Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Research Paper Example Even with the government allocating relatively low funding to the national health care as part of measures to cut costs, Israel still managed to build a quality health care system ranked among the best in the world. Among the different medical areas, the country has performed exceptionally well in the diagnosis of chronic diseases thus preventing frequent hospitalizations unnecessarily. Such include cases like diabetes, which usually receive appropriate attention and early diagnosis significantly reducing the rate of complications as well as chances of hospitalization (Brinkley, 2007, p. 27). Government’s commitment and dedication to ensuring a healthy nation has been a key input to the success of the program. One other reason why proper execution of healthcare programs has yielded fruit is the fact that Israel benefited a lot from the influx of doctors and nurses from the former Soviet Union in the 1990’s though most are now aging and exiting from the profession. The c ountry’s health care is based on universal coverage, substantial federal government control and oversight and is a managed healthcare system. The country’s health care model requires citizens to be members of one of the four insurance plans. The plans are by law mandated to meet certain minimum service quality requirements and are not expected to reject clients simply because of certain preexisting conditions (Brinkley, 2007, p. 20). Even though the management of healthcare has been such a success, several areas of improvement have been suggested from various quarters. One such area is the expansion of the assessment of medical data by insurers from community health fund clinics to include monitoring improvements in care. Additionally, hospitals have also been urged to enhance the quality of treatment and accessibility of hospital data by healthcare professionals. There has not also been enough competition among providers of healthcare and also on quality among health care funds. Increased competition in these areas has been proposed as another avenue for better health care in the country. In terms of equity in care provision, there are a number of gaps based on ethnic groups and between the rich and the poor. To enhance accessibility to care and improve equity, additional efforts are inevitable. The Israel and the American Healthcare Systems The American healthcare system is majorly a public private partnership arrangement with a majority of Americans covered by their employers. There are more than 5000 hospitals in the United States majority operating as nonprofit private entities. A good number of Americans did not have health insurance but with the enactment of the Patient Protection Affordable Care Act (PPACA), the number without insurance is projected to significantly reduce. Both the American and the Israel health systems employ both public and private sources of funding with a mix of government and non-governmental organizations. Both sys tems are among the few in the world that utilize extensive use of competing managed care organizations though faced with shortages in healthcare professionals particularly physicians and nurses (Brinkley, 2007, p. 23-24). One of the notable differences between Israel’s and America’s healthcare systems is the issues of financing and coverage as well as cost control in health

Luxury Fashion Brand Essay Example for Free

Luxury Fashion Brand Essay To be successful in India, it is both necessary to gauge the financial potential as well as the mindset of the Indian luxury consumer. This will help in bringing forth the right product offerings to the Indian consumer as well as targeting them better. There are conventional foundations for ensuring success of a brand and they are listed below in brief: * The brand must be â€Å"expansive† Which means it should be full of innovation opportunities for the marketer and in terms of satisfying the different needs of the luxury consumer. * The brand must tell a story – One of the best ways for an organization to compete and distinguish yourself from the rest of the pack is to tell your brand story. The story should be so powerful that it should make customer act as the way you want. * The brand must be relevant to the consumers’ needs Depending upon the mindset of the luxury class, it is necessary for a brand to satisfy those needs, whether they be for recognition or functional use etc. * The brand must align with consumers’ values A brand that does not concur with the basic values of a consumer’s society has a small chance of succeeding because luxury items are identification for a luxury consumer. This makes it difficult for the consumer to adopt the brand in such cases. * The brand must perform Irrespective of which category the brand belongs to, a performance assurance is a must for the brand. Based on the inputs given above as well as an understanding of the decision making process of the luxury consumer, we recommend the following paths for luxury marketers based on what Indian consumers really desire from their luxury brands, i. e. product brand, dealer/store brand and price/value relationship : (The price / value relationship has been accorded less focus since the Indian Consumer is at a phase when cost of luxury is secondary to its appeal / benefits) 1. Brand Me Affluent! It is essential for marketers to ensure that the recognition value of their brands is always high so that it lends a sense of affluence to the consumer, which can only come if others around him / her perceive the brand to be a top-notch luxury brand. This can come from either being aligned with the most successful celebrities or being a part of elite events and promotions. 2. Nothing but the Best – This is a golden opportunity for the marketer to earn greater margins by adding customized value to his line of luxury goods. These added-value customized goods will ensure that the customer feels he has something more than just the ordinary range of luxury goods available. 3. Luxury is having the world at my fingertips – First! A luxury marketer will not only have to be faster than his competitors in reaching out to the consumer, to gain a share of wallet but also continuously offer innovative products that serve to differentiate between the consumers. 4. â€Å"Ethnic Chic† – The Fusion of Local Global goods This point is connected to the strategy of a product being in line with the consumers’ values for it to be adopted. Apart from this, in the Indian context, ethnicity is also a fashion statement in many product categories. 5. You Think I’m Demanding? Next! The marketer’s job should be a constant endeavor to offer newer luxury goods to the consumer, in sync with their needs. In addition to that, marketers will need to make sure that each and every single consumer has to be treated with a high-level of personalized attention, given the nature of the product and the consumer. Even minor Shortfalls in this case will have the consumer shifting their brand preferences to those marketers who can satisfy their needs better. 6. CANNIBALIZATION OF BRANDS It thus becomes essential to ensure that successful celebrities are partnered with at the right time, thereby both eliminating chances of Competition as well as delivering the right aspirational / appeal message to the intended audience. Conclusion The starting point for identifying successful luxury brand strategies in India has been established by identifying certain salient aspects of luxury brands that remain constant as well as identifying the stage of mindset of the Indian consumer towards these brands. The focus is now towards ‘how soon’ luxury brands will enter the market to gain a first mover advantage, which is of significant importance in India. Apart from how soon, we primarily focus on ‘how will’ luxury brands cater to the mainly aspirational needs of the Indian consumer. A word of caution that goes for luxury marketers, irrespective of their brands and Geographical presence – The luxury consumer is always looking for newer ways to Satisfy his continuously changing needs. Hence, the need to keep a close tab through insightful research is of prime importance. As far as India is concerned, given the rapidly accelerating affluence of the Masses, the scenario is set to witness a boom. The ones who will be riding the Wave will be the ones who’ve kept their ears open to each and every word of their Each and every customer. After all, in the luxury business, no marketer can afford the luxury of treating its consumers as a loosely bunched segment.

Essay --

Nick Sorantino Mrs.Micale Fairy Tale Research Paper January 17th, 2014 Sleeping Beauty Sleeping Beauty is a literary folk tale written by Italian poet Giambattista Basile. In Italy during the seventeenth century, a husband, regardless of his status in life, was expected to be the superior head of the household and show appreciation to his wife and child. A wife was expected to adhere to her husband, and the children were expected to be respectful and heed to their parents. Women were also wonted to be culpable for the family’s health and make home remedies for a wide variety of ailments. Defined, weakness is the likelihood of mutual gratification, and gullibility, the art of being over-trusting, are noted traits of women of medieval literature. Masculine presences are bourgeois and universal throughout literature, through the thought that they are essential to the female figure, despite women who stride against this belief. Male dominance has maintained its position throughout history, as portrayed in the original and modern form of Sleeping Beauty. In the original Sleeping Beauty there once lived a great lord who birthed a child by the name of Talia. Due to Talia’s horoscope, a splinter of flax was significantly dangerous to her wellbeing. Thus, her farther forbid her from coming in contact with a flax, hemp, or any related fabric (Basile 1). One day Talia saw a woman spinning flax and she became curious. Talia took the distaff from the woman, and unintentionally ran a splinter of flax under her nail, causing her to instantly fall dead. Upon mourning, her father laid her corpse in his country mansion, and abandoned it, vowing to never return to the treacherous sight of his beloved daughter, deceased (Basile 2). One day, a renow... ...(Yarrowplace 2). According to many feminists, their theory is said to focus on a expansive picture for women who live in a society which is prominently prevailed by men. Rape and sexual assault is viewed as one of the ways men in which achieve dominance over other men, women, and children, through potent actions. This evidently dismisses the concept that rape results from sexual attraction or the behavior and or fashion of the victim/survivor (Yarrowplace 2). When looking at human society, it is noted that men possess the most high ranking positions in political, social, religious, economic and military organizations globally. The dominance of men sequentially contributes to more fatherly societies in which the men develop the decrees and laws. The laws and decrees are indeed structured in methods that justify the status quo and thus the prevalent positions of men.

