Wednesday, July 31, 2019

The Effect of Drugs on the Rock and Roll Culture

Music and drugs have gone together hand-in-hand ever since the explosion of rock and roll on the American culture in the sass's. Since then, many gifted performers have succumbed to drug-induced deaths, which Is why I feel that drugs negatively effected rock music. Many great pieces of art have been rumored to be created while under the influence of several drugs, or to be inspired by these drugs. Many artists over the years have used drugs as an excuse to escape their fame, and many have used different types of drugs for inspiration for writing pieces of music, or as for an â€Å"extra boost† for a live show.While drugs may have helped great works of art to be enjoyed by many, drugs are ultimately responsible for many untimely deaths of many great artists, who died before we could truly see their potential. The sass were an era unlike any other in American history both culturally and politically. Many new changes were being made at this time in our government, and with severa l tragic events occurring In what seemed to be a series of events (the assassination of JEFF, the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jar. And Vietnam), the styles of music during this time often reflected the emotions of people. The lyrics of the music of the time were changing from simple love songs, to harsh songs about topics such as rebellion, protest, sex, and more increasingly, drugs. As psychedelic drugs became more and more popular in America, bands such as the Jefferson Airplane and The Grateful Dead saw an immense increase in their number of fans, due to large amounts of people who had an affinity for this new, Jam rock style of music which was very popular with the psychedelic drug scene (â€Å"American Culture: 1960-1969†).Many artists at the time were coming out with albums dedicated to drugs, or albums whose intent was about drugs. One such album was The Beetles' SST. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, which, In addition to including drug-oriented songs, presen ted a body of Interrelated pieces that constituted an organic whole. This is considered the first â€Å"concept album. † In a concept album, all songs contribute to a single effect or unified story.The Beetles' album was often considered to have been the first concept album, primarily because the title song, occurring In two versions, wraps around the rest of the album like bookends: however, most of the songs on that album are actually unrelated to one another (â€Å"Rock Music: The late sass and sass's: rocks golden age†). These new â€Å"concept albums† would come to dominate music over the next 10-15 years, as many new artists came to surface with music that mixed with drugs, and often provided fatal results.During the sass and sass, the influence of drugs in musical culture was at its peak. Woodstock; a three-day public concert that became notorious worldwide as a concert protesting the Vietnam War, was heavily saturated with drug usage. During this time pe riod, some of the most gifted musicians of the last 50 years died to drug elated problems. Those who were not dead by drug overdose, such as David Bowel and Alice Cooper became more popular due to their Increasingly bizarre and drug fueled stage antics.Artists at the time had been in tune to the restlessness of American college students, tenet primary announce, Ana Ana uses tenet audiences willingness to accept new ideas and new things as a way of promoting the â€Å"rock and roll lifestyle† of free love, new music, and of course, drugs. Many great musical masterpieces were produced during this time, as â€Å"concept albums†, such as The Who's â€Å"Tommy', and Pink Flood's â€Å"The Dark Side of the Moon†.Both of these albums proved to be wildly popular to both the band's fan following as well as the mainstream public, as rock music and drug usage seemed to blend together, and were becoming more accepted by the public as the norm (â€Å"Tomorrow Never Knows: Rock Music & Psychedelics in the sass†). Although everything so far seems alright; things take a turn for the worse. It unfortunately took a few tragic deaths to derail the change in public opinion that was happening at this time.The deaths of superstars such as Janis Joplin (a famous and talented singer who was a star at Woodstock, died of a heroin overdose), Jim Morrison (lead singer of The Doors, died after a heart attack brought on by drug abuse), and Jim Hendrix (considered to be one of, if not, the greatest guitarist of all time, death by choking after barbiturate abuse), brought a shock to the music culture, as seemingly more and more musicians were dying due to the abuse of drugs, day after day.It seemed as if the music and drug cultures were slowly drifting away from each other and out of the mainstream spotlight, until the sass when several new deaths involving musicians and drugs came into the limelight. Kurt Cabin considered by many to be the most talented musician of the last 1 5 years, committed suicide by shotgun, after using extremely high amounts of heroin. This event came as a shock to almost everyone not only in the music and drug worlds, but everywhere because Nirvana (Cabin's band) was becoming internationally known, partially the reason for Cabin's suicide.Heroin was an inspiration for Cabin, and while it may have helped him to produce his music, it ultimately lead him into the pitfalls of depression and caused the death of a great musician, and the breakup of an excellent, growing, nouns band with limitless possibilities. Another death that occurred in the sass due to drug overdose was Bradley Newell, the lead singer of popular southern California band â€Å"Sublime†, who died off heroin overdose.Sublime was another band with great possibilities to become a lasting force in the music industry, however, Newell decided to destroy himself and his family by forming a deadly habit. Many of the deaths that occurred in the sass con cerning drugs and rock and roll were mostly in the sass, a result of depression and heroin abuse, as heroin usage came increasingly popular with the mid-ass grunge movement, and more and more musicians starting to do it. The sass and sass were both eras of change and protest, Just in a different light.The sass were an era of psychedelic drug usage, where musicians were outgoing, and held Jam fests and large outdoor festival concerts, where the usage of drugs was permitted and most often encouraged. In the sass, music fans and musicians were using drugs as a way of protest and inspiration; however, the sass were a different case. In the sass, musicians often kept to themselves, as most deaths were due to a lethal mix of depression and previous mental problems and the addiction to dangerous street drugs such as heroin and cocaine (â€Å"Sex, Drugs N' Rock & Roll? Nah†).While the sass were an era of freedom, where individuals were encouraged to express themselves Ana level Trebl y, ten Ana Tolling were an era of oppression, where everyone was put together as one big piece, and in order for people to break free from this â€Å"piece† and establish themselves, they must do something groundbreaking or different than what is typically expected. Music and drugs have always been intertwined; however, this relationship has offered over time due to changes in the cultural and political atmosphere of the area during the time where sad music was created.The general publics feelings about certain events and policies at the time of occurrence is often what most influences how something will interact with something else (and in this case, the interaction of the drug culture and the music culture). During the sass and ass, many artists released experimental types of music and experimental albums simply because the material they were producing was groundbreaking, it was simply music that no one ad ever produced before.In the sass, artists were often trying to gain infamy for their music and for their uniqueness, not for the corporate material that the executives had packaged them to be. Drugs and music will always be related, as long as there is something to speak out against and someone, somewhere to speak out against it. People use music as a way of voicing their opinions, and thus drugs and music will remain related, and drugs will continue to influence the musical culture, despite the possibility of death or mental depression they can cause.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Families of the Forest

