Marketing the X-Box

Introduction The main aim of this project is to help me understand the marketing process, which is required to launch a new successful product. The new product I will be marketing is the Microsoft X Box. Millions of new products are launched every year worldwide. Most are unsuccessful and are taken off the market after a while. Without marketing a new product is very likely to fail. Microsoft needs to market their products because there is so much choice in the market. Marketing will give Microsoft a better understanding of the market and customers needs and wants. I will be acting as the marketing director within this company. Marketing is basically the management process, which is responsible for identifying potentially profitable products and them selling them to customers. Microsoft is a multi-national successful company with substantial profits and is aiming at a mass market with the X Box rather than a niche market. Microsoft will want to sell to as many places as possible. A marketing plan would help improve the company's performance and increase sales. There's a lot more to marketing than just advertising, marketing involves†¦ > Researching the market and finding out what customers want. > Developing and designing a product that satisfies customers and consumers. > Producing the right amount and to the right quality of the product. > Making sure that the customer is aware of the product and what its about. > Getting the price right so that the product is affordable to customers, but also allows the business to be profitable. > Ensuring that the product is on sale in places convenient to the customers. This can be summed up using a term called the marketing mix or the 4P's, place, product, price and promotion. Place A product is unlikely to be successful if customers find it difficult to purchase. So place is a vital part of the marketing mix. Microsoft needs to consider how to get their products to the customer. Channels of distribution need to be efficient and effective. For a product to sell it must be in the right place at the right time for customers to buy. Microsoft needs to find out where it's convenient for customers to buy the X Box. The X Box is likely to sell more in Electronics Boutique rather than New Look because people go into New Look to buy clothes not games consoles, but people do go into Electronics Boutique to buy computer games or games consoles. I will need to look at: > Where to sell the X Box and why? > Channels of distribution. > Selling to places that wont tarnish the company's good reputation. > Where it's convenient to sell to customers. > Selling to as many places as possible (mass market). > Disadvantages and advantages of selling the X Box in certain places. Product Microsoft have to decide what product or range of products they are going to sell. They also have to decide what quality of product they wish to make and sell, what name to give the product and how it is to be packaged. Another decision is whether to attempt to brand the product. I will have to look at: > The product life cycle and how it could affect the X Box. > Why is the product is called the X Box. > Product range. > Does the product satisfy the needs and wants of the customers? > Research and development of the X Box. > Is Microsoft product orientated or market orientated? > Importance of quality. > Product differentiation. > Disadvantages and advantage of the X Box. Promotion Microsoft needs to decide how best to promote the products they make and sell. The decision involves weighing up the relative cost of each form or promotion and how best to target their customers. They also need to consider the use of advertising agencies. Promotion is all about communicating with potential customers, if the public isn't aware of the X Box then they are not likely to go out and buy it. Microsoft will also have to be careful not to offend potential customers with advertising that discriminates against certain people, e.g. race or gender. When looking at the promotion part of the marketing mix I will have to consider: > Different types of advertising, where to use them, why, the cost and will they be effective. > Different types of promotions, where to use them, why, the cost and will they be effective. > Stages of the product life cycle and how the affect the promotion of the X Box. > Disadvantage and advantage to promotion. Price Price is another element of the marketing mix. Microsoft must decide how to price its product. In making this decision Microsoft has to consider, what are the prices set by competitors, how price can be used to increase sales of the product, whether the price will cover costs of production, whether customers are willing to pay that set price and different pricing strategies such as skimming or penetration pricing. When looking at the price section of the marketing mix I will have to consider a number of things: > Prices set by competitors. > How price can increase or decrease sales. > Does that price cover cost of production? > Are the customers willing to pay that price? > Different pricing strategies such as skimming and penetration. > Disadvantages and advantages to setting that price. If the marketing mix is wrong, for example, the price of the X Box is too high and it is not selling in places convenient to customers, the X Box wont be as successful as it could be. The marketing mix is a vital part of ensuring a new products success, without it the product will fail. Market research is a major part of this project. It can help me to find out the customers needs and wants, which will enable me to create the right marketing mix. The product needs to be affordable, make a profit and to be promoted and sold in the right places. It is also very important that the X Box is aimed at the right segment of the market. The market can be split into different categories: Age Age can be separated into years or stages of life e.g. child, teenager, adult or pensioner. Microsoft mainly targets adults with their existing products. With the X Box Microsoft is likely to target younger people such as teenagers because they are more likely to buy the X Box rather than a pensioner. Gender Different products can be aimed at different genders e.g. make up is aimed at women and beer is aimed at men. Some people could say this is sexist but men are more likely to buy beer than make up. Businesses have to be very careful when advertising to certain genders as not to offend people. Microsoft are likely to aim the X Box more to males rather than females because boy tend to buy games consoles and computer games more than girls. Income/Occupation The population can be segmented according to their salary or occupation. Microsoft mainly targets people with above average income because their products can be slightly expensive, but they have to be careful not to advertise this because people could get offended. Microsoft also has to make sure their product is affordable to as many people as possible but not lower the price too much in case they lose profits. Area The area in which people live can divide the population. People in the northeast of England may have a different lifestyle to people the south of England, therefore their needs and wants will differ. Microsoft will need to promote the X Box in different ways according to location as to satisfy a mass market. Ethnic, cultural and religious groups Businesses need to be careful with the production and promotion of its products when it comes to different religions. If a business decides to produce its products in Asia because of cheap labour, people from Asia could refrain from buying that business' product because they are offended. Equally businesses have to be careful when advertising its products as not to offend people of certain ethnic, cultural or religious groups. Socio – economic groupings One of the most important ways of separating the population is the use of socio-economic groupings. Socio-economic groupings work like this: Social Grade Social Status Head of household's Occupation % of total UK population A Upper Middle Class Higher managerial, administrative or professional such as doctors, lawyers and company directors. 3.5% B Middle Intermediate managerial, administrative or professional such as teachers, nurses and managerial. 12-13% C1 Lower Middle Class Supervisory or clerical and junior managerial administrative or professional such as shop assistants, clerks and police constables. 22% C2 Skilled Working Class Skilled manual workers such as carpenters, cooks and train drivers. 32-33% D Working Class Semi – skilled and unskilled manual workers such as fitters and storekeepers. 19-20% E The Poorest In Society State pensioners or widows, casual or lower grade workers, or long-term unemployed. 