Economics & restaurant price

The restaurant price and whole price data shows that cost based and price discrimination based theory has been applied to the fifty wine products listed. The groups of wine are divided into to groups. They are the red win group and the white wine group. The data shows that the restaurant owners bought the wines from the whole sale store. The restaurant owner then adds a markup to cover for the cost of running a restaurant. The cost of running a restaurant includes the whole cost of the wine bought from the wholesale store and the cost serving the wine.Waiters, cashiers and dishwashers are part of the wine serving process(Brown,16). The additional restaurant wine includes the additional cleanup, the cost of storing the wine in the wine store room, the cost of managing and ensuring continuous stocks of the wines in the restaurant storeroom. The additional markup includes the cost of paying a wine connoisseur. He is an expert in wine criticism and advices the company on which wine to bu y, how long to store the wines in the store room, and also how to serve wine.The most important reason for introducing markups is to charge the restaurant clients for staying long hours on their tables talking business, or seducing a love object. In addition, the data presented showing that the restaurant price is an amount that has a mark –up of ninety –nine percent or more above the cost of buying the wines is definitely true. The restaurants add markups based on the willingness of the customers to pay the additional prices. This market segment does not care about the price of wine because they know that they want to add the high –priced wine to the food that they gobble up in the restaurants.This market segment even prefer to buy the high priced wines just for the pride of showing to their next table clients and to their restaurant friends that they have lots and lots of money. This market segment is willing to pay more for a wine because they feel that these wines rare and are of higher quality than the other wine brands(Philips,18). The data showing the fifteen wines clearly indicates that the restaurant charges each client a higher fee for the rare and higher –quality ones. The data also shows that the restaurant owners charge clients higher if they feel that the clients can afford to pay higher for the wines.On the other hand, the restaurant is willing to charge a higher markup if they foresee that the client is a little hard up on cash upon entering the restaurant. The implications of the cost based and price discrimination based discussion above are many. One implication is that the restaurant must introduce the markups in order to stay in the business. A business would not survive if it does not make the bottom line. The bottom line is that the company must generate a net profit. A company that does not make a profit generates a loss. A company that generates a loss would not look good to the stakeholders of the company.Th e stakeholders of the company includes the stockholders, the employees, the customers, the suppliers, the community, the government regulating agencies, the labor unions, and even the board of directors if there are any. Another implication of the cost based and price discrimination based discussion above is that there are customers who do not mind the markups. Many of the customers can easily see that the higher amount they pay for the wines bought in restaurants is because they are will savor an hour or two of their romantic interludes and seduction in the restaurants.They will use the restaurant to sort of ‘lay their cards down’ in the courtship game of life. This is the value that the restaurant clients get in exchange for willingly paying more for a bottle of wine. Another implication of the cost based and price discrimination based discussion above is that the restaurant prices of some wines are higher than the other wine choices. The $14. 25 restaurant wine price is priced at a markup of 96 percent of the cost. The $17. 00 restaurant wine price is priced at a markup of 182 percent of the cost. The $18. 00 restaurant wine price is priced at a markup of 133 percent of the cost.The $21. 60 restaurant wine price is priced at a markup of 99 percent of the cost. The $12. 50 restaurant wine price is priced at a markup of 180 percent of the cost. Another implication of the cost based and price discrimination based discussion above is that there are people who can afford the higher cost of wines. The $17. 00 restaurant wine price is priced at a markup of 182 percent of the cost. The $12. 50 restaurant wine price is priced at a markup of 180 percent of the cost. The $ 7. 50 restaurant wine price is priced at a markup of 220 percent of the cost. The $14.63 restaurant wine price is priced at a markup of 180 percent of the cost. The $13. 50 restaurant wine price is priced at a markup of 196 percent of the cost. The $ 6. 75 restaurant wine price is price d at a markup of 255 percent of the cost. Another implication of the cost based and price discrimination based discussion above is that there different wine qualities. The $ 6. 75 restaurant wine price is priced at a markup of 255 percent of the cost. The $14. 25 restaurant wine price is priced at a markup of 96 percent of the cost. The $17. 58 restaurant wine price is priced at a markup of 133 percent of the cost.The $17. 00 restaurant wine price is priced at a markup of 182 percent of the cost. The $ 7. 50 restaurant wine price is priced at a markup of 220 percent of the cost. The $18. 00 restaurant wine price is priced at a markup of 133 percent of the cost. The $19. 20 restaurant wine price is priced at a markup of 119 percent of the cost. Another implication of the cost based and price discrimination based discussion above is that the business will survive. The different prices of the wines show that they are done to fit the budget of the clients. One wine is priced at $28 a bo ttle.Another wine is priced at Another wine is priced at $48. Another wine is priced at $78. Another wine is priced at $122. Another wine is priced at $32. Another wine is priced at $40. Another wine is priced at $24(Haslam,100). The above discussion shows that there many implications of variances in the restaurant prices when compared to the whole prices. Definitely, One implication is that the restaurant must introduce the markups in order to stay in the business. Clearly, another implication of the cost based and price discrimination based discussion above is that there are customers who do not mind the markups.Undoubtedly, another implication of the cost based and price discrimination based discussion above is that the restaurant prices of some wines are higher than the other wine choices. Surely, another implication of the cost based and price discrimination based discussion above is that there are people who can afford the higher cost of wines. Truly, another implication of th e cost based and price discrimination based discussion above is that there different wine qualities. Unquestionably, another implication of the cost based and price discrimination based discussion above is that the business will survive.Conclusively, the restaurant pricing above is founded on the economic principles of supply and demand(McConnell & Brue,52). REFERENCES: Haslam, C. , Economics in a Business Context, Oxford, Taylor & Francis, 1989 McConnell, C. , Brue, S. , Economics: Principles, Problems, and Policies, N. Y. , McGraw- Hill, 2005 Brown, D. , The Restaurant Manager’s Hnadbook: How to Set Up, Operate, and Manage a Financially Succesful Food Service Operation. N. Y. , Atlantic Press, 2003 Philips, L. , The Economics of Price Discrimination: four essays in applied price theory, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1983

The Sons Veto

The Sons Veto Thomas Hardy was an English novelist and poet and his story ‘The Sons Veto’ is based on the rigid class system popular in Victorian England. At that time, women were perceived as having a diminutive purpose with little independence. The restrains of society were clearly seen in Sophy’s character. Hardy opens the story with a detailed description on a woman’s hair. He comments on the fashion of that time. Her name was Sophy and she was born in the country village of Gaymead in a remote nook of North Wessex.As a young girl, she worked as a parlour maid in the house of the reverend, Mr. Twycott. Sophy had a young man named Sam Hobson, a gardener in the village. After a few months, Sophy wanted to leave her job and marry Sam but couldn’t do so after Mr. Twycott’s wife died. She decided to stay back and also had a quarrel with Sam regarding her decision. As time progressed, Mr. Twycott realized how dependent he was on Sophy. He became ill and whilst he was ill, Sophy brought his meals to him.One day, she slipped on the stairs while taking the tray down. She twisted her foot in the fall. Mr. Twycott’s health became better although Sophy was no longer able to walk. The parson felt guilty for her and asked her to marry him; she felt as though she was unable to refuse and felt obligated to marry him in order to be socially accepted. She married the vicar out of respect and not love. She was more concerned over her future and knew that any marriage would mean that she would have a home and a good lifestyle in the imminent years.As the story progresses, Mr. Twycott dies and Sophy raises a son all by herself. The author sets up a social detachment between Sophy and her son, Randolph through the language they speak. Sophy could not formulate sentences correctly and her incorrect grammar would blatantly annoy Randolph. Sophy as a woman had her deficiencies. One day while sitting by her window, she found her childh ood friend Sam. They get together after so many years and after a few days he proposes to her.When she talked to her son he was positive about the idea of remarriage but became angry when he found out that the man was a farmer. In a fit of rage, he made her swear on the cross that she would never marry Sam. One may also interpret it to be Sophy’s fault, which wouldn’t be incorrect, however Randolph gains a sort of power over her eventually leading to her death that could have been avoided had he not been so full of pride for himself.

Against War In Iraq Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Against War In Iraq - Essay Example And the UN officials destroyed whatever weapons and military possessions including chemical and nuclear weapons and missiles that Iraq had, back in 1998 during its inspection. It was further deprived of the financial aid that might be required for redevelopment of its military possessions for mass destruction. Iraq's military potential had grown considerably weaker ever since and was no threat to its region, let alone America.  And the UN officials destroyed whatever weapons and military possessions including chemical and nuclear weapons and missiles that Iraq had, back in 1998 during its inspection. It was further deprived of the financial aid that might be required for redevelopment of its military possessions for mass destruction. Iraq's military potential had grown considerably weaker ever since and was no threat to its region, let alone America. Once the notion that Iraq is equipped with mass destruction deadly weapons was disqualified to a considerable extent, the US administ ration went forward to accuse Iraq of aiding the terrorist groups. Since these terrorist groups were the major threat to the security of the United States, Iraq was made to be justified target for pre-emptive actions.The administration blamed Iraq for passing on the destructive weapons to these militant groups, hence involving in terrorism. Any solid evidence and the US administration itself could not support even this accusation. Saddam Hussein could in no way be a threat to either its own region or to the United States in any such way. The obvious reason for this being that the Islamic extremists and terrorists were not in favor of Saddam's secular regime and were a hazard to his direction in the Arab world. The US administration went onward in its baseless accusations against Iraq saying that it was behind the anthrax virus spread as well. Again no evidence could be found to support such blame. Even if it were so that the charges of possessing mass destructive weapons were proved true, the question arises whether the US is right in its strategy of taking preemptive actions. The very same issues could have been resolved by talks and negotiations, by passing pacts or bringing strategic regimes within Iraq. So much bloodshed and brutality was brought to the nation of Iraq all in the name of protecting the world's super economic and military power from potential and supposed Iraqi weapons. This is all but beyond acceptable for any logical thinker. It was not Iraq that had been posing security threat to the American nation, due to its supposed alliance with the Islamic militant groups. In fact, now the Americans have far greater enemies disgusting its violent moves upon a nation that has never been proved to be a direct or indirect threat to them. George Soros opines in his new book, "Something is fundamentally wrong with President Bush's contention that he has made us safer at home by taking the war on terror abroad. There are many more people willing to sacrifice their lives to kill Americans than there were on 9/11." http://www.georgesoros.com/iraq-wargclid=CJrU0PKP_ogCFQriXgodNzjz9Q I completely agree with the opinion of George Soros, now not just other nations (Islamic ones to be precise), but

Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 20

Case Study - Essay Example The term Sony’s DNA also indicates the company’s unusual skill for product design and outstanding marketing tactics. This extraordinary flair for design and marketing is the key factor of its dominance in international markets. The major challenge that Sony confronted with achieving synergy was the issue related to its internal convergence. The corporation was unsure how it could achieve seamless cooperation between its subsidiary companies by selling the network vision. In addition, ‘there was little corporation between the content people in the United States and the technical wizards in Japan’. The production units like the Play Station had been enjoying exceed independence by working outside the company’s mainstream and by initiating alliance with other parties. It is uncertain if sonny can endure with this sort of ‘luxury’ in future namely in its innovative processes. Another major problem was the threat from low-cost imitators who already had pirated its content business. As compared to other competitors, Sony had to be highly concerned about factors associated with its copyright. As one of the notable challenges, Sony had been limited access to TV broadcast in USA. Th ey also lacked synergy between hardware and content side of business. Finally, Sony did not have substantial share in mobile industry. Reorganization might be the possible solution to meet these challenges in future. Sony has already identified this factor; and the organization has entered the world of digital convergence. Instead of traditional mode of management, it depends on outsourcing feasibility which allows broad and collaborative knowledge sharing and problem solving. Sony’s cooperation with Intel and Microsoft is an example for this conceptual change. Although this trend of convergence was unfamiliar to Sony, recently it has altered its tactics especially in case of product

