The Pivot Points of Alcohol Consumption Control essays

The Pivot Points of Alcohol Consumption Control expositions For a great many years liquor has been viewed by society as an impermanent departure from the real world and the pressures of regular day to day existence. Individuals use liquor to diminish worry, to unwind, and to appreciate a goodbye. This ought to be the genuine motivation behind liquor drinking. This is the manner by which liquor ought to be viewed. There ought to be no purpose behind liquor drinking to be viewed as negative activity. Drinking liquor be that as it may, is in reality viewed as a negative activity by society and the legislature. This isn't a result of the activity drinking liquor itself yet really due to the maltreatment individuals attempt with such an activity. Liquor decreases the capacity of an individual to experience the fundamental and consistently points of view, in such a way hindering an individual affected by liquor to take part in customary and regular occasions. Seemingly, the issue of liquor drinking means probably the biggest danger to human life on the planet. This is because of the high number of fatalities happening from liquor related homicides, battles, and above all auto collisions. Liquor misuse weakens a people capacity to drive a vehicle and subsequently makes basic reason for death from a fender bender. In the United States alone, driving drunk mishaps represent the main source of death among all age gatherings, for the most part in any case, youthful grown-ups and late youngsters. Youth in the United States is experiencing a high number of fatalities and wounds caused from falls, consumes, crashes, suffocating, brutality, self destruction, and harming where the most elevated level of these mishaps are identified with liquor. Because of the way that liquor misuse is such a high reason for horribleness and injury, governments and social orders of nations everywhere throughout the world focus on various strategies and techniques wherein to diminish these deplorable occurrences. The issue is be that as it may, liquor ca n't be totally annulled. Drinking liquor has framed such a huge piece of life... <!

Tree Diagram responses wk 1 dq 1 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Tree Diagram reactions wk 1 dq 1 - Coursework Example For this situation, results at every preliminary are fundamentally unrelated and their association is the all inclusive set (Sharma, 2007). While Brenda is directly in recognizing the tree outline as a guide to envisioning results, her definition isn't far reaching. Direct figuring of probabilities is increasingly effective in basic results, for example, single preliminaries. The tree chart is increasingly material in picturing results of different preliminaries. She additionally doesn't unequivocally distinguish the way that tree a chart is appropriate for free preliminaries. A model, like Brenda’s would include free and progressive determination of a ball from a lot of four white balls followed by another choice from a lot of three blue ones. While she shows the primary standards of likelihood, for example, assurance of the likelihood space and added substance and multiplicative principles, Brenda needs adequate numerical terms for conveying her rich information (Sharma, 2007). Tami is explorative of the extent of a tree outline and its job in distinguishing proof of an example space. Her case of conceivable utilization of a tree chart is additionally sufficient. This is on the grounds that it distinguished choice of two things from two totally unrelated sets. A genuine model that compares to Tami’s is a progressive determination of a book from a lot of five books, each with an alternate shading, trailed by choice of a pen from a lot of three distinctively hued pens. Her answer additionally shows a comprehension in assurance of test space from preliminaries. Despite the fact that her reaction is praiseworthy, she neglects to explicitly recognize the freedom property of preliminaries that is a need for utilization of a tree outline (Sharma, 2007). Yvette’s answer that a tree outline is a method of posting prospects of a succession isn't precise. This is a result of two reasons. Initial, a succession may have a solitary result at every preliminary and may not fit

The Modern Rules of the Memo (With Examples)

The Modern Rules of the Memo (With Examples) Whether its called a business memorandum, memoranda, or memo, it is a common form of business communication when the information to be disseminated is informal and not private. According to Business Etiquette for Dummies, 2nd Edition, If you have something confidential to communicate, dont do it in a memo.The purpose of your memoMemos are the typical form of communication used within companies and organizations. Most will be limited to a few paragraphs, but some memos may be longer, depending on their purpose and messaging.In general, a memo is used:to inform others within the company on changes in policies, directives, or procedures.to announce changes in leadership, management structure, team divisions, or workflow.to disseminate information pertaining to meetings and events held within the organization.to introduce new employees, divisions, clients, etc.The format of your memoThe most typical format of interoffice memos is as follows:Heading: (usually MEMORANDUM or MEMO in all cap s, centered, although this format is not required and can vary based on organizational style guides.)To: (Who or which department gets it)From: (Who or which department sent it)Date: (When it was sent)Subject: (Briefly, what its about)(A line generally separates the header from the content, as shown above.)Your introductory paragraph should quickly orient the reader to what the memo is about and how it pertains to them or their department. It should be written succinctly, with as few words as possible to convey the needed message. The rule of thumb is tight, informative sentences.For the body, here are a few pointers:If there are tasks that need to be completed related to the subject of the memo, those can be detailed in the body of the memo.Keep in mind that bullet points are a great way to present most information in a way that can be easily scanned and understood by the reader.Its easier for the human eye to read bullet points than long, overly complicated paragraphs.Include the important details but if there are complex details involved, direct readers to another document (a memo is not really the place for that).Memo example 1MEMORANDUMTo: All departmentsFrom: Dan Lumberg, CEODate: October 1, 2018Subject: Internet use on company timeThis is to remind all employees that Internet use on company time is prohibited. Please refrain from checking your personal email, social media accounts, or messaging platforms while on the clock, unless it is on your break time or lunch time.As noted in the employee handbook, section 2.4., all employees are responsible for:Using on-the-clock hours for company projects only.Limiting their online interactions while on the clock to clients and fellow employees within the company.Applying their break or lunch-time hours to any time spent reading personal email, personal social media accounts, or messages sent for personal use.As always, we appreciate the time and effort you put into all that you do at XYZ Corp and trust that our employees will maintain professional standards at all times while on the clock. If you have questions or concerns about these company policies, please direct them to Megan Smith at ext. 1208.Best regards,Dan Lumberg, CEOMemo example 2MEMORANDUMTo: Executive assistants, all departmentsFrom: Jon BeakerDate: October 1, 2018Subject: Attaching cover sheets to all outgoing faxesIm sending this memo to inform you of recent changes in company procedure related to faxes sent out. We have a new standard cover sheet (Form 12E) that should be used in all outgoing fax transmissions and the old one (Form 12D) should be recycled or discarded.The new cover sheet includes our new company address, along with a legal statement that is required to be attached to all outgoing fax transmissions. Without the use of this new cover sheet, we run the risk of falling out of compliance with our legal directives.This might seem like a small matter but I assure you, it is extremely important. I suggest that you immediately recycle or discard all the old fax cover sheets to avoid confusion. If there are any questions, please contact me at extension 101.Best regards,Jon Beaker

Addressing Employee Stress Creates Sense - 1547 Words

Financially speaking, addressing employee stress makes sense. A PwC investment analysis report from 2014 found initiatives and programs that fostered a resilient and mentally healthy workplace returned $2.30 for every dollar spent. In addition to this financial capital finding, organizational research has demonstrated a positive relationship between employee resilience and performance (Luthans, Avolio, Walumbwa, Li, 2005). The results are clear: many Americans have little difficulty identifying when they are stressed, but are unable to prevent their stress in the first place. Yet business functions suffer from a stressed workforce. So how can we develop workplace resilience? II. How to Develop Workplace Resilience Luthans, Vogelgesang, and Lester (2006) have identified three ways to develop workplace resilience: a risk-focused strategy, an asset-focused strategy, and a process-focused strategy. A risk-focused strategy is aimed at preventing or reducing stress at an organization level. Creating a trustworthy culture is an example of this strategy. An asset-focused strategy is aimed at enhancing personal and organizational resources by, for instance, using continuing education and professional development to invest in employees’ human and social capital. Finally, a process-focused strategy focuses on employees’ cognitive ability. For instance, fostering employee self-efficacy is one means for influencing the way they interpret events and experiences. These three broadShow MoreRelatedThe Link between Empowerment and Emotional Dissonance879 Words   |  3 Pagesimportance of emotion. Lashley hypothetically claimed that the positive feeling that is controlled by the authorized employ ee will support in creating positive feelings in personnel where this could most likely propose some help to personnel, particularly before they get involve to ‘emotional dissonance’. Basically, personnel need to get involve in a specific amount of emotion in order to create the suitable feelings (Conger and Kanungo, 1988, Lashley, 1999) and to follow the necessary job rules (HochschildRead MoreA Research Project On The City Of Kelsey1353 Words   |  6 PagesThe City of Kelsey is in the process of undertaking a sustainability plan for its water system due to the increase of its residents. The efforts of this project rest on the communication and teamwork with addressing issues and concerns from the mayor of Kelsey. The following paper will discuss the concerns that Kelsey’s mayor has with the methods utilized in building effective relationships with teamwork among city employees and with the motives and values with building teamwork. The paper will describeRea d MoreNegative Effects Of Email Overload And The Lean Solution1748 Words   |  7 Pagesto an email the second it arrives (MacNevin, 2007). This disruption is a serious problem for the employee s and company s well-being, costing both valuable resources to manage. Many other companies feel the strain of the overload as well. Daimler, a German auto-maker, went so far as to allow employees to auto-delete incoming email when they are out on vacation so they do not return to the stress of managing an overflowing inbox (Rosen, 2014). ABC Financial Inc. is not alone in battling this issueRead MoreThe Effect of Performance Evaluations on Employee Morale732 Words   |  3 Pagesexcellence. This had the effect of leaving the staff nurse feeling underappreciated and devalued. The fact that the staff nurse felt the nurse managers comments seemed out of the blue attests to this lack of communication. As a result the level of stress and anxiety of the staff nurse has been heightened due to a lack of trust, and communication between the two, which did not appear to be first-rate in the first place, has gotten worse. Moreover, the manner in which the nurse manager leveled her criticismsRead MoreHow Sabbaticals Can Be A Useful Tool For Retaining Productive E mployees1326 Words   |  6 Pagesseventh year the land rests (Levine, 2007). This sabbatical year allows for production to halt and for reflection and rejuvenation to be sown. By allowing the land to rest, it helps sustain fields, create a restored harvest, and cultivate better people. By applying the same concept of the field to the employee, employers need to allow the employee’s productive capacity, brain, and heart to rest while not being exerted in the manner it has been for the previous six years (Page, 2010). The majority of researchRead MoreCirque Du Soleil Case1184 Words   |  5 Pagesand Recommendation In order to attract more talent and increase its employees’ satisfaction along with its commercial success, Cirque will need to change how it manages its culture, talent and growth. It must create and communicate a vision and mission that establishes a shared sense of purpose. And, it must manage its culture through systems that alter and reinforce how employees should think, behave and feel about team work, taking risks, diversity and innovation to further drive its brand andRead MoreThe Ever-changing World of Healthcare Essay1073 Words   |  5 Pagescommunication barriers in the workplace, conversations must occur. Engaging in daily face-to-face meetings with employees increases positive work culture, morale and overall productivity. The problem of poor communication stems from an environment of high stress levels. After a consulting company scrutinized processes throughout the hospital related to care coordination and patient flow, the evidence was clear. The company identified areas for improvement around communication at many different levels. InRead MoreAdult Bullying And The Workplace1555 Words   |  7 Pagesstaggering. Bullying is defined as a combination of verbal abuse and behaviors that are humiliating, threatening, or intimidating and create harm (health, social, or economic) to individuals and may interfere with their productivity at work (Namie, 2007). With a prevalence of bullying taking place in the workplace, it appears that organizations need to better provide a sense of community and psychological support to its employees to address this widespread issue. The appropriate communication withinRead MoreWorking Conditions and Wellness Programs927 Words   |  4 PagesWorking Conditions Do you think an overweight employee who chooses not to participate in a wellness program should be penalized? Yes, an overweight employee that does not participate in a wellness program should be penalized. This is because different studies are showing that these individuals are less productive and will increase the overall costs for health insurance. Evidence of this can be seen in a study that was conducted by National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)Read MoreAligning HRM Business strategies1001 Words   |  5 Pagestraditional newspapers, job fairs, employee referrals to more savvier approaches such as social media (facebook, linkedin, twitter ). The recruiting team has recently implemented â€Å"skype interviews† upon casting a wider net to attract talent. They have also formed â€Å"strategic alliances partnerships† with veterans returning from Iraq. Screening: Southwest is an extremely â€Å"personable company†, so the screening team looks for â€Å"people-oriented† that are extroverted with a good-sense of humor. The airline has

The Ways the United States Used its Power to Help Nations Faced with Different Challenges Free Essay Example, 2500 words

The US is helping to curb terrorism, explains how the support offered by the US citizens helped the victims of the tsunami, and demonstrates how the US helped to stabilize the economy of Korea after it collapsed during the world war. This paper also looks at a situation whereby Britain suffered a crisis after the US failed to offer its support. It concludes by looking at how the United States regulates its economy in order to make sure that its citizens are not exploited as it tries to help other nations. Terrorism is a military warfare that is still prevalent today in many parts of the world. Terrorist mainly targets buildings in busy cities, towns and urban centers. The targets (buildings) are highly crowded, where most people carry out their daily operations. On the other hand, highly populated areas are points of attack whether there are existing buildings or not. For example, the United States September 11, 2001 bomb ballast in New York City (World Trade Center), was an ideal t arget for causing panic. Terrorists are pleased when they cause mass panic since this is their ultimate goal; the U. S is more vulnerable to this attack and has a reason to panic (Parker, 2005). We will write a custom essay sample on The Ways the United States Used its Power to Help Nations Faced with Different Challenges or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page The restrictions included; denial of financial assistance to terrorist, refusal to support persons who have been involved in terrorist acts, criminalizing terrorist acts, encouraging states to be cooperative and offering assistance on information regarding terrorists. Many nations all over the world have been holding meetings and making attempts to combat terrorism.

History of Management Theory Free Essays

Running Head: HISTORY OF MANAGEMENT THEORY History of Management Theory Troy Thompson 5409 Foxglove Drive, Bossier City, LA 71112 318-918-7413 Troythompson98@yahoo. com MSM 500 May 21, 2010 Class Instructor: Dr. David Bouvin Ellis University Introduction People and processes are the main elements under management purview, and it is interesting to learn how managerial philosophy pertaining to these two elements has evolved from the Industrial Revolution throughout the Progression Era and into the modern workplace. We will write a custom essay sample on History of Management Theory or any similar topic only for you Order Now The purpose of this paper will focus on Frederick Taylor’s Scientific Management, also known as the Taylor System, and Elton Mayo’s Human Relations business models and how they relate to this managerial evolution. Both Taylor and Mayo were iconic masterminds who lit the torch of innovative management for America to progress out from days of uncontrolled process variation and unethical human treatment towards a new beginning of quality management and human respect in the workplace. The primary sources examined are Chapter 1 of Frederick Taylor’s The Principles of Scientific Management, and The Encylopedia of the History of American Management, Elton Mayo. Both sources will guide this paper in the direction of modern day relevancy. The Taylor System Before the Taylor System, factories during the Industrial Revolution concentrated on meeting the demand agriculture commerce from both home and abroad (Montagna, 1981). The focus was not necessarily on quality or the treatment of human labor (Montagna, 1981). Instead, the environment reflected heavy-and-go forms of process flow combined with poorly supervised labor. With his engineering mind and passion for efficiency, Taylor responded to these inadequacies and began his efforts of applying mathematics and engineering principles to eliminate unnecessary effort in operations. The Taylor System gave birth to the following management practices: Incentive-Driven work performances, Time-Motion Studies, Centralized Management, Task Specialization, and Quality Control (Taylor, 1911). All these adoptions gave rise to a new management school of thought centered around a more productive work place, which Taylor considered to be â€Å"maximum prosperity† (Taylor, 1911). Taylor firmly believed in developing â€Å"captains of industry† rather than waiting on natural-born leaders to come along (Taylor, 1911). He also recognized a need for more involvement from the supervisors in the workplace to help eliminate what he referred to as soldiering, or, laxed employee output. He said, â€Å"The 30 percent to 100 percent increase in wages which the workmen are able to earn beyond what they receive under the old type of management, coupled with the daily intimate shoulder to shoulder contact with the management, entirely removes all cause for soldiering† (Taylor, 1911). As the turn of the twentieth century neared, the progressive landscape begged for more efficient business practices (The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers, line 16). This was the optimal time for the principles by which operational capacity could be measured, analyzed, streamlined, and controlled to take hold. This system then became a cornerstone on beset of the Great Depression and followed by future management theorists from then on after. One criticism of Scientific Management is that it demanded top-performance in every worker and near perfect throughput on the production line, developing into a quasi authoritarian-style form of bureaucracy. Workers were afraid to out-produce one another on the basis of peer pressure (Taylor, 1911). Taylor’s system was based on good intention, but just lacked understanding of the human side to the workplace. This left room for the work of Elton Mayo to yield fruition. Elton Mayo (Human Relations) Elton Mayo became famous through the Western Electric Company research project. The initial purpose of the project was to find ways to improve worker productivity. He and his team looked at how lighting, rest breaks, room temperature, etc. ffected worker productivity (Mayo, 2006). Through his research, he found a distinct discovery knows as the â€Å"Hawthorne Effect†, which described an increase in output by workers who perceived that they are being watched and studied somehow (Mayo, 2006). Mayo viewed the Hawthorne Effect as a symptom of a bigger issue. He then diverted from his original hypothesis of physical factors to the examination the socio-political factors. What he found was that employees valued acceptance by their peers more than anything else (Mayo, 2006). Also unique about Mayo’s observations was the paradigm-burst that employees were not motivated primarily due to compensation, but were motivated primarily due to job satisfaction; this, of course, was a stark difference in Taylor’s theory that men were motivated best when they were given wages that were commensurate with their skill level. In support of Mayoism, as his principles later became known for, I applaud his principles of human relations that captured the essence of the Progressive Era in that they advanced employee respect in the workplace. Due to his influence, business leaders began to ask the question, what can be done to make our employees happier? New policies were adopted such as exit interviews, participative problem solving, and most novel of all – human relations (Mayo, 2006). Conclusion The essence of Taylor and Mayo’s legacies are of human ingenuity applied to enhance work settings, in terms of both people and processes. The best form of both elements can be seen in today’s business strategy of continuous process improvement, which is a group effort to optimize key processes in an organization. From Six Sigma, to Gantt Charts, to Brainstorming, to Exit Interviews, it is hard to imagine a work setting without the production techniques these two management gurus inspired. For example, the Air Force has embraced a culture of innovation called Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century (AFSO21). Through AFSO21, Airmen are encouraged to look at the way they do business and think of ways to make their areas more efficient, more safe, energy-saving, and effective. Many Fortune 500 companies have also incorporated continuous process improvement into their business mantra as a result of business management education guided by the wisdom of Taylor and Mayo. References American Society of Quality. http://www. asq. org/learn-about-quality/history-of-quality/overview/industrial-revolution. html Mayo, G. (2006). In Encyclopedia of the History of American Management. http://www. credoreference. com. libraryproxy. cardean. edu/entry/contham/mayo_george_elton Montagna, J. (1981). The Industrial Revolution. http://www. yale. edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1981/2/81. 02. 06. x. html#c Taylor, F. (1911). The Principles of Scientific Management. New York: Harper Bros. , 1911: 5- 29. http://www. fordham. edu/halsall/mod/1911taylor. html The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers. â€Å"The Progressive Era. † Teaching Eleanor Roosevelt, ed. by Allida Black, June Hopkins, et. al. (Hyde Park, New York: Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site, 2003). http://www. nps. gov/archive/elro/glossary/progressive-era. htm How to cite History of Management Theory, Papers

Service Marketing Organization Theory

Question: Discuss about the Service Marketingfor Organization Theory. Answer: Introduction: The main purpose of this case study is to understand the relevance of QR codes in the service sector. The marketing opportunities and potential advantages of QR codes are also discussed in this study. The perceived risks associated with products for consumers on usage of QR codes with reference to service industry are also discussed in this case study. The future substitutes like AR, NFC, Google goggles or Snap tag for QR codes that can enhance business operations of service sector and customers satisfaction are also discussed in this study. The stage at which customers wanted to get enough information about the products or services they wanted to purchase or use is the significant stage for usage of QR codes in the process of consumers decision making. The knowledge related to products is key element during the consumers decision making and usage of QR codes will be significant for delivering the information according to need (Higgins et al, 2014). QR codes will be able to give enough information about products nature. The product information given by the QR codes is consistent in nature according to information search and also acts as primary method to reduce the risks during the product purchase decision by the consumers. Theories of balance scorecard and marketing mix are also most important factors that give the information related to product or services to the consumers. Balance scorecard will enable consumers about their needs related to products and also suggests appropriate initiatives to purchase the desired products (Babin and Zikmund, 2015). Marketing mix also gives consumers enough knowledge related to products or services they desired to purchase and also provides information related to all qualities of the products with information of manufacturing company as well. There are several marketing business opportunities of QR codes in service sector that helps the business to grow in efficient manner. QR codes can be linked to provide installation information. These can also provides source information related to parts or services that needs to be replaced. These also help in directing to the business operations and also help the companies in hiring professional for business. These codes are also use valuable coupons or special offers for any business to promote products or services in effective manner (Wirtz and Lovelock, 2016). These also provide feedback forms of the customers to effectively improve the quality or issue related to the products or services for the companies. The customer needs to have knowledge related to scan QR codes. The financial companies using QR codes for accessing quick information of customers to give follow up calls regarding sales. Most of the airlines companies are using QR codes as passes for digital boarding. Verizon also using QR codes at its retail stores which allows customers to participate and win smart phones. Marketing mix will help in promoting products or services at efficient locations to different customers (Hunt, 2014). The product factor of marketing mix will provide enough information related to products or services offered by the companies to customers. Ansoffs matrix can also be used for strategically developing business operations for organizations. This provides excellent marketing opportunities to develop the product in efficient manner. QR codes are important aspects in inventory management or manufacturing industry. These help in tracking more products prices and names that can include part number, serial number and other information. QR codes can also be used instead of barcodes as can encode maximum products or components. These codes can easily be read using cell phones or smart phones and not requires scanners to read information. These codes can also save or store large amount of information in terms of URLs, texts and geo coordinates (Klein, 2014). These are also cost effective and enable companies not to purchase scanners to record all inventory transactions in efficient manner. The employees of service industries prefer to use cell phones to scan OR codes as these are convenient and easier to use. These also not require smart phones to be connected with computers to operate business operations for service sector. Porters model will help the service sector in analysing their competitors and will also helps to access the factors that can enable them to achieve desired business growth of companies. Maslows theory also helps the companies to understand the customers desires and on that basis products or services are developed by the companies (Lusch and Vargo, 2014). This theory also makes the service sector to efficiently use the QR codes in order to get competitive advantage in the preset marketing conditions. There are various strategies adopted to attract customers to use QR codes to get information related to products or services. These codes offer interactivities to consumers so that can scan codes for launching advertisements on their phones that can increase potential to interact by clicking to perform several tasks to receive offers or coupons. This makes consumer connected with brand with quick access to all information related to products or services (Kim and Yoon, 2014). The customers who do not have sufficient technological knowledge have the difficulty to understand QR codes and sacking those codes is even difficult task for those customers. These codes need to be easier to san that should not require any guesswork from the consumers. The perceived response of QR can be understood with help of interactivity which includes user control, responsiveness and connectedness and immediately responds on consumers requests. Porters model will help the companies to analyse the threats or new entrants for the QR codes and will enhance business growth for companies by providing relevant information related to products and their significance for the customers. The SWOT and PESTLE analysis will also help service sector to determine risks on products associated with usage of QR codes for the consumers (Baker, 2014). These theories also provide enough business opportunities to service sector by providing quick information o customers using QR codes. There are so many cases associated with erroneous or time placement on misuse of QR codes. AR, NFC, i-Beacons, clickable paper Google goggles, or Snap Tag can be the future substitutes for QR codes that will certainly enhance operations of service sector and at the same time, also able to satisfy all needs of the customers. Snap tags are faster and can store more data than QR codes. Augment Reality (AR) overlays the entire world with content of digitalism (Waters, 2017). AR is mainly live, indirect and direct presentation of physical and real word whose elements augmented with sound, graphics, or video by the computers. Near field communication (NFC) mainly includes NFC chips and mobile devices. This helps in exchanging contact information within the two devices and easier to use. Clickable papers will help the customers to link with different links or social buttons where required information displayed as the image overlaid on the links. The swot analysis and pestle analysis tools of marketing will help the service sector to expand its business operations according to current business environment and will also successful in satisfying all needs related to quality and quantity of the products or services (Hatch and Cunliffe, 2013). The swot analysis will help service sector in analysing internal structure of business and strategies needs to improve business operations. Further, pestle analysis will analyse the external environment for service sector and will help to form strategies or develop such products that can satisfy all needs of the customers. References: Babin, B. and Zikmund, W. (2015) Exploring marketing research.USA: Cengage Learning. Baker, M. (2014) Marketing strategy and management. UK: Palgrave Macmillan. Hatch, M. and Cunliffe, A. (2013) Organization theory: modern, symbolic and postmodern perspectives.UK: Oxford university press. Higgins, L., Wolf, M. and Wolf, M. (2014) Technological change in the wine market? The role of QR codes and wine apps in consumer wine purchases. Wine Economics and Policy, 3(1), pp.19-27. Hunt, S. (2014) Marketing Theory: Foundations, Controversy, Strategy, and Resource-advantage Theory.UK: Routledge. Kim, E. and Yoon, N. (2014) Perceived QR code technological attributes in the smart shopping context. Journal of Global Fashion Marketing, 5(4), pp.297-307. Klein, M. (2014) Contribution of QR-Codes to the Marketing Mix A Case Study. Management, 4(3A), pp.1-11. Lusch, R. and Vargo, S. (2014) The service-dominant logic of marketing: Dialog, debate, and directions.UK: Routledge. Waters, J. (2017) Future alternatives to QR codes. [Online]. Available at: https://www.dummies.com/business/marketing/social-media-marketing/future-alternatives-to-qr-codes/ (Accessed: 11 April, 2017). Wirtz, J. and Lovelock, C. (2016) Services marketing: people, technology, strategy.UK: World Scientific Publishing Co Inc.

Romeo and Juliet Act 3 Scene 5 Essay Example

Romeo and Juliet: Act 3 Scene 5 Essay Juliets situation at the being of act 3 scene 5 is complicated because of the feud between the Capulets and the Montagues and the fight in scene 1 of this act. Tybalts death has led to Romeos banishment. Following the secret marriage between Romeo and Juliet they share their first night together before Romeo must go to Mantua. On the morning after their first night of marriage, it could be argued that she is loved completely by Romeo and also the nurse who always sides with Juliet. She is then forced to find her own inner strength as she is isolated from her family.In act 2 scene 2 we get the impression that Juliet is someone who is decisive and free from the prejudice of her family proving she has an independent mind. The impression is formed because she has her own views on the Montague and Capulet feud.Juliets question to Romeo is an attempt to persuade him to stay longer by saying are you leaving and its not day. The imagery associated with night and day begins to create tension because at the start, Juliet wants Romeo to stay and we know if he gets caught he will be killed. This shows he is being sensible but then they swap roles and Romeo wants to say. After hearing what Romeo has said she changes her mind and wants him to go. Our impressions of Juliet contrast here with her decisive character in earlier scenes showing she is young and doesnt know what she wants. We see her trying to grow up quickly so she becomes more independent and builds up more inner strength. The entrance of the nurse again increases the suspense in this scene because initially we dont know who it is and if Romeo is caught he will be killed. This is an important reminder to us Juliets complete trust in the nurse at this point because she is looking out in order that they dont get caught. The language Romeo and Juliet use to each other attempts to reassure each other of their continuing love which refers back to the phrase loved completely.The words Juliet uses at their parting reveals dramatic irony because when she says methinks I see thee now, thou art so low, as one dead in the bottom of a tomb because it predicts the future tragedy, Because Romeo has climbed down from the balcony into the orchard, she refers to him as dead in the bottom of a tomb, foreseeing the future. Juliet wishes that fortune may prove fickle regarding Romeo because its sent him away so she hopes it will send him back.We already know that Lady Capulet is more distant from her daughter than the nur se because when Lady Capulet wants to talk to her daughter earlier on in the story she asks the nurse to leave but then she found it hard to talk to Juliet because she doesnt know her that well and is very nervous so she calls the nurse back in. This was typical for noble ladies in those times because she would had been very young herself when she had children. Juliet was crying because Romeo had to leave but Lady Capulet though she was crying because of the death of her cousin Tybalt. She tries to talk Juliet out of her grief by saying a moderate grief, shows much of love, but excessive grief shows lack of sense.The villain in Lady Capulets opinion is Romeo because he killed her nephew. She says she would like to take vengeance upon him by sending someone to Mantua, where that same banished fugitive wretch lives and to give him poison. We can see Juliets resourcefulness when she uses clever language towards her mother in order to disguise her love for Romeo by saying she will never be satisfied until she see him-dead- is my poor hart. This is Ambiguity because her mother will think she will never be satisfied until Juliet sees him dead but what Juliet is really saying is that her heart is dead because shes not seeing Romeo. Juliets words on lines 96-102 extend the dramatic irony of associating Romeo with poison and at the same time disguising her love for him by saying if you could find to one to sell me a bottle of poison I would temper it.Lady Capulet brings news from her husband that Juliet is going to get married and Lady Capulet feels this will help cheer Juliet up. A Shakespearian audience would not have found it unusual for a 14year old girl to marry at this age especially in noble families. It was manly done as a business arrangement between families not for love. A Shakespearian audience would have still felt sympathy for Juliet but would understand more than a modern audience. This produces a forceful reaction in Juliet because she doesnt want to ma rry Paris because she is married to Romeo.Were she to get married to Paris she would be committing bigamy. In her religion if you were married to two people you would lose your soul because its a sin. She again uses clever language to disguise her love for Romeo and to prevent the marriage by saying she would rather marry Romeo. Juliet says this because Lady Capulet thinks Juliet hates Romeo more than anyone else in the whole world and she couldnt put it any more strongly that she doesnt want to marry Paris.Following the entrance of Capulet Shakespeare again uses dramatic irony in the words by which Lady Capulet sides with her husband rather than her daughter by being sarcastic. She does this by saying ay, sir, but she will none, she gives you thanks which means in modern English she wont have anything to do with it, thank you very much. When Juliet turns to her mother her words extend the dramatic irony earlier used by her mother; she unconsciously anticipates her tragic outcome. L ady Capulet, although shocked at the force her husbands anger still refuses to offer Juliet any support showing she is being deserted by everyone.Our first impressions of Capulet as a father are formed when he is first approached by Paris in act 1 scene 2 lines 9-10 and 14-19. We see him showing consideration for Juliet. This shows she was loved completely. We have also formed impressions of Capulet during the banquet when Tybalt insists that Romeo is removed. He is probably enjoying the party and doesnt want any trouble in his house, showing he likes to be in charge and likes to rule the household.He compares Juliet to a storm when he first makes his entrance believing that Juliet is crying for her dead cousin. He is also shown being authoritarian when he arranges the marriage without Juliets knowledge or consent. The word decree which means decision changes his outlook because he says have you told her our decision. Capulets tone and choice of words change dramatically as he meets Juliets refusal of his plans because he gives Juliet abusive treatment by calling her names like tallow-face and baggage. In his final threat to Juliet he says if you dont meet our decision you can beg, starve, die in the streets.In a sense Capulets conforms to a typical attitude of his day in families of the rich by wanting to make a good match for his daughter. Capulet tries to justify his choice of Paris by revealing the economic advantages this would bring. Capulets angry words to Juliet and those before his exit which were Ill not be foresworn remind us of the patriarchal stance that he wont be gone against. Juliet shows her strength of character and determination by saying if you dont delay this marriage for a month, make the bridal bed a coffin. One might not expect these words from a young girl during this abusive treatment by her farther particularly given the expectation of her family and of these times.Juliet now turns to her trust for some comfort. Up to this moment the nurse has been Juliets confidante. There are two points in the play where the nurse has been emotionally close to Juliet by acting as her confidante. One of these is where the nurse is sorting out the marriage, and she tells Romeo that if he is to marry Juliet he has to treat her write. The second time is when the nurse tells Juliet to go to Friar Lawrences cell where her husband to be will make her a happy wife.When Juliet says my husband is on earth, my faith in heaven: how shall that faith return again to earth which when brought up to date means my marriage vow is registered in heaven, and so as long as Romeo is alive, I cannot be released from it. This would remind a modern audience of the important role of religion in those times because they are criminal offences in our modern day. A Shakespearian audience would have understood this to be a terrible dilemma for Juliet because they were all religious. The nurse showed support for Juliet during the fierce argument with Capulet by sticking up for her to a point. She advises Juliet to compromise but Juliet exhibits moral superiority.The nurse then advises Juliet to marry Paris. The nurse totally betrays Juliet emotionally as her trusted confidante and both morally and spiritually as a responsibly adult by saying Romeo is a dishrag by comparison with Paris. We now she Juliets inner strength as she says you have comforted me a lot to disguise her true reaction to the nurses judgement. Juliet gives the impression that she is going to make confession and to be absolved when she tells the nurse shes going to visit Friar Lawrence. Juliets short soliloquy now reveals forceful language towards the nurse because she is being immoral by saying she should marry Paris thus committing bigamy.Juliet also accuses the nurse of hypocrisy towards Romeo because in the beginning the nurse says hes an honest gentleman, and a courageous, and a kind, and a handsome and at the end of the play she says hes nothing compared to Pari s. The idea of being deserted by everyone connects with Juliets views that the nurse is no longer her trusted confidante because Juliet says I will no longer confide my inmost secret thoughts with the nurse.The statement deserted by everyone is not true in every sense because Juliet now turns to Friar Lawrence. If there is no remedy Juliet considers killing her self which gives the scene its final dramatic irony. Our impressions of Juliet at the beginning of this scene contrast with the way in which is has stood up to her parents and rejected the nurses advise, because it seems like shes trying to make everything go her own way and so she will benefits from it. I think this because she tells Romeo at the being of the scene to stay because she doesnt want him to leave her, but she knows if hes stays and gets caught he will be killed.Now I think shes making everyone desert her by going against them. By doing this she will be benefiting because she will get to be with Romeo. Juliet now finds the strength of her decisive character in order to stand alone, despite the expectations of her family by confiding in Friar Lawrence who is outside her family. In my own opinion she didnt make the appropriate moral choice because if she and Romeo fail she will have no family to turn to.This scene has huge dramatic impact on the rest of the play, setting the scene for everything that follows. Shakespeare uses a variety of different language to put across different moods. At the start of the scene, the language and mood is very light and happy. This shows off Romeo and Juliets love for each other. Shakespeare uses the language very cleverly here, putting across the playful and happy attitude of the two and then changing it suddenly to a dark mood as Romeo leaves, because Juliet wants him back. We will write a custom essay sample on Romeo and Juliet: Act 3 Scene 5 specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Romeo and Juliet: Act 3 Scene 5 specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Romeo and Juliet: Act 3 Scene 5 specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer

Document Based Question on Enlightenment

Document Based Question on Enlightenment Enlightenment affected the world politically and the worlds social systems so strongly that it deserves to be considered one of the top three important "turning points" in all of world history. Enlightenment brought positive influences to society in the late 1700's.Enlightenment has affected the social systems in the branches of justice, modern education, and reference. In the year 1764 the Italian jurist Cesare Beccaria wrote a book called On Crime and Punishments. He questioned the idea of the death penalty in people's minds as if to ask, it is really necessary? John Locke and Jean Rousseau discuss how enlightenment affects modern education. The ideas spread to the minds of children leading to a brighter generation. French philosophers used Enlightenment. The philosopher Voltaire used treatise on tolerance based on religion and war to show Enlightenment to. The original reference of the Encyclopedia, written in 1772, provided the middle class with the information of the new era lea ding to the spread of new thoughts everywhere.Cesare Beccaria (1738 - 1794) was one of the great...This piece of marvelous information provided politicians with the right things to do. One of the political changes it made was to the Russian empire. Empress Catherine II of Russia, was an "Enlightened Despot", meaning she followed the government way of Enlightenment.Enlightenment was not only taken in a positive way but was also taken in any abusive way, since people misunderstand the positive factors of Enlightenment and misinterpreted against it. One misinterpretation of Enlightenment were two 20th century Historians which violated it by stating that the "light" did not light up all of the world or even all the western world.In conclusion, the ideas of Enlightenment took a positive part in everyone's lives. This enabled to people to have a better thought process today, which is used wisely in most circumstances.

Entry Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Entry Strategy - Essay Example The economic and political factors are inter-related and it becomes difficult to identify only the economic or only the political factors separately (Altinay, 2005). The micro-environment is the internal environment which comprises of the corporate goals and objectives, the corporate strengths and weaknesses and the service factors. In addition to these, the location is equally important (Ekeledo & Sivakumar, 1998). Zhao and Decker (2004) contend that size of the firm, the technology transfer if required, the cultural distance, the market size, risks and uncertainties, sectoral barriers, and the international experience also influence the entry strategy. Taking these factors into account, the market entry strategy for ABC in India and Ireland would be recommended.   While market entry is generally through exports, licensing, joint venture or opening of wholly owned subsidiaries, in the hospitality sector the mode of entry is different. In this sector direct ownership or any form of equity partnership is not preferred in countries with high economic or political risks, and of the level of economic development is low (Altinay, 2005). If the risks are high entry modes with low resource commitment is preferred. Franchising and management contracts are the most preferred modes of entry in the hotel sector in international expansion. In both these formats capital-intensive assets and knowledge-based assets can be separated.  Service firms may enter foreign markets using a variety of modes but control is the most vital factor.

Maritime Technology 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Maritime Technology 1 - Essay Example This physical quantity has been associated with randomness by Boltzmann who believes that in a confined system, the disorder that is produced is actually entropy. On the other hand, Shannon considers positive information that is produced in message transmission as entropy. Conversely, there is one more interpretation given to the term which is very much opposite to the former. Brillouin associates entropy with deficiency of information. This can also be stated as uncertainty and doubt and something which cannot be predicted. Ignorance is also one part of the mentioned interpretation of Brillouin. In addition, finally, there are some authors and theorists who consider freedom as entropy; freedom to evolve from one state to the other (Brissaud, pp. 69-70, 2005). Entropy is, basically, a fundamental and core value of modern physics that could be easily linked with different areas like metaphysics, biology and even economy. For these reasons, every interpretation and explanation of the t erm has its own importance in these diverse fields and they should be made to use in order to learn more about the phenomenon. Let the paper analyse each interpretation separately. When they say that entropy is the disorder, it means that when heat is produced in a closed system, the molecules gas molecules would, automatically, move randomly in any position. This would create more work and energy in the system than the energy which was initially present. This chaos and disrupt is termed as entropy. Moreover, considering the second and third interpretations, the lack of information, actually, refers to uncertainty and indefiniteness. An outsider can never predict where and how the gas molecules would spread when heat energy is produced in a closed system. This tendency of not being able to predict the present and future positions of molecules makes entropy associated with uncertainty and lack of information. However, for the same closed system, considering it from the inside, the mo vement and change is actually an information which is referred to as positive and beneficial adding up to the knowledge. Likewise, the gas molecules have maximum freedom to move rapidly in whatever directions, which increases with time (Brissaud, pp. 70, 2005). However, many theorists and authors disagree with the association of entropy with disorder. These theorists claim that the agitation is more a result of temperature than of entropy as a whole. This confusion exists because of the reason that all these three quantities and values are closely in connection with each other. Heat, temperature, and entropy have so close relations that the source of disorder and agitation is not observable clearly and precisely. When defined accurately, temperature, according to the modern and classical thermodynamics, is the value given to the molecular agitation that happens after heat is produced in a closed area. Furthermore, heat is termed as the disordered energy creating the chaos. Therefore , these three core principles in thermodynamics are closely linked with one another and are the source of the concepts of agitation and disorder that are associated with entropy (Brissaud, pp. 82, 2005). Thus, temperature is the real phenomenon associated to chaos and disorder since low temperature systems are always said to under order and less agitated. This is the reasons theorists disagree with that interpretation. Heat production and the

An Essay on the Magna Carta

An Essay on the Magna Carta The Magna Carta is widely considered to be one of the most important documents of all time, and is seen as being fundamental to how law and justice is viewed in countries all over the world. Prior to the Magna Carta being created there was no standing limit on royal authority in England. This meant that the King could exploit his power in whatever way he saw fit, as he was not subject to any laws[1]. This paper will examine the Magna Carta, the reasons for its creation, its impact on England and whether it fulfilled its purpose or not. I will be making the argument as to why it has gone above and beyond its original intentions and has over time paved the way for liberty. The most important part of the Magna Carta is clause 39, and is as follows â€Å"No free man shall be seized or imprisoned, or striped of his rights or possessions, or outlawed or exiled. Nor will we proceed with force against him. Except by the lawful judgement of his equals or by the law of the land. To no one will we sell, to no one deny or delay right or justice[2].† Now given at the time this wasn’t considered particularly important but over time it became interpreted as guaranteeing individual rights and liberty. This has also been exported into other nation’s constitutions, particularly Western countries namely the United States in the form of the Bill of Rights. The Magna Carta finds its roots in early 13th century England under the rule of King John. Traditionally considered to be a ruthless, authoritarian king[3], John had a myriad of issues facing England when he took the throne and it seems that much of the resentment towards him is unwarranted. It is worth noting that England was practically bankrupt due to John’s brother, King Richard incurring exuberant costs from going on Crusade and later ransom from captivity at the hands of the Holy Roman Empire[4]. After Richards’s death due to injuries sustained while fighting in France, King John faced adversity from the French and English nobility who had supported John’s nephew the young Arthur of Brittany. When Arthur was killed in an altercation while under the custody of John, many implicated John in the killing. Soon afterward the French attacked and took Normandy from English hands[5]. As a result of this John began to raise taxes to build an army to re-take Normandy . The end result of the war was disastrous, the English army was left in ruin and country had all but run out of money. Upon returning to England King John was faced with rebellion from his barons and found that he had very few allies left. In 1215 these baronial rebels forced King John to sign the Magna Carta[6], literally meaning the â€Å"Great Charter[7]†. These 25 barons sought to outline the unwritten customs that had in effect governed the country for centuries and put them into written law that would have to be observed by the king. Now at the time of its inception the charter wasn’t meant to be a principle of law that would apply to everyone, it was simply a way that the ruling elite of the time, the barons could put some limits to the king’s power. The charter itself was really the product of difficult back and forth negotiations between King Johns government and the barons, both really wanting to avoid civil war and trying to find a compromise. The en shrinement into law of feudal custom and the operation of the legal system, one which even the king would have to abide by was the driving force behind most of the clauses. Once brought into law it was made clear that certain aspects were to be made more important and are considered to be the main reason why the barons wanted such legislation in the first place. The biggest issue was the oppressive taxation that King John imposed to fight against the French. Despite making significant advancements in the revenue system within England there had been a general sense of growing discontent with the arbitrary way the royalty imposed heavy taxes. In truth there was little John could do given how the coffers had been drained from his aforementioned brother and from his father, Henry II’s forays into France[8]. As such it isn’t very surprising that more periods of high taxation was all that was needed to incite the barons to revolt and force John into signing. The charter made it clear that the monarchy would have to follow some set of rules regarding taxation and other customs according to the nobles. These included the protection of the English church, the special significance of London and the rights accompanying its status. Others are concerned with family law, transportation across England and what I see as being the most important the clauses dealing with justice. Again I will refer back to clause 39 which is interpreted today as being concerned with what is known as habeas corpus. The immediate impact of this clause was not felt by a great many people, for at the time it was of course intended for those of high privilege. As such at the time it was more of a settlement between the royal head of state and England’s most powerful families. The barons wanted a kind of safeguard against a reckless king having seen far to much of what can happen when one spends with abandon as many kings before John had, while not wanting to go so far as to repl ace the king himself. The Magna Carta itself was in a rather precarious situation as only weeks after being signed by King John it was denounced by pope Innocent III as having been forced on the king[9], and John was happy to agree and renounce it as well. This lead to the barons inviting the French king, Philip to invade and take the crown. A civil war ensued and the fate of the charter was in question. The rebellion ended with the death of King John in 1216, this left the throne to his son 9 year old Henry III. The nobles agreed that young Henry should be the one to take the throne, as despite being the son of the king whom they had despised, they weren’t about to abandon the lines of succession with regard to heredity. The Magna Carta was reaffirmed by Henry with the key focus being on a good reliable government led by the king. Eventually Henry began to deviate from the guidelines the charter had laid out for him and once again the barons went into open rebellion. The reb ellion was put down but only on the condition that the king would adhere to the charter once again. This is important as it set a precedent by which other English kings could not simply ignore the Magna Carta and do as they pleased, out of risking open rebellion. The charter comes in prominence again with the reign of Henry III’s son, Edward I. Once again frustration mounted over the heavy tax burden the king set upon the country and Edward had to admit that he was in fact bound by the Magna Carta, thus giving concession to the nobles. By this time the charter had become prominent enough that certain clauses pertaining to individual liberty were become common practice. As free men in England could enjoy the rights set forth in the Magna Carta. The structure of the charter is as such that it has an open-ended nature allowing for small tweaks and revisions at times when it is warranted. Over time we see events of great importance in England with the Magna Carta being the backbone of the movements. This is apparent with attempts to limit the royal powers of kings following Edward I. It isn’t until the late 14th century do we see however the charter being used in such an all-encompassing way. Under King Edward III the Magna Carta was proclaimed to be the law of the land and that no other law present or future could challenge it. We also see the first instances of the Magna Carta affecting general law, including the expansion of clause 39 making it in effect the due process that all men would be condition to if subject to the justice system. It is around this time that we see the gradual shift from the charter serving only the purpose of giving power to the nobles against the crown, to a general defense of human liberty in England. This can only be seen as a good thing as until this time the charter by and large only served the privileged few. The common people were subject to mistreatment at the hands of those in power in England for a very long time, the idea that they now have rights was an entirely new concept but one that gradually began to take hold, as the Magna Carta was reinterpreted. When taking into account the Magna Carta the role the English church played is one of great import[10]. It is explicitly stated in the charter that the church be given full freedom and unimpaired liberty, the fact that this is mentioned long before any mention of liberties for the freemen of England is important to take into account[11]. Of course it is hard to say that King John considered these clauses a concession, as the church already possessed many liberties given their unique position within England. The church had an expectation that they could practice their spiritual tasks without interference from the king. Society in this period had many dependencies on the church and as such it made sense for the king to observe the freedoms the church enjoyed rather than infringe upon them and threaten the peace that the church held in the kingdom. King John seemed to regard the freedom of the church as something of paramount import in England, even deferring to the pope on several occa sions. The evolution of the Magna Carta can also be attributed to the privileged status of the church itself. The type of freedom that those within the church enjoyed was outlined in the charter and a connection was made between this and the clauses dealing with the freemen, or the individual. This is important because without the church there would simply be no precedent for liberty in England. The Magna Carta then can be seen as a very important step towards liberty, especially considering the time when it was written. Its evolution from a document which was originally intended to force King John to consult the nobility on issues pertaining to taxes and justice in the realm, to the cornerstone of individual liberty is of great importance. The novel view that a king should be respectful of the rights of the nobility and church would be extrapolated into one in which all people regardless of birthright would be protected by law. As such I would say that yes the Magna Carta has indeed served its purpose and then some. Its continuing influence can be seen even today, enshrined in constitutions all over the western world[12]. The gradual shift in England towards individual rights and movement of government towards democracy can be attributed to the Magna Carta. As because individuals gained more rights including the common people this lead to the rise in the democratic process, including the creation of the English parliament where commoners could participate in government. Looking back however on its inception it is hard to say that the barons really had a specific goal in mind with the Magna Carta’s creation. The extent to which King John was an evil, tyrannical king seem to have been blown way out of proportion, given the circumstances I don’t see how he could have changed much of what he did during his reign. The idea that the barons were these visionaries thinking well ahead of their time is laughable, and seems more likely that they were simply distrustful of King Johns rule and were looking out for their own short-term interests. That is not to say of course that there weren’t some good ideals enshrined within the charter as it is apparent that there were, only that the majority of what was actually included seemed to be a result of various motivations on the part of upset barons. One of the most important aspects of the Magna Carta, and its most enduring is the idea of due process. Now granted due process and the subsequent trial by jury were not of any great importance to the barons at the time of the charters writing, although given the framework it is hard not to say that a few of them weren’t thinking ahead of what may become of it. This malleable framework provided just what subsequent generations needed to reinterpret certain clauses within the charter and make them take on a more general meaning apply to a much larger spectrum. The effects of continued reinterpretations have been profound on western society, first in the form of Habeas Corpus which served to strengthen what due process had already given the general populace. The point being that after Magna Carta and all its various iterations people had a series of natural rights and liberty by law, these influences have helped shape constitutions and how countries are governed today. [1] Jenkins, â€Å"A Short History of England,† 65 72 [2] â€Å"Magna Carta 1215† [3] Warren â€Å"King John† 174 181 [4] Jenkins â€Å"A Short History of England† 65 72 [5] Warren â€Å"King John† 76 93 [6] â€Å"Roger of Wendover:Runneymede 1215† last modified June 1997 [7] DanzigerGillingham â€Å"1215 The Year of Magna Carta† 255 277 [8] Jenkins â€Å"A Short History of England† 57 65 [9] Thorne E. Samuel et al â€Å"The Great Charter† 16 17 [10] DanzigerGillingham â€Å"1215 The Year of Magna Carta† 137 153 [11] â€Å"Magna Carta† 1215 [12] Hindley â€Å"The Book of Magna Carta† 193 201

Digital Fortress Chapter 94-99

Chapter 94 Midge Milken stood fuming at the water cooler near the entrance to the conference room. What the hell is Fontaine doing? She crumpled her paper cup and threw it forcefully into the trash can. There's something happening in Crypto! I can feel it! Midge knew there was only one way to prove herself right. She'd go check out Crypto herself-track down Jabba if need be. She spun on her heel and headed for the door. Brinkerhoff appeared out of nowhere, blocking her way. â€Å"Where are you headed?† â€Å"Home!† Midge lied. Brinkerhoff refused to let her pass. Midge glared. â€Å"Fontaine told you not to let me out, didn't he?† Brinkerhoff looked away. â€Å"Chad, I'm telling you, there's something happening in Crypto-something big. I don't know why Fontaine's playing dumb, but TRANSLTR's in trouble. Something is not right down there tonight!† â€Å"Midge,† he soothed, walking past her toward the curtained conference room windows, â€Å"let's let the director handle it.† Midge's gaze sharpened. â€Å"Do you have any idea what happens to TRANSLTR if the cooling system fails?† Brinkerhoff shrugged and approached the window. â€Å"Power's probably back on-line by now anyway.† He pulled apart the curtains and looked. â€Å"Still dark?† Midge asked. But Brinkerhoff did not reply. He was spellbound. The scene below in the Crypto dome was unimaginable. The entire glass cupola was filled with spinning lights, flashing strobes, and swirling steam. Brinkerhoff stood transfixed, teetering light-headed against the glass. Then, in a frenzy of panic, he raced out. â€Å"Director! Director!† Chapter 95 The blood of Christ†¦ the cup of salvation†¦ People gathered around the slumped body in the pew. Overhead, the frankincense swung its peaceful arcs. Hulohot wheeled wildly in the center aisle and scanned the church. He's got to be here! He spun back toward the altar. Thirty rows ahead, holy communion was proceeding uninterrupted. Padre Gustaphes Herrera, the head chalice bearer, glanced curiously at the quiet commotion in one of the center pews; he was not concerned. Sometimes some of the older folks were overcome by the holy spirit and passed out. A little air usually did the trick. Meanwhile, Hulohot was searching frantically. Becker was nowhere in sight. A hundred or so people were kneeling at the long altar receiving communion. Hulohot wondered if Becker was one of them. He scanned their backs. He was prepared to shoot from fifty yards away and make a dash for it. El cuerpo de Jesus, el pan del cielo. The young priest serving Becker communion gave him a disapproving stare. He could understand the stranger's eagerness to receive communion, but it was no excuse to cut inline. Becker bowed his head and chewed the wafer as best he could. He sensed something was happening behind him, some sort of disturbance. He thought of the man from whom he'd bought the jacket and hoped he had listened to his warning and not taken Becker's in exchange. He started to turn and look, but he feared the wire-rim glasses would be staring back. He crouched in hopes his black jacket was covering the back of his khaki pants. It was not. The chalice was coming quickly from his right. People were already swallowing their wine, crossing themselves, and standing to leave. Slow down! Becker was in no hurry to leave the altar. But with two thousand people waiting for communion and only eight priests serving, it was considered bad form to linger over a sip of wine. The chalice was just to the right of Becker when Hulohot spotted the mismatched khaki pants. â€Å"Estas ya muerto,† he hissed softly. â€Å"You're already dead.† Hulohot moved up the center aisle. The time for subtlety had passed. Two shots in the back, and he would grab the ring and run. The biggest taxi stand in Seville was half a block away on Mateus Gago. He reached for his weapon. Adios, Senor Becker†¦ La sangre de Cristo, la copa de la salvacion. The thick scent of red wine filled Becker's nostrils as Padre Herrera lowered the hand-polished, silver chalice. Little early for drinking, Becker thought as he leaned forward. But as the silver goblet dropped past eye level, there was a blur of movement. A figure, coming fast, his shape warped in the reflection of the cup. Becker saw a flash of metal, a weapon being drawn. Instantly, unconsciously, like a runner from a starting block at the sound of a gun, Becker was vaulting forward. The priest fell back in horror as the chalice sailed through the air, and red wine rained down on white marble. Priests and altar boys went scattering as Becker dove over the communion rail. A silencer coughed out a single shot. Becker landed hard, and the shot exploded in the marble floor beside him. An instant later he was tumbling down three granite stairs into the valle, a narrow passageway through which the clergy entered, allowing them to rise onto the altar as if by divine grace. At the bottom of the steps, he stumbled and dove. Becker felt himself sliding out of control across the slick polished stone. A dagger of pain shot though his gut as he landed on his side. A moment later he was stumbling through a curtained entryway and down a set of wooden stairs. Pain. Becker was running, through a dressing room. It was dark. There were screams from the altar. Loud footsteps in pursuit. Becker burst through a set of double doors and stumbled into some sort of study. It was dark, furnished with rich Orientals and polished mahogany. On the far wall was a life-size crucifix. Becker staggered to a stop. Dead end. He was at the tip of the cross. He could hear Hulohot closing fast. Becker stared at the crucifix and cursed his bad luck. â€Å"Goddamn it!† he screamed. There was the sudden sound of breaking glass to Becker's left. He wheeled. A man in red robes gasped and turned to eye Becker in horror. Like a cat caught with a canary, the holy man wiped his mouth and tried to hide the broken bottle of holy communion wine at his feet. â€Å"Salida!† Becker demanded. â€Å"Salida!† Let me out! Cardinal Guerra reacted on instinct. A demon had entered his sacred chambers screaming for deliverance from the house of God. Guerra would grant him that wish-immediately. The demon had entered at a most inopportune moment. Pale, the cardinal pointed to a curtain on the wall to his left. Hidden behind the curtain was a door. He'd installed it three years ago. It led directly to the courtyard outside. The cardinal had grown tired of exiting the church through the front door like a common sinner. Chapter 96 Susan was wet and shivering, huddled on the Node 3 couch. Strathmore draped his suit coat over her shoulders. Hale's body lay a few yards away. The sirens blared. Like ice thawing on a frozen pond, TRANSLTR's hull let out a sharp crack. â€Å"I'm going down to kill power,† Strathmore said, laying a reassuring hand on her shoulder. â€Å"I'll be right back.† Susan stared absently after the commander as he dashed across the Crypto floor. He was no longer the catatonic man she'd seen ten minutes before. Commander Trevor Strathmore was back-logical, controlled, doing whatever was necessary to get the job done. The final words of Hale's suicide note ran through her mind like a train out of control: Above all, I'm truly sorry about David Becker. Forgive me, I was blinded by ambition. Susan Fletcher's nightmare had just been confirmed. David was in danger†¦ or worse. Maybe it was already too late. I'm truly sorry about David Becker. She stared at the note. Hale hadn't even signed it-he'd just typed his name at the bottom: Greg Hale. He'd poured out his guts, pressed print, and then shot himself-just like that. Hale had sworn he'd never go back to prison; he'd kept his vow-he'd chosen death instead. â€Å"David†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She sobbed. David! At that moment, ten feet below the Crypto floor, Commander Strathmore stepped off the ladder onto the first landing. It had been a day of fiascoes. What had started out as a patriotic mission had swerved wildly out of control. The commander had been forced to make impossible decisions, commit horrific acts-acts he'd never imagined himself capable of. It was a solution! It was the only damn solution! There was duty to think of: country and honor. Strathmore knew there was still time. He could shut down TRANSLTR. He could use the ring to save the country's most valuable databank. Yes, he thought, there was still time. Strathmore looked out over the disaster around him. The overhead sprinklers were on. TRANSLTR was groaning. The sirens blared. The spinning lights looked like helicopters closing in through dense fog. With every step, all he could see was Greg Hale-the young cryptographer gazing up, his eyes pleading, and then, the shot. Hale's death was for country†¦ for honor. The NSA could not afford another scandal. Strathmore needed a scapegoat. Besides, Greg Hale was a disaster waiting to happen. Strathmore's thoughts were jarred free by the sound of his cellular. It was barely audible over the sirens and hissing fumes. He snatched it off his belt without breaking stride. â€Å"Speak.† â€Å"Where's my pass-key?† a familiar voice demanded. â€Å"Who is this?† Strathmore yelled over the din. â€Å"It's Numataka!† the angry voice bellowed back. â€Å"You promised me a pass-key!† Strathmore kept moving. â€Å"I want Digital Fortress!† Numataka hissed. â€Å"There is no Digital Fortress!† Strathmore shot back. â€Å"What?† â€Å"There is no unbreakable algorithm!† â€Å"Of course there is! I've seen it on the Internet! My people have been trying to unlock it for days!† â€Å"It's an encrypted virus, you fool-and you're damn lucky you can't open it!† â€Å"But-â€Å" â€Å"The deal is off!† Strathmore yelled. â€Å"I'm not North Dakota. There is no North Dakota! Forget I ever mentioned it!† He clamped the cellular shut, turned off the ringer, and rammed it back on his belt. There would be no more interruptions. Twelve thousand miles away, Tokugen Numataka stood stunned at his plate-glass window. His Umami cigar hung limply in his mouth. The deal of his lifetime had just disintegrated before his eyes. Strathmore kept descending. The deal is off. Numatech Corp. would never get the unbreakable algorithm†¦ and the NSA would never get its back door. Strathmore's dream had been a long time in the planning-he'd chosen Numatech carefully. Numatech was wealthy, a likely winner of the pass-key auction. No one would think twice if it ended up with the key. Conveniently there was no company less likely to be suspected of consorting with the U.S. government. Tokugen Numataka was old-world Japan-death before dishonor. He hated Americans. He hated their food, he hated their customs, and most of all, he hated their grip on the world's software market. Strathmore's vision had been bold-a world encryption standard with a back door for the NSA. He'd longed to share his dream with Susan, to carry it out with her by his side, but he knew he could not. Even though Ensei Tankado's death would save thousands of lives in the future, Susan would never have agreed; she was a pacifist. I'm a pacifist too, thought Strathmore, I just don't have the luxury of acting like one. There had never been any doubt in the commander's mind who would kill Tankado. Tankado was in Spain-and Spain meant Hulohot. The forty-two-year-old Portuguese mercenary was one of the commander's favorite pros. He'd been working for the NSA for years. Born and raised in Lisbon, Hulohot had done work for the NSA all over Europe. Never once had his kills been traced back to Fort Meade. The only catch was that Hulohot was deaf; telephone communication was impossible. Recently Strathmore had arranged for Hulohot to receive the NSA's newest toy, the Monocle computer. Strathmore bought himself a SkyPager and programmed it to the same frequency. From that moment on, his communication with Hulohot was not only instantaneous but also entirely untraceable. The first message Strathmore had sent Hulohot left little room for misunderstanding. They had already discussed it. Kill Ensei Tankado. Obtain pass-key. Strathmore never asked how Hulohot worked his magic, but somehow he had done it again. Ensei Tankado was dead, and the authorities were convinced it was a heart attack. A textbook kill-except for one thing. Hulohot had misjudged the location. Apparently Tankado dying in a public place was a necessary part of the illusion. But unexpectedly, the public had appeared too soon. Hulohot was forced into hiding before he could search the body for the pass-key. When the dust settled, Tankado's body was in the hands of Seville's coroner. Strathmore was furious. Hulohot had blown a mission for the first time ever-and he'd picked an inauspicious time to do it. Getting Tankado's pass-key was critical, but Strathmore knew that sending a deaf assassin into the Seville morgue was a suicide mission. He had pondered his other options. A second scheme began to materialize. Strathmore suddenly saw a chance to win on two fronts-a chance to realize two dreams instead of just one. At six-thirty that morning, he had called David Becker. Chapter 97 Fontaine burst into the conference room at a full sprint. Brinkerhoff and Midge were close at his heels. â€Å"Look!† Midge choked, motioning frantically to the window. Fontaine looked out the window at the strobes in the Crypto dome. His eyes went wide. This was definitely not part of the plan. Brinkerhoff sputtered. â€Å"It's a goddamn disco down there!† Fontaine stared out, trying to make sense of it. In the few years TRANSLTR had been operational, it had never done this. It's overheating, he thought. He wondered why the hell Strathmore hadn't shut it down. It took Fontaine only an instant to make up his mind. He snatched an interoffice phone off the conference table and punched the extension for Crypto. The receiver began beeping as if the extension were out of order. Fontaine slammed down the receiver. â€Å"Damn it!† He immediately picked up again and dialed Strathmore's private cellular line. This time the line began to ring. Six rings went by. Brinkerhoff and Midge watched as Fontaine paced the length of his phone cable like a tiger on a chain. After a full minute, Fontaine was crimson with rage. He slammed down the receiver again. â€Å"Unbelievable!† he bellowed. â€Å"Crypto's about to blow, and Strathmore won't answer his goddamn phone!† Chapter 98 Hulohot burst out of Cardinal Guerra's chambers into the blinding morning sun. He shielded his eyes and cursed. He was standing outside the cathedral in a small patio, bordered by a high stone wall, the west face of the Giralda tower, and two wrought-iron fences. The gate was open. Outside the gate was the square. It was empty. The walls of Santa Cruz were in the distance. There was no way Becker could have made it so far so quickly. Hulohot turned and scanned the patio. He's in here. He must be! The patio, Jardin de los Naranjos, was famous in Seville for its twenty blossoming orange trees. The trees were renowned in Seville as the birthplace of English marmalade. An eighteenth-century English trader had purchased three dozen bushels of oranges from the Seville church and taken them back to London only to find the fruit inedibly bitter. He tried to make jam from the rinds and ended up having to add pounds of sugar just to make it palatable. Orange marmalade had been born. Hulohot moved forward through the grove, gun leveled. The trees were old, and the foliage had moved high on their trunks. Their lowest branches were unreachable, and the thin bases provided no cover. Hulohot quickly saw the patio was empty. He looked straight up. The Giralda. The entrance to the Giralda's spiral staircase was cordoned off by a rope and small wooden sign. The rope hung motionless. Hulohot's eyes climbed the 419-foot tower and immediately knew it was a ridiculous thought. There was no way Becker would have been that stupid. The single staircase wound straight up to a square stone cubicle. There were narrow slits in the wall for viewing, but there was no way out. David Becker climbed the last of the steep stairs and staggered breathless into a tiny stone cubicle. There were high walls all around him and narrow slits in the perimeter. No exit. Fate had done Becker no favors this morning. As he'd dashed from the cathedral into the open courtyard, his jacket had caught on the door. The fabric had stopped him mid stride and swung him hard left before tearing. Becker was suddenly stumbling off balance into the blinding sun. When he'd looked up, he was heading straight for a staircase. He'd jumped over the rope and dashed up. By the time he realized where it led, it was too late. Now he stood in the confined cell and caught his breath. His side burned. Narrow slats of morning sun streamed through the openings in the wall. He looked out. The man in the wire-rim glasses was far below, his back to Becker, staring out at the plaza. Becker shifted his body in front of the crack for a better view. Cross the plaza, he willed him. The shadow of the Giralda lay across the square like a giant felled sequoia. Hulohot stared the length of it. At the far end, three slits of light cut through the tower's viewing apertures and fell in crisp rectangles on the cobblestone below. One of those rectangles had just been blotted out by the shadow of a man. Without so much as a glance toward the top of the tower, Hulohot spun and dashed toward the Giralda stairs. Chapter 99 Fontaine pounded his fist into his hand. He paced the conference room and stared out at the spinning Crypto lights. â€Å"Abort! Goddamn it! Abort!† Midge appeared in the doorway waving a fresh readout. â€Å"Director! Strathmore can't abort!† â€Å"What!† Brinkerhoff and Fontaine gasped in unison. â€Å"He tried, sir!† Midge held up the report. â€Å"Four times already! TRANSLTR's locked in some sort of endless loop.† Fontaine spun and stared back out the window. â€Å"Jesus Christ!† The conference room phone rang sharply. The director threw up his arms. â€Å"It's got to be Strathmore! About goddamn time!† Brinkerhoff scooped up the phone. â€Å"Director's office.† Fontaine held out his hand for the receiver. Brinkerhoff looked uneasy and turned to Midge. â€Å"It's Jabba. He wants you.† The director swung his gaze over to Midge, who was already crossing the room. She activated the speaker phone. â€Å"Go ahead, Jabba.† Jabba's metallic voice boomed into the room. â€Å"Midge, I'm in the main databank. We're showing some strange stuff down here. I was wondering if-â€Å" â€Å"Dammit, Jabba!† Midge came unglued. â€Å"That's what I've been trying to tell you!† â€Å"It could be nothing,† Jabba hedged, â€Å"but-â€Å" â€Å"Stop saying that! It's not nothing! Whatever's going on down there, take it seriously, very seriously. My data isn't fried-never has been, never will.† She started to hang up and then added, â€Å"Oh, and Jabba? Just so there aren't any surprises†¦ Strathmore bypassed Gauntlet.†

E-Retail Industry – The Uk Internet Grocery Market

This study aims to understand the competitive environment of some of the main retailers within the UK market and to demonstrate the different elements of the e-environment that impact on the retailer's business and marketing strategy. Furthermore this study will assess the impact of many factors and constraints surrounding the e-retail industry and specifically the grocery sector of the retail industry. It is known globally that the UK has the most developed grocery e-tailing sector in the world and that is increasingly appearing specially after the failure of many business models which have adopted the internet for distributing and selling there products This study will exclude B2B sector and will focus on B2C sector in the retail market I will be focusing on the online grocery market and the main British players leading this market. I have selected this industry because recently, it has caused a noise globally, and many interested people are wondering whether this industry has reached the mature level or it is still growing or it is only a noise which will lose its importance later. The UK Grocery Market it is estimated that à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½105 billion of groceries are sold in Britain each year, (MINTEL Nov, 2002) , that shows a noticeable increase in sales over the period since 1999 until the end of 2002. The Total retail sales through specialist and non-specialist food retailers were worth some à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½90 billion in 1999 and many specialists predict this market to continue growing to reach 120 billion by 2005 (MINTEL, Nov. 2000) Within the food market itself, fruit and vegetables represent the largest market, with high demand within the sector for fresh produce. Convenience foods – fresh and frozen ready meals – are also highly demanded, as are products which generally fit well with the needs of the much maligned ‘cash rich and time poor' consumer. Key debates within the market surround the use of genetically modified (GM) produce, and this has helped to create niches in the retail market for suppliers of GM-free or organic ranges. The major supermarkets have been moving quickly into the organic sector, in which higher margins can be found. (Key Note) The UK grocery market is driven by economic factors, population structures, household size employment pattern and lifestyle patterns whose impact is shown below as macroeconomic factors: Economic factors – Although consumer expenditure is predicted to continue to grow by 12.6% to 2004, with personal disposable income expected to also grow steadily, it is unlikely that this will impact strongly on spending on food for in-home expenditure; As personal wealth has grown, spending on food has decreased as a proportion of total expenditure, with leisure activities, including eating out, taking most of the surplus. Some premium categories of food, such as organic produce, will benefit. As a result the focus of promotional strategy is moving away from price competitiveness towards other aspects of the retail offer. The population structure – Food expenditure and the overall market size is directly related to the size of the population but the long-term outlook for the British population is for very low growth, implying that the food retailing sector is likely to find domestic profits hard to grow. Household structure – Over the period 1999-2004, an increase of 830,000 (3.4%) (MINTEL, Nov 2000) household is anticipated. This is due to factors other than an increase in population; the growth is coming from one- and two-person households, due to rising divorce and separation rates, getting married later or not at all and the elderly living longer These trends disrupt the economic logic of the superstore model which is designed to offer large families convenient means to buy large volumes of food in one place, relatively infrequently, during the daytime, and to transport that shopping home by private car. Yet only 20% of adults have children under 16 living at home with them. All the major grocery retailers are competing to grow their share of this crucial segment of the population. Smaller households equate to more frequent shops for a few items at a time, often at unsociable hours, a considerably more expensive retailing proposition. Changing employment patterns and practices, with increasing frequency of part-time working, mean there are fewer families in which one partner has the time to shop at relative leisure during the day, and more for whom shopping is a shared duty, carried out whenever busy schedules will allow. In turn, time-pressured shoppers will often want to use a variety of shopping patterns according to circumstance, with retailers being required to offer more channels to market in order to compete. This cannot be done without cost implications. Changes in consumer tastes and lifestyles have an influence on grocery demand patterns. Healthy-food fashions and food-safety scares cause people to change what they eat, while there is a strong trend towards snacking and convenience eating – which involves an increasing proportion of food being bought through channels other than grocery retailers.(MINTEL) Internet adoption in the UK retail Sector Retailers generally begin on-line activities by providing information and interactive communication. Their site may develop into an electronic shop almost mirroring their offline activities A study by the department of trade and industry (DTI) called, ‘E-Commerce Impact Study: Retail Overview' (www.dti.gov.uk 29 July 2002) shows that: More than 75% of retailers are adopting e-business technologies, Nearly a quarter of retailers surveyed, and more than 56% of micro firms in the convenience store sector, have not thought about the benefits of the e-commerce. This report provides a detailed look at a number of key retail sector, and shows how UK retailers are getting to grip with e-commerce and that modern technologies are helping to change the way they do business. The report mentioned that: – 77% of companies are adopting e-commerce technologies – 71% of businesses use external e-mail – 53% of firms have a website More British food shoppers have converted to online grocery shopping than in any other country. However, Internet sales still represent a tiny, although growing, percentage of the overall UK grocery market. Most people use the Internet as a way of gathering information on products and making price comparisons before visiting their local store.(Key Note) Despite these statistics are showing quite positive numbers, some experts and specialists state that this field needs further research to determine the extent to which the web is likely to promote long term changes in the retail sector . Table 1 A classification of online retail activit 1 Food and consumables: Grocery, including supermarkets and hyper-markets 2 Convenience stores 3 Specialists food retailers, e.g. bakers and confectioners 4 Alcohol retailers, including off-licences 5 Clothing and accessories: Clothing retailers, including female, male and children 6 Footwear retailers, including fashion and work wear 7 Jewellery retailers, including accessories 8 Home: Furnishings retailers, including hard and soft furnishings and Textiles 9 Electrical goods, including brown and white goods and Computers 10 DIY, including gardening 11 Leisure and entertainment: Sports retailers, including sportswear and equipment 12 Toys retailers, including games, hobbies and crafts 13 Books, music, stationery and video retailers 14 News, including newsagents and CTNs 15 Health and beauty: Health and beauty, including chemists and opticians 16 Home shopping: Home shopping, including catalogues and mail order Directories 17 Mixed stores: Mixed stores, including department stores and variety retailers Source N.F. Doherty, F. Ellis-Chadwick and C.A. Hart. 1999 .Cyber retailing in the UK: the potential of the Internet as a retail channel Online Grocery UK Market In the UK online market there are four main grocery retailers dominating the market those are (Tesco, J Sainsbury, Asda, and Iceland.co.uk) According to the researchers the UK leads the world in online grocery shopping. â€Å"Chains like Tesco and Iceland have been much faster than their US counterparts in exploiting the immense potential of new virtual shopping markets.† They estimate that the online grocery market is already worth à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½200m a year and will reach à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1bn within two years.(Guardian Friday February 4, 2000 ) The online grocery market is characterised by many of the features of the traditional grocery market. Big supermarkets have woken up to the Internet as a distribution channel and are gearing up to dominate the market. Smaller suppliers, using the Web as another side of their portfolio, are sure to lose out in this area. Smaller niche suppliers make up a large element of the market in terms of numbers of firms. In fact, there are so many companies, many of which operate on a very local delivery basis, that it is almost impossible to calculate their actual number. MARKET SIZE Online shopping grew 19 times faster than traditional brick-and-mortar retailing in December 2002, and increased a further five percent in January 2003 to represent six percent of all UK retail .(www.nua.com) Various reported predictions suggest the online grocery market will be worth around up to 10 % of 120 billion which is the predicted grocery market size by 2005 (MINTEL Nov, 2000) The current size of the UK online grocery market has been estimated to be worth à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1.2bn. (Key Note 2001), while Tesco reported 446 million sales during 2003. Sainsbury's the second market leader announced annual sales of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½110 million during 2002 (MINTEL Mar 2003) More than half the UK population will have bought something online by the end of 2003. Online shopping will represent 7% of all retail sales in the UK, accounting for à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2 billion a month.(MINTEL Apr 2003) The total size of the UK grocery market has been estimated at à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½100bn per year. To support the market, the UK has 5.9 million online shoppers, growing to a predicted 8.5 million over the next 5 years à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½500m of turnover, that suggests that average spending per user in 2000 was in the region of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½83 per head, suggesting that the Majority of users are not regular consumers of online services.(Key Note) Market size is difficult to determine, as figures for turnover from Internet sales are often included in total sales figures. Companies that are struggling to perform in the market may be taking a rather flexible view in how they present figures that may disappoint shareholders. However, Key Note's assessment is that the size of the true online market is currently à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½465m (lower than many estimates suggest). Within this, Tesco claims 64.5% of the market, Sainsbury's 9%, ASDA 7.5%, Iceland 4.7%, , with the balance held by a range of independents, small suppliers and niche companies. Table:2 The UK Online Grocery Market by Online Sales by Supermarket (à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½m and %), 2000 Online Sales (à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½m) % of Total Tesco 300 64.5 J Sainsbury 42 9.0 ASDA Wal-Mart 35 7.5 Iceland.co.uk 22 4.7 Others 66 14.2 Total 465 100.0 Source: Key Note Macro Environment To understand the macro-environment a technique called a PEST (Political, Economical, Socio-cultural, and Technological) analysis is usually undertaken. The PEST analysis identifies all external factors that affect the way a business can operate. What follows is a PEST for the E-grocery industry PEST ANALYSIS POLITICAL FACTORS The UK government sets itself as the target of making the UK the world's best place for e-commerce by developing public internet access and e-commerce awareness among UK businesses To trade in the UK there are 40 different laws that a company may be subject to (chaffey) Stephen Timms, e-commerce Minister, said: â€Å"The UK's retailers are making progress in adopting e-commerce and developing e-business solutions. But there clearly is room for improvement, and we cannot afford to be complacent. â€Å"E-business technologies offer a wealth of benefits. In order to exploit these we must help create the right culture throughout the business community so that UK firms of all sizes can seize the competitive advantage. â€Å"UK online for business is leading the way in getting business online, and the Government's aim to make the UK the best place in the world for e-commerce.†( http://www.gnn.gov.uk) The first Annual Report on the strategy was launched in September 2000. The UK strategy for online development is laid down in the UK Online Action Plan, which details 94 recommendations for action in 25 areas of priority. One specific goal is to develop the UK as the world's best environment for electronic trading by 2002. This, it is stated, will be achieved in four specific ways: * Encouraging competition in Internet access markets * Establishing a new regulatory framework for converging telecommunications and broadcasting markets * removing regulatory obstacles to electronic ways of working * Co-operating with international partners to develop a ‘global framework for e-commerce'. Oftel (Office of Telecommunications) is one of the tools for achieving this strategy, and, as such, has been charged with driving competition in the areas of dial-up access and delivering high-speed access routes to the Internet , specifically the encouragement of adoption of Broadband technology, and NPD (new product development) in the mobile-phone and fixed-wireless markets. Government strategy is to put as many UK consumers as possible online. Those responsible for driving this strategy are aware of consumer concerns about the Internet that must be addressed if the Government's objective is to be secured.(Key Note) ECONOMICAL FACTORS The innovation in information technology (IT) and new business practices facilitated by IT are forming a â€Å"new† economy, Electronic commerce and the IT innovations fuelling it are supposed to be fundamentally changing the logics of business practice, forming new social realities, and new business models. Traditional â€Å"old economy† firms and organizations are busy building bridges to the new economy. A stable rate of economic growth is one way in which the Government hopes to guarantee macro-economic stability, which can assist firms when assessing the risks associated with innovative practices. This, combined with the factors outlined below, has an influential effect on the rate of growth of the online grocery market. Low Cost of Internet Access One of the main drivers encouraging the use of Internet access and e-grocery in the UK is the relatively low cost of time spent online. The UK is the cheapest off-peak location in the world from which to surf the Internet, peak rates have has been dropped. This advantageous position benefits consumers, and the state of competition within the market is strong, with a large number of good quality Internet service providers (ISPs) available and eager to serve the public demand. Levels of Disposable Income The greater the levels of PDI consumers have, the more likely they are to be tempted towards higher margin products. Such high-margin products can make the difference between a profitable online transaction and a loss-making one. Table: 3 Index of Personal Disposable Income (1995=100 and %), 1995-2001 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 Disposable Income index 100 106 113 116 122 127 132 % change Year-on-year – 6.0 6.6 2.7 5.2 4.1 3.9 Source:National Statistics Table 3 shows that levels of disposable income are rising, and have risen by 32% since 1995. The indications are that the upward trend will continue to apply, suggesting that this economic indicator will contribute to growth within the market in the short term. Rate of Change of Prices The change of prices gives a good sign of the stability of the economy. The UK has a low rate of inflation, and this is confirmed by an assessment of the RPI in Table 4 Table 4: Retail Price Index for All Items and Food(1995 =100 and %), 1995-2000 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 RPI (all items) 149.1 152.7 157.7 162.9 165.4 170.0 % change Year-on-year _ 2.4 3.3 3.3 1.5 2.8 RPI (food) 151.4 154.9 160.5 166.5 169.4 175.2 % change Year-on-year – 2.3 3.6 3.7 1.7 3.4 RPI – retail price index Source: National Statistics It can be seen from Table: 4 that the rate of change in the price of food between 1995 and 2000 has been roughly in line with the general rate of change in the RPI. Similarly European Currency and Simplification O European Trading Laws The advance of the European currency and the simplification of European trading laws will mean that Consumers will find it increasingly easy to trade with European retailers. The Internet offers International retailers a great opportunity to attack the UK marketplace. British shoppers are already prepared to go Euro to get what they want online. â€Å"Big brand names are in the best position to immediately exploit e-commerce but if they don't start moving soon the threat from foreign competition is real.† (Jolanta Pilecka, E-commerce Marketing Manager, Hewlett-Packard). In future a number of important factors might affect the economic state of the UK and inevitably supermarkets. The first is the possible introduction of the Euro. The Euro has been introduced in various European countries, but most notably France. The introduction of the Euro in France has pushed up weekly shopping bills for the average French household by 10 per cent. Could the same be expected to happen in Britain should the Euro SOCIAL FACTORS To know the barriers to consumer online purchasing adoption it is useful to understand the different factors that affect the level of internet access. Value proposition ease, Security and fear of unknown are the main factors affecting the internet adoption (Chaffey) Over the period July to September 2002 an estimated 11.4 million households in the UK could access the internet from home, that amount 46 percent of all households. This is over twice the number three years earlier and is an increase of 7 percent from 39 percent reported in the third quarter of 2001. (www.nua.com ) Evidence suggests that household formation will continue to grow, but that the profile of home size as mentioned at the first of this paper will stay strongly biased towards homes with one or two people. Table 5: Changing Household Numbers in the UK (million and %), 2000 and 2005 2000 2005 Million % of Total Million % of Total One person 7.3 29.1 8.0 31.1 Two persons 8.9 35.5 9.0 35.0 Three persons 3.7 14.7 3.5 13.6 Four persons 3.5 13.9 3.5 13.6 Five or more persons 1.7 6.8 1.7 6.6 All households 25.1 100.0 25.7 100.0 Source:National Statistics An estimated 62 %of adult in the Great Britain have accessed the internet some time according to figures from the October 2002 national omnibus survey. This is equivalent to approximately 28.6 million adults in Britain having accessed the internet. In the month prior to the survey 52 per cent of adults had accessed the internet. Differences between the countries and regions of the UK Levels of access vary greatly between different parts of the UK. In October 2001 to September 2002 the proportion of households with access was lowest in Northern Ireland (30%), Wales (31%) and the West midlands (34%). It is noticeable that the proportions were highest in the East of England (52%), London (50%) and the South East (50%) were around half of households had access to the internet. Table:6 Households with home access to the Internet by Government Office Region & UK country: October 2000 to September 2001 and October 2001 to September 2002 Oct 2000 Oct 2001 to to Sep 2001 Sep 2002 Per cent North East 26 36 North West 35 41 Yorkshire and the Humber 32 39 East Midlands 40 46 West Midlands 35 34 East 40 52 London 46 50 South East 46 50 South West 38 41 England 39 44 Wales 27 31 Scotland 30 40 Northern Ireland 26 30 United Kingdom 37 43 Source: national statistics According to International Telecommunication Union (ITU) (www.itu.int ) it is shown that in the UK 36.62 per 100 own a PC Table 7: Internet Estimated PCs Hosts total 2002 Hosts per 10`000 inhab. 2002 Users (k) 2002 Users per 10`000 inhab. 2002 Total (k) 2002 Per100 Inhab. 2002 2`865`930 485.03 24`000.0 4`061.74 22,00 36.62 table 7 , shows that a large proportion of the UK population own a PC that makes accessing the internet easer than going to the work place or other places Legal and ethical concerns It is argued that people do not change as quickly as may be believed. They still do not like parting with personal details, especially to those that they do not trust. Firms that request data from consumers need to make supplying information optional and allow users to change and delete the information provided. Crucially, they need to convince consumers that they will treat all information confidentially. Firms that are recognised as ‘good citizens' and with a high reputation in this regard are well placed to ease the anxieties of consumers scared of fraudulent use of details. Smaller companies with an Internet-only presence will find it hard to build up this trust. TECHNOLOGICAL FACTORS E-retailing can be seen as an innovation in retailing that in turn is built around a technological innovation Many reports have summarized technological problems as: The complexity of the user interface bandwidth restrictions and access connection speeds and security concerns A wide range of new technologies have enabled companies to create better and more efficient relationships with consumers as e-retailers: – provide more information in the pre-shop experience; – increase the number of access points to meet customers needs; – offer a wider choice of products than can be held in-store; and, – improve the overall service provision, for example through better stock management. www.gnn.gov.uk Technological breakthroughs are some of the key drivers in building the right conditions for online grocery to thrive. The main technological factors influencing the market include: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ The expansion of broadband Internet à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ The introduction and growth of DTV (digital television) à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ M-commerce (mobile-commerce) and WAP (wireless application protocol) phones à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Automated reordering systems à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Systems offering defence against fraud à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Automated customer service. (Key Note 2001) Broadband Internet One of the problems many consumers have when dealing with the Internet is the speed of access. Many consumers connect using 56K modems, although the majority never achieve this speed, perhaps because they live a great distance from the central phone-exchange routes or because their phone lines are too old. Broadband connections can alleviate this problem. Broadband connections come in two basic types: digital subscriber line connections (DSL) and cable modem connections In the first quarter of 2001, the number of DSL lines grew by 90% in the UK This market is likely to experience high growth in the coming years.(www.itu.int) Digital Television Advancements in television are running parallel to other Internet-enabled technologies 4.4 million households had DTV in 2000, and the figure is now probably in excess of 5 million. Not all DTV services are fully Internet-enabled, but there are plans to achieve this. The growth rate in subscription to DTV services is believed to be higher than the rate of new subscribers to ISPs. It has been suggested that more than 45% of homes will have digital satellite TV by 2008 (generating revenues for the communications companies of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2.4bn per year). One of the major barriers to e-grocers is the high costs charged to the suppliers by the DTV companies. Tesco reported to have found Open Digital's charges too expensive to make a venture worthwhile, however, the majority of the large supermarkets are signing up to the service may have very severe consequences in the long term. M-Commerce and WAP Phones M-commerce for all markets in Europe is forecast to reach levels of around $38bn by 2004.(Key Note) with over half of European companies planning to offer some form of service via mobile phones (particularly in the banking and service sectors). Major multiples are increasingly active in the service sector, and their online successes in other areas could well spill over into m-commerce activities, Mobile communications company Ericsson has estimated that, by 2004, there will be more than 600 million people using mobile Internet services in Europe. In 2000, the market for subscriptions to mobile-phone services grew by 67% and by 84% in 2002 .(www.itu.int ) However, WAP phones, currently the only method of accessing Internet via a mobile, have been relatively slow to catch on in Europe and make up only 15% of overall handset sales globally. Automated Re-ordering Systems All the technologies so far discussed require a conscious effort on the behalf of the consumer. In the future, it is possible that automated re-ordering systems will mean that the retailer is automatically notified when products are being used up within the home and need replenishing. There are two enabling technologies currently under development that may make this less fictional and more everyday. Vendor managed inventory (VMI) is one of these technologies. Another enabling technology in the same area is radio frequency identification technology, also known as RFID. This improves on VMI by using radio waves to scan all products in the fridge at any one time. Those kinds of technologies build and grow up the relationship between the consumer and the supplier learns more about the consumer behaviour to satisfy his demand Also they can create a competitive advantage for the business Systems Offering Defence Against Fraud Concern over fraud continues to scare many consumers away from using the Internet as a route for purchasing items and services. Credit-card companies are already making changes to their services to ease these concerns, but longer-term solutions may be found in encryption technology. Technology is being developed that adds digital signatures to a purchaser's Web browser which may help fight fraud. Such services can only be developed and provided by strategic partnerships between online retailers and Web security corporations such as Inktomi, Ariba, Broadvision, Vignette and Verisign (all leaders in secure-payment processing solutions). INDUSTRY ENVIRONMENT Porter's 5 forces analysis Michael Porter's five forces is The model that widely used for competition analysis in business strategy formulation, states that an organisation exists within an industry. To succeed it must deal with the competitive forces that exist within that industry: (1) Entry of new competition. (2) Threat of substitute products. (3) Bargaining power of buyers. (4) Bargaining power of suppliers. (5) Rivalry amongst existing competitors. THE GROCERY E-TAILING MARRET As an industry in the early stages of its life cycle, the online grocery market is currently very fragmented, with a growing number of competitors. The reasons for this fragmentation lie in several factors: relatively low entry barriers, high transportation costs, the perish ability of grocery items, nontradable goods and services industry, and the ability to specialize in geographic regions and reap the benefits of economies of scale. Much like traditional bricks-and-mortar supermarkets, online grocers are highly localized except for a few that operate nationally or internationally by delivering only non-perishable goods. (Success factors) Barrier to entry Compared to building traditional supermarkets, the barriers to entry in the online grocery market are relatively low, since most online grocers are localized. Set-up costs include establishing the computer system, creating logistics and warehousing capabilities, building brand awareness, and having the necessary alliances with local grocers in place. Many online grocers have already established partnerships or alliances. Entry into the industry is currently relatively easy, because no one has inherent advantages. Innovation and competitive moves, which can be easily replicated, have not prevented new firms or substitutes from entering the market. However, entry barriers may rise in the future as consolidation likely occurs. Market such as groceries, barriers must be built on differentiation through brand recognition by achieving superior customer service and responsiveness. One attraction for the recent surge of Internet startups in the grocery business is that online grocers require less capital and have lower variable costs than bricks-and-mortar stores. Fixed costs are high, but the potential for big returns is great if a large sales volume can be generated. Exit barriers can be moderate to high, depending on the amount invested in logistics and warehousing, the Web site, computer systems, and marketing. PPOWER OF SUPPLIERS Retailers have high bargaining power when they purchase a large volume of goods from their suppliers. Unlike huge supermarket chains, the smaller online grocers typically possess a lower level of bargaining power than their suppliers. But traditional grocers that decide to branch out onto the Net have the advantage in this regard, buying in bulk and enjoying established relationships with suppliers and customers. This allows them to price their goods competitively, deterring new entrants or forcing inefficient incumbents out. POWER OF BUYERS The bargaining power of buyers or consumers is very high in this industry. With many substitutes and competitors to choose from, dissatisfied customers can simply switch to a competitor. Groceries are commodities, so consumers can be sure to purchase the exact same products elsewhere. THREAT OF SUBSTITUTE PRODUCTS The threat of substitutes is undoubtedly high for two reasons: Firstly, the products and services offered online to customers are extremely similar. So similar in fact that supermarket' often have to lower their prices to give them more appeal. Secondly although there is a certain degree of brand loyalty, it can't be relied on, as customer loyalties tend to change when they find they can obtain better value for money elsewhere. E-grocers understand that the threat of substitutes is high, and this then is the main reason for supermarkets branching out and pursuing a broader product line, as a means of calming the intense competition with their competitors. However, in pursuing broader product line grocers open themselves up for further competition from experienced players in other non food retail markets. RIVALRY AMONGST EXISTING COMPETITORS Competitors will do everything in their power to increase their market share. Supermarkets also have high fixed costs due to the sheer number of stores they have open. They must make a sufficient amount of sales to cover their costs and generate profit. As discussed earlier there are a variety of substitute products and services that are becoming increasingly difficult to differentiate thus custom is very much determined by price. This situation is further aggravated because switching costs are difficult to impose, as food is an everyday necessity, many customers will happily forget any loyalties if they really need to obtain it. Conclusion The environment in the online grocery industry is growing more and more competitive as new firms continue to enter. Grocers which established its online purchasing site first is gaining the benefits of the first-mover advantages such as Tesco.com E-grocery has become a considerable industry sector each main player in this industry is trying to create a competitive advantage to attract more numbers of spoiled customers trying to satisfy there demands. The UK e-environment is one of the best e-environments globally that ease the entrance to this industry and generate the potential for more and more customers to buy grocery on line. This industry sector is a quite new industry that makes the flow of information about its success and pitfall factors relatively not enough to know every factor influences this industry We can't say that e-grocery sector has reached the mature level since there are more and more numbers of customers and rivals are entering this sector.