Providing Fresh Water to Arid Regions in the World Essay

An investigation on the feasibility of different techniques for providing fresh water to arid regions in the world. Located in a semi-arid zone, South Africa is one of the thirty driest countries in the world with limited water resources, which are unevenly distributed. In this country, five million people of the population have no access to safe drinking water and nearly fifteen million lack basic sanitation. The lack of drinking water is a serious problem, since there are more than 1.6 million children under five years whom die every year worldwide.(the water project 2012). This report will assess the feasibility of different techniques for providing drinkable water to South Africa. It will also present different options suitable for arid regions, looking to improve their water resources comparing them, and then concluding by pointing out which is the most feasible and efficient technique. BACKGROUND From apartheid to epidemics such as aids or tuberculosis, South Africa has experienced several disasters. Now it has to face a new crisis: an abundance of drinkable water. In fact there is several reasons to explain this water crisis. Firstly, the climate change has affected the water supply as rain has become increasingly scarce. For instance â€Å"in Durban the dams are 20 per cent lower than at the start of 2010†. (the water projet) Moreover, the problem of pollution rages; in fact, mining plants in South Africa throw all their toxic and radioactive waste in African rivers. They dump highly toxic substances such as mercury, arsenic and uranium in the river, as it is toxic and reacts violently with water, once in it the water will be contaminated. The water will therefore have a highly acidic pH of 2.2 (pH level close to that of a lemon). For instance, Wonderfontein Spruit River, one of the largest rivers in South Africa is extremely polluted due to the 50 tons of uranium mi ning plants have dumped into the river. Likewise, Lake Robinson, a fishing lake, has today a uranium concentration of 16mg/L due to toxic waste; (the guardian). consequently more than 1.6 million people die each year.(waterwise2012) DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS: 1. Setting up Tidal power plants to purify water which could be installed in the Atlantic Ocean, located next to South Africa; these tidal power plants derive their energy from the force of the tide. With this process, when the water is raised energy is produced, the water could then be filtered through a filtering system (reverse osmosis). Through this, these plants will not only produce energy from a renewable energy source, but also filter the polluted water. (inventors.about.2012) 2. Excavation of a groundwater is another solution to provide a fresh water supply. This resource, which makes up 15 per cent of the drinkable water in South Africa, represents an important source of water. It can provide water to more than 400 cities (water.dwa.gov). In over 90% of the country, it occurs in hard rocks, which have no pore spaces, and it is powered by the infiltration of rainwater (Anthonyturton). This is acquired by drilling a bore, which is then fitted with a pipe into the aquifer, pum ping the water to the surface (gwd, 2012). In addition, it is high quality water, as a layer of clay that acts as a filter protects it. 3. Measuring and monitoring water quality†¨is also a great way to make sure the water in the country are usable. It helps limit and suppress the release of toxic and radioactive waste into the rivers of Africa. The government must put in place measures prohibiting any discharge that may contaminate the water. To achieve this, the government must find an alternative solution for the toxic waste dumped into the rivers such as collection center set up in order to collect the waste and possibly even recycle the waste. If this is done, then many of the rivers and lakes in South Africa will be clean again and could become a clean water resource once again. COMPARISON AND VIABILITY OF THE DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS 1. Setting up power plants is another solution that could be used. The tidal power plants provide an almost inexhaustible amount of water, thus sufficient not only for the entire population but also for its agricultural and industrial sectors. Moreover, since these plants use renewable energy and non-polluting, it reduces the concentration of pollution added to the water. However, the implementation of these tidal power plants is expensive and therefore need investment from the government and organizations, which might not be able to provide (Elmelech 2006). However, the invention of new â€Å"nanotechnology† can reduce expenditures and promote the installment. (Polyzou 2010) 2. Excavation of groundwater: The groundwater does not pollute as easily as other water sources. Indeed, according to Carr and Neary it may take years to be able to pollute the reserve’s groundwater. However, the ground has disadvantages as the amount of water, which is not renewable. In fact, the majority of groundwater has been charged over the previous periods, in different climates. As fossil fuels were created under conditions that have not existed for a long time, this â€Å"freshwater fossil† is considered non-renewable. Thus, once aquifers have declined they will cease to be a resource because they will not charge in the future. (groundwater.org) 3. Monitoring or measuring water quality develop†¨enacted anti-pollution measures is a solution that doesn’t require great expenditures. Indeed, water already exists and is eager not to be polluted, to be drunk. But in a developing country, like South Africa, the corruption, which is everywhere, prevents the compliance with these measures. CONLUSION To conclude, the water crisis, which rages in South Africa, is due to human activities. To cope, the country has several alternatives such as set up power plants, excavation of a groundwater or monitoring or measuring water quality. All these options, which have the same aim: to provide fresh water, present advantages but also inconveniences. In one hand, the reserve of groundwater may be out of stock due to the growth of population and the insufficiency of water. However, on other hand, the installment of tidal power plants can be a surprisingly costly project. The best solution seems to implement protocol against pollution of fresh water, as it’s effective, practical, and not an expensive way. REFERENCES: 1. The Water Project.(2012).Water In Crisis – Spotlight South Africa.[online] Available at: < http://thewaterproject.org/water-in-crisis-south-africa.php> [Accessed 24 November 2012]. 2. Waterwise.(2012).Water Wise – Causes of Water Pollution. [online] Available at: [Accessed 20 November 2012]. 3. gwd. (2012). Ground water division of GSSA. [Online] Available at: < http://www.environment.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/153332/UMCCC_Groundwater_Factsheet.pdf> . [Accessed 23 November 2012]. 4. Bellis.M. How Tidal Power Plants Work. [online] Available at: [Accessed 11 November 2012]. 5. Woodford.A and Rosewarne.P. (2012). HOW MUCH GROUNDWATER DOES SOUTH AFRICA HAVE?. [Online] Available at: < http://www.anthonyturton.com/admin/my_ documents/my_files/SRK_Woodfood_How_much_Groundwater_does_SA_have.pdf > [Accessed 16 November 2012]. 6. Polyzou.E. Willigness to pay for drinking water quality improvement and the the influence of social capitall. [Online] Available at: < http://www.liv.ac.uk/libraby/e-books.htlm > [Accessed 12 November 2012]. 7. Elimelech.M.(2005). The global challenge for adequate and safe water. [Online] Available at: < [Accessed 10 November 2012]. 8. Carr,G. and Neary.J (2008).water quality for ecosystem and human health. [Online] Available at: < http://www.unep.org/gemswater/Portals/24154/publications/pdfs/water_quality_human_health.pdf > [Accessed 18 November 2012]. 9. Groundwater.org.what is the groundwater?. [Online] Available at: < http://www.groundwater.org/kc/whatis.html> [Accessed 17 November 2012]. 10. Dwa.gov. Background of the NORAD Assisted Programme on the Sustainable Development of Groundwater Sources under the Community Water and Sanitation Programme in South Africa. [Online] Available at: < http://www.dwa.gov.za/Groundwater/norad.aspx> [Accessed 17 November 2012].