10% The Product Life Cycle The Development Stage Products start life in the development stage. This is where the product is designed and also where the majority of the marketing is done. There are no profits at this stage, only costs. Microsoft will have to make up for the money lost in the growth stage of the product life cycle. The Introduction Stage This is the stage where the product is launched. Profits and sales are minimal in this stage, but it doesn't last too long if good advertising is used to make the customers aware of the product. The Growth Stage Sales and profits are increasing rapidly in this stage. Microsoft will have to consider what pricing strategies and promotions to use to keep the X Box in this stage as long as possible. Maturity In the maturity stage, the product reaches a peak in terms of sales. Research and development costs are likely to be paid off. The product could be profitable enough to be financing the development of new products. Saturation Towards the end of the maturity stage the market becomes saturated. Competitors bring out products to try and take sales away. It is likely that Microsoft will not be able to sell any more of the X Box at this point. Decline Eventually a product is likely to go into decline, sales will drop dramatically. Microsoft could try extension strategies at this stage to try and increase sales slightly or they could just withdraw the product from the market. The product life cycle can affect a lot of the marketing mix, for example, which promotions and pricing strategies to use at certain stages in the product life cycle. A Business would like to be in a sellers' market where customers have little choice but to buy from them. In a buyers' market though, business have to be market orientated and the greater is the need for effective marketing. I think Microsoft is in the buyers' market. Although they are a major company with substantial profits, Microsoft still have competition such as smaller software companies. The product ‘X Box' is a slightly different product from what Microsoft usually sells. Microsoft specialises in software and hardware for PC's, the ‘X Box' is a games consol, and so the main competition will be Sony and their Playstation. Although the Playstation is a very successful product it may be entering decline in the product life cycle because the Playstation has been around for a while. When the Sony Playstation started to enter the maturity stage Sony launched a new product the Playstation 2, this would be the ‘X box' main competition. I think Microsoft could afford a very large budget because the company's profits are very large, the fact that they have spent a lot of money developing the product could affect the budget for marketing the product. I estimate that the budget would be somewhere around à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½20 million. I'm going to cover various areas of marketing, which will include†¦ * Analysing the market, finding out what customers want, where best to sell it and find out about the competition and target market. * Market Research, desk research and field research. * The Product, product differentiation, ways of differentiating the product, branding and retailing. * The Product Life Cycle, look at what similar products have gone through in the five main stages. Development, introduction, growth, maturity and saturation, and decline. * Pricing, competition, costs of making, affordability and pricing strategies. * Demand and Supply, what people want, how much they want and what they are willing to pay. * Promotion, advertising packaging, direct mail etc†¦ * Place, channels of distribution. * Retailing, how retailing within the company would affect marketing. * Constraints on Marketing, the law, ethics and the market and pressure groups. They are many disadvantages and advantages of marketing. Disadvantages include things such as, cost and constraints on marketing. Constraints on marketing are ethical considerations, the law (Trade Descriptions Act 1968), codes of practice (Advertising Standards Authority) and pressure groups. Ethical considerations include things such as labour, many multinational companies have been criticised for using workers in the Far East because they are relatively cheap, and the business want to take advantage of the lower costs of production. Nike was once criticised by the press because of the high prices they charge for their goods and the low wages paid to workers and low costs of production. Microsoft will have to ensure that they don't put too much of a profit mark up on the X Box, and also make ensure their workers are treated fairly. Other ethical considerations are the use of promotions and advertising such as the use of images in adverts. Many companies have been attacked by pressure groups because of the content of the adverts they use, such as images of beautiful woman that lure men into buying the product and information included in the adverts. For instance should a washing powder manufacturer claim in an advert that its washing powder ‘washes whiter' than other powders on the market when there is no scientific proof that it does? Should tobacco companies promote their products when they damage peoples health? If people are really shocked by an advert they may consider not buy the products produced by that company, therefore Microsoft will have to be careful when choosing methods of promotion. The law ensures that advertising does not fool the public. The Trade Descriptions Act 1968 states that is illegal for products to be incorrectly described for example Microsoft couldn't advertise the X Box as if it comes with a free TV if it doesn't. The government has encouraged businesses to adopt a code of practice as an alternative to passing laws. Codes of practice are rules, which businesses voluntarily agree to keep, but have no legal status. Advantages of marketing include†¦ Helping the business to get a better understanding of the market, marketing also lets the business to know what price, to set where to sell the product what promotions to use and what the potential customers want from the product. Market research will also tell the company whether there is a demand for the product in question. Marketing will change across different countries because different countries have a different way of life. For instance people in America can afford to pay a lot more for the X Box than people in the poorer parts of Africa and Asia. Market Research Microsoft needs information if they are to make good decisions. They need information about their target market to help them create a successful marketing mix. One way of gaining that information is by carrying out market research. Market research is a cost-effective way of finding out what people believe, think, want, need or do. There are various types of market research. Microsoft needs to decide what market research methods are most likely to give them the information they need. Businesses, which are mainly product, orientated risk spending a large amount of resources launching a product, which proves to be a failure. Researching the market helps reduce the risk. Microsoft should focus research and design effort onto products, which have a chance of success in the market place. When the product is launched a carefully researched product stands less chance of failing. Stages of Market Research Market research will help Microsoft to find answers to questions about the market. * What is the target market for the X Box? * How can Microsoft use the X Box to increase market share? * What is the right price to set that will maximise profits and be affordable to as many people as possible? * What are the right promotions to use that will appeal to Microsoft's target market? * Where's the best place to sell the X Box? * What do customers want and need? * What is the demand for the X Box? * What are existing patterns of sales for other games consoles? I then need to decide what information might help answer the questions, then I need to decide how best to collect this information. The information is then collected and analysed. Finally Microsoft has to make a decision about what to do in the light of the information gained. Desk Research Desk research involves the use of secondary data. This is information that is already available both within and outside the business. Information within the business Microsoft collects information routinely. Invoices for instance will tell them how much they sell and who they are selling to. Information outside the business Businesses can also collect information, which is available from sources outside the business such as: * Internal sources – such as sales invoices, reports and accounts. * Government – published statistics such as consumer spending figures, reports such as monopolies and mergers commission reports. * The Media – reports in newspapers, magazines on radio and on TV. * Trade associations – statistics or reports published by national organisations such as the TUC, the CBI or chambers of commerce or industry associations such as the Engineering Employers Federation. * Research organisations – reports prepared by specialist market research organisations such as Mintel or Mori; articles published in academic journals such as university journals. Field Research Field research involves the collection of primary data, information that no one has yet collected. It is collected specially for the particular piece of research. Primary data is collected through direct investigation, usually through observation, survey or