Strategic Information System Accounting Software or Packages

Question: Examine about theStrategic Information Systemfor Accounting Software or Packages. Answer: Bookkeeping Software or Packages utilized in Australia Destruction of manual or the paper base bookkeeping framework in Australia in mid 200 is seen and seen to have extraordinary effect on the exercises of numerous SMEs associations. The presentation of GST framework constrained more strain to the Small Business Enterprises to utilize the cutting edge bookkeeping frameworks. The appropriations just as the utilization of new bookkeeping frameworks suggests the usage of the vital data framework in an association, the SMEs which received new bookkeeping frameworks while executing the Enterprise Resource Planning are disclosed to have gain the upper hand over the current rivals in their individual industry. The primary conceptualizes of Enterprise Resource Planning is the utilization of modernized framework to work the money related exercises of the association. Clearly, the bookkeeping data frameworks in Australia is seen to help amazing execution of the Small Business Enterprises. As indicated by Finkelstein Farbey, 2004, the reception of new innovation through the usage of ERP goes about as the mainstay of progress to numerous business ventures. Xero Accounting Software History As indicated by Mayasari, 2015, Xero bookkeeping framework was created in 2006 by Xero Company in Australia. The exploration shows that, the bookkeeping programming was created to urge the SMEs to embrace the utilization of innovation through the execution of Enterprise Resource Planning (Mayasari, 2015). Advancement The advancement of Xero bookkeeping programming is figured to display the amazing advancement of numerous business associations. The movement and advancement is shown by the usefulness of the bookkeeping framework towards improving the organization execution. Lord 2015, expressed that the bookkeeping programming functions admirably with the inspecting framework, utilized by the reviewers while they play out their review strategies. Appropriation As per Drury, Vickers, and Xero Limited, 2015, numerous organizations in Australia have embraced the utilization of bookkeeping framework while they play out their business tasks, particularly the money related exercises of the organization. The part of multi-cash is among the essential factor that has constrained the organizations to receive the utilization of the Xero bookkeeping framework, it permits the SMES to play out their business exercises utilizing various monetary forms. Drury and Vickers, 2015 expressed that the data framework can refreshed the monetary information of the organization up to the current date. Current Market Share The piece of the pie of Xero bookkeeping framework is characterized by the market approach utilized by the organizations in Australia. As indicated by Xero Company money related detailing of 2015, Xero bookkeeping programming has increase a great deal of colleague in Australian business Environment. The report from the organization shows that more than 260,000 customer and more that 10,000 colleagues are utilizing the Xero bookkeeping framework, this speaks to 16% ascent in 2015 contrasted with 6-year prior. Pioneers of Xero Software As per Chris Ridd, the previous Chief Executive Officer of Xero Company, SMEs in Australia are the main partners who have reliably embrace the utilization of the bookkeeping framework ( King, 2015). Upper hand As per King, 2015 a few variables have been assessed to be the essential perspective which pushes the reception of the Xero bookkeeping framework. Xero bookkeeping programming gives intergraded money related administrations that lead to exactness in numerous business exchanges, the precise bookkeeping data is utilized by the organization the board to settle on exhaustive choice which are line up with the organization objectives and goals. As per Rosen, 2016, Xero bookkeeping framework gives the cloud sparing administrations, where the bookkeeping information can refreshed up date. Difficulties of utilizing Xero Accounting Package Rose, 2016 expressed that, the Xero bookkeeping programming gives the cloud sparing monetary administrations, driving the SMEs to bring about significant expense of introducing the product and other related innovative elements. Absence of prepared representative who have pertinent ability of utilizing the bookkeeping framework influences the activity of the SMEs associations. The organizations are prescribed to guarantee that they set enough capital for the establishment of the product just as utilizing the certified staff. MYOB Accounting Software History MYOB bookkeeping bundle was created by Christopher Lee in 1980. The organization which built up the product is an Australian worldwide organization which give advertising administrations to SMEs, the organization gave finance framework just as the business programming to the little organizations. Advancement The report gave by MYOB Company, the bookkeeping bundle is grown expecially for SMEs for the motivation behind accounting. It is created such that it is anything but difficult to utilize, and keeps the money related budgetary records according to the business activity. Reception As indicated by Mayasari, 2015, the selection of MYOB bookkeeping framework is invigorated by the limit of the parent organization converging with the neighborhood organizations. The area of the MYOB organization in Australia urge numerous organizations to embrace the elements of MYOB in their business activities ( Mayasari, 2015). Current Market Size The exploration directed by Curtis, 2015 got some answers concerning the piece of the pie of the MYOB bookkeeping bundle. One of the essential factor that prompted an expansion in piece of the overall industry of the MYOB bundle is the highlights identifying with cloud sparing. As indicated by this examination, more than 26,000 SMEs have received the utilization of MYOB bookkeeping programming, this speak to 60% of the Australian market (Curtis, 2015). Pioneers of MYOB Accounting programming Little Medium Enterprise are the essential chiefs who have embraced the utilization of MYOB bookkeeping programming, they use it since it make a superior business condition that improves wellbeing business rivalry. Upper hand of MYOB The essential part of MYOB picking up the upper hand over different organizations is a result of its capacity to work on the web and disconnected and in this way permitting the Small Business Enterprise to gain admittance to numerous customers. Difficulties of utilizing MYOB Independent company Enterprises neglects to receive completely on the new bookkeeping framework in view of the security factors. The MYOB bookkeeping programming is to a great extent exposed to security achievements, for example, hacking. As indicated by Arcega, Datinguinoo, and Manongsong, 2015, an estimation of 46% of MYOB bookkeeping bundles are influenced by hacking. Absence of prepared work force likewise is as yet a major test to the SMEs in Australia. The private venture association are prescribed to guarantee that they introduced the pertinent security framework, for example, firewall and utilize experience faculty. Intuit Quickbooks Sccounting Software History QuickBooks bookkeeping programming is a typical bookkeeping framework that is utilized by both SMEs and huge business endeavors. It was created by Intuit Company in 1983 by Scott Cook, the development of this bookkeeping framework was bolstered by Daniel Drew (Rosen, 2016). Advancement As per Dunbar, Laing, and Wynder, 2016, QuickBooks Intuit Software was not supporting the twofold section budgetary passages; it was created and improved by the organization. The improvement of QuickBooks Intuit Software was bolstered by the arrival of new items and administrations gave by the Intuit Software organization (Dunbar, Laing, and Wynder, 2016). The work process in numerous association in Australia was diminished by over 40% as a result of the productivity and adequacy of QuickBooks Intuit Software. The new form discharged in 2003 was to work as per the authoritative business activity, with its main role of decreasing the work process just as limiting the conceivable bookkeeping mistakes. Appropriation QuickBooks Intuit bookkeeping bundle was the main component of the vital data framework utilized by the organizations, it was acknowledged by numerous SMEs since it was started and proposed by the government of Australia after the presentation of GST approach. As indicated by Rajasa, and Faturachman, 2015, SMEs in Australia have improve consistently as a result of the reception of the QuickBooks Intuit programming ( Rajasa, and Faturachman, 2015) Current market Size Lambert, and Bee, 2015 in their Journal demonstrated that huge number of SMEs in Australia are utilizing the QuickBooks in their business exercises. It is evaluated that, 33,000 organizaiton in Australia are utilizing the QuickBooks bookkeeping framework, this demonstrates the piece of the pie of QuickBooks Intuit is as yet developing (Lambert, and Bee, 2015). As indicated by Supratim Adhikari 2015, one of the innovation editors, showed that Australia is the Intuit quickest developing zone. Her report demonstrates that Australia has over 300% piece of the overall industry of QuickBooks. Pioneers of QuickBooks The QuickBooks bookkeeping programming in Australia is generally utilized by the Small Medium Enterprises, the private venture association foresees to improve their business relationship with their customers. Sholto Macpherson indicated that the SMEs use QuickBooks bookkeeping programming to set up a string client relationship. Upper hand of QuickBooks As indicated by Jones, and Jones, 2016, they clarifies the upper hand of QuickBooks bookkeeping framework and its significance to the organization money related activities. Their discoveries demonstrate that Small Medium business picks up the upper hand of the QuickBooks on the grounds that they mean to track and screen their business benefits, and other related activity, the organizations can identify any deviation or the difficulty that may the influences the business activity, where the elective arrangements are given (Arcega, Datinguinoo, and Manongsong, 2015). Difficulties of QuickBooks Accounting Package Among the difficulties of is absence of prepared subordinate to utilize the Intuit bookkeeping frameworks. Association manageme

