Business Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Business Finance - Essay Example Union (EU) and creation of bodies such as South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SCCRC), North Atlantic Treaty Organizations (NATO) and Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) are all examples of such regionalization. Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is also one of these organizations which have been developed to promote the interests of the whole Southeast Asia. Being a fast growing economic bloc, observers pay a special attention towards its financial worth now and in future. Here we would focus on financial implications of ASEAN being our research question, vis-Ã  -vis other blocs and in global economy as a whole. Our research method would be primarily comparative and analytical and will be based on available historical data, both in print and electronic media, as primary research does not suit the purpose. We will also deliberate upon the individual contribution of member states wherever seems necessary. ASEAN was founded on August 8, 1967. Initially, it had five member countries namely Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines and Singapore. Since then, five more countries have joined ASEAN namely Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Vietnam, Burma and Laos making it a vibrant regional organization with ten members. Together these nations look to strengthen their political, economic, social and cultural development. With the passage of time ASEAN has provided even bigger platforms for nations of the region to sit together. One of them is ASEAN plus three where three economic giants of East Asia i.e. China, South Korea and Japan also attend the meetings to further the cause of regional development. Similarly, the creation of East Asian Summit is another step towards such regional dialogue. East Asian Summit includes New Zealand, Australia and India in addition to the ASEAN plus three states making it a meeting point for 16 nation states. 5. To mutually work for the development of agricultural, industrial and trade related issues.

Thermodynamics Paper Essay Example for Free

Thermodynamics Paper Essay Thermodynamics is a branch of physics that studies the effects of changes in temperature, pressure, and volume on physical systems at the macroscopic scale by analyzing the collective motion of their particles using statistics. The term thermodynamics was coined by James Joule in 1858 to designate the science of relations between heat and power. The starting point for most thermodynamic considerations are the laws of thermodynamics, which postulate that energy can be exchanged between physical systems as heat or   work.   They also postulate the existence of a quantity named entrope, which can be defined for any system. In thermodynamics, there are four laws of very general validity, and as such they do not depend on the details of the interactions or the systems being studied. They are: zeroth law of thermodynamics, stating that thermodynamic equilibrium is an equivalence relation; first law of thermodynamics, about the conservation of energy; second law of thermodynamics, about entropy; third law of thermodynamics, about absolute zero temperature. An important concept in thermodynamics is the system. A system is the region of the universe under study. A system is separated from the remainder of the universe by a boundary which may be imaginary or not, but which by convention delimits a finite volume. The possible exchanges of work, heat, or matter between the system and the surroundings take place across this boundary. There are five dominant classes of systems: Isolated Systems, Adiabatic Systems, Diathermic Systems, Closed Systems, Open Systems. Thermodynamics describes how systems respond to changes in their surroundings. This can be applied to a wide variety of topics in science and engineering, such as engines, phase transitions, chemical reactions, transport phenomena, and even black holes. The results of thermodynamics are essential for other fields of physics and for chemistry, engineering, cell biology and material science.

A Report on Esther Essay -- Bible, The Book of Esther, God, Jews

Introduction Throughout time, people have attempted to destroy the nation of Israel, the â€Å"apple of God’s eye.† It was because from the Jews, came the covenants, promises, the law, and the messiah—the savior of the world. God’s chosen people are the enemy of Satan, the prince of this world, and the conflict started back in Genesis 3:15. While a remnant from Judah returned to the land promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, other Jews remained in the cities of their captivity. Some were welcomed as valued members of their communities, but others were despised and hated. Some were even targeted for extermination. The book of Esther tells a story of an attempted extermination. It records a ten-year span during the 58-60 year interlude in the book of Ezra (ch.6-7) between the first return headed by Zerubbabel and the second return headed by Ezra. It also tells of the inauguration of a feast (Purim), which has endured over 2,000 years because of one woman, whose name the book is titled, said, â€Å"If I perish†¦ I perish.