Paper 2 about Chinese media industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Paper 2 about Chinese media industry - Essay Example Although there are still reports of suppression by the state of independent media sources, there is tacit encouragement given to these media sources to participate in China’s culture industry and the media. Moreover, although state authorities continue to exert control on the use of domestic private capital in the core production of news items, there is increased recognition of this capital should play in china. Taken together, the media system in China is characterized by the domineering role of state capital in controlling the media’s heights, whereas private capital makes investments in production and sales. This has led to a system where the state continues to exert ideological control of the media, while also enabling the cultural and media markets to respond better to the needs and preferences of popular Chinese culture (Zhao, 2008). The Chinese state authorities have managed to gain increasing managerial and regulatory control over the media system, playing a gate-keeping role that enables it accumulate capital by strategically controlling media outlets and subsequent rental-seeking behavior. On the other hand, the state has sought to increasingly outsource most of the distribution and production work, thus giving up its ‘heavy lifting’ role to private capitalists (Zhao, 2008). In turn, the character and nature of private capital in the domestic media market has been transformed from private capitalist owners with a media background to industrial conglomerate owners embedded within the current power structure. For example, there is a growing class of financial capitalists in the media industry who view the industry as a new capitalist frontier, rather than a medium for cultural expression and social communication. In addition, there is a significant shift towards the incorporation of domestic priva te capital into transnational capital’s distribution

Alcohol Summary Essay Example for Free

Alcohol Summary Essay In 2001 spirit makers ended a long standing volunteer policy against aggressive alcohol advertising (Steiner and Steiner, 2009). Since that time, there has been an unprecedented shift toward increased alcoholic advertisements in an effort to increase market share and raise profits. This shift brings into light the challenge alcoholic companies face in balancing their fiduciary duties to their shareholders and their corporate and social responsibility to society. This report focuses on the issues surrounding Anheuser Busch’s Spykes beverage and the corporate and social issues similarly faced by other alcoholic beverage companies. Introduction There is growing public pressure for alcoholic beverage companies to meet their social and ethical duties to balance efforts to increase profits to their shareholders whilst protecting society from the harmful effects of excessive alcohol consumption. Anheuser Busch (AB) is one of the largest alcoholic beverage companies in the world. In 2005 AB manufactured an alcoholic beverage called Spykes It is a spirit based beverage that was intended to target their 21-30 year old legal age drinkers. Following a successful soft launch, AB was hopeful that Spykes would help increase market share and profits. Unfortunately, growing public pressure forced AB to stop selling Spykes (Steiner and Steiner, 2009). This report looks at specific issues surrounding Spykes and its potential harm to society, considers AB’s ethical duties to society, discusses the affect of alcoholic advertising in society and addresses potential reforms to help ensure alcoholic beverage companies fulfil their ethical duties to protect society of undue harm. Is Spykes Bad? Spykes could be considered bad in the sense that it was likely targeted at underage drinkers. It is well accepted that alcoholic beverages are no ordinary commodity (Babor et al, 2003) and Spykes could be classified as part of the Alcopops group of beverages which are primarily consumed by underage or young drinkers. These Alcopops negatively affect the health and well being of young people (Robinson and Kenyon, 2009). Accordingly, Spykes may be considered bad for the health and well being of underage drinkers and society in general. The World Health Organisation believes that alcohol consumption is one of the leading causes of death among young people (World Health Organisation, 2002). AB elected to stop selling Spykes in response to negative public pressure. This negative pressure primarily came from Center for Science in the Public Interest who believed Spykes was being marketed and consumed by underage drinkers. This belief was formed on the basis that AB used strategic marketing incorporating the latest technology to produce interactive arenas with impressive graphics, eye catching animation and a fancy website (Riley, 2005). This online content is generally appealing to a young audience. As Riley (2005) stated that young people are the biggest users of the internet and of advanced mobile phone technology. The alcohol industry has been quick to grasp the resulting marketing opportunities. Accordingly, stopping the sale of Spykes was the right thing to do in the context of reducing harm to underage drinkers as well as right thing to do in the context of protecting AB’s brand and public relations efforts as a socially responsible corporation. Anheuser Busch’s Ethical Duties. Ethics refers to the concept of judgment; what is right and wrong, moral and immoral in society. It is ethically accepted that organisations run to make a profit (Steiner and Steiner 2009). Alcoholic beverage companies would argue that advertising is a promotional activity used to enhance their profit, not to attract under age drinkers to consume alcohol. Anderson (2009) argued that alcohol advertising influences young people to consume more alcohol, especially teenagers due to the sexually arousing images in the advertisements. Jones (2005) acknowledged that alcoholic beverage companies who don’t provide correct information or hide information in their advertisements are acting unethically. From society’s perspective, any activities conducted by the alcohol beverage companies to remove alcohol related problems like violence, decreased morality and intoxication related problems like drinking driving are seldom advertised and marketed. In this sense, society is only seeing advertisements related to increased consumption leading to increased profits. Accordingly alcohol industries fail to fulfill their ethical duty to be informative and truthful in their advertising efforts. At present, alcohol beverage companies create a brand image by sponsoring sports and cultural activities that attract drinkers, first starting as a social drinker and then becoming regular drinkers (Munro De Wever, 2008). The current alcohol advertising regulatory system in Australia should aim to minimize exposure and appeal to children (VAADA, 2010). In Australia, advertising activities are regulated by legislation and a code of practice such as the Advertiser Code of Ethics and Alcoholic Beverages Advertising Code (ABAC). This code is based on a voluntary system of self-regulation which is funded and administered by the alcohol beverage companies. Currently there are no penalties for non-compliance (Jones, Hall Munro 2008). Additionally, the organisation is partly funded by alcoholic beverage companies. This presents a conflict of interest as in most instances, their fiduciary duties are act in the best interests of their shareholders and not necessarily society at large. In order to offset this conflict of interest, it is necessary for an Australian Federal regulatory body to be established to independently control alcohol advertising in society in the hopes of minimising the attraction of alcohol to underage drinkers. Misleading Advertisements Studies have proved that there is a strong relationship between alcohol advertising and consumption rates among under age drinkers (Snyder, Milici, Slater, Sun and Strizhakova, 2006; Collins, Ellickson, McCaffrey and Hambarsoomians, 2007). In addition, evidence suggests that alcohol ads influence youth perceptions of drinking. Some advertisements contain misleading messages that drinking alcohol will make consumers more sociable and outgoing; help them have a great time; help them feel more confident and less nervous; succeed with the opposite sex or it would make them feel more attractive (Jones and Gregory, 2007). These messages are highly attractive to today’s youth. Some ads portray drinking as distinctive and prestigious. These ads suggest that by drinking their product you will enjoy the finer things in life. As an example some beer ads depict attractive people on yachts, in luxury restaurants or luxury establishments (Fig 1, 2 and 3). Other ads propagate that drinking increases your status and differentiates you from others (Fig 4). Whilst other ads imply that sports and alcohol go together (Fig 5, 6). These ads are commonly aired during sporting events and through alcoholic beverage company sponsorship of such events. Wealth, happiness and sex tied to drinking are also common themes portrayed in ads (Fig 7 and 8). In some measure, each of these images appeal to under age drinkers and the investment in advertisements is on the rise. Table 1 shows the substantial investment by alcoholic companies in magazines alone. According to The Center on Alcohol, alcohol companies spent $2billion on alcoholic advertisement in magazines alone between 2001 and 2006 (The center on alcohol marketing and youth, 2008). In Australia during 2008, alcoholic beverage companies spent in $109million on advertisements (Nielsen Australia, 2008). Many of these messages are appealing to under age drinkers. Accordingly, alcohol companies should attempt to market their products in such a way that ensures their ads do not convey misleading messages. One way is to focus the ad on the product rather than the misleading images of wealth, sex and status. In addition, local governments should also promote responsible drinking and spread awareness in society adopting similar advertisements strategies. Regulating Alcohol Advertising The need for further regulation depends upon weather it can be proven that advertising alcohol increases consumption. In 2006 Teinowitz (2006) undertook a study of randomly sampled 15-26 year olds. The study found they drank more after seeing alcohol ads, and that each additional ad viewed increased the number of drinks consumed by 1%. The study also established that in markets with more alcohol ads, spending on alcohol was up over markets with fewer ads (Teinowitz, 2006). Accordingly, there is further need for regulation of alcoholic advertising. Further regulation could be in the form of the creation of a regulator body that enforced restrictions against alcoholic beverage companies adopting marketing strategies that primarily appeal to young persons. In AB’s case, they admittedly targeted young people with a brightly colored web site allowing visitors to download music mixes, ring tones, screen savers, and instant messaging icons (Steiner Steiner, 2009). These activities catered around youth culture. Regulators could determine that such marketing strategies, directed at young persons, could constitute advertisements that appeal to under age drinkers and therefore ban such ads. This ban could extend to bans on advertisements in public places and bans against alcoholic companies sponsoring public or sporting events. In order to determine if the suggested restrictions above meet The Central Hudson guidelines, a four part test may be applied as follows (Steiner and Steiner, 2009):- (a) the ad in question should promote a lawful product: (b) the government interest in restricting the particular commercial speech must be substantial; (c) the restriction must directly further the interest of the government; and (d) the restriction should not be more extensive than is necessary to achieve the government’s purpose. As outlined above, young people are influenced by alcohol advertising (Teinowitz, 2006). This interest is therefore substantial and the suggested bans will further protect the interest of the government. Although the suggested restriction may seem excessive, industries need to appreciate that a â€Å"business firm is more likely to gain public approval and social legitimacy if it adheres to basic ethical principles and society’s laws† (Post, Lawrence and Weber, 2002). Accordingly, the suggested restriction would meet the purposes of the Central Hudson guidelines. Conclusion Anheuser Busch is a good example of an alcohol beverage company that struggled to find a balance between increasing market share and profit whilst fulfilling its ethical duty to be a socially responsible corporation. As a result of this case, the information and ideas presented in this report suggests there is much needed reform and the establishment of a regulatory body to deal with alcohol advertisements. This need is driven by the significant interest in protecting young people from harm. Alcohol beverage companies and government should work together and do all they can to reduce harm to young people by restricting marketing and advertisements that appeal to young people. * Appendix A * Table 1 * Appendix B * Figures Fig 1: Skyy Blue, Entertainment Weekly, Apr 11, 2003| Fig 2 : Glenfiddich Scotch Whisky, Sports Illustrated, Nov 15, 2004, Nov 29, 2004, Feb 14, 2005| Fig3 : Captain Morgan Parrot Bay, Stuff, Aug 2002| Fig 4 : http://www. encyclopedia. com/doc/1P2-18802608. html, www. whiskyfun. com/archivemay05-2. html| Fig 5: www. funkydragon. org/en/fe/page. asp? n1=950n2=2207| Fig 6: http://www. swimmingworldmagazine. com/media/Michelob_Ad4. JPG| Fig 7 : Molson Canadian, FHM, Aug 2005| Fig 8 : http://katiehann. wordpress. com/2008/11/06/advertising-alcohol/| References Babor, T, Caetano, B, Casswell, S, Edwards, G, Giesbrecht, P, Graham, K, Grube, J, Grveneward, P, Hill, L, Holder, G, Homel, R, Osterberg, E, Rehm, J, Room, R and Rossow, I (eds), 2003, Alcohol: No Ordinary Commodit, Research and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, Oxford. Brian, J. (2000) Youth, Alcohol, and the Emergence of the Post-modern Alcohol Order, Occasional Paper No. 1 New Series, Institute of Alcohol Studies, London. Riley, L. (2005) ‘Drinking It In: Finding of the Valencia Meeting on Marketing and Promotion of Alcohol to Young People’ in G Marcus J O’Connor (eds), Corporate Social responsibility and Alcohol: The Need and Potential for Partnership, Guilford Press, Hoboken. Robertson, S and Kenyon, A, 2009, Ethics in the Alcohol Industry, Palgrave Macmillan, New York. World Health Organisation (WHO), (2002) The World Health Report 2002: Reducing risk, promoting healthy life, Geneva. Anderson, P. (2009) ‘Is it time to ban alcohol advertising? ’, Clinical Medicine, 9, 2 April 2009: 121-124 Jones, S. C. , Hall, D. Munro, G. (2008) ‘How effective is the revised regulatory code for alcohol advertising in Australia? ’, Drug and Alcohol Review, 27: 29-38 Munro, G. and De Wever, J. (2008) ‘Culture clash: alcohol marketing and public health aspirations’, Drug and Alcohol Review, 27(2): 204-211 Steiner, J. F, Steiner, G. A. (2009) ‘Business, Government, and Society’ McGraw-Hill Irwin, 12ED Sandra C. Jones (2005) ‘Beer, Boats and Breasts: Responses to a controversial alcohol advertising campaign’ ANZMAC Conference, University of Western Australia, P 77-81 Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association, 2010, Position Paper: Alcohol advertising, marketing and promotion, viewed 16 June 2010, http://www. vaada. org. au/resources/items/314236-upload-00001.pdf. Post. J. E. , Lawrence. A. T. and Weber. J. , (2002) Business Society: Corporate Strategy, Public Policy, Ethics, Tenth Edition, Irwin McGraw-Hill, Boston. Teinowitz. I. (2006) Do booze ads drive youth to drink? Advertising Age (Midwest Region Edition) Chicago. Vol 77, Iss 35, p8. viewed 24/06/10 http://0-proquest. umi. com. library. newcastle. edu. au/pqdweb? index=28did=1118136211SrchMode=1sid=1Fmt=3VInst=PRODVType=PQDRQT=309VName=PQDTS=1277385716clientId=29744.

