Mandatory HIV/AIDS testing for Pregnant Woman

Today, anti retroviral therapies are being developed by several manufacturers, in a bid to finally be able to reduce the number of instances of the transmission of HIV from mother to child. The drug AZT, for example, has been successful at bringing the rate of such direct transmissions down, and this has given rise to a widespread feeling that if testing of pregnant women for the presence of the dreaded AIDS virus were to be made mandatory, then perhaps many lives could be saved. It must be remembered that before the year 1994, when AIDS became renowned for its impact on the human body, not much was known about the disease, often referred to as ‘the scourge of modern man’, and nothing at all was known about the transmission of this disease from a mother to her unborn child.It was in late 1994 that an American clinical trial known as ‘ACTG 076’ was able to prove the assumption that when a drug AZT was administered to a HIV positive pregnant woman, and also to her child immediately after its birth, it was able to lower the rate of transmission from a high of 25 % to a low of 8 %. The trial was based on the fact that the pregnant woman had to be given the drug during her pregnancy, during her labor, during her delivery, and for the newborn baby during his first six weeks of life.Immediately after the results of this trial were published, the US Public Health Service recommended that all HIV positive pregnant women must be given the drug, especially to those women who demonstrated a likelihood of developing the disease. This was to include women who had never taken drugs of any kind against HIV AIDS. The administration of the drug, of course, involved an invasion of the woman’s basic privacy, and this was something that created a stir at the time. Such invasion of privacy was not to be tolerated.   (Yovetich)As stated earlier, making HIV testing mandatory for a pregnant woman, in the hope that the woman’s unborn child could be given a better and more productive and disease free life was not as simple an issue as it may have sounded at the time. There was much opposition from several different quarters. The main reason for the opposition was that the woman’s private life would be exposed, as HIV was a disease that was clothed in much secrecy, and it still is today. Defenders of privacy of a human being fought a long war to oppose mandatory testing of all pregnant women for the dreaded AIDS/HIV virus.To test a woman against her will, and then inform her that she had AIDS, and that she must take the drug so that her unborn child would not develop the disease would be a rather intrusive method to follow, felt privacy defenders, even if such testing meant that the risk of transmission to others would be reduced, and many lives could be saved in the future. However, the several advances in science through the years until today have prompted many individuals to reconsider the issue today.Several peopl e ask themselves today, are the potential benefits of mandatory testing for AIDS/HIV in some contexts outweighing the privacy interests? Or, on the other hand, is such an invasion of privacy completely justified if the unborn child could be saved from a life of disease and eventual death?It must be noted that several experiments and trials have been able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that when a pregnant woman is tested for AIDS, and it is found that she is HIV positive, and she is then offered the drug that would combat the transmission of the disease to her unborn child, and she takes up the offer, then the chances of the unborn fetus being born with full blown AIDS would be reduced dramatically.Statistics have revealed that such therapy would successful bring down the rate of transmission from a high of a one on four chance, to a one in fifty chance. Such evidence has prompted a rash of proposals on the part of the governments to make the testing of HIV/AIDS mandatory for a pregnant woman. To date, it must be noted that only the legislatures of New York and Connecticut have been able to sanction mandatory programs that would impose HIV tests on a pregnant woman, without her consent, wherein she would be able to turn down the ‘offer of testing’ put forth to her.Although it may be true that at first glance, one would not be able to understand why anyone would wish to turn down an offer to save their unborn child, it is indeed a fact that science today has not yet advanced so far as to absolutely guarantee that the young pregnant woman would not pass on the disease to her child, like for example, statistics are able to prove that even if a pregnant woman has no medication at all for her AIDS, she still has only a one in four chance of transmitting the virus to her unborn child.This is because of the simple fact that a mother transmits the disease to her child during the process of delivery, which is the time when the infant would be exposed t o the blood of his mother, without the protection of the umbilical cord that has connected him to his mother all the nine months. In other words, statistics prove that intra-uterine transmission, that is, transference of the virus before delivery, of AIDS to the unborn infant is quite rare, and it does not take place in one out of four cases. AIDS and HIV can also be transmitted to the child after its birth, through breast feeding.Furthermore, it is important to remember that when an infant is born to an HIV-positive mother, HIV-antibody tests carried out on the newborn will always turn out to be positive, for the simple reason that the baby has would have inherited the HIV antibodies of its mother automatically during the birth and delivery processes, and this cannot be taken to mean that the newborn is infected with AIDS and HIV. In these cases, the antibodies that the baby has inherited would stay in his body for the first few months of his life, after which it would be replaced with his own. If the HIV testing is done on the infant at this stage, it would reveal the actual status of the child, rather than if it were to be done immediately after birth, which would often mislead the persons involved.     (The ACLU on HIV testing of pregnant women and newborns 2001)It is a sad fact indeed that the data on AIDS in America and in Canada indicated that almost 766 out of 824 pregnant and HIV infected women from twenty five states of the United States of America were aware of their HIV status much before their deliveries, yet there are about 280 to 370 peri-natal HIV transmissions in the country, every year. Researchers and scientists state repeatedly that the only way in which to control this dismal state of affairs would be to make HIV/AIDS testing mandatory for pregnant woman, despite opposition from several quarters.In Canada, for example, three different HIV testing approaches have been assayed, and medical records and relevant data have shown without dou bt that the so called ‘opt-in’ or voluntary testing approach, in which a pregnant woman is offered pre-HIV test counseling, and must give her consent voluntarily to an HIV test is generally related with lower testing rates than the ‘opt-out’ voluntary testing approach, in which the woman, who has had HIV/AIDS counseling, may choose to refuse HIV testing. As a matter of fact, even the mandatory newborn HIV testing approach proved to be ineffective, and the testing rates were much lower than expected, although they were better than the ‘opt-in’ testing method. (HIV testing among pregnant women, United States and Canada 1998 to 2001 2002)Today, with the governments across the world, especially in developed countries responding to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, women seem to be at the center of all the attention, and increasingly, global efforts at AIDS prevention seem to center on women, especially pregnant women who may transmit the dreaded AIDS virus to their unborn child, either before or after delivery. Most governments are taking advantage of the fact that medicines and drugs are available today, which would be able to effectively block the transmission of the virus to an infant, and these governments are using the drugs to make sure that the AIDS virus would not spread far and wide. One such government initiative is the ‘PMTCT Program’, or the ‘Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission Program’.It must be stated here that although the benefits of this and other similar programs may be tremendous, it is very important that the government takes into consideration the experiences of a pregnant woman who lives with AIDS, and the trauma that she undergoes as a direct result. The government must also learn to adopt a human rights perspective when it deals with a pregnant woman, and issues that concern her privacy. As a matter of fact, several governments seem to have forgotten, state human rights personnel , about the woman with AIDS, so keen are they on the prevention of the transmission of AIDS to the unborn child.Herein lies the crux of the issue: if the woman were to be treated as a patient, who is suffering from a dreaded and fatal disease, who needs treatment for the disease, and who has human rights as an individual, then it would be infinitely easier to deal with the issue. In other words, if the governments were to respect the woman who is harboring the AIDS virus, and treat her with basic human dignity and respect, it would ensure that her unborn child who is the future citizen of the country, and the future of his family would be better served.When this is taken in light of the fact that women are three times as likely as men to develop HIV/AIDS, and that a woman is physiologically more susceptible than a man to developing the infection through vaginal intercourse, it would seem that according a woman the deference that she deserves would be the best approach to the problem . In certain under developed countries, women have been reported to say that when they were diagnosed with AIDS, they were asked to abort their unborn fetuses, as they supposedly ‘had no right to pass on the infection to their unborn baby’.   In such cases, it is evident that the feelings and the rights of the woman were not considered in any way, and this is by no means uncommon.Although PMTCT Programs have today gained in popularity, and it is being touted across the world as being the one surefire method to control AIDS, these programs do implicate a certain invasion of the privacy and dignity of the woman concerned, especially in countries where the woman is denied the right to give informed consent to HIV/AIDS testing and treatment, probably because of a lack of education, and she is also denied her right to confidentiality. When this is taken in context of the stigma associated with AIDS in several countries, it is obvious that the program must be refined and re stated, if it were to be a success.   (Pregnant woman living with HIV n.d)To conclude, it must be said that although mandatory testing for HIV/AIDS may be an excellent idea and that it would help prevent the transmission of the virus to a woman’s unborn child, the program must be implemented while keeping in mind the human rights, the right to confidentiality, and the basic human rights of the woman suffering form the disease. If this were to be done, then one can look forward to a world in which the awful HIV/AIDS virus would be eliminated, and the world would be a safe place once more.Works citedYovetich, Tasha â€Å"Making it mandatory, should HIV tests be required for pregnant women?† The Canadian Women’s Health Network (1999) 13 December 2007â€Å"The ACLU on HIV testing of pregnant women and newborns† HIV testing of pregnant women and newborns (2001) 13 December 2007â€Å"HIV testing among pregnant women, United States and Canada 1998 to 2001â₠¬  MMWR Weekly (2002) 13 December 2007â€Å"Pregnant woman living with HIV† Reproductive Right.org 13 December 2007 (n.d)

The Value of a College Education

The value of a college education In the 21st century depends on why the person Is attending In the first place. For some It's a family tradition, their fathers, fathers went to college and so the tradition should continue. Which would make the the value In this case acceptance from ones family. Others have no Idea what they want out of life but hope college is the place to find it. For me college is a means to and end.It's become the next logical step in my life because without it I can no longer move up in the Job field I'm currently in. The value college education is priceless. Of course most think of it as another bill but let's not forget their s always a way to get around that like scholarships, tuition pay and financial aid. But what most don't realize is that value of education is really the doors that open up or that piece of paper you studied and paid for.With a college education your possibilities are endless. The knowledge you gain will give you the upper hand in life, bei ng employable for a Job with a future. Because after all no one wants to work In retail forever or any other dead end Job for that matter. More now than ever a college Is needed. The relationship between success and a College education becomes stronger every year. A higher level of education Is

CASE: Pizza USA †An Exercise in Translating Customer Requirements Into Process Design Requirements Essay

