Single-Sex Education

Term Paper April 2, 2010 Single-Sex Education Have you ever been sitting in a classroom and wondered what it would be like to have an entire class with just girls or just boys? What about an entire school? The drive for gender equity in American education occurred during the 1970’s and 1980’s, which was pushing coeducation forward. The Title IX legislation, passed by Congress in 1972, sharpened public awareness of equity issues that were related to gender.Public concerns about sexual freedom; a rise in unmarried–especially teenage– pregnancy; and the growth of sexually transmitted diseases led to a reconsideration of coeducational guidelines. In the late 1970’s, researchers began to note the higher levels of women academic achievements at single-sex colleges compared to coeducational institutions. In a 1992 published report, the American Association of University Women questioned whether or not coeducation was the best way to achieve the higher leve ls of accomplishments for young women.They claimed that women were more likely to be ignored in class discussions and subjects to threats of sexual harassment. Educational reformers were concerned about the low academic performances of young African-American males. They began to explore the possibility of all-male academies, to provide an environment that would be free of distractions in which these students could focus on achievements. (Rury, 2008) When tolled together, the numbers are not in favor of single-sex education because ninety-six percent of private schools are coeducational (Kennedy, 2010).Kennedy stated that only one point eight percent of girls and two point two percent of boys are educated in single-sex schools (2010). But this could be because out of the ninety-three thousand public schools in America, only two hundred and forty-one of them even offer single-sex classes (McNamara, 2006). According to CBS Evening news reporter, Melissa McNamara stated, â€Å"Three ye ars ago, Woodward Elementary near Orlando, Florida, separated boys and girls. The school's standardized test scores have jumped for both genders.After two years of same-sex classes, seventy-one percent of students beat the national average in reading, and seventy-nine percent beat it in math (2006). † The first academic source I found that directly relates to my topic is called â€Å"Effect of single-sex education on progress in GCSE,† written by Eva Malacova. A recent study found that boys in single-sex schools do better on average GCSE, while girls on total GCSE scores. If you do not know what GCSE is a public examination taken by sixteen year old school pupils in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland at the end of Year Eleven.Another study was done that showed boys performed better in single-sex grammar schools compared to their peers in mixed schools. Also lower ability boys did better in single-sex comprehensive schools than coeducational schools. (Malacova, 2007) A nother study that was done, reported that girls in single-sex independent schools achieve on average 0. 179 GCSE points more than those in coeducational independent schools for prior performance, but they achieved 0. 175 points lower progress on average for grammar schools. The same study also stated that boys in single-sex independent schools seem to achieve on average 0. 04 GCSE points more than boys attending coeducational independent schools, but they achieved 0. 273 points lower progress on average for grammar schools. In conclusion for this academic journal source, girls that attended single-sex independent schools achieve higher progress from GCSE when compared to peers in coeducational independent schools. It was the same for boys, as it said that boys in single-sex independent schools seem to achieve a higher mean GCSE score compared to their peers in coeducational independent schools. (Malacova, 2007)The second academic article I found was entitled â€Å"Single-sex school ing: is it simply a ‘class act’? † written by Georgina Tsolidis and Ian R. Dobson. They stated that single-sex education will not provide students with the full range of curriculum options, role models, and experience of each other, which make an easier successful social interest into future study and work. This source stated that the National Association for Single-Sex Public Education reported on a study by the National Foundation for Educational Research which discovered that both boys and girls did significantly better in single-sex schools than in mixed schools. Tsolidis ;amp; Dobson, 2006) The final academic journal source I found is, â€Å"Cross-school Mentoring: training and implementing a peer mentoring strategy† by Gill Pyatt. This journal talked about a mentoring program that United Kingdom has been using that started early 1980’s and then was later improved after Topping combined a variety of practices. The program has Year Seven students , ages eleven to twelve, from a United Kingdom inner-city girl’s school, get cross-mentored by Year Twelve, ages sixteen and seventeen years old, from another local girl’s school. (Pyatt, 2002)The Year Twelve girls had to go through a training program that lasted a total of twelve hours, to advance them for what was to come when they were start mentoring and throughout the mentoring program. The training consisted of listening skills which taught them to become better listeners, how to find solutions to the Year Seven girls’ problems, and confidentiality. The program also taught the Year Twelve girls how to look at it from the Year Seven girls’ perspectives and how to encourage the younger pupils to recognize and read moods of other people, adults and peers. Pyatt, 2002) After the training program the Year Twelve girls were introduced to the forty girls that they were going to mentor of Year Seven. The four Year Twelve girls mentored the five Year Seven g irls which occurred weekly, throughout the summer, for seven weeks for about a quarter of an hour on every occasion. As the autumn term came a new team of four mentors was recruited from the Year Twelve group and twenty new Year Seven students were chosen. (Pyatt, 2002)By the end of the autumn term it was agreed that the cross-mentoring program had been very helpful, beneficial, and was a complete success. The program benefitted both the Year Seven girls and Year Twelve girls. Especially the Year Seven girls though because they gained more self-confidence and had a more settled beginning to their new secondary stage of education. The current project was said to continue for years to come and there are plans to expand the mentoring strategy to include identified students from Year Eight and Year Nine. Pyatt, 2002) There are multiple sociological view points that a person could use to describe single-sex education. The first view point a person could use is the functionalistic view. T he functionalist theory could be applied to single-sex education because it limits the amounts of sexual temptations that normal coeducation high schools students have to deal with. This will then result in you getting a better grades because you will not have to worry about how pretty you look or how you can make yourself to look more sexually attractive.Furthermore males will not feel the urge to try to impress the women and to be physical fit and perfect. From both the male and female perspective, it reduces the amount of stress that normal coeducational high school students have to put up with. Single-sex education also provides fewer distractions that can be created by the students of the opposite sex, which can, in the end, increase your grades because you will be provided with a lot more opportunities to work harder and longer on your school work. The second view point a person could use is the conflict view.The conflict theory could be applied to single-sex education because usually only the people that are supplied with enough money and are well off are able to have their children attend to these schools. If you really think about it, how many people with money problems or of middle class have children that attend a single-sex school? Single-sex schools tend to be very pricey and cost way too much for people of middle class and below to afford. Usually only the rich are sent to these schools, which only enables well off people and students to usually only associate with other well off people or students.Another view point a person could use is from a religious view. A religious view point could be applied to single-sex education because it makes it easier to assist students to prolong their practice absence. This is because they are only attending school with students of the same gender so it limits their options of places to meet boys and to date. Single-sex schools also gives support to and helps with premarital sex. This is also because they are no t attending school with the opposite gender which enables them to focus more on other things such as academics, athletics, and other activities.In single-sex schools students that already have boyfriends or girlfriends will be less temped and will have fewer opportunities to be able to cheat on their boyfriend or girlfriend. The culture I selected was the United Kingdom. The similarity between the United Kingdom and the United States on the topic of single-sex education is an obvious fact, which is that students that attend the schools are the same. Another thing they have in common is that in both places the studies usually showed that single-sex schools was the better choice because the boys and girls had higher test scores.The difference between the United States and the United Kingdom is the number practicing single-sex teaching has shot up in the United Kingdom in the last four years from seven to two-hundred-and-twenty-three. As opposed to the United Kingdom, in the United Sta tes the overall trend is in the opposite direction because in the last decade one-hundred-and-thirty independent schools that were single-sex schools have either become coeducational schools or closed down. In the state sector the number of single-sex schools has fallen in the past forty years from nearly two-thousand-five-hundred to just over four-hundred. Asthana, 2006) When I search the internet I found, and got the following information from Marian High School’s web page at marian. dev, an all girl school called Marian High School located in Northwest Omaha; it is the only Class A, college-prep school for girls.The school is also religious and says that it is committed to teaching and living the six core values, which are inspired by our sponsoring order, the Servants of Mary. At this school, the web page also said, you are enforced to wear a uniform which consists of either a uniform sweatshirt, Dennis hunter green top with he school’s logo, or club sweatshirt or shirt for the top. For the bottom half of the uniform you have to wear either a Dennis, black watch, plaid skirt or skort that is not shorter than the extended finger tips, zipped and not rolled at the waist or Dennis khaki slacks or khaki walking shorts that is not shorter than the extended finger tips. One way single-sex education is depicted into the media is through the television show â€Å"Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. † In the show all the children attend a single-sex school.This television show supports what I said earlier about how usually only the people who are well off are able to send their children to single-sex schools. In the show the dad, Phillip Banks, is very rich because he is a judge. In the show, it obviously demonstrates how rich the Banks are because they live in a mansion, have a pool, have a pool house, and even have a butler named Geoffrey Barbara. Another way single-sex education is depicted in the media is through â€Å"The Amy Oliver Show: Single-Sex Education. In this podcast it is mostly about encouraging single-sex education and talks about various topics. Some of the topics are the options, who should decide whether or not you go to a single-sex school, and Title IX and single-sex education. (Kasic, 2008) In my own views about single-sex education in light of the information I have just reviewed I found out that single-sex schools seem like the better choice when looking for a better education. Numbers obviously have proved my point about when separate girls and boys do better with their studies then when together.I do agree that, especially girls, sometimes focus more on how sexually attractive we are or how to look more attractive than we do on our school work, which I think is really sad. I also know that in school kids can get sexual temptations to want and feel the need to skip class to go screw around with a person of the opposite sex in the library or backstage or something. As for suggestions for social change that I would make if change seems to be needed, the only thing I could think of is to somehow have social events, like once a month or so, that included an all boy’s and all girl’s school.This way they will develop some type of social skills with the opposite sex without having to see them and trying to impress them every day. This way they will not have to put up with the distractions the opposite sex causes for the other or the sexual temptations that normal coeducational high school students have to go through five days a week.

