Regan and Gonerill Character Profile

Regan and Gonerill Character Profile Regan and Goneril from King Lear are two of the most abhorrent and subversive characters to be found in all of Shakespeare’s work. They are responsible for the most violent and shocking scene ever written by Shakespeare. Regan and Goneril The two elder sisters, Regan and Goneril, may at first inspire a little sympathy from an audience not being ‘favorites’ of their father. They may even garner a little understanding when they fear that Lear may easily treat them in the same way he treated Cordelia (or worse considering that she was his favorite). But soon we discover their true natures – equally devious and cruel. One wonders whether this unrelentingly unpleasant characterization of Regan and Goneril is there to cast a shadow over Lear’s character; to suggest that he in some way has this side to his nature. The audience’s sympathy towards Lear may be more ambiguous if they believe that his daughter’s have partly inherited his nature and are mimicking his past behavior; although this is of course balanced by the portrayal of his ‘favorite’ daughter Cordelia’s good nature. Made in Their Fathers Image? We know that Lear can be vain and vengeful and cruel in the way that he treats Cordelia at the beginning of the play. The audience is asked to consider their feelings towards this man considering that his daughters’ cruelty may be a reflection of his own. An audiences’ response to Lear is therefore more complex and our compassion less forthcoming. In Act 1 Scene 1 Goneril and Regan compete with each other for their father’s attention and assets. Goneril tries to explain that she loves Lear more than her other sisters; â€Å"As much as child e’er loved or father found; A love that makes breath poor and speech unable. Beyond all manner of so much I love you† Regan tries to ‘out do’ her sister; â€Å"In my true heart I find she names my very deed of love – Only she comes too short†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The sisters are not even loyal to one another as they constantly vie for precedence with their father and later for Edmund’s affections. Un-Feminine Actions The sisters are very masculine in their actions and ambitions, subverting all accepted notions of femininity. This would have been particularly shocking for a Jacobean audience. Goneril denies her husband Albany’s authority insisting that â€Å"the laws are mine, not thine† (Act 5 Scene 3). Goneril hatches a plan to oust her father from his seat of power by undermining him and ordering the servants to ignore his requests (emasculating her father in the process). The sisters pursue Edmund in a predatory way and both take part in some of the most horrific violence to be found in Shakespeare’s plays. Regan runs a servant through in Act 3 Scene 7 which would have been men’s work. The character’s unsympathetic treatment of their father is also unfeminine as they turf him out in to the countryside to fend for himself having previously acknowledged his infirmity and age; â€Å"the unruly waywardness that infirm and choleric years bring with him† (Goneril Act 1 Scene 1) A woman would be expected to care for their ageing relatives. Even Albany, Goneril’s husband becomes shocked and disgusted with his wife’s behavior and distances himself from her. Both sisters participate in the most horrific scene of the play – the blinding of Gloucester. Goneril suggests the means of torture; â€Å"Pluck out his†¦ eyes!† (Act 3 Scene 7) Regan goads Gloucester and when his eye has been plucked out she says to her husband; â€Å"One side will mock another; th’other too† (Act 3 Scene 7). The sisters share the ambitious traits of Lady Macbeth but go further by participating and reveling in the violence that ensues. The murderous sisters embody a frightening and unwavering inhumanity as they kill and maim in the pursuit of self gratification. Eventually the sisters turn on each other; Goneril poisons Regan and then kills herself. The sisters have orchestrated their own downfall. However, the sisters appear to get away quite lightly; with regard to what they have done – in comparison to Lear’s fate and his initial ‘crime’ and Gloucester’s demise and previous actions. It could be argued that the harshest judgment is that no one laments their deaths.

Using the Spanish Verb Dar

Using the Spanish Verb 'Dar' Although the Spanish verb dar is most often translated as to give, it also is one of those verbs whose meanings or translations can vary widely with the context. Those meanings, however, are usually related to the concept of giving in a broad sense of the word. A common example would be a sentence such as El sol da luz. A literal translation of The sun gives light wouldnt be wrong- but most English speakers would be more likely to say something such as The sun sheds light or, more simply, The sun shines or The sun is shining. Everyday Figurative Uses of Dar Most often, when something other then give works as a translation of dar, the meaning can be figured out by thinking of giving in a general or figurative sense. Here are some everyday examples that are mostly easy to figure out if you know the meaning of the noun serving as an object of dar: El reloj dio las tres. (The clock struck three. Literally, the clock gives three.)Dieron golpes a mi hijo. (They hit my son. Literally, they gave blows to my son.)Te damos gracias. (We thank you. Literally, we give thanks to you.)Darse a conocer. (To make oneself known.)Me dio un abrazo. (She hugged me.)Dar la mano. (To shake hands.)Dar un paseo. (To take a walk.)Darse vuelta. (To turn.)Darse prisa. (To hurry.)Darse a la vela. (To set sail.)Darse a entender. (To suggest.)Darse de comer. (To feed.)Darse fin. (To finish.) Phrases Using Dar Dar is also used in a variety of phrases whose meaning isnt always so predictable. Here are some of the most common of them, along with sample sentences. When using the phrases in this list, alguien is replaced by reference to a person, while algo is replaced by reference to a thing. dar alcance: to catch up with. (Los agentes dieron alcance al ladrà ³n. The agents caught up with the thief.)dar algo a alguien: to give something to someone. (Dieron un carro a su hijo. They gave a car to their son.)dar con algo (o a alguien): to find something (or someone) (Di con mi lpiz en la escuela. I found my pencil in the school.)a alguien dar por (o en) (infinitivo): to decide to (verb) (Me di por (o en) salir. I decided to leave.)dar a lugar: to look over a place (La ventana da a la ciudad. The window overlooks the city.)dar luz, dar a luz: to give birth (Marà ­a dio luz a Jesà ºs. Mary gave birth to Jesus.)dar de cabeza: to fall on ones head. (Dio de cabeza en el gimnasio. He fell on his head in the gymnasium.)dar de narices: to fall flat on ones face. (La chica dio de narices. The girl fell flat on her face.)dar lo mismo: to make no difference. (Comià ³ mucho, pero lo mismo dio. She ate a lot, but it didnt make a difference.)darse a algo: to give or devote oneself (to something). (Se da a su trabajo. He gives himself to his work.) dar a alguien (o algo) por (adjectivo) o (participio): to assume or consider someone to be (adjective or participle). (La dieron por feliz. Doy la lucha por concluido. She was considered to be happy. I consider the fight to be over.)darse cuenta de: to realize. (Me di cuenta que ella estaba aquà ­. I realized she was here.) Conjugation of Dar Keep in mind that dar is conjugated irregularly, especially in the preterite form: yo di, tà º diste, usted/à ©l/ella dio, nosotros/nosotras dimos, vosotros/vosotras disteis, ustedes/ellos/ellas dieron. In the present indicative tense, the one most often used, the first-person singular form is doy (I give). Other irregular forms exist in the subjunctive and imperative moods. In many of them, the stem changes from d- to dier-. Key Takeaways Dar is a common verb whose literal meaning is to give, but it can be used in a wide variety of ways where its translation depends on context.Dar is also commonly used in phrases where its meaning isnt ready apparent.Dar is conjugated irregularly.

Should the central bank aim for zero inflation (Economics) Essay

Should the central bank aim for zero inflation (Economics) - Essay Example rcent inflation rate would not be in line with the natural rate of unemployment in the country therefore targeting a zero percent inflation would not serve the interests of the economy. A dominant economy phenomenon before great depression was the fact that there was a deflation in the economy as the prices tend to come down rather than go up however after the happening of Great Depression, a new phenomenon of inflation emerged under which prices showed the tendency to increase over the period of time rather than decrease. Increase in general price level or inflation have very threatening impacts on the economy as it not reduce the purchasing power of a consumer but it also reduce the competitive advantage of the countries as rising inflation would make the goods and services of that country more expensive hence less competitive in international market. Thus the question arise for the monetary policy experts of the country as to what level of inflation within the economy can be achieved in order to keep the competitiveness of the economy intact. The argument which is often brought forward in order to bring the price stability is the fact that price stability can not be achieved without sacrificing the employment level in the country. Thus there is a negative relationship between the inflation and unemployment in the country. If policy makers tend to contain the inflation down, the unemployment levels in the economy would increase and similarly if fiscal and monetary policymakers aim to achieve the low unemployment level in the country, inflation is going to increase. (Gramley). â€Å"Economists label the relationship between inflation and unemployment the Phillips curve. According to NAIRU, the Phillips curve is vertical; its verticality indicates that if the central bank (i.e., the Fed) increases inflation, there is no reduction in the unemployment rate. Similarly, lowering the inflation rate also has no effect on unemployment. This means that the inflation rate

