The Country I Live in Essay Example for Free

The Country I Live in EssayI living in Russia, love our country and is rarified of it. The official name of our country is The Republic of the Russian Federation there are 21 republics and 65 other regions in the Russian Federation. The key symbolic representation of Russia is the troika. The Nation g overn manpowert of Russia consist of the President, the Council of Ministers and Federal Assembly. There are two houses in the Federal Assembly The Federal Council and the State Duma. The population of Russia is about 145000000. The ecologic situation in Russia is not very safe. Pollution in some industrial towns is high. Some parts of western Russia were badly influenced by the radiation from Chernobyl in 1986. Russia is located in Northern hemisphere, in the north of continent Eurasia. She is washed by waters of Silent and Arctic oceans, and also Baltic, Black, Azov by the seas of Atlantic ocean and Caspian sea, More than 70 % of territory of Russia are occupied by plains and lowlands. In the south of the European part northern ridges of the Big caucasus (here there is the highest top of Russia Elbrus, 5 642) In Russia more than 120 thousand rivers and about 2 million lakes.The largest rivers the Cupid, Lena, Yenisei, Irtysh, Ob, Volga, Kama the largest lakes Caspian seas, Baikal, Ladoga, Onega. Position of Russia in northern part of Eurasia has caused her placing in Arctic, subarctic, moderated and parti ally in semitropic climatic belts. The prevailing part of territory is located in a moderate belt. A variety of a climate depends also on f occupyures of a relief and affinity or remoteness of ocean. Woods occupy over 40 % of territory. In territory of Russia there is a fifth part of all woods of the world and half of world coniferous woods. The fauna is various here live both polar bears, and walruses, both tigers, and leopards, etc. In Russia 35 national parks and 84 reserves are located. Unique in the country the natural park which is in city bou ndaries Omsk the Birds harbour.capital of the Russian Federation the bully of Russia and one of the worlds vast cities. Yuri Dolgoruky founds capital of the Russian Federation in 1147. Today Moscow is the political mettle of Russia, the countys leading city in population, industry and in culture importance. Moscow is definitely a city of contrasts. So rich in many ways, yet in other ways, quite poor. Moscow stands on the Moskva River in the centre of vast plain of European Russia. The climate is continental. Moscow is the largest industrial centre of Russia. The most substantial industries are those producing automobiles and trucks, machine tools, radio and television sets. The most important element in Moscows city tran variance is the metro subway. The system was began in 1935 and still developing. Some of the stations, especially the older ones, are highly decorate with marble, statues and mosaics.Moscow is a city where a lot can be seen and much can be done. You can seen R ed hearty, St. Basils Cathedral, The Momunent to Minin and Pozharsky, Lobnoye Metro, The Spasskay Tower, The Lenin Mausoleum, The State History Museum, The State discussion section Store (GUM) and many other places. Moscow has numerous theaters, headed by the State Academic Bolshoi Theatre, which was founded in 1825. The citys principal drama theatre is the Moscow Art Theatre. as well of the worldwide fame are the State Central Puppet Theatre and Moscow State Circus. Moscow has some museums and art galleries of international rank. Among them are the State Pushkin of beautiful Arts, with a fine international collection, and the State Tretyakov Gallery with an excellent collection of Russian paintings. Moscow is one of the cities of the world that must be seen.Russia has produced a great number of very creative and talented people, for example Alexander Pushkin, Peter Tchaikovsky, Isaac Levitan, Georgy Zhykov, Yuti Gagarin, Andrei Sakharov, Boris Godunov, Vladimir Lenin, Vladimir Putin and e.t.c. Theatrical performances, museums and picture galleries in fact all aspects of Russian live adjudicate that. The Russians are much interested it the rest of the world. Russian people are very hospitable, hardworking, friendly, open, honest, generous, kind, sometimes sentimental, sometimes careless, ofttimes unsmiling, having bold manners, sometimes lazy and selfish. Russian love animals, especially dogs and horses. Russian cultural level is quite high, Russian people like to read books, to visit theaters, museums and different concerts. We are the nation of sport lovers because our people like different kinds of sports and spend a lot of time going in for sport or just watching it. Many Russian are religious people.The main church is the Russian Orthodox Church. It has survived the hard times and now people speak about a rebirth of religion in the country. Russian keep our traditions because there are lots of traditions which have been maintained from ancient time. Russian national holidays the holidays of Russian people connected with far-flung national traditions of their carrying out. New year (in the night from December, 31st for January, 1st). It is legitimate to decorate a premise the decorated New Year tree or branches. At midnight for January, 1st the congratulation of the head of the state and peal of bells obeys. On a table it is accepted to submit, among other, a Russian salad and champagne. To children give gifts (from Father Frost). According to sociological polls, it is the most celebrated holiday.Christmas (on January, 7th on new style and on December, 25th on to a calendar) an orthodox holiday. At night before Christmas it is accepted to guess that was never approved by orthodox church. The holiday is marked by a solemn celebratory supper. The tradition to mark Christmas is officially restored in Post-Soviet Russia. Day of the defender of Fatherland (on February, 23rd) widely celebrated mans holiday established at the Sov iet power, and in Post-Soviet Russia become in the day off. Women congratulate men and give them gifts. Congratulations are accepted also by women-military men, and also participants of wars. The international womens day (on March, 8th) female holiday officially established still at the Soviet power became in public marked. Men congratulate women, give them flowers and gifts.Maslenitsa (Pancake week) week before the Lent. Has ancient pagan roots. During all week bake and eat pancakes. Easter an orthodox holiday. Celebratory meal Easter (cottage cheese with candied fruits), Easter cakes, coloured in red colour and welded eggs. Victory Day over Hitlerite Germany (on May, 9th) an official All-Russia holiday. It is accepted to visit burial places of the soldiers who were lost during the Second World War, and to remember the fallen. Veterans put on awards and medals and accept congratulations. This day on Red Square military parade is spent. Celebratory actions last years are decora ted by yellow-black Guards tapes.Day of national unity (on November, 4th). A Victory Day of Russian over the Polish invaders in 1612. This day across all Russia Russian nationalists spend Russian march. The greatest love of Russia is for tea its drunk without milk and often served with homemade jam (varene), baranki and pirozhki. The mail dishes of the traditionalistic menu are blini (homemade pancakes) with caviar, honey or sour crme different soups (like shci and borshch), pirozhki, pelmyeni. Usually tourists buy traditional Russian souvenirs such as Martyoshka dolls, beautifully painted mugs, plates and spoons from the village of Khokhloma and Palekh boxes.

Chocolate Industry Essay Example for Free

Chocolate Industry EssayThe Chocolate industriousness in the UK has been liner many challenges in recent quantify. The escalation of wrongs of the main ingrediants much(prenominal) as drinking drinking chocolate, milk and sugar has forced companies to increase termss. Customers showed resistance to higher prices which prompted dishonors such as Cadbury Masterfoods (Galaxy) to reduce packaging sizes. Concerns among the public regarding obesity has interchangeablely led chocolate companies to bring out smaller sizes of chocolate.A big issue facing the industry atomic number 18 cocoa prices hitting a 33% high in 2010 due to growing demands from the chocolate industry and a disappointing crop in the Ivory Coast, an important grower of cocoa. As per Euromonitor reports the kernel cheer of the chocolate market has grown by 3% to 5. 4 million from 2009. The main players in the market in UK atomic number 18 Cadbury (owned by kraft Foods), Mars nest. Cadbury as of 201 0 accounts for 31% value look at in the market. In 2010 acquired Cadbury Plc in January 2010 for ? 11. 5 billion.Cadbury Trebor Bassett (CTB) is the confecti nonpareilry division of the keep company, which holds a large s lift out in the three key confectionery areas sugar, gum and chocolate. CTBs key tell on in the chocolate market is Dairy Milk. This eruditeness has championed Cadbury as head as Kraft Foods by increasing their economies of scale as well as bring out much options to guests. Cadbury Ltd operates in both the chocolate and sugar confectionery markets. It manufactures branded confectionery and beverages, including the internationally-successful Cadbury chocolate brand.The company also manufactures dark chocolate under the Bourneville name, as well as supplying Maynards, Trebor and Basset sugar confectionery. The company owns the chewing gum brand Trident and manufactures the medicated sweet, Halls So others. Cadbury chocolate brands in the UK include Dairy Mi lk, Wispa, Twirl, Twisted, Freddo, Crunchie, Chomp, Bournville, Decker, Boost, Flake, Dream, Time Out, Star Bar, Picnic, Fudge, Snack, Brunch, Curly Wurly, Roses, Creme Egg, Variety and its standalone organic chocolate brand grand Blacks.Cadbury also produces several other items of confectionary however the localise in this project is chocolate. In this project we will look at the competitive pressures facing Cadbury and how it remains the market share threeer. Cadbury Ltd registered a turnover of ? 5. 98bn in the year ending 31st December 2009, up from ? 5. 38bn in 2008. In 2009, pre- taxation profit stood at ? 378m, after falling by 5. 5% from ? 400m in 2008. Below is a graph showing positions of all key market players FIVE FORCES TOOL.Michael E ostiarius devised Porters Five Forces tool as a way for companies to ascertain market attractiveness and disceptation with other companies. This tool is not however used by commercial organizations but also by public organizations a nd not for profit companies to understand their customers and suppliers. In the chocolate industry there is bowed down(p) rivalry due to the presence of several large scale and world renowned market players such as Nestle, Cadbury and Mars. Cadbury among others produces countlines, boxed chocolates and sharing bags as well as blocks and moulded bars.RIVALRY AMONG EXISTING COMPANIES Existing rivalry among market players in an industry is an important part of judging market attractiveness and competition. Cadbury in UK faces competition mainly from Mars and Nestle. These three brands command equal market shares in UK and an extra percentage of market share creates big merchandising spends, strong set and advanced launches of mathematical products within the company. In March 2008, Mars acquired the sugar confectionery company Wrigley US, while, in 2010, Kraft Foods completed its acquisition of Cadbury.As per Keynote reports Nestle is expected to buy out US Hershey brand. Nestle is left with reduced market share after acquisitions of Mars Cadbury. Periods of low market growth tally to Porter (1980) particularly during maturity or decline of product cycles intensify competition. Competitors take prefer of the saturation of other products. With excess production capacity and less(prenominal)er competition, several players engage in price competition to get higher sales.Cadbury goes head to head with Nestle Mars as other players impart passably smaller market shares and often struggle due to these top companies. fit to Hooley et all (Marketing scheme and competitive positioning) high exit barriers for a company lead to higher competition as well. If a company is unable to exit a market due to high initial investments, high costs of surplusage (monetary and social) they work harder to compete with other companies. some(prenominal) companies have egotistical as well as psychological reasons for remaining in a market and check up on they stay on top of pe oples minds as exiting is not an option due to brand history and value.Brands such as Cadbury have incredulous media presence covering internet, television, print, etc. Cadbury is a major player on the internet and uses this tool as an value over competitors. Newer avenues such as E-markets are intensifying competition and deterring exit of big companies. Competition in the chocolate industry is also increased due to the fact that product preeminence is low. The ingrained quality and external value of a bar of chocolate is similar therefore competition for sales is increased.Switching costs in terms of price and availability for customers is low as many players have similar varieties of chocolate on contribute. Customers may not face difficulty in changing from one brand to another due to such factors and this leads to Cadbury, Nestle and Mars to participate in increased competitiveness for higher market share. According to Hooley et All (Marketing strategy competitive positio ning) if fixed costs are high then competitive is intensified. THE THREAT OF MARKET ENTRY The chocolate industry must be prepared for the entrance of new competition.Several factors foot allow companies from entering into an industry. The chocolate industry has several companies that hold highest market share however there are also small companies as well as a lot of new entrants. New companies enter the industry if cost of entry is low. Companies with relatively less resources heap break into markets if capital and investment is low. The requirement of large financial resources in order to compete with established brands derriere deter new entrants. In the chocolate industry deterrents include rising prices of supplies like cocoa, sugar and milk.The health awareness among the public has also led to dropping sales and this stinkpot be a problem for new entrants. Factors distribution channels being accessible for all chocolate companies gives new companies accessibility to enter the market due to unplumbed presence to retail outlets. warlike retaliation according to Hooley give the bounce hinder entrance of new and fairly smaller companies. Big players such as Cadbury can pursue aggressive marketing strategies to combat new companies from taking over. If bigger companies were unable to respond to new companies with competitive retaliation then it would be outlying(prenominal) easier for companies to enter.The chocolate industry is composed of very few companies as the main players (Cadbury, Kit Kat Nestle) hold highest market shares. These companies have aggressive market strategies and customer loyalty as well. Existing companies have the funds to expand their presence in the market through acquisitions or mergers. For example, in 2003, Cadbury acquired the Natural Confectionery Company, which has since pass away a well-known product in the sugar confectionery market. Such extensions serve to diversify the market, while introducing more options in t erms of products and brands. result distinctiation can also trigger entry of new companies.The chocolate market is flexible and many different varieties of chocolate can be found. New companies can use this to their advantage by launching specialized products to cater different tastes. In the chocolate industry there are several brands offering recess variety of chocolates whereas the top players are creating extensions similar to what the competitor is providing. Cadbury offers a wide variety of chocolates to compete with Mars Nestle as well as other brands such as Ferrero Rocher, Lindtt Thorntons. Hooley states that when there are gaps in a market new entrants can enter with ease.In highly segmented markets, new entrants can cater to specialized segments of the market as well as newer and experimental audiences. In every industry companies need to understand diversifying interests and requirements of customers or else new entrants can use this opportunity to cater to new tast es and needs of customers. In the chocolate industry more and more varieties of chocolate are available and there is a demand for different types of chocolates that many specialized and newer brands are approaching giving a tough time to established brands such as Cadbury.THE THREAT OF SUBSTITUTES any industry including the chocolate industry is threatened by substitutes. New companies can come in and revolutionize the market and offer better and more rum substitutes of whatever is already on offer. In the chocolate industry new companies can provide better alternatives of existing products by offering cheaper prices and better quality. Product improvements can be made and this makes newer companies gain an advantage over existing companies. Due to health botherations in UK many customers are shifting to options such as biscuits. bargain POWER OF SUPPLIERS.In the chocolate industry suppliers can gain power by increasing prices, limiting quality and services. The rising prices of Cocoa are forcing many chocolate brands to increase prices or reduce packaging size of chocolates. Bargaining power of suppliers are medium as even the suppliers require these brands to buy. The cocoa industry depends on the confectionary industry. However to combat the high prices Cadbury is reduce. ng packaging of sizes. The price of cocoa is consistently rising and the market is very volatile BARGAINING POWER OF BUYERS The other side of powerful suppliers are powerful buyers.Buyers today are expecting better quality and cheaper prices. Since chocolate is a timewornized product buyers can choose between many brands and switching costs are low. Brands such as Cadbury and Nestle are following customer demands such as creating sizeable alternatives as well as suiting their requirements in terms of flavours, types of chocolate, etc. Due to recession in the UK many people prefer to remain at post and Cadbury is creating Nights in options such as chocolate sharing bags. Bargaining p ower of buyers is high as they have the option to switch to several options.generic STRATEGY OPTIONS According to Porter, a company can outperform other companies in a competitive arena through 1. Cost Leadership 2. note 3. Focus As of 2009 Cadbury UK ltd remains market leader in chocolate confectionary accounting for 31% in value sales. With new product developments and extensions Cadbury hopes to woo new customers. With the takeover by Kraft Foods Cadbury is benefitted by widespread distribution and larger economies of scale COST LEADERSHIP Cadbury is not a cost leader in the market however follows competitive pricing along with Mars Nestle.Due to cocoa prices rising they are increasing prices or reducing package sizes all the same maintaining almost similar prices so no one can gain competitive price advantage. In October 2010, The Grocer revealed that Cadbury and Nestle were to increase their recommended retail prices by up to 7% across some of their most touristy lines, inc luding Dairy Milk, Wispa and Yorkie. Rising commodity prices led to a 3 pence (p) price increase on standard Cadbury Dairy Milk bars in October a 30% increase on 2007 taking the retail price of the chocolate bar to 56p.DIFFERENTIATION Cadbury provides similar products to its competitors therefore differentiation is hard to achieve. Cadburys journal Milk however is their best selling chocolate and is a plain chocolate. A similar product cannot be found in competitiors. Cadbury however is known for its unique taste and therefore offers differentiation as competitors cannot imitate the same taste. FOCUS Competitive advantage can be gained if Cadbury focuses on target groups. As per consumer research volumes of chocolate consumed are falling however the same amounts of people are eating chocolate.Several factors such as negative health effects of chocolate and the concept of staying in due to recession are deterring consumers from consuming chocolate. Cadburys responded to the increas ing concern over unhealthy ingredients with the acquisition of the Natural Confectionery Company, which manufactures sweets without artificial colouring or flavourings. Cadbury can capitalise on captive audiences staying in at home with chocolate sharing bags and boxes such as Buttons Roses. Nestle is known to have partnered with Empire magazines dvd rental service to gain advantage over this stay at home audience.Cadbury also needs to focus on honorable sourcing as people in the UK are expecting companies to conduct credit line in a socially responsible manner. Cadbury is a supporter of sustainable cocoa farming and in order to appeal to global audiences they entered into Fairtrade. To summarize focus can be on health concerns, ethical sourcing and collective responsibility as well as seasonal demand during Christmas , Easter, ETC. Cadbury among its competitors also leads in brand extensions, the revival of Wispa is an important example. Competitors feel it comes in the way of stock certificateal brand sales however Cadbury found success.RESOURCE BASED VIEW According to the resource based view companies can achieve high performance through their developed resources. This view bases success of a company on its assets and capabilities which help to create competitive advantage. As per the resource based theory competitive edge can be found if companies possess the following characteristics value, rarity, inimitability and non-substitutability (VRIN MODEL). Resources are save classified into tangible and intangible assets. Intangible Resources for Cadbury are 1. Brand Name The brand name Cadbury is very renowned.Krafts takeover has helped Kraft more than it has for Cadbury. Cadbury is an easily recognized brand name and is the market share leader in the UK. 2. Reputation Cadbury has a very effective reputation among buyers in the UK. In 2010 Cadbury became Fairtrade and also follows ethical sourcing of cocoa which has helped enhance its image. Cadburys his tory goes beyond 150 years and is considered a top brand. 3. Country of Origin Country of origin is also an asset and in the case of Cadbury, the COO is UK. The COO is a method of evaluation for quality.Customers except a lot more when a brand originates from certain countries. 4. Market Domination Cadbury has an additional asset of market domination. As of 2010 as per Euromonitor reports, Cadbury leads market share in the UK accounting for 31% value share in UK. The Kraft takeover has only helped in increasing the dominance of Cadbury due to increased distribution networks and extensive economies of scale. Following the Kraft takeover in February 2010, sales of Cadburys Dairy Milk were up 12. 8% and Cadburys overall chocolate confectionery business grew by 5%.Although Krafts chocolate sales rose faster in percentage terms, at 7. 5% for the 52 weeks ending 30th October 2010, this was the result of increased distribution. Cadburys acquisition has helped Kraft Foods. Supply chain asse ts such as a strong distribution network and advantageously relationship with suppliers (cocoa, milk sugar) are also a strong asset for Cadbury. Cadbury is available at all retail outlets and due to its ethical sourcing objectives and fair-trade association it shares a good relationship with suppliers despite the volatile price environment.Other strong intangible assets for Cadbury include its existing large customer base, glowing corporate culture and production expertise. Tangible assets for Cadbury are factory and equipment as well as cash/cash equivalents. Below is a table listing assets of Cadbury on a Likert scale. Rated from 1 to 5 (5 being the highest) INTANGIBLE ASSETS Resources shelter Rarity Inimitability Non Substitutability Brand Name 5 5 5 5 Reputation 5 4 3 Country of Origin 5 3 3 3 Market Domination 5 3 3 3 Supply Chain Assets 5 3 3 3.To gain competitive advantage, capabilities of a firm should also be taken into consideration. According to Hooley, processes that deploy assets are capabilities. Several marketing capabilities should be included such as robust advertising and promotion strategies, distribution capabilities, pricing etc. The following capabilities can apply to Cadbury * Advertising Promotions Effective communications can take place through advertising, public relations, direct marketing, etc. Cadbury also launched a ? 50m advertising plan in 2010 as part of its official sponsorship of the London 2012.In recent time Cadbury has received good PR for becoming a fairtrade product. On 28th February 2011, the company began its Fairtrade Fortnight, after Cadbury announced that it planned to present 20% of total sales from its fairtrade products to charity in order to fund a pro gram that would give Ghanaian cocoa farmers solar panels. Examples of such good PR and great advertising campaigns help in Cadburys aim to gain competitive advantage. * Distribution expertness Distribution capability is a capability for Cadbury as it is ava ilable in all grocery stores including large scale retailers such as Tesco, Sainsbury Asda.* Product developments Cadburys newest innovations and brand extensions such as Diary Milk bliss (vanilla cream centre, extension of Diary Milk) are capabilities that help Cadbury achieve competitive advantage. Cadbury has also reintroduced Wispa which has been a big seller. During seasonal and festive times Cadbury innovates and brings out products that it is renowned for. Cadburys seasonal range offering new product innovations, such as Caramel Bunnies and Creme eggs are a popular choice that set it apart from competitors. CADBURYS RELATIONSHIPSCadbury maintains a good relationship with its customers through effective marketing and PR tools such as social marketing and their website. Cadbury also has a good relationship with its suppliers, In order to achieve corporate social responsibility they have gone fairtrade and uphold to support ethical farming of supplies such as cocoa. In 2011 ca dbury donated one fifth of its profits from all fair trade certified products sold during fair trade fortnight (28th feb-13th march) to fund solar power projects in Ghanas cocoa farming communities. Today sales of Cadburys Dairy Milk have resulted in 2.3 million pounds of fairtrade premium paid to Kuapa Kokoo, a fairtrade cooperative for farmers. Cadbury has pledged to invest 45 million pounds over 10 years to secure sustainable future of cocoa farming in Ghana, India, South East Asia and the Caribbean. Cadbury has also invested in farmer education and also reducing its carbon footprint. Cadbury also keeps a good relationship with its distribution channels such as retail outlets like Tesco Asda. Relationships with the media, consumers, suppliers and distributors are the most important relationships for Cadbury.RECOMMENDATION Chocolate remains by far the largest sector of the confectionery market, with sales rising by 17% over the 5 years, compared to the sugar confectionery market which grew by just 6. 3% over the same period. This was principally down to the continued popularity of chocolate products and the rising retail price of confectionery. Countering highly competitive environment through differentiating your product and providing something different from competitors. A tough marketing strategy should be created to help increase value of the product among customers.This creates higher entry barriers for new market players and despite industry growth, market share and costs of supply a brand can cement its own and undisputable position. If product cycle reaches decline then the brand should work to reinvent the product. Cadbury at present is the market leader and with the association with Kraft they can benefit from synergistic strategies. The past few years have also seen concerns regarding the ethical sourcing and production of confectionery products escalate.As a result, organic and fairtrade ingredients have become more widely used in confectionery. Cadbury has created a good name for itself by going fairtrade and must continue to produce in ethical ways. In order to maintain competitive advantage Cadbury must continue to analyse market trends such as healthy eating, staying in and sharing as well as the publics interest in corporate responsibility. As per keynote reports the price of cocoa and sugar has increased dramatically over the 5-year review period, which is likely to have an adverse affect on the chocolate confectionery sector.Although some companies maintained a good level of ingredient stocks in 2010, the rising cost of commodities, coupled with the increase in value added tax (VAT) in January,is likely to have a more noticeable effect on the industry in 2011. In the UK, the confectionery market continues to enjoy a high level of consumer penetration, with nearly nine out of ten adults purchasing chocolate bars or similar products on a regular or semi-regular basis. However, the markets large size, its abundance of products and the dominance of well-known brands such as Cadbury.In response to economic downturns and the escalating prices of supplies, Cadbury should respond by producing budget and value items. In a response to escalating cocoa prices Cadbury has responded by not passing price increases onto customers by reducing the size of its products. In February 2011, Cadbury reduced its 140 gram (g) bar of Dairy Milk to 120g (removing two squares), but kept the price the same. Cadbury in order to maintain competitive advantage must continue to offer the customer value through its resources, keep the prices low as well as keep innovating and providing newer products.Another strength Cadbury should concentrate is on to keep steering on key brands such as Dairy Milk. To have an advantage over competitors Cadbury must continue to follow market trends.REFERENCING Euromonitor reports Hooley, G. , Piercy, N. F. , and Nicoulaud, B. (2008) Marketing Strategy and Competitive Positioning, 4th Ed. , H arlow FT Prentice-Hall Keynote reports Mintel reports Porter, M. E. (1980c) Competitive Strategy, New York Free Press Porter, M. E. (1980b) How competitive forces shape strategy, McKinsey Quarterly, Spring, No. 2, pp. 34-50 www. cadbury. co. uk.

AA Meeting Review Essay Example for Free

AA Meeting Review EssayWalking into the AA meeting made me feel very awkward and out of place, but as the meeting began and everyone started sharing their stories I began to feel comfortable about being there. When I first went in the room the chairs were set up in a circle with some on the outside of it. I decided to take a seat on the outside so I wouldnt be of focus during the meeting. They started the meeting off with reading some inspirational words and then reading the 12 steps. Their focus tonight was on a higher(prenominal) power and how believing in that higher power helps you stay sober.After brief introductions and stating their names, they began discussion and whoever wanted to speak had the opportunity to do so. Listening to every last(predicate) of their stories was really interesting. Almost all of the members have been sober for at least 30 days and more and about four people were just latterly sober, with one being sober only three days now. One of the members stories really stood out to me. He state that he has been an alcoholic for years now, but always believed he can cure himself and control how many drinks he has.See moreThe Story of an Hour Literary analysis EssayHe mentioned that he went out last week with his buddies and wasnt able to stop himself from going overboard with the drinking. He said he was in a blackout for four days and lost his job. Thats why he ended up at the treatment center he said he realized that it isnt possible to be a social drinker when you are an alcoholic. During his story he explained how he had the shakes and the classic withdrawal symptoms and I began to think about what I had learned in class and related it. An different members story was about social drinking.She said that her supporter was coming home that she knew from college and wanted to bilk together. She thought about the friendship and realized that she wasnt a friend and that she was just an old party buddy. She explained that she has a whole new group of sober friends that she hangs out with and that she cant hang out with her old friends of whom she always went out and drank with. She started saying how she realized she doesnt even like the sport of football and that she always went out to bars to watch it with friends because it was a time for social drinking.It brought to light that anything can become an remedy for people to partake in social drinking and too much social drinking can turn into alcoholism for some people. Another tolerant mentioned that she had her first drink at four years old and was in treatment by ten. I was really perplexed by that comment, thinking how could somebody even know what alcohol is at the age of four. She didnt elaborate on what or how it happened, so I was just left in misfortune by that.There were many other stories told and I felt good after hearing all of them. Its so nice to see everybody get close with each other and be there for one another when theyre having a bad da y or week. They celebrate the landmarks of each others length of sobriety and thats really heartwarming to see. They ended the meeting with the 12 promises and a prayer. Overall, after getting over the initial touching of awkwardness, it was a successful experience and got to hear about the personal effects of alcohol on their lives.

7-Eleven Underpayment Scams

7-Eleven Underpayment ScamsIntroductionHuman lives ar directed by course of actions and decisions. Whether its individualized behavior or professional conduct, humans are bound to follow proper code of ethics. In pass waterplace, each brass has guided rules and practices. Employers are bound to these rules and regulations in order for any organizations to go smoothly (Schermerhorn, 2010). Sometimes the moralisticity of business concern decision is ch aloneenged due to private preference or limitations. This scenario is called an honorable dilemma whereby individuals are forced to weigh the right and wrong of their actions (Westerholm, Nilstun, Ovretveit, 2004). This essay examines impact of ethical practices and leadership in taking business decision. The organisation that is used for ethical say is 7-Eleven convenient stores in Australia. It discusses how organisations commit fraud and mock award system by under nonrecreational staff.The Ethical ProblemThe shocking rev elation by ABCs intravenous feeding Corners in August 2015 exposed exploitations at 7-Eleven stores gives an insight on how big corporations make mesh without paying legit wages. A joint Fairfax Media-ABC investigation exposed that most(prenominal) of these exploited staff are international students who are forced to extend long hours even after their endorse condition restricts them to work only 40 hours per fortnight (Ferguson, Danckert Hatch, 2015). These students are easy targets for certify operators as they are looking for extra money to manage their expenses. It shows that entire work construction at 7-Eleven is damage and franchisees make get by underpaying their staff is a common practice in most stores.The mountain pass chest of drawers claims that most of the franchise stores are paying legit wages and the underpayment were done by a marginal store partners. This blame game has raised a debate that who is sole responsible for this bunco the division office a uthority or the franchise owner. According to head office, the payrolls are monitored by franchisees and company merely provides administrative supervision. They claim that underpayment bring out has nothing to do with the franchise profit sharing position and only a small number of franchisees are doing this wrong practice. But similar malpractice in five-fold stores shop that this is an organised fraud. The franchisees are trained to run their stores in a particular manner to make profits and much than dilemma it is a thoughtful unethical practice.7-Elevens survival on employee exploitationThe Fair Work Ombudsman has conducted various raids at different stores and revealed that situation has worsen over the years. The entire work structure at 7-Eleven is flawed and franchisees make profit only by underpaying their staff who are international students and work limitless hours to make up for underpayment. The reason behind students breaching visa conditions is to manage their e xpenses because they are underpaid and only means to recover that loss is by works extra hours. The head office is not expert turning a blind eye, its a fundamental part of their business. The reality is its built on something not much different from slavery, 7-eleven insider (Ferguson, Danckert, Hatch, 2015).It is evident that these scam happens under the watch of head office management. They hatfulnot blame the franchisees alone for this malpractice. Unscrupulous employers discontinue students to work more than hours but threaten to report them to authorities for breaching their visa if they complain about working conditions. Employers sheets and rosters are doctored to maintain the scam (Ferguson, Danckert, Toft, 2015). Companies can easily monitor the payrolls across the stores by surprise visits and take legal actions against frauds.Following the investigations, 7-Eleven Australian office has marginalized the get by by suggesting that there are only small numbers of Fran chisees who are culprit of underpaying and head office ordain invite them to pay penalties. The 7-Eleven chief executive director Warren Wilmot said The key factor here is that the panel will receive, review, and process any claim of underpayment, and authorise repayment where this is appropriate, The practices continuous in early(a) forms underpayment, employees are still asked to back-pay part of their wages.Theoretical FrameworkThe given ethical dilemma is a conflict between moral and business ethics. Loucks (1987) suggests that ethics is seen as something beyond obedience and adherence to the law. It implies an understanding of what is the good, or right, thing to do and of an internal system of beliefs and set that guide those actions. Solomon (2001 cited in Singer, 2013) argues that there is some admiration in defining exactly what set ups ethical behaviour in an organisation. The given ethical condition poses an classical questions about personal honesty and organised fraud. The chastity of honesty is crucial for personal and business ethics.The choice of practising underpayments can be explained by two ethical theories Utilitarian perspective and Subjectivism. The Utilitarian theory holds that what an individual ought to do is to promote the maximum good for anyone i.e. the general good (Wong, 2006). The maximum good for everyone should be assessed by being neutral and thinking from multiple perspective. On the contrary, Rachel (2001 cited in Singer, 2013) states that ethical subjectivism is a theory which says that in making moral judgements, people are doing nothing more than expressing their personal desires or feelings. The 7-Eleven scam is more about personal choices of the franchisee. They are legally entitled to pay fair wages but for their personal gains they malpractice. From franchisees perspective, it is assumed that the ope wise structure of the store plus management doesnt make enough profits and thats one of the reasons for unde rpayment.Another important factor that governs this malpractice is known as Agency Theory. The theory explains that business owners and managers emphasize more on maximizing profit as they believe it as business rule (Eisenhardt, 1989). The market trend tells the morality of the practices that what is right or beneficial for business. The moral choice is sometimes explained in terms of the make of external factors, such as the environment or influence of others. All of these may bias notion and action by shaping a decision makers perceptions (Morell, 2004). The franchisee believe that they are just following the ideal business model that will help them in managing ope quick-scented funds by underpaying staff. In business ethical dilemma, there mustiness be prominent line between personal choices and business needs. It is important to understand that personal choices are subjective and may affect other employees of the business. Therefore while taking business decision, a leader m ust deliver by the corporate codes of conduct. As suggested by Thakor (2003), the dividing line between law and ethics is a constantly moving one. What is legal but unethical immediately may well become illegal tomorrow. It is essential in this case to reflect on the stakeholders view of ethics. It criticises the agency argument that business operators must constitute their leadership that look after and protects the interest of employees.The debate between moral values and business ethics in case of dilemma is mostly end by Utilitarian theory. However it is also necessary to understand that business situations can change how a professional takes decision based on personal choice and corporate needs. The franchisee may imply agency argument to protect their interest but from utilitarian perspective this directly affects the interest of the employees. The core have intercourse is the leadership that has completely failed in case of 7-Eleven scam. Firstly, head office should have eradicated this malpractice at initial level. Secondly they need to develop a business structure that promotes mutual benefits and not just agency approach.Critical AnalysisThe underpayment by multinational companies is just the tip of the iceberg. We need to understand the factors that contribute to these foul practices. lucre Sharing model that restricts franchisees to manage operational expenses.International students who are eager to work extra hours to manage their funds.The lack of regulators responsibilities in creating awareness and monitoring the operations.The tender Chief Executive of 7-Eleven Mr Michael Smith, who replaced Mr Withers in October 2015, said the company was making significant progress towards satisfactory remediation and prevention of wage abuse (Gartrell, 2016). The issue is now facing worse where many franchise stores are out for sales because franchisees believe that they do not have enough resources to pay running play cost if they pay fair wages. Th is will also increase unemployment as a contributing factor.According to Ferguson, The regulator also needs to be bump resourced and the government needs to give amnesty for a period to foreign workers to come forward and expose what is going on without the fear of being deported for breaching their visa conditions (Barraclough, 2015). The remedial option is to change the profit sharing model or head office sharing some per cent of the running cost that enables franchisees to interlock store efficiently without underpaying staff. The cause of the issues is the operational model that needs a revision under the governance of regulators who can strictly monitor the fair practices at these franchise stores. From ethical point, franchisees need to understand the core business needs and personal interest. One critical aspect of this malpractice at huge level is the influence of franchisee network. The new franchisees learn from the existing practices of the old franchisees and thus this malpractice becomes their routine. communication channel model for Ethical practice7-Eleven franchise model is unique in terms of how it shares the profit margin and it varies in different countries. In Australia, this model is unfair for franchise partner where head office takes 57 percent of the gross profit and franchisees are left with 43 percent to manage their expenses and overheads. The deficit is mostly paid by franchisees and they are left with only one options and thats underpayment and back-pay wages. The revelation has put all franchise stores under surveillance resulting in many store out for sales in past 1 year. The issue is pertained due to 7-Eleven Australian model that doesnt allow franchisees to make profit in that 43 percent profit share. The situation can only be resolved if head office shares 50-50 profit margin like other countries. It will allow franchisees to manage their overheads and pay fair wages to the staff.Another aspect of this malpractice was the d iscrimination in hiring the staff. Franchisees mainly take away international students from India, Pakistan, China and other Asian countries because they are willing to work at less pay. It also raise questions about the head office responsibilities as they didnt check the staff profiling or merit of recruitment. Most of these international students have trouble with English language and are less competent to work any other job. They are ideal fit for the 7-Eleven scam model because they are unaware about their work rights and hesitant to contact authorities for assistance. The ethical safeguarding of these employees is an integral part of store operations. Ideally, the head office should conduct induction training that includes work rights awareness.Leadership and Decision MakingSuch organised scams produce how these big corporation make profits by exploiting their staff specifically vulnerable groups. The investigations also reveals how franchisee seek alternate payment methods to avoid taxes and super-annuations. The company claims that they do not have direct involvement in these practice but insiders reveal that it all happens under their watch. Companies need to monitor the working hours and payroll records to size up frauds. Even though after such investigations company do take responsibilities and commit to help the victims. Such situations should be monitored from start and strict measures should be taken on head office part. The payback is not a solution to such huge scale scams that steals tax by doctoring the payrolls.Therefore it is necessary that organisation have a defined ethical policy for business dilemma cases. It will help the decision makers to think rationally but will also remind them about the corporate good. Partiality or personal preference will bring subjectivism in the decision making process. Hechter Kanazawa (1997) maintain that reservations about rational choice only arise where people misunderstand its application. The rati onal decision from an organisational perspective and individual perspective will differ depending upon the number of external factors influencing the decision. These ethical systems are normative in nature that means they imply the right or wrong factors but do not completely involve rational choice from multiple perspectives. They do tell us about what ought to be done and it helps in takin decision but it doesnt provide clarity of argument, reason for decision and personal stand on the dilemma. The company leaders need to be more specific about their operational plans and communicate the same values to the franchisees.It should be a wake-up call to make sure their house is in order. The world is changing and the community is becoming less tolerant of non-compliance to the law (Ferguson, 2015). The underpayment scam is not an issue that can be rectified by paybacks. The entire model of franchise stores needs to be reviewed considering Australian market stakeholders. This will allo w fair share of profit to franchisees and will restrict them from ripping wages from the staff. The remedy needs to be planned in terms of reviewing head office responsibilities in cross checking payrolls and fair works. Strict actions should be taken against culprits to avoid further victimization of international students.RecommendationsThe investigations has only revealed one side of the scam. There is a need to review head offices responsibilities in auditing these franchised stores. Temporary paybacks will not solve the evident fact that the entire 7-Eleven model is flawed for Australian market. Franchisees will keep finding such malpractice until they get fair share from the profit. This not only affect the employees but also damages the brand in the market. This is just the tip of the iceberg and there are many other companies who are in line for malpractice. This issue can only be settled with material ethical framework that shares rights for franchisees and employees by ma intaining transparency and accountability.The world is changing and the community is becoming less tolerant of legislative non-compliance. There is strong need to transform the Franchising intellect for transparency and compliance. These are some of the majors that companies can implementDevelop code of conduct to immediately terminate a franchise agreement if there is serious breach of workplace legislations by a franchisee.Develop an auditing model that shares equal responsibilities between company and franchisees to monitor the operationsTake unadulterated disciplinary actions against employees complaint and investigate based on evidenceMonitor recruitment process and diversity of employees to ensure minorities or vulnerable groups are not victimizedThe company must hire independent investors and mystery shoppers to identify culprit franchisee for noncompliance.Company must develop forum to share store practices and employees feedback that are anonymous and directly under the higher managementThe franchisees can develop union and workout a model that supports equal benefit for multi-stakeholdersThe companies need to ask whether underpayment is an act of being strategic in organizing businesses. This will decide the approach for business operations and compliance. Underpayment should never be considered as an options for managing expenses. Instead, business operators must perplex revenue from other sources. It is not ethical operate a business that makes profit by sacrificing the employees interest. Even after accepting their mistake, company operator must redevelop their operational framework to ensure that such incidents does not happen in future. This can only be achieved by strong compliance and unmingled auditing.ConclusionThe exploitation still exist at other franchise chains like McDonalds, Pizza hut who operates on the somewhat similar franchise model like 7-Eleven. The scandal uncovered that such exploitations are common practice and mostly org anized at management level. Underpayments not only affects the business but it also destroys the brand reputation in global market. It also brings bad name for the country considering that most of the staff are international students who work in stores to manage their expenses. Without remedial process this exploitation will become part of work policies and there will be no one answerable for wrong-doings. Although, this revelation has opened a Pandora box for other business operators but until there is a strong compliance legislation, such scams will continue.The Fair work Ombudsman and government has tough task in eliminating such organised frauds and support workforce. Such scams forces business operators to assess their business ethics policies against the impact they create for multiple stakeholders. If business operators follow ethical leadership then they will have better control over compliance and mutual benefits for the business. The operational model can be modified to in crease the stakeholders share and it will eventually help both parties to take ownership.References Barraclough, C. (2015). Calls for action after the Inconvenient Truth about 7-Eleven is revealed procural and Supply Australasia. Procurement and Supply Australasia. Retrieved 31 January 2017, from http//procurementandsupply.com/2015/09/calls-for-action-after-the-inconvenient-truth-about-7-eleven-is-revealed/Eisenhardt, K. M. (1989). Agency theory An assessment and review. Academy of management review, 14(1), 57-74.Ferguson, A. (2015). 7-Eleven wage abuse scandal has lessons for all directors ACAPMAg The voice of downriver petroleum. ACAPMAg The voice of downstream petroleum. Retrieved 30 January 2017, from http//acapmag.com.au/home/2015/10/7-eleven-wage-abuse-scandal-has-lessons-for-all-directors/Ferguson, A., Danckert, S., Hatch, P. (2015). 7-Eleven scandal Company announces review of pay practices. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 31 January 2017, from http//www.smh.com. au/business/workplace-relations/7eleven-scandal-company-announces-review-of-pay-practices-20150831-gjbof4.htmlFerguson, A., Danckert, S., Toft, K. (2015). 7-Eleven A sweatshop on every corner. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 30 January 2017, from http//www.smh.com.au/business/workplace-relations/7eleven-a-sweatshop-on-every-corner-20150827-gj8vzn.htmlGartrell, A. (2016). Malcolm Turnbulls financial stake in 7-Eleven under scrutiny. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 30 January 2017, from http//www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/malcolm-turnbulls-financial-stake-in-7eleven-under-scrutiny-20160204-gmlikw.htmlHechter, M., Kanazawa, S. (1997). Sociological rational choice theory. Annual review of sociology, 23(1), 191-214.Loucks, V.R. (1987) A CEO looks at ethics. Business Horizons, March-April, 2-5Morrell, K. (2004). Decision making and business ethics the implications of using image theory in preference to rational choice. Journal of Business Ethics, 50(3), 239-25 2.Schermerhorn Jr, J. R. (2010). Management. John Wiley Sons.Singer, P. (Ed.). (2013). A companion to ethics. John Wiley Sons.Thakor, A. (2003) Competence without credibility wont win in the long run. in N. Tichy and A. McGill (Eds.) The Ethical Challenge (2005) San Francisco John Wiley and Sons Inc. pp. 125-134.Westerholm, P., Nilstun, T., Ovretveit, J. (2004). hardheaded Ethics in Occupational Health. Abingdon Radcliffe Publishing.Wong, P. W. H. (2006). A study of business ethical practices in Australian organisations a multiple case study. Theses, 47.

Skills to Become an Architect

Skills to Become an ArchitectGarrett LemanIt takes a lot of massage to be accomplished in any field of work. If you want to be an intriguer you posit to graduate high school and get a bachelors degree. A Bachelor of Architecture usu in ally takes about 5 historic period to get. You need to pass all your classes and do your best work. If you get a pre-professional bachelors degree in couturierure studies that usually takes about 4 years. Design classes would be estimable to take, or building classes. If you were trying to train to become an architect more or less on-the-job experience from another architect would be very helpful. In all you need Bachelors Degree (5 years) and 3 years of detainship, accumulating 8 years of preparation and training.An architect needs to be creative, analytical, good at communicating, book good visual percept skills, and be organized. You would need to be aw are of common building/construction knowledge, and know what best works. Architects w ork in the purposeing aspect of construction, and may in any case be involved in every step of the process even construction. You need to know how to make a structure appealing to the eye and likewise be safe and functional. Each day you might be looking for novel projects to do. In addition to designing buildings you would also help to restore old(a) buildings. Once you get a project you work on designing and mapping out blue-prints with the exact specifications infallible. Architects may work hand-in-hand with the customer, or may unless be given guidelines and work from there.Throughout the building process, the architects job is checking prints against construction and managing time.They need to make sure the construction crew isnt making any mistakes. When creating the prints needed an architect needs to be able to make logical drawings that can easily be measured and converted. They need to go over all the specifications and be very precise. Being knowledgeable of real world buildings and how to make a building safe and functional is a very big part of your work. Qualities attributed to an architect are an eye for details, drawing skills and be able to work with 3D art, inventive and imaginative, be exasperationate about buildings and the environment, and care about the people you are designing for.A certificate that is not necessarily required but is a sign that you have met the highest standards is the NCARB certificate. If you are becoming an architect you must biography for and get a license to even call yourself an architect. You need to be certified in safety and the license is required if you want to legally design a structure for someone or something. You must have 3 years of experience before weighking licensing. You can serve as an intern for a more senior architect for more experience. All architects must past the Architect Registration Examination (ARE) to become certified.There is a intercommunicate 14.76% increase in architecture . This is statewide, succession nationwide there is only a 6.9% increase. The average wages of an indiana architect is around $64,970. They can make up to about $114,000 dollars. That is a good paying job. I am interested in this job because I think it sounds intriguing, and also matches my skill set. The fact that it interests me while giving me good money is a huge bonus. Not many people get both, or are not able to. Since my job is pleasing to me, I would do my best work, and be able to excel farther. Benefits of this occupation are numerous. The people I would work with would show the same kind of passion that i do, and also have the same interests. Architecture is a fast-paced career. It can be very fascinating, and is beautiful work. The work that you do is shown off to the world, and everyone gets to see it. One personal benefit is the fact that you would get to start. I love traveling. The best architects need to know their environment and the styles they are working with . Most architects travel to see the other cultures and types of architecture. They need to see how other buildings and countries work and flow and how all their things are structured different than ours.After working in architecture for a while you will learn new aspects of design. You pick up new skills and ways of going about. You will appreciate other buildings and structures more than you previously did. As I said before, a thing you could achieve after being an architect would be to earn your NCARB certificate. This shows that you really know what you are doing and have been doing that for a while.Some negative things associated with being an architect is that you have to eliminate a long time getting an education. It can take 8 years Another downfall of being an architect is the pay and hours. The pay isnt awful, but comparing all the education you have to get the median pay of an architect is not that good. Also, as deadlines surface you may be working long hours trying to finish a project, or seal a deal. One study downfall is that architecture is based on how the economy is running. If everything is going good, the economy is running smoothly, people have lots of money buildings will be spew up and money will be made. This is a good time to be an architect. On the other hand, if the market is running low, and people dont have as much money, no more buildings will be built. This is bad for architects and funds will be cut, and people will be laid off.This career may affect my home life in many ways. On regular day, when work is running smoothly it would be good. The money would be good for the family. When work is bad, this would negatively affect my familys morale. Nobody would be happy. My pay would affect how and where I lived. I would try to live in an urban city or some place where the work would be active. I would try to be considerate with the house and car due to the fluctuations of money that may occur. Being able to collapse nice things would be a luxury once in awhile.Being an architect may affect my friends by determining the time Im able to spend with them. Architecture takes time and long hours. I may not be able to go out with them all the times they wanted. My family would be the same way. exhausting to spend as much time as I could with them would be a big priority.The affect on my social life may be huge. I would get to meet many new people through work. An architect travels a lot in order to see new cultures, new buildings, and clients. Sometimes I may be able to bring the family along on my trips. Traveling the world would be a huge bonus of this occupation. I would be able to interact with many new people and see many new places, though that time would be cut short because they are business trips.If I choose to pursue this career from this day forward, in about 10 years I would be attending college getting my education to become an architect. I would spend a lot of time in college and getting degrees fo r architecture. It takes a lot of time and experience to become an architect. After college I would work as an intern for an architect. Hopefully in 20 years I would be working for a big architecture company or have my own. That would be a big goal for this. Being an architect isnt for everyone, but I think this may be a job to pursue.

International Tourism And The Natural Disaster Impacts Tourism Essay

International Tourism And The Natural Disaster Impacts Tourism EssayAccording to Page and Connell 2009, p. 644, international touristry is an activity that involves people pass awayling to another ara or a name and address outside of their normal residence and residing for more than a day or at least a day with a given purpose. With the previous and recent events of inbred disasters that have continually to take put up across the world, at that place have been some challenges that the tourist generating and terminal figure atomic number 18as have faced. These natural disasters have brought about devastating jars to these areas which entirely or partly depend on tourism as a source of generating income to survive. It is important to note that natural disasters continue to bring about destructive impacts to the ply and pray of both generating and destination areas, as tumesce as affecting the normal lives of people who are forced to adjust to these changes after a disast er. This essay allow for consider previous natural disasters that have occurred internationally and allow examine the impacts it has on the fork up and demand side of tourism with given deterrent examples. There are three categories in this essay. Firstly, it will focus on previous natural disasters that have taken place internationally, and then individually for each natural disaster, it will consider the impacts on the supply side such as accommodation, transportation and attractions, and then it will examine the impacts on the demand side such as personal income, destination regard and health risks. Finally, this essay will end with a conclusion that natural disasters have brought about destructive impacts to the supply and demand of international tourism, and that there are simple, yet constructive ways to reduce the impacts.First of all, different types of natural disasters have occurred near the world. Some previous ones included tsunamis and earthquakes. To begin with , a tsunami is a destructive wave that nominate travel at great heights and speed and is likely to damage areas near the coast. They tend to be unpredictable, and this can realize difficult situations for those who are not prepared, which can result in deaths and cause destruction to surroundings. The tsunami that took place in the Sumatra Islands in Indonesia in 2004 is a clear example of how dangerous the impacts of a tsunami can be (Jain, Agarwal Hirani, 2005, p. 15).There have been cases where people were caught in a tsunami, and because of its unpredictable nature, unfortunate deaths have taken place. According to Jain et al. (2005, p. 15), The recent Sumatra earthquake the most devastating tsunami causing a death toll of more than 150,000. Therefore, tsunamis are dangerous and will continue to have devastating impacts unless undeniable precautions are taken to warn and advise people to move to higher grounds for safety (Jain et al., 2005, p. 17).In addition, earthquakes are in like manner dangerous and are kinda frequent. They are basically underground movements of the earth that travel up to the surface of the land or sea, which can trigger other natural disasters like a tidal wave. An earthquake can be destructive, and the impact it creates has a direct effect on the environment as well as on the country itself (Federal Emergency Management Agency FEMA, 2011). An example, where an earthquake occurred would be in the Izmit city near Turkey, where Beirman statedCasualties were estimated to be 20 000 dead and 50 000 injured. According to a UN report, 350 000 housing units and business premises were damaged or destroyed. (2003, p. 162)The impacts of earthquakes can destroy infrastructure such as roads and buildings as well as common utilities such as electricity and water supply, the victims involved are prone to falling objects, death and injury including financial losses (FEMA, 2011).Second of all, the tourism supply is touch by natural disaste rs. With reference to Page and Connells study (as cited in Sessa, 1983, p. 59) found that the aim of the supply part is to make services available to tourists so that the tourism demands can be satisfied. Supply, provides many services such as accommodation and transportation. With reference to the accommodation and transportation service, they will first show how they were affected during the tsunami in Indonesia, while attractions will be used as a discussion for the earthquake disaster in Turkey.The first supply is accommodation. Accommodation provides furnish for a tourist where he will be able to stay in while travelling to particular destinations near and abroad. The condition of the rooms provided should be comfortable and suitable in order to achieve a satisfied and happy guest, but if it was otherwise because of unsuitable room conditions then tourists will alternatively look for a better place to stay in while on holidays (Ahliya, 2010). For example, the accommodation in hotels and motels during the tsunami in Indonesia was badly affected, as close to 30 percent of room capacity was damaged (Athukoral Resosudarmo, n.d.) and even though some of the rooms were able to re-open for accommodation purposes, room occupancy rates were decreasing because of omit of infrastructure. This would lead to perishability, where expected numbers of rooms are to be sold within a time frame but the occupancy of rooms were less, resulting in financial loss (Walker, 2009, p. 11). Therefore, the condition of a room and its quality after a natural disaster will have an effect on tourists choices and that will affect the financial wellbeing of the hotel and motel industry.Moreover, transportation is another supply of tourism. It helps people move from one place to another with a form of transport, such as an aircraft, car, boat or even a bicycle. Although transportation helps tourists travel to various destinations, they are dependent on the geographic location and the na ture of infrastructure such as roads, airport runway and bridges. Constant improvements in these areas will create handiness to places that are difficult to get to (Sorupia, 2005, p. 1768). Natural disasters do have an impact on transportation. The Indonesian tsunami in 2004 destroyed many roads and other transportation routes which limited the public from travelling. The airport being one of the major ports that brings in international tourists was affected, and aircrafts were restricted to travel at certain times only to transport medical and food resources to affected areas (Samii Van, 2010). Damaged transportation network affects accessibility to areas and will be useless to those who cannot be helped, thus improvement and effective measures must be taken to strengthen the infrastructure system.Finally, attractions are another find factor of supply. It is a simple reason as to why most tourists from various countries arrive at a destination, basically because of the natural a s well as the cultural attractions that a destination has to offer (Gunn Var, 2002, p. 1). According to Beirman (2003), Turkey is a country with its own unique natural and geographical beauty ranging from discontinue to lush and fertile lands (p. 157). However, it is located where earthquakes are likely to occur most of the time, and because of this, Turkey is prone to experience disastrous impacts of earthquakes (Beirman, 2003, p. 157). For example, damages to homes and industrial buildings were at a point of no return, but because of effective planning that took place after the earthquake, most of the attractions were back at its original state and the tourism sector in Turkey improved (Beirman, 2003, pp. 161-162). The attractions that a country has can be a major factor in increasing tourist numbers or it could be a detrimental factor that could force tourists to leave.In fact, the demand side of tourism is also affected by the impacts of natural disasters. According to Page C onnell (as citied in Pearce, 1995), the demand concept is focussing on the reasons as to what does or does not motivate a tourist to travel to a destination. Some of these factors may be due to personal income, destination image and health risks.First of all, personal income is one of the determining factors that influence a person in deciding whether to travel or not. With reference to price, if a person is able to afford travel expenses, then they are in a position to experience a destination and the attractions it offers, however, for those who cannot afford a holiday, it is a restricting factor that stops a person from travelling (Page Connell, p. 53). To illustrate this, Turkey experient a growth in tourist numbers towards the twenty first century. Regardless of its low currency rate, it was considered to be a suitable and affordable destination to visit and this attracted many tourists from around the world (Beirman, 2003, p. 161). So, the income of a person will determine t he willingness to travel to places if it can be afforded.Equally important, destination image is another factor that can also affect tourists demand. This is simply, the way in which a tourist views a destination, whether it is a suitable place to travel to. Some perceptions can be influenced by the media and tourists can instantly change travel plans, especially if it is a negative one and this can affect the status of a destination region (Lexow Edelheim, 2004, p. 52). For example, when the Izmit earthquake enamored Turkey in 1999, there was coverage by the media which was showing how badly the country was affected by the earthquake. Yet, most of the information that the media circulated was later discovered to be biased and exaggerated, one such example would be the warning given out a day later by the British Travel agents where they were deter British tourists from visiting the largest city, Istanbul, assuming that the whole city was affected, however, only the east border wa s affected, while the inner part was not (Beirman, 2003, p. 165). Overall, the type of information that the media devote can be overstated and affect the tourists perception, while the image of the destination can be affected as well.Furthermore, health risks also contribute to the demand of tourism. Some of the major health issues involve communicable diseases and there is a chance that tourists are likely to get sick if visiting affected areas (Giacomelli, 2006, p. 12). For instance, when Indonesia experienced the Sumatra earthquake in 2004, there were many people including tourists who suffered from wound infections but only a few cases of communicable diseases were reported, compared to the high cases of infectious wound cases (Marres, Lange, Leenen Hoepelman, 2006). Thus, travellers are bound to suffer from communicable diseases and wound injuries if they get caught in disaster affected areas.Given these facts, natural disasters do affect the supply and demand of destination and generating tourism regions. Impacts on the supply side can wrap from accommodation, transportation and attractions, while the demand side includes personal income, destination image and health risks. The range of services as well as other external factors in a destination will affect the way tourists choose a place to visit. The tourism sector must not be ignored during a crisis even though it is vulnerable to unpredictable changes. Therefore it is important that necessary and simple precautions are practised to minimise the dangers of natural disasters so that tourists, locals and the tourism industry itself is safe.

From Homer’s Odyssey to Star Wars - The Unchanging Path of the Hero Ess

From Homers Odyssey to Star Wars - The Unchanging Path of the HeroIn the fiction population mavenes have been one of the most entertaining figures. It has always been fun and interesting to read about heroic stories and about different obstacles that heroes had overcome. When someone mentions the word hero it is more(prenominal) likely to think of characters like Batman or James Bond, scarcely it is for sure that if we had the chance to ask the same question centuries before, the answer would have been different. From comics or TV it is seen that heroes change physically and spiritually through time, but the heroic pattern stays always the same when moving from ancient times to todays heroes.The prototypal hero whose pattern I am going to unfold is Oedipus. Just like all other heroes he lives an extraordinary experience which normal mint would not live, and that is one of the reasons that the heroic pattern seems so appealing to people. People could read and think about the si tuations that would not happen in their life, and the situations which people would be interested to know about. Going back to the topic, it has been foreseen that he is going to kill his father and marry with his mother. In the story these events come true and Oedipus becomes the new King, but the gods of the city curses him and his city. After realizing his sin, he sacrifices his eyes and blinds himself Oedipus contains courage, strength and he makes the journey that most of the heroes go through. However it is not clearly visible as modem heroes and it carries more of a symbolic tissue. With information told by a fortuneteller his parents believe that Oedipus is going to kill them, so they decide to take in action before Oedipus and try to kill him. Oedipus escapes by... ...attern could change but there is a heroic pattern that always stays the same. Works CitedStar Wars, A New fancy George Lucas, Gary Kurtz. Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher. Science&8209 Fiction, 1977 Star Wars, the Empire Strikes Back George Lucas, Irvin Kershner. Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher. Science&8209 Fiction, 1980Star Wars, the Return of the jedi George Lucas, Richard Marquand. Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher. Science&8209 Fiction, 1983Batman Tim Burton. Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger. Science&8209Fiction, Fantasy, 1989James Bond, Goldfinger computerized axial tomography Hamilton. Sean Connery, Honor Blackman. Action, 1964Green, Roger Lancelyn. Heroes of Greece and Troy, retold from ancient authors. New York H.Z Walck, 1961Hendricks, Rhoda A. Classical Gods and Heroes. New York Ungar Pubs Co., 1972