Egypt, the Troubled Giant

Egypt, The Troubled Giant Name__________________ Note: This textbook case was prepared â€Å"prior† to the Egyptian revolution that occurred early in 2011. The questions should be answered based on the situation at the period of time considered in the question. QUESTION 1: How would you describe the economic policy that Egypt implemented during 2004-2008? The new economic policy was one that promoted trade and put less regulation on Egyptian businesses. 1a. Do you think this policy helped to boost Egypt’s growth rate? Why or why not? I absolutely believe this policy helped boost their growth rate.Virtually all of the statistics used to measure an economy showed that they were growing rapidly during this period. It is only reasonable to assume their policy, which promoted trade and increased domestic business opportunities would have had a large hand in this. QUESTION 2: How vulnerable was the Egyptian economy to a slowdown in global economic activity such as that which occurred in 2009? They were very vulnerable to economic slowdown due to the fact that much of the revenue that promoted their growth was coming from foreign outlets such as investments, tourism, and Egyptian expatriate workers.If these foreign countries experienced a slowdown in economic activity it would, and did, have a great affect on the Egyptian economy. 2a. What would the countries objectives be to reduce this vulnerability? To reduce this vulnerability, I believe they should focus on having strong domestic areas that don’t have as much dependence on foreign companies. QUESTION 3: What were some of the risks in Egypt’s current political system may of led to the revolution of 2011? The main risk in Egypt’s political system is that it went against the norms of most industrialized countries.As people gain standing financially, they begin to expect better treatment and expect their voices to be heard more. 3a. What is the best case scenario going forward, what is the worst case scenario? The best case scenario is that they evolve into a more democratic country and give their citizen more rights. Worst case, they once again fall to an autocratic leader and rescind their economic policy changes. QUESTION 4: Post revolution; is Egypt an attractive market for international business?I think Egypt is now a very attractive market for international business. Egyptians must feel more empowered than they have in a long time, this attitude will be perfect for expanding their economy and reaching new areas of business that they couldn’t before. 4a. What advice would you give to a multinational enterprise considering investment in Egypt? I would advise a multinational enterprise to invest in companies’ area that promoted growth in the Egyptian economy to help them emerge as a strong member of the global economy.

Australia slashes wheat forecast Essay

In Australia, the commodity markets for wheat hit a formidable loss, as an ongoing drought reduced the predicted crop forecast by a crushing 30%. Australia being the second largest wheat exporter in the world, only behind the United States of America, plays an important role in the distribution of food. Although, in recent years the quantity demanded has risen due to the change in eating habits in China, the growing interest in the use of durum wheat as a bio-fuel, and rising demand for wheat in developing countries. These factors have all contributed to the shortage of wheat, and rising prices of wheat products. For example, pasta in Italy has risen from à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½0.26 per kg to à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½0.45 per kg, and supermarkets may further increase this price by 20% by the end of the year (2007). This rise in price of pasta has created major problems, and protests in Italy, as pasta is Italy’s national dish. Italian’s average consumption of pasta is 28kg a year, making it their staple food. Overall, international wheat prices have risen by a startling 350% in the past five years, and global reserves are at their lowest since the early 1980’s causing geopolitical stress in terms of shortage of food. Since the price of wheat, which is a commodity, (Homogenous goods that are raw materials in critical industries)1 has risen dramatically over the past 5 years, governments across the world should (in a graphical sense) try to shift the demand curve left. The demand (the quantity of goods and services that consumers are willing and able to buy at all prices, for a given time period, ceteris paribus)2 for wheat has been going up, but due to the supply shock (in unplanned change in supply usually occurring because of changes in weather conditions or an external change outside the control of the company or economy)3 – the drought in Australia – the supply (the quantity of goods and services that producers are willing and able to produce for a given time period, ceteris paribus)4 of wheat has decreased dramatically, which has caused a shortage (A deficiency in amount; an insufficiency)5 of it on the global market. Shifting the demand curve left can be done though manipulating the non-price determinants of demand for wheat. Some realistic options of doing this are: the Italian government can reduce taxes to give people a higher income (buy less pasta), the Chinese government can increase income taxes to lower people’s income (buy less meat), negative advertising of wheat and lowering the price of substitutes for wheat (buckwheat, rice, soy products, or other grains). In Italy, since pasta is an inferior good (Items for which an increase in income results in a fall in the amount bought e.g. bread, linoleum and coal)6, in theory people should buy less of it if their incomes rise. In China, since eating habits are changing to eating more meat, farmers are feeding their livestock more wheat for them to grow. By decreasing the Chinese people’s income, they will automatically buy less meat (normal good – Goods to which the general law of demand tends to apply)7. Also, negative advertising of wheat will dissuade people from buying wheat, and will thus push people to buy a wheat substitute, which will be even more of an incentive if the prices of the substitutes are lower than wheat. Also, the demand for wheat used as a bio-fuel can be solved by using other substitutes, such as experimenting with different bio-fuels, like corn. Therefore, the price of wheat can and should be lowered through decreasing the demand for the commodity, as the marginal social benefit of feeding people, has more weight compared to the marginal social costs of the governmental costs of increasing incomes, and lowering prices of substitutes. Shifting the supply curve to the right through the use of a buffer stock scheme (A buffer stock scheme is a form of intervention to try to stabilize the price of a commodity. Stocks of the commodity are kept and sold when the price is high to try to reduce it. When the price is low further stocks of the commodity are bought)8 will be too difficult, or impossible as the reserves of wheat are very low. In short, there would be no other alternatives to fully rectify the shortage, other than rationing, which would still keep some people hungry as there is a shortage. 1 Notes: Commodity Markets – 29th September, 2008 2 Notes: The Law of Demand – September 17th, 2008 3 http://www.bized.co.uk/cgi-bin/glossarydb/browse.pl?glostopic=0&glosid=1213 4 Notes: The law of Supply – September 24th, 2008 5 http://www.answers.com/topic/shortage 6 http://www.bized.co.uk/cgi-bin/glossarydb/browse.pl?glostopic=0&glosid=623 7 http://www.bized.co.uk/cgi-bin/glossarydb/browse.pl?glostopic=0&glosid=680 8 http://www.bized.co.uk/cgi-bin/glossarydb/browse.pl?glostopic=0&glosid=1121

PORSCHE Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

PORSCHE - Case Study Example It also owns other companies such as Audi, Bentley, and Lamborghini making it the third world’s largest automobile manufacturer in the world. Volkswagen plans to gain the top position using a platform called Strategy 2018. To achieve this, VW plans to increase the limited production of Porsche through the development of new product lines such as sedans and SUVs aside from sports cars. It also wants to absorb the technology and innovation of Porsche and apply them to other automobile brands owned by VW. However, these plans represent a potential risk for the brand image of Porsche since these can negatively affect the perception of quality and loyalty among Porsche customers. Thus, Matthias Mueller, the new CEO of Porsche, needs to make a significant strategic decision. Muller has to decide effectively whether Porsche should diversify its production or focus on delivering its core competency which is the production of sports cars. In addition, Muller also needs to create a stra tegy that will prevent the potential brand dilution of Porsche. II. Situation Analysis General Environment The economic environment where the automobile industry operates is highly unstable and volatile. This is a result of the financial crisis and economic recession emerging in different countries. This situation can greatly affect the purchasing decision of customers. Industry Environment Sports cars are a specialised segment in the automobile industry with a very specific target market which are the affluent race car enthusiasts. Even though there is a small market for this segment, each purchase constitutes very high profit margin. For this reason, a lot of automobile companies are also designing and manufacturing sports cars. This led to the increased competition for this segment in the industry. Porsche is the leading brand for sports cars in the world. On the other hand, Sedan and SUVs are also generating increased demand from the global market. This represents an opportunity that differentiated car manufacturers can take advantage. However, this segment already has numerous competitors. In general, there is increased competition in the automobile industry since buyers incur low switching cost as a result of high availability of various automobiles. Competitor Environment Volkswagen Auto Group is facing intense competition from Toyota and General Motors in terms of market share and revenues. These companies also have their own high end sports cars and luxury cars which directly compete with Porsche and other sports cars owned by VW. This requires VW to design effectively and market their products in a superior way compared to its competitors. III. SWOT Analysis Strengths Porsche is the world’s strongest sports car brand which denotes high loyalty and high quality perception among its customers. It also has a strong culture for technology and innovation which makes its cars highly reliable. In effect, Porsche consistently experiences very high sal es from all its models of sports and race cars. Weakness Although Porsche has proven itself in the market for sports cars, the company has not yet gained a strong reputation for manufacturing other segments such as sedans and SUVs. This makes it difficult for Porsche to  position itself effectively in the new market segments. Opportunity There is an increased demand for SUVs and Sedans in the global market. This is an opportunity for Porsche to increase its revenues by diversifying its product lines for a broader market segment. Threat T he plan of the Volkswagen to let Porsche manufacture a new product lines aside from sports cars can lead to a risk of brand dilution for Porsche. There is a possibility that the perceived quality and high differentiation that Porsche was able to position to the market

Subtle Expressions of Patriotism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Subtle Expressions of Patriotism - Essay Example It is not the cultures of the Irish, Hispanics, and Germans that dot this continent. America is a set of principles, values, and ideals that have remained unchanged for over two centuries. Giving our continual vigilance and support to these abstract concepts is what patriotism is. A colorful hat or a flag on the lawn does little to strengthen our nation or bind us together as a people. Living the principles and ideals of our founding fathers is a subtle, yet powerful, way to not only show our patriotism, but to put it to work to strengthen our nation. Practicing the founding principle of equality binds us together in a nationalistic environment that creates the strength of numbers with the peace of individualism. We practice equality in our day-to-day lives by acting on the immortal words "We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights" (Declaration of Independence). We live up to this ideal by treating our fellow citizens with dignity and respect. This calls us to do more than simply profess to be fair and equal in our treatment of minorities, religions, and opposing political opinions. It means that we must also accept them as legitimate and equal in terms of allowing them to exist, flourish, and grow. The practice of equality is a subtle expression of patriotism that is built upon the foundation of our nation's beliefs. Equality helps our nation assure that we are allowed to remain free and have the liberty that our independence granted us. Founding father Thomas Jefferson warned us that, "The price of freedom is eternal vigilance" (qtd. in Quotation Page). Our subtle patriotism is shown by our continued watch over our government, its excesses, and its direction in forming our domestic and foreign policies. As with equality, this expression of patriotism also requires action on the part of the citizenry. It requires us to stay informed of the issues that affect America. It demands that we participate in government when possible and whenever necessary. This may mean taking the simple action to vote, or may require running for public office. In addition, as Mark Twain said, we need to support our government when it deserves it. Freedom is a right that must be lived and watched over to assure it remains a part of our American tradition. As a nation that is built on equality and liberty, we have a patriotic obligation to support our country when we can, and criticize it when we can't. While we see our brave soldiers as true patriots, some patriots may be subtler in their approach. Visiting a veteran's hospital to thank the courageous men and women that have placed their life in harms way for our freedom is a quiet, yet forceful, show of patriotism. In addition, we must be willing to criticize our government when our conscience tells us that the government is taking action that is not in the best interest of the people. Civil disobedience can be as patriotic as enlisting in the armed forces. In both cases we are defending the principles and values that make this nation America. In conclusion, patriotism is an action that must be lived and incorporated into our daily lives. It isn't displayed by our once a year display of flags and fireworks. Patriotism is an

