be earning a lot of money but his or her reputation and influence remain the same. Rich consumers can be grouped as old money or nouveau depending on how they display their wealth. For old money rich consumers, their wealth remains unseen. They are rich but do not care to display conspicuous consumption in any way. The Nouveau, on the other hand, are those rich consumers who display their spending and consumption with the motive of getting a reputation and a social class upgrade (Wood, 2012). They have symbolic self-completion such as flashy cars to display their wealth. In most contexts, the term social class is controversial. This means that different

Tiger Woods sex scandal Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Tiger Woods sex scandal - Research Paper Example His career comprises of a series of records in the history of sports. The player has a record of winning 14 major titles until the end of 2009. The number of titles suggests him to be just behind Jack Nicklaus in the international golf arena. By that time the player had already accomplished a great hype which was indeed the gift of his achievements accumulated with the strength of media. As highlighted in an article published by BBC, â€Å"As the most successful black player in a traditionally white sport, Woods has been credited with boosting interest in the game worldwide, increasing TV audiences, and bringing greater wealth to the sport in prize money and sponsorship†. Source: (BBC, â€Å"Tiger Woods Profile†) Tiger Woods is an American and was born on 30th December, 1975. The boy was named ‘Eldrick Woods’ by his parents and later got the nickname ‘Tiger’ after one of his father’s Vietnamese soldier friends. And thereby he received hi s fame name as ‘Tiger Woods’. Tiger Woods received publicity for the first time on television as a ‘child golf prodigy’ when he was only two years old against Bob Hope. He also earned the fame of making 48 strikes in 9 holes at the age of three. This provided him the fame of the most promising youngster in golf. After this he became a common face in the national and international sports channels on television and a common figure in the sports news (BBC, â€Å"Tiger Woods Profile†). With all these on-going phenomena, within a short span of time, Woods achieved the fame which takes years for other players. Hence, media played a significant role to brighten up the career of Tiger Woods. On the contrary, media is often referred to be the reason of his downfall as well. The problem occurred when the focus of the media publications shifted from his career and achievements to his personal life. It was in the month of October in 2004 when Tiger Woods married Elin Nordegren by organizing a lavish marriage ceremony of almost $3 million. Again highlighted by the media this became one of the attractive news headlines during the period (CNN, â€Å"Woods Marries His Swedish Fiancee†). In the first few years, the couple was happily married until the end of 2009 when suddenly the extra-marital affairs caught the attention of the majority of the world. It was in December 2009, when a news media highlighted that Tiger Woods had multiple extra-marital affairs after his marriage to Elin Nordegren in 2004. This resulted in the separation of the couple forcing the magnificent golf player to take a personal leave from sports (Nadler, R. S., â€Å"Leading with Emotional Intelligence: Hands-On Strategies for Building Confident and Collaborative Star Performers†). The scandal has been rated to be a series of few small and big catastrophes related to the renowned player, within a span of just two week from November 27th to December 11th. To be summarized, it was on November 27th when Woods met with an accident within a short distance from his residence, which attracted a few media conversations. As a result, on November 30th, the player pulled himself from the Chevron World Challenge. He also had to pay $164 as a penalty for careless driving at the Florida Highway Patrol on December 1st (Telegraph, â€Å"

Bruno in the East Village Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Bruno in the East Village - Essay Example The people have the power to dictate the progress and operations of a restaurant as in the case of Bruno. I totally agree with that view as the people who visit the restaurants can determine its present challenges as well as enabling it to overcome them. The challenges that the restaurant faces despites its short stay is a result of their own making if what the author says is anything to go by. The poor conditions at Bruno such as uncomfortable seats marked by a long row of tables with chairs and banquettes have served to keep people away from the restaurant. The author compares the seating arrangements at the restaurant as those in the police cells and that confirms how worse the conditions are. One has to wait for a long time before their meals are served and that indicates poor customer relations. The critics who are quick to criticize all the efforts that are being undertaken by the restaurant in an effort to improve their services should not do so in haste. The restaurant should be given time to adjust to new conditions before they begin to receive negative responses from bloggers, critics, and competitors. I firmly agree that some restaurants just like other businesses are successful in making their advertisement very alluring and catchy to the eyes of the public but very little to show for it when one visits the actual places. The things that a firm shows to the public should not be very different from the actual events within their premises.