The Queen Of Air And Darkness Essay -- essays research papers

The Queen of Air and Darkness   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the Queen of Air and Darkness Morgause raises four boys. She is not a good mother, and she does not give her boys a sense of right and wrong. She often ignores them for days at a time and beats them when they displease her. She acts as if they were pets rather than human beings, to be loved or not at her convenience . But despite this common maltreatment, the boys turn out very differently.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gawaine is the oldest of the boys and in many ways the most normal. He becomes a knight in Arthur's court, fighting for him loyally. The way in which he is affected by his upbringing is his rages. When provoked Gawaine goes into a berserk rage in which he does things he would normally never do. When Gawaine and Agravaine are arguing over whether or not to write a letter to their father about the knights, Agravaine refuses to say he is wrong, so Gawaine goes berserk and attacks him. He does not simply beat him, but chokes him and slams his head against the floor until Gareth pulls him off. If Gareth had not been there, Gawaine very well might have killed his younger brother. Gawaine even kills a women when worked up to a rage. These rages are a product of the unhealthy childhood he endured.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The next child, Agravaine, is probably the least well adjusted of the four. He tends to be sadistic and self-centered. The children were told the tale of the King of Ireland by St...

“Red” by Ted Hughes Essay

‘Red’ is a final collection by Ted Hughes in 1998 before he died. It has also engages the final death of Slyvia Plath in this piece of poetry. Ted Hughes has used ‘Red’ and ‘blue’ to describe Plath’s view of life and character from the day they got married and lived in their house. In the beginning of Red, it has defines Plath’s favourite colour that seems to wrap her entire life and movement. In line 4, ‘blood-red’ may have constitute a certain image caused in life that can be related to violence or conflict inferred to Plath. Life and death signifies nothing important for her to continue life and seems to live in remembrance in her deceased family members in line 7. In the second part of the poem, Ted and Slyvia had married and she had stepped into the life of her husband. In line 2, ‘Our room was red. A judgement chamber’ refers to how deeply in love Slyvia was to the colour that mades Ted shivers upon thinking of jurys. Everything was red from the ceiling to floor, the settings of their room was like a throbbing cell in line 9 which set his heart pounding. The only colour that can escaped from Slyvia were the bookshelves which can represent a glimpse of hope and meaning to the both of them. In line 1 to 3 of ‘Red’ third portion, it tells us how Ted tried to runaway from the blood chamber by looking out to the windows but to no avail. He could not help himself from not thinking of his wife’s saddening and crimson red image. He describes his feeling like blood tossing from a wound in line 5 that eventually will lead to a sense of impending doom (line 7). In the fourth paragraph, it tells readers how Ted finds his wife’s clothing and sensual lips which spells blood and rawness. ‘A swathe of blood’ that envelopes or enfolds a hidden blood (line 1). In line 2 to 4, the way Slyvia revelled the lavish, generous red burgundy gives an imaginary picture of she was painting the town in red too. Once again, he feels the blood shimmer from the gash (line 7). From the fifth part of the poem, it depicts the gleam of hope has been  splashed with blood too. In this part, those roses refer to the colour ‘red’. Slyvia began to lose herself deeper into the helpless world of her own with occasion of optimism. Lastly, ‘Blue was better for you. Blue has wings’ express the kind of life Ted prefers his wife to be. The only times where she liked ‘blue’ was when she was pregnant. He really liked her to be like an angel or guardian in the sky as the colour of blue sky. But Slyvia Plath chose to lose herself, lost her soul in the pit of red. Ted Hughes feels guilty and remorseful of her death although he may not be the entire cause of her suicide. He uses poem to convey his feelings to the readers and to Slyvia Plath.