The comparison of Lukoil & BP Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

The comparison of Lukoil & BP - Case Study Example The company registered thelargest trading volumes among foreign companies tradedon the London Stock Exchange (IOB) in 2005 and at home, the Russian Trading System - also in 2005. Sales coverage includes the 59 regions Russia and 16 other countries -Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, Finland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Serbia, Romania, Czech Republic, Estonia, and the USA. Distribution operational capacity stood at 199 tank farms and 5,405 gas stations by the end of the year 2004. This includes 779 Mobil gas stations throughout the USA (LUKOIL, 2006a). BP was formerly known as British Petroleum and is a British energy company with headquarters in London. After merging with the Amoco Corporation, the company was named "BP Amoco". After a single year of joint operations, the company drop the Amoco name and BP now stood for "Beyond Petroleum". The company is regarded as one of the oil, natural gas and petrol leaders in the world. In the 2006 Fortune Global 500 list of companies, BP was ranked 4th in the world for turnover with sales at $268 billion which was down from 2nd in 2005 and 1st among oil companies the. The 2006 Forbes Global 2000 ranked BP as the 8th largest company in the world with profits in 2005 amounting to $22.341 billion. The number of service stations stood at 28,500 with 15,900 based in the USA alone. Proven reserves amount to 18.3 billion barrels of oil and gas (57/43 percentage distribution). The company is active in 26 countries with production activities in 22 of them. (BP, 2006b) Methodology In this paper, we will be comparing which company between LUKOIL and BP is more investment equitable. BP, having been in the business since 1889 (Amoco), has established itself as the foremost leader in the global oil industry as we have seen in the company's profile. However, as we will be seeing later, LUKOIL has seen a tremendous growth in performance. The BP, being well established in the industry, has certain advantages over LUKOIL such as business management expertise honed by years in the industry and a larger market share and production capacities. But this edge may very well be overcome with the current performance of LUKOIL. To determine which of the two will be more equitable, we will be looking into the financial health of the company especially the equity returns. We will also be considering the economic trends and the political factors that affects the profitability of LUKOIL and BP as these are major determinants of the risk involved in investing in the company.. Special focus will be given to the developments in Russia, which have contributed to the tremendous growth of LUKOIL. Equity Profile LUKOIL Return on Equity Profile (LUKOIL, 2006c): 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Equity, mln USD 12,385 14,000 17,472 20,811 26,804 Net Income, mln USD 2,109 1,843 2,571 4,248 6,443 Return On Equity, % 18.4 14.0 16.3 22.2 27.1 BP OIL Return on Equity Profile (BP, 2006a): _________________________ 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Equity, mln USD 63,251 68,254 75,524 81,456 86,647 Net Income, mln U

Foundation clinical skills for community care Essay

Foundation clinical skills for community care - Essay Example Abstract conceptualization allows me to understand what I have personally experienced by going through a deeper level of thinking and reasoning. On the other hand, it is also possible for me to learn by understanding such that whatever I have learned and understand out of observation and reflection will be directly used and applied within the hospital setting (Atherton, 2005). The five skill sets include the following: (1) the importance of communication in patient assessment and clinical recording; (2) tissue viability in wound care and pain management; (3) continence assessment and management particularly when a patient on antibiotic asked me to carry out OptiFlo ® S irrigation (hospital policy strictly prohibits OptiFlo ® S irrigation among patients who are on antibiotics); (4) importance of keeping up-to-date with knowledge and skills on the proper intravenous access and management; and (5) importance of good communication in palliative care. With the use of the Gibbs model of reflection, I will reflect upon the five skill sets which I have learned through experience. The aim of this study is to enable the learner to have the opportunity to reflect upon five skill sets that was personally experienced by the student within the hospital/clinical setting. By doing so, the student will be able to learn and understanding the importance of skill sets better. I have personally experienced assessing the patients’ health condition prior to patient admission and eventually recording the assessment on the patients’ individual charts. When assessing the patient, I feel that the patient trusted me by verbally stating out her chief complaints. Upon evaluating the entire scenario, I thought that it was literally good for the patient to trust me with her physical health condition even though she knows that I am a student nurse. Basically, the trust that the patient has given me enabled us to have a two-way communication during the patient

Personal goal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Personal goal - Essay Example They are a great way to grant your life a meaning and boost your activities to enhance all the things that surround you   (Johnson, 65). After a clear understanding of all these aspects, it becomes easier to set career goals and make aware decisions regarding personal and professional developments. Through acquiring a business management degree, my career interest is to select and attain an International Institute of Business Analyst (IIBA) certification to further excel my career. I will work as a project manager to gain practical exposure. After few years of working in the same field, I will achieve a Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) certification along with Six Sigma (Lunenburg, 95-100). With the advent of globalization, the human resource has observed a significant trend in many organizations. Being a project manager, I would envision myself being assigned in different countries to carry out various projects. It is not astounding that related to the emerging interes t in an implementation of project management, I would be working in diversified projects with much more challenging jobs in comparison to today’s market. The effectiveness of globalization lies in the persistence and certain delivery of work and projects. After a basic planning has been elaborated and directed, functional aspects including managing implementation, projects and collaboration between offshore and on-site groups attain higher importance. Managers continue to expand experimental learning’s, specifically when it comes to interpretation planning into practical programs. Implementation of the Body of Knowledge will be supplemented by an approval of globalization, which is also my goal to achieve. One year from now, I would be acquiring specialized project management knowledge in a global context and within five years of time, I would be excelling with practical implementation of what I have learned and practice those theories in the international scenario. Af ter 10 years, I aim to be in the top managerial positions working with diversified backgrounds which will continue till I get the destined status in my field of operations (Morisano and Hirsh, 255–264). Globalization generally relates to various dynamics that can impact career or personal goal development process. Since I am looking forward to excel in the project management field, it will be drastically altered through globalization trends. Globalization has directed to multi-faceted, multi-cultured project groups that works across boundaries, across time zones, and in multiple dialects. It is now quite familiar to witness project groups utilizing internet-based tools for communication, instead of conventional group calls. Through globalization, I would be facing currency fluctuations all around the world that could raise the cost of material, data transfer between different nations can be extensively complex, and generating backup plans should any of the staff face difficul ties in other states is becoming more crucial  (Johnson, 65). Globalization is a conceptual phenomenon. It does not relate to a rigid thing. It is a societal procedure. Hence the conceptual framework of globalization is not easy to determine. To make precise, it is necessary to elaborate the entire theory in which our idea about globalization is integrated. Conceptualization requires drawing theories from reality. There are numerous dynamics of globalization that creates direct influence on personal and

Special Interest Tourism in the UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Special Interest Tourism in the UK - Essay Example The main river, Shannon, runs through North Ireland and into independent South Ireland. The United Kingdom is a glowing economy with one of the highest per capita income in the world at 35,100. "The United Kingdom "is separated from Scotland on the north by the granite Cheviot Hills; the Pennine chain of uplands extends south through the center of England, reaching its highest point in the Lake District in the northwest. To the west along the border of Wales, a land of steep hills and valleys, are the Cambrian Mountains, while the Cotswolds, a range of hills in Gloucestershire, extend into the surrounding shires. "Important rivers flowing into the North Sea are the Thames, Humber, Tees, and Tyne. In the west are the Severn and Wye, which empty into the Bristol Channel and are navigable, as are the Mersey and Ribble" (United Kingdom: History, Geography, Government and Culture, 2009). With such a rich topography, the whole of the United Kingdom has special interest tourist locations spread out throughout the land. For this essay, we will concentrate on Harrogate in England as the special interest tourist location. Harrogate is one of the places in England, "suited for tourism owing to its special features and rural leanings. "The Harrogate district boasts a strong, resilient economy centred on a high quality built and natural environment, a culture of enterprise and a highly skilled resident workforce" (Draft Economic Strategy). "Business tourism attracts over 350,000 visitors per annum. This brings spending of 160m to the district each year and helps support around 21,000 tourism-related jobs (30% of employment) in hotels, restaurants and other related businesses" (Draft Economic Strategy). Owing to the recent worldwide recession, development in Harrogate had to be curtailed that also led to some setback to tourism. The area has to be appropriately developed with railways and roads to enable better transportation. Also, infrastructure including communication is relatively poor in the rural areas of the district. Facilities for higher education do not exist. These conditions do not severely affect tourism. However, they impact the quality of tourism in the area that can only improve with proper infrastructure and education. Evidently, the urban-rural connection in the region is imbalanced but the rural areas are poised for better organizational growth with initiatives from the local authority and its partnership with the sub-regional tourism and coastal tourism bodies. There has been a growth of 75% in the tourism industry in the last twelve months in Harrogate. The region attracts footfalls not only locally but also from other countries such as Germany, Netherlands, Slovenia, and Eastern European nations. This is indicative of the rich potential that exists in Harrogate as a tourist centre in Europe (Suckling, Helen et al; 2010). The

Vandelay Industries, Inc Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Vandelay Industries, Inc - Case Study Example Group/ICS, Elaine Kramer has been given the responsibility of helping the organization in implementing the system properly so that it can make use of the system appropriately and manage all the operations with utmost ease. The management of Vandelay has been able to respond positively with the changing environment and have made sure that they are flexible enough to incorporate the changes happening in their industry and provide the customers with the best solution. In order to make sure that it had all the latest processes implemented in its premises, the management decided to revamp the technologies and machines; the production method was changed to lean production and machines were much simpler and cheap. It still continues to expand its product lines with careful market survey and ensures that it gives tough competition to its competitors. The inefficiency was found in their manufacturing and order fulfillment processes alongwith the Human Resource department. Although the new machines were technologically advanced but the lead time was longer; the careful analysis of the process revealed that the major hurdle was found in the information processing and information transfer processes. The employees lacked the training as well to work with R/3 system and that is why the whole process was suffering. Hence, the major area of concern is the efficient management of ERP process so that everything is well-integrated in the organization. The ERP/MRP system is the best system for the manufacturing concerns and with the help of this system, the production process will be enhanced as the information flow regarding the order placement, progress and fulfillment will be easily recorded. The management will be able to ensure that the production methods are well-coordinated and customers are satisfied as well. In addition, all the systems of the organization will be well-integrated as financials, logistics, human resource, order management and manufacturing functions will