Economics of Immigration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Economics of Immigration - Essay Example However, the economic impact largely depends upon the skills of those immigrated (House of Lords, pp. 5). A question however arises. Why is there a large need for immigration? In many poor countries, the population grows at a faster pace than the creation of employment opportunities. The political instability, economic and social problems all propel certain people to immigrate, either legally or illegally, to developed countries. Mexico is one such country that has shown a large increase in immigration to countries such as the United Sates. Many of the Mexican workers in the United States have immigrated illegally, without any inspection or a Visa (Yoshida, pp. 2). The major relationship of migration occurs between the United States and Mexico. Around 9 million people, born in Mexico have now migrated to United States. This migration has largely created economic changes in Mexico and United States. Two major factors have resulted in the blooming of this relationship. The first is bec ause of increased economic growth. Secondly, because of high inequality in Mexico and between Mexico and United States, the immigration has increased (Bush, McLarty, Alden, pp. 39). Immigration is largely because of economic factors and it further has economic impacts. The paper shall attempt to discuss the economic reasons of immigration into the United States from Mexico, what economic effects it has had on the U.S and Mexican economy. It also covers America’s policy, regarding immigration. As mentioned above, economic factors play a major role in an increase in immigration in the United States from Mexico. After the Second World War, there was a baby boom in both the United States and Mexico, but eventually in 1960, it reduced in US but continued to grow in Mexico. The Mexican economy did not create as many jobs as it should have for the working population; therefore, it resulted in immigration into the United States. Economists have concluded that around one third of immi gration from US to Mexico in the past decades has occurred because of an increase in birth rates. (Bush, McLarty, Alden, pp.39). However, the baby boom does not remain the only economic factor, explaining immigration. The second largest reason for immigration into the United States is due to the weak Mexican economy. For the past decades, the Mexican economy has not created enough jobs; the minimum wage remains too low. Even though the Mexican economy grew in 1960s and 1970s, the 1982 debt crisis rocked the economy largely, resulting in emigration from Mexico in search for higher paid jobs. The trend towards higher immigration into the United States from Mexico has largely been followed by recessions or slumps in the Mexican economy (Bush, McLarty, Alden, pp.39). In fact, the economic factors play such an important role in the process of immigration in United States from Mexico that the major source of revenue in Mexico comes from remittances sent by Mexicans working in the United S tates (Drachman & Paulino, pp. 124). Although immigration to another country may occur because of political instability and religious reasons, in the case of Mexico, this immigration has largely occurred because of economic problems. Mexicans have gained economically because of this immigration into the United States. It increases the wage per hour of an average Mexican worker; therefore, increasing the standard of living. Moreover, the United States

Communication and Professional Relationships Essay Example for Free

Communication and Professional Relationships Essay Communication and professional relationships with children, young people and adults Effective communication is important. This means building and contributing to positive relationships. I need to demonstrate effective communication skills when dealing with everyone – children, colleagues and parents. I must consider how I deal with people and what response I will get from them. Positive relationships will aid communication. Parents and adults that come into school are more likely to respond positively and give support if communication is good. Pupils look to adults for how to communicate properly. We must model effective communication skills. If we ask pupils to behave in a certain way i.e. – remembering our manners – and we don’t then they will find it harder to understand the boundaries of what is acceptable. Positive and effective communication doesn’t happen by chance. It is important to think about how I relate to others and how I am viewed by others as a result. Where communication breaks down there will be misunderstandings and as a result bad feelings. Positive relationships cannot be left to chance they must be developed and it is the role of the TA to help this happen within the class. Relationships within the school are developed on a daily basis. Most of the time I do this without even knowing I am doing it. There are six things to remember: Showing respect – be courteous, listen to different points of view. Acknowledge and respect differing opinions/ideas. Take time to remember names. Being considerate – Take time to consider others opinions/ideas. Try to understand why someone may have acted in a certain way – i.e. pressure/stress. Remembering issues which are personal to them – personal issues at home, a birthday etc. Taking time to listen – listen if someone is looking for advice or help. Always show that you are interested – respond appropriately. Being clear – particularly on the m ain points of a conversation, which can sometimes get lost in a lengthy discussion. Sense of humour – take time to see the funny side – when appropriate. Can be a good icebreaker, helps to relieve stress. It is important to adapt communication to meet the situation. For example using formal language in a meeting. However there are other ways to communicate –through the way we respond to others. For example how quickly we respond to an e-mail or a telephone message, how attentive we are when speaking and even how we dress. Non spoken communication can be an issue as it is easily misread by others. Different cultures also have their own behaviour â€Å"codes† which will include gestures, body language and eye contact. When I first started at The Manor I often dealt with a pupil from Nigeria and I thought he was being rude as he never looked at me when I spoke to him but a colleague told me that in his culture it was rude to make eye-contact. It is important to build good relationships with the children and young people I come into contact with. To do this I will need to adapt my behaviour and communication to suit the chil d and situation. Every child needs to feel secure and valued and I need to ensure that I help this to happen. From the beginning of any relationship with a child it is important to establish the ground rules and mutual respect. Talking to the child at the beginning about what they can expect from me and what I expect from them will help to establish a rapport. At the same time I need to be aware of the issues that are important to them and talk to them about them. Pupils need to feel a part of the school and talking to them positively and being involved with them will help this. However it is important that being attentive doesn’t mean giving pupils attention whenever they demand it. If I was to be given a new group of pupils to work with I would make sure that before starting any work I established a relationship with them. This could involve just spending a few moments with them asking their name and a bit about themselves and telling them something about myself. Children develop at different rates and when dealing with children it is important to remember what stage they are at. It is important to remember that all children will have different needs and will need changing levels of attention and support. Their ability to concentrate will also affect how to communicate with them. If working with children with special needs I will need to seek advice from the teacher or the SENCO on how to behave/communicate with them. It may also be necessary to have additional equipment or training to help me communicate with a pupil with special needs. This could include training in sign language. It is important to act sensitively when dealing with a child with communication difficulties. They must not feel pressured when they are speaking. They may feel nervous. It is important to adapt how I communicate with them to reflect this. A child with a speech disorder i.e. a stammer will need extra time when it comes to communicating. It is important not to fill in words or second guess what they are going to say – this will only cause them distress. At the same time however it is important to ensure that they are still given the opportunity to speak. More self conscious, may become embarrassed when speaking to others. There may be instances when I have to communicate with a child whose first language is not English. It is important to remember this when helping them. It may be necessary to change how to communicate with them. I should seek support and guidance from the school as necessary. Since I began working with children one of the most frequent things I have had to deal with is disagreements between pupils and peers. Disagreements will often take place during break time but will also happen in the classroom too. It is important to establish the facts as quickly as possible, go back to the beginning of the incident. Let all sides speak and give their interpretation of the event. It is important that all pupils feel that they have been listened to. If one or more of the children involved is one who is regularly involved in disagreements do not assume that it is them that has caused the problem. I will need to establish if anyone was in the wrong and decide whether further action is needed (i.e. referral to the head teacher) Also it is important for children to apologies when appropriate. Helping a child to understand how their actions might affect others is very important. Also they need to understand how their feelings affect their behaviour. For example I might need to tell a child â€Å"I know you are upset because R doesn’t want to play your game but that doesn’t mean that you can say horrible things to them and upset them†. It is important to encourage children to understand and respect the feelings of others. Circle time is one effective way of doing this. If there has been a spate of â€Å"bad Play† at lunchtime the teacher or myself may get the children to sit in a circle and all talk about the difference between â€Å"good† and â€Å"bad† play and how it might affect others. This may not be practical with younger children as they are unable to sit still for long periods of time. When working in a school it is not just children that I will need to establish a relationship with there are also adults. It is important to remain professional but at the same time be practical and sensitive. I will have to establish a relationship with other members of the school team, parents and others who come into the school. As with children, when dealing with adults it is important to be aware of who you are speaking to and how they may be affected by what I am saying. Support that I give will be on several levels Practical – Help visitors who are unfamiliar with school Informative – Write reports on pupils. Give information about particular situations. Professional – Support others with planning. Discussing work with manager/class teacher. Emotional – Support others day-to-day. Sense of humour. Establishing and building positive relationships will help to ensure that people we come into contact with will feel able, and willing to communicate effectively. Disagreements are not conducive for a happy and effective learning environment. Positive relationships within the classroom are very important to learning and must not be left to chance. Children will look to adults as a role model. It is important to be as positive and effective a role model as possible. They will learn from observing my dealings with adults and pupils. If I treat others and them with respect they will hopefully do the same. Relationships are built on a daily basis. Children and young people will respond to positive relationships with adults. If they feel supported by adults in the school and get along with their peers a child is more likely to want to come to school. One possible conflict is when the school and the parent do not agree on things. This matter should be dealt with as quickly as possible to ensure that it does not affect the child. Communication can be verbal and non-verbal, formal or informal. When dealing with adults or children the same principles apply: Maintain eye contact and interest Respond to what is being said Treat them with courtesy and respect. Whilst it is important to build a good rapport with the children I work with they must still respect me. They need to see that whilst I may get on with them I am still their TA and must be treated with respect. My relationship with them must remain formal whilst in school. It is important to be clear when speaking with children. It is important to use age appropriate language. Do not use long lists of instructions as it makes it more difficult to understand what is required. Get children to repeat back what has been said and what they are being asked to do. Children and young people will learn by example. By showing them how to communicate effectively and get along with one another. If we are respectful and show that we respect others they are more likely to do the same. Children will copy behaviour from an early age – this will include positive and negative behaviour. Respect is important to everyone – including children. If a child expresses an opinion or answers a question they must not be dismissed or ridiculed. I will always acknowledged and thank them – even if I don’t agree with their ideas or opinions. If I was speaking to a parent or a child who had a hearing impediment I would make sure that I spoke clearly and I would also face them so that they could lip-read. Even with the best will in the world communication problems will still arise. There may be times when problems arise between pupils. These could be caused by a number of reasons. Poor communication – information not passed on or a misunderstanding. It is important to establish the cause and find a way forward. Opposing expectations – differing ideas about the purpose of an activity or meeting. Always clarify exactly what is expected. Cultural differences Some cultures communicate differently – i.e. in some cultures eye contact is not encouraged. Values and ideas – School may request pupils do something in a particular way but parents may have different views. External factors – Home pressures may affect the way someone communicates. Often when working closely with someone we can see that they are behaving out of character and ask them if there is a problem. Not always able to see when dealing with someone that we do not know or see on a regular basis. Special needs – Must show care and sensitivity to anyone who has communication difficulties. May need extra time when speaking or signing. May be anxious or nervous. May be necessary to adapt way in which I communicate with them. Lack of confidence – May result in a person acting aggressively. Will affect how they communicate with others. Important to be sensitive to this and offer support and encouragement. Disagreements often occur because of poor communication. It is important to deal with any conflicts carefully so that problems do not persist. Even as an adult I might misread information. A child or young person is much more likely to do so. If there are disagreements between children I will need to manage it carefully and seek advice/help if needed. If a pupil becomes argumentative I will calmly explain that I am not entering into an argument with them. I will explain what they need to do – e.g. calm down, stop shouting and listen. However there will be times when the best thing to do is to leave them be and to come back to them when things have calmed down. Whilst doing this it is important to ensure that the pupil is safe and cannot harm them self or anyone else. Disputes with adults must be dealt with sensitively and it is important to resolve the problem quickly. If it is not possible for me to do this myself I will seek help and guidance from my line-manager or a mediator. It is impossible to work effectively in a tense atmosphere and is unlikely to be resolved without some action. In general life and whilst at work I will come across many different peopl e and I will have to adapt my method of communication in order to meet the needs of the individual. This will depend on the age of the person I am speaking to, the background to the conversation, the communication needs of the person. Often we do this without even realising that we are doing it. It is impossible expect never to have a disagreement at work. Often these disagreements will be because of bad or lack of communication. It is important to deal with these problems when they arise to ensure they do not continue. Sometimes we can misread or perceive information incorrectly and may have the wrong idea on something. It is important to show sensitivity and try to resolve conflicts as soon as possible. The longer a problem goes on the harder it will be to sort out. Poor communication will often lead to problems. This could be because information has not been passed on to the appropriate person – i.e. parent or teacher. Establishing a cause for the bad communication and finding a way forward is important. Problems must not just be ignored in the hope it will go away – it will more than likely get worse. It is important to clarify aims and expectations to ensure that there are no opposing expectations as to the purpose of an activity or discussion. Often parents and the school will have different ideas and methods on how to deal with situations. In this instance it will be important to work with others within the school (family Support) to help explain and clarify school policy. It is often important to remember that external factors will have an effect on how people communicate – stress, lack of time. As we work and come into contact with the same people it is possible to identify when they are acting out of character – it is then important to ask if there is anything wrong or if we can help. A lack of confidence often manifests itself in aggression. It is important to be sensitive to this and offer encouragement and support. Schools gather information on pupils so that they can be cared for effectively. However it will only ask for information that is directly relevant e.g. health and medical, records from other schools. This is confidential information and must only be used for the purpose for which it was gathered. If the information is to be passed on to others then parental consent must be given. The Data Protection Act 1998 requires an organisation that holds information on individuals to register with the Information Commissioners Office. Parents supply information so that we can care for their child. This can include health or medical information, records from previous schools and special need records, this is confidential information and must be used only for the purpose it is gathered. Parental consent will be needed if information is to be passed onto others. There are eight principles of practice which governs the use of personal information. Information must be: * Processed fairly and lawfully * Used only for the purpose for which it was gathered * Adequate, relevant and not excessive * Accurate and kept up to date where necessary * Kept for no longer than necessary * Processed in line with the individual’s rights * Kept secure * Not transferred outside the EU without adequate protection. When sending information home it is important to be aware that the recipient may not be able to deal with it as you might expect. For example they may not have access to a computer or the internet or they may have reading difficulties. It is important to be sensitive to this when asking a parent or carer why they have not responded. In addition it may be that the person does not speak English as a first language. I will often be aware of information regarding the school and children I come into contact with. It is important to know when and how to share this information. If I am unsure as to what to do with any information I will seek guidance from my line-manager or SENCO (when appropriate). There are times when I will know the children and their parents I deal with personally. It is very important that I do not reveal any information regarding pupils or the school. By passing on information to them I could be abusing my position of trust. When gathering information it may be necessary to reassure pupils or parents that the information will be treated confidentially. However at the same time it is important to explain my obligations. For example if a child or parent tells me something in confidence that I feel indicates that a child is at risk I will explain that I have to pass this information on.