Production & Operations Management Pizza USA is a chain of pizza restaurants that currently offers sit-down and take-out service. Many customers have said that they would buy more pizzas from Pizza USA if it offered a delivery service. This exercise is in two parts. In Part I, you play the customer. In Part II, you play the manager at Pizza USA who is responsible for developing the pizza delivery process design requirements. PART I To start with, you have to think like a customer. This should be easy since you probably have experience with ordering pizza to be delivered. Put that experience to work! Make a list of the attributes of pizza delivery that are important to you AS A CUSTOMER! As we said, this should be easy. Right? Or is it? In devising your list, consider the following: What must a pizza delivery service accomplish so that you are reasonably satisfied? Beyond your being reasonably satisfied, what could a pizza delivery service do that would make it really unique and create a differential advantage? In other words, what could a pizza delivery service do that might cause you to ALWAYS order from one particular service (and, perhaps, to pay more for the privilege)? Assume that this pizza restaurant can make whatever kind of pizza (and side items) that you want. PART II Now, put on your â€Å"Pizza USA manager’s hat.† For this part of the exercise, you will NOT be teamed with some other students. First, using the lists of all of your team members, create a master list. Next, try to group the items on your list under a series of major headings; for example, â€Å"condition of the delivered pizza† or â€Å"quick, on-time delivery† or â€Å"order accuracy,† and so on. Finally, make a list of the â€Å"pizza delivery process design requirements† that your pizza delivery process will have to meet. As you do this, think about measurable standards; in other words, what would you measure in order to ensure that your process is operating effectively and efficiently? Why do you think that these measures will be useful? Here’s an example of how a part of this analysis could go. One customer requirement may be that the pizza should be hot when it is delivered. The fact is that  as soon as the pizza comes out of the oven, it starts to cool. So, how could you keep the pizza from dropping below some minimum temperature before you hand it to your customer? †¢ Make sure that in question 3, you identify quantitative measurements. (See the second paragraph of Part II.) ASSIGNMENT 1 Make a list of pizza delivery attributes that are important to you as a customer. 2 Categorize your list of items under a series of major headings. 3 Make a list of pizza delivery process design requirements. Associate with each requirement a measure that would ensure that the process meets the requirement. CASE: Pizza USA – An Exercise in Translating Customer Requirements Into Process Design Requirements 1. Make a list of pizza delivery attributes that are important to you as a customer. Quick order taking: is important that when calling the restaurant to place the order, they answer and take the order in a timely manner. Pizza arrives on time: customers want their delivered as soon as possible. Pizza is hot: is important for the pizza to be kept hot as it arrives. 2. Combine your list with the lists of a few other class members and categorize the items under a series of major headings. Good customer service Good food quality Fast delivery service 3. Make a list of pizza delivery process design requirements. Associate with each requirement a measure that would ensure that the process meets the requirements. Customer call (take order) Failure: Incorrect order Poka-yoke: Double-check order with customer before proceeding Place order and process payment Failure: system failure/cannot process payment Poka-yoke: provide cash payment option Prepare pizza Failure: delay during preparation Poka-yoke: notify customer and provide a discount/ extra product (i.e. free dessert) Deliver pizza Failure: delay during delivery Poka-yoke: provide discount coupon 4. Design a process that meets your requirements. Describe it by using a flowchart similar to those shown in Exhibits 7.4, 7.5, and 7.6. Stage: 1: preliminary activities Stage 2: Customer ServiceStage 3: Work performance

Diversity in Organizations Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Diversity in Organizations - Research Paper Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that workforce is the basis of success of any given organization. Much as there are other factors of production to consider in determining the likelihood of success of any organization or business entity, human capital is the most significant. This is because; no operations can become successful regardless of the capital input, unless they are well managed and implemented. Thus, the need for adopting a flexible human resource program that integrates diverse cultures and personalities within the operations of the organization is paramount. The encompassment a different people, from different backgrounds in religion, socio-cultural activities, education, and exposure ensures that the organization can uphold variant ideas, opinions, and judgments. These are the basis of development. Owing to the fact that teamwork is the basis for success of any given organization, diversity comes in handy. Where diversity is non-existent, the individuals involv ed cannot interact and share ideas and opinions freely. This means that there is low or no chance of devising new ways of doing things. It is through the free interaction of individuals and their teamwork attitude that creates avenues for innovations and inventions. Various methods can be adopted to enhance diversity climate in an organization. Education that entails equipping the management team with relevant and diverse training skills is one such method. This serves to ensure that the management team is better placed to adopt different individuals and incorporate them in their labor force. Such training enhances the management ability of ensuring every member of their team feels appreciated and equally important, not withstanding their differences in personalities, cultures, religious backgrounds e.t.c. The establishment, enforcement, and implementation of a set of code of ethics is yet another method. The basic step in achieving this is through the recruitment of individuals fro m different spheres of life. Exposure, through establishment of equity and accountability, as a core value of the organization is another method that applicable in enhancing the climate of diversity in an organization. This ensures that all the individuals are treated equally, regardless of their gender, origin, race, religion e.t.c. any group, committee or panel formed to undertake different tasks for the organization should be representative of the different personalities in that organization. Each group or individual should feel well represented in that formation. This goes a long way to enhancing respect and cooperation from all the individuals in the organization. There are three procedures followed to establish diversity climate at a work place. The first is the moderate open- minded change, where some basic rules are established in work place to foster teamwork, flexibility, and diversity. At this stage, the workers are promoted solely based on merit and performance. Such rul es as those guiding promotions are established and implemented by the policy makers. However, the problem associated with this is that not all aspects of diversity are implementable through formal rules. The second procedure is the essential change stage, where the organization adapts measures beyond formal rules to guide the achievement of diversity in the organization. At this stage, even though two members of the same affiliation are better placed to be promoted based on their performance, an allowance for equity is created by promoting another individual of a different affiliation. The last procedure is the revolutionary change, where the short-run and the long-run needs of the organization come into play. Under this stage, the organization establishes equity and diversity in the short-run, while buying time to consolidate a system that will afford automatic flexibility and diversity

Controls for Inflows Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Controls for Inflows - Essay Example I am proposing is that Apollo Shoes should consider examining the way the company operates and finding a way to cut back on the expenditures through the reduction of the packaging for their products, the cutback of their payroll, and cutback of frivolous expenses that do not really need to be made. Furthermore, Apollo Shoes needs to keep a close tab upon its inventory levels and the payroll. If these three components can be limited to a bare minimum that still enables Apollo Shoes to operate, then the company will be able to produce great profits. Sales affect the cash and the ways it is distributed throughout the company. Implementing sales control is tricky. The difficulty lies in making sure that the advertising budget does not spend more than Apollo Shoes is likely to bring in. Controlling sales requires three overall components: firstly, advertising has to be below the net sales of the shoes forecasted to sale that year; secondly, making sure that the store selling Apollo Shoes does not negatively influence the sales; and thirdly, knowledge of retail outlets clientele will help Apollo Shoes better sell the products. Inventory: Back stock will be needed to keep in the distribution centers to be ready to go out to the retail outlets when required. However, this needs to be kept at a minimum to cut back on the amount of cash. Demand: Know what the best selling products of Apollo Shoes are and keep more of those on the shelves than the others. Pushing the most popular products will allow Apollo Shoes to maximize its

Does leadership style effect how organisational change is implemented Essay

Does leadership style effect how organisational change is implemented - Essay Example s of organizational change with special reference to the change models of Lewin and Kotter, the importance of various leadership styles and how they effect organizational changes and focuses on the other factors that facilitate organizational changes. The methodology section of the paper makes use of the qualitative approach and the research design consists of the leadership style survey of Lewin which was conducted among the managers and CEOs of various organizations and a direct interview specially designed for the employees who served in various organizations. .The major themes derived out of the survey and the interviews are elaborately discussed and analyzed in Chapter 4. The conclusions of the study show that leadership styles do affect how organizational change is implemented and prove that it is the democratic or participative approach to leadership style that best suits during organizational changes. The results of the study are equally beneficial to the managers as well as the work force in the whole of management scenario. The following chapter details the aim of this research project and gives an insight into the concepts of organizational change, leadership styles and how leadership styles affect how organizational changes are implemented. An overview of the topic as well as the justification for the topic is also dealt with. . The purpose of this thesis is to illustrate the correlation between various leadership styles and how organisational change is implemented under each of them. Therefore, the general research question is, â€Å"Does leadership style effect how organisational change is implemented?† The paper also tries to explore how different leadership styles de-motivate or motivate staff, and how employees respond to organizational changes under various leadership styles. The primary purpose of the paper is to identify which of the leadership styles best suit organizations during organizational change. The research topic is organizational

Seeking Proposals of Cummins International Case Study - 16

Seeking Proposals of Cummins International - Case Study Example I am looking for hardware equipment, fasteners specifically. The equipment should include; screws, bolts, washers amongst other fasteners. The detailed list is attached alongside this document. Provide a quotation of the fasteners you can supply, the price per piece, the overall price and the rate of price. The company requires that the supplier provides a documentation of the state of their products, indicating that they meet standards of operation. Â  Any bidding supplier is expected to have equipment that meets the ASTM International fasteners standards. The products are also expected to be within the ISO standards for industrial fasteners. The ASTM standards outline that equipment should go through its own testing environment, evaluation of the use of the material in its manufacture, dimensional aspects and certain properties of industrial fasteners in various uses. In the ISO standards, suppliers should meet the requirements outlined in the ISO Standards Handbook. Â  Every bidder will be expected to fill out answers to the following questions, accurately and correctly to ensure they get high consideration for the issuance of the project. The questions are meant to help us understand the suppliers’ background, their professionalism, and experience amongst other necessary details. The questions and answer will also work in great favor for the suppliers in helping them understand the requirements much more clearly. Â  As you bid, please remember to include your managerial team as your point of references for your work. Additionally, provide contact information for previous clients whom you have worked with in the past, or you are continuing to work with, and have been satisfied with your work. Â  Financial records are taken seriously to ensure that the winning bidding suppliers do not face any blocking circumstances.

Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 21

Case Study - Essay Example The analysis primarily comprises of the situations that result in to the decline or death of a brand and the appropriate approaches that can be applied to strengthen the survival of the brand and give it another chance of survival (Aaker, 1991). The death or decline of a brand is a complicated issue that a time leads to controversies, a good example sis the collapse of the Taurus brand after two decades. This brand by Ford Motors is a good example to indicate that the period of time that a brand stays in the market cannot be set, when the time for a brand to die or decline reaches, the entire process becomes irreversible. A good instance of how complex it is to revive a brand after its collapse id the example of the Harley-Davidson motorcycles. The main reason why it’s hard to revive a declining brand is precisely due to financial losses. However, research shows that it’s better to revive a declining or dead brand rather than developing a new brand, this is because the process of reviving a brand has reduced risks and expenses (Sunil & Chiranjeev, 2009). Branding is a technique that in many years has been applied to differentiate products and services from different suppliers. In the current day, the strength of a brand is contributed by its equity with its consumers. This is also defined as brand equity. Brand equity refers to the degree of difference effect that consumers product know how regarding a brand has on the reaction of a purchaser to the promotion activities. Today, some of the brands that have managed to maintain a very strong brand equity includes such as coca cola, HP, Sony to name but a few(Aaker, 1991). There are several reasons as to why brand die or decline, they include the introduction of the brand, its growth, the maturity of a brand and eventually the decline.in addition to these four factors, there are reason that a brand may die or decline, they include such as increase in prices of the brand with no increase in the

How conflict leads to disputes and the need for resolution Essay

How conflict leads to disputes and the need for resolution - Essay Example Several other factors also determine the most appropriate resolution method to be applied. For example, the nature of the conflict, the issues at stake, the cultural sensibilities of the people involved, the economic costs, etc are all factors to be considered. Once a general assessment of the conflict is made then steps can be taken toward reaching a solution. This can involve peaceful negotiations or mediations between the concerned parties. In case of conflict between two nations, nonviolent approaches such as diplomacy should be first considered before resorting to force. When it comes to conflict resolution in a business situation, the first choice action will be legal advocacy, which involves informing the stakeholders of the legal implications of various courses of action. In the realm of the academia, scholarly seminars and other pedagogic approaches are best suited for conflict resolution. Sometimes, a combination of various approaches is the most effective. For instance, in interpersonal conflicts, elements of personal counseling sessions alongside legal briefings is more likely to lead to amicable resolutions. In recent years, conflicts have arisen between environment protection groups and business corporations, primarily due to the tendency of the latter to externalize ‘costs and risks’. This has resulted in social activism and such international public forums such as the World Social Forum, World Economic Forum, etc are platforms for debating, contemplating and settling various disputes. Sometimes conflicts can arise between different ethnic and religious groups. Resolving such disputes would require a broad political framework. Hence, we can conclude by saying that â€Å"conflict resolution† is an integral aspect of all well-thought out processes in the realm of politics, business, society or family. Finding a mutually agreeable solution to a given conflict

