Best Buy Situation Analysis

In general, the company specializes in selling electronics, home office products, entertainment products and footwear, business programs and software, home appliances, and much more technology related products. Best Buy has earned the reputation as one of the top consumer electronics retailers and a leader in the industry. Its total revenues are $42,410,000,000, it employs 140,000 workers, and has a market capitalization of 1 1. 26 billion.The company Is a publicly traded corporation on the New York stock exchange under the signal- BY. It has gained many product and service brands that are recognized worldwide, such as Geek Squad, an in house repair service, which has been one of the company's main competitive advantages throughout its existence. The primary target market customer Is In the 16-35 age range. With 18-24 being the primary target because on average 40% are in college. Primary targets consist of businesses, both genders, middle class families and up.The secondary target i s 36-50 age groups mostly made of parents, new and small businesses, and price concerned consumers. The age group for the core audience Is 25-54 consumers 54% male 42% female and has an average household income of $75,000 (Khan, A). † Mission: The mission of Best Buy is to be the number one retailer of consumer electronics with a focus on roving a wide selection of high quality products at premium low prices while offering personable customer service and the best shopping experience both In store and online.Goals: In the company's 2014 fiscal annual report, Hubert Jolly, President and CEO of Best Buy, outlined the business transformation plan and goals as the 1 OFF shopping experience 2. Attract, grow, engage, and inspire transformational leaders and employees 3. Work with vendors to innovate and drive value 4. Increase return on invested capital 5. Continue leadership role in positively impacting the world Ochs 2 Core Competency: In terms of core competency, the key in terms of success for Best Buy has been its strategic customer-centric values and brand name recognition.Best Buy specializes in providing excellent customer service and the ability to give customers a hands- on shopping experience. Best Buy offers a wide range of products and will continue to work with vendor partners to maintain a strong relationship to guarantee low competitive prices. As far as brand recognition goes, Best Buy is increasing the amount of stores worldwide each year so the company name will continue to stick in customer's minds as well as strategic partnerships such s geek squad.SOOT Analysis Internal Factors Strengths Multiple Channel Sales Strategy Diverse Product Portfolio Reputable Brand Name Excellent Customer Satisfaction Weaknesses Geographical Concentration Limitations Reliance on Minimal Vendors Weakening Financial Position Poor Inventory Management Systems External Factors Opportunities Strategic Partnership Acquisitions Focus Towards Marketing Strategies Onlin e Sales Growth Consumption of Electronics Increasing Expansion of Retail Stores National and International – Foreign Market Penetration Threats Rise of Competitors, Loss of Market Share and RevenuesIncrease of Counterfeit/limitation Goods (China) Organized Retail Crime Increasing, Cyber Crime Threat to Security Market Shifting to Online Sales Medium to high Supplier Power Industry Analysis and Trends: The Consumer Electronics Market is continuously changing and is an ongoing process of evolution. Since technology is growing at a market. Already existing technologies are being re-invented to give the consumer a feeling that the old model(s) is irrelevant. An example is curved TV's and the phone ss.Ochs 3 These two technologies already exist however with a very slight modification, customers react and feel the need to purchase the newer version. This acts to re- invigorate what may seem to be a stagnant market. Online Sales are becoming more crucial to companies to survive in t he electronics consumer market. Amazon. Com being the leader in the industry of online sales has proved its dominance and Best Buy is increasing online retail operations to keep up. Since the recession, the market faced a decline in sales performance the last few years since 2008.However the market is making a slow, gradual come back and the situation in the industry is looking good. The fluctuating economy greatly effects consumer buying habits, and with the recovering economy conditions, consumers will have more money to spend on luxuries like electronics. According to the U. S. Consumer Electronics Sales and Forecasts â€Å"Revenues for the consumer electronics industry are projected to grow 2. 4% in 2014, reaching a new record high of $208 billion Joseph,J. ACE). Best Buy has struggled to maintain its market share with the increase of competition over the last few years but the company is growing in terms of revenue and number of stores increasing worldwide. Best Buy brand and presence is becoming well known globally and more growth opportunities are available for the company internationally. â€Å"Best Buy sees opportunities for innovation and growth in new markets and new geographies as well as in our core U. S. Business our growing global presence requires seasoned and as'. N. Y leaders to carefully manage our expanding family of international brands.Our international leadership team is focused on driving growth for our enterprise around the world (Willet, Robert, BY CEO International). † Competitor Analysis: Best Buys competitors are store-based retailers, internet-based tillers, multiple channel retailers, and vendors who offer products directly to the consumer. â€Å"They are competing amongst many others in the market for position as the top retail brand for electronic goods. U. S. Shoppers spend more than 126 billion dollars a year on electronic goods and more than 26% of it is totaled at Best Buy.For electronic purchases Best Buy remains as the top choice amongst consumers (Khan, A. ). † The major players are mass merchandisers like Walter Corporation, Amazon. Com and Apple Inc. (also a supplier). Unlike Best Buy, Walter offers much ore than Just electronics but they are growing in the electronics industry. In order to keep their prices low, Walter uses a low profit margin, high volume sales technique by squeezing their suppliers to name their price. To combat this, Best Buy must maintain their image as the ‘best shopping experience' retailer with a young, tech as'. N. , knowledgeable sales staff to assist customers and provide customer service unmatchable by Walter. In Ochs 4 addition best buy must maintain a strong, relationship on good terms with its suppliers because they are limited and also offer a price matching policy to match a rice offered by a certain store or retailer. To compete with Amazon. Com Best Buy must promote their brick and mortar, instant gratification business model. Unlike Best B uy, Amazon cannot boast physical, face to face customer service experience improvement to their website and online sales strategy since many consumers are moving towards online purchasing.One of the major risks Best Buy faces currently is the act of show-rooming. This is where customer go to the big box store to gain valuable information from the staff about a product and comparison shop, then go and purchase it elsewhere for a better price (Amazon. Mom). According to CEO Hubert Jolly: â€Å"Best Buy estimates that 1 5 percent of its customers come into the store with the intention of shortcoming, that number is only likely to increase (Macrame, M). † Since Apple is one of Best Buys vendors they must be careful with methods used to compete for customers.One of the main advantages Best Buy has in this situation is that they are actually able to offer their Apple products for a lower price than the Apple Store, while still maintaining strong customer service, warranties, and su pport as one would receive in the Apple store. New Opportunities: Best Buy faces ever rowing fierce competition as the consumer electronics industry continues to grow and new technologies are rapidly being innovated. There is much room for growth and new opportunities Best Buy can take advantage of to remain at the top of the market.One of the most significant threats Best Buy faces is the increasing amount of virtual retail sales in the consumer electronics industry, but this is also an opportunity. The first recommendation for Best Buy is to continuously innovate and improve the website to encourage online sales. Perhaps IT should undergo website redesign to offer easier web navigation/ characteristics similar to that of Amazon. Com. The second recommendation is the need to promote the advantages and benefits of shopping in store rather than at other online retailers like Amazon. Com.Such benefits include direct communication between representative and customer, fewer technologica l issues of ordering, easy returning methods, and the assurance the product will be received in perfect condition and on time rather than damaged or lost in transportation. The third recommendation is to move beyond the current business to consumer model and expand into business to business operations. This would positively increase clientele base and open up a CSS 5 huge new market segment uninhabited by many CE competitors. Next Best Buy needs to reconsider its management structure.Part of the reason for its plummets in sales was poor management style who were reluctant to change company strategy and adapt; they were not ready for competition. Best Buy has made efforts to update management which had a positive outcome. We see in the fourth quarter of the fiscal year 2013 â€Å"the company reported net earnings of $293 million, compared to a loss of $379 million in the previous period, driven by its reduced costs and improved operational efficiency. The effort of the retailer to i mprove profitability, which includes reorganization of its field and store management structure (Wolf, A). Lastly, Best Buys strengths lie in customer service so the ability to attain strong customer relationships will go far. Some ideas to accomplish this is to provide better employee training to specialize employees to understand the customers wants and needs better. This will help make the employees more knowledgeable to offer more expertise help on particular products and features that other competitors simply cannot offer, which ultimately results in happy customers. When satisfied, the company back to the top as the number one electronics retailer.