Long term debt alternatives for hospitals Article

Long term debt alternatives for hospitals - Article Example Hospital financing has never been so easy. With lots of options to choose from and government’s encouraging policies to back upon, the financing part of the hospital has become organized and comfortable for all the involved parties.Once the proposed hospital’s capital has been decided, the desired method of the capital funding needs to be determined. In the US hospital industry, approximately 50% of the assets are financed through equity and 50% through debt. Long term debt financing is available from at least four major sources: tax-exempt revenue bonds, Federal Housing Administration insured mortgages, public taxable bonds, and conventional mortgage financing.To obtain debt financing, hospitals must maintain a certain level of financial performance as measured by various ratios of assets to liabilities or income to expenses.The two prominent long term debt alternatives for hospital are:1. Conventional mortgage: A mortgage in which the interest rate does not change during the entire term of the loan and that is not insured or guaranteed by the government. Interest rate is the rate which is charged or paid for the use of money. An interest rat e is often expressed as an annual percentage of the principal. It is calculated by dividing the amount of interest by the amount of principal. Interest rates often change as a result of inflation and Federal Reserve policies. For example, if a lender (such as a bank) charges a customer $90 in a year on a loan of $1000, then the interest rate would be 90/1000 *100% = 9%. 90/1000 *100% = 9%. Lenders typically require a down payment of at least 20 percent on a conventional loan, although you can get a loan with a down payment of 3 percent or even less if you are willing to pay private mortgage insurance (PMI). PMI protects the lender if the owner defaults on the loan. Conventional mortgage loans are typically fully amortizing, meaning that the regular principal and interest payment will pay off the loan in the number of payments stipulated on the note. Most conventional mortgages have time frames of 15-to-30 years and may be either fixed-rate or adjustable. While most mortgages require monthly payments of principal and interest, some lenders also offer interest-only and biweekly payment options. 2. Taxable bonds Over the past 15 years, hospitals have invested large sums of money in physician practices and various joint ventures with physician groups. However, these funds come with a catch: control over whatever the hospital has invested in typically is required to stay with the hospital. In many cases, this has created a lot of tension between the two entities -- and this is where bond financing comes in to play. Bonds carry lower rates of interest than bank loans and permit physicians to retain control over their operations. Bonds are a form of debt which has a principal amount (or par value) payable at maturity and bears interest (the coupon rate) payable at certain intervals. Bonds are similar to loans from a bank, except that bonds are typically longer in maturity (20 to 30 years) and are usually sold to third-party investors. Bonds can be taxable or tax-exempt depending on the tax status of the borrowing entity. A not-for-profit 501(c)(3) hospital can borrow on a tax-exempt basis (which affords lower interest rates) due to its nonprofit tax status, whereas, for-profit, private physician groups borrow on a taxable basis. Taxable bonds are issued by a physician group and sold to investors (by the group's investment banker) based on the promise of the group to repay the principal of the bonds and all interest. Since third-party investors will probably not be familiar with the particular physician group, a commercial bank with a good credit rating serves as an intermediary to provide a credit and liquidity guaranty to the investors. The bank then

Tourism Industry Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5250 words

Tourism Industry - Research Paper Example It was gauged to be 60.4% free. Starting a business requires 63 days compared to a world average of 48 days. Acquiring licenses is relatively easier than shutting down a buiness.However, the national regulatory environment exercises considerable control over the freedom to start, operate and close a business venture. Financial freedom is a measure of banking security as well as the extent of government intervention. State ownership of financial entities like banks and insurance companies has adverse effects on the free functioning of the market. On the financial front there is substantial State interference in the UAE.There are restrictions on foreign ownership(with a cap of 49% on foreign stake)of companies listed on the stock exchange, while some companies prohibit foreign ownership altogether. There are 21 domestic banks and 26 foreign banks currently and no new bank licenses have been issued since the mid eighties. The insurance sector has been closed to foreign companies since the late eighties, currently there are 47 insurance companies nearly half of them are foreign. The capital market is relatively developed with two stock exchanges. There is skepticism about foreign ownership and financial policies are restrictive. Investment freedom-30% Investment freedom is essentially an evaluation of the free flow of capital, especially foreign capital. Foreign investment in UAE is subject to constrains. It is mandatory for a UAE national to hold 51% ownership in every company, except the ones located in the free zones. Foreign investors do not receive national treatment. There are limitations on land ownership also, with the Non Gulf Co-operation Council nationals being barred from owning lands.Furthermore; only 22 out of 53 stocks on the UAE stock market are open to foreign investment. However there are no controls on current transfers, foreign exchange access or repatriation of profits. Because of excessive controls, the investment climate in UAE is deemed adverse to foreign investments. Freedom from Corruption-62% Includes an assessment of the prevalence and degree of administrative and judicial corruption at the government level. Corruption is prevalent though not in a significant degree. The UAE was ranked 38th out of 158 countries in the Transparency International Corruptions Perception in 2005. Taxation Environment-99.9% It is a measure of the burden of individual and corporate taxes as well the proportion of tax revenue of the government to the total GDP. The UAE taxation regime is reasonably conducive for business growth. There is no income tax and no federal level corporate tax; however the tax structure for foreign banks and oil companies is different. Foreign oil companies are liable to pay a 55% corporate tax whereas a 20% corporate tax is levied on foreign banks. The Government imposes a rental tax and a 7%-12% federal level value added tax is being contemplated. Tax revenue of the

None Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 14

None - Essay Example This normally gives room to committing fallacious reasoning whilst emotional temperament fosters it. Worldwide mainly imply to cognitive network of prevailing beliefs, attitudes, habits, memories, values and corresponding supplementary elements that are normally conditions and renders quietly meaningful the world that people dwell (Patrick, 156-198). Moreover, worldview normally emerges unobtrusively and intuitively from the pervasive influences such as cultures, language, sex and religion, politics, social and economic status. It influence normally manifest itself when an individual grow older via shaping forces of education and experience. Five characteristics of critical thinking in movie 12 are argument analysis, morality such as persuasion and obedience, manipulation, fallacies versus sound reasoning and corresponding effective Critical thinker (Patrick, 156-198). Conversely, five characteristic of uncritical thinking include contradictory perspectives, prejudices, predispositions that are manly based on the underlying barrier within their decision making and contradictory personalities that normally enrich prevailing actions and corresponding decisions of an individual. I would want argument analysis on the prevailing jury in case I was the defendant. The jury ought to embrace analyses of every the underlying in order make dependable arguments and correspondingly determine that the conclusion is imperfect based on the inappropriate reasoning via pointing out prevailing inconsistences within the judgment. Moreover, deductive reasoning will also aid in development of logic within the underlying case. Argument analysis method normally cast criticisms on the underlying second point and subsequent points via thoroughly analyzing every component

Legal Advice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Legal Advice - Essay Example Factual Information In summary, Mr. and Mrs. Elliot (‘the Elliots’) made an application to their Council, on behalf of their son, Billy, for a grant for their son to study at a residential ballot school. The application was made on the following grounds: there were no comparable schools available within a reasonable proximity of their home; they were unable to pay the fees of the available schools; and, under the heading â€Å"other exceptional circumstances†, they argued that their son had been the victim of bullying at his local school due to his interest in ballot dancing. The Council rejected the application without having considered oral representations from the Elliots. The Grants Application Officer informed Mrs. Elliot, by telephone, that the application had been rejected because ballot schools had been excluded from the range of courses which were being funded. Mrs. Elliot was further informed that the Council never considered issues falling under "other exceptional circumstances" due to the ‘lengthy disputes’ which often resulted. The Grants Application Officer stated that in any event the Council had no duty to award a grant as they could exercise their discretion as they deemed appropriate in the circumstances. ... Word limit: 1500 (+/-10%) Legal Advice Introduction Mr. and Mrs. Elliot are seeking advice on the prospects of successfully applying for judicial review against a decision by their local authority (‘the Council’) to refuse their son a grant to study at a residential ballot school. This advice has been divided into the following sections: Factual Information; The Remit of Judicial Review; The Requirements of Judicial Review; Legal Analysis of the Issues; and Conclusion. Factual Information In summary, Mr. and Mrs. Elliot (‘the Elliots’) made an application to their Council, on behalf of their son, Billy, for a grant for their son to study at a residential ballot school. The application was made on the following grounds: there were no comparable schools available within a reasonable proximity of their home; they were unable to pay the fees of the available schools; and, under the heading â€Å"other exceptional circumstances†, they argued that their son had been the victim of bullying at his local school due to his interest in ballot dancing. The Council rejected the application without having considered oral representations from the Elliots. The Grants Application Officer informed Mrs. Elliot, by telephone, that the application had been rejected because ballot schools had been excluded from the range of courses which were being funded. Mrs. Elliot was further informed that the Council never considered issues falling under "other exceptional circumstances" due to the ‘lengthy disputes’ which often resulted. The Grants Application Officer stated that in any event the Council had no duty to award a grant as they could exercise their discretion as they deemed appropriate in the circumstances. In light of the above, the Elliots seek advice on the

Organizational Culture and Innovation Essay Example for Free

Organizational Culture and Innovation Essay Organizational culture is very important in the pursuit of innovation, which is the major source of competitive advantage in the world today. Organizational culture is central to a company’s pursuit of innovation because it refers to the beliefs, values, attitudes, tradition and overall practices within and without an organization (Hill Jones, 2001). If the culture of the organization permits creative thinking and entrepreneurship, then innovation can certainly flourish. If the organizational culture, however, is very strict and adheres too much to its cherished traditions, routines and way of doing things, then innovation may be stifled and the organization will just rely on what has been tried and tested before. Such culture of adherence to past successes and ways of doing things will be inimical to the performance of the organization in the long run. As new factors, trends and issues in the market appear, the organization should continue to innovate and seek for ways to deliver better products and services that their clients will patronize. An innovative organization will always learn how to make best use of trends and emerging factors in its environment. There are several elements of organizational culture that can either encourage or hinder the pursuit of innovation (Johnson, 1988). The paradigm or the statement of vision and mission of the organization defines what it is all about and from there all activities in the organization are derived. There are also processes, structures and policies in place in the organization. These formal structures can enable innovation in the organization if it is not stringent and strict enough to stifle innovations. The power structures and the character of decision makers can encourage innovation. If there is openness in the leadership, this will trickle down to the grassroots level of the organization and will provide a rich backdrop where innovation can be cultivated. On the other hand, a leadership that puts a premium on seniority and too much authority fosters an adherence to established rules of conduct within the organization. In such a case, the pursuit of innovation may even be looked down as an act of insubordination. The symbols valued by the organization are also important in stimulating innovation and change. Is change and innovation valued in the organization? Are efforts to this end recognized and valued? This is also further exemplified by the rituals and routines in the organization. As innovation becomes praised and recognized throughout the organization, the members of the organization will be motivated to pursue innovation. As the formal structures encourage and praise innovation, so will it extend to the informal stories and myths of the organization. This way, ordinary employees and people at the bottom level of the organizational hierarchy will talk about the importance of innovation in the organization. Organizational culture can work for the pursuit of innovation in any given company or corporation. Organizations should deliberately work for the integration of innovation awareness in all levels. When this happens, the organization will become entrepreneurial, always looking out for means to improve and excel on their chosen niche in the market. With innovation, the organization can continue with its usual activities and it can even expand its operations to other areas where it can perform best. An organizational culture that fosters innovation is a must in this highly competitive world.

