Transcendentalism in the movie Avatar and how both relate to nature Essay

Transcendentalism in the movie Avatar and how both relate to nature - Essay Example In this movie, transcendentalism is shown when Jake, the main the character breaks from his government and conforms to the natives’ ideology of the importance of nature. Nature is holy to the natives in the movie with God-like powers. Pantheism is the worship of creation. Transcendentalists believe that nature is a way of connection with God. The tree of souls in the movie is as a link to their mother. The destruction of nature by the government is similar to the industrial movement at the beginning of transcendentalism. Technology is as bad and a destroyer of nature. The technology in the movie serves to harm nature, as is believed by transcendentalism (Grabiner 59). Avatar is transcendental in the way it portrays nature and new life. The religion in Avatar portraying God as being Supreme over all beings originates from transcendentalism. The most important message in Avatar is respect for nature. Some of the aspects portrayed in the movie are relevant in the world today. Nature is important and needs to be respected and preserved. It is important not to sacrifice nature at the expense of other benefits (Smitha

Managing Change In The Workplace Management Essay

Managing Change In The Workplace Management Essay High performance workplaces are by nature vibrant. Organisations that want to survive as well as to flourish are innovative, plus effective change management is a requisite skill across all workplaces. Novel technology, novel systems, company mergers in addition to the impact of global trade mean that workplace change is a feature of all of our work lives. Winning employees commitment to innovation and change in the workplace is the key challenge for contemporary management. (Mullins, 2006) Workplace changes are introduced for many reasons. A number of these reasons will be obvious to everyone in the workplace as well as some less so. Cost saving, quality improvement, increased management control, increased employee empowerment, introduction of novel technology, service expansion and improvements to health in addition to safety are some of the goals that may be sought through workplace change. The impact of any change depends a great deal on how it is implemented. (Mullins, 2006) Change processes usually include four phases planning, consultation, implementation and monitoring/evaluation. Each phase takes time, as well as while it is important to reach the outcome, not putting the maximum effort into any of these phases may result in problems impacting on the outcome for a very long time. (Mullins, 2006) An understanding of culture in organisations can offer insights into individual and group behaviour, in addition to leadership. It can help to explain not just what happens in an organisation, however why it happens. (Mullins, 2006) However, many people are concerned not just by means of understanding culture, as well as hence organisational life. They see culture as something to be influenced to achieve organisational goals of productivity, profitability, and success in core business. They want to manage culture. (OConnor, 1997) High performance organisations are successful for the reason that they adapt and move by means of the changing times. They know that the most important thing in preparing for change and in implementing novel arrangements is ensuring they involve their key resource their employees. Effectively involving employees through consultation as well as participation at the outset in any change management process is vital to ongoing workplace productivity in addition to efficiency. (OConnor, 1997) Can culture be managed? Optimists believe culture can be managed; pessimists deny that it can be, according to (Mullins, 2006). They claim that optimists are often business oriented people, who optimistically see the culture of an organisation as being unified and unitary. On the other hand, pessimists are often academically or theoretically oriented, as well as more interested in explanations than practical utility. (Mullins, 2006) Realists, however, can see both sides of the debate. They are frequently interested in exploring culture change and are ready to admit some sway à ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™ if not control à ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™ of culture. Can culture be changed? One of the major ways that managers believe they can manage culture is by changing it. They can use one of the guides that are available, that suggest how to form, transmit or change culture, such as that by (Mullins, 2006). However, just for the reason that peoples behaviours have changed in a number of measurable way, it does not mean the organisational culture has changed à ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™ although behaviour change may be all that managers are interested in. (Mullins, 2006) Difficulties in managing culture Management of culture is hard if there is no agreement on what culture is in addition to culture can be viewed in an enormous variety of ways. The complexity of culture can lead organisations to attempt „quick fixes ° that are superficial. Value-laden judgements on what is the right culture for organisations, devoid of taking into account the unique environments in which they exist, can also make success hard for managers. What are the ethics of trying to manage culture? (Proctor, 2002) poses organisations by means of ethical questions they could ask before attempting to manage à ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™ or change à ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™ culture to influence organisational capability: What are the moral and ethical implications of trying to alter such things as feelings, beliefs, values as well as attitudes? Is culture the prerogative of management furthermore does management having the right to try to control or change it? What does culture change do to the quality of life for people in organisations? What costs to individuality result as of encouraging people to devote themselves to the values and products of the organisation, and then asking them to assess their own worth in these terms? (Proctor, 2002) What tools can one use to manage culture? Tools for managing culture comprise: 1. Management systems 2. Organisation models 3. Strategies. A number of these have been influential for a time, and have then been replaced or extended by novel ideas. They can frequently be seen as trends as well as fashions à ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™ a number of enduring in addition to some not. (Proctor, 2002) 1. Management systems A number of management systems used by managers attempting to manage organisational culture include: Organisational growth (OD): This is a management system of slow, planned change. It is slackly shaped around organisational culture, emphasising how participation, teamwork in addition to problem solving can assist an organisation survives environmental challenges. It is still being used; however its effectiveness is being challenged. (Proctor, 2002) Total Quality Management (TQM): This is a management system used to increase an organisations productivity and quality by focusing on people making continuous incremental development inside existing cultures. A number of see it, however, simply as a control system which produces as well as enforces uniformity, devoid of an understanding of existing organisational culture and the possibility of sub-cultures. (Proctor, 2002) Business Process Re-engineering (BPR): This is a management system of forced, speedy culture change. Where TQM builds a culture that supports improvement, BPR is a result of frustration over the time it takes to do this. Organisation models: A number of organisation models used by managers attempting to manage organisational culture include: Sustainable organisations: The sustainable organisation demands a radical change in thinking regarding culture, transforming the organisation as of being part of the problem to being part of the solution. It is concerned by means of increasing productivity in the long-term in order to survive. Its managers aim to build human capabilities that create continuing innovation as well as high performance. It challenges the dominant economic paradigm and involves broader interests than just shareholders, such as the community in general, the biosphere in addition to future generations (Senge, 1994). Innovative enterprises: This model is similar to that of the sustainable organisation; however its managers attempt to institutionalise innovation to give the market edge. They aim to make innovation ordinary and frequent good practice. This model is useful for those who want to build an organisational culture in which innovation flows naturally as of how the organisation faces its environment, structures its bureaucracy, leads itself, and manages its internal management system. (Senge, 1994) Learning organisations: This is not a one-size-fits-all model. The learning organisation continually expands its abilities to shape its own future, influenced by specific elements of organisational culture, which determine, for example, whether the organisation learns as of mistakes or ignores them, sees opportunities or threats, as well as is pro-active or reactive in its strategies. Such organisations try to make a working reality of such attributes as flexibility, team work, continuous learning in addition to employee participation and growth. (Rosenhead, 1989) High performing organisations: In this British model, managers focus on people and their learning, and the growth of trust, personal responsibility as well as leadership. Supporting elements such as structure, strategy, systems, procedures in addition to resources are seen as useful only in empowering people and enabling them to achieve the full measure of their abilities. (Senge, 1990) Strategies: Strategies used to manage culture include: Strategic alliances: These are cooperative efforts on specific ventures and joint projects, which demand an understanding of each partners culture. Knowledge management: This is a strategy of transmitting culture by making use of novel technology in information systems, as well as by reinforcing the value of people in addition to their contributions to organisations. Knowledge management can encourage organisations to be learning organisations which are open to change. (Proctor, 2002) Flexible learning, which includes e-learning, is regarding the learner deciding what, where, when and how they learned. Flexible learning therefore offers a client-centred and workplace-centred focus for an organisation. Flexible learning practices have had a wide impact on many determinants of organisational culture: learners; teachers, their job designs, work, safety in addition to professional growth; human resources practices; organisational management; as well as technological resources. (Pedler, 1992)

Federalizing Aiports Essay -- Airport Security Government control Essa

Federalizing Aiports On September 11th, 2001, the United States was dealt a devastating blow when our own airplanes were used as weapons of a terrorist attack. Within just days of the attack our nations leaders began debating over how we could solve our airport security problems. As citizens of the United States were avoiding airports, because they did not seem safe, the House and the Senate of the United States Congress argued whether or not airport security staff should become federal employees. The United States House representatives, and President George W. Bush, disagree with the fact that airport security should be federalized. After evaluating the Senates proposal the House found many reasons as to why federalizing airport security is not logical. The proposal to federalize appeared to present many flaws. The fact that the proposition "concentrates on passengers and ignores the thousands of caterers, cleaners, refuelers and others with access to airports and jets who lack mandatory background checks or ID cards" (Why Federalizing Airport Security is a Bad Thing). With insufficient knowledge of the employees background or identification, another travesty, much like September 11th could occur whether security is federalized or not. The Senates solution to make one set of standards for the employees concerns the House. With the so-called "one size fits all" plan, there would be deficient security at many airports, because the sizes of our airports greatly vary. If standard s were set to secure all major airports, such as Chicago OHare and John F. Kennedy airport in New York, then many small airports would be overwhelmed by the amount of security they are required to have. As the House stated "a one size fits all soluti... ...h government intervention, the interests of the House will also be met by not forcing all airports to federalize their employees. Works Cited Book sources Hahn, Robert. Risks, costs, and lives saved: getting better results from regulation. New York: Oxford University Press; Washington, D.C.: AEI Press, 1996. Internet sources The Case Against Federalizing Airport Security. 20 October 2001. Richard W. Rahn. 13 November 2002. <http://www.cat.org/cgi-bin/scripts/printtech.cgi/dailys/10-20-01.html>. Senator Clinton Calls on Congress To Adopt Senate Bill Federalizing Airport Security. 6 November 2001. Last viewed: 13 November 2002. <http://clinton.senate.gov/news/2001/11/2001B07603.html>. Why Federalizing Airport Security Is A Bad Idea. 24 October 2001. Daily Policy Digest. 13 November 2002. <http://www.ncpa.org/iss/ter/2001/pd102401a.html>.

