A Position Paper on the Current State of the Music Recording Industry Case Study

A Position Paper on the Current State of the Music Recording Industry - Case Study Example But more than a simple issue of finances and revenues is the issue of the product that Springsteen is selling, other than the records the labels are charged with marketing. In the tradition of rock and roll, a tradition that Springsteen is now a large part of, the live performance is the musician’s venue for making that personal connection—an emotional connection—with his fans. Through tours and concerts, the rock musician continues a legacy in which millions of people are emotionally invested. Firstly, because Bruce Springsteen is so well-established, his concert, performance, and appearance revenues actually outweigh revenues of sales from his album releases. This fact makes two things clear: first, the choice between record label distribution and self-distribution is less important, and second, Springsteen can focus on performing instead of writing new material to play to new audiences. Instead, he can perform his classic repertoire of music that multiple generations have loved and enjoyed. For that reason, his record label should actually have very little impact on his musical career going forward, which is a similar case to Radiohead, who decided to self-distribute new material. Clearly, the decision to trust a record label or to self-distribute is up to the individual artist, and his decision will be influenced by a number of factors. For Springsteen, first and foremost, is his age. At 60, a 10-year contract may last him through the remainder of his performing career . Also, for many artists, the decision to self-distribute is a philosophical one: trying to shift away from the label-dominated paradigm that exists in the United States. These intangible issues aside, perhaps the best advice one can give Bruce Springsteen, when faced with these two options, is to reflect on his experiences from the past 35 years, and whether he has had a satisfying experience with Columbia. Another

Help to choose a topic Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Help to choose a topic - Assignment Example The article especially draws on the benefits of using dogs in the animal assisted therapy, which as animals are arguably the most faithful in nature. The article contains very useful information that the college counselors can avail to improve the quality and effectiveness of their counseling services over the depressed college students in particular and outside the college in general. I picked this article firstly because it was recently published, and secondly because the results of the research cited in the article were drawn from a credible and reliable source i.e. Georgia State University. Thirdly, I chose this article because it contains very interesting and useful information about the effects of animal assisted therapy on the college going students. This article is particularly useful because many college students already have dogs as their pets, so they can better identify with and rely upon the information provided in the