experiment. To help me create my marketing mix I used both secondary and primary research. I collected primary data in the form of a questionnaire that I asked 50 people. I used secondary data from the Internet. I used the Internet to find out about Video Game sales and I found a report by PC Data about home Internet users planing to purchase console or PC games during the 2000 holiday season, and that PC and console gaming is no longer a male-dominated domain. This was very useful research and it helped me a lot when putting together my marketing plan. I didn't find any information from the media or the government because of lack of time. Quantitative and Qualitative Research There are two main types of survey data – quantitative, and qualitative. Quantitative Quantitative research provides numerical data. At the completion of a quantitative project it is possible to say (for example) what proportion or percentage of the population fall into different groups – those that want something, those that would be likely to buy something, those that are in favour of a particular policy or plan, etc. The essence of quantitative research is that every respondent is asked the same series of questions. Quantitative research can be done in various ways: By face-to-face interviewing, either in the street or, for more complex projects, in people's homes. This was the traditional approach to data collection, and remains important. In-home work is particularly suitable for lengthy interviews, or for some sensitive subjects. The understanding that can be established between the interviewer and the person being interviewed (the respondent) can help to ensure that detailed and thorough information is obtained. By telephone. This is a fast-growing form of data collection, is somewhat less expensive per interview than face-to-face, and can provide data more quickly – in some cases, overnight. Telephone research would rarely be suitable for lengthy interviews, but it can be ideal for smaller-scale, fast turn-round projects both amongst the public and for business research. Both face-to-face and telephone research involve the most basic form of data gathering, talking to people. There is one other form of quantitative data collection that should be mentioned – postal and self-completion research, which is the cheapest form of quantitative research, though it can take a relatively long time to gather data by post. Self-completion questionnaires can be handed out, for example, at exhibitions, on aircraft, or in town centres, to get peopleà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s views. Self-completion questionnaires must be kept simple and the researcher has little control over whom, or how many people, return the form. Another form of quantitative research is omnibus surveys. These are useful for those with small budgets and relatively few questions to ask. Qualitative Research Qualitative research, though it cannot provide numerical data, provides understanding of how or why things are as they are. It can be used on its own or to help in the development of a questionnaire for a quantitative study. There is no fixed set of questions and therefore no assumptions about what is, or is not, important. Instead there is a list of topics, problems, or possibilities to be explored. The form and nature of the discussion is heavily influenced by the informants' own concerns or assumptions. Qualitative research is the way in which typical or relevant peoples' attitudes and beliefs can be explored, and ideas can be generated. It can be used for everything from testing reaction to a potential new advertising campaign, to exploring staff attitudes to a new management structure or procedure. There are various sorts of qualitative research, including the following. * Unstructured interviews with a single informant, based on a framework of themes and topics. The interview is adapted to the individual, and the interviewer feeds off and responds to the respondents' replies. * Focus groups (or group discussions) involve a similar approach but bring together a number of relevant people – typically about eight – and therefore benefit from the interaction between the different personalities and experiences in the group. I used quantitative research because I needed to find information quickly and easily, I think qualitative research would have been a lot more time consuming and will have used a lot of resources. I decided the best way to collect information about the market was to use a survey. A survey can't ask customers for their opinion. Only a fraction or sample of customers can be surveyed. To be useful, the sample chosen must be a representation of all consumers. In a random sample, every potential respondent has an equal chance of being chosen. Random numbers can be used to do this or it could be done by ‘picking people out of a hat'. It is often quite difficult to construct a truly random sample. So a cheaper and quicker method is to use systematic sample. This is where every 100th or 1000th person on a list such as the telephone book is chosen. A systematic sample is not truly random though and therefore the results may be less reliable. In a quota sample, the sample is broken down or stratified. One problem with a quota sample is that any people who fit the description can be asked to complete the survey. So Microsoft wanting to find 50 people aged 13 – 30 to complete a survey could ask the first 50 13 – 30 year olds who came out of Electronics Boutique in Bedford. This may not be very representative of all 13 – 30 years olds nationally. A stratified random sample may get round this problem. It is a quota sample where all the respondents, the people being interviewed, must be chosen at random. Microsoft would have to find some way of selecting people aged 13 – 30 through pure chance. I used a quota sample, I asked 50 people in Electronics Boutique my questionnaire. I used Electronics Boutique because a lot of people go in there to buy game consoles and other computer related products, and asking this people would give me a good idea of the target market. I think my data is quite reliable because the people I asked my questionnaire to are the people that are most likely to buy Microsoft's products. Price Pricing Strategies The product should be launched in November ready for the Christmas rush. The pricing strategy skimming should be used in the introduction and the growth stage of the product life cycle. Skimming is setting a high price initially and then lowering it later on. This is almost always used for products that incorporate new technology such as new DVD players and PCs. Some people are willing to pay high prices for new technology, the price of the X Box will be set high at first to catch this end of the market. By doing this Microsoft can maximise their profits and cover the costs of developing the X Box. When sales start to slow down Microsoft should lower the price and use a different pricing strategy. To ensure sales keep increasing half way though the growth stage Microsoft should change the pricing strategy from skimming to market orientated. This is where the price charged is based on analysis of the market and its characteristics. Market research might need to be undertaken again at this point to ensure that Microsoft knows what the customers are willing to pay. Market orientated pricing should be used at this point because the top end of the market is likely to be saturated, Microsoft will need to lower the price of the X Box slightly to provide for the people that aren't willing to pay as much. Using market orientated pricing will therefore help keep sales rising and the X Box will appeal to a broader market. When the sales of the X Box are slowing down it could be because of competition. This is when Microsoft will need to use competition based pricing because new games consoles will be being launched and the X Box wont be new technology anymore. Microsoft will need to lower the price a lot to compete with the new technology and keep people interested. Psychological pricing could be used throughout the life cycle. This is when a product is priced at 99p instead of a pound so that the customers automatically think it's cheaper. I don't think Microsoft will need to use cost based pricing with the X Box because Microsoft makes so much money off existing products going into debt wont be a problem. The X Box will soon make up for the research and developing costs in the growth stage of the life cycle. Penetration pricing also isn't appropriate for the X Box because new technology doesn't rise in price as it becomes more popular it starts off at a high price because of the cost of development. Price to be Set In the introduction stage of the life cycle the X Box should be priced at 299, in the growth stage the price should be lowered to about 249, when the market has been saturated the price should be lowered again to 199 and when the product goes into decline it should be priced between 99 and 149. Factors Affecting the Price > Cost of promotions and advertising > Cost of research and development > Customer's needs and wants > Competitors > Demand > Costs of distribution

