To what extent are the problems created by rapid recent urban growth in LEDC’s similar to those created by rapid 19th century growth in MEDC’s?

A number of problems in Mexico City have been created by rapid urban growth, some of which are similar to those experienced by the UK in the 19th century, the period of the industrial revolution. Mexico is situated between Belize and the USA; the capital is in the centre of the country and growth is constricted towards the south and west due to high rugged mountains. Mexico City is built on a series of old lakebeds almost 2400m above sea level; the majority of the lakes in the valley were drained by the late 18th century. Although the lakes were drained there is still a store of water underground, this means that the city is sinking by 5-40cm per year. Due to the city being built on relatively unstable grounds, the lake sediments amplify earthquakes experienced in the area. In September 1985 an earthquake caused a death toll of 10,000. With an elevated mountain rimmed basin, Mexico City is prone to temperature inversions where pollutants, particularly from burning fossil fuels are trapped and cannot disperse, this creates a layer of smog over the city. This was a very common occurrence in UK cities of the industrial revolution, for example Manchester. The industrial revolution started in the late 1700's when Richard Arkwright introduced the first mechanical textile machines into factories. Factories were extremely polluting as the machines were run on coal burning fires but at the time this was not seen as a concern as it was a very profitable business making factory owners very wealthy just as landowners were in the rural areas of the UK. Growth of the cities followed the introduction of the factories; mechanisation of farming had caused large unemployment in rural areas. Factories needed a workforce and labourers were paid better in this industry than farming. Later came the introduction of the iron industry creating more work but also more pollution for the cities. Mexico City is in a similar stage as this period of the industrial revolution; over 40,000 factories in the city provide jobs to the population whilst creating this environmental concern in the process. However if Mexico wants to become a stable country, which is sustainable, then it needs to go through this process. Unfortunately now that we no of the problems that pollutants cause it is difficult to watch Mexico do this to the environment. Factors explaining growth of a city can be divided into five main reasons. Firstly economic influence, areas of a city will expand if attractions are in a central location and accessible for services, businesses and shops. The high demand for space in central areas pushes up property and land prices. As businesses increase in size and number the area covered by the CBD will expand, therefore causing residential areas to increase in size, as the workforce of these companies will live nearby. Often people cannot afford to spend a lot of money on travel expenses and therefore will live close to where they work to reduce their costs. This means that you get a high concentration of people living in a specific area. Proximity to certain urban areas can affect where people live. For example, if a polluting factory is opened, it may deter people from living in that area and inadvertently cause an increase in the number of people living somewhere else. Making the problems being experienced here to perhaps become more severe. Secondly, political control, restrictions may be in place to allow growth in some areas but not others, for example a green belt system. The purpose of a green belt is to stop building in that area. Private companies owning land can determine who they sell land to and who they refuse. Redlining areas can be instructed by political bodies to enforce that people do not live in specific areas. Redlining an area can simply be done by not allowing someone to borrow money to buy a house in that area. Thirdly, socio-economic segregation, people often live in areas of similar ethnic groups, life style and family types. For example in Mexico City there are specific areas where the elite live and other areas where the poor live. The elite tend to be found in areas of wealthy suburbanites in the south west of the city where there is the least pollution, furthest from industries with the best commercial services, transport networks and medical and healthcare options. Where as the poorer population live in the northeast close to the industrial areas and CBD where there is the worst pollution and 40-66% live in informal settlements. Fourthly, migration, there are a range of strong push and pull factors to Mexico City from rural areas in Mexico. Approximately 3000 people migrate to Mexico City each day from surrounding states, for example Hidalgo. The push and pull factors can be divided up into economic, political, social and environmental. A political pull factor is that education is more available in the city and older children often can attend whilst younger ones work with parents in the informal sector. Political push factors are that there is a lack of basic services in rural areas, 80% without running water and poor communications and that there has been very little investment in projects benefiting subsistence farmers. An example of an economic pull factor is that relatives already living in the city provide networks of information on employment and accommodation, 44% of migrants rely on help such as this to get them started. Some examples of economic push factors include, unemployment in rural areas, large landowners dominate the land and give few benefits to farmers, and rural farmers have variable yields and cannot afford pesticides. Examples of social pull factors include, lower mortality rates in the city due to more services such as healthcare, glamorised perception of urban life, women are more able to migrate due to greater independence, more opportunities in the city. Social push factors are dominated by the rapid rate of natural increase, which causes stress on the food supplies. There are no environmental pull factors; it is well known that Mexico City has one of the worst pollution records in the world however some rural areas are so dire that it is the only solution. For example 80% of soils are poor and subject to soil erosion and desertification. Finally, natural increase, there is a reduction is the number of people dying and an increase in the number of births, approximately 30/1000 crude birth rate to 10/1000 crude death rate. With the city growing exponentially, being ten times larger than it was in 1940 there are a range of problems that are difficult to avoid in an LEDC. There is no public transport in Mexico City meaning there is 3.5 million privately owned vehicles on the road, this creates congestion throughout the road networks and high levels of carbon monoxide and sulphur dioxide are released. With the addition of 40,000 factories producing 12,000 tonnes of gases per day, the mixture of pollutants and cool air from the surrounding mountains causes a temperature inversion creating a thick layer of smog over the city that is extremely bad for your health; there is a high incidence of respiratory problems. Similar problems were seen in Manchester in the early 19th century where factory chimneys and domestic coal fires created a permanent blanket of smoke and acid rain creating numerous diseases including bronchitis, influenza, asthma and pneumonia. It has been said that breathing the air in Mexico City is the equivalent of smoking sixty cigarettes a day. In 1994 the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared that the quality of the air in Mexico City was only acceptable on twenty days of the year. Due to the city being built on dried lakebeds where huge amounts of waste matter has been dumped over the years on open sites there are new problems of winds uplifting dust and spreading it over the south east and north east adding to the smog situation. As 99% of lakes in Mexico have been drained it means that water has to be pumped from 150km to supply Mexico City with its requirements, 66,000 litres are consumed per second. In the early 19th century Manchester experienced an extremely rapid increase in population size, while London's population doubled, Manchester's trebled. In 1811 Manchester had a population of 89,068 by 1851 the population had risen to 303,382 people. This created an extreme problem with availability of housing and quality of living standards. Population density was extremely high and many people shared poorly constructed houses with very little sanitation and no water supply. This can be seen in Mexico City today, here the population density has risen to 5487 persons per km2 due to the mass numbers migrating to the city on a daily basis and therefore there is not adequate housing available. This means that shanty towns have developed where people live in shacks constructed from corrugated iron and wood. Where people are living in proper houses it often overcrowded, this is 44% of houses in Mexico City. With a large population comes a large waste disposal crisis; in Mexico City approximately 90% of hazardous waste is release into the sewage systems, which are contaminating the water supply. This has further affect on the population when the water is used on the growing crops. A result of the contamination is that fruit and vegetables contain a high level of lead. Many babies born suffer some problem caused by lead poisoning.

Analysis of Tetrahydrocannabinol

THC is a substance that has been around in civilizations around the world for many, many years. The discovery of THC occurred after discovering that morphine attached to receptors in the brain which caused an individual to feel high, chemists in the 40’s and 50’s found that there were specific receptors for THC in the brain and how there is a natural chemical in our body that is similar to THC. It wasn’t until 1963 that two scientists named Mechoulam and Yehiel Gaoni isolated, and first synthesized THC. In the world’s history, THC has had a long journey. The first discoveries of it being used were in hemp ropes, and burial clothes made by the Chinese in 10,000 BC. In the middle Ages, Cannabis was grown abundantly throughout Cairo and was never successfully banned due to its use being reinforced by the Koran. When France invaded Napoleon attempted to further the ban on the drug, but people started to spread the word of the wonderful effects it can bring. In the 1900’s the drug was outlawed because a man named Harry J. Anslinger had a personal problem with the drug and in 1937 it was finally banned for good by the Federal Bureau of Narcotics. (The Role of Chemistry in History, History of THC) THC (Merck index number of 9283) is naturally found in a liquid state which is commonly unknown because when it is in the crystal on the plant that is because it is mixed in with other cannabinoids and varieties of terpenes. (Chemical Ecology of Cannabis, David W. Pate) Due to the IUPAC name of THC, tetrahydro-6,6,9-trimethyl-3-pentyl-6-dibenzo[?,d]pyran-1-ol, and the structural formula of THC. I believe that THC is actually in the alcohol family of Organic chemistry with the Molecular formula of C21H30O2. The lethal dosage of THC has only been tested in labs with rats, but it can be calculated to reveal how much THC would need to be smoked to be considered a lethal dosage to human beings. The LD50 in male rats is 1270 mg/kg, and 730 mg/kg in female rats when taken orally in sesame oil, and 42 mg/kg among both genders when inhaled. Cannabis Chemistry, Erowid) These statistics, when applied to humans, means that for a human being to overdose on THC, they would have to smoke 15,000 lbs of marijuana in under 14 minutes. Due to the low level of risk from THC, it is used mainly in the world of medicine to help with many types of problems that can commonly be brought by Cancer, and AIDS. One medical issue that THC is used to help with is arthritis, which has mainly become popular in Britain. The larger area of medicine that THC is actually prescribed for is Complications that come with chemotherapy and AIDS Wasting Syndrome. In both cases, it is used to reduce pain, and damper the suffering in an individual. But, it is also used to counteract the appetite loss, and nausea that comes with chemotherapy. AIDS Wasting Syndrome is where an AIDS patient begins to give up hope, and loses their appetite. Which is where, once again, THC comes into play reconnecting that relationship with food. There are many other uses for medical marijuana such as Glaucoma, Multiple Sclerosis, Depression, Movement Disorders, Parkinson’s disease, dystonia, chronic pain, diabetes, Addiction, asthma, brain injury/stroke, crohn’s disease, ulcerative depression, mental illness, epilepsy, fibromyalgia, high blood pressure/hypertension, migraine, Nail Patella Syndrome, Schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s Disease, and Tourette’s syndrome, but not enough research have been done on these topics to be able to argue the beneficial use of THC as a cure. Some common reactions that a human can have to THC in marijuana from either smoking too much, or being allergic can include depression, anxiety, fatigue, short-term memory loss, dizziness, nausea, tempered coordination, palpitations are experienced as generalized discomfort, and ill-being. Also, acute anxiety or panic attacks from a feeling of loss of self, or loosing of one’s mind. (Acute Effects of Marijuana, NCMDA) Many studies were done that tried to look at the link between juvenile crimes, and the users of marijuana. A few societal issues that were found to be most commonly linked include Truancy, low self-esteem, delinquent behavior (Stealing, vandalism, fare dodging), having delinquent friends, hanging out on streets in boredom, and other behavioral/mental health issues(those in special education programs/schools tend to use more) (The global youth network, Drug trends) Some short term psychological effects of THC can include distorted sense of time, paranoia, magical or â€Å"random† thinking, short-term memory loss, anxiety, and depression. It also blocks certain receptors in your brain that can cause your brain to be unsure whether it can achieve certain tasks or not which can lead to the paranoia, and uncertainty in someone under the influence of THC. (WedMD) When you grow a Cannabis plant, THC seems to be more abundant in that plant when grown in a drier climate. In 1975 two scientists, Latta and Eaton, ran a study that showed when a Cannabis plant is put under more stress in the growing conditions, such as the lack of soil moisture available and competition with neighboring plants, increased the production of delta-9-THC. (Chemical Ecology of Cannabis, David W. Pate) After conducting many hours of research on this topic, I believe that THC is actually a better substance for you than many others out there. It has never caused a single death, and is greatly beneficial to medical treatments of the chronically ill.

