The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald Essay - 1107 Words

In the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Fitzgerald writes about the distinctions between the social classes and status during the twentieth century. Fitzgeralds novel takes place in the 1920s after World War 1, which was a time of excess and wealth. The roaring 20s set a perfect stage for Fitzgerald to use setting to explain the differences between the three social classes in his book. Fitzgerald shows the contrasting features between the West and East Egg in New York. Fitzgerald describes Gatsbys house and the house of Tom and Daisy to show the difference between the social classes on either side of the bay. The protagonist of the story, Nick, describes Gatsbys house as, The one on my right was a colossal affair by†¦show more content†¦Fitzgerald continues to use setting to establish class differences when he writes about the valley of ashes. He describes the valley of ashes as a place â€Å"where ashes grow like wheat into ridges...where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys...and immediately the ash-grey men swarm up...and stir up an impenetrable cloud which screens their obscure operations from your sight† (Fitzgerald 27). The valley of ashes is located in between West Egg and New York. Fitzgerald describes the setting of the valley of ashes to show the immense difference between the rich and the poor. In the valley of ashes, the poor appe ar to live in their own dirt. It is a place where poor people are forced to live because they do not fit with those of the higher social class. Fitzgerald explains that in the valley of ashes, the â€Å"Main street ministering...to absolutely nothing† (Fitzgerald 29). By depicting the setting of the West/East Egg and the valley of ashes, Fitzgerald clearly elaborates the differences between those who were rich and those who were poor in the 1920’s. Fitzgerald as well uses dialogue among the characters to express the differences between the social classes. Tom, a man of â€Å"new money† but whom lives and knows how to appear as if he is â€Å"old money†, goes to visit his mistress in the valley of ashes. When he visits her, his mistress,Show MoreRelatedThe Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald1393 Words   |  6 PagesF. Scott Fitzgerald was the model of the American image in the nineteen twenties. He had wealth, fame, a beautiful wife, and an adorable daughter; all seemed perfect. Beneath the gilded faà §ade, however, was an author who struggled with domestic and physical difficulties that plagued his personal life and career throughout its short span. This author helped to launch the theme that is so prevalent in his work; the human instinct to yearn for more, into the forefront of American literature, where itRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1343 Words   |  6 PagesHonors English 10 Shugart 18 Decemeber 2014 The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald s 1925 novel The Great Gatsby is a tragic love story, a mystery, and a social commentary on American life. The Great Gatsby is about the lives of four wealthy characters observed by the narrator, Nick Carroway. Throughout the novel a mysterious man named Jay Gatsby throws immaculate parties every Saturday night in hope to impress his lost lover, Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby lives in a mansion on West Egg across from DaisyRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1155 Words   |  5 PagesThe Great Gatsby The Jazz Age was an era where everything and anything seemed possible. It started with the beginning of a new age with America coming out of World War I as the most powerful nation in the world (Novel reflections on, 2007). As a result, the nation soon faced a culture-shock of material prosperity during the 1920’s. Also known as the â€Å"roaring twenties†, it was a time where life consisted of prodigality and extravagant parties. Writing based on his personal experiences, author F. ScottRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1166 Words   |  5 Pagesin the Haze F. Scott Fitzgerald lived in a time that was characterized by an unbelievable lack of substance. After the tragedy and horrors of WWI, people were focused on anything that they could that would distract from the emptiness that had swallowed them. Tangible greed tied with extreme materialism left many, by the end of this time period, disenchanted. The usage of the literary theories of both Biographical and Historical lenses provide a unique interpretation of the Great Gatsby centered aroundRead MoreThe Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald845 Words   |  3 PagesIn F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, colors represent a variety of symbols that relate back to the American Dream. The dream of being pure, innocent and perfect is frequently associated with the reality of corruption, violence, and affairs. Gatsby’s desire for achieving the American Dream is sought for through corruption (Schneider). The American Dream in the 1920s was perceived as a desire of w ealth and social standings. Social class is represented through the East Egg, the WestRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald Essay970 Words   |  4 Pagesrespecting and valuing Fitzgerald work in the twenty-first century? Fitzgerald had a hard time to profiting from his writing, but he was not successful after his first novel. There are three major point of this essay are: the background history of Fitzgerald life, the comparisons between Fitzgerald and the Gatsby from his number one book in America The Great Gatsby, and the Fitzgerald got influences of behind the writing and being a writer. From childhood to adulthood, Fitzgerald faced many good andRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald2099 Words   |  9 Pagesauthor to mirror his life in his book. In his previous novels F. Scott Fitzgerald drew from his life experiences. He said that his next novel, The Great Gatsby, would be different. He said, â€Å"In my new novel I’m thrown directly on purely creative work† (F. Scott Fitzgerald). He did not realize or did not want it to appear that he was taking his own story and intertwining it within his new novel. In The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, he imitates his lifestyle through the Buchanan family to demonstrateRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1607 Words   |  7 Pages The Great Gatsby is an American novel written in 1925 by F. Scott Fitzgerald. One of the themes of the book is the American Dream. The American Dream is an idea in which Americans believe through hard work they can achieve success and prosperity in the free world. In F. Scott Fitzgerald s novel, The Great Gatsby, the American Dream leads to popularity, extreme jealousy and false happiness. Jay Gatsby’s recent fortune and wealthiness helped him earn a high social position and become one of the mostRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1592 Words   |  7 PagesMcGowan English 11A, Period 4 9 January 2014 The Great Gatsby Individuals who approach life with an optimistic mindset generally have their goals established as their main priority. Driven by ambition, they are determined to fulfill their desires; without reluctance. These strong-minded individuals refuse to be influenced by negative reinforcements, and rely on hope in order to achieve their dreams. As a man of persistence, the wealthy Jay Gatsby continuously strives to reclaim the love of hisRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1646 Words   |  7 PagesThe 1920s witnessed the death of the American Dream, a message immortalized in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Initially, the American Dream represented the outcome of American ideals, that everyone has the freedom and opportunity to achieve their dreams provided they perform honest hard work. During the 1920s, the United States experienced massive economic prosperity making the American Dream seem alive and strong. However, in Fitzgerald’s eyes, the new Am erican culture build around that

Essay on Women in Voltaire’s Candide - 1061 Words

In Candide Voltaire discusses the exploitation of the female race in the eighteenth century through the women in the novel. Cunegonde, Paquette, and the Old Woman suffer through rape and sexual exploitation regardless of wealth or political connections. These characters possess very little complexity or importance in Candide. With his characterization of Cunegonde, Paquette, and the Old Woman Voltaire satirizes gender roles and highlights the impotence of women in the 1800s. Cunegonde is the daughter of a wealthy German lord. She is described as â€Å"extremely beautiful† (Voltaire. 5) and is repeatedly referred to as â€Å"the fair Cunegonde.† (39). She is the typical damsel-in-distress: a woman who is completely reliant on male protection and†¦show more content†¦When propositioned by the governor Cunegonde must decide between staying faithful to her love, Candide, or being the governor’s mistress. Her companion, who is simply named the Old Woman, offers this advice. †¦ You have it in your power to be the wife of the greatest nobleman in South America, who has a splendid mustache. Are you in the position in which you can flaunt the luxury of unflinching loyalty? You were raped by the Bulgars; a Jew and an Inquisitor have enjoyed your favors. Misfortunes bestow certain rights. I confess that were I in your position, I would not harbor the least scruple at marrying the governor and thereby securing Captain Candide’s fortune. (41) These women understand that in the 1800s they had very little power; only through men may they exert any influence. The female characters in Candide are of little importance to the action of the story. The narrator embraces a male perspective and does not endow any of the women with any interesting or redeeming qualities. The Old Woman, being ugly and world-weary does not even earn a name. Paquette is merely described as â€Å"a pretty and obedient brunette.† (5) She is pronounced obedient not because of her duties as a chambermaid, rather because she is quite willing to submit to the men in the baron’s castle. Cunegonde, Paquette, and the Old Woman are not intricate characters. The subject of rape is a prevalent theme in Candide. All of the female characters suffer through it onShow MoreRelatedVoltaire s Candide : The Enlightenment Principle Of Reason1201 Words   |  5 Pagespages of Voltaire’s Candide resides proof of all four values of the Enlightenment: hope, progress, natural law, and reason. Being a man of the enlightenment, it makes sense for Voltaire’s novel to include these values. Using ironic humor and satire, Voltaire managed to say what he needed to say without being directly responsible for having said it. As Candide reads like an adventure story, there is a lot of dialogue between characters. Through these conversations and stories, Voltaire’s Candide showsRead MoreThe s Candide And The Old Woman Arrive Of Cadiz, And Of Their Embarkation1422 Words   |  6 PagesVoltaire’s Candide, or Optimism is widely regarded as a work of the enlightenment period and offers a satire on philosophy, religion and current events ( of the time). This essay aims to provide an analysis of Chapter 10: In what distress Candide, Cunà ©gonde and the old woman arrive in Cadiz, and of their embarkation. Firstly considering terms of context this essay will look at the way knowledge of philosophy and attitudes towards women illuminate the readers understanding of the passage. SecondlyRead MoreVoltaire s Candide And `` Candide ``936 Words   |  4 PagesEven though, the broadway play complements Voltaire’s novel, Candide, there are noticeable changes made. These changes are made in order to captivate the audience. Considering the change in time period when Voltaire originally wrote Candide, the changes needed to be made in order to contain more modern aspects that the audience would be drawn to. These changes will be discussed throughout the deliberation of the play, but the most important noticed change would be the doubling of the narrator toRead MoreComparing Lessons Learned by Candide and Rasselas1291 Word s   |  5 PagesComparing and Contrasting Lessons Learned by Candide and Rasselas Voltaires Candide is a short satirical novel based on the life, adventures, and ultimate enlightenment of the title character Candide. The novel was subtitled ironically, The Optimist, in reference to a type of philosophy prevalent in Voltaires day, which the author found repellant. Candide is his answer to optimism as a philosophy. Likewise, Samuel Johnsons Rasselas presents a worldview (according to the philosopher Imlac) thatRead MoreVoltaire s Candide : The Enlightenment And The Intellectual Spearhead Of The French Revolution1118 Words   |  5 Pagesenlightenment, writer Franà §ois-Marie Arouet, more popularly known as Voltaire, wrote Candide, published in January of 1789 in Paris, France by Sirà ¨ne. Voltaire became known as the â€Å"fountainhead of the Enlightenment and the intellectual spearhead of the French Revolution†Ã‚ ² with his bold ideas that challenged society’s way of thinking. This satire was written during the Enlightenment period and demonstrat ed Voltaire’s criticisms toward the church, society and a multitude of other subjects. This bookRead MoreVoltaire s Views On England And Candide1528 Words   |  7 PagesVoltaire’s Views A renowned thinker and philosopher of his day, Voltaire’s works were influential to many who read them. To a modern reader with no context, the meanings may be lost. However, to someone reading shortly after publication, the meanings would be obvious. Voltaire’s two works are around twenty years apart and have certain points of continuity and dissent. His views on religion seem to change, while his appreciation for thinkers is a common theme in both works. The key connection betweenRead MoreCandide: an Analysis of Voltaires Perspective on Organized Religion.1537 Words   |  7 PagesCandide Essay Assignment TA: Và ©ronique Church-Duplessis Tutorial: 7-8 SS 2104 Sajid Borhan 998931036 Voltaire in his novella Candide portrays the adventures of a young man named Candide as he faces numerous difficulties after he is forced to leave his sheltered life of the court. Voltaire, in his satire, explores many themes. Voltaire being a critic of the Church does not show the religious institutions and the people associated with it in good light, as demonstrated by the various charactersRead MoreVoltaires Use Of Distortion1620 Words   |  7 PagesSimi Singh Ms. Russell Humor and Satire (H) Sept. 20, 2017 Candide Essay Prompt: In questioning the value of literary realism, Flannery O Connor writes: I am interested in making a good case for distortion because I am coming to believe that it is the only way to make people see. Following your study of Candide, write an essay in which you examine Voltaire’s use of distortion; how is he using it and to what extent does he succeed in â€Å"mak[ing] people see†? In other words, how did Voltaire incorporateRead MoreEssay on Voltaires Candide988 Words   |  4 PagesVoltaires Candide Candide is a reflection of the philosophical values of the Enlightenment. Voltaire’s novel is a satire of the Old Regime ideologies in which he critiques the political, social, and religious ideals of his time. A common intellectual characteristic of the Enlightenment was anti-feudalism. Philosophers were against the separations in the Old Regime and pushed for equality among human beings. Voltaire parodies the pompousness of the nobility several times throughoutRead MoreCandide : A Reflection Of The Enlightenment1325 Words   |  6 Pages Candide: A Reflection of the Enlightenment Francois-Marie Arouet, otherwise known as Voltaire was an 18th century French philosopher and writer during the Enlightenment period. Voltaire’s most famous work of literature; Candide follows a young man who grows up in a Baron’s castle (Castle Thunder-ten-tronckh), under the instruction of Dr. Pangloss, a tutor and philosopher who worships optimism even under extreme circumstances. Throughout Voltaire’s novel, Candide and his companions encounter a

