Why Honesty Is Important In A Friendship free essay sample

Honesty is a very important aspect in our life, especially in a friendship. Why? If your e not honest, no one will welcome you into their group. Everyone will think that you lie and cheat, after you do it once. You will be very unhappy and guilty. (Sometimes you dont feel bad until y ou realize that you did something wrong, and then regret it. ) You will lose friends gradually, and end up with no friends, so youll be alone most of the time. Here are three reasons why you should be honest. First of all, you wont be welcomed if youre not honest. More than a few times, youll f eel very lonely and sorry for yourself. That is because you have no friends. No one will let you join into their group. You will mostly be the odd one out. You will have to finish everything, even sch ool projects, by yourself. We will write a custom essay sample on Why Honesty Is Important In A Friendship or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page You will get the feeling that nobody likes you, and youre always excluded. Another reason is, if you not honest, you wont be trusted. Even if you say something t hats rue, people wont believe you. Thats because you lied before. (like the Shepherd Boy and the Wolf) Everyone will leave you out of conversations. Theyll think that everything you say is a lie. Youll have to play or read by yourself . No one will invite you to their activities. Thats why you shou ld never tell lies. Finally, you wont be very happy if youre not honest. Lying leads us to get into trouble . Trying to cover something that you did, youll lie again and again. Youll always be afraid that sooner or later, people will discover the truth. Afterwards, youll feel very unhappy and guilty. Once t hey know you lie a lot, everyone will start to avoid you. Youll feel sad that you are the one stayed away f rom. If you spread rumors, gossip, etc, no one will come near you. Everybody will think that your e words are mixed up because you heard something wrong, or something like that. In conclusion, honesty is the best policy. (That quote is by Benjamin Franklin. ) You wo nt be

Access to Law - Smart Custom Writing Samples

Access to Law - Smart Custom Writing Functions of Administrative Law and its role in Public AdministrationAdministrative law is the branch of law that governs the activities of administrative agencies of government that are involved in the daily functions of the states activities. Some of these government agency actions include making rules, arbitration, or the enforcement of a specific regulatory plan. Generally, administrative law is a branch of public law. The administrative law integrates several different areas of law of which some of them are regulations and procedures of government bodies and agencies, administrative rules, enforcement of powers of government agency authority, and restriction of access to government information. The administrative law gives special importance to the powers vested in administrative agencies, the legal relationships of such agencies, the public at large and to other government agencies as well, and the substantive rules made by these agencies too. It enshrines the laws and legal pr inciples that govern the regulation of government agencies and administration whose powers are delegated by Congress. These agencies may be state or Federal agencies, and administrative law therefore comes in to act as a representative for the executive. Overall, the administrative agencies are created for the purpose of protecting the public interest rather than vindicating private rights. The creation of state and Federal agencies under administrative law goes back to the 1900s when the Food and Drugs Act was signed into law leading to the subsequent formation of the Food and Drugs Administration, also known as the FDA late in the 1930s. The creation of the Environmental Protection Agency, sometimes commonly referred to as The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA or USEPA, came into being in the late 1970s. These agencies are under the jurisdiction of the Federal government and they are tasked with the respective responsibilities governed by the administrative law. However, these Federal agencies are not autonomous of the U.S. Congress, but are rather governed by the U.S. Congress, which is the overall law-making body in the land. Any by-laws made by these Federal agencies that are inconsistent with the U.S. constitution are deemed as going against the law; hence, they are revised to be within the law. The FDA, created in the early thirties, came about because of the pressure mounted by consumer protection organizations, journalists and other federal regulators that pushed for a stronger regulatory authority. They went ahead to publish a list of harmful products that had been passed as fit under the 1906 law. This law extensively increased the federal regulatory authority on drugs and food substances. The FDA also enforces other laws that are concerned with health and sanitation, and among these laws are the Public Health Act, the Federal Anti-tampering Act, and the Controlled Substances Act among others. The Law mandates a pre-market review of all new drugs’ safety in addition to banning all ‘unsafe’ products (Karki, 2005). It also authorizes factory inspections and extended enforcement powers in order to set best regulatory standards for foods and cosmetics in order to ensure the safety of the citizens. The major areas that FDA is involved in include new drugs , advertising and promotion of prescription drugs, generic and over-the-counter drugs, vaccines, blood tissue products and biotechnology, cosmetics, radiation-emitting devices, and veterinary products (Hilts, 2003). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is Federal Government agency mandated with the responsibility of protecting human health and the environment alike. It is directly under the authority of the White House. This is accomplished by enforcing written regulations on the environmental conservation policies based n the Congress-passed laws. Some of the tasks that it is charged with are prevention and detection of environmental degradation actions, educating the public on environmental enforcement, and setting and monitoring the pollution standards, be they air or water pollution arising from the dumping of harmful waste materials and chemicals. Some of the major areas that EPA is involved in include pesticide control. Here, the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) is taken into account. Other areas are promoting the use of safer detergents that would minimize pollution effects, improving the air quality, reduction of oil pollution, encouraging water efficiency and ensuring that drinking water is safe for consumption by the citizens. Global warming and greenhouse gas emissions are also dealt with by EPA. As detailed above, these agencies appear to be very helpful in the administration of laws and Acts as set by the Congress. Although they do not operate independently of the Congress, they operate ‘on behalf’ of the Congress by enforcing the set laws and regulations at the grassroots level. These agencies are most effective because they come into direct contact with the citizens and the products, and hence they are in a very good position to enforce the laws accordingly. In this century where there is a great revolution in the manufacturing industry, the introduction of new technology and improvement of lifestyles, there is a great need for the checks and balances to be enforced, and no better way than through these federal and state agencies. Hence these agencies come in and play a vital role in the enforcing of these checks and balances according to the U.S. laws enacted by congress. This way, the people are better protected from any potential harmful products and the e nvironment is protected from degradation by encouragement of proper waste disposal and management. As a conclusion, it can be said that these federal agencies are very crucial and necessary in this century where development is on the increase, and they serve to ensure people make the right choices by being given the right options.      References Hilts, P. J. (2003). Protecting America's Health: The FDA, Business, and One Hundred Years of Regulation. New York: Alfred E. Knopf. Karki, L. (2005). Review of FDA Law Related to Pharmaceuticals: The Hatch-Waxman Act, Regulatory Amendments and Implications for Drug Patent Enforcement. Journal of the Patent Trademark Office Society 87: 602–620.

