Marketing Beer Essay

This report illustrates the relationship of beer brands within the perceptual map in regards to alcohol content and price as well as implications for consumer behaviour. The perceptual map indicates that there are market segments in premium beers with high alcohol content. There is also a market segment for low cost beers with high alcohol content. The perceptual map also shows that there are potential business opportunities for premium beers with low alcohol content. The report also provides a high level summary of how beer companies can incorporate perceptual maps when devising their marketing strategy and implications that a perceptual map has for marketing managers. Perceptual maps can be used by marketing managers to determine where consumer’s view their brand of beer to be positioned relative to its competitors. It is a useful tool to identify direct competitors and potential niche opportunities. Table of Contents Introduction4 Perceptual maps and Beer5 Implications of perceptual maps on consumer behaviour5. Implications of perceptual maps on marketing strategy5 Hahn5 Heineken5 Conclusion5 Reference List5 Appendix – might not need this5 Introduction Beer originated in Iran over 7000 years ago. Over time, the beer industry grown to an amazing $(stats)bn industry. Beer consumption over time has increased rapidly, from ## to ##. The beer industry has evolved over time. Changing social and cultural influences have led to changes in the beer industry, in particular in the categories of alcohol content and price of beer. Due to the popular demand of beer, marketing managers must devise sophisticated marketing strategies to sustain their competitiveness. One way in which they can determine where their brand is positioned relative to competitors is through perceptual maps. Perceptual mapping is a method whereby †¦get definition from textbook and cite†¦ Perceptual maps provide insight into where consumers view brands relative to others based on the dimensions provided as well as the ideal points for different brands. This report provides a perceptual map of how consumers view beer brands in relation to alcohol content and price. The report also explains how beer companies can incorporate perceptual maps when devising their marketing strategy and implications that a perceptual map has for marketing managers. Perceptual maps and Beer The component of beer market is ales, stouts ,bitters, low/no alcohol beers, premium lager, specialty beers and standard lager. The market is valued according to retail selling price (RSP) and includes any applicable taxes. The perceptual map of beer brands shown that consumer judge the similarity of alternative beer brands by cost and alcoholicity. There are 20 beer brands have been chosen. From the figure1, it indicated that more than half of beer brands are located in the area of full strength and premium. It illuminated that it is no one beer brand in the position of low cost and light. Implications of perceptual maps on consumer behaviour Implications of perceptual maps on the marketing strategy Hahn Hahn premium light is located on the perceptual map as a premium light beer, costing around $24-30 per case. The perceptual map indicates a cluttered market for premium light beer, illustrating Hahn to have a number of similar competitors. With the perceptual maps evaluative criteria, a defined marketing strategy has been constructed to make Hahn light beer stand out in the market. Its creative TV ad was more than successful, with the launch of its hilarious ‘Bean Bomb’ campaign, showing a bloke leaping from a hotel balcony onto a beanbag, propelling the woman sitting on it into the pool, with this, the ad has constructed the brand to be closely associated with the Australian sense of humor—and our love of a larrikin. Marketers have used its country of origin to capitalize on consumer’s bias in favor of their home and the existence of different countries stereotypes ultimately giving Hahn cultural significance and association. This campaign is followed up by the tag ‘some drink it to be responsible others just love the taste’ giving a satirical indication to its quality, further distinguishing it from its other competitors. The campaign was creative, risk-taking and appealing to its target audience—male light-beer drinkers who had felt less masculine and dull for drinking light beer. The ads empowered them to drink light beer with a masculine confidence and a sense of cultural belonging having the brand be associated with Australian stereotypes. Heineken Another brand of beer that has successfully penetrated the market is Heineken. Heineken is available in almost every country on the planet and is the world’s most valuable international premium beer brand. They currently stand as a premium and full strength beer on the perceptual map above which suggests that social status and the occasion for beer determines the choice of Heineken. Perceptual maps can be incorporated in developing or altering marketing strategies by plotting the points gained by surveys onto this map which allows the vast majority of consumer’s views seen in comparison to competitors, also sighting possible market segments as opportunities its direct competitors are Asahi Dry, Budweiser, Guiness, Carlsberg and Corona. In order to move away from increased competition and sluggish sales, Heineken has made an attempt to target the younger consumers, making it more appealing though various advertisements and promotions through outlets where younger consumers are affluent. Even as a successful company with an annual turnover of 11. 829 billion Euros in 2006, Heineken still lists goals and strategies for the coming years as stated on its website â€Å"The goal of Heineken is to grow the business in a sustainable and consistent manner, while constantly improving profitability. The four priorities for action include:† 1. To accelerate sustainable top-line growth. 2. To accelerate efficiency and cost reduction. 3. To speed up implementation: we commit to faster decision making and execution. 4. To focus on those markets where we believe we can win. In doing so, Heineken can guarantee a market for its consumers and remain a strong competitor in the future. Conclusion. Reference List http://www. heinekeninternational. com/strategyandgoals. aspx http://212. 204. 210. 71/kraitierientrial/WoH/heinekentoday03. html http://www. heinekeninternational. com/keyfigures. aspx? navid=12230000000050_136 60000000052 Consumer Behaviour – Implications for marketing stragergy 5th Edition Quester, Neal, Pettigrew, Grimmer, Davis, Hawkins Appendix – might not need.

Life Princibles

Chris Murray box 75 Dr. Gilbert Parker BIBL 3111 25 November 2012 Life Principles to live by from the book of Romans In the book of Romans Paul gives us some really helpful tips on how we should live our Christian life. Our relationship with Him and how we treat others. Here are some of the life principles that I would like to follow in my life. The first one and perhaps the most important is I want to live a life that is in obedience to the Lord. I want to have the power and privilege that obedience to the Lord offers.Paul wrote in Romans 8:7-9 â€Å"for the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You however are not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if in fact the spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the spirit of Christ does not belong to him. † In our culture we are very big in having control over everything. I want to be in control of my li fe, the master of my fate, and the captain of my ship. But the true power comes when I can hand over that power to God.In order for me to be truly obedient I need to first be able to submit my will to God’s will, having the ability to admit when I do not know what is best for myself. Once I have admitted that I do not know what is best for me I then need to trust God because he does know what is best. Through that trust in Him I then should be obedient to what he tells me to do. If I am obedient to God then my mind will not be on the things of the flesh and I can have the â€Å"spirit of Christ† and belong to him. Another principle that I find important is not to pass judgment on someone else, especially when concerning the grey areas of life.Romans 14:4 â€Å"who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord will be able to make him stand. † I need to be careful not t o condemn my brothers and sisters in Christ when they do things that I might think is wrong, especially if it is a grey area. One example of this is that I have many Christian friends who drink alcohol, I personally do not believe as a Christian we should drink. I really have to try harder to not judge them and just understand that God is in control.The next principle goes along with the last one. This one states that I cannot cause my brother and sister in the Lord to stumble. Romans 14:13 States â€Å"Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. † Some things that I consider ok in these grey areas might not be ok to some of my friends. I need to be more aware of their spiritual state so I don’t temp them to sin. Then in vs15 Paul wrote â€Å"for if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love.By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Chri st died. † If I am doing something that is causing my brother to be grieved I need to stop for his sake. An example of this is that I find no problem listening to some secular music, but I have a friend that will only listen to praise and worship music. His belief is that listening to secular music takes you away from the Lord. I need to honor that when I am around him and only listen to praise and worship music. My next life principle is Loyalty. Romans 12:10 states â€Å"Love one another with brotherly affection.Outdo one another in showing honor. † Loyalty is a word that we do not here in our fast paced, self-centered, impatient world. Loyalty is about giving time and energy to another person over the long haul. It’s about being committed to someone even when those tuff times come. I need to be loyal to God, my wife, and my children. I made a commitment to follow God and I need to honor that fully. I also made a commitment to my wife to love her through good t imes and bad times, and to be loyal only to her. I do not take my loyalty vow that I made to my wife on our wedding day lightly.But I also realize that if I am not loyal to God there is no way that I would be able to be loyal to my wife. Generosity is also such an important life principle found in Romans. In Romans 12:13 Paul writes â€Å"contribute to the needs of the saints† This means that I need to give abundantly. There are a lot of needs in the body of Christ; some of them are money, time, energy, compassion, wisdom, friendship, and prayer. I need to be more willing to share more than just money with the saints, for me that is the easy thing to do. To share my time or friendship would mean that I would have to make myself vulnerable.At the end of Romans 12:13 Paul wrote â€Å"practice hospitality. This is a principle that I fall really short on. Having a wife and five children I get so busy in life that I do not visit people like I should, like people from my church in the hospital. I don’t open my home like I should. There were times that we had teens coming to our church for a conference, I have a big house and I could have put some of them up, but I didn’t. Having friends over is like squeezing them in it probably makes them feel unwanted. We can’t live by ourselves, we need one other.Hospitality provides a welcome space for our busy lives to relax in one another’s company. Empathy is another life principle that I would like to be better at. Romans 12:15 states â€Å"Rejoice with those that rejoice, weep with those that weep. † We live in a very self-centered world and I am consumed by my own problems, or totally involved with my own happiness. Whether good or bad my thoughts are on me. As a Christian I need to be different, my thoughts need to be focused on other people. Just as Jesus focused his thoughts on me, he empathized with me, so I need to empathize with others.I have to do a better job at putting my self in other people’s shoes. Ask myself if I was in that situation how that would make me feel. My next life principle comes from Romans 13:1-5 â€Å"let every person be subjected to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been institutes by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good, but too bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval.For he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bare the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. † When Paul uses the word power he is referring to earthly governments. I am to submit to every legitimate earthly authority without bitterness. I should be able to do this because we know that God is working all things together for our good if we trust him.This sounds so easy written on this page, but for me this is a real struggle. I find it hard to want to listen to people who have no clue who God really is and how He would want things done. I need lots of help with this principle. In Romans 12:14 Paul writes â€Å"Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. † This might be the hardest principle of them all. What God is telling me through Paul is that no matter how bad someone might hurt me I need to continue to bless them. As much as my flesh rises up in me I should not be provoked to anger, or cursing.When Paul used the word cursing I believe that he was denoting destruction, so when someone says something to hurt my feelings I have two choices, choice one I can curse them, wish destruction on them. Or the better response that I hop e to master one day is I could bless them, pray that God would bless them. The last principle is found in Romans 12:1-2. Paul wrote â€Å"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable, and perfect. † I would read this verse every day when I was first saved, this was my prayer that God would transform my drug addicted life, my pornography addicted life, and that my new life in Him would be acceptable. There are a few lessons that I have learned from these two verses. The first one is that presenting my body as a living sacrifice has to be voluntary; if it is not voluntary that is not a true offering.Second I need to offer my entire being to God not just me eyes, or ears, but everything that I a m must be offered to God. Third his mercy towards me should be the motivating factor that makes me want to devote me life to Him. And last it needs to be done now! I cannot delay on this issue. This is something that I need to do every morning. The book of Romans is such a powerful book full of directions on how to life a Christian life. My life principles that I wrote about are so important in my walk with God. I pray that one day I would be able to follow these more than I do today.

