Decision Making in Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Decision Making in Practice - Essay Example Overview Total Abdominal Hysterectomy (TAH) This refers to the excision of the uterus and cervix. This procedure is indicated in a variety of conditions including ovarian cancer, cervical dysplasia, pelvic relaxation, uterine prolapse, endometriosis and uterine fibroids (leiomyomas). About 10% of TAH is done for cancer, but the remaining 90% is performed due to non emergency and non cancerous reasons. This procedure may also be performed in when a patient continually experiences unusual pelvic pain. TAH ensures that a woman is not able to bear children again. The procedure is of advantage as it allows a total examination of the abdomen and pelvis, hence, it allows for the investigation of cancer and other unclear growths. Statistics reveal that approximately 300 women out of 100,000 women in the US undergo TAH. Even in non emergency and non cancerous conditions, TAH poses remarkable challenges for omen and health care practitioners (Anspach 2009, p65). During TAH, the uterus and cerv ix are detached from the fallopian tubes, upper vagina, ovaries, and the adjoining connective tissue and blood vessels. As a result of this, complications arising from the procedure are likely to be marked. The procedure, lasting about 2 hours, is normally performed in general anesthesia so that the patient does not wake up during the procedure. In order to minimize infections, vaginal cleansing is done and antibiotics are administered to the patient before the procedure is done. A urinary catheter is first passed through the patient’s urethra so that the bladder is emptied. This urinary catheter will remain in the patient throughout the procedure and some time after the procedure. Vertical and/or horizontal incisions are then made on the abdomen so that the uterus is exposed (Mehta 2008, p56). Bilateral Salpingo-Oophorectomy (BSO) This refers to the surgical excision of both sets fallopian tubes and ovaries. It is commonly done with TAH and is referred to as TAH/BSO which is done in about one third of all hysterectomies. BSO is done to treat gynecological cancers and infections. It is also indicated in cases of ectopic pregnancies that occur in the fallopian tube. Just like in TAH, general anesthesia is given to the patient before the start of the procedure, before an incision is made to remove the organs (Ricks 2008, p78). Management of the patient BAH/BSO is a surgical procedure, hence, it has a lot of complications ranging from surgical site infections, extreme pain and bleeding. All these, if not controlled, will are fatal. After the surgery, the patient stayed in the recovery room for some hours. The patient was then monitored to check whether there were any signs of pain. The patient had some pain, hence, we administered some analgesics and we also administered broad spectrum antibiotics to the patient so that infections would be prevented. Since the procedure requires close monitoring and management, the patient was required to stay in the hospi tal for about 4 to 5 days. There was also par vaginal bleeding, which we controlled and managed through the use of sanitary towels. Since it is normal for a patient who has undergone the procedure to have bloody vaginal discharge, we provided a lot of sanitary pads to the patient for purposes of controlling the excessive bleeding (Berek 2008, p87). Catheter Care The catheter was placed to the

Nuclear Weapon Testing Essay Example for Free

Nuclear Weapon Testing Essay Nuclear Weapons testing have realized radiation into the environment. These tests have always been justified as necessary for national security. According to me, I disagree because if a nation allows nuclear weapons testing in its ground, then it should be ready for the aftermath repercussion, which is quite devastating. There is need to avoid using nuclear weapons for a nations security at the expense of its private citizens. Non-nuclear weapons can instead be used since they are less costs and just benefits. Risks of Nuclear Weapons According to Regina (2004), nuclear weapons testing pose environmental and international threats especially to the population surrounding the nuclear testing plant. The following highlights are the risks: †¢ The explosion of nuclear device spreads lethal radioactive materials like dynamite (dirty bomb) which contaminates the region and will remain in the ecosystem for years. This causes cancer risks through drinking of contaminated water. †¢ During nuclear weapon is testing, the major effects are either direct or indirect. Direct in the sense that it results to blast effects including production of flying debris and indirect in the sense that structures collapse especially when near a residential buildings or highly populated region. The population is then exposed to direct radiant energy and the thermal effect leading to permanent burns and traumatized population. A practical example is what happened in Hiroshima and Nagasaki during Second World War. †¢ It has a permanent effect to the environment leading to increased cancer rates, organ damage, conjoined twins birth system and genetic modifications. †¢ Accidental launches due to false alarms can cause two counties to use the nuclear weapons accidentally leading to mass destruction and loss of life. †¢ The effects of nuclear testing can go as far as across its borders to neighboring countries. For example the on Aug. 2, 1987, the explosion at the Novaya Zemlya test site in the Russian Arctic produced radioactivity that was detected in Scandinavia (Glasstone, 2003). Benefits of non-nuclear weapons for national security Basically, using non-nuclear weapons in advantageous: †¢ The costs of nuclear weapons are very high as compared to non-nuclear weapons. Hence these resources could substantially be used for other developmental issues for the country. †¢ They do not pose environmental risks to the private citizens and state hence a healthy nation. †¢ Non-nuclear weapons reflects reduction of tension between two nations hence improves their relations especially between the state and private citizens. †¢ Nuclear weapons powers have qualitative constraints as compared to the quantitative cuts of their arsenals Measures like total ban should be formulated by global treaties against nuclear weapons that should: †¢ Pressurize countries to forgo the process nuclear launches. †¢ Build confidence and strengthen the growing conviction about the ineffectiveness of nuclear armaments for the security of nations. †¢ Improve safety and security through the international monitoring network in nuclear stations. Basing on the current global security realities countries should come up with well-formulated policy to ban the use of nuclear weapons especially to the countries that have high nuclear arsenals like USA, Russia Pakistan and India (Hurst, et al, 2005). In conclusion, nuclear weapons do not contribute to the security of a nation but are of self-aggression and destruction; therefore, they should be completely abolished to avoid their further imminent threat. REFERENCES Glasstone, S. The Effects of Nuclear Weapons, Revised Edition, New York: U. S. Atomic Energy Commission Press, 2003. Hurst, G. et al. Nuclear delivery systems deployments and developments; Making of U. S. Policy, New York: Rutledge, 2005. Regina, C. Security with Nuclear Weapons? London: Oxford University Press, 2004.

Stefan Edberg :: essays research papers

Stefan Edberg The tennisplayer Stefan Edberg is nowadays a legend in his sport. I met him myself in France in 1987. I was 8 years old. He and the other members of the Swedish Daviscup team were playing the Daviscup against France. However, before the training I met them in the lobby of their hotel in Frà ©jus. My father knew the Swedish captain of the team so we could watch them training.After that Stefan has been one of my idols. I play tennis a lot myself. But now to the story about Stefan Edberg. Saw the ad His career started when the local paper in Và ¤stervik ( the town where he was born ) had an advertisement about mini-tennis in the early 70s. It said †Day of tennis†.Luckily his mother Barbro read the article and liked it. The day after she sent her son to the tennis-school for beginners. At that time she didn't know how important this initiative would be to Stefan, to Swedish tennis and even to the world tennis. An incredible athletic career had seen the morning light. Was convinced to continue The seven year old Stefan struck his first hits at the tennis school in the sommer of 1973. To start with he played once a week. He liked his new sport but was close to quitting after the first term. -My friend wanted to quit,and so did I. But my trainer convinced me to continue, Stefan says with a smile on his face. The young Edberg soon became taken by the sport. Soon he played matches with the boys' team, and outside his home he played fantasy Davis Cup-matches. In the sommer holidays he almost lived at the tennis court. At the age of ten he stopped playing his two other sports, football and icehockey, and concentrated everything on tennis. Soon he won his first tournament, †Ostkustenspà ¤rla,† a very memorable victory for him. Star even in school But a couple of years went by before he †dared† to go in for tennis full time. He was in the ninth grade as took the big step and gave tennis the big chance. -I felt I had a serious chance of becoming a worldplayer. Because I had just won JEM and taken a set on Mats Wilander who was a professional player, Stefan says. But it couldn't have been an easy choice, because Stefan was also a very good student with an average about 4,3 after the ninth grade.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  He was better than all the others!!! The trainers at the club where he was training, Westerviks TK, quickly realized

An Overview of Selective Mutism Essay -- Health, Disorder, Aphasia Vol

Hesselman coined the term â€Å"selective mutism† in 1983 to describe the disorder previously called â€Å"aphasia voluntaria, elective mutism, speech phobia, psychological mutism, and hearing mute† among fourteen other historic terms (Dow, Freeman, Garcia, Leonard, & Miller, 2004; Kearney, 2010). The American Psychiatric Association, or APA, characterizes selective mutism by a â€Å"persistent failure to speak in specific social situations where speech is expected, despite speaking in other situations.† Selective mutism shifted in recent years from being viewed as a response to trauma sustained early in life to a manifestation of an anxiety disorder (Dow et al, 2004). This paper briefly covers all aspects of selective mutism from signs and symptoms to diagnosis and treatment. Selective mutism is a rare condition and some discrepancies exist pertaining to its incidence. Beidel and Turner (2005) state that the incidence falls between .18-.76 percent, while Kearney (2010) states that the incidence falls between .20-2.0 percent. No known cause currently exists. Researchers identified common similarities between children with selective mutism. The most prevalent similarities are gender (1.5 females have selective mutism compared to every one male), having a language or anxiety disorder, having a social phobia, and a family history of selective mutism or social phobia. Dow, Freeman, Garcia, Leonard, and Miller (2004) state that out of patients with selective mutism, â€Å"70 percent had a first degree relative with a social phobia or avoidant disorder and 37 percent had a first degree relative with selective mutism† (p. 286). The APA classifies selective mutism under DSM-IV. A child’s behavior must meet these criteria for diagnosis of sele... ...n. If a child’s speech and language skills are inadequate, the speech-language pathologist will work with the child to improve the skill that the child struggles with. They also help parents and teachers understand what the child is experiencing and how to assist with implementing the provided treatment plan. Selective mutism is a rare disorder that affects mainly children. Treating selective mutism early and vigorously leads to success. Research about treatment methods and causes of selective mutism is limited due to the rarity and uniqueness of the disorder. While no known cause is recognized for contributing to selective mutism, professionals use many indicators to assess and diagnose a child. Children with selective mutism, contrary to popular belief, do communicate through gestures and nods but fail to speak in unfamiliar and uncomfortable situations.