Adjusting to Terrorism in the United States

After the terrorist attack of 9-11, the United States made several changes to policies concerning visitors into the United States. More attention is required at the borders, airports, mail system, and intranet to protect citizens of the United States against terrorism. In this paper, we will discuss a proposal to make the criminal justice agencies in the United States better prepared for terrorist attacks. Border Patrol is part of the criminal justice agency and responsible for protecting the borders of the United States against illegal immigrants from entering the U. S. without proper authorization. I would like to propose the United States completely fencing in our country instead of just fencing a third as we do presently. This will enable our agents to enforce the laws more effectively across the United States. Many borders are open along the Vermont and Canadian. People are able to cross the border without detection. People know there is nothing to stop them from traveling route 2 and disappearing (Peak 2010). This issue needs attention so all borders need patrolled equally to ensure the safety of the United States. The world's longest undefended border is between Canada and the United States. This runs along the 49th parallel of the west coast to Lake Superior and following natural boundaries for the remainder (International Boundary Commission 2011). Expense is a negative consequence to this proposal however, the money the United States saves in health care, education, and loss of employment caused by illegal immigrants will pay for the expansion of the border. Safety is the positive to the border issue, we have too many illegal people crossing into the United States and more force needs to take place in order to change the current situation. With more border protection, the United States can control drug traffic, human trafficking, and illegal aliens residing in the United States. Each year, according to the U. S. Customs, 60 million people come to the United States aboard 675,000 commercial and private flights. Six million arrive by sea and 370 million by land and 116 million vehicles cross the land borders with Canada and Mexico. It is estimated around 90,000 merchant and passenger ships enter U. S. ports. Each ship can carry more than 9 million shipping containers and 400 million tons of cargo. This voluminous trade, drug traffickers conceal cocaine, heroin, marijuana, MDMA, and methamphetamine shipments for distribution in U. S. neighborhoods (U. S. Drug Enforcement Agency 2004). The budget for this expansion will include more border patrol officers, weapons, artillery, material, and funding from the government. Each border needs supervisors to supervise the operation of each station. Each officer needs to go through a training period of 6 weeks before assigned to a duty station. The estimated cost for this project is 1. 5 billion dollars. In conclusion, our borders are unprotected around the United States and serious measure need taken to control the illegal aliens entering on a daily basis. Without proper patrol, the United States is at risk of all types of illegal operations coming in and going out of our country through ships, planes, and trains. This proposal will decrease the amount of illegal persons and merchandise transported across what is now unprotected by guards. References International Boundary Commission Canadian Info Retrieved from http://www.craigmarlatt.com/canada/canada;the_world/canada;us_border.html on January 31, 2011 Peak, K, 2010 Justice Administration: Police, Courts, and Corrections Management, Sixth Edition Published by Prentice Hall. By Pearson Education, Inc U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency Drug Trafficking in the United States 2004 Retrieved from http://www.policyalmanac.org/crime/archive/drug_trafficking.shtml on January 31, 2011

Talent Development for Sustainability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Talent Development for Sustainability - Essay Example At the same time, an organization’s ability to manage knowledge becomes a critical factor in improving productivity of the pooled talent. Questions always arise on the interrelatedness of talent development and knowledge management. The two are undoubtedly independent, but there has to be interplay for an organization to post consistent success. One thing that should be understood at this point is that knowledge management is derived from historical engagements and experiences and remains put in an organization. On the other hand, talent management practices maybe defined and consistent but actual talent as represented by certain employees will continually change as people come and leave the organization. Irrespective of these differences in practice and form the two are major determinants of organization success. In this study, talent development and knowledge management will be evaluated and their place in determining organization success. ... Though different, these two definitions express knowledge management as a lifelong organization activity which seeks to ensure organization effectiveness (King, 2010.p.4). The basis of such efficiency is past knowledge and experiences which are utilized to ensure the organizations current and future situations are improved. On the other hand, talent development is a concept under talent management which encompasses assessing, developing and deploying the right people with the right skills into the right jobs (Galagan, 2011.p. 2). Talent management and development has its root in the McKinsey’s â€Å"War for Talent† study which highlighted recruitment as the number one concern for business leaders (Caplan 1). Looking at the definitions, it is easy to look at talent management and development as the most crucial aspect of an organization. This is mainly because it determines the people in an organization’s fold and their different abilities. However, an organizatio n that seeks growth must seek to be efficient. Efficiency is not always determined by the caliber of employees (talent) but is also defined by the organization’s structure and culture. It is in the latter that knowledge management assumes the greatest importance. This is because overtime, an organization has learnt crucial lessons on that which works and that which does not. Through managing these experiences an organization is able to cultivate the right attitude, develop the appropriate culture and maintain a productive management structure and employee approaches. The repository for these experiences is the knowledge management system. The process of knowledge management involves acquisition, creation, refinement, storage, transfer, sharing, and utilization (White, 2008.p.4). The knowledge

Criminal Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Criminal Law - Essay Example The requirement for a defence of provocation was a sudden and temporary loss of control, which clearly favoured the impulsive and short – tempered individual. In general, the defence of provocation under the common law had been denied to individuals who had not acted spontaneously, consequent to the provocative action or words of the victim. It was also denied to people who were subjected to a sequence of provocative actions that finally caused them to kill their persecutor.2 In addition, a defence of loss of control is admissible, only if certain conditions are satisfied. These have been described in the Coroners and Justice Act 2009.3 One of the most important of these conditions is that the defendant must have lost self – control, due to a qualifying trigger. In R v Clinton,4 these issues were discussed in depth.5 Clinton appealed against his conviction for the murder of his wife. It was held that partial defence of loss of control, in murder cases, could not entirel y exclude sexual infidelity as a trigger for the violent act.6 Clinton had pleaded guilty to manslaughter based on loss of control or of diminished responsibility. A situation of an extremely grave nature that causes the defendant to believe that he has been seriously wronged can be classified as a qualifying trigger.7 However, the applicable statute, namely the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 had not included sexual infidelity as a qualifying trigger. As such, the erstwhile defence of provocation has been annulled and supplanted with a partial defence of loss of control. This was achieved, via the provisions of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009.8 An expansion has been achieved by means of this new defence, as it encompasses instances of loss of control occasioned by anger or outrage, and fear. This change was the outcome of the efforts of the Law Commission in the years 2004 and 2006, and which was finalised by the Government consultation paper of 2008.9 With regard to provocation, t he Coroners and Justice Act 2009, while considering the previous law, engenders a strikingly different approach and attribution of prominence that is the outcome of the deliberations of the Law Commission. However, the suggestions of the Law Commission have not been adopted in their entirety. The principal change recommended by the Law Commission was that the new partial defences relating to anger and fear were to be construed in a manner that required the abandonment of the loss of control. 10 Nevertheless, this recommendation of the Law Commission was not accepted. As such, the Law Commission had made a recommendation that required killing through fear and anger to be viewed from an entirely different perspective.11 This perspective was essentially founded on the notion of rejection of loss of control. Moreover, the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 describes the conditions wherein a qualifying trigger could be present.12 Objective evaluation is essential, in accordance with the requi rements of subsection 55(4) of this Act. At the same time, the prohibitions in subsection (6) of this Act served to complicate the process of objective evaluation. This latter subsection identified several features that were to be explicitly excluded from the class of qualifying triggers.13 In addition, the greatest difficulty was encountered with subsection 55(6)(c) of the

