Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 5

Law - Essay Example This restriction emanate from the fact that such volume-footed measures are more economically destabilising than any price based trade measures like taxes and tariffs. Article XI also prescribes small exception to this rule namely An export or import restriction or ban which may be viewed as a detriment may be challenged as quantitative restriction which is forbidden by Article XI of GATT. However, if commerce on domestic product is also banned, then the import ban might be viewed as an internal effort enforced at the point of importation, which is allowed by Article III (4) of GATT. (Chris Wold 1996:850). Dumping means when merchandises are exported at prices which are less under the â€Å"normal value† in the country of export made. (GATT VI). In the absence of any domestic price for that product, then price of an analogous product for export to a third nation is employed. The margin of dumping is the glut of the normal price over the price at which the good is being dumped. In National Com Growers v. C.I.T1, Canadian courts were not reluctant in agreeing the levy of countervailing duties against imported subsidised agricultural products which resulted or likely to result in causing material damage to Canadian agricultural industry. (Baggaley 1998). The main aim of Article VI of GATT is to offer a relief to importing member country where imported or dumped subsidised products threaten or create substantial injury to a recognised industry or substantially hinder the constitution or formation of a domestic industry. To claim a remedy under GATT VI, it is essential to make a complaint that there exists a predatory pricing, i.e. pricing a product with the aim of forcing out the competition in the market. Hence, if any domestic manufacturer wishes to invoke the provision of GATT VI, he has to demonstrate that it has been invoked to

British Airways Marketing Report Essay Example for Free

British Airways Marketing Report Essay Current share price is 225 with a range of between 224 and 289. Marketing is ‘the management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying customer requirements profitably. ’ BA used to operate in an oligopoly market however throughout the last century this has changed. Previously it was only large national companies that had enough money to provide flights however nowadays the market operates in perfect competition with high barriers to entry. BA can use marketing to promote their product, drive market share, anticipate customer requirements, satisfy customer needs and ultimately make a profit. The Marketing Mix The marketing mix is a combination of 4 P’s (product, price, place and promotion) that should be used in conjunction with each other to ensure a competitive edge over other companies. ‘The marketing mix is designed to produce mutually satisfying exchanges with a target market’. Product BA’s product in essence relates to the flights offered. However, the product can be drilled down into specific areas ranging from the airport lounges around the world, the ‘extras’ that you can buy on board such as model BA aeroplanes or even package holidays. Each of these has been specifically tailored to meet customer expectations (which are highlighted in the section of the report titled ‘target market’). This part of the marketing mix focuses on how BA’s products are managed and in the Guardian case study article titled ‘BA, Iberia and American Airlines tie-up heralds new era of transatlantic travel’ dated 06/10/2010 it shows how BA have made an executive decision to link their websites with other companies to have the possibility to offer a higher number of routes (products) to their potential customers. Price Price is simply ‘the amount of money customers must pay to obtain a product’. BA’s price is generally higher than their competitors although this is because they believe they are offering higher quality. However, in recent times BA appear to be losing the price war against low cost budget competitors such as Ryanair and Easyjet. Following this, BA have undergone marketing strategies to reduce their price and carry out ‘sale discounted’ periods. BA demand immediate payment for their products, do not give credit terms or allowances. Promotion In the early days when BA was a nationalised company and the market was an oligopoly, they didn’t have to promote as much, as competition was minimal. However, with the growth of new players in the market BA have resulted to advertising in the following areas: tube stations (especially the Jubilee Line going towards Canary Wharf to target higher earners), newspapers (such as the Financial Times and Sunday broadsheets), airports (mainly in Heathrow and Gatwick – their primary hubs) and adverts between TV programmes, starting from September 2009 – such as the News, Politics programmes and factual documentaries. BA also use personal advertising techniques with their advert: ‘Come together it’s Christmas’. This uses emotional targeting to encourage people to buy their product to visit loved ones during this period. See Appendix 2. Place Currently BA do not operate from London Stanstead however a marketing decision could be taken to include this to their portfolio. This would give them a higher percentage of UK airport utilisation however a cost benefit analysis could prove this move to be not so advantageous. BA have recently ‘taken on’ Easyjet and are now offering a Gatwick-Marrakech route at discount prices. This gives customers higher choice and allows BA to remain competitive and attempt at satisfying the needs of those who want to pay less. Once BA have exhausted the 4 P’s, a S. W. O. T. Analysis will be completed to determine and examine internal strengths and weaknesses and, external opportunities and threats. S. W. O. T. Analysis Strengths The case study website article on ‘This is