Ethics on Surrogate Mothers Essay Example for Free

Ethics on Surrogate Mothers Essay Sometimes couples who cannot conceive a baby by themselves choose to use a surrogate mother, where another woman carries their child. One way of surrogacy is when a woman whos unable to carry a baby to term, but is otherwise fertile, has her embryos transplanted to the surrogate mother. The eggs might be fertilized by the biological father or by artificial insemination if the male has fertility issues. In other cases, a surrogate mother is in fact the biological mother of the child as her very own eggs are used to create the embryo. In certain states, such as Arkansas and Delaware, surrogacy is illegal. Even in states where surrogacy is allowed, it can be quite a complicated process for the non-biological mother to be named as the parent, particularly in cases when the surrogate is the biological mother. The surrogate must sign away her maternal rights so the intended mother can adopt the child. If the sperm of the adoptive mothers husband was used to fertilize the egg, the biological father is named on the childs birth certificate. Many states require a legal contract be drafted between the couple and the surrogate and her spouse or partner detailing all arrangements concerning the pregnancy and birth. The parties involved with a surrogacy contract should seek the advice of legal counsel to be sure that pertinent issues are addressed and that the contract is in compliance with state and local laws involving surrogacy and adoption. Sometimes a surrogate mother changes her mind and refuses to give up her child. However, in states where surrogacy is allowed, the biological mother usually doesnt win custody or visitation rights. Typically, the surrogate and the parents sign an agreement to avoid this from happening. Nonetheless, there’s always the possibility that the surrogate mother might win her case. Many surrogacy agreements state what the surrogate can and cannot do while pregnant. But ultimately, the parents should trust the surrogate mom to do whats in the best interests of the baby. Issues may develop whenever a surrogate breaches the agreement by smoking, abusing drugs or consuming} alcohol while pregnant. As with any pregnancy theres always the possibility for medical or obstetrical troubles, which may hurt the baby or the surrogate mother. For starters, theres the chance of transmission of contagious disease to the surrogate when another womans eggs are transplanted into the surrogate. Because of this, both biological parents should be prescreened. In case a surrogate develops problems in the beginning that put her life at an increased risk, she may want to end the pregnancy. Another issue that may arise is if health practitioners discover learn that the fetus has possible birth defects and other health concerns. In that situation, the parents may choose they cannot continue with the surrogacy. This generates all sorts of legal issues, especially when the sperm is from a donor or eggs other than the surrogates were used for pregnancy. The problem then becomes who gets to determine whether to proceed with the pregnancy. Even though some people see surrogacy as baby-selling and look down on a female who is a surrogate, in recent years surrogacy has become more of a recognized practice. However the ethical issue remains concerning whether a female whos being paid for her surrogacy is exploiting infertile couples and entering the agreement for money. Others begin to see the infertile couple as exploiting the surrogates body and taking advantage of a female who needs money. Another issue, a couple that would adopt a child would be rigorously screened and be assessed to their suitability. This would not be the case with surrogacy. Some people who would be restricted from adopting could avoid this process by using a surrogate. One of the key issues is with regards to surrogacy is it is impossible to determine the risks involved in the surrogacy process. A surrogate needs to be informed of the potential risks to her health and the possible psychological trauma she can suffer. There should a moral requirement for all parties involved to consider the welfare of the child born into any agreement. However, surrogacy raises the debate of people’s â€Å"right† to have children. If we refuse the option of surrogacy, are we discriminating against the infertile? The first recorded case of surrogacy in the United States was in 1976. Noel Keane, a lawyer, arranged the first surrogacy agreement between a surrogate mother and the intended parents. This mother was not compensated financially. Afterwards, Keane went on to create the Infertility Center, which arranged hundreds of surrogacy agreements every year . However despite the numerous ethical issues at stake, statistics show that there has been an increase in the numbers of women who become surrogates. From 2004-2008 the number of infants born to gestational surrogates had doubled. The Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology reported from 738 infants born to over 1,400 from surrogate births. However, the amount of surrogacies annually is likely to be more, as many fertility centers dont report to SART. Additionally, there are couples who enter private agreements with a surrogate where agencies arent involved. References Pacific Connection Fertility Services: Surrogacy Yale New Haven Teachers Institute: Ethical Problems Surrounding Surrogate Motherhood Dr Rebecca Gibbs, North East Essex PCT, Surrogacy, January 2008. http://www.northeastessexpct.nhs.uk/public_29_01_2008/surrogacy-policy.pdf

ASDA Business Strategy

