Study case Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Case Study Example The scenario presented for this case study is just such a case. The company is happy to overlook an immediate and obvious hazard to the health of their employees to avoid making extreme renovation efforts to remove all the remaining asbestos or relocate the workers to a safer environment. Instead they opted to ignore the employees concerns and understate the potential danger of exposure. Most of us are not always pleased with our work place, whether it is because of coworkers, management issues, or policies, but we all assume that our work space will not be hazardous to our health just by breathing the air. There are many ethical issues to be considered in regards to the provided scenario, but honestly, the most obvious and poignant, are the behaviors of the company involved and all the members of management and supervisors that felt it appropriate to avoid removing the asbestos. Despite the fact that the company had access to years of valid data that verifies that absolute harmful effects of asbestos exposure, especially long-term exposure, they chose to ignore it. Even a single exposure could, however rare, lead to potential future health problems. That said, to, essentially, require their employees to work in an environment that is not safe or face losing their employment, is a harsh disregard for the well-being of their employees; that in and of itself is blatantly unethical. Secondly, the fact that if the employees wish to speak out against the company’s actions, or lack of action, and seeks outside intervention, they would likely be terminated, is a horrendous corner to back their employees into.(Zain, 2012) This leaves the employees with few options. This is a perfect example of unethical treatment of staff, unethical overall business practices, and a terrible abuse of power on their part. The unethical behaviors of the company have a huge cascade effect. It affects the employees, clearly, because they are being forced into

Teenage Drinking Essay Example for Free

Teenage Drinking Essay For the past decade, there has been a major problem with underage drinking in this world. Many of teenagers have been able to buy consumed drinking without the appearance of their parents. Today, many teenagers experience different things in the world. Whether it is their first date or first day in high school, teens are always eager to try something different or new. One of the things that teenagers try is drinking alcohol. Unfortunately, underage drinkers often abuse alcohol. Many reasons why underage teens are consuming alcohol because there were alcoholics in the family, peer pressure, stress and family problems. When growing up with an alcoholic, the kids mind thinks that it is normal to drink non-stop. The emotional and psychological scars that children can develop in alcoholic homes can be so deep that they can last well into adulthood. If you were raised in a home with alcoholism or addiction, you may find that some of the following characteristics are very familiar(Dr. Jan Woititz). People tend to become isolated, fear people and authority figures become approval seekers, be frightened of angry people, be terrified of personal criticism, become alcoholics, marry them or both view life as a victim have an overwhelming sense of responsibility, be concerned more with others than themselves, feel guilty when they stand up for themselves, become addicted to excitement, confuse love and pity love people who need rescuing, stuff their feelings lose the ability to feel, have low self-esteem, and judge themselves harshly. Those are just few of the effects of alcoholic problems in the family. Studies state that people look to alcohol because of economic, job stress or marital discord. In humans between certain types of alcoholism and adverse early childhood experiences. High levels of stress may influence drinking frequency and quantity. This relationship between stress and drinking even is stronger when alternative coping mechanisms and social supports are  lacking. Finally, when individuals believe that alcohol will help to reduce the stress in their lives, alcohol is most likely to be used in response to stress. Drinking appears to follow stress but some evidence also links excessive drinking to the anticipation of a major stress or even during times of stress (BRESSERT). Stress can lead to being a alcoholic because the person is so tired of being in a state of stress so they look for something that can calm them down so they turn to either weed or alcohol. They drink as much as they could until it goes away but in reality the stress does not go away. So if it do not work then that means they going to keep looking towards liquor to get rid of it. This drinking can make their way of thinking change. Over time, heavy drinking interferes with the neurotransmitters in the brain that are needed for good mental health. So while alcohol may help deal with stress in the short term, in the long run it can contribute to feeling of depression and anxiety and make stress harder to deal with (Eva Cyhlarov). Joseph A. Califano, Jr says The media focuses on illegal drugs [ such as ] heroin, but thats the tail. The dog is alcohol and the dog is really biting our kids (69). This can cause you to hurt others, get you into illegal trouble, and damage your relationships. Alcohol can damage the young brain, interferes with mental and social development, and interrupts academic progress. Alcohol is attracts teenagers easily and leads to the three leading causes of teen death: accidents, homicide and suicide. You can also harm your body now and when you grow up and also get you addicted. When drunk people tend to not notice anything so they start fights, unprotected sex, driving drunk and heavy hangovers. People have died from drinking on the beach and like to go swimming which leads to death. It is said from Anthony that people dont die from smoking weed, they die from drinking alcohol(70). It seems to be true because you cannot die from a plant but you can die from something that is mix with ma ny chemicals. They can die from intense alcohol intoxication. Why do teens drink? Teens seem to look towards drinking as a pleasure but what they do not notice is messing up their body. Even though they know its bad for them, they insist that alcohol isnt really a drug, however kids  know that beer, wine, and liquor can you into big trouble. It is said by CASA that 8th graders used 47.0% of alcohol, 10th graders used 66.9% and 12th Graders used 78.4%. Used in past year, 8th graders are 38.7%, 10th graders are 60.0%, and 12th graders are 71.5%. Used in the past months, 8ths graders are 19.6%, 10th graders are 60.0% and 12th graders are 48.6%. Seventy-two percent of college students report that they used alcohol at least once within the 30 days prior to completing the Core survey. Within the last year, 84 percent of students report they drank alcohol (Alcohol and College Students Drinking Fact Sheet, 1). 82% of students under age 21, using alcohol within the past year. Student athletes are more often the heaviest drinkers in the overall student population. Half of college athletes (57 percent of men and 48 percent of women) are binge drinkers and experience a greater number of alcohol related harms than other students. College athletes are also more likely than other students to say that getting drunk is an important reason for drinking(Dying to Drink by Henry Wechsler, Ph.D.). Seventy-eight percent of college athletes report that they used alcohol on at least one occasion in the past 30 days prior to completing the Core survey. Within the past year, 88 percent of student athletes report using alcohol. One in five athletes believe others students drinking adversely affects their involvement on an athletic team or in other organized groups. Some athletes do not think of the repercussions while they are out with fellow teammates, drinking a limitless amount of alcohol. They are caught up in the moment and want to be cool with friends and associates. They don’t think how this is going to affect their upcoming game or practice. Some athletes believe they can handle excessive drinking and performing well in games. There thought pattern is party hard right now and worry about practice or the game later. This is a poor thought pattern that will always harm their performance. Athletes know alcohol affects their system in a negative way, yet they still consume large amounts(Nelson and Wechsler1 2001). Colleges and pro-football leagues look at this kind of things. They have a wide-range programs that can track and also test 100% if someone is under the influence of alcohol and drugs. Today, as you may have read many teenagers are under the influence of alcohol in the stages of high school and college. There were many studies  that were conduction that gave us information about the average student alcoholics or up and coming alcoholics. There were many effects of alcoholic that people did not understand. These kids do not understand what it can do to your life and physical-self in the future. They wont understand the outcomes until it hits them clearly in the head.