The Concept of Modern State Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Concept of Modern State - Essay Example Although the majority of modern states fit Weber’s definition there are also some states with characteristics that do not fit Weber’s description. For example, failure of the state to have a total monopoly over ‘the means of legitimate physical violence over a definite territory’ or absence of any reasons for addressing the legitimacy of such monopoly as rational-legal does not necessarily mean that the state represents another form of political organization. This state will still noticeably differ from its predecessors (feudal and absolutist states) particularly such aspects as the degree of bureaucratization and the reliance on nationalism as a principle of legitimation (Jackson & Rosberg 1982).Formation and Attributes of the Modern StateThe basic attributes of the modern state developed over centuries. Emergence of the modern state in its current form was preceded by a series of gradual political, economic, cultural and social developments which began in Europe around the 15th century. At that time the largest European states such as England, France and Spain ruled by powerful dynasties underwent the process of centralisation of political and economic levers of control. The centralization involved the delineation of political boundaries when the increasingly powerful dynasties gradually eliminated other sources of power that might threaten their controls. Eventually once-almighty Catholic Church as well as the lesser nobility lost much of their power.... or addressing the legitimacy of such monopoly as rational-legal does not necessarily mean that the state represents another form of political organization. This state will still noticeably differ from its predecessors (feudal and absolutist states) particularly such aspects as the degree of bureaucratization and the reliance on nationalism as a principle of legitimation (Jackson & Rosberg 1982). Formation and Attributes of the Modern State The basic attributes of the modern state developed over centuries. Emergence of the modern state in its current form was preceded by a series of gradual political, economic, cultural and social developments which began in Europe around the 15th century. At that time the largest European states such as England, France and Spain ruled by powerful dynasties underwent the process of centralisation of political and economic levers of control. The centralization involved the delineation of political boundaries when the increasingly powerful dynasties gradually eliminated other sources of power that might threaten their controls. Eventually once-almighty Catholic Church as well as the lesser nobility lost much of their power, and the fragmented system of feudal states was replaced by another system characterised by full control over a definite geographical region and unitarism (Llewellen 1983). The political and religious conflicts that occurred within the course of the centralisation process culminated in the Peace of Westphalia (1648). This treaty is considered one of the important milestones in history of the contemporary system of nation-states: the Peace recognised fixed national boundaries and the sovereignty of states within their territories. Eventually, the system of centralized and increasingly bureaucratic rule known as

Logic of Statistical Significance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Logic of Statistical Significance - Essay Example Taking a sample of 1000 people, the nominal survey data collected is as shown: Suppose the null hypothesis is gender and preferences are independent. Then on evaluating the test statistics, getting a value of 16.2 using the degree of freedom of 2. Comparing this t-statistic with the critical value obtained from the chi- distribution table, suppose the significance level of 0.05 is chosen. Then it can be ascertained that the finding is significant as the t-statistic is higher than the critical value. This leads to the rejection of the null hypothesis and also the arrival of a conclusion that there exists a relationship between preferences and gender for that product. For the case of ordinal data survey, as in the example of a survey comparing the mean weights of male and female students. A statistical hypothesis test is used for making decisions on the data. The test result is calculated from the null hypothesis. The test sample is said to be statistically significant if its occurrence is unlikely to have been by chance alone. The statistically significant result that is given by probability p-value is less than the threshold of a significant level then it justifies the rejection of the null hypothesis. Once the variations have been attained, the Fischer value is calculated and is compared to the f critical value from the table at a given degree of confidence (Carlson, 1976). Another important concept to consideration is the use of one-tailed or two-tailed significance tests. (StatPac Inc, 2012) The hypothesis determines the selection of each. If the hypothesis gives directions, for example, men generally weigh more than women then the one-tailed significance test is employed. However, if the hypothesis gives no directions as in the example, there is no significant difference in performances between boys and girls, and then the two-tailed significance test is used. The two-test probability is exactly twice the one-test probability

Rizals Juventud Essay Example for Free

Rizals Juventud Essay This may seem like a blatant patronization of Rizal, but I like to say: I love this particular work of his. One can bask in the colorful language that he uses in this one. Also, this particular work presents a lot of allegories from which one can try to decipher and understand. And from these ideas we can see what Rizal is trying to say in the poem and in extention what is on his mind. In the first stanza, the writer writes of the Philippine youth as a flower about to bloom yet still a bud. The writer exhorts the flower to look up and shine. As one who has waited for long, the writer has determined that the flower is ready to bloom on this day as stated in the poem. Also the writer refers to the youth as the fair hope of this land. While old people are more experienced, they may have manifested most of their potential and thus about to become a relic of the past. The writer exhorts the youth to fully realize their potential, Manifesting the grace and gallantry of your [youth] line. It is interesting that in the next stanza, the writer asks the Spirit of grandeur to fill them [the youth] with noble meditation. I was half expecting Rizal to write knowledge instead of meditation. Upon some thought, I saw the wisdom in these words. While we continue to shove knowledge into our brains, if we lack discernment what to do with this knowledge, it would be useless and may even be our undoing. The writer exhorts the reader to higher aspirations tempered with cautious meditation lest what we learn may be our own undoing. This in my opinion is very timely. I am about to leave the university. As I go out into the world I shall utilize my knowledge to earn a living and live life itself. However, a meditative attitude should always be present to assess our actions and what is the wisest thing to do as of the moment. The next three stanzas reminds me of Platos cave and the chains that bind. In the cave, man is chained and made to watch the wall and the shadows on the wall. This is what constitutes his world. However, someone comes along and tries to make man see the beauty of the life outside. However, man accustomed to his world is confused with what he sees. This makes him want to return to the cave. In the poem, youth is chained to the wall. His intelligence and genius is shackled away to prevent it from flying. The writer exhorts the reader to smash these chains and see the light. Additionaly, Rizal sees mother Spain as one who tries to make the youth see the light. Instead of returning to the darkness However,unlike Platos cave, the writer sees one who has been fully freed from their chains in their mind. What perplexes me is that the writer writes of one who rises on his fantasy in search of poetry. I am tempted to interpret this as a general search for knowledge since we can say that whatever can be known can be expressed in the poetry of something (e. g biology as poetry of nature, mathematics as poetry of numbers). However, I am not entirely sure of this. But in the spirit of Rizals other writings I can say that this may be true. In the end, the writer exhorts the youthful and skillful musician, sculptor, and the painter to make haste and strive for glory. Because as said in the final stanza, the gains of these people will reflect on the nation itself and in the end will be a blessing to us all. However, in the present situation, I doubt that Rizal would be proud of the youth. Though growing in strength, a majority are still living in their own worlds, oblivious to the world outside. They need to know more about the world and see things for what they actually are. This of course is a challenge for education.