Equality and Diversity Essay

You should use this file to complete your Assessment. †¢ The first thing you need to do is save a copy of this document, either onto your computer or a disk †¢ Then work through your Assessment, remembering to save your work regularly †¢ When you’ve finished, print out a copy to keep for reference †¢ Then, go to www.vision2learnforschools.com and send your completed Assessment to your teacher via your My Study area – make sure it is clearly marked with your name, the course title and the Unit and Assessment number. Name: Claire-Louise 1. What is meant by diversity? Diversity means differences such as different religious beliefs, different cultural traditions, music, art, dancing etc. In the context of society and culture, diversity is usually mentioned in discussing multicultural societies. 2. Describe the community you live in. Highlight some of the variations you may observe in terms of: †¢ Interests †¢ Beliefs †¢ Ages †¢ Lifestyles †¢ Personal, social and cultural identities. The area I live in I don’t really know if there Is anyone who doesn’t believe in god there is a church but its closed even on Sundays there isn’t that much in my area there is a place to worship its quite big there are always a lot off people going but I don’t know any there are all from other local areas where there is nowhere to worship. 3. Explain how the variations in question 2 contribute to the diversity of the community. Because if there is places to worship you can make some more friends, brings the community together more, lets you meet new people, meet the people who liver in your area who maybe have the same beliefs or same religion as you . I have experienced something like this before to see what it was like for other religions meeting we went every Saturday to this Senegal in Whitley bay with a group of Muslims we wore the same clothes as them and lived like they did for a few hours it’s a great experience it makes you realise that everyone is the same and you shouldn’t judge people we found out how hard it was to be a Muslim , like what there not aloud to eat and drink during fasting is the hardest time . 4. Give some examples to explain how diversity: †¢ Enhances your life: †¢ Enhances the local community †¢ Enhances this country. 5. Describe what it means to respect people’s differences and why it is important to respect differences. Because they may feel like there not wanted always remember the saying every one is equal and the same never judge someone by looks or culture because YOU don’t know how hard it might be for them they walk past people in the street think off the names they get called it may not be there own country but not all religion are the same some people are good and bad but you cant blame whats happened with the bad people on the good people because its not there fault they always get mistreated and judged for no reason. 6. For a person you know, describe the individual factors that make him / her who they are. 7. Describe yourself in terms of: †¢ Personal interests My personal interests are music I enjoy doing drumming, I have a lesson once a week, I also enjoy animals we have a snake 2cats and 2 dogs. †¢ Religion / culture I’m not a religious person I don’t really know what to believe as I have heard a lot in the past. †¢ Geography. 8. What is meant by having multiple identities? Give three examples in relation to people you know. Example 1: My brother has a multiple identity because when he is with his friends he does not speak to me but when its just me and him he’s really chatty. Example 2: when there is a sad or scary movie on I mask my feelings by laughing at it. Instead of crying or being sad Example 3: one of my friends thinks she is hard in front of her boyfriend 9. What is meant by shared identity? Shared Identity is when any one person has many defining characteristics and qualities. It is more then likely that the person will have the same characteristics as one or more other people. So when people have a characteristic in common its known as a shared identity. ( like twins) 10. Explain and give examples of how an individual can identify themselves as belonging to a number of different groups. who we are depends upon where we are at school, at home, at grandmas and at work. who we are depends upon who we are with. 11. Describe yourself in terms of your multiple identities. 12. What is meant by stereotyping and labelling? Stereotyping is where you judge people because of who they are maybe if there not the same as you for example (gay – people may think that all lesbians are butch.) 13. Explain why some people stereotype others. Small minded people oftern steryotype others because they have never ventured out off there own little area and seen the real world. 14. Provide two examples of the damaging effects that stereotyping and labelling can have on people. 15. Provide at least two examples of the way stereotyping is perpetuated in society. 16. Define prejudice and discrimination. 17. Explain how people may develop prejudices. 18. Describe the following types of discrimination. 19. What is meant by the term protected characteristics? 20. What is the difference between direct and indirect discrimination? Give two examples to illustrate your point. 21. Describe the effects that discrimination and prejudice can have on people. 22. Describe what equal opportunities means in relation to: †¢ Education †¢ Housing †¢ Healthcare †¢ Employment. 23. Outline the inequality problems that persist in terms of pay for men and women. 24. Identify and briefly describe two other signs of inequality. Once you have completed this Assessment, go to www.vision2learnforschools.com and send your work to your teacher for marking.

How Global Capitalism Works

How Global Capitalism Works Global capitalism is the fourth and current epoch of capitalism. What distinguishes it from earlier epochs of mercantile capitalism, classical capitalism, and national-corporate capitalism is that the system, which was previously administered by and within nations, now transcends nations, and thus is transnational, or global, in scope. In its global form, all aspects of the system, including production, accumulation, class relations, and governance, have been disembedded from the nation and reorganized in a globally integrated way that increases the freedom and flexibility with which corporations and financial institutions operate. In his book Latin America and Global Capitalism, sociologist William I. Robinson explains that today’s global capitalist economy is the result of â€Å"...worldwide market liberalization and the construction of a new legal and regulatory superstructure for the global economy... and the internal restructuring and global integration of each national economy. The combination of the two is intended to create a ‘liberal world order,’ an open global economy, and a global policy regime that breaks down all national barriers to the free movement of transnational capital between borders and the free operation of capital within borders in the search for new productive outlets for excess accumulated capital.† Characteristics of Global Capitalism The process of  globalizing the economy began in the mid-twentieth century. Today, global capitalism is defined by the following five characteristics. The production of goods is global in nature.  Corporations can now disperse the production process around the world, so that components of products may be produced in a variety of places, final assembly done in another, none of which may be the country in which the business is incorporated. In fact, global corporations, like Apple, Walmart, and Nike, for example, act as mega-buyers of goods from globally dispersed suppliers, instead of as producers of goods.The relationship between capital and labor is global in scope, highly flexible, and thus very different from epochs past. Because corporations are no longer limited to producing within their home countries, they now, whether directly or indirectly through contractors, employ people around the world in all aspects of production and distribution. In this context, labor is flexible in that a corporation can draw from an entire globe’s worth of workers, and can relocate production to areas where labor is cheaper or more highl y skilled, should it wish to. The financial system and circuits of accumulation operate on a global level. Wealth held and traded by corporations and individuals is scattered around the world in a variety of places, which has made taxing wealth very difficult. Individuals and corporations from all over the world now invest in businesses, financial instruments like stocks or mortgages, and real estate, among other things, wherever they please, giving them great influence in communities far and wide.There is now a transnational class of capitalists (owners of the means of production and high level financiers and investors) whose shared interests shape the policies and practices of global production, trade, and finance. Relations of power are now global in scope, and while it is still relevant and important to consider how relations of power exist and effect social life within nations and local communities, it is deeply important to understand how power operates on a global scale,  and how it filters down through national, state, and local governments to impact the everyday lives of people all over the world. The policies of global production, trade, and finance are created and administered by a variety of institutions that, together, compose a transnational state. The epoch of global capitalism has ushered in a new global system of governance and authority that impacts what happens within nations and communities around the world. The core institutions of the transnational state are the United Nations, the  World Trade Organization, the Group of 20, the World Economic Forum, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank. Together, these organizations make and enforce the rules of global capitalism. They set an agenda for global production and trade that nations are expected to fall in line with if they want to participate in the system. Because it has freed corporations from national constraints in highly developed nations  like labor laws, environmental regulations, corporate taxes on accumulated wealth, and import and export tariffs, this new phase of capitalism has fostered unprecedented levels of wealth accumulation and has expanded the power and influence that corporations hold in society. Corporate and financial executives, as members of the transnational capitalist class, now influence policy decisions that filter down to all the world’s nations and local communities.

