Evidence based practice report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Evidence based practice report - Essay Example using on this topic and conducting an Evidence Based Study on it will help me gain more knowledge and understanding on an area that I would like to further venture in. Reviewing the various studies related to this topic will be an effective way through which I will be able to through acquire up to date information on the selected study area, and to further enhance my ability to promote quality health care among the elderly as well as to enhance patient satisfaction (Bastin, 2009). According to Sacket et al. (2007), the professional practice of nursing through the use of obtained evidence through EBP has been found to improve patient care and provision of health services as compared to the convectional nursing practices. Through EBP, nurses are getting to actively take a role in the process of medical decision as they are able to make use of the most efficient and relevant information obtained through research to decide on the right course of action (Mantzoukas, 2007) This report will also appraise and critic the evidence or research studies available on the selected topic of study. Evidence Based Practice has been defined as a means through which clinical problems and questions are solved through the use of up to date evidence in addition to ones professional skills and proficiency as well as through the incorporation of nursing ethics and patient needs (Melnyk & Fineout-Overhault, 2010; Pierson & Schelke, 2009). EBP is based on the view that the development of clinical practices should be done with regard to the existing and most current evidence or facts, theory as well as research. The continuous transformation in the medical sector as well as the day to developments calls for more research to be done. The information collected through the conducted researches serves as evidence to use in practice. EBP is in this case aimed at enhancing the quality and adequacy of health care delivery and practice (Snyder, 2007). The information collected through EBP serves a

Training and Development in Proctor & Gamble Assignment

Training and Development in Proctor & Gamble - Assignment Example From this discussion it is clear that performance management theories will be used to create a theoretical background for this report.This study outlines that  training and development plays cordial role on aligning strategic objectives of management with human resource pool of organization. There are four basic pillars of training & development and they can be summarized in the following manner. Training- Increasing the performance standard of employees by giving them proper instruction and practice. Develop- This technique creates bigger impact on human resource pool and systematically increases their skill level to perform the work. Educate- Giving instruction to employees in terms of social, intellectual and moral responsibility.  Learn- Employees gain knowledge from their past mistake or they can get experience from ongoing management activity. In 1984, Farnham has indicated that training and development are more relevant to organization’s point of view but education and learning are more relevant to education and academic industry.  Performance management has three discrete components, 1- performance definition, 2- measurement of performance and 3- communication between supervisor and employees.  They have stated that performance appraisal is more closely related to second component of performance management.  Nature of the strategy depends on business objectives of the organization.... In 1989, Harrison defined development as primary activity helping employees and organization to grow in terms of achieving potential up to highest standard (Lundy & Cowling, 1996, p. 243). 2.0 Performance Management Performance management has three discrete components, 1- performance definition, 2- measurement of performance and 3- communication between supervisor and employees. In 1999, Banks & May have clearly segregated performance management from performance appraisal. They have stated that performance appraisal is more closely related to second component of performance management (Landy & Conte, 2009, p. 234). In 1992, Institute of Personnel Management has defined performance management as strategy related to every functional department of organization and designed to co relate with various aspects of organization like culture, style, human resource capital and communication system. Nature of the strategy depends on business objectives of the organization (Armstrong & Baron, 200 5, P.7). One of the fundamental tasks of the performance management department is to look after the performance of employees. Furthermore it ensures effective and efficient performance from the employees. Some of the modern techniques include feedbacks from the supervisors and subordinates, setting benchmarks and comparing with that, 360 degree appraisal method and most importantly applying the concept of Balance scorecard. Balance scorecard gives importance on maintaining coordination between various departments of large organizational structure. Interlinked network of the departments help management to implement balance scorecard concept in two ways. 1- It helps every employee to understand organizational objectives and