Effective Board of Directors

1. Topic: Effective Board of Directors 2. Six Steps to Building an Effective Board By:Bruce R. Evans 3. Summary: The author Bruce R. Evans is a managing partner in Summit Partners’ Boston office. He has also been a member of more than 25 boards, which include 10 public company boards. He claims that when a Board is working effectively it is a big part of the company’s success. However, an ineffective board can be distracting and cause liabilities for the company. Through his experiences he has created six steps to building an effective Board of Directors. The first step is â€Å"find the expertise you are missing†.CEOs of companies that are similar but not in competition with your company can give you information on the industries trend. The second step is â€Å"look for board experience†. This means that getting people that are experienced are key because they know what they are doing and understand critical issues of audit, finance, and strategy. Next is â€Å"do not overlook non-CEO candidates†. Other types of executives can be extremely valuable because most of the time they want board experience and therefore will be willing to serve on smaller company’s boards unlike CEOs. Another step is â€Å"keep your board size manageable†.The smaller and more focused boards are preferred than large ones. The more directors you have the more time you will invest in order to manage them. There should always be an odd number of directors to avoid ties in voting. The next step is â€Å"choose people who can participate fully†. The people on the board should be able to put in time for the company, and not just show up for the meeting. Members that live close to the company are preferable because when problems arise you can meet them face-to-face. The final step is â€Å"divide your board into focused committees†.The Board of Directors work on many issues, such as, compensation, audit, transactions, financing, business strategy, lawsuits, and other problems. To increase the effectiveness of the Board Evans suggest you form focused committees on these critical areas. A diverse and experienced board can be key in the success of a business. It will offer a different perspective on industry trends that can help you avoid liabilities and take advantages of opportunities. 4. I believe that this article very accurately explains the keys of creating a Board of Directors.All of Evans’ steps are very simplistic but are very important. Before I read the article I did not know what exactly a Board of Directors did, but now I know that they work on many key issues in the company. For that reason they need a diverse group of members so they get a different perspective on the issues. Also, it is important that they have focus groups for each issue that way they can go into each issue in depth and in detail. I am sure that the most successful companies have well diverse group of Board of Directors .