Climate Change Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Climate Change - Assignment Example This pertains to the case of United Arab Shipping Company. In attainment of comprehensive discussion, it is vital to consider several aspects of climate change. This pertains to how climate change would affect the United Arab Shipping Company. Additionally, the discussion would examine how the business contributes to the detriment of climate change. In close relation to the same, the paper will discuss possible solutions that the company can afford towards the climate change situation. In a light sense, the company choice, of fuels, for automotives affect climate change. This pertains to combustion that releases carbon to the atmosphere. Oil fuels contain substantial carbon that is released on combustion of the same. In this sense, the carbon achieves its way into the atmosphere (Williamson 2008, p. 162). Such carbon contributes to the menace of climate change in the sense of destroy the ozone layer. In this perspective, it causes global warming. It is vital to provide a brief backgr ound to the company. The company is a large entity that was formed in 1976. Six states, of the Persian Gulf, formed this entity in the view of linking the same to the rest of the world. This pertains to Kuwait, Iraq, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE (UASC 2012, p. 67). The company possesses a corporate office in Dubai. In addition, it operates from various continents such as North America. The company operates by shipping traditional and containerized cargo. UASC is a critical company, as regards climate change, because it is one of the largest shipping companies in the world. Shipping companies are responsible for climate change in notable ways. To begin with, it is vital to note that ships and heavy vehicles utilize high proportions of oil fuel. In case of heavy oil fuel’s combustion, a high proportion of carbon dioxide finds its way into the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is an environmentally destructive gas because it interferes with the operations of the ozone layer . The ozone layer thus allows for destructive levels of radiation. It is vital to note that such intensity, of radiation, amounts to global warming. This causes concern because further emissions would contribute towards worsening the situation of climate change. There are notable ways in which the shipping company can contribute towards efforts against climate change. Efforts are divisible into those that are immediate to the company’s reach. Other efforts demand a different level of commitment and use of resources. It is vital to note that there are organizations, such as UAESA (the United Arab Emirates Shipping Association), that commits towards mitigating climate change. They utilize their own operations in conducting such solutions. This regards the idea that the shipping industry contributes towards emission of green house gases. The fundamental view of climate change, according to this organization, regards the view that shipping contributes to 90 percent of world trade . The danger of shipping, towards climate, pertains to the view that ships carry significant weight of cargo. One of the UAESA’s notable initiatives pertains to design of ships. The organization has proposed a design index that entails innovation for new ships. An appropriate example regards having slippery bottom coatings on ships. In addition, these innovations entail air cushion streaming (UNEP 2007, p. 12). This is coupled with voluntary utilization of atmosphere friendly fuels and oils such as the lube types. In close relation to

The Affordable Care Act and Primary Care Essay Example for Free

The Affordable Care Act and Primary Care Essay The purpose of this paper is to discuss the importance of providing increased access to primary care and the expected impact of the 2010 Affordable Care Act on the delivery of primary care in the United States, extending current trends through the year 2023. Addressed topics will include a brief overview of the Affordable Care Act, current state of primary care and the impact of the Affordable Care Act upon primary care patients, providers and payers. The Affordable Care Act In March 2010, President Obama signed comprehensive health reform, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) into law. This law makes preventive care, including primary care, family planning and other services more accessible and affordable for many Americans. According to the Center on Budget an Policy Priorities , the ACA would expand health care coverage to 32 million citizens who are currently uninsured. Expanded coverage of Medicaid and Medicare allows for increased inclusion of individuals who previously were not eligible for state and federal health insurance programs. The Medicaid expansion is 100% federally funded for the first three years (2014-2016) and at least 90% federally funded through 2022 and beyond (CBO, 2013). Included in the law is health insurance reform that makes illegal preexisting condition clauses in health insurance coverage and provides coverage for young adults under a family health insurance plan. Affordable Care Act and Primary Care 3 The uninsured and self employed would be able to purchase health insurance through state-based â€Å"exchanges†. Subsidies would be available to those who cannot afford to purchase insurance if they meet income requirements. Primary Care in the United States In the United States medical practice was not regulated until the 20th Century. Medical care was provided by a â€Å"doctor† who may or may not have been trained at a medical school. Many doctors received no formal training, learning as apprentices. These early practitioners provided a multitude of medical services to an entire family including delivering babies, setting fractures, surgeries, diagnosing and dispensing medications. Through organizations such as the American Medical Association the practice of medicine became regulated. These early pioneers were the early practitioners of primary care. Influenced by American ideals and desire for technology and wealth, the number of medical students choosing a path in primary care diminished in favor of specialty practice such as surgery, cardiology, radiology, etc. For several years there has been a decline in the United States primary care workforce. Primary care providers include general practitioners, general internal medicine practitioners, family physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners. The United States healthcare system has been facing a decline in its primary care Affordable Care Act and Primary Care 4 workforce, infrastructure and access to primary care services for several years. According to research (Petterson,2013) a number of factors, including poor reimbursements to primary care providers, low comparative income, and poor quality of work life due to high patient loads, have contributed to more providers choosing to train and practice in specialty medicine. This trend has led to a shortage of primary care providers across the country, likely contributing to fragmented care, inappropriate use of specialists, and less emphasis on prevention. Patients People who have access to a regular primary care physician are more likely  than those who do not, to receive recommended preventive services and timely care for medical condi ­tions before they become more serious and more costly to treat by visiting the emergency room instead of a primary care provider (Abrams, 2011). Patients are more likely to adhere to physician recommendations when seen by a primary care provider. Among low-income patients, access to primary care is associated with better preventive care, better management of chronic conditions, and reduced mortality. Preventing illness is as much a part of primary care as is the diagnosis and treatment of health conditions. The Affordable Care Act provides positive incentives to encourage people to obtain preventive primary care services. Through provisions in the act, applying to Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, as well as the privately insured, the law eliminates coinsurance, deductibles, and co payments for approved preventive services Affordable Care Act and Primary Care 5 and tests, such as blood-pressure and cancer screenings, mammograms and Pap tests, and immunizations. Studies have shown full coverage of preventive services with no patient cost, increases use of preventive screening services over time (Abrams, 2011). In a study of low-income patients, researchers found that even small incremental changes in co-payments had a substantial impact on the afford ­ability and utilization of care. Included in the ACA is the concept of a patient â€Å"medical home.† This is a pri ­mary care site that provides patients with timely access to care, including availability of appointments after regular office hours with patients to manage health conditions and prevent complications, coordinates all care, and engages in continuous quality improvement (Abrams, 2011). Primary care providers will be the coordinators of the medical home. These medical homes will also ensure greater coordina ­tion between the primary care site and local emergency departments. Primary Care Providers With the ACA the total number of primary care office visits is expected to increase from the 462 million visits in 2008, to 565 million in 2015. Also  expected is the need for an additional 52,000 primary care providers by 2025 due to insurance coverage expansion (Hofer, 2011). The ACA will entice primary care providers to accept more of the newly covered by increasing Medicare and Medicaid payments for primary care services. There are two Affordable Care Act and Primary Care 6 provisions in the ACA that augment payments to primary care providers, one provides a bonus to providers whom participate in Medicare, the second increases reimbursements for Medicaid participation. The goal of these financial incentives is to stabilize and expand the existing primary care workforce. The Affordable Care Act invests an estimated $3.5 billion in the primary care provider bonus program from 2011 to 2016. As a result, Medicaid primary care phy ­sicians are estimated to gain an additional $8.3 billion in reimbursement between 2013 and 2019 (Abrams, 2011). To address this growing shortage of primary care providers, the Affordable Care Act provides support of education and training for primary care providers and community health centers. The Affordable Care Act includes $1.5 billion authorized over 2011 to 2015 for the National Health Service Corps to provide scholarships and loan forgiveness for primary care physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants practicing in health professional shortage areas (Abrams, 2011). Other provisions that offer financial support for training new primary care physicians include more favorable loan repayment require ­ments for the federally supported Primary Care Loan Program and a loan repayment pro ­gram for pediatric sub specialists and child or adoles ­cent mental or behavioral health providers working in underserved areas. The necessary midlevel primary care practi ­tioner is recognized through scholarships, loans, and loan repayment programs, as well as through the creation and expansion of training opportunities. Affordable Care Act and Primary Care 7 Payer The Affordable Care Act brings an unprecedented level of scrutiny and transparency to health insurance companies. The concept of an insurance exchange is a major component of the federal Affordable Care Act. An important component of the federal law is that individuals must have health insurance with federal subsidies to help them pay for it. To improve access and protect patient rights, ACA introduces new commercial insurance standards, such as the removal of medical underwriting, elimination of lifetime limits, prohibition of pre-existing condition exclusions, and removal of cost-sharing for preventive services. Insurance plans will be required to cover essential health benefits which are defined under the ACA (Rosenbaum, 2011). Insurance companies expect significant changes in enrollment, demographics, and plan types. Economic, behavioral, political, and strategic influences are expected to shape the changing insurance coverage landscape, according to a Department of Health and Human Services Report. Implications for insurance industry stakeholders are considerable, due to being regulated by state and federal government. Insurance companies and insurance trade publications are stating they will be forced to raise premiums due to ACA requirements, fess and taxes forced upon them ( DHHS,2013). The ACA imposes an annual fee or excise tax on most businesses that provide health insurance, starting in 2014. The fee will be raised proportionately each year among Affordable Care Act and Primary Care 8 insurance providers based on their share of the health insurance market (DHHS, 2013). Certain insurers are exempt from federal excise tax, including public charities and social welfare organizations. In addition, nonprofit insurers that receive more than 80 percent of their gross revenue from government programs that target low-income individuals, seniors, and people with disabilities (including Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program) are not subject to the tax. Supply and demand will determine how the excise tax is ultimately split between insurance companies and purchasers. Insurers have recently turned in strong financial results and thus are well positioned to bear some of the tax (DHHS, 2013). It is speculated they will pass a portion on to consumers. The Joint Committee on Taxation estimates that premiums subject to the fee will be 2 to 2 ½ percent higher than they would otherwise be. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that ACA will slightly reduce premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance in the near future. For employers with more than 50 workers, CBO estimates that the law will reduce average premiums by up to 3 percent in 2016. For small employers, the estimated change in premiums ranges from an increase of 1 percent to a reduction of 2 percent . It is important to note that the health insurance industry will gain millions of new enrollees in the next few years as a result of ACA. Insurance plans providing preventative health coverage will benefit financially by providing less expensive care for treatable Affordable Care Act and Primary Care 9 chronic conditions and early diagnosis on other medical conditions. Summary  With the oncoming implementation of the Affordable Care Act the benefits of the plan encourage the active role of the primary care provider. The uninsured patient now has access to health care that will afford him a better quality of life and address the financial implications of a poorly managed health care system in the United States. The ACA provides a means to entice more into the field of primary care. While it is in the early stages of scrutiny, the health insurance industry is a growing industry and is positioned to be profitable as a result of ACA, even with increased regulation. Conclusion With the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, the United States is positioned to provide a more sustainable and stronger health care system, due in part to the primary care provisions provided with the ACA. The health care system outlined would provide expanded service for patients, improve outcomes and quality and reduce future health care spending for the nation. References Abrams, M., Nuzum, R., Mika, S. and Lawlor, G. (2011, January). Realizing Health Reform’s Potential. The Commonwealth Fund. 1, 1-8. http://www.commonwealthfund.org/Publications/Issue-Briefs/2011/Jan/Strengthen-Primary-Care.aspx Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. (2013, July). Status of the ACA Medicaid Expansion After Supreme Court Ruling. Retrieved from http://www.cbpp.org Congressional Budget Office. (2013). CBO’s Estimate of the Net Budgetary Impact of the Affordable care Act’s Health Insurance Coverage Provisions Has Not Changed Much Over Time. (CBO Publication No. 144176). Washington, D.C. U.S. Government Printing Office. http://www.cbo.gov/publication/44176. Department of Health and Human Services. (2013, February). Health Insurance Premium Increases in the Individual Market Since the Passage of the Affordable Care Act. (DHHS. Research Brief). Washington, D.C. http://aspe.hhs.gov/health/reports/2013/RateIncreaseIndvMkt/rb.cfm Hofer, A., Abraham, J., Moscovice, I. (2011, March). Expansion of Coverage under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and Primary Care Utilization. Milbank Quarterly. 89(1): 69-89. http://www.milbank.org/publications/the-milbank-quarterly Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, 42 U.S.C.  § 18001 (2010). Petterson, S., Liaw, W., Phillips, R., Rabin, D., Meyers, D. and Bazemore, A. (2013). Projecting US Primary Care Physician Workforce Needs: 2010-2025. Annuals of Medicine. 6, 503-509. http://annfammed.org/content/10/6/503.full Rosenbaum, Sara. (2013, February). The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: Implications for Public Health Policy and Practice. Public Health Reports. 126, 130-135. http://www.publichealthreports.org/