Assignment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Assignment - Research Paper Example ish to preserve changes done to a FILE while Save as is a command used to preserve changes to a FILE and at the same time specify the location in the COMPUTER system where the FILE should be stored. e) Folder and FILE: a folder is a storage location given a specific name where FILEs can be stored while a FILE is an entity containing data and information of a specific program and is stored in a COMPUTER system. f) Windows XP and office XP: windows XP is an operating system produced by Microsoft windows to run on COMPUTERs while office XP is an application programs suite developed by Microsoft to run various common user applications such as word processing and presentations. g) BIOS boot and Soft boot: BIOS boot happens when the computer is started or restarted by pressing the restart/start button on the hardware while soft boot is initiated using computer software (operating system). i) DVI and HDMI:DVI can be used to connect a computer monitor to other graphical output devices. It only carries video/visual signals. HDMI can be used to carry both audio and video signals from a computer system to other output devices separate from the computer. 9. Main memory is that part of a computer where instructions and data of programs being executed are loaded. The computer’s CPU fetches instructions and data from this memory and loads them in its internal registers for execution to take place. Temporary data and output from the executing processes is also stored in this

MGT501 - Management and Organizational Behavior Mod 3 SLP Essay

MGT501 - Management and Organizational Behavior Mod 3 SLP - Essay Example It was interesting to take the summary. Everyone wants to know more about their own personality and under the circumstances, it is definitely good to know that best way to learn. The questions always seem a little strange at first but once the assessment is completed it seems to make sense why those questions were ask. It seems from the results that they were pretty close but it seems that someone else would be able to tell you that better than yourself. It is awfully hard to judge ones own personality and learning style. That is why an assessment like this is so helpful. The things about me that are strongest and I believe will be most helpful in the workplace and as a manager are social skills, listening and verbal skills, and logical skills. Actually it seems those are the skills that a manager should have. The manager in a department or organization should be able to stay logical, hear their employees, be able to verbalize and communicate and do it in a way that feels social. The only problem is that the social skills were my highest learning skills and that could be a problem. Being too social can be a bigger issue that it is a help. It is not seen favorably by bosses that give you a boost up the ladder. It seems that the best thing of these issues that I can do for my management style is to cultivate the aural and verbal as well as logical skills but find a way to learn to be a better manager by using the social skills in another way. Although there are times when it is important. I know that seldom does my boss join us for social occasions such as birthdays out etc but once in a while would be a good thing. It would make us feel more like he knew something about us so I might try to temper some of that with the personality traits that I try to learn for a better management style. Individual learning and organizational learning are really interconnected. We have discussed the organization as

Any article related to human resources development Annotated Bibliography

Any article related to human resources development - Annotated Bibliography Example Although HRD governs a wide range of concepts, this paper mainly focuses on education and training of manpower. The author regards investment in these two areas as the key to move from one level of economic progress to the next. A lot of emphasis has been laid on the importance of â€Å"knowledge work† as being an important step in HRD. Knowledge work comes from formal and specialized education of work-force and workers having specialized knowledge can perform way better than unspecialized traditional workers. Some other factors like technological advancement, information revolution and globalization also exert important influences on HRD. These factors are interlinked and through proper training and education of human resource, these factors can help a lot in climbing the ladder of economic progress. Education of employees is regarded as being extremely important in this paper. Formal education along with specialized skilled training can contribute a lot towards economic progress. To address the idea of educating the work-force, a practical action is proposed in which technologically advanced training and education is considered a responsibility that is divided among three stake holders to make it easier to attain. The state, employers and trade-unions can work in close collaboration to accomplish the task of training the work force effectively. The paper therefore provides a very general but effective roadmap to improve the education and training of human workforce which is essential for economic progress at the national level. De Silva, Sriyan. "Human resources development for competitiveness: a priority for employers."  ILO workshop on employers’ organizations in Asia-Pasific in The Twenty-First Century, Turin, Italy.

Understanding Dad Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Understanding Dad - Essay Example I was inconsiderate, lazy, disrespectful, not studious enough, not athletic enough, not something enough. No matter what I tried, I didn't give it the full effort he thought it deserved. It seemed he was always waiting to tell me just what it was I was lacking or how much what I was doing was leading me to "nowhere good." Even when he left me alone, he was always there, impossible to ignore, a permanent end to my good time. Dad had that effect on people. Growing up, I resented him for that. Why couldn't he just be cool and look the other way sometimes? It took a real emergency while I was in high school for me to realize how that hard rock I knew as my father hid a warm, passionate center and to make me realize how he had used that rock and that heat to shape me into a better human being as an adult. Throughout my childhood, I participated in a variety of sports and activities. I think I was looking for something my father knew nothing about and had zero interest in learning. The way I figured it, he couldn't tell me I was wrong if he was a newbie, too. He would just have to go along with whatever the coaches, directors or other organizers told him. Maybe it's a blessing, but I considered it a curse that my dad is interested in all kinds of things. Just because he didn't know about it before I started didn't mean he wouldn't start learning about it the moment I took an interest. There I'd be, running for everything I was worth on the cross-country team and he'd be there along the sidelines near the finish line - "Come on! Give it the extra effort now! Don't hold back!" Some of the other kids said they never heard their parents at that point, they were too exhausted and busy trying to keep their lungs from bursting. I was cursed again because I understood every word that came to me in that big, booming voice of his with the crackle of tension lying just under the surface. It only ever came out when he was on the sidelines or really, really angry at home. Maybe that's why I always felt like I was running away from a beating even though he never delivered one. I'm sure it wasn't because of my running speed. Gasping for air and trying to keep breakfast in my stomach, he would walk up to me and tell me how I could improve my pace, increase my speed, correct my form or something else equally irritating. Somewhere in there he'd usually throw in a "good job" or "I'm proud of you," but I was convinced this was just for show so the other parents wouldn't think he was being too pushy. He had to avoid the 'stage dad' persona after all, keep up proper appearances. Somehow, my childhood memory neglected to note that these moments of pride and praise were usually delivered in the car, in private, while we were on our way home or out to a special treat meant just for me w ithout the presence of brothers or sisters to take away the attention. Things only grew worse as I grew up and started to want to hang out with friends instead of family. With this change, I discovered my childhood had been dancing on daisies compared to all the wrong I committed as a pre-teen and teenager. Nothing I did with my hair was right. No matter what style I selected, product or no product, short, long, somewhere in between, dyed, not dyed, popular style or something more traditional, Dad always had something negative to say about it. I couldn't even cover it up with a hat or a hoodie to make things right - then it was the wrong kind of hat or I was trying to be a gangster or "one of those dark kids who think everything in life sucks." Why couldn't he even remember something as simple as Goth? And what exactly about my life didn't suck anyway? If I

Hospitality and tourism marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Hospitality and tourism marketing - Essay Example Tourism product portfolio has following dynamics. There are quality issues, relative uniqueness, themes and potential target audience. The product gets support from these elements. In order to comprehend this relatively new field of Hospitality and Tourism Marketing, one needs to refer to rudimentary aspects of Marketing (Dolnicar, 2008).Rationale for the above mentioned product portfolio has buying decision behind it. It deals with assessment on target customers in context of their aspirations (stimuli). It includes income, safety, visa, psychological goals and offer that are floated in core and supplementary offers. Availability of information about the offer is second step where by customer tends to check alternatives. Here information must be apt and attractive. This is because of the fact that stimuli might have been catered by the core and supplementary products but necessary conveyance of information is also important. Decision once taken will lead to post purchase analysis wh ich will be very important so far as suggestion/ feedback is concerned. Satisfaction leads to regular customer-ship. A study on rating by Chinese tourists stated that Shopping, Entertainment and Participatory activities bagged highest rating whereas tourism experts marked Dining/Eating out, Participatory activities and entertainments as the most favorite activities. In Amsterdam Market, the customers will be gauged on certain determinants.

Making reference to appropriate theories and using examples from Essay

Making reference to appropriate theories and using examples from organisation(s) of your choice, evaluate on the role of the HR - Essay Example The HR function is therefore mandatory to have because this shall makes the lives of the employees easier and they would know who to contact in case of a problem or query that arises within their realms. This paper shall discuss the basis of the HR function and how this helps shape up the line managers within an organization in this day and age. Moving ahead with the discussion, the organization’s HR department has a huge role to play whilst dictating the organizational culture to the employees, both old and new. It makes new laws and amends the old ones in order to have uniformity within the norms and procedures that are applicable at the workplace domains (Taylor, 1999). It is important to ascertain the exact gravity of these procedures in order to have a complete mesh between the already accepted norms and behaviors coming directly under the aegis of the HR department, as well as the ones which are being chalked up by the HR department for the sake of the entire organizatio n (Boddy, 2005). It is quintessential that the organization’s HR department clearly understands its role because then only would it be able to decipher the purpose of having a sound organizational culture. ... Furthermore, it is important that the HR department inculcates feelings of oneness and understanding within the contexts of the organization itself. What is needed now is a good measure on the part of the employees to have a proper feel of the cultural manifestations and representations at the workplace. Without this, there could be serious issues arising every now and then (Lee, 2004). An adequately sound organizational culture will bring out sound results on the part of the organization as the employees would very easily relate with the actions and behaviors that are asked of them by the organization courtesy the HR department. Also the HR department could issue circulars and conduct training sessions and seminars in order to properly detail the employees as to how they would go about doing their respective work regimes, keeping in line with the prevalent organizational culture, the values that are taught and the different representations which are usually practiced from time to ti me (Egan, 2001). The HR department within Wal-Mart makes sure that its employees develop an organizational culture where feelings and sentiments could be shared about in a mutual manner. This is the reason why Wal-Mart is renowned for its sophisticated organizational culture developed from the HR domains, all over the world. There is a very significant need to be on board as far as the understanding of the organizational values and principles is concerned. The organizational culture takes all these elements in due consideration and thus provides for a more advanced understanding of all such facets. It is the duty of the HR department to be

