Government response to terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Government response to terrorism - Essay Example There have been numerous controversies surrounding legal definition of terrorism. Left-wing critics claim that use of a nation’s armed forces in crushing an opponent’s political progress amounts to terrorism. In this context, a ruling government which uses indiscriminate violence to destroy an opponent’s progress engages in terrorism. Apart from a ruling government, terrorism comprise of violent activities used by nationalists fighting an oppressive regime. In fact the late Nelson Mandela was once branded as a terrorist by the white government in South Africa. This means that these controversies undermine existence of a definite boundary between justifiable uses of violence for political progress. Fraser and Staniforth (2012) says that from a legal perspective, UK law defines terrorism as any act of violence that causes or threatens to cause indiscriminate loss of lives, property damage and create a serious risk to health and safety of the public. The UK governme nt takes any such form of violence which seeks to influence governmental institutions or the public as acts of terror. Terrorism is not new in Britain. In the last decade, British security forces arrested approximately 1800 people in connection to terror related cases. Most of these individuals arrested are British citizens involved or associated with accomplishing assistance roles in extremist activities. Demographics show that a substantial portion of those arrested are radical youth lured by perpetrators towards a path of violent extremism.

Overview of Symphony Orchestra and Wind Band as different Entities of Dissertation

Overview of Symphony Orchestra and Wind Band as different Entities of Music - Dissertation Example Some people think music is all around us and in everything that we do. There are those who also think collectively, music is a spice that gives the world its sweet piece of aroma and taste. But for however one perceives music, it could just be right to admit that there are thousands of factors that go into the creation and formation of music than mere coincidence. Music is actually created and this is what makes music an art. Talking about the creation of music, mention can be made of the different elements that come together to make the formation of music complete. One of such adorable elements that always stand out in the composition of music is ensembles. The kind of ensembles present and how they are used to form or create music also goes a long way to talk of the kind of music we have. Largely, the presence of different ensembles and how these are put to gather to create music would bring two major groups of music to bear and these two groups are symphony orchestra and the Ameri can wind band. There are many who have thought that because these two groups primarily end up in the creation or composition of music, there should actually not be any need differentiating them but that is technically not correct. (Forest, 2008). This research paper therefore tries to take a direct look at symphony orchestra and the American wind band in terms of practical musical issues that differentiate them and that account for reasons why composers make a choice between writing for orchestra or band. Difference in Instrumentation Instrumentation remains a major phenomenon in the discussion of the differences between orchestra and band. Typically, the instrumentation refers to the assembly of musical ensembles or instruments available to the two types of musical composition (Diamond, 2009). On a larger scale, orchestra is often thought to be with a standard instrumentation; a concept that is largely absent in the American wind band. Without implying that a band does not need all the ensembles in an orchestra to function, a band, can well function without a fraction of most of the ensembles that are needed in a typical orchestra. For this reason, orchestra is generally seen as a more standardized instrument based outfit than a band. This is very much because unlike a band, an orchestra can just not function properly in the absence of most of the so called standard instrumentations. In the count of ensembles rather than individual players on a band and an orchestra therefore, it would be true to say that an orchestra is a larger musical outfit than a band. It would also be true to say that an orchestra is a well organized musical outfit than a band. There are some music historians who even believe that in terms of differences in instrumentation, an orchestra is a more professional body of music than a band. Young Composers (2008) for instance writes that â€Å"â€Å"Wind Band" is a large ensemble consisting of many woodwinds, brass, and percussion.† He further states that â€Å"a "Wind Symphony" could be considered a larger or more technically skilled ensemble, with additional instruments, more players, and with a repertoire more difficult, expansive, and varied.† Organization There exist major differences between orchestra and band that result from their organization on a typical musical stage. Given a very typical musical show, the kind of technical organization that will take place within the orchestra is totally different from what will be experienced for a band. Most often than not, the differences in organization emanate from differences in instrumentation. As it has been indicated earlier, the types of instrumentation used in orchestras are totally different

Strategic Essentialism In Reducing Gender Inequalities Sociology Essay

Strategic Essentialism In Reducing Gender Inequalities Sociology Essay A position of strategic essentialism is important in ensuring that gender inequalities are reduced. Discuss with reference to the evolution of feminist theory and action in the Global South. A central issue in feminist debates over essentialism is whether there are any shared characteristics common to all women that unify them as a social group other than their biological and physiological predispositions. Many feminist theorists of the 1980s and 1990s (Scott, 1988; Fraser, 1989; Spelman, 1990) rejected essentialism on the grounds that human phenomena cannot be reduced to essentialist monolithic categories, and that universal claims about women presuppose an essential womanness (Spelman, 1990) that all women share, despite the racial, class, religious, ethnic and cultural differences among them, emphasizing instead questions of difference and identity. Essentialism was presumed to be a negative aspect of feminism: One use of a theory of discourse for feminist politics, then, is in understanding social identities in their full socio-cultural complexity, thus in demystifying static, single variable, essentialist views of gender identity. (Fraser, 1991, p. 99). To maintain that femininity predisposes women to certain (nurturing) jobs or (collaborative) styles of work is to naturalize complex economic and social processes and, once again, to obscure the differences that have characterized womens occupational histories. An insistence on differences undercuts the tendency to absolutist and essentialist categories. (Scott, 1988, p. 47). At the same time, an anti-anti-essentialist argument was raised (Stone, 2004), arguing that anti-essentialist claims denied women the motivation to work together as a collectivity. Within this current, strategic essentialism has been an influential strand. While it recognizes that essentialism is descriptively false as it denies the real diversity of womens lives and social situations, it defends essentialist claims in the sense that they are politically useful (multilateral organizations such as the United Nations tend to treat women as if they comprise a unitary group) and socially influential. This argument is especially relevant regarding (womens) social movements, which many believe require a deep notion of shared position and identity. Oppressed groups can deploy essentialism strategically as it enables them to organize common forms of identity and sustain a sense of solidarity. Throughout this essay I will use case studies from the Global South to argue that the emphasis on co mmonalities is especially useful when tackling gender inequalities, but that the possible solutions must adapt to local conditions (taking into account a countrys history and culture), and that the ideological neoliberalism has played an important role in fragmenting the representation of women as a homogenous unit of analysis. Mohanty (1998) argues that western feminist scholarship has produced an image of third world women as a homogeneous and powerless group, often represented as victims of particular socio-economic systems (women as victims of war crimes, women as refugeesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦), on the basis of a shared oppression. The focus should instead be on the common differences (the common experience of social exclusion, for instance) as the basis for solidarity and collective mobilization, which are achieved through an active engagement with diversity. Issues like poverty and (gender) inequality require collective bargaining despite the involvement of actors polarized along caste, class, gender, linguistic and ethnic lines (Emmerij et al, 2009), as is the case in the case study that follows. The Sangtin (literally meaning friendship in Awadhi, a language spoken in parts of Uttar Pradesh) writers, a group of seven female village-level NGO activists from the hierarchical state of Uttar Pradesh, in India , put forward a collective critique against institutional patriarchies, thus enacting a politics of solidarity among themselves, despite the differences within womens collectives the activists come from diverse caste and religious backgrounds. Their critiques are directed at Nari Samato Yohana (NSY), a donor-funded NGO and a World Bank Initiative that works to empower poor rural women. The writers highlight the paradoxes of NGO politics as these organizations can be both empowering in theory (through the encouragement of grassroots activism) and elitist in practice (in the form of donor-driven priorities and evaluations). They analyze processes of hierarchical character of donor-driven womens empowerment organizations that often disregard rural womens knowledge and expertise. Womens NGOs in Uttar Pradesh are being increasingly pressured by funding agencies, which attach no value to grassroots work until that work is measured by the standards of the funders. Furthermore, these NGOs that are aiming to empower poor women in rural communities are staffed and dominated by Hindu and upper-caste grassroots workers, while rural-based, less formally educated workers find themselves at the margins of institutional spaces, with little say on the running of the organization (Nagar Sangtin Writers, 2006). More generally, the activists challenge the popular perception that NGOs are potential agents for diffusing development and enabling empowerment, because hierarchical processes within NGOs can impede their stated goals of empowerment, class differences reinforced through the hierarchical structures of NGOs (male- and upper-caste-dominated). Thus, the Sangtin writers are not mere victims of the hierarchical processes as Mohanty would argue they are represented by some western feminist texts as they resist and challenge. The role of global initiatives and institutions in addressing gender inequalities is significant. Although the UN Decade for Women and the four global womens conferences held in Mexico, Copenhagen, Nairobi and Beijing between 1975 and 1995 did not find as much common ground between women worldwide as anticipated, the conferences elevated gender equality to the center of the global development agenda and internationalized the issue of womens equality (unless development is engendered, it is endangered). The consensus was that women should lead development rather than the earlier view, in which women were seen as being affected positively or negatively by economic development policies, and were integrated into the development process as victims. Both views, however, assume that all third world women have similar problems and needs. Despite this shift in the development discourse that has moved women from the periphery to the center and acclaimed them as the holders of solutions to glob al problems, the poverty of the worlds women has increased and intensified. Global economic and political processes (i.e. globalization) have exacerbated economic, racial and gender inequalities. Jain (2005) points to a restlessness within the womens movements that has led to a partial failure of the movement to reach the next stage of development. Differences of location, race, class, sexuality, and religion have at times been emphasized at the expense of the commonalities that can build strength to move forward. It is important to emphasize, however, that the existence of gender inequalities have radically different, historically specific explanations as the next case studies will show. Thus, superficially similar situations cannot be treated as identical. Furthermore, as Lourdes Arizpe argues, the construction of gender in every society is a cultural phenomenon. The way in which these differences are constructed will depend on the culture of every society, and it is through the use of cultural analysis that gender inequalities can be understood (Arizpe, cited in Jain, 2005). The case studies (based on Chant McIlwaine, 1998) involves analyzing the challenges women face in two very different countries Malaysia and Zimbabwe and to specifically see how gender inequalities need to be tackled and addressed in each case. On one hand, Malaysia has experienced high levels of economic growth in the last few decades, mainly due to export-oriented industrialization. It is an ethnically heterogeneous and pluralistic society. Social indicators reflect relatively high levels of human development, but when these are differentiated by gender it appears that men have made greater gains than women in most areas. The adult literacy rate among women is 75.4% compared with 87.8% among men. In terms of political participation, in 1994 women represented only 10% of seats at local and parliamentary levels and 7% of ministerial posts. Employment opportunities have increased and diversified in the context of rapid industrialization, but the ethnic Malay have been granted preferential access to opportunities. On the other hand, Zimbabwe is an ethnically homogenous country, in a transition from a white-dominated British colony to a democratic black republic. Although the government has focused on post-colonial restructuri ng and nation-building, gender issues have not been entirely sidelined. Women were of significant importance in the liberation war for Zimbabwe, by proving food, shelter, clothing and paramedical and intelligence services. Their active participation led to the new independence government to take active steps towards gender equality by setting up, in 1981, a Ministry for Community Development and Womens Affairs (MCDWA). Zimbabwe is still a predominantly rural country, with only 30% of its population residing in urban areas in 1992, and remains a patriarchal society. In the case of Malaysia, womens issues are then seen through the lens of political representation, and addressing gender inequalities should be put in the context of ethnic inequalities. A specific solution would be to introduce quota systems to increase the number of women in political office and to enable women to fully participate in and influence decision-making. In the case of Zimbabwe, land access for women is a maj or problem given the patriarchal nature of society where most of the land parcels are owned by men. As such, land redistribution should be incorporated into the debate on how to reduce gender inequalities. A countrys history, culture and ethnic diversity, among others, should be taken into account when addressing gender inequalities, because while women might share a common experience of oppression -whether in Malaysia or Zimbabwe the specific policy measures needed will vary significantly. Women in the Third World have had to bear the brunt of globalization this is not an essentialist claim, but a generalization based on statistical evidence. Poor women are hardest hit by the degradation environmental conditions, wars, famines, privatization of services and the dismantling of welfare states (Mohanty, 2003). The structural adjustment programs many poor countries have had to adapt in order to receive loans from the international financial institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have disproportionately squeezed women out of public sector employment, for example. Amy Linds (2002, 2003) research on Ecuador, however, challenges monolithic and globalized representations of women as victims of the globalization process, which have been made more difficult by a shift to neoliberalism and local women organizations most of which of a working-class and rural in nature becoming the new targets of development policy. Since the early 1980s successiv e Ecuadorian governments have received loans and implemented IMF/World Bank inspired structural adjustment programs (SAPs), which have had gendered impacts in the economy. These neoliberal policies affect women differently, the impact of which depends largely upon womens class, race, ethnicity and geographical location. As stated above, women in general have tended to lose out in this process, but this is particularly true for poor, rural indigenous women. Some women (especially women working within the state) have gained as a result of privatization policies and decentralization. Neoliberalism has had two opposing effects. On the one hand, it has provided the framework under which diverse political movements and actors have converged to challenge and reflect dissatisfaction with the neoliberal economic model and the lack of democratic progress under Abdalà ¡ Bucaram Ortizs presidency. A visible womens movement emerged as women activist in political parties, NGOs, rural and community based organizations, in political parties and in human rights organizations became increasingly frustrated with their marginalized roles under the new politico-economic system. They all invoked a form of strategic essentialism in an attempt to challenge the state and remake the nation in order to give women a greater voice in state policy affairs, and participated in the national strike leading up to President Ortizs removal from office. At the same time that women (as a unitary group) were rising to challenge President Ortizs policies, neoliberalism has exacerbated the differenc es between the women movements and fractured them. In the neoliberal context, economic and social disparities between women working with the state (state feminists) and poor, rural indigenous women who are the targets of state policies have become more apparent. This may contribute to a further fragmentation of a unified feminist movement, Lind (2003) argues, which is now characterized more by separate struggles than by any unified notion of a social movement, in the process of becoming a remnant of the past. Since neoliberalism positions women as clients for the states resources they are positioned in competition with each other for such resources. In short, while there is overlap between all the feminist strands, there is growing disagreement between feminist policy makers and activists regarding where women fit in the development arena, and whether there speak with a single, or multiple, fragmented voices. In conclusion, essentialist and anti-essentialist positions are located at the extreme ends of a spectrum. Addressing inequalities from these extremes does not represent a viable position. In order to move away from the essentialist/anti-essentialist dichotomies it is important to understand women not as completely different from each other, and at the same avoiding to assimilate them into a single dominant identity. Therefore, we need to look to the middle ground between essentialism and gender skepticism to find ways of talking about women that neither do violence to our diversity, nor represent us as inconsolably different (Heyes, 2000). Furthermore, women should neither be portrayed as victims to be rescued or heroines that hold the key to lift their countries and communities out of poverty. These extreme stances do not help in understanding the solutions that are needed to address women discrimination and inequalities. It seems that the best way forwards is for the struggle for gender equality to be channeled at various levels and through a variety of initiatives from the involvement of local womens groups, to NGOs at local, regional and international levels, governments and multilateral institutions and by not homogenizing their experiences. There will always be a framework of collective solidarity through which women can address the issue of gender inequality. Word count: 2302

