As readers we feel confused by the events of the first chapter

From the outset, Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ creates an air of mystery in both the characters and setting that contributes to the confusion felt by the reader. Many of the ideas and symbols used in the first chapter of the book epitomise the technique utilised by Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ throughout the novel. â€Å"Wuthering Heights† has been described as a ‘Chaotic novel'1and many believe that it is intended to confuse and bewilder the reader. After reading the first chapter, the reader is confused about the situation and questions are left unanswered. We are unsure about many of the facts. We know the date is 1801 and that Lockwood is a tenant of Heathcliff's at Thrushcross Grange, but we are unaware of any of the characters' significance in the novel. We are introduced to the servant, Joseph, and briefly encounter Zillah, although we are not told her name. The reader is not informed of the relationships between any of the characters. Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ purposefully keeps the facts ambiguous, which emphasises the feelings of confusion. Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½'s tone and style is mysterious and foreboding from the beginning. In particular, the use of descriptions such as ‘gaunt', ‘defended', ‘jutting', ‘crumbling' and ‘grotesque' add to the grim feel of the novel from the start and the seemingly impenetrable facade of the characters. As readers, we are intended to feel an affinity with Lockwood, who is portrayed as completely alien to the situation. Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ uses many symbols which continue throughout the novel to suggest this. When Lockwood first arrives at the Heights, the atmosphere is unwelcoming, ‘a perfect misanthropists Heaven.' His entrance to Wuthering Heights is made difficult and uncomfortable, ‘he did pull out his hand to unchain it, and then sullenly proceeded me up the causeway' and the greeting is morose from Joseph, ‘looking meantime in my face so sourly that I charitably conjectured he must have need of divine aid to digest his dinner'. Heathcliff's abrupt attitude towards Lockwood, ‘appeared to demand (his) speedy entrance or complete departure'. The doorway into â€Å"the house† is then guarded by ‘grotesque carvings' that reiterates that Lockwood is unwelcome. The famous essay, ‘The Window Image in Wuthering Heights' by Dorothy Van Ghent puts across the point that doors and windows are used symbolically in â€Å"Wuthering Heights†. Characters are unable, or find it difficult, to enter or leave Wuthering Heights. In the first chapter, we see a glimpse of this reality in Lockwoods uncomfortable entrance into Wuthering Heights. Phrases such as, ‘gaunt thorns all stretching their limbs one way, as if craving alms of the sun' give the impression of people being trapped, an idea expressed by Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ in the novel as a whole. Wuthering heights at first appears to be a place trapped in time, almost, ‘completely removed from the stir of society.' The building, dated â€Å"1500† is 300 years old, which suggests a history to the building. Later in the novel, the perception that Wuthering Heights and its characters are trapped is extended. The idea is epitomised by the ghost of Catherine that appears to Lockwood. The repeated use of doubles throughout the book also adds to this effect. â€Å"Hareton Earnshaw† is inscribed on the entrance to Wuthering Heights and is also a character currently living at the Heights when Lockwood visits. The two Cathy's in the novel notably add to the confusion and mystery created in the book. This heightens the effect of Wuthering Heights as a place which seems to defy time. There are many more examples of this in the novel. Frank Kermode has pointed out that the names on the windowsill when read left to rights show the elder Catherine's life, but left to right, the younger's. This gives an example of how the characters lives are confusingly entwined during the course of the novel and adds to bewilderment in the reader. In the first chapter, we are introduced by Lockwood to the vast importance of weather in â€Å"Wuthering Heights†: ‘†Wuthering† being a significant provincial adjective, descriptive of the atmospheric tumult to which its station is exposed in stormy weather' Here, Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ prefaces one of the most major symbols used in â€Å"Wuthering Heights†. Depiction of the novel, from modern films to old paintings inevitably includes the imagery of the moors and ‘tumultuous sky and wild landscape.'2Even in the opening paragraphs, the connotations suggested by words such as ‘wilderness' and ‘jutting' suggest a feeling of defencelessness to the reader. The landscape and weather is portrayed as all-present, frequently reoccurring in metaphors and in the characters themselves, such as the ‘stormy'3Catherine. The reader feels overpowered and confused by the depth of thought in the novel as a whole and the vagueness of the first chapter. ‘Tumult', ‘gaunt', ‘crumbling' and ‘craving' when used to describe the surroundings at Wuthering Heights, also, simultaneously describes the feeling of confusion and helplessness that the reader experiences at the beginning of the novel. The confusion and feeling of being trapped in the novel is likely to be directly linked to Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½'s own confusion and withdrawal from the world. Many of the Gondal poems Emily wrote as an escape included situations in which characters were trapped, often in prisons from which they could only escape through the imagination. Scholars such as Mary Visack have noted a progression in Emily's work from the poems to the novel in this way. This poem by Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ shows uses of nature and weather, as well as very powerful language, ‘descending', ‘drear', ‘darkening', to describe the same feeling of loneliness and isolation depicted in Wuthering Heights. ‘The night is darkening round me, The wild winds coldly blow; But a tyrant spell has bound me And I cannot, cannot go. The giant trees are bending Their bare boughs weighed with snow, And the storm is fast descending And yet I cannot go. Clouds beyond clouds above me, Wastes beyond wastes below; But nothing drear can move me; I will not, cannot go.' The reader feels not only an affinity with Lockwood and his own confusion and isolation, but also with Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½'s own feelings at that time. Also, these feelings are symbolic of Cathy's loss of power and helplessness later in the book. The reader feels isolated at first from the events of the text and unaware of what it means. Lockwood does not inspire confidence as a narrator during the first chapter. He frequently misjudges things, leading the reader to mistrust his initial opinions and views, adding to the confoundment felt at the start of the novel. The ‘homely, northern farmer' that Lockwood would expect is deeply contrasted by the ‘rather morose' reality of Heathcliff. The contrasts themselves within Heathcliff are another cause for confusion. Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ frequently utilises Lockwood's judgements in this way to further cloud the readers mind. ‘He is a dark-skinned gypsy in aspect, in dress and manners a gentleman.' Heathcliff's description constantly contradicts itself. Lockwood then goes on to judge Heathcliff very quickly, ‘by instinct'. However, the overconfident manner in which he announces his opinions then dismisses them, ‘No, I'm running on to fast', puts the reader on guard. In his description of Wuthering Heights, Lockwoods view of what should be is opposed by the reality: ‘I observed no signs of roasting boiling or baking, about the huge fire-place.' Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ uses dark imagery in phrases such as ‘heavy black ones lurking in the shade', ‘swarm of squealing puppies' and ‘other dogs haunted other recesses' to re-emphasise the foreboding and unwelcoming feel to Wuthering Heights once again. The signs in Wuthering Heights appear to be unreadable. What Lockwood thought were ‘cats' were in fact dead rabbits. The dogs are ‘four-footed fiends'. The contrasting descriptions of Heathcliff are also perplexing and later Lockwood, and the reader, are unable to decipher relationships between the characters. We are unsure if Hareton is a servant or a master and we cannot understand Catherine's relationships with other characters. This is mirrored, later, when the reader is confused about the names on the windowsill. We are unsure whether the Catherines are the same person or not. Later still, the reader is confused again when the civilised Lockwood horrifically rubs the young girl's wrist against the broken glass 'till the blood ran down and soaked the bedclothes'. The eclectic mix of styles and qualities of the book in general add somewhat to it's confusion. There is a frequent use of ghosts and spirits, yet as Patsy Stoneman denotes, it has qualities of a ‘very down-to-earth book'4. In the first chapter we see a reflection of this mix in the grim descriptions, which contrast with both Lockwood and the ‘lusty dame'. The violence hinted at with the dogs contrasts again with these styles and is a direct precursor to events later in the book. â€Å"Wuthering Heights† is an extremely well-structured novel, in which Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ is able to control the readers thoughts and emotions to add to the powerful effect of the novel as a whole. In the first chapter, she is able to create an air of mystery, confusion and intrigue which is enhanced and expanded as the story unfolds. Still many critics find â€Å"Wuthering Heights† ‘a preposterous text'5 that is ‘back to front'and refuses to make sense by ‘normal' standards. There are certainly many levels the book can be read and enjoyed on. However, I think the most profound message in the book's confusion is the affinity it creates between Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ and the reader. This message is also mirrored later in the similarities between Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½'s own character and Heathcliff's and the parallels drawn between Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½'s own religious crisis and the character of Joseph. Essentially, â€Å"Wuthering Heights† is the only insight into the mysterious and reserved Emily Brontà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½.