Blood Transfusion

BIOPURE INDUSTRIESA Marketing Analysis Based on the information from the contextual analysis by Jonn Gourville, Biopure Corporation , HBS, 1998April 20, 2005By Veronica Stepanova Executive Summary†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 2 Situation AnalysisI. Human Market†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 3II. Animal Market†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 5 Marketing Planâ for oxyglobin†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚ ¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 6 Finalâ decision†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 7 Appendix 1 An (Excel records, separate connection) Appendix 1 B Executive Summary Many open doors are accessible in the human blood advertise because of a few disservices of thecurrently accessible other options. Much more open doors exist in theâ animal blood advertise. †¢Oxyglobin ought to be situated as a top notch item intended for center to upper-classbudgets. †¢The cost for Oxyglobin ought to be about $200 for the shopper and around $100 for the supplier(animal emergency clinic) to represent dispersion markups and otherâ carrying costs. †¢Distribution ought to be arranged in the regionalâ vicinity of the activity and actualize largerclinics.In e xpansion, just crisis facilities are to be focused on. Current open doors are ideal for Oxyglobin’s dispatch. Circumstance Analysis I. Human blood showcase. †¢Patients with intense blood misfortune fromâ traumaâ and medical procedure †40% people matured 65+. †¢Chronic anemiaâ patients (any age) †1. 5 million for the year 1995. †¢Blood misfortune, coming about because of injury (e. g. auto crash) and surpassing 2-3 units (1 unit = 10% ofâ total blood substance of human body) needs immediateâ blood transfusion. †¢Price is to a great extent cost-based (capacity, execution) †blood gift is free.Existing choices. †¢Red blood cellsâ and their parts (hemoglobin, platelets, and plasma) areâ collected viadonations, composed by blood assortment focuses andâ then transfused into patients. †¢Current choices take into consideration stockpiling for 6â weeks in refrigerated conditions, thus arranged ofâ if unused. Hemoglobin utilizes o xygen-conveying effectiveness by half if not usedâ within the initial scarcely any weeks. †¢Blood transfusion is liable to blood composing (A, B, AB, O, positive, negative) andreception/dismissal by the body. Mistaken coordinating might be fatalâ for the patient. Contamination hazards hinder the procedure ofâ testing blood before its utilization and areâ greater if blood isnot isolated into parts. Diseases incorporate the dangers of AIDS, hepatitis B,â and tainting. †¢Blood transfusion is accessible on location just (medical clinic or crisis room); as aâ result, 30% traumapatients bite the dust preceding activity. †¢Blood flexibly is lower than request, particularly during top periods (summerâ months and winterholidays, during which vehicle and other travel increments ? less contributors and more patients). Blood substitutes. †¢3 organizations in conclusive stages anticipating FDA approval (clinical testing). Passage into advertise is troublesome (ever y present procedure protected) andâ time-expending †may takeup to 17 years (See case Exhibit 3). Potential to supplant current blood drawing process byâ component partition and refinement, aswell as substance change and adjustment of hemoglobin. Decreased danger of sullying and expanded stockpiling ability of 2 years. Included advantages for patients with choked or confined veins (littler size improvedaccessibility to organs). Probability of adjusting creature platelets for use inâ humans. Danger of poisonousness and body dismissal (sped upâ excretion). Contenders/industry players .A. Baxter & Northfield Laboratories. †¢Both depend on human blood gracefully toâ derive hemoglobin. †¢Red platelets got from lapsed banks. †¢Require refrigeration. Baxter: †¢Leader being developed and assembling of blood-arranged clinical hardware. †¢Large office †creation limit of 1 million units/year, burned through $250â million on R&D. †¢Product †HemAssist †to beâ priced between $600-$800. Northfield: †¢Small office â€â 10,000-unit creation ability yet conceivable development intoâ 300,000 units/year. Concentrate on single item (PolyHeme), $70 million spent on advancement. B. Biopure Corporation. †¢Specializes in protein cleaning for pharmaceutical use. †¢Hemopure 2 years from definite endorsement. †¢Derived from the blood of dairy cattle. †¢Production limit of 150,000 butâ possible creation constraints because of expected concurrentusage of creation gear for creature variant. †¢Need for expulsion ofâ hemoglobin groups from item? abundance process inâ production capacity. †¢Cost for Biopure at $1. 50 for every unit of creature blood, yet plan to coordinate Baxter’s cost for finalconsumer product.II. Creature blood advertise. †¢Mainly felines (35%) and hounds (half). †¢800 hounds were brought to emergencyâ treatment because of intense blood misfortune in 1995,â 2. 5% extreme. Existing alternatives. †¢15,000 veterinary facilities. †¢5% of vet centers perform crisis care, with a 75% referral rate from essential careâ clinics. †¢Current blood donation centers deficient, request enormously surpasses flexibly: 2. 5 out of 30â cases treated. †¢93% blood drawn from giver creatures (78%â in crises) †a morally sketchy practice. †¢150 units of blood transfused per crisis care, 17 perâ primary care focus (Appendix A). No powerful blood composing or cross-coordinating frameworks. †¢Blood assortment, stockpiling, and transfusion unreasonably expensive for legitimate activity. †¢Current cost of clinical careâ to creature proprietors moderately high, bothersome. ? 84% specialist disappointment with current other options. Blood substitutes. †¢Biopure’s Oxyglobin as of now the main existing FDA-affirmed substitute prepared for dispatch. †¢No apparent synthetic contrast in theâ produc tion process among creature and human enhancement. †¢Animal supplement endorsed sooner than human proportionate because of less-severe guidelines in theanimal purchaser showcase. Creation limit of 300,000 units, $200 million spent on advancement (joined withHemopure) Marketing Plan for OxyglobinPositioning system. Most creature proprietors (fans) can beâ assumed to be inside the center toâ upperincome class, in view of the superfluous expenses of possessing a creature (allude to case Exhibit 8 for a rundown ofâ average expenses of keeping aâ pet). Notwithstanding, numerous buyers demonstrated to beâ price-cognizant about spendingadditional assets on discretionary administrations (this will be examined further in theâ pricing methodology); along these lines, nopremium procedure ought to be used.The item ought to be situated asâ a excellent enhancement forblood transfusion, accessible to (moderate by) most creature proprietors. Valuing procedure. As refered to, animalâ ow ners hope to go through restricted measures of cash onâ animal care; thisis marginally unique for crisis circumstances, where clients are eager to spend more,â as demonstratedby the review results (Exhibit 8; Table B). The run of the mill cost of aâ blood transfusion to the client iscurrently $100 for the conventional strategy; notwithstanding, this value wasâ said to have been cost-unjustified.Still,veterinarians were refered to as theâ trusted hotspot for deciding a patient’s treatment choice, which putspressure on the new substitute portion to setâ a serious value standard. While overall revenues mayprove higher on a more extravagant thing, theâ product’s affectability to notoriety for being a supposedlyâ€Å"better, less expensive alternative† to right now accessible choices, which would fulfill the at present generally unfulfilled interest for blood transfusion, would pressure Biopure to value its Oxyglobin agreeing tocustomer desires (See â€Å"Exi sting options†, page 5 of this report).Those desires, asâ we can seefrom the joined index (Appendix 1 An and B), are that the cost to the shopper be about $200 ($100to the veterinarian †keeping theâ 50% markup), which would give the organization the largestâ marginal gainin incomes (more significant expenses are really marginalâ losses! ), while as yet holding the significant interest (weconsider crisis care focuses increasingly significant here,â since they have, relatively, a much largerdemand than essential consideration centers).In terms of theâ price distinction among Oxyglobin and its competitorin the human section, Baxter, the last burned through $50 million more on R&D than Biopure, so the pricepremium on Baxter can beâ justified by greater expenses; furthermore, Biopure’s per-unit costs are significantlysmaller in light of the fact that it utilizes steers blood. Moreover, Biopure may value Hemopure marginally higher in light of the fact that ofà ¢ the additional handling that goes into making it,â as well as the variety inâ the portion and target audience(people are happy to spend more onâ themselves than on creatures). Distribution.Biopure should just objective crisis careâ practices. In spite of the fact that those solitary make up 5% ofâ the in general industry, 75% p

Tips On How To Write An Essay High

Tips On How To Write An Essay HighWriting an essay is something that many people dread doing. In fact, the main reason most students dread writing an essay is because they lack the knowledge of how to write a paper. In this article, we will take a look at some tips on how to write an essay high.The first thing you need to understand when writing an essay is that an essay is actually not difficult to write. In fact, it is really simple. There are two parts to a great essay: the introduction and the body. In order to make the introduction more interesting, you will want to be careful not to go into too much detail about the topic. Just enough information to allow for a lively argument will do.The body of the essay should also be interesting. Here, you will be able to present and support your thesis. This can be done by using examples and pictures. This will give the reader a sense of empathy for your thesis.A good introduction and body should have strong language and avoid awkward or p rofane language. As stated before, an argument should be persuasive and not offensive. Always try to express yourself in a way that is not offensive.Now that you know how to write an essay high, you need to learn how to structure your essay. When you are writing an essay, you need to come up with a topic first. Once you have a topic, you can begin to lay out your argument. This will involve laying out the topic, outlining the idea you are trying to get across, and then finally focusing on the argument.Writing a thesis statement or introduction is usually the toughest part of the paper. You will want to think about what kind of title or heading you want to give the paper. You can also use this time to write a summary of the points you want to make.Once you have written the introduction and arguments, you can start on the outline. You want to make sure that all of the major points are in place before you start to go over the outline. The outline will also help you organize your though ts.Keep in mind that it is okay to have several points that you want to get across throughout your essay. However, you will want to make sure that your arguments and statements are strong. If your argument has weak points, the reader will lose interest quickly.

Prison Reform During The United States - 1456 Words

Ashlyn Frazier Taylor English IV October 20, 2015 Prison Reform in America For many years now, the criminal justice system has become stricter, causing more and more people to be arrested and sentenced to prison. As prisons become more occupied, the living conditions, health, and treatment of prisoners starts to deteriorate, which has become a trend over the last few decades. However, President Obama has noticed this prison environment and has taken a stand in saying that something needs to be done about it. Though many people would argue that prison reform is unnecessary because prisoners deserve to be treated poorly, there is sufficient evidence that shows that the current conditions end up doing more harm mentally and physically to the†¦show more content†¦It is unnecessary for many of these criminals to be held in prison since there isn’t any room for them in the first place. One way that the federal prison system can ease the overcrowding problem would be to simply release the non-violent criminals back into society with a fine or on pr obation. The overcrowding that is contained within many prisons causes the facilities to become more and more inhumane with the number of prisoners added each year. Many prisons suffer from lack of resources for their inmates such as proper medical facilities, extra prison cells, and resources to reduce idleness, which causes the conditions of the prisons and the treatment of the prisoners to worsen. With overcrowding, prisoners become victims of unconstitutional treatment, and many will suffer and die if this chronic overcrowding continues (Mayeux 9). Though many people would argue that prisoners deserve the harsh conditions that come with overcrowded prisons, they need to remember that prisoners are people too and are subject to the same natural rights as every American citizen, including the eighth amendment which declares â€Å"no cruel or unusual punishment†(Brown v. Plata 1). The supreme court case Brown v. Plata actually states that the overcrowded population of prison s is a violation of one’s constitutional rights (Brown v. Plata 1). But overcrowding doesn’t just effect prisoners, it also

Risk Management Task 1a - 4779 Words

JIT Task 1 Risk Management Risk Management From the last decade risk management is the most researched and exciting area in the financial industry as it elaborates how to minimize and avert the hazard of risk from the portfolios of different assets and from the operations of financial institutions. Regulators and depositors mainly emphasize the risk management and according to them risk management is an essential ingredient to enhance the value of shareholders and increase their level of confidence. Risk management is the assessment of risks to mitigate, monitor and control the probability or impact on uncertain events. Risk management methods vary from industry to industry for instance it cannot be same for project management,†¦show more content†¦Companies and governments operating in the complex economic environment of the 21st century must contend with a broad range of risks. Some do so in an adhoc or reactive fashion, responding to risks as they appear, whilst others are proactive, planning in advance the risks that they wish to assume and how they can best manage them. Since it has become clear over the past few years that risk can be financially damaging when neglected, anecdotal and empirical evidence suggests that institutions increasingly opt for formalized processes to manage uncertainties that can lead to losses. Risk can be classified in a number of ways and though we do not intend to present a detailed taxonomy of risk, a brief overview is useful in order to frame my discussion. To begin, risk can be divided broadly into financial risk and operating risk. 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Human Immunodeficiency Virus ( Hiv ) - 1325 Words

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), the agent causing AIDS, is arguably the deadliest infectious disease to affect humans. Not only because of the affects it has on the body by the eventual collapse of the immune system, but because it is a master at evading and escaping the immune responses and antiretroviral drugs by constantly mutating and maintaining genetic variation. Vaccines are designed to recognize specific viral antigens which makes it almost impossible to develop one against HIV. Recent studies have claimed that it is the immune response that puts the selective pressure on the virus to mutate that allows it to escape and persist. Others claim that it is the large turn over rate, rapid mutation rate, or ability to hide latently integrated into the host cell’s DNA. Here I will present specific studies to try to determine what is the dominating factor that allows HIV to escape and persist. Introduction In 2014, there was an estimate of 36.9 million people and climbing living with HIV, and with a fatality rate of 100%, AIDS is disputably the deadliest infectious disease to strike mankind (UNAIDS). This number continually increases, not necessarily because more are becoming infected; however, because more people are receiving antiretroviral therapy globally and living longer. Nonetheless, even though HIV infections are declining, there is still an astronomical number of new infections and deaths occurring yearly. The development of HIV antivirals and vaccines has beenShow MoreRelatedHuman Immunodeficiency Virus ( Hiv )1359 Words   |  6 PagesThis paper explores the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) as well as the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV). The virus has infected two million adults and children by the year 2005 already. 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HIV attacks the immune system by destroying CD4+ T cells, which leaves the person infected with HIV vulnerable to other infections, diseases, and other complications.1 Once this virus is acquired, the human can never fully rid itself of thisRead MoreHuman Immunodeficiency Virus ( Hiv )884 Words   |  4 Pages(2010), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a virus that affects the human immune system, leading to a chronic, progressive sickness that leaves people susceptible to opportunistic infectio ns. When the body no longer can fight or resist infections, the condition is at this point referred to as AIDS, which means Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. Averagely, it has been found to take more than ten years to develop from initial infection of HIV to AIDS. Though simple in description, HIV and AIDSRead MoreThe Human Immunodeficiency Virus ( Hiv )862 Words   |  4 Pagesshown that the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is the cause of AIDS. 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Even with proper treatment, an infected person has a life expectancy of less than ten years.As the virus weakens t he human immune systems, this effectleaves the patient compromised and at risk to opportunistic infections