World History I Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

World History I - Essay Example However as we very well know, that situation is not true and Diamond (1997) presents some very interesting insights into how and why the development of societies took place as it did. The explanations given by him are quite interesting since they are logical and appear to make perfect sense. For instance, the argument about technology appeals considerably because today we live in a world which is very technology oriented and it is clear that countries which have taken modern technology to be an integral part of their economies have gained a lot from it. For example, in recent years both India and China have become economic giants mainly due to the investment in technology made by their respective governments and due to the technological contacts they have had with western powers like America and Europe. Of course the development of America is simply a result of the development of the European powers and their ability to create a food surplus from agriculture and domestication of animals. Diamond (1997) is correct when he says that African armies on rhinos and hippos could have decimated European cavalry charges but horses were domesticated while rhinos and hippos still remain wild and dangerous animals. The food surplus created by effective management and agriculture caused populations to expand which often meant that the chances of a region producing a thinker, inventor or discoverer were also increased. Additionally, the argument about human contact improving societies is very true since the contact between the Europeans, the Arabs, the Indians and the Chinese eventually took technologies like cartography, paper, numbers, and many other developments from one end of the globe to the other. The example of Australia in its relative isolation is quite correct since Australia did not know about these developments there was little chance of them developing these technologies on the same lines as the Eurasians. So the two fundamental

Lassa fever in west africa Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6500 words

Lassa fever in west africa - Coursework Example However, an accurate clinical diagnosis and using management techniques, the virus is capable of being controlled or even being diminished and the health of individuals infected in the West Africa regions improved (Buchmeier, Torre & Peters, 2007). It is estimated that deaths caused by Lassa fever in West Africa ranges between the gaps of 5000 to 10,000 out of two million cases of Lassa fever cases reported yearly. The majority of the highest percentages of death reported are documented to be from West Africa. This implies that for every death caused due to Lassa fever, West Africa is the region which is mostly affected. Diagnosis of Lassa has proved to be a challenge for the government and clinical officers in West African countries, therefore making it extremely difficult to determine the mortality rate associated with the Lassa virus (Pasqual, 2011). In addition, due to difficulty in the diagnosis of the virus, many individuals affected with the virus rarely seek treatment in hospitals or associated institutions like clinics. Moreover, the prevalence of the diseases in some countries is brought by rodents. These places are high risk areas and spreading to a larger populations for example Mali (Dworkin, 2011). Lassa fever is characterized by the delays caused in the cellular immunity which is responsible for fulminant viremia. The rates at which at which Lassa fever is reported in West African countries like Sierra Leon is 8-15 percent, Guinea4-55 percent and Nigeria 21 percent. Conversely, in other parts of West African countries like Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo and Senegal, the cases of Lassa fever reported here are considered to be sero-positivity. This means that cases of Lassa fever acts as positive serum reaction because of the presence of antibodies in the body. An analysis of the

Developing a Perfomance Appraisal System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Developing a Perfomance Appraisal System - Essay Example Federal and state laws have added to the complexity and difficulty of appraisal plans. Criteria for compliance with equal employment opportunity laws are stringent. Management needs to design and operate its appraisal systems carefully in order to comply with these laws. A generation ago, appraisal programs tended to emphasize employee traits, deficiencies, and abilities, but modern appraisal philosophy emphasizes present performance and future goals. Modern philosophy also stresses employee participation in mutually setting goals with the supervisor and knowledge of results. Thus the hallmarks of modern appraisal philosophy are as follows: 2. Focus on goals or objectives - as the discussion of MBO shows, employees need to have a clear idea of what they are supposed to be doing and the priorities among their tasks; as the saying goes," If you know where you want to go, you are more likely to get there." 3. Mutual goal setting within supervisor and employee - this is the belief the people will work harder for goals or objectives that they have participated in setting. Among their desires are perform a worthwhile task, share in a group effort, share in setting their objectives, share in the rewards of their efforts and continue personal growth. The (Theory Y) assumption is that people want to satisfy some of their needs through work and that they will do if management will provide them with a supportive environment. 4. Clarification of behavioral expectations - this is often done via a behavioral anchored rating scale (BARS), which provides the employee and the manager with concrete examples of various levels of behaviors. Brief descriptions of outstanding, very good, acceptable, below average and unacceptable behaviors are specified for each major dimension of a job, thuis cueing the employee in advance regarding the organization's expectations. BARS helps reduce manager's tendency to focus on attitudes, personality, and nquirks of an employee and shift emphasis toward productive behaviors. 5. Extensive Feedback Systems - employees can fine-tune their performance better if they know how they are doing in the eyes of the organization. Most organizational appraisal systems requires supervisors to assess employees on various aspects of their productivity, behavior, and or personal traits. Examples of these three dimensions include quality of work and quantity of output, attendance and initiative and general attitude. Many appraisal systems also point toward both historical performance and the individual's potential for growth and advancement. The actual forms and procedures used for assessing this information vary widely. Some organizations ask supervisors to write essays describing the employee's performance; others recommend that they accumulate a record of incidents both positive and negative; mant firms use various types of graphic rating scales that grade employees on A-B-C-D-E or 1-2-3-4-5 systems. Regardless of the system used, the assessment is then communicated to the employee through the appraisal interview. This is a session

