DBQ on Sectionalism Essay

During the period of 1850-1861, America was struggling to stay united as debates over several major issues started to take the forefront. After the war with Mexico ended in 1848, America gained the territories of Texas, New Mexico, and California through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Soon after, disputes over whether these states should be free states or slave states erupted. By 1850, a solution was found in the Compromise of 1850 where California would become a free state, and New Mexico and Texas would have popular sovereignty, allowing them to decide for themselves whether they would be slave states or not. The Fugitive Slave Act was also written in 1850 in an effort to satisfy southern slave owners by requiring northerners to return any runaway slaves back to their owners in the South. The combination of the Compromise of 1850 and The Fugitive Slave Act, along with debates over the Constitution and popular sovereignty, started to impact the unity of the nation and potentially split the North and South even more. The actions of the government during the period of 1850-1861 contributed to the deteriorating conditions of America, particularly in the Constitution and the Fugitive Slave Act. In 1852, William Lloyd Garrison expressed the idea that the Constitution influenced slavery in America despite the fact that nothing about slavery was directly mentioned. He feels that a government in support of slavery is corrupt and cannot be trusted and that the people need to overthrow it. The Constitution’s inability to stop slavery leads to division among the people who support slavery and the people who do not. In this way, the government played a part in the weakening of the Union (Doc. E). The Fugitive Slave Act, a part of the Compromise of 1850, helped intensify tension between the pro-slavery South and anti-slavery North. In Boston, freed slaves had to be warned to avoid any interaction with watchmen and police in Boston, who now had the ability to send them back into slavery. The Fugitive Slave Act further divided the North and South because it forced the anti-slavery North to go against its beliefs and involve itself in the institution of slavery instead of preventing it (Doc. C). Ralph Waldo Emerson further describes the immortality of the Fugitive Slave Act by comparing the government’s varying  disciplines on the institution. In 1807, Congress had banned the importation of slaves into America, but by 1850, they encouraged the capturing of freed slaves in the North and sending them back into servitude. This contradiction adds to division because it proved to northerners that the government would bend to the South’s desire to keep slavery. Emerson viewed this act as immoral and felt that if the government implemented it, the Union would immediately fall apart. In a way, Emerson’s view was not wrong, as the Fugitive Slave Act did contribute to increasing division between the North and South over slavery (Doc. D). Another issue that led to the crumbling of the Union was the debate over popular sovereignty. Popular sovereignty embodied the idea that the new states coming into the Union should be allowed to decide for themselves whether they would allow slavery or not. This belief is rooted in the Compromise of 1850, which was basically an effort to maintain the balance between the slave states in the South and the free states in the North. A map depicting the Compromise of 1850 shows the slave states in the South, the free states in the North, and the new territories that could be swayed either way. The reason the possibility of popular sovereignty in these territories caused controversy was because whatever way they went, they could potentially upset the balance between the North and South, which could lead to serious conflict over slavery (Doc. A). President Jefferson Davis further explains the debate over popular sovereignty in terms of the Constitution. Although the Constitution does address state power through amendments, it was unable to prevent opinions regarding a lack of state sovereignty from developing in the North. This proves that the Constitution was becoming weak and unable to meet the conditions of that time period. Also, the states are beginning to feel entitled to their rights and are forgetting that the Union existed based on a combination of the states (Doc. H). The Kansas and Nebraska Act of 1854 created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska and gave the settlers of that land the right to decide whether they would be slave states or not. This act increased tensions around slavery amongst the settlers and thus led to violence because some settlers were advocates of slavery and then others were against slavery. The artist of this cartoon depicted a freesoiler being held down by Presidential  nominee James Buchanan and Democratic senator Lewis Cass on the â€Å"Democratic Platform,† which was a shot at the Democratic Party because many blamed them for the increase in violence towards anti-slavery settlers in Kansas. The platform is labeled with â€Å"Kansas,† â€Å"Cuba,† and â€Å"Central America,† which represents the alleged Democratic goals of spreading slavery outside of America. The freesoiler is being fed a slave by Democratic senator Stephen A. Douglas and President Franklin Pierce. This cartoon shows that many people felt that the new states were being forced to accept slavery by the Democratic Party (Doc. F). Sectionalism increased tensions between the North and South and thus contributed to the failure of the Union by splitting the nation apart on several key issues. Sectionalism is when a part of the nation, either the North or South, puts their owns interests over the whole nation’s concerns. Sectionalism can often lead to states breaking apart from the Union. From the period 1850-1861, the North and South were split over slavery and whether the new territories being added to the Union should be slave or free. The only way to prevent conflict over sectional issues is to have a strong Constitution that addresses the needs of each area of the country. Without that, the Union will inevitably fail (Doc. B). President James Buchanan, who felt that in order to preserve the Union, the Constitution must protect the rights of the South, further explains this idea. If the needs of the states are not met, then the states have the right to withdraw from the Union because of their own sovere ignty. To prevent the succession of the South, Congress should recognize slavery, protect the right of slavery in new territories, and support the Fugitive Slave Act (Doc. G). President Abraham Lincoln felt that sectionalism and succession would lead to the demise of the Union. To even consider leaving the Union, a state has to feel that it is better than all the others and will be more successful on its own. However, no state in America had ever been on its own, leading President Lincoln to believe that no state can truly fend for itself (Doc. I). Because it was believed that succession would lead to the failure of the Union, sectionalism was discouraged because it would split the country apart. In reality, sectionalism occurred anyway and resulted in the North and South being divided based on slavery. The actions of the government along with conflicts over popular sovereignty in new territories and sectionalism contributed to increasing tensions between the North and South, especially over slavery, and overall weakened the Union. The actions the government took during the period of 1850-1861 influenced the division between the North and South over slavery by passing the Compromise of 1850 and the Fugitive Slave Act. The Compromise of 1850 created controversy over popular sovereignty because it would give new states the right to decide for themselves if they would support slavery or not. The combination of government actions and popular sovereignty resulted in sectionalism, which furthered the divide between the North and South.

American Writers Essay

ENG 4U1 – Film and Literature Comparative ISP Choose your ISP Topic below. For that topic, you must choose one corresponding film and one corresponding novel from the list below. You will then work towards completing a comparative analysis of the two chosen works. The steps of the ISP are as follows: U1A5 – Statement of Intent/ISP Proposal U2A6 – ISP Progress Report #1 (here you will review your ISP novel) U4A1 – ISP Annotated Bibliography U5A1 – ISP Progress Report #2 (here you will review your ISP film) U5A2 – ISP Thesis/Outline U5A4 – Final ISP Essay. ISP TOPICS FILM CHOICES NOVEL CHOICES Personal Liberation/Redemption Gran Torino Rocky Balboa Albert Camus, The Outsider Carol Shields, The Stone Diaries Ernest Gaines, A Lesson Before Dying Ian McEwan, Atonement Jane Urqhart, The Stone Carvers John Irving, A Prayer For Owen Meany Khaled Hosseini, The Kite Runner Margaret Atwood, Surfacing Margaret Laurence, The Stone Angel Miriam Toews, A Complicated Kindness Oscar Wilde, A Picture of Dorian Gray Roberston Davis, Fifth Business Walter Lamb, She’s Come Undone Destructive Nature of Dreams American Gangster. There Will Be Blood Brian Moore, The Passion of Judith Hearne F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby John Steinbeck, The Pearl John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men Mordechai Richler, The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz Toni Morrison, The Bluest Eye Utopia/Direction of the Future Children of Men The Road Aldous Huxley, Brave New World Anthony Burgess, A Clockwork Orange Cormac McCarthy, The Road George Orwell, 1984 Margaret Atwood, Oryx and Crake Margaret Atwood, A Handmaid’s Tale Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451 Journey Motif Rain Man Motorcycle Diaries  A. Manette Ansay, Vingear Hill Arundhati Roy, The God of Small Things Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Cormac McCarthy, The Road John Steinbeck, The Pearl Khaled Hosseini A Thousand Splendid Suns Khaled Hosseini, The Kite Runner Kim Edwards, The Memory Keeper’s Daughter Marina Nemat, The Prisoner of Tehran Paolo Coehlo, The Alchemist Salman Rushdie, Satanic Verses Sue Monk Kidd, The Secret Life of Bees William Faulkner, As I Lay Dying Destructive Nature of War Avatar The Hurt Locker Anne Michaels, Fugitive Pieces Denis Brock, The Ash Garden. Elie Wiesel, Night Ian McEwan, Atonement Joseph Boyden, Three Day Road Joseph Keller, Catch-22 Joy Kogawa, Obasan Laura Esquivel, Like Water For Chocolate Markus Zusak, The Book Thief Pat Barker, The Ghost Road Timothy Findley, The Wars Non-Conformist Hero Juno Iron Man Anthony Burgess, A Clockwork Orange J. D, Salinger, The Catcher in The Rye John Irving, A Prayer For Owen Meany Joyce Carol Oates, Foxfire Ken Kesey, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest Kim Edwards, The Memory Keeper’s Daughter Mark Haddon, The Curious Incident of the Dog in  the Nighttime Miriam Toews, A Complicated Kindness Roddy Doyle. A Star Called Henry Sue Monk Kidd, The Secret Life of Bees Immigrant Experience Lost in Translation In America Anne Michaels, Fugitive Pieces Barbara Kingsolver, The Poisonwood Bible Brian Moore, The Luck of Ginger Coffey Frank McCourt, Angela’s Ashes Jane Urquhart, The Stone Carvers Joy Kowaga, Obasan Margaret Laurence, The Diviners Michael Ondaatje, In the Skin of a Lion Mistry Rohinton, A Fine Balance Nino Ricci, Lives of the Saints Role of Women Revolutionary Road An Education. Alice Walker, The Colour Purple Anita Diamant, The Red Tent Anne Marie MacDonald, Fall On Your Knees Arthur Golden, Memoirs of a Geisha Barbara Kingsolver, The Poisonwood Bible Bernhard Schlink, The Reader Frank McCourt, Angela’s Ashes Khaled Hosseini A Thousand Splendid Suns Kim Edwards, The Memory Keeper’s Daughter Margaret Atwood, The Edible Woman Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale Miriam Toews, A Complicated Kindness Sue Monk Kidd, The Secret Life of Bees Tennessee Williams, A Streetcar Named Desire Toni Morrison, The Bluest Eye Wally Lamb, She’s Come Undone.