Soda Drinks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Soda Drinks - Essay Example Soda drinks can be considered as refreshment drinks that one takes for the purpose of refreshment, acquisition of balance diet and for the purpose of easing fatigue. However, soda drinks undergoes reaction processes that can be well explained using chemical compositions and compounds. Important stage in the manufacture of carbonated drink process is the essence of high-pressure CO2 gas facilitation, which fills the cavities in the structure of liquids. This high pressure produces a hissing sound when cans as well as bottles carrying soda drinks are opened justifying the availability of carbonation processes. Carbon dioxide presence from the drink usually escapes forms a molecule called the nucleus with an aim of resisting fluids hence forming bubbles. The delicious sensation on the tongue is brought out by the existence of nucleus (Nivaldo 1 2-16). Shaking carbonated beverages accelerates the process of bubbles formation of the soft drink. However, we have got several factors that in fluences the process of carbon dioxide loss in water. This includes the surrounding temperature. When the temperature is low, the carbonation process is more effective and vice versa hence the gas is less dissolved under high temperature level (Maniatis 12-15).However, it is found that soft drinks are not compounds in nature but they are mixtures of various substances hence they do not have definite compound structure as well as definite composition structure. Substances such as carbon dioxide exhibits kinetic energy proportional to the temperature especially when in Free State just in air. Common ingredients in a soft drink include but are not partial to Water (H2O), Sucrose (C12H22O11), carbon dioxide (CO2), carbonic acid (H2CO3), phosphoric acid (H3PO4), aspartame (C14H18N2O5), and artificial flavoring, which itself would be a list of several dozen and different chemicals as well. Meanwhile, during the processing of soft drinks reactions, we encounter exothermic reaction, which p roduces energy for stimulating and speeding up of carbon dioxide reactions. The exothermic chemical composition is represented as follows; C6H12O6 + 6O2 --> 6H2O + 6CO2. This leads to a respiration chemical formula of C6 H12 O6 + 6 H20 + 6 CO2 + Energy to produce soda drinks reaction norm (Nivaldo 23-39). By lowering the kinetic energy level and through acquisition of low temperature, the carbon dioxide gets to dissolves in water at a stable state. If the temperature is raised, the carbon dioxide usually tend to fall off and that is the main reason as to why it is recommended to take carbonated beverages during cold condition or at cold state. Soda drink exhibits sour taste, which is generated by the existence of carbon dioxide giving it a pH value of around 3.2 to 3.7. Being carbonated makes the soda drinks becomes free from bacterial contamination. Carbon dioxide plays a vital role in provision of specific flavor, which functions as an antibacterial preservative adhesive with natu ral beverage dissolvent (Maniatis 21-26) The content of carbon dioxide found in soft drinks majorly depends on the type of the drink availed on the market. Those beverages characterized by the fruit flavors, they contains high level of sugar with low carbon dioxide. The gylceryl abietate also known as brominated vegetable oil majorly is found in orange soft drinks. These help keep fatty flavors suspended in the liquid (density balancers and

IKEA Analysis Report (Operations management)1 Assignment

IKEA Analysis Report (Operations management)1 - Assignment Example For example, in last 60 years the company has penetrated in almost 35 countries by establishing more than 300 retail outlets with the help of joint ventures, foreign direct investment, merger-acquisition, franchising etc. Euromonitor International (2009) has reported that, IKEA has the capacity to earn more than â‚ ¬20 billion annually from its retail operation. When it comes to value delivery, the company delivers value to customers in the form of readymade furniture, functional home furnishing items and tailor made home furnishing solutions. Low price and Scandinavian stylish design can be treated as unique selling proposition (USP) for IKEA (IKEA PS, 2012). Value proposition of IKEA is not limited to its ability differentiate its product offering through innovation but also includes its ability to position itself as a unique brand among its target segment. For example, IKEA targets customers who are ready to engage with the brand and participate in the selling process. These cu stomers are ready to self transport and self assemble the furniture parts in order to get quality furniture products at affordable price. IKEA designs its product for customers after conducting detailed market research for understanding the needs and wants of customers. In some cases, the company establishes strategic partnership with local players in order to understand desired value proposition for local customers. For example, IKEA has established partnership with Ikano Group in order to penetrate in Malaysian and Singaporean furniture market (Ikano Group, 2008). The strategic partnership has helped the Swedish furniture retailer to deliver value to Malaysian and Singaporean which can satisfy their needs and wants. Value Chain Von Krogh & Cusumano (2001) and Nickerson & Zenger (2005) have stated that IKEA uses different sources in order to deliver value to customers. For example, the company has established more than 45 purchasing centers and trading offices in order to collect r esources from suppliers (Tarnovskaya, Ghauri & Elg, 2006). Suppliers of different parts of furniture has to sign a contract with IKEA which is states that, all suppliers are expect to adhere all the legal norms, environment act, ethical norms of their respective country while sourcing the supplies. For example, in Russia, supply managers of the IKEA check all the shops of potential entrepreneurs or suppliers in order to find the right suppliers (Tarnovskaya, Ghauri & Elg, 2006). Throughout the supply chain the Swedish furniture retailing giant tries to ensure that their suppliers behave in socially, environmentally and ethically responsible manner. For example, in Poland, IKEA has opened its purchasing offices and supplier base that are capable of sourcing supplies in 20% cheaper rates in comparison to their European counterparts while the IKEA has also forced its supplier base in Scandinavian region to reduce carbon emission in the supplying process. Overall, it can be surmised tha t IKEA is successful in maintaining the three verticals of value delivery process, 1- delivering affordable products to customers (economic), 2- delivering product which can satisfy the social and cultural dimension of customers and 3- decreasing carbon footprint throughout the value chain in order to offer environment friendly products to customers. Intangible Products Core values of IKEA can be classified as biggest intangible