Jews and Race in the United States Research Paper

Jews and Race in the United States - Research Paper Example This paper illustrates that according to the United States Supreme Court, the Jews are considered a race. This consideration was made for the purpose of establishing an anti-discrimination law, which was an important issue at that moment. They reasoned that when these laws were passed, people regularly spoke of the ‘‘Jewish race’’ in the same way as the ‘‘Negro race’’, hence the legislators main purpose was to protect this idea. However, many of the Jews were offended by the decision that was made by the legislators. The idea of Jews being considered as a race brought into mind the nightmarish vision of Germany, where the Jews were considered as a race, as well as an inferior race that was supposed to be rounded up in the ghettos and like a vermin, be exterminated. When the emotional part of this issue was put into consideration, the Jews were not considered as a race. On the other hand, race is a genetic distinction that refers to people who have shared the genetic traits and ancestry. Race is like a DNA and so it cannot be changed. In this case, an example to prove this fact is that, when an individual is an Asian, there is no way one can become a black no matter how much one wishes or desires. Jews own the Hollywood and the media in the USA. After an opinion, which took place on December 6, it was clearly shown that the Jews dominate Hollywood today in the USA. Their presence in the Hollywood happens to be a historical fact. Most for the producers and directors of the Hollywood are Jews, and that proves the fact that the Jews have taken over the Hollywood industry. In the USA, since Hollywood has the BIG MONEY as some refer to it as one has to be in favorable terms with the Jews since it is the Jews Agents that are in the theatre chains . One must liaise with them so that it becomes easy when you want to purchase a film story as well as signing stars into the contracts. In the year 1989, the Japanese Sony C orp decided not only to purchase the Columbia Pictures and the Tri-Star films, but also put the direction of the studios in charge of Jon Peters and Peter Guber, two young Jews that received the sum of half a billion plus an extra bonus. The production company owned by on Peters and Peter Guber was sold to Sony Corp for $200 million; In the case of Universal Pictures, it is 100 percent controlled by Jews. The chairman of MCA which is a parent company is called Lew Wassermann . The president of the same is Sidney Sheinberg and the film head is Thomas Pollack. They were behind the success of Do the Right Thing as well as The Last Temptation of Christ, both considered as anti-white and anti-Christian films respectively. On the other hand, Jew Barry Diller, who represents Married with Children, owns Fox TV . Rev. Donald Wildmon’s American Family Association has condemned the broadcasting for showing sexual, profane and un-Christian plots. Similar to the majority of Jews in media, the Jews in Hollywood lean towards secularity; their film productions are embedded neither in Judaism nor in Christian principles. However, there’s a misunderstanding regarding to the affirmation that the Jews control Hollywood. This is not the right phrase to use, but in essence, a lot of Jews work in Hollywood. According to Foxman, rather than use the term control, it would be wise to conclude that in Hollywood many directors and managers happen to be Jews; for instance all Paramount film studios are under the administration Jews. Moreover, Foxman stated that he is full of pride about their accomplishment. He believes that the Jews are represented in a

The operations of Basil Essay Example for Free

The operations of Basil Essay 1.1 The operations of Basil II Basel II was developed to ensure that there is less risk on capital allocation, unraveling operational risk from credit risk and quantifying both, and attempting to align economic and regulatory capital more closely to reduce the possibility of regulatory arbitrage. 1.2 The pillars used in Basel II The Basel II International Convergence of Capital Measurement and Capital Standards, the reviewed framework is based on three main pillars. 1.2.1 First Pillar – Minimum Capital Requirements The first principle of this revised framework comprises the minimum capital requirements necessary to cater for the three fundamental risks that a bank faces in business operations. These consist of Credit risk, Capital risk and Operational risk, which shall be further expounded below: A choice between two main methodologies is allowed by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision for the determination of credit risk. These consist of the standardized approach and the internal rating based approach, which is further divided into the foundation and advanced internal rating based system.   Under the standardized scheme, a set of external credit ratings achieved from recognized agencies are utilized in the determination of capital risk.   A number of countries intend to authorize only this approach in credit risk measurement. The internal rating based model permits banks to develop their own experimental model to determine the probability of default for isolated clients or segmented customer groups.   Adoption of the regulator’s loss given default and other set parameter is necessary. As regards the Operational Risk, three approaches are suggested under the Basel II International Convergence of Capital Maintenance and Capital Standards revised framework, which consist of the Basic Indicator Approach, Standardized Method, and the Advanced Measurement Scheme. The standardized approach is similar to the same model applied for capital risk, explained in the previous bullet.   As regards the Advanced Measurement System, this entails the development of an empirical business model originating by the bank for the quantification of operation risk.   Section 664 of the original Basel demands that a minimum of a board of directors and senior management, a conceptually sound operational risk management structure and enough resources for the proper adoption of this scheme. Under the Basic Indicator Approach, banks are required to hold capital for operational risk corresponding to the average over a three year time frame of a fixed percentage of a positive annual gross income. For the Market risk there is on suggested approach, commonly known as the Value at Risk Method. The positioning of financial instruments should either be made with the objective of trading or hedging.   The three main parameters is this model are: The confidence level at which the forecast is made; The monetary currency unit that will be adopted to denominate the market risk; and The time horizon that will be examined. 1.2.2 Second Pillar – Supervisory Review Process The basic principles of this pillar of the Basel II International Convergence of Capital Maintenance and Capital Standards revised framework include the supervisory review and transparency, risk management direction and accountability of the adoption of the aforementioned revised concept. The supervisory review process is designed not only to ensure that targeted banks possess proper capital to sustain all the risks in their business, but also to induce banks to develop and maintain better risk management techniques in monitoring and assessing their respective risks.   There are the following four key principles of the supervisory review: A process for evaluating the overall capital adequacy of banks with respect to their risk profile and strategy. Supervisors assigned ought to review the banks’ internal capital adequacy assessments/strategies, and monitor to make sure compliance with regulatory capital ratios. Monitoring that banks operate above the minimum regulatory capital ratios. Supervisors are expected to arbitrate at an early stage to avoid banks’ capital from falling below the minimum levels set. The Committee has also identified the following vital issues that banks and supervisors are required to focus on:   interest rate risk in the banking book, credit risk and operational risk.   It is also recognized that since supervision of banks is not an exact science, discretionary measures and procedures ought to be adopted.   The importance of transparency, accountability and proper cross-border communication and cooperation arise in this respect. 1.2.3 Third Pillar – Market Discipline Disclosure requirements are highly focused in this final pillar in order to induce the market to perceive a better picture of the general risk position of the banks and thus sustain counterparties of the bank to price and deal correctly.   This last pillar is also aimed to compliment the previous two important areas discussed. The Committee recognizes the factor that the supervisor is a key player in the achievement of disclosure requirements.   Such market discipline is a vital feature for a safe and sound banking environment.   This safe environment arises from additional information disclosed in periodic and annual financial reports.   The methods that can be adopted in order to induce these disclosure requirements may vary depending on the countries legislation and present practices.   Examples that come to mind are through penalties, advices and more. The Basel II International Convergence of Capital Maintenance and Capital Standards revised framework also notes that such necessary disclosure requirements ought to be practical and in line with accounting standards and other relevant regulations.   For instance, management is allowed to use his discretion in the determination of the location and medium of these disclosures.   Materiality, frequency and proprietary and confidential information are also considered in order to minimize such reporting costs and ensure that organizations are not put in any competitive disadvantage with the application of such information requirement. The disclosure requirements demanded encompass a number of factors, such as: General qualitative disclosure requirements on each risk area. Capital structure. Capital adequacy. Brief description of different entities in case of business combinations. Aggregate amounts of firm’s total interest in insurance entities. References: Bank for International Settlements (2004). Basel II International Convergence of Capital Maintenance and Capital Standards: a Revised Framework (on line). Available from: http://www.bis.org/publ/bcbs107.htm (Accessed 16th April 2007). Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (2004).   International Convergence on Capital Measurement and Capital Standards. Switzerland: Bank for International Settlements