ASDA Business Strategy ASDA is the UKs second largest supermarket chain, holding a 17.2% market share in the UK over 2013/2014 (Kantar Worldpanel, 2014). It was purchased in 1999 and became a wholly-owned subsidiary of the US Public Limited Company, Walmart. In order to analyse the business environment, this essay will first consider the ASDA Groups internal environment, including their objectives, policies, organisational structure and reputation. The second focus will be the external environment; first the range of competitors in the market, followed by a PESTLE (Political, Economic, Socio-cultural, Legal, Environmental/Ethical) analysis, to develop a holistic summary of the external environment. Where appropriate, several sections of the PESTLE analysis have been merged to create a more accurate summary of the external environment. Internal Objectives and Policies ASDAs primary operations consist of retail of food, apparel, general merchandise and other services (ASDA Group Ltd, 2013). Their strategic objectives are to provide high quality products, exceed consumer desires and reduce costs (ASDA Group Ltd, 2010; ASDA Group Ltd, 2013). They have an additional series of sustainability objectives designed to reduce environmental impact and reduce operating costs simultaneously. Walmart, ASDAs ultimate parent company, are focused on the opportunities provided by the e-commerce market (Walmart, 2014). To that end, ASDA provides both online shopping and delivery services and a Click and Collect programme, allowing customers to order products online for collection from a local ASDA branch (ASDA Group Ltd, 2013). ASDA have developed a growth strategy, combining expanding reach online and physically, with reduced operating costs overall. They have also identified the need for innovation and expansion into new product ranges, expanding their brand identity. As part of the Walmart group, they benefit from the research and development of other Walmart subsidiaries (ASDA Group Ltd, 2013; Walmart, 2014). In 2013, in the midst of the recession, ASDA continued to open 15 new stores and has opened more in 2014 (ASDA Group Ltd, 2013). Structure Walmart purchased ASDA in 1999, demonstrating a strategy of growth by acquisition. Following this, ASDA has used its core competencies of providing low-cost, good-quality products to gain market share and has become the second largest supermarket brand in the UK. As a subsidiary of Walmart, ASDA is provided with certain benefits. ASDA particularly benefits from the IT expertise from its parent company, in addition to benefitting from the research and development of other Walmart group members (ASDA Group Ltd, 2013). Walmart also benefits by adopting best practices developed by ASDA from their online grocery shopping service (Walmart, 2014). Members of the Walmart group are also able to take advantage of intercompany loans to provide internal financing opportunities. ASDA has over 500 locations in the UK, ranging from supercentres down to supermarkets. This range of shopping facilities is designed to meet customer needs at different levels (ASDA Group Ltd, 2010; Euromonitor International, 2014). They have implemented a price guarantee, ensuring prices remain consistent across ASDA stores, regardless of their size; this is intended to challenge other brands with higher prices in smaller, local supermarket branches (ASDA Group Ltd, 2010). Reputation ASDA have also been able to leverage the reputation of their US parent company and were the first major UK retailer to introduce a Black Friday shopping event in 2013. This was repeated in 2014 by many retailers and drew many customers to take advantage of the low-cost goods. ASDAs reputation for low-cost, high-quality goods can also be leveraged in their growth strategy. Their efforts to reduce operating costs and subsequent price reductions for consumers is intended to be appealing to price-conscious consumers (ASDA Group Ltd, 2013). As detailed below, this is a growing attitude among the UK supermarket customer-base and provides a possible avenue for growth. External Competitors ASDA faces direct from ALDI and LIDL, two supermarket chains who share similar core competencies to ALDI, in that they offer low-cost, high-quality goods. Unlike ASDA, however, ALDI and LIDL offer a range of limited availability products, alongside their food retail. ASDA, by contrast, offers a wider range of general products, available via their online services and in their larger hypermarkets. ASDA is second of the UKs four largest supermarkets. Tesco holds the largest UK market share with 28.7%, and Sainsburys and Morrisons are next with 16.4% and 11.1% respectively (Kantar Worldpanel, 2014). ALDI and LIDL have grown significantly in recent years (Ruddick, 2014), it has been predicted that the profit margins of larger supermarkets, including ASDA, will have smaller profit margins in the short term (Beardsworth, 2014). Political, Legal, Environmental Ethical The House of Lords released a report in early 2014 challenging food waste in the EU and particularly in the UK (Harriet, 2014; House of Lords European Union Committee, 2014). In their report they argued that retailers, including supermarkets such as ASDA, bear significant responsibility for preventing food waste. Specifically, retailers have a responsibility to ensure that customers are aware of how to store food, ensure date labelling is appropriate, avoid cancellation of grown food orders after it has been produced (Harriet, 2014; House of Lords European Union Committee, 2014). Additionally, it explicitly stated: It is clear that retailers must assume a far greater responsibility for the prevention of food waste in the home. Retailers must ensure that incentives and promotions offered to consumers do not transfer waste from the store to the household. (House of Lords European Union Committee, 2014, p. 26). The House of Commons Business Select Committee also considered investigating reports of supermarket aggression when dealing with suppliers, using their market power to demand prices that suppliers cannot sustain (Armitage, 2014). This was motivated by reports of behaviour from Tesco, a competitor of ASDA. ASDA submitted evidence to the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee summarising their dedication to sustainability and positive mutually beneficial