Dharmodas Ghose Case Essay

Dharmodas Ghose, a minor, entered into a contract for borrowing a sum of Rs. 20,000 out of which the lender paid the minor a sum of Rs. 8,000. The minor executed mortgage of property in favour of the lender. Subsequently, the minor sued for setting aside the mortgage. The Privy Council had to ascertain the validity of the mortgage. Under Section 7 of the Transfer of Property Act, every person competent to contract is competent to mortgage. The Privy Council decided that Sections 10 and 11 of the Indian Contract Act make the minor’s contract void. The mortgagee prayed for refund of Rs. 8,000 by the minor. The Privy Council further held that as a minor’s contract is void, any money advanced to a minor cannot be recovered. JUSTICE SIR FORD NORTH On July 20, 1895, the respondent, Dharmodas Ghose, executed a mortgage in favour of Brahmo Dutt, a money-lender carrying on business at Calcutta and elsewhere, to secure the repayment of Rs. 20,000 at 12 per cent interest on some houses belonging to the respondent. The amount actually advanced is in dispute. At that time the respondent was an infant; and he did not attain twenty-one until the month of September following. Throughout the transaction Brahmo Dutt was absent from Calcutta, and the whole business was carried through for him by his attorney, Kedar Nath Mitter, the money being found by Dedraj, the local manager of Brahmo Dutt. While considering the proposed advance, Kedar Nath received information that the respondent was  still a minor; and on July15, 1895, the following letter was written and sent to him by Bhupendra Nath Bose, an attorney: â€Å"Dear Sir, I am instructed by S.M. Jogendranundinee Dasi, the mother and guardian appointed by the High Court of the person and property of Babu Dharmodas Ghose, that a mortgage of the properties of the said Babu Dharmodas Ghose is being prepared from your office. I am instructed to give you notice, which I hereby do, that the said Babu Dharmodas Ghose is still an infant under the age of twenty-one, and any one lending money to him will do so at his own risk and peril.† Kedar Nath positively denied the receipt of any such letter; but the Court of first instance and the Appellate Court both held that he did personally receive it on July 15; and the evidence is conclusive upon the point. On the day on which the mortgage was executed, Kedar Nath got the infant to sign a long declaration, which he had prepared for him, containing a statement that he came of age on June 17; and that Babu Dedraj and Brahmo Dutt, relying on his assurance that he had attained his majority, had agreed to advance to him Rs. 20,000. There is conflicting evidence as to the time when and circumstances under which that declaration was obtained; but it is unnecessary to go into this, as both Courts below have held that Kedar Nath did not act upon, and was not misled by, that statement, and was fully aware at the time the mortgage was executed of the minority of the respondent On September 10, 1895, the infant, by his mother and guardian as next friend, commenced this action againt Brahmo Dutt, stating that he was under age when he executed the mortgage, and praying for a declaration that it was void and inoperative, and should be delivered up to be cancelled. The defendant, Brahmo Dutt, put in a defence that the plaintiff was of full age when he executed the mortgage; that neither he nor Kedar Nath had any notice that the plaintiff was then an infant, that, even if he was a minor, the declaration as to his age was fraudulently made to deceive the defendant, and disentitled the plaintiff to any relief; and that in any case the Court should not grant the plaintiff any relief without making him repay the moneys advanced. Jenkins J., who presided in the Court of first instance, found the facts as above stated, and granted the relief asked. And the Appellate Court dismissed the appeal from him. Subsequently to the institution of the present appeal Brahmo Dutt died, and this appeal has been prosecuted by his executors. The first of the appellants’ reasons in support of the present appeal is that the Courts below were wrong in holding that the knowledge of Kedar Nath must be imputed to the defendant. In their Lordships’ opinion they were obviously right. The defendant was absent from Calcutta, and personally did not take any part in the transaction. It was entirely in charge of Kedar Nath, whose full authority to act as he did is not disputed. He stood in the place of the defendant for the purposes of this mortgage; and his acts and knowledge were the acts and knowledge of his principal. It was contended that Dedraj, the defendant’s gomastha, was the real representative in Calcutta of the defendant, and that he had no knowledge of the plaintiff’s minority. But there is nothing in this. He no doubt made the advance out of the defendant’s funds. But he says in his evidence that â€Å"Kedar Babu was acting on behalf of my master from the beginning in this matter;† and a little further on he adds that before the registration of the mortgage he did not communicate with his master on the subject of the minority. But he did know that there was a question raised as to the plaintiff’s age; and he says, â€Å"I left all matters regarding the minority in the hands of Kedar Babu.† The appellants’ counsel contended that the plaintiff is estopped by Section 115 of the Indian Evidence Act (I. of 1872) from setting up that he was an infant when he executed the mortgage. The section is as follows: â€Å"Estoppels. When one person has by his declaration act or omission intentionally caused or permitted another person to believe a thing to be true, and to act upon such belief, neither he nor his representative shall be allowed in any suit or proceeding between himself and such person or his representative to deny the truth of that thing.† The Courts below seem to have decided that this section does not apply to infants; but their Lordships do not think it necessary to deal with that question now. They consider it clear that the section does not apply to a  case like the present, where the statement relied upon is made to a person who knows the real facts and is not misled by the untrue statement. There can be no estoppel where the truth of the matter is known to both parties, and their Lordships hold, in accordance with English authorities, that a false representation, made to a person who knows it to be false, is not such a fraud as to take away the privilege of infancy: Nelson v Stocker [1 De G. & J. 458]. The same principle is recognised in the explanation to Section 19 of the Indian Contract Act, in which it is said that a fraud or misrepresentation which did not cause the consent to a contract of the party on whom such fraud was practiced, or to whom such misrepresentation was made, does not render a contract voidable. The point most pressed, however, on behalf of the appellants was that the Courts ought not to have decreed in the respondent’s favour without ordering him to repay to the appellants the sum of Rs. 10,500, said to have been paid to him as part of the consideration for the mortgage. And in support of this contention Section. 64 of the Contract Act (IX of 1872) was relied on: Both Courts below held that they were bound by authority to treat the contracts of infants as voidable only, and not void; but that this section only refers to contracts made by persons competent to contract, and therefore not to infants. The general current of decision in India certainly is that ever since the passing of the Indian Contract Act the contracts of infants are voidable only. This conclusion, however, has not been arrived at without vigourous protests by various judges from time to time; nor indeed without decisions to the contrary effect. Under these circumstances, their Lordships consider themselves at liberty to act on their own view of the law as declared by the Contract Act, and they have thought it right to have the case reargued before them upon this point. They do not consider it necessary to examine in detail the numerous decisions above referred to, as in their opinion the whole question turns upon what is the true construction of the Contract Act itself. It is necessary, therefore, to consider carefully the terms of that  Act; but before doing so it may be convenient to refer to the Transfer of Property Act (IV of 1882), s.7 of which provides that every person competent to contract and entitled to transferable property †¦ is competent to transfer such property †¦ in the circumstances, to the extent, and in the manner allowed and prescribed by any law for the time being in force. That is the Act under which the present mortgage was made, and it is merely dealing with persons competent to contract; and s. 4 of that Act provides that the chapters and sections of that Act which relate to contracts are to be taken as part of the Indian Contract Act, 1872. The present case, therefore, falls within the provisions of the latter Act. Then, to turn to the Contract Act, s. 2 provides (e) Every promise and every set of promises, forming the consideration for each other, is an agreement. (g) An agreement not enforceable by law is said to be void. An agreement enforceable by law is a contract, (i) An agreement which is enforceable by law at the option of one or more of the parties- thereto, but not at the option of the other or others, is a voidable contract Sect. 10 provides: â€Å"All agreements are contracts if they are made by the free consent of parties competent to contract, for a lawful consideration and with a lawful object, and are not thereby expressly declared to be void.† Then Sec. 11 is most important, as defining who are meant by â€Å"persons competent to contract;† it is as follows: â€Å"Every person is competent to contract who is of the age of majority according to the law to which he is subject, and who is of sound mind, and is not disqualified from contracting by any law to which he is subject. Looking at these sections, their Lordships are satisfied that the Act makes it essential that all contracting parties should be â€Å"competent to contract,† and expressly provides that a person who by reason of infancy is incompetent to contract cannot make a contract within the meaning of the Act. This is clearly borne out by later sections in the Act. Sec. 68 provides that, â€Å"If a person incapable of entering into a contract, or any one whom he is legally bound to support, is supplied by another person with necessaries suited to his condition in life, the person who has furnished such supplies is entitled to be reimbursed from  the property of such incapable person.† It is beyond question that an infant falls within the class of persons here referred to as incapable of entering into a contract; and it is clear from the Act that he is not to be liable even for necessaries, and that no demand in respect thereof is enforceable against him by law, though a statutory claim is created against his property. Under Section. 183 and 184 no person under the age of majority can enjoy or be an agent. Again, under Section. 247 and 248, although a person under majority may be admitted to the benefits of a partnership, he cannot be made personally liable for any of its obligations; although he may on attaining majority accept those obligations if he thinks fit to do so. The question whether a contract is void or voidable presupposes the existence of a contract within the meaning of the Act, and cannot arise in the case of an infant. Their Lordships are, therefore, of opinion that in the present case there is not any such voidable contract as is dealt with in Sec tion 64. A new point was raised here by the appellants’ counsel, founded on s. 65 of the Contract Act, a section not referred to in the Courts below, or in the cases of the appellants or respondent. It is sufficient to say that this section, like Section. 64, starts from the basis of there being an agreement or contract between competent parties, and has no application to a case in which there never was, and never could have been, any contract. It was further argued that the preamble of the Act showed that the Act was only intended to define and amend certain parts of the law relating to contracts, and that contracts by infants were left outside the Act. If this were so, it does not appear how it would help the appellants. But in their Lordships’ opinion the Act, so far as it goes, is exhaustive and imperative, and does provide in clear language that an infant is not a person competent to bind himself by a contract of this description . Another enactment relied upon as a reason why the mortgage money should be returned is Section 41 of the Specific Relief Act (I of 1877), which is as follows: â€Å"Sec. 41. On adjudging the cancellation of an instrument the Court may require the party to whom such relief is granted to make any compensation to the other which justice may require.† Sec.38. provides in  similar terms for a case of rescission of a contract. These sections, no doubt, do give a discretion to the Court; but the Court of first instance, and subsequently the Appellate Court, in the exercise of such discretion, came to the conclusion that under the circumstances of this case justice did not require them to order the return by the respondent of money advanced to him with full knowledge of his infancy, and their Lordships see no reason for interfering with the discretion so exercised.