Islamic fund structure Essay Example for Free

Islamic fund structure Essay Introduction The concept of Islamic fund and banking system is developing over a period of couple of decades now. It could be mentioned that Islamic banking is a different approach to conventional banking and financial institutions. This is because the fundamentals of the Islamic fund, banking and financial specifications that based on the religious norms and regulations. It could also be mentioned that behind the formulation of Islamic banking and financial institutions the major reasons were instrumented by demography, historical and political influences. The major financial instrument of the Islamic funds and banking along with financial institutions could be enumerated as Sukuks. The term Sukuk is an Arabic word that is identical to the aspects of a financial instrument and is an equivalent instrument such as a bond under Islamic perspective of banking. But contrary to the usual financial instrument Sukuk is different as there are no fixed incomes as under the laws of Islam interests are seen as a crime. Therefore as an alternative it has been instrumented to use such non tangible or tangible assets that are could be classified according to the basic non tradability or tradability. But once again, under the principals of Islam these formulations could only be used in the secondary market. According to the estimation of the ‘Islamic Banking and Financial Institutions: The Progress and Probability’ published in 2005, there are around $521 billion worth of financial assets that are circulating in the fiscal market as per year ending March 2005. The entire amount of this investment regulated by principals of Islamic investment plans it could be enumerated that the entire procedure is regulated by the moral and spiritual obligations of the ‘Shari’ah’. Therefore it is seen that the Islamic financials instruments traded on GCC financials markets are huge and there are a number of countries who regularly uses this form of banking. The countries can be enumerated as USA, UK, Yemen, UAE, Turkey, Tunisia, Switzerland, Sudan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Senegal, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Qatar, Palestine, Pakistan and around 150 countries all over the world. Malaysia is one of the key player of this form of banking. Dallah Al Baraka (Malaysia) Holding Sdn Bhd, Malayan Banking Berhad (Maybank), Kuala Lumpur, Islamic banking Takaful Dept, Bank Negara Malaysia, United Malayan Banking Corp. Berhad, Kuala Lumpur, Labuan Offshore Financial Services Authority (LOFSA) and Lembaga Urusan Dan Tabung Haji (Fund), Kuala Lumpur are the few most important financial institutions of the country. The financial institutions that that deal with the instruments can be enumerated as International Islamic Financial Markets, Mudaraba Companies, Takaful Companies (These are basically insurance companies), Islamic Mortgage Companies, Islamic Windows, Islamic Investment Funds and Banks and Islamic Banks. Under these institutions there are different plans such as Mudaraba which are basically Capital trust financing where the basic implementation is the contact which accumulates the capital along with the cost. However there are also other schemes that are marked up. Then there are also other plans under which leasing comes into consideration. This called Ijara. There is also another technique that is defined Ijara wa Iktin wa which is basically the contract of hire purchase. The basic limitations of these plans are based on the contracts between the parties but the over all scenarios are based on the principals of Islam where a financial instrument like Musharaka is treated as long termed investment under the parameters of equity arrangement. The capital supplied in this case is the bank and the clients. The profit in this case is shared among the concerned parties in according to prior agreement whereas the loss is shared in accordance to the capital invested. On the other hand another financial instrument like Mudaraba is treated as a financial credit on a short termed basis. Here the capital is supplied by the bank and the investor. The profit in this case is shared among the concerned parties in accordance to the agreed ratio and the loss is bearded by the investor alone. Therefore it could be termed that the advantages and the disadvantages along with the limitations of the market are based on different aspect of the Islamic law but in an over all sense this system is working quite well and the turn over and the volume of the entire formulation seems to develop over time. Further more it can be enumerated that the success of the GCC market is not only based on the religious beliefs but it has its financial values too that enables the uses to enjoy certain notion of tax free up to a limit and it works fine under controlled environment of the finance sector. However, the parameters of Establishing Islamic Fund to issue Islamic Bonds for Infrastructure Projects lies in the feasibility section of the economic aspects that are juxtaposed with social and international image. Aim The focal point of this research proposal is Establishing Islamic Fund to issue Islamic Bonds for Infrastructure Projects. There have been numerous research papers that have discussed other impacts such as financial, social, political and economic impact of Infrastructure Projects. Methodology and literature review in this regard would be carried out in order to evaluate the strategies from different parameters and they will be compared with each other. The strategy evaluation will vary in size, audience and theme. To analyse the strategies and their success and failure realisation, questionnaires will be used to gather key primary data amongst participants. The questionnaire will be used to measure the perception of the participants and the residents of the communities in which these events are being held. Administrators, managers and customers will also be interviewed to determine the results and objectives that were achieved by the implementation of the strategy. Objective The objective of the paper would be specific yet wide spread. Out of the several related itineraries of the paper it would be specifically noted that stress is given towards identifying potential Infrastructure Projects by Islamic Funds analysis of their successes and failures of their strategy. Alongside it would also be formulated to identify Key Consultants within the establishments and their effects as a whole. Market trends and growth would be analyzed closely and evaluated accordingly to estimate the overall potential of the events. It would also be seen that proper emphasis is provided about the research entry barriers to English and international market and how to penetrate. Lastly, the compilations of database of market sector would be made along with proper notes that would identify head of events and its financial fall outs and provide the estimated details. In this context it would be relevant to mention that marketing is one of the most important aspects for a business to grow and from a managerial point of view it is the most involved factor in the aspect of business development. This is a market research and business development along with feasibility project where the research would be able to contribute based on the experience and learns from the process. The objective would be based on the opportunity of primary research on the market and obtain real world information through interfacing directly with the client organization and its customers. Background There are several aspects behind the motion of Establishing Islamic Fund to issue Islamic Bonds for Infrastructure Projects. This should be thoroughly dealt in this section. The insects of racial discrimination, the curse of civilization, are gradually eating up out society, dissolving harmony and affection, transforming human being in weapons of carnage. Thus the society no longer remains a better place to live in. Islamophobe is a contentious neologism distinct by some as a chauvinism in opposition to, or demonization of, Muslims. The expression is documented in use as early as 1976, but came into greater prevalence in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The expression’s use has become greater than before since the September 11, 2001 attacks. It can be mentioned that this is an irrational paranoia that needs to be eradicated from the face of the earth in order to make life a bit peaceful. British authors and intellectuals like Kenan Malik have condemned the perception, calling it an allegory. According to Malik this concept bamboozles prejudice in opposition to Muslims with denigration of Islam, and is applied to silence detractors of the religion, as well as Muslims who intend to reform it. Novelist Salman Rushdie and many others signed a proclamation in March 2006, which deemed Islamophobe a desolate perception that perplexes disapproval of Islam as a religion and stigmatization of those who have faith in it. Danish politician Bashy Quraishy has mentioned that islamophobe and anti-Semitism are two faces of the same coin. In the yrar1996 the Runnymede Trust, an autonomous anti-racist think tank in the United Kingdoms, recognized the assignment on British Muslims and Islamophobe, headed by Professor Gordon Conway, the vice-chancellor of the University of Sussex. According to the report launched in November 1997 by the Home Secretary, Jack Straw, Islamophobe can be considered as a challenge for the society as a whole. It portrayed Islamophobe as concerning eight idiosyncratic characteristics such as Islam is considered as a monolithic bloc, static and insensitive to alterations. It is observed as separate and other. It does not have principles in familiar with other ethnicities, is not pretentious by them and even does not influence them. It is perceived as substandard to the West. It