ANTH 418 Final Paper This paper will be discussing the ethnography by Allen Johnson titled Families of the forest. The ethnography describes the Matsigenka people of Shimaa that live in the Peruvian Amazon. The paper will examine the Matsigenka culture, the needs and resources of the culture, and proposed projects to meet the needs of the culture. The Matsigenka of Shimaa live in isolation along river valleys and forested mountains in the Peruvian Amazon (Johnson,1999, p. 24). They live in small villages of about 7 to 25 people, that make up three to five nuclear family households (Johnson, 1999, p 3).The Matsigenka prefer to live in these hamlets and avoid interacting with people outside of their immediate family. The Matsigenka live a family level society and this helps them to avoid being exploited or to encounter enemies (Johnson, 1999, p. 6). Their isolated hamlets are very self-sufficient; â€Å"good land for horticulture is ample, however, and the low population density and w idely scattered small settlements has meant only minimal competition between family groups for what wild foods do exist† (Johnson, 1999, p. 21). They live off of fishing, foraging and horticulture and the most important food to the Matsigenka is insect larvae.This provides them with protein and dietary fats, which they can get year round from moths, butterflies, beetles, bees and wasps (Johnson, 1999, p. 36). The cultural values of the Matsigenka are not to far from that of Western culture. Much of their religious beliefs are stemmed from folklore and spirits which promote proper behaviors within the group. They can be calm, quiet, gentle, but also mean, aggressive, and violent. They might be less sociable in large groups, but â€Å"they are more courteous and thoughtful in individual interactions. They are less attracted to the lure of commerce and new value systems.Their commitment to freedom of the family unit is truly remarkable† (Johnson, 1999, p. 50). The Matsigen ka are a people that are at their happiest when left alone from outsiders and in their isolation. Much of their happiest in isolation stems from the fear of outsiders bringing in infectious diseases, which happened in the 1950s and 1960s when they first encountered Peruvians and Euro-Americans (Johnson, 1999, p. 75). They maintain societal standards for their hamlets that require independence and being able to live peacefully within a group.They do not have or give proper names to one another and when they do name a person it is usually referring to a deformity or amusing incident (Johnson, 1999, p. 20). â€Å"Somehow individual men and women must be highly self-reliant, motivated to do the necessary thing according to their own judgment with little encouragement (or interference) from others, and yet at the same time be generous in the family and avoid the impulsive expressions– especially of sex, aggression and greed– that can shatter even the strongest interpersona l bonds in closely-cooperating family groups† (Johnson, 1999, p. 10). â€Å"Courtship is generally open and a topic of delighted conversation at large. For many couples, courtship is a more or less public expression of mutual interest as they test the possibility of marriage† (Johnson, 1999, p. 120). A married couple within the Matsigenka culture have established roles, they are partners with skills in separate areas of surviving. They seek to marry well and make sure to not marry a lazy person. They think that this will lead to an unequal marriage and the lazy person will always be dissatisfied (Johnson, 1999, p. 121). Matsigenka husbands and wives spend much time together in evident harmony and enjoyment of each other’s company. We frequently find them sitting side by side at home, working quietly at some task, talking and laughing together. At times they become playful and giggle or wrestle erotically† (Johnson, 1999, p. 120). Anger does not play a large role in their marriages, but it does happen occasionally when there are beer feasts and the men become drunk. The men may even beat their wives who in return will runaway to the home of their brother or father.The Matsigenka understand that intercourse between a man and woman is what leads to pregnancy and that the woman always knows who the father of that infant is (Johnson, 1999, p. 78). They do practice abortions and infanticide if the child is not wanted or is believed to not be the husband’s baby. Abortions are used if the mother is a widow or already has enough young children, and it is considered the mother’s choice (Johnson, 1999, p. 82). In early childhood, â€Å"the matsigenka overtly do little to hasten a child’s development. Their style is best described as a gradual raising of expectations.They do not cajole a child to rise up and toddle toward them, but they welcome her when she does† (Johnson, 1999, p. 85). The child learns responsibility from interacting with the mother. The families feel they need to tame the willful child, so that the family can survive and multiply (Johnson, 199, p. 78). â€Å"Matsigenka siblings are close and affectionate. They spend most of their childhood in each other’s company, and interact seldom with other children. This is partly because there may be few other children around, but it is also a reflection of the nuclear-family centeredness of Matsigenka behavior† (Johnson, 1999, p. 14). Some hamlets send their children to school. The school is about an hour walk each way for most children. â€Å"The school acts as both a magnet and a repellent for Matsigenka households. Attraction to the school, for trade goods, medicines, and a general sense of security comes into conflict with many of their most basic preferences about where and how to live best. It is these conflicts that account for the aversion many Matsigenkas have toward school communities† (Johnson, 1999, p. 19 7).When reading the ethnography by Allen Johnson there are a few specific needs that would benefit the Matsigenka people of Shimaa. When assessing the needs of the Matsigenka community it begins with gathering the information from the ethnography and then applying it to the community problems. The first need involves their drinking water and the access to it. The Matsigenka get their water from the river closest to their hamlets but because of their desire for isolation and the danger, they do not live close to the river banks.When they are in a the season of high water or Kimoariniku the trails become become muddy and make it hard to travel. During low season the â€Å"little streams that supply household needs during dry high water dry up, forcing people to lug river water in heavy, sloshing gourds up steep trails to their houses. And dry spells occur of long enough duration that crops in well-drained fields begin to wilt under the intense sun and Matsigenkas anxiously watch the skies for welcome signs of rain† (Johnson, 1999, p. 34). The second need of the Matsigenka people is a latrine.Johnson mentions in his book that a house did have a latrine but most of the people would use strips of land where brush or cane grow to defecate (Johnson, 1999, p. 207). â€Å"These are preferred areas for urination and children’s defecation. Adults are fastidious about defecation, however, and prefer whenever possible to refrain until they are at the edge of an old garden or out foraging in the forest† (Johnson, 1999, p. 207). By having effective latrines they can ensure proper sanitation, the prevention of infectious diseases, and help keep their drinking water safe and clean. The Matsigenka are disgusted by feces (itiga), not only of other people but of any animal. The feces of toddlers, not yet toilet trained, are quickly collected into a leaf and disposed of† (Johnson, 1999, p. 208). The Matsigenka do try to maintain good health but they do n ot have the proper tools and means to make sure they do not develop any infectious diseases. They try to locate their homes in areas where a family is not living upstream from their location, this ensures that the water will not be contaminated by urination or feces. They have standards of cleanliness to which they adhere, and they respond to injury and illness with all the tools at their command. But their technology for dealing with health threats, and particularly with infectious diseases, is of limited effectiveness† (Johnson, 1999, p. 431). Johnson notes that they do not go around with dirt all over them and smelling bad. They usually sit on the dirt floor with a mat, wash themselves daily, wash their garments daily, and wash their hands before preparing food (Johnson, 1999, p. 431).They also make sure that any waste or garbage is thrown away from their homes and in a designated area. â€Å"But efforts at hygiene are in a sense a losing battle in Shimaa. In addition to p arasites, infections pass freely between members of a household or hamlet because of the continual affectionate touching and sharing between them† (Johnson, 1999, p. 434). The third need for the Matsigenka is the prevention of infanticide. â€Å"A small but significant proportion of women, again perhaps one in ten, contemplate killing their infants rather than raise them.Men may have attitudes in the matter, and may promote infanticide if they believe another man is the father, but it is primarily the woman’s decision and her action† (Johnson, 1999, p. 81). Johnson discusses that some women feel the need to kill their infant because they have been unable to stop it from crying after a few days. Not everyone in the hamlet feels that infanticide is right but most do feel that it is the mother’s choice. â€Å"The general belief is that troublesome children should be bathed in hot water, not given up on† (Johnson, 1999, p. 82).There is a need of prevent ion not only with the mother but also with those closest to the mother. Some of the mothers were told by others to kill their babies, either because they needed them to continue working or because a co-wife told them they cannot raise children (Johnson, 1999, p. 82). â€Å"In the difficult choices of abortion and infanticide, the mother has the ultimate say and performs the act, even when her husband or parent tries to influence her decision†(Johnson, 1999, p. 82). The final need involves the Matsigenka’s access to school and their participation in school.Education is important because it helps to increase income and knowledge which makes future generation better able to survive. Many Matsigenka people do not like the school communities because they involve being around people they do not know. â€Å"Although social relations are peaceful and courteous, in private there is a good deal of suspicion and accusation leveled against members of other hamlets† (Johnson , 1999, p. 49). Other Matsigenka school communities besides Shimaa are much more integrated, visit each other more often, and trade goods (Johnson, 1999, p. 49).This is why it would be beneficial for all members of the community to be more open and involved in the school systems. With more students attending the school there is more opportunity to have better teachers and a better education. Discussing the proposed needs of the Matsigenka cannot happen without having a proposed development project to accompany each need. The first need discussed was drinking water and the access to it. To gain better access to drinking water the Matsigenka people need manually drilled wells to help secure their water and make it more accessible. By working with the school ommunities they could work to gain donations and funding through organizations to help manually drill wells for the people. While doing this, information could be explained to the different hamlets on the importance of boiling the water to prevent infectious disease. The second need for the Matsigenka is latrines. This is an important project because it helps to prevent disease and keep people healthy through proper sanitation. Many places that use latrines collect the waste and transport it out to be processed for future use as compost. With Matsigenka’s isolation and lack of roads and transport this makes this process very difficult.The project being proposed is to still use latrines but use biodegradable clay or stones to build it so that when the latrine fills up, it can still be used for farming in the future. Another possibility is to use good bacteria to help compost the human waste faster to help prevent the odor and flies from accumulating. When there is too much smell and flies people will prefer to defecate other places than the latrines. An additional way to cut down on the flies and smell is to install a type of sky light or vent that is at the top of the latrine.By building the latrine it will help sanitation and prevent water from being contaminated. While building the latrines it will be important to inform people in the community of the importance of not to defecating in the surrounding areas that they are living. To help keep infectious disease and bacteria from spreading it will be important to inform the community on the important of washing their hands after use of the latrine. The Matsigenka are already practicing good habits by avoid the areas of used for urination and defecation, so this would help in their transition to using latrines.The third proposed development project involves the prevention of infanticide. The Matsigenka people also practice abortions which are done before a child is born. This will not be a debate regarding whether or not abortion is right or wrong but rather a discussion on preventative measures to protect babies that are already born. Infanticide is usually used as a way to control the population or because of stressful parental situations. The community in Shimaa leaves the decision to the mother on whether or not to kill her infant. This is why it is important to inform the mother on etter ways to soothe a crying infant and ways to handle stresses regarding the infant. A project could be to implement awareness in the schools on how to handle infants and what are the options outside of infanticide for them and their infant. This is not a problem that could be change overnight. It may take many years of education and awareness to see the number of deaths decrease. The last proposed development project is the need for more school communities and access to education. Education is incredibly powerful and when that knowledge is obtained it is something that cannot be taken away.Education for the Matsigenka people can mean opening up their communities to more opportunities to trade and increase their incomes. With more income they can afford to have stronger and more functional housing. More income can also mean better access to medicines and clinics so illnesses can be treated early. â€Å"Attraction to the school, for trade goods, medicines, and a general sense of security, comes into conflict with many of their most basic preferences about where and how to live best. It is these conflicts that account for the aversion many Matsigenkas have toward school communities† (Johnson, 1999, p. 197).The Matsigenka people fear outsiders because of their fear of illness and their history with outsiders bringing influenza to their communities. â€Å"Always a topic of conversation, news of a viral infection in the neighborhood travels quickly. Families scatter to their alternative residences. They will stay away until they believe the danger has passed and the locale is again safe† (Johnson, 1999, p. 198). This will be a hard part of the project to handle but with proper sanitation, clean water, and awareness of proper hygiene their fear of outsiders bringing infection can be lessened. The Matsigenka are unique in their want of isolation.Most communities are looking to make sellable goods or use of their land, so that they can reach more people to have the possibility of more income. With more people coming to the Amazon in search of natural gas and to exploit their resources the Matsigenka people are going to have to become more aware and take more preventative action with the outside world. This means they need more information to protect against infectious diseases and to keep their community in the changing world. References Johnson, A. , (1999). Families of the Forest. Retrieved from http://www. sscnet. ucla. edu/anthro/faculty/johnson/ethnography. html

Monday, July 29, 2019

Comparing The Education System in the United States And Afghanistan Research Paper