Himachal Predesh

Himachal Pradesh (Hindi: à ¤ ¹Ã  ¤ ¿Ã  ¤ ®Ã  ¤ ¾Ã  ¤Å¡Ã  ¤ ² à ¤ ªÃ  ¥ Ã  ¤ °Ã  ¤ ¦Ã  ¥â€¡Ã  ¤ ¶ [É ¦Ã‰ ªmaË tÊÆ'É™l prÉ™dÃŒ ªeË ÃŠÆ'] ( listen)) is a state in Northern India. It is spread over 21,495 sq mi (55,670 km2),[3] and is bordered by Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east.Himachal Pradesh is famous for its abundant natural beauty.[4] After the war between Nepal and Britain, also known as the Anglo-Gorkha War (1814–1816), the British colonial government came into power. In 1950 Himachal was declared a union territory, but after the State of Himachal Pradesh Act 1971, Himachal emerged as the 18th state of the Republic of India. Hima means snow in Sanskrit, and the literal meaning of the state's name is In the lap of Himalayas. It was named by Acharya Diwakar Datt Sharma, one of the great Sanskrit scholars of Himachal Pradesh.The economy of Himachal Pradesh is currently the third fastest growing economy in India.[citation needed] Himachal Pradesh has been ranked fourth in the list of the highest per capita incomes of Indian states. The abundance of perennial rivers enables Himachal to sell hydroelectricity to other states such as Delhi, Punjab and Rajasthan. The economy of the state is highly dependent on three sources: hydroelectric power, tourism and agriculture.Himachal Pradesh is the least urbanized state in India with nearly 90% of population living in rural area, but the Shimla district is comparatively urbanized with nearly 25% population living in an urban area. According to a 2005 Transparency International survey, Himachal Pradesh is ranked the second-least corrupt state in the country after Kerala.Contents1 History 2 Geography and climate 3 Flora and fauna 4 Subdivisions 5 Government 5.1 Chief Ministers of Himachal Pradesh 6 Agriculture 7 Economy 8 Heritage 9 Transport 10 Demographics 10.1 Languages 11 Cultu re 11.1 Food 11.2 Famous people 12 Education 12.1 Universities and colleges 13 Media and communication 14 State profile 15 See also 16 Notes 17 References 18 External linksHistory Main article: History of Himachal PradeshThe history of the area that now constitutes Himachal Pradesh dates back to the time when the Indus valley civilisation flourished between 2250 and 1750 BCE.[7] Tribes such as the Koilis, Halis, Dagis, Dhaugris, Dasa, Khasas, Kinnars and Kirats inhabited the region from pre-historic era. During the Vedic period, several small republics known as â€Å"Janapada† existed which were later conquered by the Gupta Empire. After a brief period of supremacy by King Harshavardhana, the region was once again divided into several local powers headed by chieftains, including some Rajput principalities.These kingdoms enjoyed a large degree of independence and were invaded by Delhi Sultanate a number of times. Mahmud Ghaznavi conquered Kangra at the beginning of the 10th ce ntury. Timur and Sikander Lodi also marched through the lower hills of the state and captured a number of forts and fought many  battles. Several hill states acknowledged Mughal suzerainty and paid regular tribute to the Mughals. Sansar Chand (c.1765–1823)The Gurkhas, a martial tribe, came to power in Nepal in the year 1768. They consolidated their military power and began to expand their territory. Gradually the Gorkhas annexed Sirmour and Shimla. With the leadership of Amar Singh Thapa, Gorkhas laid siege to Kangra. They managed to defeat Sansar Chand Katoch, the ruler of Kangra, in 1806 with the help of many provincial chiefs. However Gorkhas could not capture Kangra fort which came under Maharaja Ranjeet Singh in 1809. After the defeat the Gorkhas began to expand towards the south of the state.However, Raja Ram Singh, Raja of Siba State managed to capture the fort of Siba from the remnants of Lahore Darbar in Samvat 1846, during the First Anglo-Sikh War. They came into direct conflict with the British along the tarai belt after which the British expelled them from the provinces of the Satluj. The British gradually emerged as the paramount power. In the revolt of 1857, or first Indian war of independence, arising from a number of grievances against the British, the people of the hill states were not as politically active as were those in other parts of the country. They and their rulers, with the exception of Bushahr, remained more or less inactive. Some, including the rulers of Chamba, Bilaspur, Bhagal and Dhami, rendered help to the British government during the revolt. Rock Cut Temple, MasroorThe British territories came under the British Crown after Queen Victoria's proclamation of 1858. The states of Chamba, Mandi and Bilaspur made good progress in many fields during the British rule.[7] During World War I, virtually all rulers of the hill states remained loyal and contributed to the British war effort, both in the form of men and materials. A mong these were the states of Kangra, Jaswan, Datarpur, Guler, Nurpur, Chamba, Suket, Mandi and Bilaspur.After independence the Chief Commissioner's Province of H.P. came into being on 15 April 1948 as a result of integration of 28 petty princely states (including feudatory princes and zaildars) in the promontories of the western Himalaya, known in full as the Simla Hills States & four Punjab southern hill States by issue of the Himachal Pradesh (Administration) Order, 1948 under Sections 3 & 4 of the Extra-Provincial Jurisdiction Act, 1947 (later renamed as the Foreign Jurisdiction Act, 1947 vide A.O. of 1950). The State of Bilaspur was merged in the Himachal Pradesh on 1 April 1954 by the Himachal Pradesh and Bilaspur (New State) Act, 1954. Himachal became a part C state on 26 January 1950 with the implementation of the Constitution of India and the Lt. Governor was appointed. Legislative Assembly was elected in 1952.Himachal Pradesh became a Union Territory on 1 November 1956. Fo llowing area of Punjab State namely Simla, Kangra, Kulu and Lahul and Spiti Districts, Nalagarh tehsil of Ambala District, Lohara, Amb and Una kanungo circles, some area of Santokhgarh kanungo circle and some other specified area of Una tehsil of Hoshiarpur District besides some parts of Dhar Kalan Kanungo circle of Pathankot tehsil of Gurdaspur District; were merged with Himachal Pradesh on 1 November 1966 on enactment of Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966 by the Parliament. On 18 December 1970, the State of Himachal Pradesh Act was passed by Parliament and the new state came into being on 25 January 1971. Thus Himachal emerged as the eighteenth state of the Indian Union.Geography and climateMain article: Geography of Himachal Pradesh Key Gompa with Spiti River flowing behind. A summer view of Khajjiar. Climate Temperature [citation needed] †¢ Avg. Winter 7  °C (45  °F) †¢ Avg. Summer 28  °C (82  °F) Precipitation 1,469 mm (57.8 in) Asian Paradise Flycatcher in Kullu Himalyan Monal at Birds Park in ShimlaHimachal is situated in the western Himalayas. Covering an area of 55,673 kilometres (34,594 mi),[3] it is a mountainous state with elevation ranging from about 350 metres (1,148 ft) to 7,000 metres (22,966 ft) above the sea level.The drainage system of Himachal is composed both of rivers and glaciers. Himalayan rivers criss-cross the entire mountain chain. Himachal Pradesh provides water to both the Indus and Ganges basins.[10] The drainage systems of the region are the Chandra Bhaga or the Chenab, the Ravi, the Beas, the Sutlej and the Yamuna. These rivers are perennial and are fed by snow and rainfall. They are protected by an extensive cover of natural vegetation.There is great variation in the climatic conditions of Himachal due to extreme variation in elevation. The climate varies from hot and sub-humid tropical in the southern tracts to cold, alpine and glacial in the northern and eastern mountain ranges with more elevation.[11] The stat e has areas like Dharamsala that receive very heavy rainfall, as well as those like Lahaul and Spiti that are cold and almost rainless.Broadly, Himachal experiences three seasons: Summer, Winter and rainy season. Summer lasts from mid April till the end of June and most parts become very hot (except in alpine zone which experiences a mild summer) with the average temperature ranging from 28  °C (82  °F) to 32  °C (90  °F). Winter lasts from late November till mid March. Snowfall is common in alpine tracts (generally above 2,200 metres (7,218 ft) i.e. in the Higher and Trans-Himalayan region). Flora and faunaMain article: Protected areas of Himachal PradeshAccording to 2003 Forest Survey of India report, legally defined forest areas constitute 66.52% of the area of Himachal Pradesh, although area under tree cover is only 25.78%.[12] Vegetation in the state is dictated by elevation and precipitation.The southern part of the state, at lower elevations than the north, has both t ropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests and tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests.[12] These are represented by northwestern thorn scrub forests along the border with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and by Upper Gangetic Plains moist deciduous forests in the far southeast. Sal and shisham are found here.Rising into the hills, we find a mosaic of western Himalayan broadleaf forests and Himalayan subtropical pine forests. Various deciduous and evergreen oaks live in the broadleaf forests, while Chir pine dominates the pine forests. Western Himalayan subalpine conifer forests grow near treeline, with species that include East Himalayan Fir, West Himalayan Spruce, Deodar (State tree), and Blue pine.The uppermost elevations have western Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows in the northeast and northwestern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows in the northwest. Trees are sturdy with a vast network of roots. Alders, birches, rhododendrons and moist alpine shrubs are there as the reg ional vegetation. The rhododendrons can be seen along the hillsides around Shimla from March to May. The shrublands and meadows give way to rock and ice around the highest peaks.Himachal is also said to be the fruit bowl of the country with orchards scattered all over the place. Meadows and pastures are also seen clinging to steep slopes. After the winter season, the hillsides and orchards bloom with wild flowers, while gladiolas, carnations, marigolds,[13] roses, chrysanthemums, tulips and lilies are carefully cultivated. The state government is gearing up to make Himachal Pradesh as the flower basket of the world.Himachal Pradesh has around 1200 bird and 359 animal species, including the leopard, snow leopard (State animal), ghoral, musk deer and Western Tragopan.[citation needed] It has 2 major national parks and sanctuaries — the largest number in the Himalayan region. The Great Himalayan National Park in Kullu district was created to conserve the flora and fauna of the m ain Himalayan range, while the Pin Valley National Park to conserve the flora and fauna of the cold desert. SubdivisionsMain article: List of districts of Himachal PradeshHimachal Pradesh is divided into 12 districts namely, Kangra, Hamirpur, Mandi, Bilaspur, Una, Chamba, Lahaul and Spiti, Sirmaur, Kinnaur, Kullu, Solan and Shimla. The state capital is Shimla which was formerly British India's summer capital under the name Simla.A district of Himachal Pradesh is an administrative geographical unit, headed by a Deputy Commissioner or District Magistrate, an officer belonging to the Indian Administrative Service. The district magistrate or the deputy commissioner is assisted by a number of officers belonging to Himachal Administrative Service and other Himachal state services. Each district is subdivided into Sub-Divisions, governed by a sub-divisional magistrate, and again into Blocks. Blocks consists of panchayats (village councils) and town municipalities. A Superintendent of Polic e, an officer belonging to the Indian Police Service is entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining law and order and related issues of the district. He is assisted by the officers of the Himachal Police Service and other Himachal Police officials.GovernmentMain article: Government of Himachal Pradesh Town Hall in Shimla.The Legislative Assembly of Himachal Pradesh has no pre-Constitution history. The State itself is a post-Independence creation. It came into being as a centrally administered territory on 15 April 1948 from the integration of thirty erstwhile princely states.Himachal Pradesh is governed through a parliamentary system of representative democracy, a feature the state shares with other Indian states. Universal suffrage is granted to residents. The legislature consists of elected members and special office bearers such as the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker who are elected by the members. Assembly meetings are presided over by the Speaker or the Deputy Speaker in th e Speaker's absence. The judiciary is composed of the Himachal Pradesh High Court and a system of lower courts. Executive authority is vested in the Council of Ministers headed by the Chief Minister, although the titular head of government is the Governor.The Governor is the head of state appointed by the President of India. The leader of the party or coalition with a majority in the Legislative Assembly  is appointed as the Chief Minister by the Governor, and the Council of Ministers are appointed by the Governor on the advice of the Chief Minister. The Council of Ministers reports to the Legislative Assembly. The Assembly is unicameral with 68 Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLA).[15] Terms of office run for 5 years, unless the Assembly is dissolved prior to the completion of the term. Auxiliary authorities known as panchayats, for which local body elections are regularly held, govern local affairs.Governments have seen alternates between Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and In dian National Congress (INC), no third front ever has become significant. In 2003, the state legislative assembly was won by the Indian National Congress and Virbhadra Singh was elected as the chief minister of the state. In the assembly elections held in December 2007, the BJP secured a landslide victory. The BJP won 41 of the 68 seats while the Congress won only 23 of the 68 seats. BJP's Prem Kumar Dhumal was sworn in as Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh on 30 December 2007.In the assembly elections held in November 2012, the Congress secured an absolute majority.[16] The Congress won 36 of the 68 seats while the BJP won only 26 of the 68 seats. Virbhadra Singh was sworn-in as Himachal Pradesh's Chief Minister for a record sixth term in Shimla on 25 December 2012. Virbhadra Singh who has held the top office in Himachal five times in the past, was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Urmila Singh at an open ceremony at the historic Ridge Maidan in Shimla.