Context of Indigenous health Essay

Historical context and social determinants of Indigenous health There is a clear relationship between the social disadvantages experienced by Indigenous people and their current health status [1]. These social disadvantages, directly related to dispossession and characterised by poverty and powerlessness, are reflected in measures of education, employment, and income. Before presenting the key indicators of Indigenous health status, it is important, therefore, to provide a brief summary of the context within which these indicators should be considered. The historical context of Indigenous health Indigenous peoples generally enjoyed better health in 1788 than most people living in Europe [2][3][4][5][6]. They did not suffer from smallpox, measles, influenza, tuberculosis, scarlet fever, venereal syphilis and gonorrhoea, diseases that were common in 18th century Europe. Indigenous people probably suffered from hepatitis B, some bacterial infections (including a non-venereal form of syphilis and yaws) and some intestinal parasites. Trauma is likely to have been a major cause of death, and anaemia, arthritis, periodontal disease, and tooth attrition are known to have occurred. The impact of these diseases at a population level was relatively small compared with the effects of the diseases that affected 18th century Europe. All of this changed after 1788 with the arrival of introduced illness, initially smallpox and sexually transmissible infections (gonorrhoea and venereal syphilis), and later tuberculosis, influenza, measles, scarlet fever, and whooping cough [3][4][7][8]. These diseases, particularly smallpox, caused considerable loss of life among Indigenous populations, but the impacts were not restricted to the immediate victims. The epidemic also affected the fabric of Indigenous societies through depopulation and social disruption. The impact of introduced diseases was almost certainly the major cause of death for Indigenous people, but direct conflict and occupation of Indigenous homelands also contributed substantially to Indigenous mortality [7][9][10]. The initial responses of Indigenous people to the arrival of the First Fleet were apparently quite peaceful. It didn’t take long, however, before conflict started to occur – initially over access to fish stocks and then over access to other resources as non-Indigenous people started to plant crops and introduce livestock. This pattern of conflict was almost certainly widespread as non-Indigenous people spread across the country. Conflict escalated in many places, in some instances resulting in overt massacres of Indigenous people. The 1838 massacre at Myall Creek (near Inverell, NSW) is the most infamous [11], but less well-known massacres occurred across Australia [10]. As Bruce Elder notes, as ‘painful and shameful as they are’, the massacres ‘should be as much a part of Australian history as the First Fleet, the explorers, the gold rushes and the bushrangers’ ([10], p. vi). Prior to 1788, Indigenous people were able to define their own sense of being through control over all aspects of their lives, including ceremonies, spiritual practices, medicine, social relationships, management of land, law, and economic activities [12][13][14]. In addition to the impacts of introduced diseases and conflict, the spread of non-Indigenous peoples undermined the ability of Indigenous people to lead healthy lives by devaluing their culture, destroying their traditional food base, separating families, and dispossessing whole communities [3][4][7]. This loss of autonomy undermined social vitality, which, in turn, affected the capacity to meet challenges, including health challenges; a cycle of dispossession, demoralisation, and poor health was established. These impacts on Indigenous populations eventually forced colonial authorities to try to ‘protect’ remaining Indigenous peoples. This pressure led to the establishment of Aboriginal ‘protection’ boards, the first established in Vic by the Aboriginal Protection Act of 1869 [15]. A similar Act established the NSW Aborigines Protection Board in 1883, with the other colonies also enacting legislation to ‘protect’ Indigenous populations within their boundaries. The ‘protection’ provided under the provisions of the various Acts imposed enormous restrictions on the lives of many Indigenous people. These restrictions meant that, as late as 1961, in eastern Australia ‘nearly one-third of all Australians recorded as being of Aboriginal descent lived in settlements’ ([16], p. 4). The provisions of the Acts were also used to justify the forced separation of Indigenous children from their families ‘by compulsion, duress or undue influence’ ([15], p. 2). The National Inquiry into the separation of the children concluded that ‘between one-in-three and one-in-ten Indigenous children were forcibly removed from their families and communities in the period from approximately 1910 until 1970’ ([15], p. 31). It was the 1960s, at the earliest, when the various ‘protection’ Acts were either repealed or became inoperative. The importance of contemporary social determinants and cultural concepts of Indigenous health The health disadvantages experienced by Indigenous people can be considered historical in origin [14], but perpetuation of the disadvantages owes much to contemporary structural and social factors, embodied in what have been termed the ‘social determinants’ of health [1][17][18]. In broad terms, economic opportunity, physical infrastructure, and social conditions influence the health of individuals, communities, and societies as a whole. These factors are specifically manifest in measures such as education, employment, income, housing, access to services, social networks, connection with land, racism, and incarceration. On all these measures, Indigenous people suffer substantial disadvantage. For many Indigenous people, the ongoing effects of ‘protection’ and the forced separation of children from their families compound other social disadvantages. It is also important in considering Indigenous health to understand how Indigenous people themselves conceptualise health. There was no separate term in Indigenous languages for health as it is understood in western society [19]. The traditional Indigenous perspective of health is holistic. It encompasses everything important in a person’s life, including land, environment, physical body, community, relationships, and law. Health is the social, emotional, and cultural wellbeing of the whole community and the concept is therefore linked to the sense of being Indigenous. This conceptualisation of health has much in common with the social determinants model and has crucial implications for the simple application of biomedically-derived concepts as a means of improving Indigenous health. The reductionist, biomedical approach is undoubtedly useful in identifying and reducing disease in individuals, but its limitations in addressing population-wide health disadvantages, such as those experienced by Indigenous people, must be recognised. Indicators of Indigenous social disadvantage. The key measures in these areas for Indigenous people nationally include: Education According to 2011 Australian Census [20]: 92% of 5 year-old Indigenous children were attending an educational institution 1. 6% of the Indigenous population had not attended school compared with 0. 9% of the non-Indigenous population 29% of Indigenous people reported year 10 as their highest year of school completion; 25% had completed year 12, compared with 52% of non-Indigenous people 26% of Indigenous people reported having a post-school qualification, compared with 49% of non-Indigenous people 4. 6% of Indigenous people had attained a bachelor degree or higher, compared with 20% of non-Indigenous people. An ABS school report [21] revealed, in 2011: the apparent retention rate for Indigenous students from year 7/8 to year 10 was 99%, from year 7/8 to year 12 it was 49% for non-Indigenous students, the apparent retention rate from year 7/8 to year 10 was 101%; and from year 7/8 to year 12 it was 81%. The 2011 national report on schooling in Australia [22] showed: 76% of Indigenous students in year 3 and 66% in year 5 were at or above the national minimum standard for reading, compared with 95% and 93% respectively of all Australian students 80% of year 3 Indigenous students and 69% of year 5 Indigenous students were at or above the national minimum standard for persuasive writing, compared with 96% of all year 3 students and 94% of all year 5 students 72% of year 3 Indigenous students and 69% of year 5. Indigenous students were at or above the national minimum standard for spelling, compared with 94% of all year 3 students and 93% of all year 5 students 71% of year 3 Indigenous students and 65% of year 5 Indigenous students were at or above the national minimum standard for grammar and punctuation, compared with 94% of all year 3 students and 94% of all year 5 students 84% of Indigenous students in year 3 and 75% in year 5 were at or above the national minimum standard for numeracy, compared with 96% and 96% respectively of all Australian students. Employment According to the 2011 Australian Census [20]: 42% of Indigenous people aged 15 years or older were employed and 17% were unemployed. In comparison, 61% of non-Indigenous people aged 15 years or older were employed and 5% were unemployed the most common occupation classification of employed Indigenous people was ‘labourer’ (18%) followed by ‘community and personal service workers’ (17%). The most common occupation classification of employed non-Indigenous people was ‘professional’ (22%). Income According to the 2011 Australian Census [20]: the mean equivalised gross household income for Indigenous persons was around $475 per week – approximately 59% of that for non-Indigenous persons (around $800). Indigenous population Based on information collected as a part of the 2011 Census of Population and Housing, the ABS has estimated the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population at 669,736 people at 30 June 2011 [23]. The estimated population for NSW was the highest (208,364 Indigenous people), followed by Qld (188,892), WA (88,277), and the NT (68,901) (Table 1). The NT has the highest proportion of Indigenous people among its population (29. 8%) and Vic the lowest (0. 9%). Table 1: Estimated Indigenous population, by jurisdiction, Australia, 30 June 2011 JurisdictionIndigenous population (number)Proportion of Australian Indigenous population (%)Proportion of jurisdiction population (%) Source: ABS, 2012 [23] Notes: Preliminary estimates are subject to revision; population projections are expected to be finalised by 2014 Australian population includes Jervis Bay Territory, the Cocos (Keeling). Islands, and Christmas Island Proportions of jurisdiction population have used total population figures estimated from demographic information for June 2011 NSW208,36431. 12. 9 Vic47,3277. 10. 9 Qld188,89228. 24. 2 WA88,27713. 23. 8 SA37,3925. 62. 3 Tas24,1553. 64. 7 ACT6,1670. 91. 7 NT68,90110. 329. 8. Australia669,736100. 03. 0 There was a 21% increase in the number of Indigenous people counted in the 2011 Census compared with the 2006 Census2 [24]. The largest increases were in the ACT (34%), Vic (26%), NSW (25%) and Qld (22%). For all jurisdictions, the 55 years and over age-group showed the largest relative increase. There are two ‘structural’ reasons contributing to the growth of the Indigenous population: the slightly higher fertility rates of Indigenous women compared with the rates of other Australian women (see ‘Births and pregnancy outcome’); and the significant numbers of Indigenous babies born to Indigenous fathers and non-Indigenous mothers. Two other factors are considered likely to have contributed to the increase in people identifying as Indigenous: changes in enumeration processes (i. e. more Indigenous people are being captured during the census process); and changes in identification (i. e. people who did not previously identify as Indigenous in the census have changed their response). Based on the 2011 Census, around 33% of Indigenous people lived in a capital city [25]. Detailed information about the geographic distribution of the Indigenous population for 2011 is not yet available, but figures from the 2006 Census indicated that the majority of Indigenous people lived in cities and towns [26]. Slightly more than one-half of the Indigenous population lived in areas classified as ‘major cities’ or ‘inner regional’ areas, compared with almost nine-tenths of the non-Indigenous population. (As well as these two classifications of ‘remoteness’ in terms of access to goods and services and opportunities for social interaction, the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) has four other categories: ‘outer regional’, ‘remote’, ‘very remote’, and ‘migratory’ [27]. ) Almost one-quarter of Indigenous people lived in areas classified as ‘remote’ or ‘very remote’ in relation to having ‘very little access to goods, services and opportunities for social interaction’ ([28], p. 3). Less than 2% of non-Indigenous people lived in ‘remote’ or ‘very remote’ areas [26]. In terms of specific geographical areas, more than one-half (53%) of all Indigenous people counted in the 2011 Census lived in nine of the 57 Indigenous regions (based largely on the former Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) regions) [25]. The three largest regions were in eastern Australia (Brisbane, NSW Central and the North Coast, and Sydney-Wollongong), which accounted for 29% of the total Indigenous population. According to the 2011 Census, around 90% of Indigenous people are Aboriginal, 6% are Torres Strait Islanders, and 4% people identified as being of both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent [25]. Around 63% of Torres Strait Islander people3 lived in Qld; NSW was the only other state with a large number of Torres Strait Islander people. The Indigenous population is much younger overall than the non-Indigenous population (Figure 1) [23]. According to estimates from the 2011 Census, at June 2011 about 36% Indigenous people were aged less than 15 years, compared with 18% of non-Indigenous people. About 3. 4% of Indigenous people were aged 65 years or over, compared with 14% of non-Indigenous people. Figure 1. Population pyramid of Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations, 30 June 2011 Population pyramid of indigenous and non-indigenous populations, 2011 Source: ABS, 2012 [23] References Carson B, Dunbar T, Chenhall RD, Bailie R, eds. (2007) Social determinants of Indigenous health. Crows Nest, NSW: Allen and Unwin Jackson LR, Ward JE (1999) Aboriginal health: why is reconciliation necessary?. Medical Journal of Australia; 170(9): 437-440 Butlin NG (1993) Economics and the dreamtime : a hypothetical history. Melbourne: Cambridge University Press Campbell J (2002) Invisible invaders: smallpox and other diseases in Aboriginal Australia 1780-1880. Melbourne: Melbourne University Press Webb S (2009) Palaeopathology of Aboriginal Australians: health and disease across a hunter-gatherer continent. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Anderson W (2007). The colonial medicine of settler states: comparing histories of Indigenous health. Health and History; 9(2): 144-154 Butlin NG (1983) Our original aggression : Aboriginal populations of southeastern Australia, 1788-1850. Sydney: Allen & Unwin Thomson N (1991) Tuberculosis among Aborigines. In: Proust AJ, ed. History of tuberculosis in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. Canberra, ACT: Brolga Press: 61-67 Reynolds H (1982) The other side of the frontier: Aboriginal resistance to the European invasion of Australia. Ringwood, Victoria: Penguin Books Elder B (2003) Blood on the wattle: massacres and maltreatment of Aboriginal Australians since 1788. 3rd ed. Frenchs Forest, N. S. W: New Holland Harrison B (1978) The Myall Creek massacre. In: McBryde I, ed. Records of times past : ethnohistorical essays on the culture and ecology of the New England tribes. Canberra: Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies: 17-51 Howitt R (2001) Rethinking resource management : justice, sustainability and Indigenous peoples. London: Routledge Hunter E (1993) Aboriginal health and history: power and prejudice in remote Australia. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Saggers S, Gray D (1991) Aboriginal health and society: the traditional and contemporary Aboriginal struggle for better health. North Sydney: Allen and Unwin National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from their Families (1997) Bringing them home: report of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from their Families. Retrieved 17 November 2011 from http://www. humanrights. gov. au/pdf/social_justice/bringing_them_home_report. pdf Long JPM (1970) Aboriginal settlements: a survey of institutional communities in eastern Australia. Canberra: Australian National University Press Marmot M (2004) The status syndrome: how social standing affects our health and longevity. New York: Holt Paperbacks Wilkinson R, Marmot M (2003) Social determinants of health: the solid facts. Denmark: World Health Organization National Aboriginal Health Strategy Working Party (1989) A national Aboriginal health strategy. Canberra: Department of Aboriginal Affairs Australian Bureau of Statistics (2012) Census of population and housing: characteristics of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, 2011. Canberra: Australian Bureau of Statistics Australian Bureau of Statistics (2011) Schools, Australia, 2010. Canberra: Australian Bureau of Statistics Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (2011) National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy: achievement in reading, persuasive writing, language conventions and numeracy: national report for 2011. Sydney: Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority Australian Bureau of Statistics (2012) Australian demographic statistics, March quarter 2012. Canberra: Australian Bureau of Statistics Yap M, Biddle N (2012) Indigenous fertility and family formation: CAEPR Indigenous population project: 2011 census papers. Canberra: Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research Australian Bureau of Statistics (2012) Census of population and housing – counts of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, 2011. Canberra: Australian Bureau of Statistics Australian Bureau of Statistics (2010) Population characteristics.