Topic of the week explain the development of self-concept, Coursework

Topic of the week explain the development of self-concept, self-esteem, and self efficacy - Coursework Example causes improved performance, or vice-versa† (1). In this regard, the discourse would initially differentiate and define the meanings of the abovementioned terms in conjunction with delving into a discussion to explain their development. Self-concept has been defined by Neill (2005) as â€Å"the nature and organization of beliefs about one's self.   Self-concept is theorized to be multi-dimensional† (1). The depiction that one conceptualizes on oneself is perceived to be one’s holistic understanding and knowledge of the self. Shivakumar (2009) acknowledged this concept as parallel with self-identity where distinct components of physical, social and psychological attributes compromise its existence (5). This concept is indicated to be learned, can be organized and experienced in its dynamic form. On the other hand, self- esteem is the term synonymous with feelings of self-worth and value. As averred by Shivakumar (2009), self-esteem â€Å"encompasses both beliefs and emotions† (34) where certain factors contribute to their development. Childhood experiences were noted to provide a crucial role in its development depending on the quality of events and learning potentials.

Job opportunity in bioinformatics Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Job opportunity in bioinformatics - Term Paper Example Bioinformatics is, therefore, an extensive field with many job opportunities both directly and indirectly linked to it. This paper presents some of the employment opportunities. The first job opportunity that bioinformatics presents are sequence analysis. Sequence analysis was first done in 1977 when the phage ÃŽ ¦-X174 was sequenced. The job involves decoding DNA sequences and storing the information in databases. The sequence analysts then analyze the data to find out the genes that code for proteins and other structures in the sample. This has led to the discovery that comparing the genes within organisms of the same species, or different species reveal similarities in the functionality of their proteins. However, the growing amounts of data, means that it is no longer possible to analyze DNA sequences manually. Sequence analysts have, therefore, developed software that search the genome of millions of organisms, consisting of billions of nucleotides in databases (Levine 4). The programs can make up for mutations in DNA sequences, so that they can determine related but identical sequences. A variation of the sequence alignment is used in the sequencing p rocess. The shotgun sequencing technique gives the series of thousands of small DNA structures. It produces the sequence data quickly but does not assemble the fragments quite fast for complicated genomes. Another job area of bioinformatics in sequence analysis is in the automatic search for genes and regulatory sequences within genomes. However, nucleotides found in genomes are not all genes. Bioinformatics is vital in bridging the gap between genome and proteome projects like in using DNA sequences for identifying proteins (Levine 5). Bioinformatics knowledge is required for a job in genome annotation. Genome annotation is the process of marking the genes and the other biological features in DNA sequences. Owen White designed the first

Solution of Ms-95 Assignment Dec 2011 Essay Example for Free

Solution of Ms-95 Assignment Dec 2011 Essay Course Title:Research Methodology for Management Decisions Assignment Code:MS-95/SEM II /2011 Coverage:All Blocks Note : Answer all the questions and submit this assignment on or before 31st October 2011, to the coordinator of your study center. 1. Under the circumstances stratified random sampling design is considered appropriate? How would you select such sample? Explain by means of an example. 2. â€Å"Experimental method of research is not suitable in management field. † Discuss, what are the problems in the introduction of this research design in business organisation? 3. What is the meaning of measurement in research? What difference does it make whether we measure in terms of a nominal, ordinal, interval or ratio scale? 4. â€Å"Interpretation is a fundamental component of research Process†. Explain. Why so? Describe the precautions that the researcher should take while interpreting his findings. 