[17] Ch ief Ministers of Himachal PradeshYS+Parmar.jpg Thakur Ram Lal.jpg Virbhadra Singh HP.jpg Main article: List of Chief Ministers of Himachal PradeshYashwant Singh Parmar Thakur Ram Lal Shanta Kumar Virbhadra Singh Prem Kumar Dhumal Virbhadra SinghAgriculture Himalayas from Kullu ValleyAgriculture contributes nearly 45% to the net state domestic product. It is the main source of income as well as employment in Himachal. About 93% of the state population depends directly upon agriculture.However, agriculture in the state suffers from certain limitations, especially in the production of food grains. One of these reasons is that the area under cultivation can't be extended to an appreciable extent. Also, reclamation of land on slopes is not economical and increases environmental degradation. The state can profit more by cultivating cash crops as per the agro-climatic conditions.The main cereals grown in the state are wheat, maize, rice and barley. Kangra, Mandi and the Paonta valley of Si rmaur (to some extent) are the major producers of the first three cereals, while barley is mostly cultivated in Shimla.Though the state is deficient in food grains, it has gained a lot in other spheres of agricultural production such as seed potato, ginger, vegetables, vegetable seeds, mushrooms, chicory seeds, hops, olives and fig. Seed potato is mostly grown in the Shimla, Kullu and Lahaul areas. Special efforts are being made to promote cultivation of crops like olives, figs, hops, mushrooms, flowers, pistachio nuts, sarda melon and saffron.Fruit cultivation has also proved to be an economic boon. There are huge tracts of land suitable only for growing fruits. Fruit of all cultivation does not add to the problem of soil erosion and its employment potential is more than conventional farming. The yield per acre in terms of income is also much higher. Apple farming produces the maximum income. Fruit growing in the state is fetching over INR300 crore annually.Land husbandry initiativ es such as the Mid-Himalayan Watershed DevelopmentProject, which includes the Himachal Pradesh Reforestation Project (HPRP), the world’s largest clean development mechanism (CDM) undertaking, have improved agricultural yields and productivity, and raised rural household incomes.[18] EconomyMain article: Economy of Himachal Pradesh Gross State Domestic Product at Current Prices figures in millions of Indian Rupees Year Gross State Domestic Product1980 7,940 1985 13,720 1990 28,150 1995 66,980 2000 135,900 2005 230,240 2007 254,350The era of planning in Himachal Pradesh started 1948 along with the rest of India. The first five-year plan allocated INR5.27 crore to Himachal. More than 50% of this expenditure was incurred on road construction since it was felt that without proper transport facilities, the process of planning and development could not be carried to the people, who mostly lived an isolated existence in far away areas. Himachal now ranks fourth in respect of per capi ta income among the states of the Indian Union.Agriculture contributes over 45% to the net state domestic product. It is the main source of income and employment in Himachal. Over 93% of the population in Himachal depends directly upon agriculture which provides direct employment to 71% of its people. The main cereals grown are wheat, maize, rice and barley.Hydro Power is also one of the major source of income generation for the State.[19] Identified Hydroelectric Potential for the state is 23,000.43 MW in five rivers basins[20] i.e. (Yamuna, Satluj, Beas, Ravi and Chenab). HeritageHimachal has a rich heritage of handicrafts. These include woolen and pashmina shawls, carpets, silver and metal ware, embroidered chappals, grass shoes, Kangra and Gompa style paintings, wood work, horse-hair bangles, wooden and metal utensils and various other house hold items. These aesthetic and tasteful handicrafts declined under competition from machine made goods and also because of lack of marketi ng facilities. But now the demand for handicrafts has increased within and outside the country.Himachal is extremely rich in hydro electric resources. The state has about 25% of the national potential in this respect. It has been estimated that about 20,300MW of hydro electric power can be generated in the State by constructing various major, medium, small and mini/micro hydel projects on the five river basins. The state is also the first state in India to achieve the goal of having a bank account for every family.[citation needed] As per the current prices, the total GDP was estimated at INR25,435 crore as against INR23,024 crore in the year 2004–05, showing an increase of 10.5%.[21] TransportMain article: Transport in Himachal Pradesh Kalka-Shimla RailwayAir:State has three domestic airports in Shimla, Kullu and Kangra districts The air routes connect the state with Delhi and Chandigarh. Shimla Airport, which is around 21 km in west of city.Bhuntar Airport is in Kullu distr ict around 10 km away from district headquarter. Gaggal Airport is in Kangra district which is aorund 10 km from Kangra and 23 km from Dharamsala.Railway:Himachal is famous for its narrow gauge tracks railways, one is UNESCO World Heritage Kalka-Shimla Railway and another one is Pathankot–Jogindernagar. Total length of these two tracks is 259 km. Kalka-Shimla Railway track is  passes through lot of tunnels while Pathankot–Jogindernagar gently meanders through a maze of hills and valleys. It also has standard gauge railway track which connect Amb (Una district) to Delhi. Survey is being conducted to extend this railway line to Kangra (via Nadaun). Another proposed railway tracks in state are Baddi-Bilaspur, Dharamsala-Palampur and Bilaspur-Manali-Leh.Road:Roads are the major mode of transport in the hilly terrains. The state has road network of 28,208 km (17,528 mi),[22] including eight National Highways (NH) that constitute 1,234 km (767 mi) and 19 State Highways wit h total length of 1,625 km.[22] Some roads get closed during winter and monsoon seasons due to snowfall and landslides. It is quite interesting that Hamirpur, has got the highest road density in the country.[23] DemographicsTraditional home, Manali [show]Population Growth [show]Literacy RateHimachal Pradesh has a total population of 6,856,509 including 3,473,892 males and 3,382,617 females as per the provisional results of the Census of India 2011. This is only 0.57 per cent of India's total population, recording a growth of 12.81 per cent. Total fertility rate (TFR) per woman is 1.8 which is one of lowest in India.Himachal Pradesh has a literacy rate of 83.78 per cent and gender ratio at 974/1000, according to the 2011 Census figures.Census-wise, the state is placed 21st on the population chart followed by Tripura at 22nd place. Kangra district was top ranked with a population strength of 1,507,223 (21.98%), Mandi district 999,518 (14.58%), Shimla district 813,384 (11.86%), Solan d istrict 576,670 (8.41%), Sirmaur district 530,164 (7.73%), Una district 521,057 (7.60%), Chamba district 518,844 (7.57%), Hamirpur district 454,293 (6.63%), Kullu district 437,474 (6.38%),  Bilaspur district 382,056 (5.57%), Kinnaur district 84,298 (1.23%) and Lahaul Spiti 31,528 (0.46%).The main communities are Rajputs, Rathis, Brahmins and Ghirth. The Ghirth (choudhary) community is found mainly in Kangra District. Himachal has a sizeable population of Tibetans. Himachal Pradesh has the one of the highest proportion of Hindu population in India (95%). Other religions that form a small percentage are Buddhism and Sikhism. The Lahaulis of Lahaul and Spiti region are mainly Buddhists. Sikhs mostly live in towns and cities and constitute 1.23% of the state population.For example they form 10% of the population in Una District adjoining the state of Punjab and 17% in Shimla, the state capital. The Buddhists are mainly natives and tribals from Lahaul and Spiti, where they form majorit y of 60% and Kinnaur where they form 40%, however the bulk are refugees from Tibet.[25] The Muslims constitute slightly 1.63% of the population of Himachal Pradesh.The life expectancy at birth in Himachal Pradesh is 62.8 years (higher than the national average of 57.7 years) for 1986–1990. The infant mortality rate stood at 40 in 2010 and crude birth rate has declined from 37.3 in 1971 to 16.9 in 2010, below the national average of 26.5 in 1998. The crude death rate was 6.9 in 2010. Himachal Pradesh's literacy rate grew by 34.65% between 1981 and 2001.LanguagesHindi is both the official language and the lingua franca of Himachal Pradesh. However, much of the population speaks Pahari, which includes nearly all Western Pahari dialects. Medium of education in schools and colleges is Hindi, Punjabi, and English.CultureMain article: Culture of Himachal Pradesh `Kullu Dussehra festival The village of Nako in Kinnaur, Himachal PradeshHimachal was one of the few states that had remai ned largely untouched by external customs, largely due to its difficult terrain. With the technological advancements the state has changed very rapidly. It is a  multireligional, multicultural as well as multilingual state like other Indian states. Some of the most commonly spoken languages includes Hindi, Pahari, Dogri, Mandeali Kangri, Mandyali, Gojri and Kinnauri. The caste communities residing in Himachal include the Brahmins, Rajputs, Gujjars, Gaddis, Ghirth (choudhary), Kannets, Rathis and Kolis, Sood There are tribal populations in the state which mainly comprise Kinnars, Pangawals, Sulehria, and Lahaulis.The state is well known for its handicrafts. The carpets, leather works, shawls, metalware, woodwork and paintings are worth appreciating. Pashmina shawls are a product that is highly in demand in Himachal and all over the country. Himachali caps are famous art work of the people. Extreme cold winters of Himachal necessitated wool weaving. Nearly every household in Himacha l owns a pit-loom. Wool is considered as pure and is used as a ritual cloth. The well-known woven object is the shawl, ranging from fine pashmina to the coarse desar. Kullu is famous for its shawls with striking patterns and vibrant colours. Kangra and Dharamshala are famous for Kangra miniature paintings.Local music and dance reflect the cultural identity of the state. Through their dance and music, they entreat their gods during local festivals and other special occasions. Apart from the fairs and festivals that are celebrated all over India, there are number of other fairs and festivals that are of great significance to Himachal Pradesh.Shimla, the state capital, is home to Asia's only natural ice skating rink.FoodThe day to day diet of Himachalis is though similar to the rest of north India but is unique for its taste and ingredients used. They have lentil, rice, and vegetables. The rotis (breads) are made of flours like wheat and maze. Some of the specialties of the Himachali c uisine include Mandra, Maahni, Batt, Mitha Saloona, Bhujju, Saag, Palda, Redhu, chouck, bhagjery, jhoul,siddu/batooru, beduan, chutney, khatti dal, etc. Famous peopleProminent people associated with Himachal include The Great Khali, Anupam Kher, Amrish Puri (who studied here), Prem Chopra (brought up here), Mohit Chauhan, Anand Sharma (member of Rajya Sabha and Union Cabinet Minister for Commerce and Industry of the Government of India), Third Supreme Court Chief-Justice and former Prime Minister of Kashmir in 1947 Mehr Chand Mahajan, economist and former vice-president of World Bank Shahid Javed Burki, NSG Commando, Pritam Singh, Bollywood actresses Preity Zinta is the brand ambassador of the state while other famous people from Hindi cinema are Kangna Ranaut, Hollywood actress Namrata Singh Gujral, Satyananda Stokes who introduced the company â€Å"apple† in the region, writer Idries Shah, ornithologist Allan Octavian Hume (had his home here); former general of Pakistan Muh ammad Zia-ul-Haq and current president of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai who both studied here.Vijay Kumar won silver medal in 25m shooting in 2012 Summer Olympics belong to village Harsore near Barsar in Hamirpur district. EducationMain articles: Education in Himachal Pradesh and List of institutions of higher education in Himachal Pradesh Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital at ShimlaIndian Institute of Advanced Study at Shimla National Institute of Technology, Hamirpur, (Admin block)Himachal Pradesh has one of the highest literacy rates in India next to Kerala.[31] Hamirpur District is among the top districts in the country for literacy.[31] Education rates among women are quite encouraging in the state.[31] The standard of education in the state has reached a considerably high level as compared to other states in India[31] with several reputed educational institutes for higher studies.The Indian Institute of Technology Mandi, Himachal Pradesh University Shimla, Institute of Hima layan Bioresource Technology (IHBT, CSIR Lab), Palampur, the National Institute of Technology, Hamirpur, the Central University Dharamshala, the Baddi University of Emerging Sciences and Technologies Baddi, the Jaypee University of Information Technology Waknaghat, Eternal University, Sirmaur & Chitkara University Solan are some of the pioneer  universities in the state.CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishwavidyalya Palampur is one of the most renowned hill agriculture institutes in world. Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry has earned a unique distinction in India for imparting teaching, research and extension education in horticulture, forestry and allied disciplines. Further, state-run Jawaharlal Nehru Government Engineering College started in 2006 at Sundernagar is an important milestone in higher technical education in the state.The state government is working constantly to prepare plans and projects to strengthen the education system. The state gove rnment decided to start three nursing colleges to develop the health system.There are over 10,000 primary schools, 1,000 secondary schools and more than 1,300 high schools in Himachal. The state government has decided to start three major nursing colleges to develop the health system in the state.[31] In meeting the constitutional obligation to make primary education compulsory, Himachal has became the first state in India to make elementary education accessible to every child.The state has Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital, Homoeopathic Medical College & Hospital, Kumarhatti. Besides that there is Himachal Dental College which is the state's first recognised dental institute