The Washington And Post Washington Consensus

The Washington And Post Washington Consensus Abstract The present term paper is an attempt to explore and put forth the theoretical exposition of the two major development paradigms the market-oriented and the state-cum-market centric development models, plausibly portrayed in terms of what is often phrased as the Washington Consensus and the Post-Washington Consensus. These discourses must not be only analysed keeping in mind the benefits and costs of the implementing the policy prescriptions advocated by these two sets of development paradigms in different economies over the years, but at the same time its long-term effects on the individual economies, be at the centre or periphery, and the repercussion effects of any alteration in economic variables in one country on the other as a consequence of openness of economies, while pursuing the universal policies, granted for the fact that today we believe the world no less than a global village where the governance concept has modified radically over the last a few decades at the behest o f the key Bretton Woods institutions like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. The development discourse must also account for the individual capability and capacity of countries to absorb the economic policies in the development agenda of individual countries in question, as put forth by these institutions. Naturally enough, the failure of the sound theoretical programs would invite criticisms, at least because it has worked unevenly in almost every country trying to employ these policies and unfortunately there are no dearth of evidences from all corners of the globe to prove that the universal policy design uniformly for all countries, in order to bring about meaningful economic development globally has actually failed or at least been partly successful. The overall idea is to make an insight into the Washington Consensus and the Post-Washington Consensus and evaluating to what extent any scrutiny for these policies could be hence put forward. Introduction The economic development discourse of nations had been under constant influence of the economic ideology prevailing in particular nations at any point in time. The economic history of nations itself suggests that how we have witnessed the changing development paradigms have evolved after the Second World War in 1944-45, primarily seen as the deliberate developmental assistance to the war-affected nations. The focus used to be mainly the need to correct market failure through command and control mechanism through various state-oriented developmental strategies and economic programmes like the import substitution industrialisation policy for the promotion of indigenous industries for better comparative advantage in production and exchange, financial repression etc. But the decade of 70s precisely late 70s, apparently proved the defects and malfunctioning of the centrally planned economies. The two major oil shocks, first in 1973 and the next in 1979 put the greatest challenge before th e policy makers and development economists, which completely destabilised the global economy along with many other politico-economic developments around the world. This would be clear in the following excerpts. The 1980s were a hell of a decade. They began with the reverberations of the second OPEC oil shock. They ended with the fall of the Berlin wall. In between, we had the Reagan-Thatcher-Kohl economic policy era in North America and Europe, the Volcker interest rate shock, the Latin American debt crisis, collapse in Africa, the start of rapid growth in China and in India, and on and on. Oh, and by the way, in 1989 John Williamson coined the term Washington Consensus (Williamson, 1990:3) It became a questionable affair to challenge the efficacy of how far government policies can actually benefit or harm the economic environment. This tendency of statist model inevitably led to emergence of an alternative theory of development fundamentally rests on the assumptions of the neo-classical model of a free-market enterprise economy. The Washington Consensus per se is primarily affiliated to this school of economic thought, which states for the minimal role of the state in carrying out economic activity. That is governments should limit their interferences in the economy, only to maintain macroeconomic stability and to secure law and order and provision of public goods. In other words, the Washington Consensus is the market-centered strategy designed to counter the ill-effects of excessive state intervention in the economy, under the aegis of World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which claimed to provide a universal mechanism for the efficient allocation of economic resources and promoter of economic growth world wide. However, the validity of Washington Consensus was under strict scrutiny for not fulfilling its much hyped economic policies and soon criticised for its failure. At this preliminary level, it is important to introduce the other parallel but pole opposite of Washington Consensus, that is, the emergence of the Post-Washington Consensus in mid-1990s, which advocates for a mixed-blend of interventionist and market strategy for better economic development of nations, granted a few conditions of the Washington Consensus like the trade liberalization to be continued along with deliberate state intervention in the economic affairs. The Pros and Cons of the Washington Consensus The Washington Consensus, sometimes synonymously used as the set of neo-liberal economic policies or a universal policy package was originally designed by the key Bretton Woods institutions like World Bank and IMF, to restore economic growth and to correct the balance of payments crises or the debt crises and hyper-inflation kind of situation facing the Latin American countries, such as Argentina and Mexico. The term Washington Consensus was coined and formulated by John Williamson in 1989 at the Peterson Institute of International Economics in the US. According to Nobel Laureate in Economics in the year 2001, Joseph E. Stiglitz, The Washington Consensus policies, however, were based on a simple model of market economy, the competitive equilibrium model, in which Adam Smiths invisible hand works, and works perfectly. Because in this model, there is no need for the government that is, free, unfettered, liberal markets work perfectly the Washington Consensus policies are sometimes referred to as neo-liberal based on market fundamentalism, a resuscitation of the laissez-faire policies that were popular in some circles in the nineteenth century (Stiglitz, 2002: 74). This neo-liberal orthodoxy prevailed over the entire global economy from the beginning of the late 1970s to the mid of 1990s irrespective of the nature and extent of economic growth parameters in different countries. The set of policy prescription was purely of market-oriented model of economic growth. This policy package eventually effectuated in what is better known as the Structural Adjustment Policy (SAP) of the World Bank and the IMF to help countries get rid of debt-crises aftermath of the oil shock of 1979 from the sharp decrease in the primary commodities prices and increasing interest rates, the World Bank and the IMF put forward conditionalities in order to receive credits or financial assistance from these institutions basically to the governments of the developing countries. Therefore, stable macroeconomic policies, outward orientation, and free-market capitalism became the central instruments of the Washington Consensus. In other words, the three big ideas underlying these reforms as Williamson asserts are: The macroeconomic discipline, a market economy, and openness to the world. The first three reforms are, so far as I am aware, widely accepted among economists (Williamson, 2000: 251). Williamson also provided a more specific list of ten policy areas or tenets of that could be used to characterize the consensus as listed below: (1) fiscal discipline, (2) redirection of public expenditure toward the areas of education, health, and infrastructure, (3) tax reform, (4) interest-rate liberalization, (5) competitive exchange rates, (6) trade liberalization, (7) liberalization of inflows of foreign direct investment, (8) privatization, (9) deregulation, and (10) secure property rights (Williamson 1990). We can say that all these reforms fundamentally rest on the premises of the neo-classical paradigm that supports the laizzez-faire doctrine as panacea for all economic problems in a capitalist economy. Therefore, the whole concern was through following these policy package, the markets could be freely allowed to take its own course in order to set the prices right, which comes from the essence of free trade as a major component of the Washington Consensus. The widespread and often excessive state intervention was being seen as the making the economy weak and therefore it was contended that imperfect markets are better than imperfect states. Giving the logical corollary to prove this point, Lal (1983: 63-64) at different occasions asserted that The cost of government failures arising from the rent-seeking and price distortions associated with excessive protectionism would always outweigh market failures associated mostly with imperfect competition an under-provision of public goods. The Washington Consensus was thus increasingly based on the understanding that imperfect markets are always superior to imperfect states. Some scholars like Colclough and Manor (2000: 263) summarised the resurgence of the neo-liberal thinking in development discourse in following words. The emerging neoliberal orthodoxy advocated a new development model based on the primacy of individualism, market liberalism, outward-orientation, and state contraction. The organising principle of neo-liberal political economy was the notion of a minimal state, whose primary functions were to secure law and order, ensure macroeconomic stability and provide the necessary physical infrastructure. Further, according to Colclough and Manor (2000: 263) Trade liberalisation and state contraction were necessary tools to curb the excessive powers enjoyed by politicians and bureaucrats, a process which was regarded as crucial for rapid and equitable economic growth. Originally the policy reforms as envisaged in the Washington Consensus was designed and intended to cover all the Latin American countries, later it was applied to almost all countries and was intentionally penetrated into the economic policy agenda of Third World Countries. Regarding the supremacy of the Washington Consensus on all the earlier prevalent economic thoughts, different opinions came into the picture. Say for instance, much before the arrival of such an economic ideological discourse, economists like J. M. Keynes (1936), who is considered to be a pioneer of the welfare state, believed that a policy of fiscal discipline would neither avoid the current account crisis, nor it can lead to a fully employed economy where all the factors of production and economic resources are optimally employed. So J. M. Keynes basically challenged the classical axioms for the smooth functioning of the economy. Since the classical axioms are not very close to the real world phenomena of perfe ctly competitive markets, the essence of the Washington Consensus way of looking at the economy could be better described in the words of Keynes in the following lines: It happens not to be those of the economic society in which we actually live; with the result that its teaching is misleading and disastrous if we attempt to apply it to the facts of experience (Keynes, 1936:30). Infact, it is felt that the last of the ten policy reforms, that is, securing property rights for efficient production in the economy however, cannot be refuted easily. If the state is capable to ensure that the production ownership should go in the hands of those who value it more, who has also the capability to augment resources, further there is no harm in transferring property rights to develop right entrepreneurship in the economy. What is important here is to note that the Washington Consensus was treated like a shock therapy for the countries suffering from debt-crises of any sporadic shock like the one oil shock of 1979, because it was assumed that trade liberalisation and privatisation will take care of the economic disturbances affecting the normal working of the economic system. However, the experiences of the last 20 years or so have shown that the reforms envisioned through the Washington Consensus have actually led to disaster in many countries. This understanding of the neo-liberal orthodoxy could be better explained in the following lines of John Williamson. I wrote a background paper in which I listed 10 policy reforms that I argued almost everyone in Washington thought were needed in Latin America as of that date. I labeled this reform agenda the Washington Consensus, never dreaming that I was coining a term that would become a war cry in ideological debates for more than a decade. Indeed, I thought the ideas I was laying out were consensual, which is why I gave them the label I did (Williamson, 1990). The evidences we have clearly indicate that Washington Consensus as a universal policy package became a soft target of severe criticisms in recent years primarily from the countries at the periphery. The consistent episodes of criticisms labeled against the Washington Consensus pave the way for the future insights in the economic development discourse. Whats wrong with the Washington Consensus A wide range of criticisms had been put forward as a result of the practical problems faced by the countries pursuing the reforms as recommended by the Washington Consensus since the year of its introduction. One of the criticisms which is generally labelled against the Washington Consensus is regarding the fundamental assumptions of the neo-classical model of free market ideology. In this connection, Stiglitz (2002:73-74) maintains that: Behind the free market ideology there is a model, often attributed to Adam Smith, which argues that market forces the profit motive drives the economy to efficient outcomes as if by an invisible hand. It turns out that these conditions are highly restrictive. Ironically occurring precisely during the period of relentless pursuit of the Washington Consensus have shown that whenever information is imperfect and markets incomplete, which is to say always, and especially in developing countries, then the invisible hand works most imperfectly. Significantly, there are desirable government interventions which, in principle, can improve upon the efficiency of the market. So in this way the basic premises on which the Washington Consensus rests itself became questionable in the academia. Furthermore, Stiglitz (2002: 74) went on to criticise the theoretical validity of the neo-classical model in his following words: Even if Adam Smiths invisible hand theory were relevant for advanced industrialised countries, the required conditions are not satisfied in developing countries. The market system requires clearly established property rights and the courts to enforce them; but these often these are absent in developing countries. The market system requires competition and perfect information. But competition is limited and information is far from perfect and well-functioning competitive markets cannot be established overnight. The theory says that an efficient market economy requires that all of the assumption be satisfied. In some cases, reforms in one area, without accompanying reforms in others may actually make matters worse. This is issue of sequencing. Ideology ignores this matters; it says simply move as quickly to a market economy as you can. But economic theory and history show how disastrous it can be to ignore sequencing. Apart from the theoretical loopholes in overall framework of the Washington Consensus, many other empirical evidences can be put forth for its failures. These are listed below: The fundamental claim of the Washington Consensus that full-scale liberalisation, at all costs, is associated with superior economic performance was doubtful. For instance, it has been maintained that the highly successful story of the Newly Industrialised Countries (NICs) in East Asia such as Japan and Taiwan better known as the East Asian miracle, gave a reason for the resurgence of the neo-liberal policies. These NICs, no doubt, performed appreciably not only in making rapid and high economic growth but also progressed in terms of key social indicators paved a strong supporting pillar for the neo-liberal paradigm constituting the Washington Consensus. Many believed that these NICs are very close to the norms of the free-market economy. However, this story is partly true. What is significant at this point is to know that the institutions pertaining to industrialization and export growth were performing robustly well and these were the factors which were at the heart of success of t hese countries. Onis (1998: 197-216) has tried to give the valid argument in following words: Strong growth and diversification of industrial output and exports could not be accounted for simply for the logic of the free market: interventionist strategies and an active industrial policy, dictated by considerations relating to longer-term competitiveness and dynamic comparative advantage, constituted the central elements contributing their success. If we see the world economic growth rate, it had infact strikingly lowered, and become more unstable during the neo-liberal era. Not only this, the degree of inequality in the global economy appeared to have increased during this period of neo-liberal economic restricting (UNCTAD 1997). Even the gap between the developed and the developing countries had widened and there had been increased divergence within the Third World. For example, as compare to the hyper-growth in Asian NICs, the Latin American countries in 1980s and sub-Saharan Africa lagged far behind over the same period of time (Rock, 1993: 1787-1801). Moreover, excluding China, there is an increase of poor people and the poverty rate had declined from 28.5 percent to 25 percent (Fischer, 2003:8). According to Stiglitz (2002:76), There is a more fundamental criticism of the IMF/Washington Consensus approach: It does not take acknowledge that development requires a transformation of society. Even it completely ignored the fairness concept. A few more instances could be put forward to support the argument that the collapse of Washington Consensus was inevitable such as the success of Argentina in the first few years of accepting the policies and later how its economy collapsed. The case of Turkey is another example where the Washington Consensus policies totally failed. Exposure of many middle income countries to the vagaries of financial globalization actually proved costly for them because opening of their capital accounts before taking into account the macroeconomic stability fell in the trap of the World Bank and the IMF. These high volatile capital flows and frequent financial crises, because of unregulated financial markets led to repercussion effect of one country could be easily felt in another, which we have thoroughly witnessed in the Asian Crisis of 1997 and the Russian Crisis of 1998, which had myriad socio-economic-politico impacts on different economies. Last but not the least in the series of criticisms that had been labelled against the popular programmes of the Washington Consensus is of course a paradoxical situation when the Washington Consensus talks about minimising the bureaucratic inefficiency, rent-seeking, and other forms corruption and pervasive state failure, it had come to our observation that it had actually happened the other way round these all social and economic evils had actually aggravated during the neo-liberal regime. Keeping these issues in mind, during the mid-1990s there emerged a new and thought provoking policy focus of the key Bretton Woods institutions away from the hard-core neo-liberalism to a new synthesis of states and markets as emerging Post- Washington Consensus. The Post-Washington Consensus: Is it inevitable? The Post-Washington Consensus goes further in detailing the nature of the failures of the Washington consensus (Stiglitz, 1998:17). Joseph E. Stiglitz who is supposed to provide the intellectual backbone to the emerging Post-Washington Consensus maintains that there was lack of understanding between the policies put forth by Washington Consensus and the contextual framework of developing countries. In the following words, Stiglitz tries to state his position: There was a failure in understanding economic structures within developing countries, in focusing on too narrow a set of objectives, and on too limited a set of instruments. For instance, markets by themselves do not produce efficient outcomes when technology is changing or when there is learning about markets; such dynamic processes are at the heart of development; and there are important externalities in such dynamic processes, giving rise to an important role for government. The successful East Asian countries recognized this role; the Washington consensus policies did not (Stiglitz, 1998:17-18). Stiglitz and Greenwald (2003) further believe that the Post-Washington Consensus recognizes that There is a role for a market; the question is to what extent the neoliberals recognize that there is a role for the state, beyond the minimal role of enforcing contracts and property rights. There is no theoretical underpinning to believe that in early stages of development, markets by themselves will lead to efficient outcomes. Moreover, the Asian crisis of 1997 proved to be an important turning point for the rethinking about the Washington Consensus for the reason that for the first time in its history, the IMF was confronted with serious criticisms from all over. It was criticised not only for failing to predict the crisis but also to make the situation worse aftermath the crisis. To describe it more clearly in words of Stanley Fischer, The Asian Crisis was also important in terms in producing a serious rift between the two Bretton Woods institutions again for the first time for many decades. Following the rethinking process that has occurred, the IMF now tends to pay far more attention to regulatory reforms, notably in the context of the banking and financial system, and recognises far more than on the past the importance of strong institutions and good governance (Fischer, 2002:385). Stiglitz (2002:155) further added that the IMF until the Asian Crisis used to be crititicised by the countries at the periphery or the Third World countries, but now the criticisms were also put forward by the countries at the centre or the developed countries. He maintains that: With the onset of the Asian Crisis, the IMF especially became the object of serious criticism from the centre within the key Bretton Woods institutions themselves (Stiglitz, 2002:155-156). One of the key ingredients of the Post-Washington Consensus is the recognition that states have a great role to play in the economic development process. However, the Post-Washington Consensus favours the market liberalisation, the twin concepts of states and markets are considered as of complementing rather than substituting in nature. Greater role for the state institutions has been prescribed for better and efficient working of the economy. There is a clear indication about the regulation of financial markets in order to avoid any uncertainty arising out global flows of capital between countries. And the most important, it is thought that certain areas like human development, equality and to alleviate poverty, states can replace the market failures in accomplishing these issues. The question remains how to improve the state efficiency or to avoid state failure. In this regard, Stiglitz (2001:17) highlights that: The effectiveness of states can be improved by using market-like mechanisms. An interesting symmetry is established by noting that states are important for the effective functioning of markets but also that markets or market-like mechanisms are important for the effective functioning of states. Conclusion While analyzing the whole set of ideas and instruments put forward by each of these different line of thinking about the development discourse it is certain that the policies advocated by them may work in some countries and may not in others. What is important is the debate over the sufficiency conditions put forth for the pervasive development of countries primarily the Third World countries. So far nothing appreciable has been achieved since the introduction of either Washington or the Post-Washington Consensus in developing countries. What is apparent here is the fact that all policies whether its neo-liberal or structuralist in from and nature has not benefitted much from the development assistance programmes initiated by the World Bank and the IMF Post-Second World War period. While the role of the state cannot be undermined in economic progress of any country, it is also important to scrutinise its position and capability in the global scenario marked by excessive dominance of the global governance agenda before it. The irresistible wave of globalisation to a large extent undermines the possible intervention in formulating policies at least at the domestic levels for the countries. The concern in the developing countries is how to bring growth with equity. The balanced approach of the Post-Washington Consensus between states and markets along with reforming the governing institutions is far more impressible strategy than that of believing the automatic working of the economy exposed to liberalisation of markets and openness of economy. At least the gains and losses can be mutually appropriated between these two institutions of markets and states. Relying heavily on the free trade and the consequent trickle-down effect to happen automatically has become a far fetched dream for majority of the countries in the larger paradigm of global governance with varied socio, economic and political implications. What is sure is the trade-off between states and markets would to a large extent provide a new outlook for the development discourse for individual countries presuming institutions of governance are at their best of their capacity, capability and efficiency fronts.

