A Shining Thread of Hope - The History of Black Women in America Essay

A Shining Thread of Hope - The History of Black Women in America - Essay Example It is through this strength and the resulting bonds of family, community and faith, the authors argue, that both yesterday’s and today’s African American woman is beginning to be recognized for her significant contributions to the progress and development of the United States and the importance she continues to play in providing examples to live, work and raise a family in trying times with dignity, grace, love and success. The prologue of the book immediately captures the reader’s attention with a detailed description of a young African woman’s life in the earliest days of the colonies. This pattern is continued with further detail into this and other stories of African women in the early colonies as the book moves into its first chapter. The sense of immediacy is developed as the authors fictionalize to a degree in describing Lucy Terry Prince and other early African women brought to America. â€Å"A young woman stood on the shores of the New World. †¦ We do not know this woman’s name, but we will call her Oni. She will be, for us, not a number – one of twenty slaves who were the first to be brought to North America – but the real woman she was† (8). Although they arrived on these shores as slaves, the authors demonstrate how these early slaves gained freedom, happiness, land ownership, scholarship and, at times, a degree of equality with their white nei ghbors. Yet there remain significant gaps to these stories as the children disappear or the family property is swallowed up by white invaders. â€Å"It is important to remember that other African Americans, women as well as men, were simultaneously creating a separate culture. Its development was not usually recorded, and few names have come down to us† (26). As they describe these stories, the authors also work to distance themselves from the stories, often switching back to the narrative scholastic voice of the present rather

Coloplast Organizational Structure Essay Example for Free

Coloplast Organizational Structure Essay Coloplast went from a production structured organization to a functional structured organization. In the production structure the focus was on the products wish were divided into 3 product divisions. In the functional structure the company focus on specialization of tasks. Before: the production organization The production organization structure also called Division Structure is divided into 3 production division; skin, wound care and continence care, and ostomy care. Each division beyond having its department for research, development, sales and marketing, contains all the necessary resources and functions. By applying the production organization, a company gains the followings benefits: A structure where it’s easy to define the objectives and word work assignments can simply be coordinated, within each division. Another Benefit Coloplast can gain on this structure is the flexibility among workers. Workers from one department can be put on assignments in another department within the same division, if needed. This’s made possible by the fact that most of the workers are not specialist in any specific field. Should any problem occur in the division structure the causes are quickly detected and solved. This type of structure allows local leaders to make small locale adjustments to meet the challenges in there division. But this system holds its own weaknesses. It can harm communication flow between different divisions. This may result in loosing the overall focus on the objective of the organization. It may happen that each local division create its own culture witch may not necessarily be compatible with the company’s culture as a whole. The limited communication between divisions makes it hard for them to exchange experience and expertize. This system by nature is heavy and costly. In order for the company to have all the necessary resources and functions within each division, they can’t afford the best expertize on every field. After: the functional organization The new organizational structure focuses more on functions. Unlike the previews structure that focused on the product. This new structure pulls functions out of the different divisions and put them in centralized units, each specialized in respectively Globale Maketing, R and D and Global Operations. As a consequence, the former divisions are reduced to production units and subsidiaries; that receives instructions from the top. To assure communication between top and bottom, Coloplast place Commercial Excellence above the whole new structure. With the three functional divisions, Coloplast makes sure that there a clear purpose that goes all the way through the whole company, when it comes to their global marketing, innovation and how new products should be developed. As a result Coloplast becomes a unified company with no duplications of tasks. The greatest advantages of this functional centralized structure is its lightness and affectivity. It gives the opportunity to hire highly specialized staff. As Coloplast CEO puts it; â€Å"The subsidiaries have a huge, but simple, responsibility: they ? ll have to sell like the dickens† meaning that Coloplast now can headhunt exact talents for each function. The workforce those talents brings is not only promoting a single product but the company as a whole. Employees have the opportunity to learn from their superiors. They also have the opportunity to work alongside colleagues who relate to their professional interests and abilities, thus making for a more productive and enjoyable environment. By moving the production responsibility from all division to the Global Operation in cheap-labor countries, it’s possible for Coloplast to reach the point of an Economical of scale. Like any other organization structure, the functional organization has weaknesses. Because of the decision-making within the functional works from top to bottom, it’s a constant challenge to make sure that the organizations objectives are integrated at the bottom. Another disadvantage is that units may have limited flexibility in problem solving, making changes or responding quickly to customer demands and needs, since the final decision-making authority rest with the top level of management. So how does Coloplast solve these challenges? Commercial Excellence/Business Excellence For solving the challenge of implementation of the organizations objectives and assurance of a two-way communication, Coloplast places â€Å"Commercial Excellence† above the entire new structure, which acts like the strong arm, that’ll prepare budgets and make sure that objective are achieved. Commercial Excellence or Business Excellence is the systematic use of quality management principles and tools in business management with the goal of identifying improvement opportunities, area of strength and ideas for future organizational development. It’s a support function that’ll help ensure â€Å"best practice† so that the organization can avoid those complications. Conclusion This new organizational structure is a natural step for the entire group, not only does it outsource to cheaper-labor countries but it has also given Coloplast improved profitability and an organic growth of 7%. The sustained competitiveness Coloplast has gained is due to the change of organization structure where they went from a production organization to a functional organization. With the transformation came the opportunity of standardization of tasks, this leads to efficiency and expertise in the related fields. This was something they lacked in the production organization. By implementing the Business Excellence, Coloplast shows that it’s aware of the weaknesses of the new organization design and intent to avoid them. Lars Rasmussen, Coloplast CEO, emphasizes how important it’s that this supporting system doesn’t end up like a police maneuver, keeping subsidiaries in an iron grip. â€Å"Instead it shall ensure â€Å"best practice† and set such high standards, that where that is difficulty, it’ll become natural to draw on headquarters†. It’s all about motivation, contributing to people and relying on each other. This serves as a great factor for self-actualization for the individual employee witch is not only contributing to the fulfillment of personal potential but also to the work-environment. The new organization has great potential; they have cut production time by half, they went from 13 factories to 10, constantly stimulating innovation by supporting Coloplast Incubator. Coloplast current strategy placed a great deal of responsibility on the shoulders of their employees, as well as implementation of some standard guidelines and the right motivation. There are no doubt about the new structure is more complex than the previews one. Annex

Macbeth: Macbeth - A Tragic Hero :: essays research papers

Macbeth: Macbeth - A Tragic Hero "(Sometimes a tragic hero is created, not through his own villainy), but rather through some flaw in him, he being one of those who are in high station and good fortune, like Oedipus and Thyestes and the famous men of such families as those." (Poetics, Aristotle). Every great tragedy is dominated by a protagonist who has within himself a tragic flaw, too much or too little of one of Aristotle's twelve virtues. In Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, Macbeth, a great Scottish general and thane of Glamis, has just won an important battle, when he is told by three witches that he will become thane of Cawdor and then king of Scotland. After Macbeth is given Cawdor by King Duncan, he takes the witches words for truth and conspires against Duncan with his wife. When Duncan comes to Macbeth's castle that night, Macbeth kills him and takes the crown for himself after Duncan's sons flee from Scotland. Then Macbeth reigns for a while, has several people killed, and is eventually slain by Macduff when he and Malcolm return leading the armies of England. Often people read the play and automatically conclude that Macbeth's tragic flaw is his ambition; that he is compelled to commit so many acts of violence by his lust for power. However, by carefully examining the first act, one can determine the defect in Macbeth's character that creates his ambition; his true tragic flaw. Macbeth's tragic flaw is not his ambition as most people believe, but rather his trust in the words of the witches and in his wife's decisions. At the beginning of the play Macbeth has no designs on the throne, and he does not start plotting until his wife comes up with a plan. When first faced with the witches' words, Macbeth expresses astonishment and disbelief rather than welcoming them when he says, "...to be King stands not within the prospect of belief, no more than to be Cawdor...."(1.3.73-75). When confronted with the witches' proclamation that he is to be king, Macbeth responds as a loyal subject would; not as a man with secret aspirations in his heart. He has no reason to hide his true feelings at this point so therefore it can be assumed that Macbeth has not yet truly considered killing the king. Even after the first of the witches' predictions comes true, Macbeth does not plot against the king but instead decides to leave it to chance. "(Aside) If chance will have me King, why, chance may crown me, Without my stir."(1.3.143-144). Macbeth has already been granted the title of thane of Cawdor, but still he

Writing an Essay :: writing, education, process

Just about any state exam requires an essay. Writing an essay can be very difficult for some. There are simple steps to help with essay writing. However, the best way to write an essay that will pass the test, is to practice, practice, practice. By practice, I mean several things. Anything that is worth having doesn't come easy. That applies to education as much as it does to anything else in life. To enroll in college courses, one must be able to write a decent essay. To write a decent essay, one must practice. To practice writing, one must read. Reading and writing are dependent upon one another. To be an effective writer, one must also write. Reading is the best way to be prepared for any topic that might be given on an essay. You don't know which topic will be given on a test, so there is no way to "study" for it ahead of time. However, if you read a variety of materials, you will be prepared to write on just about any topic. Read the newspaper, read instruction manuals, read food labels, read clothing labels. Anything that has writing on it, READ IT!! This will help prepare you to respond to an unknown topic. You don't have to be an expert on any one topic, but you might need to be somewhat informed on current events, and you need to be able to comprehend the expectations of the topic assigned. To become a better writer, one must practice writing. Writing is not a skill that develops out of thin air. It is a skill that takes practice. When you read things, practice taking notes about them. Think about what the author is trying to convey. Create alternative versions. Write about your opinion of the article, manual, food, clothing, whichever item you are reading. Write letters to your friends or family. You don't really have to mail the letters to them, unless you want input from them. Practice writing with pen and pencil. Many essays require pencil. Practice writing on a computer. Have someone look over your writing and give you ideas. There are proofreading services that offer discounts to students. Now we are down to the actual process of writing an essay.

