Business Task 1 on individual report Essay

                 Despite its future economic prospects, the United Arab Emirates continues to suffer from corporate governance issues. The development of corporate governance in the region has largely been influenced by religion (Gellis et al., 2002). The rules governing the practice of corporate governance have been significantly influenced by Islamic Sharia. This reflects the cultural and religious characteristic of the region (Islam and Hussain, 2003). Islamic Sharia specifies a number of core values such as trust, integrity, honesty and justice which are similar to the core values of corporate governance codes in the West. However, a survey of corporate governance in a number of Gulf countries such as United Arab Emirates suggests that the region continues to suffer from corporate governance weaknesses. 2.0 Reasons for the structure including use of suitable evidence and data                  The structure of the above sectors and reasons for the structure and effects on the performance of firms has been vital subject of debate in the finance literature. Empirical evidence suggests that privately held firms tend to be more efficient and more profitable than publicly held firms. This shows that ownership structure matters. The question now is how does it affect firm performance and why this kind of structure? This question is significant since it is based on a research agenda that has been strongly promoted by La Porta et al.                  According to these studies, failure of the legislative framework to provide sufficient protection for external investors, entrepreneurs and founding investors of a company tend will maintain large positions in their firms thus resulting in a concentrated ownership structure. This finding is interesting because it implies that ownership structure can affect the performance of the firm in one way or the other. It is indisputable; the lack of regulations in corporate governance gives managers who intend to mishandle the flow of cash for their own personal interest a low control level. The empirical results from the past studies of impacts of ownership structure on performance of corporate have been inconclusive and mixed up.               In response to corporate governance issues and their impact on corporate performance, Shleifer and Vishny (1997); and Jensen (2000) have suggested the need for improved corporate governance structures so as to enhance transparency, accountability and responsibility.                  Corporate governance reform and the introduction of innovative methods to limit abuse of power by top management have been justified by recent large scale accounting and corporate failures such as Enron, HealthSouth, Tyco International, Adelphia, Global Crossing, WorldCom, Cendant and the recent global financial crisis.                   According to Monks and Minow (1996) numerous corporate failures suggest that existing corporate governance structures are not working effectively. Corporate failures and accounting scandals initially appear to a U.S phenomenon, resulting from excessive greed by investors, overheated equity markets, and a winner-take-all mind-set of the U.S society. However, the last decade has shown that irregularities in accounting, managerial greed, abuse of power, are global phenomenon that cannot be limited to the U.S. Many non-U.S firms such as Parallax, Adecco, TV Azteca, Hollinger, Royal Dutch Shell, Vivendi, China Aviation, Barings Bank, etc. have witnessed failures in corporate governance and other forms of corporate mishaps.            In addition to corporate governance failures, global standards have declined significantly and unethical and questionable practices have become widely accepted. The net impact has been a reduction in the amount of faith that investors and shareholders have in the efficiency of capital markets. There is no universally accepted corporate governance model that the interest of shareholders and investors are adequately protected as well as ensuring that enough shareholder wealth is being created (Donaldson and Davis, 2001; Huse, 1995; Frentrop, 2003).               Much of the debate on corporate governance has focused on understanding whether the Board of Directors has enough power to ensure that top management is making the right decision. The traditional corporate governance framework often ignores the unique effect that the owners of the firm can have on the board and thus the firm’s top management. The traditional framework therefore ignores that fact that the owners of the firm can influence the board and thus top management to act of make particular decisions. Corporate governance studies are therefore yet to identify and deal with the complexities that are inherent in corporate governance processes.             Investment choices and owner preferences are affected among other things by the extent their degree of risk aversion. Owners who have economic relations with the firm will be interested in protecting their interests even if it is reasonably evident that such protection will result in poor performance. According to Thomsen and Pedersen (1997) banks that play a dual role as owners and lenders would discourage high risk projects with great profit potential because such projects may hinder the firm from meeting its financial obligations if the project fails to realize its expected cash flows. The government also plays a dual role in that it serves as both an owner and a regulator. Therefore owners who play a dual role in the firm often face a trade-off between promoting the creation of shareholder value and meeting their other specific objectives (Hill and Jones, 1992).                  Existing corporate governance frameworks have often ignored these issues in UAE. Rather, much of the emphasis has been on the effectiveness of the board in ensuring that top management is working towards meeting the goals of shareholders. Present corporate governance frameworks lack the ability to monitor owners and their influence on top management. The framework lacks the ability to align the role played by firm owners, board of directors and managers’ interests and actions with the creation of shareholder value and welfare motivation of stakeholders. Discussion of the possible future structure of the industry                     The United Arabs Emirates, and mainly Abu Dhabi, is enduring to increase its economy by reducing the total proportion impact of hydrocarbons to Gross Domestic Product. This is currently being done by growing investment in sector areas like: services in telecommunication, education, media, healthcare, tourism, aviation, metals, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, transportation and trade.                   Significant investments have been made by United Arab Emirates to establish itself as a regional trade hub. United Arab Emirates is also member of the World Trade Organization (WTO). In addition, there are ongoing negotiations to establish free trade agreements with other regions and countries such as the EU. These factors will contribute positively to the region’s integration into the global economy. United Arab Emirates is currently working towards diversifying their economies from the oil sector into other sectors. This diversification is expected not only to increase trade among member countries but also to increase the region’s trade with other countries and regions (Sturm et al., 2008). How the structure affects strategy decisions                     Ownership structure has an impact on firm performance in United Arab Emirates energy production owned sector. This region has witnessed significant economic growth over the last few decades. The region is also facing turbulent times with respect to corporate governance practices, resulting in poor firm performance. Corporate governance issues are not limited to the United Arabs Emirates as part of GCC Countries. From a global point of view, corporate governance has witnessed significant transformations over the last decade (Gomez and Korine, 2005). As a result, there has been an interest in the research attention accorded to corporate governance. The credibility of current corporate governance structures has come under scrutiny owing to recent corporate failures and low corporate performance across the world.                   The risk aversion of the firm can be directly affected by the ownership structure in place. Agency problems occur as a result of divergence in interests between principals (owners) and agents (managers) (Leech and Leahy, 1991). The board of directors is thereby regarded as an intermediary between managers and owners. The board of directors plays four important roles in the firm. These include monitoring, stewardship, monitoring and reporting. The board of directors monitors and controls the discretion of top management. The board of directors influences managerial discretion in two ways: internal influences which are imposed by the board and external influences which relate to the role played by the market in monitoring and sanctioning managers.                                       B: Contribution of the sector to the economy of your chosen country                         Analysis of contribution of sector                  United Arab Emirates remain major global economic player because it has the highest oil reserves. UAE together with the other Gulf Cooperation Council accounts for over 40% of global oil reserves and remains important in supplying the global economy with oil in future. As a result, investment spending on oil exploration and development of new oil fields is on the rise.                   Global oil demand is currently on the rise. This growth is driven mainly by emerging market economies, as well as the oil producing UAE as part of GCC countries. In addition, Europe and the U.S are witnessing depletions in their oil reserves. This means that these regions will become increasingly dependent on the Gulf region which includes UAE for the supply of oil (Sturm et al., 2008). The importance of the United Arabs Emirates as a global economic player is therefore expected to increase dramatically in the near future Use of appropriate data and other evidence                By the year 2011, the GDP of United Arab Emirates totaled to 360.2 billion dollars. Subsequently in 2001, yearly growth of GNP varied from about 7.4% to 30.7%. As part of the chief crude oil suppliers, the United Arab Emirates was at first cut off from the universal recession by high prices on oil that rose to a record 147 US dollars per barrel in the month of July in 2008. Nevertheless, the nation was ultimately influenced by the excavating worldwide recession which resulted to a decline in oil demand, reducing the oil prices to a reduced amount not exceeding a third of the peak of July 2008. In the last 2008 months, the trembles rumbling through global economies were lastly experienced in this section. Oil (million barrels) Proved reserves, 2013 Total oil supply (thousand bbl/d), 2012 Total petroleum consumption, 2012 Reserves-to-production ratio 97,800 3,213 618 95 Natural Gas (billion cubic feet) Proved reserves, 2013 Dry natural gas production, 2012 Dry natural gas consumption, 2012 Reserves-to-production ratio 215,025 1,854 2,235 116 UAE summary energy statistics C: Critical appraisal of sustainability targets on business plan of your chosen organisation                   Oil firms in United Arab Emirates is still quite immature. Most businesses are controlled by a few shareholders and family ownership is prevalent. Most large and small businesses are family businesses (Saidi, 2004). The state is also significantly involved in the management of companies (Union of Arab Banks, 2003).                     