Factors Affecting Customer-Centric Website Design Essay

Factors Affecting Customer-Centric Website Design - Essay Example The paper concludes that website designers must exploit Cloud technologies and use teams that are multicultural and gender sensitive when designing their websites if they truly want to make their customers the centre of their work. Introduction The infrastructure known as the Internet has been at the heart of globalisation, flattening the world, and causing disruptive change in business bringing about new models and new products and services. At its core the web browser has been the most visible interface for consumers and businesses to enjoy these changes brought about by the Internet. With increasing use and time spent on the internet, and with the accompanying information overload, businesses are seeking to capture differentiate themselves through website designs that attract and engage customers. It is within this context that web designers are being tasked to come up with customer-centred websites. Customer-centric web design aims at creating a website that is intended to meet t he specific needs of customers as opposed to all web visitors. When considering customer-centred design, Schneider (2011) recommends focusing on the customer buying process. Garrett (2003) suggested that there are six key areas that the web designer will need to focus on to enhance the users’ experience: visual design, information architecture, information design, navigation design, interaction design, and content. Given the highly fluid nature of the internet and its associated technologies, web designers are finding it difficult to design the much desired customer-centric websites. In the next section, the paper begins by trying to understand why customer-centric web design is so important for any individual or organisation that is putting up or has a website. After that the paper discusses three factors that make achieving customer-centric web design difficult. First it discusses the effect of culture and gender, then the impact of the emergence of the mobile web and f inally the rise of prosumerism. The paper then concludes with suggestions on possible techniques that web designers could use to tackle the challenge posed by these three factors. Literature Review Importance of Customer-Centric Web Designs Naturally, one would ask why is achieving customer-centric web designs so important to warrant its discussion? Porter (2001) argued that the internet weakened industry profitability by influencing the five forces that underlie industry structure. The Internet reduced switching costs and shifted bargaining power to end consumers. The web essentially changed the dynamics of the relationship between organisations and their customers. The customer is now more empowered and more in control of the relationship than ever before (Perfetti, 2006). The web has not only made it easier for customers to find alternatives but it has also lowered the costs they incur either in searching for alternatives or moving to them. Customers only care about that whic h is important to them. This means that if they cannot find the products, services or information that brought them to a particular website, they will simply go elsewhere. To prevent customers from going elsewhere makes it necessary for organizations to design their websites with the customer as the core focus. Also, it has been found that there is a big distinction between the numbers of people who visit a website and those

The Economic Impacts of Major Sporting Events Essay

The Economic Impacts of Major Sporting Events - Essay Example There are disagreements as well about the relevant economic factors that should be included in the measurements. This paper presents three extensively criticised, but widely used, models of economic impact analysis, namely, (1) social value, (2) economic multipliers, and (3) input-output paradigm. In order to explain the arguments more clearly the discussion includes research findings or case studies on previous sporting events, such as the World Cup and Olympics. Introduction Several economists observe sizeable economic gains from events occurring from the incentives they confer to businesses. State funding of sporting events, though they are unstable, is usually rationalised by the argument that the events generate economic gains for the areas, where in they are held, but that these gains are not completely supported by the economic feasibility of the event itself (Hall 1994). The financial evaluation of the effect of sporting events on the economy is at the root of contentious dis agreements among economists. According to Dwyer and colleagues (2005), arguments put emphasis at the same time on what should be assessed or calculated, and on the best technique for analysing the economic impacts of large-scale sporting events on the community that hosted it. It appears that there is frequently uncertainty between the economic productivity and economic effect of major sporting events. ... The Nature and Economy of Sporting Events Sporting event as a sector of the economy is huge. In the United States, sport was one of its biggest industries in 1995. Moreover, in 1996, the sport sector was measured to be around $100 billion annually, and forecasted to be worth $139 billion by 2000. In 1997, soccer was measured to be $10 billion in Europe (Forster & Pope 2004, 1). This appears likely to be a stark miscalculation when very few associations separately yield roughly $100 million yearly. In 1995, the British Sports Council calculated that it comprises 2.5% of global trade. This number comprises intangibles like royalties and revenues and physical commodities like facilities. There are additional statistics, all inherently incongruent (Forster & Pope 2004, 1). Sporting events yield roughly 1% of local ‘value-added’ and around 1 ?% of employment in the UK. The US Tennis Open in 2000 produced $699 million to the economy of New York (Forster & Pope 2004, 2). Howeve r, the dilemma is that these statistics merely provide peeks of different components of sport. According to Statistics Canada (Forster & Pope 2004, 2): ... the amount of sport data currently available is insufficient to provide a comprehensive profile of the nature, benefits and value of sport... the data that are available are difficult to compare due to conceptual and definitional differences. Sporting events are a branch of what is termed the ‘weightless economy’. For several grounds that are in conflict material physical production has dropped substantially as GDP percentage across the globe—thus the concept of ‘weightless economy’ (Shin 2010, 105). Alan Greenspan focused on the IT sector but a broad transition from

Construction Waste Management Strategies

Construction Waste Management Strategies Introduction The construction sector is an important solid waste generator. In Brazil, the recent economic and politics growth has rapidly encouraged further development and investment in the construction sector. Nevertheless, such speedy growth of the Brazilian’s construction has brought an elevated concern and attention to the waste problem and its management for a developing country growth like Brazil. Nagalli, 2012 Like in Europe, Brazil has a compulsory regulation on construction projects to reduce the construction and demolition waste. The national laws obligate the builders to be responsible for the waste of their works. It is legally consolidated and requires the builders a proactive posture in sense to planning the waste management. Nagalli, 2012. The municipalities are the responsible party on the waste management in Brazil, except for the private investments such as (industries, private constructions or demolitions, etc.). Bà ¡ez et al. 2012. However, only (11) which presents (0.25%) of about 5000 Brazilian municipalities have construction and demolition (CD) waste recycling center As well as there are (13) stationary plants and recycling waste center produced in local communities. Therefore, it’s quite clear that a large part of the waste is not recycled in Brazil. It is also worth mentioning that since the established of CONAMA 2002 (Brazilian Environmental Protection Agency); things are moving better and all Brazilian local governments are nowadays obliged to prepare and adopt strategies for sustainable management of CD waste. MMA, 2002. All investors are obliged to produce feasibility studies plans of the production and use of construction and demolition (CD) wastes materials of each project. Notwithstanding, a very little amount of researches have been conducted to demonstrate the feasibility of the construction and demolition (CD) waste recycling centers. Professional inquiries illustrated that private projec ts which produces 20 tons per hour (t/h) or less of CD waste processing flow will probably not be met financially to continue, due to the low productivity and lack manufactured product prices, as the use of manufactured products are still not widespread so the investment in recycling on large scale with complex facilities centers will not be cost-effective neither. 02 Feasibility Analysis : Many studies and researches are taken place to develop plans for the feasibility study for the complex projects and the (CD) waste recycling centers in Brazil. One of this study was by UNIDO (1987), which presented a structural model for feasibility studies to complex projects, including a huge investments from different sources of funding and simplify the study and structure then adding control elements described by another important study from Kohler (1997), the following main stages were identified in preliminary feasibility studies for construction and demolition (CD) waste recycling centers as follows: Analysis of market needs and the amount of existing competition from different sources. Depends on the geographical location of the center. Assessment and estimated of waste generation. Depends on the geographical location of the center. The estimated incomes and cost from the construction and demolition waste. Investment analysis in construction and demolition waste field. Market Competition study analysis: There are plentiful resources for civil construction combining several elements in Brazil. The main consumer construction and demolition waste centers are located in areas with good and convenient quality of different reserves. According to DNPM (2003), â€Å"sand and gravel are low in price and produced in large quantities. Transport costs correspond to around 2/3 of the end price of the product, which make it necessary to produce sand and gravel as near as possible to the consumer market, which are the urban agglomerates†. In Brazil, which is one of the developing countries, the rate of consumption is estimated at approximately (2) tons /inhabitant a year. Sindipedras (2004). Comparing that figure with Europe countries, we found that Brazil has low consumption where the average consumption in Europe reaches (8-10) tons/inhabitant a year. Taking into account that the population in Brazil is about (180 million) IBGE(2000), so the total consumption estimated to nearly (270) tons a year about (175) million cubic meter. Table no.1: The rate of construction aggregates prices without transport.( SINDIBRITA.2004). Aggregates Aggregate grading Prices (excl. taxes) ( Prices (incl.taxes) (diameter in mm) (GBP $/m ³) (GBP $/t) (GBP $/m ³) (GBP $/t) Sands 3.10 1.80 4.00 2.35 Stone powders 3.10 2.00 4.00 2.55 Gravel 0, 1, 2, 3 from 5.0 to 75.0 3.80 2.60 4.85 3.36 Mixed Gravel from 5.0 to 55.0 3.10 1.75 4.00 2.27 ESTIMATED PRODUCTION OF CD WASTE We should know the productivity and collection of (CD) waste to find out the needs and the interest of developing and establishing recycling centers. From Table no.2 below, estimates from the production and collection of construction and demolition (CD) waste in some of the main Brazilian Cities: Table 2: Estimative for production / collection of CD waste in some Brazilian cities (Nunes, 2004) Cities Estimative of CD waste Year- Population (IBGE, Production per inhabitant (kg/inhab.day) Collection per inhabitant Produced Collected 2000) (kg/inhab.day) Riode Janeiro n/a 1,100 2003 5,850,000 n/a 0.20 Salvador n/a. 2,750 2000 2,450,000 n/a 1.15 Sà £o Paulo 16,000 3,400 2001 10,440,000 1.55 0.40 Ribeirà £o Preto 1,100 200 2003 505,000 2.00 0.55 Sà £o Josà © 740 n/a 1995 540,000 1.50 n/a Piracicaba 635 n/a. 2003 330,000 1.88 n/a Vinhedo n/a. 10 2003 48,000 n/a 0.32 Guarulhos n/a. n/a. 1,100,000 n/a n/a Ribeirà £o Pires n/a. n/a. 105,000 n/a. n/a Sà £o Josà © do Rio Preto 690 n/a. 1996 360,000 1.92 n/a Santo Andrà © 1,000 n/a 1996 650,000 1.56 n/a. Belo Horizonte n/a. 2,300 2000 2,240,000 n/a 1.05 Londrina 1,300 n/a 2003 450,000 2.86 n/a Brasà ­lia n/a. n/a 2,055,000 n/a n/a Macaà © 40 2003 133,000 n/a 0.34 Florianà ³polis 635 n/a 2001 286,000 2.23 n/a Averages 2.00 0.65 The Rio de Janeiro city estimates a collection of 1,100 ton/day (0.20 kg/inhabitant .day), an amount below the average in other cities under study. The reason that some municipalities are less than the average for the disposal of waste is the illegal and calculated within the general waste in official statistical tables. IBGE (2000) ESTIMATED REVENUES AND COSTS In Brazil, the equipment used in the (CD) waste recycling center requires large investment. Most equipment used in the mining sector, which is one of the largest and powerful sector in Brazil, this was calculated when analysis or estimate the profits and benefits of investment. The Table no.3 below shows the form of the fixed capital investment required for (20) tons/hour which we can call it as a small center and (100) tons/hour as a medium center depending on the size of the production and the new or used equipment. It’s possible to add some cost with equipment and site, the costs with site acquisition, transportation and the way of disposal the recycling center rejects. Nunes (2004) Through consultations to many professionals, it was found that the minimum size of a site for  a recycling center would be: (a) 6.000 m ² the appropriate area for the (20) tons/hour recycling centers; (b) 30.000 m ² area for the (100) tons/hour recycling centers. Table 3: Investment in fixed capital and the operational costs (summary). SINDIBRITA (2004). Operational Costs Fixed Costs CONCLUSION: The Brazilian civil construction’s aggregates are available in wide range with good quality and close to the urban consumer centers. It’s worth mentioning that both aggregates as well as several new construction projects prices have been low for some time. Hence, and in order to attract more clients and bring better attention to such industry, the prices of the recycled aggregates must be competitive with the natural aggregates. Meanwhile, the (CD) waste reception as well as the recycling centers has to compete with the landfills. According to the Brazilian state-of-art, large amounts of inert material are usually needed to cover the landfill cells. The material is also required to build the access roads and maneuvering areas for the waste collection trucks on the landfills. Therefore, the inert landfills do set as high competitors with recycling centers in relation to reception of (CD) waste. It was therefore recommended that two different recycling centers’ pro jects should be analyzed in order to capitalize and boost such industry forward: one, a small scale (20 t/h), and the other midsize (100 t/h) with the assumption of the use of processed products and the absence of (CD) waste recycling projects in the country due to the lack of such industry tradition, the feasibility of future private recycling centers will initially be somewhere between the two aforementioned capacities. Nunes (2004) References: Andrà © Nagalli , (2012) â€Å"Quantitative Method for Estimating Construction Waste Generation† Bà ¡ez AG, Sà ¡ez PV, Merino MR, Navarro JG (2012). Waste Management. MMA (Ministry of the Environment) (2002) CONAMA Resolution no. 307. UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization) (1987). Kohler, G. (1997), Practice of Recycling: Construction Materials. CONAMA 2002(Brazilian Environmental Protection Agency). Ângulo, S. C. (2002) (Development of new markets for the recycling of CD waste). DNPM (National Department for Mineral Research) (2006). Sindipedra (Federation of the Gravel Mining Industry of the State of Sà £o Paulo) (2004). IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics) (2000)