Money’ dated 24/01/2011 undoubtedly highlights one of the major strengths carrying BA at present. The merger between BA and Iberia has strengthened its financial position and is a step closer to ‘creating a multinational multi-brand airlines group’. BA take pride in their strong brand, high quality service and offer prestigious first class airport lounges to ensure that their customers are taken care of to the standard they expect for the prices they are paying. This is what has allowed BA to charge higher fares and gives them the image that higher class passengers are willing to pay for. By linking themselves to fellow competitors (American Airlines) and strengthening their position by joining the One World syndicate, BA have encouraged higher revenues from this tactical decision. Following the strong decline throughout the global recession, BA’s strength is ‘bouncing back’ according to the BBC News Article ‘British Airways in first profit for two years’. Although the rise in incomes and ultimately rise in profits was linked to higher cargo fares, BA were able to successfully cut costs and meet their carbon emissions targets also. Weaknesses Despite the above, BA has been renowned for strong continual losses as highlighted in the other BBC News Article ‘British Airways reports ? 164m loss’. The losses were mainly caused by the volcanic ash cloud and staff strikes both resulting in the cancellation of thousands of flights. It’s reported that just ’15 days strikes had cost the airline ? 142m’. The strikes had also had a negative impact on their declining reputation making some people not wanting to fly with them anymore. BA’s reputation was also hit when they were sued ? 10K by competitor Virgin for accessing their private files and consequently trying to poach business. If this wasn’t bad enough, in 2009 BA were fined a massive ? 110m for price fixing – known as a ‘cartel’ and this is illegal. Although passengers accept that flight travel can be dangerous, BA adds to its weakness with its own incidents. These range from a mid-air collision in 1 976, a pilot being sucked out of the aircraft when a windscreen exploded and in 2008 a BA plane at Heathrow missed the runway and crash-landed. More recently, BA has been investigating prices of flights to some destinations that were being charged at 10 times the normal price owing to a ‘system error’ online. This is going to make people think twice when booking with the company. Opportunities While the above 2 sections focus internally, opportunities and threats highlight those factors that can influence BA externally. The lifting of the recession in recent months has allowed passengers to review their spending habits and hopefully create higher disposable income in households and allow the ‘loosening of the belt’ for those corporate company credit cards. BA need to carefully position their marketing strategies at the right time in order to capture these people with that bit of extra money to spend and the report will focus on this issue in the following few pages. BA sold its Gatwick hub airport for ? 1. 5bn, although this was reportedly at a loss (as BA originally paid ? 10. 1bn for it 3 years prior), it gave BA the opportunity to invest its interests elsewhere and concentrate on a smaller number of airports. BA also sold its interest in the London Eye – now sponsored by EDF, to focus on other projects. Threats BA has been hit by threats in recent years ranging from terrorism, bad weather, volcanoes and more recently the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan and the civil unrest in Libya. Numerous flights have been cancelled to the Libyan capital Tripoli costing BA millions of pounds. Following this, BA has been forced to cancel their entire summer 2011 season of flight programmes. The events in Japan have also affected BA’s programmes with flights to Tokyo disrupted. The case studies provided highlight how BA ‘went into meltdown’ following the heavy snow suffered in the UK during December 2010. The conditions caused hundreds of flights to be cancelled for both cargo and passengers and the title of the article ‘British Airways says bad weather could cost it ? 50m’ sums up the situation perfectly. The terrorist events in the USA in 2001 still continue to make passengers nervous of flying, especially Trans-Atlantic and this is always going to be a sensitive subject that BA would find hard to market against. By doing so, they would not want to seem like they are publicising terrorism but at the same time have concentrated their marketing strategies on the highest standard of comfort and ‘relaxability’. A final threat is shown in an article by the Telegraph where BA is ‘attacked’ by a social media Facebook campaign where Gatwick workers have criticised BA’s Terminal 5 at Heathrow calling it ‘shambolic’ and the page was even designed with videos showing the CEO of BA wrestling with baggage and trolleys. This damages BA’s reputation and makes a mockery of their brand. All of the factors mentioned above in the marketing mix and S. W. O. T. Analysis are important for BA to consider however if the company does not have a target market to aim their products at, the company would not be able to survive. British Airways Target Market and Positioning Strategy In order to ensure BA’s products are directed at the correct audience to maximise revenues and profits, careful market research needs to be invested in to find a target market. ‘The basis of target marketing is market segmentation’; which splits the market into groups of potential customers that have the same characteristics. From the 3 marketing strategies, it’s believed that BA use a ‘differentiated strategy’ as they focus on several specific areas of the market to target. The characteristics below offer ome possibilities that link all of BA’s customers together. Watch the News on television Celebrities Speak a 2nd language