Symbolism in Chapter 17 of Chopin’s The Awakening :: Chopin Awakening

Symbolism in Chapter 17 of Chopin’s The Awakening The end of Chapter 17 in Chopin’s THE AWAKENING offers a richly compressed portrait of a woman desperate to break through the bonds of domesticity and embark into the unknown. The passages (pages 74 and 75) immediately follow the dinner scene in which Edna first announces to Là ©once that she will longer observe the ritual of Tuesday reception day. After Là ©once departs for the club, Edna eats her dinner alone and retires to her room: â€Å"It was a large, beautiful room, rich and picturesque in the soft, dim light which the maid had turned low. She went and stood at an open window and looked out upon the deep tangle of the garden below. All the mystery and witchery of the night seemed to have gathered there amid the perfumes and the dusky and tortuous outlines of flowers and foliage. She was seeking herself and finding herself in just such sweet half-darkness which met her moods. But the voices were not soothing that came to her from the darkness and the sky above and the stars. They jeered and sounded mourning notes without promise, devoid even of hope. She turned back into the room and began to walk to and fro, down its whole length, without stopping, without resting. She carried in her hands a thin handkerchief, which she tore into ribbons, rolled into a ball, and flung from her. Once she stopped, and taking off her wedding ring, flung it upon the carpet. When she saw it lying there she stamped her heel upon it, striving to crush it. But her small boot heel did not make an indenture, not a mark upon the glittering circlet. â€Å"In a sweeping passion she seized a glass vase from the table and flung it upon the tiles of the hearth. She wanted to destroy something. The crash and clatter were what she wanted to hear.† The scene neatly encapsulates Edna’s rage at being confined in the domestic sphere and foreshadows her increasingly bold attempts, in subsequent chapters of the novel, to break through its boundaries. At first glance, the room appears to be the model of domestic harmony; â€Å"large,† â€Å"beautiful,† â€Å"rich† and â€Å"picturesque,† it would appear to be a welcoming, soothing haven for Edna. However, she is drawn past its obvious comforts to the open window, a familiar image in THE AWAKENING. From her vantage point in the second story of the house, Edna (who at this point in the narrative is still contained by the domestic/maternal sphere – she is â€Å"in† and â€Å"of† the house) gazes out at the wider world beyond.

Pecado de omision por Ana María Matute Essay -- Spanish Essays Pecado

El cuento â€Å"Pecado de omisià ³n† fue escrito por Ana Marà ­a Matute como parte del movimiento de realismo social espaà ±ol. Fue incluido en el libro Historias de la Artà ¡mila, el cual fue publicado en mil novecientos sesenta y uno. Este cuento tiene dos tipos de tema. Su tema significativo trata de la injusticia de la situacià ³n de Lope y su tratamiento por don Emeterio; su tema axiomà ¡tico trata de las relaciones familiares y el tratamiento de los pobres y de los huà ©rfanos. Los dos son temas implà ­citos, porque no hay moraleja explà ­cita. La historia tiene lugar en Espaà ±a, antes de o cerca del principio del siglo veinte. Un nià ±o inteligente, quien se llama Lope, habà ­a dejado huà ©rfano y el primo de su padre, que era muy rico y el alcalde de su pueblo, tenà ­a que cuidarlo. Este primo, don Emeterio, empleaba al nià ±o de trece aà ±os como pastor y le dejà ³ lejos del pueblo para criar las ovejas. Pasaban cinco aà ±os, y Lope revolvià ³ a la casa de don Emeterio para ver al mà ©dico. Allà ¡ vio a un viejo compaà ±ero de escuela, un Manuel Enrà ­quez, un muchacho que siempre le iba detrà ¡s en sus estu...

censorship :: essays research papers

Principles of Censorship in Singapore Administration of censorship in Singapore has been performed in a typically methodical manner with guidelines developed through experience.[8] First, materials going into the home are more heavily censored than those going into the corporate world. The Singapore authorities have drawn a distinction between information for business uses, which should be as free flowing as possible, and information for non-business uses. Information for the home is seen to be of a less critical nature so censorship of such information is regarded to have not as deleterious an effect. Second, materials for the young are more heavily censored than those for adults. This is an admittedly paternalistic principle of protecting the weaker members of society from the possible harm of the materials in question. Third, materials for public consumption are more heavily censored than those for private consumption. This is a corollary of the second principle as it is assumed that the public includes those who are "weaker." Also, regardless of the level of censorship those who are determined can always get their hands on them. Hence private consumption can only be policed to a limited extent. Further, it is more efficient to police public instead of private consumption. It should be noted that private consumption of censorship materials is still policed in that those found in private possession of censored materials can be convicted in court. Finally, materials deemed to have artistic and educational merit are less heavily censored. This is a recently articulated principle and has been applied to movies, which now have an R(A) or Restricted (Artistic) rating. In sum, censorship in Singapore has an element of differentiation: home vs. business, children vs. adults, public vs. private consumption. Further, materials that can be shown to have some tangible and wider benefit--such as for business, art and education--are censored with a much lighter hand. On the other hand, materials deemed to have less tangible benefit--such as "pure entertainment"-- are censored more heavily. To be sure, some of these principles come into conflict in the administration of censorship. The concession to artistic materials is an admission of one such conflict. On the Internet, however, the

Disease Management

Disease management pertains to the concept of assisting in healthcare expenditures and augmenting the quality of life through prevention and health maintenance. Disease management is associated with a commitment to provide guidance, information, advocacy and service to its members in order for them to feel a positive change. An ideal health care model aims to improve the quality and efficiency of health care assistance, to increase the accessibility to health care services for various populations, to increase price and quality transparency and to ascertain accountability for all services received.In order to achieve these goals, certain disease management programs have linked with Aetna and United Healthcare, which improves both benefits and the marketing of health insurance industry. One policy of disease management involves the improvement of the quality and efficiency of health care for its members (Barry and Basler, 2007). This policy feature is associated with routine measuremen t of the performance of its plans. It also encourages highly efficient health care options to its members, as well as the application of information technologies in keeping and maintaining patient health records.The use of prescribing medications electronically is also presented, which helps in keeping the patients safe from