Out of Africa Theory Essay

The Out of Africa Theory is a widely renown theory describing the origin of the human race and their early dispersal throughout the world. According to this theory, humans have a monogensis, or a single and common origin; Africa. The concept was first introduced in 1871 by Charles Darwin but was deliberated for years until further studies of mitochondrial DNA and evidence †based on physical anthropology of archaic specimens† was added. During the early 19th century, scientists, archeologist and other scholars, speculated, studied and disagreed about the development of humans and our origins. Some experts theorized that humans are monogenism and developed into various varieties of species. Others argue that we are a polygenism mammal and that we either had separate development of various human species or developed as separate species through †transmutation† of apes. It was until the year 1871 when one of the first theories had been proposed openly. During that year, Charles Darwin published the book †Descent of Man†, in which he suggested that all humans were descendant from early humans who lived in Africa based on his studies of the behavior of African apes. In his book, Charles Darwin concluded, †In each great region of the world the living mammals are closely related to the extinct species of the same region. It is, therefore, probable that Africa was formerly inhabited by extinct apes closely allied to the gorilla and chimpanzee; and as these two species are now man’s nearest allies, it is somewhat more probable that our early progenitors lived on the African continent than elsewhere. But it is useless to speculate on this subject, for an ape nearly as large as a man, namely the Drypithecus of Lartet, which was closely allied to the anthropomorphous Hylobates, existed in Europe during the Upper Miocene period; and since so remote a period the earth has certainly undergone many great revolutions, and there has been ample time for migration on the largest scale. † Unfortunately, it wasn’t until 50 years later when other scholars began to support Charles Darwin’s theory when an sufficient number of fossils of early humans in several areas of Africa was found. During the 1980s, three specialists, Allan Wilson, Rebecca Cann and Mark Stoneking, worked together on another theory that supports Charles Darwin’s speculation, the â€Å"Mitochondrial Eve† hypothesis. In these tests, the scientists solemnly focused on mitochondrial DNA, human genes that lay within the cell and are passed from mother to child. These genes allow mutation, as they mutate quickly for adaptation, thus allowing those studying to find and track changes during short time periods. By focusing on these genes and comparing their differences, the three scientists were able to create a hypothesis about the time and place when modern humans began to evolve. According to their findings, they believe that modern humans are decentants from a single population, while earlier humans e. g. Neandertals and Homo erectus, had become extinct. Furthermore, the team compared the DNA of numerous people of differerent ethnic backgrounds and concluded that all humans did indeed evolve from ‘one mother’ in Africa about 150,000 years ago. According to physical evidence, and theories, scholars have concluded upon a whole hypothesis. Based on their knowledge and belief, modern humans diverged from Homo sapiens between 200,000 and 150,000 years ago specifically in Africa, that between 125,000 and 60,000 years ago members of Homo sapiens left Africa, and that these humans species gradually replaced earlier human populations. East Africa has been the single and specific orgin of the human race that most scientists have conluded on. There are still speculations and debates on whether there had been one single dissolution or several. Due to genetic, linguisitc and archaeological findings, the Southern Dispersal theory, a theory in which included several exodus, has become the most favorable theory, however many researchers are gradually considering the first and original haven was Northern Africa. Scientists believe the population of early humans had been around 2,000 to 5,000 while they persisted in Africa, and only small groups of persumably 150 to 1,000 migrated out towards the Red Sea. These few individuals went out to expand and eventually populate the rest of the world. For example, one theory suggests that those who traveled along the southern coastline of Asia ultimately crossed the sea and colonized in Australia about 50,000 years ago. Other researchers believe and have proposed to a multiple dispersal theory in which states that there had been two major migrations out of Africa. According to this speculation, one group crossed the Red Sea and traveled along the coastline until reaching India. The other, meanwhile, migrated north, following the Nile River, and crossed into Asia through the Sinai. From there, several members dispersed in various directions, some headed towards Europe while other went east into Asia. It is unclear, however, if Homo sapiens migrated to North America 30,000 years ago, or later around 14,000 years ago. From there on, Homo sapiens gradually and continiously migrated and settled on to every continent, except Antartica, and gradually began to increase and populate the world.

Green Grass, Running Water

Green Grass, Running Water Gender identity in Robert King’s Green Grass, Running Water is constantly overlapping and is developed from a native point of view. This deals majorly with the context of the invasion of the native values of communalism by the western ideologies of Christian patriarchy. The role of both men and women in the text is shown but women are the major ones who interest is centered on. Their role in the developing society mainly in the Blossom community is one that is highly remarkable and important.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Green Grass, Running Water specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In the case of the first woman, she depicts a society where women are given respect because of their intelligence and in helping in maintaining good relationships with other members of society. Women really try to maintain cohesiveness in society and this can be seen in the case where the first woman wants to share apples (King 70) . Hence we can say that in the book Green Grass, Running water, King paints the female character as one who wants to maintain good relationship between both living and non-living beings in the world. This can be seen to be the native values of communalism. The idea about braiding strands of air is also depicted as a way in which the strength of women is shown when they are together, this helps withstand the outside forces and this can be seen as a resistance towards the new cultures. Women in this context are used a symbol to form a unit, which is to bring unity in society with which a people can fight external forces. A literal example of â€Å"braiding in† can be seen in Lionel’s mother in her recipes, whenever she misses an ingredient, she finds a way of blending in some native ingredient to substitute the missing ingredients. This helps her prepare meals that are tasty and liked by all who eat them. For instance when Lionel asks her â€Å"What is it?†  "Vegetable soup and artichoke omelet†Advertising Looking for essay on gender studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More â€Å"Where’d you get the artichokes?† â€Å"I had to substitute.† â€Å"So, whats in it now?† â€Å"Elk† (Kings 81). She is therefore innovative; she can use both native and modern recipes, an indicator of how both native and modern ways can be braided together for a better life. The women in the story are brought out as epitomes that are overturning stereotypes and seeking to secure a respectable space in the Society of Green Grass, Running Water, for instance, Norma contributes towards the growth of the Blossom community. As a woman in the community, she is the one who organizes other members in the rebuilding of Eli’s cabin together with that of her mother when the dam bursts its banks (King 170). She is also a source of counseling and guidance on El i and Lionel. This shows how a woman can rise against all odds to be a visionary member of society and helpful to fellow women and men alike.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Green Grass, Running Water specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In as much as King uses men throughout the text, they have also contributed greatly to the growth of the plot to its climax but one thing that is for sure is the fact that women are the ones used to bridge the gap that has been created by the two worlds, that of the natives and that of the non-native. All aspects of both worlds are just but part of the great whole and therefore if both are taken positively, then both can stand each other. Kings, Thomas. Green Grass, Running Water. New York, Houghton Mifflin, 1993

First Battle of Bull Run

First Battle of Bull Run The Battle of Bull Run was the first major battle of the American Civil War, and it occurred, in the summer of 1861, when many people believed the war would probably only consist of one big decisive battle. The battle, which was fought in the heat of a July day in Virginia, had been carefully planned by generals on both the Union and Confederate sides. And when inexperienced troops were called upon to execute the fairly complicated battle plans, the day turned chaotic. While it looked for a time like the Confederates would lose the battle, a fierce counterattack against the Union Army resulted in a rout. By the end of the day thousands of demoralized Union troops were streaming back to Washington, D.C., and the battle was generally seen as a disaster for the Union. And the failure of the Union Army to secure a quick and decisive victory made it clear to Americans on both sides of the conflict that the Civil War would not be the short and simple affair many assumed it would be. Events Leading to the Battle After the attack on Fort Sumter in April 1861, President Abraham Lincoln issued a call for 75,000 volunteer troops to come from the states which hadn’t seceded from the Union. The volunteer soldiers enlisted for a term of three months. Troops began arriving in Washington, D.C. in May 1861, and set up defenses around the city. And in late May portions of northern Virginia (which had seceded from the Union after the attack on Fort Sumter) were invaded by the Union Army. The Confederacy set up its capital in Richmond, Virginia, about 100 miles from the federal capital city, Washington, D.C. And with northern newspapers trumpeting  the slogan  Ã¢â‚¬Å"On to Richmond,† it seemed inevitable that  a  clash would occur somewhere between Richmond and Washington in that first summer of war. Confederates Massed In Virginia A Confederate army began massing in the vicinity of Manassas, Virginia, a railroad junction situated between Richmond and Washington. And it became increasingly obvious that the Union Army would be marching south to engage the Confederates. The timing of precisely  when the battle would be fought became a complicated issue. General Irvin McDowell had become the leader of the Union Army, as General Winfield Scott, who had commanded the army, was too old and infirm to command during wartime. And McDowell, a West Point graduate and career soldier who had served in the Mexican War, wanted to wait before committing his inexperienced troops to battle. President Lincoln saw things differently. He was well aware that the enlistments for the volunteers was only for three months, which meant most of them could be going home before they ever saw the enemy. Lincoln pressed McDowell to attack. McDowell organized his 35,000 troops, the largest army ever assembled in North America to that time. And in mid-July he began moving toward Manassas, where 21,000 Confederates had assembled. The March to Manassas The Union Army began moving south on July 16, 1861. Progress was slow in the July heat, and the lack of discipline of many of the new troops didn’t help matters. It took days to reach the area of Manassas, about 25 miles from Washington. It became clear that the anticipated battle would take place on Sunday, July 21, 1861. Stories would often be told about how spectators from Washington, riding in carriages and bringing along picnic baskets, had raced down to the area so they could watch the battle as if it was a sporting event. The Battle of Bull Run General McDowell conceived a fairly elaborate plan to attack the Confederate army commanded by his former West Point classmate, General P.G.T. Beauregard. For his part, Beauregard also had a complex plan. In the end, the plans of both generals fell apart, and actions by individual commanders and small units of soldiers determined the outcome. In the early phase of the battle the Union Army seemed to be beating the disorganized Confederates, but the rebel army managed to rally. General Thomas J. Jackson’s brigade of Virginians helped turn the tide of the battle, and Jackson that day received the everlasting nickname â€Å"Stonewall† Jackson. Counterattacks by Confederates were helped by fresh troops who arrived by railroad, something entirely new in warfare. And by late afternoon the Union Army was in retreat. The road back to Washington became a scene of panic, as the frightened civilians who had come out to watch the battle tried to race homeward alongside thousands of demoralized Union troops. Significance of the Battle of Bull Run Perhaps the most important lesson from the Battle of Bull Run was that it helped erase the popular notion that the rebellion of the slave states would be a short affair settled with one decisive blow. As an engagement between two untested and inexperienced armies, the battle itself was marked by countless mistakes. Yet two sides demonstrated that they could put large armies in the field and could fight. The Union side sustained casualties of about 3,000 killed and wounded, and Confederate losses were about 2,000 killed and wounded. Considering the size of the armies that day, the casualties were not heavy. And casualties of later battles, such as Shiloh and Antietam the following year, would be far heavier. And while the Battle of Bull Run didn’t really change anything in a tangible sense, as the two armies essentially wound up in the same positions as where they had started, it was a powerful blow to the pride of the Union. Northern newspapers, which had bellowed for a march into Virginia, actively looked for scapegoats. In the South, the Battle of Bull Run was considered a great boost to morale. And, as the disorganized Union Army had left behind a number of cannon, rifles, and other supplies, just the acquisition of material was helpful to the Confederate cause. In an odd twist of history and geography, the two armies would meet about a year later in essentially the same place, and there would be a Second Battle of Bull Run, otherwise known as the Battle of Second Manassas. And the outcome would be the same, the Union Army would be defeated.