British Literature Paper Free Essays

Michael Sharp British Literature I 09/26/07 Angelina Jolie has a place in Hell According to Dante, Hell is broken down into nine circles. Each circle would represent a punishment according to their sin and would be more evil as you draw near towards the last circle. If Dante were to travel in Hell again, he would most likely encounter Angelina Jolie. We will write a custom essay sample on British Literature Paper or any similar topic only for you Order Now Although she is looked upon as a celebrity with a humanitarian heart, the sins that she have committed would not be acceptable in God’s eyes. Despite her humanitarian heart, she is likely to go to hell. Despite Angelina Jolie’s humanitarian heart, she is a non-Christian. Non-Christians are automatically condemned to hell. It is stated in the bible, â€Å"†For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life† (John 3:16). The bible strictly states that if you do not believe in Jesus Christ, you will not go to heaven. It is through God’s grace that we are entitled to enter heaven. When Dante traveled through the first circle of hell, he noted that it housed all the pagans. Great writers and poets were condemned in the first circle because they had died not knowing Christ. You don’t ask,† my good Teacher said to me, â€Å"who are these souls you look upon? Before you go on in your journey, you must know they did not sin. If they had bad merits, these were not enough- baptism they did not have, the one gate to the faith which you believe† (35). Although those people did not commit a serious sin, they did not believe in Christ. Therefore th ey were condemned to the first circle of hell. This is one of the few circles in Hell, where should would be condemned. Lust is one of the many sins people struggle with and it often leads to committing adultery. Angelina Jolie is one of the many who had committed adultery. She seduced Brad Pitt away from his wife Jennifer Aniston and later marries him. In the bible it quotes, â€Å"Whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery. And whosoever marry her that is divorced, committeth adultery† (Matthew 5:32). The bible also states clearly that this sin is not looked upon lightly. In fact in Ephesians 5:5 reads, â€Å"For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person such a man is an idolater has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Marriage is highly regarded in the Christian faith; it is a sacred covenant that is established between the man and his wife. Committing adultery would be a violation of that sacred covenant that was established between husband and wife. In Dante Inferno, Dante describes how he and Virgil pass into the second circle. It was illustrated as a dark area where the rain would co ntinuously fall and the wind would blow constantly. The condemned would helplessly swirl in the wind and be swept through the storm. One of the characters that Dante pointed out was Semiramis. She was allegedly an Assyrian queen who created incest a legal practice. Angelina Jolie did not only commit adultery but she also had an incestuous relationship with her brother. According to the bible it states, â€Å"Do not have sexual relations with your sister, either your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether she was born in the same home or elsewhere† (Leviticus 18:9). The bible strictly forbids any family members to have a sexual relationship with one another. According to the laws from the Old Testament they would execute those who were guilty from committing this sin. In the New Testament, the local church would be given the authority to outcast the guilty for the offence. In the Second Zone of the Seventh Circle’s Third Ring, Dante encounters Bruetto Latini. This is where the Sodomites must walk continuously under the rain of fire. Bruetto Latini was noted for providing Dante with kindness and counsel, yet he accuses him for being a homosexual. During this time period, homosexuality was evident but not acceptable to the society. However in today’s society homosexuality is acceptable. Angelina Jolie publicly admitted that she had feelings for woman and would consider dating some of either gender. Her guilty pleasure in the same sex would earn her a spot in the third ring. Although Angelina Jolie has committed more than one serious sin, she would be condemned into the second circle of Hell. Lust has overwhelmingly affected her life and to God’s eyes it looked down upon with disgrace. She has violated the sacred commitment between husband and wife by sleeping with another wife’s husband. She has been divorced and became pregnant before marriage. All of these factors are more than enough reasons as to why she should be condemned to Hell. Bibliography Alighieri, Dante. Dante Inferno. New York: Esolen, 2003. Angelina Jolie. Ed. Mai Dinh, Janet Murphy. 25 September 2007. http://www. people. om/people/angelina_jolie/biography/0,,20004347_0,00. html Adultery. www. biblegateway. com. Ed. Nick Hengeveld. 25 September 2007. http://www. biblegateway. com/quicksearch/? quicksearch=adulteryx=0y=0 John 3:16. www. biblegateway. com. Ed. Nick Hengeveld. 25 September 2007. http://www. biblegateway. com/passage/? search=john%203:16version=31 Incest. www. biblegateway. com. Ed. Nick Hengeveld. 25 September 2007. http://www. biblegateway. com/quicksearch/? quicksearch=incestx=0y=0 homosexual. www. biblegateway. com. Ed. Nick Hengeveld. 25 September 2007. http://www. biblegateway. com/quicksearch/? quicksearch=homosexualx=0y=0 How to cite British Literature Paper, Essays