Dow’s Bid for Rohm and Haas Essay

Dow started as a manufacturer of commercial bleach in 1897, and was founded by Herbert Dow. He merged his company in 1900 with Midland Chemical, which lead to diversification of his portfolio to agricultural and food products. In 1912, Dow started to pay dividends every quarter without any reductions or interruptions. By doing so, they were the only Fortune 200 firm that established these figures. Dow became a major player in the M&a field, since they acquired between 1983 and 2007 95 business, took stakes in 58 firms and divested 166 businesses. In 2006, Dow’s CEO Andrew Liveris announced the ‘Dow of Tomorrow’ strategy, which consisted of two pillars. One was pursuing an asset light approach to its commodity business. In order to do so, he signed a JV agreement with a subsidiary of the Kuwait Petroleum Company, named Petroleum Industries Company. Dow and PIC signed a Memorandum of Understanding, which generated Dow a $7.2 billion after tax revenues. Second, Mr. Liveris wanted to build a high-growth and high-value added performance business. In order to achieve this objective, Dow agreed to purchase Rohm and Haas. This acquisition had the purpose for Dow to become a producer of high-value chemicals and advanced materials. Why does Dow want to buy Rohm and Haas? As mentioned in the introduction, CEO Andrew Liveris announced the ‘Dow of Tomorrow’ strategy. This included becoming a high growth and high-value added producer of specialty chemicals, with less cyclicality. Rohm and Haas fitted the picture perfectly, since they were an advanced material and specialty chemicals company, operating in 27 countries. Besides the interesting company profile description, there were several other reasons  why Dow was interested in the Rohm and Haas company. Most important reason was that the acquisition would make Dow reduce its cyclicality and increase its growth prospects. Expanded product portfolios, increased geographic market, improved market channels and innovative technologies will obtain the expected growth and cost synergies. Forecasts predict additional growth synergies values between $2.0 and $2.6 billion and $0.8 billion costs synergies, including shared services and governance, manufacturing, supply chain and work process improvements. Besides the above-mentioned advantages, Dow and Rohm could be a global leader in specialty chemicals and advanced materials if they combined forces. Also by combining their R&D, the development of new products and innovations could be stimulated. So overall, Rohm and Haas fitted the picture projected by Andrew Liveris perfectly. Rohm and Haas supported Dow’s commitment to maintain their highest standards in pursuing and selecting growth opportunities to satisfy their long-term shareholder values. Was $78 per share a reasonable bid? In order to draw a conclusion of the reasonability of the bid, we need to valuate Rohm and Haas as a firm with and without the synergies created by the acquisition. If this total value exceeds the $78 share price, Dow will pay the price, since it will be beneficial for them. The benefits of the synergies can be calculated by dividing it between the two firms on a multiple or 50/50 basis. The excel file attached to the assignment contained a WACC of 8,5% based on a tax rate of 35%. In our analysis, we also calculated a WACC with a tax rate of 26%, since this was the average tax rate. This leads to a WACC of 8,7%. As a basis, we took 2% growth. Rohm and Haas had at time of the acquisition 195,200,000 shares outstanding. From the balance sheet of Rohm and Haas 2008H1, we took the values of cash and debt (long and short term debt). Both inputs were needed in order to calculate the share price. Below, you can find how we calculated the share price for the situations with and without synergies. The synergies involved consist of two different types, namely growth and cost synergies. Growth synergies include expanded product portfolios, increased geographic reach, improved market channels and innovative technologies. These synergies are expected to create between 2 and 2.6 billion dollars, which gives an average of 2.3 billion. Second, potential cost synergies consist of purchasing synergies, shared services and governance, manufacturing & supply chain improvements and work process optimization. These synergies are expected to generate 0.8 billion dollar. The values of these synergies combined totals a 3.1 billion dollar gross benefit, which is a netted by deducting the 1.3 billion cost of implementation, leaving a value of 1.8 billion dollars. In order to make the most suitable valuation and draw the best conclusion for the reasonability of the share price of $78, we take the original and revised forecast into account. Both cases are also used for the sensitivity analysis to be as specific as possible. Below are the sensitivity analyses of Rohm and Haas for the original forecasts. Based on our assumptions, share price of Rohm and Haas is $55.79 without synergies and $65.01 with synergies. These values differ a little from the share price we found in our valuation analysis, however this is due to rounding and number of decimals difference in WACC and growth percentages. Lowest value without synergies is $47.10 with a growth of 1% and a WACC of 9% and a highest share price of $95.58 with a growth of 3% and a WACC of 7%. If we now look at the original forecast with synergies, we see an increased share price, which is logical, since value is created by the synergy. The share price of Rohm and Haas is $65.01 based on the growth rate of 2% and a WACC of 8.7%. The share price differ between lowest value of $56.32 and highest value of $104.80, based on the same input as with the analysis with no synergies. In both cases, the share price is below $78 so if Dow offers this price in both situations, the will not profit from this acquisition. However, we will still perform the 50/50 and multiples valuation in order to see which is the best in the situation if Dow is obliged to acquire Rohm and Haas. Looking at  case were synergies are created and using the 50/50 method, we get a share price of $55.79 + ($65.01 – $55.79)/2 = $60.4. As we already mentioned, this price does not match the $78. Now using the gross profit of Rohm and Haas as a percentage of the gross profit of both companies combined, we get a multiple of 26.11%. Using this 0,2611 multiple, the appropriate share price is $55.79 + (0,2611 * (65.01 – $55.79)) = $58.20 Again, this is below the share price of $78, which makes the outcomes of both methods unfavorable for Dow. Now let us look at the revised forecast. Since this is a post-crisis forecast, predictions were lowered, which lead to a lower overall value. Hence, this will be reflected in our sensitivity analysis by lower share prices. Below are our findings. As already predicted, share prices are lower in the revised forecast due to the crisis adjustments. For the sake of the case, we will also perform a 50/50 and multiples calculation. If we look at the 50/50 share price, we get a share price of $41.38 + ($50.60 – $41.38)/2 = $45.99. The multiples basis will give us a share price of $41.38 + (0,2661 * ($50.60 – $41.38)) = $43.79. Reviewing both forecasts and within these forecasts both with and without synergy, we can conclude that a share price of $78 is not reasonable. This conclusion holds in the case of 50/50 and multiples calculations. Major deals risks and allocation We will pay special attention to Exhibit 4 when examining the major risks and their respective allocations. The first risk comes from the item 1.01 describing the financing of the deal. Dow will issue a fixed amount of $4 billion in convertible preferred stocks to Berkshire, Hathaway and Kuwait Investment Authority. This amount is independent of the current stock price of Dow, meaning that a drop in Dow’s share price would need more shares to pay for the deal, decreasing the relative voting rights of current shareholders. To be even more precise, in paragraph 2.1a it states that no matter what happens Dow has to pay $78 dollar per share at the time of the merger, transferring all the financial  risk to Dow. Furthermore, a large part of the deal is financed with a $13 billion loan, issued by a consortium of 19 banks lead by Citigroup, Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley, increasing their leverage ratio and overall risk of the company. These high debt values come with high interest payments, leaving fewer cash to meet its dividend obligations. In a possible economic downturn this problem becomes larger, increasing the probability of not meeting their dividend payments which have not been changed for over 97 years. A further interesting statement is the ticking fee to ensure the deal would close. When the deal is not closed before January 10, 2009, the payment per share will increase with 8% annually, translating to a higher deal price of approximately $3 million more per day until the deal is closed. In addition if the deal is not closed before October 10, 2009, Dow has to pay $750 million termination fee. This will, again, transfer all the risk to Dow if the deal cannot be closed before October 10, 2009. In paragraph 3.1 the Material Adverse Effect clause states that Dow is allowed to withdraw from the transaction if the business, operations or financial conditions of Rohm is hit by a material adverse effect. This seems fair but there is a large set of exceptions made in the clause for which Dow cannot withdraw from the transaction, including the following events: any event which affects the chemical industry, macro economy as a whole, the financial, debt, credit or security market, any decline in Rohm’s stock price or any failure to meet internal or published projections. So, in case of an economic downturn mainly Dow is affected and not Rohm. Roam and Haas are even protected from a decline in their share price. Thus, these statements will, again, transfer almost all the risk to Dow Furthermore, Dow takes on another risk by relying on the joint venture with Kuwait’s PIC to finance $7 billion of the deal. They do not take into account the possibility that this joint venture could fail due to i.e. a downturn in the overall economy. If it fails it leaves a gap of $7 billion in their financing plan, exposing Dow to even more risk. Finally, the overall high price and ticking clauses make it a risky deal when compared to the expected synergies. The probability of achieving all expected synergies is a magnitude smaller than the probability of high costs, which is certain. It leaves Dow exposed to a possibly large loss when the expected synergies are not met in the future. The only risk that Rohm and Haas face is the possible termination of the deal from their side if the deal is i.e. taking too long. They have to pay a $600 million termination fee if the decide to do so. Other than that, considering the mentioned risk allocations from above, the total risk of this deal is mainly resting on the shoulders of Dow Chemical. CEO recommendations To give a complete view of the options that both CEOs had at the time we will first describe the situation they were in.   Shortly after the deal announcement the financial crisis started, causing an overall recession including in the chemical industry. Dow was hit on many fronts: overall share prices dropped with over 50%, a fourth quarter loss of $1.6 billion, quarterly sales decline of 23% and a drop in operating rate to 44% in 2008. Forcing Dow to close off 20 facilities and firing over 5000 employees. Furthermore, after the joint venture deal was closed with KPC’s PIC, the failing oil prices and overall recession caused KPC to terminate the contract by paying a termination fee of $2.5 billion to Dow. This caused a gap in the financial plan for the merger for Dow, decreasing their stock price even further and degrading their rating to BBB. As mentioned before, Dow was not the only one affected by the economic recession. Rohm was facing a poor performance as well, forcing it to fire over 900 employees, freeze spending and a 20% decline in sales. Considering the above, Dow refused to close the deal with Rohm and Haas after approval from the European Commission and U.S. Federal Trade Commission. Arguing that the recent macro-economic developments are material adverse effects, enabling them to terminate the deal. Options and recommendation for Dow’s CEO, Andrew Liveris Considering the situation as described above, Liveris had three different options: continue with the termination of the deal, close the deal for $78 per share or renegotiate with Rohm and Haas to agree on different terms. If Dow continues to terminate the deal it will go to court for the approval by the judge. It needs to win in court otherwise Dow is forced to commit to the deal. Given the statements enclosed in the material adverse effect clause, the chances for Dow to win are pretty slim. If Liveris opts to close the deal for $78 per share he will need a lot of additional cash. Considering the economic situation, and the fact that the joint venture failed, acquiring this amount of additional cash will be very hard. The possibility to acquire more debt through the already existing bridge bank loan from 19 different banks is pretty small considering the low credit rating of BBB. If he does succeed in acquiring more debt he will probably not be able to meet the net-debt-to-total-capitalization restriction in the covenant. This is, according to the first loan of $13 billion, required to be lower than 65% which they will not be able to meet, thus not creating incentives for the banks to lend more money. Considering the above, terminating the deal will not be possible and closing the deal for $78 per share lacks financing. The best option Andrew Liveris thus has is to renegotiate the merger deal and buy some time. He will then be able to look for other sources of financing or renegotiate the already existing bank loan. One possible option could be to sue KPC for terminating the joint venture and claiming the $2.5 billion, which in turn could finance the termination fee. Considering that this will destroy the relationship between these two companies this would not be recommended. Options and recommendation for the CEO of Rohm and Haas, Raj Gupta The situation for Raj Gupta is a bit simpler: either sue Dow for not completing the deal or renegotiate with Dow to postpone the deal. Both having different advantages and disadvantages. The first option is to go to court and continue the case that Dow has to complete the deal or otherwise pay the termination fee. Considering the  exceptions stated in the material adverse effect clause that macro-economic effects and effect on the chemical industry in general are excluded from this clause, Gupta will have a strong case and is likely to prevail in court. Committing Dow to the deal or otherwise paying the termination fee of $750 million. The second option is to renegotiate the deal with Dow. The most important disadvantage considering this option is that it would almost certainly come to a deal which is less favorable for Rohm and Haas when compared to the original deal. Which term should be reconsidered? For example, a lower price per share would decrease the expected value for the shareholders. Shareholders will not vote for such a deal, especially the Haas family who owns 30% of the company and is waiting to exit for $78 a share. The only option, although shareholders will not be amused in the least, is to delay the due date of the deal, preserving the harmony between the companies. Even if Gupta will win in court, the possibility that the deal will go through considering the financing problems of Dow is still small. Rohm and Haas will in this case only receive the termination fee of $750 million. Gupta obviously wants the deal to go through and so do the shareholders of Rohm and Haas, enabling them to exit the company and receiving a high premium while doing so. Terminating the deal will negatively affect both companies and their shareholders. Therefore it would be better for Gupta to facilitate any possibility that the deal will go through, even implying a possible decrease in price per share. Our recommendation thus is to renegotiate the deal, making sure that it succeeds. The premium for the shareholders might be lower but both companies can benefit from the acquired synergies and shareholders can still opt to exit. Resolving the legal dispute Considering the above, it would have been in the best interest of both companies to renegotiate the deal. However, Rohm and Haas decided to continue their trail against Dow Chemicals. The judge will therefore make a decision based upon the facts presented to him. Based on the facts alone, the most likely option for me, William B. Chandler  the Third, Chancellor in the Delaware Court of Chancery, is to enforce the merger contract between the two parties. In particular, the specifics of the Material Adverse Effect clause in paragraph 3.1 state that the MAE clause does not include the following events: â€Å"any event which affects the chemical industry, macro economy as a whole, the financial, debt, credit or security market, any decline in Rohm’s stock price or any failure to meet internal or published projections.† To be more specific; the argument according to Dow that the recent material developments have created unacceptable uncertainties on the funding and economics of the combined enterprise, justifying the termination of the deal, is overruled by the ‘specific performance’ clause in paragraph 3.1. Therefore, the ‘specific performance’ clause, as requested by Rohm and agreed upon by Dow, is binding and hereby enforced. The merger will be executed as planned. Dow will have several different options to solve the financing issue, cutting dividends, renegotiating debt and other means to generate cash could be used. If the deal is not closed before January 10, 2009, as stated in the contract, Dow will pay a ticking fee of 8% per annum. Dow should have been more careful drawing up the contract as it is signed and before me today. Since the possibility of an economic downfall is especially stated in the deal clause, I will make no exception and hereby conclude that the Dow will meet all deal requirements as stated in the contract. Every penny has to sides, if you risk it, you could lose it. Thank you. *slams the hammer*