is observed as barbaric, unreasonable, primordial, and sexist. It is seen as brutal, violent, intimidating, encouraging of terrorism, and affianced in a clash of civilizations. It is observed as a political philosophy, designed for political or military benefit. Condemnations made of the West by Islam are discarded out of hand. Antagonism towards Islam is used to give explanation for prejudiced practices in the direction of Muslims and segregation of Muslims from conventional society. Anti-Muslim resentment is seen as usual and normal. In 1997 the British Runnymede Trust made it clear that Islamophobe as the observation that Islam has no ethics in common with other cultures, is substandard to the West, is an aggressive political ideology instead of being a religion, that its disparagement of the West have no essence, and that prejudiced practices against Muslims are justified as such. Despite the fact that Muslims do not comprise a race in isolation, the submission is that many Europeans and North Americans have an inaccurate discernment of Muslims as composing a separate a race, which in he words of Khyati Joshi is radicalization of religion. On the other hand, Muslims may be perplexed with Arabs, even though the mainstream of the worlds Muslims are not Arabs. There are several causes behind Islamophobe the prime among them is to perplex disapproval of Islam as a religion and stigmatization of those who have faith in it. Sociologists have time and again argued that there was a swing in forms of chauvinism in the 1990s from race-based discrimination to inequity based on culture and religion. In 2004, Anja Rudiger, Executive director of the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia, made it clear in an Oxford conference on Muslims in Europe that, ever since the 9/11 attacks, religion had outshined race as the most important focal point of divergence, and that an individuals religion was now looked upon as one and the same with their background. In the case of Muslims, this showed the way to another dimension of chauvinism, Rudiger argued, in that European Muslims were observed as signifying an amalgamated culture relatively different from European society, one that is strappingly correlated to certain non-European states. From Rudigers perspective, such observations are element of the course of action of classifying Islam as Europes other. Due to Islamophobe instead of engaging Muslims in debate, non-Muslims are hypothetical to sneak around them, for fear of causing felony. There are several alleged acts of Islamophobia, such as Dr Amanda Wise and Ghali Hassan from GlobalResearch. ca have assumed that the 2005 Cronulla insurrection were the consequence of an atmosphere of Islamophobe in Australia. Dalil Boubakeur, a director of a Paris mosque illustrated the wreckage on a Mosque, referred to the burning of a Muslim Sanctuaries, attacks on hijabi Muslim women all over the world as Islamophobic. Muslim activists alleged that the Forest Gate anti terror raid in London was Islamophobic. France, which has a strong secular institution separating church from State, was accused of Islamophobe when the decree on secularity and conspicuous religious symbols in schools was approved, which prohibits the wearing of conspicuous religious symbols in public schools. In a February 10, 2004 accounted by Al Jazeera the head of the Party of Frances Muslims, Muhammad Latreche in analysing the French decree on secularity and conspicuous religious symbols in schools was referenced as mentioning that the legislation would, institutionalise Islamophobe. In Germany, the state of Baden-Wurttemberg has anticipated set of laws that necessitate citizenship applicants from the member states of the Organization of the Islamic Conference to answer enquiries concerning their outlook on domestic aggression and other religious subjects. A BBC assessment taken in the summer of 2004 estimated that employment applicants with Muslim names were far less probable to be called for an interview than applicants whose names did not appear to be Muslim. There have been efforts in opposition to supposed Islamophobe by several organizations in various countries through out the globe. In 2006 the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) was set up as an observatory body on Islamophobe. This will keep an eye on and document activities professed as Islamophobic around the planet. Throughout the attainment talks on the subject of Turkey’s probable entry to the EU, then Prime Minister of Holland, Jan Peter Balkenende, made it clear that Islamophobe must not have an effect on the possibility of Turkeys access to the European Union. 50,000 people signed an appeal urging French President Jacques Chirac to deem Islamophobe as a new form of racism, punishable by decree. In the UK several methods directed towards limiting Islamophobe have been set up. In Tower Hamlets, a heavily populated area in London, a misdemeanour reporting system called Islamophobe† has been set up which police expect will increase consciousness of Islamophobe and facilitate them to recognize the extent of the dilemma. The British National Union of Teachers (NUT) has issued guidelines to teachers and recommending them to Challenge Islamophobe, as they have a fundamental character to play in helping to dismiss myths about Muslim communities. In 2006 the Catholic Mission Austria and the Islamic Denomination Austria formed a platform called Christians and Muslims, which endeavours against stereotypes and antagonism and intends to augment lenience and admiration. In 1991 the Islamic Culture Foundation (FUNCI) prepared, in association with UNESCO and the Institut du Monde Arabe of Paris, a worldwide symposium concerning the involvement of Islamic Civilization in European Culture. The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan issued a call in 1999 to world influential to fight Islamophobe. The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) and the Trades Union Congress (TUC) organized a colloquium on how to fight Islamophobe. History helps out us to identify ourselves, recognize who we are and be acquainted with the origin where we come from. We over and over again shrink back from hearing about our chronological times of yore for the reason that so much of it is excruciating. Islamophobe is a dejected perception that perplexes disapproval of Islam as a religion and stigmatization of those who have faith in it. Islamophobe, a myth or a kind of racism, obfuscates bias in opposition to Muslims with disparagement of Islam and that it is used to quieten detractors and Muslim reformers. But the best and fast method of assimilation into the world mainstream is economy and if the Islamic institutions are able to indulge itself in the main stream of the global economy then the possibility becomes quite high that these unwanted trends would end. Thus it is important for Establishing Islamic Fund to issue Islamic Bonds for Infrastructure Projects. But why Infrastructure Projects? The answer is simple. Once the finance runs into the parameters of infrastructure the entire influence becomes relevant to overall development as it is seen in the case of Dubai. According to a report from the Washington Times (2006), Dubai’s economy grew at around 16 per cent in the year 2005. Dubai Department of Economic Development estimated that the economy is worth $ 37 billion. The growth rate of the emirate had beaten the growth rate of China which is 8. 5 per cent. Mohammed Ali Alabhar had stated in the Washington Times The dominating industry in the emirate is the Petroleum. The wealth gained from the industry is invested in capital improvements and social services in the whole seven emirates. Production of Petroleum is concentrated in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The Industrial Development is associated with the petroleum gains and is limited by the trained manpower that the country has and the raw materials. The GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of the UAE grew by 5. 7% in 2004 having a value of $ 63. 67 Billion. The oil industry had contributed 38 percent up from 34 percent in the year 2002. Other areas that Dubai is concentrated on are the tourism and its real estate properties. Mohammed Ali Alabbar, the director of the Department of Economic Development (DED), stated that the economy of Dubai will be sustained over the long term. He further noted that as compared to the $17 billion value in the year the 2000, the accumulated growth in the last decade is among the highest rate of growth in the world. Alabbar associated this economic growth to the diversification policy of the emirate. The establishment of transparent policies that had supported and encouraged private enterprises has given the economy further confidence. The government initiatives had also enabled a continuous inflow of foreign capital, it is expected that this inflow would be maintained. Since Dubai is located in between Africa and the Middle East and also between the Far East and Europe, it had created a gateway for the 1. 5 Million consumers in the countries surrounding the Red sea and the Gulf. Its infrastructure had become an important factor in the global transport and distribution system. The emirate has 170 shipping lines inside its emirates and more than 86 airlines offers links to over 100 cities worldwide. This shows a strong shipping and transporting sector in the emirate. The sector is mostly composed of leading regional and international freight forwarders, insurers and shipping agents. The emirate also boasts its rapidly developing high quality manufacturing sector and a prosperous domestic market. All its infrastructures and services can match with the international standards. Thus like Dubai the entire Islamic world can emerge from alleged fundamentalist mode with Establishment of Islamic Fund to issue Islamic Bonds for Infrastructure Projects.