Literary Analysis Paper – Cathedral

Literary Analysis paper – Cathedral â€Å"Cathedral† by Raymond Carver tells us short story about a blind man who comes to visit his friend and her husband. In the story, even though the husband can technically see and has a normal sight, in the beginning of the story he is the one who shows the signs of true â€Å"blindness† through inability to see Robert beyond his blindness, incapability to communicate with Robert, him feeling uncomfortable and acting awkward around Robert. The husband does not realize how Robert's blindness changes him as human being.Carver skillfully shows the occurrence of change in the personality of the husband from being very awkward around a blind man to coming to realization that Robert is a person and not just a blind man. In the story, â€Å"Cathedral† Carver brings out the concept of husband's spiritual blindness and the theme of broke marriage to shows what is wrong with the modern world. Carver portrays husband's spiritual blindness to show parallel to the spiritual blindness of the modern world.The narrator sees his wife's blind friend as handicap and not as a whole person. The narrator is not enthusiastic about the visit because blind people make the narrator uncomfortable â€Å"†¦ and his being blind bothered me. My idea of blindness came from the movies. In the movie the blind move slowly and never laughed. Sometimes they were led by seeing-eye dogs. The blind man in my house was not something I looked forward to† (114). In this way, Carver shows how spiritual blindness can limit people in our everyday life just as it did the husband.In reality, spiritually blind people are unable to understand matters beyond their physical site. The theme that Carver touched in the â€Å"Cathedral† of the spiritually blind verses physically blind has been touched in the Bible as well. Passage in John 9:1-41 points out an interesting comparison between physical and spiritual blindness that take s place in this passage. It mainly describes how a blind man who believed in Jesus as the Son of God was forgiven and men with sight who could not see what the blind man saw remained in their sin.It very much gives reassures that personal understanding of the truth, understanding of the things beyond your physical sight are far more important that the physical. Carver brings this theme in order to show the reader the problematic spiritual blindness of our modern society that looks more at the physical rather than looking at thing in a more deeper and meaningful prospective. Another way in which Carver points out the concept of broken marriage relationships in our society is by portraying characters as being in an unhappy, depressed marriage relationship.The narrator lacks true marriage relationship with his wife, as is evident not only in their sparring in the narrative present, but also in the remoteness of perspective as he tells the story of her attempted suicide a few years befo re: â€Å". . . one night she got to feeling lonely and cut off from people she kept losing in that moving-around life. She got to feeling she couldn't go it another step. She went in and swallowed all the pills and capsules in the medicine chest and washed them down with a bottle of gin. Then she got into a hot bath and passed out. But instead of dying she got sick. She threw up.Her officer—why should he have a name? he was the childhood sweetheart and what more does he want? —came home from somewhere, found her and called the ambulance† (115). Although an attempt to suicide may be considered a personal weakness, nether the less, the unhappy marriage relationship had its influence in this matter. Relationship with a person who has mental health problems can lower the satisfaction levels. It surely takes a toll to live with a depressed person. Like in the case with the narrator and his wife, the more depressed and more anxious they become, the more dissatisfied is the marriage.Untreated depression poses a very real threat to a marriage such as in the situation with the wife. This is in reality a big problem in our society today. Such as in the story husband and wife experienced depressed relationship and indeed, in the reality the depressed spouse will experience less happiness, satisfaction and contentment in the marriage. Narrator mentions â€Å"†¦ every night I smoked dope and stayed up as long as I could before I fell asleep. My wife and I hardly ever went to bed at the same time†¦ and in reality the partner will struggle with handling the increased isolation and social withdrawal of the depressed spouse, the loss of emotional intimacy, (and often sexual intimacy as well), and the prevalent negativity in the relationship. When one spouse is depressed, the depression colors everything in the relationship. The depressed spouse sees the world through a darkened lens that limits his or her perspective. The author wants to point out that the negative events are interpreted even more negatively; neutral events are also interpreted negatively, and the positive appenings are often overlooked. The depressed spouse often loses interest in activities that used to bring pleasure and may experience fatigue and listlessness. There can be loss of sleep or sleeping too much; eating too much or be like the husband that smokes marijuana to bring some excitement in to his life. Feelings of love and sexual desire may become dulled or absent when an individual is depressed. The biggest danger when this happens is that the depressed spouse may erroneously conclude that this means he or she is no longer in love with the mate.In conclusion, I would like to draw parallel between the story of â€Å"Cathedral† by Raymond Carver to our modern society. In our modern society, we continue to meet individuals similar to the character of the â€Å"husband† who have physical but not spiritual vision as well as facing simi lar broken marriage problems. The issues that Carver touched in his story are rather social and relevant to our modern society rather than related to single individual. In addition, we see individuals similar to the â€Å"blind man† who are physically disabled; however, they exhibit a truer intuition into life and their surroundings.They have the ability to see spiritual concepts and understand people and the world around them. We learn from the story that those who are physically enabled can still learn from those who may seem disabled but have in reality a better understanding of life. Sometimes experiencing the hard ships of life helps, us grow and experience life in a different way than we normally would. It is like one who cannot see the forest for the trees. Work Cited Jan Zlotnik Schmidt, Lynne Crockett. â€Å"Portable Legacies: Raymond Carver's ‘Cathedral'. â€Å"

Economic Geography Op-Ed Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Economic Geography Op-Ed - Essay Example There are two types of barriers to movement. That is systematic and personal. The particular hindrance involves physical location and the mental ability. The systematic complications refer to political contrivances, given laws, educational chances and barriers that come from historical instances. (Miguà ©lez & Moreno, 2013 .The awareness and development of a high class of labour mobility and migration gives an opportunity to a more efficient and effective distribution of resources. Labour migration and movement have confirmed to be a must driver of innovations. Conflict, misunderstanding, globalization, demographic differences and shifts, inequality in income, and change in income may arise. Moreover, this may lead to more families and job seekers to move across different borders in searching for comfortable security and employment. According to United Nations statistics, approximately there are over two hundred million migrant and foreign workers in the world. Mobile and foreign labourers usually add up to development in their based countries as compared to the home country (World Bank, 2004). It brings brain drain. There are complicated challenges in terms of international cooperation, governance, migration and linkages of development and protections of migrant labourers. Economists and other researchers suggest that as time continues to elapse, mobility and migration of workers should have an equal impact on income. (Miguà ©lez Moreno, 2013).International labor organization as an immigrant agency strives to enable policies that maximize the advantages of labour mobility and migration for all those parties involved. However, immigration of workers must exhibit openness, selection of migrants and the right to grant. In high-income countries, the immigration policies show temporal residence, limitation to high skilled labor and temporal restrictions of rights. These are workers or

WITHHOLDING INFORMATION CASE Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

WITHHOLDING INFORMATION CASE - Research Paper Example Negotiation process entails three primary ethical systems that provide the guidance for the parties participating; for instance, the ethics of purposes, ethics of principles or the ethics of the consequences. Ethics of purposes takes in principles in relation to the Aristotles views concerning the ethics. Aristotle argued that human beings are just naturally good and, as a result, will have no obligation to work with the objectivity of realizing the positive fruits at the end of the work session (Falvo, 2011). However, the same human beings must use the positive ways and means of getting to the conclusion of the matter before them. As result, such negotiations that tend to ignore the ethics presented in this view may not, in this case, reach the positive end of the matter. In the case of the ethics of principle, the principle presents its arguments in relation to the deontological ethics of Emmanuel Kant. Kant argued that human beings are always irrational and, as a result, will strive towards doing that particular activity that is right as the society expects that from them always. In addition, the human beings under this form of ethics will only adopt the use of the rational ways of doing activities and intern realizing what they intend to achieve their objective plans. Negotiators who go for the option of this principle apply the methodologies considered to be of rational and appropriate so as to find the solution to the problem (Cohn, 2007). The case of the ethics of the consequences takes care of the analysis of the possible outcomes of the present actions. As a result, this form of ethics finds it way of use among people in the evaluation of the actions from the positive outcomes of the most concerned parties in the negotiation process (Falvo, 2011). Consequential ethics, on the other hand, does not consider the importance of the means used to reach the goals.