† Moreover, Esther is a story of courage and communication displayed in the life of two people: Esther and Mordecai. Author and Date The author of this book remains unknown. However, the author was probably a Jew, both from the purpose of the book in accounting for the origin of the Jewish festival Purim and from the Jewish nationalism, that permeates the story. Also, the author was acquainted with Persian culture. This is indicated by the extensive descriptions of the palace complex in Susa filtered throughout the book and the domestic reign of King Ahasuerus. Based on these observations, some have ascribed the author to Mordecai. However, modern scholars reject this idea because Mordecai is referred to in... ...ther realization of the sovereignty and providential care of our almighty God. What stood out to me above all in this study was the relationship of Mordecai and Esther. The communication and courage that these two had throughout the book was, in my opinion, phenomenal. These two cousins recognized their positions in relation to each other during the different dispensations of their lives, and thus submitted to one another; and because of this, they triumphed (2:10, 20; 4:17). What I gleamed from them was an example of how Christians ought to relate to each other (Eph 5:21). A Brief Outline of the Book of Esther I. The Fall of Queen Vasthi and the Rise of Queen Esther (Ch. 1-2) II. Haman’s Plot to Exterminate the Jews: His Rise and His Fall (Ch. 3-8) III. Mordecai’s Rise and the Deliverance of the Jews (Ch. 9-10)

The Need for Performance Appraisal in the Uae Transport and Travel Industry

Student Name: Instructor’s Name: Title: PROPOSAL: The Need for Performance Appraisal in the UAE Transport and Travel Industry Course: Institution: Table of Contents An evaluation of performance appraisal in UAE travel department3 Introduction3 Statement of the problem3 Research Objectives and Aims3 Background and Significance4 Significance of the Study4 LITERATURE REVIEW5 How has the UAE transport industry failed in embrace performance appraisal? 5 Emirisation policy (Nationalism)5 Employee wage rates and prohibition of workers tribunal6 National Culture and traditions7Organization Culture8 Research methods and design9 Research design9 Research deliverables/potential values/expected outcomes10 Limitations of the research10 Ethical Implications10 Bibliography12 The need for performance appraisal in the UAE transport and travel industry An evaluation of performance appraisal in UAE travel department Introduction Human resource management is the main determinant of employee perfo rmance in any organization (Wright et. al 2003). For effective management of employees, performance appraisal and management is a critical aspect in the human resource department.With the increasing competition, the advancement of technology and the current global economic decline, government departments and organizations are changing their employee practices to save resources and at the same time increase productivity (Armstrong 2009). They are working towards improving employee productivity. Resources in organizations are currently moving from capital and asset holding to skills employees possess, their brand and intellectual capability. Thus, the research will aim at critically examining how performance appraisal will improve employee productivity and reduce disputes in the UAE transport travel industry.Statement of the problem Increased poor performance and low employee productivity in the government sectors is affecting the general economy of the United Arab Emirates government s. Increased employee within the transport industry calls for a critical evaluation and implementation of performance appraisal. Research Objectives and Aims The research will basically base on ways of improving UAE employees’ productivity through performance appraisal. It restricts its scope to government sector and issues affecting employees within their departments and in the general organization.The research will also involve the government sector in the UAE. Specific Objectives ? To determine what is causing reduced productivity among employees ? To identify areas of weakness within the government organization ? To identify specific appraisal measures that the organizations are lacking ? To suggest appropriate measures of realizing improved performance Background and Significance The United Arab Emirates is a federal association comprising of seven different countries in the Southeast of the Arabian Pensula. The Emirates has conserved customs, laws and business practices governed by the Islamic beliefs.It is known for well developed infrastructure and its transport and travel industry that extends to international levels and serves a wide range of nationals. This is because it adopts technologies of other foreign states and is improves its transport industry by expanding it internationally (Alrawi & Sabry, 2009. However, currently, employee disputes and strikes experienced in most of the emirate countries is rampant. This is common in the biggest and most famous Emirates such a Dubai and Sharjah. Significance of the StudyThe study will look at employee productivity as a factor of performance appraisal in the UAE government departments with emphasis on the travel and transport industry of the UAE. The study will have significance both theoretically and practically. It improves the understanding of how performance appraisal of employees will increase their productivity and improve relations among employees and with their seniors in the UAE. It will a lso enable the government department to know which strategies they should put in place in order to attain employee job satisfaction, commitment and increased retention rates.The problem of employee productivity is an area of limited research. The study will develop a theoretical framework for employee performance appraisal and productivity in relation to UAE policies. LITERATURE REVIEW Employee performance and levels of productivity determines profits of any firm. According to Heathfield (2008), organizations are aiming at seeking advantages, and for this reason she says, evaluation of workers performance is becoming the immediate area of target. She says that the management of employee performance is of