Factors Affecting Democratization

This time period witnessed the collapse of over 30 authoritarian regimes in Europe, Asia, and Latin America which then made the transition to democracy and were characterized mainly by one party systems. Nations that undergo the translation to a democratic form of government usually display three particular characteristics: a high level of economic development, a highly educated public, and a large middle class.The second table, below Huntington, provides the literacy rates, Gaps, and life expectancies of five imaginary countries. Of these five countries, D and E are the most likely to democratic and hey are also the most likely to consolidate democracy because they possess the three main characteristics of democratic countries. Huntington provides a chart, on page 62 of his work, In which countries are classified according to their GNP In 1 976 In relation to the type of government they possessed in 1974.It also shows whether the countries democratic or liberalized between 1974 and 1989, or whether they maintained their non-democratic regimes throughout those years. The chart below Huntington provides the literacy rate, GAP per capita, and life expectancy of five imaginary countries. The characteristics provided on the second graph are critical to understanding each Individual country potential towards becoming democracies and their ability to consolidate democracy.The first characteristic of the chart is the literacy rate of the five countries, which is an excellent indicator of the overall level of education the countries. A highly educated public is a crucial factor in the transition to democracy, and political scientist Mitchell Gilson argued that in Latin America the thresholds that made democracy possible were both a GNP of $250 and a literacy rate of over fifty percent. This demonstrates that a countries literacy rate Is almost as Important as the level of economic development of a country In demagnification.Between 1960 and 1981 many more people began attending secondary schools to improve their educations. It has been proven that highly educated people tend to develop the characteristics of trust, satisfaction, and competence which form the civic cultural attitudes necessary in a democracy (Huntington, 69). Without an educated public, it is very difficult for democracies to survive. Thus, a high literacy rate provides evidence of a highly cattle puddle, wanly Is also positively oscillate Witt democracy.In Alton, a high literacy rate also provides evidence that a particular nation possesses a large middle class, which is often a product of industrialization and economic growth. The presence of a large middle class is another one of the most important factors of demagnification. Due to the fact that democracies often rely on a system of majority rule, a middle class is necessary in order to accurately represent the wishes of the populace. In addition, it is the middle class which strives to achieve their objectives.In virtually ev ery country the most active supporters of demagnification came from the urban middle class,[l]† and it was this group which led the third wave movements for demagnification. For example, in the Philippines, the middle class, comprised of professionals and business people, encouraged and actively participated in the demonstrations in 1984 against the oppressive regime of Ferdinand Marco's. It is clear that â€Å"When tear gas meets the middle class†¦ Tear gas loses. 2]† A large middle class is crucial in the transition to democracy because they are the people who lead the demonstrations, rallies, and protests calling for an end o authoritarian regimes and the transition to a democratic form of government. The literacy rates of the five countries suggest that countries A and C most likely have a very small middle class and only a small percentage of the overall population is highly educated, country Bi's literacy rate was unavailable, and that countries D and E have both a highly educated population and a large middle class.The second characteristic of the chart is the GAP per capita of the five countries. The gross domestic product (GAP), the gross national product minus the net income earned abroad, tells us the economic development and status of each particular nation. A higher GAP per capita is found in wealthy, economically advanced countries such as Switzerland which has a per capita income of $21 ,330. Conversely, a lower GAP is found in poorer countries such as Ethiopia with a per capita income of $130 (Huntington, 60).Undoubtedly, there exists a positive relationship between economic development and demagnification. Huntington claims that the nations most likely to undergo a transition to democracy are those characterized as â€Å"middle- income† countries. The correlation between wealth and democracy implies that transitions to democracy should occur primarily in countries at the middle levels of economic development. In poor c ountries demagnification is unlikely; in rich countries it has already occurred. 3]† Thus the GAP per capita of country D shows that it is the only country out of the five which is in the middle income range which Huntington claims possesses the most potential to make the transition to democracy, while countries A, B, C, and E are in the lower income range and less likely to make the transition to democracy. The third characteristic on the chart is the life expectancy, which is another important factor because it helps determine the level of technology of a nation.Countries with high life expectancies are more technologically advanced than those with lower life expectancies due to above average health care systems, medications and vaccines, and competent doctors. Most wealthy countries tend to have higher levels of technology than poorer countries, and most wealthy countries are democracies. â€Å"Most wealthy countries are democratic and most democratic countries – In dia is the most dramatic exception – are wealthy. [4]† As such, a higher life expectancy is also associated with democracy. Entrees A, c, Ana nave ten tenure lowest Tie expectancies wanly demonstrates Tanat they are the least technologically advanced. Country D has the second highest life expectancy, but based on life expectancy alone, country B would be the most technologically advanced of all the countries because it has the highest life The literacy rate, GAP, and life expectancy are three vital statistics in expectancy. Formulating a hypothesis as to the level of education, level of economic development, and level of technology that a country possesses and help in determining the type of government of a particular country.From these characteristics it is possible to infer that the countries least likely to democratic would be countries A and C, country B has somewhat a chance of demonstrating, depending on its literacy rate, and countries D and E would be the most l ikely to democratic. Countries A and C have the lowest literacy rates, Gaps, and life expectancies of the entire group and as such lack the high level of economic development, highly educated public, and large middle class which are almost always present in countries making the transition to democracy.The lack of an educated population and large middle class shows that it loud be extremely difficult to establish a democracy in these nations because the people, for the most part, would be unable to participate or take an active role in their governments. Country B would most likely remain whatever government, most likely authoritarian, that it currently was because of its decent GAP and because it has the highest life expectancy of the group.The high life expectancy suggests that the people are living relatively well, and as such, they would most likely not attempt to undermine their current regime. However, country E would most likely emaciation, and country D is the most likely to democratic out of the entire group. The reason that countries E and D are the most likely to democratic is because they possess the highest literacy rates (68 % and 78 % respectively), highest Gaps per capita ($700 and $1600), and good life expectancies (46 and 48 years).Both countries possess the characteristics common to democracies: high levels of economic development, a highly educated public, and a large middle class which is why they are the countries which would undergo the transition from a non democratic form of government to a democratic form of government. Country D is the most probable, out of the five countries, to democratic because it is precisely in the middle income range which Huntington believes leads to the demagnification of a nation.He proves his assertion in his chart which shows that the highest percentage of countries to democratic or liberalize between 1974 and 1989 did in fact occur in countries with per capita GNP in the $1000 – $3000 range (the mi ddle income range). In fact, 76 percent of countries in the middle income range democratic or liberalized, while poorer nations with per capita GNP of $250-$1000 such as countries A, B, C, and E) experienced only a 29 percent transition rate.Therefore, countries A and C are the least likely to democratic, B is somewhat likely to democratic, and E and D have the highest probability of demonstrating. Furthermore, supposing that all five nations have experienced a transition to democracy and have established a democratic regime, countries A, B, and C would be the least likely to consolidate democracy while countries E and D would be the most likely to consolidate their newly emerged democratic regimes. Political scientistAdam Paperwork's claimed that â€Å"Democracy is consolidated when under given political Ana economic contraltos a particular system AT Institutions Decodes ten only game in town, when no one can imagine acting outside the democratic institutions, when all losers want to do is to try again within the same institutions under which they have Just lost. [5]† It could be argued that countries A, B, and C have such low literacy rates, and Gaps that their situation could only get better; however, they do not have the resources (both economically and population-wise) to maintain or strengthen their new found democracies.Out of the five nations, countries E and D are the most economically developed which means they are the least likely to experience an economic crisis which could potentially undermine their regimes. The fact that they are the least likely to experience an economic crisis is extremely important, because economic crises were one of the main reasons that countries converted from non-democratic governments to democratic forms of government in the third wave of demagnification. In the third wave, the combination of substantial levels of economic development and short-term economic rises or failure was the economic formula most favorabl e to the transition from authoritarian to democratic government. [6]† Country E and Ad's educated middle class will actively work to maintain, improve, and strengthen the democratic system which gives them their freedoms and opportunities.Those two countries have the most potential and the most resources available at their disposal to maintain and strengthen their democracies. Therefore, due to their superior economic development, abundant resources, and the existence of an educated, middle class, countries E and D are by far the most likely to consolidate democracy. The third wave of demagnification witnessed the transition of over 30 countries to democratic forms of government, predominantly due to the economies of those countries.The countries most likely to establish a democratic regime are those which display a high level of economic development, a highly educated public, and a large middle class. These factors are crucial to demagnification. Countries A, B, and C are the least likely to democratic and consolidate demagnification because of their low literacy rates and lack of abundant resources. As time progresses and their literacy rates and Gaps increase, they may eventually enter the â€Å"middle income† range which is so conducive to democracy.