errors of drug consumption, as well as duplication of services, which are deemed to be wasteful in terms of money, time and effort. Such improvement may also advance the mode of access for health test results and other information. Another policy being promoted by disease management programs involve the availability of health care services to varied populations at reasonable prices.Such feature concentrates on outreach programs that provide materials and services to different communities using other languages that are applicable to specific ethnic groups. This element may be a valuable feature in interacting with its members, so that the patients may freely expr ess their needs and concerns regarding health care and its associated services. It is also very useful in making its non-English speaking members to understand what has been assessed or what is needed in order to help them in their health maintenance, including chronic care and disease management.The use of the multi-language approach also prevents miscommunications and misunderstandings between the program and its members. The benefits of such effort will include a greater chance for its members to understand any information that is provided to them, including the quality, effectivity and costs of the health care services. It also allows the members to make their own decisions about their own health care plans because they are empowered to interact and ask questions about aspects that concern their health.A disease management program also includes the regular monitoring and assessment of its health plan and its subsequent dissemination of information to its members (Gearon, 2006). Such feature is valuable in terms of its goal in continuously improving the health care performance and efficiency of its plans. And it is also known that the most reliable way of improving any health care plan is by gathering the comments and suggestions of the end-users, which are actually the members itself, who directly apply such health care plans to their daily lives.A disease management program appraises its healthcare policy and features every year. Such comprehensive review of the policy often times lead to points of improvement. These are then actively considered an incorporated into the working health policy and its members are likewise advised of the new changes. Any other comments or suggestions are freely expressed by its members, and the program at the same time welcomes such constructive criticisms. Healthcare marketing is a phenomenon that actively promotes features of healthcare industry.A successful healthcare marketing process follows the three major concepts fra mework, view point and definition. Healthcare marketing has dramatically changed over the last decade, mainly due to reforms initiated by the government (Barry and Basler, 2007). One prime modification in the healthcare market is the incorporation of Medicare, which works as a form of reimbursement for healthcare institutions. A few decades ago, healthcare investigators attempted to establish the relationship between healthcare practitioners and patients.One of the observations they observed was that patients often had only a few choices in terms of healthcare providers hence they have no resort but to maintain a relationship with a particular doctor amidst substandard patient care delivery. Another observation the investigators observed was the patients tend to screen or try out different physicians and just pick out which physician works best with their own personal preference. In addition, other individuals would also screen different hospitals and then later decide which hospita l serves them best in terms of their hospital needs. References Barry P and Basler B (2007):   Healing our system.   AARP Bulletin, March, 2007.   Retrieved on July 25, 2007 from http://www.aarp.org/bulletin/yourlife/healingoursystem.html Gearon C (2006):   State-by-State List of HMO report cards online.   AARP Bulletin, January 2006.   Retrieved on July 25, 2007 from http://www.aarp.org/bulletin/yourhealth/a2003-08-07-hmoreport.html

Example Solution Manual: exploring strategy text & cases

A key danger to highlight is of long lists of forces or influences that are too unwieldy for practical action. So the second question challenges students to assess which of the forces are likely to be of most significance in driving Industry change. Here students should justify their views In terms of the evidence from the past and the likely Impact In the future of any particular Influence. The end-chapter case example on the European brewing Industry also asks students to do a PESTLE analysis. Illustration 2. Scenarios Scenarios help students think long term and very broadly: here the World Economic Forum and its members are looking a decade ahead, and thinking about gee- economics in general as well as just the market in a narrow sense. The question asks about whether companies have more influence over government policy or gee- economics. It then goes on to ask about how companies might influence government. This also obviously touches on issues of corporate social responsibility, pursued in Chapter 4.Companies probably do have more influence on policy coordination, but the Issue Is which governments they should be talking to (the united States, China? ) and whether It Is only governments that matter (United Nations, International Monetary Fund, World Trade Organization? ). They should also consider how they can best Influence governments, Individually or collectively through, for example, the World Economic Forum or the Business Roundtable, the group of Coos of leading American corporations.To some extent, the power is likely to be exercised negatively: through lobbying against and criticism of proposals for financial re-regulation. It is worthwhile also asking about the influence these corporations can have themselves on gee-economic shifts: some Western company headquarters are shifting away from their home-countries, for example, the global headquarters of American civil engineering conglomerate Hallucination moved to Dublin and Swiss/Swedish engineering company ABA moved its global robotics business headquarters to Shanghai. Illustration 2. The Steel Industry The steel Industry provides a fairly easy-to-understand case of rapid structural change, and one led by industry actors. Understanding how the leading companies in other words, a sense that structures are given rather than changeable. The first question particularly invites a comparative analysis using the radar-plot introduced in Exhibit 2. 