White People and Young Black Men Essay Example for Free

White People and Young Black Men Essay Imagine walking down the street and having people stare at you or call you names, or talk behind your back. Imagine not knowing the time because nobody will tell you. Why wont they tell you the time, or spare you some change? Because you are black. Actually, because your skin is a different color, or because you are a different kind of religion. In a way I admire them because theyve survived for hundreds of years until they were free, and now that theyre free, the modern white man harasses them and beats them. I mean, they even had a world wide organization named for them. The KKK has been around for a while. The KKK, or Ku Klux Klan, began because of their intense hatred of black and Jewish people. Valerie Joseph, author of A Monument To Racism, writes that in front of Danny Carvers house, a KKK leader, in Flowery Branch, Georgia, were 8 or more signs, that read: A brain is a terrible thing to waste, thats why niggers dont have one. Another sign read; NAACP or Niggers, Alligators, Apes, Coons, and Possums. Or insisting that blacks dont have brains and that they should be treated like animals. There was also a figure in the front yard that had 4 young black men sitting on it with 2 KKK hooded members by them. To top it off, Carvers lawn was on the Atlantic highway, the main way through the capital. I strongly agree with Valerie Joseph when she says that she wanted to believe that people actually cared, she wanted to believe that there were lawyers, activists, parents, church groups of all races that were bombarding this man with phone calls and letters. She hoped that maybe teenagers would plan to smash the figures in the middle of the night. She also said that you can help stop this, all you have to do is try to accept people different than you as you do anyone else. If you cant, you dont have to express it, keep it to yourself. If you hear somebody saying something about somebody else, all you have to say is, listen, theyre just as equal as you are. If you do, pretty soon theyll quit. Many years ago, the states had to force businesses and schools to allow blacks in. For example, one of the establishments was the Brown V. Board of Education. Many years before, federal troops forced Little Rock Central High School to admit black students. The question I ask is, why would they want to be there if the government had to force the school system to let them in? Many years ago, there was a segregation where blacks and whites were separated in everyday life. They had different water fountains, restrooms, and even different lines at the movie theaters. Blacks also had to sit in the back of the bus while whites had top picks on seats and standing when a white person wanted your seat. Then, segregation was finally abolished. As blacks acquired middle-class status, just like their whites counterparts, they moved out of central cities and the sustaining buffers between lower-class blacks and the surrounding white role models, etc,were largely removed. (USA TODAY 55) I came across a Time magazine article that was titled Evict The Neighbor. It was about a couple that had been getting harassed by their neighbors and so they sued for $10 million in damages. U. S. District Court Judge Ann Williams granted a settlement agreement whereby the harassers will have to leave their home within 180 days. People continue to do these things even though they know that they could go to jail. Why? We ask ourselves, why do people do this? Well, it all started with the slaves. The African-Americans came to the United States hundreds and hundreds of years ago from Africa. Most of the slaves came from Ethiopia, Zaire, Somalia, and Nigeria. They came across that Atlantic Ocean with some of the first settlers. They were then sold to slave traders and auctioned off. But, back to the modern day; blacks should have some sort of protection or sense of safety with police officers, but lets consider the Rodney King trial in 1993 when police pulled over a drunken black man that they said was swerving all over the road. When the man, Rodney King, got out of his car, more than 3 police officers approached him and beat him almost to death. The whole thing was captured on video tape from one of the police cars dash-mounted cameras. The four identified police officers had a trial and when the verdict given was not guilty. The L. A. riots started almost immediately. People were beating others, looting stores, blacks were shooting people and beating white police officers. Some think that there would have been riots all over again if the jury would have found O. J. Simpson guilty a few years ago. Texaco, a large chain of gas stations throughout the United States, was sued for calling black employees porch monkeys and orangutans. Texaco pled guilty because an employee walked in on a faculty meeting and heard white employees copying the way African Americans talk. All the white employees were also getting promoted to higher ranks whereas black employees were working harder and receiving reduced checks. The settlement in the Texaco case was $115 million to about 1,400 current and former black workers, $26. 1 million in pay raises over five years for black employees, $35 million for a task force to set up diversity training programs, and an independent panel to oversee Texacos employment practices. Another suit was filed against Avis for refusing to serve blacks in North and South Carolina. Also, rappers, who everyone knows are mostly black, are harassed and put down daily, because of what they sing about. Nobody criticizes country singers who sing about the same thing over and over, or the love songs that all sound the same; you cant tell one apart from the other. It shouldnt matter what color that are or what they look like, its the music that they sing. Every parent thinks that rap is bad, because it has a few swear words, but not if you get the edited version. Everyone thinks that only rappers commit crimes. But in actuality, blacks make up to 12 percent of the population, and 30 percent of arrests made are blacks being arrested for violent crimes (US NEWS 93). A black man can not even get a cab for hours because cabbies are afraid to drive through the ghetto. Really, what is the ghetto? Only a place where homeless and low income black and white people live and hang out. In a recent Associated Press article, (Charles J. Ogletree, Harvard Law Professor), a powerful group of civil rights and class-action lawyers will seek compensation for American black descendants from slaves. The effort appears to be the most serious initiative to get compensation for American blacks for 244 years of legalized slavery. Ogletree stated, We will be seeking more than just monetary compensation. We want a change in America. We want full recognition and a remedy of how slavery stigmatized, raped, murdered, and exploited millions of African through no fault of their own. There are more questions than answers in the planned lawsuit, such as: when will the suit be filed, who are the defendants, and what damages will be sought? However, both public and private parties will be the subject of their efforts. This will be the most important case in the history of out country. No one knows the magnitude effect the lawsuit will have on this nation. It would have seemed better that America aggressively pursue a political solution but lawsuits and legislation have really gone nowhere in the past. It will probably come down to this, that when corporate America is hit in its own pocketbook, real change will occur. I strongly believe that the responsibility doesnt solely lie with big businesses and government but also within each one of us. one person can make a difference Making a choice to treat everyone equally, fairly, and with respect is the first step. Watching what we say by putting ourselves in anothers situation first is also doing our part. Otherwise, we just become part of the huge problem we currently have. Whats it going to bewill you be a part of the perpetual persecution of blacks or stand up for what is right.

Moral Objectivism Essay Example for Free

Moral Objectivism Essay I recommend the moral theory of Objectivism as the basis of your software company’s ethical standards to be used by all company employees. This single, coherent, defensible moral theory is better applied to your company than multiple theories, because it is a value-based system of virtues that is concerned more with the type of person you should be, rather than with the rules that dictate how you should act. Moral Objectivism believes that there are moral standards that apply to everyone. Moral standards that are universal for all, but not absolute because there can be exceptional cases. Objectivist principles apply to all, unless exceptions are necessary. Objectivism is also considered a philosophy for living, because it promotes values like love, friendship, wealth, and comfort. Objectivism respects science, technology, and innovation, which makes it very relevant in developing your software company’s organizational values and code of ethics. Objectivism values purpose, achievement, success, and strives for good living to pursue the greatest achievements that you can attain in your life. It sets personal happiness as the major goal. Since most of us in the western world believe that a moral code of ethics is fundamental to our society, which makes Moral objectivism the best theory to apply within your software company. This theory allows your employees to grow, develop, and live together as one company of people working under one unified moral code. However, there could be a problem with people who are college students on a visa exchange program, green-card workers, or foreign-born/dual citizenship employees experienced working in a different culture in a different part of the world. Moral Relativism believes that the current company moral standards are irrelevant to these people, but what applies is what is relative to what these individuals or their cultures believe. The problem with this theory is that it is impractica l, illogical, and would cause mass confusion within your software company. Since moral relativism is relative to a person or culture, different people and cultures would create different morals and principles leading to conflicts, disagreements, and disharmony. For example, we believe that killing is wrong for everyone, but some foreign cultures believe that killing is sometimes permissible and necessary. To unite, share, and promote harmony and respect, Objectivist virtues applied in your business ethics is the perfect moral theory for a young, fast-growing software company, because it is value-based on virtues. Virtuous actions lead to the achievement of values. When operating and managing a software company, the business virtue theory contends that virtuous principles, strategies, and actions result in companies realizing their values like mission, purpose, and profit potential. Virtuous employees carry out their roles in a competent manner, which usually agrees with company goals. Virtues allow a person to act to gain value. When business people conform to the Objectivist virtues, they increase the likelihood of achieving their values and goals. Virtue ethics stresses the importance of each employee being able to make contributions of value. Valid virtue concepts are required to describe what it means to be an excellent director, leader, manager, or worker. To be successful, a software company needs to provide a set of virtues that are reality-based, non-contradictory, integrated, and comprehensive. Virtue theory states that ethics is part of business and that it is necessary to integrate morals into management and practice. The role of virtues in your company is to direct and motivate employee behavior toward the success of your company. A set of virtues exists that fit reality and most likely to lead to success and happiness in a business. Ayn Rand’s Objectivist ethics specifically recognizes production as the central human value. The personal virtues that she advocates have a direct bearing on work: rationality, honesty, justice, integrity, productiveness, and pride. These virtues are used as guides in a business career and in the business management. They define the excellent manager or other employee and provide the principles that a company should adopt with respect to investors, employees, customers, or vendors. Virtue theory is concerned with the cultivation of character and provides a framework which a person can lead a flourishing, happy life. Moral growth comes from choice rather than from conformity to rules or codes. For example, traditional approaches like Consequentialism are viewed as constraining, because they focus on the rules that tell people how they should act, and nothing more. Utilitarianism concentrates on developing the principles instead of developing the character. Virtue theory provides a context in which strategies, plans, tactics, policies, and procedures are developed to attain a company stated mission and other relevant values. Virtuous employees experience the internal rewards of pride, self-esteem, and the joy of knowing that they did their jobs well. The achievement of a company’s mission, purpose, or ultimate end requires virtuous action on the part of the company’s employees. The ultimate value for a business is financial value. The purpose of a business is to maximize owner value over the length of the company. Virtuous behavior is required at all levels of a company from employees who realize that business is a natural and moral means by which they can satisfy their personal needs and attain their success as individual human beings. A virtuous employee begins by understanding what the facts are and does not evade the distinction between the real and the unreal. For making business decisions, an employee needs to use his reason to make rational, logical decisions based on the facts of reality. Much of morality in business falls under the virtue of honesty. Honesty means being in reality. Honesty is basic to the structure of human relationships. Dishonesty is self-defeating, because it involves being in conflict with realty. Morality in business involves objectively recognizing and dealing with customers, employees, creditors, stockholders, and others as autonomous rational individuals with their particular goals and desires. Honesty is closely related to the virtue of justice. Justice, a form of faithfulness to reality, is the virtue of granting to each person that which each person deserves. Justice is the expression of man’s rationality in his dealings with other men and involves seeking and granting what they have earned. For example, a virtuous manager must make sure that customers get what they pay for. In addition, he needs to identify employees for what they accomplish and treat them accordingly. Employees should be objectively appraised and compensated based on their contribution toward achieving a company’s mission, values, or goals. A virtuous manager discriminates among all those that he deals with such as customers, distributors, suppliers, and workers based on relevant qualities and personal merits such as ability, competency, performance, and character. He does not improperly discriminate based on irrelevant characteristics such as sex, race, or nationality. In summary, when you are using the moral objectivists values-based on virtues for your software company, you will never have to worry about being bailed on Wall Street like Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America, GM or Chrysler Corporation. Since we know that greed and dishonesty were major vices that heavily contributed to this financial mess, we can confidently move forward as a software company knowing that our moral code in place would never allow that to happen.