This is contrary to the status quo in Western democracies where firms are owned by a diverse group of shareholders which makes ownership to be completely separated from control. The ownership structure in United Arab Emirates suggests that stewardship and monitoring aspects of non-executive directors (NEDs) is absent in firms based in United Arab Emirates. Ownership concentration has remained high in the region because of practices such as rights issues which enable existing wealthy shareholders, and influential families to subscribe to new shares in Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) (Musa, 2002).                   According to a study of the corporate governance practices of five countries by the Union of Arab Banks (2003), ownership of corporations is concentrated in the hands of families. In addition, corporate boards are dominated by controlling shareholders, their relatives and friends (Union of Arab Banks, 2003). There is a no clear separation between control and ownership. Decision making is dominated by shareholders. The number of independent directors in the board is very small and the functions of the CEO and Chairman are carried out by the same person. The high concentration in firm ownership therefore undermines the principles of good corporate governance that are prevalent in western settings (Yasin and Shehab, 2004). This evidence is consistent with findings by the World Bank (2003) in an investigation of corporate governance practices in the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region which also includes the Gulf region. 1.0 Objective of empirical evidence                   The empirical evidence on the impact of ownership structure on firm performance is mixed. Different studies have made use of different samples to arrive at different, contradictory and sometimes difficult to compare conclusions. The literature suggests that there are two main ownership structures in firm including dispersed ownership and concentrated ownership. With respect to concentrated ownership, most of the empirical evidence suggests that concentrated ownership negatively affects performance (e.g., Johnson et al., 2000; Gugler and Weigand, 2003; Grosfeld, 2006; Holmstrom and Tirole, 1993). Different studies have also focused on how specifically concentrated ownership structures affect firm performance. For example, with respect to government ownership, Jefferson (1998), Stiglitz (1996), and Sun et al. (2002) provide theoretical arguments that government ownership is likely to positively affect firm performance because government ownership can facil itate the resolution of issues regarding the ambiguous property rights.                   However, Xu and Wang (1999) and Sun and Tong (2003) provide empirical evidence that government ownership has a negative impact on firm performance. On the contrary, Sun et al. (2002) provide empirical evidence that government ownership has a positive impact on firm performance. It has also been argued that the relationship between government ownership and firm performance is non-linear. Another commonly investigated ownership type and its impact on firm performance is family ownership. Anderson and Reeb (2003), Villanonga and Amit (2006), Maury (2006), Barontini and Caprio (2006), and Pindado et al. (2008) suggest that there is a positive link between family ownership and firm performance. Despite the positive impact some studies argue that the impact of family ownership is negative (e.g. DeAngelo and DeAngelo, 2000; Fan and Wong, 2002; Schulze et al., 2001; Demsetz, 1983; Fama and Jensen, 1983; Shleifer and Vishny, 1997).                     The impact of foreign ownership has also been investigated. Most of the evidence suggests that foreign ownership has a positive impact on firm performance (e.g., Arnold and Javorcik, 2005; Petkova, 2008; Girma, 2005; Girma and Georg, 2006; Girma et al., 2007; Chari et al., 2011; Mattes, 2008).With respect to managerial ownership, it has been argued that the relationship is likely to be positive. Despite this suggestion Demsetz and Lehn (1985) observe a negative relationship between dispersed ownership and firm performance. Institutional ownership has also been found to have a positive impact on firm performance (e.g. McConnell and Servaes, 1990; Han and Suk, 1998; Tsai and Gu, 2007). Furthermore, some studies suggest that there is no link between insider ownership and performance.                  Very limited studies have been conducted on the impact of ownership structure on firm performance in GCC countries like UAE. For example, Arouri et al. (2013) provide evidence that bank performance is affected by family ownership, foreign ownership and institutional ownership and that there is no significant impact of government ownership on bank performance. Zeitun and Al-Kawari (2012) observe a significant positive impact of government ownership on firm performance in the Gulf region.                The pervasive endogeneity of ownership has been cited as a potential reason why it is difficult to disentangle the relationship between ownership structure and firm performance. In addition, the relation may be a function of the type of firm as well as the period of observation in the life of the firm. This study is motivated by the mixed results obtained in previous studies and the limited number of studies that have focused on UAE as part of GCC countries. The objective of the study is to explore in more details the factors that motivate particular types of ownership structure and the potential impact of ownership structure and firm performance in the Gulf region 2.0 Empirical Evidence                  The empirical evidence will focus on how different ownership structures affect firm performance. Firms are often characterized by concentrated and dispersed ownership. Concentrated ownership is expected to have a positive impact on firm performance owning to the increased monitoring that it provides.                Dispersed ownership has been found to be less frequent than expected. Empirical evidence suggests that most firms are characterized by various forms of ownership concentration. Given this high level of ownership concentration, there has been an increasing concern over the protection of the rights of non-controlling shareholders (Johnson et al., 2000; Gugler and Weigand, 2003). Empirical evidence shows that ownership concentration at best results in poor performance. Concentrated ownership is costly and has the potential of promoting the exploitation of non-controlling shareholders by controlling shareholders (Grosfeld, 2006). Holmstrom and Tirole (1993) argue that concentrated ownership can contribute to poor liquidity, which can in turn negatively affect performance. In addition, high ownership concentration limits the ability of the firm to diversify (Demsetz and Lehn, 1985; Admati et al., 1994). There are various forms of concentrated ownership such as gov ernment ownership, family ownership, managerial ownership, institutional ownership and foreign ownership. In the next section, the literature review will focus on how these separate ownership structures affect firm performance. 2.1.1 Government Ownership                     The impact of government ownership on firm performance has attracted the attention of many researchers because the government accounts for the largest proportion of shares of listed companies in some countries and also because government ownership can be used as an instrument of intervention by the government (Kang and Kim, 2012). Shleifer and Vishny (1997) suggest that government ownership can contribute to poor firm performance because Government Owned enterprises often face political pressure for excessive employment. In addition, it is often difficult to monitor managers of government owned enterprises and there is often a lack of interest in carrying out business process reengineering (Shleifer and Vishny, 1996; Kang and Kim, 2012). Contrary to Shleifer and Vishny (1997) some economists have argued that government ownership can improve firm performance in less developed and emerging economies in particular. This is because government ownership c an facilitate the resolution of issues with respect to ambiguous property rights.                   The empirical evidence on the impact of state ownership on firm performance is mixed. For example, Xu and Wang (1999) provide evidence of a negative relationship between state ownership and firm performance based on data for Chinese listed firms over the period 1993-1995. The study, however, fails to find any link between the market-to-book ratio and state ownership (Xu and Wang, 1999). Sun and Tong (2003) employ ownership data from 1994 to 2000 and compares legal person ownership with government ownership. The study provides evidence that government ownership negatively affects firm performance while legal person ownership positively affects firm performance. This conclusion is based on the market-to-book ratio as the measure of firm performance.                   However, using return on sales or gross earnings as the measure of firm performance, the study provides evidence that government ownership has no effect on firm performance. Sun et al. (2002) provide contrary evidence from above. Using data over the period 1994-1997, Sun et al. (2002) provide evidence that both legal person ownership and government ownership had a positive effect on firm performance. They explain their results by suggesting that legal person ownership is another form of government ownership. The above studies treat the relationship between government ownership and firm performance as linear. However it has been argued that the relationship is not linear.                  Huang and Xiao (2012) provide evidence that government ownership has a negative net effect on performance in transition economies. La Porta et al. (2002) provide evidence across 92 countries that government ownership of banks contributes negatively to bank performance. The evidence is consistent with Dinc (2005) and Brown and Dinc (2005) who investigate government ownership banks in the U.S. 2.1.2 Family Ownership                  Family ownership is very common in oil firms in UAE. There is a difference between family ownership and other types of shareholders in that family owners tend to be more interested in the long-term survival of the firm than other types of shareholders(Arosa et al., 2010).. Furthermore, family owners tend to be more concerned about the firm’s reputation of the firm than other shareholders (Arosa et al., 2010). This is because damage to the firm’s reputation can also result in damage the family’s reputation. Many studies have investigated the relationship between family ownership and firm performance. They provide evidence of a positive relationship between family ownership and firm performance (e.g. Anderson and Reeb, 2003; Villalonga and Amit, 2006; Maury, 2006; Barontini and Caprio, 2006; Pindado et al., 2008).                   