How Sports Influenced Me

Fit For Life How Sports Influenced Me Winning athletes and top students share many of the same qualities. They are both hardworking, dedicated, and have the desire to be successful. But a student-athlete has all of these characteristics plus numerous others. Throughout high school, I played multiple sports and they each taught me something different, influenced my life, and helped shape me into the person I am today. A few things I learned include how important teamwork is and how critical it is to have a good work ethic.Playing high school level sports was an amazing experience, unmatched by any other. I will carry all the attributes I learned through my life. One of the most important things I learned as a high school athlete was how to work well with others. Teamwork creates a sense of unity within a group of people that leads to having a successful team. Playing a myriad of sports during high school made me understand that when a team works together, as one, they get the greatest results.Teamwork is also important in the classroom. I discovered that working side by side with my classmates not only allowed me to excel academically but I could also help my peers reach their greatest potential as well. The first thing athletes are taught is to always try their best, no matter what. If a team is down by 20 points, a dedicated athlete will give everything he/she has and never quit. If just one player quits, either mentally or physically, the rest of team gets dragged down too.Athletes are told to be players who always hold their heads high and never accept defeat. This is how I became a leader and developed an exceptional work ethic. These are both important qualities for any person to possess. After high school I will pursue a Master of Education degree with a focus on elementary education. I hope that when I become a teacher I am able to teach my students to live by the same virtues. How Sports Influenced Me Fit For Life How Sports Influenced Me Winning athletes and top students share many of the same qualities. They are both hardworking, dedicated, and have the desire to be successful. But a student-athlete has all of these characteristics plus numerous others. Throughout high school, I played multiple sports and they each taught me something different, influenced my life, and helped shape me into the person I am today. A few things I learned include how important teamwork is and how critical it is to have a good work ethic.Playing high school level sports was an amazing experience, unmatched by any other. I will carry all the attributes I learned through my life. One of the most important things I learned as a high school athlete was how to work well with others. Teamwork creates a sense of unity within a group of people that leads to having a successful team. Playing a myriad of sports during high school made me understand that when a team works together, as one, they get the greatest results.Teamwork is also important in the classroom. I discovered that working side by side with my classmates not only allowed me to excel academically but I could also help my peers reach their greatest potential as well. The first thing athletes are taught is to always try their best, no matter what. If a team is down by 20 points, a dedicated athlete will give everything he/she has and never quit. If just one player quits, either mentally or physically, the rest of team gets dragged down too.Athletes are told to be players who always hold their heads high and never accept defeat. This is how I became a leader and developed an exceptional work ethic. These are both important qualities for any person to possess. After high school I will pursue a Master of Education degree with a focus on elementary education. I hope that when I become a teacher I am able to teach my students to live by the same virtues.

Native American and African before the Europeans

According to Kennewick Man in his article that â€Å"for NAGPRA and other related legal purposes, the federal government defines native Americans as any tribe, people, or culture that resided in the territory of the United States before historic European contact and exploration. At present, there are more than 2,000,000 Native Americans in the United States, represented by 769 federally recognized tribes† (See K. Man, â€Å"Who are Native Americans?† Past concepts of Native Americans). In Wikepedia, the free encyclopedia stated that â€Å"the term indigenous people of the America encompasses the inhabitants of the Americas before the arrival of the first European explorers in the late 15th century, as well as many present-day ethnic groups who identify themselves with those historical people (See â€Å"Indigenous Peoples of the Americas†. From wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).On the other hand, the National Museums Liverpool published in its website that  "the people of West Africa had a rich and varied history and culture long before the Europeans slavers arrived. They had a wide variety of political arrangements which include kingdoms, city and other organizations, each with their own languages and culture† (See â€Å"Africa before European slavery†. National Museums Liverpool).Native AmericansEven though cultural features included language, garb, and customs vary enormously from one tribe to another, there are certain elements which are shared by many of the indigenous people of the America (See â€Å"Indigenous Peoples of the Americas†. From wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).Native America music of North America Indians is almost entirely monophonic but there not notable exceptions. Traditional Native American music often includes drumming but little other instrumentation, although flutes are played by individuals. While the art of the indigenous people of Central Mexico and Central Americas comprises a major category in the world art collection. Their contributions are pottery, paintings, jewelry, weavings, sculptures, basketry, and carvings (See â€Å"Indigenous Peoples of the Americas†. From wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).*European Colonization*In wikipedia, its researched stated that â€Å"the European colonization of the Americas forever changed the lives and cultures of the indigenous peoples of the continent. In 15th century up to 19th century, their populations were ravaged by the privations of displacement, by disease and in many cases by warfare with European groups and enslavement by them. The first indigenous group that was met by Columbus was about 250,000 in number which were the Arawaks of Hispaniola and this group was enslaved by them. These European people also brought illnesses against which the indigenous people of America had no immunity† (See â€Å"Indigenous Peoples of the Americas†.From wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).   According to Dav id Ruvolo that â€Å"the history of America religion is dominated by the presence of Christianity brought to the New World by European settlers. Time had run out for the indigenous race that populated the continent of North America. Native Americans were faced with an enemy that was more advanced like with the Israelites of the sixth century B.C.E.† (See D. Ruvolo, â€Å"A Summary of Native American Religious†).*Africa before the European slavery*According to Olaudah Equiano on his autobiography which he wrote in 1789 stated that â€Å"the part of Africa which was known by the name Guinea to which the trade is carried on extends along the coast above 3,400 miles from Senegal to Angola and includes a variety of kingdoms. This kingdom is divided into many provinces or distinct. In one of the most remote and fertile of which is called Eboe. Equiano was born in 1745, in charming fruitful vale named essaka. The distance of the province from capital of Benin and the sea coa st must be very considerable, for Eboe Equiano had never heard about the white men or Europeans† (See O. Equiano. â€Å"Early Life†. Merseyside maritime museum).*Agriculture*As Equiano stated that their â€Å"land was uncommonly rich and fruitful, and produces all kinds of vegetables in abundance. All industries were exerted to improve those blessings of nature. Agriculture was their chief employment, and everyone even the children and women were engaged in it† (See O. Equiano. â€Å"Early Life†. Merseyside maritime museum).*Clothing*He continued, Equiano, which â€Å"their manners were simple and their luxuries were few. The dress of both sexes was nearly the same. It generally consists of a long piece of calico or Muslin, wrapped loosely around the body, somewhat in the form of a highland plaid. This was usually dyed blue, which their favorite color. It was extracted from a berry and was brighter and richer than any he had seen in Europe. Their women, o f distinction wore golden ornaments which disposed with profusion on their arms and legs. When their women were not employed with the men in tillage, their usual occupation was spinning and weaving cotton, which they afterwards dye and made into garments. They also manufacture earthen vessels of which they had many kinds† (See O. Equiano. â€Å"Early Life†. Merseyside maritime museum).*Dance and Music*Moreover, Equiano added that â€Å"they were almost a nation of dancers, musicians and poet. In every great event such as a triumphant return from battle or other cause of public rejoicing,   was celebrated in public dances which were accompanied with songs and music which was suited to the occasion† (See O. Equiano. â€Å"Early Life†. Merseyside maritime museum).*After the Europeans*West Africans had traded with Europeans through merchants in North Africa for centuries. In the 15th century, the Portuguese were the first traders who sailed down the West Afr ican coast. After that, the Dutch, British, French and Scandinavians followed. They were mainly interested in precious items such as ivory, gold, and spices, in particular the pepper (See â€Å"Africa before European slavery†. National Museums Liverpool).ReferencesMan, K., â€Å"Who are Native Americans?† Past concepts of Native Americans.Http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/kman/who_are_native_americans.htm  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2.   â€Å"Indigenous Peoples of the Americas†. From wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous_peoples_of_the_AmericasRuvolo, D. â€Å"A Summary of Native American Religious†. Http://are.as.wvu.edu/ruvolo.htm  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   4.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Indigenous Peoples of the Americas†. From wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã ‚   Http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/maritime/slavery/abefore.asp  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   5.   Equiano, O. â€Å"Early Life†. Merseyside maritime museum.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/maritime/slavery/olaudah.asp#earlylife

Technological Influences: Good or Bad?