English 101 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

English 101 - Essay Example I discover they are so much like me and thus it provides me a chance to understand the diversity present within USA. I have made so many friends in a short span of time that I almost feel I do not need any more yet I know friends are less even when they are in numbers. I recognize my time was a sense of commitment and the hard work that I have to put in. This, I say because I know I have to prove my worth within the coming times of professional domains and for that I need to be punctual and on time, always. My life away from my family gets depressing at times but then again my friends and colleagues make it special for me. They make sure that they have some surprise in store to make me feel happy and satisfied at all times. I like the way people can easily meet and interact with each other, in USA. I dislike the way the immigration policies are the strictest in this country than anywhere else. The difficult things that I have felt here include my time at the immigration counter, the thorough checking and question-answer session and the way I need to properly document myself every month or so. However I love my life within USA barring these

Political Asylum Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Political Asylum - Case Study Example They found high social costs of monopoly in both economies, emphasizing that their social cost estimates were, in contrast to Posner, for private monopoly power. As will be argued later, the empirical magnitude of rent-seeking costs is now a matter of some controversy in the literature. There are many empirical consequences on the social expenses of rent seeking, depending on the methodology, coverage, and economy analyzed by the author. Krueger (1974) recommended that 7 percent of Indian GNP was wasted in rent seeking and 15 percent of Turkish GNP was lost because of rent seeking for import licenses. Posner (1975) estimated that as much as 3 percent of U.S. GNP was lost because of the social costs of monopolization throughout regulation. These are clearly substantial sums of money in any economy. Cowling and Mueller (1978) consequential a guesstimate that the rent seeking and deadweight costs of private monopoly in the United States was 13 percent of gross corporate product. (Ekelund, pp 13-19) The consequenThe consequences of the different studies are summarized in table 1. In one sense, the table shows the importance of the rent-seeking insight. No longer can the costs of tariffs, monopolies, and theft be called a trivial problem in virtually any economy. These are commonly not little numbers. Table # 1 Estimates of the Costs of Rent Seeking STUDY ECONOMY YEAR RENT-SEEKING COSTS Krueger India 1964 7% GNP Krueger Turkey 1968 15% GNP (trade sector) Posner U.S. Various Years 3% GNP (regulation) Cowling U.S. 1963-66 13% GCP* and Mueller (private monopoly) Cowling U.K. 1968-69 7% GCP* and Mueller (private monopoly) Ross Kenya 1980 38% GDP (trade sector) Mohammand India 1980-81 25-40% GNP and Whalley Laband U.S. 1992 50% GNP and Sophocleus Regression- Various Various Years Up to 45% GNP Based Studies Countries * Cowling and Mueller (1978) use gross corporate product as the basis of their calculation. This consequence suppose a labor market balance in which, for example, a lawyer's wage is an exact proxy for his chance cost as an engineer and in which the lawyer is indifferent at the margin with respect to option of occupation. Keep in mind the above point that rents are not transfers or bribes but must be expended in real assets devoted to regulatory favor seeking. Cowling and Mueller (1978) also create the major point that since a lot of rent seeking costs are unseen in business expenses, there is a bias toward underestimation in the way most studies calculate rents. That is, observed rents will understate the true costs of rent seeking. Magee takes the analysis a step additional by seem to be at the rent-seeking costs of containing an extra lawyer in the legislature. He estimates that each additional lawyer in the U.S. Congress costs more than $1 billion. For a similar exercise, see Joseph Phillips in an appendix to Baran and Sweezy (1966), who expected the "cost" of monopoly capitalism at 56 percent of