5. Write shot notes on a) Criterion of good research. b) Dependent and Independent variable. c) Casestudy method. d) Components of a Research Problem. 1. Under the circumstances stratified random sampling design is considered appropriate? How would you select such sample? Explain by means of an example. Stratified sampling is commonly used probability method that is superior to random sampling because it reduces sampling error. A stratum is a subset of the population that share at least one common characteristic. Examples of stratums might be males and females, or managers and non-managers. The researcher first identifies the relevant stratums and their actual representation in the population. Random sampling is then used to select a sufficient number of subjects from each stratum. Sufficient refers to a sample size large enough for us to be reasonably confident that the stratum represents the population. Stratified sampling is often used when one or more of the stratums in the population have a low incidence relative to the other stratums. Stratified sampling strategies Proportionate allocation uses a sampling fraction in each of the strata that is proportional to that of the total population. If the population consists of 60% in the male stratum and 40% in the female stratum, then the relative size of the two samples (three males, two females) should reflect this proportion. Optimum allocation (or Disproportionate allocation) Each stratum is proportionate to the standard deviation of the distribution of the variable. Larger samples are taken in the strata with the greatest variability to generate the least possible sampling variance. A real-world example of using stratified sampling would be for a US political survey. If we wanted the respondents to reflect the diversity of the population of the United States, the researcher would specifically seek to include participants of various minority groups such as race or religion, based on their proportionality to the total population as mentioned above. A stratified survey could thus claim to be more representative of the US population than a survey of simple random sampling or systematic sampling. Similarly, if population density varies greatly within a region, stratified sampling will ensure that estimates can be made with equal accuracy in different parts of the region, and that comparisons of sub-regions can be made with equal statistical power. For example, in Ontario a survey taken throughout the province might use a larger sampling fraction in the less populated north, since the disparity in population between north and south is so great that a sampling fraction based on the provincial sample as a whole might result in the collection of only a handful of data from the north. Randomized stratification can also be used to improve population representativeness in a study. Advantages over other sampling methods †¢   Ã‚  focuses on important subpopulations and ignores irrelevant ones †¢   Ã‚  improves the accuracy of estimation †¢   Ã‚  efficient †¢   Ã‚  sampling equal numbers from strata varying widely in size may be used to equate the   Ã‚  statistical   power   of tests of differences between strata. Disadvantages †¢   Ã‚  can be difficult to select relevant stratification variables †¢   Ã‚  not useful when there are no homogeneous subgroups   Ã‚  can be expensive †¢   Ã‚  requires accurate information about the population, or introduces   Ã‚  bias. †¢   Ã‚  looks randomly within specific sub headings. =========================== There may often be factors which divide up the population into sub-populations (groups / strata) and we may expect the measurement of interest to vary among the di fferent sub-populations. This has to be accounted for when we select a sample from the population in order that we obtain a sample that is representative of the population. This is achieved by stratified sampling. A stratified sample is obtained by taking samples from each stratum or sub-group of a population. When we sample a population with several strata, we generally require that the proportion of each stratum in the sample should be the same as in the population. Stratified sampling techniques are generally used when the population is heterogeneous, or dissimilar, where certain homogeneous, or similar, sub-populations can be isolated (strata). Simple random sampling is most appropriate when the entire population from which the sample is taken is homogeneous.