Environmental Taxes in the Uk

Environmental Taxes in the UK| BEA2002 Group Report Assignment| Ben Dance, Liwei Rao, Qi Gao, Nellie Ho and Ahmed Mujtaba| 1. Introduction 1. 0 We have been commissioned by the government to write a report on how the current UK tax system encourages taxpayers to behave in an environmentally friendly manner. In the first part of the report we will look at three elements of the UK system and outline how they encourage environmentally friendly behaviour and in the second part we will compare these elements to measures in place in Sweden. 2.Key Elements of the UK Tax System 2. 1 Climate Change Levy 2. 1. 1CCL is a tax on the supply of energy to businesses in the commercial, agricultural and industrial sectors. The tax, introduced in April 2001, works by charging for each unit of energy used therefore the more energy used the more tax a business has to pay. It’s an arbitrary way of trying to get businesses to reduce the energy they use and the emissions they produce. The charge per unit of energy varies depending on the commodity used and the pollution that the commodity produces.For example, electricity has a higher rate of charge (0. 509 pence per kilowatt hour) compared to gas (0. 177 pence per kilowatt hour) because it is more damaging to the environment (HMRC, 2013). 2. 1. 2 The government claims the CCL has had a significant impact on reducing the emissions produced by the UK. However, the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee has an alternate view that the reductions are due to other measures already in place. They believe that the CCL rates are not significant enough to influence behaviour (CIOT, 2009).Another argument suggests that businesses are just passing on the tax by increasing their prices leaving the incidence of the tax with the consumers. If we look at the tax revenues from CCL, we can see that it has never reached its annual target of ? 1 bn, suggesting the tax is ineffective (Annie Reece, 2012). 2. 1. 3 In support of the governme nt claims, there is clear evidence that the annual emissions are on the down – carbon dioxide emissions have decreased by 15. 9% from 1990 to 2010 (Department of Energy & Climate Change, 2013).It may not be clear whether this is down to CCL but you cannot argue that companies are now far more aware of their emissions. 2. 2 Landfill Tax 2. 2. 1 The UK government introduced the landfill tax in October 1996 in order to meet its obligations under the 1999 EU landfill directive. Before 1996, the municipal waste in UK was growing at an average rate of 3% per annum up to 21. 63 million tonnes in 1995/96 (European Commission, 2001). However, even after this introduction the UK remained as one of the biggest producers of waste in Europe.To combat this, the Treasury implemented a radically increasing rate of landfill tax (CIOT, 2009). There are two types of landfill wastes which are taxed at two different rates. The first type is the normal (active) waste which is taxed at ? 64/tonne a nd will most likely rise to ? 80/tonne in 2014; the other type is known as inert waste, such as rock and bricks, which is taxed at ? 2. 5/tonne. 2. 2. 2 The general incentive of the landfill tax is to encourage more sustainable waste management and to alter businesses and customers’ behaviour by producing less waste.However, the tax has not been as effective as expected. The disposal of inert waste has declined but the same cannot be said for active waste. A possible reason for this could be that, although the tax rate of inert waste is much lower than active in absolute value, it is higher in percentage value which means the tax burden on an inert waste producer is heavier than on an active waste producer (European Commission, 2001). Also, the active waste is more likely to be weighed at the disposal stage rather than collection stage, which may result in less incentive for individuals to reduce their waste.The revenue from the landfill tax is only a small proportion of the total tax revenue to the HMRC, so the large increase of this tax reflects the determination of government to change waste behaviour rather than raising tax revenue. 2. 3 Fuel Tax 2. 3. 1 In the UK there is a fuel tax  that is applied to all Hydrocarbon fuels, including unleaded petrol, diesel, LPG, biodiesel, bioethanol and other fuels that are used in cars. The rate of the fuel duty is usually set during the budget preparation and it consists of an additional tax that is applied to the petrol before it is sold.Currently the tax levied on the most commonly used petrol and diesel prices are 85p and 85. 93p respectively. Thus, the total price for the petrol and diesel is around 136. 26p and 143. 27p respectively as well (BBC Business, 2012). 2. 3. 2 Such taxes are levied by the government to reduce the excessive usage of the fossil fuels and in this case oil. Petrol and diesel are both extracted from the crude oil and are the most commonly used fuels around the world. The government hopes that the tax will reduce usage because it is directly passed onto the consumers.Thus, not only would this measure rake in millions for the government, it would also reduce the carbon footprint which is a concern for the countries like UK. 2. 3. 3 As a result of this 527 million fewer litres of petrol and diesel were sold in the UK last year, as individuals and companies chose to drive less, according to Edmund King, president of the Automobile Association. The government has faced a lot of criticism from some groups about the tax and praise from others such as various environmental group and agencies (BBC Business, 2012). . 3. 4 In particular, â€Å"a review by Lord Heseltine into governments continued support for low and ultra-low carbon vehicles† was deemed helpful by SMMT chief executive Paul Everitt. 2. 3. 5 Separately, changes to capital allowance and tax relief rules, as well as the car fuel benefit charge, should help â€Å"green the UK's business fleet†, according to Mike Moore, automotive analyst with Deloitte, a consultancy. He also added â€Å"This means that businesses should seriously consider the carbon footprint of their fleet in order to control costs. (D Martin, 2012). 3. 0 Comparison with Sweden 3. 1 Climate Change Tax 3. 1. 1 In Sweden, there is a variety green taxes related to climate change. Sweden was the first country in Europe to introduce a green tax in 1991 when they brought in the Energy and Carbon Dioxide Tax (Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, 2000). This introduction, ten years ahead of the UK, shows that the Swedish government was much more aware of the damage their behaviour was causing than the UK government. 3. 1. The Swedish Energy and Carbon Dioxide Tax works by charging the user for the amount of CO2 produced unlike the UK CCL which charges in respect of the source of energy. Both have the same impact on behaviour as they both encourage taxpayers to reduce the amount of energy they use and the em issions they produce. Over the years, there has been a significant increase on the tax rate to continue the fight against climate change. The increase has been so great that Sweden now has the highest carbon tax rate worldwide (Government Commission of Measures against Climate Change, 2000). . 1. 3 Unlike we found in the UK, it has had a huge impact on individual and business behaviour. There has been a 9% reduction in gas emissions in the past decade even though economy has grown 44%. At present, the general CO2 tax rate amounts to more than 100 EUR/tone; this is a much larger burden than the UK’s CCL rate (Swedish National Energy Administration, 2000). This may explain why the Swedish Tax has changed the behaviour so much more. 3. 1. 4 In the UK, we found that it is not clear which tax is causing the reduction in emissions.However, in Sweden the CO2 tax has contributed significantly to reducing fossil fuel consumption, particularly the situation for the household, service s ectors and district heating production, where the full CO2 tax rate is applied (Developing Green Taxation – Summary of a Government Assignment Report 5390, 2004). 3. 2 Landfill Tax 3. 2. 1 The current landfill tax in Sweden, which was introduced in January 2000, is very similar to the tax in the UK in that it aims to prevent the increase of waste generated.However, Sweden also uses their tax to try and encourage the use of the waste to generate energy while minimizing health and environmental effects to humans (European Topic Centre on Sustainable Consumption and Production, 2009). The tax rate started off at â‚ ¬26/tonne and has increased to â‚ ¬47/tonne (? 40) (Scottish Government Rural Environment Research, 2008). This is lower than the rate in the UK (? 64/tonne) which suggests that waste management is not as big an issue in Sweden when compared to the UK. 3. 2. 2 Before 2000, landfill only went down by 2% p. . but after the implementation, it began to decrease by 1 3. 6% p. a. between 1999 and 2006. At the same time, recycling in the country increased by 4. 6% p. a (European Topic Centre on Sustainable Consumption and Production, 2012). In 2009, revenue from landfill tax was only 15% of that in 2000, which proves that the tax has provided a good incentive in Sweden to reduce waste; unlike the UK where the tax has been arguably ineffective (European Topic Centre on Sustainable Consumption and Production, 2012). 3. 2. Sweden has also successfully implemented schemes which divert landfill to recycling or to waste-to-energy power plants, where it is burned as fuel. According to the most recent figures from Eurostat, only 1% of waste from Swedish households ends up in landfill. This is much lower than the same figure for the UK of 48% which suggests the recycling schemes in place in the UK are not effective (Care2, 2012). The beverage industry in Sweden has a return rate of over 90% on glass and plastic bottles which shows the tax affects businesse s behaviour as well as households (Scottish Government Rural and Environment Research, 2008). 3. . 4 From this comparison, it seems apparent that the UK could learn from Sweden and change people’s behaviour more effectively by implementing and encouraging a better recycling scheme rather than penalizing people through taxes. 3. 3 Fuel Tax 3. 3. 1 The fuel tax in Sweden comprises of an energy tax  and a carbon tax. A tax is placed on top of the price of petrol in the same way that the UK government do. The total tax (including  value added tax) has been 6. 875 kr (about ? 0. 6913) per litre since January 1, 201. This rate is lower than the tax in the UK which again suggests that the consumption of fuel is less of an issue. . 3. 2 The energy tax contains excises on motor vehicle fuels, the average proportion being 3. 4 points in EU. Sweden is the country has second highest percentage (4. 9 points) among the EU member states. This tax is similar to the vehicle road tax in th e UK. 3. 3. 4 There is a significant difference in the revenues of fuel tax in the UK and Sweden. In the UK, the proportion of the revenue of fuel tax amounts to more than 90% of the total energy taxes revenue, while the percentage for Sweden is only slightly above 50 %.The tax revenues on natural gas and electricity are the main reasons that result to this different situation. Sweden collects the most revenues from electricity and natural gas taxes (about 30 %). In contrast, the United Kingdom only receives negligible revenues on related items (less than 2 %) (Taxation trends in the European Union, 2009). 3. 3. 5 As is well known, Sweden has a high international profile in environmental policy all over the world. The revenue from environmentally related taxes is however not particularly high in this country.On the other hand, the revenue from green taxes in Sweden has been steady rather than decline in recent years, which is in contrast to the trend in many other countries (Swedish Tax Policy: Recent Trends and Future Challenges, 2010). Bibliography CIOT, 2009. Green Tax Report. [online]. Available at: [Accessed 28 January 2013]. HMRC, 2013. Climate Change Levy Rates from April 2012. [online]. Available at: [Accessed 28 January 2013]. Annie Reece, 2012. Landfill Tax Revenue Set to Increase. [online]. Available at: [Accessed 28 January 2013]. Department of Energy & Climate Change, 2013. GHG Inventory summary Factsheet. [online]. Available at: [Accessed 28 January 2013]. European Commission, 2001.Study on the Economic and Environmental Implications of the Use of Environmental Taxes and Charges in the European Union and its Member States. [online]. Available at: [Accessed 27 January 2013] BBC Business, 2012. Fuel duty rise cancelled by chancellor. [online] Available at: [Accessed 11 February 2013]. BBC Business, 2012. Budget 2012: Fuel duty increase gets go-ahead. [online] Available at: [Accessed 10 February 2013].D Martin, 2012. We're the fuel tax capita l of Europe: British motorists pay up to 60% duty and VAT on petrol – the highest figure in the EU. [online] Available at: [Accessed 11 February 2013]. Care2, 2012. The Environment and Wildlife Cause. [online. ] Available at: [Accessed 5 February 2013]. European Topic Centre on Sustainable Consumption and Production, 2009. Fact Sheet for Sweden. [online. ] Available at:

Research Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 2

Research Project - Essay Example While conducting the research, it is important for follow certain code of ethics. First of all, honesty shall be maintained by prohibiting falsification or mispresentation of data. Any kind of biasness should be prohibited while designing, conducting, analysing and interpreting the results. Care should be taken to minimise errors throughout the process. Respect will be given to intellectual property and confidentiality of the respondents. That is why name and other details related to the participants will be kept confidential. Even respect will be given to social responsibilities while conducting the research. I am grateful to my institution and the Head of the Department for giving me the opportunity to conduct this research project on a topic that is so relevant in the contemporary context. I want to thank those people vehemently whose inspiration and influence have helped me to shape this research project. I acknowledge my indebtedness and gratitude to my mentor and teacher, who was a source of continuous inspiration and guidance and without whose support this research project would not have seen the light of the day. I also thank all my friends and faculty members who have helped me to complete this research project. The increase in the number of failures of the first year students at the university is a major cause of concern, both for the education system of UK and also for the universities. The primary reason to be attributed is the change in the learning environment. However, there are also other factors that are equally responsible for this deplorable situation and this paper aims to identify these factors with the help of primary and secondary research. Students undergo different transition phases in the course of achieving academic education. The journey begins at home and then gradually a child goes through different educational institutions like elementary school, high school, and

Characteristics of Film Noir Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Characteristics of Film Noir - Essay Example Obscurity and profound black scenery reflected the sinister face of American dream (Westcombe). Film noir or black film referred to characteristic movies well thought-out to be apprehension pictures, murder mystery or misdemeanor melodramas (Hirsch 71). The late 1940s saw Hollywood put in place standard style to depict cops, lawbreakers and private detectives universally. Film noir also has a romantic recounting of love. Romantic narration is evident in films like â€Å"Postman Always Rings Twice† and â€Å"Double Indemnity† and creates the mood of an irretrievable past, a premeditated past and all-enveloping despondency (Hirsch 168). Dialogue is an essential element of film noir and it is usually brusque. Dialogue is brought about by characters who contemptuously or straightforwardly express themselves (Hirsch 74). Film noir characters often make wisecracks like in Mitchum in 1947’s â€Å"Out of the Past†. The wisecracker’s daring witticism and angry replies are risky and hilarious. For the audience, these aspects are impressive since the character, despite knowing they have messed up, cares less solely depending on their fast tongues and wits for rescue. Lighting in film noir scenes does not just involve light addition (Westcombe). Instead, lighting is used to form shadows which to the audience depict that danger prowls around the corner. Lighting in film noir should come from the sides as this varies the intensity across the person and creates depth to the subject through appending dimension (Hirsch 84). An exception of side lighting in film noir is during a criminal’s interrogation when the light can be bright directly on him or her. In addition, creation of sharp and discrete shadows is created using a single point of light. Sharp discrete shadows are used by audience to construct comprehensible mental images of the objects casting the shadows (85). Distinct approach to camera settings

Quantitative Easing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Quantitative Easing - Essay Example Quantitative easing has policies that when well implemented can result to reduction of systematic risks and improve market confidence. Consequently, it can contribute to higher inflation than desired in case policy makers overestimate the amount of easing required (Gibbons, 2011:224). This essay will seek to explain the extent in which the practice of quantitative easing threatens the independence of policymakers. Quantitative easing is another bank bailout. Money created in form of promissory notes or bonds and is available to only those banks that have received the quantitative easing (Biefang-FrisanchoMariscal, and Howells, 2011:98). When the rate of interests is high, there is an alternative method of influencing the price of money circulating in the economy. This alternate solution is quantitative easing whose aim is to lower the rates of interests affecting companies and households where the central bank takes the most important step, QE, by generating new money for use in an e conomy. Therefore, quantitative easing, dubbed printing money, assumes the definition of unconventional monetary policy acquired by the central banks in view of stimulating the economy at times when the conventional monetary policy fails. ... 2012). These unconventional measures had principle element in the United Kingdom whereby, their policy was to purchase assets with finances from the central bank, in short, quantitative easing (Howells and Hussein, 1997:378). Between March 2009 and January 2010, there were more than 200 billion Euros purchases of assets. Overwhelmingly, this amount comprised of government securities that ended up representing 14 percent of the annual Gross Domestic Product (Howells, 2010:314). The motivation and implementation of these central banks’ asset purchase had significant economical impacts and according to the Bank of England, quantitative easing made considerable uncertainty regarding magnitudes of the UK’s financial market (Douglas, 2011). Recently, the growth of broad money slowed dramatically within the economy of the United Kingdom since when recession commenced. Indicators of the recession were in part things like reduced borrowing by households and companies. Presumably , the Bank of England had to practice quantitative easing on behalf of Monetary Policy Committee in order to offset the UK’s economy from this weakness (Joyce, 2010). This practice boosted huge sums of money holdings into the economy. However, it threatened the independence of the policymakers since there is documented evidence from the monetary data depicted that the asset purchase program led to an increase in prices of assets (Biefang-FrisanchoMariscal, and Howells 2011:102). In addition, it ultimately contributed to increase in nominal demand in the UK’s economy making other evidence from other financial markets corroborative (Ellis, 2009:31). In 2009, the Monetary Policy Committee made a stern decision of making the economy of the United Kingdom an elaborate market with

Midterm paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Midterm paper - Essay Example The story of the famous Pocahontas, well remembered for spearheading interracial marriages, has been adapted by several films including the ‘The Pocahontas’ and the ‘Avatar’. The films have many similarities with the original story as narrated by Charles Dudley Warner but there are several exaggerations and manipulations done. The film ‘Pocahontas’ is an animation that attempts to present the life of Pocahontas. Just like in the story, the 1995 release animation presents Pocahontas as a woman who opposed to the idea of the segregation of Englishmen by her people in Powhatan. Both depict her as an influential character who embraced Captain Smith while they were in Virginia in1608. They describe her as a distinguished girl with great character and a genuine concern for humanity. However, the animation leaves several gaps in explaining the particular traits that she had while young, as explained by the author, â€Å"She was a child of remarkable i ntelligence, and that she early showed a tender regard for the whites and rendered them willing and unwilling service† (Warner 1). Such an expression is missing in the animation. Therefore, the story loses its true meaning. ‘The Avatar’ has a comparable plot to the story but the characters used are different. Warner presents historical events that relates to the romantic woman, Pocahontas, who fell in love with the whites despite herself being an Indian. The movie depicts a future occurrence but frames the incidences to reflect the story. While the story talks about Powhatan as from 1607, the movie talks about the Pandora by 2154. The movie talks about the mining of Unobtanium by the humans in the biosphere that has detrimental elements for human survival. In contrast, the Englishmen set their foot in Powhatan in an effort to mine gold. Despite the variances in characters and the timing both talks of men on a mission that results to a relationship between one of t he inhabitants, the Navi and the Powhatan’s in the movie and story respectively. The story provides many detailed accounts that does not feature in Disney’s ‘Pocahontas’ animations. The animation is very casual presenting shallow information about the characters. Little attention is given flashbacks and flash-forward as used the author. This breaks the sequence of events, as they appear in the story, hence the ability to understand what the events as they follow each other (Bazin 23). The author presents a variety of descriptions to demonstrate the nature of relationship between Pocahontas and Smith, an aspect that the film also portrays but with the magnitude. Again, the animation goes overboard in presenting the romance with Smith and the shooting of Kocoum. However, the storyline appears similar and the characters used are given similar names and similar character traits The author is not definite of the actual occurrences. On several instances, he uses the word ‘or’ meaning any of the things he is talking about might have taken place. Contrary to these views, the two films present very definite situations. This biasness is based on the fact, that a movie cannot present two opposing ideas since they can contradict the viewers. The author mentions, â€Å"Either Strachey was uniformed, or Pocahontas was married to an Indian†, this is presumption made by the author but the two films avoid the argument and do not feature this scene, probably due to its

DIVERSITY IN THE WORKPLACE Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

DIVERSITY IN THE WORKPLACE - Coursework Example All these cases negatively influence group performance and personal relationships between employees. According to Roberge et al. (2011), strong organizational culture, focus on team work, cross-cultural couching and fairness in HR practices are proved to be effective in coping with diversity-related issues. Value-based organizational culture creates a special field where people from different backgrounds share the same aims and values. HR team should implement practices which do not conflict with personal values and traditions of employees. For instance, there are some religious holidays which require influence working schedule of employees. Even if the company is neutral to religion in its internal practices, employees should have a right to have a day off when such a holiday takes place. In order to regulate relationships between employees, organizations pay great attention to codes of conduct. Usually, these codes consist of universal values which can be accepted by all employees. Good code of conduct helps them to develop a shared vision and understand each other better. In summary, it is a hard task to manage diversity in the organization; at the same time, it is a rewarding one. When different people work together, they can create new innovative solutions which consider different points of view. Diversity is a strong value; if people feel that their values and needs are considered by the organization, they become more loyal and productive. Finally, training for employees can help them to understand each other better if their diversity causes

Marketing Strategies of P&G Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Marketing Strategies of P&G - Case Study Example When Lafley entered the scene in 2000, he stressed that the company must concentrate on what it sells well rather than build new products. However the company diversified and brought in novel brands into the market through various mergers and acquisitions. After Lafley entered the scene, P&G made the largest acquisitions ever in the year 2001 as it purchased Clairol for $5 billion. It also agreed to purchase Germany's Wella. Other companies that joined P&G included Intuit Inc, Clorox Co., SpinBrush (brainchild of four entrepreneurs from Cleveland), Coke, Wrigley Co. to name a few. The old idea that all of P&Gs products come from its laboratories was challenged and Lafley brought in more products from outside, a strategy that did wonders for the company. As buying best-selling innovation is a difficult business P&G relied on testing products at Wal-Mart for customer response. With its feet firmly on ground with a range of brands, now P&G is likely to invest in businesses of pharmaceut icals and beauty care (considerably weak areas of P&G). The leadership strategy of P&G reflects a lot of qualities of its leader, Lafley: strong, silent and pioneering. Whether the brand was made within P&G or acquired, it was ensured that it was not just good quality, but also novel in its line.