Myself, the Writer Essay

Every human being in this world has what he or she enjoys doing. On my part, I have a liking for writing and it has become my hobby since my high school years. I developed fondness towards the art of writing after having been encouraged by my language teacher. She used to do a lot of writing and had written several books and articles that were published in journals, magazines, and newspapers. She used to write on virtually every topic especially on issues that were emergent within the society. This teacher became my role model. This paper shall give a summary of the reasons and challenges I meet during writing. Reasons and Challenges in Writing: As stated earlier in the introduction, I developed my desire in writing during my high school days and from that time I have enjoyed every bit of my hobby, writing on almost every topic in the day to day life in the society. One of the main reasons as to why I have a liking for writing is that I have a strong yearning to progress in writing. Writing also assists me in developing new skills and advancing knowledge on various subjects. Writing also helps me in expressing my feelings (Hodges, p 9). There are however many challenges that I encounter in writing. Extra caution is needed when writing due to the strict rules and legislations that have been established to govern writing. These acts to limit the extent to which an individual would wish to express his/her ideas (Elbow, p 12). Writing can also be a challenge in that finding the right words does not come easy. Writing requires total commitment and it may be discouraging especially when you are unable to come up with the necessary words that would express a phenomenon (Elbow, p 26). Writing can not be done in a haphazard manner and therefore requires adequate time and vast research on the topic. Writers get frustrated when some topics of interest do not have enough information upon conducting research. Conclusion: Writing is part and parcel of my life and despite the challenges that I face, I am determined to overcome them and excel. It is only through writing that the unspoken minds can be read and understood. Just like any other field, success in writing requires total commitment. Work Cited: Elbow, Peter. Writing with power: techniques for mastering the writing process, (2nd edn) 1998. Oxford University Press US; ISBN 0195120175, 9780195120172 Hodges, Richard, E. â€Å"The Conventions of Writing. † In Handbook of Research on Teaching the English Language Arts, ed. James Flood, Julie M. Jensen, Diane Lapp, and James R. Squire. 1991. New York: Macmillan.

The Relationship between Landlord and Tenant within Ireland Essay Example

The Relationship between Landlord and Tenant within Ireland Essay Example The Relationship between Landlord and Tenant within Ireland Essay The Relationship between Landlord and Tenant within Ireland Essay In this essay, I shall discuss the nature of the Landlord and Tenant relationship in Ireland. I will examine the aspects of a Lease from both sides of the relationship and cover the rights of the landlord and tenant under the relevant legislation. In my final chapter I will evaluate how the personal relationship between the landlord and tenant has evolved thought out time with the passing of legislation. Leases have always been a popular way to regulate the relationship between a landlord and tenant over the rights of land. Whether it be families looking for a long term stay or tudents searching for accommodation for nine months of the year. Leases are landholding arrangements in which the tenant receives a proprietary interest in the property and the exclusive possession of itl . Should the tenant have his rights infringed by the landlord, the tenant may seek court assistance to assist his rights under the lease, or since the creation of the PRTB2, which was established by the Residential Tenancies Act3, alternate dispute resolution is available. The development of leases derives from the Landlord and Tenant Law Amendment (Ireland) Act 1860 which is commonly known as Deasys Act, which will be discussed t a later stage, where it was established that the relationship between a landlord and tenant was one based on a contract. Identification of a Lease A lease is a legal agreement that results in a tenant receiving a right to exclusively possess land and a proprietary interest on it4. Leases have a variety of different legal protection under relevant statutes for both landlord and tenant so it is important not to confuse a lease with another type of legal arrangement such as a licence. It is important to distinguish the two separate concepts. A licence may be terminated without notice, without cause and also unilaterally. A lease on the other hand needs to be terminated by Deasys Act or legislation that has followed, such as breach of condition or anti-social behaviour. An interesting and famous case on this issue is that of Irish Shell BP Ltd v Coste1105. This case involved a conflict over the existence of a landlord and tenant relationship or a mere licence. There was a contract, involving land occupation, paid on a periodic basis which allowed the alleged tenant to occupy the land. It was a complex case but the court held that no matter what the document passed between the two parties called their relationship, it was only what appened in reality that mattered. The petrol company argued that it was a licence and the defendant a lease. By the decision the Irish Courts indicated they would remain in favour of the practical relationship presented before them rather than the relationship detailed in the contract. The Irish Courts prefer to make their decisions based on four headings6: 1 . Construction of the agreement 2. Intension ot the parties as interred trom their words and actions 3. Exclusive possession on the part of the tenant 4. The payment of rent Construction of the Agreement As a result of the courts commitment to perusing the true nature of the relationship between the parties, the decision as to whether or not a lease exists will essentially be a matter of construction and a court is empowered to treat that which is called a licence as a lease where appropriate7 . Therefore while the parties will place a label upon their relationship, be it a lease of a licence, it will not automatically result in the court finding that said relationship is in fact a lease or a licence. The placing of the label on the relationship merely discloses prima facie evidence of the intension of he parties. Where there is no written agreement between the parties the court will engage in construction of their words and conduct8. Intension of the Parties While all contracts have the prerequisite of the parties intension to create a legal relationship, in the contract of a lease, the courts are concerned with an intension to create a specific type of legal relations, for example landlord and tenant. The courts will try to assess whether, in its everyday operation , the relationship between the parties is more akin to a lease than a licence9. However, as we have seen the courts re willing to discard such labels if they find the actual operation of the relationship to contradict the label. This was reiterated by the Supreme Court in Gatien Motor Company v Continental Oil Company of Ireland Ltd10. Exclusive Possession A key factor of the landholding relationship is whether or not the holder of the land has been give exclusive possession of the property. Exclusive possession is essential to the existence of a lease, but it is not determinative of a lease11. In other words a lease is useless without exclusive possession but on the other hand exclusive ossession does not void a licence agreement between parties either. When dealing with landlord and tenant, the term, not only gives the tenant the capacity to use and enjoy the land but also to exclude the landlord or anyone else from the property if he so wishes. The English case of Street v Mountford12 is an important case in this jurisdiction. Here, the House of Lords held that, apart from in exceptional circumstances, where residential accommodation is offered and accepted with exclusive possession for a term at rent, theresult is tenancy thus placing exclusive possession at the heart of the assessment. The Street case was decided in relation to residential accommodation but the latter case of London Associated Investment Trust Plc. v Carlow13 extended it to commercial properties. Payment of Rent It is stated in s. of Deasys Act that the payment of rent is a characteristics of a lease but it does not however, make it clear if rent is a requirement of a lease. There is a certain authority from both Irish English Jurisdictions that a gratuitous lease is accepta 4 For the purposes ot the Irish Courts it was stated by Kenny J, dissenting in Costellol 5 that rent is essential for the creation of the relationship of landlord nd tenant. Formation of a lease The general conditions for the formation of a lease can be found in s. of DeasVs Act 1860. S. 4 states: every lease or contract with respect to lands whereby the relation of landlord and tenant is intended to be created for any freehold estate or interest, or for any definite period of time not being from year to year or any lesser period, shall be by deed executed, or in writing signed by the landlord or his agent thereunto authorised in writing Along with section four, landlord and tenant relationships can be created in law by means of assignment16, sub-lease17, implication18 and equityl 9. Termination of a lease A common form of termination of a lease comes in expiry, this occurs when the tenancy id for a fixed term and upon reaching the end of that time period the landlord and tenant relationship naturally comes to an end. If the tenancy is of a periodic nature or a tenancy at will a notice to quit is required, otherwise it will continue indefinitely. A notice to quit can be served by either party of the lease or by any person who has been authorised to serve such notice. In relation to agricultural land, residential tenancy20 and houses21, the notice must be in writing, although it is ommon place for notices to quit to be delivered in writing, whatever the premises involved. In general at common law, a periodic tenant should receive notice equivalent to one period of the tenancy, e. g. a weekly tenant would receive a weeks notice. However, the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 has now introduced statutory notice periods for all residential leases22. For example, under the 2004 Act if the tenancy duration is under a period of six months the notice that needs to be given, by both the landlord and the tenant, is twentys of where such an action might arise would be a tenants breach of condition of the lease which may lead to the paying of compensation or the owing of rent. In order to carry out a valid forfeiture there are certain legislative requirements which need to be followed. Commonly, cases of forfeiture require the landlord to serve the tenant with what is known as a section fourteen notice24. The effect of s. 4 is to give the tenant an opportunity to consider if he wants to maintain the lease and avoid forfeiture by righting the breach that lead to the issuing of the notice. Section 14 consists of: (1) The basis (or multiple basis) of the forfeiture and, if applicable, a requirement to remedy the breach although the form of the remedy is not specified and is a matter for the tenant, and (2) a demand for reasonable compensation; and (3) a notice of termination by forfeiture for failure to remedy the breach and provide reasonable compensation within a reasonable time ot the service ot the section 1 notice. The reasonableness of the prescribed time period will be entirely dependent on the circumstances If following the serving of the notice, the breach has not been remedied or if the compensation or rent owed has not been paid then the landlord is entitled to re- enter the premises, and in the process forfeiting the lease. The re-entry can be physical or legal, but the service of the notice without re-entry is not sufficient to forfeit the lease25. Tenants can apply for relief from forfeiture; such relief could be granted either under s. 14 or by means of an equitable remedy such as an injunction26