Lap report Lab Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Lap - Lab Report Example Half value layer is often applied in radiography, this is because it is easier to remember or recall the values and simple calculation are readily performed. There are often a multiple factors the affect half value layer. These factors often brings the difference in value of HVL in different material. For the case of aluminum the following factors always affect HVL. Thickness of the aluminum attenuator, purity of the aluminum, detector material of dosimeter used. Fluctuation of x-ray output, detector location in x-ray field. Ultra high purity of aluminum always produce more accurate measures of half value layer (Edenman and Sidney). This is often different from the aluminum alloys since they have got a lot of impurity available. Although the half value of different materials was one of the important parameters for the Quality assurance and Quality control, a constant monitoring had not been performed because of measurement using the process of ionization chamber. The formulae for cal culating HVL was given by A = Ao e, Different material have got different half value layer. This brings the difference in capability in shielding of the same material. As can be seen from the table above wood have the highest half value than aluminum. The value of wood was 6.00mm while that of aluminum was 1.6mm. Half value layer was the most used factor for describing both the penetrating ability and the penetration through specific objects or material. Different shielding strength of different objects also differ when different material are used. This is evident from the first table, the Sr is different for both the aluminum and wood. There are often a multiple factors the affect half value layer. These factors often brings the difference in value of HVL in different material. For the case of aluminum the following factors always affect HVL. Thickness of the aluminum attenuator, purity of the aluminum. These factors are