Steel and Surface Preparation Essay Example for Free

Steel and Surface Preparation Essay What is meant by the tenn sliver? What is a hackle? Name two other tenns that could be used for anchor pattern? What are the main advantages of using Testex papers for measuring profiles? What is meant by the tenn grade. relating to a blast finish? What are the main factors governing the grade f a blast finish? Can the grade of a blast fmish be detennined by using the surface comparators to BS 7079 Pt C3? What profile range can be measured using X coarse Testex? What profile range can be measured using coarse grade Testex? What are the two theories of adhesion? Briefly describe the mechanisms of the two theories of adhesion. How many microns are in Ithou? Give three different names for the cross section of a blast. What is the approximate speed of abrasives leaving a venturi nozzle? What is the most common cause of flash rusting on a blasted substrate? What would be considered to be an ideal shot grit mix? What is the purpose of mixing shot and grit? Which abrasive would have the effect of work hardening a substrate? Name three methods of measuring or assessing a profile. What is the most common cause of rogue peaks on a substrate? In what situation would it be better to use steel grit in preference to copper slag abrasives? If cracks or laminations are found on a substrate after blasting what steps should be taken? Using comparators to ISO 8503, what are the three main profile assessments? What are the other two assessments when the above three are not appropriate? What would be size of copper slag needed to give a protile of 50 to 75 urn? 3. 2 copynght

Personal Reflections On Case Discussion Group Nursing Essay

Personal Reflections On Case Discussion Group Nursing Essay It seems an almost impossible task to me to be able to encapsulate all my reflections on the past year of our CDG in this report. At this point in writing I am wondering whether this thought is a reflection of feeling overwhelmed by my memories of the past year. Therefore, I have decided to break up certain aspects of the group in order to help me make sense of my experiences and reflect on what was learnt. Diversity and difference within the group There are seven trainee members in our group (one male and six females) and we had a male facilitator. We quickly noticed the abundance of similarities between members of the group. All the trainee members of our group live in London and we all had our adult mental health placement in the same trust in London. Interestingly, we also discovered that our facilitator was based in London on his clinical days and lived in the same area as two of the trainees in the group. All the trainee members are also relatively close in age (25-32 years).Our group members come from a range of social and cultural backgrounds, which was illustrated when we completed cultural genograms in one CDG session. One could consider our group to be racially, ethnically and culturally diverse, with members coming from a variety of different social economic backgrounds, countries and cultural influences. Several of our group members had also spent a number years living in African and Asian continents and some speak a number of different languages. Structure of the group Reflecting back I realise the way in which our sessions were structured was very original and added a depth to our experience of the Case Discussion group (CDG). Each week two trainees would present a case to the rest of the group, with one presentation lasting slightly longer than the other (depending on whether it was a major or minor case). Many of the cases that our group members presented were not individual client cases, but more systemic situations which we were struggling with. Once the trainee had presented their case they left the group and sat in a different part of the room. This left the remaining group members to discuss their ideas about the case in the style of a reflecting circle. I found this experience invaluable as it as it gave me insight into how it must feel to have a reflecting team with you when working as a therapist. Reflecting teams have been used since the 1980s (Anderson, 1987) and are now to be considered a form of therapy in itself. The primary focus of the reflecting team is to generate multiple perspectives (White Epston, 1990) for the therapist and client. Without the generation of alternate knowledges, people are perhaps stuck or standing still and cannot move forward with their lives (Dawson et al, 2003; p2). Indeed, when I presented a client who was very stuck in her unusual beliefs, I realised that I too was stuck in how I was working with her. Listening to the other trainees discuss her case made me realise that I needed to be more flexible in my approach to working with her and think creatively. What was interesting was how incredibly frustrating it felt being sat away from the group and being unable to verbally defend aspects of your work. This made me reflect on how clients may feel when decisions about their care are made without them being present. For example, I was recently invited to attend an Assertive Outreach team meeting which involved sixteen other mental health professionals. The purpose was to review a young man who had complex mental health problems and was not complying with his medication routine. It was only at the end of the meeting that I asked why he had not been invited and it became clear that no-one had taken responsibility for communicating with him so he had not even been asked. Reflecting back on this had made me strongly aware of the need to work collaboratively with clients, particularly with regards to keeping them informed about decisions or changes in their care. The group process The model which I feel best encapsulates the process of our CDG is Manors phase-model of group development: Figure 1 Model of group development (Manor, 2000) Forming the group and engagement phase Authority crisis and the empowerment phase Intimacy crisis and the mutuality phase Separation crisis and the termination phase In the first few CDG sessions we were primarily concerned with defining the purpose of the group (i.e. what is the group for?), allocating roles (e.g. chair and scribe responsibilities) and defining the leadership position of the facilitator (i.e. Will he tell us what to do?). This is defined as phase 1 in the model and seems to be a perfect account of the confusing and somewhat frustrating formation period of the group. Each of the subsequent stages of the group involves a crisis period. The second crisis (authority) seems similar to the storming stage in Tuckman and Jensens model of group development (1965) which I identified as a relevant model in my PBL reflective account. In our early CDG sessions there was a power struggle between the facilitator and the trainee group members, in as much as the facilitator seemed to make suggestions in the sessions (e.g. styles of presentation for the PBL, topics we should cover) which were opposite to the ideas we had produced. I felt that he was a bit patronising towards us today, he seemed to go against every suggestion that ****** made (3rd CDG session entry) Reflecting back on this entry I wonder whether we ousted him in an attempt to make our cohesion as a trainee group stronger. I also wonder whether we subsequently attempted to create a group away from the group, by arranging social outings for our CDG trainee members and discussing the CDG sessions on the train journey home. Admittedly there were two strong characters in our group who led these discussions and some who just sat there quietly. It is only with hindsight that I realise we were experiencing an authority crisis and our way of regaining power was to reform and bond as a trainee group. The next phase in Manors model is concerned with the intimacy of the group and their ability to open up personal conversations. For our CDG I dont think this happened until about 7 months in. Until this time we were very restrained as a group in discussing personal issues and I noticed we never discussed our own feelings in the CDG sessions. Our strong use of humour may have also been a defence for protecting the group from reaching this phase. I recall one of the stronger members of the group joking that we were not a group who need to cry over things. I think it was comments like this that made us feel cohesive as a group; however it also meant at times I felt unable to disclose my true feelings about an issue for fear of going against the essence of our group. Interestingly, this recently changed when we completed personal cultural genograms in a CDG session. This was a pinnacle point in our group process as it seemed to break all the intimacy boundaries we had created and allowed certain members to express their feelings of frustration when discussing certain cases or clinical situations. Our relationship with the facilitator also changed after this point and became more mutual. A major advantage of this model is that it accounts for the group changes over time, particularly with regards to the ending of our group. Reading about the final separation crisis and termination phase reminded me of our last CDG session in July to which only three trainees were present. I recall a strong sense of fear and despair in the session, and we spent over half of the session talking about the initial problems of the group. This is referred to as re-capitulation in the model and is seen as an attempt to prolong the life of the group. Given that we knew the group was not truly ending, why did we go through the process of separation crisis? Despite knowing there would be a continuation of our group in the second year of training I think we struggled with being separated from our facilitator. This made me think about how clients must feel when they are about to finish a therapeutic group and the anxiety it must generate. Yalom eloquently describes the benefits from this crisis: Learning that I must take ultimate responsibility for the way I live my life no matter how much guidance and support I get from others (Yalom, 1995; p88) With hindsight it is clear that experiencing the termination of a group process is one of the most valuable stages as it essentially installs a sense of hope and facilitates a handover of responsibility. Understanding this model has been an important learning stage for me as I have been able to use my personal learning of the CDG process and transfer it to my clinical work with groups. At present I am just finishing with three recovery groups for clients on inpatient wards and have used Manors model to help them understand their own group dynamics. Personal and Professional Development Personally, I really valued the opportunity to learn about the different models that other group members were working with as it has helped me broaden my clinical approach. Our facilitator brought systemic thinking to our sessions, which essentially shaped the discussions we had about clinical cases. Given that most of our lectures and placements were guided by a CBT approach, it felt new and somewhat daunting to be asked questions from a systemic perspective. In my first case presentation regarding a lady who had been emotionally and physically abused as a teenager. I recall the facilitator opening up a discussion with the other trainees about her attachments and role in the family structure. It was fascinating listening to how this changed the content of the conversation. At first I noticed that the other trainees were trying to problem-solve my case, but this immediately changed and they were generating more thoughtful and curious conversation which delved into areas I had not eve n considered. It made me realise the value of thinking about and understanding systems as part of the therapeutic process. Indeed, I have since discovered the benefit of using systemic tools such as Genograms and ecomaps when helping clients talk about and make links to their past. Interestingly, I was initially quite resistant to thinking in a systemic way and realise I was clutching on to the model which was used in my placement. Writing this report has made me wonder whether the resistance I showed is a parallel to the resistance often present in multi-disciplinary teams when change is imminent. For example, the service where my placement is has recently adopted the Recovery model (Repper Perkins, 2003) as a framework for mental health care delivery. After attending many of their team meetings I realised just how defensive many of the team members felt about this, and they constructed it as just another new fad in the system. It made me realise how resistance can be important in telling us something about the underlying feelings and fears people hold. Similarly, there is evidence to suggest that the role many Psychologists and therapists hold in teams stirs resistance from other health care professionals. Hook (2001) discusses the fear which some staff have regarding the notion of psychological processes, as it can be perceived as a threat to their knowledge. Hook (2001) describes this as mind science versus brain science. True enough; the issue of Psychologists integration in teams is one which attracts much attention in current health policy literature: Stakeholders showed an overwhelming preference for the integration of psychologists within teams but only if psychologists retained their unique identity and contribution (e.g. offering an authoritative and constructive counter-balance to the medical model) (Department of Health, 2007; p2) With the fast-changing climate of the NHS I realise that the roles of health care professionals are continually adapting and I wonder how resistance and institutional defences will be part of that. These are issues which evolved for me after reflecting on the CDG process, and ones which I will continue to grapple with throughout my training. Another valuable experience for me was learning more about diversity issues and how they can affect the therapeutic relationship. This topic arose after we spent two CDG sessions completing cultural genograms individually and then presented them to the rest of the group. Not only was this an introduction to a useful clinical tool, but it enabled me to think about what culture really means and how it is different to ethnicity and race. These terms had caused great confusion in our initial group discussion about culture, and I did not even realise that they meant different things until our facilitator kindly defined them for us. Thinking about my own cultural identity also made me aware and sensitive to my clients different cultural affiliations. Indeed, Hardy Laszloffy (1995) argues that: Trainees are rarely challenged to examine how their respective cultural identities influence understanding and acceptance of those who are both culturally similar and dissimilar (Hardy Laszloffy, 1995, p227) Most of my current clients come from very different backgrounds to me and some have strong religious attachments which influence the way they understand and cope with their mental health difficulty. After completing the genogram in our CDG I reflected in my supervision sessions on how areas of difference may interplay with the therapeutic relationship. For example, one client I was seeing described herself as a contemporary Christian and her faith meant she constructed her mental health difficulty to be a punishment from God. After reflecting on this in supervision, I realised that there was a big difference in our religious affiliations (I would consider myself to be an atheist), which was affecting my acceptance of her construction. Once I understood this our sessions suddenly shifted and we were able to progress with her treatment. Furthermore, I now routinely acknowledge any areas of difference when I first see a client individually and feel this had always had a positive impact on the therapeutic alliance. On a more personal level, writing this account has enabled me to think about what role I played in the group and what this tells me about my role as a professional in training. As I am writing I am aware that it has been easier for me to write about the group process than think about my own involvement and contributions to it. Upon closer inspection I am curious as to whether my narrative of the group process reflects the position of the follower. This role has been well-documented in leadership literature, and the title encapsulates a person who can sometimes be pushed aside by others with regards to leadership decisions (Dvir Shamir, 2003). Certainly my behaviour in the CDG this year fits with this description, and has made me think about how I present myself to my professional network. Whilst this is useful for me to realise, it also feels slightly uncomfortable to acknowledge this, as acknowledgement for me means action should be taken. I refer here to the eloquent words from Bo lton (2001): Reflection is not a cosy process of quiet contemplation. It is an active, dynamic, often threatening process which demands total involvement of the self and a commitment to action. In reflective practice there is nowhere to hide. In many ways the characteristics of the follower mirrors that in Yaloms (2005) description of the silent client in group therapy. Yalom stipulates that such clients trigger feelings of frustration in other group members but can also be valuable for the group as, silence is never silent (Yalom, 2005). Yalom (2005) asserts that you can find meaning in the here-and-now of their behaviour which informs you about their way of relating with others in the outside world. Learning this made me think about a client whom I used to see who was silent for much of our sessions. I wonder now whether her silence was the most useful piece of information that was available to me, yet I did not recognise that at the time. This is something I will make a conscious effort to think about in future clinical work. Final thoughts One of my final thoughts is around the name chosen to represent the group experience. I wonder whether it would be more fitting to call the groups, Reflective Practice Groups rather than Case Discussion Groups? The latter name projects an expectation of a more formal and typical structure to the group where one would expect presentation and discussion to be the crux of it. In fact, my experience of the CDG sessions challenges this expectation as the actual time spent focusing on cases was minimal. I personally think that Reflective Practice incorporates thinking about other areas of clinical work which are important and may impact upon our work with clients. For example, thinking systemically about working with staff or critically about organisational stress and the effects this has on clinical work. Reflecting back I realise such issues are pertinent to our development as first years and the groups would be a perfect opportunity to explore and contain them. By changing the name of t he groups it would embrace such explorations and consequently add a reflective element to our practice which simply cannot be satisfied by supervision alone. Finally I feel that the group has added an expansive dimension to my thinking as a trainee psychologist. My expectations of the CDG were continually challenged by my actual experience of it. I found that it enabled me to be more open, more honest and far more curious in my clinical work, and for that I am extremely grateful.