Crime and Its Relation to Poverty

Haime Hurrissa 04th – 03 – 13 Dr. Lydia Balderamos Loskot English Composition (ENGL 101) Does Poverty have a direct relationship to crime? Poverty is defined by the Webster dictionary as â€Å"the state of one who lacks a usual or socially acceptable amount of money or material possessions†. Poverty is the root cause for spikes in criminal activities in Belize, due to crime, lack of education and drugs. Many argue that poverty does not have a relationship to crime because there are countries where poverty levels are high but crime is relatively low.Belize has been infested with an outbreak of crime and violence affecting the country by bringing fear into both tourists and us Belizean presently; it appeared to be at its peak last year. The reason for the infestation of the criminals are many but the principal and most evident of them all would be the increasing rate of poverty that Belize has been experiencing, In addition to this would be the high rate of unemplo yment that exists in our society brought about by lack of education. This causes some individuals to see no other means to survival but to resort to their last alternative, crime.Some may argue that the cause for crime is due to psychology of criminals, their mental state or drugs. Crime in its simplest term is defines as any act that defies constitutional law and is separated into two main categories: a minor offence which as referred to as misdemeanors and serious acts which as referred to as felonies. A crime can range from simple offences such as public drinking to murder which is considered to be one of the most serious of crimes which claimed one hundred and twelve (112) lives in 2011 according to the annual police release statistics report.It is important to note that not all crime is related to poverty, although there are many who see crime as a means of survival. There are others who indulge in criminal acts simply for fun and pleasere, such as members of color gangs, mainl y Crips represented by the color blue and Bloods represented by the color red, which are based on American color gangs. These gangs choose to live a life of crime and violence for personal pleasure. Unfortunately young Belizeans, mainly, teenagers account for most f the criminal acts that occur in Belize. The primary reason that should be taken into consideration is poor home conditions and lack of education, which plays a major part in the cause of young criminals because many of these young men mostly, come from homes where resources are very limited and their parents may take little or no responsibility for them. Many of them on the other hand are dropouts or those who cannot afford the cost of education, which results in them finding unconstructive things to do with their time. Idle time is the devils playground† and â€Å"idle hands are the devils workshop†, are both phrases I heard many times by my elders while growing up, and are words which I believe to be very true, especially in the case of those facing poverty. They are the ones facing the cold heart of today’s society and in order to survive they resort to crimes and violence as a mean to survive. A job can seem to be one of the hardest things to find and even when a job is found the pay is not always sustainable, especially for those without a proper education for example a primary school degree worker earns the minimum wage in Belize which is little above 3. 0 Bz$ per hour. The uses of both legal and illegal drugs often contribute to crime and ultimately poverty. In Belize where the legal age for drinking alcohol and smoking tobacco is eighteen, there are many who indulge in these activities from a much younger age due to lack of implementation of stores who sell these drugs to underage people. Drugs affect the psychological aspect of a person and in the case of certain drugs the way how an individual thinks. Over the past two years, personally I witnessed firsthand underage i ndividual who due to intoxication from drugs and alcohol, commit serious crimes such as; theft and attempted murder.People affected by poverty often resort to the use of drugs such as alcohol, tobacco and marijuana which are the most accessible of all drugs in Belize. I asked the question; why do you drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes excessively, to a man I know who faces poverty daily from my village, he answered that life for him is extremely hard and be he uses those drugs as a way to cope with his daily struggles. Drugs are substances that cause young people to get bonded, and that bond often times cause them to do whatever it takes, which in some cases are criminal activities to supply themselves with the drugs they desire.Getting out of poverty should then be focused on the aspects that not only deal with the economy and getting people jobs, but the root causes of crime in our country which are mainly; drugs, lack of education and crime. Prisons should be focused on and the r ehabilitation process should be altered to create a more positive individual by providing them with education and trade skills before placing them back into society, as opposed to our present system we have in place which just has them serving their time and then release them into the same situations which got them there in the first place and causes a never ending cycle.With that said the root factors that contribute to this devastating problem in society should be improved so that not only our present but also our future generations have a brighter future. Refrence Webster, Merriam. â€Å"Poverty† â€Å"Crime† Web. 1 Mar. 2013. Centaur Cable Network, CTV3 Belize News. â€Å"2011 Crime Statistics. † Web. 1 Mar. 2013.

Organizational Behavior †Management Essay

Organizational Behavior – Management Essay Free Online Research Papers Within every organization there are guide lines and tasks that must be preformed to insure that the organization will run properly. Each company has their own culture developed by all those within the company. Each person brings with them their own personal background and behavior. These differences contribute to the company forming the organizations own culture and behavior. The shared belief and values of an organizations members, is the organizations culture. There are three types of organizational cultures. In the passive/ defensive culture the members are seeking job security. Members are not concerned with helping a fellow employee. Another organizational culture is described as an aggressive/ defensive culture where members act oppositional towards one another to protect their status within the group. Both of the previously mentioned cultures are very effective organizational approaches to having productive, satisfies members. However, the constructive culture is the most advantageous of the three. Members are helpful in their interactions and they encourage and empower their fellow employees. This last organizational culture encompasses teamwork and motivates its members (Schermerhorn, Hunt, Osborn, 2008) Ch.1 Understanding ones organizational culture is essential to the satisfaction level felt within the company. Never the less understanding the organizations behavior is equal in importance to employee satisfaction. Managers should be aware that they are accountable for how the employees feel about their workplace and duties they are required to perform. Effective managers help their employees get things done in a timely, high quality, and personally satisfying way. Managers’ plan by selecting goals and ways to meet the goals selected, organizing another duty implemented by management, by work systems with structure leading, by example and hard work are other attributes of an effective manager. Thus allowing the manager to calculate results and measure performance of the employees. Monitoring control within the organization is another attribute of a manager (Schermerhorn, Hunt, Osborn, 2008) Ch. 1 The effectiveness of all the roles is what sets the mood for an organizations behavior. Ethnical diversity within an organization is considered invaluable. Members draw from each others strengths, they learn from each others differences, and break down the barriers that have crippled society with stereotypes for decades. Each member of an organization contributes to the organizations culture by using their own collective experiences. Emerging these experiences into one organization help to make a unique culture and provide an advantage, competitively for the organization. (Shermerhorn, Hunt, Osborn, 2008)Ch.16 Communication is a major aspect of any well running organization. Members will make decisions, set goals, and allocate resources and direct activities within an organization to provide the best overall productivity of the company. Communication is relatively the largest contribution to success. Managers who are successful and managers who are effective have very different emphasis. Effective management seeks the satisfaction of their employees along with full commitment and exemplary performance (Robbins and Judge, 2009) Ch. 1 Within the organization in which I am associated with we hold monthly meetings to analyze our past, present, an future accomplishments, events and activities we have or will have to better help the community within our meetings we briefly summarize the minutes of the previous meeting so that members will be informed and have the opportunity to ask questions if necessary. Next we have the treasurer’s report and new business. During the new business sections members may call attention to problems we may be having within the organization, share accomplishments, and bring new ideas before the board for consideration. In addition to the meetings we hold can food drives, clothes drives, and even toiletries drive that we donate to charitable organizations. The women’s crisis center, Dells children hospital, and the helping center, food distribution are a few of the organizations we donate to. The organization encourages those who can help, and communicates with those who need help to better meet the needs of the family or community faced with difficulties. Every year during the holidays our organization will â€Å"adopt† a family and donate food, clothing, toys and other specific requests depending on the circumstances of the family. Communication and diversity are very important in our organization. Each member contributes their own thoughts and ideas based on their background and past experiences. We draw from all of these different, personal cultures to obtain the best outcome fro everyone involved weather it be those donating or those receiving the donation. Each organization has their own culture created by combining each individuals own life experiences. Beliefs, communication, diversity, organizational behavior are important aspects of any successful organization. Robbins, S., Judge, T. (2009). Organizational Behavior (13th ed). . Schermerhorn, J., Hunt, J., Osborn, R. (2008). Organizational Behavior (10th ed.). . Research Papers on Organizational Behavior - Management EssayThe Project Managment Office SystemAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalResearch Process Part OneThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andOpen Architechture a white paperInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesTwilight of the UAWMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever Product

Cherished dreams essays

Cherished dreams essays Generally, insecure and passive people feel an inner turmoil coming from a lack of direction as to where they are going, what their goals are and what responses are appropriate for events in life. In addition, they are often fearful of standing up for what they believe, have difficulties in establishing long-lasting relationships and tend to be over controlled emotionally, not letting others in on their emotions. These behaviours are often seen in people who are raised in a chaotic, unpredictable or volatile environment in which they are kept off balance. However, when they finally find a direction or a goal to follow, all their insecurity and passivity is left aside. Probably, for the first time in their lives they stop feeling scared and confused and they finally stand up for what they believe. This seems to be the case of Ezra Tull, one of the main characters of Anne Tylers book Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant. Ezra experienced a difficult childhood due to an absent father and an abusive and domineering mother. As a result, he became an insecure and rather passive young man. Nevertheless, he unwaveringly pursued his dreams of owning and shaping the restaurant according to his personal style and of keeping his family together. It must be acknowledged that Ezra spent most of his life feeling insecure and in resigned acceptance of everything that happened to him. As a child, he would never try to defend himself when he was unfairly blamed for something he had not done. As an adult, he lost Ruth, the only woman he ever loved, to his brother and did absolutely nothing about it. Moreover, he had difficulties in establishing relationships with others. And he tended to be over-controlled emotionally, finding it hard to show his emotions and to open himself up to others. Certainly, it is clear that Ezras lack of confidence and zest became constant features of his personality that were expected to be seen in the ...