Internet Has Changed Peoples Lifestyle Marketing Essay

Internet Has Changed Peoples Lifestyle Marketing Essay Introduction The telephone took four decades to reach 50 million people The Internet has managed this within four years as digital technologies provide such efficient channels for business and consumer interaction transactions The Internet has changed people lifestyle; it became apart of people daily life. They use internet to replace their common activities such as E-mail instead of writing letter, MSN chat and Skype instead of using telephone, YouTube instead of watching TV. Therefore, many organisations tried to use Internet as a new way to reach their customers which called E-marketing. E-marketing is a new marketing strategy using to reach many consumers at low cost. It can be used to interact with customer 24hrs a day, 7days a week without any additional cost. Consumer can get information about products any times, any places. According to Seock and Norton (2007), consumer channel choices for shopping had been widened because of diffusion of the Internet: causing everything that happens to sales in electronic form or what it realized as online shopping. 84 per cent of global consumers have experience purchasing over the internet (Nielsen, 2008). Number of Thais internet usage rate is increasing everyday. There are many internet service providers offer high speed internet. Most of Thais are familiar with using internet in playing game, social network like Facebook, twitter but number of online purchasing is very low. Comparing between European and Western to Thai, the number of online purchasing is very different. Online purchasing is still very limited for Thais. They are not familiar with buying things online. Thai consumers love to see and touch and feel the product before making any purchasing decision. With brand name product, consumers seem to have a high involvement because its impossible for them to buy without seeing the real product. They also have very limited knowledge to buy thing online as they are afraid to share important information online such as their bank account, there personal data or their credit card number. At the same time, the number of Thai website that offers online service is very rare. Therefore there is opportunity to introduce this service for Thais. This research attempts at learning why Thais consumer do not want to buying brand name online. The aim of this research is to learn what Thai consumer perception toward buying brand name online is and what factors effect their decision making. What Thai consumers characteristic make a brand name online shopping. The area of this research will focus mainly on Thai consumers in Thailand. The research objective will be divided into five main areas: To investigate Thai consumer buying making decision toward online shopping. To investigate Thai consumers experience on shopping online. To investigate Thai consumers perception toward buying brand name online. To identify the most important factors in the buying decision making on online shopping in Thailand To investigate Thai consumer demographic characteristic who make online shopping. In research methodology, we will try to achieve the objective by using quantitative research through online questionnaire. The result of research will help researcher in order to achieve the objective that has been set and help us to determine Thai consumer behavior and perception toward buying online. Literature Review In this part, the researcher would like to divide into two parts: The first part will explain a character of consumer behavior towards high involvement such as buying brand name product, what factors effect them to buy online, and consumers perception toward brand. The second part will clarify the characteristic of online marketing in Thailand. Involvement Some products, such as high-performance car seem inherently involving because of their complexity, risk and cost, while others, such as toothpaste seem uninvolving by comparison because of their familiarity, low risk and low cost Laakasonen (1994) Therefore, buying brand name online is like a high-performance car because is too complex (untouchable product) and risky (fake product), this will make consumer spend more time in order to search information before making a decision. Moreover, a consumers level of involvement depends on their individual interests, value of products, needs, which attract or motivate them. Involvement is commonly defined as the consumers personal interest in buying or using an item from a given product field, an approach which nicely summarizes the personal, product and situational components of the relationship (Evan et al,. 2009). Factor Customer satisfaction seems to be a key major to influence consumer-buying decision. Customer satisfaction can be the most important reason for customers deciding to make a repeat purchase, and telling their friends about their satisfaction (Palmer 2000). If online shop can make customers believed that their shop has good quality product, secure, and friendly, this would help their shop gain more new customers. Not only online shops give customer a good quality product, but they should also give them equity. Oliver (1997) defined equity as a fairness, rightness or deservingness judgment that consumers make in reference to what others receive; it is also considered as an important determinant of satisfaction. With these product quality and equity, this would make customers satisfy and motivate them to make a repurchase. Brand Brand image seems to be an important for online market area because brand helps consumer make buying decision and it creates a credibility of online shop. Rio del B. et al. (2001) defined brand as the set of associations and behaviors on the part of a brands customers, channel membersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and that gives that brand a strong, sustainable, and differential advantage over competitors. In Thailand, the customers perception toward brand product equate to high price, which in turn dampens their willingness to make decision toward buying brand name online. Online market It seems to be that now the market channel has been classified into two main channels that are online channels and offline channels or we called traditional channels. Offline channels, consumers reduce of risk on shopping because they can have a physical interaction with products, when compared to online channels. According to Brown et al. (2003), Whilst shopping online allows the exchanging of value and productà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ by using computer as a medium of transaction transference. In Thailand, it seems to be that now Thai consumers still like to buy products from offline channel or in shopping mall due to online channel still do not have a good credibility. Thai online retailer should have to create credibility and trust to consumer in order to make them believe that Thai online channel is secure (Mict 2010). It seems to be that in Thailand, many of online retailers seem not to register for doing their business compare to Western country. Moreover, Thailand online payment still unsecure, this make Thai online consumers do not want to take risk on payment that is why they prefer to touch and see product before making buying decision. The key concerns that consumers have over the online purchasing trends are security of the privacy or financial which relatively unsecure once online payment has been made, such as credit card fraud (Harridge 2006). Moreover, Roman and Cuestas (2008) stated that security on online transaction is need to be strict as to gain trust i n the mind of shoppers regarding their online financial transaction made with the site will be safe form unauthorized access. Research Question This research has focused on four main research questions as follows: Who are online stores target customers in Thailand? What is the perception of Thai customers toward online shopping? What factors affect Thai consumers purchasing decisions? Which is the most important factor that influences Thai consumers purchasing brand name online? Research Method Research method helps online retailer know which strategies they should use to influence consumer buying decision. Research method can be classified into two types that are Quantitative research and Qualitative research. Both of them have different pros and cons, which researcher will discuss more in detail later on. Data can be collected in variety of ways, in different settings-field or lab-and from different sources. Choosing methodology is up to what paradigms the researcher adopts. There are two main paradigms or philosophies, which are positivist and phenomological (Collis and Hussey, 2003). The alternative terms for positivist are quantitative, objectivist, experimentalist, and traditionalist. The other terms for phenomenological are qualitative, subjectivist, humanistic, and interprevist. There are several data collection methods, each with their own advantage and disadvantages. The research method that researcher will use is Quantitative research, focusing on the survey method. Now, researcher should think about what types of questionnaire should be used, such as mail questionnaire, electronic questionnaire, and personal questionnaire. In this report, due to time limitation, it seems to be that the used of electronic questionnaire or online questionnaire will be more suitable and take less time, cost, and can expand very quickly in order to collect data than other quantitative research. After researcher has chosen a specific method, researcher will make a questionnaire by using pilot test in to make sure that all questions can be understand by respondent. If questionnaires have any errors or respondents hard to understand, researcher can improve before using to the target audiences. Researcher has specific target to make a research that is a Thai consumer age between 18 and 35 years old and compare between teenager (18-27) and middle age (28-35). A sample size that researcher expect to have is minimum 100 respondents, the questionnaire will be distributed through email and social networks to 200 respondent who have use internet. In order to make data collection, we will use both primary and secondary data. The secondary data will used on book, journal, article, and commercial online database provide from the website (Mintel, or Google Shcolar). Website offering information for a fee, almost every industry association, government agency, business publication, and news medium offers free information to those tenacious enough to find their website (Armstrong and Kotler 2009). The use of secondary provides a good start for research and define problem and objective. This helps researcher in order to find an objective for consumer buying decision and perception toward online brand name in Thailand. Secondary data helps researcher to better understand and indicated what has been missing form the current online business in Thailand. Moreover, it helps researcher to develop hypotheses and objective of the study. For primary data, a survey research has been chosen as a method of conducting a research, because survey was available to large number of population. As a time limitation, using questionnaire can help researcher save time and cost. After we already collect data from questionnaire, then we can identify that questionnaire is validity, reliability, and genalisability or not. Roadblock There might have some limitations when make a research, due to limit of time and budget cost. Moreover, the respondents are required to have a computer access to be able to take part in this research. Discussion To sum up, researcher believed that this research will help us to know more about Thai consumers behavior and perception toward online brand name store. The use of secondary data helps researcher can set a research question in order to collect a primary data. However, researcher has to select which research method would like to use in order to collect primary data. As a result, a good method in this report is Quantitative research by using questionnaire to collect primary data. By using questionnaire, it will help researcher to collect data and can analyses about Thai consumers. Due to time limitation of research, the used of questionnaire will helps us to save cost and time. The questionnaire has been sent to 200 via e-mail and social network in order to collect minimum 100 respondents. Researcher believed that the primary data that we collect can help to do finding and analyses on Thai consumers buying behavior and perception toward online brand name. Moreover, to learn more what f actor can influence Thai consumer in order to purchase brand name online.

Assessment of Airborne Bacteria and Fungi

Assessment of Airborne Bacteria and Fungi Quantitative Assessment of Fungi and bacteria in air inside Bradford Apartment Abstract The experiment was conducted from the week from 10/26/2014 to 11/02/2014 at the Bradford apartments. Different types of agar media were used to estimate and quantitatively assess fungi and bacteria in air within an air-conditioned apartment unit. Fungi are essential to our environment, due to their function of decomposing organic materials. Nevertheless, airborne fungal spores can cause irritations and allergies and can even compromise the human immune system in less maintained buildings. Inappropriate humid control or water damage, as seen in the apartment used for this experiment, can lead to high loads of fungal spores. Thus, this study focuses on the qualitative assessment of Fungi and bacteria in air inside a Bradford Apartment by using different agar media, which were incubated at two different temperatures corresponding to human body temperature (37 °C) and room temperature (25 °C) . Noticeable is that almost all agars incubated at 25 °C show a greater count of colonies than those incubated at 37 °C. Introduction The Apartment of interest is on the top floor and recently experienced some water damage due to a leak in the roof structure. It currently houses an Oceanic 29 gallon Biocube, which evaporates about one gallon of water within a week. The Apartment temperature was set to 25 C while conducting the experiment. The building contains vaulted ceilings and central air conditioning, which creates various microclimates favorable by fungi and bacteria. In addition, the living room and bedroom of the apartment contains carpet. Airborne fungal spores can cause irritations and allergies and can even compromise the human immune system in less maintained buildings (Taylor et al. 2014). The kingdom Fungi includes funguses or fungi, which represent a large group of eukaryotic organisms. All fungi are heterotrophs, which means they absorb nutrients through their cell walls and cell membranes. They are essential to our environment, because they decompose organic material and therefore, recycle nutrients essential for plant growth. Besides yeast, all fungi consist of elongated filaments, also called hyphae. When the hyphae grows bigger in size, it creates a network called mycelium. Once fruiting, they become mushrooms or molds. Fungi are abundant everywhere, such as dead matter, air, and soil but also in symbiosis with plants, animals and/or with other fungi (Van De Graaff, Kent M. et al, 2009). Bacteria belong to prokaryotic microorganisms, which lack a true nucleus and bounded organelles. They appear in different shapes such as spiral, spherical or rod-shaped. It is believed that bacteria were the first life form on our planet and are therefore present in soil, water, deep in the earth crust, and extreme conditions such as nuclear reactors. Most bacteria are harmless and can be found on and in the human body like the gastrointestinal tract. They also live in symbiosis with other animals and plants. One of their roles is to break down surrounding organic materials by converting them into absorbable compounds. (Van De Graaff, Kent M. et al, 2009). The media for this lab includes Rose Bengal Agar (RBA), Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) and trypticase soy Agar (TSA). In past research experiments PDA and RBA have been used to cultivate fungi. TSA is used for Bacterial growth (Neogen 2011). Frequent sinus infections were traced back to severe allergic irritations in eyes and sinuses, which compromised the renter’s immune system and caused illness. Therefore, this experiment focuses on bacterial and fungi abundance in air regarding different locations with three different growth media. Due to the structure of the apartment, greater fungal counts should be expected at 25oC than at 37oC. Methods Experiment was conducted from 10/26/2014 until 11/02/2014. Each agar was prepared with 500 ml deionized water, which was added into three different 1 liter conical flasks. Each dehydrated medium was weighed according to each Agar type: 16 g of Rose Bengal Agar, 39 g of Potato Dextrose Agar, and 40 g of Trypticase Soy Agar. Each dehydrated media was added into its own flask, it was well shaken and mixed. After sealing each flask with aluminum foil and autoclave tape, all three flasks were autoclaved at 15 PSI (120 °C) for 20 minutes. Once safe to open the autoclave machine, the flasks were taken out and allowed to cool down. Meanwhile, 4 petri dishes were labeled for each location, Patio, Bedroom, Living room and bathroom. Each flask was tilted sideways before removing the aluminum foil to prevent contamination through air entering the flask. The solution was then poured into 24 petri dishes. All dishes were left out for about 30 minutes to cool down and solidify. After sealing each petri dish, there were transported to the location of interest. Two petri dishes of each agar were exposed for 15 minutes at each location besides the patio location, which were exposed for only 5 minutes. Of the two petri dishes from each location, one was incubated at 25 °C while the other one was incubated at 37 °C. All petri storage units were sterilized before exposed petri dishes were placed upside-down inside of it. The first storage united only contained petri dishes incubated of 25oC, where as the second unit contained only dishes incubated for 37 °C. Each united was labeled accordantly and placed in its according incubation set to 25 °C or 37 °C. After a week, plates were examined and number of colonies were noted. Only fungi colonies were recorded on Rose Bengal and Potato Dextrose agar, while Trypticase Soy Agar only noted Bacteria colonies. Results Note that high numbers of 35 and 26 fungi colonies have been counted on RBA and PDA which were exposed outside for 5 minutes and incubated at 25 °C. In contrast, TSA only showed 7 bacterial colonies at the same conditions. TSA shows great numbers of 19 bacterial colonies at 25 °C in the bathroom, while Rose bengal only counts fungi colony for the same location. On the other hand, Potato Dextrose counts 4 fungal colonies. Noticeable is that almost all agars incubated at 25 °C show a greater count of colonies than those incubated at 37 °C, except PDA for the bathroom (Table 1). Discussion Fungi are present everywhere in great numbers and play an important role in decomposing organic matter. Our subtropical climate outside contains heat and moisture, which can affect the building structure. Furthermore, the apartment houses a 29 gallon Oceanic Biocube, which evaporates approximately one gallon within a week. The greatest amount of colonial growth was noted outside on my patio in PDA and RBA. PDA is composed of Potato Starch and Dextrose that encourages fungal growth, because dextrose and starch are a sugar unit called glucose. It functions as an energy source for fungal sporulation. This explains why 26 fungi colonies have been noted on PDA. The final pH of PDA is 5.6 +/- 0.2 which inhibits most bacterial growth but provides a good base for fungi. Some of the components in Rose Bengal Agar are soy pentose and dextrose. These substances provide nitrogen, vitamins, and energy encouraging fungal growth. Rose Bengal is a major ingredient in the Agar to avoid rapidly growin g molds and inhibits bacterial growth. Another ingredient is Magnesium Sulfate, providing trace elements essential for good fungal growth. All the ingredients provide a perfect base for fungal growth, explaining the 35 colonies counted. On the other hand, the air inside the apartment is filtered, dried, cooled down, and distributed by the air conditioner. Nevertheless, the water vapor from the aquarium causes high humidity within the apartment and changes the air conditions within the rooms. Some fungi and bacteria live in symbiosis within the human gastrointestinal tract. This explains why the greatest number of bacterial colonies were present in the bathroom. One ingredient in TSA is Pancreatic Digestion of casein, which provides nitrogen, vitamins and carbons for good bacterial growth. A majority of bacteria and fungi are known to survive very harsh conditions known to humans. Therefore, even though the bathroom is frequently cleaned, some bacteria and fungi are able to survive. As a result, 19 colonies in the bathroom were collected and incubated. Bacteria and fungi grow in many environments with different temperatures, from the cold arctic to hot springs. Therefore, the optimum growth temperatures vary. Bacteria can be psychrophilic, mesophilic, or thermophilic, with wide ranges of temperatures. Bacteria living within the human digestive system are exposed to a temperature of 37 °C, explaining the colonial count at 37 °C (Eddleman 1998). Fungi can live in different ranges of temperatures just as Bacteria, but the ranges differ. Most fungi are mesophilic, which lay between 18 °C-22 °C. Some fungi are tolerant to temperature changes, meaning they can survive or even grow in higher or lower temperatures varying from their optimum temperature. On the one hand, if the temperatures rise below the optimum temperature range, it can slow down or even inhibit chemical reactions, which can slow down growth. On the other hand, higher temperatures lead to denaturation of enzymes causing death of the cell. Therefore, the petri dishes incubated at 25 °C have a greater number of colonies than the ones incubated at 37 °C (Neogen 2008). References Dr. Burge, Harriet. â€Å"How Does Heat Affect Fungi.† The Environmental Reporter. Environmental Mircobiology Laboratory, Inc. March, 2006. Web. 19 September, 2013. 1-13. Ph. D. Eddleman, Harold. â€Å"Optimum Temperature for Growth of Bacteria.† Indiana Biolab, Palmyra IN. Revision #3. 23 January 1998. Web. 19 September, 2013. 1-5. Neogen. â€Å"POTATO DEXTROSE AGAR.† Acumedia. 4 April, 2011. Web. 19 September, 2013. 1-2. Neogen. â€Å"ROSE BENGAL CHLORAMPHENICOL AGAR.† Acumedia. 2 January, 2012. Web. 19 September, 2013. 1-2. Neogen. â€Å"TRYPCTIC SOY AGAR.† Acumedia. 6 November 2010. Web. 19 September, 2013. 1-3. Van De Graaff, Kent. Crawley, John L. â€Å"A Photographic Atlas for the Biology Laboratory.† Morton Publishing Company. 6th Edition. Englewood, Colorado, 2009. 63-76. 27-28. Print. Taylor, Michael. Gaskin, Sharyn. Bentham, Richard. Pisaniello, Dino. â€Å"Airborne fungal profiles in office buildings in metropolitan Adelaide, South Australia: Background levels, diversity and seasonal variation.† Indoor and Built Environment. 14 August 2013.