Global food retail industry

Global food retail industry Exective Summary Global food retail industry has become tightly competitive in last few years. In dynamic operating environment, companies need to understand the competitive nature of the global food industry means to understand changing consumer preferences. They are making continuous efforts to meet these demands in order to secure their positions in the industry. Companies have the aim to build collaborative working relationships with stakeholders, the ultimate objective of building an efficient food distribution system. Wal-Mart is the world largest retailer in food retail industry. The company operates retail stores in various formats. It operates more than 6,000 stores in the United States and in 13 international markets. Food retail industry is a highly saturated market, new entrants would face difficulty to become successive in this industry. Stable relationships with suppliers are essential to Wal-Mart business. Wal-Mart is focusing on expanding its product line by including demanding products as well as environmentally friendly products. When analyzing the business of Wal-Mart, they actually utilize all three of the â€Å"hard Ss† of McKinseys 7S framework in their chase of their goals: Strategy, Systems, Structure. As a retail company, Wal-Mart offers a wide collection of products to the consumers. the grocery items can be placed as Wal-Marts star products. Appliance, kitchen tools, furniture, digital products, music files and software are the cash cows of the company. Pharmaceuticals, toys, electronics and health products are Wal-Mart question marks. The photo development, jewelry and shoe products distributed by the company are those that show low market share. Wal-Mart has the largest IT systems of any private company in the world. It has made significant investments in supply chain management. Wal-Mart Stores aims to capture the market penetration in food that it has achieved in hard and soft line goods. The product development team frequently attends trade shows in Europe and key fashion capitals and travels to places globally. Wal-Marts diversification strategy of the 1980s was a great success in terms of tapping and recognizing new market segments. Based from the analysis of the data by appling marketing and strategic models, it is appropriate to recommend that the product and service development strategy be applied by Wal-Mart, considering that these factors serve as the core factors affecting its growth and progress. Strategy Development in the Global Food Retail Supermarket Industry Globalization of retail is not an emerging or totally new strategy, but a current focus for many retailers. Established retailers have recognized that natural growth becoming more difficult to sustain in domistic markets, expansion into new markets is a necessary step towards securing future profitability. To understand the competitive nature of the global food industry means to understand changing consumer preferences and the food industry efforts to meet these demands. The task of moving food items from the seller to buyer is becoming increasingly complex, involving diverse local, national, and global issues. The food retail industry consists of the total revenues generated through supermarkets, hypermarkets, cooperatives, discounters, convenience stores, independent grocers, bakers, and all other retailers of food and drink. Supply chain management (SCM) is the management of materials, information, technology and funds from the raw material supplier to the consumer. It has become highly critical. It is now essential to a company revenue generating activities as it relates to growth, efficiency and customer satisfaction. SCM is critical to a company financial success in terms of revenue, cost and asset productivity. It has the aim to build collaborative working relationships between distributors, retailers, manufacturers, sales and marketing agents with the ultimate objective of building an efficient food distribution system.The most important goal of global food retailers and wholesalers is to ensure that the products they sell are safe. They act as the purchasing agent for the consumer and the final link in the supply chain. The supermarket food industry continually seeks ways to make the nation food supply safer. Question One: ‘Globalization in the food retail industry Selected Company: Wal-Mart Wal-Mart Stores (Wal-Mart) is the world largest retailer. The company operates retail stores in various formats. It operates more than 6,000 stores in the US and 13 international markets including the UK, Canada, Japan, Mexico, Brazil and China. The company retails a broad range of merchandise and services at low prices. Wal-Mart operates its business under three business segments: Wal-Mart Stores, Sams Club, and the international segment. The company has more than 2,000 retail stores in other countries. The operating formats vary from country to country. Strategic Alliances, Merger and Acquisition (MA) activity (WAL-MART IN INDIA) Wal-Mart began looking into doing business in India back in 2005. At that time Indian government was considering opening up foreign direct investment (FDI) to retailers. In November 2006, Wal-Mart beat out Tesco for a joint venture op ­portunity with Indian mobile services leader, Bharti. The reason was because Wal-Mart was more flexible about the retail model to be ad ­opted. The company priority seemed to be an early entry, so that the worlds largest retailer did not miss out on the Indian consumer boom. As per the agreement between the two corporate giants, Bharti would manage the front-end of the business, while Wal-Mart would take care of the supply chain, logistics and other back-end op ­erations. India is a ready and appealing market for Wal-Mart with its growing middle class of 250 million and an economic growth rate of nearly 9%. Although the FDI laws of the country are relatively stringent, government officials are not opposed to engaging foreign businesses in the Indian market. Since the announcement of the Wal-Mart/Bharti JV, one leading organization has emerged to represent the in ­terests of the small mom-and-pop stores. This is India FDI Watch and in addition to educating the owners about Wal-Mart, they have held large rallies and demonstrations against Bharti, Wal-Mart, and other big-box retailers. The mom-and-pops have an advantage as they are conveniently located on street corners or in the heart of cities and usually have personal relationships with most consumers. However, they do not carry the variety of goods that larger retailers do. Threat of New Entrants and Substitutes Being that the food retail industry is a highly saturated market, new entrants would face difficulty succeeding in this industry. In fact, it is highly difficult for discount retailers to penetrate other markets as Wal-Mart tried to enter Germany and South Korea. The company was unsuccessful and had to pull out because of its unprofitability. Retailers are subject to these obstacles: Economies of Scale Cost of Capital Distribution Channels Substitute products are products that can be used as replacements for other products to satisfy the same necessity of consumers. Wal-Mart benefits from this idea as discounters have lower prices than department stores and consumers go for higher quality product with the lowest prices. Wal-Mart is working on providing the best customer service possible but as a high-traffic store, it is generally impossible to provide one on one service. Bargaining Power of Suppliers and Buyers Stable relationships with suppliers are essential to Wal-Mart business. Without timely inventory deliveries, Wal-Mart could not maintain its full shelves and would lose customers. For this reason, the company engages in contractual agreements with its suppliers. This arrangement is beneficial for both parties, as the supplier makes sure it will have constant access to retailers with large market share. This way, suppliers have a guaranteed buyer for the supplies and can arrange specific prices. Consumers today are searching for the best deals possible. They are waiting for discounts and sales to bulk up on products. Discount retailers like Wal-Mart are creating huge supercenter stores because they want their stores to become a one-stop trip. Customers know what they want and how far they are willing to search for the item. Retailers must maintain high inventory levels to retain customers and their market share. Customers traveling a couple of miles to a store want to find the products they need in stock. Question Two: Global food retail market dynamics The ongoing changes and innovations in global food markets, as well as the trends in different sectors of the food industry, make up a complex dilemma with consumers, producers, and global retailing and manufacturing firms. A growing trend in food markets is the shift in growth of food sales from high-income (developed) countries to lower income (developing) countries. Despite the shift, per capita commercial sales show wide regional disparities worldwide, though growth in food sales in the developing countries is expected to continue. In anticipation of this growing market, food firms appear to be repositioning themselves and investing in many developing countries. Measures of competitiveness vary at the firm, industry and country level. Competitiveness is influenced by such forces as technological innovations, public institutions, infrastructure support, firm organizational structure, and government policies. Small food manufacturers face macroeconomic constraints similar to those of large firms, such as exchange rate fluctuations and market access barriers in foreign markets. Retail sector issues centered on the impact of globalization on food retailing in emerging economies, and the impact of changing consumer preferences on food retailing. Although a country may import little food, the impacts of globalization impacts are reflected in its food retail sector. Wal-Mart Profitability Secure Strategies A prominent trend in the retail industry is consumers buying less and less. Until about few years ago, consumers depended on credit cards. They did not hesitate to add to their already large debts but now consumers are trying to pay down debts instead. Wal-Mart discount stores, supercenters and wholesaler clubs have maintained their price leadership strategy known as â€Å"Save money live better.† This strategy was implemented in year 2008 and is aimed at families with children and middle income consumers trying to save. Wal-Mart is focusing on expanding its product line by including wellness products as well as environmentally friendly products. With the high energy prices facing consumers and the ideas of eating healthier and natural food, Wal-Mart has stocked products that would appeal to these consumers while maintaining its competitive prices. The company maintains a flexible management style where it is willing to satisfy changing demands. To meet demand, the company must encourage managers to monitor high demand products and drop unpopular product lines that may be a waste of inventory space. Another trend is discounter development of private labels. To compete with national brands, supermarkets and retailers have developed their own brands with the cooperation of manufacturers. These products are to be distributed and sold only in the retailers stores. Net Profit Margin measures how much out of every dollar of sales a company actually keeps in earnings. A company with high net profit margin indicates that it has better control over its costs. In this category, Wal-Mart outperforms Costco, BJs and industry, but lags behind Target. This table shows that how much Wal-Mart has been successful to invest into food retail facilities in order to secure its future profitability in terms of earnings. Question Three: McKinseys 7S framework for identifying core competencies and capabilities, discuss the ability of â€Å"Wal-Mart† When analyzing the business of Wal-Mart, they actually employ all three of the â€Å"hard Ss† in their pursuit of their goals: Strategy Systems Structure Their strength in all three of these Ss is probably a big reason why they have been so successful. Strategy Wal-Marts overall strategy is to always provide the lowest prices. Additionally, they aim to have a store which provides convenience by allowing consumers to find everything they need under one roof.This strategy of convenience with low prices has driven Wal-Mart to be the business leader that it is. Additionally, they plan to continue to expand into markets not yet penetrated by major chains, and some markets that are already saturated, such as New England and California.The other two hard Ss, systems and structure, support this strategy. Also, low prices everyday has become the style and shared values of Wal-Mart. Even the staff is completely committed to providing the lowest possible prices. The skills of workers are also geared to finding inefficiencies and towards decreasing prices. The low cost strategy has driven Wal-Mart to do things such as call suppliers collect, do away with manufacturer representatives at sales meetings, do away with regional offices, etc. Systems Wal-Mart has in place a set of systems that helps it achieve its strategy of low prices everyday. The largest and most profitable of these systems is the Information Technology system. Wal-Mart has employed computers, networking, and the internet to reduce inventories and waste, and speed deliveries. Wal-Mart can connect to their suppliers and transmit them data so they know what Wal-Mart needs and when.The lower inventories allow Wal-Mart to produce inventory turnover rates of around 70% which is really high. Additionally, Wal-Mart has worked with suppliers in order to improve their efficiencies in production which they then pass to Wal-Mart and then to the consumer. Because