Comparing The Education System in the United States And Afghanistan - Research Paper Example Education in Afghanistan on the other hand incorporates the system of elementary, primary and high school education. After high school education, Afghan students join an institution of higher learning most of which are under the Higher Education Ministry (Gross, 2008). Since very early times Afghanistan has had an organized education system but since the Taliban took power, education has changed in Afghanistan. Education in Afghanistan has also been affected and influenced by the 2002 ouster of the Taliban. Access to Education Before the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan by the United States, access to education was very low in Afghanistan and it was mainly focused on religious education. Women and girls were completely denied an education by the Taliban government and illiteracy levels were very high among women. Since the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001, there have been great strides made in improving education in Afghanistan. Recent estimates put the number of learners at five point four million with girls comprising thirty five percent (Baker, 2008). Afghanistan currently boasts of an enrolment rate that is even higher than before the Taliban bans on secular education. Access to education is now provided to all Afghanis free of charge. The right to education is now enshrined in the Afghanistan up to a high school level and is free of charge. In the US, education is also a right that is enshrined in the constitution. Contrary to the Afghanistan situation the United States has always had universal access for everyone of school going age in public schools. America education system is compulsory for all learners below the age of eighteen. The US literacy rate stands at 99% with this figure being roughly equal for both men and women (Wadhwa, 2011). The United States just like Afghanistan employs the k12 system with elementary, primary and high school being compulsory and higher education being optional and privately funded and controlled. Approved home schooling p rograms are also allowed. Schooling in Afghanistan Since 2001 Since the toppling of the Taliban regime in 2001 and the setting up of the Karzai government a lot of changes have taken place with regard to education in Afghanistan. The schooling system is however facing many challenges in its quest for providing education to all Afghanis. The system is plagued by an influx of students who number approximately six million yet there are not enough teachers to teach. The problem is further compounded by the fact that the teachers available to teach are not sufficiently qualified. The ministry of education is also grappling with low standards since there is no standard curriculum which has been adopted officially by all the schools (Baker, 2008). There is a critical shortage of education infrastructure such as textbooks, and buildings in many parts of the country since most of the infrastructure was destroyed by the Taliban. One of the most pressing of concerns of the education ministry i n Afghanistan is regarding security. The Taliban have been using a campaign of terror against government run education through bombing of schools particularly girl schools. The Taliban also threaten teachers and disrupt the distribution of learning materials all over the country. Funding of Education Education in Afghanistan is mainly funded by donors since the government has a critically underfunded budget. Institutions such as UNICEF and UNESCO have been in the forefront in the provision of funding and even material support towards

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Stengart Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Stengart - Assignment Example 2. The above decision will have an impact on the company when planning to form policies concerning personal communication. This will include the fact that the company will find it difficult to regulate and monitor the use of computers in the workplace as the employees would use only part of the policy for their own advantage. The company may also find it hard to enforce policies that would protect the company and at the same time the welfare of the employees (Brandeis & Warren, 2014). 3. Such a state statute that prohibits pornographic, terroristic, and false emailing should not withstand constitutional scrutiny because vices like fraudulent emailing sent to millions of online users slow down the progress of the site and waste a lot of time. Pornography and other unwanted emails on the recipient’s side are not protected by the U.S law. 4. Spam is far much not good. According to Casey, E. 2011, it violates the law because it causes a number of potential issues for the servers that belong to a specified company. Spamming can cause huge problems to the entire company staff and machines that depend on the network in all operations, thus causing a waste in time and

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Summary Report Assignment - The World is Flat Essay

Summary Report Assignment - The World is Flat - Essay Example instead embrace these changes as a means of further specializing the work force and using these elements of a flat world to the competitive advantage of the skilled worker in the United States; to the same degree and extent to which skilled workers elsewhere throughout the globe are using the talents and skill sets of laborers elsewhere to promote industry and development. A further focus is placed upon seeking to make retirement benefits and insurance less dependent upon the actual employer and more dependent upon the government. This prescription is rather strange as Friedman can otherwise be understood as a laissez faire economist; however, this particular approach is one that allows the reader to come to the understanding that even though the economic principles that he supports and promotes are fiscally conservative, there is a strain of economic liberalism in his approach. This of course makes his view more balanced and palatable to those that might otherwise by put off by his more hands off approach to global

Friday, July 26, 2019

The Purpose,Scope and Context of Interprofessional Collaboration Essay

The Purpose,Scope and Context of Interprofessional Collaboration - Essay Example   This paper is a personal learning and reflection of this health service provider about interprofessional education, collaboration and working while working with teammates. This interprofessional collaboration is happening among professionals, organizations, service users, carers and communities. The association of health providers work over critical matters on education, health and social care to deliver the necessary quality services to improve peoples’ quality of lives and for healthier communities. Among the many concerns they dealt are issues on nutrition, public health, policies, medical standards, medication of all illnesses or on the need to strategize development to better social services in complementation of health responses to communities. Consideration of the nature of communication within health & social care teams.   Communication is fundamental interaction and in nurturing understanding between the management, health providers, and with the patients. Peopl e who are seeking medical attention came from varied experiences, places, and bear different kinds of illnesses and thus, it is important that all of these are communicated so that the contexts, causes and surrounding circumstances of a case can be understood. From this study it is clear that appropriate medical remedies can only be provided when health cases are clear from all vantages. Communication also strengthens positive relation with co-workers and with management, especially in managing changes and health reform program . In fact, people will only come to understand hospital’s goals and programs by imparting and receiving communication. Moreover, work relations can only be understood through communication. This can be done either formally and informally; verbal or written; recited or in a journal; online or via telephone; by facial expression or by symbol; and by raising a picture or by simple touch. It’s aimed at bridging gaps, resolving issues, bringing toget her all partners for a meeting, and drawing all stakeholders to specific goals or in delving on issues though evaluations and monitoring. Sometimes communications bring along with it some misunderstanding because human beings, as social persons, exchange ideas in foreign language, in a jargon, in emotional distress, or in cultural differences.  

Managerial Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Managerial Finance - Essay Example from the marriage of the managing director (then a saw mill owner) and a wealthy forestry owner from the north of England, in the phase of the current market situation a number reforms are about to be implemented base on the best option. This paper is therefore going to analyse the case thoroughly by looking at the main issues discussed in the case study in section 2 below; evaluating the management control system of Wooden Post Ltd as described in the case study in section 3 below; analyzing the case using agency and contingency theories in section 4; comparing and contrasting agency and contingency theory perspectives as well as looking at how the interpretation of the case differ from each theoretical perspective in section . This will require using certain financial analysis tool such as the Net Present Value and the Payback. The last section takes a decision and provides conclusion and recommendations The Wooden Post Ltd case study raises some important themes. The case first of all highlighted the issue of cultural change. The main idea in the area included improving on its transportation system, reducing cost in other to boost the organization competitive position. Agency control is also highlighted in the case through the introduction of a new director’s incentive scheme and a fall in growth potentials. Other problems raised in the case involve issues of corporate restructuring, contracting and outsourcing, employee’s redundancy. Under the present situation, management is now faced with the options of either merger and acquisition, joint venture or closure of some facilities. A couple of research has been carried out with the view to answer the two fundamental question as follows; (1) Does capital structure matters- can the total market value of a firm be increase or decrease by altering the mix of equity and debt? And, (2) if capital structure is relevant, what factors determine the optimal mix of equity and debt that would maximise the firm’s

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Tall Ships Festival in 2014 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Tall Ships Festival in 2014 - Essay Example I may not know all the different types of ships present but I can identify a few ships that look like the battleships I have watched in some action movies and simply seeing them is an awesome experience. The number of people on the port is uncountable as they are into their thousands. Women are dressed in short shorts and halter tops all complete with sandals and wide-brimmed hats to prevent the scorching sun. The men, on the other hand, are also dressed in shorts and male sandals and t-shirts. The same goes for the children. It is not surprising that there are no animals as they are not allowed but the large crowds make up for the lack of animal sounds. Not everyone is entering the ships for the competition but some people are left behind mostly for fear of water or simply to watch over the children scared of the tall humongous ships. The air is filled with different noises from laughter to shouts and screams to even sounds of crying children and of course of the water being disturbed by the ships and the sound is soothing and good music to the ears of those relaxing in the shaded areas and benches. The place is protected from accidents by use of fences. Car traffic is heavy as people are entering the port but there are numerous parking attendants pointing to the large parking spaces. Those on foot are carried using the shuttles to the port from the two entry points but since the shuttles are not many, the first priority is being given to those in wheelchairs and crutches, pregnant women as well as those with small children which is very interesting. The port is littered with tons of vendor booths selling refreshments and snacks and what is also interesting is the fact that there are hundreds of litter bins in anticipation of the amount of trash. T

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Sunstroke Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sunstroke - Essay Example This research paper examines two types of sunstroke. The first kind is known as the Classic or Non-extertional heatstroke and normally affects and more adult individuals. Their bouts of sunstroke are brought about by a poor environment that lacks proper ventilation. Ont he other hand, Extertional Heatstroke more oftentimes occur among young people and individuals who love to participate in strenous activities during the scorching hot summer months. Although heat exhaustion is the most common source of a sunstroke, there are also other factors that normally affect a person which leads towards a sunstroke. But the main reason that sunstroke occurs is because people tend to forget to rehydrate themselves during the summer months. As our body rapidly loses water over the summer days and weeks, it is important that these fluids be replaced as often as possible. Simply rehhydrating on a frequent basis can actually prevent the onset of heatstroke. The reason that rehydration helps to quash sunstroke events is really simple. Liquids help to cool us down by allowing the body to produce sweat. However, liquids are also necessary for bodily functions, such as keeping up blood pressure. You can lose large amounts of body fluid in the form of sweat without noticing any effects, but at a certain point the body will reserve the remaining fluid for vital functions and stop sweating. The body's core temperature then shoots up, and cells start dying.