West African Muslims in the Bronx free essay sample

The space heater’s overheated electric cord ignited a small fire. While the woman sleeping on the first floor hurriedly warned and sought help from others in the house, the fire intensified beyond their control and within minutes had engulfed the entire building. In the aftermath, a total of ten people died, with nine of these being children. Apart from 9/11, it was New York City’s deadliest fire in 17 years. The families involved in the tragic fire were Soninke, an ethnic group that numbers around two million total people. They, along with other ethnic groups from Francophone West Africa, are almost exclusively Muslim. When the news of the tragic event spread, thousands of dollars were donated from individuals and businesses to assist the families involved. However, the most newsworthy responses from New Yorkers came not from removed donators, but from the West African community itself. While West African mosques and associations gathered, organized, and represented West Africans and the families involved in the fire, America received a candid look into the culture and religion of Muslim West Africans in the city. West Africans’ Space in the Larger Muslim Community Hailing mainly from such countries as Mali, Guinea, Gambia, Senegal, Niger, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire and Sierra Leone, West African Muslims are just one fiber in a convoluted thread of Muslim ethnic groups in the New York City metro area. An estimated 600,000 Muslims live in New York City itself, while an estimated 800,000 live in the New York City metro area. Within these numbers, community estimates place around 100,000 West African Muslims in the metro area, making them one of the more populous Muslim communities in the city. These large numbers, however, are not commensurate with the measure of influence or voice West Africans have in the overall Muslim community. There are several reasons why West Africans Muslims do not have much influence or interest in the activities of the broader Muslim populace. First, there is a Sahara desert that literally and figuratively separates West Africans from the Arab world. Ironically, while much of West Africa has adopted the culture and practice of the Arab-centric religion of Islam, Arabic people are not looked upon with favor by the average West African. This might have something to do with the fact that millions of black Africans were enslaved or sold as slaves by Arabs from 650-1900 AD! In reality, despite the illegality of the act, some Arab-background people still enslave black Africans in places like Mauritania, Mali, and Niger. Needless to say, despite their adoption of Islam, West Africans are often not too fond of Arabs. Second, the ascension of fundamental Islam in the world casts a World Trade Center-sized shadow over New York City, thrusting all those with a Muslim identity or perceived similitude (just ask the turbaned Sikhs†¦who are not Muslim by the way) into a defensive posture. Many Muslim groups in the city used 9/11 as a platform to expound on the â€Å"truth of Islam† as a way and religion of peace. In this stance, the 9/11 terrorists were derided as â€Å"not Muslim,† and every effort was made to paint a completely different picture of Islam. Their efforts were largely successful, as the New York City public currently tends to have the perception that mainstream Islam is a peaceful religion. It is not coincidental that the public face of the Muslim New York community has made a switch over the last few years from Siraj Wahhaj, a boisterous African-American imam from Brooklyn who is an alleged co-conspirator in the 1993 bombing plot of the World Trade Center, to Shamsi Ali, who is a very mild and moderate Indonesian imam that encourages religious dialogue. Apart from the just stated offensive approach to defending Muslim identity in light of 9/11, some Muslim groups have tended towards reticence and/or disassociation from other Muslim groups. This stance, of course, draws little attention from the public, and frees up Muslim groups to tend to their own community. West African mosques are inclined towards this approach. They are almost exclusively interested in their own activities and community, and are consequently not as involved in the cooperative activities of the broader Muslim population. Third, the groups that are the most influential in the larger Muslim community are primarily the ones that are most established in America, as well as those who have money or have access to money. West Africans fall short in both of these categories. A majority of West Africans Muslims in the country came to America in the 1980s and 1990s. As most of these were undocumented immigrants, only those at the front end of migration benefited from the 1986 amnesty that granted proper documentation and the ability to legally bring family to the United States. With a majority of their population facing legal obstacles, and with limited experience in America, West Africans have yet to a garner a major role in the development of Islam in New York. Furthermore, West Africans do not have the same resources at their disposal as other groups. According to the 2006 United Nations Human Development Index, all of the West African countries with a majority Muslim population can be found in a list of the least 25 developed countries in the world, with the four least developed countries, in order, being Niger, Sierra Leone, Mali, and Burkina Faso. The establishment of extensive Islamic institutions in New York City that reach beyond their own community would seem excessive when the needs of their own community in New York and Africa seem so broad. Fourth, the focus of West African immigrants seems to be different than most other Muslim groups in regards to their affiliation and attachment to America. Almost all West Africans view America as a place to make money in order to return to West Africa to start new businesses and to provide a better standard of living for their families. Their diminutive attachment to America can be found in the fact that many men leave their wives and children in Africa while working in America. Though years may go by without seeing their family, the wives and children of many African men stay in waiting until their head of household permanently returns. On the contrary, other Muslim ethnic groups in New York City tend to bring entire families over, buy property, and set up highly structured institutions. As Mohammad-Arif rightly points out in her book, Salaam America, South Asian Muslims rarely return to their home country permanently due to economic, familial, psychological, and sometimes even political reasons, even though returning may have been their original intent. West Africans, on the other hand, have somewhat of a user mentality towards America. As a result, they never become too concerned with investing themselves in American political, cultural, or even religious issues. As they do not have a long-term mentality towards the country, they have little concern with contributing to the spread of Islam in the area, or even more so, with fighting for Islamic rights or the strengthening of the Muslim voice in America. Bleeding More Muslim When pressed in asking about religious identity, it is not uncommon for a West African to proclaim, â€Å"If you prick my skin, I bleed Muslim. † However, in reality, if one were to dig deep into the skin of West African Muslims, one would not find Islam but an animistic core that entices Africans to fear, manipulate, and appease evil spirits. Islam is merely used as one component in dealing with the world of djinn (evil spirits). This religious adherence is sometimes called, â€Å"Folk Islam. † I ran across an incredible example of this in the fabled Grand Mosque of Timbuktu in Mali (yes, Timbuktu really exists). Off to the side of the large prayer room, two unmarked doors stood side-by-side. Color was the only trait that distinguished the doors from one another, as one was red and the other black. Our Tamajeq guide pointed to the doors and claimed, â€Å"The red door is for the good marabout (something like a Muslim sorcerer). You see him when you want to get help for doing good things, like getting pregnant. The other door†¦well, this one is for the bad marabout, who will help you inflict harm on other people. Say†¦if you are the first wife and the second wife is getting all the attention†¦you can go see the marabout behind the black door. † Even in New York City, where West Africans insist that the need of marabouts is much less because there are not as many spirits, the spirit world is still seen as a major factor in sickness, success, and wealth. Some of the West African street vendors in Harlem, many of whom live in the Highbridge rea of the Bronx, sell items of spiritual significance alongside their traditional fare of shea butter, perfume, and incense. One particular â€Å"incense† item, while sold as standard incense to African-Americans and other patrons, is sold to West African Muslims â€Å"to ward off evil spirits. † In talking with the very man who sold these items, I was intrigued by his statements made about a Malian sorcerer who had just stopped by to chat and advertise his services. The West African street vendor said, â€Å"That man is not good. He claims to be Muslim, but he is not a good Muslim. NO†¦. practicing medicine like that? That is very bad. That is not the way of Allah. † It is interesting that even though these comments were made, the street vendor himself sold an item to protect people from spirits. Perhaps the need of selling such items was felt due to the presence of West African sorcerers in New York. With the presence of sorcerers, West Africans sense that evil could be directed towards them at any time. They then feel the need to counter this act with their own protective medicine and charms/incense to ward off djinn. In talking with one Malian man about an upcoming West African parade, he balked, â€Å"You won’t find me there. That’s a good place to pick up a stinger. † When asked to describe a stinger, he said, â€Å"You know, when the sorcerer gets you†¦they’re going to be everywhere. NO†¦I don’t get around that many Africans at one time. † While â€Å"Folk Islam† is certainly the background of West Africans that come to New York, there is an overall consensus that djinn are less of a concern in the city compared to Africa. Resultantly, many find themselves becoming more orthodox in Islamic practice and, in effect, â€Å"bleeding more Muslim. The Rise of the Mosque. Anyone who has ever lived in another country knows the difficulty of getting oriented, assimilated, maintaining cultural values and identity, as well as dealing with homesickness. When an African arrives in New York City, their first point of contact is with relatives, frie nds, or acquaintances. However, these contacts are usually very limited, and with the lack of large African cultural spaces or associations, there is usually only one place to find the sense of community that is so innate in African society and culture. This place is found in one of the fifteen-or-so West African mosques in the city. The mosque and the imam (Muslim priest) have much different roles in West Africa than they do in the lives of West African New York. In West Africa, the mosque is simply a place of worship, and the imam spends almost all of his time studying, leading prayers, and expounding on the Qur’an (Muslim holy book) and Hadith (the traditions of Mohammed). Furthermore, marabouts tend to have more religious influence in West Africa than even the imams. As society is the strongest force on community, social, and religious life, the practice of Islam can often be treated as secondary to other social and cultural factors. However, the West Africans’ placement in America lands them on much different soil, in which familiar spaces of social, cultural, and political interaction have been taken away. The only institution that stands strategically placed to address the needs of the West African community is the mosque. It comes as no surprise, then, that West Africans quickly established ethnic mosques all over Harlem, Bronx, and parts of Brooklyn. On any given Friday, juma sermons can be heard in Soninke, Bambara, Jula, Maninka, Mandinka, Wolof, Hausa, and Pulaar. These mosques naturally emerged into not only religious centers, but also social, political, and commercial ones as well. Elements of West African society that had little to do with the mosque have become merged into the function of every West African mosque in the city, increasing the importance of Islam, religious practice and attendance, and the role of the imam as well. The imam, who has been thoroughly trained in the Qur’an and Hadith, must now become familiar with local politics, law enforcement, development/health/community organizations, immigration issues, business, real estate, and might even act as a potential matchmaker for marriages! The Bronx fire illuminated the influence of the West African mosques, as well as the fluidity between existent West African mosques. In the media circus that followed the Bronx fire, it was the West African imams and mosques that played the prominent role in organizing the West African community, communicating to reporters, and collecting the abundance of funds for the affected families. While there were certainly accompanying photographs of the affected families and friends of those who died, newspaper articles also predominantly featured the imams of different West African mosques, especially as they led funeral services and met with local overnment leaders. What was also striking in the activities that followed the fire is the role that non-Soninke mosques and imams played in the handling of the tragedy. The mosque that was used for the funeral service was Mandinka, consisting mainly of people from the Gambia, and was not the mosque that the affected families regularly attended. Even the imams that acted as a voice for the West African community had little to do with the Soninke mosque the families normally att ended. In visiting a mosque in Highbridge one Friday that is mainly Maninka from Guinea, I was surprised to see two imams there who were Jula from Cote d’Ivoire and are mainly associated with a mosque in Harlem. From that moment on, I have noticed that West African imams regularly visit and lead activities in different West African mosques. Even though there is one mosque they are mainly associated with, there is such a sense of solidarity between different West African ethnicities and mosques, that the imams have a very fluid sense of responsibility in regards to the community they serve. It is this pervading sense of community that gives such pride to West Africans in being Muslim. Whereas their homeland consisted mainly of Muslims and solidarity with one another was an innate aspect of West African society, Islamic identity in America, as influenced by the ethnic mosque, spurs the West African into a deepening sense of community in a land otherwise characterized by individualism and fractured relationships. Furthermore, whereas biological family serves as the greatest axis of solidarity in West Africa, the tension-filled family relations experienced by West African New Yorkers with their families back home, which is caused by separation and increased monetary expectations, cause many to shift their axis of solidarity to the local Muslim community who are going through the same things. The social dynamics between New York and West Africa, in effect, almost force the West African New Yorkers into a stronger sense of Muslim identity with one another in order to retain the innate West African value of solidarity that is slipping away from them with every passing year they spend away from their families. Through it all, the ethnic mosques solidify their importance in the life of the West African community. The Rise of Islamic Education. Islam established a foothold in some West African societies up to 1,000 years ago. For most of the millennium, Islam was the religion of the ruling class and merchants. A famous story has been relayed throughout the years about Mansa Musa, who has the ruler of the Malian empire between 1312 and 1337. While taking the hajj (pilgrimage) to Mecca, Mansa Musa reportedly gave out so much gold along the way, that the North African economy suffered for decades and gold prices depleted all over the world. However, the influence of Islam did not widely infiltrate the sustenance farmers of West Africa, which is the majority population, until the beginning of the 20th century. Remarkably, since that time, Islam has spread throughout the masses, and over 90% of people in most of the West African countries in discussion consider themselves to be Muslim. Despite this fact, it is rare to find a West African who regularly reads the Qur’an, or is even capable of reading their central text. As West African countries consistently have the lowest literacy rates in the world, the people are often taught what they should believe, and do not have the ability themselves to investigate and study what is said. Although many West Africans in New York are educated and literate in French, mainstream Islamic thought claims that the true Qur’an only exists in Arabic, which only deepens the existent literacy problem in reading their holy book. On the one hand, this actually increases solidarity within the different West African Muslim communities, as truth and compulsory behavior is disseminated from one source through the mosque. This creates a society in which all members learn rote doctrine and apologetics that keep everyone â€Å"on the same page. For instance, when a West African Muslim encounters a Christian in dialogue about religion, he inevitably asks the question, â€Å"Who was the president before the current one? † When the answer of Bill Clinton is stated, he asks, â€Å"Then who came after him? † When the answer of George Bush is stated, he then proclaims, â€Å"See! George Bush came after Bill Clinton. Bush is the president and Clinton is not. It is the same way with the prophet Mohammed coming after Jesus. Why can’t you accept this?!? On the other hand, and this is especially the case in New York, exposure to non-Muslims convicts many West African Muslims that they need to personally study and know more about their religion. When pressed, many will say that they are Muslim simply because their parents and grandparents were Muslim. However, the need to answer questions from non-Muslims and the search for personal social and religious identity in New York draws many West African Muslims into further study of Arabic and Islam. It is not uncommon for a West African man to work 60-70 hours of week, but still find time to go to the mosque one night a week for further study of Arabic, the Qur’an, or the Hadith. Even if they personally feel too old to begin down this educational track, they view Arabic and Islamic education as a necessary means to retain religious values and cultural identity in their children. As a result, almost every West African mosque in New York has weekend and summer Arabic and Islamic classes for children. Ironically, many West African children raised in the United States do not know their parents’ main African language, yet they are encouraged by them to vigorously learn Arabic and recite the Qur’an. To the best of my knowledge, there is no West African association or mosque that teaches 2nd generation children the language of their parents. One Malian man lamented to me, â€Å"We care more about our kids learning a foreign language (Arabic) than our own! What sense does that make? † He then let out a disgusted gasp, â€Å"†¦these people†¦! The majority of West Africans in New York City have adapted to their new society by â€Å"bleeding more Muslim,† but it has raised the question with many on whether or not they are â€Å"bleeding less African. † Bleeding Less Muslim A West African associational leader in the Highbridge area of the Bronx talked to me one day about their association. Although his ethnic group is almost 100% Muslim, he boa sted that Muslims, Christians, and all sorts of people in the Bronx use their building for events. â€Å"I don’t discriminate by religion,† he said, â€Å"Anyone can use our building. In fact, I have been in America a long time. I say that I am Muslim, and I am a Muslim†¦but only on the outside. † This man reflects the other side of West African life in New York. While most West Africans find a strengthening Islamic identity in America, there is also a significant portion of the West African population that â€Å"bleeds less Muslim† in the city. The West Africans that venture into America, by nature, are more entrepreneurial, risk-taking, and free-thinking than their average compatriots back home. In West Africa, there is nothing more valuable than one’s right standing before the group. As a result, the worst thing an African can do is shame that same group. Those people who tend to think or act differently are reinforced through shame and persecution to return to cultural norms. For this reason, West African culture as a whole, including such cultural blemishes as female circumcision, are inherently arduous to change. The establishment of West African life in New York City, however, creates new opportunities to expand the boundaries of the cultural norms of West African society as a whole. West African New Yorkers’ physical separation from the cultural pull of West African society creates a softening of solidarity that tolerates more freedom and progressive thinking. If West African society was a peach, the West African New Yorkers find themselves on the soft and fuzzy edge. Their propensity for entrepreneurial endeavors and occasional critical thinking lead quite a few West African New Yorkers’ to rethink their views on Islam and the role it plays in their lives. For instance, one Malian man who had lived several places in America and now lived in Highbridge confided in me that, â€Å"I am not sure what the true way is. I know that it is Islam or Christianity, but I am just not sure. †¦maybe you can’t know. Maybe you just have to follow the way you were born into. † Another Malian man who had been in America for over 15 years stated, â€Å"All this religious stuff†¦It is all a show. As for me, I am not very religious. † Yet another man from Niger, who comes from a strong Muslim background, stated, â€Å"These West African Muslims. They do not know they have not always been Muslim. They don’t know what happened to them to make them Muslims. They think they have always been that way. They do not even follow the right Qur’an†¦my ‘Master Teacher’ has taught me all these things. In the case of this last man, he had left Islam through the influence of the Nuwaubians, a predominantly African-American religious sect born out of Brooklyn by Dwight York. This West African man felt the freedom in America to leave the social security net he had in Islam in order to follow the teachings of the Nuwaubians, even though he admitted to only reading thei r materials and never going to any of their meetings. What is interesting is that basic beliefs that define one’s right standing before the group are more likely to be challenged in New York City than back home. The exposure to people of different faiths, knowledge, and experience create a dissonance in some West Africans between their identity and truth. On the one hand, they feel they must maintain a strong Islamic identity to be West African. On the other hand, some begin to question if Islam really is the right way, or if they are merely following their culture. The questions asked suggest a stirring of West African cultural norms and the experimental phase of how things could possibly change. West African women, for instance, find America a place to flex new freedom, and openly challenge the traditional man’s role in the family and society. As a result, I have often heard West African men talk about the problems this causes, and wish their wives to stay in West Africa lest their marriage and culture be destroyed. It is evident, then, that cultural norms are being pushed and extended in New York City and, although their numbers are in the minority, a ripple is starting that challenges current cultural and religious identity. Conclusion Imagine growing up in a place where jobs are so scarce and money so tight, that taking the time to obtain a good education is risky business. Imagine growing up in a country whose villages and towns rarely have running water or electricity. Imagine being one of the lucky few that succeeds in education and professional qualification to obtain a university professor position, only to wait years to save up enough money to buy the family’s first used car. Now imagine there is a place called New York City, where compatriots return to tell the stories of abundant job opportunities, running water, electricity, subways, buses, concrete streets, sky scrapers, and the ability to easily obtain a $5/hour job the moment one steps off the plane. It is no wonder that West Africans have flocked to the city. The moment a West African man sets foot in America, however, an interesting dynamic takes place. They often become the â€Å"big man. † The â€Å"big man† is a common African social construction in which one man usually funds 10-25 family members. This funding can be to the extent of paying for the family members’ housing, food, inventory for jobs, medical payments, etc. While some income is generated from the few family members that work in Africa, a bulk of the monetary resources comes from the â€Å"big man. Obviously, this puts incredible pressure on the West African New Yorker to â€Å"make it,† and to provide for the family. When the reality sets in concerning the types of jobs available for West African immigrants (usually service jobs that demand long hours and tiring work), the luster of New York tends to wear off rather quickly. However, in return for their sacrifice, the â€Å"big me n† in New York City obtain something they had never had before. They obtain an incredible amount of influence. As I talked with a Malian street vendor one day, I caught a glimpse of the extent of influence West African New Yorkers have over West African society. I had wondered in my mind how much influence could really take place in New York on West Africa when they were so distant from each other. However, on this particular day with the street vendor, he received a call from his family in Mali on his cell phone. It turns out that his wife and mother were having a minor squabble, and instead of working it out themselves, they called the street vendor in New York to figure out what to do. The influence of West African New Yorkers was clear. If minor squabbles are mediated and handled by those in New York, how much more would such vital West African societal issues be influenced by the â€Å"big men† in New York, Paris, and other cities around the world? As West African New Yorkers bleed more or less Muslim, one wonders how this will affect West African society in the years to come. To catch a glimpse of where West Africa is going in terms of religious affiliation, I think one should look no further than places like Paris and New York. The West Africans in these places hold sway over their family’s livelihood, and they are looked to for the direction and progress of their family. As West African New Yorkers certainly associate their move to America with progress, one must not ignore the fact that this progress is not merely happening with monetary and economic development. As West African New Yorkers’ adjust their thoughts on religion and religious practice, one catches a glimpse of the religious West Africa of tomorrow.