What You learned in this class Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

What You learned in this class - Assignment Example The grammar and referencing skills learnt in class remain fundamental in transforming my writing skills. The class was significant in enhancing my knowledge in MLA referencing and formatting style. MLA style gives the general guidelines for formatting academic papers and using English language in writing. MLA style enable writers to learn a system for referencing sources through thorough citation in their papers and inclusion of work cited pages. It was encouraging to learn the effective MLA formatting skills including the need for a cover page and inclusion of page numbers. In addition, formatting MLA papers entails good referencing of all information sources used. The use of MLA protects writers from accusation of plagiarism and demonstrates their liability to the source of material. Graduate students should use MLA style to reference their assignments. Understanding basic grammar mistakes, identification, and correcting them is essential in writing a good academic paper. A good academic paper remains void of grammar errors including spelling, punctuation, and use of tense. In addition, correct and good grammar is imperative in avoiding common mistakes and presenting understandable information. Fluency of an academic paper is indispensable in effective presentation of information to the reader. Besides, proper punctuation with appropriate use of commas and full stops is essential in excellent academic writing. Learning the aforementioned techniques of avoiding mistakes and writing appealing academic paper devoid of grammar mistakes was an imperious milestone in my career. Essentially, the class greatly perfected my writing skills. Business letter is a portrait of a company, thus it has to look distinctive and present the high-quality nature of the business. Business letters have a standard format and template. The most commonly used format is the block style with text in single space and double space between paragraphs. In

Marketing and Communication Plan for Hilton Hotel Case Study

Marketing and Communication Plan for Hilton Hotel - Case Study Example Maintaining relationship with customers is highly impossible for a firm unless it has an efficient marketing system. The marketing system should be planned and executed in such a manner that existing customers are retained and new customers are created. In this context, Hilton Hotel has approached us to prepare a report on the present marketing system and finds the possibilities of developing a new marketing and communication plan for the firm. After an analysis of the present system of marketing, promotional activities, advertisement, marketing plan and communication system, a detailed report is prepared and presented as indicated by the client. The report contains the proposed plans of promotion, advertising and communication of marketing information which are to be implemented to realize the cherished goal. Increased competition has urged all business organizations to focus their attention to existing operations with utmost care so as to ensure survival and existence in the globalised market. All entities are facing stiff competition that pave the way for restructuring their strategies and finding new markets and customers. The well known fact 'customers are the king' will never get diluted as the very existence of business organization depends solely on customers and their satisfaction. Customer satisfaction is the blend of series of successful marketing efforts by an organization. The marketing efforts include a complex mix of many activities such as promotion, advertisement, marketing planning and communication and so on. To achieve the goal of marketing,-customer satisfaction- business has to endlessly put efforts to develop new and improved marketing strategies and implement the same to reach customers and effect sales. The Present Marketing System Hilton Hotel, started its journey back in 1919, has become one of the favorite brand of business and leisure travelers worldwide. The hotel group has grown to a network of more than 500 hotels and resorts in almost all major cities across the world. The hotel group has achieved many mile stones in its journey to become the perfect companion of travelers all over the world. It is evident from their growth that the marketing strategies of the hotels have been successful since its inception. They have been trying to adapt to the changing business environment and to flourish in a competitive market. Target market and segmentation Hilton Hotel group mainly focus on business and leisure travelers who are from different parts of the world. The target market has been segmented on the basis of customer class and type of journey. Business executives usually prefer economy class who budget their travel and accommodation well before tour is fixed. But, leisure travelers prefer luxury and executive class where they need high class service irrespective of the price. Product Life Cycle and Marketing Communication The hotel has already achieved its growth stage as it has been in existence for many years. In fact, when its product life cycle stage is considered as a whole, the hotel is in its saturation stage where it faces stiff competition from similar hotels. Marketing communication at this stage is very important. When there are many hotels to meet limited demand in the market, it is likely that customers may not know about the new products

Price Elasticity Of Demand Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Price Elasticity Of Demand - Term Paper Example There are two main reasons why we use percentages instead of absolute amounts. They are;  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ If absolute changes are used, the choice of units will be arbitrary affect the impression of the consumers’ responsiveness. (Lipsey R.G and Christal K.A2007pp66) For example, if the price of cereals changes from $10 to $9 and the quantity demanded changed from 60 to 100 packets. The coefficient of price elasticity of demand will be 40. It will be seen that consumers are very sensitive to price change and the demand will be elastic.   But if the monetary units are changed from dollars to pennies we see that change of 100 pennies causes a change of 40 packets of cereals.   This will falsely make people believe that demand is inelastic. To eliminate this problem percentage changes are used. (Lipsey R.G and Christal K.A2007pp66)  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ By using percentage, consumers’ responsiveness to price changes of different products can be easily compared. For example, if two prod ucts are taken i.e. cereals and computers. It is easier to compare the effects on quantity demanded of $1 increase in the price of a $300 computer and $1 dollar increase in the price of $1 soft drink.  Various interpretations of price elasticity of demand coefficient  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ When Ed>1, the demand is said to be elastic. This occurs when a specific change in price results in a larger percentage change in quantity demanded.(Mankiw N.G,1998p93) Graphically it can be illustrated as follows;

2. How useful are psychological motivation theories in explaining Essay

2. How useful are psychological motivation theories in explaining behaviour in organizations - Essay Example For an effective employee, management and leadership in the workplace, there is need for understanding human nature. This is what motivational theories help the management do. These theories fall under four categories i.e. need-based theories, job based theories, cognitive process theories and the behavioural approach. These theories together provide significant insight about human behaviour thus helping managers to comprehend and motivate workers thereby improving productivity. These theories attempt to explain work motivation in terms of the extent to which employees fulfil their needs in the workplace. One important theory that falls under this category is the Maslow hierarchy of needs. Maslow’s studies about human motivation led him to establish a theory of need based on the hierarchical chain with basic needs at the bottom and higher needs at the top (Dye, Mills & Weatherbee, 2005). His emphasis was that most people are motivated by the desire to satisfy a specific group of needs. These needs are: Physiological needs which include food, shelter, clothing, sleep, sex etc. Safety or security needs which comprise of the needed for a stable environment free from threats and social needs with regard to one’s relationship with others and status within a group. Self esteem needs which comprise of the need for self respect, self esteem and the esteem of others. Self actualisation needs which simply refer to the need for fulfilment. An organisatio n can meet some of these needs through simple exercises like giving employees adequate breaks for meals, adequate salaries to cater for their families, encouraging team work to achieve their social needs and giving them challenging assignments to allow them to be creative at their work. Maslow believed that human beings tend to satisfy their needs systematically starting with the basic psychological needs and then moving up the hierarchy. A person’s behaviour will be

Economic Considerations Should be the Basis of Tort Law Essay

Economic Considerations Should be the Basis of Tort Law - Essay Example Intentional torts on the other hand refer to harm or injury caused to a person or persons by the intentional misconduct of another or others. Theft, assault, arson and fraud are good examples of causes of intentional torts. Liability torts tend to focus on the damages resulting from a person's act rather than the intention. This means that if an action causes harm, the performer of the same is liable regardless of whether they exercised the expected degree of care or not or whether the action was maliciously done or was a result of an accident. The economic framework states that each society has laws, institutions, policies which lead to inequitable distributions of economic resources and burdens among members of any given society. These economic frameworks because human political processes which eventually lead to change, both across and within societies with time. Structurally these frameworks are beneficial as the economic distributions arising from them usually affect human live. The tort law has over time evolved in many jurisdictions to consider the legal and economical implications since these are the two most important aspects of the tort laws.One theory that has developed is the deterrence theory. This theory is most applicable in accident prevention. Essential the theory aims at reducing the occurrence of accidents by making those responsible for the accident bear heavy financial cost for their unsafe conduct. General and specific deterrence are handled quite differently in tort law. The tort law admonitory effect largely dictates on how specific deterrence goes. Insurance services, however, cushion the defendant from feeling the adverse effects of this approach to tort law. In traffic accidents for instance, the motorist who causes the accident hardly feels a pinch from the monetary damages they are required to pay as the same is catered for by insurance services. The deterrence is completely lost. Deterrence theory has been said to change the primar y focus of the tort law. The crafter of the tort law intended to reduce injury through deterring behavior likely to cause harm. a careful and critical analysis of the tort law however proves that the approach of deterring through burdening those who cause harm financially may not have the desired effect due to several factors. The approach assumes that in the normal conditions, people tend hold maximization of wealth as their primary goal. This may not be strictly true in all societies. The theory further makes the assumption that there exists a large psychological relationship between safer conduct and tort law as people will tend to behave more safely to avoid being subjected to tort fines. This assumption tends to suggest that people behave rationally and are guided by projected consequences of their actions. This is not the case on the ground. Studies have shown that a driver is more likely to commit an accident if they have been fined for an earlier accident. Human nature has b een described by many classical philosophers as being rebellious. Once a driver has caused an accident and has gotten away with just a fine, they do not improve their driving since their minds are unconsciously programmed that all they will have to do is to pay a fine if they cause an accident.2 The most fundamental question that ought to be asked when analyzing the deterrence theory is: Does tort law really deter? Economic analysis largely dominates legal discussion on tort law. This is in order because the economic aspect of the same cannot be