Free Essays - The Hounds of Tindalos :: Hounds

Textual Analysis The Hounds of Tindalos             The Hounds of Tindalos is a short science fiction story containing many and varied elements that have been long associated with the genre of science fiction. This essay will identify these elements, examining their placement within this short text and also the interchange of these elements with the characteristics of other genres, more specifically, horror. Belknap Long, the author, was clearly intent of incorporating the elements of horror within the genre of science fiction and this amalgamation of these two genres was a popular combination employed by future horror and SF writers. Perhaps the inclusion of horror within the SF genre is a comment in itself about perceptions of SF held by writers, the elements of horror being a cautionary warning to those in the science world. Long’s main character is Halpin Chalmers, a self proclaimed â€Å"rebel and champion of originality and lost causes†. From the start it is clear there are present within this text some elements of the SF genre that seem to be in just about every SF story, beginning with the main character. Many writers have as their main characters people who are non-conformists, who wish to boldly go where no one has gone before and who are willing to take seemingly illogical and irrational risks in the hope of furthering makinds’ scientific discoveries. Chalmers is no exception in this as he willingly partakes in an ancient Chinese drug that is a known powerful hallucinogen in a bid to go back in time. There is of course the proverbial â€Å"wet blanket† in the shape of the narrator, known only as Frank, who believes his friend Chalmers to be quite mad, but who never-the-less agrees to aid his friend in his bizarre experiment despite the risks he is taking. Frank represe nts all those characters in SF stories who are the skeptics, the non believers, who have a solid faith in the science of the present, and who consider characters like Chalmers to be eccentric and bizarre.       The setting of The Hounds of Tindalos is in the late 1920’s and the location is Central Square. Chalmer’s apartment room is where most of the story takes place. The room is in keeping with Chalmer’s character as a rejector of modern science and one who is still entranced with the historical side of science and history preferring â€Å"illuminated manuscripts to automobiles and leering stone gargoyles to radios and adding machines†.

Speech Analysis -- essays research papers

This is the speech delivered by President Bill Clinton at the annual White House prayer breakfast on Friday, September 11, 1998, to an audience of more than 100 ministers, priests and other religious leaders. First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton was also in attendance. The speech, written in long hand by the president, was delivered at the beginning of a day of tremendous political and personal turmoil surrounding the publication of the first report to Congress by Independent Counsel Ken Starr. The Starr Report, published on the Internet about 2 p.m. on Friday, laid the grounds for possible impeachment of the president, accusing Clinton of perjury, obstruction of justice and other offenses in connection with his sexual affair with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky. If the President did in fact write this address himself, I am very impressed with his communication skills. Repeatedly throughout the speech, Clinton appeals to the forgiving nature of all those listening. Within the first few opening sentences, the President manages to gain sympathy by saying that he â€Å"was up rather late thinking and praying about what he ought to say†. Through a combination of this and stating that he himself wrote the speech, he has already gained support form his audience – which can set the tone for how they will react to the remainder of what he has to say.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  President Clinton then continues his attempt to put himself on the same ground as the American publi...

Tungkol Sa Mga Manggagawang Mag-Aaral

Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen was born on March 27, 1845, in Lennop, a small town in the Rhineland of Germany. His father was a wealthy textile merchant, his mother was a Dutch lady born in Appledoorn, Holland. During his boyhood years Wilhelm already had a passion for experiments, but above all he loved nature. In school he was not very successful, not so much because of his performance but because of his behavior. He had trouble with his teachers, resisting their authority which finally led to his dismissal. Wilhelm ended his school years without any certificate. Because he wanted to pursue an academic career, he had to find another way to achieve his goal. A friend suggested the newly established Poly-Technical Institute in Zurich, Switzerland. There, he applied himself and easily earned a degree in mechanical engineering. He did not know what he wanted to do with this degree, so for awhile he did nothing. He caroused with his friends. It was during this time that he met Berthe Anna Ludwig, who later became his wife. He decided to continue with post-graduate studies with the encouragement of Dr. August Kuntz. By studying hard and concentrating on the task at hand, he was able to obtain a doctorate in physics with a thesis on gasses. When Dr. Kuntz accepted a position at the University of Wuerzburg, Germany, he persuaded Dr. Roentgen to go with him. In Wuerzburg he could not find work, so he tried his luck in two other cities. Eventually the Institute of Physics at the Wuerzburg University did offer him the coveted professorial chair, which he accepted, and in 1888 Professor Roentgen was elected Chancellor of the University. He taught during the day and spent many evenings experimenting in his lab. On the evening of November 8, 1895, while experimenting with electric current flow, using a spark conductor, he generated high voltages in a partially evacuated glass tube. The tube began to glow. He noticed that crystals of barium platino cyanide scattered on the table began to give off light when the tube glowed. An experienced researcher, he knew he was on to something. Further tests showed that paper, wood, aluminum and some other materials were transparent to these strange rays. Even at a distance of 2 meter the rays were still penetrating a wooden door. The professor realized that he was dealing with invisible electro-magnetic rays, which under certain conditions could stimulate certain materials to fluorescence. He exposed everything he could think of to these strange new rays, among them his weight box, a wire coil in a box and many different materials. He worked like a man possessed and he even slept in his lab. He found that lead glass is permeable to light but not to these rays, while wood stopped the light, but the rays passed through it. Then his thoughts turned towards bones. The bones seemed to screen the surrounding tissues. This monumental discovery enabled man to look inside the human body for the first time. Dr. Roentgen was uncertain of the nature of his findings, so he called this phenomena † X-Rays â€Å". He took a highly systematic approach to his studies and his experiments. He published a paper about the discovery and in December 1895 he held a demonstration with his first X-Ray pictures, along with one of his wife's hand. The discovery caused much excitement in scientific and medical communities throughout the world. Scientists in many countries started to experiment with these new rays, and progressive doctors very quickly used them as a diagnostic tool. A colleague, Dr. Kollicker, suggested in January 1896 to call these new rays after its discoverer. So it was done in Germany, a doctor orders a Roentgen picture, which is taken in the Roentgen Department of the hospital——- to this day. During the next decades it became obvious that X-Rays caused injury to various human tissue and to vision. Radioactivity was at that time not being related to these new rays. Many researchers developed radiation burns and cancer; more than 100 people died. These tragedies led to greater awareness of radiation hazards for health care workers. Early in the new century X-Ray equipment was being encased, and lead barriers and lead aprons were being introduced after the hazards became known. All this eventually led to a new branch of science: Radiobiology. In 1900 Professor Roentgen accepted a position at the University of Munich. One year later he received the first Nobel Prize for Physics for his discovery of X-Rays in Stockholm, Sweden. When his parents died, he inherited 2 million marks, which elevated him to the upper classes in the young German Empire. He traveled extensively with his wife to Italy and France, but most often they spent their vacation in Switzerland. He had fame and wealth and a feudal hunting lodge, but Dr. Roentgen was never really happy in Munich. He spent very little time furthering his research. Early in the century tuberculosis was still rampant. X-Ray examinations in mobile units throughout Germany detected the disease early and prevented it from spreading. Soon X-Rays were widely used in medicine, industry and cientific research. It became an important tool in the fight against cancer in the form of radiation therapy, along with surgery and chemotherapy. Today computer tomography is used in medicine and material testing. Since the 1960's X-Ray TV has enabled surgeons to monitor their operations. In the mid 70's micro-electronics entered the field of radiography. Today botanists use compute r tomography to examine trees for disease, and archaeologists to examine fossils, relics, artifacts and monuments. Dr. Roentgen once took an X-Ray picture of his gun. Perhaps he had a sense of things to come. One can hardly imagine airport security today without X-Rays. It is still the only devise that will detect an object of potential danger in luggage or on someone's person. X-Rays are not only generated here on earth; the universe has been full of X-Rays for billions of years. On June 1, 1990 an X-Ray satellite was launched to explore the structure and the developments of planets and the stars of the heavens. Dr. Roentgen's wife, Bertha, died in 1919 after a lengthy illness, during which he had virtually lived isolated in Munich. War and inflation had eroded his small fortune. Wilhelm Konrad Roentgen died four years later, on February 10, 1923 in Munich at the age of 78. His monumental discovery made a considerable contribution to the welfare of mankind. It also helps to unravel the secrets of nature he had loved so well. DISCOVERY OF XRAY. In late 1895, a German physicist, W. C. Roentgen was working with a cathode ray tube in his laboratory. He was working with tubes similar to our fluorescent light bulbs. He evacuated the tube of all air, filled it with a special gas, and passed a high electric voltage through it. When he did this, the tube would produce a fluorescent glow. Roentgen shielded the tube with heavy black paper, and found that a green colored fluorescent light could be seen coming from a screen setting a few feet away from the tube. He realized that he had produced a previously unknown â€Å"invisible light,† or ray, that was being emitted from the tube; a ray that was capable of passing through the heavy paper covering the tube. Through additional experiments, he also found that the new ray would pass through most substances casting shadows of solid objects on pieces of film. He named the new ray X-ray, because in mathematics â€Å"X† is used to indicated he unknown quantity. In his discovery Roentgen found that the X-ray would pass through the tissue of humans leaving the bones and metals visible. One of Roentgen’s first experiments late in 1895 was a film of his wife Bertha's hand with a ring on her finger (shown below on right). The news of Roentgen’s discovery spread quickly throughout the world. Scientists e verywhere could duplicate his experiment because the cathode tube was very well known during this period. In early 1896, X-rays were being utilized clinically in the United States for such things as bone fractures and gun shot wounds.