Working Across Boundaries Analysis

Working Across Boundaries Analysis Introduction Companies often encounter boundaries when it comes to creating efficient business processes whether in the form of distance or differences in business culture, however, by overcoming such boundaries better business operations can be attained.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Working Across Boundaries Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As indicated by Piercy (2006) in order for any company to continue to be competitive within the present day global market place it is necessary for it to be highly responsive to changes, receptive to new developments within its market, highly creative as well as espouses actions of innovation and continued increases in efficiency (ex: Six Sigma) (Piercy, 2006: 3). Such aspects though are dependent on the employees of a company wherein through the use of proper management practices a company is able to create stable internal procedures to ensure proper operations and p roduct development which would inevitably result in a successful company. The purpose of this project is to explain the advantages and disadvantages to working across boundaries, in this case distance and a diversified workforce. Through such a method of examination, it is expected that a greater understanding of todays globalized business environment will be developed resulting in the promotion of the appropriate management practices to overcome such boundaries. This paper is divided into 2 primary sections; the first section discusses the boundary of distance as exemplified by the outsourcing industry. The second section deals primarily with the diversified workforces that have come about as a direct result of the present day orientation of multinational companies to expand into different markets. Through both sections, a clear idea can be developed regarding both the advantages and disadvantages of working across boundaries. It is the assumption of the researcher that, proper man agement practices can help to overcome boundaries such as distance and a diverse workforce thereby creating effective business operations. What is Outsourcing? As explained by Marchington et al. (2005), corporate executives are under pressure to improve the competitiveness of their companies through cost reduction, increased efficiency as well as the improvement of various services. It is due to this that they have been turning towards outsourcing as of late in order to resolve such issues (Marchington et al., 2005: 4).Advertising Looking for essay on public administration? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The term outsourcing actually refers to the practice wherein a company contracts another company to perform a particular business function for them at a reduced cost as compared to the main company doing it themselves (Young Bong Gurbaxani, 2012: 1043). Outsourcing can take the form of manufacturing, accounting, cu stomer services and a variety of other practices that can be done in another location. The main purpose of outsourcing is to reduce the inherent cost of operations by leveraging aspects related to cheaper workforce costs or reduced utilities expenses found in other location. (Young Bong Gurbaxani, 2012: 1043) Through globalization, the internet and the process of outsourcing and off shoring, technology/manufacturing teams are no longer isolated to merely being within the same building, state or country, rather, they are scattered across a wide breadth of countries, cultures and business environments which management practices of contemporary technology intensive enterprises need to take into consideration (Allen et al., 2005: 301). For example, as indicated by Dey, Houseman Polivka (2012) when it comes to doing business within the U.S., the costs encountered by mosts businesses are often taxes, employee salaries and benefits as well as utilities (Dey, Houseman Polivka, 2012: 533) . The problem with such factors is that they in effect increase the cost of doing business within a particular country. It is due to this that outsourcing various aspects of a companys operations becomes more attractive since locations such as China, India and the Philippines enable a company to gain significant cost savings (i.e. lower tax rates, salaries, benefits expenses etc. (Whitaker, Mithas and Krishnan, 2010: 11). For example, within China alone the sheer cost of doing business is so low that companies have been outsourcing their manufacturing departments to the country since the late 1990s (Whitaker, Mithas and Krishnan, 2010: 11). This can also be seen in the case of India and the Philippines wherein outsourcing has become a $100 billion a year industry (Magtibay-Ramos et al., 2008: 41). Cost Savings The main reason behind working across the boundary of distance are the cost savings involved in hiring a local within the Philippines, China or India for example as compared t o hiring someone from the U.S., U.K. or Canada to do the exact same type of job (Marion Friar, 2012: 44).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Working Across Boundaries Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Minimum wage requirements, taxation and other costs related to doing business are simply far lower in various places in Asia as compared to countries in the West and, with the integration of global financial markets and supply chains due to globalization, it has now become more practical to simply have certain aspects of a companys operations (usually manufacturing and customer service) to be located in other countries with lower business costs (Yang, Wacker Sheu, 2012: 4462). Companies do not even need to manufacture their own products. This can be seen in the case of Apple, Sony and Microsoft wherein the Apple iPad, the Sony Playstation 3 and Microsoft’s Xbox 360 have all been manufactured by the same o utsourcing company, namely Foxconn (Ngai Chan, 2012: 383). Problems with Distance It should be noted that Marchington et al. (2005) also explains that outsourcing should not be considered the go to solution when it comes to reducing corporate expenses. Utilizing the example of Railtrack and the faulty maintenance procedures that resulted from outsourcing aspects of the companys operations, it can be seen that by not keeping things in-house this actually exposes the company to a multitude of possible problems related to mismanagement and improper operational practices that would not have occurred if they had been done by the main company instead of an outsourced firm (Marchington et al., 2005: 6). This shows how problems can occur in numerous areas of a company’s operations as a direct result of outsourcing which can have dire consequences for consumers and businesses alike.  Working across boundaries such as distance and business culture is advantageous for any company due to access to a greater talent pool and product markets, however, the fact remains that along with such advantages comes distinct disadvantages in the form of ill-suited management practices in dealing with a diversified global workforce and the potential for problems in a company’s supply chain due to lax standards on the part of their international partners (Wee Wee, 2010: 2081). Management practices in some of todays technology oriented organizations need to facilitate better collaboration and communication between global teams despite the distances and diverse cultural differences involved.  There are distinct problems related to this particular model of doing business in the form of lax product quality standards, unethical worker treatment as well as issues related to proper communication in between various outsourced departments (Tambe Hitt, 2010:62). For example Microsoft, which is one of the worlds largest software manufacturers, has development teams scattered ar ound the world working on different aspects of the operating systems that it produces. The inherent problem with this situation is that different methods of coding procedure combined with a variety of problems related to time difference, business culture and the sheer distance involved invites problems in all stages of OS (Operating System) development (Ulanoff, 2007: 74). The software â€Å"Windows Vista† for instance (which was largely considered one of Microsofts worst operating systems) had problems not only during its development but also during its sale and promotion. Such problems were attributed to ineffective management practices in helping to consolidate efforts across different borders and cultures (i.e. between different technology teams within the company’s software development divisions in the U.S. and India) (Ulanoff, 2007: 74).Advertising Looking for essay on public administration? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This situation is not limited to the development of software but rather also includes the production processes of certain electronic goods. For example, lax management practices in the form of insufficient quality control procedures as well as improper sales and repair procedures were blamed for one of Dell corporations recent fiascos (occurred in 2006) wherein faulty components within several of its laptops that were sourced from foreign partners were seen actually leaking some sort of fluid during normal operational processes and had the potential to burst into flames (Mullins Weiss, 2006: 6). Another issue in this case was that Dell knowingly resold such units despite the identification of the inherent flaws which is indicative of a failure of management practices from not only a production point of view but from an ethical sales perspective. Other companies such as Apple and IBM have been highly criticized due to falling product standards as a result of lax quality control chec ks with their overseas factories. Apple, Microsoft and Sony have also been criticized for contributing towards the continued unethical treatment of workers within the factories of Foxconn which has severely damaged the image of these companies in the eyes of the general public (Ngai Chan, 2012: 383). Studies such as Holweg Pil (2012) that issues related to proper communication (i.e. English and non English speaking) between various overseas operational departments have resulted in problems related to shipping delays, erroneous inventory requests and an assortment of related problems that have resulted in increased costs for companies (Holweg Pil, 2012:98). Such a situation necessitates the implementation of new methods of cooperation through team exchanges (members of one team visiting the other), implementing methods of open communication and conceptualization between teams located within the U.S. and those within off-shored development/manufacturing facilities and facilitating better cooperative practices through the development of cultural understanding regarding how particular business cultures work over diverse locations (Young Bong Gurbaxani, 2012: 1043). Utilizing such a strategy, effective practices can be implemented which result in the characteristics mentioned earlier that are deemed necessary for a technology oriented company to survive and to thrive. A Diversified Workforce As explained by Marchington et al. (2005), organizations within the past few years have become increasing stratified an diversified as a direct result of not only the need to expand into new markets but the changing face of how people are employed within various companies today (i.e. in-house, contracted, part time etc.) ((Marchington et al., 2005: 11). This also due to the fact that companies have become more â€Å"networked† in that exchanges have become more horizontal rather than vertical due to the way in which the boundaries between companies/ organizations hav e become weakened as a direct result of new collaborative arrangements in the form of strategic partnerships, industrial networks etc. ((Marchington et al., 2005: 13). Since globalization and multiculturalism have become synonymous aspects of the global market place, companies tend to respond to the diverse consumer and cultural demographics to which they sell their products and services to stay relevant by also diversifying their methods of operation to match the needs of such markets (Jones, 2012:207). A company that limits itself in terms of diverse employee demographics runs the risk of being unable to understand the quirks and cultural norms in certain ethnic and racial markets resulting in the creation of an ill-equipped marketing and sales strategy which very likely will result in adverse consequences for the company in terms of the number of products sold and the degree of market penetration. Most modern day companies attempt a certain degree of racial, gender and cultural d iversity in the employees they hire, especially when it comes to attempts to access new markets in foreign locations. This enables the creation of unique product concepts, sales strategies and marketing mixes based on the views and backgrounds of this diversified workforce within that particular country resulting in a greater likelihood of a successful market penetration (Jones, 2012: 207). Other benefits derived from workforce diversity come in the form of greater employee retention due to a company culture that supports equality and racial acceptance rather than discrimination and divisiveness. Multiethnic and multi-gender companies tended to have higher rates of productivity due to greater employee satisfaction over the companys policies which results in better overall profits for the company due to increased productivity (Grey, 2009: 44). It cannot be stated though that the implementation of a racial, cultural and gender diverse workforce will automatically result in better comp any performance. Grey (2009) states â€Å"there must be a distinct benefit derived from the implementation of a diverse workforce otherwise it doesnt make sense for a company to implement a hiring strategy that focuses on it† (Grey, 2009: 44). Disadvantages of Workforce Diversity One of the inherent challenges involving workplace diversity is in creating sufficient channels of communication within an organization. Channels of communication are one of the cornerstones of any successful business when it comes to having a diverse workplace environment since it entails the use of added practices so as to sufficiently relay messages across different ethnicities and cultures (Pardo and Martinez, 2003:148). People from different cultures and ethnicities tend to perceive messages in many different ways due to the unique quirks of their method of understanding. Some messages are at times interpreted as insulting and vice-versa and, as such, it is important to implement methods of comm unication that take this into consideration so as to reduce possible misinterpretations (Joslin, Waters and Dudgeon, 2010: 22). Another challenge to take into consideration are factors related to cultural bias and prejudice that affect the ability of workers to work harmoniously at their respective jobs. Companies that have various branches and teams spread across several international markets have noted that there are instances that occur involving cultural bias or even prejudice resulting in work related conflict as well as instances of intentional discrimination resulting in not only substantial reductions in performance but the loss of certain operational capacities (Wu et al., 2012: 178). Companies that want to be able to take advantage of a diversified workforce need to implement measures to reduce cultural bias and prejudice. This comes in the form of team building exercises, company sponsored behavioral training or even joint vacations all of which should help necessitate pr oper communication and collaboration between members of different cultural and ethnic backgrounds. The final challenge that companies should take into consideration is the concept of corporate assimilation and how this affect an individuals productivity. As noted byDam (2008) assimilation is a way in which a worker is negatively affected by an organizations business and corporate culture wherein they are unable to sufficiently express themselves utilizing their ethnic and cultural backgrounds due to constraining rules and regulations at their work environment (Dam, 2008: 313). As a result, this impacts not only the effectiveness of management decisions (in the case of managers) but productivity and responsiveness (in the case of employees. An example of this is seen in the case of a manager from the U.S. being placed in charge of a new outsourced branch of the company (i.e. in China, India, or the Philippines) or in instances where a local company is taken over by a foreign multinat ional corporation. It is based on this that companies need to take into consideration implementing new business culture practices that enable people to express themselves based on their cultural and ethnic background so as to encourage positive employee productivity rather than negative employee performance due constraining factors on their ability to express themselves (Hilton and Whiteford, 2010: 435). Benefits of Workforce Diversity With the global financial downturn affecting not only the U.S. economy but the global economy, this necessitates the need for creativity and innovation in being able to access new markets in order to sell particular products and services. Workforce diversity through international expansion actually enables a company to utilize a pool of individuals that come from different backgrounds, cultures and ethnicities. This enables a company to relate with and understand the needs of consumers within markets the company is attempting to penetrate (Allen et al ., 2005: 301).  The original marketing and sale strategies that had been implemented by a company within its original market should not be considered as effective when applied to new markets and, as such, calls for views and opinions of people that either belong to that particular consumer segment or understand it to an extent in order to implement sufficient strategies for sales and market penetration (Allen et al., 2005: 301). For example, when Coca Cola tried to enter the Chinese market their marketing campaign consisted of merely translating their slogan of We bring you to life into Chinese and using that in their marketing and print ads (McDonald, 1996: 5). Unfortunately, its translation wound up as we bring your dead relatives to life and, as such, wound up costing the company millions in changes to its original slogan (McDonald, 1996: 5). Another example of failures in marketing and sales came when Gerber expanded into Africa and did not take into account the predilections of local companies to place a picture of what was inside a product on a product label due to many Africans not knowing how to read (McDonald, 1996: 6). This of course resulted in a rather embarrassing recall by Gerber due to Africans perceiving each product by Gerber as containing babies. These examples show how having a diversified workforce with multiple viewpoints and different levels of understanding is important for any company. A diverse workforce enables better methods of problem solving, allows the company to successfully market itself to different international consumer groups, helps to promote innovation and furthermore creates a good corporate image due to its practice of creating a multicultural and multiethnic workforce (Vithessonthi Schwaninger, 2008: 141). Conclusion As seen in the paper, there are numerous advantages and disadvantages when it comes to working across boundaries. In the case of distance and workforce diversity this can often entail problems related to communication, proper cooperation, the implementation of effective management practices and culture shock. Working across boundaries can result in cost reductions for a company, the ability to access new markets as well as the creation of a diversified workforce that would expand a companys knowledge base. Reference List Allen, R. K., Becerik, B., Pollalis, S. N., Schwegler, B. R. (2005). Promise and Barriers to  Technology Enabled and Open Project Team Collaboration. Journal Of Professional  Issues In Engineering Education Practice, 131(4), 301-311. Dam, K., Oreg, S., Schyns, B. (2008). Daily Work Contexts and Resistance to  Organizational Change: The Role of Leader–Member Exchange, Development  Climate, and Change Process Characteristics. Applied Psychology: An International  Review, 57(2), 313-334 Dey, M., Houseman, S., Polivka, A. (2012). Manufacturers outsourcing to staffing  services. Industrial Labor Relations Review, 65(3), 533-559. Grey, C. (2009). Human relations theory and people management. 2nded, Sage Publications  Ltd,London, pp. 44-64 Hilton, M. F., Whiteford, H. A. (2010). Interacting with the public as a risk factor for employee psychological distress. BMC Public Health, 10435-441. Holweg, M., Pil, F. K. (2012). Outsourcing Complex Business Processes: Lessons from an  enterprise partnership. California Management Review, 54(3), 98-115. Jones, R. (2012). Organizational design and strategy in a changing global environment.  6thed. Upper Saddle, New Jersey. pp.207-239 Joslin, F., Waters, L., and Dudgeon, P. (2010). Perceived acceptance and work standards as  predictors of work attitudes and behaviour and employee psychological distress  following an internal business merger. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 25 (1), 22-43 Magtibay-Ramos, N., Estrada, G., Felipe, J. (2008). An Input–Output Analysis of the  Philippine BPO Industry. Asian-Pacific Economic Literature, 22(1), 41-56. Marchington, M. (2005) . Fragmenting work: Blurring organizational boundaries and  disordering hierarchies. (1 ed., pp. 1-33). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Marion, T. H. (2012). Managing Global Outsourcing to Enhance Lean Innovation. Research Technology   anagement, 55(5), 44. McDonald, M. (1996). Strategic Marketing Planning: Theory, Practice and Research  Agendas. Journal Of Marketing Management, 12(1-3), 5-27. Mullins, R., Weiss, T. R. (2006). Dell, Users Scramble to Cope With Battery Recall.  Computerworld, 40(35), 6. Ngai, P., Chan, J. (2012). Global Capital, the State, and Chinese Workers: The Foxconn  Experience. Modern China, 38(4), 383-410. Pardo, D, and Martinez, C. (2003). Resistance to change: a literature review and empirical  study. Management Decision, 41(2), 148 Piercy, N. F. (2006). The Strategic Sales Organization. Marketing Review, 6(1), 3-28.  Tambe, P., Hitt, L. (2010). How Offshoring Affects IT Workers. Communications Of The  ACM, 53(10), 62-70. Ulanoff, L. (20 07). The Vista Conspiracy. PC Magazine, 26(13), 74. Vithessonthi, C., Schwaninger, M. (2008). Job motivation and self-confidence for learning  and development as predictors of support for change. Journal Of Organizational  Transformation Social Change, 5(2), 141-157. Wee, H., Peng, S., Wee, P. P. (2010). Modelling of outsourcing decisions in global supply  chains. An empirical study on supplier management performance with different  outsourcing strategies. International Journal Of Production Research, 48(7), 2081-2094. Whitaker, J., Mithas, S., Krishnan, M. S. (2010). Organizational Learning and Capabilities  for Onshore and Offshore Business Process Outsourcing. Journal Of Management  Information Systems, 27(3), 11-42. Wu, L., Yim, F., Kwan, H., Zhang, X. (2012). Coping with Workplace Ostracism: The Roles  of Ingratiation and Political Skill in Employee Psychological Distress. Journal Of  Management Studies, 49(1), 178-199. Yang, C., Wacker, J. G., Sheu, C. (2 012). What makes outsourcing effective? A  transaction-cost economics analysis. International Journal Of Production Research,  50(16), 4462-4476 Young Bong, C., Gurbaxani, V. (2012). Information technology outsourcing, knowledge  transfer, and firm productivity: an empirical analysis. MIS Quarterly, 36(4), 1043-1063.