Foundations of Leadership

This paper examines foundations of leadership and the role behavior plays in leadership. Behavior defines a person's ability to communicate and form active and powerful relationships within the organizational structure. Behavior influences how a leader will sustain communication to their team members and defines their strategy for leadership. This influences their ability to motivate, build powerful teams and adjust to organizational conflict and change. One role model of effective leadership would Bill Clinton. This paper looks at not only organizational examples of leadership but also the political role model of president to aid in defining foundations for leadership. This paper examines how proactive leadership can be applied to the organizational structure and outcomes or implications result. In today's business world, it is important to address how change agents influence the workplace and how leaders address such issues. In today's marketplace, the pressure to succeed is intense. Never before has a company's efficiency and profitability been so closely measured and studied. Without powerful, active leadership and a well-tuned team in place to motivate and encourage teamwork, a company is doomed to fail. This paper will explore key elements that build a foundation for leadership. See, sometimes what is not completely understood is that leadership involves so many other attributes found in a person. Two main attributes discussed in this paper is the ability to effectively communicate and display emotional intelligence. This brings into focus other skills needed to manage the day to day conflict and corporate environment of today's changing business world. Not only is leadership a key to success and a reflection of the organization's cultural values but it is group of skills needed. These skills include areas of expertise such as communication, motivation, and team building skills. In order for an organization to carry on success, it must turn to role models in the community for inspiration. Rather these role models be present within the culture is important but inherently, people will look around them to leadership already within the framework. This means looking to American culture for such leadership models. It can be continuously debated rather or not the most important leader in the world is effective. This person falls under tremendous scrutiny and accountability. The President of the United States must lead by example and be active in their leadership but one aspect of leadership that must be understood is that people are human and they err in the human way, nor are they perfect. As a role model, this paper will not only look at organizational examples of effective leadership skills but also examine the leadership of Bill Clinton. A key to the foundation for leadership is effective communication and one's ability to behave intelligently. It can be easy to confuse the two concepts of management and leadership on an organizational level. George S. Odiorne (1987) writes, â€Å"one of the more popular definitions of management is that it consists of getting results through other people† (p. 13). In today's company, the role of management also involves leadership within a team structure. Managers have the responsibility to set goals, maintain moral, aid in training and communicating corporate objectives. A good leader provides vision and clarity for the employee. Such a leader will be able to communicate and create a rapport with their team. This connection begins at a fundamental level of human sociology where the use of story is central. Howard Gardner (1995) reflects, â€Å"the ultimate impact of the leader depends most significantly on the particular story that he or she relates or embodies, and the receptions to that story on the part of the audiences† (p. 14). By telling stories, allows for a certain level of openness or vulnerability on the part of the leader and makes them human. By opening the line of communication, gives the employee knowledge of their environment and develops trust. The leader's role is to sell the idea of commitment within a culture. Odiorne (1987) suggests, â€Å"if employees know what is expected, and what help and resources are available, they can then be relied upon to govern their actions to achieve the commitments they have made† (p. 138). This sets the stage for goals and achieving high performance. The culture in turn feeds off this energy and excitement. There are three reasons why leaders are important. First they are responsible for the effectiveness of organizations. Second, the change and upheaval of past years has left us with no place to hide. We need anchors in our lives as a guiding purpose. Third, there is a national concern about integrity of our institutions. Being mindful of own context is difficult for us. (p. 15-16) Managers with a keen understanding of leading represent these three key attributes and create a foundation from which to act. A leader must also display curiosity and have the guts to be daring. They must be a dominant force within the team. Bennis (1989) reflects, there are two kinds of people â€Å"those who are paralyzed by fear, and those who are afraid but go ahead away. Life is not about limitation but options† (p. 185). In the book Primal Leadership, authors David Goleman, Richard Boyatzis, and Annie McKee (2001) present their research on leadership styles within the organizational structure. The research discusses the relationship that these executives have with their emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is the study of emotions and their impact upon the work environment. The research investigates the different leadership styles evident in most organizations today. Mainly, leaders are categorized as either having the visionary, coaching, affiliative, democratic, pacesetting, or commanding leadership styles. Emotional Intelligence relies upon the fact the leader will be able to have a competent level of interaction with the employee by changing leadership styles and adapting to each unique situation throughout the time at work. It reflects successful leadership by allowing for complex relationships for team members by recognizing relationship building, capacity of visions and personal development. Emotional Intelligence for a leader means being able to read people, be read and allow for open dialogue or communication. Research stresses the importance of the leader's flexibility and capability to adapt to his or her environment. An effective leader will understand not only their environment and people but also understand the potential for impact upon that environment. By understanding this key element, an effective leader will know how to define the environment. This is important because employees look to management for guidance. The leader defines the boundaries for the team and creates an atmosphere for building relationships and open communication. This in turn creates stronger teams. Any time people are brought together, behavior both positive and negative can occur. According to the American Heritage College Dictionary (1997), behavior is: â€Å"the manner in which one behaves or the actions or reactions of persons or things in response to external or internal stimuli. † Upon further investigating the verb form also in the American Heritage College Dictionary, the word ‘behave' means â€Å"to conduct (oneself) in a specified way† or â€Å"to act† (p. 123). It is human nature to behave in a certain manner while existing in society. Over a period of time, we react differently to events that happen. How we respond to those events is essentially our behavior. How we communicate with one another is how we express behavior. Organizational Behavior focuses on the study of behavior within the organizational construct. This field of study concentrates on how an individual, group and structure affects the behavior within the organization. Therefore, this has direct bearing on communication as information is vital to learning within the organization. It is important for an organization to learn from its mistakes as this information enhances the organizations' performance. This information when communicated can bring about change and growth within the organization's functions and policies. Motivation can be a complex issue for a leader to communicate when managing a team of different personalities. One key to success is having an understanding of people and the many different things that motivate people, influencing their behaviors while performing a task therefore, influencing communication. A good leader will work to understand what motivates each individual on the team in an effort to improve communications. Still this brings up the issue of needs and how to get them met by the situation. Maslow's Theory of Needs, suggests that individuals have a range of needs and will be motivated to fulfill whichever is the greatest need at that moment in time. In this construct, there are lower-order and higher-order needs. The lower-order needs are dominant until they are at least partially satisfied. Maslow predicted a normal person will turn their attention to higher-order needs once the lower ones were taken care of (Motivation 2005, par. 3). Lower-order needs include items like making a living for food and shelter while higher-order needs are more in tune with personality such as esteem and worth. A team leader will understand how his or her team members perceive themselves within the team and what needs are important to each member. This will aid the leader in knowing how to approach each individual and how to effectively discuss the every day team happenings. By understanding motivation, a leader can also understand which methods of communication work best for each employee. In this way, the leader can adapt his or her tone and body language to better convey the point. By knowing what motivates people, the leader can effectively communicate incentives to the team to boost their morale. This will lead to them offering the team ways to make work interesting and challenging while encouraging members to take ownership of tasks. This encourages the pursuit of goals. Once an employee is acknowledged, a higher level of pride and respect is achieved. This inspires them to take advantage of new learning opportunities and lead within the team. It is also important for the leader to give regular praise and positive feedback when the standard of work is high. On the other hand, it is also important for the leader to offer support during times of struggle and conflict in order to decrease the influence of stress. For managers who actively keep and open dialogue are putting their people first. They are more focused on nurturing and training. Research suggests leaders are more interested in mentoring and training their team rather than focusing on output of numbers or turn around time. This once again acts a mini-strategy to manage communication within the team. This development in team building allows for â€Å"providing people opportunities to learn from their work rather than taking them away from their work to learn† (Hughes, 2004, p. 4). A healthy culture inspires options and the innovations that grow out of creativity. Another issue when creating an intimate team experience is building trust. In an example, the South African Breweries, plc or SAB found itself needing to create trust in a post Apartheid era where racism was still very much causing conflict and lack of communication among workers. As part of implementing an integrated management process, the organization carried out workshops to target its 6,000 employees. These workshops encouraged open discussion about South Africa's past, Apartheid's influence and how shared values increased a sense of workplace community (Supporting workplace learning for high performance working, p. ). The President of the United States has a tremendous pressure on his shoulders as he represents our country to the world. The President can be considered the most powerful man in the world. Is he a good leader, effective in his communication, motivation, team orientation skills? Does he understand the needs of the people and actively lead on this premise of continually making the country a better place or is he a puppet acting out the agenda of his political party? From this standpoint, the United States government can be seen as the ultimate organization with the President as the CEO. Within this structure, is the foundation of leadership present or is the term just used to clean up past mistakes and create new policies only to be changed by future leaders? In this respect, it can be difficult to separate the human from the leader while in public view. He will be analyzed from every angle. From an Organizational Behavior standpoint, it is only logical to believe how one conducts his personal life also reflects his business integrity. Many would argue because of President Clinton's indiscretions that he was a poor leader. He lied and therefore, that changes the public view of him and the level of trust that can be instilled in him. This indiscretion calls his accountability into question or does it? In order to examine Clinton's leadership ability and skills, one must have a handle on their own Emotional Intelligence and be able to separate his business practices from his moral decision of his personal life. There is a reason the business world leaves the personal life at the door; there is a job to be done. Leon Panetta (2001) reflects, â€Å"Clinton is a paradox. He can be described as brilliant, dedicated, slick and dishonest† (p. ). Liberals claim he was passionate about the issues and succeeded in changing many policies concerning civil rights, education, the environment, medical ethics and women's rights. Conservatives liked him because he was able to balance the federal budget, fight for free trade like NAFTA and create tough crime programs. Still does addressing these issues make him an effective leader? Panetta (2001) explains, â€Å"to get a better measure of the man and his presidency, it helps to look at him, both accomplishments and failures. Only then can we understand Bill Clinton, the leader† (p. ) Discussion, Application and Implications The issue of ethics raises another concern for Organizational Behavior and how one conducts themselves within the construct. Communication can lead to misunderstanding but so does lack of action. Sometimes it is not evident that taking action could have changed the outcome. What is important to an organization is that they follow through with every possibility. This is where employees pick up on non-verbal communications from management. If a leader appears not to be concerned, then more than likely the team members will not be either. Internal cues, both verbal and non-verbal are extremely important to not only success but just day-to-day functioning. First leadership must be put in place then a change of policy can be put into place. There must be consistent with the chain of command where both the product and the use of the product are concerned. Everyone must have the same perception of the organization's objective. By having a trusting, open door policy with people creates an atmosphere of safety where communication can take place. Also another idea is to have a program of due diligence where people back each other up and support each other through periods of conflict. This will enable teams to have not just one chain but multiple chains of communications where information is double-checked and triple checked before put into use. This will ensure that any new issues or mistakes are found and addressed before they are put into real-world situations. This can also lead to teams thinking outside the box to create new innovative ideas to fix the problems. By building this type of culture, allows the organization to maintain a high level of integrity with the public but to also remain competitive within the market. The implications of doing business in today's world means constantly being open-minded and remaining comfortable knowing that not every day is same. Some people cannot work in such conditions. As Stephen Robbins (2001) comments, â€Å"As humans, we are creatures of habit. Changes substitute ambiguity and uncertainty for the known† (p. 546). People, by human nature, inherently resist change. Management may find older employees are more loyal but have a harder time embracing new ideas like the Internet because they remember the old days. This resistance to change can result in conflict but it also creates opportunities for innovation. The practice of innovation also begins with embracing or adopting the unexpected. Peter Drucker (1998) describes, â€Å"unexpected successes and failures are such productive sources of innovation opportunities because most business dismiss them, disregard them, and even resent them† (p. 3) and this type of behavior represents people's resistance to change but at the same time creates recognition of new opportunities within the market. Change in the global market, including multicultural demographics and new technologies, has required perceptions to change. The attitude toward knowledge has evolved because more than one type is needed in order to implement a new idea. This changes the needs of workers and organizations as diffusion of innovation takes place as many different points of view are considered. This adds value as it spawns creative thinking but it must also fall within economic reality. It is important to carry out a detailed implementation but also to remain on budget and schedule. The concept of innovation brings up other implications, however. It produces a whole new reality that employees may not be prepared to handle. Product diversification could mean failure. Technology, while it is wondrous and makes jobs easier, can also be dangerous. With telecommunications, a new breed of crime has been created with identity theft and corporate brand protection becoming important. Technology can be disastrous if put in the wrong hands. Antibiotics used to cure infections have saved numerous lives while there is a continued threat of biological weapons of mass destruction. With innovations come new inventions that make our lives easier but also have a higher risk when used. This is the nature of the realm of possibility. This can backfire as it can also destroy and impose new rules of conduct upon communities. As much as many like the idea of innovation, for those scared of change, it is difficult o embrace fully. This means as change rapidly flourishes out of control, those resistant aim to gain control of laws and rules to make change more difficult. This leads to Big Brother watching every public move and return to conservative leadership. One can look to the events of recent months to see the value of Bill Clinton's leadership. He has not retreated from the limelight but instead applied his passion and hope for people in his daily life of action by carrying on his role as a leader. Rather it be his participation in aiding Tsunami victims or right here at home, recent victims of Katrina, he continues his objective of serving the people of the United States. This communicates to us that he cares. Panetta (2001) reflects. â€Å"only in crisis is a president fully tested as to what part of his character will prevail† (p. 6). He may have failed many times but he also used failure as a positive means to evolve as a better man and leader for today's people and their needs. His ability to reach the every day man still defines his leadership power. This paper explored key elements that build a foundation for leadership. Two main attributes discussed in this paper is the ability to effectively communicate and display emotional intelligence. This brings into focus other skills needed to manage the day to day conflict and corporate environment of today's changing business world. Not only is leadership a key to success and a reflection of the organization's cultural values but it is group of skills needed. This paper also discussed how leadership skills have implications and define the work environment for employees. It discussed how leaders must be mindful of change agents and possible outcomes due to innovation and new technologies available. In this respect, the workplace is constantly evolving and without leadership as a framework, the organization would be motivated or able to communicate and teams would dissolve. In order for an organization to carry on success, it must turn to role models in the community for inspiration. Rather these role models be present within the culture is important but inherently, people will look around them to leadership already within the framework. This means looking to American culture for such leadership models. It can be continuously debated rather or not the most important leader in the world is effective. This person falls under tremendous scrutiny and accountability. The President of the United States must lead by example and be active in their leadership but one aspect of leadership that must be understood is that people are human and they err in the human way, nor are they perfect. As a role model, this paper looked at organizational examples of effective leadership skills but also examined the leadership of Bill Clinton. It is important in leadership to embrace change and stick to a vision. By having Emotional Intelligence one can â€Å"recogise the physical and mental signs of our feelings/emotions before we can act on them meaningfully and constructively† (Eby Ruin par. 20). It is by recognizing these attributes that one can build an effective team structure. A leader acts as a coach to not only reinforce the game plan with directions but also encourage creativity, new ideas and acquiring new skills. Foundations for Leadership include: effective communication, motivation and team building. In order to better understand leadership, we must look for role models within the organization but also outside to society. The President of the United States can be considered the ultimate definition of leadership but can he live up to the standard? This allows an organization to build a value system where the foundations of leadership are prized and seen as tools for success. And in order to survive in the business world, leadership and its foundations must be valued by the organization.