10 Types of Hyphenation Errors

10 Types of Hyphenation Errors 10 Types of Hyphenation Errors 10 Types of Hyphenation Errors By Mark Nichol I’ve written more than once about hyphens, including this previous post, but it remains a troublesome topic, so I’ll approach it from this direction, too: the categories of hyphenation errors. 1. Omitting Hyphens in Phrasal Adjectives Some phrasal adjectives (including â€Å"civil rights,† â€Å"stock market,† and â€Å"high school†) don’t require hyphenation when they appear before a noun; they’re so well entrenched in the language that no risk of ambiguity exists, and their status is enshrined by inclusion in dictionaries. But when two words team together to describe a noun, they’re usually hyphenated. (Leave them open after a noun, however.) If you can’t find them in your well-thumbed dictionary, attach them and don’t hesitate to link more than two words: â€Å"The company instituted a pay-as-you-go plan.† 2. Adding Hyphens to Compound Words Compound words come in three forms: open (â€Å"sand dollar†), hyphenated (sand-blind), and closed (sandbag). As you see from these examples, compounds including the same particular word are not necessarily treated the same; compounding is a random process related to usage. (Popular treatment of long-hyphenated compounds changes so rapidly that dictionaries change them in new editions to reflect prevailing usage; pigeonhole formerly pigeon-hole is just one example.) 3. Adding Hyphens to Prefixes Prefixes, on the other hand, are almost always closed up to the root word. Exceptions include when the root word is a proper name (pre-Christian) and when the prefix ends and the root word begins with an i (anti-inflammatory). Note, however, that this is not true in the case of e (preempt). Another exception is words beginning with c preceded by co-, because to many people, terms like co-chair look awkward without a hyphen. 4. Omitting Hyphens from Potential Homographs Sometimes, prefixed words that would otherwise be closed up retain a hyphen to distinguish them from otherwise identical-looking words, such as re-cover as opposed to recover and re-creation as distinct from recreation. 5. Omitting Hyphens in Verb Phrases Compound verbs, those consisting of more than one word, are hyphenated (test-drive) or closed (troubleshoot); the dictionary will let you know which form to employ. Note, however, the difference in nearly identical-looking compound verbs and open compound nouns: â€Å"I’m going to test-drive it tomorrow,† but â€Å"I’m going to take it on a test drive tomorrow.† Also, consider the subtle difference between gerunds formed from a hyphenated compound verb that are followed, or not followed, by an object: â€Å"I was spot-checking the report when I found a serious error,† but â€Å"I’m going to do a little spot checking.† 6. Adding Hyphens to Adverbial Phrases Adverbs are not attached to adjectives when they team up to modify a noun: â€Å"The slowly melting ice rendered the river crossing a perilous enterprise.† However, the presence of an adverb does not negate the need for a hyphen in a phrasal adjective that follows it: â€Å"Hers was an eloquently sharp-tongued response.† 7. Adding Hyphens to Prepositional Phrases Phrases telling the reader to do something in which the first word is a verb and the second is a preposition are not hyphenated: â€Å"Sign in at the registration table.† (The phrase is hyphenated, however, when it modifies a noun: â€Å"Go to the sign-in table.†) 8. Adding or Omitting Hyphens When Referring to Ages or Physical Dimensions When a person is identified by their age with the phrase â€Å"seven-year-old,† for example, the phrase is hyphenated whether it modifies child, boy, girl, and so on or the noun is implied. (Note that two hyphens are necessary and that, for the spelled-out form of a two-digit number, three are required: â€Å"twenty-seven-year-old.†) However, the constituent words are unattached when the phrase follows the noun: â€Å"The child is seven years old. By the same rules, words describing an object’s physical dimensions are similarly linked: â€Å"Cut the eight-foot-long board in half.† Note, again, that all the words describing the length of the board are attached: If the final hyphen is incorrectly omitted, the reference to a board that is eight feet long is erroneously changed to describe a long board with eight feet. 9. Omitting Letter Spaces When Using Hyphens When you see a hyphen followed by a letter space, don’t assume the space is an error. â€Å"The assignment is a 2,000- to 5,000-word essay† is correct; word has been omitted after the first number because it is implied by its presence after the second number. (This usage is called suspensive hyphenation.) 10. Confusing Hyphens and Dashes Many publications, for the sake of simplicity or because the producers don’t know any better, use single hyphens in place of em dashes or double hyphens (the less aesthetically pleasing alternative that is frequently employed online). But they look stubby and ugly, and this crime against aesthetics is compounded when letter spaces around them are omitted, producing abominations such as â€Å"The key-and this is important-is to keep stirring constantly.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Has vs. HadOne Fell SwoopWood vs. Wooden

Business Strategy report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Business Strategy report - Assignment Example ch concerns ability of the firm to set goals, according to which proper action plans are set in order to meet those goals and produce desired results. Some of the features of strategic management can be described as follows (DeWit and Meyer, 2004). Strategic thinking- The aspect of strategic thinking involves generation of unique ideas and insights that help to increase competitive advantages of business as well as to achieve desired goals more efficiently. The strategic thinking process requires managers to consider past performance of the business and realize ways in which change or implementation of a new strategy might affect the organization and its various interest groups. Strategic thinking is mostly done when a firm considers applying a change in operations or while incorporating new business ventures into a formal organizational structure. It is mainly a mental process and requires examining the firm from the view point of its capabilities. Managers and authorities brainstorm to come up with new and innovative methods for fulfilling organizational goals and developing new horizons of business opportunity. Strategic planning- The next step after strategic thinking is the process of strategic planning. In strategic thinking, the firm decides upon actions that are needed to be taken. In the strategic planning process, the firm formulates effective solutions so that proposed ideas and objectives can be achieved. Strategic planning involves analyzing the firm considering the following aspects (Johnson, Scholes and Whittington, 2005): Primarily strategic planning involves evaluating the firm from the view point of external environment. This involves conducting PESTEL (Political, Environmental, Social, Technological, Economical and Legal) analysis. The external environmental factors that can affect functioning of an organization are taken into perspective and ways in which external factors are likely to respond when a firm incorporates changes or new business

Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 16

Case Study Example 4. Competitors focus on low-price broadband and phone services has been the main competitive advantage of BT’s competitors such as TalkTalk. Low cost broadband and phone service providers such as TalkTalk is a potent threat to BT’s market position that in March of 2010, TalkTalk announced a  £115 million profit before tax while BT suffered a loss for months. Being a first mover does not ensure an edge in the local market because subscribers will readily switch to low cost providers. 5. Price and technology is always a challenge for BT in international market. Low cost broadband providers and technologically advanced broadband providers put pressure on BT in local and international markets that makes it less competitive and/or erodes its market share. Being a first mover nor its size does not ensure its dominance in international market because there are also numerous players who could provide the same service (and even better) at a price that is lower than

Economic Implications of the EU's Single Currency on German Economy - Dissertation

Economic Implications of the EU's Single Currency on German Economy - Research Plan - Dissertation Example Research Questions and Rationale for the Chosen Research Questions 1. What are the negative effects being created through the introduction of a single currency Euro on the German economy? 2. Does the benefit outweigh the disadvantages of using fixed exchange rate policy? 3. What are the economic consequences of using fixed exchange rate based on the economic experiences of Germany? Several authors suggest that it is wrong to believe that the use of a single currency could solve economic problems related to high unemployment rate, high inflation rate, low exportation volume, and economic stagnation (Carbaugh, 2009, p. 282; Frankel & Rose, 2002). For this reason, the first research question in this dissertation plan aims to identify and determine the negative effects associated with the introduction or use of a single currency on the economic situation in Germany. The EU’s single currency was implemented for the purpose of enhancing the inter-regional and inter-state trading amo ng the members of the European Union easier (European Commission. The EU Single Market, 2011). On top of the significant reduction in the cost of inter-regional and inter-state trading, the use of EU’s single currency could increase the market opportunities and promote price stability for the EU members (Canuse & Driga, 2010; Goodhart, 2007; Luker & Townroe, 1999). Considering the economic advantages associated with the use of a single currency, the second research question aims to determine whether or not the disadvantages of using a single currency under a fixed exchange rate policy outweigh its economic benefits. As a huge country, Germany was highly dependent on the exportation of agricultural, mining and industrial products since 1950s (Boyes, 2007). As part of examining the economic consequences of using a single currency, the third research question aims to explore how the use of a single currency under a fixed exchange rate policy has adversely affected Germanyâ€℠¢s ability to export agricultural, mining and industrial products today. Detailed Overall Planned Structure of Dissertation The proposed structure of the dissertation is based purely on secondary research data. In gathering related literature for this research topic, the researcher utilized the available books and other academic research materials and journals from the library of ____________(insert name of school) on top of the electronic reading materials which can be easily located using the Internet. In providing the readers with a better idea behind the need to introduce a single EU currency among the members of the European Union, the introduction part identified the 27 countries that agreed to become a part of the European Union. Aside from discussing the main purpose of conducting a literature review on this subject matter, the introduction part also provided a clear explanation behind the need to implement the Euro currency back in 1999. Since this study aims to determine t he economic implications of using EU’s single currency on German economy, the body of this research paper focused on addressing the research questions which served as a guide in conducting a literature review on this subject matter. In line with this, the body of the research paper includes determining the negative effects of introducing a single Euro currency on Germany’

Educational Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Educational Policy - Essay Example According to him the educational system was getting more and more influenced by the changing political scenario. Contrary to this, in his paper written in 2011 he has argued upon the importance of leadership and values in the current educational institutions. He has thoroughly discussed the changing nature of schools while stating that more research is required in order to resolve educational issues. Ball’s position has actually evolved from the first to the second paper because initially he was considering educational system as a weak social institution but later in 2011 he analyzed that institutional policies have greatly changed and they are now strong enough to be compared with any successful business (Ball, 2011, p.50-52). 5. Identify the main points that Ball makes in the paper he wrote in 2011. Be careful to use your own words to show your understanding and avoid direct citation from the text. (approx. 600 words) In his paper ‘A New Research Agenda for Educational Leadership and Policy’ written in 2011, Ball makes some significant points in relation to the research issues and education policy for English. He has critically analyzed three unified variables including ownership, interests and values, and leadership. Moreover, he has discussed the necessary skills and cognitive thinking required by contemporary researchers and business analysts (Ball, 2011, p.50). Leadership Over the time leadership skills especially for the school managers have changed drastically. For instance, the modern educational institutions are now exposed to the management freedom and role enhancements particularly in the area of public administration. Hence entrepreneurial heads are emerging. These individuals are specifically working for the betterment of deficient schools in order to help the disadvantaged groups of the society (Ball, 2011, p.50-51). Contrary to this there are also corporate heads appointed by the major sponsors. For instance, Ark and Harris o perate their companies on the basis of some regional offices headed by a particular office which ensures the economies of scale, standardization and values. These companies are also involved in the supply of chain heads or corporate heads.In addition to this there is also an emerging concept of category heads that are fundamentally responsible to look after different branches of schools working under the same trust or non-profit organization. They are also involved in supporting failed educational centers. These developing approaches in leadership are incorporated with identity and loyalty (Ball, 2011, p.50-51). Interests and Values Contemporary organizations are introducing new career sectors, for instance, management practiced by boundary spanners. Consider E-Act, which is forming educational standards through making a close association with local authorities and parents. However, this process becomes more and more challenging with the involvement of private associates which incre ases the tension among students, parents, sponsors, shareholders and employees (Ball, 2011, p.51). For instance, WS Atkins discontinued its services to Southwark LA as a result of shareholder and share price

Business Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Business - Article Example Similarly, their analysis that their customers generally liked driving a Skoda indicated that they needed to actually make no changes to the actual car. The most interesting element was that Skoda realized that other manufacturers focused on the car, despite nominal changes in performance, and that they should instead focus on the experience of the brand and intangible assets. Microsoft Hafner and Hibbert performed a SWOT analysis of Microsoft in 2001. Some of the conclusions were obvious: Linux and Macintosh were potential threats, Microsoft had been slow in coming to the Internet and had been beaten out by companies like Google, etc. But others were more interesting. For example: â€Å"Currency exchange rates affect demand for application/operation software and hardware, and fluctuating currencies can negatively impact revenues in the global marketplace†. Hafner and Hibbert point out that Microsoft had not done the management to protect against that kind of volatility. Concl usion SWOT in practice, then, can help companies do two things: 1) Catalog for the obvious that has thus far escaped attention or has simply been assumed and not been critically analyzed; 2) Perceive past the obvious to the non-trivial. Works Cited Skoda Autos. â€Å"SWOT Analysis in Action†. Times 100. 2008. Web. Retrieved from: http://www.thetimes100.co.uk/downloads/skoda/skoda_13_full.pdf . Accessed 1/9/2011.

Educational Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Educational Policy - Essay Example According to him the educational system was getting more and more influenced by the changing political scenario. Contrary to this, in his paper written in 2011 he has argued upon the importance of leadership and values in the current educational institutions. He has thoroughly discussed the changing nature of schools while stating that more research is required in order to resolve educational issues. Ball’s position has actually evolved from the first to the second paper because initially he was considering educational system as a weak social institution but later in 2011 he analyzed that institutional policies have greatly changed and they are now strong enough to be compared with any successful business (Ball, 2011, p.50-52). 5. Identify the main points that Ball makes in the paper he wrote in 2011. Be careful to use your own words to show your understanding and avoid direct citation from the text. (approx. 600 words) In his paper ‘A New Research Agenda for Educational Leadership and Policy’ written in 2011, Ball makes some significant points in relation to the research issues and education policy for English. He has critically analyzed three unified variables including ownership, interests and values, and leadership. Moreover, he has discussed the necessary skills and cognitive thinking required by contemporary researchers and business analysts (Ball, 2011, p.50). Leadership Over the time leadership skills especially for the school managers have changed drastically. For instance, the modern educational institutions are now exposed to the management freedom and role enhancements particularly in the area of public administration. Hence entrepreneurial heads are emerging. These individuals are specifically working for the betterment of deficient schools in order to help the disadvantaged groups of the society (Ball, 2011, p.50-51). Contrary to this there are also corporate heads appointed by the major sponsors. For instance, Ark and Harris o perate their companies on the basis of some regional offices headed by a particular office which ensures the economies of scale, standardization and values. These companies are also involved in the supply of chain heads or corporate heads.In addition to this there is also an emerging concept of category heads that are fundamentally responsible to look after different branches of schools working under the same trust or non-profit organization. They are also involved in supporting failed educational centers. These developing approaches in leadership are incorporated with identity and loyalty (Ball, 2011, p.50-51). Interests and Values Contemporary organizations are introducing new career sectors, for instance, management practiced by boundary spanners. Consider E-Act, which is forming educational standards through making a close association with local authorities and parents. However, this process becomes more and more challenging with the involvement of private associates which incre ases the tension among students, parents, sponsors, shareholders and employees (Ball, 2011, p.51). For instance, WS Atkins discontinued its services to Southwark LA as a result of shareholder and share price

Planning for further diversification and the sharing of good practice Assignment

Planning for further diversification and the sharing of good practice - Assignment Example y of Justice, Lord Chamber, The Attorney General, Director of Public Prosecutions, Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), The Lord Chief Justice, Legal Service Commission and the Lawyers. Similarly, the report will also analyze the structure of the judiciary in the English Legal System. Inherently, the work of the Ministry of Justice with regard to the English Legal System includes supporting the judiciary as well as providing legal aid and guidance on the constitutional reforms (Slapper, 2009). In addition, the Ministry of Justice is also responsible for ensuring that there are policies with regard to the civil, family, criminal, and administrative justice system. More importantly, this also includes the Law commission. Moreover, the ministry of justice is supposed to ensure there is adherence to the sentencing policy, as well as provide support to both the courts and the tribunals and make sure that they are fully operational. The Lord Chancellor plays a pivotal role in the English Legal System. This encompasses being a member of the government, as a cabinet minister (Elliott, 2012). Secondly, the Lord Chancellor has a law making role since he is a member of the second legislative chamber the House of Lords. The Lord Chamber also serves as the head of judiciary, together with being a sitting judge and as such the Lord Chamber has the mandate to appoint judges, or recommend judges for appointment. Under the Lord Chancellor, there are superior judges together with inferior judges. The superior judges include the Law Lords, Lords Justice of Appeal, High court Judges who sit in the House of Lords, court of Appeal and High Court respectively. Similarly, the inferior Judges include the Circuit Judges, Recorders, who are full time judges and part-time judges respectively in county court and crown court respectively (Slapper, 2009). More importantly, the District Judges are also part of inferior judges who sit in Magistrates’ Court and county court. Notably, the

Hedda Gabler Essay Example for Free

Hedda Gabler Essay Throughout the years people have developed an image of how a particular gender should act. In the play Hedda Gabler, the characters that are involved challenge and conform the gender stereotypes through verbal and non-verbal text. The author â€Å"Henrik Ibsen† has displayed characters such as Hedda Gabler and Julianne Tesman to challenge their stereotypical gender behaviors. Hedda Gabler, the play’s main character, challenges the common gender stereotype of a woman by portraying Gabbler as a person who has a thirst for being free. Gablers father, General Gabler is one of the main influences of her behavior challenging her feminine role. An example is ‘Tesman- â€Å"My old morning shoes, my slippers look! †¦ I missed them dreadfully. Now you should see them†. Hedda- â€Å"No thanks, it really doesn’t interest me†. This portrays Gabler showing no affection to Jorgen Tesman’s slippers. The way Hedda is not interested in Tesman’s slippers shows her little care for affection towards Tesman. This challenges the common gender stereotype because women are stereotyped to be affectionate and sensitive. Hedda Gabler is furthered portrayed by having masculine traits by non-verbal aspects of her character by having a pistol, Hedda-â€Å"[lifting the pistol and aiming] I’m going to shoot you, sir!† Brack- â€Å"No, no, no! Don’t stand there aiming that at me.† This quote represents the gun symbolically representing her masculinity and at this point, Hedda using it empowers her and used to gain some sought of power over Brack. The gun seen as a non verbal aspect of the play clearly representing Hedda Gabbler in a masculine way challenging the common stereotype of her gender. The gun, a phallic symbol, is Hedda projecting her masculinity. The way she always shows the gun, aiming it at Brack and talking about the gun to Tesman alarming him. Brack towards the end of the play blackmails Hedda about the death of lovburg and to avoid he being publically disgraced must tend to the will of Brack, â€Å"Brack-â€Å" Willingly every single evening, Miss Tesman. We shall have a very pleasant time here you and I† Hedda – â€Å"Yes that is what you are looking forward to isn’t, Mr. Brack? You as the only cock in the yard.† Hedda then kills herself representing her making sure Brack does not get the upper hand over her and gets the ultimate freedom from men trying to dominate her. Hedda Gabler also shown to hate thought of pregnancy rejecting the common gender stereotype. This is shown through a conversation between Julie Tesman and Hedda Gabler: Tesman – â€Å"Yes but have you noticed how plumped she’s grown, and how well she is? How much she has filled out on her travels?† Hedda – â€Å"I’m exactly the same as I was when I went away.† This quote represents that Hedda resents the idea of her being pregnant and will avoid the topic completely. Through this Hedda further rebels against her gender stereotype by not wanting to have kids which all women at that time where expected to have. She further rebels against this concept by ultimately her death by suicide. Through killing herself it shows the ultimate rejection of society’s expectation for a female and projects Hedda’s resent to conform. Julie Tesman is a character in the play that conforms to the female gender stereotype. Julie Tesman portrays this in the paly by constantly asking Tesman if Hedda is pregnant â€Å"Yes but have you noticed how plumped she’s grown, and how well she is? How much she has filled out on her travels?† which is important because she believes she should be. The fact that Julie Tesman serves Jorgen Tesman implements that she works for men a common female gender stereotype that women work for men. The fact that Julie Tesman will sacrifice everything for Jorgen shows her as mother figure toward Jorgen. Julie is seen as a mother figure, which shows that she is conforming to a female gender stereotype. In the play Hedda gabbler the author has created characters that challenge and conform to the common gender stereotypes. Hedda gabbler through being portrayed as masculine and always not wanting to be controlled sows how she challenges the female gender stereotype. Julie Tesman portrayed as a caring, old mother figure conforms to a female gender stereotype because of her show of affection, fragility and seen as a mother figure. Through the use of verbal and non-verbal aspects the author has projected these two characters to conform and the other to rebel against the common gender stereotype.

Changes in the Worldview

Changes in the Worldview WHAT IS WORLDVIEW? In basic terms world view is a concept where a person/individual or a group or a culture reacts or interacts with the world using different ideas and frameworks. Worldviews forms social values and these values create social or individual behavior. These behaviors further create different cultures. So, basically worldview of a particular culture may be different from another culture. Worldview has changed during the past a lot of times. During the premodern era the worldview had a metaphysical concept meaning the era was focused on spiritual beliefs and as the era changed, then came the modern era. As the beliefs changed in modern era so did the worldview. During the modern era society started changing their believes and dropped the idea of spiritual beliefs to humanity, here and now and physical reality. Then came the era which we call postmodern era which is the system of thoughts and beliefs being accepted and embraced after the modern age and it focused on humanism, science educat ion etc. There were a lot of changes in the western worldview over time as there are a lot of factors that help the worldview to change, for example: Social systems Political and economic system Culture The change in the western worldview could be categorized in 3 eras, the pre-modern era, the modern era and the post-modern era. There were a timely change in the worldview of how the society thinks and what does it accept which led to the change in worldviews. According to one author Christianity changed the pagan word because Christians were faithful and were even willing to die for their beliefs and morality. And thus, even Constantine legalized Christianity in AD 313. Once it was legalized chritians started following their beliefs, one of which was human being were create by the image of god. After the middle age, it was the beginning of the era what we call renaissance. It basically started when European scholar discovered classic documents and new idea to look at the world. Few events such as the Black death also brought changes to the worldview, people start believing that the cause was a result of the alignment of planets and some believes that it was a punishment of god and those who survived had a chance to leave their farmland and move to cities which in todays era we call urbanization. After the renaissance or modern era came the modernism and it rejected the post-modernism as it failed to answer humanities most troublesome problems. The objective of ethics according the Christian ethic is that few standards are visible throughout human attitude towards morality. Even though secular philosophers treat all moral ethics as relative, even they have some ethical values such as love, justice and courage. The basic importance of ethics to worldview is that ethics always comes with philosophies and philosophies are shaped by the worldview. So, to create ethics we use philosophies and to shape philosophies we need to understand the worldview. The solution for humans ethical dilemmas can affect ones worldview. The human in todays world are left with two choices between two evils: Believe at least some people will believes the values at judgments to be objective Or no one believe it. Selecting the second option means debunking all the moral and ethical values which is a new point of view and lead to a new worldview. The common aspect between the book and the articles is that all the author are conveying a message about worldview, morals and ethics and the transition of one worldview to another over a period. The ways of conveying the message are different but few things are similar between the book and the article which are morality, ethics etc. C.S Lewis in his book The Abolition of Man has a bit different approach to explain this concept. He uses human and nature to explain the worldview and ethics. He also explains the concept of Tao, a Chinese word for the realm of objective value as the basis for traditional morality. (Lewis, 1943) References Lewis, C. S. (1986). The abolition of man, or, Reflections on education with special reference to the teaching of English in the upper forms of schools. Retrieved January 16, 2017 Christian Ethics. (n.d.). Retrieved January 16, 2017, from http://www.allaboutworldview.org/christian-ethics.html Zacharia, R. (2016, December 20). The Death of Truth and a Postmortem. Retrieved January 16, 2017, from http://rzim.org/global-blog/the-death-of-truth-and-a-postmortem/ Anderson, K. (2016, August 07). Worldviews Through History Compared to a Christian View. Retrieved January 16, 2017, from www.probe.org/worldviews-through-history/ Smilde, A. (2015, June 3). LEWISIANA: Summary of C. S. Lewis, The Abolition of Man. Retrieved January 16, 2017, from http://lewisiana.nl/abolsum/index.html

Being Different - Short Story Essay examples -- Papers

Being Different - Short Story Matthew had lived down the street from me most my life, and yet I still knew very little about him except for his name and his disability. Poor Matthew had been born retarded, and also owned many slight disabilities which made the mere act of living more difficult than it should have to be. Matthew was now a full grown man but he had the mind of a nine year old. He looked like an adult, but his actions and behaviour were definitely those of a young child. He walked with difficulty, and was visibly clumsy and uncoordinated. Life had not been easy for Matthew, and it seemed the older he was, the harder things got. When he was younger, even though he was teased by his peers he at least appeared to fit in with his classmates. Even though at second glance, it was easy to recognize the differences between Matthew and the other kids, Matthew did not really stand out in the crowd. Now as a full grown man Matthew looked out of place, no matter where he was, or who he was with. I ...

Constructs of Reality :: essays research papers

â€Å"WAR IS PEACE FREEDOM IS SLAVERY IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH† (Orwell, 1984) â€Å"Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves.† (William Pitt, 1783) . One can argue the existence of a utopia. Argue whether or not a utopia has ever, or will, exist. Webster’s Dictionary defines the term utopia as â€Å"An ideally perfect place, especially in its social, political, and moral aspects†. Then we can explore the term dystopia, the mirror image of a utopia, the exact opposite, a world blinded by utter chaos. However, one does not exist without the other. The majority of politics today is democratic, not to mention the remaining percentage is said to be totalitarian. But what we fail to notice is that there is very little difference amongst the two states, for in both situations the governments and or leaders have absolute power. And according to natural law power leads to corruption. â€Å"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.†(Lord Acton , 1834-1902) . So even in the perfectionist living, the slightest bit of corruption destroys any possibility of a utopia. Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and George Orwell’s 1984 touches this topic, of complete government control in their literary warnings, if not prophesies. The point being, no matter what type of government we live in, it is a place where the politicians are the ringmasters. They then construct reality, a system in which the public lives on, aimlessly, endlessly, and blindly. They prevail over us using technology, psychological manipulation, and the ability to alter any form of information, including history. The following arguments revolve around Huxley’s and Orwell’s portrayals, as well as focusing on the non-literary world, which we abide. The title Brave New World itself portrays a society, which is perfect. Symbolically, Huxley chose this title based on the stereotypical image of a new object. We tend to presume that it is new, untouched, unused and flawless. But is it? The spine tingling atmosphere begins to concern the reader from the very beginning. A horrific tour of the laboratory reveals the very fundamentals of absolute government domination. As the tour Director leads through the lab, the sightings are graphic. The students become aware of incubators and other technological mechanisms to fertilize and grow humans. He further explains how the sperm and ova are separated from the human body. â€Å"The operation undergone voluntarily for the good of society, not to mention the fact that it carries a bonus amounting to six months salary.

Pakistan and India over Kashmir Essay

Conflicts between Pakistan and India over Kashmir as well as China over Tibet have been around for decades. Although these conflicts are religion based, this is no longer the case since they currently fight over land control (Stokes, 2010). Whereas India and Pakistan is ever fighting to be in control of Kashmir, this case is the same when it comes to China’s conflict for Tibet. Although Tibet is part of China, it considers itself a nation since it has always been bound by religion, culture as well as linguistics and genetic ties (Stokes, 2010). The study aims to address the religion conflicts existing between China over Tibet as well as India and Pakistan over Kashmir. Pakistan and India over Kashmir According to Hajni (2008), Pakistan was founded after the end of the British rule when the Indian Muslims developed the desire to own an Islamic state. Indian Muslims were the Minority religion and this made them feel insecure. Since they were the minority religion, the Indian Muslims were afraid of losing political representation in addition to maintaining their freedom as well as cultural norms. According to Hajni (2008), regarding the criteria for deciding which of the two dominions a state should join; he quotes Lord Mountbatten who said, â€Å"†¦geographic situation and communal interests and so forth will be factors to be considered†¦Ã¢â‚¬  At the time of partitioning, Jammu and Kashmir was predominantly Muslim. However, Hindu Maharaja Hari Singh who supported the annexation of Kashmir by India ruled the state. According to James and Ozdamar (2005), when the British divided the two states, Kashmir was given the option of joining either one. However, through Maharajah Singh, the current leader of that time, Kashmir opted to become independent. Pakistan and India were not happy with this decision since they started forcing Kashmir to join them. It is due to these debates that later resulted to the outbreak of conflicts between India and Pakistan over Kashmir. Pakistani Muslims initiated insurgent type operations to undermine an annexation by India, which further compelled the Hindu leader to align with India to secure military support to counter the Muslims. According to Hajni (2008), India started by laying claim on Kashmir due to the instrument of accession that was signed by Maharaja in 1947. It is because of this move that prompted Pakistan to follow suit. Just like India, Pakistan also laid claimed to own Kashmir since most of its population were Muslims. This gradually escalated into disputes over Jammu and Kashmir, which is still rife to date. The disputes were quite severe since they escalated into wars in a move to acquire the disputed state. Although religion was the main source of conflict between the three nations, it was primarily triggered by the urge for territorial control. China over Tibet Apart from India and Pakistan, another famous religion conflict is that of China and Tibet. Tibet has been practicing Buddhism for decades to the extent that it currently defines the Tibetan’s way of life (Sperling, 2004). It was because of these cultures that the Tibetans declined to submit themselves to the Chinese rule. China has always strived to control Tibet but the Tibetans have always opposed this attempt. Since 1951, the republic of China through the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has tried to acquire Tibet by attempting to destroy their national as well as cultural identities (Macalester College, 2007). For instance, the nation tried to acquire Tibet by attempting to lure Tibet’s religious elite into voluntarily agreeing to embrace socialism. According to the Tibetans, this has always been referred to as cultural genocide (Stokes, 2010). Although China had assured Tibet that their Buddhism religion and culture would not be affected by the inauguration, Tibet was not confortable fusing with the Chinese Buddhist Association (CBA). According to the Tibetans, fusing with the CBA posed a threat for the Tibetan’s religion as well as culture. According to Sperling (2004), China is ever attempting to forcefully acquire Tibet. The reason why China is ever wishing to acquire Tibet is that it believes Tibet is located within China’s territory. Since almost all Tibetans practice Buddhism while the Han Chinese does not, the republic of China is ever attempting to ruin this religious culture in a move to ease the acquisition process. However, Tibetans always fight back in order to prevent China from ruining their culture and religion. Through Dalai Lama, Tibet was stable to the extent that even after numerous conflicts, China has never succeeded in acquiring it. It was through Dalai Lama that Tibet was able to fuse religion with politics. By intertwining Politics and religion, Tibet was able to create a solid foundation that made it difficult for the republic of china to acquire (Sperling, 2004). This technique was quite beneficial to the Tibetans since it motivated them into pursuing independence and self-autonomy. To date, the conflict between Tibet and China still exists despite numerous diplomatic interventions. Although Dalai Lama was quite influential in Tibet, he fled to India when he currently resides. Analysis In order to form the foundation of their adherent’s lives, both the Hindu and Buddhist religions ensured that they encouraged one another to fully embrace their religion. For instance, through this motivation, all Tibetans embraced Buddhism. Whereas the conflict between India and Pakistan resulted from the inability of the two nations to align Hindus with India and Muslims with Pakistan, the case was almost similar to that of China and Tibet. The conflict between china and Tibet began because China did not want Tibetans to practice their cultures and religions in a territory they claim was theirs. Additionally, the conflict was also triggered by the fact that Dalai Lama had planned to make Tibet an independent nation (Macalester College, 2007). Conclusion For a long time, India and Pakistan have been engrossed in conflicts. Although these conflicts started on grounds of religion differences, they rapidly escalated to territorial conflicts whereby both nations began fighting over Kashmir, a region located between India and Pakistan. Apart from India and Pakistan, China and Tibet have also been engrossed in conflicts, which have lasted for decades. Just like that of India and Pakistan, this conflict also revolved around religion but gradually grew into territorial conflict. China was not comfortable with Tibet’s Buddhism religion, hence, attempted all measures to disrupt it but Tibet was not ready to allow this to happen. Dalai Lama, a prominent leader in Tibet, was planning to declare Tibet an Independent nation. This idea was never taken lightly by China and it is because of this that the conflict intensified, thus, Dalai Lama was forced to run to seek refuge in India where he resides to date. References Hajni, M. (2008). The Kashmir Conflict: A Kashmiri Perspective. Retrieved on 12 October 2014 from www.operationspaix.net/DATA/DOCUMENT/5413~v~The_Kashmir_Conflict___A_Kashmiri_Perspective.pdf James, C. & Ozdamar, O. (2005). Religion as a Factor in Ethnic Conflict: Kashmir and Indian Foreign Policy. Terrorism and Political Violence, 17:447-467. Retrieved on 12 November 2014 from http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CCcQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fozgur.bilkent.edu.tr%2Fdownload%2F05Religion%2520as%2520a%2520Factor%2520in%2520Ethnic%2520Conflict%2520Kashmir.pdf&ei=7u1jVNrQFIbWasKGgcgK&usg=AFQjCNFvomYpl_QzYphrOggL6s3Ms5ZCZg&sig2=ZM9lKPLKG5LZde_OAlB7vA&bvm=bv.79189006,d.d2s Macalester College. (2007). History of Tibet-China Conflict. Retrieved on 12 November 2014 from https://sites.google.com/a/macalester.edu/refugees/tibetan/history-of-tibet-china-conflict Sperling, E. (2004). The Tibet-China Conflict: History and Polemics. Retrieved on 12 November 2014 from www.eastwestcenter.org/sites/default/files/private/PS007.pdf Stokes, D. (2010). Conflict over Tibet: Core Causes and Possible Solutions. Retrieved on 12 November 2014 from http://www.beyondintractability.org/casestudy/stokes-tibet Source document