Ecotourism Trend Environmental Management Tourism Essay

Ecotourism Trend Environmental Management Tourism Essay Environmental management and sustainable development is one of the most recent ecotourism trends. The term environmental management first surfaced in the 1980s describing the importance of organizations, populations, and communities to practice and handle their environmental impacts. Conservation of resources and sustainable developments are the key components to protecting and managing the environment, as well as addressing the effects of the tourism industry and other various sectors. Tourist areas such as Costa Rica, Brazil, the Dominican Republic and other various destinations are in desperate need of implementation of the ecotourism trend environmental management. All tourist destinations suffer from the lasting impacts of their visitors, continuous construction of infrastructures, deforestation and finally pollution affects. Government laws and regulations alongside with community, professional and personal concerns, when combined, may lead to significant improvements in enviro nmental management. The article, A methodology for creating greenways through multidisciplinary sustainable landscape planning, by Selma Beatriz Pena and other colleagues (2010), discusses a precise method in particular to greenways by sustaining tourism areas. Greenways are networks of linear elements that are planned, designed and managed for multiple purposes, including ecological, recreational, cultural, aesthetic or other purposes compatible with the concept of sustainable land use (p.971). By using landscapes in a cultural and natural process that does not have detrimental environmental effects, interpretation, knowledge and understanding is required for the sustainment of tourism areas. Landscape is a complex concept and system that is the result of the combination of natural and human force factors. The cultural and natural elements were incorporated through an ecological structure that is the product of natural and fundamental systems. The comprehension of environmental sensitivity can give way to sustainable development by supporting decisions regarding interventions from ecological, economic and social perspectives. (p. 971) By the positive and helpful use of landscape alongside with steady use, the management of the environment will continue to become known and more effective. The discussed methodology envelops three phases of criteria including eco-cultural analysis, synthesis and diagnosis, and the proposal. The approach consists of landscape structures and dynamics consisting of biophysical, dynamic, vegetation and other various cultural characteristics. The eco-cultural analysis was used by searching and gathering valid information collected solely from field data and cartography. The study of habitats is critical to acquire knowledge of the territory and sustain the foreseeable correct management measures. (p. 978) Many other analyses such as the biophysical component, geomorphologic dynamics, the vegetation analysis, cultural landscape, and the cultural and natural analysis, compiled together the information needed to make a successful proposal in identifying the necessary steps towards environmental management and the sustainment of landscapes. Preserving natural areas such as fields, meadows and forests leads to the sustainable maintenance of ecosy stems and is the principle of managing the environment. Once the priority actions and the management measures for habitats that ensure ecological equilibrium of landscape have been implemented, it is then possible to propose sustainable greenways. (p. 980) Article 2 The use of choice experiments in the analysis of tourist preferences for ecotourism development in Costa Rica, Robert R. Hearne (2002) explains, During the past decade Costa Rica has successfully promoted its tourist industryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (p. 154). Hearne also addresses the dynamic aspects and advances of sustainable infrastructures and their extreme efforts towards protecting their natural areas via nature-based tourism. Nature-based tourism is used to promote the dual goals of nature conservation and income generation. (p.153) To further make an environmental management impact, Costa Rica must combine within the tourists an appreciation for the nature, sustainable infrastructures, specified and defined restrictions, as well as the acknowledgement of national parks and protected areas. An increase of tourists in any area immediately generates revenue, a positive effect. While tourist dollars can generate income for local populations and contribute to the financial self-sufficiency of protected areas (p. 153), they also propose harmful possibilities on the environment including leaving their imprints on the land, loss of resources and creating a large volume of pollution. Chosen experiments appear as means to evaluate the impacts on the Braulio Carrilo National Park due to a major increase of tourist visitations in the area. The experiments and tests are a comprehensive and accumulative evaluation that analyzes direct links with economic theory of derived utility that consumers utilities are defined over a bundle of attributes or characteristics of a purchased good or service. (p. 