Costa Coffee Marketing Plan China Marketing Essay

Costa Coffee Marketing Plan China Marketing Essay This paper aims at outlining the strategic marketing approach of Costa Coffee for entering a new market . Costa Coffee is the British part or retail sales of Whitbread Family. Whitbread is a British Multinational Company and it has franchises worldwide. Whitbread includes Hotels, Restaurants [Household names like TGI Friday], Health and Fitness plus Other Businesses. The contents of this paper include the marketing strategy of Costa Coffee and its expansion plans in China. Introduction The Story The history of Costa Coffee began in a mountain town outside the region of Parma, where there was the house of Costa family. In the late 60s, the Italian brothers Bruno and Sergio Costa, hungry for success, traveled to England, seeking an opportunity for professional advancement. By arriving there, they found how simple the English coffee market was. Motivated by their Italian background and Sergios skills in the roasting of coffee beans, they decided to return to Milan to enrich their knowledge and technique in Italian coffee shops. In 1971, upon their return to London, they bought a three-story building in Lambeth, where they set up their own coffee shop. In the beginning, the Costa brothers worked as producers and wholesalers and were supplying high-class restaurants and specialty stores. Soon, they built their reputation for their dedication to excellent quality of their product. However, in 1978 they had to find some employment for their wives in order not to interfere in their business. Therefore, they decided to create their first coffee boutique in Vauxhall Bridge Road, London, and assigned its management to their wives. This idea experienced tremendous success, and led the brothers to the expansion of Costa coffee boutiques and award their management to relatives and friends. Since the opening day of the first store to date, the same traditional method of slow roasting (18-22 minutes) of coffee beans is used, offering the delicious and fragrant blend Mocha Italia, from 6 Arabica beans and 1 Robusta. Listen Read phonetically Dictionary View detailed dictionary Today, Costa Coffee owns 500 shops worldwide. Costa Coffee believes in its employees skills therefore, it provides intensive employee training at the Cost Coffee Academy. VISION: Costa Coffee vision is to provide the best hospitality to its customers since its range of hospitality products range includes restaurants, hotels and leisure clubs. MISSION: To serve the best coffee in the true Italian style. BUSINESS PORTFOLIO: Costa Coffee has built an unrivaled reputation for coffee excellence, and this is achieved by fully controlling the process, from harvest and selection of coffee beans, from the roasting of the Italian maestros, the choice of engines and compliance with the procedures of manufacture of beverages, ensuring this way that customers can enjoy the same excellent quality coffee at any of Costa Coffee in the world. The drinks are served in 3 different sizes Primo, Medio and Massimo, and the customer can choose between the unique blend of Mocha Italia, or decaf, whole or skim milk and add an extra dose of espresso, flavored syrup, cream, candy or chocolate. There are 15 factors that are combined and help to create the perfect Costa coffee. In addition, in every store worldwide regular controls take place, which ensure consistency and maintenance of quality. Every Costa Coffee has a Barista Maestro (coffee expert) responsible for maintaining the excellence of the drinks served. COSTA COFFEE AND STARBUCKS: Starbucks is the largest competitor of Costa Coffee. Starbucks is the leader in the coffee shop market. Its international presence is in 50 countries. On the other hand, Costa Coffee, is the third biggest coffee specialist in the market with shops in 25 countries. Both companies have an excellent financial performance up to 2005 but in 2008 there was a decrease in revenue and operating profit as a result of the global economic recession. However, in 2009. Starbucks has an improving in cost structure and therefore its liquidity is better than Costa Coffee since it has managed to pay its short term debts. A key factor for both companies is globalization since most leading players in the foodservice market expand their operations in other countries. So the future success of Costa Coffee will be based on its operations outside the UK. The same applies for Starbucks. . THE CHOICE OF CHINA: China is one of the biggest economic forces in the world. Its domestic market is larger so there is a lot of potential for multinational businesses. Its average GDP growth rate is more than 10% despite the global economic crisis (10.9% last quarter 2009) (BBC China economy 2009). International financial analysts believe that the growth of the Chinese economy will continue. Regarding the coffee industry in China, it should be noticed that competition is quite intense but sales in cafes has grown by 8% to RMB36billion (over  £3,487million). It should also be noticed that in 2009 coffee shops chains had a growth of 22% (Euromonitor International August 2009,Cafà ©s/bars China). However, the Chinese market for many international companies is considered a tough market since it is difficult to understand local culture and customeCNY. Therefore, many companies pursue joint ventures and strategic alliances in order to do business in China. In 1998, Starbucks entered China and it has 180 coffee shops. In 2006, Costa Coffee entered China in a different way i.e. through a joint venture with Yueda Group which is based in Jiangsu Province. This was done because a local partner knows the market better so market penetration for the new entrant is easier. However, this also means that Costa Coffee is heavily dependent on Yueda. Costa Coffee has a strong Italian aura that aims at attracting the Chinese market. Affluent Chinese customers want to taste a coffee that is represented by a global brand name. So far, Starbucks has been quite successful in this area. The risk is that by being a partner with Yueda, the brand will be customized too much therefore, Costa will lose its competitive advantage which is the Italian aura. Starbucks has very aggressive expansion plan in China. The crucial point is if Costa Coffee will maintain its brand essence and will not be customized. In this case, Costa Coffee will be a strong competitor to Starbucks. Future trends Strategy The main issue for chained coffee shops is to create a unique experience that cannot be easily copied. The consumers want to enjoy their coffee in a nice environment. The coffee shop space should be comfortable with an ambiente that will be inviting so the consumers will return to the shop again. People will want to live the espresso experience at home so the sales of equipment and coffee will increase as well as the demand for better and higher quality of coffee and beverages in coffee shops. Corporate social responsibility is another issue that chained coffee shops should take care on. They have to prove that they implement ethical practices. Regarding marketing, researchers predict that chained coffee shops will use mobile apps and have social networking tools in the very near future. COSTA COFFEE Financial Data Turnover:  £263.8m (2008:  £216.3m) Operating profit before exceptional items:  £22.7m (2008:  £20.8m) Number of outlets: 881 in the UK, 407 overseas Total Revenue  £ (m) Strategy Our target for Premier Inn during 2009/10 is to deliver around 2,000 new rooms in the UK and overseas. We have a strong pipeline of secured sites and will continue to develop a land bank. Internationally, our first hotel opened in Dubai during 2008 and we will build on this position, intending to open a further two hotels in the Emirates plus one in India. We plan to open around 100 new Costa outlets in the UK in 2009/10. We will capitalise on our strong Costa brand by focusing on new locations, as well as areas where we can replace existing operators, such as in supermarkets, hospitals and leisure facilities. Costa will also continue to strengthen its position across international markets, adding 100 net new stores in the year ahead. MARKETING OBJECTIVES: Enter Greek market and develop a significant market share; Increase product portfolio by new high caliber products; Bring more value to shareholders; Be a leader in its field for customer service; Develop alliances with commercial partners and the communities in which Costa Coffee shops operate. TARGET MARKET Costa Coffee offers a wide range of products suitable for all consumeCNY. So far, coffee in China is consumed in big cities (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou). Coffee producers have targeted young professionals since they are the most westernized, affluent and open-minded. However, they see it as something that is in fashion rather than a regular habit. Another target group for coffee consumption are returnees i.e. Chinese that studied in Western countries and come back to China. They are also affluent and they are accustomed to visiting coffee shops. Ex- pats are another target group. Chinas economic growth has attracted a lot of investments from foreign companies. Ex-pats are used to drink coffee and their number increases every year. It has been estimated that businessmen from Hong Kong and Taiwan as well as Westerners amount to 30% of customers at multinational chained coffee shops as Starbucks. The above customer base has been quite saturated so there is a need to increase customer base. However, coffee is considered a luxury good and the average Chinese cannot pay for a cup of coffee. The average Chinese annual income is RMB 8000 yuan whereas a small cup of Starbucks coffee costs RMS 12 yuan ($1.5 which is the same price as in USA). In the big cities the average annual income is higher however it is still difficult for someone to consume a cup of coffee. If coffee still goes on being considered as a luxury good, it will happen the same thing as in Japan i.e. it will take China more than 90 years to make coffee popular. Market Segmentation: Based on the above the following market segments were defined: Young / Mature professionals Returnees Ex-pats Students Middle Class Upper Middle Class Single Married Bus section and train/airplane passengers Marketing Strategy: Costa Coffee will follow Market Development strategy and the reason for choosing this strategy will be explained below: CURRENT NEW PRODUCTS PRODUCTS 1. Market Penetration Strategy 3. Product Development Strategy 2. Market Development Strategy 4. Diversification Strategy CURRENT MARKETS NEW MARKETS   Ãƒ £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬Coffee is considered a luxury good. This misperception hinders businesses in identifying customer groups and implement marketing strategies. This misperception also hinders the majority of the population to get acquainted with coffee. The same happened in Japan, where coffee was also considered as a luxury beverage with unreasonably high prices. It has taken almost 90 years for Japan to get acquainted with coffee and still per capita coffee consumption is quite low. This makes things worse since Japan sets the trend for Taiwan and South Korea.   Ãƒ £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬In China coffee shops open every day in cities like Beijing and Shanghai. However, the average Chinese cannot afford a cup of coffee everyday. Multinational coffee companies have faced difficulties in developing the Chinese coffee market. Although they know how to penetrate mature markets but they see that they have difficulty in immature coffee markets. These companies need to understand better China and its people. Without understanding them all marketing campaigns will be in vain. A characteristic example is the marketing campaign of Nestle which was targeting at the young middle class Chinese although in reality this class does not exist or even if it existed they would not be heavy coffee drinkeCNY. Starbucks has increased awareness but it needs a different strategy for the Chinese market. Only KFC has been quiet successful. Starbucks success cannot be considered as sustainable since it was based on management, financial power and brand name whereas the Chinese market needs entrepreneurship to advance it and this is what Costa Coffee is planning to do. Coffee has been promoted by the Chinese government through festivals and fashion awards however these strengthened the misperception of coffee being a luxury good. Local coffee shops add too many side things such as food, spirits etc. Therefore, they dilute the idea of coffee. Coffee is a product that does not hurt health, stimulates the brain and it is addictive. Based on researches someone who has drunk coffee three times a week for two months in the row is addicted to coffee. Brain stimulation is important for personal wealth and intelligence. Coffee became popular because coffee shops were focused at making the customer accustomed with coffee. When people get accustomed then the market develops at an extremely fact pace. The coffee shop is important for this development and a coffee shop can be a seated place or coffee stands and carts. It is important to make people drink coffee and then offer them ground coffee. Many companies have found as an excuse the fact that tea is dominant in China and there is no place for coffee in a tea dominant country. However, there are no major tea companies that can compete international coffee giants nor is there a specific promotion to protect tea. On the contrary local society support the development of coffee houses and it is not negative to coffee. Costa Coffee will focus on making people drink more coffee. Its new coffee shops will be around areas where people gather such as Universities, stations