Analysis of the Credit Card Industry in Turkey Essay

The current Turkish government is very pro western and secular, however its divided religious loyalties, issues surrounding Greek sovereignty rights and fundamentalist groups threaten the expected 5 year stability of this administration. Government involvement in banking The Turkish Government has a history of involvement in banking affairs which is of concern to international investors. The Turkish state owns and finances a number of its banks and provides artificial stability to the banking system through state funded initiatives. The Government has also tailored wages in line with inflation rates e. g. minimum wages rates. With recent IMF intervention the long term plan for Turkey is still not absolutely clear. EU Membership The Turkish Government is pro EU membership and this is potentially the biggest paradigm shift on the horizon for Turkey’s financial system, this factor is further dealt with as a key driver. Economic †¢ Interest Rates Low interest rates in Turkey fuel loan take-up and have caused increase in credit card issue. Historically higher interest rates led to more widespread loan default and meant that less switching occurred as consumers were â€Å"tied† to provider. Economic growth in Turkey, with higher levels of middle and upper income, urban dwelling professionals and better access to continuing education has undoubtedly increased credit card take-up. (This could also be construed as a social factor). †¢ Global financial crisis The effects of the global financial crisis will have a major effect on banking restrictions to lending and credit availability in Turkey. Turkey’s export markets will be likely affected by the ongoing crisis which has a major effect on GDP which in turn affects spending power. Social †¢ Higher standard of living Higher standards of living among consumers have a beneficial knock on effect for credit cards issuers. In Turkey 7. 5% of GDP is invested back into education thus consumers are more financial savvy. †¢ Urban/Rural Divide Urban dwellers have a much higher likelihood of credit card use given their potential for access of issue and probability of a regular wage earning role. As the economy develops Turks are increasingly moving off the land from poorly paying seasonal work to the cities that offer a better chance of regular income and personal development. Technology †¢ E –Commerce Worth in excess of 2 billion euro to the economy and with 16 million people accessing the internet E-Commerce is a huge growth area and potential distribution channel for the credit card industry. It is also a medium for information driven purchasing through advertising potential and its access is furthered through telephone technology integration. †¢ SMART Cards The security afforded to the credit card industry through use of SMART cards has a beneficial affect on usage through; 1. Increased level of merchants accepting the facility 2. Security for use in Internet Cafes (here large numbers access the internet) 3. Security of service has become a battleground for competition among issuers Coupled with the above technologies, the explosion in EPOS facilities mean more access to products and services through credit card use, homogenising the myriad of potential transactions and benefiting both consumer and merchant. ATM’s also have further facilities to enhance the benefits of using plastic such as bill pay, mobile kiosks etc. Legal †¢ Intervention of Government/Key official Institutions There have been widespread changes in the law in Turkey affecting the credit card industry such as; 1. Restriction on credit card limits . Illegality of altering terms without informing consumer 3. Increases in minimum payment required 4. The Central Bank’s lowering of the interest rate cap 5. Loosening of the frameworks around mergers and acquisitions All of these interventions alter the attractiveness of the market for the credit card industry, which was historically fraught with lack of reg ulation and anti-consumer practises. Identify the 4 KEY DRIVERS FACING THE CREDIT CARD SECTOR 1. Technological Advances 2. State Intervention in Financial Affairs 3. EU membership 4. Rural-Urban Migration Technological Advances The rapidly advancing technology in the field of mobile payment will have a lasting effect on the credit card industry. Companies that can stay ahead of the game with new technologies in security, risk management and will be best placed to benefit from increased A physical â€Å"credit card† is really only a vehicle to hold a magnetic strip containing coded information. In terms of technology this is already quite dated; †¢ Already systems are designed to â€Å"swipe† a card on a merchant’s mobile phone, this will allow for a myriad of services which will no longer require cash transaction e. g. street traders. Advances in retina scanning technology are also at an advanced level and it is envisaged that the future of mobile payments may be through facial recognition or retina scanning. †¢ Other technology such as what is used in â€Å"The Baja Beach Club in Barcelona† where they inject a rice-size â€Å"VeriChip† RFID device into the wrist or upper arm of its patrons whom pay by swiping their arm – adapted from http://www. creditcards. com/credit-card-news/credit-cards-of-the-distant-future State Intervention The level of further state intervention in Turkey’s financial affairs will be a key driver in Turkey’s future credit card success or decline. As we have seen, moves by the government to regulate the industry have impacted on the potential earnings of the banks through lowering interest rates. In turn this type of regulation has stabilised the markets and led to economic growth which impacts positively on numbers of consumers available to the sector. Whether the current â€Å"Republican Democracy† in Turkey will be in power going forward is obviously of importance to this argument. With elections due in 2011 the future of state intervention in banking affairs is unclear. EU Membership Turkey becoming a full member of the EU will be another key driver in the credit card industry. EU entry will mean the freeing of trade and access to a further 500 million consumers. It is most likely that Turkey would be a more attractive market for global companies, of interest here, financial organisations who would be attracted by the large numbers of â€Å"unbanked† consumers and those who see Turkey strategically as the gateway to Eastern markets. The credit card market would likely become much more competitive with new entrants who would most likely look to merge with/acquire existing indigenous banks. Rural-Urban Migration According to the case study the majority of people in the rural areas of Turkey tend not to be credit card users. As the economy improves larger numbers of rural people (especially male) will likely move towards the larger urban centres to participate in the industrial or service sectors. This in turn leads to greater numbers with the potential to use credit cards, in turn offering greater numbers of potential consumers to the sector. SECTION 2 – Porters 5 Forces 2. Use the five forces framework to identify the forces affecting the Turkish credit card sector a. Graphically illustrate the five forces (see overleaf) b. Draw conclusions from the 5 forces analysis to explain; 1. How attractive the sector is I consider the Turkish credit card sector to be an attractive market for a large multinational e. g. BNP or Barclays to enter. From my analysis I have concluded that consumers are fragmented and suppliers are concentrated. Rivalry is high, yet only among 4 suppliers, considering rivalry in an industry such as haulage this must be considered attractive. Capital requirements of entry are high, but not on the scale of industries such as mining might be. Economies of scale and experience exist, however for companies already in credit card markets in other countries by no means insurmountable. The threat of substitutes is relatively low as the credit card holds a relatively niche position. Product differentiation/loyalty is low among existing consumers; good offers would attract new business, as would strong internet presence. Turkey has; â€Å"40 percent of people who are bankable based on their socio-economic status and age in Turkey are still â€Å"unbanked,† having no accounts with any banks in Turkey â€Å" (www. mckinsey. om/clientservice/†¦ /Credit_Cards_in_Turkey. ashx) This data identifies a large section of the Turkish population who are potential consumers for a new entrant; therefore the market could potentially grow significantly for all players involved. 2. How the competitive forces are changing/may change The competitive forces are currently changing most notably in areas such as consumer access to inform ation. More widespread access and use of the internet will drive further competition in the market through portals such as comparison websites, industry reviews etc. This will ultimately increase bargaining power of consumers, leading to decreased profits for suppliers. EU accession would alter the competitive forces among the major players currently in the sector. Interest rates set by the ECB, participation in the single currency etc. would have a significant impact on the state financed banking institutions and would alter their relevance. One would suspect that in a free market system the Turkish government would relish the opportunity of divesting the burden to international organisations to increase competition. With increased market stability and better financial education, consumer’s use of substitutes may extend to less expensive forms of credit such as personal loans. Coupled with better economic conditions consumer’s use of debit cards may also increase; given that currently lower income workers struggle to maintain a balance sufficient to cover their living costs. 3. How the sector may change to reflect changing forces The credit card sector can move more of its marketing budget toward E-Marketing and target new and younger consumers through this medium. MBNA have used this marketing channel very successfully in the past. In order to combat increased uptake of personal loans and increased use of debit cards the credit card sector may look at collective lower interest rates, better offers through loyalty bonuses and customer kickbacks and better education of its customers as to how to better use their credit cards. In order for the credit card sector to prepare for increased competition post EU accession it may look to further differentiate its offerings to appeal to the Turkish people e. g. align the credit offering with cultural values or emotions. It might be necessary to offer further services aligned to credit cards such as life insurance to augment and differentiate the offering. 3. Scenario Planning Scenario 1 â€Å"Renewed Political/Terrorist Violence in Turkey† In recent years, terrorist bombings – some with significant numbers of casualties -have struck religious, political, and business targets in a variety of locations in Turkey. The potential remains throughout Turkey for violence and terrorist actions both by transnational and indigenous terrorist organizations such as PKK, . Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party/Front (DHKP/C) and AlQa’ida. Adapted from http://www. eubusiness. com/europe/turkey/invest) Given Turkey’s increasing dependence on foreign direct investment a return to more concerted campaign of political violence would spell disaster for the credit card industry. Large financial corporations, especially US owned would be deterred from entering the market, or potential ly pull out of the market thus decimating competition. Access to sources of international credit and lending would dry up therefore affecting consumer’s ability to purchase products and services on credit. Turkey’s export market would potentially be destroyed as Western nations would deter from transacting in case monies were being skimmed to fund further terrorist activity. This would further lower the GDP of the country affecting the spending power of consumers in turn negating the need for credit cards. Further knock on effects of violence include the loss of capital Governments have available to invest in its economy, on education and infrastructure. Government capital would have to be spent on further military and security projects. The tourism industry, a huge earner for Turkey would be decimated as travelers would fear the threat of violence. The black market economy would thrive under such conditions and regular banking functions would significantly cease with many consumers using cash/barter systems of attaining needs. With respect to the Credit card sector, this scenario would be highly detrimental to its future, as consumer confidence in the financial service sector would be decimated. The sector would have to pour vast resources into transaction security and marketing the brand safety and correct usage policies to consumers. Default numbers would likely increase due to instability and escalating interest rates. Scenario 2 â€Å"Turkey Gains Full EU Membership† â€Å"The EU is committed to supporting Turkey in its path for membership. The initial objective of EU financial support towards Turkey was the extension of an area of peace, stability and prosperity within and beyond Europe. Once the Union accepted Turkey as a candidate, financial assistance began to focus on supporting Turkey in its preparation for EU membership† http://www. eubusiness. com/europe/turkey/funding A study on the EU (http://europa. eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction. o) reported the following economic benefits of a country joining the EU; 1. An average of 2. 15% increase in GDP 2. Exchange rates for Turks travelling through Europe would be eliminated, as would the potential damaging effects exchange rate swings have on Turkish exports. I would assume that the credit card sector would become significantly more competitive in the light of EU membership therefore the sector would have to increase its marketing and branding spend, but would have a larger pool of consumers to choose from.

Compulsive Gambling Essay

More than 5 million Americans are pathological, compulsive and problem gamblers, and another 15 million are at risk of becoming just like them. A common definition of problem gambling is: a progressive disorder characterized by a continuous or periodic loss of control over gambling and irrational thinking and behavior despite the consequences. When gambling interferes with any one’s life, it can be categorize as an addiction or disease, just like alcohol and drug addiction is categorize as a disease. A study conducted for the National Gambling Impact Study Commission found that 20 million American have or could develop gambling problems. Also they have estimated those 1. 8 million American adults as well as up to 1. 1 million American adolescents age 12 through 17 engage in severe â€Å"pathological† gambling each year. As legalize gambling has become more common in the United States; problems have sprung up as well. That negative influence is becoming more apparent as gambling is more widely available. It is becoming increasingly easy to gamble in the United States particularly in the last 10 years, and problems with gambling are much more common now than they ever were. Studies show that for every dollar gambling produces for a regional economy, three dollars are lost because of the economic and social cost of gambling. The study has also said that if the government legalizes more gambling, taxpayers will lose money, whether they gamble or not. The gambling industry believes it is just selling an innocent form of family entertainment, but they don’t mention how much the players lose or how gambling encourages addictive behavior or the enormous costs it creates for the rest of society. It has been said that, gamblers with higher counts of gambling symptoms will have higher rates of problem. There many consequences associated with compulsive, pathological and problem gamblers. Examples of such consequences include job and financial problems, divorce, poor health, and criminal involvement. These addictions are the lifeblood of the gambling industry, said an economist from the University of Illinois by name Earl Grinols. He researches and found out, that casinos earn more than half their revenues from compulsive, pathological, and problem gamblers. â€Å"The casino industry is heavily dependent on the revenues of psychologically sick people†, says Grinols. Millions of families are paying a heavy price, not just financially, but also strains in family and marital relationship. Family members of compulsive and pathological gamblers are hurt by their disease, mainly because an emotional withdrawal occurs, which leads to separation.

Examining Henrik Ibsen’s Torvald and John Updike’s Sammy Essay

Some men seem to like their women simple. The man who desires the simple woman sees her as easier to manipulate and as a more positive reflection on himself. A man who has a simple woman can believe himself superior in almost all things; such is the case with John Updike’s character Sammy in the short story â€Å"A & P,† and Henrik Ibsen’s character Torvald Helmer from his play A Doll’s House. Each of these men views the world as merely an extension of himself, and the people in the world, especially the women, as decorative items purely for his personal manipulation and amusement. Ironically, by the end of both Updike’s short story and Ibsen’s play, the women have turned the men’s worlds on edge and taken control of the universe. Sammy is a checker at the local supermarket, and he spends his days watching his world go by while standing in judgment of those who enter his domain. The world that goes by Sammy is populated by a variety of customers—all seemingly women—who he describes as â€Å"witches,† â€Å"sheep,† and â€Å"this one[s]† (Updike 959, 960). That he feels superior to women—all women—is made obvious by the way in which he sizes them up. The three bathing-suit-clad girls who are about to change Sammy’s life are described in terms of their physical attributes and the degree to which Sammy is attracted to each. While he initially admires the girl â€Å"in the plaid green two-piece† who has a â€Å"good tan and [the] sweet broad soft-looking can with [. . . ] two crescents of white just under it,† he later realizes she and girl number two are merely preludes to the one he presumes to be their leader—the one he calls â€Å"the queen† (959, 960). Torvald Helmer is no different from Sammy; he too objectifies women—specifically his wife—and he lives happily presuming that females are simple and will always remain so. Ibsen’s play opens with Nora entering the home and Torvald’s greeting her shortly thereafter. During their brief exchange, Torvald uses the terms â€Å"little lark,† â€Å"little squirrel,† and â€Å"little spendthrift† in reference to his wife, only bothering to use her name when he is busily chastising her for her many errors in judgment—most of which he attributes to her inability to handle money (Ibsen). Sammy and Torvald are each comfortable with the subordinate role into which they place women; in fact, both characters seem completely unaware that they are objectifying and marginalizing the women around them—it is a matter of their natural make up. Additionally, both men express a clear understanding that women’s brains are a bit empty. Sammy wonders whether or not â€Å"it’s a mind in there or just a buzz like a bee in a glass jar†; Torvald is more direct, calling Nora a â€Å"little featherhead† (Updike 960, Ibsen). There is no doubt that both men are whole-heartedly mocking women as if doing so is part of the reason they exist—part of the world’s natural order. Neither character expects the carefully structured universes over which they each rule to be altered let alone collapse, but that is exactly what happens to both Sammy and Torvald. It never dawns on Sammy, as he is tucked safely behind his register, that the actual power dynamic is the antithesis of what he believes it to be: he is merely a servant to the customers who enter the store. In fact, he operates like a man who can alter the very natures of the customers he helps. The â€Å"bold† move Sammy makes at the end of the story isn’t an act of independence but an act made â€Å"hoping [the girls will] stop and watch [him], their unsuspected hero† (Updike 963). Likewise, Torvald long remains unaware of the debt he owes his wife—a debt physical and financial. Having spent his life smugly satisfied over his wife’s dependence on him and her general ignorance, he is thrilled to gain possession of the letter that contains the forged contract Krogstad held over Nora. In his mind, order will be restored; however, Nora confronts Torvald about her unhappiness and his constantly treating her like a â€Å"doll† (Ibsen). Just as the presence of the bathing-suit-clad women drove Sammy to quit his job in an act of pointless chivalry; Torvald’s actions—actions that were designed to cage his wife—led him to his mistaking â€Å"saving† her for his own good for â€Å"saving† her for her own. The carefully controlled and structured worlds of each has been undone—in both cases by the male character’s own unskilled hands. Sammy and Torvald meet their ends, but not before groveling, and grasping one last time for the control each has let slip away. Sammy’s struggle is relatively private. He exists the A & P â€Å"looking around for [the bathing-suit-clad] girls,† but all he sees are a woman and her â€Å"screaming† kids (Updike 964). There is no one to observe his recent, self-serving act of heroism, and he pathetically mollifies himself by thinking â€Å"how hard the world was going to be [thereafter]† (964). Torvald’s end is a bit more public—much as was his mocking of his wife. Declaring that â€Å"[he has] it in [him] to become a different man,† he is shocked to learn that Nora has long been a different woman, and has neither need nor desire for him to remain a part of her life; his attempt to placate himself is to hang on the words â€Å"the most wonderful thing of all? (Ibsen) It may be that some men wish their women simple, but it is in the simplest things that the greatest truths are most often revealed. The safety some men seek in the weakness of those with whom they surround themselves is often only a pit of quicksand. This was the case for both Sammy and Torvald Helmer. Where Sammy privately observes and judges women he does not know, Torvald is far more obnoxious: he diminishes his wife openly. Whether or not Sammy ages into a Torvald is anyone’s guess, but certainly the potential for it is present. As one man walks out of a grocery store and the other man tries to guess the answer to a riddle, the women have entered the world on their own, presumably to live happily, contentedly, and idependently ever-after. Works Cited Ibsen, Henrik. A Doll’s House. Ed. E. Haldeman-Julius. 1923. Project Gutenberg. 29 Mar. http://www.gutenberg.org/

Greenhouse Gases and Climate Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Greenhouse Gases and Climate Change - Essay Example The earth’s surface will absorb more solar radiation and the surface will increase in temperature and as a result will emit more radiation into the atmosphere. This will lead to an alteration in moderating, increasing, and the earth’s temperature. In my country Qatar, the overall carbon dioxide emission is low compared to that of United States of America. This is because of the many different industries that are available in America. According to a recent report released, it indicates the total amount of carbon dioxide as released by countries. My country Qatar produced 57.508 million tons in the year 2007 and 61.139 million tons in the year 2008. This is an increase in CO2 emission. The total CO2 emission by the United States in 2007 and 2008 was 6.00328 billion tons and 5.832818 billion tons. This is a decrease in the emission. However, the total emission by United States remains comparably high to that of Qatar. The rate of increase in USA is -2.839% while that of Qatar is 6.314%. This shows that Qatar has continued to produce more carbon dioxide as compared to previous years while that of USA has declined. The per capita carbon dioxide emission for Qatar according to a recent UNDP human development report is that Qatar’s per capita CO2 emission is at 79.3%. This is the highest in the world. Per capita CO2 emission for USA ranked twelve worldwide. The reason Qatar ranked highest is its mining of gas products and a low population. Population has a direct impact on the total amount of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere. This is because of the number of households involved and the total amount of energy used. In my country Qatar, the population is less as compared to that of USA. This means the total number of households that emit CO2 gas is less compared to that of USA. The more the number of gas users increases at homes depending on the number of households involved. Therefore, population is directly related to

Final reflective Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Final reflective - Essay Example Whether art gallery owners and museum curators have understood their ability in this representation, this conflict between what women contribute and how they are exploited is in itself a reflection of gender dynamics. It is interesting that the way in which women are often allowed to express their artistic beliefs and experiences is through what men often termed as craft. The American art of quilting is often marginalized, but the development of many of these quilts is justice poignant as an oil painting or sculpture. I was fascinated by learning about the meaning of quilting and what it represented in American society. Their social aspects to it that are woven into the development of the art form. As well, there are symbols and meanings that not everyone will understand when you look at quilts but thats our past within cultures as specific messages. One example of this is the ‘eye of God’ which is in many traditional American quilts. This comes from purposely making sure that one section, no matter how small, is in perfect. The message is that nothing on earth is perfect and only God can make something that is perfect (Manairdi 340). I do think that its humorous because its just tha t everything else in the quilt is perfect and there is a certain tongue-in-cheek arrogance to that idea. Discussions on the human body also relate to a reflection of the feminine. It is not that male bodies are not represented in art, but that they are not exploited in quite the same way that womens bodies are exploited. This is a great deal to do with the fact that artists who are accepted as ‘great’ are mostly men. It is the male gaze from which male and female gender differences are most often defined. Walters discusses the idea that there are three ‘looks’ that represent the male gaze. The first is that as men gaze at women, women become the object of the gaze. The second is that the male gaze acts as spectator and women are

Comapring with life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Comapring with life - Essay Example Discrimination becomes an ugly word especially when it is associated to race or color. We continuously wonder why such difference in skin color or genes would merit a severe consequence. Discrimination in any form teaches us that the value or quality of an individual lies in the physical or the material not by his virtue or ability, that those who are deemed inferior because of the standards that popular culture or society has set deserve less which unfortunately mean cruelty and animosity. Science has always purported that man is of one kind, one species. There are no other breeds, no other classifications, no subdivisions. Any man is a man in his essential or universal form or nature, sub specie aeternitatis. Furthermore, diversity does not necessarily mean inequality. In the face of such injustice, man must at all times take action. Inasmuch as we openly celebrate whatever is good and beautiful, humankind must also earnestly articulate resistance for injustice and evil. We can be patient in the pursuit of our dreams but not in the search for justice. This has been proverbially expressed as "justice too long delayed is justice denied. Those who are oppressed must rise or must be lifted from the dark dungeons of complacency." (King, Jr.) These actions have taken various names as well resistance, strike, campaign, direct action, protest, which in legalistic term is freedom of expression. As King stated, steps have to be taken to bring these evils in the open, to the light of human conscience and the air of national opinion before it can be cured, the same way boils must be opened with all its ugliness to the natural medicines of air and light. Then again, people have differing opinions on what should be done and how it is to be done. Those in opposition are often accused of unreasonable impatient dissatisfaction. Thus, man grapples whether those in authority are flawed or those who react are just simply dissatisfied. Subsequently, they are cautioned to practice sobriety. The so-called peacekeepers say "Wait!" and this, in the long run, would mean "delay" or "never". (King, JR) However, our conscience dictates that spectators, those who are not in the face of suffering are not in the proper position to judge those who suffer. According to King, "We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed." which gives man more reason to take direct and immediate action. Then, man must always take caution in all his actions, lest he ends up breaking the law and bring about anarchy. At all times must he upheld what is both legal and moral. Reason dictates that all conflicts must be taken to the courts but many times people would question the infallibility of our courts. Moreover, is legality always equivalent to morality The line must be drawn, especially in matters of opinion, especially when opinion matters. Does the law apply to all How do we establish morality in a multicultural world Practically, the root of all these things is differences and these differences have been a constant challenge to man, something that he must always try to reconcile with and understand. Taking things to a higher plane, reconciliation, compromise, tolerance, empathy, and compassion might turn up to be the better answers to the issue of discrimination and conflict. We must realize that we should always choose

Management Research Project; Hiring Function Recruitment and Selected Paper

Management Project; Hiring Function Recruitment and Selected - Research Paper Example The process that has been used in this particular research paper would be incorporated into the research study so as to identify the deficiencies of GOME electric company and ways to eliminate them from the system. The research topic that has been selected is an analysis on the hiring, recruitment and selection function of the GOME electric company in China. The topic is very advantageous from the point of view of reviewer and also from the perspective of organization. This research study would enable the organization that has been selected to improve its level of efficiency and even save the overall cost that is associated with the execution of business operations. The company occupies a large market shares in the retail industry of electronics in China and has also been able to enhance its distribution operation across other regions. The reviewer has a work experience in the selected organization and so the deficiency in hiring and selection process can be easily highlighted. The report structure would comprise of primarily a research objective and questions followed by conceptual foundation. The findings of the research would be based on focus group study and interviews with key personnel of the organization which would be supported by secondary data. The purpose of the research paper that has been selected for the particular research study has been to enhance the aspect of technology in all possible sectors. The research paper states that technology is a part of everyday lives and has a great importance in the human resource management. The concept of technology lessens the cost and at the same time even enables the job seekers to explore more opportunities in the least possible time. The research aim was to identify the various advantages as well as disadvantages of incorporating e-recruitment in the system. The rationale of the research paper is that the findings of this particular paper would be beneficial for other organization as well as job

Cf child Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cf child - Essay Example All identified effects of the exercise were positive induced emotional and physical status as well as the children’s self worth. The children’s willingness to engage in the practice was however low and parents’ support for the exercise program was poor. While outpatient exercise offers a solution to cystic fibrosis among children, its implementation has not been embraced and this could account for the persistent incidence rates. Validity and reliability of the study, based on the empirical approach over a long period, means that exercise is effective for managing cystic fibrosis, and should therefore be prescribed to the patients (Gulmans, De Meer, Brackel, Faber, Berger and Helders 1999, p. 39-45). Another study on effects of physical exercise on cystic fibrosis condition supports significance of exercise as a management strategy. The study by Zach, Oberwaldener and Hausler that exposed cystic fibrosis victims to physical exercise, without any alternative management strategy, identifies both short term and long term effectiveness of physical exercise. Improvement in forced expiration, as the results showed, supports effectiveness of the exercise in resolving the respiratory inefficiency among the cystic fibrosis patients. The study’s results identify effectiveness of exercise as a management strategy because of improved airflow and muscle functionality. Even though the patients did not report improvements in their lung capacities, the positive changes that the treatment induced mean that exercise is an effective strategy. Exercise if further a natural approach and therefore offers better safety, because of freedom from potential adverse effects of chemicals in industria l medications that have been used to manage cystic fibrosis. The empirical results can therefore be used to support application of exercise as a safe and effective alternative to management of cystic fibrosis (Zach, Oberwaldener and Hausler 1982, p. 587-

In the practical application of the resource-based view of the firm Essay

In the practical application of the resource-based view of the firm (the RBV) there is usually less emphasis placed on the management of resources than on the - Essay Example Jay Barney’s Resource Based View (RBV) is one such interesting tool. Because of its simplicity, engineers find it easy to understand the management perspective behind enterprises. This essay explains the concept of RBV, examples of key resources in well-known companies, managements’ approach in using the tool together with opinions on its utility and limitations. All firms are built on certain resources. In common parlance, we hear of money, materials and men as the resources of any business in a very broad sense. If all firms collect these resources and start operations to produce and market the same goods or services, then there will be intense competition and few would survive. In order to survive with normal profits and grow with supra-normal profits, a firm has to distinguish itself in some ways from the others competing with it. One way of looking at such distinguishing features of a firm is the so-called ‘resource-based view’, conceived and named as such by Jay Barney in the early 1990s. Barney1 postulated that a firm has to identify the resources it has in its command, evaluate them to identify the ‘key resources’ which give the firm its competitive advantage and guard them jealously to maintain the strategic advantage. In order to identify whether a resource can be treated as a key resource or not, Barney developed a four point criterion of resource evaluation, VRIN, that stands for: As can be seen, the emphasis is on resources as internal to a firm. From the simplest Mom & Dad stores, requiring no more than a couple of people, a few consumer items and a place to store and sell, to the very complex commercial or industrial firms of today with properties, unique products, patents and trained staff, we have a plethora of resources. Many of them are quite visible for all to see; but many more are what are known as intangibles, which are not seen or easily understood; for instance,

What Can One Person Do(IT IS NOT TITLE, JUST TOPIC) Research Paper

What Can One Person Do(IT IS NOT TITLE, JUST TOPIC) - Research Paper Example Studies have shown that â€Å"Urban sewage and industrial effluents to be the main factors responsible for deterioration of Ganga water quality† (Singh) It is a well known fact that natural resources are being exploited or abused in most parts of the world. And exploitation is carried out by humans themselves. One of the best examples of such exploitation of natural resources is the Ganges River in India. According to the CIA.gov, the water present in the Ganges River is considered as an essential resource to the India’s population, which is currently about 1.2 billion, is being massively polluted by them and misused as well. The reason due to which this pollution occurs is the overuse of the Ganges River. For what we see- is that River Ganges is heavily engaged in and used for carrying out religious customs and traditions. The Ganges River holds immense religious significance as well as the urbanization which is going around the surrounding of River Ganges. In my opinion, it is necessary that the River Ganges should be rescued from this pollution and its religious significance must remain sacred even if it means to stop and outmaneuver the religious practices in the River Ganges. Also, the economic development should be hampered in the area surrounding the river. According to Singh, he defines the River Ganges as the â€Å"trans-boundary† river of India and Bangladesh. It begins from a state of India named Uttarakhand and it clears and depletes into the Bay of Bengal. â€Å"It has total length 2,525 km river rises in the western Himalayas in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, and flows south and east through the Gangetic Plain of North India and go to Bay of Bengal through Bangladesh† (Rai) which makes it â€Å"the longest river of India and is the second greatest river in the world by water discharge† (Singh) It is believed that water is an essential but a scarce resource. In a country like India, clean water is a very scarce resource which is

Mapping Your Conflicts Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Mapping Your Conflicts - Case Study Example A good example is the issue of sibling rivalry where a daughter becomes jealous of the newly born baby brother. Sometimes, because of the new baby, parents and family members give more attention to the new born child, and the elder daughter will feel left behind. The daughter will now start to ask for more attention and become rebellious. Conflict will arise between daughter and parents. Instead of blaming someone for what happened, the systems theory helps assess the situation by knowing all sides of the story. The systems theory will look at the daughter’s perspective and from the perspectives of the parents. Because of this, both of them will understand what really happened and why it happened without having someone feel the guilt and blame. In this week’s case study, I will use the metaphor of â€Å"conflict as competition† to describe the conflict between Enrique and Monica. In this metaphor, those involve will always aim to win against the other. Both Enriq ue and Monica don’t want to give in and let someone control the other. Monica wants Enrique to help her, Enrique wants to go out and not help. Monica does not want Enrique to do his own way and go to his friend and she can’t. Neither of them wants to let someone rule over the other.

History of civil rights movement Essay Example for Free

History of civil rights movement Essay Civil rights movement can be described as the non violent protests against something that the public feels does not auger well with them. Dierenfield, (2004, pp 23) differentiates civil liberties and civil rights by describing the former as entailing the right of every citizen to receive fair treatment from his government whereas the latter, he says involves citizens gunning for fair treatment from their fellow citizens and local authorities. Therefore, civil rights can also be described as social rights. However, the mammoth effects of the civil rights movement against slavery and the more conspicuous civil movements against racial segregation have taken credit for defining the term. This paper discusses the civil rights movement in the US by tracing its history, the key leaders involved and how their activities influenced the American government of the time. History of civil rights movement Civil rights movement are most famous in the US between 1955 and 1965 where there happened numerous historical accounts led by civil rights leaders protesting against racial segregation in the US more so in the south. The leaders were mainly black who were protesting against mistreatment by their white counterparts who by then treated them as second class citizens. Key activists Martin Luther King This is definitely one of the most renowned African American leaders in fighting for equal rights for African Americans living in the US who were mainly descendants of early slaves. He is most remembered for leading the Montgomery bus boycott among other protests. This Montgomery bus boycott is recorded to have officially started on 1st December 1955. The boycott involved the black American living in that area boycotting using the city buses unless they were allowed to sit anywhere they wanted to sit in the bus instead of the area specifically set out for the blacks. The boycotts were triggered by the arrest of one woman Rosa Park who had defied giving up her sit to a white person in the bus. Having the fronts seats reserved for whites sonly, Rosa Parks defied the order o give up her seat and was subsequently arrested for that. Rosa Parks This is one woman who the US congress came to nickname the â€Å"mother of modern-day civil rights movements† (Boyd, et al 2004, pp 125). As said above, her defiance into giving in to mistreatment in the public transport system triggered the massive boycotts which were to last more than a year until their pleas were heard. Her arrest was even against t the law which she claimed to have observed. A 1900 law on segregation in the buses by race allowed the setting up of specific areas for blacks and whites in the bus but did not give specifications as to force one to vacate his/her seat for another in case there were no more seats. However, custom and culture and mis-configured the law and interpreted it for the benefits of the whites. Park was charged in a court of law and was found guilty but some of her friends bailed her out (Boyd, 2004, pp 125). The same friends who bailed Park out formed an organization by the name Montgomery Improvement Association to spearhead the boycotts and among the leaders was Martin Luther King Jr. Black churches were used in communicating about the boycott which was to last exactly 381 days. The public transport buses stood idle as 75% of the commuters had decide to either walk or used blacks operated taxis (Dierenfield, 2004, pp 23). The bus companies were making losses and thus they had also to join the blacks in calling for the abolition of the law on segregation in order to save their businesses. Leaders of the movement such as Martin Luther King had their homes torched by segregationists and their families threatened. The United States Supreme Court, on13th November 1956 outlawed racial segregation on buses operating within the individual states and cities. The court order was received with a lot of celebration in Montgomery on December 20, 1956, and the bus boycott ended the very next day. King did not stop there. He went ahead and met with President John F Kennedy who was also for equal rights for blacks. Unfortunately, changing the constitution to outlaw segregation by race was not that simple. Other protests were planned to push for what they believed was naturally theirs by the virtue of being a human being and an American citizen. The bus boycott had planted a seed of freedom in blacks. Since the need of the boycott, many cases wee reported where blacks were being accused of disrespecting the segregation laws or the Jim Crow’s laws as they were famously known. Other protest marches were also organized by Martin Luther and other fellow activists. The major ones being the Birmingham March, The freedom rides, The Washington march among many others (Dierenfield, 2004, pp 23). Unfortunately, the man was later to be assassinated due to his civil rights activities. Many of these subsequent marches turned violent with the local authorities and civil segregationists turning violent towards the protesters. One of the most violent march was the Birmingham march which involved children aged from 6 to 18. The local authorities used fie extinguisher hoses to chase the children out of Kelly Ingram Park where they had gathered. Many were injured and over 950 of them arrested. Jails were packed to the brim as more protests and arrests followed. The police had no other wise but to watch in despair as the marches took over the lives of everyone. Business was down and the economy of Birmingham was at a standstill. Finally, the Birmingham community had to give in. They allowed integration in the city’s eating counters and even offer equal employment services to the blacks (Boyd, 2004, pp 125). Medgar Evers This man specifically sought to have equal education rights for the blacks in America. Being a former army man during the Second World War, he felt his denial of entry at University of Mississippi Law School was race based which was not in harmony with his acceptance in the army as a full American citizen. He therefore challenged racial discrimination in education centers. The man also organized massive boycotts against gas stations that could not allow blacks and whites share restrooms (Newman, 2004, pp 164 ) Working under the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Evers had more avenues for airing his views. He therefore also organized campaigns for the blacks to be registered as voters. His attempt to have his friend admitted to the University of Mississippi attracted the intervention of the federal government after he had been denied entry on racial basis. Many interventions were to follow and more and more blacks found their way in to university. The whole process was to change on how blacks felt about themselves and even motivated them to seek integration in other areas and receive fair treatment as equal citizens with their white counterparts. Unfortunately, the man was also to be assassinated 1962 due to his involvement in the civil rights movement. However, his legacy of no violent protests and equal education rights were to be observed and remembered up to now. The culmination of all these deaths, arrests, marches and protests was the passing of the civil rights act of 1964 which outlawed racial segregation in schools, public places and employment which was introduced by President John F. Kennedy. This act was followed by the civil rights act of 1968 which criminalized discrimination in housing which had prior enforcement in the constitution (Newman, 2004, pp 165)

Labour Laws in India

Labour Laws in India INTRODUCTION Labor law is also known as the Employment Law. The Indian Constitution provides basis of laws to regulate the employment in India. These laws are collectively known as the Labor Laws or the Industrial Laws. In other words it is the â€Å"body of laws, administrative rulings, and precedents which address the legal rights of, and restrictions on, working people and their organizations†. These set of laws provide the basis for any sort of interaction or mediation between the employers and the trade unions. It defines the legal boundary of the rights of both the employers and the employees at the workplace. The labor laws widely cover the following: a. Industrial Relations b. Health and Safety at Work Place c. The standards which the employers should adhere to which includes but is not limited to holidays, leaves, dismissals, minimum wage and the like. This study is primarily based on the Industrial Relation aspect of the Labor Laws. If we look into the history of labor laws we see that the need to formulate labor laws arose because of the employees demanding better working conditions and the simultaneous demands by the employers to restrict the powers of the employees in the organization. The employers feared that the trade unions may transcend the industrial disputes and gain unsolicited political powers. The ILO or the International Labor Organization was the first official body to deal with these problems. It was established as an agency of the League of Nations following the Treaty of Versailles, which was an indication of the end of the World War I. Now we focus on the Industrial Relation aspect of the Labor Laws. Industrial Relations, as the name suggests primarily deals with the employees and the management which result directly or indirectly from the employer-employee relationship. It particularly deals with the relationship between the organization and a group of workers generally known as the Trade Unions. It pertains to the study of free collective bargaining, trade unionism, and the labor-management relationships. As per the Industrial Disputes Act of 1947 Industrial Relations can be defined as the relation between employer and employees, employees and employees and employees and trade unions. Labor relations can be realized at any level of the work place like the shop floor, regional level or at the national level. Few characteristics of Industrial Relations: a. It is non-existent if the parties involved i.e. trade union and the employer are absent. b. It may include both conflict and co-operations. c. It may cover important environmental issues like a country’s technology prowess, socio-political environment, economic environment etc. d. It incorporates the laws made by the government to govern the employer-employee relationship, awards of courts, and the interference patterns of the judiciary on the labor-management relations regulations. In reality the concepts involved in Industrial Relations come from a wide variety of fields ranging from disciplines like humanities, social sciences, behavioral sciences, laws etc. Industrial Relations in India: In the pre-1991 era the conflicts and disputes in the organization were addressed through excessive labor legislations. The laws were protective in nature and covered all the aspects of the workplace like layoffs, wage issues, incentives etc. In due course of time it was realized that these laws were protective in nature and that they led to organizational inefficiency. With the advent of globalization the protective nature of these laws proved inadequate for the Indian industry to remain competitive as it was very rigid and did not allow the Indian manufacturers to compete in the global market. Post liberalization the laws favored the industrialists and they began schemes like employee reduction and the voluntary retirement schemes. Thus we can distinctively notice that globalization brought some symbolic changes in the Industrial Relations in India. They may be summed up briefly as follows: a. Decentralization the collective bargaining in almost all the sectors. b. During an expansionary phase of the economy there is a shortage of able managers and skilled labor. c. The number of unions has increased significantly but their influence has diminished. d. In the banking sector, for example, some unions are putting up a united front. e. Internal Unions are being pushed by employers which essentially imply that no external affiliation is being sought for. f. Training and skill development are seen as an important part of work place. Aim of Industrial Relations: The major aim of Industrial Relations is to safeguard the interest of the labors and the employees as a whole by a sense of mutual agreement and understanding between the two parties. It helps to reduce conflicts and strife between the parties for a harmonious existence of the Indian industry. It also ensures that a high level of productivity is ensured. They also help to reduce the strikes, lock-outs and other forms of blockades by facilitating mutual understanding and consent. The Industrial Relations policies also ensure that an environment of Industrial Democracy is maintained for the benefit of the industry and the country as a whole. More government control in order to regulate the sectors which are at loss so that public interest at large can be safeguarded. Socializations or rationalization of industries by making the state a major employer in itself. Ill Effects of Poor Industrial Relations: Poor industrial relations policies hinder the normal functioning of the industry thereby affecting the entire economy as a whole. It may be noted that the direct loss to a particular plant may not be huge due a conflict but the cumulative loss to the economy is enormous. If we do not have a robust policy in place then there would be rigidity to change in this dynamic situation. As a matter of fact every employee works not only to earn but also to satisfy his egoistic and social needs. Poor industrial relations policies take a heavy toll on human behavior in terms of tension. Thus proper policies need to be in place to maintain cordiality and avoid social tension. Contract Labor in India: An employee is called a contract laborer when he is hired through a contractor. They can be termed as indirect employees who are essentially hired, supervised and paid by a contractor. The contractor is paid in turn by the establishment who needs these contract laborers. However, contract laborers must not be employed when the work is perennial and will continue on a daily basis, when the work is enough to employ full time workers. The Contract Labor (Regulation and Abolition) Act came into being in 1970 and the Contract Labor Central Rules came into effect in the year 1971. The main objectives of these laws were to regulate the employment of Contract Laborers and to provide for its abolition under certain circumstances. The law lays certain rules and regulations with regard to hiring of contract labor, their wages, working conditions etc. As per the guidelines the law is applicable to any industry which engages more than 20 workers on a contract basis. The steps involved in hiring the contract labor are: Enquiry Offers Comparative Statement Negotiation Award the Contract The Act also has provisions that define certain amenities that need to be provided to the contract laborers. These may be the establishment of canteens, rest room arrangements, sufficient drinking water facilities, and first aid. It is to be noted that these amenities are made obligatory by the Act. If the contractor fails to pay the wages to the workers the Principal Employer is liable to make the payment. The system of contract labor has allowed firms tremendous flexibility to choose what is in their best interests. If it were not present companies would have to go for technological restructuring which in turn would mean less number of permanent employees. The Trade Unions however opposed this act as this meant reduction in permanent employment. Also, as the contract laborers belong to the weaker sections of the society they may be deprived of the benefits. The amount of time consumed in coordinating with the contractors and the sub-contractors would also be much more as compared to the regular employment.

Historical background of Marks and Spencer

Historical background of Marks and Spencer Marks Spencer Plc started in a stall in 1884 by Michael Marks in a Leeds market after which he was joined by a partner Tom Spencer. They both had a reputation of selling only British made goods in the 20th century, a policy discontinued in 2002.Marks Spencer Plc is seen as the British Retailer that sells clothes, gifts, home furnishing and food formerly under the name of St. Michael but rebranded as Marks Spencer in United Kingdom, Europe, Far East and the Americas. Marks Spencer Plc has made itself widely known in the UK with over 450 stores and its largest store at Marble Arch, London. By 1975 they had moved to Europe and Canada where they are fully established. Marks Spencer Plc which initially functioned under the name St Michaels had an unlimited time period on their return policy as long as the customer could produce a receipt, this policy was later reviewed to 90 days in 2005 and a further review to 35 days in 2009. Marks Spencer Plc returns policy is seen as the most generous on the British High Street. By the end of the 1990s Marks Spencer Plc had a problem as their profit plunged because of the rising cost of using British Suppliers as rival retailers were importing their goods from lower cost countries and also because of the fact that Marks Spencer Plc did not accept other credit cards except their store cash cards amongst a host of other reasons. During their downturn period, Marks Spencer Plc refused to budge in switching to overseas low cost suppliers as it was seen as a n act which undermined a core part of its appeal to the public. All these fac tors constituted to Marks Spencer Plc sudden slump which caught the company, its shareholders, retail stores and the general public by surprise as not only did their share price fall more than two thirds of the original market price so also did their profit. In 2001 with drastic changes in its business focus such as accepting other credit cards, introduction of new range like per una , indigo etc, reengineering of its business model and strategy, restructuring and redesigning their store, providing adequate changing room etc, Marks Spencer Plc fought its way back into the UK market. Source: http://corporate.marksandspencer.com/aboutus/ourhistory TASK 1 1.1 Importance of external factors [P1] External factor plays a very important role in Marks Spencer Plc. No organisation can escape from the external factors of a business. It is the key that drives helps focus on what is most important to explore the different ways in which the business environment might change. These external factors are Political, Economic, Social Culture, Technological, Environment and Legal. This is known as the PESTLE ANALYSIS. The external factor helps to know and under study the political factor the company is operating in. The external factor helps to know the social life style of my customer. The external factor helps to know the technological situation I find myself inn. The external factor helps the organisation to understand the business environment It also helps the business to understand the business circle, exchange rate, economic growth rate etc. It also helps the business to know more about the legal standard of the economy such as health and safety, legislative constraints etc. It helps the business to understand and know their competitors The external factor also helps the business to understand the social influences such as changing culture and demographics Business that looks on the solution of the external factors will run its business properly. Oxbridge writers on Marks and Spencer corporate objectives: Full text [online] http://www.oxbridgewriters.com/essays/marketing/marks-spencers-corporate-objectives.php [END OF P1] 1.2 The needs and expectation of stakeholders [P2] A stakeholder is any person, group or institution that has an interest in an activity or project. This definition includes intended beneficiaries and intermediaries, winners and losers, and those involved or excluded from decision making processes. (Bryson 1995) The stakeholders who have got an interest in Marks and Spencer are: Their banks, Shareholders, Employees, Customer, Suppliers Stakeholders Needs of stakeholder Expectations Customers To provide good customer services To provide low price To provide good product To provide local source of product Provide community program Customer loyalty Promotion and activities Employee To provide pay raise Job retention Job training To provide a comfortable working environment Give bonus Provide education Rotation of job Shareholders Provide adequate communication Increase in share prices Increase in dividends To keep them informed Good turn over Good return on investment Banks Inflow of cash Loan lending Suppliers Increase in supplies Local sourcing of product Turnover increase Want to sell goods in volume at good prices. Source: By student from lecturer lecture note Managers need to be conscious of the financial impact on various stakeholders of the strategies they are pursing or planning to pursue. They also need to understand how the capability to meet these varied expectations could enable the success of some strategies whilst limiting the ability of an organisation to succeed with other strategies. [END OF P2] 1.3 Major change taking place in the external environment [P3] Political situation: The government plays a very important role within the operation of manufacturing these productions in terms of regulation. There are potential fines set by the government on companies if they do not meet a standard of laws. The changes in laws and regulation, including changes in accounting standards, taxation requirements,(including tax rate, new tax laws and revised tax interpretations) and environment laws in domestic or foreign regulations e.tc. This law has affected Marks and Spencer in different ways especially in the increase in Vat. This will increase the prise of their product and reduce the market sell of their product. Economic situation: The economic plays another important role in the business. However, things changed. Most economists loosely define a recession as two consecutive quarters of contraction, or negative GDP growth. Marks and Spencer s customer don t spend allot anymore instead there save their money. The ongoing recession has brought down their market sale and put them in a stage of looking for a better strategy to fight the recession. Social situation: Many people are practicing new lifestyles in the economy. The social culture of an environment can affect Marks and Spencer in a different ways. The government are cutting down medical budget. In this case, they are trying to educate allot of people to do exercise and those from the age of 37 to 55 will also increasingly concern with nutrition. Majority of the people are now looking after their health and doing much exercise to slim their body down. So this has affected Marks and Spencer because they will need to get better and fitted cloths for their customer to make sure there meets up their customer expectation. Technological situation: This can also affect the business especially now most organisation are introducing the online services, home delivery, virtual sales etc. This will reduce Marks and Spencer sales because it will depend on how fast the organisation will deliver a customer goods that will encourage the customer to be more attracted to them .And even where they have alot aged; most of the worker won t be able to operate this new technology. They will have to go through training process and this will cost the company to spend more. Most of this technology can be misused and might cause problem in the company. Environment situation: Studying the environment is another important way to prevent some environmental problems like, weather, transport problems, competitive problems, customer choices, customer queries etc. Marks and Spencer always make sure they are in the right position to provide for the customer the best services ever. Changes in weather affect seasonal products of Marks and Spencer so they always try to find the best strategies to make sure their goods are been sold out at a particular season. Legal situation: This can also affect Marks and Spencer in term of adjustment of the legislation. But the company try to make those changes in a way that their customer will be retain and their services will be increase. Sources: Morrison, M (2008) Pestle Analysis. CIPD Factsheet.RapidBi Marks and Spencer (2010) investor s Full text [online] http://www.marksandspencer.com/ [END OF P3] TASK 2 2.1 The current position of Marks and Spence [P5] INTERNAL EXTERNAL Product: The company offer stylish, high quality, great value clothing and home product, as well as outstanding quality foods. Political: This is an important factor that drives the strategic of many organizations to change. The change of constitution of politics affects the strategic of an organization. The changes of government affect the strategic of organization to change. The shift of political power from government to global organization affect the organization affects the organization strategy. Many organizations always try to change their strategy to fit the political view of the economic. Staff: The company provide good staffs that help improved the customer services. They also retain their staffs and provide them with training that will increase their services toward their customer. Economic: This concerns the financial structure, objectives and constrains place upon the organisation. This relates to both the external(that is, the levels of profit and turnover generated and the extent to which this is viable and able to sustain current and envisaged levels of activity) Market: MS have a high interest in the market. They always try to provide the best customer service and provide the best quality product that will enable them to gain competitive advantage. Social culture: This is another important factor that the organizations need to look into properly. The way the people lives, expectations, pattern of work, job, occupation and career patterns, changes in patterns of earnings etc. The social lives of most economy changes every year and organizations need to set up new strategic that will suite the social life of the economy. Promotion: Marks and Spencer introduce a promotion to keep their customer happy and to gain more customers. Technology: This factor affects the social, economic and business activities. Rendering many occupations and sectors obsolete; creating new occupation and sectors, opening up new spheres and location of activity. Organization should make sure there have the right technology to improve the organization works. Price: MS provide the best price to their product to gain competitive advantage. Environment: this is looking at what is happening within the environments where MS operate. Place: MS is located in a nice place where their customer can get a good car parking and quicker way to shop. Legal: this is looking on the changes in the legislation and how it s affecting MS. that is, the employment, access to material, quotas, resources, import/exports axations.etc. People: MS also provide the best people that will serve the best customer service to keep their customer happy. A good customer approach is very important in any business environment. Marks and Spencer (2010). Full text [online] http://corporate.marksandspencer.com/aboutus/student_info [END OF P5] 2.2 The strength and weakness of MARKS and SPENCER [P6] STRENGHT ? Strong balance sheet ? Increase in turnover and trading profit ? Strong cash flow position ? Good human resources ? Brand awareness ? Leading premium quality food retailer OPPORTUNITIES ? Capability to turn resources into advantages ? Market shift to globalisation ? New product ? Customer demands changes to more value for money ? Diversification ? Develop overseas supply chain WEAKNESS ? Perception on high price ? Customer disinterest ? Environment issues(pollution) THREAT ? New and existing competitors ? Economic recession ? New legislation volatility of raw material ? Takeover bids ? Market shift to globalisation ? Low cost retailers Source: Marks and Spencer http://corporate.marksandspencer.com/home [END OF P6] 2.3 Tools used to analyse the effects of the current business plan [P4] ? Ansoff growth matrix ? Value chain ? BCG matrix ? Core competences ? Porter generic matrix ? Porter 5 forces ? Product life circle ? The gap analysis ? Marketing Mix The Ansoff s product/market matrix Existing Product New Product Market Penetration Product Development Market Development Diversification The Ansoff growth matrix can be used to identify directions of Marks and Spencer strategic development. The Ansoff growth matrix provides direction for strategic option available to MS in terms of product and market coverage. Market penetration is the name given to a growth strategy when a business focuses on selling existing products into existing markets. And these penetrations seek to achieve increasing the market share of current product, i.e. by combination of competitive pricing strategies, advertising, sales promotion and perhaps more resource dedicated to personal selling. This has help Marks and Spencer to secure dominance of growth markets. It restructures Marks and Spencer market by driving out competitors and it also increase patronage of their existing customer. Market development is the name given to a growth strategy where the business seeks to sell its existing products into new markets. Marks and Spencer has develop their market in so many different ways by providing a new distribution channel, new product dimensions or packaging, new geographical markets (for example exporting the product to new country), different pricing policies to attract different customers or create new market segments. Product development is the name given to a growth strategy where a business aims to introduce new products into existing markets. Marks and Spencer brought up a strategy that may require the development of new competencies and requires the business to develop modified products which can appeal to existing markets. Diversification: Marks and Spencer has diversified alot to introduce new products into new markets. Even as there are more risks in it but they still get the right strategy to win their competitor who was there before them THE FIVE FORCES MODELS Porter explains that there are five forces that determine industry attractiveness and long-run profitability of MS and the food retailing industry Threat of new entrants: The new entrants to an industry can raise the level of competition. The threat of new entrants largely depends on the barriers to entry and the market is also sensitive to reputation. The key barriers to entry include; the economics of scale, capital investment requirement, customer switching cost, access to industry distribution channels. In Marks and Spencer business line, the threat of new entrants is easy and high but the most important issues is to win your competitors and maintain the business. Threat of substitutes: substitute product can lower industry attractiveness and profitability because they limit the price level. The threat of substitute product depends on buyers willingness to substitute, the relative price and performance, the cost of switching to substitute. In Marks and Spencer the threat of substitute s product is low because majority of the customer who have been with them for a very long time enjoy their products and are still enjoying it. Bargaining power of suppliers: suppliers are very important in a business. They supply the company with raw material and other product. The cost of the item bought from supplier can have a significant impact on the organisation profitability. If the supplier has high bargaining power over the organisation, then the theory industry is less attractive. The bargaining power of supplier will be high when there are many buyers and few dominant suppliers, also when there are high valued product, when the supplier threaten to integrate forward into the industry (example brand manufacturing to set up their own retailer outlet), when the buyer does not threaten to integrate backward into supply Bargaining power of buyers: These are people who create demand in the organisation. The bargaining power of buyer is greater when there are few dominant buyers and many sellers, when the product are standardised, when the industry is not a key supplying group for buyer. In Marks and Spencer, the bargaining powers of buyers are not great Intensity of Rivalry: This will depend on the structure of the industry cost, the structure of competition, degree of differentiation, switching cost, strategic object, exist barriers. There are alot of competitor surrounding marks and Spencer but their customer still remain with them because of their old time being. All works above sources: Porter,M.E.(2008) How competitive forces that shape strategy, Harvard business review, p86-104. [END OF P4] Task 3 3.1 The modelling tools to develop strategic option are [P7-8] ? Ansoff growth matrix ? Value chain ? BCG matrix ? Core competences ? Porter generic matrix ? Porter 5 forces ? Product life circle ? The gap analysis ? Marketing Mix POTER GENERIC MATRIX Micheal porter suggested four generic business strategies that could be adopted in order to gain competitive advantage. Differentiation Focus Differentiation Cost focus Cost leadership Narrow Broad Scope of business activities Strategy Differentiation: This strategy involves selecting one or more criteria used by buyer in a market-and then positioning the business uniquely to meet those criteria. This strategy is usually associated with charging a premium price for the product- often to reflect the higher production costs and extra value-added features provided for the consumer. Differentiation is about charging a premium price that more than covers the additional production cost, and giving customer clear reasons to prefer the product over other, less differentiated products. The Price of Marks and Spencer products are cheap compare to Tesco and Asda that have very cheap prices on the product. But yet Marks and Spencer customer still remains because to the quality of their products. Strategy-cost leadership: with this strategy, the objective is to become the lowest-cost producer in the industry. Many (perhaps all) market segments in the industry are supplied with the emphasis placed minimising costs. If the achieved selling price can at least equal (or near) the average for the market, then the lowest-cost producer will (in theory) enjoy the best profits. This strategy is usually associated with large-scale businesses offering standard product with relatively little differentiation that is perfectly acceptable to the majority of customer. MS by cheap product/ clothing line and sell in a cheap price to meet competitors. Strategy- differentiation focus: in the differentiation focus, a business aims to differentiate with just one or a small number of target market segments. The special customer needs of the segment mean that there are opportunities to provide products that are clearly different form competitors who may be targeting a broader group of customer. The important issue for any business adopting this strategy to ensure that customer really do have different needs and wants. Marks and Spencer also deal on the older market (45-65 of age) which makes them different from other retailer shops like Tesco and Asda. They also used their brad to meet the needs of the olds. Strategy-cost focus: Here a business seeks a lower-cost advantage in just on a small number of market segments. The product will be basic- perhaps a similar product to the higher-priced and featured market leader, but acceptable to sufficient consumer. Such products are often called me too The Micheal Porter generic strategies are been used in many organisations including Marks and Spencer, either become the lowest cost retailer or different product and services in such a way that its valued by customer to the extent that they will pay a premium price. By Appling this strength in either a broad or narrow scope, the four generic strategies result: differentiation focus, differentiation, cost focus, cost leadership. Mark and Spencer core products are foods and clothing and it implement a focus generic strategy as it concentrate differentiation from Tesco, Asda, BHS, Top shop etc. Source: Porter,M.E.(2008) How competitive forces that shape strategy, Harvard business review MARKETING MIX The marketing mix is very important in an organisation. This is the elements that are associated with the product(s) that affect whether the consumer decide to buy or not. They are four main factors that will decide if a consumer wants to buy or not. Prices: Marks and Spencer charges premium prices through its differentiation strategy. Product: Marks and Spencer markets its product based on superior quality and reliability. Place: Mark and Spencer products are sold through its large numbers of stores in city and town centres. MS has also expanded in sales and distribution channels through internet via it website (online shopping) Promotion: MS integrated marketing communication is delivered through media in various form, advertising, TV, national newspaper and magazines as well as website [END OF P7-8] 3.2 Option to form the basis of future organisation strategy [P9] Having analyse this models one which I believe would be able to help the company will be The Ansoff s product/market matrix Existing Product New Product Marks and Spencer Market Penetration Marks and Spencer Product Development Marks and Spencer Market Development Marks and Spencer Diversification The Ansoff growth matrix can be used to identify directions of Marks and Spencer strategic development. The Ansoff growth matrix provides direction for strategic option available to MS in terms of product and market coverage. Under the market penetration, MS provide a good and quality service that has driven the organisation into a large market penetration. Marks and Spencer now introduce a product development by increasing the quality of their products and developing their product to enable them to develop their market. The market developments have also encouraged marks and Spence to employ the right staff with the right skills that will help reach the company objectives and achieve the organisation goals. Marks and Spencer diversification has also help the organisation in different ways. They started with cloths, and move to foods and drinks. The diversification has also enabled the organisation to stand up to their feet again and push forward to gain their goals. I will fully recommend the Ansoff matrix for marks and Spencer as they have been using it already in gaining in market penetration and development. [END OF P9] 3.3 Stakeholder mapping [P10] A stakeholder is any person or institution that has an interest in an activity or project. This definition includes intended beneficiaries and intermediaries, winners and losers, and those involved or excluded from decision making processes. There are different ways in which stakeholder mapping can be used to gain an understanding of stakeholder influence. The approach to stakeholder mapping here identifies stakeholder expectations and powers and helps in understanding political rarities. The stakeholders who have got an interest in Marks and Spencer are: Their banks, Shareholders, Employees, Customer, Suppliers Level of interest (A)Meet their needs Increase their effort Increase their level of interest (B)Key players Educate them on the company Engage and update the regularly Involve them in decision making (D)Least important Keep informed Try to communicate Let them know of any change (C)Participation Show consideration. Keep informed Participate in the company Try to increase the level of interest. Source: computed by student from lecture note Stakeholder mapping might help in understanding better some of the following issues: In determining purpose and strategy, which stakeholder expectations need to be most considered? Whether the actual levels of interest and power of stakeholders properly reflect the corporate governance framework within which the organization is operating. Who the key blockers and facilitators of a strategy are likely to be and how this could be responded to- for example, in term of education. Whether repositioning of certain stakeholder is desirable and/or feasible. This could be to lessen the influence of a key player or, in certain instances, to ensure that the key players who will champion the strategy. Source: Bryson,J.M (2004) Stakeholder Identification and Analysis techniques. Minnesota. Rouledge [END OF P10] TASK 4A 4.1 Criteria for reviewing a strategy are: [P11] ? Feasibility ? Suitability ? Acceptability ? Cost effectiveness ? Interest of other stakeholder ? Customer ? Competitors ? Nature of the product and services Customers: The customers of Marks and Spencer are very important to the organisation. MS customers find it hard to shop at another retail shop because of the old time relationship with the organisation. Customer satisfaction is very important to the organisation and MS always make sure that they provide the best customer services to their customer especially the aged. Interest of other stakeholder: the stakeholder is another important strategy MS love to use. The interest of their stake holders is how to develop and plan for the organisation growth. They love to stay close the stake holders, give them the right information there need to know and provides them with updated about the running of the organisation. Competitors: Marks and Spencer love to look at their competitor so as to get the strategy they are using and try to provide a better strategy to over shadow their competitor strategy. Competitors have been a big issue for Marks and Spencer and the always try to make their products as cheap like their competitor to attract more customer and to keep the own customer happy with no complains. Nature of the product and services: The nature of the product and services is always at a high level because they provide good quality products to their customer to show a differentiation between them and other competitors. They services they provide to the customer are very much enjoyable because they are always there to help u out and show u the best product u needs to have. The strategy plan for MARKS and SPENCER ARE [continuation of P11] PRESS RELEASE EXTRACT: 29 MARCH 2001 Source: From Marks and Spencer s Website 15/04/2002 PLAN 1, TOTAL FOCUS ON UK RETAIL 100% OWN BRAND: The company will return to selling only own brand products and brands exclusive to marks and Spencer so it can guarantee customers the quality, value and service they have come to expect. Central to the recovery plan is the delivery of significant improvement in product appeal, availability and value thereby rebuilding the relationship with core marks and Spencer customer. IMPROVED SEGMENTATION OF CLOTHING: Marks and Spencer will concentrate first on regaining the loyalty of core customer, who prefers classically stylish clothes. This is the priority. The company has plans to regain the confidence of its customer in the quality and fit of its clothing. It will sharpen price by rebalancing the price architecture, extending the range of entry-price merchandise and communicating this clearly to customers. BUILD ON SUCCESS IN FOOD: Marks and Spencer a food continues to perform well and has earned customers trust for providing quality, innovation and convenience. The business is a key platform for future growth and the company is considering opportunities to expand its reach through new locations and selling channels. DEVELOP HIGH-GROWTH AREAS OF HOME AND BEAUTY: the home business is growing strongly, with home furnishings and gifts the fastest growing product areas. Beauty, albeit relatively small, is also growing rapidly. Both of these areas offer promising opportunities for development and will be expected. ACCELERATE STORE RENEWAL PROGRAMME: Mark and Spencer will accelerate the rollout of the successful elements of its new concept format under a plan to refurbish more stores faster and at lower cost. Two thirds of its retail space (120 stores) will be completed by the end of the coming financial year, benefiting the majority of Marks and Spencer s customers. MORE INTENSIVE USE OF SPACE: Selling space will be reallocated to higher growth product areas to maximise returns per square foot. In total, 600,000 sq ft will be reallocated within the year to areas such as the new clothing range supplied by George Davies, Home, 50 new Beauty shops, and 30 new coffee shops. IMPROVE THE SUPPLY CHAIN: The Company continues to see substantial benefits from the reconfiguration of the supply base, being shown in a clothing primary margin that is rising strongly. The priorities now are to eliminate duplication and increase transparency. By re-establishing closer working relationships with its supply partners, historically and unique strength, marks and Spencer will achieve further improvements in quality, value, product appeal, and availability. Financial Services: Plans for the future include developing the Marks and Spencer store card as an essential partner to the growth of retail sales; a stronger presence for financial services in stores; continued growth of the credit business; and faster rates of growth of non-credit areas, which may involve bringing in external partners. PLAN 2 VALUE REALI

Cloning is Unethical :: essays research papers

In recent years our world has undergone many changes and advancements, cloning is a primary example of this new modernism. On July 5th, 1995, Dolly, the first cloned animal, was created. She was cloned from a six-year-old sheep, making her cells genetically six years old at her creation. However, scientists were amazed to see Dolly live for another six years, until she died early 2005 from a common lung disease found in sheep. This discovery sparked a curiosity for cloning all over the world, however, mankind must answer a question, should cloning be allowed? To answer this question some issues need to be explored. Is cloning morally correct, is it a reliable way to produce life, and should human experimentation be allowed? Scientists have no problem with the ethical issues cloning poses, as they claim the technological benefits of cloning clearly outweigh the possible social consequences, not to mention, help people with deadly diseases to find a cure. Jennifer Chan, a junior at the New York City Lab School, said, "?cloning body organs will help save many patients' lives," she said. "I think that cloning is an amazing medical breakthrough, and the process could stop at cloning organs--if we're accountable, it doesn't have to go any further." This argument seems to be an ethical presentation of the purpose of cloning. However, most, if not all scientists agree that human cloning won?t stop there. While cloning organs may seem ethical, cloning a human is dangerous. Still, scientists argue that the intentions of cloning are ethical. On the other hand, there are many who disagree with those claims. According to those from a religious standpoint, it is playing God, therefore, should be avoided. From a scien tific standpoint it is also very dangerous, as scientists are playing with human cells which, if done wrong, can lead to genetic mutations that can either become fatal to the clone, or cause it severe disabilities. This information does, in fact, question the moral of the issue. If cloning is unsafe and harmful, what is the point? Another argument pertains to the reliability of cloning. Cloning experts have claimed it is, in fact, an effective procedure. Scientists have admitted it is risky, but also have argued that with time, and more experimentation, cloning will become extremely reliable and effective. However, facts are not as supportive towards this claim as scientists may want. Currently only 3 out of 71 cloning eggs have lived, and only 1 out of 278 fully developed clones have survived from those eggs.

Eating Disorders - Body Image in the Media Essay -- Argumentative Pers

Body Image in the Media      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Plato once said, "We behold beauty in the eye of the mind...." What some people consider beauty others may not. From the actresses that are shown on television, movies, models that are in magazines, and the pop stars that create hip and modern music videos, one could be under the impression that to be beautiful you must thin. Actresses such as Jennifer Aniston, Sarah Michelle Gheller, Clarista Flockheart, Courtney Cox and Debra Messing all have staring roles in their own television shows and are all extremely thin. The audiences of these shows being mostly women and adolescent girls, what kind of message about body image are they sending out?    The stars of Hollywood are considered to be the most beautiful and elegant in the world. A vast majority of the population wants to have their bodies resemble those of the stars. These women and girls will go to extreme lengths have this happen. What these women don't understand is, these actresses have professionals to help them look "beautiful." They have professional hair and makeup artists, fashion experts to help them dress, and lighting experts to make the women glow on the screen. These actresses and models will go through painful plastic surgeries to enhance their "beauty" because they feel as though they are not beautiful enough. "Fashion magazines are filled with air brushed photos of emaciated models with breast implants" (Schneider, Shelly 2). Not even famous actresses feel as though they are beautiful enough. "I have never worked with a beautiful young woman who thought she was A) beautiful or B) thin enough." (Schumacher 1) This director, Joel Schumacher, has worked wit h actresses like Demi Moore, Julia Roberts and Sandra Bullock. ... ...the women who aren't on television really do have it easier. Women who are not in the spotlight don't have to worry about thousands to millions of people looking and analyzing them. Women who are not in the spotlight do not having people telling them they are over weight or not pretty enough to be televised. All females should appreciate each other for the special features that each of us possesses. If we could focus on the positive instead of the negative maybe we could go help the problem of people having low self-esteem and body issues.    Work Cited "Children, Adolescents, and Television." Pediatrics. 107. (2001): 423-427 Erokan, Laney. "Negative Body Image Influences Eating Disorders." Lycos Network. 30 Aug. 2000. <http://www.studentadvantage.lycos.com> Schenider, Karen S. Shelley Levitt. "Mission Impossible." People. 3 June 1996. : 64-73

Essay Childhood Obesity Essay

Childhood Obesity is a health issue, cause by having excess body weight as well as excess of body fat. This is a serious problem for the future of society especially now that our children are not getting enough physical activities because of technology and unhealthy eating patterns. Children who are obese are likely to be obese as adults. Therefore, this habits can take our children to have serious health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke, high cholesterol, and many others health problems. The environment in which we live is been also part of this problem. Children are surrounded by unhealthy commercials and bad influence from their parents. Beverages like sodas which contains approximately 400 calories, and unhealthy choices of meals have contributed to this epidemic cause. Leading our children by giving them examples of how to prevent this kind of problems could be a solution for a better lifestyle and future. It is important that parents support their children by helping them do a diet and physical activities. If your child look at you as a good example of how to stay healthy, they are more likely to be and stay active for their own. Instead of leaving them playing video games, take them to the park and have fun. Being able to spend more time with your kids and being part of their life, can take them to be better not only mentally, but physically. Childhood obesity is been an enormous problem for our society. Furthermore, it is our responsibility to help the future generations by giving them a good example of living and love for those who needs the most. Web, www.obesityaction.org, www.healthychildren.org

Major Parties Platforms Essay

Party platform is a list of the principles which a political party has set in order to convince the general public to vote in the political party into the office. It gives the party the objectives and goals that it will follow if it is voted in the office. In the United States they are two major political parties that is the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. The democratic party historically has supported the following platforms: ethnic minorities ,organized labor where it has emphasized on labor unions which provide a voting base that support the party and progressive reforms i. e. democratic party in it platform has always supported a more progressive tax structure that is able offer proper services and rule justly to its people. The Party has always favored greater government intervention in the U . S economy and opposed government intervention in the private sector since private sector are effective in helping the poor than the ruling government. On the other hand there is Republican party which historically has supported the following platforms: low taxation to the people due to the increases in the growth domestic product growth and also generate more income to the government, environmental standards , reduction in environment regulation, development of conservative policies in order to promote prosperity in the economy and also government protection. The party also advocates for a strong national defense for its people until recently when interventionist action ended. Republican has also stood up for corporation and individual decision making in promoting economic prosperity whereby one is economically responsible for the action and decision that he decide to incorporate. . Describe the Role of Third Parties in The Past Presidential Elections. The third parties have been of crucial importance in the US electoral process for a very long time. Third parties have sprung up from ideological spectrum although none of them has managed to win the election since the time of Abraham Lincoln. Third parties have much contributed in by pushing issues into light which would have been ignored by majority parties. For example if the issue looked at by third party finds resonance with the voters the major parties are likely to adapt the issue into their platform. Third parties have also helped in increasing voters turnout by bringing more people to the polls therefore impacting the chances major party candidate winning by gathering enough votes, for example in 2004 it was estimated that 33% registered republicans ,43%democrats and other parties contributing for 25%. Third parties also play a major role in the US policy and the political debates despite their minor presence in the congress. Therefore they end up contributing to the changing of the political debate and also the policy making process. Though this contribution the role of the third party depends on seriousness of the candidacy because he or she helps in Making the debate of issues more substantive and less vitriolic for example in 1992 when reform party nominated Ross Perot as the candidate for president. Ross Perot advocated for the reduction of budget federal deficit an issue that was not seriously looked upon in previous elections. By so this was where Perot Ross received a 19% of the total votes. REFERENCES George C. E, Martin P. W and Robert L. (2002). Government in America: People, Politics and Policy. Longman publishers: Texas http://www. wikipedia. com

Bletchley Park Coursework Essay

1.) What can you learn from Source A about the work of Bletchley Park? From reading through source A, the reader can analyse that the work done in Bletchley Park was kept extremely confidential, due to the fact that when it came to infiltrating enemy intelligence, organisations had a tendency to keep the knowledge within the vicinity. In addition, the cryptologists and mathematicians that worked there had no idea as to what was happening in the consecutive huts because it was so departmentalized. In times when countries were at war, there was an almost obligatory need for secrecy, because one wrong move could determine the fate of either side. Any decoded messages were passed onto the other huts through narrow wooden tunnels that connected them. However, we only have the opinion of one worker within one hut, making it hard to decide whether or not this evidence is unsubstantiated. We do not know whether the government became lenient with the strict rules they implemented, whether it was towards the end of the war or at the middle. 2.) Does the evidence of Source C support the evidence of Sources A and B about the work of Bletchley Park? Explain your answer. In comparison with source C, A and B often convey a sense of perplexion, due to the fact that a significant amount of people weren’t aware of whether war was declared or not. Moreover, you have the continuous notion that people did not know the outcome of their work, or the purpose of the work done within the other huts. In some aspects, what the code breaker in source C has wrote is often similar to what the previous workers also wrote. For example, the source continues to mention the secrecy kept within the huts. Because there was such a crucial need for it, the workers did not know whether their breakthroughs were futile or not, for if the code they cracked had no significant meaning, then it would clearly be a waste of time if they received simultaneous discoveries which were of no value. If they did come across something of importance, it would be for the benefit of the war that they would not be informed, due to the fact that a minority of people would carry out certain acts of espionage. Since they were all written by workers that worked closely within Bletchley Park, I can only say that the sources inevitably have certain similarities, regarding the fact that their work was very covert, and that the groups were all departmentalised. However, the origin of the sources can cause differences between them. Source A was written in Hut 3, where as Source C was written in Hut 6, meaning that Source C may not support Source A after all because of the different locations that they were written in. This evidently causes problems, as the sources are of different origins. Again it is slightly biased, as they may have been recorded at different dates. Who knows whether they implemented a certain level of secrecy within each of the huts, depending on the necessity of the work they would have done. 3.) How useful are Sources D and E in helping you to understand how Bletchley Park was able to crack the Enigma codes? Source E is not exceptionally useful in helping you to understand how the British cracked the enigma code, as it is just a visual source. Nevertheless, you can see that this Machine helped them to interpret the incessant gibberish that they received from the Germans, via wireless stations that they had situated all across Britain. This machine or the â€Å"Enigma Machine† as it became known was where their mainstream of information was translated from the German ciphers into our dialect. It was a military cipher device, which helped the British purge the seas of enemies that lurked beneath the waters. All it consisted of were 3 reels which had the whole alphabet imprinted on them, and the whole of the alphabet on buttons that you pressed. Yet the German’s soon found out that their machine wasn’t as secure as they would have hoped, so they added another reel into it. In order for the cryptologists to translate the German codes, the Enigma machine had to be calibrated with exactly the same settings as the Enigma Machine that had sent the message. Source D simply sheds a negative light on the outcome of their work. Although logically categorising information seems to condense the ciphers that they received, it only made things more laborious as thousands of messages had to be decoded everyday. Pressure would mount as the codes to be cracked accumulated, making the cryptologists and other workers very anxious indeed. As always, there is always a â€Å"but†. Source D does not give any relevant information in some sense, because that is not where the main work took place. The codes were translated in Hut 3. On translating the ciphers, they would then be sent to Hut 6 to be deciphered. What’s more, is that being a visual source, source C does not offer any other information, other than the fact that they used this machine to decipher codes. This was not the only military machine that was used, as a newer version â€Å"Ultra† succeeded the Enigma Machine. 4.) Use Sources F and G and your own knowledge, to explain the importance of Bletchley Park to the war effort. During World War 2, many people weren’t aware of the audacity of Bletchley Park’s work towards the war effort, although vague details were described to them which weren’t enough to convince them of the magnitude of their work. However, the Prime Minister of Britain considered it as a great asset to the war. Winston Churchill was unlike his predecessor Neville Chamberlain, for he took a keen interest of the activities and the purpose of Bletchley Park. He considered it as an extremely significant help to the World War 2 effort, as can be seen from Source F, â€Å"Make sure that they have all that they want extreme priority.† He then follows on to say that they must take action this day, which signifies how much he admired their efforts to help facilitate with the English army. One of the beneficial uses of Bletchley Park was that they were able to get direct information of the German’s intentions. For example, whether they were planning pre-emptive strikes, or whether they were planning to ambush the British in areas known to them. Because the German’s assumed that the Enigma was safe to use, they passed noteworthy information on to people with high rank, even Hitler himself. They were also able to determine whether tips that they had received were bogus or not. Nonetheless, although they were able to get hold of information of some sort, it was sometimes ignored. The reader needs to keep in mind that it was not Bletchley Park that dealt with the physicality’s of war. In addition to what they knew, they could also form battle plans, and obtain information about reserves, which evidently put the British at some sort of an advantage, because they knew of their enemies attributes. One of the many successes of Bletchley Park was â€Å"Ultra†, for it provided an immense amount of information for the naval intelligence. It allowed the British to prevent German U-Boat’s from attacking their convoys. This was an extremely major triumph because: Britain was dependant on the convoys from America and Canada; they would often supply raw materials and food and send them through convoys. But with so many German U-Boats hidden within the endless depths of the Atlantic, the possibility of a convoy being sunk was almost inevitable. When the German’s introduced the four wheeled enigma â€Å"Shark†, the British intelligence lost almost all contact with their enemies U-Boats. The number of convoys sunk in the Atlantic rose rapidly, only until they were able to crack Shark in December 1942. The Germans once again had the advantage in the treacherous Atlantic. With the unravelling of Shark, the British were once again able to locate the positions of German U-Boats, which then led onto the success of the Battle of the Atlantic. 5.) Study all the Sources. The writer of Source I believed that Bletchley Park had a very great impact on the outcome of the Second World War. Use the sources and your own knowledge to explain whether you agree with this view. Bletchley Park, which was otherwise known as Station X had indeed a great impact perhaps not on the outcome of the war, but certainly on the progress of World War II itself. Although some historians would argue that Bletchley Park did not help Britain emerge victorious at the end of the war, they cannot deny that it was beneficial to the progress of the war, other than the outcome. From looking at Sources A to D, one can analyse that the work the cryptologists did wasn’t just a mere triviality of every day life. Its significance is perhaps not expressed as it should have been in the sources, but the workers obligation to maintain secrecy within their huts says enough. If their superiors did not uphold the need for secrecy, then perhaps the war would not have turned out as it has today, for espionage in such a reckless place would certainly be expected. In addition, the Prime Minister Winston Churchill took such a keen interest in Bletchley Park, that it was hard for individuals not to consider its work extremely valuable towards the war effort. The role of Prime Minister is considered very influential in Britain, and a position which grants its occupant a great deal of power. Hence this shows that because Churchill was importuned with such a grievous burden (leading Britain through World War II), the thing that he perceived to be a solution for the ominous U-Boats was Bletchley Park. In fact, it was partly because of them, that the number of German U-Boats diminished, during the battles fought at sea. The writer of Source I believed that Bletchley Park had a huge impact on the outcome of World War II, but to what extent? The many codes that Bletchley Park used to crack German codes, is supposedly the very reason why they were renowned for shortening the war. Due to the fact that they were able to crack German codes that they had intercepted by using codes such as â€Å"Ultra† or â€Å"Shark†, it allowed them to pin-point the location of German U-Boats, which were dealing severe blows to the convoys that were to export goods to Britain. Once they were able to translate German naval codes with â€Å"Dolphin†, destroying U-Boats during the Battle of the Atlantic became uncomplicated. And tonnes of shipping were saved from being sunk. However, once the U-Boats were withdrawn from the Atlantic, they began to pose a new threat in the Mediterranean. The British enjoyed a considerable amount of ease during the battles that they fought in North Africa, until the German U-Boats arrived. But once again, the British intelligence was able to crack the code permanently, which enabled them to fight back the German and Italian forces. Yet it was not always to their advantage for at times, they weren’t able to crack the codes fast enough. Perchance when they did, the translation would have no significance because of efforts made to crack it. By the time machines such as Bombe or Colossus were made, they would already have suffered from needless losses, which would have been prevented, if time were in their favour. This is indeed what happened in North Africa, for the messages that the Americans sent to the British were intercepted, and those that the Y Service received would be cracked a week after the Germans had transmitted them. Of course, the British obviously had other advantages over the German other than destroying their U-Boats. Because the Y Service was able to intercept messages of many origins, they were able to acquire information which they could then relate to their army. For instance, they could set up battle plans and formation tactics for the army, consequently helping them to succeed in battle. The messages that they intercepted would often lead into the army being aware of the Germans moves, for the reason that some messages were sent to the German general, or someone with a similar position. Information about their reserves was acquired, which meant that the English army new what they were up against, and therefore they would know when to take coercive actions or not. Nevertheless, no matter how much information Bletchley Park could intercept, it wasn’t them that would have to deal with the battles themselves. It was the soldiers and sailors that were to enforce these plans into actions, and it was them that had to fight the physical battle, the most imperative part of War. There was always a possibility that the British would suffer heavy casualties at the hands of the Germans, despite the fact that they knew of their intended actions. Other than that sometimes the information was ignored, since it wasn’t considered as something worth taking note of. Bletchley Park helped organise D-Day, on the 6th of June 1944. They helped to provide the Germans with bogus information, making them think that the allied army had camped in an area known to them. In reality, they merely used cloth and wood to reconstruct a camp which seemed real from a distance. So while the Germans were planning to ambush a camp that was non-existent, the Allied forces began the liberation of Europe. But again, it wasn’t Bletchley Park that brought final victory, for it was the army that enforced the information in a beneficial way. It was their actions and organisation offence wise, which made everything successful. After D-Day, Bletchley Park lost its influence. They were ignored when they passed on additional information, because the end of the war truly in sight. In conclusion, Bletchley Park was nothing more than a great help towards the War effort. Their labours was not what finalised the fact that the British would emerge victorious from the War, for it was not they that had to enforce plans and actions amongst men, who have different minds to that of computers. When victory was in their grasp, the Army neglected the information sent to them by Bletchley Park, to no consequence. The end of the war was in sight, as was Bletchley Park.