Sir Thomas More Essays

Sir Thomas More Essays Sir Thomas More Essay Sir Thomas More Essay Thomas More finds himself on the horns of a dilemma of conscience. It was during his era that the Catholic Church was experiencing turbulent times with the emergence of Protestant ideas and the Kings ecclesiastical proclamations to obtain the supremacy of the Church. When King Henry VIII appointed him as Lord Chancellor, he was expected to make hasty, favorable judgments on the case involving the annulment of the marriage of the king to Catherine of Aragon, daughter of the Spanish king and to assert the validity of his marriage to   Anne Boleyn, one   of Queen Catherines ladies in court.   Zielke (2002) on his short summary of Saint Thomas Mores life, interpreted this as a way of using Thomas More as an instrument to widen the   Anti-Catholic policy of the crown because this would mean that he would have to renounce the authority of the pope who issued the formal dispensation of Henry and Catherines marriage and to acknowledge the children of Henry and Anne as legitimate heirs to the throne. When he refused to do so, he was accused of committing the act of treason and later on beheaded.In the cause of royal prerogative, More followed the kings order and proclaimed Henrys first marriage as unlawful. However, the idea of declaring the king as the Supreme Head of the Church fueled his decision to resign from his position because of his strict adherence to his theological principles. He also refused to take the oath of acknowledgment of Anne Boylens coronation out of loyalty to his friendship with the former Queen Catherine and to avoid public encounters with the king. Zielke (2002) noted that although More   knew that his firm opposition over Henrys orders in regards of the divorce and papal supremacy will not gain him popularity over the kings side, he opted to stand up for his faith in a time of great turbulation- that the Pope is the head of the Church and the king could not reign supreme over him. Moreover, Wegemer (2006) opin ed that   More was convinced that a person can overcome any form of suffering and pain for as long as he believes in the goodness of God and stays on his side all throughout his given life.Personal beliefs were often tested in twisted circumstances and Thomas Mores decision to stand up for the truth was admirable. According to Blake (2004), in certain professions, a person is expected to either adhere to his personal beliefs or to suffer the consequences of convictions for choosing not to align yourself with the majority and to support sovereign goals. As a leading humanist scholar, Sir Thomas More exemplified a desire to serve his countrymen upon his appointment to various public offices but did not compromise his faithfulness to God and the Church. Zielke (2002) stated that Thomas More must have noticed the grave threat that King Henry VIII posed against the Church for renouncing Papal Authority and instead trying to obtain by force the Supremacy of the Church but he did not let professional expectations hinder him from his practice of personal beliefs and theological principles.. His good character is full of richness and versatility because he boldly stood up for his viewpoints although he was faced with many challenges that made him face convictions.He held his true allegiance to his self and to his faith on God and not to any other man in the parliament, something he proved until the last days of his life.   According to Wikipedia database,   Thomas More steadfastly held on to his religious conviction in the face of imprisonment, unfair trials, and even death even if it stained his professional reputation. Wegemer (2006) further added that More was able to surpass everything in the midst of a series of great storms in his life by acquiring calmness and integrity that goes with opting to stick to the truth. Internal freedom may be tried and tested for violating several laws of the society but it is the truth that sets the freedom of the soul. Faced with the 15 judges who wrongfully condemned him, there was no trace of fear on his face when he boldy stated to them that he is and will always be a servant of God and God alone and that no matter how he much he believes on political authority, he has no obligations to follow orders of any person who would try to twist that belief. Another admirable trait to look at Thomas Mores decision is his unwavering support and loyalty for his friendship with Queen Catherine. He expressed wishes for happiness for the marriage of the king to his second wife, Anne Boylen but this did not mean that he is ending his magnanimous friendship with the Catherine. This is a trait you rarely see on a person nowadays, especially on times when a lot is at stake and the only escape you can get is to renounce the friendship and save yourself.Zielke (2002) found out in his research about Thomas Mores life that during his last days in prison, he suffered from his old heart disease and chest cramps but he remai ned cheerful when visited by friends and family members. He was also often seen to pray and practice his penitential activities on hours when he had nothing to do. Richard Rich, the Solicitor General who visited   on his cell, twisted Mores words to further pin evidences against him and make him look guilty for the act of treason. Thomas More, after being given an unjust trial with Anne Boylens father, brother and uncle as members of the panel who evaluated his case, was later convicted and beheaded.Wikipedias database revealed that he was later beatified by Pope Leo XIII in 1886 and was proclaimed as a political saint in 1935 when the Anti-Catholism rallies were at its peak His trial and conviction was considered unfair for an honest statesman who only stood on his theological grounds instead of opting to renounce it for political ambitions. In a play entitled A Man for All Seasons shown in 1966, he was portrayed as a man of conscience and biographers like Peter Ackroyd referred to him as a scholastic humanist and a man of letters. In todays setting, there are individuals   condemned for twisted truths and unreliable justice systems while people, who have been tried with sufficient evidences, find ways to get hide the truth and get around the justice system. Obtaining a moral conscience should always be a persons motivation and goal in life, regardless of whatever predicament he is facing or challenges he is forced to battle.

20 Creative Presentation Topics on Online Education

20 Creative Presentation Topics on Online Education Online education otherwise known as e-learning has come to stay and its mainstream acceptance by the corporate and educational industry gives it the legitimacy needed to attract individuals planning to further their education. Today,   majority of the higher institutions in the United States offer online courses to the public and, more importantly, credit in some of these courses are now been recognized by brick and mortar colleges across the world. Interest in online education is at an all-time high because students from every quota of life can now further their education following personal schedules, while professionals can also enroll for courses that help their professional development and attend the corresponding virtual classes after work hours. The phenomenal growth of online education has seen it become a subject matter to be studied and discussed in traditional classrooms. Therefore, once in awhile students may be tasked with drafting a presentation on online education and if you happen to fall into this category, here are 20 cool presentation topics on online education: The State of E-Learning in Higher Education Profitable Uses of Online Education in Government Departments Online Education and its Role in Corporate Learning Online Education as a Catalyst for Reforming Higher Education How Ivy Colleges are Using Online Education Discussing the Emerging Trends in E-Learning How Online Learning Can Reduce the Cost of Higher Education How Online Education Impacts Corporate Training The Impact of Online Learning in Adult Education Online Education vs Traditional Education: The Pros and Cons How Online Education Bridges Learning Gaps Gender Considerations in Online Education The Global Race for Online Learning How Online Education Aids Professional Development Online Learning: A 21st Century Approach to Education How Online Education aids distance learning Busting the Myths Associated with Online Education The Worlds Most Rapid Growing E-Learning Markets Reviewing the Tools that Make Online Education Tick Exploring Gamification as a Teaching Tool in Online Education So we come to the end of the 20 topics you can choose from when writing a presentation or research paper on the topic of online education. Going through the list, I believe you would agree with me when I say these are some cool presentation topics right? If you do, then do not hesitate to read the sample paper based on one of the listed topics above as well as to check on our 10 facts on online education and guide for a creative presentation. How Online Learning Can Reduce the Cost of Higher Education The cost of receiving higher education in the United States has skyrocketed to impossible heights and this has led to questions on the relevance of pursuing a professional course of study through traditional educational channels. The latest numbers on student loan debt puts the overall debt owed in the US at a trillion dollars and this figure does not include loans taken by students currently studying in our Nations Institutes. As student loan debts continue to rise to new heights due to payment defaults and the circle of new students seeking loans, online education is being currently discussed as a mean of reducing the cost of securing an education. To this end, a majority of traditional education institutes have integrated online learning as a means of studying at your own pace while minimizing the money spent in securing an education. This move by traditional institutions has led to a decrease in the cost of receiving higher education as can be seen from the example of Georgia Institute of Technologys online Computer Science masters degree program which costs approximately $35,000 less than the comparative on-ground program. The reasons given for its massive fee reduction includes the fact that students will not have access to on-ground facilities such as libraries, cafeterias, accommodation and utilities which means the University will not need to pay anything for their upkeep and physical comfort. Other reasons include not taking up the time of college professors who will be free to pursue other responsibilities and facility sharing between the University and provider of the Learning Management Systems (LMS) platform to be used. Concern on the cost of receiving higher education led to the formation of the National Center of Academic Transformation (NCAT) which tasks itself on developing policies that simplify education as well as the cost of obtaining one. In order to meet its goals, the NCAT has successfully introduced a paradigm shift in over 100 institutions on how popular courses are taught. The method employed is quite simple and involves the redesign of courses with multiple sections by introducing a single master course that covers every section in record time. The NCATs policy which has received financial support from major organizations including the Sloan Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, has been quite successful for to the integration of IT techniques and online learning tools. The use of online education by the NCAT has played a huge role in redesigning courses and the sharing of these master courses materials across multiple institutions online platforms. Thereby reducing the cost of higher education as well as the time needed to complete the popular courses most students participate in. Lastly, it is important to also note that as online education and its teaching tools become widely accepted or used in institutions of higher learning, a domino effect will occur and it would lead to a reduction in the fees students pay to enroll at traditional colleges in the near future. References: Justin, F. (2013). 10 Unique Facts about Online Learning. learndash.com/10-unique-facts-about-online-learners/ 8 Battaglino, T. Haldeman, M. and Laurans, E. (2011). The Costs of Online Learning. The Thomas Fordham Institute. http:// www.edexcellencemedia.net/publications/2012/20120110- the-costs-of-online-learning/20120110-the-costs-of-onlinelearning.pdf. Lee, Jr., M. (2011). The College Completion Agenda 2011 Progress Report. College Board Advocacy and Policy Center. http://completionagenda.collegeboard.org/sites/default/files/reports_pdf/Progress_Report_2011.pdf. Babson Survey Research Group: Tracking Online Education in the United States www.onlinelearningsurvey.com/reports/gradechange.pdf Santosh, K. (2013). Surprising Facts about Online Education. http://edtechreview.in/data-statistics/787-surprising-facts-about-online-education-infographic 41 Surprising Facts about Online Students on the Internet.collegeatlas.org/41-surprising-facts-about-online-students.html Kaplan Open Learning: The Facts about Online Education.careerealism.com/facts-online-education/

Country size Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Country size - Essay Example South Korea is found in East Asia in the south of Korean peninsula. South Korea covers an area of 38, 023 square miles (98,500 kilometers), with 148 miles coast line. South Korea has an estimated population of 51,170,969 people. South Korea is bordered by North Korea virtually in all directions to the north, Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea, and to the east. North Korea is the state that is close to South Korea (Simon, 2014). The United States is made up of 52 states, it has an estimated population of 297,976,000 people that is expected to grow thought at a slow pace. To the north, the United States is boarded by Canada while to the south he boarders Mexico. Found in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia lies between the red sea and the Persian coast. Saudi Arabia borders Kuwait, Iraq and Jordan to the north, United Arab Emirates and Qatar to the east, Oman and Yemen to the south. Saudi Arabia covers an approximate of 756,981 square miles. Saudi Arabia has an estimated population of 22,023,5 06. Nauru is the third smallest state, it is located in the west of Pacific Ocean, she has a population of close to 13,500 people and covers an estimate are of 21 kilometers square miles and borders Australia to the east. Tuvalu covers an area of 26 kilometers square; she has a population of 10, 441 people, and it found in the south of Pacific. San Mario covers approximately 6i kilometers square, and has a population of 28,117 people; she is located near the Adriatic coast (Simon, 2014).