White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) Experiment

White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) Experiment Abstract White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) continues to cause huge economic losses in the aquaculture farms due to rapid spread and broad host range. In this study, we synthesized a novel synthetic compound 3-(1-chloropiperidin-4-yl)-6-fluoro benzisoxazole 2 and were screened for antiviral activity against WSSV using fresh water crabs Paratelphusa hydrodomous (Herbst). In vivo bio-assay was carried out to determine the antiviral activity. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Histopathology were used for the analysis of bio-assay. Overall result shows that the novel compound has strong antiviral potency against WSSV. Keywords: Paratelphusa hydrodomous, White spot syndrome virus, Synthetic compound, RT-PCR, Histopathology. White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) is a highly pathogenic whispovirus belongs to the family Nimaviridae responsible for causing white spot disease, leads to 100 % mortality within 3-10 days of infection in farmed shrimp (Sudheer et al., 2012). Several antiviral and immunostimulatory compounds are identified from terrestrial plants as well as from the marine origin were tested against WSSV. For example; Sulfated galactans isolated from red seaweed (Gracilaria fisheri) exhibited immunostimulant and resistance against WSSV in Penaeus monodon (Wongprasert et al., 2014), Aqueous extract of Cynodon dactylon showed strong antiviral activity against WSSV in marine shrimp (Balasubramanian et al., 2007). Synthetic compounds like Piperidines and Benzisoxazoles are important group of heterocyclic compounds in the field of medicinal chemistry. These compounds have significant biological and pharmacological properties like anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antimicrobial, and anticancer activities (Gaba et al., 2014; Ramalingan et al., 2004) (Ramalingan, 2004 #21;Gaba, 2014 #22). Many fluorinated, benzisoxazole derivatives are currently used in the treatment of diseases (Prasad et al., 2009). In such a way, there is an immediate need for non-toxic drug to treat WSSV disease. Thus the present study was carried out to determine the antiviral activity and protective effect of a novel synthesized compound 3-(1-chloropiperidin-4-yl)-6-fluorobenzisoxazole 2 (Fig. 1) against WSSV infection in fresh water rice-field crab P. hydrodomous, it was highly susceptible to WSSV (Sahul Hameed et al., 2001). A synthesis of novel 3-(1-chloropiperidin-4-yl)-6-fluorobenzisoxazole was carried out under mild reaction conditions using 1.2 equivalents of calcium hypochlorite. Interestingly, the developed method does not involve any additives like acids or bases and provides 96 % of isolated yields at room temperature. This novel molecule, 3-(1-chloropiperidin-4-yl)-6-fluorobenzisoxazole 2 was stable at ambient conditions and stereo chemistry was established the single crystal XRD technique. The materials were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich, Merck and were used without any additional purification. All reactions were monitored by thin layer chromatography (TLC). Melting points were recorded on an Elchem digital melting point apparatus in open capillaries and are uncorrected. The 1H NMR was measured on a Bruker Avance-400 MHz instrument at room temperature. The 1H NMR was measured for ~0.03 M solutions in CDCl3 using TMS as internal reference. The accuracy of the 1H shifts is considered to be 0.02 p pm. The coupling constants J are in Hertz. Mass spectra were obtained using ESI mass spectrometry. 6-fluoro-3-(piperidin-4-yl) benzisoxazole 1 (5 g, 22.7 mmol) was taken into the round bottom flask dissolved in 50 mL of acetonitrile. To this calcium hypochlorite (3.9 g, 27.3mmol) was slowly added over ten to twenty minutes. Reaction was monitored by TLC. After the reaction completion, reaction mass was filtered and salts was washed with acetonitrile. Solvent was dried under reduced pressure. Crude solid was purified by column chromatography to give 3-(1-chloropiperidin-4-yl)-6-fluorobenzisoxazole 2 in 96 % (5.54g, 21.8mmol) as pale yellow color solid. The structure of the N-chloro benzisoxazole was conà ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ rmed from their spectral data from NMR, ES Mass and single crystal XRD. Mp: 81-83oC; 1H NMR (CDCl3, 400 MHz) d (ppm): 7.71-7.08 (m, 3H), 3.65 (d, 2H), 3.22 (t, 3H), 2.36-2.15(m, 4H); 13C NMR (CDCl3, 100 MHz) d (ppm): 165.3, 163.9, 162.8, 159.9, 122.6, 122.2, 122.1, 116.9, 112.4, 97.6, 97.4, 32.9; MS (ESI) m/z Calcd: 254.1, found: 253 (M-1); Single crystal crystal data 3-(1-chloropiperidin-4-yl)-6-fluoro benzisoxazole 2 Mol. Formula:C12H12ClFN2O; CCDC reference number is 878706; Intensity data were collected on an APEX CCD diffract meter equipped with Mo–Ka (l = 0.7107 A °) radiation; Cell length a =5.8979(4); Cell length b=10.4965(7); Cell length c=19.1492(12); Cell Angle ÃŽ ±=90.0; Cell Angle ÃŽ ²=91.783; Cell Angle ÃŽ ³=90.0; Cell Volume=1184.90(11); The crystallographic data for N-chloro benzisoxazole have been deposited with the Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre. Copies of this information may be obtained free of charge from the Director, CCDC, 12 Union Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EZ, UK [Fax: 44(1223)336033, or http:// www.ccdc.cam.ac.uk]. The crabs P. hydrodomous (20-25 g body weight) were collected from the rice field located at kalavai, Vellore, India. Crabs were transported to the laboratory. A previous method was followed for maintaining the crabs and preparation of WSSV inoculum (Nambi et al., 2012). For in vivo determination of antiviral activity, the healthy crabs were divided into three groups contains 3 crabs per group and each trial was conducted in triplicates. Crabs in the group I were injected with 100  µl of a mixture of viral suspension and NTE buffer which served as positive control. In Group II crabs were injected with NTE buffer alone served as negative control. In Group III crabs were injected with viral suspension, novel compound and NTE buffer served as treated. The viral suspensions for all groups were incubated at room temperature for 3 h. Later it was injected into respective experimental groups intramuscularly. The experimental animals were examined twice per day for gross signs of disease, and the number of deaths was recorded until end of the experiment. Animals in the treated and negative control group were survived without any mortality and sign of WSSV infection until end of the experiment. Whereas the positive control group reached 100 % mortality at 7th day of post injection with gross signs including reduced feed consumption, less active in slow in movement. The observation of this bio-assay was plotted in a cumulative mortality graph (Fig. 2). Hemolymph from all the 3 groups was collected for hematological analysis (Total hemocyte count and clotting time). In positive control, there were significant reduction in total hemocyte counts as well as the hemolmph was failed to clot. No significant hematological changes were observed in between the negative and treated groups. For RT-PCR analysis; Gill, head-soft tissue, heart and muscle tissue were excised from each crabs of the experimental group and pooled together for extraction of total RNA using Trizol (Invitrogen, USA) according to the manufacturers instructions. cDNA was synthesized from 1.0ÃŽ ¼g of the total RNA using a One-step Reverse Transcriptase (Invitrogen, USA) as per the kit instructions and used as template for gene expression analysis of WSSV specific primer VP28. ÃŽ ²-actin served as an internal control for RNA quality and amplification efficiency. The sequences of primers used in this present study were given in Table 1. The cycling conditions are initial denaturation at 95 °C for 5 min followed by 35 cycles of denaturation at 95 °C for 30 sec, annealing at 50 °C for 30 sec and extension at 72 °C for 30 sec with a final extension at 72 °C for 10 min. The amplified PCR products were electrophoresed in 1.0 % agarose gel stained with ethidium bromide and visualized by ultraviole t transilluminator. There were no bands was found for negative control and all the tissue cDNA templates from the treated crabs, a band came at 615 bp for positive control (Fig. 3A). Bands came well for the same templates subjected to ÃŽ ²-actin PCR (Fig. 3B). For histological analysis, a small portion of gill and head-soft tissue was taken from all the three experimental groups and was fixed in Davidson’s fixative for subsequent histological preparations (Bell and Lightner, 1988) with haematoxylin and eosin according to the standard protocol. The stained sections of gills and head-soft tissue from the control crabs show no histopathological changes (Fig. 4A 4B). Whereas in the positive control cells having hypertrophied nuclei with intranuclear inclusions typical for WSSV infection (Fig. 4C 4D). No significant changes were observed in treated group (Fig. 4E 4F) indicates no WSSV infection. In conclusion, a novel compound 3-(1-chloropiperidin-4-yl)-6-fluorobenzisoxazole 2 derivatives showed strong antiviral activity against WSSV in fresh water crabs P. hydrodomous. This works may help to design a novel non-toxic drug to treat WSSV infection. Acknowledgements References Balasubramanian, G., Sarathi, M., Kumar, S.R., Hameed, A., 2007. Screening the antiviral activity of Indian medicinal plants against white spot syndrome virus in shrimp. Aquaculture 263, 15-19. Bell, T.A., Lightner, D.V., 1988. A handbook of normal penaeid shrimp histology. World aquaculture society, Baton Rouge, LA. Gaba, M., Singh, S., Mohan, C., 2014. Benzimidazole: An emerging scaffold for analgesic and anti-inflammatory agents. Eur. J. Med. Chem. 76, 494-505. Nambi, K.N., Majeed, S.A., Raj, N.S., Taju, G., Madan, N., Vimal, S., Hameed, A.S., 2012. In vitro white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) replication in explants of the heart of freshwater crab, Paratelphusa hydrodomous. J. Virol. Methods 183, 186-195. Natividad, K.D.T., Nomura, N., Matsumura, M., 2008. Detection of White spot syndrome virus DNA in pond soil using a 2-step nested PCR. J. Virol. Methods 149, 28-34. Prasad, S.B., Vinaya, K., Kumar, C.A., Swarup, S., Rangappa, K., 2009. Synthesis of novel 6-fluoro-3-(4-piperidinyl)-1, 2-benzisoxazole derivatives as antiproliferative agents: A structure–activity relationship study. Invest. New Drugs 27, 534-542. Ramalingan, C., Balasubramanian, S., Kabilan, S., Vasudevan, M., 2004. Synthesis and study of antibacterial and antifungal activities of novel 1-[2-(benzoxazol-2-yl) ethoxy]-2, 6-diarylpiperidin-4-ones. Eur. J. Med. chem. 39, 527-533. Sahul Hameed, A., Yoganandhan, K., Sathish, S., Rasheed, M., Murugan, V., Jayaraman, K., 2001. White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) in two species of freshwater crabs (Paratelphusa hydrodomous and P. pulvinata). Aquaculture 201, 179-186. Sudheer, N., Philip, R., Singh, I.B., 2012. Anti–white spot syndrome virus activity of Ceriops tagal aqueous extract in giant tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon. Arch Virol. 157, 1665-1675. Wongprasert, K., Rudtanatip, T., Praiboon, J., 2014. Immunostimulatory activity of sulfated galactans isolated from the red seaweed Gracilaria fisheri and development of resistance against white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) in shrimp. Fish Shellfish immunol. 36, 52-60. Table 1 Primers used for the RT-PCR Primer name Sequence (5’- 3’) Annealing temperature Product size VP28-F ATG GAT CTT TCT TTC AC VP28-R TTA CTC GGT CTC AGT GC 50à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ °C 615 bp ÃŽ ²-actin-F ÃŽ ²-actin-R GTG CCC ATC TAC GAG GGA TA GTG TTG GCG TAC AGG TCC TT 55à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ °C 404 bp Fig. 1. Single crystal ORTEP diagram of the 3-(1-chloropiperidin-4-yl)-6-fluoro benzisoxazole 2 Fig. 2. Cumulative mortality graph for the experimental groups. Fig. 3. (A) RT-PCR of WSSV envelope protein VP28 in different organs of treated group. Lane 1, 100 bp DNA marker; 2, WSSV positive control; 3, negative control; 4, gill; 5, head-soft tissue; 6, heart; 7, muscle tissue. (B) RT-PCR results of the same samples for ÃŽ ²-actin gene. Fig. 4. Photomicrographs of tissue from crabs of experimental groups: 4A gill and 4B head-soft tissue of negative control showing normal cells (Arrow); 4C gill and 4D head-soft tissue of positive control showing hypertrophied nuclei with intranuclear inclusions (Arrow); 4E gill and 4F head-soft tissue of treated group showing uninfected (Arrow). Original magnification: 1000 X.

Chaucers The Canterbury Tales Essay -- Chaucer Canterbury Tales Essay

Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales While the majority of literary classics today do well at engaging the reader and allowing them a vicarious understanding of a fictitious character’s life, Chaucer found a way to engage more than just the reader and the character. In his Canterbury Tales, Chaucer masterfully links together himself as the author, himself as a character in the story, the other characters, and then finally the readers. Chaucer’s â€Å"narrative flow† forms a type of giant sphere, where connections can be made from both characters and real people to characters connecting with other characters. Starting with Chaucer-the man, it is apparent that he is looking at his characters, the pilgrims on their journey. As he is writing their stories and descriptions, Chaucer is creating them to emulate people he has found in real life. Chaucer watches his own created characters to see how they react and therefore expresses his personal views of certain classes of people. Chaucer-the man also sees Chaucer-the pilgrim. Like his created pilgrims in the story, Chaucer has found a way to put ...