Beef Customer Satisfaction :: essays research papers

Executive Director, Issues Management — NCBA Summary The checkoff-funded beef safety tracking survey conducted in November 2004 found that fresh beef steaks/roasts remained the protein with the highest consumer confidence in safety. The survey asks consumers to give grades to foods for being safe to eat and 76 percent of survey respondents gave steak/roast an A or B for safety. Background The beef safety tracking surveys are quarterly telephone surveys of a national, random sample of U.S. adults. Vegetarians do not answer the survey. The margin of error for survey data is plus/minus 3.2 percent. General food safety The percentage of Americans giving U.S. food in general an A or B for safety has remained relatively stable with some small fluctuations in the past year. However, this survey found the percentage of A/B grades (70%) significantly lower than in November 2003 (74%) and at the lowest score since November 2002 (69%). The November 2004 score is much lower than the 77 percent measured during the last survey in May 2004. Safety of specific fresh foods The safety ratings for specific fresh foods remained stable during the past year with no significant differences in the ratings in November 2004. Fresh fruits and vegetables are consistently at the top of the list when it comes to safety grades given to specific fresh foods one might buy in a grocery store. Fresh beef steaks and roasts receive the highest meat product safety grade (76%). Tied for second place with 70 percent of consumers grading A or B were fresh pork chops and microwaveable foods. Foods with lower consumer safety grades were fresh ground beef (64%), fresh chicken (63%), fresh fish (60%), fresh ground pork (56%) and pre-prepared foods from the deli (52%). Specific concerns regarding food safety The safety tracking survey asks consumers to rate their level of concern about specific safety issues on a 5-point scale, with one being not concerned and five being extremely concerned. The percentage of â€Å"top two† scores (4-5 ratings on the scale) indicate the issues of greatest concern. Safety issues tend not to be top of mind with consumers, evidenced by the fact that safety issues barely register when consumers state reasons for eating less beef. However, when asked to think about specific safety concerns, bacteria (62%) and pesticides (62%) top the list. Consumer concerns about chemical additives (58%) and mad cow disease (57%) make up a second tier of safety concerns. Concerns about mad cow disease did not increase significantly as a result of the first U.S. case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) in December 2003, and in fact, currently are significantly lower than the 61 percent concern level measured in November 2003.