Analyze the Marketing Management

Question: Discuss about the Analyze the Marketing Management. Answer: Introduction The main purpose of this report is to evaluate the marketing plan of the company which is a famous chocolate manufacturing company of Australia, Haighs company. This study is comprises of various types of plans related to the marketing that will help the company in their international expansion and to manage the competition. It is the fact that the competition in the chocolate industry is very high and due to this Haighs chocolates face lots of external environment issues[1]. The company manufactures various types of high quality chocolates, premium quality chocolates etc that are made from raw beans of cocoa. This brand is very much famous in the south part of Australia. Now, the owners of the company want to explore to the new markets where they can sell their products. For this, the company requires to bring innovation, creativity and also differentiation in their overall marketing strategy and management. The company is one of the top most companies who make chocolate products. There is a need to expand the business by analyzing the potential lies within the company. For this, the company has to evaluate the internal and external environment, competition, potential to grow, etc. A fact about company is that the chocolates manufactured by this company are very delicious as they are made through unique process while using raw chocolate that contains bean in them. They use German machines to manufacture their chocolates. The people of Australia are crazy to eat and gift their chocolates on Christmas, valentines and other occasions. The purpose of doing this study is to analyze the situation and conditions of the Australian and other markets where the company want to expand their business. It can be internal of external of Australian markets. As the company wants to expand, the company first has to do SWOT analysis, marketing mix that is price, place, product and promotion[2]. The study also comprises of market analysis, competition analysis, brand analysis, etc so that an in-depth knowledge can be gained. About the company The Haighs chocolate is a chocolate manufacturing company which was discovered on may 1st, 1915. The discoverer of this company is Alfred E Haigh in Adelaide in South Australia. It is one of the oldest companies of Australia who manufacture chocolates. Now, the fourth generation is managing the company who is Haighs Alister and Simon who are the managing directors in the year 1990. Haighs chocolates company has a very strong base from the starting as they use the traditional and modern both the methods in the manufacturing of chocolates. The main focus of this company is to spread happiness by manufacturing chocolates. They want their customers to be happy and satisfied[3]. The missions and vision of the company is directly related to the satisfaction of the customers ad other people related to it. The values of Haigh chocolates say that they want to take care of their customers, employees, stakeholders, suppliers, environment and community. Market analysis of Haighs company The chocolates form Haighs company is come under one of the premium quality chocolates and the integrated maker of the same. The research says that the delivery and supply system of the company is very strong and the control of the company. This is due to the fact that they use effective and standard way to deliver their goods. The packaging and the distribution channels of Haighs chocolates is very prominent as they are very huge and of goof quality. It is the reason the company is enjoying a leading position in the market of Australia. The market analysis states that the company can grow as they have potential and demand in the market. The plan and activities of this company is based on the Australian packaging guidelines which make its products more authentic and demandable. Within last 5 years, the company has achieved a tremendous growth and the premiumisation of the chocolates take place. The demand of the chocolates has also increased. These days, the demand of handmade items has increased[4]. People find this good that they are using or eating handmade items. The customers are very much fond of Haighs handmade chocolates as they are of premium and high quality. This is the reason due to which the company is focusing on the handmade chocolates. The USP of this company is the handmade chocolates of higher and premium quality which they want to sell in the internal and external markets of the Australia. The target of the company is not only children but also the youth, old age people, etc. Customer analysis The customer analysis of Haighs chocolates shows that customers are very much happy and satisfied by the handmade chocolates manufactured by this company. The aim of the company is same as they also want their customers to be satisfied for the long period. In order to achieve these goals, the company sells their chocolate at very reasonable process, use prominent techniques of promotion, good delivery of the goods and high packaging[5]. there are various other factors also that help Haigh's chocolate to sustain their customers that is the time to time analysis of the market trend, customer want changes in the manufacturing of the chocolates, etc. It helps them to analyze the market situation and make changes accordingly. Brand analysis There are various types of other companies that give perfect competition to Haighs chocolates that are nestle, Mayfield, and Cadburys chocolates. The delivery and supply chain management of the mentioned companies is as good as Haighs chocolates. In order to fight with the immense competition from these companies Haighs chocolates has to bring innovation, creativity and also product differentiation. They can also focus on the supply chain management and delivery of the chocolates which help to capture a large part of the customers. Chocolates production is a production in which companies can make variations and differentiation which can help the band to become a unique seller and manufacturer of the chocolates. Marketing mix: Product Haighs chocolates only manufacture one flavor of chocolate which helps in attracting a large group of customers. It also guides the company to concentrate on only one brand and also to bring improvement in the same. The techniques used in the production of the chocolates of the Haighs chocolates are done through Swiss techniques form the year 1950s. Haigh's chocolate sis not only in the manufacturing of the chocolates but also in the designing and packaging for the same. The stores of Haighs chocolates are designed in very attractive and colorful way that it attracts customers. The company has lots of products related to the chocolate and the aim is to expand the market of the Haighs chocolates. There are many stores of Haighs chocolates in Adelaide. A unique brand offered by Haighs chocolates that is launched specially for the tourists which is known as Parkside of Haighs chocolates. The packaging of the chocolates is done in high quality as they are for the tourists. It also helps the company to promote their chocolates to the international markets. The supply china model used by Haighs chocolate is high vertical model which is very much helpful in the fast and effective delivery of chocolates at each and every level of the market segment. According to Haighs chocolates, the packaging of the chocolates should be simple and attractive as too much bright and sharp color does not look decent. But at the time of festivals, special occasions like valentines week, Christmas, etc they use to change the packaging of the chocolates. It helps in customization, high demand, customers attraction, customer satisfaction, etc. Place The delivery of the goods of Haighs chocolates is done through high vertical integrated supply chain model which is very effective for such companies. The major amount of the chocolates is sold though stores and business organization directly. A minor amount of distribution o chocolates is done through retailers and wholesalers who directly deal with the niche markets and customers. In the markets of Australia, there are various places where the company does not advertise the chocolates but still enjoying good amount of sales. There are many visitors centre of Haighs chocolates. Most of them are in Adelaide with the factory visit also that is opened on 6 day of week. Visitors come and buy chocolates which are fresh, and tasty. They take knowledge related to the production of the chocolates and factory, packaging, etc. Promotion The promotion and marketing of the company is not very attractive due to the fact that the company is very old and renowned. This brand focus on the high interactions with the customers related to the technology, packaging, sustainability, etc. they use social media, personal selling, advertisement, etc. to promote their product. The aim is to keep connected with the customers. Price The prices of Haighs chocolates are determined through the nomenclature of the market and the chocolate where the products are produced. The prices are also decided through the demand and supply of the products in the market. The prices of Haighs chocolates are very reasonable and affordable[6]. There are few chocolates that are expensive because they are of high and premium quality. SWOT analysis SWOT analysis STRENGTH The brand image of the company is very strong which is the biggest strength The company is the oldest band that manufactures chocolates The brand is enjoying strong brand equity High quality products There is a strong presence of this brand in south Wales, Victoria and Adelaide The range of products provided by this brand is high and the quality of the products is also very good. High quality packaging The material used in the production of chocolates is very good like milk, cream, cocoa, dry fruits, dark chocolates, etc. The aim of Haigh is to bring smile on the faces of their customers WEAKNESSES The company has less potential to develop and grow in to the international market as they are satisfied in Australia The share of company is very low Unable to get certification form the fair trade foundation OPPORTUNITIES The potential of the company to grow and develop in terms of gifts, vouchers, bouquets, etc. The company can also expand in corporate gifts, rewards, etc. They can use e-commerce and online selling of chocolates Haighs chocolates have an opportunity to expand as the markets of Australia grow on the global front. THREATS High level of competition present in the national and international market is the biggest weakness of this company Increase in the awareness related to health issues Increase in the consciousness The biggest challenges is to manage the quality of the chocolates There are need of high storages facility for such industry Many times whitening of chocolates take place Effective marketing strategy for the Haighs chocolates/ marketing plan It is noticed that Haighs chocolate company can bring changes and innovation by making changes in the marketing and the management of the company. It can also be done by changing the marketing structure and supply chain management[7]. The company and its product are of good quality. However, to sustain in the market and to management, the company has to analyze the marketing condition and situations. Now, the company wants to boost the brand recognition and awareness among the customers. In order to achieve this, the company has to make an efefcive and efficient marketing plan and to establish strategy that will help in the achievement of the same. As studied above, the company is capable of achieving this and they have the potential to grow in the international market. For this, the company can use various types of expansion and growth strategies to increase the brand awareness among the new segments of the markets. It can be done through effective and prominent marketing Conclusion The conclusion for the present study is that every company requires an effective marketing and management plan to expand their business in to international even in national markets. The company used in this report that is the Haighs chocolates company is one of the leading manufacturers of handmade chocolates in the markets of Australia. Many companies that are multinational companies give competition to Haighs like nestle, Cadburys and Mayfield. However, the company is able to manage the quality of its products as the chocolates are of higher and premium quality. The company is one of the top most companies who make chocolate products. There is a need to expand the business by analyzing the potential lies within the company. For this, the company has to evaluate the internal and external environment, competition, potential to grow, etc. A fact about company is that the chocolates manufactured by this company are very delicious as they are made through unique process while using raw chocolate that contains bean in them. The aim of this report is to cover the entire market analysis and to develop a market pan for the company. In order to expand their business operations to the higher level the company has to follow an effective marketing plan. References Castaldo, Sandro, Katia Premazzi, and Fabrizio Zerbini. "The meaning (s) of trust. A content analysis on the diverse conceptualizations of trust in scholarly research on business relationships."Journal of Business Ethics96, no. 4 (2010): 657-668. Daymon, Christine, and Immy Holloway.Qualitative research methods in public relations and marketing communications. Routledge, 2010. Kumar, V. "Evolution of marketing as a discipline: What has happened and what to look out for."Journal of Marketing79, no. 1 (2015): 1-9. Moussa, Salim, and Mourad Touzani. "Ranking marketing journals using the Google Scholar-based hg-index."Journal of Informetrics4, no. 1 (2010): 107-117. Piekkari, Rebecca, Emmanuella Plakoyiannaki, and Catherine Welch. "Goodcase research in industrial marketing: Insights from research practice."Industrial Marketing Management39, no. 1 (2010): 109-117. Vargo, Stephen L., and Robert F. Lusch. "It's all B2B and beyond: Toward a systems perspective of the market."Industrial marketing management40, no. 2 (2011): 181-187. Wales, William J., Vishal K. Gupta, and Fariss-Terry Mousa. "Empirical research on entrepreneurial orientation: An assessment and suggestions for future research."International Small Business Journal31, no. 4 (2013): 357-383. Moussa, Salim, and Mourad Touzani. "Ranking marketing journals using the Google Scholar-based hg-index."Journal of Informetrics4, no. 1 (2010): 107-117. Castaldo, Sandro, Katia Premazzi, and Fabrizio Zerbini. "The meaning (s) of trust. A content analysis on the diverse conceptualizations of trust in scholarly research on business relationships."Journal of Business Ethics96, no. 4 (2010): 657-668. Daymon, Christine, and Immy Holloway.Qualitative research methods in public relations and marketing communications. Routledge, 2010.