Real School Issues That Negatively Impact Learning

Real School Issues That Negatively Impact Learning Schools face several issues daily that negatively impact student learning. Administrators and teachers work hard to overcome these challenges, but it is often difficult. Regardless of the strategies schools implement, there are some factors that will likely never be eliminated. However, schools must do their best to minimize the impact these issues have while maximizing student learning. Educating students is a difficult challenge because there are so many natural obstacles that hinder learning.   Not every school will face all of the challenges discussed, though the majority of schools across the country face more than one of these issues. The overall makeup of the community surrounding the school has a significant impact on the school itself. Schools facing a large portion of these issues will not see significant internal changes until external issues are addressed and changed within the community. Many of these issues can be deemed as societal issues, which can be nearly impossible for schools to overcome. Bad Teachers The vast majority of teachers are effective at their job, sandwiched in between the great teachers and the bad teachers. While bad teachers represent a small percentage of educators, they are often the ones who generate the most publicity. For the majority of teachers, this is frustrating because most work hard every day to ensure that their students receive a quality education with little fanfare. A bad teacher can set a student or group of students back considerably. They can create significant learning gaps making the next teacher’s job that much harder. A bad teacher can foster an atmosphere full of discipline issues and chaos establishing a pattern that is extremely difficult to break. Finally and perhaps most devastatingly, they can shatter a student’s confidence and overall morale. The effects can be disastrous and nearly impossible to reverse. This is the reason that administrators must ensure that they make smart hiring decisions. These decisions must not be taken lightly. Of equal importance is the teacher evaluation process. Administrators must use the evaluation system to make informed decisions when retaining teachers year after year. They cannot be afraid to put in the necessary work required to dismiss a bad teacher who will damage students in the district. Discipline Issues Discipline issues cause distractions, and distractions add up and limit learning time. Every time a teacher has to handle a discipline issue, she loses valuable instructional time. In addition, each time a student is sent to the office on a discipline referral that student loses valuable instruction time. Any discipline issue will result in the loss of instruction time, which limits a student’s learning potential. Teachers and administrators must be able to minimize these disruptions. Teachers can do this by providing a structured learning environment and engaging students in exciting, dynamic lessons that captivate them and keep them from being bored. Administrators must create well-written policies that hold students accountable. They should educate parents and students on these policies. Administrators must be firm, fair, and consistent when dealing with any student discipline issue. Lack of Funding Funding has a significant impact on student performance. A lack of funding typically leads to larger class sizes and less technology and curriculum materials, and the more students a teacher has, the less attention he can pay to individual students. This can become significant when you have a class full of 30 to 40 students at varying academic levels. Teachers must be equipped with engaging tools covering the standards they are required to teach. Technology is a tremendous academic tool, but it is also pricey to purchase, maintain, and upgrade. The curriculum in general continuously changes and needs to be updated, but most states curriculum adoption runs in five-year cycles. At the end of each five-year cycle, the curriculum is totally outdated and physically worn out. Lack of Student Motivation Many students simply do not care about attending school or putting in the effort necessary to maintain their grades. It is extremely frustrating to have a pool of students who are only there because they have to be. An unmotivated student may initially be on grade level, but she will fall behind only to wake up one day and realize it is too late to catch up. A teacher or administrator can only do so much to motivate a student: Ultimately, it is up to the student as to whether she decides to change. Unfortunately, there are many students in schools nationally with tremendous potential who choose not to live up to that standard. Over Mandating Federal and state mandates are taking their tolls on school districts across the country. There are so many new requirements each year that schools do not have the time or resources to implement and maintain them all successfully. Most of the mandates are passed with good intentions, but the spacing of these mandates puts schools in a bind. They are often underfunded or unfunded and require a lot of extra time that could be spent in other critical areas.  Schools do not have enough time and resources to fulfill many of these new mandates. Poor Attendance Students cant learn if they arent at school.  Missing just 10 days of school each year from kindergarten to 12th grade adds up to missing almost an entire school year by the time they graduate. Some students have the ability to overcome poor attendance, but many who have a chronic attendance problem fall behind and stay behind. Schools must hold students and parents accountable for consistent excessive absences and should have a solid attendance policy in place that specifically addresses excessive absences. Teachers cannot do their jobs if students are not required to show up every day. Poor Parental Support Parents are typically the most influential people in every aspect of a child’s life. This is especially true when it comes to education. Typically, if the parents value education, their children will be academically successful. Parental involvement is essential to educational success. Parents who provide their children with a solid foundation before school begins and stay involved throughout the school year will reap the benefits as their children become successful. By contrast, parents who are minimally involved with their child’s education have a significant negative impact. This can be extremely frustrating for teachers and makes for a  continuous uphill battle. Many times, these students are behind when they start school due to a lack of exposure, and it is extremely difficult for them to catch up. These parents believe it is the school’s job to educate and not theirs when in actuality there needs to be a dual partnership for the child to be successful Poverty Poverty has a significant impact on student learning. There has been much research to support this premise. Students living in affluent, well-educated homes and communities are far more academically successful, while those living in poverty are typically behind academically. Poverty is a difficult obstacle to overcome. It follows generation after generation and becomes the accepted norm, which makes it almost impossible to break. Though education is a significant part of breaking the grip of poverty, most of these students are so far behind academically that they will never get that opportunity. Shift in Instructional Focus When schools fail, administrators and teachers almost always take the brunt of the blame. This is somewhat understandable, but the responsibility of educating should not fall solely on the school. This deferred shift in educational responsibility is one of the greatest reasons for a perceived decline in public schools across the United States. Teachers are doing a far superior job of educating their students today than they ever have been. However, the time spent teaching the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic has been significantly decreased due to increased demands and responsibilities to teach many things that used to be taught at home. Any time you add new instructional requirements you take away time spent on something else. The time spent in school has rarely increased, yet the burden has fallen to schools to add courses such as sex education and personal financial literacy into their daily schedule without an increase in time to do so. As a result, schools have been forced to sacrifice critical time in the core subjects to ensure that their students are being exposed to these other life skills.

Managing International Tourism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Managing International Tourism - Essay Example It provides opportunity to its visitors to know more about the history of the storehouse from where it has been originated, the advertisement that are published for the awareness of its products, the process and way of transportation. The storehouse provides an opportunity to the visitors through their involvement of various senses. The store house has adopted the marketing strategy of unique selling proposition in order to attract its visitors. In this case study which deals with a storehouse name as Guinness beer has adopted unique selling proposition marketing strategy. The development of unique selling proposition is mainly considered or regarded as the key challenges that are being faced by the managers in dealing or handling the visitor’s attraction. The unique selling proposition can be defined as the unique position that a company holds in the market place. It is an important or a key element that serves as a weapon for the company to differentiate and distinguish itself from its competitors and gaining competitive advantage in the market (Hindle, 2008). By applying unique selling proposition the company can focus its energy on developing and building the things which will serve the needs of the various segments of the customers. The main importance for adopting unique selling proposition by a company is that it provides the differentiation that is considered and referred to as the most tactical and strategic activities in which the company is required to engage itself constantly. The case Guinness beer has also adopted unique selling proposition as a marketing tactic as it located in such a place that it establishes and sets its business different from others by providing information to the customers and developing a well display system for fascinating the customer and interactions with its visitors. The main aim and focus of Guinness beer is to perform everything

Wirless22 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Wirless22 - Essay Example Even though I spend most of my time at home, whenever I go out for recreation, I make it a point not to take my cell phone along. Right now I need to carry two phones: even though I do not like phones, this is the only way I can make my life easier. One phone is used for business and family only, whereas the other is for friends, school and other acquaintances. The second phone is usually turned off, unless I want to go out, and even then I mostly turn it on just to check the voice mail to check if I have any appointments (with a doctor or at school, for instance). The only times I have used text messaging is to check my bank account balance by texting at the number the bank gave to me. Even when I receive a text message to which I have to reply, I do not text back. I prefer calling up people rather than sending them text messages. The Bluetooth feature on phones is something that I do appreciate, because it enables me to connect my cell phone with my computer or other devices and transfer data easily. However, I do not believe that cell phones are a necessity. Even in emergency cases I think I can manage very well without a cell phone. I consider cell phones and email to be the worst invention of the last century. For me, cell phones are a luxury, a luxury we can very well do without. Currently, I have T-mobile and AirVoice as service providers for my two cell phones. T-mobile is expensive when compared with AirVoice: I pay 70 dollars for T-mobile and 40 dollars for AirVoice per month. On both these service providers I pay by minute along with the contract. AirVoice offers me unlimited text messaging, both domestic and international, which I do not use at all. I use prepaid plans on both; T-mobile carries the unused minutes to the next month, however AirVoice does not provide this service, the minutes end with the month, whether you have used them or not. Both AirVoice and T-mobile, being 3G, are

Importance of Decision Making in Risk Management Essay

Importance of Decision Making in Risk Management - Essay Example The major social responsibilities are to defend the environment, uphold the safety of employees, and to make sure the products are safe and not dangerous for the customers. When making choice, these three social everyday jobs ought to be kept in mind. Environmental defense and conservation is a big concern for organizations. Numerous groups of populace have an interest in financial or in the presentation of a business, these dissimilar groups are recognized as stakeholders. Stakeholder scrutiny is important for winning implementation of projects and planned activities within any organization. Analyzing stakeholders is significant in order to appreciate them. Moreover, stakeholders are people who have an interest in a gainful unit. These can comprise the owners, employees, clientele, suppliers, and the government. Everyone plays a significant role in the completion and achievement of the strategy. The central focus of an organization's culture has developed approximately the organization's values. Organizational values are influential influences that differentiate one firm from another. Organizational values, a main measurement of the organizational culture, define the standards that direct the external and interior integration of organizations. In general, low levels of promise are thought to be dysfunctional to together the organization plus the individual. For the majority organizati... This shift involves together personal and organizational alteration. Creating a value driven organization can lead to numerous helpful rewards. How one adapts to the values can help for the ordinary good of society. E) Addressing objections, Social everyday jobs ought to be at the top of the list of organization plus the like. Concerns regarding the activities plus practices of large and influential private business that wield enormous financial resources and have significant financial, political, and social belongings in the U.S. and abroad is a major responsibility issue. F) Resolution implementation Management recounts the decisions plus actions of their employees to the targets that they are satisfying. Quite a few factors are involved by means of the implementation. The factors relate to the human, technological and monetary resources that are all separately of getting the job done (Rodewald 1987). Managers require the help of employees who labor and split the need to attain an organization's goals. Conclusion No doubt, this paper applied six ethical decision-making steps towards the communal everyday jobs of organizations. The six moral decision-making steps are as pursue: Issue clarification, Stakeholder analysis, Values identification, Issue resolution, Addressing objections, as well as Resolution implementation. No doubt, social liability is dangerous for organization's to do well ethically and to be seen as good business citizens. Positive impacts on civilization are an integral part of any trade. Businesses have to accommodate stakeholders throughout its process and activities. Work Cited Capozzoli, T.K. (1995). Conflict Resolution- a key ingredient