The Grapes of Wrath Essay Example for Free

The Grapes of Wrath Essay There are two general groups of people at conflict in the novel the rich bosses and the labor force. Steinbeck writes heart wrenching characters of the lower class which are just barely surviving. These workers are victimized by the greedy upper classes, their bodies treated like commodities. The audience can feel nothing but empathy for these immigrant workers who toil the land drawing figures in the dust with bare toes, (10), while the men that own the land [sit] in their cars to talk out of the window, (43), making money on the backs of the poor folk. Steinbeck explains that these capitalists have never done a day of hard work in their life and their only motive in using big earth augers into the ground for soil tests (43) is to squeeze more money from the land they own. Steinbeck is also quick to point out that farmers and these land owners are different. While landowners corrupt the land leaving it near death with their iron penes [and] orgasms set by gears [rape] methodically, [rape] without passion. (50). Whereas the farmer works with the land keeping it healthy. He explains A bank isnt like a man. Or an owner with fifty thousand acres, he isnt like a man either. Thats the monster. (46). Steinbeck does offer an alternate choice to this capitalistic nightmare which is represented by the Weedpatch Camp. This a town in which folks elect their own cops (400), and everyone who lives and works in the town has say about the choices are made. It is within Weedpatch, that all people including immigrant are treated fairly and with kindness. Steinbeck asserts that it is socialism that ensures that there is respect, and equality between all its citizens. It is in Weedpatch that Joads family ends up and while their struggle is not over, at least their victimization is. Steinbeck fully explores the cruel experiences that many migrant workers had to face in the 1930s and continue to face today. Steinbeck accurately and historically portrays the perils which many family has to overcome in the newly capitalistic culture in the United States. It would hard to find anyone who could not sympathize with the farm workers during the depression. Steinbeck so intimately describes their situation that the audience finds himself hoping that the Joads and families like the Joads survive to find happiness and comfort. Steinbeck also does not overreach with his criticism of big business. The concerns of the 1930s are still the concerns today. Big businesses believe they have the right to anything they can buy up or sell, including the earth and the people inhabitating it. The novel created for me a real sense of humanistic history. The great depression is often read from a purely factual point of view with data and numbers. However, from the cold, hard facts Steinbeck creates warmth and a sense of unity by exploring the common human experience of struggle displayed in the Joads endeavors. I dont know that I fully understood the horrible conditions that migrant families live under during the great depression. I think that Steinbecks novel is also still relevant in todays modern society. The issue of immigration is at the forefront of legislation and public debate. The United States still takes advantage of poverty classes families who are not able to get legal working papers, allowing them to work â€Å"under the table† for less than minimum wage. He gives his audience an explicit view of exactly what life was like in the Dust Bowl. He carefully weaves a tale of emotional struggle, family bonding, and historical facts. He is careful not to sugar coat the topic and his real goal was to bring to light the long suffering and often forgotten migrant worker which America has used to build and maintain farms throughout the country. I thought it was appropriate that Steinbeck did not write a happy ending for the Joads. They were unable to achieve the supposed American dream that so many people in the United States are promised but never actually have. Steinbecks authorship is stunning and undeniable accurate. He utilizes several literary devices including vivid images, specific dialect, and historic fact. With the use of personification he brings the depression ear United States to life. His depictions of nature, character personalities, and the Joads adventure are heroic recounted to the reader. I believe that the Grapes of Wrath is a timeless piece of literature which is sincere and authentic. The Grapes of Wrath is the perfect piece of historic fiction which should accompany any course of study of the Great Depression in the United States. Works Cited Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath, 1939. New York: Viking, 1989.