Technological Influences: Good or Bad? Our generation has been fortunate enough to have the privilege of growing up in the 21st century and using technology in our everyday lives. Previous generations were not as fortunate as us; they did not get to have the technology lifestyle as we do. Our digital access offers our generation technological advances that can either be harming our future or benefitting it. Technology has affected many teenagers and their families. The Growing Up Online goes into depth about the pressures and benefits with the internet and technology. In the video, many teens admit the technological advances are becoming a little too out of control. A child named Ryan Halligan committed suicide because of all the online threats and cyber bullying he was receiving. His father had no idea about the severity of these letters his son was receiving because they were all read by Ryan in the privacy of his own room. The anonymous messages were only possible through the use of this technology. Ryan’s ability to keep his online life private and away from his parent’s eyes is also a result of the digital technology. People are starting to express their feelings online, and not to other peoples’ faces. The cyber bully who was sending Ryan these horrible messages, would not confront Ryan at school, he would only harass him online. Technology is starting to create a world of people who are becoming less social. This is just one example of how the online world can create horrible worlds for the people who use it. Greg Burta is a teenager who was always isolated in the privacy of his room with his eyes locked in hard on the computer. He would play video games constantly or use the computer to â€Å"read† novels in five minutes. He would rarely leave his room and grew very impatient toward his family. This got to be so bad that his parents would text or email him, while in the same house, because it was the best way to get ahold of him. His grades were slipping and his relationship with his family began to plunge. Greg was not a special exception either; many kids today are doing the exact same thing, if not worse. They become so locked up in their rooms that they don’t know how to have fun any differently.. The use of computers, phones, and TVs is becoming an obsessive â€Å"hobby† that is starting to make people less social, and overweight. Their need to be constantly connected with their phones or on computers scares me for our future. The video Digital Nation gives more examples about the side effects of the internet. It shows one study about how technology can truly lead to death. In South Korea, there are miniature cafes called â€Å"PC Bongs,† people go to these cafes and become addicted to playing video games. Young men stay in these cafes for hours, and even days at a time, only playing video games. This is an addiction that can be very dangerous, and it has even led to death. These boys can get so engrossed in their gaming that they fail to eat or drink, and can play to the true point of physical exhaustion, and even death. Sitting on a couch for hours and even days is not beneficial for people’s health, and even their eyes. People need to be active and more social during the day instead of wasting time playing these games. The online world had a good impact of a girl named Amber. She used pages like Myspace and Facebook to feel important and pretty to people. When she wasn’t on these sites, she felt unimportant and useless. Amber would take explicit and questionable pictures of her self posing inappropriately and post them on Facebook and Myspace. When she would receive positive comments about the pictures, it would comfort her and make her feel beautiful. Her parents were completely blindsided when the principal relayed this onto them. He said that parents, students, and teachers had seen explicit pictures of their daughter and that it was completely unethical and inappropriate. They had no idea that Amber was doing any of this because when she used the computer, she was in her own safe haven of her bedroom. For Amber, the online world was a good way to express herself and her feelings. Most teens that do what Amber did become so caught up with their other online side that they can sometimes forget who they really are. The internet is a very good way for people to stay in touch with each other. In present times, people are video chatting, e-mailing, and instant messaging from all over the world. I went to Spain over the summer to stay with family, and emailing or using video chat made it so easy for my family and friends to connect with each other. The internet is also a good way to catch up on the latest information and news. This feature benefitted me and many others greatly. Every day the latest headlines from the news hits the internet faster than it goes onto paper. Many people rely on the internet for news about the stock market, foreign affairs, local news, and our country’s news. It has become very popular and almost a necessity in our country. Technological advances do have positive and negative side effects on our generation. Teens do too wrapped up in the technology that we have today. The boy that cyber bullied Ryan online, sending him vulgar messages, took advantage of the internet and used it to harm Ryan, but to feel better about himself. This could easily have been avoided if he was educated about the harmful effects of the online world. Greg played video games and used the computer to get summaries about books he didn’t want to read. He should have time limits for the uses of technological machines so he doesn’t get too carried away. Amber created a place where she felt comfortable by making an online persona. This site she had helped her gain confidence by all of the positive comments people left, even though she exploited herself. Without the news of current event, it would be hard to keep up on what is happening in the world. The technological advances that we have today give us a tremendous amount of knowledge and lessons that we can use our everyday life. Teens learn not to cyber bully because they know the possible outcomes. Some learn to understand that they need limits on machines, and some learn between right and wrong. People use the technological advances for everything these days, and now that they have been introduced, not very many people would even consider going without.

Happiness Advantage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Happiness Advantage - Essay Example However, for every success, goalposts are pushed further and further, and happiness is forced to the horizon. In a recent research that has been conducted in the area of positive psychology and neuroscience, there is evidence that in circumstance that the relationship between happiness and success works backward. Through this cutting –edge- science, it is now apparent that happiness is what produces success according to Achor. Dr. Achor argues that optimism and happiness gear to achievement and performance that result in competitive edge called ‘Happiness Advantage. The authors say, waiting to be happy limits the brain’s potential to success, while by positive minds results in more motivation, resilience, creativity, productivity and efficiency increase a person’s performance. The author says that is his discovery is based on a research he carried out in 500 companies worldwide and an interview with 1600 students in Harvard School (Achor 100). There are sev en main principles from the Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor that produce happiness. These principles include Happiness Advantage, The Tetris Effects, The Zorro Circle, Social Investment, The Fulcrum and the Lever, Falling Up, and The 20-Second Rule. The author was raised in Waco, Texas, and he never anticipated leaving the city. As he applied in Harvard, he wanted to train as a volunteer firefighter. He was unexpectedly accepted in the school, and this made him feel honored and privileged. After pursuing his studies, he becomes a proctor, hired to assist undergraduates navigate through the academic success and happiness. The author explains that his life in Harvard changed the way his brain processed his experience. Many learners in Harvard saw the school as a privilege, but others did not see this as they mainly focused on competition, workload and stress (Achor 120). The students felt inundated by every small challenge instead of being motivated by the opportunities ahead

Answer the questions at the back of each chapter Coursework

Answer the questions at the back of each chapter - Coursework Example (a) The world trading system would be greatly affected by the growth of Chinese economy. China is one of the largest exporters in the world. Every big company is producing its products in China due to cheap factors of production available in China. So that is why in future more and more companies would install their plants and factories in China. The balance of trade in the world would disturb due to the growth of China, because Chinese products are less expensive and people would prefer to use Chinese products. But on the other hand this increasing bubble of Chinese trade can burst if China ignores the demand and supply dynamics of the world market. (b) The world monetary system would definitely get disturb due to rapid increase in the Chinese economy. Due to increasing trade with other countries, the wealth of Chinese companies would increase and accumulate in China. This increasing wealth will where provide China plenty of investments but it would leave the world short of wealth and investment. The world monetary system can suffer a lot if not dealt with proper care. (c) The business strategies of European and the US corporations are in line with the growth prospects of China. These corporations are manufacturing in China due to less expensive factors of productions thereby increasing their profit margins. More and more companies would shift to China in the future due to rapid increase of trade of China with other countries. (d) Global commodity prices would also suffer due to the rapid growth in the trade of China with other countries. The prices of global commodities would increase due to their increasing need in China and similar countries. You are working for a company that is considering investing in a foreign country. Investing in countries with different traditions is an important element of your company’s long-term strategic goals. As such, management has requested a report regarding the attractiveness of alternative countries based on

The Vernon john Story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Vernon john Story - Essay Example At one instant, after her father was finished administering a service, Baby Dee entreated the reverend if there was a way they could ride a bus to get to leisure but Vernon replied in disagreement on discovering the imposed segregation, of the blacks from the whites, in Montgomery buses. On the initial phase of dealing with the situation of her father, Baby Dee was finding how essential it was to communicate well and build on a deeper level of bonding with her father. She started feeling anxious towards their condition, recognizing how profoundly involved Rev. Johns was to the congregation and his stance regarding civil rights and equality especially for his kind. As she told her father about an awful dream where she witnessed his dead body lying filled with blood, Baby Dee likewise mentioned her fear of death. This makes a picture of a character whose weakness emerged out of being helpless, inexperienced in such setting that enabled Vernon’s disposition to amply contrast his daughter’s view and preference of a conventional working head of the family.