Environmental Issues Facing Future Of European Car Industry Marketing Essay

Environmental Issues Facing Future Of European Car Industry Marketing Essay The European Car industry has been continuously evolving from its early years. The world economic recession leading up to World War II led to strengthening of the uneven automobile manufacturing market, while in the postwar period, improved economic growth, marketing, and an expanding road structures increased sales for auto manufacturers in many developed countries. Design, service, and speed became trademarks of the thriving car producers, as evidenced by the every growing range of car models and the increasing popularity of Formula 1 racing all over Europe. In todays modern society the car industry is beginning to show signs of struggle due to the challenges that the industry faces in the new era. Issues such as congestion, rising oil prices, traffic jams and air pollution are some of the reasons that have forced the car makers to rethink its marketing, its goals, its objectives, and all the other unforeseen consequences. In total car makers produce almost 60 million vehicles every year, and provide employment to millions and millions of people all over the world. Average profits have been on a decrease from 20% or more in its first days of the 1920s to nearly 10% in the 1960s and way less than 5% in this present day. In fact some volume car makers such as Fiat, GM, and Ford all have actually been losing money. EUROPEAN AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY The European industry is the worlds largest car manufacturing region and the worlds largest market. In addition to that the industry is considered a leader in the worldwide market, with incorporated operations consisting of design, research, development, production and sales (BERA 2004). The market is made up of a concentrated and refined universal network, which includes different joint-ventures, special productions, many cooperatives, and assembly sites. European car manufacturers have a combined productivity that exceeds that of the United States and Japan; but no one single European manufacturer produces more than its Japanese or United States competitor (BERA 2004). There are more than 20 vehicle producers in Europe, with the largest carmakers producing numerous brands, such as VW, GM, Fiat, DaimlerChrysler, and Peugeot Citroen (McLaughlin, Maloney 1999, p. 193). There are also independent carmakers, such as Porsche, BMW and Baritone (McLaughlin, Maloney 1999, p. 193). The vehicle production of the European automotive industry has shown a great increase over the last 10 years. According to recent studies the largest car manufacturing country in Europe is Germany which is estimated at 30% of regions total production, followed by France at 19%, than Spain at 17% and UK at 10% (BERA 2004). Similar to the other markets in the global car industry trade, European industry has undergone an important restructuring, consolidation and reorganization, which comprises of mergers, such as Chrysler and Daimler-Benz, General Motors acquisition of Saab, BMWs hostile take over and then sale of Rover, Jaguar and Volvos passenger car division are now all under Ford, Volkswagens acquisition of Lamborghini, Bentley, SEAT and Skoda (McLaughlin, Maloney 1999, p. 193). Presently there are many other supply arrangements and co-production efforts amongst the European carmakers and other manufacturers all over the globe. Trends and issues in Europe: Increasing challenges Sustainable development for European Car industry requires sufficient and capable, economically feasible, socially adequate and environmentally sound transport systems (UNDESA 2010, p.1). Urban population is growing rapidly, in particular in the developing countries such as Turkey, Poland, Croatia and Ukraine. By 2050, two-thirds of people will live in mega-cities and other urban areas. Cities in developing countries urgently need better and affordable public urban transport systems (UNDESA 2010, p.2). With increasing income and prosperity many city dwellers aspire to own their own motor vehicles. Rapidly growing use of private motor vehicles and of freight transport, limited space and inadequate infrastructure result in urban traffic congestion, lost time, wasted resources, polluted air and negative health impacts through emissions of sulfur oxide, nitrogen oxide, volatile organic compounds and particulates, including black carbon (UNDESA 2010, p.2). Motorized transport depends almost entirely on oil products for its energy needs. Many developing countries are energy importers. Inefficient use of motor fuel in congested urban transport imposes unnecessary costs on countries, which can contribute to foreign trade imbalances and hamper economic development (UNDESA 2010, p.2). At present, the transport sector is responsible for almost a quarter of greenhouse gas emission from fossil fuel sources worldwide. It is the fastest growing sector with respect to green house gas emissions, yet is has received so far little attention from international climate initiatives and support programmes. For increasing resource productivity in transport, both for passenger and freight transport, a comprehensive approach is required that seeks (UNDESA 2010, p.2): to avoid or reduce transport demand, where possible, to encourage a shift towards less polluting and more efficient transport modes, and to improve and deploy clean transport technologies. EXISTING LITERATURE REVIEWED The automobile sector, is very important in the European economy, but is currently facing a number of problems. The lack of funding creates difficulties for the consumer to finance the purchase of a new car. European markets are also in overcapacity, and the evolution towards an aging and a no car society is predictable on the structural long-term (EJCIC 2009, p.4). To address these issues European Union has adopted a number of policies as well. To finance the sector in the short-term, to elaborate short-term schemes to favour demand, to restructure the sector on the long term, also to finance RD and clean cars, and finally to improve traffic flow and promote efficient use of transportation (EJCIC 2009, p.4). The car industry is one of the main manufacturing sectors in the Europe and remains important in terms of production, wealth and jobs: it produces 15 to 18 million cars a year, about 1/3 of the world production, and employs directly and indirectly 12 million people (EJCIC 2009, p.4). Many suppliers depend on the automobile industry (steel, aluminum, plastic, glass, textile industries, etc.) and its investments in RD benefit also to other sectors (EJCIC 2009, p.4). Once a symbol of social and industrial development, the automotive industry is now facing a multitude of severe challenges: fight against climate change, oil price volatility and the financial and economic crisis that has caused a significant decline in demand and, therefore, jobs (EJCIC 2009, p.11). Automotive industry is considered as a vital sector for growth and competitiveness in the EU, and it figures prominently on the political agendas of the European Commission (EJCIC 2009, p.11). THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES OF THE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT AND MARKETING The business environment of the firm or an industry consists of all the external influences that affect its function, decision making and its performance. When given the measureless number and range of external influences, how can companies expect to analyze, let alone monitor, environmental situation? This organizing of information can be done by using some form of system or framework. Environmental influences can be classified by PEST analysis into political, economic, social, and technological factors (Grant 2005, p.68). Also environmental influences can be sorted by the micro-environment or task environment that can be distinguished from the wider influences that form the macro-environment (Grant 2005, p.68). Although systematized and constant scanning of the entire range of external influences is always desirable by most companies in the industry, such extensive environmental analysis is expensive, because it creates an excess of information (Grant 2005, p.68). The condition for efficient environmental analysis is to differentiate the vital information from the information that is less important. To do this, we must look at primary principles of most companies (Grant 2005, p.68). In order for the firm to make profit it must first create value for its customers. Thats why; it must understand its consumers. Second, in creating value, the firm must acquire goods and services from suppliers. Thats why; the firm must have a good understanding of