Housing In India And China Essays - Urban Geography, Development

Housing In India And China Housing in China China is by far the most populated country in the world. With billions of people China has many different way in which they are housed. From farm villages to gigantic cities the Chinese all need a place to live. Like the other countries in this paper China is mostly rural countryside where farmers grow everything from rice to wheat. With the exception of its mountains and hills, the overwhelming majority of Chinese settlements are rural compact villages. The formation of these villages are caused by it water source, population and in earlier years, defense. Live in these villages are very simple and have not changed for centuries. Even with populations in the thousands farm villages have no aspect of urban life at all. A normal house in a farm town is made of either sun dried brick, or packed earth. Roofs are typically thatched or made of tile. Homesteads are connected footpaths and cart tracks. Larger farm villages are known as market towns because they usually have a market in which nearby villagers can barter their crop for manufactured goods. Several villages can be linked to a market town by dirt roads. Many market towns have a larger population and more wealth than farm villages. For this reason the towns where walled for protection from bandits and barbarians. In the south the land is dominated by rice patties. Along to Yangtze river delta, villages are only two miles apart and most have their own markets. The town and villages in the south are generally larger and people travel and communicate using boats on the river. Another type of housing in China are cave dwellings found in the Loess Plateau, where timber is scarce. The advantage of these dwellings are that they are naturally insulated making them warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. Urbanization in China began in 1953, as the government intensified its efforts to make it a industrial power. As factories and mining centers where developed, cities and towns were built around them. People who live in cities usually live in large apartment buildings. There is good heath care, schools, but they are generally very crowded. Large roadways and railroad systems also helped to spread urbanization throughout the country. In China, because of communism, there are no classes. People are either poor or wealthy, there is not much of a median. Government officials live in the bigger cities in large estates. Today, China is on the cutting edge of architecture. Huge skyscrapers have been built and other nations have been taking in what the Chinese have built. In earlier years China was the most technologically advanced civilization in the world. Reminders of this era still stand today, like the great wall and the emperors palace. Also, we can see reminders of this period in our own country for example, the Chinese theater in Hollywood. Now Chinas style in decoration is a popular trend its art and luxurious nature. In conclusion, housing and the way people live, are very similar yet different between the three countries China, India, and Africa. I believe the best way to learn about it is to actually go there which I hope to do someday. Housing in India India has the second highest population in the world, only surpassed by China. Indias billion plus citizens live in huge cities and small farm villages. Although most are people are poor, some are rich and live in large estates, while most of the population lives in one room shacks. India is a large, diverse, nation and its many people live in all different kinds of houses. Most Indians live in rural villages. A typical farm village has narrow, unpaved roads that usually end in a culs-de-sac. They are packed close together with the higher classes in the core, and lower castes expand outwards. The villages have a school that is on the outskirts if the village so children can have some space to play, because there is little room. As a classes population expands stories grow on houses to compensate for them so they can stay in the ring with their class, rather than living with lower classes outside of town where there is plenty of room

Warm feelings for Cold Blood essays

Warm feelings for Cold Blood essays In Cold Blood is a novel written by Truman Capote in 1966. In Cold Blood is a true account of a multiple murder case that took place in Kansas in the 1950s. The book outlines a brutal murder case, but it shows the story from many perspectives, not just that of the law. Capote introduces you to the Clutter family, a well known, very hard working and loyal family to the community. The town of Holcomb is a small farming town. There is not much excitement in the town, and that is the way the people liked it. Everyone went to church and the community trusted each other, until the unthinkable happened. The towns most prominent family was killed. It is even worse when the only clues are two sets of boot tracks. Everyone in and around the town become scared because if such evil could be brought upon the best family known, what will happen to them? When Truman Capote wrote In Cold Blood, he wrote a masterpiece. When he wrote the book he developed the character Perry so that even after you wat ched him kill you feel sympathetic for him. He proves that you can even see some good in the worst of people. He does this by slowly developing Perrys character. He gave an in-depth view of Perrys world. He showed that Perry, although he had troubles in his life and sometimes had a total disregard for peoples life he also respected the people. Perry felt bad for some of the people he met. He also was willing to forgive people. Truman Capote was born Truman Streckfus Persons, in New Orleans September 30th 1924. His parents got a divorce when he was four and his mother later remarried and took on the last name of his stepfather. Capotes childhood was extremely insecure. He was handed back and forth between relatives. When Capote was a child he started to write to deal with the loneliness. At age ten, Capote made up his mind to become a professional writer. Because he knew what he wanted to do with his life, Capote shi...