The positive relationship between family ownership and firm performance can be attributed to a number of factors. For example, Arosa et al. (2010) suggests that family firms’ long-term goals indicate that this category of firms desire investing over long horizons than other shareholders. In addition, because there is a significant relationship between the wealth of the family and the value of the family firm, family owners tend to have greater incentives to monitor managers (agents) than other shareholders (Anderson and Reeb, 2003). Furthermore, family owners would be more interested in offering incentives to managers that will make them loyal to the firm.                     In addition, there is a substantial long-term presence of families in family firms with strong intentions to preserve the name of the family. These family members are therefore more likely to forego short-term financial rewards so as to enable future generations take over the business and protect the family’s reputation (Wang, 2006). In addition, family ownership has positive economic consequences on the business. There are strong control structures that can motivate family members to communicate effectively with other shareholders and creditors using higher quality financial reporting with the resulting effect being a reduction in the cost of financing the business.                Furthermore, families are interested in the long-term survival of the firm and family, which reduces the opportunistic behavior of family members with regard to the distribution of earnings and allocation of management,.                   Despite the positive impact of family ownership on firm performance, it has been argued that family ownership promotes high ownership concentration, which in turn creates corporate governance problems. In addition, high ownership concentration results in other types of costs. As earlier mentioned, La Porta et al. (1999) and Vollalonga and Amit (2006) argue that controlling shareholders are likely to undertake activities that will give them gain unfair advantage over non-controlling shareholders. For example, family firms may be unwilling to pay dividends .                  Another reason why family ownership can have a negative impact on firm performance is that controlling family shareholders can easily favour their own interests at the expense of non-controlling shareholders by running the company as a family employment service. Under such circumstances, management positions will be limited to family members and extraordinary dividends will be paid to family shareholders. Agency costs may arise because of dividend payments and management entrenchment. Families may also have their own interests and concerns that may not be in line with the concerns and interests of other investor groups.                Schulze et al. (2001) provide a discussion, which suggests that the impact of family ownership on firm performance can be a function of the generation. For example, noting that agency costs often arise as a result of the separation of ownership from control, they argue that first generation family firms tend to have limited agency problems because the management and supervision decisions are made by the same individual. As such agency costs are reduced because the separation of ownership and control has been completely eliminated. Given that there is no separation of ownership and control in the first generation family firm, the firm relationship between family ownership and performance is likely to be positive (Miller and Le-Breton-Miller, 2006). As the firm enters second and third generations, the family property becomes shared by an increasingly large number of family members with diverse interests. The moment conflict of interests sets in the relationship between family ownership and performance turns negative in accordance to. Furthermore, agency problems arise from family relations because family members with control over the firm’s resources are more likely to be generous to their children and other relatives.                To summarize, the relationship between family ownership and firm performance may be non-linear. This means that the relationship is likely to be positive and negative at the same time. To support this contention, a number of studies have observed a non-linear relationship between family ownership and firm performance (e.g. Anderson and Reeb, 2003; Maury, 2006). This means that when ownership is less concentrated, family ownership is likely to have a positive impact on firm performance. As the family ownership concentration increases, minority shareholders tend to be exploited by family owners and thus the impact of family ownership on firm performance tends negative.                  Small countries have a relatively weak diamond of competitive advantages. D. Analysis 1.0 Potter’s Diamond Model                  The competitive forces advantages or analysis ought to be fixed on the main competition factors and its impact analysis on the business (Porter 1998, p.142). The state, and home wealth cannot be inherited -3554730607695Faktorski uvjeti 00Faktorski uvjeti -27546301293495Vezane i podrÃ… ¾avajuće industrije 00Vezane i podrÃ… ¾avajuće industrije -332041536195Ã…  ansa 00Ã…  ansa – it ought to be produced (Porter 1998, p.155). This wealth is influenced by the ability of industry to continually upgrade and innovate itself, and this is achievable exclusively by increase means in production – in all parts of fiscal action. The model of Porter concerns aspect which circuitously or openly affects advantage of competition. The aspect structure a place where given manufacturing sector like in this case, oil sector, state or region a learn and act on the way of competing in that environment. Left0 -3686175215392000Each diamond (oil) and the field of diamond (oil) as the whole structure consists of main influences that makes the oil sector competition to be successive. These influences entail: every ability and resource vital for competitive advantage of the sector; data forming the opportunity and providing the response to how accessible abilities and resources ought to be ruled; each interest group aim; and the is most crucial, oil sector pressure to innovating and investing. Swot analysis Strengths The oil sector has many years producing oil and so is well established. Comparatively lots of sub-sectors for industrialist stability and support. Weaknesses Comparatively out of date scientific foundation. 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Ethnic Market Essay

With mounting western influence and focus on revival of traditional Indian fashion elements, diversity in India sees many faces. To maintain the dignity of the culture and to provide a platform to small Indian brands, future group initiated ethnocentrism concept by opening ethnicity store in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. This initiative has provided new format insights to organized retailers to expand their horizons in highly volatile Indian consumer oriented market. A new format has always been a challenge to any retailer to sustain into the market. In the changing face of market, to regain preference of consumers towards nationalized brands, can be looked from a confronting angle. This created an anxiety in the mind of researchers and inspired them to undergo the research to understand the ethnicity concept. Ethnicity format is studied based on the first ethnicity store set up in the city of Ahmedabad, Gujarat and glimpses are taken from the second and third store set up in Mumbai and Pune respectively. Research is secondary followed by primary in nature. This paper gives insights into the overall set up of ethnicity format that includes differentiating Criteria’s of ethnicity in comparison to regular retail formats based on observation at the store. Questionnaire based survey is also performed to get opinion on ethnicity store and paper gives insights into preferential category for purchase for future developments Consumers have given a very good response to the new concept. Along with shopping, experiences of consumers’ with the format have given a lasting impact on their mind-set. Further Raja market, Rani Market, Thoda aur market are found attractive to consumers and have gained good preference of consumers followed by Sona-chandi market Chota India and Ghar aangan market. The insights into concept development and suggested potential extended formats of ethnicity may readily work as a pillar to stand into the market for new retailers. Keywords: Ethnicity, Ethnocentrism, Organized Retail, Nationalized brands. Introduction Indian fashion industry is moving towards westernization due to high level of acceptance of foreign brands by the consumers. Due to this ,western brands are getting a wider platform than the ethnic brands across the country. As a result, national/ethnic products are even overlooked by consumers and time may come that such products may disappear from the market. To protect the Indian heritage, Future group took up the maiden initiative to provide a space to Indian products and brands under its own name and fame Future Group, India’s leading business house with strong presence in retail sector, launched a new retail format, family lifestyle store – Ethnicity, in Ahmadabad to market ethnic brands and products of India in 2008. This chain is a major family format developed after the launch of *Professor, G. H. Patel Post Graduate Institute of Business Management, Sardar Patel University, Vallabh Vidyanagar. **Assistant Professor, N. R. Institute of Business Management (GLS-MBA), Gujarat Technological University, Ahmedabad. Pacific Business Review International 2 highly successful family formats like Pantaloons, Big Bazaar, and Home Town. The new store format that has been billed as ‘Everything Indian, seeks to promote ethnic brands, ranging from ethnic and fusion wear, Jewellery, handicrafts, home decor, beauty products to accessories and gifts. ‘ Thus ethnicity showcases a large number of small Indian brands under one roof. Ethnicity besides promoting the culture of ethnic products, provide a modern platform to augment the presence of the retailers into the industry. Research Objectives †¢ †¢ †¢ To understand the concept of ethnicity as a new retail format To understand differentiating factors of ethnicity store in comparison to the modern retail stores. To understand the consumers’ preference towards the new format. Scope of the Study The study has explored the concept of ethnicity. In includes understanding of the theme and concept development, merchandise development and differentiation criteria of format in comparison to existing formats. Further to understand acceptance of the new format, consumers’ preference towards the offerings has also been analyzed Data Collection Sources Secondary data sources have been used to understand the concept the ethnicity. Information has been taken from leaflet provided by ethnicity store of Ahmedabad, and Company website to get insights into ethnicity store of Pune and Mumbai. Articles kept on the websites are also used at the launch of ethnicity. Primary data has been collected through questionnaire to know consumers preference towards the new format. Respondents were the consumers of Ahmedabad who visited