Differences Between Beowulf and Achilles Essay

Beowulf and Achilles are different in many ways; one of which is their character. Beowulf is a great warrior and leader who fought to protect his soldiers and to make places more peaceful. He also perfectly embodies the values of loyalty, pride, and courtesy. Achilles, on the other hand, is not as heroic as Beowulf, even thought he was also a great warrior and had superhuman strength, he mostly fought for revenge, social position, and power. He was driven by a thirst for glory. Beowulf went on journeys because he wanted to show people that he is a reliable leader and that he can fight pretty much anyone from monsters to dragons and all the other kind of creatures. He also wanted to show people how brave and protective he was. Like the story of his fight with Grendel shows everyone how smart he is about certain things and how he is not afraid of doing anything. The part of the story where Beowulf killed the sea monster shows that he is a reliable warrior and that he gets his job done no matter what he has to do. As I stated earlier, Achilles mostly fought for social position and power, and the death of his best friend Patroclus, didn’t make Achilles more deliberative or self-reflective, wrath, pride, and bloodlust still consumed him. Achilles would also sacrifice everything just so that his name would be remembered. Which shows that the only that he mostly cares about was himself and what people thought of him. In my opinion Beowulf is more courageous because he would do just about anything to protect his people and that he is not afraid of anything. He also does that so people would find him as a reliable leader and wouldn’t be afraid to be his followers. I also think that he is more like a true epic hero because unlike Achilles, Beowulf isn’t selfish and he doesn’t seek for power or glory. He was a great warrior even though he didn’t become a king for many years. Beowulf was also more reliable than Achilles, because Beowulf cared about everyone, not just himself unlike Achilles.

Ethical Dilemmas in Interpreting Essay

Ethical dilemmas in interpreting: case study 2 In the scenario, I am interpreting at a medical practice. The Service Provider (SP) is the GP practice and Service User (SU) is a patient. I arrive at the reception on time, the receptionist waves me in direction of the patient and then she answers a phone call. Then the patient is called into the consultation room. At the consultation room, I try to introduce myself and give my Code of Practice (CoP) to the doctor but he ignores me and asks what the problem with the patient is. I reply to him that he can ask the patient himself and I will interpret for him. Then the doctor ask me to take the patient back to the waiting room so I can interview her, while he sees another patient, then he will call us back. The following things went wrong during my job assignment: * The receptionist behaves unprofessionally because she shouldn’t leave me alone with the patient because this could cause me being partial and unsuitable to do this assignment. * The doctor ignores my introduction. The Code of Practice (section 5.24) says that Service Provider should â€Å"allow to interpreter to introduce him or herself†. Introduction is important because it allows me explain the rules and terms which I am going to follow during assignment. * The doctor should â€Å"address member of the public directly† (Code of Practice section 5.26). It is important that a service provider speaks directly to a service user, because it allows better communication and connection between, in this situation, patient and doctor, and SU doesn’t feel left out. * The doctor doesn’t want to interview the patient and ask me to leave the consultation room. The Code of Practice defines this problem as follows: â€Å"Conduct all of the interview yourself. It may be tempting to ask the interpreter to go off and have chat with your client, and then come back and tell you the relevant points, but the interpreter is not qualified to know what information to look for or how to process the information received.† (Code of Practice, section 5.29) I wasn’t sure what I should do as an interpreter to be in line with my Code of Practice. If I did what doctor asks, I wouldn’t be assertive and impartial (Code of Practice, section 2.4). If I refused to do what doctor insists, I would leave the patient without  any help. I decide to explain to the doctor what my job description is and ask him one more time to interview the patient. If doctor still refuses to do interview I ask him if would be possible to assign the patient to diffe rent doctor or nurse. After I finished assignment, I would report the incident with the doctor to the agency if I work for one or report it to practice’s manager if I am be freelance interpreter.

The Story of an Hour & a Sorrowful Woman

â€Å"A Sorrowful Woman† & â€Å"The Story of an Hour† The sadness and unhappiness displayed by both of the married women in â€Å"A Sorrowful Woman† and â€Å"The Story of an Hour† shows that marriage does not always bring the typical ending of most fairy tales. Thus being living happily ever after. It is evident that both of these women feel trapped in their marriages as many people feel today. Growing up with eight sisters I have also seen this feeling of entrapment in the world as well. In both of these stories the women display such a lack of love towards their spouses and in fact in â€Å"The Story of an Hour† it seems as though Mrs. Mallard never really loved her spouse and is the happiest for the hour that she thinks her husband is dead. The woman in â€Å"A Sorrowful Woman† is never satisfied with her marriage and life and feels trapped as well. The bizarre thing is that both of these women end up dead and do not find a way to get help or to get out of the marriages. The authors of these two stories Kate Chopin and Gail Goodwin both tie the unhappiness of these women to the way in which society impacts ones marriage. First of all, through the settings of their stories, both of the authors suggested that social expectations be the real causes of their protagonists’ deaths. In â€Å"A Sorrowful Woman,† the nameless protagonist has what seems to be such a desirable life. She has a â€Å"durable, receptive, gentle† husband and a â€Å"tender golden three† son (189) â€Å"He was attuned to her; he understood such things† (189). This statement leads one to believe that her husband always understood her. It also seems that he is willing to sacrifice his time for her and their family. Mrs. Mallard in â€Å"The Story of an Hour† is in a similar environment. Knowing that she has heart trouble, â€Å"great care was taken to break to her as gently as possible the news of her husband’s death† (18). By setting up such nice environments where the two protagonists live, the authors keep readers away from the thought that their protagonists’ deaths are the result of bad treatment. It is the force of social expectations placed upon the women that locked them in the jail of marriage and that eventually lead them to death. It becomes evident while reading both of these stories that both of the female protagonists in the two stories live very unsatisfactory lives. Mrs. Mallard in â€Å"The Story of an Hour† seems to feel trapped in her own marriage. â€Å"She was young, with a fair, calm face, whose lines bespoke repression and even certain strength† (19) tells us that her marriage has taken everything away from the young woman emotionally. â€Å"It was only yesterday she had thought with a shudder that life might be long† (19), shows that she never felt freedom in her life and felt very unhappy in this marriage because life seemed to be so long because of it. Therefore, â€Å"She did not hear the story as many women have heard the same† (18) when she was told about her husband’s death. She just accepted it and went to her room because she realized that her husband’s death gave her freedom and now â€Å"spring days, and summer days, and all sorts of days [that] would be her own. † (19) In the other story â€Å"A Sorrowful Womanâ€Å", the once again nameless protagonist, is imprisoned in her own mind. This is different from â€Å"The story of an hour. † In â€Å"A Sorrowful Woman† the sight of her family makes her so disgusted and uneasy. She feels that to love and take care of her family is a burden. â€Å"She stood naked except for her bra, which hung by one strap down the side of her body; she had not the impetus to shrug it off† (189) indicates how tired and unmotivated she feels about her life. Both of these women in these two stories struggle to live happily and are constantly living in agony. Many readers, including myself, might wonder why they don’t free themselves by offering divorce to the husbands. Chopin and Godwin use a lot of irony to allow readers to know that it isn’t simple for their protagonists to break the social expectations that keep them in the boundary of marriage. Divorce is never an option for them. Divorce might have never been defined in their society, and it was most definitely not as common then as it is now. These poor women have no way to escape from their intense unhappiness. Not only did these women not have a way to get out of their crisis, but they were also prohibited from being themselves and from doing what they want. In â€Å"A Sorrowful Woman,† the main character is exhausted from being â€Å"a wife and mother one too many times† (189). When her son says, â€Å"She’s tired of doing all our things again† (193), this tells us what her life was like. She was constantly feeling the stress of trying to be a housewife against her will, although she did have the ability to write and wasn’t given much of a chance to write. Only once in her life does she have a chance to write â€Å"mad and fanciful stories nobody could ever make up again, and a table full of love sonnets†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (192-193); that is before her death. This woman is in a tough predicament. While the person herself tells her to do whatever she wants to, the person that is affected by social expectations inside her tells her to do other things. She completely loses controls of herself. Even though she was unable to do things she wants, she still had to pretend as if she was the luckiest woman (189). In â€Å"The Story of an Hour,† on the other hand, Mrs. Mallard’s overwhelming joy when she received the news of her husband’s death indicated for how long and how much she wanted to be â€Å"Free, free, free! (19). Only alone in her room could Mrs. Mallard express her happiness. In front of people, she has to repress her feelings and pretend to be sad. The conflict inside and outside the woman tells us so much about what the society expected her to do. It also seems that Godwin was trying to show the conflict between Mrs. Mallards marriage and society by intensely describing her world inside and outside of her room. Chopin and Godwin have successfully directed readers to the only reasonable resolution of their stories, the deaths of their main characters. Death is the only way our two protagonists are able to escape from their agony and from the pressure of social expectations placed upon them. These two women’s societies don’t allow them to die comfortably even when they have chosen death as their fate. In â€Å"A Sorrowful Woman,† even though our nameless protagonist despises being a mother and wife she still does what society would expect of her, as a housewife, right before her death. She made â€Å"five loaves of warm bread, a roast stuffed turkey, a glazed ham, three pies of different fillings, †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (192). In â€Å"The Story of an Hour,† Mrs. Mallard was said to have died of â€Å"joy that kills† (20) even though it seems as though she died because she was finally able to see freedom in her day’s ahead and could not fathom to live under her husband’s will again. Even until her death, her society still pushed her in the position of a pretender, of a person she never wants to be. Without a way out of these unhappy situations, both of the protagonists chose death for freedom. It is only through death that they are both able to escape from their unhappy lives. These stories provoke so much thought. Should society be more understanding of people? Maybe if our society could be more excepting and understanding there would be less tragedy like there has been in Chopin’s â€Å"The Story of an Hour† and Godwin’s â€Å"A Sorrowful Woman. † Works Cited Chopin, Kate. â€Å"The Story of an Hour. † Thinking and Writing About Literature. Michael Mayer. 2nd ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2001. 18-20. Goodwin, Gail. â€Å"A Sorrowful Woman. † Thinking and Writing About Literature. Michael Mayer. 2nd ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2001. 189-193.

Globalisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 4

Globalisation - Essay Example Lee & Tai (2006) too agree that liberal trade policies, incentives, growing foreign direct investment (FDI), advancement in information technology and communication have all stimulated the process of globalization. The major drivers of globalization according to Singer (2004) include social-demographic (regional, cultural), technological, which includes telecommunications, internet and transportation, economic factors like foreign direct investment, profit motives and market share, ecological and environmental factors like pollution and green laws, and political-legal factors like falling trade barriers, political stability and intellectual property. There is a connection between poverty and globalization and it is generally believed that without globalization inequality would have increased. Free trade would make the world prosperous and assist the poorer nations in coming up. Technological upgradation takes place in developing nations but evidence also suggests that technological change increases inequality between highly skilled workers and the unskilled workers (Singer). Trade and politics should be independent of each other. Globalization means differently to different people. While it provides opportunities to many people, it has also caused impoverishment to many groups and societies. Globalization has led to rapid and sudden changes in information and communications, which too has advantages and pitfalls. There are conflicting stands on this issue. Globalization is the concept of moving towards single-world society. In this effort there has been rising share of economic activity in the world. The aim was to open the world market to everybody and was thought to be a solution to social and economic disorder prevailing in the world. Globalization has brought about competition, liberalization, deregulation, and privatization and opened up capital markets but at the same time it has undermined the economic prospects for millions around

International Business Strategy assignment Term Paper

International Business Strategy assignment - Term Paper Example As a result, the Turkish market realized a 35% decline in domestic demand for household appliances. At this juncture, the company is forced to revise its strategic potentiality in promoting its key goal of international expansion. This case study will explore Arcelik’s principal motives for international expansion. It will also evaluate different tactics that would assist the firm to achieve this aim. Principal motives for international expansion The major international growth motive that drives Arcelik is its intention to achieve economies of large scale operation. While sales increase, there would be a proportional increase in profitability also. In order to increase total sales volume, it is necessary for the firm to deal with large scale production processes that would in turn assist the firm to cut down various expenditures. When the company involves in large volume production, it is forced to purchase raw materials in bulk quantities which would aid the firm to earn the benefits of more cash and trade discounts. This strategy would also enable the company to take advantages of transportation costs and warehouse charges. Efficient use of capital equipment and employment of specialized labor are other objectives that lead Arcelik Home Appliances to set international expansion as the key aim. ... It is obvious that international expansion directly contributes to international identity or brand reputation in the global market. When the firm earns a good market stature, it assists them to raise cheaper credits at the time of contingencies. Since large business houses leveraged with stable and potential financial sources and other special reserves, creditors generally believe that these business entities have the potential to repay the money even in the times of difficulties. Therefore, banks and other financial institutions are willing to provide them credit facilities at cheaper rates without having much legal procedure. However, the international expansion and thereby low cost of credit would benefit Arcelik to reduce cost of production. Presently, Arcelik is highly dependant on the volatile local market; it will certainly impede the further economic growth of the organization. Hence, access to international market is Arcelik’s primary motive for international expansio n. Since Arcelik deals with household appliances, it would get prospective markets anywhere across the globe. Anyhow, America and Europe will be the most prospective markets for Arcelik as they are considered as the focal points of world’s trading. Ghemawat (2008) reflects that Turkish government eliminated tariffs on imports of household appliances from the European Community in 1996. This liberalization policy intensified imports from Europe and it severely affected Arcelik’s domestic market demand. It also drives them to enter international market. In 1970s and 1980s, the firm acquired technologies from General Electric and Bosch-Siemens; but these companies imposed many restrictions on Arcelik. By the end of 1990s, Arcelik developed its own appliance designs and hence it wished to

Military Tribunals and the American Court System Essay

Military Tribunals and the American Court System - Essay Example International agreements define the proper treatment of prisoners and the acceptable treatment of civilians during times of war. This has had a practical reason as it has traditionally prevented field commanders from committing atrocities that would so inflame the enemy that they would seek widespread revenge on their opponent. To assure that armies would keep war civilized, special processes have been set up to deal with those that transgress the rules and prearranged agreements. A court martial is often used to prosecute individuals of one's own armed forces. However, when the enemy is conquered and has violated the principle and sensibilities of the victor, they can become the defendants in a military tribunal, a seldom used process to handle unusual cases in unique situations. This paper will explain the process of the military tribunal. It will discuss the history of US tribunals and their relevance to international events and conventions. It will define the difference between civilian courts, courts martial, and the military tribunal. It will further explore the requirements and rationalizations for holding a military tribunal as opposed to civilian courts. More importantly, it will discuss the constitutional evolution of the military tribunal and will examine key cases from the past. ... This paper will not form any legal opinion on the constitutionality of the military tribunal. It also will not offer a social or political opinion of the process. These are beyond the scope of this research. It will, however, offer the rationale used by the courts and government officials to arrive at their various opinions. It will include both sides of the controversy as seen by those that are most directly involved. It will highlight the unusual cases in history that have created the controversy over congressional and presidential power with respect to military tribunals. To begin a discussion of the military tribunal, it needs to be put into the context of more conventional and familiar court systems. The military tribunal differs from our civilian courts and a court martial in their purpose, approach, rules of evidence, and method of operation. Court martial is used to prosecute members of the military for criminal offenses that may be a violation of the articles of war or crime such as theft, violence, or criminal activity. They are similar to civilian courts in their guarantee of rights except that they make no allowance for a jury of peers. The jury is composed of appointed military officers. They do follow the same rules of evidence and due process for the defendant. Where a civilian court is used to prosecute civilians who violate the civilian law, tribunals have historically been used for the purpose of prosecuting an armed service's personnel who have violated the articles of war or international agreements. However they have occasionally been used in extraordinary situations to control the civilian population. The war on terror has brought about new definitions of 'enemy combatant' and the current

Cyber Crimes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cyber Crimes - Essay Example The first of these that will be discussed is that of piracy. Although piracy has traditionally been viewed as a problem that is specific to a young generation of music down loaders and video game players, the fact of the matter is that the market for software, video, music, and data piracy has exploded within recent years and is a multi-billion dollar a year loss for the industries whose intellectual rights are being infringed upon. Moreover, if the firm in question is one that distributes or creates a software product, their overall revenues are in dire danger of being lowered as a result of the actions of pirates. Likewise, the firm must be aware of the fact that software piracy usually takes place from within first as an unscrupulous employee having access to the information in question usually is responsible for taking this information home on their own and uploading it to any number of a host of sites as a means of beginning the snow-ball effect of data piracy. As such, one of t he ways in which a firm can seek to ameliorate the way in which it is exposed to the risk of software piracy is to ensure that all data movements within the firm are well tracked as well as having a robust legal department that operates in close concert with the human resources department to ensure that limited numbers of the employees have access to the finished product and those that do are well accounted for and have been explained to the ramifications, both ethical and criminal, with relation to stealing the company’s product. Secondly, if the firm itself is not one that relies on the development of software as a means to earn its revenues, the firm will need to be responsible for the ways in which its employees download and utilize the data that they might find on the internet. For this reason, a robust internet usage policy must be delineated to the employees upon their employment and watch groups should be established to ensure that compliance is met at every step of t he process. The second issue that relates to cyber crimes is that of cyber terrorism. Although this is of course a lower level incidence than the one that has been thus far mentioned, it is of primary importance not only to governmental instruments but to the very foundations of a nation’s economy. Therefore, the threat of cyber terrorism can include any and all firms that deal with an entire litany of different industries and/or businesses. In order to guard against the threat of cyber terrorism, it should be the goal of the firms in question to seek to review their security policies in dept on a quarterly and yearly basis as a means of ensuring that key oversights are addressed and no blatant flaws are exhibited in their systems. Even though it is never possible to ensure that a given firm will be 100% secure from cyber terrorism, the engagement of key assets to review the security procedures is integral in protecting the firm from such an eventuality. Finally, this analysi s will discuss the threat of fraud. This is perhaps the easiest of the three to seek to prevent as it involves the instruction of shareholders with regards to how to interpret threats that present themselves on a daily basis. Furthermore, with respect to fraud, this is almost always the type of situation in which employee lack of knowledge

Critically discuss the following statement with reference to the Best Essay

Critically discuss the following statement with reference to the Best Practice and Best Fit approaches to strategic Human Re - Essay Example What makes some organisations prosper while others fail? Is applying the ‘best practices’ more successful than applying the ‘best fit’ approach to strategic HRM. These are questions that need to be addressed for a firm to develop the right strategy to drive it to success. According to Boxall and Purcell (2000, p. 193), ‘there are various principles and processes of good labour management but the methods firm adopt to reach their performance goals are affected by societal, sectoral, and organisational factors.’ This is a statement that needs to be explored further bearing in mind the importance attached to SHRM by firms as a means of achieving effectiveness and thus will be the subject of this research. To explore this issue further, the paper will first define the concepts used since various definitions affect the results of any research. Concepts such as strategy, strategic management, HR strategy and business strategy need to be understood for better evaluation of the different approaches involved. It will then discuss the ‘best fit’ and ‘best practice’ approaches to strategic human resource management (SHRM), their strengths as well as weaknesses. Though both approaches have been known to work for organisations, it should be argued that the ‘best practice’ approach is the most suitable in achieving organisational success. Besides the two approaches, the resource-based view of the firm is also worthy noting since it can solve the problems of ‘best fit’ and ‘best practice’ approaches. Definitions The strategic human resource management is derived from two concepts: strategy and HRM. Strategy is defined by Armstrong (2006, p. 113 cited in Johnstone and Scholes, 1993) as ‘the direction and scope of an organisation over longer time which matches its resources to its changing environment and in particular, to its markets, customers and clients to meet shar eholder expectations.’ The strategy is developed by managers to give the firm purpose and direction and as such, for strategy to be developed the firm has to have specific goals it wants to pursue and indicated in its vision and mission statement. It is essential in informing the stakeholders where the company is heading so that all their behaviours can be directed in the same direction. There are various levels of strategy: corporate, business and HR strategy. The corporate strategy is designed to direct the whole organisation whether local or global. It is developed at the top level of the corporation. Business strategy on the other hand, it designed for specific business units to achieve competitive advantage (Armstrong, 2006). HR strategies are aimed at ensuring the employees perform according to expected standards for organisational success, and these will be the concern for this paper. It is a pattern of strategic choices in labour management (Boxall and Purcell, 2000, p. 184). Human resource management is defined by Boxall and Purcell (2000, p. 184) as ‘anything and everything associated with management of employment relations in the firm’. They acknowledge the use of various management styles in contemporary workplaces depending on organisation context and the leadership in place. HRM concept has evolved over time from traditional personnel management to the now popular international SHRM and thus has been the object of debate in social sciences and academics. Theorists have come up with various methods of

Identification of unknown Bacteria Research Paper

Identification of unknown Bacteria - Research Paper Example With regards to the aim of the experiment, which is to identify unknown bacteria from mixed culture #18 using biochemical and morphological test, the two organisms identified had distinct characteristics which were looked for following laboratory tests. Normally, Gram staining is employed to differentiate 2 bacteria groups with different cell wall constituent. The method has the ability to differentiate Gram negative and Gram positive bacteria group; thus the bacterial cells are either colored red or violet. Gram positive bacteria is shown by Violet staining due to a thick layer of peptidoglycan existing   in the cell wall of the bacteria, thus the crystal violet is retained by these cells on a slide. Consequently, Gram negative bacteria is shown by red staining due to a thin layer of peptidoglycan existing in the bacteria cell wall, hence crystal violet is not retained   by bacterial cells. (Winn et al,2006)MacConkey Agar is used to distinguish Gram- negative, lactose-fermenting organisms from organisms that are non-fermentative .It is an inhibitory and differential medium that contains Crystal violets, bile salts, inhibitory agent and neutral red. Neutral red acts as a pH indicator.   Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteria is known to be lactose fermenters hence unknown A while Salmonella Typhimurium bacteria is not lactose fermentor thus unknown B. The orinithine decarboxylase test is important for Enterobacteriaceae differentiation. (MacFaddin, 2000). MR-VP broth for Methyl Red test consists of peptone, phosphate buffer and glucose.