Middle/Upper Class Holiday in non-European destinations Read non-fiction In full time employment or retired Have higher disposable incomes By segmenting the customer base to determine a ‘target market’ BA split the market depending on the following variables: * Demographic – age, gender * Geographic – where the target is based * Geo-demographic – size of households, number of cars etc.. depending on location * Psychographic – lifestyle, attitudes Behavioural – the relationship between the target market and the product As the points show in the circle above, BA focus their marketing strategies on those that have higher income and appear in the middle/upper classes of the population, this is evident from the prices of their products and the quality of the service offered. Both genders are targeted equally with the age range (generally) being between 35 to 65. The BA advertising strategies are positioned to target those situations that their customers can relate to and dream about – i. . luxury holidays, comfortable flights and a reliable service. This concentrates on the behavioural variable. Geographically, as BA is a British company, the target market is centralised in the UK however following partnerships with fellow companies such as American Airlines for example, a wider global base is reached. BA have positioned their product away from their low cost budget competitors acknowledging that they offer a more luxurious alternative to cheap travel. Their positioning strategy can lso be seen in the ‘product class membership’ which again, separates BA’s service away from the Easyjets and Ryanairs. By doing this, BA have created their own competitive advantage and have taken an alternative route to satisfy other customers needs that are not centered around saving money. Marketing Recommendations In order for BA to evaluate how successful their target market strategies and their positioning tactics are, the report recommends that the company should see how many levels of ‘Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs’ are being satisfied from a purchase of a BA flight. This can be seen in Appendix 3. Psychological needs: SATISIFIED: shelter from the cold, provision of food and oxygen * Safety needs: SATISIFIED: provision of a safe environment and reassuring customers * Belongingness and love needs: N/A * Esteem needs: N/A * Self-actualization needs: Possibly relevant to those who are over-coming their fear of flying. Secondly, BA could conduct marketing research to determine ‘why’ customers buy their products in the first place. This could be conducted as a quick questionnaire either in-flight when the customers are all in one place at the same time or as a mandatory set of questions when booking flights. This will help BA to see what criteria are satisfied during the stage of the ‘buyer decision process’. There are 3 possibilities however the report recommends that BA would come across the most popular varible below: * Routine Response Behaviour: Customers who are frequent flyers, possibly members of the Executive Club, they are aware of the low cost competition however have a loyalty towards BA and favour their service. Appendix 4 shows where the report deems BA’s product to currently be in the market. By carrying out the market research above and with the new strong group behind the company, the brand could move backwards in the graph and back and return to the growth stage. This can also be said of Appendix 5, by moving BA from a question mark in the Boston Matrix and positioning it in the ‘star’ category. The report recommends BA to further extend their marketing strategy to concentrate on ‘holidays’ and not just flights. This links closely with an interview carried out by ‘Marketing Week’ and BA’s Head of Marketing, Richard Tams. ‘We are devoting more and more of our reativity in any given campaign to talking about holidays’. BA should extend this further and working with tourist boards of exotic countries to promote cheaper package holidays with the support of the Government in those ‘further to reach’ luxurious locations. Tams states ‘we are looking to move BA. com to much more into the space of a t ravel website rather than a flights website’. The report strongly agrees with this marketing strategy and would fully support BA’s proposals. This widens their product mix and allows a larger more diverse target market to be captured. Conclusion The report has analysed the company British Airways firstly concentrating on the product mix and a S. W. O. T analysis. The report has described the company’s target audience and commented on the current positioning strategy of British Airways. The report has concluded with marketing recommendations that could be put in place to ensure the long time success of the company. Future events that British Airways will have to be aware of include the UK Government adjusting passenger air tax and carbon emission regulations. 2,682 words. Bibliography All referenced throughout. Books Jobber, D. 2001 4th edition ‘Principals and Practices of Marketing’, McGraw Hill International, P 810 * Kotler, P. 2010 9th edition ‘Principals of Marketing’, Pearson * Lamb, C. 2009 6th edition ‘Essentials of Marketing’, Neil Marquardt * The Chartered Institute of Marketing, LSBU lecture notes Websites All accessed between 24/03/2011 and 30/04/2011 * www. bbc. co. uk /news * www. dailymail. co. uk/travel/article-1369100/Libya-action-hits-British-Airways-flights. html * www. guardian. co. uk * www. google. co. uk/finance? q=PINK%3ABAIRY * www. iagshares. com www. letsstartthinking. org/quickreference/maslow-need-hierarchy. asp * www. marketingweek. co. uk/sectors/travel-and-leisure/airlines/qa-with-ba-marketing-head-richard-tams/3019560. article * www. news. airwise. com/story/view/1300492770. html * www. news. cheapflights. co. uk/ /ba-takes-on-easyjet-on-gatwick-marrakech-route * http://phx. corporate-ir. net/External. File? item=UGFyZW50SUQ9ODMyOTJ8Q2hpbGRJRD0tMXxUeXBlPTM=amp;t=1 * www. telegraph. co. uk/travel/3366187/British-Airways-staff-attack-passengers-on-Facebook. html * www. thisislondon. co. k/standard/article-23431527-london-eye-looks-for-new-sponsor-as-ba-pulls-out. do * www. thisismoney. co. uk * http://uk. reuters. com/article/2009/10/21/uk-baa-idUKTRE59K1D820091021 * www. utalkmarketing. com/UTMImages/2/BA_terminal5_2. jpg Append ices 1. ) Group structure of IAG 2. ) BA advert 3. ) Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs 4. ) Product Life Cycle 5. ) Boston Matrix [ 1 ]. www. iagshares. com [ 2 ]. http://www. google. co. uk/finance? q=PINK%3ABAIRY [ 3 ]. Lamb, C, 2009 ‘Essentials of Marketing’ 6th edition. Neil Marquardt,