How to explain the mommy gap in your resume

How to explain the mommy gap in your resume While motherhood is undoubtedly a noble and demanding profession, truth is, taking time away from the office to raise kids can, and often does, derail your career somewhat. In fact, the hole that at-home time leaves in your employment record tends to present such a widespread challenge for mothers that it’s been given its own name: â€Å"the mommy gap† (although, that shouldn’t take away from the fact that many dads are stay-at-home parents, too). But that’s not to say you should just give up on your admirable quest to re-enter the workforce. It just means that in order to find a job after years of parental leave you might, unfortunately, have to do a bit of extra work to market yourself as the outstanding hire you are. And while there’s a lot involved in this process, it all begins with an update of your resume.Our recommendation? Start by using a reputable resume builder to simplify the job of (re)writing this important document, and then follow t he tips below to ensure the mommy gap doesn’t get in the way of your next big break.Say it like it is (and own that gap)Too many moms choose not to acknowledge the gap in their career chronology on their resumes. Rather than leaving it up to employers to guess the reason behind your lengthy absence from the workforce, be open about it – after all, there’s absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. In the work history section of your resume, cover the employment gap by simply stating that you were raising children during this time. Choose language that makes it clear that staying at home with the kids was entirely your decision and the number one reason you left your last job.Use the tools at your disposalTo explain away the gap in your work timeline, you can now draw on a handy resource pioneered by creative agency Mother New York. This tool makes it that much easier to acknowledge your time spent as a stay-at-home mother on LinkedIn by giving you the option to list à ¢â‚¬Å"Mom† as a job title on your profile and connect this to the company The Pregnancy Pause. Printable resumes and cover letters that achieve the same objective can be created, too – just download the campaign’s specially crafted toolkit. By making use of this new standardized approach, you can treat parental leave like the full-time position it is and effortlessly fill the gaps in your chronology.Write a killer summary statementWhile there are certain standard resume rules to follow, there’s room to use this critical job search tool as a powerful storytelling device, and the summary statement, which sits right at the top (after the header), serves as the opening paragraph. Use it to set the scene by focusing on your accomplishments, qualifications, competencies and enthusiasm – all the things that make you a great fit for the role, despite your work hiatus. If you used your at-home time to solidify and realign your career goals, tell this story h ere. You can briefly touch on the gap in your employment timeline in the summary statement, too, but the idea is to spin it as being inconsequential to your ability to do the job.Highlight the many other ways you used your parental â€Å"leave†Most moms who step away from paid work for several years don’t just spend that time changing diapers and reading bedtime stories. Maybe you did an online course, joined a professional organization, started a blog, freelanced or consulted part-time, or volunteered at a local charity. These are all valuable experiences that would have undoubtedly equipped you with a heap of relevant skills, and they deserve a place on your resume. Future employers will be looking for evidence that you’ve kept your skills and knowledge of the industry fresh, even while away, so be sure to list all activities that prove you’ve stayed in the game, so to speak.Rethink the structure of your resumeThere are a number of ways in which you can reorganize your resume to keep the emphasis on your suitability for the role and off the mommy gap. For example, you could:Opt for a combination format that first outlines your key skills and the technology you’re proficient in, and only then delves into your work history.Move your education section higher up, above your work experience section, to highlight continued training completed during your time away.Create a separate section for volunteer experience and part-time work, accompanied by descriptions of your duties that use strong action verbs, to make sure this information stands out to the reader.Identify a common theme that you want to put the spotlight on, and then weave it through every element of your resume, with concrete examples.Whatever you do, exude confidenceIf you doubt your own ability to successfully re-enter the workforce, a hiring manager might pick up on your apprehension. You want to convince a future employer that you are 100% capable of hitting the ground running in a new position, so you need to believe this yourself, too. The fact that you put your career on pause for a while for child care purposes doesn’t inherently make you a less gifted employee or less suitable candidate. So, change your mindset, ooze self-confidence, and leave no doubt in a recruiter’s mind that you are the right person for the job.Author Bio:LiveCareer offers assistance to job seekers at every step of the journey. Access free  resume templates  and  resume examples, plus a  cover letter builder  and advice on how to answer  interview questions  of all stripes.