Outsourcing Policies On German Car Manufacturing Industry Research Paper

Outsourcing Policies On German Car Manufacturing Industry - Research Paper Example German car manufacturers achieve cost-cutting through sub-contracting and outsourcing. How the process of outsourcing affected the German car industry, how it is done specifically, the related laws on outsourcing and labor and the impact of the recent crisis on the process of outsourcing and sub-contracting are the questions that this paper wishes to answer. With the aid of information coming from company reports, datamonitor, newspapers, websites, and researches, we try to examine all these aspects of outsourcing in the German car manufacturing industry. Business Process Outsourcing is one of the latest trends in business. To outsource is defined in the Merriam-Webster online dictionary as "to procure (as some goods or services needed by a business or organization) under contract with an outside supplier" (Merriam-Webster Incorporated, 2010). This is applied in either the manufacturing stage, the marketing stage or after-sales stage. Germany, specifically the automobile industry is one of those that adopt business process outsourcing as part of the business. The paper will include a detailed study and description of the use of outsourcing practices (to include outsourcing in areas such as components manufacture, servicing and retail operations) in the automotive industry in Germany. Before going into details about different outsourcing practices, I will present a brief overview of supply chain of automotive industry which is crucial to understand in order to fully apprehend the benefits and limitations of outsourcing. Consequently, I will analyze major car manufacturers in Germany in terms of their outsourcing activities and processes. Specifically I intend to focus on three major car producers: BMW, Daimler and VW. Their websites contain detailed annual reports that include also information relevant to outsourcing. In addition, I found substantial amount of information in Datamonitor database about specific outsourcing practices of each car manufacturer as well as trends, competitive landscape and supply chain analysis for global autom otive industry, specific countries, particularly Germany. A necessary part of the paper is an investigation of the effect of outsourcing policies on German car manufacturing companies in the past and in the present. The comparison between the past and the present will be to ascertain the effect of financial crisis and how it has changed the policies and practices of the car manufacturing companies regarding their outsourcing policies. The Research Questions and Objectives Research Questions To formulate

Fire and Emergency Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Fire and Emergency Management - Research Paper Example History There is a rich history that comes with the use of both the ISO grading system and the standards of coverage. The ISO grading system is actually adopted version of the fire suppression rating schedule (FSRS). The FSRS had been used as an independent rating system for several years in selected States until the need to ensuring that there is a global standardization of the activities of the fire and emergency service was brought up (ISO, 2014). Meanwhile, the insurance service office (ISO) had been functioning as an internationally recognized body that was responsible for setting standards of operation for various industries across the globe. To ensure that the rating schedule used for the purposes of fire and emergency fighting was at par with what was internationally recognized, the rating schedule was merged with the ISO standards to form what is today referred to as the ISO grading system of fire fighting. The history behind the standards of coverage can however be traced to very specific fire and emergency agencies across the country. This is because when the use of the standards of coverage started as an assessment system, it was only certified and used by the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC). These fire chiefs were the ones who ensured that within the limit of the agencies that managed, there was a standard that defined the way they operated and responded to fire.

Outsourcing Policies On German Car Manufacturing Industry Research Paper

Outsourcing Policies On German Car Manufacturing Industry - Research Paper Example German car manufacturers achieve cost-cutting through sub-contracting and outsourcing. How the process of outsourcing affected the German car industry, how it is done specifically, the related laws on outsourcing and labor and the impact of the recent crisis on the process of outsourcing and sub-contracting are the questions that this paper wishes to answer. With the aid of information coming from company reports, datamonitor, newspapers, websites, and researches, we try to examine all these aspects of outsourcing in the German car manufacturing industry. Business Process Outsourcing is one of the latest trends in business. To outsource is defined in the Merriam-Webster online dictionary as "to procure (as some goods or services needed by a business or organization) under contract with an outside supplier" (Merriam-Webster Incorporated, 2010). This is applied in either the manufacturing stage, the marketing stage or after-sales stage. Germany, specifically the automobile industry is one of those that adopt business process outsourcing as part of the business. The paper will include a detailed study and description of the use of outsourcing practices (to include outsourcing in areas such as components manufacture, servicing and retail operations) in the automotive industry in Germany. Before going into details about different outsourcing practices, I will present a brief overview of supply chain of automotive industry which is crucial to understand in order to fully apprehend the benefits and limitations of outsourcing. Consequently, I will analyze major car manufacturers in Germany in terms of their outsourcing activities and processes. Specifically I intend to focus on three major car producers: BMW, Daimler and VW. Their websites contain detailed annual reports that include also information relevant to outsourcing. In addition, I found substantial amount of information in Datamonitor database about specific outsourcing practices of each car manufacturer as well as trends, competitive landscape and supply chain analysis for global autom otive industry, specific countries, particularly Germany. A necessary part of the paper is an investigation of the effect of outsourcing policies on German car manufacturing companies in the past and in the present. The comparison between the past and the present will be to ascertain the effect of financial crisis and how it has changed the policies and practices of the car manufacturing companies regarding their outsourcing policies. The Research Questions and Objectives Research Questions To formulate

Capstone Project Thesis Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Capstone Project - Thesis Proposal Example In this research, we will be investigating on ways of making owners of websites take responsibility of materials they post on their websites and who gets access to the materials. For example, implementation of ways such as putting age limits on their websites for individuals to be allowed access to the sites. Other means that will be investigated on their effectiveness is suggesting for the underage on scholarly sites to visit to help improve on their grades (Horn, 1999). Declaration of the issue as society issues will ensure those who own websites adhere strictly to the set rules. It will be an obligation for institutions to follow rules that provide guidelines and control of materials that get to the internet. Such guidelines may help to improve students performance and assist them to get quality information. School administrators will also be encouraged to advice students on reading academic materials to enhance improvement of students’ performance. Educating students on the effects of non-academic materials on their performance will be part of the objectives of the analysis (Bonnel & Smith,

Extended Marketing Mix Essay Example for Free

Extended Marketing Mix Essay Launched on 3rd of October 2009 by the McLaren’s Group which has been a name with great passion towards improvement of motor sports in Sri Lanka, Speed  Drome (Pvt) Ltd. is every Pro/Go-karters heaven on earth. Located amidst green pasture in close proximity to the parliament complex and Buddhadasa play ground in Battaramulla, Speedrome is a fully equipped and professionally fitted race track which includes 19 go-karts, computerized timing and scoring systems, professionally trained staff, designated spectator areas and air-conditioned VIP gallery, all for the sake of providing their customers with the best experience that they can offer. Go-karting may be Speed Dromes main product but they haven’t stopped there as far as the entertainment aspect is concerned, with a sports bar and a luxurious lounge. These two additional services are provided for customers to host parties or any corporate events. Speed Drome also has taken an initiative in providing a swimming pool to cater to discerning corporate executives and high profile lifestyles. As for the little kids, Speed Drome has taken the liberty of creating a kiddies race track as well. To put it simply, Speed Drome aims to be not only an attraction for Pro/Go-kart lovers everywhere but also to provide the entire family with leisure activities and entertainment. Speed Drome has gained much popularity ever since its launch, with an exhibition kart race in which the participation of Yoshitha Rajapaksa, Aravinda De Silva the former cricketer who is a keen fan of motor cars along with the lady racer S.A. Lakshika and Jackson Anthony were noted. Karting championships such as Speed Drome All Island Karting Championship Rounds 1-3 show off exactly what Speed Drome is all about as many professional formula one drivers take part in these competitions exhibiting the real skill involved in Go/Pro-karting, while attracting even more potential customers and leading to other karting championships. Finally the major plus point for Speed Drome is the fact that it is the one and only Go/Pro-Karting facility in Sri Lanka as yet and with its added assets Speed Dromes future seems very fruitful with all the necessary standards being maintained. The Extended Marketing mix 1. Product In a service organization, the product is referred to the service being delivered to the consumer which is intangible, inseparable, variable and perishable. The speed Drome (Pvt) Ltd. (Appendix 1) offers a variety of  services which can be explained in terms of entertainment, leisure and experience. Their main focus is on providing their customers with the experience of real Pro-Kart racing (Appendix 2) and in addition to that other entertainment and leisure services are also provided such as the Kiddies track, (Appendix 3) the sports bar (Appendix 4) and the swimming pool (Appendix 5) along with the Luxurious Lounge (Appendix 6). The nature of the service in terms of: Intangibility: True services are intangible. Therefore when you leave Speed Drome there is only one memory or the experience that remains, which is riding a pro-kart at the only available place in Sri Lanka. Some elements are tangible such as the karts used, the swim pool etc., but the core benefit of the purchase is not, and that is the sheer experience of riding a pro-kart and feeling its speed. Inseparability: The service provided by Speed Drome is inseparable as the physical presence of a customer is essential in this service. However, with the help of its physical resources the overall service takes place when only the consumer that is the person interested in riding a pro-kart meets the service provider. Perishability: Karting or any other service provided by the company must be consumed when offered. It cannot be produced now for consumption at a later stage / time nor can they be held or stocked because the value of this service exists at the point when it is required. Variability: This service is highly variable because Speed Drome is the only service provider for kart racing in Sri Lanka currently. It has its very own standardized quality which cannot be competed with another form of entertainment service, as it provides a unique and an incomparable experience. The above mentioned characteristics define the services they provide which attract youngsters and veteran drivers alike. 2. Price Pricing is one of the most important marketing mix decisions and it is the only marketing mix variable that generates revenues. Speed Drome (Pvt) Ltd. is a profit and cost oriented organization. Their main objectives are to: * Maximize their profits, * Achieve a target return on investment, * Recover investment costs over a particular time period And to, * Generate volume so as to drive down costs. Speed Drome doesn’t pursue the status quo or sales oriented objectives as it is the only organization specializes in this certain industry in Sri Lanka. Due to the same reason Speed Drome follows the price skimming strategy. Their prices for all the services are relatively high (even though they don’t have competitors in the same industry) compared to the other entertainment forms in the market. This is due to the service quality, image and to prevent competitors enter the market easily. The following are the current prices attached to the services being provided by Speed Drome: * Pro-Karting/ Go-Karting (10 minutes) Rs. 750 * Happy Hours Karting (every Tuesday 3pm-8pm) Rs. 500 * Swimming pool charges (unlimited) per person Rs. 450 * Membership Benefits: * Membership free Rs.15000 * Rs. 750 tickets for Rs.500 * Kart trainer amount Rs.1500 for Rs.1000 * Members can use pool free, additional guest with members charged only Rs. 250 each * 10% discount for corporate package with fully use of pool and entertainment area. Additionally the race fees, special event fees and training programme fees are charged. 3. Place The place part of the marketing mix is where the customer receives the service or where the service is located. Speed Drome is Located in close proximity to the Parliament Complex and Bhuddhadasa Play Ground, in Battaramulla. It has situated itself around major cities such as Colombo, Rajagiriya, Nugegoda and Pitakotte which are all highly residential areas have all been thought out very carefully by Speed Drome management prior to construction. This is to boost their target market which is basically the upper class of community because although the cost for riding a Go-Kart (which is something very rare to do in Sri Lanka) seems reasonable as far as the cost for maintaining the Karts and equipment needed go, Unfortunately  though for the majority of Sri Lankan’s the price to pay for such an experience is highly unreasonable. The area in which the Arena (or facility) has been built on is extremely large and compliments the Track very well and to add to this the lush scenery surrounding the Speed Drome gives this track a unique feel to it. Speed Dome’s location has one more major benefit which is that it’s just a drive away not only from the cities surrounding it but also from other major cities in the district like Colombo and Dehiwala etc. Over all the decision to build Speed Drome where it is an extremely well thought and strategic move which has shown and is yet to keep bringing in results. 4. Promotion Promotions have become a critical factor in the service marketing mix. Services are easy to be duplicated and hence it is generally the brand which sets a service apart from its counterpart. As mentioned under the topic ‘Place’ Speed Drome’s marketing mix carters to a selected segment, which is known as Niche marketing. Its service is all about providing entertainment for those who desire the ‘need for speed’. What better way to communicate about this sheer experience which can be gained at only one place in Sri Lanka other than promoting the service? The obvious competitive advantages Speed Drome possesses are: * Service Differentiation The only facility that provides karting experience in Sri Lanka. * Image Differentiation Karts which are only available at Speed Drome in Sri Lanka and the unique logo itself distinguish the service provided. How Speed Drome gets through to the customer The main objective of Speed Drome is to make the potential customers well aware about their new service. Hence the following methods are mainly used to promote their service- * Weekly offered special karting hours * ‘Happy Hours’ Every Tuesday from 3pm-8pm (Rs.750 tickets at Rs.500) (Appendix 7) * Karting competitions * Thank God its Race Day Competition (Appendix 8) * All Island Karting Championship (Appendix 9,10) * Exhibition kart races of celebrities (Appendix 11) * Publications * News Paper advertisements Ex: Daily Mirror, Sunday Times, Sunday Observer * Magazines Ex: Things to do in Colombo, Esteem, Hi etc. * Online Advertising * Social network groups Ex: The official Facebook Group with latest updates. Twitter etc.