Cato the Elder and Julius Caesar Essay -- Roman History

The Roman Republic's most memorable men are Cato the Elder and Julius Caesar. Each man gained unfathomable power over the greatest nation of the world for its time. Our world today continues to feel the affects of Caesar, who developed the modern day calendar system (Suet. Caesar, 40). Both men changed Rome and added to its rich and nobel history. Ancient biographers, Plutarch and Suetonius, give insightful glimpses into to the lives of Cato and Caesar, and what formed them into history makers. Through careful analysis of Cato and Caesar's biographies, it becomes apparent that they shared similar skills and values that vaulted them to the top of Roman society. However, they were strikingly different in how they used their skills and lived their lives. Although the lives of Cato and Caesar are similar in many respects, the biographies of Plutarch and Suetonius reveal that personality and family background are the main causes for their differences. Commonalities between Cato and Caesar abound in Suetonius and Plutarch's biographies. The most apparent similarity is physical appearance and ability. Cato followed a sober mode of living and trained hard to attain â€Å" a tough constitution and a body which was as strong as it was healthy† (P1). In battle Cato was a â€Å"formidable fighter, who stood his ground resolutely and and confronted his opponents with a ferocious expression â€Å" (P1). Caesar was also strong in body and battle. He was â€Å"tall fair and well built,† and he was â€Å"a most skillful swordsman and horseman, and showed surprising powers of endurance† (s45,57). The enormous number of victories left by Caesar are testimony to his skill as general and fighter. Similarity in strength is only one part of dom... ...ter, Julia, like a game piece and married her to pompey to form an alliance. Caesar's personality has clearly shown through in these examples of marriage and offspring. On the other hand, Cato views his offspring and marriage in a much different light.. Due to his sense of hard work and care for family, Cato believes strongly that if he puts effort into his son's education he will be rewarded with a son to be proud of. This turns out to be true because Cato receives a letter from his son's commander, in which his son is praised â€Å"in the highest terms for his gallantry† (plu. 20). Also, Cato only had one wife at a time, and only remarried after his first wife died (plu. 24). Compared to Caesar, Cato's moral nature is clearly shining through. Personality and character traits clearly show the how difference arise within the context of marriage and offspring.

Electronics Laboratory Report.

Laboratory Long report. Electronic laboratory practice Abstract: The aim of this laboratory was to make us familiar with how to use the different types of electronic equipment and how to accurately use them to make measurements. The equipment used in this laboratory included: (i) the signal generator which was used to supply the power used in the various procedures, (ii) The oscilloscope which was used to view and record the waves produced from the AC currents and then make relevant calculations based on that. iii) The DC power supply was used in the first two procedures which involved using the resistors. (iv) Familiarised with the multimeter and used it to take measurements (v) the experiment board which was used to do create most of the circuits and take the necessary measurements. Procedure 1: The measurement of resistance. The resistances of the 5k? and 22k? resistors were found using the theory and by taking the actual readings. The resistances of the resistors were first measu red by comparing the colour bands on the resistors to the colour code chart provided.The procedure for this is: there are four bands on each of the resistors, and each colour on the band denotes a specific number on the resistor colour code chart, which gives us the significant figure and the multiplier which is in powers of 10. The values using the colour code were calculated and found to be as follows. * 5. 1k? with a  ±5% tolerance * 21k? with  ±10% tolerance. These nominal values are the ones that are calculated but in reality the actual values of resistance can be a bit different from the ones calculated due to impurities.The actual resistances are measured by using a multimeter, the way this is done is that the resistors are mounted on an experiment board and then the multimeter is connected right across it. The values were recorded and found to be as follows: * 5. 037k? * 21. 047k? | Nominal value| Actual value| 5k? resistor| 5. 1k?  ±5% tolerance| 5. 307k? | 22k? resis tor| 21k?  ±10% tolerance| 21. 047k| In conclusion, it can be seen that there was a difference in the calculated nominal values of the resistors and the actual ones which were calculated.But they were still within their tolerance levels; there could be plenty of reasons for that which might include different types of batteries, differences in temperature of the room, impurities in different sections of the experiment board which might have affected the readings. ’ The tolerance level is defined as an allowable variation from a predefined standard. A value from an experiment or a variance is not considered significant unless it exceeds the limit set by the tolerance limit. ’ – www. bridgefieldgroup. om/bridgefieldgroup/glos9. htm For this reason, we can assume these differences in the actual values of the resistors to be insignificant since they were within the stated tolerances. Procedure 2: The measurement of voltage. In this experiment, the principle was to create a voltage divider circuit and to carry out the required measurements were undertaken to prove the principle of the voltage divider. For that, a circuit was created where a supply voltage was applied across two resistors R1 and R2 in series as shown in the figure below.And the two equations shown below were used to make the necessary calculations. Image source: http://www. ermicro. com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/basic_r01. jpg http://diy. griffshp. com/wp-content/VoltageDivider. jpg The experiment was carried by using two resistors of values R1 equal to 5k? and R2 equal to 22k?. The resistors were mounted on the experiment board and the voltage divider circuit was created. The power was supplied using a +6v power supply and the voltages across each of the resistors was calculated using the Agilent 34401 multimeter.The values were recorded and were found to be as follows: V1=1. 1846v V2=4. 89v The total of the voltages adds up to be 6. 0167v which is roughly about 6v ( the initial voltage supplied) which proves that the voltages are within the required tolerance. To compare these measured values to the nominal values which can be found using the voltage divider equation, substitute the values of R1 and R2 and use V as 6v to find the voltages across each of V1 and V2. v1=6*55+22=1. 11v * V2=6*225+22=4. 88v | Nominal values| Actual values| V1| 1. 11v| 1. 1846v| V2| 4. 88v| 4. 89v| In this experiment it was found that the actual values and the nominal vales were not much different from each other. This could have probably been because of the resistances in the wires or loose connections. But they were both within a tolerance level of 5% which makes the difference insignificant and accountable for experimental error.The outcome of the experiment was that the voltages were shared between the two resistors and the larger resistor got the larger share of the voltage whereas the smaller resistance got the showed smaller voltage passing through it. This prove d the values that we found using the nominal calculations of the voltages. Procedure 3: current measurement. In this experiment, we use the current divider rule which is similar to the voltage divider equation except that the way the circuit is constructed is it is in parallel instead of series.The experiment was set up in the method shown below and the necessary calculations were made. The circuit was constructed as shown in the schematic above and a DC voltage of +6v was passed through it, the currents were measured in each of the resistors and found to be: * I1(current across 5k? ) =1. 182A * I2(current across 22k? )=1. 192A (Ps: The rest of the rest of the report could not be completed since the original lab was not completed on time and hence the required information was missing. ) Table of Contents: 1. Procedure 1 2. Procedure 2 3. Procedure 3