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Clinique Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Clinique - Case Study Example For the recent product, they developed moisturizer cream which not only moisturizes skin, but also brightens and supposedly removes wrinkles for this one product. The Clinique advertisement page is significantly attractive and makes audience's attention at once. Clinique is advertising their product called "Youth Surge SPF 15" which will give user daily moisturizer skin looks younger, longer. The general color of this advertisement is very bright and white background which reminds the audience of pure sensitivity. Because of this color effect, users can imagine themselves using this product and believe that their lines and wrinkles seem to evaporate. This age decelerating moisturizer is also a white cream and makes users to feel like they are really able to slow down visible aging. The relative size of the objects appeared in the advertisement is a bit bigger than the real product. By enlarging the product and the size of the turtle capture's the audience's attention immediately. The turtle image makes audience to think what does the turtle has to do with the moisturizing cream The size of the objects that compose the image in this advertisement plays a big role to give audience a message. The most significant of the layout is little turtle carrying this product on top of its back. The reason why this turtle is appeared in this advertisement is that Clinique wants to emphasize the phrase "unless you're in a hurry to look your age". This phrase implies the inside meaning that unless users do not care about their skin, by using this moisturizer, people will be able to extend their youth skin with visible effects longer. Although most of turtles spend their life on land instead of swimming in the sea, the general image of turtle is slow since they cannot move fast. This image of slow motion without much speed gives an impression to people that they should be hurry to purchase this moisturizing cream especially when they mind about their skin care. Clinique actually takes a lot of inspiration from Maxine, a Slider Turtle born during the Eisenhower years, although the turtle really doesn't look a day over 30. The message of the turtle is that there will come a time when ag e catches up with us, meaning why do we have be so hurry - There's no need to rush the visible aging effect. They are emphasizing the product that it can "reset the clock" and giving skin cells a ling, happy life. More importantly, by situation the main product in the middle of the advertisement, even though the advertisement seems very simple and plain, the effect is great. In addition, the way that Clinique locate the product on top of turtle's back gives us the message as well. The turtle cannot see the product. Placing the turtle under the product gives another important message to the audience. If you act like a turtle as slow and not being sensitive about your skin care, you may lose a time to sustain your youth skin. And as time goes by, if there will come a time when catches up, you can't go back in time. This means that you have to hurry up to purchase this moisturizer immediately. There are myriads of products that offer good skincare products, this is certainly one of a kind and no other product can even come close to this product, it is made from a special formula that enhances the condition of the skin and it

Monday, July 22, 2019

Flight Commander Sda Essay Example for Free

Flight Commander Sda Essay A. 1. 2. Interview any leader on the subject of â€Å"taking charge.† Report what u have learned from the interview in the SDA report and in a 3-5 minute speech to cadets in your unit. See attachment one. I made my oral briefing to the Cyberpatriot team on the 19 of September 2013. Major Staple observed. B. 1. List five common uniform discrepancies and explain what the correct standard actually is. Reference the appropriate CAP regulation and paragraph. During many inspections I have noticed that cadet will space their insignia incorrectly. Even though in CAPM 39-1 it states that insignia is to be worn centered, 1inch from the bottom of the collar an parallel. Cadets that attend encampments tend to wear their wing patches lower than CAPM 39-1 one states. In CAPM 39-1 is says that the wing patch is to be worn 1/2inch and centered below the shoulder seam. 2. 3. At special activities I notice cadets wearing Model Rocketry Patches on their BDUs. The cadets I have noticed wear them on the left breast pocket, but that is incorrect. The model rocketry patch is not a specialty an is to be worn on the right breast pocket. 4. During encampment I had noticed during inspection that some cadets had their squadron patches placed wrong on the right breast pocket. Any patches placed on the breast pockets are to be worn completely centered on all sides if they are correct with CAPM 39-1. 5. During encampment staff selections I noticed that some cadets were wearing a silver star on their Goddard ribbon. I also knew this cadet had not been to a COS but had attended a RCLS. Although he did attend the RCLS, you must attend a COS in order to wear the star. Part B: Narrative 1. What are the essential duties of the flight commander? The flight commander is there to direct their flight in things such as: CAP uniform, military courtesy and discipline, drill, ceremonies and formations. They also need to be aware of their flight members testing, and any other situations that may appear with his/her flight. CAPP 52-14 is also something that flight commanders should understand and be up to date with. 2. How does the flight commander help the squadron fulfill its mission? Flight Commanders are training the future leaders of the squadron. The flight commander is there to help an encourage all the cadets in their flight, whether it be in drill, uniform, or studying for a test. Flight commanders are what builds the squadron with out the flight commanders the squadron would be unable to thrive. 3. How do flight commanders affect cadets or the overall cadet program? Flight commanders are one of the main things that a new cadet encounters, the others are flight sergeant an other basics. If a cadet has an understanding an personal flight commander the cadet may be more willing to listen to the person (flight commander) that they just met. Overall without the flight commanders the cadet program would have no one to educate cadets on the way of cadet life. 4. What leadership skills do flight commanders need most to succeed? Leadership skills are a very important part of being a flight commander, without leadership there is no way to truly fulfill the needs of a flight commander. A flight commander needs to be able to understand an communicate with his/her cadets in order to teach them. The flight commander also needs to know when to delegate or be the one to take charge, if he/she doesnt delegate then there is no true need for the flight sergeant.

