Benefits/Oppressions of Culturally Diverse Populations Essay

The history and theories of counseling and psychology have both benefited and oppressed culturally diverse populations. It is common knowledge that the founding fathers of counseling were all white males of the socioeconomic status of middle to upper class. Therefore, the majority of theories are rooted in research and evidence that assists this particular group. However, as the world becomes more and more diverse, the one size fits all counseling theories no longer service the needs of the clients. Therapists must be cognoscente of the populations he or she services and the techniques best suited to fit these needs. As Sue & Sue state, â€Å"If deviations from the majority are considered abnormal, then many ethnic and racial minorities that exhibit strong cultural differences from the majority have to be so classified.† (p. 93). For example take IQ tests, achievement tests, and personality inventories. What is considered normal within one culture may be considered abnormal within another. It has been a long held belief that black males feel as though â€Å"The Man† is out to get them (Sue & Sue, 2013). It has been through various personality assessments that African Americans have been found to be suspicious, mistrustful, and paranoid (Sue & Sue, 2013). However, what was not considered throughout these findings was that African Americans have been discriminated against throughout time and therefore have reason to behave in such ways (Sue & Sue, 2013). In fact, in Grier and Cobbs’ book Black Rage (as cited in Sue & Sue, 2013), it was noted that African Americans had to use a variety of survival techniques in order to survive the racial society in which they lived. In essence what was perceived as abnormal behavior that of suspicion and mistrust, turned into the survival skills needed to protect this particular group from potential harm. The counseling relationship is an ever-revolving process. There is no one set of standards and techniques that can be applied to each and every group. Throughout the years therapists have come to the realization that additional strategies need to be imposed and that not all situations can be viewed and evaluated with the same lens. The clinician must be introspective of his or her own particular world views and adjust his or her practice to meet the needs of the diverse populations he or she serves.

Comparison of Wilfred Owen Poems Essay

Wilfred Owen is a twentieth century poetry writer who was born in Oswestry in Shropshire. In 1915 he enlisted fighting on the western front. During a spell in the Craglockhart hospital he met Seigfried Sassoon who encouraged him to develop his poetry. Owens’s poems are amongst the most famous and poignant of the war. He died in1918 trying to cross the Sambre canal. From his work I will analyse and study two poems. The poems which I have chosen are Dulce Et Decorum Est and Disabled. The reason why I decided to analyse these poems is because I felt that they both told a catastrophic and heartbreaking story of what war was really like. Both of these poems were written at a time when Wilfred Owen seemed to be bitter, some may say disenchanted by the whole situation. Arguably his most famous poem, ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’, is a fine example of his narrative, first-person poems, written through his own eyes and based on his own experiences and views of the war. I have chosen to describe Dulce Et because it shows the struggle of a group of people who have to overcome the most extraordinary events day in day out. I have chosen Disabled because it shows the struggle of one man who everyday contemplates his wasted life. All he has are the memories but they seem to become more distant as the days go on. Dulce Et Decorum Est Pro Patri Mori translated in to English means It Is Sweet And Honourable To Die For Ones Country. If someone is reading the poem for the first time and learns of the English meaning of the title before reading the poem they may feel it is a poem that represents the army in a positive way. However this assumption could not be further from the truth. After reading the poem a number of times I have come to a conclusion that Owen has titled this poem Dulce Et Decorum Est because of the strong statement that he makes in the poem. In a way I get the feeling that Owen was mocking the saying but I do not think he was mocking the army as a whole just that single principal. The soldiers are weighed down by all the things that they are carrying, perhaps they are even weighed down by the expectation of their country. Owen says, † Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs† The soldiers are exhausted and so tired that even when the flares go off behind them they do not have the energy to or even feel like turning around to see them. Owen describes the soldiers as being â€Å"Drunk with fatigue† He is saying that the soldiers are so tired that it is as though they are drunk. Owen is trying to say that the soldiers are as though they do not know entirely what they are doing. They are just being led along like zombies because they are inexperience and have no clue to what is happening. These men are but mere shadows of the bright vibrant people that started on this epic journey. The pace of the poem quickens in the second stanza. The soldiers are awoken by a gas attack. This effectively shatters the mood that Owen has told of us in the opening stanza. The soldiers are now awoken by the fact that their lives are in extreme danger and they now have to be fully aware of all their surroundings. Owen says, † Dim through the misty panes and thick green light, As under a green sea, I saw him drowning† The green light Owen talks of is the sight of toxic gas which they can see through their gas masks. Owen uses a simile saying that the man is drowning in a green sea. The reality of this is that the man is drowning in a sea of his own toxic blood. He tells us how this memory has stayed with him. The sickening sight of a man plunging at him. Owen seems to have a great fear of the gas attacks when he talks about them. He talks of all of the nightmares he has had because of the war and this event in particular He states, â€Å"In all my dreams before my helpless sight† The word ‘helpless’ shows that he could not do nothing to help that man apart from stare at him and feel sorry for him. He describes how the man was taken away and the narrator Owen walked behind and saw his face. Owen is still haunted by the nightmare. â€Å"We flung him in† The dead bodies are treated like meat there are so many deaths it becomes like a routine thing. He realises the horror that is standing behind the man who has been gassed to death. â€Å"My friend, you would not tell with such high zest To children ardent for some desperate glory.† Owen is saying that if you could see the horrific events he had seen then you would not believe the lie. By saying this he is expressing the bitterness he has not only for the army but the situation as a whole. He believes that the army has portrayed the life of a soldier at war as being heroic and exciting but in real life it is the complete opposite. Owen adds more examples of this throughout the last stanza for example he says, â€Å"If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood Come gargling from the froth coming-corrupted lungs,† In this quote he describes the situation that the men where in and how their lungs were pumping out blood instead of air. Owen is trying to make the reader understand that the war was told to be very fascinating and an intriguing experience but in reality that is far from the truth. Owens main question to the reader in the last stanza is before going into the army think carefully about what you are doing as you might experience something in great contrast to what you may have imagined. The poem is describing a terrible shocking death by gas, how can it be sweet and honourable to die for ones country if you die like this. This is the country that sold him the old lie. â€Å"Dulce et decorum Est pro patri mori.† In the poem ‘Disabled’ Owen is describing someone that he knew in the army. This man was in the Scottish regiment, He has had his leg blown up when he was fighting in the war. His disability is extremely severe, because he has no legs and his arms are sewn at the elbow. He has to be dependant on other people to feed him, clothe him and wash him. He is in an institute, a nursing home of some sort. He wants very much to be in the dark because then everything will be quiet. He is sick and tired with life and is waiting to die. He hears voices of boys singing, these are voices of people playing just as he had once played. He talks about the evenings. He says that at this time the towns atmosphere was fun and happy everyone is dancing having fun. He is very sad that he will never again experience this. He says the girls look upon him like he has some kind of disease. He talks of how he will never again feel the waist of a woman, he also talks about how he, â€Å"threw away his knees in the war†. This quote is a metaphor and it means that his leg got blown up during the war and it does not mean that he literally threw his knees in the war. This type of literary device is used so that the poet could compare one object with another directly instead of using like and as. In the third verse Owen describes the effects after war and how your appearance could change drastically. He says, â€Å"For it was younger than his youth, last year. Now, he is old; his back will never brace.† Owen is trying to show that this person went to the war very young and now as he has came back he is so old that he can not even support his own back. Owen is showing the truth about war and that you do not become heroes when you come back from war instead you become unpopular and hated by people. His negative opinion about war becomes even more apparent when he mentions the blood lost by many soldiers during war. â€Å"He’s lost his colour very far from here, Poured down shell-holes till the veins ran dry.† Owen portrays the war in a pessimistic way and tries to influence people to listen to what he is saying and that war is horrible because it could ruin many people’s lives He feels that he has given so much for his country and he does not get anything back in return instead many people do not even want to know him. â€Å"And leap of purple spurted from his thigh.† He loved his youth. When his leg had blown away a massive part of him was now missing. One time he saw blood down his leg from a football injury, he thought this was great. Now he has no leg. He wonders why he joined the army. He tries to impress people as they told him he would do well in the army. There were a couple of reasons why he signed up the first reason was that his dear Meg would be pleased of him and the second reason was that in those days men thought that if they went to fight in a war the ladies back home would find them more attractive and think of them as heroes. At the time he was not frightened of being afraid. Owen says â€Å"And no fears of fear have come yet† He had thoughts of all the swords and other weaponry that he would receive in the army. He felt very happy in handling all the sophisticated machinery. He had great thoughts of wearing the smart uniform and making those proud salutes. At this moment he had no worries about the war and what he would face but instead he imagines all the enjoyable aspects of war. This quote shows that the war in those days was portrayed as exciting and pleasurable and that no one was told about the injuries that happen during war. So I think this is why the person in this poem had no worries because he did not know the disastrous affects that could scare him for life. He thought that playing football was great, the buzz he got from the cheering. People thought of him as hero. He thought that people would cheer for him in the army, he wanted to be a hero in the army. He thinks of the army spirit, the pride in his unit. He tells about how he was given cheers and the noise of the drums as he leaves. He is so very optimistic. When he is brought back the cheers were not like the ones before the cheers are in contrast to what he imagined. This is ironic to him because he thought everyone will be proud of him and greet him with honour but it was the opposite of what he had expected. Only a few people cheered when he came back only one man inquired this man was the priest. This makes him feel in a way betrayed because he was told that you would become a hero after the war and that your family and friends will be proud and thrilled that you fought for your country. As you can see this is not true and many people ignore him because of his appearance. The man feels that what he has done has been of no use because nobody appreciates that he risked his life for the sake of his country. His final thought in the poem is one of total depression. He thinks that life is pointless. He is so helpless he can not go to bed without someone there to help him. He feels as though he only has a few years left. He wants to be put to death as he feels like he has and can do nothing that he feels will make his life tolerable and he feels as though nothing that he does or feels will make him feel his life is worth it. He feels as if he has been demoralised and disheartened by the people that he used to once know. As you can see from both poems they are very powerful. Each of the two poems make a statement. One difference between the poems is that Dulce Est. is a view on the army as a whole and describes the effects of the soldiers. With Disabled it is just a description of the turmoil of one person. One issue that I feel both poems, have in common is that they both talk about how the soldiers were lied to and how they were sold a lie. This is more true of Dulce Et because it shows that all the soldiers where told the lie but with Disabled it just shows that one man was told the lie. Because of this lie many soldiers were affected in Dulce Et and only one person from Disabled was affected by it. If a person wanted an example of army life was like for a platoon at its worst I would show them Dulce Et Decorum. If I was asked about a poem that describes a poem where a person can see how the war affected people. I would recommend the poem Disabled because as you can see, it has devastating after effects. Disabled is in my opinion the most emotional of the stories as it represents a mans struggle for his life. This man can offer nothing to his country now. He can not even offer himself something. His life is in total disarray and nothing in his life is worth living for. While the people in Dulce Et are still alive this mans souls has in effect died. He has lost his colour and can not get used to the fact of being unpopular. I find Dulce Et Decorum to be the most powerful of the two poems. My reasons are as follows, although Disabled is a very good, very powerful poem in it’s own right it only describes the view of one person in the army. I think that what makes Dulce Et so powerful is that Owen speaks for the masses in the army when he talks of the daily horrifying sights and regular attempts by the Germans to gas them. This poem realistically showed the horrifying events which occurred during war. Reading these poems can enlighten a person. At the moment many people around the world must be thinking that their lives are so stressful and are under extreme pressure. But their life is no way as stressful and pressurising as these young men must have gone through. These events can put many social problems into perspective. Everyday this man had to battle through endless pain and suffering in sake of their nation but is it worth it? Is risking your life worth it for your country? I believe that war should never be the solution to any problem and that many people should discourage war instead of encouraging it.

Leisure & Tourism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Leisure & Tourism - Essay Example Researchers have identified several motivations, from which leisure is founded upon. According to Daniel (2006, p 166), motivation could be intrinsic, extrinsic, and amotivation. Intrinsic motivation originates internally from an individual due to the benefits accrued from leisure, such as pleasure and enjoyment. Extrinsic factors motivate people to engage in leisure to attain other goals besides pleasure and fun. This paper is a critical analysis of findings by a number of researchers, on various factors, which motivate leisure based activities in a family. According to Alex and Song (2004, p 57), a family can either be extended or nuclear, with varying ages of parents and children. However, the basic motivation of each and every family member for leisure is driven mainly by the psychological results, which in turn determines their behavior in day to day activities (Alex, and Song 2004, p 57). In this respect, an individual decision or choice to engage in a particular leisure activity is a result of ones belief, on how well he will do the activity and what the activity means to him (Alex, and Song 2004, p 58). From this argument, people in a family set up engage in engage in leisure to reap particular psychological desires. Researchers have found out several psychological desires that motivate people in a family set up to engage in leisure. These motivations include: achievement, stimulation, independence, leadership, risk taking, mastery of equipment or machine, family togetherness and adventure (Alex, and Song 2004, p 59). According to Kivel, (2007, p 86), enhancing family unity is the main motivation for leisure in a family. Presently due to ever increasing demands at work, most parents do not have time to catch up with their children and other extended family members. In this regard, time specifically to bond with family members is increasingly being set

Nutrition and Nursing Fundamentals Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Nutrition and Nursing Fundamentals - Assignment Example An anticoagulant is a medication taken mainly by people who experience health problems caused by blood clots in the body, such as strokes, deep vein thrombosis and other related cases as a blood thinner. It is mostly injected under the skin as it comes in a solution form. Only a health provider can administer this drug since its dosage varies with different patients. Like any other drug, this medication has its side effects. The effects are a rash or itching at the injection point, makes a patient experience dizziness, confusion and sleepiness as it affects the nervous system. Cases of low blood pressure are also extremely common in patients who are on anticoagulant medication. It is an exceptionally strong medication hence it's severe side effects that a patient has to cope with in the treatment process. They are situations where this drug can interact with some food types taken by a patient. Foods such as Kale, broccoli, spinach and tulip greens which are recommended by nutritionists as good blood-boosting supplements in a diet contain vitamin K. This vitamin reduces the effectiveness of anticoagulants as it produces blood- clotting substances. Therefore, in this case, the interaction of the drug and the food may have negative impacts on a patient. A patient is advised to avoid foods containing vitamin K as well as vitamin E as they prolong clotting time. From this research, it is clear that food and drug interactions can have negative impacts on the health of a patient. Therefore, medical practitioners should give advice to patients on what foods to avoid when on medication. This would create awareness to patients since many of them take drugs with foods that interact. This poses them to severe health related issues even when on  medication.

Professional Research Methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Professional Research Methods - Essay Example Other concerns about the applicability of quantitative methodologies to in-dept examination of complex social phenomena include taking the collected data out of the real-world setting, poor representativeness and generalisation of data, exclusion of discovery from the realm of scientific inquiry, etc. The institutional structure of business and management research has also reacted to the criticism of the positivist paradigm. Increasing numbers of qualitative studies published domestically and internationally have challenged the traditional view of qualitative research paradigm as the inferior to the more rigorous and reliable quantitative methodology. The aim of this paper is to identify the major research designs and techniques associated with each methodology and to provide explanation on the views about the nature of knowledge (epistemology) and the nature of reality (ontology) underlying these perspectives. There are various classifications of methods used in the area of professional research, but the most common classification splits the methods into two large groups, namely quantitative and qualitative research methods. Quantitative methodology employs methods historically applied in the natural (physical) sciences. The primary task of quantitative research is to ensure validity and reliability of results (Dingwall et al, 1998). Examples of quantitative methods widely used in the social sciences and business and management research are survey methods, formal methods (e.g. econometrics), laboratory experiments and several numerical methods (e.g. mathematical modelling) (Myers, 1997). Quantitative research implies standardized questionnaires and methods of data analysis, specific position of the researcher whom is considered external to the research, replicability of the results regardless of the context, etc (Wainer and Braun, 1998). While reliability and validity are the most often cited strengths of the quantitative methodology, poor applicability of this methodology to exploration of a phenomenon, which is difficult or impossible to quantify, is considered a serious weakness. The main drawback that limits applicability of quantitative methods is the so-called 'decontextualization': models constructed on the basis of data obtained through quantitative methods do not take into account certain variables that act in the real world context (Patton, 1987). Qualitative methodology utilizes a naturalistic approach seeking to understand phenomena in a specific context, such as "real world setting [where] the researcher does not attempt to manipulate the phenomenon of interest" (Patton, 2002: 39). The broad definition of qualitative research is "any kind of research that produces findings not arrived at by means of statistical procedures or other means of quantification" (Strauss and Corbin, 1990: 17). Qualitative research reveals findings observed in the real world context where the phenomena being studied unfold naturally (Patton, 2002). The motivation underlying qualitative research is the researchers desire to understand the social and cultural phenomena within the real-world setting. Qualitative methods are designed to

A full-blown debt crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A full-blown debt crisis - Essay Example The type of structural adjustment programs recommended (or imposed) by the World Bank and IMF began around 1980 after a number of countries in Africa, Latin America, and Asia experienced balance-of-payment problems. Governments that had borrowed heavily found themselves short of foreign exchange to buy imported goods for direct consumption and for investment in industry and agriculture. A full-blown debt crisis had arrived. Firms that distribute medicines also frequently deal in veterinary products, fertilizers, pesticides, chemicals, cosmetics, foods, soaps, and other classes of products extending into many aspects of daily life. When oil prices increased again in 1979 a world recession occurred and world interest rates rose sharply. These companies may also be associated with the production and especially with the marketing of all types of medical supplies and hospital and scientific equipment and apparatus. One serious problem concerning the drug industry in developing countries i s the enormous proliferation of products, brands, and trade names. In countries where a few hundred different drugs are really needed, thousands or tens of thousands of different pharmaceutical products are marketed, often with little regulation.Immediate consequences of mandated reforms were low or negative growth, increased unemployment, and reduced government services. An early target of reduced government expenditure was the social sector, including health and welfare services. Adverse effects of such changes on welfare and health, particularly of the poor, have been profoundly and frequently criticized, often on ideological grounds. In an editorial, the British medical journal Lancet observed that The World Bank is an easy and satisfying target for those concerned with the effects of development aid on poor-to-middle income countries. The majority of drugs marketed by transnational corporations are those developed for the health problems and marketing patterns of the much larger markets in wealthier countries. While many billions of dollars are spent on pharmaceutical research, the actual medicinal needs of the people in the developing countries (which together account for only 14% of world consumption) may not be properly represented. The United States alone, with 5% of the world's population, is said to consume more than twice the total amount of pharmaceuticals used by 75% of the world's population. At the same time developing countries often pay a premium for their drugs, and pharmaceutical companies often sponsor meetings and conferences and provide incentives to physicians to use expensive new products. Some countries, such as Pakistan, have attempted to promote the use of cheaper generic products by abolishing trade names, but such regulations are difficult to enforce and may lead to a thriving underground of smuggled branded drugs. The Action Program on Essential Drugs (DAP) was established to support countries in developing national policies for the rational use of drugs. The DAP seeks to ensure that people are able to obtain the drugs they need at the lowest possible price; that these drugs are safe, effective, and of high quality; and that they are prescribed and used rationally. Many developing countries have adopted model pharmacopoeias in order to save money on imported drugs and eliminate unnecessary and irrational combinations, such as mixtures of antibiotics and vitamins popular in some regions. A large literature has evolved from these experiences, emphasizing the wasteful aspects of inappropriate purchasing, poor management, quality control and security, unnecessary prescriptions, and poor patient compliance. Counterfeit drugs are also a problem in both developed and developing countries. In one study done by the DAP, 53.4%of samples collected in Myanmar and 26.4% in Vietnam were unregistered and drugs imported through unauthorized channels were found in the markets. Some drugs were similar in color, packaging, and imprints to standard products

Literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Literature - Essay Example the lower social status of Atieno as compared to the speaker, the power struggle between the speaker and Atieno and the misery of the characters represented. In focusing on the different social status of the characters represented in the poem, the critic will point out the various ways in which Atieno is essentially a slave to her older and more successful relative. This difference in social status equates to a significant difference in expected responsibilities as Atieno, at only 8 years old, is expected to perform all the basic functions of the house making it possible for the speaker’s wife, the child’s aunt, to sit all day and sew. This gives the impression that the wife’s chores are not as heavy or as tiring as those given to the niece. This kind of difference in expectations is what Marx points to when he indicates that the lower classes will rise up against perceived injustices in the division of labor to reward. The Marxist critic is also likely to focus on the apparent power struggle occurring between Atieno and the speaker as a result of these differences in labor expectations. The girl is covetous towards her cousins’ things, she â€Å"spends too long at market† (26) and is evidently given a place to sleep but not the same access to education that her cousins have. This idea is given voice as the speaker asks, â€Å"Don’t I keep her, school my own ones / Pay the party, union fee† (20-21). Because she has no power of her own and no real chance of escaping her situation, Atieno rebels against her system the only way she knows how. This speaks directly to Marx’s theory that when the laboring classes have finally had enough of capitalist gain being withheld, they will cease to perform until more equitable terms have been made available. Finally, the Marxist critic is likely to take a look at the misery of the lower classes as it is reflected in the lives of all the characters mentioned. Although Atieno is obviously the worse-off among

Fundamentals of economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fundamentals of economics - Essay Example Some people are intended to spend loads of money and they also easily can do. We will see how rise in prices affect the living standards. There are so many elements in the standards of living. These are not only consumer goods but also there are some elements included in standards of living that cannot be purchased or are not under our control for example environmental quality and the services provided by the government. 2 Decline in living standard is not because of rise in prices. There are so many elements affecting the standards of living. 1. There have been a general slowdown in economic growth (the growth in the amount of goods and services produced) and in the growth of national income (the sum of all the income received in the nations). This means that the size of the income pie available to be divided among the families is growing very slowly than before. The prices of goods plays important roles for spending life, it can make life easy if prices of goods and services are low and it can creates more difficulties it prices are very high. But it does not mean to decline the standards of living. Standards of living depend on many factors. We have seen the factors those are affecting the standards of living and those are not affecting. There are also many other elements such as education, quality of education, health facilities.3 It can be defined as the income of the individuals or people after adjusting for inflation. It can be measured by subtracting the inflation from the nominal income. Mathematically it can be written as: Real income is a more useful indicator of well-being; it is based on the amount of goods and services that can be purchased with the income. It involves real variables as real income, real GDP and real interest rates. These real variables can be measured in physical units (standards of measurements of physical quantities)4. Nominal Income is the income that has

Situational Analysis of International or Global Marketing Environment Essay

Situational Analysis of International or Global Marketing Environment - Essay Example The company has hired more than 7000 employees for maintaining its efficient operational system. It also provides services for warehousing and engineer support which helps in maintaining stable supply chain systems and reverse logistics (Unipart Logistics, 2013d). Unipart Logistics has a wide client base in departments like retail, automotive, retail, technology, defence and aerospace (Unipart Logistics, 2013c). Unipart Logistics is a part of the Unipart Group of Companies and specializes in outsourcing logistics and delivery services. The marketing consultant of the company has decided to enter into the Brazilian markets and wants to conduct a situational analysis. The situational analysis would help in the assessment of the external force which might affect the profitability of the company. An internal analysis would be conducted to understand the company’s current strategic position and check whether it is suitable for the company to enter into foreign markets like Brazil a nd further inside. Finally, the study would conclude with recommendations which would highlight on improving the current business activities and methods before entering into Brazilian markets. Marketing Environment Analysis Political, Economic, Social and Technology Analysis Political, Economic, Social and Technology (PEST) Analysis would be conducted for identifying and understanding the external threats and opportunities faced by logistics industry in Brazil. Political Presently, the corporate tax rate of Brazil is 35 percent which is very high compared to the other developing countries (KPMG, 2013). The high corporate tax rate has limited the entry of several logistics and supply chain companies into Brazil (KPMG, 2013). The corporate tax rates of a particular country helps the logistic companies to decide upon the transportation, warehouse and delivery charges for their clients (Brazil Business, 2013b). Apart from the corporate tax rate, these companies need to also consider oth er tax reformations like Contribution Incident on Liquid Profit (CILP) (15 percent) , ICMS tax (12 percent) and ISS tax ( ranges from 2 to 5 percent ) (Brazil Business, 2013b). Economic Presently, the economic situation for logistic companies is not preferable due to the very high logistic costs allocated by the government. The logistic and supply chain companies spend 8 to 10 percent of their annual GDP which is almost double compared to the average of other developed countries (Brazil Business, 2013a). Moreover, the infrastructure is unfavourable for the development of the sector because the transport matrix developed by the government is favourable only for road transportation companies. Social The success of the logistic and supply chain companies depends upon the nature of their delivery organizations to a large extent. The success of these organizations in turn depends upon the social culture and lifestyle of the individuals. If the purchasing power of the common people increa ses, then the sales will also increase automatically and vice versa. Technological The logistic and supply chain industry is usually dependent on technology used for the movement and storage of goods within an accurate time frame (Global Logistics Media, 2013). Technology has totally

No end to this disgrace in sight! Essay Example for Free

No end to this disgrace in sight! Essay †¢ U. S. Prison Population Soars in 2003, 04 The population of the nations prisons and jails has grown by about 900 inmates each week between mid-2003 and mid-2004, according to figures released Sunday by the Bureau of Justice Statistics. By last June 30 the system held 2. 1 million people, or one in every 138 U. S. residents. [The] increase can be attributed largely to get-tough policies enacted in the 1980s and 1990s. Among them are mandatory drug sentences, three-strikes-and-youre-out laws for repeat offenders and truth-in-sentencing laws that restrict early releases. [M]any of those incarcerated are not serious or violent offenders, but are low-level drug offenders — ABC News, 2005-04-25 Its a rosy future for the prisons-for-profit industry. †¢ Gregory Palast: Gilded Cage: Wackenhuts Free Market in Human Misery †¢ A Letter to Barbara Bush †¢ Noam Chomsky: The War on (Certain) Drugs †¢ Lee Rodgers: The Duplicity of the War on Drugs Looking at the accumulated evidence that the Contras and the CIA engaged in cocaine smuggling to fund the covert war in Nicaragua, suspicion arises concerning the apparent coincidence that CIA-Contra drug smuggling was contemporaneous with the war on drugs. From a CIA covert action in Latin America the cocaine has made its way NORTH (ala Oliver North) to the American consumer, who is consistently portrayed as African-American by the mass media, even though the majority of cocaine consumption is by whites. The disturbing prospect arises that this war on drugs was nothing more than CIA-style psychological warfare which sought to acquire as much as possible of the sum total of our civil liberties while particularly targeting minorities. †¢ Daniel Hopsicker: The Secret Heartbeat of America: A New Look at the Mena Story. I will never, as long as I live, forget our Midnight ride to Mena, seated beside tour guide and American hero Russell Welch. Im convinced that what I saw there that night was a fully functional and operational secret government installation. By that, I do not mean a secret installation of the government of the United States of America. Unh-uh. What I believe I saw, and what I believe exists in Mena, Arkansas today is an installation of the secret government that runs the government of the United States of America. And heres what I suspect: that today, long after Oliver North has become nothing but a minor league radio DJ and long after the contra war is just a fading memory of yet another minor league war, our government — yours and mine — is going about the lucrative worldwide business of drug production and distribution. †¢ Peter Webster: Anatomy of a Fiasco: a review of The Swedish Drug Control System As with the understanding of crowd madnesses and ritual persecutions of old, a satisfactory and general theory of our great modern Prohibitionist folly will probably have to await not only the final demise of the madness, but an intervening period of normalization and healing recuperation lasting perhaps several generations. From the perspective of the distant future, historians may well conclude that the centuries-long phenomenon of Substance Prohibition reached its dizzying peak in the late 20th Century as a climactic exaggeration ad absurdum of a long-enduring collective delusion and paranoia. But even if we could, by virtue of a time machine, read such a theory today, the continued existence of the crowd madness in our midst would certainly preclude any general recognition or acceptance of its validity. Thus, although there now exist a few obscure essays which may someday be seen as harbingers of that still-distant revelation, they will probably have minimal influence on the immediate course of events and we can today do little more than study local details of the Prohibitionist phenomenon and force society to look at the ugly and counterproductive results of its obsession in the ongoing attempt at curing the malady by stages. There seems absolutely no possibility that a great and general truth about Prohibition, no matter how brilliantly expressed, could today awaken Western Civilization from its present nightmare. But in the meanwhile, to assist the growing number of individuals who can see the inevitable if distant dawn of a new rationality, a wealth of excellent literature exists and continues to grow at a gratifying pace. Such literature deals with the local details of the Prohibitionist phenomenon in ways which both illustrate its illogic and destructiveness to society, and suggests practical if only provisional tactics and strategy for limiting the ravages of Prohibition and tackling the difficult task of awakening the general public to its complicity and participation in a crowd madness of major proportions. †¢ Kristianna ThoMas: Opium War: Britain Stole Hong Kong From China Governments have been behind the drug trade for a long time. †¢ Illicit Lemon Drops Get Boy a School Suspension — from the Los Angeles Times, 1997-11-20: COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — A 6-year-old boy has been suspended for half a day for bringing drugs to school: lemon drops bought in a health food store. The fire department and an ambulance were called after a teacher found first-grader Seamus Morris giving the candies to a fellow pupil on the playground Oct. 29, said his mother, Shana Morris. She said both boys parents were urged to take their children to the hospital for tests, despite her assurances that the lemon drops were harmless. John Bushey, an administrator at Taylor Elementary School, said the half-day suspension was consistent with the districts drug policy, which treats unfamiliar products as controlled substances. Heres the original Denver Post story. †¢ How the U. S. Drug War Plays in the European Media According to Juan, the US government is chiefly concerned with getting political and economic advantages from the drug trade Washington uses the DEA to pressure other countries politically. At times, the US permits drug trafficking so that it can get information to use to blackmail foreign governments. As the Hopsicker article shows, the U. S. State of Arkansas is one of the murky epicenters of the CIAs smuggling of addictive drugs into America. Finally some light is falling upon the creepie-crawlie characters in this cesspool. The case of Dan Harmon is interesting: †¢ Dan Harmon Indicted. He is charged with running a drug-related criminal enterprise while serving as prosecuting attorney for the states 7th Judicial District and heading its federally funded drug task force. †¢ Dan Harmon Convicted Despite the apparent wish of the federal prosecutors to take a dive, the jury convicts. †¢ Arkansas Justice An editorial from the Wall Street Journal. †¢ A Question Regarding Harmon Harmon ran what a lawyer in Pulaski County recently described as a reign of terror in the counties he was sworn to serve. All of that raises the question of why the man was not stopped earlier. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Those interested in the drug scandals of Arkansas can read more on the CIA page and in the selected messages from the CIADRUGS mailing list. †¢ Crime and the War on Drugs — from Harry Brownes 1996 U. S. presidential election campaign platform †¢ Vin Suprynowicz: The Big Lie †¢ U. S. to Criminalize Trade in Vitamins Are you a vitamin C abuser? †¢ DEA raid on Shulgin Laboratory †¢ Further information and ongoing reports from the trustee of the Alexander T. Shulgin Trust (including the final report). †¢ Drug lawyer speculates on the future. †¢ The Marijuana Policy Project The MPP is working to chip away at the excesses of the current prohibitionist policies, gradually replacing them with reasonable regulations. †¢ Interview with Michael Levine, former DEA agent, in which he relates his involvement as an undercover agent in heroin and cocaine smuggling in S. E. Asia and South America. †¢ Cocaine Politics — Drugs, Armies and the CIA in Central America A book by an academic and a journalist which exposes the lies and hypocrisy behind the war on drugs. †¢ A review of Smoke and Mirrors: The War on Drugs and the Politics of Failure †¢ A review of The Politics of Consciousness: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom †¢ The Arguments against Cannabis are Flimsy! from the Usenet newsgroup uk. politics. drugs. †¢ The Introduction from the 1996 Positronics Sinsemilla Fanclub Catalogue. There are some countries (considerably more enlightened than the U. S. ) where the war on drugs is perceived even by the government itself to be a lie and a fraud. †¢ Paul Staines: Acid House Parties Against the Lifestyle Police and the Safety Nazis †¢ Costs of cannabis laws outweigh their alleged benefit, an excerpt from Marijuana: The New Prohibition by Professor John Kaplan. †¢ Civil Asset Forfeiture — the end of the rule of law Legal theft in America. †¢ The Introduction to Brenda Grantlands Your House is Under Arrest You may say this could never happen in America because the U. S. Constitution protects you. There you are wrong, because it is happening in the U. S. — at an alarmingly increasing pace. †¢ Judy Aita: U. N. Drug Report †¢ Licensed to Deal, Marijuana Sellers Put Arizona on the Spot †¢ U. S. prosecutions of pro-marijuana doctors barred At the end of April 1997 a U. S. district judge issued an order temporarily barring the federal government from prosecuting California doctors who recommend marijuana to their patients. †¢ Court gives pot back to epileptic Judge Sheppard stressed that his decision had nothing to do with the recreational use of marijuana but was based on solid proof that the substance is an irreplaceable aid to Mr.Parkers health problems. He said that to deny Mr. Parker the substance would be to interfere with his right to life, liberty and security of person. Liberty includes the right of an individual to make decisions of personal importance, the judge said, and health is surely one of them. †¢ Steven Silverman: A Harsh Civics Lesson †¢ Dr. Bernhard Haisch: A Viagra-model Solution to the War on Drugs †¢ Medical Use of Cannabis Could Soon be Legal †¢ Illicit drug use in the EU: legislative approaches (372 Kb PDF file) †¢ Edgar J. Steele: Pogo Was Right.

Importance of Infrastructure Investment in the UK

Importance of Infrastructure Investment in the UK Acknowledgements In 1999, I completed the 1st year of the full-time Quantity Surveying course at Glasgow Caledonian University before moving to America in 2001. After a five-year stay, I returned to Glasgow in September 2006 and re-enrolled in the Part-time Quantity Surveying course. Ten years on from the first experience of the QS course, it gives me great pleasure and pride to be submitting one of the last pieces of work in the honours year. It has been an amazing and unexpected journey. I would not be in this position if it were not for the incredible levels of support and encouragement shown by so many and would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge some of these people. First, I would like to thank Raymond McCafferty Michael Heggarty of Cruden Building Renewals for employing me and giving me this opportunity. Their continued support and encouragement throughout this process has given me the focus and drive to continually improve my work. My colleagues at Cruden also deserve a special mention for their support during the dissertation and without the laughs during the day; this process would have been so much more difficult. Thanks guys!!! I would also like to thank Halbert Mills at Glasgow Caledonian University for accepting me back into the course and believing that I had the potential to get to this stage. During the course of this dissertation, I had some challenging times when I felt like I did not know how to develop my chosen topic. I would like to give my sincere thanks to my supervisor, Dr. John Lowe, for his inspirational input when I had these difficulties. Unfortunately, I cannot name everyone but I want to thank all my friends and family who without their support I would never have completed this piece of work. Mum, Dad, Gran, thank you so much for everything. Finally, the love and support shown by my Wife, Brooke, during this process has been a major source of inspiration. We will both be glad when the late night studying and completing of projects is finally over. Peter McLellan 1. Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 Rationale for the Study Infrastructure forms the economic backbone of the UK. It is the fabric that defines us as a modern industrialised nation. The standard and resilience of infrastructure in the UK has a direct relationship to the growth and competitiveness of our economy. (Skinner, 2010) For the UK to retain its competitive edge, a longer-term view of investment in infrastructure must lead policy making. (Stewart, 2009) This dissertation offers an opportunity to explore and research a highly topical issue. The United Kingdom finds itself still in the midst of one of the worst economic downturns in recent memory and in a period of fiscal consolidation. As a result of this depressed economic situation, difficult decisions have had to be made by all sectors within the UK to work together to drive the country out of the recession. The recent edition of the Economic and fiscal Strategy Report and Financial Statement and budget by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, highlights the importance of implementing measures that will promote sustainable growth. Despite modest growths to GDP of 0.4 per cent in the final quarter in 2009 (NSO, 2010), the general consensus is that the United Kingdom is in the early stages of recovery. The 2010 budget, called Securing the recovery, outlines ways in which it aims to support this vision. One of these policies, is to invest in infrastructure, including additional funding for transport and local roads and creating a Green Investment bank. (UK Budget, 2010) Also, the Eddington Report, published on 1 Dec 2006, was a study jointly commissioned by the Secretary of State for Transport and the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Its role was to analyse the long-term relationships, within the boundaries of the Governments wider commitment to sustainable development, between transport and the UKs growth, stability and economic productivity. The findings of this study will be discussed and compared to the investment required to meet the future demands of the UK. Furthermore, in a recent study carried out by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), it revealed that inadequate energy, transport, and communications infrastructure continues to reduce the opportunity for UK businesses to grow. It also outlines that during this period when businesses play a vital role in the recovery of the economy, productivity is being affected as a result of lack of capacity, thus restricting the UKs economic potential. (BCC survey, 2010) In response to the survey carried out in 2010, David Frost, the Director general of the BCC stated the following: A countrys infrastructure is crucial to the success of its businesses. In the current environment of economic uncertainty and public spending constraints, our energy, digital, and transport networks must be up to the job if business is to deliver growth and create employment. The intriguing situation that the UK Government now face is deciding the best way to stimulate economic growth without increasing the deficit. One of the issues with increasing deficits is the Government will have to borrow to service the debt. As a result of the world-banking crisis over the last few years, there is reluctance to increase the UK debt further and therefore this might have an impact on infrastructure investment in this country. This dissertation provides an opportunity to research the level of infrastructure required in the UK and review the part it plays to the long-term sustainable growth of the UK economy. Furthermore, in doing so, the author intends to see if further investment in Infrastructure works is viable in the current economic climate. 1.2 Aim The aim of this dissertation is to assess the importance of infrastructure investment in the United Kingdom and how this impacts on the long-term sustainable growth of the UK Economy given the current economic constraints. 1.3 Objectives To review Fiscal and Monetary policy theories available to the UK Government. To review the current and future demands for infrastructure works in the UK. To understand the level of importance of infrastructure work investment to the UK economy. To understand the roles, responsibilities and options available to public and private bodies in raising capital to invest in infrastructure works in the UK. To highlight the economic and social benefits gained as a result of increased investment in chosen infrastructure sectors by utilising hypothetical cost model projections. 1.4 Outline Methodology of the Research 1.5 Dissertation Contents Chapter 2 Provides an extensive Literature review on the topic area. The author will provide a general overview of economic theory, introduction to infrastructure, and a review of the relevant studies published worldwide that reveal intellectual thoughts on infrastructure investment impact on the economy. This will be carried out in the way of both descriptive and an analytical approach to all the appropriate literature sourced to aid in this dissertation. Naoum (2007) states It is descriptive in that it describes the work of previous writers and it is analytical in that it critically analyses the contribution of others with a view of identifying similarities and contradictions made by previous writers. According to Naoum (2007), the literature review will serve two purposes. First, it allows for gathering of information to allow development of issues and themes within the chosen topic that ultimately shape the research design. Second, the literature review will help form the basis of the research design by analysing previous research designs. Chapter 3 Chapter 3 introduces the reader to the numerous research techniques available to the author and will highlight the strengths and weaknesses of each and merits of each approach, before indicating the chosen methods of quantitative analysis technique Chapter 3 examines the various research techniques that were available to the author and describes the strengths and weaknesses of each of the approaches in respect to the available data. In particular this chapter presents the reasoning behind the authors decision to adopt the quantitative analysis technique and explains how this approach was applied. This chapter also describes the source of the data and highlights any potential bias or limitations that the author experienced within the analysis. Furthermore this chapter explicitly explains the process for selecting and categorising the appropriate data prior to analysis in a consistent manner. John Hannah paragraph Chapter 4 Chapter 4 builds upon the process described in the previous chapter and examines the primary source of data to assess what trends are evident with each of the particular categories. This section goes on to expand upon the original quantitative analysis and examine a series of quantitative case studies to assess the extent of early warning events and compensation events that occurred on completed projects. John Hannah paragraph Chapter 5 In conclusion, chapter 5 summarises the findings of this research and consider if the original aim and objectives have been achieved. Finally, this chapter discusses the authors findings and proposes a list of recommendations for future studies. John Hannah paragraph 2. Chapter Literature Review 2.1 Introduction The purpose of research is to make a contribution, however small, towards understanding the phenomenon being studied and ultimately towards the total body of knowledge (Parahoo, 2006) The intended purpose of the following literature review is to provide a general background to the chosen topic that will aid in the understanding of the following areas: How the UK Economy functions and what factors drive it. Description analysis of previous research on the impact of infrastructure investment on the economy. The role the construction industry plays in the UK Economy. The information presented within the literature review will enhance the readers knowledge of the topic with a view of providing clarity and understanding on the findings presented in chapter 4. Economic Theories There are conflicts of opinion on economic theory. For instance, monetarists argue that rises in the money supply cause inflation whereas Keynesians argue that it is changes in inflation which cause changes in the money supply (Stanlake Grant, 1995) Keynesian Economics John Maynard Keynes was a British economist whose ideas have been a central influence on modern macroeconomics, both in theory and practice. He advocated interventionist government policy, by which governments would use fiscal and monetary measures to mitigate the adverse effects of business cycles, economic recessions, and depressions. His ideas are the basis for the school of thought known as Keynesian economics. Keynes solution to poor economic state is to introduce impetus spending or as the US President Franklin Roosevelt described, prime the pump. Keynes argues that the government should step in to increase spending, either by increasing the money supply or by actually buying things on the market itself. A supporter of Keynesian economics believes it is the governments job to smooth out the bumps in business cycles. Intervention would come in the form of government spending and tax breaks in order to stimulate the economy, and government spending cuts and tax hikes in good times, in order to curb inflation. Alternative Economic Theories Since Keynesian economics advocates for the public sector to step in to assist the economy generally, it is a significant departure from popular economic thought, which preceded it â‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬  laissez-fair capitalism. Laissez-fair capitalism supported the exclusion of the public sector in the market. A number of laissez faire consequences are drawn from Says law. Say also advocated public works to remedy unemployment. Say argued against claims that business was suffering because people did not have enough money and more money should be printed. Say argued that the power to purchase could be increased only by more production and is also best known for coining the phrase supply creates its own demand (Curwen, 1997) James Mill used Says Law against those who sought to give economy a boost via unproductive consumption. Consumption destroys wealth, in contrast to production which is the source of economic growth. The demand for the product determines the price of the product, but not if it will be consumed. Alternatively, Keynes is an advocate of trying to stimulate consumption by government intervention. Views on Economic thoeries Cutting support now, as some are demanding, would run the real risk of choking off the recovery even before it started, and prolonging the global downturn. (Darling, 2009) If consumers, markets and businesses get the message that government wants to carry on spending and isnt serious about dealing with the deficit, they will start to conclude that the UK is no longer a safe place to invest in, spend in or build a business in, (Cameron, 2009) Importance of Construction industry to UK Economy A recent survey commissed by the UK Contractors Group and carried out by LEK Consulting to demonstrate the impacts of the Construction industry on the UK Economy was distributed September 2009. The main aim of this report was to specifically highlight the benefits of investing in construction. The report covered 3 main areas: Contribution of the construction industry at national and regional level. Key contribution that construction makes to national employent levels. The role that the construction industry plays in the broader economic and social objectives. The reports contention is that the construction industry is vital to the overall UK economy while still being in a recession as it provides the following: Construction is a major contributor to the UK DGP. Construction sector employs circa  £3m people throughout 300,000 firms. Construction is also an important driver for other sectors, without which there would be a loss of domestic production capacity and skills. The report, Construction in the UK economy: The Benefits of Investment, shows that construction is the best sector for stimulating employment. It also shows that every  £1 spent on construction leads to an increase in GDP of  £2.84, as the spending not only creates construction output worth  £1, but also stimulates growth elsewhere in the economy worth  £1.84. With the Chancellors Pre-Budget Report looming, the CBI is continuing to press the case for protecting capital spending by government. (John Cridland, CBI Deputy-Director General, 2009) A strong economy needs fit-for-purpose schools and hospitals, and it will be the construction industry that builds the new transport and energy infrastructure needed to shift to a low-carbon economy. (John Cridland, CBI Deputy-Director General, 2009) Introduction to Infrastructure Works Infrastructure investment impact: Previous Research Over the last 30 years there have been various economic models developed to help in the research of the impact of infrastructure investment on the economy. The in-depth empirical studies have mainly utilised macro-economic level data, which includes cross-state and cross-country data. (Straub, 2007) edinburgh paper According to the studies carried out by Aschauer (1989) he states that when analysing the importance of public investment to the productivity improvement and economic growth, added weight must be attributed to the public investment decisions made by the Government. Furthermore, the study indicates increased productivity and growth in the economy by investing in areas such as highways, sewers, streets, and water systems. To ascertain these findings, Aschauer took the average annual growth rates of total factor productivity and the non-military public capital stock in America over the period 1950-1985; Aschauers data indicated a close relationship between level of investment in non-military infrastructure and productivity. Put in Tables from study Further research in the United States carried out by Munnell (1990) analysed the impact of the stock of public capital on economic activity at the regional and state levels. In conclusion, Munnell found that the US states that had invested in infrastructure had greater output, increased levels of private investment, and high levels of employment growth. The study highlighted above, Aschuer (1989) estimated an elasticity of output with respect to public infrastructure capital in the United States during 1950-1985 of between 0.38 and 0.56. These results have been shown to be econometrically suspect and subsequent work suggests the elasticity is much smaller. The average elasticity across OECD countries for the period 1960-2001 has recently been estimated to be 0.2 (Kanps, 2004). Aschauers paper has, however, proved very fruitful in terms of subsequent research, which it stimulated. (Crafts Leunig, 2005) A number of empirical studies have looked at the relationship between all public infrastructure investment and GDP growth. On average these studies seem to indicate a positive elasticity of output to public capital of around 0.20. Put another way, a ten per cent increase in public capital stock increases GDP by around 2 per cent. (Eddington report 2006) The eddington report suggest that there are limitations to these empirical studies and the results should be viewed with caution. OECD (2003) argues that early empirical work on the link between infrastructure investment and economic performance overstated the magnitude of the impact on GDP and productivity growth (The sources of economic growth in OECD countries, OECD, 2003) In particular, studies that focus on public investment in capital and infrastructure in a broad sense, rather than on transport specifically, do not really distinguish between types of investment in terms of new build, upgrade, maintenance etc although some do make specific conclusions about the value of transport infrastructure investment. Later studies using more complex modelling suggest a positive, albeit weaker relationships between infrastructure and GDP. These include: Kocherlakota and Yi (1997), Demetiades and mamuneas (2002), OFallon (2003), and Nijkamp and Poot (2004). (see figure 1.5 eddington report 2006) In 1993, Easterly and Robero carried out further research to expand on the work in this field. Called Fiscal Policy and Economic Growth: An Empirical Investigation, it details several conclusions that support the findings expressed by Aschauers research in 1989. It tackled areas such as the rate of growth and the level of development by employing historical data and recent cross-section data. The main findings outlined that there is a strong relationship between a countries fiscal structure and the development level and that investment levels in communication and transport is consistently correlated with growth. This therefore indicates that infrastructures are important in the economic prosperity of a nation (Easterly, Robelo 1993). Put in reference Eisner (1991) highlighted that public infrastructures not only serve as an intermediate good in physical goods production, they can also be final consumption goods. For example, water and sewage systems benefit environment, better transportation saves time spent on travelling, public parks give people pleasure, etc. Canning, Fay, and Perotti (1994) found substantial effects of physical infrastructure on economic growth based on the international data set. The strategy for national infrastructure also states, The majority of empirical research indicates that there is positive relationship between infrastructure and economic growth (strategy for national infrastructure, 2010). Introduction to Infrastructure What is Infrastructure? Set-up in December 2009 to help meet the infrastructure requirements in the UK for the next 10-20 years, Infrastructure UK defines Infrastructure as key economic sectors which include: Water, Waste, Energy, Transport and communications (strategy for national infrastructure, 2010). Infrastructure networks enable people, goods, energy, information, water, and waste to move efficiently around the UK and, in some cases, across its borders. The extent, capacity and quality of these networks has a direct bearing on the economy of the UK, the environment and the quality of life of everyone who lives in or visits the UK. Infrastructure Studies in the United Kingdom Extensive research carried out in the United Kingdom has indicated the level of infrastructure required for each sector and this can be cross-referenced with studies highlighted in the previous section. For example, the findings from the research carried out by Eisner, 1991 and Easterly, Robero 1993 indicated a relationship between transportation and its impact on the growth of the economy. The Eddington report was published on the 1st December 2006 and was carried out by Sir Rod Eddington under the instruction of the UK Government. The report is an examination of the impact transportation decisions will have on the UK environment and economy. The report analyses the current global economic demands and how our current transportation infrastructure must meet the demands of the 21st century. It states that with rising population and resultant greater demands on the country, higher levels of congestion and issue with reliability will have adverse effects on the economy if the correct infrastructure is not in place. It contends that by not having the required infrastructure in place it costs businesses more money while also effecting peoples social environment (Eddington Report, 2006). As well as utilising the Eisner, Easterly and Robero findings, the Eddington Report drew on research carried out in more recent times. The studies used in the development of the Eddington Report comprised: The historical significance of Transport for Economic growth and Productivity (Crafts Leunig, 2005), Step change transport improvements (Mann, 2006), and transport and labour market strategies (Gibbons Machin, 2006) Assessing transports contribution to the economy Transport can impact on the performance of the economy in a number of different ways: Transports impact on GDP Transport can impact on the economy and will ultimately impact on overall output. Gross domestic product (GDP) is currently the best measure of the size of the economy as it measures the total value of goods and services provided. Transport can have an impact on economic output (GDP) thorugh two channels: Firstly, transport can affect GDP though a number of inputs that are used, for example transport may increase employment either by allowing greater access to labour or stimulating the creation of new firms, which can increase the number of goods and services produced and lead to an increase in GDP. Secondly, transport can improve the efficiency with which firms use inputs, in other words transport can have an impact on productivity. For instance, a well functioning transport network can raise productivity by redusing journey times. Transport investment can impact on the drivers of productivity by encouraging prictae investment through raising its profitability; facilitating labour mobility and thereby increasing the returns in investment skills; and enabling effective competition even when economic activity is geographically dispersed. Identifying the impact of transport on productivity is important because improving productivity is a key to determinant of long-term growth and living standards. These effects can either have a one -off effect on the level of productivity or a sustained impact on the growth rate of productivity. Transport can impact on the growth rate of productivity by stimulating innovation through its impact on agglomeration economies, trade and foreign direct investment. In practice these dynamics are very difficult to measure, but are nevertheless extremely valuable, as they determine how quickly the economy grows and therefore the rate of growth in GDP. Transports role in supporting quality of life Critically though, GDP measures alone fail to capture the impacts of transport on the environment or its contribution to the wider well being of society. Transports impact on the environment, for example through carbon and other emissions, can increasingly lead to unsustainable growth, as well as impacting on peoples quality of life. Transport improvements that free up wasted travel time allow people to spend more time with friends and family, and enjoy more leisure activities. An economic welfare measurement would seek to measure such broader impacts of transport on society and the environment rather than just a pure GDP measure. These benefits to general well being are known as economic welfare, or welfare. The use of existing transport networks: What benefits do provide Erenburg (1994) finds that policy measures that make more efficient use of existing transport infrastructure through pricing mechanisms or other traffic management solutions can have a significant impact on growth (linking public capital to economic performance, Erenburg, 1994) Hulten and Schwab (1996) estimate that a 1 per cent increase in infrastructure effectiveness would have an impact on growth seven times larger than a 1 per cent increase in the rate of public infrastructure investment. (the public capital hypothesis: The case of Germany, Hulten and Schwab, 1996) OECD/ECMT (2001) paper on the benefits of transport concludes that wider economic benefits may be achieved more efficiently by introducing prices which correspond more closely to costs, or by reallocating existing infrastructure more efficiently between users, or by adopting other transport policies. (Assessing the benefits of transport, European Conference of Ministers of transport, OECD, 2001) Victoria transport policy institute (2003) argues that investment in alternative modes of transport and in management strategies to encourage more efficient use of existing road capacity tends to provide greater economic benefit than expanding existing highways to reduce congestion. The study also argues that the benefits of transport improvements are heavily dependant on local circumstances, in that they will only increase economic development where inadequate transport is a significant constraint on economic activity. EVIDENCE OF CONDITIONS NECESSARY FOR TRANSPORT TO IMPACT ON THE PERFORMANCE OF THE ECONOMY Caning and Fay (1993) assert that infrastructure should not be seen as a factor of production but as a condition for high growth. Kessides (1993) notes that infrastructure does not create economic potential; it only develops such potential where appropriate conditions exist, i.e. other inputs such as labour and capital are available to drive output growth. Indeed, lynde and Richmond (1993), Trinder (2002), and OFallon (2003) assert that public and private capital are complements; that physical infrastructure requires the existence of available productive private capital in order to realise economic growth potential, and that infrastructure investment can boost the productivity of such private capital. Infrastructure investment may also feed through to increased labour productivity. Canning and pedroni (1999), banister and berechman (2000), Trinder (2002) and OFallon (2003) highlight other important underlying conditions that will influence the impact of transport investment on the economy (SEE REFERENCES FIGURE 1.7 EDDINGTON REPORT) In summary, these include: Economic conditions, a stable macroeconomic policy climate, local market circumstances, agglomeration, and labour market conditions Investment conditions; available funds, timing and structure of investment, type of infrastructure investment, location of investment in terms of network structure and political and institutional conditions, decision making, planning, sources, and methods of finance, level of investment, supporting legal and organisational policies and processes, and method and governance of infrastructure delivery and provision. Funding and delivery mechanisms for UK national infrastructure The National Infrastructure is funded and delivered in a number of ways: Commercially driven, user-paid infrastructure e.g. unregulated airport and ports where it is for the developer to decide what and when infrastructure is built. Any developments is then paid for by consumers (but prices are not regulated because competition exists) Commercially driven, user paid but price-regulated infrastructure with a stronger role for Government. Regulated airports are an example. Government supports investment in additional capacity but this is a commercial decision for airport operator (and where prices are regulated to protect from monopoly power). The energy sector also largely follows this model but prices are set by the market or thorough Government intervention. Price regulated businesses where independent regulators play a stronger role in determining the level and nature of investment. For example, water, where the regulator has an input into the nature of the investment programme but infrastructure investment in funded by users. Price regulated business that is funded by the taxpayer and users e.g. Network Rail. This is a model where the business is funded both by users and taxpayers where the DfT have a central role in setting out the outputs it wants from the railways and the level of funding to achieve that. The regulator sets the efficiency targets and prices for the company. Publicly decided and publicly funded infrastructure e.g. roads. Government decides where they should go, when they should be built and pays for them. This may include some provate finance but ultimately government rather than users pay. Clearly Government enjoys much greater control over infrastructure, but only a small part of the overall picture. Infrastructure essential for supporting economic activity and growth Many key investment projects rely on private finance either as direct investment or through mechanisms such as PPPs. In the current economic climate the Uk faces stiff competition in securing investment from private investors and from within Government budgets. In this environment, there needs to be a clear vision from Government about the future and needs for infrastructure. This will be essential to persuade the provate sector to invest in the national infrastructure and, in particular, provaste sector investors need long-term certainty in order to judge whether to commit major funds. Chapter 3 This chapter gives a brief description of the methods used for collecting independent data and why they are relevant to the research objectives. Research Strategy Quantitative Quantitative research is objective in nature. It is defined as an inquiry into a social or human problem, based on testing a hypothesis or a theory composed of variables, measured with numbers, and analysed with statistical procedures, in order to determine whether the hypothesis or the theory hold true (Cresswell, 1994). This statement is expanded on further by Bouma and Atkinson (1995), who state Quantitative data is, therefore, not abstract, they are hard and reliable; they are measurements of tangible, countable,

Whats Equality? Essay -- Racial Relations, History of Equality

This essay has three main parts; it will attempt to provide an answer to the question. What is equality? The term equality has many connotations in the English language; therefore, it will be necessary to use it in the societal context. It will be required to take a brief look at the history of equality using examples and references from such writers as Marx, and Tawney. Following on, a more current outline will be used to provide a more up to date perspective. The assignment will then proceed to give a definition, with examples, to the meaning of equal opportunity. For the purpose this essay the, more, general term will be used to describe equal opportunity. Attention will also be paid to the relevant legislation that underpins equal opportunities within modern day society. The essay will go on to a critical discussion on how equality is applied in society, or not as the case may be. The discussion will include comparisons from main stream political parties and where the student fe els necessary, examples, and consideration will be given throughout to the views of service users and members of the public. This is intended to provide depth and insight into how equality and equal opportunities affect certain sections of society. Finally, this assignment will conclude with a comprehensive summary of the essay. The history of equality can be traced back many years. Aristotle and Plato, Greek philosophers, had many views on the balance between the free-thinking worth of individuals versus the needs of society to be led by the best and smartest. For Marxists, the backbone of Marxism is equality the root of all inequality is capitalism, providing differences of wealth, wages, living conditions education and housing. A society that i... ...he various writers and student. However, equality is such a varied concept no one idea could accurately demonstrate what equality is. Equality is many things to different people. As long as the words respect and fairness are included the definition is not far from being accurate. Secondly, the essay looked at the meaning of equal opportunities. The essay provided an insight into the legislation that underpins equal opportunities and also how it impacts on society. Finally, the essay gave a discussion, with examples, of how equality works within society. This has included observations from service users and members of the public. It was generally perceived that there are still inequalities in today’s modern society, mainly towards the poorer member of society. It was also accepted that these inequalities would remain in the present economic climate. What's Equality? Essay -- Racial Relations, History of Equality This essay has three main parts; it will attempt to provide an answer to the question. What is equality? The term equality has many connotations in the English language; therefore, it will be necessary to use it in the societal context. It will be required to take a brief look at the history of equality using examples and references from such writers as Marx, and Tawney. Following on, a more current outline will be used to provide a more up to date perspective. The assignment will then proceed to give a definition, with examples, to the meaning of equal opportunity. For the purpose this essay the, more, general term will be used to describe equal opportunity. Attention will also be paid to the relevant legislation that underpins equal opportunities within modern day society. The essay will go on to a critical discussion on how equality is applied in society, or not as the case may be. The discussion will include comparisons from main stream political parties and where the student fe els necessary, examples, and consideration will be given throughout to the views of service users and members of the public. This is intended to provide depth and insight into how equality and equal opportunities affect certain sections of society. Finally, this assignment will conclude with a comprehensive summary of the essay. The history of equality can be traced back many years. Aristotle and Plato, Greek philosophers, had many views on the balance between the free-thinking worth of individuals versus the needs of society to be led by the best and smartest. For Marxists, the backbone of Marxism is equality the root of all inequality is capitalism, providing differences of wealth, wages, living conditions education and housing. A society that i... ...he various writers and student. However, equality is such a varied concept no one idea could accurately demonstrate what equality is. Equality is many things to different people. As long as the words respect and fairness are included the definition is not far from being accurate. Secondly, the essay looked at the meaning of equal opportunities. The essay provided an insight into the legislation that underpins equal opportunities and also how it impacts on society. Finally, the essay gave a discussion, with examples, of how equality works within society. This has included observations from service users and members of the public. It was generally perceived that there are still inequalities in today’s modern society, mainly towards the poorer member of society. It was also accepted that these inequalities would remain in the present economic climate.

Determinism in Nella Larsen’s Quicksand Essay -- Nella Larsen Quicksan

Determinism in Nella Larsen’s Quicksand During the Harlem Renaissance, many literary works concentrated on celebrating African American heritage. However, many other writers also began concentrating on the darker theme of naturalism. Nella Larsen’s Quicksand illustrates many elements of this movement. These include a biological determinism, where man is conceived of as controlled by his primitive animal instincts and a sociological determinism, whereby the weak are destroyed and the strong survive in a world of struggle and chance. Helga Crane, Larsen’s protagonist in Quicksand, illustrates the elements of both biological and sociological determinism in her inability to suppress her natural animal instinct to flee uncomfortable situations, and to comfortably conform in either of her opposing communities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Helga cannot suppress her desire to flee from uncomfortable situations in any city that she lives in. In Naxos, she convinces herself that she is leaving a place that has â€Å"grown into a machine† (4). Although the conforming nature of the institution contributes to Helga’s desire to leave, she is also stirred with â€Å"an overpowering desire for action of some sort† (4). Instead of staying in Naxos and fighting a battle against the institute’s conservative attitudes, Helga chooses to flee an unpleasant reality. This exemplifies the â€Å"fight or flight† animal instinct that is said to control behavior in situations that become overwhelming. Instead of fighting, Helga time and time again chooses to leave what becomes unbearable to her. Once the decision is made to leave Naxos, Helga feels â€Å"like a person who had been for months fighting the devil and then unexpectedly had turned around and agreed to do his bidding† (5). Helga knows deep down that leaving Naxos is wrong, but the instinct to flee is so strong that she is powerless to deny it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In New York, Helga is also consumed by the animal instinct of flight. When Dr. Anderson calls on her after a chance meeting at a nightclub, Helga â€Å"had no intention of running away, but something, some imp of contumacy, drove her from his presence, though she longed to stay† (51). Once again, Helga succumbs to her overwhelming desire to leave an uncomfortable situation. Later she realizes with a â€Å"sense of helplessness and inevitability†¦that the weapon she had chosen had been a boomerang, for she herself had felt... ...at the advice she offers these women is looked upon with contempt. She begins to adapt to her life after Sary Jones advises her to â€Å"make de bes’ of et† but her efforts falter during her next pregnancy (125). Instead of making the best of her life, Helga hands over this responsibility to God which eventually leads to the same feeling of â€Å"dissatisfaction [and] asphyxiation that she felt in Naxos, New York and Copenhagen† (134). After all of her experiences, her inability to conform leads her right back to the same place she started from. It is obvious that Helga Crane will never truly be able to â€Å"fit in† in any society. It is apparent that Nella Larsen’s Quicksand is concerned with the naturalistic element of determinism. Helga Crane illustrates both a biological and sociological determinism in her animal instinct for â€Å"flight† and her inability to conform in any of her environments. Larsen’s ability to integrate these themes into the character of Helga proves that the Quicksand is not only representative of the Harlem Renaissance, but also of the naturalistic movement. Work Cited Larsen, Nella. Quicksand and Passing. Ed. Deborah E. McDowell. New Brunswick: Rutgers UP, 1986.

Guidance of Young Children Essay -- Teaching Young Children

1. Developmentally appropriate practice as defined by NAEYC is a â€Å"framework of principles and guidelines for best practice in the care and education of young children, birth through age 8. Children cannot perform tasks that they are not yet developmentally capable of doing and teachers have to be aware of this. One would not expect a one year old child to be able to write their name, not only because they are not cognitively able to understand this task, but also because their fine motor skills have not developed enough to hold a writing instrument. Therefore, most adults would realize this task is not developmentally appropriate. A kindergarten teacher, for example, can able to expect his or her students to know why it is necessary as well as how to clean up their tables after coloring. This task would be developmentally appropriate for most 5 year olds. Making sure that developmentally appropriate tasks are utilized is important because children can easily get discouraged an d may feel inadequate if they cannot perform a task this is simply not within their developmental capabilities. 2. The majorities of teachers that I have interacted have tended to display the authoritative parenting style. They appeared to have respect for their students and allowed them to have a voice in classroom decisions. The teachers also exuded warmth and had genuine care and concern for their students. When students required discipline, the teachers did explain the reason to the child in most circumstances. However, one teacher that I worked with encompassed all three of the parenting styles. With certain students, she presented herself with an authoritative style. These students tended to follow directions, were well behaved and did well on ... ... the entire classroom the new skill or information and then have the children make an attempt. The teacher can focus the attention on the children who appear to be struggling. A wonderful form of learning that can utilize Vygotsky’s ideas of scaffolding and the zone of proximal development is cooperative learning. When children are grouped together with their various ZPD’s, together they can help each other learn and the teacher can assist each group as needed. Not only does this help the children who are struggling, but the students who have a firm grasp of the skills further them by teaching their fellow classmates. Bibliography Gartrell, D. (2004). The power of guidance, teaching social-emotional skills in early childhood classrooms. Belmont, CA: Delmar Marion, M. (2012). Guidance of young children. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc

Le film et le roman

Many say that when comparing movies and books they differ a lot. Books provide a more detailed viewing of characters and the events that occur, whereas the movies leave out Information and sometimes deter the moral of the story. In the movie and book; Ell Suppliant Sarah, it can be seen that movies based on books do not portray the same events and themes occurred. Ultimately this takes away from emotions one feels towards certain situations. Differences can be seen in the relationships between certain characters.Also the way traits of certain characters are shown. Moreover, some events that happened were not the same and took away from the verbal meaning of the story. To begin with, the first difference that Is seen Is the relationships between certain characters, especially Julia and Bertrand. In the book, it can be seen that their relationship Is very tense and not so strong. This can be seen when Bertrand insults Julia in in front of his assistant about how Americans think they ar e the best and Julia thinks to herself (De Rosary, 36-37).From this quote one can see that the relationship between Julia and Bertrand lacks love and affection. Julia feels silly and ridiculed by Bertrand and does not understand why he chooses to act this way. However, in the movie Antoine is not in this scene and their relationship is strong and is working well. As well, later on Dana lee roman, Julia finds out she is pregnant and thinks Bertrand will be happy to know this. After telling him, she finds out that he is not happy she is devastated and this can be seen when she says >(156-166).This quote shows how terrible and angry Julia feels that Bertrand does not want to keep the baby. In movie, It Is seen that Julia is a little upset, however she quickly recovers and It does not seem to bother her for too long. For both instances. The book has a ore detailed way of portraying her thoughts whereas the movie fails to do so. In the end this takes away from emotions and attachment vie wers should feel towards her and leaves them surprised when they split up. Thus, that is how relationships are changed movie and book.Not only Is there a difference between relationships, but also the way characters are shown. In the book, Sarah's character Is naive and Innocent; however In the movie it Is Intelligent and clever. While at the camp, Rachel makes the plan to escape and at first Sarah hesitates, but then agrees. This can be seen when Rachel says Rachel lavish connivance. Less aliment s'Â ©cheaper. Less aliment quitter get 32). Although, in the movie, Sarah brings up the idea and tells Rachel. Moreover, in the book when Sarah and Rachel escape, the police officer knows Sarah and eventually lets her go, (139).Nevertheless, In the movie the police man does not know her and lets her go because of the sympathy he feels for all the kids. Through the events that happened at the camp, the differences were clearly noticeable. Sarah's character may have been changed to be more courageous because she is constantly reminded that she is to blame for hiding Michel. This is because her arenas yell at her for doing this whereas in the book, they do not put too much emphasis on It, illustrating that her parents know she is too young to understand the current situation.This takes away from her loving character and the fact that she under the pressure of her parents blaming her for what she did. Hence, this changes the way Sarah's character is shown in both the movie and the book. Furthermore, UN tauter difference est.. Queue, Dana lee roman, Julia and Zoe both go to America, although, in the movie Julia ends up going alone. This was different in the book because in the book Zoe plays an important role in encouraging her mother. This is significant because she is the one who forces Julia to not give up and actually go and meet William. Therefore, when she meets William, Zoe is not with her.Taking out these events takes away from Zoo's character and makes Julia see m stronger than she actually she is. Furthermore, this leads to William being in denial of his mother's past. In the book he is surprised by what he learns and chooses to be ignorant and neither William nor his father know about Sarah's past. However, in the movie they add in a scene of William meeting his sick father. In it he learns that his father actually knows what happened but never chose to tell him. This is significant because it changes the story as it is a secret that only he does not know about.As a result, this takes away from the whole purpose of Cilia's Journey of being able to tell William about his mother's past. Also this alters the theme of forgetting the past, as in the book Sarah keeps to herself and does not tell anyone. Otherwise in the movie Sarah tells someone but still ends up committing suicide because it was too much to handle. This shows that even the process of sharing her story didn't take away the burden from her heart. Therefore, it is evident that mo vies based on books do not portray the same events ND themes occurred and takes away from the emotions one feels towards certain situations.While reading a book, it allows one to use their creativity and imagine what is happening. Nonetheless movies Just show what is happening and sometimes end up changing the storyline. As seen in Ell Specialty Sarah, many things were changed, including the relationships between characters, the traits of certain characters, and changes in events. In the end, this altered the themes and made it hard for viewers to understand the story. Thus, it can be concluded that movies based on books have a lot of differences.

Why I Teach

Why Teach? Alisha Anderson Grand Canyon University: EDU 576 March 6, 2013 Why teach? I believe that it was meant for me to become a teacher. I have a passion for learning, and I will make my classroom an adventure of learning. A teacher of the year also from Mississippi, Wynona Herchenhahn (2009) indicated that she was a product of good teachers, and I also think that I had many influences coming from great parents and teachers. I love teaching students, they bring out my best values.I like how teachers have the power to change students’ lives to guide them in the right educational path, and that is what I want to do. The person that has inspired me to become a teacher is my mother, Mrs. Jessie Mae Ayers. She has been teaching at the same private school since 1983. She has taught pre-k (3 year olds), 5th -8th graders, and now she has been a librarian since 2004. I would like to be a kindergarten teacher it is the foundation of a student education, and I will like to be the eff ective teacher that starts that journey.I have worked three years as a kindergarten assistant and five years as a pre-k (four year olds) assistant at a public school. I have a love and respect for students; that I can use to build a solid learning community. Christine Gleason and Cynthia Cole Rigsbee (2009), implies that the greatest award is knowing that they made a difference in their student’s life, and that is what I hope to accomplish. References The Council of Chief State School Officers 2009 Teachers of the Year. (2009). Retrieved from http://pearsonfoundation. org/ccsso-toy/2009/index. html

Business Plan – Convenience Store

Business Plan Buster’s A cozy Store that designed for your needs [pic] Business Plan by Lydia Chan CONTENTS[pic] 1. Executive Summary Buster’s is a convenience store specialized in servicing daily needs of occupants of the office building where it is located. It offers variety of products to satisfy customers’ daily needs including snacks, pre-wrapped sandwiches, bottle/canned beverages, stationery, greeting cards, newspapers, paperback books and small gift items. The first Buster’s Store was set up in 2007, a 1,000 square feet store located in the lobby of Empire Centre in Kennedy commercial district. This store is solely owned and managed by Lydia Chan. With fully focused and correct business strategy, Buster’s been able to get break-even in the eleventh month, and reaches to an annual revenue to US$300,000 last year. It has successfully built up an image of a convenience store that is friendly and customized to the occupants of the Empire Centre and the neighborhood buildings. With the proven success of the first Buster’s Store, Lydia is fully confident to expand the business by opening a second store with identical business strategy. The key to success is to find another perfect location. The golden opportunity is now appearing, there is a new office building, Sky Tower, will be opened by end of this year. Sky Tower is just two blocks away from Empire Centre. Besides the advantage of easy management derived from the close by location of the two stores, to make this location perfect for Buster’s is that Sky Tower is an A grade eighty-storey office building which create huge number of potential customers for Buster’s. 1. Mission The Mission of Buster’s is to provide friendly service and good quality of products to occupants of the buildings. Good mix of variety product items are perfectly meet customers’ needs in their daily work lives. 2. Objectives 1. To make Buster’s the preferred convenience store for the occupants of the building where it is situated and the neighborhood. 2. To break-even by the end of the first year. 3. To achieve a net profit of 5% by year three. 3. Keys to Success 1. Establish an image that Buster’s is â€Å"their† convenience store for the customers. 2. To turn over inventory an average of 15 – 20 times per year. 3. To provide friendly service and premium quality products. 2. Company Summary The first Buster’s store is owned and operated by the founder, Lydia Chan, in Sole Proprietorship. The concept of this new venture is a convenience store that specially services occupants of the office building where it is situated. The first store was set up in 2007 located in Empire Centre in Jordan district. It is a 1,000 square feet store in the lobby with 2 full time employees. In 2009, annual revenue of this store is US$300,000. With the earned capital and experiences from the first store, Lydia believes it is the mature time to expand her business by establishing a second store. In order to strengthen the financial and professional background, the second store will be in partnership set up. 1. Ownership The new Buster’s store is privately owned corporation in partnership basis. Lydia Chan owns 75% of the second store. She will work full-time in the store in the first year to ensure smooth day to day operation. In the second year and onwards she will be half day in the first store and half day in the second one. Carmen Chan owns 25% of the second store. Carmen is the elder sister of Lydia, she is a chartered accountant in Hong Kong Bank. She will provide financial advice and assistant for Buster’s. 2. Employees Base on the experience of the first store, we anticipate two employees are sufficient for the daily operational need. There are two full-time shop assistants in the first Buster’s store, Christine and Mina. Christine, high school graduated, joined Buster’s since it was launched in 2007. Her experiences in nurturing infancy Buster’s and daily operation are valuable to the second store. She will be promoted as shop supervisor and transfer to the new store. Christine will be responsible to coach and mentor the other new hired shop assistant, service customers, keep tract inventory/replenishment and report customers’ comments/complaints to Lydia for ensuring corrective action be taken. We will hire another shop assistant to work together with Christine. Criteria are High school graduate with 1-2 years retailing sales experience. 3. Financials 1. Start-up Finance Summary Anticipated start-up cost of the new store is US$200,000. The main cost of start-up will be inventory. It is estimated that the initial inventory purchase will be $100,000. In addition, $30,000 will have to be spent on fixtures and fittings for the store. Since it is a brand new building, there will be no maintenance needed before move-in. Funding will be come from the combination of the two owners from their own savings. Lydia Chan (75% ownership) – contributes US$150,000 Carmen Chan (25% ownership) – contribute US$50,000 2. Start-up Cost Summary This table shows a summary of start-up cost and expenses [pic] 3. 3 Anticipated Revenue and Operating Cost for the First Year pic] 3. 4 Pro-forma cash flow projection for the first year of operation [pic] 5. Break even Analysis The following chart and table show the break-even analysis for Buster’s [pic] [pic] 3. 6 Anticipated return on investment in the first three Years The following table provides the anticipated return on investment from the perspective of three years into the revenue [pic] 4. Marketing /Sales 1. Sum mary of Marketing and Sales Strategy Buster’s new store will be situated in the lobby of Sky Tower, a new office building in a concentrated commercial area, Kennedy District. Busters’ key customers are occupants of Sky Tower. According to the information from the Building Management office, 80% of the total vacant units were leased out and under interior fixtures and fittings stage. These companies will be moving in within two to three months which will secure customers flow when Buster’s is launched. 4. 2 Market Segmentation Occupants of the building are owners and employees of medium to sizable international corporations. They can be divided into 3 market segments : A) Aged 25 – 39 Male They require speedy service, just pick and pay. Half of them are wealthy Yuppies in managerial level, they do not mind to pay a little higher for the convenience and good quality. They are busy in work and social life, our fresh pre-wrapped sandwiches, popular bottled beverages and high end imported snacks will suit their needs. B) Aged 22 – 35 Female Same phenomenon as other prosperous cities, all ladies are keen to slim down their bodies and are cautious in selecting food. It is more obvious for this age group of ladies. They always search for healthy food and snacks. On every category of food, Buster’s will have a special corner for healthy food with notes on shelves for their easy perusal. Healthy food including vegetarian brown bread pre-wrapped sandwiches, low calories snacks, herbal tea and fruit juice types of bottled beverages and etc. These ladies may be secretaries or work in the administrative departments who are responsible to purchase stationeries for the offices. They will naturally select Buster’s for convenience while they are purchasing their own personal needs. This is a critical customers group for Buster’s. C) Miscellaneous This includes the middle-aged group, outsiders/visitors and etc that they have varied or unpredictable buying pattern. Continuous analysis of this group is required in a quarterly basis when Buster’s store is launched to ensure our service and products cover their needs. 3. Product Strategy Buster’s emphases are on friendly service and good quality of products that fit the requirements of people in their workplace. We do not just follow what selling in super markets or franchised convenience stores. We focus on customization. The following listed are the key categories for Buster’s. A) Pre-wrapped sandwiches : Homemade sandwiches with 4 different choices of fillings : egg and ham, beef, chicken breast and assorted vegetables. These are basic pre-wrapped sandwiches. In addition, we also provide small individual packed fillings such as chess, tomato, cucumber and eggs as supplements, so customers can design and make their own sandwiches in their offices. This will satisfied customers who are looking for variety of choices but without burdening our inventory. B) Bottled/Canned beverages The most popular bottled/canned beverages are available in Buster’s which including soft drinks, coffee, tea and milk. We also provide healthy drinks such as herbal tea, flower flavored tea, juice, Soya bean milk, flavored mineral water, and etc. C) Snacks Popular branded snacks of chips, chocolates, candies and gums are must items in the shelves. To take care of the needs for customers who are pursuing for healthy life, special selection of snacks such as sun-dried fruits, organic food, low calories/calcium crackers, sugar free candies/gums are also available in our â€Å"Healthy Corner†. D) Stationery and Greeting Cards To take care of the sudden or urgent needs of the office people, we will provide certain basic items of stationery and greeting cards but to cautiously control this category of goods occupying not exceed 10% of total display/shelf space. E) Gifts Small gifts can also be found in Buster’s. Regular items are gift sets of premium chocolates and tea bags which are appropriate round the year and for all occasions. Buster will display specialty gifts in front desk for festivals like New Year, Valentines’ day, Easter, Halloween, Christmas and etc. The specialty gift sets to serve both purposes of stimulating sales and decorating the store to lift up spirits. F) Newspapers & Magazine The top five Best selling newspapers are available in Buster’s. 6 – 8 different categories of magazines about fashions, accessories, entertainment, computers, automobiles to cover varied customers’ desires. 4. Pricing Strategy As mentioned in the product strategy section, most of the categories are not common products as other convenience stores because Buster’s emphasis is on premium quality food and drinks. She is comparatively not facing harsh price comparison as other franchise convenience stores for different target customers. Buster’s customers, occupants of Sky Tower, mainly are yuppies and office ladies, who are willing to pay a little more for convenience and better quality. Therefore, Buster’s price ranges for key products are : ? Pre-wrapped sandwiches US$4. 0 – US$5. 5. ? Premium quality and healthy snacks US$2. 5 – US$7. 0 ? Canned/bottled beverages US1. 2 – US$3. 0 ? Common products that are also available in other convenience stores : 5 to 10 percent higher than them. Target is to reach gross margin (sales deduct cost of goods) at 37. 5 – 38% 4. 5 Promotion Strategy Buster’s customer base is concentrated and close-by, they will pass by the store everyday when they go to work. Location is our best promotion tool. Occupants of Sky Tower will know the existence of Buster, so our focus of promotion is to attract them to stop by Buster’s and to experience the difference with other ordinary convenience stores. They will be impressed by our friendly service, wide ranges and unique food and beverages. Word-of-mouth will be our largest promoter. A) Flyers Flyers, an effective and inexpensive way to notify people in Sky Tower and neighborhood buildings that their store â€Å"Buster’s† is opening soon. Flyers will be passed around at the building entrance a week before grand opening. On face side of flyers is an attractive designer sketch of the Buster’s store (sketch is used to be more attractive than photo or words), and on the reverse side is a list of product items that will be available in Buster’s. Distribution of flyers will be continuous after Buster’s is opened. Distribution spots will also be increased to cover the neighborhood buildings. B) Buster’s Card For initial purchase exceeding US$10, a Buster’s Card will be provided with a Buster’s logo stamp on it. Each $10 purchase onwards will earn a stamp. When accumulated to 5 stamps, a free gift will be given. This is effective to stimulate customers to buy more, or to request their colleagues to consolidate the purchase (Word-of-mouth advertising). Gifts are selected products from the store such as snack, stationery, chocolate, etc and will be changed each month to maintain freshness of the game. . 6 Competition Despite of having the competitive edge of location, we anticipate Buster’s will face competition from 2 areas. A) Convenience Stores This competition will be from national franchises such as 7-11 and Circle K. They have established extensive network of chain stores and are well-known to Hong Kong people. People are almost pass by two to three these conveni ence stores in their everyday life. Due to consolidation of bulk purchase, these franchises obtain strong bargaining power with suppliers for both costs of goods and payment terms. There is one 7-11 store located in the main street, 8 minutes walking distance from Sky Tower, and one Circle K in the opposite corner to 7-11. It is inevitably Sky Tower people will pass by these stores. Buster’s strategy in competing with these stores is not pricing but differentiation. ? Product flexibility Franchise convenience stores are selling standardized products regardless of demographic/geographic needs. Buster’s customer base is concentrated and focused. Products are selected according to their lifestyle, habits and preferences. We are also flexible and prompt to alter products items base on customers’ and sales feedbacks. ? Unique and high quality food and beverages Buster’s target is to have 70% of product items not identical to those convenience stores. Our tasty homemade sandwich is a typical example while other stores are selling mass produced sandwiches. ? Customers’ relationship Buster’s customers are actually our neighbors that we are working in the same building. This benefits us to build close relationship while other convenience stores focus on speedy in-and-out service. B) Plagiarist Start-up capital of lobby convenience store is comparatively lower than other main street retailing stores or franchise convenience stores. Low entrance barrier will attract people who want a start-up venture by copying the same concept as Buster’s. 5. Operation 1. Location of the business The new business venue of Buster’s will be located in the lobby floor of Sky Tower, a new office building in No. 23 Harbor Road, Kennedy District, Hong Kong. When Lydia, owner of the first Buster’s store, decided to open the second store, she had gone through serious research and calculation because location is essential to be successful and profitable. The following listed are factors why Sky Tower is the right place. ? Scale and income level of Customer base Sky Tower is an A-grade commercial building, tenants are mainly big corporations in business relating to international trading, banking and investment, insurance, accounting and etc. Anticipated total occupants will be 3,000 to 4,000. Most of them are professionals and/or high income level employees. This creates a beneficial customer base for Buster’s. ? Close by location of the two Buster’s Stores Sky Tower is just two blocks away from the first Buster’s store, this creates advantage for the owner to manage the two stores in the long run. In addition, the two stores can help each other if there is urgency for products that are out of stock. Staff can deliver the urgently needed goods to the other store within 10 minutes. ? Surroundings Sky Tower’s surroundings are also commercial buildings, with some exclusive restaurants and casual cafe. No convenience store located in adjacent buildings, just two which are 8 to 10 minutes walking distance. All these neighbors are valuable and potential for Buster’s. 2. Operation of the business A) Hours of Operation The common working hours for offices (white collar) in Hong Kong is 9:00 AM to 6:00: PM, Monday to Friday, some work on Saturday 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. For Buster’s, business hours is 8:00 AM to 7:30 PM Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM on Saturday. Opening at 8:00AM is to serve breakfast for customers. Close at 7:30 PM is to take care of the needs for customers who are required for over-time works which is very common in Hong Kong. To ensure Buster’s employees are not exhausted by long working hours, operation will be in two-shift. The 2 employees work from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and the shop manager (that is the owner) take the second shift from 10:00AM to 7:30PM. B) Service Procedures Friendly service is Buster’s emphasis and promise to our customers. This must be clearly shared with employees that without their efforts, Buster’s will not get success. They are required to follow the below listed service procedures to ensure a cheerful shopping experience to every customers. ? Greeting with smile Greet every customer with a friendly smile who enters the shop. For familiar customers, chat with them to build-up an on-going relationship. ? Serve efficiently and effectively For customers who have clear decision on what to buy, serve them efficiently. For customers who are browsing, hesitating what to buy or unfamiliar with Buster’s products, staff must to offer help by providing advices/recommendations or a brief introduction of Buster’s products according to customers’ desires. Nevertheless, no hard sale, customers are still welcomed without purchase. ? Interaction When customers prepare to pay and leave, we must to say â€Å"Thank you† and â€Å"Goodbye† with eye-contact and friendly smile. This is the last process step and interaction with customers in a transaction, it is vital to leave a cheerful image in their mind which can be deep-rooted. C) Inventory management Effective inventory management is essential for Buster’s to maintain wide variety of product items in limited space. Ultimate goal is to maintain a minimal but adequate stock and make replenishment in a weekly or bi-weekly basis depend on products’ feature and turn-over. POS system will be employed to control in-and-out systematically and to minimize human error. Cashier will input sold items automatically. Every end of the day, Christine (Shop’s supervisor) to generate and check inventory status report and pass to Shop Manager for analysis and deciding which items needed to replenish. Christine is also responsible to input data everyday when suppliers deliver goods to ensure inventory record is up-to-date. 6. Legal Issues The following listed legal documents and licenses will be well prepared and to ensure they are all completed and valid before the launch of Buster’s. Business license in partnership proprietor basis ? â€Å"Buster’s† trade mark registration ? Tenancy Agreement with Sky Tower Property Management Office ? Employment contract with the two Buster’s employees ? Purchase Medical insurance for employees ? Business Insurance Legal Consultant will be hired to ensure accuracy of legal documents and coverage . 7. Challenges A) Sustainability of Buster’s competitive edge Location is Buster’s competitive edge as we are close to the concentrated customer base. This edge will be threatened if there are any new retail tores open in the surrounding areas, they can be hypermarket or new concept food stores that tempting Sky Tower people willing to sacrifice the convenience but to walk a little bit far to try new shopping experience. B) Constantly excite customers Our customer base is young, high-income group; they have strong purchasing power that leads them to have extensive options. They pursue for premium quality and trendy commodities. It is an on-going challenge for Buster’s to keep having products that excite customers. – End –