TELUS company Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

TELUS company - Research Paper Example This paper gives a detailed case analysis of TELUS Corporation and describes its current financial status. Keywords: telecommunication industry, competitive advantage, business strategy TELUS Case Analysis The telecommunication industry is viewed as being highly dynamic and is characterized by ever growing competition. The communication industry has gone through a revolution from the postage of hand written letters, to telephone communication and to mass communication through wireless gadgets and the internet (Rens, 2001). TELUS Corporation is one of the key telecommunication companies competing in the global market for customers’ usage and advancing communication technology. The company focuses on more than the telephone services by allowing use of IP, data, voice and wireless technology to provide their customers with fast, convergent, efficient and convergent solutions. The company was started in Alberta in 1990 and entered into a merger with BCTel in 1999. Currently, the c orporation provides services in entertainment, internet, video, satellite, internet access and voice services. The corporation is considered to be the third largest telecommunication operator in Canada having approximately 7 million customers. The company’s major competition comes from Roger with over 8 million users and Bell with slightly over 7 million users. In 2010, the company posted annual revenue of over 9 billion dollars (TELUS Corporation). The condition of the industry environment is favorable since the number of wireless subscribers in the Canadian market is fast growing and has a medium level penetration. The 21st century has presented the corporation with new challenges which have had an impact on its financial status. The major challenge facing the company is the high level of competition that is experienced in the telecommunication industry (Aburdene, 2007). It can be observed that although the company is among the largest mobile operators in Canada, it takes u p the lowest market share. Rogers has 36 percent, Bell has 29 percent while TELUS has 28 percent. Recent studies have found out that the company’s market share is affected by three major aspects. First, the brand awareness of the company’s products and services is relatively lower in comparison to the other two key players. Secondly, their variation strategy is poor and fails to yield the desired results. Finally, the company’s average price is higher, for example it is 38 percent higher than Bell’s and 7.58 percent higher than Rogers’. The company faces increased competition as it operates in the deregulated market place. The competition does not only arise from the giant telecommunication company but also from emerging companies that provide improved services such as the IP telephone (Aburdene, 2007). Here, the greatest challenge is holding on to their market share and remaining at the top of all market segments. The competition in the market has been intensified by dynamic customer needs and high levels of consumer sovereignty. Consumers can easily switch their good and service providers in the telecommunication industry depending on their tastes and preferences (Aburdene, 2007). The company is advised to adopt the use of the latest technology in order to satisfy needs of the customers and to compete

Analyzing Ethical Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analyzing Ethical Behavior - Essay Example usiness should behave, and this goes a long way in creating an organizational culture which will see the business increase its efficiency (Mallor, Barnes, Bowers & Langvardt, 2010). Business ethics will stipulate how the business relates to its stakeholders to ensure that there is a good relationship hence reduces cases of lawsuits, make high profits and ensure business continuity. In the past, unethical business practices have resulted to various scandals, which have resulted to serious economic disasters. Since firms have the need to increase their profits they will engage in lucrative practices, which will make them earn unfair profits and benefit from unethical practices. For any company to be successful, it has to protect all their shareholders since everyone will feel comfortable in an environment where they see their needs are being considered. Trust created by the business to all its stakeholders goes a long way in increasing the businesses’ success and profitability. This paper will look at the financial events surrounding Bernie Madoff, and ENRON and elaborate on the consequences and implications related to a lack of code of ethics. Enron Corporation was a company in the energy sector located in Texas and had an employee base of 21000 workers in 2001 before it went out of business. The company fell due to false accounting techniques, which made it to be listed as one of the largest companies in the United States with a rating of seventh overall (Lashinsky, 2001). The company was expected to control the market since it had securities in communications, energy and weather portfolios. The company had a well set out fraud plan by using support from political powers to get favors and get an unfair advantage. The company could shut down power plants so that they could get extra money by charging high rates for energy due to the shortages they created. The company used favors from president bush and Clinton to get an unfair advantage, and it is said that

Are Kids Who Kill Victims or Offenders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Are Kids Who Kill Victims or Offenders - Essay Example Lassiter (1998) believes that by analyzing motivations, categorizing traits and an emphasis of situations juvenile killers can be of certain broad types. There are the Gang killers, these are kids who grow up in an environment of violence and hence learn to adapt violent reactions in their daily lives. Fifteen year old Willie Bosket, who had committed over two thousand crimes in New York which included stabbing several people with the intention to kill, was such a child (Katherine Ramsland). Debra Niehof, a neuroscientist, with her research on the connection between violence and the brain suggests â€Å"that violence is the result of a developmental process, a lifelong interaction between the brain and the environment."  Her research leads us to conclude that these kids are merely acting out patterns that they have picked on from their environment. The next category is that of kids who kill members of their family intentionally. They are pressurized, abused, hated, neglected and d o so for the desire to gain. A famous example is that of a fourteen year old Chinese boy who killed his family, stabbing his mother, father and grandfather multiple times simply because he believed he was not well taken care of. Cult killings rise mostly because of adolescent association to satanic symbols and the firm and clandestine connection the kids perceive to have with another world. 16 year- old Roderick Ferrell killed his girlfriend’s parents so that he could steal their car and provide a ride for the members of his vampire cult. This association with the cult is so strong that it envelops the child into believing that he has a license to kill, rob property or damage. The media-inspired violence falls within the formation of these cults, according to Glorio DeGaetano, with the techniques of social reinforcement used on kids that pertains to the onset of their fanatical notions. Pathology plays a key role in determining the motivation of a juvenile killer. Sam Manzie was fifteen when he raped and strangled eleven year old Eddie Werner. Upon investigation it was seem how he had been the victim of a child abuser and had hence developed signs of serious mental illness. The depression and paranoid schizophrenia due to being undiagnosed resulted in his actions (Clark, C. S. 1993). Sexual killers face similar symptoms however their actions hinge more towards a sexual assault of their victims. School killers act due to some perceived wrong done to them. Bullying plays a critical role in activating the onset of their rage (Greenya, 2001). Michael Carneal, a classic example, who was constantly picked on and taunted one day got a gun and decided to act out. He ended up killing three students. Another category is that of killings committed during another crime. Killing is not the main intention of this type however the situation escalates into one that involves murder. Fifteen year old Sandy Shaw lured a twenty four year old into the Nevada desert with the intention to rob him however the crime resulted in the victim being shot six times. Hate crimes that children indulge in are a by product of anger and hate and pent up rage. According to Tru Crime Library, two boys, 17 and 14 shot a gay man in the head and ran him over repeatedly only so they could brag to

Analyzing an article Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analyzing an article - Assignment Example However, why should not there be a general product for a particular range products. For example, what would happen if Apple’s iPhone were priced similar to Samsung Galaxy? In this case, people would argue that customer’s choice between the Galaxy and the iPhone is based on the brand name. Now suppose we scrape off the brand names and give the two products a similar appearance. Which of the products would sell more and why? This and many other economic and marketing puzzles dominate the article. Issues of brands and prices dominate the technology market. However, the issue still applies even to most basic consumer services. For instance, why are some private doctors or lawyers busier than others are, despite having the same qualification? Consequently, why are some commodities costly and yet they have a better market than cheaper ones. For example, why do people always go for an expensive lawyer whenever they have legal requirements? This and other similar questions are tackled in the article. The author argues that customers are the sole determinants of prices and they control the market. What does being expensive really means. The issue of expensive and cheap commodities characterizes any market. Customers are complaining that a thing is either too expensive or it does not meet their expectations. Surprisingly a car valued at $3000 and a candy valued at $2 might be categorized as expensive products. It beats logic to analyze the price difference between the two products in terms of their price money. Indeed, $3000 is extremely greater than $2. Thus, it might be absurd to categorize both products as expensive products. Consequently, customers of each of the above products have a hypothetical price that they consider as fair or correct. However, how do sellers get access this price without going through the customer? The power to unlock this mystery is the key to successful marketing. Some like when the prices are high while others like it when the prices are at the lower extreme. Choice for either extreme depends on consumer's decisions. Surprisingly customers will always complain that the prices of commodities are extremely high independent of their purchasing power (Bade, and Michael 72). Are consumers always complaining about prices or can we achieve the reverse situation. Indeed, it is possible to manufacture the later scenario in an ideal market. According to the author, successful marketers know how to reverse customer’s view on expensive prices. Analyzing the News In a market system, successful products always have substitute. Availability of substitute is the main factor that distinguishes a competitive or an ideal market from a monopoly. Consumers distinguish different products based on brand names or their market label. Despite the differentiation, some products are more successful than others are. Consequently, customers would buy such products at even high cost defying key economic principles. Price is the key monetary representation of a product’s value. Thus, the price of a product reflects its true value in a particular market. Customers have they own definition of value that depends on the nature of a product and the subsequent economic environment. For example, people would be comfortable buying a bottle of water at $100 in a hot desert. Consequently, the same customers would not be able or willing to buy the same bottle in a place where water