Argumentative Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Argumentative - Essay Example This retributive justice was carried out in a public square where other citizens could witness the agonies of the accused before his or her death. Today, many nations, including the United States, still allow for the death penalty even though there are many human-rights organizations which still assert that the death penalty is not the right way of dealing with extreme crimes. Thesis Statement: The reality is that in the absence of a totally fool-proof system of justice in the nations that have allowed for the death penalty, there is the ever present risk of putting innocent suspects to death. In any case, the point of justice should not be to revenge on behalf of society but to force the criminal to understand the errors of his or her ways. There are different reasons why the death penalty should be abolished. Some of these include: Executions cost more where taxpayers are concerned than even life imprisonment: The reality is that it is more expensive for tax payers to execute crimi nals than maintain them in life imprisonment. According to a study conducted in 2011, the state of California alone has spent approximately $4 billion on executing death row prisoners since the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1978 (Death Penalty Focus). ... The cases also take long because there may be many appeals because a human being’s life is in danger (Banner 136). Such cases could even last for years; thus resulting in a lot of expense. The use of Capital Punishment has no Dissuasive Effect: According to Baldwin, the use of the death penalty does not really stop identical crimes such as were committed by the accused from being committed again (Baldwin 57). In many nations, the main crime which often results in the death penalty is the murder of another human being. Moreover, scheming people who actually plan on committing murder cannot be convinced not to commit murder due to the possibility of being murdered themselves; but have to be in possession of the mental deterrence not to be criminals. Also, it is not always convicted criminals who plan on committing murder. In many cases, individuals who kill others do so in the heat of the moment; at a time when the thought of a death penalty is not in their minds. There are othe rs who will kill because they have a serious mental disorder or imbalance. For these individuals, the existence of the death penalty does not have the power to change their actions before they commit murder. Innocent People are often Wrongly Executed: According to the Death Penalty Focus online periodical, the re-enactment of the death penalty in the United States alone, which took place in the 70s, has resulted in the execution of hundreds of innocent people (Death Penalty Focus). While this has resulted in the death penalty becoming ever more controversial, it has not stopped different states from still practicing it. Some of the more common examples are those of men such as Cameron Todd Willingham. Willingham was wrongly accused of murdering his three small

Business Plan Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Business Plan - Term Paper Example Furthermore, the company’s integrated sales team is highly experienced and ensures providing world class services to the clients and customers. In the world of globalization the company is looking forward towards expanding its base to reach out to all the communities around the US and the world. The market analysis provides a clear picture about the emerging industry throughout the world. Mobile phones have become an important medium of communication with variety of features incorporated within. The industry is one of the largest profitable segments amongst all other necessity products. Orange Mobile Communication’s prime objective is to provide customers, especially the younger generation with technologies that have not been introduced by any other competitor. Its focus towards customers will ensure better understanding of the buying pattern. This will enable the company in minimizing stocks and manufacture those products that are highly in demand. Moreover, the external supply chain will ensure effective deliverables within the prescribed period. Telecom Industry is booming in recent times. The product has changed its category from luxury to necessity goods due to the convenience it provides to the users. The effect of internationalization has therefore, ensured many big players to launch unique features in order to increase the sales of the mobile phones. The employees are committed towards achieving the goals of the organizations and value its principles for competitive market growth and sustainability. The company, Orange Mobile Communications is committed towards providing high quality products with unique features at affordable prices. Furthermore, it is dedicated in providing high level services to its customers and clients by ensuring convenient locations of retail stores and efficient and effective solutions. Orange Mobile Communications is determined in becoming the

The growth of Internet betting and gambling sites and the credit card Essay

The growth of Internet betting and gambling sites and the credit card companies response - Essay Example Further, law enforcement agencies state that Internet gambling is sometimes used for money laundering (Hugel & Kelly 2002: 57). However, others consider this risk as trivial concern. The jurisdictional and anonymity concerns characteristic of Internet gambling make online gambling a potentially strong means for money launderers. The small number of prosecuted instances of money laundering linked to Internet gambling is credited to oversight and a lack of solid parameters (Hugel & Kelly 2002: 58). Still, officials form the gaming and credit card industries and regulatory agencies do not consider that Internet gambling was any more vulnerable to money laundering than other forms of electronic trade (Hugel & Kelly 2002: 58). The main objective of this review is to acquire a better understanding on the different policies and procedures of the credit card industry on Internet gambling. The review is also aimed at obtaining a broader knowledge on the strengths and weaknesses of these policies, and perhaps to formulate any potential recommendations that are possible under the Constitution. To achieve this, a review on use of the U.S. payments method --- particularly credit cards, and on the ongoing debate on Internet gambling should be made. The key points are: 1) to study the legal structure for Internet gambling activities, mainly in the U.S., but also in other countries; 2) to explain the range and characteristic of the regulations and measures the credit card industry has put into practice to prohibit the use of credit cards as a mode of payment for Internet gambling; and 3) to acquire opinions on Internet gambling’s susceptibility to money laundering. Documentation on Internet gambling policies and procedures may be requested from industry representatives; however, some might be disinclined to supply written documentation due to concerns about the confidentiality of propriety regulations. This is why conducting interviews is

MANAGEMENT IN A EUROPEAN CONTEXT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

MANAGEMENT IN A EUROPEAN CONTEXT - Essay Example In order to find out the business environment in the two countries a PEST analysis of UK and Spain have been carried out. This would help in analyzing the business environments of both the nations. This study assumes significance in the sense that Sol Melia is planning to enter the UK market. The study also analyses the industry framework using the Porter’s five forces model. This would help both the companies to analyze the hotel industry from the view of all the stakeholders and competitors. The study also suggests possible strategies for both the companies so that they emerge successful in their business plans. In order to find out the similarities amongst the markets of UK and Spain a PEST analysis is carried out for both UK and Spain. The analysis would reveal the market conditions of the two countries as well as their demographics and the political factors. United Kingdom consists of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The country has a constitutional monarchy and operates under the realm of commonwealth. The constitution of the country is unwritten which contains statutes and employs common law. Spain is located in Europe and has a parliamentary monarchial form of government. The country has a constitution which is approved by the legislature of the country. It has a multi party political set up in the country. (CIA World Factbook, 2009.). UK is one of the leading nations of the world both in terms of technology and economy. The GDP of the country in terms of the purchasing power parity is about $2.226 million as of 2008.The real growth rate of GDP is pegged at 0.7% as of 2008.The break up of agriculture, industry and services towards the GDP is 1.3%, 24.25 and 74.55 respectively. The country has a strong labor force composed of 31.23 million people. Spain has a mixed economy. The GDP of the nation in terms of the purchasing power parity is about $1.403 trillion as of 2008. The real growth rate of the county’s GDP is about 1.2% as

Trademark Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Trademark Assignment - Essay Example The definition and nature of the tort of passing off as well as the protection accorded the registration of a trademarks will best illustrate the significance of passing off since the introduction of the registered trademark system. This paper is therefore divided into two parts. The first part of this paper is committed to the definition and nature of the tort of passing off. The second part of this paper will examine the trademark registration system and will analyse how it runs parallel to the tort of passing off. I. The Tort of Passing Off A. Definition and Essential Elements of Passing Off Passing off is a common law concept created by judges. Lord Parker’s definition of passing off in Spalding v Gammage (1915) sets out the general significance of an action for passing off. Lord Parker defined passing off as a prohibition against the representation of one’s goods as those of another.3 A more detailed definition of passing off is provided in the Advocaat case in whi ch Lord Diplock’s definition encapsulates the essential elements of passing off. In this regard, passing off is required to be made by virtue of a misrepresentation. This misrepresentation must be made by a business trader operating in the course of his business dealings. The misrepresentation must also be made to consumers with respect to the goods and services provided by the trader. The misrepresentation must be such that it is designed to bring about harm to the goodwill or the business of a comparative business. The misrepresentation must bring about actual damages to the goodwill of business or must be likely to bring about damages.4 The essential elements of passing off which ultimately defines the tort of passing off are more particularly delineated in the House of Lords decision in Reckitt and Colman Ltd. v Borden (1990). In this case, the House of Lords described what has come to be known as the classic trinity. The classic trinity sets out the three essential eleme nts that the claimant relying on the tort of passing off must prove. First the claimant must demonstrate that the claimants services or goods have established a reputation or goodwill that separates those goods or services from comparable goods or services. Secondly, there must be evidence that the defendant misrepresented his/her goods or services with the result that it creates confusion in that the goods or services offered by the defendant are mistaken for those of the claimant. Finally, there must be evidence that the claimant is likely to incur damages as a result of the misrepresentation.5 It therefore follows that that definition and the essential elements of passing off was trimmed down by the House of Lords in the Reckitt case to encapsulate three factors. What can be gleaned from the definition and essential elements of passing off is that it aimed at protecting the reputation attached to a trade mark rather than the mark itself. This aspect of the tort of passing off is demonstrative of its significance since the introduction of the trade mark registration system. Essentially, registration protects the mark whereas a parallel right of action exists in protection of the reputation and goodwill attached to the trademark. Therefore an unregistered trademark remains

Compare and contrast the key principles of associationist and social Essay

Compare and contrast the key principles of associationist and social constructivist theories and their implications for learning and teaching in the classroom - Essay Example t theory has been the basis for today’s organizations and associations and carefully outlines the way in which they carry out their daily processes (George L. Hersey, 1972). The associationists believe that the human mind is simply a concoction of vital elements that are governed by some automatic mechanisms. These automatic mechanisms are nothing but the associations that are being discussed in the present context. In fact, Hume had once said that As such, the degree of association is pretty atomic as well as mechanical in nature. The theory of Associationism has a number of principles that have largely worked towards making it an effective theory despite differing opinions of individual intellectuals. The primary facet of Associationism is that the association between the mental elements is built up by the mind through constant learning from experience, wherein all such experiences are molded into a set of basic beliefs and ideas. All of these ideas are elementary in nature and are rather unstructured and independent from each other. In order to define complex ideas, subsets of these simple and unstructured ideas (which are now rules guiding the individual in decision making) are used to build up a solution for such a complex idea (George L. Hersey, 1972). As such, it can be seen that Associationism is plainly an attempt by the mind to reconstruct and develop the human mind based on experiences through the individual senses. As all such rules are constructed through experience, there is very little space for theoretical assumptions and such associations are therefore a concatenation of a number of individual ideas that have been built up over time. The solution built up by the resulting association is what projects a systematic picture of the mind and its beliefs. The Social Constructivism theory is a theory pertaining to the study of knowledge that details on how specific social phenomena evolve within different situations and social contexts. As such, a