Genetic engineering - Maize Essay Example for Free

Genetic engineering Maize Essay Introduction Genetically modified, by definition, is a term denoting or derived from an organism whose DNA has been altered for the purpose of improvement or correction of defects. (dictionary. com) Genetically modified foods are foods that have been altered to enhance certain traits for the purpose of making them more desirable to consumers. Since the development of this process, modified foods have become more common throughout the years, and with their increase in production there has also been great controversy. History of Genetically Modified Foods In 1994, the first genetically modified food the Food and Drug Administration deemed safe enough for human consumption was a tomato called the â€Å"Flavr Savr,† produced in California. The purpose of altering the tomato was for it to be resistant to rotting and decaying as quickly as tomatoes usually do. They were not labeled as being genetically modified and they were between two and five time more expensive than ordinary tomatoes, but consumers still purchased them. However, due to competition, brought on by a tomato made conventionally and with a longer shelf life, the Flavr Savr tomatoes were not profitable. Genetically modified tomatoes were then made into a tomato puree and sold in Europe in the mid-1990s, but a couple years later controversy arose over the concept of genetically modifying food. In 1998, a doctor from Aberdeen, in Scotland, published results from a research study he conducted suggesting that genetically modified potatoes, injected with an insecticide gene from the snowdrop plant, were toxic to rats. A year later it was announced that beginning in 1999, there were to be trials of genetically modified crops engineered to be resistant to herbicides. The purpose of the trials was to uncover the effects of these crops on farmland wildlife. However, this was criticized to be potentially dangerous to nearby crops, as well as honey that could be affected by cross-pollination. Sure enough, later that year pollen from genetically modified oilseed rape, a plant that is used to produce canola oil, was found at beehives almost three miles away. Two out of nine samples of honey being sold in supermarkets were contaminated in May 2000. At this point in time, nine out of ten people were against the idea of genetically modifying foods. (dailymail. co. uk) Despite the controversy surrounding genetically modified plants and foods in earlier years, technologies have advanced, and in 2006, 10. 3 million farmers planted 252 million acres of transgenic crops in 22 countries. The United States, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, India, China, Paraguay, and South Africa grew 97% of these crops. Soybeans, corn, cotton, canola, and alfalfa were modified to be herbicide and insect resistant, whereas other crops, like sweet potatoes for instance were modified to be able to survive harsh weather conditions. (Ornl. gov) The process of genetic modification Genetically modifying foods changes their genetic makeup in some way. The purpose of doing this is to enhance certain aspects of the food, for example, increasing its resistance to herbicides or its nutritional value. Traditionally, this has been done by way of selectively breeding plants or animals for specific genetic traits, however this method has proven to be potentially inaccurate and very time consuming. Genetic modification on the other hand can physically isolate a particular gene and insert it into another substance, enabling it to then posses that quality. This is done very quickly and accurately. Plants can be made insect resistant, virus resistant, or more tolerant to herbicides. Bacillus thuringiensis is a bacterium that produces a gene for toxin production that is safe for human production. To achieve insect resistance, the gene is injected into the crops that will then be able to produce this toxin on their own, leading to a decreased need for insecticides. To achieve virus resistance, crops must be introduced to the gene from that particular disease-causing virus. This results in less susceptibility to the disease and higher crop yields. Similarly, to achieve herbicide tolerance, a gene from a bacterium that will transmit resistance to some herbicides must be injected into the crops, in turn reducing the amount of herbicides used. Purpose of genetically modifying foods. There are many reasons for producing and selling genetically modified foods over those that are traditionally produced. Originally, the intent was increased protection of crops. This is still one of the process’ objectives, however there are many additional benefits recognized today. Both consumers and producers who feel that genetically modified foods are advantageous believe that these foods can be cheaper, more durable, and more nutritional. Genetically modifying foods is also a way to ensure that with a world population that is predicted to double in the future, a food shortage will not be encountered. In addition to increased protection from diseases, pests and herbicides, there are other key reasons for genetic modification. Many crops are destroyed due to troubling weather conditions. Frost can come at unexpected times causing destruction to sensitive crops. Cold water fish have an antifreeze gene which, when introduced to plants like tobacco and potatoes, can lead to a higher tolerance to cold temperatures. Similarly, plants can also develop the ability to withstand droughts. A very important quality of food is the nutritional value that is possesses. Malnutrition is quite prevalent, especially in third world countries where people tend to rely on only one crop to fulfill their dietary needs. If however, these crops could be genetically modified to contain the amount of vitamins and nutrients necessary to sustain a healthy diet, it would be a great advantage. For example, in third world countries blindness caused by a vitamin A deficiency is very common, so researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Institute for Plant Sciences have developed what they call, â€Å"golden† rice, which contains uniquely high levels of vitamin A. The hope in this development is that this rice, funded by the non-profit organization Rockefeller Foundation, can be sent to any countries that request it. Vaccinations and medicines can be very difficult to produce, and they can also be very costly. Through genetic modification there is hope that the ability to produce foods with edible vaccinations in them will become a possibility. Common Genetically Modified Foods According to a WebMD article, experts say that about sixty to seventy percent of processed foods sold in the United States contain genetically modified ingredients. Soybeans, , corn, cotton, and rapeseed oil are the most commonly genetically modified foods. In other words, any foods that contain field corn, high-fructose corn syrup, soybeans, cottonseed oil, or canola oil all contain genetically modified ingredients. These ingredients are extremely common in most foods, much more so than most people are aware of. According to a study funded by the United States Department of Agriculture, only 52% of Americans are aware that genetically modified foods are even sold in grocery stores. The United States is the largest producer of corn in the world, and in 2000 it was estimated that 25% of corn crops growing in the United States were genetically modified. Corn is an ingredient in beer, salad dressing, margarine, flour, and anything containing corn syrup. The corn sold in stores is not necessarily intended to be genetically modified, however the concern for cross contamination between crops is there, since corn is wind-pollinated. Soy is the most heavily modified crop, and more than half the soy in the world was made up of genetically modified strains in 2007. There are different reasons for the modification of soy, including an added resistance to insects, and increasing its vitamin or fat and protein content in order to be suitable for animal feed. Soy is also used for creating chemicals used in pharmaceuticals. The likelihood of products in the United States containing genetically modified materials if they contain soy is very high, despite the lack of any labeling stating so. Tofu and soy milk are obviously effected products, however soy is also present in bread, cereal, ice cream and chocolate. Milk can be made from a genetically modified hormone called the recombinant bovine growth hormone. The function of this hormone is to produce more milk by keeping cells to produce milk alive in cows for longer periods of time. There is no proven difference between milk produced with the hormone versus that produced without it, however cows injected with the hormone are more prone to disease which can in turn have negative effects on the milk. Rapeseed oil, or canola oil, is one of the most genetically modified crops used. 80% of canola crops in Western Canada have been genetically modified. It is modified in the area of herbicide resistance. Also, modified rapeseed crops produce the main pollen used in the making of honey, suggesting that most honey from Canada could likely qualify as genetically modified. Advantages of Genetically Modified Foods Genetically modified foods offer several advantages. As already mentioned, an increased resistance to pests and diseases, the tolerance against bad weather conditions, and an increase in food supply are all obviously positive aspects. Crops have a better taste and quality when they are modified and they also have increased nutrients, yields, and stress tolerance. The time it takes for crops to mature is reduced as well. As far as the advantages for animals, they develop an increased resistance, productivity, and feed efficiency. They also produce more food, and their health can improve. The environment can benefit from genetically modifying foods as well. Firstly, the bioherbicides and bioinsecticides are environmentally friendly. Because genetic modification improves the resistance of plants and reduces their maturation time, soil, water, and energy can also be conserved. There is better natural waste management associated with genetic modification, and food processing is more efficient. Disadvantages of Genetically Modified Foods Despite the advantages of genetically modifying foods, the disadvantages of doing so seem to greatly outweigh the positive aspects of it. The most common criticisms against GM foods are in regards to the environment, health risks, and economic worries. Firstly, there have been several harmful, yet unintended effects on organisms in the environment. Monarch butterfly caterpillars have suffered an increased mortality rate due to the gene injected in corn crops. Though the caterpillars do not consume corn crops, they consume milkweed plants in neighboring fields, where the wind could easily transfer the pollen. There was a study done to test this theory, and the study did in fact support it. Another environmental concern is that the genes used to enhance certain crops will be transferred over to species unintended to contain the gene. For instance, in the case of crops that are introduced to a gene enabling them to develop an increased resistance to herbicides, the gene can potentially spread into the weeds themselves, causing them too to develop a higher herbicide resistance. This could cause problems because the weeds would then become very difficult to combat which could possibly ruin the crops. The concern for human health risks in regards to genetically modified foods is very high as well. Firstly, food allergies are very common among people in Europe and the United States, and in some cases these allergies can be fatal. The possibility that adding genes to plants could cause allergic reactions in susceptible people is there, and it is a very threatening possibility. Secondly, genetically modified foods pose an unknown overall threat to human health. Despite the lack of proof that foods made of genetically modified materials can be harmful to people, there have been studies showing that certain GM foods are in fact harmful to the digestive tract of rats. Just the fact that the effects of GM food on people are still not completely known also poses a huge threat in itself. From an economic perspective, genetically modifying foods is very costly. With new technologies that are continuously surfacing, companies are starting to want to patent their ideas, and this raises the concern that with patents will come a raise in price of seeds, making business very difficult for farmers who will not be able to afford them. This would result in the domination of food production throughout the world by only a few companies if GM foods reached such a high existence. It would also increase the dependence of developing countries on industrialized nations. Lastly, it could also result in biopiracy, or foreign exploitation of natural resources. There are ethical issues surrounding genetic modification as well. Many people question if it is unethical to alter nature by taking the genes of one species and mixing it with another. There is also the question of whether or not it is ethically wrong to violate the essential values of organisms. This process can stress animals as well, as their natural ways of life and food production are being compromised in ways that are having essentially unknown effects on the animal. The ethicality of labeling foods as genetically modified is a very controversial issue. In the United States, labeling foods is not mandatory and to the many people who do not want to consume these foods, this is viewed as very unethical. Laws of Genetically Modified Foods The laws and governmental regulations of genetically modifying food varies throughout the world, yet a common factor is that all of these different governments are in fact working towards establishing regulatory processes. In Japan, as of April 2001, testing GM foods was made mandatory. In the United States, regulation is achieved by several different governmental agencies, such as the US Environmental Protection. Agency, the US Department of Agriculture, and the US Food and Drug Administration. The EPA is responsible for regulating the substances used that may cause possible harm to the environment and human health, pesticides for example. Farmers need to obtain licenses in order to use such chemicals, and the amount they are permitted ot use is regulated. The USDA includes different divisions each responsible for their own branch of assessment. â€Å" Among these divisions are APHIS, the Animal Health and Plant Inspection Service, which conducts field tests and issues permits to grow GM crops, the Agricultural Research Service which performs in-house GM food research, and the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service which oversees the USDA risk assessment program. † (Csa. com) The FDA is involved when companies producing GM foods have issues they feel they want to consult with them about. They are not required to go to the FDA though. The future of Genetically Modified Foods Currently, genetically modified ingredients are present in many foods, however the process is mostly limited to altering the ingredients in the area of improved sustainability. In the future, there are plans to genetically modify much more. For example, there are plans to try to produce foods with the ability to produce human vaccinations. There are also plans to genetically alter food animals, like pigs, cows, and most recently salmon. Conclusion Genetically modified foods have come a long way since their first introduction into the market. They have great potential to solve many problems and improve upon many conditions. However, there are many challenges facing governments as far as the advancement of genetically modified foods is concerned. Regulations, food testing, and uncovering more of the possible effects on both human health and the environment are all great issues involved. The concept of genetic modification is also very controversial. However, regardless of the obstacles and controversy surrounding this phenomenon, it is becoming much more widespread throughout the world. Works Cited Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful? CSA. Web. 24 Oct. 2010. http://www. csa. com/discoveryguides/gmfood/overview. php . Genetically Modified Foods and Organisms HGP Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues. Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Web. 24 Oct. 2010. http://www. ornl. gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/elsi /gmfood. shtml. Development and History of GM Foods Genetically Modified Foods (UK). Comphrensive Advice on Genetically Modified Foods at Genetically Modified Foods (UK). Web. 24 Oct. 2010. http://www. geneticallymodifiedfoods. co. uk/development-hi story-gm-foods. html. Chapman, By James. History of Genetically Modified Food | Mail Online. Home | Mail Online. Web. 24 Oct. 2010. http://www. dailymail. co. uk/news/article-419985/History-ge netically-modified-food. html. Jibrin, By Janis. Genetically Modified Foods (Biotech Foods) Pros and Cons. WebMD Better Information. Better Health. Web. 1 Nov. 2010. http://www. webmd. com/food-recipes/features/are-biotech-foods-s afe-to-eat. dictionary. com.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Marketing Strategies For Hopsitality And Tourism Industry