About sales people as employee performance Essay

About sales people as employee performance - Essay Example between employee performance and sales people I would have the chance to check the differences in the form of the above relationship, as appeared in markets worldwide. In other words, I could evaluate the current potentials of employee performance to influence sales people, and vice versa. Current training course has been related to a series of problems. At the first level, not all students are aware of all aspects of employee performance. In this way, delays appear in different phases of the courses. At the same time, existing material related to employee performance is vast. Identifying the material referring solely to sales people takes more time than estimated, a fact that will necessarily affect the progress of the course. The instructions used in the particular course will be aligned with the course’s theme. Emphasis will be laid upon the review of material that is appropriate for understanding the course’s subject. Emphasis will be also given on the development of examinations for checking the progress of learners. Examinations will be based on exercises related to the course’s key issues and its sub-issues. Instructions should be available online, in the school’s website, so that participants are able to check the progress of their exercise, without the intervention of a third person. My instructional strategy would have two different characteristics: it will be interactive, available through the Internet for review, and b) direct instruction. In addition, a different instructional strategy can be used anytime for evaluating the performance of sales people as employee performance. The course will be divided into 8 sections; each section will focus on the examination of a particular issue of employee performance. The relationship between employee performance and sales people will be also analyzed. The schedule will be structured as follows: five sections will refer to employee performance; the sections, during which the relationship between

Individual project Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Individual project - Research Paper Example 1). The U.S. has been attacked a number of times by terrorists. Appreciating the potential damage that biological weapons may do to the country if they landed on the hands of terrorists, the U.S. recently called for closer international cooperation to keep terrorists and biological weapons apart. The U.S. government believes that the threat of biological weapons against its citizens is growing as noted by Nebehay & Mohammed (par. 2). This is especially the case given that the ability of non-state actors and terrorists to develop biological weapons is increasing. Set against this background, a study was conducted featuring 52 respondents on the threat of biological weapons. The respondents included eight current senior policy makers (CSP), 19 former senior policy makers (FSP), and 25 experts (EXP). The data set was downloaded from the Carnegie Endowment for Peace Website. The study on the threat of biological weapons is significant considering that the development and use of biological weapons against the U.S. would possibly lead to numerous deaths and would greatly impact on the country’s healthcare system. By extension, such a threat would probably shake the country’s economy. From the statistics, it is clear that all the respondents felt that biological weapons pose at least some threat to the country. Roughly 73% of the respondents felt that biological weapons is a major threat to the country. The statistics also reveal that most of the respondents believe that the threat of biological weapons is increasing, as opposed to reducing. While no respondent felt that the threat is reducing in any way, only 17% of them felt that the threat of the weapons is neither increasing nor reducing. Given that the threat of biological weapons is real and seems to be growing according to the majority of respondents, it would be advisable for the U.S. to take active measures to prevent other countries and non-state actors from developing

Psychotherapy and Substance Abuse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

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Anthropocene Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Anthropocene - Essay Example uction as one of the many activities that human beings involve themselves in on earth has also contributed to the many changes that has been experienced on earth over the last 200 years. For example, in most construction, cement is always used. Studies have proved that the use of cement leads to omission of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. A single tone of cement is believed to have the ability of producing a huge amount of carbon dioxide. Carbon emission is the highest contributor to global warming (Zalasiewicz, Williams, Smith, Barry, Coe, Bown & Stone, 2008). Over the last 200 years, it can be noticed that human construction activities have highly increased. There are more people undertaking construction using cement in the modern world as compared to 200 years ago. The mining of substances such as limestone for the manufacture of cement is also believed to have interfered with the earth’s topography in the last 200 years. A look at the places where mining of limestone tak es place will surely prove the effect of the mining to the land’s topography. There has been a great transformation of the earth’s surface over the last 200 years. Most of the cities that are well known in the modern world were not there some 200 years ago. In short, it can be said that cities and human settlements are the dominants of the landscape. All these are attributed to the construction activities that human beings have involved themselves in the last 200 years. In the process of building new cities and human settlements, it is evident that human beings were doing away with the natural vegetation that was covering the earth at that moment. Apart from the natural vegetation there were also the inhabitants of the natural vegetation who had to be displaced as a result of such developments (Smith & Zeder, 2013). The displaced animals had either to adapt to a new kind of life or end up being distinct. The clearing of natural vegetation has also led to an increase in global

Understanding Science through History Essay Example for Free

Understanding Science through History Essay The inquisitive of science and its blend in history is important in understanding the book â€Å"E=mc2: A biography of the World’s Most Famous Equation† written by David Bodanis. It is seen that in order to understand the empirical evidences of a technical concept, it is important to go back to the history of the concept and put this in the context of the events. Thus, it is seen that history plays an important part in understanding science. The book traces the historical events, the same as a biography would do, in order to understand the said formula. It proceeds from the time where this formula is created by Albert Einstein and proceeds to the important events in history which are related to the said formula. In gaining understanding, the author also mentions events such as the Second World War and mentions women such as Cecille Payne and Lise Meitner. Moreover, the author makes use of ordinary examples in order to relate to the birth of the formula. The author slowly made his way into defining the E, M, C, and 2 components of the formula through these examples. The connection of the present and the past is immediately established by the author as he mentions that â€Å"the world of 1905 seems distant to us now, but there were many similarities to life today† (Bodanis 4). It is with much realization that the author wishes to make a connection between what is present in today’s society with that of the past. Moreover, there is the establishment of the foundations of the present to be rested on the past. This is further emphasized by the author where he recognizes the importance of the past to the present. In the words of the author, â€Å"the year 1905 was also when Einstein wrote a series of papers that changed our view of the universe forever† (Bodanis 4). In bringing about this particular information, the author shows that there is always something in the past that led to what is in today. This is especially true for science where there are constant developments that are made in order to enhance the theories and the field of research. This book is definitely a must-read for those who are interested in understanding and gaining further knowledge of the formula. Despite the complexity of the concept, it becomes easier to read because of the relationship to more familiar concepts. Thus, the familiarity makes understanding a better experience in reading the life of a formula. Work Cited Bodanis, David. E=mc2: A Biography of the World’s Most Famous Equation. New York, NY: The Berkley Publishing Group.