5. The radar-plot might look roughly like the following, with the mutinous lines indicating rough positions in around 2000 (10 years earlier than the illustration) and the dotted lines indicating positions in 2010.The comparative positions highlight the increasing power of suppliers such as the iron ore producers (negative); the high power of sophisticated buyers, somewhat mitigated by the declining power of the Big Three (mildly positive perhaps); and the beginning of decreased rivalry (positive) as the larger steel companies such as Imi tate try to consolidate the industry. It might be said that the new entry threat has stabilized and even reduced, though continued investment by Chinese players may increase rivalry especially if they turn to overseas markets.Overall, comparing the size of the two radar plots over time suggests only a marginal change in favor of the steel producers. With regard to the second question, the acquisition strategies seem driven by the desire to reduce rivalry by reducing the number of players and even capacity. You might ask students what is necessary to make this work: here you might highlight the importance for reduced rivalry of both simultaneous cuts in capacity investments by, for example, the Chinese and strong barriers to new entry. With Edgar to the third question, success in raising barriers to entry (e. . Through technological change) and in reducing rivalry (through continued consolidation) would make the industry more attractive. Vertical integration strategies into sources o f supply (e. G. Iron ore) would help too. A potential negative is significant progress with substitute materials. This depends on technological progress, hence providing a useful link between the Porter 5 Forces and PESTLE. Illustration 2. 4 Chugging in the Charity Sector The aim of this Illustration of course is to show that industry structure analysis is elevate to not-for-profits as well.Indeed, charities appear ruthlessly competitive – hence the High Street chugging. The first question points to at least three of the Praetorian forces as causing problems: (I) There are low barriers to entry, with ‘constant refreshment' of the industry by new charities; (it) there is strong buying power on the part of local authorities commissioning services; (iii) there is intense rivalry because of the number of competitors and tendency towards overlap and duplication of charitable services.In addition, they face substitutes in the form of coal authorities and other agencies perfor ming services in-house, but at this point the trend in that respect was in their favor. The suppliers of funds – donors – have many alternative charities to give to. The mergers and increasing concentration levels (the largest are growing fastest) imply growing industry consolidation. At the moment, the industry structure might be described as highly competitive, but there may be widespread advantages to it moving towards a more oligopolies situation. Illustration 2. Cycles of Competition The Wisdom' in strategy theory has been that competitiveness is about building up a Eng-term competitive advantage and then defending it against competitors. The idea industry will work its way out over time. It also highlights the potentially destructive nature of competition (at least from the point of view of industry players) and the value of trying to avoid it. Indeed, a key point is that these competitive cycles are not inevitable. Signaling to competitors, and interpreting the signals of others' competitive moves, can help avoid head-on competition.Retaliation (Section 2. 3 under barriers to entry) is a key principle here, as are the basics of game theory (Chapter 3). With regard to question 1, Francesco might have slowed down or rebuffed entirely Deceptiveness's invasion of the French market by retaliating hard against its initial move: even though the youth niche was not so important to Francesco, a determined response there would have signaled the likelihood that attacking the core French market would be so fiercely opposed that it might not be worth Deceptiveness's while even to try.With regard to question 2, Francesco would have been hard-pressed to avoid escalating competition in the business market. However, one possibility might have been for Francesco to focus on a particular selected niche (say the small firms segment). By signaling clearly through advertising or similar that this niche was the extent of their ambitions, Francesco might have enc ouraged Descriptive to concentrate on its best opportunities, leaving the French get on with their specialist in peace.Illustration 2. 6 Key Debate: How Much Does Industry Matter? This debate addresses an enduring source of controversy in strategy research, and allows students to review the importance of the contents of Chapter 2 (particularly the five forces'), at the same time as introducing the more internally focused issues of Chapter 3 that follows. For Porter, industry matters a lot. The aseptic might argue ‘he would say that, wouldn't he'?After all, this is exactly what his training in industrial economics and the standard products of his consulting firm would favor. However, the important thing here is to recognize the extent of the research he (and collaborators such as Anita McGowan) draw upon to make their case. It is worth pointing out to students that strategy theories are more than ‘Just theories': there is solid empirical research involved too. When meetin g a new theory, students should et used to asking: where is the research evidence?What the research seems to suggest is that an industry is not the be-all and end-all, but that choosing an attractive industry is a very good starting point in strategy: industry accounts for about two-fifths of the explained variance in the Porter and McGowan study (leaving aside control variables etc. ). Turning to the precise question, the kinds of industries that influence members' profitability's more than others seem generally to be service industries (explaining the greater industry effects in the Porter and McGowan study than in Runlet's).But to go on from here, industry influences are most likely to be strongest in highly competitive and mature industries. In such industries, sources of firm-specific differentiation are likely to be few, easily imitated and easily competed away, so making it hard to earn above-normal profits. At the same time, standard recipes for competing would have been est ablished, so only the incompetent would perform substantially below the norm (and competition should have eliminated most such incompetents by the industry maturity stage).These conditions would probably prevail in service industries such as hotels, restaurants and retail. Newer industries commodity competitors and suppliers, so allowing persistent variability in profitability. Video Questions Hoicks Hoicks is a specialist insurer in the Lloyd of London insurance market. The company specializes in niche areas such as property and casualty insurance for high net worth individuals and companies, as well as cover against such risks as hacking, kidnapping and satellite damage. The video case is quite complicated, so best viewed after a thorough working through of the chapter material. . The industry is facing more buyer power, with the rise of online price comparison sites. On the other hand, there is a process of consolidation with the rise of ‘consolidators' (companies such as R esolution), who are acquiring weaker companies in order to build position. This is likely in the long term to reduce rivalry. Major failures such as that of the American giant Alga (American Investment Group) are likely to reduce rivalry too. It is clear that general recessionary pressures are also influencing the market at the time of the video, reducing demand and likely to make it more price-sensitive. . Hoicks has a specialist position, aside from companies like Alga or the general insurers that Resolution is trying to buy, and its power in its niche is reinforced by its brand (well known in the United Kingdom). It also has the advantage of having both an underwriting (issue of insurance policies) and investment business, which mean that Hoicks is protected from short-term cycles or crises in one part of the business, probably helping to buffer it from price competition in the short term too. Assignment 2. PESTLE Analysts PESTLE analysis is a useful starting point for environmen tal analysis. Illustration 2. 