Abuse of animals Essay

Most of us, grew up taking family trips to the circus, zoo, marine park or rodeo. Seeing animals held captive for human amusement was part of life. We never questioned it. While it is assumed that all humans, unless they have committed crimes against society, deserve freedom, we are not used to making that assumption for members of other species. We should ask ourselves why not. What have the animals in a zoo or marine park done to deserve their jail sentences, or the elephants in a circus done to deserve lives spent mostly in chains? For thousands of years, animals have been used to entertain humans in sporting events, rodeos, hunting and in circuses. They have been hurt and many have even died. Using animals in sports raises concerns for animals rights.1 Therefore, the use of animals for entertainment or sport should be banned. Now days there are many things other than animals to entertain humans such as computers, phones, games and so on. So why do we need animals? When animals are used in circus’ they have to travel in some sort of truck where they will be kept in a cage. The circus might be poor or unpopular. So the poorer the less the animals will be fed and the less they’re paid attention to. For some entertainment animals are killed, this is wrong. We need more wild life not less. Animals should not be treated like this it is wrong and really not at all necessary! To take part in circuses, animals have to be taken away from their families and their natural habitats, put inside dark trucks and put inside cages. We then take them to the circus or the rodeo to fight and many often do not care if the animal dies, It is just for their satisfaction. We need to stop this and save our wildlife, not destroy it. Why should animals be caged in the first place? They are wild and uncivilized creatures. They have very narrow aims; eat, sleep, breed , die. The most dominant reason for caging animals or birds is for personal entertainment, whether it is a lion in a circus forced to jump through loops or if it is a macaw kept in a cage as a pet or â€Å"companion†. They are kept in inadequate spaces, wild animals have ranges that stretch for miles on end. They need space to run and act out there instincts. With wild animals just like pets when they are restricted in space, exercise and stimulation they get frustrated. This leads to physiological problems, such as pacing in cages and gnawing at bars. This can also lead to violent attacks on the trainer and/or the audience. Most people, seeing tigers jumps through hoops of fire, or elephants stand on their heads, never think about what is behind those unnatural acts. The circus would like us to believe that the animals are trained with positive reinforcement. If that were true then we would see trainers in the ring with bags of treats. Instead they carry whips and bullhooks? Even Ric O’Barry, who once made his living capturing and training the dolphins who played Flipper, now works against dolphin captivity. He is now the marine mammal specialist for the leading French animal protection group, â€Å"One Voice.† That group has shared a horrifying account of the annual dolphin slaughter in Japan, as thousands of dolphins are rounded into a bay and hacked up with machetes. Representatives of marine theme parks from around the world watch the carnage and pay the killers for the best looking dolphins for the tourist industry.2 Animals are harmed when used as objects of entertainment, no matter how innocent that entertainment is. The circus is another arena in which human beings abuse other animals. Animals are trained to perform tricks using whips, electronic goads, sticks, food-deprivation etc. Wild animals such as lions, tigers, and elephants are kept in shamefully inadequate conditions in tiny spaces. The necessity of regular transportation means that the circus can never provide an appropriate home for wild animals. These animals are forced to travel thousands of miles in cramped and squalid conditions and frequently end up physically and mentally ill. And what for? Purely for the entertainment of we arrogant exploitative humans. What sort of lesson does it teach our children about non-human animals to take them to the circus and see these great creatures demeaned and controlled by force to perform silly tricks? The history of animal cruelty has been traced back as far as the 12th Century, for example fighting dogs for sports. Dogs are use in pit fights against larger animals like wild boar and bulls. Cockfighting in some countries may still be legal and part of the cultural norm.3In most counties the act of two or more animals fighting each other, such as cockfighting, is seen as cruel and is therefore illegal such as cow fighting and camel fighting. There are also some legal forms of sport where humans fight animals, such as bullfighting which has a long history in Spanish and Portuguese tradition.4 There are several other blood sports in history that were intended as entertainment. The use of animals in sport demeans humans as Peter Singer arguments that other animals may not have the same level of sapience as humans, but they feel fear, stress, exhaustion and pain just as we do. It is immoral to derive pleasure either from the suffering or forced performance of another living being, especially when that being is under one’s power and control. It would of course be absurd to suggest that animals should have equality with humans on the level of having the right to vote or of criminal responsibility, but they should have equality with us on terms of equal consideration of interests, that is, pain and suffering should be equally significant whether it is a human or an animal that feels it.5nHorses and dogs are among the principle victims of exploitation in human sporting activities. The main purpose of horse- and dog-racing is for human beings to indulge their penchant for gambling. The welfare of the animals involved is at best a secondary concern. The Riverside (Washington)Suicide Race67, where horse often die from the nearly 400 foot steep grade of the suicide hill, the riders trying to make it down and through a river. As for the conditions the animals are kept in, these may be good for the top dogs and horses, but in the main conditions are poor, and once the animals cease to win races they are likely to be neglected, abandoned, or slaughtered. Horses are also forced to take part in the dangerous contact sport of polo in which collisions and a hard, fast-moving puck pose serious danger to the animals who, unlike their riders, have no choice in whether they take part. Pet owners can argue that they love the pets they keep as a part of their family, they provide them with food and shelter, something far better than that which they could have ever seen in the wild. Medical attention is provided and ample enjoyment to accompany that â€Å"perfect† life, The pet technically lives like a king. research also accounts to animals being caged along with education of the youth through zoos, what education could a zoo provide if the animal is far from its natural habitat?, the only knowledge a child could squeeze out of a zoo is that monkeys like to throw things and they also like shout an awful lot at observers. Why should the animals be allowed to live in the wild? without a cage and unsupervised? Simply put, animals are also living creatures with souls, they also feel pain therefore they also deserve to have rights of their own. They may lack wisdom or intellectual resources which allow them to discover at a rate comparable to humans however it is logical to say that animals only attack when they are threatened. They don’t search for human flesh. P.T. Barnum created a form of staged Wild West show as early as 1843s, when he presented a mock â€Å"Grand Buffalo Hunt† in Hoboken, New Jersey. The show was not a great success. The 15 buffalo calves used in the show broke through the barriers and escaped from thes with what they believe is â€Å"better† for them? would a human live as a pet or prefer to be free ? A sane answer would be to protest and a human would probably kill the entire race of ali arena, causing panic among the crowd because they feels threatened.8 Consider the following anomaly for the sake of argument, If there was to be an alien invasion and those aliens were more intelligent and sophisticated than humans, do they have the right to capture humans and keep them as pets in their home planet? by feeding humanens if given the opportunity. Fighting bulls have a better quality of life than meat-producing bulls. If animal welfare is the primary concern then consistency requires that if one accepts the raising and slaughter of animals for meat then one should also accept the raising and slaughter of animals for entertainment. Some thinks that thorough bred animal which lives to a minimum age of four, roaming wild, feasting on Spain’s finest pasture, never even seeing a man on foot, is far superior to that of the many thousands of British bulls whose far shorter lives are spent entirely in factory conditions and killed in grim abattoirs so that we can eat beefburgers.† 9 To condemn bull fighting is to fail to be sensitive to cultural differences and to the true nature of the sport such as the traditional Spanish culture that should therefore be respected in the same way that any other minority activity such as the slaughtering of animals according to certain Jewish or Muslim ritual laws would be. Secondly, the bull fight is a symbolic enactment of the battle between man and beast; the matador is a highly trained and highly skilled artist and fighter and takes his life in his hands when he enters the ring – it is a match between man and animal. Finally, since the bull would be killed anyway, it is of little consequence how it is kill. But it is consistent to oppose both uses of the animal. Moreover, Bull fighting is probably the most barbaric exploitation of animals that is still legally practised (in Spain, Portugal, parts of France, Mexico, and, illegally, in the United States). The idea that there is a fair match between the bull and the matador is laughable. The bull dies at the end of every single bullfight (it is either killed by the matador or slaughtered afterwards if it survives); for a matador to be seriously injured is rare and it is very rare indeed for a matador to die as the result of a bull fight. During bull fights the animals are taunted and goaded, and have sharp spears stuck into their bodies until eventually they collapse from their injuries and exhaustion. Matadors are not heroes or artists, they are cruel cowards. If humans are so desperate for companions, We have other humans for that purpose. Hence i conclude that animals are not to be kept caged, if the expansion of human settlement is a necessity then animal sanctuaries are also a necessity. The balance of nature is something which should not be offset by simple ignorant behavior. In conclusion, the use of animals for entertainment or sport should be banned as there are other alternatives for entertainment and sport.