A View of Views In Favor Of Making 18 the Legal Age Of Alcohol Consumption

A View of Views In Favor Of Making 18 the Legal Age Of Alcohol Consumption The United States’ current minimum drinking age is 21. This age is unrealistic due to the fact that the legal age of adulthood is 18. Drinking under the age of 21 is permitted by law in certain states under some exceptions, such as for religious practices, educational purposes, and on private property with parental consent. Many important life decisions can be made at the age of 18, therefore drinking is no different from the rest of those decisions. Introducing alcohol at an age younger than 21 gives teens the opportunity to learn moderation from their parents and other adults. So is keeping the minimum drinking age at 21 protecting young adults, or is it driving them to binge drinking in unsafe environments without supervision? The law against drinking under the age of 21 gives no chance of exposure for younger kids.Children are taught in school to stay as far away from alcohol as possible. This, in effect, leads to a â€Å"forbidden fruit† syndrome. Drinking alcohol is made out to be a taboo instead of being portrayed as an enjoyable, social activity. The problem with having the legal drinking age so high is that during the time leading up to that age, people are not given proper education on alcohol. Instead of learning how to drink in moderation and in safe environments, the education received on it is often a negative one that aims towards prohibition rather than safe drinking. Young adolescents emerging into adulthood go out and drink with their friends regardless of the law. There is no supervision or guidance, and the lack of education of it can lead to binge drinking and addiction. Today, the U.S. is one of the few developed countries that enforce a minimum drinking age of 21. Many countries in Europe such as Denmark, Germany, Spain, and Switzerland allow their youth to consume alcohol in public places at the age of 16 or 17. Keeping the minimum drinking age at 21 is not effective in stopping people under the age of 21 from consuming it. It is only driving the consummation further and further underground. Our federal government is overextending its reach into state affairs by withholding ten percent of funding for highways for any state that doesn’t keep the minimum drinking age at 21. This results in many states leaving the age at 21 as to avoid being exempt from receiving billions of dollars from the government for their highways. Is it right for the government to withhold the benefits entitled to these states to force their own opinion in laws that should be under state authority? The federal government is overstepping its bounds in this situation. On the other hand, the legal age of adulthood is 18, but is it adulthood? Adulthood is defined by three things: taking responsibility, making independent decisions, and becoming financially independent. If a young adult is displaying all these qualities, shouldn’t he be granted all the rights and privileges of being an adult? Lowering the drinking age would decrease alcohol-related injuries because young people would no longer be hesitant to seek medical attention due to the illegality of their consummation. Many unnecessary deaths occur every year because 18-20 year olds are too afraid of the consequences of getting caught with possession of alcohol rather than to assure the well-being of their peers. So this sparks the question, are emerging adults mature enough to handle the allowance of alcohol consumption? Will they make the right choices? Decreasing the legal drinking age could result in more vehicle accidents related to driving under the influence. But giving a legal adult the freedom to drink may also give them the power to make more mature decisions. At the age of 18, one is able to get married, vote, serve in the U.S. military, and is legally considered an adult. If one is old enough to take part in deciding who the next president of the United States of America will be, sign legal documents, purchase a home, then a mature decision to drink is a definite capability. When a boy turns 18, he is considered a man in the eyes of his father, his family, and even the law, yet he is still considered too immature and too much of a safety hazard to consume alcohol. How can this be justified? If a man can die for his country at the age of 18, can he not drink a beer? Young adults are restricted and told not to drink until they are old enough. Who gets to say how old is old enough? Children and young adults are offered little to no exposure to alcohol. Education on alcohol consumption is aimed towards prohibition rather than safe drinking. At the age of 18, a person is considered an adult and is granted all the rights and privileges of adulthood except for consuming alcohol. The federal government indirectly keeps states from lowering the age to 18. Lowering the age would decrease under-age drinking accidents and fatalities. The law keeping the age of alcohol consumption at 21 is doing more harm to society rather than letting society benefit from this law. The legal age for alcohol consumption should be the same age as the legal age of adulthood.

Introduction to business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Introduction to business - Essay Example Deeply Responsible Company Contributing positively to our communities and environment is so important to Starbucks that it’s one of the six guiding principles of our mission statement† (Starbucks Home Page 2008). In order to respond to social responsibility issues, star bucks make them as a core of its business strategies. Talking about its product, Starbucks underlines: â€Å"We’re passionate about ethically sourcing the finest coffee beans, roasting them with great care, and improving the lives of people who grow them. We care deeply about all of this; our work is never done† (Starbucks Home Page 2008). This statement shows that as a well-managed company of today, Starbucks will make every effort to meet its obligations to society (Moon and Quelch 2002). To help them with this, some companies have written objectives and policies in this area. In spite of this, social objectives and goals exist in an area that is not always easy to assess and objectively appraise. Just because it is not easy is no excuse for not trying to do something constructive about it (Beauchamp and Bowie 2003). To gain some semblance of control in this area and to make certain that social objectives are actually being met, more companies have started using a social audit to measure, monitor, and evaluate the contributions that the company is making to society. As helpful as an information and social responsibility status report might be to both the company and the stockholders, care must be taken in generating this data and the resulting report. The company must determine the best medium for disclosing the information to the public. The disclosure medium, whether a specific section of an annual report or a separate document, must be devoted to social responsibility activities in order to show in a meaningful and effective manner the interrelationship of company resources and company commitments (Carroll and Gannon 1997). In order to meet social responsibility principles, Starbucks

The Making of a Minority President Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Making of a Minority President - Essay Example John Edwards is the only Democratic white male that has a realistic opportunity of getting the nomination. The coming primary is a storm of historic proportions looming on the electoral landscape that could become a world-changing event. Democrats will have to decide whether to run for high ground, seek shelter, or weather the storm and face the adverse winds of political change. In many ways the events and polls leading up to the Democratic primaries have been a study in contradiction. In a Gallup Poll in the summer of 2007, Blacks selected Clinton as more favorable than Barak Obama. Hispanics favored Clinton ahead of the Latino Richardson. However, white voters see her as a liability and give her an unfavorable rating (Jones). While she leads in the national polling among all voters, nearly one-third of those polled said they would be less likely to vote for her because of her gender (Seelye and Sussman). Clinton's race and gender have been no friend to her in the polls and much of her support comes from Black and Hispanic males. Governor Bill Richardson is probably the most qualified candidate to deal with the benchmark issues of foreign policy, energy, and immigration ("The Man from New Mexico"). Yet, he is like an undiscovered treasure at a yard sale. He is unnoticed, unappreciated, and his low price tag offers no hint to the value contained within. Des pite the high profile positions that he has held with state and federal administrations, he is one of the least recognizable candidates. All these counter-intuitive poll numbers may add up to the possibility of a much stronger coalition when the candidate is selected, and a greater chance of a minority candidate winning the White House. However, the nominee will need to be careful to keep race, ethnicity, and gender out of the spotlight. The race will need to remain focused on the issues and the candidate's qualifications. Bringing attention to the minority status may uncover the prejudice and bias that lies beneath a thin veil of justice. America has had a dismal track record of minorities in presidential elections. While diversity is like a ray of hope on the landscape of equality, the light may also awaken old fears. These fears have the potential to tear holes in the coalition and leave the Democratic Party in disarray. The biases that bubble beneath America's ideal of equality can be seen in Richardson's candidacy. He is a centrist on immigration policy and favors tough border enforcement, fines for illegal entry, mandatory English, and a strict process to citizenship (Richardson). However, the opposition may spread panic among the electorate by negative ads that promote his ties to the Hispanic community and the myth of lost jobs and depressed wages for White and Black American workers. Richardson could find himself defending a policy that is unknown to most voters. The time and money spent defending himself against these racially based charges would detract from the more important issue of Iraq where Democrats have an advantage. It is likely that any minority candidate will be able to garner a majority of the traditional Democratic base. There are indications of much greater interest in the election among all the minority camps than in years past. Though Clinton currently is more favored than Richardson in the Hispanic comm

Philosophy, Enlightenment and Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Philosophy, Enlightenment and Education - Essay Example This discussion declares that studying educational history is essential in the enhancement of contexts of institutions and ideas by underscoring the traditions that provided the foundations of early education. In speaking of the existence and development of formal education, Plato has a specific consideration given that his main ideas of education have over history formed the basis of educational influences that children are aesthetically imparted with. Plato helped in musing the educational ideas by focusing on the role of play to children and the aesthetic influence of early education. Basically, the view according to Plato with regard to education was that it was a rightly disciplined feeling of pain and pleasure in a child that enabled them to acquire core societal values. In this essay, the core concept shall be on the highlighting the reasons why Plato put much emphasis on the controlling of the children’s exposure to aesthetic influences in early education.  From the report it is clear that  Plato is a great and renowned Greek philosopher and mathematician of the medieval times whose philosophy is considered to have had a great impact on the level of education in practice by most educational systems right from the early childhood stages. In the traditional Greek settings, the idea of education for the young children was founded on the need to educate them to be able to know how to use swords, ride on horses, be equipped for warfare and use hunting tools accordingly.

Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 19

Report - Essay Example ?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Citizen Watchdog Coordinator  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   InterNews  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Eipalei@INTERNEWS.ORG The report’s contents include; table of content, executive summary, report text, introduction, project statement, and methods used findings, analysis, conclusion and agenda (reference, appendices) remember to look at the recommendations so that you take the necessary steps as we agreed during our last focus group discussion. Inter-news’  liberated and Fair Media program focuses on election related issues not only in Kenya but the entire continent of Africa by analyzing its media coverage of emerging and sensitive issues (Stifftung , 2012). The program is aimed at monitoring various radio stations in the country to ascertain their coverage of the electioneering period that is; Pre-election period, Election Campaign period, Polling Day and the Results announcing day. This monitoring project involves monitoring dangerous speech in the media and the role of the media in promoting peace and conflict mitigation. There are different media topics being covered including, including gender, dangerous speech, issue based coverage, fairness and balance. The report looks into the challenges that the radio station faced and recommendations that when implemented could improve the situation. The report also documents the findings by the media monitors in the period 1st January – 9th March 2013. All cases of hate speech that were reported were independently verified. The geographical scope of the content covered was primarily national. This survey indicates that in most of the programs monitored, it is male

Organized Crime Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Organized Crime - Research Paper Example Keywords: organized crime, criminal behavior, business organization, profit Description or definition of organized crime Organized crime could be defined or described in such a way there would be involvement of people in illegal activities that are obviously for monetary gain, which could only be implemented by influencing others to join and intimidating, harming or killing those who get in their way. In other words, there is an inclusion of criminal organization which has the potential to put all possible crimes in order, so as to generate its entire advantage or benefit. What makes these kinds of criminal groups so powerful is due to the fact that they are highly have strong connection with legitimate businesses and political entities (Lyman & Potter, 2007). In other words, they have substantial power that would be enough to mobilize their entire machinery and force even if they would either be operating together or apart. These groups therefore should have adapted a powerful syste m that has the purpose of not destabilizing their entire organizational objectives, but rather obtaining them for them to perpetuate their staying in power. Organized crime can also be potentially defined based on evidences (Lyman & Potter, 2007). However Lyman and Potter point out that these could be subjected to different interpretations. This makes it hard enough to substantially define or describe organized crime without any presence of ambiguity or subjectivity. In fact, American debate existed for a long while whether organized crime really existed. However, there has been a productive way to look at the organized crime in detail. This can be implemented by understanding principles from legitimate business organizations (Mallory, 2007). After all, organized crime is highly concerned with monetary gain so it is not far from normal business organizations on how it exactly operates. What makes it however different from common business organizations is the presence of illegal acti vities and even heinous crimes if it would be necessary just to ensure achievement of its organizational objectives. My perception compared to the readings I perceived that this is how Russian Mafia, Italian Mafia and biker clubs operate. Their activities involved people for illegal actions in order to achieve monetary gain which could only be made possible if there is influential move, intimidation and killing from the part of groups which actually organized the crime. I think my perception based on the ideas presented in the textbooks is a bit more specific which needs to be interpreted from the general point of view of understanding organized crime. However, consistent with how the textbooks defined it, my perception about organized crime involves the idea of business and highly systematic and illegal ways of making profit. In other words, just as how the normal business operates, there is entirely no difference when it comes to how the organized crime functions. However, on how it acquired profitability may be a bit of an issue and this would substantially qualify organized crime as it is. A usual business organization following the law does not need to inflict any criminal means just to ensure achievement of profit. Although this might be too broad in context, as there are also typical organizations deliberately commit crimes such as tax evasions or avoidance, organized crime may be more systematic and should be identified on the nature or context of its

Reasearch Methods r Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Reasearch Methods r - Essay Example For questionnaires to result in the collection of accurate, large volumes of data, planning and developing an effective questionnaire is very essential. The survey carried out for the research project in hand may turn out to be useless if sufficient time and thought are not spent in questionnaire construction. Mistakes such as irrelevant questions, wrong wording of questions, bad format, biased questions etc. can destroy the purpose to be accomplished. Therefore, whenever we are using questionnaires as a method to collect data for our research projects, we must ensure that we have developed an effective questionnaire that meets all the needs of our project and would ultimately result in the gathering of all intended information we seek to obtain. Only then can we proceed ahead with the distribution of the questionnaires and finally the tabulation and reporting of results. Developing a good questionnaire is not an easy task and requires significant skills. A specific procedure is to be followed when developing one. Before you start with anything, you first need to determine exactly what problem or need you are trying to address through this research project and how it will be done using the information obtained from the questionnaires This will help you develop relevant questions that in turn help you to obtain accurate information. Then you need to determine your audience, i.e., from whom you need to obtain the required data and also How If your audience is very large, it is better to first give out the questionnaires to a smaller randomly selected group to ensure that the questionnaire is achieving the purpose for which it is developed. Next, you need to decide on the format of your questionnaire. Would you use a free format or a fixed format questionnaire These types are discussed in the later section. Usually, a combination of these two is used. H aving decided upon the format, the next task is to write the questions. As you write them, check them for any construction errors. Also ensure that they are properly worded and do not result in any misinterpretations on the respondents part. The questions should also be free of any personal bias. It is also important to identify yourself at the beginning. Moreover, questions framed should arouse the respondents' interest. Care should also be taken to ensure that you slowly move from general to more specific questions. Specific questions should not be asked directly. If any mistakes are found, edit the questions. Types of Questionnaires: Questionnaires can broadly be classified into fixed format and free format questionnaires. A fixed format questionnaire is one that contains questions that require the respondent to only select from the choices already provided. In other words, it provides little freedom to the respondent and uses closed ended questions. In contrast, a free format questionnaire provides a lot of latitude to the respondent by allowing the respondent to write the answer in his own words rather than merely selecting it. It makes use of open ended questions. Types of Questions: As mentioned above, there are two main types of questions: closed ended or open ended.2 Closed ended questions are those that restrict the user by providing him with options to choose from. Example: Do you smoke Yes No In contrast, open ended questi