Child Labor in Pakistan Essay

Child Labor in Pakistan Essay Child labor refers to the employment of children at regular and sustained labor. It is the full-time employment of children under a minimum legal age. The practice of child labor is considered illegal by many countries and exploitative by many international organizations. (Child Labor at Distrcit Level, 2009)Child labor is one of the problems that occur as a result of the responses to the economic problems faced by vulnerable children. In most developed and emerging countries, use of children as labors is considered as violation of human rights and is outlawed, while some poorer and developing countries do tolerate and allow child labor. In Pakistan, a country where almost half of the population lives below the poverty line, child labor is deeply entrenched and pressing phenomenon. Child labor in Pakistan is prevalent in all sectors of the economy, thought it primarily exists in the informal sector of employment and home-based industry. Pakistans high population growth of around 1.6% poses multiple challenges and threatens to constrain limited resources and social and economic development of the country. According to the survey of Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS) in 2002, the number of working children in Pakistan was approximately 3.5 million or 7% of the total workforce in Pakistan. However, the children under the age of 10 and those working in small and family businesses that are not registered with the government were not the part of the survey. So the actual figure is deemed to be much higher than the official figures. In Pakistan, children aged 5-14 are around 40 million. The survey conducted by UNISEF in 2003, estimated that 8 million children under the age of 14 are engaged as labors. Most of them are engaged as labors in brick kiln factories, carpet weaving centers, agriculture, small industries and domestic services. The survey also indicated that rural and urban ratio of child labors was 7:1. The province with most number of cases of child labor was Punjab with nearly 60% of the total child labor population. HISTORY AND IMPACT OF CHILD LABOR IN PAKISTAN Child labor has been prevalent in Pakistan in all the sectors of the economy, though it mostly exists in informal sector of employment and in the home based industry. In late nineties, the matter of child labor emerged as a serious consideration due to international exposure. In 1996, Pakistans Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto acknowledged the problem of child labor in the country and announced the plan to eliminate it. In his speech in April 1998, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif stated that the problem of child labor occupied a prominent place in the agenda of government of Pakistan. In 1999, Federal minister for labor and manpower, Shaikh Rashid announced a four point policy for curbing child labor in Pakistan. In Jan-99, government announced the draft of the labor policy. The policy envisaged that the government is committed to end child labor. It was also promised by the government of Pakistan in 2000, that the law to eliminate child labor and bonded labor at an economic level would be implemented in 2002 and till 2005; there would be no bonded labor or child labor in Pakistan. Even after so much regulations and promises by the government of Pakistan, the attempt has not been successful till now. Though the issue has received international attention and various organizations at international level like ILO and UNICEF are participating in the issue, still the improvement in this case is very slow. In eradicating and creating awareness against child labor in Pakistan many communities are having a stake. Some of these communities/autonomous bodies working for the cause are: Government of Pakistan Children Parliament Pakistan International Labor Organization UNICEF Other NGOs, Society and Media All the above government and private bodies are actively working for the eradication of child labor in Pakistan. The issue has been seriously addressed by the above bodies either individually or in conjunction with any other body. The role of each of the above mentioned body in the eradication of child labor in Pakistan is as follows: GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN: Government of Pakistan has been actively working for the eradication of child labor in Pakistan. Activities of government towards the issue have been gaining considerable attention since late 1990s, when the matter of child labor emerged as a serious consideration due to international exposure. In Jan-99, government announced the draft of the labor policy. The policy envisaged that the government is committed to end child labor. It was also promised by the government of Pakistan in 2000, that the law to eliminate child labor and bonded labor at an economic level would be implemented in 2002 and till 2005; there would be no bonded labor or child labor in Pakistan. Though the government has not been able to deliver on the promises made due to the increased political weaknesses in the company, still there have been continuous efforts made on their part. Government also identified poverty and lack of education for children as root causes for the child labor in the country. (Arshad)The present government in Pakistan has made elementary education compulsory for children. Along with that, the government has also made the policy of distributing free books in primary schools. This would help the parents, who cannot afford their childs education and school expenses can send their children to schools. Along with all of the above, the following laws are made by government of Pakistan to address the issue (Pakistan): National Child Labor Laws: In Pakistan a child is defined as a person younger then fifteen. The legal minimum age for employment of children is 14 for normal businesses and 15 for railways and mines. The constitution of Islamic republic of Pakistan prohibits forced labor, slavery, and employment of children below the age of 14. The government of Pakistan asserts that the labor inspectors are empowered to carry out regular visits to all employment places covered under employment of children act 1991 to check the compliance of the law at that places. Education Laws: Articles 37 (b) (c) of the constitution of Pakistan declares public policy to remove illiteracy and provide free and compulsory secondary education within the minimum possible period [and to] make technical and professional education generally available and higher education equally accessible to all on the basis of merit. Despite a law in 1962 requiring each province to designate areas where primary education is compulsory, none of the provinces have complied. As of now, the present government in Pakistan has made elementary education compulsory for children. Along with that, the government has also made the policy of distributing free books in primary schools. International Conventions: Pakistan is a party to ILO convention concerning minimum age of employment in the industry and UN convention for rights of the child. Through above legislatures and laws, and to some other timely regulations, the government of Pakistan is acting as an active community stakeholder in eradication of child labor in the country. Though in present scenario Pakistan is suffering through political weaknesses, but still government is committed to take the work one step ahead. CHILDREN PARLIAMENT OF PAKISTAN: The childrens parliament for Pakistan was launched on 14-Nov-08, by Society for the Protection of the Rights of Child (SPARC). The main aim of this parliament is to create awareness and promote child rights in the country. The members were elected from different schools of Peshawar, Islamabad, Faisalabad, Karachi, Lahore etc. Besides providing basic rights to every child in Pakistan other objectives of this parliament are: End child labor Educate every child Provide medical facilities to children Protect the children In addition, children parliament serves as their voice to convey the difficulties and problems faced by the children to government of Pakistan. INTERNATIONAL LABOR ORGANIZATION: With the matter of child labor in Pakistan gaining international attention, ILO has fastened its steps to address the issues. ILO does timely surveys within various industries in Pakistan suspecting large amount of child labor. (International Programme for elimination of child labor)Based on the survey they come out with survey reports addressing the issue and recommending ways to deal with the situations. Some of the latest surveys conducted by ILO in Pakistan are: Survey on Child Labor in Kasur Tanneries in 2004 Survey on Child Labor in Glass Bangles industry in Hyderabad-2004 Survey on child labor in surgical instruments manufacturing industry in Sialkot Survey on child labor in coal mine industries in Chakwal, Noshera and Shangla ILO has also been working with the government of Pakistan guiding them from time to time on this issue. It is also acting as a watch dog, inspecting the ways in which government is addressing the issue. UNICEF: The name UNICEF needs no introduction. United Nation International Childrens Emergency Fund, a UN organization has consistently working towards the development of children in underdeveloped countries. UNICEF conducts timely surveys to see the improvement in the case. The survey conducted by UNISEF in 2003, estimated that 8 million children under the age of 14 are engaged as labors. Most of them are engaged as labors in brick kiln factories, carpet weaving centers, agriculture, small industries and domestic services. The survey also indicated that rural and urban ratio of child labors was 7:1. The province with most number of cases of child labor was Punjab with nearly 60% of the total child labor population. UNICEF also set-up centers in the Pakistan, helping destitute children get home. Pakistan is also amongst the countries that get funding from UNICEF to promote the steps in eradication of child labor. OTHER NGOS SOCIETY AND MEDIA: This is another group of very important stakeholders in the issue of child labor in Pakistan. NGOs like ACM Apostolic Charismatic Ministry and Child Reach International has continuously worked towards the development of children in Pakistan to eradicate child labor. Though the NGOs in Pakistan dont get proper funding from government of Pakistan neither from any corporate bodies, still the work they do in crating awareness and providing elementary education to children is quite appreciable. Society and media as a whole has a major role to play in the eradication of child labor in Pakistan. These two stakeholders are still dormant in the issue, but for the development of children in Pakistan society and media have to play a major part. Poverty levels in Pakistan appear to necessitate that children work in order to allow the families to reach their target take-home pay. The lack of economic opportunity for adult employment in Pakistan needs to be studied and taken under consideration; the government also needs strict to inspect the strict implementation of laws made by it. Lack of education is another reason for the high rate of child labor in Pakistan. Thought government of Pakistan has made policies for providing free elementary education to children, the policies need strict implementation to address the issue. Also, other stakeholders of the issue specially Children parliament, ILO, UNICEF, Media and NGOs have to work in tandem to create awareness for the rights of the children in the country. REFERENCES (n.d.). Retrieved Aug 1, 2010, from www. unicef. org: www. unicef. org/ protection/ index_3717. html Ahmad, M. (2001). Child Labor: A time to reflect. In M. Ahmad, Child Labor: A time to reflect. UNICEF. Arshad, R. (n.d.). Child labor in Pakistan. Retrieved Aug 1, 2010, from http://www.hamariweb.com: http://www.hamariweb.com/articles/article.aspx?id=91 Child Labor at Distrcit Level. (2009, Sep). Retrieved August 1, 2010, from http://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de: http://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/17333/1/MPRA_paper_17333.pdf H.Zaidi, H. (2004, Jan). Baseline survey report on child labor. Retrieved Aug 1, 2010, from http://www.ilo.org: http://www.ilo.org/ipecinfo/product/viewProduct.do?productId=5225 International Programme for elimination of child labor. (n.d.). Retrieved Aug 1, 2010, from http://www.ilo.org: http://www.ilo.org/ipecinfo/product/searchProduct.do;?type=normaltitle=selectedMonthFrom=-1productYearFrom=selectedMonthTo=-1selectedCountries=342selectedMediaTypes=14keywords=userType=3selectedFieldOfficeId=-1resultPerPage=20selectedSortById=4 Pakistan. (n.d.). Retrieved Aug 1, 2010, from http://www.dol.gov: http://www.dol.gov/ilab/media/reports/iclp/sweat/pakistan.htm Population census organization. (n.d.). Retrieved Aug 1, 2010, from http://www.statpak.gov.pk: http://www.statpak.gov.pk/depts/pco/statistics/pop_sex_ratio_growth_rate/pop_sex_ratio_growth_rate.html COMMUNITY PROGRAM TO ADDRESS CHILD LABOR IN PAKISTAN ABSTRACT Child labor refers to the employment of children at regular and sustained labor. It is the full-time employment of children under a minimum legal age. The practice of child labor is considered illegal by many countries and exploitative by many international organizations. (Child Labor at Distrcit Level, 2009)Child labor is one of the problems that occur as a result of the responses to the economic problems faced by vulnerable children. In most developed and emerging countries, use of children as labors is considered as violation of human rights and is outlawed, while some poorer and developing countries do tolerate and allow child labor. In Pakistan, a country where almost half of the population lives below the poverty line, child labor is deeply entrenched and pressing phenomenon. Child labor in Pakistan is prevalent in all sectors of the economy, thought it primarily exists in the informal sector of employment and home-based industry. Pakistans high population growth of around 1.6% poses multiple challenges and threatens to constrain limited resources and social and economic development of the country. The paper designs a community program to address the issue of child labor in Pakistan. It identifies various stakeholders in the issue and based on certain strategies and programs, intends to bring an effective social change. The paper also addresses potential challenges in the way of eradicating the child labor in Pakistan and ways for addressing the issue. GOAL OF THE STUDY: The primary goal of the study is identifying the trends in the issue if child labor in Pakistan. Based on the issue, paper intends to identify various stakeholders of the issue. The aim of studying this is to a community program to address the issue of child labor in Pakistan. It identifies various stakeholders in the issue and based on certain strategies and programs, intends to bring an effective social change. The paper also addresses potential challenges in the way of eradicating the child labor in Pakistan and ways for addressing the issue. The goals had been made keeping in mind the resources available in Pakistan to bring a social change. Political weakness in the economy of Pakistan has also been kept in mind. The success of this community program depends upon the working in conjunction of the stakeholders of the issue. STRATEGIES TO BE ADOPTED In order to eradicate child labor in Pakistan both preventive and corrective strategies are proposed. Successful intervention models are also founded so that the change in knowledge would be easier to bring about, attitude change requires relatively longer time frame and finally the change in total mind set and behavioral change requires the longest time. Interventions are to be phased out in the time bound manner and change strategies are age specific and gender equitable. GENERAL AND POSITIVE ACTION STRATEGIES: The following general and positive action strategies are requires to be taken to address the issue of child labor in Pakistan: Change in attitude of stakeholders: Awareness campaigns, counseling sessions and advocacy workshops need to be geared towards parents for gaining their confidence and for raising their awareness about the ill-effects of child labor concerning their children. The campaigns and counseling would highlight the alternatives of child labor, including non-formal and formal education and apprenticeship. Parents would be educated about the benefits of schooling in terms of income and increased efficiency and guiding that child labor in many cases is futile with a very meager income associated with it. Similar services for gaining employers confidence would be arranged for building support for struggle in eliminating child labor. Carefully designed educational and informative conferences and/or seminars would be arranged to restore the self esteem and dignity of labor. Labor Department working with industry should work with missionary zeal in order to accomplish an eventual elimination of labor in a reasonable time frame. Poverty Alleviation: Numerous steps would be aimed at familys alternative income generation and poverty. Poverty alleviation would be addressed very seriously at different levels with the involvement of international organizations, various non-government agencies and Provincial, federal and district governments. The problem of child labor in Pakistan can be managed effectively only if the problem of poverty is worked out effectively, through income generation projects for society and parents and through equitable and fair access to safety nets such as zakat funds and other benevolent programs. Poverty alleviation efforts of provincial and state governments PRSP (Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper) would coincide well with time-bound program endeavors targeted at phasing out child labor from the country. (Beig, 2004)The survey carried out by ILO in 2004 in coal mine industries in Chakwal, Noshera and Shangla revealed following figures: Chakwal: Category Sample Plan Actual Interview conducted Working Children 450 126 Parents 12 16 Employers 60 27 Total 522 169 Chirat/ Noshera: Category Sample Plan Actual Interview conducted Working Children 400 48 Parents 5 4 Employers 10 13 Total 415 65 Drop-out Survey: Category Sample Plan Actual Interview conducted School-going 150 250 Drop-outs 15 27 Parents 27 22 Teachers 40 38 Total 212 337 Formal Schooling, Non-Formal Schooling and Vocational Training: (Kulsoom, 2009)Poverty being major reason for majority drop-outs, provision of fee and subsidized education would be recommended at formal schools. Formal school teachers need to be trained to adopt child friendly teaching methodologies and attitude in order to reduce risk of drop-outs. Apart from the traditional program of study, training at non-formal educational schools should include vocational training health and safety education. NFE schools would be a really essential measure because to stop the supply of labor at source, alternative sources of productive engagement needs to be available with children. Quality of education will also be enhanced and it needs to be attractive and relevant to help reduce the drop-out tendency in schools. Issues concerning child labor, including information about the hazardous nature of child labor and gender biases needs to be incorporated into the educational curriculum of non-formal and formal schools for both male and female students. Occupational health hazards and safety measures: Till the child labor is eliminated totally, the culture of occupational safety would be promoted in all industries by raising awareness through advocacy seminars. These awareness-related advocacy seminars should be arranged at the worksites and at community level, would also be used for educating children about the ill effects of child labor and raising awareness about the value of education and its other positive alternatives. The Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) study undertaken by ILO in 2004 also yielded detailed insights on the same issue. In addition to seminars, group meetings and workshops would also be arranged on a sustainable basis for promoting norms and adopting preventive health measures. Improved Legislative Measures: Steps would be taken for enforcement of existing labor laws. Till the child labor is completely eliminated, increased protection to child workers would be provided upon the consent of the government against the violation of their rights and against unsafe industrial practices including child labor. High powered mystery clients would be requested to monitor adherence in safety standards along with labor departments and ILO monitors. PARTNERSHIPS AND CAPACITY BUILDING: ILO would be requested to build strategic alliances with Non Governmental Organization in Pakistan. ILO also need to consider alliances with consultation agencies working on child labor issues to use them as catalyst-facilitators, monitors and trainers in working towards the common goal of eradicating child labor and reducing its ill-effects. To rectify the problem of child labor, cross agency partnerships in Pakistan would be prompted till the operations are self sustained and fully streamlined. These partnerships would be supported by ILO and jointly partnered with government agencies in Pakistan and with relevant international agencies such as UNICEF, UN department for Assistance Framework (UNDAF) and other stakeholders like NGOs, Media etc. cost effective innovative transformations would be geared towards effective building of District level labor departments, Provincial planning, district governments and NGOs. The aim of training would be to i nculcate learning about a proactive work culture along with a missionary zeal in addressing the issue of child labor in Pakistan. MEDIA SUPPORT: Various media like T.V, Press, and Internet media would be involved in the broad-based awareness regarding the child labor issues, including vocational and formal education. Effective information, education and communication materials would be created and would be disseminated to press and other media in order to win their support and create awareness. Electronic media would be used later as an effective partner in the struggle against the child labor in Pakistan. Strategies will also be made to gain the confidence of electronic media through workshops, conferences and meetings. All the above strategies used for community engagement are based on the following model. Different Stakeholders that are involved in this program of community engagement are: Government of Pakistan International Labor Organization (ILO) United Nation International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) Society, especially parents of the children UN Department for Assistance Framework (UNDAF) Non Government Organizations (NGOs) Schools and their staffs, especially teachers Employers Labor Union Media in all forms Children Themselves POTENTIAL CHALLENGES AND THE ROAD AHEAD Potential challenges in the way of making community engagement for eradicating child labor in Pakistan are: Weak Political and Economic Scenario in Pakistan: Pakistan is going through a period of weak political and economic scenario. So that will be the major potential challenge in making the community engagement because in an unstable economy implementing legislatures is a very difficult task. Also, making arrangements for funds in a weak political scenario becomes difficult because in this case government may not be ready to fund the program. For overcoming this challenge, fund needs to be raised from major corporate. They should be encouraged to fund the program as much as possible as the part of their corporate social responsibility. For implementing the legislatures, proper alliance needs to be made between Government bodies and foreign bodies like ILO and UNICEF who are already working for the cause. These bodies will help monitoring laws and legislatures formed. Poverty: Poverty is another major challenge in the effectiveness of community engagement in Pakistan. Most families send their children to work to reach their target take-away home pay. So making them understand about not considering the pay of their children as the major factor would be really difficult. To overcome this challenge, workshops would be held and proper counseling would be provided to parents about the harmful effects of child labor and benefits of elementary education for the future of their children. Attitudes of Employers, Parents and Children: This is another challenge in the effectiveness of the community program. In various industries children are considered as cheap labors. So changing the attitude of the employers about employing children by considering them as cheap labor would be difficult to change. Every business needs to be inspected at intervals along with counseling and advocacy meetings with employers to change the attitude of the employees. Same would be the problem with Parents and children. This would be addressed by showing the ill-effects of child labor and benefits of education. Though poverty levels in Pakistan appear to be a necessitate reason that children work in order to allow the families to reach their target take-home pay, effective community engagement can help raise awareness against the issue. The lack of economic opportunity for adult employment in Pakistan needs to be studied and taken under consideration; the government also needs strict to inspect the strict implementation of laws made by it. Lack of education is another reason for the high rate of child labor in Pakistan. Thought government of Pakistan has made policies for providing free elementary education to children, the policies need strict implementation to address the issue. Also, other stakeholders of the issue specially Children parliament, ILO, UNICEF, Media and NGOs have to work in tandem to create awareness for the rights of the children in the country.

For the Love of High Heels Essay -- Shoes Fashion Essays

For the Love of High Heels As I watch a fellow student teeter down the stairs in the campus center, her normally flamboyant bounce is no where to be seen as she tensely grips the guardrail. She lowers herself delicately down, each step carefully calculated. Right foot, left foot, right foot, left foot- and she makes it to the bottom without mishap. The culprits encumbering her normally wild grace are easily discerned; her shoes. Her feet are wrapped up in four inch- plus a one inch platform to make for a total of five inches- fire engine red heels. They're strappy sandals that lace half way up her calves with a silk ribbon and have effectively made walking an ordeal. Why do we do this? Well darling, because "Shoes are hot!" (Benstock & Ferriss p1) That's right, shoes are hot, and the hottest ones of all are high heels. They're collected, worn, and loved by women across the globe. They're everywhere. They run rampant in books, calendars, photographs, album and movie covers, dangling in miniature precious metal versions from earlobes and chains, and let's not forget the most important place- women's closets. Shoes are no longer something one simply wears on their feet, but a passion, a hobby, one's personal statement, a source of authority, sexual independence and joy. They're a constant obsession in pop culture, endlessly talked about and fetishized in television, movies, song lyrics, and seem to be worn without fail by glamorous celebrities no matter the occasion. The most notorious of the shoe loving pop culture media is of the smash HBO series Sex in the City, in which shoes are one it's main themes. Physically high heel shoes, and specifically the stiletto, are the source of much debate. More and more studies... ...and Benstock write that there is "...satisfaction we take in having purchased a pair of shoes that 'is us,' that represents us... The fashionable dress of the Western world is one means whereby an always fragmentary self is glued together into a semblance of unified identity. Shoes serve as markers of gender, class, race, ethnicity, and even sexuality." (p4) The idea of piecing ourselves together with our things can be applied to any accessory or article of clothing, but I argue that shoes are more than that. Power, sexuality and sheer aesthetic pleasure contribute to a love of shoes. Janet Lyon reflects upon the mystery of the love of shoes writing, "How is one to account for this hypnotic allure, for so many generations of modernity's women, of the impractical, foot-deforming, outrageous shoe?....For fabulous shoes are indeed a joy." (Benstock & Ferriss p273)