House during hectic times Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

House during hectic times - Essay Example Getting things done around the house can really be very challenging. With the children and the spouse around, you can’t seem to get things done at all. My son Chance think that housework is a kind of game so he usually follows me around while I go about my housekeeping. When I start sweeping the floor, he would playfully unplug the cord of the sweeper and run from me smiling. He also has an affinity for the mop and the bucket of water that I use in cleaning the floor. Before I know it, he had already emptied the bucket of water on the floor creating such a big mesh! After what seems like forever, I finally get the house straightened out. Do get to rest after all the sleeping and mopping? No. By the time I am done with the cleaning, it is already time to prepare dinner. With Chance trailing behind me, I move to the kitchen to start cooking. Now, if you haven’t experiences having a two-year-old boy as your cooking assistant, here’s the deal. While I am trying to cook dinner, my son imitates what I am doing by putting food in pans and climbing on counters. After getting food onto the pans, he turns off stove or turns burner on full blast depends what kind of mood he is in. He keeps saying, â€Å"Help mom† as if he is truly an invaluable kitchen assistant. Yeah, sure, it would have been nice to play with him for a while but I simply do not have time to monkey around the kitchen. I’m not a just a mom and homemaker, remember? I still need to attend classes at my college and then work on the task that our professors give us . I need to hurry up or else I will never get things done at all. My children are very important to me but sometimes; it’s hard for me to focus my attention on their individual issues. Giving them a one-on-one time is hard especially when there are many other things that need my attention. Of course my son Chance with his big blue and blonde head always finds a way to get my

The Art in Great Britain Essay Example for Free

The Art in Great Britain Essay The definition of art is controversial in contemporary philosophy. The very idea of art has also been a matter of controversy. The philosophical usefulness of a definition of art has also been debated on. Contemporary definitions are of two main sorts. One distinctively modern, conventionalist, sort of definition focuses on arts institutional features, emphasizing the way in which art changes over time, modern works that appear to break radically with all traditional art, and the relational properties of artworks that depend on the works relations to art history, art genres, etc. The less conventionalist sort of contemporary definition makes use of a broader, more traditional concept of aesthetic properties that includes more than art-relational ones, and focuses on arts pan-cultural and trans-historical characteristics. 2.1. Painting According to Encyclopedia Britannica, painting is the expression of ideas and emotions, with the creation of certain aesthetic qualities, in a two dimensional visual language. The elements of this language —its shapes, lines, colours, tones, and textures—are used in various ways to produce sensations of volume, space, movement, and light on a flat surface. Earliest art †The oldest art in England can be dated to the Neolithic period, including the large ritual landscapes such as Stonehenge from c. 2600 BC. From around 2150 BC, the Beaker people learned how to make bronze, and use both tin and gold. They became skilled in metal refining and works of art placed in graves or sacrificial pits have survived. In the Iron Age, a new art style arrived as Celtic culture spread across the British isles. Though metalwork, especially gold ornaments, was still important, stone and most likely wood was also used. This style continued into the Roman period, beginning in the 1st century BC, and would find a renaissance in the Medieval period. The arrival of the Romans brought the Classical style of which many monuments have survived, especially funerary monuments, statues and busts. They also brought glasswork and mosaics. In the 4th century, a new element was introduced as the first Christian art was made in Britain. Several mosaics with Christian symbols an d pictures have been preserved. The  style of Romano-British art follows that of the continent, there are some local specialities, influenced by Celtic art; the Staffordshire Moorlands Pan is one example.†( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_art#Earliest_art) The Romantic period (in the second half of the 18th century in Europe) produced the very diverse talents of William Blake, J. M. W. Turner, John Constable and Samuel Palmer. The Victorian period saw a great diversity of art, and a far larger quantity created than before. In the 19th century publicly displayed religious art once again became popular, after a virtual absence since the Reformation ( the English Reformation was the series of events in 16th-century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church). „What happens to the imagination in a society that distrusts images? What do artists do when their work has been outlawed? In the immediate aftermath of the Reformation painters and sculptors became refugees. Their main employer, the Church had dispensed with their services and their visions of dread and consolation had been exorcized. Now they would have to put the imagination to other uses and find other places in which to express it. They would have to adapt to new circumstances and find new opportunities if their skills and their capacity for dreming were to persist. Looking at British art of this period is like watching a house at night. Lights go out in some rooms and come on in others, sometimes where you least expect them.† ( A History of British Art, Andrew Graham-Dixon, published by BBC Worldwide Limited, 1999). The British contribution to early Modernist art (from the 1860s to the 1970s), was relatively small, but since World War II British artists have made a considerable impact on Contemporary art (art produced at this present point in time or art produced since World War II), especially with figurative work, and Britain remains a key centre of an increasingly globalized art world. 1. English Art over time: †¢ The Medieval period (10th–15th centuries) The painting and sculpture of this period was religious and sometimes had an international rather than distinctively national character. The Middle Ages and their legacy: â€Å"It is usual to regard English painting as beginning with the Tudor period and for this there are several reasons. When Henry VIII abolished  Papal authority in England in 1534 and ordered the dissolution of the monasteries in 1536 he automatically brought to an end the tradition of religious art as it had been practiced in the Middle Ages and in monastic centres. The break was so complete that painting before and after seem entirely different things, in subject, style and medium.†(A Concise History of English Painting, William Gaunt, Thames and Hudson, London, 1964). Painting was practised in England for many hundreds of years before the first Tudor came to the throne. â€Å"The development of linear design in which English artists have always excelled can be traced back to the earliest illuminations, which witness a great flowering of Christian art in the British Isles. It may be called an Anglo-Hibernian art, brilliantly evolved in Irish monastic centres and brought to Northumbria in the seventh century. The linear style took its way southwards. It was practised in the scriptoria of monastic studios of York, St. Albans, Glastonbury, Winchester, Canterbury. There was always a sort of influence between England and the Continent. England in the Anglo-Saxon period was influenced by a style of free outline drawing, ultimately derived from classical models. The Carolingian Utrecht Psalter of the early ninth century, once kept at Canterbury Cathedral, with its freely sketched pen groups became a model for English artists, especially of those of Winchester, long a principal seat of Anglo-Saxon and later of Gothic art.† (A Concise History of English Painting, William Gaunt, Thames and Hudson, London, 1964). In the development of Gothic painting, from the thirteen century, England and France came so close together that it is possible to speak of an â€Å"English Channel† School. In that period there was a tendency in wall paintings, in cathedrals such St. Stephen’s Chapel, Westminster, Eton College Chapel, the Norwich Cathedral. Portraiture was another element used in the Middle ages. It was especially in the form of royal iconography. A good example is the portrait of Richard II in Westminster Abbey by an unknown artist, still impressive in design though it has been much repainted. †¢ Tudor and Elizabethan: 15th–16th centuries The Italian sculptor Torrigiano introduced the Renaissance style in his tomb of Henry VII in Westminster Abbey (1512–18). In Elizabeths reign English painters developed a distinctive style in the portrait miniature.  Nicholas Hilliard and his pupil Isaac Oliver were the outstanding figures. Portraiture was to become one of English arts most enduring achievements. †¢ 17th century: In this period the English art was once again revitalized by foreign artists, in particular the Flemish painters Peter Paul Rubens, who visited England briefly, and Anthony van Dyck, who settled in England to become court painter to Charles I. †¢ 18th century: English art at last became robustly independent, with great achievements in portraiture and landscape. Portraiture was transformed by two outstanding figures, Gainsborough and Reynolds. Both brought a new subtlety and refinement to portraits, their images an expression of the wealth and confidence of English society. The Royal Academy was founded in 1768, and as its first president Reynolds was able to promote a classicism based on art of the Italian High Renaissance. Landscape painting was established in England by the work of foreign artists such as Canaletto. The first British artist to excel at landscape was Richard Wilson. †¢ 19th century: The Pre-Raphaelite movement, which was established in the 1840s, dominated English art for the rest of the century. Its members – such as Holman Hunt, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and John Everett Millais – concentrated on religious, literary, and genre subjects, their style was colourful and minutely detailed. By the end of the century English art was being influenced by French artists, in particular Edgar Degas and the Impressionists. †¢ 20th century: In 1910 an exhibition arranged by the critic Roger Fry introduced English artists to post-Impressionism (a theory or practice of art originating in France in the last quarter of the 19th century that in revolt against impressionism stresses variously volume, picture structure, or expressionism) and fauvism (a movement in painting typified by the work of Matisse and characterized by vivid colors, free treatment of form, and a resulting vibrant and decorative effect). Important English Painters: William Hogarth (10 November 1697 – 26 October 1764) was the first great English-born artist to attract admiration abroad, best known for his moral and satirical engraving and paintings William Hogarth will be remembered as the father of satirical caricatures and moral paintings, a genre which would later develop into cartoons. His determination and stout middle-class values made him one of the most innovative artists of his generation and he brought art to the common man for the first time in history. The artist was heavily influenced by 18th century life, culture and his middle-class upbringing. He believed that art should have moral as well as aesthetic qualities and tried to bring this into all the work he produced. As Hogarth became a prominent figure in the London art scene he was influenced by a number of things. These included politics, art, literature and the theatre. â€Å"Hogarth lived and worked during the Rococo period in 18th century London. The Rococo style was popular in both England and France at this time and was embodied by flowing lines and intricate decoration. The London social scene that features in so much of Hogarths work ranged from super-rich aristocrats living flamboyant lifestyles to the incredibly poor working-classes with no money and little hope for a better life.†(The Englishness of English Art-an expanded and annotated version of the Reith Lectures broadcast in October and November 1955, Nikolaus Pevsner, Penguin Art Architecture). In the 19th century the Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood was inspired by Hogarths use of symbolism and text to convey a moral message. However it is possibly the biggest testament to the artists skill and with that the new medium of the comic strip arose from his work, a genre which is still popular today. Important paintings: A Rake’s Progress, The Tempest, Captain Coram, Marriage-a-la-mode, The Good Samaritan, The Four Stages of Cruelty. Another important painter was William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) born in London, was an important poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognized during his lifetime, it took years before historians and critics discovered the importance of his work on the development of printmaking and fine art painting. Although Blake rarely travelled further than a day’s walk outside of London during his lifetime, his paintings and poetry demonstrate a diverse imagination and awareness of the world around  him. He is now considered an important figure in the history of both poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age. â€Å"Blake was a Londoner and it was London, not some romantic place near a river in the countryside, that was the site of his visions. In his visions, he saw a different London than all those other people that ran through its streets. Blake saw London as a heavenly city; he saw angels, souls, prophets. Hence, to him, London was a â€Å"Heavenly London†, a â€Å"Jerusalem†, one of his best known poems.† (A Concise History of English Painting, William Gaunt, Thames and Hudson, London, 1964). Famous Blake paintings include: Songs of Innocence and of Experience, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, The Four Zoas, The Angel of Revelation, The Descent of Christ, Great Red Dragon, The Last Supper. Edward Kelly Edward Kelly (born 1946) is a contemporary English painter. He was born in Liverpool, England in 1946. He studied at Liverpool College of Art between 1963–67, during which time he studied in Italy. Edward Kelly paints from a wealth of knowledge of paint and form. In over 48 years of dedicated practice, study and struggle he has constantly explored new aspects and elements of painting, always pushing forward on the frontiers of painted expression. His techniques are precise from practice and intuitive from experience. He makes art with a passion. The paintings speak for themselves.