Bright Light Innovations: the Starlight Stove

Opportunity analysis and critical issues hidden in this case As the increasing pace of globalization, more and more companies seek opportunities to involve in the international trade. Expanding the market share and maximize the profits is the purpose of those companies. However, it is unlike the education. Most universities especially public universities are non-profit organization. Their purpose is not to earn enough money; on the contrary, the purpose of universities is to provide training and knowledge for students in order to benefit the society.In return, students pay appropriate fees and government provide monetary support to the university so that university can gain the ability to do the research and develop its hardware and software. In this way, university can have a sustainable development. So university can benefit from seeking opportunities in international expansion. First, students from different countries and cultural background can share their experience. It is a goo d chance for students and universities to participate in international market.Secondly, international universities can share resource with local universities. On the one hand, it can help develop the universities from developing countries; on the other hand, international universities can also gain advanced experience they are lack of. Thirdly, international universities can maximize their influence by cooperating with local government or some research institutions. In this case, Bright Light Innovations aims to opening its market in Nepal. In order to explore this market, the company considers a series of criteria.The first one is the â€Å"total population† and â€Å"population growth†. This factor established the foundation of consumption power. Jianfa Shen points out that the population is one of the factors to affect the market demand (Jianfa Shen, 1998). The more people live in the country, the larger potential market exists. The second one is the â€Å"natural climate†. Climate change determines the consumer’s consumption behavior to some extent (Seljom, 2011). Considering that the temperature of Nepal is very low, the Bright Light Innovation provides stove to local people who are in the need of warm.The third one is the â€Å"living habit of local people†. According to Jaime Alonso-Carrera’s study, â€Å"individual preferences are subject to both habit formation and consumption spillovers† (Jaime Alonso-Carrera, 2004). The case shows that most people in Nepal uses firewood as the main source of the energy. Due to this reason, the products of stoves meet the needs of local people. What’s more, the company also considers â€Å"political policy†. Whether the local government support or against the kind of products is the factor to affect the entering in the international market.The fourth hidden critical issue in this case is the â€Å"infrastructure† in Nepal. Well infrastructure contr ibutes to the potential growth of the company (Weiland, Scott J. 2012). If the company needs to set up a factory in the local place, infrastructure including electric, water, traffic and others should be considered. Finally, â€Å"income† determines the purchasing power in the local market. More income means more potential consumption to some extent. Alternatives and product lunch in foreign marketThe reason why Bright Light selects Nepal as its target market is that the market and the company can benefit from each other. Following factors can be contributed to the access of the products to Nepal. First, the local government can benefit from the company. Bright Light decides to set up a plant in local place; it helps the government solve the problem of employment. More people can be employed as the factory setting up; besides, the company can reduce much cost by setting up a factory in local place. Second, Bright Light helps protect the environment to some extent.As its stove is more efficient than traditional one, people will use less firewood. In this case, the forests can be protected and the environmental problem can be solved. Thirdly, family productivity increased 20 percent or more per day. People can have more free time to do other jobs rather than logging. Fourthly, Bright Lights contributes revenue to the government. The government can gain revenue from the tax. Finally, the stove can produce electric and the generated electric can be widely used in the home or in the school.The new products bring benefits to the government and the local people and the company gain revenues and profits from selling the products to the local people. The relationship between the company and the customers and government seems very important. Without permission, the company cannot enter this new market. In regard of the government (Nepal) that will not provide permission to try the new product, the company can consider other ways to enter this market. The Bright L ight can follow other companies which have been in Nepal and familiar with the local policy and culture.In this way, the Bright Light can build a partnership with that company; besides, the Bright Light also need to know the export or import policy of the Nepal so that it can fits the regulation by doing some changes. These two ways help the company meet the requirement of the government and have the right to enter the new market. Product promotion and advertising recommendations In rural areas, adult literacy rate is low in developing countries. A study shows that high literacy rate has significant positive effect on foreign direct investment inflow (CHEE-KEONG CHOONG, 2010).People in this area don’t know the words. So they don’t know the brand and the instructions of the products. It will lead to the low brand loyalty and cause a series of problems of products recognition. Some people may don’t understand how to use it and some people may don’t know how to solve the problems when something wrong with the stove. In other words, it directly affects the marketing strategy plan of the company. Schmitt, Natalie M. points out that the advertisement of the brand or label should be easy to recognize for customers so that it helps build up the brand-loyalty (Schmitt, Natalie M. 007). Following ways with advertisement can solve the problem. Focusing on verbal and audio can be a way of advertisements. In this way, people can better understand how the products functions and gradually set up the brand-loyalty to the products; besides, newspapers and videos also an efficient measure to send information to final customers. The usage and instruction of the products can be advertised on the newspaper in the form of pictures so that local people can easily understand. Other forms of advertising may also function well.The Bright Light can exhibit its products on the local trade fair or other expos. In this way, people can not only know the products, but also can try the new products. Although the goal of the company is to maximize its profits, it should devote itself in the social charity. It is not only a kind of social responsibility, but also is a kind of advertisement. The report of such philanthropy is an efficient way to improve the image of the company and it helps to build up a brand-loyalty to customers. Furthermore, becoming the sponsor of special event is another way to make a promotion.Special event always attract large number of audience and media. In this situation, it can be advertised on the display boards. It is a useful way to expanded publicity. Pricing strategy and competitive situation analysis In order to price the product, Bright Light should consider the costs and profits when selling to the customers. As customer feel that the product is worth of the money, then the product or the brand will impress the customers. The cost of a stove manufactured is $60. The company decides to sell the stove at $80 but worries about the margin profits.If the company set the price at higher level, fewer consumers are willing to buy. Customers may choose substitute instead of the new product (stove). In this way, the Bright Light may lose the market share; however, sometimes consumers are willing to afford the high price because of the special features added to the product. Draganska illustrates his point in his study that customer are willing to pay the comparatively high price when the product has special characteristics and satisfy the consumer’s preference (Draganska, 2006). The new stove has such feature that it can generate electric as well as heat.In consider of the purchasing power of Nepal, the company decides to find a micro financing organization to provide loan for local people who are willing to purchase the stove. It is a way not only help the poor people afford the stove, but also stimulates the consumption on stoves. Pricing strategy should also put the competitive situation into consideration such as the â€Å"threat a price war†, â€Å"channel conflict†, or â€Å"legal or ethical considerations†. If Bright Light set its price for the stove, other competitors may follow tis price and even set the lower price to compete with Bright Light.In this situation, Bright Light may lose its customers. Direct competitors also can imitate the products designed by Bright Light; however, if Bright Light has better quality with cheaper price, the product can be competitive. Because the target market could be low-income family, low price strategy and loan strategy can meet their requirements. Substitute products of the starlight stove from other competitors should also be considered to the pricing strategy. It is a kind of indirect competition. Substitutes can quickly dominate the low income market share; however, Starlight stove has its core competence.The new product (stove) is more efficient and it needs less firewood, what the most important i s that it can generate electric. Core competition plays a significant role in improving the barriers for other competitors and R&D capability is regarded as the most important source for core competence. Due to this reason, it is obvious that the company makes innovation on the new product and the starlight stove is a competitive product. The company needs to pay attention on constantly innovation to make sure the company stays ahead of potential rivals (Yu-fen Chen, 2007).In order to keep its core competence, the company needs to apply for the patent from the Nepal government so that the company can raise barriers to imitation. In general, by analyzing the strength and weakness of the competitors and figuring out the opportunities and threats of its own, the starlight stove can be outstanding with competitive price and accepted by the local people. References Chee-Keong Choong and Siew-Yong Lam. (2010). The Determinants of Foreign Direct Investment in Malaysia: A Revisit. Global Ec onomic Review, 39(2), 175-195. Draganska and Michaela. (2006).Consumer Preferences and Product-Line Pricing Strategies: An Empirical Analysis. Marketing Science, 25(2), 164-174. Jaime Alonso-Carrera. , Jordi Caballe and Xavier Raurich. (2004). Consumption Externalities, Habit Formation and Equilibrium Efficiency. The Scandinavian Journal of Economics, 106(2), 231-251. Jianfa Shen. (1998). China's Future Population and Development Challenges. The Geographical Journal, 164(1), 32-40. Marywood U. , and Weiland, Scott J. (2012). An examination of the relationship among perceived infrastructure, perceived business climate, perceived workforce, and business growth in Northeastern Pennsylvania.Dissertation Abstracts International Section A: Humanities and Social Sciences, 72(7), 2489. Pernille and Seljom. (2011). Modelling the effects of climate change on the energy system–A case study of Norway. Energy Policy, 39(11), 7310-7321. Schmitt, Natalie M. (2007). Consumers' freedom of cho ice–Advertising aimed at children, product placement, and food labeling. Journal of Public Health, 15(1), 57-62. Yu-fen Chen. (2007). An empirical analysis of core competence for high-tech firms and traditional manufacturers. Journal of Management Development, 26(2), 159-168.