Coffee Analysis Essay

Indtroduction . The history of coffee goes at least as far back as the thirteenth century with a number of myths surrounding its first use. The original native population of coffee is thought to have come from East Africa, and it was first cultivated by Arabs from the 14th century.[1] The earliest credible evidence of either coffee drinking or knowledge of the coffee tree appears in the middle of the 15th century, in the Sufi monasteries of Yemen.[2] By the 16th century, it had reached the rest of the Middle East, Persia, Turkey and northern Africa. Coffee then spread to Balkans, Italy and to the rest of Europe, to Indonesia and then to the Americas.[3  ow are coffee prices currently set? A: Coffee prices are set according to the New York â€Å"C† Contract market. The price of coffee fluctuates wildly in this speculative economy, generally hovering around fifty cents per pound. Most coffee is traded by speculators in New York, who trade approximately 8-10 times the amount of actual coffee produced each year. The single most influential factor in world coffee prices is the weather in Brazil. Droughts and frosts portend shortages of coffee and the price increases. Specialty coffee is often imported at a negotiated price over the C market, which is considered a ‘quality premium’. Most of those premiums never reach the coffee farmer, but rather stay in the hands of the exporter. This creates a disincentive for farmers to increase their quality, as they do not receive the direct benefits of increased investment in producing better coffee. http://www.globalexchange.org/fairtrade/coffee/faq http://www.makingittv.com/Sample-Coffee-Shop-Business-Plan.htm Cost structure Dynamics ofWorld Coffee Prices The indicator Price system established in 1965 by International Coffee Organization (ICO) to provide a consistent and reliable procedure for reporting prices of different types of coffee. The ICO indicator price system is based on the four spate price groups namely, Colombian mild  arabicas, Other mild arabicas, Brazilian and other natural arabicas and Robustas. ICO composite indicator provides a benchmark for price of green coffee. ICO organization collects ex-dock shipment prices data and calculates arithmetic mean. This represents ICO composite indicator. The current ICO composite price (US cents per pound) as listed for March, 2013 is 131.38 cents per pound with a high of 135.30 and low of 128.52 cents per pound. The dynamics/trend of the monthly ICO composite price over 1998-2012 can be broken down into three phases. (Refer Figure 1 in appendix) Phase 1: The average composite price for coffee decreases from $108.95 in 1998 to $45.59 in 2001. Phase 2 begin with an increasing trend line where in average composite price increases from to 47.74 in 2002 and continues the upward swing, hitting the maximum in 2011 at an average composite price of $210.39. 2 Phase 3 starts the decline in 2012 to an average price of $156.34 from 210.39 in 2011 and continues in 2013 where the current average price for the first three months is $131.38. Price-elasticity of Demand For and Supply of Coffee The price elasticity demand is measure to show the elasticity of the quantity demanded of the good or service to a change in its price. IN case of Coffee, Coffee is produced primarily in south american countries and some developing countries but consumed in developed countries.With disruptive weather the supply of coffee is suppressed and hence the price of coffee will rise hence the Price of coffee can be considered volatile. Factors/events that affected the world supply and demand of coffee in 2011-2012. Weather has been rated as one of the top factors affecting the supply of coffee. The countries where coffee is grown is generally humid, disruptive patterns in the weather has caused coffee plant diseases. Some articles have also listed fungus as one of the elements causing decrease in the coffee supplies. Difficulty in growing Arabica plants was also listed as one of the reason for shrinking coffee production. Whereas some positive factors which caused marginal increase in coffee supplies are adding of new producing countries,  investment in advanced technologies and increased in number of coffee producers within the same region. Increase in demand can be associated with emerging new markets such as China which was primarily tea market has now seen a sudden shift in taste. Increase in expendable income due to higher salaries has caused the demand for finer coffee to grow. Major determinants of world coffee prices in 2011-2012 Weather and climate change affect coffee prices more than other factors. Coffee trees require specific climatic conditions to produce an optimum crop. Hence, the Prices remained in high throughout 2011where the average composite price was around $210. 2.4) Porters Five Forces Analysis of the Retail Coffee and Snacks Industry: Threat of New Entrants: Moderate ïÆ'Ëœ There is a moderate threat of new entrants into the industry as the barriers to entry are not high enough to discourage new competitors to enter the market. (Appendix 2 shows Barriers to Entry Checklist). ïÆ'Ëœ The industry’s saturation is moderately high with a monopolistic competition structure. ïÆ'Ëœ For new entrants, the initial investment is not significant as they can lease stores, equipment etc. at a moderate level of investment. ïÆ'Ëœ At a localized level, small coffee shops can compete with the likes of Starbucks and Dunkin Brands because there are no switching costs for the consumers. Even thought it’s a competitive industry, the possibility of new entrants to be successful in the industry is moderate. ïÆ'Ëœ But this relatively easy entry into the market is usually countered by large incumbent brands identities like Starbucks who have achieved economies of scale by lowering cost, improved efficiency with a huge market share. There is a moderately high barrier for the new entrants as they differentiate themselves from Starbuck’s product quality, its prime real estate locations, and its store ecosystem ‘experience’. ïÆ'Ëœ The incumbent firms like Starbucks have a larger scale and scope, yielding them a learning curve advantage and favorable access to raw material with the relationship they build with their suppliers. ïÆ'Ëœ The expected retaliation from well-established companies for brand equity, resources, prime real estate locations and price competition are moderately high, which creates a moderate barrier to entry. Threat of Substitutes: High ïÆ'Ëœ There are many reasonable substitute beverages to coffee, which are mainly tea, fruit juices, water, soda’s, energy drinks etc. Bars and Pubs with non/alcoholic beverages could also substitute for the social experience of Starbucks ïÆ'Ëœ Consumers could also make their own home produced coffee with household premium coffee makers at a fraction of the cost for buying from premium coffee retailers like Starbucks. ïÆ'Ëœ There are no switching costs for the consumers for switching to substitutes, which makes the threat high. ïÆ'Ëœ But its important to note that industry leaders like Starbucks are currently trying to counter this threat by selling coffee makers, premium coffee packs in grocery stores but this threat still puts pressure their the margins. Bargaining Power of Buyers: Moderate to Low Pressure ïÆ'Ëœ There are many different buyers in this industry and no single buyer can demand price concession. ïÆ'Ëœ It offers vertically differentiated products with a diverse consumer base, which make relatively low volume purchases, which erodes the buyer’s power. ïÆ'Ëœ Even though there are no switching costs with high availability of substitute products, industry leaders like Starbucks prices its product mix in relation to rivals stores with prevailing market price elasticity and competitive premium pricing. ïÆ'Ëœ Consumers have a moderate sensitivity in premium coffee retailing as they  pay a premium for higher quality products but are watchful of excessive premium in relation product quality. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: Low to Moderate Pressure ïÆ'Ëœ The main inputs into the value chain of Starbucks is coffee beans and premium Arabica coffee grown in select regions which are standard inputs, which makes the cost of switching between substitute suppliers, moderately low. Strategic Analysis Of Starbucks Corporation Certified coffee under its coffee and farmer equity (C.A.F.E) program, which gives its suppliers a fair partnership status, which yields them some moderately, low power.7 ïÆ'Ëœ The suppliers in the industry also pose a low threat of competing against Starbucks by forward vertical integration, which lowers their power. Intensity of Competitive Rivalry: High to Moderate ïÆ'Ëœ The industry has a monopolistic competition, with Starbucks having the largest markets share and its closest competitors also having a significant market share, creating significant pressure on Starbucks. ïÆ'Ëœ Consumers do have any cost of switching to other competitors, which crates high intensity in rivalry. ïÆ'Ëœ But its important to note that Starbucks maintain some competitive advantage as it differentiates its products with premium products and services, which cause a moderate level of intensity in competition. ïÆ'Ëœ The industry is mature and growth rate has been moderately low which cause the intensity of competition among the companies to be moderately high due to all of them seeking to increase market shaper from established firms like Starbucks. ïÆ'Ëœ This industry does not have over capacity currently and all these factors contribute to the intensity among rivals to be moderately high. Looking at the Porters five forces analysis, we can get an aggregate industry analysis that the strength of forces and the profitability in the retail coffee and snacks industry are Moderate http://scholar.harvard.edu/files/nithingeereddy/files/starbucks_case_analysis.pdf Cost structure 4.1 Introduction Coffee prices fluctuate heavily from year to year. However, coffee prices do not fluctuate proportionally in each stage of the marketing chain. Consumer prices for example fluctuate less than prices of green coffee on the world market. The degree of fluctuation depends strongly on the way prices are determined. When farmers know in which stage of the production and marketing chain their prices are the most resistant to pressure by buyers and sellers, they can select the most profitable position to increase their market power. Section two takes a look at how prices are influenced and by which factors they are influenced. In section three a closer look is taken at the instability in receipts from coffee exports, caused by fluctuations in prices. This is followed in section four by an exposition about the influence of international commodity agreements on world coffee prices. In this section a short history is presented of the International Coffee Agreements (ICA’s). Section five describes how the margin on coffee is distributed over each stage in the marketing chain. The final section of this chapter presents some conclusions about the pricing in the world coffee market. 4.2 Influences on coffee prices When looking at the price pattern of coffee, one notices that prices are not stable. Price instability occurs in the long run, but also short term prices may change. This section takes a closer look at how coffee prices are determined. Determination of prices depends in the first place on the type of prices. World coffee prices are largely set on the futures and forward coffee markets. The quantity traded on these markets is much larger than actual trade in coffee. Prices are determined on the world market by means of speculation and arbitrage. Since coffee prices are influenced by speculation, pricing depends strongly on expectations about future supply and demand. Local coffee prices may differ between several coffee producing countries. According to De Rijk (1980), prices paid to Indonesian exporters at a given world price depend on the quality of the coffee and regularity and reliability of the quality. Other influences on local prices, according to De Rijk, consist of costs, tax es, information on prices and reliability of contracts. For some decades now the coffee market is showing a structural overproduction. This overproduction is one of the causes of the  weak position of coffee farmers. Figure 3.3 shows that exporting countries possess large stocks. These stocks are mostly set up in abundant years and are used in years of general shortage. Shortages in the supply of coffee are often caused by crop failures through natural incidents. The price of coffee is therefore susceptible to frost and drought, which are two of the leading factors in natural causes. Stocks can be kept by local farmers but more often these stocks are kept by large trading companies, which act as arbitrageurs. Trading companies buy at low prices when supply is abundant and they keep it in stock till prices rise. This provides some extra gains to trading companies, besides the normal margins on trading. Local farmers often do not have the financial resources and storage capacity to keep these stocks themselves. Therefore, they have to sell their coffee to exporters at harvest time against low prices. Farmers could have earned higher prices if they had kept their coffee in stock till the market improved. World prices, farmer prices and consumer prices are correlated with each other. Because stocks appear at different stages in the marketing chain, these prices do not fluctuate proportionally. This is shown in figure 4.1. Mostly these price shock s are taken by exporters’ stocks. As has been mentioned before, exporters often possess more financial resources for storage than local farmers. Also consumer prices fluctuate less than world coffee prices. This is explained by the price setting behaviour of coffee roasters. When world prices go down, consumer prices decrease only fractionally. In case of increasing world prices, consumer prices increase to a larger extent than in case of a price decrease. Besides correlation between prices at different stages of the marketing chain, different types of coffee are also related in pricing. Vogelvang, in his 1992 study, tested some hypotheses concerning the long-run relationships between spot prices of the four main types of coffee. Because coffee types are related to each other, some specific factors concerning the coffee market will be relevant here. These factors are the rate of substitution of coffee types, changes in total world supply or demand, and the existence of an International Coffee Agreement. Besides these specific factors, factors that influence all prices, such as world inflation, interest rates and expectations about economic variables, explain relatedness in prices. Vogelvang computes the following long run equilibrium equations: pcm = 0.91 + pua pom = 11.39 + pua prob = -21.47 + pua where prices are measured in US cents per pound. In these equations cm applies to Colombian Milds, om to Other Milds, rob to Robusta and ua to Unwashed Arabicas (Brazilian). The equations show that prices of Colombian Milds, Other Milds and Robusta are linearly related to price behaviour of Brazilian coffee. In his study, Vogelvang concludes that all the coffee prices move together in the long run. Absolute prices therefore deviate with a certain constant. The equations imply that in the long run Colombian and Other Milds are priced 0.91 cents respectively 11.39 cents per pound higher as Brazilian coffee. The Robusta price of one pound of Robusta is 21.47 cents lower in the long run than the price of Brazilian. Hypotheses concerning a relationship between Robustas and Other Milds are not statistically rejected, but results from this study can not prove a strong relation between low quality coffee like Robusta and high quality coffee like Other Milds. 