Medical Heroin Use in Cancer Treatment: Ethical Appraisal

Medical Heroin Use in Cancer Treatment: Ethical Appraisal HEROIN USED IN CANCER TREATMENT- ETHICAL OR NOT Name: Engin LAP INTRODUCTION Our research in cancer treatment used heroin, morphine ethical assessment of the use of such agents will be carried on. The method used will be used as a qualitative method. Research investigating various literature, obtained via literature will be discussed. Cancer is one of todays most important health problems. Frequent and due to the high deadly is a public health problem (Eti, 2005). Of patients with cancer of the biggest fears that a deadly disease of cancer, the second biggest fears of the disease have been shown to cause severe pain. Cancer diagnosed patients, %20-35 disease middle period %30-50 of patients and advanced stage patients in the %60-100 lesion type and by substituting moderate or severe pain in the draw (Eti, 2005). Treatment and care of patients with health care professionals and health care institutions struggle for managers of ethics requires an array. When it comes to cancer, the situation is more delicate and complicated. The goals of medicine in the decision (to maintain health, to improve quality of life, to prevent untimely death, to relieve pain and suffering) are difficult to obtain (Uà §an, 2007). Every decision indirectly affect the patients quality of life and life expectancy due to the oncologist, treatment and care of cancer patients are expected to adhere to the highest ethical standards (Ersoy, 2009). Pain in cancer patients appears to be the most common symptoms and in the last stages of life are increasing in prevalence and severity. By adversely affecting quality of life and integrity for patients and their relatives than even death itself can be a source of great fear (Uzunoglu, 2011). Solving the pain or the pain was not addressed, inadequacy and pain sufferers have decrea sed the quality of life of people. Uncontrolled pain person physical activity, social relationships negatively affect psychological tension increases. The food habits of people with chronic pain, sleep patterns and social structure are adversely affected. The relationship between pain and psychological well-being is extremely complex and inversely proportional. Mood, perception of pain and pain-related experience can increase the intensity. Likewise, the presence of pain is the most important determinant of mood . Pain Management is a Patient Rights. The most important purpose of the rights of patients of health care to everyone, equally accessible and can be delivered in a continuous manner. When evaluated in terms of ethical pain; Do not leave people in pain that can be corrected is contrary to human rights has been concluded. Everyone deserves to be in pain pain relief. If this right stems from respect for human rights in the world. Health workers also an important responsibility is to provide adequate analgesia to pain sufferers. Cancer of the disease compared to people suffering from the disease are experiencing pain. In determining the source of pain intensity is the patient. Subjective complaints in which the objective evaluation of pain measurement scales which are usually between 0-10 verbal or numerical scale used. Pain assessment scale of five or more is important that both of the patients pain, as well as an indication of the quality of life is greatly distorted. 7 pain measurement scale 1-4 mild pain, moderate pain is 5-6, while 7-10 is classified as severe pain apioid are used for pain relief. To be effective in treating different types of pain, route of administration due to the diversity and reliable property constitutes the main treatment in cancer pain. During Cancer Treatment; The methods used for the treatment of severe pain in the second step involved with drugs or unavailability of adequate effective in cases where the pain is very severe opioid weak to strong opioids are used instead of the WHO analgesic ladder system should be made to step 3. Strong opioids are quick and slow-release preparations. Morphine, hydromorphone, bupren-fun, methadone, fentanyl, alfentanil, heron strong opioids are the most commonly used in Europe. These include oral, parenteral, buccal, transdermal, transmucosal and transnasal ways be given. Optimal pain control, analgesic doses given on a regular basis can be realized by (Ripamonti C., 2009 Messina J., 2008). Ä °nforming A pain relieving the pain of suffering related to how health services should be clear and easy to reach. Pain for the patients own case that the interference characteristics, risks, benefits the right to know exactly if there are alternatives. Physicians to withhold information would be more useful in patients with faith may not be familiar with the consent of the family. For example, many cancer patients disease in our country what it is, or what awaits them in dealing with the disease do not know. Patient status of chronic pain patients to pain and disability in order to eliminate planned painkillers to be used as analgesics angle (morphine, heroin) operation characteristics of the patient analgesic in terms of expected contribution about the transfer of information understandable language, foreign words that are not to be done with. Approval The prerequisite for any medical intervention after the patients informed consent for the procedure is planned. The surgery patients have the right to refuse or stop. In such a case the patient should be explained the consequences of the attempt madeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹. Patients will not be reported to the contrary, a statement in an emergency or if the attempt is made in advance. If the attempt to get the approval of the patients legal representative can be made (Evren, 1997). Even if the patients legal representative should participate in the decision making process itself. The use of all components of the human body and is essential for maintaining the patient consent. However, diagnosis, treatment and care Heroin, Morphine drug use can be applied without the consent of the patient when needed (TellioÄÅ ¸lu, 2002). Addiction, Tolerance and Detoxification All serious side effects of pain medications and methods are available. When considered ethically adequate pain relief pain patients and physicians, the balance should be made available with minimal side effects, morphine used in cancer treatment, there are side effects of substances such as heroin. Addiction, tolerance and physical dependence on the substance of abuse was defined as. Tolerance, substance repeated, exposure, in the form of a reduction in the pharmacological response represents adaptation. Physiological dependence, uptake ceases or is reduced significantly, emerging situations that are marked with withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal symptoms, substance starts as soon disappear from the body via metabolism, and excretion of the substance initially in the direction opposite of the effect of rebound effects (Evren, 1997). Detoxification is the first step to start treatment and stay out without real success is not the situation. The more difficult aspects of treatment, drug-taking behavior is protection again. The adaptability of the body, treated with any known drug and is not dependent on tolerance and withdrawal symptoms often occur should be noted that (Evren, 1997). Detoxification of patients addicted to heroin and other opioids, just stay away from long-term substa nce or opioid antagonist with maintenance helps to prepare rehabilitation. Because most patients relapse quickly because they are away from substances remain in the program, although supported by society and the private health care system, even though detoxification is usually unsuccessful. Heroin is used in medical terms (recreational drug) use of terms can be highly addictive (Evren, 1997). Again there is no detoxification. However, opioid withdrawal syndrome in medical terms used obtrusive, though, is not life threatening and long acting opioids, such as morphine, can be easily treated by reducing the dose gradually (Evren, 1997). Heroin/Morphine usability in Cancer Treatment Adequate pain management in cancer patients can not be provided without the dedication of the function. It is not possible to extend the design life in cancer patients. Then the latest objectives of should be to prolong life. These objectives and priority in making belà ¼ien both clinicians and patients also should play a role. As mentioned previously proposed methods for the treatment of pain serious side effects may be undesirable (CansÄ ±z, 2002). For example for cutting pain opioid tolerance can lead to the high dose. This tolerance is a state abbreviation patient survival but reduces the quality of life. briefly outlined and exemplified patient rights and physician to the patient of their duties properly fulfilled only physicians as health provision employees interests are not at the same time the government, hospitals, nurses, insurance companies, health care workers providing education to medical schools, nursing schools as institutions that are interested with. In diff erent countries in different stages of this hierarchical order is clogged (CansÄ ±z, 2002). For example in some countries for the treatment of pain and the morphine-like analgesics can be achieved due to various causes is still very difficult. At this point, after obtaining these drugs from the government until the pharmacist is responsible for everyone. Human rights and ethical principles that can be treated when viewed in the light of a serious crime is not limited to pain relief enough. Some of insensitivity on this issue when the system is insensitive clinicians are dragging. The problem is systemic and widespread legal size already out anyone who can not examine the moral dimensions of this problem (CansÄ ±z, 2002). METHOD In this research in cancer treatment used heroin, morphine ethical assessment of the use of such agents will be carried on. In the research literature will be scanned and analyzed. The method used will be used as a qualitative method. Research investigating various literature, obtained via literature will be discussed. DISCUSSION Cancer patients welfare should be provided, the patient must be protected from potential harm. Patients and their families should be provided for all of the support, the pain should be minimized. For this purpose, the most effective method is the effective treatment of pain and other symptoms. In the treatment of patients with cancer pain, inability to use ones free will, have the ability to be able to use various dilemmas arising out is considered (Ersoy, 2009). Sometimes patients refuse treatment. Patients rejected pain when they are required to investigate the cause of the clinician. We all know the pain which is caused by cancer drugs, radiotherapy and surgery as a treatment for these patients is generally insufficient and emergency assistance is needed analgesic (Ersoy, 2009). Despite the side effects of the recent target for cancer patient should be pain relief. Cancer patients welfare should be provided, the patient must be protected from potential harm. Patients and their fam ilies should be provided for all of the support, the pain should be minimized. For this purpose, the most effective method is the effective treatment of pain and other symptoms. CONCLUSION Cancer is one of today’s most important health problems. Frequent and killing is high, is a public health problem. The development of diagnostic possibilities and opportunities to benefit from health care organizations with the increase of cancer cases are diagnosed each year more. Patients undergoing cancer treatment is undergoing a painful process. Untreated pain; the patients physiological functions, mental functions such as thinking and communication, reduce quality of life by adversely affecting their social relations and psychological disorders can cause. Cancer related pain can be seen as a result of suicide attempts. So removal of pain during cancer treatment is very important. If the patients pain during cancer treatment doctors in terms of blocking requires ethical responsibility. Heroin is used for the prevention of pain, such as morphine can be thought as an ethical matter. An arduous process in which cancer pain and in the treatment of a legal requirement that pat ients rights, Approval, Information and ethically when we think of patients with this stage to accept the result of the treatment and pain relief methods, in terms of the methods used is ethical considered. REFERENCES AÄÅ ¸rÄ ± ve etik ahlakÄ ±, AÄÅ ¸rÄ ± ve analjezikler Arslan, D., TatlÄ ±, A. M., ÃÅ"yetà ¼rk, ÃÅ". (2013) Kansere BaÄÅ ¸lÄ ± AÄÅ ¸rÄ ± ve Tedavisi. CansÄ ±z, K. H., Ä °nangil, G., Kuyumcu, M., Yedekà §i, A. E., Ã…Å ¾en, H., Ãâ€"zkan, S., DaÄÅ ¸lÄ ±, G. (2012). Respiratory Depression Caused by Heroin Use.TAF Preventive Medicine Bulletin,11(2), 248-250. Çelik M. (2009) Kanser aÄÅ ¸rÄ ±sÄ ±nÄ ± giderici yà ¶ntemler Ersoy N. (2009). EtiÄÅ ¸e uygun kanser bakÄ ±m sistemi. Hacettepe T†ºp Dergisi ; 40:102-107 Eti, Z. (2005) Kanserde aÄÅ ¸rÄ ± tedavisi. Evren C.(1997) BAÄÅ ¾IMLILIK Ä °Ãƒâ€¡Ãƒâ€žÃ‚ °N ARAÃ…Å ¾TIRMA TEMELLÄ ° Ä °LAÇ TEDAVÄ °LERÄ °NÄ °N TANZÄ °MÄ ° KAYACAN, N., KARSLI, B., Anesteziyoloji, A. ÃÅ". T. F. Kanserde AÄÅ ¸rÄ ± Tedavisi. Kebudi, R. (2006). Terminal dà ¶nemde kanserli à §ocuk ve ailesine yaklaÃ…Å ¸Ãƒâ€žÃ‚ ±m.Tà ¼rk Onkoloji Dergisi,21(1), 37-41. nonfarmakolojik yà ¶ntemler.FÄ ±rat SaÄÅ ¸lÄ ±k Hizmetleri Dergisi,2(4), 124-133. Keskinbora, K., Keskinbora, K. AÄÅ ¸rÄ ± ve TÄ ±bbi Etik.Clinic Medicine, 1306-2123. Ripamonti C, Bandieri E.(2009) Pain therapy. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 70(2):145- 59.. TellioÄÅ ¸lu, T., TellioÄÅ ¸lu, Z. (2012). TÄ ±bbi esrar psikiyatrik bozukluklarÄ ±n tedavisinde kullanÄ ±labilir mi?.Klinik Psikofarmakoloji Bulteni,22(1). Uà §an, Ãâ€"., Ovayolu, N. (2007). Kanser aÄÅ ¸rÄ ±sÄ ±nÄ ±n kontrolà ¼nde kullanÄ ±lan yà ¶ntemler UzunoÄÅ ¸lu S. (2011). Kanser HastalarÄ ±nda AÄÅ ¸rÄ ±ya YaklaÃ…Å ¸Ãƒâ€žÃ‚ ±m, 24: 14-20

America :: essays research papers

America, the "Revenge-Minded Nation," has created the conditions for a rising crime rate, and "invited her people in." Crime in America has become a multibillion dollar Corporation for the Judicial System. The Corporation itself breeds white collar Criminals. The little man is nothing more than a tax slave who, at the cost of being revenge-minded, has bought into the problem, and not the solution. Good people in the middle are held in prisons of fear is the crime rate rises around them. Soma say, "build more prisons", "give longer sentences", "make the prisoner do more of his/her sentence", "execute the nearly 3,000 men on death row", "treat the troubled youth as adults and sentence them as such", etc. The truth is that you can build more prisons until half of America is locked up, and the other half their victims. Longer sentences are no cure-all. Time has no more power to change a man than space does. Five or fifteen years really matters not, because for whatever reasons a person commits a crime and is sent to prison, there is no rehabilitation. The hostility of a prison environment that serves as little more than a warehouse to store bodies in, works to harden the character of the person forced to survive in it, and when the time comes to release this person, he/she is released back into society without any rehabilitation or readjustment, made much the worse than when they were first in society. Of course the many released on parole commit further crimes. What is parole, something that has power over a person's hardened character? "Correctional facility" is a lie. Where is the "correctional" influence in storing bodies for a period of time? Prisons are deprivation units. It's sad, but because of the hostilities within the prison environment, many prisoners are deprived of emotional stimulation, except for fear, anger and hate. In some cases a released person will even kill his victim to eliminate a threat to his survival in the world life's events have created for him; something it's doubtful he could have done before his conditioning experiences with hostile prison. There are circumstances when human life becomes secondary to survival, right or wrong. The teenagers sent to Vietnam and Desert Storm didn't hate the so-called "enemies", but killing them was done most often as an act of fear and survival. Much could be said concerning cause and effect, but executing nearly 3,000 people on death row won't solve America's problem with rising crime rate.