A Comparative Study In Selected Postcolonial Plays English Literature Essay Essay Example

A Comparative Study In Selected Postcolonial Plays English Literature Essay Essay Example A Comparative Study In Selected Postcolonial Plays English Literature Essay Paper A Comparative Study In Selected Postcolonial Plays English Literature Essay Paper A Proposal The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Literary Footings defines postcolonial literature as a class devised to replace and spread out upon what was one time called Commonwealth Literature. As a label, it therefore covers a really broad scope of Hagiographas from states that were one time settlements or dependences of the European powers. In pattern, the term is applied most frequently to Hagiographas from Africa, the Indian sub-continent, the Caribbean, and other parts whose histories during the twentieth century are marked by colonialism, anti-colonial motions, and subsequent passages to post-Independence society. Critical attending to this big organic structure of work in academic contexts is frequently influenced by a distinguishable school of postcolonial theory which developed in the 1980s and 1990s, under the influence of Edward W. Said s landmark survey Orientalism ( 1978 ) . Postcolonial theory considers vexed cultural-political inquiries of national and cultural individuality, ‘otherness , race, imperialism, and linguistic communication, during and after the colonial periods. The chief figures of postcolonial theory after Said have been Gayatri C. Spivak and Homi K. Bhabha. The ‘post clearly refers to and connote a period ‘after colonialism and in this rigorous actual sense the object of postcolonial surveies is the historical period of the late 20th century as the European imperiums of the 19th and early 20th century broke up and former settlements achieved their political independency. Drama is one of the oldest and most extremely regarded literary signifiers. Like other signifiers of literature, it can be used a vehicle for showing complex ideas and attitudes. Postcolonial authors used play and the theatre non simply as a dramatic public presentation. However, postcolonial theater is public presentation staged as an act of resistanceto colonialism and its effects. In add-on to reviewing cultural ambiguities and injury of imperialism, postcolonial theatre Acts of the Apostless as a vehicle for precontact community care and for cultural transmutation. Postcolonial theatre takes a figure of signifiers, runing from the reworking of classics, ritual, history, storytelling, and the community-based public presentation. The colonised topic is characterized as ‘other as a agency of set uping the binaryseparation of the coloniser and colonized and asseverating the naturalness and primacy of the colonizing civilization and universe position. In postcolonial theory, it can mention to the colonized others who are marginalized by imperial discourse, identified by their difference from the Centre and, possibly crucially, go the focal point of awaited command by the imperial ‘ego . The term â€Å"othering† was coined by Gayatri Spivak for the procedure by which imperial discourse creates its ‘others . This thesis attempts to follow the usage of play by a choice of postcolonial playwrights who wrote in English and in Arabic to stand for the self/other or the colonizer/colonized dialectic. The authors selected are of the most celebrated in modern postcolonial literature whose plants are among its landmarks. The thesis besides attempts to demo how those different playwrights used this genre to show the self/other dialectic and what are the countries of resemblance/difference among them. The thesis falls into an debut, three chapters and a decision. Chapter One is an Introduction divided into two subdivisions. Section one attempts to specify postcolonial literature and sheds visible radiation on critics who are the innovators of this subject, viz. Edward Said, Gayatri C. Spivak, and Home K. Bhabha concentrating on the construct of the â€Å"other† . Section two sheds light on postcolonial theater and how it is used to counter colonialism. Chapter Two is divided into four subdivisions. Each subdivision discusses a postcolonial drama written in English. The dramas selected are: Wole Soyinka s The Swamp Dwellers, Derek Walcott s The Sea at Dauphin, Athol Fugard s The Island, and Brian Friel s Translations. Chapter Three is besides divided into four subdivisions and in each subdivision one drama written in Arabic is discussed. The dramas selected for survey are: Sadun Al-Ubeidy s Jisr Al-Adu, Sabah Atwan Al-Zaidy s Raseef Al-Ghathab, Alfred Faraj s Al-Nar Washington Al-Zaitun, and Bneian Salih s Sirat S. Chapter Four attempts to demo the similarities/differences between the dramas discussed. The decision sums up the findings of the survey. Working Bibliography: Primary Mentions: Al-Ubeidy, Sadun. 1965. Jisr Al-Adu. Baghdad: Al-Shaab Printing Press. Al-Zaidy, Sabah Atwan. 1975. Raseef Al-Ghathab. Unpublished drama. Faraj, Alfred. 1970. Al-Nar wa Al-Zaitun. Cairo: Dar Al-Maarif Al-Masriya. Friel, Brian. 1981. Translations. London and Boston: Faber and Faber.Fugard, Athol. 1993. The Road to Mecca. ? : Theatre Communications Group. Salih, Bneian. Sirat S. Soyinka, Wole. 2002. Death and the King s Horseman. ? : W. W. Norton A ; Company. Walcott, Derek. 1971. Dream on Monkey Mountain. ? : Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Secondary Mentions: 1. Books: Abrams, M. H. 1993. A Glossary of Literary Footings. Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace College Publishers. Acharya, Pandit Shriram Sharma. 2000. Super Science of Gayatri. Trans. Satya Narayan Pandya. Shantikunj, Haridwar: Yugantar Chetna Press. Ashcroft, Bill and Pal Ahluwalia. 2008. Edward Said. Oxford and New York: Taylor and Francis e-Library. Ashcroft, Bill, Gareth Griffiths and Helen Tiffin ( explosive detection systems. ) 1995. The Post-Colonial Studies Reader: The Key Concepts. London and New York: Routledge. Baldick, Chris. 2001. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Literary Footings. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Baugh, Edward. 2006. Derek Walcott. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Boehmer, Elleke. 2005. Colonial and Postcolonial Literatures. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press. Borch, Merete Falck et Al. 2008. Bodies and Voices: The Force-Field of Representation and Discourse in Colonial and Postcolonial Studies. Amsterdam and New York: Rodopi. Burnett, Paula. 2000. Derek Walcott: Politicss and Poetics. Gainesville: University Press of Florida. Chambers, Iain and Lidia Curti ( explosive detection systems. ) 1996. The Post-Colonial Question: Common Skies, Divided Horizons. London and New York: Routledge. Childs, Peter and Roger Fowler. 2006. The Routledge Dictionary of Literary Footings. London and New York: Routledge. Cooper, Frederick. 2005. Colonialism in Question, Theory, Knowledge, History. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press. Cuddon, J. A. 1998. The Penguin Dictionary of Literary Footings and Literary Theory. Middlesex: Penguin Books. Daiya, Kavita. 2008. Violent Properties: Partition, Gender, and National Culture in Postcolonial India. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. Deena, Seodial. 1997. â€Å"Colonial and Canonic Control over Third World Writers.† In Postcolonial Discourse: A Study of Contemporary Literature, edited by R. K. Dhawan, 78-112. New Delhi: Prestige Books. Donnell, Alison. 2006. Twentieth-Century Caribbean Literature. London and New York: Routledge. Doring, Tobias. n. d. Caribbean-English Passages: Intertextuality in a Postcolonial Tradition. London and New York: Routledge. Ford, Clyde W. 1999. The Hero with an African Face: Mythic Wisdom of Traditional Africa. New York: Bantam Books. J. Ellen Gainor ( ed. ) 1995. Imperialism and Theatre: Essaies on World Theatre, Drama and Performance. London and New York: Routledge. Gandhi, Leela. 1998. Postcolonial Theory: A Critical Introduction. St. Leonards, N.S.W. : Allen and Unwin. Gilbert, Helen and Joanne Tompkins. 1996. Postcolonial Play: Theory, Practice, Politics. London and New York: Routledge. Howe, Stephen. 1998. Afrocentrism, Mythical Pasts and Imagined Homes. London and New York: Verso. Hudddart, David. 2006. Homi K. Bhabha. London and New York Routledge. Itwaru, Harrichand. 1997. â€Å"Colonialism and Literature.† In Postcolonial Discourse: A Study of Contemporary Literature, edited by R. K. Dhawan, 7-17. New Delhi: Prestige Books. Jeyifo, Biodun. 2004. Wole Soyinka: Politicss, Poetics and Postcolonialism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Joseph, May and Jennifer Natalya Fink ( explosive detection systems. ) 1999. Performing Hybridity. Minneapolis and London: University of Minnesota Press. Lionett, Francoise. 1995. Postcolonial Representations: Womans, Literature, Identity. Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press. Loomba, Ania. 2000. Colonialism/Postcolonialism. London and New York: Routledge. McGrath, F. C. 1999. Brian Friel s ( Post ) Colonial Drama: Language, Illusion, and Politics. Syracuse, New York: Syracuse University Press. McLeod, John ( ed. ) 2007. The Routledge Companion to Postcolonial Studies. London and New York: Routledge. Mohanram, Radhika and Gita Rajan. 1996. English Postcoloniality: Literatures from Around the World. Westport, Connecticut and London: Greenwood Press. Natarajan, Nalini. 1996. Handbook of Twentieth-Century Literatures of India. Westport, Connecticut and London: Greenwood Press. Olaniyan, Tejumola. 1995. Scars of Conquest/Masks of Resistance: The Invention of Cultural Identities in African, African-American, and Caribbean Drama. New York and Oxford: OUP. Parekh, Pushpa Naidu and Siga Fatima Jagne ( explosive detection systems. ) 1998. Postcolonial African Writers: A Bio-Bibliographical Critical Sourcebook. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. Parry, Benita. 2004. Postcolonial Studies: A Materialist Critique. London and New York: Routledge. Poddar, Prem, Rajeev S. Patke and Lars Jensen ( explosive detection systems. ) 2008. A Historical Companion to Postcolonial Literatures Continental Europe and its Empires. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. Pousse, Michel. 1999. â€Å"Anticipating Post-Colonialism: The ‘Trio in the Thirties.† In Writing in a Post-Colonial Space, edited by Surya Nath Pandey, 10-23. New Delhi: Atlantic Publishers and Distributors. Prabhu, Anjali. 2007. Hybridity, Limits, Transformations, Prospects. Capital of new york: State University of New York. Ray, Sangeeta. 2009. Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, In Other Words. West Sussex: John Wiley and Sons. Richards, Shaun. 2004. The Cambridge Companion to Twentieth-Century Irish Drama. Cambridge: Cambridge UP. Rosello, Mireille. 1995. Practices of Hybridity. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. Roy, Parama. 1998. Indian Traffic: Identities in Question in Colonial and Postcolonial India. Berkeley: University of California Press. Said, Edward. 1977. Oriental studies. London: Penguin Books. . 1993. Culture and Imperialism. New York: Vintage Books. Schwarz, Henry and Sangeeta Raya ( explosive detection systems. ) 2005. Companion to Postcolonial Studies. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Shands, Kerstin W. 2008. Neither East Nor West: Postcolonial Essaies on Literature, Culture and Religion. Huddinge: Sodertorns hogskola. Smith, Rowland. 2000. Postcolonizing the Commonwealth Studies in Literature and Culture. Waterloo, Ontario: Wilfrid Laurier University Press. Spivak, Gayatri Chakravorty. In Other Universes: Essaies in Cultural Politics. New York and London: Methuen, neodymium. Talib, Ismail S. 2002. The Language of Postcolonial Literatures: An Introduction. London and New York: Routledge. Venkataraman, G. 1994. Bhabha and His Compulsions. Hyderabad: University Press. Articles: Garuba, Harry. 2001. The Island Writes Back: Discourse/Power and Marginality in Wole Soyinka s The Swamp Dwellers, Derek Walcott s The Sea at Dauphin, and Athol Fugard s The Island . Research in African Literatures 32, no. 4 ( Winter ) : 61-76. hypertext transfer protocol: //www.jstor.org/stable/3820807 ( accessed: 08/11/2009 ) . Olaniyan, Tejumola. 1992. Dramatizing Postcoloniality: Wole Soyinka and Derek Walcott. Theatre Journal 44, no. 4, Disciplines of Theatre: Theory/Culture/Text ( Dec. ) : 485-499. hypertext transfer protocol: //www.jstor.org/stable/3208770 ( accessed 08/11/2009 ) . Boltwood, Scott. 2002. Brian Friel: Staging the Struggle with Nationalism. Irish University Review 32, no. 2 ( Autumn Winter ) : 303-318. hypertext transfer protocol: //www.jstor.org/stable/25504911 ( accessed: 09/11/2009 ) .