and office buildings etc. This can be the best promotion since if one group of people becomes loyal to coffee then it will influence other consumer groups. Costa Coffee will focus specifically on these people and its promotions will be measurable and specific. Coffee has an unbeatable image in China and it is known to everyone. Costa Coffee will be based on the quick service restaurant (QSR) concept. QSR is based on the idea of offering cheap, clean and good food and its purpose is to sell to a wider range of population. Costa Coffee plans to adopt this concept. Coffee has a high profit margin but food is what attracts people to the coffee shop. Costa Coffee already offers more products than coffee; however it should plan to add more snacks that are better suited to local customers and a cheaper but good quality filter coffee for taking away. Many local Chinese coffee shops offer food however, they have not formulated a strategy so they cannot be considered as potential competitoCNY. So far in these shops the restaurant is separated form the coffee house something that it is not the case of Costa Coffee. In the next two years the aim is to introduce new product lines that will be offered at affordable prices for the average Chinese consume r. It should be noticed that this does not mean price cutting since this will hurt Costa Coffees brand name. The location of the new coffee shops is also an important part of Costa Coffee strategy. Up today, the coffee shops were opened at locations where population is dense and the income is high. As a result, the rental prices are quite high. Therefore, Costa Coffee is planning to open new shops at bus stations and other busy intersections where rents are lower and the traffic is big. The marketing strategy that will be followed to China is important since it influences neighboring states such as South Korea which is also a new coffee consuming country. If the model of highly expensive coffee will be followed then the consequences will be similar to Taiwan and Hong Kong where there is a negative trend in coffee growth. à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ãƒ £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Ãƒ £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚   à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚     Ãƒ £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬ SWOT ANALYSIS: Strengths Weaknesses Established brand name worldwide Expensive prices for the average Chinese consumer Wide range of products Starbucks dominant position in the market Third ranked coffee shop chain in the world Coffee is considered a luxury good Know how of Yuda (local partner) Tea is the daily beverage of the average Chinese Opportunities Threats Big market potential a lot of Chinese Consumers that do not drink coffee Stagnant coffee growth due to high prices Unbeatable image of coffee Possible marketing enforcement of tea companies No competitors are located at bus intersections PESTEL ANALYSIS: Political China has a stable political environment that welcomes foreign direct investments. Economic The Chinese economic growth is impressive (10% per annum). Social Although the income of the average Chinese consumer is low, there is a growing middle class -190 million urban households, or 29%. According to McKinsey, middle class is expected to expand to 75% (372 million), by 2025 (DAltorio 2011). Technological New coffee machines are produced so making coffee at home is easier. Environmental There is a trend in producing organic coffee. Legal There are no legal issues involved. MARKET POSITIONING: The positioning strategy of Costa Coffee will be in line with its international strategy i.e. THE ITALIAN COFFEE MASTERS. The competitive advantage of Costa Coffee is the quality of their coffee. The image of the company is that is has a UNIQUE coffee. Another positioning of Costa Coffee is that this excellent coffee quality can be offered with affordable prices (launch of the new take away filter coffee). THE ITALIAN COFFEE MASTERS This is the tag line that will communicate the Italian aura of Costa Coffee to the mass audience. Since Chinese consumers perceive well the Italian atmosphere it is expected that it will attract more people to Costa Coffee. MARKETING MIX: Product: Brand Name: Costa Coffee is a well established brand that signifies luxury, perfection and excellence. Chinese consumers prefer established brand names. Image/Theme: Luxury Costa Coffee is related to luxury. The coffee shops ambiance is trendy and comfortable. Customers will have a nice time in a flashy environment. However, this luxury image should be cleverly related with the new, affordable, take away filter coffee. The message that will be transmitted is luxury can be affordable and can be taken with you. Color Scheme Costa Coffees shops are in warm tones having brown as the main color. Other colors that are used are green, black and white. The purpose of this color selection is the creation of a comfortable and trendy atmosphere. Service: Apart from coffee, Costa has a reputation of excellent service. Hiring and retaining talented employees and train them accordingly is a strategic goal of the company. Product variety: ESPRESSO A short, strong and black coffee, with no milk. ESPRESSO DOPPIO A double espresso shot. For those who like it strong. RISTRETTO An extra short coffee, even shorter than an espresso, with an even stronger flavour. MACCHIATO Espresso topped with just a dash of milk. Yum. AMERICANO Coffee, mixing shots of espresso with hot water. Add milk if you like. FLAT WHITE A rich, full-flavoured coffee with a velvety, smooth texture. Each Flat White is hand-finished with a distinctive pattern. CAPPUCCINO Coffee combining espresso with steamed, frothy milk. Chocolate on top if you have a sweet tooth. CAFFE LATTE Coffee made with steamed milk. Not as strong as a cappuccino, but just as good. MOCHA Espresso with hot chocolate, topped with steamed, frothed milk. (Source: Costa Coffee 2010) Costa Coffee products variety includes iced tea and coffees as well as cakes, pastries, Panini and sandwiches. Prices: Costa Coffee prices are generally higher than other coffee shops. High prices are related to the outstanding quality and taste of Costa Coffee. Therefore, the traditional customer groups of Costa Coffee are high and middle classes. Costa Coffee believes that a reduction in its prices will harm its brand name. However, it wants to increase its Chinese customer base so it will offer a filter coffee for takeaway at affordable prices. Chinese middle class growth rate is significant, it will reach 372 million by 2025, it is a social class that cannot be neglected. Therefore, Costa Coffee is planning in the next three years to offer its products at affordable prices for the Chinese middle class without harming its brand name. Locale / Setting: The next Costa Coffee shops will be at busy intersections e.g. bus, train stations and at areas where office buildings and Universities are located. It will focus again on the big cities like Shanghai and Beijing. The aim for the next three year is to have 30 new coffee shops at both cities. Promotion: Costa Coffee will not do a lot of advertising since its brand name is recognized. However, there will be special sales promotions at its new shops for the new filter coffee that can be taken away. Costa Coffee is based on word of mouth advertising since reputation is very important. MARKET DEMAND It is important to measure the market before launching new products and shops. It is also important to measure the market after the launch of the new products / shops so as to see their effects and gain a larger market share. Growth Share Matrix There are two factors that are important for the expansion to new markets and these are : market attractiveness and the Business Strength. Market Attractiveness Business Strength Factors Rate Factors Rate Overall Market Size 70% increase (2004-2012) Market Share 5.0 Annual Market Growth Rate 7.8 Product Quality 5 Competitive Intensity 4 Brand Reputation 4.5 Technological Requirements 2.5 Distribution Channel 3.5 Inflationary Vulnerability 4.9 Promotional Effectiveness 4.5 Productive Efficiency 4 Managerial Personnel 3.5 Market Attractiveness As it is seen above, the attractiveness of the Chinese market is very high. The annual growth rate of the coffee market is high. There are no significant technological requirements since Costa Coffee already possesses advanced technology. Inflation is quite high and it seems that it will increase in the near future, however the targeted market groups remain unaffected (growing Chinese middle class). Partnership with Yuda will protect Costa Coffee from any possible dangers. Therefore, the Chinese market is very attractive and suitable for coffee shops expansion. Business Strength Costa Coffee is part of the well-known Whitbread Family. The quality of Costa Coffee is unquestionable. Costa Coffee owns more than 500 stores worldwide. Its outlets are in Europe, UK, Middle East, India, Pakistan and China. In order to maintain its excellent reputation, Costa Coffee will continue its policy of recruiting, training and retaining the best available employees in China. Business Strength High Medium Low High Medium Low Costa Coffees Business Strength is high and the overall position is ideal for further expansion into the Chinese market. Projected Sales in CHINA Costa Coffee projected sales are expected to rise to almost 97% in 2012 and this is due to the launch of the new takeaway filter coffee and the new shops at the busy intersections. This rate is expected to slow down (87%) in 2013 and this is because the one time visitors are expected to cease to visit the coffee shops and the existing customer base is expected to remain. An extensive marketing promotion through emails, customer clubs, social media etc. is expected to increase market share. The above numbers are very impressive and expansion seems ideals. Sales forecasts per customer groups are also very promising.: Market 2012 2013 2014 Total Students Youngsters CNY. 20,000,000 CNY. 23,00,000 CNY.6,300,000 CNY 49,300,000 Ex pats and returnees CNY 7,555,000 CNY 7,000,000 CNY. 12,800,000 CNY. 27,355,000 Families CNY. 9,700,000 CNY. 9,850,000 CNY. 17,200,000 CNY. 36,750,000 Professionals CNY. 17,750,000 CNY. 32,750,000 CNY. 92,000,000 CNY. 142,500,000 Totals CNY. 55,005,000 CNY. 72,600,000 CNY. 128,300,000 CNY. 255,905,000 According to the above table it can be seen that professionals is a group that has a lot of potential. This is because the Chinese middle class is rising and the coffee culture is mounting too. Another reason for the increase in sales in professionals is due to the location of the new coffee shops. There will be located in busy intersections where there are many office buildings. Newspapers and other electronic media have approached Costa Coffee and various interviews and programs have been made which boost Costa Coffees reputation even more. BUDGET FORECASTS: The forecasted budget for the upcoming three years is as follows; TYPE 2012 2013 2014 Total Accommodation CNY. 2,000,000 CNY. 5,000,000 CNY. 7,000,000 Training CNY. 1,500,000 CNY. 500,000 CNY. 4,000,000 CNY. 6,000,000 Transportation CNY. 250,000 CNY. 350,000 CNY. 1,000,000 CNY. 1,600,000 Fixtures CNY. 2,000,000 CNY. 7,000,000 CNY. 9,000,000 Total CNY. 5,750,000 CNY. 850,000 CNY. 17,000,000 CNY. 23,600,000 Future promotion and expansion plans: Costa Coffee will be launching more coffee shops in the major cities of China (Beijing and Shangkai) but the plans are to expand all over China after having created a considerable market share in the above cities. The expansion has been planned for the next year that is 2012. In the next two years the next cities where new coffee shops will be located will include Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Costa Coffee is not in favor of extravagant launching campaigns. It supports the use of electronic and social media as well as corporate social responsibility programmes and actions. It also believes in the right location of its shops. So, the marketing activity will be low except the posters that will be in the shops, as sales promotion, advertising the new takeaway filter coffee. ANALYSIS: Costa Coffee has a lot of potential for further intensifying its expansion efforts in China. It already possesses a significant market share in the Chinese market. The reason behind it is the unbeatable image of Costa Coffee and the advertisement (word of mouth) done by people who have visited its outlets. Sales are expected to rise in the following years and they are expected to rise even more in the forthcoming years since Costa Coffee is focusing on the rising Chinese middle class. Students and youngsters in general set the new trends so their influence in increasing coffee consumption and visiting coffee shops is of outmost importance. By further using social media, Costa Coffee is expected to increase its market share in this group. Professionals always seek quiet place to do their official or unofficial meetings. Costa Coffee is an ideal place to do these meetings. Apart from that, Costa Coffees activation in social media will certainly increase its future revenue. In conclusion, it can be said that Costa Coffee has so far implemented an excellent marketing strategy and the new campaign that it will launch for the takeaway filter coffee as well as the location of its new shops will help it increase its sales and gain sustainable competitive advantage. RECOMMENDATIONS: Sales numbers are very promising however the local partner should follow all the below the line activities mentioned. Costa Coffee should continue with low promotional strategies. Apart from posters inside the outlets, Costa Coffee should consider the use of bill boards at the busy intersections.

Linux :: essays research papers

LINUX One of the up and coming server operating systems is Linux. In an article from CNET News on July 24, 2000, a new study has identified Linux as being a significant threat to Microsoft in the server market over the next few years. What is Linux and how is it making its impact on the server industry? This paper will answer these questions. Linux – What is it? Linux is a free Unix-type operating system originally created by Linus Torvalds along with other developers in the industry. Linux is an independent POSIX (Portable Operating System Interface) implementation and includes true multi-tasking, virtual memory, shared libraries, TCP/IP networking and other features consistent with Unix-type systems. Linux was developed under the GNU General Public Licensing and all of its source code is freely available to everyone. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the program and all of the distributed software is free. There are companies and developers that may charge money for the program as long as the source code remains available. Linux In Business? Linux is becoming more and more used in business today. One of the main reasons is the cost-effectiveness of the operating system itself. As well, there are numerous articles all over the Internet and news media detailing the positive aspects of open source operating systems in business today. One reference found on the Open Source website describes the basic idea behind open source code. â€Å"When programmers on the Internet can read, redistribute, and modify the source for a piece of software, it evolves. People improve it, people adapt it, and people fix bugs. And this can happen at a speed that, if one is used to the slow pace of conventional software development, seems astonishing.† (Open Source, August 2000) From a businesspersons standpoint, the open-source model has a lot to offer. Companies are now able to build open standards as actual software and many companies and individuals can collaborate on a product that none of them could achieve alone. With open source code, there can be rapid bug fixes and changes that the user asks for, done to the user's own schedule. Other positives are increased security and increased reliability, and yet another positive is the ability of Linux to run on systems as low-end as a 386 to the higher end systems such as Alpha and Sparcs. Where is Linux Headed? Based on the reports and studies being conducted by independent firms around the world, it is very apparent that Linux is making great strides in the networking market.

Jeronimo Martins Group’s Consolidated Balance Sheet Essay

Jeronimo Martins Group’s Consolidated Balance Sheet as of 31 December 2011 and 31 December 2010, has been analyzed respectively the correspondents values, structure and relevant changes for assets and Liabilities & Shareholder’s Equity with following conclusions: I.The main assets of Jeronimo Martins Group are noncurrent (about 75%) concentrated mostly in tangible assets (about 50%) followed for the intangible assets (about 18%); II.The current assets are mostly inventories and cash or cash equivalent; III.The main liabilities of Jeronimo Martins Group are current (about 55%) concentrated mostly in trade creditors, accrued costs and deferred income; IV.The noncurrent liabilities are mostly Borrowings; V.Total Shareholders’ Equity represent around 30% of Total Shareholders’ Equity and Liabilities; VI.The biggest changes in assets, 2010 to 2011, are referred to derivative financial Instruments (-78%) and Cash and Cash equivalents (74%); VII.Changes, 2010 to 2011, in current assets are 27,1% and noncurrent are 2,4%; VIII.The biggest changes in liabilities and total equity are referred to retained earnings (250%) and fair value and other reserves (-101%), provisions for risk and contingences (106%); IX.Changes, in 2010 to 2011, in current liabilities are 11% and noncurrent are -27% and total equity are 32,63%; The structure, values and changes listed above means that Jeronimo Martins Group had, in 2010 and 2011, mostly of its assets as noncurrent, which aren’t expect to be converted into cash or consumed within 12 month. The current ratio is below 1, so this company doesn’t have a big liquidity. Analyzed the 10 biggest companies in the food area, the current ratio is below those values observed such as in Dole food company (current ratio is 1,5). The current ratio is an entity ability to meet its current obligations or to maturing short term obligations, is an important measure of its financial health. This company present 0,406 (2010) and 0,464 (2011) current ratios, more current liabilities than current assets. The total debt to equity ratio represents the long term viability of the company, measure the degree of the indebtedness relative to its equity funding. This company present 2 (2010 and 2011) total debt to equity ratio, more total debt than equity, this imply that greater is this ratio greater is strain on the company to make regular payments to debts holders and higher is the risk of bankruptcy.

American Culture and Politics

This research looks at American Culture and Politics since there is so much in American history and culture. The proposal paper contains some of the findings about the American politics and culture. This paper can help scholars who want to have a wide knowledge about American politics and culture and how they influence each other. The primary research sources that will be used include: Questionnaire and Interview. Secondary sources include: published textbooks, and published statistics. INTRODUCTIONTo begin with, American conservatives claim that the Left, from its parapets of power in Hollywood, the universities, the national media, the federal courts, and the National Endowment for the Arts, has waged, for decades, a â€Å"culture war† upon the American people — a war that the people have been losing. The conservatives' complaint is commonly put this way: the Left has set out to â€Å"politicize† American culture, to force it to conform to a new orthodoxy of po litical correctness in everything from homosexual marriage to pronoun usage (Kesler, 1998).The conservatives' point is that culture should be above, or at least separated from, the political order; that civil society — the realm of art, religion, family, and private property — should be protected, for the sake of liberty as well as culture, against political encroachments. Instead of politics trying tyrannically or arbitrarily to create culture, politics should devote itself to conserving culture (Combs, 1991). According to Goodnow politics had to do with the policies or expressions of the state will (Parashar, 1997).Thus in the conservative view, politics should grow out of culture and serve culture, not the other way around. Scholars and activist on the left should take warning: What once political movements have become translated into personal quests for fulfillment (Cloud, 1998). But at this point one sees that there are actually two conservative views of culture. They differ on the question of what it means to â€Å"conserve† culture: Does it mean to keep government's hands off it, to be neutral towards culture and allow it to develop however artists and citizens choose?Or does it mean a hands-on approach, an active promotion of â€Å"traditional American values† against their would-be subverters in and out of government? Hands-off is the preference both of libertarians, who tend to take a democratic and laissez faire attitude towards culture, and of those neo-conservatives who defend high culture against the public's attempts to influence it (Josephson, 2007). The hands-on approach is preferred by the so-called Religious Right, by most who refer to themselves as â€Å"cultural conservatives† or traditionalists, and by many neo-conservatives who are repelled by the prospect of American society's utter de-moralization.Even conservatives who are prepared to use government to shore up American culture, however, typically re ject the notion that they are â€Å"politicizing† the culture (Whitfield, 1996). They argue that they are only using politics to get beyond politics — that is, to overcome the culture's artificial or forced politicization. White Southerners, used to a friendly custodial environment, were confronting a more diverse and secular American culture (Marsden, 2006).Seizing upon this contradiction or ambiguity, the Left today charges that conservatives are prepared, when they are prepared, to take a laissez faire attitude towards culture only because theirs — the white male bourgeois culture — is the dominant one. When its hegemony is challenged, liberal critics note, as it is being challenged currently, then conservatives cease to be defenders of a hands-off cultural policy and quickly become advocates of cultural protectionism (Wald, & Calhoun-brown, 2006).Yet in challenging the supposed hegemony of patriarchal or conservative culture, most liberal intellectual s do not imagine themselves to be calling for the hegemony of their own culture. Today's liberals stand for â€Å"multiculturalism,† for the replacement of ruling-class culture by the multiplicity of cultures belonging to oppressed, or formerly oppressed, classes and groups. In the past, white males had used their culture to justify and reinforce their rule over the rest of society; it was white males who â€Å"politicized† culture, according to the multiculturalists (Sturm, 2002).Now, the rest of society — indeed, the world — can bring previously excluded cultures to bear in order to delegitimize the old â€Å"racist, sexist, homophobic† order and ordain a new, more inclusive one (Roper, 2002). From the standpoint of traditionalist conservatism, every society or people are defined by its culture, and therefore every culture is more or less an exclusive one (Neve, 1992). In John O'Sullivan's words, â€Å"A multicultural society is a contradiction in terms and cannot survive indefinitely.It either becomes monocultural or runs into trouble. â€Å"1 At this juncture, we urgently need some clarity on the meaning of â€Å"culture. † Becoming American was initially a political and constitutional choice, but finally it necessitated a series of profound transformations in business, speech, dress, religion, literature, education, heroes, holidays, civic ceremonies — in character (Bergmann & Seminar on Feminism and Culture in Latin America, 1990).The public schools movement was one of the most important, as well as one of the most obvious, of these subsequent efforts to conform the American people to their new republican institutions. It is an old political observation, echoed in Montesquieu and countless other writers, that in the beginning men make the institutions, and after that the institutions make the men. The American founders had this maxim very much in mind as they built the institutions that would guide the n ation's destiny, and today it is worth pondering anew.Perhaps it is time to build some new institutions, if we are to have a real chance to rehabilitate American culture. During a relatively brief period of time the first food industry has helped to transform not only the American diet, but also our landscape, economy, workforce, and popular culture (Schlosser, 2001) as a kind of growth: a culture is a living social organism that has particular ethnic â€Å"roots† and develops from those roots, often flowering into unique, that is, characteristic achievements of high art.To understand a culture means therefore to appreciate it in its particularity, to see it as a unique historical growth — not as a mere exemplum of a common and unchanging human nature, much less as an imperfect embodiment of the best political or social order. Reason has little to do with culture in this sense, therefore, because the modern concept of culture emphasizes the ethnic, the particular, the authentic at the expense of the universal; whereas reason strives, even in practical affairs, to see particulars in the light of universals.An authentic culture is natural in the sense of being an uncoerced growth, not in the sense of containing universal principles that can be grasped and perhaps manipulated by reason (Tomsich, 1971). Accordingly, an authentic culture cannot be designed or planned because it cannot be thought through; it is always in the process of slow change or adaptation.Ever since Edmund Burke, whose defense of the British Constitution became the model for the Right's thinking on the cultural roots of politics in general, conservatives have argued that culture is neither a goal that politicians can seek to achieve nor a product that they can make — let alone export. SUMMARY Oddly enough, the multiculturalists agree with the traditionalists on the primacy of culture over politics, and to some extent even on the definition of culture.What the multicultural ists insist on, however, is that culture does not have to be exclusive, or more precisely, that Americans can participate in many cultures without succumbing to any one of them and without ceasing to be American. But this is to pile absurdity upon absurdity. References Bergmann, E. L. & Seminar on Feminism and Culture in Latin America. (1990). Women, culture, and politics in Latin America. California: University of California Press. Cloud, D. L. (1998). Control and consolation in American culture and politics: rhetoric of therapy.New Delhi: SAGE. Combs, J. E. (1991). Polpop 2: politics and popular culture in America today?. New York: Popular Press. Eric Schlosser. (2001). Fast food nation: the dark side of the all-American meal, Volume 1000. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Josephson, M. (2007). The President Makers – the Culture of Politics and Leadership in an Age of Enlightenment 1896-1919. New York: READ BOOKS. Kesler, C. R. (1998, May 15). Culture, Politics, and the American Founding. Retrieved June 13, 2010, from www. claremont. org: http://www.claremont. org/publications/pubid. 496/pub_detail. asp Lipartito, K. & Sicilia, D. B. (2004). Constructing corporate America: history, politics, culture. New York: Oxford University Press. Marsden, G. M. (2006). Fundamentalism and American culture. New York: Oxford University Press US. Neve, B. (1992). Film and politics in America: a social tradition. New York: Rout ledge. Parashar, P. (1997). Public Administration in the Developed World. New Delhi: Sarup & Sons. Roper, J. (2002). The contours of American politics: an introduction.Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell. Sturm, C. (2002). Blood politics: race, culture, and identity in the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. California: University of California Press. Tomsich, J. (1971). A genteel endeavor: American culture and politics in the gilded age. California: Stanford University Press. Whitfield, S. J. (1996). American space, Jewish time: essays in modern culture and p olitics. New York: M. E. Sharpe. Wald, K. d. & Calhoun-brown, A. (2006). Religion and politics in the United States. Oxford: Rowman & Littlefield.

Free Essays on Daddy’s Little Girl

Daddy’s Little Girl Mary Higgins Clark is a well-known author of top-selling suspense novels. Although she started out only writing in a magazine, she has now written well over a dozen novels. In addition, many of those novels have been made into movies. Because of her accomplishments, Mary Higgins Clark was awarded â€Å"The Woman of Achievement† award by the Federation of Women’s Clubs, among many other outstanding honors and awards. Daddy’s Little Girl is one of many suspenseful novels by Mary Higgins Clark. Clark’s writing style in this mystery is important because it keeps the reader interested in what is going on; in such a way that you don’t want to put the book down because you are eager to see what is going to happen. While illustrating the theme of justice and injustice, she leads you down a path where you think you have figured out the mystery, then there’s a twist and you must continue reading to find the outcome. Another aspect of the author’s writing style is the use of description. While using many details to describe scenes and characters to give the reader a better view, Clark doesn’t use so much detail that the reader becomes bored with the reading. She definitely has a way of keeping the reader interested in what they are reading. The story takes place in Oldham-on-the-Hudson, which is a small town that is located in Westchester County, New York. This small town setting is important to the story because the reader is able to relate to this type of setting. Because of this, the setting has an impact on the mood in the novel. In this small town, as well as small towns in reality, people are treated differently based on who they are and their wealth, which is a major part of the story. The main character in the novel is Ellie Cavanaugh, who is now thirty years old. When Ellie was seven years old, her fifteen year old sister, Andrea, was murdered. Since the story is ... Free Essays on Daddy’s Little Girl Free Essays on Daddy’s Little Girl Daddy’s Little Girl Mary Higgins Clark is a well-known author of top-selling suspense novels. Although she started out only writing in a magazine, she has now written well over a dozen novels. In addition, many of those novels have been made into movies. Because of her accomplishments, Mary Higgins Clark was awarded â€Å"The Woman of Achievement† award by the Federation of Women’s Clubs, among many other outstanding honors and awards. Daddy’s Little Girl is one of many suspenseful novels by Mary Higgins Clark. Clark’s writing style in this mystery is important because it keeps the reader interested in what is going on; in such a way that you don’t want to put the book down because you are eager to see what is going to happen. While illustrating the theme of justice and injustice, she leads you down a path where you think you have figured out the mystery, then there’s a twist and you must continue reading to find the outcome. Another aspect of the author’s writing style is the use of description. While using many details to describe scenes and characters to give the reader a better view, Clark doesn’t use so much detail that the reader becomes bored with the reading. She definitely has a way of keeping the reader interested in what they are reading. The story takes place in Oldham-on-the-Hudson, which is a small town that is located in Westchester County, New York. This small town setting is important to the story because the reader is able to relate to this type of setting. Because of this, the setting has an impact on the mood in the novel. In this small town, as well as small towns in reality, people are treated differently based on who they are and their wealth, which is a major part of the story. The main character in the novel is Ellie Cavanaugh, who is now thirty years old. When Ellie was seven years old, her fifteen year old sister, Andrea, was murdered. Since the story is ...

Beauty and the Beat essays

Beauty and the Beat essays Beauty and the Beat; Comparing Mya Harrison and Carl Thomas The truth is out. We listen to Rll be taking over airwaves this summer. She is a 21 year old, grown diva-to-be, a classically trained dancer from DC and more of a woman than you think. He is a twenty something new jack crooner from Chi-Town, enjoying his first major success with a wrenching forget-me-not love song. Their personalities could not be more different. He talks loud with his hand gesturing wildly as to illustrate every syllable. She whispers, rarely making eye contact. He is annoyingly optimistic. She is maddeningly soft-spoken. He is flirtatious but not necessarily sexy. She is sexy but not forward. But there is a common thread here: Mya Harrison and Carl Thomas are dropping two of the hottest R Imagine loving someone so strong, that, years after realizing youll never be together, you still find yourself daydreaming about what should have been. Carl Thomass runaway hit single, I Wish, is a melancholy message based on a true story. But even if you can relate, there is some old school-depth in Carls Las Vegas-lounge act delivery. When he wails that line about wishing he had never met her, you understand him. His voice is not Luther Vandross- Flawless, and he has not reinvented the wheel when it comes to lyrics, yet that single word has the world open for Emotional, his debut album. And if his goal is to capture a moment he has done it with I Wish. When it comes to a record that defines a season and instantly bring back a poignant ...

Causes Of Violence In Our Society Communications Essay

Causes Of Violence In Our Society Communications Essay The world most disturbing topic now days are violence. People are not responsible any more they don’t even know what their personal responsibilities are. Respect your older, manners and responsibility are an obsession of the past. Media and drugs play a very important role in the violence of the society. Our society becomes more violent and dangerous day by day due to media. It’s a scary world for our children every third or fourth teenagers knows someone who has been shot. Media is one of the most dangerous sources of violence in our society. The news-media promoted intense fear before and during the Iraq War by almost universally, unquestioningly reporting the government position as fact. On the local level, news programs constantly report violent episodes in poor neighborhoods with increasing frequency while consciously or otherwise consumers see their society as violent and scary. Mostly white people spend so much of their income on security systems while they aren ’t supporting the local corporate puppet promising to crack down on crime. Media is one of the main sources of violence in our society. The movies of new era video games and TV programs everything have different kind of violence. Many video games are full of violence and children around seven years or older love to play those kinds of games. When I was Twelve years old I was very interested in video games, my favorite games was street fighter and I always dreaming to be strong like my game player and I can beat the people who give me hard time in the school, Just Imagine if every child have the same experiences that I had, and what a big impact that could do to a little children. Many teenagers try to bring out their dreams to be exactly like their favorite hero done in the game or movie. By selling and showing these games and movies, I would emphasize that we are propagation a production of violent children, which make our society more violent in the future. We have to teac h our children that violence is bad for our society. We try to teach our children self respect brotherhood and patience. We also teach our children don’t hurt anybody and always help others. Every two minutes someone is sexually assaulted in America. One in six women and one in 33 men will experience sexual assault in their lifetime, according to a study by the World Health Organization. The U.S. Dept. of Justice states that nearly a quarter of a million sexual assaults occur each year. Sexual, physical and psychological violence causes as much illness and death among women aged 15 to 44 as cancer, while child sexual abuse is more common than teen pregnancy, pediatric cancer or childhood obesity, according to the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault. Given all the press lately about the issue of childhood obesity, we should remember there are many hidden issues facing our children today —sexual violence is one of them. The American Medical Association has call ed it â€Å"the silent violent epidemic.†

Company's interest regarding private equity buyouts Dissertation

Company's interest regarding private equity buyouts - Dissertation Example In just one generation the private equity industry has grew to become a dynamo for growth, innovation and enterprise (Kolade. W, 2008). Britain is a world leader in this sector with one of the largest private equity markets globally, second only to the US. There are over 450 active UK firms, which provide several billion pounds each year to unquoted companies. Despite private equity now being a recognised asset class, the rapid growth in market has provoked debate about private equity and its intensions. Private equity firms have been taking over some of the UK's most notorious names, many making phenomenal improvements to these companies, but there has still been criticism of their vilifying greed and heartless nature to others. Some have characterised these private equity firms as the ‘Gluttons at Gate’. Supporters of private equity, including the government, praise its ability to create jobs quickly and contribute to the economy (BBC, 2007). Private equity groups claim they are improving the performance of UK companies by giving them stronger management and market discipline. They also claim that private equity investors generate superior returns for their shareholders; that private equity is clean and simple, not cluttered by all the governance bureaucracy of the publicly quoted sector (superior doc). Conversely others would disagree, most notably employees at companies which have been bought by private equity groups only to see hundreds of job cuts being made. ... It’s questioned whether the private equity boom will provide good long-term investment results or whether we are seeing the inflation of yet another financial bubble, with the destruction of viable companies as a damaging by-product (Demaria, 2010). But perhaps the most controversial argument may be taxation implications. PE companies have been accused of using loopholes to pay too little tax, with the rate sometimes as low as 10% (BBC, 2007). Private equity executives pay taxes on their basic pay and bonuses, but a large part of their income comes from carried interest - the carry - which is the 20% slice of profits they can claim once they have paid back their investors. This money is classed as a capital gain and thanks to taper relief, it is only subject to a tax level of 10%. Critics say it should be charged at a normal tax rate. It is an emotive subject, with one private equity boss saying that some of the richest men in Britain were paying tax at a lower level than the cleaners who tidied their offices (BBC, 2007). Perhaps if the UK changes its tax regime, private equity investors will just move overseas. Ethical issues During this research, my main focus will be pay attention to the ethical issues. No data collected through any means will be used in any undesirable or negative way. Any information collected will be used only for the purpose at hand. Talking about the financial buy outs, ethical considerations must be given their due importance in that case too. Financial statements of any and every company should be made public as per the law and the information offered must be authentic. Blackstone Group is the former owner of Southern Cross as it bought the company in 2004 and left it 2006. Initially, Southern

Summary of the law of accelerating returns Essay

Summary of the law of accelerating returns - Essay Example According to the article, ‘Law of Accelerating Returns’ evolution relates to constructive feedbacks relating to a phase of evolutionary progress is used to form the next phase. Therefore, the rate of advancement in an evolutionary process escalates exponentially over a period, which highly influences the ‘Law of Accelerating Returns’ that involves rapidity, cost-effectiveness and complete "power" of a procedure. The second phase of exponential development occurs when higher resources are organized in the direction of further advancement. ‘Biological and technological evolution’ can be referred as evolutionary processes. For an instance, transistors are incorporated within a circuit to create powerful computers, which in turn provides a prospect for exponential growth until the computers become powerful. This induces a paradigm shift, which ensures that the process of exponential growth keeps persisting at a rate, which doubles in each decade (Ku rzweil, â€Å"The Law of Accelerating Returns†). The Singularity is the technical revolution, which is so prompt as well as intense that the rate of exponential growth has become infinite and technology seems to be mounting at limitless speed. Therefore, it can be considered that the Singularity will transmute different facets of our lives socially, sensually and economically. Advanced technologies in the present day context, has been subjected to law of accelerating returns. ‘Moores Law of Integrated Circuits’ came into existence, which was highly recognized in the public as a paradigm for exponential progression in computers. The overall speed of computers has doubled each year, which has given rise to flat chips used in computers. Moores Law has extended to such a level in terms of computational power due to which exponential progression has not been viable. Thus, ‘Moores Law’ can be considered as S curve. In agreement with the

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Finance for non finance managers Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

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Smog and air pollution Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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The oil Price crisis in Britain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The oil Price crisis in Britain - Essay Example In The Daily Telegraph publication (The Daily Telegraph: 20 June 2008), executive foreign editor Con Coughlin asserted that "as things stand, protecting their precious reserves, rather than providing the world with cheaper oil, appears to be their main priority". In a similar tone The Times' chief foreign affairs commentator Bronwen Maddox described the Opec summit in Jeddah "a Saudi show, to deliver a Saudi message" (The Times: 25 June 2008), stating that , "Before Sunday's meeting, King Abdullah bin Abdelaziz al-Saud said that the kingdom was resolved to prevent oil prices from rising 'in an unjustified and abnormal manner', while announcing an increase in production too small to have any such impact." In other twist , Con Coughlin, The Telegraph's executive foreign editor, argued that the country is operating to capacity in the article published in The Telegraph (The Telegraph: 20 June 2008). He mentioned that, "the Saudis announced their intention to increase production by another 500,000 barrels per day, which will bring total production to 9.7 million barrels - the kingdom's highest ever level. And that is about the upper limit of what the Saudis can produce for any sustained period." However, "the Saudis will only produce more oil if they believe it is in their interests to do so," The somewhat incongruous perspective by Coughlin presents connotations tending to place blame over the oil price crisis on Saudi Arabia. Other opinion slants presented in the media coverage of the oil price crisis in Britain have focused on the reality of rising demands for oil which has not been succored on commensurate production levels. The BP Statistical Review OF the world Energy quoted in the Energy and Capital e-letter for August 2008 presents that, "It's no secret anymore that for every nine barrels of oil we consume, we are only discovering one."(The BP Statistical Review of World Energy August 11th, 2008). The writer in the article mentions that there is unprecedented oil usage rate on a global scale which has not been sustained by any feasible production increase measures. "The world is addicted to oil. In just 8 years, it's projected the world will be consuming nearly 50,000 gallons of oil every second. By that time, the world won't be able to meet the projected demand... for one simple reason: We're using up oil at breakneck speed. And it's also no secret that official oil reserve numbers furnished by OPEC member governments have been fudged for years. The International Energy Agency (IEA) even admitted to knowing about some of OPEC's wizards cooking their books." (Opcit) The electronic title also provides some sweeping predictions in an advertising blurb aimed at getting readers to subscribe to the e-letter. Some of the predictions enlisted are; Why we're never going to see oil priced at $40 a barrel ever again, what we learned from the 1970s oil crisis, and where the future of oil really stands... How oil reserve supplies will tighten, prices will continue jumping, and the world economy will feel the squeeze... The 3 best ways to capitalize on the investment opportunities of a post-oil economy. In another reportage Independent columnist Dominic Lawson vindicated Saudi Arabia (and Opec) from blame in the current price crisis, writing that "far from operating as a

Natural sciences Essay Example for Free

Natural sciences Essay Knowledge involves acquaintance with truth, principles or facts as with a certain subject or a branch of learning. People have various perceptive of knowledge. There are those who belief that knowledge is found in many forms which must be proven with evidence. It is possible to doubt everything that exist because it is a misconception or it may be seen as an illusion. Doubt is important in knowledge because learning through from the senses or through the senses can be deceptive. For example, senses can deceive because one may smell something sweet and senses deceive that it is going to have sweet taste. However, this is wrong because not everything that smells sweet taste sweet. Dreams are also deceptive as they are just false delusions because occasionally when one is asleep one is deceived by the illusions in dreams. These are just ways that knowledge through the senses can deceive. Therefore, it becomes necessary to doubt everything so that one can get the true knowledge. So as the proverb hold doubt is key to knowledge. Knowledge creates doubt and doubt pave way for gaining more knowledge. If its is not for doubt then there would be no knowledge or the knowledge that would be available would be one that is not complete knowledge (Urdahl, pg 27-29). In natural sciences, scientists have a lot of experience with doubt and uncertainty. This is experience that is very necessary in gaining knowledge in natural sciences. When one does not know the answer to a problem then this can be termed as ignorance. Then one has a hunch as to what the results are, for example, of an experiment, then it means that one has uncertainty. When one is darned sure of what the result would be then it means that one has some doubt. Therefore, it is paramount important that in order to have progress it is important to recognize the ignorance we have in natural sciences and leave room for doubt. This is because scientific knowledge is a body of statements, which have varying degrees of certainty. The degrees vary from being unsure, nearly sure and none absolutely certain. Doubt is a good thing in natural science because if one knows the answer or thinks that one knows the answer then it becomes easy to fail to seek more knowledge about that particular subject. Doubt helps to come out of that emotional attachment that people have in certain beliefs or from the theory of determinism. Example of areas where doubt has assisted in gaining and verifying knowledge is in the assumptions in relativity that inertial mass and gravitational mass are equal. In order to show that they are not the model has to be revised. Scientists have engaged in refining their ability to measure the two. It is the doubt that has developed in this area that has made the scientist revise this model until they have realized that inertial mass and gravitational mass are different at finer degrees. Therefore, they doubt has made it known that the two are not equivalent as has been held in the past. In this case, it is not that the same experiment is repeated but the real key to this is to look at the statements and test if they have been examined to the extent that they should. Doubt allow the use of new tools in scientific experiments which allow new discoveries which do away with the old ideas or theories. Science in this case becomes a process of doubt. Natural scientists are always nor sure and this is the reason as to why they repeat the steps in experiments in order to make sure that it is right. Another area where doubt has necessitated growth of knowledge is in the evolution theory. At the beginning people had strong belief that creation theory was the one that provided call the knowledge about the evolution of human being. However, as knowledge grew people started to doubt some aspects of the evolution theory and developed other theories such as the Darwinian theory of evolution. This is a theory which resulted out f the doubts about some of the aspects of the former theory. This is not the end theory because doubts in some aspects of the evolutions theory have also led to development of some other theories (Axtell pg 87-88). Doubt has also contributed to increased knowledge in other areas, for example, in social science and history. There are two areas that information collected or knowledge gained depends on research or theories which were constructed in the past by various scholars. However it becomes tricky to use such kind of theories to their full because history and social sciences are dynamic. For example, the society change as time moves. Therefore, this is also in the same way that the theories are supposed to change. For example, if theories that were constructed in the fourteenth century are used in the twenty first century then there is no doubt that the theory would contain a lot of faults because of the changes that have occurred in the society. People have developed in their way of reasoning as in these days there are more sources of information than in the past. Reason is one part of gaining knowledge that enhances the development of doubt. This is because it is after deductive reasoning that a person is able to develop hypothesis that proves some knowledge as relevant or irrelevant (Gotschl, pg179-180). Historians do their research and base most of their research on the researches that were conducted in the past. The information in the research where they base their research would be biased or exaggerated. This is what cause doubt and enhance new research to be conducted regarding some issues. Despite the fact that some people are emotionally attached to some believes doubt has made them to relent some of their believes. For example, different ethnic groups have their own myths about where they originated or who is their god or where their god lived. In traditional society people had strong emotional attachment to these beliefs (Chang pg 581). However, as time has passed people have developed doubt about these believes to develop other believes. This is because most of the beliefs in the traditions are not well reasoned and are also biased to particular ethnic people. People have developed other believes that are more inclusive of other ethnic groups all over the world. This has risen out of the doubt that people have some of the things that happened in the past (Lamm Norman pg 11-12). Despite that knowledge plays a key role in knowledge I think that knowledge or truth is a fixed situation because truth is not questionable. So if true knowledge is out there to be discovered or to be learned then it means that when we know or acquire knowledge then there should be no room for doubt. I also think that knowledge depends mostly on human perception. Natural sciences have more upper hands in investigating the truth. However these sciences are still subjected tout human brains. Curiosity is also key to knowledge rather than doubt. Human beings are always curious to know more about their nature. The curiosity allows them to make discoveries and also strive to find the truth. Looking critically at the discoveries that have been made in the past it is out of curiosity that this has happened. This curiosity leads to knowledge, which then leads to wisdom. Doubts make us to know hat our knowledge is correct instead on believing in something blindly. However I do not feel that doubt makes us to make any discovery or learn anything that is new to us. It is curiosity that allows us to acquire new knowledge more quickly. Work cited Axtell Guy. Knowledge, belief, and character: readings in virtue epistemology, 1st edition, Rowman Littlefield, 2000. Chang Larry. Wisdom for the Soul: Five Millennia of Prescriptions for Spiritual Healing, Gnosophia Publishers, 2006. Gotschl Johann. Erwin Schrodingers world view: the dynamics of knowledge and reality Vol 16, New York, Springer, 1992. Lamm Norman. Faith and doubt: studies in traditional Jewish thought, 3rd edition, KTAV Publishing House, Inc. , 2007. Urdahl Halvor. Key of Knowledge, New York, Kessinger Publishing, 1998.

Native Plant Selection And Plant Re Colonisation Environmental Sciences Essay

Native Plant Selection And Plant Re Colonisation Environmental Sciences Essay Currently, there are approximately 1,017 kilometres  of motorway in the Republic of Ireland with a view to possibly extending this to 1100 kilometres by 2015. (Wikipedia, 2011). Therefore, because of this vast sprawling motorway network which will possibly be extended throughout the country, I will seek to critically evaluate the vegetation suitable for this network with a view to sustaining the features of the local landscape and its surrounding habitat. The planting of trees and shrubs along a motorway provides important means screening for both the driver and passengers. In an urban area, a motorway can be lined with intrusive properties. Buildings or industrial estates can be unsightly while travelling along a motorway. Vegetation here has an important role to play here as they can help naturally mask these surrounding unsightly features. Trees or tall shrubs are a suitable screen for multi-storey houses or developments while small shrubs can be a suitable veil for lower single story buildings. Both of these do not only act as a screen but also function as important noise and wind barriers. (Department for Transport 1992, p.2/1) While it is important to provide adequate screening in built up areas through means of visual mitigation, this can be difficult to maintain year round as deciduous species lose their foliage in the winter months. This can be avoided when a mix of evergreen and deciduous species are planted. (Department for Transport 2004, p.5/17). On the other hand, overplanting on a motorway for screening can prove to be detrimental to the surrounding landscape. If the surrounding landscape is already particularly scenic, tall trees and dense shrubs can mask this. An example of this can be seen in the below image: The problem: M40, Oxfordshire When this planting matures an attractive view, in which the road is not a dominant element, will be lost. It might have been better either to have accepted the view or to have broken it up within intermittent planting (Department for Transport, 1992, p.2/2). Here, were are advised that that varied and intermittent planting is necessary because too much screening can lead to the view of the surrounding landscape and features being masked though the dense shield of greenery once it matures. This would be especially the case of evergreen woodland species which would block the view in all seasons and grow taller than some deciduous trees or shrubs. Therefore, we are already discovering that planting of plant species along a motorway involves specific planning whereby the natural surrounding landscape is not deprived of its features. It is also important to note also that woodland planting would normally take place on a wide cutting where trees would be clear of overhead cables and important signs or structures. The variety of species selected should reflect the local landscape while not overly shielding it. (Department for Transport, 2004, pp.5/17-5/18). This above measure of selecting variegated species is also important for the driver and their personal experience with their surroundings along the road corridor. The National Roads Authority (2006, p.24)  highlight the importance of driver fatigue in the planning of landscaping along motorway as the frequent use of a single or few relatively large treatments along a road corridor can become repetitive, leading to a loss of perceived naturalness, and may contribute to driver monotony and fatigue. They note how it is important to have a variation in the vegetation along the motorway particularly at high speeds of up to 120 km/h. It therefore should be considered to avoid a single species of high canopy trees or woodland species in an area of an attractive featured landscape. Ilex aquilfolium Holly The evergreen holly is a native species which forms the shrub layer in some of our oldest woods. It is another visually attractive small tree very suitable for gardens as a specimen tree or as a hedge, slow growing and very dense. It is possible to take cuttings from holly. A small side shoot about 15 cm with the heel where it joins the main branch should be selected and grown in a suitable sand/loam mix. September is the best time to take cuttings, which are best grown under shelter. Seedlings or cuttings should be moved once they are well established (but under 20cm tall) and when the soil is warm (The Tree Council of Ireland, 2008, P.26)Instead, the natural landscape should be maintained and any vegetation planted should blend with the surroundings features and not conceal them. The woodland screening mix should therefore consist of local native species that reflect the local landscape. The National Roads Authority (2008, p.165) provide examples of woodland species that can be used to reflect the local landscape; Populus tremula (Aspen) Salicaceae  (family), Fraxinus excelsior (Ash) Oleaceae (family), Quercus robur (Oak) Fagaceae (family), Betula pendula (Birch) Betulaceae (family), Alnus glutinsosa (Alder) Betulaceae (family) and evergreen species such as; Ligustrum vulgare (Wild Privet) Oleaceae  (family), Ilex aquifolium (Holly) Aquifoliaceae (family)   and Ulex europaeus (Gorse) Fabaceae  (family). Populus tremula Aspen The one definitely native poplar is aspen (all other poplars may be assumed to be introduced, although the black poplar is still being argued about). Aspen will grow into a full sized tree. The leaves make a distinctive sound as they rattle gently in the wind, and they have a sweet smell in the spring. Poplars produce seeds on catkins, but also spread vegetatively by suckers i.e. new shoots growing up from the roots. It is easiest to propagate aspen by cutting through roots and transplanting a sucker (The Tree Council of Ireland, 2008, P.19) It is also important to note how existing native hedgerows and woodland species should be retained where possible and if are necessary to be removed during construction works, post motorway landscape planting should focus on the natural native species that existed so there is no impact on local vegetation and flora. This is of crucial importance to local wildlife and protected conservation species. An example of how post motorway construction planting is achieved is seen in the below image: (Department for Transport, 2004, P.5/46). Here we see how hedgerows are planted along the road corridor linking them in with existing hedgerows that exist in the surrounding fields. This provides important visual integration but also achieves benefits for the local wildlife as they have a corridor of vegetation to travel along. In the development of a natural habitat along motorways, hedgerows are of huge importance to wildlife conservation. Richard Nairn (2012) affirms that: new roadside plantings can create a woodland edge with tall canopy trees such as oak, ash or Scots pine set well back from the carriageway and a progressively lower fringe of small trees and understory plants closer to the road. This helps to replicate natural habitats which have been depleted in Ireland for several centuries. Therefore, if a motorway is developed along or nearby a woodland area, it would be necessary to replicate the planting of the natural locally occurring species for the benefit of blending it with the local surroundings. Good practice: M27, Hampshire A variety of species has been used. The numbers of individuals in each species group and the size of the clumps, are in keeping with the scale of the road. (Department for Transport, 1992, P.3/1). In the above examples we seed how a collection similar species are selected to naturally blend with the surroundings and we note the importance of how species are selected to grow naturally as they would occur within these surroundings. This not only benefits the visual interest but wildlife protection is highlighted. In addition to wildlife found on the wood woodland edge, the National Roads Authority have found that birds and bats fly higher above roads when crossing between existing woodland on either side of a road carriageway than when the motorway has lined hedgerows with a high or low wooded canopy. Moreover, although most motorways should be predominantly straight sections, if curved trees and shrubs should be set back to discourage wildlife crossing and improve visibility for motorway users. (National Roads Authority, 2006, p.28) Crataegus monogyna Hawthorn Hawthorn or white thorn was planted in hedges throughout our countryside. Its sweet smelling May blossom is a feature in that month, and in autumn and winter the deep red haws colour the bare twigs. They are among the berries most favoured by birds. Only untrimmed hawthorn can flower and fruit freely, but hedges have to be cut to keep them stock proof. Hawthorn hedges may be trimmed regularly, or left for several years and then laid by cutting part way through the main stems and laying these horizontally through the hedge. Even old hawthorn hedges will regenerate if trunks are cut back to base and left to sprout again. Like many other shrubs, hawthorn also grows in woodland where there is enough light in open glades, along rides through the woodland, or along the edge. A single tree may be left in a field as a fairy thorn, especially where there maybe an archaeological site. (The Tree Council of Ireland, 2008, P.42)Shrubs add an important feature to the woodland edge planting. Shrubs not only benefit the environment ecologically but also aesthetically as they can function to soften the appearance of a woodland edge and provide form. Crataegus monogyna (Hawthorn) Rosaceae  (family), vastly seen planted throughout Ireland is a good example of low growing motorway shrub that acts this way. Trees and shrubs can function to break the emphasis of the motorway corridor, soften hard motorways and barriers but intermittent planting also benefits biodiversity conservation rather than mass planting of non beneficial plant species. Also, the greater the variety of plant species, the greater the variety of wildlife which acts as vital nature reserve for them to travel along. The variation of high canopy trees and low canopy trees species along a motorway is of relevance to bird species as some prefer to nest at different levels: Chaffinches and Greenfinches like to nest well above ground level, while Wrens, Robins and Dunnocks are happier lower down. (Donegal County Council, 2004) In the creation of a woodland edge, Acer campestre (Field Maple) Sapindaceae (family) provides us with autumn colour when lined with shrubs through intermittent planting. The shrubs can also provide a beautiful array of flowers in spring and summer which are not only beneficial aesthetically but influence insect pollinators. Commencing with Blackthorn in April Hawthorn which is then followed by Gorse, Cherry, Plum, Crabapple, Rowan, Elder, Guelder Rose, Honeysuckle, Wild Rose and Bramble. After flowering, most of these plants reach their fruiting period all together, just when bird populations are at their highest, and all need the fruit and berry feast to build them up for the winter. (Donegal County Council, 2004) Ulex europaeus Gorse- Perhaps the best known and most widely distributed of our native shrubs, gorse is also known as whin or furze. There are two types, the common or European gorse, and the western or mountain gorse. The common gorse is a very suitable shrub component along the edge of new woodland, and also makes an excellent hedge. Gorse is well known for flowering almost all the year round, and its spiny leaves are evergreen. Gorse supports many insects and spiders, which in turn provide food for small birds, which may nest in the excellent shelter provided by these dense spiny bushes. It is often under-estimated as a wildlife resource. (The Tree Council of Ireland, 2008, P.40) Lonicera periclymenum Honeysuckle A climber rather than a shrub,honeysuckle is a common component of native deciduous woodlands. The heads of pink and golden trumpet shapedflowers have a powerful sweet scent attractive to moths,which take the nectar. Theflowers mature to bright red berries that are much enjoyed by birds such as coal tits. Honeysuckle may be grown on a fence or over dead timber, or up the wall of a building with the help of wire supports. It may be cut back and trimmed hard in a hedge without ill effects. Honeysuckle will grow from berries and also from cuttings. Best of all is to layer a branch i.e. peg it down into the soil while still attached to the parent plant it will sprout roots and may then be cut off and transplanted. (The Tree Council of Ireland, 2008, P.43) However, a major wildlife concern that should be noted along motorways with berry plants is that they can attract wildlife which can be dangerous at such close distances to fast moving traffic so careful planting and selection should be considered. An additional concern would be the planting of Gorse in areas that they prone to fires. The National Roads Authority (2006, pp.10-11) have a policy setting out the selection of native species of non native as they promote conservation of biodiversity and give the landscape a unique character of Irishness while also reducing the possibility of diseases from foreign non native plant species. Moreover, due to the small percentage of native plant species that remain in Ireland, it is important to encourage their use in landscaping of motorways and their encouraging the fauna protection via a symbiotic relationship. Native species have been proven to be more beneficial for wildlife as they have lived in equilibrium for thousands of years whereas wildlife has found it difficult to adapt to introduced non native plant species Moreover, when selecting species of trees to plant on motorways, it is important to understand that some trees are slow growing and although Oak is a native tree and provides important feeding station for insects, the length of time it takes to grow should be considered as faster growing species such as ash may prove to be more beneficial on a larger scale planting along motorways due to their considerable growth time difference. (Boylan, C. 2012) As we have seen, motorway planting involves trying to blend the new roads into their existing landscape. Another landscape planting that can take place to achieve this is grassland planting to match open green belt environment or more pastoral surroundings. The National Roads authority emphasise the importance here of sourcing indigenous seed and robust low-maintenance grassland treatments and While Red Clover may be included in the grass seed mix, incorporating aggressive leguminous species such as White Clover (common in many grass seed mixes) should be avoided, as these will facilitate an increase in soil fertility, thereby increasing maintenance inputs including the need for more frequent mowing (National Roads Authority, 2006, pp.79-81) On steep embankments, hydro seeding is used to spread grass and flower mix seed. However, with clay and sandstone present the soils will be lighter and the gradient cannot be too steep.Here the roots of plants form and important function in holding the structure of the embankment together. While Clover forms and important species in grassland seed mix that for form as a nitrogen fixer. (Hedgerowmobile, 2004) Grassland also has an important role in nature conservation and natural re colonisation of grassland species also hence the choice of indigenous seed sourcing. The images contrast the grasslands choices and their results. Rank, coarse grassland is typical of much highway land and stands out in marked contrast to the surrounding agricultural land, rather than blending with it Good practice: M6, Cumbria Apt use of low-maintenance grassland on the right soil conditions has ensured a fit to the landscape, as well as providing nature conservation interest (Department for Transport, 1992, p4/1) It is also important to note that in the development of an open grassland landscape along motorways, maintenance will be crucial. Scrub and noxious weeds an easily invade a grassland sward where wildlife have settled. It is important therefore to ensure that scrubs such as bramble, gorse, and hawthorn do not invade valuable grassland. (Department for Transport, 2004. p.5/12-13, p.5/31) Such scrubs form important wildlife habitats but it is necessary to ensure that the do not spread into other wildlife colonies. Careful planning and maintenance can ensure that this does not occur. As an alternative to scrub planting in this area, large canopy trees can function to break up the emphasis of mass planting and can provide form while also allowing more diversity for wildlife and provide a framed view for the driver on the road corridor. (Department for Transport, 2004. P5/31). Species of large canopy trees here could include Fraxinus excelsior (Ash), Quercus robur (Oak), Pinus sylvestris (Scots Pine) and Quercus petraea (Sessile Oak). On the contrary, the central median of motorways is not of importance to wildlife protection and conservation. It functions more of a division between laneways but also can have aesthetic visual impact on the motorway user. Bulb planting here can be a beneficial means of achieving good visual quality while reducing the risk of this dangerous area becoming a habitat island. Considering the location, bulbs will be low maintenance and soften the opposing hard road surface. Moreover the National Roads Authority advise against the use of berry producing shrubs and plants due to their potential appealing nature to wildlife posing a risk to potential wildlife considering their closeness to fast moving vehicles and machinery. (National Roads Authority, 2006, pp.55-56) As an alternative, examples of shrubs that could be planted along the central median include Corylus avellana (Hazel) and Salix spp (Willow) as they do not grow to great heights or width so less thinning would be required in maintaining them. (Department for Transport, 2004, p.5/28) Salix spp Willow- There are several varieties of willow native to Ireland. All grow in damp soil, have catkins or pussy willows that produce seeds, but are most easily grown from cuttings, which root very readily. The most widespread willow species are the goat willow, the rusty or grey willow (both known as sallies), and the eared willow. While these generally grow on damp ground, the goat willow will also colonise rough and disturbed ground in drier areas. Willow establishes easily by wind blown seed and can also be propagated by taking cuttings approx 8 inches long from stems between half an inch and one and a half inches during dormancy, which are simply pushed into the soil to a depth of 4 inches max. (The Tree Council of Ireland, 2008, p.31) Therefore to conclude, we can see that vegetation on motorways provides us with an opportunity to replace important habitats for wildlife and also provides us with the task of integrating the motorway into the existing landscape where a mix of local native species provides visual interest while also benefiting wildlife biodiversity. Motorways can be a major geographic feature of the landscape if properly maintained and if the suitable vegetation is selected when created these corridors for both wildlife and road users while they continue on their journey. Word Count 3163