Marketing The Non-Interest Banking System Essay -- Finance

Marketing Non-Interest Banking (International Business Vitality) Traditional Western banking system, with its 5-9% APR on loans performs some benefits for borrowers, but not "absolute," as the bankers like to joke. Much more favorable conditions for customers offer Islamic banks. These financial institutions are willing to lend money without any interest at all. At first glance, this statement seems absurd: after all, why should the bank give money to borrowers in debt with no hope of getting any benefit, if it is more successful to invest the same money in the deal and get a significant income? However, skepticism is hardly justified in this situation. The principle of Islamic banking system is based on the fact that every Muslim, regardless of whether he uses - a loan or debt, cannot carry financial transaction under a steady rate according to the religious canons. Usury is forbidden by Quran. The income of the bank is received from the investment redistribution. A Muslim who brings the money to the bank has a choice: to put them on the current account or into the investment account. If he chooses the current account, he does not receive any money, except the inflation rate, which is set by the state. If he chooses an investment account, the banker and the client agree on the client's income from the income of the bank in a given investment project . Due to the fact that Islamic banks have their own companies and production, which bring income from the sales of specific goods in the market, these programs bring profits to the investors as well. There different programs in which European banks (English and German) can be interested in. (Dalrymple, B) Accordingly, the same principle applies to borrowers. Taking the money in ... ...dely implemented by the European countries in order to prevent financial crisis and develop local businesses. (Brach, J., 2010). References Ali A. Ibrahim, The rise of customary businesses in international financial markets: An introduction to Islamic finance and the challenges of international integration. Georgetown University Law Center. (n.d.). Accessed at: http://works.bepress.com/ali_ibrahim/3 Brach, J. (2010). The Global Financial Crisis and the Arab World: Impact, Reactions and Consequences. Mediterranean Politics. Dalrymple, B. How Sharia law is affecting global interest rate determination. Journal of Finance and Accountancy . Jobst, A. A. (2007). The Economics of Islamic Finance and Securitization. IMF Working Papers Robbins, H. E. (2010). Soul Searching and Profit Seeking: Reconciling the Competing Goals of Islamic Finance. Texas Law Review Marketing The Non-Interest Banking System Essay -- Finance Marketing Non-Interest Banking (International Business Vitality) Traditional Western banking system, with its 5-9% APR on loans performs some benefits for borrowers, but not "absolute," as the bankers like to joke. Much more favorable conditions for customers offer Islamic banks. These financial institutions are willing to lend money without any interest at all. At first glance, this statement seems absurd: after all, why should the bank give money to borrowers in debt with no hope of getting any benefit, if it is more successful to invest the same money in the deal and get a significant income? However, skepticism is hardly justified in this situation. The principle of Islamic banking system is based on the fact that every Muslim, regardless of whether he uses - a loan or debt, cannot carry financial transaction under a steady rate according to the religious canons. Usury is forbidden by Quran. The income of the bank is received from the investment redistribution. A Muslim who brings the money to the bank has a choice: to put them on the current account or into the investment account. If he chooses the current account, he does not receive any money, except the inflation rate, which is set by the state. If he chooses an investment account, the banker and the client agree on the client's income from the income of the bank in a given investment project . Due to the fact that Islamic banks have their own companies and production, which bring income from the sales of specific goods in the market, these programs bring profits to the investors as well. There different programs in which European banks (English and German) can be interested in. (Dalrymple, B) Accordingly, the same principle applies to borrowers. Taking the money in ... ...dely implemented by the European countries in order to prevent financial crisis and develop local businesses. (Brach, J., 2010). References Ali A. Ibrahim, The rise of customary businesses in international financial markets: An introduction to Islamic finance and the challenges of international integration. Georgetown University Law Center. (n.d.). Accessed at: http://works.bepress.com/ali_ibrahim/3 Brach, J. (2010). The Global Financial Crisis and the Arab World: Impact, Reactions and Consequences. Mediterranean Politics. Dalrymple, B. How Sharia law is affecting global interest rate determination. Journal of Finance and Accountancy . Jobst, A. A. (2007). The Economics of Islamic Finance and Securitization. IMF Working Papers Robbins, H. E. (2010). Soul Searching and Profit Seeking: Reconciling the Competing Goals of Islamic Finance. Texas Law Review