Tips to Improve Your Essay Writing Skills in 2 Weeks

Today we have hundreds and thousands of essay writers who specifically just write essays and earn money doing this work either full time or part time. Many of these are experienced and skilled writers but at the time there are many writers who are new or who are having very little experience in essay writing, so they badly needs to improve their essay writing skills. Usually writers says that they don’t have time to work extra on improving their skills but this does not take months at all. You just need two weeks to improve your essay writing skills and then the regular routine will help you further, how? Here are some tips for improving your essay writing skills: †¢ Practice as much as possible: practice definitely makes a man perfect. The more you practice anything the more perfection you will see in your work. You just cannot except to produce great quality work just without practice. In these two weeks you have to practice as much as possible. Practice essay writing in your spare time and if you already have a very tough schedule so get some time out of it for practicing no matter what. Practice is the key to great essays and essays should always be great. †¢ Keep reading in your routine: reading is very important too, you just cannot be good at writing if you are not fond of reading. Reading will bring great knowledge and exposure to your life which simply means you can add better stuff in your essays and your essays will always be having some great words as reading also improves your way of choosing and playing with words. †¢ Get feedback from experienced people: whenever you write something new make sure you take that to someone experienced in this feedback so that you can get honest feedback. Don’t always expect the feedback to be positive you can also get negative feedback and negative feedback should not break you instead you should be strong and work on it all over again this time focusing more on your mistakes and try your best to make it better. Mistakes and negative feedback helps us learn a lot in our professional as well as our personal life. †¢ Work on all the weak points: everyone has some weak points professionally, so if you yourself can observe them, that’s great and if someone else is making you realize then its super good. Now you know all your weak points so try to overcome them, face them and make all your weak points turn in to your strength. Then only you can write really good and interesting essays. Boring essays will never attract the readers and readers will never read your full essay. †¢ Observe good essays and try following that particular style: all the writers can easily figure out good essays so look for good essays and good essay writers and get essay help UK. Once you find good essays and some great essay writers, start following them. Read all their essays that they have written, observe their writing style and try adapting it to your writing style. Observe that which standard rules they are following and how. Where they have applied these rules in the essay. You can always get essay help UK regarding all this and this will really help you enhancing your essay writing skills.

Conjugating the Verb Fare in Italian

Conjugating the Verb Fare in Italian The number of times that we talk about doing something or making something is plentiful, which makes â€Å"fare†, the verb that represents those two definitions, a must-know. Use this article to learn how to conjugate it in all of its tenses and read the examples so you can get an idea of how to use it. This is especially important because â€Å"fare† is one of those verbs in Italian that don’t translate well into English. There are lots of idiomatic expressions with it, so make sure to look out for those. Some Definitions of â€Å"Fare† Include To doTo makeTo act (like)To performTo create What to Know About â€Å"Fare† It’s an irregular verb, so it doesn’t follow the typical -ere verb ending pattern.It can be both a transitive verb, which takes a direct object  and an intransitive verb, which does not take one when conjugated with the auxiliary verb â€Å"avere†.The infinito is â€Å"fare†.The participio passato is â€Å"fatto†.The gerund form is â€Å"facendo†.The past gerund form is â€Å"avendo fatto†. INDICATIVO/INDICATIVE Il presente io faccio noi facciamo tu fai voi fate lui, lei, Lei fa Essi, Loro fanno Esempi: Hai gi fatto colazione? - Have you already had breakfast?Che fai? - What are you doing? Il passato prossimo io ho fatto noi abbiamo fatto tu hai fatto voi avete fatto lui, lei, Lei, ha fatto loro, Loro hanno fatto Esempi: Che hai fatto di bello oggi? - What were you up to today?Facciamo una pausa, va bene? - Let’s take a break, okay? L’imperfetto io facevo noi facevamo tu facevi voi facevate lui, lei, Lei faceva loro, Loro facevano Esempi: Quando li ho chiamati, facevano una passeggiata.  - When I called them, they were taking a walk.Facevano sempre quello che volevano. - They always used to do what they wanted. Il trapassato prossimo io avevo fatto noi avevamo fatto tu avevi fatto voi avevate fatto lui, lei, Lei aveva fatto loro, Loro avevano fatto Esempi: Lei voleva andare in Italia, come avevamo fatto due anni fa. - She wanted to go to Italy, like we had done two years ago.Non mi ricordavo quello che avevo detto o fatto. - I didn’t remember what I said or did. Il passato remoto io feci noi facemmo tu facesti voi faceste lui, lei, Lei fece loro, essi fecero Esempi: Quell’anno John Lennon fece un regalo a Yoko Ono, penso che fosse un quadro. - John Lennon gave a gift to Yoko Ono that year, I think it was a painting.Fecero davvero un bel lavoro. - They really did a great job! Il trapassato remoto io ebbi fatto noi avemmo fatto tu avesti fatto voi aveste fatto lui, lei, Lei ebbe fatto loro, essi ebbero fatto TIP: This tense is rarely used, so don’t worry too much about mastering it. You’ll find it in very sophisticated writing. Il futuro semplice io farà ² noi faremo tu farai voi farete lui, lei, Lei far loro, essi faranno Esempi: Che faremo domani?   - What will be doing tomorrow?Chiss cosa far Giulia adesso. - Who knows what Giulia is doing right now. Il futuro anteriore io avrà ² fatto noi avremo fatto tu avrai fatto voi avrete fatto lui, lei, Lei avr fatto loro, essi avranno fatto Esempi: Non appena avrà ² fatto una chiamata, verrà ² da te. - As soon as I have made a phone call, I’ll come over.Hai sentito il suo accento? Avr fatto molto pratica per essere ad un livello cosà ¬ alto.- Did you hear her accent? She must have practiced a lot to be at that high of a level. CONGIUNTIVO/SUBJUNCTIVE Il presente che io faccia che noi facciamo che tu faccia che voi facciate che lui, lei, Lei faccia che loro, essi facciano Esempi: Prima che tu faccia i compiti, andiamo in piscina per una bella nuotata. - Before you do your homework, let’s go to the pool for a nice swim.Possono restare a condizione che facciano la spesa, non ci aiutano mai! - They can stay as long as they do the grocery shopping, they never help us! Il passato io abbia fatto noi abbiamo fatto tu abbia fatto voi abbiate fatto lui, lei, Lei abbia fatto loro, essi abbiano fatto Esempi: È possible che lui abbia gi fatto le valigie e preso l’aereo. - It’s possible that he already packed his bags and got on the plane.Non penso che lei abbia fatto i compiti. - I don’t think she’s done her homework. L’imperfetto io facessi noi facessimo tu facessi voi faceste lui, lei, Lei facesse loro, essi facessero Esempi: Benchà © facessi colazione, avevo ancora fame! - Even though I had already had breakfast, I was still hungry!Sembrava che lui facesse male. - It seemed like he was hurt. Il trapassato prossimo io avessi fatto noi avessimo fatto tu avessi fatto voi aveste fatto lui, lei, Lei avesse fatto loro, Loro avessero fatto Esempi: Non credevo lo avessi fatto tu! - I couldn’t have believed you had made it!Pensavo che avessero fatto la raccolta fondi il mese scorso. - I thought they had the fundraising last month. CONDIZIONALE/CONDITIONAL Il presente io farei noi faremmo tu faresti voi fareste lui, lei, Lei farebbe loro, Loro farebbero Esempi: Non farebbe mai un viaggio in Europa, ha paura di volare! - He would never take a trip to Europe, he’s scared to fly!Che cosa faresti se fossi in me? - What would you do if you were me? Il passato io avrei fatto noi avremmo fatto tu avresti fatto voi avreste fatto lui, lei, Lei avrebbe fatto loro, Loro avrebbero fatto Avrei fatto qualsiasi cosa per essere stato là ¬ con lei. - I would have done anything to have been there for her.Avremmo fatto i compiti se avessimo saputo che cercare un lavoro sarebbe stato cosà ¬ difficile. - We would have done our homework if we had known that finding work would be so difficult.

Text - In - Context Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Text - In - Context Paper - Essay Example The protagonist lives an extremely squalid life upon arrival in England. This feature is revealed at the sharing of tiny rooms amongst numerous men. Feeding standards were entirely low. However, the men moved gradually from the room to get married. The story quotes, â€Å"Every now and then someone in the house moved out, to live with a woman whom his family back in Calcutta had determined he was to wed† (Lahiri 174). Iyer, Zare, Shankar and Cheung are major critics in literature. In their publications, they affirm the influence of Lahiri’s life experiences to her writing. The critics also qualify Lahiri’s work as a short story. â€Å"The Third and Final Continent† takes the form of a short story in prose fiction. This story features majorly immigrant families and individuals from India (Iyer and Zare, 42). Iyer and Zare reinforce this fact in his analysis and criticism of the story. Indian immigrants shared a uniform culture. As denoted previously, the me n moved out of the room to get married to women chosen by their families (Iyer and Zare, 42). They usually traveled back to their native home Calcutta to get married (Lahiri 174). This story is narrated in the first person voice. The protagonist expresses his journey and adversities from the onset of his journey from India to England and Britain. He suffers poverty in England after serving in a library. Subsequently, he travels back to India for his marriage processes. He obtains a wife and travels to America where he still lives under squalid conditions in Mrs. Croft’s room. As he lived in this place, he was waiting for his wife in India to obtain a green card. His wife eventually obtains a green card and joins him in America. The protagonist gets a better house to accommodate his wife. Throughout his stay in America, he was serving in a library at M.I.T (Lahiri 176). The protagonist nurtures his family in this foreign land. His son pursues higher education in Harvard Univer sity. At the culmination of the narration, the protagonist encourages his son by narrating his past encounters. He asserts that nothing should be impossible if he survived on three continents. This short story drives much influence from the lives of immigrants in foreign lands (Iyer and Zare, 44). Lahiri is a major voice in modern literature. However, a majority of her literary works may constitute ancient ideologies. She focuses on harmonizing the antique ideologies and thoughts with the recent happenings (Iyer and Zare 40). This author has a rich history and background. She was a daughter of Indian immigrants. Her father and mother upheld Indian principles and perspectives even after their settlement in America. Lahiri’s father served at a library in the University of Rhode Island. Her father oversaw her academic achievements from kindergarten to the tertiary level. She went to South Kingstown High School with the support of her parents. After graduating from Barnard Colleg e, she joined Boston University to further her course in Literature (Shankar and Cheung x). Shankar and Cheung are major literary critics that also reinforce the influence of Lahiri’s life experiences to her writing of the story. This history had a definite impact on the composition of â€Å"The Third and Final Continent.† Characterization borrows much from her background (Iyer and Zare, 40). There is an evident link of the protagonist and Lahiri’