Development of Language from Rituals

Development of Language from Rituals To what extent has language evolved from complex rituals? Is ritualistic behaviour a necessary step in the development of complex language? This essay will examine the possibility of a connection between rituals and ritualistic behaviour and the development of language, with some analysis of ritual behaviour in the animal world as well as briefly examining the extent to which human use of language today is itself ritualistic. The questions above are by no means simple to answer, nor indeed is any question relating to the origin of the spoken word. How exactly language itself came about is a question which countless historians, evolutionists, biologists and linguists have tried, over many years, to answer without conclusive success. J. G. Penner, in his book Evolution Challenged by Language and Speech, in the appropriately named chapter How did language and speech originate? A confession of ignorance demonstrates this most effectively by quoting no less than 35 eminent experts, renowned in their respective fields, all essentially saying the same thing; that an understanding of exactly how language evolved is beyond human comprehension. Any attempts to explain it, it would appear, can never be much more than speculation. The evidence (that there is no evidence) is certainly compelling. In light of this, it would seem appropriate and wise to proceed with an understanding that whilst we can attempt to answer these questions, the approach, will, by necessity, be purely theoretical in essence. That said, the lack of concrete scientific evidence should not be a reason to discredit all theories completely – this essay will attempt to explore some of the more persuasive theories in investigating the link between ritualistic behaviour and the development of language. In John Haiman’s essay Perspectives on Grammaticalization, he starts by positing the concept of a ritual’s evolution into signals using the example of a basic rite performed by insects – the mating ritual of the dancing fly. Originally the male dancing fly would present the female with a smaller dead insect wrapped in silk. The purpose was for the male to use the opportunity presented by the female’s preoccupation and engagement in unwrapping the bundle to mount her, achieving his instinctual aim of copulation and impregnation. Over many years, the dead insect itself became superfluous, and now, whilst the ritual itself remains the same, the silk parcel presented to the female is empty. This, Haiman explains, has transformed the nature of the ritual inasmuch as the presenting of the empty wrapping alone has evolved into a process which serves purely as a mating signal. The above example serves to demonstrate the evolutionary complexities and potential for development in ritualistic behaviour, however, in order to postulate the origins of the spoken word it would make more sense to consider our closest primate cousins. In The Talking Ape: How Language Evolved Robbins Burling poses the question: â€Å"How did we get from an ordinary primate that could not talk to the strange human primate that can’t shut up?† (p.4)[1] Chimpanzees and Bonobos are clearly also a great deal further along the evolutionary scale than the dancing fly, but Burling provides a very similar example of the development of signal, or ‘ritualisation’, in the evolution of lip-curling in primates. As he explains, the retraction of the lip as a precursor to biting would originally have been a simple movement in order to facilitate the action of biting itself and nothing more; were the lip not to be moved, the ape would bite it. Over millions of years, the curling of the lip would have been universally recognised as a precursor to aggressive behaviour; an imminent bite. Natural selection would favour a) those clever enough to recognise this warning sign of aggression and escape without harm, and b) those who were clever enough to curl their lips and repel aggressors without needing to fight; â€Å"The sign would have then evolved from a purely instrumental act into a stereotypic communicative signal. By evolving into a communicative symbol, the retracted lip became useful for both the aggressor and his potential victim†¦ after some thousands of generations, the behaviour became almost, or fully automatic.† (Burling pp.14-15)[2] Burling explains this process of ritualisation as a logical progression of what is widely considered to be an important concept in the development of language; comprehension. It is only when the significance of a given signal is understood that it becomes a sign of communication, and thus potentially an ancestor of spoken language: â€Å"The ritualization of the lip twitch turned an instrumental act into a communicative signal, but ritualization could not even begin until the twitch was understood. Other animal signals began much as did the retracted lip. Only after meaning is discovered in instrumental gestures or vocalizations can they be ritualized into stereotypic signals.