Impact of Censorship

Impact of Censorship   Sydney Lau   What would put our freedoms in danger? The First Amendment states Congress Shall make no Law Respecting an Establishment of Religion, or prohibiting the Free Exercise Thereof, or Assemble, and to Petition the Government for a Redress of Grievances. Censorship is the suppression or prohibition of any parts of books, films, news, etc, that are considered obscene, poetically unacceptable or a threat to security. I disagree with censorship because it will stop companies from innovating products and services that individuals would have to pay for. Also it will take our human rights away and passing the bill SOPA will take freedom of the internet away. Piracy helps companies innovate products and services that individuals would have to pay for. Software is too expensive for young, hardworking students. The next generation will have a huge impact on the economic contribution, so its important the young individuals learn the software, but how can the individual learn the software if one cannot afford it. A young graphic designer working for a local designer agency said, Software is just too expensive, Students and young professionals such as Sarah pirate software they need in order to build up their professional skills and knowledge. Having experience with certain types of software is key to landing jobs in Singapores increasingly competitive job atmosphere. (Online Piracy Is Not Harmful) A company behind some of the most pirated software programs in the world finally caught on to the piracy problem and did something ingenious. Adobe introduced monthly subscriptions at reasonable prices for students, individuals, and businesses. Now theres less of a need to pay $1,000+ on software that you subscribe to for less than $100 a month. (Online Piracy Is Not Harmful) if companies had prices for their products at a fair price then there would be no reason for customers to pirate products; Netflix is a good example of this.   Netflix: With 40 million global subscribers and growing, Netflix has succeeded despite piracy because it gives consumers what they want, TV shows movies anytime, anywhere. For one low monthly price. At least to consumers outside of Singapore anyway. (Online Piracy Is Not Harmful) Censorship will take our human rights away. There have been incidents where companies tried to make profits from Authoritarian governments by selling software and hardware. Weve seen cases where companies, products, and services were used as tools of oppression. A few years ago, the headlines were about companies turning over sensitive information about political dissidents. A company was shutting down the social networking accounts of activists in the midst of a political debate. Todays news stories are about companies selling the hardware and software of repression to authoritarian governments. When companies sell surveillance equipment to the security agency of Syria or Iran or, in past times, [Libyan dictator Muammar] Qadhafi, there can be no doubt it will be used to violate rights. (Clinton) There have been many cases where citizens in different countries that have censorship were put into detention center for expressing their opinion. In Syria, a blogger named Anas Maarawi was arrested on July 1st after demanding that President Asad to Leave. He still remains in detention. (Clinton). On top of that, censorship would leave doors open for governments to over power. Government could upend the current internet governance framework in a quest to increase their own control. Some governments use internet governance issues as a cover for publishing an agenda that would justify restating human rights apply online. (Clinton) Furthermore, passing the Bill SOPA would take our internet freedom away. SOPA will not contribute much success to stopping online fraud, but instead take away the core features of the internet. Bill is designed to address the problem of online content fraud and counterfeiting, is fundamentally flawed because it targets search engines, Internet service providers, ad and payment networks-all of which are crucial to Internet functioning (Scola).   Not only would the bill likely do little to address the problem of online content fraud and counterfeiting, but it takes aim at the core features of the Internet that have contributed a great deal to the American economy. (The Stop Online Piracy Act Threatens Internet Freedom and Does Not Protect Property Rights) Private companies would abuse power with the bill SOPA in place. that the bill gives the government and private companies unprecedented powers to remove websites on the flimsiest of grounds. The Electronic Frontier Foundation called the bill a dangerous wish list. The nonprofit Center for Democracy and Technology in Washington said SOPA would cause broad collateral damage to freedom of expression and privacy. (Ingram) Hollywood and the big record labels would oppose this. These companies claim that theyre taking huge losses, and believes the Bill SOPA should be passed, but a recent study conducted by Bart Cammaerts showed that was false. Hollywood achieved record-breaking global box office revenues of $35 billion USD [US dollars] in 2012, a 6% increase over 2011. Music: Declining sales of recorded music were offset by increasing revenue from live performances and growing digital revenues, including streaming services. In 2012, some 34% of revenue globally. In addition, worldwide sales of recorded music increased in 2012 for the first time since 1999. Therefore, censorship will stop companies from innovating products and services that individuals would have to pay for, also will take our human rights away and passing the bill SOPA will take freedom of the internet away.   Piracy helps young, working, students develop new skills in the world to contribute to the economy. On top of that its also important to protect our human rights listed in the first Amendment, and lastly, placing the Bill SOPA would only take away our internet freedom by removing uniform resource locator removing (URL). By placing censorship law, those laws would take our rights away that are granted to us, lets fight to keep those!

The Perfect Plan :: Personal Narrative College Essays

The Perfect Plan I had the perfect plan when it came to college. All throughout my childhood I had dreamed about playing soccer at the college level, and rooming with someone I knew well. It was important to me, that I make sure whatever decision I made, I was the happiest I could possibly be. It was now all coming into place, or so I thought. The only thing that I had to wait for was the acceptance letter. Before I get too ahead of myself though, let me explain. I had just finished a weekend at a premier soccer college showcase. College coaches from everywhere came to see the best of the best play. I was there, showing off my skills for all to see. I only wanted one coach to recognize me, and sure enough he did. The Penn State Altoona soccer coach came up to me after I had scored the game-winning goal, and told me if I wanted to play for him, I could. To make matters even better, my best friend told me she wanted to attend Penn State Altoona too. It was perfect. All my worries about leaving home, my family, and my boyfriend seemed to be pushed to the back of my mind. I wouldn’t be alone in college, and that‘s all that mattered. My biggest fear was being a long distance away from home, and I thought that by having my best friend there, I wouldn’t miss the things at home so much. I thought I would keep myself busy with sports and my college material, and I could go back to my dorm where my best friend would always be. I wouldn’t have time to worry about my home life, the life I wasn‘t convinced I was ready to leave behind. Perhaps I should explain to you why I was going to room with my best friend. She had been living at my house for six months because her house was being built, and she didn’t have anywhere to stay. So we spent six months of our lives together, sharing everything. We became inseparable, and truly acted like sisters. I thought I would be happy if we roomed together. This is why rooming with her became so exciting to me. We had already done that, and it didn’t seem like a problem at my house. We received our acceptance letters, and quickly replied stating we wanted to be roommates with each other.