The Future of Access Control Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Future of Access Control - Essay Example This paper will examine the future of access control systems. Access control systems are being increasingly characterized by the convergence between the physical security of the facility and Information technology which is responsible for the security management of the facility which includes issues like authentication and logging. Access control methods can be broadly classified into three categories. Firstly, the visual recognition techniques which rely on a human to check the identity card issued to authorized personnel. This is the oldest form of access control and has several advantages like simplicity, ease of use, low implementation cost (though the cost is recurring in nature) and there is no requirement to always keep the password handy. There are disadvantages too like, the reliance on the human factor and the consequent scope for error; the identity cards can be easily duplicated and finally the low speed at which the checking takes place. Secondly we have the mechanical access control systems which can be characterized as the lock and key mechanism where the key acts as the physical identifier (Honey, Gerard 2005). This system has been used by humanity to secure physical spaces for a long time. The advantages are the simplicity of use and the low cost of implementation. However the disadvantages ar e that there is no way to prevent or regulate the duplication of an authorized key and there is no system to prevent or log unauthorized attempts. The third method of access control is the electrical access control systems which usually consist of an electromechanical lock which is operated by a set of valid keys. This method can be used imaginatively in various kinds of scenarios to provide differing levels of security. The advantages and the disadvantages of the mechanical access control systems are retained with the additional requirement of electrical cabling. The fourth method of access control is the electronic access control. This is proving to be an increasingly popular solution due to several factors. This method represents a convergence of electronics, Information Technology and physical access control. They can be broadly sub divided into three sub categories, keyboard based, smart based and biometrics based (Horrowitz,P and W. Hill 1992). The merits and demerits of each of these categories will be discussed in detail later in this paper. However all these electronic access control systems have the following advantages like a high level of security, increased flexibility in deployment resulting from a wide possibility for application, operation and small size. They also have some generic drawbacks like enhanced cost of deployment and the requirement of specialized knowledge for installation. Access control is about the continuing race between the increasingly complex access control systems and the people who are trying to gain unauthorized access. This demands a continually evolving technology. This paper will examine the future trends of access control systems and the various technologies associated with them. Types of Barriers and Design of Systems There are several types of barriers with each barrier having its own advantages and disadvantages. These advantages and di

Digital Telecommunications and Networks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Digital Telecommunications and Networks - Essay Example In the signal amplification of analog systems, noise is amplified with the analog signal. Thus, the signal-to-noise ratio deteriorates for each time an analog signal is amplified. Digital regenerators, on the other hand, reproduce an entirely new digital signal from a sample noisy digital signal. The signal-to-noise ratio of this new digital signal has the same signal-to-noise ratio as the original signal. Thus, digital signals can be transmitted over longer distances than analog signals. Pulse Code Modulation is simply digitally coding analog signals. It consists of sampling analog information signals and then converting them to a serial n-bit binary code for transmission over a physical medium. With PCM, each code has the same number of bits and requires the same length of time for transmission. The presence or absence of a pulse within a specific time slot indicates either a logic condition of 1 or 0 respectively. Wayne Tomasi, in his book Electronic Communications Systems, outlined how a simplex PCM system is integrated in telephony: An analog input signal passes a band pass filter which limits it to the standard voice-band frequency range of 300Hz to 3000Hz. The sample and hold circuit periodically converts samples of the analog input signal to a multilevel Pulse Amplitude Modulation (PAM) signal. The analog-to-digital converter (ADC) converts these PAM signals to parallel PCM codes. These parallel PCM codes are then converted to serial binary data in the parallel-to-signal converter. Finally, the serial binary data are then outputted onto the transmission medium as serial pulses. At the receiver's end of the transmission medium, the serial pulses pass through the serial-to-parallel converter. The digital-to-analog converter then converts parallel PCM codes to parallel PAM signals. Finally, the hold circuit which is a low pass filter, converts parallel PAM signals to the original analog sig nal (408). Time Division Multiplexing is the transmission of information from multiple sources to one or more destinations using the same facility but at different transmission times. The following are the fundamentals of how Time Division Multiplexing is integrated in telephony as summarized by Wayne Tomasi: In a 2-channel PCM-TDM system, each channel's input is sampled and then converted to an eight-bit PCM code. While the PCM code of channel 1 is transmitted over the transmission medium, channel 2 analog input signals is sampled and converted to a PCM code. And when the PCM code of channel 2 is transmitted, it is channel 1 that then undergoes analog input sampling and conversion (453). C.) Describe the main operating principles of CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) technology and GSM (Global System Mobile) technology in mobile communication. Code-Division Multiple Accessing is a cellular telephone system based on spread-spectrum technology. It uses a unique code rather than a frequency or time assignment to differentiate users from one another. With CDMA, the base station uses