The Nature Of Ergonomics Health And Social Care Essay

‘Ergonomics ‘ comes from two Grecian words, ‘ergos ‘ ( work ) and ‘nomos ‘ ( natural Torahs ) . Murrell developed the name in 1949 after working with a squad of physiologists, anatomists and applied scientists at Cambridge University during World War II on the design of arm systems to accommodate worlds ( Murrell 1975 ) . At the terminal of the War, the group stayed together to organize the Ergonomics Research Society, which became the precursor of similar administrations that exist in many states today. In the United States of America, this activity is referred to as Human Factors and several thousand full-time professionals are members of the Human Factors Society. In Australia, the Ergonomics Society of Australia Inc3 is besides a strong association with about 650 professionals working in the countries of biotechnologies, occupational wellness and safety, and design. Biotechnologies is the scientific survey of people, their work and their environment and utilizations informations derived from technology, anatomical, physiological and psychological beginnings ( Standards Association of Australia 1976, p. 6 ) . The Standards Association papers described biotechnologies as â€Å" the design of work so that the best usage is made of human capablenesss without transcending human restrictions † ( Standards Association of Australia 1976, p. 6 ) . This description was supported by Worksafe Australia ( 1989a, p. 44 ) , which stated that biotechnologies: purposes to advance the wellbeing, safety and efficiency of the worker by the survey of his or her capablenesss and restrictions in relation to the work system, machine or undertaking and in relation to the physical, psychological and societal environment in which he or she works. A more elaborate definition describes biotechnologies as: that subdivision of scientific discipline and engineering that includes what is known and theorized about human behavioral and biological features that can be validly applied to the specification, design, rating, operation, and care of merchandises and systems to heighten safe, effectual, and fulfilling usage by persons, groups and organisations ( Christensen et Al. 1988 ) . More late the Ergonomics Society of Australia Inc ( ESA ) ( 2001, p. 2 ) adopted the definition of biotechnologies as approved by the International Ergonomics Association, as follows: Biotechnologies ( or human factors ) is the scientific subject concerned with the apprehension of the interactions among worlds and other elements of a system, and the profession that applies theory, rules, informations and methods to plan in order to optimize human good being and overall system public presentation. This definition placed accent on biotechnologies as a ‘systems-oriented subject ‘ . The ESA noted that â€Å" ergonomists must hold a wide apprehension of the full range of the subject, taking into history the physical, cognitive, societal, organizational, environmental and other relevant factors, and that they may work in peculiar ‘application spheres ‘ , depicting three spheres as: Physical Ergonomics – concerned with human anatomical, anthropometric, physiological and biomechanical features as they relate to physical activity. Cognitive Ergonomics – concerned with mental procedures, such as perceptual experience, memory, concluding and motor response, as they affect interactions among worlds and other elements of a system. Organizational Ergonomics – concerned with the optimization of sociotechnical systems, including their organizational constructions, policies and procedures ( ESA 2001, p. 2 ) . Historically, the development of biotechnologies in Australia was closely associated with occupational wellness and safety due to the high incidence of musculoskeletal hurts in the workplace. Since so, the demand for a holistic attack â€Å" to counter the increasing impact of rapid technological alteration has been emphasized † ( Bullock 1999, p. 36 ) . Biotechnologies is â€Å" an attack † , â€Å" a doctrine † , â€Å" a manner of taking history of people in the manner we design and organize things † ( Wilson 1990, p. 3 ) that may be used to supply an environment in which worlds can bring forth their work in harmoniousness with ‘the machine ‘ to the improvement of work quality and measure and the care or betterment of the physical and behavioural environment. The application of biotechnologies within administrations can ensue in improved working techniques, decreased mistakes and accidents, improved industrial dealingss, and increased efficiency. By diminishing disablement and increasing work satisfaction and productiveness, biotechnologies contributes to a better quality of work life. The doctrine is to â€Å" change the undertaking to accommodate human capacity, instead than force the human to accommodate to an inappropriate undertaking † ( Patkin 1987, pp. 2, 4 ) . Among the cardinal issues related to optimum human interaction with computing machines were the physical layout of the computer science environment, illuming degrees and sound degrees ( Harper 1991, p. 39 ) . In an attempt to continually better the on the job conditions for computing machine users, biotechnologies research workers studied jobs related to equipment, furniture and the workstation environment. However, Patkin ( cited in Moore 1990, p. 45 ) noted that, while holding a suited environment and well-designed furniture and equipment is of import, it is besides of import that people â€Å" cognize how to utilize it right and integrate it into the sum work topographic point system † . The last clause is a major focal point of this thesis.ERGONOMIC RISK FACTORSBiotechnologies hazard factors are the facets of a occupation or undertaking that impose a biochemical emphasis on the worker. Biotechnologies hazard factors are the interactive elements of musculoskeletal disease jeopardies. The undermentioned ergonomic hazard factors are most likely to do or lend to an MSD. aˆ? repeat aˆ? force aˆ? contact emphasiss aˆ? awkward position aˆ? quiver aˆ? cold temperature aˆ? extrinsic emphasis It is of import to understand what a hazard factor is, or instead is non. A hazard factor itself is non needfully a causing agent for any peculiar MSD. Most of the times it is non merely the presence of a hazard factor, but the degree to which the hazard factor is conveyed that may take to MSDs. Similarly, to the extent a MSD instance is due to a hazard factor, sometimes it will be a combination of multiple hazard factors, instead than any individual factor, which contributes to or causes an MSD. It is besides important to observe, in measuring any peculiar instance of a MSD, that hazard factors may be experienced by the affected individual during non-occupational activities. when covering with any ergonomic issue, it would be a mistake to concentrate entirely on the workplace. Furthermore, non every person exposed to any or all of these hazard factors will develop a MSD. Nor, for that affair, will any two individuals who are exposed to the same combination of hazard factors and in the same phase, respond to them in the same manner. However, because these are common factors that may convey approximately to a MSD in some combination and in some persons, these seven hazard agents are discussed in greater item below.Repeats.Repeat rate is determined as the mean figure of motions or efforts executed by a joint or a organic structure nexus within a unit of clip. Repeated indistinguishable or similar gestures performed over a period of clip may do over-extension and overexploitation of some musculus groups, which may take to muscular fatigue. Interestingly, symptoms often associate non to the sinew and musculus groups involved in insistent motions, but to the stabilizing or counter sinew and musculus groups used to put and stabilise the appendage in infinite. Frequently, by altering undertakings, musculus groups have periods of activity interchanged with periods of remainder, which may be good in cut downing the cause of hurt.Force.Force is the mechanical or physical attempt to put to death a specific gesture or effort. Tasks or gestures that require application of higher force topographic point higher mechanical tonss on musculuss, sinews, ligaments and articulations. Tasks affecting high forces may do musculuss to tire more rapidly. High forces may besides take to annoyance, redness, strains and cryings of musculuss, sinews and other tissues. The force required to finish a motion additions when other hazard factors are besides involved. For illustration more physical attempt may be needed to execute undertakings when the velocity or acceleration of gestures additions, when quiver is present, or when the undertaking besides requires awkward positions. Force can be internal, such as when tenseness develops within the musculuss, ligaments and sinews during motion. Force can be external, as when a force is applied to the organic structure, either voluntarily or involuntarily. Forceful motions is most frequently associated with the motion of heavy tonss, such as raising heavy objects on and off a conveyer, presenting heavy bundles, forcing a heavy cart, or traveling a palette. Hand tools that involve pinch clasps require more forceful efforts than those that allow other clasps, such as power clasps.Contact Stresses.Contact emphasis consequences from periodic, repeated or uninterrupted contact between sensitive organic structur e tissue and difficult or crisp object. Contact emphasis normally affects the soft tissue on the fingers, thenars, forearms, shins, thighs and pess. This contact may make force per unit area over a little country of the organic structure ( e.g. carpus, forearm ) that may suppress blood flow, sinew and musculus gesture and nervus map. Examples of contact emphasis include resting carpuss on the crisp border of a desk or workstation when executing undertakings, pressing of tool grips into the thenar, particularly when they can non be put down, undertakings that involve manus pound, and sitting without equal remainder for the articulatio genuss.Awkward PositionPosition is the arrangement of a portion of the organic structure comparative to an next portion as measured by the angle of the joint associating them. Postural emphasis is seting on an extreme position at or shut to the normal scope of gesture. Position is one of the most frequently mentioned occupational hazard factors. There is an inert country of gesture for every jointing articulation in the organic structure. For each joint the scope of gesture is determined by motions that do non affect high muscular force or cause inordinate uncomfortableness. Injury hazards increase whenever work requires an single to put to death undertakings with organic structure sections outside their impersonal scope in a amused position. The upper arm and shoulder zone impersonal position is relaxed with the shoulders down and on the same degree, with weaponries at the side. Operating with the weaponries abducted off from the organic structure, overextended and shoulders stooped puts these articulations at the terminal of their normal scope of gesture, requires more muscular force and greatly increases the hazard for hurt. Labored sitting places, such as leaning sideways, writhing the vertebral column, flexing frontward or slouching Begin in response to compensation for specific work relationships but can go wont over clip. Position and positioning profile factors such as torso turn, tipped shoulders, caput tilt/rotation, raised cubituss ( either dominant, non-dominant, or both ) and runing with custodies near to the face are associated with increased hazard of musculoskeletal symptoms.VibrationVibration is the oscillating gesture of a physical organic structure. Vibration has been found to be an aetiologic factor in work environments utilizing tools vibrating in the frequence set of 20 to 80 hertz. localized quiver, such as quiver of the manus and arm, occurs when a specific portion of the organic structure comes into contact with vibrating objects such as powered manus tools ( e.g. concatenation saw, electric drill, come offing cock ) or equipment ( e.g. wood planing machine, punch imperativeness, boxing machine ) . Whole-body quiver occurs when standing or sitting in vibrating environments ( e.g. driving a truck over rough roads ) or when utilizing heavy vibrating equipment that requires whole organic structure engagement ( e.g. air hammers )Cold Temperature.Cold temperature refer to exposure to excessive cold while executing work undertakings. Cold temperatures can cut down the sleight and sensitiveness of the custodies. Cold temperatur es, for illustration, do the worker to use more clasp force to keep and tools and objects. Besides, prolonged contact with cold surfaces ( e.g. managing cold meat ) can impair sleight and bring on numbness. Cold is a job when it is present with other hazard factors and is particularly debatable when it is present with quiver exposure. Of these hazard factors, force ( i.e. forceful efforts ) , repeat and awkward positions, particularly when happening at high degrees or in combination, are most frequently associated with the happening of MSDs. Exposure to one ergonomic factor may be adequate to do or lend to a covered MSD. However, most frequently ergonomic hazard factors act in combination to make a jeopardy. Jobs that have a multiple hazard factor have a greater likeliness of doing an MSD, depending on the continuance, frequence and/or magnitude of exposure to each. Therefore, it is of import that ergonomic hazard factors be considered in visible radiation of their combined consequence in doing or lending to an MSD.

strenuous life essays

strenuous life essays In the late 1800s, Theodore Roosevelt became well known for delivering popular speeches. One of the main topics that Roosevelt preached was the strenuous life. His philosophy of the strenuous life was that one should earn things from working for them. Roosevelt taught that the highest form of success comes from those who work the hardest and demonstrate the most efforts. Having the satisfaction of knowing that you worked laboriously for something, and in return have a rewarding result, that is the strenuous life. But, is Roosevelt's philosophy of the strenuous life still applicable today? August 13, 1999 marked an important day in my life. On the 13th, I turned 17 and passed my driving test. After having spent lots of time thinking about it, I decided that since I had this new responsibility, I should use it to my advantage. Now that I could commute and commit myself, I decided to start to search for my first job. The first place that I had applied to, Allure Hair Designers, hired me as their receptionist. I knew that things in my life were about to change. At the end of my first week of work, I received my first paycheck. I went home from work that day, and sat in bedroom all night thinking of what I should do with this money. Before this, the thought of budgeting money had never really occurred to me because I knew that I was always able to depend on my parents for financial support. However, I decided that things would be different now. I use my first paycheck to take my parents out for a nice dinner at their favorite restaurant. This restaurant is not personally one of my favorites, but for all that they have done for me, it was the least I could do. When the bill came, I paid for it, without hesitating. As I waited for the waiter to bring me my change, I realized that this was the best meal that I had ever had. The reason for this was not because the food was prepared especially well, but rather ...