Pros and Cons Essay Example for Free

Pros and Cons Essay Globalization can be defined as the increasing flow of products, people, money, and ideas across the globe. National economies are being swept into the global economy. One can thus think of globalization as rushing through four channels: †¢ Freer trade goods; †¢ Freer mobility of labor; †¢ Freer investment; and †¢ Freer communication, thanks to telecommunications and the Internet. Pros and Cons 1. Capitalism Free enterprise is now the dominant economic system in the world. China is very much capitalist and her late Communist Party leader Deng Xiaoping coined the slogan, â€Å"To get rich is glorious. † Only Cuba and North Korea are holding on to the central planning system of running the economy. Capitalism brings along free trade and the free flow of money across the earth. Countries belonging to the World Trade Organization are trying to bring down tariff barriers. Today, immense portfolio investments zip in and out of countries at the click of a mouse (Baylis Smith, 2001). With free trade comes economic integration. It is possible to download an album of songs in the United States of America, turn it into CDs in Europe, print the cover and lyric sheet in France, and sell it in Asia. The greatest story of economic integration is the European Union, with its common currency, the euro (Brecher Costello, 2004). 2. Information economy Another driving force is the knowledge economy. Land, labor and capital are bowing in importance to brain creativity. In the United Kingdom, over a three-year span, manual jobs dropped by 750,000, while professional jobs shot up by 1. 5 million (Brecher Costello, 2004). 3. Mass Media The invention of the printing press helped scattered people become a national community. In the same way, the evening news is nurturing world’s community. The suffering in India and Indonesia are brought home through CNN. 4. Telecoms There is a global boom in telecommunications. A fourth of all Europeans, have mobile phones. The people in Finland gave the greatest access to cell phones at 417 for every 1,000 people (Brecher Costello, 2004). Reference: 1. Baylis, John, and Smith, Steve, eds. The Globalization of World Politics. 2nd ed. , 2001. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2. Brecher, Jeremy, and Costello, Tim. Global Village or Global Pillage: Economic Reconstruction from the Bottom Up. Boston, MA: South End Press, 2004. Radical critique of recent patterns of economic globalization.

Healthcare in Developing Countries

Healthcare in Developing Countries Kyle Barber Healthcare in Developing Countries For any country to make the transition from developing to developed, there are many factors that must work in unison in order to achieve this transition. These development goals cover a wide spectrum of factors that are simultaneously unrelated and interlocked [LL2]with one another. Although there are many different factors that push a country towards development, the provision, and societal access to, healthcare [LL3]is almost unanimously agreed to be one of the most important signifiers in a countries transition. [LL4] Most economic problems in developing countries are largely due to a high majority of the population living in poverty[LL5]. In these countries, there are at least one billion people living on less than one US dollar a day[LL6]. There are two and a half billion people living on less than two US dollars a day. Regarding healthcare, just over one third of the population of the entire world lacks what we consider to be adequate health care (Bale). At its most basic root, the cost, access to, and availability of healthcare, like every other economic signifier we study, is determined by basic supply and demand. Simply put, we [LL7]have a distinct lack of adequate health care being supplied in these developing nations. Not only that, but those that need it most are not seeking out, or demanding, the healthcare they need to flourish[LL8]. There are many factors that lead to these shortages [LL9]of supply and demand, as well as many theories and policies aimed at correcting these market ineff iciencies. While everyone [LL10]is essentially working towards the same goal, there exist a multitude of different policies and interventions designed to achieve this goal. The problems on the supply side facing developmental healthcare in these countries can be attributed to a few underlying factors. One of these factors can be boiled down to the same issue that causes most all economic issues: lack of resources (ODonnell). The problems that face facilitating change without adequate resources inevitably leads to the misallocation of these resources and not utilizing them in the most effective, efficient way possible[LL11]. This misallocation of resources can take many forms, including concentrating said resources in improper geographic areas such as large, urban cities that do not necessarily require these economic interventions[LL12]. Unfortunately, the majority of public health expenditure is still absorbed through hospital based care, which is virtually impossible for the poor, rural population of these developing countries to utilize (Peabody, Taguiwalo and Robalino). The insufficient resources at play affect the supply side of healthcare in that t he capital required to actually get the train rolling is just not available to provide the adequate facilities, medicine, and proper personnel necessary to facilitate radical change in as many locations as needed (Peters, Garg and Bloom). The early years of the fight for improved healthcare worldwide consisted of many different types of policies aimed at reversing this trend, but even though some of them differed, one main goal persisted through each: accessibility of healthcare for the poor. As the years have gone on and the accessibility of these benefits has risen dramatically, the goal has shifted from correcting the lack of accessibility to improving the inadequate quality of said healthcare (Peabody, Taguiwalo and Robalino). [LL13] In these developing countries, obtaining and providing the facilities and supplies can go a long way toward achieving our healthcare goals[LL14], but these issues represent only part of the problem. The real problem is then convincing those in poverty and in need of aid to utilize these resources. Clinics and medicine do no good, and as such represent further insufficient allocation of resources, if these interventions do nothing to foster demand for these services[LL15]. Once again, [LL16]the extreme poverty that these people are forced to live in become is the main factor that dictates that lack of demand. But besides just that broad, all-encompassing, underlying reason of poverty, [LL17]we can look at two, more specific, factors that can suppress demand of all types across the economic landscape. These two factors are the outside constraints put on the consumer, in this case those without adequate healthcare, that limit their respective ability to consume, as well as the personal preferences of any individual that will lower their a willingness to consume (ODonnell). The outside constraints on these families and individuals that limit demand, especially in developing countries, are also influenced by a variety of factors that all work cohesively to make it so that those in poverty remain in poverty. Evidence shows that amount of household income earned has a strong positive relationship between standard of living and utilization of healthcare (Bale). Basically, the more money a family brings in, the more likely they are to utilize healthcare. This all comes back to resources, though this time it is the resources of the family as opposed to those of the intervening party[LL18]. This makes sense though, as it stands to reason with the high price of healthcare, that some may start to view maintaining health and wellness as a luxury more than a necessity.[LL19] When you are living day to day and struggling as it is to put food on the table, certain things become prioritized over others[LL20]. While relative income plays a large role, the actual price of receiving treatment becomes another huge deterrent in seeking out adequate healthcare (Peabody, Taguiwalo and Robalino). Many of these countries, and especially the poor population, do not have any sort of medical insurance. So all of these visits and trips to the doctor end up coming out of their own pockets[LL21]. The high price of visits, in addition to a variety of different user fees possibly associated with treatment, make those living in poverty much more price sensitive than those that are better off. So while those that need it most remain in poor health, those that are well off may seek treatment for much less serious ailments. In addition to the actual costs associated with treatment, there exist costs outside of formal charges that may effectively filter out potential patients. Costs [LL22]associated include foregone earnings that would have been made that day, travel costs for treatments, as well as distance, time, effort, and poor road conditions all deter potentia l patients (ODonnell).[LL23] Even if one [LL24]is financially able to pay treatment costs, there are a variety of preferential [LL25]factors that may prevent them from doing so. Cultural and gender issues can lead to a lower demand of healthcare, even if readily available. There is a great deal of history and tradition in developing countries, so much so that many people in these countries still utilize traditional therapies of the culture rather than modern medicine. This trend to use traditional therapies is negatively related to income and education (Peters, Garg and Bloom). Helping these people to gain knowledge and further educate themselves is [LL26]one of the first steps in solving this issue. Education can assist in just being able to recognize illness and the potential benefit of the modern treatments for these illnesses. Many of these societies culturally do not employ much gender equality, and as such, access to maternal, reproductive, and child health care has proven difficult (ODonnell). Because so many people are ill, and there is not adequate treatment, rampant illness almost becomes the norm and severe illnesses become harder and harder to recognize[LL27]. A continued push for education would go a long way in alleviating some of these symptoms. All of these factors regarding inadequate healthcare necessitate the introduction of financial interventions and aid[LL28]. Because there are so many underlying causes, there have been many theories and policies enacted in order to reverse this negative trend[LL29]. Raising the utilization of effective interventions requires a multitude of different things. First, any raise in utilization is not possible without first introducing more capital[LL30], and then directing [LL31]the spending of this capital towards the most effective programs[LL32] in order to maximize efficiency. These interventions should also me [LL33]geographically proportional to population and need (Peabody, Taguiwalo and Robalino). Opening up a new facility in a large city that doesn’t need one does not good. [LL34]Management of these operations must also be reformed to maximize efficiency[LL35], and regulatory and political incentives must be introduced and provided in order to promote utilization. Some of the more specific goals include extending health insurance coverage to more users (Bale). Although this is more of a long-term policy, growing this number will provide a great incentive for treatment. [LL36]Policies that aid the poor, such as subsidies and fee waivers, will greatly cut back on individual costs of treatment [LL37]and promote care as well (Peters, Garg and Bloom). Most of the surface issues associated with healthcare in developing countries can be attributed to an access problem and a quality problem. When we look closer though, we can see that these are just a few factors that can hold us back from achieving our MDG’s. We now need to move towards alleviating some of the educational and income disparity issues, and the solving of these two problems, while by no means a clean, absolute fix, can provide great strides we may have yet to even see[LL38]. Works Cited Bale, Harvey E. Proposal Improving Access to Health Care for the Poor, Especially in Developing Countries. n.d. Global Economic Symposium. ODonnell, Owen. Access to Health Care in Developing Countries: breaking down demand side barriers. (2007). Peabody, John W., et al. Improving the Quality of Care in Developing Countries. Disease Control Prioritites in Developing Countries. 2006. Peters, David H., et al. Poverty and Access to Health Care in Developing Countries. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 25 July 2008. Word Count: 1513 [LL1]Good start. But a few issues linger. Grammar (esp. overuse of commas) makes following some of your writing challenging. Missing some opportunity for critical/economic analysis. Grade: 75 – 10 (late): 65 [LL2]These seem like opposites. How is this possible? [LL3]Grammar/punctuation is not right [LL4]Strong claim†¦ citation? [LL5]Citation? [LL6]Which countries? Citation [LL7]We? [LL8]Why do you suppose? Citation? [LL9]Is there a shortage? Sounds like you just said supply is low, but so is demand. [LL10]? [LL11]Wording? [LL12]Examples? Why is this bad? Isn’t this where most of the people live? [LL13]Why the switch in objectives? What were the results? [LL14]Which are what? [LL15]Really really strong claim†¦ citation? [LL16]? Does this tie into the previous supply discussion? [LL17]wording [LL18]? [LL19]Not sure about this luxury vs necessity language†¦ (also Discussion from Poor Economics applies here) [LL20]Yes [LL21]Who ultimately pays when insurance is involved? [LL22]Opportunity costs [LL23]Possible solutions to the problems (and can you clarify†¦ what are the problems? High prices? What if the costs or provision are high. Are high prices a problem?) [LL24]Who? [LL25]? [LL26]Is? Citation? [LL27]? [LL28]Strong claim†¦ Citation? [LL29]Examples? [LL30]From where? [LL31]Who will direct it? Where? [LL32]How will we know what these are? [LL33]? [LL34]? [LL35]What do you mean by efficiency? [LL36]What do you mean? [LL37]Subsidies lower the costs? TANSTAAFL. [LL38]More (economic) discussion is warranted†¦ What are the incentives resulting in the status quo? The discussion regarding education is good, but can you be any more specific about how to address it? Are the advantages and disadvantages for the solutions or only advantages?