What Is Absenteeism And What Causes Absence Management Essay

What Is Absenteeism And What Causes Absence Management Essay An employees deliberate or habitual absence from work. In todays working organisations everybody misses a day of work now and then. But when an employee misses too many days of work it can be a big problem for the organisation and this can cause serious problems when all other employees have to cover for the missing worker or in worse cases the work simply doesnt get done. Absenteeism occurs when the employees of a company do not turn up to work due to scheduled time off, illness, injury, or any other reason. Recent studies have reviled that Absenteeism sometimes put the figure much higher. One recent Gallup poll did not put a price tag on the sniffles and swollen eyes, but claimed that more than 3 million workdays per year are lost when working people stay home because their allergies are acting up. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology released a study in 1994 claiming that clinical depression alone resulted in more than 213 million lost workdays, costing $24 billion. Furthermore, a 1995 study discovered a correlation between absenteeism and employee turnover. Companies with high rates of absenteeism were found to be more likely to have their employees leave for jobs with other firms. In light of such findings, employers have recognized that a generous absence policy can be profitable and contribute to employee satisfaction and stability.  [1]   If we look back the history, there is only a small written history of absenteeism in business literature, probably because until the 20th century businesses had a simple rule, No work: no pay. Then labour unions forced the companies into contracts to allow employees to take time off from work for illness or vacations and the practice of offering paid sick days become widespread. These practices still vary among companies and union contracts and normally there is an average of four to ten sick days per year is standard. Companies have realized that human absence management policies are cost effective; even many companies were unwilling to off paid leave to their employees. In fact, there is an estimate in the current studies regarding absenteeism that those company who have effective employee absence strategies can reduce their overall payroll costs by atleast 10 percent. HOW MUCH ABSENTEEISM COST THE BUSINESS: Most recent studies on absenteeism have claimed that missing employees cost companies millions of pounds in lost revenue each year. There have been several surveys to find out how much exactly does absenteeism cost the organisations, some of them are as under: According to a new survey by Mercer,  The Total Financial Impact of Employee Absences, the total cost of absence can equal as much as 36% of payroll (compared to 15.4% for health care coverage). Of that figure, 9% accounts for unplanned absences. Planned absences, like vacations and holidays, average 26.6%. For a midsize business, this unplanned absence can account for as much as $4.5 million per year and unplanned absences like casual sick days result in the highest per-day productivity loss, 21% versus just 15% for planned absences like vacation days. On an average, employees have 5.3 unplanned absence days per year.  [2]   The other most recent survey on the common causes of absenteeism by BBC has revealed that within the UK 93% of workers cite cods and flu as their common reason for being away from their work. IHC estimates that 13.4 million working days a year are lost to stress, anxiety and depression, and 12.3 million to back and upper limb problems. And the overall cost to UK industry? A whopping  £11.5bn in 2002 was paid out in wages to absent employees and on additional overtime and temporary staff cover, according to the CBI. One such firm that has decided to tackle the problem of workplace absence is investment management company INVESCO. Based in the City of London and Henley-on-Thames and employing 1,000 permanent staff, it realised that absenteeism, whether to visit a doctor, physiotherapist or councillor, was costing it an estimated  £38,000 a year after carrying out a study into the problem in late 2002.  [3]   Absence from work costs British industry  £10.2bn a year, mainly through minor illnesses, stress and family responsibilities, according to a new report. A survey of more than 530 firms for the Confederation of British Industry estimated that 200m days were lost through sickness absence last year, an average of 8.5 days per worker.  [4]   The  Massachusetts Institute of Technology  (MIT) is a  private  research university located in  Cambridge,  Massachusetts, United States, MIT has released a study in 1994 that, Clinical depression alone resulted in more than 213 million lost workdays, costing $24 billion.  [5]   According to an annual survey report of CIPD in 2009, it is stated that the annual cost of absence, is highest in the public sector, averaging  £784 per employee per year. Manufacturing and production employers recorded the next highest cost at  £754 per employee per year. Absence costs among non-profit organisations also fell slightly to  £698 from  £741 per employee per year.  Private services organisations recorded the lowest annual absence costs, averaging  £666. However, the findings showed that only 41% of employers monitor the cost of employee absence, a figure which has remained stubbornly low over the last few years.  Annual Absence Labour Turnover Survey 2008  by the CBI and insurer AXA revealed that of the 172 million sick days lost to absence in 2007, more than one in ten (12%) are thought to be non-genuine. These 21 million sick employees cost the economy  £1.6bn and two thirds of employers think that people use them to extend their weekends.  [6]   Another company Hewitt Associates  which is based in  Lincolnshire,  Illinois  is a global  human resources  (HR)  outsourcing   and  consulting  firm which delivers a wide range of integrated services to help companies manage their total HR and employee costs and improve their workforces has confirmed that: Sickness costs UK companies more than  £1,000 per employee every year. In addition, absenteeism is costing employers at least  £662 per employee, although this rises by as much as 60% once indirect costs, such as lost productivity, overtime and recruitment, are included. The first Hewitt Healthcare Fundamentals Survey, found that many companies are under-estimating their rate of absenteeism and its financial impact as less than two thirds of companies indicated that they properly record employee absenteeism. The survey showed that the biggest causes of absenteeism are flu, muscular injuries such as back pain and repetitive strain injury, and stress and depression. Some 56% of respondents said that stress is an issue for their organisation yet only a third provides stress management coaching for their managers. The report makes it clear that stress is predicted to be the main cause of employee ill-health in the next three years. If the UK economy worsens, stress levels can undo ubtedly be expected to rise further, making this the biggest threat to employee health in the UK. Poor health and work absenteeism has long been recognised as a problem for UK employers. According to a recent review by Dame Carol Black, the National Director for Health and Work at the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement, the total cost of sickness and absenteeism to the UK economy is over  £60 billion.  [7]   Forum of Private Business (FPB) an online forum has recently conducted a survey on how much absenteeism is costing the business in the United Kingdom. This forum warned that the cost of a single day of workers absenteeism within UK because of the freezing winter conditions could be at least  £230 million. FPB also stated that: Employee absenteeism represents a huge cost for many small businesses. According to the FPBs recent cost of compliance survey, small business employers in the UK spend a total of  £391 million per year on absence control and management more than on any other aspect of employment law.  [8]   WHAT CAUSES ABSENCE? The most common main causes of sickness absence for both manual and non-manual employees have been identified as: Manual Non-Manual Minor illness (cold, flu, stomach upsets headaches) Minor illness (cold, flu, stomach upsets headaches) Back pain Stress Musculo-skeletal injuries Musculo-skeletal injuries Home/family responsibilities Back pain Stress Home/family responsibilities Recurring medical conditions Recurring medical conditions Injuries/accidents not related to work Other absences not related to ill-health The latest studies and surveys have revealed that an increase in stress related absence is continuing in number of employers these days. INTERNATIONAL COMPARISONS International comparison of absence rates is equally useful and informative. The title sick man of Europe was once given to Britain because of apparently poor industrial relations record. This title can be given to any other country now as absence rates in the UK are among the lowest of any EU member country. Table 1 illustrates this point: Country Short-term Absenteeism rate Long-term Absenteeism rate Denmark UK Austria Sweden Ireland Norway Netherlands France Germany Belgium Italy Portugal 3.5 3.6 4.1 4.4 4.5 5.0 5.5 5.6 5.6 5.8 6.9 8.0 9.1 5.5 12.7 3.0 10.4 13.3 11.1 6.5 6.6 5.5 11.2 Source: Adapted from CBI, Focus on Absence, 1989  [9]   THEORIES RELEVANT TO ABSENTEEISM MOTIVATION THEORY The word motivation is used to describe certain sorts of behaviour. The purpose of motivation theories is to predict behaviours. Motivation is not the behaviour itself, and it is not performance. Motivation concerns action and the internal and external forces which influence a persons choice of action (Mitchell 1987).  [10]   HERZBERGS TWO FACTOR THEORY Herzberg used the critical incidental method and his original study was chosen because of the growing importance in the business world and his study was consisted of interviews with 203 accountants and engineers  from different industries in the Pittsburgh area of America. The responses to these interviews were generally consistent and revealed that there were two different sets of factors affecting motivation and work. This led to the Two Factor Theory of motivation and job satisfaction. Herzberg concluded that the factors as company policy, supervision, interpersonal relations, working conditions, and salary are not motivators but are hygiene factors. According to Herzbergs theory, the absence of hygiene factors can create job satisfaction and on the other hand their presence does not motivate or create satisfaction. In contrast, he determined from data that the motivators were elements that enriched a persons job he found  five factors  in particular that were strong  determiners of job satisfaction: Achievement Recognition The work itself Responsibility Advancement  Ã‚   According to Herzberg theory these motivators who also can be known as satisfiers were associated with  long-term  positive effects in job performance while the hygiene factors (dissatisfiers) consistently produced only  short-term changes in job attitudes and performance, which quickly fell back to its previous level. In summary,  satisfiers describe a persons relationship with that she or he  does, many related to the tasks being performed.  On the other hand dissatisfiers have to do with a persons  relationship to the context or environment  in which she or he performs the job.  Ã‚  The satisfiers or motivators relate to what a person does while the dissatisfiers relate to the situation in which the person does what he or she does. Herzberg argued that extra compensation only work in the short term and other hygiene factors only avoid dissatisfaction and that satisfaction comes from intrinsic motivators. Herzberg developed the job enhancement process and brought out the following features in his theory: Direct feedback non-evaluative feedback on work performance which goes straight to the employee, not through a superior. New learning employees given opportunities to learn new and meaningful skills Scheduling employees are permitted to organise their own work patterns within reasonable limits Unique expertise using ones special skills and knowledge Control over resources having an individual budget for which one is responsible Direct communications authority being able to communicate as necessary to get the job done Personal accountability the employee is directly accountable for the work.  [11]   ATTRIBUTION THEORY Attribution theory suggests that we observe a persons behaviour and then try to establish whether internal or external forces caused it. If it is judged to be internal, it is seen as being under the persons control; if it is judged to be external, it is seen as a result of the situation. Attribution is said to be subjected to a number of considerations, because we judge actions in a context. For example, we judge how distinctive behaviour is and whether behaviour is unusual for a particular person. Attribution theory is very much relevant to absenteeism as for example the employee is absent from work and the circumstances are that his or her attendance record is exemplary, then the behaviour could be considered unusual and an external cause (that is, that the behaviour is outside the control of the individual) will be attributed. If the absenteeism fits in with the general pattern of behaviour, then an internal attribution will be attached (that is, it will be seen as being under the persons control). DOUGLAS MCGREGOR THEORY X THEORY Y According to Douglas McGregor there are two distinct views of human beings, the first one is basically negative, labelled as Theory X, and the other basically positive, labelled as Theory Y. McGregor concluded, after viewing the way in which managers dealt with employees, that a managers view of the nature of human beings is based on a certain grouping of assumptions and that he or she tends to mold his or her behaviour toward employees according to these assumptions: According to McGregors Theory X, there are four assumptions held by managers which are: Employees inherently dislike work and whenever possible, will attempt to avoid it. Since employees dislike work, they must be coerced, controlled, or threatened with punishment to achieve goals. Employees will avoid responsibilities and seek formal direction whenever possible. Most workers place security above all other factors associated with work and will display little ambition.  [12]   In contrast to these negative views about the nature of human beings, McGregor listed the four positive assumptions that he called Theory Y: Employees can view work as being as natural as rest or play. People will exercise self-direction and self-control if they are committed to the objectives. The average person can learn to accept, even seek, responsibilities. The ability to make innovative decisions is widely dispersed throughout the population and is not necessarily the sole province of those in management positions.  [13]   HOW TO MEASURE ABSENTEEISM To measure worker absenteeism the most obvious way is to record how many days have employees not come in to work. The companies should have some sort of clock-in or accountability set-up making this step relatively simple. Once the numbers are available, surely it would be interesting to know how many of those workers were genuinely ill. Measuring absenteeism can serve as many as four purposes for organisations, which includes the following: Administering payroll and benefits programs Planning human resource requirements for production scheduling identifying absenteeism problems measuring and controlling personnel costs (Gandz and Mikalachki, 1979) Actual assessment and analyzing is a key aspect of managing absence effectively. Organisations must assess if they have complications with absenteeism, its extent and find out the best way to tackle it. In the latest Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) absence survey, less than half of employers monitor the cost of absence,  and just under  half of organisations have set a target for reducing absence and only 38% of organisations benchmark themselves against other employers.   To analyse particular arrangement of absenteeism and underlying the basis, employers should acquire and use data, for example, the management approach of an appropriate manager or an increase in workloads. This can also provide the evidence of how absenteeism impacts on the bottom line and why it value investing in an effective absenteeism management programme. HOW TO MEASURE TIME LOST? To evaluate absenteeism there are a number of different measures that can be used, each of which can gives information about the different aspects of absenteeism. Some of the factors are described as under: LOST TIME RATE Lost time rate measure  articulate the percentage of the total time available which has been lost due to absence: Total absence (hours or days) in the period  x 100   Possible total (hours or days) in the period   For instance, if the total absence of the employees in the period is 155 person-hours and the total time available is 1,950 person-hours, the lost time rate will be:   155 x 100 = 7.95%   1,950   This can also be calculated separately for the individual departments of different groups of employees to uncover particular absence problems within an organisation. FREQUENCY RATE The frequency rate method shows an average number of absences per employee, which is expressed as a percentage. This does not give any indication of the length or duration of each absence period, nor any indication of employees who take more than one spell of absence and it is calculated as under:   No of spells of absence in the period  x 100   No of employees   For example, if an organisation employed on average 110 workers in one month, and during this time there were a total of 24 spells of absence, the frequency rate will be:   24  x 100 = 21.82%   110   To find out the individual frequency rate, we have to count the number of workers who take at least one interval of absence in the period, rather than to total number of intervals of absence. BRADFORD FACTOR This method expresses the persistent short-term absence for individuals, by measuring the number of spells of absence, and is therefore a useful measure of the disruption caused by this type of absence. It is calculated using the formula:   S x S x D S = number of spells of absence in 52 weeks taken by an individual   D = number of days of absence in 52 weeks taken by that individual   For example:   10 one-day absences: 10 x 10 x 10 = 1,000   1 ten-day absence: 1 x 1 x 10 = 10   5 two-day absences: 5 x 5 x 10 = 250   2 five-day absences: 2 x 2 x 10 = 40   The trigger points will differ between organisations. The underlying causes will need to be identified for all unauthorised absence. ABSENCE POLICIES The companies should have clear policies in place which support their business objectives and culture and this is the first step to managing absenteeism efficiently. Under the current legislation employers are required to provide their staff with knowledge on any terms and conditions relating to inadequacy for work due to the sickness or injury, including any arrangement for sick pay. Effective absenteeism policies must spell out clearly employees rights and responsibilities when taking time off from work due to sickness or any other reason. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) is Europes largest HR development professional body which support and develop the management and development of people within organization, has explained that the following few facts are most considerable and the policies should: Provide details of contractual sick pay terms and its relationship with statutory sick pay Outline the process employees must follow if taking time off sick covering when and whom employees should notify if they are not able to attend work Include when (after how many days) employees need a self-certificate form Contain details of when they require a fit note from their doctor Explain that adjustments may be appropriate to assist the employee in returning to work as soon as is practicable   Mention that the organisation reserves the right to require employees to attend an examination by a company doctor and (with the workers consent) to request a report from the employees doctor Include provisions for return-to-work interviews as these have been identified as the most effective intervention to manage short-term absence.  [14]   HOW TO MANAGE ABSENTEEISM Before we discuss how to manage absenteeism we look the types of absenteeism. There are many other reasons why people take time off from work. These can be categorised as under: Non permitted absence or continuous lateness Long-term sickness absence Short-term sickness absence (uncertificated, self-certificated, or covered by a doctors fit note which replaced the sick note from April 2010) Other authorised absences:  for example,  annual leave; maternity, paternity, adoption, or parental leave; time off for public or trade union duties, or to care for dependents; compassionate leave; educational leave. Other than these above categories of absenteeism there are two main types of absenteeism, know as short term absenteeism and long term absenteeism. We discuss in detail how to manage these two main types of absenteeism: MANAGING SHORT-TERM ABSENCE Short term absence also known as absence interventions. The most effective interventions in managing short term absence include the followings: A proactive absence management policy Return-to-work interviews Disciplinary procedures for unacceptable absence levels Involving trained line managers in absence management Providing sickness absence information to line managers Restricting sick pay Involving occupational health professionals The most common method which is currently being adopted by many organisations is return-to-work interviews which can help identify short-term absence problems at an early stage. These return-to-work interviews provide an opportunity to managers to start a dialogue with staff over underlying issues, which might be causing the absence.   Tim Holden, the Managing Director of  FLUID, draws on more than 10 years experience as an award-winning recruiter and trainer. FLUID works with organisations to enhance their attractiveness to both current and future employees. Holden suggests that: The use of disciplinary procedures for unacceptable absence may be used to make it clear to employees that unjustified absence will not be tolerated and that absence policies will be enforced.  Ã‚  [15]   According to CIPDs recent survey it has been revealed that, only 12% of organisations use attendance incentives or bonuses as a tool of absence management according to our latest absence survey. LINE MANAGERS ROLE To control and reduce the causes of absenteeism, line managers have a substantial role to play, either directly or indirectly. How managers behave is very important because it has a significant effect on employee health and comfort. Many recent researches show that line managers are the type of employees most likely to be reported as bullies within organisations. Management style within an organisation is also one of the top causes of stress at work.  Ã‚   In any organisations the managers need good communications skills to encourage employees so that they can feel free to discuss any problems they may have at an early stage so that they can be given support or advice by the managers before matters escalate. According to all the recent studies and surveys it is stated that despite of all the importance of line manager/supervisor involvement, there are only 50% organisations are training their line managers to get the skills needed to do this effectively. The organisations should train their line managers to get the following skills to handle the absenteeism properly and they should have a good knowledge of: Their companys absence policies and procedures What is their role in the absence management programme How to act upon any advice given by the doctor to the employee. All the related legal and disciplinary aspects of absence including potential disability discrimination issues   How to maintain absence record-keeping and understanding facts and figures on absence The role of occupational health services The proactive measures to support staff health and wellbeing Operation (where applicable) of trigger points Development of return-to-work interview skills Development of counselling skills. MANAGING LONG-TERM ABSENCE The current studies and researches on long term absence have shown that absence of  eight days or more justify about one third  of total time lost through absence and absence of four weeks or more accounts for more than 15%. Consequently it is very vital that organisations have an approved strategy in place to help their employees to get back to work after a continuous period of sickness or injury-related absence. The knowledge of potential disability discrimination claims is also critical these days.   THE ROLE OF LINE MANAGERS   The role and responsibilities of the line manager in the management of absence should be clearly defined. However, these days the role of line managers is paramount. It is the line managers responsibility to manager his or her departmental, or unit. Therefore it is his/her responsibility to see that these resources are used as effectively as possible. This means that levels of attendance should be good and absence kept to a minimum. The line managers should follow the companys approach to management style, organisation and allocation of work, as this will be a vital part of any strategy to control absence. In addition it is his/her responsibility to follow the company absence polices and procedures to staff. In addition, the line manager will be one of the main influences on an individuals view of the company attitude to absence. It is therefore important that the actions, and words of line manager support the companys position. Taking a difference stance on the management of absence, whether more strictly or leniently, will cause problems for the individual manager and for the organisation. Line managers must be able to rely on the support of senior management for decision they take in line with the companys policy, their responsibilities are as under: To effectively organize and allocate work; To use an appropriate management style; To ensure that all staff are adequately trained for their role; To communicate the absence policy and procedures to all subordinates; To apply policy and procedures in a consistent and fair manner; To deal with requests for prior approved absence; To keep accurate and up-to-date records of absences; To investigate reasons for unexplained absences; To carry out return to work interviews; To instigate disciplinary procedures, when required; To provide adequate feedback to senior management; To ensure adequate personal development and training to be able to meet these responsibilities effectively. As we already discussed the role of line manager in managing the short-term absence, now we discuss the role of the line manager in managing long-term absence which is also crucial for managing long-term absence and other interventions are also important, which include:   The occupational health involvement and proactive measures to support staff health and wellbeing The line management involvement as part of the absence management programme Restricting sick pay Changes to work patterns or environment Return-to-work interviews Rehabilitation programme There are also four typical components in the recovery and return-to-work process, which are discussed as under: Keeping in contact with sick employees   The line manager should ensure that a regular contact is maintained using both sensitive and non-intrusive approach with the employee and this should be agreed with the member of staff and manager and, also where appropriate, with the union or employee representative. Planning and undertaking workplace controls or adjustments   There can be some obstacles which may cause delay, interruption or difficulties to an employees return to work. A risk assessment can analyse measures or adjustm