relations with suppliers in 2011 (House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee, 2012). Additionally, they have instituted a policy of minimising food waste by sending no food waste to landfill sites. Instead, food is either given to charities or converted into alternative products. Another source of difficulty is the Food Standards Agencys year-long survey on campylobacter contamination in supermarket chickens. This bacteria is the most common cause of food poisoning in the UK, however it can be killed via normal cooking processes as long as food is properly cooked. The interim findings of this survey showed ASDA to have the highest rate of contamination of raw chicken products across UK supermarkets, above the industry average (Food Standards Agency, 2014) ASDA has agreed to install a new steam sterilisation technology to test the efficacy in reducing contamination. The press have publicised these contamination rates in a pejorative manner, with headlines such as Asda exposed as supermarket with dirtiest chicken (Hyde, 2014) and Supermarket chickens: 70% affected by food bug (BBC News, 2014). This, combined with the condemnation of consumer groups, including Which? (Which?, 2014), poses a significant threat to ASDAs reputation. This political environment could provide new difficulties for ASDA, with the need to introduce new decontamination facilities in their factories and the associated costs this entails. Additionally, the pejorative press response could have a severe impact on ASDAs reputation. The House of Lords Committees criticism of supermarket promotions and incentives could also impact ASDAs retail activities. If such promotions are legislated against, ASDA would be deprived of a major means of drawing price-conscious consumers. Economic Socio-Cultural In 2011 Mervyn King, Governor of the Bank of England, announced that the global financial crisis had significantly impacted standards of living and would continue to do so for the foreseeable future (Bank of England, 2011). 2014 was the first time in 5 years that average pay increased more than inflation, suggesting a possible upturn in the economy (Peston, 2014). This has led to a reduction in consumers disposable income and this in turn has impacted their spending habits in stores. ASDA has been aware of this and has taken efforts to reduce operating costs to offset inflationary pressures on prices (ASDA Group Ltd, 2013). Traditionally, supermarkets had a close link to cultural identity among UK shoppers, based on the British class system (Wallop, 2013). Supermarkets such as Waitrose and Marks Spencer were traditionally associated with upper-middle and upper class customers, while ASDA was traditionally seen as a working class supermarket (Jeffries, 2004). In recent years however, this sense of identity has been disrupted by a combination of the global recession, and the rise of the budget supermarkets ALDI and LIDL. Both brands have been widely accepted by the British middle class, and a wider cultural attitude of thrift and pride in finding savings and low-cost products has developed. In the 2014 Christmas season, Aldi and Lidl, the discount supermarket chains drew a significant portion of the market from other supermarket brands (Butler, 2014) indicating that consumer buying decisions are motivated by price over other socio-economic factors. This could explain ASDAs recent rise to the second largest market shareholder in Britain, due to its core competency in providing low-cost, good-quality products to customers. Where previously, consumers may have had a negative association with ASDAs emphasis on low-cost products, in the recession era, consumers are more concerned with product prices. Technological Walmart, ASDAs ultimate parent company, have noted the rising significance of e-commerce and have begun developing this across Walmart and its subsidiaries (Walmart, 2014). In the UK, there has been a particular focus on ASDAs Click Collect service (Walmart, 2014), through which customers order products online and can collect them from a local ASDA store, widening the range of products they can access. The strategy consultants, OCC, identified Click and Collect as the probable largest source of growth in e-commerce in 2015 (Felsted, 2014). ASDAs competitor, Tesco, offer a similar service, available in over 350 collection points (Felsted, 2014; Tesco, 2014). ASDA is well-suited for this focus on Click Collect and other e-commerce services; as a subsidiary of Walmart, they are provided with IT services from their parent company, giving them access to the resources of a larger firm, with a wide range of experience in e-commerce (ASDA Group Ltd, 2013). Summary Overall, ASDAs external environment is relatively troubled; UK standards of living were significantly reduced by the global economic crisis and only recently have signs indicated that this could improve. This has reduced the disposable income of ASDAs target markets. However, because of ASDAs focus on low-cost products, this could have actually benefitted ASDA, allowing them to become the second largest supermarket brand. The economic crisis has altered the UKs socio-cultural trends, encouraging a savings-focussed attitude, with customers altering their buying habits to pursue better deals. ASDA has also faced difficulties in its public reputation, particularly due to the Food Standards Agencys survey into campylobacter contamination in chicken. ASDAs chicken stocks and suppliers were found to have the worst contamination rates among supermarkets, above the industry average. This finding was well publicised in the press in late November and its full impact may not have been identified yet. ASDA have identified the difficult external environment of UK retail and have oriented their policies to suit the situation. They have endeavoured to gain price leadership, charging the same as or less than their competitors for many household products, in order to draw price-conscious customers. Additionally, they