Using Problem-Solving Approaches in Vocational Education :: Learning Education Educational Essays

Using Problem-Solving Approaches in Vocational Education Problem Solving for Teaching and Learning Agricultural education has emphasized problem solving as a means of helping students to develop decision-making skills and teachers to alter their teaching methodology. The traditional method of problem solving for decision making reflects Dewey’s five-step model for learning, expanded to six steps by Newcomb, McCracken, and Warmbrod (Straquadine and Egelund 1992): (1) identification of the problem situation: What is happening?; (2) definition of the problem: What must be done?; (3) search for information: What do we need to know?; (4) analysis of data: What are the important considerations?; (5) testing possible solutions: What will happen if this action is followed?; and (6) conclusion: What action is most promising? The problem-solving method of teaching incorporates problem-solving activities, but places the responsibility for learning on the student. It requires teachers to move from the traditional instructional model to one that engages teachers and students as partners in learning, with the teacher functioning in the role of facilitator or coach rather than leader or all-knowing authority. It requires the use of problems that have real meaning to students, thus motivating them to reach a solution. Educators and special reform groups in other subject areas refer to a process known as "problem-based learning," which has many similarities to the problem-solving approach. In problem-based instruction, all learning is done in context, within the learner’s social environment. Learning occurs as students negotiate with others and evaluate the viability of each individual’s understanding (Savery and Duffy 1995). Stepien and Gallagher (1993) discuss four critical features of problem-based learning: 1. Engagement. The problem raises concepts and principles relevant to the content area and addresses real issues that connect to the larger social context of the students’ personal world. 2. Inquiry. The problem is ill-structured in that it has no one right answer. It often changes as more information is found. It requires exploration to define and refine the questions and ideas surrounding the problem. 3. Solution building. In problem-based learning, solutions are generated by the students who are the problem solvers; teachers are the coaches. As problem solvers, students engage in observation, inquiry, and investigation into hypotheses and issues, and they formulate conclusions that are consistent with the nature of the problem. As coaches, teachers promote learning by acting as models, demonstrating behaviors they want their students to adopt. They prompt students to take ownership of the problem and responsibility for its solution, and then fade into the background.

Snowmobiling on Priest Mountain Essay -- Descriptive Writing Examples

Snowmobiling on Priest Mountain In late May I never pictured myself carving a highmark on Priest Mountain. Priest Mountain is nestled on the east edge of the Grand Mesa National Forest. Deep sugary snow and feathery blue spruce trees cover the mountain and the area around. One fine day it occurred that I had the opportunity to carve my highmark and I still I have the mental image of my territory after that day. Even before that day, Priest has left a impression on me. Priest Mountain, for me, has been such a majestic riding area; IÃ ­ve been riding in this area for more than 10 years, and it is such a magical place to ride. On this one fine day, we had a typical Colorado snow storm.. I can recall this very trip to the wonderful Grand Mesa because my mom was sick and it was Mother's Day. She told me to go have fun, and that she'll wait until she feels better. My dad wanted to play in a golf tournament, but I wanted to go snowmobiling. We both agreed that he would play golf in the morning and once he was done, I would meet him in the parking lot on the mesa to go snowmobiling. My dad said, "Don't leave until I call you!" "Dad, just watching TV, I'll be here." I replied. The snow began to fall, and I could not control myself; so I just left. Jeff rode with me in the Power Stroke, and Alex rode with Justin in the Dodge. By the time I reached Cedaredge, I couldn't even see the sleds behind me because the snow was flying like crazy. I wondered why my dad was still playing golf in this weather, but that's my dad; he loves to play golf. The whistle of the turbo diesel and the classic rock was getting me pumped for the awesome ride to come. By the time we were on top of the mesa, there was one foot of new fluffy snow... ... halfway. Justin followed, he came down and told us to take the high side, there is less snow. I was ready; I hit the throttle and from the basin up, the ride seemed to last forever. I began to climb and my Yamaha screamed like a cat in a fight. I followed the backbone and kept climbing until I came out on top I arrived at the crest and quickly noticed the mountain top bowl lined with snow. I plowed through the snow up to the peak of the bowl; man, what a view from the top. I could see the guys down at the bottom and miles into the distance. I could almost see all of Delta County in one shot and it was magnificant. I had now conquered the mountain, Priest from now on feels like my place. This mountain will certainly be a part of me for the rest of my life. I'm sure I will travel to other places that will be beautiful, but nono of them will match Priest Mountain.

lala :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1999, Mary DeGenova and F. Philip Rice conducted an experiment to determine the differences between the covers of twelve popular men’s and women’s magazines. Fifty-four out of the sixty-nine covers viewed of the women’s magazines contained some message about bodily appearance, whereas none of the fifty-three covers of the men’s magazines viewed contained such messages (78). It seems that the media socializes women to value themselves according to their appearance and men are taught that being a man is about status and success rather than physicality (DeGenova and Rice 68). Karen Horney, a German psychiatrist in the early twentieth century, maintained that there is a distrust that exists between the sexes partly because â€Å"we all have a natural fear of losing ourselves in another person† (361). Because trusting someone of the opposite sex requires vulnerability, people are reluctant to allow themselves to be seen without the protective shield of indifference. After perusing the May issues of Elle, G.Q., Glamour, and Maxim, one could detect that women are taught to please men through their appearance and their sexual prowess while men are taught to use their fashion and their knowledge to appear ambivalent and independent.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Before one can consider the messages contained within the magazines, he or she must be aware of the media existing as a socializing agent. Magazines and other forms of Taylor 2 mass media transmit several messages that shape the way individuals view themselves and others. There are several perceived differences between the gender roles of men and women. Young children are taught schemas of gender that continue to be culturally and socially reinforced as they grow up; the children, in turn, use these schemas to process information about themselves and about others. Children are encouraged to assume the appropriate gender identity by being rewarded for behaviors that align with socially-determined gender expectations and punished for those that do not. Those who live up to societal expectations are accepted as normal; those who do not conform are criticized and pressured to comply. (Transition sentence) All four magazines viewed contain messages about the importance of style, but Elle and Glamour, women’s magazines, promote the idea that a female’s personal happiness is linked to her physical appearance. Elle contained an article entitled â€Å"Pretty, Please† which demonstrated various techniques of applying makeup in order to make a woman appear more beautiful. G.Q. and Maxim, men’s magazines, endorse style as a means of exuding machismo.