1 provides a model. A ‘blank of the basic template of illustration 2. 1 can be provided to dents who can then be asked to complete it for the forces at work in a particular industry. The danger is that long lists of forces or influences can be generated by this device. So the second question challenges students to assess which of the forces are likely to be of most significance in driving industry change.Here students should justify their views in terms of the evidence from the past and the likely impact in the future of any particular influence. See the discussion of the PESTLE for the end- chapter case on the European brewing industry for an example. Assignment 2. 2 Building Scenarios Assignment 2. Requires students to focus on change in industry characteristics and competitive forces through the construction of scenarios. Guidelines for the construction of scenarios are given in Section 2. 2. 2 it is recommended that students follow these, buil ding either two or four scenarios for a given industry.The work done in Assignment 2. 1 should provide the bases of identifying the key industry forces or influences which will enable them to do this. Some of the problems of scenario building should be emphasized to students: Students may try to build in too many factors and, therefore, not be able to limit the number of scenarios. They may find difficulty in generating scenarios with a coherent and compatible set of factors. Some may be wary of having to exercise Judgment; and others will confuse Judgment with hunch.Try to encourage a realistic debate that tests out assumptions and students to build scenarios for an industry for which there is a company case (or for their own industry/company if possible) and then to assess the company's strategic position in the light of the different scenarios (e. G. See the notes above on the brewing industry). One of the issues that might surface is the ease or difficulty with which scenarios c an be constructed. It usually emerges that scenarios are much easier to construct where the number of key forces at work in an industry is relatively few.They are less easy to construct if the number of important forces is high because the number of variables the student is trying to handle becomes too great. This, in turn, raises another issue. Scenarios are of particular use in uncertain environments as a means of helping managers to think through possible futures. However, uncertainty may arise for a number of reasons. If uncertainty arises because of the unpredictability of a few forces, then arguably scenarios may be very lawful, but what if uncertainty arises primarily because there are a large number of forces at work: to what extent are scenarios of use in such circumstances?There are a limited number of very important forces at work in the brewing industry: but what of fast-moving hi-tech industries where there are many different forces at work? Assignment 2. 3 Five Competi tive Forces Five forces analysis is an absolutely fundamental technique in strategy. Section 2. 3 should give students the ability to carry out a basic five forces analysis of any industry. They should be encouraged to consider all of the elements of each of the vive forces: so for example, under barriers to entry, scale and experience effects, channels, retaliation and so on.The radar-plot technique of Exhibit 2. 5 should only be used as a summary once the full analysis is complete; the danger is of it being used to short-circuit the analysis. Students should be expected to do more than simply list elements; they should clearly identify the implications (positive or negative) of each. The second question about conclusions for industry attractiveness should underline the importance of drawing out implications, rather than Just listing. Assignment 2. 4 Comparisons between Industries and Over Time This assignment allows students to build on Assignment 2. In order to consider the inves tment implications of differences between industries and change over time. The assignment is a substantial one if relying on students' own research. However, time can be saved if two case studies are used (e. G. Brewing, pharmaceuticals or hi-if, perhaps looking backwards at change over the past three to five years, rather than change in the future). Similarly, students may save time by using the radar-plot technique (Exhibit 2. 5), as in the discussion of Illustration 2. 3. It is important to note the two follow-up questions.Explicitly asking for Justification helps students avoid the superficial analysis which is easy to do with five forces. Asking the question about investment helps students think about concrete implications, again something that five forces analyses often neglect. By looking over time, students will learn to be cautious about investing in industries with declining attractiveness. By comparing industries, students can also consider industry attractiveness in thei r diversification decisions, an issue picked up in Chapter 7.At the same time, it is worth countering attractive are likely to have high barriers to entry, so the costs of entry may outweigh the benefits of entering. An industry that is becoming relatively unattractive may be neglected by competitors, and, if you enjoy a strong competitive advantage in that industry, it may still be a source of profit to you. Assignment 2. 5 Strategic Groups This assignment builds on the notion of strategic groups and strategic space outlined in Section 2. 4. 1 in the text. Figure 2. 8 provides an example of how the exercise could be carried out.This could, for example, be applied to the European brewing industry: Key strategic dimensions might come under either of the scope or resource commitment characteristics in Section 2. 4. 1 – for example, product range or extent of vertical integration. Possible key strategic dimensions in the European brewing industry might include geographical cover age, strength of brands, diversification, size of firm, type of distribution, and so on. Students are encouraged to draw more than one strategic group map if they believe that more than two dimensions are important.It is useful to ask them to consider the extent to which different bases of such maps give rise to similar or different configurations. They might find, for example, that however the maps are drawn up, some companies always tend to end up in the same groups. In other words, some companies may have a very similar set of strategic characteristics along many dimensions. Students are asked to examine the strategic group maps to see if there are any under-populated White spaces' in the industry.For example, in brewing, is there an opportunity for a giant specialist in making ‘own brand' beer for the large retailers? However, students should assess carefully why there are few competitors in any such white spaces. White spaces can often turn out to be dangerous ‘blac k holes' rather than attractive opportunities. Assignment 2. 6 Critical Success Factors and the Strategy Canvas It is very likely that students will concentrate on success factors that are salient to them as consumers – for example, the product ranges of a clothing retailer.Less visible elements, such as ownership by a diversified parent company, may be neglected. However, for a short assignment, this need not matter too much: the essence is comparison in order to identify areas of (potential) competitive advantage. The key insight of a strategy canvas is to encourage competitors to compete where it s relatively easy to secure a significant advantage (Blue Ocean), and not necessarily to compete fiercely over the top-rated success factors if advantage can only be obtained at very considerable cost (Red Ocean).You can introduce less visible, but strategically significant elements after they have done their basic analysis. Integrative Assignment Full Analysis of an Industry or a Sector This assignment would be a demanding research project over a significant part of the course. It is however a very good test of students' ability to apply tools to real data appropriately, as well as developing their research skills. Students will see it as practical and, if allowed a choice of sectors, relevant to their own interests. Good research resources are essential.As well as free web-based resources such as company reports, trade association statistics and some government or supra- access resources such as the business press and Journals available through Businessperson Premier, Fictive or Prosiest, and reports from organizations such as Remuneration, Key Notes and Minute. Your institution's librarian will advise you on what is available to students and how proficient they are likely to be in using such resources. You would also want to guide students on which industries or sectors to choose.Very broad industries – for example, the world airline industry †“ are likely to overwhelm students with data. It might be helpful to encourage focus – for example, the airline industry in India, or similar. Industry focus also reduces the risk of plagiarism. There are many student assignments of a similar nature available for a fee on the web, and it would definitely be wise to avoid allowing students to research the same industries in successive years. Requiring a specific focus on particular homes (e. G. Internationalization) or some less common concepts (e. . The strategy canvas, cycles of competition etc. ) can also reduce plagiarism. Insisting on precisely citing sources for key data and points (through an end-note system or similar) makes simple plagiarism harder too, as well as being good practice. If allowed, students will find very helpful a couple of example assignments from previous years to guide them roughly on what they are supposed to do. A report length limit of around 2000-2500 words would encourage students to focus on what is really important.Requiring an executive summary would also force students to consider what is really important and what are the key implications. Over a two semester course, this assignment could be stage one of a two-part assessment regime; the second semester could have as an assignment asking students to consider implications of the first part for the strategy of a particular company in the original industry or sector. Case Example The European Brewing Industry This case focuses on the key techniques of PESTLE and five forces analysis that are central to this chapter.Full cases such as the pharmaceutical industry can be used evolve students' skills in seeing trends in industry data and drawing conclusions as to the likely impact of those trends on particular companies in an industry. PESTLE Here it would be helpful to ask the students to draw on wider knowledge or research (you may have beer drinkers from many countries in your class). Depending on how extensive students ' additional research and thinking are, a wide-range of issues may be raised. To highlight some for the purposes of illustration: Political: government campaigns against drink driving Economic: the rise of the Asian economiesSocial: rise of beer consumption in southern Europe Technological: few clear in the case, but innovations around products such as ice- cold lager might be raised Environmental: few clear in the case, but packaging issues are likely to be important Legal: few clear in the case, but changes in licensing laws and permitted alcohol limits for driving are relevant. Pestles can often seem somewhat inconclusive, so it is important to pull out key issues and conclusions. The increasing hostility to drinking (under P and L) and the rise of Asian economies and southern Europe (under E & S) seem particularly important trends.One way of drawing some simple conclusions is to assess the overall balance (positive or negative) under each of the PESTLE headings: in the case of t he European brewing There has traditionally been a wide variation of industry structures across Europe. The United Kingdom is fairly competitive. Denmark, Holland, Italy, Belgium and France, on the other hand, have been in near monopoly situations. However, with increasing exports and imports and cross-border acquisitions, national markets are becoming less protected. An interesting issue, then, is at what level to conduct industry structure analysis.If at a European level, the broad issues to consider under each of the five forces are as follows: Buyers: With more than one fifth of beer sold through supermarkets, and increasing resort to ‘own-label', these buyers are increasingly powerful (underline that buyers are not the ultimate consumers). Suppliers: The high concentration of the packagers suggests that these are becoming increasingly powerful. Substitutes: Wine is clearly a dangerous substitute. New entrants: Internationalization through M and increased trade is introduc ing new entrants into previously protected markets: most countries see increasing imports (Table 2).Enhances-Busch and Gabrielle are two obvious new entrants into Europe. Students might be alerted to the potential threat of Toasting and the other Chinese brewers. Although not prominent in the case, there is still the potential of small new brewers entering using micro-breweries or contract brewers (e. G. Cobra). Rivalry: falling demand, international entrants and over-capacity obviously increase the scope for rivalry. However, note that sales values are rising, that innovation and branding can mitigate price-competition, that there has been a history of price-fixing cartels, and that leading players are attempting consolidation through M.It might be useful to ask the students to compare industry concentration ratios in 2000 and 2009: that is, the share accounted for the top three or five players (Table 3). As ever, it is important to draw conclusions. On balance, the European brewin g industry does not seem attractive, and unlikely to become more so until the current round of consolidation is completed and brewers achieve greater leverage against their buyers and suppliers. Impact on Particular Brewing Companies The three companies are chosen to represent different types of ‘player'. A-B Ellen is the largest player, after a succession of spectacular mergers.It is remarkable how the company is withdrawing from fast-growing China and Eastern Europe, however. Greene King is tiny in comparison to A-B Ellen, with Just one key domestic market, the United Kingdom. However, domestic focus and its own pubs may be giving it a strongly defended local position. You might ask whether there are competitors who might be tempted to buy such a company. Tossing Tao is the wild-card here. It is strong in its booming home market, but it is also interested in moving overseas. But would it make Europe a priority region for expansion, or choose another market?