Need for Effective Networking for Consultants

Need for Effective Networking for Consultants There is no guarantee that someone who networks will be successful in business. In fact, ninety-five percent of networking activities do not translate to any tangible benefits. However, people that succeed in business participate in networking events. The point here is that doing it does not guarantee it will work, but success relies on it.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Need for Effective Networking for Consultants specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More People who benefit from networking understand that networking is a lot more than just meeting people. They know that it takes effort and initiative to turn the networking event into a good use of time. The basic philosophy behind successful networking is that the events provide an individual with the opportunity to meet people with whom they can have mutual benefit. Effective networking is an essential skill for all consultants. The nature of consulting is such that prior contact adds to the odds of someone agreeing to hire a person. It is imperative to develop strong networking skills to succeed in business. Effective Networking Techniques A consultant has several options to choose from when it comes to the choice of networking techniques. The traditional models stressed on the need for carrying business cards to networking events. It is the easiest way of giving a new contact a way to make contact, but it is in itself not sufficient for effective results. There is the increasing use of blogs and websites as a means of interacting with potential clients. What blogs provide is the opportunity to come off as an expert in a field. This is the dream of every consultant hence the need to have some online presence. Many consultants also use social medial platforms such as tweeter and face book to meet new people. A time-tested method of successful networking is using the same methods that social coaches advocate for like maintaining eye contact when talk ing to someone, listening more than talking, and generally taking genuine interest other people. This makes a person appear sincere and friendly, one that you would want to do business with someday. One of the key things to remember is that the first meeting is never a sales meeting. As soon as people realize that you are trying to sell to them on the first meeting in an environment not meant for it, they do not leave with a good impression. In networking events, the point is to make positive contact, which may or may not lead to a direct business deal.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Networking Plan among Clients The first thing that the consultancy will do is to seek to establish itself as an expert status organization. This is the lifeline of all consultancies. The best way available for the company to do this is by opening and maintaining a blog, website, or bu lletin and using it to address general queries about the issues in its area of business. The quality of the posts determines the apparent success in creating the expert status impression. In networking events, it helps to draw out the people who show interest in the services of the company, or who seem to need the services without realizing it. This requires tact because one can easily come off as a show-off. The best way to do this is to talk about actual cases settled by the company and the results that came about. The third way that the company will ensure it makes the most out of its networking opportunities is by making the events memorable for the people that attend them. There are very many options available for this. They include issuing specials cards either as contact cards or as simply cards with memorable messages on them. If the cards stand out enough, then the person will always remember the meeting, which is the whole point of networking. Networking Plan among Peers I t is somewhat easier to network among peers because of the existing history. However, there is a chance that they will not be as easy to do business with because of the personal relationship shared in these situations. The line between professional and social engagements is simply too blurred. In order to network effectively with peers, it is imperative to maintain a professional demeanor at all times. Avoid giving unnecessary favors to your friends because those favors do not count as much towards business objectives. The next way to make the most out of networking opportunities is to practice reciprocity. Take time to refer clients to businesses near you and chances are they will refer the business to others clients. The truth is that there will be some unpleasant moments during networking. The main thing is that the expert should learn to let the unpleasant experiences go away. The final thing to bear in mind during networking events is that personal relationships, especially tho se that are intimate in nature ought to be with people we have known for a while and not new acquaintances. It is also important for clients to see that the consultant is not an excessive drinker. Personal life can have a big impact on networking capacity. Reference List Davis, I. M. (2005). The American Entrepreneur in Asia: A Personal Journey of Global Proportions. Lincoln, NE: iUniverse.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Need for Effective Networking for Consultants specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Mongay, J. (2011). Business and Investments in Asia. Madrid: ESIC Editorial.

A Story Of An Hour Feelings Essay

A Story Of An Hour: Feelingss Essay, Research Paper A Story of An Hour: Feelingss In the short narrative? A Story of An Hour? by Kate Chopin, the whole scope of emotions are felt by the chief charter Louise Mallard. Upon acquisition of her hubby # 8217 ; s decease she is instantly overcome by unhappiness. However, one time she is entirely she allows herself to see her feelings of joy at the chance of being free from? repression. # 8221 ; She is no more able to staff off the feeling that was nearing her than seeking to halt the moving ridges from hitting the shore. Basically stated we are powerless over our feelings. First, one can province that no affair how difficult we try we can non maintain a experiencing from coming over us. Louises # 8217 ; feelings come from deep within her psyche. Physical exhaustion followed her first storm of heartache. At first she did non cognize what was coming to her. She could non even give it a name. When she started to acknowledge it, she was seeking to crush it back with sheer will power. Merely to happen that will power is no lucifer for the entire encompassing of feelings. Once she had abandoned herself the word? free? had escaped from her lips. She did non intentionally want it but it had come anyhow. Unmistakably, a joy over took her. Not that she would non be sad once more, but for now she was like a bird allow out of the degree Celsius age. Mrs. Mallard was a good illustration of Shakespeare # 8217 ; s line? To Thine ain ego be true. # 8221 ; She did non let guilt to rise up it # 8217 ; s ugly head but alternatively merely felt her feelings. She allowed no 1 to witness her self averment. But, it was the strongest urge of her being. As she was projecting spring and summer yearss to come, a feeling that her life would be her ain once more gave her a contentment that she had non felt in a long clip. No 1 really knew what Mrs. Mallard had experienced behind her closed door. Although, the human bosom was meant to cover with that much hurting, joy and letdown in one twenty-four hours neer mind one hr. To her sister ( Josephine ) it would look that she died of joy when she saw her partner was non dead. The truth was buried with Louise. Tragically, what seemed to be great joy was a heartache felt for her freedom that had been so short lived. Concluding, the roller coaster of emotions was to extreme for Louises # 8217 ; delicate bosom to bear, go forthing her no pick but to decease with her secret. It # 8217 ; s a fact that people are governed by their emotions. Trying to command them has neer been something that the human race has been able to carry through. God gave us a free-will. Therefore, we are non powerless over our actions, nevertheless, feelings sneak in to our psyche without being asked.

Analysis and response assignment of joan didion's on going home Essay

Analysis and response assignment of joan didion's on going home - Essay Example Although, this past life will give them fond and nostalgic memories, it could affect their present life, including the lives of their currently related ones. This tough feeling and dilemma could occur to any individual, and it happened to Joan Didion as well. Joan Didion’s wish to connect with her childhood life including her parents and other relatives in California negatively impacts her present life in Los Angeles, which includes her husband and daughter. So, this paper focusing on Joan Didion’s work On Going Home will analyze her dilemma of wishing to hold on to her past life although her present life is calling her. The paper will also provide a personal perspective of how Didion’s dilemma somewhat ‘mirrors’ the dilemma of mine. Didion begins the story by stating that her "home" is not the â€Å"house in Los Angeles where my husband and I and the baby live, but the place where my family is, in Central Valley of California† (Didion 125). So, from her nuclear family life in Los Angles, Didion visits her extended family in Central Valley, California to celebrate the first birthday of her daughter and importantly to connect with her childhood life and recollect the nostalgic memories. However, at the outset itself, Didions husband does not want to stay in California and wants to return immediately to their home in Los Angeles. He does not like it in there because, first Didion’s family does not wholeheartedly accept him and do not treat him as an important individual, mainly referring him as Joans husband. Importantly, he feels that as Didion stays there for a long time, she changes her way of living adopting her families’ lifestyle, instead of following his way of living. These grievances of her husband complicates her mind because, she does not want to stop her visits to her family home, but at the same time does not want to offend and oppose her husband. Her wish to travel on a neutral path, balancing both

Choose one topic from four Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Choose one topic from four - Assignment Example In order to identify the objective of the GATT/WTO, it is revealed that GATT/WTO has concentrated towards international trade policies with the intention of ensuring the international trade agenda. At the same time, GATT/WTO has tried to develop the international trade security. In this regard, GATT/WTO has concentrated towards economic factors with the intention of ensuring the interdependent international trade policy. In this context, GATT/WTO has emphasised towards securing the supply of natural resources such as oil, food as well as human security among the global countries. Apart from this, GATT/WTO has concentrated on political framework to establish a supportive internal trade relation among the global players and to create a supportive business environment. Additionally, it can be claimed that for ensuring the economic factor and positive trade relations among the global players, WTO/GATT has concentrated towards world industrials systems and also tried combat with environme ntal threats such as climate change. Additionally, it can be claimed that the WTO/GATT has provided its superior effort with the aim of enhancing the international trade as well as investment environment (Falkner, 2011). The objective of this paper is to identify the economic theory underpinning contemporary international economic relations. At the same time, this particular assignment has concerned with the broad principles underpinning WTO law, and with an analysis of specific agreements and disputes. Moreover, the study intended to identify the contemporary legal problems of WTO. With the effect of globalization and internationalization, it is revealed that most of nations no longer discussed in isolation, rather it is revealed that larger numbers of nations have concentrated on economic and political chance for ensuring the international political relations. In this regard, it is witnessed that several

Arson and youth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Arson and youth - Essay Example Towards the end I would like to point out some of the interventions related to the topic. Arson is a serious crime since it destroys property, kills and injures people and creates unrest in the neighborhoods. Arson is the leading cause of fire in the United States. Approximately 28% of all fires are attributed to arson (Arson in the United States, 1997). According to the statistics provided by the FBI youth arson cases account for almost half of all those who are arrested for arson. These statistics have remained the same for the ninth consecutive year (Focus Adolescent Services, 2000). In 2003 approximately 51% of those arrested for arson were youth under the age of 18. Approximately one third were under fifteen and three percent were under ten years of age. Several studies have been carried out to find out the relationship between youth and arson. It is quite common among children to show interest in playing with fire. For many children this interest in fire play leads them to the act of arson. This behavior can become a habit which makes it a criminal activity (Focus Adolescent Services, 2000). Approximately 60% of the inmates of California Correctional Facility reported arson activities in their youth. Often the age group was under ten years and the first targets were trash cans (Arson in the United States, 1997). Although most of the children do not start fire with malicious intention still the economic and human damage it causes is devastating. It has been estimated that the youth arson is responsible for 300 deaths and 2000 injuries annually and approximately $300 million property damage and approximately 400,000 incidents annually. Juveniles can be arrested for the act of arson. However several factors are considered before arresting a child for arson. These include the age of the child, his history in relation to fire setting and the intention behind fire setting. Although the