Fast food and health promotion Essay

Abstract Healthy eating is a major concern of the public and has been under-researched for decades. A successful healthy eating campaign can help to raise awareness and in the long run, prevent and minimize long-term diseases such as high blood pressure, heart disease and cancer. This can also reduce the burden on the National Health Service. For all of these reasons, this dissertation aims to determine what people eat, why they choose to eat the way they do and whether they feel the Government has done enough to promote healthy eating. Initially, this study examines the trends of contemporary food culture by sociologists and the marketing powers of promotion to increase student awareness on healthy eating. A discussion on Government policies indicates the efficacy of the Government to reach students with their healthy eating promotion in this country. This study uses qualitative research methods to determine the awareness of the students, on healthy eating and their opinions on the Government’s attempt to promote a healthy nation. Based on the data gathered in this research, an evaluation was made on whether healthy eating promotion is effective in today’s student society. In this study, student choices of food were shown to be primarily affected by price, taste and peer pressure. This is in contrast with the available literature which suggests that social class, culture, the food industries and Government campaigns are the main influences on people’s eating habits. Introduction This dissertation aims to understand how food is promoted and consumed by the public. Our choices of food are affected by many factors such as our social class, our culture, and the media and Government campaigns. Over the past thirty years a surge of interest has arisen and an increase in the consumption of fast food. However, more recently health concerns regarding fast food consumption has surfaced. Sociologists often seek explanations for human behavior and try to link this with the environment in which they live in. Similarly, sociologists such as Alan Warde have examined contemporary food culture and suggested reasons that influence people’s choice. Initially, changes in food consumption patterns and healthy eating promotions from different dimensions were examined. The  © 2006 The International Journal of Urban Labour and Leisure 1 dissertation then describes the interviews that were conducted with regards to healthy eating. Some key findings were revealed to support the sociological theories. Finally, the discussion sums up and reflects the findings in relation to these theories and see if there is any correlation between the two. This research was undertaken at a University and based on ten one-to-one interviews. It is important to examine whether we are eating healthily. Food is the basic necessity in life humans consume daily. In this dissertation I want to explore student’s knowledge on healthy eating and whether the Government is doing enough to promote a healthier nation. Sociological Promotion. Perspectives on Food Consumption and Healthy Eating Current Trends in Food Consumption Food consumption relates to the substances that are taken in to produce energy, stimulate growth and maintain life. It consists of essential body nutrients, such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats and vitamins or minerals. Healthy food is considered to be highly beneficial to health, especially a food grown organically or free of additives. Food consumption has tilted towards fast food culture over the past few decades due to its price, convenience and the shortage of eating time. In this section, general consumption trends will be studied and the change of consumer culture over time will be discussed. Sociologists like Bourdieu and Bauman have written literature and devised their own theories on the consumption of food. Many of them believe that this is a structureagency debate. In other words, how social structure shapes our actions and how we, in turn, shape the social structure (Germov, 1999:302). One of the examples given by Pierre Bourdieu is that the way we consume food reflected our social class and background (Warde, 1997:9). He argued that consumption is based upon cultural upbringing and is therefore socially embedded. Bauman, on the other hand, saw consumption as â€Å"less restricted† rather than another part of life (Warde, 1997:10). In reality, Bauman claimed that there is a small role for choices, for example, we cannot choose to be born into which family, but within consumption, we have more power to alter our choices. Bauman believed that individuals are thought to gradually detach themselves from the social regulations and create their own personal identity by making their own choices. These two theories differ in relation to social environment and habits, to freedom of choice on the consumption of food. Bourdieu’s theory is more commonly practiced in modern society as different social classes dominate our choice of food. The working class tends to eat food which has a â€Å"high amount of animal fat†, compared with the middle and upper classes (Mennell, 1992:54). Besides, people from poorer backgrounds may understand that fresh food is healthier; however, they could not afford to travel further to purchase fresh food (Whelan, 2002: 2083). Therefore they tended to purchase cheap quality food with a high fat content, from nearby shops.  © 2006 The International Journal of Urban Labour and Leisure 2 There have been rapid changes in food consumption over the past few decades. Alan Warde, in his book, Consumption, Food & Taste suggested four theses for the changes in eating habits. Firstly, people have more freedom on the choice of food, but are uncertain of what to eat. In modern society, we have a wider range of food available to us. As technology is constantly improving, we are no longer restricted by the seasons and harvests, which had affected people previously (Beardworth, 2000:33). However, Claude Fischler saw this as an â€Å"omnivore’s paradox† (Warde, 1997:30). Human beings want a variety to choose from; however, they feel anxious and unsure about trying new foodstuffs. This can be further explained by the changing concept of food poverty. In the past, food poverty was referred to as â€Å"lack of food, under- nutrition† (Adams, 2000:48). In the contemporary society, food poverty means â€Å"overabundance of processed foods, lack of balance diet† (Adams, 2000:48). Before, we experienced under nutrition, and now, we suffer from an unbalanced diet. Although we may have more food than before, we do not know what to choose. This reflects the lack of education in healthy eating. The second thesis suggested that in a mass producing society, people would consume similar products and gradually lose their identities. Individual producers tend to dominate particular industrial markets, for example big brands like McDonald’s and Coca-Cola target customers en mass. Mass food production can be explained by ‘McDonaldisation’, where customers experience the â€Å"same look, same service, same products and same taste† (Germov, 1999:12). This thesis is supported by a report by the Financial Times Exporter in 1995 (Adams, 2002:47). In the report, sixty-five percent of people in China recognized the brand name Coca Cola and nearly half of the people knew big brands like Pepsi. This concluded that large corporations ‘mould’ our taste and have great control over our choice of food. One may argue that supermarkets bring a wider selection to people. In fact, some of the varieties are created by developing alternative forms of packaging and storing methods, such as canned fish, frozen fish and fresh fish (Warde, 1997:167). Therefore, we will enjoy many versions of the same products. In a broader view of the food industry, the five largest supermarkets in the UK, dominates seventy percent of the grocery market. (Adams, 2002:47) This large market share led to the closure of many local stores. Single mothers or elderly people who live in rural areas will suffer a further limitation of food due to the restriction on mobility and financial support (Whelan, 2002:2083). Since mass production has moulded our tastes and choices, consumers start losing their personal taste and identities. To react against this passive consuming pattern, people are driven towards the post-Fordist view on consumption, which is the main focus of the third thesis. In the post-Fordist world, all commodities are expected to be more consumer-orientated. As the consumer’s expenditure increases, they expect the quality of food to be higher. People require greater differentiation of the commodities in different markets. For example, McDonalds serves a different menu across the world to accommodate differing cultures with distinct tastes. This is illustrated by McDonald franchises in Germany, whom also serve beer as refreshment. Customers hope to buy food that serves their interests and their local traditions. Businesses increase their profits and the consuming power; by produce the right products for the targeted consumers. A more suitable product for the customers, equates to more purchases which in turn equates to more income.  © 2006 The International Journal of Urban Labour and Leisure 3. The final thesis describes the persistence of social differentiation. Warde uses Bourdieu’s theory to prove that food consumption is a â€Å"means of expressing ‘distinction’† and has social meanings behind it. For example, class differences play a role in dictating eating habits. In this way, food consumption has more social meanings than a consume-to-survive model. In comparing the eating behaviour of manual workers and white collar workers, Bourdieu observed that clerical staff paid more attention to body maintenance and slimness whilst manual workers, paid limited attention to their waistline. This observation is seen in France. In Britain, Warde suggested that class distinction in relation to food has been more obvious in recent decades. Finkelstein supports this idea by saying that â€Å"dinning out is an expression of individuality, choice, spontaneity and that we select restaurants for food and price in ways which demonstrate our discrimination and what we value and desire† (Beardsworth, 1997:119). The interest of the media, increasing eating-out habits and foreign cuisines are becoming more common, food consumption has made a significant distinction between classes. There is a clear line between the richer and the poorer, and who can afford to taste different types of food. These theses have helped us to understand the reasons behind changes in food consumption. Fast food outlets are one of the popular choices for dinning out and have had a big impact on our food consumption. In the following paragraph, the significant effects that fast food has on our choices of diet will be examined. A Fast Food Nation? Fast food culture has penetrated into our lives and influenced our eating habits. The fast food industry grew fast in the 1990s. In 1991, fast food had reached nineteen percent of the global consumer catering market (Tansey, 1995: 133). From 1992 to 2003, expenditure spent on eating and drinking outside home has increased by 89. 9 per cent. (Website 1) These food shops provide roast chicken, pizza, etc. However, there is a limited choice of food and most of them have a high fat content (Millstein, 1993: 220). Excessive consumption predisposes individuals to a great deal of health problems in later life. Foods high in fats can cause high blood pressures, cancer, atherosclerosis and heart disease. In recent years, the increase in consciousness of healthy eating has forced the fast food chains to change their menu in order to survive. For example, McDonalds now offers a new menu which includes green salad, carrot sticks and a fresh fruit pack. This was done in response to public concern about the nutritional values of its food, following the film â€Å"Supersize Me†. This programme follows Morgan Spurlock who lived on nothing but McDonalds for an entire month. Spurlock risked his health the sake of this project and it resulted in numerous visits to the doctor. (Website 2) Increasingly, fast food chains have started to advertise with the concept of â€Å"light or low fat† meals. As a customer, we are often misled by these statements and believe that the â€Å"low fat† meal is a healthier option. The Times Newspaper compared the fat content and the price of a standard burger with a chicken caesar salad. (Website 3) With regards to the price, the salad costs twenty nine pence more than a Big Mac. Data shows that a chicken salad with dressing and croutons contains 21. 4g of fat, whereas a standard burger only contains 7. 7g of fat. Even adding a portion of chips to the burger will result in a smaller amount of fat (16. 7g) than the salad. (Website 3) One may think that the salad dressing causes the high fat content of the salad; however, this is not true.  © 2006 The International Journal of Urban Labour and Leisure 4 From the McDonalds website, a chicken caesar salad without a dressing still contains more fat than a burger. (Website 4) Another shocking data is the salt content of the crispy chicken ranch salad is more than half of the Government’s recommended daily allowance of 6g. (Website 4) Therefore, the salad which seems like a healthier option to the consumer is in fact more expensive and less healthy than a burger. Other than fast food chains, consumers can purchase fast food from the supermarkets. Ready meals, frozen or canned food can be categorized as fast food (Millstone, 2003: 94). With the invention of the microwave, ready meal culture has been further developed. There was a rapid increase in the sale of microwaves from five million in 1981 to seventy million in 2000 (Milldstone, 2003: 94). Microwaves enable food to be ready within minutes whereas it may take at least half an hour to cook a meal using the oven. In 1997, an Australian newspaper demonstrated how different social classes chose different fast foods (Germov, 1999: 137). Wealthier and well educated people believed that choosing takeaway foods such as Thai and Japanese are higher in nutrition (Germov, 1999: 137). On the other hand, people in the lower socioeconomic state tended to consume food with a high fat and salt content, for example, pizzas and burgers. Therefore, we could find â€Å"nutritional underclass† with distinct eating patterns (Germov, 1999: 137). Nutritional underclass refers to the difficulty of lower socioeconomic groups in making choices about food and diet. This is turn leads to a poor nutritional intake. By comparing different consumption patterns of takeaway food between people in different classes, two features have been developed. Firstly, fast food is consumed and well developed in all classes but wealthier people tend to have more choices available to them. Besides, most fast food does not provide the consumer with balanced nutritional values that we need from a meal. That is a reason why the public label fast food as unhealthy food. Our food consumption patterns are affected by different media in our society. These are a powerful way of educating the public with the knowledge of what is healthy to eat and how to eat healthy. The following paragraphs examine the effectiveness of the healthy eating promotions. Health Promotion (By Government, Media, Food Industries). Different groups have tried to promote healthy eating in their own distinct ways. Several groups take control over our choices of food and actively promote healthy eating. These include: the Government departments, the food industries and the media. The progress and the effectiveness of the healthy eating promotion campaigns within these sectors will now be examined. The Governments the dominant enforcement body has introduced many healthy eating promotion initiatives to push the nation to eat more healthily. Its aim is to enforce regulations on food production in a bid to prevent illness (Mennell, 1992:40), so as to reduce the costs and burden on National Health Service. The Government has come a long way on the healthy eating campaign. The emergence that some of  © 2006 The International Journal of Urban Labour and Leisure 5 