Analysis Of Renewable Energy Sector In Australia Marketing Essay

Analysis Of Renewable Energy Sector In Australia Marketing Essay Introduction In this century, the water usage of households is increasing in a rapid rate. This implies that hot water usage would increase directly as well. Electric and gas water heater are the common heating system, and renewable energy is not commonly used. Due to the high level of usage of electric and gas water heater, unwanted gas emission increases rapidly and killing the earth. Therefore, people are encouraged to be more environmental friendly to save the earth by reducing gas emission. To replace electric and gas water heater, solar water heating systems and heat pumps are encouraged to be used, as they are using the renewable energies that are available in Australia to generate electricity without causing any harm to the environment. Part 1. Industry Analysis of Renewable Energy Sector in Australia. This section includes the macroenvironment and microenvironment of Australias renewable energy devices. Macroenvironment Microenvironment Company Supplier Distributors Competitors Customers Political/Legal Environment Economic Social Technological The Marketing Environment Macroenvironment can be very large and can be grouped with the PESTLE model (political, economic, socio-cultural, technological, legal and environment). West, D, Ford, J Ibrahim, E 2010 Legal: According to Kent, A Mercer, D 2006, a political organization, Australias mandatory renewable energy target (MRET) has been established since April 2001 in order to encourage the additional generation of electricity from renewable sources, reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and ensure that renewable energy sources are ecologically sustainable (Renewable Energy (Electricity)  Act  2001, s3). The legislation (the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000) places a legal liability on most wholesale purchasers of electricity and large users to contribute proportionally towards the annual targets that increase to 9,500 GWh in 2010 and remain at that level until the measure expires in 2020. If they fail to meet required targets of renewable energy purchase, they face a penalty. Penalty could be avoided by purchasing renewable energy certificate through the market. Political: Political issues such as the changes of political party or decisions could bring influence to an industry. According to Reuters, the parliament had passed the amendments to the nations renewable energy target scheme, splitting it into by small-scale and large-scale. The large-scale Renewable Energy Target will benefit renewable energy companies that have stockpiled cheap certificates. Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES) has been introduced to help household and small businesses with installation of eligible renewable energy systems, such as solar water heater (Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency 2010). The Solar Homes and Communities Plan helped Australian homes and communities reduce their energy use and bills and better the environment. It successfully installed more than 100,000 systems as of the end of  April 2010 and  helped to increased accredited solar panel installers over the last year to more than 1,900. Technological Factors: Report from Ferguson, M, 2010; In order to support Australias response to climate change, the Australian Government announced it will provide $652.5 million as Renewable Energy Future Fund (REFF); to provide additional support for the development and deployment of large and small scale renewable energy projects. There are also further investment decisions of $110.5 million for existing renewable energy programs such as $92 million for Australian Centre for Renewable Energy funding for solar projects under the Renewable Energy Demonstration Program to build a 23MW1  solar boost to coal-fired turbines in western Queensland; and build a 40MW concentrated solar thermal demonstration plant in South Australia, by using Australias own Big Dish technology; and $18.45 million for Australian Solar Institute as fund for research into advanced solar energy technologies. Moreover, Australia has one of the best renewable energy resource bases in the world such as solar, wind, geothermal, sugar cogeneration and ocean technology. Australia has been the industry leader in a number of solar technologies such as Photovoltaics(PV), solar thermal technologies and solar concentrator systems. Australia also provides support for International Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Initiatives. Economic Factors: Energy Matters 2009 shows that Australias renewable power generation provides around 8% of electricity consumed in Australia, gas provides 14%, oil 1% and coal 77%. In capacity terms, 8,229 MW of renewable power generation (254 projects) were in place at 31 December 2005 that was 16% of total installed capacity in Australia. According to a 2005 survey undertaken by the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE), the renewable energy industry in Australia supports the direct employment of nearly 6,000 people. Moreover, according to the Climate Institute, 26,000 job opportunities would be available from the $31 billion worth of renewable energy investments planned for Australia. This includes almost 2,500 new permanent positions, over 15,000 construction jobs and more than 8,600 indirect jobs in supporting sectors. Barton, ACT 2004 mentioned that Australian Government had spent about $50 billion on energy each year, while energy exports earn more than $24 billion a year. The sector involves massive, long-lived capital items such as electricity plants, transmission lines, coal, oil and gas production facilities, pipelines, refineries, wind farms as well as a multitude of smaller facilities such as wholesale and retail distribution sites. Following West, D, Ford, J Ibrahim, E 2010, Porters five forces model used to illustrate the microenvironment: Competitive Rivalry: There are several successful firms in renewable energy industry. (taken from Australian Business Council for Sustainable Energy, 2006) Solahart Pty Ltd is the first manufacturer and a recognised leader in the field of solar water heating. It was the first product that carried the European Solar Keymark label. Solahart has been officially recognized by the Australian Government with Export Dedication and Enterprise Awards (Australian Business Council for Sustainable Energy, 2006). According to Warren, M 2007, Solahart heavily dominates about 70 per cent of total Australian solar hot water market share through its leading brands Rheem, Solahart and Edwards. The next biggest player is household consumer supplier GWA International with its Dux and EcoSmart brands and followed by Rinnai/Beasley. Substitutes: A guide from choice online 2010, states electric and gas water heater as substitutes. Electric water heater prevails because electric supply is on 24 hours with day-rate systems which only receive power during the day. There are also night-rate systems, receiving power only during the night, suitable for households with solar-powered systems to avoid paying high day-rate tariffs. Gas is also a substitute available throughout the day and it can replace heat losses in a short time. Buyer: (Graph taken from Clean Energy Council 2009) (Graph taken from Clean Energy Council 2009) (Graph taken from Clean Energy Council 2009) The graphs above show that only 7.6% of Australian households are using solar water heating, with Northern Territories leading at 55%, followed by Western Australia at 21.8%. This data indicates solar usage at rural areas where access to gas and electricity supply can be limited. Therefore, they are compelled to use solar power rather than it being optional like their city counterparts such as Victoria (3%) and New South Wales (5.7%). The majority of the nation is using electricity (46%) or gas (37%) to heat up their water. This is both costly and a waste of unrenewable resources such as coal, which is heavily used to generate electricity in Australia (World Nuclear Association, 2010). In line with the Australian Governments initiative to reduce carbon emissions, this shows promising potential for solar water heating seeing as solar power is a green and renewable source of power (Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, 2010). Part 2. Segmentation Cluster analysis is a group of multivariate techniques which main purpose is to classify objects in such a way that within-group differences are minimized and between-group differences are maximized according to some grouping variable. Cluster analysis is used in this segmentation part in order to define the clear and distinct consumer needs; also to list in order of importance the attribute or needs of product for Solarharts heat pump to consumer. Demographic Family Size of Australias Household (graph taken from Australian Institute of Family Studies 2006) A research from Australian Institute of Family Studies shows the average household size and number of households between 1911 to 2006. The graph shown that the average household size is in decreasing rate, while the number of households is in the rising rate. (table taken from Australian Institute of Family Studies 2006) The statistics above show that the number of household size in 2006 is about 7,596,000 which is almost 2,000,000 more compare to 1991. The average household size is remain constant since1996 which is around 2.6 person per household. Impact of household size, behaviour and geographic to Usage Rate of Hot water Refer to Harrington, L 2010, Hot water consumption is also affected by a whole range of demographic factors. Household size is the main factor as it refers to age of household members. For instance, teenagers tend to have a longer shower time. On the other hand, the presence of kids in households also consume a high level of water due to the use of bathtubs and also more washing loads compared to households without young children. However, household income could affect the level of use of water. Other factors that affect the hot water consumption include the behaviour of household members. For instance, the showering frequency and the flow rates and duration. The more frequent the household members shower and if the flow rate is set on the highest and also they are showering for a longer time, the level of water usage would be very high. In addition, the frequency use of dishwasher, the water levels settings and the preferred washing temperatures on the clothes washer will also affec t the hot water consumption in household. On the other hand, the selection of hot water system could be influenced by some minor demographic and geographical factors such as households, which have access to gas, they would prefer to have gas heaters. The water levels settings and the preferred washing temperatures on the clothes washer will also affect the hot water consumption in household. On the other hand, the selection of hot water system could be influenced by some minor demographic and geographical factors such as households, which have access to gas, they would prefer to have gas heaters. Furthermore, large household would need more hot water supply and therefore, large hot water systems would be preferred. Whereas, for those rental houses, they tend to focus on high operating rates and therefore, they would choose to get other conventional systems with low purchase cost. Restricted choices are available for apartments as solar systems are impossible. However, households which are located in a hotter place would prefer solar water heating. Behaviour of Consumer making purchase decision According to The ACRS Research Team 2010, different types of consumer have different behaviour. Firstly, the value consumers are those who spend their money wisely and smartly by focusing on what they need instead of what they want. Therefore the product must be worth for its cost. Secondly, the busy consumers are those who simply seek for convenience, speed and simplicity, as time is the most valuable thing to them. And the green consumers are those who are more concerned about environment. This type of consumers is environmental friendly consumers and they are willing to spend more to go green. They also gain some advantages such as traveling less to reach the product. Also there are also the bored consumers who are