Portfolio Management Noble Group Limited

Portfolio Management Noble Group Limited Noble Group Limited currently stands as the marketing leader in operating global supply chain of industrial, agricultural and energy commodity products. This claim can be justified by the fact that Noble Group Limited has managed to position itself as the global leader in supply chain management in approximately two decades a factor that can be attributed to their â€Å"hand on† to business.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Portfolio Management: Noble Group Limited specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is noteworthy that Noble Group Limited specializes in production and distribution of raw materials from low cost production and adequacy areas to deficiency areas across the globe. Throughout the delivery chain, the company ensures that value is added at every stage of the supply chain. Additionally, the Noble Group limited also operates shipping activities, coal mining, Investment and risk management, structured trade finance, and agricultural produce crushing plants and mills especially in South American region. The Group boats of a large network of subsidiary operations in close to 38 different countries spread across five continents. In terms of career opportunities Noble Group is an employer to approximately 11, 000 personnel of at least 68 nationalities in diverse divisions across the globe (Noble group 2010; p54). Key operations of the group are carried out in Americas, Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Unmatched specialization of the group include areas of Agriculture, logistics, Energy, metals and minerals For a period of two decades, Noble Group limited has certainly grown into a global venture in various specialized areas with demonstrable capabilities supply and delivery of valuable commodities to the real world (Bloomberg businessWeek , 2011). Thanks to the Groups, realization that operating a successful global chain lies in building and owning real infrastructure that incl ude the sophisticated warehouses, real ports, as well as physical mines (Noble Group, 2011). It is also plausible that the company owns majority of the origination points, independently produce and process the raw materials and above all enjoy an interrupted control over the supply pipeline from the beginning to the end.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In fact, the increasing success of the Group lies in their ability to control and operate most of their infrastructure independently taking to consideration that this move has seen the Group build its businesses in an environment with increased Unification of major commodity producers. The Group’s success strategy lies in developing a diversified network of â€Å"asset-medium† supply pipelines, operated by qualified professions who posses specialized expertise and experience in the respective industry (Noble Group Limited, 2011). In fact, as per the current understanding of the Group’s executives it is through the asset-medium strategy that the Group has managed to secure long-term supply of vital commodity group. In other words, the Group’s ability to own, control and manage the necessary physical infrastructure required for the delivery of high quality raw materials dependably is attributable to the asset-medium strategy (Nobble Group, 2009; p 23). This means that owning the supply chain infrastructure has enabled the company to obtain and retain top business success secrecies unlike their competitors and as such the Group stands a better chance of act and respond to issues swiftly owing to first hand information (Noble Group, 2011). The Group’s logistic services plays a critical role in consolidating activities thus fulfilling key pipeline strategy by ensuring that the company enjoys smooth and dependable flow of various commodities from origination to the processing plants, mills and most importantly to industrial clients in manufacturing destination across the globe (Noble Group Limited, 2011). Businesses Noble Group limited is one of the limited companies globally that owns and operates diversified range of raw materials and natural resources that include but not limited to minerals, metals and ore such as aluminum, Ferro Alloys, steel and iron; agricultural produce such as sugar, cotton, soya beans; lean energy; fossil fuel; ship management; risk management and trade finance. The Group boasts of its wide array of product and service segment as its main risk management strategy considering that all the segments operates in different environments under different professionals and as such experience different risks (Nobble Group, 2010; p 51).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Portfolio Management: Noble Group Limited specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is obvious tha t specialization in a single area of business is highly risky considering that a particular peril whether artificial or natural can lead into loses or closure of the entire business. Noble Group limited is cushioned from such risks considering that it has invested in more than a single segment-agribusiness, mineral, logistics, metal, and energy. Another critical area of success in Noble group involves constant innovation and invention with the objective of increasing efficiency and exceeding customer expectations thus profitable business for all players (Nobble Group, 2009; p 45). For instance employing innovative technologies in chattering and ship management complimented with best practices in trade finance has propelled organization growth considerably. Agriculture Segment Noble Group’s Agriculture segment include but not limited to cocoa, grain, cotton, coffee, sugar, sugar mills and fertilizer (businessWeek , 2011). Presently Noble Coffee stands as one of the leading tra ded coffee across the globe with respect to volume owing to the fact that the company trade in various types and grades of coffees grown in various parts of the world. The Group started with trading Robusta coffee in 2002 in Vietnam which followed by trading Arabica from the United States. Since then the company has established itself as a specialized trader in coffee by establishing sourcing destinations from various parts of the universe that include Brazil, Indonesia, Colombia, India, as these destinations provides direct access to the large pool of the global coffee production. Nobble Group (2011; p36), The company does not only source for coffee but also handles other value chain operations related to green coffee ranging from processing, marketing, warehousing, shipping, quality control, and financing. The group also takes advantage of the diversification of location and quality of coffee to come up with competitive pricing strategies for their various markets worldwide (Peavl er, 2009). Headquarter of cotton operation is in Singapore. However, subsidiary offices and representations are based in major consuming and source markets across the globe. The Group handles all its major source of cotton besides maintaining a relatively high quality control measures in each area (Siddiqui, 2006). The Group is sourcing vast volume of its cotton from West Africa, India, United States, Central Asia, and Brazil. Its major consumers on the other hand include North and Southeast Asia, China, and Turkey (Noble Group, 2011).Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is noteworthy that the Groups success in the cotton business and other segment is based on building effective relationship with the clients as any organization that seeks competitive advantage must understand its producing and consuming clients very well. The Group has headquartered its fertilizer business in Brazil where the company specializes in operating fertilizer-blending facility in Mato Grosso. However, the group has established its fertilizer warehouse in Paranagua. The Group has built a state of art facility in Mato Grosso with the storage capacity of 2000 metric tons of bended fertilizer and 4000 metric tons of raw materials (Noble Group, 2011). Additionally the facility is strategically located in the sense that it allows the company to deliver products directly to the farmers in remote areas without complexity. Noble Group has established its grains and oilseed operations in Europe, Asia and south America owing to the productivity in such areas. Noble Group’s grains and oilseed operations are centered in China as it currently operates three facilities in the region with its base in Shanghai (Brigham Daves, 2009). The Headquarter in Singapore also plays a significant role in marketing of grains, oilseeds and vegetables in the Asian market region. In Europe grain operations are based in Turkey which is presently the largest importer of oilseeds and grains; Russia which operates warehouses as well as export of grains and finally Italy which is responsible for trading grains in central Europe (Drake, 2005). In South America Noble boast of large network of warehouses and elevators in Uruguay, Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina as they play a critical role in sourcing of produce directly from the farmers and afterward delivery to various facilities. Noble Group started its sugar business in 2001and presently it accounts for a vast portion of the agricultural segment revenue. The Group engages in wide range of activities in the sugar business tha t include but not limited to shipping, risk management, sourcing cane, logistics, trading, distribution and refining of raw sugar in different countries ranging from Brazil, South Africa, Russia, India, Central America, Thailand and Europe (Nobble Group, 2011; p40). Key consumer markets include Middle East, Egypt and Russia. The company also use sugar canes to produce ethanol however not in very large quantity as the process are still underway for large-scale production. Noble Group Limited started its Agribusiness in 1998 with Cocoa as one of its main produce (Noble Group, 2011). Currently the company has a number of established sources of Cocoa especially in Africa ranging from Cà ´te dIvoire, Ecuador, Ghana, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Indonesia, Nigeria and Togo. Key consumers of the Cocoa produce include global manufacturers of chocolate and cocoa processors. Logistics segment The present increase in the Groups revenue levels is attributable to the growth of the Chattering Divisio n, compounded persistent demand within and from third parties customers in need of dry bulk vessels. To ensure that the Groups effectively utilize the upsurge demand in vessels the organization decided to reorganize its freight chattering activities, which led to setting up a single business desk responsible for handling all internal requirements(Brigham Daves, 2009; p276). Through the reorganization, the company managed to effectively share vital market data among the commodities divisions as well as the logistics operations. Increased revenue levels were also attributable to the rising freight prices experienced in large shipping sector (Nobble Group, 2011; p51). For instance, the growing tendency of emerging markets to source for commodities from distant resource regions results into longer miles per ton and consequently higher freight rates. The Energy segment Noble Group limited is a renowned supplier of various forms of energy ranging from lean energy, fossil fuel, coal, and petrochemicals (Noble Group, 2011). The group also trade in emission reduction certificates large know as â€Å"carbon credit† and presently its one of the largest suppliers of the CERs. The Group has also facilitated dependable supply of thermal and cooking coal as well as coke products to various global markets. Key coal production assets established in Australia and Indonesia, and vital source include South Africa, Russia, and China through a sophisticated supply chain management network which ensures that coal is delivered to the doorstep of the clients from mines and other industrial origins efficiently (Nobble Group, 2011; p44). Noble Group has also specialized in the production of clean fuel through its Clean Fuel Departments. This effective team receives adequate support from the storage and transportation divisions to ensure that they continually supply various market with a wide range of clean energy that include liquid natural gas, bio fuel and fuel oil. Trading ar eas for the clean energy include markets such as Europe, Latin America, United States, South America, and much important India and China (Noble Group Limited, 2011). The Group is receiving considerable amount of energy from this sector taking into consideration move by every country to reduce greenhouse emission with environmentally friendly fuel and the volatile oil prices, which keeps on skyrocketing day by day. Apart from the lean fuel and coal the group also trade in fossil fuel which include oil and petrochemicals. Financial Ratio Analysis of Noble Group Limited Financial ratios are often calculated from the data reported in the company’s statement of financial position and the income statement for a specified financial period (Brigham Daves, 2009; p276). For instance, in order to calculate the â€Å"gross profit margin† them an individual has to divide the â€Å"gross profit† by total sales or revenue from the respective trading period and expressed as a percentage. Financial ratios significant information for decision makers, investors and regulators in a number of ways. For instance, an investor may use financial ratios to decide whether to invest in the company or not same to a financial analyst who require financial rations to issue opinion of the company situation and likely trends in the future treading. The management also need ratios to compare their performance in relation to industry performance and their competitors too. In fact financial rations gains utility when they are compared to other standards and data. For instance, by simply knowing that your company gross profit margin is 25% of no help unless you compare it to another company’s gross profit margin, which stands at 18% as this means that, we are doing fine relative to our core competitor. Profitability ratio Ratio Formula 2010 US$’000 2009 US$’000 2008 US$’000 Gross profit margin Gross Profit * 100% Revenue 1,632,066 * 100% 56,6 96,058 =2.88% 1,105,046 * 100% 31,183,114=3.54% 1,347,598 * 100% 36,090,161=3.73% Return on equity (ROE) Net Income Owners equity 607,049 * 100% 4,431,189 =13.7% 555,130 * 100% 3,038,194 =18.3% 579,738 * 100% 1,860,868 =31.1% Profitability ratios are ratios used to show a firms overall performance and efficiency. Two important categories of profitability ratios are available for use by company to prove organizations efficiency and they include â€Å"margin and return†. According to Peavler (2009), Margins are used to indicate the extent to which an organization can utilize the sales dollars to provide profits for the organization. Return on the other hand represents organizations ability to provide adequate returns for the investors (Drake, 2005; p7). For instance, gross profit margin is ratio that indicates the percentage of the costs of sales relative to sales. A higher percentage of the Gross Profit Margin is always better for the company as it represents the ability of the company to control its costs of sales-inventory and production costs (Peavler, 2009). Return on equity is a significant ratio for the investors in the sense that it measures return from the money injected into the business by the owners. References Bloomberg businessWeek. (2011). Company Description. Retrieved from: http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/snapshot/snapshot_article.asp?ticker=NOBL:SP Brigham, E. Daves, P. (2009). Intermediate Financial Management. California: Cengage Learning. Drake, P. (2005). Financial Ratio Analysis. Retrieved from: http://educ.jmu.edu/~drakepp/principles/module2/fin_rat.pdf Nobble Group limited. (2009). Noble Group Annual Report 2008. Retrieved from: thisisnoble.com/images/documents/noble_ar2008.pdf Nobble Group limited. (2010). Noble Group Annual Report 2009. Retrieved from: thisisnoble.com/images/documents/noble_ar2009.pdf Nobble Group limited. (2011). Noble Group Annual Report 2011. Retrieved from: thisisnoble.com/images/docu ments/noble_ar2010.pdf Noble Group Limited. (2011). Asset Strategy. Retrieved from: thisisnoble.com/index.php?option=com_contentview=articleid=637Itemid=471 Noble Group Limited. (2011). Products. Retrieved from: thisisnoble.com/index.php?option=com_contentview=articleid=45Itemid=58 Peavler, R. (2009). Use Profitability Ratios in Financial Ratio Analysis: Determining Profitability is Important to Company Investors. Retrieved from: http://bizfinance.about.com/od/financialratios/a/Profitability_Ratios.htm Siddiqui, S. (2006). Managerial Economics And Financial Analysis. Iowa: New Age International.

John Jacob Astor - Biography of Richest American

John Jacob Astor - Biography of Richest American John Jacob Astor was the wealthiest man in America in the early 19th century, and when he died in 1848 his fortune was estimated to be at least $20 million, an astounding sum for the time. Astor had arrived in America as a poor German immigrant, and his determination and business sense led him to eventually create a monopoly in the fur trade. He diversified into real estate in New York City, and his fortune increased as the city grew. Early Life John Jacob Astor was born on July 17, 1763 in the village of Waldorf, in Germany. His father was a butcher, and as a boy John Jacob would accompany him to jobs butchering cattle. While a teenager, Astor earned enough money at various jobs in Germany to enable him to relocate to London, where an older brother was living. He spent three years in England, learning the language and picking up any information he could about his ultimate destination, the North American colonies which were rebelling against Britain. In 1783, after the Treaty of Paris formally ended the Revolutionary War, Astor decided to sail to the young nation of the United States. Astor left England in November 1783, having bought musical instruments, seven flutes, which he intended to sell in America. His ship reached the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay in January 1784, but the ship became stuck in ice and it would be two months before it was safe for the passengers to land. Chance Encounter Led to Learning About the Fur Trade While languishing aboard ship, Astor met a fellow passenger who had traded for furs with the Indians in North America. Legend has it that Astor quizzed the man extensively on the details of fur trading, and by the time he set foot on American soil Astor had resolved to enter the fur business. John Jacob Astor eventually reached New York City, where another brother was living, in March 1784. By some accounts, he did enter the fur trade almost immediately and soon returned to London to sell a shipment of furs. By 1786 Astor had opened a small shop on Water Street in lower Manhattan, and throughout the 1790s he kept expanding his fur business. He was soon exporting furs to London and to China, which was emerging as a huge market for the pelts of American beavers. By 1800 it was estimated that Astor had amassed nearly a quarter of a million dollars, a considerable fortune for the time. Astors Business Continued to Grow After the Lewis and Clark Expedition returned from the Northwest in 1806 Astor realized he could expand into the vast territories of the Louisiana Purchase. And, it should be noted, the official reason for Lewis and Clarks voyage was to help the American fur trade expand. In 1808 Astor combined a number of his business interests into the American Fur Company. Astors company, with trading posts throughout the Midwest and Northwest, would monopolize the fur business for decades, at a time when beaver hats were considered the height of fashion in America and Europe. In 1811 Astor financed an expedition to the coast of Oregon, where his employees founded Fort Astoria, an outpost at the mouth of the Columbia River. It was the first permanent American settlement on the Pacific Coast, but it was destined to fail due to various hardships and the War of 1812. Fort Astoria eventually passed into British hands. While the war doomed Fort Astoria, Astor made money in the final year of the war by helping the United States government finance its operations. Later critics, including the legendary editor Horace Greeley, accused him of having profiteered in war bonds. Astor Accumulated Vast Real Estate Holdings In the first decade of the 19th century Astor had realized that New York City would continue to grow, and he began buying up real estate in Manhattan. He amassed vast property holdings in New York and the surrounding area. Astor would eventually be called the citys landlord. Having grown tired of the fur trade, and realizing it was too vulnerable to changes in fashion, Astor sold all his interests in the fur business in June 1834. He then concentrated on real estate, while also dabbling in philanthropy. Legacy of John Jacob Astor John Jacob Astor died, at the age of 84, in his house in New York City on March 29, 1848. He was by far the richest man in America. It was estimated that Astor had a fortune of at least $20 million, and he is generally considered the first American multimillionaire. Most of his fortune was left to his son William Backhouse Astor, who continued to administer the family business and philanthropic endeavors. John Jacob Astors will also included a bequest for a public library. The Astor Library was for many years an institution in New York City, and its collection became the foundation for the New York Public Library. A number of American towns were named for John Jacob Astor, including Astoria, Oregon, the site of Fort Astoria. New Yorkers know the Astor Place subway stop in lower Manhattan, and there is a neighborhood in the borough of Queens called Astoria. Perhaps the most famous instance of the Astor name is the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. John Jacob Astors grandsons, who were feuding in the 1890s, opened two lavish hotels in New York City, the Astoria, named for the family, and the Waldorf, named for John Jacob Astors native village in Germany. The hotels, which were located at the present site of the Empire State Building, were later combined into the Waldorf-Astoria. The name lives on with the current Waldorf-Astoria on Park Avenue in New York City. Gratitude is expressed to the New York Public Library Digital Collections for the illustration of John Jacob Astor.

