Chapter 2: Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Research

Chapter 2: Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Research Answers to Review Questions 2. 1. Describe the key features of quantitative and qualitative research. Just look at Table 2. 1, which shows the key characteristics of these two approaches in their pure or extreme forms as well as the characteristics of mixed research. I will mention a few of these here. Quantitative research uses the deductive or confirmatory or â€Å"top down† scientific method; it is used primarily for description, explanation, and prediction. It is based on quantitative data, in particular on the analysis of variables.The results are statistical and a goal is to generalize the results. In qualitative research, in contrast, the â€Å"bottom up† or inductive exploratory method is used; it is used primarily for the purposes of description and exploration and to gain an understanding of how people think and experience their lives. It is based on qualitative data which during analysis are examined fo r patterns, themes, and holistic features. A narrative report is presented and generalization is usually not a goal because the focus is on the local, the personal, the subjective. 2. 2. Describe the key features of mixed research.Mixed research is the third and newest research methodology paradigm. As you can see in Table 2. 1 it tries to mix the best of qualitative and quantitative research into research studies. Philosophically, mixed research takes an eclectic, pragmatic, and commonsense approach, suggesting that the researcher mix quantitative and qualitative in a way that works best for the given research question being studied in a particular context. Mixed research uses both deductive and inductive methods, obtains both quantitative and qualitative data, attempts to corroborate and complement findings, and takes a balanced approach to research.Later in the chapter you will learn about the fundamental principle of mixed research which states that when planning mixed research, the researcher should mix methods or procedures in a way that the resulting mixture or combination has complementary strengths and nonoverlapping weaknesses. 2. 3. What is the difference between a categorical variable and a quantitative variable? Think of an example of each. A categorical variable varies in type or kind and a quantitative variable varies in degree or amount. An example of the former is gender, and an example of the latter is class size. . 4. Why is experimental research more effective than nonexperimental research when a researcher is interested in studying cause and effect? Strong experimental research designs (i. e. , the best experiments) include both manipulation and random assignment; nonexperimental has neither of these. â€Å"Manipulation† is an action taken by the researcher in the world (e. g. , providing a treatment to one group and a control condition to another group); manipulation allows us to see a manipulation first, and then observe the outco me or result of the manipulation. Random assignment† makes the groups similar on ALL extraneous variables at the beginning of the experiment; hence, the only difference between the groups will be the level of independent variable received, allowing the differences observed after the experiment is completed to be attributed to the manipulated independent variable. 2. 5. What are the main problems with the simple cases of causal-comparative and correlational research? The problem with BOTH of these simple cases is that the researcher has no manipulation, no random assignment, and is only able to determine whether a statistical relationship is present.Observing a relationship is NOT enough information to attribute causation. To make a causal attribution, you need to meet three conditions: 1) show that there is a relationship, 2) show that you have the correct time ordering of your variables, that is, if A causes B then A must precede B in time, and 3) all alternative explanations must be ruled out. Again, all the simple cases give us is a relationship (i. e. , condition 1). (On the other hand, a well conducted strong experiment satisfies all three conditions. ) 2. 6 What are two variables that you believe are positively correlated?Study time the night before an exam and test grades (i. e. , the greater the study time, the higher the grades). 2. 7. What are two variables that you believe are negatively correlated? Amount of time spent partying the night before a test and test grades (i. e. , the greater the time spent partying, the lower the grades).. 2. 8. What are the different types of qualitative research, and what is the defining feature of each of these? The types are phenomenology, ethnography, case study research, grounded theory, and historical research.Here are the definitions, with the key ideas underlined: (a) Phenomenology: a form of qualitative research in which the researcher attempts to understand how one or more individuals experience a phen omenon. (b) Ethnography: a form of qualitative research focused on describing the culture of a group of people. (c) Case study research: a form of qualitative research that is focused on providing a detailed account of one or more cases. (d) Grounded theory research: a qualitative approach to generating a theory from the data that the researcher collects. e) Historical research: research about events in the past. 2. 9. What is mixed research, and what is an example of this kind of research? Mixed research (also commonly called mixed methods research) is research in which the researcher uses a combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches in a single research study. Example: study the members of the snake handling churches in the Southern Tennessee/West Georgia using participant observation and using quantitative measurement instruments to profile the participants on variables of interest.Both sorts of data will likely provide useful information. 2. 10. What are the three re search paradigms in education and what are the major types of research in each of these paradigms? (Hint: See Figure 2. 3 in your textbook. ) They are quantitative research, qualitative research, and mixed research. Quantitative research has two major subtypes: experimental and nonexperimental research; qualitative research has five major subtypes: phenomenology, ethnography, case study, grounded theory, and historical research. Chapter 2: Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Research Chapter 2: Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Research Answers to Review Questions 2. 1. Describe the key features of quantitative and qualitative research. Just look at Table 2. 1, which shows the key characteristics of these two approaches in their pure or extreme forms as well as the characteristics of mixed research. I will mention a few of these here. Quantitative research uses the deductive or confirmatory or â€Å"top down† scientific method; it is used primarily for description, explanation, and prediction. It is based on quantitative data, in particular on the analysis of variables.The results are statistical and a goal is to generalize the results. In qualitative research, in contrast, the â€Å"bottom up† or inductive exploratory method is used; it is used primarily for the purposes of description and exploration and to gain an understanding of how people think and experience their lives. It is based on qualitative data which during analysis are examined fo r patterns, themes, and holistic features. A narrative report is presented and generalization is usually not a goal because the focus is on the local, the personal, the subjective. 2. 2. Describe the key features of mixed research.Mixed research is the third and newest research methodology paradigm. As you can see in Table 2. 1 it tries to mix the best of qualitative and quantitative research into research studies. Philosophically, mixed research takes an eclectic, pragmatic, and commonsense approach, suggesting that the researcher mix quantitative and qualitative in a way that works best for the given research question being studied in a particular context. Mixed research uses both deductive and inductive methods, obtains both quantitative and qualitative data, attempts to corroborate and complement findings, and takes a balanced approach to research.Later in the chapter you will learn about the fundamental principle of mixed research which states that when planning mixed research, the researcher should mix methods or procedures in a way that the resulting mixture or combination has complementary strengths and nonoverlapping weaknesses. 2. 3. What is the difference between a categorical variable and a quantitative variable? Think of an example of each. A categorical variable varies in type or kind and a quantitative variable varies in degree or amount. An example of the former is gender, and an example of the latter is class size. . 4. Why is experimental research more effective than nonexperimental research when a researcher is interested in studying cause and effect? Strong experimental research designs (i. e. , the best experiments) include both manipulation and random assignment; nonexperimental has neither of these. â€Å"Manipulation† is an action taken by the researcher in the world (e. g. , providing a treatment to one group and a control condition to another group); manipulation allows us to see a manipulation first, and then observe the outco me or result of the manipulation. Random assignment† makes the groups similar on ALL extraneous variables at the beginning of the experiment; hence, the only difference between the groups will be the level of independent variable received, allowing the differences observed after the experiment is completed to be attributed to the manipulated independent variable. 2. 5. What are the main problems with the simple cases of causal-comparative and correlational research? The problem with BOTH of these simple cases is that the researcher has no manipulation, no random assignment, and is only able to determine whether a statistical relationship is present.Observing a relationship is NOT enough information to attribute causation. To make a causal attribution, you need to meet three conditions: 1) show that there is a relationship, 2) show that you have the correct time ordering of your variables, that is, if A causes B then A must precede B in time, and 3) all alternative explanations must be ruled out. Again, all the simple cases give us is a relationship (i. e. , condition 1). (On the other hand, a well conducted strong experiment satisfies all three conditions. ) 2. 6 What are two variables that you believe are positively correlated?Study time the night before an exam and test grades (i. e. , the greater the study time, the higher the grades). 2. 7. What are two variables that you believe are negatively correlated? Amount of time spent partying the night before a test and test grades (i. e. , the greater the time spent partying, the lower the grades).. 2. 8. What are the different types of qualitative research, and what is the defining feature of each of these? The types are phenomenology, ethnography, case study research, grounded theory, and historical research.Here are the definitions, with the key ideas underlined: (a) Phenomenology: a form of qualitative research in which the researcher attempts to understand how one or more individuals experience a phen omenon. (b) Ethnography: a form of qualitative research focused on describing the culture of a group of people. (c) Case study research: a form of qualitative research that is focused on providing a detailed account of one or more cases. (d) Grounded theory research: a qualitative approach to generating a theory from the data that the researcher collects. e) Historical research: research about events in the past. 2. 9. What is mixed research, and what is an example of this kind of research? Mixed research (also commonly called mixed methods research) is research in which the researcher uses a combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches in a single research study. Example: study the members of the snake handling churches in the Southern Tennessee/West Georgia using participant observation and using quantitative measurement instruments to profile the participants on variables of interest.Both sorts of data will likely provide useful information. 2. 10. What are the three re search paradigms in education and what are the major types of research in each of these paradigms? (Hint: See Figure 2. 3 in your textbook. ) They are quantitative research, qualitative research, and mixed research. Quantitative research has two major subtypes: experimental and nonexperimental research; qualitative research has five major subtypes: phenomenology, ethnography, case study, grounded theory, and historical research.

Reflective Writing on History Taking Essay

The first lecture on history taking that I had attended was conducted by Dr Yambao. It was an introductory lecture in understanding the basis of taking history from the patients and the effective skills on how to come out with a complete history of patients in order to identify one’s disease. It was an interesting lecture to me but far more interesting when I entered the clinical skill learning session (CSL). In CSL classes, I had acquired the idea and illustrations on how history taking is done with the help of Dr Min Zaw Aung, my facilitator for CSL Module. After few classes on CSL, including history taking on presenting illness, past medical, surgical, family and social history as well as history taking in paediatrics and women, I had better acknowledged myself in the process and techniques. However, it wasn’t that easy as I thought to carry out the history taking myself. Dr Min Zaw Aung had taught me very well in doing the history taking. Me and my CSL group members was given cases and practiced on history taking among ourselves with Dr Min Zaw Aung’s guidance. Then, comes the session where I had to do the real history taking, with the real patient at the Kepala Batas Hospital near the campus. I was excited at the beginning as I would be able to see real patients and talk to them. At the hospital, I was assigned a task on history taking in the women’s ward together with my team-mates. Later that day, I became very nervous as I thought that I wasn’t prepared to do the history taking with them. Dr Min Zaw Aung had divided the group in pairs and each pair had to take the history from one of the patient in the ward. The patient that I got was a Malay woman aged 43 years old with diabetes and a wound on her right toe. She was so friendly and she had given a good cooperation so that I and my friend can conduct the history taking very well. At first, I was worried that I will disturb the patient when she is having her rest but then, I know, I had to do this as this is important in  my process of learning in becoming a good doctor in the future. At first, we had applied the skills that were taught by our facilitator. To begin, we put the patient at ease and comfort. My friend and I did the history taking and noted everything that we have to know about her illness so that, we can better diagnose her. All the questions pertaining to patients’ symptoms and chief complaint were being asked; including history of presenting illness, history of past medical and surgical history as well as medication, dietary history, family history and social history. During the processes, I realized that we had to be careful in phrasing our questions, give good verbal and non-verbal cues, differentiate closed and open ended questions and ask relevant questions systemically. This is to ensure that the patient wouldn’t feel disturbed or angry and more pleased to give information. It turned out that, the patient I had met was actually a type 1 diabetic patient since she was 31 years old and she inherited the disease from both her parent. Her injured right toe was swollen and worsens after her first meeting with the doctor. The wound is healing very slowly and it caused bacterial infections which consequently made her feverish. So, she was diagnosed with infection on right toe associated with fever which worsens by her diabetes. After the history taking was done, we had to present the case to our facilitator, Dr Min Zaw Aung. We did the presentation well but still, there were some mistakes that we had made. Dr Min Zaw Aung had helped us in correcting our mistakes and came out with the right diagnosis. He also gave us information regarding our case and explained further about it so that I and my friend understand it better and learn from our mistakes. So, I had finished the CSL session for this semester. I had learned so many things in the classes and sessions with the lecturer especially on history taking. The experiences that I gained are an exposure to me of the medical world before I am able to be in it. All of it is so important in pursuing my medical years as training in becoming a good doctor to thousands and in fact  millions of patient s that I will attend and help in the future.

Moving and Handling

Arega Arutiunian NVQ level 2 – Moving and Handling . How to Transfer a Weak Patient from Bed to Chair/Wheelchair . Lying in bed for a long period of time is generally depressing and boring for most patients. Being transferred on a chair enables the patient to execute some slight movements that is beneficial in improving circulation. As for being transferred on a wheelchair, it serves as a way to transport a weak patient on hospital areas , to the bathroom or in the lounge room . First i must inform the patient about the procedure. If the patient wants to be transferred on a chair, i will explain the details .And if there is a need for him to be transferred on a wheelchair, i need to explain the purpose and destination of the transfer. Using a nice tone of voice and right body language. Informing the patient will facilitate cooperation and will make him feel that he is being respected rather than being controlled. Position the chair or wheelchair next to the bed facing the foot of the bed. I need to bring the chair as close as possible to reduce the distance of the transfer. If a wheelchair is used, i will make sure to lock its brake and fold the foot rests, as soon as my position it near the bed.I need to adjust the height of the bed in its lowest position-this way it will be easy for the patient to step down on the floor, thus, decreasing the risk of injury from falling. I will lock the brake of the bed and then assist the patient in doing side lying position, facing the direction of the transfer. I need to lace one arm under the shoulder of the patient and the other arm supporting the patients’ thigh on the opposite side. Count to three and then carefully swing the legs of the patient over the side of the bed and assist him in lifting his trunk and shoulders until he is in sitting position.If patient is strong enough to do some movements, i can allow the patient to participate on the manoeuvre. I will ask patient to use the leg on the outer side of the bed to scoop the leg on the other side. Than carefully swing both his legs on the side of the bed and then assist him in lifting his trunk and shoulders until he is in sitting position. Place my arms around the torso of the patient for support. Put one arm of the patient over my shoulder -while his other arm is extended on the bed, to help support the position.Instruct the patient to scoot over the edge of the bed until feet is flat on the floor. Widen the distance of my feet, with right foot forward, and the left foot back for an easy shift of my weight as i lift the patient. Maintain the position above, with my arms still supporting the torso of the patient. One arm of the patient should still be on my shoulder and his other arm should still be extended on the bed (palm flat on bed). Slightly bend my knees and lean my body. Then i will instruct the patient to get ready for a push from one arm that’s extended on the bed, as i lift him up to standing position.Count to three as i assist the patient to standing position and he is pushing off from at the same time. Need to raise patient to standing position and keep my back straight. Pivot the patient so that his back is positioned in front of the chair or wheelchair- i need to instruct him to grasp on the armrest for additional support, and then slowly assist the patient as he lowers himself on the seat of the chair. Help the patient in positioning himself properly when seated. I need to make sure that his buttocks are entirely rested on the seat and his back firmly resting on the back support.When in a wheelchair, i should place his arms on the armrests and his feet on the footrests. How to Use a Hoyer Lift to Transfer a Patient A Hoyer Lift is a lifting device or hydraulic lift that is commonly used in nursing homes and other medical facilities to help transfer patients from beds to wheelchairs and back again. Special care and attention needs to be used when transferring any patient using a Hoye r Lift, as injuries and even death may result from improper techniques or use of the lift. Position the sling that comes with the Hoyer Lift beneath the patient to be transferred.In some cases, caregivers will be required to carefully roll the patient from side to side in order to position the sling properly. I need to make sure that the sling is evenly distributed, without wrinkles and is correctly positioned, the seam side of the sling away from the skin of the patient. Need to move the Hoyer Lift so that the extended legs slide under the bed. The legs of the Hoyer Lift are able to open and close to facilitate wheelchairs. I should slide the Hoyer legs under the bed until the swivel bar hook of the lift is directly over the patient's abdomen. Attach the einforced â€Å"O† rings in the sling straps that have been placed around the patient's legs first, connecting to the â€Å"S† hooks of the Hoyer Lift first. Need to make sure that the leg straps (if two are present) are positioned to prevent the patient from slipping out of the sling. Should point the tips of the â€Å"S† hooks away from the patient's face for extra safety. Need to attach the shortest web strap through the hole for the back and head support part of the sling, which will help make sure the patient will have neck and head support when lifted. Then, i must attach the web   straps to the swivel bar.Press the button that will engage the lift and slowly lift the patient, maintaining control of both the sling and the lift. The Hoyer Lift should always be used with two people. One person should be helping control movement of the patient while the other operates the lifting mechanism and opens the legs of the lift for optimal stability. One person should always maintain control of the patient in the sling while the second person operates the lift. Once the patient is centred over a wheelchair or bed, lower the lift and then reverse the process used to place the sling .

Teen-age pregnancy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Teen-age pregnancy - Research Paper Example Nowadays, percentage of the high school males and females that have sexual intercourse is 48 and 45 respectively (CDC cited in Klein). These factors could be alleviated with the ready access to free condoms through schools and other agencies. For a lot of African American girls, the academic career culminates in the teenage pregnancy. Most parents don’t educate their daughters further after she becomes pregnant. The pregnant teenagers invite the wrath of the family and incur societal insult and embarrassment. Many countries have very strict rules in place regarding the division of responsibility of teenage pregnancy between the teenage boy and the girl that have had sexual intercourse. In most of the cases, the boy has to assume the role of financial provider for the family. Teenage sexual intercourse exposes both sexual partners to a lot of health risks. More than 9 million of the total 19 million cases of the sexually transmitted infections (STIs) that surface on the yearly basis occur in people that are aged between 15 and 24 years (â€Å"Teenage pregnancy†). These STIs include but are not limited to Syphilis, Chlamydia and HIV. â€Å"Nationwide, 12.7% of students had been tested for HIV, not counting tests done when donating blood† (CDC 23). Teenage pregnancy often causes unfavorable outcomes for the baby. Health of the fetus is fundamentally dependent upon the health of the mother. In addition to the natural immaturity of the body, several internal and external factors also play an important role in the undernourishment of the girl and the fetus. Such factors include but are not limited to embarrassment, anxiety, poverty and lack of responsibility. Many of the babies born in the teenage pregnancy have a low birth weight. â€Å"11.7 percent of 15-year-old mothers had a low-birthweight baby in 2006; 18,403 babies were born to girls this age, with 2,153 of low birthweight† (Martin et al). Most teenage mothers want to have the

Law of Equity and Trusts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Law of Equity and Trusts - Essay Example In 2009, he declared, â€Å"all of my property including our lovely barge home is as much your Lorraine as it is mine†. This takes the form of an oral promise and judging from the fact that it was made on several occasions, Lorraine can establish that it amounts to an interest of some kind in the property (Ungarian v Lesnoff (1990) and Eves v Eves (1975)). Thus, the second step for Lorraine in order to establish her equitable interest in the property would be to prove that she relied upon the promise to her detriment. Lorraine spent a considerable amount of structural repairs and decoration, to the tune of 65000 pounds and contributed half of her salary to maintenance while she was working. This satisfies the additional requirement that the detriment faced must be in relation to the property in question (Gissing and Christian v Christian (1981)). However, the detriment must be in reliance on the promise, and it seems that she spent the money BEFORE the actual promise was made, as the promises came after the birth of the triplets in 2009 and the money was spent much earlier. However, Lorraine also quit her job and was unable to return to it after the birth of the children. This could easily be a detriment that flowed from the promise. Lord Bridge in Lloyds Bank carefully acknowledged the operation of a constructive trust to be used to ‘do justice’ and its presence cannot be willfully denied in this case just because the job was not directly related to the property (a requirement set by Gissing).  

Introduction to managerial accounting Case Study

Introduction to managerial accounting - Case Study Example Fixed expenses divided by the CM ratio calculates breakeven in terms of dollars. The profit of a company at the breakeven point is cero dollars (Peavler). Hacker Gulf has variable costs of $40 ($28 + $12) per unit. The monthly fixed expenses of the company are $24,000 per month. The fixed expenses of the company yearly are $288,000. The current sales price of the company is $70 per gulf club. The calculations below show the current breakeven point of the company in units and dollars. Fixed costs = 288000 Sales = 70 Variable cost = 40 Contribution margin = (70 – 40) = 30 Breakeven in units = 288000 / 30 = 9600 units CM ratio = 30/ 70 = 0.428 Breakeven in dollars = 288000 / 0.428 = $672,000 The breakeven point of Hacker Gulf is 9,600 units or $672,000. Based on the assumption that the company raises its sales price to $80 instead of $70 the breakeven point of the firm would change. A higher sales price will lower the breakeven point due to the fact that the contribution margin i s larger. The calculation below shows the breakeven point of the firm under the assumption of a sales price at $80. ... rget profit = (fixed expenses + target profit) / unit contribution margin Dollar sales to attain target profit = (fixed expenses + target profit) / CM ratio The company has the target of obtaining $50,000 in profit selling its gulf clubs at $80. The calculations below show the units and dollars needed to obtain a target profit of $50,000. Fixed costs = 288000 Sales = 80 Variable cost = 40 Contribution margin = (80 – 40) = 40 Sales to target profit = (288000+50000) / 40 = 8450 units CM ratio = 40/ 80 = 0.50 Sales to target in dollars = (288000+50000) / 0.50 = $676,000 The sales needed to obtain a target profit of $50,000 are 8,450 units or $676,000. The data used to obtain a target profit of $50,000 can be used to create an income statement for the company. An income statement using the contribution margin approach is illustrated below. Sales 676000 Variable costs 338000 Gross margin 338000 Fixed costs 288000 Net income 50000 The income statement shows that the company obtained a net income of $50,000. The purpose of the income statement is to show the profitability of a company. The net margin of the company is 7.40%. The variable expenses of the firm account for 54% of its costs, while the fixed expenses cover the other 46% of the costs. A way to increase the profitability of the firm is by sourcing its materials from cheaper suppliers located in China or another developing nation. Increasing the sales price to $80 is the correct strategy for the company. The increase in the price of the gulf clubs to $80 helped the company reduce its breakeven point from 9,600 units to 7,200. A higher sales price also improved the overall profitability of the company as illustrated by the increase in contribution margin of the firm. The managers have to take an in-depth look at the

The Case of ServerVault Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The of ServerVault - Case Study Example This means that the company chooses customers who value security and reliability heavily in their selection of hosting provider, having the motto, 'reliable, secure and wicked fast". ServerVault claims to offer much higher level of services than the other group at the 'managed" hosting group, having seven layers of security protection which passed the U.S Department of Defense Security Standard and it's vaults are especially designed to be able to withstand the most destructive forces of nature. It's promise of reliability and speed is backed up by redundant bandwith and power supply having four to five providers of internet access in each facility. The company rakes revenue from three sources: one-time set up for new servers, monthly hosting fees and fees for additional value-added service. ServerVault enjoys the advantage of having a facility designed to generate four or five times more revenue per square foot than those of its competitors. Being in an industry where business costs occurred mainly upfront and being young in the business, ServerVault faces a deep need for financing.

Research Paper About The Business And Operations Of Fedex

About The Business And Operations Of Fedex - Research Paper Example In addition to that, FedEx bought Kinko’s in 2004 and rebranded the offering into FedEx Office. With this brand, the company provides office supplies and printing services to consumers including computer use products, USBs, paper, business and greeting cards, stationery, mailing boxes and supplies, etc. b. Role of technology FedEx uses topnotch technology and MIS in everyday business that allows tracking of big and small packages across the globe. With the most advanced telecommunications and computer networks in place, a customer is able to log into the FedEx online website and track the exact location of the shipment and have an accurate understanding of when the product will reach destination. FedEx also offers FedEx Ship Manager at fedex.com, FedEx WorldTM Shipping Software and well staffed call centers (fedex.com) for the help of customers in tracking their shipments. In addition to that, FedEx utilizes advanced software and programs to assist employees in their everyday work and to be more efficient. For corporate clients, the company has innovative products such as Critical Inventory Logistics service through FedEx Supply Chain. c. Product life cycle FedEx is a mature company that has been in business since 1973. FedEx is in the maturity stage, as shown in the diagram1. However, the company has managed through innovation, new product development, increased customer outreach and efficient business practices to expand this cycle with higher sales volume. d. Price elasticities The logistics industry is highly competitive with not only international players such as DHL, FedEx and Maersk but also an abundance of local (domestic) players in various countries. This means high price elasticity for some of FedEx products. In the U.S. market alone, the two biggest players are UPS and FedEx and customers switch between the two based on the product and service prices. e. Substitute products and service The logistics industry is directly related to businesses and consumer demand for their products. A logistics company is run on a huge investment and requires use of infrastructure. The occurrence of FedEx substitutes is limited to competition such as UPS and DHL; there are no real substitute options for logistics companies that can service the customer need satisfactorily. Market trends Economic activity has a direct impact on the demand for logistics and transport. The logistics industry sees a boom when economies are robust and active: businesses have consumer demand for their products and the timely delivery of the products is based on the performance of the transport company. Conversely, a slow or bad economy shows a sluggish demand for logistics services. The economic downturn of 2007 impacted the logistics industry in a negative way. With a recessing global economy, trade slowdown and conservative consumer demand, logistics industry also faced scarce demand. a. Consumer behavior FedEx has individual customers as well as business or corporate customers. Both types of consumers have a few definite needs. They want specialized, customized products that target their specific needs. While creating a customized product for a corporate customer is more feasible and cost effective than creating one

Exam paper---read the requirement I send you carefully Essay

Exam paper---read the requirement I send you carefully - Essay Example This writing will focus on markets that are perfectly competitive in nature. This writing will focus on various characteristics of perfectly competitive markets and how buyers and sellers behave in such markets. The first section of the assignment will focus on the reaction of sellers to changes in demand for their goods and services. The second section of the writing will compare and contrast the characteristics of a perfectly competitive market with the characteristics of New York Stock exchange (NYSE). Body According to the law of demand when the demand for a product increases, the price of the product even elevates and vice-verse. Due to these changes in demand the marginal revenue that is being earned by a particular industry even alters. In order to analyze the changes that organizations in a perfectly competitive market experience as a result of changes in demand for a product, let us assume that the product being sold is bread. Let’s assume that according to research, eating brown bread helps individuals in preventing diabetes. Such revelations positively impact the demand for particular product. Let’s assume that the bread industry is a perfectly competitive industry and is currently experiencing long-run equilibrium at a price of $1.7 per loaf of bread and the value of the economic profit is equivalent to zero. Figure 1 Figure 1 is a depiction of short as well as long run adjustment experienced by a firm as well as market under perfect competition. The figure shows that in case of market the price of a loaf of bread is $1.7 when the quantity demanded for the product is at Q1 and in case of an organization that sells loaf of bread the market price of $1.7 is the organization’s marginal revenue which is at MR1. The figure shows that currently there is only one organization in the market. Since the new research suggests that there is health benefit of brown bread, the demand for brown bread increases which is depicted in figure 1 thr ough a shift in the demand curve from D1 to D2. Due to this increase in demand, there is an increase in the price of the product and the price of the product elevates from p1 ($1.7) to P2 ($2.3) and this leads to an increase in the marginal revenue of a single firm operating in a market from MR1 to MR2. Due to this increase in price, the organization even increases its output from q1 to q2 in order to meet consumer demand in the short run (Douglas, 2011, p.615). Notice that the shaded region represents the economic profit that is experienced by the organization in the short run and similar profit will be experienced by other firms in the market in the short run. Since the market is perfectly competitive in nature and there are no barriers to entry or exit, the high stream of economic profit will attract more organizations to enter the market so they can even earn the profits being offered by the recent increase in demand. New organization s will enter the market and this would lead to an increase in the quantity supplied by the entire industry as more and more organizations will enter the market, more and more supply will elevate. New entrants will continue to enter the market as long as their entrance is resulting in an economic profit. Figure one depicts a shift in the supply curve from S1 to S2 which is a reflection of more firms entering the market. Due to this increase in supply, the price of the loaf of bread will start declining in the longer run

Bitter Competition The Holland Sweetener Company Versus NutraSweet Essay

Bitter Competition The Holland Sweetener Company Versus NutraSweet. Harvard Business School 9794079 Rev November 13, 2000 - Essay Example The company might also use its strong brand equity to combat threats of competition. Even though it gained a name in the consumer market, NutraSweet's revenue still largely come from other business organizations like Coke and Pepsi. In response to the entry of competitors, the company is expected to further forged stronger partnerships with them by giving them special discounts or by decreasing its prices outright. With the aforementioned discussion, it a price war is more likely to happen between NutraSweet and Holland Sweetener Company (HSC). In competing in the market, HSC will capitalize in its production efficiency which will enable it to price more competitively. In fact, what HSC really desires is the lower the price level of aspartame in the market. With this move, it is expected that NutraSweet will respond competitively by lowering its prices especially in the industrial sector. However, in the consumer segment, NutraSweet will maintain its prices and further differentiate its products from the offering of other industry entrants.

Kingship Comparison of Henry V and Beowulf Essay Example for Free

Kingship Comparison of Henry V and Beowulf Essay This essay is a comparison of the kingship of King Henry V in the play â€Å"Henry V† written by William Shakespeare and Beowulf in the poem â€Å"Beowulf† translated by Seamus Heaney. The specific texts to be used for this purpose is the â€Å"Henry V† book of the Folger Shakespeare Library series and the â€Å"Beowulf† poem found in The Norton Anthology of English Literature 7th edition Volume 1, respectively. Henry the Fifth and Beowulf are ideal kings fit to become role models for the leaders of today because they have great ideas of their kingship and leadership which made them rule over each of their kingdoms with strength, courage and faith in God’s providence as their source of power. These similar qualities and characteristics make their kingship successful and fruitful. Henry the Fifth is worth emulating for he is a great and powerful king who holds his role as a king with highest regard. He manifests his ideas of kingship through his deeds throughout the play. First, he sees his kingship as a serious matter. Thus, he acts responsibly forgetting the â€Å"wildness† of his youth. This is evident in his sudden transformation from the wild Prince Hal that he was in the past to a responsible and mature King Henry V. This is what Canterbury observes and states: â€Å"The breath no sooner left his father’s body But that his wildness, mortified in him, Seem’d to die too: yea, at that very moment, Consideration, like an angel, came, And whipp’d the offending Adam out of him, Leaving his body as a paradise, To envelop and contain celestial spirits. Never was such a sudden scholar made; Never came reformation like a flood, With such a heady current, scouring faults; Nor never Hydra-headed wilfulness So soon did lose his seat, and all at once, As in this king† (Shakespeare, 13). This change in him is probably because of his desire to be respected as a ruler of his people. Indeed, he has matured over the time that he is required to stand up as a king. Second, he considers that his kingship depends on the will of the people. Hence, he consults his leaders before he makes a decision. He specifically asks information from the leaders of the church, the Bishops, about the Salic law and his rightful claim to France and if there should be a reason for him to go to war if the king of France won’t accede to his claim. He also expresses his worry about leaving the country to go to war against France. He finally decides to go to France after hearing the advice of the bishops and after listening to the insult of the Dauphin through his messenger (19-23). Third, he believes that a king should have restraint and self-control. That is why when he was insulted by the message of the Dauphin, he did not react irrationally. He showed cool-headedness with these words: â€Å"We are glad the Dauphin is so pleasant with us; His present and your pains we thank you for. When we have matched our rackets to these balls, we will in France, by God’s grace, play a set to strike his father’s crown into the hazard. † He also adds: â€Å"But tell the Dauphin, I will keep my state; Be like a king, and show my sail of greatness† (35). Moreover, he could have prevented the Dauphin’s messenger from coming out alive from England. Instead, he allowed him safe passage. If he were some other irrational king, he would have taken revenge right away. But he did not and thus, he showed his greatness as a king. He also chose his words well in sending his message to the Dauphin through his uncle Duke Exeter (75). Fourth, he assumes that a king should be brave and courageous to lead his soldiers to war. Therefore, he is not afraid to go to war even if it will cost his own life. He does not leave his soldiers on their own to fight for the country instead he goes along with them and encourages them to move on. Henry V admonishes his soldiers with these words: â€Å"But every rub is smoothed on our way. Then, forth, dear countrymen. Let us deliver Our puissance into the hand of God, Putting it straight in expedition† (65) and â€Å"We are in God’s hand, brother, not in theirs. March to the bridge† (119). Fifth, he has concern for his subordinates and his soldiers. When he was still contemplating to go to France to claim his rightful place, he thought of the women and the children who will be left behind when the men will go to war (29) especially that another country might attack their country if the king and all the men are away. He also became worried for his soldiers after he disguised as an ordinary man and talked to some of his soldiers (153). This concern is also demonstrated when he prays â€Å"O God of battles steel my soldiers’ hearts. Possess them not with fear† (155). Sixth, he knows that his kingship is not a reason for abuse. So when he and his troops have taken over the town of Harfleur, he commands his soldiers not to loot and he tells them to respect and show mercy to every citizen in that town. He charges Exeter to have mercy on the people and show fairness and justice because he wants to win the people’s loyalty and respect (99). Seventh, he understands that a king should practice impartiality. Thus, he gives punishment to anyone who violates a law of the land or his word even if the person is an old friend, and he gives rewards to anyone who deserves it. King Henry V manifests this characteristic when Lord Scroop who was very close to him, Earl of Cambridge and Sir Thomas Grey who are also old friends conspired with France to kill him. He then ordered that they be arrested for treason (59). Another instance was when he allowed the execution of Bardolph, a former companion in his younger days, for stealing a communion plate from a church (115). Eight, as a good leader he believes that a king needs to delegate work to his subordinates. This is what he did when he tells his uncle Exeter, brothers Clarence, Warwick and Gloster, and Huntington to go with the King; And take with you free power to ratify, Augment, or alter, as your wisdoms best Shall see advantageable for our dignity, Anything in or out of our demands† (219). And most of all, he believes on a greater power who is the Almighty God whom he considers as his source of power. He continually refers to God in the play. King Henry says: â€Å"But this lies all within the will of God, To whom I do appeal† (37) when he decided to go to war against France. He expresses his anxiety by saying â€Å"God’s will, I pray thee wish not one man more. By Jove, I am not covetous for gold† (163) while his soldiers are fighting in the war. At the end of the battle, he speaks to God with these words: â€Å"O God, thy arm was here, And not to us, but to Thy arm alone Ascribe we all! When, without stratagem, But in plain shock and even play of battle, Was ever known so great and little loss On one part and on th’ other? Take it, God, For it is none but thine† (199). King Henry V does not take the glory of the victory in the battle but he praises God for it. Similarly, Beowulf even before he was made a King of the Geats has the qualities of a good and great king as Henry the Fifth is and he is also worth imitating as a leader. The following are the ideas of kingship he manifested. First, Beowulf is compassionate as a leader. When he heard of Heorot’s predicament because of Grendel’s deeds, he went to Heorot to fight Grendel and freed Heorot of its miseries (lines 400-460). He has compassion towards people that is why he sacrifices even his own life to save others. Second, he uses his strength which is the gift that God has given him as a way to help people who are in need. This is the means by which he was able to defeat Grendel, Grendel’s mother and the Dragon in order to free the people who are attacked by these creatures. There are times when he is about to be defeated but because of the great strength which he believes comes from God, he is able to overcome his deadly and monstrous foes. Third, he is a brave and courageous warrior who never steps back from a challenge especially when he fights Grendel and Grendel’s mother. His bravery and courage can be seen throughout the poem. This was once again proven when as a king who is already old in age still hopes to fight the Dragon that has besieged his own land. Unfortunately, after he killed the Dragon, he also died. Fourth, he knows that a king should rule with discretion. He is even praised by Hrothgar with these words: â€Å"The Lord in his wisdom sent you those words that Beowulf is fit to be king of the Geats and they came† (lines 1840-1860). Fifth, as a leader, he has great concern and responsibility for his men. Thus, when he was about to go and fight Grendel, he asks Hrothgar to take care of his men because he might no longer come back alive with his fight against the monster. And the most important of Beowulf’s qualities as a warrior and ruler is that he looks up to God as his source of power, guidance and protection. Throughout the poem, God is praised with such words as: â€Å"in triumph and gladness. The truth is clear: Almighty God rules over mankind and always has† (line 700). Beowulf also expresses in the poem: â€Å"But the lord of Men allowed me to behold- for He often helps the unbefriended† and â€Å"If God had not helped me, the outcome would have been quick and fatal† referring to his fight with Grendel’s mother. In addition, he says: â€Å"So I praise God in his heavenly glory that I lived to behold† (line 1779). In conclusion, Henry the Fifth and Beowulf exhibit the good qualities of a great king anchored on strength, courage and faith in God’s providence. Both of them are wise, strong, brave, and devoted to God as their one and only source of power. They have very admirable traits which any king, ruler or leader in these modern days should pattern after. References â€Å"Beowulf†. Translated by Seamus Heaney. The Norton Anthology of English Literature 7th edition Volume 1. Eds. M. H. Abrams and Stephen Greenbalt. USA: W. W. Norton Co. Inc. , 1999, 29-98. Shakespeare, William. â€Å"Henry V†. The Folger Shakespeare Library. Eds. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. New York: Washington Square Press. 1995.

Beware the Cat Essay Example for Free

Beware the Cat Essay In Beware the Cat, William Baldwins immediate target is Catholicism. This book is one of many anti-catholic satires that appeared during Edward VIs Protestant reign. In this story Baldwin goes beyond putting down the practices of the Church of Rome and exposes some of its foundational problems. He portrays, satirically, how knowledge is obtained and passed down in the church. At this time the culture was going through a transition from a largely oral and visual way of communicating to one based on text. The whole idea of Protestantism is about having a personal relationship with God and not relying on someone else to read the Bible for you. But what about those that didnt have access to a Bible? Again, people were left to rely on the church and the traditions that were being passed down. The trouble with traditions is that after so long, one cant be certain of their origin. We see a debate being set up in the story about where true authoritative knowledge comes from. From the Protestant view, the trouble with that is these traditions and stories can and do mislead the devout christian. In the beginning of the book in The Argument, Streamer disagrees with the author on what makes up knowledge; whether it is gained by experiences or authors (the reading of textual evidence). In Streamers Oration we see that he gets off track a number of times as he tries to begin his story. We find him wandering from gate to gate, talking about about how the gates got their names. It is evident that he doesnt quite know where or how to begin his story. The use of the word gate is exceptional because Streamer is truly searching for an entrance for his story line. Because he cant seem to find it, it foreshadows the fact that Streamers knowledge, as we come to find out, really has no origin of its own. Baldwin uses another play on words with the word Criplegate and cripple, foreshadowing again that Streamers kind of reasoning has crippled him. We read that Streamers experience with cats is based on other peoples stories about cats, and that their stories are based on yet another series of stories. Here Baldwin is demonstrating how Catholicism has passed down tories and oral traditions over time and we never really know the origin of these stories and traditions well enough to prove them. It also shows the reader that these kinds of stories simply lead to more stories and it ends up being uncontrolled and unmonitored. He then questions if having this experience based knowledge is truly having knowledge at all. Baldwin is building the story up in a rational way, for example, suggesting that the cats use human transportation and by suggesting that they revenge the death of Grimalkin, forming a close knit society, again alluding to the Catholic church. What we read about in Part I sort of comes to life in Part III as the animals take over the narration of the story. They begin to tell tales of their vast experiences with humans. They show us a world where humans are an easy mark (where the wife believes that the cat is old womans daughter) and preposterous (where the sound of Mouse-Slayers feet brings panic to a town). In Part I we read about preying animals and Part III is then dealing with preying humans. The old woman takes advantage of the young men, then they take advantage of others in order to keep paying the old woman, in order to spend time with the girls. This vicious cycle is representative of the Roman Church because she (the old woman), like the church, prospers from deceiving people and enticing them to do harmful acts in order to get her money. She is also making the young men psychologically dependent on her in a way, again, not unlike the church. In this work were able to see what happens in a religion and in a culture where written text plays a minor role and also when oral communication (traditions, passed down stories) is left uncontrolled by any textual authority.

Debates on Race and Language: Frantz Fanon

Debates on Race and Language: Frantz Fanon In no way should I dedicate myself to the revival of an unjustly unrecognised Negro civilisation Explain and assess this statement by Fanon at the end of Black Skin, White Masks Introduction We understand the world, ourselves, and other people through language (Foucault, 1977). For Foucault everything in life is determined by what he calls discourse, that is to say what we say about a subject. Thus, the language that we use defines how we see the world and how we view other people. Foucault (1977) further maintains that language is controlled by those who hold power in society. This means that everyone else’s use of language is determined by what those I power have to say about a subject. Nowadays many writers maintain that the social and linguistic construct of race has had a powerful effect on the consciousness of both black and white people. Language is real because it is inevitable acted upon (what Bordieu describes as a speech act) the language that spoke of one race as inferior to another became a justification for enslaving those people designated as inferior. Discourses of race and inferiority were central to the success of the modernist project as black p eople were seen as treacherous to the central narrative of Western personhood, that is to say they were different from what was elevated as the white norm (Fanon 1986). Frantz Fanon was a French essayist and author whose main concern was decolonisation and what he, and many other thinkers have seen as the psychopathology of colonialism. He died in 1961 at the age of 36 yet his work continues to be highly influential, particularly in the fields of cultural studies and race and ethnicity. He wrote most of his work while he lived in North Africa, by contrast, Black Skin, White Masks was written while he was still living in France. For many he is seen as the intellectual thinker on decolonisation in the twentieth century. His work has had far reaching implications over the years on a number of liberationist movements which has led some people to regard him as an advocate of violence.[1] Beginning with an introduction to modernity this assignment will discuss Fanon’s work and his statement in the context of this debate about language and the debate about black experience and black identities which, Gilroy (1993) maintains can only be understood in terms of the history of slavery. Fanon (1986) would however, dispute this notion, he believes that if it were at all possible, then colonialism should be done away with and wiped from the history books, even though he recognises that this is not possible. The period of colonialism where countries were made great on the backs of slavery separated white from black as though they were two completely different civilizations. The western world became that of the oppressor and the oppressed and Fanon sees the world in terms of this almost pathological relationship. Fanon’s work in Black Skin, White Masks (Fanon, 1986 ed.) encapsulates the sense of division that is felt by both oppressed and oppressors, black and white. Such divisions are rooted in the period that sociologists and cultural theorists now speak of as modernity. Modernity The onset of what is known as Modernity can be traced back to the Enlightenment in the late 17th to early 19th century. The Enlightenment was an intellectual movement and its primary concerns were the powers of human reason, the inevitability of human progress, and the ability of science to provide humanity with answers. Philosophers of this period were also interested in how knowledge was transmitted and how we came to know what we know. This period is renowned for the immense technological and social changes that were taking place and which eventually led to a break with traditional view of the social, of society, and of a person’s place within that society. During this period there was an intense concentration on the individual, which prompted the philosopher Hegel to develop his idea of the historical subject. This is the idea that people’s actions are what have made history what it is. In recent years many theorists have argued that the subject referred only to the white, western, middle class male (see Abbott and Wallace, 1997) and that women, children and other races were excluded from the whole project. This idea of modern society, coupled with the Enlightenment notion of human progress has been problematic for a number of reasons, not least because, as we are well aware, human beings do not always act rationally, and in this sense modernity brought out the darker side of our human nature. The events of the twentieth century have done nothing to dispel this notion, in fact there are those who would argue that modern society is now at its most irrational. Modernity gave the world the nation state, the spread of capitalism and as we shall see, western cultural imperialism and colonization. Modernity produced the conditions for slavery and its success was built upon the enslavement of people who were regarded as different from, and thus inferior to, white western males. Fanon’s Concerns Western history is not just a history of colonial oppression but it is also a history of the struggles against such oppression. Western history is about the oppression of colonialism and the struggles against that oppression, which calls into question Enlightenment notions of the subject. These problems are examined by Fanon in Black Skin, White Masks (1986) where he concentrates on black subjectivity and experience and with the problematic concept of western modernity. He was also concerned with the refutation of dualism, that philosophy apparent in the Enlightenment period which separated things into binary opposites such as male/female, white/black. Binary divisions not only separate genders and races, they objectify them because that which is other is defined only by the oppressor. Fanon’s other major concern was the dislocation that occurs when people are taken from their homelands and forced into a diasporic existence.[2] Fanon (1986) contends that the biggest weapon the coloniser’s had was their representation of those who were colonised, as different. This was done in such a way that they were no longer recognisable even to themselves. For Fanon being colonised estranges human beings from themselves so that they are no longer connected to their own human nature. He is concerned with the history as it is relates to the black experience although his work is sometimes disorganised and not always easy to follow. He writes about the black/white, self/other experience, and how colonialism results in an alienation of the person. Fanon, is against ethnic and cultural absolutism, but could see no reconciliation between the races because the white colonisers will always be waiting for the black mask to slip and reveal the whiteness beneath. Syncretism Gilroy (1993) traces the mutual influence of black and white culture in both America and Britain in an attempt to challenge notions of national and cultural purity and reveal a syncretism of the cultures. Decades before this and in his earlier work The Wretched of the Earth (1963) Fanon writes about syncretism as oppression where the black person assimilates the culture of the coloniser whether they like it or not. He maintains that such syncretism is the colonisers way or reducing black people and thus he speaks of the settler’s creation of the ‘native’ a concept which is evident in the discourses of modernity and its rational subject. This subject could only exist by excluding difference and otherness. Fanon (1986) maintains that the ‘Negro’ is only acceptable on certain terms: What is often called the black soul is a white man’s artefact . . . there is a quest for the Negro, the Negro is in demand, one cannot get along without him, he is needed, but only if he is made palatable in a certain way. (Fanon 1986, p. 114) In saying this Fanon rejects both narcissistic myths of Negritude (and) the White Cultural Supremacy (Bhabha, H. 1986:ix) which is most obvious in linguistic terms. This cultural supremacy still operates today, in most countries in the world children will learn English in school, when the English go abroad many of them do not trouble to learn the language of the country they are visiting. People assume that English will be spoken because cultural hegemony has its base in language and this language signifies power. Thus the language carries with it the power and knowledge of the nation. Hall (1992) argues that nationalism and the nation state are a direct result of capitalism. When people promote these things in a multi-cultural society it can result in people having a confused sense of national identity. Hall further maintains that identity and culture are closely linked. The cultural diaspora that was brought about by slavery has resulted in what Hall (1992) terms ‘hybrid identities’- an expression which in some ways is expressed in Fanon’s idea of black skin and white masks. Fanon (1986) argues that race has been objectified through discourses of superiority and inferiority and has thus become a fixed category which he decries. What these discourses have done is to make of the black person a divided self, a person with a ‘double consciousness.’ This is a term first used by W De Bois, who defined double consciousness as a twoness-an American, a Negro, two souls, two thoughts, two unrecognised strivings, two warring ideals in one da rk body, who dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder (Dubois 2003 quoted in Sawyer, M 2005:86). This double consciousness is demonstrated in the relationships involved in slavery. Slavery was an integral part of this double consiousness of which Du Bois wrote because it consciousness was central to Hegel’s master/slave idea, where the slave remains a slave because they are dominated by a slave mentality. Following on from this line of thought was Richard Wright who believed that the Negro was a symbol in the psychological, social and political systems of the West. The Negro spoken of in modernist discourse was once an African, along with the experiences of slavery this led black people to experience a sense of dislocation where they experienced what the philosopher Nietzsche once described as a frog’s perspective because they looked up from beneath the chains of their oppressors (Wright, 1956). The frog’s perspective lay behind Wright’s understanding of double consciousness. Wright’s work had a strong influence on the writings of Frantz Fanon. In Fanon’s work this‘double consciousness’ or divided self is not restricted to the colonised, Fanon maintains that it is also a property of the coloniser because colonialism affects the self-understanding of both the oppressed and their oppresors. In this he demonstrates the influence that Wright (1956) had on his work because Wright thought that mental illness could result from the relationship between master and slave, between the oppressed and the oppressor. Fanon believed that racial subjectivity was determined from outside of the individual and so he sees neither a unitary black experience nor a unitary white experience. Fanon sees experience as contextual rather than historical, that is to say that the experience of the black person who remained in Africa would be very different from the black person who was made a slave – white experience is affected in a similar way. Thus Fanon says that I do not have the right to allow myself to be mired in what the past has determined. I am not the slave of the slavery that dehumanised my ancestors (Fanon, 1986:230). Conclusion When Fanon says at the end of Black Skin, White Masks that In no way should I dedicate myself to the revival of an unjustly unrecognised Negro civilisation. He is arguing against the objectification of race and the language of inferiority and superiority that are associated with the term ‘negro’. His life’s work was dedicated to decolonisation of those areas that were still part of what had been called the British Empire. The negro was a function of the coloniser’s differentiation of the slave from the white owner. Thus Fanon’s statement acts as a repudiation fo slavery and colonisation. Furthermore Fanon’s argument is important to cultural analysis and to society at large. Talking about a separate negro civilization puts us in the position of being stuck in the binary categories of a black/white cultural analysis that is the heritage of modernity and its failures. What Fanon (1986) appears to be saying is that society and its analysis needs t o go beyond ideas of nationalism and ethnic absolutism – because these things paved the way for colonialism and slavery. Fanon (1986) recognises that we have to live with the inheritance of colonialism and that things are not changed overnight. If we dispense with many of its ideas as Fanon appears to suggest then this raises the question of how we analyse race, nationalism, gender and ethnicity without the use of those categories? We have to have some way of speaking about the things that trouble our society and the best ways of dealing with them. Whatever we choose to say or feel about this as individuals the fact of the matter is that these categories are part of our consciousness and so are integral to our discourses on these subjects. Having said that, things are perhaps only this way because those who are not white, western, middle class males, will always be other – because most of the power in the world is in the hands of this group their definitions of concepts still holds. Bibliography Abbott and Wallace 1997 A Feminist Introduction to Sociology London, Routledge. Bhabha, H. 1986 â€Å"Foreward† in Fanon, F. 1986 (1967) Black Skin, White Masks London, Pluto Press Bourdieu, P. 1991 .Language and Symbolic Power. Cambridge, MA : Harvard University Press. Fanon, F 1963 The Wretched of the Earth New York: Grove Press Fanon, F. 1986 (1967) Black Skin, White Masks London, Pluto Press Foucault, M. 1977 Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison London, Allen Lane Gilroy, P 1993 The Black Atlantic London, Verso Hall, S. 1992 â€Å"Our Mongrel Selves† New Statesman and Society, 19th June 1992 Sawyer, M 2005 â€Å"DuBois’ double consciousness versus Latin American exceptionalism: Joe Wright, R 1956 The Colour Curtain Dobson. London . Wright, R. 1979 Native Son Harmondsworth, Penguin 1 [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frantz_Fanon#Work [2] The spread of groups of people (often against their wishes, and specifically black people and Jews) across different parts of the globe.

Immanuel Kants Ethics Of Pure Duty and John Stuart Mills Utilitarian

Immanuel Kant's The Grounding For The Metaphysics of Morals and John Stuart Mill's Utilitarianism Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill are philosophers who addressed the issues of morality in terms of how moral traditions are formed. Immanuel Kant has presented one viewpoint in "The Grounding For The Metaphysics of Morals" that is founded on his belief that the worth of man is inherent in his ability to reason. John Stuart Mill holds another opinion as presented in the book, "Utilitarianism" that is seemingly in contention with the thoughts of Kant. What is most distinctive about the ethics of morality is the idea of responsibilities to particular individuals. According to Kant and Mill, moral obligations are not fundamentally particularistic in this way because they are rooted in universal moral principles. Mill and Kant are both philosophers whom have made great impact on their particular fields of philosophy and a critique of their theories in relation to each other may help develop a better understanding to them and their theories individually. Mill?s utilitarianism theory is a version of the ideal judgment theory. So is Kant?s, but there are differences. Mill holds an empiricist theory while Kant holds a rationalist theory. Kant grounds morality in forms that he believes, are necessary to free and rational practical judgment, namely his deontological ethics. Mill?s utilitarian theory is a form of consequentialism because the rightness or wrongness of an act is determined by the consequences. Thus, deontologicalism and consequentialism are the main criticisms for both these theories. Kant?s ethics of pure duty is the basis for his categorical imperative, which provides the basis for his universalist duty based theory. Mill?s theory of utilitarianism is a primary form of consequentialism. Both deontologicalism and consequentialism are valid points of argument to the ethics of an action but they are also argumentative towards each other. Mill, in his later work, On Liberty, adds deontologicalism to correct his consequentialis t view. John Stuart Mill, who made utilitarianism the subject of one of his philosophical treatise Utilitarianism (1863), is the most proficient defender of this doctrine after Jeremy Bentham. His contribution to the theory consists in his recognition of distinctions of quality, in addition to those of intensity, among pleasu... ... will is the distinction of rational beings to all else, we may take this direction to always respecting the will of others. However, Kant cannot expect that we never act contrary to someone's will because this could not be followed in a situation where wills conflict. It might be closer to Kant's idea to interpret him as requiring persons always to respect others as capable of acting for principles, and thus ably prepared to restrain our actions towards others if they or we could not will our maxim to be universal law. Works Cited: Mill, John Stuart, Utilitarianism, Hackett Publishing Company Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana, 1979, Original Publication, 1861 Kant Immanuel, Grounding For The Metaphysics Of Morals, Third Edition, Hackett Publishing Company Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana, 1993, Original Publication, 1785 Internet Sources Consulted Kant, Immanuel. â€Å"Selections from Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals.† Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals (1993): 104-112. Blackboard. Web. 12 Apr. 2015. Mill, John Stuart, Utilitarianism, N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2015. .

Insomnia Essay -- essays research papers

Insomnia is formally defined as the inability to get the standard amount of sleep. This disease affects 1 in 3 adults every year in the United States (Insomnia). Insomnia is a growing problem that we are learning more about everyday, insomnia makes life very hard for those who are inflicted by it. Prevention of insomnia is rather simple if you learn simple techniques. If you are afflicted by insomnia than cure is rather simple if you are in the care of a good health care provider   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Insomnia is most commonly found in women and older adults. Also people who are divorced or widowed have a greater chance than those who are married to be victims of insomnia (Sleep Disorders). These groups tend to have higher stress and that is why they are more likely to be affected. There is transient insomnia which is rather common and only lasts for a few days, the insomnia will be cured once the stressful problem is resolved. Chronic insomnia lasts for more than three weeks and should be treated by a trained health care provider (Sleep Disorders). Chronic insomnia is proven to lead to other diseases such as mood disorders and depression. Transient insomnia is usually caused by a temporary situation of high stress and will normally go away when the problem is resolved. Chronic depression can be caused by a number of things. Acute stress like an illness can cause chronic insomnia. Depression and high anxiety can also lead to insomnia. It may also be caused by s leep problems such as sleep apnea. Caffeine or other stimulants can lead to insomnia. The use of depressants and sedatives will relax you but may also cause you to have shallow, fragmented sleep. Pain due to illness may also be causes. Poor sleep habits are also proven to be causes of insomnia. Extreme changes in sleep patterns may cause insomnia. There are also rare conditions such as restless leg syndrome and nocturnal myoclonus that can lead to chronic insomnia (Sleep Disorders). There are several symptoms of insomnia and they are very obvious. Having trouble falling asleep is a good sign you may have insomnia. Waking up often at night or being restless is a tell tale sign of insomnia. Also if you wake up early and are unable to go back to sleep you may be affected my insomnia. If you wake up from a night of sleep and do not feel rested at all you are most likely afflicted by insomnia (Burt... ... bed can help you take your mind off your day’s troubles. Having background noise helps make falling asleep easier for some people. Try and not focus on falling asleep and try and let your mind drift, this will help you fall asleep quicker. Avoiding unneeded stress in your life will help you prevent insomnia also. Keep a journal and write down before you go to bed everything you need to do, this will help you to not worry about everything you have been worrying about ( Sleep Disorders). All these techniques are ways of reducing stress. Some techniques may not work for some and may work great for others; it all depends on the person. Once you find a technique that works you should stick with it. Whatever is comfortable for you is what you should use.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Insomnia has become a very popular disease in the United States. There are numerous treatments that can help ease the affects this disease has on people. Knowing how to prevent it and what the symptoms are is crucial to avoiding the disease. All the prevention techniques are free and very easy to learn, everyone should know these techniques so they can help prevent this disease that makes life so difficult

How Did You Respond to a Challenge of Your Values? :: MBA College Admissions Essays

How Did You Respond to a Challenge of Your Values?    One has to understand sub-continental culture regarding marriage in order to understand this particular crisis. Marriages are classified into two groups: 'settled' marriage and 'affair' marriage. In a 'settled' marriage, the groom's family chooses the bride, and if bride's family accepts the groom, the two families get together and fix the marriage. The bride and the groom may or may not meet each other before the marriage. In an 'affair' marriage, two persons fall in love and get married, with or without the permission of their families. This is considered a social crime, and the newlyweds are forced to leave their families.    After I came back from the US, I met my sweetheart who was attending medical school. We courted each other for years, and when she graduated we figured it was time to marry. I asked my family to select the woman of my choice so as to marry the woman I love without upsetting social norms. When my mother proposed my fiancà ©e's family, her mother wanted to see me personally. I assumed she would consider me a suitable candidate for her daughter's husband since I come from a good family and since I am qualified to maintain a family. However, rather than looking for qualities in me that might make her daughter happy, she demanded that I posses an MBA degree before I marry her daughter. Apparently, all of her relatives' and friends' daughters got married to either MBAs or Ph.D.'s.    I was dumbfounded. I would have gladly given the moon to her daughter, but I was not about to earn an MBA to satisfy this woman's irrational craving.

Coffee retail Essay

1. Introduction The report revolves around the Retail Industry. As it is a very generic industry we have taken the Coffee Retail Market as the highlight of scrutiny. Our scope of study is focused taking in consideration only India as the geographic segment. We broadly look at the Porter’s Five Forces of the industry specifically. Also the complementors are observed and how they affect the retail business of coffee houses. The major players identified in the industry are Starbucks, Cafe Coffee Day, Barista, Costa Coffee, and Nescafe. Grilling down further the report includes SWOT analysis, External Factor analysis matrix ,Internal Factor analysis matrix and PESTEL analysis. 2. Porter’s Five Forces The porter’s five forces model framework is very helpful in understanding the industry and market closely. It further helps in determining the profitability of the industry as a whole. Also helps the management in taking strategic decisions accordingly. 2. 1 Threat of New Entrants In the present world coffee has become a really popular beverage among Indians. This makes it an attractive market for the potential companies who are looking up for opening their retail coffee houses in India. Entering the industry is not that cumbersome in case a business house admires to open up a small coffee shop. Problem arises in respect to entering the industry when they aspire to set up retail coffee chains or speciality coffee shops. Due to many established names in the industry like Cafe Coffee Day and Costa Coffee, establishing brand name also becomes an issue. Companies already with established brand names like Coca Cola, Starbucks can enter the industry easily without much caution as they already have marketing strategies designed in their favour. As a conclusion, we can state that barriers to entry are Low especially for global brands and they can easily enter the coffee retail industry with established marketing strategy, name, and huge capital and financial stability. Otherwise, hard for new and unknown firms admiring to be in the business. 2. 2 Bargaining Power of Suppliers The suppliers for the coffee retail industry in India generally come from southern India i. e. Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Though these days different types of coffee are becoming popular among the Indians like, Gourmet, Organic, Eco-friendly coffee, and they are being sold for better prices in comparison to the traditional brewed coffee. Still the situation is not really in favour of these suppliers. These coffee growers are poor, competitive and rely on the buyers to a great extent. Therefore, power remains to be limited. This proves to be good for the retail outlets in the business. 2. 3 Bargaining power of Customers. The whole retailing coffee industry depends upon the customers. So it is of vital importance to satisfy the customers in order to give them a reason to visit again. In this case word-of mouth plays an important role. So, if people appreciate about a particular coffee shop or chain, others are likely to try it. Thus, retailers must find new strategies and techniques of luring away the customers. But it is very important for the localities coffee retail shops to understand that they cannot charge prices as high as the industry players like Starbucks, Barista or Cafe Coffee Day. They need to maintain a low price profile in order to attract customers. So in case of these small locality retail shops the bargaining power of customers is very high. Otherwise the other coffee retail chains (industry players) do hold some control over the prices charged but it becomes important to consider the customers purchasing power. Otherwise they would switch over to other brand as there is no switching cost for them. This establishes that the bargaining power of customers is high and really important measure for the conduct of efficient business. Also these coffee retail chains should understand that the customers can also make the coffee at home which justifies their higher bargaining power. 2. 4 Threat of Substitute products There are a lot of substitutes for the coffee retail industry in general. Specially, the soft drinks industry has always given fierce competition. Also, other products like ice cream, candy, and beer are also a part of substitute products. It becomes important for these retail houses to make coffee more popular and drinkable amongst the masses. People should never consider switching from their coffee shops. But with changing preferences of Indian masses in favour of coffee the players within the industry are making maximum efforts in favour of differentiating its products from the substitute products. Also strategic decisions and marketing activities are initiated to shift the customer base from the substitutes resulting in high demand of coffee from the retail sector. So the threat of substitutes is also moderate. 2. 5 Competitive Rivalry within the Industry Considering the entire coffee retail industry as the scope of study, there are number of retail chains serving the industry effectively. To top the list is Starbucks, and than many more such as Cafe Coffee Day, Barista, Costa Coffee, Gloria Jeans, Nescafe, Bru Cafe, Dunkin Donuts, Mc Donalds, and small Kiosks and coffee points are also emerging in localities. They all are different in size and serve different segments of the society but are competing with each other in some or the other way. Each retailer follows different marketing strategy to lure away their target segments. Also with moving times the industry is occupying a stable position in the retail sector and is saturated . Therefore, we can say that the competitive rivalry though on the higher side does not affects the profit margins for the industry. 3. Complementors There is a sixth force to the porter’s five forces model, the power and competence that the complementors provide to the business. The complementors are those that help in selling and adding value to the existing products of the industry. When these products are used together they help in satisfying customer demands more effectively. It is also to be believed that these complementors play an important role in drawing in the demand for the industry. This in turn helps in scaling up the profits. Conversely, the poor products being manufactured or supplied by the complementors may harm the profits and demand. So it becomes important on part of managers to analyse all the six forces and then think systematically how their strategic choices would affect the industrial competition. Majorly the complementors can be associated with high-tech industries wherein they literally help in hiking the sales and profits for the industry. In our case, coffee retailing is not an industry that has any such complementors that would help in boosting sales or profits. But certain products are identified by us that in a slight way might affect the coffee retailing business. Like, merchandising, snacks offered for sale in coffee retail chains. Merchandising includes apparels and coffee mugs and other products such as soft toys and key chains available for sale by many coffee retail houses Cafe Coffee Day, Barista, Starbucks etc. Snacks are offered mainly by all the coffee houses in the form of cookies, patties, croissants, sandwiches, pasta, oats etc. So these complementors directly help in pushing up the sales of the business. 4. SWOT Analysis 5. External factor Analysis External strategic forces. Weight Rating Weighted score Comments Opportunities 1. India Large market .18 4 .72 Second most populated nation of the world 2. Increase in spending power .15 3 .45 The GDP or the purchasing power is rising adequately 3. Youth population .13 4 .52 Youth are the ones who are more prone and exposed to cafes 4. Favourable labour cost .07 2 .14 Easily available manpower at lower costs 5. Favourable infrastructure cost .07 2 .14 Low and easy access to infrastructure 6. Opportunity to serve the tea drinking segment .05 1 .05 A major portion of population is attracted towards tea drinking. Threats 1. Low per capita income. .07 3 .21 Huge requirement to extend products at competitive prices 2. Increasing health consciousness .04 1 .04 3. Competiton from fast food joints .04 3 .12 Mc Donalds, Pizza Hut, Subway 4. Hiking coffee prices .06 3 .18 5. Tea drinking segment .10 4 .4 This segment consumes tea at least twice a day 6. Rare habit of travelling to cafes .04 1 .04 Total score 1. 00 3. 01 The EFE matrix is made by comparing the coffee industry with the other beverage industry in India and weights and ratings are assumed according to personal knowledge. Considering the external factors effecting the industry EFE matrix is created. A score of more then 2. 5 reflects that the industry has more than average capability in response to external forces particularly the beverage industry in India. 6. Internal Factor Analysis Internal strategic forces Weight Rating Weighted Score Comments Strengths 1. Increasing Coffee demand .18 4 .72 Changing lifestyle leading to coffee adaptation 2. Favourable labour relations .15 3 .45 3. Non-perishable commodity .12 4 .48 Coffee is a non-perishable commodity which has no threat of being spoiled easily. Weakness 1. Low dominance over price .15 2 .3 Due to competitors in the industry. 2. Heavy export of coffee .05 1 .05 Low domestic consumption 3. High operating cost .2.5 1 .25 Total 1 2. 25 In the above tables, Column 1 depicts the strategic factors Column 2 depicts weight assigned to each strategic factor from 0 to 1 i. e. not important to most important Column 3 depicts the rating assigned to each factor wherein a scale of 1-4 is used. It signifies industry’s present response to each factor. In EFE matrix 1-4 is responses from poor to superior and In IFE 1-2 is major and minor weakness and 3-4 is major and minor strength. Column 4 gives in the weighted score. Column 5 represents the comments for the strategic factors Since internal factor analysis is used to judge wether the company is performing inline with the expected strengths and weaknesses or not. Generally an average score of 2. 5 on 10 is expected. After the analysis, we conclude that the internal weigted score of coffee industry in India is almost in line with 2. 5,reflected that the respected industry is running as astrong business internally as well. 7. Value Chain It is a series of activities aimed at delivering maximum value to a customer, through a product or service, at the minimum cost. This model analyses how a firm procures raw materials, adds value to these material through various processes and sells the finished product to the ultimate consumer. All these functions are performed with the objective of maximizing customer value at minimum cost. The value chain of the retail coffee industry consists of the following processes and activities: 7. 1 Primary activities 7. 1. 1 Inbound Logistics: This is primarily concerned with the procurement of raw materials in the form of coffee beans and various types of dairy products, required by all the coffee retail outlets. The aim is to procure high quality materials so that best of the flavours is served to the customers. Cafe Coffee Day does in-house sourcing through coffee estates owned by the company. Starbucks Coffee and Barista Lavazza chains have sourcing agreement with Tata Coffee. Cafe Nescafe, owned by Nestle works through community farming, where it provides high yielding quality, disease resistant seeds to the farmers for improved productivity. The company provides regular and fair remuneration to the farmers. Dairy products are also sourced through community farming. 7. 1. 2 Operations: There are various operations involved in the business of retail coffee outlets. The most important operation to be performed is roasting of the coffee beans, which gives the taste, flavor and smell to the coffee. Tata coffee provides roasting services to Starbucks and Barista through its own roasting facility. The outlets undertake all the operations to run an outlet like preparation of items, serving them to the customers and billing, etc. Starbucks and Cafe Coffee Day work on the model wherein order is taken and served to the customers on the table, whereas Barista works as self-service outlet. 7. 1. 3 Outbound Logistics: The customers are serviced through company owned or licensed retail outlets, which may be in the form of lounge, highway cafes or store-in-store. The stores are set up in centralized locations, which are easily accessible to the customers, in order to achieve maximum footfall. According to a business standard report, top 40 cities in India have around 1700 coffee outlets. CCD is the largest coffee chain in India with 1200 outlets, followed by Barista having 154 outlets and Starbucks having 21 outlets. Starbucks also sells some of its products through retail stores and super markets. 7. 1. 4 Marketing and Sales: Companies undertake various promotional activities to attract a large number of customers, which may be in the form of sponsorships and co-marketing initiatives. Customers are also benefited through loyalty card programs, carrying various offers and advantages. Value meal combos attract students who have low purchasing power. Marketing is also done through TV and media sources. All this is done to maximize sales. 7. 1. 5 Services: Coffee retail industry relies on the quality of service to the customers. These chains don’t sell coffee, they sell experience. For this, highly trained staff is recruited to provide high quality customer service. Other services offered are newspapers, magazines and free Wi-Fi to the customers. 7. 2 Support services 7. 2. 1 Firm Infrastructure: In order to have a smooth flow of operations, the companies need to have sound infrastructure for accounting, planning, finance, management, etc. The retail outlets have inviting interiors and comfortable seating space. 7. 2. 2 Human Resource Management: Human Resources are the most valuable assets of any organization, and same also goes with these retail coffee chains. Highly trained people are recruited to provide high quality customer service. Various training and motivation programs are conducted to further enhance the skills of these people, which will add to the customer value. 7. 2. 3 Technology: Companies have started using latest technology to perform their operations. Computerized roasting machines are being used to maintain the consistency in the flavour of coffee beans. Barista has installed control systems like Total Quality Management to ensure the quality of materials distributed. Latest software is being used to achieve maximum operational efficiency. 7. 2. 4 Procurement: In order to achieve maximum customer satisfaction, companies need to procure raw materials that are of best quality available in the market. Companies also need to source furniture, kitchen equipment, utensils, etc. , which act as complements in the operations of coffee retail outlets. All the above-mentioned activities aim to maximize the customer value at the minimum cost. 8. PESTEL Analysis A strategic framework of macro economic , political, economical, socio-cultural, technological, environmental, and legal factors include :- 8. 1 Political factors. Indian coffee board has proved a helping hand to the coffee industry of the same after 1996 de-regulation of coffee marketing. after it it has grown up as a free market leading to a four times growth in its trade. around 70-80% of the country’s production is exported . A coffee produced with set standards named fair trade coffee is one of the major constituents to coffee retailing. the one managing this in the country is fair trade alliance , kerela. Starbucks in India is certified to fair trade coffee provider ,whereas barista lavazza has fair trade coffee compliance abroad buit not in India and same is the case with dunkin donuts. 8. 2 Economical factors Development in lifestyle of people and coffee turning as a delighting factor in the economy ,the consumption of coffee is taking a pace. Increase in consumption by urban young generation is expected to take the industry at a whopping business of around 2250 crores by the year 2017. Though it currently stands at Rs. 1100 with its major players trading like barista, CCd etc. The infrastructure developements, the enhancing demand and smoothing trade procedure leads to incremental trade for the industry. A coffeeproduced with set standards named fair trade coffee is one of the major condstituents to coffee retailing. The one managing this in the country is fair trade alliance,kerela. Starbucks inIindia is certified to fair trade coffee provider , whereas barista lavazza has fair trade coffee compliance abroad but not in India and same is the case with dunkin donuts 8. 3 Socio- Cultural factors Catering to the ever increasing population of the country, it is the responsibility of the businesses to look for to the socio economic factors in place . For instance, the development in lifestyle of people is leading to increase in the coffee consumption in the country. Keeping these factors into mind businesses like cafe coffee day claims of training 400-500mpeople every month to enhance employment and as a part of responsibility to the society, MC Donalds along with CCD keep staff to clean right under your feet. Similar to those dunkin donuts provides 21 day training program to the staff to help customers better. As a part of social responsibility 50% Costa coffee employees in Delhi and NCR are deaf people. 8. 4 Technological factors With the changing lifestyle and gezmo addicted generation, one cannot afford to have a internet free cafe . The presence of bluetooths and wifi within the outlets of coffee companies is the basic requirement to get on the customer to the shop. The comfort of checking the emails, organising commercial meetings in the coffee shops an sitting there for hours requires the business to have a wifi enabled cafe. For eg -starbucks (India) uses help AT&T(India) to provide a click, no password facility for easy internet accessSalong with there mobile apps and various online facilties. Moreover whotspot also helps in proving in these facilities. Barista lavazza uses strategy ‘ internet with mugs’ named strategy to lure customers in contract with spectranet. Along with this value addition it also provide facilities like hot deals with customers downloading deal on their tablets or smartphones and avail the services on the spot. 8. 5 Environmental factors The weather conditions play a major role in production of coffee. Environmental factors in case of coffee is the seasonal dependecy of the amount of coffee produced across different seasons. For instance:- with on time monsoon this year in the country,the coffee production in southern area of country raised upto 8-10%. in india other factors on which the coffee production depends are the pest infestation and limitation of mechanisation. conserving water, recycling,energy and plastic management etc are also few termenologies which companies takecare off. 8. 6 Legal factors Legal establishments popping up prooved as aiding cushions to the domestic market of the industry as well along with the outside trade. with liberalisation of industries in 1991 this particular industry was also benefited. One of the drastic help was with the FDI in retail industry i. e around 51% which turned trade more smoother then before. Tarrif charges in india are 40-605 on raw material and 60-100% on semi finished goods. Mc Donalds bring its coffee reatailing from its brand mccafe originated in melbourne,australlia. Starbucks got the way to enter in Indian markets after FDI was allowed by government but still restriction to get 30% of sourcing from SME’s of India. Indian institute of plantation management, Banglore (IIPM)usually takes up the responsibility of coffee retailing in the country along with its entrepreneurship and development. 9. Conclusion The coffee retail industry in India is on the expansion path and has doubled over the last decade. The present size of the market is estimated at Rs. 1520 crore, which is expected to reach Rs. 3775 core by the year 2018, a CAGR of around 20%. Earlier there was no such demand for moving out of the houses for coffee consumption but the emerging coffee retail chains have changed the scenario triggering consumption need amongst the young adults. Serving the evolutionary phase exceptionally well, these coffee retail chains are overwhelmed with the response in the Indian market are planning further expansion of their networks in the country. The above analysis of porter’s five forces highlights that the profitability of the industry is expanding with westernised culture being adapted by Indians. (Porters 5 force analysis). The snack and merchandise industry are complementing the coffee retail industry very effectively thereby leading to inflated sales and profits for these retail houses. (complementors). Reflected by the study of strategy of coffee industry hereby conclude that the Indian coffee industry is a strong respondent to the external factors (EFA matrix) as well as internally also industry is doing well(IFA matrix). To increase the figures of sales and profitability, a number of varieties of coffee and eatables are offered, targeted at different price-points of the market. The companies are using innovative strategies and marketing tactics. A large young population, rapid urbanization and changing lifestyle, coupled with not-so-difficult entry into the market have attracted a large number of domestic and foreign players in the country. Global brands like Starbucks are keen in investing in the Indian market due to the huge potential it displays. This is evident from the sizeable revenues that these brands have generated over the years. (PESTEL and Value chain). Only home grown coffee is served in the Indian market as coffee import attracts a duty of 120%. Coffee beans are sourced from company owned estates or through the means of community farming. Companies with established brand names are able to run their business successfully, whereas small business houses are in a way struggling to compete in the market. 10. Bibliography Unknown. 2013. [online] Available at: http://pure. au. dk/portal-asb-student/files/3785/khrystyna_diaz_final_theses. pdf [Accessed: 12 Oct 2013]. Unknown. 2013. 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