David Hume, John Locke and John Rawls on Property Essay

All the three philosophers, whose work I am going to scrutinize on, have very specific, yet in most cases common views on property. First of all, let me define what the term property means. Property, as I see it, is an object of legal rights that is possessed by an individual or a group of individuals who are directly responsible for this it. In his work Of Justice, David Hume puts great emphasis on distribution of property in society. Hume believes that only the conception of property gives society such social virtue as justice. Justice, according to Hume, is an important social virtue the sole purpose of which is public utility. To prove his point of view about how property distribution defines the existence of justice in society, David Hume gives several examples. Take an example of utopian society where nature supplies human beings with every convenience in great abundance. It is a state where everyone has anything he/she desires in great amounts. Consequently, there is no any conception of property, because there is no need for it ? you can have everything without putting labor on it. Of course, in such a state, Hume argues, every virtue will flourish, except justice. Why make separation of property, if everyone has more than enough; where there is no need to label objects â€Å"mine† or â€Å"yours†, because both of us can have these objects in great amount without any physical or mental exercise? Hume also gives real life examples, of water and air; because of their great amount, no one is trying to control over them, separate them. According to Hume, in such cases justice is no longer exists in the list of virtues. For property, Hume thinks, plays an essential role in making justice useful for people. OK ? but you quote yourself from a previous paper John Locke, in his work Second Treatise of Government, writes about his views on the conception of property. In the chapter which is titled â€Å"Of Property† Locke makes significant points about private property. He, first of all, tells how the right to private property originated. Being a true protestant, Locke believes that the right for the private property is given to human beings from God or as Locke himself writes â€Å"that God has given the earth to the children of men; given to mankind in common. † Since God gave earth (and creatures and plants living and growing on it) in common, there should be some regulations what exactly and when can be called someone’s private ownership. For instance, there is a great territory of uncultivated land. When can it (or part of it) be called one’s private property? When one comes and says the area is his/her, or when one draws borders and claims for ownership? Locke proposes the idea of labor. That only a labor puts a distinction between common and private. And he gives examples of apples picked up from the common apple tree. The apples become private right after they are picked up by their owner, because the owner put labor on making them private property. Then, very just question arises: what if others will not give their consent in making common resources private? Locke thinks that in this case mankind would starve despite the abundance of resources God gave them. OK There may be an objection to this that if putting labor is the only thing required turning common into private, why not people take advantage of it and put great efforts to gain more private ownership. The answer that Locke gives is very simple ? ?as much as one can make use of to any advantage of life before it spoils, so much he may by labor fix a property in: whatever is beyond this, is more than his share, and belongs to others. ‘ Therefore, the property is whatever one puts his/her labor in and can possess it for his/her convenience, but if some part of this property spoils or perishes, it is great injustice towards other members of society. Locke’s view on property very much resembles Hume’s thought of justice and property. Just like as Hume believes, Lock says that if there is a great deal of some natural resource, let it be land, the inhabitant of land do not value it. Hume would say that if certain convenience is given in abundance by nature, there is no property, hence no justice. Locke thinks the same that in such cases, the inhabitant do value the land until there is no room enough for them in that space ? problems with this sentence. Only in this case, people start, all in consent, distinguishing the property. So Locke says that one should not possess more than he can afford to possess, i. e. conveniences that will be enough for his comfort. And he says that if a person gains more, and as a consequence, some part of property perishes, then it is a crime towards others. It is very interesting that Locke says â€Å"perishes† or â€Å"spoils. † If it does not perish or spoil, then it is not a crime, as ? the exceeding of bounds of his just property not lying in the largeness of his possession, but the perishing of any thing uselessly in it. And then comes money, being the only mean by which a person can exceed property without spoiling it. Locke thinks that only money made it possible to a person to enlarge his/her possessions without hurting others. And only existence of money make people lust for more, as it was said, it never perishes. Locke makes a reader imagine of a place, where one has a big fertile land with a lot of conveniences. It is so big that it may perish as it is more than he/she needs. If there is no chance to sell it for money, this person goes back to the common law of nature that is using of conveniences what is enough for one. According to Locke, money, i. e. imperishable matter, is a key factor in peoples act for gaining private property. In explaining social order, John Rawls also gives special emphasis on property as being a part of economic arrangements. In his work Theory of Justice, Rawls says that everyone is equal in the politico-economic sphere of life. A right for private property is also included to this. Rawls justifies this right on the basis of individual autonomy and integrity, which are also basics of social justice. Rawls’s famous ? two principle of justice’ dictate that everyone must have an access to the basic liberties. Among basic liberties, Rawls include the right to hold personal liberty. He also argues about the economic inequality among those who possess private property. Rawls, in general, is against some kinds inequalities in possessing property. However, he writes that as long as such inequalities are mutually advantageous and do not exclude on party from benefits, then economic inequality is consistent to what he calls â€Å"justice as fairness. † Summing all the views on property and justice, which, as Hume writes, inseparably bound two each other, I would like to say that the fair distribution of wealth, which is justice, is very important in making the socio-economic life of a state healthy. Once there is no fair access to property, the society is apt to collapse, as it happened with socialist society of USSR, where all conveniences were common, even those on which a person put his/her labor. This, in contrast to capitalism, does not lead to competition or in other words ? to putting labor on objects to make them property. In such cases, there is no any justice, because those who work and input their labor and those who do not work get the welfare in the same quantities. The idea of property and justice, in general, is closely attached to the capitalist thought. Capitalism says that everyone has equal access to propertyopportunity? But not outcome?. It is fair to have property more than others if it doesn’t undermine others rights. However, unlike to other philosophers, Rawls in his works debates on capitalism. As an counter argument, he gives the idea of liberal democracy that seeks equality in the distribution of property-owning rights. The equal property distribution (by equal I mean what a person deserves), which is basis of democracy, is essential in building healthy society where all virtues, especially justice, will flourish. Property is what world progress. Hence, I think, the access to property and rights to equal distribution of property are essential in every society. References: 1. Reading materials of the course â€Å"Approaches and Issues in Political Theory† 2. http://www. bu. edu/wcp/Papers/Poli/PoliJung. htm 3. http://www. independent. org/pdf/tir/tir_08_3_taylor. pdf 4. http://links. jstor. org/sici? sici=0748-0814(1992)9%3A2%3C347%3AJLJATS%3E2. 0. CO%3B2-J 5. http://spectrum. troy. edu/~sltaylor/theory/hume-selection. html.

Ap Euro Essay 2-2

AP European Essay 2-2 The First World War brought about a phenomenon known as â€Å"total war†. Total war is a war fought on all fronts. A total war has the full support of the country and all human resources, from civilians to soldiers, are considered a part of the war effort. Total war during the first world war had a direct impact on the social, political, and economic structures of the European powers. Total war saw many changes in the social structures of Europe. With millions of men at the front unheard of numbers of jobs were available to those who had become accustomed to unemployment and poverty.This type of situation was seldom seen before 1914 where unemployment and poverty had been facts of everyday life. The role of women in everyday life changed immensely with the arrival of total war. With such large number of positions that were typically worked by men opening up many women took roles in society that they had never considered before, such as police officers, ma il carriers, and even industry workers. The presence of Total war also promoted social equality, blurring class lines and closing the gap between the rich and the poor.This greater social equality was very apparent in Great Britain where wartime hardships were never extreme and where the bottom one third of the population actually lived better than they had before the war. The advent of total war also brought about change in the political structure of the European powers. During the first two years of the war both soldiers and civilians supported their governments and saw their county as having a just cause for fighting in the war. European governments employed rigorous censorship and propaganda in order to control the public opinion and maintain popular support.By 1916 the stain of a total war began to wear on the people of Europe and some groups attempted to take advantage of this strain. One group who took advantage of this was the group of Irish nationalists in Dublin in who ros e up against British rule in the Easter rebellion. Similar strikes and protests flared up all over Europe due to inadequate food rations. Total war not only changed the economy of Europe but also helped to bring about a war economy that would have lasting effects.When the war began Germany went about setting up the War Raw Materials Board to ration and distribute raw materials. Under the direction of Walter Rathenau every useful material from foreign oil to barnyard manure was inventoried and rationed. Food also suffered from rationing with those who worked longer, harder days being allotted more food. This rationing of all useful resources facilitated the mobilization for total war and marked the first instance of state socialism functioning realistically rather than as a utopian program.Without these drastic economic changes the total war phenomenon would have never have come to fruition. The effort of both citizen and soldier were vital in bringing about the total war phenomenon. The social, political, and economic structures of the European powers were changed in great ways due to many nations embracing the ideas that make up total war. But through all of the many changes one thing was certain; war is a vital facet in the changing of societies and countries will shape themselves around it. Not only had the lives of Europeans changed due to total war, but war had changed.

South West Airlines a Review

SOUTHWEST AIRLINE ANALYSIS Contents SOUTHWEST AIRLINE CASE STUDY4 INTRODUCTION4 PART 1: EXTERNAL ANALYSIS5 OVERVIEW5 MACRO-ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS6 PESTEL Analysis6 Industry Analysis9 Five Forces Model Pictorial Representation9 Five Forces Analysis10 PART 2: INTERNAL ANALYSIS13 OVERVIEW13 SWOT ANALYSIS14 Strengths14 Weaknesses15 Opportunities15 Threats16 The VRIO Framework16 FINANCIAL ANALYSIS17 PART 3: CURRENT ISSUES AND CHALLENGES FACING THE COMPANY18 Mergers and Acquisitions18 Financial Outlay18 Legislation19 PART 4: STRATEGIC OPTIONS19 Ansoff Matrix19The TOWS Matrix20 PART FIVE – EVALUATION OF STRATEGIC OPTIONS21 OVERVIEW21 PART 5: DESCRIPTION OF THE TOWS STRATEGY22 PART SIX – DESCRIPTION OF SELECTED STRATEGY23 PART 7: CONCLUSION24 REFERENCES26 SOUTHWEST AIRLINE CASE STUDY INTRODUCTION Southwest airline is based in the United States with its headquarters in Dallas, Texas, that mainly serves a domestic clientele in northern America. The company has grown from a few ai rcrafts at induction into the aircraft market, to a fleet of many domestic carriers that serve the larger domestic airline clientele.Started in 1971, Southwest Airlines started business with three Boeing aircrafts while serving three cities in Texas notably Houston, Dallas and San Antonio. Today the company serves 97 destinations in 41 states within the US, the District of Columbia the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and six near international countries with a fleet of 694 Boeing jets (Southwest, 2009). The company is now one of the United States biggest airline companies, offering low cost fares to their clients.The company offers the lowest combination of aircraft fares to its customers making it one of the most attractive airline carriers in the continent. The company boasts of in addition to the low fares a working staff that are reliable as well as a friendly customer service, a rich corporate culture that extends deep within the communities they work with. The company has grown ma inly through acquisitions and mergers with other companies and has been described by Fortune Magazine as one of the most profitable companies of 2012 according to (Southwest, 2012).This report will undertake an intensive look at the internal and external influences that affect the company as well as the current issues and challenges the company is facing. Further the report will generate strategic options for the company as well as an evaluation of them while describing the selected strategy. The main stakeholders associated with the company are the customers proven by the effort with which the company strives to ensure their comfort through consideration of pricing, as well as convenience offering many flights to various domestic locations offering the customers convenience.Other important stakeholders held in regard by the company are the employees of the company who are dedicated to working for the company, suppliers who continuously accord support to the company as well as the i mmediate community that the organization interacts with. With relation to the strengths that the company possesses in the domestic airline industry the company can be assumed to be working in a cost leadership generic strategy (Porter 1980). The reasons for this are that as the company is operating with the low cost policy to its clientele, the company has the advantage of working with a wide and broad base of clients.The strength therefore for the company comes from working with the numbers of passengers that it ferries between destinations on a low cost policy. PART 1: EXTERNAL ANALYSIS OVERVIEW An external analysis is often used by organizations in a bid to identify the threats and the opportunities that exist in a company’s environment. Opportunities and threats for companies are mainly of an external nature and can have a direct impact on a company’s performance. Opportunities for a company such as Southwest Airlines are potentially rewarding conditions only when the company responds to them properly and in the right manner.Threats on the other hand are the conditions that can potentially weaken a company and provide hindrance for the company potentially preventing it from attaining its organizational goals and objectives. MACRO-ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS Macro-environmental analysis involves a company analysing the environment that it has no control over. To do so is done with the purpose and intention of deriving the potential opportunities and threats that exist for the company allowing it to make appropriate considerations and decisions in the light of the issues presented.The PESTEL model is the most popularized model used to analyse the macro environment of a company in addition to other forms of models and structures that are also used in the analysis. PESTEL Analysis The PESTEL analysis tool looks at the environments of the changes in Political climate, Environmental climate, Socio-cultural, Technological, Economic as well as the Legal a tmospheres surrounding the entity (DeWit, 2004). A diagrammatic representation of the external environment that surrounds organisations is as described below; [pic]Diagram 1: PESTEL representationSource: Hunger (2011). Political Analysis The political climate surrounding the Southwest airline is not intensive. The managerial relations with the government of the day are okay. And therefore government interference in the affairs of the company is highly limited. Economic analysis An analysis of the economic environment surrounding Southwest airline is favourable. The domestic market the company addresses is well responsive to the company as they endeavour to fulfil their mission of transporting passengers at reduced rates that favour their consumers.The company has maintained profitable constant for the last 40 years. Socio-Cultural Analysis Socially the company has interacted well with their clients, suppliers and customers over the years. By giving back and engaging in community soc ial relations with the parties the company boasts of having a good working as well as cultural background with the people it has dealt with. The company owns a training centre from where they are able to give education to the people on aircraft flying as well as other airline related activities.In addition the company is heavily unionised so as to address the plights and concerns of their employees. Technological Analysis The company in recent years has engaged in technological advancements by keeping up to date with the current systems that are being introduced everyday integrating them into their systems. Systems such as booking, route paths as well as their company itinerary are available online and they have improved efficiency for the companies.The company further boasts of being the first aircraft line to own a website in early 1995 as well as the downloadable tool in 2005, that notified customers of offers and promotions that the company was running. Environmental Analysis Th e company has engaged in sustainable forms of fuel usage as well as sustain ably monitoring their resources. Through projects such as Evolve, which involved the redesign of the cabins on the craft to accommodate efficient waste disposal as well as reduce weight from waste on the craft.The company in recent times for example contracted Pratt and Whitey to supply the company with Eco-power water pressure washing systems that allowed the company to wash the grime of the engines turbine blades while the aircraft was parked at the gate. This allows the company to engage in environmental friendly ways while still maintaining their goals of quick turnaround (DeWit, 2004). Legal Analysis The company has been engaged in various legal tussles with some of their effects being felt to this day.A legal issue with the Wright Amendment has over the years been a stumbling block for Southwest Airlines as it acts as a limiter to the number of turn around flights that the company can offer. Having a l arge customer base is an advantage for the company but with the Wright Amendment whose recommendations are still being eliminated in phases the legislation has prevented the company from delivering more service to their clientele which would help them boost their revenues. Industry AnalysisConducting an industry analysis is also essential for a company as it helps the company determine the profitability levels of the company within the competitive industry (Hubbel, 2013). The main objective for this analysis is often to determine the factors of competition that influence the industry. Conducting this type of analysis is mainly aided by the five forces model that was presented by Porter, (1980). Its purpose is to mainly help create and manage competitive advantages for a company that may allow it to be steps ahead of the immediate competition.Five Forces Model Pictorial Representation [pic] Source: Sridhar, 2012 Five Forces Analysis The five forces analysis tool mainly undertakes a s tudy of the following areas in the external environment of a company; barriers to entry, substitutes available, supplier power, buyer power and finally competitive rivalry. Researching by concentrating using the above areas of environment for a company helps a company greatly when coming up with specific strategies and the development procedures on which to follow so as to assess the position of the company in relation to their current standing (Choo, 2002)Barriers to Entry Southwest airline is currently faced with a high amount of entry barriers into the market. In recent times airline companies have been conducting mergers and acquisition arrangements amongst each other mainly due to the high costs that are found within the industry. Among the first challenges to entry the company was faced with was the Wright Amendment which was created in 1979. This federal law governed the traffic at Dallas Love Field which was the predecessor to the airfield now located in Dallas, Texas.This a mendment regulated the amount of non-stop flights between Texas and other states. This law caused the founders of the company to concentrate on the local market dwelling with the demand that existed within the state of Texas. In recent times more specifically in 1997, 2005 and 2006 as a result of some repeal some of the restricting factors in the law were abolished leaving others intact. These led to the company increasing the number of direct flights in the state as well as expanding into other states around the country.In later times merging of companies has also created a problem for Southwest Airline. The reason for this is that these mergers increase the capital revenues for the other companies enabling them to invest more in profitable investments and thus more profits. This consequentially causes the company Southwest airline to lose out on market share and customers. Some examples of companies that have merged recently are Delta that merged with Northwest Airline, American a nd America West, United Airlines and Continental and the recent rumour that US Airways would be merging with American.Availability of Substitutes This refers to the alternatives that are available to the local customers. This is in reference to other forms of transport other than air. This challenge is not as significant to the company as since the other available forms do not meet the demands of the market in comparison to the demand for air transport. Transport by railroad is not as popular amongst the people since it is not enough in supply and not readily accessible. Road transport especially by bus too is not suited for the kind of clientele that need the services of the air transport.The customers who mainly use the service are frequent fliers as well as business people who need to travel across the country on a regular basis to meet their clients and other people they may need to interact with in the course of their journeys. Supplier power The ability of the company to meet the demands of the market is very high. Supplier power refers to the size of the companies that are engaging in the supply of a service or a good. For Southwest airlines the company is very well capable to meet the demands of the market.The company services a large fleet of aircraft well suited for the job of transporting passengers and in addition has a very low rate of cancelled flights 16. 1% according to the statistics provided by American Skies in 2012. Buyer power The power of the consumers has been decreased by the capability of the company to manage their flights and fleets. In addition the company has a very high efficient rate of route utilisation meeting the demands of the market in a timely and capable manner. Competitive RivalryThe competition surrounding the company is fierce. With the recent mergers of the afore mentioned airline companies operating in the US alone, the market has become very competitive and volatile for Southwest and thus the need of a good strategy so as to keep up in the market or else risk being phased out. Some of the company’s main competitors are companies such as American Airlines, US Airways, United and Delta. These companies are engaged in acquisitions and mergers in efforts to dominate more within the market which poses a threat to Southwest Airlines.To win customer loyalty for Southwest Airlines in the highly competitive environment it is prudent that the paper also addresses the concerns that customers address before they identify an airline as their choice of carrier. Some of this factors that customers address are: i. Reliability- Is the company able to offer on time departures and how do they handle customer luggage? For an airline that is constantly getting delays this is not a strong suit or losing luggage in transit and is a turn off for many customers. ii.Number of flights- This is another consideration as clients may be interested in travelling back and forth even within a day. The number of flights t hat a company handles is also a vital factor to win the loyalty of a customer to the company. iii. Pricing- This factor is the most important. In today’s economies customers have become price sensitive and will go for the cheapest options available but that provide quality services that a client may feel as they have spent their money in a worthwhile manner. Using the PESTEL and Five Forces Models above a number of opportunities present themselves.The opportunities available are that once the Wright Amendment restrictions are lifted the company could increase the number of turn around flights delivering more services to the customers. The company could engage more in mergers and acquisitions to take advantage of more international flights to more destinations. The threats that pose a danger to the company achieving its goals and objectives include the possibility of losing clients to other companies as a result of the mergers occurring that could in turn induce the lowering o f prices by the other companies as they would have more resources.The threat of economic instability causes a rise in cost in provision of added benefits which would force the company to downsize staff or reduce on other costs or be left with the option of increasing fares so as to continue working efficiently and effectively. PART 2: INTERNAL ANALYSIS OVERVIEW This is an evaluation of a company’s current position from an internal point of view with regards to the marketing operations and financial strengths of a company. Using a value chain for Southwest airlines would benefit the company as they strive to offer valuable services in the industry to their stakeholders.Using internal analysis would benefit the company in streamlining operations as they would endeavour to use their strengths and turn around their weaknesses so as to create opportunities in the chains of activities in the delivery of operations that they would undertake. SWOT ANALYSIS An internal look at the com pany using the SWOT analysis reveals the strengths possessed by the company as well as the weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing the company.An internal analysis of the company’s relations and affairs helps in trying to determine on which areas the company could possibly improve upon so as to come up with good strategies that the company can work with (Hunger, 2011). Strengths i) The company has a stable financial outlay that assists when it comes to mergers and acquisitions. The company recently announced an expansion program of their company headquarters where they would then serve clients on a 24hr basis having ensured that their systems would be up to date and efficiently working for the market it seeks to maintain. i) Low fee airline. For the company this is a strength because consumers and the market get to enjoy quality services as well as at an affordable price making it one of the most profitable companies through opportunistic costs. The company through its n umerous routes transports many passengers while conducting their quick turnaround system to meet the heavy demand present in the market. iii) A good working staff. One of the many fun facts about the company is that they have 1,355 married couples. This is a sign in addition to the many unions present within the company to address issues and concerns f the staff members. What the above facts present is that the company enjoys a good working environment and highly motivated at the same time. iv) The company has the lowest complaint records according to American Skies 2012. The rate was estimated to be at 0. 