Singapore's Unique Tripartite Model for Balancing Employers' Corporate Essay

Singapore's Unique Tripartite Model for Balancing Employers' Corporate Goals - Essay Example They are further capable of meeting the needs of the government to bring stability in the economy as well as prosperity. This is possible because of the five pillar approach followed by the firms in Singapore. The study tries to discuss the ways through which the National Trade Union Congress’ 5 Pillars is capable of addressing the issues faced by the firms. Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Introduction to Industrial Relation 4 Objective of the Paper 4 Industrial Relations in Singapore 4 Issues in Employee Relation in Singapore 6 The Tripartite Approach 7 Unique Tripartite Features of Singapore 10 Conclusion 11 References 12 Bibliography 14 Introduction to Industrial Relation Industrial relation has been categorized as one of the fragile as well as complex issues of contemporary industrial society. It is to be remembered that a business is considered to be successful if there is purposeful cooperation between the labor and the management. The main objective of the sound i ndustrial relations is not only finding the ways for resolving the conflicts but also to maintain cooperation among the employees within the industry. It is to be remembered that it is not at all an easy task to maintain good industrial relations. ... f the study is to identify the industrial relations of Singapore and to identify the ways through which the country has been capable of maintaining efficient industrial relations in the firms. Five Pillars approach will be studied in depth and the study will try to examine the issues that can be effectively solved by five pillar approach. Industrial Relations in Singapore ‘Industrial relations’ in Singapore has been modeled after the West Australian model, offering a system of collective bargaining along with conciliation and arbitration. The two significant pieces of legislation administered the industrial relations of Singapore. They are Trade Union Act, the key role of which has been to grant acknowledgement to the trade unions as well as employers who are registered. The other piece of legislation has been Industrial Relation Act whose principle activities have been the identification of the rules in order to carry out the negotiation and development of the Industria l Arbitration Court (IAC) for the purpose of investigating the disputes and certifying agreements. The system was being operated in a fair way. The bargaining demands made were fulfilled by the unions upon the employer in case the negotiation started. After the completion of the agreement successfully, the agreements were passed on the IAC for the purpose of selection and certification. In case the agreement was not realized, the matter was forwarded for the purpose of conciliation. If the conciliation was not effective enough, matter was referred to the IAC for the purpose of arbitration. Whatever decision the IAC would have arrived at, would be considered as final. The workers were paid with ex gratia bonuses by the employers. The bonus payments were quite unconditional and were rarely attached

Principles and Policy by Baumol and Blinder Term Paper

Principles and Policy by Baumol and Blinder - Term Paper Example The evidence is clear as penalties that imposed on high-risk borrowers of up to 2% of the mortgage amount have been diminished or eliminated. Evidently, Americans have witnessed the lowest rates in recent decades due to the fact that homeowners are in scurry to refinance. However, 25% of these homeowners cannot refinance since their mortgage exceeded the value of the home. Since the last crash, Fannie and Freddie were both under the control of the Federal government, a move that had to be conducted in order for the American economy to be stabilized. Currently, the program has not worked up to its potential as only 894,000 borrowers have conducted refinancing in their mortgages through agency. Although many factors affect the outcome, it is clear that Fannie and Freddie Mac are hindrance towards the market as they continue to enact hefty fees and conditions to their customers. It relates to macroeconomics due to the fact that housing bubble continues to grow out of hand. The housing m arket has been in such a turmoil that individuals can start owning homes for $50,000. This act is beneficial because it can lower the interest rates and allow people to pay their mortgages, which can increase the price of homes. Moreover, critics continue to question the effectiveness of the program as it strives to boost the economy since cash flow of borrowers will be induced by investors who possess these bad mortgages. Conducive research indicates that housing market directly impacts the American economy. Real estate economics dictate the economic strategies that are used in the market. The housing economic discusses the business and structural modifications that can potentially ruin the industry. In essence, there is no market equilibrium as the demand for houses has been high even though supply has diminished. This is mainly because of the low price that has continued to haunt the economy. BBC Newt Gingrich, Republican president, has defended the fact that he was never bribed by Fannie Mac. Gingrich was reacting to a report that he earned up to $1.8 million as the consultant from the leading mortgage lender. The former congressman continues to defend the fact that he never lobbied for Freddie Mac. Gingrich has been on the focal point since the elections have been heated up as he is the leader in the Republican polls. Since Freddie Mac is funded by the government, owns and continues to ensure half of US mortgages. This is critical to economics because Freddie Mac is already under strict scope of the government as it continues to struggle. If the accusations are indeed true, then both Freddie Mac and Gingrich can be in huge trouble considering the fact both are huge names in the industry. Gingrich insists that he was hired "strategic advice over a long period of time" to Freddie Mac, although he could not specify exactly how much he was paid. Yet, with the market on the verge of going chaotic, Gingrich is under the microscope for his actions. As mentioned above, Freddie Mac is still imposing high fees to its customers, something that Gingrich should acknowledge and address in his presidential debate. It will be interesting to see whether Gingrich’s reputation increases or decreases in polls. PBS Recently, a couple decided to buy a house which was worth only $1.

Abdullatif al Sayegh Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Abdullatif al Sayegh - Research Paper Example His father was a religious leader and this had a lot of influence in his early life and development. Due to his father’s position, Abdullatif spent most of his childhood days studying and memorizing verses from the Koran. The leadership position of his father also influenced him into becoming a role model for his peer. Both his family and the society over expected from him. This influenced him into putting extra efforts in all that he did. Education is one of the areas in which Abdullatif became distinguished in the society. His father was also very instrumental in his success as a student in Saudi Arabia. After completing his secondary level education, he joined university of Tampa in Florida. Unlike most students in secondary and elementary levels of education, Abdullatif seemed to have decided about his future career at an early stage. His father was also supportive to his choice of career and study abroad. Abdullatif completed his studies successfully and spent several yea rs searching for a job in America. Like other students studying in overseas institutions, Abdullatif had the dreams of working in major media houses such as the BBC and CNN. However, after failed attempt of securing employment in the media industry, Abdullatif decided to return to the Middle East. His return to the Middle East was beneficial to both his career and the upcoming media industry. After staying in his home country for some time, Abdullatif moved to the United Arab Emirates. During this shift, Abdullatif entered into a partnership with the government of Dubai in an effort to establish a self-reliant media houses in Dubai (Al Sayegh web). His shift to Dubai came at the time when different governments in the Middle East were looking forward to establish independent media houses that were of international standard. His involvement with the government of Dubai was aimed at establishing media houses that served both in the local and international level his studies at Tampa Uni versity focussed on the management of media and, therefore he had sufficient skills to manage media houses that are of international standard. This establishment included eight radio stations and three daily newspaper-printing houses. Abdullatif first worked on the radio stations before he began his work on the printing houses. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid also involved him in establishing of TV stations that later became well established both in Dubai and internationally. Among the TV, stations created during this partnership included the MTV Arabya and Nickleodeon. Abdullatif had outstanding management skills that enabled him to make the different achievements and breakthroughs in the media industry. It is often debated that his role in the Dubai media industry enabled him to rise to his current position as one of the most celebrated CEOs in the media industry. However, this is not the case since Abdullatif had quality education and skills in media and management. His role particula rly in the MTV made him to rise to his current position. In addition, he enabled the MTV television to become a well-established global television. Although Abdullatif made a lot of achievement through MTV, he still had unachieved ambitions that he required achieving. However, Abdullatif intended to reach the viewers in the Arab world. This meant that the different TV stations had to air content accordance to the preference of the people within this region. Due to his experience and educational background, Abdullatif was not satisfied with the progress of MTV in the region level. This made him to establish strategic plans that would see the different television stations on an international platform. It was however, difficult to elevate the newspapers into international media due to their use of