Role of Youth in development of Pakistan

Youth: For me youth is the other name of energy. Any society in the world is highly recognized and identified by its youth. To have change is a society you ought to change in the youth. Young people are the ones who have the abilities to bring the change to better the world and to enhance the resources. â€Å"When the newspapers have got nothing else to talk about, they cut loose on the young. The young are always news if they are up to something that’s news, if they aren’t that news too.† â€Å"Kenneth Rexroth†About Pakistan: Pakistan is a country that is followed by bad luck right from the first day of its formation. After the death of the great leader Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, We are not able to produce a unique leader who has the abilities to lead and direct the people in right direction. That’s the reason why there is decentralization of ideas, thoughts and response among the peoples of Pakistan. For me it is great bad luck that despite having to much resources, talent and great thinking minds, Pakistan is not yet able to registered it name the among the best develop country in the world. Youth Of Pakistan:Pakistan has the most percentage of youth among all the categories of its population. That is a great sign as it means greater chances of revolution. The history of world testifies whether there was a good or bad revolution, it was caused by young people of respective nations. â€Å"Older men declare war. But it is youth that must fight and die† We don’t need to go far; the foundation of Pakistan itself was a great revolution. The part of Muslim youth in this historical event can never be forgotten. They gave immense sacrifices to get the freedom from two greater powers i.e. the English and the Hindus. That’s why the great Quaid-e-Azam has always put a great stress on the young people and has tried to give them the right direction. He said â€Å"Pakistan is proud of her youth particularly t he students, who are always in forefront into hour of trial and need†.Some Other Revolutions: I am using the word â€Å"Youth† and â€Å"Revolution† together again and again, because I think there is very close link between these two, or these two words have incomplete meaning without each other. When we look at the history of world, the French revolution (1789-1799) occupies a remarkable place. It was a period of radical, social and political upheaval in both French and Europeans history. In that time, the cruel French rulers were permanently collapsed by the youth and now France has a renowned place in the list of sparking nations.The American Revolution, the young Turkish revolution, the Chinese revolution and the great Iranian revolution are also some important wonders of youth. â€Å"Almost everything that is great has been done by youth† It is advisable for young people of Pakistan to go, check and identify the factors causing these great revolutions and then try to implement these rules of revolution in our own society because it is true that time is slipping from our hands. Merits And Demerits Of Pakistani Youth:God almighty has blessed this part of world with immense talent and creativity. The young people of Pakistan are not less talented and able than that any other developed country. Late Arfa Kareem, Ali Moeen Nawazish are some example of young Pakistanis who have raised the name of Pakistan in front of the world. But our demerits are certainly more than our merits. A lot of our young people are busy indulging them in useless activities, thus spoiling their future. The main reason is that there is no proper guidance. We are largely spelled by the western culture.Our own culture is lost somewhere in the western and Indian culture. Our young people find themselves happy in copying bad habits of others. A large percentage of our young people have no thought about what are their actual activities and what are they doing. The re is no similarity of behavior, thoughts and ideas of life among young people belonging to different aspects and different areas of Pakistan. Our people need to understand that: â€Å"The purpose of life should be a life of purpose.†Need Of Concentration:There is a great need to make young people concentrate to the  situation of Pakistan. We can’t afford to close our eyes like a frightened pigeon. Our country is going down. Our economic condition is very poor. Other countries are causing there affects on Pakistan. There special target is the youth we should not allow these negative forces to play with. We can’t expect the government to correct everything by just rotating a stick. It is our duty to look after our beloved country. It is a â€Å"do or die† time. Each single person of Pakistanis youth needs to understand and memorize it. â€Å"The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rat her a lack of will.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Vince Lombardi†Education The Key: The first and most vital step for the youth is to educate themselves. In any area of life, no progress can be done without proper education. There is a need to provide education in each single area of Pakistan. Greater the educated person we have, greater are the chances for our progress and prosperity. Without education we are zero. There is another important factor that there should be a proper channel for education. Education shouldn’t mean only becoming a doctor or an engineer; it should teach someone how to think, how to act and how to play his role in flourishing a better society. â€Å"A human being is not attaining his full heights until he is educated†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Horace Mann†Stand Against Corruption:Corruption is like rusting which causes destruction of the whole society. Corruption is the biggest problem of our country. Our greatest bad luck is that our renowned leaders are the mot corr upted people among us. Our greatest sin is that we watch everything but remains silent and don’t even think about stopping it. If the whole youth of Pakistan gathers on one platform and take oath of vanishing corruption from the country that I’m 101% sure that we will be able to remove corruption and return millions of lack money back to poor people. It is very simple in saying. In actual, it is very hard nut to crack. But history tells us that when youth was serious  in causing the change, the youth has caused the change. â€Å"The duty of youth is to challenge corruption.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Kurt Cobain†Have A Sharp Eye On Politics:It is considered as a wise advice to keep youth away from politics. It is true, the youth should not be involved in politics, and their priority should be the education. But for me, they need to keep themselves aware of what is going around them. What sorts of persons are governing them and whether they are serious for the country or not . Because one day, a young man has to go in political life, has to cast a vote, then he should be known to the current situation and the people, he got to follow. In a nut shell, if the young are not aware of country politics, then how can we produce leaders from them? â€Å"Obstacles are those frightful things you can see when you take your off your goal.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Henry Fort†Identify Real Leaders:In Pakistan there is a worst scene that some typical families are always involved in politics. After the death of Quaid-e-Azam we haven’t find a leader that ought to be followed by all the people of Pakistan. We have got leaders of nationalism. Pathans follow different leaders. Bloch’s have some other one. Punjabi and Sindhi are also not sure about a true leader to follow that who will be sincere and honest with the country. The youth of Pakistan need to be nullifying these criteria. We should not cast our vote just by listening to others. We need to have proper se nse that who is sincere with us and who is not. We need to produce a unique leader from ourselves who should think for the country and should be able to develop a proper roadmap for the progress and prosperity of Pakistan. â€Å"Ten soldiers wisely led will beat a hundred without a head.† Have One Aim:It is necessary that young people of the whole country have same plan to work on. If we want a revolution for progress, then we should avoid  decentralization of ideas. In Pakistan there should be a single notable platform for the youth to gather and collect ideas, and then choose the best ideas and apply their implementations. The youth shouldn’t be confused and demoralized by the political infrastructure of Pakistan. They should realize that it is the time to rise to the occasion and change the negative system of the country.They should be facing problems from the hidden forces which do not want youth to come forward. They will also try to distract the youth from the right path by creating confusion and misunderstandings among young people in understanding which roadmap is right for them and which is not. â€Å"Youth is easily deceived, because it is quick to hope.† We can disgrace them by having strong unity among ourselves. There is need to know for youth trust. â€Å"United we stand, divide we fall.†Take Daring Steps:To sit on a bench and watch the things going is a very easy task. But for me the meaning of youth is to take risks. These risks are ought to be taken for our beloved country Pakistan. â€Å"Success often comes to those who dare to act. It seldom goes to the timid that are ever afraid of consequences†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Jawaharlal Nehru†Say no to corruption, injustice, cruelity and all other devils of society. Be at one notable platform and ask others to join it just by lightening candles by candles. The current situation of Pakistan tells that elections are near. There are new and old parties that are looking for ge tting the large percentage of youth votes. By standing united, the young people should put some terms and conditions in front of the political parties that they will vote them only if they are serious for the country. If after coming to government they change their policies they should be answerable in front of youth.For the present time, we need to forget every other thing and just think for our country that has given us a protection and freedom of mind. Now it is time to payback. Also people of other age groups need to put stress on growing up then youth for great revolution like that of France or Iran. â€Å"In case you are worried about what’s going to become of the younger generation, it’s going to grow up and start worrying about the younger  generation.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Roger Allen†They need to encourage the youth nearby them and to raise their morals high â€Å"We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.â₠¬  To conclude all of what I have written above, I just want to say three words to the youth of Pakistan:- â€Å"NOW OR NEVER†

How does Flaubert use the Agricultural fair at Rouen to further his satire of 19th century French society?

