J&K Outfitters Ltd. Essay

The organization I am going to talk about is J&K Outfitters Ltd. I will be explaining the advantages and the disadvantages of using ratio analyse within the business, by the help of using the ratio analyse it will show the financial performance of the business as it can help the investors to gain the inside health of the company. Each ratio within the business plays a different prospective e.g. The stock turnover ratio shows you how quickly a company sells and replaces the stocks which are the goods and materials that a business holds for the purpose of resale. The advantage of using this stock turnover ratio will help the investors to make a decision on rather to invest in this business or no because it will show the health of the company. The other type of ratio I am going to talk about is the current ratio which provides the business amount of assets compared to its liabilities which shows the business ability to pay its debts. With the help of this ratio the investors get the idea of will they get their money back if they will invest in that business. On the other side ratio fails to address the potential of the company as they only offer inside to the business present situation as it won’t give the future prediction of the business. For example, if the company is about to merge and acquire large amount of capital the ratio will not reveal these new changes therefore ratios cannot be the only measurements investors use to assess companies value, because this numbers do not reveal other key information such as industry changes and economy forces. Another disadvantage I am going to talk about of using ratio is that some ratio might indicate the company is performing well while other indicates financial issues therefore investors need to assess multiple ratios to get the picture of the business stability which can help them to come to a conclusion rather to invest or not within that business. Ratios are beneficial to some parties however not to the other, such as a bank might not consider giving a help or interest to the companies’ book to market ratio however, the financial investors will evaluate its level of depth ratio to see if the company is worth of a loan.

Farm Size and Efficiency Comparative Profit Analysis

1. Introduction The largest and biggest contributor to Bangladesh’s economy is the agricultural sector. Seen often as the ‘unsung’ hero of our growth revolution, it still serves as the most significant industry in this country. In spite of its large contribution to employment, relatively speaking, its contribution to GNP falls short of expectations. Hence, as with other developing countries, the agriculture sector in Bangladesh can be classified as predominantly being ‘traditional’.This implies that it is mainly comprised of small households that suffer from technological stagnation, unskilled labor, and supply chain and market linkage problems. In spite of this, a modern agriculture sector does exists which enjoys substantial economies of scale. It is a well established fact that with increase in scale of output, efficiency increases up to an optimum point and this paper will put this to the test by investigating whether this holds true in the agricu lture sector as well. 2. Problem statementIdeally, government policy should be directed towards increasing the capacity of the traditional agriculture sector in order to transform it towards a more modern one. However, with a weak local government structure, lack of strategic planning and corruption, effective government support towards this sector cannot be expected. Even if policy makers could come up with viable policies to help rural farmers, it would be very costly as most of these rural farmer’s are too small and dispersed in remote areas. Therefore, any aggregate development would either fail in cost effectiveness or fail in implementations.This leads to the point that increase in farm size needs to take place in the grassroots level This paper therefore will look into the possibility of rural farmer’s joining together to ‘pool in’ their limited technology, land, labor and skills to achieve some form of economies of scale that can increase their eff iciency and lower the costs. Such a framework could be done in the style of a producer’s cooperative. An agriculture cooperative is â€Å"a type of cooperative that unites agricultural producers for production or other activities needed by the members (such as processing, marketing of output, or supply of the means of production). An increase in efficiency can be contributed to a variety of factors such as improvement in technology, more efficient use of land, increase in skilled labor etc. While individual quanitative analysis is beyond the scope of this paper, a single variable can be used to do a comparative analysis to see whether belonging to a cooperative, through which there would be an increase in farm size, actually lead to any increase in efficiency. In terms of the variable, net profit of individual farmer’s not belonging to cooperatives and that of cooperatives will be used.Hence, a hypothesis can be developed at this point: The hypothesis will therefore t est the probability that belonging to a ‘co-op’ leads to increase in profit holding output constant. 3. Literature Review There has been extensive work done farm size and efficiency, and agricultural cooperatives as an extension. Oduol and Hotta examined the effect of farm size on the productive efficiency of smallholder farms in a land–scarce Embu district of Kenya.In particular, the study seeks to establish the relationship between farmsize and three components of productive efficiency, namely technical, scale and allocative efficiency, â€Å" Farm Size and Productive Efficiency: Lessons from Smallholder Farms in Embu District, Kenya Judith Beatrice Auma ODUOL1*, Kazuhiko HOTTA2, Shoji SHINKAI2 and Masao TSUJI3† There has been extensive work done on cooperative movement in the agriculture sector by leading academics.However, a point to be noted at the very outset is that there is clear evidence of a lack of study in this field in the South Asia region. T his is not only surprising but also indicates a clear need for research and investigation of this topic with a special focus on country’s like Bangladesh as South Asia is a primary producer of agricultural products. Assistant Professor Richard J. Sexton, in his paper â€Å"Factors critical to the success or failure of emerging agricultural cooperatives† provides a powerful insight into the strength and limitations of the cooperative movement in general.He argues that a solid foundation in supply chain and market linkage is critical if agricultural cooperatives are to survive. â€Å"Agricultural cooperatives and markets in developing countries† by ANSCHEL, K. R. ; BRANNON, R. H. ; SMITH, E. D. treats the matter more specifically in context of developing countries. In his study, it was found that belonging to cooperative movement gives farmers’ a form of ‘institutional’ support to carry out its production and marketing.Furthermore, a paper titl ed â€Å"Revitalizing Market-Oriented Agricultural Cooperatives in Ethiopia† conducted in cooperation with USAID’s Cooperative Development Program by Tesfaye Assefa provides insightful analysis on a comparative study done on a developing, agriculture developing country similar to Bangladesh. This study sheds light on the fact that developing countries are particularly in need of farmer’s receiving certain technical support in order to reduce their costs. Economic analysis on this issue has been dealt with fairly in the text â€Å"The economic theory of agrarian institutions†, Bardhan, P.K. (eds. ). – Oxford (United Kingdom): Oxford University Press, 1991. Finally, the future prospects and potential of the cooperative movement has been addressed in the paper â€Å"Future Roles for Agricultural Cooperatives† by Peter Helmberger where he argued that agricultural cooperatives will take on a larger role in the coming years with the rise in linkag e with large food retailers. A paper titled â€Å"AGRICULTURAL CO-OPERATIVES: ROLE IN FOOD SECURITY AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT† investigated the link between the need for food security and the development of agricultural co-operatives.This is a highly important point as food security is seen as one of the major threats to the 21st century. The role of cooperatives into only being a profit making structure, but also a socially beneficial function in terms of addressing the question of food security should not be taken lightly. This is especially true in a country like Bangladesh where the current government is aggressively trying to address the problem of food security for one of the most densely populated countries.In terms of classifying the agriculture sector in a more academic sphere of economics, it can be deduced that a developing country’s agriculture sector is divided into the traditional agriculture sector comprising of unskilled, self sufficient rural households an d the modern agriculture sector consisting of a capital intensive, efficient, large scale producer. T. W. Schultz, in his paper highlighted the significance of transforming these traditional sectors into a more modern agriculture sectors and the possible consequences of these in the development process, Schultz T. W (1964),Transforming Traditional Agriculture, Yale University Press, New Haven. One of the underlying reasons for a larger farming structure in the form of cooperatives is the technological innovation that comes along with it. Bachman, K. L and Christensen highlighted the need to remove technological stagnation from the traditional agriculture sector in order to achieve long term development, Bachman, K. L and Christensen, R. P (1967), ‘The Economics of Farm Size’, in Southworth, H. M and Johnston, B. F. (eds), Agricultural Development and Economic Growth, Cornell University Press, Ithaca.Finally, Berry and Cline investigated the correlation in productivity a nd farming structure and found there to be a positive trend between increased output and productivity levels, Berry, D. A. and Cline, W. R. (1979), Agrarian Structure and Productivity in Developing Countries, John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. This study provided a case in point about the possible role of cooperatives in making the traditional agriculture sector much more productive. 4. Study methodology Secondary data from the available records of Ferdous Biotech Pvt. Ltd, an agro-based company based in Gazipur has been used to compile these statistics.The data has been derived from potato farmers that the company employs in the northern region of Bangladesh. Regional variations have been held constant while similar output levels have been selected between farmers belonging to ‘co-ops’ and not belonging to them so that a single variable (profit) can be tested. Further assumptions have been made in terms of seasonal variability being minimum and fertility showing unremarkable changes. The data was tabulated and statistic measures such as central tendencies, bar charts and hypothesis testing was undertaking to infer the data.SPSS software was used for most of the data analysis. It should be noted out that some of the data was filtered out due to create an appropriate sample. 5. Descriptive statistical analysis As seen in the frequencydistribution table that in each corresponding category of data with holding output constant, the farmers belonging to co ops show a signficinant rise in profits as opposed to those not belonging to co ops. While there are certain variations, there are not signficant enough to be inferred as statistically inconsistent. A clear trend analysis of the data can be seen from the chart seen above titlted Profitibality Study.For most data, belonging to to co-ops as signified by the blue bars shows a higher trend then the red bars indiciating profits by farmers not belonging to co ops. The measures of central tendency fo r these data show a significant variation. The middle values for each profit level stands at 75650 and 73100 respectively with the highest frequency for each category (with co op and without co op) standing at 60050 and 42400 as well. The average profit shown by farmers belonging to co ops stands at 81590 while those opting out of co opt standing at 79986.These values clearly shows that belonging to a co op does lead to better off profits as seen by the higher central tendency values in each category. This can be extended to be proved through the lowest values and highest values also. The lowest value for farmers in co ops stand at 14000 while those for without co ops are at 12500. Corresponding higher values are at 160300 and 159200, with the range standing at 146300 and 73100 for co-ops and without co-ops respectively. In terms of the quartiles, Q1 stood at 42075 and 41450 for co-ops and without co-ops while Q3 stood at 121925 and 118050 respectively.It is worth noting at this poi nt that from central tendencies along, it can be inferred that consistently, farmers belonging to a larger farm size in terms of co-operatives show a higher profit levels than those not belonging to such co-operatives. However, there is significant dispersion in the data that can be seen through the standard deviation for each data set standing at 46106. 9 and 45687. 8 respectively. Dispersion between the data as used for the development of the confidence interval, the standard deviation here stands at 8636. 9.In terms of the confidence level the range is at -2556. 076 to 5763. 74 As stated in the problem statement the hypothesis will there test the probability that belonging to ‘co-ops’ leading to increase in profit holding output constant. To analyze this, a hypothesis test was undertaken using SPSS and the results are presented below: Hypothesis T-Test One-Sample Statistics NMeanStd. DeviationStd. Error Mean Profits With Co-ops3081590. 166746106. 984718417. 94519 Pro fits Without Co-ops3079986. 333345687. 855448341. 42301 One-Sample Test Test Value = 0 tdfSig. 2-tailed)Mean Difference Profits With Co-ops9. 69229. 00081590. 16667 Profits Without Co-ops9. 58929. 00079986. 33333 One-Sample Test Test Value = 0 95% Confidence Interval of the Difference LowerUpper Profits With Co-ops64373. 535698806. 7977 Profits Without Co-ops62926. 207797046. 4589 It is clear from the above results that with the mean for co-ops consistently being higher than that of profits of farmers not belonging to co-ops that the hypothesis cannot be rejected. Therefore, belonging to co-ops does tend to show a higher profitability than in absence of it. . Summary The test results clearly demonstrate that belonging to co ops show a significant increase in profits. While there are certain variations in the data, these could be due to miscalculations due to large number of sample data or through farmer’s misinterpretation of market calculations as well. There are quite a few justifications for the results that have been shown. Clearly belonging to such co ops increases the technical capacity of the farmers to achieve lower costs and higher revenues leading to increase in profits.Through marketing economies of scale, they are able to sell at a better rate while their technical economies such as specialization and indivisibility of capital allows them to achieve the lower costs as stated above. In conclusion the data clearly supports the hypothesis that belonging to co-ops is a much better option for farmers then not doing so. This leaves us with the question – in terms of farm size and efficiency, is there a role for the cooperative movement? While the tests results clearly show hat belonging to co-operatives leads to an increase in profit, this point comes with strong qualifications because a profit function in itself cannot be used to make absolute inferences regarding efficiency. This is especially true due to the fact that most of the agraria n households belong to the traditional sector and as discussed earlier, they suffer from certain problems such as technological stagnation, unskilled labor and lack of capital. These serve as a major impediment towards achieving efficiency.While belonging to cooperatives may bring in certain economies of scale which may mitigate some of these problems, the underlying problem of transforming the traditional agricultural sector a modern one would need much more than just formation of co-operatives. It requires extensive long term technological and financial investment by the government and the non government sector. There is no doubting the role of agriculture in the economy of Bangladesh, but with regards to the extent to which it can contribute to an ever modernizing economy is up for debate.Appendix I – Output (Kgs) Profit (Co-ops)Profit (Without Co-ops) 2001400012500 2501750016300 3001880017500 3502320021300 4002780026800 4503210031050 5003750038600 5504360042400 6004820042 400 6505340052100 7005960060050 7506005062300 8006005064700 8506890066300 9007350070000 9507780076200 10008340084000 10508900087060 11009750096000 115010010598030 1200110500105500 1250115600110300 1300120300117200 1350126800120600 1400130100125200 1450141500139300 1500147300148200 1550152400151300 1600156900157200 1650160300159200

Consumer and Commercial Relationship in the UK Sale of Goods Act Dissertation

Consumer and Commercial Relationship in the UK Sale of Goods Act - Dissertation Example Much has been decided based on the jurisdictional framework of cases and its surroundings, the arguments put forth by It is often seen that where case deliberations could hinge on, perhaps a wildcard or a substantive piece of argument that has perhaps, eluded the most brilliant of legal maneuverings and arguments, by either the defense or appellant counsel. Or it could also be in terms of certain crucial elements in the case that one party has missed and the other has used. The section which we propose to deliberate, viz. Section 14 has been a controversial one, more so, since it has fuelled more speculative thinking that it has laid to rest, and also because it has been acquiescent to major elucidation and explanations, depending upon the perspectives of the Jury and judges. Perhaps more than anything else, the aspects that matter relates to whether the strictest interpretation could provide and dispense justice- in terms of monetary compensation and damages to the aggrieved, and the need for recompense, on the part of the defendant, in commensuration with the extent, and level of a misdemeanor committed. And whether the best course of justice could possibly be pursued and met by adopting judicial stands and legal proclivity. While the hallowed institution of law cannot be used to perpetuate and enforce furtherance of commercial interests of one party at the disadvantage of another, simultaneously, it also needs to be seen that one party does not suffer detriment at the expense of another. Again the aspect of satisfactory quality is also a matter of heated debate. For one thing, only transactions regarding goods and services could come within the purview of Sale of Goods Act and thus be eligible for restitution should the need arise, for another, the term satisfactory quality is also subject to various meaning and interpretations, taking cognizance of the aspects surrounding it. This it is quite possible

Income taxition law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Income taxition law - Essay Example Any household required to pay tax on gains that result from disposition of financial and real property2. Whether the gains are speculative, from business income or passive, from capital income, they are subject to tax. On the other hand, investors may make capital losses when the proceeds realised from asset disposal are less than the costs of asset acquisition. Capital gains are only realised when assets are disposed, and not when they are leased. From the information that is provided, the net capital gain for Chloe from the sale of shoe manufacturing factory premises is $1,570,000. This is calculated by subtracting the costs incurred in the acquisition of the factory premises from the proceeds realised from sale of the factory premises as shown. $ $ Selling Price 2,000,000 Goodwill 400,000 Compensation 60,000 Compensation 30,000 2,490,000 Purchase Price 800,000 Goodwill 100,000 Renovation Cost 20,000 920,000 (920,000) Net Capital Gain 1,570,000 The capital gains tax implication for this transaction is that only fifty percent of the net capital gains will be subject to capital gains tax because the factory premise was owned for a period of more than twelve months. Gains arising from assets that were purchased after 21st September 1999 are calculated using the 50% discount method3. An asset purchased and sold more than twelve months later is taxed on 50% of the gain while gains on assets held for less than twelve months do not qualify for an increased base of the fifty percent discount. Therefore, an amount of $ 785,000 will be subject to capital gains tax. There should be proper recording of the business transactions regarding the factory premises, commencing the date of acquisition to avoid paying more capital gains tax than necessary. There will be no benefit of small business concessions. A company whose annual income is more than $2 Million is not a small business. On the other hand, if the aggregate turnover for the current year is less $ 2 Million, then the business is a small business4. Capital Gain Tax Implications on PKY Pty Ltd An expense was incurred in acquiring the company, PKY Pty. There should be appropriate recording of transactions and costs associated with the acquisition and running of this company to ensure that capital gains tax is equitable. It is imperative to note any income that will is to be realised from rent is subject to tax. This is because rental income is subject to tax. Secondly, the retail business’ net proceeds will be subject to tax. In case, the aggregate income per year does not exceed $2 Million, then Chloe can benefit from small business concessions because the company will be categorised under small businesses. Capital Gain Tax Implications on Residential House The $800,000 residential house with $400,000 mortgage is not subject to any tax because all residential properties are exempt from taxation. Personal assets such as personal use assets, home and car are exempted from capital gains ta x. However, this does not apply to depreciating assets such as business equipment or fittings in rental property that are solely used for taxable purposes. To avoid payment of any tax there should be proper recording regarding the residential house cost. Also, the house should not be rented or be on more than two hectares of land, and must have a dwelling in it4. A dwelling is exempt from capital gain

Coffee And The Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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Genetics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 5

Genetics - Essay Example This type of Down’s syndrome usually occurs in mothers who are less than 30 years of age. The Robertsonian translocation that leads to Down syndrome occurs between chromosomes 21 and 14. During meiosis, three possible pairing configurations can be observed between the 14 and 21 translocate chromosome and normal homolog (Crow and William 111). Think about how there pairings might occur and draw all possible pairing arrangements. You should draw your pairing arrangements with respect to the equator of the cell at metaphas This is because it helps us to determine whether genes are on the same or separate chromosomes. By calculating the frequency of crossing over, we obtain a measure of the map distance between the gene pairs (Crow and William 127). One genetic map unit (mu) is the distance between gene pairs for which one product of meiosis out of a hundred (100) is recombinant. 14. Perform a crossover between homologues 2 and 3 at the point indicated in the diagram below. If a second crossover occurs in the same region between the 2 genes, tell which chromatids would be involved to produce the following outcomes 15. Using the homologous chromosomes below, assume that a paracentric inversion occurs that involves genes B and C such that genes B and C are now inverted. The inversion occurs on only one homologue. During meiotic pairing of the inverted chromosome with the normal chromosome, a chiasma forms between B-C and crossing over

Persuasive text analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

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Physics paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

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Toyota Highlander Hybrid Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

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Competitors in the market Essay Example for Free

Competitors in the market Essay 1. Name: Stork Removals www.storkremovals.co.uk Address of Competitor: Stork Removals 15 Hazelwood Road Enfield EN1 1JG Products Offered By Competitor: Removals, Storage, Packing (full packing, part-packing and materials only service) Features of Customer Services: 0800 number, Free Insurance cover, Free Estimates, Free expert advice, Contact via telephone, fax or email. Quality of Service Offered By Competitor: Member of Road Haulage Association. A representative of Stork Removals will visit the customer at home in order to provide an accurate quotation. Stork Removals estimators visit at a time convenient to the customer, including evenings and at the weekends. Customers goods are automatically covered during loading, unloading and transportations. All staff employed by Stork Removals, are fully trained. All staffs wear the companys uniform and are easily recognisable. 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A representative will visit the customer at home to discuss what the customer require, Office removals teams consists of experienced furniture removers and IT packers Modern 24 hour manned secure storage units Marketing and Promotion: Listed in the yellow pages with details of their service 4. Name: Easy Shift www.Easyshift.co.uk Address of Competitor: 106, Priory Rd, London, N8 7HR Products Offered By Competitor: Removals, Self- Storage, Packing Features of Customers Services: Free quotes. Either personally, over the phone or via email. Free goods in transit insurance with all work performed to à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½10,000. Easy payment methods, Contact via telephone or email, free word robe boxes for all moves, free advice, Weekend and bank holidays office relocation, boxes can be provided on a sale or return basis and any unused boxes collected on the day of moving. Customers can pack all or some of their possessions and Easy shift will part-pack on request. Open-ended contract on self storage. Quality of Service Offered by Competitor: Reliable, honest and punctual staff, Trained staff, professionally maintained and insured vehicles, wide range of packaging materials to protect customers goods whilst in transit. Flexible solutions to individual relocation requirements, provides top 10 tips on removals on their website, terms and condition are clearly stated on their website, can cater for moves of all sizes to all locations within Greater London, UK and Europe. Customers can check packaging price list on their website or ask staff to recommend how many boxes the job will require. All goods are safely stored and fully insured whilst in storage. Marketing and Promotion: Provides testimonials on their website, has name of business and contact details on their removal vehicles, listed in the yellow pages with details of their service. Part B What Falconi Removal Need to do to be more competitive: Productive/Service Storage Packing Options: Full or part packing Light Haulage Domestic Move Overseas Moves Excess Baggage Commercial Moves Easy payment methods Open-ended contract on self storage Marketing and Promotion Set up a website Put Testimonials on website contact details on their removals vehicles listed in the Yellow Pages Quality of Service A representative to visit customers homes in order to provide an accurate quotation. estimators visit at a time convenient to the customer Customers goods are automatically covered during loading Trained Staff All staffs wear the companys uniform and are easily recognisable plywood storage containers for maximum protection of customers The warehouse are under 24-hour security surveillance utilizing CCTV technology Show association that their part of Office removals teams consists of experienced furniture removers and IT packers Modern 24 hour manned secure units Customers can check packaging price list on their website or ask staff to recommend how many boxes the job will require All goods are safely stored and fully insured whilst in storage Flexible solutions to individual relocation requirements, provides top 10 tips on removals on their website. Customer Service Free Insurance cover 0800 number Free expert advice Contact via telephone, fax or email Provide consultants to work with customers to design and implement a relocation plan customized to their individual needs that is cost effective, efficient and stress free Provide a free quotation page on their website where customers can fill in their details of what they are moving and where they want to move. Free quotes Free goods in transit insurance with all work performed to à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½10,000 Weekend and bank holidays office relocation Price Falconi Removals have to find this information themselves e.g. Mystery shoppers

Business Essays Ryanair Airlines Transportation

Business Essays Ryanair Airlines Transportation Ryanair Airlines Transportation Ryan Air Case Study 1.0 Introduction Ryanair was set up by the Ryan family in 1985. The company went public in 1997 and the Ryan’s subsequently sold the bulk of their share to other shareholders. Ryanair traditionally developed organically, i.e. by growing its assets by itself. Every year, it opened new hubs in Europe, started flights from new airports, and added to its aircraft fleet. This model proved to be rather successful. By 2003, Ryanair was the most profitable and valuable airline in Europe ahead of Lufthansa and doubling its value over British Airways. However, as the market started to saturate and as the competition got tougher, the company decided to buy Buzz, another low-cost airline. It did so in 2003. Many said that Buzz was a financial disaster but acquiring it was strategically important for Ryanair that wanted to increase its market share and get Buzz’s airport slots and other facilities. 1.1 Ryan air’s objectives are: To open at least one new base in Europe each year for the next three or four years To grow at a rate of thirty percent (30%) for the next two years to just under twenty million passengers To maintain its position as Europe’s leading low fares airline To operate frequently point-to-point short haul flights, mainly out of regional and secondary airports 1.2 Mission and Vision The mission of Ryanair is to keep the lowest fares among all the other European airlines and to have a friendly and efficient service that satisfies the customer’s needs. The vision to the future of Ryanair is to keep going up and be Europe’s largest airline in the next six years. The heart of its strategy is based on providing a no-frills service with low fares designed to stimulate demand, particularly from budget conscious leisure and business travellers, who might otherwise have used alternatives forms of transportation, or who might not have travelled at all. 2.0 No-frill Ryan Air (refer to appendix A for more details) Over the last decade, European Aviation has moved from a highly regulated market, based on bilateral agreements between countries, towards an oligopolistic structure and finally to a highly monopolistic competitive single market. In this new situation the discretionary powers of the authorities have been curbed and airlines have enjoyed greater freedom to set fares, open new routes and determine what capacities to offer. This has eroded the dominance of the Flag Carriers like British Airways, Lufthansa and Air France, due to the upsurge of low cost airlines. In the United Kingdom however, the industry is still oligopolistic in nature, as there are many barriers to market contestability: Availability of desired take-off and landing slots at airports. The necessity of entering a new route on a large enough scale to achieve acceptable cost levels. The costs of leasing or buying new fleet of aircrafts. Securing contracts with ground-handling companies who may already have contracts with other airlines. Retaliatory behaviour by rivals. The necessity of applying for and securing an air operators’ licence from European Union. Overcoming existing customer loyalty achieved by companies who have exploited their advantage of being the first carrier. Direct intervention in the industry to control externalities e.g. aviation taxation. Ryanair a ‘no frills’ low cost airline was able to introduce pricing strategies that worked. Financial statements from 2002 – 2003 were compared; the results showed that Ryanair enjoyed after tax profit growth of fifty-nine percent (59%). This was possible through an aggressive pricing policy. 3.0 Internal and External Analysis In reference to the competitive structure of this newly formed low fares airline market in Europe and how it has developed during the 1990’s. 3.1 The Porters Five forces model shown in Appendix A, summaries these dynamics under the various influencing factors. The most influential of these are discussed. As entrants developed in this market, rivalry increased although no major head-to-head battles with the mainline global airlines occurred due to the ‘low fares’ market developing their own routes. Competition only existed from various new airlines catering for this growing sector, along with tailor made sub-divisions of the major airlines e.g. GO parent group British Airways. As the market became over crowded, however, the threat of entry was reduced, not only due to the large capital investment required. But the basic factors of congestion in the skies and the lack of take-off and landing slots at airports deterred potential new entrants. The suppliers of aircraft to the sector have relatively low power, second-hand aircraft entailed high maintenance low fuel efficiency costs and some new entrants required new aircraft to promote their new image. Although new aircraft suppliers also have low power due to the fierce competition within their manufacturing industry (Airbus, Boeing), the main force of supplier’s power comes from the price of aviation fuel which is directly related to the cost of oil, as individual companies within the airline sector they do not have the power to alter this. Customers have little power due to their large number and relatively small individual contribution to sales revenue, although this level of power will vary on the travel route in question depending on its level of competition. Porter (1998) highlighted potential risks that companies adopting any of the three generic strategies might face. For a strategy competing on costs, the main risks are when competitors are able to imitate the strategy itself, or technology changes. When the target segment becomes structurally unattractive, it also poses a risk to the company. This can happen when the demand for low fares disappears due to changing consumer taste. From the fact of the case study, Ryan air is a dominant player in the sector, and this risk is particular high at this stage. Ryan air ‘no-frill’ policy may have to change as they are actively expanding their flight route network and distance. It would be impossible for Ryan air not to provide meals on longer haul flights and as a result their cost focus strategy may become blurred. Ryan air continues to set prices lower than mist of their competitor. Bowman’s Strategic Clock may be a better tool for analysing the case study as it focuses on pricing (refer to appendix C). 3.2 Swot Analysis Opportunities for Ryanair There is still potential for more regional departures to satisfy business travel demand and the growth in short breaks. The Internet can provide a simpler route to the market for consumers and businesses. It makes searching for availability and the lowest fares easier and reduce distribution costs for airlines. There is potential for more direct bookings to reduce distribution costs. Increasing collaboration with alliance partners and code sharing partners can increase sales and reduce costs. This could lead to higher levels of cross-shareholdings and consolidation in the industry. There is also considerable potential for further development of low-fare services in Europe. Ryanair can use its reputation as a resource to expand into Internet cafà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s or car rental services. They can also cut down on the use of intermediataries who sell their tickets for them by getting to publicise through the Internet or airports 3.3 Threat for Ryan Air The threat of substitutes is however a main area of power, smaller geographical space and shorter distances between major agglomerations allow a greater competition from alternative transportation, notably the high-speed train. The main business challenge during the 1990’s for the ‘low fares’ airline sector was how to convince customers to take the plane instead. The threat of September 11 has proved traumatic for the mainstream European airlines. By contrast, in the no-frill airline sector, traffic calmed sharply, buoyed by strong sales promotions and heavy discounting. However, for Ryanair, the mainstream airlines’ losses were the budget airlines’ gains, strengthening their bargaining position with respect to aircraft procurement, airport deals and staff recruitment. 3.4 Strengths for Ryan Air (refer to Appendix B for more details) By looking at the strengths in appendix B, by the end of 2003, Ryanair’s route system had expanded from its primarily Irish-UK emphasis to serve 86 destinations on 133 routes across 16 countries. Ryanair’s no-frill services allowed it to priorities features important to its clientele, such as frequent departures, advance reservations, baggage handling, and consistent on-time services. Ryanair’s strength (appendix B) is that it offers travel insurances, car rental and connecting rail services, and commission on sales of other services such as hotel reservation. Ryanair website is acclaimed as being one of the most user-friendly and visited travel websites in Europe. (Refer to Exhibit 6 in the handbook for details on operating statistics for Ryanair) 3.5 Pestle Analysis: (refer to appendix A for more details) By looking at the Pestle Analysis, its suggests that Ryan air has to keep a lot of things in mind before taking any further step to increase it awareness. It has to make sure that it follows that law. Also, have to look at the people behaviour on spending the money and keep its price reasonable to attract its rival customers. 4.0 Financial Status: In 2003 Ryanair had delivered its 13th consecutive years of increased profitability. Its net margin had increased by 4% to 28%, surpassing its own long-term net profit margin target of 20%. The staff efficiency ratio had improved by 15% (see exhibit 1 in the handbook). The group’s market capitalisation had grown from  £392m in 1997 to  £4.7 by 1 July 2003, as its profitability was seen to be unique among airlines worldwide. In fiscal 2003, Ryanair had delivered extra ordinary growth in fleet, routes; traffic, revenues and profitability (refer to exhibit 1a, b and c in the handbook). Ryanair advertises its low fairs, primarily on its website, in newspapers, and on radio and television. In 1997, Ryanair was one of the first European airlines to cut its rate of commission to travel agents, from 9% to 7 and half percent. In 2002, Ryanair launched its website. This has had the effect of saving money on staff cost, agents’ commissions and computer reservation charges, while significantly contributing to growth. 5.0 Benchmarking: Comparing Ryanair to other airline companies is almost impossible, while the airline industry is blurring through competitive activity and industry convergence. Airlines offer nowadays a lot of extra services, for example, car rental, internet access in the plane et cetera. All those extra services don’t belong to the core product, the flight. Because of every airline company offering something else it makes it hard to compare Ryanair with them. Ryanair could compare itself to other low-budget airlines, despite the product Ryanair offers is very unique and Ryanair is one of the most profitable low-budget airline. 6.0 Resources Available resources Available resources can be grouped under the following four headings: Physical resources The nature of these resources, such as the age, condition, capability and location of each resource, will also determine the usefulness of the resource. Ryanair possesses everything that is needed to have the company operating in the airline industry. For example, an aircraft fleet (the average age was considerably higher than that of the fleets of Ryanair’s current or potential competitors), headquarter in Ireland, secondary airports to use for landing et cetera. Human resources Ryanair has several hundred employees who issued a statement asserting that they are happy to work for the company. Financial resources Ryanair has different shareholders: The Ryan family The employees Michael O’Leary An investment group led by David Bonderman Irish Air EU nationals Intellectual capital The intellectual capital is the intangible resources of an organisation and is often overlooked or undervalued. The intellectual capital of Ryanair consists for example of the knowledge that the individual employees have. They are all well trained, are able to use the customer databases and have good relationships with the customers. These resources are not tangible, but very important in this knowledge-based economy. 7.0 BUZZ – A Low Price Purchase: Ryanair protects and strengthen its position in the current EU Budget airline market through acquired BUZZ, and appointed two deputies, however, in the fierce competition; Ryanair should seek to some other new markets or new products. Enter the long-haul flight market with the existing cheap, no-frills flights or launch the business class in flight for the business travellers are both the good future directions for Ryanair, because these options are more or less relate to the current business which Ryanair is doing, it is easier for sharing the resources and controlling. Diversification into long-haul market with business class flights, seems not a wisdom choice for Ryanair, since choose to do something is not linking to Ryanair’s current business at all; it would make Ryanair into a very risky situation. 7.1 Robustness: (see appendix D) Rarity Michael O’Leary has a lot of experience and knowledge that can be seen as a unique resource for Ryanair. In 2004, the Financial Times named Michael O’Leary as one of 25 European ‘business stars’, who are expected to make a difference. Ideas can not be patented; they are in the public area. So advantage of Michael O’Leary will be short-lived and only if Ryanair is good at learning, adapting and moving to new bases of competition, Ryanair will be the long-term winner. Another rarity of Ryanair is the extremely low costs and low prices. This can be imitated by other airlines by introducing a new cost-cutting policy and by doing a lot of research. Complexity Entering the airline industry is very hard. Surviving in the airline industry as a low budget company maybe even harder, while Ryanair is so unique, innovative, with a very aggressive marketing policy, Ryanair is impossible to imitate. Culture Ryanair operates only in Europe, so the cultural differences are not so big, and does not give any problems. Casual ambiguity Other airline companies know that the basis of success for Ryanair is the cost-cutting policy. But how Ryanair manages this policy is unclear to them. It is hard to imitate. Ryanair is Europe’s first low-fares and no frills carrier, and it believes that it has made a sufficient gap over its competitors. But the question is can Ryanair maintain its objectives and strategies within the next 2-5years. 8.0 The detailed proposals recommended and previous objectives that can be enhanced. The Strategy that can help Ryan air to increase its competitiveness in the airline industry in short term and long term and the things that it can do to attract more customers. 8.1 Short-term strategy (refer to appendix C for more details about Ryan air strategic position) In short-term strategies, Ryanair must ensure that they are very competitive in terms of their low cost services. By keeping customers satisfied with the price of their tickets, thus reducing the complaints from flight changes and price changes, and ensuring that their day-to-day activities are constantly kept up-to-date with the constant use of the value chain analysis. 8.2 Medium-term Strategy In medium-term Ryanair face continuous competition, due to the fact that they are not number one in the low fare airlines market share even with the merger with BUZZ holding the largest low fares airline, BA and its seven alliances are number one. There should be some goals to under pin other competitors in a market penetration and new product development. Maybe by implementing own branded items into the market, as well as the subsidy’s, to maximise profits with the aid of research and development. Ryanair want to compete against BA. In which Ryanair is continuing its long-term goals of expansion, in order to compete with the larger companies. But they can only achieve this by undercutting BA, i.e. in sectors they fail to break even. 8.3 Additional Service for Customers: The use of secondary airports causes people to catch other modes of transport to reach the main city. Ryanair can take advantage, by offering an additional service to drop people at their locations. This can be done through contracting to a taxi service or a coach company. With a well-researched marketing strategy that can be used to attract the customers thereby boosting Ryanair’s passengers in unfilled seats and thus aiding in the reduction of complaints in short-term strategy. By having more people working on the help desks as the Internet has no middle man, thus no commission has to be paid to travel agencies. In terms of the Internet direct sale, it not only can reduce labour administration costs, but convenience for customers and save their time. In order to provide customers with an efficient and courteous service, it is inevitable that Ryanair have to improve their service. Generally such as the cargo services, well arrangement of booking tickets (in the internet and telephone) and while flights are being cancelled, they will give priority to resolve the situation. 8.4 Promotional Activity for Ryanair: Ryanair needs large amounts of aggressive promotion, to be noticed by the whole world in similarity to Easy Jets marketing tactic of a TV programme that was successful in making a profit and its name being remembered. In comparison, the name Ryanair is not that well known but a market research would be needed to verify this. Ryanair must achieve a new tactic to be known in the market but this may lead to a high risk factor, if they decided to focus on advertisements on TV with their special offers other than travel agencies using their airlines. Another option is the low risk factors by advertising on radio and billboards, then aiming the marketing strategy towards the targeted customers i.e. entrepreneurs and students 8.5 What Ryan air should in terms of its customer’s safety? In points of safety for their customers since the US attacks during September 11th and the recent attacks that took place in 2003, the planes must be kept and insured that they are safe to use otherwise there will be no customers. For example, if a budget air-line had an accident it can be argued that the low costs on ticket prices, cost peoples lives. This strategy will always need constant up-to-date measures in short-term and long-term, because anything can happen. 9.0 Conclusion The aim of this report was to carry out a strategy analysis of Ryanair, Europe’s largest low-cost no-frills airline. From this it became evident that the organisation operates in a complex environment with fast changing influences that affect its business both beneficially and unfavourably. It also enabled identification of some of the sources of Ryanair’s competitive advantage: core competencies, unique resources, key linkages and the superior cost performance compared to its closest competitor. However, it also became clear that the organisation still has a lot to learn from best practice. In general, Ryanair’s strategies match its task environment although it fails to address certain crucial issues. If these are not dealt with they could lead to future problems and reductions in profits. Reference: Cole, G. A. 1996, Management Theory and Practice, DP Publications, London Hornby, W., Gammie, B., Wall, S. 1997, Business Economics, Pearson Education Limited, England Kotler, P., Armstrong, G. 2001, Principles of Marketing, Prentice Hall, New Jersey Sloman, J. 2000, Economics, Pearson Education Ltd, England. Wright, W. 1999, Marketing: Origins, Concepts, Environment, Business Press, London Gerry Johnson. Kevan Scholes, Richard Whittington. 2007, Exploring Corporate Strategy, 7th edition Appendix A Porters Five Forces related to Ryanair: The Threat of Entry High requirements for capital investment Some economies of scale High marketing costs Experience in operation needed, established airlines already have trained staff High congestion of main airports, difficulty of obtaining landing and take-off slots Advantage in brand recognition, first mover advantage Expectation of retaliation from traditional airlines in price cutting and marketing strategies such as British Airways, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines and BMI New EU ruling on overbooking can add to the increasing costs posed to airline companies The Threat of Substitutes Mainstream airlines are losing market share due to September 11 aftermath Substitution depends on the relative strengths of other airlines such as daily flights frequency, punctuality, price and certain destinations Availability of other transport alternatives such as charter airlines, car ferries, high-speed trains and cars. Substitution for land travelling is dependent on journey time distances, destinations, convenience, flexibility, and customer preferences Bargaining Power of Buyers Large population base in EU Switching cost is relevantly low as there is no high differentiation of services Internet booking allows customers to research relative costs between airliners easily; perfect knowledge Price is major factor in the choice of airlines apart from flight frequency and punctuality Services provided is similar among airlines Bargaining Power of Suppliers Concentrated and small number of aircraft manufacturers i.e. Boeing and Airbus Many budget airlines have been opting for standardized Boeing 737 aircraft will lead to Boeing having more power. The power of main airports is increasing due to air traffic in EU is mounting. Secondary airports are desperate for business from budget airlines. The price of aviation fuel is directly linked to the cost of oil, hence budget airlines like Ryanair is difficult to alter this. The more Ryanair expands the more power it will possess over its suppliers. Competitive Rivalry The European low cost airline industry is very competitive. Ryanair has fierce competition from Easy Jet, Virgin Express and Aer Lingus New competitors in the budget sector increase the buyer power. Mainstream airlines have more control over take-off and landing slots in main airports Mainstream airlines are trying to retaliate by decrease cost on domestic flights, introducing internet booking and set up low-fares subsidiaries Low switching costs and customer loyalty High costs of leaving market Pest Analysis: Political and Legal Regulations for the air travel industry are getting even more stringent. The European Union authorities demand that airlines operate in an open, transparent manner. Any state subsidies to airline companies are prohibited in order to make working conditions equal to anyone and to boost competition in the industry. There are also regulations in place for airlines not to exceed certain levels of noise and air pollution. All of the legislation and regulations make operating in the industry harder. Economic Europe is undergoing economic slowdown. People therefore spend less, in general, and tend to travel less, as a result. High oil prices inflate costs of fuel and impact margins negatively. At the same time, people are ready to travel for less and thus willing to opt for low-budget airlines. Business travel is on the surge. E.g., business travelers count for 40% of all Ryanair’s passengers. At the same time, overall traffic in the industry as well as profitability levels plummeted in the aftermath of 11 September and after the war in Iraq and the SARS. This had a devastating effect on the majority of airlines but also gave an impetus to the development of low-cost carriers. Social People’s mobility has been increasing during the last decades. People travel for leisure, business, and in search of new jobs. Personal disposable income of people is rising in Europe as well as the number of senior citizens who enjoy traveling. Traveling low-cost has become a norm. Technological Airlines set up websites through which they sell tickets and other ancillary products and services such as car rentals and travel insurances. This led to cost decreases and to greater reach to customers. Airlines now provide satellite TV and phone services on board as well as broadband Internet and thus enhance value to customers. Information systems allow airlines collect data about passengers, cost, prices as well as ensure better service when boarding and handling luggage. Environmental Companies now have to comply with strict environment protection regulations and laws. Should they breach them, they may be liable to enormous fines or court hearings. This can have a greater impact on low-cost carriers as they have more take-offs and landings due to higher frequency of flights, and therefore need to pay more environment related taxes. Appendix B Strengths and weaknesses of Ryanair Airline Strengths Ryanair first budget airline in Europe, market leader. Most developed route system with frequent departures on Dublin–London route. Pre-empting potential competitors on the same routes, unless they can offer better value than Ryanair through lower prices (which requires them to have lower costs or take the pain of losses) and/or extra services (but customers must consider these worth paying for). Pursuing clear strategy, efficient and effective low cost operator; activities fit together to create low cost  ® difficult to undercut Ryanair on cost, and therefore on price (but see weaknesses for some cost vulnerabilities). Low and reducing breakeven load factor, easily cleared, reduces financial risk. Similarly, average length of passenger haul is moving in the right direction, as is number of employees per aircraft  ® reducing cost per available seat mile ®good operating profit. In fact, in 2001 Ryanair was considered the most profitable airline in the world Low debt, relatively high p/e ratio makes it possible to raise finance for growth Leadership – testimony of awards for management. Michael O’Leary and Tony Ryan are determined competitors, turned Ryanair around very effectively Weaknesses In an inverse way, Ryanair’s weaknesses can be listed and assessed to see whether any of them create critical vulnerabilities that impair Ryanair’s positioning and viability. Cost structure – aircraft utilisation in question with lowest number of hours per day of any budget competitors; older aircraft entail higher fuel and maintenance costs; currency fluctuations make fuel costs unpredictable. Overly cost conscious? Could be irritating to passengers, e.g. withdrawing free ice with paid for drinks – especially when budget rivals are actually adding perks, and mainstream airlines are discounting. Capital structure – very vulnerable to financial markets sentiment and high expectations, so any profit disappointment could be disastrous for share price, which is especially important in absence of dividends. Also, majority free floating shares could result in over 50% ownership outside EU  ®loss of airline licence. Staff issues – EU legislation regarding compulsory trade unions, alongside history of industrial relations problems; question marks over staff commitment and loyalty. Outsourced services outside Ireland may mitigate against employee commitment and intense company knowledge necessary to create superior customer service. Ryanair penalized more than other airlines by loss of intra-EU duty-free because cabin staff remuneration dependent on it; Ryanair had to compensate staff. The Value Chain The value chain model was suggested by Michael Porter. He maintained that an organization can provide value to its customers in two major ways: by lowering costs in a particular operation or by enhancing perceived value-added through differentiation. A company can add value using both methods in its different operations. The value chain consists of primary activities and supporting activities. Primary activities include: a)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Inbound logistics, i.e. suppliers, purchases, inventories, lead times; b)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Operations, i.e. manufacturing or processing; waste and distribution management; inventory control; efficiency; location management; customer service; information systems; c)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Outbound logistics: selling, delivering, transportation, distribution; d)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Marketing and sales; e)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Service: customer satisfaction and retention, customer loyalty. Supporting activities entail: f)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Infrastructure: structure of the organization (centralized or decentralized etc); culture; managers’ involvement and support; vision; frequency of communication between managers and employees; g)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Human resources: motivation; respect of employees, which leads to happier staff and lower turn-around; h)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Technology development: Internet bookings, satellite communications, ERP information systems all lead to greater efficiency and lower costs; i)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Procurement: relationships with suppliers; storage. When bargaining power towards suppliers is high, then costs are low. A succes

Sat Scores Vs. Acceptance Rates :: essays research papers

SAT Scores vs. Acceptance Rates The experiment must fulfill two goals: (1) to produce a professional report of your experiment, and (2) to show your understanding of the topics related to least squares regression as described in Moore & McCabe, Chapter 2. In this experiment, I will determine whether or not there is a relationship between average SAT scores of incoming freshmen versus the acceptance rate of applicants at top universities in the country. The cases being used are 12 of the very best universities in the country according to US News & World Report. The average SAT scores of incoming freshmen are the explanatory variables. The response variable is the acceptance rate of the universities. I used September 16, 1996 issue of US News & World Report as my source. I started out by choosing the top fourteen "Best National Universities". Next, I graphed the fourteen schools using a scatterplot and decided to cut it down to 12 universities by throwing out odd data. A scatterplot of the 12 universities data is on the following page (page 2) The linear regression equation is: ACCEPTANCE = 212.5 + -.134 * SAT_SCORE R= -.632 R^2=.399 I plugged in the data into my calculator, and did the various regressions. I saw that the power regression had the best correlation of the non-linear transformations. A scatterplot of the transformation can be seen on page 4. The Power Regression Equation is ACCEPTANCE RATE=(2.475x10^23)(SAT SCORE)^-7.002 R= -.683 R^2=.466 The power regression seems to be the better model for the experiment that I have chosen. There is a higher correlation in the power transformation than there is in the linear regression model. The R for the linear model is -.632 and the R in the power transformation is -.683. Based on R^2 which measures the fraction of the variation in the values of y that is explained by the least-squares regression of y on x, the power transformation model has a higher R^2 which is . 466 compared to .399. The residual plot for the linear regression is on page 5 and the residual plot for the power regression is on page 6. The two residuals plots seem very similar to one another and no helpful observations can be seen from them. The outliers in both models was not a factor in choosing the best model. In both models, there was one distinct outlier which appeared in the graphs. The one outlier in both models was University of Chicago. It had an unusually high acceptance rate among the universities in this experiment. This school is a very good school academically which means the average SAT scores of

Apology Essay -- essays research papers

I am not so certain if Socrates' approach to his defense is particularly the brightest one, and it certainly is not an apology as the title has named it, but, there is a certain wisdom in the simple, plain structured arguments he presents. One of the first things he mentions, is for the jury to pardon him, in the case that he should slip into his accustomed way of speaking, just as they would pardon a foreigner for speaking in his accustomed manner. This appears to me to be a wise idea, as it is true, even in today's society that we tend to judge people on face value. People who do not speak English well, as Socrates would not have spoken "court language" very well, tend to be jusdged as stupid. Socrates next points out that Meletus is not the first man to accuse him. He adresse...

Mahathir’s Foreign Policy

The Foreign Policy of Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad during his premiership During eighties of last century, Malaysia was not widely known by the world. Only a few of politicians might hear about Malaysia not as an economic power, but as an agricultural country which is the main supplier of crude palm oil. This situation changed when Tun Dr. Mahathir became the fourth Prime Minister of Malaysia who has changed how the world judges and treats Malaysia. Besides of Tun Dr. Mahathir’s enormous contribution on economic sector, in foreign affairs also Tun Dr. Mahathir was also a giant of the times during his premiership.During his 22 years of premiership, he successfully transform Malaysia become one of the Tiger Cub Economies after Four Asian Tigers. As one of the important spokesman in Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), he aggressively promotes overall construction of ASEAN countries. This is a significant step to ensure the benefits of small countries are being protected b y forming a unified action guideline when having disputes with great power. In order to against with European Union and Organization of American States, there is a need for Asia countries to form regional alliances to protect loose countries’ benefits.This is what exactly the purpose of founding ASEAN. In spite of Tun Dr. Mahathir was not welcomed by western country during his premiership, yet his â€Å"Look East Policy† has inspired many Asia countries to learn from Japan and South Korea, not only blindly followed what western countries have done. This is highly related with Asian values, where it has catalyzed the progress of Look East Policy. In fact, Tun Dr. Mahathir did not neglect the influences of western country especially United States of America. He believe that USA is the main reason to ensure peaceful of Southeast Asia region, the deployment of the U.S. fleet in the Pacific is necessary yet at the same time he insist that no massive troops should be deploym ent at ASEAN. This is actually how Tun Dr. Mahathir weighs the influences of USA to benefit Malaysia and other ASEAN countries. Early in this century, as a sensible leader in Islamic world Tun Dr. Mahathir encourages the unity of Islamic world towards greater prosperity. He has been anti-state terrorism and anti-war all along his premiership and after Incident 911, he has suggested USA to set up a counterterrorism center in Malaysia.In issues of Israel and Jews, Tun Dr. Mahathir was a staunch supporter of Palestinian cause and he also named Israel as â€Å"the enemy allied with most powerful nations†. He condemns Israel who killed thousands of Muslims while some Jews are supporters to those killers. As a summary, the overall foreign policy under Tun Dr. Mahathir premiership is basically regional approach where most of his foreign policy is targeting prosperity of entire Southeast Asia. In spite many condemns from many people, yet Tun Dr. Mahathir still an excellence diplomat in heart of Malaysians.

Prospects and Problems of Snails Production in Nigeria

CHAPTER ONE 1. 1. Introduction Nigeria's economic recovery programmes have necessitated a radical shift from total dependence on government for job to self-employment. One such attractive area for self-employment is snail rearing. It is a great money-spinning business that can provide a substantial source of protein to complement Nigerian carbohydrate meals. Sadly Nigerians inclination to go into business in the fields where thousands have already made their fortune has led to the ulter neglect of such lucrative area of snail farming in Nigeria or export at international market. Many people see snails here and there.Some people take it as meat. But quite a number don't know how to go about rearing them. This is made worse because snails, which belong to the family of animal called MOLLUSCA, is a hermaphrodite. It has both the female and male sexual organs; so one cannot really distinguish between the male and female specie of it. 1. 2. Overview Snails that respire using a lung belong to the group Pulmonata, while those with gills form a polyphyletic group; in other words, snails with gills form a number of taxonomic groups that are not necessarily more closely related to each other than they are related to some other groups.Both snails that have lungs and snails that have gills have diversified so widely over geological time that a few species with gills can be found on land and numerous species with lungs can be found in freshwater. Even a few marine species have lungs. Snails can be found in a very wide range of environments, including ditches, deserts, and the abyssal depths of the sea. Although many people are familiar with terrestrial snails, they are in the minority. Marine snails constitute the majority of snail species, and have much greater diversity and a greater biomass.Numerous kinds of snail can also be found in fresh water. Most snails have thousands of microscopic tooth-like structures located on a ribbon-like tongue called a radula. The radula w orks like a file, ripping food into small pieces. Many snails are herbivorous, eating plants or rasping algae from surfaces with their radulae, though a few land species and many marine species are omnivores or predatory carnivores. CHAPTER TWO 2. 1. SNAIL FARMING IN NIGERIA Nigeria's economic recovery programmes have necessitated a radical shift from total dependence on government for job to self-employment.One such attractive area for self-employment is snail rearing. It is a great money-spinning business that can provide a substantial source of protein to complement Nigerian carbohydrate meals. Sadly Nigerians inclination to go into business in the fields where thousands have already made their fortune has led to the ulter neglect of such lucrative area of snail farming in Nigeria  or export at international market. CHAPTER THREE 3. 1. Problems of snail production 1. Population Control This is a sticky subject for a lot of people but it's important to think about this sensibly if you intend to keep snails.With certain species able to lay 1200+ eggs in one year it is completely impractical to hatch all your eggs. And with most species, eggs are almost guaranteed. So let's deal with the options you have or may have heard: 1. Keeping snails isolated This is a common suggestion but I don't think it is a practical solution for a number of reasons. I'd favour the opinion that snails do best with others and most people wouldn't wish to keep one snail, and you may not have the tanks to start splitting them all up. Also, some species of snail can self-fertilise if necessary. 2.Picking snails that are notoriously hard to breed or in high demand This isn't a bad suggestion; you'll not have any trouble finding homes for the babies. Remember though, that new breeds are in high demand but may not necessarily be difficult to breed. Your first few clutches may fly out the door, but it's likely those new owners will have similar success. Some species can be fertile within a few months, so the day when you'll struggle to re-home them is merely postponed. 3. Discouraging breeding through environmental conditions This is a bit like the rhythm method in humans, in that it is likely to be very risky.Most likely you'll end up with unhappy snails and eggs anyway. 4. Destroying unwanted eggs The vast majority of snail keepers choose to destroy any unwanted eggs as soon as they are found. The sooner the better because they develop quite quickly, particularly if the snail has retained them for longer than usual. Destroying the eggs is more humane than hatching 1000s of unwanted babies. Owners of tropical species do this and liken it much to the viability that is realistically found in the wild.A lot of eggs will be eaten, some won't develop and the chance of a baby snail surviving to adulthood is very poor. To destroy eggs you can simply crush, boil or freeze them, the latter the most popular method. Most people check the soil every few days, particularly in hot weather. More often than not snails will lay against the bottom or side of a tank so they are easy to spot. Some snails hold eggs inside for longer than usual so the eggs can be more developed but in the majority of cases, great conditions in captivity mean they can lay as soon as they are formed.Native snail eggs generally take longer to hatch than tropical ones, 20-40 days, perhaps shorter in hot weather, so destroying them within a day or two of being laid means they are just fluid with no embryo in. Tropical eggs can hatch within a day or two so you have to be ultra vigilant. 5. Breeding Information (Self-fertilisation) â€Å"The Pulmonates are hermaphroditic. Most are outcrossers, exchanging spermatophores, containing spermatozoa at mating. Others self-fertilise, at least some of the time; in some, parts of the male reproductive system may be lost. Firstly, I can't be sure that by mention of â€Å"self-fertilise† it means â€Å"fertilising oneself with ones own spe rm† or whether it simply means they control the process of choosing when and which sperm to fertilise themselves with. CHAPTER FOUR 4. 1. ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS FAVOURING SURVIVAL AND RAISING OF SNAIL   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Environment is the combination of external physical conditions that affect and influence the growth, development and survival of organisms. Snail farms can be indoors or outdoors provided environmental conditions necessary for survival prevails for optimum production of snail the following environmental factors are ideal. 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Temperature: Temperature influences the activities of snails temperature above 200c will cause the snails to as stivate our hibernate in order to regulate the body fluid continual snails thrive well under ambient temperature of 200c with considerable growth rate all year round with zero chance of aestivation. Temperature and humidity 80 hand in hand and are very critical in the survival of snails. (2)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Humidity: This factor is very critical as the snail has to maintain a constant equilibrium between the fluids.A humid environment is required for snail to remain active and bred all years round. A is therefore necessary to moisten the environment during fry periods. (3)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Light: Snail though generally nocturnal requires light for optimum growth. Provided the amount of light in terms of quantity and quality is very arucil in the life of snail. 4. Soil: Soil is a medium for reproduction of snails good management practice involves selection and mixture of soil. It should be recalled that soil harbour a lot of pests predators and soil should diseases.It becomes necessary that soil farm be properly analyzed before use in snail activities and development. It mixture of sand and clay in good proportion retains water and therefore is not suitable on the other hand clay during the rains is water logged and cakes up during the dry period too hard for the snails to burr ow through. Loamy soil is recommended as it contains enough organic matter with good retentive capacity. Acidic soil should be avoided. If it can not be avoided liming is encouraged in such situation.Periodic application of calcium is also encouraged where and when it is absent. The soil should not contain harmful salts or be so alkaline so as net to burn the snails (Akinuvsi 2000). 4. 2. HOVESING Snails are known to escape from enclosures that are not properly protected or covered. It therefore becomes imperative that snail houses should be protected to prevent the snails from escaping and predator free. The housing for raising snails varies with the purpose, however it could be made of wooden materials wire mesh or even local materials whether outdoor or indoor.CHAPTER FIVE 5. 1. Conclusion This review attempted to examine the contribution of snail farming to poverty reduction in Nigeria. The paper emphasized that snail farming is a veritable means of complementing the carbohydrat e meals of the totality of Nigeria as well as a means of generating income and to achieving self sufficiency as it provides self employment to the people. To be able to achieve this, government should encourage investors in this area financially and extension services.It is, therefore, recommended that Government should take more than a cursory interest in snail farming by encouraging investors through progression of an enabling environmental, financial and technical support. REFERENCES Agboola, F. K. , Fagbohunka, B. S. and Adenuga, G. A. (2008). Activities of Archachatina marginata heamolymph enzymes: clues to terrestrial snails’ salt intolerance. International Journal of Biological and Chemical Sciences (2)1: 6 – 71. Abere, S. A. and Lameed, G. A. (2008). The medicinal utilization of snails in some selected states in Nigeria. In: Onyekwelu, J.C. Adekunle, V. A. J. and Oke, D. O. (eds. ). Proceeding of the first National conference of the Forests and Forest Products Society (FFPs) held in Akure, Ondo State between 11th and 18th of April, 2008. Pp 233 – 237. Ademosun, A. A. , Omidiji, M. O. (1999). The nutrient value of African giant land snail (Archachatina marginata). Journal of Animal Protection Research 8(2): 876 – 877. Adeyeye, E. I. (1996). Waste yield, Proximate and mineral Composition of three different types of land snail found in Nigeria. International Journal of Food Science and Nutrition 42(2): 111-116.

Being a nursing home administrator Essay

Being a nursing home administrator with in a nursing home, excellent communication is a necessity. Communication is how care providers determine the quality of care that is given and needed for the patients. By being a nursing home administrator, it is my job to make sure that the HIPPA rules and regulations are being used by all employees. By making sure that HIPPA rules and regulations are being upheld, the nursing home is providing quality care to the patients. When a change happens at a nursing home there can be confusion and conflict with everyone involved. While following the chain of command can be long and even boring, it is needed to keep the communication process smooth and effective. The chain of command does help reduce the risk of a communication breakdown. If a communication breakdown is developed it can cause commotion in any health care facility which could jeopardize everyone involved. With being the nursing home administrator, the first job that I would need to do i s have a full understanding of the new policies and procedures. I would need to know how the policies and procedures were put into place and how exactly this will affect the patient’s in the nursing home. In order to do this I would want to speak with the board members so my concerns could be addressed. In order to address these issues I could meet with the board members face to face, use social media, or by electronic communication. There are advantages to having traditional face to face meetings. The members are able to see my body language, facial expressions, and hear the tone of my voice while communicating my concerns. With the traditional meetings, it will also allow the board members to respond to my concerns right away with a limited amount of interruptions. While there are some advantages to having traditional meetings there are also some disadvantages. One issue could be misinterpretation on some of the available cues. Traditional meetings can be expensive and time consuming this is a disadvantage when the time and/or finances a re not available. Having a conference by electronic method is another way to communicate. The biggest advantage to electronic conferencing is the fact that it can be done on a global basis, no matter where a person is everyone can join together. Electronic conferences are best when all members attend at the same time but because it’s electronic the members can attend conferences at different times but during a certain time frame. With all members attending an electronic conference at the same time is known as  the synchronous method. When members attend conference at different times but within a certain time frame is known as the asynchronous method. The synchronous method allows real time communication and the asynchronous method does communication through emails. The synchronous method is best because it is real time and more effective. Electronic conferences are also less expensive and not as time consuming. Electronic conferences can also be recorded so they are available for future use. While emails and phone calls are good forms of communication it is not t he best for a conference. Communicating through computers and the internet has become a popular way for health care members. When it is done properly this way of communication can provide clear straight information that is understood by everyone. If it is not used properly, there can be a breakdown in communication and cause many problems. When social media is used properly it can provide many advantages and opportunities. Social media can reach a large amount of people, which means a wide connection within the community. Social media also allows a great way to support collaboration, better communication, and will also people around the globe to share and generate information. Facilities can also have an identity beyond the name and standard of care through social media. It also helps health care facilities reach out to the people of the community. A disadvantage of social media has been looked blindly upon by most members of the health care industry. When it comes to a patient’s privacy, HIPPA rules and regulations require proper procedures to be followed anytime a patient’s information is released. By being the nursing home administrator my job is to make sure that all of the patients who will be discharged have signed a consent form. The consent form would give our facility permission to release the patient’s health care information to other facilities with the hope of finding placement for that patient. HIPPA has very strict rules and guidelines to follow; the patient’s privacy must always be the priority and always be protected. It is the staff member’s responsibility to protect a patient’s information regardless on how the information is being transferred. The staff member can only allow the information to reach who it is meant for and only provide enough information to make proper accommodations for the patient. HIPPA has placed policies and procedures to protect patient’s information, when these rules are not strictly followed a privacy breach can occur. Also, when the HIPPA rules are  not followed patient’s information can get misplaced which will result in a patient not receiving proper quality care. It is a health care staff member’s job to make sure that every patient remains protected at all times. Today’s health care industry has many rules and regulations that have to be followed in order to protect the privacy of the patients. It is a facility’s responsibility to follow these rules and regulations to ensure a patient’s health and well-being. It is a high priority for immediate action to take place if the rules and regulations are not being followed to make sure that the patients are not at any risk. References: Sarringhuas, M. M. (Jul/Aug 2011). THE Great Divide: Social Media’s Role in Bridging Healthcare. Journal of Helathcare Management, 56(4), 235-244. Du Pre, A. (2005). Communication about health: Current Issues and perspectives (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw Hill.

Life cycle marketing

The family life cycle represents a method via which the market for certain goods and services is segmented according to the stage in the family life that the particular consumer has reached. This marketing method takes into consideration the family configuration beginning with young, single persons with no children all the way up through marriage, child rearing, and retirement stages. The variables involved in each stage of the model include age, marital status, income, employment (career), and the existence of children (Fritzsche, 1981). One stage in this model is the bachelor stage, which describes persons who no longer live with parents but who have not married or become parents. They usually have a high level of discretionary income despite the fact that their incomes lower than average. Because of the fewer financial burdens (mortgages, children, etc.) and their commitment to recreation, such persons are usually interested in buying clothing, travel, and basic household furniture or equipment. One magazine that could be used as a marketing tool is People, and TLC’s What Not to Wear represents a television program that would be suitable to this group. Both would be effective as they cater to fashion and to the entertainment interests of that group. Another marketing group according to this model is the Full Nest One (Fritzsche, 1981). The Full Nest One stage finds new parents with their youngest child being under the age of six. The parents at this stage have low discretionary incomes because the demands of the children are placed at the highest priority (1981). These persons are therefore likely only to buy necessities, such as cereals, diapers, and children’s clothing. A television show and magazine that are likely marketing tools for this demographic are (respectively) FOX’s Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader   and Disney’s Family Fun magazine. Parents are likely to watch or read them with their children. The Full Nest Three stage describes older parents with high school or college age children. These persons have a better financial position, with wives likely to be at work and more discretionary income (Fritzsche, 1981). Such a household is likely to be interested in buying holidays, nice furniture, and sophisticated appliances. A good magazine for marketing to such a demographic is Travel and Leisure, as such persons are likely to have the money and time to take vacations. A good television channel for marketing to them is HGTV, as this features tastefully decorated homes that may give them ideas for buying furniture and appliances. Reference Fritzsche, D. J. (1981). â€Å"An analysis of energy consumption patterns by stage of family life   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   cycle.† Journal of Marketing Research, 18, pp.227-32.

The Stupidest Angel Chapter 22

Chapter 22 A PERFECT LONESOME CHRISTMAS The archangel Raziel hovered outside the Santa Rosa Chapel's big cathedral window, looking through a small pane of pink glass that formed Saint Rosa's cheek. He smiled at his handiwork, then beat his great wings and flew off to find some chocolate to sustain him on his trip home. Life is messy. Would that every puzzle piece fell into place, every word was kind, every accident happy, but such is not the case. Life is messy. People, generally, suck. This year, however, the Lonesome Christmas party in Pine Cove was coming off with clarified joy, an infectious goodwill, and a general harmony of spirit that shone in the guests with a smooth, high polish – a no-mess affair. â€Å"Theo,† Molly said, â€Å"can you grab the other lasagna pans out of the back.† She was carrying two of the long stainless-steel pans herself, and she was careful to bend at the knees as she set them down on the buffet table to keep the back of her short cocktail dress in the realm of decency. It was a plunging neckline LBD (little black dress) she'd borrowed from Lena just for the party – the first low-cut thing she'd worn in years. â€Å"We could have barbecued after all,† Theo said. â€Å"I told you fucksticks that the storm would turn south,† Mavis Sand growled as she sawed the end off a baguette like the moyl at a titanic bris. (Some people's goodwill shines differently than others'.) Molly set down her lasagna and turned around into the arms of her praying mantis of a husband. â€Å"Whoa, sailor, Warrior Babe's got work to do.† â€Å"I just wanted to tell you,† Theo said, â€Å"before everyone gets here, that you look absolutely stunning.† Molly brushed her hand across her neckline. â€Å"Scars don't do that, do they? They don't just disappear overnight like that, right?† â€Å"Doesn't matter to me,† Theo said. â€Å"Never mattered. Wait until you see what I got you for Christmas.† Molly kissed him on the chin. â€Å"I love you, even if you have mutant tendencies; now free me, Lena needs help with the salad.† â€Å"No, I don't,† said Lena, coming out of the back room carrying a huge salad bowl. Tucker Case followed close behind with a stainless caddie of dressings. â€Å"Oh, Theo,† Lena said, â€Å"I hope you don't mind, but Dale is going to come by in his Santa suit tonight.† â€Å"I thought you guys were in combat,† Theo said. â€Å"We were, but he surprised me a couple of nights ago when I was stealing some of his Christmas trees, and was just losing his temper when Tucker happened along and popped him in the nose.† Tucker Case grinned. â€Å"I'm a pilot, we're used to handling tense situations.† â€Å"Anyway,† Lena continued, â€Å"Dale was drunk. He started crying, getting maudlin, talking about how he was having trouble with his new girlfriend, saying how he hated that everyone saw him as the evil developer, so I invited him here. Thought maybe if he could do something nice for the kids, it would make him feel better.† â€Å"No problem,† Theo said. â€Å"I'm glad you two are getting along.† â€Å"Hey, Theo!† yelled Joshua Barker as he ran across the chapel floor toward them. â€Å"Mom says Santa will be at the party.† â€Å"A quick appearance, Josh, then he has to get on his route,† Theo said. He looked up to see Emily Barker and her boyfriend/husband/whatever Brian Henderson coming across the room. Brian was wearing a red Star Fleet Command shirt. â€Å"Merry Christmas, Theo,† Emily said. Theo hugged Emily and shook Brian's hand. â€Å"Theo, have you seen Gabe Fenton?† Brian asked. â€Å"I wanted to show him the shirt, I think he'll get a kick out of it. You know, nerd solidarity.† â€Å"He was here a little bit ago, Brian, but then Val Riordan arrived and they were talking. I haven't seen them for a while.† â€Å"Maybe they went for a walk. Beautiful evening, isn't it?† â€Å"Isn't it,† said Molly, coming to Theo's side. â€Å"He said he was good with weather,† said the Narrator. â€Å"Shhhhhhh,† said Molly. â€Å"Pardon?† Brian said. Out behind the chapel, the dead were feeling festive as well. â€Å"He's going to do her right here in the graveyard,† said Marty in the Morning. â€Å"Who would have thought a shrink could moan like that. A little carnal scream therapy, huh, doc?† â€Å"No way,† said Bess Leander. â€Å"She's wearing Armani, she's not going to mess up that outfit.† â€Å"You're right,† said Jimmy Antalvo. â€Å"They'll just suck face and take the party home for makeup sex. But how do you know she's wearing Armani?† â€Å"You know what?† said Bess. â€Å"I have no idea. Just a feeling, I guess.† â€Å"I do hope they sing ‘Good King Wenceslas, † said Esther, the schoolteacher. â€Å"I just love that song.† â€Å"Has anyone seen the biologist's dreadful dog?† asked Malcolm Cowley, the dead book dealer. â€Å"Last year the beast urinated on my headstone three times.† â€Å"He was sniffing around a minute ago,† said Marty in the Morning, â€Å"but he went inside when they started to bring the food out.† Inside, Skinner was sitting under the Christmas tree, looking at the strangest creature he'd ever seen. It was hanging from the lower branches, but it didn't look like a squirrel, or smell like food; in fact, it had a face that looked like another dog. Skinner whimpered and sniffed the air. If it was a dog, where was its butt? How could he say hello if he couldn't sniff its butt? He took a tentative step back to study the thing. â€Å"What are you looking at?† said Roberto.