ethnicity store. Sample of 100 respondents was administered out of which 94 responses identified as valid sample for the study. Literature Review Ethnic origin has been defined as a group of people who share a common descent, a sense of collective identity and usually a shared cultural heritage and tradition (Crysdale and Bettie, 1973). Ethnicity implies common customs, values, and attitudes within a group of people who are bound by a common cultural identification. Because values reflect a standard or criterion that people use in the guidance of behavior, they act as a norm for ethnic consumer behavior and an influence on many consumption motives. Ethnic Marketing Ethnic marketing is an important aspect of lifestyle marketing, a strategy that tailors a company’s products and services towards the customer’s lifestyles. According to Technopak Analysis, the current market of sarees and ethnic wear stands at Rs 31,000 crore and is projected to grow at 10 per cent to reach Rs 45,000 crore in 2014. Views expressing rationale towards ethnic marketing Mr. Arvind Singhal, chairman of management consulting and retail specialist firm Technopak Advisors (201011) said, â€Å"Overall apparel category spends are rising, with special focus on ethnic wear brands, where many new brands have emerged as market heroes. They sensed the vacuum in the market, ease of entry, and attracted women – the most interesting target consumer, which places the Indian ethnic wear market at Rs. 56,800 Crore, growing at 9% annually†. Govind Shrikhande, customer care associate and managing director, Shoppers Stop said â€Å"Branded ethnic Volume 5 Issue 5 (November 2012) wear is one of the top selling categories in our stores. For the past few years this segment has seen double digit growth,† Mr. Gaurav Mahajan, CEO, Westside, a Tata group company said ,†Indian ethnic wear is an integral part of our customer promise. We widened the Westside range and introduced Zuba, which offers silks and authentic handlooms. This autumn will see the launch of two more brands,† Mr. Rakesh Biyani, joint managing director, Future Group said ,†There is a significant rise in demand for women’s ethnic clothing. There is a big gap between the opportunity and what is being delivered today by organized players. This gap identification generated a lead to cover the untapped ethnic market and future group took up the initiative to establish ethnicity store as a revolution in the existing apparel format. Concept development of Ethnicity Store by Future Group. Store Design Future Group has launched the first of a chain of stores aimed at retailing Indian wear in 2008 in Ahmedabad city. It is the branded ‘Ethnicity’ store that keeps the a range of ethnic and fusion wear, jewelry, handicrafts, home decor, beauty products and accessories and gifts. All the products are India inspired. The store is having a spread over an area of 25,000 to 30,000 sq. ft. Store Objective The apparel labeled as traditional and indoor clothing a decade ago, has laid the foundation for today’s contemporary Indian ethnic chic. Ethnicity proudly follows the Indian values of being sensitive to Ahmedabad city, environment and community. It provides a platform to bring together traditional or ethnic 3 retailers and consumers. It recreates the know-how of a traditional ethnic market in a modern retail format and is an aggregator of the multi-faceted ethnic merchandise and traditional selling practices. It revives and rejuvenates anything and everything that is Indian. It aims to truly open out the urban ethnic market and redefine the scale of ethnic merchandising. Ethnic-Theme Positioning at the Store The concept Ethnicity is not limited to ethnic clothing but it is a destination to get the unique experience. The key differentiator for Ethnicity lies in its 360-degree shopping experience. Ethnicity’s store design reflects a distinctly ethnic character – visual merchandising tools include artifacts, paintings and decor pieces from Rajasthan, Orissa and Gujarat. â€Å"Visual merchandising at ethnicity is like the synopsis of a story book†. Ethnicity has gone the â€Å"Desi way (Highly traditional)† to become attractive and communicative. It is vital to not only be a differentiated retailer but also to draw out the true essence of the products. Branding in ethnic wear has been led by region of origin of the product like Benaresi sarees, Lucknowi kurta, Kutchchi Bandhani. The store is colorfully designed and the flashiness gives it an ambience of luxury and festivity. Atmosphere at Ethincity Store Atmospheric at ethnicity store is a reflection of Indian heritage. Instead of halogen lights, everywhere light is reflected by lanterns. Instead of room freshener or perfumes, a raw fragrant of essential oil from flowers known as attar is used to mesmerizes the entrant and bring them to the Indian culture. All the racks for display of merchandise are developed from wooden and outside decoration is of handicraft, which gives a reflection of Indian art. Instead of having all the racks or shelves for display, few of the merchandise is displayed on cot. Store assistants are dressed in ethnic kurtas for refreshments, Coconut water is served in a lorry (Cart) which gives a flavor of typical Indian culture, on the road serving. Pacific Business Review International 4 Use of multi colors, art and fancy designs, air fragrance and traditional lightings give all time festival feeling experience. market. Chosen name for the market is based on arterial language of India. With the theme of ethnocentrism, the collection represents only Indian brands in all the merchandise. Merchandise at Ethnicity Store. All the offerings are divided into a â€Å"Niche name† of Overall Analysis of Ethnicity Store Table 1 Store Sections Generic category name Ethnic name at ethnicity store Women’s wear category Rani market-everything ethnic for women Men’s wear category Raja market-everything ethnic for men Kid’s wear category Chota India market Jewellery/ accessories Sona –chandi market- ethnic Jewellery Home accessories Ghar –aangan- ethnic ideas for your home Stationary/medical items Thoda aur- ethnic accessories and more Source: http://www. indiaretailing. com/organising-ethnic-retail. asp Data Analysis Regular formats of organized retail stores have their specific offerings. While ethnicity store has differentiated the same to give a new experience to the consumers. Based on observation at ethnicity store, the following comparison has been made to derive the differentiation criteria Table 2 Comparative Analysis: Organized Regular Retail Format V/s. Ethnicity Format Parameter Organized Retail Organized retailOutlet outlet Theme A move culture Objective To give exposure to western To give platform to Indian brands culture dynamics and appeal to ethnocentrism Size of the outlet Large size Comparatively small size Structure Vertical departmentation Horizontal departmentation. Availability of brands Global brands Only Indian brands Atmospheric Exclusive halogen lights lantern /yellow lights towards Ethnicity Store Ethnicity store western A move towards Indian legacy Volume 5 Issue 5 (November 2012) 5 Decoration No additional decoration Fully decorated with colors, lamps, handicraft ,puppets etc. -looks like all time festival Music Western songs Indian instrumental Fragrance Room fresheners Raw fragrant of essential oil from flowers known as attar Shelves Racks Along with racks Traditional village themed cots with four legs Merchandise division Products are separate Gender wise product bundling. Apparel gets displayed in one section, accessories other section, footwear another section and so on e. g. Raja market includes apparel ,accessories ,footwear addressing men. Rani market includes apparel, accessories, footwear for women Merchandise name English names Traditional Indian names Store assistant’s dressing Western formal wear Traditional Indian kurta Packaging Plastic printed bags Paper bags with traditional look Merchandise Western outfits western designs and indo- Indian traditional embroidery work outfits with Shoes Mojaris and chappals Indo-western painting Handicraft Cosmetic products. Natural ayurvedic products and aromatherapy Perfumes Incense stick, fragrances Light chandelier Candles and Lantern Artificial jewellery Stone work, Kundan jewellery Refreshments Food court with multi cuisine Small push cart/lorry with coconut water Deliverable Shopping Experience attar, natural Source: Primary data collection through observation Analysis of Consumers Preference Towards Ethnicity Store: Consumers survey has been performed to get insights into their experience towards the format with the help of questionnaire. Respondents were the consumers who visited the ethnicity store. Pacific Business Review International 6. Figure 1 Consumers’ Preference towards the Market based Merchandise at Ethnicity Store with Mean Rank ( where 1 is least and 5 is maximum) 0 1 2 3 4 5 4. 25 Raja Market 4. 02 Rani Market 2. 80 Chota India 3. 20 Sona Chandi Ghar Aangan 2. 05 4. 15 Thoda aur Source: Primary data collection through questionnaire Consumers’ preference towards the ethnic theme based markets is analyzed to know the preferred market. This analysis is aimed at developing the market to increase the preference †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Consumers are highly satisfied with Raja Market offerings followed by Rani market and thoda aur market. New introductions in thoda aur market like lamps, candle and fragrances, ayurvedic products etc have grabbed attention of people which gives a lead to introduce more unique and Indian traditional items. Sona chandi market has got a good response. Thus it can be interpreted that fashion accessories in ethnic look are keeping tune with the ethnic garments. As per consumers opinion, Chota India is yet to gain preference may be because of traditional designs that are not preferred more for kids in †¢ comparison to western attractive outfits with cartoon characters Again as per consumers opinion, Ghar aangan is also yet to gain preference may be because of bed sheets, utensils, toys , purchase for rituals like puja ka saaman etc. have pre-existence of established unorganized market. Volume 5 Issue 5 (November 2012). 