British Phonographic Industry: Structure and Competition

British Phonographic Industry: Structure and Competition Olivia Boachie Business Economics and Industrial Organisation The following analysis attempts to assess the structure and sources of competitive pressure in the British Phonographic Industry using Porters five forces framework model, and how the advent of the internet has affected the structure and performance of the industry. Michael Porter’s Five-Forces model of the music industry Michael Porter’s Five-Forces framework model recognises the economic forces that affect industry profits. The five forces are: Internal rivalry, Entry, Substitutes and complements, Supplier power and Buyer power. These forces may affect and abolish the revenues of current businesses. The five forces framework is a business study and industry strategy improvement instrument which lets marketers eventually generate stakeholder value through industry events. The key factors of appeal are the demand and supply of products in the market, quantity of entrants presently in the market and their strengths and weaknesses. In response to the essay question, the British Phonographic Industry will be examined critically through each of the five forces. A graphical representation of Porter’s Framework is shown below: British Phonographic Industry â€Å"BPI (British Phonographic Industry) represents the UK’s recorded music industry, which is one of the most exciting and thriving music sectors in the world. British artists account for one in eight albums purchased by fans around the globe† (http://www.bpi.co.uk/about-bpi.aspx). BPI co-owns the Official Charts Company in â€Å"a joint venture with the Entertainment Retails Association (ERA). The Official Charts Company is responsible for the commissioning, distribution, marketing and promotion of the UK’s industry standard music and video charts and sales data. BPI also maintains the industry standard for certifying Gold, Silver and Platinum sales awards† (http://www.bpi.co.uk/about-bpi.aspx). There are three major record companies within the British Phonographic Industry which are: Warner Music UK, Sony Music Entertainment UK and Universal Music UK. Internal Rivalry Internal Rivalry refers to the jockeying for shares by firms within a market. It is fierce if competition drives prices towards costs. This is more likely when there are many firms, products are perceived to be homogeneous, consumers are motivated and able to shop around, prices may be set secretly, sales orders are large and received infrequently and the industry has excess capacity. The UK music business has been contested for by three big recording studios for years. There is severe rivalry amongst these recording studios; their market shares continued to be steady for years as new opposition hardly went into the market due to great entry barriers. The music industry is booming when associating online and offline sales collectively. The product distinction attainable in the music business is very low due to all types of music being approximately the same. The diversity could be attained through the setups of music delivered such as CD’s and online formats such as MP3’s. Downloading is now becoming more common than the constant visits to the music stores, the music business has unremittingly decreased the amount of stores and fixated on emerging an online approach. Through doing this they have been successful at reducing high fixed costs including store rentals and incomes of a high number of store employees which has assisted with their margins. In terms of competitive pressure, the music industry can be thought to be extremely competitive due to predictions of the music boom which started in the 1990s. Due to more talent coming out through shows such as X-factor, Britain’s Got Talent and the Voice in the UK, potential performers are now being presented in the music industry. Entry The threat of entrants is another force that determines the industry’s competitive pressure. If â€Å"new entrants move into an industry they will gain market share and rivalry will intensify† (http://www.tutor2u.net/business/strategy/porter_five_forces.htm). The position of existing firms is tougher if there are barriers to entering the market. If barriers to entering the industry are low then the threat of new entrants will be high and if the barriers to entry are high then the threat of new entrants will be low. Barriers to entry are very significant in determining the threat of new entrants. An industry can have more than one barrier. The following are well-known examples of effective barriers: Access to suppliers and distribution channels Product differentiation Economies of scale available to existing firms The selection of a gifted artist and turning them into a success involves skilled use of advertising, talent supervision and investment. Recognised music labels devote a lot to undertaking appearance improvement campaigns, and experiment with advertising before the artist’s work is free for the public to see. These particular parts require professional abilities and involve having money. Substitutes and Complements Substitutes wear down profits in the same way as competitors entering the market by stealing business and increasing internal rivalry. Complements boost the demand for the product in question; thereby improving profit chances for the industry. In the music business, the alternatives for music purchases or downloads can be recognised to be plagiarised music downloads online and Radio stations that play music 24 hours. Plagiarised music websites which offer music for free are the distinguishable alternatives for the music industry. The consumer having a choice of whether or not to buy music or to download it continues to be a fight in their mind. So the risk of this alternative is very high. Music such as those on Jango or Napster allows consumers to listen to songs an unrestricted number of times without the need to purchase them. While they don’t obtain the luxury of downloading music for free and listening to the songs on the move, it can still be seen as an alternative as it permits for the entertainment of consumers. When it comes to TV and Radio music stations, the necessities for setting up those services such as TV set boxes and regular subscriptions are fairly costly in comparison to the price of an album. But with other facilities such as the ability to record channels and the choice of other stations on offer, they may have chosen the better option when compared to a music album. Supplier Power If a firms suppliers â€Å"have bargaining power they will exercise that power, sell their products at a higher price and squeeze industry profits† (http://www.tutor2u.net/business/strategy/porter_five_forces.htm). If the supplier drives up the price paid for inputs, revenues will be condensed. Suppliers find themselves in an influential position when there are only a few suppliers, the resource they supply is scarce, there are no or few substitute resources, the product is easy to differentiate and faithful consumers are unwilling to switch. The bargaining powers of performers are high as it is believed that the voice and skill of each performer is distinctive and cannot be replaced. Buyer Power Buyer power is analogous to supplier power. â€Å"It refers to the ability of individual customers to negotiate purchase prices that extract profits from sellers† (Economics of strategy 6th edition, David Besanko). â€Å"Buyers have indirect power in competitive markets, and the price they pay will depend on the forces of supply and demand. The willingness of consumers to shop for the best price could instead be considered a source of internal rivalry, not indirect buyer power. When buyers are focused, or suppliers have made relationship-specific investments, buyers may exert direct power† (Economics of strategy 6th edition, David Besanko). Buyers then demand lower prices when suppliers are thriving and accepting higher prices when suppliers are struggling. The consumers for the UK music business can be either individual or corporate. Corporate consumers in the music business contain online and offline traders who buy albums in large quantities from the music label. Stores included could be HMV and Game and online music stores which include stores