Lord Of The Flies, Human Nature :: essays research papers

Human Nature   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  William Golding wrote two famous works, Lord of the Flies, and â€Å"Why Boys Become Vicious†. He was awarded the Pullet Surprise for Lord of the flies. They also made this book into two different movies. William Golding’s view of human nature is mankind is naturally evil, everyone is born that way. The book Lord of the Flies is a story about a group of young boys stranded on a disserted island. They have power struggles, and eventually break up into two different groups, the savages, and the normal kids. In William Golding’s other writing, â€Å"Why Boys Become Vicious†, he describes an event that took place in England. Two ten-year-old boys kidnapped two-year-old James Bulger, and beat him to death for no apparent reason. There are many people who agree with his ontological view but I am not one of them. William Golding believed that human nature is evil; however, I believe only some people are evil.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the essay â€Å"Why Boys Become Vicious†, Golding proves what he wrote 40 years earlier about human nature. He tells about a real life example of humans at their worst. Two ten-year-old Liverpool boys have been charged with the death of two-year-old James Bulger. They kidnapped him from a shopping center with his mother not faraway. The two boys led him outside for a long walk until they came to a large group of boys, most around the age of 10. Then for no apparent reason they all started to beat little James. When they were through he was dead. Realizing what they had done, the boys moved his body to a rail road track, hoping a train would come so that no one could tell what they had done. The train didn’t come and the two boys were caught. In this essay Golding says â€Å"we are born with evil in us and cruelty is part of this† (â€Å"Why Boys Become Vicious†2). He thinks a likely cause of evil in boys is because of their parents. â€Å"If parents are absent, if fathers do not provide strength, and mothers do not provide love, then children will plumb the depths of their nature† (â€Å"Why Boys Become Vicious†3). William Golding proves his view by giving examples of horrible people like Hitler, Stalin, and Idi Amin.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the book Lord of the Flies, William Golding tells a story about human nature at its worst.

Mary Breckinridge

Jennifer St. Pierre 7/10/2012 Mary Breckenridge NU 120 Michelle R. Edwards MSN, RN Breckenridge School of Nursing Mary Breckenridge was born in 1881 in Kentucky. She was born into an influential family, and for that she enjoyed a privileged childhood as well as getting an education in the U. S and Europe. Mary Breckenridge’s father was the U. S ambassador to Czar Nicholas II of Russia. By the time Mary Breckenridge was 26 years old she had become widowed, as well as losing both of her children at an early age. At this time Mary Breckenridge has decided to dedicate her life in improving the health of women and children. Gina Castlenovo, November 2003. ) Mary Breckinridge became a registered nurse in 1910 and worked at St. Luke’s Hospital in New York. During this time she was as well working in France during World War I, this is where Mary Breckinridge became exposed to new healthcare ideas. Mary Breckenridge stated â€Å"After I had met British nurse-midwives, first in France and then on my visits to London, it grew upon me that nurse-midwifery was the logical response to the needs of the young child in rural America†¦ My work would be for them†. Gina Castlenovo, November 2003. ) Proceeding after World War I Mary Breckenridge went to Columbia University and studied public health. She wanted to conquer the health issues in eastern Kentucky; this area had few roads and absolutely no physicians. Her theory was if she could be successful in such a run down, poor area she could be successful anywhere. Mary Breckenridge got around by traveling horseback and teaching families about their health as well as local lay midwives about birth practices.By doing this she had learned that women lacked prenatal care and gave birth to an average of nine children, this was done by mostly self taught midwives, and farmer’s wives. They relied on traditional beliefs and invasive procedures. (Gina Castlenovo, November 2003. ) Mary Breckinridge believed children’s healthcare should start in the prenatal period (birth-child’s first years) due to a high maternal mortality. When returning to London she became a certified nurse-midwife. She then went to Scotland to observe the work of a community midwifery system.This system served poor and rural areas. The structure was decentralized and was used as a model for the Frontier Nursing Services. Once arriving back in Kentucky in 1925, Mary Breckinridge began the work that would introduce a new type of rural health care in the United States. (Gina Castlenovo, November 2003. ) In 1925 The Frontier Nursing Service (FNS) was established, this was a private charitable organization. The entire serving area was about seven hundred square miles in southeastern Kentucky. Mary Breckinridge raised over six million dollars to support this organization.Many people believed this was due to her influential connection and speaking engagements. The staff was made up of nurse-midwives that w ere trained in England. The staff traveled by horseback and or by foot so that they could provide quality prenatal and childbirth care in the clients’ own home, they functioned as both midwives and family nurses. Clients were able to pay low fees in money and or goods. No one was turned away, and in doing so both maternal and infant mortality rates decreased significantly. (Gina Castlenovo, November 2003. )The Frontier Nursing Service (FNS) registered over sixty four thousand patients since 1925. The FNS as well delivered over seventeen thousand babies with only eleven deaths. One of the nurse-midwife began the first American school of midwifery in New York in 1932. The FNS founded its own school in Hyden Kentucky in 1939. Mary Breckinridge ran the Frontier Nursing Service until she passed away in 1965. (Gina Castlenovo, November 2003. ) The FNS still serves southeastern Kentucky, now with a hospital in Hyden, four rural health clinics, a home health agency, and the FNS Schoo l of Midwifery and family Nursing.Many people from all around the world come to study this particular model of rural and social service delivery. (Gina Castlenovo, November 2003. ) The American College of Nurse Midwives recognizes Breckinridge as â€Å"the first to bring nurse-midwifery to the Untied States† and the Frontier School of Nursing as â€Å"a leader in nurse-midwifery in the Untied States. In 1982 Mary Breckinridge was inducted into the American Nurses Association’s Hall as a tribute for her contributions to the nursing profession in women’s health, community and family nursing, as well as the rural health care delivery. Gina Castlenovo, November 2003. ) Mary Breckinridge had the right Idea about wanting to help the less fortune. In today’s society we have Medicaid. The Medicaid program was designed to provide health coverage for lower-income people, families, pregnant women, children, elderly and people with disabilities. (Medicaid) Reference s Gina Castlenovo, M. M. (November 2003. ). Mary Breckinridge http://www. truthaboutnursing. org/press/pioneers/breckinridge. html. Medicaid. (n. d. ). Medicaidhttp://www. healthcare. gov/using-insurance/low-cost-care/medicaid/. Washington, D. C. 20201.