Washington Irvings Rip Van Winkle Essay Example for Free

Washington Irvings Rip Van Winkle Essay Irvings Rip Van Winkle shows distinct characteristics of romanticism throughout. Irvings unusual and original subject and the descriptions of nature, displays these romantic qualities of originality, connection with nature and an emotional sincerity. Rip van winkle is about a man who goes deep into the woods one day to go hunting. Rip some one calling his name and is led to strange men. What seemed particularly odd to Rip was, that though these folks were evidently amusing themselves, yet they maintained the gravest faces, the most mysterious silence, and were, withal the most melancholy party of pleasure he had ever witnessed. Rip drinks some ale and falls asleep. He wakes up twenty years later not knowing time has passed by. This strange plotline is very romantic. It would be impossible for someone to fall asleep for twenty years and still be living. It goes against the nature of science. Most of the stories of the time written by men were historical. Although Irvings attempts to make his story seem true by referring to historical documents, it is too strange to be real. Another distinct romantic quality of Rip Van Winkle is the detailed descriptions of nature in the story such as the Catskill mountains and the Hudson river. Panting and fatigued, he threw himself, late in the afternoon, on a green knoll, covered with mountain herbage, that crowned the brow of a precipice. From an opening between the trees he could overlook all the lower country for many a mile of rich woodland. He saw at a distance the lordly Hudson, far, far below him, moving on its silent but majestic course, with the reflection of a purple cloud, or the sail of a lagging bark, here and there sleeping on its glassy bosom, and at last losing itself in the blue highlands. On the other side he looked down into a deep mountain glen, wild, lonely, and shagged, the bottom filled with fragments from the impending cliffs, and scarcely lighted by the reflected rays of the setting sun. For some time Rip lay musing on this scene; evening was gradually advancing; the mountains began to throw their long blue shadows over the valleys; he saw that it would be dark long before he could reach the village Irving uses dreamy words such as majestic and lordly which suggest a presence of God. God created nature and is the cause for the cycle  of it. The magnificent description of the nature is almost like a heaven and with the presence of god, again shows the unusual and strange aspect of romanticism in the story. The tale of Rip Van Winkle is mysterious and leaves the reader wondering if it really happened. As Irvings other stories The Devil and Tom Walker and Sleepy Hollow, Rip Van Winkle has an curious plotline and in depth description of nature. It is extremely romantic and one of the first of its kind.