Walmart Market Structure

Walmart Market Structure A market is said to function depending on the number, size and the power which is held by producers/firms which are operating in that particular market.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Walmart Market Structure specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Products are bought and sold differently in the market and they are bought and sold under different conditions. These prevailing conditions that products are bought and sold determine the market structure in which a particular firm is to operate. There are four market structures namely; perfect competition, monopoly, monopolistic competition and oligopoly each with its distinct characteristics. Founded in 1962, Walmart is a major grocery retailer in the United States of America with its headquarters in Arkansas (Fishman, 2006). The company’s sales account to billions of shillings, for instance, in 2009, the compared recorded sales of $258 US Dollars. The companyà ¢â‚¬â„¢s stores are in 55 different countries with the leading ones being in the US. The company also operates Mexico, UK, Brazil and Canada among others under different names. The company had to exit markets like Germany because it did not do well. When Walmart is judged from a bird’s eye view, it has the characteristics of an oligopoly. One of the reasons as to why Walmart may be referred to having an oligopoly market structure is because it is operating in an industry where there are other few competing firms which are offering the same products that Walmart is offering. These major competitors are Kmart and Target (Zhu, Singh, Manuszak, 2009) which have tried to cut a niche in the market. When discussing oligopoly market structure, the emphasis is not entirely on the market structure but also on the way the firm will relate with other firms in the industry. When we look at Walmart as an oligopoly, does it anticipate the reaction of its competitors before the firm makes m ajor decisions owing to the fact that it is the largest grocery retail stores in the US? One of the major characteristic of an oligopoly market structure is that there has to be interdependence among firms (Zhu, Singh, Manuszak, 2009). Organizations in oligopolistic markets also at times will agree to work together in order for them to benefit jointly. Another distinguishing feature of firms in oligopolistic markets is that there exists price rigidity because changes in the price of the commodities of one firm/organization may lead to price wars among the other firms in the industry (Fishman, 2006). Therefore oligopolistic market organizations are price rigid which is not the case with Walmart for it gains its competitive advantage over other firms in the industry through lowering its prices and therefore driving up the sales of its commodities. This introduces the concept that Walmart is a monopoly in the industry, operating in an oligopolistic market structure.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Walmart leads in terms of grocery retail in the US and competitors do not offer stiff competition and the reason why the organization has been able to offer low prices for its products despite the existence of other competing firms in the same industry (Zhu, Singh, Manuszak, 2009). Walmart is never largely affected by the pricing strategies of its competitors but instead its competitors are the ones who have to adapt their prices to match the prices of Walmart. The size of Walmart in comparison to its competitors gives Walmart the characteristic of a monopoly. The organization has approximately 8500 stores. In 2009, the company ranked the greatest in terms of its revenue and therefore the large capital base makes the organization to enjoy internal economies of scales and therefore able to reduce its operational costs. This acts to the advant age of the organization through offering its customers low prices for its products and thus able to create customer loyalty. Competitors, the examples of Target and Kmart are unable to produce and sell at the prevailing market conditions offered by Walmart giving Walmart dominance in determining the prices of the commodities (Zhu, Singh, Manuszak, 2009). For other grocery retailers which are trying to come in to the market, are simply forced out of the way by the giant corporation making Walmart a monopoly in the grocery retail business. Effectiveness of monopoly structure for Walmart is that the company is the ring leader in relation to setting the prices of grocery products. Competitors simply have to adjust their prices to the tune of Walmart prices for the competitors fear getting into wars over prices with Walmart (Fishman, 2006). Another advantage is that the corporation through its large capital base can afford to operate more and more retail stores to offer competition to c ompetitors. Where competitors cannot penetrate, Walmart can penetrate and thus Walmart organization is able to make the most of whatever demand exists in the market. Also Walmart, being a giant organization, has the advantage of being able to maintain prices to the level that it wants for the small sized corporation in the grocery industry are unable to compete with it. From the above analysis, the organization (Walmart) has an oligopolistic market structure due to the existence of competitors which are trying to curve a niche in the market but its monopolistic market structure has outdone the oligopolistic nature of Walmart (Zhu, Singh, Manuszak, 2009), therefore in presence of these competitors, Walmart is still a monopoly. References Fishman, C. (2006). The Wal-Mart Effect: How the Worlds Most Powerful Company Really Worksand How Its Transforming the American Economy.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Walmart Market Structure specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Zhu, T., Singh, V. Manuszak, M. (2009). Market Structure and Competition in the Retail Discount Industry. Journal of Marketing Research (JMR)

Modern soil stabilization methods in condition of a dense urban Research Paper

Modern soil stabilization methods in condition of a dense urban environment - Research Paper Example The present study is focused on the methods of soil stabilization, the modern day techniques and materials that are available, and the need and understanding of the methods such that soil stabilization in the urban dense areas can be successfully achieved improving the conditions of the soil, increasing their strength and making them more capable of bearing loads. Introduction: Stabilization of soil refers to the process of soil treatment through the use of chemicals or mechanically. This is primarily done to improve the engineering properties of the soil. The chemical materials that are in common used for the purpose include lime, fly ash, and cement. Mechanical substances include geotextiles and geogrids. The use of cement treated bases generally assists in upgradation of the quality of the soil. There are several reasons for the need of soil stabilization. These essentially include the strengthening of the soil since stabilization of soil increases the strength of the soil that is already in existence thereby improving its capacity to bear loads. Also, soil stabilization enables control of dust and allows waterproofing of the soil. With control in dust, the dust that is generated as a result of use of different tools and instruments may be eradicated. Waterproofing enables preservation of the natural strength of soil by preventing the entry of water travelling from the surface (Ana, 2011). Mechanical or additive methods are the two most significant methods that can be used for soil stabilization. The blending of the materials used is highly essential in this regard since it determines the effectiveness of the stabilization. A stationary or travelling plant is usually considered to be preferable for the mixing whereas other methods like scarifies, plows, disks, graders, and rotary mixers are also used. The amount of stabilization required as well as the environment and prevailing conditions of the site determine the method that may be used for stabilization. Mechanical stabilization mixes soils of two different gradations that result in the desired soil specificity. In the additive method, the use of an additive which when added into particular amounts leads to improvement of the soil. Apart from mechanical and additive measures, soil stabilization might also be achieved through cementing or by modification. The cementing process makes use of chemicals for hardening the soils. In the process of modification, the compacting, mechanical blending, addition of cementing materials in small amounts, or addition of chemical modifiers are done to achieve the stabilization of the soil (Ana, 2011). With understanding the needs of stabilization of soils, and the different methods available for the process of soil stabilization, the present study focuses on the modern methods of soil stabilization that may be applied in the dense urban environments. Literature Review: Day et al (2010, pp.193-195) in their studies reflected on the association of the root and soil in the urban environment which they considered to be critical not only for the lives of trees but also for the functions of the ecosystem in the urban areas as well. The importance of trees and hence the significance of soil stabilization has been considered in these studies. Hence conditions in a particular urban environment that includes the compactness of the soil, and other factors associated with underground infrastructure, contamination, etc are essential for the development of the

The UK Economy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

The UK Economy - Research Paper Example â€Å"One fundamental change causing rising inactivity is the dramatic weakening of demand for unskilled labor since at least the mid-1970s. This is mainly due to technological change, which has favored the more educated – for example, computer use – and, to a lesser extent, globalization – exports from countries with many unskilled workers†. Changes that affected the UK market considerably much vast for describing the changes that have happened throughout the recent recession, it is positive to appear at the relative positions of each group previous to this. Several groups are significantly better than others. The changes in the economic conditions of the UK market are in the various forms and they are like the changing the labor market, changing organizations and the changes in the education and the skills.Employment in the UK is characterized by age, gender, ethnicity as well as physical fitness, a growth of workforce in the United Kingdom for the last century has been so unstable, for example considering the graph shown below, which illustrates the employment rate based on age and gender in the year 2007. This trend affects organizations labor as one of the factors of production. This clearly reflects the pattern of employment in the UK.The figure above shows employment rate for men and women in London by age, as seen, working age women have a lower rate than men i.e. 63% and 77% respectively, where as employment rate of women with children and that of women without children is the same.

Time for Change Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Time for Change - Assignment Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that one of the superlative ways to alter the behavior of leaders is to evaluate it frequently with open, honest and unidentified opinion from co-workers. Doctors find this step problematic. They have been partied to be self-governing decision fabricators and to not question their or other doctors decision. To improve self-knowledge, they have to let go of this attitude and model a new receptiveness and candidness to effort. Devoid of such an attitude, they will have mammoth blind spots that inhibit them from seeing and replicating on their own conduct and will undergo substantial stress as they fail to comprehend how they add to the problem. According to the book, The New Leadership Challenges the  type of behavior being  emulated by nursing staff is  another  factor;  the  one  thing  ignored by  most  people is  the  ability  to make choices that  humans have.  In the light, therefore, the behavior being exemp lified should be in line with the nursing code of ethics, social and cultural morals (religion included), and an individual’s personal principles. It is possible for some employees to fail to learn or simply not to adhere to some rules because they are unethical, restraining in nature or they just do not have it in them to do well and follow rules.

Consumption and its effects on the environment Essay

Consumption and its effects on the environment - Essay Example As members of a family under God, we have to be aware of the environmental decay that is going on because of so-called development. There are many adverse consequences we face because of our use, or abuse, of the environment, and one of these is global warming. Global warming is the biggest threat to our mother Earth and even to our own existence. Our world has gone to the extreme, or, we have excelled in everything. We have invented so many things, we have built wonders and huge structures and buildings never before imagined, and yet we have abandoned proper care for the resources to which we owed our inventions and creations. It is time everyone must be involved in fighting abuse of our environment. Students, artists, workers and everyone should encourage awareness of the environment through art or writing, in school and in our homes. Floods, typhoons, the "el nio" and "la nia" phenomena, global warming, and many other natural calamities are caused by indiscriminate cutting of trees, disposal of garbage and waste, chemicals, factories, and many things. The theme "Consumption and its effects on the environment" can have a broad meaning, but consumption and environment go together. We use our environment, our natural resources for our daily living. can not survive if we don’t make use of the things around us for food, shelter, clothing, and everything for our survival. There is one very interesting about the environment and that is if we know how to take care of it, it replaces itself. Our environment or natural resources do not just disappear from us without a cause, it has the means to multiply. We only have to help in replacing what we have consumed, and not be a tool for its extinction. "Consuming" means taking or possessing, but it doesn't mean throwing away after possessing, and in the process of throwing, we destroy. If we have to throw away because we don't want them anymore, we have to be responsible in disposing of the materials used.