A company Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

A company - Assignment Example A closer analysis of the advert would make you come to the realization that this company is open for any ideas that can make it achieve its objective. Any employee who can offer that has a greater future in the company. 3. To make the advertisement more appealing, I would advise the Field Vine presenter r to opt for a better and more conspicuous logo which tends to catch people’s attention more easily (Tellis, 2004). The general citation of the name as the logo is rather too plain. 4. The general presentation format can be improved by use of coloured and more conspicuous writings in order to appear more attractive. In addition, the arrangement of the adverts would have been done in line with a given pattern to appear more spectacular. 5. Effective advertisement is all about attracting the potential clients’ attention and keeping them glued the moment they give the slightest attention to it (Tellis, 2004). Attraction is best achieved by use of colourful and creative advertisement outline and general appearance. To have the targeted audience stick to the advertisement and possibly make some purchase, an ad needs to be more accurate, informative and elaborative in its description. If this is put into consideration in the above sets of adverts, significant changes are bound to be

Critique of Two Articles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Critique of Two Articles - Essay Example Studies were cited that reported that immigrants who fail to learn either the English or French language will be three times more likely to report ill health after four years. Among the reason cited were 1)impairing accesss to health services 2) creating economic difficulties and 3) reducing social participation. Despite of its title, the article second titled Chinese language signs is un-Canadian actually pushes forth for the tolerance of the Chinese language in the Canadian society. It argues that language is not the glue that binds the Canadian society but rather, the principles of federalism, democracy, the rule of law and respect for minority. It also persuasively argued that Canada prides itself as a cultural mosaic in the same manner America prides itself as a cultural melting pot. The first article Benefit from a common language: campaign to lmit the proliferation of Chinese signage over English deserves public support makes it argument in emphaiszing the English-language sig n on two points that can easily be pigeon holed because the validity of its argument is a suspect and reminiscent of old persuasions about language which were already considered to be false. First, the argument that English-language signs will reduce the segration effects between the Chinese immigrants and other organs of Canadian society is really a narrow minded persuasion and preposterous because it only limits social and national unity to the proficiency of a certain language. Implementing an English only langauge sign will in fact, discriminate more on the minority that will breed resentment and segregation because it is an act of stripping a particular group of their freedom to express themselves which is one of the enshrined principles of the Canadian Constitution. The intention of reducing segregation between Chinese community and Canadian mainstream society, while good and noble, will in fact be easily defeated by the resentment that a bigoted policy will produce. That inst ead of enabling unity, will in fact create a social volcano of resentment among the minorities. Second, the study that was used to advance the argument and position that changing the signages to English and the mandated increase of the usage of the English language will have a health benefit needs scrutiny. Moreso when it threatened that failure to learn the English language will increase the likelihood of getting sick three times in four years. This method, to a certain extent, is reminiscent of autocratic regimes where governments resort to black mail and intimidation to have its way. It is very un-Canadian and makes the position of mandating English only signage weak when it resorted to a dubious study that threatens. True, being proficient in the English language has economic benefits but it does not mean that it had to be imposed by removing Chinese signages. Because even if it will imposed and those Chinese characters removed, it will still not hasten the learning of the langu age because the participants are unwilling and it takes time to assimilate. Instead of being threatened by those Chinese characters, Canada as a society should pride with the richness and diversity of its cultural society. The other article titled Chinese language signs is un-Canadian also made a reasonable assertion that language is not what would

Shia Islam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Shia Islam - Essay Example At the same time, Islam asserts that while in the Gospels and in Torah there originally were correct messages, with time they were misinterpreted and wrongly edited by people. Thus, Koran corrects all those wrongs. Speaking about the other essential characteristics of Islam Sharia should be mentioned, which is the Arabic term for Islamic law interpreted by Islamic scholars, and it is also called the law of Allah. One of the main features of law in Islam is that there is no separation between religious and secular aspects of life. Indeed, Sharia regulates not only religious practices, but as well different aspects of life, like business, economics, general matters of political governance and international relations, social matters, and daily goings-on of people. Again, the Quran is the main source of law in Islam. The second such source is the sunnah, which is the compilation of words and deeds of Mohammed and the early community of Muslims. As the third source of law serves consensus of the Muslim community called Ijma, and the fourth source is the principle of reasoning by analogy, also termed Qiyas. Islamic laws that are explicitly formulated in the Quran are known as hudud laws. Among other things, they ban homicide, non-marital sex, consumption of alcohol, and engagement in gambling. The Quran also spells out laws of marriage, principles of inheritance and compensation for inflicted harm, and of course rules of immediate religious application like prayer, fasting, and charity. At the same time, it should be noted that the mentioned regulations often leave quite a lot of room for interpretation, so their practical realizations may differ. To help with practical utilization of postulates of Islamic law, Muslim scholars, also named the ulema, explicate systems of Muslim law that stem from these general rules, and to exemplify them often refer to the ways in which Mohammed and other religious authorities interpreted the principles of Islamic law. Taking into consideration the fact that today not all Muslims can read the original Arabic Quran, the need in such interpreters is increased (Schimmel 1992). On the basis of what we have discussed, we can see that Islamic law is absolute, because it covers almost every aspect of life of a Muslim, and requires a strict observance of its regulations and instructions. While what we have generally outlined is the common religious ground for all the Muslims, there are still different denominations within the Islamic religion. The largest Islamic denomination is the group professing what is known as the Sunni Islam. In fact, approximately 85% of all the Muslims in the world are of the Sunni denomination, and are called Sunnis. At the same time, a significant portion of followers of Islam, known as Shiites, belong to the denomination of Shia Islam. Actually, around 15% of the wolrds Muslims are of this denomination, and in some countries they constitute the Muslim majority, such as for instance in Iran with its 90% of Shia population and in Yemen, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, and Iraq, where Shiites form a less prominent majority (Esposito 1998, ch.5). Let us concentrate on the exploration of the differences between Shia and Sunni denominations, including the initial divide between them, with the aim to obtain a better understanding of the less numerous Shia group. In order to comprehend the roots

American Airlines Strategy Paper Essay Example for Free

American Airlines Strategy Paper Essay Currently the airline industry as a whole seems to be on the road of recovery. We, American Airlines, the fourth largest carrier recently avoided bankruptcy, but had a summer full of pressure due to ongoing union struggles and questionable executive compensation packages. After having incurred such big losses, this recovery has come about because of the government bailout and many of our large competitors’ abilities to survive the turbulence in the industry. So far, the prospects look promising. Revenue has improved across all regions of the business. Domestic unit revenue was up almost 10 percent and Latin American revenue has increased by close to 11 percent in the last quarter of 2012 compared to the same period the prior year. We are performing better than other airlines that have filed for protection and have done so without slashing capacity. In short, American is doing the right things to return to business efficiency and customer effectiveness. In order to establish a sustainable position for the future, American Airlines must adopt a three-pronged strategy moving forward. First, we should focus on low priced operations and increased marketing strategies to improve customer demand. We have to enhance customer experience and our volume of loyal customers to build a stronger presence in Airline Industry. Second, we must focus on increasing and improving the routes to cater to large customer base. Lastly, we must address the difficulties our company might face in integrating with the culture of US Airlines. Our future success is highly dependent on these two entities efficiently operating as a single organization. Industry Analysis Current Position US Airline industry today is dominated by five major domestic carriers. United, Delta and Southwest each has more than 15 percent market share. American is fourth, with around 12 percent and US Airways is fifth with around 10 percent. Four of these five are profitable — all but American. We lost $2 billion in 2011 and $1.7 billion in the first quarter of 2012. Future Strategy Our emphasis in 2013 is on operational flexibility, international growth through alliance and selective network expansion, and domestic partnerships to reduce operational and balance sheet risks. Americans market differentiation is based on emphasizing and meeting the needs and expectations of high value customers (particularly large global corporates) and better alignment with the one world airline network and value proposition. Also, being the lead carrier between not only the United States and Latin America but, increasingly, the world and Latin America—connecting through Dallas, Los Angeles, or Miami. This strategy makes sense; if they can get all labor work groups on board, they should be able to make it happen. That is still the main challenge, as is competitor contestation, particularly from larger traditional rivals like Delta and United. Improve Customer Demand Lower Operational Costs American passenger division which already has 57 fewer planes in service than an year ago, should further shrink by another 57 planes this summer. This would improve operational efficiency. Current service levels include 275 cities with a fleet of over 1000 aircraft. American carries about 80 million passengers daily and receives more than 329,000 reservation calls, handles more than 293,000 pieces of luggage and flies more than 4300 flights in one typical day. In order to reduce costs further over 27000 jobs will have to be eliminated. Because of high competition in the industry, substantial price fluctuations occur related to fares. Enhance Customer Base Increase value added services offered through our interactive website, AA.com. Any differentiation that convenience added capabilities offer is the center of focus. Busy hiub systems and schedule patterns need to be looked at to improve efficiency and routing effectiveness, thereby enhancing customer experience. We need to do rigorous marketing to attract more customers. Our marketing is currently focused on seasonal and business travelers and much analysis is taken in order to optimize peak travel seasons as well as frequent flier miles programs and pints systems. The Making More Room in coach program is the original marketing ploy of American to project a perception of higher passenger comfort levels. As increased advertising and intense market share is gained, we will continue to remain a key player assuming passenger demand goes up as projected. We will focus on upgraded in-flight entertainment systems, football game special fares, and buy-on board meal options to further enhance customer experience. Improve Network American Airlines new network strategy is designed to improve profitability by offering the routes and schedules that attract and retain not only their own high value customers but also those of alliance partners, an important source of revenue through codeshare agreements and closely aligned loyalty programs. The network is the core product that works in concert with lie-flat seats, onboard amenities, and customer service. Latin America is a prominent focus, due in part to our strong presence in key hubs to Latin America such as Dallas and Miami. This is where the profits are. Passenger growth forecasts for Latin America for 2013-17 are 6 percent for Latin America North (Central America and the northern rim of South America) and 8 percent for Latin America South (southern cone countries such as Brazil and Argentina). This compares with 3.6 percent for Europe and 4.4 percent for Asia. Increase International Routes To follow the growth markets, we must change our portfolio mix to focus more on international rather than domestic routes. This is a gradual process, moving from 38 percent international and 62 percent domestic capacity in 2013 towards a 44/56 percent balance by 2017. As we refocus more of our flying towards international opportunities, it is likely to look towards increased code-sharing with domestic carriers like Alaska Airlines, jetBlue, and others to further enhance our network in places like Los Angeles and New York City. This is likely to have initial teething problems, due to terminal colocation and product disparity issues. For instance, the business passengers that we are pursuing may be disgruntled by jetBlues more restrictive carry-on baggage policies or by extra time and added security checks if they are required to change terminals. Refurbish domestic feed Our plan is also to diversify our domestic feed by increasing the number of regional carriers with which we do business to reduce operational and balance sheet risk. Today, we primarily get a feed from our wholly-owned subsidiary, American Eagle, which has higher costs than some other regional carriers. American Eagle is going through its own restructuring to lower its costs, and it may ultimately be spun off. Synergies with US Airlines Merger with US Airways will result in the largest carrier in US. It would create roughly $1.2 billion in financial benefits.