its suppliers with whom they should form good business relationships. Third, the capability to generate income from value creating activity entirely depends on the intensity of rivalry amongst firms that compete for the same value creating opportunities. Thats why, the firm must be aware of competition. Hence, the core of the industrys business environment is formed by the relationships that the firms in the industry have with three sets of players: customers, suppliers, and competitors (Grant 2005, p.68). These make up the industry environment. At the same time one cannot say that macro-level factors are unimportant to environmental analysis. Macro-level factors consist of general changes in demographic structure, economic or social and political trends (Grant 2005, p.68). These factors are also critical determinants of the threats and opportunities companies in the industry will face in the near future. The main concern is how these more general environmental factors affect the firms industry environment. Strategically speaking the threat of global warming, for most industries, will not be an important issue, at least not for next few hundred years (Grant 2005, p.68). However for European car industry, the implications of global warming are a vital issue because of restrictions on burning fossil fuel and rising taxes on oil. To analyze the strategic implications of global warming, the automobile manufacturers need to trace its implications for the industry environment (Grant 2005, p.69): What will be the impact on demand, will consumers favor more fuel-efficient cars or will there be a shift from gasoline-powered to electrically powered vehicles? Will there be substitution of public transportation for private transportation? Will there be new entry by manufacturers of electric vehicles into the car industry? Will the heavy RD costs associated with adapting cars to the new environmental challenge cause the industry to consolidate? P.E.S.T. A technique thats used to identify, assess and evaluate external factors affecting the performance of firm in the industry is known as PEST analysis (Gregory 2004 p.49). PEST analysis is done to help an organisation gain knowledge and understanding of the broader business environment and may be carried out as part of a continuous process of environmental scanning (Campbell, Stonehouse Houston 2002, p.118). PEST analysis may be used to evaluate firms expansion into a new market or to evaluate the feasibility of a new product or service (Campbell, Stonehouse Houston 2002, p.118). There are a large number of factors that may be included into PEST analysis, few of which are outlined below. Political factors Political and legal factors play a critical role on the development of any industry. Political and legal factors shape the rules of rivalry, supply chain requirements and operational costs (Jones 2010). International instability has led to an increase of oil prices that has created a sturdy trend towards smaller engines, hybrid engines as well as lighter diesel engines (Jones 2010). Present high level of oil prices has damaged the sales of larger engine-sized cars that are more then two litres in capacity, most of which are luxury and premium vehicles. There are also various quality controls and operation requirements for safety standards and emission levels that have a negative impact on the costs of production which in turn reduce the operating profit margin of companies (Jones 2010). A new legislation for car parking has been implemented in various European countries due to the threat of high congestion with the extreme traffic load of road networks. The foreign ownership regulations also form a part of political and legal factors. Currently the UK, France and Spain are considered as one of the most FDI welcoming countries in Europe. Automotive industry is being deregulated, which means that foreign car makers have a flexibility of choosing between various entries into the market and expansion modes in doing business with European companies (Jones 2010). The political relations between countries of operations imply certain benefits in a form of reduced tariff and non-tariff barriers, for example India and Japan work together with the UK within the regime of favorability (Jones 2010). Economic factors The countrys present and future demand situation is one of the most important determinants of location, because demand influences operations margin, the pricing strategy of the product, potential growth of the market, and the potential of return on investment (Jones 2010). Since early 2000s the target market size in Europe has experienced steady growth by size and value. There has been growth in size as every day current car parking capacity is being increased. The steady increase of average price level of parking contributed to the growth of market value (Jones 2010). European market is viewed as extremely mature. The present maturity has led to the overcapacity issue and an evident drop in sales of particular car segments. In general due to the maturity issue the market is experiencing negative growth. Even so, there is still an enormous significant growth potential for the sales of certain car segments due to the impact of technological factor as well as socio-cultural factors (Jones 2010). The strong growth of GDP, personal disposable income and consumer expenditures reveal the soaring level of consumer confidence. But when looking at the purchase of new cars, consumer confidence has fallen a lot. Nowadays consumers in Europe have been very unwilling to take out new debt and instead been choosing to service their existing debt. Also there has been a decline in the levels of mortgage equity withdrawal, which indicates that European consumers do not seek other funds to buy pricey items like cars (Jones 2010). The current strong position of Euro against other currencies has created many benefits for manufacturers consumers operating in Euro zone such as certainty of operations and reduced currency fluctuation risk. When highlighting the outlook of the automakers industry, it is evident that one of the key concerns with establishing and maintaining the competitive advantage is the cost factor, to be more specific, it is the ability of the firm to manage its direct and indirect costs (Jones 2010). Furthermore, when a decision has to be made with regard to the location of operations and the establishments of factories, industry specialists say that the key determinant here is labour-specific costs. A major emphasis is being put on the labour-specific cost saving (Jones 2010). According to the survey, more than 85% of industry specialists agreed that not only in Europe but all over the world, in the next coming five years there will be a very big increase in labour specific costs, such as legal services, cost of pensions and medical benefits for the employees (Jones 2010). According to predictions as the target market for car makers, the attractiveness of Europe will stay high (Jones 2010). The reason why European region will remain attractive for car makers is the potential increase of its market size and value, due to the expansion of the European Union and their strong currency. There are however suggestions that the share of markets in Europe will drop, because of the present maturity of the market, excessive competition and the demand trend. Social factors Whenever social factors are discussed the key factor that always comes to mind is a demographic factor, because it involves the lifestyle, the trend and the spending power of the consumer. The type of risk aversive behavior and value per customer all fall under a demographic factor (Jones 2010). The use of particular type of products and its projections can be determined by looking at the status of demographic trends. For example, the sales of family cars have been damaged by the current European demographics. The changes of routines, lifestyles and habits have a direct impact on the consumer spending. For instance, there has been a recent increase in preferences for secondhand car ownership instead of brand new vehicles. Additionally, the impact of trend factors such as fashion ability and luxury preferences can be so strong that it can remove and neglect the negative effects of oil prices and maturity of the market in some car segments (Jones 2010). Thats why, despite the predictio ns, luxury cars and many SUVs can experience strong growth, while the sales in other car segments experience dramatic fall. Technological factors New transactional capabilities are now open with the current development of Internet. Continuous development and growth of technological solutions, particularly in the area of digital technologies and communication create fresh operating