† (p.15)[3] In what we mean by ritual, then, we may perhaps use John Haimans definition; A ritual is identified as one when it ceases to be a purely instrumental act and becomes a signthe ritualized activity is regularized so that its form is relatively independent of (emancipated from) its original stimulus. (p.5)[4] Using this approach then, the question arises, and it is one that has puzzled scholars from all disciplines for thousands of years: How did these signals evolve into spoken language? If we adhere to the logic of the argument presented by Burling, based upon comprehension and ritualisation, it can be put down to the process of evolution, namely natural selection. However, as Burling argues, there is a fundamental difference between the inheritance of basic animal signals, such as those described above, and the development of the spoken word. Natural selection may well have favoured those with the ability to comprehend visible or audible signs, but spoken language could never have been passed on genetically; it would have had to be learnt by the members of each successive generation. This is one of the most vital differences between us and our simian relatives. What distinguishes us from apes, more than anything else, is the ability to communicate via spoken language, as opposed to sig nals, or ‘visible language’ (p.122)[5]. Acknowledging all the while how difficult his task is, Burling attempts to answer the question of how audio signals developed from visual ones, going on to explore various theories including the beginnings of verbal communication as a development of vocal accompaniment to music, and â€Å"motherese†, the cooing vocalisation of mothers toward their children. Burling makes a significant distinction between human language and ‘human screams, sighs, sobs, and laughter’ (p.16)[6]. Our own ‘audible cries, howls, giggles and snorts, along with our visible scowls, smiles, and stares’, he argues, are directly descended from the ‘primate calls’ of the apes, and indeed bear far more relation to the latter than to spoken language. To Burling, our own ‘primate calls’ are, being solely based on instinct and governed directly and purely by emotion, inherent and genetically passed on from generation to generation (indeed, from our simian ancestors to us). Oral Language can only be learned anew. In Language in the Light of Evolution: Volume 1, The Origins of Meaning, James Hurford explores further the difference between learned and unlearned signals, but he takes a different tack to Burling when it comes to the significance of primate communication in the origin of spoken language. Whilst agreeing with the principle of the separateness of learned and inherent communication, Hurford does not draw quite such a radical division between primate calls and spoken language. He sees language as having evolved from a mixture of what is innate and what is learned: â€Å"†¦I see enough common ground between primate calls and human utterances not to give up the idea that the evolution of human language built upon the pre-existing use of arbitrary signals by animals to do things to each other† (p.119)[7] Indeed, Hurford sees the unlearned ‘primate calls’ themselves as a direct ancestor of spoken language. He uses the analogy of the modern wonders of nanotechnology having developed only as a result of the evolution of basic Stone Age tools. There would be no computers or spacecraft had it not been for those rudimentary early tools, however primitive they may have been. Hurford goes on to point out the role of emotion in governing the variance of spoken communication; â€Å"Human language is a unique naturally occurring case of learned and arbitrary symbolic communication, about objects and events in a shared external world. Alongside modern human language, and accompanying it in utterances, we find elements of the kind of non-referring communication that we have just surveyed in animals. Some aspects of speech, such as speed, loudness and pitch range, are iconically connected with the affective mood of the speaker, and these correlations are found across all languages with little variation. You can tell when a speaker is excited, even if you can’t understand a word he is saying. These aspects of human language behaviour are largely unlearned, and come instinctively. They have been called ‘paralanguage’, implying that they do not belong to a language system proper.† (p.120)[8] Hurford quite correctly draws attention to the fact that what he describes as ‘paralanguage’ can significantly alter the nature of the communication itself without changing a single word. A vast range of intonations can radically change spoken language, and these variances in pitch, expression and emphasis, which often serve to indicate an emotion on the speaker’s behalf, have, as Hurford says, been shown to be very similar in spoken dialects all over the world, which would appear to indicate that they are indeed inherent (i.e. non-learned). It is in increasing our use and knowledge of the ‘learned’ aspect of language that we have grown apart from our primate relations and their ritualised, instinctive, signal-based communication. Burling however, in his absolute insistence on the mutual exclusivity of learned ‘primate calls’ (human and simian) and spoken language, appears in effect to have shut himself off from being able to reach a decisive conclusion about how exactly language came to evolve from the early, ritual-based, genetically inherited form of communication into the complex dialects spoken by humans today. He does little to hide the obvious difficulty he finds in making the leap from the â€Å"ordinary primate that could not talk to the strange human primate that can’t shut up†. Hurford takes a more inclusive view, and whilst acknowledging that ‘language proper’ is undeniably distinct and separate from ‘paralanguage’, he declares that ‘uniquely complex human language could not have evolved without the social ritualized doing-things-to-each-other