Trademark Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Trademark Assignment - Essay Example The definition and nature of the tort of passing off as well as the protection accorded the registration of a trademarks will best illustrate the significance of passing off since the introduction of the registered trademark system. This paper is therefore divided into two parts. The first part of this paper is committed to the definition and nature of the tort of passing off. The second part of this paper will examine the trademark registration system and will analyse how it runs parallel to the tort of passing off. I. The Tort of Passing Off A. Definition and Essential Elements of Passing Off Passing off is a common law concept created by judges. Lord Parker’s definition of passing off in Spalding v Gammage (1915) sets out the general significance of an action for passing off. Lord Parker defined passing off as a prohibition against the representation of one’s goods as those of another.3 A more detailed definition of passing off is provided in the Advocaat case in whi ch Lord Diplock’s definition encapsulates the essential elements of passing off. In this regard, passing off is required to be made by virtue of a misrepresentation. This misrepresentation must be made by a business trader operating in the course of his business dealings. The misrepresentation must also be made to consumers with respect to the goods and services provided by the trader. The misrepresentation must be such that it is designed to bring about harm to the goodwill or the business of a comparative business. The misrepresentation must bring about actual damages to the goodwill of business or must be likely to bring about damages.4 The essential elements of passing off which ultimately defines the tort of passing off are more particularly delineated in the House of Lords decision in Reckitt and Colman Ltd. v Borden (1990). In this case, the House of Lords described what has come to be known as the classic trinity. The classic trinity sets out the three essential eleme nts that the claimant relying on the tort of passing off must prove. First the claimant must demonstrate that the claimants services or goods have established a reputation or goodwill that separates those goods or services from comparable goods or services. Secondly, there must be evidence that the defendant misrepresented his/her goods or services with the result that it creates confusion in that the goods or services offered by the defendant are mistaken for those of the claimant. Finally, there must be evidence that the claimant is likely to incur damages as a result of the misrepresentation.5 It therefore follows that that definition and the essential elements of passing off was trimmed down by the House of Lords in the Reckitt case to encapsulate three factors. What can be gleaned from the definition and essential elements of passing off is that it aimed at protecting the reputation attached to a trade mark rather than the mark itself. This aspect of the tort of passing off is demonstrative of its significance since the introduction of the trade mark registration system. Essentially, registration protects the mark whereas a parallel right of action exists in protection of the reputation and goodwill attached to the trademark. Therefore an unregistered trademark remains

Alcohol and Substance Abuse in Blacks and Whites Coursework

Alcohol and Substance Abuse in Blacks and Whites - Coursework Example Substance abuse and alcoholism have always invited debate on whether these are a medical problem or social problem. These addictions have been associated with serious medical conditions such as infections with HIV, and they have also been associated with social misbehavior. Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, can be compared to a viral disease that spreads during an epidemic.   Substance abuse is the addition of an individual to the consumption of alcohol or other drugs despite having knowledge of problems related to such substances. Substance abuse and alcohol provide the individual with a temporary pleasure and gives a feeling of great happiness. Continuous use of such drugs makes the individual tolerant to its effects and may develop unusual withdrawal symptoms that may be detrimental to his/her overall health. The most useful and vibrant section of the society in the age group of 15-40 is widely affected by this grave and deadly habit.Types of drugs used by the populatio n in the United States also show ethnographic diversities such as alcohol-in-combination (32.7%), followed by cocaine (17.86%), and marijuana/hashish (14.64%). African-Americans have been found most commonly dosed with cocaine (56.53%), in emergency department cases, followed by alcohol-in-combination (40.21%), and heroine/morphine (23.37%). A specific report of 2000 on emergency department cases of cocaine overdose has revealed 43.39% of African-Americans and 34.2% Caucasians. A pattern of onset of substance use and alcoholism has been reported by many researchers. For example, it has been reported that Caucasians typically begin consumption of tobacco and alcohol at a younger age than African-Americans. Also, African-Americans have been found to develop cocaine and opiate dependence much after developing alcohol dependence, unlike Caucasians.  Ã‚   Role of culture in the consumption of alcohol has also been evidenced in these ethnographic groups. Alcohol consumption in certain cultures is allowed to a moderate extent, however, these groups are, at the same time, under the influence of society, peers, environment etc and deviation from these norms has become a very common feature. For example, alcohol consumption by Caucasians in comparison to African-Americans in the United States has been found higher and is linked to norms relating to alcohol use.