Virgin Atlantic SWOT, PESTLE and BCG Analysis

Virgin Atlantic SWOT, PESTLE and BCG Analysis Jump to: BCG Matrix | PESTLE Analysis of Virgin Atlantic | Porters 5 Forces Analysis | Ansoff Matrix | SWOT Analysis of Virgin Atlantic The Virgin Atlantic Airways is a UK-based private international airline that started operation in 1984.   Flying up to 35 destinations in North America, Asia and Africa, it is 51% owned by Virgin Group and 49% owned by Singapore Airlines (Wikipedia). Its fleet size is 37 (31 in order)   It competes with other local and international airlines including British Airways, the biggest and leading in UK.   In the year to February 2009, Virgin Atlantic carried 5.77 million passengers and made an annual profit of  Ã‚ £68.4 million on turnover of  £2,580 million.[2]).   With this information, it suggests firms bright future and industry fair share of the market.   However, external and industry environment analysis is a continuous process (Hitt, Hoskisson Ireland 2003) that every now and then makes prediction and preparedness an integral part of strategic actions of firms to efficiently manage opportunities and threats outside its organization.ƚ   Today, the Virgin Atlantic is one of the worlds most recognized brands and being recognized and trusted through their winning awards for their products and innovative marketing ( 2008). Internal Environment Resource Audit/Value Chain Portfolio Analysis Core competencies bCG matrix Stakeholder Analysis Organisational Culture/Structure Financial Analysis Resource Audit/Value Chain(8500 staff worldwid) The resource audit identifies the resources available to a business. Some of these can be owned (e.g. plant and machinery, trademarks, retail outlets) whereas other resources can be obtained through partnerships, joint ventures or simply supplier arrangements with other businesses whille Value Chain Analysis describes the activities that take place in a business and relates them to an analysis of the competitive strength of the business. Influential work by Michael Porter suggested that the activities of a business could be grouped under two headings: (1) Primary Activities those that are directly concerned with creating and delivering a product (e.g. component assembly); and (2) Support Activities, which whilst they are not directly involved in production, may increase effectiveness or efficiency (e.g. human resource management). It is rare for a business to undertake all primary and support activities. Value Chain Analysis is one way of identifying which activities are best undertaken by a business and which are best provided by others (outsourced) Core Competence Analysis: Core competencies are those capabilities that are critical to a business achieving competitive advantage. The starting point for analysing core competencies is recognising that competition between businesses is as much a race for competence mastery as it is for market position and market power. Senior management cannot focus on all activities of a business and the competencies required to undertake them. So the goal is for management to focus attention on competencies that really affect competitive advantage Performance Analysis The resource audit, value chain analysis and core competence analysis help to define the strategic capabilities of a business. After completing such analysis, questions that can be asked that evaluate the overall performance of the business. These questions include: How have the resources deployed in the business changed over time; this is historical analysis How do the resources and capabilities of the business compare with others in the industry -industry norm analysis How do the resources and capabilities of the business compare with best-in-class wherever that is to be found-  benchmarking How has the financial performance of the business changed over time and how does it compare with key competitors and the industry as a whole? Ratio analysis. Portfolio Analysis Portfolio analysis is defined in the Marketing Management Text as the aid to  marketing managers to help develop effective marketing plans. Portfolio models are used  to classify Strategic Business Units (SBUs) to determine the future cash contributions  that can be expected for each SBU as well as the future resource requirement that each  will require. Portfolio models generally examine the competitive position of the SBU  and the chances for improving the SBUs contribution to profitability and cash flow. The model we will be using for Virgin is the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) model.   This model is based on the relationship between relative market share and growth of the  Market The BCG model classifies products under four areas. These are stars, cash cows,  question marks and dogs. Stars are SBUs with high share or high growth market   Virgin Atlantic is clearly the cash cow of the Virgin Empire but we have undertaken a Portfolio analysis from the viewpoint of Virgin Atlantic. With regards to Virgin Atlantic Airways we believe that there is no star. The cash cow is the Upper Class section. Cash cows have high share of a low growth market and generate higher cash revenues. This high end product targets wealthy customers and business passengers. This is the highest costing ticket available, usually around $9,000, and there are 50 seats available in this class. Therefore, upper class generates much higher revenues compared to premium economy and economy. Dogs are SBUs that have low market share in low growth market. We see Virgin Atlantics economy class as a dog. Question marks are SBUs that have high potential but will require great resources to build market share. We believe that Premium Economy is a question mark as it has potential to be a cash generator. Premium economy targets cheaper flying business class passe ngers and high end couples. There are 38 seats in this class and tickets generally sell for around $3,000. Economy class focuses on families and groups flying together. Tickets for economy class are priced around $500 and there are 271 seats. BCG Matrix Virgin Culture Virgin Atlantic is a unique airline with great people and has a unique culture and it is not easy to sum up our culture in just a few words. Ours is a demanding and fast changing business and every one of our people has to have the intelligence to plan and deliver brilliant airline operations, to think on their feet and be accountable and respond to change and development. All the while, of course, we are all working hard to deliver our unique mix of product and service for which we are famous. All this creates a lively, collaborative environment where everyone knows whats expected of them and works together to achieve it. We pride ourselves on being as honest and unpretentious as we are inspired and professional everyone has a chance to voice their opinions and no ones too proud to ask questions. We embrace innovation wherever it comes from. If someone, an employee, customer or passenger has a brainwaveà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ well listen. If we like it well do it and this is another way in which our people are the driving force behind our success.Of course, it takes a certain sort of person to flourish in such a fast-paced, freethinking environment. Talented, self-motivated, enthusiastic, youll have to share in our passion for providing only the very best. Put people like this together, and you create a winning performance culture that thrives on inspirational leadership, positive attitudes, commercial flair and underpinned by solid accountability. Financial Analysis Virgin Atlantic has managed a pretax profit of 41.6 million pounds ($76.1 million) on record annual sales of 1.91 billion.The carrier shared that a rise in business class travel helped more than double its pretax, pre-exceptional performance, which stood at 20.1 million pounds for the year ago period. Sales were up 17 percent for its financial year, which ended on February 28 Carrying a record 4.9 million passengers, Virgin had a 2005-06 pre-tax, pre-exceptional items profit of  £41.6m more than double the figure for 2004-05.Virgins results announcement comes after reports that it was Virgin that blew the whistle on British Airways which is now being investigated by the UKs Office of Fair Trading (OFT) and the US Department of Justice over alleged cartel activity involving BA and other airlines. Virgin has said that it is helping the OFT and the justice department with their inquiries.Chief executive Steve Ridgway reportedly said the strong performance came on the back of a 10 per cent increase in the number of passengers using its Upper Class cabin and the grabbing of market share on the North Atlantic. According to media, Ridgway denied, however, that Virgin had used the fuel surcharge like BAs,  £70 on a round-trip ticket to bolster revenues. The fuel surcharge has not kept pace with the increased cost of fuel, he reportedly said. It has only enabled us to recover around half of our fuel costs. Whereas fuel used to be around 15-16 percent of our costs it is now nearer 30 percent.Ridgway declined to comment in detail on why Virgin had blown the whistle on alleged conversations between it and BA, which prompted an OFT probe into alleged fuel surcharge price-fixing. According to a report: BA and VA impose the same surcharge of pound stg. 35 ($87) per individual long-haul flight (pound stg. 70 for a return trip). While BA had often been among the leaders in raising the fuel surcharge, on some occasions Virgin Atlantic, its main long-haul competitor at Heathrow, had also taken the lead. On most occasions the other airlines quickly followed the lead of the first mover. Last Septembe r, VA raised the long-haul surcharge from pound stg. 24 to pound stg. 30. It was followed in the same week by BA with the same increase. Virgin lowered the surcharge again in November to pound stg. 25, but BA did not follow suit and in January Virgin returned to pound stg. 30. In March, VA raised the levy to pound stg. 35. BA followed to pound stg. 35 in April. The Office of Fair Trading said last week that the investigation was at a very early stage and that there should be no assumption that there had been any wrongdoing. The External Environment: PESTLE Analysis   PESTLE analysis if you are including legal and environmental. Airlines are a good one because so many different things affect them. Political Taxes that they get charged in different countries for landing, fuel taxation etc Economic e.g. How does interest rate movement affext their longterm debt? How as their economic performance compared to the market sector? P/E ratios etc. Oil prices increasing, is this affecting their profits from increased fuel costs? Social Safety measures they employ on board and on the ground. Polulations growth does an ageing poulation affect them i.e. baby boomers, lots of people in that lifestage have more disposable income to spend. Technological As things improve technology becomes cheaper. How does this affect them? Does this mean the entries to barrier are lower for competitors to join? Do easyjet have a big RD dept? Legal Different legalities of different countries some stricter than others   Environment carbon offsetting, what is their CSR policy?   The Industry Environment: Five Forces New entrants in the industry basically face two difficulties: barriers to entry and retaliation from present firms (2003)   In the aviation industry, particularly the service passenger-based ones like Virgin Atlantic Airways, in modern economies are privately-operated that calls for substantial financial requirements at the fore.   Since travel services are derived demand (), new entrants should be able to cut a share in the pie in the presently saturated market.   This endeavor could result to another substantial resource to be deployed.   However, with such new entrant engagement, it does not assure of intended results because competitors like Virgin already created strategic links to other country-routes including its alliance with Asian giant Singapore Airlines that makes it easy to create counter-strategy.Boeing, the largest manufacturer of jetliners and supplier of Virgins aircrafts, had recently signed long-term agreement with largest aerospace part s distributor Satair for an Integrated Materials Management ().   As a result, Boeing could reduce its inventory and minimize warehousing costs because spare parts will be provided only when needed.   A cost reduction strategy from a supplier can assure customers like Virgin of price management scheme, if not, its another supplier, Airbus (the once number one airline manufacturer) could be resorted.Competitors in the industry have the same capability in terms interactivity of their web pages like Virgin.   This is supported almost fifty percent prevalence of internet connection among UK market, not to mention other countries.   As a result, the power of buyers to gain access to prices and services of firms increase making them knowledgeable of distinction of one from the other.   Companies on their part are obliged to be more competitive especially in maintaining and updating their web sites.  The countrys sea transport industry had develope d super ferries while the 2003 recorded 17.4% increase of UK passengers who took cruise holidays that reached nearly one million in that year ().   This development would make sense to airline industry tourism and leisure market especially foreigners that like to see the national endowments.   With demand for airline transport rise at faster rate than supply for it, the airline industry is required to effectively allocate its resources in a manner that exploit this supply shortage. Other airline competitors in the likes of AMR Corp., British Airways and Lufthansa are operating in at least 150 destinations compared to Virgins 20 As a result, rivalry among these firms against Virgin is relatively insignificant although strategic actions of Virgin that directly and significantly threat their market could spark retaliation in the detriment of relatively small firm.   