our diets are responsible for certain diseases such as cancer, new food policies were created to improve and promote healthy eating (Baggott 2000,168). From the early 1970s onwards, the Government became more aware of the public’s diet and set up several organizations such as the Committee on the Medical Aspects of Food and Policy (COMA), the National Advisory Committee on Nutrition Education (NACNE) and the Joint Advisory Committee on Nutrition Education. (Baggott, 2000:136) Their mission was to provide nutritional advice to the public and promote healthy eating. (Beardsworth, 2000:136) However, the Government departments’ interference with the work of these organisations resulted in little success being achieved (Baggott 2000:170). With the increasing public interest in health and food safety in the 1990s, the Labour Government introduced tougher policies on food and health when they came to power in 1997 (Baggott, 2000:175). The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has been authorized a new set of powers to give nutrition guidelines and labelling advice. The FSA recommended six grams of salt per day and wanted to introduce the â€Å"colourcoded system† on ready-made foods, so customers could identify the fat, salt and sugar content of the food by the labels. The FSA believes that specific seasoning contained within the food, will determine whether it is healthy or not. Food with a low salt, fat and sugar content is considered to be healthy by the FSA. (Website 5) The colour-coded system will show consistency for all food packaging; therefore, it is easier for everyone, including children, to recognize the foods which are considered to be healthy and also reduces any confusion. In February 2004, the National Health Service (NHS) published a free booklet called â€Å"Five a Day Made Easy† to promote a healthier lifestyle. (Website 1) It believes that eating five portions of fruit or vegetable per day, is eating healthily. Therefore, the Government considers fruit and vegetables as the key element of healthy food. In November 2004, the FSA put forward the ‘traffic light labels’ to the Public Health White Paper. (Website 7) However, there are a lot of pressures around this recommendation. The food and farming industries were worried that full labelling indicating the fat, sugar and salt content will increase their cost and cause restriction on their marketing strategies. (Baggott 2000:171) Moreover, the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) who is the largest representative of the food and drink manufacturing companies pointed out that the ‘traffic light labels’ are too â€Å"simplistic, subjective and potentially misleading†. (Website 8) Rather than help consumers fit the labelled food into a balanced diet, it is likely that they will simply view the food as good or dismiss it as bad. There are pressures that prohibit the Government from implying more regulation on food labels. Since the closure of food industries do not simply lead to less food choices, but also a great deal of job losses and plunging of the economy, the Government is required to think carefully about the implications of new regulations and whether the new comprehensive food label would working on not. The media also plays an important role in promoting healthy eating concepts. The term media refers to television, radio, poster advertisements, and newspaper and magazine articles. With the media’s wide spread of power, the issues they brought up helped to give information on diets quickly. However, it is debatable whether all the media are impartial and helpful in improving our diets. Since most of the media  © 2006 The International Journal of Urban Labour and Leisure 6 relied on the advertising revenues to survive, concerns are made to the effect of their advertisers (Tansey, 1995:183). In the advertising aspect, American children watch 20,000 commercials a year where at least 10,000 of them are food products. (Millstein 1993:219) In Britain, food industries have spent forty billion every year on advertising (Millstone, 2003: 98). Food advertisements are wide spread on television, magazines, radio, internet and posters on the street. Most of the advertised products are branded and processed. More importantly, compared with the perishable food, they are high in sugars, refined starches, fats and added salt (Millstone, 2003:98). These advertisements persuade consumers to buy more. Food products such as chocolates and crisps are promoted to the teenage market (Conner, 2002:120). Children consume the confectionaries between meal times which lead them to miss out their meals, consequently, not acquiring enough nutrition (Dobson, 1994:19). The effects of advertisements are powerful, but not always helping to promote healthy eating ideas. Media can be a direct tool to help the public understand the scientific reports and learn about food safety and what is healthy to eat. However, sometimes the headlines of the news reports are misleading and exaggerated. One of examples is the headline from New York Times â€Å"Low fat diet does not cut health risks†, where that heading is referring to a study of women aged fifty to seventy-nine years old with respect to breast cancer research (Newsweek, March 2006). People who do not read the details will presume that low fat diet is useless in maintaining health, whereas if you read the whole article one will find out that low fat diet does not reduce your risk of breast cancer. The media penetrates every household and although it might not always guide the public on healthy foods, they are definitely helping to shape the future food consumption patterns. Food industries and the retailers produce and sell the food. Food industries promote their products in a healthy manner only because of the market’s need. The major concern of a food business is to make profit. There is a limit on how much a person can eat and consume, therefore the overall demand for food will not increase much. However, the food industries can further expand their market and make more profit by adding value to fresh food and turning them into commodity goods such as canned food, frozen food etc (Warde, 1997:191). Food processors have a set of ingredients to ‘add-value’, they are sugar, starch, fat and flavourings (Tansey, 1995:111). Consequently, processed food is not as healthy as raw food. In order to fulfil the customers’ health desires, supermarkets use healthy eating as one of their promotional strategies. Tesco has improved their company image by initiating healthy eating and has launched food labels on its retail products (Murcott, 1998:119). Although its original aim was to increase profit, it did arouse people’s attentions to eat healthier. On one hand, the supermarkets are promoting healthy eating; on the other hand, they develop all sort of processed food such as chilled and ready meals at the same time to exploit another market. Most supermarkets have developed their own branded products. This is to enlarge their market share rather than providing customers with a wider choice. One of the examples is chilled ready-meals where this kind of product was completely new in 1980s (Murcott, 1998:119). Marks and Spencer, as a pioneer, developed this market. By the 1990s, this market was worth over three hundred million pounds per annum  © 2006 The International Journal of Urban Labour and Leisure 7 (Murcott, 1998:119). These ready-meals are one of the processed foods with added salt and sugar. With confusing food labels on the packaging, consumers can hardly calculate how much salt they consume. Since the central aim of food manufacturers and retailers are to make profit, their intention to promote healthy eating is not convincing enough. There is still a baffling question of what to eat is value for money and good for health (Jenkins, 1991: 54). Do We Have a Choice to Eat Healthy? Although we are responsible for looking after our own health, the public, private and voluntary sectors have directed our choice of food. Our choices of food are affected by social, cultural and political factors rather than individuals’ preference. Social factors included class, age, family backgrounds considerations. The direct social-economical restriction of our choice of food is the amount of money we have available to spend on food. Jenkins supports this idea by noting that â€Å"knowledge is a source of consumer power, but only when you have got money to spend† (Jenkins, 1991:72). Our choices of food are based on the amount of wealth. He pointed out that poorer people tended to pay more for food. This is not only due to the limitation of transport, but due to the amount of product they could afford to buy (Jenkins, 1991: 74). Small purchases are more expensive compare with bulk sales. Poor people suffer from the consequences of supermarket sale strategy. For example, the price for two packs of chicken thighs is 148 pence per pound, whilst the price for eight packs of chicken thighs is 135 pence per pound (Jenkins, 1991:73). Customers will get a better deal if they buy products in bulk. This illustrates that poor people know how to eat healthily, but they cannot afford to do so. Other than getting food that is not value for money, poor people suffer the fact that they know what is good for them but cannot afford to purchase it. For poor people, food expenditure is elastic and paying for other bills to maintain the living is more important (Murcott, 1998:177). Cutting the food budget is the most direct way to save money. Therefore, even though parents know that fresh juice is more nutritional than squash, they can do nothing about it. At the end of the day, even if the government has successfully promoted the healthy eating concept to the public, certain people still do not eat healthily due to the financial constraints. Different age groups have various food consumption patterns. The elderly prefer to stick with the traditional food for instance roast meat, whereas young people adopt new things such as rice or curries easily (Murcott, 1998:175). There is a rapid development of convenience food, but it does not necessarily mean that people in all age groups enjoy more choices to eat healthy. The elderly is an example that demonstrates a negative perception on fast food and ready-meals and they believe that home-cooked food is healthier. Therefore, a larger range of processed products do not mean a greater choice of food for everyone. Our eating habits are also constructed by the environment in which we grow up. Therefore, our families have a direct effect on our diet. A research was carried out in the early 1980s, on all major aspects of family food provision and consumption (Rodmell, 1986:73). This study found that the role of the housewife did not  © 2006 The International Journal of Urban Labour and Leisure 8 automatically give you the power to make a decision of what to prepare for meals. Surprisingly, most housewives claimed that they would cook whatever their husbands liked, in order to please them. Some wives claimed that even though they did not like the unhealthy diets, they would still cook it for their husbands to reward them for a long working day. As a child, there was less choice; they had to eat what was given to them. As a result, our tastes of food are customized by the working men. Recently, with the increasing number of single parent households, where many of them are either unemployed or earn a small amount of money, the choice of food remains to the individuals who purchase food for the rest of the family. Cultural differences affect our choices of food and whether we know how to eat healthily with our ethnicity backgrounds and traditions. There is a diversity of health implications and how people define healthy choices among different cultures. People have their own traditions in choosing and cooking food. ‘One size fits all’ health education programmes do not fit all the ethnics. One of the examples is that in Chinese traditions, food is divided in to ‘yang’ (hot) and ‘yin’ (cold), where eating yang food when our body is in yin’s condition and vice versa (Germov, 1999:150). Therefore, the health professionals have to study the background of minority groups and teach them to eat healthily without spoiling their culture. To familiarise the ethnic minority groups with the nutrient value, specialists about particular cultures are required to educate the minority group with healthy eating knowledge. There have been a few changes in food labelling policy, but these regulations have never requested manufacturers to provide a comprehensive nutrition label. As a customer, we have the right to know what kind of ingredients are in the processed food that we are consuming. However, food industries remain powerful and can keep the customers in ignorance. The Health Education Authority performed a survey with regards to food labels in the early 1990s (Hea, 1996:19). In this survey, twenty five percent of the informants have never read the nutritional information on food packages. This shows that the food label is important in directing food choices, as three quarters of those questioned follow guidance from the nutritional advice. Therefore, providing a comprehensive label on food packaging is essential. In recent years, a great deal of new products has had dishonest slogans on them, such as â€Å"low fat†, â€Å"freshly squeezed†, and â€Å"no artificial additives† (Jenkins, 1991:43). For example, olestra is a type of oil used to produce ‘low fat’ products. However, it brings significant side effects such as abdominal cramps when we consume it in large amounts (Germov, 1999:303). As a customer, reading the food label is not sufficient to conclude whether a particular product is healthy or not, we have to under the meaning behind these â€Å"low fat† products. In a food market where food labels are not universal and some of the packaging is misleading, there is no way to ensure that the product we choose is healthy. Knowing what is healthy is not good enough for the contemporary food market, consumers also have to learn and understanding the meanings behind the food labels. Therefore, understanding how to eat healthily is important, but regulations on food labels are also essential.  © 2006 The International Journal of Urban Labour and Leisure 9 Methodology. Research Aim There are a few aims for this research. This study aims to explore perceptions on the healthy eating concept and review the reasons behind people’s choice of food. Furthermore, it seeks to examine awareness of Government policies on healthy eating promotion. It is also important to examine the reliability of food labels and the popularity of fast food culture. Semi-structured Interviews. It is important to see if there is a correlation between the literatures in chapter one and the research I do, therefore, selecting an appropriate way to carry out this research is essential. Semi-structured interviews were held on a one-to-one basis where interviewees were given a few topics to discuss. This interview consisted of three main parts. Part A is concerned about the interviewees’ healthy eating concepts and their view of contemporary eating culture. By understanding how they defined a healthy diet, participants were asked to review their food consumption habits, restrictions on food shopping and their opinion on fast food culture. In the final of the interview, I enquired about their knowledge on Government policies and supermarket promotions on healthy eating. This research aimed to understand people’s view and opinion rather than to test their knowledge and numerical data. Therefore, it is more suitable to use a qualitative approach. Qualitative research helps to develop interviewees’ personal opinions and experiences for this research. The research is based on one-to-one semi structured interviews, which allows me to have more freedom in developing the interview and pursue further questions in response to the replies received (Bryman, 2004:543). Each interview lasted approximately an hour in order to allow interviewees to express themselves fully. In order not to interfere with the interview, I did not express my opinions on the topics. I guided the discussions with the same topic questions for everyone.