156) A large majority of the park aims its focus on the protection and conservation of wildlife habitats including pumas, jaguars, tapirs, quetzals, and eagles. Along with the variety of species, the park is located among five different climate zones. Therefore, an environmental management plan and experimental assessment is key to the preservation of the National Park and to inform the park rangers the essential needs of the area. This study demonstrates that choice experiments are a feasible mechanism to analyze user preferences for the management of protected areas in dev eloping countries. (p. 161) Article 3 The third article, Sustainable Strategies for the Brazilian Amazon Region: An Ecotourism Perspective, Raul Gouvea (2008) discusses the importance of implementing an ecotourism industry along the Amazon region due to the influx of tourists and the lack of sustainable development accommodations. The Brazilian government has become aware of the environmental dangers that may occur because of the growth in the tourism industry. Each year Brazil becomes a more known tourism destination with the continued expansion of hotels, theme parks and convention centers. With the developments of new infrastructures, the environment will suffer from deforestation and major disturbances among the wildlife animals and surrounding habitats. Taking action now and considering the needs of an ecotourism trend such as environmental management will ensure the sustainment of the country. Ecotourism offers an avenue for translating sustainable development strategies into profits and a feasible alternative to f inance the conservation of ecosystems. (p. 89) The Brazilian government has tried various perspectives of environmental management regulations since 1987. With the establishment of their ecotourism industry, the protection and conservation of the visited areas, and efforts to generate benefits to the local communities as a way to promote the conservation of local habitats (p.91), are their two main focuses on tackling this problem. Collectively, with their focuses, The Brazilian Tourism agency and the Ecotourism Poles Project and the Brazilian Ecotourism Institute, works towards a successful program of devising, identifying and promoting poles for ecotourism development. However, a major problem that Brazil faces is the lack of educated professionals appointing the ecotourism advances. The three corporations that are working so hard to develop and implement the ecotourism trend of environmental management are having a serious problem with acknowledging where to begin, finding the manpower needed for the necessary changes of infra structures and difficulties with their communication and transportation efforts. The only answer towards lasting environmental management in Brazil is that several steps need to be taken to establish a persuasive eco-mindset in the Amazon region. The creation of an ecological triple-helix, bringing together the local private sector, local educational institutions and local and federal governmental agencies is of paramount importance to move the ecological agenda forward in the region. (p. 93) Article 4 Leida Mercado and James P. Lassoie, wrote the article, Assessing Tourists Preferences for Recreational and Environmental Management Programs Central to the Sustainable Development of a Tourism Area in the Dominican Republic (2002). Sustainable development, conservation of natural resources and preservation of the environment from the affects of the tourism industry was an important emphasis in the paper. The link between market competitiveness and sustainable tourism is very reasonable, especially when the tourism industry depends on the uniqueness of environmental resources, as in the Dominican Republic. (p.255) The tourism industry is known to be a major affliction in the goal towards and eco-friendly environment. The appropriate way to assess that problem is to first incorporate the specifications such as regulations and policies of a tourism area to sustainable developments. Also, to further help the ecotourism trend of environmental management, recognizing the interests in susta inable developments of tourists and other communities will help aid in creating awareness and add extra support to environmental management. This article first handedly reports how important it is to elicit tourists preferences of programs central to the sustainable development of tourism areas since these preferences can drive managers development decisions in more sustainable directions. (p. 253) To further pinpoint the interests of tourists regarding where they like to vacation, a considerable amount of nearly two hundred people were interviewed. The importance of containing this information is because then the resort of Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, as well as surrounding areas, will be aware which areas will need extra help in environmental management and sustainable developments. The main factors that they considered when deciding where to go on a beach vacation were evaluated, as well as their preferences regarding four programs designed to improve recreational and environmental management of the area. (p. 253) The tourists expressed their opinions in financial terms. Of the results that they gathered, certain