Pride And Prejudice Essays (1393 words) - Fiction, Literature

Pride And Prejudice In her novels, Jane Austen employs the timelessly effective characterization agents of dialogue, action, and point of view to cleverly manipulate the readers emotions towards the characters. Austen successfully creates heroins in a time that it was not social acceptable to think of women in a heroic role. She is so successful in applying these characterization techniques in her story lines that she molds a positive feeling towards strong females without the reader even realizing the influence the authors agents have had, at the same time creating a very entertaining story. In Pride and Prejudice as well as Mansfield Park for example, Jane Austen creates characters who are some of the finest products of strong and intelligent women, yet do not loose their femininity, of our civilization. She accomplishes this feat by using the dialogue and action of the characters to manipulate the readers feelings towards these women. Austen also uses irony, satire and humor in all of her novels to s how how ridiculous conventional Victorian country life was. She had a plethera of social commentary to make, and although women in her time period were conventionally outspoken, she used her novels as a means to show women could be intelligent, humorous, and strong without loosing their femininity. Jane Austen was a child of the Enlightenment, an age when reason was valued while many romantic traditions were slowly coming to light in society. As one of the educated and intelligent women emerging from this era, Austen used the character of Elizabeth Bennet, in Pride and Prejudice, to epitomize the harmonious balance between reason and emotion in a woman, making her a very likeable character to the reader. In Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth's strength of character is emphasized by its contrast with the weak, n?ive acceptance of Jane's character, the instability and excess of Mrs. Bennet's and the blind, sheep like following of Kitty's. Her strength is also shown in her rejections of the proposals of Mr. Collins and Darcy. Unlike her mother, she does not base her choice of love on the financial security that they could give to her, and has the strength and willingness to reject them. This is a prime example of Austens social commentary. She skillfully manipulates the reader into likeing this character, but she gives her features that in everyday life people would think negativly of. This is especially evident in her rejection of Darcy's initial proposal, when she displays a great deal of strength in her anger due to her belief that he has willfully prevented Jane and Bingley's marriage and wronged Wickham by refusing to grant him the property that the old Mr. Darcy bestowed upon him. In both cases, the man is self-assured that his proposal will be accepted, and as a result Elizabeth's rejections are in proportion to the size of the blows that their egos receive. In Rosings, she does not let Lady Catherine tyrannize her as the mere satellites of money and rank, she thought she could witness without trepidation. The Lucases and Collinses are submissive to Lady Catherine, with Maria being frightened almost out of her senses, and it is probable that society as a whole behaves likewise, as Elizabeth suspects she is the first creature who had ever dared to trifle with such dignified impertinence. Austen again portrays her as a rebel against ideas of class, popular in the day, when Lady Catherine pays a visit to her to ensure that she does not marry Darcy and Elizabeth refuses to accept the idea that Pemberley will be polluted by her presence. Here Elizabeth stands up for what she believes to be right. Elizabeth also expresses her rebellion against society by not becoming accomplished in the arts, as women were expected to then. Elizabeth's intelligence reveals her to be one of the few characters of the novel that really strike the reader, Austen portrays her as a sensible individual in a society largely composed of fools. Which incidently is another example of the social observations Austen makes in her novels. As the daughter of Mr. Bennet, her view of society is cynical and ironical, heightened by the presence of brainless family members and neighbors. It is her sense