exposed and buried by various choices as the number of advertisements and promotions are increasing rapidly today. They tend to seek for a more unique products and services. And lastly, the digital consumers are those who are spend most of their time interacting through internet. The sources that could be found through internet improvise the way consumers approach retailers, and they are clear with what they are looking for. Part 3. Targeting Undifferentiated targeting strategy would be used in Solar targeting progress. According to Solahart, consumers of the solar heater water market are mainly household users. A marketing mix (Leader, WG Kyritsis, N 1990) will be designed for the solar water heater product to target all household users in Australia, aiming to increase the market share and to fulfil the governments renewable energy policies to increase the substitution of households with renewable energy devices. The marketing-mix will be tailored to the behaviours and demographic of consumers such as usage rate, income, and consumer behaviour in product attributes. The place and promotion strategy will focus on drawing consumers to approach this renewable energy product and simultaneously increase consumer awareness to green issues. According to consumer behaviour in 2009, consumers tend to be more aware of value; seeking for convenience, speed and simplicity, uniqueness and environmental friendly. The marketing mix strategy will relate to the key components of marketing: product, price, place and promotion. First is the product, encompassing packaging, labelling, product performance or service support. The solar heat pump has several advantages; it is fast and efficient with synergys large compressor that gives quicker recovery, providing hot water faster; easy to use and installation as no solar panel is needed and is equipped with an electric booster to provide a continuous supply of hot water for the cooler climates; valuable in saving electricity bill in the long-run; and lastly environmental friendly as it converts heat from the air to deliver hot water, reducing electricity usage or fossil fuel energy use and the pollution and greenhouse gas emissions associated. This is in line with the efforts of State Governments across Australia in banning the use of electric hot water systems in new homes. Second, the place to distribute the solar heat pump will be through retail chain such as Harvey Norman and Dick Smith. This is known as one level distribution channel (Mantau, U, Merio, M, Sekot, W Welcker, B 2001), where the distribution activities will move from manufacturer to retailer then to consumer. For example, Harvey Norman (intermediary) with a positive retail image could help build consumer trust in a product. Besides that, Solahart (manufacturer) could force goods through channels by giving intermediaries incentives such as higher margin to boost the sales of product. This is known as Push Strategies (Gillespie, A 2001). Intermediaries will be in charge of product service and advertisement efforts. They may also help consumers with claims under the governments renewable scheme for the purchase of solar heat pump. To deal with Internet buyers, Harvey Normans online store could help to promote the product online. Therefore users can easily obtain the specification and information of the solar heat pump and even purchase it on net. Furthermore, Solahart could promote their product through personal selling. The company itself can organize promotion fairs in shopping centres that are always full of potential consumers. This activity could involve salespersons interacting with consumers to bring their attention to environmental issues and supplying product information. Additionally, salespersons can better understand consumer needs and play up the benefits solar heat pumps can offer such as electricity bill-cut to persuade consumers to make the switch. Educating household users with environmental knowledge is important to increase the market share of the product. Solahart could advertise through media such as TV advertisements, newspapers and online websites such as Facebook, Yahoo, CNET Australia, eBay etc. to attract consumer awareness. This could also help portray a positive image for the company and build up brand reputation. 4. Positioning Positioning refers to the placement of product in the perception of product, brand or company in the mind of consumer. (West, D, Ford, J Ibrahim, E 2010) A new position statement Solahart needs to make: [Convince] consumers that they are a green power brand, pioneering in solar water heater industry and the product is extremely energy efficient  and of highest quality. [That] Solaharts heat pump is environmental friendly, secure, durable, with long life-span and effectively provides hot water to household when needed with the most reasonable price. [Because] Solahart is an Australian-owned environmental-friendly brand which is also world recognised as a leading water heating company to fulfil needs of hot water system for consumers with the lowest, most cost-efficient and effective way. Successful criteria for positioning must include the four Cs of positioning such as Clarity in terms of market targeting and differential advantages. The positioning statement above clearly states that Solahart is a pioneer and innovator brand, giving credit to their professionalism and reputation in the product line of solar water heaters (Haig, M 2007). Solaharts innovation could help households to cut both their utility bills and dependency on gas or electric based heater for hot water. There must be Consistency in conveying the message to consumers, including the positioning statement. Solahart is truly an innovator brand, being the first manufacture of solar water heating. It has also been recognized officially by the Australian Government with Export Dedication and Enterprise Awards. Consumer perception of Solaharts Credibility is also important. The companys 55-year experience in supplying thousands of households across 70 has helped build up its brand reputation, where consumers trust the brand in what they are doing. Solahart also has Competitiveness where the companys differential advantages surpass its competitors. Solahart provides extended warranties to their users and provide excellent after-service to their consumers to insure their buyer policy. To increase competitiveness, Solahart could further develop their line to enhance performance or providing more functions and even enhancing appearance to lead to a new fashion of life style in the industry. High Recognition Low Recognition More Market Share Less Market Share * Solahart * Edwards * Rheem * Dux *EcoSmart *Rinnai * Quantum * Solco Perceptual map of Brand Recognition and Market Share of Water Heater Market (West, D, Ford, J Ibrahim, E 2010) A perceptual map could be used by the company to assess its perceptual position in its consumers mind. The perceptual map above shows a variety of water heater brands to give the perception of that particular market segment. The perceptual axels are Brand Recognition Level and Market Share of the main competitors. There are three major groupings shown on the perceptual map. Solahart, Rheem and Edwards are companies in the high recognition group, owning the major market shares in the solar water heater industry. The moderate recognition group are companies with moderate market shares such as Dux, EcoSmart, Rinnai. The last group is the low recognition group with minor market share companies such as Quantum and Solco. Conclusion In conclusion, the industry analysis is to help the company to understand the macro and microenvironment of the renewable energy device market. It shows that there is a large potential of market share in renewable as the Australia Government is very concerned about reducing the gas emission by providing a rebate scheme to support household user to switch to renewable energy device as it is environmental friendly. Besides that, the segmentation, targeting and positioning strategy drive the company to target the right market with right marketing mix strategy and to make sure the company is in appropriate perceptual positioning in consumer minds. As the consumer needs are met, the demand towards the renewable energy devices would increase. Therefore, the aim of the government that is encouraging the use of renewable energy instead of electric and gas will be achieved. Referencing: Kent, A Mercer, D 2006, Australias mandatory renewable energy target (MRET): an assessment, Energy Policy, vol.34, no. 9, pg 1046-1062, Retrieved 18 August 2010, ScienceDirect The National Association of Forest Industries, What is the Mandatory Renewable Energy Target, Retrieved 26 August 2010, Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency 2010,Solar Homes and Communities Plan, Australian Government, Retrieved 26 August 2010, Reuters 2010, Analysis: Australia energy law faces green certificate overhang, Reuters.com, retrieved 18 August 2010, http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE66F3HX20100716 Ferguson, M 2010, Australias Biggest Ever Renewable Energy Roll-out, Australian Government, Retrieved 18 August 2010, http://minister.ret.gov.au/TheHonMartinFergusonMP/Pages/!budget_renewable.aspx.html Energy Matters, 2009, 26,000 Renewable Energy Jobs For Australia, Enerygymatters.com, Retrieved 19 August 2010, Barton, ACT 2004, Securing Australias Energy Future, Commonwealth of Australia, Retrieved 19 August 2010, http://www.efa.com.au/Library/CthEnergyWhitePaper.pdf Australian Business Council for Sustainable Energy, 2006 Australias Renewable Energy Use, Technologies and Services, Clean Energy Council Australia, Retrieved 19 August 2010, http://www.cleanenergycouncil.org.au/cec/resourcecentre/reports/Past-Reports/businchina/mainColumnParagraphs/0/text_files/file0/china2.pdf Solahart 2010, Company History, Solahart Company, Retrieved 19 August 2010, http://www.digal.pt/Digal_I/company.html Edwards Solar Hot Water 2010, About Us, Edwards Company, Retrieved 19 August 2010, http://www.edwards.com.au/default.asp?V_DOC_ID=828 Rheem Australia Pty Ltd 2002, Company History, Rheem Australia, Retrieved 19 August 2010, http://www.rheem.com.au/history.asp Solco Ltd 2010, Solco Corporate, Solco Limited, Retrieved 19 August 2010, Quantum 2010, Welcome to Quantum, Quantum Energy Technologie Retrieved 19 August 2010, http://www.quantumenergy.com.au/home-1.aspx Dux Manufacturing Pty. Ltd 2010, Dux Manufaturing, Retrived 19 August 2010, http://www.dux.com.au/about.htm AquaxMax Water Heather 2010, Retrived 19 August 2010, http://www.aquamax.com.au/ Rinnai 2009, Corporate Information, Retrieved 19 August 2010, Australian Agency for International Development 2000, POWER FOR THE PEOPLE: RENEWABLE ENERGY IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, Australian Government, Retrieved 20 August 2010, Choice Online 2010, Hot water options buying guide, Choice.com Australia, Retrieved 20 August 2010, http://www.choice.com.au/Reviews-and-Tests/Household/Energy-and-water/Saving-water/Hot-water-options-buying-guide/Page/Storage-water-heaters.aspx Living-Australia.com 2010, Wages / Salaries Australia, Retrieved 21 August 2010, Australian Institute of Family Studies 2006, Family face and figure, Australian Government, Retrieved 21 August 2010, Harrington, L 2010, Hot Water End-use Measurement, DEWHA, Retrieved 22 August 2010, The ACRS Research Team 2010, The Australian Consumer Trends Report, Monash University, Retrieved 23 August 2010, Mantau, U, Merio, M, Sekot, W Welcker, B 2001, Recreation and environmental markets for forest enterprises, CABI, retrieved 23 August 2010, Google books Gillespie, A 2001, AS A level business studies through diagrams, 2nd edn, Ocford University Press, retrieved 24 August 2010, Google books Leader, WG Kyritsis, N 1990, Fundamentals of marketing, Hutchinson Education, retrieved 24 August 2010, Google books Clean Energy Council 2009, Solar, Australia Government, Retrieved 21 August 2010, http://cleanenergyaustraliareport.com.au/technologies/solar/ Haig, M 2007, Brand Royalty: How the Worlds Top 100 Brands Thrive Survive, Kogan Page Limited, Retrieved 26 August 2010, Google books Warren, M 2007,Solar heating not an easy switch, The Australian, Retrieved 26 August 2010, West, D, Ford, J Ibrahim, E 2010, Strategic Marketing: Creating Competitive Advantage, 2nd edn, Oxford University Press Inc, New York