Moving to United States

Moving to United States The most memorable event in my life was when we moved out from Russia to a country that changes lives and is known as a dream land called the United States of America. When we sat on the airplane that was going toward the United States in August of 2004, we knew our lives are going to be changed in the way we always wanted them to. After twelve years of not going to school and being discriminated by Russian citizens, this moving to a new country was the most amazing, not just in my life generally, but for my entire family as well.The war started in Kabul, Afghanistan in July of 1994; moving to Russia was the only choice for my family to be safe even though we knew we would face a lot of difficulties. I was only four years old when my father and my mother took me the youngest in the family at that time, three of my brothers, and two of my sisters to Moscow, Russia. On our way to the train that was going toward Russia, we lost my fourteen year old brother.This a ccident almost stopped us from moving out from the country, but my father made the right choice either to look for his lost son or lose all of us, so we had to move on. When we finally arrived to Moscow, Russia in August of 1994, we did not have any money or a place to stay. My father remembered that he had a friend who had been living in Russia for twenty years already; maybe he could help us out for now to find a place to stay. He called him within three hours of our presence to Moscow and asked him if he could come and help us out.After an hour, he arrived, and he took us to his house and he was very happy of meeting my father after twenty years. We stayed at his house for three months. Four months later my father borrowed some money from his friend, and we opened our small business where we were selling leather jackets just to make some kind of money to eat and pay the rent. Nine months later, my father tried to take us to school, but they did not accept us because we did not ha ve any documentation that would allow us to go to school because we were illegal in the country.It was very hard and difficult for our father to see us not going to school and not getting the education that we needed for our futures; we even barely could go outside because of the citizens of that country would discriminate you and judge you by your skin color. One day my father went to the immigration center in Moscow and asked them if we could apply for citizenship or some kind of documentation that would allow his children to go to school. The Russian immigration center denied the request at the time because of some private reason that they did not want to tell my father.Five years passed and we still could not go to public schools or be legal in the country. My father tried it again and the Russian immigration center gives us the documentation that would allow us to live in the country but it did not allow us to go to school. Then one morning my older brother talked to my father, and he claimed that he does not want to live in Russia anymore without education and that he wants to move to Holland with his friends. My father was very upset and at the same time lost that he is right for how long are we going to be living like this.After three years of my brothers moving to Holland, my father decides to move to Sweden because that was the only country at that time that would accept immigrants and give them the right documentation to live in the country. It was very difficult for him to leave us in the country where the danger was around us every day, but he knew he must do something for his children to be able to go to school and live like the normal children do. In August of 1999 he arrived in Sweden, and the Swedish immigration center gave him temporary documentation to live in the country legally until they decide if he is eligible for citizenship.Very excited and happy our father called us and told us that he got the documentation to be legal in the country of Sweden. When we heard that, we thought we going to move to Sweden very soon and that we going to be together, but the Swedish immigration center asked us to wait a couple of years then we might move in. We waited two years and nothing happened, our father was very sad and confused about what he could do now. At the same time, he knew there was nothing he could do; it was all up to the immigration center of Sweden to decide our future.Then one day, it was our Holliday called Eid, my mother had her friend with her children over at our house to have a dinner with us, and she told her that they are about to move to United States the next month. My mother was very happy and excited for her friend and asked her how she did it. My mother told her that my fathers had been in Sweden for five years now and still nothing was happening. My mother’s friend told her she needed to apply at the United States immigration center that was located in Moscow and try to see if we would get acc epted.Then the next day January of 2004 my mother and I went to the United States immigration center, and we applied for the permanent residence ship to any state. After two months, we received a call from the United States immigration center that we are scheduled for an interview; we all were very excited and happy that we might move to United States, to a country that is known as the dream land and freedom. When we give our interview the person who was interviewing us asked us why we wanted to go to the United States.The answer was very simple to all of my family; it was education, freedom from being discriminated because of your skin color, and just to live in peace. After our interview, he told us, â€Å"I will see you guys in America† That moment was one of the best moments in my live and I do not think I could ever forget it. We all cried, and he told us it will take three months for them to do our paper work. When we received our plane tickets to New York, we were amaz ed and very excited about moving to a country where we never imagined moving in to. It was Sunday morning when we arrived in New York City International Airport.It was very hard for us to believe that this was really happening to us we were in America, a place where no one hates you, a place where they will allow you to go to school, and you can be who you are. Our lives changed after arriving in San Diego California, good things started to happen in with us. When we arrived here, there was a very kind gentleman at the airport who met us. He introduced himself as our case worker. We did not know what a case worker really meant, but what we did know that he was the only person who could help us.That very kind gentleman who was our case worker took us to school and got us an apartment. Two years later we found our brother after thirteen years who got lost at the time of our moving from Afghanistan. People have been saying that the United States of America can change people’s li ves, and they were right. It changed our lives, and it is a great country where everything is possible if you try. My entire family and I always had hope in our hearts; we knew nothing can be done if you do not try and if you do not have hope for a better future.

Uk Organic Food

Contents 1. Introduction2 1. 1 Why this industry was chosen for analysis2 1. 2 Aim2 1. 3 Brief Background of the organic food producing industry2 1. 4 Competitive environment? 3 2. PESTEL analysis5 2. 1 Political factors5 2. 2 Economic factors6 2. 3 Socio-cultural factors7 2. 4 Technological factors8 2. 5 Environmental factors9 2. 6 Legal factors10 3. Porter’s Five Forces analysis12 3. 1 Threat of new entrants12 3. 2 Threat of substitute products14 3. 3 Threat of established rivals14 3. 4 Bargaining power of suppliers16 . 5 Bargaining power of buyers16 4. Conclusion18 4. 1 The industry at present18 4. 2 Future changes19 5. Appendices20 5. 1 Critique of tools and research limitations20 5. 1. 1 PESTEL framework20 5. 1. 2 Porter’s Five Forces20 6. References22 1. INTRODUCTION 1. 1 Why this industry was chosen for analysis The chosen industry for analysis in this report is the organic food producing industry in the United Kingdom. This encompasses groups of firms that produ ce similar products, in this case, organic food produce.In recent years, there has been a heightened awareness in the media in relation to organically produced food, and a great emphasis has been placed on ‘healthier eating’ and a reduction in the production of genetically modified food. As this awareness increases, it is important to analyse the industry in order to assess whether the industry is favourable to exist in, and to ascertain whether it is likely that it will be penetrated by new competitors.Another reason for choosing to examine this particular industry is due to the lack of an updated Mintel report, or a similar financial report, especially since there has been so much extra attention being placed on this industry of late in the media. In order to get a better picture about the macro- and micro-environment in relation to the UK organic food producing industry, frameworks will be used in order to analyse information about the industry. 1. 2 AimThe aims of t his report are to research and assess the nature of the organic food producing industry in the United Kingdom. This will occur by using two different frameworks, a PESTEL analysis and the use of Porter’s Five Forces in order to fully understand the competitive micro- and macro-environment of this industry. When the analysis is complete, it will be determined whether the industry is favourable to enter or not, and future changes in the industry will be predicted. 1. Brief background of the UK Organic Food Producing Industry The term ‘organic’ has been defined by the Organic Trade Association as an ‘ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles, and soil biological activity†¦ based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and management practices that restore, maintain, and enhance ecological harmony’ [1]. In practice, this means that artificial chemical fertilisers and pesticides are not used, and ani mals are reared without the drugs that are normally routinely used [2].Protection of the environment is of great importance, and the quality of the soil is what determines whether the produce can be deemed as ‘organic’ or not. Historically, it was common practice to only have relatively few family run farms in which organic food was produced, and this could be purchased in farmers’ markets and smaller stores, such as green grocers. However, since the 1990s, organic food has had growth rates of around 20% per year, and figures from April of this year show that organic food now accounts for 1 to 2% of food sales worldwide [3].This growth rate has been partly due to large supermarket chains adopting ranges of organic foods, which is reducing the farmer to consumer link, and providing a convenient new way to eat ‘organically’, and also due to an increased interest from the media in this industry. For example, large supermarket chain Sainsbury’s ha s more than 1000 organic products, had a 14% increase in sales of its organic produce in 2006/2007, sources all its organic meat, fish, poultry, milk, and eggs from the UK and has contracts with farmers to guarantee minimum prices to ensure the long-term supply of organic beef [4].A quote from Jerry Dryer, who wrote an article called ‘Organic Lessons’ stated, â€Å"Organic is here to stay, not a fad marching by in the night† [5], which is a hopeful suggestion that the market share is set to increase and that new opportunities can be targeted, but this will be confirmed or denied at the end of the report. 1. 4 Competitive environment? The organic food producing industry consists of a large number of small producers, who produce food which can be certified as ‘organic’ by the Organic Farmers and Growers Organic Standards and the Soil Association.Due to there being a large number of fragmented producers in the industry, it may be seen as a competitive m arket who are vying for the attention of large or small supermarket chains and stores, green grocers, and individual purchasers of organic food. Organic produce in itself is reasonably homogeneous, so all producers in this industry will be trying to sell similar products which are largely undifferentiated. This increases competition between the producers as to how they are going to get their goods sold over the goods of a competitor.There is also the option of individuals growing their own organic produce, which may reduce the demand for the purchase of produce. The competitiveness of the environment will be discussed in more detail when an analysis is carried out using the Porter’s 5 Forces framework [6]. ? 2. PESTEL Uncontrollable, external forces that influence decision making, which thus affect the performance of an industry is known as the macro-environment. The macro-environment consists of political, economic, socio-cultural, technological, environmental, and legal for ces, which can be referred to as ‘PESTEL’ forces [7].A good definition of this framework for analysis is given by Kotler [8], which is â€Å"PEST analysis is a useful strategic tool for understanding market growth or decline, business position, potential and direction for operations†. This is also useful for forecasting the direction in which an industry is taking, and the intensity of this change. Factors can be assessed and placed in order of importance, so it is clear to see what external factors are the most pressing issues in an industry.In order to find out information for each of the factors, reliable secondary data sources shall we used, such as newspapers, periodicals, books, trade organisations, Government agencies information, and industry analysts results. Once this kind of analysis is complete, it is clearer to see how to take advantage of arising opportunities, and plan to prevent potential threats that may occur in the industry. The sections below break down the macro-environment into six parts. 2. 1 Political factorsGovernment legislation may dictate what is considered to be organic in a particular country. This report looks at organic food producers in the UK, and this is regulated by the Organic Farmers and Growers Organic Standards [9], and the Soil Association [10]. The Department for Environmental Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) states many outlines of what how produce should be grown and the feeding of livestock, in order for in to meet UK Government standards [11]. These standards vary from country to country, within and outside of the EU.This can have a profound impact on the exporting of produce by UK farmers, as what may be deemed as organic in this country, may not be so in another. Relations with politicians need to be upheld, as legislation is subject to change at any given time. For example, it recently has been decided to ban battery hen cages starting in the year 2009 [12]. 93% of eggs in the UK market come fr om battery hens, so once the legislation is fully in place, this will not occur. This will increase competition in the market, as all eggs will now be from free range hens, which may affect the poultry side of the organic food industry.By adapting to meet the new laws now, favourable relations will be kept with politicians, and current organic egg producers will need to find new ways in which to gain market share in what may be an increasingly saturated market. The Government currently provides farmers’ subsidies, but current news from May 2008 shows that the EU is looking to cut the money it provides, and reinvest it with incentives on looking after agricultural land, rather than giving money to help produce more food [13].This may benefit farmers wishing to enter the organic food producing market, as they have extra incentives to convert their land to organic soil, but may hinder those already in the market due to the increased competition, and the lack of money to produce extra food needed to meet demand. 2. 2 Economic factors The organic food producing industry can be largely affected by the UK economy, such as interest rates, exchange rates, buyer power, and consumer confidence, which will all now be discussed in turn.The current ongoing credit crunch, and high inflation has reduced chances of any interest rate cuts, and a real threat of a downturn is present [14]. Mervyn King, the governor of the Bank of England, has previously reported that UK inflation will rise above its target and the economy will sharply slow down [15], which does not mean good things for an industry such as this, which relies on people buying premium quality products.If interest rates are high, then it costs more money to borrow from banks, which deters investment, and may make it harder for farmers to convert their land to organic soil and methods of production, as this is a costly business [16]. This inflation may cause any employees working in the industry to demand highe r wages in order to cover any losses that they are making, which can cause a problem for employers, especially if the industry declines if there is a recession. The credit crunch has also affected housing prices, which have fallen, and a ollapse in these sales have been predicted to cut consumer spending by 8% [17], which will affect the industry. Exchange rates can affect the way UK organic food producers’ export their products, as a strong currency can make exporting difficult, if foreign buyers cannot get a lot of produce for their money. Buyer power can have a strong economical hold over the industry, as disposable income and willingness to spend can affect the sales of premium quality produce, especially as there are cheaper alternatives. The state of the economy affects spending, as if there is a recession, or currently with the credit crunch in the UK, spending falls.Organic food may be seen by some users and non-users as a premium product, so when disposable income is reduced, this may be something which is cut back on in order to use the extra money elsewhere. If people are being more price conscious, new motivations to purchase the produce need to be discovered aside from price. However, many purchasers of organic food do so because of what it stands for, and is a lifestyle choice which may not be affected by a bad economy. Consumer confidence may be dented if willingness to spend decreases. The more affluent a person is, i. e. he higher wages and better lifestyle someone has, the more likely they are to start or continue to purchase organic food [18]. 2. 3 Socio-cultural factors A major socio-cultural factor affecting the industry is the media. A recent heightened awareness of organic food issues in the media has prompted an increase in organic food sales, with a 70% increase since 2002 to ? 1. 5billion in 2007 [19]. There is currently a bit from the media to use the upcoming 2012 Olympic games to promote organic eating, in order to avoid an obesity crisis and to appear a fit and healthy country.This increase awareness of the importance of healthy eating and protecting the country by reducing its carbon footprint can have an effect on consumer attitudes. The effect of the media may change attitudes of people towards organic food, such as the more impetus placed on this industry in the media, means more people are aware of the benefits of eating organically. People may then change their attitudes about the way they eat, and believe that it is worth paying more for the food, even if the economy is not as strong as it could be. Figures from a recent Mintel report [20] show that attitudes towards rganic food show that people believe firstly that the food is healthier, secondly that it tastes better, and thirdly that it is better for the environment. With these belief systems becoming widely in place, the opportunity for the growth of the industry in people’s minds is increased. However, the media may too have a detri mental effect on the industry in two ways. Firstly, there has been bad press saying that the industry is losing its values, and that the industry itself is ‘out of control’ due to an increased demand and people not knowing the real reasons behind why they are choosing ‘organic’ [21].Secondly, increased advertising spend (even though it is relatively low [22]) can draw too much attention to the industry which is not prepared to supply the increased demand. A typical shopper of organic food has been outlined in a survey taken from the Organic Monitor website [23], which identifies them to usually live in an urban area in a big city, consider quality and provenance in decision making when choosing which foods to purchase, being well-educated and of a middle to high social class, and to belong to a medium to high income household.These factors have been determined of the types of people who normally purchase these premium products, and usually fall into the AB consumer base, due to a larger disposable income [24]. Further analysis of recent demographic trends show that the London and the South of the UK are more willing to accept the introduction of organic produce, compared to the rest of the UK [25]. With this in mind, it may be deduced that these areas are more prone for targeting, and further consideration needs to be given to where the industry should go next should these places become saturated with producers. . 