Why Does Conflict Arise in Organizations

Why does conflict arise in organizations, and how it can be managed ABSTRACT This essay seeks to illustrate how organizational conflict cannot be avoided. It will demonstrate the various ways in which conflict may arise within organizations and classify them into a range of groups. There will be a thorough analysis to show if conflict is positive or negative towards the growth of an organization. Findings of the previous will then lead to different mechanisms that can be used when managing conflict to ensure positive outcomes in an organization. The aforementioned will be supported by relevant theories, which will assist in reinforcing the validity of this essay. INTRODUCTION In this era of rapid development organizations are formed as a social entity to foster an environment of financial, economic and social growth. Organizations can range from large governmental bodies to small business. Organizations have evolved through different stages, from its birth to maturity. During these stages organizations tend to be adversely affected by crisis of leadership, autonomy, control and bureaucracy. Consequently these crises make conflict unavoidable. Additionally, an organization may be exemplified where two or more individual establish a relationship in order to accomplish and acquire a desired goal. There are various schools of thought as it pertains to conflict including the Traditional View, Human Relations View and the Interactionist View. More so conflict exists at different levels namely Intrapersonal, Interpersonal and Intergroup. However there may be some techniques available to manage conflict like Negotiation, Mediation, Arbitration, Conciliation and Consultancy. The following paragraphs will further explain the scopes of conflict and how it can be managed. CONFLICT It is a process that begins when one part perceives that another party has negatively affected, or is about to negatively affect, something that the first part cares about. [1] An organization is a social arrangement which pursues collective goals, which controls its own performance, and which has a boundary separating it from its environment. [2] Schools of thoughts with regards to conflict: The Traditional View: This view was prevalent in the the 1930’s and 40’s where it was conceived that the existence of conflict can only be harmful to the growth of an organization. Therefore in that era conflict should have been avoided, this resulted in less focus to research on the causes of conflict. The Human Relations View: The human relations position pioneered that conflict was inevitable in all groups and organizations. It could never be eliminated and it also sometimes proves to be beneficial to a group’s performance. This was dominant in the late 40’s and mid 70’s. The Interactionist View: This view encourages the existence of conflict at an ongoing minimum level, enough to keep the group viable, critical and creative. After looking at the above views it will not be feasible to say that conflict is good or bad. It can only be analyzed as bad or good based on the type of conflict. (The schools of thoughts were taken from â€Å"Stephen Robbins, Organizational Behaviour, 10th ed. 2003†) Functional: Interactionist view does not see all conflict as good but those conflicts that supports the goals and improves performance is called functional conflict or constructive conflict. Dysfunctional: On the other hand conflict that is dysfunctional relates to the conflict that promotes alienation, inefficiency and generally has adverse effects on productivity. To know if a conflict is either functional or dysfunctional, the types must be known. Types of Conflict Task Conflict- this relates to the content and goals of the task that is to be performed, Relationship Conflict- this focus on interpersonal relationships, and Process Conflict- this relates to how the task gets done. Studies show that Relationship conflict most of the times turns out to be dysfunctional. Task, relationship or process can perpetrated in the following ways Intrapersonal Conflict occurs within us: when we are at odds with ourselves, when we are torn between choices we need to make, when we are frustrated with our goals or accomplishments. Conflict within us very often leads to conflict with others. Interpersonal Conflict occurs between two or more individuals. We might get into a heated debate in a meeting, get in an argument with a coworker, or have a bad encounter with our boss. This is the type of conflict we are most concerned with in this workshop, although our discussion has bearing on the other types. Intergroup Conflict occurs between groups: nations, gangs, work areas, etc. For example, your department at work might have an ‘us vs. them’ attitude about some other department. Intra/ Interpersonal and Intergroup was taken from a Business Management skills article from Dave Neal found on http://www. scarecrowworkshops. com/b-conflict-management. html The Process of Conflict diagram will help illustrate why conflict arise in organizations, this was taken from Stephen Robbins, Organizational Behaviour, 10th ed. 2003 [pic] Stage 1 shows some of the conditions that has the capacity to develop conflict A break down in communication is significant in contributing to conflict . The true sense of communication is for the receiving party to understand what the sender is communicating in order to attain the right feedback. The bereaucratic nature of an organization facilitate the process of unsuccessful communication. This is so as information passed on to subordinates may be prone to deterioration. This may be so as the subordinate or receiver may not attach the urgency of the message that the sender intended. As such, this reluctance may cause the final message or information to be significantly ambiguous, which would result in conflict. Additionally, another source of conflict is structural factors as it pertains to size, Staff Heterogeneity, Participation, Line-Staff distinction, Reward Systems, Resource Interdependence and Power. In terms of size an organzation tend to operate more effciently and with less conflict when it is small. The manger has more direct influence in the company in terms of supervision and the overseeing of delegated tasks. However where the company grows in size the reins of controll are strained. There may now be increased specialization and bereaucracy. Consequently there may be increased opportunity to for misconception of information and hence conflict. For example, an interview was done at a renowned company, WASA in Trinidad and Tobago. The manager of the Construction Services Department North is responsible for various pipe laying projects therefore it is mandatory for him to retrieve materials for the various projects. The retrieval of these materials does not lie in his hands, thoroughly, but this function is mainly dependent on the Manager of Corporate Services-Supplies to source the right provider of the materials. This process of sourcing these materials may be long at times therefore putting the pipe laying projects sometimes on long delays. Consequently there is the possibility of having conflict between these two managers but note carefully that the structure of certain procedures within the organization is the main cause for the conflict. The issue of staff heterogeneity appears to have an adverse effect as it pertains to conflict. There are many issues which may arise due to differences in staff. For instance the junior staff in a company may feel that the senior staff may be too inflexible. They generally wield more power in organizations and junior staff may be subjected to their redundancy and myopic work approach. Thus conflict may tend to arise. Moreso, Partcipation, in terms of decision making, is a source for conflict. A subordinate may need to be able to express their opinions. Where employees re given a forum to express their decision making opinons it may be noted that conflict is more likely to occur. According to Robbins, an atmosphere of conflict may be created as the employee is unable to prevail with his point of view due to his lack of authority. Futhermore According to Allen 1955, line and staff distinctions may be another cause for conflict. It may be noted that Line units perform tasks that are dir ectly related to the core activities of the organization. However, staff units perform tasks that support the line function. This definition was taken from the book Organizational Behavior by K. W. Thomas. This may be exemplified in the aforementioned WASA scenario where a line unit member involved in the installation of pipe was hampered in carrying out his task. This may result in conflict as the staff unit may be removed and not place as much emphasis on the centralized operations of the company as a line member. It may be also noted that conflict may arise in terms of reward systems. This refers to the fact that one party may receive a reward at the expense of the other. As such conflict would tend to arise. and that i Personal Variables, this is basically personality differences. An important factor is found in stage 2 due to the fact that the antecedents of conflict must be perceived or felt. This is so because all the possibilities in stage 1 could occur but the feelings associated with stage 2 may not necessarily transpire. Further observation of the above diagram with regards to stage 3, which are techniques to handle conflict can also encourage conflict, for instance competing (this speaks for itself) and also avoiding due to the fact that the matter is never resolved leaving the parties unsatisfied and also no growth was made towards achieving the organizations’ goals. In Addition stage 4 can also promote conflict depending on what happened in the previous stage. If the conflict handling techniques (stage3) was destructive then behaviours (stage 4) may be verbal attacks, threats and ultimatums, aggressive physical attacks or overt efforts to terminate the other party. Therefore it can be analyzed that stage 3 can also initiate more conflict. There are other major fields of study within organizational behaviour that can be a recipe for conflict. Some of these are as follows. Job Satisfaction- Job satisfaction is an integral aspect in organizational conflict. The employee needs to feel truly a part of the company and that his contribution is instrumental to the company’s progress. He must also feel challenged by his work load and not bogged down by mundane and alienating tasks. Personalities and emotions- (express on this factor and mention the following in the right context) there is the Myers- Briggs Type Indicator (a test of 100 questions that asks people how they react to a certain situation and then this break down into sixteen personality types. 3] Leadership skills- this is where studies were done analyzing the type of employees to see what type of leadership skill will be best suited in order to facilitate an ambiance of little conflict/ functional conflict thus enhancing the organization’s performance. Hersey and Blanchard’s situational theory reiterate this. In other terms if a manager does not have the right type of leaders hip skills to suit his staff conflict can occur. Organizational Change- if change is not accepted this can cause conflict especially if this change affects the culture of an organization. For example, a technology change may cause conflict if workers perceive they are not ready to handle it. (use other examples) Techniques to Manage Conflict Conflict may be managed If conflicts results in destructive outcomes then it must be managed. The various ways of managing conflict are Negotiation- this is a process in which two or more parties exchange goods or services and attempt to agree on the exchange rate for them. [4] Mediator- A neutral third party who facilitates a negotiated solution by using reasoning, persuasion, and suggestions for alternatives. Arbitrator- this involves a third party to a negotiation who has the authority to dictate an agreement. Conciliator- A trusted third party who provides an informal communication link between the negotiator and the opponent. Consultant- an impartial third party, skilled in conflict management, who attempts to facilitate creative problem solving through communication and analysis. The definition s of the former four was taken from Organizational Behaviour, Stephen Robbins, 2003. Also the positive ways of handling conflict (stage3 of the diagram) Collaborate, Compromise and Accommodate (expand on these points) Other ways are Superordinate goals; this is creating a shared goal that cannot be attained without the working together of the conflicting groups. Smoothing- de-emphasizing on differences while looking at the common interest. Behavioural Change techniques can be used to alter personality. Structural Change Techniques can be used to avoid interactions between the conflicting groups Conclusion In conclusion conflict in an organization is inevitable. In essence, in the 1930’s and 40’s the Traditional View enveloped that all conflict as destructive and hence should be avoided at all cost. Additionally conflict is unavoidable in all organizations and it can never be eliminated. It has been proposed that conflict may also be advantageous to a group’s performance. The aforementioned denoted the Human Relations View which was prevalent among the late 1940’s and mid 1970’s. Moreover, the interactionist view states that a minimal level of conflict is necessary for the stimulation of creativity. Furthermore conflict can operate on various levels namely Interpersonal, Intrapersonal and Intergroup. It is caused mainly through communication, structural and personal behaviour factors. Communication factors pertain to the distortion of information along the communication line. Structural factors that lead to conflict may include size, staff heterogeneity, participation, line staff distinctions, Reward systems, Resource Interdependence and Power. Bibliography The following was taken from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Conflict and can be redone from an organizational perspective Conflict is a state of opposition, disagreement or incompatibility between two or more people or groups of people, which is sometimes characterized by physical violence. Military conflict between states may constitute war. [edit] Definitions In political terms, â€Å"conflict† refers to an ongoing state of hostility between two or more groups of people. Conflict as taught for graduate and professional work in conflict resolution commonly has the definition: â€Å"when two or more parties, with perceived incompatible goals, seek to undermine each other's goal-seeking capability†. One should not confuse the distinction between the presence and absence of conflict with the difference between competition and co-operation. In competitive situations, the two or more parties each have mutually inconsistent goals, so that when either party tries to reach their goal it will undermine the attempts of the other to reach theirs. Therefore, competitive situations will by their nature cause conflict. However, conflict can also occur in cooperative situations, in which two or more parties have consistent goals, because the manner in which one party tries to reach their goal can still undermine the other. A clash of interests, values, actions or directions often sparks a conflict. Conflicts refer to the existence of that clash. Psychologically, a conflict exists when the reduction of one motivating stimulus involves an increase in another, so that a new adjustment is demanded. The word is applicable from the instant that the clash occurs. Even when we say that there is a potential conflict we are implying that there is already a conflict of direction even though a clash may not yet have occurred. [edit] Types and Modes of Conflict A conceptual conflict can escalate into a verbal exchange and/or result in fighting. Conflict can exist at a variety of levels of analysis: †¢ intrapersonal conflict (though this usually just gets delegated out to psychology) †¢ interpersonal conflict †¢ emotional conflict †¢ group conflict †¢ organizational conflict †¢ community conflict †¢ intra-state conflict (for example: civil wars, election campaigns) †¢ international conflict †¢ environmental resources conflict †¢ intersocietal conflict †¢ intra-societal conflict †¢ ideological conflict †¢ diplomatic conflict †¢ economic conflict †¢ military conflict religious-based conflict (for example: Center For Reduction of Religious-Based Conflict) Conflicts in these levels may appear â€Å"nested† in conflicts residing at larger levels of analysis. For example, conflict within a work team may play out the dynamics of a broader conflict in the organization as a whole. (See Marie Dugan's article on Nested Conflict. John Paul Lederach has also written on this. ) Theorists have claimed that parties can conceptualise responses to conflict according to a two-dimensional scheme; concern for one's own outcomes and concern for the outcomes of the other party. This scheme leads to the following hypotheses: †¢ High concern for both one's own and the other party's outcomes leads to attempts to find mutually beneficial solutions. †¢ High concern for one's own outcomes only leads to attempts to â€Å"win† the conflict. †¢ High concern for the other party's outcomes only leads to allowing the other to â€Å"win† the conflict. †¢ No concern for either side's outcomes leads to attempts to avoid the conflict. In Western society, practitioners usually suggest that attempts to find mutually beneficial solutions lead to the most satisfactory outcomes, but this may not hold true for many Asian societies. Several theorists detect successive phases in the development of conflicts. Often a group finds itself in conflict over facts, goals, methods or values. It is critical that it properly identify the type of conflict it is experiencing if it hopes to manage the conflict through to resolution. For example, a group will often treat an assumption as a fact. The more difficult type of conflict is when values are the root cause. It is more likely that a conflict over facts, or assumptions, will be resolved than one over values. It is extremely difficult to â€Å"prove† that a value is â€Å"right† or â€Å"correct†. In some instances, a group will benefit from the use of a facilitator or process consultant to help identify the specific type of conflict. Practitioners of nonviolence have developed many practices to solve social and political conflicts without resorting to violence or coercion. [edit] Examples †¢ Approach-avoidance conflict is an example of intrapersonal conflict. †¢ The Vietnam Conflict is commonly regarded as a war. †¢ The Arab-Israeli conflict forms a historic and ongoing conflict between Israel and Arab interests. See also Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Catholic-Protestant conflict in Northern Ireland furnishes an example of another notable historic conflict. For information on the conflict, see the Troubles, Bloody Sunday (Northern Ireland 1972), the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan Bombings and the 1998 Omagh bombing. †¢ Many conflicts have a supposedly racial or ethnic basis. This would include such conflicts as the Bosnian-Croatian conflict (see Kosovo), the conflict in Rwanda. †¢ Class conflict forms an important topic in much Marxist thought. †¢ Another type of conflict exists between governments and guerrilla groups or groups engaged in asymmetric warfare. = [edit] Causes of Conflict Structural Factors (How the company is set up) †¢ Specialization (The experts in fields) †¢ Interdependance (A company as a whole can't operate w/o other departments) †¢ Common Resources (Sharing the same secretary) †¢ Goal Differences (One person wants production to rise and others want communication to rise) †¢ Authority Relationships (The boss and employees beneath him/her) †¢ Status Inconsistencies †¢ Jurisdicational Ambiguities (Who can discipline who) Personal Factors †¢ Skills and Abilities †¢ Personalities †¢ Perception Values and Ethics †¢ Emotions †¢ Communication barriers †¢ Cultural Differences â€Å"Conflict is an emotionally defined and driven,† and â€Å"do es not exist in the absence of emotion. † There are many components to the emotions that are intertwined with conflict. There is a behavioral, physiological, cognitive component. †¢ Behavioral- The way emotional experience gets expressed which can be verbal or non-verbal and intentional or un-intentional. †¢ Physiological- The bodily experience of emotion. The way emotions make us feel in comparison to our identity. Cognitive- The idea that we â€Å"assess or appraise† an event to reveal its relevancy to ourselves. These three components collectively advise that â€Å"the meanings of emotional experience and expression are determined by cultural values, beliefs, and practices. † †¢ Cultural values- culture tells people who are a part of it, â€Å"Which emotions ought to be expressed in particular situations† and â€Å"what emotions are to be felt. † †¢ Physical- This escalation results from â€Å"anger or frustration. † â € ¢ Verbal- This escalation results from â€Å"negative perceptions of the annoyer’s character. There are several principles of conflict and emotion. †¢ 1. Conflict is emotionally Defined-conflict involves emotion because something â€Å"triggers† it. The conflict is with the parties involved and how they decide to resolve it â€Å"Events that trigger conflict are events that elicit emotion. † †¢ 2. Conflict is emotionally Valenced- Emotion levels during conflict can be intense or less intense. The â€Å"intensity† levels â€Å"may be indicative of the importance and meaning of the conflict issues for each† party. †¢ 3. Conflict Invokes a Moral Stance- When an event occurs it can be interpreted as moral or immoral. The judging of this morality â€Å"Influences one’s orientation to the conflict, relationship to the parties involved, and the conflict issues†. †¢ 4. Conflict is Identity based- Emotions and Identity are a part of conflict. When a person knows there values, beliefs, and morals they are able to determine whether the conflict is personal, relevant, and moral. â€Å"Identity related conflicts are potentially more destructive. † †¢ 5. Conflict is Relational- â€Å"conflict is relational in the sense that emotional communication conveys relational definitions that impact conflict. † â€Å"Key relational elements are power and social status. Emotions are acceptable in the workplace as long as they can be controlled and utilized for productive organizational outcomes. – Bibliography ———————– [1] K. W. Thomas, â€Å"Conflict and Negotiation Process in Organizations,† in Dunnette and Hough (eds. ), Handbook of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 2ne ed. , vol. 3, 1992 [2] http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Organization [3] R. R Mc Crae and T. Costa, Reinterpreting the Myers- Briggs Type indicator from the perspective of the five factor model of personality, Journal of Personality, March 1989 [4] J. A. Wall, Jr. , Negotiation: Theory and Practice, 1985 ———————– Antecedent Conditions Communication Structure Personal Variables Perceived Conflict Felt Conflict Conflict Handling Intentions Competing Collaborating Compromising Avoiding Accommodating Overt Conflict Party’s Behaviour Other’s Reaction Increased Group Performance Decreased Group Performance Stage 1 Potential Opposition or Incompatibility Stage 2 Cognition and Personalization Stage 3 Intentions Stage 4 Behaviour Stage 5 Outcomes