Logistics Policy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Logistics Policy - Research Paper Example rategic design of structures and policies, as well as decision making dwelling on material and information flows, fashioned at supporting and enhancing competitive advantage (Waters, 2003). Strategic decisions hinge on aspects such as warehouses, distribution centres, as well as transportation modes to be employed. The logistics industry has undergone massive changes in recent decades, especially in areas of integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, packaging, material handling, and security; it is no longer home-based and functions in a global market. The North America Free Trade Agreement involves U.S., Canada, and Mexico, and entails harmonization of the members’ logistics policies and procedures, as well as making logistics systems interoperable. The size of U.S. economy and its geographical location have motivated the United States in taking a factual leadership position in matters regarding facilitation of intermodal logistics and transport within the region, inclusive of cross-border facilitation. The move towards a unified and interconnected modal system has been critical in the growth of logistics systems. Benefits arising from an integrated intermodal system include lower transport costs, lower environmental impact, enhanced national productivity, and efficiency. Intermodal transport and logistics is mainly driven by the industry via its search for the low cost solutions. Other factors playing a part include market deregulation and competition between shippers and carriers, which lead to a reduction in transport-related transaction costs for business (Murphy & Wood, 2010). The global sourcing of parts, goods and services, and raw materials has heightened the importance of logistic networks. Besides, trends towards internationalization and innovation have enhanced the need for organizations to be more alert and receptive to the contextual changes. The evolving trends in the creation of an international logistics hub demands

Corporate social responsibility and customer satisfaction in the Dissertation

Corporate social responsibility and customer satisfaction in the hospitality industry - Dissertation Example Business operations matching with the sustainability standards has turn out to be a significant issue for organizations and their stakeholders on a global level and is today the part of conventional business framework. Well-known as CSR, the concept requires a principled and dependable position in business operations to take account of the community’s well-being. Idea for a novel trade framework combining the ethics and business, lucidity, the surrounding, stakeholders and society are now widespread, needing dialog between society, government regulators and businesses. The significance of CSR within the travel and tourism sector has grown, especially, in the prevailing years along with the ecological issues of climate change, depletion of natural resources, degradation, fair trade, and human rights issues (Sheldon and Sun-Young, 2011).From the present study the tourism sector can gain relevant insight about the latest trends of the hospitality industry and thus they can formul ate their upcoming strategies keeping in mind the needs and wants of the consumers. On the other hand the consumers who wish to avail such services can get to know about the corporate social responsibility of this sector and can also get access to other relevant information. Moreover this study would prove to be helpful for the stakeholders related to the industry who will get an idea about the future prospect of the industry and accordingly they would plan their investments into the sector. Research Aim The main aim of the current study is to explore the significance of Corporate Social Responsibility within the industry. Research Objectives The various objectives of the study are listed below- 1. To explore the impact of CSR on hospitality organizations and customer satisfaction 2. To analyse how hotel uses the CSR as a marketing tool 3. To investigate the barriers to CSR in hotels 4. To suggest recommendations for hotels regarding their CSR practices Initial Review of Relevant Li terature Definition of CSR The term Corporate Social Responsibility represents a management notion whereby the firms combine the environmental and social aspects within their business activities and dealings with their shareholders and investors. It implies a scenario by the means of which the firm gains a balance between the environmental, social and economic necessity whilst at the same time meets the expectations of the stakeholders and shareholders (United Nations Industrial Development Organization, n.d.). The concept has received growing attention during the earlier decades, both amongst the academic fiction and practioners. The initial focus of the firms was on the â€Å"social† duties and responsibilities for instance community based programs, paying fair salary to the employees. However a recent inclusion to this concept is the responsibility towards the environment for instance the elimination of the carbon-dioxide emissions from the surrounding. The concept of â₠¬Å"environmental CSR† has become an essential area of CSR and acts as an extremely important element in the corporate world (FLAMMER, 2013). According to the

Arson and youth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Arson and youth - Essay Example Towards the end I would like to point out some of the interventions related to the topic. Arson is a serious crime since it destroys property, kills and injures people and creates unrest in the neighborhoods. Arson is the leading cause of fire in the United States. Approximately 28% of all fires are attributed to arson (Arson in the United States, 1997). According to the statistics provided by the FBI youth arson cases account for almost half of all those who are arrested for arson. These statistics have remained the same for the ninth consecutive year (Focus Adolescent Services, 2000). In 2003 approximately 51% of those arrested for arson were youth under the age of 18. Approximately one third were under fifteen and three percent were under ten years of age. Several studies have been carried out to find out the relationship between youth and arson. It is quite common among children to show interest in playing with fire. For many children this interest in fire play leads them to the act of arson. This behavior can become a habit which makes it a criminal activity (Focus Adolescent Services, 2000). Approximately 60% of the inmates of California Correctional Facility reported arson activities in their youth. Often the age group was under ten years and the first targets were trash cans (Arson in the United States, 1997). Although most of the children do not start fire with malicious intention still the economic and human damage it causes is devastating. It has been estimated that the youth arson is responsible for 300 deaths and 2000 injuries annually and approximately $300 million property damage and approximately 400,000 incidents annually. Juveniles can be arrested for the act of arson. However several factors are considered before arresting a child for arson. These include the age of the child, his history in relation to fire setting and the intention behind fire setting. Although the

Corporate social responsibility and customer satisfaction in the Dissertation

Corporate social responsibility and customer satisfaction in the hospitality industry - Dissertation Example Business operations matching with the sustainability standards has turn out to be a significant issue for organizations and their stakeholders on a global level and is today the part of conventional business framework. Well-known as CSR, the concept requires a principled and dependable position in business operations to take account of the community’s well-being. Idea for a novel trade framework combining the ethics and business, lucidity, the surrounding, stakeholders and society are now widespread, needing dialog between society, government regulators and businesses. The significance of CSR within the travel and tourism sector has grown, especially, in the prevailing years along with the ecological issues of climate change, depletion of natural resources, degradation, fair trade, and human rights issues (Sheldon and Sun-Young, 2011).From the present study the tourism sector can gain relevant insight about the latest trends of the hospitality industry and thus they can formul ate their upcoming strategies keeping in mind the needs and wants of the consumers. On the other hand the consumers who wish to avail such services can get to know about the corporate social responsibility of this sector and can also get access to other relevant information. Moreover this study would prove to be helpful for the stakeholders related to the industry who will get an idea about the future prospect of the industry and accordingly they would plan their investments into the sector. Research Aim The main aim of the current study is to explore the significance of Corporate Social Responsibility within the industry. Research Objectives The various objectives of the study are listed below- 1. To explore the impact of CSR on hospitality organizations and customer satisfaction 2. To analyse how hotel uses the CSR as a marketing tool 3. To investigate the barriers to CSR in hotels 4. To suggest recommendations for hotels regarding their CSR practices Initial Review of Relevant Li terature Definition of CSR The term Corporate Social Responsibility represents a management notion whereby the firms combine the environmental and social aspects within their business activities and dealings with their shareholders and investors. It implies a scenario by the means of which the firm gains a balance between the environmental, social and economic necessity whilst at the same time meets the expectations of the stakeholders and shareholders (United Nations Industrial Development Organization, n.d.). The concept has received growing attention during the earlier decades, both amongst the academic fiction and practioners. The initial focus of the firms was on the â€Å"social† duties and responsibilities for instance community based programs, paying fair salary to the employees. However a recent inclusion to this concept is the responsibility towards the environment for instance the elimination of the carbon-dioxide emissions from the surrounding. The concept of â₠¬Å"environmental CSR† has become an essential area of CSR and acts as an extremely important element in the corporate world (FLAMMER, 2013). According to the

About Wine Essay Example for Free

About Wine Essay What is wine? It is one of the most sensual and tasteful drinks you have ever drunk. It has been over hundreds of years and till today, wine has never disappointed our mouth feels. The most important of selling wines are the packaging, because the value packaging as a marketing tool. But how many companies know how to put up their wines into markets, and who know that packaging is the first step to extract customer. In this century, a lot of people have problem to choose a bottle for dinner or for any occasion, the mainly is too many bottle of wines for them to choose from and some of the wines label are not too clear to read and it might be a problem for customer. See more:Â  Manifest Destiny essay So means that wines marketing as wines packaging as label are so important to target customer. Nowadays most wines are sold in glass bottle and are sealed using corks as the packaging. Most the wines producers have been using alternative closures such as plastic corks, screw caps and tap. The mainly is because of the costs of produces and also to prevent cork taint. In this day, some of the wines are packaged in thick and heavy plastic bags with cardboards boxes cover as label. The wines are normally connected with tap on the side of the box, the box wine can stay up to one week after opening or less, it depends how much oxidized has been mixed in. This is another newest packaging in wines in the world, so that it also extracts some new people to buy it. But the important are the wines label, have to descript clearly and bit more extractive to the customer.

Structuralist and Modernist Theories of Development

Structuralist and Modernist Theories of Development This essay is going to look at the rather broad question which theory of development I find most persuasive. It will look at the different theories of development and then critically assess the theories to show that I believe Modernisation theory to be the most persuasive, using examples to back up my argument. To fully engage with the question the essay will start by looking at and assessing Modernisation theory, secondly the essay will look at a structuralist approach and how it differs to modernisation theory. The essay will then look at political development theory and the differences between the theories, before concluding to try and show that overall the most persuasive theory of development is Modernisation. After World War Two we saw a departure from Classical Economics and Growth Theory to Modernisation Theory. The Theory reflected both a changing international political circumstance and developments made in social science circles with the journal Economic Development and Cultural Change publishing the social scientists findings of their Modernisation research . Walt Rostow presented his thesis on Modernisation theory looking at it as a five-stage process, showing countries moving from traditional societies to modern societies, the last stage for Rostow being The age of high mass consumption' (Hopper, 2012), which is when a country maintains high economic growth for an appropriate length of time. It follows the general principles of the Modernisation theory that it is a linear process of changing older traditions, methods and structures that countries have previously followed. Rostow believed that a way for Developing countries to benefit from Modernisation was for aid from developed c ountries to be sent to these countries so that they could gain some productive investments. The Marshall plan and the Alliance for Progress in Latin America were programs that were influenced heavily by Rostows theory. The Alliance for Progress was established between America and Latin America to promote economic and political development within the countries (Ish-Shalom, 2004). The Alliance had a few successes, for example growth in regional output in Latin America increased by 0.4% per capita, however during the 1960s 13 of the governments within the alliance were taken over by a military dictatorship leading an abrupt failure of the alliance. By the end of the 1960s the theory of Modernisation was under attack, a main reason being because many believed that the theories linear view dismisses the extent to which societies can be very diverse and different to other countries, especially those in the west, as these countries may fight change and resist changing their traditions, as it is assumed by authors that Third World Countries are traditional whilst Western countries are developed. In his book, John Martinussen talks about how some Modernisation theorists assume that because the model has worked in developed countries it will automatically transfer to work in developing countries (Hopper, 2012). Similarly, these ideas of development hugely downplay the level to which international conditions could impede development in the South. Structuralists would argue that developing countries are powerless to control their own futures because modernisation theory was to focused upon endogenous factors that it overlooked external factors due to the international economic order.   Ã‚   Structuralists focused on the structure of the international economy to look for patterns of the level of development in countries around the world. The theory is influenced by Keynesian which is a critique of classical economics and talks about how states rely upon government intervention and having a mixed economy, and that to become developed states should focus on achieving this, as the belief was that it would stimulate the economy and development within the country. The belief relied heavily upon governments in developing countries encouraging industrialisation through support such as financial help. Therefore, like modernisation theory we can see that structuralism shares a belief in industrialisation in a countries development. Also, the structuralist approach is rooted in Latin American experience, where the countries were very critical of international trade and there were attempts to discover and explain the lack of development in the area. Raul Prebisch looked at the idea of there being a structural rift in the international economy (Edgar J. Dosman, 2012) in which Latin America sat on the edge of this rift as it had the function of being able to provide natural resources, mainly serving those countries in the centre. With assistance from Prebisch CEPAL developed a theory of economic development for Latin America. This approach was based upon the ideas that development should not be copied from Western countries but instead established so that it represents the reality within the developing country. It also believed that protectionist policies should be adopted, such as importing tariffs on imported goods, as without such policies these countries would struggle to survive in the international free trade market as they would be in direct competition with western countries. CEPAL concluded that development, in Latin America at least, needs to take place within a Capitalist system and that countries that produced industrial goods would grow faster than those which specialised in primary commodities. Some structuralists held that countries of the Global South could overcome the unintentional restraints put on them by the already developed countries through trading between themselves (Hopper, 2012). Therefore, Structuralists would advocate a policy of Import-substitution industrialisation (ISI) described by Valpy Fitzgerald as being state-led industrialization, when CAPEAL was formed the organisation continued to push ISI as it was dealing with the shocks felt within Latin America from the disruption of international trade because of the Great Depression through World War Two, and by the 1950s CEPAL wanted to create a region-wide market that would capture economies of scale in production. (Love, 2005). Manufacturing in Latin America increased yearly by 6.3% (Sheahan, cited in Hopper 2012), showing that this structuralist approach had a positive effect in this area of the Global South, however some manufacturing industries in countr ies with small domestic markets struggled as they had limited population size to market their goods too and were further limited by the populations low incomes, leading to reductions in foreign exchange earnings so these industries would struggle to afford the technology needed to manufacture their goods which ISI was reliant on to work. ISI also ignored bureaucracy and corruption that have been a part of the states and governments throughout the world. Overall there were too many faults with some structuralists ideas and Latin America abandoned ISI after the debt crisis in the region in 1982. After the slow dissolution of ISI in Latin America, with a worsening debt crisis and terms of trade for primary products deteriorating a new approach, Dependency Theory, began to come to light from radical and neo-Marxists who began with critiquing both Modernisation and Structuralist theories. Their general argument is that Capitalism in the international community produces increased inequalities in levels of development allowing the North to exploit and extract wealth from the South. Paul Baran, a Development academic, considered this structure as the morphology of backwardness. (Bellamy Foster, 2007). Within Latin America Andrà © Gunder Frank argued that the lack of development within these countries can be directly connected to development in other areas of the world, this is through looking at a Capitalist world system characterised by a centre-periphery dichotomy where Latin America sits on the periphery with the countries of the North in the centre, the result of this dichoto my being an unequal exchange in the international market with the North becoming developed and dominating and the South being underdeveloped and dependent. A conclusion from dependency theorists seemed to be that capitalism needs to be abolished if underdevelopment is the result of a capitalist society. However, a challenge to the theory emerged when newly industrialised countries could almost be seen to be bridging the gap in the dichotomy, Immanuel Wallerstein disagreed slightly with dependency theory and stated that the dichotomy had three levels; centre, semi-periphery and periphery, Wallerstein developed World-systems theory. This theory sought to explain the central-periphery dichotomy produced by the Capitalist system, Wallerstein offer a more fluid concept of the dichotomy saying that it is possible for countries to move in and out of these categories whether it be due to development or economic decline, this can account for the change in countries such as China and India (H opper, 2012). However, critics would argue that despite Wallersteins theory that Dependency theorists underplay internal and natural causes of underdevelopment. During the 1980s Latin America witnessed an economic crisis leaving the areas GDP growth rate as 1.1% whereas its overall growth rate of its per capita GDP was negative (Shixue, 2008). This was due to flaws from the ISI model and corruption within the region by officials. Also, many claim that the theory fails to provide answers to developing countries predicament, as the theory states that dependency is a root cause of their underdevelopment but provides no escape. There is either a need for developed countries to disconnect themselves from the international market or for a creation of a new international economic system. Therefore, Dependency theory provides little hope to developing countries. In conclusion when analysing the different theories of development it is apparent that all the three main theories can be recognised as having some influence within developing countries.

Impact of Globalization on Mexican Culture and Identity Essay -- Mexic

The ethnic- Mexican experience has changed over the years as American has progressed through certain period of times, e.g., the modernity and transformation of the southwest in the late 19th and early 20th century, the labor demands and shifting of U.S. immigration policy in the 20th century, and the Chicano Civil Rights Movement. Through these events Mexican Americans have established and shaped their culture, in order, to negotiate these precarious social and historical circumstances. Throughout the ethnic Mexicans cultural history in the United States, conflict and contradiction has played a key role in shaping their modalities of life. Beginning in the late 20th century and early 21st century ethnic Mexicans have come under distress from the force of globalization. Globalization has followed the trends of conflict and contradiction forcing ethnic Mexicans to adjust their culture and combat this force. While Mexican Americans are in the struggle against globalization and the impac t it has had on their lives, e.g., unemployment more common, wages below the poverty line, globalization has had a larger impact on their motherland having devastating affects unlike anything in history. Globalization has taken over the role of shaping the ethnic-Mexican culture. Globalization is the force that is establishing the divides of conflict and contradiction. Of course to pursue further this understanding of globalization’s effects we must first understand what exactly globalization is. According to Merriam-Webster, globalization is the act or process of globalizing, the state of being globalized, especially, the development of an increasingly integrated global economy marked especially by free trade, free flow of capital, and the tapping ... ...l unlike the Americans in the war. Globalization is affecting the whole globe and doing the same things throughout the world, as it tries to create uniform culture. Ultimately, Globalization is a powerful force which will try to deprive lesser nations of their culture and identities. However, culture is a powerful force which allows for the contradictions and conflict faced between the globalizing world to be solved and answered. With culture ethnic-Mexicans are able to remain who they are, a rich, diverse culture with a long history. The one positive of globalization has been the ability of cultures to share their greatness with others and spread about the world. However, this comes with caution, as cultures sometimes battle for dominance in an area. Globalization is good for some, terrible for others, but through culture people are able to maintain their identi

Bone Diseases :: essays research papers fc

Bone diseases most directly influence the ability to walk or to move any part of the body--hands, limbs, neck, and spine. They are related to joint disorders--ARTHRITIS, COLLAGEN DISEASE, DISLOCATION of joints, and RHEUMATISM. The medical specialty pertaining to bone disorders is ORTHOPEDICS. Fractures are the most common bone disorders. They can occur as the result of an accident or be secondary to metabolic diseases. Fractures are life-threatening to aged people having the metabolic bone disease OSTEOPOROSIS, in which bones become porous and brittle. A person, mostly women, having osteoporosis may break a hip during a fall and possibly die from complications. Birth Defects Congenital bone diseases constitute a wide spectrum, ranging from the unimportant--for instance, mild bow legs--to severe lesions, such as spina bifida, in which the lower end of the spine fails to develop properly and the baby is born with paralysis and misshapen vertebrae. Congenital diseases may have hormonal bases: for example, fibrous DYSPLASIA, in which fibrous tissue replaces that of some bones, often results in bone deformity; in addition, some girls with this disease physically mature so early that they are capable of pregnancy and childbirth at the age of seven. Congenital defects also may have genetic bases, as in families who have extra fingers or toes or in the disease osteogenesis imperfecta, in which children have such brittle bones that many are fractured. Disorders of growth and development include several kinds of dwarfism and gigantism. Bones or limbs may develop deformity as the result of known causes, such as the infection poliomyelitis, or unknown or variable causes, such as curvature of the spine (SCOLIOSIS) or CLUBFOOT. Infections Infections of bone, called osteomyelitis, are usually caused by pus-producing bacteria, especially Staphylococcus and Streptococcus. Before the development of antibiotics, children frequently contracted this disease. Today bone infections are introduced primarily through fractures and during surgical operations. People infected with syphilis, tuberculosis, leprosy, or yaws are susceptible to bone damage. Metabolic Disorders Metabolic abnormalities often involve defects in the storage of minerals, particularly calcium and phosphate ions, in the skeleton. Diseases of the kidney can cause a metabolic imbalance of phosphate and calcium so that weakening of the bone occurs. Other metabolic bone diseases are osteoporosis, gout, OSTEOARTHRITIS, and PAGET'S DISEASE. Nutritional Disorders Nutritional deficiencies that result in bone damage include RICKETS in children and osteomalacia in adults, caused by a lack of vitamin D. In children, calcium and phosphate are poorly distributed on bones during development, resulting especially in deformity of the legs and arms. In adults, bones of the spine, pelvis, and legs become demineralized and the bones weaken. SCURVY--caused by a lack of vitamin C--also affects bone tissues. A study in the late 1980s indicated that the mineral boron is nutritionally important, as well. Apparently, it reduces loss of the bone minerals

Smog as Air Pollution

utNowadays pollution is becoming more and more serious problem, particularly air pollution. Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, the chemical elements of the atmosphere have changed. Along with the development of industrialization, air pollution has spread and now it is a global issue. There are many kinds of air pollution, one of them is smog. Smog can come from many areas, particularly factories and transportation systems, but there are some differences between developed and developing countries. In developed countries, highly developed industry is the main reason that smog is serious, they mostly use fossil fuels.However, developing countries started to industrialize, so increasing number of factories is the most important cause of smog and they always use the coal or wood burning. More and more people using cars and motorcycles also is a reason about that. Those of us who live in large cities are familiar with smog air pollution; the familiar brown haze resting over the city on a still day. We need to know what smog contains and where it comes from, as well as the health and environmental impacts of this hallmark of industrialization.There are two categories of smog to be covered: classic smog and the more recently described photochemical smog. Classic Smog In its most primitive and basic form, smog air pollution is the result of the burning of fossil fuels. It has several major components: 1) Smoke, which is tiny particles of ash, is released from the smokestacks of coal fired power stations. Coal power plants are now on the whole designed to trap this ash, called fly ash, which can be used to great effect in the concrete industry.These tiny particles contain not only carbon residue, but also silicon dioxide, calcium oxide and traces of heavy metals. If inhaled these can pose significant health risks. The silicon dioxide in the fly ash alone can cause lesions, scarring and inflammation of the lungs. 2) Sulfur Dioxide. Sulfur is present in allà ‚  fossil fuels  and is released as Sulfur Dioxide when the fuels are burned. Sulfur Dioxide reacts with oxygen gas to give Sulfur Trioxide. This then can react with water to give Sulfuric Acid (H2SO4).Another possibility is that the Sulfur Dioxide reacts immediately with water to give Sulfurous Acid (H2SO3). Either way, the acid produced is highly reactive and capable of causing significant damage to crops, soil, buildings and more. Several industrialized nations now employ technology that captures approximately a third of Sulfur Dioxide from the emission gases of power stations, greatly reducing the problems of acid rain. Photochemical Smog This is a far more noxious mixture of chemicals than classic smog air pollution. Significant inroads have been made to reduce the main contributors to classic smog.Such efforts in relation to photochemical smog are still in their early stages. Photochemical smog air pollution is a mixture of various chemicals that react with sunlight to produ ce new chemicals. This is where the name comes from;  photo  means  light  and  chemical  means chemical, or product of a chemical reaction. The chemical reactions involved are complex and while they are important, we need to know the  source  of these pollutants and their effects. The chemicals involved need to be addressed separately. The three main ingredients are Nitrous Oxides, volatile organic compounds and Ozone.Carbon Monoxide is a toxic byproduct of fossil fuel combustion but is considered separate to photochemical smog. London smog disaster One of the famous smog with all bad effects is London Smog which was caused by heavy coal combustion during the winter of 1952, The weather in Greater London had been unusually cold for several weeks leading up to the event because of the cold weather, households were burning more coal than usual to keep warm. The smoke from approximately one million coal-fired stoves, in addition to the emissions from local industry, wa s released into the atmosphere.Increases in smoke and sulfur emissions from the combustion of coal had been occurring since the Industrial Revolution and the British were familiar with these types of smog events. At times, the smoke and emissions were so heavy that residents referred to the events as ‘pea soupers’ because the fog was as dense as pea soup. However, while the area had experienced heavy smog in the past, no event had caused such problems as the weather event in December, 1952. Thousands of tons of black soot, tar particles, and sulfur dioxide had accumulated in the air from the heavy coal combustion.Estimates of PM10 concentrations during December, 1952, range between 3,000 and 14,000? g/m? with the high range being approximately 50 times higher than normal levels at the time. PM10 is particulate matter less than 10 micrometers in diameter. Conditions for Londoners today are much better with PM 10 concentrations around 30? g/m?. Estimates also suggest that sulfur dioxide levels during December of 1952 were 7 times greater than normal at 700 parts per billion (ppb). The weather preceding and during the smog meant that Londoners were burning more coal than usual to keep warm.Post-war domestic coal tended to be of a relatively low-grade, sulphurous variety (economic necessity meant that better-quality â€Å"hard† coals tended to be exported), which increased the amount of sulphur dioxide in the smoke. There were also numerous coal-fired power stations in the Greater London area, including Battersea, Bankside, and Kingston upon Thames, all of which added to the pollution. Research suggests that additional pollution prevention systems fitted at Battersea may have actually worsened the air quality, reducing the output of soot at the cost of increased sulphur dioxide, though this is not certain.Additionally, there were pollution and smoke from vehicle exhaust—particularly from diesel-fuelled buses which had replaced the recent ly abandoned electric tram system—and from other industrial and commercial sources. Prevailing winds had also blown heavily polluted air across the English Channel from industrial areas of Continental Europe. There was no panic, as London was renowned for its fog. In the weeks that ensued, however, statistics compiled by medical services found that the fog had killed 4,000 people.Most of the victims were very young, elderly, or had pre-existing respiratory problems. In February 1953, Lieutenant-Colonel Lipton suggested in the House of Commons that the fog had caused 6,000 deaths and that 25,000 more people had claimed sickness benefits in London during that period. Most of the deaths were caused by respiratory tract infections from hypoxia and as a result of mechanical obstruction of the air passages by pus arising from lung infections caused by the smog. The lung infections were mainly bronchopneumonia or acute purulent bronchitis superimposed upon chronic bronchitis.More re cent research suggests that the number of fatalities was considerably greater, at about 12,000. The death toll formed an important impetus to modern environmentalism, and it caused a rethinking of air pollution, as the smog had demonstrated its lethal potential. New regulations were implemented, restricting the use of dirty fuels in industry and banning black smoke. Environmental legislation since 1952, such as the City of London (Various Powers) Act 1954 and the Clean Air Acts of 1956 and 1968, has led to a reduction in air pollution.