Competitive strategy that Easyjet have utilised

Competitive strategy that Easyjet have utilised The aim of this report is to analyse and evaluate the competitive strategy that Easyjet have utilised in order to develop their current competitive position in the low price no frills airline market. Objectives Definitions of competitive strategy Explain Porters generic strategy Analyse the competitive strategy of Easyjet Evaluate the competitive strategy of Easyjet Recommendation for the future of Easyjet Methodology Porters generic strategy Investigate the strategy clock Find out advantage and disadvantages by creating a SWOT analysis of Easy Jet Theories on Easyjet competitive strategy The Competition Various Recommendation for Easyjets future Where the information was found? University library Internet Journals Newspapers Books Overview From this report, Easyjet can be seen as one of the main airlines in its market, and although it has some tough competition Easyjet is becoming stronger. Its competitive strategies are ahead of the competition and are being very successful. This is proven through various theories such as Porters generic strategy, the strategy clock and a SWOT analysis of Easyjets competitive strategy. Introduction Background Easyjet is one of the best known European low price no-frills airlines. Which begun in 1995 by Greek entrepreneur Stelios Haji-Ioannou. He intended to make flying to Europe affordable for more and more people. Easyjet now calls itself the webs favourite airline. (Thompson, Strategic Management , 2001) The airline is based at Hangar 89, a bright orange building adjacent to the main taxiway at Luton Airport. In an industry where corporate HQs are generally considered to be the ultimate status symbol, it is the very embodiment of the Easyjet low-cost ethos. Objectives To identify and analyse the competitive strategy that Easyjet have utilised in order to develop their current position. To critically evaluate the competitive strategy that Easyjet have utilised in the development of their current completive position. Also make appropriate recommendations regarding Easyjet. Competitive advantage Competitive advantage is the means by which a company can outperform its competitors and more profits. (Lomax Raman, 2006) The ability to create more economic value than competitors (Barney, 2010) Competitive advantage is more generally based on the stability and continuity in relationships between different parts of the organisation (Lynch, 2008) Design is a form of competitive advantageà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Good design allows things to operate more efficiently, smoothly, and comfortably for the userà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Customers appreciate good design. While they cant necessarily point out what specifically makes it good, they know it feels better. Theres a visceral connection. They are willing to pay for it, if you give them a great experience. (Hackett, 2009) Porters Generic Strategies This set of strategies consists of three: segmentation strategy, differentiation strategy and cost leadership Cost leadership strategy pertains to mass production of standardized products to lower the cost. Manufacturing the product in high volumes or by bulk would lower the costs of the product because fixed costs are maximized. Differentiation strategy means creating products that are being packaged as unique. Customers believe that the features of the products are incomparable and superior compared to others hence the reason for its uniqueness. Segmentation strategy means products are focused on few, selected market or the specialized markets. The company creates the product to suit the tastes or demands of a specific market. (Porter, 1998) Main Findings Analyse Easy Jets competitive strategy Easy jet which is the UKs leading low cost airline, currently operating in over 400 routes with over 175 aircraft in 27 countries is a no frill airline, the concept started in the beginning of the 1970s in the USA and then this concept was followed by Airlines in Europe, and the rest of the world. Easy jet is known as No-frills airlines, where airlines that have offer low fares but eliminate all unnecessary services Easy Jet offers a no frills service at low fares. EasyJets generic strategy is a typical cost leadership strategy. The business philosophy of easyJet is that money can be made on any route where a carrier can fly three times a day to a low-cost airport, based on a minimum market size. The basis of commercial success for such strategy is maintaining a 30-40% cost advantage over established airlines. Easyjets low prices strategy can be defined as A low price strategy seeks to achieve a lower price than competitors whilst trying to maintain a similar perceived product or service benefits to those offered by competitors (Johnson, 2005) They believe to achieve competitive advantage through this strategy, the company need two basic choices, one is to find a segment where main competitors are not interested in. The other one is find this segment attracts price sensible consumers. (Johnson, 2005) They utilize this by doing the following; Easyjet is a Ticket less airline which mean All you need to fly is your passport (or suitable photographic ID on domestic flights) and there confirmation number, based on their time of check in at the airport, this determines the order in which they board the aircraft (Easyjet.com). Efficient use of airport. Easyjet flies to main destination airports throughout Europe, but gains efficiencies through rapid turnaround times, and progressive landing charges agreements with the airports By reducing turnarounds to 30 minutes and below, Easyjet can achieve extra rotations on the high frequency routes, by maximizing utilization rates of its aircraft. Theres no such thing as a free lunch Easyjet does not offer free food from company, passengers are given the choice as to whether they wish to buy themselves drinks or snacks from the in flight. (McCosker, 2003) The absence of business class means gaining seats and maximizes capacity. Though EasyJet does not provide the same kind of flexibility as business class in traditional airlines, it is possible to change flights for a premium of  £10, plus the difference in price. Punctuality is a priority Direct marketing and Internet sales Stelios recognized the potential for sales on the Internet before it had become widely available. At first a call center allowed customers to book over the phone, a more familiar communication channel available to all. By offering discounts for Internet bookings, Stelios shaped his customers purchasing habit with the result that 80% of reservations were made on the Internet in 1998. It reduces distribution charges from travel agent commissions and computer reservation system costs. Easyjets strategy was modelled on Southwest air, but Stelios claimed he had been inspired by Richard Branson and Virgin Atlantic. His approach to customers and people mirrors that of Branson. He flies on his own planes some three or four times a week and week talk to the passengers. He is regularly present at Luton (his headquarters) and willing to revolve passenger problems. (Thompson, Strategic Management fourth editon, 2001) Easyjet favours an informal company culture with a very flat management structure, which eliminates unnecessary and wasteful layers of management. All office-based employees are encouraged to dress casually. Ties are banned except for pilots! Remote working and hot-desking have been characteristics of easyJet since the beginning. One of the strategies which easyJet is persuading is a cost leadership. In persuading cost advantage, the goal of the firm is to become the cost leader in its industry or industry segment (Grant, 2002) The Easyjet product is, in reality, a package of service, many subcontracted in. Easy jet provides the planes and their crews, and markets and the sells the flights. As a company, it is focused. Check-in and information services, snacks (for passengers to by before they board the aeroplane), baggage handling and fleet maintenance are all bought in from specialists. (Thompson, Strategic Management , 2001) Competition for customers in this sector of the market is intense, Virgin express and Fly Thomas cook are just a couple from many have low-price , no frills subsidiaries, neither of which is reputed to be profitable. The largest of the rivals is Ryanair, over 25 years old and based in Dublin, carrying over 75 million passengers a year. When Stelios established the position of the Easyjet as one of leading low cost airline in Europe by adopting an efficiency driven operational model, creating brand awareness and maintaining a high levels of customer satisfaction (where we are now) he took a step further in his perused of the strategy to offer low cost airline to masses (where we want to be) which is based on key strengths (how we going get there) (Easyjet: The Web`s Favourite Airline, 2002) Another of the strategies persuaded by founder of Easyjet can be seen, as strategy is perspective, that is, vision and direction. (Mintzberg, 1994) Evaluate Easyjet competitive strategy Competitive advantage grows out of value a firm is able to create for its buyers the exceeds the firms cost of creating it (porter,1985)A company relative position within an no frill Airline industry is given by its competitive advantage which is cost leadership and differentiation, from other frills airline companies and with its choice of competitive scope. Introducing new technologies new or shifting buyer needs the emergence of a new industry segment and availability changes in government regulations are competitive advantages. Where Differentiation is the firms product, associated services, and other activities affect its buyers activities.   All the activities in the value chain contribute to buyer value, and the cumulative costs in the chain will determine the difference between the buyer value and producer cost. (Porter, 1985) Easy jet gains competitive advantage by performing strategically important activities more cheaply or better than its competitors. (Easyjet.com) Comp etitive advantage can come not just from great products or services, but from anywhere along the value chain. To understand how a firm fits into the overall value system includes the value chains of its suppliers, channels, and buyers. Generic strategies are useful because they characterize strategic positions at the simplest and broadest level. Porter maintains that company achieving competitive advantage requires and makes a choice about the type and scope of its competitive advantage.(Porter, 1985) Concerning competitive advantage, Easyjet concentrates on costs therefore achieves overall cost leadership. It inhabits a low cost Niche position. The low cost airlines developed sufficient lead times and competitive advantage to limit any new entrants to niche positions and we still do not believe that the full service airlines have the culture to successfully develop sustainable in house low fares subsidiaries (Binggeli, 2002) However, there are problems associated with the idea of sustainable cost leadership as this entails that Easyjet has the lowest cost compared with competitors over time. This is unlikely to be achieved simply by cutting back costs however their competitors i.e. Ryanair will do this too. The search of a cost-leadership strategy will require Easyjet to have a strong focus on cost management, scale economies, and have experience curve cost advantages through the maintainer of volumes. In reality, it can be questioned whether cost leadership is a separate strategy. (Sharp 1991)  [1]  stated, having a cost advantage is merely a facilitator to differentiate, usually on price, adding that low-cost form seeks to remove bases for differentiation, so as to offer a generic service to the entire market, therefore reducing differences between segments. Another type of strategy persuaded by Stelios Haji Ioannou is express by sentence (Casell, 2002) It could be argued that cost leadership can be a precarious strategy, which may speed up the move towards a commodity market in which; ultimately, no one benefits (Partridge, 1994) Strategy Clock The Strategy Clock is based upon the work of Cliff Bowman. Its another Suitable way to analyze a companys competitive position in comparison to the offerings of competitors. As with Porters Generic Strategies, Bowman considers competitive advantage in relation to cost advantage or differentiation advantage. Easyjet are situated highly in strategic option 1 (low price, low added value) The eight core strategic options are: 1. Low price/low added value Likely to be segment specific. 2. Low price Risk of price war and low margins/need to be a cost leader. 3. Hybrid Low cost base and reinvestment in low price and differentiation. 4. Differentiation (A) Without a price premium: perceived added value by user, yielding market share benefits. (B) With a price premium: Perceived added value sufficient to bear price premium. 5. Focused differentiation Perceived added value to a particular segment warranting a premium price. 6. Increased price/standard Higher margins if competitors do not value follow/risk of losing market share. 7. Increased price/low values only feasible in a monopoly situation. 8. Low value/standard price Loss of market share. The strategy clock diagram http://htmlimg3.scribdassets.com/9l9911lw1u1cczk/images/2-2c81643482/000.jpg (Scribd.com) Easyjet SWOT analysis Strength: Easyjet has a strong brand name in the low cost airline industry; the company also owns the general popularity among customers, business or leisure, for its low fares and high efficiency Most seats are sold through Internet. Ticketless airline makes Easyjet different from rivals. Flattened structure and casual culture give efficiency in management and operation. Easyjet is frequently able to benefit from the latest technology and working practices. Efficient use of airports and aircraft is another critical strength of Easyjet. The sound network helps the company to cut costs. Paperless operation has simplified and given the huge flexibility in the management working practices. Easyjet standardise on a single aircraft type and purchase new aircraft in bulk, thereby minimizing maintenance costs. The merger of Go accelerates the company growth Weakness: Easyjet is limited at the present time to regional operations, which does not allow it to develop a more balanced portfolio of services. Although EasyJets benefits from the deal with airbus in many ways, it also causes a problem the company will operate on a mixed Boeing/Airbus fleet. Staff training and coordination in future are crucial to the move For the elder people or the people who do not use the internet, it is not convenience to book on line. They really should have more ways to book There is no business class in airplane of EasyJet, which makes it lose some business travellers Opportunities: From a political perspective, the deepening and widening of EU provides new opportunities industry wide. New routes can be introduced to those countries that will join EU in near future. Furthermore, Airlines are now able to operate a base out of any European Country, which gives many more opportunities for expansion. Comparing to US market, the European market is still an immature market, which provides opportunities to all players. General slump forces most companies and individual keep in a tight budget, therefore low cost airlines now have more chance to fight their expensive rivals. Threats: The low-cost carriers are facing rising costs, particularly in the areas of fuel, airport charges and salaries. Unpredictable incidents (e.g. Iraqi war, SARS) give uncertainties in fuel supply, customers sentiment, etc. Competition from rivals is another threat, including new businesses copying low price and no frills strategy Recommendations This report has shown that Easyjet has done very well since it begun in 1995, it is dong almost everything correctly using their competitive strategies to become successful and stay ahead of their rivals. Although the huge profitable company that it has become, its important that they do not become over confident, and be aware of what their competitors are doing, they should always have enough capital to them to make radical changes if needed to. There are a number of ways in which Easyjet could improve to take the organisation forward and make the company more profitable and improving performance. Firstly Easyjet could cooperate with other easy business, such as Easycar which could do deals on transport and parking at airports, Easyfinance could offer a special rate for loans used on flights. Easyhotel could give discounts on hotels around the airports. This could not only help easyjet and making it better for customers but also increase other easy businesses. It could be very beneficial for Easyjet to build alliances with transatlantic operations. This would build a better relationship with the transatlantic operations meaning it could create more routs. Easyjet have over 400 routes which means they have many more routes which they could add. This would mean gaining more customers that couldnt reach destinations before in which other airlines visited. As fast as the internet has grown over the last few years, not everybody has it or know how to use, more often its elder people, whom could add a bigger market if Easyjet could find out a way to reach them and make a better way of buying flights for them. Although Easyjet do have a phone number to book flights it has been stated Telephone bookings are more expensive and are not encouraged (Lowfareflights) which is very off putting. Possibly free phone calls or some sort of broacher sent through the post could let the people without internet find out about Easyjet and be able to purchase with no hassle. As the number of low cost carriers is growing another possibility could be created some sort of loyalty scheme such as loyalty card or member card. The customer would then collect points whenever they travel with Jeasyjet, which would add up and when they have enough points, they could receive some sort of reward such as a discount on flights, free flights etc. This would benefit Eeasyjet as well as the customers because the customer would want to travel with Easyjet instead of another company because they know they can save points and be rewarded with Easyjet. Major companies in the UK such as Tesco using clubcard who introduced it in 1994 to gain customers loyalty, it proved to be very successful, making customers from other stores switch to Tesco as they knew they would b rewarded with this scheme. David Sainsbury, then chairman of J Sainsbury plc, rejected the idea of introducing a similar scheme. However, the effect that Clubcard had on Sainsburys sales led to the reversal of th at decision, with the launch of the Sainsburys Reward Card in June 1996. (Randall, 1996-06-23) This will therefore stop customers switching to Easyjets rivals. From this report, Easyjet can be seen as one of the main airlines in its market, and although it has some tough competition Easyjet is becoming stronger. Its competitive strategies are ahead of the competition and are being very successful. No company is perfect and always need improvements therefore Easyjet could become ever more successful and dominate the market despite of the stiff competition. Reference List