7 Consumers’ Preference towards Ethnic Products for Three Most Preferred Markets Figure 2 Preference has been Analyzed towards Offerings for Females as Rani Market Source: Primary data collection through questionnaire Fusion wear and Mix & Match are able to attract consumers as it is a new and unique base of ethnic products. As Saari, salwaar kamiz have become a common purchase and many platforms are available to address the demand, preference is found at the moderate level. Figure 3 Preference has been Analyzed towards Offerings for Males as Raja Market Source: Primary data collection through questionnaire In men’s wear traditional wear in the form of Jodhpuri, Chudidar and kurtas along with traditional mojaris have attracted consumers to larger extent Pacific Business Review International 8 Figure 4 Preference has been Analyzed towards Offerings for Thoda Aur Market Source: Primary data collection through questionnaire Full range of Fragrances and Candles & Incense has been introduced by ethnicity store. It has got extra ordinary preference of consumers. Thus it has contributed towards maintenance of Indian legacy Consumers preference towards Aromatherapy Aromatherapy is the use of aromatic plant oils, including essential oils, for psychological and physical wellbeing. Aroma therapists blend therapeutic essential oils especially for each individual and suggest methods of use such as topical application, massage, inhalation or water immersion to stimulate the desired responses. Aroma therapy oils may include : †¢ Peppermint – Digestive disorders †¢ Rosemary – Muscular pains, mental stimulant †¢ Sandalwood – Depression, anxiety and nervous tension †¢ Sweet orange – Depression and anxiety. †¢ Tea tree – Respiratory problems, antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral †¢ Lavender – Headaches, insomnia, burns, aches and pain Ethnicity store has provided the platform for Aromatherapy. Full range of essential oils has been displayed to generate the awareness and preference towards the same. It is aimed at generating awareness towards ayurvedic medicine in the arena of allopath for better and secure treatment. Ethnicity has taken maiden initiative to mould the consumers psychology towards naturopath. (Graph on next page) It can be interpreted from figure-5 that first hand response has been satisfactory with 49% for. Aromatherapy and thus it enjoys the potential to increase the preference in future. The atmospheric of traditional products is supporting the purchase of traditional way of health supplements. The advice and explanation given along with the product has played important role in making realization to go for natural products Volume 5 Issue 5 (November 2012) 9 Figure 5 Preference has been Analyzed for Aroma Therapy Source: Primary data collection through questionnaire Figure 6 Analysis of Consumers’ Satisfaction towards Ethnicity Store: Consumers’ level of satisfaction towards the differentiated offerings has been analyzed. Such analysis is aimed at identifying the most appealing differentiation for future positioning of the store and developing the strategies that may lead to future satisfaction Competitive Assessment Matrix with Mean Rank ( Where 1 is least and 5 is maximum) Regular Organized Retail Formats and Ethnicity Store Consumers’ satisfaction on competitive assessment matrix 0 1 2 3 4 5 4. 05 4. 95 Theme 2. 30 2. 60 Price 3. 25 4. 00 Variety 3. 94 4. 35 Display 4. 00 Experience Source: Primary data collection through questionnaire Keys : Regular organized retail outlets Ethnicity store 5. 00 Pacific Business Review International 10 †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢. Competitive assessment matrix depicts that ethnicity theme is highly appealing to the people. The differentiation point of giving experience to the consumers than only to provide a platform for shopping is getting correct positioning in the mind set of consumers as it is applauded by consumers with the mean rank of 4. 95. Unique display of ethnicity is highly appreciated by consumers in comparison to regular organized retail formats. On the dimension of variety ethnicity is lagging behind in comparison, the contributing reason may be limited number of Indian brands into each category. As far as pricing is concerned none of the outlets satisfied the consumers expectation. It brings out the fact that price structure is too high. Here opportunity lies with ethnicity store to discriminate pricing strategy to get competitive edge over other formats. It might be feasible to reformulate the pricing strategy due to nationalized brands. †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Suggestions †¢ Major Findings †¢ †¢ †¢ Ethnicity is indeed a revolutionary move towards consumers’ ethnocentrism. National players have also joined hands with the big retailer and accepted the opportunity to address the mass market. Thus it has contributed to a greater extent in providing a wider platform to small retailer of India. Further is has contributed towards generating awareness of ethnic products and brands of allover India which were not noticed by the consumers and importance was not realized by consumers. It is an absolutely unique model into organized retail formats. Everything starting from atmospherics to collection of brands, merchandise display and packaging is uniquely positioned with the nationalized theme. It provides a feel-good factor and thrilling experience to the consumers. Consumers are getting attracted by the theme and getting exposed and penetrated by ethnic products. Today consumers look for fashionable clothes. National brands which were not recognized earlier, have provided a platform of fashion to explore Consumers are highly satisfied with Raja Market offerings followed by Rani market and thoda aur market. Fusion wear, Mix & Match, Jodhpuri,Kurtas, Chudidars, Mojaris and fragrances ,candles and incense are able to get preference of people. Aroma therapy is able to get good welcome form the consumers. Ethnic designs are getting acceptance in the form of novelty. In all this innovative concept well applauded by consumers as they are getting exposed to all the variety and designs of products of all the corners of India under one roof. †¢ †¢ †¢ More Indian retailers should be motivated to provide huge collection of ethnic products in the categories of mens’ wear and women’s wear to provide more varieties. There is a need to increase the range of aroma therapy offerings to increase the awareness and consumption. Fragrances, candles and incense offerings have brought Indian values back in the preferences. This has showcased a very good business potential as a whole. There is a need to provide more and more offerings into the segment with more and more varieties. Potential revolutions into existing format of ethnicity for India. Format can be expanded by introducing specialties of major states/cities of India †¢ Rajasthan market – Art & craft †¢ Jamnagar market-Bandhani Volume 5 Issue 5 (November 2012) †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Bangalore -Silk garments Chennai- Pearl jewellery Kerala market-Spices Format can be expanded by introducing specialty food of major states/cities of India it may help to give a back shift to the consumer trend which is moving towards western food Gujarati food Punjabi food South Indian food Rajasthani food North Indian food Kathiyawadi food Potential revolutions into existing format of ethnicity for other countries. It has been witnessed that countries are getting specialized into technological innovations but spread of such innovations into the same continent reflects questionable behavior of consumers. Many a times it is because of lack of awareness. Such type of format may provide a common platform to explore the small innovative products at consumer end E. g. European countries. Fashion based Ethnicity- As fashion industry is one of the major growing industries in Europe, all fashion statements can be displayed under one platform †¢ Fashion statement of Italy †¢ Fashion statement of France †¢ Fashion statement of United kingdom Technology based ethnicity- Technical Research& innovation driven countries, all innovations can be displayed under one platform †¢ Big to small innovative products of Finland. †¢ Big to small innovative products of Germany †¢ IT & Renewable technology based products from Sweden †¢ Electric technology innovations of Netherland E. g. Asian Countries 11 Technology based ethnicity †¢ Robotic technology based innovative small to big products from South Korea & Japan References Crysdale and Bettie, 1973, Retrieved from, http:// www. manifolddatamining. com /html /products/ ethnicmarketing. htm on 15/02/2012 Anuradha Shukla, Ethnic wear market booms in India retrieved from http://wonderwoman. intoday. In/ story/ethnic-wear-market-booms-in-india/1/ 88440. html http://indiatoday. intoday. in/story/ethnic-wear-marketto-grow/1/124981. html retrieved on 06/02/2012 koregaonparkplaza, pune (2011) retrieved from http:// w w w. k o r e g a o n p a r k p l a z a . c o m / s t o r s details. asp? id=77&catid=1&st=1 retrieved on 06/ 02/2012 Runul Vashistha, (2009) retrieved from http:// www. indiar et a iling. com/ R et ailC oncep t _ details. aspx? Id=58 retrieved on 02/02/2012 Pooja nair, (2009). retrieved from http://ahmedabad. metromela. com/Lamps+and+ethnic+ wear+at+. Ethnicity/article/3183 retrieved on 15/02/2012 Shailesh Shah, (2012). Ethnicity: Towards organising ethnic retail, retrieved from http: // www. indiaretailing. com/organising-ethnicretail. asp retrieved on 02/02/2012 http://www. pantaloonretail. in/pdf/ethnicity_karigari. pdf Reference Book Jr. Churchill Gilbert A. , Lacobucci Dawn, Israel D. , (2009),†Marketing Research- A South Asian Perspective†, India Edition, Delhi: Cencage Learning. Additional material Leaflet circulated at ethnicity store 12 Glossary Attar: A fragrant of essential oil typically made from rose petals Ayurvedic: It is a Hindu system of traditional medicine native to India and a form of alternative medicine. Ayurveda can be defined as a system, which uses the inherent principles of nature, to help maintain health in a person by keeping the individual’s body, mind and spirit in perfect equilibrium with nature Bandhani: A process of patterning cloth by tie-dyeing in which the design is reserved on the undyed cloth by tying small spots very tightly with thread to protect them from the dye especially popular in Rajasthan and India Chappal: An item of Indian footwear, similar to a flipflop with a toe strap Chota (India market): Younger, junior child related products. Pacific Business Review International Kundan Jewellery: Kundan is a traditional Indian gemstone jewelry, a method of gem setting in a jewellery piece, consisting of inserting gold foil between the stones and its mount, usually used to create elaborate necklaces believed to have originate in royal courts of Rajasthan and Gujarat. It is the oldest form of jewellery made and worn in India Kurta: A knee-length, collarless shirt worn over pajamas by men in India Mojaris: A style of South Asian handcrafted footwear mostly using vegetable-tanned leatherproduced in India Organized retail: Organized retail has been defined as a network of similarly branded stores with an element of self service Raja (Market): A prince, chief, or ruler related products in India Rani (Market): Indian princess related products Ethnicity: Ethnicity implies common customs, values, and attitudes within a group of people who are bound by a common cultural identification Saree: a dress worn primarily by Hindu women; consists of several yards of light material that is draped around the body Ethnic groups: A group of people who share a common descent, a sense of collective identity and usually a shared cultural heritage and tradition Sona-chandi (market)-Gold & silver related products/jewellery Ethnic Marketing: Ethnic marketing is an important aspect of lifestyle marketing, a strategy that tailors a company’s products and services towards the customer’s lifestyles Ghar -aangan (market):Home decoration related products Handicraft: Items made by hand, often with the use of simple tools, and are generally artistic and/or traditional in nature . They are the objects of utility and objects of decoration. Incense stick: It is composed of aromatic biotic materials, which release fragrant smoke when burned Thoda aur (market): somewhat more than the existing here in the context of more than the regular offerings.