Are Kids Who Kill Victims or Offenders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Are Kids Who Kill Victims or Offenders - Essay Example Lassiter (1998) believes that by analyzing motivations, categorizing traits and an emphasis of situations juvenile killers can be of certain broad types. There are the Gang killers, these are kids who grow up in an environment of violence and hence learn to adapt violent reactions in their daily lives. Fifteen year old Willie Bosket, who had committed over two thousand crimes in New York which included stabbing several people with the intention to kill, was such a child (Katherine Ramsland). Debra Niehof, a neuroscientist, with her research on the connection between violence and the brain suggests â€Å"that violence is the result of a developmental process, a lifelong interaction between the brain and the environment."  Her research leads us to conclude that these kids are merely acting out patterns that they have picked on from their environment. The next category is that of kids who kill members of their family intentionally. They are pressurized, abused, hated, neglected and d o so for the desire to gain. A famous example is that of a fourteen year old Chinese boy who killed his family, stabbing his mother, father and grandfather multiple times simply because he believed he was not well taken care of. Cult killings rise mostly because of adolescent association to satanic symbols and the firm and clandestine connection the kids perceive to have with another world. 16 year- old Roderick Ferrell killed his girlfriend’s parents so that he could steal their car and provide a ride for the members of his vampire cult. This association with the cult is so strong that it envelops the child into believing that he has a license to kill, rob property or damage. The media-inspired violence falls within the formation of these cults, according to Glorio DeGaetano, with the techniques of social reinforcement used on kids that pertains to the onset of their fanatical notions. Pathology plays a key role in determining the motivation of a juvenile killer. Sam Manzie was fifteen when he raped and strangled eleven year old Eddie Werner. Upon investigation it was seem how he had been the victim of a child abuser and had hence developed signs of serious mental illness. The depression and paranoid schizophrenia due to being undiagnosed resulted in his actions (Clark, C. S. 1993). Sexual killers face similar symptoms however their actions hinge more towards a sexual assault of their victims. School killers act due to some perceived wrong done to them. Bullying plays a critical role in activating the onset of their rage (Greenya, 2001). Michael Carneal, a classic example, who was constantly picked on and taunted one day got a gun and decided to act out. He ended up killing three students. Another category is that of killings committed during another crime. Killing is not the main intention of this type however the situation escalates into one that involves murder. Fifteen year old Sandy Shaw lured a twenty four year old into the Nevada desert with the intention to rob him however the crime resulted in the victim being shot six times. Hate crimes that children indulge in are a by product of anger and hate and pent up rage. According to Tru Crime Library, two boys, 17 and 14 shot a gay man in the head and ran him over repeatedly only so they could brag to

The Choice of Green Technology Project by Projmanics LTD Assignment

The Choice of Green Technology Project by Projmanics LTD - Assignment Example Finally, it intends to get the views of the management on whether the project will deliver their set objectives. The team conducted a research to find out the needs of the consumers and stakeholders who are the main beneficiary of this project. The methods employed in collecting data from the stakeholders of this project included interviews, focused group discussions, and customer reviews from the website of projmanics (Sproul, Wan, Mandel & Rosenfeld, 2014). This was done to ensure that the needs of the stakeholders were prioritized in coming up with this type of project. The team intended to come up with an idea that was user-centered and not an idea that originates from the management. When users of projmanics were interviewed to give their opinion on the types of products and services they wanted, they were fast to point out innovation. Being concerned about their environment and the prevailing climate change, the citizens of UAE wanted to see the company come up with environmentally friendly products. This was motivated by the recent entry of the country in the list of top tourist destinations in the world. Projmanics, which for a very long time had dealt in the manufacture of various products ranging from electronics to machinery, also had to share in the vision and goals of their consumers (Harris, Barucci, Cano, Fitzsimmons, Fulchignoni, Green & Schà ¤fer, 2013). It is against this backdrop that the team proposed green technology as the next feature to see the growth of the company in the country and also abroad. This was to join the rest of the world and be on the forefront in leading the green technology revolution. The aim of this project is to see the company build another plant responsible for the manufacture of eco-friendly products such as electronics and machinery. These  include such things as energy generating equipment like solar panels, wind turbines and other machines that utilize green energy like solar-powered automobiles.

Media Influence on Society Essay Example for Free

Media Influence on Society Essay Media Influence on Society Introduction In the last 50 years the media influence has grown exponentially with the advance of technology, first there was the telegraph, then the radio, the newspaper, magazines, television and now the internet. We live in a society that depends on information and communication to keep moving in the right direction and do our daily activities like work, entertainment, health care, education, personal relationships, traveling and anything else that we have to do. Media is the most powerful tool of communication. It helps promoting the right things on right time. It gives a real exposure to the mass audience about what is right or wrong. Even though media is linked with spreading fake news like a fire, but on the safe side, it helps a lot to inform us about the realities as well. Media has a constructive role to play for the society. Today News Channels and even some Newspapers are mouthpiece of some social issues, which helps us to estimate the realities of lives. Media has played an important role in order to focus on the social issues in almost every era. It is the fact that in most of the eras, media were not being given free and fair chances to explore the issues of society more openly than it is being given now; but we cant deny this fact that the issues were always raised in order to provide justice to the people. Influence of media on children Television can be a powerful entertainment and education tool for children given the right programming. However, studies have shown that television, and media in general, can also have a very negative influence. Some studies indicate it can shorten attention span, distort body image, work in conjunction with other factors to escalate obesity, create fear, and increase aggressive and anti-social behaviors if exposure is unmonitored and unlimited.