How Advertisements Have Changed

How Advertisements Have Changed Over the years, advertisements have been a vital factor in the promotion of products and services. It is a pervasive phenomenon that generates income through marketing and at the same time, strengthens the business of selling and trade. On another basis, advertising lays the foundation of persuasion and influence as the subconscious grounds for the so-called purchasing power of its targeted consumers. With this notion promulgates the concept wherein media plays a fundamental role in relaying and disseminating these messages of sale and trade to a large volume of people. Indeed, advertising is not merely on the propagation of profits but as well as an artful presentation of merchandise, requiring the creativity and deep comprehension on the part of the advertising media. More than these, advertising has become an important channel to showcase and provide the basic needs, wants and desires in the day-to-day lives of the human entity. It has endowed comfort in acquisition either with the use of print, radio and television; even offering an opportunity to choose among the many variations and options of goods that will suit the buyers preferences. There lies the use of communication through advertising that also portrayed a role affecting the economic state of a certain nation. However, in the decades of time undermines the different issues faced by advertising despite its effectiveness in sales and income generation, and even in bridging the gap between the person that has something to sell and the person that will gain the advantage upon purchase-for it has illustrated various societal issues, especially concerning women. Women have become subjects of negative conceptions in the presentation of this creative and persuasive venture that indeed requires profound analysis to further understand its meaning. Thus, women have continuously been undervalued perhaps severed by wrong images delivered by media itself. The Axe Product Print Ads The Axe brand of products has always been participative when it comes to issues concerning women-as the subject of its so-called Axe Effect since its target market is men. The cologne brand is blatant in showcasing various images of women that usually falls under censorship-for obscene body exposure, wherein men using Axe can instantly call the attention of women by its long-lasting, powerful and triggering fragrance-considered as the products selling proposition depicting that if men use Axe, they will always get what they want when in comes to women, and even sex. As to this notion lies the portrayal of sexy, flirty or perverted ladies that may be seen in sensual and erotic scenes, more felt in television commercials. But, this kind of aura Axe represents is also manifested in other advertising forms, even in print ads as shown in this figure-an almost naked individual tempting men to cleanse her, where in fact the said body wash is really intended for men use. Her voluptuous and perfectly curved body seemed to be an appetizer in every mans table, ready to be taken inside the bathroom as to where the product should be used, by what the background says and what the image tells it. Her hands are even positioned as if she is very much ready to take it off, for a more enticing shot and by just looking at it, one can draw lustful assumptions. The dirt covering her body can even penetrate another view, wherein women can be concluded as to either unclean or usually involved in filthy activities most especially when it deals with men. Furthermore, the tagline Get Dirty seemed to have supported this observation. It is also of personal interrogation as to what is really the significance of placing more emphasis on this ladys dirty body rather than the shower gel product-for it seemed like the body is being advertised not the brand. On another perspective, it is said that Axe also has a turning nice girls naughty factor as again brought upon by its advertisements  [1]  which is clearly seen in this picture. The said Axe Effect is being highlighted in this portrait of a nun, with a clip on her nose as if indicating a threat-a way of awareness to be cautious of what this cologne can do that might even go below the belt-and worst leading her to sin. The sad face shows remorse and regret from the opportunities she might enjoy if it happens that she is privileged to smell Axe. Perhaps there is an indication that she wants to at least take the clip off and experience humanly satisfactions that are clearly against her chosen devotion and vocation. This indeed has the greatest impact of Axes ideology in making women turn into something unusual, by having the religious image as its model for she is known of the highest form of nobility and goodness. Certainly, it is degrading on their part since they are usually perc eived as holy and almost imperfect as implied by their religiosity and thus stereotyping is implicated. Moreover, the picture used by Axe commercial opens another impression that women are more capable of sinning, regardless of what culture she belongs and what her role is in the society she lives. Culturally undertaken, men have more acceptable tendencies if in part they have committed sin whilst the women face more societal rage on her imperfections. Womens Advertising Images through the Decades: 1960s If one is to take a closer look in the first print ad, images of how the instant party doll is being used suggests that women are also seen as toys that can be brought anywhere, anytime. If this is an inflatable toy for party occasions, does it only have to be a female with a 40-20-40 statistics? Does that mean that only the men are allowed to be present in parties, and if not, why only make a female doll to be used as an object of fun? Mistakenly, the picture can be seen as a real lady exposing her perfectly-shaped body, seemingly creating a magical tone as she is being held by a magician. The second picture is likely seen as the scenario in the Biblical story of the first indulgence of man-with Adam, Eve and the advertised ham as the apple. The inscriptions held by the devil character, To build a man trap: fill picnic basket with Underwood Deviled Ham sandwiches manifests that women are the perpetrators of sin and the source of evil temptations which draws men to their sinful natur e. Lastly, the third print advertisement connotes double meaning that is apparent in the inscriptions of big and the first taste will tell you why, wherein there lies to be a hidden agenda on the expression of the female representative towards a man who unrealistically carries a huge bottle of whiskey. Womens Advertising Images through the Decades: 1970s These stills describe change in the images of women through the years and somehow elicit proof in the context of how women are viewed from demure and simplicity to liberalism and sophistication. The first picture suggests that change as taken from the perfumes copy Things dont happen the way they used to. But they still happen. It is somehow supported by the picture making the act of kissing a usual activity that can be done anywhere or anytime, most especially if this particular scent is being used letting women fall helplessly unto the hands of men. The second image educes class and style that can be seen by the womens status quo; but at the same time also manifests dependence on vices like smoking, alcohol as indicated by the statement I know the honeymoon was over when he stopped ordering me Chivas Regal. and even men. In line also with the cigarette commercial, the third print advertisement signifies men and cigarettes as again the object of desire among women. What is alarming is the No woman ever says no to Winchester. which either points to the product or the men in general; where the women in different races are of no exception and also allowing polygamy as natural activity. Womens Advertising Images through the Decades: 1980s The advent of color made the advertising medium a more creative and effective means of persuasion. Unlike the other years, the 1980s welcomed a more improved look on print advertisements when in comes to picture and physical quality. However, underlying messages concerning women continue to rise as with the years to follow. The first image again showcased skin and body that can now have an effect on both the male and female consumers. The same goes with the third picture, that even if there is a more emphasis on the acceptance of having cigarette smoking as a feminine activity, the concept of being slim and sexy both conveys to the female market. Thus the idea of being thin and skinny-both portrayed by the tanning and cigar brands-somehow inculcates a definition of perfection that permit the female viewers to imitate what they see. Meanwhile, the second still reflects discrimination; however no gender biases can be justified since the product is directed towards women. Initially, the primary concern points to the dignity of the worker, painstakingly shoveling the raw material in order to make the final product, and the efforts seemed to be underrated and degraded by her own kind as three legs insensitively stood over her. Racial and color preconceived notions are also taken emphasis. Findings and Conclusions Although television is considered as the most effective medium in advertising, this study values the role of print medium as a primary source in conveying different messages that of which the general public is concern. However, despite televisions efficiency, the main grounds of womens issues do not merely lie on the medium use alone, but of how women are being portrayed and presented. Among these images of women in different time capsules, it is generally concluded that they have become subjects of sexual desires and seductions, although it is not yet fully apparent in the early days, because at some point, women are viewed to be an artificial matter compared to the naturalness of men  [2]  , as more portrayed in the fashion scene. This is an obvious indication among presented Axe print advertisements that despite it is directed towards men, there seems to be an unnatural association of women as further seen in the early days of print advertisements although it is not obviously implemented. There seemed to be an urge for domination over men but it is somewhat hidden under a visual portrayal of men as having a more pleasurable gain-as if they are the constant desire in every womans dream. Aside from this, women have continually been affected by their own representation in the media when it comes to weight and health issues. It is mostly indicated that images of being thin and sexy have constantly influenced and replicated the post-modern age of women making them vulnerable victims of bulimia and anorexia  [3]  , as most studies have resulted. On another light, the historical factors have contributed on the issue of discrimination that either involves different groups and sectors of women. Overall, womens image have been regarded as an important and powerful attribute  [4]  to the advertising world as to why it continues to suffer in the real world and living, as an effect in the medias representation of them.

The Very Idea of Humanity :: Philosophy Papers

The Very Idea of Humanity Why should we believe in such a thing as humanity? Should we accept appearances or take authority as our guide? Should we point to some pragmatic advantage to be gained by believing it, or is there proof? Philosophy offers such proof, contained in the dream hypothesis of the Buddha and Plato (and, more famously, Descartes). The dream hypothesis reveals our common ground. It refers to a familiar experience in terms of which young people of every time and place can understand why routine, authority, definition and first principle, category, criterion, perception and paradigm might fail. But the dream hypothesis is about the transition from sleeping to waking. As familiar, this transition is an excellent device for teaching that similar transitions can happen to one who is already awake. The dream hypothesis is about the soul, and the capacity to choose not only one's actions but also one's contexts. On the eve of the new millennium, we face responsibility for the results of our routine s. The dream hypothesis promises to awaken a taste for foresight and negotiation. When we all understand the dream hypothesis, we will no longer worship our routines, but will be better judges of their utility. We will stand together when we transcend our cultures and recognize the capacity of all citizens of every nation, tribe, and culture to grow, that is, when we awaken to the possibility of waking up. This is a plea for the dream hypothesis-a sales pitch, if you will. We are here under the banner, "Philosophy Educating Humanity." If philosophy is to educate humanity, the dream hypothesis will help prove to people of all tribes that there is such a thing as humanity. The dream hypothesis will introduce every child to its own humanity, but it will also introduce every child to the humanity of others. The dream hypothesis will increase the number of fully-functioning souls, that is to say, beings with the capacity to decide rationally what game to play, what interpretation to accept, what routine to follow. According to some philosophers, the dream hypothesis is at best useless. Russell said as much in Problems of Philosophy: There is no logical impossibility in the supposition that the whole of life is a dream, in which we ourselves create all the objects that come before us. But although this is not logically impossible, there is no reason whatever to

Half-Caste by John Agard How effective is the light-hearted ridicule :: English Literature

Half-Caste by John Agard How effective is the light-hearted ridicule in this poem? In the poem Half-Caste by John Agard the poet uses ridicule to put his point across, he uses this technique very effectively and many times and by the end of the poem you realise how stupid the fact of someone being a Half Caste is. The poem is about a man from the West Indies and is called Half Caste, which means of mixed race. The poem starts off with a verse off three lines all written in Standard English. Even in this very short part we can see the way the poet is using ridicule when he says ‘standing on one leg’, this is inferring that because he is a ‘half-caste’ he is only standing on one leg and that only one half the white half of him means anything to most people. It may seem like a ridiculous idea that he should stand on one leg but it does show how stupid the idea that someone can only stand on one leg because he is off mixed race. The poem then goes into a West Indian accent and it then makes another example like mixing colours makes him a half-caste. It then says ‘explain yuself’ again as it did at the start of the verse, this is repeated many times through the poem and becomes a sort of chorus. It is then always followed by an example, in this case comparing light and shadow to black and white. Light and shadow is a euphemism for black and white. The poem then goes onto a line, which really uses ridicule to get the point across, but whilst adding a little humour it shows an extremely vital point that we all as individuals should think about, it says about English weather being half caste. We all know the joke about English weather being bad and traditionally always cloudy and rainy. When we say that the weather is half-caste we are really saying it is not as good as it should be, do we also mean this when we call a person of mixed race a ‘half caste’. That line has double intentions as well as saying about English weather not being very good it also questions our thoughts on people of mixed race and whether we look down on them. The poet then uses light hearted ridicule again when he says about Tchaikovsky using the black and white key on a piano this is saying that he is not half caste but what about someone who only uses white keys does that make them a racist.

A Raisin in the Sun :: Literary Analysis, Lorraine Hansberry

Victor Hugo once said â€Å"There is nothing like dream to create the future†. In Lorraine Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun, the Youngers, an African American family struggle against economic hardship and racial prejudice. The family of five, Mama, Walter, Beneatha, Ruth, and Travis, live in a run down apartment in the South Side of Chicago during the 1950s an era of great prosperity for most. They receives a life insurance check of ten thousand dollars after the passing of Walter Sr.. Each member of the family has his/her own plans for the money. Mama, Walter, and Beneatha have different interpretations of the American Dream: Mama’s perspective is family, Walter’s dream is material success , and Beneatha’s values independence. Mama’s dream is to attain a satisfying life for her family, own a house, and have Walter be the head of the household. Mama discovers her daughter-in-law Ruth is pregnant and wants to have an abortion Mama frantically says that she â€Å"done give one baby to poverty† and she not going to let the family give up another child (75). Mama lost a baby due to her poverty once and is determined to stop Ruth from doing the same. Mama has always dreamed of owning a home and now she believes a home will help keep her family together she tells Ruth she wants an little â€Å"old two story†(44) with a yard where she could have a garden and â€Å"Travis could play in † (44) . Mama decides to use the money to buy a house because she â€Å"seen [her] family [fall] apart† (93). By buying a new house Mama believes establishes an environment for growth and development, preventing her children from doing what she had to do and will keep the family whole. Mamaâ€⠄¢s dream is selfless because there is no personal gain. Walter’s goal is to earn more money; being financially successful is important to him. After the arrival of the life insurance money, Walter and Mama get into a fight over how Walter has changes; Mama asks Walter why he has become obsessed with money, Walter reply â€Å"because it is life†(74). For Walter money comes before everything since no money equates to no life ; therefore making money become Walter’s number one priority because he believes validates his existence. After Mama gives Walter part of the insurance money, Walter talks to his son about how he is going to â€Å"change [their] lives† (108) he foreshadows the future he plans for the family.

Costa Coffee Strategy

MMS assignment: Costa Coffee STRATEGY: 1. Identify, analyse and discuss Strategic issues in Costa Coffee. â€Å"Costa has flourished in a recession which has claimed many victims in the industry,† says Whitebread company. 1The reason for this success is its strategy. Using the PESTEL framework will help identify, analyse and discuss Costa’s strategy. Despite the importance of political, environmental, technological and law factors, for the purpose of this essay we will focus on the economic and social factors affecting Costa Coffee. We will first see how economic factors such as the recent raise of coffee beans price influence Costa’s prices. We will then use social factors such as consumer trends to identify the different trends today and explain how Costa is reacting to them. Through this essay we will have then explained how â€Å"Costa has flourished in a recession which has claimed many victims in the industry,†2 The main economic factor affecting the coffee market today is the raise of coffee beans price. Due to heavy rains brought on by Caribbean storms in the coffee producing 1 Zekaria, S. , 2010. Whitbread Says Costa Coffee ‘Flourished' During Recession. [online] 2010 FOX News Network, LLC. Available at: [Accessed 23 December 2010] 2 Zekaria, S. , 2010. Whitbread Says Costa Coffee ‘Flourished' During Recession. [online] 2010 FOX News Network, LLC. Available at: [Accessed 23 December 2010] countries from Central America, coffee prices have increased3. Coffee futures have gone up 35% since June 2010 to reach the highest price for a pound since December 1997: $1. 848. 4 This is a significant problem because coffee beans are raw materials for coffee shops. Hence if shops do not have coffee beans or not enough, their sales will plummet. As John Wolthers, a trader at coffee exporter Comexim in Santos reports: â€Å"It's a great time to be a producer, and a difficult time to be a roaster. 5 Because these prices are due to natural disasters, it is possible that they will not change until at least end of 2010 or 2011. A normal consequence would therefore be to raise prices in order to retain money. However, Whitbread PLC, owner of Costa Coffee, announced November 10th 2010 that â€Å"it has no plans to increase beverage retail prices , even as it remains concerned over escalating wholesale costs. † 6One of the reasons for this action is because Costa had already bought many coffee beans before the storm hence has enough to provide the outlets with enough beans during this period of increased prices. This shows that Costa â€Å"plans† its purchases well because as we 3 Zekaria, S. , 2010. Whitbread's Costa Coffee Plans No Retail Price Rises. [online] 2010 The Connors Group, Inc. Available at: [Accessed 23 December 2010] 4 Danby, T. and Sellen, T. 2010. No Relief in Sight for the Coffee Market. [online] 2010 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. Available at : [Accessed on 23 December 2010] 5 Danby, T. and Sellen, T. 2010. No Relief in Sight for the Coffee Market. [online] 2010 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. Available at : [Accessed on 23 December 2010] 6 Zekaria, S. , 2010. Whitbread's Costa Coffee Plans No Retail Price Rises. [online] 2010 The Connors Group, Inc. Available at: ; http://www. tradingmarkets. com/news/stockalert/sbux_wtbrf_-update-whitbread-s-costa-coffee-plans-no-retail-price-rises-1297481. html; [Accessed 23 December 2010] 7 Zekaria, S. , 2010. Whitbread's Costa Coffee Plans No Retail Price Rises. [online] 2010 The Connors Group, Inc. Available at: < http://www. tradingmarkets. com/news/stock- can see, thanks to its bulk-buying in coffee beans, it is now unaffected, unlike the other coffee shops, by the coffee bean market. However this could be a risk because one can never know exactly how many beans are consumed per day and Costa does not know for certain how long these prices will remain high. Another reason Costa would not want to raise prices could be because in a period of recession, where consumers are being more and more careful with the way they spend their money8 they will not want to buy a drink at Costa if it is too expensive. Moreover if it is therefore cheaper at Starbucks or Caffe Nero for example why would they want to pay more for the same drink? Hence a third reason for Costa’s decision is due to the competitiveness with the all the other coffee stores. The final reason is â€Å"With total sales growing at 33% year on year, and like for like sales up 9%†9, and with over 1,100 outlets in the UK and 130 new shops to open within this year in the UK10 perhaps Costa is not too affected by the increase of coffee beans price. Hence, with the increase of coffee beans, Costas strategy is not to increase prices for different reasons which demonstrate Costas strength in the coffee industry which therefore explains why it has flourished during the recession: Costa stops at nothing. lert/sbux_wtbrf_-update-whitbread-s-costa-coffee-plans-no-retail-price-rises-1297481. html> [Accessed 23 December 2010] 8 Rodenberg, J. , n. d. Costa Coffee vs Starbucks. [online] Templates Wise. Available at: [Accessed 16 December 2010] 9 Hospitability And Catering News. , 2010. Costa Coffee has wins „Best Branded Coffee Shop Chain?. [onl ine] Available at: [Accessed on 23 December 2010] 10 Zekaria, S. , 2010. Whitbread Says Costa Coffee ‘Flourished' During Recession. [online] 2010 FOX News Network, LLC. Available at: [Accessed 23 December 2010] Moreover, social factors such as consumer trends enable us to see how Costas strategy is brilliant. According to CJ Bobrowski, Head of Costa Systems, â€Å"With greater insight into trends we can adapt more quickly to any changes in consumer needs, helping us to stay ahead of competition in a crowded marketplace. â€Å"11 Hence identifying and explaining the trends and how Costa adapts to them explains its success. For this essay, we will focus on three trends. With prices that cannot increase due to competitively another way in which companies can now compete is through quality. As more and more coffee shops open in the UK, demonstrating high quality is an important aspect for consumers today. With each one providing the same type of product, they need to know which one is the best quality-wise. One of Costa’s advertisements promotes its cappuccino by saying: â€Å"Sorry Starbucks, the people have voted. †12 This advert clearly shows the consumers concern for quality. Through this advert Costa shows it has clearly adapted to consumers new trend. The thirst for an experience is another trend. It has become so important that a word for consumers searching for an experience was invented: â€Å"Transumers†13. Consumers no longer look for simple coffee but for an experience. Costa provides this by training its baristas at official training academies opened by Costa. In fact in 2009they invested in a third Training Academy. Therefore, each of their barista have been professionally trained to provide each 11 Bobrowski, CJ,. [online] Torex Retail Holdings Limited. Available at: [Accessed 17 December 2010] 12 Rodenberg, J. , n. d. Costa Coffee vs Starbucks. [online] Templates Wise. Available at: [Accessed 16 December 2010] 13 Trend watching. , 2006. Transumers. [online] Trendwatching. om. Available at: < http://trendwatching. com/trends/transumers. htm> [Accessed 23 December 2010] customer with the best coffee. 14 This is important for no other coffee shop has invested in training academies which makes Costas drinks even more of an experience for consumers. The â€Å"Nintendo Wii Fitness† is increasingly bought which shows consumers’ concern for health. They are especially more t roubled about the amount of fat, saturated fat, salt and sugar in their food. 15 Hence health has become a trend. In order to respond to this, Costa has different techniques. The first is to provide consumers with different types of milk: soya or skimmed for no extra cost. 16However, Costa does not advertise enough this aspect hence many customers are not aware of these options. They need to increase the marketing for this aspect in order to be fully responding to this trend. The second technique is working with the Food Standards Agency to reduce salt and saturated fat and indicate their quantities. 17This way, the products stay the same with less fat and consumers know how many calories they absorb. This is very risky for Costa. Many consumers are not aware of how many calories there are in their beverages and could be 14 The Food and Drink Innovation Network,. 2009. Costa Opens third training academy in Newburry. [online] Food & Drink Innovation Network. Available at: http://www. fdin. org. uk/2009/06/costa-opens-third-training-academy-in-newbury/ [Accessed 17 December 2010] 15 Foods Standard Agency, 2008. Consumer confidence rises around many food issues. [online] Crown copyright. Available at: [Accessed on 16 December 2010] 16 Morgan, J. , 2008. Fast food menu is recipe for obesity. [online] Cambridge Newspaper Ltd. Available at: [Accessed on 15 December 2010] 17 Food Standards Agency, 2010. Healthy catering commitments. [online] Crown Copyright. Available at: [Accessed on 14 December 2010] shocked like Rebecca: â€Å"It's lethal! I don't want it now [†¦] I know there's a lot of fat in them too. â€Å"18 By observing the trends and adapting to them despite possible negative consequences, Costa proves that â€Å"[great] insight into trends [helps costa] to stay ahead of competition in a crowded marketplace. 19 Costa has been able to â€Å"make it through† the â€Å"rough patches† despite the increase of coffee beans price and its ability to identify and adapt to consumer’s trends. However will they have to increase their prices soon? With such sales growing 33% year on year20 will this firm be able to be at the top of the coffee shop list? 18 Sky News HD, 2009. Cancer Fear Of Calorie-Laden Iced Co ffees. [online] BskyB. Available at: [Accessed on 14 December 2010] 19 Bobrowski, CJ,. [online] Torex Retail Holdings Limited. Available at: [Accessed 17 December 2010] 20 Hospitability And Catering News. , 2010. Costa Coffee has wins „Best Branded Coffee Shop Chain?. [online] Available at: [Accessed on 23 December 2010] MARKETING: 2. Analyse Costa’s Marketing; and then reflect on how it compares to the marketing of Starbucks. Deborah Dougherty, professor of Management and Global Business at Rutgers Business School, and Cynthia Hardy, professor of Management and Marketing at the University of Melbourne, agree that it is difficult for old organisations with a big history to innovate due to the challenges of new technology and global competitors. 1 Costa Coffee being a new organisation hence should not have many problems innovating its products and processes. Being part of the young rising coffee shop industry, Costa Coffee’s number one competitor is Starbucks. Dr. Robert G. Cooper, expert in the field of innovation, published The Invisible Success Factors in Product Innovation in which he establishes â€Å"Eight Actionable Critical Success Factors† for innovation. 22 In this essay we will only use certain factors to explain how Costa’s service and product innovations are better than Starbucks but how, despite this; Costa is still a little behind for the future. In order to be competitive in today’s UK coffee shop industry, service innovation is vital. Costa and Starbucks have therefore launched a new loyalty card because as Jeffery Young, managing director of Allegra Strategies notices: â€Å"Electronic loyalty cards provide an 21 Dougherty, D and Hardy C,. 1996. Sustained Product Innovation in large, mature Organisations: overcoming innovation-to-organization problems. Academy of Management Journal, 39(9, pp. 1120. 22 Cooper, R,. n. d. From Experience: The Invisible Success Factors in Product Innovation. [online] Product Development Institute Inc. Available at: [Accessed on 17 December 2010] opportunity to engage in rich dialogue with customers and track their behavior. †23 Hence this card will not only improve the dialogue between customers and firm but also will enable the companies to innovate their manufacturing process or services in order to adapt to the changing behavior. 