In answering all the questions the writer will Essay Example

In answering all the questions the writer will Essay Example In answering all the questions the writer will Essay In answering all the questions the writer will Essay To reply all the inquiries the author will place the issues involved, specifying and explicating them whilst using the legal issues to the instance scenario. The author later advises on possible liability and rights of the persons in all the instance scenarios. Case 4 ‘The race dealingss act ( RRA ) 1976andthe sex favoritism Acts of the Apostless ( SDA ) 1975and 1986 ( as amended from clip to clip ) criminal favoritism in employment†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ [ 1 ] .on evidences of sex, matrimonial position, coloring material, race, nationality of cultural or national beginnings: , in agreements made for the intent of make up ones minding who should be offered the occupation ; or in the footings on which the occupation is offered, ; or by declining or intentionally excluding to offer the occupation [ 2 ] . Improper favoritism includes every phase of employment including agreements for enlisting, advertizements and any other hurt as provided by theRRA 1976, s 4. InSaunders vCapital of virginia[ 3 ] it was held that a deprived individual can claim if put off because of the manner an interview is set up, the inquiries asked and being left off a short list. The author suggests that Alice may asseverate her rights in the same manner.Brennan V J. H. Dew Hurst ltd[ 4 ] supports this rule. Based on the above instances, Alice may be deemed to hold experienced favoritism on the footing of her sex at the interview phase, because of the inquiries asked about driving licences which- on the face of it- is deficient echt demand of employment as security occupations do non necessitate transit. Prejudiced advertizements are included in agreements for enlisting In Jane’s advert falls in this category.Exceptions to these regulations are ; echt occupational making or demand. An employer may enroll a adult male to a occupation where male sex is a echt occupational making. E.g. , patterning male apparels. If this could be proved in both Alice’ and Jane state of affairs, the employer may be justified. InSisley V Britannia security systems, -which is similar to Alice’ , ‘the defense mechanism of saving of decency was a good one and was moderately incidental to the women’s work that they should take their vesture during remainder periods’ [ 5 ] , butS7 ( 4 ) of the 1975act imposes a responsibility on employers to take sensible stairss to avoid trusting on these exclusions.Etam plc V European mountain ash[ 6 ] . There are two signifiers of favoritism harmonizing toSex Discrimination Act 1975 ( SDA ) ss 1 ( 1 ) ( a ) Race Relations Act ; RRA 1976, s 1 ( 1 ); ‘Direct occurs when an employer or prospective employer treats a individual less favorably than another on evidences of sex†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. , as where an employer refuses, on evidences of sex or race, to allow a appropriately qualified individual an interview for a job’ [ 7 ] .Coleman V skyrail pelagic ltd[ 8 ] ,Johnson v lumber Tailors( Midlands )[ 9 ] . Indirect favoritismoccurs where an employer applies demands to a occupation, but the ability of some individuals to follow because of sex, matrimonial position or race is well smaller and can non be justified. InPrice v the civil service committee[ 10 ] , the employment entreaty court decided that the age saloon was indirect favoritism against adult females.Bohon-mitchell V council of legal instruction[ 11 ] , this regulation was †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.discriminatory because the proportion of peoples non from the UK who could follow was well smaller than individuals who could. For indirect favoritism,s 1 ( 3 ) of EmploymenT Act 1989provides that†¦.the party claiming†¦..no favoritism must demo that the demand is justifiable. klenso may trust and would hold to turn out their averment [ 12 ] . The author is of the position that Klenso has breached the commissariats of the sex favoritism act by indirectly know aparting against both adult females, in the agreement phase of employment. The frock codification required to be worn by Jane is non a echt justifiable ground to know apart as most adult females do non have on ties with formal outfits. The advertizement may be illegal, may be condemnable offense, if found, Klenso would confront magistrates and fines.. In alice’ instance, it is non echt demand for a security individual to hold a driver’s license and it appears that there is favoritism if her statistics are right. If klenso is found apt for prejudiced practises, they would hold breached these statutory commissariats which would entitle both adult females to redresss such as uncapped compensation, recommendation and mention. Case 1 A particular declaration is needed [ 13 ] to alter the articles of association, and to take managers. It is passed by a bulk of three quarters or more of the members entitled to vote and may make so at a general meeting of which notice of 21days [ 14 ] has been given saying purpose to do particular declaration, after which a transcript is sent to the registrar [ 15 ] . Moneymen Inc. May seek to alter the articles by following this demand but must bear in head the rights of minority portion holders in so making. S.5 of the act states that holders of 15percent of the issued portions can use for cancellation of an change of the objects or articles. The minority stockholders of klenso still have a sum of 25 % of the rights and may seek to prosecute them in this mode if they do non accept to the particular declaration. They may make so by using to the tribunals who may call off this declaration or inquire the company to purchase out the dissentients. A transcript of the tribunal order must be given to the registrar within 15 yearss. Section 303 of the company Law states that a manager may be removed by ordinary declaration before his term of office expires, notwithstanding any proviso in the articles or any understanding. Particular notice is required of the purpose [ 16 ] ‘ to travel the declaration, which the company receives, usually through its secretary, at least 28days before the meeting at which it is to be moved. However, if after the day of the month of having the notice a meeting is called for a day of the month 28days or less after the notice has been given, the notice is regarded in jurisprudence as decently given even though it is non given within the clip required’ [ 17 ] . The company must so direct a transcript of the manager ( in this case, managers ) concerned [ 18 ] . They ( managers ) are allowed representations which may be read out at the meeting, where notice is late. They may talk about other issues. The statement must non be read out where the tribunals find that these rights are being abused. It should be noted that because of the being of such rights the written declaration process already referred to is non available as an option to the ordinary declaration required by s 303. The vacancy can be filled if the manager is removed at the meeting-provided the particular notice has been given in position of the freshly appointed manager. Under s.303 ( 5 ) a manager may transport out any action for dismissal. Money adult male inc. May seek to take both managers following these stairss or may suggest to purchase them out utilizing the company’s support. Moneyman may besides be cognizant of both directors’ minority shareholder’s rights to seek cancellation of these issues through the tribunals. The company secretary is advised to guarantee the notices are complied with. Case 5 A contract is an understanding that the jurisprudence may implement between two or more individuals, with purpose to make legal dealingss. A valid contract must hold an offer and an credence [ 19 ] . In our instance scenario, there has been an offer, a cross offer and it is to be decided whether there has been acceptance. An offer is an proclamation of a person’s willingness to come in into a contract [ 20 ] , and the tribunals must be satisfied that there has been an credence thenceforth, otherwise there is no contract. Credence must be unqualified and unconditioned. The issue to be resolved in this instance scenario is whether there has been acceptance since credence must be communicated. It is ill-defined whether Klenso has accepted the altered contract in this scenario. A counter offer is a rejection of the original offer and has the consequence of call offing the original offer. This was the instance when Oily altered the contract adding the new clause ; it was a counter offer which now requires Klenso’s credence. ‘InHyde V Wrench[ 21 ] †¦ The suspect did non see himself edge, and the claimant sued for specific public presentation, it was held that the claimant could non implement this ‘acceptance’ because his counter offer of 950 was an implied rejection of the original offer†¦..’ [ 22 ] . InStevenson VMcLean[ 23 ] , the claimants had accepted the offer before the defendant’s annulment had been communicated to them, so that the offer was still unfastened when the claimants accepted it. Exchange of footings may go on until an act by either party may go credence of the other’s footings, this rule was founded inButler Machine Tool Co. Ltd v Ex-Cell-O corporation[ 24 ] .Klenso’s signature of the contract could hold been acceptance, but for communicating. InFelthouse V Bindley[ 25 ] An credence is non effectual until it is communicated, silence is non acceptance. Klenso’s silence may non be construed as credence. InTinn V Hoffman[ 26 ] , the inquiry was ‘is communicating of cross offers a contract? ’ , but the tribunal decided against it. It is still open but possible to accept that a contract could come into being, where it appears both parties have intent to make a lawfully binding understandingon the same footing. This is barely the instance in our scenario but is an issue for the tribunals to decide On the face of it, there may be a valid contract where other footings are concerned but non with the extra clauses. If the tribunals find that there is a contract, Klenso would hold to maintain their portion of the six month expiration notice required, as agreed, otherwise there is a breach. The author suggests that there is no contract, as credence was non communicated. Klenso may take to take their concern elsewhere as they are non bound by the footings of cancellation and silence is non acceptance. Bibliography Books J.Bowers, A practical attack to employment Law, 7th edition, Oxford university imperativeness, New york,2005 D.Keenan, Smith and Keenan’s Law for concern, Thirteenth edition, Pearson Longman, Essex, 2006. P.Chandler, Waud s Employment Law: The Practical Guide for Human Resource 14Thursdayedition G.Duddington John, Employment jurisprudence, Pearson Education, 2003 T. Gould,Unfair dismissal: a usher to relevant instance jurisprudence. 25th erectile dysfunction. London: LexisNexis Butterworth J.Bowers, A practical attack to employment Law, 7th edition, Oxford university imperativeness, New York, 2005 H.Beale, Contract Law, Hart Publishing, 2002 Journal articles G.Guinan, G. Do dismissals by the book. People Management.Vol 13, No 18, 6 September. p22 Vorste, G. School staff sacked for binding up pupil in schoolroom, published 15 February 2008 14:24 4 Sep 2007 Response to Consultation: Discrimination Law Review: A Framework for Fairness: Proposals for a Single Equality Bill for Great Britain Consultations Internet resources Writer unknown, Previous misconduct counts in dismissal determinations, viewed on 18 February 2008 11:00 hypertext transfer protocol: //www.personneltoday.com/articles/2008/02/18/44427/case-of-the-week-previous-misconduct-counts-in-dismissal-decisions.html Lexis Nexis, Company Law Forum Questions Looking for Answers, viewed on February 23 2008, printed on 29 January 2008 hypertext transfer protocol: //www.companylawforum.co.uk/ Stephen Barc, Lexis Nexis, Application of Companies Act 2006 to LLPs, viewed 26 02 08, hypertext transfer protocol: //www, companylaw forum.co.uk/ Lexis Nexis, Tolley’s Company Law Handbook,15ThursdayEdition, Thursday 24 January 2008 hypertext transfer protocol: //www.berr.gov.uk/employment/employment-legislation/employment-guidance/page16161.html

Practicum Project Goals, Objectives, and Justification Term Paper

Practicum Project Goals, Objectives, and Justification - Term Paper Example My proposed practicum project is implementation of various best practices related to nursing operations: purposeful rounding, bedside reporting, and multidisciplinary rounding. Starting July of 2015, daily staff meetings will be conducted in my organization from 8am to 9am from Monday to Friday. The objectives of these daily meetings will be to equip staff with skills, knowledge, and competence necessary for the implementation of best practices. In these meetings, the rationale for purposeful rounding, bedside reporting, and multidisciplinary rounding as best practices will be established, a membership development committee comprising of nurse managers will be created to oversee implementation of best practices, and also recommendations for implementation will be established. Based on past surveys conducted in my organization and feedback from patients, management has inferred low levels of patient satisfaction. The current nursing processes or procedures characterized by unstructured rounds and poor reporting techniques have significantly reduced patients experiences in my organization. King and Gerald (2012) posits that purposeful rounding, bedside reporting, and multidisciplinary rounding are essential practices in managing patients expectations. For instance, King and Gerald (2012) notes that bedside reporting allows nurses to exhibit empathy and show concern to patients and could thus elevate levels of patient satisfaction. In nursing perspective, King and Gerald (2012) points out that multidisciplinary rounding helps nurses gain experience in working in a multidisciplinary environment and consequently gain skills and competencies in working with and managing a diverse population of staff, and also develop leadership abilities. Goal: In this project, the learner will create an implementation plan for purposeful rounding, bedside reporting, and multidisciplinary rounding in order to improve patients experiences and help staff develop their leadership