Gustave Flaubert wrote his novel Madame Bovary in the mid-nineteenth century as a satirical comment on the upper middle class, those who were just rich enough to pretend to be rich. Flaubert loathed them and wrote his novel to make them appear as the fools that he thought them to be. His loathing for the upper middle class of 1850's France stemmed from the ideals which they held. Flaubert saw his fellows as a generation lost to the meritless and frivolous dreams of the French Romantic movement. French Romanticism was a movement through all the creative arts towards idealising the world which artists constructed. Although equally present in music and visual art, Flaubert focused both his hatred and his satire on the literature of the time, this reactionary nature earned him the title of a â€Å"naturalist†. This was however something that Flaubert hated; the Naturalistic movement was one that focused on specifics and on realism in a work, whereas Flaubert sought to make his story one that was applicable to any setting. Though his attention to detail in places mirrors that of a realist or naturalist writer, this is not his essential purpose. Flaubert defies any attempt to fit his work to a particular movement or style in French literature, though there is little doubt that his work Madame Bovary is a reactionary satire of French romanticism and of the bourgeois society that regurgitated the clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s of the movement. Each word in the novel is carefully chosen, so the book becomes a painstakingly constructed trap which ensnares the thoughts of the reader and guides them to the conclusions that Flaubert wants us to make. Although every word in the novel is vital to Flaubert's purpose, there are certain key passages that are particularly pivotal to the book. Among these is his description of the agricultural fair at Rouen in Part II Chapter 8. One section of this describes a conversation that occurs between Rodolphe and Emma in the provincial fair that surrounds it. The passage begins with a monologue from Rodolphe: what he expresses in the passage is a fairly clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ set of ideals from the romantic movement. He talks of â€Å"Striving souls† and â€Å"beating hearts† . Particularly typical is the idea of two souls matched by fate that cannot be drawn apart. However despite the words of the text the tone is not one of romance. Flaubert intentionally marrs Rodolphe's words by introducing them with the sentence: â€Å"Rodolphe had moved in closer to Emma, he was talking in a low voice, speaking rapidly† This has the effect that Rodolphe appears to be making a clumsy attempt to seduce Emma, rather than simply expressing noble sentiments. Another tool that Flaubert uses to make the entire situation still more comedic, is by consistently contrasting the everyday provinciality of the agricultural fair with the frivolous fantasies in which the two â€Å"star crossed lovers† engage. This is used consistently throughout the passage, but it makes its first appearance in introduction to this section: Flaubert talks of bleating lambs and cattle, then suddenly Rodolphe says: â€Å"Don't you find this social conspiracy revolting? Is there one sacred feeling that they do not condemn?†. This adds to the reader's feeling that Rodolphe and Emma are completely in a world of their own with little or no connection to the reality of the bovine conspirators. The reader should note the over-punctuation which creates a disjointed tone: Oh! Come what may, sooner or later, in six months, ten years, they will be together, will be lovers, because Fate ordains it, because they were born for one another. Flaubert runs the entire monologue into a single paragraph. This has the effect that we are left with the impression of a clumsy attempt at seduction muttered quickly under the breath. In the next paragraph Flaubert describes the sensations that Emma feels. He writes of Emma's observations of Rodolphe. Ironically much of the passage is devoted to describing the smell of Rodolphe's pomade and to the fresh scent of the ivy climbing a nearby house, but one can only imagine the onslaught of odours that would campaign against ones nostrils in a rural agricultural fair. Flaubert's writing here mimics that of French Romanticism, his style is an exaggeration of the literary genre that he seeks to mock. This is perhaps also a reflection of the feelings that Emma wants to have as much as the feelings that she does have. The next paragraph contains the concluding section of the Councillor's speech. One should note the immediate change: Emma has been lost to the scent of Rodolphe's hair, and then suddenly the councillor shouts out â€Å"Endurance! Perseverance!†, ideals which are in stark contrast to Emma's thoughts of desire. This serves to make Emma appear petty, concerned only with those matters that are emotive and frivolous. Flaubert makes another sly stab here, this time at the church. Endurance! Perseverance! Heed neither the voice of habit, nor the over-hasty teachings of rash empiricism! Dedicate yourselves above all to the improvement of the soil, to good manure, to the development of the various breeds, equine, bovine, ovine and porcine. If one reads the opening sentences from the Councillor's speech it becomes clear that his manner of oration is based on the stereotype of a â€Å"hellfire and damnation† preacher: the resemblance can perhaps be most clearly seen in the way he cries out virtues, and in â€Å"Heed neither the voice of habit, nor the over-hasty teachings of rash empiricism† a sentence that is quite biblical in its construction if not in its subjects. This is certainly a caricature of an evangelical preacher. This impression is aided by the Councillor's introduction: â€Å"†¦she could hear†¦ the voice of the councillor psalming out his phrases† Mimicking the style of a over-zealous padre serves to mock the church by imitation. Applying this same manner of speech to such a mundane topic as agriculture rather than religion serves to demystify it, making it appear comical. Lieuvain then dismounts his pulpit and is replaced by another speaker. Flaubert takes the opportunity of introducing the new orator to contrast the trivial nature of Rodolphe and Emma's discourse with the profound speech of Monsieur Derozerays. This is done by contrasting pairs of sentences throughout the paragraph, alternating between describing the lovers' conversation, and describing the speech. This technique begins thus: Accordingly, praise of the government played a lesser role; religion and agriculture were rather more in evidence†¦ Rodolphe, with Madame Bovary, was talking dreams, premonitions, magnetism. We now move a little lower on the page and find a similar contrast: †¦Cincinnatus at his plough, Diocletian planting his cabbages and the emperors of China bringing in the New Year by planting seeds, the young man was explaining to the young woman that these irresistible attractions had their origin in some previous existence†¦ Flaubert clearly wants to make a mockery of the whole situation. He is trivialising these matters of the heart by comparing them to the hardworking people of the fields, where the labourers are planting seeds for the New Year. Flaubert continues to alternate between describing the speech and describing the seduction. The contrasts between the two begin subtly but as we continue down the page they grow less and less so. By the time we reach the bottom of the page Flaubert has begun to intermingle the words of Rodolphe, speaking of love and destiny and of all the ideals of French romanticism and Derozerays, who talks of money of work and of that which is concrete and substantive: – Did you know that I would be escorting you? – Seventy francs!3 – A hundred times I wanted to leave, and I followed you, I stayed. – Manures! – As I shall stay this evening, tomorrow and the day after, all my life. Flaubert's purpose in this entire extract is to satirise the seduction. More importantly, it is to show that the ideals that are shared by the Bourgeoisie and the Church concern matters that are emotive and are therefore trivial compared to those things concrete such as land, money and food. Flaubert trivialises the entire Romantic genre by setting a clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½d romantic conversation, that proliferates with the language and metaphors that permeate the literature that he is satirising. He then places this exaggeration of the Romantic movement into a situation that is overwhelmingly provincial and agricultural. This serves his purpose of mocking the petty bourgeoisie and the Romantic movement.

Analysis on Electronic Health Record in the Contemporary Society Essays

Analysis on Electronic Health Record in the Contemporary Society Essays Analysis on Electronic Health Record in the Contemporary Society Paper Analysis on Electronic Health Record in the Contemporary Society Paper Due to advent of globalization and the immense occurrence of health problems in the contemporary society, healthcare practitioners divulge into a rather â€Å"modernized† conviction on how to improve the quality of their services for the benefit of humanity. Conceivably, the vision by which these practitioners are aided is a manifestation that the seeking towards the improvement of humanity’s way of living is constantly developing, hence, commencing on rather efficient means to cure and prevent manageable diseases which during the earlier decades were sought to be irrevocable (Gartee, 2006). In such delight, the mounting ability of technology on providing an efficient lifestyle is feasibly working on its utmost lead- the dilemma on paper works and compilation of medical patients has been conclusively time consuming thus, there appeared to be a remedy to such hassle- the electronic medical record. However, the access upon such records has been limited only to the hospital where the patient has been admitted and the other bureaus or offices which may need it in some circumstance were not given the â€Å"efficient† access to these records, making the â€Å"emergent† need time-consuming to comply. Consequently, the healthcare landscape came up with the revolutionized Electronic Health Record which enables the society to browse their medical record online, as well as with the other medical entities (JAHIMA, 2007). Current legislation surrounding its implementation In the year 2005, the United States of America gave a proposition to medical practitioners and hospitals as well that the pursuance of the project will not be of burden to them- giving them assurance that they are to grant the doctors with free electronic records system- which eventually triggered the publics consent on the feasibility and availability of the new system[1]. Consequently, several countries trusted the idea and have perceivably imposed the system and have catered such in a â€Å"shared† system[2] wherein the government and the hospitals both carve up their part in the maintenance of the EHR (Health Data Management, 2007). Hence, there appears to be a predicament on the case, since there are these critics who have observed a flaw in the program conveying the fact that the government is using this system and is allots a ‘larger’ amount compared to that calculated. There even involves politics in the imposition and various scrutiny on its ability to â€Å"develop life† and â€Å"change the future† of the healthcare arena constituted deliberative discussions- the standards in the system has not met the society’s expectation, although it has lessened the death rate in the country and the â€Å"donations† fraud[3]- seemingly float up in the whole gist of the story. [1] See nytimes.com/2005/07/21/health/21records.html?_r=2oref=sloginoref=slogin. [2] Ibid. healthdatamanagement.com/html/current/CurrentIssueStory.cfm?PostID=18930 [3] Ibid. http://emradvice.wordpress.com/category/ehr-legislation/