Marketing Philosophy Essay Example for Free

Marketing Philosophy Essay Efforts of reviewing and modelling marketing elements, concepts and philosophical attitudes were numerous and effective. But with new challenges causing hurdles in making marketing function more effective on macro- and micro- level of the economy, a revision of marketing philosophy is always at place. Elements of marketing philosophy Dibb and Simkin (2004)| Lancaster and Reynolds (2005)| Blythe (2005)| Drummond and Ensor (2005)| Morgan (1996)| 1. Production orientation 2. Financial orientation 3. Sales orientation 4. Marketing orientation 5. Customer orientation 6. Competitor orientation 7. Interfunctional Coordination| 1. Production orientation 2. Sales orientation 3. Marketing Orientation| 1. Production orientation 2. Product orientation 3. Sales orientation 4. Customer orientation 5. Societal marketing 6. Relationship Marketing| 1. Production orientation 2. Product orientation 3. Sales orientation 4. Financial orientation 5. Marketing Orientation| 1. Cost philosophy 2. Product philosophy 3. Production philosophy 4. Sales philosophy 5. Erratic philosophy 6. Marketing philosophy 7. Social marketing philosophy| As indicated in Table 1, authors tend to use various terms for the elements of marketing philosophy: a) ‘orientation’ (Dibb and Simkin, 2004; Lancaster and Reynolds, 2005; Blythe, 2005; Drummond and Ensor, 2005); b) ‘philosophy’ (Morgan, 1996); c) ‘concept’ (Kotler and Armstrong, 2008). Even the Lithuanian authors, who wrote the first university book on marketing, professors Pranulis, Pajuodis, Virvilaite and Urbonavicius (1999, 2000 and 2008) have used the Lithuanian counterpart word ‘orientation’. Following this broad tendency of the term ‘orientation’ usage, here, in this article, the choice of the ‘orientation’ term will be applied. The renowned American professors Kotler and Armstrong (2008, pp.9-12) indicated that their choice of marketing management orientations were as follows: * the production concept, * the product concept, * the selling concept, * the marketing concept. * the societal marketing concept. A similar opinion was expressed by a group of Lithuanian marketing professors, where they classified marketing orientations as follows (Pranulis et al., 1999, 2000): a) production orientation, b) product orientation, c) selling orientation, d) marketing orientation; e) socialethical marketing orientation. Because of the difficulty of incorporating all the various facets of marketing into a single definition, Lancaster and Reynolds (2005) distinguished features of the subject in the following statements (Lancaster and Reynolds, 2005, p.16): †¢ â€Å"Marketing is dynamic and operational, requiring action as well as planning. †¢ Marketing requires an improved form of business organisation, although this on its own is not enough. †¢ Marketing is an important functional area of management, often based in a single physical location. More importantly, it is an overall business philosophy that should be adopted by everybody in the entire organisation. †¢ The marketing concept states that the identification, satisfaction and retention of customers is the key to long-term survival and prosperity. †¢ Marketing involves planning and control. †¢ The principle of marketing states that all business decisions should be made with primary consideration of customer requirements. †¢ Marketing focuses attention from production towards the needs and wants of the market place. †¢ Marketing is concerned with obtaining value from the market by offering items of value to the market. It does this by producing goods and services that satisfy the genuine needs and wants of specifically defined target markets. †¢ The distinguishing feature of a marketing orientated organisation is the way in which it strives to provide customer satisfaction as a way of achieving its own business objectives.† The author of the article proposes the following perception on the classification of marketing orientations, which constitute the marketing philosophy essence: 1) the production orientation, 2) the product orientation, 3) the financial orientation, 4) the selling orientation, 5) the marketing orientation, 6) the market orientation (which extends to internal and external orientations), 7) the social-ethical marketing orientation, 8) the holistic marketing orientation (which extends to internal marketing orientation, integrated marketing orientation, social marketing orientation relationship marketing orientation). The holistic marketing concept was proposed by Kotler and Keller (2007) but it was not mentioned or wider discussed in the textbook of Principles of Marketing (Kotler and Armstrong, 2008), but introduced in their co-operative book on Marketing Management (2007). For this reason, it is viable to include this new orientation in the proposed model (Figure 3), as it integrated at least four other sub-orientations: a) internal marketing orientation, b) integrated marketing orientation, c) social marketing orientation and d) relationship marketing orientation. Internal marketing orientation will be directly dealing with a Marketing Department within an organisation. It will directly subordinate to the senior management level and other organisational department, emphasising the organisational culture and micro-climate, suitable for effective work and success factors in marketing performance. Integrated marketing orientation would focus towards integrated marketing communications, the cost-effective selection of marketing channels and integrated development of products and services within the scope, demand and challenges of the national and international markets. Social marketing orientation would be focusing on the concept of societal marketing proposed by Kotler and Armstrong (2008), where the basic societal marketing triangle is based on the well-being of the community, incorporating the corporate social responsibility of companies and non-profit organisations, legal issues and environmental protection issues, which altogether streamline the sustainable development of the economy and consumption patterns. Relationship marketing orientation would be concerned with fostering the customercompany relationship with consumers, offering value added products and services. This orientation will also foster the company-partner company (B2B) relationship, seeking trust and reliability in partner selection process and its maintenance for coming years. Therefore, marketing channels should be effectively developed to reduce costs and enhance profitability ratios for all three market participants: a) producers, b) distributors and sellers, c) consumers. The market orientation is proposed to be grouped as internal and external orientations. Though Narver and Slater (1990) proposed a model that identified the components of market orientation as: †¢ Customer orientation, which incorporates customers’ perceptions and understanding by customers’ creating value, offering cost-effective solutions to satisfy their needs. †¢ Competitor orientation emphasises one of the marketing’s functions, i.e., to seek competitive advantage in the market. Competitor analysis, performed in various techniques (e.g. PESTED analysis, Porter’s forces analysis, Boston matrix analysis, etc.), gives a company tools to objectively evaluate competitors’ capabilities and results on the market. †¢ Organizational culture if analysed on an individual basis could be either included into market orientation factor or in the holistic marketing orientation, depending how integrative the marketing philosophy is on an organisational level. Organisational culture should support customer service and customer relationship development throughemployee performance prism. †¢ Interfunctional coordination should focus on the interaction between internal functional areas of the organization which best serve customer need and satisfaction, which in other cases would correspond to the relationship marketing orientation (Kotler and Keller, 2007). †¢ Long-term focus would incorporate the consideration of how the above can be sustained, and financially viable, over the long term. In this paper the proposition by Drummond et al (2000) is closer to the author’s perception of market orientation, therefore the constituent parts of the market orientation are considered to be the balance between: a) External market orientation: customers, competitors and other external stakeholders. b) Internal market orientation: employees and other internal stakeholders. Marketing Orientation The term marketing is used extensively in modern life. If you stop someone in the street and ask them what it means, they will probably use words like advertising, market research and a modern word for selling. In fact, marketing is a lot more than just selling, advertising and research, although all of these functions are important aspects of marketing. The Chartered Lrstitute of Marketing in the UK defines marketing as follows: Marketing is the management process which identifies, anticipates, and supplies customer requirements efficiently and profitably. So what is marketing orientation? In the next sections we shall explore this. First we will consider what it means for an organisation to adopt a marketing-based business philosophy. We shall then consider the evolution of the marketing concept and look at how marketing orientation has influenced organizational structures in business. An Overview of a Marketing-based Business Philosophy The points below describe marketing and its role in a marketing based business philosophy. We shall then go on to consider a marketing-based philosophy in more detail. * Marketing is a management process, and the support of management for the marketing concept is a key element in its success. Today, a company has to be marketing orientated if it is to be successful. * Marketing is involved with identifying customer requirements usually with market research. * We have to consider current needs and anticipate the requirements of the customer in the future. This requires planning a very important aspect of the marketing process. The satisfaction of the needs will require the supplier to provide benefits the right market offering at the right place at the right time. * Truly market-driven companies adopt strategic level marketing, where marketing has a key role in defining the long-term objectives and mission of the company. In this way, a strategic framework is established whereby the customer is placed at the centre of the organisations activities. * Marketing is not just for profit-making companies. Marketing is for any organisation that has customers, and that includes charities and government bodies. Very many selling jobs in fact are in non-profit-making organisations, although very often the people who have those jobs would not think of themselves as salespeople! Marketing is a business philosophy, the process responsible for anticipating, identifying and satisfying customer current and future needs. The marketing philosophy developed out of the need by producer manufacturers, whose focus was on efficient production, to compete more effectively in their markets. They turned their attention away from mass production at lowest unit cost to try to anticipate the specific needs of customers and produce products/services whose benefits would satisfy those needs. Marketing is sometimes referred to as a pull strategy. The principle is that we understand customer needs and produce products or services, which meet those needs through specific benefits. Customers will want to purchase products or services, which they perceive as meeting their needs and wants. Literature review on marketing challenges in the new millennium The precondition, which fostered to review the challenges for the marketing in the new millennium, was the statements in various forms and shapes, which appeared during the past decade in text books, social networks, media and social forums. The selection of disturbing statements were selected and presented here for the discussion. The biased perception of marketing functions and orientations at the dawn of the new millennium is not compelling. Traditional (conventional) marketing is visualised as a dead function, notwithstanding the critics of modern marketing practice. The critics bring up the issues of lost customers, mass marketing and viral marketing. Therefore, a more fundamental change for marketing is at stake – towards a more \personal touch in the field, as well emphasised by Spellings (2009). Boynett and Boynett (2003) in their book on â€Å"The Guru Guideâ„ ¢ to Marketing: A Concise Guide to the Best Ideas from Today’s Top Marketers† have also identified a number of citations, which question the future of marketing and its conventional functionality. It is apparent that marketing is becoming a multi-disciplinary theory, which inevitably incorporates postmodern aspects of the markets and consumption patterns and consumer behaviour. Selected statements on the death of traditional marketing in the new millennium Authors/sources| Statements| Boyett and Boyett (2003, p.1)| Death-of-marketing gurus rationalize their hyperbole by explaining that marketing is in the throes of fundamental change.| World of DTC Marketing (2008)| Conventional marketing is dead| Bishop (2009)| Marketing is dead; long live marketing: Attracting consumers in the post-mass marketing era| Big Marketing Ideas (2009)| The reason we say viral marketing is dead is not because content no longer spreads in the same way – quite the contrary. But the idea that you could create a flash game or a funny video and expect it to get a million hits and downloads within a week is now patently naà ¯ve. | Wymore (2009)| Forget direct mail, television advertising, and other mass media marketing. They just don’t work anymore. Traditional marketing is dead. In other words, these marketing chestnuts simply don’t stand out in today’s noisy media market.