advantage for both the employee and the employer.She further states that, however the approach to the concept of performance appraisal may differ from one organization to another, the concept and its meaning still focuses on human capital as the most important asset in the organizat ion. How the UAE transport industry has failed in embrace performance appraisal Emirisation policy (Nationalism) Emirisation policy aims at developing more workforce among the nationals of UAE through education systems, training and career development so as to reduce the number of non-nationals in the countries and encourage employment of the nationals (Rees Et. l, 2007). This in turn may affect performance of the non-national employees and may lead to unfair judgment of employee performance by the managers. Many organizations are embracing the policies, and in turn changing the managerial approaches of the firms (Mansour, 2008). Human resource practices such as recruiting procedures (Randeree, 2009) and employment strategies are affected as a result of the emirisation policy. For example the banking sector where employment of the nationals increased to 30% from 28% in the year 2005. Employee wage rates and prohibition of workers tribunalLow wage rates and poor working conditions as a result of prohibit trade unions in the UAE, is a matter of concern and making headlines (Francis, 2008 ). This however involves discrimination of non-national workers from india, Plilistienes and Pakistan. The result of ignoring the human resopurse factor leads to disputes, strikes low employee production and damages the image of the organization. She states that the government intervenes to have more control on the employees; however, arresting workers who are fighting for their rights is uncouth.Performance appraisal aims at looking into the affairs of workers which also involves changing policies as the economy also improves. Francis (2008) further states that employee strike also resulted from policies established in the past two decades that organizations were still using in determining the rates of payment entitled to workers. He says that in Dubai, striking was illegal and therefore, for workers to engage in it, having in mind the consequences, it means that they are respo nding to the industrial working conditions that would result to utter poverty.The government in this case denies the workers certain rights and worsens it by detaining the demonstrators when they have no tribunals that they could rather have gone to and negotiated with the government. Dubai is known for its advanced air services, transport and tourism. However, labour issues as a result of employee wage rates are also a rising issue of concern. Shaibany (2011) writes an article on employee strike as a result of less pay. In is report he says that two hundred employees of Oman air went on strike following their demand for increase in pay. This is just after another incident in the North of jobs and wages.He say says that however, the flight staff did not strike, that the ground staff. Although this had no effect on flights for that day, the issue of employee performance is still an issue of concern. The issue of remuneration is also affected by gender inequality. In some cases in the UAE, female employees have been legally considered to earn less income than their male counterparts irrespective of their abilities and commitment (Tanmia, 2005). This has a direct effect to their performance. National Culture and traditions Arab traditions do not for provide elections in the political system of the UAE.The culture is based on previous generations, National and regional culture, gender and social organizational cultures that in turn have an effect on work values (Abubakr, 2006). Regional influence is more diverse than the rest. Religion, language and historical factors affect organization retention and employee satisfactions which are among the goals that performance appraisal aim at. Pawan et al. (2006) argue that the economic and political importance in the middle East are the areas of interests and therefore, this over shadows the development of human resource management literature.This, he says, affects performance in the business sectors which largely contribu te to the general economy. That poor economic growth as a result of assuming the human resource capital of the organization is affecting the standard of living of people in the region. Goel (2008) explains how a performance appraisal interview puts the employee in a better position to communicate their views and opinions, to identify their weaknesses and knows areas which require improvement and adjustments. He states that this improves communication within the organization and motivates workers to improve themselves.Goel notes that different organizations conduct the appraisal exercise at different times, others yearly or twice a year. However, he suggests that unscheduled and informal exercises are better and more useful. The United Arab Emirates is experiencing a commendable growth in the economic sector and is embracing technology from foreigners at a high rate. According to (OECD 2010), the government aims at capacity building. The government is now moving form the traditional system of personnel management that has less professionalism and is routine oriented to a human resource management system which focuses on performance.OECD states that human resource management focuses more on employees as recourse to the organization and not a tool. This therefore means that, their performance is a priority to the organization as well as their well being, which the organization ensures by providing them with favorable working conditions while balancing its advantage. Organization Culture Recognition is one of the factors that ensures employee satisfaction and enables them to stay in a given job for a longer period (Buckingham & Coffman, 1999).Many organizations in the United Arab Emirates transport industry, especially in Dubai and Sharjah, perceive manager as the best and expect employees to simply follow instructions and work. Practices within organizations in relation to economic policies and strategies are also an issue. Beer and Ruh in Vroom (1990) managing p eople state the use of Management by Objective (MBO) system as an important in instilling accountability on the part of workers other than just improving their personal qualities.Beer and Ruh further explain that many managers and top executives dislike judging their subordinates on how they work as a way of ensuring that everyone is working towards the goals of the organization. However, he says, this is the most Important role of the managers within the organization to ensure that all efforts are directed towards achieving a common goal of the organization. Some managers fear giving negative results o employee analyses when they need to so as to enable the employee improve on the areas of weaknesses. Likely, some are ignorant of employee reactions and interpersonal situations as they focus on results alone.Such managers, he says, do not care about the employee and at times will communicate the results in a manner to frustrate them, which is not ethical. Research methods and design The research will use secondary data from available literature that is books and internet sources. The research will also use survey methods in collection of data by use of survey questionnaires to employees and employers at different job posts. Semi-structured interviews will also be involved. The research will include qualitative technique to gather analysis and concepts and quantitative technique to gather numerical data (Punch 2005) Research designThe purpose of the research is to investigate the need for performance appraisal in the transport and travel industry in Dubai. The study will based on employees and employers responses regarding the objective of the need for performance appraisal in the industry. The researcher will adopt an exploratory study design. An explanatory approach will also be used in explaining the relationship between variables. Research deliverables/potential values/expected outcomes The research will provide managerial information for managing human res ource that will enable organizations in the transport industry to increase employee productivity.This is of value to both employers and the workers. The research expects that the outcome will give relevant areas of weakness that management require applying employee performance appraisal and effectiveness of this procedure to the general organization. Limitations of the research Dubai is an Arab speaking country which only embraced English for business and commerce purposes. The researcher therefore is likely to face the problem of language barrier among the nationals. Not all nationals are used to English and if so, not fluent English. This will be a limiting factor in the case of interviews.Being a Muslim country, religious barriers are likely. Cultures like restricted closeness with respondents of the opposite sex and way of dressing as restricted by the respondents’ religion might be a limitation during the research. Collection of information from respondents of a differen t gender will pose a challenge to the researcher. Nationality and race of the researcher might be a possible limitation in the research. Respondents may fear to respond to questions or get close to the researcher because of racial barrier and different nationality. Organization policy in the foreign country will limit research and collection of information.Organization management might refuse to cooperate by restricting employees from participating in the data collection. Ethical Implications The research will observe quality in information and findings, encouraging no faulty or defrauding information from the participants of the research. It will also ensure safety of the participants is taken into consideration with equal assurance to them of confidentiality and non disclosure of their information details. The researcher will present confidential forms to this effect which he will sign and the respondent will sign too.Quality of information will be ensured by collecting informatio n from direct victims of performance appraisal (employees). Bibliography Abubakr, M. (2006). Managing human resource in the Middle East: Human resource management in the United Arab Emirates. London: Taylor & Francis Ltd. Alrawi, K. , & Sabry, K. (2009). E-commerce evolution: A Gulf region review. International Journal of Business Information Systems, 4(5), 509 – 526 Armstrong, M. (2009). Armstrong's handbook of human resource management practices (11th ed. ). London: Kogan Page Limited. Buckingham, M. , ; Coffman, C. (1999).First, break all the rules: What the world’s greatest managers do differently. New York: Simon ; Shuster. Francis. V, (2008). Dubai Labor Fighting Back Vs. Indentured Globalization. Retrieved on November 5, 2012 from GOEL, D. (2008). Performance appraisal and compensation management. New Dehli, Prentice-Hall of India. Heathfield, S. M, (2008). Why organizations employ performance evaluation. Retrieved on November 5, 2012 from Organisation for Econo mic Co-Operation and Development. (2010). Progress in public management in the Middle East and North Africa: case studies on policy reform. Paris, OECD Pawan S. B, ;Mellahi,K. (2006).Managing Human Resources in the Middle East. Routledge Punch, F. (2005). Introduction to social research: Quantitative and qualitative approaches. London: Saga Publications Randeree, K. (2009). Strategy, policy and practice in the nationalisation of human capital: Project Emiratisation. Research ; Practice in Human Resource Management 17(1), 71-79. Rees, C. , Mamman, A. , ; Bin Braik, A. (2007). Emiratization asa strategic HRM change initiative: Case study evidence from a UAE petroleum company. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 18(1), 33-53. Shaibany, S. (2011). Oman Air employees strike for higher wages.Tanmia, 2004. Emiratisation in the Banking Sector: Factors Influencing Success and Failure: The National Human Resource Development and Employment Authority: Centre for Labour Market R esearch and Information. Human Resource development and employment Authority. Dubai: United Arab. Emirates Vroom, V. H (1990). Manage people, not personnel: motivation and performance appraisal. Boston, MA, HBS Press. Wright, P. , ; Kehoe, R. (2008). Human resource practices and organizational commitment: A deeper examination. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, 46(1), 6-20. Appendices Appendix 1: Timeline and work plan Task |Duration | |Review of literature |1day | |Investigations of surveys done |1day | |Preparation of questionnaires |1day | |Actual survey |2weeks | |Data analysis |4days | |Report writing and compilation |1 week | Appendix 2: Budget Expected task |Expected cost ($) | |Information from the library |170 | |Testing of questionnaires |150 | |Actual survey |300 | |Miscellaneous costs |150 | |Total |770 |

Buying Behavior

There are many aspects of life that effect a person’s buying behavior. Buying behavior is the decision process and actions of people involved in buying and using products and services. Influences on buying behavior can be classified into three major categories: situational influences, psychological influences, and social influences. Situational influences include physical surroundings and social surroundings. Depending on who is around at a certain time may sway a person’s decision to buy something. Psychological influences include perception, motives, attitudes, personality, and lifestyles.Although these psychological influences are very much internal they still effect people’s actions on the outside. Social influences include roles, family influences, reference groups, social classes, and subcultures. Social influences are perhaps the most distinguishable influences and contribute to buying behavior in many ways. Influences on consumer buying behavior come from all aspects of life and have major impacts on the type, brands, and kinds of products people buy everyday. One of the major psychological influences on buying behavior is lifestyle.A lifestyle is an individual’s pattern of living based on his or her interests, activities, and opinions. A person’s lifestyle is based off what they need, want and do, this in turn effects their buying behavior. It influences what products people need, which brands they prefer, and how and when they shop. A lifestyle develops into a consistent pattern people follow in their lives. An example of how a certain lifestyle affects a persons buying behavior is the new shift in the United States towards a healthy and natural lifestyle.People who want to become healthier will buy healthy foods and maybe even purchase things such as new running shoes or a gym membership. A person who is not concern with following a healthy lifestyle would not have any motives to buy these things. My lifestyle defin es what I spend my money based on my hobbies, opinions, and interests. Every month I pay twenty dollars a month for a gym membership because staying in shape is something that I value. I also shop as stores such as Forever 21 and H&M because they sell trendy clothes for an affordable price.This suits my lifestyle because I like to keep up with the latest fashion without spending all of my income on clothing. I also spend a lot of money on gas for my car because I commute back and fourth to school. I decide to use my money on gas because getting an education is important to me. A major part of my lifestyle is love for animals. I have recently bought a puppy and now must buy things for him such as food, toys, and medicine. The type of lifestyle a person has, has a major impact on what types and brands of products they buy. One of the major social influences on the buying decision process are the roles a person assumes.A role is the actions and activities that a person in a particular position is thought to complete based on expectations of the individual and surrounding persons. People can assume many roles in life and must buy different kinds of product for each role. The most common example of how a persons different roles effect their buying decisions is the clothes that they wear. A person has different clothes that they wear at home, at the club, at the gym, and at work. They must adapt to the role they are assuming at a certain time and their clothing must suit each of these roles.I assume many roles in my life including daughter, student, girlfriend, friend, and worker. As a girlfriend I decide where what do on the weekends and often spend money on going out. As a daughter I buy food, toilet paper, and essential good for everyone’s use in the house. As a student I buy pens, paper, and supplies that make me successful in doing my school work. Buying behavior is very much based on specific roles in life, and because people’s roles are ever cha nging sequentially so is their buying behavior. One of the major social influences on buying behavior is family influence.Family influence is the different influences each family member assumes in the buying decision process. All family members play a role in the families decision to buy something. There are four major roles that family members can play. The gatekeeper collects and controls