Computational Complexity and Philosophical Dualism :: Dualism Essays

Computational Complexity and Philosophical Dualism ABSTRACT: I examine some recent controversies involving the possibility of mechanical simulation of mathematical intuition. The first part is concerned with a presentation of the Lucas-Penrose position and recapitulates some basic logical conceptual machinery (GÃ ¶del's proof, Hilbert's Tenth Problem and Turing's Halting Problem). The second part is devoted to a presentation of the main outlines of Complexity Theory as well as to the introduction of Bremermann's notion of transcomputability and fundamental limit. The third part attempts to draw a connection/relationship between Complexity Theory and undecidability focusing on a new revised version of the Lucas-Penrose position in light of physical a priori limitations of computing machines. Finally, the last part derives some epistemological/philosophical implications of the relationship between GÃ ¶del's incompleteness theorem and Complexity Theory for the mind/brain problem in Artificial Intelligence and discusses the compatibili ty of functionalism with a materialist theory of the mind. This paper purports to re-examine the Lucas-Penrose argument against Artificial Intelligence in the light of Complexity Theory. Arguments against strong AI based on some philosophical consequences derived from an interpretation of GÃ ¶del's proof have been around for many years since their initial formulation by Lucas (1961) and their recent revival by Penrose (1989,1994). For one thing, Penrose is right in sustaining that mental activity cannot be modeled as a Turing Machine. However, such a view does not have to follow from the uncomputable nature of some human cognitive capabilities such as mathematical intuition. In what follows I intend to show that even if mathematical intuition were mechanizable (as part of a conception of mental activity understood as the realization of an algorithm) the Turing Machine model of the human mind becomes self-refuting. Our contention will start from the notion of transcomputability. Such a notion will allow us to draw a pathway between formal and physical limitations of symbol-based artificial intelligence by bridging up computational complexity and undecidability. Furthermore, linking complexity and undecidability will reveal that functionalism is incompatible with a materialist theory of the mind and that adherents of functionalism have systematically overlooked implementational issues. 1 - The Lucas-Penrose argument — Lucas-Penrose argument runs as follows: GÃ ¶del's incompleteness theorem shows that computational systems are limited in a way that humans are not. In any consistent formal system powerful enough to do a certain sort of arithmetic there will be a true sentence — a GÃ ¶del sentence (G) — that the system cannot prove.