No “More” Socialism: Debunking Raphael Hythlodaeus’ Argument Against Pr

George Orwell, in his famous essay, â€Å"Why Socialists Don’t Believe in Fun,† aptly described the problem of any Utopian ideal. â€Å"It would seem that human beings are not able to describe, nor perhaps to imagine, happiness except in terms of contrast†¦ Nearly all creators of Utopia have resembled the man who has (a) toothache, and therefore thinks happiness consists in not having a toothache. They wanted to produce a perfect society by an endless continuation of something that had only been valuable because it was temporary† (Orwell). In Thomas More’s Utopia, Raphael Hythloday is used as a conduit through which More expresses his distaste with private property. It is striking how true Orwell’s words can be applied to More’s Utopia. More’s criticism of private property is structurally fallible, and his description of an alternative is deeply implausible. Raphael is used to lay out the Utopian alternative economic and civic system, from the common-place â€Å"peasant subsistence economy† of More’s England through his description of the idealist island of Utopia (Overton 4). Raphael’s case against private property is built upon two principle supports; the perceived fallacies and failures in a peasant subsistence capitalistic economy, and how seemingly intuitive the socialistic alternatives of the island of Utopia are in solving the tribulations which so perplex the world’s peasantry. If we analyze Raphael’s argument, we find that it is grossly mis-calculated. The assumptions made in both the construction of Utopia and the deconstruction of England’s economic system are both contradictory and completely over-simplified. With our advantage of economic and historical hindsight we can see that Raphael lays blame without knowledge, and we can se... ... A. Von. Collectivist Economic Planning. London: [s.n.], 1950. Print. Hunt, E. K. History of Economic Thought: A Critical Perspective. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 2002. Print. Marx, Karl, Friedrich Engels, David McLellan, and Samuel Moore. The Communist Manifesto. Oxford [u.a.: Oxford UP, 1998. Print. Mill, John Stuart, and W. J. Ashley. Principles of Political Economy, with Some of Their Applications to Social Philosophy. New York: A. M. Kelley, eller, 1965. Print. More, Thomas, and George M. Logan. Utopia: A Revised Translation, Backgrounds, Criticism. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2011. Print. Orwell, George. The Collected Essays, Journalism, and Letters of George Orwell. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1968. Print. Overton, Mark. Agricultural Revolution in England: The Transformation of the Agrarian Economy, 1500-1850. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1996. Print.

Principles of Providing Admin Services Essay

Complete the table below with descriptions of at least two different features of a telephone system and how / when they would be used. FeatureHow / when used 1. Conference calls This makes it possible to speak to more than one person simultaneously. 2. Transfer Enables one to transfer a caller to another extension. 2. Prepare a brief report advising people on: How to follow organisational procedures when making and receiving telephone calls When making phone calls the caller should make sure he or she has all the questions they want to ask, its good practice to have a pen and paper handy to take messages and be ready to listen to the conversation attentively. When receiving a call answer after a certain number of rings, say the name of the company and branch if the organisation has multiple locations, listen carefully to the reason why the caller rang, and it’s important to smile when talking on the phone as it. The purpose of giving a positive image of yourself and your organisation when making and receiving telephone calls. If possible, use specific information from procedures in your own organisation (or one that you are familiar with). A positive image is vital for any business so opening and closing phone conversations is paramount and knowing how to deal with each caller efficiently. Using the right tone and language as well helps to portray a positive image for the business and for the individual and also shows how professional someone is. Section 2 – Understand how to handle mail 1. Explain the purpose of correctly receiving, checking and sorting mail and packages (both incoming and outgoing). Incoming mail †¢Open mail not private unless cleared to do so †¢Remove contents †¢Date stamp mail when received †¢Check and attach enclosures †¢Sort mail according to department †¢Mail is delivered or collected by different departments by designated staff and then put in the recipient’s in tray Outgoing Mail †¢Collect mail from each department †¢Deliver mail to the mail room at an agreed time †¢Sort mail into first, second, special and recorded delivery †¢Weigh letter or packages †¢Calculate postage costs Stamp or frank items at the correct cost †¢Take mail to an appropriate post box or post office It is of paramount importance for mail to be sorted properly within any business because failure to do so means †¢Loss of potential business †¢Short and long term loss of revenue †¢Workers unable t o complete tasks leading to unsatisfied customers and wasted time †¢Irritated suppliers when they chase up payments 2. Complete the table below with the following information: †¢At least two examples of internal mail services that are available to organisations †¢At least two examples of external mail services that are available to organisations Internal mail servicesExternal mail services 1. Intranet 1. Royal Mail 2. Secure pouches and bags 2. DHL 3. Describe two methods that you can use to calculate postage charges for mail and / or packages. †¢Taking weight and dimensions of the item. With this method ideally, what is required is the length, width, height and weight of the package and a price will be automatically worked out for you and this helps to provide an accurate price for postage. †¢Use of postage rate tables – this is used to set the amount you charge per postage by delivery method and destination. Costs can also be specified by international postage, either by region of specific country. Section 3 – Understand how to use different types of office equipment 1. Describe the main types of equipment found in offices and how they are used. Include examples of at least three different types of office equipment. †¢Computers – these provide a wide range of functions which make them useful for everyday situations. Once loaded with various software programmes a computer can perform various tasks from word processing, spreadsheets, database and even gaming. †¢Printers – used to produce copies of documents from the computer files. Photocopiers – used to make exact copies of any document from letters or certificates. With photocopying you can make one or multiple copies of the same document. 2. Explain the purpose of following manufacturer’s instructions when using equipment. †¢ This enables the user to get most out of the equipment, understand the equipment before use and. Not following the instructions could lead to health and safety risks, higher maintenance costs could be incurred by the user if anything goes wrong with it as warranties and guarantees could be void. 3. Explain the purpose of keeping equipment clean, hygienic and ready for the next user. For any organisation quality is of paramount importance so clean equipment produces better quality products and with deadlines and targets to meet time and resources will not be wasted. In some organisations (call centre) people have to share equipment like headsets so it’s always good practice to make sure it is cleaned after use and ready for the next person to reduce risk of infection and spreading of germs. Also, if other people don’t keep shared equipment or work stations clean this can have negative impact on the business as targets/deadlines won’t be met as this could be de-mot ivating for other staff members. Understand how to keep waste to a minimum in a business environment 1. Explain why waste should be kept to a minimum in a business environment. †¢Too much waste has a financial impact on the business in the long run. Too much money will be wasted to rectify the problem. For instance faulty machines can produce defective products. These defective products can pose to be a risk to the environment if not disposed off correctly can get the fined by authorities. And depending on the organisation, money spent of refunds especially on something that can be avoided causes loss of revenue. . Identify at least two main causes of waste in a business environment. †¢People in the business due to making mistakes †¢Materials and equipment 3. How can you keep waste to a minimum in a business environment? Describe at least two ways of doing this. †¢Using email as a way of communication more within the business. This will help reduce the amount of paper used. The good thing about t his as well is a database can be used to access all archived documents. †¢Energy efficiency is another good way of keeping waste to a minimum. Staff members should get in the habit of shutting down their computers after work and making use of motion operated lights Section 5 – Know how to make arrangements for meetings 1. Complete the table below listing at least two different types of meetings and describing the main features of each type of meeting. Type of meetingMain features Conference meetings This meeting is organised with high planning and structure, moderated by a chair person. The number of participants depends on the purpose of the conference. PresentationThese meetings are held generally to inform the team about any new changes made in processes and procedures. In this meeting there is a presenter or two and in the end, the attendees have the opportunity to ask questions. 2. When arranging a meeting: †¢What sources and types of information are typically needed? -Date of the meeting -Start and finish times of the meeting -Venue and agenda of the meeting -Attendance list -Minutes from previous meeting -Reports for consideration in the meeting -The desired outcome for the meeting †¢How should meetings be arranged? -Find out about the meeting brief -Confirm venue, catering and equipment requirements -Produce the agenda and meeting papers Invite attendees and send them the agenda -Confirm attendance -Make sure attendees’ needs are met -Make amends to correct any needs for requirements like catering -Collate and dispatch papers for the meeting within agreed time scales -Produce spare copies of meeting papers -Arrange the equipment and layout for the room – Make sure attendees have a full set of papers -Take accurate notes of the meeting including attendance -Provide information and support when required -Produce a record of the meeting -Seek approval and amend the meeting record as necessary Circulate the meeting record to agreed time scales Section 6 – Understand procedures for organising travel and accommodation arrangements 1. Explain the purpose of confirming instructions and requirements for business travel and accommodation. †¢It ensures that no mistakes have been made during the process †¢Helps clear out any misunderstandings so it’s important to always check the facts with the relevant people so that everything is done correctly from the onset. †¢It ensures that individuals arrive on time for meetings or appointments. 2. Complete the table below with an outline of the main types of business travel and accommodation arrangements that may need to be made and the procedures that should be followed when doing this. Travel and accommodation arrangementsProcedures TransportBook flights, train tickets on time. If using own transport from airport have a taxi booked as well Long check in flights may be required with international flights Accommodation Book hotel for the appropriate dates Cost of room Meals – which ones are included Location of hotel Money Arrange travellers cheques or foreign currency before the trip Insurance travel Travel information Confirm with the traveller that itinerary and documents meet the requirement Maps 3. Explain the purpose of keeping records of travel / accommodation arrangements in a business environment. †¢This simply shows organisation and efficiency for the business as this information will be easy retrieved when needed again †¢It makes it easy to account for things and the expenditure can compared with and reviewed against a budget †¢This will enable the business to ascertain which areas they need to save money on. Section 7 – Understand diary management procedures . Briefly explain the purpose of using a diary system to plan activities at work. Give at least two reasons. †¢It helps keep a record of business schedules, activities such as meetings and appointments. And in a business environment it is vital in case someone is not well, colleagues can easily take a look at what you had planned for the day and what is a priority for the working day and sort it all out. †¢For example, a diary helps to -Manage ones’ time -Note down tasks and tick once completed. 2. Identify the information needed to maintain a diary system in the workplace. In the workplace, the following is required -Who the meeting/interview is with -What the meeting is about -When it is -Where its being held -Why the meeting is being held Section 8 – Understand the purpose of delivering effective customer service and how to do so 1. What are the differences between internal and external customers in a business environment? †¢Internal customers are people or departments in the same organisation as the service provider. For example marketing department is an internal customer of the IT department because it uses IT services. External customers are people who are not employed by the organisation or organisation that are separate legal entities that purchase services from the service provider. When a service provider charges for services and paid real money or exchange or services or products. 2. Explain why customer service should meet or exceed customer expectations. †¢Meeting or exceeding customer expectations automatically enhances t he business reputation, first time customers will end up being loyal customers, increased sales and more referrals from satisfied customers who bring in additional business by word of mouth. Include at least three reasons in your answer. †¢High quality products at a competitive price †¢Fast, efficient and accurate service †¢Trained staff that can handle their questions without referring them on 3. Explain the importance of building positive relationships with customers. †¢Positive relationships are good for the business as this will have a good impact on the business and provides more public awareness with other potential customers. Ideally, the business should not promise something that they can’t deliver, treating each customer as an individual and where appropriate use customer names. Outline two ways in which this can be achieved. †¢Mutual respect between both parties †¢Keeping clear communication channels open 4. How do customers demonstrate their own needs and expectations? -Customer complaints is a way of customers to offer a very clear insights in what they need and what they expect -To demonstrate their needs an organisation must design a system and procedures to help produce desired outcomes to meet the above -Asking questions -Body language -Active listening

BUGusa Inc. & WIRETIME Inc. Scenarios Essay

BUGusa Inc. is based in any state USA. The company provides critical software technology that allows eaves dropping, sound collection and more to law enforcement agencies throughout the states and federal government within the United States of America. BUGusa Inc. is looking to expand its services, expertise and software at an international level. In the course of their operations there have been some questionable behaviors concerning internal and external factors that are affecting the flow of operations and in some cases, this behavior may cause serious issues with the integrity of the software and its security. WIRETIME Inc. is a fairly new company competing against BUGusa Inc. That seeks to gain information on BUGusa Inc. by infiltrating its workforce and recruiting its best and brightest. Throughout this paper I will address some of those case scenarios and do my best to answer the questions set forth by the assignment. 1st Scenario: Has WIRETIME Inc. committed any torts? BUGusa Inc. vs. WIRETIME Inc. In this case scenario we find that WIRETIME Inc. has made an intentional negative public statement against BUGusa Inc, and more specifically against its product reliability. This behavior by WIRETIME Inc. can be seen as a gross move against BUGusa Inc. reputation, thus causing distrust in their products and services from the general public, state and federal agencies home and abroad. The behavior demonstrated by WIRETIME Inc. while not uncommon in the business world, can be seen as a defamation or libel tort, and this can give BUGusa Inc. leverage against WIRETIME Inc. in a lawsuit. BUGusa Inc. may sue for any marketing related costs it will incur to help its image rise to new and higher levels of trust within its current customers and future customers nationally and internationally; it wouldn’t  be a surprise if they also try to collect from possible damages it may have incurred from actual or potential loss of profit stemming from the ad circulated by WIRETIME Inc. and the distrust it may have already or potentially cause in the future against BUGusa Inc. WIRETIME Inc. could make the argument that its intention was not to harm BUGusa Inc. reputation because their statements were opinion based and not objective facts. In order to rebuttal the argument by WIRETIME Inc., and to build new trust, BUGusa Inc. could demonstrate that its products and services work well beyond the one-month capabilities that WIRETIME Inc. suggested on its supposedly opinion ad. By demonstrating that their software and services work beyond the one- month mark, they can surely h old their ground against their competitor and possibly create new business and stronger relationships with its consumers, and, at the same time win the lawsuit against WIRETIME Inc. 2nd Scenario: Has WIRETIME Inc. committed any torts? Janet, head of the R&D department at BUGusa Inc. has two more years in her contract with her current company. She has been offered a much lucrative opportunity to work for the competition (WIRETIME Inc.) But there is a provision in her current contract that prohibits her to work for the competition for the following two years of her contract even if she was fired before that time expires. This is called the non – compete clause. Janet disclosed this information (non – compete clause) to the head of human resources at WIRETIME Inc. when he or she offered Janet employment with their company. You would think that this information would deter any further headhunting approach from WIRETIME Inc. because of the consequences Janet’s breach of duty to BUGusa Inc. may cause her if she accepts and the liability WIRETIME Inc. picks up by performing this intervening event against the non – compete clause BUGusa Inc. has on Janet’s contract. After Janet exposed the non – compete clause, the head of human resources at WIRETIME Inc. persisted and offered to increase her pay by 10% and added a $5,000.00 signing bonus to the deal. Janet had a duty to BUGusa Inc. and she committed a breach of contract by accepting the offer from the competing company by evidence of acceptance. There was an offer, acceptance, consideration,  consent, capacity, legal purpose, and writing. While it was illegal to work for the competitor, it was not illegal for her to resign from BUGusa Inc. WIRETIME, clearly intended to have Janet violate her legal agreement and contractual restriction with BUGusa Inc. and committed the tort of interference in a contractual relationship between Janet and BUGusa Inc. 3rd Scenario: WIRETIME Inc. (Steve & Walter) Discuss BUGusa Inc. Liability for Walters’s actions. WIRETIME Inc. has made it its main mission to infiltrate its competitor and retrieve high value information from BUGusa Inc. by all means necessary. WIRETIME Inc. sends one of its employees, (STEVE) to apply for a position at BUGusa. Such is their luck that Steve, not only gets hired, but he secures a position within BUGusa Inc. research and development department. BUGusa Inc. failed to realize that Steve was an employee at WIRETIME Inc. thus placing the companies’ sensitive information at risk. While at BUGusa, Steve was picked up by an attentive security guard (Walter) who found out through the grapevine and investigation, that Steve was a spy amongst them working for the competitor. Walter decided to approach Steve and take him in to a soundproof room, and retrieve the truth from Steve through intimidating threats against his physical safety for six hours. Steve, of course fearing for his physical well being, disclosed his purpose in the company what information he has passed along and whom he truly worked for. While Walters’s frustration with Steve is understandable, his handling of the situation is totally unacceptable and carries some penalties with it. Walter created an atmosphere of stress, mentally and physically against an employee, regardless of his true intentions; BUGusa Inc. should of done its homework through background checks against Steve and probably saved itself the headache. Nevertheless, Walters’s behavior was thuggish and criminal thus creating the tort of assault. Walter could have held Steve and called the police, then followed through with charges against Steve and WIRETIME Inc. but his course of action may result in Steve goi ng after BUGusa Inc through vicarious liability. This liability holds BUGusa Inc. as responsible for Walters’s behavior and actions while performing his normal duties in the workplace. 4th Scenario: Parking lot of BUGusa Inc. Crime problem. What defense if any, may be available to BUGusa Inc.? As with all working environments, it is the legal and implied duty of any employer to provide a healthy and safe work environment for its employees, vendors and any other patrons visiting or performing work at any job site within the United States of America. Here we can see that this particular BUGusa Inc. branch that is located in Shady town USA, has been the victim of multiple attacks on its employees and its vendors and also fell pray to vandalism. This problematic issue is well known to the residents of the community where BUGusa has its building; this leads me to know that management at BUGusa Inc. must have also been aware of this problem and failed to address it properly. I do not see any available defense for BUGusa Inc. on the matter of the vendor being attacked and robbed while waiting to deliver goods at the facility mentioned above. BUGusa has a duty to its employees, vendors and any patron performing any job within its premises to provide adequate safety measures that w ill deter thief’s from braking in to cars and vandalizing company property, but most importantly from harming the people within its property at all times. Having a well lit parking lot means all lights are working properly and to their full capacity, and in this case, they had a few lights that were not operating at all. Also, well-lit areas are not enough security against a hostile environment that has in the past proven to be dangerous against employees and vendors. The company breached its duty by not upgrading its security measures after the first reported assaults against its employees, this negligence caused that the vendor become another victim of the crime wave affecting its private property. The injury to the employees and vendor are financial, mental and may well be physical if not yet. The tort that applies here is negligence on the part of BUGusa Inc. If they would have reevaluated their security stance against the rise in crime and violence on their property and its surrounding community, it could have avoided such negligence. 5th Scenario: Randy and Brian (BUGusa Inc.) What defense may be available to BUGusa Inc.? The following Scenario holds two parties as responsible for failing to perform their required duties as responsible citizens and employees. By both parties being negligent, they are both are potentially at fault; they violated personal and business duty, breached their duties to their safety and business safety, causing an accident and damages to private and business property not to mention the physical injuries if any, and obvious financial injuries to personal and business property. Both Randy and Brian were negligent in their actions, Brian, as an employee of BUGusa Inc. could have avoided the crash if he were following the speed limit or driving in accordance with road and area conditions. Randy failed to obey the yield sign and assumed the risk of being impacted by another vehicle. Here we can apply comparative or contributory negligence because they were both at fault, if BUGusa Inc. can prove that Randy had more to do with the cause of the accident then they may well win the c ase. 6th Scenario: Sally may have a successful case against BUGusa Inc. for what Tort? Just as in the actual case of General Motors, BUGusa Inc. failed to notify the consumers of the potential hazards of using their products. BUGusa tried to save money at the risk of consumer’s safety by taking shortcuts in the manufacturing and assembly process, knowing that such shortcuts may result in short circuit and in some cases harm to its product users they moved forward with its sale and fielding. Strict Product Liability Tort states that the manufacturer, distributor and seller are responsible for any harm and or injury caused by failure to inform of manufacturing defects or design defects. By designing the product without the necessary insulation, Sally was exposed to a short and suffered injuries. BUGusa Inc. is clearly in hot water and can be liable for all harm and injuries stemming from this negligent act. References Cornell University. (2014). Tort. Retrieved from http://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/tort Expert Law. (2014). Negligence / Personal Injury. Retrieved from http://www.expertlaw.com/library/personal_injury/negligence.html Hill, M. (2011). The Legal Environment of Business. A Managerial Approach: Theory to Practice. Phoenix, AZ: Copyright  © McGraw-Hill Company.

Discuss the Advantages and Disadvantages of Owning a Car Essay

Everything has two sides to it, and there is no exception to owning a car. People can name just as many merits of owning a car as demerits of doing it. Apparently, convenience is one of the most important benefits that a car owner is looking for when spending huge sums of money for keeping one. Public transportation has developed rapidly in recent years in Vancouver. Yet, with the even faster expansion of Greater Vancouver Region, Vancouverites are expected to travel farther on a daily basis and there are always some places where you need to switch between trains, buses and seabus to arrive. Compared with driving, using public transport is time-consuming and tedious, esp. when you have luggage with you. Another benefit that driving brings you is to expand your life horizon to the extent that any other kind of transport can’t reach. Before coming to Canada, I lived about 200 kilometers from the world’s second largest desert: Taklimakan Desert. What is fascinating about the ‘sea of death’ is that a unique type of tree called diversi-formed leaves pillow have been flourishing in the heart of desert for thousands of years. The trees are said to be able to stand for 3 thousand years after dying, and lie for another 3 thousand years before rotting away. With a powerful Toyota 4700, my family used to visit the magnificent desert every year and are always stricken with breath-taking beauty of ‘Land of death and life’. In spite of these benefits that owning a car can bring us, the negative influence of driving to environment is also evident. Because cars are often single-occupied, driving means a huge more amount of gas emission than using public transport. In addition, keeping a car also requires constant extra expenses on fuel, parking and maintenance, let alone the considerable payment for car purchase and accidental damages. Things could be even worse when you fail to obey traffic rules and get penalties to pay for. Taking all these pros and cons into consideration, people often find it difficult to choose one over the other. Many people choose to drive for the convenience and freedom from harassments of hurrying to and waiting for public transport. Meanwhile, there are still more who enjoy a short time of relaxation on trains or buses instead of struggling to concentrate on driving after a tiring day.

Monopoly as a source of market failure Essay

Abtsract. Environmental problems also occur when one of the participants in an exchange of property rights is able to exercise an inordinate amount of power over the outcome. This can occur, for example, when a product is sold by a single seller, or monopoly. A firm that has no competitors in its industry is called a monopoly. Monopolies are not all evil. Neither are they utterly good. Monopolies are much maligned because their profit incentive leads them to raise prices and lower output in order to squeeze more money out of consumers. As a result, governments typically go out of their way to break up monopolies and replace them with competitive industries that generate lower prices and higher output. Our study examines Arcelor-Mittal: the uncontrolled growth of this steel giant often at the expense of peoples’ health in a rapidly globalizing world has given people all around the world common cause for resistance. We have focused on Arcelor-Mittal Temirtau Kazakhstan which as we think is the best example of monopoly of market failure. Our paper work on â€Å"Monopoly as a source of market failure† explores global steel giant’s environmental and social impacts in 2008-2009 that have emerged from the Environmental&Natural Resource Economics. First, we provide the background information about the theory of natural monopoly as a source of market failure. Then we show the certain case of such monopoly – ArcelorMittal Temirtau Kazakhstan. Our research analysis is divided to two parts: background information and social&environmental impacts of global steel giant’s work in our homeland. Considering the situation and the current conditions of Arcelor-Mittal we then provide following solutions to the company that have to be implemented in order to enable it to overcome and or limit the potential problems in the foresseable future. This topic is very crucial and relevant not just only for our country to be mentioned and finally to be solved but also for the whole world as Arcelor-Mittal is operating worldwide. However it still neither has taken into account the seriousness of the problems that it has induced to the environment nor all of the responsibility. Introduction: The rise of a steel giant. We are all shareholders, maybe not in the company, but 1 / 13 indeed in our environments, and shareholders of corporations such as ArcelorMittal need to be aware of this reality. Company shareholders are often blinded by the glossy reports, company greenwash and figures detailing rising profits. This paper work seeks to create a new awareness amongst ArcelorMittal’s shareholders, and calls on them to act on the evidence presented. Many perceive the rise of Mittal Steel – now ArcelorMittal – from a small mill to a global steel giant as one of the great wonders of the business world. The success of the company has coincided with the exploitation of weaker national laws and political wrangling. In the last three decades Mittal has bought up old, run-down state-owned steel factories in places like Trinidad, Mexico, Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, South Africa and Algeria. The cost of Mittal Steel’s success has largely been paid by the communities living and working near the company’s plants. Mittal Steel has a global reputation for prioritising productivity over the environment, communities and fair labour practices in countries where it operates steel mills, such as Romania, Poland, Czech Republic South Africa, Kazakhstan and the United States, in spite of frequent company statements about its attention to and investment in these areas. No longer can they be uninformed shareholders reaping annual profits. They need to accept responsibility for the negative impacts their investments have on peoples’ lives along with accepting the profits they reap on their shares. It is critical to understand that the local injustices presented in the report will not just ‘go away’. They need careful deliberation and shareholder resolutions for ethical investment that calls for improved operations on the ground in order to deliver environmental justice to local people. Economic monopolies have existed throughout much of human history. In ancient and medieval times dire scarcity of resources was common and affected the lives of most human beings. When resources are extremely scarce, little room exists for a multiplicity of producers for many products and services. Monopoly is a well-defined market structure where there is only one seller who controls the entire market supply, as there are no close substitutes for his product and there are no barriers to the entry of rival producers. However in this dynamically changing world there is no such situation where the commodity does not have a substitute. So for a monopoly to be effective there must be no practical substitutes for the product or service sold, and no serious threat of the entry of a competitor into the market. This enables the seller (â€Å"monopolist†) to control the price. The term monopolist is derived from the Greek word â€Å"mono†, meaning â€Å"single†, and â€Å"polist† meaning seller. Thus the monopolist may be defined as the sole seller of a product which has no close substitutes. At the beginning we state the background information about the theory of natural monopoly as a source of market failure. Then we show the certain case of such monopoly – ArcelorMittal Temirtau Kazakhstan. Our research analysis is divided to two parts: background information and social&environmental impacts of global steel giant’s work in our homeland. Considering the situation and the current conditions of Arcelor-Mittal we then provide following solutions to the company that have to be implemented in order to enable it to overcome and or limit the potential problems in the foresseable future. The Theory of Natural Monopoly. Market failure occurs when resources are misallocated, or allocated inefficiently. There are five important sources of market failure, each of which results from the failure of one of the assumptions basic to the perfectly competitive model. Each also points to a potential role for government in the economy. One of the causes of market failure is imperfect competition, particularly monopolies. An imperfectly competitive market is one where the assumption of many buyers and sellers does not hold. These types of market organizations include monopoly, monopsony, oligopoly, and monopolistic competition. The operations of monopoly or natural monopoly often result in misuse of market power and inefficient allocation of resources, which reduce community welfare. For this reason, governments generally regulate monopoly and enforce laws preventing cartels. This type is a major rationale for a comprehensive competition policy. A monopoly is a market with one seller and many buyers. A monopoly may exist because of special 2 / 13 government regulation or because the monopolist is the sole owner of a resource (due to a patent or some other reason). A monopoly has the following characteristics: †¢There is only one producer in the market †¢They sell a single product with no close substitutes †¢Monopolies are price makers. The monopolies demand curve is the market demand curve; therefore the firm can sell the product at a higher price but only if it reduces output. It has control over the price or quantity sold, but not both. †¢There are very strong barriers to entry. This might include: High capital costs; High ‘sunk’ costs. Sunk costs are those which cannot be recovered if the firm goes out of business, such as advertising costs – the greater the sunk costs the greater the barrier. Technological knowledge, when one firm acquires the technological know-how that other firms do not have Patents and copyrights, protecting other firms from copying their product; Government regulations and restrictions; The monopoly can execute predatory pricing which involves dropping price very low in a ‘demonstration’ of power and to put pressure on existing or potential rivals and/or limit pricing. Limit pricing is a specific type of predatory pricing which involves a firm setting a price just below the average cost of new entrants – if new entrants match this price they will make a loss! A natural monopoly. A natural monopoly is a firm that can supply a good or service to an entire market at a lower price than if there were two or more firms. It has some similarities to a monopolist. It is an imperfect competitor, the sole producer in a market, and able to retain this position because of barriers to entry, such as government regulation, technological leadership or large start-up capital, It is able to restrict output in order to increase price and earn supernormal profits. However, a natural monopoly has a downward-sloping average cost curve (AC) over the relevant range of outputs, which results from economies of scale. Economies of scale develop in the long run, which is a period of time when all inputs are variable and the constraints imposed by diminishing returns no longer apply. The graph below shows the long run as being made up of a series of short-run periods, shown as a series of short-run AC en shown together illustrate economies of scale. Figure 1. Economies of scale. Source Senior Economics Workbook: NCEA Level 3. Geoff Evans, Ben Cahill, John Rogers. Pearson Education New Zealand Limited, 2005. Chapter 10. Page 93. A â€Å"natural monopoly† because it is economically efficient for there to only be one supplier. The following diagram can help to illustrate just why: Figure 2. A natural monopoly. Source Senior Economics Workbook: NCEA Level 3. Geoff Evans, Ben Cahill, John Rogers. Pearson Education New Zealand Limited, 2005. Chapter 10. Page 109. Given the downward sloping supply curve, and ignoring the demand curve for a minute, having an equilibrium at point E1, which gives us price P1. We could assume that this is a monopoly equilibrium, where Q1 represents the entire size of the market – it represents everybody who wants to buy the good. But in the case of a duopoly market, where there are two suppliers, we could assume that each seller in the market has exactly half of the market. This corresponds to the equilibrium E2 on the above diagram, which gives us quantity Q2 and price P2. We can assume the Q2 = 0. 5 x Q1, and that each of the two firms supplies Q2 of the good in question. And here a major problem arises. If we have one firm only, the marginal cost of supply is P1, which is lower than the duopoly price, P2. This means that having two firms in a market ends up with the firms having to charge a higher price than if only one firm existed. In this case, it is efficient, or â€Å"natural†, for there to only be one firm in 3 / 13 the market. This is why declining-marginal-cost industries are called natural monopolies. Because natural monopolies tend to be utilities, which are services like gas, electricity, water and telephones, which the public generally holds to be necessities of life, we are not comfortable allowing these firms to charge monopoly prices (i. e. , the pricing where MR = MC). Because these are staples or necessities, the demand curve for these goods is very inelastic – it is very steep. This means that the monopolist price would be much higher than the free-market price, and a large volume of people would be denied basic necessities of life. Instead, we use the power of government to regulate prices in these markets. The normal avenue for regulation of natural monopolies is the public utilities commission. These exist at the state-level in the United States, and at the national level in many other countries. Utilities commissions are given the task of making sure that utility companies make enough money to stay in business, but not enough to enjoy monopoly profits. They make sure that everybody is served, and served well, in theory. Since utilities are monopolies that are not subject to market forces and competition, they have little pressure to be responsive to market forces, which means that they do not have to treat their customers well, because their customers do not have the ability to switch to a different supplier. The costs of monopoly: †¢Less choice. Clearly, consumers have less choice if supply is controlled by a monopolist – for example, the Post Office used to be monopoly supplier of letter collection and delivery services across the UK and consumers had no alternative letter collection and delivery service. †¢High prices. Monopolies can exploit their position and charge high prices, because consumers have no alternative. This is especially problematic if the product is a basic necessity, like water. †¢Restricted output Monopolists can also restrict output onto the market to exploit its dominant position over a period of time, or to drive up price. †¢Less consumer surplus A rise in price or lower output would lead to a loss of consumer surplus. Consumer surplus is the extra net private benefit derived by consumers when the price they pay is less than what they would be prepared to pay. Over time monopolist can gain power over the consumer, which results in an erosion of consumer sovereignty. †¢Asymmetric information There is asymmetric information – the monopolist may know more than the consumer and can exploit this knowledge to its own advantage. †¢Productive inefficiency Monopolies may be productively inefficient because there are no direct competitors a monopolist has no incentive to reduce average costs to a minimum, with the result that they are likely to be productively inefficient. †¢Allocative inefficiency Monopolies may also be allocatively inefficient – it is not necessary for the monopolist to set price equal to the marginal cost of supply. In competitive markets firms are forced to ‘take’ their price from the industry itself, but a monopolist can set (make) their own price. Consumers cannot compare prices for a monopolist as there are no other close suppliers. This means that price can be set well above marginal cost. †¢Net welfare loss Even accounting for the extra profits derived by a monopolist, which can be put back into the economy when profits are distributed to shareholders, there is a net loss of welfare to the community. Welfare loss is the loss of community benefit, in terms of consumer and producer surplus, that occurs when a market is supplied by a monopolist rather than a large number of competitive firms. 