| Spellings (2009)| â€Å"Mass Marketing is Dead. Make Way For Personal Marketing†: The days of mass marketing are coming to an end as we enter a new era of personal marketing. Personal marketing will require more work, more preparation, and smarter implementation, but the rewards will be vastly better than the mass marketing approach.| Selected marketing challenges in the new millennium Sutton and Klein (2003)| Blythe (2005)| Kashani (2005)| Brown (2008)| Kotler and Armstrong (2008)| Bishop (2009)| †¢ Increasing market complexity †¢ Accelerating demand for speed to market †¢ Growing need to capture marketing knowledge †¢ Increasing availability of innovative marketing technologies †¢ Escalating demand for marketing efficiency and effectiveness| †¢ Relationship marketing development †¢ Service quality enhancement †¢ Internet marketing development †¢ Marketing ethics †¢ Marketing strategy revisited| †¢ Commoditisation (change in technologies, more informed customer, more intense competition) †¢ Consolidation(mergers acquisitions) †¢ Power shift †¢ Margin erosion †¢ Value focus| Postmodern challenges: †¢ Hyperreality †¢ Fragmentation †¢ Reversed production and consumption †¢ Decentred subjects †¢ Juxtaposition of opposites| †¢ The new digital age †¢ Rapid globalisation †¢ The call for more ethics and social responsibility †¢ Growth of non-profit marketing| †¢ Aggressive innovations †¢ Building a strong value proposition †¢ Engagement and connection to the customer †¢ Delivering customer experiences at or above expectations| It could be generalised that marketing in the 21st century presents many new postmodern challenges (see Table 3): †¢ shrinking markets, which in effect implies fragmentation and decentralised subjects (Brown, 2008), followed by increasing market complexity (Sutton and Klein, 2003) and market globalisation (Kotler and Armstrong, 2008); †¢ green issues (Blythe, 2005), more marketing ethics (Blythe, 2005; Kotler and Armstrong, 2008) and social responsibility (Kotler and Armstrong, 2008); †¢ marketing strategy revisited (Blythe, 2005) through accelerating the demand for marketing efficiency and effectiveness (Sutton and Klein, 2003) and speed to market (Sutton and Klein, 2003), and aggressive innovations (Bishop, 2009); †¢ advancements in technologies in the digital age (Kotler and Armstrong, 2008), including Internet, commoditisation (Kashani, 2005), communications (Bishop, 2009), internet marketing development (Blythe, 2005), increasing availability of innovative marketing technologies (Sutton and Klein, 2003); †¢ engagement and connection to the customer (Bishop, 2009), through service quality enhancement (Blythe, 2005), delivering customer experiences at or above expectations (Bishop, 2009), rapidly changing public attitudes towards consumption (Sutton and Klein, 2003); †¢ building a strong value proposition (Bishop, 2009) through growing need to capture marketing knowledge (Sutton and Klein, 2003), power shift (Kashani, 2005) and reversed production and consumption (Brown, 2008). Therefore, marketers are facing the re-evaluation of marketing strategy, applying new tools and sophisticated techniques in the new millennium, where changes are of a constant nature. â€Å"Ultimately, the firms who take the greatest care of their customers’ interests are the ones most likely to maintain their competitive edge in a cut-throat world† (Blythe, 2005 p.332). The case of coffee bars: applying marketing orientations and marketing challenges in the new millennium. In practice, each company selects business and marketing philosophy which suits it best. The decision depends on the company’s type, size, products and services it produces, distributes and sells and etc. In order to apply marketing orientations and marketing challenges to a practical situation, two companies in coffee bars sector: a) an international company STARBUCKS (the USA) and b) a national company COFFEE INN (Lithuania). Their briefs and marketing philosophies will be discussed bellow. The case of Starbucks (the USA) Probably one of the most famous brands in the United States and now in the whole world, reflecting the specific lifestyle of the few generations, is definitely Starbucks. Starbucks is the largest coffee-house company in the world, offering a wide range of various coffees, hot and cold coffee and non-coffee drinks, sandwiches and sweet snacks. Founded in 1979, only as a coffee bean retailer Starbucks became a coffee-house selling coffee drinks as well as beans, when its present headmaster Howard Schultz came in and bought the company from its former owners in 1987. Since then, an extraordinary quick expansion in the Unites States, and from 1996 in the whole world, has begun. Now, Starbucks owns approximately 16 000 stores in the world and announces about opening 900 new stores outside United States in 2009 (on the other hand, Starbucks is closing the same amount of stores in the United States) (www.strabucks.com). It is obvious, that such a big success would be impossible without well selected and formulated marketing philosophy. As one of the most innovative companies in the world Starbucks has chosen social-ethical marketing orientation and declares care for the environment and common wealth as well as for people. The main idea of their philosophy is defined in the Starbucks mission statement. Starbucks has two mission statements which are placed in the official company’s website : „To inspire and nurture human spirit – one person, one cup, and one neighbourhood at a timeâ€Å" and „Starbucks is committed to a role of environmental leadership in all facets of our businessâ€Å" (www.strabucks.com). Social-ethical marketing orientation is getting a trendy buzz word, as environmental and ecological problems are on the increase. Some years ago Starbucks was criticised for wasting resources by using paper and plastic cups, for wasting water and even funding Israel army (Vitkus, 2009). Now this company is shown as the best example of environmental friendly business in the business schools around the world. Starbucks announces its corporate social responsibility Annual reports for the public; here the company describes their attention to the employees, customers and the environment, manifesting marketing orientation, marketorientation and holistic marketing orientation. They started to use cups from recycled paper or biodegradable plastic. Social responsibility is also emphasised in their coffee-bars’ design, posters and various promotional campaigns (the integrated marketing sub-orientation in the holistic marketing orientation). According to Pranulis et al (2008), the main idea of marketing orientation is to create the circle of loyal clients rather than one-time buyers. Starbucks could be called a champion in this field too. The chairman of Starbucks Howard Schultz explains, that a person gets more than just coffee when he/she visits Starbucks – „he gets great people, first-rate music and a comfortable and upbeat meeting place† (www.strabucks.com). That’s why people all around the world are willing to pay for coffee more than in other coffee-bars – they buy and experience, not a drink (the selling orientation). According to Howard Schultz, Starbucks build personal relationships with each of their customers (this implies the relationship marketing sub-orientation in the holistic marketing orientation). Even the waiters at Starbucks are called baristas to make them feel exceptional and proud about their workplace, not to feel just simple service workers (internal marketing sub-orientation in the holistic marketing orientation). Another core element of marketing concept (Pranulis et al., 2008, Kotler and Keller, 2007) is to appeal to customers’ needs. Starbucks does everything to achieve its costumers’ satisfaction. They were the first who offered free internet at their coffee-bars and started to open the stores 10 minutes before the actual opening time just to make customers always feel welcome and happy. Viral marketing has also become one of the most important features of Starbucks‘. You can hardly find and advertisement in any newspaper or marketplace, but they build extremely strong relationships by using social networks, internet and mouth-to-mouth marketing, which means Starbucks meets the marketing challenges of a) the digital age, b) value proposition, c) connecting to customers, d) corporate social responsibility, e) green issues and f) overall revised marketing strategy, g) market shrinking factors (as Starbucks was forced to close down 600 coffee-bars in the USA during the economic slowdown (Milasius, 2008)). The case of Coffee Inn (Lithuania) The other company selected for a comparative study is a national company, located only in Lithuania. Coffee Inn is a coffee-bars’ chain opened a few years ago in Vilnius, the capital city of the country. Started from just one coffee-bar, Coffee Inn now owns 7 coffee-bars in Vilnius and one in Kaunas in 2007 (Vaitiekuniene, 2007). At first, Coffee Inn came into the market with the same concept as Starbucks did. It sells coffee and various coffee drinks, served in paper cups, sandwiches and desserts in small, cosy coffee-bars, located in the city centre. The main difference between Starbucks and Coffee Inn is that Starbucks is a big global company (the globalisation challenge) and can afford applying social-ethical marketing orientation, while Coffee Inn is still too small to afford huge investments for various socialprojects and campaigns and it has chosen the marketing orientation. However, Coffee Inn expands constantly, therefore, sooner or later this company will also apply social-ethical marketing oreintation (now Coffee Inn supports various cultural festivals, such as cultural night TebÃ… «nie naktis, or Street music day, not financially, but by helping to promote them, or by prolonging their opening hours during these festivals). The main idea, the co-owner of Coffee Inn Nidas Kiuberis explains, is that they sell a feeling of pleasure rather than just a cup of coffee (Obcarskaite, 2009). It seems extremely similar to Starbucks idea. The waiters are called baristas too, Coffee Inn also offers free internet access and their menu is quite similar to Starbucks one. Lithuanians sometimes even claim that Coffee Inn tries to copy Starbucks. On the other hand, there are a lot of cafeterias offering similar facilities (e.g., Vero Cafe, Double Coffee and etc.), and Coffee Inn is not an exception. However, Coffee Inn is a lot smaller as coffee-bars’ chain than Starbucks and for this reason it is much easier to control it. Being small enables Coffee Inn to be more flexible and to react to customers’ demands and wants quicker and to create new demands and wants at the same time (marketing orientation). Coffee Inn constantly offers new drinks, snacks and other features (product orientation). They were one of the first who invited customers to come together with their pets, set free book collection and invited everyone to come to read or to donate a book (the communication challenge). While talking about customers’ loyalty, new technologies play an important part here too (the technological challenge): Coffee Inn keeps exceptionally close relationships with its customers using Facebook social network, writing the blog and honestly replying to all the letters and comments. The co-owner Nidas Kiuberis maintains the Coffee Inn blog himself – this is very important, as customers notice, that director of the company itself pays attention to their opinion (Milasius, 2008). Nidas Kiuberis explains, they are following â€Å"guerilla marketing† ideas, because it is the best solution for a small business without large budget, where creativity and energy are the most important things (Obcarskaite, 2009). â€Å"Viral marketing and personal blog writing costs nothing and gives better results, than advertisement on TV – your loyalty for customers loyalty, these are the things every company seeks, especially in a crisis time† (Obcarskaite, 2009). As a result, Coffee Inn has created a steady circle of loyal customers, who are indifferent to similar competitors, such as Vero Cafe, offers. The Evolution of the Marketing Concept Marketing is basically about anticipating and serving customer needs, but where does the concept come from? In fact, even though the term marketing quite modern, the idea of customer orientation is as old as trade itself. For example, if we looked at a pre-Industrial Revolution village, we would see a number of trades-people such as the blacksmith at work. These people provided the villagers with what they wanted. There was no question of producing large volumes of goods and assuming that people would take them. Everything was made to order – the customer had needs and the supplier met them. Conclusions In the changing market environment with changing customer behaviour and seeking business opportunities, companies face marketing challenges on a daily basis. In the process of theoretical research, a modified model of marketing orientations, which form the marketing philosophy, was proposed, comprising eight major orientations, where market orientation and the holistic marketing orientation are split into further sub-orientations. The other task for the author was to review and structure marketing challenges in the new millennium and test these issues in two cases of coffee-bars sector on international (Starbucks) and national (Coffee Inn in Lithuania) markets. Starbucks and Coffee Inn both follow similar marketing orientations. Starbucks follows social-ethical marketing orientation as a basis of business, while Coffee Inn is being still guided by the marketing orientation. Both companies sell an experience, rather than just coffee and image is very important for the customers of these companies as they are mainly young people (20-40 years of age, Miksys, 2008). Both companies use viral marketing techniques, though Coffee Inn can create closer relationships with its customers, because it is able to react to changes quicker. Loyal customers could be called the biggest strength and competitive advantage of these companies as they do not compete on price, just by creating exceptional atmosphere.