information about price, quality, and location. They do the research on the best product, brands, and places to shop. The influencer expresses his or her opinion and tries to influence the family’s ultimate buying decision. The decider makes the actual buying choice.They make the final decision on what product will be purchased. However, they do not necessarily make the purchase that role is assumed by the buyer. These various roles show how different family members contribute to the buying behavior of the family as a whole. In my family my brother is the gatekeeper, my mom is the decider, I am the influencer, and my dad is the buyer most of the time. We all are usually the users, which are the household members who consume or use the product. I always help my mom make the grocery list so I can tell her all of the food I want her to buy.Also I have traveled the most out of anyone in my family and often try to influence where we take our family vacations. My mom does not always take my advice but she always takes it into account when making any decisions. An example of me in the role of the influencer is last year when we were planning our family vacation I kept telling my parents how many things there were to do in Bermuda and how much fun it would be for the whole family. We ended up going to Bermuda much to my persuasion. Family influences can also pass on from generation from generation.For example when I moved into my own apartment I always bought Snuggle fabric softener because that’s what my mom always used and I always loved the way my clothes smelt gro wing up. I am now loyal to the Snuggle brand because my mom was always loyal to the brand. Family members can have many direct or indirect influences on buying behavior. Another social entity that affects buying behavior is reference groups. A reference group is a group that a person identities with so powerfully that he or she embraces the values, attitudes, and behavior of other group members.People often look to others in their reference group for â€Å"conspicuous† purchase, or purchases that will be seen by others. They seek out brand patronage, information on products, and brand comparisons from people in their reference group to help them make buying decisions. Reference groups are usually formed with people that are trusted and thus the information given can affect whether a person does or does not buy a product, buys a specific brand, or buys a certain type of product.Buying behavior can be changed to be more in line with actions of other group members once a member is swayed in a specific direction. A reference group in which I belong to is my three best girlfriends. We are always giving each other advice on the best clothes, nail polish, shampoo, and even hairdressers. We all use the same products and are always sharing positive and negative feed back on brands and services. I think that my reference groups has the most influence on my buying behavior because I have such similar wants, needs, and expectations to the other members.Social class is another social influence on buying behavior. Social class is an open group of individuals with similar social rank. In the United States it is made up of three major social classes Upper American, Middle American, and Lower American. People in similar social classes also develop many similar social patterns. They have similar values, belongings, needs, and wants. The fact that people in the same social classes are so similar, they are influenced by each other’s actions. These influences include which brands people buy, where they shop, and what kinds of products they buy.My family falls into the upper middle class. We are careful with money but still spend it on leisure and entertainment. My parents often ask neighbors for advice when buying things such as a new lawn mower, grill, or car. As a result many of the people in the neighborhood all have John Deer lawn mowers and Toyota cars. Another social influence on buying behavior is subculture. A subculture is a group of individuals whose characteristics, values, and behavioral precedents are comparable within the group and different from those in the nearby culture.Some examples of subcultures are college students, teenagers, Latin Americans, and the West Coast. Subcultures influence attitudes, lifestyles, and beliefs. This affects what people in certain subcultures like and do. For example, people from Japanese culture eat raw fish, and their children learn to like raw fish as well; however, not many children in other pl aces of the world eat sushi. A subculture that I am a part of is college students. College students usually have a small budget so we are looking for quantity over quality.We buy cheap alcohol and fast food because we can get a lot of product for less money. Another subculture that I belong to is commuters. Unlike people who live at school I must spend money on gas and leave extra time to get to class. As commuters we look for the cheapest gas stations and the shortest routes to school. Subcultures influence buying decisions because most of its counter parts have very similar motives. There are many factors that influence the buying decision process. Some of these influences are social, some are psychological, and some are situational.When marketers are trying to market their products they need to keep in mind all of these factors. These categories can help marketers discover whom advertisements should be targeted at in order to be the most successful. They also reveal the reasons p eople buy what they buy which gives marketers key information that they can use to change the marketing mix to suit the buyer’s needs and wants. The decision buying process is a complex process that is affected by many interior and exterior pressures.

Organism essays

Organism essays Every organism at one time or another has to learn to adapt to a new environment. This is why evolution of organism is needed in order to survive changes to its environment, such as the case of the flightless birds. For one reason or another over a period of 100,000 years the need for wings was unnecessary to their survival. There could be many reasons why the birds evolved to be more adaptable to their environment. A small population of birds would have to replenish and start a new population. In all populations there are great reproductive potential to replace numbers and expand the number of population. After their population grew there would be a leveling off of the population once it reached a stable size. The birds' population would become stable due a lack of food to support every bird in the population, along with predators helped to contribute to keeping the population stable. After being on the island a while the birds' population would start showing a variation in differen t traits. Such things as color, wing size and overall size may vary, due to predators and the terrain of the environment. Eventually the birds evolved to the point where the use of their wings was no longer needed, as a necessity to survive. The adaptation could have been because flying itself took to much energy, so to conserve food they didn't fly too much. The bird's food also could have been close to the ground and there was no need to really fly. Another thing could have been that it was hard for predators to catch the birds if they stayed in think under brush or traveled along the ground. For whatever reason the birds didn't need their wings this trait was passed of from generation to generation. The reason this trait was passed on was because it helped the survival of these individual birds. They were able to reproduce and pass these traits through heredity. ...

Media in the Ivory Coast

Media in the Ivory Coast Free Online Research Papers Part 1: Country Background The Rà ©publique de Cà ´te dIvoire, also known as the Ivory Coast, is a country in West Africa bordering Liberia and Guinea to the west, Mali and Burkina Faso to the north, Ghana to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south. The location now known as the Ivory Coast was made a protectorate of France during the era of imperialism by a treaty in the 1840’s, and became a French colony in 1893. The country gained its independence in 1960, at which point it was led by Fà ©lix Houphouà «t-Boigny until 1993. During these years, the country was closely tied with its’ West African neighbors economically and politically, but also maintained trade with the Western world, furthering the nations economic development. However, since the end of Houphouà «t-Boigny’s rule the countries stability has been in serious decline, brought on by a number of coups vying for power. Following the takeover by two militia groups in 1999 and 2001 that served to replace the preexisting political powers, the country has been subject to a civil war since 2002. Today, the government is identified as a republic with strong executive power embodied by the president, President Gbagbo. The nation’s current state of unrest has greatly hampered its economic development and social and political stability, and the violent state of the country poses a serious threat for those wishing to do business with the Ivory Coast. Part 2: Country Profile Population: According to UN census data in 2005, Cà ´te dIvoire has a population of 17.1 million individuals. According to data in 2003, 43.6% of the population is female. The largest city in the country is Abidjan, which is the center for most of the countries economic activity and host to over twenty percent of the nation’s total population. However, the capital city is Yamoussoukro, which has less than 300,000 inhabitants. Language: French is the official language of the Ivory Coast, although there are additionally over ten native languages spoken. Each native language represents the first language of less than fifteen percent of the population, expressing a wide range in culture. However, most individuals in the country speak more than one language. Religion: 63% of the country subscribes to a variety of localized African religions. Islam is the most widespread singular religion, hosting 25% of the population. Approximately 12% of the population reports being Christian. Economic Industries: The economy of the Ivory Coast functions primarily on agricultural exports, representing nearly a third of the gross domestic product. The primary exports of the nation are cocoa beans, coffee, cotton, palm oil, and bananas. The economy is currently severely threatened by the violent state of the nation, which discourages foreign traders thereby limiting exportation. An additional 20% of the GDP is comprised by industrial services, including food and beverage manufacturing, wood products, oil refining, automotive assembly, and textile production. The labor force accounts for the remainder of the economy, with over 60% of the population providing physical labor to support the large agricultural industries. Income: The gross national income was estimated at only $840 U.S.D. per capita according to World Bank data in 2006. Additionally, a significant portion of the population, approximately 37%, is below the poverty line, and 13% of the population suffers from unemployment. The GNP of the country was approximately $15.3 billion in 2005, just below Cameroon, Iraq, and Latvia, placing it in the top third of the world’s countries. Life Expectancy: Men have a life expectancy of only 45 years, with women expected to live only marginally longer, with an average life expectancy of 47 years. This suggests a lack of medical resources and social services. Literacy: The literacy rate is just over fifty percent, indicating a lack of educational opportunities. Part 3: Media Investigation Publications: The Ivory Coast has nine primary daily publications. Of the nine, one is state-owned, one is owned by the ruling party, one is run by the opposition, and the other six are privately funded. It is important to note that Notre Voie, the paper that is funded by the ruling party, has the largest daily circulation. Television: Television service is provided by Radiodiffusion Television Ivoirenne, or RTI, which is state-run. There are no private TV stations, although rebel groups have gained the ability use state-owned TV facilities in certain areas for their own broadcasts. Radio: Radio is the Ivory Coast’s most popular medium for media. There are a total of only seven radio stations that are broadcasted throughout the majority of the country. While the majority of stations are state-owned and run by RTI, there are also non-commercial radio stations that are run more locally by church groups as well as by UN peacekeepers. News Agency: The Agence Ivoirenne de Presse, which is the equivalent of the United States’ Associate Press and is required to regulate the legitimacy of the news being produced, is state-owned, suggesting possible censorship and government biases. Internet/ Telephones: Two Internet service providers: Africaonline and Aviso, with only 1.5% of the population estimated to be Internet users as of 2005. Only 328,000 main line telephones in 2003, although at the time there were over one million cellular phone users. Today there are over four million cell phone users. Part 4: Media Analysis The Ivory Coast was ranked 98th on the most recent list put out by the international World Press Index. This free press index ranking is up 41 places from the previous year. This rise in ranking was particularly shocking to me, especially considering many of the testimonies of journalists I encountered during my investigation. For example, the Paris-based group Reporters Without Borders recently described the Ivory Coast as â€Å"one of Africa’s most dangerous countries for both local and foreign media,† which is largely based on the threat of violent actions from both rebel and state-run military forces. This testimony is evidenced by occurrences such as that in 2004, at which point the government used media under its’ control, specifically the RTI, to enable them in their struggle against rebel forces. The close ties between media and the government is further solidified by the fact that in 2006, members of the Young Patriots militia, who are loyal to Pre sident Gbagbo, invaded RTI headquarters in order to gain more control over the output of information in the media. Although these events occurred several years ago, as recently as 2007 the local UN peacekeepers expressed reports of a â€Å"growing number of inflammatory articles in the press,† providing propaganda for the groups in power. The UN peacekeepers also reported an increasing number of violent attacks on publications. This information does not seem to validate any indications of positive steps towards the production of unbiased media. Based on my investigation of the nation known as the Ivory Coast, it is clear that there is a close link between government forces and the media. Not only are the radio, television, and newspapers state-run, but even peacekeepers have had to take a claim in the media in order to gain any semblance of an effective voice within the community. In 2005, the peacekeepers were able to launch their own radio station in Abidjan, although it did not have broad enough range to reach the entire nation. Even church groups have had to succumb to the media game being played by the government, opting to fund their own radio stations in order to provide some sense of hope for citizens in opposition of the forces in charge. In dissecting the media in Cà ´te dIvoire, I tried to keep an open-mind before passing judgment on the state of affairs. I was initially impressed by the website of the Ivory Coast’s largest circulating newspaper, Notre Voie. The website provided a variety of local articles in English, which I hoped would prove to present an unbiased form of media. However, once I discovered that Notre Voie was state-owned, I began to recognize a pattern in the nature of articles presented; none of the articles provided any opposition to President Gbagbo, nor did they even address the current state of disarray caused by the ongoing civil war. In fact, the themes of the news stories were very localized, and tried to put a positive slant on what was occurring throughout the country. Overall, I think the shape of the media in the Ivory Coast is a product of a variety of influences. The ongoing state of political unrest as caused political parties to enlist propaganda as a strategy for increasing support. This sort of output from the media has served to further the division between groups, causing it to be deemed â€Å"hate media,† and has recently been present in a large number of African nations such as Rwanda who have struggled with similar issues with infrastructure. It seems to me that these unsteady political circumstances translate to corruption within the media, with no authorities working to ensure an unbiased presentation of the news because state-run media sources receive pressure from parties in power to present a specific point of view. Additionally, I believe that the widespread poverty throughout the country further inhibits the local freedom of press. My findings of limited internet access and low literacy rates suggest a lack of social mobility that may correlate with people’s inability to demand truth from local media forces. It is clear that the powers in charge have not accepted the responsibility to place value on a high standard of media, and therefore it is the role of the citizens to pursue such freedoms. Because local citizens have not been able to express these wishes, perhaps it is at this point that Western influences must intervene. Although Western influence has been hampered in the Ivory Coast by civil war, our global awareness of the situation in the country provides grounds for intervention. 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