Marketing Strategies For Hopsitality And Tourism Industry The hospitality and tourism industry is one of the worlds prevalent industries and also the most fragmented with large number of small business. The contribution of hospitality and tourism industry to GDP can be measured in the terms of the revenue generated by tourists (Bardgett 2000). The industry promotes international understanding and gives support to local handicrafts and cultural activities. It is a very important section of a nations economy, particularly in terms of its involvement in the direction of earnings through foreign exchange, production of extra wages and creation of job opportunities. The high flood of foreign tourist traffic has increased demand for certain economic production and distribution activities. The hospitality and tourism industry in todays date is one of the most diverse, exciting, challenging and important industries in any part of the world. It offers career opportunities that are dynamic in nature. A very essential quality in this industry is to possess a driving interest towards ones customer service and a strong sense of professionalism. And not just that what one also needs to know is that, what tourism is, keeping in mind the economic, environmental, social and cultural impacts on it. One needs to know its relationship with other industries, the roles and responsibilities that the organization carries as a whole and as well as of individual staffs. 1.1 Marketing of tourism and hospitality industry Marketing is a delicate combination of art and science (Mahoney, 2005). It is described by Kotle as a management procedure accountable for recognizing, expecting and pleasing client necessities gainfully. An enormous variety of misconceptions are rampant about marketing, the most widespread is its misunderstanding next to selling and advertising. If one looks closely these are nothing more, but types of endorsement or promotion and hence being only a part of marketing. Marketing includes of much more, such as product/service development, place, pricing etc. It requires information about those attracted in what you are offering, such as their likes, where they buy and their limits of expenditure. 1.2 SWOT/ TOWS Analysis Another important aspect that follows strategic formulation is the evaluation of the adopted measures and one of the best ways to do so is by using both SWOT followed by the TOWS analysis. TOWS Analysis is a modified form of SWOT which is used as a standard business analytical tool. The alphabets in both TOWS and SWOT are representation of the words Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. The analysis of the external environment (threats and opportunities), and internal environment (weaknesses and strengths),can help one realise beneficial techniques that can be made use of by the entire organization, a department or a team. Apart from this, SWOT/TOWS analysis can also be used to come up with a course of action, a marketing campaign, or even evaluate ones skills and experiences. (Warnell, 1995) Identifying Strategic Options: As mentioned earlier SWOT or TOWS analysis helps to draw a better judgement of the strategic choices that are present and since strategy is the art of determining how one can win in business; it is a very important step in the evaluation of any organization or industry. This process of evaluation helps us find answers to questions that further help us explore our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Strategic Discussion Through the use of marketing strategy an organization can concentrate its limited resources in the best manner possible so as to increase the profits and be at an advantage as compared to the other organizations. The main goal behind every marketing strategy should be customer satisfaction. The selected marketing strategies are dependent on a variety of components, such as quality, innovation, brand building, marketing expansion, focus, product development, social responsibility, etc. On similar grounds if we talk about Ryanair we can very well see that how the airline completely stands out as a special business from the point of view of the corporate culture it follows. Despite of being an airline it earns through the sale of complimentary products and services that it offers it customers on and off the plane. The company is well liked by its customers for its low cost and admired by its employees for the high salary it gives them. So hence alongside pleasing its customers which is very essential for any business it is also focusing on keeping its staff happy, content and loyal which is an equally important strategy very well thought of. Apart from that the airline makes use of secondary airports rather than primary ones which in turn helps in reducing the expenditure costs leading to higher benefit or profit margins. And hence it can be seen that the chosen organization is doing very well as far as selection and implementation of its marketing strategies is concerned. This comment can be substantiated by the results of PEST analysis and SWOT/TOWS analysis. PEST analysis of Ryanair SWOT /TOWS ANALYSIS FOR RYAN AIR Strengths Weaknesses Low airport charges High service performance A uniform fleet: low maintenance cost Poor customer service Long distance between airports and destinations. Poor relationship with staffs Opportunities Threats Credit crunch: People switch to low cost airlines More countries joining Schengen States Depreciation of US dollars: planes are now cheaper Customers are price sensitive Increase in oil prices Other airlines are reducing costs Increase in air traffic control charges Growth of other substitutes TOWS MATRIX (Weihrich 1982) Internal Elements Organisational strengths Organisational weaknesses Strategic options Strategic options External Elements Environmental opportunities (and risks) SO S2 + O2 Routes expansion S3 + O3 Order new planes WO W3 + O1 Jobs security for staffs Environmental threats ST S1 + T1 Continue to cut fares S2 + T3, T5 Increase frequency of popular routes WT W1, W3 + T3 Focus on staff training W2 + T5 Reduce cost of airport transfers From both of the above shown methods of evaluations it can be seen that credit crunch which generally considered as a big threat is grabbed as a seemingly big opportunity by Ryanair, for it attracts its customers by the focus it keeps on the reduced cost price. And this as can be seen is used by Ryanair as a mean to earn profit. The SWOT table above gives us a brief yet a very indepth summary of not just the internal but also the external analysis of the airlines with highlights of the firms strengths and weaknesses so as opportunities and threats. Based on SWOT, a number of strategic options can be suggested to Ryanair in the form of a TOWS matrix, such as route expansion, ordering new planes and hence increasing frequency of popular routes, focusing on the staff training, which in turn will act towards attracting more customers, offering its staff job security, it can go on further in reducing its prices(which has so far really worked wonder for the airlines). Hence through our evaluations we can see that no doubt Ryanair seems to be doing wondrous work as far as marketing strategies are concerned but there are still a lot many more ways in which it can increase the overall turnover even more, such is the wonder of using apt and multiple marketing strategies. 3.0 Implementation of a strategy using tactics The concept of the marketing is based on the premise that the firms should determine consumer wants and needs before designing products and services. Hospitality and tourism industry brings together the latest developments in the global operations using contemporary management principles (Borden, 2001). 3.1 Marketing Strategy The marketing strategy, ought to be viewed as a cover up of support planned to be a magnet as well as provide the customer or visitor (Naik, 2003). There are various types of strategies that come into play such as competitive strategy, market and resource based strategy, quality and innovation, growth strategies. It is now necessary that one of these have to be used at a time but generally combinations of these are used to achieve optimum results. 3.1.1 External Mix It consists of the 7Ps as well as the external environment. The marketing mix can be controlled by the firm whereas the external environment cannot be. Every industry tries to develop marketing strategies utilizing marketing mix that will establish sustainable competitive advantages leading to long term growth and profitability (Brian, 2003; Zeithaml, Bitner, Gremler, 2003). Product: The product of the marketing mix includes the tangible goods and all of the services that accompany that good to produce the final service or product. More than products it is the various services that make the industry stand ahead of others. Talking about Ryanair, it is doing seemingly well as far as the product aspect is concerned, for its air service and hospitality are no doubt loved by the customers due to the low cost price and well trained and well paid staff. Price: price is the value placed on the service or a product. The tourism and hospitality sector should establish their pricing based on the companies objectives and the target market. One cannot have high fee structures for low-fare airlines. Secondly it is very important to base the prices on the complete cost of production, delivering, promoting as well as managing the services provided. Price doesnt comprise of only the tangible benefits but also the intangible benefits like satisfaction. Ryanair seems to be doing really well as far as the price of its service is concerned for its customer no doubt love the airlines for it low air fare prices. Place: This aspect of the strategy includes the distribution and logistics of producing a product or service and making it available to the final customer. The location of the hotels, restaurants, etc is determined by considering the cost of the resources such as labor, raw material and real estate. In addition it is important to have access to proper transportation. So therefore the first and the most important element to be considered is the location of the hotel or the restaurant. Places away from the central city must be avoided as they would not attract tourists who would want to explore the main city/ town area. The place aspect here could not be incorporated as this is an airline that we are talking about, but still we can for sure bring to light the cost expenditure that the airline is saving by the use of secondary airports rather than the use of the main or primary ones. Promotion: It provides customers with precise and apt information to assist them decide whether to visit. It represents the various aspects of marketing communication, that is, the communication the information about the product with the goal to generate a positive customer response. The information provided by the company should be of significance and sensible use to the likely or existing guest and also precise because only satisfied customer would want to come again and use the same services. People: This is the fifth P of the marketing mix. It is essential that one should have a good, educated and friendly employees. For an organization to have a winning edge over others it is very essential that it recruits the right staff and trains them appropriately for the delivery of the services. Based on the interactions with employs the consumers make opinions and deliver perceptions of the service that was provided to them. Hence it is of utmost importance that the staff should have apt interpersonal skills, attitude, and service knowledge to provide the best service to the consumers who are paying for it. Thus it makes it imperative to have a highly qualified staff to add that extra special touch to the services so that customers who comes once, comes always. This, the airline has no doubt very skillfully taken care of by training it staff very well apart from paying it well too. Process: It constitutes of the schemes used to aid the organization in the process of service deliverance. Timely and excellent quality services are not the only ingredient but the process behind the making of these services is also of importance. Both hospitality and tourism industry have behind the scenes services like kitchens, water boilers, air handling units, maintenance departments, etc. This should be ensured that a customer never come to know about the smooth or ruff running of the process. Same and equivalent services should be provided at all times. These the airline could think of improving on as far as the benefits and services offered by the airlines to its consumers both on and off the flight. Physical Evidence: this again is a component which gives the consumers the opportunity to make judgments about the organization. This no doubt is an essential component of the service mix as based on the sight of the service that is being provided a perceptual impact is made on the consumers about the organization and the service being provided. The organizations that claim to be energy efficient should show it to their customer the process they followed to make their building and services environment friendly. When a customer knows the process behind the delivered service they feel more at ease. For example: if a hotel does vermin-composting to make all biodegradable waste into manure, they should take the guest and children on a eco-walk and show them the pit. This will not only make a good name for the organization but also teach people how to conserve environment (Borden, 2001). This as has been mentioned before too a number of times the airlines has focused on very well by its low cost air tickets and its well trained and well paid staff, skilled staff. 3.2 Interactive Marketing Technology has necessarily altered how companies and their customers communicate, not just online but across other medium (Novak Hoffman, 1997). Consequently interactive thinking needs to be at the heart of all marketing strategy and interactive channels at the heart of all marketing delivery. A company that has developed an easy to use web site with content and appropriate services to its audience is only part-way to achieving successful Internet marketing outcomes (Agrawal, Arjona Lemmens, 2001) This concept focuses on the ever changing trends in the field of marketing . The definition that had been given by John Deighton at Harvard, talks about interactive marketing being an ability which facilitates the organization in having one on one interaction with its customers on a continuous basis. The concept is in no way synonymous with the concept of online marketing, although there is debate that internet technology facilitates the process of interactive marketing to a great extent. The organization can with ease keep a record of all the data related to its customers, can have access to its numerous clients and consumers at the click of a mouse and can interact with them on a day to day continuous basis using the speed of the internet. 3.2.1 Objectives for Interactive Marketing Communications An interactive marketing communications plan usually has three main goals: (1) Use online and offline connections to steer or draw guests passage to a web site. This method is commonly referred to as traffic building. (2) To use on-site communications to bring an effectual point to the guest which helps form customer behaviour or achieve a required marketing outcome. The message delivered on site will be based on traditional marketing communications objectives for a companys products or services. (3) To mix all communications methods to assist attain marketing objectives by supporting mixed-mode buying. (Novak Hoffman, 1997). Ryanair has made use of this strategy by making available to its customers the facility of online booking system, which is not only of convenience to its customers but also greatly reduces the extra cost price as compared to telephone booking. Though it could still go beyond online booking and explore much more options such as customer feedback, special offers, blog site etc on its website by making use of this strategy. 4.0 Conclusion Customer satisfaction in hospitality and tourism industry is very much prejudiced by the way in which the service is delivered. It is a very important fraction of hospitality and tourism management and can be done successfully and well, with classiness and skill, if one keeps in mind the important essentials of marketing. ,This the airline seems to have taken care of in the most skilled manner possible by making use of the various above mentioned strategies. Apart from that what also is important is the evaluation of the marketing efforts. A framework for evaluation could help in shaping which essentials are most important to evaluate. It is hardly ever probable or cost efficient to assess all elements. After this it is very important to compare results with ones objectives and to in the end determine the needed changes in the strategic plan. This in a great way contributes towards improving the efficiency of the strategies that are being used by recognizing the present dissimilarities between real outcomes and anticipated performance. All this in turn will surely help determine the most probable and expected causes for the triumph or crash to achieve the set goals and objectives.

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Voices Of Women Writers Lesson Essay -- essays research papers fc

Parents play a crucial role in the development of children, varying from culture to culture. Although imperative, the mother and daughter relationship can be trivial. Many women writers have exercised their knowledge and shared their feelings in their works to depict the importance and influence of mothers upon daughters. Jamaica Kincaid, Maxine Hong Kingston, and Kiana Davenport are only three of the many women writers who have included mother and daughter themes in their texts. These writers explore the journeys of women in search of spiritual, mental and individual knowledge. As explained by these authors, their mothers' words and actions often influence women both negatively and positively. These writers also show the effects of a mother's lesson on a daughter, while following women's paths to discovery of their own voice or identity. In Kincaid's poem, Girl; Hong Kingston's novel, Woman Warrior; and Davenport's short story, The Lipstick Tree, various themes are presented in cont rasting views and contexts, including the influence of mothers upon daughters.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is said that a girl can often develop some of her mother's characteristics. Although, in their works, Kincaid, Hong Kingston and Davenport depict their protagonists searching for their own identities, yet being influenced in different ways by their mothers. Jamaica Kincaid's poem Girl, is about a young woman coming-of-age receiving helpful advice from her mother. In this poem, Kincaid addresses several issues where a mother's influence is beneficial to a young woman's character. The mother, or speaker, in Girl, offers advice to her daughter- advice that she otherwise would not learn without being told or shown. The mother advises the daughter about everyday tasks, and how to go about them properly (in her opinion). 'Wash the white clothes on Monday and put them on the stone heap; wash the color clothes on Tuesday and put them on the clothesline to day; don't walk bare-head in the hot sun;…this is how to sew on a button; this is how to make a buttonhole for the button you have just sewed on; … this is how you sweep a corner; this is how you sweep the whole house…'; Most importantly, the mother offers advice that only a mother should. Although she is being informative and authoritative, the mother's tone is often condescending. In particul... ...m, falling asleep wrapped in the smell of her childhood…She climbed to the top of the bunker again, and studied the horizon, seeing herself decanted into the future, going even further than WeWak…';   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jamaica Kincaid, Maxine Hong Kingston, Kiana Davenport utilize the methods of fiction and non-fiction to represent influential relationships such as the mother and daughter. In each of these texts, the writers present their perspective and knowledge, varying by culture and context. From each writer, the expression that individuality and lessons learned from mothers are essential for the development for a woman's identity. But most importantly, these writers evoke that it is beneficial to discover femininity and strength by going beyond tradition and the norm. Works Cited Davenport, Kiana. The Lipstick Tree. Women Writers coursepack. Fall 1999.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.crwrl.utexas.e du/~natasha/usauto_html/kingston/gender.html.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Kincaid, Jamica. Girl. Women Writers coursepack. Fall 1999   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Kingston, Maxine Hong. The Woman Warrior. Random House: NY, April 1976.

Friday, July 19, 2019

Reflection of Edgar Allan Poes Pessimistic Moods in The Raven :: Poe Raven Essays

Reflection of Edgar Allan Poe's Pessimistic Moods in The Raven Throughout literature, an author's works almost always reflect their mood and character. Edgar Allan Poe was an American writer whose short stories and poems reflected his pessimistic moods. One of Poe's poems, "The Raven," is about a raven that flies into the home of a sad and lonely man. This poem best expresses Poe's sense of despair and gloominess because the literary elements used in the poem are a constant reference to them. An example that portrays "The Raven" as a reflection of Poe's despair and gloominess is the poem's setting. The poem takes place in a haunted house during a violent storm. For example, in the poem it says, "On this home by horror haunted," and "..tempest tossed thee here ashore." The time and place of the poem deliver a feeling of negativity and pessimism to the reader. Poe's use of a depressing and negative setting for "The Raven" illustrates his despair and gloominess. Another example that illustrates the poem as an expression of Poe's mood is the raven itself. A raven is a large bird of the crow family with lustrous black feathers and a straight, sharp beak. Poe could have used any bird, however he wanted the reader to experience the gloom and despondency that he experienced. Therefore he wrote about a raven. Finally, Poe's use of assonance throughout the poem also contributed to the poem's illustration of despair and gloominess. Assonance is the repetition of vowel sound. For instance, at the end of each stanza it says, "Quoth the raven, Nevermore," "This is it and nothing more," or a phrase ending with the word more. The repetition of these sounds emphasize the words that contribute to the mood of the poem. Nevermore is a negative word meaning never again. The raven only said this word. Poe emphasizes nevermore because it helps accentuate the depressed and despaired mood of the poem.

Cause and Effect Essay - Moving to a Large City -- Cause Effect Essays

Cause and Effect Essay - Moving to a Large City Whoosh! That is the precise sound I heard as the crazed flock of travelers headed for the train terminal. My best friend, Stacy, and I were left disoriented and understandably confused once the crowd thinned. We were at Madison Square Garden at the train terminal awaiting our train back to the hotel; it was our first trip to New York City. As one may imagine, it was a fascinating and surreal voyage into extreme urban life. It was so enthralling and exciting that afterward I felt compelled to make a permanent trek to a large city. Due to my experiences in cities like Atlanta and New York, I have an increasing desire to live in a large city because of the various forms of entertainment, myriad of transportation, and the never-ending excitement typical of such a fast-paced lifestyle. My main reason for having such a strong urge to move to a city like New York is the variety of entertainment such a city offers, such as shopping, unique eateries, and shows like concerts and musicals. During my stay in New York, I was s...

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Marketing-Pizza Industry Essay