The Worlds Most Ethical Companies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 3

The Worlds Most Ethical Companies - Essay Example Colgate-Palmolive is a company which was founded for the purpose of creating the best products in the market for its consumers. It is because of this that it has often worked towards the development of those products which are not only attractive to consumers, but also highly beneficial to their health. Moreover, because of its need to retain the loyalty of its customers, Colgate-Palmolive has more often than not become involved in corporate social responsibility initiatives designed to ensure that the lives of people in those places where it has operations that directly affect them are improved (Ferrell and John 315). Because of such initiatives, as well as the high quality of the products that it manufactures, Colgate-Palmolive has managed to retain the loyalty of its customers throughout the decades of its existence. Furthermore, as a result of its reputation of producing only the best quality products, this company has managed to comfortably settle into new markets within a short time, unlike those companies which have a questionable reputation. In this way, Colgate is one of the most recognisable consumer brands in the world, with many individuals simply buying it products because the name Colgate gives them confidence about their quality. Consumers of Colgate-Palmolive products rarely have a problem with it and this is because of the company’s awareness that the production of inferior products will mean that it will lose out to its competitors, many of which also work hard to outpace its products in the market. Thus, Colgate-Palmolive has retained the confidence of its customers through observing their best interests as a means of making profits in the long term. This company often keeps its lines of communication with its customers open so that whenever there are any complaints about its products and services, they are taken care of swiftly and this has worked towards enhancing customer

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Human Resources Training and Development - Essay Example My experience in lab industry has doubled my curiosity. The global presence of Abbott and its dedication for continuous research and development and the passion of Abbott people in 'turning Science into Caring, have made Abbott my choice. The company web site is the primary source to know about its training programs. In addition to it, the universities associated with Abbott training like Western Illinois University and other organizations are also useful. The online newspapers and magazine articles have proved very valuable. Basically, I study about the objectives of a particular training program and how it fills the skill gap meeting the requirements of the organization. Obviously the quality of the program depends on a number of factors like the structure, content, context and the experience of the trainer. I also collect the previous participants of a program. According to Stephen Fussell, senior vice president, Human Resources at Abbott, "It is not only a great place to launch a career, but also a place to build a lifelong career. From an on-line mentoring program, leadership training programs and a full tuition reimbursement program, Abbott has something for everyone." According to the recent trends, there are two major factors that influencing the workforce and work place in many of the US compani

Business Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business Case Study - Essay Example The paper discusses the history of the Airline, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT), discusses an appropriate strategy that can be adopted by the airline to achieve growth. Southwest (2009) Southwest airline was formed in 1971 by Herb Kelleher and Rollin King, their main aim was to offer freights to customers at the lowest price possible and also make sure consumers arrived at their destinations on time. The company has expanded over the years and today the airline offers services to over seventy million consumers in a year. (Southwest (2009)) In 1979 the company introduced a self service ticket booking machine, this increased convenience to consumers. However in this year the airline could only offer services to 3 states, in 1983 the airline expanded and increased its destinations to over 34 cities. After the September 11 attack the airline still recorded a profit but its revenue declined by60%, in the following year the number of destinations increased to 58 cities. In 2004 the company was ranked as the fourth largest carrier given that the number of consumers per years had increased and the company had made profits for over 30 year in a row. (Southwest (2009)) Today the airline is still one of the best performing countries and its strategy has helped the company to achieve high growth and make profits over the years, the number of destinations have increased and due ... However a major problem is that other airlines have adopted the company's strategies and this has reduced its competitive position in the airline industry. (Southwest (2009)) B. SWOT analysis: This section discusses the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of Southwest airlines: Strengths: There are a number of internal strengths of the company, these strengths include: 1. Low fare prices: The company offers low fare prices, the low fare prices results into increased ticket demand; increased usage helps the company to realize economies of scale and therefore achieves high profits. 2. Online booking: The company has an advantage in that over 50% of booking are made online, it online booking services helps promote convenience to the customers. 3. unionized workers and flexible working hours: One in four employees of the company is a union member. However the company is still able to negotiate flexible working hours despite many employees being members of a union. (Robinson (2002)) Weaknesses: The company has a number of weaknesses and they include: 1. International freights: The company only offers services to a limited number of destinations, the company offers services to58 destinations only, it offers short distance freights and does not offer international freights that would help the company increase number of freights and revenue. (Robinson (2002)) 2. Boeing 737: The company only uses one product which is Boeing 7373 and this may be considered a major drawback to the company given that its reputation could be highly affected if the safety of such aircrafts is compromised. 3. Unionized workers: A large number of the company's employees are unionized, this affects the company given that negotiation regarding wages and working hours are done by a

Battered Women Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Battered Women - Essay Example The article also exposed the injustice of the Qatari Law against women. Under the Qatari Law, domestic workers are not protected from working long hours. The kafala system is also being subtly criticized because it prevents migrant workers from leaving their job or the country without their employer’s permission which made them subject for abuse. The audience of the article is the general public as well as Qatari authorities to address the issues of women migrant workers in their country. The purpose of the article is to advocate for the reform of the Kafala system that would allow protection for domestic women workers. The article is also convincing because it was not based on opinion but rather on hard facts such as the official record of 84,000 women migrant workers subjected to kafala system with many being abused. It also cited the call and report of amnesty International, a highly reputed international organization that protects human rights, for Qatari authorities to remedy. This article is effective because its publication is timed at circumstance where Qatari officials are being sensitive about their world image being the host of World Cup. They do not want to embarrass themselves before the world stage and issues like this are likely to be addressed which made the article effective. Klein, N. (2014, April 23). Desperate lives of women domestic workers exposed to appalling exploitation, physical violence and sexual abuse in Qatar.  Mail Online. Retrieved April 25, 2014, from