have taken efforts to minimise their own operating costs, using these savings to offset inflationary pressures and passing the savings on to consumers. ASDA have chosen to diversify their focus beyond store-based services. They have invested significantly into technological development, particularly with their Click and Collect service. External strategy consultants OCC have identified these services as having high growth potential in coming years. ASDA have chosen to capitalise on the troubled economic environment by reinforcing their core competency, providing customers with low-cost, good-quality goods, leveraging their reputation as a low-cost supermarket to take advantage of the low disposable income. They have also used this period to advance their technological development, with technical support from their parent company. References Armitage, J. (2014, September 25). MPs considering investigation of supermarkets dealings with suppliers in wake of Tesco crisis. Retrieved from The Independent:  http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/mps-considering-investigation-of-supermarkets-dealings-with-suppliers-in-wake-of-tesco-crisis-9755557.html ASDA Group Ltd. (2010). All About ASDA. Retrieved from ASDA Group Website:  http://your.asda.com/system/dragonfly/production/2012/01/04/12_59_19_568_All_about_Asda.pdf ASDA Group Ltd. (2013, December 31). Report and Financial Statements. Retrieved from Companycheck:  http://companycheck.co.uk/company/01396513/ASDA-GROUP-LIMITED Bank of England. (2011). Speech given by Mervyn King, Governor of the Bank of England at the Civic Centre, Newcastle. London: Bank of England. BBC News. (2014, November 27). Supermarket chickens: 70% affected by food bug. Retrieved from BBC News:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-30227342 Beardsworth, T. (2014, October 17). Aldi and Lidl to Capture 10 Percent of U.K Grocery Market. Retrieved from Bloomberg:  http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-10-17/aldi-and-lidl-to-capture-10-percent-of-u-k-grocery-market.html Butler, S. (2014, December 16). Merry Lidl Christmas for German discount supermarkets. Retrieved from The Guardian:  http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/dec/16/lidl-christmas-supermarkets-aldi-asda-tesco-morrisons-sainsburys Euromonitor International. (2014). Passport: ASDA Stores Ltd in Retailing (United Kingdom). Euromonitor International. Felsted, A. (2014, April 21). Click and collect poised to overtake home delivery. Retrieved from The Financial Times:  http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3ac9e120-c653-11e3-ba0e-00144feabdc0.html#axzz3NNAjRRvL Food Standards Agency. (2014, November 27). Retail survey on levels of campylobacter in chicken published. Retrieved from The Food Standards Agency:  http://www.food.gov.uk/news-updates/news/2014/13251/campylobacter-survey Harriet, D. (2014, April 6). MPs accuse supermarkets of morally repugnant food waste. Retrieved from The Telegraph:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/10748455/MPs-accuse-supermarkets-of-morally-repugnant-food-waste.html House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee. (2012, May 10). Written evidence submitted by ASDA. Retrieved from Parliament Publications and Records:  http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201012/cmselect/cmenvaud/879/879vw21.htm House of Lords European Union Committee. (2014). Counting the Cost of Food Waste: EU Food Waste Prevention. London: The Stationery Office Limited. Hyde, D. (2014, November 27). Asda exposed as supermarket with dirtiest chicken. Retrieved from The Telegraph:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/shopping-and-consumer-news/11257553/Asda-exposed-as-supermarket-with-dirtiest-chicken.html Jeffries, S. (2004, March 12). Im rich and Im living well. Shopping here is part of that. Retrieved from The Guardian:  http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2004/mar/12/foodanddrink.shopping Kantar Worldpanel. (2014, November). Market share of grocery stores in Great Britain, for the 12 weeks ending November 9, 2014. Retrieved from  http://www.statista.com/statistics/279900/grocery-market-share-in-the-united-kingdom-uk/ Peston, R. (2014, November 12). End of UKs long living-standards squeeze? Retrieved from BBC News:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-30019567 Ruddick, G. (2014, August 28). Lidl sales to reach  £4bn as pressure on supermarkets grows. Retrieved from The Telegraph:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/11059821/Lidl-sales-to-reach-4bn-as-pressure-on-supermarkets-grows.html Tesco. (2014). Click Collect. Retrieved from Tesco:  http://www.tesco.com/collect/ Wallop, H. (2013, January 18). How supermarkets prop up our class system. Retrieved from The Telegraph:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/9808015/How-supermarkets-prop-up-our-class-system.html Walmart. (2014). Walmart 2014 Annual Report. Retrieved from Walmart Investor Relations:  http://stock.walmart.com/annual-reports Which? (2014, November 27). Six in 10 consumers concerned at high levels of campylobacter in chicken. Retrieved from Which? Press Office:  https://press.which.co.uk/whichpressreleases/six-in-10-consumers-concerned-at-high-levels-of-campylobacter-in-chicken/

SWAT analysis for Victoria Station Restaurants Essay -- essays researc