Hypothesis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Hypothesis - Essay Example The recent trend in awareness about weight gain and loss due to growing concerns about health have given rise to the importance of the calculation of these calories due to a number of reasons. Consuming more than the daily requirement of calories makes a person prone to more diseases. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as well as the American Heart Association have verified the importance of the number of calories consumed by a person in one day, which comes to around two thousand calories per day. These restrictions are made so as to prevent obesity and the resulting risk of cardiovascular diseases due to high content of cholesterol (Lichtenstein et al., 2006). The increasingly sedentary lifestyle, contributing to greater calorie consumption is primarily the reason why almost all the food packaging comes with labels of ‘Nutrition Facts’ behind them. These labels describe the total calorie count of the food or beverage product along with descriptions of nutrients in them (Stanfield &Hui, 2010). The figure below displays the result of increased calorie consumption. The figure above shows that none of the states show a prevalence of obesity that is below twenty percent. This crucial information depicts the rising levels of a sedentary lifestyle and increasing consumptions of calorie-rich foods. It is important to note here that the numbers of states which have the highest prevalence of obesity are located in the southern region of the United States of America. These were followed by the Midwestern states and Northeastern states. Around twenty three states show a prevalence of twenty five to thirty percent of obesity. It is the prevalent rate of obesity due to excess calorie consumption that leads to not only increasing risks of cardiovascular diseases but also certain other health problems. It is therefore true that with the usage of calories than daily requirement will lead a person to be prone to more diseases. Due to the increased

Cowboys & Indians Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Cowboys & Indians - Research Paper Example A closer evaluation and research on Native Americans would divulge that just like any other ethnic race, American Indians belong to different tribes and still exist in vast areas of the country. Further, the noted privileges were reported to have been products of treaties â€Å"that tribes signed with the federal government were provisions that the government would provide education and health care to the tribes in exchange for the millions of acres of tribal lands† (Fleming, 2006, p. 215). These misconceptions apparently became so prevalent because people have tendencies to oversimplify, to add personal interpretations to facts, or to apply some personal observations on limited individuals to the whole group, in general. As disclosed by Fleming (2006), â€Å"they can be a product of oversimplification, exaggeration, or generalization† (p. 216). When not immediately corrected or validated, these myths and stereotypes are spread throughout time like wildfire and become part of a culture’s misunderstood perceptions. Fleming, W. (2006, November). Myths and Stereotypes About Native Americans. Retrieved April 24, 2012, from jcu.edu:

Wings to Intellectual Cinema with a Mix of Excitement and Special Essay

Wings to Intellectual Cinema with a Mix of Excitement and Special Effects - Essay Example The text has an exquisite presentation of fiction and magic realism. This paper is aimed to review the short story, discuss its feasibility as a film, and explain the potential target audience. I feel that both the text and its cinematic adoption will have similar target audience. Review The text ‘A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings’ can be primarily classified under the category of magic realism. It is one of Marquez’s famous short stories written in 1955 that we find in the book Leaf Storm. The backdrop of the plot is set in a rural area. Pelayo and Elisenda is an impoverished couple who lived in a sorrowful state of extreme poverty. Their little son is badly sick. On a stormy afternoon one day, the couple finds a very old man who has huge wings attached to his body in their courtyard. When the couple tries to communicate with him, they find his language they do not understand. Pelayo locks the man in his chicken coop. From this point, the game of magic and reality begins. Magic being the arrival of the old man with wings, the reality is the manifestation of curiosity entrenched human minds. Hundreds of villagers now begin to visit the couple’s house to see the strange old man. Pelayo and Elisenda inform Father Gonzega about the man. Father Gonzega arrives and tries to communicate with the old man but fails. Marquez brings marvelous satire at this stage. Father Gonzega informs the Vatican about the old man, who in turn asks the priest to examine that whether the old man could be an angel or not. Father Gonzega acts accordingly and examines him. He finds that the old man does not know Latin, or Aramaic, is very frail, and has too many mortal features to be an angel. Father’s feedback to the Vatican leaves the Catholic Church a strange conclusion †¦ The old man is a Norwegian sailor! This satire shows that how unquestionable faith may create so much confusion that not even the bas ic elements of anomaly or wonder are distinguished. The intellectual content of the story increases along with its innovative unusualness when a young woman with human head and a body of a spider is introduced in the village. She says she had disobeyed her parents and hence she was punished by the means of such a strange transformation. In the meanwhile, Pelayo and Elisenda have become rich as they have been charging a fee from the visitors who come to see the old man in large numbers. However, with the appearance of the strange woman, visitors shift their attention to her. This is how the short lived excitement and inconsistency of human askance from one topic to another is exhibited. At the end of the story, the old man simply flies away. He had brought much fortune to the impoverished couple, but he faced unnecessary cruelty, and ultimately, negligence. Interpretation The overall message is mixed. There is religious satire that involves the Catholic Church and the power mechanism s of this institution. There are the inconsistencies of human mind and perceptions. There is a subplot of an interesting woman, who has the body of a spider. There is emotional tug of war at the end. So, the story has lots of intellectual substance. The tone is fluctuating from humor to fiction and satire to emotion. Marquez has not given any clear indication that for whom has he written this story. However, it appears to be appealing to a varied spectrum of audience. The characteristics of the story suggest that it is thought provoking, exciting, and sometimes, rather comic. Despite these qualities, it seems that too many ideas sometimes infest the plot and the developments in the text with absurdity. It is not good to

Invisible racial discrimination in the UK hotel industry Essay

Invisible racial discrimination in the UK hotel industry - Essay Example Among many other calamities, this has resulted in increasingly strict immigration conditions. Although some initiatives have been taken to upgrade the relations with the minorities, the racial discrimination inherent in the social mindset and practices persists. â€Å"The U.K. has one of the highest levels of racially-motivated violence and harassment in Western Europe, and the  problem is getting worse.† (Human Rights, 1997 cited in Shah, 2010). This paper discusses the experience of ethnic minority workers in the hotel and catering industry. Research provides evidence of racism faced by the ethnic minority in Britain in various walks of life in general and the hotel and catering industry in particular. The hotel and restaurant industry is known for its harsh working environment, specifically for the employees who are from ethnic minorities or migrant community, in terms of oral contracts, minimal training, long working hours, late-night working, unpaid overtime, unpaid official leave, delayed salary payments, discriminated recruitment, biased promotions, job insecurity, bullying, insult and abuse. Racism, as practiced in the British society, can take both visible and invisible forms. â€Å"Indirect discrimination is where there is a requirement, condition, provision, criterion or practice which has an adverse impact on  one group disproportionately.   However, such discrimination is not unlawful if it can be justified by the employer.† (PJH Law, 2009). Indirect discrimination can be regarded as invisible racism. It occurs as a result of regulations or practices which have a detrimental effect on people from a certain race. One example of invisible racism is the condition by a hotel HR department to hire only those employees residing within a one-mile radius with the hotel in the center, knowing that the majority of ethnic minority resides outside the defined limits, indirectly avoiding applications from the ethnic

The United States Beer Industry Essay Example for Free

The United States Beer Industry Essay 1.The U.S. brewing industry has become more concentrated over the last two decades for several reasons. a.The consumption of beer has been slowly declining, in order for companies to gain market share, they have to take customers from other companies. This would then lead to some companies to go out of business due to the lack of customers. b.Brand loyalty also increased. Advertisement played a large role. Larger companies were able to spent $0.40 per case of beer sold. Smaller mass-market brewers could not afford to spend near that amount. c.Technological change in canning and distribution lead to the concentration of the brewing industry, as well. The size that a mass-market brewer has to accomplish to acquire all economies of scale has grown. They must produce more beer and achieve more market shares. Not all companies reach minimum efficient scales of production. 2. The competitive structure of the brewing industry using Porter’s five forces model. a.Risk of entry by potential competitors. New micro brewing companies have low barriers of entry. New micro brewing companies do not rely heavily on brand loyalty or economies of scale. Mass market brewers our faced with higher barriers to entry because of brand loyalty of customers and absolute cost advantages. b.Intensity of rivalry of previously established companies new customers are always entering the market as they become legal age and the willingness to consume beer, so mass market brewers try to appeal to them to get their business, minimizing the competition to take other companies competitors. Demand has also been growing, making them less competitive. c. Bargaining power of buyers (buyers may be the individual customers who consume it product) this is low for mass market brewers because there is a large number of buyers available for High microbrewers. d.Bargaining power of suppliers (the organizations that provide input into the industry, such as materials, services and labor) the brewing industry has medium to low bargaining power of suppliers. e.Threat of substitutes is a threat because there are other alcoholic beverages that can be a direct substitute for beer, such as spirits and wine. 3.Small mass market companies in the brewing industry are looking for high barriers of entry, strong bargaining power from suppliers and strong bargaining power from buyers. To reach economies of scale, they would need a lot of money in production volume, causing a high barrier of entry. Suppliers can charge the new companies higher prices because they are also selling to other mass market companies and do not need or depend on the new companies for orders. Buyers are strong and can drive down prices because they do not need to sell the new firms product. There are other mass market beers that already have strong brand loyalty that their customers are purchasing. 4.There are two different strategic groups in the brewing industry: mass market brewers (Anheuser-Busch, SAB-Miller, and Molson Coors) and premium micro brewers. The rivalry is different in both groups. Mass market brewers are more competitive, and focus on getting as much of the market as possible by brewing a beer liked by many. Microbrewers products are focus towards smaller customer by who like distinctive tasting beers.

Gastrointestinal Involvement: Human Monocytic Ehrlichiosis

Gastrointestinal Involvement: Human Monocytic Ehrlichiosis