Budgetary control Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Budgetary control - Essay Example Therefore, the primary function of budgetary control is provide a benchmark for making continuous comparison of the budgeted activity with the actual performance to ensure that the budgeted results are achieved or an appropriate action is taken when there are deviations in performance. This paper examines the strengths and weaknesses of budgetary control to a business (Libby & Lindsay, 2010). One of the most important strengths of budget control is that it is based on numerical data from the financial statements and existing budgets of the company (Van der Stede, 2001). Therefore, this ensures there is consistent with decision making by following trends and previous periods performance. Moreover, in event that the data used in establishing the budgets is correct, managers will be able to make sound decisions for their units, which will eventually, translate to better performance of the business as a whole (Frow, Marginson & Ogden, 2010). That notwithstanding, budgetary control is based on budgets that are time bound. Budgets are usually prepared for a given financial period. Therefore, they enable managers to monitor actual performance by comparing it continuously with budgeted results for that period (Montana and Charnov, 2000). For instance, the production manager can compare the sales units quarterly with the production units to determine if there are deviations in terms of sales units and units produced so that an appropriate action is taken (Dunk, 2011). If for example, the production manager realizes that the units produced are much more than the demanded units, he/she can take action by reducing the units produced and noting the necessary adjustment to be made in the product budget. Therefore, this provides a benchmark for determining the validity of the numerical data and reports used in the preparation of the budgets for the purpose of budgetary

Strategies for Making Menu Driven Interface Visually Appealing In Assignment

Strategies for Making Menu Driven Interface Visually Appealing In Modern Computer Environment - Assignment Example Evaluation of User Dialogue Strategies Used by a Menu Driven Interface User dialogue system is regarded as a computer system which aims to converse especially with the humans in a comprehensible structure. In menu driven interface, dialogue systems often comprise employed text, language, pictures, signs and other mode of communication for input as well as for output channels. There are several strategies that are used in user dialogue system. A typical dialogue system process comprises technologies and tools such as input recognizer, language understanding, conversation manager and output renderer. Input recognizer unit consists of speech recognition, motion recognition and script recognition. On the other hand, language-understanding unit comprises appropriate name identification, speech classification and semantic parser. With respect to the conversation manager, the task of this unit is to maintain proper records of discussion and to manage the usual flow of information exchange. Usually in menu driven interface, the conversation manager tends to per form multiple tasks relating to specific fields. The conversation manager generates output by applying output originator. This output is extracted by implying output renderer which comprise text to speech engine (Blair-Early & Zender, 2008). Determination of Popularity of Menu Driven Interfaces Menu driven interfaces are still popular in modern computing age. Basically, this system possesses several advantages that assist in gaining the popularity of menu driven technology. ... Furthermore, menu driven system is visually attractive and provides the users a better graphical interface to work with. Menu driven system is also affordable and hence appropriate for beginner user model (Lee & Raymond, n.d.). Menu driven system also permits novice users to execute information seeking activities without having proper knowledge on command language. Menu system completely narrows down the activities of information seeker and therefore do not permit articulacy of command styles. Additionally, direct management style of menu driven system provides information seeker with clear plotting between physical functions and system responses. As a result, it is still popular in modern computer system (Marchionini, 1997). Strategies for Making Menu Driven Interface Visually Appealing In Modern Computer Environment There are several strategies that can help to make the menu driven interface visually appealing. The first strategy is the use of answer dialogue. Answer dialogue strat egy is basically used in order to supplement different dialogues under menu driven system. This strategy necessitates consideration of possible answers to manage the actions in case of incorrect answers (Savage & et. al., 1982). The second strategy is direct manipulation. Direct manipulation strategy permits the operation of graphical objects which appear in the monitor screen. This strategy mainly concentrates on utilization of icons and images in order to suggest effective functions to the users (Savage & et. al., 1982). The third strategy for making menu driven interface more visually appealing is the use of instruction sets. However, this strategy can only be used

Theory of Mind and Child Bullying Literature review

Theory of Mind and Child Bullying - Literature review Example Conclusion 15 References 17 Introduction Social issues and concerns have normally come under immense ignorance and people fail to notice the issues that leave indelible imprints on to abundant of people. Bullying, predominantly child bullying is one of the socially ethical dilemmas that dates back to several decades and may be centuries (Sanders and Phye, 2004, pp. 1-3). One can define bully as a "Use superior strength or influence to intimidate (someone), typically to force him or her to do what one wants" (Alvesson and Spicer, 2011, pp.165). This means that bullying is an action that can come under performance by either one person and can even involve a group of people, where they tend to have aggressive and violent conduct. In addition, the practice of bullying is intended to provide harm to other people or become a source of humiliation for them publically because they perceive them stronger and wants to prove their dominance over the weaker people (Sanders and Phye, 2004, pp. 3-5). In general, it has come to observation that the victim's abilities, personality, ways of expression, gender, religion, culture, and several others become the primary or fundamental source of bullying. Bullying not only comes under restriction to verbal harassment, but also can lead to further violent conduct that includes physical assault and psychological violence. (Coloroso, 2009, pp. 5-8). Bullying has become one of the common and widespread practices that comes under exercise in nearly every institution whether it be educational institutions like schools and universities, workplace and even neighborhood. Due to this persistent and extensive application of bullying in every facet of life, it has become imperative to discover the root causes behind it, the harm that it can provide and the extensive research with respect to the subject matter (Macfarlane and McPherson, 2004, pp. 10-12). The relation of child bullying to theory of mind is imperative t o understand because the theory of mind is one of the social cognitions that come under development in the early childhood. However, the actions of the child are highly dependent upon social cognitions. This means that the mind and development of the child leads to understand the actions performed in the social world. Due to this, it comes under considerations as one of the most important developments of early childhood tha t helps in shaping the personality of the child. Child bullying has a lot of influence and power on how the personality of the child comes under formation in his or her childhood. Therefore, it is pivotal to study and analyse the role and impact of theory of mind upon the performance of the child that can help understand how and why child bullying comes under relationship to theory of mind. The thesis report has come under division into segments where the first segment broadly defines the wide-ranging research that has come under performance with respect to the grave issue, at the same time enlightening child bullying and theory of mind. In addition, it also includes a comparative study that delineates the relationship between the two. The following segment highlights the strengths, limitations, and omission in the research taken place concerning the two aspects. Lastly, based on all the research studies suggestions would come under articulation for future research questions as well as research methods. Overview to Literature Review Process The literature review concerning the matter of child bullying and theory of mind have come under consideration, numerous studies and researches have come under practice that can bring this matter into

America's role in the world Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

America's role in the world - Research Paper Example This was just the beginning; the invasion of the US in other countries did not stop. â€Å"The invasion into Iran was another poor decision by the US personnel, they may have benefitted monetarily but their reputation as a country took a major hit in the eyes of the rest of the world.† (Bamford, James) â€Å"The US has always tried to dictate terms to other nations and this is possibly one reason why Osama chose US as his main target and did the damage that he did. September 9th 2001 is arguably the darkest day in the history of the United States.† (Ahmed, Nafeez) â€Å"The US reacted violently after the 9/11 incident; they declared a War on Terror and in the process invaded several countries.† (Benjamin, Daniel) The 9/11 incident killed several people. Innocent people were killed for no fault of theirs; brutality was unleashed in more ways than one. This was one big attack which caught the attention of the people; there are so many terrorists’ activities which don’t catch the eye of the people living in different parts of the world. Terrorism has become a menace and it hampers development and growth of a country. It is very important take appropriate measures. The World Picture After 1945 â€Å"250000 people were approximately killed in the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; this still remains the most dreadful massacre of the civilians ever to take place in the history.† (Archick, Kristin) A lot of things changed after the Second World War, the US became a force to reckon with. The US also tested atomic bomb under water and this was first done in the year 1946. The Bikini Islands in the Pacific was the place where these tests of atomic bomb were conducted. â€Å"The United States Representative to the UN Atomic Energy Commission unveiled a plan under which the US would surrender its monopoly of atomic weapons to an international body. The Soviets refused the proposal, and proceeded to develop their own weapons.† (Baruch Plan for Atomic Control) In Germany nine of the most influential people were hung after their trials, these nine people committed malicious crimes such as killing about nine million Jews. The Germans just wanted to ensure that this should not be repeated and hence did justice to these nine people. In the year 1947 the Asian countries also made significant progress, India and Pakistan got independence and formed their own governments, this independence was achieved after a long struggle with the foreign forces. These were some of the most significant events that took place after 1945. The US has an undeniable dominance over the other countries. Even after the recent slump, the US is still one of the most powerful countries in the world. The top-notch technology available in country sets it apart from the rest of the countries. Before 1890 the US officials and the other influential people were very content and satisfied with the position of their country but all of a sudden a wave just swept aside the nation and the people thought that they should start showing their dominance on the world arena. The US started venturing into the never ventured phenomena of conquering other nations. The Caribbean and the Central America were the first destinations that lured the US officials and also set them on a spree of world dominance. The Spanish-American war gave a major boost to the US and made