Effects of Hybrid Strategy on Zara UK

Effects of Hybrid Strategy on Zara UK CHAPTER ONE 1. INTRODUCTION 1. 1. Rationale for Chosen Topic To achieve competitive advantage in a highly competitive market such as a fashion market is not an easy process, what is more difficult than that is to achieve sustainable competitive advantage in like this market which also describe as fast changeable and unpredictable market. This opens the field to know about the competitive strategies, and to choose the best strategy among them to achieve the objective of sustainable competitive advantage. This research focuses on the Generic strategies which suggested by Michael Porter in 1980 who set three different strategies which are the low-cost leadership strategy, differentiation strategy, and focus strategy. Porter (1980) argued that these strategies are the road map for the companies to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage, however he warned that the combining two of these strategies will put the company in a position defined by him as ‘Stuck in the Middle and therefore will not lead a high performance. However, other researchers in the strategic management field such as Miller and Dess (1993), Kekre and Srinivasan (1990), Faulkner and Bowman (1992) and Hill (1988) suggest that combination of two strategies would let the companies achieve a high performance, and achieve sustainable competitive advantage. Recognising the debate in the academic world suggests exploring whether application of â€Å"hybrid strategy† will help companies in achieving sustainable competitive advantage or not. To do this, Zara UK is chosen since it has the highest contribution to the overall revenues of Inditex, the mother company, which was accounted 65.6% of the whole sales (Inditex Annual Report, 2008). 1. 2. Research Background Inditex group is a Spanish company and is one of the largest fashion distributor groups in the world. The group was established in 1975 and opened its first branch in Coruà ±a city in Spain (Inditex, 2009). The international expansion of Inditex started in 1988 by openings its store in the UK which is now the fifth largest market of the group after France, Italy, Portugal, and Germany in terms of number of stores (Inditex Annual Report, 2008). In 2009, Inditex operates in 73 countries through 4430 stores and among those 1340 are under the name of Zara. In 2008, the number of Zara stores in the UK was 63 (Inditex, 2009). â€Å"Inditex† consists of six subsidiary companies working in the retail industry and one of them is Zara which generates the highest income in overall revenues of Inditex. Zara is the most internationalised business unit of the group and therefore has the largest of chain (Inditex, 2009). 1. 3. Research Aim Ultimately, this research aims at exploring whether hybrid strategy helped Zara UK in creating sustainable competitive advantage or not. Reaching this aim requires conducting external and internal analyses. Applied tools and their justification are given below: The external environments which surround Zara are analysed by using: PESTLE tool to analyse the impact of Political, Economical, Social, Technological, Legislations, and Environmental factors on Zara to explore weather it would formulates opportunities or threats. Porters Five Forces model to analyse the competitive environment which surrounds Zara in order to explore the market conditions in fashion industry. Key Competitors analysis in order to examine the key competitors of Zara in the market to identify their similarities and differences as well as the business process in Zara. The internal environment of Zara is analysed by using: Values Chain analysis in order to explore how efficiently Zara uses the value chain system to create value for its customers. Financial analysis in order to analyse its financial performance from 2006 until the first half of 2009. Resource-based View analysis to determine core competences, and capabilities of Zara. Grand Strategy analysis to identify the grand strategy used by Inditex and to examine the effectiveness of this strategy. Competitive Strategy analysis in order to determine the competitive strategy used by Zara in achieving sustainable competitive advantage and analyse the effectiveness of this strategy. SWOT analysis in order to determine the internal strengths and weaknesses of Zara as well as the opportunities and threats that Zara faces due to forces exist in external environment. It is believed that after conducting these analyses, it would be possible to reach a conclusion about whether hybrid strategy is effective or not in achieving sustainable competitive advantage in the UK fashion industry. CHAPTER TWO 2. LITERATURE REVIEW 2. 1. Competitive Strategy Literature in competitive advantage strategy is a well developed topic and many scholars such as Milles and Snows (1978) Mintzberg and Quinn (1992) Faulkner and Bowman (1995) introduced several models to explain how companies can achieve sustained competitive advantage. However, one of the most famous and effective model in this field was Michael Porters framework which was introduced in 1980. in this framework which is called ‘Generic Strategy, he mention that the firm can achieve competitive advantage from three different bases. According to Porter (2004): â€Å"The two basic types of competitive advantage competitive advantage combined with the scope of activities for which the firm seeks to achieve them lead to three generic strategies for achieving above- average performance in an industry: cost leadership, differentiation, and focus. The focus strategy has two variant, cost focus and differentiation focus† Having briefly described the Generic Strategies, it is necessary to look at them in details. 2. 1. 1. Cost Leadership Strategy To achieve competitive advantage according to Porter (1980, 2004), the company has to decrease their cost, and to achieve cost advantage below its competitors in the market. By doing this, a company is able to lower prices and performs above the average performer in its industry thanks to the fact that the cost for the company will be less than its rivals. The company can succeed in its cost leadership strategy if it focuses in decreasing the overhead cost, uses a low-cost product design and automated assembly and pursuits economies of scale and so on. However, David (2005) highlighted some risks associated with applying this strategy. According to him, competitors may imitate this strategy and increase the competition and make a head on collusion, which will drive the overall profit of the industry down (David, 2005). 2. 1. 2. Differentiation Strategy According to Porter (1980, 2004), to achieve competitive advantage, the company has to seek to be unique in its industry. In another words, gaining a competitive advantage can be achieved by increasing the willingness of customers to pay for the company products or services that the company sell (Barney, 2007). According to Gaik (1993), in differentiation strategy, the customers look at the attributes of the products other than looking at the price. To apply this strategy, the firm has to differentiate itself in terms of its products for instance by focusing on the quality of the products or in terms of provided service by focusing on the delivery system by means of decreasing the lead or delivery time. Moreover, the company has to focus on the promotion and the packaging of products. The firm can also differentiate its products by competing on both cost and differentiation, by decreasing the cost and by adding value at the same time. One of the tools for achieving both strategies is managing the supply and value chain systems and designing, structuring, modifying and operating efficiently to add value to the products at the lowest cost possible. However, David (2005) mentioned that the risks of this strategy might be that the product or the service may not be valued enough for the customers to buy it at the price of which the company desires and/or that competitors will be able to imitate the products or services. Therefore, if a company seeks to be successful and sustain its advantage in the market, it should pursue a creative strategy which makes difficult for competitors to imitate and replicate the products or services. 2. 1. 3. Focus Strategy According to Porter (1980; 2004), focus strategy is different than other strategies this is because this strategy aims to narrow the competitive scope in the market, requires selecting a specific segment or group and focusing on it by tailoring the strategy to an exclusive and particular market. This strategy has two variants which are differentiation focus and cost focus. Differentiation focus aims at differentiating a segment or a group by satisfy their unusual needs and the in Cost focus, the firm seeks to achieve low-cost advantage in order to provide the products at cheap prices and the concentration is made only for a small number of the market segments. However, the risk of these strategies is that competitors can easily recognise the success and may copy them (David, 2005). Porter (1980; 2004) mentioned that each strategy is fundamentally different from the other strategies in terms of creating sustainable competitive advantage. Therefore, a company has to make a choice among these strategies and does not combine them. Otherwise, it will lead the firm to get â€Å"stuck in the middle†. He also stressed that being ‘all things to all people is the recipe for strategic mediocrity and if the performance is below the average, it often means that a firm has no competitive advantage at all (Porter, 1980; 2004). However, according to Porter (1980), there are three circumstances where a firm can combine two strategies given in the Generic Strategies framework: First, when all of the other competitors are stuck in the middle; second, when the cost is strongly affected by share or interrelations and finally, when a firm pioneers are a major innovation. Also Porter (1980) mentioned that even under these circumstances, a firm would not be able to compete with a firm which pursues either differentiation, cost leadership or focus strategies. Therefore, according to Porter (1980), a hybrid strategy is unlikely to achieve sustainable competitive advantage. 2. 2. Empirical Studies Porters framework both supported and criticised by the scholars. For instance, Dess and Davis (1984) and Kim and Lim (1988) supported Porters claims and found that companies have to employ only one of the Porters generic strategies if their aim is to achieve higher performance. On the other hand, several authors such as Miller and Dess (1993), Kekre and Sriniva-San (1990), Faulkner and Bowman (1992) and Hill (1988) criticised Porters claims and provided evidence that â€Å"the combination between the cost leadership and the differentiation strategy† would help the company to achieve high performance in the market. For example, Miller and Dess (1993), Kekre and Sriniva-san (1990), Faulkner and Bowman (1992) and Hill (1988) demonstrated that it is not necessary to choose between one of the competitive advantage strategy in order to achieve a high performance. They argued that a company may achieve high performance against its competitors by combining differentiation strategy and cost leadership strategy. This is because integration of these strategies allows being flexible against the changes in the environment. Barney (2007) mentioned that a company can use low-cost and product differentiation strategies simultaneously and this is often expected to create sustained competitive advantage. Moreover, Miller and Dess (1993) mentioned that conceptualisation of Porters model enables the researcher in a strategic management field to explore the viability of the Hybrid strategy. Miller and Dess (1993) gave an evident of Toyota and Lincoln Electric companies as highly successful companies which are applying the Hybrid strategy. Moreover, Wright et al. (1990) also proved that use of Hybrid strategy in apparel industry brought higher financial performance. In addition, Hall (1980) explored that use of Hybrid strategy is the main reason of high successful of firms in low-profit industries. Murray (1988) proposed that firms can use hybrid strategy successfully by focusing in two areas: areas of production and functional areas. In terms of production areas, Murray (1988) threw an argument based on the research conducted by Hayes and Weelwright (1984) and Schonberger (1982) and asserted that achieving greater market responsiveness depends on higher product quality. Using techniques such as Total Quality Control (TQC) and its integration with Just In Time (JIT) for inventory control and purchasing procedures are key to the success. Benefits would be reduction of cost as use of these techniques will be resulted in higher customer satisfaction. As a result, the conflict between the production and the marketing functions can be eliminated and therefore cost minimisation and price maximisation strategies can be implemented together. In terms of functional areas, conflict resolution techniques can be applied which will minimise the conflict to a point that permits the firm to pursue cost leadership and product differentiation strategies simultaneously. More recently, Grant (2005) pointed out the changes occurred in the management techniques and the industries and stated that the market leaders in most industries are the firms whom are able to maximise the customer appeal by reconciling effective mixture between differentiation and low cost. The examples of these firms include Toyota, Dell and Canon. More importantly, he underlined the fact that the success of these firms relies on the implementation of new management techniques such as Total Quality Management (TQM) of which exploded the myth that there is a trade off between high quality and low cost. Grant (2005) also mentioned about the role of the innovation in the manufacturing technology and the manufacturing management in producing simultaneous increase in productivity and quality. Thompson et al. (2005) called hybrid strategy as the ‘best-cost provider and stressed that in order for a firm to gain a competitive advantage among the competitors; it should have a lower cost than its competitors and should position its products with good-to-excellent attributes. They also stated that this strategy can be effective in markets where the buyers are sensitive to the price and the value and then the firm can position itself near the middle of the market by providing customers with either a medium quality products at below average price or by providing with high quality products at an average price. However, they warned that the firm which does not have the capabilities to integrate the upscale product attributes at lower prices compare to its competitors, the hybrid strategy would be ill-advised for them. CHAPTER THREE 3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3. 1. Chosen Topic The â€Å"Hybrid Strategy† has been challenged by many strategic management scholars who argued that this strategy can be harmful to the companies. However, substantial amount of research showed that several companies like Toyota, Dell Inc, etc. have achieved a superior success. In order to assess whether this is true or not, this study examines the strategy of Zara in the hybrid strategy framework to determine whether it is successful or it â€Å"stuck in the middle†. 3. 2. Research Question In the light of the ultimate aim, the research question of this study is to what extent Hybrid Strategy can achieve a sustainable competitive advantage for firms in fashion retail industry in the UK. The research focuses on Zara UK which is one of the important business units of Inditex Group. 