of Wal-Mart strategy, these reduced costs due to systems allow Wal-Mart to reduce consumers prices. Wal-Mart has streamlined the supply system so well that it would be very hard to find any inefficiency and would be hard for any competitor to beat. Additionally, Wal-Mart has a very efficient human resource syste m set-up that has both mostly kept employees happy, and resisted unionization. Wal-Mart is the largest private employer and has developed systems to tie raises and bonuses to performance. This encourages employees to think of the company and to always do their best. Structure Wal-Mart also employs a good structure that works with the systems to empower the low price strategy. Wal-Mart has planned warehouses and integrated them with systems. Additionally, they place their warehouses strategically so that one warehouse can serve many stores. They have developed time schedules so that one truck can service many stores and that after a delivery the truck can take back returned goods to the warehouse. The supercenter design itself is a structural advantage and strategy that Wal-Mart uses. This design allows consumers to come to a single Wal-Mart store to find everything they need from groceries to gifts to clothes to toys. Wal-Mart has designed an efficient management structure that allows it to eliminate the regional office. This structure alone has saved Wal-Mart millions of dollars a year. When Wal-Mart places stores in strategic locations and drives traffic using convenience and then combines the sales with its systems and structure, people get a highly ef ficient corporation that can cut costs to a bare-minimum which are then passed along to the consumer. If Wal-Mart continues to dominate these three Ss, it will continue to dominate the retail market. Question Four: BCG product matrix model, identifying major products of Wal-Mart As a retail company, Wal-Mart offers a wide array of products to the consumers. These include groceries, toys, apparel for women, men and children, jewelry as well as other hard goods; all of these product lines are sold at reasonable and generally affordable prices. In order to analyze the operation and performance of the selected products of the company (Wal-Mart), the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Matrix is used. The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Matrix is a tool developed to assess company business units. Specifically, the BCG Matrix is used to evaluate the business units level of market growth and share. The distribution done in this matrix was based on the 2008 revenue report of the company. Stars In above diagram, the grocery items function can be placed as Wal-Marts star product. The report stressed that this served as the top revenue generator of the company, contributing to 22% in the total sales. While this generates the most cash flow, it should also be considered that this product causes the most inventory cost to the company, considering that Wal-Mart has to derive its grocery supplies to multiple suppliers or companies. Cash cows On the other hand, the hard (appliance, kitchen tools, furniture) and soft goods (digital products, music files, software) are the cash cows of the company. Compared to the groceries, the supply chain for these products are less complex. The private-label goods are considered cash cows particularly in the international sector. This is because American brands do not exhibit the same impact or appeal to foreign buyers as with foreign consumers. As cash cows, it is essential that Wal-Mart uses these products to generate funds that would support its other business units particularly those categorized as stars and question marks. Question marks Pharmaceuticals, toys, electronics and health products are Wal-Mart question marks. As indicated in the revenue report, these products may generate sales but not enough to compensate the level of funds required to distribute them. Multiple suppliers and costly inventory make these products the question mark type. For this reason, it is practical that Wal-Mart consider limiting the inventory of these products to save on inventory expenses. Dogs Finally, the photo development, jewelry and shoe products distributed by the company are those that exhibit low market share as well as growth. Considering the number of alternatives available in the market with these products, it is indeed difficult for the company to keep these product lines. As certain retailers are focused on distributing these goods, they have more business flexibility than Wal-Mart, allowing them to overcome sales issues. Question Five: product life cycle and â€Å"Ansoff growth matrix† Product life cycle Wal-Mart is committed to improving operations, lowering costs and improving customer service. But the key to retailer Wal-Marts success is its ability to drive costs out of its supply chain and manage it efficiently. Many supply chain experts refer to Wal-Mart as a supply chain-driven company that also has retail stores. Wal-Marts company philosophy (‘The Wal-Mart Way) is to be at the leading edge of logistics, distribution, transportation, and technology. Wal-Mart has the largest IT systems of any private company in the world. The Wal-Mart business model would fail instantly without its advanced technology and supply chain. Wal-Mart has made significant investments in supply chain management. Ansoff growth matrix Ansoff matrix allows the marketers to look at different ways to grow the business through existing products and markets and new products and markets. Moreover, the matrix is composed of four various strategies: Market Penetration Wal-Mart Stores aims to capture the market penetration in food that it has achieved in hard and soft line goods. The retail giant, which posts more than a 10% market share in many nonfood categories, plans to rise up its food share through quick supercenter expansions. To achieve their market penetration goals, they believe in three guiding principles: Customer Value and Service Partnership with its associates Community involvement Product Development Wal-Mart product development group influenced the look, feel and variety of merchandise. The product development group headed by strong communicators worked with the buyer for the category and various suppliers to improve the consistency of qualities and sizes of merchandise. The product development team frequently attends trade shows in Europe and key fashion capitals and travels to places globally. The group findings are then regularly presented to merchants, marketers and package designers during the year. Major seasonal trend overview meetings are held for spring and fall with smaller meetings held for summer and holidays. Market Development Wal-Mart always seek to take advantage of on its international strategy, it is working in the direction of build ­ing new retail stores in other countries.They planned to educate activists around the world about Wal-Mart retail development strategies and the company impact on local retail culture. The three major tactics used by the company before to enter a country include: Build ­ing partnerships with local businesses and organizations Working with government officials Tapping into the growing middle class purchasing power Diversification Wal-Marts diversification strategy of the 1980s was a great success in terms of tapping and recognizing new market segments. Sams club was the most successful diversification of all at the decade by adopting wholesaling concept. The first Sams Club launched in April 1983. The company, on the other side, opened its first Wal-Mart Supercenter in 1988. It was essentially a complete Wal-Mart discount store with a supermarket added to it. Wal-Mart diversification into new retail formats during the 1980s did more than improve the firm growth in the fundamental areas of retail. Diversification also gave the company the chance to take risks and experiment. Evaluation the Usefulness of Marketing and Strategic Models Based from the analysis of the selected company, it is then appropriate to recommend that the product and service development strategy be applied by Wal-Mart, considering that these factors serve as the core factors affecting its growth and progress. With this type of strategy, Wal-Mart can increase its sales by means of modifying or enhancing its existing products and services. This strategy has been recommended as it has the ability to support the company potential to reach greater markets. Wal-Mart has multiple product lines that will be affected by this strategy. With the BCG matrix, it is appropriate that the company starts off the development with its prime product lines. Through this, the company will have sufficient funds to support other relevant activities in the future. However, by means of this strategy, Wal-Mart will be able to strengthen the market position of each of its product divisions, resulting to greater hold to these specific markets. The suggested strategy does not only fit the purpose of the company and support its future growth but has also been recommended based on the capability of the company to implement it. Wal-Mart has an efficient distribution system which in turn would support this strategy. The culture of the retail company also fits the requirements of this recommendation. Specifically, the company devotes ample time and resources to develop and maintain a skilled workforce. With productive managers and employees, the delivery of the developed goods of the company will be made possible. As a result, greater satisfaction from the customers will be obtained. Reference Sources Text Books Lynch, R. (2006) Corporate Strategy, Fourth Edition, Financial Times Prentice Hall. Mintzberg, H., Ahlstrand, B. and Lampel, J. (1998) Strategy Safari, Financial Times Prentice Hall Johnson, G., Scholes, K. and Whittington, R. (2005) Exploring Corporate Strategy: Text and Cases, 7th Edition, Financial Times Prentice Hall. Online Sources http://www.walmart.com/ http://walmartstores.com/sites/AnnualReport/2008/docs/wal_mart_annual_report_2008.pdf www.economist.com www.metrofoods.net/ www.ft.com www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/GlobalFoodMarkets/Industry www.plunkettresearch.com/Industries/

Bilingual Education Essay -- essays research papers

Bilingual education was first initiated in 1968. It was a new means to educate the children who spoke a minority language. thirty-one years later the same problems exist for those children who speak a language other then English. The experiment of Bilingual education has been a failure and now it’s time to move on. The first English only initiatives were brought forth in 1981 by newly elected president Reagan. Since then the conflict over Bilingual education has drove on. Currently twenty-three states have â€Å"English Only† laws with 4 states having laws that are pending. The issue of bilingual education and the conflict that surrounds it is primarily focused between whites and Hispanics, although since the mid 70’s it’s also been involved with the Chinese and Mung cultures. Bilingual education has failed however, currently the movement is towards and English only educational system. The simple fact of the matter is that people who speak a language in th is country will never get ahead. We’ve tested the ignorant notion that you could get by without speaking English; or speaking English very minimally, but that’s promoting and even more ignorant idea which is that you don’t need speak English fluently to succeed in America. In 1968 we didn’t know that Bilingual Education wouldn’t work, however, it’s time to move on and do the right thing and switch to English Only.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lyndon Johnson was president, we had the futile dream of world peace, at the same time we were â€Å"Bombing the North Vietnamese into the stone-age†. In the final year of LBJ’s presidency sever new education initives were taken as part of the last step in his â€Å"Great Society† programs. One of these new initives was Bilingual education. At the time it was supported by the Liberal whites in this country, for the most part the conservative Hispanic sect was opposed to such measures. The idea at the time was, kids would learn in their native language and simply pick up English gradually. Those ideas were radicalized in the 1970’s however, the premise moved away from gradual learning of English; to English wasn’t really necessary. In 1981 Bilingual education came under assault from newly elected president Reagan proposed moving to the English Only system. The idea wasn’t viewed as Anti-Hispanic at the time, or as some kind of racist proposal. Reagan was adored by a majority of th... ...and since 1908 printed exclusively in English by the United States Government. Teddy Roosevelt said in 1908 that â€Å"To print the American Constitution in any other language but English, would be like spitting in the face of our forefathers†. The Untied States Supreme Court has also ruled numerous times that English only laws do not violate the 1st amendment of our Constitution.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I personally believe that in our nation there needs to be a main language, not 3 or 4 or 1200. George Washington wasn’t giving orders at Valley Forge in Russian he was speaking English. Abe Lincoln didn’t give the Gettysburgh Address in Portuguese. It’s not to much to ask for every American citizen to be able to speak English fluently. No one is forced to live here, and if you refuse to adapt you probably shouldn’t be living here. If you want to speak German by all means go ahead and do so, but do it back in Germany. While you’re in America however, we speak English, and if you don’t know it you’re in trouble. The conflict is over rated. It’s not a matter of racism or of any other kind of hatred. It’s a simple matter of principle. American’s speak English it’s not to much to ask.