Zimbabwe

Q. 1. The potential revenue of the field. Find the most reliable figure for this, tell where you obtained it and explain why you think it is the most reliable figure that you could obtain. Ans. 1. Zimbabwe started selling diamonds and earned more than ?1 billion by selling diamonds (The Press Association). The soldiers forced people to work harder. They also tortured them and their children with heavily armed force. There is no official estimate for the revenue from selling stones and diamonds in that sector but an unofficial estimated range is showing ?1. billion from that field in Zimbabwe (The Press Association). The eastern alluvial diamond fields of diamond estimated to meet one-forth demand of the total demand of diamond across the world in 2006. They earned high revenue and profit by trading diamonds into several countries, like, Israel, India, Lebanon and Russia. The government of Zimbabwe earned $20 million from the legal sale of diamonds in 2008 (The Press Association). But the important thing is that most of the earned income and revenue of mining diamonds is illegal and it has no governmental or official record. If a Chinese mining company wants to set up a legal partnership with Zimbabwe government then it will achieve great revenue with high profit and growth through mining diamond in Marange which is a newly founded diamond field in Zimbabwe. This particular field of diamond is situated in the eastern field which earned high revenue through diamond mining in Zimbabwe. To expand their trade facilities, they arranged some private planes to bring buyers from foreign countries. Most of the diamond fields in Zimbabwe are illegal and distributing conflicting diamonds to many countries. These illegal mining fields are expecting high profit and thus they forced poor people to work harder under the mechanism of ‘Dig or Die’ (The Press Association). Poor people are bound to work under the heavily armed security guard in these illegal fields of diamond. According to Abbey Chikane, the Kimberley Process monitor for Zimbabwe, marked the Marange Diamond field in Zimbabwe as a certified diamond field to export conflict-free diamonds to meet the demand of diamond across the world (Mutsaka, Wonacott and Childress, 2010). The human right organization of Zimbabwe is protesting the diamond mining though several illegal diamond fields which are doing illegal activities through killing many poor helpless men, raping women and torturing children to get hard work from them. To solve these problems, the government of Zimbabwe has become very serious to set up legal diamond mines to export conflict-free diamonds. Q. 2. Who controls the Mining Development Corporation? Do they have any existing joint venture partners? Who in the Zimbabwean government will influence decisions regarding the investment? Ans. 2. Diamond exporting and supplying business is currently controlled by the government of Zimbabwe. Though it is controlled by the government, there is a presence of powerful illegal diamond fields in Zimbabwe and these fields are engaged in several illegal and non-ethical activities with the help of the armed police and security guard force of Zimbabwe. The presence of political battle and high rate of corruption in the Zimbabwean economic, political and social atmospheres guided the government to a wrong direction. Being the Zimbabwe monitor of the world diamond control body, Abbey Chikane, also stated that the diamonds are ready for sale in the international market to provide minimum international standard of diamond (Mutsaka, Wonacott and Childress, 2010). According to the investors, the mining of diamond in Marange was conducted through use of virtual slaves under the control of armed soldiers in 2008 (Mutsaka, Wonacott and Childress, 2010). Therefore, this field is not working legally or the government may be not serious about fact of diamond mining in Zimbabwe. The Kimberley Process is an international monitoring body to control conflict-free diamond supply from certified diamond fields under governmental rules and regulations. Mr. Chikane announced that Zimbabwe can start trading the Marange diamonds under proper guidance of the government of Zimbabwe. According to him, the Zimbabwe government has taken several effective steps to regulate legal diamond fields and to remove illegal sources of diamond. The Kimberley Process did not consider the fact of taking steps against governments which violated the rules of the human-rights organization in Zimbabwe in diamond mining. The Kimberley team investigated that the heavily armed security forces killed many people, raped women who were illegally mining in the Marange fields in July, 2008 (Mutsaka, Wonacott and Childress, 2010). But the officials denied these charges against them and the government and they told that the security guards were there to give protection to the governmental part of the Marange diamond fields in Zimbabwe. The Kimberley members restricted sales of diamonds by the Marange diamond fields as they were supplying non-certified stones in the international market with proper certificates. This helped to get certification for the diamond fields in Zimbabwe. It also allowed exporting several other legal diamond fields into the foreign market. Zimbabwe's government earned $20 million from the legal fields of diamonds in 2008 (The Press Association). There are some political conflicts in Zimbabwe in the issue of diamond exporting and mining from legal and illegal diamond fields of the country. After the election in Zimbabwe in 2008, the situation in Marange diamond field has become very much concern about their effectiveness of the Kimberley Process. A top member of the World Diamond Council, Martin Rapaport reigned from the Kimberley Process to protest against their activity and controlling mechanism of the process. Human rights organizations in Zimbabwe are now become very much concern about the export of diamond in the international market after getting the green signal to restart the sale of diamonds from the Marange diamond fields, where heavily armed soldiers deployed by the President Robert Mugabe have been charged for conducting illegal activities (Peta, 2010). The Zimbabwean government investigated that more than 4 million carats of diamonds were founded from the controversial fields of the Zimbabwean diamond fields. Marange was one of them. The estimated value of the total sale of diamonds will be around $1. 7bn according to the Zimbabwe's 2010 budget and that will be very much helpful to provide a boost to the economic condition of Zimbabwe (Peta, 2010). Investment from the foreign investors is always encouraged the mining development corporation of Zimbabwe. To meet the international demand of diamond, they are gradually expanding their international business through legal export of conflict-free diamonds of certified diamond fields of Zimbabwe. To increase their revenue, the government of Zimbabwe is very much interested to incorporate many foreign investors across the world. The director of the Centre for Research and Development which is a Zimbabwean human-rights organization was tracking the operations in Marange diamond field in Zimbabwe (Peta, 2010). According to them at the end of 2008, there was no improvement in the condition of the human rights in the Marange diamond field. Mr. Maguwu, the director of the research and development centre, also showed how diamonds from the Marange Diamond field were being smuggled out from Zimbabwe to Mozambique and it became a profitable strategy for the soldiers of Zimbabwe through illegal diamond export to other foreign countries (Peta, 2010). The Zimbabwe government forced the African Consolidated Resources to take back their claims against the government and their officials in the issue of diamond supply and export from the Marange diamond field in Zimbabwe at the end of 2006. The high court of Zimbabwe decided that all diamond mines should hand over their power of illegal diamond export to the central bank of Zimbabwe and those mines could get back their power after resolving the dispute in 2008 (Peta, 2010). Therefore, after the political and social battle in Zimbabwean diamond fields, it has become mandatory to get certified by the government, the diamond research and development centre and also by the human rights organization of Zimbabwe. Game Theory: Q. 3. Game theory is very useful in planning strategy. Your firm, if it decides that it is a good investment, wants to win the rights to develop the mine. Explain how you can use game theory to plot a winning strategy. Ans. 3. If the Chinese firm decides that it will be a good investment and also wants to win the rights to develop the diamond mines in Zimbabwe, then they should follow a strategic plan with game theory application. The firm can invest in the Marange diamond field through legal contract of partnership with the mining company. They should be aware of the fact that there are no illegal activities in the mining field against the human rights organization in Zimbabwe. The government of Zimbabwe should follow ethics of the social and political aspects in the case of diamond mining from different legal fields of diamond. According to the perfect formation of the game of this case of development in the field of diamonds, the most effective and suitable pay-off will be the combination of the investment of the Chinese firm and the investment in the legal fields of certified diamonds in Zimbabwe. The investment of the Chinese firm will be more profitable if the firm can invest into a legal field of diamonds, rather than investment into an illegal field of diamonds. There are some other factors related with social, ethical and legal perspectives of the country in the case of diamond mining. These aspects should be highly concerned by the Chinese company who is very much interested to get with some Zimbabwean mining company through legal partnership contract. The Chinese company can get high revenue and profit if it makes a contract with an illegal company but other social, legal and ethical aspects will not be there. There may be several strategies but only one pay-off will be economically, financially, legally and ethically viable for this case. Pricing Strategies: Q. 4. Explain why the price of diamonds in international markets is so high. Note that a good answer to this question will involve research into the pricing strategies of the firms that sell diamonds as well as the application of basic economic principles. Ans. 4. The price of diamond is very high in the international market. If demand increases for a commodity, the price of that commodity will also increase keeping other factors as unchanged. The demand curve of a commodity is downward slopping in the price of the commodity and the quantity demanded for the commodity framework. Demand Curve of commodity: Price Demand Curve †¢ Quantity Demanded (Source: varian, 2003, pp. 4-6) The price of the commodity and the quantity demanded of the commodity are taken respectively as the vertical and the horizontal line of the diagram. The demand of diamond is gradually increasing in the international market. In the above diagram, according to the basic concept of the demand curve, the demand is dependent on the price of the commodity. Therefore, the price of any commodity should also be dependent on the demand of the commodity. In general, if the demand increases, the price should fall according to the demand curve. But in this case, the price of diamonds is gradually increasing with the increase in the price of the diamonds. The price of the diamonds is very high in the international market to reduce the demand of diamonds in scarcity of diamonds in the global market. The scarcity of diamonds is the main reason for the increasing price of diamonds in the international market. At present, there are few diamond mines from which high quality diamonds can be found. On the other hand, there are few diamond mining companies in the world. Therefore, the competition in these companies is negligible. If a firm with monopoly power in a market increases the price of its commodity, there will be no change in the demand of the commodity. This advantage for the diamond mining companies encourages them to increase the price to achieve high revenue and profit from this business. In the competitive market the firms can not increase the prices of their products because if they increase the price the demand of the product will reduce in those firms and the consumer will prefer to buy from any other firm at lower price of the commodity. There is another important reason for the increment of the price of diamonds in the international market. Most of the exported diamonds are smuggled out from the African diamond fields in different countries. These smugglers have fixed very high price for these diamonds in the foreign market. Though this reason is illegal and not providing any economic theory, it is a very important reason for the high price of diamonds. Ethics: Q. 5. What is the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme? What are the elements of the scheme? Does this investment satisfy these? Why or why not? Ans. 5. Mines Minister of Zimbabwe, Obert Mpofu, stated that more than 90% of the total demand from the international market was achieved by the trade watchdog, the Kimberley Process group in November in 2009 (BBC News, 2009). The armed police force in the diamond mining field killed more than 200 poor people by torturing them at the Marange field of diamonds (The Press Association). The activists wanted to remove these pathetic and illegal activities which were gradually reducing the socio-economic culture of the economy. They also announced to reform the planning and controlling strategies of diamond fields in Zimbabwe and they fixed 2010 as the deadline of this reformation (BBC News, 2009). The Kimberley process is a controlling body under the governmental power in Zimbabwe. With the help of this organization, the government earned a lot revenue and profit but it was not helpful to maintain social, legal and ethical aspects of the economy. To achieve high profit and growth, this organization forced people to work harder in the diamond fields of Marange. The security guards killed many people, raped women and forced children to work continuously in the fields. The Kimberley Process decided to work against the human rights groups of Zimbabwe. Therefore, this process is not concern about the ethics of the organization and they are away from maintaining social responsibilities in Zimbabwe. The government denied these charges against their officials and they are still not very much worried about the fact. The 70-member Kimberley Process group approved a compromise diamond contract at a summit in Namibia in 2009 (BBC News, 2009). To maintain balance in the socio-economic aspects of the economy, an independent monitoring body with independent inspector was established. This organization mainly monitors the diamond mining from the controversial fields. As this process is completely away from maintaining ethics and any other social responsibilities, the investment in this organization will not provide any knowledge of social, economic, legal and ethical responsibilities. This will not be suitable or helpful for the future in a long-run perspective. Q. 6. Do you think that this investment is ethical? Why or why not? Ans. 6. Investment in this organization or process will not be an ethical decision for the Chinese mining company. This process helped to work illegally to achieve high profit in an illegal diamond mining sector. This process is not maintaining any ethics which should be helpful for long-term planning. This process also affects the environmental degradation in Zimbabwe. It is also damaging farming irrigation systems in Zimbabwe (Conflict & Blood Diamonds, 2009). If the Chinese mining company wants to observe a sustainable growth and development for a long-term perspective, they should not go for the partnership contract with the Marange Diamond mining fields and should not even go for investing in these illegal unauthorized and non-certified diamond mining fields in Zimbabwe.