4 Technological factors Technological advances in transportation means that the ease of moving produce around the UK is increased. Better roads and an increase in motorways have advantages for farmers to get their produce into busier cities. Transport has however been scrutinised in this industry in recent years if air freighting is used for the moving of food or livestock, but this will be further discussed under the environmental factors section of the PESTEL analysis.The internet has provided new methods of selling organi c produce, such as online shopping, and electronic sourcing of produce to find local organic food suppliers [26]. Looking at figures from a 2007 Mintel report on organic food, box schemes and mail order have had the biggest percentage increase of usage between 2005 and 2007 (109. 2% change in this time period). The ‘box scheme’ comprises of the delivery of fresh organic produce which is chosen because it is in season in the UK at the time of ordering, and many farms have used the internet in order to allow this scheme to take place.For example, Riverford Organic Vegetables [27] allow people to choose different size boxes, and also give information about how much CO2 emissions are given off from the transport of their produce from door to door. This shows the potential for how the increase in usage of the internet can be applied to the organic food industry. 2. 5 Environmental factors National and Global environmental issues can greatly affect the UK organic food produci ng industry, such as weather and climate change respectively. Without the right growing conditions for some organic produce, i. . having good, well-nourished soil, harvesting may not reap many rewards. Last year in 2007, the wettest weather for more than 240 years was recorded in the summer by the Met Office, which obviously had adverse effects on this particular industry [28]. Following this particular summer, it was reported that organic food prices would rise even further than the already premium costs that they have, partly due to the weather reducing the amount of land fit for cultivation in order to grow and harvest organic produce [29].If adverse weather conditions do occur, the supply or organic goods will be reduced further still, which may strongly affect an industry that already has increased demand and not enough produce to meet this. Climate change has gained increasing coverage in the media, convincing more people than action needs to be taken in order to protect the e arth, in particular, the notion of a ‘carbon footprint’. A ‘carbon footprint’ can be described as ‘a measure of the impact of human activities on the environment in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases produced’ [30].This affects the organic food producing industry when organically grown produce is air freighted into the UK. The Soil Association is threatening to remove its stamp of approval from organic food which has been imported by air, as they believe this to be increasing the carbon footprint, and going against the morals that organic food stands for [31]. This change may benefit UK organic food producers, as there will be less competition coming from overseas, but may be of detriment for internal UK flights, if this is how they normally transport their goods around the country.The danger here is that people who already purchase organic food may instead switch to locally sourced produce, be it organic or not, in order to help the local community, and to do their bit to reduce the carbon footprint. There may be an opportunity here for organic food producers to also trade locally, so that people can get the best of both worlds. A benefit of organic produce is that it attempts to ensure that minimal amounts of pesticides and fewer artificial methods are used in the growing of the food.Only 25% of organic food carries pesticide residues, compared to 77% of conventionally grown food [32]. This reduces harm to any soil or wildlife in the area, and is reported to have added health benefits, all contributing to less of a bad impact on the environment from harmful chemicals. 2. 6 Legal factors Legal changes in the United Kingdom may affect the behaviour of firms and producers within this particular industry. Back in 1984, the Food Act was introduced, which outlined the description and purity of foodstuffs, and affected the way in which food could be produced [33].This legal act is still completely applicable today, and is regularly updated, notably affecting organic food producers in how they can describe and label their food. As well as an organic product having to meet UK organic standards, it also must abide by this Food Act when selling to respective buyers, so as not to mislead customers, i. e. it must be what they claim it to be, in this case, organic. A European ruling in 2007 states that for food to be labelled free of genetically modified ingredients, it must contain 0. 9% or less of such elements, which may in turn affect the price of organic food [34].Producers need to factor these sorts of legal requirements into pricing how much they are going to sell their food for. For the past few years, recorded minimum wage has risen, with October 2007 being the last review at ? 5. 52 per hour for workers aged 22 and over, ? 4. 60 per hour for workers aged 18-21 inclusive, and ? 3. 40 per hour for all workers under the age of 18 who are no longer of compulsory school age [35]. These increases may p ose problems for producers who cannot afford to meet these payments, especially if inflation ontinues to rise, and the credit crunch continues to beckon a recession in the financial market. If the producers cannot afford workers to help them look after livestock or harvest crops, this may pose to be a big threat as to whether they can afford to meet the requirements of customers. ? 3. PORTER’S FIVE FORCES The micro-environment is a set of forces that directly impacts the ability of an industry to serve its customers, which were described by Michael E. Porter in an analytical framework as five forces that determine the competitive intensity of a market.This can also be described as the ‘attractiveness’ of an industry [36]. It must be remembered here that even if a market is determined to be ‘attractive, this does not mean that every firm in the industry will yield the same profitability. Only by having uniqueness in resources or a distinctive business model can help to achieve greater profits. The five forces suggested by Porter are the threat of new entrants, threat of substitute products, and threat of established rivals from horizontal competition, and the bargaining power of suppliers, and bargaining power of buyers from vertical competition [37].The strength of these forces combined determines how competitive the industry is, and can determine whether it is favourable to enter. In reference to Porter’s Five Forces, the term ‘industry’ will be used to describe any products which are similar, and are close substitutes for each other. These five forces that affect how competitive the industry is will be discussed below. 3. 1 Threat of new entrants In order to assess the threat of new entrants in the industry, it needs to be assessed whether the barriers to entry in the UK organic food producing industry are high or low.This will be looked at in relation to economies of scale, product differentiation, cost disadvan tages in relation to the capital required, and access to distribution channels, in relation to UK organic legislation. Economies of scale occur when the costs of producing are reduced from making more units, as it is more efficient to increase output. Some organic food producers may benefit from the fact their purchasers may be large supermarket chains, who have the ability to buy in bulk due to the benefits of their economies of scale. Organic food producers an then sell their goods to these chains, who realise that their customers are becoming increasingly aware about the benefits of this quality produce. However, due to these chains being in a position to buy bulk, in order to compete in this market, organic farmers may have to sell their goods at a cut price if the supermarkets want to sell it on to turn a profit. In this case, new entrants may be put off from entering the market if they cannot afford to compete with already established providers of organic food to these main pl ayers.Product differentiation is an issue, as the organic products in this industry are largely homogenous. If new entrants wanted to penetrate the market, they would have to think of innovative new ways for buyers to choose their products over another product which is the same as the one they are offering. This does however mean that producers already in the market may have less competition enter alongside them, as long as the existing producers offer fair prices and top quality food, with well established networks.Cost disadvantages may pose a threat to new entrants, as a large amount of capital is required in order to enter the market. Firstly, modern agri-technology is expensive to purchase, and the largest cost of deciding to produce organic food is the conversion of land [38]. In order to convert land so that it meets the UK Organic standards requires a great capital investment, which is one of the reasons why the supply is still short. This may put off potential entrants to t he market if they believe they cannot afford to make their land meet national requirements.These national requirements are subject to change, so barriers to entry can be heightened or lowered at given times, depending on what is decided by the ruling bodies. This may also affect international entrants, as national standards vary in different countries. What is seen as organic in one country, may not meet the requirements in the UK, so producers may be protected from further competition in that respect. For example, new regulations in Japan caused the majority of products to lose their organic status [39].This also ties in with access to distribution channels, as UK producers may be fighting for space on supermarket shelves or stalls in a local farmers’ market, and only the best will survive. Even though supply is short, a limited amount of space is still given to organic produce, which on one hand may deter entrants into the industry, but equally may give some producers wishi ng to enter the market a bigger incentive to increase awareness about organic produce, and try to meet that supply in innovative new ways. 3. 2 Threat of substitute productsSubstitute products are products which can fulfil the same function, but from a different industry. In the case of the organic food industry, substitutes can occur in the form of different kinds of eating, or fad diets, such as calorie-counting healthy eating, and or locally sourced conventional produce. First to be discussed is reduced-fat and reduced-calorie food, which may appeal to the organic food shopper. If people are buying organic food as a misunderstanding of what it really is, and do so for the health benefits, then they may switch to specific ‘healthier eating’ options, rather than organic food.This threat however has been reported to be minimal at the moment, as figures in a Mintel report from 2007 on organic food show that organic food is experiencing a much greater growth than reduced calorie options [40]. The reduced-calorie options, as well as functional foods, still continue however to rise in popularity. Locally sourced conventional produce also poses a threat to the organic food industry, as some people may choose to support local farmers rather than to choose organic produce.This is especially difficult on the organic food industry, as more farmers may decide not to convert their land to organic if people are more willing just to buy conventional locally produced food [41]. This threat may encourage organic farmers however to sell produce locally, so they are covering both segments of their target market. An example of this threat is posed by milk, as demand for organic milk far exceeds the supply, so people are facing the dilemma of having to buy non-organic locally sourced milk, as this is a necessary substitute for people buying milk in the premium market [42].Organic food may be seen as necessity to some, but to most it is a luxury, and conventional foo ds can replace the premium priced, undersupplied organic food. 3. 3 Threat of established rivals The simplest rival in this industry may be seen as people who grow their own organic produce in their garden or local allotment. This reduces the need for organic farmers to sell their produce to consumers, and this has the potential to reduce the need for them to sell, as it may be cheaper for people to grow their own. Aside from this threat, there are other forms of competition within the industry.Rivals in the industry have different ways of competing against each other, including varied forms of price, marketing strategies, and innovation techniques. Firstly, a sustainable competitive advantage can be gained through the innovation from producers in the industry. For example, organic farmers may decide to provide their goods only to local outlets and consumers, which increases the likelihood of people wishing to buy products which are organic and sourced locally. This can provide a co mpetitive advantage over organic producers in the UK who have a larger carbon footprint by delivering their products across the country.Competitive rivalry may continue here as more competitors enter the market to satisfy the growing demand for organic produce. As new entrants penetrate the market, it needs to be increasingly thought of new ways to differentiate products, as the nature of the produce in this industry is largely homogenous. There is not a large diversity of competitors, as organic produce is the same from one farmer’s land to another, so competition will be high in order to get people to choose one farmer’s particular produce.This is also true when considering who will purchase this food, as supermarkets are increasing their ranges of organic food, so competition to get produce chosen to be sold in these will be high [43]. If a supermarket already purchases a particular farmer’s produce, it may be difficult for other competitors to penetrate the market if customer loyalty already exists, so new ways of doing so will need to be thought of, such as competing on price. This, however, will only be possible to a certain extent, as a profit still needs to be made by the producers in order to continue their business.Existing firms may compete in this industry through diversification of how the produce is offered, as some farmer’s may set up a market stall or store in order to deliver their produce to the consumer. An advantage of this is the added convenience to consumers of having a place they know they can go to in order to source locally produced organic food. An example of this is the ever increasing popularity of the chain ‘Planet Organic’, which is continuing to expand upon its outlets in urban areas in London, so that people don’t have to live in rural areas in order to get there organic food [44]. 