The Rule of Saint Benedict Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The Rule of Saint Benedict - Essay Example One of the reasons why it was and remains so popular is its objectivity, which makes it much more sustainable than related precepts especially because it allows for a moderate line between the zeal of individual devotion and institutionalism1. The rule was essentially designed to create an environment in which the needs of monks in communities could be provided to foster a deeper understanding into human nature, providing spiritual mentorship, support the monk’s ascetic endeavors and develop spiritual growth. This paper will endeavor to analyze the text by primarily focusing on; the historical context in which the Rule emerged, the factors that drove Saint Benedict to write it, his secondary sources of information and the role the rules played and continue to play in religious and non-religious discourse. For as long as it has existed, the rule has been used by Benedictine monks and to many scholars, saint Benedict is considered to be the originator of western monasticism alth ough historians had suggested that he probably had no outward intention of starting a religious order. Among the many advantages of these rules is that they allow of communities of monks to be autonomous and thus operate without outside influence or direct co-operation. Consequently, communities that apply these rules have enjoyed a variety of benefits from the accruing independence such as the development of close internal bonds and more contemplative lifestyles without outside distraction. While the book is quite explicit on some of it requirements, it is not iron clad and it allows the Abbott to use his discretion when circumstances demand it.2 The lessons, according to Benedict were not meant to dictate but provide a guide of those wishing to spend their lives in holy contemplation especially beginners. Overview The rule has seventy-three chapters and these are divided into edicts about the duties of the abbot, regulation of worshiping God, chastisement and consequences for brea king rules, the core management of the monastery and miscellaneous rules. It prologues with a hortary preface through which Saint Benedict lays down the basic tenets of the religious life and the renunciation of an individual’s will to take up a life of Christ In his summation, the rules will serve as the foundation for the formation of a school in which salvation shall the taught as a science. Through their perseverance in the monastery for the duration of their natural lives, monks will be deemed as qualified to be partakers of the kingdom of Christ Owing to the scope of the rules, it is not possible to summarize it explicitly by the chapter since that would require an entire paper of considerable length. Nevertheless, several of the rules, which have a bearing on the historical context to the text, will be briefly discussed herein. Benedict makes it clear that the rule is only relevant to two classes of monks, those are the Cenobites, Hermits, and it precludes the Gyrovagi and Sarabites who did not follow any specific code and were, in Benedict’s opinion a disgrace to the monastic profession. He emphasizes on the authority of the abbot who all the monks must obey without question and in the selfsame way requires the abbot is an honorable and godly individual. Concerning the personal lives of the monk, the rules demand that they must live frugally and what little they have such as extra clothes should be

Foreign Exchange Market Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Foreign Exchange Market - Assignment Example The parties agree to convert the U.S. currency to the British Pound today (spot transaction date), April 5, 2015 (The Money Converter, 2015). There is a difference between foreign_currency dealers and brokers. The foreign exchange dealer is a person or entity (especially a bank) that buys and sells foreign_currency. People can spot them in supermarkets and grocery stores. The dealer makes a profit by selling the purchased foreign_currency to a buyer of the foreign_currency at a higher price (Shoub, 2013). On the other hand, the foreign exchange broker functions within the currency market. The currency market transactions work just like the stock exchange each foreign_currency broker member of the currency market buy and sell foreign_currency among each other. The broker earns a commission for each foreign_currency transaction. The transaction may be classified as either a buy transaction or a sell transaction. The terms direct quote represents the number of United States dollars needed to acquire one quantity of the foreign_currency (The Money Converter, 2015). For example, a Los Angeles person can convert one United States dollar to British pound at the current foreign_currency conversion rate. The current April 5, 2015 foreign_currency conversion rate is U.S. $ 1 =  £ 0.67. If the same person converts his $100 to British Pound, the person will turn over to the foreign_currency trader U.S. $ 100 and receive in return  £ 67. Further, the term indirect quote represents the number of foreign_currency needed to acquire one United States dollar (The Money Converter, 2015). Using the same conversion rate above, a London based buyer wants to purchase a chosen New York store’s furniture. The furniture store only accepts United States currency. The furniture price is U.S. $ 100. Using the same conversion table above, the London buyer must convert his  £ 67 to the required United States $ 100. After the conversion, the London buyer can pay the New York store

Multi-Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Multi-Media - Essay Example ‘Why we crave horror movies’ is a story that uses the genre of realistic fiction to explain the reality behind people and their love for horror movies. It gives reason behind the popularity of horror films in America and explains the nature of the movies. ‘A GPS helps a guy always know where his couch’ uses the art of science fiction and reality genres to explain the role of technology in creating easy movement of people in the modern world as one can visit new places without difficulties with the use of GPS trackers. ‘The fast food factories’ make the use of realistic nonfiction genre to explain the event behind children molestation in the real world. Dave Barry is a famous writer from Chester city in England. He uses his literature skills to emphasize on the importance of technology in solving various circumstances in the modern societies. He points out the importance of GPS in navigation as it promotes ease in movement of people around the world. Barry audience is basically made of people who have an interest in modern technology thus have the desire to know more about the impacts of technology in the current world. In this case, he uses the context of ‘A GPS helps a guy always know where his couch’ to explain one of the impacts of modern technology which is the use of GPS in navigation. King is an American author who draws his inspiration from psychological studies. He uses this notion to explain the circumstance behind American film fanatics and their love for horror movies. His audiences are basically film funs whom he helps to understand the reason behind the love of horror movies especially in America. Amitai Etzioni is another famous writer born in Germany but spent most of his academic life in the United States. One of his best selling literatures is ‘The Fast-Food Factories’ where he target business entrepreneurs as his major audience. His story rotates around child molestation

The Evolutionary Origins of Smallpox Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Evolutionary Origins of Smallpox - Essay Example Smallpox is caused by the Variola virus, a member of the orthopox virus family and one of the many pox viruses that have been infecting a range of animal species throughout the world for millennia. Orthopox viruses include cowpox and chicken pox. Humans can be infected by some of these pox viruses, but none are as deadly as smallpox (Peters, 2004). When seen under an electronic microscope, Variola looks like a brick-shaped or elliptical classic form consisting of two strands of DNA (Barnes, 2007). They represent the largest and the most complex of the pathogenic viruses. It is one of the largest and most complicated viruses known, thus, so lethal and difficult to combat. When the Variola invades the human cell it, is forced to reproduce the virus until there are hundreds of thousands of viruses within the cell. When the cell can no longer contain the viruses, the cell bursts. The viruses shower onto other cells infecting them (Glynn & Glynn, 2004). Then the process begins all over ag ain. Unlike most DNA viruses that replicate within the nucleus of the host cell, pox viruses manage to replicate outside the nucleus within the cytoplasm of the infected cell. The virus sheds its double membranous coat once it gains entry into the host cell and slowly begins to absorb particular nutrients from the cytoplasm needed for its replication (Barnes, 2007). Origins of the disease The question of the origin and evolution of human smallpox virus was difficult to address. No one definitely knows when, where or how the first occurrence of the smallpox virus on earth happened. Even within documented human history, it is difficult to trace the forms of smallpox origins and ascertain its development completely. All kinds of plagues, rashes and pox diseases, as well as other diseases, were mentioned interchangeably. The earliest unscientific descriptions of the symptomatology do not sufficiently differentiate various kinds of ailments (Koplow, 2004). Even in the modern era, particu lar differential diagnosis has continued to pose a challenge as smallpox can evolve as numerous distinct types of diseases from time to time, until laboratory findings confirm the innitial clinical impressions. There are several explanations which have been expressed in attempt to explain the origins or beginning of the human version of the virus. Peters (2004) claims that the Variola virus can be traced back to prehistoric times. In its early form it was a virus that primarilry infected rodents. However, prehistoric humans hunted rodents for food or came into conatct with them in other ways, and at some point the virus may have jumped from rodents to humans. Koplow (2004) suggests that the small pox virus might have originated from arbitrary mutation of some other less virulent and even older subspecies of unknown virus. This might have happened most probably around 10,000B.C, somewhere in the bountiful Ganges River plain in India. He insinuates that some moderately minor disease a gents instinctively adapted and modified themselves from