The Permian-Triassic Extinction Event

The Permian-Triassic Extinction Event The Cretaceous-Tertiary (K/T) Extinctionthe global cataclysm that killed the dinosaurs 65 million years agogets all the press, but the fact is that the mother of all global extinctions was the Permian-Triassic (P/T) Event that transpired about 250 million years ago, at the end of the Permian period. Within the space of a million years or so, over 90 percent of the earths marine organisms were rendered extinct, along with more than 70 percent of their terrestrial counterparts. In fact, as far as we know, the P/T Extinction was as close as life has ever come to being completely wiped off the planet, and it had a profound effect on the plants and animals that survived into the ensuing Triassic period. (See a list of the Earths 10 Biggest Mass Extinctions.) Before getting to the causes of the Permian-Triassic Extinction, its worth examining its effects in closer detail. The hardest-hit organisms were marine invertebrates possessing calcified shells, including corals, crinoids and ammonoids, as well as various orders of land-dwelling insects (the only time we know of that insects, usually the hardiest of survivors, have ever succumbed to a mass extinction). Granted, this may not seem very dramatic compared to the 10-ton and 100-ton  dinosaurs that went defunct after the K/T Extinction, but these invertebrates dwelt close to the bottom of the food chain, with disastrous effects for vertebrates higher up the evolutionary ladder. Terrestrial organisms (other than insects) were spared the full brunt of the Permian-Triassic Extinction, only losing two-thirds of their numbers, by species and genera. The end of the Permian period witnessed the extinction of most plus-sized amphibians and sauropsid reptiles (i.e., lizards), as well as the majority of the therapsids, or mammal-like reptiles (the scattered survivors of this group evolved into the first mammals during the ensuing Triassic period). Most anapsid reptiles also disappeared, with the exception of the ancient ancestors of modern turtles and tortoises, like Procolophon. Its uncertain how much of an effect the P/T Extinction had on diapsid reptiles, the family from which crocodiles, pterosaurs and dinosaurs evolved, but clearly a sufficient number of diapsids survived to spawn these three major reptile families millions of years later. The Permian-Triassic Extinction Was a Long, Drawn-Out Event The severity of the Permian-Triassic Extinction stands in stark contrast to the leisurely pace at which it unfolded. We know that the later K/T Extinction was precipitated by the impact of an asteroid on Mexicos Yucatan Peninsula, which spewed millions of tons of dust and ash into the air and led, within a couple of hundred (or couple of thousand) years, to the extinction of dinosaurs, pterosaurs and marine reptiles worldwide. By contrast, the P/T Extinction was much less dramatic; by some estimates, this event actually spanned as much as five million years during the late Permian period. Further complicating our assessment of the P/T Extinction, many types of animals were already on the decline before this cataclysm started in earnest. For example, pelycosaursthe family of prehistoric reptiles best represented by Dimetrodonhad mostly disappeared off the face of the earth by the early Permian period, with a few straggling survivors succumbing millions of years later. The important thing to realize is that not all extinctions at this time can be directly attributed to the P/T Event; the evidence either way is constrained by which animals happen to be preserved in the fossil record. Another important clue, the importance of which has yet to be fully adduced, is that it took an unusually long time for the earth to replenish its previous diversity: for the first couple of million years of the Triassic period, the earth was an arid wasteland, practically devoid of life! What Caused the Permian-Triassic Extinction? Now we come to the million-dollar question: what was the proximate cause of the Great Dying, as the Permian-Triassic Extinction is called by some paleontologists? The slow pace with which the process unfolded points to a variety of interrelated factors, rather than a single, global catastrophe. Scientists have proposed everything from a series of major asteroid strikes (the evidence for which would have been erased by over 200 million years of erosion) to a calamitous change in ocean chemistry, perhaps caused by the sudden release of huge methane deposits (created by decaying microorganisms) from the bottom of the sea floor. The bulk of the recent evidence points to yet another possible culprita series of gigantic volcanic eruptions in the region of Pangea that today corresponds to modern-day eastern Russia (i.e., Siberia) and northern China. According to this theory, these eruptions released a huge amount of carbon dioxide into the earths atmosphere, which gradually leached down into the oceans. The disastrous effects were threefold: acidification of the water, global warming, and (most important of all) a drastic reduction in atmospheric and marine oxygen levels, which resulted in the slow asphyxiation of most marine organisms and many terrestrial ones. Could a disaster on the scale of the Permian-Triassic Extinction ever happen again? It may well be happening right now, but in super-slow-motion: the levels of carbon dioxide in the earths atmosphere are indisputably increasing, thanks partly to our burning of fossil fuels, and life in the oceans is beginning to be affected as well (as witness the crises facing coral reef communities around the world). Its unlikely that global warming will cause human beings to go extinct anytime soon, but the prospects are less sanguine for the rest of the plants and animals with which we share the planet!

How to Give a Great Presentation

How to Give a Great Presentation How to Give a Great Presentation Giving a presentation is, for many students, a stressful experience; even the most studious of us can find ourselves lost for words when faced with a roomful of expectant faces, gazing out in quiet anticipation. But being able to give an oral presentation is vital for your education and can help your career prospects. Rather than feeling nervous about it, you should therefore think of giving a talk as a chance to develop your communication and presentation skills. There are plenty of things you can do to make giving a presentation go smoothly too, including the following†¦ Practice, Practice, Practice! It’s an obvious place to start, but practicing your presentation will help make sure it goes perfectly on the day. Factors to consider include timing, the structure of your talk and the kind of questions your audience might ask. You should try reading your presentation out loud, as if to an audience. If you have a few willing friends, they could even listen, ask questions and give you feedback. Alternatively, you could also give your presentation to the mirror or record yourself and listen back afterwards. Be Prepared†¦ On the day before your presentation, try to get a good night’s rest. Likewise, on the day, make sure you eat healthily so you’ll have the energy required to engage with your audience. Moreover, try to turn up around fifteen minutes before your presentation is due to begin, or however long you need to settle in and set up any resources you plan to use, such as laptops, projectors or handouts. Be Confident Easier said than done sometimes, but even pretending to feel confident will help you communicate clearly while giving your presentation. Good tips include dressing smartly, making eye contact with your audience and not feeling like you have to apologize for yourself. If you need a moment to gather your thoughts at any point, stopping briefly to take a sip of water will allow you to think (and keep you hydrated). This can be especially helpful when answering audience questions. Be Heard! It’s important to make yourself heard when giving a presentation. This means addressing the entire audience (not just the first row), speaking at a steady pace (not rushing) and vocalizing clearly (not speaking into your chest). It’s a good idea to have notes to guide your presentation, but try not to just read them out loud, as this is often unengaging for an audience. Use Visual Aids These days, most presentations are accompanied by visual aids, such as hand outs and PowerPoint slideshows. These can be a great addition to your talk, but try not to rely on them too much.

John. F. Kennedy and Woman's rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

John. F. Kennedy and Woman's rights - Essay Example What followed will be argued to be two-fold: first, the Presidential Commission on the Status of Women [Woloch 504], and second, it will be argued that that commission along with the Civil Rights Act had a direct impact on the creation of the Equal Pay Act of 1963 [Maclean 175]. While Kennedy did not live to see the practical and legal impact of both, his mandate or vision is nonetheless captured in his successor's words. Commenting on the passing of the Equal Pay Act, Kennedy's former Vice-President, Lyndon Johnson asserted: â€Å"not just equality as a right and a theory but equality as a fact and equality as a result† [Katznelson 542]. In the long term, the influence or onset of legislation in the Kennedy era can be seen the establishment and operation at the Federal level of government, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission [Wolach 560] and as the precedent for all kinds of the affirmative action claims and challenges. And, Wolach points to specific cases where †Å"employers might sometimes favor women and minorities over better qualified men and whites to correct a conspicuous imbalance† [Wolach 560] While the right to vote, or the passing of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1919 was unquestionably one of the most important landmarks in Twentieth-century Woman's rights history, it can be said that the back-drop necessary for the Kennedy era legislation was a shift or transformation in attitudes or public sentiment. In particular, the following will argue that the transformation of the role of women in the labor force by during the First World War, the Great Depression and the Second World War, significantly and indelibly stamped a change that has ever since been only an impact measured in terms of progress. As Wolach writes: â€Å"The Great Depression and World War II were disruptive emergencies that changed women's roles at home, at work, and in public life† [Wolach 438]. Wolach points to the trans-formative impact of this period r esulting from the direct participation of women in the work-place. The emergencies were defined in terms of labor shortages in the case of both wars. And, the transformation that being referred to in the present context, is basically the increase of women participating in all forms of menial labor and other areas that had an impact in two important senses. That is, important in terms of the impact on public sentiment. First, the patriarchal order that had a systemically constructed prejudice against women's abilities, was challenged. The basic perception of women were capable of doing or accomplishing changed. As Wolach stresses, the spectrum of it's impact had to do with â€Å"public life† [Wolach 560] as well. For instance, one of the changes that occurred in both Wars but in a more influential sense, during the First World War, was the admission in greater numbers of women in post-secondary institutions or colleges and universities. With great access to education, there wa s likewise a greater advancement of women in the professions or those fields that required post-secondary education. Greater participation in every facet of the labor force, and in the advanced education system meant that a change for the positive occurred in regard to the patriarchal order's perception of women and their capabilities. At the very same time, it can be said that they also viewed women as a form of opportunity as well. No one would challenge that greater labor

Conduct and interview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Conduct and interview - Essay Example Women have always gotten very minimal opportunities to be involved in working in heavy industrial areas as this position is seen to mainly suit the men. Apparently, there are also very few women expertise involved in the same sector due to the perception that this is a male dominated area. In most instances, women will only be given the minor positions in such industrial areas and even the pay is seen to be less. The perception being that, it is just a favor for such women to be in such areas of expertise otherwise they are very vulnerable. Currently, there is an expert woman in chemical engineering who filed a complaint over not being given an equal opportunity in an interview for a position. This is still an evidence of some job areas being considered womanly or manly and thus the reason to this interview is of high value in order to understand gender issues at work places. Description of the interview This interview was conducted on the twenty ninth of March, 2013. The interview w as conducted at Shed Pharmaceuticals Company. It was only possible to carry out the interview after consulting with the senior human resource person in this company. I was given one of the offices that belong to the chief pharmacist as it offered more privacy and the interviewee also needed to be in a more comfortable situation without any distractions that would impede getting the correct information from the employee (Barret, 2006). The interviewee was a thirty eight year old at the highlight of her work career. Her name is Joan and she has two children one at age twelve, while the last born at age seven years. She lives as a single mother and thus she has to take care of her family needs which include providing education, food and shelter for the children. I particularly chose this interviewee because of the nature of position that she has in this company. She is one of the senior analysts of the pharmaceutical products that are produced in the company. She went through so much i n order to get to this position; therefore, she can tell best what some of the challenges are as a woman she has gone through during the highlight of her career. She is also the only woman in a team of five senior analysts and thus, it is what comes from her experience from working in a team of men whereby she is the only woman. Joan is also one the most convenient individual to contact for the interview as she has been in such a position under gender disparity in work places. More so, her area of specialization has always been perceived to be a male dominated area. Therefore, she is the most ideal individual for this type of interview. Summary of responses to the questions The ten questions were divided into three basic areas. Therefore, the summary will give a summary of the ten questions into the questions with the same agenda being made into one. One compacted questions during the interview process was based on opportunities given to women to express themselves and get a positio n in an interview. The main ideas under these questions involve the concept that women should be given even an upper hand during interviews especially in a situation that there are less women vying for the same position. I linked this to the notion that, less women are found in such areas of expertise and thus they should stand even better positions for positions like what Joan possessed. Her response According to Joan, yes

Challeges ESOL Somali learner face when learning how to read Coursework

Challeges ESOL Somali learner face when learning how to read - Coursework Example Most educators teaching ESOL Somali learners assume that these students have prior knowledge of various literary genres such as myths and legends. As a result, teachers teaching ESOL Somali learners fail to develop a good background for basic vocabulary of the English language. Though ESOL learners may be able to read some vocabularies, it is quite difficult to fathom the content presented. In essence, ESOL learners face various challenges when learning how to read. The data for this report was corrected from a number of past studies regarding the challenges ESOL Somalis face when learning how to read. The paper explores the learning experience of Somalis with little or no formal education. ESOL Somali learners have challenges in hearing and speaking the English language. For instance, most ESOL students cannot speak or hear the language they are learning. Actually, since the ESOL students learn English as a second language, various difficulties are present. As a result, sound recognition and production of the second language becomes challenging for ESOL students. Phonics entails the understanding of written words and their corresponding literally sound. In other words, phonics refers to an approach employed to teach reading and writing of English words to non-English speakers. The approach involves developing the learner’s ability to identify and manipulate sounds in order to demonstrate the correspondence between different sounds and the spelling patterns that stand in their place. It is imperative to identify that sound production and manipulation is largely dependent on letter patterns. ESOL learners might have insufficient knowledge regarding their native language since they rarely interact with linguistics scholars. For people to understand all aspects of a particular language, interaction with other scholars is an imperative exercise. ESOL students should not only rely on the little skills

Frederick Taylors Scientific Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Frederick Taylors Scientific Management - Essay Example Because of this work, Taylor gains the reputation of being the father of scientific management. Scientific management methods, as put forward by Taylor, "called for optimizing the way tasks were performed and simplifying the jobs enough so that workers could be trained to perform their specialized sequenced of motions in one best way" (Frederick Taylor and Scientific Management 1). The formulation of scientific management is Taylor's response to the working conditions during his time. It should be noted that prior to scientific management, the various works in the factory are solely performed by skilled craftsmen who have acquired their knowledge and skills through long and tedious apprenticeships. Having no particular specifications from the management on how jobs should be performed, workers during the period are given much autonomy, giving them the sole discretion on how their jobs should be performed. Thinking that their apprenticeship has been adequate in shaping and preparing for the jobs required, management are often left with other decision making tasks. However, scientific management changed this situation in the workplace by "taking away much of this autonomy and converting skilled crafts into a series of simplified jobs that could be performed by unskilled workers who easily could be trained for the tasks" (Frederick Taylor and Scientific Managemen t 2). Taylor, through his time and motion studies formulated the most scientifically efficient in doing performing a single task which do not only lessen the workload for each employee but also shorten the time that the task is performed. The main contribution of Taylor in the field of management can be delineated within the bounds of management service practice and organisational management. The main premise of Taylor in the concepts which he put forward is the utilisation of scientific principles in every situation including the solution of problems in business organisations (Frederick Winslow Taylor 2). Through his exposure on steel workers, Taylor has observed what he calls soldiering which he explains as "underworking, that is, deliberately working slowly so as to avoid a full day's work" (Taylor 6). He observes that the current situation facilitates this inefficiency of workers. According to him, there are three primary reasons which causes soldiering: first, the universal belief that if workers become productive, less workers will be needed causing elimination or termination; second, the non-incentive wage system which encourage workers to work at a slow pace considering that they will be paid the same wage regardless of the amount of work that they finish; and third, the reliance on rule of the thumb measures and the absence of optimal work methods in order to enhance efficiency (Frederick Taylor and Scientific Management 4). With this, Taylor lays down the four principles which become the foundations of scientific management. Scientific management calls for the replacement of the rule of the thumb work methods with systems derived from scientific studies (Frederick Taylor

Film Analysis of City of God Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Film Analysis of City of God - Essay Example The story of City of God was adapted from the novel of the same name written by Paulo Sins. The central idea and the events portrayed in both the movie and the book are based upon actual incidents. The theme of City of God showcases the emerging criminal activities taking place in the sub-urban town of Rio de Janeiro. The criminal events showed in the movie were thought to be taking place between the end of 60s and in the early years of 80s. The movie discusses different social and political events which are present everywhere in every society of the world. It also shows that how these issues are eating the fabrics of a civilized society, what impact these issues are leaving on the minds of young generation and how lives of people are being affected by such events. City of God has received positive acclamation from all around the world due to the fact that the director has tried to convey the message of injustice and social infringement taking place not just in Brazil but everywhere in all parts of the world. Analysis of the movie: The director of the movie has made an effort to raise the questions concerning the social infrastructure, declining social values and growing youth crimes emerging in Brazil particularly in Robert de Janeiro which holds a strong position as a centre of all criminal activities. ... me of the movie revolve around the central idea that how lives of the poor people living in slums (favelas) of Rio were affected to the worse end in the time period of two decades. The movie is based upon real life events that are told through the eyes and words of a photographer Rocket who witness children and the youth of Rio taking a keen interest in forming street gangs and getting involved in drugs dealing and other criminal activities. The movie shows the clear transition of poor becoming poorer and rich becoming richer in Rio due to political instability and social injustice. The message conveyed through this movie is simple; it shows that how social inequality can harm the delicate minds of kids (in an imbalanced society as showed in the movie) which push them to transform into drug dealer, gangsters and wanted criminals. From â€Å"being a good human† their motive changes to â€Å"being rich and powerful.† The movie also raises the questions of political instab ility and corruption that are prevailing in Brazil from early times. Corruption in the country has further given rise to unequal distribution of wealth, divided society and racial discrimination which is expanding its sphere day by day greatly in different parts of Latin America (Jan Rocha). The story of City of God spans around two decades with 13 different characters; each representing a new face of violence with a tormented unrest soul. The movie revolves around violence which is an outcome of unjust social structure. The movie also highlights the burning question that how government fails to provide better living conditions and a promising future to the people of favelas. Civilized societies are known for their values, excellent social infrastructure, equality and justice. In advanced civilized

Moral Issues Regarding Animal Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 10

Moral Issues Regarding Animal Rights - Essay Example The concept of the right would result in the fact that that the government acknowledges that some actions are forbidden in relation to animals. In addition to that, the definition of an animal should include any organism, no matter if it is wild or domesticated. Finally, the idea of harm argues that people should not torture or kill animals in case it is not justified by other aspects. For example, slaughtering a pig that was bred for it is acceptable as it a part of ham production, but torturing any animals should be recognized as an unacceptable action. There is one more peculiar point that should be noted in particular: different cultures have developed their own attitude towards animals. Thus, for Europeans killing a pig or a cow is a matter of food production. On the other hand, the Hindu believe that a cow is a sacred animal, while Jews and Arabs point out that pigs are filthy and their meat is forbidden to be eaten by their religion. That is why while working out the position towards rights of animals, the humanity should agree on some kind of a unified vision of it. Speaking of the arguments that are able to contribute to the validity of the statement that was mentioned above one is able to mention quite a few. First of all, it is often thought that developing a special attitude towards animals that includes recognition of their rights reflects the humanistic values that are being promoted by mankind. Secondly, in case people pay more attention to the living of animals, this will allow the former to contribute to finding harmony with the natural world. This is extremely important, keeping in mind the destructive impact that the activity of the people has had on the environment in the past few centuries. In other words, this will help people to reconcile with the environment and build a better and more productive relationship with it.

Film Analysis of City of God Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Film Analysis of City of God - Essay Example The story of City of God was adapted from the novel of the same name written by Paulo Sins. The central idea and the events portrayed in both the movie and the book are based upon actual incidents. The theme of City of God showcases the emerging criminal activities taking place in the sub-urban town of Rio de Janeiro. The criminal events showed in the movie were thought to be taking place between the end of 60s and in the early years of 80s. The movie discusses different social and political events which are present everywhere in every society of the world. It also shows that how these issues are eating the fabrics of a civilized society, what impact these issues are leaving on the minds of young generation and how lives of people are being affected by such events. City of God has received positive acclamation from all around the world due to the fact that the director has tried to convey the message of injustice and social infringement taking place not just in Brazil but everywhere in all parts of the world. Analysis of the movie: The director of the movie has made an effort to raise the questions concerning the social infrastructure, declining social values and growing youth crimes emerging in Brazil particularly in Robert de Janeiro which holds a strong position as a centre of all criminal activities. ... me of the movie revolve around the central idea that how lives of the poor people living in slums (favelas) of Rio were affected to the worse end in the time period of two decades. The movie is based upon real life events that are told through the eyes and words of a photographer Rocket who witness children and the youth of Rio taking a keen interest in forming street gangs and getting involved in drugs dealing and other criminal activities. The movie shows the clear transition of poor becoming poorer and rich becoming richer in Rio due to political instability and social injustice. The message conveyed through this movie is simple; it shows that how social inequality can harm the delicate minds of kids (in an imbalanced society as showed in the movie) which push them to transform into drug dealer, gangsters and wanted criminals. From â€Å"being a good human† their motive changes to â€Å"being rich and powerful.† The movie also raises the questions of political instab ility and corruption that are prevailing in Brazil from early times. Corruption in the country has further given rise to unequal distribution of wealth, divided society and racial discrimination which is expanding its sphere day by day greatly in different parts of Latin America (Jan Rocha). The story of City of God spans around two decades with 13 different characters; each representing a new face of violence with a tormented unrest soul. The movie revolves around violence which is an outcome of unjust social structure. The movie also highlights the burning question that how government fails to provide better living conditions and a promising future to the people of favelas. Civilized societies are known for their values, excellent social infrastructure, equality and justice. In advanced civilized

Arguable claim letter Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Arguable claim letter - Personal Statement Example The 1986 Crown Victoria sedan that we recently purchased has been giving us problems since the first week. They were reported and we, trusting your advice, tried to remedy the problem ourselves and with a local gentleman that acts as an auto mechanic on a casual basis. Imagine our surprise when a major mechanical failure that is clearly linked to the other problems occurred 32 days after purchase of the vehicle. Our surprise turned to disappointment when we were informed that you would not honor your bumper-to-bumper 30-day warrantee because it had expired two days earlier. The specifics of our complaint are as follows. On June 15th, we purchased the 1986 Crown Victoria sedan for $1200 from Warren Jeffries; the sales associate on duty that day. He assured us that the car was in great working condition. We were informed that it had been purchased at an estate sale and had been garage kept by an elderly gentleman since it was purchased new in 1986. The odometer showed 56,433 miles at the time of purchase. Our test drive confirmed many of the claims made by Mr. Jeffries. The mechanics of the car appeared to be sound. We were most concerned about mechanical systems such as the brakes, transmission and air conditioning. We paid cash and left the dealership pleased with our purchase. On June 21st, while driving to the salon, we noticed that the engine temperature gauge was approaching the red zone. As Quick Change Used Autos was along the route to the salon, we stopped to speak with a mechanic. He discovered that the radiator was nearly empty. The lack of cooling fluid was causing the engine to overheat. As the car was under warrantee, the mechanic, Mr. Skinner, offered us a loaner car and promised to fix the problem immediately. We were able to make our appointment at the salon and were able to retrieve our car immediately after the appointment. Mr. Skinner informed us that he fixed the problem by applying a liquid patch to the inside of the

Case Study Skin Care Segment

Case Study Skin Care Segment From soaps and shampoos in the morning to overnight repair face creams, from sunscreen products in summers to moisturizing lotions in winters; skin care products literally touch our daily lives. These products we use are in some measure the signature of our lifestyles and standards of living. The skin care industry worldwide is a 50 Billion Dollar plus business. Caring for the skin of people throughout the world is an extraordinary business. It is a business where people are passionate about their work, because it matters. It matters to their families, to their communities and to the world. It is a business filled with tremendous opportunity for leadership and growth in the 21st century; a business where unmet needs still abound and where people around the world are waiting for new and better solutions. Skin care includes dramatic breakthroughs in science and technologies are opening the doors to bold new approaches; where global demographic and economic trends favor growth. It is a business where a broadly based company with a strong vision, a culture of caring and the resources to invest in the future has the opportunity to take the skin care to a new level for people throughout the world and where such a company can make a profound, positive difference for its customers. As the worlds obsession with fair blemishes skin continues, skin care products have emerged as a key driver for the personal care category. All the personal care majors, from HUL, PG and Emami to LOreal, CavinKare, Nivea and Dabur, are fighting a high-pitch battle to gain share in the small, but fast-growing skin care market. Indian skincare market ~ Rs 2,100 crore Skincare moisturizer market ~ Rs 1,600 crore Premium Skincare Market ~ Rs 450 crore Skincare market has been steadily growing at 16 per cent as of last year Anti-Ageing Market ~ Rs 60 crore Avons Face care Recommendation: Steps to cleanse and moisturize your face Step 1: Wash face thoroughly with a Cleanser. This opens up the pores on ones face Step 2: Apply Toner to close the pores to prevent dirt and dust from accumulating in the opened pores Step 3: Apply a Treatment (meaning a product like a wrinkle cream, firming cream, brightening etc.) Step 4: Apply a Moisturizer (During the day, your moisturizer should have a SPF in it. One can even use a combination of a fairness cream with SPF) Thats it! This process should only take about 3 to 5 minutes. Remember, a small amount goes a long way with your products. Dont over apply. That may decrease the effectiveness of the product. We note that every step caters to a different range of products LARGEST SKINCARE MARKETS WORLDWIDE France- It lives up to the reputation of the skincare knowledge centre with its the consumers having regular skincare routines The US is the second largest skincare market in the world, with a strong forecast growth in hand care The Japanese purchase high amounts of skincare products, as caring for skin forms a key element of their beauty routines Skin whitening creams form an important basis of Middle Eastern womens skincare regimes Per capita consumption in Hong Kong US$ 40, US$ 9 in Philippines, US$ 10 in Malaysia and Taiwan, 12 US$ in Japan and US$ 1.5 in China. Segment Market Overview Personal care category in India is valued at Rs 54.6 billion. An average Indian spends 8% of his income on personal care products. Skincare forms the largest part of the overall personal care market in volume terms. In 2009, around 15% of all spend on personal care came in the skincare category. The market size of this segment is US$ 200 million. Skin care grew by 13% in 2009 to reach nearly Rs32 billion. Skin care products comprise of personal grooming and personal hygiene products. The broad product categories are as follows- Personal Wash: soaps, face wash, body wash, shower gels Facial Care: face packs (or masks), anti acne, anti ageing, fairness, lip calms, astringents, toners Body Care: sunscreens, moisturizers, talcum prickly heat powders, antiseptics Foot care: Anti crack creams Hand care: Untapped market Skin Care Category: All India Urban Volume 13265.3 tonnes Conclusions derived from the above chart: Fairness sub category- 60% of the Skin care category volumes comes from this segment Winter Care sub category- Decline in consumption and decrease in small pack size buyers resulting in decline in volume Antiseptic sub category- New customers are driving the growth for this segment Sunscreen sub category- Low new trier rate Cleansing sub category- Increase in consumption from retainers is increasing volumes The anti-ageing phenomenon continues to gather momentum, with the worldwide market expected to reach $115.5bn by the end of 2010. Nourishers/anti-agers saw the fastest value growth of 19% in 2009. SWOT STRENGTHS Worlds largest FMCG company with a 61% share in the Indian skincare market Hindustan Unilever Ltds products continue to dominate skin care sales in 2009 The companys brands Fair Lovely, Ponds and Lakme were the top three skin care brands in India in 2009, with Fair Lovely accounting for 48% of the value sales of skin care in India. Long product mix Sophisticated Supply chain Strong brand name Major brands Ponds, Lux, Dove, Vaseline, Lifebuoy, Liril, Pears, Breeze, Hamam Since the brands have individual names, HULs reputation is not tied with that of the product. HUL carries all the advantages that come as a result of being a house of brands. Broad product line catering to all segments Low-priced sachet SKUs, free samples and new variants for its major brands boosted sales WEAKNESSES Significantly higher advertising expenditure incurred by HUL to build up all its brands from scratch since a blanket family name is not attached to the individual brands. Unilever generated revenues of $55.4 billion in the financial year (FY) ended December 2009, a decrease of 1.7% over 2008. The companys net income totaled $4.7 billion in FY2009, a decrease of 33.0% over 2008. OPPORTUNITIES The personal care division of HUL is recording an increase in revenues to the tune of $ 16.5 billion in 2009, an increase of 4.1% over 2008 owing to a volume growth of 2.3% driven by stronger innovation, advertising and promotional activities. Skin care grew by 13% in 2009 to reach nearly Rs32 billion Average unit prices continued to rise in 2009 Skin care is forecast to see a constant value CAGR of 10% Skin care continued to attract new players, both in the mass and premium categories, and, despite concerns about economic and financial security in the first half of 2009, skin care continued to see dynamic growth in 2009. THREATS Large numbers of relatively unorganised local players give it competition in the lower-price segments. Since these players typically operate in small geographies, they invest almost nothing in brand building and are thus able to offer higher trade margins and sell to consumers at prices lower than those of HLLs brands. Competition from organised national brands especially P G in the higher-price segments. In recent years, price war between the two FMCG giants has resulted in a dwindling of profits for both. 4.2 PROCTOR GAMBLE PG Hygiene and Health Care Limited is one of Indias fastest growing Fast Moving Consumer Goods Companies that has in its portfolio PGs Billion dollar brands such as Vicks Whisper. With a turnover of Rs. 500+ crores, the Company has carved a reputation for delivering high quality, value-added products to meet the needs of consumers. SWOT STRENGTHS Diversification: Product diversification with about 300 products. The diverse product mix includes personal and beauty items, household products, health and wellness, Baby and family and pet care and nutrition. Research and development: PG invests 3 4 % of Net outside Sales in research and development (RD). This amount easily exceeds their leading competitors, among consumer products companies. They also have more Ph.D.s working in labs around the world than the combined science and engineering faculty at Harvard, MIT and Berkeley. Innovation: In fiscal year 2004-05, PG was granted 27,000 patents globally. PG has produced a number of new products like diapers; shampoo and conditioner in one; toothpaste that prevents osteoporosis. Its diversified product mix helps in connecting technology across categories and brings innovation to the product. Brand building: Advertisement expenditure of PG is twice than the next company on the list of companies which spend highly on advertising. WEAKNESSES Has only recently, in 2007, made a foray into the skincare sector in India with the launch of its Olay brand. Is still a novice in a sector full of highly experienced competitors. Inadequate quality control: With large number of product profile, the quality control of all the products has deteriorated. OPPORTUNITIES Developing markets: The economies of China and India are growing at a very fast pace. The company currently competes in only about 10 of its top 25 categories in most developing countries. This provides PG with an opportunity to enhance its market share as well as expand its presence in other categories. THREATS Its brand Olay faces direct competition Ponds premium skincare range. Faces competition from local low-cost manufacturers 4.3 JOHNSON JOHNSON SWOT STRENGTHS Johnson Johnsons range of baby products is used widely by adults as it is one brand which is known for being very gentle on the skin. Clean and Clear face wash has effectively targeted the teenage segment which is paranoid of pimple problems and needs an effective and affordable remedy to acne. WEAKNESSES Neutrogenaoffering around 25 beauty items ranging from fairness creams, face cleansing lotions to sun protection and hand and body care products which was launched as a premium product is priced too steeply and not differentiated enough from Clean and Clear to justify the high price. OPPORTUNITIES The skincare segment is growing at a rate of 13% in India and thus provides immense growth opportunities to Johnson and Johnson. THREATS Ayurvedic products which are similarly gentle on the skin for e.g. Himalaya Faces competition from FMCG giants HUL and P G which have very long product line Factors shaping the industry 5.1 Growth Drivers Consumers clearly believe that taking care of their skin is one of the most important parts of their overall health and beauty regimes. Research shows that more consumers rated taking care of their skin as important than they did for looking their best in day-to-day life, highlighting how pivotal skincare is to the majority. Rapid urbanisation Increased purchasing power Greater awareness of fashion amongst the younger population Rising participation of women in urban work force Growing tendency to focus on individual and self gratification Growing importance of looks and personal grooming for personal and professional reasons Market trends like spread of organized retail to Tier II cities Development of non-traditional segments like mens cosmetics Development of a wide range of products at different price points Increasing competition with entry of large MNCs Increased brand building Customer awareness initiatives by companies Source-EIU CIA world fact book 5.2 INHIBITORS CULTURAL ISSUES Some cultures are more complex to service beauty-wise than others. It has been widely documented that some brands fail to build successful relationships with Muslim consumers because they fail to understand the consumers they are talking to. Because of cultural and religious issues, women focussing too much on looks are considered to be sinners and hence are not encouraged to focus on beautifying themselves. PRICE SENSITIVITY India is a very price sensitive market and thus there is a dire need for innovative solutions to cater to the Indian preferences and budgets. 5.3 Trend Analysis Key Trends in terms of product categories: Anti- ageing Anti-ageing solutions are nascent but gaining ground. It is the fastest growing segment in the skincare market (approximately 3 per cent of the overall skin category, it has doubled in the last three years) Brands Companies in anti ageing HUL Ponds Age Miracle Range PG Olay Total Effects: Fighting the 7 signs of ageing (lines and wrinkles, sagging, uneven skin tone, age spots, pores, dullness and dryness). Olay is a $2-billion brand. LOreal Garnier: In India since last decade Target Consumer for anti ageing: Indian Women looking for one product that will help her stay young and beautiful (Agelessness) Consumer Activation: Counters at cosmetics stores with counselling by expert beauty consultants at departmental stores and large modern retail outlets and further education on skincare Ayurveda Ayurveda is one of the most ancient medical traditions practiced in India, Sri Lanka and other South Asian countries, and has a sound philosophical and experiential basis. [4] Ayurveda has several formulations for management of aging and other skin care related conditions. Its literature describes over 200 herbs, minerals and fats to maintain and enhance the health and beauty of the skin. Today there is once again a revival of preference for natural products, and in recent years there has been a great upsurge in the study of Indian herbs. [7] Thus brands like Himalaya and Dabur Uveda have come to the fore. They offer specific solutions to skin problems. For example: Himalaya offers Neem (the derma specialist), Acne and pimple cream, antiseptic cream, foot care cream for cracks and a variety of face packs Clinics for skin treatment: Clinics such as VLCC and KAYA provide acne, hair removal and anti ageing treatments And this is in addition to offering a range of products in skin care. Fairness: Fairness creams have become the major drivers of the skin care segments growth. Fair and Lovely dominates this market catering to the needs of Indian women who wish to be fair (fair is beautiful) and that too at a very affordable price. Another new trend is the introduction of Emami and Garniers fairness creams for men. An overview of trends in India: The pace of new brand/product launches in skin care remained robust in 2009. Leading players, including Hindustan Unilever Ltd, modernized their brands with the addition of new product variants to feed female consumer appetite for more sophisticated products and male consumers increasing willingness to pay for specialized products for men. Skin care continued to attract new players, both in the mass and premium categories, and, despite concerns about economic and financial security in the first half of 2009, skin care continued to see dynamic growth in 2009. 