3. 3. Research Technique The dissertation is qualitative in nature. The exploration is based on data obtained from secondary sources of which include information that is already collected for other studies and documents. The main secondary sources used in this study include reports and documents such as annual reports, press releases and other documents published by the company as well as official statistics and other publicly available data collected by research institutions. The research did not attempt to collect a primary data due to barriers in communicating with the company as well as time limitations. 3. 4. Advantages and Disadvantages of Use of Secondary Resources The main advantage of using secondary data is embodied in saving time and resources. There are some disadvantages associated with the use of the secondary data in this particular study. First of all, collected information does not answer the research question fully. However, they are good enough to be relied upon to reach a conclusion. Secondly, secondary data has reliability issue as there are many resources but in some cases it is not possible to determine whether it is valid or not and this limits the accuracy of the analysis based on secondary data. To overcome these limitations, the coverage of the information was enlarged and multiple sources were used to improve the reliability of the data. 3. 5. Quality of Resources Zara is a leading company in the industry and have competitors. Therefore, before using the data obtained from secondary sources, it was assessed in terms of quality in order to verify whether the data is consistent with the purpose of the research and whether it is reliable and up-to-date. Quality standards were determined by identifying directions of bias in the resources by means of attempting both biased and unbiased sources, by checking the background and reputation of the provider and their level of education, and experience in their professional career. The assessment also considered the target audience in terms of their knowledge as a bias direction. The resources were also assessed in terms of their relevance to the research, their readiness and usefulness in achieving targeted quality and in the analysis of anticipated results. 3. 6. Case Study To enrich the quality of the research particularly in terms of its practicality and its rationality, it used empirical inquiry methods for analysis to investigate the contemporary phenomenon within Zaras real-life context. Therefore it has boundaries between phenomenon and context aimed at providing clear evidence by using multiple sources to assure quality and objectivity. In developing and conducting this study, the researcher was influenced by the case study produced by Ghemawat and Nueno and published in 2003. In their study, the authors explained the rapid changes occurred in the fashion industry, by focusing on the global apparel chain Zara and its structure from the producers to the ultimate customers. Although this study influenced by the Ghemawat and Nuenos (2003) work, it did not depend on the case because of two reasons. First of all, the case study focuses on the corporate level and the mother company and therefore did not include the strategic planning techniques and analysis to explore the advantages of using hybrid competitive strategy. Having said that, this study made use of information about Zara provided by the case study in developing the strategic analysis. Secondly, the case study was prepared in 2003 and the facts given in that study was outdated to some extent. As this paper needs to be based on most recent data particularly for external analysis, financial analysis, current trends in fashion market, it is different than the case study provided by Ghemawat and Nueno (2003). CHAPTER FOUR 4. ANALYSIS 4. 1. External Analysis 4. 1. 1. Characteristics of Fashion Retail Market 4. 1. 1. 1. Overview of Fashion Retail Market in the UK The apparel retail market contains three main sectors: the womenswear sector, menswear sector and infantswear sector. According to Data Monitor (2008), womenswear sector consists of retail sale of clothing for girls and women and generated 66.90% of the whole market in 2007 in the UK. The menswear sector consists of retail sale of clothing for men and boys and generated 30.90% of the whole market. And the infantswear sector includes retail sale of clothing for children between ages of 0 to 2 years of age and it accounts 2.20% of the sales generated by the whole market in the UK in 2007. According to Data Monitors (2008) report, the UK apparel retail market has the highest percentage of revenue in the Europe market value with 24.1% in 2007. The clothing market in the UK grew significantly between 2001 and 2005 when the total spending on clothes in the UK in 2005 reached at  £38.4 billion. Womens clothing sector showed the highest growth with 21% and the total value reached at  £24 billion in the same year. More interestingly the clothing market has been growing even though the recession which hit the UK in October 2007 and affected most of the UK sectors. According to the National Statistics (2009), the sales volume in retail sector in June 2009 was 2.9% higher than in June 2008. In the non-food sector, the sales increased by 2.4% and the largest increase occurred in textile, clothing and footwear by 11.3%. Fashion is a part of the clothing and textile industry and the fashion industry is characterised by the rapid change and the high competition particularly after the year 2005 because of permission of unrestricted access of all members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to the European (Lopez and Fan, 2009). This created a big opportunity for the multinational companies to invest in the UK market. Moreover, the rapid change in technology has given the chance for companies to reduce their cost and to increase the quality of their products. In addition, companies which are searching to decrease their costs started to outsource their production with the companies from the countries with low-labour cost such as China, Singapore. This led the competition in the clothing industry to increase and as the competition increased, the prices went down; as a result a market for ‘Discount Apparel Retail emerged and started to grow (Datamonitor, 2008). However, in the fashion industry, customers do not consider prices but look at the quality, variety, design and the availability of the products. Due to characteristics of the market, no particular group or company dominate the market since the market is driven by â€Å"customers†. In addition, due to increased competition, switching cost for the customers also diminished. This resulted in changes in the direction of competition. Today, the rules of the game in the clothing market have changed and meeting with customer expectations turned into achieving fast fashion production (Walters, 2006). Bruce and Daly (2006) describe todays fashion industry in the following way: â€Å"In fast fashion, buying activities play a crucial role through supplier selection and product decision-making, and indeed, buying is arguably changing from purely operational to much more strategic† And according to Walters (2008), the retailers in â€Å"fast fashion† can satisfy consumer expectations by the speed, variety and style of the products and by selling the products in low prices. 4. 1. 1. 2. The Nature of Fashion Market According to Christopher et al. (2004), there are four elements which determine the characteristics of the fashion market. These are: Short life-cycles products have short life, it is often for a moment when designs catch the style. As a result, the period of selling products is very short and seasonal: it could months or even weeks. High volatility the demand in the fashion market is rarely stable; the demand may be influenced by several factors, such as the weather, movies or even footballers or pop stars. Low predictability it is not easy to predict the desire of the market in the fashion industry, because of the volatility of the demand. Therefore, it is very difficult to predict total demand within a period accurately even week-by-week or item-by item. High impulse purchasing the availability of the products increases the need for the customer to buy it. Consumers decision making for buying fashion clothes occur at the point of purchase. 4. 1. 2. 3. Key Success Factors for Fashion Industry To conclude, as the fashion products have a short life cycle and as it is difficult to predict the market demand due to unstable demand as well as characteristics of fashion market, several key success factors were identified. These are outlined below: Price: Prices should be affordable for the customers. Quality: Fashion products should have a good quality. Quick Response: Companies should respond to market demand quickly by launching rapidly. Design: Should match with the current fashion. Availability: Products should be available on the shelves of the store as long as there is demand. Variety: Companies should provide variety of products for the customers. 4. 1. 2. PESTLE Analysis PESTLE framework provides a comprehensive list of environmental influences on the possible success or failure of particular strategies (Johnson et al., 2008). PESTLE framework contains six factors, which are the external factors that have effect on companies. It is argued that if companies major these factors they can formulate strategies from the opportunities or be prepared for the threats. 4. 1. 2. 1. P Political Factors Since 2005, no restrictions left on all import in the textile and clothing industry. This gives unrestricted access to all members of the WTO to the European. This would formulate an opportunity for Zara as it imports products from outside the UK with low cost without any restrictions. However it could pose as a threat for Zara, as the competition in the market can be increased especially by the companies which have products with lower prices. 4. 1. 2. 2. E Economic Factors Most recent recession hit almost all countries in the world, including the UK. As a result of global recession, the unemployment rate in UK started to increased. According to the National Statistics (2009), the unemployment rate was 7.6% for the first quarter of 2009 and it was the highest rate since 1981. The impact of recession in the UK is a threat for Zara, as the number of unemployed people increase, their expenditures decrease. Moreover, for employed people, current economic conditions bring uncertainty and therefore they tend to decrease their expenditures and increase their saving. This could affect Zaras sales in an adverse way since unemployment rate has been on the rise. Moreover, as a result of economic recession, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has been declining in a dramatic way in the UK. According to the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (2009), the GDP in the UK fell by 0.3% ending in July 2009; in addition, according to Financial Times (2009), it was the worst quarterly performance since 1958. However it is predicted that it rose by 0.2% starting from August. Decline in the GDP posed a threat for Zara as it indicates decline in consumers income. In terms of exchange rates, the situation is also not that bright. According to Economy Watch Website (2009), since December 2008, the Great Britain Pound (GBP) lost value at a rapid rate and reached a 24-year low of $1.35 per  £1 in January 2009. The impact of weakening of the pound against euro and dollar is pushing up the prices of imports and therefore forces retailers to increase their prices. According to Financial Times (2009), this would formulate a threat for Zara as the retailer will need to increase its prices. However, depreciation of GBP would be an opportunity for the mother company Inditex because of the strong Euro against the GBP. More interestingly, despite the recession, the clothing industry in the UK is still growing. In general, the retail industry in UK has grown during 2009 and the growth was predominantly in non-food goods particularly in textile, clothing and footwear stores by 11.3% (National Statistics, 2009b). 4. 1. 2. 3. S Social Factors The social factors are one of the most important factors which affect the fashion industry. Culture of the society is viewed as the most significant factor in terms of its effects in fashion since it is different from one country to another, even it might be different in the same country. Moreover, culture changes as time passes and these changes affect preferences in fashion. As a result, predicting changes become difficult since taste of consumes can be influenced by several factors, such as weather, movies, or even footballers or pop stars (Christopher et al., 2004). The impact of this would be a threat for all companies in fashion industry if they company cannot be able to adapt themselves with ever-changing nature of tastes. Other thing which might affect fashion preferences is education which triggers continuous searching for knowledge. In the UK, education level is high and it causes fashion preferences change rapidly. This is because, as a result of high education level, the awareness of customers to new areas of experience expands and it increases the interest in and desire for a more fashionable appearance. Moreover, increases in the number of working women let them more confident in their judgments when making decisions about clothing (Kiran et al., 2002). The increase in population in the UK is also an opportunity for Zara. According to National Statistics (2009), the UKs population increase with an annual growth rate of 0.5% which is about 1000 people per day due to increase in number of births. This means the market for fashion clothing will continue to grow thanks to the increase in the number of customers, particularly in children clothing sector. UK clothing market is well-developed market and it is growing. According to the research conducted by Allwood et al. (2006), consumers in the UK spent  £38.4 billion in 2005 in clothing and of which  £24 billion was on womens, girls and infants clothing and  £12 billion on mens and boys clothing. Growing fashion clothing market is an opportunity for Zara, especially in women and girls sectors. To conclude, it can be said that the impact of the social factors on Zara would be positive as they create opportunity for the company if it quickly responds to the market and the changing in customer preferences. 4. 1. 2. 4. T Technological Factors The technology is the corner stone for any company since it helps in decreasing the cost in manufacturing process. Therefore, technological developments stand as an opportunity for Zara as advance technology helps in developing better business process. In addition to this, technology led to development of new marketing channels. The internet is a good example for such development. Recent figure showed that online retailing has been increasing particularly in the UK. According to IMRG Cap Gemini (2009), e-retail sales index showed an increase around 12% in the second half of 2009 and in the first half o 2009, UK consumers spent  £22.9 billion in their online purchases. This suggests that increase in online retailing transactions stands as an opportunity if Zara starts online retailing. 4. 1. 2. 5. E Environmental Factors Watson (2001) argued that as much as organic food products have become popular, it is inevitable that consumers will extend their scope of purchase to the organic textiles and this trend is already started as some retailers such as Marks and Sp