Victoria Station Strengths   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Concept uniqueness- Concept based restaurants’ rely on dà ©cor and novelty themes, which are appealing enough to the customers to draw in business. For example: Hard Rock Cafà ©, Applebee’s, Rolling Rock Cafà ©, or Outback Steakhouse. The Victoria Station utilized the English depot paraphernalia to support the theme; gas lights, a red English telephone booth, and a London taxi.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Quality control- The beef was cut to specifications, used controlled- portion fillets/top sirloin butts, and a computerized checking system to verify that unapproved vendors would be brought to management’s attention should any items be purchased off of the approved purveyor list. Appearance, food preparation and service, beverage, atmosphere, equipment, safety, and inventory control were set in detail with complete job descriptions for all managers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Financial control –detailed reports and daily inventories.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  No advertising or paid promotion- they were successful in the beginning with just relying on word of mouth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Promotions- one of the more profitable promo was the rib promotion. Weaknesses   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Over expansion- Victoria Station went against it’s own policy bases on building in areas with population of 1million or more. Even with expansion with the hopes of creating more volume, Victoria Station was still unable to cover the fixed-cost percentages. They had roughly 100 restaurants in more than 50 markets. ()   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Inflexible concept design- The boxcar, compared to traditional restaurants created high occupancy costs due to its expensive building and the maintenance. It also hindered the liquidation of assets to cover debts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Limited menu- Did not leave any allowances for customer change, dietary developments, or market swings for beef industry. Poor reaction skills- When V.S. sales started to lessen their reaction was to raise prices which ended up going against the original concept of prime rib at a good price.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Identity crisis- When change was necessary they ended up only to created confusion for their market segment; is it casual, family, fine dining, steak/burger, etc.. Opportunities   Ã‚  Ã‚  &n... ... the mercy of the beef industry and their prices and a at the same time not relaying the prices to the customers, who’s tastes are changing as well. But overall, no these problems correspond with the initiation of this chain. 4) To save Victoria Station Restaurants, they should have either stuck to their business plan or at the point of decline in the life cycle, just cut their losses and start completely fresh, including the building. Otherwise, I would have moved away from concept- type marketing to a value based marketing system on service, quality, and cost. Bibliography 1) Lewis C. Robert. Cases in Hospitality Marketing & Management. John Wiley & Sons. New York. 1997. 2)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Martin, Richard. â€Å"Victoria Station Seeks Survival Options† Nation’s Restaurant News. Sept 10, 1984. 3)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Kochak, White Jacque. â€Å"Running out of Lives.† Restaurant business. July 20, 1987 v86 p104 4)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Strenk, Tom. â€Å"Bets on Bonkers† Restaurant Business. October 10, 1984 v83 p176 5)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bernstein, Charles. â€Å"The Classic lesson: success breeds failure.† Nation’s Restaurant News. June 16, 1986

The World Trade Organization Essay -- International Monetary Fund

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) is today seen as one of the pillars of international trade and financial systems of the world alongside the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, despite being only sixteen years old. With what began as the succession to the previous guidelines and rules set out by the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade back in 1948, it is now seen as the ‘main unifying force of world trade today’ a key player in both the conduct of trade relations and global governance. (Herman, 1999) Today, as the world’s economy and its nations continue to change and grow together with the global business environment itself, the WTO has faced new challenges and perhaps its biggest challenges to date which question the relevance and future of the WTO. The essay will address such concepts through the analysis of the WTO’s main role, the importance and successes of the WTO to date, the challenges it currently faces and a look towards its pote ntial relevance in the future of world trade. The discussion will be aided through the use of published data, literature, online sources and journals. (WTO, Trading into the future 2011) Beginning with only 23 members, the WTO currently stands at 153 members representing a total of 97% of all world trade although this is set to increase following Russia’s accession into the WTO. This statistic details the importance of the WTO as the only international body that deals with the rules of trade between nations. (Hamilton, Webster 2009) The WTO was created as the previous system the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), needed an institutional and stronger framework to allow them to drive forward policies and advice. The WTO’s overriding principle is to help free trade,... ...ineffective with the growing number and diversity of members. Suggestions to overcome the problem include ‘Critical-Mass’ thinking and the creation of smaller groups of members based on similar trading characteristics may improve the system. In light of the recent financial crisis the role of the WTO is critical, in which its positive impact on world trade to date may become forgotten in light of recent criticisms. The WTO needs correct leadership to overcome the challenges today, to maintain its future survival and ensure it continues to be of success and further improve world trade. If change is not implemented successfully, the great negotiation forum it once was it will instead result in a forum in which the great members will struggle to compromise on trade issues thus harming the WTO’s main purpose which is to encourage the growth of world trade.