PESTEL and SWOT Analysis: Starbucks in India

PESTEL and SWOT Analysis: Starbucks in India Starbucks is the number one specialty coffee retailer in the world. The company wants to deliver the finest coffee products and offers handcrafted beverages. Starbucks is not only about drinking coffee but about a unique experience. The company follows an international expansion strategy through strategic alliances. Starbucks wants to prevent competitors from having a head start, build upon the growing interest for Western brands and take advantage of the higher coffee consumption rates. After building a successful brand in Japan and China Starbucks wants to enter the Indian market. Starbucks found a local supplier for their coffee, Tata. However, the company has not yet found a partner to enter the Indian market with. In this report we will give an outline of some of the challenges Starbucks might face when entering the Indian market. We will give an analysis of the external environment in India. Later we will describe the strengths and weaknesses of the company and the opportunities and threats the Indian market offers. We will combine the internal and external analysis to propose four possible strategies to target the Indian market. PEST(LE) Analysis The PESTLE analysis is a tool which provides insight of the external environment in which organizations operate or will operate and aids the strategy formulation of those organizations. Considering the fact that Starbucks is planning to enter the market in India, the PESTLE analysis is going to evaluate favorable and unfavorable conditions in the countrys political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental setting. Political factors The political factors have strong influence upon the regulation and controlling of business and the spending power of consumers and other businesses. We must consider those factors as very important and even crucial depending on the political system of the country we are operating in and the political condition of the country as a whole. The Indian economy has been subject to series of positive economic reforms since 1991 which had created a better working environment for foreign companies and has made it possible for foreign investors to operate in the country more easily. The reforms have also resulted in higher growth rates, lower inflation and increase and ease of the foreign investments. The current Indian government United Parties Alliance (UPA), headed by the Indian National Congress party (INC) has shown more tolerance towards foreign countries in general and towards FDI in numerous economic sectors. These reforms have placed India in a favorable position in the world economic stage. Taking into consideration the political environment in India as a whole, the bureaucracy complications and the regulatory FDI controls and regulations, it is safer for Starbucks to enter India via a joint venture or a strategic alliance with an Indian company that can provide a buffer from possible political tension. Furthermore, Starbucks can face some opposition from the existing competitors (CCD, Barista, etc.) through the use of political influence and delaying tactics. Although situations like these are possible to happen, the chance is low taking into account that the Indian market is large enough to hold more companies and the leaders in the Indian gourmet coffee industry will not be strongly affected by Starbucks entry. Economic factors In economic terms India is experiencing growing GDP with levels reaching 7.4% for 2009 and 8.3% for 2010. The GDP per capita has also been estimated to have stable growth in the last few years, reaching $ 3  500 in 2010.  [1]  Additionally, the high levels of inflation, which peaked at 11% in the beginning of 2010, reached stable one digit figures by the end of the year as a result of the Indias central bank interest levels adjustment. Favorable environment for Starbucks entry are provided by the big cities in the country. Mumbai is regarded as the countrys financial center and accommodates many foreign financial organizations as well as many IT companies. Delhi and Bangalore, other major cities with population totaling just below 20 million, are centers of call-center hubs and international IT companies. Apart from that, The Indian Government is still working on improving unfavorable factors such as widespread poverty, inadequate physical and social infrastructure, bureaucracy, limited non-agricultural employment opportunities, regulatory and foreign direct investment controls, insufficient access to quality basic and higher education, and the imbalance of rural-to-urban migration. Furthermore, the government strives to reduce its fiscal deficit in 2011 to 5.5% of GDP from 6.8% in previous years. Socio-Cultural factors As one of the main characteristics of the company, the ethical approach towards internal and external stakeholders is almost a trademark for Starbucks. The company is widely known for its humane approach towards sourcing its coffee and related products and towards converting its employees to skilled baristas and dedicated brand ambassadors. In addition to that the company plays an important role as sustainable leader on the market and conveys all through its consistent business strategy. This positioning as sustainable business player is important facet for the Indian market and its many socio-cultural dimensions. It gives Starbucks position with regard to an important cultural trend that with the growing employment rate of young people, their disposable income also grows and they become a very profitable target audience. According to sources the population of the country consists of more than 60% of the people between the age of 15-59. Also with the westernization of the social trends more and more young people trust western brands and prefer foreign goods. They also go for the same trends and try to mimic the same status of exclusivity young people in the US and Europe look for. This places Starbucks at a very dynamic position, where it has a good opportunity and much possibility to capture quick customers. The only problem is that they will not be the first on the market with specialty coffee offering and their otherwise leadership position could strongly be under mined and only sustained by their brand image. Next to that, the culture and cuisine of India poses a very interesting challenge. The mix of traditional tea-drinking population together with the various differences between Muslim and Hindu and the growing difference among various regions of the country, make it extremely to divide and place is concrete consumer groups. Still the most obvious separation with regard to coffee consumption is visible in the city versus rural areas separation with the urban population having distinctly higher preferences for coffee. Still the numbers of coffee consumers remains low with slow negative growth figure between 2000 and 2005 6.7% and 2.0% respectively. Technological factors In 2004 Starbucks entered into a strategic alliance with Tata Coffee LTD., the largest coffee producer in India. With signing this agreement, Starbucks finally found the partner it needed. A company which met all the conditions and standards followed by Starbucks. Tata proofed its quality standard by winning a gold medal for the best Robusta coffee in the world. The factor of quality is very important at the Indian market as high quality coffee beans are easily available. With this strategic relation with the Tata Group, the company, Starbucks, might be able to succeed with competitive pricing in India. Another important technological factor is the lack of infrastructure in India. However, having such an experienced local partner, Starbucks does not face any problems with this issue. Legal factors The legal environment in India might not be viewed as positive as the one in USA or Europe in the eyes of global business. Corruption in the country is high and it raises concerns. Starbucks has already experienced some drawbacks from the legal environment in India. The case of Starstruck is being mentioned as an example of weak copyright and trademark protection in the country. Even though, the business opportunities still remain attractive since India has shown significant improvement in reforms towards international business and investment. Due to these improvements the countrys has attracted FDIs. Lower tariffs and lower barriers to enter have made the Indian market extremely promising and willing to change. Environmental factors The Starbucks coffee is for a large part dependent on the quality of coffee beans. Several environmental factures must be taking into account for growing coffee. Sufficient water and trees and a diverse flora and fauna are important for growing coffee beans. The rapid growth of the population and economic development will lead to a number of environmental issues like uncontrolled growth, urbanization, industrialization, intensification of the agriculture and destruction of the forest. The growing population has an adverse effect on natural resources and the environment. Therefore, it is very important that India grows in a sustainable way. External factors Opportunities Following Indias economic liberalization in 1990 the country experiences accelerated growth which reaches an average of 7% in the years after 1997. This, alongside with the increasing levels of GDP, results in growing disposable income of consumers. In a country where cultural trends play important role in society growing income and standards of living creates demand for western goods. In recent years there has been a growing number of department stores. They accommodate mainly the high-income and the upper-middle segment, which happens to be the target group of Starbucks. Placing coffee-bars in such places is a big opportunity for achieving high profits and is definitely something that Starbucks has experience with. Another opportunity on the Indian market is the growing size of Starbucks target group. In 2006 the middle class in India was estimated at around 250 million and it is growing in urban areas. All, these factors show that Starbucks has a large enough target group which is willing and able to pay premium price for a high quality western brand. Starbucks has the potential to skim the Indian market, because of its positioning and brand image. Threats The coffee retail market in India consists of mainly homegrown brands. The biggest ones are Coffee Cafà © Day (CCD), followed by Qwikys and Barista Coffee. These companies are considered as threats to Starbucks entry in the Indian market because they are offering similar and sometimes identical products. CCD, for instance, the company which pioneered the concept of specialty coffee in India, has wide range of cafà © formats with almost identical concept used by Starbucks. Besides, CCD has presence all around the India. The same company also sells merchandise and is involved in heavy marketing, such as establishing relations with the Indian movie and television series industry. Furthermore, CCDs best-seller the cold Frappe is a direct competition to Starbucks Frappuccino. It is also mentioned that the infrastructure in India is weakly developed, which might result difficulties or larger amounts of costs incurred in the business operations of Starbucks. In addition the retail environment in India is largely unorganized and dominated by small and individually owned businesses. The threat from substitute goods in India should also be considered. The Indian population is still heavy tea drinkers. The consumption of tea per person in 2000 was reported to 44 liters in comparison to 1.2 liters of coffee. Another good, which is considered a substitute, is the instant coffee. It is reported that 65 % of households bought instant coffee and only 18 % bought filter coffee. Internal factors Strengths Taking into consideration the size and market power of Starbucks as a leader in specialty coffee retailing, the brand equity of the company is one of the most valuable assets they have (Interbrand Top 100 Most Valuable Brands N 97 estimated brand value $ 3.339 m). This strength also has the highest rate in the strengths section because through its consistent and innovative marketing strategy and exclusive product positioning Starbucks managed to maintain throughout the years its brand integrity and kept on its very consistent mission and vision. The strong joint ventures and strategic alliances that the company has establish all over the word made it possible for them to create and develop a sustainable supply chain of high quality.   Moreover, Starbucks has also placed great attention to the well-being and satisfaction of their employees. The company ranks at N 98 Fortune`s 100 Best Companies To Work For. Another very important strength of Starbucks is their financial stability. Taking into account that the company`s total net revenues for 2010 increased 17.2%, compared to 2009, to $2.8 billion, the capital availability that Starbucks has is making it easier for them to manage their expansion in other new markets like India. Weaknesses Because of the high quality exclusive products that Starbucks is offering their price range is also very high compared to their competitors. It is a weakness of the company but at the same time it is not addressed heavily because it is part of their exclusive image. Entering the Indian market, Starbucks are not the first movers in the coffee retail industry; there are already established leaders on the market and thus Starbucks are market followers. Because of this high competition Starbucks is also facing a problem regarding their suppliers. They signed a supply deal with Tata Coffee which is actually co-owner of the main competitor on the market. Strategic factors TOWS Matrix The TOWS matrix, serves as a framework for organizations to assess the combination of external and internal factors. The matrix helps companies to decide on approaches depending on the opportunities and threats the business environment has to offer and how the company is going to take advantage on them depending on their internal capabilities. Maxi-maxi strategy The growing Indian economy provides attractive opportunities for a company such as Starbucks. These favorable economic conditions create an environment in which exclusive and luxury products such as Starbuck coffee will be in growing demand. The international popularity of the Starbucks brand will help the company to position itself on the Indian market. Starbucks in one of the best known American brands in the world and it is also connected with positive affiliations on the market. With its strong and distinctive brand image the company is able to take advantage of the growing demand for branded, western and luxury products. On the other hand, in order to gain market share, Starbucks can reduce the prices, but not below the competitions levels and by maintaining healthy profit margins. This is possible since Starbucks has at its disposal coffee from a local supplier. One way the firm could protect its position involves developing a marketing campaign emphasizing its superior customer service in comparison to its competitors. Maxi-mini strategy The high brand equity and recognition of Starbucks` products is definitely the biggest advantage they have over their competitors. Taking into account the size of their Indian competitors and the size of the market as a whole, Starbucks has to put more emphasis on its marketing strategy and try to stress on the promotion of its exclusiveness and premium product portfolio in order to differentiate its brand in the consumer`s mind. In order to grow and outperform its already existing competitors Starbucks must also emphasize on the company`s points of difference, which include the brand experience as a whole, the brand quality that they are offering and also the convenient access to their locations. Starbucks is well known for its high quality and distinctive products, so substitute products can`t deliver to the customer the same exclusive level of high quality and cannot satisfy the customers` needs and wants as Starbucks does. In order to create and retain a position in the customers` mind Starbucks must extend their product portfolio so that it can match the local preferences. For example, they can offer special Indian tea and other typical for the region herbal mixes. Mini-maxi strategy As a company that offers specialty coffee the limited portfolio of Starbucks, in terms of non-coffee products, can be considered as exclusive offering. Therefore, the company is in a good position to take advantage of the growing opportunity that the cultural westernization is offering and minimize the impact of their weakness. As exclusive product, Starbucks` specialty coffee can give the targeted consumers the desired social status. Mini-mini strategy Starbucks should keep its prices high as the alternative can undermine the exclusivity and top quality image of the coffee. Thus, Starbucks has the ability to minimize the impact of their high price weakness on the India market and deal the pressure from competition which is a definite threat. Even though, the main competitors have similar, and even more extensive product portfolios, Starbucks has the competitive advantage of its exclusive brand image. Moreover, Starbucks should slightly try to extend their product line portfolio in order to answer the consumers` existing demand for instant coffee. Summary The Indian market offers a future entry possibility for Starbucks. The economy and the population are increasing and there is a growing interest for western brands. Some recent government reforms have been undertaken which made investing in India easier for foreign companies. However, India still has some FDI restrictions and there is a lot of bureaucracy. Starbucks has three main competitors in India of which Barista and CCD are the biggest. They offer the same type and quality of products as Starbucks does. Also, India is a tea drinking country which presents a challenge for companies that mostly sell coffee. Furthermore, retailing is unorganized and underdeveloped in India. Looking at external and internal factors various strategies can be identified for possible entry in the Indian market. There will be a growing demand for Western products. Starbucks can use this trend to successfully introduce its product. The company should make use of its strong brand name and recognition as a Western product. The products Starbucks is offering are in line with the growing westernization and coffee culture. Also, growing GDP per capita will lead to the ability to pay more for a premium product. Starbucks should market themselves as a high quality Western brand. The exclusive product Starbucks is offering and the Western brand name is in line with the trend of westernization and a growing coffee culture. Starbucks should use their exclusivity and their brand name to target the specialty coffee market. By keeping prices high Starbucks will keep its image of being an exclusive brand. By slightly altering its product offering Starbucks can serve local preferences.

History of the Traditional School Calendar Essay -- essays papers

History of the Traditional School Calendar The American educational system is based on the traditional, nine-month school calendar, which has been in place for over a century. Originally, the United States was an agrarian society. The majority of Americans lived on farms. People made most of the items that they needed, and with little trade necessary, there was no need for schooling (McLain, 1973). However, as people branched out into neighboring areas, they needed to learn new skills, such as basic arithmetic to price items, measure land, and more (McLain, 1973). As a result, it became the responsibility of those who were less needed on the farm or in the factory to acquire knowledge for the family (McLain, 1973). Accordingly, children went to school to learn the skills they needed for life. In rural areas, the school year lasted for five to six months, â€Å"from the last harvest to the first planting† (Shields, 2000, 24). However, in the urban environment, schools were open eleven or twelve months of the year (Shields, 2000). This is because urban schools provided a way to get children off the labor market, as well as enable them to learn the new technology of the time (McLain, 1973). Then, in 1847, in order to offer a standard curriculum, â€Å"urban schools reduced the length of their school year and rural areas increased the number of their school days (Shields, 2000, 25). The result was the traditional, agrarian school calendar of nine months in school, with a three month vacation. Year Round Education Introduced Today however, the role of the modern public school is beginning to change. The United States is no longer an agrarian society. As a result, people feel that the traditional school calendar is too old-fashioned a... ..., from Lexus Nexus. Saunders, M. (2004, September 7). Try year-round school: The lazy days of summer may hurt children who struggle in school the rest of the time. Atlanta Journal-Constitution, pp. 14A, Retrieved November 6, 2004, from Lexus-Nexus. Wildavsky, B. (1999, August 20). Scholars of summer. U.S. News and World Report, 127(5), 52-54. Bussard, B. (2004, July). Summer matters. Retrieved November 2, 2004, from http://www.summermatters.com/ Texas Center for Educational Technology. (1994). Technology helping year-round to rebuild the education puzzle at Driscoll ISD. Retrieved November 6, 2004, from www.tcet.unt.edu/images/i0601.pdf Walker, W. (2003, December). Year round education. Retrieved November 6, 2004, from http://www.geocities.com/weswalker99/index.html YRE Statistics. (2003). Retrieved November 4, 2004, from http://nayre.org/statistics.

Slavery in Huckleberry Finn :: essays research papers

The conquest to destroy slavery played an important role in the development of our country and made an impact in many lives. It brought about new ideas in art, music, literature and gave insight to a novel written by Mark Twain. Twain contributed an aspect of his perspective on slavery and racism and incorporated it into a novel named Huckleberry Finn. Slavery in Huckleberry Finn This novel was written during a reconstruction period in our country in which the slaves had already been freed by the emancipation proclamation. However, the blacks were struggling for equality and their acceptance as free individuals, They were not taken seriously and were still segregated from the whites. Although they were free, the south still had a negative view upon the black population and maintained their hatred towards them. Twain wrote this book in the sense of being in the past and showing how the blacks were treated throughout slavery. Twain utilized his knowledge of the past and created a novel based upon a runaway boy and an escaping slave. Huckleberry Finn (the boy) and Jim (the slave) both escaped from society and traveled amuck down the river. Symbolically, they were both dependant on each other and they developed a special bond which aided them on their journey. Twain takes advantage of their separation from society and relays to the reader how the characters viewed their diversity. The two individuals become very close to each other even though they realized they were comprised of a different race. However, the thought of taking the role of a white man and turning Jim into custody crossed Huckleberry?s mind sporadically. Thus, Twain showed that he had assumed the role of the stereotypical white individual, and broke their bond of trust. Developing upon this his of the turmoil between the two, Twain shows us a little bit about himself as a writer. He shows the reader that he?s an individual who displays diversity as a complexity and something that isn?

The Fundementals of Baseball Essay -- Hitting, Fielding, Throwing, Bas

  Ã‚  Ã‚   A man once stated, "You can have all the physical ability in the world, but you still have to know the fundamentals" (â€Å"Fundamentals Quotes†). The greatest and most talented players' in the world still have to learn and know the fundamentals to play the game. Fundamentals are the simple basics of the sport and explain how to play the game. The important fundamentals of baseball include hitting, fielding, throwing, and also base running.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Many people believe that hitting is where to begin, according to an old coach, "The main part of baseball that brings people in to the game is hitting. Some have seen professionals do it on TV and others have seen it in person. But as for hitting, it is the major part of baseball for many players" ("Basic"). Another coach agrees going as far as saying, "A successful player must be able to hit the ball" ("Basic"). Hitting is not just a part of the game; hitting is the game. Hitting is the main and most important part of the game of baseball. During the sport of baseball, hitting is what determines who will win the game and who will lose. A great hitting team can have off days. In baseball everyone has good and bad days. As far as hitting, it is what determines the end results.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hitting the baseball is the time for the batter to shine, time to stand out, and the time when everyone's eyes are on the batter. It is his time to do what he has been working for his whole life. A coach agrees with hitting being the main part of the game saying, "The main part of baseball that brings people into the game is hitting. Some have seen professionals do it on TV and others have seen it in person. But as for hitting, it is the major part of baseball for many players" ("Basic"). It is ti... ...strong.com/article/272178- basic- fundamentals-of-baseball/>. "Fielding Position." Infield Fundamentals Baseball Drills. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2014. "Fundamentals of Fielding a Ground Ball." Human-kinetics. Web. 26 Mar. 2014. . "Fundamentals Quotes." BrainyQuote. Xplore, Web. 26 Mar. 2014. . "How to Increase Pitching Velocity." How to Increase Pitching Velocity. Web. 04 Apr. 2014. . "Linear and Rotational Hitting  « Baseball Drills from the Ground Up." Baseball Drills from the Ground Up Linear and Rotational Hitting Comments. Web. 04 Apr. 2014. hitting/hitting/>.

7 Chankras Essay

Chakra is a Sanskrit word meaning spinning wheel. Chakras are part of the subtle anatomy. The seven major chakras line up from the crown of the head to the base of the spine and connect to various endocrine glands. Each major chakra is directly associated with many aspects of the mind-body-spirit dynamic. When a specific chakra is closed, distorted, or congested, the perception of stress, disease, or illness may result (Seaward, 2012, p. 72.) Of the seven major subtle energy chakras, Western culture only recognizes the seventh chakra, known as the crown chakra. See more: Examples of satire in adventures of huckfinn essay The first chakra is known as the root chakra. It is found at the base of the spine. This chakra is associated with safety and security issues; it represents our foundation and feeling of being grounded (â€Å"The 7 Chakras for Beginners,† 2009.) Furthermore, the root chakra is connected energetically to some organs of the reproductive system, hip joints, lower back, and pelvic area. Some health issues that are believed to correspond with disturbances of the root chakra include lower-back pain, sciatica, rectal difficulties, and some cancers (Seaward, 2012, p. 73.) Some of the emotional issues tied to the root chakra include survival issues such as financial independence, money, and food (â€Å"The 7 Chakras for Beginners,† 2009.) This chakra is known as the seat of the Kundalini energy, a spiritually based concept that is yet to be understood in Western culture (Seaward, 2012, p. 73.) If the Western Culture were to accept the root chakra, it would promote a deep, person al relationship with Earth and nature. When one is rooted in life, they are filled with satisfaction, stability and inner strength (â€Å"The Human Chakra System,† 2009.) The second chakra, known as the sacral chakra, is associated with the sex organs, as well as personal power in terms of business and social relationships (Seaward, 2012, p. 74.) It describes our connection and ability to accept others and new experiences. It is located in the lower abdomen, about 2 inches below the navel and 2 inches in (â€Å"The 7 Chakras for Beginners,† 2009.) The sacral charka deals with emotional feelings that are associated with issues of sexuality, sense of abundance, pleasure, and self-worth. When self-worth is viewed through external means like money, job, or sexuality, this created an energy distortion in this region. Obsessiveness with material gain is believed to be a means to compensate for low self-worth, therefore, created a distortion to this chakra. Some of the symptoms associated with this chakra include menstrual difficulties, infertility, vaginal infections, ovarian cysts, impotency, lower-back pain, sexual dysfunction, slipped disks, and b ladder and urinary infections (Seaward, 2012, p. 74.) Accepting the sacral chakra would encourage people to more easily open themselves towards others, especially the opposite sex (â€Å"The Human Chakra System,† 2009.) The solar plexus chakra, located in the upper stomach region, is the third chakra. This chakra feeds into the organs of the gastrointestinal tract, including the abdomen, small intestine, colon, gallbladder, kidneys, liver, pancreas, adrenal glands, and spleen. This region is associated with self-confidence, self-respect, and empowerment (Seaward, 2012, p. 74.) It relates to our ability to be confident and in-control of our lives (â€Å"The 7 Chakras for Beginners,† 2009.) The solar plexus chakra is commonly known as a gut feeling – an intuitive sense closely connected to our level of personal power. Blockages to this chakra are thought to be related to ulcers, cancerous tumors, diabetes, hepatitis, anorexia, bulimia, and all stomach-related issues (Seaward, 2012, p. 74.) Should the Western Culture accept the solar plexus chakra, it would promote feelings of peace and inner harmony within one’s self and in life. It would allow people to accept themselves complete ly, and respect the feelings and character traits of others (â€Å"The Human Chakra System,† 2009.) The fourth chakra is known as the heart chakra. It is considered to be one of the most important energy centers of the body. The heart chakra refers to our ability to express love (Seaward, 2012, p. 74.) It is located in the center of the chest, just above the heart (â€Å"The 7 Chakras for Beginners,† 2009.) The heart is not the only organ closely tied to this chakra as the lungs, breasts, and esophagus are included. Symptoms of a blocked heart chakra include heart attacks, enlarged heart, asthma, allergies, lung cancer, bronchial difficulties, circulation problems, and problems associated with the upper back and shoulders. An important association exists between the heart chakra and the thymus gland. The thymus gland gets smaller with age and is believed to be a reflection of the state of the heart chakra (Seaward, 2012, p. 74.) The advantage those in the Western Culture would see from accepting the heart chakra involve warmth, sincerity and happiness. These energies open th e hearts of others, inspiring confidence and creating joy among them (â€Å"The Human Chakra System,† 2009.) The fifth charka is located and greatly connected to the throat. Organs associated with the throat chakra are the thyroid, parathyroid glands, mouth, vocal chords, and trachea. This chakra represents the development of personal expression, creativity, purpose in life, and willpower (Seaward, 2012, p. 74.) The inability to express oneself in feelings or creativity distorts the flow of energy to the throat chakra and is thought to result in chronic sore throat problems, throat and mouth cancers, stiffness in the neck area, thyroid dysfunction, migraines, and cancerous tumors in this region (Seaward, 2012, p. 75.) Upon acceptance of the throat chakra, individual feelings, thoughts and inner knowledge could be expressed freely and without fear. Individuals are not manipulated by other’s opinions and they are able to stay true to who they really are without fear (â€Å"The Human Chakra System,† 2009.) The sixth chakra, known as the brow or third eye, is located on the forehead, between the eye brows. It refers to our ability to focus on and see the big picture (â€Å"The 7 Chakras for Beginners,† 2009.) This chakra is associated with intuition and the ability to access the ageless wisdom or bank of knowledge in the depths of the universal consciousness. As energy moves through the dimension of universal wisdom into this chakra, it promotes the development of intelligence and reasoning skills. The sixth chakra is directly connected with the pituitary and pineal gland and feeds energy to the brain for information processing. The wisdom channeled through the brow chakra is more universal in nature with implications for the spiritual aspect of life. Diseases caused by dysfunction of the brow chakra include brain tumors, hemorrhages, blood clots, blindness, comas, depression, and schizophrenia. These types of diseases are believed to be caused by an individual’s inability to see something that is extremely important to their soul growth (Seaward, 2012, p. 75.) The biggest advantage to the acceptance of the third eye chakra is an increased ability of visualization and comprehension of things intuitively. In today’s society, too many people don’t trust their instincts (â€Å"The Human Chakra System,† 2009.) The seventh is the crown chakra. It is located at the very top of our head. It represents our ability to be fully connected spiritually (â€Å"The 7 Chakras for Beginners,† 2009.) The highest level of consciousness is reached when the crown chakra is fully open and functioning. Although no specific disease or illness may be associated the crown chakra, every disease has a spiritual significance (Seaward, 2012, p. 75.) Some of the emotional issues associated with this chakra include inner and outer beauty, our connection to spirituality, and pure bliss (â€Å"The 7 Chakras for Beginners,† 2009.) Western Culture is accepting only of this chakra. In fact, it is highly useful in acupuncture therapy. Resources MindBodyGreen. (2009, October 27). The 7 Chakras for Beginners: Healing, balancing, and opening your chakras with exercises, foods, colors. Retrieved January 10, 2013 from http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-91/The-7-Chakras-for-Beginners.html Richards, R. (2009, September 20). The Human Chakra System. Retrieved January 10, 2013 from http://www.rickrichards.com/chakras/Chakras2.html Seward, B. L. (2012). Managing Stress: Principles and strategies for health and well-being. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning