Criminology and criminal justice system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Criminology and criminal justice system - Essay Example The report shows that the witnesses and victims, on the other hand, get an entirely different treatment, they’re offered protection and kind words are offered to keep them calm. On first glance, it might seem unfair that since the system is not sure of their innocence, theirs or the suspects but again just like the system has criteria to meet in order to be able to arrest some one, they have their reasons of suspecting these people to be innocent and worthy of protection. Protection is provided so that the criminals might not try to hurt the witnesses or intimidate them into not coming to court, because this is the reality of our system, even if every one knows that a person is guilty of a crime but cannot be proved guilty albeit he contrived in the background for getting the witnesses out of the equation to eradicate proof in the form of intimidation or physical or fatal torture, even though everyone knows that for a fact, if it can’t be proved the person walks free an d it is for these reasons that there are many criminals plaguing the society but they have developed such strength and organization that the law cannot touch them. Our criminal system might not be perfect as regards to efficiency and sometimes even seem brutal especially if a mistake is made. It might some times seem unfair to give special treatment to some people but more often than not the law doesn't make the mistake of protecting the wrong person and the risk that their hypothetical guess as regards to one party’s innocence.... the manner in which all of this is imposed upon him isn't quite what an average human would haggle over but if it were a true con who were getting that treatment, of course it would be perfectly befitting. Perhaps that is what the authorities assume before undertaking any arrest. The criminal justice system perhaps prides itself for efficiency, there are a myriad number of checks the ground police have to go through before they can freely proceed to even search a suspected person's property let alone undertaking an arrest. The authorities take great care that they are not mistaken in their doubts of a person before they go charging up towards him to remind him or rather impose all his rights on him and try to persuade him that now may be the perfect time to start making use of them. Sure they might make a mistake some time and its most unfortunate for the society and of all people the accused when that happens but in order to keep a city clean of crime and cons policemen must be afforded some free movement as well, its up to the court to make the final decision and it is the duty of a policeman to bring a possible crime to light, it is only after a suspect meets all the criteria, and comes up to the bench mark of suspicion that our officers can go ahead and carry out an arrest, it is not an easy job, their prime incentives are to uphold the law and protecting the innocent. Keeping crime orientated people off the streets and keeping the pious ones

Thomas Malthus Thomas Jefferson Essay Example for Free

Thomas Malthus Thomas Jefferson Essay Thomas Malthus is popular for his Malthusian theory of population where he presents a mathematical perspective to express his ideology about population. To him, the population grows at a geometric rate while the food supply grows at an arithmetic progression and the resultant effect of this is that the population would out do the food supply. Consequently there would be increased rates of starvation and extreme poverty. Although he was aware of technological advancement he did not appreciate the fact that it would have a significant effect on the food production and hence the adverse effects of population growth would not be felt. He argues that the population would be checked by natural calamities like drought, war, famine as well as moral restraint where some people may not get married or others would delay marriage to bear few children. He also cited high infant mortality rates as a means of controlling the population.   Although many dismissed his theory citing it as one full of pessimism, Thomas Jefferson partly supported it. To him, it would best explain the European situation but not the American state. It is actually true the American land was very vast that it would accommodate many people. Population growth would consequently be seen as a means of ensuring that the unoccupied lands were utilized. (Faragher J, 2002). If the Americans worked hard to increase labor effectiveness then the food supply would be adequate for the increasing population. He argued that both the food supply and the population would increase at a geometric progression and hence no cause for alarm.   Thomas Jefferson did not seem to favor industrialization and advocated for increased agriculture. He distinguished Europe and America where he was quick to note that Europe had abundant labor and if it utilized its land to the optimal it would be able to overcome the adverse effects of population growth. (Wood J, 1994). To him, Europe should aim at maximizing its labor potential. He further argued that the European political economy was in a manner that needed to be changed as it was exploitative and to this respect he favored the democratic American population. Population policies did not exist to control the population but natural means favored it. It is important to note that immigrants were excluded but this was not due to economic reasons but due to racial as well as religious reasons. (Wood J, 1994).   He explained how the European population had doubled in a span of 23-24 years which is equivalent to a 3% increase per annum making it necessary to retain the previous reserves as they would be needed by the increasing population. However, for the American case he argues that population growth would be a mechanism of ensuring that vacant lands were occupied. (Wood J, 1994).   Ã‚  I think that both Malthus and Jefferson had a misconception regarding population growth and food supply. They underrated people’s innovation abilities. The theory was based on historical data and consequently a way of explaining historical trends and hence ineffective in explaining future population trends. It is inappropriate to justify the applicability of the theory because Europe population seemed to be increasing in a regular pattern. The linear or rather arithmetic progression of food supply was not based on experimentation but rather on convenient assumptions. (West B and Deering W, 1995). Population does not seem to increase exponentially as they both argued. In fact in the face of industrialization people tend to concentrate more in improving the quality of life rather than the population size. Again, the notion that population growth and food supply being independent on each other is also wrong. Malthusian theory does not bear any truth in today’s society as people’s birth rates have declined. A major advantage of increased physical mobility in the American society is that it ensured the provision of labor in areas where it is demanded and this was vital in the industrialization process. The physical mobility is also vital as it ensures the transfer of technological know how which is very significant in economic growth.   (Bergsten F, 2005). Social evils like crime and prostitution are bound to rise due to increased mobility. The political organization must also be affected as with time some immigrants become permanent citizens and have to air their views which is not necessarily the wish of the natives. Discrimination also emerged especially against the immigrants and this led to the rise of classes. The immigrants recorded lower living standards as compared to the natives. (Bergsten F, 2005). References: John MacK Faragher 2002. Out of Many: A History of the American People, 4th ed. Prentice Hall Publisher. Fred Bergsten. 2005. The United States and the World Economy: Foreign Economic Policy for the immigrants. Peterson Institute Publishers.   Bruce West and William Deering. 1995. The Lure of Modern Science: Fractal Thinking World Scientific Science Publishers. John Cunningham Wood. 1994. Thomas Robert Malthus: Critical Assessments. Routledge Publishers.

Origin Of The Term Identity Politics Cultural Studies Essay

Origin Of The Term Identity Politics Cultural Studies Essay A Contested Term. The origin of the term identity politics is sometimes traced to the 1960s Civil Rights Movement but it was articulated by women of colour in their 1977 Combahee River Collective Statement. The term refers to collective group identities like race, ethnicity, sex, religion, caste, sexual orientation, physical disability as the basis for political analysis and action. Its main objective is to empower individuals to articulate their discrimination and invisibility through consciousness raising and action. Identities and Movements It is important to debate this term and its politics as it has been the basis for several movements as well as an ideological challenge to existing analytical frameworks and explanations. In the 1980s, there was a cultural and religious revivalism in the form of ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka, Hindu communalism in India and global Islamist fundamentalism. In the 1990s, there was the violence and tragedy of former Yugoslavia, movements based on tribal identities in Rwanda and Sudan. Many countries especially in the European Union saw right wing movements in the context of immigration and nationalism with debates on Britishness or the banning of headscarves in France. Currently, scholars have seen its re-appearance in the Presidential contest between Obama and Hillary Clinton in the USA i.e. pitching their campaigns around the first woman president or the first black president. Making of an Identity Some identities come with birth like the black, caste or religious ones. Or they can be acquired like national ones, sexual preferences or interest groups. Identities are fluid, multiple and unstable. They may be blurred or erased over a period of time. That they may be created as the identity of being Indian was propagated after Independence from British colonialism. Multiple identities mean that they are competing with each other often resulting in conflicting loyalties like a woman may during a communal riot have to choose between her religious group identity and that of her gender. Often there is strong societal resistance to crossing identity boundaries like in the case of sexual identities. Social norms and institutions do not allow people to step out of their prescribed identity. Causes for Identity Mobilisations Why have identity movements emerged during this conjuncture of history? Theoretical explanations bring together the cultural, political and economic. The global flight of capital has spread industrialisation all over the world. World wide trade and communication has created a homogenization of culture and politics. Young people in most parts of the world are familiar with the Coke and Jean culture, American films and TV serials. However the impact of the economic process has been uneven. There is a polarisation between the rich and the poor in a country and between nations of the North and the South. Gender relations are also changing as more women are joining the workforce often when men are unemployed creating resentment and competition. Women are more mobile and visible. And the patriarchal family structure is weakening. Bitter Sweet There is a section of people who are benefiting from the globalised world market. But the aspirations and hopes of many are belied. Descending social and economic groups resent their loss of privileges. So there is a public outburst in UK that Indian doctors are taking over the British medical system or that outsiders are taking over jobs which should rightfully belong to Marathi speaking people in Mumbai. The onslaught of Westernisation and its values due to globalisation has created a reaction of orthodoxy. Right wing Muslim, Hindu and Christian groups have called for cultural re-assertion and pride in ones identity. Parallel to the sweeping cultural, political and economic changes and identity based movements was the rise of post modernism in academia. As a critique of Marxist dominance in theory, post modernists gave culture a significant place in analysis and shifted the focus to power relations, identities, construction of gender, class, race etc. The Rise of Identity Movements [ Used in Womens Movement] Identities are powerful sources of consciousness and mobilization as they make an individual conscious of his/her identity and bring them together for political protest and demands through violent or other means. At present there are large mobilisations based on identities like: World wide Islamist Movements Hindu right wing movements Regional self determination movements like Tamil homeland in Sri Lanka, Kashmir and North East in India, Kurds in Turkey Sexual preferences like the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered [LGBT] movement Trade Union Movements There is a tendency to see id based movements as regressive because they are usually associated with right wing movements. But the sexuality movements have challenged conservative notions of sex and sexual activities. 6. The Other Exclusion and Inclusion are critical criteria for identity formation. The we of a certain group can only be identified versus they of the other group. The process of defining and controlling these boundaries of difference has been coined as Other-ing. This process of creating sameness and otherness amongst people, has been used to justify all manners of oppression and violence against marginalized, weaker, less powerful groups. Across history these have included Women, Blacks, Jews, Homosexuals, Dalits, Tribals, lower classes, People with Disabilities etc. The Ideal Woman Identity Movements, which are right wing, have given a special place to women. For example, both Muslim fundamentalism and Hindu communalism project an ideal woman as indispensible for society. These ideals are related to womens dress, behaviour, sexual activity and motherhood. Nazi Germany glorified the blond Aryan woman, who bears children, accepts secondary status to her husband and the State. Muslim fundamentalism advocates a return to tradition as Islam is in danger, reinforces Muslim identity by rejecting Westernisation and especially by propagating the veil for women, role of a homemaker, and the return to or imposition of the Sharia Laws or Muslim Personal Laws. Roots of tradition are in the past and is not open to interpretation. Life and Laws flow from the holy book, and its meanings are fixed and non debatable. Women are regarded as guardians of Muslim culture and honoured as long as they perform their duties to be good mothers and raise their sons as warriors of Islam. 8. Sita not Draupadi Hindu communalists idealise Sita, the wife of the mythological god, Ram. The qualities of Sita are that of a chaste pati vrata or ideal wife who follows her husband to the forest, bears him sons and immolates herself when her fidelity is in suspicion. Draupadi on the other hand was an articulate, assertive and proud woman who has 5 husbands, who she continually challenges and even seeks revenge. Women have been part of the internalisation process since their childhood. They too believe in many of these values and strive to maintain the roles propagated by fundamentalists. And for doing so, they are honoured and given status by their men and fundamentalist leaders. Many educated, professional and Westernised women have turned to their religion because it also offers them mental and physical security. Crisis in Feminism The womens movement and feminist theory went into a crisis with the advent of post modernism and identity based movements. The former contested the category woman as also all universalisms. Women could not be considered a homogenous group and the using of we was politically incorrect. The slogans of women of colour were picked up by Jewish women, indigenous and later Third World women. Global sisterhood was laid to rest. These voices of other feminists introduced the notions of feminisms, rather than simply feminism. In addition, these feminisms brought in the notion of multiple oppressions, multiple patriarchies and womens movements. Feminist analysis shifted from standpoint feminism to various postmodernist feminisms. Studies on womens subordination across cultures, societies, and historical periods shifted to micro-narratives of class/race/and gender. 10. Crisis in Feminist Politics The clash of multiple identities and allegiances which surround them came out into the public. The womens movement in India and the feminist groups are not that large or popular to have reached the masses of women to shore up a gender based identity. In the absence of a popular secular movement, the majority of women align with their caste or religious identities. Large numbers of them participated during the Mumbai Riots of 1992-93 after the demolition of the Babri Masjid against Muslims and in support of the sati of Roop Kanwar [1987] against feminist groups and progressive movements asking for a ban. In the Shah Bano Case [1985], women supported a maintenance law formulated by the govt and Muslim leaders against their own interests. Sometimes women are pulled into battles not of their making as in the case of the Cauvery River riots. Both Tamil and Kannadiga women had no knowledge of river water issues but were subjected to rape and molestation by the rival community. Domestic violence becomes invisible in the face of other state wide violence like in Kashmir, North East and Sri Lanka. Women would like to address domestic violence but sacrifice their individual rights as women to community rights for self determination. 10. Strategies One of the main problems with identity politics is that its assumptions can lead to an almost infinite number of small, atomised identity groups. Taken forward this logic comes to mean that ultimately each individual is her own group. Identity politics makes it difficult to bring together large groups to protest and collectively act for radical social change. In an oblique way, it supports conservatism and status quo and works against collective struggle. On the other hand, identity politics has introduced important elements and lessons within the womens movement. It has changed its lexicon, challenged its assumptions and visibilised many sections of women and transgendered people. Sexual minorities, religious minorities, women with disabilities and race and caste based womens groups have come into their own with vibrant movements. The lessons for the womens movement in general is that it has to respect and build bridges with different identity groups, take on board their agendas and issues and together move towards transformative strategies for a just society.

Organizational Ethics Essay -- Business Management

Market economies as ultimately embarked consumer sovereignty as the cornerstone of capitalism; further, bearing moral compasses in a pluralistic society of ethical behaviour. Hence, dictating the normative enactment of corporate social responsibility subsequently undertaken via individual businesses. Consumers under capitalism are, accordingly to ideology, the decision makers on the allocation of society’s resources (N. Smith, 1990). Echoing, mere imperatives for companies to articulate their role, scope & purpose in order to maintain their validity, reputation & self worth depends on their ability to understand their place in society (W. Visser, D. Mallen, M. Pohl, N. Tolhurst, page 101). As such, meriting thorough analysis of FirstGroup plc rather compulsion of fulfilling both ethical and corporate social responsibility in an ever evolving societal landscape will be undertaken. FirstGroup plc operates a transportation business model with a wholesome revenue stream of over  £6 billion & employs 130 000 staff throughout the UK & North America with a testimonial annual total passenger calculus of 2.5 billion and a justifiable 23% market share (UK bus and rail division). Griseri et al (2010) points out such core stakeholders of the company which are reluctantly vital for the existence and success of the company. These stakeholders form the principal resource base for the company. As FirstGroup maintain and improve their ability to on the resources held via their core stakeholders. In contrast, the second group (depicted above) relates to the company’s competitive position within the company’s particular industry and market. The main challenge for the company with this group of stakeholders is to establish and sustain relati... ...ivil society: emerging embedded relational governance beyond the (neo) liberal and welfare state models’, Journal of Corporate Governance, 5 (3), 159–74 Robert W. Kolb (2008), Encyclopedia Of Business Ethics And Society, Vol. 5, page 71 John Henry (2004), Between Enterprise and Ethics-Business and Management in a Bimoral Society, page 111 FirstGroup plc., 2010. Section 3 – Employment, . [online] FirstGroup plc Available at: [Accessed 16 December 2010]. Ghoul, S. et al, 2010. Does Corporate Social Responsibility Affect the Cost of Capital?, [online] Available at: [Accessed 2 December 2010]. Heinkel, R., A. Kraus and J. Zechner, 2001, The Effect of Green Investment on Corporate Behavior, Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis 36, 431-449.

Accepting Rejection and Rejecting Acceptance Essay

Dreamers are most likely to be the kinds of people who are prone to rejections and disappointments. I was once a dreamer who aimed to reach for certain heights which I believed were essential to my so-called â€Å"fulfilled life†. When I was young, I was in love with stories as poets are obsessed with their muses. There was something sensuously tempting about the idea of creating a world where your personal ideals exists and the place you have always longed to belong with is just around the corner of your imagination. I create stories in my head with such a passionate gesture that I would place a pen and paper beside my pillow and even talk to my characters alone in my room. I enjoyed conversing with their silent responses and violent whispers which led to a gradual creation of plots and conflicts. They became my friends and literary partners who helped me out with the stories that I wish to tell. My room suddenly became a place where stories transpire and manifest themselves on typewritten manuscripts. Every time I take a look at my drafts, they seemed to show a particular eagerness to be shown out there in public. I could not help but smile and absorb the eagerness too. When I was 16 years old, I took all my guts to show my four of my friends a freshly-written manuscript and asked them to give it a quick scan. They were just my friends and not even a publisher but it had been one of the most thrilling and suspenseful time of my life. The next day, two of my friends told me that they were not really that happy with my work. They thought it was boring. See more:  Manifest Destiny essay The other two did not even dare finish it. My story obviously was not good enough. However, I never lost hope. I knew I had a great story to tell filled with remarkable characters that were destined to be perpetually remembered such as Harper Lee’s Atticus Finch and Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer. I knew there was something special about these people that I wish to free from my imagination and introduce to the real world. But I have failed them. I began to feel like a loser who pretended to be Superman by promising these creatures freedom from the clutches of a writer’s sporadic imagination. That depressing day gave me the realization that not only my work was rejected. It was the entirety of my ideal world that they have dismissed and discarded as something that was unacceptable and boring. I was a wreck. Suddenly, I began to despise the room which once seemed to provide me all the gladness in the world. Apparently, I have expected a lot from myself. I gave myself and these characters false hopes that one day we would be known for our uniqueness and greatness. Obviously, the world does not revolve that way. It rotates the other way around against the normal rotation of an insipid clock. Five years later, when I was trying to clean up my room, I visited my old box where my old manuscript was and started reading it after a very long time. I could not help but laugh about how amateur it had been at that time. The world that I have created in that story is absolutely not the world that I imagine to be ideal in the present time. The characters appeared to be some kids taken out directly from a teen flick. Rejection plays a brutally important role in a person’s development and growth. Without criticisms, one cannot experience the beautiful feeling of maturity. Truly, I have lost a great deal of positivism and childish enthusiasm when the first story that I dared to print for my friends received negative reviews. I have not printed and showed another story to someone for a long time after that incident. I have lost my personal communication with my characters. Meaning to say, they have stayed in their world as I have stayed in mine. That rejection made me realize that being too overly passionate about something is not healthy as it can ruin an aspect in your life that is essential. I could have gone mad if I have stayed drowned in my own pool of rejections. However, I finally came into realization that creating your own world by writing stories does not give you an assurance that other people are willing to share that world with you. Most of the time, you just have to keep that wonderful place hidden because it is your—and yours alone.

Comparison of writers

Comparison of writers The author Arthur Miller as analyzed through the book â€Å"Death of a sales man† and the author Flannery O’Connor as analyzed through the book â€Å"A good man is hard to find† are both similar because the authors are inclined towards tragedy. In other words, their works both end disastrously.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Comparison of writers specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, the circumstances surrounding these downfalls are very complex and dependent on the dissimilar surroundings that the two writers were focusing on. In Death of salesman, the author talks about a delusional and self obsessed man. However, his tragedy was partly a direct result of his own inadequacies. Therefore, Miller breaks away from the traditional form of tragedy because the protagonists’ ruin was his own undoing. He was under the misconception that greatness could be achieved merely through oneâ €™s personality yet this was not so; such kind of thinking led to his self destruction. In this regard, the death of the protagonist also causes readers a sense of despair because the main character was not transformed prior to his death. All lessons are to be learnt by the audience only. On the other hand, author O’Connor focuses on growth or transformation in her main character (Votteler, 53). Initially, the grandmother is a selfish and overbearing individual who wants to bully the whole family into going for a vacation at her choice destination. Her selfish ways are also seen when she attempts to save her own life during the encounter with the Misfit. However, at the end of the story, grandmother is overcome by grace and soon realizes that she has been living a pretentious life. Therefore, although this play is still a tragedy in that the main character died, the author created a different twist to her character by illustrating that she has undergone a transformatio n and is now more charitable and graceful. O’Connor and Miller also resemble one another in their attempt to depict an everyday person. Readers can relate to both types of writings because the characters embody everyday Americans.Advertising Looking for term paper on comparative literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Miller and O’ Connor also want to bring back their characters to reality and if this eventually involves some form of violence or even their own demise, then the authors were willing to take it there. In Death of the salesman, Arthur Miller continually illustrates the importance of taking reality seriously through Willy. Willy asserted that in order to be successful, one should be well liked (Miller, 1949). However, when he soon finds out that this was not insync with reality then he immediately looses hope. Also his continual resistance to technology and the new developments in socie ty put him at odds with it. He believes that he has more worth if he were dead than if he were alive. Eventually, this despair causes his tragic end. O’Connor also stresses the importance of reality through the grandmother. This protagonist has been living under the illusion that she is the perfect Christian. She has her mind fixated on her own ways and does not really care about the perspective of the people around. Since grandmother’s head is so deeply separated from reality, the only aggressive way of bringing her back is through an act of violence. The violent acts of the ‘Misfit’ eventually caused the protagonist to look at herself and realize that she is indeed a mirror image of the hardcore criminal who has attacked them in their trip. Even the murderer remarks that grandmother was meant to be a good person the only thing she needed was to be shot everyday. In other words, O’Connor sacrifices the life of the main character in order to prov e a point on reality. To this author, violence was the only way that grandmother would ever look at herself for who she really is. Likewise, Miller saw that Willy’s end was the only way that readers could identify with the importance of reality (Sandage, 2005). These writers’ literary works may also be viewed as commentaries on society. Miller wanted to despise the individualistic nature of American culture, corporations and its people. Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Comparison of writers specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These entities have become carried away with image/perceptions rather than solid character. Many Americans can identify with the protagonist Willy because salesmanship has permeated all aspects of American’s lives. Everyone seems to be in a continual quest to be the best but this is never really possible for everyone. Nothing drives this point home like Willy’s s ituation. Similarly, O’Connor also gives a commentary about society. She wanted to illustrate that most people lack an understanding of true spirituality. They are obsessed with self preservation and may border on being deceitful and egotistical. The authors also had mostly unlikeable characters in their works. O’Connor chose Grandmother who was always quite petty and dominating for a reason. She wanted to illustrate that even the worst of us deserve a little grace. There were plenty of opportunities for the protagonist to mend her ways and become graceful but she chose not to take up those challenges because of her spiritual blindness. Many characters in this story also miss critical moments of truth because of this blindness, however, when they finally do, it is clear to realize that even the most unlikeable individuals still deserve grace. Similarly, Arthur Miller has used an unlikeable character to drive his main point across. Willy thinks that he and his sons are likely to succeed in the business world owing to their greatness. He thinks that likeability is all one needs to be successful. This grave misconception causes the audience to realize how pitiful Willy is. Furthermore, as the play continues, Willy’s mental state gets further and further away from the norm. He is always resisting change and often questions any new technological developments. Advertising Looking for term paper on comparative literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More These are all issues that make his character seriously flawed. However, in the midst of all this, the author is still able to make his main point which is that the frantic and often self obsessed American culture has its casualties and never really offers real solutions to problems. Comparison of O’Connor, Miller and Faulkner Faulkner is similar to O’Connor in terms of his description of the American South at that time. It may be true that the South may have changed from 1939 when Faulkner wrote â€Å"A barn is burning† and 1952 when O’Connor wrote â€Å"A good man is hard to find†, nonetheless; these authors were still writing about a region that was rarely the focal point of literary works. In fact, these writers sparked off a lot of controversy because of this. O’Connor’s protagonist comes from the South and she was representative of what actually goes on in most households there. Non southerners misunderstood the Grandmother and wrote her off as nothing more than an evil character. However, when a Southerner reads about her, one can easily relate to her because it is likely that the reader also has a relative who is just like Grandmother. In fact, this makes Southerners more sympathetic towards the protagonist in â€Å"A good man is hard to find† because they all realize that she means well (Oschshorn, 1990). Miller and Faulkner are also quite similar because they both utilize protagonists who are not sure about themselves. In Miller’s â€Å" Death of salesman†, Willy is a product of the harsh corporate system that used him down to the last drop then poured him out once he was of no use to them. His identity is therefore shattered because he can no longer be the salesman that he was so used to being. He is in dire need of curving out a new identity but his inability to do so has caused him his demise. The same thing goes on in William Faulkner’s Barn burning. Sarty is strugglin g with his identity as well. He does not know whether to take actions based on loyalty to his father or whether to focus on his own moral principles (Faulkner, 154). This individual is quite confused and even goes through an emotional rollercoaster. At the beginning, Sarty sticks to his family inclinations when he expresses solitude and support to his father. He stretches this loyalty when he becomes a partial accomplice to his dad’s ill actions by fetching the fuel to be used in lighting the fire. However, he eventually sheds off this identity of a good son by listening to his inner conscience. The story is therefore characterized by a continuous battle to find himself as a person. Faulkner also resembles O’Connor because protagonists in both narratives get to redeem themselves or to find themselves. Sarty avoids becoming a victim to his father’s manipulations, threats, paranoia and selfish thinking by running away from him. It is these inadequacies that bri ng Sarty and the family much discomfort; his father causes them to become poor plus they are always in a state of transit. Eventually, this protagonist sees his dad for who he really is and thus frees himself from such bondage. Similarly, Grandmother also goes through a similar experience by the end of the narrative. At first, she is driven by her own needs and thinks that she is the ideal Christian. Eventually, she redeems herself when she sees a reflection of herself in the hardcore criminal who had attacked her family (O’Connor, 1955). Generally, all three writers focused on tragedies but these were dependent on the ideals prevalent at the time of composition i.e. modernist and realist thoughts. Their portrayal of the tragedies was also dependent on their themes and the ends that the authors were trying to achieve at any one time. Sandage, S. (2005) Born losers: a history of failure in America. Cambridge: HUP Miller, A. (1949). Death of a salesman. NY: Viking press Oâ₠¬â„¢Connor, F. (1955). A good man is hard to find. NY: Harper Oschshorn, K. (1990). A cloak of grace: contradictions in a good man is hard to find. Studies in American fiction Faulkner, W. (1939). Burn Burning: selected short stories of William Faulkner. NY: Modern Library Votteler, T. (1969). O’Connor, Flannery on her own work. Gale research Inc, 21(5): 1-67

Limiting Reactant Theoretical Yield (Worked Problem)

Limiting Reactant Theoretical Yield (Worked Problem) The limiting reactant of a reaction is the reactant that would run out first if all the reactants were to be reacted together. Once the limiting reactant is completely consumed, the reaction would cease to progress. The theoretic yield of a reaction is the amount of products produced when the limiting reactant runs out. This worked example chemistry problem shows how to determine the limiting reactant and calculate the theoretical yield of a chemical reaction. Limiting Reactant and Theoretical Yield Problem You are given the following reaction: 2 H2(g) O2(g) → 2 H2O(l) Calculate: a. the stoichiometric ratio of moles H2 to moles O2b. the actual moles H2 to moles O2 when 1.50 mol H2 is mixed with 1.00 mol O2c. the limiting reactant (H2 or O2) for the mixture in part (b)d. the theoretical yield, in moles, of H2O for the mixture in part (b) Solution a. The stoichiometric ratio is given by using the coefficients of the balanced equation. The coefficients are the numbers listed before each formula. This equation is already balanced, so refer to the tutorial on balancing equations if you need further help: 2 mol H2 / mol O2 b. The actual ratio refers to the number of moles actually provided for the reaction. This may or may not be the same as the stoichiometric ratio. In this case, it is different: 1.50 mol H2 / 1.00 mol O2 1.50 mol H2 / mol O2 c. Note that the actual ratio of smaller than the required or stoichiometric ratio, which means there is insufficient H2 to react with all of the O2 that has been provided. The insufficient component (H2) is the limiting reactant. Another way to put it is to say that O2 is in excess. When the reaction has proceeded to completion, all of the H2 will have been consumed, leaving some O2 and the product, H2O. d. Theoretical yield is based on the calculation using the amount of limiting reactant, 1.50 mol H2. Given that 2 mol H2 forms 2 mol H2O, we get: theoretical yield H2O 1.50 mol H2 x 2 mol H2O / 2 mol H2 theoretical yield H2O 1.50 mol H2O Note that the only requirement for performing this calculation is knowing the amount of the limiting reactant and the ratio of the amount of limiting reactant to the amount of product. Answers a. 2 mol H2 / mol O2b. 1.50 mol H2 / mol O2c. H2d. 1.50 mol H2O Tips for Working This Type of Problem The most important point to remember is that you are dealing with the molar ratio between the reactants and products. If you are given a value in grams, you need to convert it to moles. If youre asked to supply a number in grams, you convert back from the moles used in the calculation.The limiting reactant isnt automatically the one with the smallest number of moles. For example, say you have 1.0 moles of hydrogen and 0.9 moles of oxygen in the reaction to make water. If you didnt look at the stoichiometric ratio between the reactants, you might choose oxygen as the limiting reactant, yet hydrogen and oxygen react in a 2:1 ratio, so youd actually expend the hydrogen much sooner than youd use up the oxygen.When youre asked to give quantities, watch the number of significant figures. They always matter in chemistry!

Scandinavian Airlines and Lufthansa Essays

Scandinavian Airlines and Lufthansa Essays Scandinavian Airlines and Lufthansa Essay Scandinavian Airlines and Lufthansa Essay Lufthansa: Going Global, but How to Manage Complexity Strayer University Business Administration Capstone – BUS 499 #004016 September 5, 2010 Describe the type of international strategy the company has chosen. An international strategy is a strategy through which the firm sells its goods or services outside its domestic market (Hitt, Ireland Hoskisson, 2009). Lufthansa tends to follow a transnational strategy that will help grow the company internationally and in their own country. Since the September 11 terrorist attacks airlines have been struggling to stay in business. The fear that passengers have is slowing diminishing but it is still affecting the airlines. Airlines have been forced to enforce many regulations and fees adding to their financial struggle. With any international strategy comes a risk. Lufthansa seems to have managed to survive many risks all while being one of three airlines where their debt is to the point of bankruptcy if they have not started it already. Since mergers are illegal across country boarders the response from Lufthansa was an alliance with Star Alliance (Hitt, Ireland Hoskisson). Star Alliance is an alliance that is made up of a partnership amongst several airlines, in an effort to offset costs and create value. The alliance has been a constant balancing act. The alliance was done to help reduce Lufthansa’s debt but has come with many challenges in managing the alliance with Star Alliance. The plan was to increase the revenue side of Star Alliance by keeping passengers’ loyalty to fly with them. Since the late 1999, Lufthansa has been running according to the value –based management. The aim of the value-based management approach applies to all planning, steering and monitoring processes in order to achieve a purposeful, long-term and continuous increase in enterprise value in investor’ and lenders interest (Lufthansa Investor Relations). Explain what means the company has used to expand internationally The biggest move that Lufthansa has done to expand internationally and help reduce their debt and increase revenue was to join with Star Alliance. Star Alliance is a group alliance with Lufthansa and airlines like Air Canada, United and SAS Scandinavian Airlines, just to name a few. They are a good option for intercontinental business travel. The alliance helps to reduce costs by coordinated flight schedules, have common lounges and baggage handling. Lufthansa has a few more cost saving strategies in place. While it does affect their employees, they have a cost saving structure resulting from slightly lower wages, they have smaller planes adjusted to the traffic density a reduced services level, an operating base in second-tier airports, and point-to-point-services so that the on time in the air is greater for â€Å"network† airplanes (Hitt, Ireland Hoskisson, 2009). They have also restored antique planes. Lufthansa has some of the newest built planes in their fleet but the rebuilt airplane is for the airplane enthusiast. Enthusiasts wait months and pay C259 ($400. 00) for a bumpy hour long ride on a 1936 Junkers-52 propeller plane (Lufthansa’s Labor of Love). To ensure safety of the passengers the planes are re-built every winter. Identify and describe the elements and objectives of Lufthansa’s cooperative strategy A cooperative strategy is a strategy in which firms work together to achieve a shared objective (Hitt, Ireland Hoskisson, 2009). The alliance that Lufthansa has with Star Alliance is almost by definition a cooperative strategy. The airlines that are in the alliance are all working together to cut costs and develop and grow each of their own airlines. The alliance is a partnership that works for all involved to include the right to leave the alliance. Lufthansa is the leading member in the Star Alliance (Hitt, Ireland Hoskisson). Lufthansa’s value-based management adds viable recognition of cooperative strategy. Lufthansa has a joint venture with Star Alliance that gives Lufthansa strength in its network in the transatlantic traffic. These networks have been used to gain the shared objectives of those in the alliance. Describe the uncertainties and challenges related to operating beyond the company’s national boundaries Having a stable airline is the key to a successful airline. If the airlines in the Star Alliance are not stable they will lose their place in the market. Many think of Lufthansa as the leader and integrator, because the biggest member, United Airlines, was preoccupied for more then three years with emerging from Chapter 11 bankruptcy procedures in the United States. With United Airlines otherwise occupied, Lufthansa was driving the revenue side thus implemented through â€Å"code sharing† leading to higher utilization of planes and infrastructure and sometimes economies of scale in purchasing and sales (Hitt, Ireland Hoskisson). One of the biggest challenges that Lufthansa, actually all airlines, are dealing with is global warming. This is something that most businesses do not need to think about. Airlines claim 3 percent of carbon dioxide comes from the air traffic but because of the higher altitude of the planes they number is rapidly growing and by 2020 the emission from air traffic might increase by 20 percent (Hitt, Ireland Hoskisson). Describe the potential risks of cooperative strategies The decision to be involved in a cooperative strategy is a risk in itself. You are trusting other firms to work with you in order to accomplish mutual goals of financial and organizational stability. One risk is the risk of trust. There is always a risk of one of the firms becoming involved in unethical practices for their own selfish gain. The firms have to trust that the alliance they have developed is based on productive and positive motives. The firms involved in the alliance have to be in it for the good times and bad. Another risk is the entrepreneurial risk. If any of the partners is not making available resources, that can not only bring down that company but it can bring down the value of the alliance. The purpose of the alliance was to develop services and products that would be productive to the alliance. Explain the use of organizational structure and controls to effectively support Lufthansa’s strategy. An organizational structure specifies the firm’s formal reporting relationships, procedures, controls and authority, and decision making processes and organizational controls guide the use of strategy, indicate how to compare actual results with expected results, and suggest corrective actions to take when difference is unacceptable (Hitt, Ireland Hoskisson, 2009). In any business organizational structure and controls are important. Organizational structure develops a chain of command making everyone involved responsible. Lufthansa is no different. Lufthansa is part of the organizational structure of Star Alliance. The formal organization has the CEO who is in charge of legal, HR/Training and finance and strategy and then the corporate office who runs commercial, products and services, loyalty marketing and information technology (Hitt, Ireland Hoskisson). Lufthansa at one point had an integrated corporation and now has six business lines. The business lines are related in the area of shared products and markets and help develop their economies of scale. Their executive board is responsible for managing the company and their goal is growth and adding value. Corporate Profile, 2009) Describe what strategic leadership actions should be recommended for developing human capital at Lufthansa. Human capital refers to the knowledge and skills of a firm’s entire workforce (Hitt, Ireland Hoskisson, 2009). Human capital is the most important aspect in a business. Any business will essentially fail if t hey do not take time to invest time and energy into improving their employees. Lufthansa should continue to invest time in developing and training staff and the management teams to ensure that they have the highest knowledge and the best developed skills. This will not only help Lufthansa but it will help the alliance because of all the changes, additions of the partnerships and acquisitions. It is important for Lufthansa’s strategic leadership to create a positive culture for the continued training and development to build continued success. The investment of building development programs not only build knowledge and skills but it motives employees to want to learn, it can boost internal core values and morals and promotes Lufthansa vision and organizational goals. Lufthansa is operating in a very diverse area with being part of the Star Alliance. It is important for them to develop their employees to fit the needs of the alliance as well as Lufthansa. Describe what strategic leadership actions should be recommended for establishing an effective organizational culture at Lufthansa. Having a strong and positive organizational culture is important to any business. An Organizational culture consists of a complex set of ideologies, symbols, and core values that are shared throughout the firm and influence the way business is conducted (Hitt, Ireland Hoskisson, 2009). Lufthansa used to be known for a strong culture based on pride, the positive image of the company in Germany, its reputation for engineering excellence and ongoing training and educational activities. However, in 2001 there was a pilots strike that showed the changes within the company and the unhappiness of the employees toward the company was not as good as they thought. The management teams should make sure they are fully aware of the diversity within the segments of the business. They need to make sure they are communicating any messages, training or even promotions to fit the different cultural diversities within Lufthansa. All the employees should be involved in solutions to problems, to include the discovery of them, within their core position. It is also necessary for the leadership to make sure they are leading by example not just in working but in ethical practices. It is the leadership’s responsibility to encourage all employees on all levels to follow their lead. Improving an organization’s culture will do nothing but increase the company’s value and the opinion of its employees; from simply an employee working for a paycheck, to an employee who feels they have worth. The employees then will want to invest time and energy into the company. Describe what strategic leadership actions should be recommended for promoting an entrepreneurial mind-set at Lufthansa. Lufthansa main goal, like any other business, is to maintain financial discipline and health. Because of the crisis from 2001-2004, the gearing increased from 36 percent in 2000 to 85. 4 percent in 2005 and because of that the operating goals are dominant and Lufthansa has learned to focus its cost cutting on the cash flow impact (Hitt, Ireland Hoskisson, 2009). Lufthansa should continue to lead by allowing its acquisitions to keep their identities and brand but operate with limited control. Investing in developing their training of their staff and managers will help in maintaining that financial discipline by having well rounded and educated employees who will limit the mistakes they could be making without the knowledge and training. It is important for Lufthansa to have an entrepreneurial mindset to gain the advantage over its competitors and even for keeping the lead within Star Alliance. With Lufthansa having an entrepreneurial mindset they are showing that they are a committed business that will focus on gaining financial growth and developing more and stronger value to the business. They should be involved in strategic entrepreneurship and focus on opportunities in the external environment of the business. They should make sure that all the segments have the means to grow innovatively and reward them when success is apparent. Lufthansa is one of the world’s largest airlines with 424 aircrafts and 39,500 employees. They transport approximately 55. 5 million passengers every year; they have sales revenue of 39. 1 billion dollars and have been a member of Star Alliance since May 1997 (Lufthansa a Star Alliance Member). This all shows the current success of Lufthansa and that their entrepreneurial mind set is going in the correct and positive direction. Describe what strategic leadership actions should be recommended for reducing complexity at Lufthansa. It is important for Lufthansa to have knowledge of all the segments in the division’s internal operations. Top management must stay well versed in global economics with the fluctuating prices of oil, the competition, and increasing no-frills airlines. Because of the alliance with Star Alliance they have pushed themselves into the center of the world of complexity. It will be important for them to keep a well rounded culture by having diversity in top management to include females in top positions. The top management team must have knowledge of their European counterparts in order to stay on top. Not only will top management have to deal with the complexity but they will have to work hard to remain a part of the world’s leading airline. The top management team can be used to make strategic decisions along with CEO and ensure that the decisions are followed not by just the employees but by members of top management. Maintaining the knowledge and training that Lufthansa had developed is a must. Because of the high priced competitive market, Lufthansa’s segments will need different cost structures and support financially. They will need to monitor the acquisitions, partnership and alliances to make sure that there are no unnecessary expenses and that no one is being non-productive. References Corporate Profile (2009), Retrieved September 3, 2010 from lufthansa- cargo. com/content. jsp? path=0,1,19142,91382,99001 Hitt, M. , Ireland, D. R. Hoskisson, R. E. 2009), Strategic Management: Competitiveness and Globalization, Concepts and Cases. Ohio: Cengage Learning. Lufthansa a Star Alliance Member (2010), Retrieved September 3, 2010 from staralliance. com/en/about/airlines/lufthansa/ Lufthansa Investor Relations (2009), Retrieved August 24, 2010 from http://investor- relations. lufthansa. com/en/fakten-zum-unternehmem/group-strategy. html Michaels, D. (2008). Lufthansa’s Labor of Love: Restoring Some Really Old Junkers, Retrieved August 25, 2010from http://online. wsj. com/article/SB121357457537975947. html? mod=hps_us_inside_today

Press Releases & Networking - The Background and Fact Sheet Essay

Press Releases & Networking - The Background and Fact Sheet - Essay Example their work ranging from academic books, journals, biographies, tutorials and internet links consolidation .The Company has expressly found out that the internet has a gap. In order for this gap to be filled the Company has continued to engage experts in the Information Technology field to perform further development and analysis. Examples of such experts are Web Designers, Graphic Designers, Web Writers, Scripters and Internet Promoters with each expert concentrating on his own area of specialization. The Company has appreciated cumbersome nature of a direct development of marketing strategy and implementation of such technologies being used. Thus more research is being conducted to ascertain what technology and marketing program is more suitable in selling a designated good or service. This Company has invested on its employees in areas of their profession to maximize the sales growth rate. For instance Renee Kennedy has in the recent past concentrated on researching about marketing strategies and techniques to maintain the Company on the growth path. Terry Kent had continued to perform his research in graphic design optimizing growth in the diverse internet world. The Company has developed a book that has excelled on analysis of the web and summarizes on how to optimize an internet search engine to conduct comprehensive research and analysis. Furthermore the book entails on wide range of strategies applicable in enhancing product and services advertisement. The future plans for this Company is to write a book showing how to write for the web. In addition to that the Company intends to develop more sites. The main changes noted between the original backgrounder and this backgrounder is the wording. Basically the original wordings have been varied to abolish the room for plagiarism. Another variation implemented is concerning the owners or researchers who have been featured in the first paragraph of the backgrounder. This necessitates any reader of the articles

Locate a news article about POVERTY in order to conduct a Term Paper

Locate a news article about POVERTY in order to conduct a meta-analysis of the author's economic perspective of the issue - Term Paper Example The New York Times Article Food Stamps Helped Reduce Poverty Rate, Study Shows† is a good economic issue (ref: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/10/us/food-stamp-program-helping-reduce-poverty.html?_r=1) 1. In terms of providing a brief overview / synopsis of the economic issue, the article shows that the Agriculture Department mentioned food stamps continue to reduce the poverty level of the United States. The food stamps are also known as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP. The food stamps project benefitted more than 45,000,000 individuals in the nation. Specifically, the food stamps program raised the average below poverty line individual’s income six percent nearer to the poverty line. 2. In terms of discussing the model or economic theory that relates to the issue presented in the news article, the economic theory that relates to the issue in the news article is demand principle. The economic theory dictates that â€Å"as the prices of goods and services increase, the demand for products and services decrease.† The theory also states that the demand for the products and services increases as the price of goods and services decline. The people who have enough money to pay for the goods and services will be the ones willing to buy the goods and services. As the prices of the goods or services increase, some of the people can no longer afford to buy the previously lower priced goods or services. Thus, the people who can no longer afford to buy the higher priced goods and services are forced to shift to the competitors’ lower priced goods and services.... Ronald King (King, 2000) theorizes â€Å"The Food Stamp Act of 1964 authorized the secretary of agriculture â€Å"to formulate and administer ‘a program under which â€Å"eligible households within the State shall be provided with an opportunity more nearly to obtain a nutritionally adequate diet through the issuance to them of a coupon allotment which shall have a greater monetary value than their normal expenditures for food.’1 The food stamp program is intended to increase the food purchasing power of low-income households to the point where they can afford the â€Å"Thrifty Food Plan, † the least expensive of the food purchasing plans developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.† The above quote states that the basic unit for the United States food stamps benefit program is the household. The family is described as the group of persons living under one roof who regularly buy food and prepare food in together. The food stamps program presumes that average household spends 30 percent of their entire purchasing power (computed in terms of cash on hand) on their unavoidable food needs. The food stamps program lightens the food need predicament of the family qualifying as belonging to the poverty line population of the United States. The United States government steps into the poverty level family home by giving them subsidy that is enough to close the gap between the household’s expected contribution to food purchases and the cost of the Thrifty Food Plan. The food stamps are given to the qualified families through booklets of coupons denominated in United States dollar amounts or by an Electronic Benefit Transfer card technology program. Some of the United States groceries are authorized to accept the food stamps as payment for the food bought from their

Task-based Instructions in Interactive Communication Research Paper

Task-based Instructions in Interactive Communication - Research Paper Example Task-based Instructions in Interactive Communication In this system, the teacher gives an assignment that has to be done practically in the field by the students, using the second language, being taught. The students take up the assignments and have to make a choice regarding the setting where they would like to perform their tasks on. Students may choose to talk to the customer care mobile operator, interview a doctor, talk to a government official, talk to members of staff who are adept in communicating in that particular language taken by the student or rather a fellow student who is conversant in communicating in that language. Since the operation is student centered, the students undertake it and file a report on the task. This extends to the presentation of the tasks in class. The teacher then has the responsibility to analyze and give a score in conjunction to the student’s work. This poses major challenges in administration by the teachers, honesty in the part of the student and sentimental trade-offs. The task-based instruction learning system is coupled with several quandaries. It involves focus on the utilization of a given target second language by students. Such assignments include communicating with different people. Assessments of performance ids analyzed from the perspective of the outcome of the assignment as disputed to the expertise or accuracy of the student in that particular language.... The problems begin from this point. Since this method of learning is more students centered and has minimal supervision by the teachers, the students may decide not to advance their vocabulary and explore the language with proficiency. They might limit themselves to simple, elementary vocabulary that is not advancing their proficiency in the second language being studied. Other students may seek to rely on the others working. Another challenge is that of time shortage. Students may run out of time in the practical tasks extending to failure. If not properly organized, the practical task may prove to be confusing and cumbersome in terms of the size of the student body being analyzed. Limited resources and confidence by the students can be a major trade off. Significance of the Problem The quandaries, outlines above are significant in such a way that they affect the task based instructional kind of education to students who take a particular language as the second language. This poses a major debate on whether the system of education is up to standard. However, research will definitely aid in the explanation of the problem and various ways of dealing with its outcome, as well as prospecting the major ways of solving this query. The system of education, as mentioned above, has various disadvantages and poses an immense challenge to those applying it in education. These challenges ought to be addressed and put into profound consideration. The issue also has a streak of advantage as it helps students to push harder and avoid imminent victimization, which may be quite challenging to detach oneself from. The research also looks into different analyses by former and present writers in a way that the

The rights of prisoners of Wars in Afghanistan from 2001-2014 Thesis

The rights of prisoners of Wars in Afghanistan from 2001-2014 - Thesis Example It is in that spirit of distrust that the bloodiest conflicts known throughout history have been fought and decided. It is within this same vein that the current war in Afghanistan wages on after nearly 13 years of conflict. With prisoners being taken on both sides, it is important that certain rules of conduct designed to protect the integrity of battle be followed, yet it appears that this is far from reality. This study takes an in-depth look at the treatment being inflicted upon Afghan prisoners of War at the hands of the Allied forces. It is important to consider that these prisoners are being treated unjustly, without regard for basic human rights, and with little regard for commonly accepted practiced rules of engagement. It is important to concur a critical analysis of current American policy in Afghanistan, and the various tactics being utilised to intervene in the conflict itself. There are many who object to what is taking place at hands of the American military in relationship to insurgent rights. This includes the rights of prisoners, particularly those at the Bagram Airbase Prison and those being housed at Guantanamo Bay. Many that live in Afghanistan have reported on the methods utilised by the American military in this war, many of which have been determined to be illegal and cruel (Abunimah 13). Military members are often seen to be entering civilian villages and houses to conduct random searches, all the hill women and children are inside crying and screaming out at the injustice of it all. As a result of these action, the insurgency rages on as the Afghan people have begun to develop a fierce anger towards much of the international community. There is an obvious tactic being employed by the United States to capture known members of the Taliban or Al-Qaeda, making them de facto prisoners of war. In essence, this strips

Advanced Financial Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Advanced Financial Management - Essay Example Implementation in the efficiency in a market proves that it is unable for any investor to beat the market consistently by using a common investment strategy. â€Å"The efficient market hypothesis is associated with the idea of a â€Å"random walk,† which is a term loosely used in the finance literature to characterize a price series where all subsequent price changes represent random departures from previous prices.† 3 But even very rarely efficient markets carry a negative implication for the investment strategy. An efficient market does not imply that the stock price cannot move away from the true value. Some times in the efficient market the expected return from investment will be consistent with the risk factor. Errors in valuation creates problems in efficient market. An efficient market is described as â€Å"Informationally Efficient†, because the investors can get all the necessary information that reflects within the market like political, economical and social. â€Å"The paradox of efficient markets is that if every investor believed a market was efficient, then the market would not be efficient because no one would analyze securities.† 4 As per behavioral decision theory of Kehneman and Tversky investors decisions are subject to the change of optimism and pessimism. These behavioral changes are reflecting their investment decision. Some investors are over confident they are able to forecast future stock price. 5 Share prices are reflected all information about the market so the investors are able to expect their returns and they can easily take decision about their investments. Market may needs to exist where the investors are unable to earn excess return over a long period. In order to maintain the market in a steadily manner it is essential to undertake the legal barriers about the publication of privatized information. In a weak form of market the prevailing share prices are

Pluralism vs. Elitism in Public Policy Making Essay

Pluralism vs. Elitism in Public Policy Making - Essay Example The elitist view of power, on the other hand states that â€Å"political power should be in the hands of a relatively small part of the general population that shares a common understanding about the fundamental issues facing society and government†3. Those who advocate the elitist view of power argue that the general public is best served when a basic consensus exists among a country’s top leaders regarding fundamental issues. â€Å"Although these leaders may disagree on minor issues, or even compete against one another for positions of authority in government, the fact that they share a common view on issues that might otherwise split the nation is regarded as an important foundation for governing†4. With the practice of democracy in the United States as the principal basis of such claims by pluralists and elitists, is it safe to say that equality under the law is enforced in the face of political, social, and religious diversity among men, and the conflicting interests of their representatives? The Dispersal of Power among Groups Pluralism gives stress on the role of interest groups in political agendas in the United States. ... They further emphasize that politics is not the central decision-making of a united public acting through the state, but the result of continuous competition, bargaining, and exchange among groups representing different interests. Pluralists accepted Schumpeter’s broad view that what separate democracies from non-democracies are the methods by which government officials are elected. Democracy, in the United States of America, is generally regarded as synonymous to political pluralism despite the rise of scholarly notions that say otherwise. For Weber, elite domination within the state apparatus was inevitable. As Weber himself puts it, â€Å"all ideas aiming at abolishing dominance of men over men are illusory†5. The crucial feature of the state is located within its roles as the major authoritative associated within a given territory. For the state to maintain its central position it has to claim a monopoly of the legitimate use of force. Domination, or as Weber termed it, â€Å"the authoritarian power of command† is a necessary and inevitable feature of this process. However, the concentration of both economic and political decision making in the hands of a central government bureaucracy is incompatible with democracy. Democracy requires limited government, individual freedom, and dispersal of power in society On September 17, 1787 the Constitution of the United States of America was approved and instituted the following fundamental principles: (1) standard sovereignty, or control by the people, (2) a republican government in which the people select representatives to make decisions for them, (3) limited government with written laws, separation of powers, with checks and balances among branches to prevent any one branch from gaining too much power, and

The rights of prisoners of Wars in Afghanistan from 2001-2014 Thesis

The rights of prisoners of Wars in Afghanistan from 2001-2014 - Thesis Example It is in that spirit of distrust that the bloodiest conflicts known throughout history have been fought and decided. It is within this same vein that the current war in Afghanistan wages on after nearly 13 years of conflict. With prisoners being taken on both sides, it is important that certain rules of conduct designed to protect the integrity of battle be followed, yet it appears that this is far from reality. This study takes an in-depth look at the treatment being inflicted upon Afghan prisoners of War at the hands of the Allied forces. It is important to consider that these prisoners are being treated unjustly, without regard for basic human rights, and with little regard for commonly accepted practiced rules of engagement. It is important to concur a critical analysis of current American policy in Afghanistan, and the various tactics being utilised to intervene in the conflict itself. There are many who object to what is taking place at hands of the American military in relationship to insurgent rights. This includes the rights of prisoners, particularly those at the Bagram Airbase Prison and those being housed at Guantanamo Bay. Many that live in Afghanistan have reported on the methods utilised by the American military in this war, many of which have been determined to be illegal and cruel (Abunimah 13). Military members are often seen to be entering civilian villages and houses to conduct random searches, all the hill women and children are inside crying and screaming out at the injustice of it all. As a result of these action, the insurgency rages on as the Afghan people have begun to develop a fierce anger towards much of the international community. There is an obvious tactic being employed by the United States to capture known members of the Taliban or Al-Qaeda, making them de facto prisoners of war. In essence, this strips

Pluralism vs. Elitism in Public Policy Making Essay

Pluralism vs. Elitism in Public Policy Making - Essay Example The elitist view of power, on the other hand states that â€Å"political power should be in the hands of a relatively small part of the general population that shares a common understanding about the fundamental issues facing society and government†3. Those who advocate the elitist view of power argue that the general public is best served when a basic consensus exists among a country’s top leaders regarding fundamental issues. â€Å"Although these leaders may disagree on minor issues, or even compete against one another for positions of authority in government, the fact that they share a common view on issues that might otherwise split the nation is regarded as an important foundation for governing†4. With the practice of democracy in the United States as the principal basis of such claims by pluralists and elitists, is it safe to say that equality under the law is enforced in the face of political, social, and religious diversity among men, and the conflicting interests of their representatives? The Dispersal of Power among Groups Pluralism gives stress on the role of interest groups in political agendas in the United States. ... They further emphasize that politics is not the central decision-making of a united public acting through the state, but the result of continuous competition, bargaining, and exchange among groups representing different interests. Pluralists accepted Schumpeter’s broad view that what separate democracies from non-democracies are the methods by which government officials are elected. Democracy, in the United States of America, is generally regarded as synonymous to political pluralism despite the rise of scholarly notions that say otherwise. For Weber, elite domination within the state apparatus was inevitable. As Weber himself puts it, â€Å"all ideas aiming at abolishing dominance of men over men are illusory†5. The crucial feature of the state is located within its roles as the major authoritative associated within a given territory. For the state to maintain its central position it has to claim a monopoly of the legitimate use of force. Domination, or as Weber termed it, â€Å"the authoritarian power of command† is a necessary and inevitable feature of this process. However, the concentration of both economic and political decision making in the hands of a central government bureaucracy is incompatible with democracy. Democracy requires limited government, individual freedom, and dispersal of power in society On September 17, 1787 the Constitution of the United States of America was approved and instituted the following fundamental principles: (1) standard sovereignty, or control by the people, (2) a republican government in which the people select representatives to make decisions for them, (3) limited government with written laws, separation of powers, with checks and balances among branches to prevent any one branch from gaining too much power, and

Christian Science Essay Example for Free

Christian Science Essay Modern day America is home to many Protestant groups, most of which had their foundation largely influenced by 19th century Protestantism in the region. During the period, irresistible dynamism rocked American Protestant groups, coinciding with an epoch in which the American society readily allowed the founding of new churches and religious movements. Amid growing revivalism and much freedom to develop, the 19th century also saw mounting interest in millennialism and the rise of Adventism. All these resulted in new Protestant groups, some motivated by the looming Second Coming of Christ and while others invented new religious doctrines. A few broke away from existing churches while others claimed their foundation in new revelations. Among the key churches founded then include the Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Christian Science and the Seventh-Day Adventist. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, popular as the Mormons and founded by Joseph Smith, was among the first churches to be formed. In his boyhood, Smith experienced visions via which he was advised against joining existing churches, and told he would be active in restoring true Christianity. In 1823, he was guided by a heavenly messenger named Moroni to a hill in New York, where he discovered strange writing covering two thin golden plates. His translation of the writing, aided by Moroni, is now the Book of Mormon and is based on Christ’s teachings. Mormons deem their faith akin to that founded by Jesus in North America. Although they accept the influence of the old and new testaments, their scriptural doctrine includes the Book of Mormon and two other texts, Doctrines and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price; both based on Smith’s revelations and sermons. The discovery of the Book of Mormons allured many followers to Smith’s church, whose membership is now roughly eight million, with headquarters in Salt Lake City. Christian Science was on its part founded in 1879 by Mary Baker Eddy, originally a member of a Congregational Church. As a young woman, she suffered from nervous disorders that physicians and hypnotists could not cure. She in 1866 claimed to have been totally cured after reading a New Testament account of one of the miraculous healings Jesus performed. She subsequently founded the church, which she described in her book Science and Health. Its members disregard formal creeds and doctrines, with some fully devoting themselves to tutor others how to use ‘scientific prayer’ to access God’s healing love. Christian Science has over 3, 000 congregations in 50 countries, with headquarters in Boston. This church is seen as the source of New Thought, a larger American religious movement attributed to Emma Hopkins. Emma was Baker’s student and a teacher, whose students later formed new versions of New Thought such as the Unity School of Christianity, Religion Science and Divine Science and the Unity Movement. The latter has congregations in most USA cities and abroad. On the Adventist front, the Seventh-Day Adventist is the main church. It was founded by Ellen White. White was a follower of William Miller, a millennialist who founded the first Adventist denomination and wrongly proclaimed Christ would return in 1843 to preside over a final judgment. Ellen experienced many visions that inspired her books. And being a gifted speaker, she drew thousands to her lectures, in which she attributed the delay of the predicted Second Coming to Christians’ failure to obey the Ten Commandments. Today, the church has nearly four million members, with half a million living in the USA. The Jehovah’s Witnesses is also a millennialist group, formed in 1881 by Charles Taze Russell. At 20, Russell’s study of the Bible led him to a verdict that the Second Coming would occur in 1874, when Christ would invisibly return. This was to be followed by the Battle of Armageddon and end of the world in 1914. His ideas drew him hundreds of followers and membership continued to rise even after his prophesy failed to materialize. The church, with headquarters in New York, now has over two million members in 200 countries. They understand Christ to be God’s son but reject the doctrine of the Trinity and still believe that a ‘great tribulation’ is imminent. Considering that the churches discussed here are just the main ones and have followers worldwide, it is clearly evident that 19th century American Protestantism played a middle role in both the origination and molding of the course, and even beliefs, of numerous modern-day churches and movements. References LD.

Telecommunications Services in the UK

Telecommunications Services in the UK Introduction Telecommunication can be specifically defined as â€Å"The science and technology of communication at a distance by electronic transmission of impulses, as by telegraph, cable, telephone, radio, or television† (Thefreedoctionary.com 2009). This brief introduction Traces back the telecommunications services in the United Kingdom, and sketches the evolution of BT from a monopoly in the UK to a global organization. BT is the worlds oldest telecommunications company. The company dates back to the first telecommunications company that was set up in the United Kingdom. As the various smaller companies amalgamated and were taken over by the big ones or collapsed, the companies that survived came to being under the state control, i.e. under the Post office. The British Telecommunications Act, which was passed in the year 1981 transferred the responsibility for telecommunications services from the Post Office, as a result two corporations were created. BT later on transferred into a privatized organization and came to be known as ‘British Telecommunications ‘. In the year 1982, the Government formally announced its intention to privatize British Telecom, with the idea of selling 51 percent of its shares to the public and investors. This intention was put into action by the government passing, the Telecommunications Act, 1984, In November of the year 1984, more than 50 per cent of British Telecom shares were sold to the public and interested investors and the process of privatization was complete. It was no more a state owned organization. It is the worlds oldest communications company. Fast forward to today and technology is the heart to BTs business. Innovation as put forward by BT is the combination or putting together of the technical know-how with commercial acumen, which as a result becomes even more crucial in todays, competitive world. 1.0-Mission Statement A ‘Mission statement is a very important and key factor of the organization as it clarifies the organizations purpose, its goals and its achievements in which the company sets their future objectives. Big companies generally avoid making the mission statement too narrow or either too broad. Organizations believe that the mission statements should be specific and market orientated. Mission statements should also be realistic and motivating. They should also be specifically precise in identifying the main domain in which the organization intends to operate. BTs ‘mission, their central purpose of existence, is to be the leader in delivering converged networked services, provide world-class telecommunications and information products and services, and to develop and exploit our networks, at home and overseas, so that we can: meet the requirements of our customers by being dedicated to helping customers thrive in a changing world. sustain growth in the earnings of the group on behalf of our shareholders, and make a fitting contribution to the community in which we conduct our business. Evidence to support the last point in the mission statement of BT is as follows, this is what the organization had to say towards the disabled community â€Å"Our mission is to drive consideration of disability issues deep into the operations of BT so that we enable equality of access to BTs portfolio and to communicate that effectively to our target audiences, so as to improve the quality of life of disabled people, and enhance shareholder value (Wiki.answers.com 2009 Accessed at 10-12-2009) 2.0-Key Objectives As a consultant, on the basis of detailed research carried out the key objectives of British telecommunications are as follows- Enhancing Customer satisfaction- BTs new CEO, Ben Verwaayen, places a major emphasis on enhancing consumer and customer satisfaction. He believes that corporate social responsibility is an integral step in enhancing consumer satisfaction. If the organization is responsible towards the society it helps creates a large consumer base. .British Telecommunications transformation programme specifically highlights three key objectives, namely being: To enhance the customer experience To accelerate product to market times To reduce BTs cost base- This can be done by aiming for ‘economies of scale. BT further needs a future-proof, flexible and intelligent network so as to enable them to deliver communications services that will meet the customers requirements and satisfy them which will in turn help BT achieving their goals. A few other objectives of British Telecommunication that the research highlights are as follows: Pursuing profitability- BT want to migrate existing customers to the new wave of products and services that they introduce, such as network IT services, broadband, mobility and managedservices. Maximizing the potential of the organizations traditional businesses. Retaining the market share- At present BT has more than 20 million business and residential customers with more 29 million telephone lines.

The Late Bronze Age :: essays research papers

Trade and Phoenician Development in the Late Bronze Age   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Little is known about the Phoenician way of life other than the fact that they were a society founded on trade with other, larger nations. These people made use of their natural resources to establish trade with such nations as Egypt and Assyria. The geographical locations of the Phoenician city-states were also advantageous to their role as a trading state. Located on the east coast of the Mediterranean, where Israel lies today, the Phoenicians were able to trade with virtually all of the Mediterranean nations. Little else is known about their actual culture, other than what is written about them in other nation’s texts. In a text from the seventh century, the rules of trade are established, and appear to have been independent of any local rulers, traders acted on their own accord. Phoenicia became one of the greatest trading states in all of history, due to the fact that they possessed a large amount of valuable materials, a good location for trade, and a n unsurpassed knowledge of the sea. It is through these advantages that Phoenicia was able to become such an influential state.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Phoenicia was located in what is now present-day Israel, a very valuable plot of land even today. This was an undeniable resource for the Phoenicians, and without it there success as a trading nation would have been severely deterred. Being located on the Mediterranean, the Phoenicians had equal access to both Egypt and Assyria, the two most influential nations in the region. In the text, it is clearly stated that should a trader be stranded in another nation they should be returned to their home, but their ‘booty’ is free for the taking (Kuhrt, 407). This fact made trade easier, due to the idea that fear of capture was greatly reduced by the trade rules. Clearly, if Phoenicia had not been located where it was, their influence on trade would have been dramatically decreased. By making use of their location the Phoenicians capitalized on trade, and their wealth of resources contributed greatly to their role.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Phoenicia was rich in natural resources such as timber and metal. â€Å"Because of the demands made on them . . . the coastal cities appear to have concentrated their energy and resources on the production of luxury commodities such as ivory inlaid furniture for royal consumption† (Kuhrt, 407). This fact produced a wealth of skilled craftsmen, who are still famous today for their creations.

Discuss the themes of Virtu and Fortuna in The Prince. Essay -- Englis

Discuss the themes of Virtu and Fortuna in The Prince. Niccolo Machiavelli was born in Florence, Italy on the 3rd May 1469. In 1498, Florence became a republic and Machiavelli gained a position within the Florentine government. After this he was soon confirmed by the great council as the second chancellor of the republic, making him the head of internal affairs. Less than a month later he was elected as secretary to the ten of war, which focussed on foreign and defensive affairs. In November 1498 Machiavelli was sent on his first diplomatic mission and over the years he continued with many more. On his first mission to France to see King Louis XII, which lasted six months, Machiavelli was able to observe the effects of having a single prince ruling a united country. When Machiavelli returned to Florence and he found it to be slowly disintegrating because Cesare Borgia endeavoured to create a principality for himself in Italy and during this time Machiavelli made many visits to him on behalf of the Florentine government to try and negotiate. When Borgia finally retaliated by killing his captains in Sinigaglia, Machiavelli was witness to this and later wrote an account of it. Machiavelli had a lot of admiration for Borgia’s conduct and believed his qualities would be found in the perfect prince who would eventually unite all the Italian states. Over the next few years Machiavelli maintained his position within the Florentine government and was sent on various missions and given many different roles with increasing amounts of authority over Florence. In 1513 Machiavelli is accused of being involved in an anti-Medici conspiracy with the Medici family being rulers of Florence at the time. Machiavel... ...t rule a principality. And also the book has visions of wanting to unite Italy, which is an idea 350 years ahead of its time. When Machiavelli wrote this book it was write for the time as there were frequent wars and some advice on the art of war was needed. Even though, in many cases, Machiavelli’s the Prince is still relevant today particularly in government, as if you want to succeed and gain power in it, you need to be ruthless and corrupted. Bibliography Machiavelli, N. (2003) The Prince. London: Penguin Group Solomon, R, C., Higgins, K, M., (1996). A short history of Philosophy. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Skinner, Q. (2000) Machiavelli – A very short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. www.constitution.org/mac/prince00/html - another translation of The Prince. â€Å"Machiavelli, Niccolo†. Microsoft Encarta 99 Encyclopedia.

Competitive Edge of Vitasoy

The Final Year Project of â€Å"Competitive Edge of VITASOY† Coventry University – BABA Table of Content Chapter 1 Abstract†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 3 Chapter 2 Background†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 4-5 2. 1) Background of VITASOY 2. 2) Aim & Mission Chapter 3 Research Objectives Chapter 4 Literature Review Chapter 5 Methodology Chapter 6 Conclusion Chapter 7 Recommendation Chapter 8 Ethical considerations†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 19 Chapter 9 Scope and Limitation†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â ‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦20 Chapter 10 Table Time †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 8 Chapter 11) Reference†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦21 Appendix I Chapter 1) Abstract: In this study, the topic is † Competitive edge of VITASOY†. I am going to study† VITASOY holding Ltd† and analyze the factors of marketing competitiveness of VITASOY. The business environment will be assessed by SWOT analysis and marketing mix. Besides, I am going to find out the reasons for the VITASOY success at the past . The current marketing strategies of VITASOY when facing the changing perception of customers a s well as how can increase competitiveness in the future. Besides, I am going to conduct a survey to collect data on internet. It can help us to analysis the reasons of competitive edge for VITASOY. I will collect primary data and secondary data. Primary data is questionnaires. Secondary data is journals and annual report of VITASOY. Competitive edge can help competitive analysis and recommendation will be providing some marketing plans for further to increase the marketing competitiveness. Chapter 2) Background 2. 1) Background of VITASOY VITASOY is 70th anniversary, which has been established for long time in Hong Kong. In 1940, the brainchild of Dr K. S. Lo, who was bringing the soymilk made from this healthy little bean to a wider market. Moreover, VITASOY was nutritious, high-protein soymilk that was sold at reasonable price to Hong Kong people after the World Wars. At first, VITASOY was delivered fresh to people's homes on bicycle; later VITASOY began selling their soya bean milk through retail outlets. In 1953, VITASOY started to adopt sterilization technology of VITASOY soymilk drinks. This enabled the drinks to be stored without refrigeration, therefore they grown the distribution and revolutionized the business. In 1975, VITASOY was the first Hong Kong Company to introduce Tetra Pak packaging technology for drinks production. The packaging system, which involves UHT (Ultra High Temperature) sterilization of the product and packaging in aseptic cartons, make sure the drink product can be kept for months in the normal atmospheric temperature. In 1976, VITASOY Ltd builds a new VITA line of juice drinks and was the world’s first ready-to-drink VITA lemon tea. The new product line can increase the competiveness. In 1987, New HK$100 million head office and plant opened in Tuen Mun ,Hong Kong In 1993, VITASOY gain a tofu plant in US. In 1994, VITASOY became a household name and a listed company (0345. HK) on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong with plants located in Hong Kong, which is setting new standards of quality and innovation wherever its products are sold. In 2006, VITASOY launched in mainland China-Imported from Hong Kong under the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA). Therefore, VITASOY start to develop in the China market In 2007, a new product line â€Å"SAN SUI Tofu† was launched in Hong Kong. Nowadays, VITASOY product sells in over 40 markets around the world. VITASOY is a dynamic, international organization setting new standards of quality (Source: Vitasoy website) 2. 2) Aim and mission The VITASOY aims to sustain the leadership in promoting supreme quality of life by producing high quality, nutritious and great tasting products which will satisfy the needs of the market. The mission of the company is to promote well-being among consumer. The mission is attained by producing healthy and innovative products. The company is known to be innovative, with reliable employer and willing to create value for the shareholders. (Source: Vitasoy website-http://www. vitasoy. com/) Chapter 3)Research Objectives VITASOY is one of the most popular healthy beverages companies, which provides nutritious and healthy products. The main objective of this study is to find out what is the competitive edge of VITASOY. In this study, key focus on the questions included: †¢ How to maintain the position of market leader in beverage industry? †¢ How to increase the competitiveness in the future? What are the success factors for VITASOY in the customer ‘s point of view ? †¢ How to increase customer satisfaction and to sustain market share in the future? Chapter 4) Literature Review Article 4. 1-Competitive  strategy In this book, it has methods that proof to the long period. It point out that the competitive strategy research has been limited. Competitive strategy remains to the study of stra tegic management. We have understood organizational sources of advantage must be matched by knowledge on the strategies inaction through which these assets realize value in the market. Although this study has stated that cost and differentiation do play a important role in discriminating between competitive strategy designs, its had accumulate of the experience record has disclosed a more productive and more fine-grained descriptive system than that originally proposed, and has focused attention on the need for a more complete, specification of the link between competitive strategy and company performance. ( Source : Chichester. (2000). What have we learned about generic  competitive  strategy. A meta-analysis Colin Campbell-Hunt. Strategic Management Journal. Chichester:  Feb 2000. Vol. 21, Iss. 2;  pg. 127) Article 4. 2-Competitive advantage This book wrote that the concept of completive advantage, demonstrating that in compare to its apparent objectivity, it shows circularity, ambiguity, ontological problem and subjectivity. These inherent and intractable inadequacies suggest that it is poorly specified as an object of strategy. In searching to move beyond the limitations of competitive advantage, attempts to make a different between competition and strategy were sought. Strategy is how actors consciously or unconsciously seek to change company performance, as competition is the process by which performance becomes relative. Source : Jeremy Klein(2002) Beyond competitive advantage. Strategic Change. Chichester: Sep/Oct 2002. Vol. 11, Iss. 6; Article 4. 3 -New product development The writer suggested that I can use the micro level research to help build new product development. It needs to focus on new product development performance as results of information flow. It is affected by inf ormation available between firms with formal cooperation agreements. Besides, the writer suggested two methods of the formal external information network, variety and control, have an impact on a firm’s new product development performance. Moreover, it showed that there are three factors have different relationship of new product development performance: new product innovativeness, development time and market performance – provide a holistic, yet under-explored, view of new product development performance. ( Source : Kirk D (2004)New product development performance: Using networks to access information  Wessel, Ph. D. ,  The University of Utah Article 4. 4 -Competitive advantage The book explains the definition of competitive advantage. A firm  has  over its competitors, allowing it  to generate greater sales or margins and  retain more customers than its competition. There can be many types of competitive advantages including  the firm's  cost structure, product offerings,  distribution network and customer support. All of the factors can be use for Vitasoy to study for this research. ( Source :Linda Argote (2000). Knowledge Transfer: A Basis for Competitive Advantage in Firms Organizational Behavior and Human Decision ProcessesVolume 82, Issue 1, Pages 150-169 Article 4. 5 –BCG Matrix From Book: BCG STARS  (high growth, high market share) – Stars are defined by having high market share in a growing market. – Stars are the leaders in the business but still need a lot of support for promotion a placement. If market share is kept, Stars are likely to grow into cash cows. BCG QUESTION MARKS (high growth, low market share) – These products are in growing markets but have low market share. – Question marks are essentially new products where buyers have yet to discover them. – The marketing strategy is to get markets to adopt these products. – Question marks have high demands and low returns due to low market share. BCG CASH COWS (low growth, high market share) – Cash cows are in a position of high market share in a mature market. – If competitive advantage has been achieved, cash cows have high profit margins and generate a lot of cash flow. Because of the low growth, promotion and placement investments are low. – Investments into supporting infrastructure can improve efficiency and increase cash flow more. – Cash cows are the products that businesses strive for. BCG DOGS (low growth, low market share)- Dogs are in low growth markets and have low market share. – Dogs should be avoided and minimized. – Expensive turn-around plans usually do not help. My review: BCG Matrix have been used in this project, it can analysis Vitasoy of market and growth. It can help us to know more improvement. [pic] My review: BCG Matrix analyzes the traditional Vitasoy Soya milk, the product is the Cash Cow group. Because the business has high market share compared to competitors. The future growth is limited and slow growing. This is a mature market leader. As the market has matured, the enterprise is not easy to expand the market size. It is the market leader. They can have high margin and cash flow. This business generates a lot of cash and helps the organization invest in other businesses. Since the market does not attract new players, this business does not need substantial investments to keep the market share. Cash Cows have to protect and keep the market share stable and maximize cash flow. (Source: Ricky W. Griffin . Management. Cengage Learning, 2006 – page. 219 Article 4. 6- SWOT analysis A SWOT analysis must first start with defining a desired end state or objective. A SWOT analysis may be incorporated into the strategic planning model. Strategic Planning has been the subject of much research. Strengths: characteristics of the business or team that give it an advantage over others in the industry. Weaknesses: are characteristics that place the firm at a disadvantage relative to others. Opportunities:  external  chances to make greater sales or profits in the environment. Threats:  external  elements in the environment that could cause trouble for the business. Identification of SWOTs is essential because subsequent steps in the process of planning for achievement of the selected objective may be derived from the SWOTs. My review: SWOT analysis have been used, it is useful to analyze the information of Vitasoy. Beside, Strengths and weaknesses can study internal environmental and Opportunities and threats can study external environmental. The strengths is the seem to be Marketing Mix (5P) A) Product Vitasoy product includes soya, VITA, SAI SUI, CULCU-PLUS and Tsing Sum Zhan products. Soya Products line includes Vitasoy Soya bean Milk, Malted Soya bean milk, Dark Chocolate Soya bean Milk, melon soya milk. VITA product line includes lemon tea, Ceylon Lemon Tea, Juice and Pure Distilled Water. SAN SUI product line includes Black Soya Milk, Tofa Dessert, Silken Tofu, Pan Fried Hard Tofu. CALCI-PLUS product line includes Fiber, Collages and Oat. Tsing Sum Zhan product line includes Fid and White fungus Drink, Rock Sugar lily Bulb and Papaya Drink. Vitasoy have more product lines to provide health product. The soya drinks are high quality, high calcium and low fat. It can help people to protect their bone and health. Beside, Vitasoy enjoy developing new taste and package to meet young people, such as red bean soya and melon soya. In the result of survey, it point out most people consider the taste of drink to choose Vitasoy. B) Place Vitasoy have many distributors so Vitasoy soya milk often sells in supermarkets, stores, convenience shops. People can buy it easily. In the result of survey, most people think that they can easy to purchase Vitasoy soya milk. 8% people buy it in supermarkets. Wellcome and Parknshop can provide a lot of types of products to choose and the price is cheaper. 32% people buy in convenience shop. 7-11 and Circle K are more convenience although the price is higher than others. Vitasoy have a large market share. C) Price Supermarket of Wellcome and Parknshop sold Vitasoy soya bean milk 375ml with HK$3. 5. Convenience shop of Circle K and 7-11 sold it with HK$4. 5. The price of Vitasoy soya milk 375ml is about HK$3. 5 – HK$4. 5. If we compare with other drink, the selling price of Vitasoy is very reasonable. In the result of survey, most people think that the price of Vitasoy is reasonable. And 30% consumers consider the price is the reason to purchase Vitasoy products. Therefore, the price of Vitasoy has competitive advantage D) Promotion Effective promotion or advertising is a method on how companies can effectively market their products in a marketing environment. Effective marketing strategy means that the products of Vitasoy being provided are always excellent. You can see the Vitasoy‘s advertisement in  mass media. For example: TV, radio, newspapers, magazine, internet and mobile phones etc. Vitasoy invest a lot of money in the promotion in order to keeping creating a new image to attract teenage and remain Vitasoy is not outdated. Beside, Vitasoy have enjoy to cooperate with green enterprise and charity organizations as it will increase their positive image. E) People People are the most important element of any service or experience. Therefore, Vitasoy respect the staff development. Vitasoy will provide training and education to improve employees’ performance and maintain a high quality of personal service ( Source : David W. Pickton,  ( 1998) Strategic Change. Volume 7,  Issue 2,  pages 101–109 Article 4. 7 – Identifications of SWOT Strengths: attributes of the organization that is helpful to achieving the objective. Weaknesses: attributes of the organization that is harmful to achieving the objective. Opportunities: external conditions that is helpful to achieving the objective. Threats: external conditions that is harmful to achieving the objective. It is critical that correct identifications of SWOT's are identified because of the subsequent steps in the process of planning for the achievement of the selected objective are to be derived from the SWOT's. Source: Lawrence G. Fine (2009). The SWOT Analysis: Using Your Strength to Overcome Weaknesses, Using Opportunities to Overcome Threats. CreateSpace Article 4. 8– Research Primary Research – Advantages Greater Control – Not only does primary research enable the marketer to focus on specific issues, it also enables the marketer to have a higher level of control over how the information is collected. In this way the marketer can decide on such issues as size of project (e. g. , how many responses), location of research (e. g. , geographic area) and time frame for completing the project. Efficient Spending for Information – Unlike secondary research where the marketer may spend for information that is not needed, primary data collections’ focus on issues specific to the researcher improves the chances that research funds will be spent efficiently. Proprietary Information – Information collected by the marketer using primary research is their own and is generally not shared with others. Thus, information can be kept hidden from competitors and potentially offer an â€Å"information advantage† to the company that undertook the primary research. (Source : Albert Breneman (1998). State of the art marketing research. McGraw-Hill Professional, 1998 – page 40 ) Article 4. 9 – Research |Method |Comments | |Telephone interviews |Not to be confused with â€Å"telesales† (which is a method of selling), the telephone interview allow quicker| | |feedback than a postal survey. However, potential customers are often wary of being called and may be | | |reluctant to give anything other than short answers |Online surveys |Increasingly popular and relatively low cost, online surveys are widely used by small businesses as a way| | |of capturing the views of existing and potential customers | |Face-to-face surveys |Personal interviews conducted face-to-face. A costly, but good way to get detailed insights from an | | |individual | |Focus groups |Groups of potential customers are brought together to discuss their feelings about a product or market. | |Focus groups are a good way of getting detailed information about customer tastes and preferences | (Sou rce : Jan Wiid,  Colin Diggines (2010). Marketing Research. Juta and Company Ltd,. page 84) Article 4. 10 The company’s strong brand has given it an edge in the respective markets it serves. The company owns two production facilities in Shenzhen and Shanghai which manufacture Vitasoy products for the local markets as well as for exports to Chinatowns in Western countries via Hong Kong. The distinct characteristic of the business is its ability to adapt itself to the local market. The company is able to tailor made packaging and customize its product formulas depending on the local cultures of its targeted markets. For instance, in China, only the Vitasoy brand exists. The company employs the â€Å"1 business, 1 core brand and core city† strategy in marketing its products in more established and prosperous cities in China. . Each region in China is given different taste profiles to market its products. Black bean and sesame favours are some of the popular ones used in its products in accordance with local market tastes. ( Source : Bizad Abroad (2009) . Vitasoy Post Trip  Report ) Article 4. 11 – Vitasoy Cash Cow The efficiency of financial management, specifically the cash flow management is judged by the success in achieving the firm's goal. The shareholder wealth maximization goal states that management should endeavour to maximize the net present (or current) value of the expected future cash flows to the shareholders of the firm. Net present value refers to the discounted sum of the expected net cash flows. Some of the cash flows, such as capital outlays, are cash outflows, while some, such as cash proceeds from sales, are cash inflows. Net cash flows are obtained by subtracting a given period's cash outflows from that period's cash inflows ( 2002). The discount rate takes into account the timing and risk of the future cash flows that are available from an investment. The longer it takes to receive a cash flow, the lower the value investors place on that cash flow now. The greater the risk associated with receiving a future cash flow, the lower the value investors place on that cash flow. (Source : Research Proposal: Evaluation of the Efficacy of Cash Flow Management System of Vitasoy International Holdings Limited) Article 4. 12 – Problem of melamine-tainted product The scandal was blamed for the deaths of at least six babies. More than 300,000 fell ill, mainly with kidney problems. The suspects associated with Lekang Dairy were identified as general manager Zhang Wenxue and vice general managers Zhu Shuming and Tong Tianhu. The fourth suspect was Ma Shuanglin, a milk powder dealer. The report came a day after state media said the mainland had launched a new probe into food safety after the discovery that melamine-tainted products had found their way back on to the market. Source : City in clear as killer China milk returns. The Standard – free newspaper distributed on 4 February 2010) Article 4. 13 – Current marketing Strategies: Differentiation [pic] A differentiation strategy is appropriate where the target customer segment is not price-sensitive, the market is competitive or saturated, Vitasoy ‘s customers have very specific needs which are possibly under-served, and the firm has unique resources and capabilities which enable it to satisfy these needs in ways that are difficult to copy. These could include patents or other Intellectual Property, unique technical expertise, talented personnel, or innovative processes. Successful brand management also results in perceived uniqueness even when the physical product is the same as competitors. (Source: Ferrell, Michael (2010). Marketing Strategy. Hartline. Page. 209 ) Article4. 14 -Vitasoy business in China Only 30 years after it began to open and liberalize its economy, China offers its consumers an extraordinary range of brands and products that no other country, even the wealthy consumer markets of Japan, Europe, and the United States, can match. In any convenience store in Shanghai or Dalian, you can find Western beverages such as Coke, Pepsi, and Schweppes; Japanese soft drinks made by Suntory, Kirin, and Sapporo; Taiwanese flavors under the Uni-President label; Hong Kong brands such as Vitasoy; and local teas, coffees, soy milks, and fruit drinks. Chinese companies make their own versions of every international flavor, and many flavors that are not produced elsewhere. (Source : The challenge of doing business in Chinaby  GRAEME CODRINGTON  on  MARCH 29, 2010) Chapter 5) Methodologies to be used The study aims on identifying the reasons of the competitive edge of VITASOY. The primary data and secondary data research are used. . Moreover, in order to determine the marketing strategies of VITASOY, the collected data have been analysis and make the finding. The result will been use the diagram and chart to point out. 5. 1) Primary data Primary data is collected questionnaires via online. The information can find out the marketing strategy of Vitasoy and help to find the development method. 5. 1. 1) Questionnaires: Online questionnaires have advantage . First, it is easy to collect a large number of people data by e-mail or internet and low cost to organize. Second, it can focus on the object. The questionnaires will be sent to consumer of VITASOY in order to collect information for analysis customer purchasing behavior and brand loyalty. |Content of Questionnaires | |The respondents detail: | |No. f questionnaires: |About 150 pcs (n=150) | |Kinds of respondents: |Over 18 years old , all careers, all sex | |Questionnaires detail: | |Part A – Respondents description: |Customer segment -Age, Sex, Careers | |Part B – Perception of respondents: |Find out Marketing Mix (5Ps) | |Part C – Perception of respondents: |Find out the key competitor | |Part D – Perception of respondents: |Find out the information of SWOT analysis | |Part E – Perception of respondents: |Recommendation | 5. 2) Secondary data Sources of secondary data find in Journals, books, newspapers & Annual report of VITASOY Secondary data analysis can save time that would be spent collecting data. It can provide larger and higher-quality databases than would be unfeasible for any individual researcher to collect on their own. We can know more the current development of the company and analysis the data. 5. 3 ) Primary Analysis-Data findings, analysis The survey was conducted in June 2011. I used online research and invited people, total interviewee are 150 people (100 Online research and 50 people was face to face interview). The findings are listed below: Part A – Customer segment A1) What is your age group? [pic] In Part A figure of A1, about 40% people is below 21years old. Second, 30% people were 21-30 years old. A2) Gender [pic] In Part A figure of A2, 53% customers were female and 47% customer was male. A3) Monthly income [pic] In Part A figure of A3, most customers of the monthly income are below $6000. 24% people find $6000-$10000 per month. Part B –Find out the information for marketing Mix (5Ps) B1) What kind of the Vitasoy product lines are you like? [pic] In Part B figure of B1, Most people like Vitasoy soya product. 18% people like juice and 15% people like tea. B2) What kind of package do you like more? [pic] In Part B of figure B2, 49% people like Vitasoy soya product package with 375ml. 24% people like the package with 250ml. B3) Why are you choose Vitasoy product? [pic] In Part B of figure B3, 42% people think that their reason of choose Vitasoy product is taste. And 25% interviewees think the price is the second reason. B4) How do you known regarding Vitasoy [pic] In Part B of figure B4, most interviewees know regarding Vitasoy from TV advertising. From internet and word of mouth are also 20%. B5) Have you used any Vitasoy's promotional discount (one time within 1 week)? [pic] In Part B of figure B5, most people sold that they have used the discount of â€Å"buy 1 get 1 free â€Å" And 50 people have used discount card to buy Vitasoy products. B6) Where are you usually purchase of Vitasoy products? [pic] In Part B of figure B6, 38% people usually by Vitasoy product in supermarket and 32% people like to buy it in convenience shop. And 20 % interviewees like to purchase it in vending machines. Part C – Find out the key competitor C1) What brand would you purchase except Vitasoy? [pic] In Part C of figure C1, the result listed that HI-C is the key competitor as all products are popular. In soya product, Tai Wo is second key competitor. In Juice product and water, NO FRILLS is second key competitor. In tea product, Hung Fook Tong is second key competitor. C2 ) Why do you purchase it (refer to C1) [pic] In Part C of figure C1, the result showed that the advantage of the related companies. The advantages of HI-C are strong branding and the product taste. The advantage of Hung Fook Tong is that their products are healthy. The advantages of Tai Wo are that their products are healthy and low price. The advantage of NO FRILLS is that their products are low price. C3) Will you recommended VITASOY to new consumer? [pic] In Part C of figure C1, most interviewees will recommend Vitasoy product to other consumer. Part D- Find out the information of SWOT analysis D1) Which factor is the most important of the strengths of Vitasoy? [pic] In Part D of figure D1, the result of survey showed that the strength of Vitasoy, 48% interviewees think the brand name is important factor. And â€Å"Quality assurance† is 20% and â€Å"Product diversifications† is 17%. D2) Which factor is the most important of the weaknesses of Vitasoy? [pic] In Part D of figure D2, the result showed that the weak of Vitasoy, 37% interviewees think that â€Å"Old fashion† is the main weaknesses. And â€Å"Limited verities of product line† is also weaknesses, Part E – New product development E1) Do you think VITASOY need to create new product? [pic] In Part E of figure E1, most interviewees hope VITASOY can create new product line. E2) What new products do you expect? [pic] In Part E of figure E2, 34% people look forward Vitasoy create wine product and 25% people want Vitasoy create new taste of juice. E3 ) Which of the following need to improve? [pic] In Part E of figure E2, according to the result of survey regarding need to improve. â€Å"Channel complaint† and â€Å"product choice† are also 35% Chapter 6) Conclusion In conclusion, we have collected 150 interview reports include 50 face to face interviews and 100 researches from online. The data have been analysis and made the finding in order to provide the recommendation. The segment of Vitasoy has been found. About 70% people is below 30 years old. About 60% interviewees are female. And over 50% interviewees of the income are below $10000. The Vitasoy target customers are teenager and low income as they think Vitasoy is low price and healthy food. According the survey, we can know the Marketing Mix. Regarding Product, people more like 375ml Soya than other. The reason of choosing Vitasoy product is taste. The Soya product is Vitasoy main product line. People usually consider the taste when they purchase the drink. 18% and 15% interviewees also like juice and tea. Therefore, Juice and tea may have potential to develop. For promotion, 45% interviewees think that they know Vitasoy information from TV advertising. Beside, 20% is Word of mouth, it is also important and Vitasoy have to show the positive image. 20% is internet as young people other enjoy on internet. Vitasoy should provide more promotion on internet, and then they will know more Vitasoy and do not feel the brand is outdated. Most interviewees have used the discount of â€Å"Buy one get one free† within 1 week. The promotion can attract customers to buy. And 50 people said that they have used the discount card to buy Vitasoy product, it can increase customer loyalty. There are 38% interviewees buy Vitasoy product in supermarket and 32% buy in convenience shop. As there are many distributors of Vitasoy, people can by it easily. However, a few people buy it at vending machines. According the survey, four other brand products have been compared in the project. Although consumers showed that they have confidence with Vitasoy and they think that quality assurance is the strength, the competitors also have competitive in the market. For example , HI-C is the major competitor in market, they have more product line and good promotion for teenager. Their Lemon Tea product have a large market share and competitive. Beside, for soya product is the second competitor. For juice and water product, NO FRILLS is the second competitor. For daily product, Tai Wo is the second competitor. In SWOT analysis, it showed Vitasoy is a superiority company in the market. It is because the Vitasoy product is differentiations, product line, different taste, and suitable packing can make more attractive for the target customer. Customers have confidence as strong branding with positive image and good quality control. People can buy Vitasoy product everywhere and every time as Vitasoy have large distributors’ network. And the strong promotion team let the product more popularity and create potential market. Some of interviewees think that the Vitasoy brand is old fashion and limited kinds of product line. Therefore, Vitasoy should improve the image to fashion and meet young people as well as create new product to maintain the attraction fresh. The survey pointed out that most interviewees (88%) want to have more new product. It can keep customer fresh and increase market sales and market share. 34 % people suggested that wine is consideration of new product line and 25% people want to have new taste of juice. Chapter 7) Recommendation After do the research, the information can study and let us more knowledge about Vitasoy Company. We have known that Vitasoy is a popular brand to made healthy drink with high quality. Vitasoy have got more product quality awards and environmental awards, so their image is positive. However, BCG Matrix showed Vitasoy is cash cow. The mean is high market share and cash flow, but no more business growth rate. Beside, the competitor will affect Vitasoy profit. HI-C had invested more in promotion and new product development. It was developing two new taste soya products within 2 years such as Creme Caramel soya milk and Corn soya milk. Vitasoy also focus on existing product improvement. Improvement of image As Vitasoy is old brand, young people may think it is outdated. They may try other new brand. Vitasoy need to consider the customer behaviour and improve the promotion for target group. For example, it can create some video about friendship or love story and post into â€Å"Youtrue† and Facebook to attract young people attention. New product development In the result of survey, interviewees look forward wine product line. As changing of the eating culture, people will enjoy drink wine and wine is a healthy drink. New product line can increase marketing and profit. Chapter 8) Table Time We will follow the above time table to study our project. It can help us to control the time management effective. Chapter 9) Ethical considerations All research has been conducted in an ethical manner. This obvious statement means that all phases of a research study, from planning and design to reporting, must be conducted in accordance with accepted standards of ethical behavior. All responses will stored securely, and once the information has been analyzed, all data will be securely stored . participation in this study is entirely voluntary. Respondents to questionnaires rarely benefit personally from their efforts and the least the researcher can do is to thank them. Even though the covering letter will express appreciation for the help given, it is also a nice gesture to finish the questionnaire with a further thank you. Moreover, the secondary data will search by journal and book and the source will be list. Source : Mark Walsh,Lynne Wigens . Introduction to research. Nelson Thornes, 2003. page106 Chapter 10) Scope and Limitation 10. 1) Scope Our proposal is going to focus on competitive edge of VITASOY. We study the reasons of the VITASOY success at the past. The current marketing strategies have keeping the competitive advantage. And find out the new method to increase competitiveness in the future. Recommendations would be giving to VITASOY Holding Ltd. in proposing new resource to increase the marketing competitiveness. We proposed to distribute and conduct the survey within in 4 mouths. 10. 2) Limitation Not easy to find the suitable journal and book to study in the public library, we need to find in the university library. If the survey period changes to 6 months, the results will better. Chapter 11)Reference: Website: 1. Vitasoy Holding Ltd. http://www. vitasoy. com/ 2. Skill of research: http://brent. tvu. ac. uk/dissguide/hm1u3/hm1u3text3. htm Books: 3. Effective Marking: Creating and Keeping. 2002 Zikmund, William G 4. Successful Marketing: Get Brilliant Results Fast. 2009. Pauline Rowson. 5. Healthy competition: With new CEO, Vitasoy USA fights to stay atop tofu market. 2004. Andi Esposito. Journals: 6. Chichester. 2000. What have we learned about generic  competitive  strategy? A meta-analysis Colin Campbell-Hunt. Strategic Management Journal. Chichester:  Feb 2000. Vol. 21, Iss. 2;  pg. 127 7. Beyond competitive advantage. Jeremy Klein. Strategic Change. Chichester: Sep/Oct 2002. Vol. 11, Iss. 6; p. 317 8. New product development performance: Using networks to access information by  Wessel, Kirk D. , Ph. D. ,  The University of Utah, 2004, 119 pages; AAT 3137310 This is the end of this project.