Coffee †Espresso Essay

Coffee shop is one of the best places with an aura indirectly leading to soothing and meaningful conversations. It serves as a venue for personal and social business transactions. It is also a quite place to merely sit down and relax leaving voluminous loads on couches while taking a sip of everyone’s all time favourite, a cup of coffee. Never is it foreign that drinking coffee is by no means new to Filipino taste. In a manner of serving, at home, it is served during meal times while in the office, whether employees are time pressed or not, they always settle over a hot cup of coffee. The pleasure of drinking coffee sparks new creative blends for every coffee aficionado. With best technology ever, these blends are much easier to make for easy and affordable access to coffee lovers and to new ones. Clearly attributable to such coffee shops prestige is the good consumer demand. Increasingly, Filipino consumers are settling for a good coffee instead of alcohol on a night out. Coffee shops have become a status symbol for younger consumers and working people find these specialty coffee shops to be convenient places for afternoon business meetings. Region 12 is slowly taking the curve of global competition, with this, it is expected that its populaces join the bandwagon of total lifestyle change. Alongside of the changes, coffee turned out to be not just a typical beverage at home but a comparative substitute to other drinks offered in the market. Indeed, coffee shops’ coming into light offering coffee lovers their best products is quite a venture. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Industry Background Coffee Cocktail House (C2H) is a coffee industry. Coffee was the second world’s legally traded commodity. There are an estimated 25 million coffee growers around the world that are mostly small-scale farmers. Our country has two most prevalent varieties of coffee—Arabica and robusta. Other varieties are excelsa and liberica. In where the robusta accounts for 75% of the country’s total production, Arabica acconts for 5-10%, and excelsa and liberica accounts 15-20% according to statistics from the International Coffee Organization. It is estimated that around 300,000 Filipinos depend on the coffee industry. According to reports, coffee consumptions continue to increase. Experts predict that the level of consumption will follow population growth. Domestic consumption will also increase by 2. 25% per year. However, coffee production is hindered by the following factors: poor technical knowledge of the farmers in coffee growing and lack of farm-to-market roads to transport the harvested beans, and also old coffee trees also contribute to poor production. The government agencies such as the Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Trade and Industry, and even the local government put up financial to conduct a skills training/seminar in Ifugao because coffee industry is considered as a priority for the province. Name of the enterprise: As for the product name, we have come up for the product name that can describe one of our special coffees. We have applied the name in Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and it was not found that it was not yet used by any other business entity yet. Business Name: Coffee Cocktail House USP: Great Taste Happens. Vision Coffee Cocktail House vision is to be the leader in the Cafeteria industry, building strong customer loyalty and customer satisfaction. We are certified quality coffee shop at a reasonable price of products, in a comfortable atmosphere, with exceptional service. Mission Coffee Cocktail House is established with the idea of promoting good relationships while sharing delicious and healthful coffee. It is committed to offer high quality products with the finest ingredients available, innovated, unique and exceptional taste with additional flavours that suits for the ultimate wants of the consumers. Location Coffee Cocktail House (C2H) will be located at the ground floor of the Fort Strip, Katipunan Circle, Fort Bonifacio Global City, Metro Manila, Taguig City, because it is one of the busiest places in Metro Manila and there’s an opportunity that we will get on the location. The location is highly accessible and visible for those who work beside the building and passers-by. The shop will be placed where there is several establishments such as mall, schools, call centers, business offices, and condominiums. Brief Description of the Project For our new business idea, our group have all concurred and agreed the best way to go about developing new concepts and ideas is nonetheless the one that complete the day of a human—coffee. So we decided to on putting-up our own coffee shop. Indeed, and furthermore, we have considered what kind of beverage that we could possibly develop by means of reinventing its taste, by making it more nutritious and ultimately breaking the way people look at it. Then it came to an idea of redesigning a kind of beverage that has been branded as traditional and existing since time immemorial, and also it must be a kind of beverage that people will love and like as well. Instead of doing a coffee alone, we came up to an idea of mixing coffee and alcohol. We arrived in this idea because some call center agents want to drink alcohol but we mix coffee on it for them to avoid drowsiness. We also consider some of the Filipinos are health conscious that’s why we came up to an idea on creating a healthy and nutritious but great tasting organic coffee. Project Long-Range Objectives: * To expand the business by having branches locally and abroad to serve the growing demands for the product and service. * To be known locally and internationally as a Coffee house serving unique and innovated flavours of coffee. * To be one of the most socially responsible business establishment and one of the most socially responsible business establishment and one of the most environment friendly business here in the country by using non-toxic materials and free pollution machineries. Limitation of the Project Coffee Cocktail House (C2H) will only hires a well experienced baristas to make a great taste of coffee and to make sure that we are ahead from the competitors. While the employees are on their work they should train the other to staff in different department so that in case that an employees will leave in some matter the other employee already know the what to do. In the initial year of the business we are not be able to expand our location because of lack of capital. Summary of Findings and Conclusion Marketing Feasibility. Coffee Cocktail House is creating a best Marketing Program in introducing our store especially in our products which caters our local coffees. Also we want to create unique promotional strategies to get our target market’s attention and build a relationship between them and compete in existing competition in the market. Not just serving them a plain coffee but letting them to realize that they’re more than a customer. Management Feasibility Coffee Cocktail house is aiming to manage well our customers both internally and externally. We are not only focusing on our customer’s satisfaction but also in our employee’s satisfaction. This store/establishment is line-type organization as an effective management structure in business. Every employee’s position is well organized from the managers down to waiters. Technical Feasibility In order to maintain the freshness of our product we get high-quality equipment, from machines in processing the products to the equipment in serving our customers and in the maintaining the cleanliness of our store. Financial Feasibility It will serve as an important factor in our business because we can see here the cash flows in operating our business. We can also see here if we gain profit or not also the financial performance and financial position of our business operation in terms of pesos and ratios that can be used in making decisions. CHAPTER 1: MARKETING ASPECT CHAPTER 1 MARKETING ASPECT PART I Introduction â€Å"Only one thing is certain about coffee†¦. Wherever it is grown, sold, brewed, and consumed, there will be lively controversy, strong opinions, and good conversation. † ~Mark Pendergrast Marketing is a very significant part in a body of a feasibility study. Where the 4 P’s of marketing is summarized here for the strategic purpose of the business. Manifestation part of the things needed to be implemented in the whole feasibility project. Coffee is had been part of our daily life. It is the first thing we did every morning. Almost people love to drink coffee and different mixes; they also love drinking coffee while chatting to each other. Marketing aspect is very essential part in establishing a business. It is said to be the life hood of virtually every project feasibility study without the market composed of demand and supply, there will never be a business the success of the business depends on the market. Objectives: * To achieve an effective marketing plan for the productivity of our business. * To be able to see the projection of our demand and supply in market. * To identify and assume what will be the strength and weaknesses of our business. Sampling Size Determination The sampling size will serves as a direction to determine the percentage of people’s demand. Formula: n=__N____ 1+Ne2 Where: n = sample size N = total population (108,769 being the total population of Fort Bonifacio with the nearest baranggay) E =margin of error (5%) Solution: n = 180,769_____ 1 + (180,769) (5%) n = 180, 769___ 1 + (180,769) (. 5) n = 399. 99 or 400 respondents. The 400 respondents will represent the four nearest barangays in the Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City. The proponents conducted the survey on the nearest mall (Market Market! ) where the residents of Taguig usually always come. MARKET SURVEY Questionnaire Formulation Based on the distinguished needs and preferences about the coffee shop, residents qualified based on their demographic characteristics like age, gender, monthly income and allowance, and anything that makes them qualified as a respondent whether he or she drinks coffee. The questionnaires are collected, tabulated and analyzed for the interpretation of data gathered. Republic of the Philippines Polytechnic University of the Philippines Sta. Mesa, Manila College of Business Coffee Shop Feasibility: Coffee-Cocktail House (CCH) Dear Respondents, We are students from Polytechnic University of the Philippines conducting research on our Feasibility Study: Coffee-Cocktail House. We would like to request you to answer our questionnaire. Rest assured that your answers will be kept confidentially. Thank You. The Researcher I. Personal Profile. Name (Optional):_________________________________________________________ Instruction: Check the space of your answer. 1. Gender: ? Male ? Female 2. Age: ? 18 – 24 ? 25 – 31 ? 32 – 38 ? 39 – 45 ? 46 – above 3. How much is your monthly income or monthly allowance? ? ? 1 – ? 10,000 ? ? 10,101 – ? 20,000 ? ? 20,201 – ? 30,000 ? ? 30,001 – ? 40,000 ? ? 40,001 – above II. All about coffee and coffee shop. 1. Do you drink coffee? ? Yes? No If yes, what brand of coffee do you purchase? ? Nescafe ? Kopiko ? Great taste coffee ? San Miguel coffee Others: (Specify) __________________________ 2. Do you go to a coffee shop to buy coffee? ? Yes? No 3. How often do you go to a coffee shop? ? Every day ? Every other day ? Weekly ? Monthly. ? Yearly Others: (Specify) _____________________ 4. How many cup/s of coffee do you buy/consume when you go to a coffee shop? __________ Instruction: You may check one or more. 5. If you go to a coffee shop, in what coffee shop do you buy? ? Starbucks ? Gloria Jean’s coffee shop ? Figaro ? Bo’s coffee shop ? Coffee bean and tea leaf ? Seattle best coffee ? Cafe de Lipa ? UCC Cafe plaza ? Cafe cap real ? McCafe of McDonalds ? Others: (Specify) _________________ 6. When do you usually go to a coffee shop? or Why? ? meeting ? break-time ? past-time ? dating Others: (Specify) .__________________ 7. In going to a coffee shop, whom do you come with? ? Co-workers/Officemates ? Clients ? Family Member ? Friends ? Boyfriend/Girlfriend ? I prefer going alone Others: (Specify)___________________ 8. What kind of coffee do you prefer? ? Hot? Cold 9. Do you drink coffee with†¦? ? Frappe ? Toppings ? Desert III. All about Coffee Cocktail House. 