opportunities such as innovative marketing mix channels, latest market research tools along with new purchase environment known as e-commerce (Jones 2010). To counter the problem of overcapacity, a number of leading car distributors make use of e-commerce. There e-exchange channels linking supply chain agents have undergone major improvements and have become the source of strategic advantage since it creates the aptitude of better value chain quality control and faster market response (Jones 2010). Porters Five Forces of Competition Framework When it comes down to it, there are many tools that can determine the level of profitability and the amount of competition in an industry. A helpful, commonly used framework for analyzing and categorizing these factors is the one developed by Michael Porter of Harvard Business School (Grant 2005, p.73). Porters Five Forces of Competition framework analyzes the profitability and the fertility of an industry, as indicated by its rate of return on capital relative to its cost of capital, as determined by five forces of competition (Grant 2005, p.73). These five sources of competitive pressure fall under either horizontal or vertical competition. Three sources make up horizontal competition namely: competition from new entrants, competition from substitute products or services, and competition from established rivals. And two sources make up vertical competition namely: the bargaining power of buyers and the bargaining power of suppliers (Grant 2005, p.73) Competition from Established Rivals The European automotive market is highly collective. The main rivalry involves Ford, General Motors, Volkswagen, Renault, Peugeot, BMW, Citroen, Honda and Toyota. There is a threat of intense price wars and a strong requirement for product differentiation because of this presence of powerful competitors with established brands (Jones 2010). This competitive pressure leads to an increase in promotional costs; and overcapacity introduces a significant price pressure. The current market conditions are so intense, that some manufacturers had no choice but to close certain plants to slash the costs and stay alive on the market. There are three major competitive strategies that firms use to survive; the first one is to serve and satisfy the needs of emerging market segments, new product development strategy, and lastly the supply chain improvement strategy (Jones 2010). Any opportunity that might arise requires an immediate operational responsiveness as there always is little space till market opportunity is leveraged by competitors. Bargaining Power of Buyers Because of the increasing overcapacity issue and high intensity of competition on the worldwide scale, European buyers experience very strong bargaining power (Jones 2010). It is said that buyers have a high level of bargain seeking behavior. Competition from Substitutes Apart from straight competitors such as public transport, cars compete with other forms of transport: air, sea, and rail. The ever-increasing importance of door to door transportation as well as environmental concerns has decreased the present threat of other forms of transport as substitutes. The main source of substitute threat comes from the sales of used cars. The steady accumulation of secondhand cars is one of the major reasons for the dramatic fall of the sales of new cars (Jones 2010). Bargaining Power of Suppliers Although carmakers have formed large entities it did not make a noteworthy shift of bargaining power in relations between original equipment manufacturers and the suppliers. The consolidation in the original equipment manufacturers sector has generated the equivalent consolidation between different groups of suppliers (Jones 2010). In the light of the overcapacity issue, demand chain partners and especially large car dealers do experience large bargaining power. Competition from entrants There is a high level of entry barriers when an industry is extremely consolidated and there is a well-developed value-added chain, RD and marketing capability. All of these minimize the threat of new entrants. However, due to global nature of the automotive industry the idea of new entrant is not that straightforward, since existing companies may enter new geographical markets. For example there is a huge potential for Chinese manufacturers to flood European markets in case safety measures and protectionist laws are not introduced by European countries (Jones 2010). Attractiveness of the industry for Foreign Direct Investments The value of Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) per annum or per capita is one of the most common indices used to compare the attractiveness of countries (Maksymiuk 2006, p.4). The attractiveness of any country for FDI consists of many factors (which are valid also for sectors): low transaction costs, low risks for investment, a developed capital market, assured property rights, high expenditure in research and development, a highly developed infrastructure, a liberal economy, a lack of barriers for the entrance or exit from the market, a high quality of institutions supporting entrepreneurship and innovations, low taxes for employees, highly qualified specialists, a big domestic market, positive perspectives for the development of the country and political and social stability (Maksymiuk 2006, p.4). The attractiveness of the automotive industry can be increased by additional factors: the number of automotive suppliers qualified by quality management systems, the close proximity of car manufacturers, and the access to raw materials, a good climate guaranteed by government, operational clusters and co-operation between the industry and universities as well as RD institutions and consulting companies (Maksymiuk 2006, p.4). Information technologies are essential in all phases of development of the product, through manufacturing, logistics, purchasing and up to sales and after-sale services (Maksymiuk 2006, p.18). IT reduces the period of implementation of solutions and the costs of implementation. It supports the transfer of data around the world and makes it easier for transnational corporations to develop their products in a country that offers the most favorable conditions for FDI. IT is also one of the first tools which helps during mergers and acquisitions. The automotive industry could face some issues in the future. There could be a fall in the popularity of cars because of increases in car prices, increases in maintenance costs, and the appearance of substitutes for the car (Maksymiuk 2006, p.19). Another threat for the automotive industry could be triggered by an increase in transaction costs. It would be rather difficult to find such a situation in all automotive regions in the world, however decline in one of the regions (e.g. nationalization or a change of law against FDI in a big country) would bring higher losses and an extension of profits from investments in the longer term Many companies could be stopped because of a lack of components. Europe (especially the countries that have recently joined the European Union), with its strengths and opportunities reduces the risk of losses and is an attractive place for future investors (Maksymiuk 2006, p.19). SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION Out of all the main manufacturing car industries in the world (Japan and US), the European is the largest and the most competitive. European automotive industry is a complex one and at the same time very diverse. It is basically dominated by German manufacturers. Although there has been a rise in sales and manufacturing from France, Spain and UK, German car makers still dominate the market. The market is also further divided by manufacturers that produce mass volumes of cars, than the manufacturers that focus on specializations and finally those that target niche markets and only cater to those specific customers. I say that the car industry is a complex one, because the state of industry affects many markets that are related to it, such as car parts, accessories, fuels and many more. Another reason why the industry is complex is that there are changing regulations of the car production, such as issues of global warming, safety and reliability. Also, companies must continuously consi der political, environmental and technological concerns in order to succeed. However despite the complexity of the environment of the automotive industry, European car industry has many favorable business and environmental factors such as the future growth potential within Europe, also there is an economic stability, positive growth of certain car market segments and finally theres relatively medium entry barriers which makes it an excellent place for FDI investors.