Employment Essay Example for Free

Employment Essay Overview: An elementary toy that is due to be shipped at the end of the week has failed quality control testing. A metal whistle has been shown to exceed the federal regulation guidelines for lead. The testing process showed the lead level for this particular toy tested at 103 parts per million. The federal guidelines dictate that toys cannot contain lead with more than 100 parts per million (OSHA, 2013). The projected cost to conform to federal guidelines and replace the whistle are projected to cost 0,000. This should take 3 weeks for completion. Facts: Lead is naturally occurring, but it can be toxic to humans (EPA, 2013). It can cause serious medical conditions, such as, hearing loss, learning disabilities, physical growth retardation and neurological damage. Lead gathers in the body quickly and increases at a fast pace if it exceeds federal guidelines. Children because of their size are more susceptible to lead poisoning than an adult. Children are curious by nature and often place themselves in danger without realizing it. Children often investigate by touching, placing objects in their mouths and then sharing with others. These actions can cause lead poisoning to occur. Although the cost to replace the whistle is considerable, this is a small price in the long run. Our company will retain customers by providing customer satisfaction by replacing the faulty whistle. This will also save the company money in costly legal fees by facing our responsibilities now. Our company needs to ensure that we have identified all involved when considering our options. It would be remiss of our company to not consider the parents, dealers, and stakeholders with an interest in the company. Parents—trust our company to produce products that are safe Vendors—sell our company’s products and assume reliable construction Employees—rely on our company to sell products to continue to receive money for the work they have provided Investors—hold an interest in how the company’s actions and decisions affect employees, customers, and overall viability Options to Consider: Cost Monetary—Reproduction costs, fines, legal fees, litigation and income Vendor Relationships—strained relations, decrease in customer relationships Reputation—loss of customers Employment – layoffs Time Length—reproduction time, construct reputation and relationships Reasonable—ability to get products to customers Ethical Responsibility—employees, vendors, parents, children, investors Due diligence—don’t take risks, maintain ethical position, weigh all the options The options listed help define possible reasons for possible lawsuits and probable fines if the product is found defective. Our company needs to consider alternative options to fine a viable solution. Three options will be discussed in detail to be considered. Cost Considerations The yearly budget is not far from thought and to remain within budget we must consider the option of shipping the product as it stands now. The amount of lead was only slightly above the federal recommended guidelines. We would be able to get the product to our customer on time and without added cost. However, the children may be subjected to possible lead poisoning. Depending upon the extent of exposure, this could lead to detrimental side effects. This would leave the company open to the risk of legal action and may have a devastating effect on investors, employees and the company not to mention the children harmed. Legal action against our company would be costly. The fines can be as much as $100,000 per violation with $15,000,000 for a series of violations (Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, 2008). We would most definitely have a series of violations, but more importantly our relationship with our customers would be damaged. The company’s reputation would be in tatters. Ethical Considerations Our company has a moral obligation to keep our customers safe. The code of ethics within our company is to be honest and provide protection to the children who play with our products. The overall cost to our company is how big of a risk are we willing to take. Our company needs to decide if business growth and profit is more important than the risk we would be taking in delivering those toys to children. Reproducing the whistles is ethically correct, however doing so will impact our vendors by missing out on peak sales. This may lead to other companies replacing our company and products, which will lead to overall revenue losses and possible employee layoffs. On the other hand, if we replace the defective whistles, parents will believe in our company because we ensure our products meet the federal guidelines for safety. This alone may increase revenue. Our company has a responsibility to meet the federal guidelines. This protects our company from costly fines and legal proceedings. Most importantly, we protect our customers—parent and children. Risk is good, but not when it can potentially kill children. Time Considerations Our company cannot dismiss time considerations when discussing the impact on business. We can dismiss the time consideration when we consider the risk of legal implications upon our business. First, our company can notify our vendors and customers that we plan to substitute a like item for the whistle in our elementary toy collection. This would allow us to move ahead with the current shipping date. This would cost considerably less than reproducing the whistle. Secondly, we can notify our vendors and customers that the whistle has been removed from the elementary toy collection and offer a credit towards future purchases. The company would still incur a monetary loss, but retain vendor and customer relations. Thirdly, the vendors and customers would have an option to wait for the whistle to be reproduced. Should the vendors and customers choose this option, we can reproduce the whistles, but reduce the overall number of whistles to be replaced. This would still cause the company to incur a monetary loss, but retain positive relationships with our vendors and customers. The options outlined are viable. We can maintain company integrity, provide protection to our company, employees, investors, and customers. Following federal recommended guidelines will secure our position in the business realm and provide longevity for all involved. Our company would take a risk by announcing the problem with the whistle, but we would be able to highlight our commitment to protect our customers. We would be able to convey we place safety over profit. This would help raise consumer confidence, avoid legal implications, and retain satisfied customers. Recommendation: Notification of our vendors and customers is the best option. We know how much lead is in our product and how much is considered safe per federal guidelines. We need to be honest in our business dealings and not take unethical risks for profit. We also need to find a cost effective material that has reduced lead readings to replace any future whistles. Our commitment to protect everyone involved cannot be taken lightly. We should begin notifying customers affected by this product and shipment. We should advise them the order must be changed and the circumstances that require this change. We should allow our customers to make an informed decision and then find out how they would wish to proceed. We would then be placing any liability into the customer’s hands, as we made every effort to right a wrong. This will help preserve our relationships with vendors and customers. As a company, we need to minimize risks that are ethically and legally wrong. We need to be socially responsible and have strong relationships with our employees, vendors, customers, and investors. Longevity is everything in business and by following these rules, our company will have vendors, customers, investors and employees who want to be there and not forced to be there. Moral, ethical, and responsibility are keywords within my own personal mantra. I believe striving to be morally, ethically and socially responsible helps have a positive impact on business and personal endeavors. These traits provide positive contributions both in business and society. I believe our company has strong moral and ethical values. Thus, we cannot allow this shipment to proceed. This would be hypocrisy and go against not only my own beliefs but the company’s code of ethics. I understand the cost is considerable to replace the toy, but by replacing the whistle we have an increased positive impact in our own company, customer base, investors, and employees. Finally, we are showing social responsibility and will set a standard in our industry as a leader. We cannot be a leader by taking unnecessary risks children’s lives.

Unethical And Immoral Behaviors In Chinas Modern Market Economy Business Essay

Unethical And Immoral Behaviors In Chinas Modern Market Economy Business Essay With China stepping in the transform from traditional planned economy to modern market economy, a lot of unethical and immoral behaviors exist in its economic area during the process of economic system conversion and social transformation. It may cause by immature education level and economics growth too quickly. Sanlu Milk Incident, which has attracted great attention from all Chinese people, especially that from the Party Central Committee, is attributed to many aspects. Although it may be a serious incident of Chinese enterprise toward global market, but it may wake up the attention of Chinese government and management toward ethical business on the responsibility on customer. description on the milk scandal The toxic milk scandal became public in August 2008 with the disclosure that the baby formula produced by Sanlu was contaminated with melamine, which caused kidney failure among the babies who consumed it. However, until the Chinese Health Ministry confirmed on Sep 12, 2008, that the milk powder produced by Sanlu was contaminated by melamine, neither the government nor the company took any actions to warn the public. Later, government inspections reported that the products of 21 other dairy firms were also contaminated with melamine. Even as the milk scandal unfolded, many countries like Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea, Australia, and Indonesia rushed to ban Chinese dairy products. Foreign companies which sold China made products or products which used Chinese ingredients had to recall their products. overview of food industry business ethics Significance of business ethics Nowadays, the issue of business ethics comes to peoples mind more frequently especially in the food industry since food are the essential items for human and it will affect our health directly. In 2004, the use of hair in the production of soya sauce was exposed and made headlines in the press. Moreover, there is many more news about China how they use very cheap material like industrial acid and oil to mix into their food products in order to minimize the introduction costs. As a developing country, business in China is developing very rapidly. It is now playing a more decisive role in social life and almost all people would be involved in business activities. As a result, unethical business behavior would have negative influence towards society. Hence, society is now more concerned with the issue of business ethics. Since the Chinese foods are now exported all over the world, ethical practice of Chinese enterprise issues are the key factors to be success. General perception on business ethics in food industry There is much news recently that related to food safety in world wide. Therefore, consumers have three types of ethical concerns toward food industry. Methods of Production and Distribution The production of food raises a number of issues that need to be considered. The packaged food industry essentially consists of manufacturing using farm produce. Clearly hygiene, quality control, health and safety considerations are of great importance. The following are among the issues that should be considered as per my knowledge: 1. Animal welfare in the meat products industry. 2. Use of child or bonded labour, or employment of illegal immigrants. 3. The International Labor Organization (ILO) standards provide useful benchmarks in this area. 4. Improper use of the pesticides, antibiotics, and other chemicals. 5. Misuse of water resources and the consequent impact on local farmers 6. Good quality control of the food supply 7. Ensure the material supply and healthy to human 8. Use environmental friendly packaging as much as possible for the packaging 9. Inform the actual gradients of the food contented 10. Inform the public immediately once unhealthy food was produced and distribute to market According to our observation toward Chinese business, their objective of the business is only generating profits as much as possible. The ethical senses are not significance within the society. Reason behinds the widespread sufferings of the infants According to the case content, there is several factors lead to this hazard. On Sanlu In fact, Sanlu acknowledged the problem far beyond the serious ha affects hazard explored in 2008. From the case content, there were several customer complained the problem to Sanlu about the ill effect of taking the milk by infants. However, Sanlu chose not to launch this news to alarm general public due to they do not wanted to affect its sales and image. In addition, they were not willing to import the sophisticated milk test machine from overseas. On Government First, we believed that Chinese government has too much confidence on the self governance by the enterprise especially on Sanlu these big companies. One of the regulations implemented was the inspection-free policy. A company would not be required to undergo inspection for a period of 3 years if it can meet the following three requirements: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Product with stable quality à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ High market share à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ passed the inspection for more than 3 consecutive times However, past performance did not reflect that there will be not problems in future. Since, the demand of Chinese milk increased significantly and the milk supply source has been polluted, the problem got serious in 2008. If Chinese government inspected the quality of Sanlu continuously, the situation will be under controlled. Moreover, the respond of the milk incident was too slow to control the situation. The Shijiazhang government and the Communist Party of China did not report about the said issue to the provincial and state level authorities till 9 Sep, 2008. At that time, about 53000 infants were already affected. On the steadily growth market and growth strategy of Sanlu Since there is high demand in milk industry and there is not strict control over the milk supply, more and more farmer and agent joined the supply market for making money. The situation got worse after the Mengniu and Yili enter into the Hebei market because the supply of milk was tight in this fast growth market. Since the milk demand from Sanlu and other company increased steadily, the market collection station cannot get enough milk for production. Since it is a profitable market to sell milk to these producers, many middlemen aroused and sell the milk to Sanlu directly. They were not ethical enough since they had diluted the milk to increase the supply volume for more profit and they added this melamine into the milk which was harmful to infants. Since not quality inspection from milk station, this toxic milk was finally gone into the market and lead to the milk scandal finally. Sanlu also needed to responsible on this issue since its growth strategy in market share made they ign ore the quality control by milk station and make this incident. Finally, the covered error of the milk scandal did not made the problem dismissed. Reversely, it generated a serious problem not only about the image destroyed of Sanlu its own but also the image of Chinese milk products, hundred thousand of farmer made not income and needed to kill all of their cows as well as thousands of infant were suffered from Kidney stone. If proper action has been done, the situation will be better. Sanlu and Government actions toward the milk scandal On September 17, 2008, the Chinese Health Minister, announced that melamine contaminated milk had led to more than 6,200 children falling ill in the country and over 150 children suffered acute kidney failure. Six days later it was announced that four children had died and the number of children falling ill had increased to 54,000. On Sanlus production and management actions On September 12, 2008, the Hebei provincial government ordered Sanlu to stop production after preliminary investigation confirmed that melamine contaminated baby formula was the reason for kidney stones among children. The company was also ordered to stop sales of all brands of its baby formula, recall its products, and destroy all the products that were unsold and recalled. Also Sanlu set up a fund of 800,000,000 yuan, which 700,000,000 yuan was estimated to be the compensation amount that the compensation amount that the company needed to pay to its customer such as refund, hospital expenses and compensation on sick or death of the infants. On September 15, 2008, Sanlu had issued a public apology of its role in the milk scandal. Zhang Zhenling (Zhenling), Vice President of Sanlu, read out a letter of apology at a news conference in Shijiazhuang, The serious safety accident of the Sanlu formula milk powder for infants has caused severe harm to many sickened babies and their families. We feel really sad about this. Sanlu Group expresses its most sincere apology to you. We solemnly declare we will recall all the infant milk powder produced prior to August 6. And for those produced after that date, we will also make a recall if consumers have doubts and worries.15 Later, Sanlu also sacked Wenhua. On Government actions The Health Ministry informed the World Health Organization, Hong Kong, and Macaus health departments, the New Zealand Embassy in China, and the press about the melamine contamination in baby formula. The Ministry also announced that a free medical checkup would be given to affected children. It sent medical specialists to hospitals across China to help treat the affected children. Started from September 2008, the Chinese government started a nationwide inspection of baby milk powder. It announced that liquid milk products including packaged milk and yoghurt would be checked for melamine contamination. On September 16, 2008, GAQSIQ announced an inspection of all Chinese baby milk powder makers and found traces of melamine in 69 batches of baby formula produced by 22 companies including brands like Mengniu,12 Yili,13 and Bright Dairy.14 After the inspection, these dairy firms were ordered to stop new production and sale of dairy products. As the milk scandal escalated, steps were also taken against some government officials. While some of them were sacked, some of them resigned owning moral responsibility. On September 17, 2008, Ji Chuntang, Vice-Secretary of the Shijiazhuang Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Mayor of Shijiazhuang, was removed from his job. Earlier, four officials including the Vice Mayor in charge of agricultural production, the Director of Shijiazhuang Municipal Animal Husbandry and Fishery Bureau, the Director of Shijiazhuang Municipal Food and Drug Administration, and the Director of Shijiazhuang Municipal Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision were dismissed. On September 22, 2008, Li Changjiang, the Director of GAQSIQ, resigned. On September 26, 2008, four executives of Sanlu including Wenhua were arrested for producing and selling sub-standard products. Milk dealers and suppliers were also arrested for selling contaminated milk to dairy companies. Jiabao, the then Premier of the State Council of the Peoples Republic of China, said, The government will put more efforts into food security, taking the incident as a warning. What we are trying to do is to ensure no such event happens in future, by punishing those responsible leaders as well as enterprises. None of those companies lacking professional ethics or social morals will be let off.16 In an effort to restore confidence among domestic and international consumers, the Chinese government introduced a new set of quality control standards which included strict limits for melamine in dairy products. In the case of infant formula, the limit was set at one milligram of melamine per kilogram and the limit for liquid milk at 2.5 milligrams per kilogram. On October 09, 2008, in an effort to stimulate the dairy industry of China, the Chinese government announced an emergency rescue plan for the affected dairy farmers. The government planned to give 300 million Yuan in subsidy. In addition, the interest rate for loans granted to dairy producers to buy raw milk was also reduced by 3 percent for the period between October and December in 2008. Some local governments in China had also promised to give a subsidy to the dairy farmers. For example, the Hebei province had allocated 316 million Yuan (US$46.4 million) as subsidies to dairy farmers. The dairy companies in China had to recall several thousand tons of melamine contaminated milk products. Sanlu was ordered to recall its products immediately after the Hebei provincial government found melamine contamination in its baby formula. After GAQSIQ had found melamine contamination in the products of 22 Chinese dairy companies, they were also asked to recall their products. On October 15, 2008, GAQSIQ ordered recall of all dairy products made before September 14, 2008. According to a notice issued by the agency, All supermarkets, shops, and all city, town, and village-level vendors will urgently remove and seal up all milk powder and liquid milk made before September, pending further testing. On December 27, 2008, it was announced by the Chinas Dairy Industry Association that the affected children and their families would get compensation from the 22 companies found guilty of producing and selling contaminated milk powder. According to the statement issued by the Association, The enterprises offered to shoulder the compensation liability. By doing so, they hope to earn understanding and forgiveness of the families of the sickened children. The money for compensation is in place now and will soon be handed to the people who have custody of the sickened children through various channels. If the babies suffer from relative after-effects, all medical fees will be covered by the fund. In a letter sent to the victims and their families by these 22 companies, the compensation amount was specifically mentioned for sick children, for those who were suffering from kidney failure, and for families whose kids had died because of the tainted milk powder. It was also mentioned in the l etter that dairy producers would set up a fund to pay the medical costs of the children who were ill, until they reached the age of 18. On January 22, 2009, two people were sentenced to death for their involvement in the Chinese milk scandal. Wenhua was given a life imprisonment and three other executives were given imprisonment from five to fifteen years In my personal opinion, the government failed to supervise product quality responsible. The effectiveness of the regulatory environment in China is slow in disclosure the hazard as well as makes prompt action to stop it. According to some research in the internet, there were many government departments to monitor food safety in China. As there was no single agency to look after all product safety regulations and enforcement in the country and there was no clear hierarchy of agencies, the duties of different departments often overlapped. Recommendations to Sanlu to recover its goodwill as well as Chinese milk industry toward global Investors who had already invested in the Chinese dairy industry were worried about regaining consumers confidence. In this respect it means consumers are now thinking twice before purchasing such products, so the key challenge now is to regain the consumers trust. As you can recall the case from Hong Kong, Vitasoy milk and Lemon tea also suffer from big hazard of the pollution in production line and made the milk turns sour in around ten years old. We believed as a well known organization with market leadership role, they can recover their goodwill step by step like Vita Corporation in order to gain the customer confidence again as below. However, the situation in Hong Kong is much easier to turnover since the government and the legislation control is much strict and clear to follow. If Sanlu would like to gain back the image, both Sanlu and Government needed to do something to ensure the quality of their products is healthy and safe to customer usage. We believe that ethical business environment is the key issue to recover the confidence from general public on the Chinese milk production On Government Regulations To avoid similar incident happen again, implementing of new issues and regulations are necessary. For example, AQSIQ should have regular and sudden inspection on the quality of products. The food industry inspection should be in random and strictly follow the international standard norm. Laws and ethics Nonetheless, only depends on laws, it is not sufficient to ensure the problem would not exist in future. It is more difficult to depend on enterprise to follow the law in PRC such the corruption and education level is not high. There are many acts that are legal but unethical. And there are also many people use money to change illegal to legal by cover the problem or override the checking from government. As in the milk scandal, the use of small amount of melamine was legal because it is not harmful to adult; there was no regulation on it. It is clear that laws cannot fully control human behavior; as law is only norm to control people behave. However, for business ethics, the standard is much higher than that of laws. It is because as a highly ethical company, their goals are not only profit but also care of the public as well as their customer. Ethics is not concerned only with peoples behavior. It is a standard for our core values. As an individual or a company, in addition to bein g legal, being ethical is the key which shows that their values are of higher standard rather than meeting the minimum requirement only. As a ethical corporation, Sanlu should use the concept that customers babies are their babies, they will not give some harmful materials or potential harmful ingredient towards their own babies. They should care the health of all babies although add melamine and dilute milk can be acceptable to increase production. Education on general public Peoples behavior is actually influenced by norm, attitude and values from the society and most likely are from their own family. Changes in norm, attitude and values are very important for improving business ethics. We believed that it is the value of Chinese enterprise was too famous on profit and do not know clearly what ethical standard they needed. Hence, on top of implementation of measures and regulations, education on both top management and employees would be the most fundamental way to do so. For example, government can improve more foreign consultant and special to teach ethic and made speech in university to raise the concern of general public and know they can do it profitability like coca cola, nestle as well as PG etc. On Sanlu itself Ethic knowledge training Unethical issues cannot be done by only one level. If the ethical standards are enough in the company, they will carry out a mutual inspection on other actions toward ethic enterprise. For example, before employees go to their working positions, the company should provide ethics training, covering ethical issues and addressing the rules, compliance requirement and the corporate values to their employees. Let employees realize the importance of business ethics for the company as well as their own. During training, discussions on cases of ethical dilemma and analysis with employees are valuable in developing employees awareness of business ethics and ethical competency. Furthermore, the company should communicate information about the reporting mechanisms with all employees. When there is any unethical behavior, employees can report to the company immediately. This would be the most efficient way to discover any problems and take prompt actions to solve them. Quality control process and crisis management Since Sanlus image was totally damaged in this incident, we recommend that Sanlu can import the modern of art testing machine for strict quality control and the production chain should be more transparent toward general public. They can set up a additional inspection team which contains outsiders from other milk industrys expert and also foreign country representative to investigate the production channel, sourcing as well as the healthy and safety level on its our products. Therefore, the general public may slowly regain its confidence on Sanlus milk products. Also, the management team should have a knowledge sharing about the investors New Zealand industry on how they manufacture the milk and ensure the required process and ethical norm can be implemented in Sanlu to regain the image from global market. Once the incident happened again, Sanlu should know how to reduce the negative effect toward customer like stop production immediately, message general public timely and recall all affected products from retailer and dealers in order to show their sophisticated experience in crisis management. Like Vita group, we believe that the market will accept their products again. In conclusion, we believe that the critical factor on this incident and regain image of Sanlu in the case is all about ethics. We believed that the technology and expertise in China are enough to produce healthy and safety products. However, their action has been affected by the norm to earn as much money as possible in short period of time by legal but no ethical actions. In order to reduce the negative image toward Chinese product such as foods, drinks, electronic and toy. Chinese government should pay more effort on improve the ethical standard by education and control of the government officials. If they cannot to do so, the short-term goal of Chinese enterprise toward profits without concern on general public would affect the development of the economy of whole Chinese market.