1. In going to our coffee shop @ the Bonifacio Global City, Fort Square, Taguig City, what is/are the coffee/s you are willing to buy, interested to try or not interested. Instruction: Please check the best answer. (*) Our Unique Offering. KINDS OF COFFEE| Willing to buy| Interested to try| Not interested at all| Hot Coffee| ? | ? | ? | Cold Coffee| ? | ? | ? | Frappe Coffee| ? | ? | ? | * Coffee Cocktail| ? | ? | ? | * Organic Coffee | ? | ? | ? | 2. What kind of * Coffee Cocktail do you prefer? ? Alcoholic* Coffee Cocktail ? Non-Alcoholic *Coffee Cocktail 3. What are the *Coffee Cocktail you are willing to buy, interested to try or not interested. (Alcoholic and Non-alcoholic drinks) KINDS OF COFFEE| Willing to buy| Interested to try| Not interested at all| * Coffee Infused Vodka| ? | ? | ? | * Spiked Coffee Ice Cream Dream| ? | ? | ? | * Chocolate Mocha-Tini| ? | ? | ? | 4. Do you prefer an organic coffee? ? Yes? No 5. What are the *Organic Coffee you are willing to buy, interested to try or not interested. (Fertilized or unfertilized) **most Unique offering as being the most expensive coffee in the world yet when roasted, it exudes an almost musical, fruity aroma. It has a strong, sweet, dark chocolatey taste that is perfect for that morning kick or high power meetings. Definitely a CLEAN CUP. KINDS OF COFFEE| Willing to buy| Interested to try| Not interested at all| *Rice Coffee| ? | ? | ? | *Corn Coffee| ? | ? | ? | *Coconut Coffee| ? | ? | ? | **Civet â€Å"Alamid† Coffee from Philippine’s finest Arabica, Liberica and Exelsa beans| ? | ? | ? | * Arabica, Liberica and Exelsa Coffee| ? | ? | ? | **********OThank YouO andOGOD bless YOUO********** O†Life is like a cup of coffee. † O -anonymous Survey analysis A part of the survey which all the data gathered was being analyzed for the justification of the objectives of the proponents. The proponents purposively collect more information about the business target market and consumer. It is to understand their needs and to know their perception on the business to be built. Table 1: Distribution of respondents according to gender. GENDER| FREQUENCY(F)| PERCENTAGE (%)| MALE| 165| 41%| FEMALE| 235| 59%| TOTAL| 400| 100%| Figure 1: Gender of the respondents From above data, majority of our respondents are female which is 59% percent while only 41% are male. Table 2: Distribution of respondents according to age AGE| FREQUENCY(F)| PERCENTAGE(P)| 18-24| 221| 55%| 25-31| 58| 14%| 32-38| 49| 12%| 39-45| 38| 10%| 46-above| 34| 9%| TOTAL| 400| 100%| Figure 2: Age of the respondents From data above, 55% of our respondents aged 18-24, 14% are aged 25-31, 12% are aged 32-38, 10% are aged 39-45 and 9% are aged 46 and above. Table 3: Distribution of respondents according to their monthly income MONTHLY INCOME| FREQUENCY(F)| PERCENTAGE(P)| 1-10,000| 168| 42%| 10,001-20,000| 61| 15%| 20,001-30,000| 75| 19%| 30,001-40,000| 78| 19%| 40,001 and above| 18| 5%| TOTAL| 400| 100%| Figure 3: Respondent’s monthly income Data shows that our respondents 1-10,000 the highest percentage which is 42%, 20,001-30,000 and 30,001-40,000 which are 19%, 10,000-20,000 which is 15% and 40,001 and above which is 5%. Table 4: Distribution of respondents who drinks coffee COFFE DRINKERS| FREQUENCY(F)| PERCENTAGE(P)| YES| 256| 64%|. NO| 144| 36%| TOTAL| 400| 100%| Figure 4: Respondents who drinks coffee Data shows that the majority of our respondents are coffee drinkers which is 64% and 36% are not. Table 5: Brand of coffee they buy in store BRAND OF COFFEE| FREQUENCY(F)| PERCENTAGE(P)| NESCAFE| 235| 42%| KOPICO| 155| 28%| GREATE TASTE COFFEEE| 109| 19%| SAN MIGUEL COFFEE| 51| 9%| OTHERS| 9| 2%| TOTAL| 559| 100%| Figure 6: Particular brand the respondents buy From the data above, the highest brand of coffee they buy is Nescafe which is 42%, Kopiko which is 28%, Grate Taste which is 19%, San Miguel Coffee which is 9% and 2% from other brand. Table 7: Respondents who have been to coffee shop WHO HAVE BEEN TO COFFEE SHOP| FREQUENCY(F)| PERCENTAGE| YES| 293| 73%| NO| 107| 27%| TOTAL| 400| 100%| Figure 7: Have you been to coffee shop? Data shows that 73% of our respondents have been to coffee shop and 27% are not. Table 8: How often do you drink coffee? TIMES THEY DRINK COFFEE| FREQUENCY(F)| PERCENTAGE(P)| EVERYDAY| 136| 46%| EVERY OTHER DAY| 61| 21%| WEEKLY | 69| 24%| MONTHLY| 12| 4%| YEARLY| 9| 3%| OTHERS| 6| 2%| TOTAL| 293| 100%| Figure 9: How often they drink to coffee shop. Data shows that 46% of our respondents drink coffee to coffee shop everyday, 24% weekly, 21% every other day, 4% monthly, 3%yearly and 2% from the others. Table 10: How many cups they consume in the coffee shop? NOS. OF CUPS THEY CAN CONSUME| FREQUENCY(F)| PERCENTAGE(P)| ONE| 149| 47%| TWO| 122| 38%| THREE| 24| 8%| FOUR| 8| 2%| FIVE| 10| 3%| SIX| 6| 2%| TOTAL| 319| 100%| Figure 10: How many cups they consume in the coffee shop? Data shows that 47% of respondents can consume only one, 38% can consume 2 cups, 8% can consume 3 cups, 3% can consume five cups, and 2% can consume four and six cups. Table 11: What particular coffee shop they go and buy coffee? COFFEE SHOPS| FREQUENCY(F)| PERCENTAGE(P)| STARBUCKS| 88| 30%| GLORIA JEAN’S COFFEE SHOP| 14| 5%| FIGARO| 44| 15%| BO’S COFFEE SHOP| 18| 6%| COFFEE BEAN AND TEA LEAF| 23| 8%| SEATTLE BEST COFFEE| 16| 3%| CAFE DE LIPA| 9| 3%| MCCAFE| 57| 19%| OTHERS| 24| 6%| TOTAL| 293| 100%| Figure 11: What particular coffee shop they go and buy coffee? Data shows that 30% of the respondents go to Starbucks, 19% at Mc Cafe, 15% at Figaro, 8% at Coffee Bean and Leaf Tea, 6% at Bo’s Coffee shop and Seattle Best Coffee, 5% at Gloria Jean’s Coffee Shop,3% at Cafe de Lipa and 30% from the others. Table 12: What is the reason/s why they go to coffee shop? Data shows72% of the respondents prefer to drink organic coffee and 28% don’t want to buy drink organic coffee. MARKETING ASPECT – PART II A. Product/Service Description The product is the mean of this project, because it is the one that will be to offer to the customer, while, the service is the focus of this project, because this will complete the satisfaction to the customer. At the Fort Strip in the Fort Bonifacio, the proposed Coffee Cocktail House is settled at a 58 sq. m.inside of a three storey building in Katipunan Circle. As the business was being projected inside of the Fort Bonifacio Global City where most of the population are employees and students, good ambiance, peace and pleasing place of a House as good as a house can satisfy them, a house with different kinds of chairs, different interior, different exterior and different service that will surely satisfy the wants of the customer. Coffee Cocktail House (C2H) offer coffee mostly which are: hot coffee, cold coffee, frappuccino, and coffee cocktail and organic coffee, which we uniquely offer to the market. As one of the store’s unique offering, we use coffee cocktail itself for the store name which is Coffee Cocktail House. We also offer cakes and pastries which is good combination to coffee and also Filipino delicacies. B. Location Coffee Cocktail House (C2H) will be located at the ground floor of the Fort Square, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, because it is one of the busiest places in Metro Manila and there’s an opportunity that we will get on the location. The location is highly accessible and visible for those who work beside the building and passers-by. The shop will be placed where there is several establishments such as mall, schools, call centers, business offices, and condominiums. C. Name of the enterprise As for the product name, we have come up for the product name that can describe one of our special coffees. We have applied the name in Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and it was not found that it was not yet used by any other business entity yet. a. Business Name: Coffee Cocktail house b. USP: Great Taste Happens c. Business Logo: Many of the business man and also those who are business minded person think a lot of ideas and most of them uses a trade mark that is 100% connected to their offering, either product or service, to be able to recognize easily. Speaking of trademark, the proponents have come up with this simple trade mark using the company name itself which have a unique style and indeed an attention-catcher because of the color used. Here are the meanings of the colors and symbols that were used to the trademark that the company came up with: Cream (Originated from Yellow which means full of creative and intellectual energy) is a clean light yellow clears the mind, making it active and alert. Brown associated with the material side of life. It gives comfortable feeling of naturalness. Red is the color of blood, and as such has strong symbolism as life and vitality. It also represents the passion of the staffs. Circles symbolize unity, wholeness, infinity and protection. Pentagram (represents the house) can also be a star because of its five-points. It is a symbol of life and perfection. White Cup symbolizing the professionalism of the product and definitely a â€Å"Clean Cup† and a clean working area. Smokes symbolizes that the coffee is always freshly gourmet and also has a pleasing aroma to the nose. D. Nature of the Business For our new business idea, our group have all concurred and agreed the best way to go about developing new concepts and ideas is nonetheless the one that complete the day of a human—coffee. So we decided to on putting-up our own coffee shop. Indeed, and furthermore, we have considered what kind of beverage that we could possibly develop by means of reinventing its taste, by making it more nutritious and ultimately breaking the way people look at it. Then it came to an idea of redesigning a kind of beverage that has been branded as traditional and existing since time immemorial, and also it must be a kind of beverage that people will love and like as well. Instead of doing a coffee alone, we came up to an idea of mixing coffee and alcohol. We arrived in this idea because some call centre agents want to drink alcohol but we mix coffee on it for them to avoid drowsiness. We also consider some of the Filipinos are health conscious that’s why we came up to an idea on creating a healthy and nutritious but great tasting organic coffee. E. Limitation of the Project Coffee Cocktail House (C2H) will only hires a well experienced baristas to make a great taste of coffee and to make sure that we are ahead from the competitors. While the employees are on their work they should train the other to staff in different department so that in case that an employees will leave in some matter the other employee already know the what to do. In the initial year of the business we are not be able to expand our location because of lack of capital. F. G. Project Time Table. Project Time Table Description July 2012 to October 2012 – Feasibility Study Conceptualization about what kind of business should we study. Having a feasibility about the product; conducting survey on the location; Planning on how to promote and what is the demand and supply on it. How were the market aspect, management aspect, technical aspect, financial aspect and social aspect of the feasibility? October 2012 to January2013 – Putting-up Capitalization The proponents will be invested for the capital, amounting P 1,000,000. 00. January 2013 to April 2013 – Registration and Licensing Registering and licensing company. Secure all the permit of the business for its maintenance. February 2013 to April 2013 – Renovation of the Project Location The business location will be develops. Buying the equipments and needed tools. April 2013 to May 2013 – Hiring The company will hire expert baristas because we don’t enough money for the training. The proponents will also work as a manager to save money. – Opening of the coffee shop The store launching will start after the hiring of the baristas and crews. April 2013 to December 2013 – Marketing Program The Marketing Program will aims to simplify and demonstrate strategies that are needed to reach all its marketing potential even to exceed the potential of its market. January 2014 – Product New Ideas Having new ideas to promote and increase the demand for coffee. I. Market Segmentation A. Target market Our target market is aged 18 years old and above particularly young professionals who are working near our stores. They are the one who need our products and the one who can afford to buy our products. There are a lot of people who are passing by in our location and there are some who are just passersby. They are all are potential and target consumer who are possibly will buy some of our products. a. Demographic Characteristics Specifically it is for those 18 years old and above both male and female. Students who have allowance (from 1-5000php and above per month) looking for a convenient place to hang out with their friends and family. There are a lot of young professionals who are working near the Coffee Cocktail House. They are the persons earning 1-10,000php per month who belong to the class C to upper B. b. Psychographic Characteristics Since the target market are young professionals they are in the stage of buying what they want and doing the thing they have not experience when they are studying. They want a place that is relaxing before and after working hours. They are the type of people who are willing to buy a product that suit to their personalities yet affordable. Most of them are health conscious and smart street people looking for every benefit and satisfaction of a product to them. c. Buyer Behaviour Characteristics They are coffee drinker who used coffee as part of their daily routine. It is those people who believe that a cup of coffee will help them to enlighten and cope up for the whole day. They have that belief it will help people to stay awake for a longer hours. II. Competitor’s Analysis Purposively the proponents of this feasibility study wanted to know their possible competitor in the coffee industry especially we wanted to know our competitor within the business location. It aims to perceive the competitor’s capacity along the journey of our business. A. List of Competitors Listing and identifying every competitor we have in the market and within the area of Coffee Cocktail House. Identifying the competitor USP and why the consumers continually patronize their products. a. Direct Competitors Figaro – soon to open at the same area who offers coffee products with its healthy benefits and they have different side dishes and main courses. Coffee vending machines – that offer cheaper brewed coffee. We only have one competitor within the specific location of the coffee shop at the Fort Strip. The Cafe Puccini offering a coffee products and their specialty dish the Italian pasta. b. Indirect Competitors We also have our indirect competitors who used to sell coffee products but it wasn’t their specialization service or product. Retail sachet or instant coffee at the market. 1. Nescafe – which got in our survey that proves their being no.