International Trade debate Part 2 Essay

In reading my classmate’s paper, it is interesting to note that while the author is against unrestricted trade, the author nevertheless cites many of its benefits such as reducing dependency and cutting the cost of living. What is even more interesting is that the author tries to build a case around arguments that consider these benefits as detriments without ample support. When countries have to compete globally, they would have to streamline their products in order to find their most competitive wares or they won’t be able to compete at all. This opinion which is also mirrored by my paper is true, but the fear that some countries would engage in unfair practices is unfounded. For one thing, what does the author mean by â€Å"unfair† competition? Offering a price that is lower than your competitor’s is not unfair, it’s just competition. As the paper also mentions, this leads to specialization of goods based on each participating nation’s capabilities. While some of our products might not be marketable because of cheaper, higher-quality brands from some other countries, other goods that we export would be more marketable because of free trade and we could focus on those goods for export and not have to spread our resources too thin. This way, we can get the best profit for our best product. But what about countries that cannot be competitive? What about countries who simply do not have globally competitive products? Globalization also gives them the benefit of having cheaper products for their labor force to afford. Kellison (2006) states that economies that cannot offer globally competitive products usually end up offering another valuable resource, labor. Free trade cuts the cost of living for its laborers which make them afford better lifestyles. What is so wrong with that? In the final analysis, it is clear that globalization has a rightful place in today’s economy. References Kellison, P. (2006). Labor Forces in the 21st Century. N. Y. : Bakeman Books. My classmate’s paper: International Trade Debate â€Å"The Case for Protection† My paper: International Trade.

Marketing Essay

Marketing: a useful tool for Success Kevin Quinones University of Phoenix Marketing: a useful Tool for Success When you hear stories of how successful a firm is you are probably wondering what actions did they take to achieve this pinnacle? There is more significance in that question then you may think. Certain elements lie behind the work of that firm’s success through strategic planning. This strategic planning may affiliated with finance, internal operations or marketing. However, today I am only going to discuss one strategic element and that is marketing. When I first think of marketing, what comes to mind is billboards or advertisements in a magazine, on a commercial or a cereal box? I thought that marketing was simple; just put your product out there as much as possible and create a market trend. Needless to say I found that marketing was much more then advertisement. Marketing deals with identifying and meeting human needs otherwise known as â€Å"meeting needs profitably†. Moreover, when you are dealing with marketing you are analyzing people to decide your target market. You want to determine when people will buy, what type of product they will buy, what type of look they will buy and how will you get your message across that you have what they are looking for. Importance of Marketing There are many other reasons why marketing is such a crucial element to a company; let’s go back to finance shall we? Ask yourself this question: would a company finance a project that is not going to bring a high rate of equity? Marketing is often a key element when it comes to finance operations so if there isn’t a sufficient demand for the products a project can produce then why produce it? I will use my company as an example to paint a better picture. Nexans I work for Nexans, who are global experts in cable systems and distribute power and telecommunication wire throughout the U. S. Lately we have invested in many projects for new machinery that are in the process of being installed and programmed to produce certain types of finished goods. These finished goods are at a high demand in the market as of today and we are considering it a very well thought-out investment that will increase company capital. The company will make money once they are up and running because demand is high for the products and this is what makes marketing so very important. Nintendo When Nintendo came out with the Nintendo Wii their target market was so versatile that it almost seemed it would never work. The intricate design of the Wii sparked a gaming interaction unlike none other before. The thought of playing a video game and barely pressing any buttons sounds too futuristic, but designer Shigeru Miyamoto did just that by creating a game the was intended to give players the freedom to do responsive actions with the Wii remote. So how exactly did Nintendo use a marketing plan to spread the word? According to chmielewski of the L. A. Times, Nintendo used an Ambassador strategy where they went to six major cities in the U. S. and gave Nintendo Wii’s out to three different groups. a core gamer/loyalist who would sing the praises of the system to other gamers; a large multi-generational family, where everyone from the kids to the grandparents could take turns with the Wii remote; and an alpha mom, who would presumably spread the word at schoolyards, soccer fields and her neighborhood. † Nintendo targeted people that were influential in their community and this influence would spread the word like flash fires. Verizon Verizon used marketing as a tool to targe t ‘tweens and teens from ages 8-11 and 12-19. Verizon created. The importance of Verizon’s vision relied heavily on finding the right sponsors to reach these target groups. Verizon used sponsors such as N’Sync summer concerts, MTV’s â€Å"Real World† and Nick online (Prnewswire, 2009). Through the use of these market segments and other influential tools to reach out to the youth is one of the reasons why Verizon is one of the biggest cellular corporation in the United States. Marketing is a fundamental tool that can be used to drive the success of any business for it deals with meeting the needs and wants of everyday consumers. The importance that marketing has on a firm should not be taken lightly for without any knowledge of marketing whatsoever, projects and products alike would fail miserably. Nexans used marketing as a variable tool to weigh investment decisions, while Nintendo used marketing to show how versatile their gaming concepts were to a vast audience. Moreover Verizon used marketing to target specific groups and used sponsors to dive their message across in the most likely of places those target customers would be affiliated with. These are all examples of how important marketing is, how would you use it? References Chmielewski, D. (2009, December, 5). Marketing Moms. Los Angelas Times. Retrieved August 18, 2009, from http://articles. latimes. com Prnewswire. (2009). Verizon Marketing Executive to Share How Teens and ‘Tweens Spark Telecom Leader's Marketing. PR Newswire Association LLC. Retrieved August 18, 2009, from http://www. prnewswire. com ———————– Marketing 2 Marketing Essay Marketing: a useful tool for Success Kevin Quinones University of Phoenix Marketing: a useful Tool for Success When you hear stories of how successful a firm is you are probably wondering what actions did they take to achieve this pinnacle? There is more significance in that question then you may think. Certain elements lie behind the work of that firm’s success through strategic planning. This strategic planning may affiliated with finance, internal operations or marketing. However, today I am only going to discuss one strategic element and that is marketing. When I first think of marketing, what comes to mind is billboards or advertisements in a magazine, on a commercial or a cereal box? I thought that marketing was simple; just put your product out there as much as possible and create a market trend. Needless to say I found that marketing was much more then advertisement. Marketing deals with identifying and meeting human needs otherwise known as â€Å"meeting needs profitably†. Moreover, when you are dealing with marketing you are analyzing people to decide your target market. You want to determine when people will buy, what type of product they will buy, what type of look they will buy and how will you get your message across that you have what they are looking for. Importance of Marketing There are many other reasons why marketing is such a crucial element to a company; let’s go back to finance shall we? Ask yourself this question: would a company finance a project that is not going to bring a high rate of equity? Marketing is often a key element when it comes to finance operations so if there isn’t a sufficient demand for the products a project can produce then why produce it? I will use my company as an example to paint a better picture. Nexans I work for Nexans, who are global experts in cable systems and distribute power and telecommunication wire throughout the U. S. Lately we have invested in many projects for new machinery that are in the process of being installed and programmed to produce certain types of finished goods. These finished goods are at a high demand in the market as of today and we are considering it a very well thought-out investment that will increase company capital. The company will make money once they are up and running because demand is high for the products and this is what makes marketing so very important. Nintendo When Nintendo came out with the Nintendo Wii their target market was so versatile that it almost seemed it would never work. The intricate design of the Wii sparked a gaming interaction unlike none other before. The thought of playing a video game and barely pressing any buttons sounds too futuristic, but designer Shigeru Miyamoto did just that by creating a game the was intended to give players the freedom to do responsive actions with the Wii remote. So how exactly did Nintendo use a marketing plan to spread the word? According to chmielewski of the L. A. Times, Nintendo used an Ambassador strategy where they went to six major cities in the U. S. and gave Nintendo Wii’s out to three different groups. a core gamer/loyalist who would sing the praises of the system to other gamers; a large multi-generational family, where everyone from the kids to the grandparents could take turns with the Wii remote; and an alpha mom, who would presumably spread the word at schoolyards, soccer fields and her neighborhood. † Nintendo targeted people that were influential in their community and this influence would spread the word like flash fires. Verizon Verizon used marketing as a tool to targe t ‘tweens and teens from ages 8-11 and 12-19. Verizon created. The importance of Verizon’s vision relied heavily on finding the right sponsors