Essay --

The Evolution of Air Defense Artillery the time was the late 1800’s and the airplane was created and included in that warfare adopted those and made of then warplanes so every country had to make something to defend their lands from the attacks form their respective enemies. The term of anti-aircraft artillery (AA) witch was a detachment from the field artillery by modifying their weapons so that they can be able to reach the low flying aircraft attacking their territory. But the term of air defense was first used by Great Britain in the year of 1925 by the royal air force. One of the first weapons used in AA was the Gustav Krupp used to shoot down the ballons in the Franco-Prussian War with took place in the 1870. A few years later in Europe the Krupp, Erhardt, Vickers Maxim, and Schneider were created to be used as AA weapons. But here in the US the first anti-aircraft cannon was created by the Admiral Twining the 3"/23 caliber gun for the US Navy in 1911. But later on, the aircraft were also evolving so every country had to evolve their ways to take down their enemies for example...

Catch me if you can film review

Frank Abagnale Jr was an intelligent man, one of the most successful con men in history. Frank lived as a pilot, a doctor and a lawyer all before his 21st birthday. The primary technique he used was defrauding banks using different fake cheque schemes eventually amounting to over 2. 5 million dollars. Much of what Frank accomplished defied believability. There were many factors that motivated Frank to become so successful at bank freud and many factors that kept him running from and towards a destination.When actions speak louder then words, the film unfolds. In the beginning of the film, the viewer becomes aware that his father, Frank Sr., is a huge role model for him and becomes the source of Frank’s longing for acceptance and appreciation. Frank idolizes his father no matter what, and acquires significant tricks and knowledge from him that he then puts to use in the future.As the film moves along the viewer gets a look at what Franks life is like growing up in a stable uppe r/middle class life. Frank encounters a traumatic moment when he stumbles upon his mom cheating on his father and then his mother bribing him with money to feel better, both future motivations for Franks running and views on money.Once his parents are divorced Frank wants everything to be okay and to have the perfect family back together, no matter the cost. In his eyes, his father just needs to win his mother back with a better life and material things, another motivation, when in reality, the relationship has been over for quite some time, a truth made clearly evident by his mother’s affair. Unable to deal with the stress of choosing which parent to live with, Frank runs away and soon realizes he needs to find a way to make money quickly. Early on in the film the viewer gets a taste of where Franks techniques originate from.We learn that Frank Sr owned a stationary store which sold paper for different types of cheques, giving Frank the ability to distinguish different types of paper, and know the machines he's going to have to use in the future. Franks very first impersonation was along side his dad, when he posed as his chauffeur, this then gives Frank the idea to then later impersonate a substitute teacher at his new school which he gets away with for a week. Eventually Frank becomes confident in his abilities to fool many people and becomes a very cunning, charming and convincing young man.He first begins to create fake cheques at different banks, scamming them out of hundreds of dollars and eventually realizing he needs to find a different way to bring in a steady cash flow. He decides to therefore impersonate a pilot for Pan Am Airlines as a â€Å"deadhead† who is a backup pilot and therefore does no actual flying on the plane. Meanwhile the FBI’s fraud division has caught on to Frank’s scams and begins to track him down with one detective leading the investigation: Carl Hanratty, a determined, tenacious character who loves h is job. It becomes Carl’s personal goal to find Frank with little to no support from the rest of the FBI.Frank continues to scam his way across the country becoming a doctor and a lawyer and even getting married. But what is it that keeps him going? Throughout the film there are a few moments where the viewers are able to truly get into the head of Frank and try to understand why he continues to flee. For example, there are two scenes where Frank has lunch with his dad while he's still being chased. In the first, Frank is still a deadhead for Pan Am, we see that Frank is trying to demonstrate that he has money to his father by buying him a cadillac.Frank Sr, is very impressed by his kind actions and is proud of his son, this gives Frank Jr the feeling that what he is doing is right and therefore motivates him to continue so he can continue to impress and provide for his father and perhaps fix the relationship between his parents. In the second meeting with his father the view er quickly catches on to the more sour feel of the meeting. Frank Jr appears to be upset as his father has by now caught on to what he is doing, he then asks his father to tell him to stop, to which his father replies; you cant stop. Hearing those words enrages Frank and empowers him to keep going even more.Frank keeps going until finally he is arrested and put in a french prison where Hanratty comes to bring him back to the United States. Back in in the U. S Frank tries one last time to escape and runs all the way to his old home where he sees his mother in the window and her new child. Frank sees that he is no longer his mothers child and finally stops, realizing he can never again unify his family and that he has nowhere to run to anymore. Conversely at the end of the film the viewers learn that Hanratty is able to give Frank a job in the FBI cheque freud division, taking him out of jail.In conclusion what Frank Abagnale Jr is running to is the hope that one day he could find a w ay of fixing and unifying the broken family that was once so happy and in love. Consequently, Frank is also running from the idea that he will not be able to achieve this and the more obvious reasons like getting caught by Hanratty and being sent to jail. All in all, this film is a great movie showing the huge importance of family in a kids life and giving people the notion that nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it.

How Does Medea’s Personality Shift During the Play ? Essay

In the play Medea, the mythical Greek hero , Jason abandons his wife Medea and prepares to marry Princess Glauce of Corinth to secure a throne and the power and wealth of the kingdom. These events trigger various transformations in Medea’s character and emotional state; from suicidal despair at the beginning of the play, to apprehension and indecision when first faced with killing her children and finally to remorseless fury which leads her to undertake unnatural means to achieve her revenge. The play immediately introduces us to Medea’s total despair after being abandoned by Jason, giving the audience new insight into how Medea’s intense emotional pain turns her against those who inflict it (Jason) and all of his emotional attachments (Glauce and his children.) Early in the play, Medea demands â€Å"What use is life to me?† (line 96), showing her sadness and helplessness in the wake of her abandonment by Jason. With this line Euripedes implores the audience to sympathize with Medea who appears to be victimized by Jason’s callous behavior. Medea’s conflicting impulses about killing her children are revealed in her monologue in lines 1018-1080. In line 1057 she exposes her desire to spare her children saying â€Å"Let them alone, you miserable woman, spare your children†. However despite her initial apprehension to the task, the monologue concludes with her definitive resolution to murder her children, â€Å"I understand what evil I am about to do but my wrath is stronger even than my thoughts†(lines 1078-1079). For the rest of the play, she will no longer question her decision. While it can be argued that her children’s deaths are fated from the beginning, this speech can be seen as definitive turning point in her thinking as a character, as she has become firm and resolute in her decision. Finally, her cruel and vindictive natures prevails and she declares to the audience her desire that â€Å"They [her children] must die and since they must I who brought them into the world, will kill them†. This declaration shows her certainty that her illogical behaviour is both deserved and just under the circumstances. Medea’s vindictive nature causes her to wreak havoc on the Corinthian royal family as well as on her own family, especially her two innocent sons. Her complete conviction in her own actions and lack of remorse is shown when she declares to Jason, â€Å"I have wrenched your heart as I had to do.†

Otto von Bismarck essays

Otto von Bismarck essays Otto von Bismarck was born at Schonhausen on I April 1815. Bismarck came from a Pomeranian Junker family. Bismarck grew up in the powerful German state of Prussia. When Bismarck was young, he was a big man due to eating and drinking too much; he was always ready for a duel. Bismarck wore a full beard for long periods of his life. Bismarck went to the best Berlin grammar school; then he went to study laws at the University of Gottingen in Hanover and University of Berlin. After qualifying the examination, Bismarck entered Prussian civil service and became a judicial administrator at Aachen. His career in the civil service was not a success. Bismarck served there for a short period of time. When he finished serving Bismarck was 24. Bismarck married with Johanna von Puttkamer when he was 30. Bismarck believed that he shared the same belief with the God in making Prussia strong and in unifying Germany; he had once said, You would not have had such a Chancellor if I had not the wonderful basis of religion (21). In 1847, Bismarck became a member of the united diet. Bismarck opposed every liberal proposal. In 1848, the ideals of French Revolution spread to Germany. There was a popular uprising of liberals in Germany. Conservative Bismarck opposed the liberal revolution in 1848. In 1851, Bismarck gained prominence and was chosen to become the Prussian delegate to the Federal diet when he was 36. During the Crimean War, Bismarck convinced the government to refuse to mobilize army of the German Federal diet to help Austria in Balkans. Bismarck saw no point to help Austria: I dont recognize any right in foreign policy (29). Bismarck also worried that it might alienate other countries. Thus, Prussia stayed neutrality. During the 1850s, Bismarck served Prussia as a diplomat at the Frankfurt Diet of German states. During his years at Frankfurt, Bismarck only concerned about the conflict wi...

Global Warming Reflection Paper Essays

Global Warming Reflection Paper Essays Global Warming Reflection Paper Paper Global Warming Reflection Paper Paper The film is directed by Davis Guggenheim and presented by former United States vice president AAA Gore. The purpose of the film is to educate the earth population about the dangers Of global warming. The damage the people of earth are doing to the climate with regards to over population, plant factory chemicals, gas guzzling trucks, cutting trees, smoke decreasing the ozone layer, and not recycling. AAA Gore provides examples and pictures regarding the effects of global warming on earth. For example, the melting of big chunks of ice, the sea level rises with the melting of the ice, and he earth becoming hotter. Additionally, AAA Gore provides information of the dangers the humans will receive if the climate gets warmer. Furthermore, the film shows helpful steps to take to have a greener earth and slow the global warming. Environmental and social implications regarding climate changes Climate changes are affecting the earth worldwide. According to Arctic Melt Unnerves the Experts article The Arctic ice cap shrank so much this summer that waves briefly lapped along novo long-imagined Arctic shipping routes, the Northwest Passage over Canada and the Northern Sea Route over Russia (NY Times, 2007). Ice glaciers are melting and sea levels are increasing. The climate change has produced many environmental disasters. The over population is sending people farther into the rain forests to build houses. For example, people have invaded the rain forests and are destroying many trees. Additionally, the warmer temperatures are increasing the changes of Tsunamis in Hurricanes in different parts of the world. In addition, many factories are polluting the environment with their deadly gases. The gases are destroying the ozone layer and the sun rays are doing more damage to the humans such as cancer. : Furthermore, the factory gases, agricultural sprays, smog from cars and many deadly toxic are increase the risks of cancers in humans and damaging the environment. The climate changes are changing the environment and how the people live their social lives. Questions regarding the global warming 1. AAA Gore states that the burning of the rainforests contributes over 30 percent of the carbon dioxide to the Earths atmosphere. What are other implications and consequences inherent in the destruction of the global rainforests? What do you think could be done about this matter? According to the movie, the consequences of destruction of rainforests are that as more trees are felled there will be fewer trees to remove the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The global carbon dioxide level will increase in the greenhouse effect. To avoid damaging rain forests globally, the governments around the world should create laws that can fine people who destroy the forests. 2. Al Gore uses a quote from Winston Churchill to warn about another impending disaster taking place in the 1 asss that is related to current public apathy about global warming. What impending disaster was referred to in the quotation? According to the film, the impending disaster at the time was a WI and the war would bring disaster to the earth world wide. On the other hand if the humans do not take steps to stop the global warming; it will bring disasters to the earth. 3. The Kyoto Accord was not signed by the United States and Australia. Why not? According to Alternate Energy Resources website, Australia and the LISA. Both are major emitters of greenhouse gases, on a per capita basis. The main argument of these countries was that to reduce emissions they would hurt their economies. 4. How Can peer reviewed information about global warming in professional journals and information about global warming in the popular press can be reconciled? The peer reviewed information from journals and from popular press can be reconciled by exchanging info between the two. Additionally, freedom of speech should be another technique that should be used to merge the info. Some of the popular press does not want to publish global warning information because their superiors do not support it. 5. The plight of the polar bear related to global warming is all too evident. What other animals in the Artic Circle and Antarctica are endangered as the ice caps disappear? According to the movie An Inconvenient Truth, seals, penguins, wolves, land birds are endangered species in Arctic Circle and Antarctica. 6. At no time does AAA Gore mention nuclear energy. Why do you think AAA Gore avoids discussing this source of energy? How much energy in the United States is derived from nuclear energy? Find the nation that maximizes the use of nuclear energy? According to Wisped, The United States produces the most nuclear energy, with nuclear power providing 19% of the electricity it consumes, while France produces the highest percentage of its electrical energy from nuclear reactors-?80% as of 2006. 7. AAA Gore mentions Carl Eagan several times. Who was he? According to Wisped, he was an American astronomer, astrophysicist, author, cosmologist, and highly successful popularized of astronomy, astrophysics and other natural sciences. 8. Why does AAA Gore use the term canaries to refer to the Article Circle and Antarctica in the context of global warming? According to Maroon Lewis on the Asss Gore science fiction article There are two places on Earth that serve as canaries in the coal mine-?regions that are especially sensitive to the effects of global warming, I. E. The Arctic and the Antarctic. In the Arctic, Temperatures are shooting upward there faster than at any other place on the planet. 9. What is the difference between the Article Circle and Antarctica? According to David R. Cook, The Antarctic is a continent that just happens to be at the south-pole. There are ice sheets that extend out from the continent, making it appear larger than the actual land area. The Arctic Circle is a bit different because much of that area is not composed of land, but of sea water and thick ice. The Arctic is virtually flat, whereas Antarctica has an unbelievable variety of relief, including some large mountain ranges. Plus, the Arctic and Antarctica result in some different weather at the Non locations. Recommend survival strategies for the here and now, and the future The survival strategies for the here and now should be the same for the future. The number one goal for the humans should be to have a plan to decrease the warming weather; which is to create more green products that humans constantly use. For example, using paper should be limited at offices and schools. Plastic bottles, bags, cans, and any item that needs to be recycled. As stated by the Overpopulation and Climate Change article Approaches to achieving reductions include frugality; greater use of energy- efficient devices; carbon capture and sequestration; emission-neutral means f generation; rainforests protection; a levy on emissions (carbon tax); and the lease or purchase of emission rights by over-emitters from under- emitters (cap-and-tradeY (NY Times, 2010). The government should create a law that demands people to recycle and fine if the people do not. Gas saving cars should be another example of the environment; no more gas guzzling cars. Plus, recycle any old cars that can damage the environment with smog should be dismantle. Additionally, factories that produce harmful gases to the environment such as the carbon dioxide should make a priority to reduce hose gases annually. The United States and Australia should sign the Kyoto Accord and help reduce some of those deadly gases that affect the ozone layer. If every country in the world reduced their gases and people start gong greener; the climate change may take a step backward. The global warming can slow down and the colder weather can help restore the ice glaciers, reduce the sea levels and prevent any future disasters. The change in going greener and reducing the deadly gases and chemical will help the here and now people as well as the future. On the other hand, if the weather gets warmer the climate will cause more disasters and perhaps the future will not have more humans.

Bikin for Bruises

â€Å"Oh man,† my friend moaned. â€Å"Look at her bike!† He motioned towards a girl in a bright yellow running shirt, obviously one of the more experienced bikers. She was walking a shiny, expensive blue bike through the parking lot. But the entire left pedal was shattered†¦completely gone, except for a stub of black metal. â€Å"Geez†¦are you sure we’re up for this?† I ask. It was our first time mountain biking. We had no idea what we were getting into. â€Å"I dunno, man,† he said. â€Å"Let’s try it out. How hard could it be?† I climbed into the back of his beat up, silver pickup to unload the bikes. â€Å"I think we might need these,† he said, emerging from the truck with our helmets. â€Å"Haha, I hope not.† After making sure the strap was tight enough, I climbed on my green Trek and set off down the beaten path. The forest rushed past as we bumped along the dirt trail. For a half-mile, my eyes were set on my friend’s back tire and the occasional rock. Then, the trail got narrower and the turns became sharper. The first hill rose ahead, its top barely visible through the foliage. But after sweaty palms and burning thighs, we finally clambered to the summit. â€Å"You ready for this?† I ask, observing the trail ahead. It was no more than two feet wide and followed a slight curve with rocks, roots, and squirrels all over. â€Å"No turning back now, bro. Ladies first.† â€Å"Ha, funny,† I said sarcastically, â€Å"See you at the bottom†¦if you’re lucky.† I pushed of the forest floor and started down the slope. The trees raced past as I picked up speed. I felt every rock and root through my bike, through the seat and through the handlebars. Suddenly, I was jamming the brakes the whole way, doing everything in my power to not wipe out. Standing o n the pedals moved my center of balance forward, so every bump threatened to buck me off. Finally, the end of the hill approached. The ground flattened and I stopped accelerating. I could hear shouts of adrenaline as my friend started the decent. In the middle of the path, about 20 feet ahead, there was a stone. Three inches in diameter, it was no different than all the others on the way. I ignored this particular rock, because I figured I could handle it. It was just another bump. But this was a BIG MISTAKE. I hit the rock, still crouching on the pedals, close to the end of the hill. And then I went right over the handle bars. The world spun as my bike vanished beneath me. Somehow I ended up clearing the bike and landing on my feet—perfectly fine, but shaken. My friend cheered. â€Å"Hey, you okay?† he asked. â€Å"That looked nasty from back here.† He sounded concerned, but I can tell he’s still laughing on the inside. â€Å"Yeah, I’m alrigh t. Let’s do it again.† Whether on the mountain bike course, in the classroom, or at work, I bring a strong work ethic, adventurousness, and, most importantly, the ability to get back on the bike and keep going.

Sequence Diagram Flight Reservation System Assignment

Sequence Diagram Flight Reservation System - Assignment Example The sequence diagram is a critical part utilized in procedures of analysis and design documentation of user requirements. The sequence diagram is a tool of Unified Modelling Language (UML) that represents the interaction of different actors with the system in order to get a result/response (Bell, 2004). The Sequence diagram is one of the most usable and useful diagrams to represent the interaction of one or more objects’ interactions with one or more systems. It is pertinent to mention here that we have to develop / draw a Sequence diagram for each and every Use Case. The Sequence diagrams are used to model the usage scenario of the system, the logic of the methods and logic of the service. The sequence diagrams are used to describe the complicated operations, methods or functions in graphical or pictorial mode. Moreover, it also represents the services provided by the system to their clients, for example, the web services i-e online flight reservation system. The Use Case dia gram enables modelling of a business view of the scenario, the Sequence diagram contains implementation details of the scenario, including the objects and classes that are used to implement the scenario, and messages passed between the objects (Ambler, 2012). As per the sequence diagram (given below) of the online Flight Reservation System and the definition of the sequence diagram, the actors that were identified in Use Case Diagram (customer, website) has been utilized in the Sequence Diagram. The first actor is the 'Customer' that would interact with the 'Website' (system). As shown in the following figure, the customer does all the interaction with the system from searching flight till the provision of the PIN code. Initially, the customer opens the website of the service provider (airline or agent of the flight reservation) and clicks the search flight tab of the website. The website would open the flight search form and the customer has to enter the required information includ es: the departure and arrival airport, one way or round trip, the date of departure and return (if round trip) and the number seats / tickets. The customer submits the form and after processing, the website shows the search results. At this point the customer can go back to the search page and re-enter all the information, otherwise, the customer can select and book the flight. The website provides the review page along with payment information. The customer has to fill the form with required information include: full name, passport number and payment method (credit card information). The website provides the confirmation page and the customer confirms the booking. The system processes the customer’s request and presents a personal identification code (PIN) for the future reference (Popkin Software, 1998). Sequence Diagram Reference List Janssen, C., 2010. Sequence Diagram. [online] Available at: [Accessed 02 December 2012] Ambler, S. W., 2012. UML 2 Sequence Diagrams. [onlin e] Available at: [Accessed 02 December 2012] Bell, D., 2004. UML basics: The sequence diagram. [online] Available at: [Accessed 02 December 2012] Popkin Software., 1998. Modelling System with UML. [online] Available at: [Accessed 02 Dec

Othello and the lady with the dog Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Othello and the lady with the dog - Essay Example Yet he quickly shows that he is capable of believing that his wife is unfaithful with the slightest bit of evidence and insinuation and proceeds to commit vicious murders in order to avenge himself. Desdemona demonstrates love, honesty, and sincerity while in contrast Iago displays hate, jealousy, and malice and Othello starts at one end of the spectrum and swiftly moves to the other. Dmitry Gurov is the main character in Chekhov’s story and is described by himself and the author as a man with contradictory actions and beliefs. He is outwardly a good and honest father and husband while he secretly runs around on his wife and considers all women to be part of â€Å"the lower race† (Part I). Anna is seemingly embarrassed and ashamed of her feelings and actions towards Dmitry yet she openly denounces her husband and admits that she is unhappy in her life with him. Presentation is only one facet of these character’s lives while their actions and beliefs are another. While Iago is the essence of evil, he strives to portray himself otherwise in order to achieve the ends he desires, no matter the cost. He openly admits is dual nature to Roderigo: â€Å"In following him, I follow but myself; / Heaven is my judge, not I for love and duty, / But seeming so, for my peculiar end; / For when my outward action doth demonstrate / The native act and figure of my heart / In compliment extern, ‘tis not long after / But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve / For daws to peck at. I am not what I am† (I. i. 58-65). Iago is fully aware of his true feelings and his ability to manipulate others and lie in order to achieve whatever he wants. He admits that he is not who he seems to be and that he is purposeful in being so. He successfully convinces Othello that he was not the one to tell Brabantio of Othello’s relationship with his daughter Desdemona and that in fact Roderigo â€Å"spoke such

Configuration Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Configuration Management - Essay Example This paper would particularly discuss the research paper of I. Hsin Chou1 and his proposed methods to implement change in a nuclear power plant without compromising on the security of the system. In a nuclear power plant security is given utmost priority. Any lapse in security could have serious consequences. To ensure that there is no lapse in security during the implementation of any change regarding the software of the system some steps, related to security, needs to be included in the system development life cycle. 1. Introduction Software configuration management is the study of managing and tracking changes during the development of software. The main purpose of software configuration management is to provide coordination among individuals working on a change regarding particular software through a series of managerial and technical decisions2. 1.1 Importance of change management Proper change management could help increase the coordination between different departments and emp loyees. Change management also reduces the chances of errors and bugs in a program. The project manager is provided with complete knowledge, from the resources needed to the time of completion that the team needs to complete the change3. 1.2 Importance of tracking change As mentioned before software configuration helps with the management and tracking of the changes in software. It is understandable why there is a need to manage change but why track it. Tracking of change helps keep the project manager informed about the status of the change or what phase is the change going through, providing a general idea about the completion of the software4. 2. Use Of Software Configuration Management to Develop Nuclear Safety Software The difference between the development of commercial software and nuclear safety software is the increase in the risk factors. A fault in the safety system of a nuclear power plant could have dire economic and physical consequences. With so much at risk there is practically no room for error and the authorities responsible must be vigilante and make sure that no errors are left unchecked when it comes to nuclear safety. However safety during the development of nuclear based software has been ignored. 2.1 Problem As mentioned above software configuration helps manage change. The first step to configuration management is identifying the configuration items. Configuration items are the basic structural units of a configuration management system. These configuration items can range from the tools being used to the models being followed. After identifying the configuration items the next step is to bring about the required changes to these configuration items. In most of the cases these configuration items are controlled by the operations department. The software related incidents in nuclear power plants caused the loss of more than 1.6 million MW-hours5. However the use of software and hardware products available in the market can lead to a lap se in the security and would make nuclear power plants an easy target for hackers. A recent attack on Iran’s Nuclear power plant is an example of such attacks. The power plant was attacked by the Stuxnet worm, a bug that hinders the working of the Uranium enriching machine6. From software configuration point of view there are three main threats to the system7. The first threat is from unauthorized users working from outside the system. These personnel are neither employees of the power plant nor are they working with the development team. The

Sustainable Developmentu Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sustainable Developmentu - Essay Example The main problem that the world has been facing has been resulting from overexploitation of resources and pollution of the environment. Therefore the concept of sustainable development has become synonymous any time the world is talking about looking at the problems that are threatening the survival of the future generation. Sustainability in the world has been encompassed in the concept of sustainable development that has become a common term all over the world. There have been development of various polices by various governments which are aimed at ensuring that there is sustainable development in their countries. As defined the UN, sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of the future generation to meet their needs. Therefore it is development that is well integrated in the use of resources which will enable us to meet our needs from those resources and at the same time enable the future generation to meet their needs from the same resources. We are therefore the custodian of the resources for the future generation. (Bateman 2005, p. 4) There are many reasons that have been given to explain why the world needs to embrace the concept of sustainable development. ... Therefore we have to take a step to protect what is providing us with all we need. The other fact has been the interfaced with the emerging technology in the world. As we strive to meet our needs there has been technological freedom that has made it difficult to control environmental degrading technologies which continue to be a danger to the world. Therefore we have to come up with measure that will help us to regulate our technology in order to be in line with environmental sustainability means. (Ramond, Lindsey and Todd 2003, p. 3) What is being done to ensure sustainable development There have been various efforts that are being implemented in all sectors of the world in order to ensure that there is sustainable development. There have been realizations that we cannot do without technology and therefore one of het best approach to curb the rate of degradation of the environment and ensure sustainability has been the adoption of the appropriate technology. Technology has been playing a crucial role in sustainable development since it has been one of the most significant way in which humans have been interacting with the environment. Therefore a sustainable technology is the helps the society to move towards sustainability and that fits well with the goals of sustainable development. It is practical solution that is used for economic development and satisfaction of human needs while living in harmony with the environment. A sustainable technology is a technology that meets some of the basic characteristics through which it can be distinguished from others. It is a technology that minimize the use of non renewable energy an natural resource

Revison of paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Revison of paper - Essay Example ormational Leadership in the Public Sector: Does Structure Matter,† discusses whether or not transformational leadership has a place in the public sector. C.R. Emery and K.J. Barker focus their study on the nature of job satisfaction and employee attitude in relation to the different leadership styles in the 2007 article â€Å"The Effect Of Transactional And Transformational Leadership Styles On The Organizational Commitment And Job Satisfaction Of Customer Contact Personnel.† Finally, â€Å"An Empirical Study of Leader Ethical Values, Transformational and Transactional Leadership, And Follower Attitudes toward Corporate Social Responsibility,† by K.S. Groves and M.A. LaRocca (2011), offers another perspective on the outcomes of the different leadership styles. Transactional leadership has a simple goal; maintain the status quo and overseeing the normal flow of the tasks at hand. They often use incentives or a reward system as a means to motivate their staff to work to the best of their abilities. However, transformational leadership is rather different. This sort of leader does not rely simply on hand and mouth incentives to accomplish day-to-day tasks; they inspire, encourage, and motivate their staff by altering their perspectives and assumptions about their job and importance. While transactional leadership may spawn acceptable results, transformational leadership can have a more profound long term effect on the behaviours and attitudes of the employees (Wright & Pandey, 2010). For example, transactional leaders gain company loyalty and dedication with rewards, but what happens when those rewards stop; this will also end the positive behaviours and attitudes of the staff. Those led by a transformational leader will maintain that needed loyalty based on principle and not upon rewards. Wright and Pandey’s primary question focused upon whether are not there is a presence or place in the public sector for transformational leadership? This is relevant,

Configuration Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Configuration Management - Essay Example This paper would particularly discuss the research paper of I. Hsin Chou1 and his proposed methods to implement change in a nuclear power plant without compromising on the security of the system. In a nuclear power plant security is given utmost priority. Any lapse in security could have serious consequences. To ensure that there is no lapse in security during the implementation of any change regarding the software of the system some steps, related to security, needs to be included in the system development life cycle. 1. Introduction Software configuration management is the study of managing and tracking changes during the development of software. The main purpose of software configuration management is to provide coordination among individuals working on a change regarding particular software through a series of managerial and technical decisions2. 1.1 Importance of change management Proper change management could help increase the coordination between different departments and emp loyees. Change management also reduces the chances of errors and bugs in a program. The project manager is provided with complete knowledge, from the resources needed to the time of completion that the team needs to complete the change3. 1.2 Importance of tracking change As mentioned before software configuration helps with the management and tracking of the changes in software. It is understandable why there is a need to manage change but why track it. Tracking of change helps keep the project manager informed about the status of the change or what phase is the change going through, providing a general idea about the completion of the software4. 2. Use Of Software Configuration Management to Develop Nuclear Safety Software The difference between the development of commercial software and nuclear safety software is the increase in the risk factors. A fault in the safety system of a nuclear power plant could have dire economic and physical consequences. With so much at risk there is practically no room for error and the authorities responsible must be vigilante and make sure that no errors are left unchecked when it comes to nuclear safety. However safety during the development of nuclear based software has been ignored. 2.1 Problem As mentioned above software configuration helps manage change. The first step to configuration management is identifying the configuration items. Configuration items are the basic structural units of a configuration management system. These configuration items can range from the tools being used to the models being followed. After identifying the configuration items the next step is to bring about the required changes to these configuration items. In most of the cases these configuration items are controlled by the operations department. The software related incidents in nuclear power plants caused the loss of more than 1.6 million MW-hours5. However the use of software and hardware products available in the market can lead to a lap se in the security and would make nuclear power plants an easy target for hackers. A recent attack on Iran’s Nuclear power plant is an example of such attacks. The power plant was attacked by the Stuxnet worm, a bug that hinders the working of the Uranium enriching machine6. From software configuration point of view there are three main threats to the system7. The first threat is from unauthorized users working from outside the system. These personnel are neither employees of the power plant nor are they working with the development team. The

Revison of paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Revison of paper - Essay Example ormational Leadership in the Public Sector: Does Structure Matter,† discusses whether or not transformational leadership has a place in the public sector. C.R. Emery and K.J. Barker focus their study on the nature of job satisfaction and employee attitude in relation to the different leadership styles in the 2007 article â€Å"The Effect Of Transactional And Transformational Leadership Styles On The Organizational Commitment And Job Satisfaction Of Customer Contact Personnel.† Finally, â€Å"An Empirical Study of Leader Ethical Values, Transformational and Transactional Leadership, And Follower Attitudes toward Corporate Social Responsibility,† by K.S. Groves and M.A. LaRocca (2011), offers another perspective on the outcomes of the different leadership styles. Transactional leadership has a simple goal; maintain the status quo and overseeing the normal flow of the tasks at hand. They often use incentives or a reward system as a means to motivate their staff to work to the best of their abilities. However, transformational leadership is rather different. This sort of leader does not rely simply on hand and mouth incentives to accomplish day-to-day tasks; they inspire, encourage, and motivate their staff by altering their perspectives and assumptions about their job and importance. While transactional leadership may spawn acceptable results, transformational leadership can have a more profound long term effect on the behaviours and attitudes of the employees (Wright & Pandey, 2010). For example, transactional leaders gain company loyalty and dedication with rewards, but what happens when those rewards stop; this will also end the positive behaviours and attitudes of the staff. Those led by a transformational leader will maintain that needed loyalty based on principle and not upon rewards. Wright and Pandey’s primary question focused upon whether are not there is a presence or place in the public sector for transformational leadership? This is relevant,

Teen pregnancy Essay Example for Free

Teen pregnancy Essay Teenage pregnancy is a social problem that has existed for over a century and has always been a great concern to every nation due to the numerous adverse consequences it brings on both the economy and society at large. In the middle of the 70s, teenage pregnancy had reached an astronomical height that it was described as â€Å"epidemic† by the Alan Guttmacher Institute in a booklet entitled â€Å"11 Million Teenagers† which was widely circulated at the time (Gallagher, M. , 1999). This, in fact, put pressure on Congress at the time to pass a bill that would increase family planning fund by hundred percent as a strategy to curtail teenage pregnancy â€Å"epidemic† (Gallagher, M. , 1999). The rate of Teenage Pregnancy rose from 23. 9 births per 1000 single female teenagers in 1975 to 31. 4 in 1985, and to 46. 4 in 1994. In the last part of the 90s, the rate had dropped by16 percent. For teenagers between 15 and 19 years, the rate of teen pregnancy had dropped by 36 per cent by 2002 and 33 per cent by 2004 (Gallagher, M. , 1999). Until recent times, Teenage pregnancy was considered an abomination and a mockery to a family. It carried a stigma and a disgrace to the young mothers and their immediate families. The young mothers were often considered sinners and the children born out of wedlock were referred to as bastards or illegitimate. The horror and the disgrace that was immediately associated with giving birth to bastards or illegitimate children, kept teenage pregnancy at the lowest minimum (Sprague, C. , 2009). In the 20th Century, the attitude of society toward teen mothers and their children or teenage pregnancy in general changed; society looked at them with compassion. Soon the horror, the intimidation, and the stigma that surrounds teenage pregnancy dissipated. This has, in no simple terms, contributed to the current level of teen pregnancy in our society. Though the rate of Teenage Pregnancy has declined in the United States in the last decade, it is still considered high, relative to other developed countries such as Sweden, Great Britain, and Denmark. Teenage pregnancy is a real social problem that requires all and sundry in finding a lasting solution to it. What makes teen pregnancy a huge problem lies in the negative effects it brings. The purpose of this work is to discuss some of the effects of teenage pregnancy which include health issues, school dropouts and dependency on the public for economic support. One striking effect with teenage pregnancy is the high propensity for the pregnant teenager to suffer some health problems. Very often, teenagers who become pregnant try to hide their pregnancy from their parents and in so doing, they do not get the necessary medical attention that initial pregnancy requires or may use crude means to abort the baby which can result in bleeding and death. About 33% of pregnant teenagers do not receive proper prenatal care and monitoring (Sprague, C. , 2009). This can result in an increased risk of miscarriage, anemia and high blood pressure in the pregnant teenager. Also, children born to teenage mothers usually exhibit low birth weight which is accompanied with other health hazards like respiratory disease, bleeding in the brain, and intestinal problems. All these account for the high mortality rate for infants born to teenage mothers than those born to women older than 20. This will in effect put some financial demand on the families of the teenage mothers. Another effect that has captivated the attention of civil society is the rate at which pregnant teenagers drop out of school. Drop outs today are ill-effects for future labor force; a situation which can cause poverty and semi-illiterates which civil society considers very serious in the development of a nation. Research shows that between 30 to 35 per cent of pregnant teenagers drop out of school compared to the 6 per cent of non-pregnant teenagers (Sprague, C. , 2009). Dropping out of school has an inherent effect on the teenage mothers; the early pregnancy deprives them of getting the necessary education and skills that will ensure them of rewarding and stable jobs. Finding a regular source of income therefore, becomes extremely difficult for teenage mothers as every job position requires certain skills. Their inabilities to secure jobs lead them to falling on the public for financial support. Finally, pregnant teenagers are likely to encounter abject poverty if they do not have a strong financial backing from their parents. Surprisingly, a higher percentage of these teens come from either broken home or staying with single parents, and are already living in poverty (Gallagher, M). Also, most of these teens are unmarried and likely to be single mothers which will cause them to face further acute economic hardships than if they were married. The only alternative at their disposal to partially solving their economic predicaments in the short run is to seek public assistance; that is, relying on welfare which includes food stamp. Over 80 per cent of teen mothers go on welfare within three years of giving birth (Sprague, C. , 2009). If the teen mother does not go back to school to attain any profession which is mostly the case, their daughters are more likely to become teen mothers and it becomes a vicious cycle. There are numerous effects of teenage pregnancy but the limit of this paper cannot exhaust all of them. In conclusion, teenage pregnancy is one source that can cause health, economic and educational setbacks not only in the lives of teenagers who allow them to be impregnated but generations down the â€Å"road†. All these can be averted if teenagers are taught abstinence from early sex until they have at least completed high school or attained age of 20. Where the teenagers are uncontrollable, they must be advice to use protections such as condoms but one thing is that condom is not 100 percent safe. There has been instances where condoms have torn and causing pregnancy. References

Market analysis: Hydroponics in Mauritius

Market analysis: Hydroponics in Mauritius In essence, the job of a strategist is to understand and cope with competition. Often, managers define competition too narrowly, as if it occurred only among todays direct competitors. Lall, (2001, p. 6) stated that competitiveness in industrial activities means developing relative efficiency along with sustainable growth Moreover, agribusiness competitiveness has been defined as The sustained ability to profitably gain and maintain market share(Martin, Westgren, van Duren, 1991, p. 1456) or, in a more consumer-oriented way, as the ability of a firm or industry segment to offer products and services that meet or exceed the customer value currently or potentially offered by the products and services of rivals, substitutes, and possible market entrants (Kennedy, Harrison, Kalaitzandonakes, Peterson, Rindfuss, 1997). Yet, according to Michael E. Porter, the Harvard Business School professor, competition for profit goes beyond established industry rivals to include four other competitive forces as well as customers, suppliers, potential entrants and substitute products. Furthermore, the model of Five Competitive Forces was developed by Michael E. Porter in his book Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analysing Industries and Competitors in 1980. It draws upon Industrial Organisation (IO) to develop five forces that determine the competitive intensity and therefore attractiveness of a market. Attractiveness in the context of business environment refers to the overall industry profitability. An unattractive industry is one in which the combination of these five forces acts to drive down the overall profitability. A very unattractive industry would be one approaching pure competition, in which available profits for all firms are driven down to zero. The character, mix, and subtleties of competitive forces are never the same from one industry to another. A powerful and widely used tool for systematically diagnosing the principal competitive pressures in the hydroponics market and assessing the strength and importance of each is the five-forces model of competition.(see figure) Moreover, three of Porters five forces refer to competition from external sources. The remainders are internal threats. Therefore, it is important to use Porters five forces in conjunction with SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) and PEST Analysis (Political, Economical, Social and Technological). Porters Five Forces 2.2.1 Threat of new entrants One of the defining characteristics of competitive advantage is the industrys barrier to entry. It is very expensive for new firms to enter an industry where there is high barrier of entry. Furthermore, profitable markets that yield high returns will attract new firms. In this situation, these new entrants could change major determinants to the market environment (e.g. market shares, prices, customer loyalty) at any time. In the 1993 reprint of the first edition of Bain (1956, pp. 53-166), three main factors are considered as entry barriers: economies of scale, product differentiation advantages, and absolute cost advantages. Moreover, as more firms enter the market, you will see rivalry increase and profitability will fall to the point where there is no incentive for firms to enter the industry. Likewise, the threat of the new entrants will depend on the extent to which there are barriers to entry. These are typically: Economies of scale According to Kislev et al, it is generally accepted that agricultural production is characterized by increasing returns to scale. If economies of scale exist, it represents a high barrier of entry. Firms within the industry will have achieved these economies and if we enter this industry we will have to match their scale size of production in order to compete with them. Thus according to Michael Porter, since EOS does not exist in a tangible way, we need to prove their existence first before trying to compete with the existing firms. Capital requirements This refers to how much money should the firms have to tie up to keep the doors open. This is also a barrier to entry as if firms have to tie up large amounts of capital for daily operations; this will deter smaller firms from entering. Dr. Pieter A.Schippers said that hydroponics requires high-cost installations marketing gourmet vegetables at ritzy prices. According to AREU, the capital investment for hydroponics in Mauritius is up to three million rupees. Brand identity According to Erin Ferree ,Brand identity is the combination of consistent visual elements that are used in your marketing materials. A basic brand identity kit consists of a logo, business card, letterhead, and envelope. It can be extended to include a Web site Where there is brand identity there is high barrier to entry and regarding the hydroponics market in Mauritius, there are no such barriers in the field of hydroponics as it is a newly grown market. Access to Distribution The new entrant must, of course, secure distribution of its product or service. A new food item, for example, must displace others from the supermarket shelf via price breaks, promotions, intense selling efforts, or some other means. The more limited the wholesale or retail channels are and the more that existing competitors have tied them up, the tougher entry into an industry will be. Sometimes access to distribution is so high a barrier that new entrants must bypass distribution channels altogether or create their own. Switching cost Switching costs are fixed costs that buyers face when they change suppliers. Such costs may arise because a buyer who switches vendors must, for example, alter product specifications, retrain employees to use a new product, or modify processes or information systems. The larger the switching costs, the harder it will be for an entrant to gain customers. Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software is an example of a product with very high switching costs. Once a company has installed SAPs ERP system, for example, the costs of moving to a new vendor are astronomical because of embedded data, the fact that internal processes have been adapted to SAP, major retraining needs, and the mission-critical nature of the application. 2.2.2 Bargaining Power of suppliers The term suppliers comprises all sources for inputs that are needed in order to provide goods or services and bargaining power is the ability to influence the setting of prices. Therefore, bargaining power of suppliers will identify the extent to which your suppliers can choose to raise prices, reduce quality or reduce service without consequence. The more concentrated and controlled the supply, the more power it wields against the market. Monopolistic or quasi-monopolistic suppliers will use their power to extract better terms (higher profit margins or) at the expense of the market. Moreover, in a competitive market, no one supplier can set the prices. Likewise, suppliers can group to wield more bargaining power. The conditions making suppliers, as a group, powerful tend to mirror those making the buyers powerful are as follows: Differentiation of inputs A primary goal of the theory of product differentiation is the determination of market structure and conduct of firms that can choose the specifications of their products besides choosing output and price. Traditional models of product differentiation and marketing have focused on products that are defined by one characteristic only. ( See Hotelling (1929), Vickrey (1964), DAspremont, Gabszewicz and Thisse (1979), Salop (1979), Economides (1984), Anderson, de Palma, and Thisse (1992), among others in economics and Hauser and Shugan (1983), Moorthy (1988) and Kumar and Sudarshan (1988) in marketing.) Threat of forward integration The traditional market foreclosure theory, which was accepted in leading court cases in 1950s-70s, viewed vertical merger as harming competition by denying competitors access to either a supplier or a buyer. (Arrow, K., Vertical Integration and Communication, Bell Journal of Economics, 1975, 6, 173-183.) The critics argue that the theory is logically flawed, and a vertically integrated firm cannot benefit from excluding its rivals (e.g., Bork, 1978; and Posner, 1976). The paper by Salop and Sche ¤man (1987) forms the basis for this argument, and Ordover, Saloner, and Salop (1990, hereinafter OSS) is perhaps the best-known paper that pioneered the equilibrium approach to the analysis of vertical mergers. In this paper, I shall argue that the new theories on vertical mergers have ignored an important point, namely that vertical integration not only changes the integrated firms incentive to supply inputs to its downstream rivals, but it may also change the rivals incentives to purchase inputs from alternative suppliers. Once this is realized,an equilibrium theory of vertical mergers can be developed without some of the controversial assumptions made in the literature, and this theory can provide a framework in which the competitive effects of vertical mergers are measured and compared. The basic insight of my analysis is that vertical integration creates multimarket interaction between the integrated firm and its downstream rivals. A rival may recognize that if it purchases inputs from the integrated firm, the integrated firm may have less incentive to cut prices in the downstream market, which will benefit the rival. Therefore, vertical integration can change the incentive of a downst ream rival in selecting its input supplier, making it a strategic instead of a passive buyer in the input market. Supplier concentration relative to industry concentration Trade theory predicts that if trade costs go down or if productivity rises exogenously in a pool of potential suppliers with heterogeneous productivity levels, the number of suppliers will enlarge (Helpman, Melitz and Rubinstein 2008).An exogenous taste for variety, or a desire to limit monopoly positions, would also lead to a larger number of suppliers, although these forces are static. In the presence of heterogenous quality, however, the dynamics of diversification/concentration can be different. Access of labour According to Bertram,G. (1986), he assumes that output is governed by a well-behaved, continuous, constant returns to scale, aggregate production function involving two factor inputs, capital and labour.( Bertram, G. (1986), Sustainable development in Pacific micro-economies, World Development, Vol. 14 No. 7, pp. 809-22.) Importance of volume of supplier According to Hahn et al., 1990; Humphreys et al., 2004; Krause, 1997; Krause et al., 1998; Li et al., 2007; Watts and Hahn, 1993, buyer-supplier relationships are becoming increasingly important as buyers realize that their success is often tied to the capabilities and performance of suppliers. Many organizations engage in supplier development to assist suppliers in improving supply chain performance and capabilities. Bargaining power of buyer According to Inderst (2007), buyer power is the ability of buyers to obtain advantageous terms of trade from their suppliers. Monopsonistic or quasi- monopsonistic buyers will use their power to extract better terms at the expense of the market. In a truly competitive market, no one buyer can set the prices. Instead they are set by supply and demand. Prices are set by supply and demand and the market reaches the Pareto-optimal point where the highest possible number of buyers are satisfied at a price that still allow for the supplier to be profitable. Porter states that a buyer group is powerful if it: purchases large volumes relative to seller sales; learns low profits; the products it purchases from the industry represent a significant fraction of the buyers costs or purchases; the products are standard or undifferentiated and face few switching costs; the industrys product is unimportant to the quality of the buyers products or services; buyers pose a credible threat of backward integration; The buyer has full information. Additionally, with the bargaining power, buyers can impose on suppliers and thus can choose their suppliers. According to Ghodsypour and OBrien, (1998); Weber et al., (2000) and Dahel, (2003), this can be done by using the linear programming models. Moreover, the multi-objective programming model developed by Weber and Ellram (1993) can helps buyer to select a pool of suppliers and determine the purchasing units to be allocated among the suppliers. Buyer switching cost Buyer-supplier relationships play a key role in the success of a supply chain (Chen and Paulraj, 2004; Lin et al., 2001; Storey and Emberson, 2006); however, organizations often face the problem of choosing appropriate suppliers (Pagell and Sheu, 2001; Chen and Paulraj, 2004; Wadhwa et al., 2006; Phusavat et al., 2007). The problem of choosing suppliers so that profits can be maximized has become increasingly vital to an enterprises survival due to keen competition in the micro-profit era (Giunipero et al., 2006). Numerous studies have addressed the issue of the buyer-supplier relationship in supply chain management. One stream of research examines related variables, such as cooperation, satisfaction, trust, and commitment, which make the supply chain relationship successful (Byrd and Davidson, 2003; Fynes et al., 2005; Malhotra et al., 2005). Another stream focuses on the criteria for choosing suppliers, such as quality, on-time delivery, and costs (Chen and Paulraj, 2004; Blackhurs t et al., 2005; Gunasekaran and Kobu, 2006; Phusavat and Kanchana, 2008). Among these criteria, costs have received the most attention because they are considered the key factor in choosing suppliers (Noordewier et al., 1990; Kalwani and Narayandas, 1995; Dahlstrom and Nygaard, 1999; Zhao and Yang, 2007). Buyer information Another reason why buyers were in such a strong bargaining position was because they had full information about demand, actual market prices, and even manufacturer costs. The buyers comparative information was often better than what was available to manufacturers, and thus with such full information, retailers were able to ensure that they received the most favourable prices offered to others, and were able to oppose suppliers claims that their viability would be threatened if prices were reduced. Owing to all of the above reasons, one can see that the bargaining power of the Australian food retailers was so great in the early 1980s that they were perhaps in a unique position of strength even in a global sense. The current barriers for purchasing organic products mainly relates to price, availability, and consumer awareness. Moreover, offering customers and obtaining greater value added by creating, developing, and maintaining lasting customer-supplier relationships (Rexha,2000; Van der Haar et al., 2001), such that both parties benefit (Gro ¨nroos, 2000; Kothandaraman and Wilson, 2001; Sharma et al., 2001; Walter et al., 2001; Leek et al., 2003), is considered fundamental for guaranteeing the success and survival of companies in the market. Suppliers adapt to the customers needs in order to satisfy them. This adaptation can encourage the customer to behave opportunistically (Brown et al., 2000; Wathne and Heide, 2000). But if the supplier is able to adapt, and satisfy customer needs better than its competitors, enduring relationships can develop between both agents. Brand identity of buyer According to Aaker, (1991, 1996), brand identity is a message about a brand that a firm seeks to communicate with. This communication is undertaken via the product, the brand name, symbols and logos, historical roots, the brands creator, and advertising (Kapferer, 1998 Some organisations base their competitive advantage on physical assets such as a manufacturing facility, some on their employees, and some on their distribution networks (Kotler, 2000). Many others, however, seek to attain a competitive advantage from intangible assets such as their reputation or the brands that they own (Beverland, 2005; Keller, 1993; Low and Blois, 2002). Yet, research to date on branding in business and industrial marketing has been limited (Beverland et al., 2006; Low and Blois, 2002; Mudambi et al., 1997; Nilson, 1998). Price sensitivity Porter (1985) has defined two primary types of competitive strategy that can provide a source of competitive advantage: differentiation and low cost strategy. The low cost strategy, which may enable a price leader position, can lead to price wars and is therefore risky for all digital products and services, including retail banking. Ultimately only one company can be the price leader, thus all other companies should contemplate alternative strategies. Likewise, marketers and researchers are familiar with the concept of price elasticity, which describes changes in the quantity of demand for a product associated with changes in price of the product. If demand is elastic, changes in price level have a proportionally greater impact on demand. Inelastic demand describes the case where changes in price have little effect on demand. The concept of price elasticity describes the aggregate response of a market segment to price levels. Price sensitivity is an individual difference variable describing how individual consumers react to price levels and changes in price levels. A consumer high in price sensitivity will manifest much less demand as price goes up (or higher demand as price goes down), and consumers low in price sensitivity will not react as strongly to a price change. Standardize products A large majority of respondents believed that many retailers considered most food products to be fairly standard, and thus, as they could most often find alternative suppliers, they played one manufacturing company against another. It was the respondents view that such tactics also extended towards substituting house brands and generics for brand names, and these aspects will be considered later. Thus, unless a manufacturer had very strong end-user demand for its brand (e.g. Vegemite, Milo, Pal), it found that its product was capable of being substituted unless it succumbed to retailer pressure. Threat of substitute products All firms in an industry are competing, in a broad sense, with industries producing substitute products. The impact of substitutes affected certain segments of the food industry more than others, the obvious examples being the yellow fats segment (butter versus margarine), the sweeteners segment (sugar versus sugar substitutes) and the pet foods segment (canned versus dry). The food industry as a whole is, in fact, competing with other substitute expense categories such as entertainment and personal items. While expenditure on food will never fall below an essential base level. Research done by Ogilvy and Mather (1983) seems to suggest that more people cut back on food during the early 1980s, in order to cope with inflation, than on other expense categories. The following factors are being considered when analyzing the threat of substitute products: Buyer propensity to substitute For sellers, it is crucial to win a buyers trust, then nurture it over the course of a relationship. Trust enables the buyer to economize cognitive and emotional energy and rely on a seller before extensive information can be gathered (Luhmann, 1979; Jones and George, 1998; Yamagishi, 2002; Mayer et al., 1995). As trust matures, the buyer identifies with (Lewicki and Bunker, 1995) and feels affection and devotion for the seller (McAllister, 1995). Trust is therefore strongly linked to buyer commitment (Moorman et al., 1992) and loyalty (Morgan and Hunt, 1994). A sellers violation of trust occurs when the buyer perceives evidence that the seller failed to meet the buyers confident expectations (Tomlinson et al., 2004). Relative price/performance relationship of substitutes Shapiro (1992) argues that institutional investors, who normally trade in large quantities, are concerned with the opportunity costs involved in undertaking these large trades. Many suppliers, in turn, face a growing trend towards commoditization of products (Rangan and Bowman, 1992) and search for new ways of differentiating themselves through improved customer interactions (Vandenbosch and Dawar, 2002). From an academic perspective, there is a rich and growing body of research focusing on buyer-supplier relationships in business markets (Ulaga, 2001). More broadly, researchers have coined the term relationship quality which is typically assessed through some combination of commitment, satisfaction and trust (Crosby et al., 1990; Dorsch et al., 1998; Hewett et al., 2002). According to Wilson (1995, p. 337) trust is a fundamental relationship model building block and as such is included in most relationship models. In addition to trust, Morgan and Hunt (1994) identified commitment as another key-mediating variable of relationship marketing. Furthermore in their commitment-trust theory of relationship marketing, Morgan and Hunt (1994) establish trust as a key-mediating variable that is central to relational exchanges. Moreover, customer satisfaction is widely accepted among researchers as a strong predictor for behavioural variables such as repurchase intentions, word-of-mouth, or loyalty (Ravald and Gro ¨nroos, 1996; Liljander and Strandvik, 1995). Satisfaction research is mainly influenced by the disconfirmation paradigm (Parasuraman et al., 1988). Competitive Rivalry The rivalry amongst existing firms analysis will help you to understand the risk that your competitors may compete for market position and if their competitive tactics are likely to be effective. Furthermore, you will find that your competitors may compete for market position using tactics such as pricing competition, advertising as well as increasing customer service. To analyze industry rivalry in your industry, you will need to consider the following factors: Diversity among competitors The first point of departure is found in Miles et al.(1993)and Miles and Snow (1986) proposition that strategy in diversity and structure is normal in any industry, that it is good for and industry and furthermore that various configurations of strategy and structure may be equally effective in producing high performance. Industry growth rate When hydroponics industry is in a growth phase there will be room for the industry to grow, as a result there will be a low risk of competitor rivalry. Thompson et al., (2008) stated that rivalry becomes stronger if demand growth is slow. Exit barriers Powell (1995) incorporated entry barriers and industry rivalry in his research and found a significant correlation of firm performance with entry barriers (r  ¼ 0:29; p , 0:05) and industry rivalry (r  ¼ 20:32; p , 0:05). These results indicate the higher the entry barriers, the lower the threat of new entrants and the better the opportunities for improved performance; and similarly, the higher the industry rivalry, the tougher the industry competition which would mean the lower the firm performance. A critique of Porters model There are, however, several limitations to Porters framework, such as: It tends to over-stress macro analysis, i.e. at the industry level, as opposed to the analysis of more specific product-market segments at a micro level. It oversimplifies industry value chains: for example, invariably buyers may need to be both segmented and also differentiated between channels, intermediate buyers and end consumers. It fails to link directly to possible management action: for example, where companies have apparently low influence over any of the five forces, how can they set about dealing with them? It tends to encourage the mind-set of an industry as a specific entity with ongoing boundaries. This is perhaps less appropriate now where industry boundaries appear to be far more fluid. It appears to be self-contained, thus not being specifically related, for example, to PEST factors, or the dynamics of growth in a particular market. It is couched in economic terminology, which may be perceived to be too much jargon from a practising managers perspective and indeed, it could be argued that it is over-branded. SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis, which is originally introduced in 1969 by Harvard researchers (e.g. Learned et al., 1991), calls for an external assessment of the opportunities and threats that exist in a firms environment and an internal assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the organisation. The SWOT framework became popular during the 1970s because of its inherent assumption that managers can plan the alignment of a firms resources with its environment. Subsequently, during the decade of the 1980s, Porters (1980) introduction of the industrial organization paradigm with his five forces models gave primacy to a firms external environment, overshadowing the popularity of SWOT. More recently, at the start of the twenty-first century, SWOT is alive and well as the recommended framework for case analysis in many of the leading strategic management and marketing texts (Hitt et al., 2000; Anderson and Vince, 2002). However, despite its wide and enduring popularity, SWOT has remained an theoretica l framework, of limited prescriptive power for practice and minor significance for research (Dess, 1999). Generally, firms are asked to develop strategies to guide the organisation to ward opportunities that may be exploited using strengths of the organisation, push the organisation away from threats in the environment, maintain existing strengths and improve organisational weaknesses. Recently, Duncan, Ginter and Swayne (1998) suggested a four step model for assessing internal strengths and weaknesses. Their four steps include surveying, categorising, investigation, and evaluating. The tables below show the Strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of hydroponics in Mauritius. STENGTHS WEAKNESSES Growing demand for vegetables, both consumer and business markets. Environment-friendly practices favoured. Provide employment. Flexible in production. Poorly structured distribution channels. Finance: such project requires huge investments. Insufficient use of technology: growers in Mauritius cannot afford to adopt latest technology such as those used in Australia and USA due to high costs. Equipment and other materials have to be imported. Lack of trained trainers. OPPORTUNITIES THREATS Favoured business environment- laws and legislations have been modified so as to propel small business. Examples are the introduction of the Municipal Fee, replacing the Trade Licence, Special Tax Holiday Scheme, cancellation of customs duty on several products and Empowerment Programme. Incentives offered to registered enterprises by SEHDA, National Computer Board and so on. Examples are awards to the best business plans, business counselling and facilitation. Increasing cost of doing business. High inflation rate causing depreciation of the Mauritian Rupees. Favourable prices of the substitutes. PEST Analysis PEST (or political, economic, social and technological factors) is the most commonly used tool for environmental analysis (Beamish, 1996) and is possibly the second most widely known strategy technique after SWOT analysis. Political/ Legal Environment: in most countries, the government provides much needed support to those who want to invest in hydroponics technology. Examples are tax relieves on equipment, free counselling, training, incentives to set up small businesses, loan facilities and so on. Regarding the Economic Environment, these issues should be considered: Income is a major influencer of consumer purchasing power. For instance, a fall in income caused by an increase in the rate of inflation may result in a fall in purchasing power. Consumers may buy more of the organic vegetables, which are cheaper than the hydroponics vegetables. The reverse is also true. Changing consumer spending patterns influence the demand for hydroponics produce. It has been noted that there is an increasing tendency for consumers to spend more and more on leisure activities, transportation, medical-care and education rather than food. But with the new budget made by the finance minister, we can expect that the spending on education will decrease and ultimately result to and increase in food or other activities also. Social/ cultural Environment: a study by the NZ Vegetable Growers Federation (www.vegetables.co.nz) , found that nearly 40% of people who purchase organic food do so because they believe it is pesticide-free. Technological Environment: growers of hydroponics produce who do not adopt the best practice technology will be disadvantaged and gradually lose access to all but low margin residual markets. However, there is a profound gap between PEST and SWOT analysis, and this is only partly met by Porters five forces. A linking technique is that of Grundys growth drivers (Grundy, 2004). See the diagram below. Grundy gives an example of growth driver analysis, helping us to represent the forces that, directly or indirectly, cause or inhibit market growth over a particular time period. However, an important feature to note here is that it is part of a system. The system captures, in an onion model format, the key domains that need to be thought through, within the overall competitive climate, beginning with: _ PEST factors _ growth drivers _ Porters five competitive forces _ competitive position. These layers of the onion are highly interdependent, which might be a very useful phenomenon for managers to learn about and to apply. For example, where the PEST factors are generally hospitable, growth is encouraged and the full impact of the five competitive forces may not be felt and may thus be latent. However, where the PEST factors become inhospitable, this will clearly dampen the growth drivers, and if the growth drivers within a particular market are themselves tightening, for example due to life-cycle effects, then this will put a disproportionate and adverse pressure on Porters five forces, particularly in the bargaining power of buyers, and also upon rivalry. Furthermore, a high growth environment may encourage entrants and a low one will discourage these. The result can lead to a collapse in confidence and in prices unless there are lots of exits.

Economic Geography of Industry Location in India :: India Economics Industries Essays

Economic Geography of Industry Location in India ____________________________________ Paper prepared for the UNU/WIDER Project Conference on Spatial Inequality in Asia 3 Economic Geography of Industry Location in India Where do different industries locate? What factors influence the spatial distribution of economic activity within countries? Finding answers to these questions is important for understanding the development potential of sub national regions. This is particularly important for developing countries as they have relatively lower levels of overall investment and economic activity is concentrated in one or a few growth centers. Thus, regions that do not attract dynamic industries are not only characterized by low productivity, but also by lower relative incomes and standards of living. These questions on industry location and their implications are not new. Examining the locational aspects of economic activity has long been of interest to geographers, planners, and regional scientists (Weber, 1909; Là ¶sch, 1940; Hotelling, 1929; Greenhut and Greenhut, 1975, Isard 1956). However, analytic difficulties in modeling increasing returns to scale marginalized the analysis of geographic aspects in mainstream economic analysis (Krugman 1991). Recent research on externalities, increasing returns to scale, and imperfect spatial competition (Dixit and Stiglitz 1977; Fujita, et al. 1999; Krugman 1991) has led to renewed interest in analyzing the spatial organization of economic activity. This is especially true in case of geographic concentration or clustering. Models in the ‘New Economic Geography’ literature (see review in Fujita, Krugman, and Venables, 1999) allow us to move from the question ‘Where will manufacturing concentrate (if it does)?’ to the question ‘What manufacturing will concentrate where?’ These insightful theoretical models provide, for the most part, renewed analytical support for the â€Å"cumulative causation† arguments made in earlier decades on the core-periphery relationship, on agglomeration economies, and on industrial clustering. In this context, we are interested in finding empirical answers to these (very old) questions, and to go beyond, to ask, â€Å"What manufacturing will locate where and why†? Industry location and concentration decisions are driven by two fundamental considerations: a set of â€Å"pure† location or â€Å"economic geography† criteria, including well recognized elements such as urbanization and localization economies, market access, infrastructure availability, etc. The other is a set of â€Å"practical† or â€Å"political economy† criteria, where the state is a key player in industrial ownership and production, and uses location considerations that are different from the private sector. The private sector responds to the very strong influence of state regulations, and the result is an industrial geography that is shaped by factors of economic geography and political economy. To understand the process of industrial location and concentration, it is important to first analyze the location decisions of firms in particular industries.

The Failure of the War on Drugs Essay -- Critical Thinking Essays

In the early 1980s, policymakers and law enforcement officials stepped up efforts to combat the trafficking and use of illicit drugs. This was the popular â€Å"war on drugs,† hailed by conservatives and liberals alike as a means to restore order and hope to communities and families plagued by anti-social or self-destructive pathologies. By reducing illicit drug use, many claimed, the drug war would significantly reduce the rate of serious nondrug crimes - robbery, assault, rape, homicide and the like. Has the drug war succeeded in doing so? In Illicit Drugs and Crime, Bruce L. Benson and David W. Rasmussen (Professors of Economics, Florida State University, and Research Fellows, the Independent Institute), reply with a resounding no. Not only has the drug war failed to reduce violent and property crime but, by shifting criminal justice resources (the police, courts, prisons, probation officers, etc.) away from directly fighting such crime, the drug war has put citizens’ lives and property at greater risk, Benson and Rasmussen contend. â€Å"Getting tough on drugs inevitably translates into getting soft on nondrug crime,† they write. â€Å"When a decision is made to wage a ‘war on drugs,’ other things that criminal justice resources might do have to be sacrificed.† To support this conclusion, Benson and Rasmussen compare data on drug law enforcement and crime trends between states, and debunk numerous misconceptions about drug use and criminality. One of the most prevalent misconceptions, Benson and Rasmussen, contend is the notion that a large percentage of drug users commit nondrug crimes, what might be called the â€Å"drugs-cause-crime† assumption implicit in the government’s drug-war strategy. If true, then an effective crackdown on ... ...easy† to obtain rose by about 20 percent. This failure is due in large part, Benson and Rasmussen explain, to drug entrepreneurs’ adoption of new production techniques, new products, and new marketing strategies in response to greater law enforcement. Their â€Å"innovations† include lengthening the drug distribution chain and using younger drug pushers and runners (to reduce the risk of arrest and punishment), increasing domestic drug production (to avoid the risk of seizure at the border), smuggling into the country less marijuana and more cocaine (which is harder to detect), development of â€Å"crack† cocaine (a low-cost substitute for higher priced powdered cocaine and for marijuana, which the drug war made harder to obtain), and development of drugs with greater potency (because they are less bulky and because punishment is based on a drug’s weight, not its potency).