such as iTunes and AmazonMP3. The negotiating power of the corporate consumers can be assumed to be low due to prices being settled amongst them and the labels at the time of signing the contract. Advent of the Internet I will now analyse how the advent of the internet has affected the structure and performance of the music industry. The Internet is â€Å"a global computer network providing a variety of information and communication facilities, consisting of interconnected networks using standardized communication protocols† (http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/Internet). The structural attractiveness of the UK music industry is determined by five underlying forces of competition. These include: The intensity of rivalry among existing competitors, the barriers to entry for new competitors, the threat of substitute products or service, the bargaining power of suppliers, and the bargaining power of the buyers. Below are points under each of the forces on how the internet influences the music industry which are taken from Michael. E Porter’s Competitive strategy free press, 1980. Rivalry among existing competitors The Internet has enlarged the amount of competitors in the music industry and decreased the significance of geographic boundaries. â€Å"There is increased rivalry because companies have a stake to succeed with use of the Internet. Rivalry increases when there is less differentiation between products. There is highly intense competition due to the Internet becoming an online platform for commercial use† (www.ukessays.com). Barriers to entry for new competitors The internet has decreased the fixed costs needed for a business to get to their end users. Most record labels find it easier to launch online ventures since they are positive about brand loyalty and trust. Threat of substitute products or services The internet has assisted in increasing the pressure from alternative products, as it may increase the diversity of products available to consumers. This can be done by customers being able to now purchase CD’s online or download songs for free. Bargaining power of the suppliers â€Å"The internet offers a channel for suppliers to reach end users, decreasing the power of intervening companies† (Michael. E Porter’s Competitive strategy free press, 1980). Procurement and digital markets tend to give companies equal access to suppliers and to standardised products that decrease variation. Buyers bargaining power of channels and end users â€Å"Moves bargaining power to end customers† (Michael. E Porter’s Competitive strategy free press, 1980). The customers have the bargaining power as they have the choice to either purchase CD’s from a store or download the songs for free online. From the analysis above, it is assumed that the UK music business is booming. The music industry is conquered by three big companies who have been around for a number of years and who operate great shares of the market. Applying Porters five forces framework is tremendously significant in industry analysis as it allows businesses to understand the overall attractiveness of the industry itself. However, one could say that the advent of the internet has affected the sales of CD’s. The need to purchase a CD with one song on it is no longer a necessity as you can just download the song from the internet. â€Å"Music piracy online is quite widespread, which affects artists and record labels profits. Anybody that has an internet connection can find illegal music downloads anywhere. Unsurprisingly the labels lose more money than the artists since the label keeps the majority of the money and the artist only sees a small percentage. It is now easier for artists to self-promote and se lf -release nowadays with all the opportunities for advertising and promoting online. Therefore, it could be said that the advent of the internet has decreased the music industry’s performance. References About The BPI. (n.d.). Retrieved March 20th, 2014, from The British Recorded Music Industry: http://www.bpi.co.uk/about-bpi.aspx Answers. (n.d.). Retrieved March 21st, 2014, from wiki.answers.com: wiki.answers.com David Besanko, D. D. (n.d.). Economics of Strategy. John Wiley. Illangakoon, S. (2010, November 5th). Porters Five Forces analysis for music industry. Retrieved March 17th, 2014, from Assignment help series: http://assignmenthelpseries9.blogspot.co.uk/ Internet. (n.d.). Retrieved March 21st, 2014, from Oxford Dictionaries Language Matters: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/Internet Our Work. (n.d.). Retrieved March 20th, 2014, from British Phonographic Industry: http://www.bpi.co.uk/our-work.aspx Porter, M. (1980). Competitive Strategy. Riley, J. (2012, September 23rd). Overview of the five forces model. Retrieved March 18th, 2014, from tutor2u: http://www.tutor2u.net/business/strategy/porter_five_forces.htm The UK expert provider of custom essays. (n.d.). Retrieved March 15th, 2014, from ukessays.com: http://www.ukessays.com/essays/information-technology/the-internet-on-the-macro-environment-information-technology-essay.php Business Organisation And Environment: Mcdonalds Business Organisation And Environment: Mcdonalds There are 2 types of business environment, namely internal environment and external environment. Internal environment is also known as controllable environment. The internal environment of McDonalds includes the following: Aim The aim of McDonalds is to be the best fast service restaurant experience. Marketing The marketing of McDonalds is very large. McDonalds was one of the eight corporate sponsors of Millennium Dome Experience. It invested  £8 million in the Domes community programme and learning experience. Besides that, McDonalds is also a major sponsor of the World Cup since 1994 and the Champions League from 1996 to 2000. McDonalds also sponsors British athletics since 1993 and formed the McDonalds Young Athletes League to train 11 to 17 years old teenagers. Moreover, McDonalds sponsors Child Safety Week since 1994. Management McDonalds also has a good management for their business. Such as, they have high recruitment standards. They care about the skills, talents and performance of their staffs. They also consider gender, marital status, disability, race and nationality when recruiting. McDonalds also provides a safe and secure working environment. All staffs will have opportunities for training and development. Moreover, McDonalds provides education of staff matters for their staffs. They have a good communication with their staffs. The pay of the staffs at McDonalds reflects their working performance. Besides that, over 40% of McDonalds managers started as hourly-paid staff members in the restaurant. McDonalds motivates their staffs by giving them free meals. They will also have paid holidays. The staffs will get free life assurance and the value is dependent upon their service. Those employees that are 19 years old or older with 3 years service with get private health care from McDonalds. Besides that, McDonalds has a sponsorship programme for their staffs. The employees of McDonalds will also get an employee discount card. There are also service awards for those employees with 3, 5,10,15,20 and 25 years of service. All employees will also get a stakeholder pension from McDonalds. Production McDonalds has their production of foods. There are five main ingredients for food, like beef, chicken, bread, potatoes and milk. The Big Mac is one the basic food offered by McDonalds. Moreover, McChicken is also known as chicken sandwich and McNuggets is also known as chicken nuggets which are products of McDonalds. McDonalds also serves desserts such as the McFlurry ice-cream. Moving on, the following shows the external environment (uncontrollable environment) of McDonalds: Political McDonalds is highly influenced by the policies set by the government of the various countries it operates in. For example, in the country of India, the local religious law restricts its residents from eating beef, thus it is considered an insult to have beef in the local McDonalds menu. In order to obtain the license to open a fast food restaurant, McDonalds has to obey the business regulations implemented by the local government. To succeed in the foreign market, McDonalds has to act according to the markets rules and