Dba Financial Management Essay

1. What is Annuity kind of cash flow? Answer: Annuity is fixed sum of money paid every year in at any other fixed interval shorter than a year. This annuity may be by way of return of some principal plus interest payment of against money invested or by way of payment of other dues such as pensions after retirement. In any case it represents out flow of cash from one account to in flow of cash to another account. In this way all annuities involve movements of cash or funds. Therefore all annuities are cash flows that can be suitably represented in cash flow statements.An annuity will be represented as inflow of cash in the cash flow statement for the recipient of the annuity and out flow of cash in the cash flow statement of the person or firm paying out the annuity. 2. What do understand by Portfolio risk? Answer: In business and finance the term portfolio refers to the collection  of various investment of an individual or a firm in various bonds, stocks or other securities and instruments. Portfolio risk is refers to the extent of risk or possible variation associated regarding the amount of return the individual or the firm is likely to earn on the portfolio. Broadly a specific investment in a portfolio can be judged for its riskiness along a scale. On one end of this scale a risk less investment offers a guaranteed rate of return on the amount invested, but generally the quantity of return is low. On the other end of the scale are very risky investments which may end giving a very high return or may actually result in a heavy loss. The risk of the total portfolio is assessed on the basis of combined likelihood of variation in the combined profit or loss on all the investments in the portfolio. 3. What do you understand by ‘Loan Amortization’? Answer: Loan amortization is the process of paying back a loan over an extended duration of time along with the interest incurred. The interest to be paid for the amount borrowed, till the loan is completely repaid, is calculated in advance. This is divided by the total number of payments being made and added with the principal payments to arrive at an amount that consists of both the principal as well as the interest. The payments have to be made according to this amortization schedule, which is decided before the loan is issued and could be in the form of simple monthly or annual payments. Before the principal amount is issued, the terms for calculation of the interest are also fixed. 4. What is the Difference between NPV and IRR? Answer: The difference between net present value and internal rate of return both of these measurements are primarily used in capital budgeting, the process by which companies determines whether a new investment or expansion opportunity is worthwhile. Given an investment opportunity, a firm needs to decide whether undertaking the investment will generate net economic profits or losses for the company. The main difference however should be more evident in the method or should I say the units used. While NPV is calculated in cash, the IRR is a percentage value expected in return from a capital project. Due to the fact that NVP is calculated in currency, it  always seems to resonate more easily with the general public as the general public comprehends monetary value better as compared to other values. This does not necessarily mean that the NPV is automatically the best option when evaluating a firm’s progress. The best option would depend on the perception of the individual doing the calculation, as well as, his objective in the whole exercise. It is evident that managers and administrators would prefer the IRR as a method, as percentages give a better outlook that can be used to make strategic decisions over the firm. Another major shortfall associated with the IRR method is the fact that it cannot be conclusively used in circumstances where the cash flow is inconsistent. While working out figures in such fluctuating circumstances may prove tricky for the IRR method, it would pose no challenge for the NPV method since all that it would take is the collection of all the inflows-outflows and finding an average over the entire period in focus. Evaluating the viability of a project using the IRR method could cloud the true picture if the figures on the inflow and outflow remain to fluctuate persistently. It may even give the false impression that a short term venture with high return in a short time is more viable as compared to a bigger long-term venture that would otherwise make more profits.In order to make a decision between any of the two methods, it is important to take note of the following significant differences. Section B: Case lets CASE 1 1. Which type of financing is appropriate to each firm? Answer: – APT Inc. can go in for debt with warrants since it is nearly a zero debt company and is also willing to accept any form of security. Sandford Enterprises can go in for callable debentures since it has a low debt equity ratio combined with excellent track record of servicing debt. Its future cash flows also suggest a strong capability to service future debt. Sharma Brother Inc. can go in for issue of preferred stock considering that its fund requirements of $20 million cannot be met by debt issue. Sachetee Energy Systems can consider issue of common stock for meeting its expansion requirements. Ranbaxy Industries can issue convertible bonds or debt with warrant considering that it is averse to divesting management control. 2. What types of securities must be issued by a firm which is on the growing stage in order to meet the financial requirements? Answer: – for a company which is in a growing stage, issue of debt may be the most optimum mode of rising fresh funding, this is because future potential cash flows would be sufficient to service the debt obligation or make a premature payment. This would also be in line with the potential risk appetite of the organization to sustain its growth and earn incremental returns. Issue of equity is another option which such a company can look at. This would however depend on the management philosophy of retaining or divesting management control. A mix of debt and equity could also be a potential source of financing. Cost of raising debt or equity would be an important consideration in deciding the option. CASE 2 1. How would you judge the potential profit of Bajaj Electronics on the first year of sales to Booth Plastics and give your views to increase the profit. Answer: – Sales fluctuate seasonally and the average collection period tends to run 40 days. Bad-debt losses are less than 0.6 per cent of sales. The Perluence’s accounting dept estimated a 24 per cent markup as the average for items sold to Pucca Electronics. Bajaj Electronics, in turn, resold the items to yield a 17 per cent markup. Bajaj Electronics incurred out-of pocket expenses that were not considered in calculating the 17 per cent markup on its items. James would receive a 3 per cent commission on all sales. a commission paid whether or not the receivable was collected. In addition to the sales commission, the company would incur variable costs as a result of handling the merchandise for the new account. As a general guideline, warehousing and other administrative variable costs would run 3 per cent sales. First of all, he considered the potential profit from the account. James had estimated first-year sales to Booth Plastics of $65,000. Assuming that Neck Booth took the, 3 per cent discount. Bajaj Electronics  would realize a 17 per cent markup on these sales since the average markup was calculated on the basis of the customer taking the discount. His department probably spent three times as much money and effort managing a marginal account as compared to a strong account. He also figured that overdue and uncollected funds had to be financed by Bajaj Electronics at a rate of 18 per cent. 2. Suggestion regarding Credit limit. Should it be approved or not, what should be the amount of credit limit that electronics give to Booth Plastics. Answer:- Strand Electronics has 950 employees and handles a volume of $85 million in sales annually. About $6 million of the sales represents items manufactured by Perluence. He supervises five employees who handle credit application and collections on 4,600 accounts. The accounts range from $120 to $85,000.Thefirmsells on terms, with 2/10, net 30 mostly. Sales fluctuate seasonally and the average collection period tends to run 40 days. Bad-debt losses are less than 0.6 % of sales. The company was founded in 1977 by Neck and has grown steadily. The Perluence’s cost-accounting department estimated a 24 % markup as the average for items sold to Pucca. Bajaj, in turn, resold the items to yield a 17 per cent markup. Bajaj incurred out-of pocket expenses that were not considered in calculating the 17 per cent markup on its items. James would receive a 3 % commission on sales made to Booth, a commission that would be paid. a general guideline, administrative variable costs would run 3 %. James estimated first-year sales to Booth of $65,000.Assuming that Neck took the, 3 percent discount. Bajaj would realize a 17% markup on these sales since the average markup was calculated on the basis of the customer taking the discount. If Neck did not take the discount, the markup would be slightly higher. In addition to the potential profit from the account. He also figured that overdue and uncollected funds had to be financed by Bajaj at a rate of 18 %. All in all, slow paying or marginal accounts were very costly to Bajaj. SECTION C 1. Honey Well Company is contemplating to liberalize its collection  effort. Its present sales are Rs. 10 lakh, its average collection period is 30 days, its expected variable cost to sales ratio is 85 percent and its bad debt ratio is 5 per cent. The Company’s cost of capital is 10 per cent and tax are is 40 per cent. He proposed liberalization in collection effort increase sales to Rs. 12 lakh increases average collection period by 15 days, and increases the bad debt ratio to 7 percent. Determine the change in net profit. Answer:- At 85 percent variable cost the gross contribution of various costs including cost of bad debt and and capital cost amount tied up as receivables to be collected will be 15 percent of the sales. From this contribution of 15 percent all other expenses except the bad debt and cost of capital tied up in receivable will change. Therefore we can calculate the impact of liberalization in collection on profit as follows. Original Amount Changed Amount 1. Sales [per year] 1,000,000 1,200,000 2. Contribution [15% 0f (1)] 150,000 180,000 3. Receivable [(1)*Days/365] 82,192 147,945 4. Cost of receivables [(3)*0.1] 8,219 14,794 5. Cost of bad debts [(1)*%] 50,000 84,000 6. (4) + (5) 58,219 98,794 7. Balance Contribution (2) – (6) 91,781 81,206 ———————————————————————————- We can see from above table that that the balance contribution available will decrease by Rs. 10,575 from Rs. 91,781 to Rs. 81,206. The profit before tax will also reduce by the same amount. The reduction in profit after tax will be: Reduction in profit after tax = 10575*60/100 = Rs. 6345 2. Explain the concept of working capital. What are the factors which influence the working capital? Answer:- The management of the current assets deals with the determination, maintenance, control and monitoring of level of all the individuals current assets. Current assets have short life span. Each current asset is swiftly converted into other assets forms. The  existence and necessity of current assets is implied for the efficient and optimal use of the fixed assets. This project reveals the various aspects of working capital management in general, and also at the same time sneaks into the practical aspect of applying theoretical concepts of the company. The importance of working capital management is reflected in the fact that financial managers spend a great deal of time in managing current assets and current liabilities. These include arranging short term financing, negotiating favorable credit terms, controlling the movement of cash, administering accounts receivables and investing short-term surplus funds. For the analysis part, the data collection was done by primary and secondary sources where the primary sources includes the personal interaction with the industry guide and secondary sources includes external and internal sources involving company annuals. Thus the presentation of data collected was done in the form of graphs and tables. In summer training; I was given the project related to working capital management and CMA forms which were discussed later in the project. For this purpose, I regularly interacted with my industry guide and the other staff of the Corporate Finance Department. For the preparation of the project, I had a look on the company profile and made a plan by going through its previous accounting reports. Then, I had analyzed the plan and accordingly I filled the CMA forms and projected as per the instructions of my industry guide.The basic objective of this project is to know the factors that determine the working capital requirements and to analyze the different approaches available for the financing. Basically, working capital is composed of various items. Most of the time you got inventories and retained profits. According to the US GAAP (Generecally accepted accounting principles), the inventories must follow any appreciation (or depreciation) of the items in inventory. Let’s say that you have a pencil in your company’s inventory whose value is US$1, 00. If from October 2008 to November 2008 the value of the pen would go from US$1,00 to US$1,20, your working capital would be affected in 20%. On the opposite, if the value had dropped to US$0,80, your working capital would have depreciated in 20%. But this is according one of the many accounting principles. On the other side, if you have money invested in any kind of product or fund, you have to adjust properly, reflecting its appreciation or depreciation. But in this case, other factors play an important role.

Positive Effects of Globalization Essay

Globalization has been credited with bringing an increased transparency in the world and communication technology has played a major role in this. Governments can now exchange data, research, analysis, and reports with each other on a real-time basis and this has led to increased cooperation between nations. One of the symbolic manifestations of globalization is the presence of multi-national brands across the globe. Companies like Coca-Cola, McDonalds, Nike etc. are present in a number of countries and to conduct their business smoothly and effectively, they rely on communication technology to a large extent. The latest innovations in web-conferencing have made it possible for businessmen to interact with each other in a better way. The developments that we have seen in the business sector would have never been possible without the presence of an effective communication system. One of the prime examples is the surge in outsourcing that we have seen over the last decade of so. Most US companies have saved around 30% to 50% of their costs by taking their back-office, billing Globalization: Pros and Cons The term ‘globalization’ is profoundly contentious. Where there are some highly appreciated advantages of this ideology of integrating cultures, the world has witnessed some enormously threatening effects of the same too. Its pros and cons simultaneously support and contradict its impact on the world economy. While the ones advocating globalization believe that it is because of this trend that poor economies have regained their hopes and faiths of developing financially, thus, raising their standards of living, the ones contradicting it believe that globalization is the only reason behind elite and high-profile multinational companies trashing local cultures and beliefs, domestic small-scale businesses, and commoners, in the rush to attain an international status. This instigates us to put forth numerous questions like What is the future of globalization with such ambiguities associated? How are cultures going to revive now? All in all, it is upon the masses to keep a check on our sanctities and traditions, and be all the more tolerant as today, interaction in-person is no more prevalent. Issues will crop up, things would be misunderstood, and the power to tolerate will be tested every now and then. In order to properly balance between the benefits and prices that globalization is associated with, it is highly essential to adjudicate as to how the process of globalization works, and the norms and standards that it consorts with itself. It is then that we can seek an all-inclusive answer to globalization’s actual role and purpose within the world economy. The impact of communication technology can be seen in the education sector as well. There are a lot of students who are now able to get access to information through Internet. Students can now get certifications from foreign Universities by completing an online program. These innovations have brought a marked difference to the way education is imparted and has led to an improvement in the quality of education. The impact of globalization on banking industry has been prominent and today we can see various banks being streamlined through effective communication channels. The innovation has also led to the globalization of banking industry as leading banks from all over the world now have their offices in almost every country of the world. While the impact of communication technology has been overly positive, it has led to certain challenges. There is a wide disparity when it comes to access to technology between developing and developed nations. The developing nations do not have a proper infrastructure in place, which has created challenges for a lot of people in these countries. This can be disadvantageous to the developing countries and can lead to economic disparity. Globalization cannot be exclusive as it encompasses the whole world and it is important that corrective actions are taken to ensure that weaker sections of the society are not neglected. There has been a lot of progress in the last few years and developing countries like Nigeria and Kenya have started to take steps to encourage their people to be acquainted with the latest developments in communication technology. It is important to remember that there are various factors that have contributed to globalization and communication technology is just one of them. However, it has played one of the most important roles in spreading globalization. The concerns that are associated with the disparity can be countered by making further innovations in communication technology. Globalization has several advantages on the economic, cultural, technological, social, and other fronts. Any myths existing in the mind regarding these must be dispelled. Globalization means increasing the interdependence, connectivity, and integration on a global level, with respect to the social, cultural, political, technological, economic, and ecological levels. It is the collaboration of countries to provide a boost to trade practices, and also to reduce cultural differences. Its various advantages can be felt all across the globe by one and all, and also to a very large extent in our daily lives. Obviously, now we understand that globalization is here to stay. Here are the most common and important advantages that globalization, over time, has brought about for mankind. These have been listed in no particular order, and are all vital in their own way. Peaceful Relations Most of the countries have resorted to trade relations with each other in order to boost their economy, leaving behind any bitter past experiences if any. Nations now try to raise capital and fortify their stand in international trade, rather than hosting a war. Thus, globalization has induced international peace and security in a big way. Free Trade Free trade is a policy in which a country does not levy taxes, duties, subsidies or quota on the import/export of goods or services from other countries. There are countries which have resolved to free trade in specific regions. This allows consumers to buy goods and services, comparatively at a lower cost. Global Connectivity Globalization has promoted international connectivity. With the use of the Internet, the world has definitely become a smaller place. There has been exchange of thoughts and ideas which has morally boosted and interlinked the mindset of people all round the world. New Markets The opportunities for new markets has increased dramatically. Numerous companies have started investing in different countries and luring customers for their brands. These ever-expanding markets have helped countries to raise capital in terms of foreign domestic investments, thus improving the economy of the country. Employment Opportunities One of the most advantageous factors of globalization is that it fosters the generation of employment. This happens due to the emergence of new companies and new markets, where lots of skilled and unskilled labor is required. Immigration between countries also increases, providing better opportunities for people all round the world. By providing employment, globalization helps in increasing the standard of living of the people, and also reduces poverty. Quality Products The competition among different companies finds place at an international level. It becomes important for the companies to focus on quality goods and services, in order to have a strong foothold in the market. The consumer is benefited in the process, and gets quality products at cheaper rates. He/she also gets the opportunity to select his goods from a large variety available in the market. Environmental Protection Mutual trade carried out by countries has brought about an understanding for the protection of the environment from which they benefit so much. It has been accepted by most countries that action needs to be taken in saving natural resources and wildlife, without thinking about the boundaries that separate them. Global environmental problems like cross-boundary pollution, over-fishing in the oceans, climate change, etc., are solved by discussions and conventions. Good for Developing Nations It is claimed that globalization increases the economic prosperity of developing nations. Developed countries invest in such countries with an aim of capturing new markets, which helps them improve their infrastructure and technologies to international levels. A lot of capital is invested in such projects, which in turn proves fruitful to the economy of the developing nation as well. Equality for All Globalization has helped in creating international criminal courts, and international justice movements are also launched to provide justice to people at a global level. Disputes are solved through global standards such as patents, copyright laws, and world trade agreements. Thus, it has ensured that people do not get discriminated with regard to country, caste, creed or sex. Ease of Transportation With the advent of globalization, there has been an immense increase in the transportation of goods and services worldwide. Things which took weeks for conveyance, can now easily be availed within a couple of days. Due to the development of containerization for ocean shipping, transportation costs are reduced to a great extent, lowering the cost of products in world markets. Travel and Tourism Globalization has promoted tourism to great heights. There are many places that have tourism as their main source of capital generation. International trade among different countries also helps in increasing the number of tourists that visit different places around the world. Unity in Diversity Globalization has helped in bringing about integrity and social understanding everywhere. The dream for a global village becomes realistic after looking at the impact of globalization. It has helped in removing some barriers that had kept the world divided on various grounds. There has been propagation of democratic ideas among countries. Cross-cultural contacts grow and cultural diffusion takes place, which helps in minimizing differences, and promotes companionship. External Borrowing It has often been seen that a poor country is unable to provide adequate financing to its companies, which proves to an obstacle in the development of the country on the whole. With the help of globalization, there is opportunity for corporate, national, and sub-national borrowers to have better access to external finance, with facilities such as external commercial borrowing and syndicated loans. It is a common belief that globalization plays a role just at international levels of trade and commerce, but the fact is that it has played an important role in making our lives much more comfortable too. The phones, apparels, gadgets or accessories that we use in our day-to-day life are be available to us through globalization. Knowingly or unknowingly, we are all under the impact of globalization, and more importantly it has helped in bringing international peace and justice to mankind. Read more at Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/advantages-of-globalization.html

A Strategic Analysis of Qantas and the Australian Airline Industry Essay

The following paper provides an analysis and evaluation of the current market position of Qantas and the Australian Airline Industry. By assessing the company both internally and externally, this report will assess Qantas’ strengths and weaknesses. In addition to this, the report will focus on the specific elements that enable Qantas to obtain a competitive advantage over its competitors. Our team has established that Qantas is facing direct competition from new market entrants as well as threats from it’s own development – Jetstar. As a result, Qantas has lost some of the market share over recent years. However, while the treat of new entrants has affected Qantas, new opportunities have become available and have encouraged the airline to think outside the square. The Global Financial Crisis presented many industries with a challenge and Qantas was not excluded from this. In addition to this, the September 11 attacks in 2001 largely affected the industry as customers became reluctant to travel. Consequently, it is clear that Qantas has been faced with a variety of challenges that have resultantly prompted them to think of alternative ways to obtain a sustainable competitive advantage. Partnering with Tourism Australia, developing Qantas as a brand, and painting the boeings to advertise an Australian lifestyle have all been successful at achieving a competitive advantage. It is recommended that Qantas continues to compete with new market entrants by focusing on developing the brand further and generating greater loyalty. Qantas & the Airline industry Qantas Airways Limited is an Australian public company that obtains its revenue predominately from the operation of airlines. The company operates mainly in Australia, New Zealand and Asia and is also established in the UK and the USA. Globally, Qantas employs over 35,700 individuals. At June 30, 2010, international airlines in Australia were reported to be worth $14, 924, 000, 000, with Qantas estimated to hold 25.60% of the market share. From the same study, the domestic airline industry in Australia was reported to be worth $12,801,000,000 with Qantas accounting for 73.50% of the market share. (IbisWorld, 2010) Over recent years, the drastic increase in fuel prices coupled with the global economic crisis has resulted in the increased cost of airfares. Low income, high unemployment levels and unavoidable disasters like the recent ash cloud have seen the demand for air travel in Australia reduce significantly. Specifically, the Qantas Group’s industry revenue declined an estimated 1.8% per annum over the five years through 2009-10. (IbisWorld, 2011). However, it has been forcasted that the industry with grow by 9% over 2011-2012, reaching a revenue of $13,400,000,000. The potential growth has been attributed to several factors, for example, increases in business related travel and the growing popularity of cheaper airlines. (IbisWorld, 2011) See Fig. 1 Qantas’ flying business operates under two main brands, Qantas and Jetstar. Jetstar was first launched in 2004 and is Qantas’ cheaper airline. (IbisWorld, 2010) Qantas revenue from international flying is reported to be far weaker than it’s domestic business. While international flying accounted for 22.5% of revenue over 2009-2010 for Qantas, this figure was considerably higher 2004-2005. New market entrants and strong competitors were said to be responsible for this decline. In particular, the development of Jetstar and the ability to fly internationally at low-cost saw Qantas’ international flight business drop from 46.3% of industry total in 2004-2005 to 23.0% in 2010-2011. (IbisWorld, 2010) Conversly, Qantas’ domestic flights generate approximately 70.4% of total sales and are increasing slowly. However, while the domestic flight popularity is increasing, the growth rate is slow in comparison to the industry. This is due to the fact that Qantas has lost some of the market share over recent years with the entrance of new competitors, for example, Virgin Airlines and Tiger Airways. In addition to this, the entrance of Jetstar into the market and the recent financial crisis saw more passengers targeting the low-cost airline over Qantas. The following investigation will include an analysis of Qantas’ external environment by utilizing a Porter analysis of the industry’s competitive forces. In addition to this, the report will include an analysis of the internal environment at Qantas by conducting a value chain analysis and identifying the resources and capabilities that provide Qantas with a competitive advantage over its rivals. * Please note: All dollar values listed throughout the report are in Australian dollars. External Analysis When determining the external forces that affect the domestic airline industry there are four areas that need to be discussed; political, environmental, social and technological. In discussing these areas we will be able to determine what strengths and weaknesses arise for Qantas as a result. During 1990 the Australian government decided to deregulate the domestic airline industry (Bureau of Transport and Communications Economics, 1995). This has opened up the opportunities for new airlines to do business in Australia. For Qantas this could be seen as a threat as there are going to be new players in the market as it has opened doors for low-cost carriers to enter. However, it may also be an opportunity for Qantas to differentiate themselves from the rest of the domestic airlines and be the only one offering a premium service. The most recent and economically crippling factor that has influenced the airline industry is the Global Financial Crisis (GFC)(Nuguid, 2011). According to the House Standing Committee on Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government (2009)  the tourism industry in Australia was hit the hardest which declined at a worse rate than the rest of the economy. As a direct result of this the airline industry specifically has also seen a significant downturn. This presents a potential weakness or threat for Qantas who may come to feel that their premium price for quality service is not enough to get the customers to fly with them. Probably the most recent and most prominent social change that has affected the airline industry was the September 11 terrorist attacks in America(Ito & Lee, 2005). Although this was not in Australia it still had a large impact on people’s preferences when it came to domestic and international travel. This along with an aging population is slowing down the airline industry as the concern for safety of passengers has risen. This could be a potential opportunity for Qantas to offer, in addition to great quality, a higher safety rating for their flights and help them achieve an advantage against the opposition. There are always new technologies available to improve service and quality; an example of such is the introduction of the regional jet(Brueckner & Pai, 2007). This new technology provided better service quality and higher flight frequency to the airline industry. All new technologies represent an opportunity for Qantas to increase the quality of their services. This particular technology also provides Qantas with the opportunity to increase their flight frequency. The government regulations of the airline industry in Australia are very lax in comparison to other countries leading to fewer barriers to entry, particularly at the low-cost end of the market. This makes it far easier for potential entrants to enter into the market. So far since the deregulation in 1990 two new major domestic airlines have entered and done so successfully; Virgin Blue and Tiger Airways (Bureau of Transport and Communications Economics, 1995 and Bureau of Intrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics, 2010). Although there have also been a number of entrants that have failed to sustain their place in the airline industry this is not considered as Porter looks only at the threat of new entrants, not whether entry actually occurs (Porter, 2008). Pilots have a huge influence over what goes on in the industry as evidenced by the 1989 pilot strike(Schulte & Zhu, 2005). Even though the pilots were unsuccessful in this instance this shows that pilots are much more likely to be able to achieve change in the industry if they choose. Currently there are only two  major suppliers of airplanes, Boeing and Airbus. Being the only two major suppliers in the industry gives them a lot of power to determine prices and quality. Passengers have a lot less power in the airline industry as they generally don’t get a whole lot of choice or say in what happens. Firstly, there are high switching costs associated with changing to another airline. Secondly, there is not much difference from one airline to another especially if the airline is competing on quality or service(Investopedia News and Articles, 2010). For the domestic airline industry there really isn’t any major substitutes. The automobile industry and possibly the locomotive industry have the most influence here but if you are travelling from Sydney to Perth there really is no alternative to the airplane. The main determinants that make air travel non-substitutable include; time taken to travel, the cost of travel, personal preference and convenience(Investopedia News and Articles, 2010). There a four major domestic airliners that have the majority of the market share in Australia; Qantas, Virgin Blue, Tiger Airways and Jetstar (Dixon, 2006). With Qantas announcing recently that they are going to focus more closely on international services rather than domestic this could change the market share mix for the remaining three competitors. In considering the various forces that determine industry competition we can also draw a conclusion as to the profitability of the industry. Due to the aforementioned forces we can say that the profitability of the airline industry is quite low, which is also evidenced by Porter (2008). With respect to Qantas we can say that the threats of new entrants in the market is not quite as high for them as they are offering a premium service, not low-cost and so the barriers to entry for premium services are much higher. Internal Analysis Value Chain Analysis â€Å"Value is the amount that buyers are willing to pay what for a firm provides them and the quantity it can sell.† (Osegowitsch, 2011: 82) Conducting a value chain analysis, a concept popularized by Michael Porter, offers insight and understanding of a business’ activities that give it sustainable, competitive advantage. Qantas’ offerings to the market, according to its mission statement as of its Annual Report 2010, is safe,  airline travel at reasonable prices to both international destinations and domestic ones, through its complementary brand Jetstar. The Qantas Group asserts that it strives for a sustainable future through a two-brand strategy (that of Qantas and Jetstar) supported by its portfolio of business investments. This internal analysis will seek to examine The Qantas Group’s strategy through assessing its primary activities and its support activities. They use Altà ©a Inventory, which is an inventory management product. This system for example, has helped Qantas monitor rates and fares with immediacy. â€Å"Altà ©a Inventory provides instant data on demand and bookings to adjust pricing policy as potential passenger loads rise or fall. Altà ©a enables Qantas decide where to make seats available at certain price levels† (Amadeus Case Study) According to CIO John Willett; Design clarity means that major schedule changes are relatively easy to accommodate, allowing more efficient use of time of Qantas technical staff. The flexibility that came with Altà ©a allows Qantas to concentrate on revenue and how to improve it throughout the year. (Amadeus Case Study) With regard to onsite inventory, Qantas has extensive inventory availability â€Å"to support maintenance and overhaul programs for a wide range of customer engineering requirements.†   Operations Qantas is divided into 3 groups; Commercial, Customer and Marketing, and Operations. Its Operations group comprises engineering, airports, catering, flight operations, operations planning and control and Qantas Aviation Services. These To keep their operations running efficiently, Qantas has its own engineering division, called ‘Qantas Engineering’ Yield Management Often used in airline, hotel and advertising industries. Involves the concept of Qantas offering a ‘perishable’ good – being their airplane seat that if isn’t sold prior to flight, will ‘perish’. â€Å"For airlines, yield managers use widely accepted statistical tools to forecast seat demand, taking into account historical data and seasonal variables. For example, there is heavy demand on domestic routes during weekday peak periods and to leisure destinations during holiday periods, but there may be troughs in demand at other times. Each flight has its own individual forecast. Yield managers look at factors as diverse as economic swings which affect longer-term demand, seasonal schedule changes and changes in aircraft capacity to achieve an optimal mix of fares. In today’s environment, and without yield management, airlines would find it more difficult to make a profit and customers would be denied the broad range of fares and services offered.† (Qantas Fact Files) Marketing and sales Qantas have their own ‘customer and marketing’ division. They have heavy involvement in marketing and view it as critically important. The â€Å"Still Call Australia Home† was re-launched given slump in profits in 2009. The original campaign cost $6m but in 2009 when it was re-launched, they â€Å"deliberately just filmed in Australia and we have used the international footage we have from previous campaigns to manage the costs associated with it† (The Australian, 2011) according to CEO Alan Joyce. * Qantas appointed new head of Marketing in 2009 (http://www.bandt.com.au/news/qantas-makes-marketing-move) Qantas’ secondary activities Procurement Normally, Qantas seeks proposals from various suppliers – so as to maintain a level of competition amongst suppliers in an attempt at receiving the best offer. However occasionally, they do only seek the services of a single supplier. As is consistent with their procurement process, Qantas ask for formal bids or tenders and once they have been received, commence negotiations with prospective suppliers. At times, this can replace the tendering process, but normally it is done alongside it, as  a further step in their competitive benchmarking process. (Qantas Procurement Report: p. 1)Ultimately, their aim is to source the best service from suppliers, at the most competitive price, in a manner that is understood and fair according to all participants. Human Resource Management The Qantas Group employs approximately 37,000 people, 90% of which are based in Australia. (Qantas Website) The magnitude of Qantas’ operations and its abundance of employees have forced Qantas to develop competitive Human Resources (HR) strategies and maintain competitive advantage. HR is divided into four sections in The Qantas Group: 1. Corporate This includes responsibilities such as remuneration, employee benefits, industrial relations and other key tasks that essentially make this group in charge of forming strategies that will be carried through the other levels of HR 2. Business Segments HR teams within particular business segments of The Qantas Group, who deliver and implement the strategies as formulated at the Corporate level 3. Shared Services The central support unit that offers to assist employees, respond to inquiries and essentially offer support in all the typical HR responsibilities such as recruitment and remuneration 4. Learning and Development This branch relates to the development of training programs to teach, train and further improve Qantas employees. This layout of HR responsibilities is proven to be an effective structure for many large companies and has served Qantas effectively. Information Technology The Qantas Group’s IT division is predominantly based at a head office in Mascot, Sydney. The IT division consults and works within the areas such as: * Project and Program Management * Business Systems Analysis * Testing and Quality Assurance * Services and Relationship Management * Architecture (Qantas Website – Information Technology) Infrastructure Qantas’ infrastructure is immense and naturally demanding of high volume and efficiency given the company’s line of business. With a fleet of 254 aircraft, the maintenance of â€Å"superior infrastructure† (Qantas 2010 Annual Report, p. 9) , as coined by The Qantas Group, is imperative. The company manages the aircraft, in addition to 14 international lounges as well as several multi-tiered domestic lounges. The renewal of the fleet as well as other infrastructure is made possible through an â€Å"investment-grade credit rating†, making Qantas a desirable borrower for lenders. Furthermore, the company consistently experiences strong cash-flows and as such, is able to monitor and ensure high liquidity. The Qantas Group’s infrastructure is supported by a system of effective borrowing and investing, as well as maintained liquidity so its non-current assets and existing infrastructure is secure and kept up-to-date. Qantas’ Resources and Capabilities When analyzed simply, The Qantas Group boasts many capabilities/resources that potentially offer it competitive advantage, including; * Resources: * Airport locations/hangers * Engineering facilities * Trained personnel * In-flight food (Neil Perry’s involvement) * Qantas lounges/restaurants * Storage facilities for inventory, ranging from machinery to uniforms * Training facilities for flight attendants and pilots * Capabilities: * New IT systems to promote more efficient operations – such as the evolution of e-tickets * New development in cost effective service (e.g. with food,  cutting costs on ingredients or perhaps where the food is prepared) * New developments for the ‘frequent flyer’ scheme to adapt to competitors’ similar concepts – such as the Chairman’s Lounge * Fleet development: â€Å"The airline has been constantly growing since its inception as a result of increasing fleets. Qantas has been purchasing Boeing aircraft makes like the 747-400.‘ Bibliography 1. Brueckner, J., & Pai, V. (2007). Technological Innovation in the Airline Industry: The Impact of Regional Jets. International Journal of Industrial Organization , 27 (1), 110-120 2. Bureau of Intrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics. (2010). Avline 2009-10. Canberra: Australian Government. 3. Bureau of Transport and Communications Economics. (1995). Deregulation of Domestic Aviation in Australia. Canberra: Australian Government. 4. Dixon, G. (2006, February 23). Qantas not afraid of competition. The Age . 5. Douglas, E., & Cunningham, L. (1992). Competitive Strategies in Australia’s airline deregulation experience. School of Business Discussion Paper , Paper 28. 6. House Standing Committee on Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. (2009). The Global Financial Grisis and regional Australia. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia. 7. Investopedia News and Articles. 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