4 / 13. †¢Monopoly welfare loss A ‘net welfare loss’ refers any welfare gains less any welfare loses as a result of an economic transaction or a government intervention. Using ‘welfare analysis’ allows the economist to evaluate the impact of a monopoly. †¢Less employment Monopolists may employ fewer people than in more competitive markets. Employment is largely determined by output – the more output a firm produces the more labour it will require. As output is lower for a monopolist it can also be assumed that employment will also be lower. The benefits of monopoly:Monopolies can provide certain benefits, including: †¢Exploit economies of scale As we have already mentioned above, the natural monopoly exploits economies of large scale. This means that it can produce at low cost and pass these savings on to the consumer. However, there would be little incentive to do this and the savings made might be used to increase profits or raise barriers to entry for future rivals. †¢Dynamic efficiency Monopolists can also be dynamically efficient – once protected from competition monopolies may undertake product or process innovation to derive higher profits, and in so doing become dynamically efficient. It can be argued that only firms with monopoly power will be in the position to be able to innovate effectively. Because of barriers to entry, a monopolist can protect its inventions and innovations from theft or copying. †¢Avoidance of duplication of infrastructure The avoidance of wasteful duplication of scarce resources – if the monopolist is a ‘natural monopoly’ it can be argued that competitive supply would be wasteful. Natural monopolies include gas, rail and electricity supply. A natural monopoly occurs when all or most of the available economies of scale have been derived by one firm – this prevents other firms from entering the market. But having more than one firm will mean a wasteful duplication of scarce resources. †¢Revenue Monopolists can also generate export revenue for a national economy. A single firm may gain from economies of scale in its own domestic economy and develop a cost advantage which it can exploit and sell relatively cheaply abroad. Remedies for monopoly:If a monopolist can gain a foothold in a market it becomes very difficult for new firms to enter, with the result that the price mechanism is restricted from doing its job. Resources cannot be allocated to where they are most needed because the monopolist can erect barriers to other firms. These barriers will not ‘naturally’ come down. The failure of markets to ‘self regulate’ is at the heart of monopoly as a ‘market failure. There are a number of ways in which the negative effects of monopoly power can be reduced: Regulation of firms who abuse their monopoly power. This could be achieved in a number of ways, including: †¢Price controls Setting price controls. For example, the current UK competition regulator, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), has developed a system of price ‘capping’ for the previously state owned natural monopolies like gas and water. This price capping involves tying prices to just below the current general inflation rate. The formula, RPI – X, is used, where the RPI (the Retail Price Index) is the chosen index of inflation and ‘X’ is a level of price reduction agreed between the regulator and the firm, based on expected efficiency gains. †¢Prohibiting mergers Prohibiting mergers – in the UK the Competition Commission can prohibit mergers between firms that create a combined market share of 25% or more if it believes that the merger would be against the ‘public interest’. In making their judgement, the ‘public interest’ takes into account the effect of the merger on jobs, prices and the level of competition. †¢Breaking up the monopoly Breaking up the monopoly into several smaller firms. For example regulators in the EU are currently 5 / 13 investigating potential abuse of market dominance by Microsoft, which is under threat of being broken up into two companies – one for its operating systems and the other for software. †¢NationalisationBringing the monopoly under public control – which is referred to as ‘nationalisation’. The ultimate remedy for an abusive monopoly is for the State to take a controlling interest in the firm by acquiring over 50% of its shares, or to take it over completely. The monopolist can still be run along commercial lines, but be made to operate as though the market were competitive. †¢Deregulation In those cases where a monopolist is already State controlled, such as the Post Office, it may be necessary to engage in deregulation to enable it to become more efficient. Deregulation could be used to bring down barriers to entry and open up a previously state controlled industry to competition, as has happened with the British Telecom and British Rail monopolies. This may help encourage new entrants into a market. Do Monopolies Undermine The Environment? As monopoly and natural monopoly tend to have a perpetual ownership of a scarce resource, they do not only ‘tie-up’ the existing scarce resources making it difficult for new entrants to exploit these resources, but also they often cause some environmental problems. Furthermore for many skeptics of the environmental benefits of market economies it seems that the fear of monopoly control over natural resources is one of their greatest concerns as well. The reality is actually much more complicated, because of the following: 1. Most natural resource industries are not controlled by monopolies, and are in fact characterized by a high degree of competitiveness. Agriculture, forestry, and fishing industries are almost everywhere characterized by markets with hundreds or thousands of players, some of them big but with plenty of smaller players as well. While limited degrees of market power exist in some of these industries in some areas, on the whole they are actually some of the more competitive industries in the world. Even energy and mineral industries are fairly competitive and where they are not they are characterized by oligopoly structures, almost never a monopoly. 2. Monopolies restrict output and raise the price of goods above their marginal costs (which leads to a loss of social welfare), which is why economists (mostly) consider them bad. But from an environmental perspective, they may actually be quite good since they lead to lower resource use and higher prices. For example, if oil was a completely competitive market the price would be lower and we would burn even more of it than if OPEC kept the price artificially high! The problem the environmentalist faces is not that monopolies keep prices high and limit output (that’s called conservation), but that this has a regressive effect and hurts the poor. (By the way, this is one of the biggest issues that confront environmentalists more generally, who for the most part would like to see resource prices rise. ). 3. As to examples where monopolies restrict R&D or limit technological innovation, there certainly are examples of this, but in general, the profit motive is sufficient to overcome this. Bottom line: the cheap prices of resources are the greatest threat to advances in efficiency and monopolies lead us in the opposite direction. 4. There are examples of what economists call â€Å"natural monopolies† where fixed costs are so high that only one company can be profitable providing a given service in a given region; examples are water, telecommunications, and electricity (imagine if every provider of water had to build their own pipe system? ). In cases where natural monopolies arise it is much more efficient for society to grant the company limited monopoly rights and regulate them. These are often called public utilities and abound in America (PG&E is my public utility in CA). The problem with public utilities is that often the regulators force them to charge very low prices that favor consumers but again lead to increased uses of resource; that is, if the monopolies were unregulated we would see lower resource use. 5. Let us not forget that the biggest monopolies in the history of humanity are state-owned. The monopolies in the former Soviet Union were certainly the biggest ever (and the worst environmental 6 / 13 offenders the world has ever known), and even today state-run monopolies for all sorts of resources (primarily oil, gas, and telecommunications) abound. Almost without fail, they are characterized by high prices, poor service, and abysmal environmental records. 6. Since competitive markets are one of the foundations of a prosperous economy, market-based societies have developed various forms of anti-trust legislation to ensure relatively high degrees of competitive in most markets. Laws regulating market share, anti-competitive pricing, etc. are commonplace in all of the advanced market systems, and have a relatively good record of success. Probably the greatest success has been in the telecommunications industry where deregulation has led to real price declines of almost 95% in telecommunications fees over the past 25 years. (Examples of the failure of states to break up monopolies abound in Latin America, particularly in telecom. I have written about how the Telmex in Mexico is one of the most egregious examples of robbing from the poor to give to the rich and how it is a great impediment to Mexico’s economic development. What the Mexiccam telecommunications industry desperately needs is more market-based competition to break Telmex’s grip, but unfortunately, due to immense corruption the average Mexican must continue to spend large shares of their meager earnings on phone calls. ) 7. Probably the biggest pro-competition policy is free trade and globalization. The greatest threats to regional and national monopolies come from trade from abroad and the innovation that trade accelerates. Contrary to popular wisdom, globalization does not increase the power of corporations over individuals, but just the reverse; people can shift their business to the other companies more easily as their choices increase. If you doubt this, just look at how lists of the â€Å"Fortune 500† companies continually shift every few years, and even more so in this more globalized age. In summary, while economists have long ago identified the pros and cons of monopolies, how they interact with environmental outcomes is not entirely straight-forward. What is obvious is that in non market-based economies we witness the worst forms of monopoly abuse and the resulting environmental degradation. ArcelorMittal: Going nowhere slowly. Background. ArcelorMittal Temirtau Kazakhstan(formerly Mittal Steel Temirtau, Ispat Karmet and Karaganda Metallurgical Plant). Arcelor Mittal Temirtau (AMT), founded in 1950, is one of the largest integrated steel plants in the world. The steel plant, along with all its infrastructure facilities, captive coal, iron ore and power plant, was acquired by ArcelorMittal – then Ispat – from the Kazakhstan government in 1995. Located in the city of Temirtau, population 170 000, in the Karaganda Region of Central Kazakhstan, it covers about 5 000 hectares and has a steel-making capacity of about 5. 5 million tonnes per annum. AMT operates eight coal mines in the region, producing a total of 12 202 million tonnes of coal in 2007. In the same year AMT’s output of rolled steel was 3. 581 million tonnes. The plant exports about 90 percent of its output, mostly to Russia, Iran and China. The towns of Temirtau and Karaganda as well as the surrounding area (about 1 million people) indirectly depend on the plant, which used to account for nearly 10 percent of Kazakhstan’s GDP . As of 2006 it employed 55 000 people and generated 4 percent of the country’s GDP. Figure 3. ArcelorMittal Temirtau exports the majority of its steel output but local residents pay the costs. Photo by CEE Bankwatch Network. Table 1. Mittal’s plant in Temirtau has received several direct and indirect loans from IFIs in the last 12 years: Year1997 Financial InstitutionEBRD PurposeTo restore productive capacity and improve efficiency in the steel mill and coal mines; develop value-added, higher quality steel, and to implement three environmental action plans that would improve environmental and health & safety impacts and bring the company into compliance with World Bank environmental guidelines. AmountUSD 54 million 7 / 13 RecipientAMT (former Ispat Karmet Steel Works) Year1997 Financial InstitutionIFC. PurposeTo restore productive capacity and improve efficiency in the steel mill and coal mines; develop value-added, higher quality steel, and to implement three environmental action plans that would improve environmental and health & safety impacts and bring the company into compliance with World Bank environmental guidelines. AmountUSD 132. 5 million RecipientAMT (former Ispat Karmet Steel Works) Year1999 Financial InstitutionIFC PurposeTo support the development of small and medium enterprises directly or indirectly associated with AMT and/or to assist workers formerly employed by AMT and/or to provide for the growth of the private sector in the Karaganda region. AmountUSD. 2. 5 million RecipientIndirect financial help to AMT through Kazkommertsbank. Year2001 Financial InstitutionIFC PurposeTo stimulate the relationship between the large corporate sector (in this case AMT) and the private SME sector. AmountUSD 3. 4 million equity investments. RecipientAMT. Year2004 Financial InstitutionIFC corporate loanPurposeTo enable LNM to improve the environmental performance of its present and future subsidiaries and bring them up to World Bank Group and/or European Union standards; – to assist LNM in creating and maintaining an environmental and worker health and safety system on a corporate wide level, to bring all its current and future operations in compliance with WB and/or EU standards;- to rehabilitate, dbottleneck and provide working capital and cash support to LNM’s present and future subsidiaries.