regulations, and create a good relationship with the government by obeying the markets tax obligations and any environmental laws. Economic The markets economy has an impact on the branches and franchises of McDonalds. A weak economy would influence the customers buying power which would in turn affect the general sales of McDonalds. McDonalds imports most of its material as the local market cannot provide materials in abundance to meet the demands of the market. Inflation or changes in the exchange rate of the market would affect the operations of the company. A rise in the exchange rate of currencies would increase the cost of purchasing. Socio-Cultural Every country has a unique culture. McDonalds has to create a menu that is suitable to the local taste and culture. For example, the Hindu residents of India do not take beef, Muslim countries do not take pork and only consume halal food, Asian countries like to eat rice, Chinese likes to associate their meals with good fortune such as prosperity, and Americans eat big-sized meals. Additionally, the development of technology creates the need for better services and convenience for customers. For instance, McDonalds should provide wireless internet services and allow credit card payments at their stores. Technological McDonalds uses technological means for a variety of things. For example, television advertisements are used for marketing. Customers can order by phone for a delivery to be made. Besides that, in Singapore, McDonalds accepts EZ-link card payments as a means of convenience for customers. Moreover, the advancement in internet technologies allows McDonalds to implement web-based ordering and online payment. Legal McDonalds has to follow many regulations in order to be legally allowed to operate its business, for example, business registration, tax requirements, and employment laws. Besides that, McDonalds also has to acquire a halal certification in order to get Muslim customers. Environment As McDonalds serves millions of customers per day, it needs a large supply of materials. The large amount of animals slaughtered to create a supply for McDonalds is frequently criticised by world environmentalists. In addition, forests have been lost due to large scale plantation. Before using paper packaging, McDonalds used Styrofoam based packaging for its products, which is hard to recycle. Organisation structure McDonalds is a fast food franchising company and its success comes from its various franchisees all over the world. About 70% of McDonalds worldwide restaurants are run by independent businessmen and businesswomen. A franchise is a business licensed to use the name, logo and expertise of an existing, well-known business (123helpme.com n.d.). McDonalds provides licenses to the markets local operators to start a McDonalds restaurant. McDonalds may take away the license if the franchisee fails to meet the franchise agreement or requirement. All of McDonalds restaurants have a flat structure. A manager controls all the employees and makes all the decisions. This allows the staffs to only carry out their simple routine works such as selling and serving customers. On the other hand, the McDonalds corporation has a tall and complex structure. The corporation is highly formalized, has a limited information network, is centralised and has extensive departmentalisation. The departmentalisation of McDonalds is structured along functional lines. The various departments in McDonalds are operations, development, finance, marketing, and human resource. Operations The operations department of McDonalds controls the equipment and franchising of restaurants. They ensure that the franchisees are following the agreements set by the McDonalds corporation. They provide support for the franchisees in all aspects of the business. All in all, they make certain that the business of McDonalds runs smoothly. Development The development department plans and manufactures products. They ensure that the products made are up to the qualities set by the corporation. Besides that, they also develop new products for McDonalds. Finance The finance department keeps record of the profits of the company. They keep account on all the transactions done by the company. They also pay the salaries of the employees. They keep track of how the business is doing. Marketing The main role of the marketing department is to attract new customers. They organise advertisements and promotions. Moreover, they cooperate with the development department to ensure that the design, quality and price of a product are what the consumer wants. Human Resource The human resource department recruits and appoints all new staffs. They handle the affairs of all employees which include retirement, dismissal and etc. They employ quality staffs and motivate them to do their best. Culture in Society Cultures in societies are affecting the organization. An organization will change its way or structure to adapt to the culture in the society. It might also change the communication style with its customers in order to stay in business. In other words, McDonalds must understand that they must make their organization structure compatible with the various cultures in societies. Otherwise, the amount of customers will reduce when the organization does not adapt to the markets culture, or goes against it. When there are less customers, McDonalds will not have enough income and motivation to continue running their business. Culture of Religion Halal is a term designating any object or an action which is permissible to use or engage in, according to Islamic law.'(wikipedia) When someone wants to operate a McDonalds restaurant, they have to consider about religion issues such as Halal in certain countries, for example Islamic countries like Malaysia, Pakistan, Iran, Sri Langka and so on. McDonalds have to comply with the regulations given by the government and the culture of the residents. Therefore in these Islamic countries, McDonalds have to provide Halal food due to the large population of Muslim and Arab people to run the business successfully. However, Halal issues are not only applicable in Islamic countries, there is also an exceptionally large number of Muslims and Arabs in non-Muslim countries like in Dearborn (Michigan, United States). McDonalds have introduced Halal chicken nuggets there. Culture of Food Different countries might have different food cultures. It will affect the food menu of McDonalds as well. In order to expand the business, or to increase the income, McDonalds has to do research on the food culture of the markets residents. Only foods that adhere to their food culture are able to attract more local customers. For example, at German, McDonalds serves beer. In India, there is no Big Mac because Indians do not consume beef. However, they do have a Maharaja Mac which contains lamb or chicken meat instead of beef. They also provide a vegetarian burger named McAloo Tikki, since a certain amount of Indians are vegetarians. Besides that, for rice-loving Chinese in countries like Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore, McDonalds introduced rice burger. In other words, McDonalds will modify their menu according to the food culture of the local customers so that they would be able to earn more customers as well as income. Culture of Social Women are also affecting the income of McDonalds. As there are more and more women that work nowadays, most of them will have less time to spend in the kitchen to cook for their family. The job of preparing a meal will fall onto their parents or even their husband, but they often choose to eat fast food. Therefore, McDonalds has become one of the places for these families to have their meal. This has directly increased the income of McDonalds. There are many more cultures in societies that affect McDonalds, it must clearly know the change of the culture in order to keep its business updated. If there are no customers due to the structure of the organization which is against the customers culture, McDonalds will not have the motivation to run its business in that market. The reason McDonalds run successfully is because it able to adapt with the local culture of the market. It also structures its internal environment well and has a good reaction to the external environments.