African Art Essay examples -- argument essay

1. The pottery Seated Male Figure from Mali is an example of a non- frontal figure. This Sculpture displays a man sitting with his right leg bent and his left leg pulled up into his chest. He has his right arm over his heart and his left arm across his shoulder. There are many raised bumps on his body. His face id shifted slightly to the left and he appears to be concentrating. The caption explains that he is communicating with the gods.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2. The Orangun Eps Headdress from the Yoraba is a great example of a human figure with an entourage and a good display of hieratic scale. The ruler is sitting on a horse. Both he and th ehorse are greatly decorated in bright color clothing and the ruler is wearing a hat. In addition he is carrying a sword which is strapped to his arm. His entourage is amde up of numerous peolpe.Wives, children, musicains, messengers, soliders, and singers. this sculpture is a demostration of both social class and spirituality.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3. The Yoraba divination bowl of the mother and the child does have a patina. It is located on the babies entire body, the face of the mother and on her breast. The divination tray also has a patina around the rim on the carved faces of the Esu, the turtle, curled mud fish. and the curled snail.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  4. Many of the works in the gallery are made to display different qualities as a result they are not alwa...

The Medieval Crusades Essay -- essays research papers

Through out time, history has had a tendency to repeat it self. It has done so in good means as well as bad. People learn from the past and apply it to their every day lives. Although people try to do the right thing and not follow mistakes that have been already made, they just seem to come about. This day in age, out country is experiencing a situation that is extremely similar to that that occurred in the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries, that which is the crusades. Crusades now can be defined as all wars undertaken in pursuance of a vow, and directed against infidels. But back in the middle ages it was known as any military expedition under taken by the Christians of Europe (Random House Webster’s 318). On September 11,2001 the people of America as well as all other free countries in our nation experience a new feeling that we have not know of. We were being attacked for our beliefs, for the way we live our lives. This what we were feeling, was being fought for during the time of the Crusades. The Christians and the Muslims were fighting against one another in order to spread their religion, or end the other. The people who were the leaders of the attack were Muslims. Muslims are people who follow the religion of Islam. Islam is a religion that was founded by a man named Muhammad. The followers of Muhammad believe that he received messages from God. Those messages all established into the rules that the Muslims live by, and they are all recorded in the Koran. Some of the laws forbade Muslims to eat pork, drink alcohol, gamble or lend money for interests. But the main beliefs of the Muslims are â€Å"The Five Pillars†. Which are to have faith in God (Allah). To pray five times a day facing in the direction of Mecca. For a person to ... ...Although they had realized that it was not the end of the crusades. Other types continued. There were five crusades against the Hussites. Also there were crusades that weren’t aimed at capturing Jerusalem but trying to stop the Turks from getting more powerful.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In conclusion we have seen how the crusades took place and what affects they left on world history. In this present day we can still see some of the same ideas that lay behind the crusades. The horrific tragedy of September 11th is justified by some Muslim groups as a strong statement on behalf of the one and only god- Allah (or so they think). It is scary to consider that The Holy War of the 11th-13th century has a chance of reawakening in the 21st century. That is why we must know the facts and their consequences about world history, to prevent its occurrence in the present day.

Classroom Management Considerations to Promote Inclusion Essay

In order for a classroom to be truly inclusive classroom management considerations have to be addressed. Will the classroom atmosphere be conducive to learning for all students and how will the climate be modified or adapted to meet these needs? How will classroom goals and rules be established and are they visible and clearly stated in the classroom? Are academic standards clearly stated and visible in the classroom? Does the teacher effectively utilize differentiated instructional strategies for all students? Is the classroom arranged in a manner to accentuate student learning, for example: how are the desks arranged, is there a student seating plan in place, are bulletin or display boards cluttered and distracting, are there technology resources available to the students in the classroom? Are the teachers utilizing flexible co-teaching models in the classroom and is planning time scheduled to create effective lesson planning? These are questions one must ask his or herself in order to create a truly inclusive classroom. Language and discourse in the classroom also plays a role in creating an inclusive atmosphere, the relationship between the teacher and student, the student and his or her peers is part of the social climate of the classroom and must be positively modeled by the teacher. The teacher must find a way to assess and re-assess instructional strategies so that instruction is real-world based and encourages various extensive and engaging learning opportunities for the students. The teacher also has to teach and model positive coping strategies for stress and should remain non-judgmental in their classroom and behavior management approaches. The following is a short list of some modifications or adaptations that can be made in the classroom: †¢ Preferred seating †¢ Pre-printed notes for the class †¢ Visual aids such as graphic organizers like a KWL chart †¢ Choice of assignments †¢ Extended time to complete tests †¢ Fewer questions for classwork or homework †¢ Modified grading utilizing a rubric †¢ Reduce distractions †¢ Teach study skills and coping strategies †¢ Use flashcards †¢ Use of technology to facilitate instruction such as reading and math software to reinforce and teach pre-requisite skills †¢ Visual schedules †¢ Use of manipulatives †¢ Visual communication aids

Why Do Countries Trade with Each Other

Why do countries trade with each other? Show, using examples, why this may be to do with principle of comparative advantage. Introduction In 1776 Adam Smith stated, â€Å"If a foreign country can supply us with a commodity cheaper than we ourselves can make it, better buy it of them with some part of the produce of our own industry, employed in a way in which we have some advantage. † This sentence shows basic principle on which the world trade is based. Countries buy and sell goods abroad to achieve the best possible cost-effectiveness.Long-distance trade dates back to the ancient times and today it is the heart of the world economy. It is a crucial factor in economic growth of every state. Source of prosperity and development in industrialized world. Statistically speaking, countries with high per capita values of export and import tend to have relatively rich and prosperous societies. International trade is a necessity deriving from the diversity of international community. Countries have different weather, natural resources, population, educational level of workforce, infrastructure.All these thing make cost of producing particular commodities different in each country. And that difference causes international trade to be reasonable. In my essay I’ll try to justify why countries trade with each other by pointing out and explaining particular aspects of foreign trade. Natural Resources and Factor of Endowment The most obvious and visible cause for international trade is a difference in location of natural resources and factor of endowment. Factor of endowment is amount  of  labor,  land,  money  and  entrepreneurship  that could be exploited for  manufacturing  within a country.Every country is unique, therefore they have different economic potentials. Some countries naturally have more natural resources, higher population, bigger territory than the others. Uneven location of resources causes limited possibilities of productio n within countries. For example France has basically no oil resources on its own yet it is the world 13th biggest consumer (CIA, 2010). That means that it has to import almost all it requires. They are importing it from countries that have oil surplus that they can exchange. Population is also a crucial factor.More populated nations are more likely to produce huge surplus of commodities that they can subsequently sell. Like China which huge industry sector produce number of goods big enough to sell all over the world. In order to cultivate the land, grow particular plants, practice animal husbandry very specific climate and soil fertility is needed. For instance citrus fruits can develop only in climates with a cool winter. Relatively few countries can claim to have weather like this, yet we can buy oranges and limes all over the world.These examples show that some countries do not have physical possibility to produce certain goods and have to import them. This is especially noticea ble in industrialized western societies which historically have very big demand on tropical goods such as spices, fabrics, fruits etc. Specialization Heckscher-Ohlin theory indicates that countries specializes in the production of goods that it is adopted to produce. It directly derives from differences in factor of endowment I described before.Countries have different production capacity some are rich in capital and poor in labour power, others have a lot of people but not much capital, some have a lot of raw materials, another have skilled man power. Principle of specialization is closely related to the division of labour. Whole country adopts a role of producer of certain good when the others do the same with different goods. Of course it is just a simplification because some commodities like for instance cars are produced in many different countries. One country can be specialized in production of many different goods.But in general every country produce a certain range of produ cts in high volume. That give them the opportunity to invest as much capital and labour as it is possible to develop the production and conduct research. That helps achieving higher efficiency of production and exploit economy of scale. Economy of scale is basically decreasing average cost of production per unit by expanding scale of output. By specialization economy is capable to produce high surplus and sell it abroad afterwards. Since when costs of production decreases, supply increases.To visualize the point I’ll present and theoretical example. Country â€Å"A† is very capital-abundant but is poor in labour and country â€Å"B† is poor in capital, but has a lot of labour force. Country â€Å"A† country can form capital-intensive industries that will have great efficiency thanks to scale of the production. It will produce surplus and then exchange it with country â€Å"B† which specialized itself in labour-intensive industries. By that means, p roduction of both capital and labour intensive goods will be higher and of better quality. Great real world example is Dutch agriculture.Holland is a medium populated country with only 61st place in the world in terms of population (CIA, 2012). Yet its agriculture which employs only 2% of the population provides large surpluses for the food-processing industry and exports. After United states and France it is world third largest exporter of foodstuffs. That is thanks to huge investments in new technologies and mechanized agriculture. Comparative Advantage Both reasons for trading that I described in previous paragraphs boil down to one absolute cause for world trade to occur, comparative advantage.Country has a comparative advantage when it has an ability to produce particular good at lower marginal and opportunity cost. Because of limited production capacity no country is able to produce every needed product. To produce particular good or service, economy sometimes has to give up o n producing others. That means that a country has to specialize on producing goods that is has comparative advantage on. For instance let’s assume that Poland can produce both cars and grow carrots at relatively low cost but at the same time Ukraine can grow carrots with a bit higher cost than Poland, but can’t produce cars.That means that Poland has absolute advantage on both goods but opportunity cost of producing a car in Poland is significantly higher than in Ukraine. By investing work force and capital in cultivation of carrots Poland misses an opportunity to produce more cars which can bring higher revenue to the polish economy. In that way Ukraine has a comparative advantage on production of carrots because Ukrainian economy do not lose opportunity to produce anything, by investing in carrot agricultural production. This example explains why it is sometime worthwhile for countries to export goods that they are capable of producing.This can lead everyone to produ cing only those goods that one can produce most efficiently. Good example of comparative advantage in contemporary world is the fact that on span of last few India became a major supplier of phone answering services for USA. Even though obviously Americans have better skill in English language and are able to provide this service independently , relatively high skilled American labour force is needed in another efforts. Opportunity cost of having that service provided by Americans is to apparently to high. That’s why it is transferred to India. ConclusionConclusion that derives from previous points is that world trade is inevitable and necessary mean in contemporary world. Factor of Endowments paragraph clearly states that countries are endowed with resources extremely unevenly. 81% of Petroleum reserves which is currently one of the most desired and needed commodities is localized in only 12 countries(OPEC,2011). Concerning that most of the world countries do not have oil re sources big enough to satisfy domestic demand, they have to import it. This is not only oil supply problem, many goods are able to be produced, mined etc. only in certain areas.This is in my opinion the most visible and crucial reason why countries trade. Secondly over the years people understood that specialization and intensification of production can bring huge profit. Economy of scale make per unit production cheaper but involve bigger effort. That’s why it is easier to focus on big production of only some range of goods why importing others. And of course comparative advantage principle which in mathematical way, shows how by division of production between countries and a proper assessment of opportunity cost every country can trade with one another with profit.These three examples of reasons why do countries trade should explain concept of international trade clearly enough and show its benefits and inevitability in contemporary world. Bibliography Smith, A, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, (1776) Sokoloff, Engerman, History Lessons: Institutions, Factors Endowments, and Paths of Development in the New World, The Journal of Economic Perspectives, Available from: http://www. jstor. org/stable/2646928? seq=8 [Accessed 29th October 2012]McKenzie, Lionel, Specialization and Efficiency in World Production. , The Review of Economic Studies21 ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Smith, A. An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. (1776), p. 364. [ 2 ]. Business Dictionary, Factor of Endowment Definition. Available from: http://www. businessdictionary. com/definition/factor-endowment. html [Accessed 28 October 2012] [ 3 ]. The Economist, Economies of scale and scope. Available from: http://www. economist. com/node/12446567 [Accessed 29th October 2012]