Aquatic Invertebrates :: essays research papers

Outline for a report Aquatic Invertebrates Used to Classify Stream Health Ecosystem All things contained in an environment Water (input and output) Climate Daylight Plant life Clear Cutting Clear Cutting seriously effects all aspects of an ecosystem Maine is, per capita, the most heavily logged state in the continental U.S. Why Clear Cutting is Used Simple Creates a uniform forest to harvest in 40 years or so Easy to replant Cheap to Maintain (pesticides) Clear Cutting Impacts on Streams Clear Cutting seriously effects stream ecosystems The effects of clear cutting can be felt on stream ecosystems for up to 60 years The First Five Years After a Clear Cut This time period is actually beneficial in most aspects of stream animal (vertebrate and invertebrate) health The increase in CWD creates resources for life Nutrients good for aquatic species increase Nitrogen levels increase 40 times Potassium levels increase 11 times After Five Years The negative effects of clear cutting begin to be felt Increase in fast growing vegetation catches nutrients Increased solar radiation leads to increased water temperatures With no protection, water temperatures drop drastically at night After Five Years (continued) Packed soil and new vegetation lead to increased water input Leading to higher peak flows and washing out CWD and boulders (habitats) The stream widens and becomes shallower Overall homogenization of the stream occurs Second Growth After 30-40 years, second growth forests develop The stream ecosystem stabilizes Stream Invertebrates Stream invertebrates have adapted to the harsh stream environment Mayflies are flattened from top to bottom, allowing them to swim fast in low current areas Blackflies produce a substance to attach themselves to rocks when the current is strong Many aquatic insects have tarsal claws used to attach themselves to rocks to avoid the current Identifying Stream Quality with Stream Invertebrates These adaptations have led to species that easily survive in polluted streams and those that don’t Streams can be classified by the types of insects in them There are 3 different categories of aquatic invertebrates when referring to stream health Invertebrate Body Parts Healthy Stream Invertebrates Invertebrates that live in a healthy stream are classified as Group One Taxa Healthy streams contain high biodiversity Some examples are... Stonefly 1/2 to 1.5 inches long 2 tails 6 legs with hooked tips Caddisfly Up to 1 inch â€Å"Shell† made of mud sticks or small rocks 6 hooked legs Different Caddisfly â€Å"Shells† Riffle Beetle 1/4 inch long 6 legs Oval body covered with tiny hairs Mayfly 1/4 to 1 inch long 2 or 3 tails 6 large hooked legs Often confused with the Stonefly Moderately Healthy Stream Invertebrate Invertebrates that live in moderately healthy streams are classified as Group Two Taxa Moderately healthy streams support a lower number and diversity of species Some examples are... Crayfish Up to 6 inches long 8 legs, 2 claws Dragonfly Aquatic Invertebrates :: essays research papers Outline for a report Aquatic Invertebrates Used to Classify Stream Health Ecosystem All things contained in an environment Water (input and output) Climate Daylight Plant life Clear Cutting Clear Cutting seriously effects all aspects of an ecosystem Maine is, per capita, the most heavily logged state in the continental U.S. Why Clear Cutting is Used Simple Creates a uniform forest to harvest in 40 years or so Easy to replant Cheap to Maintain (pesticides) Clear Cutting Impacts on Streams Clear Cutting seriously effects stream ecosystems The effects of clear cutting can be felt on stream ecosystems for up to 60 years The First Five Years After a Clear Cut This time period is actually beneficial in most aspects of stream animal (vertebrate and invertebrate) health The increase in CWD creates resources for life Nutrients good for aquatic species increase Nitrogen levels increase 40 times Potassium levels increase 11 times After Five Years The negative effects of clear cutting begin to be felt Increase in fast growing vegetation catches nutrients Increased solar radiation leads to increased water temperatures With no protection, water temperatures drop drastically at night After Five Years (continued) Packed soil and new vegetation lead to increased water input Leading to higher peak flows and washing out CWD and boulders (habitats) The stream widens and becomes shallower Overall homogenization of the stream occurs Second Growth After 30-40 years, second growth forests develop The stream ecosystem stabilizes Stream Invertebrates Stream invertebrates have adapted to the harsh stream environment Mayflies are flattened from top to bottom, allowing them to swim fast in low current areas Blackflies produce a substance to attach themselves to rocks when the current is strong Many aquatic insects have tarsal claws used to attach themselves to rocks to avoid the current Identifying Stream Quality with Stream Invertebrates These adaptations have led to species that easily survive in polluted streams and those that don’t Streams can be classified by the types of insects in them There are 3 different categories of aquatic invertebrates when referring to stream health Invertebrate Body Parts Healthy Stream Invertebrates Invertebrates that live in a healthy stream are classified as Group One Taxa Healthy streams contain high biodiversity Some examples are... Stonefly 1/2 to 1.5 inches long 2 tails 6 legs with hooked tips Caddisfly Up to 1 inch â€Å"Shell† made of mud sticks or small rocks 6 hooked legs Different Caddisfly â€Å"Shells† Riffle Beetle 1/4 inch long 6 legs Oval body covered with tiny hairs Mayfly 1/4 to 1 inch long 2 or 3 tails 6 large hooked legs Often confused with the Stonefly Moderately Healthy Stream Invertebrate Invertebrates that live in moderately healthy streams are classified as Group Two Taxa Moderately healthy streams support a lower number and diversity of species Some examples are... Crayfish Up to 6 inches long 8 legs, 2 claws Dragonfly

Sarah Canary :: essays research papers fc

Lilian Heker’s “The Stolen Party'; is about a nine-year-old girl named Rosaura who goes to a rich girl’s party. This takes place at a rich girl’s house where her mother works as a maid. Rosaura thinks she is Luciana’s friend but at the end finds out that they could never be friends because of social class difference. The monkey and the magician represent the same kind of relationship between Rosaura and Senora Ines and that is the monkey and Rosaura are both servants, but don’t realize it. What is really going on is both the magician and Senora Ines are taking advantage of them. Symbolism such as the monkey and what the party represents compared to society are used in “The Stolen Party.';   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Near the middle of the story it is evident how Lilian feels about the social class system. She compares the party to the social class, and how the rich people are on one side and the poorer people are on the opposite side. Heker does not like the social class system and she doesn’t want the reader to like it either. This story shows how the people in the story are the same, but still separated by one big gap and that is class status. The first hint to that was when the girl with the bow talked to Rosaura. “I and Luciana do our homework together,'; said Rosaura very seriously. “That is not being friends,'; the bow headed girl said (614). In that quote what the girl with the bow said that Rosaura was not a friend of Luciana’s just because you do your homework together. She did not understand what real friends are. She thought that friends were made by the social class you are in, which she probably learned from her parents. This represents He ker’s anger about the social class system and she wants you to see how stupid the class system is.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another symbolic element that illustrates the theme about social class is how the monkey and the magician have the same relationship as Senora Ines and Rosaura. Senora Ines and the magician are taking advantage of somebody that is clueless as to what is going on. Senora Ines led on Rosaura that she was Luciana’s friend, but she was really there to be part of the help. She found out the hard way as she was leaving the party.