Quiz Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 13

Quiz - Essay Example Law argues that with the advocating for use of paper money the cost of gold and sliver will radically reduce. Law’s assertion that the value of goods is independent of the quantity of money made meaning and answered questions on the freedom to purchase any quantity of a product on an agreed price or cost. In addition, Law believed that. If paper money was in use trade will be made easier and the level of demand and supply will be eventually influenced. On the other hand, the James Steuart argues on the need for demand in the industry, which will result to a certain level of supply, which can take both regular and irregular trends. This situation creates competition in the market milieu and helps in increasing the quality of products in the most natural manner. This implies that with help of paper money, a product will bought or sold at its value. In the case of the Allan Meltzer’s assertion on redistribution and sustainability, the problem of capitalism is created by unequal distribution of resources and income. This aspect does not only affect a particular group of class of people, but also the universal economic structure of a country. Meltzer asserts that capitalism has grown because of leaders’ hostility to reward their selfish interests. Meltzer argues that, the wealth generated by the market system should be equally redistributed to ensure a strong economic foundation (OBrien,

Stats 2 wk1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Stats 2 wk1 - Assignment Example 4. H4: Framing of coupon savings message interacts with consumer’s choice of brands. More well-known brands are chosen with a prevention focus framing while less known brands are chosen when coupons are framed as promotions. 5. H5: Expiration date restriction interacts with consumers’ choice of brands. Familiar brands are chose if expiration date is immediate while less known brands are chosen with a longer expiration timeframe. In the first laboratory experiment 116 undergraduate students of age 18-25 participated. A 2 x 2 x 2 mixed-factorial design was considered with two levels of regulatory focus, two levels of message frame and two levels of brand familiarity. Eight product categories were selected, each with two levels of brands. As expected, type of brand showed significance. Significant interaction was found between regulatory focus and message frame indicating support of H1. Significant interaction was also observed between regulatory focus and brand choice, supporting H3. Significant interaction was also found between message frame and brand preference, indicating support of H4. In the second laboratory experiment 95 undergraduate students participated. They were classifies according to their self-concepts as consumers. Again a 2 x 2 x 2 mixed factorial design was used and attitude towards advertisement was measured. It was observed that regulatory focus had an effect on overall shopping behavior. When shoppers were focused on their ideals, longer time horizon led to higher purchase of un-promoted brands (H2). The third experiment was performed in a grocery shop with 212 participants who were handed out a discount coupon each. The framing on the coupon was either gain oriented or no-loss oriented and the expiration date was either immediate or with a longer horizon. Interaction between regulatory message and coupon saving message was observed. Significant interaction was also observed between

Envioronment assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Envioronment assignment - Essay Example The effect of this disease affects the most productive sectors of the society because it deprives the economy of scarce resources of skills, it leaves countless number of orphaned children, and a country lessened with people at their prime. HIV/AIDS have declined life expectancy in Botswana as it joined the ranks of seven countries in Sub-Saharan Africa such as Angola, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda and Zambia that have life expectancies below 40 years of age. Study showed of the ECA showed that by year 2020, among those aged fifteen to forty-four, there will be more men than women. There is an implication of increased HIV infection among younger women because there is evidence in the study that older men inflict younger women thru marriage (ECA). Impact of HIV/AIDS is hardest on the family, because as people die, they leave a struggling family both emotionally and financially. Poverty is enhanced because savings are spent during the period of illness. Due to death of parents, t he number of orphaned children left to government’s care also increases. The number of orphaned children in Africa is already in the range of thirteen to fifteen million children. In summary, HIV/AIDS destroys human capital, weakens the mechanisms that generate human capital formation and produces a chance for the children to contract the disease, thus making education less attractive to them. 4. Actions undertaken by Canada, the United States and other developed countries to lessen the impact of AIDS in Africa. The control of HIV/AIDS cannot be done alone by the government of Africa. They need concerted effort of the whole population, the government and help from foreign governments and institutions. African government can seek support from Canada, United States and other developed countries who are affluent enough to donate funds and resources for AIDS control. For instance, they could enlist assistance of the World Health Organization in the European Region that has set a program particularly intended for the region. Botswana can take advantage of several programs of WHO that has been designed to prevent transmission of AIDS, among which are: HIV testing and counseling, syringe and needle program, reduction of sexual transmission among men of same sex and thru sex workers; reduction of vertical transmission by mothers to babies, and access for treatment and care. The World Health Organization in Europe has 53 member states that put together their efforts and resources on the control while U.S. has devoted a sizeable amount of donation for the purpose. Part 2. The Precautionary Principle. There is a saying that goes â€Å"an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure†. This I believe is the principle that is considered in the precautionary principles of scientists. Precautionary measures are taken when it is believed that a certain activity would be harmful to human health or the environment because the cause and effect relationships are not scientifically proven. Principle 15 of the Rio Declaration firmly states: â€Å"that in order to protect the environment precautionary approach shall be applied by States according to their capabilities. When there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as reason for postponing cost- effective measures to prevent environmental degradation† (Rio Declaration). Precautionary measure is taken by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in a

The Spread of Religions Essay Example for Free

The Spread of Religions Essay Religion has played a fundamental role in shaping today’s history. Much of recent history in the Western hemisphere has been heavily influenced by Christianity and all that religion offers. Whilst in the Eastern hemisphere, Buddhism is one of the dominating religions. The spread of these religions have impacted many regions socially, economically, and/or politically. When the word Christianity is said, the things that come to mind for several people are church and God. Many people have heavily influenced the awakening of this religion and the way it was spread. Cortes played a pivotal role in the spread of Christianity in Mexico. The emperor of the Aztecs at that time allowed Cortes to speak to the people about Jesus Christ and his ways. Cortes instructed the people in the law of Christ. This region was heavily impacted socially because they were introduced to something new that they had never heard about and now they were asked to follow what was said. In 1519, Cortes and his men easily conquered the Aztecs helping them in the spread of Christianity (Document 3). Document 5 talks about a huge part of what the Christian religion is about, Church. The Church at that time played an important economic role as a circulator of money. The Church was a supplier of social services and helped as many people as they could in all ways. The Church was a provider of education, health care and poor relief to the general population. Christianity traveled across great distances bringing different ideas between regions. The spread of Buddhism was aided by trade, but it was the Buddhist Monks who truly spread this religion to many different regions. The Monks spread Buddhism using a very smart strategy. They traveled around for the welfare of the people. Buddhist missions were not large and well organized, and instead they took the form of Monks traveling the land spreading the religion. These Monks spread their ideas along with the traders and royal emissaries. â€Å"According to traditional accounts, the first foreign mission was to the island of Sri Lanka† (Document 7). Document 8 talks about the high period of Chinese influence in Japan which was heavily marked by Buddhism itself. Japan was divided into two parts due to the heavy impact Buddhism caused in Japan. The impact of Buddhism in Japan came to play three ajor roles, it brought a new system of beliefs, brought Chinese civilization, and it became a strong force in Japan’s political affairs. The Japanese people rapidly accommodated Buddhism along with their indigenous Shinto beliefs. Buddhism helped to foster harmony within the country. Many of the world religions today that have been introduced to other cultures have flourished, gaining the â€Å"vote† of several different people. So based on this essay, you can concluded that Christianity and Buddhism have truly changed the social, political, and economical aspects of several different regions.

Effects of Exercise Essay Example for Free

Effects of Exercise Essay In this assignment I will be reviewing the different effects of exercise on the body system including the acute and long term using the pre-exercise, exercise and post-exercise physiological data which I collected based on interval and continuous training method. I will also be including the advantages and disadvantages of these, also the participants’ strengths and areas where they can improve on. -Effect of exercise on the musculoskeletal system As Andre began to exercise, this had an effect on he’s bones; this is because he was putting more stress on them than usual which resulted in them getting thicker. Also exercise had an effect on he’s joints because the joints now became more flexible and he wasn’t getting anymore pains during or after exercising which was an improvement for him. A short term effect that Andre was capable of noticing is that his muscles was getting more flexible as he continued to exercise, this prevented him from getting any injuries, also it helped he’s performance. Another effect is the range of movement; this is because as he continued to exercise his body got used to the stress it was being put under which led to the synovial fluid becoming less viscous. Additionally for the long term effects, Andre’s muscles was capable of tolerating lactic acid; this effect was noticed when Andre stopped complaining about the stitches he got in his legs while exercising. He stopped complaining because his muscles were using fat as a source of fuel when there wasn’t any oxygen available for the muscles. Also Andre’s muscles weren’t getting bigger but it was increasing in its strength; this is because of the training methods used for his six week training programme. -Effect of exercise on the cardiovascular system When Andre was exercising, a lot of he’s energy was getting used up quickly. This energy is gained from the oxidising glucose; this means that not only oxygen must be delivered by the blood but it has to deliver glucose too. This resulted in Andre’s heart having to work twice as hard in order to pump more blood around the body. As Andre continued to exercise his heart muscle and cardiovascular system became more efficient which resulted in him improving he’s endurance because he was capable of running longer as more blood was circulating the body quicker than before. Additionally a short term effect which affected Andre while he was exercising is that he was gasping for more oxygen which led to him inhaling more oxygen than usually which caused carbon dioxide to be exhaled rapidly. Plus another short term effect that was noticeable was his heart rate which increased rapidly; this is because he was exercising harder than he normally does, also he was doing these exercises for a long period of time. Whereas the long term effect which was noticeable was the way Andre’s heart rate was decreasing quickly; this was because his heart was getting used to the regular exercise, also his heart was getting healthier and fitter. Another effect is that Andre was capable of increasing his aerobic capacity as his body adapted to the regular exercise which resulted in his heart and lungs becoming more efficient. -Effect of exercise on the respiratory system Andre’s respiratory system is affected by exercise because when he was actually doing the different exercises, his muscles needed more oxygen and for carbon dioxide to be produced so that he’s heart can work quicker and he would be capable of breathing faster and deeper to let the carbon dioxide exit quicker and the oxygen enter and be pumped around quicker. A short term effect that was noticeable is when Andre’s breathing rate increased; this is because of the chemoreceptors which are found the blood vessels and sensed a sudden rise of the level of carbon dioxide in the blood. This also caused the depth of Andre’s breath increased. Another short effect is the increase in tidal volume; this is because Andre is breathing more as more air passes through the lungs. In addition to that, the long term effect has also had an effect on Andre for example he has increased the vital capacity which means that the lungs are capable of supplying more oxygen to the muscles with vital nutrients and this results in the lungs to expand. Also he’s oxygen diffusion rate has increased due to the more oxygen which is absorbed by the alveoli and then circulated around the body. Before the training programme Andre’s fitness level was not poorly but it wasn’t at he’s best though and in order for him to improve on he’s cardiovascular endurance, I created a six week training programme in which involved different exercises and training methods that he should use to improve on this skill. Also before he started this training programme, I tested Andre on some tests which are: Multistage fitness test Stage 5.9This result shows that Andre is not at he’s best fitness level because after this test was conducted he was struggling to breathe and he kept commenting that he’s legs was in pain. 35 metre sprint 5.25 SecondsThis result shows that Andre’s is just below average, and therefore he is unfit as he did not even reach the average stage of this test for someone at he’s age. Illinois agility test 17.3 SecondsThis result shows that he bad with he’s coordination as he only reached the average result because this was he’s best result after trying this test 3 times. After the training programme Andre could clearly see that he’s fitness level has improved because he could now run for a longer time as he worked hard to improve he’s cardiovascular endurance. After Andres training programme, I conducted the same tests before he started the training programme and this are the results for them: Multistage fitness test 35 metre sprint Illinois agility test Stage 6.5 4.82 Seconds 15.2 SecondsComparing both pre and post tests, I can clearly see that there is a change between the level of fitness Andre is working at; this shows me that hes good with training programmes as he was capable of following the 6 week training program which led to him not only improving hes on hes multistage fitness test but also hes 35 metre sprint and agility test. Advantages and disadvantages of the tests: -Multistage fitness test The Validity of the test is that there are published VO2 max score equivalents for each level reached the correlation to actual VO2 max scores is high. The Reliability of the test would depend on how strict the test is directed for example the coach can be very strict by not allowing the athletes to make any mistakes, also it depend on how the athlete is motivated to do the test. Furthermore, the advantage of this test is that it can be performed in large groups of athlete. Also the test really tests the athletes compared to other tests of endurance capacity. These are advantages because it ensures that the athlete knows exactly how healthy and fit they are and they can use that to their advantage. However, the disadvantage of this test is that the athlete would be less motivated and won’t practice for the test; this therefore can have an influence on the athletes overall score. Also the test should be done indoors to avoid environmental conditions which could possibly have an effect on the score of the athletes. -35 metre sprint Reliability is greatly improved if timing gates are used. Also weather conditions and running surface can affect the results, and these conditions should be recorded with the results. If possible, set up the track with a crosswind to minimise the effect of wind. Also the validity of the test refers to how the test is actually measured; this test provides means to monitor the effect of training on the athletes physical development. Furthermore, the main advantage for this test is that it measures the speed and acceleration of an athlete in any particular sport. This is an advantage because if every athlete done this test then they would know their own speed and for an athlete this would help them on how to improve more on their speed level. Additionally, there are several disadvantages for this tests for example the poor reaction time and starting techniques, also the timing errors. These are disadvantages because they all have a large impact on the result of the test., so therefore this test can be done as many times as possible but there wouldn’t be a correct result as the athlete would be extremely exhausted. -Illinois agility test The validity of the test refers to how the test is actually measured; this test provides a means to monitor the effect of training on the athletes physical development. Also the reliability of the test would depend on how strict the test is conducted and the individuals level of motivation to perform the test. Furthermore, the advantages of this test is that it’s very easy to set up and conduct as not a lot of equipment’ are required, also it can be conducted anywhere e.g. sports hall, playground. Whereas, the disadvantage is that an assistant is required to administer the test. The strength of the tests is that we done them in pairs; this allowed us to measure one another which was good as we got to see how our partners were performing and if they were excelling or not. Also these tests allowed us to know our actual fitness level and what we would need to do in order to increase our fitness level and the way we perform. Whereas, when conducting the tests, I think that areas for improvement is to have better heart rate monitors; this is because the ones that we were using something didn’t work which caused the work to be inaccurate as we have to guess the heart rate of the participants. Also the facilities could have been better; this is because we had to use the cage, astroturf, and sports hall but 2 of these areas weren’t always free whenever we wanted to use them. Additionally, the weather was really cold; this had an effect on the overall performance of the athlete as they could not concentrate due to the bad weather condition as we had to do all of the exercises outdoors including the tests. Plus the tests results would have been better if he had done them at Brunel University because they have the correct facilities and monitors that would give accurate results. Bibliography Books: -Adams, M., Barker, R., Gledhill, A., Lydon, C., Mulligan, C., Phillippo, P. and Sutton, L. (2010). Sport level 3 Book 1 BTEC National Pearson Educational limited. Websites: -Interval training http://www.intervaltraining.net/[Assessed on 26/03/12] -Brian Mac http://www.brianmac.co.uk/conintrn.htm[Assessed on 26/03/12] -2003 2012 Conjecture Corporation http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-continuous-training.htm[Assessed on 26/03/12] -BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/health_and_fitness/4270714.stm[Assessed on 26/03/12]

Demand For Electricity

Demand For Electricity INTRODUCTION If future demand for electricity is to be matched by adequate supply, then it is essential that models are built for estimating accurately, what the future demand for electricity is likely to be. In order to accomplish this, it is necessary that the factors affecting electricity demand are clearly indentified and quantified. It is even more crucial in the case of energy industries because, future energy demand requires investment spending today (due to their huge capital investment requirement and long lead time).[1] In other words, if a country should underestimate its future electricity demand, then it would most likely not make adequate capital investment in the present time which would then result in a shortage of electricity supply (when compared to demand) in the future. One of the most influential factors affecting the demand for electricity is the price of electricity.[2] The price of electricity has since been incorporated into the majority of electricity demand models.[3] This paper tries to examine the effects of the price of electricity in the UK on its own electricity demand. The focus here is to determine the price elasticity of demand for the period 1980-2008 (annual time series data) by the use of a loglinear regression model. The research paper will take the following format. Chapter one is the introduction, chapter two will be the literature review, chapter three will focus on the modelling approach and data analysis and chapter four will be the conclusion and findings. LITERATURE REVIEW Price Elasticity According to economic theory there is an inverse relationship between the price of energy and the quantity of energy demanded. As energy prices rise the quantity of energy demanded falls and vice versa. Given that all other factors are held constant[4]. Economic theory further postulates that the demand for energy is not as responsive to the changes in energy prices as compared to other commodities that are more responsive to their individual prices[5]. Economists define price elasticity as consumers sensitivity to price changes or the degree of responsiveness of changes in quantity demanded to changes in prices and is given by the formula below as: Since price elasticity is the ratio of two percentages, we therefore do not express it in any unit. Price elasticities are usually negative this is due to the inverse relationship between demand and price. Demand elasticities are mainly of two types which are; elastic and inelastic. If the values of elasticity of demand fall within the absolute values of 0 to 1 then demand is said to be inelastic and this can be interpreted thus as a change in price results in a less than proportionate change in quantity demanded. On the other hand if the values of elasticity of demand equals to the absolute value of one or above one, then demand is said to be elastic. In the case where elasticity of demand is equal to the absolute value of 1, it is interpreted as; a change in price leads to a proportionate change in quantity demanded. If the elasticity of demand is greater than the absolute value of 1 then it is interpreted thus as: a change in price results in a more than a proportionate change in quantity demanded. For example in the inelastic range, if price increases by 10 percent on a commodity with a price elasticity of -0.3 then the demand for the good falls by only 3 percent. However, in the case of the elastic range, a commodity with an elasticity of -2.0 would face a fall in demand of 20 percent, if price was to increase by 10 percent. This relationship can be further illustrated in the figure below. Figure 1: Relationship of supply and demand with two demand curves Figure 1 shows a supply curve (S1) and two demand curves which have different elasticities of demand (D1 and D1). D1 is more elastic than D1 (i.e. less steeper). At equilibrium, the supply curve S1, with both demand curves D1 and D1, have a common equilibrium price and quantity at P1 and Q1.Now, let us now assume that the supply curve shifts to the left due to say an increase in the cost of production (i.e. the price of coal used to generate electricity). Then, the new equilibrium point will depend on the nature of the demand curve that is used as shown in figure 2. If the demand curve is relatively elastic at (D1), then prices will rise and demand will fall by a much larger amount when compared to the more inelastic demand curve (D1). Note here that with the inelastic demand curve, the price and quantity demanded (P2 and Q2) are much larger than in the case of a more elastic demand curve at (P2 and Q2). In reality this can be explained by the fact that, if the demand for a commodity is inelastic then, any increase in costs (for example generation costs as mentioned above) can easily be passed on to the consumers without much reduction in supply, hence the larger price. On the other hand if the demand for the commodity were to be elastic then only a much smaller portion of the cost increase would be passed on to the consumer. Figure 2: Shows the effects of a shift in the Supply Curve We can also see the effects of a shift in the demand curve on price and quantity. If we assume that demand curves were to shift outward to the right (i.e. increases) from (D1 to D2) and (D1 to D2) while supply is held constant then with a more elastic demand curve the equilibrium price and quantity (P2 and Q2) would be much lower than if demand were to be inelastic (i.e. P2 and Q2). Figure 3: Effects of a shift in the Demand Curve From the three above illustrations it is quite clear that the resulting impact of changes in supply or demand on equilibrium price and quantity will vary in accordance to the nature of product elasticity. Price elasticities can be used to show how consumer demand responds to changes in price as well as the ease at which individuals can switch over to a substitute, when commodity prices go up. A consumer who has a fixed income has three options of responding to price changes in the short term; (a the consumer can switch over to a substitute; b) they can purchase less of the commodity without any additional purchase of a substitute; or (c he or she can still buy the same quantity of good while reducing his or her consumption of other commodities that make up their total expenditure. In the case of electricity the degree at which it can be substituted is very limited. Electricity can be used mainly for heating, lightening or a wide range of electric appliances such as (computers, television sets, printers, irons etc.). In the case of heating, a consumer may substitute the use of electricity for natural gas (and in the case of less developed countries may even substitute it for it for kerosene or firewood). However, the consumer also has the option of switching over to an appliance that uses a more energy conserving source. For end uses such as power supply for television sets, electricity has no substitutes. The consumer also has the option of purchasing a more efficient television set and maintaining the same level of service while using less electricity. Replacing appliances such as television sets may involve the change of a relatively expensive appliance and as such would take some time to do so. Since, this will involve a first initial capital outlay which i n turn depends on the income of the consumer, frequency of wage payment and payment of bills schedules etc. The time period required by consumers to substitute a relatively expensive appliance in response to higher energy prices is usually referred to as the long-run adjustment time period. On this the basis of this analysis, it is expected that the price elasticity of demand is usually inelastic in the short run and more elastic in the long run. This is because in the short run the consumers options of responding to higher electricity prices are limited i.e. he is restricted to reactions such as, reducing his or her level of appliance utilisation (for example running the heater for lesser hours of the day) or reducing his expenditure on other commodities to maintain the same level of electricity consumption. In the long run however, his options of responding to high energy prices are increased compared to the options he had in the short run. In the long run the consumer can fully respond to price changes by the purchase of appliances that are more efficient and/or the purchase of appliances that use a cheaper energy source. That is why in the long run elasticities tend toward a more elastic range than in the short run. Earlier Literature on Price Elasticity of Electricity Demand Earlier literature on electricity demand has revealed that the price elasticity of demand for electricity is relatively inelastic in the short run and tend to be relatively more elastic in the long run. The previous works written on price elasticity of demand are far too much to be fully discussed in this research. Therefore we shall focus on only the summary of a few. Taylor (1975) wrote one of the first literatures on electricity demand surveys. After carrying out reviews on various existing studies of commercial, industrial and residential electricity demand, he reported the following: (a in the case of residential demand for electricity, short term price elasticity ranged from -0.13 to -0.90 while long run price elasticities ranged from near 0 to -2.0. In the case of commercial demand, price elasticities were valued at -0.17 for the short run and -1.36 for the long run[7]. Boone kamp (2007) using the bottom up model on an annual data series for the period 1990-2000 reported that the household long term price elasticity ranged from -0.09 to 0.13[8]. Pouris (1987) conducted an analysis for the elasticity of demand for electricity for South Africa using data for the period (1950-1983) and determined that the long term price elasticity of electricity demand for the period was -0.90.[9] Bjoner and Jensen (2002) using a loglinear fixed effects model on panel data for the period of (1983-1996) discovered that short term price elasticity to be -0.479.[10] Filippini and Pachuari (2002) using a loglinear model on a monthly household panel data series discovered that the household short term price elasticity for electricity ranged from -0.16 to 0.39.[11] Zimmerman and Bohi (1984) carried out a detailed review of existing studies of energy demand. They reported that general consensus figures for residential price elasticity of electricity were -0.2 in the short run and -0.7 in the long run. The range of estimates in commercial electricity was too volatile to provide any consensus on values.[12] Al Faris (2002) used an error correction model to estimate short term price elasticity for UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain to range from-0.04 to- 0.18.[13] The analysis carried out was based on an annual time series data for the period 1970-1997. Garcia Cerruti (2000) calculated the price elasticity for residential demand for electricity in California to have an estimated mean value of -0.17.[14] In summary, earlier literature show that price elasticity of electricity demand are normally inelastic in the short run and tends to be more elastic in the long run. However, on the whole price elasticity of electricity demand are usually inelastic (i.e. the absolute value of the co-efficient of price elasticity is usually below 1). MODELLING APPROACH AND DATA ANALYSIS According to Lin (2003)[15] he identified that there were three major factors affecting the demand for electricity in any country which were, electricity prices (tariff), GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and population. He went further to say that there were other factors as well contributing to the price of electricity which varied with different countries. Such factors includes nature of weather (i.e. people tend to use more electricity for heating purposes during cold seasons than in hot seasons) and changes in the structure of the economy. Pouris (1987)[16] identified the two major factors affecting the demand for electricity as price and GDP. Using the common independent variables identified by both Lin and Pouris, we have the following model; Log EDt = a + b1LogPEt + b2 LogYt + µEquation Where: EDt = Total electricity demand in period in a given year (Gwh) PEt = Average price of electricity in constant terms for a given year ( £/Kwh) Yt = GDP of country for period t in constant Billion Pounds a = Constant b1 =Price elasticity of electricity demand b2 =Income elasticity of electricity demand  µ= Disturbance term (represents all other factors affecting the demand for electricity) We use the log functional form because it enables us easily determine the price elasticity for electricity demand which is the regression coefficient of price. The price elasticity of demand for electricity is also assumed to be constant.[17] The data used for the period is in constant terms and aggregated at the national level. We express our data in constant terms because we would like to take out the effects of inflation. The data used is aggregated at a national level because it tends to provide a more stable relationship between independent and dependent variables. Pouris (1987)[18] cited Ehrenbergs (1975)[19] work in which he (Ehrenberg) argued that the advances in physical sciences are to a great extent due to the fact that simple relationships (laws) are achievable because they usually account for the collective behaviour of million entities. Pouris (1987) then argued further that, the success of finding laws in social sciences would be in likely areas where behaviour of large individuals or objects can be aggregated. From the above table we can see that the price elasticity of demand for electricity (for the UK) is approximately -0.15 which agrees with economic theory that; (a elasticities of demand are inversely related to price as shown by the negative coefficient of price elasticity and (b price elasticity of demand for electricity tends to be inelastic i.e. having an absolute value below one. Also we do not reject the result due to the high R2 = 0.9688 (co-efficient of determination) and the fact that the result is statistically significant i.e. the absolute t values for real GDP and real electricity prices are above 2. While their (real GDP and real electricity prices) P values are below 5%. The table below shows the data (for U.K.) used in carrying out the regression analysis. The demand for electricity data and average electricity prices were sourced from the Economic and Social Data Services (ESDS) website. While the Real GDP and Consumer prices were obtained from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) website CONCLUSION/FINDINGS The price elasticity of electricity demand for the period (2008-2020) is about -0.15, which is consistent with economic theory that the co-efficient of price elasticities tend to have negative values and that the price elasticities for electricity tend to be inelastic. If we assume that the price elasticity for all organization and individuals in the U.K. lies close to this value (-0.15) and is constant through out time, then such information could have various implications for the economy. Firstly, an inelastic demand for electricity, would mean that there would be little or no government intervention required on the supply side (existing producers and suppliers) to ensure that producers and suppliers of electricity are able to breakeven (recover costs from generated revenue). This is because an inelastic demand for electricity (with respect to price) would mean that whenever there is an increase in demand and producers have to increase their supply in order to match the rising demand, the costs associated with increasing supply can easily be passed on to the consumer. As such, the government could be able to focus on other activities such as the provision and maintenance of public roads, hospital, and schools. Secondly, it would enable the government easily achieve renewable energy targets set in the power generating sector, due to the fact that the potential increases in costs arising from setting renewable energy targets can easily be transferred to the consumer (due to inelastic nature of electricity demand). The government should however ensure that the targets are set in a fair main manner such that the impact of the targets are felt by all power generators in a similar way and that no undue advantage is given to any one single producer due to the implementation of such targets. Furthermore the government should ensure that the targets are set in such a way that it does not increase tariffs too much so that consumers cannot easily afford their bills. Which in turn would then reduce demand drastically (since the consumers in the short run have the option of turning of their appliances) and hence, adversely affect supply as producers may not be able to recover all their fixed cost. If t his effect (rising prices drastically affecting demand) is unavoidable then the government should adopt policies that could assist in improving the disposable income of its citizens. BIBLIOGRAPHY PRIMARY SOURCES SECONDARY SOURCES Books Articles Bin Lin Q. (2003) Electricity Demand in the Peoples Republic of China: Investment Requirement and Environmental Impact at, www.adb.org/Documents/ERD/Working_Papers/wp037.pdf (Last Visited on 26th of April 2010) Mark A. Bernstein and James Griffin (2005) page 2: Regional Differences in the Price-Elasticity of Demand for Energy Pittsburgh U.S.A.: Rand Corporation Mark Lijesen G. The Real-Time Price Elasticity of Electricity in Science Direct Energy Economics 29 (2007) 251 Elsevier at, www.wlsevier.com/locate/eneco (Last Visited on 26th of April 2010) Pindyck 1979, The Characteristics of Energy Demand, in Energy Conservation and Public Policy , (Ed.)J. Sawhill Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Pouris A. (1987) The Price Elasticity of Electricity Demand in South Africa at, http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~db=all~content=a739318120 (Last Visited April 2010) Others Bohi, D. (1981) Analysing Demand Behavior A Study of Energy Elasticities, John Hopkins University Press for the Future Inc., Baltimore Ehrenberg A. (1975) Data Reduction: Analysing and Interpreting Statistical Data, Wiley-Interscience, London. Kotze, D. and Cooper, C. (1985) Energy Projections for South Africa, Institute of Energy Studies, Rand Afrikaans University, RSA. Venter, G and Basson, J. (1986) Quo-Vadis, National Non-Nuclear Energy Research in South Africa, Paper Presented in the South African National Committee of World Energy Conference, CSIR Pretoria 9-10, June. Lead Time and Costs EIA/DOE Electricity Market Model (2010) at, www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/aeo/assumption/pdf/electricity.pdf (Last Visited April 2010) Subhes B. and Andon B. (unpublished): Domestic Demand for Petroleum Products in MENA countries at, http://www.dundee.ac.uk/cepmlp/gateway/index.php?category=13 (Last Visited on 26th April 2010) Website Economics and Social Data Services website at, http://www.esds.ac.uk/ (Last Visited on 26th April 2010) International Monetary Fund Website at, http://www.imf.org/external/index.htm (Last Visited on 26th April 2010) For Details of Lead Time and Costs see EIA/DOE Electricity Market Model (2010) at, www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/aeo/assumption/pdf/electricity.pdf (Last Visited April 2010) Pindyck 1979, The Characteristics of Energy Demand, in Energy Conservation and Public Policy , (Ed.)J. Sawhill Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Pouris A. (1987) The Price Elasticity of Electricity Demand in South Africa at, http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~db=all~content=a739318120 (Last Visited April 2010) Mark A. Bernstein and James Griffin (2005) page 2: Regional Differences in the Price-Elasticity of Demand for Energy Pittsburgh U.S.A.: Rand Corporation ID Note 4 Supra Note 4 Supra Note 4 Mark Lijesen G. The Real-Time Price Elasticity of Electricity in Science Direct Energy Economics 29 (2007) 251 Elsevier at, www.wlsevier.com/locate/eneco (Last Visited on 26th of April 2010) Supra Note 3 page 1 Supra Note 8 page 251 Supra Note 8 page 251 Supra Note 4 page 13 Supra Note 8 page 251 Supra Note Bin Lin Q. (2003) Electricity Demand in the Peoples Republic of China: Investment Requirement and Environmental Impact page 5-6 at www.adb.org/Documents/ERD/Working_Papers/wp037.pdf (Last Visited on 26th of April 2010) Supra Note 3 Subhes B. and Andon B. (unpublished): Domestic Demand for Petroleum Products in MENA countries page 10-11,at, http://www.dundee.ac.uk/cepmlp/gateway/index.php?category=13 (Last Visited on 26th April 2010) Supra Note 3 page 1271 ID note 18

Hellanodikai: The Chief Judges of the Olympics :: ancient modern sport athletic competition

"There, the method of premliminary training and the kind of exercises are decided by others, and it is not the trainer, but the Hellanodikes who, entirely on his own initiative and without being bound in any way, organizes everything, in accord with the particular circumstances pertaining from time to time. And the Hellanodikes has the whip at his disposal, not only for the athlete, but also for the trainer, and he uses it in case of any contravention of his orders; and all have to conform with the orders of the Hellanodikai, since those who violate them may be immediately excluded from the games."1 Philostratos, ca. 3rd century AD HOW ARE THE JUDGES SELECTED? "A Jury of Appeal and a Ground Jury (Judges) shall be appointed for each sport. The choice of them is left to the international federations. One delegate of each international federation must be present in order to check the entries. The members of these juries and the officials must all be amateurs. Where a jury has not been formed by th etime it should have started to function, the Organizing Committee will advise and decide how to form one. The Juries of Appeal for the sports not governed by an international federation shall be formed by the Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games and must be composed of five members of different nationalities, who shall elect their own president."2 Region Judges did not come from all over the Greek world, but were drawn from Elis, the local region which included Olympia. Even though the judges were all Eleans, local Elean Greeks were still allowed to compete in the Olympics. The Elean people had such a reputation for fairness that an Elean cheating at the games was a shock to other Greeks. Number Like the athletes, the hellanodikes also underwent a long period of preparation for the ancient games. The judges were instructed for a period of ten months by Elean magistrates. Historians disagree about the number of the judges, but apparently not more than one or two judges officiated at the early Olympic games, where but one event was contested. When the athletic program was expanded to take in many events and last for five or more days, the number was increased, although there seems to be no record of more than ten judges at a single celebration. One source states "At the ninety-fifth festival nine umpires were appointed. To three of them were entrusted the chariot-races, another three were to supervise the pentathlum, the rest superintended the remaining contests.

Horny Goat Weed Essay -- Sexuality Disorders Treatments Essays

Horny Goat Weed One major issue in the world today is sexuality. Do I look good enough? I wonder if he or she likes me? While most of the world today is becoming increasingly sexually active, there are others are out there who are lacking in this field. Their bodies are no longer inclined to have or sex, or their sexual drive loses the battle between time and fatigue. Horny Goat Weed is said to be the cure of this "problem." Horny Goat Weed, also known as Epimedium, Yin Yang Huo, Inyokaku, and Herba Epimedii, was discovered around 200 B.C. Legend has it that an ancient Chinese goat herder noticed that his flock suddenly became sexually active after eating in a certain patch of weeds. Further investigation of this weed patch and a little leaf chewing resulted in the discovery of Horny Goat Weed (http://www.sobebev.com/healthyrefreshment/ productline/drive.htm). Purpose of Treatment There are many different claims as to what Horny Goat Weed actually does. Online stores and distributors, which are more focused on marketing the herb for increased sexual behavior, main claims are stimulating sex activity in both men and women, increase in sperm production, stimulation of the sensory nerves, and increasing sexual desire(http://nutrition-center.net/store/Pinnacle_Horny_Goat_Weed.html). Online sites, which appear to be more focused on health, make claims that Horny Goat Weed invigorates the kidneys and strengthens yang(for deficiency of kidney-yang manifested as impotence, emission, enuresis, frequent micturition, soreness of the waist and the knees, and sterility), strengthen tendons and bones, expel wind-dampness(which is otherwise known as flatulence, caused by the improper indigestion of food), and eliminate coughing and ... ...t/store/Pinnace_Horny_Goat_Weed.html http://homepages.infoseek.com/~huxuezhi/5-17.htm http://herbwalk.com/remedy/Epimedium_132.html http://advancedherbals.co.uk/herbs/div/epimedium_grandiflorum.html http://user.aol.com/greenmagik/stamina.htm WS, Lin, & XZ, Song. (1989). Clinical and Experimental research on a kidney-tonifying prescription in preventing and treating children's hearing lossinduced by aminoglycoside antibiotic ototoxicity. Chung His I Chieh Ho Tsa Chih, 9, 402-404. SY, Li, G, Ping, L, Geng, WK, Seow, and YH, Thong. (1994). Immunopharmocol-Ogy and toxicology of the plant flavanoid B-1. International Journal of Immunopharmacology, 16, 227-231. S, Yu, K, Chen, S, Li, & K, Zhang. (1999). In vitro and in vivo studies of the effect of a Chinese herb medicine on osteoclastic bone resorption. Chinese Journal of Dental Restoration, 2, 7-11.

Middle East foreign policies :: essays research papers

Disaster! Fear! Terrorism! What seemed to be a scene from Die Hard is what struck home in America on Sept. 11. The attacks on the World Trade Center leads back to many problems with our foreign relations. Our foreign relations policies have been recently getting a lot of countries angry and frustrated, the major problem being that we interfered with Palestinian and Israeli conflicts by offering war support to Israel. Aiding one side or another is a very tricky business, especially when it involves a religious war. We should have just offered support to try bringing the two countries to peace, not military support. Amazingly, the policy of helping Israel still continues, building settlements on what everyone knew was Palestinian land and selling weapons to Israel. We should not have interfered by helping Israel and for so long. It is hard to sit aside and be a spectator during a war, but when it involves religion, I would stay out. Religious wars are fought with a deep vengeance. It would not be the first time that America has tried to stay out of a war, we have done so in more atrocious wars like the genocide put on by the Nazis. I think America intervened in Israel for more political reasons than anything else. Due to our foreign policy in the Middle East, over the years we’ve acquired many enemies and adversaries, one of them being Osama Bin Laden. When we set up military bases in Saudi Arabia during and after the Gulf War, it exaggerated Osama’s anger because Saudi Arabia houses two of the holiest Islamic shrines. The build up of this anger led to the sad tragedy of the September 11th terrorist attack on America. The point I am trying to make is that it could have been avoided if we worked on our foreign policy more with Saudi Arabia and Israel and didn’t let the anti-American resentment get so strong. What’s done is done, and the only thing we can do now is to learn from our mistakes. I believe the first order of business is to prosecute Bin Laden and his terrorist faction. The next step is to slowly remove support in Israel. I emphasize slowly because we previously helped them for many years, and can’t abruptly end it. The first thing we should wean is the selling of weapons to Israel. Selling weapons to one side of the conflict is pretty much an act of war on Palestine.

Cola Wars Continue: Coke vs. Pepsi in the 1990s Essay

Question 1 The concentration producing industry has one buyer and through its value chain. Instead, costs for advertising, promotion, market research, and bottler relations were significant. On the other hand, bottling industry is the mid-way player in the soft drink industry. There are two suppliers and one buyer involved in its value chain (Exhibit 1). Whether two industries are profitable depends on soft drink consumption, which had increased for more than 20 years and plateaued in the 1990s. The economics of the CP and bottling is very different from each other in terms of number and size of rivals, and the scope of competitive rivalry. There are two giants competing head to head on the CP industry, smaller national producers, such as Seven-Up and Dr Pepper, are relatively trivial. There are a lot of players of same size in the bottling industry. Unlike the furious competition between Pepsi and Coke, no sense of competition can be felt in bottling industry. Reasons are that, first, Pepsi and Coke control the majority of bottlers in 1990s; second, intrabrand competition is restricted by the franchise agreement, which is protected by ‘Soft Drink Interbrand Competition Act’. From the view of capital requirement, it is easier for others to enter the CP industry than to enter the bottling industry, since comparing to $30-$50 million dollars requirement to establish a bottling plant covering only one 80th of ability to serve the entire US market, the requirement for one CP plant with a nation-wide capacity is only $5-$10 million dollars. In addition, brand loyalty is low in the CP industry since consumers are sensitive to price and there is little switching cost. There are many substitutes for soft drinks, such as tea, beer, and milk. There is no substitutes existing in the bottling industry, and no customer loyalty and switching costs for bottlers since they could only use packages authorized by the franchiser, which means no distributors can tell the difference of the same brand provided by two bottlers, and easily switch among different bottlers. Cost and financial structures of a CP and a bottler illustrate that high cost of sales is one of the major reasons behind the relative low profitability of the bottling industry. The ratio of cost of sales over net sales is 40% higher than that of CP. One possible reason is that bottlers heavily depend on CPs, and thus, CPs use bottlers to diversify expenses. Another reason is that bottlers hold much more inventory than CPs do since bottlers receive soft drink concentrates according to its processing capacity, while they sell products based on selling capability. Also, bottlers have plant and equipment that are ten times more than that of CPs, and a good will that is roughly 45 times more, which means that bottlers have to deduct more depreciation from gross profit than CPs do. One of the reasons why bottlers are backward integrated by CPs is that, as the Cola-war heating up, small bottlers were no longer able to handle CPs’ goals and thus they would not be chosen as Pepsi and Coke’s partners. Most of them were merged or driven out of the market by larger ones adopting the DSD method, which is the only delivery category that provides a positive net profit per unit. Other driving forces for Pepsi and Coke to integrate bottlers are that, by doing this, they can narrow down the number of packagers they deal with, lower costs of negotiation with bottlers, and set up barriers to find buyers for other smaller national CPs. Question 2 Bargaining power of buyers is the weakest competitive force for CPs. On the other hand, the strongest competitive force for the bottling industry is bargaining power of suppliers because of the interactional relationship between the two industries in question. Both of the two industries would like to weak each other’s bargaining power, however, CPs take the initiative in the negotiation. First, it is CPs who build franchise networks. CPs understand how the bottling process works, while the bottlers don’t know how to run a soft drink brand. Second, CPs negotiate with bottlers’ other suppliers to secure reliable supply, faster  delivery, and low price. Also, franchise agreement between CPs and bottlers has been becoming more favorable to CPs. So it is safe to say that bottlers have been affiliated to CPs to a deeper degree than CPs to bottlers. Finally, the bottling industry does not have giants who are able to penetrate into the CP industry. On the other hand, the CP industry has Pepsi and Coke to integrate bottlers. Threat of new entrants is the second weakest force for the CP industry. One of the major reasons is that it is difficult to access a bottler since like Pepsi and Coke are taking control of most of the packagers. Another reason is, although capital required to establish a soft drink concentrate plant with the capacity of serving the entire US market is low, costs for advertising, promotion, market research and bottler relations are a heavy burden and specialized know-how, such as brand management, is a natural barrier to penetrators. However, the fact that customers’ loyalty is becoming weaker makes the force not as weak as bargaining power of buyers. The bargaining power of suppliers to CPs also seems weak in the case since, as the advent of diet soft drinks, the expiration of the patent to aspartame, and oversupply of aluminum on the world market, suppliers to CPs are losing bargaining power. However, there is no detail of suppliers industry given to provide us with confidence to say that it is the weakest force. Threat of substitutes, and competitive rivalry among the incumbents are relatively weak for the CP industry. Comparing to its substitutes, such as beer, milk, and bottled water, soft drink is and will continue to be performing outstandingly (Exhibit 2). Type of competition in the CP industry is duopoly, two giants, Pepsi and Coke are competing with each other head to head. Other CPs are confined to a market share that is lower than 30%. The unsystematic competition makes competitive rivalry less intense when consider the industry as a whole. Threat to new entrants for bottling industry is weak since, unlike the CP industry, bottling industry has a high capital requirement, from $30 to $50  million, to build a plant of five lines with one 85th to one 80th of the national volume. There is even no profit margin for small bottlers because they are not big enough to be engaged in the DSD to make a positive profit. Bargaining power of buyers is the third weakest force for the bottling industry. To bottlers, they receive volumes of concentrates at the level of their processing capacity; while at the other end of value chain, number of cases they can sell depends on bottlers’ marketing capability. To retailers, they don’t have switch costs since Pepsi Cola from bottler ‘A’ is the same as that from bottler ‘B’. However, continual brand availability and maintenance is crucial to CPs, they don’t want to see that too much inventory held by packagers erode relationship with each other. So, CPs have to help bottlers work on marketing and how to deal with retailers. Threat of substitutes, and competitive rivalry among the incumbents are the weakest. First, there are no substitutes for packages. Second, there is no competition among bottlers in that not only is intrabrand competition restricted, but also competition among brands are concerned by CPs since the bottlers are heavily controlled by concentrate suppliers nowadays. Question 3 The reason why the Cola-War does not escalate out of control is that both of Pepsi and Coke understand the importance of keeping its rival alive. Strategically, they are vital to each other’s maintenance. There are three possible results of the Cola-war, monopoly, duopoly, and near prefect competition. All players in this industry are dreaming to be the king of monopoly. However, under current situation, it is difficult to defeat each other without harming themselves for both of Pepsi and Coke. Launching plans and actions aiming at eliminating its competitor will probably result in the third result, near prefect competition, in which the industry would only have players bearing the same size as nowadays Seven-Up and Dr Pepper. Obviously, duopoly is the best and easiest choice for the big two. First, as risk avoiders, they can maintain current size and dominant position in the market, keep small national brands at an inferior level. Second, they can keep business environment nearly unchanged. The duopoly situation has been lasting for more than two decades. It is the one they are familiar to. No matter whoever is driven out of business or both of them lose the dominant position, they have to re-evaluate the industry and re-plan their strategic plan. Third, they can lower the possibility of making mistakes by observing what each other are doing. Based on above reasons, Pepsi and Coke choose not to wage a war that is out of control. Methods Coke and Pepsi adopt to keep the war within ‘bounds’ are focusing on key success factors, following each other’s actions selectively, and realizing gap in international market. There are three KSFs in this industry, brand differentiation, relationship with packagers, and developing new beverages. Focusing on KSFs enable both of Pepsi and Coke stay in the right track leading to higher level competition of duopoly. Following each other’s actions selectively prevents them from distracting to dangerous actions. They both followed closely each other’s actions based on KSFs, such as launching marketing plans, vertical integrating bottlers, and develop new products. They also distinguish bad actions from good ones. For instance, Pepsi gave its employees one-day brake when it received the information that Coke decided to change its Coca-Cola’s formula. Pepsi has admitted that Coke is much stronger on international market. It is very important that it uses ‘guerilla warfare’ in selected international market instead a frontal attack with Coke everywhere, which would entrap Pepsi in the quicksands of international market. Question 4 Over the last century, firms specialized in tobacco, food, and restaurant, such as Philip Morris, Hicks & Haas, Triarc, R.J. Reynolds, and Cadbury Schweppes, tried to penetrate into the soft drink industry through purchasing small national CPs like Dr Pepper, Seven-Up, and Royal Crown Cola, however, few of them survived. Reasons for this fact fell with the faulty strategic planning process. Those who entered but do not end up with success failed to recognize three key success factors in this industry in the beginning, building brand recognition, developing packaging networks, and changing distribution channels. First, Pepsi successfully competed with Coke through adopting brand differentiation. In responding to Pepsi’s attack, Coke spent even more money on advertising, which gained two companies world wide fame, heated up the war between them, and shaped their capacity to remain as top players. However, other CPs did not cash in on the brand differentiation strategy, which can be illustrated by a compare of dollar amount spending on advertising by brand in the US. (Exhibit 3) Second, there was no evidence that small national CPs tried to secure packagers to build their bottling network. Instead, they had to resort to bottlers owned by Pepsi and Coke, while small bottlers do not have the capacity to handle national distribution. Costs for new entrants to maintain bottler relations or organize small bottlers are so high that may eat up gross profit. Finally, as discount retailers such as Wal-Mart and K mart prospered during the 1990s, CPs are facing pressures on lowering their wholesale price. Besides, it seems only Pepsi and Coke were involved in Door-Store Delivery method, CPs that sell products to private label and warehouse would be facing less distributors due to negative net profit/unit.