The four major competitors, Pizza-Hut, Papa John’s, Domino’s, and Little Ceasers are the market leaders in the take-out pizza industry. Having a strong brand equity in the take-out pizza industry allows a company to gain a significant advantage in the market. Customers in the take-out pizza industry place a high value on the product quality and price of a company. Maintaining a good reputation is very important in this industry for companies because customers will build a relationship with the company and will keep on coming back or ordering from that company if they feel like they are getting a good deal. Even though the take-out pizza industry is very competitive, many investors will surely be looking for investment opportunities in the years to come due to the growth potential in the industry. Macroenvironment The demographic factors in the take-out pizza industry have provided new positive opportunities for companies in the industry. Economic factors can also influence the industry in a positive or negative way during a good or bad economy. Ecological factors such as rising prices in gas and rising prices on dairy products has hurt the industry. Technological factors are helping companies meet new customer needs and demands and are opening up new opportunities for companies all around the world. Political and legal factors have not had a tremendous recent impact on companies in the industry. Cultural factors that have affected the take-out pizza industry have been primarily the increase in consciousness of health and fitness among the public in the United States. Microenvironment Those factors that are close to a company, that affect its ability to serve its customers, are called its microenvironment. There are several factors that affect the microenvironment of a company in the take-out pizza industry mentioned in this report. They include the industry’s market, the industry’s competitors, its customers, and the industry’s promotion and distribution of its products. A. The Market in the Take-Out Pizza Industry in the U. S. The market for the take-out pizza industry in the United States is fairly large and not to mention very competitive ( Competitors are talked about later on in this report). While there are four major companies, Pizza-Hut, Domino’s, Papa John’s, and Little Ceasers, that own 31. 7% percent of the market in this industry, 68. 3% percent of the market is dominated to what are known as â€Å"other† businesses. These â€Å"other† businesses, some of which are well known, include the hundreds of small companies or family- owned businesses, that most people do not even realize compete in the pizza industry. The 68. 3% percent statistic shows that due to the fact that there is a very large market for pizza in the United States, the pizza industry is open to a lot of businesses, which causes the competition to intensify. Another statistic that should intensify the competition in the next several years is the growth potential that is predicted to occur in this industry. According to Yahoo Finance, the growth potential for the pizza industry in the next five years is estimated to be about 12. 4% percent. This number or percentage will probably surprise a good number of people, especially since Papa-John’s has just recently announced that it had to lay-off some employees due to losses in the company. Regardless of this announcement, the pizza market in the United States is sure to attract more businesses because of the growth potential in this industry in next several years. B. Competitors in the Take-Out Pizza Industry The take-out pizza industry is an extremely competitive industry. The reason this industry is so competitive is because there are four major competitors in this industry that not only compete against each other, but also against hundreds of other companies or private businesses. The four major competitors in the take-out pizza industry are Pizza- Hut, Papa John’s, Little Ceasers and Domino’s. Pizza-Hut has a bit of an advantage over the other companies as it dominates about 13. 4 % percent of the market ( see Appendix A). Domino’s comes in second out of these competitors, owning about 8. 4% percent of the market. Little Ceaser’s and Papa John’s rank third and fourth, as they own 5. 3% percent and 4. 6% percent of the market respectively. The remaining 68. 3% percent of the market is controlled by those â€Å"other† companies in the industry. Some examples of those â€Å"other† businesses include Ledo’s Pizza, Sbarros’ Pizza, Jerry Subs&Pizza, and many others. So why is it that these four companies really have such a significant competitive advantage in the market over so many other companies in this industry? One reason is the fact that the four major competitors have very strong brand equities. Customers know and recognize the names of these companies and prefer their products over products from companies that they are not as well aware of. It also helps that these four competitors are multi-million dollar companies that are able to spend a significant amount of money promoting their products, which in turn leads to a stronger brand equity. The four major competitors have franchises all over the U. S. and are well known, while the â€Å"other† companies are usually just small businesses that are located in one area. It is important to note that there are those â€Å"other† companies in the take-out pizza industry that have name recognition among customers and have franchises through out the U. S. Two examples of those companies are Ledo’s Pizza and Sbarro Pizza. Both of these companies are successful companies but do not have nearly the market share that the four major competitors have. This is because the four major competitors have thousands of franchises across the U. S. while Ledo’s and Sbarro’s have only a couple hundred. C. Customers in the Take-Out Pizza Industry Markets in this industry are segmented by dividing the markets into distinct group of buyers. The market in the take-out pizza industry is segmented by three types of buyers or consumers. Consumers who purchase cheap pizza, consumers who purchase moderately priced pizza, and consumers who purchase expensive pizza ( see Appendix D -perceptual map for which company fits different consumers). However, companies in the industry often ignore these segments and target the market using undifferentiated marketing or mass marketing by going after the market with one offer. For example, Little Ceasers could advertise a deal such as â€Å"2 Pizzas for $14 dollars†, which is intended to target all the segments in the market. The most effective vehicles that are used to reach the consumers in the take-out pizza industry are just any types of cars. With so many different competitors in such a large market, the marketing mix plays a major role in the buying behavior patterns of customers in the take-out pizza industry. Promotion is definitely one of the key factors in the buying behavior patterns of customers in the take-out pizza industry. Promotion is a big reason why the four companies, Pizza Hut, Papa John’s, Dominos, and Little Ceasers have a distinct competitive advantage in the market over other companies in the pizza industry. The more customers know about a companies product, the more business that company will usually generate, especially over those companies that do not promote their product. Price, which is another component of the marketing mix, is also a very important factor in the buying behavior pattern of customers in the take-out pizza industry. However, price is a more complex issue in the pizza industry than one might anticipate. The reason for this, is the fact that many of the â€Å"other† smaller companies in this industry, lower their prices on purpose, in order to compete with the big name companies like Pizza Hut and Papa John’s. A lower price will not necessarily mean more business if the product quality of a particular company is considered low by customers. Quality is another factor that has a huge affect on customer buying behavior. A lower price with good product quality is what will really generate business in this industry. The four major competitors, Pizza Hut, Papa John’s, Dominos, and Little Ceaser’s are known for their great product quality and their fair prices (see perceptual Map). These companies have that great reputation of great product, great service, and fair price which is valued so highly by costumers. Having a good reputation of a product and price is very essential in the take-out pizza industry because customers will build a relationship with the company and will keep on ordering from that company if they believe they are getting a good deal. D. Pricing in Pizza Market What is interesting about the pricing in the pizza industry is that the take-out pizza market can be thought of as having two types of competition. Most people would agree that the take-out pizza market can be seen as a monopolistic competition, or the market consisting of many buyers and sellers with different prices (Kottler). What most people do not realize is that between the four major competitors there is somewhat of a oligopolistic competition. The four major competitors are very sensitive to each others’ prices because customers perceive their quality of product very similarly. If Pizza-Hut were to lower its prices, the other competitors would be in danger of losing business if they do not lower their prices as well. Lowering prices could lead to price wars among the competitors, which the pizza-industry was very well known for in the 1990’s. Therefore, companies must be very careful in the prices and deals they offer to their customers. For companies to be successful in the take-out pizza industry in the future, companies must find a way to have lower prices along with great product quality among their competitors. E. Promotion and Distribution in the Take-Out Pizza Industry Promoting and distributing the product is very important in the take-out pizza industry. Those companies that promote their product and are able to distribute or deliver that product efficiently are the companies that tend do be successful in the take-out pizza industry. The four major competitors are known for their advertising and promoting in this industry. These companies try to differentiate themselves in the industry by having unique logos and catch phrases that express their great product or service (see Appendix C for logos of the four major competitors). For example, Papa John’s tries to distinguish itself in the pizza industry as having â€Å"Better Ingredients, Better Pizza†. Domino’s wants to be known in the industry as not just having great pizza, but as having that very fast and efficient service when they use the phrase â€Å"Get the door! Its dominos†. Little Ceasers Pizza, a company that lost a lot of its market popularity when it suffered big losses from 1998 to 2001 (VBIC-Little Ceaser’s), has been slowly climbing back by offering â€Å"Quality Products + Great Taste + Favorite Food =Little Caesars Pizza! â€Å". Pizza-Hut, the company with the biggest market share in the industry, is known as â€Å"The family pizza place† (Pizza-Hut). Companies in the pizza industry have also been known to run their advertisement campaigns by promoting sales using special deals or bonus packs. For example, Domino’s used to promote † buy one, get one free on Tuesdays† (see Appendix B for examples of bonus packs used by the four major competitors). Many other companies in the industry have been known to promote deals that are very similar. Marketing and promoting a companies product will help companies in the pizza industry with their goal of maximizing their profit. Efficient distribution of products in the take-out pizza industry is now more important than ever before. Intensive distribution, which is stocking the product in as many outlets as possible is the strategy most franchises of the four major competitors prefer to use, because pizza is a convenience product, and is therefore bought frequently. With the increasingly rapid pace of living in our society, customers are demanding faster and more efficient service. The pizza industry has responded with this change by distributing the product straight to the consumer faster and more efficiently. One of the ways distribution has improved is due to the fact that companies have become more convenient for the customer. For example, Pizza-Hut has partnered up with KFC and Taco Bell to make it more convenient for customers to obtain their product (Pizza Hut). The companies in the take-out pizza industry, that will be most successful in distributing their products in the future, are the ones that will be able to provide their product faster, more efficient, and at more convenient locations. Macroenvironment There are also factors outside of a company that affect its ability to serve its customers. These factors are called the macroenvironment of the company. The macroenvironment factors that affect companies in the pizza industry include the demographic, economic, ecological, technological, political/legal, and cultural factors. A. Demographic factors that have affected the Take-Out Pizza Industry The demographic factors that have affected the take-out pizza industry are the geographic shift of families toward the suburbs, as well as the increase in single-parent families. These developments have presented new positive opportunities for the take-out pizza industry. New opportunities have been created in the industry because more people have been moving from cities to the suburbs. New communities are now being developed in places like the countryside, once thought to be unreachable by many just a decade ago. This has allowed the market in the industry to expand because there are more families and people in general in the suburban areas. This demographic shift has provided more accessible targets for companies in the industry. Another demographic shift that is having an affect on the take-out pizza industry is the change in the makeup of the American family. There are more divorces in the United States than ever before and due to this there are more single parent families. Many single parents work and do not have time to prepare meals for their families. This presents another positive opportunity for companies in the take-out pizza industry. When single parent families are in a rush or are looking for a just simple meal to feed the family, companies in the take-out pizza can gain from this opportunity because they can satisfy this customer need. Demographic developments such as the increase in single parent families, and the geographic shift of of families from cities to the suburbs has expanded the market for companies in the take- out pizza industry. B. Economic Factors that can influence the Take-Out Pizza Industry Economic factors influence almost every industry, and the take-out pizza industry is no exception. If prices of a product such as pizza go up by a significant amount, there will probably be an affect such as less consumption of pizza by customers. One other thing that could happen is, due to the various prices of pizza in the industry, customers could also buy cheaper pizza with lower quality to compensate for the rising prices. However, usually when the price of a product goes up, especially such as food, consumers tend to substitute that good or product with a cheaper good or product. In a bad economy, people tend to spend less and save more. Therefore, people will probably spend less on pizza compared to what they would in a better economy. On the other hand, if the income of people or families were to increase, there will probably be a rise in the consumption of a product such as pizza. When people have more money, they tend to spend it on more goods and products. In a good economy, people are generally spending more money and are usually consuming more pizza. C. Ecological Factors that affect the Take-Out Pizza Industry The ecological factors that are affecting the take-out pizza industry are the rising gas prices as well as the rising prices on dairy products, specifically cheese. Both of these factors have really hurt companies in the industry. The rising prices of gas has really hurt those companies in the industry that deliver because companies have had to compensate their drivers for the extra costs. The rising prices on dairy products, especially cheese, has hurt all the companies in the industry because cheese is one of the main ingredients to making a pizza. The smaller chains have been especially hit hard by these rising costs and it has been reflected in the rising costs of pizza in many stores. For example, one small chain in Boston called Papa Gino’s, has had to raise the price of their medium sized pizza from $8. 99 to $9. 49 ( National Restaurant Magazine). Customers do not buy as much with higher prices so companies end up losing business. These increases in prices have had a very negative affect on the industry. (For negative publicity in the industry, please see Political/legal factors). D. Technological Factors that affect the Take-Out Pizza Industry Technological factors are also affecting the take-out pizza industry. Due to the increasingly rapid pace of living, customers in the take-out pizza industry are now demanding faster and more efficient service (Pizza-Hut). Technology is helping companies in the pizza industry meet those customer demands. For example, new and better equipment, such as faster ovens, which are always being modified and improved on, are allowing for companies to make pizzas faster and more efficient. The new internet age has allowed customer to order pizza online, giving companies more business and speeding up the service. With computers available in almost every pizza store, when an order comes in for a pizza, stores are now able to get more precise directions to the address of where the pizza is supposed to be delivered. Technology has also opened up doors to new opportunities for many companies in the industry. Due to improved technology and communication through out the world, companies in the industry, especially the ones with money, like the four major competitors, are now looking to expand their business not only in the United States but also oversees. Improvements in technology has helped companies in the take-out pizza industry adjust to customer needs and wants, and at the same time, it has opened up opportunities all over the world for companies in the industry. E. Political/Legal Factors that affect the Take-Out Pizza Industry The political or legal factors that affect the take-out pizza industry are usually any food regulations that are enforced from the U. S. government. In the last several years, the government has pushed companies in the pizza industry to make their food healthier for consumers. This has not been as big of a problem as first anticipated, because companies in the take-out pizza industry have been forced to modify their menus anyways. Due to the increase in consciousness of health and fitness among the public, companies have had to adjust to this health craze with healthier choices to provide customer satisfaction and to stay profitable in the industry (see next section on cultural factors for more in depth on this topic). Another legal issue, which has received some bad publicity, is that the group People for the Ethical Treatment (PETA) has sent letters to three of the major competitors, Domino’s, Papa John’s and Little Ceasers â€Å"seeking to curb alleged abuses, particularly against dairy cows that produce the milk for mozzarella cheese†(News Digests). This issue is being dealt with as the companies are meeting with PETA to make sure they are meeting its guidelines. Overall, political and legal factors have not had a tremendous affect on the take-out pizza industry. F. Cultural Factors that affect the Take-Out Pizza Industry The major cultural factor that has affected the take-out pizza industry has been the increase in consciousness of health and fitness among the public. This has had a negative affect on the industry because companies have suffered in business. Pizza has never been perceived as being exactly the most healthy food out there. With the new health craze, companies in the take-out pizza industry have been forced to adjust their products and services to the new costumer wants. Companies in the industry have spent millions of dollars to find out how to satisfy these wants. Even though pizza is still the dominant menu item, many new healthy compliments have been added to the menu in order to soothe customer demands. These new additions have included salads that could be purchased separately or in different pizza combo packages, and the offering of healthier beverages such as numerous diet beverages and water. Pizzas have also been modified to adjust with the health craze as items such as vegetarian pizzas, lower fat ingredients, and low-carb crust are now being offered. Due to the fact that the American society has placed more value on health, companies in the take-out pizza industry have been forced to adjust their products and services in order to remain profitable.