32 of every 100,000 passengers. This is a strength acknowledging a good appreciative customer base. Weaknesses i) With the maintenance of the low pricing strategy adopted the company has been utilizing the conditions have however been changing especially with the recent economic troubles that were experienced globally.In the aviation industry, this was affected by the high costs o f fuel and other products. ii) Confined market. Over the years the company has been dealing domestically limiting the number of consumers and who in turn developed an attitude towards the company when it came to destinations outside the domestic company. This left room for other companies to set up shop in the international travel market. Opportunities i) The company has an opportunity to deal with the international market through associations created recently with companies such as AirTran Airways.The merger which is expected to be complete by the year 2015 is an opportunity for the company not only to increase its revenue but to also expand its market. ii) Good pricing on aircraft. Dealing with exclusively Boeing to deliver crafts for the company the company has been the launching pin for many of the Boeing designs and creations. The good relationship that exists with the company presents that the company can get good pricing deals for the aircraft that they incorporate into their fleets. Threats ) The company is faced with the threat of losing out on revenue with the high costs being incurred by the company in the conduct of its operations in comparison to the low pricing that they charge to their customers. ii) The recent merging trend happening in the industry also poses a great threat for the company. This threat poses the challenge for the company by them losing out on the market share which stands at 12. 3 according to the American Skies records, 2012. The VRIO Framework [pic] VRIO framework addresses the questions of Value, Rarity, Imitability and Organization.Using this framework to generate strategic plans for a company is also a worthwhile strategy by asking the questions on the resources available to the company, are they valuable, rare, can they be duplicated and the capability of the organization to exploit this resources. For example using the resources of the company ie. Number of staff, aircraft carriers, capital outlay, loyalty of the custom ers we get the following results by asking the questions, i) Value: Is Southwest able to exploit this resource or neutralize a threat in regards to the resource? ii) Rarity: Is Southwest in control of the industry on this resource? ii) Imitability: Is the resource difficult to imitate in the industry? iv) Organization: Is the company ready to take advantage of the market? For Southwest the answers to this questions are as found in the table below. |Resources |Value |Rarity |Imitability |Organization | |Staff |High |Yes |No |Yes | |Aircraft carriers |High |Yes No |Yes | |Customers |High |Yes |Yes |Yes | |Capital outlay |High |Yes |Yes |Yes | FINANCIAL ANALYSIS Financial analysis for the company reflects that the company has been doing well with a net income of $421 million (? 279) in 2012 as reflected below: †¢ Net income: $421 million (? 279) †¢ Net income, excluding special items: $417 million (? 76) †¢ Total revenue passengers carried: 109 million †¢ Total RPMs : 103 billion †¢ Average passenger load factor: 80. 3 percent †¢ Total operating revenue: $17. 1 billion (? 11. 3) (Southwest, 2012). In comparison to the achievements the company has made over the years a good strategy needs to be determined and formulated so as to assists the company maintain its lead as well as strengthen it. PART 3: CURRENT ISSUES AND CHALLENGES FACING THE COMPANY The company as identified by the above tools of analysis reveals that the company is faced with a number of challenges as articulated below.Mergers and Acquisitions This challenge though Southwest company is also engaging in it shows that the company is taking up its position within the international aviation industry in a slow paced nature. With other companies merging so as to take advantage of resources and opportunities means that they are gaining more within the markets. With a project as the merger between the company and AirTran Airways the process should be speeded up so as to create the opportunity for the company to engage in more destinations as well as the international market (Southwest 2012).Financial Outlay The company has steadily over the last few years been losing out on revenues and reduction in profits. For Southwest, this challenge has been as a result of increased costs of operations as well as diversion of revenue towards other projects such as the expansion of the headquarters for the company. For the company this poses the challenges for the company since they are investing in more acquisitions which are on a low share of the market bringing in little returns although increasing the number of destinations that the company can reach thereof.Legislation Amendments to regulation such as the Wright Amendment are required to be amended fast and implemented so as to create an opportunity for the company to increase its number of flights between destinations to serve the large customer base and reduce on the loss of revenue. Federal legislation is what made the company start off at a slow pace that caused the company to lose out on gaining more market share. PART 4: STRATEGIC OPTIONSWith relation to Southwest airlines strategy of delivering services to their clients at the lowest costs confirms that the company wishes to continue with the generic strategy of cost leadership. With the options available for the company such as those of mergers this could entirely support the company in achieving its goals and objectives of expansion and cost effectiveness. Strategic tools such as the Ansoff Matrix and the TOWS matrix reveal strategic options that a company such as Southwest could implement and follow so as to increase their position in their market (Choo, 2002).Ansoff Matrix As depicted in the image below the Ansoff matrix is a simple model that helps a company identify the opportunities present for it to engage in and come up with a good strategy by looking at the factors of market penetration, product development, market developm ent and diversification by comparing to the products offered and the markets available. For Southwest the company has penetrated the market effectively in the domestic scene whereas internationally the company is taking a slow route with the merging with other companies such as TransAir Airways.This tool links organizations marketing strategies together with the strategic directions that the company is pursuing so as to present the organization with alternative growth strategies. The tool identifies the market as well as the organization on the grounds of level of market penetration and market development. These two features of the market are analysed on the grounds of the relation of existing products to the existing as well as the new markets. Product development and diversification are measured and obtained in the view of how new products will relate or will be received in an existing market as well as a new market. pic] The TOWS Matrix This employs the theory of the SWOT analysi s but instead identifies the threats and opportunities first and the weaknesses and strengths are last. The reason for this is so that the management identifies the threats and opportunities first and then using the strengths and weaknesses finds the best solutions on how to handle them. The threat of losing out revenue and the emerging trends taking place in the market are the biggest challenges for the company. The opportunities for the company are those of penetrating the international market through mergers and partnerships with other airlines so as to gain ground.The company also has the opportunity to reduce costs by gaining discounts from suppliers and other available resource demanding duties so as to increase revenue. To increase opportunity and reduce the threats the company should employ the strengths of the strong financial outlay and engage in profitable projects to cover revenue base, and take advantage of the strong customer loyalty base available for the company. Wit h weaknesses the company should re-evaluate their pricing strategy so as to keep up and maintain a stable working financial base without losing value from their customers.PART FIVE – EVALUATION OF STRATEGIC OPTIONS OVERVIEW Strategy evaluation is an easy task to perform for management of an organization especially when using procedures such as those described above. However it becomes more complicated when the strategies to use are concerned with emerging issues that are not expected. In the selection of the best criteria to use when selecting the best strategy so as to ensure its success in implementation the criteria that they need to meet range from consistency, consonance, advantage, feasibility, suitability, and acceptability.Developing a choice strategy, an organization should ensure that the strategy does indeed meet all the above criteria so as to be considered as being worthy of implementation. In the case of Southwest airlines, using the generic strategies of the An soff Matrix, TOWS matrix to sort the internal elements that influence the organization and the PESTEL and five forces models for the external environment determining the best strategy would involve analysing the strategies using the criteria above.For the internal analysis the TOWS matrix lacks in consistency. The elements that present themselves are lacking in consistency due to the constant changes going on in the environment. As the company undergoes restructuring as a result of the merger with other organizations this presents the problem of different variables coming up making the matrix not suitable to rely upon. Unlike the Ansoff matrix that fits all the criteria as stipulated the failure by one strategy to meet this disqualifies it from being used.In the external analysis the PESTEL analysis is the best strategy to use as it has a broad coverage detailing the issues that are relevant this model out rightly fits into the Southwest Airline external environment. PART 5: DESCRIP TION OF THE TOWS STRATEGY The TOWS analysis is the best method to utilize for development of the strategy. The matrix comprehensively involves an intensive study of the external and the internal environments that affect the company. The possible strategies that come out of the use of the TOWS analysis are: i. Engaging in the International MarketPenetrating into the international market would be a rich opportunity as the company is already popular domestically and so the company could be assured of gaining ground in the market share. Investing in this opportunity would be a gain for the company. With the repeal of the Wright Amendment with the last clause expected to be taken off in 2014 the company could easily take advantage of this opportunity and expand their market. ii. Reduction of costs By reducing on the heavy investments such as the staffing costs the company could save on revenue and profits.Laying off excess staff and conducting an intensive study on which resources to sav e up on would create an opportunity of savings for the airline. iii. Taking advantage of more Mergers with other airlines The last strategy that the company could possibly engage in would be that of merging with more companies. This would lead to savings on capital resources for the company. At the same time more ground would have been covered as the companies working in conjunction with each other would help reduce the barriers that a company by itself would be challenged with.PART SIX – DESCRIPTION OF SELECTED STRATEGY The strategy recommended for Southwest Airlines would be to embark on an international growth pattern. Going on global outreach program would help the company boost its profit as it serves more clients in the international market. The reputation of the company as a result of being an already established airline would help boost its image in the international scene especially as a result of the low pricing strategies that the clients would be expecting as well as the helpful members of staff.Providing a consistent and adaptive transport system as the company is already known for domestically would ensure that the company would always have an awaiting market ready for them. By expansion through more acquisition programs as well as mergers the company would ensure that the fully meet the demands of the market. The idea of expansion is also feasible by that the company already possesses adequate resources from staff, to carriers and the capital to launch into the new ventures could easily be raised with respect towards the financial reserves that the company possesses.The expansion strategy is also suitable and acceptable as the market is quickly turning global with individuals travelling further away mainly for the purposes of business or leisure. The world today has been brought together making it very accessible from one area to another. The physical requirements that could possibly be required would be those of carriers, which the compa ny already possesses financially the company possesses the strength and capital. Human resource is not an issue for the company as it has a good relationship with its staff and in addition the company further possesses a large base of employees.Finally the company possesses the reputation of a good cost effective and dependable airline. With this the company has one of the biggest strengths that it could actually possess that would ensure its success in the international market. PART 7: CONCLUSION Strategy formation is an important aspect in enhancing organisational, and market growth. Strategy formulation enhances effective creation future growth plans for the organisation through continued research of the most effective strategies relating to organisations objectives and implementing them to ensure effective organisational growth.Southwest airlines realises this fact and hence inputs a lot of research and commitment into ensuring that proper strategic decisions are met that enhanc e achievement of organisation’s overall objectives. Incorporation of a competent and skilled research and development team ensures that the organisation conducts the necessary research on their products, their performance, customer satisfaction and customer needs experienced in their current product market and anticipated venture markets.Through proper incorporation of the TOWS model, the organisation is able to understand market demands through incorporation of market penetration and development strategy, product development strategy and diversification strategy depending on current position of organisation products in the market and their anticipated growth strategy. Therefore strategy formation plays a vital role in enhancing organisational development through incorporation of various strategy development measures that aim at expanding organisation’s market share and scope.REFERENCES Choo, M, Chun, W & Bontis, N 2002, The Strategic Management of Intellectual Capital and Organisational Knowledge. New York: Oxford University Press. De Wit, B & Meyer, R 2004, Strategy, Process, Context and Content: An International Perspective, 3rd ed. , London, Thomson International Business. Gomez, M, Luis R, Balkin, D, & Cardy, L 2008, Management: People, Performance, Change, 3rd edn, New York: McGraw-Hill Hunger, J & Wheelen, L 2001, Essentials of Strategic Management, Prentice Hall. Southwest. om, 2009, Southwest Airlines –A Brief History. Retrieved on http://www. southwest. com/swamedia/swa_history. html Porter, M. E. 1980. Competitive Strategy: Techniques for analyzing industries and competitors. New York: The Free Press â€Å"Southwest Airlines will become Launch Customer for the New Boeing 737 Max Aircraft† 2011. Southwest Airlines Retrieved on 1st March 2013 http://www. swamedia. com/releases/7b1c6522-daf8-40be-98d4-ce354aa974d3 Sridhar, A. (2012) Information Systems Strategy and Management, Masters in Management Information Systems at UIC .