scaffolding found in many other social species, including our nearest relatives, the primates’ (p.120)[9]. Given the limits of this essay it is only possible to explore [to a certain depth] a limited range of theory on the ritualistic origins of language, but the conclusion Hurford reaches appears to be a rational [and intelligent] one. Burling may be himself unable to convincingly bridge the gap between pant-hoots and human verbal discourse, but like Haiman, he does at least acknowledge that the roots of human language lie in ritualised behaviour. Haiman casts an intriguing perspective on the extent of ritualisation in language today. Certainly we may take Hurfords paralanguage, the contextualisation of spoken utterances dependent on variables such as pitch, intonation and volume as an example of ritualisation occurring from instinctive signal transmission. Having demonstrated, with his example of the dancing flies, an example of ritualisation resulting from repetition, Haiman expands the concept and explores the phenomenon of ritualisation occurring from what he calls grammaticalization – the transformation of the significance of verbal markers. Quoting Brophy and Partridge, he provides an example of soliders so inured to the word fuck, that its effect is practically reversed: So common indeed was [the word fuck] in its adjectival form that after a short time the ear refused to acknowledge it and took in only the noun to which it was attachedIt became so common that an effective way for the soldier to express emotion was to omit this word. Thus, if a sergeant said Get your f***ing rifles! it was understood as a matter of routine. But if he said Get your rifles! there was an immediate implication of emergency and danger. (Brophy and Partridge 1931: 16f) (p.9)[10] This look at a handful of theories relating to one of the most widely considered topics of language does, for all the various differences within, seem to point towards the fact that ritualistic behaviour was indeed an important, if not necessary step in the development of complex language as we know it today. The terms ritual and ritualisation are widely open to interpretation, but a brief glimpse at some of Haimans theories and examples of the ritualisation of modern language goes at least some way towards demonstrating the presence and significance of ritual still present in our spoken language today. Bibliography Boysson-Bardies, B (1991) â€Å"How Language Comes to Children†: MIT Press, Cambridge Burling, R (2005) â€Å"The Talking Ape†: Oxford University Press, UK Ellis, A Beattie, G (2005) â€Å"The Psychology of Language and Communication†: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Hove and London, UK Hurford, James R (2007) â€Å"Language in the Light of Evolution: Volume 1, The origins of Meaning†: Oxford University Press, UK Krebs, J.R Davies, N.B (Ed) (1984) â€Å"Behavioural Ecology: An Evolutionary Approach†: Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford McWhorter, J (2001) â€Å"The Power of Babe: A Natural History of Language†: William Heinemann, London Pagliuca, W (Ed) (1994) â€Å"Perspectives on Grammaticalization†: John Benjamins Publishing Company, Amsterdam Penner, J.G (2000) â€Å"Evolution challenged by language and speech†: Minerva Press, London 1 Footnotes [1] Burling, R (2005) â€Å"The Talking Ape† [2] ibid [3] Burling, R (2005) â€Å"The Talking Ape† [4] Pagliuca, W (Ed) (1994) â€Å"Perspectives on Grammaticalization† [5] Burling, R (2005) â€Å"The Talking Ape† [6] ibid [7] Hurford, James R (2007) â€Å"Language in the Light of Evolution [8] Hurford, James R (2007) â€Å"Language in the Light of Evolution [9] ibid [10] Pagliuca, W (Ed) (1994) â€Å"Perspectives on Grammaticalization†

Laissez-fair Economics :: essays research papers

The United States of America generally operates under an economic policy known as laissez fair (let people do as they choose) economics. This type of economic system allows nearly no government intervention beyond the minimum necessary to allow the free enterprise system to operate according to its own laws. Laissez fair holds the traditional American belief in individual rights and responsibilities that has led to the creation of the wealthiest nation in the history of the planet. We know this type of economic policy works because our country has prospered for so many years under its format. One portion of laissez fair economics that focuses on individual rights and responsibilities without government intervention pertains to owning a private business. The right for anyone to own and operate a private business in our country is the central idea to letting the people create their own wealth. New and upstart businesses have a chance to be successful because there is always another place in the market for new and innovative products. If you want to get rich you have to be inventive, produce a product that people can afford, and be better at serving customers to earn more capital. This all revolves around the individual and their responsibilities to make a better product to get ahead because if they relax someone else will swoop up their business and their money. People work harder, longer, and better if they are working for themselves or a private business rather than a communist government. Although the belief in individual rights and responsibilities is important there must be some kind of government intervention. The government helps regulate bad companies selling third rate products and helps protect the consumer from buying these products. The government also intervenes if a company has an unfair monopoly over the entire market to help promote smaller businesses to enter the market and have a chance to produce revenue. We also know that if there is total government control the wealth of the individual suffers. Some of the poorest countries in the world rely on a Socialist government and lack economic growth and wealth.

Dystopian Fiction Essay

Dystopian fiction is a world where everything is misery and is under strict order by the government and the people have no control and rights in the world they live in. The general reason why authors write dystopian fiction based books is to have criticism on society today or give warnings on the possibility of what could happen to our world and the devastating effects that can happen if we were to have a dystopian world. 1984 is set in a totalitarian society and this book gives us a message that too much government is a bad thing people should be able to have the right and should not be influenced under a totalitarian society. Harrison Bergeron is set in a world where everyone is equal and are handicapped to make sure everyone is equal and nobody can be different the book makes criticism of social engineering allowing stupidity. The calorie man is set in New Orleans and a smuggler Lalji as he tries to bring back fertility in crops and stop genetic manufacturing of food sources and c rop and stop the business making the profit. All of these book of us strong warnings of the possibility’s that our world could sir come to, if we don’t treat things with serious care the some mistakes made in the past could be made in the future, and that the world should not be shaped to only be benefited by a single man or company This book is all a totalitarian society. The author of the book is George Orwell, published in 1949, which back then made this books time zone was about the future. This is a story were the world is all controlled by 1 party. This party sets a lot of demands that the society has to follow day by day or they will be punished. The whole society is being watched through electrical devises, whom some are not aware of where they are located. In this story, there is a guy named Winston who is a part of the party whom is making all the rules and restriction for the society to follow. All of a sudden Winston does not want to be a part of the party and starts to give warning to people that there is too much government control and starts to warn people about the danger of living in a totalitarian society. The warnings from this story talk about how the government in the real world are in control of all of us and the fear is that one day they will take privilege of the power and start to make strict restriction just like how the party did in the book. In the book Harrison Bergeron tells a completely different version to 1984 instead of a world of a totalitarianism society it  is in a world where they make everyone equal and compared to the normal world where if you are different to the normal way we live you are silenced, but everyone is given handicaps in order to be equal. His parents one who is handicapped because of his intelligence are watching and he is on TV trying to inspire a revolution against handicapping the gifted, he is then latter shot on TV but his parents are to handicapped to of noticed what had happened. Anyone who has. This has warnings of socials engineering, society being dumbed down in order to be equal and warning about being difference being seen as a bad thing. The calorie man is set in the future were resources have dried up and scientist a genetically making food in the New Orleans, The author Paolo Bicigalupi and warns us of the effects that can happen of corporations having control over food sources and genetic engineering and the corporate control This book offers us warnings against failing to act on climate change, the risk of corporations dominating public life, and the risks of using genetic engineering to solve food problems, the possibility of terminator seeds becoming a reality. That could happen, He wants to give us a warning of intrusting too much to science and not doing anything to save and fix the environmental issues we face today. Story is about Lalji a smuggler who agrees to take a job ferrying a geneticist out of the calorie company’s lands and bringing him to New Orleans. It’s discovered that he has the ability to reintroduce fertility into crops again to break the control of the calorie companies. The purpose of dystopian fiction is to give us warnings and tell us the possibility’s to what could happen under a totalitarian society and it tells us that we should have our own rights and everybody should be equal, The point of 1984 was to tell us the consequences of what happens in a dystopian world and under totalitarian society and government.

Environment Scan and Industry Analysis

Environment Scan and Industry Analysis Industry Description At early stages of development, the company at issue began operating as Great Cups of Columbus in Ohio area. The main concept of the company lied in delivering coffee in over-sized cups to adhere to their motto: â€Å"A Great Coffee of Coffee, at a Great Price†. Further development of company’s strategies focused on the analysis of its major competitors, such as Starbucks.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Environment Scan and Industry Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More To stand the competition, the managers started developing and, as a result, the company managed to expand its market share within a decade. With regard to economic variables, it should be stressed that the company is affected by such forces as economic rates, energy price, GDP tendencies, and acceptability. In this respect, higher employment rates might lead to changes to coffee consumption and to incre ase in food products sales at the account of retail coffee delivery. According to the information received from the U.S. Census Bureau (2006), there is a 7.6 % annual increase in sales of the company’s products. The company’s revenues, therefore, increased from $ 7 billion in 2000 up to $ 11 billion in 5 years (Specialty Coffee Association of America, 2005). Regarding the societal and demographic factors, it should be stressed that coffee is considered one of the most consumed products in the United States and abroad. Therefore, greater demand for coffee can be ensured through increasing the quality of product and services for consumers. Currently, the company continues its expansion policy by developing new coffee stores in different regions and considering new cultural and social layers of the US population (Great Cups Coffee Company, 2011). As a result of the proposed strategy, consumer’s analysis has triggered the coffee producers to focus on sustainable cof fees that are more concerned with environmental factors. As compared to alcohol and tobacco products, the coffee has strengthened its position at the market due to the enhanced brand loyalty and development of a new concept of the product as a noble beverage. Within the industry matrix, the major criteria for company’s success involve such aspects as convenience of location, product quality, service speed, product range, and pricing strategy. Porter’s Five Forces Analysis The consideration of the factors determining the successful development and profitability of industry is important because it allows the managers to predict future potential and shortcomings of industry expansion (Ahlstrom Bruton, 2009).Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More With regard to these issues, the Great Cups Coffee Company should be more focused on such forces as locati on and price that are interconnected in the fight for a competitive advantage. The proposed Strategic Group Map developed below considers the above-mentioned aspects. The graphic diagram demonstrates the competitiveness of the leading coffee industries with regard to price and location. From the above-established indices, it is seen that Great Cups is the most successful in terms of its pricing and location policy whereas Starbucks is more focused on price rather than on location and, therefore, its competitiveness is much higher than the Great Cups. Second, lower price of the Great Cups’ products does not ensure its advantage over other producers due to the lack of the brand image, as compared to Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts. Therefore, this gap should be fulfilled to continue their market expansion. Despite the disadvantages, the Great Cups Coffee has a beneficial position in terms of reasonable price, high quality products, and market segmentation. In order to prevent the risks, specific emphasis should be placed on societal environment analysis to present coffee as a brand, but not as a commodity to be consumed. A Summary of Opportunities and Threats to Retail Coffee Chains Participating in the Coffee Industry Due to the great competition and a range of directions for development, the Great Cups Coffee Company has great opportunities for market expansion due to the rapid growth in the coffee industry. The emergence of new distribution channels, as well as product expansion, can provide a new option for developing the image of the product and create the shift from consumerist ideology (Hunger Wheelen, 2003). In addition, expansion of stores and exploration of new geographic locations is also crucial because it allows managers to predict the needs of new clients’ base. Finally, developing a limited product portfolio and presenting store names should also widen the company’s opportunities and provide a competitive advantage.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Environment Scan and Industry Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As per the threats, the company should constantly invent new strategies to face rigid competition because coffee is considered among the most consumed products all over the world. Further, pricing strategy and demand rates must be considered as a solution to the brisk competition. The Great Cups Coffee’s major competitor is Starbucks that successfully uses its pricing and location philosophy to be the leading coffee provider (Gillespie, 2005). Finally, the company should also pay attention to the cultural environment and moral codes within an organization to strengthen the values among the employees. Both consumers and employees should be aware of the strong mission of an organization that relies on improvement of the overall climate and quality of services. References Ahlstrom, D., Bruton, G. D. (2009). Inte rnational Management: Strategy and Culture in the Emerging World. US: Cengage Learning. Gillespie, E. M. (2005). Starbucks sees growing demand for drive-thru coffee. The Associated Press. Web. Great Cups Coffee Company (2011). About Great Cups. Web. Hunger, J. D. Wheelen, T. L. (2003). Essentials of strategic management (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Specialty Coffee Association of America (2005). Specialty Coffee Retail in the USA 2005. Web.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More U.S. Census Bureau (2006). Advance monthly sales for retail and food services: July 2006 release. Web.