Cadmium in Shellfish Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Cadmium in Shellfish - Essay Example The figures for both types of shellfish was well within the tolerable limits at 7 g/kg body weight for adults as per WHO and Australian guidelines. Nevertheless, since there was observed high standard deviation among the scallop samples and there was also high deviation between the scallop and mussel cadmium/body-weight ratios it has been suggested that a future experiment be conducted during which the origin of the two types of shellfish be ascertained first to ensure that water contamination levels for both types of shellfish are the same. This shall ensure better conformation among the results. Correlation analysis was not conducted because of the small number of samples. This too should be rectified in future experiments to ascertain how each type of shellfish responds to the same level of cadmium contamination in the water. Thus, the report finds that it is highly essential to ascertain contamination in particular harvesting areas so that only those areas from where the bivalves have tolerable metal contents can be allowed harvestable. Other non-conforming areas should be declared out-of-limits. Only this can assure safety in supply. Cadmium is a heavy metal that is commonly found in many types of soil and rocks. At birth, primates like humans have no cadmium in their bodies but, with age, some humans induct the metal from their environment. The metal is a contaminant and classified as possibly carcinogenic under World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines (CHEC, Cadmium, 2007). The metal is variously used in industrial applications and commonly found in everyday use objects like paints, plastics, some types of coatings, batteries and other electrical components (CHEC, Cadmium, 2007). The metal is also let out into the atmosphere from burning fuels, especially fossil fuels. It is present in rubber tires and is emitted when tires burn. Also, many industries let out the metal into the atmosphere trough flue gases (CHEC, Cadmium, 2007). Another significant source of cadmium contamination is tobacco smoke. Children are especially susceptible to the metal if they are near smokers (CHEC, Cadmium, 2007). Children also a re more prone to cadmium contamination because ration of the metal intake by body weight is much higher than in adults with larger body weight. Thus, more care has to be taken to preclude such contamination in children. Also, it is estimated that cadmium build-up in the body is faster in the early years than later if the individual is subjected to such contamination (WHO, Cadmium, Series 24, 1972). In this particular context it is noted that shellfish like mussels and scallops are bottom-dwellers and are non-mobile filter feeders (Moffett, 1993). In all likelihood, if the metal becomes evident in seawater, it settles down towards the bottom and the shellfish induct it into their systems. Since there is evidence that the metal is not easily evicted from organic tissues. Over time the metal may accrue in shellfish tissue and if these are ingested by humans poisoning may result if the metal levels in the tissue are

Sons and lovers Essay Example for Free

Sons and lovers Essay In the time that Lawrence Wrote women were thought of as being pure and truthful. Women play an important role in this novel as it often makes us wonder do these characters really exist in reality. Lawrence, in his book Sons and Lovers shares with us many different types of women, in this critical analysis of women in Sons and Lovers I will be dealing with three women Mrs. Morel, Miriam and Lily. Mrs. Morel is the most significant of all the women in the novel, seeing that everything revolves around her. She dislikes her husband because of his persistent consumption of alcohol and the way he abuses her, because of this she focuses all her time and devotion the her two young sons Paul and William. Her love that she gives he two sons can be interpreted as being incestuous desires for instance when Paul is telling his mother that he does not love Miriam and he continuously kisses her. She is treating William and Paul as her partners and is very controlling and she insists on having complete control over them for example when Paul is getting too close to Miriam, Mrs. Morel fears that she will lose control over him and that Miriam being the person that she is will change and bring out the best in Paul. She also fears that Paul is going to forget about her and she is going to be left alone with her drunken abusive husband. As a result of this she chases and treats Miriam badly. The kind of love that is given by Mrs. Morel to her sons is very stifling and there is not much that can come out of such a relationship, because of this Paul is undeveloped and depends on her for everything, he does not know how to be in a relationship and he tells his mother, â€Å"I will not be able to love another as long as you live† this line is important to note because it not only shows that Mrs. Morel’s love is damaging her son but it is also a foreshadowing of what is to come later on in the text. Miriam is another type of woman that Lawrence introduces us to in the novel, she is very shy and soft spoken and slowly falls in love with Paul, she is very spiritual and holy somewhat like a saint/pre-mundane which is spiritual and heavenly. I believe that Miriam will be the salvation of Paul and save him from his mother. She really loves Paul and he is continuously pushing her away because of that stifling attitude of his mother. Miriam has the Power to break Paul away from his mother but does not realize this, or the problem  may be that she is not the fighting type and cannot stand up firm to Mrs. Morel. Paul teaches her French and Algebra but Miriam seems not to understand the algebra and Paul gets extremely annoyed by this he does not understand why she cannot grasp it. He is mean to her because of this and she is extremely clam about the whole situation. Miriam is extremely close to her siblings and takes extremely good care of them and because of this Paul is very angry with her, he does not understand why she does what she does. This is so because Paul was not used to having that amount of love among his siblings. This conflict can also be interpreted as Paul being jealous of the relationship that Miriam has with her siblings. Lilly, a woman that William falls in love with on his stay in London is portrayed to the readers as a Gold-Digger who does not really care about William; she is only with him because of his money and not because of love. Lilly is very rude towards Anne, William’s sister, she orders Anne around on their visit to William’s house. William tells his mother about Lilly and his mother says to leave her. Shortly after when William dies the Morels never hear from Lilly again, only on this one time that she writes to Mrs. Morel stating that she has moved on. The Women in this novel Sons and Lovers play a very important role and has extreme effects on many of the characters whether it be the power of control and possessiveness the fact is that women is symbolic to Lawrence in some way.

Use of Frameworks in Skills-Based Learning :: Graduate College Admissions Essays

Use of Frameworks in Skills-Based Learning    During the 1990s, many science programs across the country replaced concepts-based learning with skills-based learning. Many teachers, however, have experienced difficulties in making the transition. Moreover, they have noted that some students do not seem to benefit from the skills-based learning. One reason for this is that in many skills-based courses, students are not given a conceptual framework in which they can situate the skills that the course emphasizes. Instead, many instructors are simply asking their students to practice the skills, without giving them the conceptual structures that give those skills meaning. In my experience, no matter how much students practice whatever skills, few are able to develop a clear conceptual matrix for those skills without significant guidance from the instructor. A direct approach to this problem means that the instructor first provides students with the scaffolding of concepts for each skill. In this essay, I describe an exercise that can be used to develop a framework for students to evaluate what they observe in their laboratory exercises.    During a course, I dedicate portions of several class meetings to the development of a conceptual framework for evaluating explanations of observations. A week in advance of each session, I distribute two questions that we will discuss in class the following week. In the next class meeting I divide students into small groups and brainstorm answers for about fifteen minutes. For the next ten minutes, I moderate as each group shares their ideas with the entire class and I record the consensus position derived from the views the groups have presented. As soon as is practical, I distribute a statement of this consensus position. In this way, in the minds of the students, the work of the session is extended over two or three weeks even though the session itself lasts for only part of a class meeting.    In each session, I pose two questions for discussion that address either one key issue that helps the students work towards the larger goal of creating a conceptual framework for explanation of observations. I don't reveal the goal to the students before they brainstorm because focusing on the goal itself may short-circuit their thinking in the crucial early stages of the process. The goals are arranged so that each session's work builds on the work of the previous session.    Goal of the first session: identify different types of explanation.