preferences expected of the tourists where cleanliness of the ocean and beach areas, prestige of services, and the overall price when going on a vacation. Also, they responded particularly to two of the four sustainable development programs. The outdoor aqu arium and the Water Management Program were the main interests of the interviewed tourists as they showed a substantial willingness to pay. From the study of tourist preferences, it is possible to draw conclusions with implications for both sustainable tourism development and environmental policy. (p. 265) Article 5 The final article that showed the growing ecotourism trend of environmental management, A Conceptual Framework to Develop Long-Term Ecological Research and Management Objectives in the Wider Caribbean Region, (2004) was written by Victor H. Rivera-Monroy. Tourism is the main source of income for the Caribbean region. With the constant flows of tourists entering the region, it puts a lot of stress on the fragile ecosystems. The environment experiences signs of deprivation in most common areas such as the surrounding sea and watersheds. Tourists are also responsible for the damages they leave behind, the extra amounts of pollution in the area, the disruptiveness of wildlife habitats and the need of lodging accommodations. Because the Caribbean cannot do without tourists generating revenue, ecotourism is becoming a very well known trend because of the need for environmental management strategies and support for sustainable developments. A problem when assessing the development of the ec otourism trend is that there are few, explicit, long-term, comprehensive studies describing the structure and function of Caribbean ecosystems. (p. 843) To address the problem of the fragile ecosystems, a conceptual framework using environmental signature hypothesis of tropical coastal settings to develop a series of research questions for the reef-sea-grass-wetland seascape (p.843) was created. A total of thirteen locations of different atmospheres and tolerance levels of environmental impacts from both natural situations and external ones were documented with the conceptual framework approach. This approach follows the strategy developed by the Long Term Ecological Research program of the National Science Foundation to establish ecological research questions best studied over decades and large spatial areas. (p. 843) The thirteen selections showcased different stages of tolerance from possible human impact of the ecosystems. The destruction of coral reefs were the main concern found in the research approaches. Effects of damages made to the coral reefs may be from sedimentation, destructive fishing, poorly regulated mining and cons truction and anthropogenic nutrient inputs. (p. 850) The causes that lead to the destruction of the coral reefs solely comes from the tourism industry. The Caribbean region constantly maintains accommodations for their visitors by participating in deforestation, infrastructures of hotels and other facilities, mining and the construction of the coast and beach areas. All in all, the Caribbean has successfully centered some main environmental damages made by tourists. The next step is to further implement the ecotourism trend of environmental management full force in the region to protect the natural areas. Conclusion The main reasons how tourism negatively affects the environmental management approaches is through the adjustments that ecosystems and wildlife areas have to modify because of the human ecological footprints of tourists, secondly, deforestation by construction of both general infrastructure and tourism related facilities, and finally pollution of noise, water, and air However, because of all the harmful contacts that tourism has with the environment, it does raise a lot of probable concerns to create awareness to the environmental management protection and conservation organizations. Physical impacts on the environment primarily come from the construction of tourism and leisure related facilities such as roads, railroads, paths, airports, marinas, hotels and resorts, and stadiums for sporting events such as the Olympics, National Football League, and NASCAR. With the constant increase in demand for tourism and recreational service areas, deforestation is the main cause to the negative impacts in the environment. Land resources such as forests, fields, and the countryside are being used for building materials, accommodation of the land, and minerals and soils. With the decrease of natural regions, wetlands and wildlife is also experiencing the detrimental shocks. In closing, all of the above articles discuss the important ecotourism trend of acquiring environmental management procedures and tactics. The common theme among the articles is acknowledging the positive and negative effects of tourism. A positive effect for the Costa Rica National Park was increased revenue that was essentially used to help protect their natural areas. Other positives include new methodologies and advanced approaches for protection and sustainable developments. However, despite the many positives, tourism also has negative impacts on specific areas resulting in the desperate need for new ecotourism trends which includes environmental management and sustainable developments.