Indonesian Position Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Indonesian Position Report - Essay Example The RC/RC Climate Centre and the global amalgamation of the Red Cross/Red Crescent (IFRC) distinguish this conference as an imperative venture to champion the government and other stakeholders about the significance in addressing the detrimental effects of climate change on the defencelessness of the people around the world, precisely in embryonic countries and what necessitates, to be the global adaptation support strategy. Duval-Smith, Alex. (2005). Ecological anomalies are frequently pointed out as a prominent example of issues transcending national borders which relatively demands international and political coordination. 1This prompts environmental consciousness that should be integrated within the social fabric of the society in mobilizing relentless for environmental conservations stipulated by the UNFCCC. Besides this enormous outcry, latest surge on globalization has still been centred on national issues where national actors or institutions have been targeted. Indonesian government has vowed to support the composite projecting by pumping in $10 million that is issued in three trances. The scientific assistance is evident throughout these phases. This monetary juncture will support the GEF's objective in plummeting the risks of climate transformation by avoiding imperative methane gas production from the decomposition of organic dissipate in landfills and the consequential emission of greenhouse gas. These remunerations will be achieved by transforming the organic division of the solid waste torrent to agricultural manure, rather than trucking it to and discarding it in landfills. Tonne for tonne, a 20- fold decrease in GHG emissions can be achieved if the organic wastes are degraded aerobically. Rogers, Paul (2004). The Background of the UNFCC In the direction of the end of the second last decade of the last century, World Meteorological organisation (WMO) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) time-honoured the Intergovernmental Panel on climate change, as a reply to growing scientific and well structured methodological concerns on climate change. Climatic anomaly was first discovered in 1990 by the IPCC's first report, it nevertheless, emphasised that human actions probably played a causative role, noticeably adding to the natural process already taking place. The fourth Analysis was produced in this years June report; the report outlined that it's now unequivocal that the climatic changes are on a rampage and the probability of this happenings is blamed on the human activities. Myriad aspects of excessive whether all round the world are already shifting. United Nation in the early nineties organised for a conference on the Environment and Development (the Earth Summit). 2At this conference governments agreed on the Uni ted Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The Convention was signed and later ratified by 192 countries and thus enjoys universal membership. These countries that had approved concurrently ratified the UNFCCC have since been convening as from 1995 under the umbrella of the Conference of parties (COP). Graced with the presence by all members; these meetings are the highest verdict-making influence of the conference. Penny, C (2005). They have been conduits that have been used to

INdividual Assignment 8 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

INdividual 8 - Assignment Example Various groups that have similar lines of expertise could also team up or collaborate to increase the range of their connections, thus bringing different businesses together by means of intermediaries, but without the hassle of actually meeting up each one of them in person. There is also no need to particularly know who these people are personally, and communications often happen by consulting groups or individual people according to expertise, thus every group have opportunities to show their skills equally since business owners or companies aim to get the job done professionally as to how they would want it done. It is easier to conduct businesses or sales using social networks such as Facebook. This is because while in LinkedIn transactions are done via consultants or third parties depending on their expertise, Facebook harnesses the power of word-by-mouth in promoting marketing and sales (105). There is also less barriers among businesses since they could conduct transactions directly with customers, upon being introduced to potential consumers by their loyal customers. People belonging to active social networking sites have the power to promote companies or put them down using the strength of suggestion and impressions, like how many people tell their product satisfaction online. The image of the company is also important for consumers, and with the power of suggestion a company could gain or lose profits if for example a group of people would tell others within their networks whether the products or services of a company is good or bad. Answer to Part II: Different societies having various cultures accept social networking depending on whether the people have a collectivist or an individualist culture. For example, in individualist societies LinkedIn is more often used for finding connections and business partners but without the intention of fusing personal relationships with business

Popular Places in Shimla Essay Example for Free

Popular Places in Shimla Essay Dear Sebastian, I had a wonderful time visiting Shimla, the summer hill station of India, which has a number of appealing attractions. It is located in the lower ranges of the Himalayas and is enveloped with oak, deodar, pine and rhododendron forests. Shimla is an old town and has beautiful colonial structures, quaint cottages and charismatic places to go for walks. The town also has delightful means of entertainment, shopping and sports. The highest point in the area is Jakhop Hill which provides a breathtaking view of the entire city. Glen forest a charming place for picnics and the Shimla Summer Hill is a quaint place to go for peaceful and refreshing walks. There is a beautiful water fall by the name of Chadwick Falls within the thick forests while Prospect Hill which is close by, provides for the perfect picnic outing. The most beautiful structure in Shimla is the Institute of Advanced Studies which was previously the official residence of the Viceroy of India during British rule. There are several temples in the area such as Sankat Mochan, Tara Devi temple and the temple of the Tibetan Goddess Drolma. The Himachal Pradesh State Museum houses a rich collection from the entire state. The town is indeed very pleasant and is quite huge for a hill station. The hill station presents the visitor with charming and unique glimpses of the fast vanishing colonial charisma. The Mall, buildings and picnic spots remind one of the time when this town was the summer capital of the British in India. The centre of all activities whether it is commercial or cultural is the Mall which provides a magnificent reminder of the colonial culture. The place is beautiful and is worth the pains for you to visit and experience the same joy that I experienced. You need to carry light woollens as the temperature is quite low even during summers. If you wish to go for a trekking expedition you can carry your camp kits and clothing that can sustain the rough and hectic routine. Best wishes John Works Cited Popular Places in Shimla, http://shimla. com/Places/index. htm, Accessed on 2

Loneliness in Of Mice and men by John Steinbeck Essay Example for Free

Loneliness in Of Mice and men by John Steinbeck Essay Of Mice and Men, is a novel written by John Steinbeck in the 1930s. It is set in Salinas California and shows us what life was like for migrant workers at this time. The book was set in the time of the American depression caused by the Wall Street Crash. In 1929 Steinbeck himself had taken on unskilled jobs to support himself for 7 years from 1919. South Clara in Northern California was where Steinbeck worked as a farm laborer. It is from there that the scenery, setting and experiences of Steinbeck in Northern California have been etched into the novel Of Mice and Men. The book describes how lonely life can be. There are three different kinds of loneliness these include: isolation, solitude and abandonment. George and Lennie are different from the other characters in the novel as they have each other to look after them aint many guys travel around together. They have been companions from childhood and George has given and oath to Aunt Clara that he will look after Lennie. George and Lennie both share the same dream to own a piece of land that no-one will take away from them. They each dedicate a sum of their wages towards the dream. The characters in this novel are all envious to some extent of the special friendship shared by George and Lennie because they do not have that in their life. All the characters are extremely lonely and unhappy with their lives (except Slim, who is the only character that seems to be confident and happy with his life), and none of them can escape this unhappiness. Economic and social forces control them, and free will seems non-existent. Guys like us, that live on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. George means that if not for each other, then he and Lennie would be all alone, with no friends, like all the men like them, who are migrant workers moving from ranch to ranch without making any friends, and living a lonely life. George and his simple-minded friend Lennie dream, of a place to call their own. The Dream represents a sense of freedom to George and Lennie as they will be their own bosses and can do as they please. Also the achieving of the dream will mean they will not have to travel and have a house which they can really call home. They will not have to wear their uniforms and will have more possessions than a migrant worker. George and Lennie are very different, George is a smart and composed man, who seems to need mental stimulation from a companion, which he cannot have in his relationship with Lennie. Even though they have each other, they are still both lonely at a certain level, even if one does not clearly understand the other. The important thing is human contact and being there together. Somebody who loses his best companion is Candy. Candy is the oldest person on the ranch. We can tell this when he mentions they are going to fire him Theyll can me purty soon also by the boring jobs which he undertakes like sweeping the bunk house, as he only has one hand, he is a liability. He is a very friendly person and knows the rules of the ranch, we see this when he says a guy on a ranch dont never listen nor he dont ast no questions. His life long companion presumably a sheep dog which he had since it was a pup, was shot by Carlson, who was very persistent to take the dogs life as he did not like the way it smelled I dont know nothing that stinks so bad as an old dog. Although pleading with Carlson I had him so long. Had him since he was a pup, I herded sheep with him the only choice Candy was offered was if he would want to shoot the dog himself which he replied No I couldnt. I had im too long. Finally Candy had to let his companion go. The dog which was Candys comfort and enjoyment was now dead. As the gunshot went off in the distance every head in the bunk house turned towards Candy to see the old mans reaction. For a moment he continued to stare at the ceiling maybe remembering the happy memories he and his companion shared. Then he rolled slowly over and faced the wall and lay silent the same action a dog would do when going to sleep. All was not lost, overhearing George and Lennies dream he wanted to share it. He told George and Lennie about what they did to his dog that night maybe to try and win some compassion. You seen what they done to my dog tonight? They says he wasnt no good to himself or nobody else. When they can me here I wisht somebodyd shoot me. This shows Candy is nearing the end of his life at the farm. Being part of George and Lennies dream comforts Candy and would be an ideal way to spend the rest of his life free from worries. George and Lennie accepted him into their dream partly due to the large sum of money which he had to contribute towards the dream. The dream was now becoming a reality. Crooks like Candy is an outcast because the society in which he resides is racist towards black people. With a back injury that gives Crooks his nickname he is more permanent than the other men, we can see this with the possessions he has which include several pairs of shoes, a pair of rubber boots, a big alarm clock and a single barrelled shot-gun. Being alone has made Crooks very unsure about himself and bitterA guy goes nuts if he aint got nobody. Dont matter no difference who the guy is, longs he with you. I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an he gets sick this was Crooks way of establishing a personal connection to Lennie. Like Lennie, Crooks has a relationship with loneliness. Crooks is rejected from every group of people and cannot socially interact with others, just like Lennie who cant socially interact properly because of his mental-disability. Cause Im black. They play cards in there, but I cant play because Im Black. They say I stink. Well I tell you, you all stink to me! Crooks loneliness results from rejection; others treat him unjust because he is different from them given that he is black. Crooks isnt allowed to participate in daily events with white people such as card games. He is treated unfairly and therefore acts the same way toward the white people who have offended him. In an effort to communicate with the outside world in my opinion Crooks reads books there were battered magazines and a few dirty books on a special shelf over his bunk this shows they were well read, maybe even more than once. Crooks is fascinated by the strength of the friendship of Lennie and George, especially how close they are. Crooks said, Well, spose, jus spose he dont come back. Whatll you do then? Crooks asks these questions because he was curious and envious, about the friendship of Lennie and George, noticing that Lennie is retarded, he takes advantage of this situation to make him feel better and ease the pain of having others reject him. He wants the people to feel the way that he did when he was lonely, having no one. He is striving to achieve sympathy and understanding from others. Crooks would work for nothing if it meant communicating with others. He even offers his services to Candy to work on their dream ranch to join in on the friendship and dream shared by Lennie and George, in order to leave behind him his lonely life. Curleys Wifes loneliness is due to her husband. Even though Curleys wife is mentioned frequently, nobody asks what her name is. Nobody wants to talk her because people are afraid of Curley; he is jealous and would start a fight with anyone who tried approaching her also due to the fact that Curley is the bosss son and anyone who tried to do something could loose their job. She does not like Curley, and purely married him to spite her mother we can see this when she says I dont like Curley. He aint a nice fella. Furthermore he doesnt talk to her at all, and theres no one in her life with whom she can share her feelings, and longs for companionship. Candy influences views about Curleys wife in George by telling him Curleys married a tart. She pretends to look for her husband when she really wants to have a conversation with the men in the ranch as she is lonely. Curley treats his wife like a trophy insisting that she should spend all her time in the house. Curleys wife asks the rhetorical question, think I like to stick in that house alla time? showing her unhappiness. Curley does not care about his wife as he leaves her behind whenever he goes out and visits cat houses although he is married. Curleys wife talks to Lennie in chapter five as she knows she can share her secrets and worries without Lennie telling anyone else, due to his mental age. She also indicates she is going to run away as she talks in a hurry. Curleys wife is very vigilant in the way she knows how Curleys hand was broken also in the way she finds the dead pup in the barn. Curleys wife tells Lennie about the chances she had of being an actress and blames her misfortune on her mother. She shows that marrying Curley was her last chance to get away from home. Maybe she was making up stories about her past as she looked closely to see if she was impressing Lennie. Curleys wife is a threat to Crooks as she threatens him with death by hanging if he stands up to her. In those days if a coloured man was accused of something there would be no trial. Curleys wife is the one who ruins the dream as she let Lennie touch her hair and then resisted. She ended up getting killed which meant that Lennie would have to be killed as he committed murder. Her death could be thought of as a misfortune, but as a positive thing as well because it ended her suffering; being the only woman in the ranch and having married a man like Curley she was inevitably destined for loneliness. But now that she is dead, she will not have to worry about being lonely ever again. Curleys wifes case of loneliness was the most severe throughout the novel. She struggled in her society to find somebody that she could befriend in vain. We can draw a similarity between Candy and Crooks; both of these characters have a physical disability (Candy has a one hand, and Crooks has a crooked back) both caused by an accident, as well as another factor Crooks color and Candys old age, those factors make both of them outcasts. Because of their situation, they are both destined to loneliness, each of them deals with it in their own way: Candy has his dog for companionship and makes conversation with the other men that work on the ranch, but Crooks turns towards books Another interesting similarity we can draw is the one between the relationship between George and Lennie, and Candy and his old dog. Both George and Candy are lonely, even though they have companionship; Candy cannot talk to his dog, and George cant have a really serious conversation with Lennie either. Even though they have companionship, they need something deeper and more meaningful. It is also interesting to notice the similar fate of Candys dog and Lennie who will both be shot in the back of the head unsuspicious of what is going to happen. The last similarity drawn is between two of the loneliest characters in the novel; Curleys Wife and Lennie. As weve seen previously, Curleys wife is the only woman in the novel, and her husband forbids her to talk to other men, and because of his jealousy, doesnt let other men approach her or else he picks a fight with them. George also gives orders to Lennie and strictly forbids him several times Dont even take a look at that bitch. I dont care what she says and what she doesyou leave her be well, you keep away from her, they arent allowed to talk to each other, thats what makes the fatal scene in the barn so tragic; Curleys wife wanted to talk to someone so bad, that it drove her to her death. One of the most important lessons we learn in Of Mice and Men is that friendship and human interaction are two very valuable things in life, and that having them is as much as a right as it is a privilege. We must treasure these two things as it keeps us away from loneliness which is one of the worst things a person can suffer from highlighted by the characters in the book.