The firm should focus in its target market and avoid competing with these large firms. Ansoffs product / market matrix Introduction The Ansoff Growth matrix is a tool that helps businesses decide their product and market growth strategy. Ansoffs product/market growth matrix suggests that a business attempts to grow depend on whether it markets  new or existing  products in  new or existing markets. The output from the Ansoff product/market matrix is a series of suggested growth strategies that set the direction for the business strategy. What is a Critical Success Factor? Critical Success Factors  (CSFs) are the critical factors or activities required for ensuring the success your business. The term was initially used in the world of data analysis, and business analysis. (   attracting customers; managing its fleet; managing its people, and managing its finances) Most smaller and more pragmatic businesses can still use CSFs but we need to take a different, more pragmatic approach. Critical Success Factors  have been used significantly to present or identify a few key factors that organizations should focus on to be successful. As a definition, critical success factors refer to the limited number of areas in which satisfactory results will ensure successful competitive performance for the individual, department, or organization. The connection of the Virgin Airline is outrageous because of the media that serves as a huge market competency advantage. Their strategy is using the media such as television, radio, internet, and even newspaper gave the business an opportunity for promotion. KEY POINTS    Virgin Atlantic established the strategy in promotion. They need to communicate with their customers for their initiatives in offering special offers that effectively make an appeal to their customers The benefits are expected to gain the Airlines 3-month payback on their investment; can utilize the advantage of the company over the technology such as computers; lowering the costs of the promotional materials because of the interaction of the business in the different forms of media; prioritizing the communication to the customers; and having the complete control on the advertising campaigns   The Virgin Atlantic recently tested the innovation and can continuously apply this in all their system. This strategy deals with the climate change has a great impact in the internal operation of the business such as the investment in the additional technology, better flying planes, building and operating an efficient infrastructure, and positive economic arrangements.    Strategy: Is about to design a desired future and identifying ways to bring it about by stenier1979 .a strategy is the pattern or plan integrate an organisation s major goals polices and actions into a cohesive whole.   Strategic Planning Strategy is the  direction  and  scope  of an organisation over the  long-term:  which achieves advantage  for the organisation through its configuration of  resources  within a challenging environment, to meet the needs of  markets  and to fulfil  stakeholder  expectations. In other words, strategy is about: * Where is the business trying to get to in the long-term (direction) * Which markets should a business compete in and what kind of activities are involved in such markets? (markets;  scope) * How can the business perform better than the competition in those markets? (advantage)? * What resources (skills, assets, finance, relationships, technical competence, facilities) are required in order to be able to compete? (resources)? * What external, environmental factors affect the businesses ability to compete? (environment)? * What are the values and expectations of those who have power in and around the business? (stakeholders) Strategy at Different Levels of a Business (Safety,  security  and  consistent delivery  of the basics are the foundation of everything we do. The success of our three year strategy requires us to build on these foundations by focusing on the  business  and  leisure  markets and driving  efficiency  andeffectiveness.) Strategies exist at several levels in any organisation ranging from the overall business (or group of businesses) through to individuals working in it. Corporate Strategy   is concerned with the overall purpose and scope of the business to meet stakeholder expectations. This is a crucial level since it is heavily influenced by investors in the business and acts to guide strategic decision-making throughout the business. Corporate strategy is often stated explicitly in a mission statement. Business Unit Strategy   is concerned more with how a business competes successfully in a particular market. It concerns strategic decisions about choice of products, meeting needs of customers, gaining advantage over competitors, exploiting or creating new opportunities etc. Operational Strategy   is concerned with how each part of the business is organised to deliver the corporate and business-unit level strategic direction. Operational strategy therefore focuses on issues of resources, processes, people etc. How Strategy is Managed Strategic Management In its broadest sense, strategic management is about taking strategic decisions decisions that answer the questions above. In practice, a thorough strategic management process has three main components, shown in the figure below: Mission Statement To grow a profitable airline that people love to fly and where people love to Work. SWOT Analysis The next segment of reviewing a firms strategic plan is to perform a SWOT analysis. This entails identifying a firms internal strengths and weaknesses and their external opportunities and threats. After analyzing the external environment and internal resources, strategic decision makers have the information they need to formulate corporate, business, and financial strategies of the organization. A comparison of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats is normally referred to as a SWOT analysis. A SWOT analysis helps executives summarize the major facts and forecasts derived from the external and internal analysis. From this, executives can derive a series of statements that identify the primary and secondary strategic issues confronting the organization. Strategy formulation builds on SWOT analysis to utilize strengths of the organization in order to capitalize on opportunities, counteract threats, and alleviate internal weaknesses. In short, strategy formulation moves from simply analysis to devising a coherent course of action. The findings of a SWOT analysis are the basis for developing objectives and strategies that can be implemented in a companys strategic plan. Therefore, it is important for companies to continue to perform SWOT analyses, because external and internal factors affecting companies are constantly changing. New strategies need to be developed and old ones need to be revised in order to reflect the current internal and external conditions that affect a company Internal strengths and weaknesses are activities that a company performs particularly well or poorly. These internal activities stem from all departments and components of a business. After a company identifies its strengths and weaknesses, it should then develop strategies that capitalize on its strengths and minimize or improve its weaknesses External opportunities and threats are events that occur outside of the company and are events that the company has no control over. Co mpanies benefit from external opportunities and are harmed by external threats. It is important for a company to recognize its external opportunities and threats so it can formulate strategies to take advantage of future opportunities and to avoid future threats. (S)trengths: Virgin Brand recognized by 98% of British Public. Clients expect good customer service in each separate class Business/Economy. Virgin Atlantic introduced innovative technology: including in flight music, ice  cream, games, and movies. New in flight innovation is offered to gold club holders or J-class with lounges  offering quality food and comfort. Quality trained employees recruited from other airlines. Virgin Atlantic is spawned from as a private company allowing for other Virgin  brands and more control. Richard Bransons innovative entrepreneurial management. Competitive pricing for business class offers more services. Partnership with Singapore airlines because they are the minority shareholder at  49%. The reason why this partnership is beneficial is because their routes are  non-overlapping and the partnership allows the transfer of core competencies. Load factor is better than competition; therefore, returns are higher and value is  greater. Positive publicity, in regards to winning every quality award known to man. (W)eaknesses Flight delays: need to improve flight efficiency. The travel routes are limited. Hot Air magazine separate from traditional airline advertising magazines including articles and marketing advertising. Cut routes to Chicago, Toronto, and Cape in relation to the September 11 tragedy. Late getting on the Internet Missed the Boat for web site, web page, and ecommerce. Richard Branson is a one man manager being the owner and director of multiple companies. Costs associated in the overhead of keeping two five star chefs, lounge, and limo service. Virgins reliance on Trans Atlantic traffic makes them more vulnerable to the drop in demand for travel to and from the U.S. (O)pportunities Strategic Marketing above the rest utilizing by being innovative, fun, maintaining  values, caring, and produce quality. Technology adds improvements (Galileo) an advanced inventory system. In flight Internet connection. Web site needs to be improved possible weakness for e-commerce and regular  web site navigation. Generate additional routes. Virgin Galactic, we are flying into outer space. Warehouse facility -Heathrow, London. Recession may be an unexpected opportunity for investment. On-line strategy in targeting branding and ongoing ad campaigns, through on-line  media planning and buying account. (T)hreats Recession, September 11th will and has affected the entire airline industry, order cancellations, risk aversion for flying customers Brand Dilution by a rapid expanding brand image may be too global and not  focused towards the important products. Competition for routes British and United. Fuel prices are fluctuating, which accounts for 15% of total airline expense. Objectives The results that an organization seeks over a multiyear period are its long-term  objectives. Such objectives typically involve some or all of the following areas: profitability, return on investment, competitive position, technological leadership,  productivity, employee relations, public responsibility, and employee development. Eric Starks, Virgin Atlantic Regional Director, stated the following objective: To  maintain a safe customer environment through the necessary security procedures. Also to  concentrate on core competencies by consolidating routes, directly related to downsizing  workforce, to remain profitable while targeting business class passengers. Strategies Strategies are statements of how objectives are to be achieved. These are usually long- term strategies and necessitate many different approaches, such as, product development, joint ventures and strategic alliances. Generic strategies such as low cost, differentiation, or focus strategies characterize the competitive orientation of the firm in the marketplace.In order to remain profitable Virgin Atlantic has focused on its core competencies. The company is currently focusing its strategies on sustaining great quality. service and maintaining relationships with their Upper Class customers. This has resulted in the closing of routes to Toronto, Chicago, and Cape Town. The company has also reduced the amount of flights a day and personnel by 20% per route across the North Atlantic. For example, the San Francisco routes were reduced from two flights to one flight per day. Competitive Strategy Analysis Segmentation Market segmentation is defined as the process of dividing a market into groups of  similar consumer and selecting the most appropriate group(s) for the firm to serve. This  concept is achieved through the following six steps Define firms current situation. Determine consumer wants and needs. Divide markets on relevant dimensions. Develop product positioning. Decide segmentations strategy. Design marketing mix strategy. Targeting Targeting is when a firm chooses one or more market segments as a specific target markets. Virgin Atlantic is a company that considers every customer to be important and thus offers individualized services to customers. These are nine basic criteria for targeting Who buys our product? Who does not buy our product? What need or function does our product serve? What problem does our product solve? What are customers currently buying to satisfy the need or solve the problem for which our product is targeting? What price are they paying for the product they are currently buying? When is our product purchased? Where is our product purchased? Why is our product purchased? Upon evaluation of these questions the company must then assess opportunity in target markets based on segment size and growth potential, competition, companys objectives and feasibility of success in this market. Virgin Atlantic has targeted upper class customers who are primarily business passengers traveling on transatlantic routes. Positioning Positioning refers to the act of locating a brand in customers minds over and against other products in terms of product attributes and benefits that the brand does or does not offer.38 There are many different general strategies for positioning products Attribute or benefit, quality and price, use or application, competition, high-tech and high-touch, can achieve desired positioning. Most significantly, Virgin Atlantic has positioned itself as direct competitor to British Airways on all routes. Firstly, Virgin Atlantic was extremely aggressive in obtaining slots at Heathrow International Airport. Secondly, Virgin Atlantic attacked the proposed British Airways and American Airlines partnership stating that it was unhealthy for competition. Finally, Virgin Atlantic has strived to compete with British Airways on all routes into and out of London. Virgin Atlantic attracts customers by being fun and innovative. On the aircraft passengers experience spacious setting arrangements, state of the art in-flight entertainment system, and most importantly a high level of customer service. In addition,Virgin Atlantic offers a distinctive upper class service at business class prices.Furthermore, Virgin Atlantic is installing Internet capabilities and is implementing Galileos Inside Availability (R), a high-tech inventory management system. Option one low price/low added value. likely to be segment specific. Option two low price. risk of price war and low margins/need to be a cost leader. Option three Hybrid. low cost base and reinvestment in low price and differentiation. Option four Differentiation. (a)without a price premium: perceived added value by user, yielding market share benefits. (b)with a price premium: perceived added value sufficient to to bear price premium. Option five focussed differentiation. perceived added value to a particular segment warranting a premium price. Option six increased price/standard. higher margins if competitors do not value follow/risk of losing market share. Option seven increased price/low values. only feasible in a monopoly situation. Option eight low value/standard price. loss of market share. Conclusion By studying this external and industry analysis on environmental facts, it could be said that Virgin Atlantic Airways is situated in standard cycle markets wherein its competitive advantage is moderately shielded from imitation.   In general, airline industry belongs to slow cycle markets, however, due to relatively smaller capital and operations of some firms like Virgin, compa