Whatever You Are Be A Good One English Literature Essay

Whatever You Are Be A Good One English Literature Essay A good narrator has the ability to distance himself from the rest of the audience and to be able to describe things in detail. While the narrator inThe Great Gatsby; Nick Caraway, refrains from going into detail about his personal thoughts, he does however, explain the book in great detail. At the beginning of the book, Nick describes what happens to Gatsby in a general synopsis which shows to the reader how literate Nick is. Nick, like many characters in The Great Gatsby battles between internal and external forces which shows the conflicts he goes through throughout the book. The battle between his morals and the unnatural people in the book is a major theme that occurs throughout. However, as a narrator inThe Great Gatsby, can Nick be considered a reliable narrator? Nick Caraway is a reliable and suitable narrator because of the amount of detail he goes into, his non-judgemental honest, and tolerant attitude which makes him a trustworthy character. And as the novel progresses, he faces inner and external battles with himself and those around him showing that he is rational and a natural character.In the first few pages alone, F Scott Fitzgerald was able to portray how literate Nick is and how he is a suitable narrator. The ability of Nick to describe the events that take place around him in an unrushed, logical manner shows that Nick is a reliable narrator.Nick describes the novel in great detail, allowing the reader to picture what hesees and how he feels. He found the house, a weather-beaten [cardboard bungalow] at eighty a month (Fitzgerald 9). Within the first few pages, Nick easily describes what his house looks like and the living conditions that hes in. I enjoyed looking at her. She was a slender, small-breasted girl, with an erect carriage, which she accentuated by throwing her body. Her grey sun-strained eyes looked back at me [with a charming, discontented face] (Fitzgerald16). It seems that Nick is talented in describing every detail that he sees, and during this meeting between Nick, Daisy, Tom and the ever-so-charming Jordan Baker, provides a Nick an insight into the type of lives that Daisy, Tom and Jordan actually live. With this insight, the reader insinuates that Nick feels an awkw ardness in the conversation; as if Daisy, Tom and Jordan are trying very hard to keep themselves and their guest Nick, entertained that is, until dinner is served. They were here, [making only a polite pleasant effort to entertain or be entertained]. They knew that presently dinner would be over and a little later the evening too would be over and casually put away (Fitzgerald 16). The quote also indicates how Nick can pick up on small details and uses them to understand what is going on. This ability allows Nick and the reader to completely understand what is going on at all times in the novel. Fitzgerald portrays the symbols in the novel through the narrator Nick, who is able to describe things in great detail and in an unflawed, seaming less manner. Standing behind him Michaelis saw with a shock that he was looking at the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg which had just emerged pale and enormous from the dissolving night.God sees everything, repeated Wilson (Fitzgerald 152). One of the major symbols in The Great Gatsby are the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg, who is interpreted as the god or the one person that oversees everybody and everything they do. He is known as the one looking down and judging the American society and in the end of the novel; Fitzgerald shows through Nick that the eyes represent a sense of direction that youre currently in. To Tom, the eyes represent how he is successful and is living the American Dream; however, too Wilson, the eyes mock him and how he desperately needs to leave the valley of ash and move east. This is why he is always asking for Toms car which is his segue to a new and improved life. Nick also is able to determine how Gatsby failed to achieve the American Dream. Gatsbybelieved in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but thats no matter-tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms fartherà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. And one fine morning (Fitzgerald171). He had come a lo ng way to this blue lawn and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him, somewhere back in that vast obscurity beyond the city, where the dark fields of the republic rolled on under the night (Fitzgerald 171). Nick believes that Gatsby was blinded with his need to have Daisy to complete his dream. As Gatsby became closer to Daisy, he became more careless, which led to his downfall. -And it occurred to me that there was no difference between men, in intelligence or race, so profound as the difference between the sick and the well (Fitzgerald 133). Near the end of the novel, Nick realizes through the use of heat [which is another major symbol in the novel] that Tom and Wilson arent that different and both of them are going through the same things. The ability of Nick to determine symbols allows him to be a reliable and suitable narrator, but also his trustworthy appearance allows him to gather information t o keep the pace of the novel fast-paced. In addition to Nicks ability to describe things in detail, his trustworthy appearance allows Nick to be portrayed as the perfect narrator for The Great Gatsby.The fact that Tom allows Nick to see his mistress and meet her indicates that Tom trusts Nick. Not only does Tom trust Nick, but Gatsby also trusts him as well and its proven through their conversation when Gatsby confides in Nick about his love for Daisy. Gatsby also states how he actually gets his money and how he deals with the shady character; Mister Wolfshiem. Meyer Wolfshiem? No, hes a gambler. Gatsby hesitated, and then added coolly: Hes the man who fixed the Worlds Series back in 1919 (Fitzgerald 79). Though Nick is in disbelief when Gatsby tells him this; it proves that Nick is indeed, a trustworthy character and that Gatsby truly trusts Nick. Throughout the novel, Gatsby doesnt have much interaction with a variety of people and it means that Gatsby isnt very sociable; even though he throws huge, extravagant parties. T o emphasize, Gatsby only confides in Nick and this shows how close Nick and Gatsby truly were. We were close friends (Fitzgerald 179). It seems that not only Tom and Gatsby trust Nick, but Jordan does as well. I was bridesmaid. I came into her room half an hour before the bridal dinner, and found her lying on her bed as lovely as the June night in her flowered dress-and as drunk as a monkey. She had a bottle of sauterne in one hand and a letter in the other (Fitzgerald 82). Jordan is the driving factor for Nick to change throughout the novel. Her unnatural behavior is what attracts Nick to her and the fact that both Nick and Jordan are dating each other also proves that Jordan trusts Nick. Fitzgerald has rendered Nick as a trustworthy man in order to prove how unnatural and corrupted the people around him are. It seems that through Nick, the reader can see how Fitzgerald wants to portray how trustworthy Nick is, and the reader is able to see this because every major character in the novel somehow entrusts Nick with something significant. Because of this, Nick can be considered a reliable narrator. Nick faces internal and external battles throughout the book which states the obvious; Nick is not only a narrator in the novel, but also a character that is facing similar problems that the other characters are also going through. One of the major issues he faces is right at the beginning, which is something his father told him. In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that Ive been turning over in my mind ever since.Whenever you feel like criticizing any one, he told me, just remember that all the people in this world havent had the advantages that youve had' (Fitzgerald 7). Throughout the novel, Nick always holds back from criticising a person, which is the one thing that makes him flawed. He misinterprets the quote from his father and believes to have some higher-moral class than everyone else around him which is the reason why he is so interested of the rich. His interest in the unnatural increases as the novel progresses and it can be seen more easi ly the more Nick interacts with them. Nick undergoes an internal battle when he first sees Gatsby. He smiled understandingly-much more than understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life (Fitzgerald 53). During his first meeting with Gatsby, Nick was astonished by Gatsby. During the party, the guests gave Nick bad vibes about Gatsby; however, he ignores them and continues to be intrigued by him. Nick knows that Gatsby is a bootlegger and a cheat, but he still enjoys his company and because of this; the morals of Nick and his ego eat at each other until the very ending where Nick decides to stay away from Gatsby evidently, its the same day that Gatsby ends up dead. In the ending, he faces external battles with everyone he sees. Gatsbys father isnt as sad as he should be and Nick thinks that Gatsbys father fails to understand that Gatsby is truly dead and never coming back. Nick tries t o find Daisy, who, with Tom, has left to go on a vacation and finds that suspicious. His relationship with Jordan has crumbled and it seems that even Meyer Wolfshiems attitude towards Gatsbys death has angered Nick. Overall, Nick battles with his inner self and those around him, supporting the claim that Nick is a reliable narrator because he is also a character in the story itself. He feels and experiences everything that occurs and because of this, Nick is an ideal narrator. Nick Carraway is a reliable narrator because of the fact that he is trustworthy, battles with his inner self and those around him and has an ability to describe the events that take place in great detail. Nick is also somewhat biased in a way, and because of this, it doesnt make him irrational, but quite the opposite. The way Fitzgerald introduces everything and how he tells the story through the character of Nick, it emphasises the symbols, the themes and even the meaning of the story and because of this, Nick Carraway is an ideal and reliable narrator in the novel The Great Gatsby.