24 Although the service is the same, are the reasons behind this innovation the same? One of Cooper’s critical innovation success factors is the justification of the project. 25 For Costa, this new card is a positive sign; its use is to replace the successful old card. According to a year-long trial in Scotland, one in three transactions was using the old card26. Hence in order to thank the customer’s loyalty, Costa wanted to add â€Å"rewards† and innovate the card so that one no longer had to top-up money on the card in order to purchase but would simply pay with money and then receive points that would transform into rewards. 27 The justification for Starbucks’s loyalty card is not for the same positive reasons. For them, with â€Å"sales decline and customers brew at home or visit competitors†, this new loyalty card is a 23 Thomas, J,. 2010. Costa Coffee rolls out customer loyalty card. online] Haymarket Business Media. Available at : [Accessed on 15 December 2010] 24 Thomas, J,. 2010. Costa Coffee rolls out customer loyalty card. [online] Haymarket Business Media. Available at : [Accessed on 15 December 2010] 25 Cooper, R,. n. d. From Experience: The Invisible Success Factors in Product Innovation. [online] Product Development Institute Inc. Available at: [Accessed on 17 December 2010] 26 EatOut,. 2010. Costa Launches New Coffee Club. [online] Available at: [Accessed 15 December 2010] 27 EatOut,. 2010. Costa Launches New Coffee Club. [online] Available at: [Accessed 15 December 2010] echnique to hopefully rebound profits by attracting customers back to the store for its benefits with the card. 28 Therefore, this innovation shows that although both companies propose the same service through their loyalty cards, the reasons behind this same service differs which shows that Costa is raising compared to Starbucks who is struggling against its competitors. Another example that shows that Costa’s innovation is better than Starbucks’s is the launch of a new drink: The Flat White. Although Starbucks is the first to have inaugurated this drink, Costa is the one who has the biggest impact in the UK29. Costa Coffe is the only one to have followed Cooper’s fifth critical innovation success factor : â€Å"A well-planned, adequately-resourced and proficiently-executed launch. †30 Indeed, Starbucks only launched the drink in London whereas Costa, several weeks after, launched it nationally. By launching nationally, Costa was able to sell its new product everywhere whereas Starbucks, only in London31. Hence out-of-London people could believe Costa is the â€Å"founder† of the Flat White, which could therefore lead them to a competitive advantage. Starbucks is the perfect example for Cooper’s statement: â€Å"In some businesses, it’s almost as though the launch is an 28 Startz, S,. 2009. Starbucks Boosts â€Å"Rewards† With Revamped Loyalty Program. [online] 2001-2010 brandchannel. Available at : [Accessed 14 December 2010] 29 Westfield London. n. d. Costa Coffee. [online] 2008 Westfield Group. Available at : [Accessed on 15 December 2010] 30 Cooper, R,. n. d. From Experience: The Invisible Success Factors in Product Innovation. [online] Product Development Institute Inc. Available at: [Accessed on 17 December 2010] 31 Boughton, I,. 2010. Costa Coffee launches the „flat white? ationwide. [online] Reed Business Information. Available at: [Accessed 23 December 2010] after-thought – something to worry about after the product is fully developed. †32Moreover, Costa says to have invested â€Å"more than twelve months’ research, involving the training of 6,000 baristas, at a cost of ov er one million pounds. †33This also shows they followed Cooper’s fifth factor. However, Starbucks says that their baristas had trained themselves due to customers’ requests and that the â€Å"education in the making of the drink was anyway already readily available from a number of barista trainers†. 4 Perhaps Starbucks is right, but according to an independent survey by Tangible Branding Limited consumers prefer Costa’s Flat White to Starbucks’s. 35 This could be explained by the twelve months research and training of 6,000 baristas with a cost of one million pounds. Furthermore, both companies follow Cooper’s second innovation success factor: â€Å"the voice of the customer†. According to Costa's core skills trainer Tim Douglas the Flat White â€Å"will attract some of our latte drinkers who are looking for a milky drink with a broad strength of flavour, and cappuccino drinkers who want a milkier drink with a much richer coff ee 2 Cooper, R,. n. d. From Experience: The Invisible Success Factors in Product Innovation. [online] Product Development Institute Inc. Available at: [Accessed on 17 December 2010] 33 Boughton, I,. 2010. Costa Coffee launches the „flat white? nationwide. [online] Reed Business Information. Available at: [Accessed 23 December 2010] 34 Boughton, I,. 2010. Costa Coffee launches the „flat white? nationwide. [online] Reed Business Information. Available at: [Accessed 23 December 2010] 35 Westfield London. n. d. Costa Coffee. [online] 2008 Westfield Group. Available at : [Accessed on 15 December 2010] flavor. 36 Hence this drink will be able to satisfy the gap between lattes and cappuccinos. Costa is purely reacting to the customers’ need for this â€Å"gap-filling-space†. On the other hand, Starbucks is innovating this drink due to their very negative â€Å"customer’s voice†. Their consumers find their coffees â€Å"too bland and milky†37 w hich is why, the Flat White is the perfect drink to launch because it is â€Å"Stronger, smaller and less milky† than most of their drinks. 38 Therefore, although Costa and Starbucks are using the same product innovation, they have different reasons which show that Costa is becoming more competitive than Starbucks. Although this essay has proved that presently, Costa is innovating for more positive reasons than Starbucks, this state might change in the near future. During a period of recession it is important that firms react to this economical problem. Starbucks, as opposed to Costa, has seemed to understand this and has innovated in â€Å"at-home† machines. The Starbucks Barista Espresso Machine39 or the Barsita Aroma Grande coffee machine enable consumers who do not necessarily want to go out to have a Starbucks coffee to stay at home 36 Williams, A,. 2010. Great White Hope. online] William Reed Business Media Ltd 2010. Available at: [Accessed 23 December 2010] 37 Wallop, H,. 2009. Starbucks to sell ‘flat white' for those fed up with milky coffee. [online] Copyright of Telegraph Media Group Limited 2010. Available at : [Accessed 17 December 2010] 38 Wallop, H,. 2009. Starbucks to sell ‘flat white' for those fed up with milky coffee. [online] Copyright of Telegraph Media Gr oup Limited 2010. Available at : [Accessed 17 December 2010] 39 Justin,. n. d. Starbucks Barista Espresso Marchine. [online] Coffee-Mker-Review. net. Available at: [Accessed 17 December 2010] and make one. Costa should look into this innovation for the future, especially with this economic crisis that continues to worsen. However, Costa may not want to produce these machines because consumers drink their coffees not only for the beverage itself but also for the environment Costa provides, for the â€Å"experience† and unique touch each Barista has when they make one. Hence, perhaps selling these machines would not be of great utility for them. Starbucks is a great competitor for new and rising coffee shops such as Costa. But through this essay we have seen that Costa Coffee is becoming the â€Å"number one† competitor with Starbucks due to its respect to Cooper’s â€Å"Eight Actionable critical success factors†. However, Costa must not forget that Starbucks may be a little weak in the UK but is very strong internationally and that Costa’s next step to compete with Starbucks could perhaps be to have a bigger and stronger position internationally. Referencing List: Bobrowski, CJ,. [online] Torex Retail Holdings Limited. Available at: [Accessed 17 December 2010] Bottonwood,. 2010. Productivity and Coffee Shops. [online] The Economist Newspaper Limited 2010. Available at: [Accessed 13 December 2010] Boughton, I,. 2010. Costa Coffee launches the „flat white? nationwide. [online] Reed Business Information. Available at: [Accessed 23 December 2010] Bowers, S. , 2008. John Derkach: Singular vision fuelled by double macchiato. [online] Guardian News and Media Limited 2010. Available at: [Accessed 15 December 2010] Cooper, R,. n. d. From Experience: The Invisible Success Factors in Product Innovation. [online] Product Development Institute Inc. Available at: [Accessed on 17 December 2010] Danby, T. and Sellen, T. 2010. No Relief in Sight for the Coffee Market. [online] 2010 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. Available at : [Accessed on 23 December 2010] Dougherty, D and Hardy C,. 1996. Sustained Product Innovation in large, mature Organisations: overcoming innovation-to-organization problems. Academy of Management Journal, 39(9, pp. 1120. EatOut,. 2010. Costa Launches New Coffee Club. [online] Available at: [Accessed 15 December 2010] Foods Standard Agency, 2008. Consumer confidence rises around many food issues. online] Crown copyright. Available at: [Accessed on 16 December 2010] Food Standards Agency, 2010. Healthy catering commitments. [online] Crown Copyright. Available at: [Accessed on 14 December 2010] Hospitability And Catering News. , 2010. Costa Coffee has wins „Best Branded Coffee Shop Chain?. [online] Available at: [Accessed on 23 December 2010] Justin,. n. d. Starbucks Barista Espresso Marchine. [online] Coffee-Mk er-Review. net. Available at: [Accessed 17 December 2010] Morgan, J. , 2008. Fast food menu is recipe for obesity. [online] Cambridge Newspaper Ltd. Available at: [Accessed on 15 December 2010] Ndzamela, P. , 2008. Credit crunch putting the bite on cafe culture. [online] Thomson Reuters. Available at: < http://www. reuters. com/article/idUSTRE4AC7YE20081113> [Accessed 15 December 2010] Prynn, J. , 2008. Coffee shop boom time as chains defy crunch. [online] Evening Standard. Available at: [Accessed 16 December 2010] Rodenberg, J. , n. d. Costa Coffee vs Starbucks. [online] Templates Wise. Available at: [Accessed 16 December 2010] Sky News HD, 2009. Cancer Fear Of Calorie-Laden Iced Coffees. [online] BskyB. Available at: [Accessed on 14 December 2010] Smith, A. , 2009. Coffee Price Too Steep? Blame the Weather. [online] Time Inc. Available at: [Accessed 15 December 2010] Startz, S,. 2009. Starbucks Boosts â€Å"Rewards† With Revamped Loyalty Program. [online] 2001-2010 brandchannel. Available at : [Accessed 14 December 2010] The Food and Drink Innovation Network,. 2009. Costa Opens third training academy in Newburry. [online] Food & Drink Innovation Network. Available at: http://www. fdin. org. uk/2009/06/costa-opens-third-training-academy-in-newbury/ [Accessed 17 December 2010] Thomas, J,. 2010. Costa Coffee rolls out customer loyalty card. [online] Haymarket Business Media. Available at : [Accessed on 15 December 2010] Trend watching. , 2006. Transumers. [online] Trendwatching. com. Available at: < http://trendwatching. com/trends/transumers. htm> [Accessed 23 December 2010] Wallop, H,. 2009. Starbucks to sell ‘flat white' for those fed up with milky coffee. [online] Copyright of Telegraph Media Group Limited 2010. Available at : [Accessed 17 December 2010] Westfield London. n. d. Costa Coffee. [online] 2008 Westfield Group. Available at : [Accessed on 15 December 2010] Williams, A,. 010. Great White Hope. [online] William Reed Business Media Ltd 2010. Available at: [Accessed 23 December 2010] Zekaria, S. , 2010. Whitbread Says Costa Coffee ‘Flourished' During Recession. [online] 2010 FOX News Network, LLC. Available at: [Accessed 23 December 2010] Zekaria, S. , 2010. Whitbread's Costa Coffee Plans No Retail Price Rises. [online] 2010 The Connors Group, Inc. Ava ilable at: ; http://www. tradingmarkets. com/news/stockalert/sbux_wtbrf_-update-whitbread-s-costa-coffee-plans-no-retail-price-rises-1297481. html [Accessed 23 December 2010]