Reality TV :: Television Media

Whether we watch a group of people live together in a house (big brother), or watch them build the house (the Block), reality television exposes that little peeping tom in all of us. Reality TV satisfies that instinct of prying into the personal affairs of others, and the reality of reality television is that as humans we enjoy this. Reality TV is not much different from normal programs, like any program, reality television has the essentials, it has a mix of characters, it puts those characters in situation, and the result is usually a failure or success. But the catch of reality television is that the characters are real people, the story is not scripted, and with any failure or successes comes emotion. But does this reality TV revolution present the viewers with real life? Or does it present what the TV producers want the viewers to see? Reality TV is built on the foundations of exposing and exciting human emotions. In this aspect reality TV has successfully portrayed human emotions. The cameras have captured all features of being humans. For example, Survivor consists mainly of emotions associated with survival, leadership, the failure and success as co-operating as a team. The cameras have successfully conveyed to the audience all these emotions, and the stories connected with these emotions. There is no doubt that reality TV presents the viewers with small aspects of real life. Reality TV provides the viewers with true conflicts and emotions that have been felt. However, in the attempt to portray all traits of real life, I believe reality TV often fails. There are many contributing factors to this failure. There is the reality that like any show, reality TV’s goal is to obtain and keep viewers. With only an approximate hour of television each week it is difficult to include all stories. Therefore storylines and parts are often cut out, edited or deleted. This not only helps by keeping the show to the hour, it also is used to obtain the most interesting show. By doing this TV stations secure viewers and can get more advertising money. The result is we don’t always hear the absolute truth to any story. Some aspects of reality TV are cut because they threaten our idea about a character. For example in Big Brother there may be a character that is disliked and is receiving many phone votes.

Lawrence Krauss: Religious Education Is Child Abuse Essay

Lawrence Krauss has repeatedly stated that teaching religion in science is â€Å"child abuse†. The term, â€Å"child abuse† when used in this context is extreme. Krauss (2013) explains the purpose of education is to teach children the truth providing empirical evidence based on facts, and knowledge of science and religion do not coexist. However, Krauss wants to exclude religion from science because he observes that there are ethical boundaries in science such as telling the truth, but the methodology is to exclude religion from education in general because religion is fiction with no empirical evidence to support it but only have ethics. Krauss justifies how science based, not on ideology or testimonies science supports the methods with empirical facts that can provide us a better understanding to overcome ignorance. While â€Å"child abuse† perhaps antagonizing word to express Krauss’s ideas, on the other hand, creationism with science should not be taught in class because they based on different knowledge that also contradicts the other. Religion does not have a place in science but does have a role as a subject as long it is not mixed with science. Teaching creationism with science is a disservice to students because creationism has no empirical evidence to support the doctrines in the bible. The beliefs of a creationist view its doctrine that an omnipotent creator creates all things, but it is a disservice to students since there is no evidence. Krauss expresses how science can offer a better world by telling the truth on the age of the earth evidently shown on evolution (a change inherited characteristics of biological population over successive generation). Krauss stated (2013a) if parents or teachers â€Å"withhold knowledge or do anything to children to put competitive disadvantage as adults is mild child abuse†. This context explains the disservice of creationism with science; due to religious education it withholds the knowledge of expressing the facts. Krauss (2013a) stated that the purpose of education â€Å"is not to validate ignorance but to overcome it† and this suggestion is to teach children evolution the source of modern biology to overcome ignorance. Creationism is a disservice to students because there is no evidence to tell us but only the values of the biblical stories. However, Krauss (2013b) clarifies that evolution had happened, and that is science evidence of biology, â€Å"science is falsifiable and testable, and god is not testable† therefore; creationism is a disservice because there is no proof of the existence. Science has ethical boundaries based on truth provided by data evidence that does not base on ideologies. Scientists have theories that are testable to try and prove it wrong to work and challenge beliefs also hypothesis. Krauss declared (2013c) the progress of science in modern technology keeps changing â€Å"to view reality†¦ if people do not challenge their beliefs they are not learning†, and this is how to overcome ignorance with evidence in reality for progress to education. However, Krauss and Dawkins (2007) discuss the notion of science and religion do not coexist because â€Å"religion is a bad science or ancillary to science† that there is no evidence to be tested. This contrast expresses that religion, should be viewed as a subject but not taught with science. Dawkins mentioned that evolution is â€Å"easily misunderstood† (Krauss, L. , & Dawkins, R. 2007) and those who misunderstand science issues are ignorant. Although the term â€Å"child abuse† is dogmatic, because it is too violent in which Krauss uses that terminology to make awareness so that children can gain knowledge by understanding the truth and critically asking themselves questions to the purpose of life. This methodology contradicts creationism because an omnipotent creator has no evidence to existence and creationism relies on faith and fear that undergo disservice to students. However, religion should be excluded from science because there is no empirical evidence in reality. Creationism does play a role in western civilization due to moral ethnicity on Ten Commandments and legal jurisdiction; this functionalism can structure a better society for a future hope. Krauss explains (2012b) that there are no ethics on religion upon science â€Å"religion never enters on to science† because there will be a conflict theory. Krauss suggested (Krauss, L. , & Dawkins, R. 007) that children should not be forced on what to believe and how parents could educate their children on how the world functions by the modern biology of evolution. Though religion should not be excluded from education because, it purposes the students to have moral behavior. The education curriculum should not teach science and creationism side by side. Students can question their belief to be educated and to learn. Science and religion should be taught two different subject and not together, where children could make that choice to learn and not forced upon or deviated. In conclusion, religion should not be excluded in education but taught separately from science because there is no empirical evidence on the creation of this world, which is a disservice to the students. Krauss has justified how science and religion cannot mix because students will not understand the fact about the world and how we originated by evolution. Krauss also discusses the ethnicity of empirical truth in which will make a better world. However, to exclude religion in general will disrupt the social norm. Religion plays a role to moral ethnicity (performance on behavior) in civilizations and will educate students’ behavior. Students need to have discipline and morals created to their worldview and awareness to their stratification in society. The essay examines the comparison of how creationism should be excluded from science and should be applied as another subject in education curriculum. Religion has ethical boundaries, which is rational and science concludes on empirical facts supported by natural selection.