Marketing plan for Unilever Company

Marketing plan for Unilever Company Purpose of the plan The purpose of this marketing plan will be to evaluate the existing retail market strategy for Unilever Company and compare it to the rivals’ strategies. The marketing plan will also be designed after investigating the current trends and developments existing in the retail sector.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Marketing plan for Unilever Company specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Situational Analysis Target market (of current products) The company products prices are easily affordable to all classes of customers since the company uses a value pricing strategy across all the regions where its branches are found. In terms of the products offered, the company boasts of a multi-brand system where the brand names are known by their positive reputation of being high quality products and thus easier to reach a higher market pool than the rivals(Jones 2002). Distribution network The company ha s a well established distribution network in the more than a 100 countries where the company has invested in. This is very helpful since it helps the customers in accessing company products. Competition The completion Unilever company is facing shall be analyzed in the porters 5 keys of competition (Porter 1988) The Threat from New Entrants: (Low) The products offered by Unilever such as the food and personal care require high capital investment to penetrate the market in relation to the established distribution channels which enables to compete effectively. With the company having branches in more than 100 countries and its ability to design its products according to the customers’ needs, reduces any notable threat from new market entrants. Threat of Substitutes (High) With the emphasis on health eating being at its prime, consumers have been turning to other alternatives such as low carbohydrate and calorie diets as a result making the substitutes threat very high. Bargaini ng Power of Suppliers (Low) This has been low due to the fact that Unilever has a very big and well known business unit, which cannot be forced to change (or influenced in any way in their decision making) by other suppliers.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Bargaining Powers of Suppliers (High) The customers, especially those who live in the European Union region, keep on demanding new products and improved features and also diversity in the product prices offered. As a result, the company has been forced to develop new products such as the slimming products. Competition (High) The company faces high competition from companies such as the Novartis, Nestle and DANONE (Neff 2010). As a result, this has forced the company to restructure its program which was aimed at cutting the old portfolio of 1600 brands down to the major 400 core brands. The above rivals are producing similar products to what Unilever and hence the high competition. Financial conditions The company enjoys vast investments almost in every corner of the world as a result currently the financial conditions for Unilever can be described as stable External forces Political The company operates literally everywhere in the world both in the developed and the less developed economies where political situations are stable and chances of market interference by governments of the countries are very minimal thus they cannot control how Unilever markets its products. To reduce chances of political interference, the company uses its experience and goodwill to make contacts in many countries bargaining with the governments so as to modify the regulations and as a result, Unilever has gained political ground using its tactical strategy and experience helping in creation of favourable business environment and increasing their market share in the long run. Economic With the European coun tries under the umbrella of the European Union using one currency (the Euro), the whole of the European market has been transformed to a single market as a result this has led to an increased market for the company products. The single currency has also played a big role in stabilizing the inflation rates within the region and as a result Unilever Company enjoys stable prices throughout the region.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Marketing plan for Unilever Company specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Technological The firm’s intention is not only to maximize wealth but also anticipates the aspirations of its consumers in order for them to respond creatively and competitively. As other firms automate their systems Unilever has not been left behind and of late the company has been putting much effort on research and development and also launching of modified products so as to satisfy all the stakeholders (Ide a Connection ND). This works well with ensuring the customers are aware of what content the products they buy from Unilever have thus creating reassurance that if the qualities of the good are overlooked, they can always contact the company offices and raise their issues. Summary of situational analysis (SWOT Table) Strengths Leads in most of the food products it offers in the market products such as soups, tea, and cream. Leads in producing and supplying frozen food products in Europe. Leads in producing and selling multiple brands. Possesses the art of producing customer made products that suit their customers completely. Observation and adherence to customers’ needs and desires. The company enjoys good diversity of nationalities as the company has invested almost everywhere in the world. The large range of the products ensures that the customers remain flocking all year out. The company’s liquid tablets for laundry purposes as well as fabric soft eners prevent lime scale when used in stem irons and this has been a major strong point. Increasing market share in the Latin America region, Africa and the Middle East regions. Weaknesses Slump demand from the American region. Company products: the frozen foods, prestige perfume and other household care have been underperforming way below the set targets. The lagging divisions have been affecting the sales growth for the Unilever 400 leading brands. Declining market share for the slim products as people become more health sensitive. Threats from other rivals such as Marks Spencer and Sainsbury (Emmo Dave 2007) Opportunities With consumers changing tastes, the company can change their market segments to a more health-conscious group especially women who can afford to buy the products. Opportunities for market development in the developing countries. They are also high penetrating opportunities in the Latin America region. Adoption of new technologies will aid in easier financial and customer management(IBM 2006) Threats Stiff competition from other rivals in the industry especially the DANONE, Marks and Spencer and also from Sainsbury. Consumer loss of confidence and trust in Unilever products. Many prefer reduced fats and exercises (Unilever 2011). The retailers (subsidiaries) don’t stock enough products (Clarke 2011) Segmentation, targeting, positioning Segmentation refers to the process of dividing a heterogeneous market and breaking it into smaller homogenous segments where members of a certain group correspond to certain needs. Targeting on the other hand is the identifiable group at which a company such as Unilever directs its efforts towards satisfying the clients (Wedel Kamakura 2000). Strategies have thus been developed for each target market by combining the four elements of marketing to make a successful market mix. The company has been targeting households for home care products as well as health sen sitive individuals. Positioning is usually determined in order for the customers to know where the product stands in relation to other rival products. Unilever has positioned themselves as foods and personal care producers with the company positioning itself as a high quality and pocket friendly products producing company. Marketing Strategy Corporate objectives To regain and control the market leadership for the next decade. Regain the stockholder as well as consumer confidence. To make the management more internationalized. Marketing Objectives To create sustainable profitable growth and value for shareholders by increasing the profits by 5% To boost the sales and the margins through a growth strategy by 7.5% To increase spending on advertising the 300 out of 400 core products by allocating marketing budget of 5000 million pounds To increase the market share and maintain leadership in the company’s core product by ensuring and creating customer loyalty and producing prod ucts which meet specific customers in the market. Financial Objectives Increase Unilever marketing funding by 50% over the next two financial years. Increase Unilever capital funding by 5% in next year’s budget and at least 5% each year after that. Societal Objectives To improve the society perception of our products To provide more healthy products in order to maintain our loyal customers To sponsors games and other sporting events in order to closer to our customers and know they feel about our products. Programs The company products touch the lives of many people throughout the world. In nutrition themes, Unilever has of late been recognized on helping their shoppers make a strong choice by enhancing the dietary quality of their products, through intensifying the consumer choice and offering vivid information to their customers.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The efforts have been witnessed in the past such as the introduction of the Nutrition Enhancement Program introduced in 2005 which has enhanced the company achieve the internationally accepted guidelines for nutrition content such as fats, salts and sugar content. With the Food and Agriculture Organization predicting increased populations of undernourished people, the company has in response introduced products which check into malnutrition problems for example the Rama/Blue Band which contains vitamins A and D and the Annapurna salt which is iodized reducing goitre related problems. Target market Marketing touches every aspect of an entrepreneur’s business operation. It is usually a series of activities designed to identify what the customers really want or are looking for in your good or service. The company will target both the middle and the lower classes by offering the products at low prices (Kleiner Adams 2003). Product Product is a bundle of benefits being delivered to meet the needs of our customers (Tronstad 1995). Product policies are concerned with what Unilever should do in their new product and brand development. Branding is part of the actual product and is usually an important issue when considering the product strategy. Branding is usually used to give company products unique identities and helps the marketer to differentiate their product from those of competitors (Rosenzweig 2000). Unilever will use this branding strategy because its name is already established worldwide. The launch costs of new products will be low and the brand loyal customers are likely to try the branded new products. Promotion Promotion entails all the tools we shall use in order to communicate with our customers. They include advertising, sales promotions, direct marketing and public relations among others. In all these, there exist two promotion strategies: the pull or the push strategy (Nitschke ND). Unilever will use the pull strategy whereby the company wil l promote its products to the final customers by encouraging them to buy. As a result, the consumers will be encouraged to demand the products from their intermediaries. Distribution Place simply refers to the means through which our product will reach the consumer (Kotler 2000). It involves the distribution activities which are necessary in getting a product to a customer. With the established distribution centres, Unilever will seek to introduce smaller branches within the countries where the company has introduced subsidiaries as well as introducing new market openings in new areas. Pricing Price is usually the amount our customers will be willing to pay in order to access our product this value comes along (Ellickson Misra 2006). In today’s market place, Unilever will continue using the high quality low price strategy to ensure that the company retains its market share. Financial plan (Determining) The marketing budget Projected costs, revenues and sales forecasts ite m Cost in US Dollars Material costs 2500000 labor costs 6500000 overhead costs 5200000 Advertising costs 350000 promotions 500000 Networking 100000 15150000 Anticipated profits After implementing the business plan, we expect that the company will make profits of 10 billion dollars in the first quarter though the operating costs are expected to increase and the economy to remain sluggish. Implementation Process Measures for measuring performance Using the balance score method, Unilever will be able to control four perspectives of marketing: from the financial perspective, if the company is to meet the objectives, it will be required to monitor and measure all the profits margin sales and other goals through management of the objectives. Thus, the company will be required to measure the profitability of its products according to the region. The desired increase in shareholders’ value will be easily measured through dividends. From the customer perspective, the critical success factors will be measured by making sure they observe the consumer satisfaction index and also by analyzing the problems presented by the consumers. The internal perspective to be measured is the efficiency: this will be done by controlling marketing aspects such as sales force efficiency as well as advertising efficiency. Finally, the last perspective which Unilever can check how the implementation is going on is though the strategic control; this will require the company taking the initiative to critically review the overall marketing and corporate objectives (Martin ND). Implementation procedure If the analysis of our market mixes strategies show that implementation of such measures will aid to the growth of the company, we shall then implement our marketing plan into two phases: Phase one will involve implementing our marketing plan in the European region where the market is stable compared to the other places in Africa, Latin America and Middle East regions. Af ter implementing it fully, if any modifications are required we shall then modify the marketing plan before we can implement it in the other regions. All implementation activities will be planned and scheduled by using a Gantt chart as this will help in monitoring and controlling what has been done and what will have remained (Bunin 2008) Market penetration To penetrate the new markets, Unilever will use the low pricing high quality strategy in order to attract the low class and middle classes in all the regions that the company has established its subsidiaries. To increase the volume of sales the company must ensure that the goods remain of high quality to ensure the customers continue deriving maximum utility. Market development Service program development The company also gives back to the society through its employees. They have introduced the (Lamplighter) program which permits its employees to gauge and track the important aspects of their health (such as blood pressure). In r eturn a healthy workforce for Unilever translates into more friendly and consumer engaged employees. Diversification The company has a wide range of frozen foods, tea, laundry soaps and ice creams among other products. It is also dedicated at providing its customers with the best information about food and nutrition in order to help them make sound decisions when purchasing the company products. About holding promotions, the company has been advertising fully in the internet due to the huge market pool it holds with much interest given on high quality and value. Another market aspect which Unilever has been able to use is the distribution system in which the company distributes its products through their intermediaries throughout the world in every location where their branches are located (Clarke 2011). Reference List Bunin, R.B. 2008. New Perspectives on Microsoft Project 2007: Introductory. London, Cengage Learning. Clarke, F. 2011. Unilever, Nestlà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s Rio Ice Cream Wars . [Online] Available at: http://riotimesonline.com/brazil-news/rio-business/unilever-and-nestle%E2%80%99s-rio-ice-cream-wars/ . Ellickson, P. B., Misra, S., 2006. Supermarket Pricing Strategies. [Online] Available at: gsb.stanford.edu/facseminars/pdfs/2006_11-17_Ellickson.pdf . Emmo, M., and Dave, D. 2007. Looking Good, Feeling Good and Getting More Out of Life. [Online] Available at: unilever.com/images/iv-icn09_Vitality-symposium-proceedings_tcm13-189850_tcm13-189850.pdf. Idea Connection. Not Dated. Unilever uses Collaboration to Develop Clean Water Solution. [Online] Available at: ideaconnection.com/open-innovation-success/Unilever-uses-Collaboration-to-Develop-Clean-Water-So-00172.html. Jones, G. 2002. Unilever- a Case Study. [Online] available at: http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/3212.html. Kleiner, E., Abrams, R. 2003. The Successful Business Plan: Secrets Strategies. 4th Edition. London, The Planning Shop Kotler, P. 2000. Marketing Management. New York, Prentice Hall International , Millennium edition IBM. 2006. Unilever Europe Improves Retail Execution And Trade Promotions Efficiency With IBM. [Online] available from; http://www-304.ibm.com/easyaccess/fileserve?contentid=75673 . Martin, J.R. Not Dated. Kaplan, R. S. and D. P. Norton. 1992. The Balanced Scorecard Measures That Drive Performance. Harvard Business Review (January-February): 71-79. [Online] Available at: http://maaw.info/ArticleSummaries/ArtSumKaplanNorton92.htm . Neff, J. 2010. Why Execs at Some of PGs Fiercest Rivals Hold Its Stock: Package-Goods Giants Alums Are Increasingly Cropping Up at Competitors. [Online] Available at: http://adage.com/article/news/p-g-alums-crop-rivals-unilever-estee-lauder-lvmh/143612/. Nitischke, R., Not Dated. The 5Ps of marketing: Arago Partners LLC. [Online] Available from: aragopartnersllc.com/documents/The5PsofMarketing.pdf . Rosenzweig, S. 2000. Smart Marketing: What Big Companies Practice and You Should Learn about Marketing, Branding and Business Development . 2nd Edition. London, Emery Publishing Company. Tronstad, R., 1995. Product Position. [Online] Available at: http://ag.arizona.edu/arec/pubs/dmkt/PRODUCT.pdf . Porter, M.E. 1998. Competitive Advantage: Creating And Sustaining Superior Performance: With A New Introduction. New York, Simon and Schuster Publishers. Unilever. 2000. Unilever. International Directory of Company Histories, Vol. 32. St. James Press. [Online] Available at: fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Unilever-Company-History.html . Unilever. 2011. Millions Of people all over the world have lost weight wit SlimFast. [Online] Available at: unilever.com/brands/foodbrands/slim-fast/index.aspx . Wedel, M., and Kamakura, W.A. 2000. Market Segmentation: Conceptual And Methodological Foundations. 2nd Edition. New York, Springer Publishers.