Employee view of a Fat Person :: essays research papers

Overweight Americans face discrimination every day. This type of discrimination is a violation of The Civil Rights Act of 1964(Title VII, 42 U.S.C.  § 2000 et seq.) which â€Å"established basic federal law on employment discrimination† (http://www.obesity.org/discrimination/employment.shtml). Three major factors contribute to being overweight. These factors are hereditary, medication and ethnicity. An obese person may be entitled to claim disability payments from the Social Security Administration. Discrimination against an employee for being overweight would be wrong when the Social Security Administration recognizes obesity as a disability. Adults who qualify for disability claim it for muscle or skeletal complications. Severe obesity inflicts the body with pain and affects normal daily activities. When severely obese people find performance in their occupation of choice is compromised and qualifies for disability. Individuals use disability programs for assistance when they cannot commit to normal employment. â€Å"The American Obesity Association defends the rights of disabled persons with obesity, because obesity: is a disease, is the second leading cause of premature death, can cause many health conditions such as diabetes and coronary heart disease, is a source of stigmatization and discrimination, can lead to a poor quality of life and impaired mobility, can cause physical and emotional pain that can be disabling† (http://www.obesity.org/subs/disability). Companies should not discriminate against anyone with this type of disability since the Social Security Administration considers obesity a disability. If an obese person can do her job without any inabilities, there should be no reason for an overweight employee to be dismissed. Obesity is a factor of a heredity condition. Obesity is defined â€Å"as a weight more than 20% above what is considered normal according to standard age, height, and weight tables, or by a complex formula known as the body mass index† (http://www.encyclopedia.com/printable.asp?url=/ssi/o1/obesity.html). This condition runs in families but does not mean an individual is predisposed to it. Some contributing factors to obesity are sedentary lifestyles and poor eating habits. The environmental factor that contributes to overweight problems includes little or no physical activity. Most adults working long hours do not have time for physical activities. Companies should promote physical activities within the organization to help employees become more active. Psychological factors influence eating habits. Employees who become depressed will overeat. Negative emotions including boredom, sadness, or anger may influence employees eating habits. Employers should offer mental health programs to assist employees when dealing with emotional situations. Certain medications are known to increase weight.

Antisocial Behaviour Essay

In Britain antisocial behaviour between young people is a widely argued subject in the British media. More and more Brits at the age 13-18 are dropping out of school or work-based training and refuse to return. These young people are more than likely to face criminal action possibly leading to a fine or community sentence. But when we are talking about the term â€Å"Anti-social Behaviour†, then we need to know what it exactly means. The British â€Å"crime disorder act† of 1998 describes the term â€Å"†¦ n anti-social manner, that is to say, in a manner that caused or was likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to one or more persons †¦ † So to simplify, Antisocial behaviour is when a person is forced by his or hers environment to cause harassment to one-self or the persons surroundings, and as far as I understand the subject antisocial behaviour does not have to be of criminal nature, but it is more than likely to be so. In 2007 the percentage of 16 to 17-year-olds not in education, employment or training was 9 percent. It is exactly these young people who are the targets for becoming antisocial. So how do you make sure that these unfortunate teenagers don’t end in this so unfortunate situation and is it possible to force the teenagers to behave in a more civilised way? There are actually many suggestions for a solution to this nationwide problem. Some of them are quit controversial and are more likely to stop antisocial teenagers doing crime, than to prevent teenagers to not at all become antisocial. One of these alternative solutions is the â€Å"Mosquito† which is a sonic device that gives out a piercing noise audible only to teenagers and people in there early twenties. This device has been installed as a â€Å"yob† (slang for an antisocial person) deterrent at nearly 3,000 locations such as grocers and shopping malls across Great Britain. This Mosquito is a camouflaged speaker box not larger than shoebox and it sends out a pulse at 18 kilohertz which in the last end will give the young people acting antisocial in front of the store a terrible headache so they quickly leave the store. This method of fighting antisocial behaviour among teens has been shown very effective. In some stores in the UK crime outside the stores had dropped by 83 % since the device was installed. The device has actually earned so much respect among shopkeepers and government officials that some are considering that the Mosquito should be obligatory by law in most public places by night. So it is quite obvious to see all the positive aspects but not all are so enthusiastic. Chief constables in Britain say they are scared the Mosquito is going to infringe human rights. Authorities say that the device is indiscriminating and that people should consider the effects on the young people, because not all young people are antisocial yobs. So you can see that the meanings about the Mosquito vary quite a lot. The device is very effective against the teens that already are in the antisocial environment but the device is not at all preventive. So what could be done if you the British teenagers to not even think about becoming antisocial. The British former PM Tony Blair wants to force errant schoolchildren back to school by using dedicated truancy officers which will be deployed in the 200 schools with biggest yob and truancy problems. This plan spans over using more than ? 70m to stamp out antisocial behaviour, as well as 24,000 community support officers will also be conducting these truancy sweeps so they can force the teens back to school. The plan does also include tougher punishments to the yobs when they get caught. This is of course a very controversial method to tackle antisocial behaviour but it could be showing really effective because it is preventive and helps the teenagers in trouble before they become antisocial yobs. But of course as mentioned by opponents of the plan, the plan is so ambitious and expensive that it more looks like â€Å"a mish-mash of gimmick and spin† than an actual plan, which within realistic measures would be preventive without costing the country enormous amounts of money and labour. So here we have two very different plans which in two very different ways will deal with two very important parts of the subject antisocial behaviour among British teens. I do not think that there is any exactly solution to this very important problem in British cities, small towns and schools but of course the Mosquito has already proven its worth in more than 3,000 locations with success and has made it safer for those people being harassed by the yobs in the public. But unfortunately the Mosquito does not help educating the teens; it just makes the yobs find an other place for them to be at. The most important factor in this case is that you need to stop the antisocial behaviour in its process and not when it already has affected the young teenagers. So perhaps Tony Blair’s plan is the right way to do it, though I personally believe that the plan is way too focussed on hard punishment than in are pedagogical way. I don’t believe that tough punishment is the way of teaching youngsters today.

What Is Wrong With The Idea Of Everyone Being Equal Term Paper

What Is Wrong With The Idea Of Everyone Being Equal Term Paper What Is Wrong With The Idea Of Everyone Being Equal – Term Paper Example & Number: Everyone Being Equal (Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr 14 December (estimated word count = 322)The idea of being equal is a pipe dream because not all persons are alike in terms of their abilities, uniqueness, personalities, capabilities, attitudes and behaviors. It is an idea that would have suited well in a democratic society but everyone knows this is quite hard to accept and an impossibility. It is desired for all beings to be equal in order to be fair but this is simply not possible because of human nature. In other words, creativity and talent will be lost. Additionally, individual initiative and identity would likewise be gone forever. Creativity and talent would not be maximized and advancement of society would be stunted. In the short story â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. everyone is dumbed down by a secret government to the level of being morons. This kind of society suits the head of that secretive government because no one presents a threat to its existence. The idea of the equal society is brought to the extreme in which anybody who is more intelligent than others are forced to have a physical handicap so the more intelligent people would not have an unfair advantage over less intelligent persons (Farrell 183). This is just science fiction of course, but the idea of everyone being equal has always been a dream by those who aspire for a Utopian society but in this story, equality had backfired with disastrous consequences. It is an American ideal â€Å"where all men are created equal† but this can have serious but sometimes comical and unintended consequences. Everyone is leveled to mediocrity as it is a sin to be talented and intellectually superior. Human progress is virtually impossible. It is also a universal concern that governments can and tend to be oppressive (Thomas 162). Ideas like everyone should be equal is absurd and should be abandoned with alacrity. Kurts works often combined social satire and science fiction to impart an ironic lesson (Buckley 1).Buckley, Christopher. â€Å"How It Went.† The New York Times. 25 Nov. 2011. Web. 14 Dec. 2011. Farrell, Susan Elizabeth. Critical Companion to Kurt Vonnegut: A Literary Reference to his Life and Work. New York, NY, USA: Infobase Publishing, 2008. Print.Thomas, Paul Lee. Reading, Learning, Teaching Kurt Vonnegut. New York, NY, USA: Peter Lang Academic Publishing Group, 2006. Print.

Politique essays

Politique essays In the 16th and 17th centuries, European nations had a very difficult job to keep their monarchies in power for an extended amount of time. In order to centralize the nation, they needed to adopt a politique doctrine that would help strengthen the kingdom. In order to have a politique doctrine, the focus needed to be on the country, not just religion. The leader of the nation, no matter what religion required politique regulations in order to remain in power. The politique doctrine had an effect on social, political, and economic aspects of the nation. Politique doctrine affected the social standings of people. Henry Navarre issued the Edict of Nantes which allowed Calvinists to worship and build walls around their cities. This is important because before Navarre came into power, France was struggling under Catholic rule. Once Navarre issued the Edict of Nantes, Calvinists no longer needed to revolt and question the Catholic rule. They were free to worship what they believed. This built nationalism and strengthened the monarchy because the French government no longer had to concentrate on wars within their own country. They could take the money saved and improve the welfare of the people. Henry VIII is an example of how politique doctrine can strengthen the political side of a monarchy. Henry came to the throne as a strong leader and was awarded the title defender of the faith because of his verbal attacks on Martin Luther. But, he soon turns away from that title and begins to try and control the church and keep it from making laws. By selling all the monasteries land, he built up money for the government. This shows he can separate himself from the powerful influence the Church had over his ruling power. In 1530, Henry VIII forces all of the nobles to swear allegiance to him. This puts a stop to them revolting against his authority. Even though he does this, his friend, Thomas Moore, a noble, ...

Post-War European Films and the Concept of Auteur Essay

Post-War European Films and the Concept of Auteur - Essay Example The essay "Post-War European Films and the Concept of Auteur" describes the concept of the 'auteur', especially in the context of post-war European cinema, from the films of the Spanish director Almodovar. The paper also focuses on the different themes that can be found in the works of Almodovar, in order to explain why the 'auteur' is now an important part of contemporary European cinema. There have been a lot of developments in European cinema since the Second World War ended. Some of the filmmakers in Europe actually experimented with new ideas and concepts on how to make films, as well as on the very technique and purpose of filmmaking in itself. Some filmmakers experimented on social realism, while some also experimented in making magical realist, existentialist, psychological, and symbolic films. However, there is one particular development on post-war filmmaking in Europe that has caught the attention of the researcher, and this is the concept of 'auteur'. In fact, many popular European filmmakers are actually categorized by scholars of film studies as an example of an auteur, and one of the most famous is the Spanish director and filmmaker Pedro Almodovar, the director of the films â€Å"Matador,† â€Å"Hable con Ella,† and â€Å"Volver†. In order to explain the importance of the concept of the â€Å"auteur† in European cinema, it is important first to define this concept, especially in the context of post-war filmmaking in Europe. The word auteur is actually a French word, this word actually means the 'author'.... According to film scholars, the concept of the auteur actually refers to the original idea of the French filmmaker Francois Truffaut (1932-1984), who in his manifesto â€Å"The Policy of Auteurs,† declared that â€Å"Cinema as an art made by a filmic artist and not by a writer,† wherein the filmic artist, or the filmmaker, is actually the auteur (â€Å"Truffaut’s manifesto: La Politique des Auteurs† n. p.). In this case, then, the concept of the auteur actually emphasizes the role of the filmmaker (or the director in that case), in the creation of the film itself, wherein the film is actually a creative product of the auteur (the filmmaker); also, it then follows that films actually represent the filmmakers actual creative vision (â€Å"Truffaut’s manifesto: La Politique des Auteurs† n. p.). In this case, in the treatise of Truffaut, he actually argues that despite the involvement of film in an industrial or commercial process, wherein elemen ts of the studio may heavily determine the outcome of the film; but the theory of auteur still actually holds that the creative voice (or the creative elements) of the film still actually shines out, and this come from the artistic and creative viewpoint of the auteur (â€Å"Truffaut’s manifesto: La Politique des Auteurs† n. p.). In this case, the theory of â€Å"auteurism† actually came out from this concept, wherein films can actually be analyzed or understood according to the different characteristics and themes of the auteur, and wherein common themes of the auteur can actually be identified with his works (â€Å"Truffaut’s manifesto: La Politique des Auteurs† n. p.). In fact, the concept of the auteur actually contributed much to the development of post

The case of Abercrombie and Fitch Co Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The of Abercrombie and Fitch Co - Case Study Example The only negative result being a minimal decrease in the profits per square foot at the end of that fiscal period (Berman & Evans, 2011). The company should increase its effort on increasing retail space. Though the number of Hollister stores is one-third more than A & F, it is believed that the larger profits realized by the latter is due to a greater average size. The uncontrollable factors within any business environment are known as external factors or macro environmental factors. Such factors are usually beyond the control of any company or organization but rather they have to adjust for them to cope. For A & F, the Economic turmoil of 2007-2009 affected their operations (Berman & Evans, 2011).The turmoil was caused by the significant decrease in demand for the company’s products as a result of the prevailing economic conditions. As a consequence, the company realized a dip in its revenue. The second factor has been the entry of new competitors in the apparel industry. A & F experienced a decline in sales in 2009, and this was brought about by increased competition from companies like American Eagle and Aeropostale (Berman & Evans, 2011). It therefore, has to develop mechanisms to cope with such competitors in order to maintain or improve its profit margins the market share. A retail strategy involved developing a plan that is to be followed by a retailer in relation to the actions. They usually span a period of one year and include the following; missions, goals, consumer market, overall and specific activities and control mechanisms (Berman & Evans, 2011).