Ocean Contaminants and the Impact of El Nino :: California Beaches Environmental Essays

Ocean Contaminants and the Impact of El Nino The ocean is inhabited by many and loved by all. Whether you surf the waves or use it for recreational purposes, its important to us all. There are dangers to the ocean that anyone who bathes in it should be aware of. Besides the obvious dangers of the current and the pounding waves, there are possible microscopic enemies at large. Every year the beaches are closed for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it may be for a surfing contest, or if the waves are too dangerous, but the most overlooked may be ocean contaminants. Around 20% of ocean water pollution occurs naturally. Its important for the public to aware of the contaminants that reach our waters and how they get there. OCEAN CONTAMINANTS FROM HUMAN ACTIVITIES Viruses in the ocean, as products of human activities, are potentially dangerous contaminants of many coastal waters. Total coliform bacteria are a collection of relatively harmless microorganisms that live in large numbers in the intestines of man and warm- and cold-blooded animals. They aid in the digestion of food. A specific subgroup of this collection is the fecal coliform bacteria, the most common member being Escherichia coli or E.Coli. These organisms may be separated from the total coliform group by their ability to grow at elevated temperatures and are associated only with the fecal material or warm-blooded animals. Fecal Coliform is the bacterium that forms in water from fece of humans and other warm-blooded animals. These types of feces can enter directly by animals, such as birds, by discharging into river. Feces also enter water by agricultural and storm run off carrying animal waste, and human sewage discharge.(www.stale.ky.us) The presence of fecal coliform bacteria i n aquatic environments indicates that the water has been contaminated with the fecal material of man or other animals. Fecal coliform is not dangerous itself. Its the pathogens that may be found along with fecal coliform that is harmful. Human pathogenic viruses are not only found in the millions of gallons of variously treated human wastes dumped directly into coastal waters from sewage outfalls, but also from runoff from numberous storm drain sewers. Fecal coliform measures are important because they can help determine the probability of contracting a disease from the water. So, the more fecal coliform, the higher the probability of a disease causing bacteria being found in the water.

China and Europe during the Middle Ages Essay

Globalisation is not new, though. For thousands of years, people and, later, corporations have been buying from and selling to each other in lands at great distances, such as through the famed Silk Road across Central Asia that connected China and Europe during the Middle Ages. Likewise, for centuries, People and corporations have invested in enterprises in other countries. In fact, many of the features of the current wave of globalisation are similar to those prevailing before the outbreak of the First World War in 1914. But policy and technological developments of the past few decades have spurred increases in cross-border trade, investment, and migration so large that many observers believe the world has entered a qualitatively new phase in its economic development. Since 1950, for example, the volume of world trade has increased by twenty times, and from just 1997 to 1999 flows of foreign investment nearly doubled, from $468 billion to $827 billion. Distinguishing this current wave of globalisation from earlier ones, author Thomas Friedman has said that today globalisation is further, faster, cheaper, and deeper. The current wave of globalisation has been driven by policies that have opened economies domestically and internationally. In the years since the Second World War, and especially during the past two decades, many governments have adopted free-market economic systems, vastly increasing their own productive potential and creating myriad new opportunities for international trade and investment. Governments have also negotiated dramatic reductions in barriers to commerce and have established international agreements to promote trade in goods, services, and investment. Taking advantage of new opportunities in foreign markets, corporations have built foreign factories and established production and marketing arrangements with foreign partners. A defining feature of globalisation, therefore, is an international industrial and financial business structure. Technology has been the other principal driver of globalisation. Advances in information technology, in particular, have dramatically transformed economic life. Information technologies have given all sorts of individual economic actors consumers, investors, businesses valuable new tools for identifying and pursuing economic opportunities, including faster and more informed analysis of economic trends around the world, easy transfers of assets, and collaboration with far-flung partners. Globalisation is deeply controversial, however. Proponents of globalisation argue that it allows poor countries and their citizens to develop economically and raise their standards of living; while opponents of globalisation claim that the creation of an unfettered international free market has benefited multinational corporations in the Western world at the expense of local enterprises, local cultures, and common people. Resistance to globalisation has therefore taken shape both at a popular and at a governmental level as people and governments try to manage the flow of capital, labour, goods, and ideas that constitute the current wave of globalisation. COCULSION: In sum, most distinctive conception sees globalisation as a fundamental transformation of human geography on the eve of the twenty-first century; world affairs have acquired a rapidly growing global dimension alongside the territorial framework of old. Of course – and this point cannot be stressed too much – it is not that territorial space has become wholly irrelevant in contemporary history. We live in a globalising rather than a completely globalised condition. Global spaces of the kind formed through telecommunications, transworld finance, and the like interrelate with territorial spaces, where locality, distance and borders still matter very much. Thus, for example, people have not while acquiring a global imagination discarded their affinities for particular territorial places. Similarly, global marketers have found on countless occasions that they need to tailor their products and promotions to local sensibilities. Globalisation is a process of interaction and integration among the people, companies, and the governments of different nations, a process driven by international trade and investment and aided by information technology. This process has effects on the environment, on culture, on political systems, on economic development and prosperity, and on human physical well being in societies around the world. BIBLIOGRAPHY: www.globalisationguide.org