to reach these target groups. Verizon used sponsors such as N’Sync summer concerts, MTV’s â€Å"Real World† and Nick online (Prnewswire, 2009). Through the use of these market segments and other influential tools to reach out to the youth is one of the reasons why Verizon is one of the biggest cellular corporation in the United States. Marketing is a fundamental tool that can be used to drive the success of any business for it deals with meeting the needs and wants of everyday consumers. The importance that marketing has on a firm should not be taken lightly for without any knowledge of marketing whatsoever, projects and products alike would fail miserably. Nexans used marketing as a variable tool to weigh investment decisions, while Nintendo used marketing to show how versatile their gaming concepts were to a vast audience. Moreover Verizon used marketing to target specific groups and used sponsors to dive their message across in the most likely of places those target customers would be affiliated with. These are all examples of how important marketing is, how would you use it? References Chmielewski, D. (2009, December, 5). Marketing Moms. Los Angelas Times. Retrieved August 18, 2009, from http://articles. latimes. com Prnewswire. (2009). Verizon Marketing Executive to Share How Teens and ‘Tweens Spark Telecom Leader's Marketing. PR Newswire Association LLC. Retrieved August 18, 2009, from http://www. prnewswire. com ———————– Marketing 2

The Mongolian Empire The Greatest Of The World - 1220 Words

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The Middle invention of the triangular plow helped to revolutionize agriculture in China while the Chinese blast furnace made European metalworking easier and stronger. Astronomy, mathematics, engineering, banking, there was no field of knowledge that the Mongols didn’t get involved in. The Mongol empire really liked their bling and needed to protect the Silk Road. They solved these problems by creating what they called yams. Every twenty miles they needed to protect travelers and provide a place to get a hot meal and a place to sleep at night. The yams were part hotel, part postShow MoreRelatedHow Did the Mongols Accomplish the Conquest of Such a Large Territory Within Such a Short Period of Time?899 Words   |  4 Pagesa powerful alliance that built the largest empire the world has ever seen. The Mongolian empire reached great in size in such a short period of time. This was basically because of the sturdy Mongol a rmy and many efficient policies the Khan family established. 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Masters in Public Administration Free Essay Example, 1000 words

27 November The Admissions Committee Master of Public Administration Program of – Dear Evaluator/s, I have the honour to apply to be included in the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program in your esteemed institution. I am NAME, holder of a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and presently working as a private investigator. I wish to join your MPA program because I aim to pursue a career in the public sector consistent with my personal aspirations, training and past experience. My interest in public administration developed from a desire to substantially contribute to the greater good of the general public. Among my most memorable experiences has been working with adolescent youths in helping them find a greater meaning in their lives. It was, and still is, a source of great joy to inspire these youths to give back to the community by working in homeless shelters and assist in goodwill. Aside from my work with the youth, I also served with the United States Mi litary in different bases, including Fort Irwin, Fort Riley, and 29 Palms, for two years, prior to getting deployed to Afghanistan at the beginning of 2009.We will write a custom essay sample on Masters in Public Administration or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now My experience in the war zone was such a life changing experience that when I came back, my immediate impulse was to return to school with a strong sense of determination to get my life back on track. Full of resolve, I transferred in a year in spring and graduated the following year after spring semester. I took a lot of units and still managed to get good grades and showed great improvement after my transfer. I have some background in the public service, including volunteer work in non-profit agencies. My work for a non-profit organization was in the juvenile hall of the City of San Rafael. I was a case manager for the youth court, and I worked with first-time misdemeanor offenders. I have also done community service for goodwill, and at the Tri-City Homeless Coalition. My work with youth offenders has made me realize that there is much I could do that could make a difference in their future, although many of them are unaware of this. I felt that these young people may grow into adult offenders if people like myself did not intervene at this particular time to point them down a different path. Among the different areas of public administration, I am particularly interested in Public Management and I hope to concentrate in this field. I became interested in the administration of government and non-profit institutions because I had seen both positive and negative aspects in the way the institutions I worked in were run, and having gained some insights on this, I am eager to explore methods and techniques whereby I can apply these ideas.