Objectives of the Various Database Marketing Essay

When its competitors entered new markets with advantages of innovation and lower cost during the 1990s, Harrah’s capped the business growth. However, the company rather chose to make use of an existing advantage – customer loyalty, instead attempting to create new resources. A marketing database contains information about individual customers or potential customers that is relevant to the marketing process. DBM is an important tool to build up customer relationship and increase the loyalty. To strengthen the loyalty competency, requiresd Harrah’s to process sophisticated database analysis of customer profiles, so that the company could market the right customers with right ways, in order to attract repeated visits and retain the loyalty (See Appendix A and B). Harrah’s used the data base in three programs – new business program, loyalty program, and retention program – to build up the customer relationship and strengthen the loyalty. Another objective of DBM is to predict consumer behavior and â€Å"customer worth†. Customer profiles provide information about customers’ play preferences, betting patterns, how often they visit, how much they play, etc. After retrieving detailed information from every customer, Harrah’s could predict potential customer playing behavior at all of its properties through quantitative models. After the models identified some opportunity-based customer segments for rationalized reinvestment, Harrah’s sent customized incentives to these customers, seeking relationships with them based on their future worth, rather than on their past behaviors. One more important objective of DBM is to track customers over time and conduct some â€Å"marketing experiments†, so that Harrah’s can find the right marketing instrument, for the right behavior modification, for the right customer. When Harrah’s issues special promotions, it needs to know which kind of promotion is the most effective at the lowest cost. For example, through marketing experiments, Harrah’s found that a less attractive offer was more profitable, and the return of a portion of customer’s bet was unnecessary. Through the DMB program, Harrah’s could gain a better understanding of customers to increase customer satisfaction and achieve organization’s objective at a profit level.

Global Warming Research Paper

Global Warming: Its effects on the Economy by Vincent Colletti Professor Shakely English Composition II July 1, 2008 Outline THESIS: From the findings of experts on Global Warming and Climatology, it can be concluded that Global Warming has a direct effect on our current global economy and the instability of the future. Introduction I. Background A. The study of Environmental Economics B. Economic issues and relations to past and future global warming estimates II. The effects on GDP A. Increase of natural disasters B. Impact on agriculture C.Rise in health care cost 1. Heat waves 2. Spread of disease D. Further subjugation those who have a lower standard of living 1. Displacement III. Opposing arguments A. Efforts to prevent global warming are to costly B. Low Winter mortality rate C. Possible Profit lies in the Arctic IV. What is being done to counteract climate change’s affects and plans for the future A. Kyoto Protocol 1. Acceptance/Refusal 2. Funds created B. â€Å"Green Collar† Jobs and Alternative Energy Sources 1. Wind/Water Power 2. Fuel efficient automobiles 3. Carbon CaptureConclusion Global Warming: It’s affects on the economy In considering climate change policies, the fundamental trade-off principal that society faces is between, consumption today and consumption in the nearing future. It is a question of economics; the return on this environmental investment is lower damages and thus higher consumption in the future. Now is the time that nations must decide whether or not they will make investments in understanding the economics of the environment and act accordingly to slow the climate change over the coming centuries.According to the National Bureau of Environmental Research (NBER) environmental economics is defined as â€Å"†¦ studies of the economic effects of national or local environmental policies around the world, including effects on pollution, research and development, physical investment, labor supply, econom ic efficiency, and the distribution of real income. † It is the desirable option to have policies that are economically efficient so that the environmental objectives can be achieved in a least cost approach, but then the question arises how long should we wait until an optimal climate-change policy is fabricated? pic] This chart explains the forecasted increase in Earth’s average surface temperature according to a series of climate change situations. It is, of course, impossible to predict with certainty what permanent economic effect global warming will have, but many economists and scientists agree the past and present effects can serve as a guide as to what can be expected. From the findings of experts on Global Warming and Climatology, it can be concluded that Global Warming has a direct effect on our current global economy and the instability of the future.Although scientists generally agree on the probable rise in the average global temperature over the next cent ury foretelling the change in a specific region is more complex. Due to the fact that the forecast models used in determining global warming’s affects are just that, models, they cannot be taken as fact and are subject to change. According to the Stern Review, a report created by the former Chief Economist of the World Bank Nicholas Stern, â€Å"the cost of climate change could be equivalent to a permanent loss of around 0-3% in global world output† (Stern ix).This would take humans into unknown territory which is the essential factor in the Stern Review which develops the basis that climate change will affect everyone, not just those whose greenhouse gas emissions are elevated. The report conveys the costs of extreme weather conditions could decrease the â€Å"†¦world Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by . 5-1% per annum†¦ † (Stern viii) before the middle of the century. In regards to the models Stern used in his report, the USA could expect a double of an nual natural disaster costs due to the increase in hurricane wind speed attributable to the rise of sea temperature.This should serve as Americas warning considering one of the most costly hurricanes, Hurricane Katrina, hit our shores in 2005. As Al Gore, former Vice President and long time Environmentalist, points out in his book An Inconvenient Truth, â€Å"Hurricane Katrina caused approximately $60 billion in insured losses† (Gore 102). A further impact on the world economy would concentrate in the UK who will be heavily affected by the melting of glaciers, whose â€Å"annual flood losses alone could increase from 0. % of GDP today to 0. 2-0. 4% of GDP once the increase in global average temperatures reaches 3 or 4 degrees Celsius† (Stern viii). Along with the devastation that will follow the increase in natural disasters, global warming will soon prove to be a burden on our agricultural market as well. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the â⠂¬Å"changing climate could cause soils to become drier and drier, and crop failures could become more widespread. † What burdens will this place on the global economy?It will affect the poorest countries first, mostly due to the fact that the majority of these â€Å"poor† countries have a high dependency on agriculture as a means of living and trade. Another affect on our agriculture will be the disruption in our food supply according to author and Boston Globe editor Ross Gelbspan, â€Å"global warming could result in insect related crop damage. † With the information presented pertaining to the rising level in carbon dioxide it should be inferred that although plant growth accelerates in areas with elevated carbon dioxide concentration and to some would seem like an opportunity to initiate in mass harvesting and ncrease yields but it should be considered that many scientist along with Gelbspan predict, â€Å"these initial increases will soon flatten, and a lon g-term diet of concentrated carbon dioxide will weaken plants,† (Gelbspan 37) resulting in a less full-bodied, nutritious product. The fall in farm industry will ultimately pilot the increase of illness, death, and poverty, especially in third world countries. As briefly mentioned before, global warming will not only have an affect on our economy but also our health care system.Naturally the rise of global temperature can be dangerous for humans because of the extreme weather conditions that are bodies are not accustomed to. A study by the EPA shows that an increase in â€Å"†¦the concentration of ozone at ground level due to higher air temperatures†¦Ã¢â‚¬  may lead to severe complications â€Å"for people with asthma and other lung related diseases. † Logically higher air temperatures could seriously impact those who live in southern areas of the world.The EPA estimates that in Atlanta, for example, even a warming of about two degrees(F) would increase heat -related deaths from currently 78 people annually to anywhere from 96 to 247 people per year, which if translated into a global scene it would be a travesty. The Stern Review points out a shocking yet â€Å"scared straight† statistic for some, it expressed that the heat wave in Europe of 2003 killed 35,000 people and is estimates show that if temperatures increase 2 or 3 degrees(C) this number can come close to doubling.Also the EPA has speculated that global warming will promote insect life in farther northern areas that were once unable to facilitate growth. In terms of providing medicine for the various diseases carried by the insects such as Malaria, Dengue fever, Nile virus, and Yellow fever, it worries me if government or medical help will be able to offer aid to enough people considering it’s hard enough to get an adequate amount of Flu vaccinations in a single season; imagine an extension of warm seasons with infected insects spreading and establishing themselv es in â€Å"unknown territories,† this could be the next modern epidemic.In the Heat Is On, a striking fact the author uses to convey a similar point of that of above is â€Å"A side effect to global warming are insect attacks. A study shows that Alaskan forests have suffered from severe outbreaks of bark beetles, which have devastated several million acres of forest† (Gelbspan 141). With an increase in severe weather conditions, spread of disease, decline inhabitable land, and sea levels raising many people will be forced to flee their homes. In a 60 Minutes special one of the worlds leading authorities on climate control, Bob Corell, told the world that â€Å"98 percent of the world’s mountain glaciers are melting. This is a startling fact considering the impact that will have on coastal cities around the world. Corell proceeded to explain that sea levels around the world will increase three feet within 100 years. Melting glaciers will inevitably increase flo od risk and water supplies around the world. Thus approximately â€Å"one-sixth of the world’s population† (Stern vi) will be threatened with drinkable water shortages and displacement. Being unable to produce food or purchase necessities, it is estimated that â€Å"tens to hundreds of millions of people, with warming of 3 or 4 degrees(C) will have to relocate† (Stern vi).Although it is often thought just those in Africa, Asia, and small islands will be affected it should be known that large cities such as New York, Tokyo, London, and Cairo all possess an equal risk. An estimate put forth by the Stern Report states that â€Å"†¦by the middle of the century, 200 million people may become permanently displaced†¦Ã¢â‚¬  all of which can be attributed to rising sea levels, strong floods, and soil and water salinization. Increases in extreme weather patterns â€Å"could reduce global gross domestic product by up to 1%†¦ A two to three degrees Celsius , up to 10% of global output could be lost†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Stern Review).Nations worldwide must see the broader economic and security factors of global warming. â€Å"The melting Artic is the proverbial canary in the coalmine of planetary health and a harbinger of how the warming planet will profoundly affect U. S. national security† (Borgerson 9). With an economy in distress such as the United States, investing in energy efficiency should seem like the logical step forward in the nation’s history but lobbyists and those who oppose, with their isolationist instinct, look to seek a profit and mask the environment’s downward spiraling transformation.It is time we â€Å"†¦get on with the important work of mitigation and adaptation by managing the consequences of the great melt† (Borgerson 9) however this proves to be harder than environmentalists expected. Opposition to â€Å"green energy† has currently caused much debate, with slandering advertis ements from both extremes of the spectrum. One combatant idea stems from the â€Å"respected economic analysts GlobalInsight, their estimations, in 2002, concluded that meeting the Kyoto target would reduce Germany’s GDP by 5. 2%, Spains by 5. 0%, the U. K. ’s by 4. %, and the Netherlands by 3. 8%† (Horner 259). These speculated values stressed the idea that cleaning the environment was just not worth the lost incurred with following the protocol. Another suggestion opponents of environmental cleanup is â€Å"Spain and Britain would lose a million jobs, while Germany would lose nearly 2 million jobs, thanks in part to 40% increase in electricity and heating cost† (Horner 259), an proposal that has proved to be false, although they have seen a loss in GDP many analysts believe it is due to rising fuel costs.Since the estimations of those who consider global warming too large of a problem to deal with, surfaced to be a fallacy, a new concept was pushed into the media, thus influencing the public in their favor. â€Å"Between 2004 and 2005, the Artic lost 14 percent of itsperennial ice—the dense, thick ice that is the main obstacle to shipping. In the last 23 years, 41 percent of this hard, multiyear ice has vanished. † (Borgerson 2).To many this may seem like a grim glance into the future, but for commercial industries and government this is an opportunity to exploit our land. The artic region located near Alaska would be a prime spot for accessing gas reserves. President Bush has proposed that a three way treaty between the United States, Russia, and Canada should be created and refineries put in place. It would seem as if â€Å"big business† is blind to what must occur in order for them to have their chance at producing fuel from the gas reserves.This plan is supported by the fact that it will lessen the dependency on foreign oil. Climate change will have an un-proportionate positive to negative effect ration ex cept for idealists in the market looking to turn a profit. The Stern Report addressed argument that global warming will have a constructive role in the future for instance; places such as Russia and Canada will be beneficiaries of a 2 or 3 degrees (C) in the sense that climate change will lessen winter’s harshness eventually leading to lower winter mortality, and heating costs.It is also believed that the surge of warmer climates may also increase tourism to once barren artic tundra regions. An efficient response to global climate change will depend on the actions of an internationally collaborative effort. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has realized this and formatted a treaty entitled the Kyoto Protocol. This protocol sets forth for almost every industrialized nation, except the United States and Kazakhstan, a guideline as to how much greenhouse gas they may emit within a year.It proposes that countries with higher emissions of greenhouse gases be held responsible and require them to pay for more energy efficient activities in less developed countries, thus managing not so much limiting, the amount of harmful gases released and funding countries in need of further energy efficient program development. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, â€Å"over 50 nations representing 55 percent of industrialized nations’ emissions have agreed to ratify the protocol. † To many economists this places the United States in the middle of the â€Å"war on global warming† and sees the U.S. soon being forced to participate or face global environmental isolation. â€Å"Every country will need to adapt to climate change†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Walker 163) although it will be much easier for some than others. Countries who barely produce enough GDP will find it harder to allocate funds to environmentally safe practices rather than an industrialized nation whose profits soar and money is easily set aside to research and development of â€Å"green† methods. â€Å"Already 3 global funds are aimed at aiding the least developed countries to adapt† (Walker 163).As of April 2006, the Least Developed Country Fund has collected a sum of $89 million in actual funds. While the Special Climate Change Fund has received $45 million towards alternative manners of conduct and the estimated by the World Bank state the Clean Development Mechanism will have obtained close to $500 million by the year 2012 (Walker 163). It is ostensibly and economically understandable why so many countries fear the reduction of emissions the cost of mitigation, the loss of jobs, the public will become discontent with government.However a transition to renewable energy would create millions of jobs globally and facilitate less fortunate nation’s raise of living standards without negatively compromising economic conditions of established countries. The transition from a high to a low greenhouse gas polluting ec onomy will promote competitiveness and opportunity growth. For instance, Britain, within the next twelve years, has a targeted 20% increase in energy efficiency, 10% of vehicle traffic being powered by bio-fuels, and 15% of energy derived from renewable sources (Black).Currently Sweden obtains about 5% of its electrical energy from water, this is called tidal power. Tidal power creates energy from the sea water that moves landwards, the current drives turbines which in effect generate energy. Another way to counteract global warming is the use of wind. Wind power is produced by use of wind mills, often clustered together on a wind farm, the force of the wind converts natural energy into a useful form such as electricity. Wind energy is easily harnessed, renewable, and is responsible for about 1% of world wide electricity use (Black). The importance of change is illustrated by the fact that world economic energy efficiency is presently improving at only half the rate of world economi c growth† (U. S. Department of Energy). Another option to offset or maybe even neutralize the affects of global warming lies in the ideas set forth by an economic analyst Cliff May. May believes an â€Å"open standards† fuel law should be sanctioned that would require all new cars sold in the U. S. be Flexible Fuel Vehicles. Flexible fuel cars are automobiles that run not just on gasoline but a variety of alcohol and ethanol based fuels.This would force consumers to buy these new cars that burn fuels cleaner than gasoline. One way of creating a demand for theses flex fuel cars would be to offer tax breaks as incentives for both the producer and consumer. An advantage that comes from alternative fuel such as ethanol is it is made from corn, sugar cane, sweet potatoes, and just about any starchy crop. Along with crops as possible â€Å"green† fuel sources, biomass for instance grass, crop residue, fallen leaves, weeds, and trash, all can serve a higher purpose and consequently are in abundance in the U. S. Before long, billions of dollars that we are now sending over seas could be going into the pockets of Americas—farmers, auto workers, alternative fuel producers and investors† (May 8A). Not only would alternative fuels create an economic stimulus, far greater than the checks sent out by President Bush, but it would help restore the environment. .By adding to our consumption of an emerging market, alternative fueled automobiles, investing in companies that produce these fleets of vehicles, and taking away from government spending which follows the formula in calculating GDP, the U. S. ould be ranked number one. Additionally, a solution for increasing unemployment rates would finally be achieved. Also, being one the largest manufacturers of flexible fuel automobiles will enable international trade to increase significantly along with national income. There are limitless ideas as to what can rejuvenate the economy but few have hop e of standing up to an idea this enveloping. It is worth keeping in mind that our past can serve as an example of how mankind reacted too late when faced with â€Å"threats like acid rain, deforestation, asbestos, CFCs, declining fisheries, BSE† (Black).Simply, climate change will cause damage, in the sense that in what is done for our own benefit will cause harm to those in the future. Global warming can not be predicted with complete accuracy but enough can be inferred from the information and effects already available. â€Å"Mitigation- taking strong action to reduce emissions- must be viewed as an investment† (Stern i). Economists may see the fight against global warming as a cost incurred at this moment in order to avoid the repercussions of what the future may bring. And the less mitigation we do now, the greater complexity of ongoing adaptation will be.The production and dispersing of low carbon or â€Å"green† technologies is critical in moving the world into a more sustainable condition. â€Å"There is no reason economic development and environmental stewardship cannot go hand in hand† (Borgerson 8).