Autonomous Learner Characteristics

Autonomous Learner Characteristics INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of the study Looking back in time, English language were used once during the Cambodian Republic Regime (1970 – 1975), but thereafter, English was completely banned during the Genocidal Regime of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge; in 1993, for the first National Election in Cambodia, English language emerged again in this country with the arrival of United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) (Narith, 2008). Since then the popularity of English language has gradually grown among Cambodian people. According to Crystal (1997) indicates that English language gains its popularity in the world due to political power, military power and economic power. In Cambodia, because of local and international business, international non-governmental organizations, job requirements, consumerism, computers and mass media, young people are encouraged to learn English as a foreign language (Narith, 2008). Further, Igawa (2008) studies about English language an d its education in Cambodia states that â€Å"communicative competence in English means a better job and a better pay for Cambodian people†. That is why English language is encouraged and promoted to learn. Concerning English language learning, Cambodian students culturally seem to be respectful, obedient, and passive towards their teachers. This happens because of the traditional classroom, which is commonly practiced and mainly focused on teacher-centered approach. This approach offers fewer opportunities to students to engage in their learning, because the teacher always plays a role as a knowledge transmitter to students. Moreover, there is little interaction among teachers and students. The teacher usually spends a great deal of time speaking and explaining in the class; while students are required to sit passively and listen to the teacher attentively (Wang, 2007). However, after the communicative language teaching has emerged in Cambodia over the last ten years, the ro le of teacher and student has been gradually changed in modern classroom. In other words, there is a shift from a teacher-centered approach to a learner-centered approach, which offers students more possibilities to actively engage in their learning process. Since this shift occurs, learners are viewed as the main source of information for learning process, which the practice of learner autonomy begins to grow in language learning and teaching (Benson, 2001). Holec (1981) was the first person who coined the term â€Å"learner autonomy† and defined it as â€Å"the ability to take charge of one’s own learning†. Autonomous learning encourages a very active role of learners and focuses on greater students’ initiative rather teacher-centered direction. (Eyob, 2008). Tudor (1993) also states that learner-centeredness is not a method, nor may it be decreased to a set of rules. It is, however, an approach, which views students to have more active and participator y roles in the learning and teaching process than in traditional approaches. Additionally, this approach requires different classroom activities, the structures of which are decided by students themselves resulting in increases in students’ involvement and motivation. There is also a parallel change in the teacher’s role in learner-centered classrooms. The teacher is less likely to dominate classroom events in contrast to traditional classrooms where the learning environment is teacher-centered and teachers are considered as authorities.

Louis Esson and Early Nationalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Louis Esson and Early Nationalism - Essay Example (Suryadinata, 2000) The play presents an opposing arena where the ideological left is pitted against the somewhat dull and repetitive depiction of the right. Not only is the play a reflection of the nationalistic principles of Esson, but it illustrates the political environment at the time with the then Prime Minister Andrew Fisher having just gained power. This leader would lay the foundations of Australia's new national statutory structure as well as representing the first federal and senate majority government in addition to the first Labour party majority. (Carroll, 2004). Barrett's speech echoes many of Esson's socialist views, with his hard no nonsense delivery, designed to make the public feel like they have something more to think about beyond the realms of conventionality and traditional party politics. It is an urban play unlike the majority of Esson's later body of work of bush located themed dramas. This play was given an amateur performance in Melbourne and heralded Esson as one of the founders of a distinct new genre of Australian drama. Louis Esson and the Australian Theatre is a correspondence w... Louis Esson and the Australian Theatre Louis Esson and the Australian Theatre is a correspondence with Esson's friend and work colleague Vance Palmer who published the letter, together with other documents relating to the work of Esson in 1948. It provides an insight into the opinions and objectives oat the time of Esson's intensions to fundamentally change the direction and angle of his work. It describes conversations had between Esson and his contemporaries, Yeats and Synge following Esson's extensive travels to Europe. Yeats himself had an overwhelming sense of nationalism, and as the letter demonstrates has persuaded Esson here into believing that the future of his success is dependent on writing and producing plays that have a rural focus set in the country. Only then will the true essence of nationalistic belief in your country be recognized and appreciated. This is supported with damning attacks against other writers of the time who Esson; now completely influenced by Yeats considers superficial, when measuring the content of their work against their inability to be true to life as their writing is only informed by emotions and personal tragedy. Labeled the 'so called intellectual drama'. Yeats's strong nationalistic impression of Ireland as a nation perpetually battling for independence, politically torn apart and steeped in Celtic tradition which he advocates in many of his works is compared to Australia in this letter. (Bell, 1997) He justifies this in terms of its true national ideologies w hich he feels should be recognized and publicized more through Esson's own abilities as a playwright And the reader is told

Other Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Other - Essay Example They can also help people diet in a proper manner and assist in loss of weight, while keeping fit. Thesis: American ‘super foods’ as well as a large number of fruits and vegetables that are produced in America are really good for health and can actually help people in their fitness regimes and to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Day by day, more and more Americans are becoming conscious about their health and dietary habits. They are taking to nutrition because of the rampant obesity world over, especially in America, because of the junk food culture. Even though a large number of people still have poor eating habits and have taken to consuming junk food or fast food on a daily basis, there are people spreading awareness regarding the importance of proper living. Magazines, newspapers, tv shows, the radio, as well as many contemporary films and books being made and written in the US have been promoting healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle, with the help of American foods itself. Moreover, eating junk food is not all that bad if consumed in a controlled manner. Many American parents have begun to lay emphasis on ensuring that their children receive a healthy diet. Schools in the country have also begun to advocate healthy foods and salads as part of their mess or cafeterias and have begun to rule out the u se of soft drinks and fast foods in order to help students understand that a high nutritional value is much more important than consuming something that might seem tasty but consists of a high number of calroies. With respect to fruits and vegetables, there are foods like blueberries, pumpkin seeds, avocados, sweet potatoes etc that are produced in America in high quantities. (Mitzweich, John) These foods are very rich in nutritions and assist people in overral development of their bodies. Moreover, salmon is produced in the country and sold to very many households as well;

