The Theme of the Epic Poem, Beowulf Essay - 979 Words

The Theme of Beowulf Interpretations of Beowulf vary. In this essay I hope to state clearly some of the popularly mentioned themes running through the poem. â€Å"Many critics feel that the speech of Hrothgar between lines 1700 and 1784 encapsulates the moral of the poem†¦.’He does not know the worse – till inside him great arrogance grows and spreads’† (Shippey 38). Hrothgar’s ominous words do come back to haunt the hero more than once. Beowulf is a braggart; he is proud, and nothing seems able to change his basic proud outlook derived from his all-powerful physical strength. Even shortly before his own defeat against the fire-dragon, our hero is recalling his killing of the great hero of the Hugas with his bare†¦show more content†¦Beowulf escaped by his own strength, did hard sea-duty; he held in his arms the battle-outfits of thirty [warriors] when he turned to the sea: No need to boast about that foot-fight among the Hetware who bore shields against him; few returned to see their homes after facing the brave, the daring man. Across the seas Ecgtheow’s son, alone and lonely, swam to his homeland. Beowulf seems to display absolute confidence in his own strength. So indeed, Shippey may be correct in asserting that Hrothgar’s advice that pride as the downfall of great people especially, is the theme of the poem. But in â€Å"Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics† Tolkien states another view on the theme: Let us suppose that our poet had chosen a theme more consonant with â€Å"our modern judgment†: the life and death of St. Oswald†¦. It is just because the main foes in Beowulf are inhuman that the story is larger and more significant thanShow MoreRelatedTheme Of Good And Evil In Beowulf882 Words   |  4 PagesIn the epic poem, Beowulf, perhaps the most important theme seen throughout is the portrayal of good and evil, and how this portrayal impacts the story. The epic poem is about an epic hero, Beowulf, who is completely thought of as a good character and a strong warrior. The unknown author of this poem makes Beowulf out to be, ultimately, a glorified killer of the perceived monsters. However, the poem in and of itself is an opinionated story which gives the bare amount of opposition to show that perhapsRead MoreBeowulf as Epic823 Words   |  4 PagesWhat makes an epic? Is Beowulf an epic? ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · What is an epic poem, and how does it differ from other kinds of poetry or storytelling? How have epic poems traditionally been transmitted from generation to generation? How do tellers remember these long and complicated stories? According to Robert Harris’s Glossary of Literary Terms, he defines an epic as the following: Epic. An extended narrative poem recounting actions, travels, adventures, and heroic episodes and written in a high style (withRead MoreEssay about Pagan Aspects in Beowulf1573 Words   |  7 PagesScholars have argued about the religious stance of the epic poem Beowulf for centuries. Although the man who put the poem down on paper, known as the Beowulf poet, was a devout Christian, the actual poem itself is pagan. There are many clues in the epic that lead us to this conclusion such as the numerous references to pagan symbols, namely the symbol of fate. Also, the central idea of revenge in the poem opposes the ideas of Christianity. The poem also contains many breaches of the Ten CommandmentsRead MoreThe Adaptation Of The Epic Of Beowulf1657 Words   |  7 Pages The epic poem Beowulf is one of the oldest surviving literary pieces and therefore one of the most important works of Old English literature. John Gardner, in the form of the novel Grendel, created an adaptation based on one of the most well known epic poems. The adaptation is a successful one due to the fact that Gardner maintains the pivotal events from the plot that are present in the original Beowulf. The adaptation reincarnates the original through its use of the same characters present inRead MoreEssay on Good vs Evil in Beowulf1568 Words   |  7 PagesIn Beowulf, the clash between good and evil is the poems main and most significant focal point. Although the epic poem Beowulf utilizes many characteristics of Christian themes, the violence in the poem relates to paganism. By exploring the characteristics of â€Å"good vs. evil† such as Cain, Grendel and Beowulf, this paper will explore the elements of Beowulf in such a light. The Anglo-Saxon poem, Beowulf, was originally told orally then later was written down anonymously in the Old English languageRead MoreEssay Beowulf: Epic or Elegy?763 Words   |  4 PagesWriting Lab III Beowulf: Epic or Elegy? Beowulf is a poem written in manuscript form created in England sometime between the years 700 and 1000AD. The author is unknown to this day. Is Beowulf an epic poem or an elegy? An epic is â€Å"a long narrative poem in elevated style presenting characters of high position in adventures forming an organic whole through their relation to a central heroic figure and through their development of episodes important to the history of a nation or race† (HarmonRead MoreThe Similarities Of An Epic Hero In Beowulf And Iron Man1183 Words   |  5 Pagesis not always true. In Beowulf and Iron Man, the use of theme and qualities of an epic hero are used to portray that they are similar and different. Three qualities that an epic hero must have are to be courageous, to have superhuman strength, and to be selfless. The theme in Beowulf and Iron Man is triumph because they both overcome challenging obstacles. The theme helps the reader in real life because that person will have to overcome tough challenges to persevere. The theme helps structure how theRead MoreFree Will And Religion : An Epic Hero1478 Words   |  6 Pagescase in the epic poem, Beowulf. The story ’s protagonist must endure many trials throughout his journey as an epic hero, defeating his opponent each time. However, Beowulf believes it is not his own strength, but the will of God that he is able to become victorious. As his journey through life continues, from warrior to king, fatalism is present time and time again in all his actions. In Seamus Heaney’s translation of Beowulf, the theme of fate dictates the outcome of each battle Beowulf must overcomeRead MoreEssay on Beowulf study guide1576 Words   |  7 Pages1) Describe how we find King Hrothgar and his response to learning that Beowulf has come to his kingdom. A. The king is sad and depressed that his kingdom has fallen into such a state of disrepair. He is overjoyed to learn that Beowulf, whom he knows from stories and his father, Ecgtheow, has come to fight Grendel. Hrothgar promises Beowulf treasure if he can defeat the monster. 2) In the beginning of â€Å"Beowulf,† King Hrothgar’s hall has been deserted for twelve years. In a short essay, tell whyRead MoreFate in Beowulf1506 Words   |  7 Pagesof Faith in Beowulf A Twist of Fate for the Great Hero Beowulf Fate seems to be an ongoing theme in the works of Boethius and Beowulf. Whether it is a belief of Christian providence or pagan fatalism, the writers of these works are strongly moved by the concept of fate and how it affects the twists and turns of a persons life. Fate is most often seen as the course of events in a persons life that leads them to inevitable death at some time or another. Throughout the poem Beowulf, the characters

The Debate on Abortion Laws in the United States - 1256 Words

There are always a number of heated debates within the United States. These debates area always a hot topic and very controversial issues. Due to how controversial they are is why they become such largely debated topics with many people having very different views on the specific topic. For example there is a Democratic and Republican party in the United States people either stick with one side or the other due to their beliefs and sometimes can be neutral or on the other party’s side for certain topics. Abortion is a very controversial topic as it always has been all around the country but more specifically in the United States. There are two sides to the debate those who believe abortion should be legal and their organization is known as prochoice. On the other side there are the group of people who believe that abortion should not be legal and reverse the laws from what they are today this organization is known as prolife. It seems as though both of the organizations are v ery extreme while there can be some people who a neutral and believe in some ideas from the prochoice yet they also agree with some of the ideas from prolife. The two sides to the debate on abortion are known as pro-choice and pro-life although this topic is very controversial, today there is also a history of abortion laws and a very important case known as Roe vs. Wade which played a huge role in determining what laws on abortion are in the present. Additionally, the case of Roe vs. Wade was aShow MoreRelatedThe Gardens Of Democracy By Eric Liu And Nick Hanauer1443 Words   |  6 Pageswith the government or politics. This includes issues related to party politics, political system, or social, environmental or other issues as determined by the voting public. In Eric Liu and Nick Hanauer’s book The Gardens of Democracy (2011), it states that â€Å"the failure of American politics to address and solve the great challenges of our time such as climate change and shriveling of the middle class is not just a failure of will or nerve, but it is equally a failure of ideas and understanding†Read MoreAbortion: A Heated Debate and Hot Topic in the United States Essay1256 Words   |  6 Pagesheated debates within the United States. These debates are always a hot topic and very controversial issues. Due to how controversial they are, is why they become such largely debated topics with many people having very different views on the specific topic. For example, there is a Democratic and Republican party in the United States; people either stick with one side or the other due to their beliefs and sometimes can be neutral or on the other party’s side for certain topics. Abortion is a veryRead MoreA Comprehensive Review Of The Civil Liberty Debate On Abortion.1500 Words   |  6 PagesA Comprehensive Review of the Civil Liberty Debate on Abortion Of all the issues plaguing the United States, currently and in the past, abortion rights have been one of the most passionately debated civil liberty issues. Edward Sidlow and Beth Henschen define civil liberties as â€Å"Individual rights protected by the Constitution against the powers of the government†(72). Some argue that women should be protected from the powers of government in terms of reproductive rights while others argue thatRead MoreWomen s Issue Paper : Abortion1285 Words   |  6 PagesWoman’s Issue Paper: Abortion Abortion: a ·bor ·tion/əˈbà ´rSH(É™)n/noun 1. the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy, most often performed during the first 28 weeks of pregnancy (Abortion-Dictionary.com ). One in every three women have an abortion by the age of 45 (Operation Rescue Inc). Though the act of abortion is common it has been an emotionally draining debate since the mid 1970’s, but has always been a hot topic since the 1800’s. There are two sides to this debate. One side is pro-lifeRead MoreThe Gardens Of Democracy By Eric Liu And Nick Hanauer1446 Words   |  6 Pageswith the government or politics. This includes issues related to party politics, political system, or social, environmental or other issues as determined by the voting public. In Eric Liu and Nick Hanauer’s book The Gardens of Democracy (2011), it states that â€Å"the failure of American politics to address and solve the great challenges of our time such as climate change and shriveling of the middle class is not just a failure of will or nerve, but it is equally a failure of ideas and understanding†Read MoreAbortion, Gun Control / Safety, And Marriage Equality1370 Words   |  6 PagesPeople debate deeply on topics such as abortion, gun control/safety, and marriage equality. It is not possible to make all people agree on topics such as those. There are many religions and cultures that people come from; everyone values their own beliefs. The conflict between two sides of abortion has occurred ever since 1960s and early 1970s due to Roe v. Wade case. â€Å"In Roe v. Wade (1973), the U.S. Supreme Court stated that abortion bans were unconstitutional in every state, legalizing abortion throughoutRead MoreThe Controversial Issue Of Abortion1555 Words   |  7 Pagestopic of abortion in the United States has been and remains one of the most controversial issues in western culture and politics. An abortion can be defined as the expulsion of a fetus from the uterus before it can survive on its own. This comprises two major forms of abortion: spontaneous, which is often referred to as a miscarriage or induced abortion, which is the deliberate termination of a pregn ancy. The term is commonly used to refer to the induced abortion, and this is the abortion, which hasRead MoreThe Debate On Abortion And Gun Control1604 Words   |  7 Pageswith the governance of a country or other area. This especially applies to the debate or conflict among individuals or parties in hope of achieving power. Dealing with politics there is always a side that agrees and disagrees, thus developing the debate. Two of the most domestic controversial political topics are abortion and gun control. As for international there is terrorism. These three topics have been ongoing debates for some time. Everyone’s opinion on political controversies can be based onRead MoreThe Gardens Of Democracy By Eric Liu And Nick Hanauer1571 Words   |  7 Pageswith the government or politics. This includes issues related to party politics, political system, or social, environmental or other issues as determined by the voting public. 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The Fashion of Warriors Free Essays

Memoirs off Secret Empire . Samurai I PBS Search Support for PBS. Org provided by: What’s this? Sam aura warriors me urged as an elite force in Japan’s prop inches during the early 1 20th century . We will write a custom essay sample on The Fashion of Warriors or any similar topic only for you Order Now Recruited by local chieftains, these fighting forces were m maintained long enough to wage a specific war, after which the soldiers would return to their lands to till the soil. With Japan’s me proper live ins in the ancient capital of Ky tot and unable to m maintain control of the prop inches, the Sam aura clans established them sell sees as v table political entities. By the late 1 2 the century , Sam aura lords ruled both the prop inches and central Japan. They m maintained their influence until the m id-1 87 g’s when the Sam aura class was outlawed and their privy ledge status was dissolve deed. Samurai warriors were at the top of the social order CASTE POSITION The Sam aura class, â€Å"shim in,† form deed Japan’s top elite, and were the only caste granted the privy liege of wearing two swords and have ins two name sees?a fame ill and a first name e. The shoguns and Adam y o lords were m me beers of the shim in caste. THEN NOW Modern Japan still m maintains a culture based on the incepts of 1/3 The rigorous training of a Sam aura warrior began in childhood. Sam aura school was a unique com abomination of pay sisal training, Chinese studies, poetry and spiritual discipline. The y nouns warriors studied Keno (â€Å"the Way of the Sword†), the m oral code of the Sam aura, and Zen www. PBS. Org/empires/Japan/entered_8. HTML Buddhism . Sam aura were expected to live e according to Bushier (â€Å"The Way of the Warrior†), a strict ethical code influenced by Confucianism that stressed LOL alt to one’s m aster, respect for one’s superior, ethical behave ROR in all aspects of life and mom plate self-discipline. Girls also receive deed m arterial arts training. Although m cost Sam aura whom en did not fight on the battlefield, they were prepared to defend their homo sees against NV adders. The Sam aura attached great IM portable to the circus stances of their own death. If a Sam aura died of his own accord, it was considered a v Lillian end. Rather than suffer defeat or hum location at the hands of an enema y , Sam aura warriors often chose ritual suicide (speedup). After Outgas lye ass united Japan, Sam aura m litany serve ices were rarely needed. Though they continued to train daily , Sam aura gradually transform deed from warriors to bureaucrats. As townspeople acquired new wealth, the Sam aura, barred from engaging in com m race, found them sell sees in dire circus stances. For m any Sam aura, peace led to despair. Nor and sham e, funded mental to the Sam aura code. Sam aura warriors took great care sty ling their hair, which they pulled back into a topknot called a â€Å"chomp age. † For battle, Sam aura warriors shave deed the tops of their heads, which reduced the heat under their heave y helm test, and ore their hair straight on the sides. When not wearing helm test, they pulled the side and back hair into a topknot. A Sam Uri’ s clothing sty el was v ere IM portent and indicative e of status. Outlandish, colorful patterns were considered IM m oddest and conceited. Though Sam aura children dressed flam boy antsy , they became e m ore subdued in appearance after their com ins-of-age Ceres non . The Sam Uri’s eve ere day wear was a Kim non, usually consisting of an outer and inner lay ere. Norm ally m add of silk, the quality of the Kim non depended on the Sam Uri’s income e and status. Beneath the Kim non, the warrior wore a loincloth. The Sam Uri’s swords were norm ally thrust through an â€Å"Obi,† a belt wrapped around the waist, and were always s worn on the left side. How to cite The Fashion of Warriors, Essays

Global Wine War free essay sample

Human beings have been dealing with wine for thousands of years, from the Mesopotamians to the ancient Egyptians, from the Greeks to the ancient Romans, the latter which under their vast empire spread viticulture through the Mediterranean region. Through centuries countries, such as France and Italy, obtained a consolidated position in the wine industry, both in demand and production. In the last part of the 20th century newcomers (Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Argentina, Chile, USA, etc. have successfully challenged the leadership of the so-called Old World that represented the majority of global market share. Wine Industry Analysis using the Porter’s Five forces Model A brief Porter’s five forces analysis can help understand how the evolving of competitive environment is actually composed and why this market shake occurred. Figure 1. 1: Porter’s Five Forces Model For what concerns the threat of new entrants; the Old World companies completely underestim ated this threat. When the newcomers entered the market they could bargain market share of the pre-existing ones without facing real opposition, exploiting better marketing strategies and more efficient organizational approaches. Regarding to the threat of substitute products; this seems to be a challenge for the future, with the introduction of branding as a marketing approach; the threats from the beer industry and â€Å"soft drinks† producers must be taken into account. Referring to the bargaining power of buyers and suppliers, the entrants are in a much better position because of bigger production plants which allow them to gain a stronger contractual power towards distributors; moreover their value chains are more concentrated removing the troubles of the too much fragmentation and variety of actors between the producer and the consumer, which on the contrary, Old World’s competitors are facing. Furthermore analyzing the rivalry among existing competitors it is possible to understand that the traditional producers are facing much more difficulties, because they cannot exploit advantages the newcomers have, such as professional management, large marketing investments and economies of scale and scope. Unfortunately, these are not the only intricacies they are bearing with; the pre-existing producers have always been in competition one against the other, making it more difficult to achieve competitive advantages through cooperation. Eventually the newcomers are concentrating their action in the new growing markets while the old ones are still mainly struggling in the Old World declining markets. Network value analysis It is also of a relevant importance introducing the Chain Value Model that was at first presented by Porter in â€Å"Competitive Advantage. Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance†. This model was introduces in order to better understand the activities through which a firm, in particular a wine firm, develops a competitive advantage and creates shareholder value (fig. 1. 2). Concerning the primary activities we can see that in both the inbound and the outbound network logistics, the NW producers managed to reduce costs of transport and warehousing, exploiting new technologies of packaging (an example is the Australian â€Å"wine-in-a-box† instead of the classic glass bottle. ) Analyzing the outbound logistics, it is possible to explore the fact that as consequence of being big multinationals the newcomers can bargain power of the distributors, carving out margins which the European competitors are not able to gain due to the excess of fragmentation which reduce contractual power towards the distributors. With reference to the inbound logistic a major role in reducing costs per unit is played by mechanization and scale economies, which are widely exploited by the NW producers. The same advantages are reflected on the operations where mechanization of harvesting and scale are making the incumbents competitors more profitable, moreover they are also exploiting scope economies, while in the Old World, the fragmentation and the wide specialization, which were the strength of the systems now are showing themselves as weaknesses. Figure 1. 2: Chain Value Model† by Michael Porter The use of new technologies and new organizational approaches are also incident on the quality of the final product, which is granted by the integration of the processes and an efficient network strategy by the newcomers, while in the OW these challenges have not been answered yet. One of the largest disadvantages the mature competitors are facing concern the activity of marketing and sales, where due to the newcomers approach they are loosing the market confront. The Old World is exploiting factors largely underemployed by the Europeans, the use of professional marketing, market researches try to understand and forecast the market in order to be more responsive to the real needs of the demand. The correct use of branding from part of the NW producers is resulting as one of the strongest competition advantage towards the OW ones. Concerning the support activities the situation does not vary, the new-comers have advantages in the firm infrastructures mainly because of a more efficient organization of the all networks and because of a better organization and integration of the production chain. As regards to the Human Resources Management the differences are mainly a consequence of the different organization types of the actors of the market; in the New World the companies are organized as multinationals with professional managers and marketers, in the Old World the firms are often too small, fragmented and in competition among them to have access to such resources. On the side of technology development the newcomers are exploiting the new technologies in order to gain efficiency and quality, developing new mechanical tools and new approaches mainly regarding harvesting. Completely different is the approach of the New World competitors, strongly opposing the use of new technologies providing quality with a traditionalist method, an unfortunate approach for gaining market share. In terms of procurement it is unclear if there are advantages of one system towards the other. The outcome of the analysis shows how the New World could gain market share against the Old World, challenging a domination that lasted for centuries. 1. How did the French became the dominant competitors in the increasingly global wine industry for centuries? What sources of competitive advantage were they able to develop in order to support their exports? Where were they vulnerable? * Competitive advantage sources: history and traditions; know-how; experience; strong internal demand; world wide quality recognition; leader in wine sector for centuries. * Weak areas: fragmented chain of production; too strict regulation and classification; scarce innovations; no differentiation of the product; poor marketing; no branding bargaining power. As wine production grow up in the Mediterranean area, this alcoholic beverage became more and more blended with cultures, religious traditions and everyday life in the area that now is called the â€Å"Old World†. Wine first uses and its complex production made it not accessible for all, actually it was considered a luxury good. But centuries of development in the production process, like vineyard horses or row plantations, innovations in the distribution and preservation of the wine, like cork stopper or mass roduction of glass bottles, made it affordable for everyone generating a strong internal demand in countries such us French, Italy, Germany and so on. Specifically, regarding France, in 1966 the domestic demand accounted for 120 liters per capita and it became the country with the higher consumption of wine, followed by Italy with 110 liters. In order to better understand the dimension of the market, in the same year in Australia, USA and UK the annual per capita consump tion was far less than 10 liters. In France, wine was not only highly consumed in every house, but it became one of the business strengths of the country. Actually it was the second largest French export, because History and tradition made the French wine synonymous of quality in the whole world. Moreover, since there were hundreds of different types wine, French government codified a hierarchical classification (Appellation dOrigin Controllee AOC, Vins Delimites de Qualite Superieure VDQS, Vins de Pays) and nurtured the concept of terroir to help consumers recognize their finest wines in a highly fragmented market. This significantly strict regulation was an important innovation that made the difference among the main competitors, such as Italy or Spain. French source of competitive advantage was not only the century know-how that permitted to have a high quality wine and the strong internal demand, but also the demand coming from the neighboring countries without a highly developed wine industry. Wine producers, in many countries of Europe, were isolated from each others, and most of the world’s wine drinkers consumed either local wines or imported from close winemakers. This tradition made the fortune of France, since the climate and the soil in the United Kingdom didn’t allow grape growing enough to satisfy the huge internal demand, British were forced to import from the closest producer. The century tradition was an advantage for the French wine because it was a symbol of quality, but it was also a drawback, because it fiercely limited the flow of innovation and development concerning the production, distribution and branding of wine. Moreover, since the whole production chain was fragmented in many segments, there was a lack of economies of scale and integration that had terrible results in market power of the French producers. Actually branding was poor or even not existing and a number of small producers with very small bargaining power were incapable to deal with retailers as supermarkets loosing market visibility and the connection with the whole segment of customers. The direct competitors, the Old World producers, were all in the same situation: fixed to the traditions and unable to satisfy the increasing fast-changing consumer tastes and preferences. The fact that they had been the market leaders for centuries made them unconscious about the possibility of new hardened competitors growing in the New World. 2 What changes in the global industry structure and competitive dynamics led France and other traditional producers lose their market share to challengers firm Australia, US, and other New World countries in the late 20th century? In the last twenty years, the worldwide wine industry has become increasingly internationalized and sophisticated, though over the years, the market has become fragmented, international, multi-lingual, operating in many currencies, and information-intensive. The wine industry globally faces continued shake-up and consolidation and the generation of mega wine companies has become inevitable as no one wine company listed or private currently has more than one percent of the world wine market, in stark contrast to other beverages. Global wine showed solid growth in volume terms in recent years, up nearly two percent to 25,066 million liters. Still red wine provided much of the impetus for volume growth in the world wine market over survey period, with sales rising nearly 12% between 1998 and 2003. However, volume growth of global wine was dampened by changing patterns of consumption in important Western European markets, like Italy, France, Portugal and Spain, as younger consumers moved away from traditional everyday wine drinking to more occasional consumption. Globally, the two countries that are leading the wine production and consumption businesses are France and Italy. However, the irony is that these two countries are also witnessing a steady erosion of their global market share. In our opinion there are five key success factors that we have identified that are extremely relevant to compete favorably in the global wine industry: * a strong existing domestic market * domestic market growth potential * economies of scale advantage * industry adaptability to change and * potential to attract foreign investment. First, a strong domestic market is one where a large volume of wine is purchased and where consumers readily select domestic wines. Second, even more important is the potential for growth in a producer’s domestic market, as this shows if opportunities for additional sales exist where producers may have local knowledge and other native advantages such as local distribution. Third, countries where production is dominated by larger firms have the advantages of scale and scope as well as improved power in promoting and pushing their wines to consumers and retailers. Fourth, industry adaptability to change summarizes the willingness of producers to experiment with cost saving production methods or to pioneer new marketing techniques. It also indicates if producers are free from excessive regulations or blind adherence to long standing traditions. Finally, countries that have business-friendly climates, favorable costs or other natural comparative advantages will attract foreign investment in wine production, which makes these countries stronger global competitors. Old World producers were the first to define tastes and quality standards and they have traditionally been supported by a strong local consumer base. The New World has had to work hard to build their wine industry, both in infrastructure and reputation. Large scale wine production is relatively recent, and many of the New World producers faced difficulties such as currency collapse, prohibition and international sanctions. Per-capita consumption also lags that of the Old World countries. Yet New World producers have recently been successful in producing consistent quality wine and in capturing global market share. .The group with the strongest competitive position includes Australia, Chile and the United States. Australia and Chile both have small populations that provide for a tiny domestic market with little potential for growth. However they are very well positioned to produce and export wine with their adaptive, large-scale producers and their great lure for foreign investments, providing them with a position of a strong competitive advantage. The US is a populous, affluent nation, and while the US wine market is already large, it has even more potential to expand. With all other key success factors strongly favorable, the US also possesses significant competitive advantages. The countries with the weakest competitive advantages in the global wine industry are two traditional strongholds of wine production in the Old World: France and Germany. While they have large domestic markets, there is little opportunity for further growth. There are many causes of the decline of France, and the Old World in general, in the market share of this sector; these concerns globalization, changes in the demand, more responsive strategies of the rivals and also the lack of market research and marketing investments by the French firms and totally ineffective technology and innovation policy. Moreover, the concentration of production into small wineries, complex labeling practices and inability to leverage new production and marketing techniques does also not bode well for effective competition in a global market place. Nor does either country hold much potential for attracting foreign investment, save for some traditionally undervalued areas of France, like Languedoc. In response to the shrinking costs of transport, globalization allowed companies situated in different areas of the globe competing in the same final market, an example is the UK one, where in the past the demand was completely satisfied by French, Italian and German wines. Although consumption per person has decreased in traditional consuming and producing countries (Italy, Spain, France), the consumption and production of wine is increasing in new countries in northern Europe, Americas and Asia. Countries like South Africa, Australia, Chile and Argentina are radically modifying the industrys competitive environment. With the globalization of the wine market, the environment is becoming more competitive and producers are implementing new strategies. We can observe two very different production and marketing models. * The traditional French model, based on the certificate of guaranteed origin (AOC), whose objective is to turn out a high added value typical product in limited quantities through the combination of a demarcated territory called terroir and enforcement of constraining specifications and regulations. The second, is being implemented by producers in the so called New World (the United States/California, Australia, South Africa, Chile, Argentina). It is based on â€Å"industrialized† mass production and intense marketing of relatively standardized products which are easily identifiable through private brands. There are different observable relationships between the players and the production sites in the industry. In this context, the French wine industry appears to be in an insid ious or even open crisis. In most producing regions, a major symptom is the decrease in domestic sales in a context of market shrink. In addition, there is a loss of export market shares which is estimated at ten points in several countries that have traditionally been markets for French such as Great-Britain, Germany and Canada. In these cases, these losses are not due to an overall market decline, which is actually on the rise, but rather to the increase in competition by producers who are mostly from the southern hemisphere (Argentina, Chile, Australia, South Africa) and California. The real alleged weaknesses of the French wine industry have been the subject f numerous analysis and reinforcement proposals: regulations which are too strict and consequently slow down innovation, a complex and hard to understand product supply, minimal or even no effort made concerning promotion and marketing. Furthermore, we believe that the main mistake lies in the structural organization of the wine industry in France. Hence, we would like to not concentrate on the wine product and its specific qualities but will try to compare the way the industries’ players are organized, in order to analyze where the French industry is not adequate to modern challenges. The terroir/AOC model has been a reference for worldwide wine production until the 1980s but it is no longer the case in the early 2000s. Why is Frances position on the international wine markets degrading while New World wines experienced spectacular improvements and now aim at catching up with traditional Old World products? From an organizational point of view the terroir/AOC model seems to have a certain number of cumulative weak points in comparison to the new worlds model (identifiable with Porter-like clusters. In terms of the supply structures, the French established supply model and infrastructure are characterized by fragmentation and a high number of small winemakers that have a negative effect on investment capacities (material or immaterial) in the industry as a whole. This fragmentation has certainly a negative effect on the ability to innovate in terms of products, processes and even marketing and selling. The small scale of businesses and lack of tradition as regards pooling resources do not allow producers to find the financial means necessary for heavy investments. This weakness tends to neutralize the local industry’s reaction capability when it faces the new environment pressures. The fragmented supply chain is, indeed, both the cause and the consequence of a â€Å"non-competitive/non-co-operative† tradition among producers; individual strategies of traditional producers aim to avoid all forms of comparison with neighbours and potential competitors. This lack of cooperation is, in Porters perspective, one of the major weak points. On one side, for New World producers, wine-making is an economic activity and is taken on as such: producers define output, profit and market share growth objectives and give themselves the means to reach them. On the other, for traditional terroir producers, wine production, though highly lucrative, is not taken on in its economic dimension but rather centered round the â€Å"cultural† nature of the product. The New World producers are turned towards innovation, the terroir is founded on immutability of tradition; it is consequently strongly resistant to change. Terroirs’ organization model is traditionally supply driven in a context of scarcity. This avoids producers to think about productive environment and production method change. Consequently, traditional producers have had trouble in considering both the qualitative and quantitative evolution of demand and its consequences on supply, where â€Å"New World† producers are used to have a proactive behavior and, therefore, anticipating and stimulating it. And even when the need to change is implemented, the existence of tight regulation within a specific AOC can make a substantial product modification or production method more difficult to happen. A further set of identifiable weak points is linked to the nature of the top-down complementary relationships between grape growers and wine traders and to the transaction costs that result. The terroir/AOC† model of organization tends to generate opportunistic behaviour that can call into question its very survival, specifically in a very competitive context. In fact, while the perspective of getting an AOC label encourages players to enhance production quality, it may lead to let up on efforts made to maintain product quality once the label has been obtained, interfering with the overall image of the terroir and raising suspicion as regards product quality. To particularly highlight is the existence of incomplete contracts between grape growers and winemakers/wine merchants, the latter being responsible for the marketing of the product. This â€Å"generates considerable price variations and makes it impossible to set up contracts that guarantee traders constant and adequate wine supplies in terms of quantity and quality. The problem can spread to wines beyond generic wines and condemns, in advance, all ambitious and viable marketing strategies from the traders. † The presence of extremely heterogeneous quality levels within the same appellation can thus call into question the appellation itself and therefore the whole of the â€Å"terroir/AOC† organization and strategy. To avoid such opportunistic behaviours, autonomous certification bodies should be entitled to reconsider such certification on a regular basis and ban weak products/producers. The industry’s players themselves or a third party must assume responsibility for product quality guarantee. A major terroir organization characteristic is fragmentation and corporatism. Consequently, taking responsibility for such guarantee scheme is extremely difficult owing to incompatible corporatist and general interests. What is more, the existence of non-market regulation mechanisms (based on, for example, family or friendship ties) can in this case be counter-productive. Indeed, players can be tempted not to sanction one of their kin in the name of these relationships and later themselves avoid possible sanctions, whereas the intervention of a third party that is likely to guarantee this quality is difficult to promote with local entities. Under the AOC label, regulation is indeed carried out at local level by local players themselves and therefore known to be rather lax: making it impossible to use the label as a genuine quality guarantee. 3. 1 What advice would you offer today to the French Minister of Agriculture? To the head of the French wine industry association? To the owner of a mid-size, well regarded Bordeaux vineyard producing wines in the premium and super premium categories? French Minister of Agriculture: increase government investments in the wine industry; promote a responsible wine consumption of wine through events marketed at the new generation; create a new clear classification system based on the consumer tastes; promote the creation of big companies and disadvantage the proliferate of little-medium producers; sign contracts with other agriculture ministers of consumers countries in order to favour the French wine. Head of the French wine association: better integrate the network; quickly spread the know-how, techniques and innovations throught the French producers; promote wine events to increase the consumptions; promote the invention of new products made with wine; try to anticipate the next changes in the consumer tastes; advertise and invest more on the type of wine that is preferred by the consumers in that very moment; make advertisement aimed to a responsible and wealthy consumption of wine; try to drive the consumption to the type of wine that is over offered; lobbying the ministry of agriculture in order to have grants and privileges. Owner of the mid-size, well regarded Bordeaux vineyard: found a bigger company with the surrounding producers; invest in innovating the production process in order to increase the quantity and the quality; buy extensive land in the New World and exploit economic scale advantages. 3. 1 Possible advices to the French Minister of Agriculture Since the main objective of France is to take back the market share of the past and maintain the leader position in the wine market, it has to better exploit its competitive advantages and adopt some technical and marketing innovations in order to compete and defeat the new threatening producers. The first functional recommendation for the French Minister of Agriculture is to increment the government investments in the wine industry. The larger flow of money would be used, firstly, to invent or to develop techniques and tools for harvesting or farm vineyards, secondly, to achieve and overtake the distribution and marketing level of the New World producers. All those developments will also increase the production of wine and fulfil a larger portion of the international demand. In the last ten years, the new generation has grown with a high consumption of beer and super-alcoholic cocktails, the French Minister could aim to substitute these beverages with the wine. He might promote a responsible wine consumption through events directed to the new generation. It is important to advertise wine as a drink for all ages instead of a refined beverage just for mature people as this would implement the demand from part of the younger generation. One of the common problems of wine consumers is choosing which kind of wine and which brand purchase at the supermarket. This issue could be solved with a classification of brands and wine names that could be easily understood and memorized by the consumers. Quality can be maintained and highlighted also gathering the large number of different types of wine in few clusters with easy names to remember. This problem is also due to the large number of brands in the market. The majority of potential consumers are confused and at the end they prefer to buy a bottle of beer of a well known brand. Its possible to overcome this situation promoting the creation of big companies and disadvantage the proliferation of little-medium producers. Big companies bring into the market well-known brands, which massively increase producers’ market power. In order to increase the French market power compared with the direct and New World competitors’ ones, the French Minister of Agriculture could sign contracts or agreements with other agriculture ministers of consumers countries in order to favour the French wine. Since, UK, one of the larger consumer countries is next to France, it would be easy to find something to exchange for a commercial agreement. 3. Possible advices to the head of the French wine industry association As the Head of the French wine industry association to manage and represent all the wine producers, its objective is to promote and give advantage to its associates. Furthermore it would be useful to advise him to promote a better integration of the wine production process from the vineyards to the final consumer. This issue could be achieved through a cooperation or collaboration between the wine producers, merchant traders and the retailing sector. A superior control, permitted by this form of collaboration, avoid more handling stages, holding less inventory, capturing the intermediaries mark-up, sharing common objectives and improving the time to market. Moreover, the cooperation can spread the know-how, technique and innovation through all the French associates. It is really important to promote higher investments in RD in order to fill the gap that has occurred between France and the other New Word competitors. New innovations and technologies bring new developments and improvements to overtake and succeed on the marketing and distribution level of the competitors. Concerning the distribution, communities, retailers, and consumers are demanding more sustainable, eco-friendly packaging options, whether for everyday items or higher end purchases like fine wine. For some products, the barrier to conversion has been package performance. Therefore would be important to spread the use of green materials to pack and deliver the products. Since the French has never developed an efficient marketing strategy it has been difficult to align the interests between supply and demand. The French wine association has to try to anticipate the next changes in the consumer tastes, by means of market surveys and data collected through an effective wine industrial analysis. It is also important to drive the offer towards to the type of wine that is preferred by the consumers in that very moment. On contrary it is possible to drive also the demand and not only the supply of wine. Guiding the consumption towards the type of wine that is over offered or over produced it is hoped to avoid sure future losses. Nowadays people are blasted with advertisement that recommends not consuming wine because it is unsafe for the drinkers life. There will be an increment of demand persuading consumers that a little quantity of wine is not dangerous but rather really healthy, in particular the consumption of red wine. As well as the French Minister of Agriculture the Head of the French wine industry Association might promote and arrange wine events to increase the new generation consumption of wine. 3. 3 Possible advices to the owner of a middle size well regarded Bourdeaux vineyard producing wine and premium and superpremium category The main issue for French wine producers in the actual competitive environment, considering how the newcomers are acting and consequently gaining market share, is size. One of the challenges each small producer has to face is a competitive market without boundaries, totally changed from what it was only 10 or even 5 years ago, in which large multinationals are now efficiently operating. There is no univocal solution to this problem, but a few advices could be given to small or mid sized European companies. In order to gain advantage in terms of scale but even scope, the best way is to control the full production chain. From the vineyard to the glass, this can be obtained through either acquisition of neighbour producers, merging with other companies to better integrate or forming and exploiting networks. Each winemaker should analyze the market, an affordable process, and identify its possible cooperation/competition strategies. Maximum control over the value chain can often guarantee that the final product is produced and sold at the companys standards. One of the troubles the incumbents have to face is the inconstant quality often found within the same wine denomination. Bottles often sold at very high prices, due to a very lousy quality denomination system, are ruining the reputation of the other products of the same wine group. This is unacceptable as it ruins the whole regional system, but a solution can be found through the aforementioned network implementation or radical integration. It is often said of French producers that they are myopic as far as seeing new market possibilities and threats. The latter has been extensively discussed before, and it is clear that French firms have shown so far extremely poor market trends forecast abilities. Concerning the former, the most profitable markets nowadays are situated in the New World and UK where the advantage has been bargained by Australians and Americans. Good unexploited opportunities tough must be researched in totally virgin markets such as China, Japan and fast growing Asian nations. If it is possible to carve this markets in a profitable way for European producers then not all hope is lost. The extensive use of technology by the newcomers has permitted them a significant reduction in the cost of wine making, allowing the gain of large margins. On the other hand the incumbents have sedimented on traditionalism and conservatism, which in the past represented the main advantages to compete successfully. Things have changed and now the demand is focalizing on the steady quality that technological productions can supply. Among these new techniques a particular mention must be made to the studies regarding the dependency of the production on uncontrollable season variability, on which Australians are leaders by virtue of mechanization of harvesting, better irrigation and lab studies. Innovation is not vulgarization, on the contrary it is a powerful, a necessary, weapon to win the competition. The right approach to the market must consider the two segments that are clearly coming out as the main targets. On one side there are premium and super premium wines, a fast growing and very profitable segment. In this segment, as it is shown by recent studies in the bellwether market of UK, France is faring very poorly, losing market shares every year especially to Australia and other new producers. This is due to high quality and, of course, a far superior communication and marketing power. A possible answer to this can be the exploitation of the good name of tradition and historical high quality of French wines, in order to give an univocal signal to the consumers: â€Å"French wines are THE wines and every other bottle is just a beverage; when you drink a glass of French wine you dont just drink a glass of wine, but a piece of France†. The other segment, the lower one, is ironically the toughest for Europeans wine makers. New consumers are getting used to the fruity taste of elaborated Australians and American wines. This can be a shock for old producers but actually there is, for example, a strong demand for vanilla-tasted wine. To better face this market sector French producers, as newcomers have been doing successfully for years, should take advantage of branding as a market approach. Mid sized producers shouldnt be afraid to bastardize their sacred product, if they run on two tracks (upper segment and lower segment), at the same time with two perfectly shaped strategies they can capitalize on the good renowned name of old France. Everything which has been written so far about the strategy portfolio of a middle size well regarded Bourdeaux vineyard producing premium and super-premium wine is submitted to a fundamental limitation, a precondition to compete efficiently in this rapidly changing market: size. Size as reduction of costs and increase in efficiency, size as market power, size as control over the value chain, size as potential to expand in different markets, size as capability to attract foreign investments.

Bullfrog Essay Essay Example

Bullfrog Essay Essay Rana Catesbeiana (Bullfrog) Essay I was amazed to find out just how ancient frogs are. For 190 million years, the ancestors of modern frogs have roamed the earth, looking much the same as they do today. This means that at one time when there was a huge dinosaur eating a plant, there could have been some type of frog down by its feet. About 3,800 species of frogs and toads have developed since the dinosaur days. The secret to their success is their amazing adaptability. Frogs have evolved to live in a large variety of climates. They can be found just about anywhere there is fresh water- on all continents except Antarctica. Though they thrive in warm, moist tropical climates, frogs also live in deserts and high on 15,000-foot mountain slopes. They can be so adaptable because they are cold blooded, which means that their body temperature can change along with the temperature around them. When temperatures drop, some frogs dig burrows underground or in the mud at the bottom of ponds. They hibernate in these burrows until spring, perfectly still and scarcely breathing. A frog’s skin also plays a big role in their survival. It is through their skin that they both drink and breathe. Frogs dont swallow water; they get all the moisture they need through their skin, which must stay moist. If it dries out, oxygen cant pass easily through it and the frog can suffocate. Frog skin secretes mucus that helps keep it moist. Even so, their skin tends to dry out easily, which is why they usually stay near bodies of water. About once a week, frogs shed their skin. The process begins with the frog doing a lot of twisting, bending, and stretching to loosen the old skin. We will write a custom essay sample on Bullfrog Essay specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Bullfrog Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Bullfrog Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Then the frog pulls the skin over its head like a sweater and usually eats it. Two other parts of the frog have helped it to survive all these years as well. First, the hind legs of the frog, which enable some frogs to jump twenty times their body length. This would allow them to quickly get away from any predators. A frogs two front legs have four toes each, while the back legs have five toes each. Most aquatic frogs have webbed back feet to help them swim, another way to get away from an enemy. Frogs that live on land tend to have shorter legs for walking and climbing, but are still able to swim in water. The other part of the body that help them survive so long are their big, bulging eyes, as they are able to see in all directions. Frogs large eyes see a wide range of colors and also see well in dim light. This not only increases their chances of surviving a predator, but also decreases the ability of their prey to get away. Since they have such big eyes, they are able to see their own prey and target them for food. It has been found that when a frog sticks out its tongue to catch an insect or other food source, it briefly closes its eyes. The frog must therefore, know exactly where its target is, and aim, before the tongue leaves the mouth. The positioning of the eyes, on top of the head, allows a frog to sit in the water with only its eyes and nose above the surface, so they do not have to leave the water for food. Frogs eat almost any live prey they can find, including insects, snails, spiders, and worms, or small fish. Their tongue is long and sticky and takes less than a second to roll out, stick to prey, and roll back into the frogs mouth. Their mating call is sometimes called an advertisement call. It is made by the male in the water and which helps the females to identify with her species. Each species has a different type of mating call. This is difficult to decipher around a pond of noisy frogs. When they mate, the male frog climbs onto females back, grasping her with his front legs. As the female lays her eggs, usually into water the male release sperm that fertilizes them. There may be anywhere from one to hundreds or thousands of soft, jelly-covered eggs. The eggs hatch within three to twenty five days, and few will survive the difficult trip to adulthood. Among most frogs, a tadpole will hatch and spend the next few years growing into a frog. The changes begin when the hind legs sprout. Soon after, lungs develop and the front legs appear. Meanwhile, the tail gradually shrinks. Just before becoming a frog, the tadpoles gills disappear. The tiny froglet emerges from the water with just a stump of a tail, which soon disappears. The observations that I took did little justice to the complexity of Rana Catesbeiana, the bullfrog. Frogs have been living on this Earth for millions of years and have perfected their lifestyle throughout that time. The amazement of these creatures is that they can survive well in nature, but can also be house pets for children to play with and learn from. There are myths that have surrounded frogs and superstitions that have risen over the years. One that comes to mind is that if you kiss a frog, you will get a wart. Like many superstitions and legends, no one knows for sure where that one came from, but watching these little amphibians, I highly doubt that they could do any harm.

Whats Better for You IB or AP College Expert Guide

What's Better for You IB or AP College Expert Guide SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) programs are both high school programs that offer college-level courses and the opportunity to earn college credit. So what’s the difference between AP and IB? Does one look more impressive than the other? Which will improve your odds of getting into a top school the most? We’ll introduce you to both programs, and explain which one will look more impressive on your college applications. Key Differences Between IB and AP Both the AP and IB programs offer challenging courses to high school students that you can earn college credit while doing. However, their philosophies and goals are quite different. The AP program was developed in the US to help high school students prepare for college by taking advanced courses, with no set program of courses. Students could take just one or even a dozen AP classes, depending on their school, schedule, and goals. // In contrast, IB was developed in Switzerland to be an internationally recognized diploma. To earn the diploma, you have to take a certain amount of courses in a range of subjects. It is possible to just take a few IBs without earning the diploma, but IB was developed to be a set program of courses. #1: AP Is Much More Popular Than IB The IB program is much less common than AP. Over 2 million students took AP exams in 2014, but only about 135,000 took IBs. Furthermore, according to AP, over 30% of US public high students took at least one AP exam. While AP is quite widespread, the IB program is rarer since schools have to be able to offer enough classes for the diploma to host an IB program. Adding IB is often more costly than starting a few AP classes. // #2: IB and AP Have Different Program Goals The programs have different goals, as well. IB has more emphasis on writing and developing critical thinking skills- and not just on the exams themselves. The IB diploma also requires the extended essay, a long, college-style research paper. The IB program also has extracurricular requirements. In contrast, the AP is a program focused on teaching students specific content and testing their knowledge on the exams. There is more multiple-choice and emphasis on meeting certain content goals. #3: IB Is More Expensive Than AP IB exams are more expensive. There is a $172 registration fee each year plus a $119 fee per exam. // APs are $94 per exam without an additional fee. However, many schools have financial aid and fee-waiver programs, so your actual cost could be lower. Talk with a counselor at your school’s guidance counseling office to find out about testing costs. (Also remember that these fees, while steep, are much less than the cost of taking the equivalent course in college.) #4: Only IB Requires You to Enroll in Classes You can take AP exams without being enrolled in a class, but you have to be enrolled in an IB class to take an IB exam. If you have proficiency in a language not offered by your school, or if you want to self-study for a niche subject like Art History, the AP program gives you more flexibility. AP is a good option for students who like to study on their own. Also, IB offers higher-level and standard-level courses. To get an IB diploma, you have to take at least three higher-level courses. AP courses are offered at a single level, though there are certain subjects, like calculus and physics, that have different course options. IB higher level is at some high schools considered harder than AP. Most colleges give credit for AP exams and higher-level IB exams, but not all give credit for standard-level IB exams. // You can search the AP credit policy of various colleges at the AP college database. The IB program doesn’t have a similar database, but you can look up the IB credit policy of any college or university by searching â€Å"[Name of College/University] IB Credit.† You may be attracted to the IB program’s focus on writing and a broad education, or you may think the AP program’s flexibility makes it a better choice for you. Definitely take these program differences into account as you make your choice. But what do colleges think? Does one program have a reputation for being more rigorous? What Do Colleges Think of IB and AP? Actually, colleges don’t automatically consider AP or IB harder or more impressive on a transcript. Since IB is a rarer program, they can’t penalize students for not taking it. Plus, there are huge differences in how both AP and IB courses are taught and graded at high schools across the country. // Because of the differences in IB/AP course grading, colleges- especially the most selective ones- just want to see you have taken the most challenging course load available at your high school. That means instead of worrying about AP versus IB, you should worry about taking the most rigorous classes your high schools offers. For example, Princeton says on their admissions website, â€Å"Whenever you can, challenge yourself with the most rigorous courses possible, such as honors, Advanced Placement (AP) and dual-enrollment courses. We will evaluate the International Baccalaureate (IB), A-levels or another diploma in the context of the program’s curriculum.† Princeton is more interested in how hard your schedule is considered at your school rather than whether you chose AP or IB. So if your high school just has APs, then you should take some AP classes. If your high school has just the IB program, you should take some IB classes or, even better, go for the diploma. If your high school has both, you can take a mix. Since IB is a diploma program and AP is not, if you’re going for the most selective schools, it’s smart to pursue the IB diploma if it's offered at your school. If you don’t, you technically haven’t taken the most challenging courses available to you. However, if you have a demanding extracurricular schedule or are intensely committed to a few academic areas, you won't necessarily be penalized for not doing the diploma. Bottom line: consider your high school's offerings and how challenging your schedule (including extracurriculars) looks in comparison. // One thing to keep in mind is that the IB diploma shows you are challenging yourself in all subject areas, whereas with the AP program you could just pick subjects you are strong in. Colleges will notice this. If you can, try to take AP classes in a broad range of subjects while digging deeper into subjects you are passionate about. For example, if you’re a writer and do well in your English classes, definitely take AP English Literature and AP English Language if you can. But you should also consider trying AP Statistics or AP Calculus to show you also have quantitative skills. One of the single most important parts of your college application is what classes you choose take in high school (in conjunction with how well you do in those classes). Our team of PrepScholar admissions experts have compiled their knowledge into this single guide to planning out your high school course schedule. We'll advise you on how to balance your schedule between regular and honors/AP/IB courses, how to choose your extracurriculars, and what classes you can't afford not to take. Does IB or AP Give You More College Credit? Another difference between the AP and IB courses is how much course credit you can earn from them at different schools. If a college you’re interested in seems to favor one program or the other, it could help you decide which program to pursue. In most cases, if you earn a high passing score- for example a 7 on IB or a 5 on AP- you will get course credit. // But one thing to keep in mind is that while IB higher-level courses are usually accepted by colleges, standard-level IB courses aren’t always taken. In contrast, AP is offered at one level. So if you take three higher-level IB courses and three standard-level IB courses as part of the diploma, you may end up with less credit than you would for the same six AP courses. Furthermore, many colleges have slight variances in credit hours between AP and IB, which could affect your decision between the two programs. For example, at Stanford, the IB and AP credit lists are mostly the same, with language, math and physics getting the exact same credit. However, you can get more credit for IB Chemistry than AP Chemistry. But some colleges tend to give AP more credit. For example CU Boulder generally gives AP Language exams more weight than IB language exams. Some colleges give more credit for IB. The University of Michigan generally gives more credit hours for IB classes. // The bottom line? AP and IB credit are both widely accepted, but there are lots of slight differences in credit policies. We suggest looking up policies at your target schools since the credit policies can differ. How do you get this info? Search for â€Å"[Name of College/University] IB Credit Policy† or â€Å"[Name of College/University] AP Credit Policy.† The University's web page with credit information will often be the first or second result. If a school you’re really interested in seems to vastly favor one program or the other, you should take that into consideration when weighing the two programs. But odds are if you look up more than two or three schools, it will end up being a wash, with some schools slightly favoring IB and others favoring AP. Also, keep in mind you only get credit in most cases if you have a 5 or higher on IB exams or a 4 or higher on AP exams. So whether you take AP or IB, remember to focus on doing well and passing! // Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. Other Considerations for Deciding Between AP and IB There are a few other factors you should think about when deciding between AP and IB. How Do They Fit With Your Scheduling and Extracurriculars? Would doing the IB diploma prevent you from a certain extracurricular, like Yearbook or Debate or Band? Are APs and IBs offered as the same class at your school? Are you ready to commit to an IB diploma or do you want the flexibility of AP classes? These are questions you should consider before signing up for either AP or IB classes. Ask your high school if they have suggested four-year plans for advanced students. This will give you an idea of what your schedule might look like and how it could conflict with extracurriculars you want to participate in. // Do IB or AP Classes Have Better Teachers at Your School? Does your school have the same or different teachers for AP and IB courses? What are their reputations? The quality of a teacher can make or break your experience in a class. You can ask upperclassmen about their experience in certain classes, or see if there is a way to see syllabi from current and past years for AP and IB classes. You can also ask your guidance counselor about the exam pass rates for different teachers. This can give you a sense of a class’s reputation and how many students are successful in which classes. Should You Change Schools For IB? We’ve talked about deciding between AP and IB at the same school. But what if your local high school doesn’t offer IB, and you’re considering switching to a school that does? // Remember to consider the time it will take to commute! I had to make this decision myself. My district had three high schools, but only one offered the IB program. That high school was pretty far away from my neighborhood, but it drew tons of students specifically for the IB program, and a lot of my friends were going there because they wanted to get into good colleges. I strongly considered going to that different high school for the IB program. I eventually decided to go to my neighborhood high school that offered just APs. Going to the other high school would have involved at least an hour of commuting each day, and it would have strained my family’s schedule. Since I saved time by not commuting, it was actually easier to get involved in after school extracurriculars like debate and Model United Nations. I was also able to keep doing piano lessons and service work, activities I had done since I was little, since my schedule wasn't squeezed by commuting. // Furthermore, I was able to take a rigorous schedule of AP classes. I earned leadership positions in my extracurriculars by junior year. All of this helped me put together competitive college applications. I likely could have done as well at the other high school, but the point is that even without IB, I was able to pursue a rigorous and challenging high school program. Since I took the most challenging program available at the high school I attended, I didn’t hurt my admission chances. In fact, I might have improved them by having more time for extracurriculars. There is one exception to this worth noting- there was an in-state scholarship competition I was in the running for that ended up selecting most of its winners from IB schools. It’s possible that for some private scholarships and organizations, IB looks more impressive. But that is a factor that could vary state by state, and even district by district. // The key is to do your best at whatever high school you attend. Colleges are evaluating you in the context of your school. If you feel like you won't have many opportunities to be challenged at your local high school and really want to attend a different school, you can make that call. But don't feel pressured to switch just because you think it will look better on an application. Bottom Line: AP vs IB Taking either AP or IB classes will look very good on your applications, as it shows you are challenging yourself with college-level courses. There is no real preference or benefit from doing one or the other, as long as you do well in your chosen courses. As one admission officer at Northwestern University said, â€Å"one qualification (AP vs IB) is not better than another.† However, you want to make sure you are doing well in your classes and not overloading. There is no point in taking on 10 AP classes or the IB diploma if you get a low GPA and don’t pass the exams. // Finally, you want to make sure other parts of your application are strong, especially your ACT/SAT score. Along with your transcript and GPA, your ACT/SAT score can have an enormous impact on your admission chances, especially at selective schools. What’s Next? Speaking of the SAT and ACT, do you know which exam you’re going to focus on? Find out definitively which one you will be best at. Get a study schedule for the SAT and ACT. The earlier you start, the more opportunity you have for a high score. What’s a good SAT/ACT score for the Ivy League? Find out the scores you need to be competitive. Want to improve your SAT score by 160points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: //

Ethical Considerations in school leadership Research Paper

Ethical Considerations in school leadership - Research Paper Example 42). In other words, whether a school succeeds of fails is contingent upon the individual schools culture of trust. Trust is also important to the community that surrounds the schools. If schools continue to fail, then the community will grow impatient and find ways to enroll their children in private schools. This, in turn, will mean less funding for public schools, and that the parents will be less willing to pay taxes to fund the public schools. This will further erode the public schools, and make them â€Å"a poor service for poor people† (Fullan, 2003, p. 4). Therefore, it is imperative that schools deliver, and is seen to deliver real quality. This makes schools important to the community, the parents, and the public good overall, because it might prevent the segregation that occurs when the haves go to private schools and the have-nots are languishing in ever-failing public schools. Because trust is so important for both a functioning school and for the community surrounding this school, understanding the elements of trust and what goes into building trust is crucial and is the subj ect of this paper. According to Strike (2007), trust is essential for building the community. Communities â€Å"exist to enable cooperation aimed at the achievement of certain shared goods† (Strike, 2007, p. 17). In communities, cooperation is more important than competition. The success of the educational community in question is contingent upon how successful the parts of the whole are integrated and successful in their own right - â€Å"success of each contributes to the success of all† (Strike, 2007, p. 17). Essential to keeping the community together is solidarity, which means that the community is functioning as a unit, and each member is committed to the goals of the community and the other members of the community. Trust is essential to this process because, when it

How Far Garlands Theories Can Be Applied in the Contemporary Criminal Research Paper

How Far Garlands Theories Can Be Applied in the Contemporary Criminal Context - Research Paper Example The objective of the paper is to assess how far Garland’s theories can be applied in the contemporary criminal context, specifically in sentencing. At the outset, the essay will describe the two responses, i.e, adaptation and denial, proposed by Garland. Two newspaper articles dealing with Government reforms on sentencing guidelines will be assessed to determine whether they are examples of adaptation or denial. Contextual factors that lead to such a response will also be analyzed so that the extent of applicability of Garland’s views can be determined. According to Garland, in earlier years, the criminal justice system had assumed a hybrid penal welfare structure, combining due process and proportionate punishment with a decisive thrust in the correctional direction, favoring rehabilitation, welfare and criminological expertise. (Garland, 2001: 27). Developments in correctional policies demonstrated a commitment to community-based solutions, with a focus on the rehabilitation of offenders and the tailoring of individual penal sentences framed in accordance with the characteristics and needs of the offenders. This approach exemplifies a pragmatic and adaptive Government response to crime, characterized by (a) the State role as a facilitator rather than controller of criminal policy (b) focus on the consequences rather than causes of crime (c) participation of non-State actors in prevention of crime (d) viewing crime prospectively, i.e, institution of crime prevention measures (Garland, 1996).

Being a Leader Today Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Being a Leader Today - Essay Example The leader builds an environment in which every member of the organization flourishes through idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration. Idealized influence is creating positive impact of the leader on the individual in terms of confidence and trust, so that the followers seek to emulate their role model (Bono & Judge, 2004, p. 901; Simic, 1998, p. 52; Stone, Russell & Patterson, 2003, p. 3). The employee is impressed by the leadership style and follows the chosen path of the leader. Leaders are â€Å"admired, respected, and trusted† (Bass, Avolio, Jung & Berson, 2003, p. 208). The subordinated believe virtues of their leader so that any decision taken will be supported with minimal resistance even in the time of crisis. Charismatic leadership is one of the important attributes of this modern leadership style and is based on the expression of leaders as well as followers (Kelly, 2003). Lee Iacocca showed his charismatic leadership to revive Chrysler Corporation in the 1970s and 1980s (Kelly, 2003). Inspirational motivation is a broader view of idealized influence to make direct impact on whole organization. The leader inspires other team members to behave and perform in a certain way through speeches, conversations and other public displays (Simic, 1998, p. 52) and stimulating collaborative work approach. The formal and informal forms of his influence help in building flexible, yet successful organization with shared vision. The headman inculcates the required organizational culture and environment (Kelly, 2003; Stone, Russell & Patterson, 2003, p. 3) in each individual in such a manner that the employee would feel indispensable part of the business. Optimistic and enthusiastic attitude of the leader motivates the followers. US President John F. Kennedy’s dream to accomplish mission of putting a man on the moon by 1970 is a classic example of

British airways

British airways Executive Summary: British Airways is one of the International Airlines that provides its flights to 570 destinations in 133 territories. It mainly operates from the Heathrow and Gatwick. It faces many problems like 531 million pounds loss in revenue because of lack of international market study, employee relationship (strike problem) and many more. Hence an effective strategy is the only chance to overcome these problems. The strategy of British Airways includes the innovation in technological accessories, customers relationship, employee relationship, safety and security of stake holders and so on. Introduction: Any business has challenges from different elements like globalisation, information and technology, socio and cultural factors, political factors and so on. To meet these challenges a clear strategy is very crucial for any organization. A strategy is a clear vision of what the organisation will be based on a sustainable competitive advantage. Actually, strategy is a road map for future directions and scope. It is a long range plan for five years and more. It develops mission, objective and goals for an organisation. To develop an effective strategy any organisation must set an account with different factors. Environmental analysis, present analysis, strength, weakness, opportunities and so on are the factor through which a strategy can be developed. Part 1 1) Identify the mission, Values and key objectives of an organisation within its environment. The mission statement of British Airways is â€Å"To be the undisputed leader in world travel for the next millennium†. The values of British Airways: Honest. Reliable On time Good service Objectives of British Airways: British Airways based in London is the largest airlines in the United Kingdom and provides daily flights to more than 400 cities world-wide. Like most large corporations the airline must focus on a variety of goals and objectives both for short-term and long-term survival in the competitive global market. General objectives of British Airways: With an objective of becoming the worlds largest leader in global premium airline, British Airways will continue to focus on customer service at every level of passengers journey. The overall Objectives are divided into three areas. Global (appeal to all passengers, whether for leisure or business travel in order to create repeat customers). Premium (ensure that passengers receive the highest quality of service where ever they encounter the airlines). Airline (maintain the focus on aviation with the largest equipment, products and services). Strategic objectives of British Airways: British Airways provides four strategic objectives: Airline of choice (remain the top choice for International flights for premium customers as well as cargo, economy and shorter flights). Top-quality services (provides the best customer service for passengers on all routes and classes of travel and improve online service). Global city growth (continue to expand the list of top-tier countries through airline partnership). Meet customers needs (exploring the latest options and products to enhance customer loyalty. A stakeholder is a person or organisation that has an interest in a business, for example benefit from it. As a customer you are a stakeholder in British Airways. Even if someone is working part time they are stakeholders in their employers business. You can be a stakeholder as a customer, in all shops you buy from and anywhere you spend leisure money, it could be going to the cinema or supporting your football match.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Stakeholders of British Airways are: Groups Relationship with business Customer Buy product or services Suppliers Rely on business for orders Employees Rely on business for employment Owners Have invested money in the business Local and national communities Directly affected by the actions and operations of the business. Influences of stakeholders: Groups The influences of stakeholders Customers Are looking to buy products or services, they are looking for a wide range of products and services. They also want easy accessibility and hope to buy good quality products and services at a competitive price. They are really important as they provide money for the business in order to be successful. Suppliers Suppliers stock the business with the supplies the business needs, if they are late then it will cause a conflict between business and suppliers. Therefor it is vital that all the business suppliers are on time. Suppliers are probably the third important part in a business, they provide the products/services and if they are not in time it poses to be a threat to the financial state of the business. On the other hand, suppliers arent that important in decision making because they are scared of losing their contract with British Airways. Employees May want an increase in pay rise. Staffs have a very big interest in British Airways, they have an interest in the business in the form of wages, bonuses, discounts, and holiday pension.   Owners In contrast it may want a decrease in pay rise for their employees you could say that the owners probably one of the most important people in a business. Local and national communities Give planning permission depending on the business a person wants to do. Part 2 2) Investigate the economic, social, and global environment in which organizations operate. What is an economic system: An organised manner in which a state or a nation allots its resources and allocates goods and services in the national community. An economic system is loosely defined as a countries plan for its services, goods, and the exact way in which its economic plan is carried out. Basically there are three major/different types of economic systems prevailing around the world and they are: Market Economy: In a market economy, national and state governments play a minor role. Instead consumers and their buying decisions drive the economy. In this type of economic system, the assumptions of the market play a major role in deciding the right path for a countrys economic development. Market economies aim to reduce or eliminate entirely subsidies for a particular industry, the pre-determination of prices for different commodities, and the amount of regulation controlling different industrial sectors. The absence of central planning is one of the major features of this economic system. Market decisions are mainly dominated by supply and demand, the role of the government in a market economy is to simply make sure that the market is stable enough to carry out its economic activities properly. Planned Economy: A planned economy is also known as a command economy. The most important aspect of this type of economy is that all major decisions related to the production, distribution, commodity and service prices, are all made by the government. The planned economy is government directed, and market forces have very little say in such an economy. This type of economy lacks the kind of flexibility that is present a market economy, and because of this, the planned economy reacts slower to changes in consumer needs and fluctuating patterns of supply and demand. On the other hand, a planned economy aims at using all available resources for developing production instead of allocating the resources either for advertising or marketing. Mixed Economy: A mixed economy combines elements of both the planned and the market economies in one cohesive system. This means that certain features from both market and planned economic systems are taken to form this type of economy. This system prevails in many countries where neither the government nor the business entities control the economic activities of that country both sectors play an important role in the economic decision making of the country. In a mixed economy there is flexibility in some areas and government control in others. Mixed economies include both capitalist and social economic policies and often arise in societies that seek to balance a wide range of political and economic views. http://www.economywatch.com/world_economic-indicators/type British Airways operates in the Mixed economic system as British Airways was privatised on February 1987 and the government has less intervention as its a private company the only intervention that the government would have is only setting the prices of the air tickets. What is Social Welfare: Social welfare is about how people, communicate and institutions in a society take action to provide certain minimum standards and certain opportunities. It is generally about helping people facing contingencies. Social welfare which British Airways does for its employees. Social Welfare Policy: Is basically to improve and protect the standard of living of the people or citizens as a whole.   In the United Kingdom the Name â€Å"Social Policy† is used to apply to the policies that the government uses for welfare and social protection and the ways in which welfare is basically developed in a society. There are various social welfare policies that the United Kingdoms adopts and they are: Social welfare policy that British Airways has adopted/follows: The impact that social welfare initiates on British Airways as well as the wider community is firstly that British Airways adopting the work place regulation is that it benefits the employees of British Airways and that the employees can work without any head aces as British Airways has provided all it employees with training in safety measures, plus rest time is given to the employees and to the crew members of British Airways accommodation is given because the crew is normally flying for endless hours/long journeys. The workers are also made alert about the basic terms and conditions of the organisation which are basically ethics, code of conduct, and the responsibility of the organisation. The other social welfare policy which British Airways provides its employees is social security for its employees similar to contribution benefits (Retirement pension, maternity allowances) and also non contributor benefits (social fund, working tax benefits) to its employees, which gives the employees the freedom to do whatever in their personal life. The Employment Law in British Airways states and illustrates the normal working hours, conditions, and the acts of the organisation. What is Industrial Policy: Industrial policy comprises all government interventions which consist of: Directed towards the supply side of the economy that consists of enterprises, industries, sectors). Aims to influence the industrial structure of the economy and its industrial changes. Industrial policy purposefully affects incentives to produce specific goods or incentives to enter or exit a specific goods market. It is not limited to manufacturing and includes all types of commercial economic activities. Industrial policy interventions have to be justified because if competitive markets worked adequately, any such intervention would:  Ã‚   Distort optimal allocation, Distort dynamic competition and its benefits (innovation, flexibility, consumers sovereignty etc.). Privilege specific enterprises or industries or sectors at the expenses of others, Would disadvantage taxpayers and consumers. (An European industrial policy: concepts and consequences, Oliver Budzinski). Industrial policy is concerned; it is the government sponsored economic program in which the public and private sector coordinate their efforts to develop new technologies and industries. Government provides the financial support and capital to the private sector by direct subsidies, tax credits or government- run developmental banks. Industries policy emphasise cooperation between government, banks, private enterprise, and employees to strengthen the national economy. http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com Impact of Industrial policy on British Airways: In the United Kingdoms the Industrial policy has affected a lot of industries but the Industry that suffered the most was the aviation industry including all the airlines even British Airways. Therefore British Airways has changed its strategy of working and has been successful as British Airways adopted new policies. One of the policy that states to reduce Co2 emissions by 15% by all airlines and British Airways has decided to reduce by 50% as they are working on creating a new kind of fuel which is known as bio diesel which is pollution free and environment friendly. Fiscal Policy: Government spending policies that influences macroeconomic conditions. These policies affect tax rates, interest rates and government spending in an effort to control the economy. Monetary Policy: The action of a central, bank currency or other regulatory committee that determine the size and rate of growth of the money supply, which in turn affects interest rates. Monetary policy is maintained through actions such as increasing the interest rate, or changing the amount of money banks need to keep in the vault or bank reserves. Impact of fiscal and monetary policy on airline industry as well as British Airways:   The principles of economics tell us that governments can sometimes improve market outcomes. Methods of influencing market outcomes can come in the form of monetary and fiscal policies. Monetary policies influence shifts in aggregate demand for goods and services by increasing the money supply, reducing the equilibrium interest rates and stimulating investment spending or decreasing the money supply, raising equilibrium interest rates, lowering investment spending (Mankiw, 2004). Fiscal policies shift the aggregate demand curve by increasing or decreasing government spending or through the increase or decrease in taxes (Mankiw). Because these policies influence aggregate demand, the government uses such policies to try and bring stabilization to the economy. Such polices affect different industries on many different levels. Some industries have positive effects and some negative. In analysing how monetary and fiscal policies affect the airline industry, we can look at how these policies affect employment, growth of the industry, and product prices. Many fiscal policies directed toward the airline industry have had profound effects. One such policy is represented by the excise taxes and fees levied on air carriers. Such taxes and fees are allocated by the Government to fund improvements of airports, provide security for the airlines and airports, allocate funding for the FAA, provide for services for international customers, and support operations at airpark facilities. These fees represent roughly 26% or $52 of a standard 200-dollar round-trip airline ticket (Air Transport Association, 2005). Current economic conditions of the airline industry are dismal, especially due to the tragic events of September 11th. The Air Transport Association (ATA) argues that such fiscal policy in these trying times hinder the air carriers ability to right themselves through a self-help policy. The ATA further explains that in an effort to stabilize the industry, such taxes and fees can account for the elimination of over 129,000 jobs, forced many carriers into bankruptcy, and, because consumers react heavily to price increases in this industry, hinder their ability to allocate funds by raising ticket prices. With this current fiscal policy, air carrie rs have little manoeuvrability of funds to meet the demands of an operating budget. Mike Smith (personal communication, June 10, 2008), former owner of Pacific Crest Aviation in Big Bear Lake, CA, adds that governing agencies institute other fees to generate operating revenues for airports. On example of this is landing fees. Landing fees vary from airport to airport, but play a key role in the determination of where air carriers decide to base their operations. In attempts to accumulate more funding through fiscal policy, Mr. Smith explains that the FAA continues to suggest the implementation of user fees. Still to be determined how such a fee would impact the airline industry; present fiscal policies have air carriers screaming for reform. Deregulation is another fiscal policy that has considerably impacted areas of the airline industry. Since deregulation in 1979, the airline industry experienced substantial growth. With the emergence of new competition in the industry this created numerous amounts of jobs, drove ticket prices down, and expanded the available market for various air carriers. Through an industrial wide growth of over 200%, new carriers were able to open positions to thousands of new employees in various parts of the nation. Average ticket prices in 1979 remain relatively unchanged today. As an extremely competitive market emerged, the rally for passengers on each carriers flights kept ticket prices down as carrier created connecting flights through this new open sky policy; reaching more consumers, minimizing opportunity cost, and offering competitive pricing. The Airline industry continues to be affected by the overall condition of the nations economy. When healthy spending exists and pleasure travel is frequent, air carriers are able to fill flights, raise prices, and maintain a stable economic environment. However, when condition of the nations economy falls, so do the buying habits of the consumer. This is where the airline industry finds itself today. Struggling to fill flights in a slow economy and fighting heavy fiscal policy. Recent monetary policies made by the federal government to improve market conditions are sure to have an effect, but how it will impact employment, growth, and prices in the airline industry are still unknown. The most Recent monetary policy made by the government came in the form of economic stimulus checks. This in-flow of money into the economy in an attempt to stimulate the purchase of goods and services throughout the United States may help diminish the effects of our current sluggish economy. Little to no data exists to show how this has impacted any growth in the airline industry. So far, there seems to be little change in the spending habits of the consumer to travel via air. Because the economic position of the airline industry has been struggling for so long, improvements due to any single event may be impossible to track. Whether changes in fiscal policies, monetary policies, or internal carrier structure help to improve conditions in the airline industry, changes will happen slow and will reflect economic condition in the nations marketplace. By successfully managing opportunity cost, and adapting to an ever changing economic environment, airline industries can have economic success. However, the well-being of the nations economy will have a direct impact on the level of success experienced in the airline industry. During economic shortfalls in the nations economy, travellers will have fewer resources available to travel for pleasure. Contributing to the negative economic influences in the airline industry, future and existing policies targeting the airline industry will continue to hinder the industrys ability to recover losses in periods of economic hardships. http://www.taxreformpanel.gov Makiw, N.G. (2004) Principles of economics (3rd edition). Chicago, 2: Thomson South-Western. PESTLE Analyses on British Airways: PESTLE Factors Key Points Implications for British Airways Political Heavy regulation (AEA, 2009). Increased security due to past terrorist threats (DFT, 2008) Compliance is essential if British Airways wants to continue. Sufficient security measures should be in place to ensure consumer confidence and competitive advantage in maintenance. Economic Global economic crisis: world growth is projected to just over 2 per cent in 2009 (IMF, 2008). Pound weakness especially against the Euro. Oil prices declined by 50% since their peak retreating to 2007 levels. Decline in fuel prises the dollar strengthens (IMF, 2008). UK Consumer spending saw its sharpest decline for 13 years between July and September 2008 (Channel 4, 2008) Possible reduction in the amount of business travel as companies are cutting costs and using alternative means of communication such as telecom fencing. British Airways is vulnerable as a United Kingdom operating airline to a poor exchange rate. Fluctuation in oil prices and exchange rates will directly affect British Airways cost base. More intense competition.   Social The United Kingdom has an aging population. Increasing Unemployment Potential opportunities for growth as older generations have more time to spend on leisure activities such as international travel. Increased bargaining power as an employee. Technological A recent survey revealed that 34% of online consumers plan to use price- comparison sites more in 2009 (NMA, 2009) Online booking services and check-in is becoming increasingly used by the airline industry. Increased consumer awareness and therefore bargaining power. British Airways must ensure that they remain up to date with these technological advances whilst avoiding becoming overly reliant, as this may isolate certain consumer markets (i.e. the elderly) who dont feel comfortable using such technology. Environmental/Ethical Noise pollution controls and energy consumption controls. Cancellations of flights and loss of baggage. New legislation (e.g. climate change bill) enforcing tighter environmental regulation may increase operational costs each year. Such ethical issues could have a detrimental effect on reputation if left unresolved. Legal Collusion and price fixing. Recognition of trade union and industrial action e.g. cabin crew strikes. Open skies agreement. Restriction on mergers will have an impact on British Airways proposed alliance with American Airlines. Good employee relations are essential if British Airways wants to avoid industrial action and interrupted operations. Opportunity for British Airways and its competitors to freely transport aircrafts between the European Union and the United States. Part 3 3) Investigate the behaviour of organizations and the market environment. What is Oligopoly: Oligopoly is a market which is normally dominated by a few numbers of large suppliers. The degree of market concentration is very high. Firms within an oligopoly produce branded products and also sometimes there is a barrier to new entries. Advantages as general: Firms or companies are able to reap economies of scale, due to large scale competition. Products cannot produce by individual firms on a small scale. There is an incentive to engage in research and development. They have the ability to earn super normal profits and capture large market share. Firms enjoy lower costs due to technological improvement. This results in higher profits which will improve the firms or companies capacity to withstand price war. http://www.blurtit.com/q2774865.html Disadvantages as general: Firms and companies are concerned with the activities of their competitors. If one firm or company reduces its prices the other companies would have to. How oligopoly has impacted the airline market and British Airways: In the late 1990s the European airline market was liberalised, lowering the barriers to entry. Traditional firms then faced competition as firms could enter the market more easily. New entrants used leased aircrafts to keep costs low. Firms have merged (such as Liberia Airways and British Airways did in 2000) to improve the firms horizontal integration. What is monopoly: A situation in which a single company owns all or nearly all of the market for a given type of product or service. This would happen in the case that there is a barrier to entry into the industry that allows the single company to operate without competition. In such an industry structure, the producer will often produce a volume that is less than the amount which would maximize social welfare. www.investwords.com/3112/monopoly.html Advantages of monopoly as general: There is no risk of excess production. There is sufficient capital for research. Price of goods are reduced. The market can be controlled. Disadvantages of monopoly as general: The consumers are exploited. There is hardly and consumer choice. The price is high on products. As there is no competition it leads to inefficiency. The labour is exploited as the price charged is higher than the marginal cost. How monopoly has impacted the airline market and British Airways: There is no competition which would make the airlines inefficient. As there is no choice the consumer would have to take that one airline only. As the ticket prices could be high the consumers would prefer to take a train to their destination if the consumers destination is in Europe and this would cause a loss for the company. What is perfect competition: An ideal market structure characterized by a large number of small firms, identical products sold by all firms, freedom of entry into and exit out of the industry, and perfect knowledge of prices and technology. This is one of four basic, market structures. The other three are monopoly, oligopoly, and monopolistic competition. Perfect competition is an idealized market structure that is not observed in the real world. While unrealistic, it does provide an excellent benchmark that can be used to analyse real world market structure. In particular, perfect competition efficiently allocates resources. http://www.amosweb.com. Advantages of perfect competition as general: Optimal allocation of resources. Competition encourages efficiency. Consumers charged a lower price. Responsive to consumer wishes, change in demand, leads extra supply. Disadvantages of perfect competition as general: Insufficient profits for investment. Lack of product variety. Lack of competition over product design and specification. Unequal distribution of goods and income. Externalities .e.g. pollution. How perfect competition impacts airlines market and British Airways: As in the Airlines Industry there are many airlines and there is competition there can be either positive effects as well as negatives effects the positive effects of perfect competition is that the resources of the airlines is allocated to the point as t