3. Bargaining power of suppliers There is an estimated 4630 producers in the organic market who have converted their land to organic soil, and this is ever increasing [45]. Even though this is still increasing, it is expensive to convert conventional land, so this may be one of the reasons for a relatively low number of suppliers in this industry. This section focuses on whether suppliers in the organic food producing industry have high or low amounts of power over the happenings in the industry. The brand of organic food may be seen as powerful, as there is a high consumer demand for these products.This gives the suppliers the added advantage of being able to choose how and where to supply their produce. However, even though this increases supplier power, the customers for their produce are fragmented, so there may be a reduced bargaining power over price, as there is only so low that producers are able to offer their goods for. Organic food in itself is a unique offering, which gives an alternative to conventionally produced food, and can satisfy the needs of particular consumer groups who crave quality and are concerned with the provenance of what they eat.This allows suppliers to have a greater power over the conventional or locally sourced produce, as organic food is seen as a lifestyle choice and not just one of convenience or necessity. Figures from Mintel show that 65% of people shop in supermarkets where the food is of high quality and is fresh [46]. This choice from consumers gives suppliers the added advantage of being able to provide a service that people actually want. 3. 5 Bargaining power of buyers The bargaining power of buyers in the market can have a great effect on the industry itself, which will now be outlined in terms of how much power they have over the industry.Buying power may be deemed to be relatively low in some respects, but high in others in this industry for a number of reasons. With an increase in demand for organic produce, a large amount of buyers are competing for a relatively short supply of food. This may mean they are wi lling to pay higher prices for the produce, due to its availability being decreased. This supply shortage was outlined in The Grocer, which shows sales were up to ? 3. 1billion when they reported in March 2007 [47]. However, few large buyers, such as large chains of supermarkets, may have an increased buyer power due to suppliers wanting their goods to be sold in these stores, as they can ensure produce is sold via a contract for a certain period of time. This reduces uncertainty for suppliers, and ensures less food is spoiled. The fact that this industry contains a large number of undifferentiated suppliers may mean that buyers have more power over who to choose to supply their produce if there is a large amount of suppliers in that particular area.The cost for buyers of switching suppliers for produce is very low, which further still increases their power, assuming that there is an appropriate amount of supply existing. Buyers are aware that there is a shortage of supply of organi c produce, so this may give them less power over suppliers, and over the industry in general. It has been previously mentioned about the increased demand over supply, so buyers may have to pay the prices being offered to them by suppliers if they want this non-conventionally grown produce.Buyers may also have higher power in some respects due to existing substitute products, which have previously been discussed. There is an opportunity in some cases for people to switch to locally sourced conventional food, rather than organic food. This can increase buyer power, if they decide to refrain buying organic food altogether, which may force producers to reduce their prices, or just to exit the market. ? 4. CONCLUSION 4. 1 The industry at present Looking at the information which has been discussed in the 2nd and 3rd sections of this report, deductions and analysis can be made about the industry at present.In its simplest form, the UK market for organic food is reported to be worth ? 1. 5 billion in 2007 [48], and this is continually growing. Issues affecting the macro-environment include current Government legislation managed by the Soil Association and the Organic Farmers and Growers Association, buyer power and spending habits in the organic food industry, effects of the growing media attention on the industry itself, new ways to sell produce, and environmental concerns facing producers. Issues ffecting the micro-environment include the threat of new entrants joining the industry due to a lack of supply and an increase demand, substitute products being present such as locally sourced produce, established rivals having better distribution links, suppliers having increase amounts of power due to the increased demand from consumers, and the buyers having relatively low power due to the lack of supply. This is a small summary of how the industry can be seen at present, and from looking at the information collected, there are various reasons why it may or may not be a favourable market to enter.The fact that demand is high but supply is low is a good reason for wanting to enter the market. This would imply that any produce made would be easily sold, and suppliers would be in a better position to bargain on higher prices, as they are well aware of this demand. However, there are issues in being able to enter this industry. The initial outlay costs are high, as it is expensive to convert land into what is considered to be organic, to buy new technology required to grow and harvest produce in the methods stated by the necessary authorities.It may then be difficult to sell produce in certain areas if people do not agree with the transportation used to get the produce there in the first place. These are factors that need to be taken into consideration when looking at the industry at present, but with expansion set to continue, if the capital is available, it seems favourable to enter. 4. 2 Future changes Increased acceptance of organic food means that the future of the industry looks good for the moment.People are beginning to accept organic produce into their everyday lives, and with reported health benefits of switching to these products, sales are increasing, with analysts predicting that sales will double before the end of this decade [49]. Increased awareness in the media and new studies into the goodness of organic produce is driving sales and increasing demand. The notion of ‘eating well’ is of key importance to the Government in what they suggest to avoid an obesity crisis in the UK, and organic food may be seen as a way of doing this.However, it must be remembered that the future, as with any industry, can be uncertain. Factors that must be faced and planned for in the future include bad press in the media, substitute product switching, and a change in legislation. If the media publishes bad press about whether there are really any extra health benefits from paying extra for organic food instead of conventi onally grown food, the demand may fall and substitute products used instead.Products such as locally sourced food are fighting for advertisement space in the media also, so people may switch to this in the future in order to protect the earth, and reduce their carbon footprint. This can all be affected by the hype that is created in the media at that particular time. Standards in legislation are also subject to change, and if this is to change in the future, it may be the case that fewer farmers can afford to convert their land into organic soil, which will reduce the supply of organic food further.If this occurs, the popularity and publicity of this industry may decline. These are issues that need to be kept in the forefront of the industry’s mind, and plans to avoid this, such as proving the benefits of switching to organic produce, need to be made. ? 5. APPENDICES 5. 1 Critique of tools and research limitations 5. 2. 1 PESTEL framework Advantages are listed below: †¢A llows the analyst to remove themselves from the industry and look at it more objectively by adapting to the new environment †¢Can avoid taking actions that will lead to failure Can see the context of the industry Limitations are listed below: †¢Time consuming †¢Is done by an individual, so important factors can be missed †¢May be difficult to know what to include under each heading, so hard to follow by other people reading the report †¢Industries are constantly changing, so once it is written, it may have already changed †¢PESTEL analysis only covers the remote environment 5. 2. 2 Porter’s 5 Forces Advantages are listed below: Can effectively analyse competition in an industry, and help decide how to beat competitors †¢Develop strategies for action from the information found and apply them to gain market share in an industry †¢Looks beyond obvious immediate competitors, and focuses on substitutes to the organic produce being offered â €“ wider market view Limitations are listed below: †¢Also is carried out by an individual, so things relating to competition in the micro-environment may go unlooked †¢This analysis is a static framework, and the industry is constantly changing, so it may not be applicable immediately after it has been writtenThese limitations imply that a strategy cannot be made just by looking at this report alone. This point may the most important research limitation, as this cannot be taken as to what the industry is like presently. New research is constantly being carried out, and figures continuously change, so up-to-date information is required for marketing strategy development. ? 6. REFERENCES [1]NOSB Definition, http://www. ota. com/definition/nosb. html, [Accessed 18/4/08]. [2]What Is Organic? , http://www. soilassociation. org/web/sa/saweb. nsf, [Accessed 18/4/08]. [3]Organic Food, http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Organic_food, [Accessed 16/4/08]. 4]Channels to market, Mintel Marketing Intelligence, 2007, Organics: Mintel Marketing Report. London: Mintel International Group, [Accessed 25/4/08]. [5]Industry Statistics and Projected Growth, http://www. ota. com/organic/mt/business. html, [Accessed 18/4/08]. [6]Porter, M. E. (1980). Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analysing Industries and Competitors (The Structural Analysis of Industries), . Macmillan: UK, pp. 3-33. [7]Davies, M. (1998). Understanding Marketing. Prentice Hall: Hemel Hempstead, p. 35. [8]Kotler, P. (1998) (9th ed. ). Marketing Management – Analysis, Planning, Implementation and Control.Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall. [9]Organic Certification, www. organicfarmers. org. uk, [Accessed 10/4/08]. [10]Soil Association, www. soilassociation. org, [Accessed 10/4/08]. [11]DEFRA, www. defra. gov. uk/farm/organic/standards/index. htm#ukstandards, [Accessed 10/4/08]. [12]EU Bans Battery Hen Cages, http://news. bbc. co. uk/1/hi/uk/264607. stm, [Accessed 18/4/08]. [13]EU Looks to Cut Farmin g Subsidies, http://news. bbc. co. uk/1/hi/world/Europe/7409739. stm, [Accessed 20/5/08]. [14]Inflation and Credit Crunch prompts Pessimism over Growth Prospects, http://www. independent. co. k/news/business/news/inflation-and-credit-crunch-prompts-pessimism-over-growth-prospects-830644. html, [Accessed 19/5/08]. [15]Global Credit Crunch – facts and figures, http://news. bbc. co. uk/1/hi/business/7302341. stm, [Accessed 18/4/08]. [16]Organic Conversion, Mintel Marketing Intelligence, 2007, Organics: Mintel Marketing Report. London: Mintel International Group, [Accessed 25/4/08]. [17]High Street will feel Shock of House Sales Collapse, http://www. guardian. co. uk/money/2008/may/19/houseprice. creditcrunch, [Accessed 19/5/08]. [18]Provenance is Prized, Mintel Marketing Intelligence, 2007, Organics: Mintel Marketing Report.London: Mintel International Group, [Accessed 25/4/08]. [19]Organics, Mintel Marketing Intelligence, 2007, Organics: Mintel Marketing Report. London: Mintel International Group, [Accessed 25/4/08]. [20]Consumer 2 – Attitude Towards Organic Foods, Mintel Marketing Intelligence, 2007, Organics: Mintel Marketing Report. London: Mintel International Group, [Accessed 25/4/08]. [21]Organic Food Industry Out of Control, http://news. bbc. co. uk/1/hi/UK_politics/1134285. stm, [Accessed 24/4/08]. [22]Key Points, Mintel Marketing Intelligence, 2007, Organics: Mintel Marketing Report.London: Mintel International Group, [Accessed 25/4/08]. [23]Globalisation of the Organic Food Industry, http://www. organicmonitor. com/r1407. htm, [Accessed 16/4/08]. [24]Demographic Changes, Mintel Marketing Intelligence, 2007, Organics: Mintel Marketing Report. London: Mintel International Group, [Accessed 25/4/08]. [25]Women and AB’s Shop Organically, Mintel Marketing Intelligence, 2007, Organics: Mintel Marketing Report. London: Mintel International Group, [Accessed 25/4/08]. [26]Davies, M. (1998). Understanding Marketing. Prentice Hall: Hemel Hemps tead, p. 35.

Leonardo Bruni essays

Leonardo Bruni essays Leonardo Bruni was born circa 1369-70 in Arezzo, Italy, which was the same place Petrach was born years before. Sometimes referred to as Aretino because of the city in which he was born, Leonardo went on to become almost as much a figure in the humanistic movement as Petrarch. Griffiths states that part of the reason that Bruni was so successful is because of his duel focus in scholarship of the mastery of classical literature and the study of the classical languages (9). Griffiths uses a term civic humanism (15) to describe a part of Bruni. This is the side of Bruni that was dedicated to public service. In 1405, he became the Apostolic secretary of Pope Innocent VII, and he held this position through two more Popes (Gregory XII and Alexander V). In 1410 he was elected Chancellor of the Republic of Florence, but found he preferred his secretarial duties. So he resigned and reclaimed his old position under yet another Pope, John XXIII. In 1415 Bruni returned to Florence for good. He was re-elected Chancellor in 1427 and held the position until his death (Harvard). It was during this stay that Leonardo wrote the work he is now most famous for: Historiariaum Florentinarum Populi Libri XII (Twelve books of Histories of the Florentine People). This book is a history of Florence and is written in Latin. Bruni was also the author of biographies of Dante and Petrarch, written in Italian, and Cicero and Aristotle, written in Latin (New Advent). Part of the reason that Bruni is famous today is that he was a great translator. Due to his studies, Leonardo was subjected to a great deal of writings in the classical language. He realized that not all people were so fortunate, and so decided to translate them: Plato, Plutarch, Xenophon, and others. Bruni developed the current style of translation called ad sententiam, according to the sense (Griffiths 10). This is not word-for-word translation, rather...

7 Outstanding Language-Learning Apps and Websites

7 Outstanding Language-Learning Apps and Websites The most excellent websites and applications for language mastering Quite often even English-speaking person faces the need to learn some other language, being under specific circumstances. As the modern world provides you with the ability to enjoy the charms of electronic world, you can perform studying online via web sites from your PC, laptop or some pocket device that is quite useful. Below, you may find the greatest tools and websites that can help you master the knowledge on a language. LIVING LANGUAGE For persons who treat learning as a significant task, this site is the very place to begin. Here you can find about 20 languages which you are able to master. A lot of options are present here: specific notes, recordings in audio format, vocabulary and grammar. Among the most popular are e-touring with the speakers of a native tongue and using of games as a part of the study. Do it online, with the use of the applications or order the corresponding edition. If you do not want to pay – use Living Language’s Free Resources section, in which there are numerous PDFs for reading at any time you want. BBC Languages The web site gives you a great choice of about 40 languages to perceive. Concerning seven languages, like German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Greek and Chinese you get more features with assessments tests to define the level of the knowledge, depending on which you receive the corresponding materials and resources. And it should be noticed that here you can find a lot of videos for free that is really great opportunity. DUOLINGO This chargeless site with a wonderful interface design proposes learning of languages combining the processes of writing, reading, speaking and listening. Another interesting feature is that for positive results you gain extra points and in addition are able to share your results with friends. There is the set of many languages of Europe for you. You are able to study several languages during the same period without a need to pay additionally charges. LIVEMOCHA The key feature of Livemocha site is the ability to associate with native speakers. Though special membership is not for free, you can acquire lesson credits by helping other users in learning, for example, by editing of content or providing your comments concerning their pronunciations through audio recordings. Additionally, clients can attend virtual online classes or book online sessions, depending on their peculiar circumstances and conditions in studying. BUSUU BUSUU is the place where more than 60 million speakers of native tongue share their knowledge and assist each other to study languages. Here there are full language courses with short lessons that ideally suit for day-by-day life, working and travelling. The exercises are checked and edited by the native language speakers from all over the world. Such interaction between users is very efficient and productive, resulting in fast gained and positive results. The site provides instructions in most of European languages and also Russian, Japanese, and Chinese. FOREIGN SERVICES INSTITUTE To some extent specific site that has kind of simple interface, but complex set of knowledge. The FSI site stores a lot of materials for more than 45 tongues. They are of very high quality and were developed by highly-skilled linguists. Here such languages as Serbo-Croatian, Sinhala or Maranao Igbo are represented for you. Though the site stores government-sponsored content in public domain, in real it is maintained by private individuals. MEMRISE Those who prefer to use visual comprehension to perceive information Memrise site offers â€Å"mems†, mnemonic flash card generated by users with the concern to fancy and art drawing that help to enlarge your vocabulary. Here there are tens of hundreds of chargeless courses in various languages at your disposal. And you can even be the one to create such mems especially for other members that will open your new abilities not only to study material, but also to generate it for others. Use these apps and make the language-learning activities easy and fun!

Discussion Board - Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion Board - Ethics - Essay Example Using a quotation partially is a very widely spread and officially allowed technique in scientific writing, however, I am aware of the fact that like this, its author’s position might be distorted (either voluntarily or non-voluntarily, as people often tend to â€Å"interpret† opinions of others and see what they want to see). In other words, a part of quotation that is taken out of the context, can serve to support virtually any statement or idea. That is why I choose, while writing my papers, to keep in mind the norms and guidelines of scientific ethics, which presupposes that I should only use quotations when I am 100% sure that it truly reflects the idea of its author. Dilemma 2. One more issue of ethical character that I want to talk about is something that I never participated in personally but seen it in a family of my close friend – and considered it quite a complicated dilemma. The problem is the one of putting elderly people into nursing homes. To my strong belief, elderly people most of all need care and love, their family that can provide them with the feeling of security, safety, stability, and being needed. On the other hand, many aged people who are practically helpless sometimes refuse to move in with their children or grandchildren. As a result, many families with elderly relatives often find themselves in a sort of â€Å"vicious circle†: they know that their old ones need help, but cannot give this help because, say, their parents or grandparents do not want to move in with them, and the kids cannot devote enough of their time to the aged people. In this situation, many families prefer to turn to nursery homes that very often provide even better conditions than many people have at home. Elderly people are given full medical care there, they are free from any household duties and have plenty of opportunities to spend their time with people of their own

Thornton's Strategic Choices Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words - 1

Thornton's Strategic Choices - Essay Example At that time, he might have not realized that the foundation of his shop was actually the foundation of an international business, which would continue to grow in the coming decades, and his products would reach many countries. His two sons, Norman and Stanley, joined their father and started conduct many of functions, such as manufacturing, packaging, retailing and others, in-house. During the 1920s, the shop started attracting customers from distant areas and the benefits of constant product innovation became apparent to Thorntons (Allen, 2010, p. 85). During the 1970s, the company slowly started expanding into the neighbouring countries of Europe and Australia. By the year 1972, the exports to these countries accounted more than 0.3 million pounds. Impressed with the gains made through exports, the company decided to enter into US market with the long-term expansion plan of setting up 100 stores in the next decade (Mullins and Walker, 2009, p. 390). Although, the company would hav e to later close down the purchased shops and abandon these plans because of failures in the US market. By the late 1980s, Thorntons had established itself as a strong brand name in UK with 170 company owned shops and 100 franchised outlets. Thornton had become an important brand name of chocolate at High Street. Thornton had now become a public company, with impressive share performance (Thornton and Bishton, 2009, p. 258). Business Model and Operations Thorntons only has a 1 percent market share of the confectionary market and claims to be having a 6 percent share of the confectionary gift market according to the statistics from the year 2009. Nevertheless, the company is the biggest manufacturer and retailer of specialist chocolates in the UK market. The company’s core product is boxed chocolates and it believes that its core competency lies in the manufacturing of these chocolates, with the help of quality ingredients and company owned recopies (Mullins and Walker, 2009, p. 390). The in house manufacturing method is largely labour intensive. The company relies on outside suppliers for packaging, basic liquid chocolate and solid chocolate bars (noncore business). In order to make up for sales during low seasons, the company would go on to sell ice creams and greeting cards as well but in selected outlets, mostly franchised. The company places special attention on the freshness of its product, in order to provide a unique customer experience (Thornton and Bishton, 2009, p. 258). As mentioned earlier, Thornton has been distributing its product to the customers in two different ways. First, the company owned stores, which were costly to acquire or obtain and to maintain in the long term as well. However, the company could ensure greater control over the business and in terms of interaction with