4.3 Instability in export earnings It has been mentioned previously that the proportion of primary products in total exports of developing countries is high. Prices of primary products fluctuate rather strong. Therefore, these fluctuations may have a large impact on export earnings, imports, investment, employment and government expenditures. Instabilities like these may disrupt the economy of these countries (MacBean & Nguyen, 1987, p.88; Sà ¶dersten, 1980, p.249-255). Price instability and earnings fluctuations are interrelated. Yet, they do not fluctuate proportionally. This depends on the values of the price elasticity of demand, the income elasticity of demand and the price elasticity of supply. The price elasticity of demand measures responsiveness of coffee demand to prices. So, it represents the ratio of percentage change in the  quantity demanded to percentage change in price. Similarly, the ratio of percentage change in the quantity supplied to percentage change in price is called the price elasticity of supply. The income elasticity shows how responsive quantity demanded is to a change in income Suppose price elasticity of demand is (-1). Some coffee farmers decide to increase their production. This implies that world coffee supply increases. In a competitive market, coffee prices will decrease and therefore, demand for coffee will increase. Besides the fact that farmers will receive less payment for each bag of coffee, demand and total quantity exported increases. Therefore, the fall in prices has been exactly offset by higher sales, and the farmers’ income will remain unchanged. This conclusion only applies to the world coffee market in its entirety. The outcome may be all different for individual countries and individual farmers. Mostly one or a few farmers are responsible for an increase in supply. These farmers must be able to produce at low costs, since prices will drop below the initial level. Other coffee farmers may also face a lower price per unit. Therefore some marginal farmers may go out of production, causing prices to return to the long term level. Remaining farmers, who did not change production, have to sell the same output against lower short term prices. Because of this, their total returns will be lower and with the same level of costs, their profits will decrease temporarily. The effects of shifts in supply would be larger if there were economies of scale in coffee production. With economies of scale farmers are stim ulated to increase their production, in attempt to reduce their average costs. So, farmers who increase their production earn higher profits at the expense of farmers with a fixed level of production. However, increases in scale are not possible unlimitedly. Mostly this is restricted by the scarcity of fertile land. Price elasticity of demand In general, price elasticities of demand are low when the product has a low income elasticity, has little or no substitutes and forms a small part of the consumer’s budget. The average price elasticity of demand in industrialised countries with respect to retail prices is, according to estimates by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), about (-0.34). This implies that a 1% price increase (decrease) is accompanied by a decrease (increase) in consumption by 0.34%. Estimates with respect to import prices amount to (-0.2). Other studies have indicated an elasticity of between (-0.2) and (-0.3) in high income countries and of between (-0.4) and (-0.5) in lower income countries (EIU, 1995, p.17). http://www.greenbeanery.ca/bean/documents/scriptie.htm http://www.grin.com/en/e-book/111348/coffee-shop-industry-a-strategic-analysis Competitive Forces that impact competition (Porter Model) 3.1 Competition within the Coffee Shop Industry 20,000 stores with annual revenue of ~ $11 billion Highly concentrated at top and fragmented at bottom – Starbucks ~ 75% of sales Major companies: Starbucks, Caribou Coffee, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Diedrich (Gloria Jean’s), Peet’s Coffee Competitors can also be found in other industries (convenience stores, gas stations, quick service, fast food restaurants, gourmet food shops, donut shops, filter ~ / specialty coffee machines for home use) e.g. Dunkin’ Donuts and McDonalds Competition through special offers (new tastes), outstanding service/ environment (internet, music, comfortable seating areas, short waiting queues), loyalty programs (bonus cards ensuring frequency of visits) and for premium locations (retail centers, university campuses, etc.) Conclusion – Competition within the Coffee Shop Industry Strong competition within the industry for new customers, premium locations, etc. but overall the industry is saturated, settled and stable which allows almost all of the competitors to yield very good margins (40 to 60 percent)[4] 3.2 Substitute Products Competition with other drinks that are not the main focus of by coffee shops: Soda, Juice, Water, Beer, Sports Drinks Competition with other products, people are spending their money on: Ice Cream, Cigarettes, Sweets Consumers have limited discretionary budget to spend on consumer goods, such as cigarettes, beer and also coffee; coffee shops are therefore fighting for a fraction of this budget Conclusion – Substitutes in the Coffee Industry Very b power of substitute products as especially young people might prefer other products, such as beer, cigarettes or soda 3.3 Barriers to Entry Rather low entry barriers: easy to open a single small cafà © Rent a place, remodel, install the equipment, get license as needed[5] However there are high entry barriers for the specialty level or big league/chain players High up-front investment needed to grow significantly (distribution system: shops, equipment, premium locations; marketing: creation of brand awareness & brand recognition, customer retention) Strong brand recognition of major players, especially Starbucks Partnerships with large, international companies also serve as potential entry barrier for new competitors – Starbucks with Pepsi/ Jim Beam/ Dryer’s Grand Ice Cream/ Barnes & Noble or Caribou Coffee with Apple[6] (See Exhibit 2). Economies of scale (purchase advantages; centralized HR and Marketing) realized by big players, especially Starbucks à ¨ cost disadvantage for new entrants Conclusion – Barriers to Entry in the Coffee Industry Small barriers to entry for small regional chains / cafà ©s, but their expansion is relatively slow due to the increasing speed of the expansion of the major players High barriers to entry into the industry for big players due to high industry concentration on top, huge brand recognition of major brands and high up-front investments are needed 3.4 Power of Suppliers Volatile Raw Material Costs[7]: Particular dependence on supply of higher-priced Arabic beans (premium coffee) – as imported mostly from developing countries, price varies along with the economical and political situation of the export country Dairy products, whose retail prices vary a lot, used for specialty drinks Coffee Shop Chains have contracts securing price stability For most coffee-exporting countries (over 60 ) that is their only â€Å"source of cash†[8] Higher world market demand and higher prices for differentiated (Gourmet and specialty coffees) and sustainable coffee (organic, fair trade, eco-friendly or shade grown) than for coffee commodity: Farmers not agile enough or don’t have the means to switch production Companies are helping  communities to make the change (train them, purchase at fair trade prices[9] and provide technical assistance)[10] Conclusion – Power of Suppliers in the Coffee Industry Very limited power of suppliers as they depend on producer’s help and sell a commodity. 3.5 Power of Customers High dependency of coffee shop chains on frequency of customer purchases Most customers appreciate the nice atmosphere in the coffee shops Preferences of customers are very likely to switch as they might get bored with / tired of the same flavor (relatively low brand loyalty) Shopping behavior is very likely to be influenced by budget constraints, weather conditions or health concerns in the general public Interested in continuous product innovation or seasonal specialties Essential for success – word of mouth and frequency of purchases[11] Conclusion – Power of Customers in the Coffee Industry Very b power of customers as coffee shops depend on word of mouth and customer retention Furthermore a customer’s opinion, preferences and shopping habits can be influenced easily which creates a big threat for the companies. http://www.grin.com/en/e-book/111348/coffee-shop-industry-a-strategic-analysis Market Structure 2.1 Introduction Markets are characterised by the interaction of buyers and sellers. Generally, economic literature distinguishes two ways of interpreting the ‘market’ concept. These interpretations concern the concrete and abstract concept of markets. The first deals with tangible markets. The latter concerns interaction of supply and demand, without the need of immediately supplying the products or having them in the market place. Section two of this chapter presents four main types of market structures. The type of market structure largely determines the relationship between buyers and sellers. Therefore, it also influences pricing of the product and the  distribution of income between economic agents throughout the production and marketing chain. Section three deals with the reasons why markets might diverge from a situation of perfect competition. This situation of imperfect competition is caused by the presence of barriers to entry. This section presents six sources causing these barriers as mentioned by Michael Porter (1980). Finally, section four draws some conclusions. 2.2 Types of market structure In the introduction of this chapter it was mentioned that the ‘market’ concept has two different interpretations. Next, this study operates the abstract concept of markets, when dealing with market structures. Economic literature distinguishes four main types of markets. These markets are divided into perfectly competitive markets, monopoly markets, oligopolistic markets and markets with monopolistic competition. Each stage in the production and marketing chain considered in next chapters, may be characterised by a different type of market. Before examining the coffee market, this section will deal briefly with each type of market. Perfect competition When economists talk about a competitive market, they mean a market with the following four characteristics: First, the market consists of many small buyers and sellers, where no individual buyer or seller is large enough to influence the market price of their product. Second, the product is standardised, which implies that it is a homogeneous product. Third, there are no entry and exit barriers. Fourth, there is complete and perfect knowledge about technology and market prices (Martin, 1993, p.15). In competitive markets suppliers can sell their products only with short term economic profits. In the long run this situation cannot persist. When suppliers earn profits, i.e. their price exceeds their average costs, new suppliers enter the business and established suppliers increase their output in the long run. Monopoly On the other hand there are markets which are dominated by one supplier. This market structure is called a monopoly. Two things distinguish a monopoly  from a competitive market. First, there is only one single supplier that supplies the market. Secondly, entry by other potential suppliers is blockaded. The first characteristic ensures that the monopolist faces no actual competition. Because of this, the monopolist may choose to supply at any point on the market demand curve. To earn the largest possible profit, the monopolist will choose the output that makes his marginal costs equal to his marginal revenue. His output decision will determine the price of the product, which makes him a price setter. The second characteristic implies that the monopolist faces no potential competition. To restrict other suppliers from entering the market there have to be some barriers to entry (Martin, 1993, p.23-24). These barriers are discussed in more detail in the next section. Oligopoly In a competitive market, each supplier is so small that it cannot affect the price. When the supplier raises its price above equilibrium price, he will loose his sales to other suppliers or new entry is provoked. At the other extreme, the monopolist has no rivals to worry about. The monopolist can raise his price without provoking new entry. Between these two extreme cases there is another type of market. Martin (1993, p.110) characterises this type of market by the presence of a few large suppliers which dominate the industry. These suppliers recognise their mutual interdependence and therefore cannot act as a monopolist. This third type of market is called an oligopolistic market. So, under oligopoly there is intense rivalry. Yet, barriers to entry are present which allow for long term profit (Maddala & Miller, 1989, p.375). Monopolistic competition An essential characteristic of this fourth type of market is product differentiation. Maddala & Miller characterise this market â€Å"by a large number of suppliers, each of which has a little market power because it offers a differentiated product. Yet all the suppliers are in competition because their products are close substitutes.† So, â€Å"there are no barriers to entry under monopolistic competition and, hence, there are no economic profits in the long run† (Maddala & Miller, 1989, p.375). Differences in market structure lead to differences in marketpower. Therefore, within the framework of this study, it is important to picture these differences in market structure among subsequent stages. In chapter five it is shown that these differences can be very large for some of the stages in the production and marketing chain of coffee. http://www.greenbeanery.ca/bean/documents/scriptie.htm