The Crime of Murder essays

The Crime of Murder essays Murder is known throughout the world as the killing of another person. The term murder and the definition can be traced back to pre-roman days. By todays law and statues, the legal definition of murder is more complex than simply the killing of another human being. Murder has two distinct categories and various requisites that the crime needs to fit to make it an official murder. Although these two categories have many similarities, they differ in many ways that few people fully understand. Definition and Classifications of Murder Merriam Webster Dictionary defines murder as the unlawful and premeditated killing of another human being. According to the California Penal Code 2003 Edition Section 187, Murder is the unlawful killing of a human being, or a fetus, with malice aforethought. Section 187 does not apply to those individuals who: Act according to the Therapeutic Abortion Act. Are a board certified physician or surgeon and could articulate, with a strong medical certainty, that the mother would die because of childbirth. The act was solicited, aided, abetted, or consented to by the mother of the fetus. Murder has two distinct sub-categories that every murder is classified as. They are first degree murder and second degree murder. First degree murder has a detailed list of pre-requisites that the crime must meet for it to be classified as first degree. If the crime fails to meet either one of the requisites, then it is classified as second degree murder. The Penal Code definition of first degree murder is very specific as to which crimes are first degree murder cases. The Penal Code is also very specific as to how a crime qualifies as first degree murder. To qualify as first degree murder, the crime must have both premeditation and expressed malice. Premeditation is defined as thought and intention to commit a crime well in ad...

Socrates Paradoxes essays

Socrates Paradoxes essays The three paradoxes that Socrates wrote are now in textbooks where I they should stay. The paradoxes were written many years ago, and since society and human kind have changed greatly. I personally disagree with three paradoxes. The first paradox Socrates wrote,  ³No one knowingly commits evil because virtue is knowledge, ² the second is,  ³No one commits evil because no one deserves evil, ² and the final paradox Socrates is  ³It is better to be treated unjustly than it is to be The first paradox,  ³No one knowingly commits evil because virtue is knowledge, ² should be out of play. What does out of play mean? Even people know the consequences they willingly continue to do wrongful For example, people use drugs, and disobey speed limits even though know jail time, court fees, and probation are possible consequences for actions. Virtues, like many other things must be taught to individuals. no one teaches virtues to people, no on can be expected to demonstrate I have to disagree Socrates second paradox,  ³No one willingly evil because no one deserves evil. ² Once again, people commit evil without considering the potential damage they may cause another person. Every day a  ³white lie ² is told to a teacher, a parent or a spouse. thought the intent of a white lie is usually to spare an individual ¹s feelings, it is still an act of evil. People also do things in their favor What does favor mean? Ã…  .benefitÃ…   For example, people commit adultery even thought their actions are considered to be evil. This is an act of self-satisfaction. Generally, people will do whatever they want, especially if it benefits the I have to disagree with Socrates the third paradox,  ³It is better to treated unjustly than it is to be unjus ...

NY Times writer David Pogue and his Work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

NY Times writer David Pogue and his Work - Essay Example When writing about Fujifilm X100, he says that â€Å"the top portion and bottom plate have been â€Å"die-cast from magnesium alloy†, and then he explains in brackets that â€Å"it’s silver metal, in other words†. Another explanation in the same text is â€Å"It’s also a f/2.0 lens, meaning that it lets in a lot of light†. Pogue perfectly understands the fact that his readers are not experts in consumer electronics. Therefore, they need gradual explanations in order to be able to grasp the most important information. So, the author makes sure he covers the basics first. Later, he gives additional information. Sometimes he provides the simple explanations for the average reader and then gives some specialized information in brackets. For example, in the text on Samsung’s Central Station, Pogue says that â€Å"as far as Samsung and I know, it’s never been done before† and then adds in brackets: â€Å"Samsung says it’s using a â€Å"proprietary protocol over the ultra-wideband spectrum that is not, and does not interfere with, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.† We can see another example in the article about the Tryx camera: â€Å"an Advanced menu lets you adjust the exposure, white balance and ISO — light sensitivity — but not manual focus, aperture or shutter speed†. After mentioning the term â€Å"ISO†, the author explains that this means â€Å"light sensitivity†. The author also compares the product he presents to other similar products which are very helpful for the consumer. This is yet another way in which he helps readers learn about new products. In the article on Fujifilm X100, he compares the product to a similar one, saying: â€Å"For most people, the Sony is more compelling; it’s smaller, much less expensive ($700) and takes interchangeable lenses, including a zooming flat one like the X100’s. But the X100’s controls (clear, external, analog, exposed) embrace the opposite approach of the Sony  (on-screen, buried, clumsy).†

How does someone learn to be racist or prejudiced Essay

How does someone learn to be racist or prejudiced - Essay Example They begin to believe that they have a right to feel as they do. The most common way that a person learns racism and prejudice is through their parents or other close relatives. When a child grows up in a household that openly promotes being racist or prejudice, that child usually grows up to become racist or prejudiced. They are subjected to these ideas from a young age and they grow up thinking that these thoughts, ideas, and behaviors are right. Children are easily influenced by their parents and other authoritative figures in their lives and they end up taking on a lot of their personality traits. If a child’s parents raise that child into thinking that a certain race is bad or lower than their own, that child will hold onto that concept throughout the childhood and into adulthood. Sometimes the passing on of racist views is unintended, but, more often than not, a child raised in a situation like this is not corrected when they begin to display some of the same ideals. In many cases, some children are even praised when they first make it known that they have prejudice views towards someone else simply because of their skin color, religion, or sexual orientation.