2009 value growth was slightly higher than the CAGR of 12%. Robust growth towards was driven by increasing consumer sophistication and premiumization. Some consumers may have traded up from basic products such as Fair Lovely to more sophisticated variants offered by mass brands such as Ponds Flawless White, which incorporates SPF, UVAB filters and matt effect. Premium skin care grew slightly faster at 15% in current value terms than skin care as a whole in 2009. While skin care sales continued to be dominated by mass brands in India, urban women increasingly added one or two premium brands such as Este Lauder and Artistry to their skin care regimen alongside staples such as Fair Lovely and Ponds Word-of-mouth publicity for direct selling brands and the growing visibility of international brands in outlets in the major cities boosted the growth of premium products in 2009. Whitening and fairness and glowing/clear complexion remained the most prominent marketing claims in skin care in India in 2009 due to the prevailing preference of Indian consumers for fair skin. Acne treatment brands are commonly available in cream/ointment, lotion and bar soap formats. Cream/ointment is by far the most popular format, accounting for 81% of value sales of acne treatments in 2009. In September 2009, Clean Clear Active Clear Acne Clearing Gel was launched by Johnson Johnson Ltd. Acne kits are not available in India, and sales of acne treatment products are dominated by chemists outlets. LOreal India Pvt Ltd increasingly stationed beauty advisors in upmarket chemists outlets to promote Vichy in Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi. Nonetheless, due to its high price points and premium positioning, Vichy remained a highly niche brand in 2009. The launch of Garnier Light Eye Roll On in early 2009 was a huge success as the product highlighted the commonly faced problems of puffiness of eyes and dark circles and leveraged consumers latent need for such a product. The use of face scrubs and peel-off face masks is very common in India and the products are mainly used to improve skin complexion by removing dead skin. Facial cleansers witnessed a higher value growth rate in 2009 compared to 2008, spurred by the emphasis among newly launched brands such as Neutrogena (Johnson Johnson Ltd) and EverYuth Menz (Cadila Healthcare Ltd) on this category through their mass-media campaigns. Moreover, existing brands with a loyal consumer base, such as StreetWear (Modi Revlon Pvt Ltd), Nivea for Men (Nivea India Pvt Ltd) and Lactocalamine (Piramal Healthcare Ltd), expanded their product portfolio by launching facial cleansers in 2009. Even premium brands such as Clinique (Elca Cosmetics Pvt Ltd) saw a robust increase in the sales of their facial cleansers in 2009. 5.4 TRENDS IN ADVERTISEMENTS LUX: Today, the brand is still heavily advertised in India using Bollywood stars. Madhubala, Hema Malini, Sridevi, Madhuri Dixit, Juhi Chawla, Rani Mukerji have all been past brand ambassadors] Aishwarya Rai, Priyanka Chopra and Katrina Kaif are the present brand ambassadors of Lux. In India Shahrukh Khan was the first male in a Lux advertisement. LUX signed up the King Khan as its ambassador for its 75th celebration year. This was quite interesting and made a clutter breaking endorsement. Why SRK? We can only speculate that he is a person who relates to emotions quite strongly, especially with ladies emotions. This could also be a way of the company wanting to create a wider space around the brand LUX to cater to a wider target group. Beauty being the central theme and emotions being the space around beauty. In this respect, currently Abhi-ash (Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan) endorse the brand together. We dont see much of male models doing endorsement for soaps. Cinthol got Vinod Khanna, and it made the first mark in the consumer mind of male soap. Lifebuoy advertised with a bunch of males and it was more oriented towards cleanliness and god health and not in the beauty space. DOVE: Brand managers the world over are understandably jealous. Imagine having unearthing and exposing some of the neuroses women have about themselves, create a sensitive and believable marketing campaign, and then yes inspire change! In 2004, Unilevers Dove dared to launch this as its new positioning. And of course, it worked. Till date, the brand continues to excel in its role as marketer-turned-social activist, while, naturally, never losing sight of the core business. What were getting a lot better at now is incorporating the Campaign for Real Beauty message along with the product-specific, product-superiority kind of message, says Sharon MacLeod, Doves brand manager, on its evolution this year. Ordinary women from different walks of life feature in Dove ads rather than celebrities which enhances believability of the product. FAIR AND LOVELY: Its the ultimate product in India in catering to fairness needs of women. Advertisements highlight the plight of dark women who are under confident and even ridiculed in society. Then once they use FAL they are not only fair and glowing but also confident about going out into the world and getting a corporate job or becoming a super star. Such ads have a mass appeal. india is one country where women are judged and discriminated on the basis of their complexion and this brand offers a solution to facing that so called humiliation, hence it has sold like hot cakes since its launch. A similar product has been launched by other companies for fairness creams suited for men, PONDS: The ponds googli wooglie ads are supposed to be charming and have been readily accepted by the customers. However, the launch of PONDS AGE MIRACLE has been quite successful. The ad reads see the change in your husband i.e. PONDS reverses wrinkles and spots of ageing to transform oneself into ones youthful self. This brand too doesnt use celebrities to make ads more believable and simple rather than using celebrities who often divert the attention from the brand to themselves OLAY: Olay anti-ageing ads make extensive use of celebrities to endorse its brand. these include Sushmita Sen, Gul Panag etc to vouch for these brands. This adds credibility to the brand. This a premium brand and mostly symbolizes sophistication. JOHNSON JOHNSON: Baby care products are virtually a monopoly. These ads feature cherubic babies learning to walk, being cared for by their mothers etc. The products are also used by adults with sensitive skin. In order to cater to the needs of other adult segments, Neutrogena provides cleansers toners moisturizers lotions anti-ageing creams etc. The brand is endorsed by new age icons like Prachi Desai and Deepika Padukone. Clean Clear is a major brand in treatment of acne with its astringent, face wash and pimple zapping ointment. 5.5 BARRIERS TO ENTRY India being a price sensitive market there is low penetration by international brands High rate of new product launches Calls for ability to constantly update their products to changing customer needs or else the competitor can sweep the market away High advertisement spending Barriers specific to anti ageing sub segment: It is the working woman who is more conscious of the way she looks rather than the woman who stays at home. And in India that segment is still small, unlike the Chinese market where there is a high population of working women. To that extent, the companies find it limiting to enter this segment India. Also products are on the more expensive side. They are considered premium. For example, Olay is priced at Rs 599 for a 50 gm pump jar Producing efficacious anti-aging solutions requires a lot of science and research, which can prove expensive. This compresses the target market therefore discouraging companies from entering this sub segment and competing with already established brands commanding a high degree of brand loyalty. BRAND PERCEPTION SURVEY 6.1 Questionnaire If we assume every brand to be personified, what personality trait would you associate each of these brands with? Lux Dove Fair and Lovely Lakme Ponds Johnson Johnson Baby care Neutrogena Himalaya Boroplus Olay Garnier Vaseline Clear n Clear For making a decision regarding the purchase of a skin care product, rank the importance of the following in the decision process Price Quality Advertisements Publicity Innovation Note: Fairness, Anti ageing and Winter-care have contributed to either fuelling or sustaining growth in the skin care segment. The following questions therefore pertain to one major brand from each of these sub-segments namely Fair Lovely, Olay and Pond Answer the following in Yes/No FAL OLAY PONDS Quality The brand is of superior quality You would refer the brand to others Price The brand offers competitive pricing Its value proposition for the price is best in this class Innovation You view the brand as innovative The brand offers real-world solutions The brand understands the need of the market Advertisements Publicity The ads for the brand are superior to competitors The ads are suitable to the brand 6.2 RESULTS OF THE SURVEY Popular responses to the brands were: Lux : Competent Dove: Sincere Fair and Lovely: Imaginative Lakme: Spirited Ponds: Charming Johnson Johnson Baby care: Loving Neutrogena: Fresh Himalaya: Natural Boroplus: Reliable Olay: Sophisticated Garnier: Classy Vaseline: Gentle Clear n Clear: Confident On the basis of survey the following were the criteria as ranked by consumers in making a purchase decision regarding a skin care product: Rank Criteria Quality Price Innovation Advertisements Publicity FAL OLAY PONDS The brand is of superior quality 80% 84% 80% You would refer the brand to others 92% 76% 68% The brand offers competitive pricing 100% 60% 84% Its value proposition is best in this class 96% 80% 92% FAL OLAY PONDS You view the brand as innovative 92% 96% 60% The brand offers real-world solutions 80% 92% 76% The brand understands the need of the market 100% 72% 72% The ads for the brand are superior to competitors 56% 52% 52% The ads are suitable to the brand 80% 92% 80% 6.3 ANALYSIS CONCLUSIONS DRAWN Since all responses are above 50% in favor of Yes, the percentages indirectly reflect the degree of to which people agree: 50-70: Somewhat Agree 70-90: Agree 90-100: Totally agree We found that these brands are superior in their respective sub segments. On interviewing the women, we found that while FAL is the undisputed champion in fairness creams, OLAY is viewed as reasonably good as compared to other anti-ageing creams due to its extensive advertising and PONDS is the most viable solution for winter-care hence the popularity of Ponds Cold Cream. FAL It is viewed to be reasonably priced and thus is value for money. A whopping 100% feel that the brand is catering to the needs of the market. In India, it is no secret that women wish to be fair, hence FAL provides the perfect solution at the best price. Ads are believed to be superior to competitors but by a very small margin. The ads have a mass appeal and are considered suitable to the brand. OLAY The positive responses point to the fastest growing sub segment in skin care: Anti-Ageing creams. OLAY is premium brand (not meant to cater to the masses). The brand is viewed as very innovative and effectively provides a solution to the new-age need of agelessness among women. There are other players that dilute the impact of this brand on consumer minds but OLAY has made an impression with its celebrity endorsements. PONDS anti ageing creams offer ads which are more attractive hence the OLAY ads are not able to build an exclusive brand perception in the minds of people. PONDS Its value proposition is best among cold creams. It may not cater to the needs of all people as those with oily skin may choose to avoid using PONDS. The cream may cause stickiness in such cases which can lead to acne problems. However, when it comes to using a cold cream, most prefer this brand. The ads are considered endearing and suitable to the brand. The new emerging needs for fairness and anti-ageing solutions have not completely overruled the importance of ponds cold creams. Also as noted earlier, PONDS See the difference in your husband Anti-ageing creams are preferred in terms of ads UNMET NEEDS IN SKINCARE Oily skin: For skin which is more on the oilier side. A regular matt base cream or even the anti oil creams available in the market causes flakes to accumulate on the surface and oil based cream results in stickiness which may aggravate acne. An oil control version of Fair and Lovely solved the problem to some extent but it was still on the stickier side. Moreover, this product is not to be seen in the market anymore. There is a need to cater to people with this skin type as they often find themselves not using moisturizers or sunscreens at all (rather be tanned than have an acne outbreak) Elimination acne for good: There is no effective fool proof method of preventing recurring outbursts of acne. People prone to acne succumb to outbreaks throughout their life. Even those who regularly use cleansers to maintain oil free skin as well as anti acne creams or zap pimples with anti-pimple acid based ointments have to face them again. Anti-Radiation: Long-term exposure to radiation from televisions, microwaves, cell phones, computers and laptops etc. increases the risk of all forms of cancer, tumors, blood disorders, miscarriage, headaches, insomnia and anxiety. This we have heard but little do people know that it also causes aging of the skin by drying or wrinkling the skin, skin burn, etc. This form of skin damage is identical to sun damage and causes the same health problems. Computer radiation is most harmful to skin health because we sit directly in front of the computer for long periods of time with our face absorbing the radiation. This may require extensive research and development on the part of companies but a skin care product catering to protect one from these radiations can be regarded as a latent need. Hand care : There is no product specifically catering to this sub segment. Regular manicures are not feasible to care for ones hands. Indian womens hands are abused in the course of washing clothes and dishes, Hands become rough and hard. Lotions, moisturizers and antiseptics exclusively for ones hands are an unmet need. Premium skin care range specially designed to suit mens skin is largely unmet. The only progress in this respect is with regards the new entry of fairness creams fo