Uk Organic Food

Contents 1. Introduction2 1. 1 Why this industry was chosen for analysis2 1. 2 Aim2 1. 3 Brief Background of the organic food producing industry2 1. 4 Competitive environment? 3 2. PESTEL analysis5 2. 1 Political factors5 2. 2 Economic factors6 2. 3 Socio-cultural factors7 2. 4 Technological factors8 2. 5 Environmental factors9 2. 6 Legal factors10 3. Porter’s Five Forces analysis12 3. 1 Threat of new entrants12 3. 2 Threat of substitute products14 3. 3 Threat of established rivals14 3. 4 Bargaining power of suppliers16 . 5 Bargaining power of buyers16 4. Conclusion18 4. 1 The industry at present18 4. 2 Future changes19 5. Appendices20 5. 1 Critique of tools and research limitations20 5. 1. 1 PESTEL framework20 5. 1. 2 Porter’s Five Forces20 6. References22 1. INTRODUCTION 1. 1 Why this industry was chosen for analysis The chosen industry for analysis in this report is the organic food producing industry in the United Kingdom. This encompasses groups of firms that produ ce similar products, in this case, organic food produce.In recent years, there has been a heightened awareness in the media in relation to organically produced food, and a great emphasis has been placed on ‘healthier eating’ and a reduction in the production of genetically modified food. As this awareness increases, it is important to analyse the industry in order to assess whether the industry is favourable to exist in, and to ascertain whether it is likely that it will be penetrated by new competitors.Another reason for choosing to examine this particular industry is due to the lack of an updated Mintel report, or a similar financial report, especially since there has been so much extra attention being placed on this industry of late in the media. In order to get a better picture about the macro- and micro-environment in relation to the UK organic food producing industry, frameworks will be used in order to analyse information about the industry. 1. 2 AimThe aims of t his report are to research and assess the nature of the organic food producing industry in the United Kingdom. This will occur by using two different frameworks, a PESTEL analysis and the use of Porter’s Five Forces in order to fully understand the competitive micro- and macro-environment of this industry. When the analysis is complete, it will be determined whether the industry is favourable to enter or not, and future changes in the industry will be predicted. 1. Brief background of the UK Organic Food Producing Industry The term ‘organic’ has been defined by the Organic Trade Association as an ‘ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles, and soil biological activity†¦ based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and management practices that restore, maintain, and enhance ecological harmony’ [1]. In practice, this means that artificial chemical fertilisers and pesticides are not used, and ani mals are reared without the drugs that are normally routinely used [2].Protection of the environment is of great importance, and the quality of the soil is what determines whether the produce can be deemed as ‘organic’ or not. Historically, it was common practice to only have relatively few family run farms in which organic food was produced, and this could be purchased in farmers’ markets and smaller stores, such as green grocers. However, since the 1990s, organic food has had growth rates of around 20% per year, and figures from April of this year show that organic food now accounts for 1 to 2% of food sales worldwide [3].This growth rate has been partly due to large supermarket chains adopting ranges of organic foods, which is reducing the farmer to consumer link, and providing a convenient new way to eat ‘organically’, and also due to an increased interest from the media in this industry. For example, large supermarket chain Sainsbury’s ha s more than 1000 organic products, had a 14% increase in sales of its organic produce in 2006/2007, sources all its organic meat, fish, poultry, milk, and eggs from the UK and has contracts with farmers to guarantee minimum prices to ensure the long-term supply of organic beef [4].A quote from Jerry Dryer, who wrote an article called ‘Organic Lessons’ stated, â€Å"Organic is here to stay, not a fad marching by in the night† [5], which is a hopeful suggestion that the market share is set to increase and that new opportunities can be targeted, but this will be confirmed or denied at the end of the report. 1. 4 Competitive environment? The organic food producing industry consists of a large number of small producers, who produce food which can be certified as ‘organic’ by the Organic Farmers and Growers Organic Standards and the Soil Association.Due to there being a large number of fragmented producers in the industry, it may be seen as a competitive m arket who are vying for the attention of large or small supermarket chains and stores, green grocers, and individual purchasers of organic food. Organic produce in itself is reasonably homogeneous, so all producers in this industry will be trying to sell similar products which are largely undifferentiated. This increases competition between the producers as to how they are going to get their goods sold over the goods of a competitor.There is also the option of individuals growing their own organic produce, which may reduce the demand for the purchase of produce. The competitiveness of the environment will be discussed in more detail when an analysis is carried out using the Porter’s 5 Forces framework [6]. ? 2. PESTEL Uncontrollable, external forces that influence decision making, which thus affect the performance of an industry is known as the macro-environment. The macro-environment consists of political, economic, socio-cultural, technological, environmental, and legal for ces, which can be referred to as ‘PESTEL’ forces [7].A good definition of this framework for analysis is given by Kotler [8], which is â€Å"PEST analysis is a useful strategic tool for understanding market growth or decline, business position, potential and direction for operations†. This is also useful for forecasting the direction in which an industry is taking, and the intensity of this change. Factors can be assessed and placed in order of importance, so it is clear to see what external factors are the most pressing issues in an industry.In order to find out information for each of the factors, reliable secondary data sources shall we used, such as newspapers, periodicals, books, trade organisations, Government agencies information, and industry analysts results. Once this kind of analysis is complete, it is clearer to see how to take advantage of arising opportunities, and plan to prevent potential threats that may occur in the industry. The sections below break down the macro-environment into six parts. 2. 1 Political factorsGovernment legislation may dictate what is considered to be organic in a particular country. This report looks at organic food producers in the UK, and this is regulated by the Organic Farmers and Growers Organic Standards [9], and the Soil Association [10]. The Department for Environmental Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) states many outlines of what how produce should be grown and the feeding of livestock, in order for in to meet UK Government standards [11]. These standards vary from country to country, within and outside of the EU.This can have a profound impact on the exporting of produce by UK farmers, as what may be deemed as organic in this country, may not be so in another. Relations with politicians need to be upheld, as legislation is subject to change at any given time. For example, it recently has been decided to ban battery hen cages starting in the year 2009 [12]. 93% of eggs in the UK market come fr om battery hens, so once the legislation is fully in place, this will not occur. This will increase competition in the market, as all eggs will now be from free range hens, which may affect the poultry side of the organic food industry.By adapting to meet the new laws now, favourable relations will be kept with politicians, and current organic egg producers will need to find new ways in which to gain market share in what may be an increasingly saturated market. The Government currently provides farmers’ subsidies, but current news from May 2008 shows that the EU is looking to cut the money it provides, and reinvest it with incentives on looking after agricultural land, rather than giving money to help produce more food [13].This may benefit farmers wishing to enter the organic food producing market, as they have extra incentives to convert their land to organic soil, but may hinder those already in the market due to the increased competition, and the lack of money to produce extra food needed to meet demand. 2. 2 Economic factors The organic food producing industry can be largely affected by the UK economy, such as interest rates, exchange rates, buyer power, and consumer confidence, which will all now be discussed in turn.The current ongoing credit crunch, and high inflation has reduced chances of any interest rate cuts, and a real threat of a downturn is present [14]. Mervyn King, the governor of the Bank of England, has previously reported that UK inflation will rise above its target and the economy will sharply slow down [15], which does not mean good things for an industry such as this, which relies on people buying premium quality products.If interest rates are high, then it costs more money to borrow from banks, which deters investment, and may make it harder for farmers to convert their land to organic soil and methods of production, as this is a costly business [16]. This inflation may cause any employees working in the industry to demand highe r wages in order to cover any losses that they are making, which can cause a problem for employers, especially if the industry declines if there is a recession. The credit crunch has also affected housing prices, which have fallen, and a ollapse in these sales have been predicted to cut consumer spending by 8% [17], which will affect the industry. Exchange rates can affect the way UK organic food producers’ export their products, as a strong currency can make exporting difficult, if foreign buyers cannot get a lot of produce for their money. Buyer power can have a strong economical hold over the industry, as disposable income and willingness to spend can affect the sales of premium quality produce, especially as there are cheaper alternatives. The state of the economy affects spending, as if there is a recession, or currently with the credit crunch in the UK, spending falls.Organic food may be seen by some users and non-users as a premium product, so when disposable income is reduced, this may be something which is cut back on in order to use the extra money elsewhere. If people are being more price conscious, new motivations to purchase the produce need to be discovered aside from price. However, many purchasers of organic food do so because of what it stands for, and is a lifestyle choice which may not be affected by a bad economy. Consumer confidence may be dented if willingness to spend decreases. The more affluent a person is, i. e. he higher wages and better lifestyle someone has, the more likely they are to start or continue to purchase organic food [18]. 2. 3 Socio-cultural factors A major socio-cultural factor affecting the industry is the media. A recent heightened awareness of organic food issues in the media has prompted an increase in organic food sales, with a 70% increase since 2002 to ? 1. 5billion in 2007 [19]. There is currently a bit from the media to use the upcoming 2012 Olympic games to promote organic eating, in order to avoid an obesity crisis and to appear a fit and healthy country.This increase awareness of the importance of healthy eating and protecting the country by reducing its carbon footprint can have an effect on consumer attitudes. The effect of the media may change attitudes of people towards organic food, such as the more impetus placed on this industry in the media, means more people are aware of the benefits of eating organically. People may then change their attitudes about the way they eat, and believe that it is worth paying more for the food, even if the economy is not as strong as it could be. Figures from a recent Mintel report [20] show that attitudes towards rganic food show that people believe firstly that the food is healthier, secondly that it tastes better, and thirdly that it is better for the environment. With these belief systems becoming widely in place, the opportunity for the growth of the industry in people’s minds is increased. However, the media may too have a detri mental effect on the industry in two ways. Firstly, there has been bad press saying that the industry is losing its values, and that the industry itself is ‘out of control’ due to an increased demand and people not knowing the real reasons behind why they are choosing ‘organic’ [21].Secondly, increased advertising spend (even though it is relatively low [22]) can draw too much attention to the industry which is not prepared to supply the increased demand. A typical shopper of organic food has been outlined in a survey taken from the Organic Monitor website [23], which identifies them to usually live in an urban area in a big city, consider quality and provenance in decision making when choosing which foods to purchase, being well-educated and of a middle to high social class, and to belong to a medium to high income household.These factors have been determined of the types of people who normally purchase these premium products, and usually fall into the AB consumer base, due to a larger disposable income [24]. Further analysis of recent demographic trends show that the London and the South of the UK are more willing to accept the introduction of organic produce, compared to the rest of the UK [25]. With this in mind, it may be deduced that these areas are more prone for targeting, and further consideration needs to be given to where the industry should go next should these places become saturated with producers. . 4 Technological factors Technological advances in transportation means that the ease of moving produce around the UK is increased. Better roads and an increase in motorways have advantages for farmers to get their produce into busier cities. Transport has however been scrutinised in this industry in recent years if air freighting is used for the moving of food or livestock, but this will be further discussed under the environmental factors section of the PESTEL analysis.The internet has provided new methods of selling organi c produce, such as online shopping, and electronic sourcing of produce to find local organic food suppliers [26]. Looking at figures from a 2007 Mintel report on organic food, box schemes and mail order have had the biggest percentage increase of usage between 2005 and 2007 (109. 2% change in this time period). The ‘box scheme’ comprises of the delivery of fresh organic produce which is chosen because it is in season in the UK at the time of ordering, and many farms have used the internet in order to allow this scheme to take place.For example, Riverford Organic Vegetables [27] allow people to choose different size boxes, and also give information about how much CO2 emissions are given off from the transport of their produce from door to door. This shows the potential for how the increase in usage of the internet can be applied to the organic food industry. 2. 5 Environmental factors National and Global environmental issues can greatly affect the UK organic food produci ng industry, such as weather and climate change respectively. Without the right growing conditions for some organic produce, i. . having good, well-nourished soil, harvesting may not reap many rewards. Last year in 2007, the wettest weather for more than 240 years was recorded in the summer by the Met Office, which obviously had adverse effects on this particular industry [28]. Following this particular summer, it was reported that organic food prices would rise even further than the already premium costs that they have, partly due to the weather reducing the amount of land fit for cultivation in order to grow and harvest organic produce [29].If adverse weather conditions do occur, the supply or organic goods will be reduced further still, which may strongly affect an industry that already has increased demand and not enough produce to meet this. Climate change has gained increasing coverage in the media, convincing more people than action needs to be taken in order to protect the e arth, in particular, the notion of a ‘carbon footprint’. A ‘carbon footprint’ can be described as ‘a measure of the impact of human activities on the environment in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases produced’ [30].This affects the organic food producing industry when organically grown produce is air freighted into the UK. The Soil Association is threatening to remove its stamp of approval from organic food which has been imported by air, as they believe this to be increasing the carbon footprint, and going against the morals that organic food stands for [31]. This change may benefit UK organic food producers, as there will be less competition coming from overseas, but may be of detriment for internal UK flights, if this is how they normally transport their goods around the country.The danger here is that people who already purchase organic food may instead switch to locally sourced produce, be it organic or not, in order to help the local community, and to do their bit to reduce the carbon footprint. There may be an opportunity here for organic food producers to also trade locally, so that people can get the best of both worlds. A benefit of organic produce is that it attempts to ensure that minimal amounts of pesticides and fewer artificial methods are used in the growing of the food.Only 25% of organic food carries pesticide residues, compared to 77% of conventionally grown food [32]. This reduces harm to any soil or wildlife in the area, and is reported to have added health benefits, all contributing to less of a bad impact on the environment from harmful chemicals. 2. 6 Legal factors Legal changes in the United Kingdom may affect the behaviour of firms and producers within this particular industry. Back in 1984, the Food Act was introduced, which outlined the description and purity of foodstuffs, and affected the way in which food could be produced [33].This legal act is still completely applicable today, and is regularly updated, notably affecting organic food producers in how they can describe and label their food. As well as an organic product having to meet UK organic standards, it also must abide by this Food Act when selling to respective buyers, so as not to mislead customers, i. e. it must be what they claim it to be, in this case, organic. A European ruling in 2007 states that for food to be labelled free of genetically modified ingredients, it must contain 0. 9% or less of such elements, which may in turn affect the price of organic food [34].Producers need to factor these sorts of legal requirements into pricing how much they are going to sell their food for. For the past few years, recorded minimum wage has risen, with October 2007 being the last review at ? 