Risk Management Essay Example for Free

Risk Management Essay The company generates its electricity at the Niagara Falls and distributes it to various Canadian provinces and the United States. Founded in 1906 as the Hydro-Electric Power Commission, the corporation was later renamed to Ontario Hydro in 1974. In 1998, the provincial government passed the â€Å"Energy Competition Act†. Ontario Hydro was restructured into two separate organizations: a power generation utility and a combined transmission/delivery business to be called Hydro one. 2. Hydro One’s Strategy and risks Hydro Ones strategy has changed a lot during the last years. First of all, the company thought they knew what was best for their customers. Eventually their focus changed into a more customer-based strategy. With the change in their focus in addressing the needs of their customers, customer satisfaction has, in some areas, doubled. Although results have been positive, problems for the electricity supply in the future might decrease the satisfaction of the customers. In the corporate risk profile trends, the electricity supply has become one of the biggest risks with a rating of ‘virtually certain’. Only â€Å"government policy uncertainty† and â€Å"getting the work done† have the same level of risk. In the impact-probability risk map of the firm, it is clear that problems with the electricity supply are quite probable and that the magnitude is considerably large. There’s always a risk of new outages, which can affect over 100. 000 customers for more than seven days in the worst-case scenario. Worst case expectations about the service quality indices predict that only 25% of the overall expected performance will be achieved when the best case scenario predicts 95%: it is already quite certain that the 100% achievement will be impossible. Another big issue in Hydro One’s strategy is cost efficiency. Due to its aging assets, the company had to focus on cutting costs. This initiative resulted in Rating Agencies improving Hydros rating on its long term debt to A, A2 and A (high), respectively. On the other hand, employees protested heavily against these measures by a major 18 weeks strike. Unfortunately, reducing unit costs to its desired level might fail in the end. Only in the minor case scenario the unit costs are not reduced, other scenarios predict an increase of 5 to more than 25%. Cheap electricity encouraged Canadian consumers to increase their purchases of energy-intensive consumer devices. Hydro One had to cope with this increased demand on its aging assets, so it launched an active conservation and demand management program. In this way, Hydro One is undertaking conservation initiatives, despite their adverse impact on the companys revenues and earnings. Electricity supply is one of the biggest risks; the former Pikangihum chief even mentioned the problem to turn on Christmas lights. The vision that CEO Formusa endorsed in a strategic plan is to make Hydro One the best transmission and distribution business in North America. This vision would be achieved by having the best safety record in the world, top quartile transmission and distribution reliability, 90% customer satisfaction across all segments, top quartile employee productivity, operating efficiency and an A credit rating. The CEO also intended to reach out and negotiate a long-term deal with the unions. The risks concerning safety were big from 2002 till 2004 but are under more under control since 2005. 3. Major drivers to get started with ERM at Hydro One As part of the firm’s spinoff from the previous Ontario Hydro and in preparation of an IPO, the management and board of Hydro One set high goals for being a best-practices organization with superior corporate governance and business conduct. In preparation of the IPO, they responded to the requirement of the Toronto Stock Exchange for listed companies to implement strategic risk management. Despite this IPO was forced to a halt in the Ontario Superior Court, Hydro One continued to follow their value creation strategy including the implementation of ERM and a risk-based investment planning system. At the same time, the government of Ontario posed a new challenge that had to be addressed with a scheduled deregulation of the electricity markets involving conservation initiatives. Other new policies in the energy industry like carbon legislation, the adoption of renewable technologies and climate change posed new threats and opportunities. In brief, the increased scrutiny on corporate governance called for a comprehensive risk management program. 4. Different stages of Hydro One’s ERM process Hydro One introduced a three-phase risk management program: In phase one, a risk management team organizes a series of interactive risk workshops in order to make the employees of the firm familiar with the companies’ key strategic objectives and the principal risks faced by the organization. Prior to these workshops, the risk team made a list of 60-70 potential risks or threats to the business. This list was e-mailed to the participating management. Based on their feedback, the risk team shortens the list to 8-10 risks. These shortlisted risks then are discussed during the workshops. In phase two, the risk team prepares a corporate risk profile report for the executive team twice a year, in January and July. In this report, the principal risks facing the organization are summarized. The chief risk officer conducts a series of one-to-one interviews with the top 30 to 40 top executives to review the corporate risk profile. This half-yearly monitoring and review of risk is very important within the ERM process, because risks do not remain static. In phase 3, during the annual planning process, the investment planning department and the risk management team jointly develop an approach for allocating resources to prioritized investment project proposals based on the risks identified. The chief financial officer argues that looking at investment proposals from a risk management point of view gives high visibility to capital expenditure planning in order to let the top management make the right investment decisions. 5. Up- and downsides of the ERM process Hydro One developed enterprise risk management in response to a new corporate governance requirement. A positive thing about Hydro One’s ERM process is that it includes all layers of the organization. Employees need to participate in a series of workshops to learn more about the company’s objectives and their risks. The method that Hydro One applies is structured, systematic and on a timely basis which are all key principles of risk management. It provides a foundation for all risk data across the organization and delivers visibility to this data. This has improved accountability and control within the company. An enormous benefit of the ERM process for Hydro One was that the company achieved a lower cost of debt. However, if the company decides to change its client-based strategy, it might be wise to review the ERM process and make some necessary changes. The corporation also uses the Delphi-method, which is a valuable communication technique when properly used. One needs to keep in mind, when applying the Delphi method, that the role of the supervisor may not be underestimated. It is he who needs to rearrange the data. Subjectivity might play a role, so it might be wise for Hydro One to find somebody else than Fraser to handle the risk management activities. In the end, ERM is more a state of mind than a technique or process. When all layers of the company have a mutual understanding about the company’s objectives and risks, one can say the ERM process has been successful. Hydro One’s ERM process will surely pass this test. 6. Framework There are a lot of different frameworks available these times. But the ISO 31000 Framework is the best practice framework because it is relatively easy to implement in an organization’s structure and still gives some good outcomes for the company. The Frameworks are used to facilitate the implementation of the ERM process into an organization. The core of the ISO 31000 Framework is the Risk Management Process (RMP). RMP consists of five important tasks. Further, the ISO 31000 Framework adds Management Information System (MIS). Risk management activities should be recorded. In this way, it is easier to know which actions are taken to counter the risk threats. The company will be able to react in a faster way to important changes in factors that could affect the organisation. Another important feature of the Framework can be found in Commit and Mandate. It is important to fully intergrate the ERM process in the organization. Every agent or stakeholder should be involved in the ERM process. Communication and consultation are key elements in every organization. But to implement the ERM process, communication becomes even more important. Communicating with all your stakeholders is crucial. Everyone needs to be aware of the possible risk the company is facing and the actions that are taken to mitigate these risks. The next important process of the ISO 31000 Framework is Accountability. For every identified risks, the company will have to assign a manager as risk-owner. They need to make clear who is responsible for which risk. Obviously, every agent or stakeholder has to participate in the process of countering risks. It is clear that the ERM process should be monitored and reviewed continuously. Because of a fast changing economic world, the ERM process should be adapted to these conditions. 6. 1 Establishing the context Hydro One is trying to be able to meet the high demand in hot weather springs and summers. Due to the aging infrastructure, Hydro One is facing high maintenance and growing costs. While they were planning to introduce cost-cutting initiatives they have to take into account these costs. Their main goal is to be able to report optimal financial results. This can be done in two ways. On the one hand, they have to make sure there are sufficient revenues. On the other hand, costs and expenses have to be kept under control. The problem of the 18-week during strike has caused an environment in the company where not everyone is heading in the same direction. So Hydro One is challenged to make sure there is a common culture in the company. 6. 2 Risk assessment Risk identification Identifying the likelihood and consequences of the different risks is done by organizing workshops wherein employees can participate. They are asked to express their feelings about the risks that might threaten the organization. Risk analysis Employees need to identify which business activities are affected by those different types of risks and in which degree on a 5-point scale. By doing this, every risk is looked at from another point of view. Each person identifies a different impact based on his or her area of expertise. Risks that are rated higher than 3, are more investigated in detail. They identify the worst-case scenario for each of those risks if something goes wrong within the company. After this process the company will have a clear view in the magnitude of a given risk, the probability of occurrence of a certain risk in a 2-3 year time period and the strength of the key controls in the company. If some of these key controls fail, it could cause a lot of damage to the company. Risk evaluation One had to be aware of the fact that risk is not a static concept. The level of risk a company is facing can depend on the whole environment of the company and the actions taken to mitigate the risk. So twice a year Hydro One made up a Corporate Risk Profile report to understand the changes in risk threats. 6. 3 Risk treatment options To reduce the risk threats to a tolerable level, action had to be taken. Everyone had to participate in these actions plans, but each manager was assigned as a risk-owner and had the full responsibility for taking actions to mitigate the risks. . 4 Communication and consultation It is really important to have a good and stable communication when implementing the ERM framework. Everyone has to know what their responsibilities are and what is going on in the company and its environment. If everyone is getting involved in the ERM process, each person will be able to look for solutions and thinks about different alternatives to handle different situations. Even the employees on the work floor should be consulted in the ERM process. They could have another view on the risks that threaten the company. They can discover some needs of the company the management could never be aware of. In conclusion, all stakeholders should be involved in the ERM process of the organization. 6. 5 Monitoring and reviewing To make sure the ERM Framework is implemented in the right way and has a positive effect for the company, it is important to monitoring and control the implementation of the Framework. And if needed some adjustments should be done to make the ERM process optimal. As mentioned earlier, the environment of the company and the risks threatening the company are not stable concepts. As a consequence, the ERM process is not stable even. 7. Conclusion One may never underestimate the importance of a well-balanced ERM process. By weighing up the implications of key decisions, appropriate actions can be agreed and delivered to support the chosen strategy. We can conclude that Hydro One’s ERM process is a valid one. ERM adds value for the company and supported the corporation’s managers in making good decisions about risk-based issues. [ 1 ]. ISO 31000, clause 4

Theodore Roosevelt Essay -- Presidents History Essays

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt was fond of quoting an old African proverb that admonished people to "speak softly and carry a big stick." Ironically, it was his thunderous voice that made him president, earned him enemies and brought him friends. That voice also made him the bulwark of the Progressive Movement. On October 27, 1858, Roosevelt was born on East Twentieth Street in New York City to Martha Bulloch, who he described as a "sweet gracious, beautiful Southern Woman" and Theodore Roosevelt Sr., who he wrote was "the best man I ever knew." Roosevelt was born into wealth, with his father a henchman of the family firm, Roosevelt & Son. Roosevelt’s grandfather, Cornelius Van Schaack Roosevelt, had earlier redesigned the business so it focused on selling plate glass instead of retail hardware. When the financial Panic of 1837 struck New York, Roosevelt’s grandfather bought up land. The plate glass business was sold to a British firm in 1876 and it changed its focus again – this time moving into the private banking and investment business. As Roosevelt grew up, his uncle, James A. ran the business, but his father received a portion of the enormous profits. (Renehan, 16) Roosevelt was a frail and asthmatic child who was teased and bullied. He gradually overcame his ailments be becoming physically active, learning to box and ride horseback. He looked forward to the long vacations his family spent in the country, where he could revel in the countryside and its wildlife. While he was still a young boy, he became interested in natural history and zoology. His interest in hunting and nature were a lifetime passion for Roosevelt. In the fall of 1876, Roosevelt entered Harvard, where he graduated in 1880. "I thoro... ...cted, it became clear that the United States would probably become involved in Europe’s war whether it wanted to or not. Roosevelt began lobbying Washington so he could raise a division of infantry and cavalry to serve in Europe. He did not receive favorable responses and journeyed to Washington D.C. to personally speak with Secretary of War Newton D. Baker and President Wilson. His wish to create a division was refused. Roosevelt would later write a friend that Wilson’s soul was "rotten through and through." In 1918, Roosevelt was once again consorting with Republican conservatives such as Taft and Elihu Root, who were opposed to Wilson and his League of Nations. Roosevelt was overjoyed in 1918 when republicans won a Senate majority. Early in 1919 he was boasting that he would be given the Republican nomination for president in 1920. But he died on January 6, 1919.

Boudica :: essays research papers

Twenty years after the invasion, Britain was feeling oppressed by the Roman Empire, none more so than the Iceni tribe. Their late king, Prasutagus, had left the Icenian land to the Romans in his will, but on certain conditions. Upon his death, the Romans took over without abiding by any of these conditions, treating the land as if it was theirs by right of conquest. There was looting and tyranny, the king’s family was abused and the Romans savagely ruled over the Iceni. Another factor in aggravating the Britons was that the occupiers began to recall large loans which had been forced upon unwilling Britons. Some Britons were conscripted into the army, the Roman procurators wanted to extract as much wealth as could be had from the latest addition to the empire. Boudica, having been treated and indeed flogged as a slave, decided to rebel. She joined forces with the Trinovantes, who had their own reasons to hate the Romans. Some of their land had been taken from them to form part of Camulodunum (now Colchester). One of buildings in it was the Temple Of Claudius, it was hated by the oppressed masses and became the first target of Boudica’s attack. The colonists appealed for help and troops were sent from Londinium, but these amounted to just 200 and were ill equipped for the task. The veterans and the troops took cover in the Temple but were soundly beaten after two days, the temple was destroyed and the town sacked. Petillius Cerialis, camped with Legio IX eight miles away at Longthorpe heard of the revolt and set off for the town, but he was ambushed and at length defeated. Boudica heartened by this success now marched on Londinium. Suetonius Paullinus was at an island in north Wales when he heard of the rebellion. He made haste for Londinium with Legio XIV, but his journey was slow and when at length he arrived in Londinium he realised that he did not have enough troops to defend it, and so the largest town in Britain was abandoned. Verulamium too could not be held and so the army retreated. When Boudica’s army reached London they thought of nothing but loot and so did not make for the militarily strategic points but instead to wherever they could plunder the most money, this proved their downfall. While the Britons looted, Paullinus gathered his men which amounted to some ten thousand and chose a place of battle most advantageous to him.