Business strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business strategy - Essay Example The country has high political stability. However, the government has imposed certain trade regulations. For example, there is a strict restriction on the import and export of raw materials used for automobile manufacturing. Economical Factors: - The economic factors play an important role in the success of an industry. The economy of Japan is said to be highly stable and the country is currently witnessing an economic boom. The current GDP of the country is $5.984 trillion and the per capita income is $36,200 (CIA, 2013). The figures clearly reflect the robust nature of the economy of the country. The strong economy of the country is a positive indication of further growth of Honda in Japan. Social Factors: - The total population of the country as of 2012 is 127,368,088 (CIA, 2013). The major religion of the country is Shintoism which nearly accounts for 83.9 %, while Buddhism and Christianity accounts 7.14% and 2 % respectively. The major language is Japanese. The literacy rate is 99 %. In addition studies suggest that people of Japan are extremely passionate about cars. Hence the societal factors of Japan are extremely favourable for Honda’s business. Technological Factors: - Technology is a crucial factor for every business. The importance is more when it comes to the automotive industry. Honda depends heavily on technology to manufacture its products and market its products. In addition, technology is playing a critical role in the research and development function of the company. However, the favourable factor is that Japan is a technologically developed country and offers a strong technical infrastructure for the companies doing business in Japan. Environmental Factors: - With increasing awareness of environmental sustainability, car manufacturers are forced to come up with products which are eco friendly. Moreover, due to global warming, the Japanese government has imposed several restrictions on the use of petroleum products. This is why Honda h as come up with eco friendly cars such as Honda Hybrid. Japan has a different weather pattern and climate, which can negatively affect the engines. Hence, the weather of Japan can be a possible threat to the company. Legal Factors: - There are strict regulations imposed by the Japanese government on the automobile industry. Most of them are related to the safety of passengers, and welfare of the employees. In addition, there are some restrictions with import and export products to USA. Porter’s 5 Force Analysis Porter’s 5 forces model is another strategic management tool used to analyze the attractiveness of an industry. In this context of the study, Honda belongs to the automobile industry of Japan; hence the automobile industry of Japan will be evaluated. The analysis is presented below: - Force Density Properties Bargaining Power of Buyers High The principal reason behind this is the availability of a large number of car manufacturer and marketer in Japan Bargaining Power of Suppliers Low Suppliers of raw materials of the automobile industry are in large numbers. However, there are certain accessories which can be imported from some other parts of the world but due to stringent trade regulations; companies are bound to dependent on local suppliers. Threat of New Entrants Low The initial investment required to set up an automobile business is very

The Dales to the Border Essay Example for Free

The Dales to the Border Essay The Northumberland and Durham coalfield is the second most important in England. The large reserves of coal, which are used to operate electric power stations, made the North grow enormously. Iron and steel: there is a large production of iron and steel, which provides the raw material for machinery, heavy engineering and ship building. Textile industry: the woolen industry is largely concentrated in a small group of towns in Yorkshire, among the hills and valleys of the Pennines. The cotton industry is situated in Lancashire. Chemical industry: it is expanding rapidly. The basic elements are: salt, potassium, calcium and petroleum. The end products are: fibers, plastics and fertilizers. 3) Tourism: there are holiday resorts in the Lake District. There are also some historical places in the North. Coal mining Coal mining Tourism Tourism Textile industry and farming Textile industry and farming Important cities: York Yorvik was the capital of a Viking kingdom. In medieval times, it was the second city of the land. In York tourists can find glorious churches, ancient narrow streets, old houses and welcoming pubs. Micklegate in York, England The walls surrounding the city of York are fine examples of medieval fortification. The walls remain largely intact. Micklegate, spanning the road to the south, was one of four gates guarding the main roads in and out of the city. In the Yorkshire moors lies the village of Haworth, where there is a parsonage that is said to be haunted by the ghosts of the Brontes. Along the ancient street the ghosts of the three sisters, Charlotte, Emily and Anne walk among the crowds. Branwell, their brother, still sits silently in the corner of and old pub. Leeds: It is an industrial city which is famous for its clothing and leather industry. It is a river port (the Aire) and it has a well-known university. Leeds, a city located in northern England on the Aire River, is a major center for the manufacture and wholesale trade of clothing. Carlisle It is an important route centre. Hadrian’s Wall is a historical landmark. This wall, which stretches from Newcastle to Carlisle, was built by the Romans to control commerce as customs office and to protect people from the barbarian invasions. Castle in Carlisle Hadrian’s Wall, ancient Roman stone and masonry wall, constructed to protect the northern boundary of Roman Britain against hostile tribes. Emperor Hadrian of Rome ordered its construction around ad 122. The wall extended 117 km from Solway Firth to the mouth of the Tyne River and was about 6 m high and about 2. 4 m wide. The wall also marked the frontier of Roman civil jurisdiction. A few sections of Hadrians Wall remain standing in present-day Great Britain. Island Holy Island, also called Lindisfarne, a small island off the coast of Northumberland, England, 5 sq km in area. Holy Island is connected with the mainland at low tide by a causeway. A monastery was established on Holy Island in 635 by Saint Aidan and a group of Celtic monks, who produced the elaborately decorated Lindisfarne Gospels. The island became the religious center of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Northumbria. In 1093 the monastery was reestablished by Benedictine monks from Durham, and the island has since been continuously occupied. Today, Holy Island is a bird sanctuary along with the neighboring rock islets of Farne.

Effect of Government Policies on Tesco

Effect of Government Policies on Tesco Introduction This report will identify and explain a range of current government policies which have a significant effect on Tesco. An analysis will also be carried out on the implications of these policies as well as the changes in them and an explanation on how Tesco may react to them. The findings of this report are below. Findings There are a range of different government policies which affect Tesco in many different ways. When the government introduces such policies, Tesco have to react to them to ensure they operate legally. Furthermore, if a policy changes Tesco also have to react. The government introduces such policies to help fulfil many of their aims which include; Economy growthFull employmentControlled inflation/deflation – the rate of inflation being 2%A healthy Balance of PaymentsCare of the environment – reduced CO2 emissions in line with the United Nations CompactA good welfare state so that everyone is provided forA sustainable energy policy Different policies the government has in place will be looked at below. Economic Policy Economic policy which will refer to the actions that the government will be taking in the economic field. This covers the systems in place for setting the levels of taxation, government budgets, the money supply and interest rates. Most factors of economic policy can be divided into fiscal policy which deals with the government actions which will be regarding taxation and spending into monetary policy which will be dealing with central banking action which will be regarding to the money supply and interest rates. The government does many different things to improve the economic environment in which businesses such as Tesco operate. These include policies to control inflation such as changing taxes and interest rates, to increase employment, to encourage new businesses by giving more money to help new businesses to start up such as Invest NI, giving help to businesses to grow their exports and to help improve the exchange rate. Corporation tax An increase in corporate income taxes has a direct effect on a business such as Tesco. A tax increase on company profits can hurt a business’s overall financial performance. Some corporations and small companies argue that some companies should have the ability to pay less in taxes, not more. The businesses that maintain a lower tax base will be able to boost the economy by investing more money to expand, resulting in more jobs as a result. When company tax rates increase, Tesco may respond by raising prices on goods and services. National Living Wage A country’s economic policy could also affect wages. When there are increases to a national minimum wage then this will benefit workers by allowing them to earn more money for the same work as a result. That’s usually good for the workers, but Tesco find this challenging because it increases costs. Labour costs are usually a company’s greatest expense. Some corporations will argue that they cannot compete against businesses which are located in other countries in the world offering a much lower minimum wage as a result. That can result in the business to transfer many job functions to foreign countries such as Germany as Tesco will be responding by sourcing products from countries such as China and sourcing their clothing stock from places such as India. Government spending More spending by the government can be a major help for some companies. For example, a business such as Tesco benefit when the government uses taxpayers money to spend billions on new roads, bridges and airports. This benefits Tesco as they have a wider access to different and possibly cheaper distribution channels to source their products and deliver products to consumers. This is why businesses such as Tesco spend time and effort trying to affect economic policy decisions. Usually, a government cannot increase the money spending in one area without taking money away from something else as a result. A government which has an economic policy which will be dictating more money to be spent on defence may have to reduce support for example such as building more hospitals. This action can result in less work for construction firms, which can force businesses which operate in that industry to reduce staff or freeze open positions as a result. This has implications for Tesco as more people are unemployed and so less people are buying their products so their sales and subsequent profits will decline. The government must ensure they give different policies equal attention as changing one will ultimately change another and this has implications for Tesco such as having to decrease their prices of their products and services so that people can afford to buy them. Health Care Spending Some economists believe that rapidly rising health care spending will then be lowering the GDP and overall employment, while raising the inflation. Tesco is affected by inflation in many ways. Inflation means that the costs for Tesco will increase. For example, they will have higher energy bills, higher transport costs, higher costs for raw materials and higher cost of services such as internet services and insurance. Due to these increases in costs, Tesco must react to them by either passing on these costs to consumers in the form of higher prices for products and services which may lead to a decrease in demand, or by absorbing the increase in costs and not passing them on to the consumer. This means that profits for Tesco will fall so they must find other ways of trying to reduce costs. As costs are rising, Tesco must react by reducing their costs of production or the price they pay for goods and services to suppliers to be able to compete with competitors such as ASDA and Sainsbur y’s and survive. Youth Unemployment Policies In the UK, around 40% of the unemployed are under 25. Tesco’s first response to a period of recession is to stop recruiting new staff rather than to lay off their existing, experienced and knowledge workforce. Only when Tesco is in a state of financial stress does it normally make people redundant. The young trying to move from education into the workforce are then most exposed to the disappearance of new vacancies. The government’s strategy to tackle the high levels of youth unemployment has been coherent but may be poorly delivered and lacking in scale. Noting that most youth unemployment occurs between leaving full-time education and finding work, the government has not only got to extend education and training participation as part of its economic policy, but also try to increase recruitment of the young into jobs through offering some work experience or apprenticeships if they are not making successful transitions quickly. This has implications for Tesco as they ma y have to take on less skilled individuals who the government have put into working schemes alongside Tesco. Tesco’s productivity may decrease as a result of poorly skilled staff and they may react by cutting out apprenticeship schemes within the company and put all prospective-workers through the application process like everyone else. Competition Policy The main aims of competition policy is to promote competition, which will make markets work better and contribute towards improved efficiency in competitiveness of UK businesses which operate in the European Union (EU). Competition policy aims to ensure; Safeguard and promote the interests of consumers through increased choice and lower price levelsEffective price competition between suppliersTechnological innovation which will be promoting dynamic efficiency in different markets Competition will then play a vital role in helping the companies to grow and win new customers. In addition, the Competition law exists in order to make sure companies will be competing on a level playing field. It will then prevent their customers (other businesses or consumers) from losing out. Competition Act 1989 This is government policy towards increasing competition in the market. It includes; Deregulation means opening up the market and allowing new entrants into it for example, airline industry, energy industry and mail industryRelaxing rules and regulations and administration in order to encourage new businesses to set up and compete with existing businesses for example, new airlines, new banks, new private schools, new private health clinics and new energy providers.Policy to eliminate anti-competitive practices and cartel agreements ensure that one or two businesses do not dominate a market and that competition is as fair as possible for example supermarkets such as Tesco, airline industry, energy industry, oil industry. Competition policy will therefore impact on an organisation such as Tesco directly and indirectly. Directly because it will control their ability to merge or take over other businesses without government intervention and their case may even be referred to Europe for approval. It will also impact Tesco indirectly because of this government intervention to encourage and promote competition; there will be more competition in the such industries and this will mean products and services which Tesco offer will be available at cheaper prices. Market Power Policies The government has policies in place to prevent and reduce the abuse of market power. If a particular company has more than 40% of market share then it will be considered to have market power. In addition, the OFT is much more likely to investigate companies which have a dominant market position. Abuse of market power can lead to market failure and this can be against the public interest therefore the government will be concerned to intervene and protect the interests of consumers. Evidence of abusing market power includes charging excessively high prices, using predatory pricing which involves cutting prices and selling below average cost in order to force competitors out of business and there are vertical restraints which involve the monopoly firm imposing prices or restrictions on its suppliers. The government has policies in place such as marketing power policies which promotes competition and prevents excess pricing. These policies impact on Tesco as they will be unable to abuse the market power which they have a lot of as they are the largest grocery supermarket in the UK. Tesco insists they ‘do not raise prices or otherwise worsen our retail offer where there is less local competition’. This shows that Tesco reacts to these policies by staying within their guidelines for example not increasing prices for a particular product or service because it cannot be bought anywhere else in that area. These types of policies are good for Tesco in that they control other businesses abusive power to charge inappropriate prices for goods and services which could drive Tesco out of business. However, it does mean that there are tight rules and regulations which Tesco must face in relation to Tesco so they must be very careful the prices they charge for goods and services and the quality of service they provide. Reductions in Import Controls This will be a reduction in import tariffs which is to encourage cheaper products from overseas. Increasing or eliminating import quotas will have the same effect as a result. Allowing new countries into the European Union single market will be increasing the contestability. This government policy has significant effects on Tesco. It means that Tesco have greater access to importing their goods cheaply from countries such as China and India. This means that their costs are decreased and allows them to make a greater profit. Allowing new countries into the European Union means that Tesco will have more competition so it makes a more competitive-market, however this makes it harder for Tesco to maintain the largest market share if new businesses are being allowed to enter the market from foreign countries. This policy will be good for Tesco as it means they can trade more easily and freely with other countries and can import cheaply. However, it does mean that other countries have a gr eater chance of coming in and taking over some of the markets which Tesco has been operating in. Anti-Competitive Behaviour This is the problem of ‘cheating’ or ‘finding loopholes’ which will include to getting round the regulations by moving into an adjacent market. For example, a large grocery retailer which is moving into the ‘convenience’ store market can be seen as a way of avoiding competition policy. A major criticism is that ‘single’ markets are inadequately defined. For example, in 2004 the Office of Fair Trading allowed Tesco to purchase Admin store (the owners of Cullen’s, Europa and Harts) because has been regarded as a ‘convenience stores’ to be a separate market from the grocery stores. This will give Tesco 6% of the convenience food market which also includes 26% of the grocery market. Tesco argued that the two markets are quite distinct, however critics have argued that the markets will be almost indistinguishable and also that Tesco shouldn’t have been allowed to enter the convenience food market as well. Anti- competitive policies ensure that mergers, takeovers and the exploration of new markets are all done fairly and within the law. This impacts Tesco as it restricts what they can and cannot do in terms of what different markets they explore. This may mean that Tesco’s profits are restricted also what they class a single market to be may be different to what the government class a single market to be. Having anti-competitive policies in place is good for Tesco as it gives them a framework of what they can and cannot do as well as the protection against other companies trying to take over them or put them out of business. These policies definitely protect Tesco, offer the business a sense of security and allow for a healthy competitive environment. Industrial Policy The industrial policy of a country is its official strategic effort to encourage the development and growth of part or all of the manufacturing sector as well as other sectors of the economy. Changes in the international economy will mean an increase in both competition and opportunities from the global markets. The government will want to enable UK companies to compete and grow. The UK government are developing an industrial strategy which will be about setting out a long-term, whole of government approach which is into how they support companies. This will then give confidence for investment and growth. As part of the strategy for industrial policy, the government aim to; support emerging technologiesdevelop strategic partnerships with industrywork with business to help develop skills that businesses will needpublish government contracts to provide confidence to business investmentimprove access to finance for businesses Industrial policy is government policy focusing on helping and developing different industries such as the construction industry, IT industry, film industry and tourism industry. This could give tax breaks to particular industries for example reduced corporation rates, reduced rates and lower VAT rates for tourism products. Industrial policy links very closely with economic policy. Corporation tax This is a government policy which the government could change at any time. A rise in corporation tax (which is taxation on business profits) has the same effect on a company such as Tesco as an increase in costs. If the government increase corporation tax, Tesco’s costs ultimately increase. They can react to this by passing on some of this tax to consumers in the form of higher prices for goods and services but it will also affect the bottom line. Energy and infrastructure Investing in infrastructure provides greater availability and access to skilled labour and intellectual property both in targeted growth industries as well as new and entrepreneurial industries. With labour costs being the highest costs of businesses, progressive improvements in the capability of the workforce and access to skilled workers are critical for innovation, service value, product quality, productivity, efficiency and operating costs. As a result of the government investing in infrastructure, Tesco ultimately can gain access to greater skilled staff which improves their productivity and overall sales. Improved infrastructure for industries such as the retail industry which Tesco lies within can also lead to improved energy efficiency for stores and this decreases costs for Tesco allowing them to increase profits too. Wages A country’s industrial policy could also affect wages. When there are increases to the national minimum wage then this will benefit workers by allowing them to earn more money for the same work. That’s usually good for the workers, but it can be challenging for companies for example like Tesco and impacts them because it increases costs. Labour costs are usually a company’s greatest expense. In addition, some corporations argue that they cannot compete against companies which are located in other countries around the world offering a much lower minimum wage. This can result in a business to transfer many job functions to foreign countries as a result. For example, Tesco reaction to changes in national living wages include sourcing products and services from other countries at cheaper prices so that they can reduce their costs to make up for the increased wages. Transport Policy Transport policy deals with government policy in relation to road, rail, air and sea transport and deals with issues such as access, congestion, the effect on the environment, vehicle tax and crime. This will include; Development of roads, rail links, sea ports and airportsPolicies to ensure safety and security on transportPolicies to reduce congestion on major arterial routes. For example, congestion tax, road tolls and tolls for parking your car on the streets Transport policy links closely with economic policy, environmental policy and regional policy and different areas within this policy have different impacts on Tesco. Transportation policies and projects often affect the employment, productivity and profits of specific industries and businesses, and communities in which they are located. For example, policies that improve transport options and discourage motor vehicle travel may reduce employment and profits in vehicle and fuel production industries, and therefore economic activity in areas where those industries are concentrated. Similarly, improving airport transit service may reduce taxi service demand. Advocates for the affected industries often lobby against such policies on grounds that jobs and economic activity will decline, but such impacts are generally economic transfers (one industry, business or area benefits at others expense). Transportation policies can also affect the competitiveness of local industries. Low transportation costs make locally produced goods less competitive compared with imports, harming local industries. This could mean that products which Tesco source locally are done away with as the company is impacted by these cheaper importation costs and source their products from further afield. For example, some vegetables are cheaper to grow in California and Florida than in Northern Ireland, so low shipping costs leads to more imported vegetables and less local farm production. Belfast Rapid Transport System BRT Belfast Rapid Transit (BRT) is an innovative and ambitious project that will create a new and dynamic public transport system for Belfast. BRT will offer a high quality service providing people with better access to jobs, hospitals, shops, schools, colleges, and entertainment. With a more efficient and effective transport system in Belfast, Tesco are impacted. This government project will allow customers and employees of Tesco easier access to stores to carry out their shopping. Deliveries will also be delivered more quickly to Tesco stores from warehouses. This impacts Tesco as they are able to extend the breadth of their customer base as customers can get to and from their stores much more quickly and effectively. If customers find it easy to get to Tesco stores they are much more likely to shop in those stores than one which is difficult to get to and the BRT allows customers to benefit from this. With changes to this transport system, Tesco are then able to maximise their sales m uch further and subsequently increase their profits too. The BRT project will impact Tesco as infrastructure is improved and so relationships with new suppliers who can avail of this new infrastructure can be established. This could mean that Tesco could source some of their products more cheaply and this will also impact company costs as they are reduced. Belfast Transport Hub The Belfast Hub will be a world class multi-modal transport interchange acting as a high quality gateway for Belfast and beyond. The new Hub creates an excellent first impression of Belfast as a confident and progressive capital city and will facilitate the areas regeneration as an attractive place to live, work and visit. The Hub will ensure the people of Northern Ireland have the right infrastructure in place in order to attract more people to use public transport and active travel modes as a result. Along with other key projects, this will then be enabling a transformation into the public transport where they are making a positive impact for everyone in Northern Ireland. Due to the result of the government investing  £150m in this new transport hub, businesses such as Tesco are impacted. Around eight million passengers a year will currently pass through the Europa bus centre and Victoria Street railway station, but this figure is expected to rise to thirteen million over the nex t fourteen years. This could significantly increase the number of customers who visit Tesco stores in the Belfast area and could drive their sales and subsequent profits, allowing them to increase their market share and grow the company as a whole. The Dublin Enterprise train is hoped to be a part of the hub which would even help Tesco to increase their customer base from the south of Ireland as well as the north. Congestion charges The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF) will provide an additional  £1.1 billion by 2021 in new funding to relieve congestion and will then be delivering much needed upgrades on local roads and public transport networks. Congestion charges could be introduced for motorists which are travelling into Belfast in the future, this is according to a document which was prepared by the city council. Its submission to the assemblys finance department was pointed to the success of the recent congestion charging which is in London and the road pricing in Durham. The council has said to the public that the local authorities should benefit from any revenue. However, Larne and Lisburn councils told the department that they believe this idea is unacceptable to the public as a result. The Department of Finance is reviewing possible changes to rates. In the city of London, all revenue raised by congestion charging will be re-invested back into the citys transport system as a result. A Transp ort for London report has just found out that congestion levels in the zone are to be on an average 26% lower than in 2002 before the scheme had been implemented. It will now be costing  £10 to bring your car into central London on the day, or  £8 if you pay ahead. If these congestion charges were implemented into the Belfast area, it may turn people off going to Belfast and shopping in Belfast. This impacts on Tesco as many of their customers like to travel to stores via their own cars for their own convenience. This may deter their customers from visiting Tesco stores in Belfast and this will have a significantly negative impact on the company’s sales and overall revenue that it gathers each day. Tesco may react to this government policy by using incentives for customers to visit such stores. For example, offers or money-off coupons in stores where customers would have paid congestion charges to get to. Social Policy Social policy means the policies that are introduced for welfare and social protection. It relates to the provision of social services and welfare state. This includes issues such as; EmploymentCommunity careHealthCrimeHousingSocial disadvantage. Within these issues lie topics such as minimum wage, social security payments, pensions, fuel costs and redundancy payments. In general terms, it looks at the idea of social welfare, and its relationship to politics and society as a result. There are many different government policies within social policy which have an impact on businesses such as Tesco. Housing benefit The government may offer the people of the UK help with all or part of their rent. There is no set amount of housing benefit and what a person gets will depend on whether they rent privately or from a council. There may also be increased housing benefits for older and vulnerable people. Help to buy policy – The government also have a policy in place which helps support peoples aspirations to own their own home. The Help to buy scheme enables people to buy a home priced up to  £600,000 with a deposit of as little as 5%. Through this help via social policy, even businesses such as Tesco are impacted. If the government are financially assisting people to pay for their accommodation and housing, those people have a higher disposable income to spend in places such as Tesco. If there were no social policies in place with regards to housing, people of the UK would struggle a lot more with regards to making payments and would have a lot less money to spend around them. Tesco are imp acted here as people simply don’t have the money to spend with them and so they lose a lot of customers. Due to this, they may have to lower prices for goods and services which will ultimately damage the company’s overall profits. Reducing/Increasing welfare benefits In the UK, unemployment benefits are also known as welfare benefits. This is where the government give a proportion of money to those who are unemployed and not working. Reducing and increasing welfare benefits have very different impacts on Tesco. Higher welfare benefits help to reduce inequality and reduce relative poverty in the UK. Higher benefits will give those on low income a better living standard and help contribute to a more cohesive society. This impacts Tesco as people who are unemployed and receive a higher benefit will have a higher disposable income to spend with them. For example, a person who receives  £60 per week may not have as much money to spend in Tesco as a person who receives a welfare benefit of  £150 per week. Tesco may be happy that people receive a higher welfare benefit as they will increase their sales. However, it also has drawbacks for Tesco too. Increasing welfare benefits creates a disincentive to work. If welfare benefits are too generous, people may have a strong incentive to avoid work or work fewer hours. This may impact Tesco’s employees who feel that if they do not work, they may actually receive more money from welfare benefits than they do from their wages with Tesco. This could ultimately lead to employees within Tesco becoming a lot less productive as they have a smaller incentive to work for money and may actually leave the company completely. This impacts Tesco as if this occurs; they have to spend time and money on recruiting and training new staff to the same level as previous staff. Furthermore, higher welfare payments increase the burden on the government requiring higher taxes and / or higher borrowing. Both taxes and borrowing place economic costs on society and this can affect Tesco’s taxes as well as their customer’s ability to afford their products if they are being taxed more heavily! Youth unemployment policies such as the Youth Contract The government have introduced policies to tackle an aspect of social policy which is youth unemployment. The Youth Contract will be aiming to expand the opportunities for young unemployed people for them to find relevant work experience which can be, hands-on training and they will be able to start the process of building a positive employment record after they have left school or college. It will need to be seen in the wider context of other government policies for example increasing the school leaving age to 17 and also requiring that all school leavers will have a suitable qualification in Maths and English so that they will have a prosperous career. The main aim of the Youth Contract is to assist as many young people as possible into sustained employment where they will have a meaningful career. This policy has a number of features; Apprenticeship Grant for Employers of 16-24 year olds. This government subsidy will pay  £1,500 to employers who have less than 50 employees that take on young apprentices.Support for 16 and 17 year olds: Payments of  £2,200 are made to providers who take on 16 and 17 year olds who are not in employment, education or training and who have low or no qualifications, and also those from other disadvantaged backgrounds.Work experience: These are placements which are available for 16-24 year olds, through Jobcentre Plus who have been claiming Job Seekers Allowance for at least 13 weeks. The Youth Contract policy has impacts on Tesco too. Tesco have the opportunity to recruit and be paid for it. Although it will cost to train staff, they may retain some of the governments money which they are given and use it for other operations of the business such as improving customer car parking, customer service or facilities in-store. Tesco will also be impacted as they can be seen as having a better corporate image if they are supporting 16 and 17 year old people who are not in education, employment or training or who come from disadvantaged backgrounds. Education and Training Policy This is the government policy in relation to education and training such as STEM subjects, apprenticeship schemes, internship, university fees and the school leaving age. The overall aims of education and training policy are to improve education and training and in turn society and increase economic growth. There are different government policies within this policy which have an impact on businesses such as Tesco. Skills focused training The investment by the government in skills focused training, for example through education and training in schools to prepare people for future aspects of the work place are essential in future innovation. Tesco require an adequate knowledge pool of skilled employees to develop a wide range of innovations. Through the government having such a policy in place, people become more educated and this has implications for Tesco. It will result in a more skilled-workforce being available for recruitment and once recruited, allows for more skilled workers within the company. This can improve the profitability of Tesco and impacts them by increasing their profits and market share. Increasing university fees There was a 17% fall in the number of first year undergraduates at UK universities in the first year due to the higher tuition fees that has been imposed. This doesn’t look good for the economy as it would seem that fewer people would graduate in specialised industries. However, it may have benefitted Tesco as more people looked for full time employment instead of going to university. This impacted Tesco as they had a greater number of people to choose from when recruiting. They also had the option of more skilled people when recruiting as they may have had a 17% increase in people to choose from. However, the increase in university fees may have negative implications for Tesco. If people graduate with greater debt with their education fees, they may spend less so that they are able to pay off their debt. These cuts in their spending may be with Tesco as they attempt to save money and this ultimately damages Tesco sales which they will have to look for ways to improve again. Pathways to success Pathways to Success is the Northern Ireland Government’s over- arching strategy is in order to prevent exclusion and promote participation amongst young people who are not in education, employment or training, or at risk of becoming so. As the government do this, Tesco are impacted. There are implications such as Tesco introducing schemes to include young people in their workforce such as a scheme for 16-18 year olds who are not in work and take them on and train them up with necessary skills to succeed in a job role with Tesco. Pathways to success may also have implications on Tesco such as the company being able to recruit more specialised people for more specialised roles. For example, if a person has been in education and training through Pathways to Success which improve their marketing techniques, then Tesco may take on this person to help them with their marketing team. This impacts Tesco as they have a better work force who can market their products and services to an even greater level and subsequently, sales and profits could be increased further. Tesco may react to this policy by taking on employees via schemes for people who come from disadvantaged backgrounds and offering them a job within the company. This would also contribute to decreasing unemployment figures. Environmental Policy Environmental policy is to do with caring for the environment. Every government now has to achieve CO2 targets after the agreement. This means that every government has to introduce policies to achieve these targets. Environmental issues will affect companies which include industrial waste, sustainable development of raw materials and water and air emissions. These are issues which affect companies due to laws which require companies to change equipment and procedures to meet imposed standards, which as a result cost businesses a lot of money. Many companies will undertake stricter changes in an effort to preserve the environment and do what is right†. These companies will then pay for the protective and proactive environmental measures and will then also attempt to recoup the expenses through consumer good will or the added consumer base which is gained from an environmentally friendly policy. This policy links closely with transport and industrial policy. The Kyoto Protocol 1997 was the first international treaty to set legally binding emissions – reduction targets for developed countries that ratified it. This would lead to a greenhouse gas emissions reduction of 5.2% below 997 levels between the years 2008 and 2012. Government environmental policy is led by the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DEEC). In 2008, the UK government greatly enhanced its environmental policy by changing the law through the Climate Change Act. This act includes the following targets; A UK wide climate change risk assessment must be completed every five yearsPublic authorities and some companies must report on what they are doing to reduce climate riskA climate strategy has to be publishedA programme must be put in place to reduce climate change risks Some policies the government have introduced under environmental policy will be looked at below. Renewable energy Through the government introducing policy in relation to renewable energy, they pay energy users who will be investing in a small-scale, low-carbon electricity generation systems for the electricity they generate and use and provide incentives for businesses to install renewable heating instead of fossil fuels. This has implications for Tesco and Tesco respond to changes in this policy. Tesco have a long term goal to become a zero carbon retailer by 2050 and they have zero-carbon stores to meet this goal. Their special stores use a mix of environmentally-friendly design, materials and technologies to ensure that all energy-consuming equipment, no matter how big or small, is as efficient as possible – whether that be the refrigeration system or the hand drier in the toilets. This shows how Tesco have responded to changes in the government’s renewable energy policy and the impact of such a policy on Tesco. Energy wise schemes The government has introduced many different energy wise schemes over the past number of years. The government once funded the Green Deal Finance Company, which was set up to lend money to Green Deal providers. This – although not directly linked to Tesco – did actually have implications for the company and they reacted in different ways. The heating and cooling system in Tesco’s Ramsey zero-carbon store uses 66% less energy than a typical store of a similar size. They are designed to help Tesco reduce their carbon footprint. Introducing air conditioning to all stores reduces the need for extra heating or cooling and this also helps Tesco save energy by preventing heated air escaping outside their stores. Other reactions by Tesco to energy wise schemes introduced by the government are the introduction of sophisticated lighting control systems. These can automatically dim individual lights when the natural daylight increases and can be linked to timers and motion sensors to ensure that lights are not left on when they are not needed. This shows the lengths Tesco are going to in ensuring they stay ahead of the energy schemes which the government introduce and as they attempt to be the first zero-carbon retailer. Waste legislation and regulations The EU Waste Framework Directive will be now providing the legislative framework for the collection, transport, recovery and disposal of waste, and will also be including   a common definition of waste. The directive will now be requiring all member states to take the necessary measures in order to ensure that the waste is recovered or disposed of without endangering human health or to be even causing harm to the environment and this will also include permitting, registration and inspection requirements. With such legislation in place, implications are in place for Tesco. Tesco have responded to this legislation by agreeing a deal to donate all the unsold food from its stores to charity. The supermarket giant has also announced plans for them to work with 5,000 local charities across the UK in an initiative with the aim to eradicate all its food waste by the end of 2017. Tesco have also reacted to this policy by drawing up a plan that by 2018, the store will have a 0% food waste fi gure and this shows how Tesco quickly and effectively react to implications placed on them by government policy. Fiscal Policy Fiscal policy deals with taxation and government spending. This will cover things such as; cutbacks in government spending and changes in the way government spending is administeredchanges in taxation or example changes in income tax rates, VAT rates, Corporation Tax rates, airport duty and customs duties on goods coming into the countrythe introduction of new taxes such as sugar tax, fat tax and tax on bigger supermarkets Under fiscal policy, the government has many different measures in place and proposed measures to ensure it is followed effectively. Government spending cutbacks Government spending in a range of different areas is extremely important for things such as the economy and for business. Some government spending for example, on roads, infrastructure and transport will have an important effect on the long run productivity of the economy. If these areas of spending are cut, then the UK’s productive capacity may suffer in the long term. Cutting spending in roads and transport may mean these areas become insufficient for use and can restrict people travelling to and from places. Tesco customers may not be able to use roads which they deem too dangerous due to insufficient repair and this impact Tesco as they lose customers and subsequent sales. It may also mean that Tesco cannot import products from other countries if transport isn’t appropriate to do so which may mean they have to source their goods and services more locally and at a higher cost. However, capital spending is often the easiest place in order to make spending cuts; this i s because people don’t lose out in the short term. If you reduce pensions, then people will notice straight away. If you reduce capital investment, then this action will affect people 10 or 20 years in the future. If the government make spending cuts to pensions for example, people may immediately try to save money for themselves in the future. This attempt as saving money for people may be reducing their spending on their weekly groceries and so ultimately Tesco suffer with a decrease in their sales. The government must ensure they give different policies equal attention as changing one will ultimately change another and this has implications for Tesco such as having to decrease their prices of their products and services so that people can afford to buy them. Increase in taxation The largest source of revenue for the government is the income tax and this will then be levied against interest, dividends, capital gains and income. Therefore, the highest earners will then be paying high taxes. However, if there is an increase in tax then this will affect consumer spending in different ways including which will then be affecting the aggregate demand. Increase in tax reduces consumer spending. When the taxes have been placed on specific products, then the consumers will tend to look for substitutes that are available at cheap prices. This has implications for Tesco as they may have to reduce the prices of their products to compete with other competitors such as ASDA and LIDL. This also impacts Tesco as a smaller price being charged means profits aren’t as high as the firm would wish for them to be. It is imperative to note that consumer spending is often two thirds of GDP. Therefore, the increasing taxes will then be reducing the disposable income. This will then mean that the consumers will only spend the money they have on essentials and no additional amounts. With the tax increases, the consumer spending reduces and this will then cause fluctuations in the economy because of the attitudes of clients or consumers towards the state of economy. This also has implications for Tesco who may have to compete in an economy which is struggling and so they will struggle too with imports and daily running of their stores. Increased rates for bigger supermarkets The UKs largest supermarkets are being hit with increasingly disproportionate hikes in business rates that will spell more pain for them in times of recovering from an economic recession. Tesco, Sainsbury’s, ASDA and Morrison’s face an additional bill of more than  £110,000 per superstore in 2015-16 compared with 2010-11. This occurs at a time when small businesses have seen their bills reduced. This increase of rates for only the bigger supermarkets is seen as unfair and has many implications for Tesco. Changes in this policy impact Tesco as increasing their rates is an increase to their expenses and takes away capital which can be used to expand and which eats up the company’s profits. It may also impact Tesco as they have to increase their price of goods and services to cope with these increased business rates and so consumers stop shopping with them and go to other smaller stores who don’t have to increase their prices to cope with an increase in bus iness rates. Regional Policy Regional Policy targets all regions and cities in the European Union in order to support job creation, business competitiveness, economic growth, sustainable development, and improve citizens’ quality of life. Regional policies are policies in relation to a particular region of the UK for example, Northern Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales. In 1994 the government divided the UK into a number of different regions and developed policies according to the needs of those particular regions. Regional policy could include: Delegating powers to different regions. For example, Northern Ireland and England having different law and policingGiving more support to regions affected by floodingDesignating regions as Enterprise Zones Enterprise Zones are areas regarded as being a disadvantaged area and are targeted by the government for growth and development. The government provides such areas with advantages in order to attract business to the area. Some advantages provided could include a speedier planning system, superfast broadband, business rates relief and enhanced capital allowances. This would then help inward investment into the disadvantaged area. Stormont would like all of Northern Ireland to be designated as an enterprise zone with mini enterprise zones in struggling towns. This would help NI to reduce its dependence on government funding and develop more private sector jobs. Corporation tax Since 2010, the government has eased the regulatory burden onto companies and has also reduced the corporation tax rate from 28% to 20% with onshore tax receipts increasing by over 20% over the same period. To continue providing the certainty those businesses will need to make their long-term investments, then the government will be recommitting to the business tax road map which includes the principles that it sets out. This includes cutting the rate of corporation tax to 17% by 2020 which also includes reducing the burden of business rates by  £6.7 billion over the next 5 years. This has positive implications for Tesco as their tax is reduced and so they have the opportunity to use such capital on daily operations or even to expand, which otherwise would have been paid in tax. This also impacts Tesco as they are able to maximise their profits even further as an expense has been significantly reduced. This may enable the company to invest in other areas as seen in the past such as insurance and clothing. Another implication of this reduction in corporation tax is a better opportunity for Tesco to import goods from abroad as they are paying less tax on the money they are making and so can afford to import in greater volumes for cheaper prices! Introduction of National Living Wage Increases to a national minimum wage will benefit workers by allowing them to earn more money for the same work as a result. This is usually great for the workers, though Tesco may find this challenging due to increased costs. Labour costs are usually a company’s greatest expense. There are some corporations who argue that they can’t compete against other companies who are located in foreign countries which are offering a much lower minimum wage to their workers. This can result in a business to transfer many job functions to foreign countries such as Tesco responding by sourcing products from countries such as China and sourcing their clothing stock from places such as India. Increased and more in-depth training Introducing and increasing more in-depth training to different job areas has helped shape a better economy and allows for better business practice. Thanks to EU funding – around  £21 million was made available under the PEACE II Programme – farmers in Northern Ireland are being trained up to make todays technology work for them in their day-to-day administrative tasks. The overwhelming majority now acknowledge that the training they received has helped them to adopt better business practices. 80% of the participants stated that the training contributed to the use of better business practices. This training was given to 4,213 farmers and their family members. As the government introduce more in-depth training, businesses such as Tesco can benefit. Tesco may be impacted from this case for example. Farmers (suppliers of Tesco) can now log communicate effectively through the use of ICT with Tesco and this can make ordering products much more simpler for Tesco. It also has implications for Tesco such as being cheaper to communicate with farmers via email instead of having to go to farms and go through huge orders. Changes to this government policy would impact on Tesco as the farmers wouldn’t be as heavily equipped with the skills necessary to carry out quick and simple business practice with Tesco and so more expensive methods may have to be explored by both Tesco and the farmer. Conclusion This report successfully identifies a range of current government policies and their impacts on Tesco as an organisation. The implications of these policies and changes in them have also been analysed and ways in which Tesco may react to them has been looked at. It’s clear that Tesco must always be aware of current government policies and any changes in them so that they can make necessary changes such as to their documentation and protocol to the way in which they carry out business which will ensure that it is positive for them and for the UK economy too. 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Impact Of Ocean Acidification On Marine Life Environmental Sciences Essay

Impact Of Ocean Acidification On Marine Life Environmental Sciences Essay One of the main issues with ocean acidification is the impact that it will have on marine organisms over the coming years, and whether or not they are able to adapt to the more acidic waters? The impact upon some marine species may become more of a problem if they play an important role in the food chain, and therefore may eventually affect humans as fish are the main food source for some communities around the world. Research into ocean acidification has found that certain organisms experience reduced calcification or enhanced dissolution when they are exposed to elevated CO2. Many organisms rely on the oceans current pH in order to survive. The major benthic calcifying organisms on coral reefs are the corals, calcifying macroalgae, benthic foraminifera, molluscs, and echinoderms. Corals typically live in compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. Part of this group includes the reef builders, these are important because as the name suggests, they build the reefs. They secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton and these skeletons can be used as bio-implants for human surgery. A coral reef is a community of many species, such as the corals, plants, invertebrates, fishes, and some other vertebrate animals, such as turtles. The lowering of the oceans pH reduces the ability of coral to produce calcium carbonate and with the conditions expected ocean acidification will compromise carbonate accretion. (Website, 2009) This causes corals to become increasingly rare on reef systems. A large number of species make up tropical coral reefs; however coral communities in cold waters are only made up of one or two species yet provide shelter for many other marine species. (Website, 2009) With ocean acidification reducing the number of coral and as many marine species use the coral as their home and for shelter, the coral reef communities would also be affected and become less diverse and carbonate reef structures will fail to be maintained. (Hoegh-Guldberg, O. et al, 2007) Coccolithophores are single-celled algae, protists and phytoplankton and are found in large numbers throughout the surface euphotic zone of the ocean and ocean acidification seems to have the opposite effect on them compared with other calcifying organsims. (Website, 2010) Coccolithophores are major calcium carbonate (CaCOà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã†â€™) producers in the worlds oceans today accounting for about a third of the total marine CaCO3 production. Whereas ocean acidification reduces the calcium carbonate production in many organisms, studies have shown that it actually causes coccolithophores to increase their CaCO3 production. (website, 2005) Coccolithophores are distinguished by calcium carbonate plates which have an uncertain function and are called coccoliths calcareous nanoplankton, and these are important microfossils. (website, 2011) When coccolithophores make these plates they release carbon dioxide. Whereas some believe that because of this coccolithophores will actually contribut e to the rise in COà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¡, it is actually unclear of what affect the increase in CaCO3 production will have. This is because these organisms use CO2 during photosynthesis. It is the balance between calcification which produces carbon dioxide and the consumption of CO2 by photosynthesis that will determine whether coccolithophores act as a sink (absorbing CO2) or as a source of CO2 to the atmosphere. So the extra CO2 produced may simply be counteracted by the extra photosynthesis. (Website, 2008) An example of how ocean acidification affects certain marine species is the pteropod Limacina helicina. Their shell is made of calcium carbonate; however studies have shown that the shell is developing at a slower rate due to the lowering of pH. It is anticipated that by 2100 the increase of ocean acidification will slow the development of the shell by 30%. (Website, 2009) Aside from calcification, other organisms may suffer from other adverse effects. Such as physiological or reproductive effects or they may be affected by the negative impacts on food resources. An example of a species that is directly affected by ocean acidification on the lugworm Arenicola marina. There is a simple experiment that can be carried out to show how pH affects the lugworm reproduction simply by keeping the lugworms in seawater of different pHs; some at the current seawater pH, 8.2, some at a pH of 7.8 and some at 6.5. The results show (fig. 1) that as the pH lowers the reproduction of the lugworm is affected. The lower the pH gets the less successful fertilization is. If as predicted by 2100 and the pH of the seawater has lowered to 7.8 then the lugworms may struggle to adapt and therefore may decline in number. Brittle stars (Ophiothrix fragilis) may also see a change in their reproduction as they produce fewer larvae, because they are using more energy maintaining their skeletons in more acidic seas. This has a knock on affect as the brittle star larvae are a key food source for herring. It is clear that ocean acidification in time will have an impact on food chains causing problems for many other organisms that are not at first affected by ocean acidification. It is also possible that tiny algae such as Calcidiscus leptoporus will be unable to survive. These very important algae have been declining by 1% each year; some believe ocean acidification could be the cause as the acidity may make certain nutrients that the algae need less available or that it might even promote the growth of bacteria which damages the natural plankton growth cycle. Ocean acidification also affects the navigation and communication of whales and dolphins. This is because the seas are becoming noisier. As the acidi ty increases, sound travels further. Navigation is important to whales and dolphins as they use it for migration, which is important as they migrate to colder waters to feed and to warmer waters to give birth. It is not just the organisms that live in the oceans that are being affected. Marine mammals such as; polar bears, sea lions, seals, and walruses and also seabirds would see a knock on affect due to ocean acidification and the other impacts of climate change. The main issue is the effect ocean acidification has on the food chain because if one organism that is a main part of the food chain declines then the problem continues up the food chain. So if numbers of fish decline from a lack of food, then the birds that feed on the fish could also decline. However unlike many organisms affected by climate change, it has been discovered that seabirds can actually adapt to the changing environments. So the lower availability of their preferred prey may not be a problem as the birds seem capable of modifying their diets. (Grà ©millet, D. 2009) Ocean acidification will have a definite impact on marine life, as many organisms will be affected. The main issue that can be seen is the impact ocean acidification will have on the food chain, as primary producers may decline then so will the organisms that prey on them and so on as the trend continues up the food chain until it reaches the consumer. If ocean acidification continues at its current rate, by 2100 we could see a vast different in ocean ecosystems. Many species may decline as a direct result of ocean acidification, such as the coral reefs due to reduced calcification. The coral reefs form some of the most diverse ecosystems on earth; therefore many other organisms would be indirectly affected by ocean acidification with the decline of corals. The coral reefs also play an important role for fisheries and fishing communities in poorer countries, a decline of the coral reefs would see a decline in a much needed food source for many humans.