ovarian cancer Essay -- essays research papers

Of all gynecologic malignancies, ovarian cancer continues to have the highest mortality and is the most difficult to diagnose. In the United States female population, ovarian cancer ranks fifth in absolute mortality among cancer related deaths (13,000/yr). In most reported cases, ovarian cancer, when first diagnosed is in stages III or IV in about 60 to 70% of patients which further complicates treatment of the disease (Barber, 3). Early detection in ovarian cancer is hampered by the lack of appropriate tumor markers and clinically, most patients fail to develop significant symptoms until they reach advanced stage disease. The characteristics of ovarian cancer have been studied in primary tumors and in established ovarian tumor cell lines which provide a reproducible source of tumor material. Among the major clinical problems of ovarian cancer, malignant progression, rapid emergence of drug resistance, and associated cross-resistance remain unresolved. Ovarian cancer has a high frequency of metastasis yet generally remains localized within the peritoneal cavity. Tumor development has been associated with aberrant, dysfunctional expression and/or mutation of various genes. This can include oncogene overexpression, amplification or mutation, aberrant tumor suppressor expression or mutation. Also, subversion of host antitumor immune responses may play a role in the pathogenesis of cancer (Sharp, 77). Ovarian clear cell adenocarcinoma was first described by...

Henry David Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience :: Civil Disobedience Essays

In Thoreau’s essay â€Å"Resistance to Civil Government†, Henry David Thoreau outlines a utopian society in which each individual would be responsible for governing himself. His opposition to a centralized government is an effort to disassociate with the American government, which at the time was supporting slavery and unjustly invading Mexico. While the individual rule would work well for Thoreau who is a man of conscience, it does not account for the immoral, dishonest or overly ambitious people in the nation. â€Å"Resistance to Civil Government† is a work of political philosophy where Thoreau lays out a plan for the way he believes the American government and society should be structured. The essay discusses the relation between the individual and society. This essay acts as a plea for individuals to follow their conscience when civil law causes a conflict. Thoreau calls for a conscious rebellion to bring about a radical change in the American constitution; a revolution against the American government. This notion of peaceable revolution is the moral center of this essay.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  By refusing to pay taxes he is not objecting the taxes specific use, he is refusing allegiance to the state as a whole. Thoreau does not advocate complete defiance of democracy with his protest as he willingly accepts the consequences of breaking the law. Because Thoreau chooses his integrity over compliance he feels freer in jail than the people outside who follow the law like sheep rather than thinking and acting for themselves. He accepts the consequence of imprisonment for not paying his lawful tax, believing that by being imprisoned he is forcing the government to consider whether he is in the right by practicing civil disobedience. Thoreau wishes to be separate from the American government because it supports slavery. Thoreau chastises the government.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Thoreau pictures a utopian society where a person’s conscience is a higher rule than that of the law.