Ducati Case Analysis Essay

Executive Summary As of year 2000, global motorcycle market is dominated by a handful of players. Japanese manufacturers such as Honda, Yamaha, and Kawasaki are low cost players while Harley and Ducati are in the high end of the spectrum and have been able to successfully establish themselves as a premium brand. Harley dominates the cruiser motorbike segment and is a really strong player in the US, where it has a big fan following and loyal customer base. However Ducati has been struggling to increase market share and reach to Harley’s level of profit margin that is highest in industry. Ducati is self discovering itself with Minoli to target right customer segments, retaining its core competencies and establishing its brand image for which Ducati stands for. Minoli’s consideration of entering into Harley’s niche market of cruisers is an excellent choice for Ducati’s future growth, as it reinforces the premium flagship of products that Ducati is famous for. We recommend Ducati develop a â€Å"sports-cruiser† motorbike that offers the riding style and comfort of a cruiser such as Harley Davidson, and yet be fast and nimble. We also recommend offering customization capabilities through Ducati.com and company-owned stores as well as single franchise stores that would continue to offer the same legacy and brand association that Ducati loyalists prefer. The motorbike will be priced at E12,000 (USD 16,200) which is right in the range of Harley’s custom cruiser motorbikes and will take a  step away from Ducati’s current line of sports bikes. This move may seem a bit risky at first, but the fact that Ducati’s R&D expenses will be fairly low due to availability of high quality engines and large su pplier pool; this will not require significant new investment to the current setup. Additionally, the company will be able to entice new customers in a niche segment with high margins and get a significant opportunity for gaining market share. Also, Introduction of these motorbikes in Europe initially will also reduce the possibility of a backlash from Harley who is the leader in the US market. Ducati can then expand to US once they have acquired some sales momentum. Ducati does not expect retaliation from the low-cost Japanese players as it is still positioning itself as a premium manufacturer. However, there is still possibility of new entrants or Japanese makers to introduce a knock-off model in which case Ducati will be able to distinguish itself on attributes including high performance, customization, brand image and the prestige that it has historically enjoyed and is respected for in the industry as well as the global market. Evaluation of Global Motorcycle Industry Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki and few of high end premium manufactures that include BMW, Harley-Davidson, Triumph and Ducati comprised the Global motorcycle Industry. These manufacturers compete in different market segments and select demographics based on different attributes and styles of motorcycles across the product offerings. Our analysis of the industry is summarized using Porter’s Five Forces analysis (Exhibit 1) Suppliers: Recent trends in the motorcycle manufacturing have been leaning towards outsourcing of most motorcycle components and the companies doing the final assembly in-house. Most manufacturers have multiple choices of component suppliers that they may switch at will. This strategy provides them with high negotiation power, reduced fixed assets, and greater flexibility to meet changing market conditions quickly. However, the companies need strong commitment from their suppliers for a quicker turn around, efficiency and quality. Buyers: Customers/end users have been categorized into different segments such as knee-down riders/fast riders, easy riders, hot rods/urban riders, and weekend riders. These riders choose the bike based on performance, lifestyle, function and comfort. A motorcycle is a highly  differentiated product that is used for transport and has lots of alternatives or competitors, and for this reason buyer power is high. Customers have myriad of choices ranging from different styles of bikes such as sports, super sports, off-road/dual purpose, cruisers, naked bikes, etc. to different brands including high end names such as BMW, Harley Davidson, Ducati, and low price options from Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, etc. Entry Barriers: The motorcycle industry is very difficult to enter and compete in due to high capital investments spent on R&D, well-established relationships with suppliers, and strong brand loyalty and recognition that has been established for decades. Motorcycles are becoming more and more technologically advanced, which makes it very difficult for a new entrants to compete on a similar level without large amounts of capital and innovative differentiators. Rivals: Rivalry between the eight major motorcycle manufacturers can be considered high. The total number of motorcycle manufacturers has declined dramatically, with only one major manufacturer remaining from the US. These major players are fierce competitors and are vying for market share based on the brand, style, attributes, service, and price (especially Japanese companies). As a result of such high competition within the industry, manufacturers constantly need to improve designs and functionality. Substitutes: Lastly, several substitutes are available if we consider motorcycle only as a mechanism of transport. However, in many cases, a motorcycle is beyond a mere mode of transportation as a curator in the case said, it is a â€Å"perfect metaphor for twentieth century.† Riding motorcycles provide a unique experience, and it has been a cultural icon as presented in a number of Hollywood movies. In this sense, threat of substitutes, which may be sports cars and racing cars or other mode of transportation, could be considered fairly low. The following section describes changes in the industry and how that affects Ducati. Industry Changes & Implications on Ducati: The industry is advancing at a high pace today due to technological innovations, such as the introduction of electronic components, advent of CNC and CAD technologies, advances in material science to introduce lighter and stronger composite materials. Superior engine performance combined with lower emissions and fuel consumptions is rapidly changing the face of the industry and competition. There is also a push from the manufacturers to improve  components like sophisticated air assisted forks, mono shock rear suspension, and front and rear disc brakes to meet the customers’ hunger for better quality as derived from market survey results and customer feedbacks. These technological changes and quality improvements are positive for Ducati who is abreast on its technological innovation and performance. Advanced engineering and state of the art technology have always been Ducati’s strengths, as evident by the number of World Superbike Championships won by Ducati between 1990 and 2000 (8 victories). Lighter materials help Ducati to continuously improve its already superior performance and retain its position in the sports segment where it already has a stronghold. Additionally, the outsourcing of components and in-house assembly platform of manufacturing turns in favor of Ducati as most of Ducati’s suppliers are concentrated in the Emilian district – a major hub of specialized parts and components suppliers. Ducati typically enters into short-term contracts with its suppliers. Effectively, Ducati has enjoyed a strong hold on its supplier base which in turn has made them the most-efficient manufacturer in the industry and this strategy will continue to provide them the flexibility and edge in design and sourcing of new components going forward. Ducati’s Current Strategy Frederico Minoli, the CEO of Ducati, had two strategic goals in mind when he took over: double digit growth and equaling Harley-Davidson’s profit level of EBITDA margin of 20%, which was the highest in the industry. The challenge was split within the company into polarized directions; Engineers wanted to continue company culture of high focus on product, and Minoli wanted to appeal to broader spectrum of customers and not just extreme riders. The following section provides our analysis of Ducati’s current strategy using Strategy Diamond method (Exhibit 2). Arenas: Ducati primarily offered performance bikes in sports and street category, which are broadly identified as Hyper-sport, Super-sport, Naked and Sport touring. They face tough competition from Japanese manufacturers such as Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki and Suzuki, who have captured the lion’s share of the market. Research shows that a large number of new registrants are categorized under customs and small motorcycle segments with 32.7% and 22.9% market share respectively in 2000 (Case Exhibit 2). Ducati is lagging behind  in this segment as far as the market share goes. In regards to geography, Ducati has distribution through Italy, US, Germany, France, Japan, UK (Case Exhibit 14). Ducati currently attracts and retains young male â€Å"knee down† riders and racing aficionados who associate Ducati with extreme performance and functionality, and recently there has been an increase in women customers (who comprise of 8% of their Monster line – their most popular model). This could be a growing segment that Ducati has not yet considered. Lastly, Ducati’s products are in the sports niche; 41% to 54% of its customers own large bikes greater than 500cc. It gradually entered in sport touring category to address older customer base and also entered into accessories and apparel b usiness by acquiring Gio.Ca.Moto which produces line of accessories for Ducati. Nonetheless, Ducati’s limited editions in 1999 were icing on Ducati’s portfolio. Vehicles: Ducati has excellent engineers and designers who themselves are fanatics of the motorcycle- they are purist â€Å"knee down† riders, and have strong beliefs in speed, performance, and passion for races. Ducati invested a large proportion of their revenue in designing new technology, development of products and human resource management. Ducati’s core strengths including the Desmodromic valve distribution system and the technical superiority of its engines, and their collaboration with other firms such as Lamborghini and Ferrari fueled Ducati’s growth. Ducati advertises through specialized magazines and focus on the Italian style, history, young riders, and a sporty attitude. Ducati.com website used the internet as a vehicle, and sold 500 units of a limited edition in 31 minutes and 2,000 units in 10 days at different times, educated customers, and created awareness about its brand, this has been a real win for Ducati. Differentiators: Ducati’s goal was to improve average quality of dealers and increase competence sales force unlike Japanese manufactures who utilized multi-franchise retailers to sell multiple brands with less specialized knowledge of products. Secondly unlike their competitors, they established Ducati clubs approximately 400 which allowed members to â€Å"live† at racing events and get inside access to teams. Ducati also participated in social events and museum tours that has helped Ducati disseminate information about its history and brand which increased customer loyalty and helped acquire new ones. Ducati is heading in the right direction but is still far from Minoli’s vision to enable and foster dealers  to connect with clubs more easily. Staging: Minoli strategized Ducati to turn into a powerful brand and would move away from just competing with Japanese brands. Ducati decided to build museum instead of fixing the raining roof and that’s one key factor in building the brand image of Ducati and sending the right signal to employees and customers. It then identifies the 5 core attributes that Ducati signifies – technologically advanced engine, tubular trestle frame, Italian style and its unique engine sound. Ducati was able to reduce the time to market effort for all its new products utilizing their research centers muscle. Another important decision Minoli took was entering into accessories and apparel producing business. This created the â€Å"world of Ducati† a very successful initiative to build on Ducati brand and strengthen its customer loyalty. Economic Logic: Ducati is a premium brand that consumers appreciate and regard highly. The brand image and legacy allows Ducati to keep prices high and hence reap high profit margins on its motorbikes, accessories, apparel, etc. Ducati motorbike prices can max out at $21,895 compared to $14,350 for Harley Davidson, $9,500 for Triumph, and $9,300 for Honda. Also, its limited edition bikes were sold at world-wide price of E26,000 that made Ducati reap huge profit margins. Ducati’s own marketing and distribution process and exploiting power of internet (Ducati.com) helped it retain most of its profit and have higher margins and they controlled their production costs by standardizing components, (eg: only two crank case and 3 cylinder designs).. Recommendations and Specific Actions Arena: We recommend Ducati to design and launch a custom sports-cruiser bike targeting sports bike fans, who would prefer the riding comfort, style, and customization of a cruiser. This new product is essentially a fast motorbike that has a sports engine morphed into cruiser style chassis. We also recommend offering customization services to suit the style and needs of our individual customers. This will be introduced initially in Europe and eventually in the US and Asia. Europe is the market where Ducati has experience, design expertise, preferred supplier base, proximity to racing arenas, and association with other world-renowned sporting car companies like Maserati and Lamborghini. Hence, building a strong foundation in Europe first provides the advantage that is very hard to imitate by others. Our  target segment is riders in the age group of 30-50 who like the comfort and the style of a cruiser, and yet prefer the power, speed, and especially the handling that is synonymous to a sports bike. Additionally, there is interest in customization especially for cruiser segment that we would like to exploit and offer as an added benefit to our customers. Furthermore, we will leverage light-weight design components (magnesium alloy frame, carbon fiber body and parts) to provide the performance edge needed in a sports bike. This will attract young riders as well as women, who typically prefer lightweight bikes. Vehicle: Initial launch will focus on current Ducati owned stores. This will help us gauge customers response; provide early feedback from Ducati loyalists, as well as opportunity to attract customers using word-of-mouth advertising. Based on the feedback and learning from this rollout, we would be able to identify other possible locations to open new stores (combination o f company owned and single-franchise dealers), starting from Italy, and then expanding out into the European sub-continent. We do not plan to open any new stores immediately, until the market picks up and demand is more than 25% of existing sales. The assumption is that any increase within 25% of sales volume can be managed via the existing stores. Any franchising will be done through single-franchise dealerships so as to maintain more control and emphasize quality. As a long-term plan, we also would like to add 10 new Ducati owned stores leased at strategically important cities around Europe, which would cost us E10M (E200K/year) over 5 years , and another E5M for maintenance (design, upkeep, staffing, taxes etc.) Differentiators: Customers value Ducati for its brand, high performance engines, strong association with racing, Italian style, and the unique sound of its engine, among other things. We believe that our strategy will help maintain our core competencies and resources intact, while allowing us to expand into newer space as well. The customization services that we also plan to offer along with our product will be a value-add service to Ducati loyalists, which can be priced at a premium. These customization services include different body styles, paint schemes, accessories etc., which will benefit from the availability of the large pool of supplier base that we have local access to. This large and varied supplier base also provides Ducati with buying power and quick turn-around time of new designs. Advertising expenditure for Ducati comes to about  three times that of Harley in the year 2000 alone. About 14.5% of gross revenue is being spent on advertising, marketing and sales effort, close to about what we get in return as our net income. We do not plan to cut down on advertising and marketing but will have to come up creative, more cost effective ways to get our message out there to reach a broader spectrum of customers like Minoli envisioned. Using channels such as word-of-mouth, social-media, YouTube videos, collaboration with sports bike bloggers, commentators, and also investing and expanding Ducati fan/owners clubs are ways we can leverage cost-effective marketing techniques. Economic Logic: Our R&D team (including HPE) already has several high-end performance engines that can be utilized in designing such a bike, hence we feel our major R&D expenses will be towards the design of the frame and body components. This will reduce our overall R&D spend, as compared to a full blown redesign/production of a new engine technology. Furthermore, we only need about E2M for R&D expenses; E5M for CAPEX, leaving the remaining E12M for advertising. This CAPEX budget covers the additional manufacturing capacity as well as assembly line expenses. We plan to leverage the existing network of suppliers by continuing to outsource. We forecast a sale of 3,300 bikes to be sold in the first year after launch (initially Europe only), priced at E12,000 ($16,200 per unit), see Exhibit 3, which is 2% of the worldwide cruiser/custom motorbike market, where Harley is the leader. Ducati was able to sell about 3,500 units of its sports touring after launch, so we think that we should be able to meet this forecast of 3,300 for the new sports-cruiser hybrid. Thereafter, we project a 10% growth in sales in the 2nd year, and thereafter about 15% growth in the 3rd, 4th and 5th year. We are assuming that the life-span of a design is typically for 5 years; thereafter, this design/model would be retired or become obsolete. We would price the bike at about E12,000 so that it is not seen to be a cheap bike, while at the same time making sure it is not too expensive for Ducati fans to buy. At a discount rate of about 8% and an initial investment of E17M to launch the product in Europe, we anticipate a net return on investments of a bout E16.8M in 5 years. Major Internal and External Risks Currently, there is no market research available that shows a segment in Europe and US who would like to have a hybrid cruiser that drives as a  sports bike. The retail chain and distribution channels available in Europe and the US are perhaps more familiar with Harley-Davidson dominating the cruiser segment, and the Japanese players competing in both the cruiser and the sports segment in Europe. Ducati is a world renowned Italian sports bike brand and although we are positive that we will have considerable success in carving out a sizable market segment with this new product we plan to launch, there is always a risk in going after a new market segment, especially a niche segment. Significant capital would have to be invested to arrange ad campaigns, events, retail chains to raise awareness, all before a dime is earned. Internal Risks: Ducati’s expertise lies in the sports bike arena, and it has never offered a cruiser style motorbike. The needs of this customer segment are definitely different than the sports bike segment, and it is possible that Ducati could run short on delivering a product that meets the needs of the segment itis targeting. Ducati may not necessarily have the skills or the expertise to provide this sort of value to its customers. Translating and adapting its core skill-set to a different model type to develop a product more aligned with the cruiser model is not going to be easy. Also, this move could upset hard-core Ducati fans, who would not want Ducati to be associated to anything other than sport bikes. Ducati could possibly risk losing their loyal fan base, if it were to diversify into bike-variants other than sports. Diversifying too far from what Ducati is known for also puts the reputation and prestige of the company and its engineers who have become respected and well-known in the industry for making high quality performance bikes. The technical excellence and performance that Ducati is so well-known for around the world could well be seen to become diluted by moving into a cruiser bike segment which historically has been associated with a different demographic segment altogether. Yet, by carefully positioning this new product to be a sports bike at its core and by re-establishing our commitment to producing high-quality performance bikes that we have come to be known for, we could potentially re-assure our current fans. External Risks: Harley Davidson has dominated the custom cruiser segment for years with a very loyal fan base and supplier chain. Ducati’s entrance in this segment will be seen as an aggressive move by Harley, and Ducati must be prepared for some backlash. Harley has a strong network of suppliers, and distribution channels in the  US, and has set high entry barriers for Ducati in the US market. Ducati’s suppliers are primarily located in Bologna, and hence Ducati has enjoyed the benefit of being in close proximity to a large pool of supplier base and component manufacturers. Going with sports cruiser hybrid could mean that Ducati may need to establish relationships with a whole new set of suppliers based out of the US. US suppliers might not necessarily have a sense of the Italian style, a core value that the product provides. Therefore, we do not plan to enter the US market just yet, thereby preventing getting ourselves into a face-face with Harley. Once we build some credibility with customers in Europe, where we have a strong supplier base, and a decent distribution channel, we could potentially launch in the US in 2-3 years time frame based on the success of this launch. European markets have been dominated by Japanese players in sales volume, and entering the market could prompt them to bring out a competing product of their own, which could eat into the market share that Ducati is hoping to grab with this hybrid. If Ducati does not differentiate its product and service offerings enough, there is a risk of being dragged into a price war with the Japanese. However, this is the arena where Ducati shines and has made its name- superb performance, exquisite design, and the racing dominance. By strategically positioning our product for a whole new segment of customers Ducati can protect itself from appearing to start a war. By providing additional customization services, which would be charged at a high premium, we separate ourselves by going after an audience who is not a typical low-cost Japanese bike buyer. BMW successfully launched and defined its own cruiser and so can Ducati! Exhibit 3: Projected Sales Year Unit Sales Growth Units Sold Price/Unit (in Euros) Total Revenue EBITDA 0 -â‚ ¬17,000,000 1 3,300 â‚ ¬12,000 â‚ ¬39,600,000 â‚ ¬6,930,000 2 10% 3,630 â‚ ¬12,000 â‚ ¬43,560,000 â‚ ¬7,623,000 3 15% 4,175 â‚ ¬12,000 â‚ ¬50,094,000 â‚ ¬8,766,450 4 15% 4,801 â‚ ¬12,000 â‚ ¬57,608,100 â‚ ¬10,081,418 5 15% 5,521 â‚ ¬12,000 â‚ ¬66,249,315 â‚ ¬11,593,630 NPV â‚ ¬16,862,800