Nba – a New Digital Entertainment Model in China

Entertainment and Media Industries Professor Sam Craig NBA – A New Digital Entertainment Model in China Name : Ted Mui Executive Summary The National Basketball Association’s expansion into the Chinese market has been met with great success. The company’s China operation currently generates over UDS$150 million in annual sales, and is one of the most recognized international brands in the country. To further focus on the growth of this unique market, a subsidiary was established in 2008, with former head of Microsoft China Tim Chen serving as the first CEO. The NBA has had great success in developing strategic partnerships in China. Over 290 games are broadcasted on Chinese TV per year, and NBA-related content can be readily found online on Chinese websites. However, NBA China has thus far generated little revenue directly from its end consumers, especially with its digital offerings. In reviewing its target market, we find that the NBA is in direct competition with other online entertainment products for the time and money spent by this market. Popular online entertainment options for China youths share the following traits: simple to learn and use, ability to interact with other users, a high (and almost addicting) replay value, and contain many customizable features for its users. Based on these ideas, it is suggested that NBA China pursue the development of a brand new web portal combining the components of gaming, social networking, and video streaming, which currently all exist as separate components. Using a concept based on an old video game idea, the web portal will aim to move consumers down the marketing funnel, eventually expanding the fan base and leading to end-user generated revenue. The cliche of the China market is well known to everyone by now. With its population of 1. 3 billion steadily increasing its purchasing power, China has become the focal point of just about every multinational company. Despite its potential, many multinational corporations’ attempt in entering the China market ends in failure, with millions of dollars of investment vanishing without producing any returns. The National Basketball Association is one of the rare success stories in China. Since opening its first office in Hong Kong in 1992, the NBA’s Greater China operation has grown to four offices with over 100 employees, generating over USD$150 million in annual sales. According to a survey, nearly 90% of Chinese people aged 15-54 in 11 urban markets had some awareness of the brand. 1 Despite this initial success, there remain many opportunities for growth in this market, especially in the digital sector. Facing increasing pressure from competition wishing to emulate its success and from shareholders seeking greater returns from the market, the NBA must look for new ways to build on its success in China. Company Background The National Basketball Association, founded in 1946, is a global sports and entertainment brand that features 30 teams in the United States and Canada. It is currently the third largest sports league in North America, with an estimated league revenue of $3. 2 billion for the 2008-09 season. Looking to expand the association’s presence outside of North America, the NBA occasionally hosts exhibition games around the world. 1 The NBA first made its presence in China in 1979, when the Samantha Marshall, â€Å"NBA’s China Strategy a Slam Dunk,† Crain’s New York Business. com, May 29, 2008. 2 Source: Plunkett Research, Ltd Washington Bullets traveled to China to play two exhibition games against the Chinese National Team. Seeing the potential for the Greater China market, the NBA sent its first Asia-based employee to Hong Kong in 1990. The association’s operations in China have grown substantial since, leading up to the formation of NBA China in 2008. As a subsidiary of the association, NBA China is responsible for conducting all of the league’s business in Greater China. While the NBA remains as the majority shareholder of the new entity, 5 other strategic partners invested $253 million to acquire 11% of the company in preferred equity. The 5 partners are ESPN (a division of Walt Disney), Bank of China Group Investment, Legend Holdings Ltd. Li Ka Shing Foundation, and China Merchants Investment. 4 Timothy Chen, former CEO of Microsoft China, was appointed as the new entity’s first CEO. NBA’s Digital Strategy in China Since Yao Ming’s entry into the league, NBA coverage has grown substantially along all lines of Chinese media. The country’s national television network, CCTV, has Each season, the CCTV established a long-term partnership with the association. sports channel televises over 90 regular season games, including the NBA All-Star Game, NBA Playoff games and The Finals. In addition to CCTV, the NBA is also covered by 50 other broadcasters around China, covering all but 2 provinces in the country. In total, about 290 NBA games are broadcasted on TV in China each year. 5 3 Pete Thamal, â€Å"The NBA and China Are Fans of Each Other,† New York Times, August 9, 2008. Source: nba. com 5 Source: hket. com 4 The NBA has also been able to capitalize on the rapidly increasing population of internet users in China. The association has partnered with Tom. com to revamp its localized websites in Greater China (Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan). Among the new features, the sites will include online webcasts allowing viewers to watch live games and Chinese-language talk shows daily, and provide gaming and fantasy basketball options and networking capabilities. 6 Moving towards high definition media, the NBA has recently signed a strategic cooperation agreement to allow BesTV, Shanghai Media Group's (SMG) Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) subsidiary, to offer pay-perview broadcasts of up to 14 high-definition NBA games daily over a four-year period. 7 Through a partnership with KongZhong Corporation, the NBA has also launched a China WAP site in 2007. The site will allow mobile users to access a broad range of content options including news, scores, editorial content, player interviews, TV schedules, wallpapers, ring tones, video clips and live NBA games. The NBA hopes to generate revenue from the site through offering advertising options to corporations and premium downloadable content to end-users. 8 The NBA’s media blitz in China appears to have produced great results. Currently, more than 30% of nba. com traffic comes from China, and this number can be expected to increase over the years. NBA† was ranked 7th in the hottest search keywords in 2008 for Baidu, China’s leading search engine. Similarly, â€Å"NBA† was ranked 10th for Google China’s most popular search words. Other than the NBA, only Xunlei and QQ, 6 7 Anita Davis, NBA Inks Tom. com Online Deal, CEI, August 20, 2008 st Source: 21 Century Business Herald 8 Source: nba. com two of China’s largest web portals, appear in the top 10 of both those lists. However, it is unknown how effective this web traffic has been in generating actual revenue for NBA China. Market Overview In 2008, China overtook America as the country with the largest number of internet users. As of the second quarter of 2009, the country now has over 330 million users, with a growth rate of over 50% annually (see exhibit A). The demographic groups growing comparatively faster than this average are people living in rural areas (with over 100% annual growth), young â€Å"netizens† aged 18 and under, and adults aged 30 and up. Exhibit B shows a breakdown of the age demography of internet users in China. There are also an increasing number of users accessing the internet through mobile devices. Currently, over 29% of internet users use mobile phones to get online, with a growth rate far exceeding that of laptop users. 9 The high growth rate indicates that more and more of the country’s 600 million mobile-phone subscribers now own mobile devices capable of accessing internet information. With next generation mobile technologies such as the iPhone and Google Android yet to reach the mass market in China, there remains great potential for significant growth in this market for years to come. The Meek Shall Inherit the Web, Economist, September 6, 2008 Exhibit A 100 million Total Internet users in China: 2005-2009 3. 5 3 2. 5 2 1. 5 1 0. 5 0 1. 23 1. 03 1. 62 2. 50 3. 38 Total Internet Users 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Exhibit B Age structure of Internet users in China Source: Statistical Survey Report on the Internet Development in China, CNNIC, January 2008 Competition Many sports a nd entertainment companies have tried to emulate the NBA’s success in China and have invested heavily in its digital marketing efforts. The National Football League has launched a Chinese website (nflchina. com) providing up-to-date news and score, discussion boards and mini-games. Manchester United, the richest sports club in the world, also has an all-Chinese website with online media and shopping to capture on its Chinese fan base. But as the earlier search rankings would suggest, the NBA is by far the leading sports entertainment company in China. Leading infotainment web portals such as sina. com and sohu. com have pages dedicated to the NBA linked from their front page. Already in a dominant position in the sports entertainment sector in China, the NBA should perhaps look at its competitive landscape from another perspective. At present, the NBA generates the majority of its revenue in China through broadcast rights, branding partnerships and ad sales through its media channels. However, it has thus far been able to generate relatively little income from its actual fan base with its digital content. In comparison, end-user Internet Value Added Services (IVAS) made up for the majority of the revenue for Tencent Holdings Ltd. another digital media partner of NBA China. Tencent Holdings Ltd. is the largest and most used internet service portal in China. The company’s strategic goal is to provide users with a â€Å"one-stop online life service†10 While its product offerings are similar to that of MSN Messenger, Facebook, World of Warcraft, 10 Source: tencent. com and other leading instant messaging, social networking, and online gaming com panies, Tencent is unique in its ability to generate revenue directly from the end users of its products. Most of Tencent’s products are interconnected through its QQ Network, ncouraging its free users to upgrade in order to access its value-added services such as ringtone downloading, SMS sending/receiving, and online gaming. QQ Coin was later introduced to allow users greater ease in making purchases in the â€Å"virtual world†, and incentivizing video gamers with rewards for performance. With a retail value of 1 yuan (about 14 cents) per coin, users are able to use the coins to purchase â€Å"virtual goods† such as avatars, virtual gifts for friends, and even items for use in games. Due to its ease of use and low denomination in value, the QQ Coin took off with the company’s young user base. It is estimated that nearly $2 billion in virtual currency was traded in 2008, even leading the Chinese government to implement restrictions to the trade. 11 Exhibit C Tencent Holdings Ltd. Quarterly Revenue by Sector Source: Tencent Holdings Ltd. Investor Fact Sheet 11 David Barboza, In China, New Limits of Virtual Currency, New York Times, June 30, 2009 Strategic Analysis While NBA China has succeeded in building brand awareness with its target demographic market, its digital strategy has thus far only focused on only the active fan base of this market. Its licensed product with Tencent and EA Sports, NBA Street Online, targets only the segment of gamers who are passionate about NBA basketball. Likewise, services on the NBA China website such as video games and news updates are mainly targeted to already converted basketball fans. A recently initiative called NBAiD was launched exclusively for the NBA China website. Looking to capitalize on the growing popularity of social networking and blogging, NBAiD acts as a personal page for NBA fans, allowing fans to connect with one another and express opinions through blogs. However, at this point, the product itself has very little added value for active or casual fans. Segmenting user categories using the concept of the marketing funnel, we see that NBA China has succeeded in both capturing awareness in the mass market and driving loyalty from its core fan base through its digital strategy, but have done little to drive â€Å"aware† consumers down the funnel (see Exhibit D). There remains great potential for the NBA to generate greater interest and desire for its product through a revision of its digital strategy. Exhibit D The Marketing Funnel Applied to NBA China Target Market Awareness Casual internet users who are aware of the NBA brand, but have no intent to spend money on its products Internet users who are interested in learning more about the NBA, and look to utilize free products and services made available to them Interest Desire Internet users who are attracted by the entertainment value of the NBA and may take action upon receiving an attractive offer Action Individuals who are engaged to the NBA and are most likely to purchase new products and services offered to them Repeat Purchases The digital age has changed the landscape of sports marketing. Martin Sorell, chief executive of WPP, recently advised the International Committee on the importance of meeting the needs of the new generation of young and tech-savvy consumers: There are 1. 6 billion people online today and 4 billion mobile phones. The key audience with whom these digital opportunities resonate is of course young people. They are a valuable and massive audience. Globally they impact over $600 billion in consumer spending. The young people take their media habits with them, so if you are ot part of their habit now – you most definitely will not be in the future. Let the children play. You have to let them play with your content, your assets in their own way. 12 12 Karolos Grohmann, Don’t Restrict Games Media Access, Sorrell urges IOC, Reuters, October 5, 2009 While referring to a different context, Sorrell’s remarks can also be addressed to NBA China’s current situation. Ther e is indeed a huge market of internet and mobile users, and the majority of them belong to the young demographic group that NBA China is targeting. The media habits of youths in China also differ greatly than that of the United States (see Exhibit E for comparison). On average, Chinese youths spend about 18 hours on the internet a week, compared to 12 hours in the US. 13 Social networking sites such as renren. com and kaixin001. com, streaming video sites such as youku. com and todou. com, and online games make up for the majority of these hours spent online. NBA China should now look to capture a bigger share of the â€Å"entertainment hours† spent by youths online. To accomplish this, NBA China must understand and tap into the media habits of these users, as Sorrell suggests. Exhibit E Comparison of Internet Activities Used by US and China Internet Users Source: China Internet Network Information Center & Pew Research Center 13 Shaun Rein, Blogging Down in China, BusinessWeek, July 27, 2006 Popular online entertainment options for China youths share the following traits: simple to learn and use, ability to interact with other users, a high (and almost addicting) replay value, and contain many customizable features for its users. One such example is the recent phenomenon of the Happy Farm game (see Exhibit F for screenshots). The concept of the game is not a breakthrough in any way: In the game, players act as owners of a farm, and are responsible for cultivating, irrigating, fertilizing, spraying, harvesting and selling crops. Each action will add points to the player’s level. However, a player can not only take action on his own farm, but also on his friends’ farms. Thus, people can either help their friends manage their farms, or steal crops from other players. The accumulation of all these actions will eventually help the players get bigger farms. Made available for users in social networking sites such as kaixin001. com and renren. com, the success of the simple game has been phenomenal, with reportedly 23 million users now playing the game. 14 Tencent has since created its own version of the farming game, and is expected to generate RMB50 million (USD $7 million) from the game each month. 15 Exhibit F Screenshots of â€Å"Happy Farm† Game 14 15 Source: duowan. com Source: tradingmarkets. com Recommendation Currently, the NBA China already has components of gaming, social networking, and video streaming. The idea is to combine all these components into one entertainment web portal targeted to youths that will drive interest and desire, leading to generation of revenue from end users. In 2005-06, video game developer 2K Sports added a new feature to its yearly NBA and NFL games called â€Å"The Crib†. The feature awards players as they accomplish feats and milestones within the game. With crib credits, players are then able to decorate their crib (slang for home), buy music, or play mini-games (see Exhibit G for screenshots of Cribs). While this feature was innovative in adding replay value to the game, its customizable options were limited and the feature was eventually removed in future renditions of the sports games. However, such a concept may be much better utilized in an online environment where crib owners can interact in real time, new videos and games are readily accessible, and virtual items are plenty to satisfy the customization appetite of its users. Exhibit F Screenshots of â€Å"The Crib† from video game NFL 2K5 Source: ign. com The possibilities stemming from such an idea are endless. Having already an established network of corporate partners, â€Å"The NBA Crib† can serve as a media channel for product placement. Already showing an appetite for spend virtual dollars, users in return can earn or buy credits to purchase branded virtual products for their cribs (ie. a Coca Cola machine) or even themselves (ie. the latest basketball shoes from Adidas). Other uses for crib credits can include purchasing coupons for use at the online NBA store and video clips and music exclusive to the NBA. Most importantly, interaction between crib owners should be encouraged through games within the crib system. Basketball-themed games can take place within the assigned neighborhoods of owners, and friends can â€Å"visit† each other’s crib with their custom avatar. With the right combination of attractive gaming options, customizable features, and interactive capabilities, this concept will substantially increase the interaction between the NBA and its fans, and eventually lead to a sustainable model for generating revenue from its target market of Chinese youths. NBA China has successfully developed a unique and dominant position in the sports entertainment sector in China. However, the NBA can not simply rely on its popularity and brand recognition to succeed. With Yao Ming injured this season, there are worries that NBA viewership rates in China will significantly drop this coming season. It is therefore crucial for NBA China to connect with its target market and provide supportive product offerings to satisfy their entertainment needs. In this market of technologydriven consumers, NBA China must strive to not only become the leader in sports entertainment in China, but also a leader in digital entertainment.