Postwar Urban Development in the Golden Horseshoe Research Paper

Postwar Urban Development in the Golden Horseshoe - Research Paper Example The Golden Horseshoe population is dense which makes up one fourth of the total population in Canada. The total population of the Greater Golden Horseshoe was 8.1 million individuals according to census results of 2006 (MacFarlane 65). By the year 2031, the population is projected to grow up to about 12 million (MacFarlane 66). This shows that the expected growth rate per year is about 12.5 %. However, in the urban areas there are set density targets for the urban growth. The policies enable effective urban growth with fully developed structures.   The population figure puts the Greater Horseshoe to be ranked sixth among the most populated urbanized areas in the North America. It also has a strong economy that helps in the implementation of policies effectively, especially the plans that require financial investments. In this respect, the greater Golden Horseshoe was selected to be the headquarters for the world fortune global companies approximated as five hundred in number. This has made it to be among the worlds’ most stable countries economically.Growth Plan for Urban Development Generally, proper growth plan of the Greater Golden Horseshoe was produced in 2006, where several policies for growth management of these urban centers were incorporated. The policies are useful in guiding of planning decisions on the respective urban development areas. This reflects a planning vision of the Great Golden Horseshoe, which is the central development support for the nation.  ... This has made it to be among the worlds’ most stable countries economically. Growth Plan for Urban Development Generally, proper growth plan of the Greater Golden Horseshoe was produced in 2006, where several policies for growth management of these urban centers were incorporated. The policies are useful in guiding of planning decisions on the respective urban development areas. This reflects a planning vision of the Great Golden Horseshoe, which is the central development support for the nation. The government of Ontario prepared policies on the general growth plan of Golden Horseshoe. This plan was to promote a healthy growth that covered the whole Ontario. Growth plan for Horseshoe had major aims stated as revitalization of all downtowns to be vibrant and excellent centers, provision of good housing choices, protection of greenhouse and farming lands, and creation of good infrastructural facilities through better road network among other grand plans. Some of the policies in cluded the transit promotion, walking terms in the city and demand management of transport system (MacFarlane 77). The infrastructural policies were also effective in setting up standardized buildings and road network in the urban regions. This enhanced a faster development through transportation of commodities to the market effectively, without wastage. The population has a greater influence on the selected 25 urban centers’ population. The urban planning provisions were to recognize diversity in the 25 centers. The set density target for the urban is 400 jobs and persons per hectare. If growth plan on density is realized, then the municipality can then set the new minimum

Incidence of alcohol consumption Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Incidence of alcohol consumption - Research Paper Example Phase one. Before analyzing the general incident of alcohol consumption, it is of importance to analyze or define the community in the subject matter first. The community in question here is the New Jersey community. The specific population being assessed involves males from the teen age to adults. That is the most vulnerable population all over the world. Teens also have engaged in drinking habits even though the federal government for instance the America, prohibits this act. According to America, the legal drinking age should be persons who have attained 21 years and above, although the life dynamics have altered this criterion. Now, the above-mentioned population has pertinent role in the community. First, they are male, and so the notion of responsibility should be thought of whenever males are mentioned. In short, this population has the responsibility of protecting the community as a whole, either directly or indirectly. The boundaries of this group are the Pennslylvania, New York and Delaware. The community also borders the Atlantic Ocean. Moreover, the geographical boundary that separates this group from others is the administrative boundaries, which separates if from Delaware, New York and Pennclyvania as well as the Pacific Ocean. The group is located in America, and it is one of those communities that alcohol is an alarming factor, and that is why it is being assessed. It is pertinent also to note that non-governmental group will do the assessment in conjunction with the governmental officials. Phase two. This phase involves the data collection method described for the data generation and gathering. First, some of the data methods used to collect information ranges from the non-governmental organization all the way to manual and just individual data collection. Some of the bodies that will assist in the data collection are the American FactFinder, Epodunk, county, and state quick facts to mention but a few. At the same time, governmental agencies ga ve in their efforts just to ensure all the alcohol assessment procedure has gone through perfectly. They are the, national center for statistics, healthy people as well as centers for prevention and control of the disease. Data gathering The first method of data collection involved internet search. This was to investigate general information about the population. Through internet research, the following information were gathered: Ethnic population: Race Population Total population 6135 white 5623 Latino or Hispanic 302 Others 210 Median age Population groups; Under 15 years 17 % 15 to 24 years, = 20 % 25 to 44 years, = 21% 45 to 65 years, =28 % Over 65 years, = 14 % Income and alcoholics in New Jersey: Household=$ 31,550, and the percentage of the community below poverty level=10 %. Now having illustrated the above it is worth to note that the statistical data in percentage on those who are alcohol addict is as follows. Under 20 years 18.4 % 20 to 35 years, = 43 % 35 to 45 years, = 31% 45 years and above, =7.6 % (Moderation Management, 2008) Graphical representation; Almosty the same informartion has been obtained through manual intervew, and newspaper. That me ans that the internet is updated as oper the data iobtained in several fields by the researchers. After updating it in the newspaper, the same is taken and tabulated on the internet for educational purpose. With

Postmodernism Families Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Postmodernism Families - Essay Example It is apparent that the everyday life in the postmodern family significantly changes with the increase of life tempo. Postmodern families thus try to stand afloat of democracy, pluralism, religious freedom and mobility. Families are also affected by increased access to entertainment and news. New postmodern families are provided with new world look meaning that postmodern age has created new beliefs and multiple realities. Nowadays families prefer to ignore the concept of absolute truth. (Hartman 1995) The author states that postmodern society is becoming more epistemological being able to relevance and validation in different ways. Actually it is mentioned that such moving from one type of relations to another will inevitably cause "a self in continuous alteration". (Hartman 1995)For example available technologies provide postmodern families with opportunities to be in different states of motion and mind. Hartman defines postmodern families as floating families suggesting that the boundaries are too porous and weak nowadays. (Hartman 1995) Power is an important attribute of the family and is considered traditional tool for decision-making process. Health care professionals state that oppressive, sexist and authoritarian families face serious problems. Families are also affected by increased access to entertainment and news. New postmodern families are provided with new world look meaning that postmodern age has created new beliefs and multiple realities. Nowadays families prefer to ignore the concept of absolute truth. (Hartman 1995) The author states that postmodern society is becoming more epistemological being able to relevance and validation in different ways.

Postwar Urban Development in the Golden Horseshoe Research Paper

Postwar Urban Development in the Golden Horseshoe - Research Paper Example The Golden Horseshoe population is dense which makes up one fourth of the total population in Canada. The total population of the Greater Golden Horseshoe was 8.1 million individuals according to census results of 2006 (MacFarlane 65). By the year 2031, the population is projected to grow up to about 12 million (MacFarlane 66). This shows that the expected growth rate per year is about 12.5 %. However, in the urban areas there are set density targets for the urban growth. The policies enable effective urban growth with fully developed structures.   The population figure puts the Greater Horseshoe to be ranked sixth among the most populated urbanized areas in the North America. It also has a strong economy that helps in the implementation of policies effectively, especially the plans that require financial investments. In this respect, the greater Golden Horseshoe was selected to be the headquarters for the world fortune global companies approximated as five hundred in number. This has made it to be among the worlds’ most stable countries economically.Growth Plan for Urban Development Generally, proper growth plan of the Greater Golden Horseshoe was produced in 2006, where several policies for growth management of these urban centers were incorporated. The policies are useful in guiding of planning decisions on the respective urban development areas. This reflects a planning vision of the Great Golden Horseshoe, which is the central development support for the nation.  ... This has made it to be among the worlds’ most stable countries economically. Growth Plan for Urban Development Generally, proper growth plan of the Greater Golden Horseshoe was produced in 2006, where several policies for growth management of these urban centers were incorporated. The policies are useful in guiding of planning decisions on the respective urban development areas. This reflects a planning vision of the Great Golden Horseshoe, which is the central development support for the nation. The government of Ontario prepared policies on the general growth plan of Golden Horseshoe. This plan was to promote a healthy growth that covered the whole Ontario. Growth plan for Horseshoe had major aims stated as revitalization of all downtowns to be vibrant and excellent centers, provision of good housing choices, protection of greenhouse and farming lands, and creation of good infrastructural facilities through better road network among other grand plans. Some of the policies in cluded the transit promotion, walking terms in the city and demand management of transport system (MacFarlane 77). The infrastructural policies were also effective in setting up standardized buildings and road network in the urban regions. This enhanced a faster development through transportation of commodities to the market effectively, without wastage. The population has a greater influence on the selected 25 urban centers’ population. The urban planning provisions were to recognize diversity in the 25 centers. The set density target for the urban is 400 jobs and persons per hectare. If growth plan on density is realized, then the municipality can then set the new minimum

Postmodernism Families Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Postmodernism Families - Essay Example It is apparent that the everyday life in the postmodern family significantly changes with the increase of life tempo. Postmodern families thus try to stand afloat of democracy, pluralism, religious freedom and mobility. Families are also affected by increased access to entertainment and news. New postmodern families are provided with new world look meaning that postmodern age has created new beliefs and multiple realities. Nowadays families prefer to ignore the concept of absolute truth. (Hartman 1995) The author states that postmodern society is becoming more epistemological being able to relevance and validation in different ways. Actually it is mentioned that such moving from one type of relations to another will inevitably cause "a self in continuous alteration". (Hartman 1995)For example available technologies provide postmodern families with opportunities to be in different states of motion and mind. Hartman defines postmodern families as floating families suggesting that the boundaries are too porous and weak nowadays. (Hartman 1995) Power is an important attribute of the family and is considered traditional tool for decision-making process. Health care professionals state that oppressive, sexist and authoritarian families face serious problems. Families are also affected by increased access to entertainment and news. New postmodern families are provided with new world look meaning that postmodern age has created new beliefs and multiple realities. Nowadays families prefer to ignore the concept of absolute truth. (Hartman 1995) The author states that postmodern society is becoming more epistemological being able to relevance and validation in different ways.