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Maya Angelou, Martin Luther King and the civil Rights Movement Essay ex

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Time Management Research Strategy Paper

Time Management Research Strategy Paper At first, I thought the example given; â€Å"Time Management† was not a good example to use for my paper. I didn’t really [Clearer writing suggestion–â€Å"real† or â€Å"really† means â€Å"existing in actuality†Ã¢â‚¬â€œit adds little to the meaning (and using it to mean â€Å"big,† â€Å"very,† or â€Å"genuine† is slang); replace it with a more expressive word] feel like I have an issue managing time, after all I complete my task about ninety [Express numbers higher than nine in digits (when not the first word in the sentence)] -nine percent of the time and normally finish on or ahead of schedule. However, when I stopped to look at what I complete I was surprised [The passive voice is a form of â€Å"be† (was) and a participle (surprised). Over-use of the passive voice can make paragraphs tedious to read and officious. Try to use the active voice most often, e. g. , the student completed the paper on time. The passive voice version–The paper was completed on time by the student–See eCampus>CWE>Tutorials & Guides>Grammar & Writing Guides>Active & passive voice] at my findings. I found that I have to some degree, mentally categorized my task. What I mean by this is that I have, without thinking about it, categorized my task into two separate groups: Work and personal. The first, being my primary group is the tasks related to my job. This group boasts has a very high completion rate and quality of work on these tasks is checked [Passive voice] by my employer as well and then communicated to me. Based on task tracking I have about a ninety [Express numbers higher than nine in digits (when not the first word in the sentence)] -eight percent completion rate and based on feedback from my employer I know the quality of my work is very high as well. 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This environment of less critical tasks allows the task to be ignored [Passive voice] until they can’t be ignored [Passive voice] any longer, forcing some sort of action. Now in review of this method, the completion rate is not the only item to score poorly, the quality of the work suffers tremendously as well. Project oriented tasks that have some sort of visible outcome; such as [Check word choice: â€Å"such as† refers to things that are exactly what you are discussing; â€Å"like† means something similar to what you are discussing] laying tile in a walkway get [Doctoral rule (although good advice for any academic writer)–â€Å"get† is informal English and can mean many things; in academic writing, use forms of â€Å"arrive at,† â€Å"can,† â€Å"could†, â€Å"grows,† â€Å"is able to,† etc. ] completed in a timely manner and with a much higher level of quality. My goal for this research paper is to develop a strategy for improving my time management skills for my personal category. With the proper time management skills I believe the quality of work on these tasks will also rise exponentially. My goal requires information on time management tools, prioritization and [Check punctuation–insert a comma before this word if this is the last in a list of more than two–or if it begins a new clause] organization. I want to gather information from credible sources, so I will be looking for information from reputable time management coaches. Additionally I need to answer the following questions: â€Å"How can I improve my prioritization skills? What organization tools are there for time management? and â€Å"What are the keys to managing your time? † I will use the Internet for my research because it can be accessed 24/7 and reference any books that are available through â€Å"University of Phoenix† online library. I will place the information retrieved into two categories, relevant and non-relevant. Discarding the irrelevant data and sorting the relevant into categories that fit the questions that I have asked and a category for the questions that may be applicable which [Use â€Å"that† for a restrictive phrase (or place a comma before â€Å"which†)] I did not ask. I will then analyze the data, re-categorizing if needed, examine the evidence of recommendations, determining whether the information is fact or opinion and if it is opinion is it supported [Passive voice] by any facts. I will make comparisons to similar information identify any themes or ideas and align the information with other information retrieved. Then I will examine perspectives and assumptions. By determining what perspectives the author [If this means yourself, avoid referring to yourself in the third person; if this is a personal account, use the first person (I, me, my)] may have I will derive a better idea of what direction his information is coming from and better determine how applicable it is to my situation. Likewise, if the author has made or not made certain assumptions the information collected from this person may be applicable to my situation. There may also be a need to prove or disprove an assumption to determine just how relevant a certain piece of information is or for that matter how relevant a certain author is. I think it is important to examine my perspective as well as the author’s so that I can be more specific in my search for answers. As research progresses and more is learned [Passive voice] about time management, I will ask additional questions and look for examples of these ideas and tools played out in everyday life to ensure its suitable to me. The information must make sense and be adaptable to anyone looking to improve his or her time management skills, but I will also be looking for ideas and tools that fit my character and lifestyle. Once I have answered my questions, I will determine which tools recommended work best for my personality type, I will take my character and schedule into consideration then formulate a strategy that will be easily implemented [Passive voice] into my personal lifestyle. Once implemented I will track the completion of my tasks and determine my successful completion rate, then based on feedback from my family as well as myself I will determine if the quality of my work has improved as well. References Carter, C. , Bishop, J. , & Kravits, S. L. (2007). Keys to College Studying: Becoming an Active Thinker (2nd ed. ). : Pearson Prentice Hall.