5. 52 per hour for workers aged 22 and over, ? 4. 60 per hour for workers aged 18-21 inclusive, and ? 3. 40 per hour for all workers under the age of 18 who are no longer of compulsory school age [35]. These increases may p ose problems for producers who cannot afford to meet these payments, especially if inflation ontinues to rise, and the credit crunch continues to beckon a recession in the financial market. If the producers cannot afford workers to help them look after livestock or harvest crops, this may pose to be a big threat as to whether they can afford to meet the requirements of customers. ? 3. PORTER’S FIVE FORCES The micro-environment is a set of forces that directly impacts the ability of an industry to serve its customers, which were described by Michael E. Porter in an analytical framework as five forces that determine the competitive intensity of a market.This can also be described as the ‘attractiveness’ of an industry [36]. It must be remembered here that even if a market is determined to be ‘attractive, this does not mean that every firm in the industry will yield the same profitability. Only by having uniqueness in resources or a distinctive business model can help to achieve greater profits. The five forces suggested by Porter are the threat of new entrants, threat of substitute products, and threat of established rivals from horizontal competition, and the bargaining power of suppliers, and bargaining power of buyers from vertical competition [37].The strength of these forces combined determines how competitive the industry is, and can determine whether it is favourable to enter. In reference to Porter’s Five Forces, the term ‘industry’ will be used to describe any products which are similar, and are close substitutes for each other. These five forces that affect how competitive the industry is will be discussed below. 3. 1 Threat of new entrants In order to assess the threat of new entrants in the industry, it needs to be assessed whether the barriers to entry in the UK organic food producing industry are high or low.This will be looked at in relation to economies of scale, product differentiation, cost disadvan tages in relation to the capital required, and access to distribution channels, in relation to UK organic legislation. Economies of scale occur when the costs of producing are reduced from making more units, as it is more efficient to increase output. Some organic food producers may benefit from the fact their purchasers may be large supermarket chains, who have the ability to buy in bulk due to the benefits of their economies of scale. Organic food producers an then sell their goods to these chains, who realise that their customers are becoming increasingly aware about the benefits of this quality produce. However, due to these chains being in a position to buy bulk, in order to compete in this market, organic farmers may have to sell their goods at a cut price if the supermarkets want to sell it on to turn a profit. In this case, new entrants may be put off from entering the market if they cannot afford to compete with already established providers of organic food to these main pl ayers.Product differentiation is an issue, as the organic products in this industry are largely homogenous. If new entrants wanted to penetrate the market, they would have to think of innovative new ways for buyers to choose their products over another product which is the same as the one they are offering. This does however mean that producers already in the market may have less competition enter alongside them, as long as the existing producers offer fair prices and top quality food, with well established networks.Cost disadvantages may pose a threat to new entrants, as a large amount of capital is required in order to enter the market. Firstly, modern agri-technology is expensive to purchase, and the largest cost of deciding to produce organic food is the conversion of land [38]. In order to convert land so that it meets the UK Organic standards requires a great capital investment, which is one of the reasons why the supply is still short. This may put off potential entrants to t he market if they believe they cannot afford to make their land meet national requirements.These national requirements are subject to change, so barriers to entry can be heightened or lowered at given times, depending on what is decided by the ruling bodies. This may also affect international entrants, as national standards vary in different countries. What is seen as organic in one country, may not meet the requirements in the UK, so producers may be protected from further competition in that respect. For example, new regulations in Japan caused the majority of products to lose their organic status [39].This also ties in with access to distribution channels, as UK producers may be fighting for space on supermarket shelves or stalls in a local farmers’ market, and only the best will survive. Even though supply is short, a limited amount of space is still given to organic produce, which on one hand may deter entrants into the industry, but equally may give some producers wishi ng to enter the market a bigger incentive to increase awareness about organic produce, and try to meet that supply in innovative new ways. 3. 2 Threat of substitute productsSubstitute products are products which can fulfil the same function, but from a different industry. In the case of the organic food industry, substitutes can occur in the form of different kinds of eating, or fad diets, such as calorie-counting healthy eating, and or locally sourced conventional produce. First to be discussed is reduced-fat and reduced-calorie food, which may appeal to the organic food shopper. If people are buying organic food as a misunderstanding of what it really is, and do so for the health benefits, then they may switch to specific ‘healthier eating’ options, rather than organic food.This threat however has been reported to be minimal at the moment, as figures in a Mintel report from 2007 on organic food show that organic food is experiencing a much greater growth than reduced calorie options [40]. The reduced-calorie options, as well as functional foods, still continue however to rise in popularity. Locally sourced conventional produce also poses a threat to the organic food industry, as some people may choose to support local farmers rather than to choose organic produce.This is especially difficult on the organic food industry, as more farmers may decide not to convert their land to organic if people are more willing just to buy conventional locally produced food [41]. This threat may encourage organic farmers however to sell produce locally, so they are covering both segments of their target market. An example of this threat is posed by milk, as demand for organic milk far exceeds the supply, so people are facing the dilemma of having to buy non-organic locally sourced milk, as this is a necessary substitute for people buying milk in the premium market [42].Organic food may be seen as necessity to some, but to most it is a luxury, and conventional foo ds can replace the premium priced, undersupplied organic food. 3. 3 Threat of established rivals The simplest rival in this industry may be seen as people who grow their own organic produce in their garden or local allotment. This reduces the need for organic farmers to sell their produce to consumers, and this has the potential to reduce the need for them to sell, as it may be cheaper for people to grow their own. Aside from this threat, there are other forms of competition within the industry.Rivals in the industry have different ways of competing against each other, including varied forms of price, marketing strategies, and innovation techniques. Firstly, a sustainable competitive advantage can be gained through the innovation from producers in the industry. For example, organic farmers may decide to provide their goods only to local outlets and consumers, which increases the likelihood of people wishing to buy products which are organic and sourced locally. This can provide a co mpetitive advantage over organic producers in the UK who have a larger carbon footprint by delivering their products across the country.Competitive rivalry may continue here as more competitors enter the market to satisfy the growing demand for organic produce. As new entrants penetrate the market, it needs to be increasingly thought of new ways to differentiate products, as the nature of the produce in this industry is largely homogenous. There is not a large diversity of competitors, as organic produce is the same from one farmer’s land to another, so competition will be high in order to get people to choose one farmer’s particular produce.This is also true when considering who will purchase this food, as supermarkets are increasing their ranges of organic food, so competition to get produce chosen to be sold in these will be high [43]. If a supermarket already purchases a particular farmer’s produce, it may be difficult for other competitors to penetrate the market if customer loyalty already exists, so new ways of doing so will need to be thought of, such as competing on price. This, however, will only be possible to a certain extent, as a profit still needs to be made by the producers in order to continue their business.Existing firms may compete in this industry through diversification of how the produce is offered, as some farmer’s may set up a market stall or store in order to deliver their produce to the consumer. An advantage of this is the added convenience to consumers of having a place they know they can go to in order to source locally produced organic food. An example of this is the ever increasing popularity of the chain ‘Planet Organic’, which is continuing to expand upon its outlets in urban areas in London, so that people don’t have to live in rural areas in order to get there organic food [44]. 3. Bargaining power of suppliers There is an estimated 4630 producers in the organic market who have converted their land to organic soil, and this is ever increasing [45]. Even though this is still increasing, it is expensive to convert conventional land, so this may be one of the reasons for a relatively low number of suppliers in this industry. This section focuses on whether suppliers in the organic food producing industry have high or low amounts of power over the happenings in the industry. The brand of organic food may be seen as powerful, as there is a high consumer demand for these products.This gives the suppliers the added advantage of being able to choose how and where to supply their produce. However, even though this increases supplier power, the customers for their produce are fragmented, so there may be a reduced bargaining power over price, as there is only so low that producers are able to offer their goods for. Organic food in itself is a unique offering, which gives an alternative to conventionally produced food, and can satisfy the needs of particular consumer groups who crave quality and are concerned with the provenance of what they eat.This allows suppliers to have a greater power over the conventional or locally sourced produce, as organic food is seen as a lifestyle choice and not just one of convenience or necessity. Figures from Mintel show that 65% of people shop in supermarkets where the food is of high quality and is fresh [46]. This choice from consumers gives suppliers the added advantage of being able to provide a service that people actually want. 3. 5 Bargaining power of buyers The bargaining power of buyers in the market can have a great effect on the industry itself, which will now be outlined in terms of how much power they have over the industry.Buying power may be deemed to be relatively low in some respects, but high in others in this industry for a number of reasons. With an increase in demand for organic produce, a large amount of buyers are competing for a relatively short supply of food. This may mean they are wi lling to pay higher prices for the produce, due to its availability being decreased. This supply shortage was outlined in The Grocer, which shows sales were up to ? 3. 1billion when they reported in March 2007 [47]. However, few large buyers, such as large chains of supermarkets, may have an increased buyer power due to suppliers wanting their goods to be sold in these stores, as they can ensure produce is sold via a contract for a certain period of time. This reduces uncertainty for suppliers, and ensures less food is spoiled. The fact that this industry contains a large number of undifferentiated suppliers may mean that buyers have more power over who to choose to supply their produce if there is a large amount of suppliers in that particular area.The cost for buyers of switching suppliers for produce is very low, which further still increases their power, assuming that there is an appropriate amount of supply existing. Buyers are aware that there is a shortage of supply of organi c produce, so this may give them less power over suppliers, and over the industry in general. It has been previously mentioned about the increased demand over supply, so buyers may have to pay the prices being offered to them by suppliers if they want this non-conventionally grown produce.Buyers may also have higher power in some respects due to existing substitute products, which have previously been discussed. There is an opportunity in some cases for people to switch to locally sourced conventional food, rather than organic food. This can increase buyer power, if they decide to refrain buying organic food altogether, which may force producers to reduce their prices, or just to exit the market. ? 4. CONCLUSION 4. 1 The industry at present Looking at the information which has been discussed in the 2nd and 3rd sections of this report, deductions and analysis can be made about the industry at present.In its simplest form, the UK market for organic food is reported to be worth ? 1. 5 billion in 2007 [48], and this is continually growing. Issues affecting the macro-environment include current Government legislation managed by the Soil Association and the Organic Farmers and Growers Association, buyer power and spending habits in the organic food industry, effects of the growing media attention on the industry itself, new ways to sell produce, and environmental concerns facing producers. Issues ffecting the micro-environment include the threat of new entrants joining the industry due to a lack of supply and an increase demand, substitute products being present such as locally sourced produce, established rivals having better distribution links, suppliers having increase amounts of power due to the increased demand from consumers, and the buyers having relatively low power due to the lack of supply. This is a small summary of how the industry can be seen at present, and from looking at the information collected, there are various reasons why it may or may not be a favourable market to enter.The fact that demand is high but supply is low is a good reason for wanting to enter the market. This would imply that any produce made would be easily sold, and suppliers would be in a better position to bargain on higher prices, as they are well aware of this demand. However, there are issues in being able to enter this industry. The initial outlay costs are high, as it is expensive to convert land into what is considered to be organic, to buy new technology required to grow and harvest produce in the methods stated by the necessary authorities.It may then be difficult to sell produce in certain areas if people do not agree with the transportation used to get the produce there in the first place. These are factors that need to be taken into consideration when looking at the industry at present, but with expansion set to continue, if the capital is available, it seems favourable to enter. 4. 2 Future changes Increased acceptance of organic food means that the future of the industry looks good for the moment.People are beginning to accept organic produce into their everyday lives, and with reported health benefits of switching to these products, sales are increasing, with analysts predicting that sales will double before the end of this decade [49]. Increased awareness in the media and new studies into the goodness of organic produce is driving sales and increasing demand. The notion of ‘eating well’ is of key importance to the Government in what they suggest to avoid an obesity crisis in the UK, and organic food may be seen as a way of doing this.However, it must be remembered that the future, as with any industry, can be uncertain. Factors that must be faced and planned for in the future include bad press in the media, substitute product switching, and a change in legislation. If the media publishes bad press about whether there are really any extra health benefits from paying extra for organic food instead of conventi onally grown food, the demand may fall and substitute products used instead.Products such as locally sourced food are fighting for advertisement space in the media also, so people may switch to this in the future in order to protect the earth, and reduce their carbon footprint. This can all be affected by the hype that is created in the media at that particular time. Standards in legislation are also subject to change, and if this is to change in the future, it may be the case that fewer farmers can afford to convert their land into organic soil, which will reduce the supply of organic food further.If this occurs, the popularity and publicity of this industry may decline. These are issues that need to be kept in the forefront of the industry’s mind, and plans to avoid this, such as proving the benefits of switching to organic produce, need to be made. ? 5. APPENDICES 5. 1 Critique of tools and research limitations 5. 2. 1 PESTEL framework Advantages are listed below: †¢A llows the analyst to remove themselves from the industry and look at it more objectively by adapting to the new environment †¢Can avoid taking actions that will lead to failure Can see the context of the industry Limitations are listed below: †¢Time consuming †¢Is done by an individual, so important factors can be missed †¢May be difficult to know what to include under each heading, so hard to follow by other people reading the report †¢Industries are constantly changing, so once it is written, it may have already changed †¢PESTEL analysis only covers the remote environment 5. 2. 2 Porter’s 5 Forces Advantages are listed below: Can effectively analyse competition in an industry, and help decide how to beat competitors †¢Develop strategies for action from the information found and apply them to gain market share in an industry †¢Looks beyond obvious immediate competitors, and focuses on substitutes to the organic produce being offered â €“ wider market view Limitations are listed below: †¢Also is carried out by an individual, so things relating to competition in the micro-environment may go unlooked †¢This analysis is a static framework, and the industry is constantly changing, so it may not be applicable immediately after it has been writtenThese limitations imply that a strategy cannot be made just by looking at this report alone. 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