Marketing Degree Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5250 words

Marketing Degree - Essay Example Marketing revolves around the entire business. The marketing penetrates in all areas of the business. All the business activities from purchases t till display all revolves around marketing. Marketing as a philosophy revolves around customer satisfaction and it do not focus on earning the profits. It can be done for social welfare. It can be done for customer orientation. The philosophy is to meet and satisfy the desires of the customers. However the marketing as a set of business activities is totally different concept. It basic aim is to earn profit. Though the marketing manager in any enterprise focus on customer's needs and desires but their aim is to earn profit and they were not doing marketing for social or charitable purpose. So marketing is also a philosophy to satisfy the customer's desires simultaneously it is a set of business activities to earn profit. And in this way both these terms are related to each other. In this ever changing and fast moving business world, the socially conscious customers are now become a challenge for the business enterprenurers. The social awareness of the consumer brings many opportunities and threats for the enterprises. ... They have to look for the brands which are on top, commodities which are in fashion and which gives them a nice and trendy look. No matter the consumer is buying clothes or accessories or house hold items. Except groceries and necessities the consumer is going trend conscious. This brings lots of new opportunities for the entrepreneurs. Now they focus more on producing trendy and in fashion products for the consumers. For this they have to work aggressively on their markets strategies. Further more the managers has to work hard to market their products as now the consumer focus on every little detail the company is offering in its product. The consumer looks at the design, availability, price, trends of the products. However it opens the doors for service industry as many people are offering their service to literate people about the trends in the market. This business is boosting up rapidly. In short, the socially conscious consumers is aware of his social values and now focus more on it while purchasing any product which brings many opportunities and threats for many businesses. 3. What are the differences between organizational buying behaviour and consumer buying behaviour (Jobber & Fahy, Ch. 3, P. 76, Study question 1) The consumer buying behavior is relatively a narrow terms. It describes the buying behavior of any consumer. In buying any product or service, the consumer prefers his need and choice. The quantity is small and can be purchased from any shop. However organization buying behavior is broader term. It focuses upon the need of the organization. It evolves a deep and thorough analysis of the product or service needs to be purchased. Organization purchases include high complex

The reasons for a growing consumer preference for branded jewellery in Dissertation

The reasons for a growing consumer preference for branded jewellery in India - Dissertation Example Showing from where do you prefer purchasing jewellery Table 23. Showing if brand, what are the factors responsible for this choice Table 24. Showing, if local retailers, what factors affect this decision Table 25. Showing, from where did you get the knowledge of this store/brand Table 26. Showing, how long have you been making purchases of jewellery from this store/brand Table 27. How satisfied are you with the jewellery you buy Table 28. How important is the advertisement campaign followed by the store to make you opt for it Table 29. Before making any jewellery purchases, do you compare the designs and prices of the same between the branded showroom and the local dealers Table 30. Do you plan to shift or change the source of purchasing jewellery LIST OF FIGURES Analysis of Growing Consumer Preference for Branded Jewellery in Mumbai Figure 1. Showing how frequently do you make jewellery purchases Figure 2. Showing from where do you prefer purchasing jewellery Figure 3. Showing if br and, what are the factors responsible for this choice Figure 4. Showing, if local retailers, what factors affect this decision Figure 5. Showing, from where did you get the knowledge of this store/brand Figure 6. Showing, how long have you been making purchases of jewellery from this store/brand Figure 7. How satisfied are you with the jewellery you buy Figure 8. How important is the advertisement campaign followed by the store to make you opt for it Figure 9. Before making any jewellery purchases, do you compare the designs and prices of the same between the branded showroom and the local dealers Figure 10. Do you plan to shift or change the source of purchasing jewellery Analysis of Growing Consumer Preference for Branded Jewellery in Delhi Figure 11. Showing how... India has traditional relations with jewellery. Branded jewellery in India has established a niche for itself in the competitive Indian market. Branding is the procedure involved in making an exclusive picture and name for a product in the customers mind, generally in the course of advertising campaigns by way of a reliable and consistent theme. Significantly, the younger generation has more disposable earnings these days and they are ready to expend it on luxuries of preference. The younger citizens in their mid thirties and their seniors are normally prepared to buy branded jewellery. The aim of branding is to establish a differentiated and considerable presence in the marketplace so that it can retain and attract faithful and loyal customers. Branding is also a technique in establishing a significant business asset, which is nothing but an excellent reputation. The gems & jewellery business is one of the fastest growing businesses in the country with a market share of $13 billion in 2011 and is estimated to grow to $20 billion by 2015. In 2008-09 the business was $17.1 billion in opposition to $16.64 in 2005-06 billion, reflecting a growth of 26%. The picture of Indian ladies, wearing a sari and various types of ethnic jewellery in festival season and wedding, is no longer the sole customer profile of the world’s major gold importing state. Indian ladies around the world are turning out to be more emancipated: conveying a way of life that combines the strong values and traditions of their society and their modern worldwide approach to life, job and spending

Consumption and its effects on the environment Essay

Consumption and its effects on the environment - Essay Example As members of a family under God, we have to be aware of the environmental decay that is going on because of so-called development. There are many adverse consequences we face because of our use, or abuse, of the environment, and one of these is global warming. Global warming is the biggest threat to our mother Earth and even to our own existence. Our world has gone to the extreme, or, we have excelled in everything. We have invented so many things, we have built wonders and huge structures and buildings never before imagined, and yet we have abandoned proper care for the resources to which we owed our inventions and creations. It is time everyone must be involved in fighting abuse of our environment. Students, artists, workers and everyone should encourage awareness of the environment through art or writing, in school and in our homes. Floods, typhoons, the "el nio" and "la nia" phenomena, global warming, and many other natural calamities are caused by indiscriminate cutting of trees, disposal of garbage and waste, chemicals, factories, and many things. The theme "Consumption and its effects on the environment" can have a broad meaning, but consumption and environment go together. We use our environment, our natural resources for our daily living. can not survive if we don’t make use of the things around us for food, shelter, clothing, and everything for our survival. There is one very interesting about the environment and that is if we know how to take care of it, it replaces itself. Our environment or natural resources do not just disappear from us without a cause, it has the means to multiply. We only have to help in replacing what we have consumed, and not be a tool for its extinction. "Consuming" means taking or possessing, but it doesn't mean throwing away after possessing, and in the process of throwing, we destroy. If we have to throw away because we don't want them anymore, we have to be responsible in disposing of the materials used.

The reasons for a growing consumer preference for branded jewellery in Dissertation

The reasons for a growing consumer preference for branded jewellery in India - Dissertation Example Showing from where do you prefer purchasing jewellery Table 23. Showing if brand, what are the factors responsible for this choice Table 24. Showing, if local retailers, what factors affect this decision Table 25. Showing, from where did you get the knowledge of this store/brand Table 26. Showing, how long have you been making purchases of jewellery from this store/brand Table 27. How satisfied are you with the jewellery you buy Table 28. How important is the advertisement campaign followed by the store to make you opt for it Table 29. Before making any jewellery purchases, do you compare the designs and prices of the same between the branded showroom and the local dealers Table 30. Do you plan to shift or change the source of purchasing jewellery LIST OF FIGURES Analysis of Growing Consumer Preference for Branded Jewellery in Mumbai Figure 1. Showing how frequently do you make jewellery purchases Figure 2. Showing from where do you prefer purchasing jewellery Figure 3. Showing if br and, what are the factors responsible for this choice Figure 4. Showing, if local retailers, what factors affect this decision Figure 5. Showing, from where did you get the knowledge of this store/brand Figure 6. Showing, how long have you been making purchases of jewellery from this store/brand Figure 7. How satisfied are you with the jewellery you buy Figure 8. How important is the advertisement campaign followed by the store to make you opt for it Figure 9. Before making any jewellery purchases, do you compare the designs and prices of the same between the branded showroom and the local dealers Figure 10. Do you plan to shift or change the source of purchasing jewellery Analysis of Growing Consumer Preference for Branded Jewellery in Delhi Figure 11. Showing how... India has traditional relations with jewellery. Branded jewellery in India has established a niche for itself in the competitive Indian market. Branding is the procedure involved in making an exclusive picture and name for a product in the customers mind, generally in the course of advertising campaigns by way of a reliable and consistent theme. Significantly, the younger generation has more disposable earnings these days and they are ready to expend it on luxuries of preference. The younger citizens in their mid thirties and their seniors are normally prepared to buy branded jewellery. The aim of branding is to establish a differentiated and considerable presence in the marketplace so that it can retain and attract faithful and loyal customers. Branding is also a technique in establishing a significant business asset, which is nothing but an excellent reputation. The gems & jewellery business is one of the fastest growing businesses in the country with a market share of $13 billion in 2011 and is estimated to grow to $20 billion by 2015. In 2008-09 the business was $17.1 billion in opposition to $16.64 in 2005-06 billion, reflecting a growth of 26%. The picture of Indian ladies, wearing a sari and various types of ethnic jewellery in festival season and wedding, is no longer the sole customer profile of the world’s major gold importing state. Indian ladies around the world are turning out to be more emancipated: conveying a way of life that combines the strong values and traditions of their society and their modern worldwide approach to life, job and spending

Motivation and Leadership Effect on Job Performance Essay Example for Free

Motivation and Leadership Effect on Job Performance Essay Introduction Leadership and motivation traditionally play a very important role in the functioning of organizations. Nowadays, the role of leadership and motivation increases even more significantly because of the growing competition and the increasing significance of human resources for the progress of organizations. In fact, it should be pointed out that leadership and motivation are closely entangled concepts which constitute an important part of the success of an organization. It is obvious that the effective leadership and motivation can contribute to the progress of an organization, while poor leadership and the lack of motivation can weaken the normal functioning of an organization and lead to the crisis within an organization that will naturally affects its performance. In this respect, it is important to underline the fact that leadership and motivation affect considerably the organizational behavior and culture and they define the formation of the effective relationships between the personnel of an organization. In such a situation, it is necessary to fully reveal the significance of leadership and motivation in the current business environment in order to assess adequately perspective of the improvement of the effectiveness of leadership and motivation within an organization. At the same time, the analysis of theoretical framework only, it appears that insufficient for the understanding of the significance of leadership and motivation for the performance of an organization. Consequently, it is also necessary to pay a particular attention to the practical aspects of leadership and motivation  that means that it is necessary to analyze some practical examples that could reveal the significance of leadership and motivation for the performance of a n organization Review of Literature Motivation and Job Performance * The level of performance of employees relies not only on their actual skills but also on the level of motivation each person exhibits (Burney et al., 2007). * Motivation is an inner drive or an external inducement to behave in some particular way, typically a way that will lead to rewards (Dessler, 1978). * Over-achieving, talented employees are the driving force of all firms so it is essential that organizations try hard to motivate and hold on to the best employees (Harrington, 2003). * The quality of human resource management is a critical influence on the performance of the firm. Concern for strategic integration, commitment flexibility and quality, has called for attention for employee’s motivation and retention. Financial motivation has become the most concern in today’s organization, and tying to apply Maslow’s basic needs, non-financial aspect only comes in when financial motivation has failed. * According to Greenberg and Baron (2003, 2000) definition of motivation could be divided into three main parts. The first part looks at arousal that deals with the drive, or energy behind individual (s) action. People turn to be guided by their interest in making a good impression on others, doing interesting work and being successful in what they do. The second part referring to the choice people make and the direction their behavior takes. The last part deals with maintaining behavior clearly defining how long people have to persist at attempting to meet their goals. * Motivation can be intrinsic and extrinsic. Extrinsic motivation concerns behavior influenced by obtaining external rewards (Hitt, Esser, Marriott, 1992). Praise or positive feedback, money, and the absence of punishment are examples of extrinsic or external rewards (Deci, 1980). Intrinsic motivation is the motivation to do something simply for the pleasure of performing that particular activity (Hagedoorn and Van Yperen, 2003). Examples of intrinsic factors are interesting work, recognition, growth, and achievement. *  Several studies have found there to be a positive relationship between intrinsic motivation and job per formance as well as intrinsic motivation and job satisfaction (Linz, 2003). This is significant to firms in todays highly competitive business environment in that intrinsically motivated employees will perform better and, therefore, be more productive, and also because satisfied employees will remain loyal to their organization and feel no pressure or need to move to a different firm. * Deci and Ryan (2000) conducted and replicated an experiment that showed the negative impact of monetary rewards on intrinsic motivation and performance. A group of college students were asked to work on an interesting puzzle. Some were paid and some were not paid for the work. The students that were not being paid worked longer on the puzzle and found it more interesting than the students being paid. When the study was brought into a workplace setting, employees felt that their behavior was being controlled in a dehumanizing and alienating manner by the rewards. It was discovered that rewards would seriously decrease an employees motivation to ever perform the task being rewarded, or one similar to it, any time in the future. Another observation of the study was that employees would expect a reward every time the task was to be completed if the reward was offered at one time. Employees would require the reward in order to perform the job and would probably expect the reward to increase in amount. If the rewards were not increased or if they were taken away they actually served as negative reinforcement. * Deci and Ryan (2001), in collaboration with two of their colleagues, conducted a study to examine the effects of performance-contingent rewards on an employees intrinsic motivation. * (Cameron, Deci, Koestner, and Ryan, 2001). These types of rewards are very controlling since these rewards are directly associated with an employees performance of some task. In that respect, performance-contingent rewards undermine intrinsic motivation; however, if the reward given to the employee conveys that the employee has performed on a truly outstanding level, the reward would serve to solidify that employees sense of competence and decrease the negative effect on that employees intrinsic motivation. Also significant in the study was the importance of the interpersonal atmosphere within which the performance-contingent rewards were distributed. * When Cameron et al. (2001) compared the administering of rewards in a controlling climate and in  a non-controlling climate, they discovered that the performance-contingent rewards given in the more controlling interpersonal climate undermined intrinsic motivation. To prevent the decrease in employees intrinsic motivation, the interpersonal climate when distributing performance-contingent rewards should be more supportive. * Vroom (1964) proposes that people are motivated by how much they want something and how likely they think they are to get it he suggest that motivation leads to efforts and the efforts combined with employees ability together with environment factors which interplay’s resulting to performance. This performance interns lead to various outcomes, each of which has an associated value called Valence. * Adams (1965) on his part suggests that people are motivated to seek social equity in the rewards they receive for high performance. According to him the outcome from job includes; pay recognition, promotion, social relationship and intrinsic reward. To get these rewards various inputs needs to be employed by the employees to the job as time, experience, efforts, education and loyalty.He suggests that, people tend to view their outcomes and inputs as a ratio and then compare these ratios with others and turn to become motivated if this ratio is high. Leadership Effectiveness and Job Performance Leadership, or more specifically effective leadership, is every bit as crucial (if not more so) in African Organizations as it is throughout the world. African organizations are no different from others Worldwide in terms of striving for performance in order to be globally competitive. The South African situation, however, is incredibly complex as many organizations are caught in the middle of a web of authoritarian hierarchies and traditional leadership approaches, as well as bureaucratic hierarchies mixed with modern approaches to leadership * (Grobler, Wà ¤rnich, Carrell, Elbert and Hatfield, 2002). It is argued that effective leadership has a positive influence on the performance of organizations (Maritz, 1995; Bass, 1997; Charlton, 2000). Ultimately it is the performance of many Individuals that culminates in the performance of the organization, or in the achievement of organizational goals. Effective leadership is  instrumental in ensuring organizational performance. * (Cummings and Schwab, 1973; Hellriegel, Jackson, Slocum, Staude, Amos, Klopper, Louw and Oosthuizen, 2004). As a result, many leadership theories have been proposed in the last fifty years which are claimed to have influenced the overall effectiveness of the organizations where they have been employed. In the competitive world business environment it is vital that organisations employ leadership styles that enable organisations to survive in a dynamic environment. * (Maritz, 1995; Bass,1997) Performance has been defined by Hellriegel, Jackson and Slocum (1999) as the level of an individual’s work achievement after having exerted effort. * Cummings and Schwab (1973) and Whittenand Cameron (1998) believe that performance is ultimately an individual phenomenon with environmental variables influencing performance primarily through their effect on the individual determinants of performance – ability and motivation. * Behling and McFillen (1996) confirmed the link between high performance and leadership in the United States by developing a model of charismatic/transformational leadership where the leaders’ behaviour is said to give rise to inspiration, awe and empowerment in his subordinates, resulting in exceptionally high effort, exceptionally high commitment and willingness to take risks. It has been widely accepted that effective organizations require effective leadership, and organizational performance will suffer in direct proportion to the neglect of this (Maritz, 1995; Ristow, Amos and Staude, 1999).

Market Demand For Knitwear: Competitive Analysis

Market Demand For Knitwear: Competitive Analysis Industry Analysis: Current market demand for knitwear is involved with the quality and competitive pricing of products. There is a close competition between the manufacturers and marketers to hit the best bargain and offer promotional discounts to consumers. Cut-throat competition has made manufacturers to offer multi-pack products at inexpensive prices. Developments in knitting, and advanced treatments such as digital printing, glossy foil prints, inkjet printing, flocking, and burn-outs have heated up the market. New knitting machines have opened up possibilities hitherto into unknown segments such as technical textile, for instance; products such as fishnet, fruit-net, shade net and composite products. The Smart Fabrics and Interactive Textiles market will return to growth, reaching a value of US$1.8bn by 2015, according to new research by Global Industry Analysts (GIA). (just-style.com)It seems that the revival of economic growth, a recovery of consumer confidence, product innovations and sustainability would all help to put growth back on track. On the other hand, demand for unique product offerings, served by unexplored, developing markets, will sustain growth. It can be safely assumed that the knitwear the industry lifecycle is at the mature stage as shown in the figure below. According to GIA, the intimate apparel industry is defined by new fabric developments, including innovations in fashionable and comfortable garment designs. The report found that competition within the industry had resulted in falling prices and a shift in production, prompting manufacturers to expand their operations into South America, Central Europe and Asia (Network). Europe is identified as the single largest regional market for knitwear, although the US; they dominate global knitwear sector with a 65% market share (LTD). Asia Pacific is currently growing to be a promising market for the same. During the recession, the Asia-Pacific market was buoyed by rapid growth in China, India, Korea, Indonesia and Taiwan. The global knitwear market is competitive and fragmented. The economic crises have narrowed the gap between the upper and lower end of the market with style differentiation almost vanishing.(Ltd.) With advancements in the industry in the recent years, RadiciGroup is introducing CornLeaf, a 100% biodegradable solution-dyed continuous yarn. Produced by Noyfil SA, the yarn is made from Ingeo, a polylactic acid (PLA) polymer derived from renewable vegetable resources. Compared to traditional dyeing and finishing processes, the manufacturing of CornLeaf requires less water and energy consumption as solution dyeing technology is integrated into the spinning process. CornLeaf lighter than other natural fibers, and has tenacity comparable to other synthetic fibers. According to RadiciGroup, the yarn also has greater hygroscopicity compared to synthetic yarns and is faster drying than natural fibers. RadiciGroups yarn is available in a range of lightfast, wash-resistant colors intended for use in intimate wear, furnishings and consumer goods. (W. T. Ltd.) Company Information: Sana Hastakala (P) Ltd. main office, that houses training, product design and development, and retail outlet, is situated in Kupondole, Kathmandu, Nepal. The address is: G 10/113, Kupondole, Kathmandu, Nepal Corresponding address: P.O. Box No. 3901, Kathmandu Nepal Sana Hastakala (SH), when translated to English, literally means Small Handicrafts. This company was established by conglomerates of handicraft businesses in Nepal to encourage the local artists and producers to participate in producing handmade goods and sell them abroad. In 1989, United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF, now known as United Nations Childrens Funds) provided technical and financial support, in addition to assistances from local handicraft businesses, to launch SH. After a year, the organization was able to sustain on its own and, though registered as non-government organization with Government of Nepal, now is a private limited company. SH strives to foster the resurgence of traditional craft skills as well as applying modern techniques in order to generate income for under privileged craft producers who are mostly women (Sana_Hastakala). SH has more than 1,500 individual producers, and collaborates with 80 producers groups. Income is distributed amongst producers and employees. Profits, also, strengthen the organization and finance community development initiatives. The community development fund is used to assist craft producers in purchasing raw materials and equipment, and provide skills training (SanaHastakala_Producers). SH has been proactive in establishing fair trade in Nepal and is the founding member of local chapter Fair Trade Group Nepal. Though many organizations have provided definition of fair trade, the definition offered by World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) has been widely accepted. It states that Fair Trade is a trading partnership, based on dialogue, transparency and respect that seek greater equity in international trade. It contributes to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions to, and securing the rights of, marginalized producers and workers especially in the South (WFTO). There are ten standards for fair trade and the list includes stipulations about labor conditions, gender equity, environmental considerations, and transparency to name a few (Weber). Fair Trade Group Nepal (FTG Nepal) is a consortium of fair trading organizations working with the aim to uplift socio-economic status of underprivileged and marginalized producers of Nepal (FTGN About Fair Tr ade Group). SH contribution to social development has been highlighted in periodicals. In 2007, World Fair Trade Day published series of case studies on Why Kids Need Fair Trade that exemplified how SH has helped Babita Rajbhandari, who had been previously trained in SH, to educate her daughter Boibha after her husband passed away (WFTD). In order to increase awareness of the fair trade, SH regularly promotes educational programs at local institutes that offer social work courses. To provide hands-on experience of fair trade, SH provides two 8-month long internships every year to students from the colleges (Sana_Hastakala Polcies and Procedures; FTGN Annual Activity Report). SH has two outlets located in Kupondole and Lazimpat. Their annual turnover in 2009 was NRs. 40.5 million (CAD 550,000), exports accounting for 78% and domestic for 22% of sales. Information regarding which categories contribute most to the sales was not disclosed; Japan is the number one importer of knitwear products (Sana_Hastakala Polcies and Procedures). Many promoters of fair trade have associated with SH to promote local handmade products in the global market; most notably is Ten Thousand Villages, which has 75 retail stores in the United States of America (TenThousandVillages_USA) and 49 stores across Canada (TenThousandVillages_Canada). As promoter of fair trade, SH will provide brochure that highlights the activities of SH, and access to merchandise producers and manufacturing centers will be provided. The third party inspection can be arranged, but the buyer has to provide the cost of hiring external agency (Sana_Hastakala Polcies and Procedures). Sana Hastakala has website http://www.sanahastakala.com that provides information to the products, and the services provided by the organization and information on Nepalese handicrafts. The website, however, lacks web-based ordering system. This is due to the lack of laws for e-commerce (Sana_Hastakala Polcies and Procedures). SH recently won Best Entrepreneur Award given by Federation of Handicraft Association of Nepal for their contribution in product development, employment creation, export and sales promotion, technological, management and environmental improvements, socially responsible activities, and support to other handicraft entrepreneurs and buyers (WFTO-Asia). Competitive Analysis: Our top three competitors are, Ecowool: Ecowool is located in New Zealand; it has been selling the ship skin and woolen products for almost 20 years. Mayfair overseas: Mayfair overseas is the largest knitwear manufacturing and exporting group in India. Trident Craft Pvt. Ltd: Trident Craft is a handicraft company located in Nepal. All these three competitors offer similar knitwear products, such as cap, jacket, socks, gloves, hat, scarves, and sweaters. Competitive advantage over each of the competitors: Ecowool: All our products are handmade with Nepals rich artistic skill and craft techniques We are the founding member of fair trade group Our main objective is to provide financial and technical support to craft producers Mayfair Overseas: We do not use harmful chemicals in production because all products are hand made Traditional craft skills with modern techniques Designs and based on both traditional Nepali and classic western motifs Trident craft Pvt. Ltd: We use high quality sheep wool and agora wool from Nepal and imported wool from New Zealand to create beautiful knit wears We are the founding member of fair trade group and provides marketing services to our producers of our company Product Information: Sana Hastakala, in collaboration with local women and producers, market variety of handicraft products. Besides producing and exporting handicrafts items, SH helps entrepreneurs with financial and technical assistance; some of these business enthusiasts operate in a very small scale and usually manage their business operation from home. Such assistances usually consist of capital needed for raw materials, health checkup, product development and design, and marketing (Sana_Hastakala About Us). The products are beads, ceramics, hemp products, knitwear, metal crafts, silver jewelry and others. The complete list of products is provided in Appendix A. We are looking for prospect buyer(s) in Canada for knitwear products offered by SH. The knitwear products include woolen cap with earmuffs (or ear-flap woolen hats), mittens (boxer gloves and hunter mittens), woolen sock, and mufflers. Appendix B provides the images of these products. SH uses high quality sheep wool and agora wool from Nepal, and also uses imported wool from New Zealand. The quality of yarn has to be approved by the client prior to production. SH has its own catalog for the designs, which are based on both traditional Nepalese and classic western motifs (SH_Woolen). The design catalog is provided to clients upon request. SH also provides professional to develop pattern and design in collaboration and consultation with the clients. The samples, after approval, will then be sent to producers. All the knitwear products are hand-made and will have 100% Hand-made in Nepal labels (Sana_Hastakala Polcies and Procedures). It is worthwhile noting that all knitwear (except for sweaters which is not in consideration because of size-requirement discrepancies between Asia and North America) products are unisex. The knitwear products are available in two different sizes: small (kid-size), and large (adult-size). Since these are hand-made, SH admits that it is hard to enforce size requirements, but will comply with clients requirements (Sana_Hastakala Polcies and Procedures). The knitwear products are available in a range of fashionable colors. The local woolen yarn colors are usually pale white and grey. These wools are from sheep and yak, and no animals are harmed during the production of wool. The wools are dyed based on the clients requirements. The design catalog contains the range of colors available. The hats or caps and boxer gloves can have fleece lining upon request by the clients. These linings provide extra warmth and are usually preferred by most of the clients. The requirement of linings will be decided after consultation with clients. Being a member of World Trade Organization, Fair Trade Group, and Fair Trade Group Nepal, Sana Hastakala strictly adheres to the guidance and regulations to maintain quality and standards, which are regularly checked by these organizations. Besides quality and standard, SH ensures that these ten standards are followed: Creating opportunities for economically disadvantaged producers, Transparency and accountability Trading practices Payment of a fair price Child labor and forced labor Non-discrimination, gender equity and freedom of association Working conditions Capacity building Promotion of Fair Trade Environment The details of these standards are discussed in detail by any Fair Trade organizations (FTGN_Standards). The compliance certificates can be obtained upon request by the clients. The client can request to be affiliated with Sana Hastakala to promote Fair Trade practices in Nepal. Some clients have expressed the positive outcomes and boost in profits because of this affiliation. SH assures that the client will develop business relationship that will benefit everyone and SH will be committed once this relationship is established (Sana_Hastakala Polcies and Procedures). Transportation Procedures: Sana Hastakala (SH) offers two types of shipping: sea and air. If the client prefers DDP (Delivered Duty Paid), then SH will use its own freight forwarding firm, handled by third party, and the freight, insurance and cost of goods will be the landed cost. Some clients prefer EXW the products are picked up from the SH warehouse located at Kupondole, Nepal. The client will be responsible for all the charges thereafter (Sana_Hastakala Polcies and Procedures). Nepal is member of World Trade Organization and strictly adheres to rules and regulations of WTO. Prior to 2005, Nepal enjoyed quota free access to major global markets. Nepal does not have any restrictions in exporting knitwear as long as it maintains quality standard requirements (Shah). However, importing textiles and clothing to Canada is subjected to Export Import Permit Acts and requires import permit from Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAIT) (DFAIT Import Conditions). The import also is subjected to certification fees and custom fees based on the total value of goods (DFAIT Schedule (Paragraph 3(1)(a)): Fees for Import Permits). SH prefers exporting through seaway for exporting goods, but this requires order in advance one year so that the product reaches the buyer in time. SH can also provide merchandise through air cargo the order is required four months in advance. The seaway shipment is cost-effective compared to air cargo. Currently, the shipping price through sea is US$ 3.00 below 500 kg and US$ 2.00 over 500 kg, whereas the air cargo cost depends upon the courier service used for transportation; on the average, air cargo costs US$ 9.50 below 500 kg and US$ 7.25 over 500 kg (Sana_Hastakala Polcies and Procedures). The method of transportation will depend upon after discussion with buyer and their preferences, but sea shipment will be recommended to keep the landed cost minimized. The turn-around-time depends upon the quantity of merchandise ordered. A minimum order of 1,000 units of knitwear, mix and match of any products, is required to minimize the packaging and handling charges. The seller has to keep in mind that the estimated delivery time through sea is three to four months, whereas the estimated delivery time through air cargo is five to seven business days (Sana_Hastakala Polcies and Procedures). The packaging will be done in weather-proof packages so that there is minimal damage to the merchandises due to weather and other natural disasters. The packaging is either in the tarp sacks or boxed, the latter being more expensive and will cost more to buyer (Sana_Hastakala Polcies and Procedures). Pricing Policies and Procedures: For selling any of goods or services some type of cost analysis is required. SH, according to the cost analysis, set prices, for their three merchandise (Caps, Mittens and Mufflers), as below: Caps: $3-4/Piece Mittens: $3-4/Pair Mufflers: $2-3/Piece A part of analysis is verification of pricing. For better understanding the market situation, the table one shows comparing prices between three supplyer that are competing in the market and SH. Obviously, this is one of the best means for validating price. By asking three or more suppliers of their prices for the same product, we can determine if a particular price is reasonable. However, the lowest bid may not always represent the lowest cost. There may be cost associated with making the lower cost product perform to standards, the additional cost of early replacement or the cost of redesign and/or testing required making the lower cost product applicable. This total cost of acquisition is the real cost that must be compared. Its obviously shows that SH prices are higher than the other competitor in the market and it is because of their quality and being handmade of the products. SH doesnt have any discount offer for first order but for compete with other competitors they offer discount for second and subsequent orders. They promote 12% discount for orders more than 70,000 and 20% discount for orders more than 100,000. Furthermore they have discount for fair trade members about 25%, also these excludes VAT which is 22% in Nepal. The company use advanced order to take advance payments to cover the cost of raw materials purchase. Then SH use totally prepaid advanced payment for first order and for the second order they recommend 75% advance payment, 25% after shipping. Also they recommend 50% advance payment and 50% COD payment for third order and subsequent orders. The firms policy on extending credit to its customers is depending on the loyalty of the customers to SH and their participation in promoting fair trade globally and locally. PART B: Prospecting/Qualifying Potential Customers: We propose these methods for prospecting and qualifying potential customers. Exhibitions and Demonstrations: Prospecting Exhibitions and demonstrations will be our primary prospecting method. This types of events gives a sales person extensive contact with large number of potential buyers over a brief time. Using this method we can set-up an interesting display to get peoples attention for example popcorn machine, lightning etc. We can set up our display to maximize visibility based on the flow of the traffic. We can use lead cards to write down prospect information for efficient and effective post- show follow up. In this kind of trade shows we can get the major buyers we want to pursue for contact. Qualifying: For qualifying potential customer in such kind of exhibitions or trade shows we can set up a booth with one sales person to qualify leads and get name and addresses to contact them later at their home or offices. Our sales persons approach to the customers will be assertive rather than common; we can use some questions such as have you ever use hand crafts products? Or by offering them sample to handle that make them get involved into conversation. We can write our message so that it fits on the back of the business card. Our website: Prospecting: Our company website would be our one of an automated prospecting tool. We can use our company website as prospecting tool by doing number of things such as, We can make the site attractive and easy to use We can get come in to their contacts by contact link on every page We can put call me links, whereby they can enter their phone numbers and we call them back. Qualifying: To qualify potential customers through our websites we can put our full product catalog online and also let them download a pdf and order a paper copy. Our website would allow them to make both free-text queries and guiding them through a product list. Our potential customer can get all information about our products price range from our web sites. We can use cookies so we can track the prospect and offer customized information. Networking: Prospecting: To find new prospects, networking can be the most reliable and effective prospecting method. We can focus on meeting the Centre of influence people by which we can come in to many valuable contacts. By networking we can get to know about prospects business and find key people in our industry. By meeting people we can tell them what we sell, exchange business cards. Eventually we can build a network of people talking to each other, sharing ideas and exchanging information. We can get networking prospects business card and follow up with our new contact. By doing networking we can develop credibility and a valuable, long lasting relationship that would be helpful in our business. Qualifying: To qualify potential customers through networking we can share information about their business and our business. We can ask them some open ended question or feel good question about our industry and also their industry like, What do enjoy the most about your industry? By making contacts through networking we can build up relationship by sending them something every month such as notepad with our company name and picture. These things will be reminded us and our products. Monthly hard copy and newsletter: Prospecting: This is one on of the good prospecting method that we can use to find potential customers We can target particular market by publishing monthly hard copy and newsletters of our company and our products. Though monthly hard copy and newsletter we can offer them an invitation to a seminar, free training session etc. Qualifying: We can send to our prospecting customer contacts articles, newsletters, books, brochures etc. to guide them about our company and our product. We can publish questionnaires to encourage the conversation. Securing an Appointment: The letter seeking an appointment is provided in the next page. February 21, 2011 Mountain Equipment Co-op 400 King Street West Toronto, ON M5V 1K2 Dear Sir/Madam, Sana Hastakala is Nepali Handicraft Company. We are the founding member of fair trade group Nepal (FTG) and member of International federation of alternative trade (FAT). This is a non-profitable organization and our main objective is to foster traditional craft skills as well as applying modern techniques in order to generate income for craft producers who are mainly women. We produce different woolen items and other handicrafts products. Sana offers you variety of woolen items which can be used in everyday life. We use high quality wool such as sheep wool, agora wool from Nepal, imported wool from New Zealand to crate beautiful knit wears, sweaters, jackets, hats and gloves. Designs are based on both traditional Nepali and classic western motifs and are available in beautiful range of fashionable colors. At your convenience, I would like to introduce you to some of our products features and benefits. Please let me hear from you if you would like to find out more about Sana Hastakala and what we can offer you. Regards, Jasmin Upadhyaya (Marketing Manager) Appendices: Appendix A Product Catalog for Sana Hastakala Beads necklaces, earrings Ceramics Earthenware statues, water and storage jars, flower pots, glass, cup and plate, tea pot, flower vase, serving bowl, soup bowls, paper Mache masks, puppets and dolls Dhaka Shawls, and cloths Dolls (made from cloth and corn husk depicting various occupational and tribal ethnic groups represent the culture of Nepal) Felt Hand Made Paper Products greeting cards, stationary sets, notebooks, gift wrapping paper, bags, envelopes, photo frames Household accessories Knitwear sweaters, jackets, hats and caps, gloves and mittens Metal Craft Singing bowls, trumpets, drums, various kinds of flutes, cymbals, cutlery items, such as knife ,spoon and forks with traditional designs , and bagh chal and chess games Mithila paintings, mirrors, ceramics, table cloths bed sheets and T-shirts Natural fiber Allo Hemp bags, cushions covers, wallet, and clothing Pashmina Shawls, mufflers Silver Jewelry Wood carving picture frames, mirror frames, small boxes, animals, buttons, decorative wall hangings, masks X-mas hanging Filigree Christmas hangings, and felt decoration Appendix B Images for knitwear products: Ear Flap Hats (DSC08796) Cap with Earmuffs (DSC02910) Boxer Gloves (DSC01045) Hunter Gloves (DSC02905) Mufflers (DSC01063) Woolen Socks (DSC01059) Works Cited: