Cereal Aisle Analysis

Introduction Background to the study Krexox is a store owned by a sole-proprietor and is located within the suburban Mill Run shopping center. The store has been in operation for 5 years. In its operation, the store deals with a variety of food products such as cereals. To ensure that consumers easily access the cereals, effective positioning is integrated.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Cereal Aisle Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The firm has attained this through incorporation of racks which are strategically located within the store. The racks are 20 meters in length, 1 meter wide and 1.5 meters in height. To increase their carrying capacity, the racks have two shelves on which the cereals are stocked. Since its inception, the firm has managed to attain an optimal performance as a result of integration of effective marketing practices. In order to analyze the operations’ of Kerox store, the researcher conducted an observational study. The observation is conducted during the busy morning and afternoon hours for a period of three days. Aim The report is aimed at analyzing Krexox cereal aisle. Scope The report entails an analysis of Krexox store. The various types of cereals the store deals with are identified. In addition, the report also includes the various consumer behaviors identified. An explanation of the findings is also given. Finally a conclusion giving some of the marketing strategies which the firm can integrate are given. However, the report is limited in that it is only based n observation. Types of cereals The entrepreneur has appreciated the fact that consumer’s have diverse product requirement. As a result, the store stocks various cereal brands. From observation, it was identified that the store mainly stocks wholegrain cereals. Some of the whole grain cereals which the store stocks include cheerios, mini –wheat, muesli, French toast crunch , golden grahams, cinnamon toast crunch, low fat granola, oatmeal crisp, oatmeal squares, shredded wheat, multi-grain chex, wheat chex, grape nuts and grape nut flakes. In addition to whole grains, the store also stocks other cereals with other characteristics such as novelty ingredients, cereals which lead to reduction of weight and also those which reduce heart diseases.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It was also observed that the cereals were stocked in various quantities while the packets were branded in different colors. From the observation conducted during the three days, it was observed that the rate of restocking the various cereals varied. The rate of restocking was measured on a scale of 1-5 where 1-2= slow rate of restocking, 3-4= medium rate of restocking, 4-5= Fast rate of restocking. The table in the appendix section illustrates the rate of restocking identif ied. Consumer behavior observed From observation, a number of consumer behaviors were identified as outlined below. The consumers enquire about the characteristics of the various cereals. One of the elements enquired about relate to health characteristic of the cereals. Consumers evaluate the quantities in which the cereals are packaged. The consumers enquire about the price of the various quantities. From the three day period in which the observation was conducted, it was identified that the wholegrain were restocked daily. This indicates that there is a high demand for breakfast cereals. Explanation of the findings Decision to stock a wide variety of cereals would enable the store to attract and retain a wide range of customers. Decision to stock whole grains and other variety of cereals may have resulted from realization of the fact that consumer’s are increasingly becoming health conscious in their purchasing patterns (Leven, 2009, p. 23). In addition, the consumers are considering purchasing food products which have high a high nutritional value (Miller, n.d, p. 298). Whole grain cereals are considered to be of high nutritional values. In addition, the cereals have minimum amount of fats and sugars. By packaging the cereals in different quantities, the firm is able to meet diverse customer demands. In addition, it has become possible for the firm to price its cereals. Positioning the cereals in sizeable racks enables consumers with different characteristics to easily access the cereals. By branding the packets in different colors, the firm is able to appeal to a wide range of customers considering the diversity in consumer preferences with regard to color. Conclusion From the above analysis, Krexox Store can be able to improve its marketing efficiency through observation of consumer behavior. As a result, the entrepreneur can be able to influence the consumer decision making process.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Cereal A isle Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For example, the firm can be able to identify the products and services which are highly demanded. This means that it will be possible for the entrepreneur to ensure that the particular cereals are in sufficient supply. In addition, gaining knowledge regarding consumer product requirement will contribute towards the firm attaining a high competitive advantage. This can be achieved through effective branding. For example, the entrepreneur can make a decision to add value to the various cereals. This will culminate into the store attaining an optimal market position. The resultant effect is that the threat of competition arising from new entrants will be minimized. Reference List Leven, M.(2009). Marketing: defined, explained and applied. London: Pearson Education. Miller, J.(n.d). Encyclopedia of human ecology. New York: ABC-CLIO. This essay on Cereal Aisle Analysis was written and submitted by user Audrey Witt to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The Caribbean Rum

The Caribbean Rum Introduction The Caribbean rum is an alcoholic drink made from by-products of sugarcane through the process of distillation and zymolysis. After getting the distillate, the ageing process takes place in oaks or any other barrel. According to Kurlansky, the Caribbean remains the biggest producer of quality rum in the world. Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Caribbean Rum specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Rum production has a long history and has undergone through several issues like colonialism of the Caribbean and globalization. This rum has diverse social and economical effects in given its deep culture amongst the Caribbean. This paper runs from history and culture, through colonialism and globalisation to economical and social effects of the Caribbean rum. History The origin of the Caribbean rum goes back to the introduction of sugarcane in the Caribbean in the 15th century by Christopher Columbus (Coul ombe 16). According to most historians, rum production was an idea of plantation slaves in Barbados who discovered that the by-products of sugarcane would be fermented into an alcoholic drink in the 17th century. â€Å"Many rum historians agree that, the first rum was made on the island of Barbados using molasses† (Broom 65). Later on, people came up with techniques of concentrating the alcoholic content of this rum and this included distillation. After its establishment in the Caribbean, the Caribbean rum spread to other places in Europe and this is how it found its way in America. Interestingly, the Caribbean rum was so popular that it tied continents together; it was the ‘oil’ of the day; â€Å"Not until oil was any single commodity so important for world trade† (Williams Para. 1). The Caribbean rum found its way to Colonial North America. However, the demand was increasing by the day thus pushing for establishment of distilleries in North America. The first distillery was established in the then Staten Island in 1664 before establishment of a second and a third one in Boston and Massachusetts after three years. Caribbean rum production became the most successful industry in that time in Colonial North America (Roueche 178). From Europe, the Caribbean rum crossed borders and entered Africa in late seventeenth century where it became even popular than in Europe. This popularity is attributed to the fact that African slaves in the Caribbean plantations were the inventors of this rum; therefore, to Africans, the Caribbean rum was a form of identity (Arkell 96). The Caribbean rum’s popularity soared and it threatened existence of other alcoholic brands world all over. For instance, production of the Caribbean rum was banned in Spain after it became a threat to Spain’s die sweet spirits (William 89). Advertising Looking for research paper on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OF F Learn More Initially, the Caribbean rum was seen as a cheap drink associated with slaves and low class people; nevertheless, with time even the elite became consumers of this brand thus posing a big threat to other European brands, which were a reserve for the elites. In this twenty first century, the Caribbean rum still exists amongst different communities all over the world. Culture As aforementioned, the culture of the Caribbean rum is deeply rooted in different communities across the world and especially in the Caribbean islands. Rum shops litter the streets of the Caribbean islands. Given the fact that this rum was invented by Africans, the deep culture of this brand found its way to Africa. Back to the Caribbean islands, people here adored rum. Slaves would drown themselves into this brand to escape the realities of slavery that faced them everyday. Slavery was inhuman and because slaves had no way out of it, they found solace in drunkenness. This establish ed the culture of the Caribbean rum in these islands especially in Barbados. Moreover, this alcoholic drink was thought to have medicinal value (Gonzalez Para. 6). Consequently, people consumed it in large amounts including children, women, youth and men. Therefore, the Caribbean rum became an important element in the culture of African slaves in the Caribbean. Moreover, this stuff brought people together as part of socialization. â€Å"Rum is at the epicentre of Caribbean culture and the economy. Practically every island organizes a tour of their rum distillery and each proclaims itself producer of the ‘best rum’ in the world† (Blue 98). This shows how this brand is deeply rooted in the hearts and culture of the Caribbean natives. People would come together to socialize and pass time whilst drinking rum. This alcoholic drink had spiritual inclinations. â€Å"In the Caribbean, rum was increasingly incorporated into local, syncretic spiritual traditions like Vod ou† (Gonzalez Para. 9). This fact stretches to contemporary African societies where traditional brews are used in spiritual matters like chasing away ghosts among other practices. Therefore, it is logical that African slaves in the Caribbean, having discovered this rum, they would attach some spiritual importance to it because it gave them identity and value. Rorabaugh posits that African slaves were so inclined to it that they had to be removed from distilleries for they would become drunk. Slaves from Muslim countries were the preferred workers in the distilleries because Islam does not encourage alcohol consumption.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Caribbean Rum specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Colonialism The Caribbean islands went through colonialism in hands of many European powers including Spain, France, the Dutch, Denmark, Britain, and the U.S. As aforementioned, Christopher Columbus was the first European to discover the Caribbean islands. Soon after his voyages entered the Caribbean, other voyages especially from Spain and Portugal started trickling in to establish their own colonies in these islands. Columbus introduced sugarcane in the Caribbean while slaves discovered rum later on. However, as different European powers started establishing their colonies in these islands, there were numerous changes. Actually, colonialism gave rise to the Caribbean rum. It is important to repeat at this point that African slaves invented the Caribbean rum. Spain’s arrival in the Caribbean islands signalled torture and death of many natives (Rouse 36). After most of the natives had died, Spain started importing African slaves and this explains how Africans found their way to the Caribbean. In the course of colonialism, numerous changes took place including different wars, which brought different impacts to the Caribbean rum as exposited below. Impact of Colonialism As a forementioned, the Caribbean rum resulted from colonialism. Without colonialism, the story of the famous Caribbean rum may be different. Therefore, to start with, one of the effects of colonialism of the Caribbean islands was and still is the introduction of the Caribbean rum. European colonialism brought the idea of plantations and now that Columbus had introduced sugarcane, most Europeans embarked on sugar plantation in these islands. â€Å"By the middle of the eighteenth century, sugar was Britains largest import which made the Caribbean that much more important as a colony† (Cross 3). This meant that production of rum persisted because it was made from this sugarcane. Even with the abolition of slave trade, sugar plantations persisted because many freed slaves were unskilled and they could only work in sugar plantations for wages (Russell Para. 7). However, at this time, rum production was still down because the British did not want to sell sugar locally; her market was back in Britain where sugar would be used for other purposes. Most of Caribbean population depended on agriculture and even many foreign investors invested in agriculture too. Sugar production was still controlled by colonial masters and rum production remained low for long time. Nevertheless, this was preparing the Caribbean islands for something better in future. The fact that colonialists were interested in agriculture especially sugar plantation, it enabled these islands to adopt the culture of agriculture; however, they did not know this was a blessing in disguise. Advertising Looking for research paper on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In 1971, Haiti became the â€Å"first he first Caribbean nation to gain independence from European powers† (Haggerty 45). Cuba followed in this series when it gained independence in 1902 while other nations gained their independence later on. Independence heralded a new beginning in the production of the Caribbean rum. After testing freedom, people had the freewill to produce rum. Formerly, people produced rum in small quantities for local consumption; however, as demand increased, large-scale production commenced. Eventually, globalisation took the Caribbean islands by storm and the Caribbean rum went international. Globalisation Globalisation saw the entry of the Caribbean rum into international markets. Even though consumption of the same had spread to Europe due to presence of Europeans in the Caribbean, it was not until globalisation became a vehicle of exposing this brandy to the rest of the world. The Bacardi Corporation is the first international company to be invol ved in exportation of the Caribbean rum to the rest of the world (Williams Para. 6). This corporation had its headquarters in Cuba before Fidel Castro ascended to power after which it moved to Puerto Rico. This movement proved instrumental because from Puerto Rico the Bacardi Corporation managed to infiltrate European markets in a better way. In contemporary times, this corporation operates mostly from Florida in the United States of America. This is how this brand found its way into the rest of the world in the wake of globalisation. Globalisation brought both positive and negative effects to the Caribbean rum (Klooster 56). Effects of Globalisation Exportation of the Caribbean rum came as good news the Caribbean people who had invested a lot in sugar farming. This brand took the international markets with storm cutting across the world. Today, the Caribbean rum is consumed in thousands of nations across the world thanks to globalisation and the Bacardi Corporation. â€Å"At the end of World War II, the US was importing more Caribbean rum than any other category of imported spirits, including whiskey† (Frost Para. 9). This America’s import was just a small portion of imports of the Caribbean rum over the years across the world. Unfortunately, globalisation has threatened the survival and popularity of this brand, which was once the most popular brand within and outside the borders of the Caribbean island. With globalisation, production of rum in the Caribbean was and is still becoming very expensive in terms of production and raw materials. Unfortunately, most countries have subsidized sugar production forcing many Caribbean nations to give up on sugarcane farming (Pack 80). If sugarcane farming or production goes down it implies that production of this rum will go down also. Globalisation has turned the Caribbean islands into tourism sites and with many people seeing better income returns from tourism, they have abandoned sugarcane farming (H ornbeck Para 9). The Caribbean rum also faces competition from other non-Caribbean rums, which are being produced at a lower cost in other countries like Mauritius; a nation located thousands of miles from the Caribbean; the origin of rum (Cooper 39). These are some of the challenges facing the Caribbean rum as it grapples with globalisation. Nevertheless, the Caribbean people are smart people and they are turning these challenges into income generating activities. Frost notes that, â€Å"there is the overall theme of the Caribbean, its islands, waters and its people, and its good looking women. That helps build brands based on tourism†¦exposing visitors to high quality and memorably-branded products helps them to take happy memories back with them and recreate them in the chill of their Northern homes† (Frost Para. 11). These foreigners are keeping up the hopes of the Caribbean rum survival. Plans are underway to import molasses to reduce production costs and this wi ll make the Caribbean rum competitive in the international market (de Kadt 38). Economical and Social effects of Caribbean Rum Economically, the Caribbean rum has been playing a vital role in the Caribbean islands. Both locally, and internationally, the Caribbean rum fetches good money for its producers. After the Bacardi Corporation started its business deals in the Caribbean, this brandy has continually fetched the Caribbean islands millions of dollars in returns. For instance, â€Å"in 2004, revenues from rum exports actually surpassed those of sugar for the first time in Barbadian history† (Sanders Para. 12). This echoes how this brand is important to the economy of these islands. Part of tourist attraction in this region is their culture in rum. People from around the world visit the Caribbean. Florestal (Para. 8) remembers twenty years ago when, â€Å"every year, my parents returned to New York from their Haitian vacation with bags full of an innocuous-looking clear l iquid†. Nothing has really changed even after twenty years. People continue to visit the Caribbean for â€Å"Come lets we fire one† (Barocas Para. 2). This means to have a drink especially in Barbados. All these people bring revenue to these nations thus improving their economy. People are making a living out of the Caribbean rum (Smith 86). In social arena, the Caribbean rum plays a crucial role. People gather to have this brand as they socialise and pass time (Boyer16). Even slaves would use it as a way of forgetting their woes. Conclusion The Caribbean rum comes from sugarcane by-products like molasses. African slaves working in sugar plantations invented the art of making rum and distillation came in later on to concentrate the alcohol content of this brandy. The culture of this brand runs deep amongst Caribbean people; actually, it has become a cultural symbol. It is important to note that the origin of this brand is colonialism after Columbus introduced sugarcan e in the Caribbean islands. Colonialism brought about large-scale production of sugarcane, which sustained production of this rum. With globalization, this brand became popular around the world; however, globalisation brought competition among other challenges that are threatening the popularity of this brand. Nevertheless, the Caribbean people are fitting this rum into globalisation to make maximum returns. Socially, this brand plays a vital key as people gather to enjoy good times together as they share the Caribbean rum. Arkell, Julie. â€Å"Classic Rum.† Prion Books, 1999. Barocas, Deborah. â€Å"The Rum Culture of Barbados.† 2010. Web. bellaonline.com/articles/art24649.asp Blue, Anthony. â€Å"The Complete Book of Spirits: A Guide to Their History, Production and Enjoyment.† HarperCollins, 2004. Boyer, John. â€Å"Caribbean Rum: A Social and Economic History, Book Review.† Journal of Latin American Geography, 2006, 14(2): 6-15. Broom, Dave. â€Å" Rum.† Abbeville Press, 2003. Cooper, Rosalind. â€Å"Spirits Liqueurs.† HP Books, 1982. Coulombe, Charles. â€Å"Rum: The Epic Story of the Drink that Changed Conquered the World.† Citadel Press, 2004. Cross, Malcolm. â€Å"Urbanization and Urban Growth in the Caribbean†. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1979. de Kadt, Emanuel, (Ed.). â€Å"Patterns of Foreign Influence in the Caribbean.† New York: Oxford University Press, 1972 Florestal, Marjorie. â€Å"Rum: The Spirit of The Caribbean.† N.d. Web. tradevoices.com/Rum-Trade-Stories.html Frost, Randall. â€Å"The Caribbean’s Rum-Soaked Brand.† 2008. Web.\ brandchannel.com/features_effect.asp?pf_id=418 Gonzalez, Edward. â€Å"Caribbean Rum: A Social and Economic History.† 2009. Web. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_7737/is_200912/ai_n52375631/ Haggerty, Richard A. (1989). Haiti, A Country Study: French Settlement and Sovereignty US Library of Congress, 1989. Web . http://countrystudies.us/haiti/7.htm Hornbeck, Fredrick. â€Å"CARICOM: Challenges and Opportunities for Caribbean Economic Integration.† 2008. Web. sice.oas.org/TPD/CAR_EU/Studies/CRSCARICOM_Challenges_e.pdf Klooster, Wim. â€Å"Illicit riches. Dutch trade in the Caribbean, 1648-1795.† New York; Oxford University Press, 1998. Kurlansky, Mark. â€Å"A Continent of Islands: Searching for the Caribbean Destiny.† Addison-Wesley Publishing, 1992. Pack, James. â€Å"Nelsons Blood: The Story of Naval Rum.† Naval Institute Press, 1982. Rorabaugh, John. â€Å"The Alcoholic Republic.† New York: Oxford University Press, 1997. Rouechà ©, Berton. â€Å"Alcohol in Human Culture.† New York: McGraw-Hill, 1963. Rouse, Irving. â€Å"The Tainos: Rise and Decline of the People Who Greeted Columbus.† New York: Vail-Ballou Press, 1992. Russell, Menard. Review of Frederick H. Smith, Caribbean Rum: A Social and Economic History. EH.Net Economic History S ervices, 2006. Sanders, Ronald. â€Å"Caribbean Rum in Grave Danger; Urgent Government Action Needed.† 2010. Web. jamaicaobserver.com/columns/Sanders-Mar-28_7508032 Smith, Frederick. â€Å"Caribbean Rum: A Social and Economic History.† Florida: University Press of Florida, 2005. Williams, Ian. â€Å"Rum: A Social and Sociable History of the Real Spirit of 1776.† Nation Books, 2005. Williams Ian. â€Å"The Secret History of Rum.† The Nation. 2005. Web. thenation.com/article/secret-history-rum

Native American Music and Dance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Native American Music and Dance - Essay Example Powwows, being a cultural display, are meticulously formed depictions, performances, or articulations of Native American past and contemporary reality as they want to express it. Organizing the occasion-- establishing the rules and regulations, registering partakers, and putting in order the activities (Heth 1992)— gives order and furnishes significance to this community gathering. The pan-Indian or supra-tribal feature of the powwow has encouraged scholars, especially anthropologists, to ridicule its recognition among early Indian cultures because they are anxious that it may displace culture-oriented rituals or practices (Heth 1992). Others perceive it as the only Native American blueprint evident in the life of several regional or ethnic groups. The Waccamaw Sioux’s powwow rites (Ellis, Lassiter, & Dunham 2005, 294) present a possibility of taking into account how performance and ceremonies characterize their identity in present-day American culture. Powwows are a vi tal link between non-Indians and Native Americans, even though numerous conflicts and issues should be addressed so as to build and sustain this cultural connection. Powwows are a quite intricate kind of communication on multiple extents, from the individual to the collective to the political (Ellis & Lassiter 2005).... Some anthropologists, according to Koskoff (2005), also deal with the themes of intertribal support, pan-Indianism, and diverse identity. There is unfortunately insufficient literature on Native American powwows and there is no scholarship which deals with the entire intricacy of powwows and their function in Native America. Even though there are more and more scholarly works proclaiming powwows of Native America and taking into account occasions, and there are currently several accurate children’s literature dedicated to the images and sounds of the powwows and the participants, and there are a number of pictures which comprise the issues of the subject (Ellis & Lassiter 2005), there is still inadequate systematic and critical literature on the issue. As stated by Toelken (1991) in his work Ethnic Selection and Intensification in the Native American Powwow (as cited in Stern & Cicala 1991, 137): â€Å"Perhaps because their participants seem to be having fun instead of playin g to the white stereotype of Indian stoicism†¦ the contemporary intertribal powwow, an increasingly popular vernacular dance expression among Native Americans, has not been given much attention by scholars, even though it has become one of the most common articulations of ‘Indianness’ among Indians today.† Kiowa Song As the language of Kiowa keeps on weakening in its commonplace usage, a song is surfacing as a leading representation for expressing the identity and legacy of the Kiowa people. However, a song cannot be deprived of its storyline perspective; specifically, for numerous Kiowa singers, narrative is entirely important for interpreting songs (May & Hood 1983). Without a narrative, a song is only a cacophony of sound; nevertheless, with a narrative, sound

Business strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Business strategy - Essay Example According to Kaplan and Norton (2001), it is important for new business to actually make new and effective business strategies that both tackle internal and external environments, which includes the prevailing business environments. In this case, whenever formulating new strategies, especially in the corporate sector, it is important to look at several key indicators such as inflation, the position of competitors, the rate if employment and unemployment, the willingness of consumers to spend, as well as the overall rate of economic growth in the country (Kaplan & Norton, 2001). In this case, such factors will surely help business formulate their specific strategies, whether to focus on offering new products that would fit current consumer spending trends, or on building a more competitive and productive labor force, or even looking at potential competitive advantage over other competitors. However, looking into the external general business environment would not be enough, given that it is also important for a business organization to look into internal factors, such as the productivity of the current labor force, efficiency rates, and even the SWOT analysis.

Reflecting On Practice in Professional Experience Essay

Reflecting On Practice in Professional Experience - Essay Example With lofty ideals, its vision is to produce thinking, articulate and enriched young adults through the facilitation of an excellent teaching staff and state of the art facilities and equipment. The school maintains harmonious relationships between the teachers, students, faculty and the parent community which is one key to stimulated learning in the students because stakeholders cooperate to provide students with productive learning experiences (from school website). Apart from delivering high quality education, students are encouraged to develop their potentials to optimum levels with several opportunities in various school events, clubs and other extra-curricular activities. Their learning is well-invested into, and on my first day, I was already impressed with the provisions for the students: â€Å"Overall, from what I have observed on the first day, this school seems to have more funding due to the large number of students they have here. The school were very multi-cultural due to the surge of the migrants to this area. There were too many students that some classes are being held in the library. There are many newly-built portable classrooms and most of which are the smart, eco-friendly classrooms. This is to cater for the booming population in this area. I could also see that they are installing some new LED TVs in a lot of classrooms too. They had also had a brand new VCE Centre for senior students to study there with some new computers, a tearoom equipped with oven, microwave, dishwasher as well as two BBQ stoves outside.† (Journal notes, Day 1). However, much of what the students will learn will greatly depend on the quality of the teachers and the education they provide. Teachers need to be adept in knowing the students as learners and how they learn and thrive within various social contexts. They also need to have an understanding of the subject matter which they teach and the skills that their students need to develop as well as an understand ing of how to teach the content and adapt it to the learners’ context. This, they learn from assessing the students and supported by a conducive learning environment (National Academy of Education Committee on Teacher Education, 2005). The specific learning context of the class I taught was for a Year 10 LOTE (Language Other Than English) – Chinese class. These students in this class were all from Asian backgrounds but learn Chinese as their second language. Most of them grew up in Australia and have limited opportunities to speak the Chinese language or Chinese dialects with their family. Most of the students come from middle-class families. Their parents’ occupation and attitude have great impact on the students’ personalities and behaviour. I have observed that some students with parents working in more corporate settings and exposed to multicultural workmates tend to be more eager to learn Chinese in order to survive in an increasingly globalized worl d. Table 3: Students as Learners. Section 2: Planning and Teaching Planning The tasks planned were for a Year 10 class of mostly sixteen year old adolescents, It was for a LOTE subject with Chinese language as the learning area. Veering away from more traditional strategies such as reliance on textbooks, recitation, quizzes and examinations, I have designed some learning tasks that incorporated the use of ICT and involved active learning experiences on

International Cartel Of The Airline Industry Economics Essay

International Cartel Of The Airline Industry Economics Essay In laymans term cartel is an agreement between rival businesses or firms on not to compete with each other. They are kept classified and discussions take place informally. The most common aspect of cartelisation is price fixing. The other aspects are limiting productivity, hoarding, bid rigging, output levels etc. In economics terminology, cartel usually happens in an Oligopolistic environment especially in Collusive Oligopoly. Oligopoly refers to an industry environment where few firms dominate and recognise the rivalry and interdependence of each other. For every action taken by a firm there will be counter strategies by the other. Cartels generally operate in Collusive Oligopoly. In non collusive oligopoly a firm when devising strategies will use random or planned guesswork and calculations to handle reactions from rivals and consumers whereas in collusive oligopoly it is centrally commanded by a group of firms. OPEC is one of the best known examples of all cartels. They determine the costs for aircraft turbine fuel and other aircraft fuel essentials which are then transferred to the airline industry which then affects the end user. Cartels act as single firms to maximise profits. Paradox is the most common one word description by economists for the aviation industry. Ever since the advent of aviation it has always seen continuous and rapid growth in demand for services. Any business or industry will do their best to make hay when sun shines, however the airlines has always been marginally profitable. The low cost carriers, on the other hand, with a shaky start in the beginning seemed economically profitable as compared to the regular service providers. No- frills strategy is to deliver the core product. The core product for airlines would be to transport passengers from A to B. No major focus is laid on delicious food, seats that would normally come with a full serviced flight. The European airline industry is more popular with low cost brand names like Easyjet and Ryanair. The discussion further, is about a cartel that has been in operation in the no-frills European airline sector for the past 5 years. The objective is to discuss the factors that will end collusion amongst the members and to evaluate strategies that will keep the cartel from breaking apart. People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some contrivance to raise prices or would be consistent with liberty and justice. Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations, 1776 Cartel operations are always known to be short lived. The ever present incentive to cheat amongst the members of a cartel has always lead to withdrawal for firms, and eventually disbanding the cartel. Individual firms or oligopolist, in collusion will always have desire to cut down price or sell more than what the cartel has agreed. No frills airline have short haul flights and always had one class of service unless a flight more than two hours long may have two or more class of service. On a single class of service, cartel members may decide to have a standard price with minor disparities depending on whether the flight is at off peak or peak hours of service. At seasonal periods the unexpected huge rush may favour a particular airline that has better scheduling. This may incite or tempt the other competitors to join in the foray breaking all the informal agreements. This would be done by assessing past experience of company or could possibly be the counter measure for surprises thrown by cartel members. This would also lead to price discrimination for the consumer since a particular route frequented by several no-frills carriers are being charged exorbitantly high and vary from one service provider to another. And those airlines predicting misfortune that they have to fly empty seats may drop the prices all together ensuring marginal revenue resulting in further price conflict among cartel members. In an oligopolistic environment, few no-frills airlines that are not dominant will be a price taker because of small fleet size and low passenger load factor it will not have any major contributions to a particular routing. Reasons could vary from off peak routing to poor scheduling of flights. Even if it did make any kinds of additional revenue it will only equate to marginal revenue. This could lead for a smaller airline to pull out from the cartel. Game theory is sort of an umbrella or unified field theory for the rational side of social science, where social is interpreted broadly, to include human as well as non-human players. (Aumann 1987) The objective of game theory is to give everybody in the cartel equilibrium. It provides strategies for airlines from the host of options available to make the right choice for the optimum outcome. However, it can be highly unpredictable if an airline adopts a completely different strategy. This would jeopardise the entire decision making for the businesses and hence the cartel. In a cartel, at least one or two airlines will have better standing in terms of fleet size, support functions like baggage, ramp handlers etc and other such necessities to run an airline business. Big carriers like Ryanair will be able to get ground support services at cheaper prices since they provide larger contracts. In the event of a recession, established firms will try adopting one policy option or its dominant strategy that will be best suited for them against the interest of the cartel. They are able to do this because of the strong support units from vendors which allow them stay afloat with marginal revenue. Equilibrium for cartel firms will only emerge when all airline companies are happy with their present strategies based on what their rivals have adopted. For Airline industry profits have always been seasonal. This makes the predicting the markets continuously unstable. Cartels fear the potential entrance of new firms eating into the market share. There is a huge demand in the airlines industry which invites new players in the market. To avoid any further competition established firms or airlines would increase their fares to the highest price. This strategy, they believe, can charge their passengers without inducing new firms in to the competition. However, smaller players in the cartel are also at the receiving end of such a strategy. Other factors that also lead to the disintegration of cartel are low demand, competition outside the cartel, diversification into a full service or charter service, government or legislative restrictions etc. Government restrictions appear when low cost carriers may involve operations in more than one country. Weather is also one of the factors that may contribute for firm to break away from a cartel. The recent ash cloud crisis in the European aerospace resulted in $ 1.8 billion loss in revenue by the European carriers. This would mean a big impact for small carriers in the no-frills sector. The best interest for all players in a cartel is to remain in collusion. When they come together they will be able to maximise their profits in aviation industry. Cartels are able to last long provided they are effective enough. Collusion will be effective when there are few players in the market. Fewer airlines mean they can co-ordinate very well and reduce the level of uncertainty. The rivals in cartel will not have to worry about any surprises strategies by rest. They will be able to monitor each other very well since they share same airports. The ground staff is outsourced and most airlines will have the same vendor. The flight operations, scheduling will all be on the lines of the agreement. Collusion with fewer members will help them agree on price, market share, sales promotion and expenditure. Fewer firms also mean larger market share and high individual pay-offs. However if the cartel players are unable to restrict entry of new players the market share for individual players are reduced and cheating is back on everyone ones mind. Airlines industry does not always have a stable demand year round. The cartel industry needs to strategies operations in consultation with all cartel members on flight operations during poor demand. This would help all airline members to reorganise and replan, not just with better flight scheduling but also concentrating on other aspects like aircraft maintenance, crew trainings, product improvisation etc. The objective for firms to form a cartel is to limit competition and increase profits. Airlines would need to set a monopolistic agenda by restricting output and increasing price. They may set fewer flights in a particular sector and raise fares. This would help all cartel members maximise profits. Cartel members should operate the industry in equilibrium. Equilibrium must help the airliners increase fares among the profitable routes and at the same time allocating less profiting sector among all players fairly. It should also provide a methodology or mechanism to distribute the less profitable routes amongst all players. No-frills airlines may introduce an incentive structure that may reward based on monitoring each airline for their operations based on the agreed rules. They may also penalise to prevent any kind of cheating. Repeated interaction by the no-frills players for future collusive benefits may also deter cheating. Every cartel will have a major player. Major players in no-frills airline business like Ryanair are able to command a price because of the dominant position in the no-frills sector. This makes Ryanair the price leader in the sector. Collusion may take place informally by smaller players recognising the fares setters in the industry and will act as followers. This may help smaller airlines maximise their profits since they can be assured the fare hike is in line with the industry standards and justified. Cartels may also collude together and raise ticket fares simultaneously. Such a phenomenon is common in the fuel industry and also difficult to distinguish. At times a smaller airline may also be known to have good knowledge on pricing trends in the industry they will also be followed by other cartel members. It is known as barometric price leadership. Organisational mechanisms or structures can also be introduced in a cartel. The structure would be like those of any organisation. The mechanism should incorporate external fluctuations like environment, government restrictions, fuel prices etc. For no-frills sector costs need to be kept very low. Environment and fuel hikes leave major impact on revenue. The mechanisms could involve negotiations on cost of fuel which could be provided at subsidised rates to every airliner. No-frills airlines need to make significant investment in the development of organisational mechanisms and organisational skills so that it makes cheating a secondary issue and is deemed inappropriate future action by the members. Research says that some cartels last on an average of 5 years. However, variance in the duration is high for several other cartels. The no-frills airline cartels need to address problems of co-ordination, cheating and entry. Cartels that are able to introduce organisational mechanisms among the members are able to progress as successfully.

Vitality and Death in James Joyces The Dead Essay -- Joyce Dead Essay

Vitality and Death in The Dead  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   In his short story The Dead, James Joyce creates a strong contrast between Gabriel, who is emotionally lifeless, and the other guests, who are physically aging and near death. Though physical mortality is inevitable, Joyce shows that emotional sterility is not, and Gabriel ultimately realizes this and decides that he must follow his passions. Throughout the story, a strong focus on death and mortality, a focus that serves as a constant reminder of our inevitable end of physical life, is prevalent in Joyce's selection of details. In the story, the unconquerable death ultimately triumphs over life, but it brings a triumph for the central character, not a loss. Despite the presence of death, the characters’ passions and individuality oppositely flourish, an irony that Joyce dares to make humorous. Every year Kate and Julia Morkan, two aging sisters, hold a dinner party at their house in Ireland for their relatives and music students and peers. The two ladies, often referred to as Aunts because of their relationship to the main character Gabriel Conroy, make sure to have a festive event full of dance and rich in food, although they are not wealthy. The story begins at the commencement of this party, and we first learn about Lily, the youngest person in the story, who serves as the housemaid. She is described as a growing girl, but also as "pale in complexion," indicating weakness and frailty. Even her "tagname, that of the funereal flower, serves as a symbol of death." Joyce comically describes the busy girl with a "hyperbolic figure of speech (‘run off her feet’), which although figurative, is offered to the reader to be accepted ‘literally,’" (Benstock 165) hinting at pending death. ... ... Gale, 1990. 239-245. Friedrich, Gerhard. "The Perspective of Joyce’s ‘Dubliners.’" College English (March 1965) Vol. 26 No. 6. Rpt. in Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism Vol. 35. Detroit: Gale, 1990. 166-169. Handy, William J. "’Joyce’s ‘The Dead.’" Modern Fiction: A Formalist Approach. Rpt. in Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism Vol. 35. Detroit: Gale, 1990. 183-189. Joyce, James. "The Dead." The Dubliners. Rpt. in The Norton Anthology of English Literature. New York: W W Norton & Company. 2345-2373. Magalaner, Marvin, and Kain, Richard M. Joyce: The Man, the Work, the Reputation. Rpt. in Short Story Criticism Vol. 3. Detroit: Gale, 1990. 222-224. Walzl, Florence L. "Gabriel and Michael: The Conclusion of ‘The Dead.’" James Joyce Quarterly (Fall 1966) Vol. 4 No.1. Rpt. in Short Story Criticism Vol. 3. Detroit: Gale, 1990. 233-239.       Vitality and Death in James Joyce's The Dead Essay -- Joyce Dead Essay Vitality and Death in The Dead  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   In his short story The Dead, James Joyce creates a strong contrast between Gabriel, who is emotionally lifeless, and the other guests, who are physically aging and near death. Though physical mortality is inevitable, Joyce shows that emotional sterility is not, and Gabriel ultimately realizes this and decides that he must follow his passions. Throughout the story, a strong focus on death and mortality, a focus that serves as a constant reminder of our inevitable end of physical life, is prevalent in Joyce's selection of details. In the story, the unconquerable death ultimately triumphs over life, but it brings a triumph for the central character, not a loss. Despite the presence of death, the characters’ passions and individuality oppositely flourish, an irony that Joyce dares to make humorous. Every year Kate and Julia Morkan, two aging sisters, hold a dinner party at their house in Ireland for their relatives and music students and peers. The two ladies, often referred to as Aunts because of their relationship to the main character Gabriel Conroy, make sure to have a festive event full of dance and rich in food, although they are not wealthy. The story begins at the commencement of this party, and we first learn about Lily, the youngest person in the story, who serves as the housemaid. She is described as a growing girl, but also as "pale in complexion," indicating weakness and frailty. Even her "tagname, that of the funereal flower, serves as a symbol of death." Joyce comically describes the busy girl with a "hyperbolic figure of speech (‘run off her feet’), which although figurative, is offered to the reader to be accepted ‘literally,’" (Benstock 165) hinting at pending death. ... ... Gale, 1990. 239-245. Friedrich, Gerhard. "The Perspective of Joyce’s ‘Dubliners.’" College English (March 1965) Vol. 26 No. 6. Rpt. in Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism Vol. 35. Detroit: Gale, 1990. 166-169. Handy, William J. "’Joyce’s ‘The Dead.’" Modern Fiction: A Formalist Approach. Rpt. in Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism Vol. 35. Detroit: Gale, 1990. 183-189. Joyce, James. "The Dead." The Dubliners. Rpt. in The Norton Anthology of English Literature. New York: W W Norton & Company. 2345-2373. Magalaner, Marvin, and Kain, Richard M. Joyce: The Man, the Work, the Reputation. Rpt. in Short Story Criticism Vol. 3. Detroit: Gale, 1990. 222-224. Walzl, Florence L. "Gabriel and Michael: The Conclusion of ‘The Dead.’" James Joyce Quarterly (Fall 1966) Vol. 4 No.1. Rpt. in Short Story Criticism Vol. 3. Detroit: Gale, 1990. 233-239.