Competitive advantage of IKEA Essay

INTRODUCTION In this modern hypercompetitive marketplace, a company must be a powerful competitor to survive. A company must possess a powerful strategy in order to become a powerful competitor. But what makes a good strategy for the company? A good business strategy would be that to attain a competitive advantage over other competitors. So what is a competitive advantage? And how company can be able to have a competitive advantage over other competitors? This essay would now discuss what a competitive advantage is and how a company can build a competitive advantage over other competitors in the same industry by using two furnishing stores, Ikea and Courts as examples. COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE Definition A company is said have competitive advantage over its competitors when the company earns profits that are above the normal average in the industry where it competes. Types of competitive advantages According to Michael Porter, there are two basic types of competitive advantage, namely: Cost Advantage- A cost advantage is the ability of the firm to deliver the same product or services at lower cost than competitors. This can be achieved through using economies of scale, production efficiencies, low labor cost or better access to raw material and etc. Differentiation advantage- A differentiation advantage is the ability of the firm to deliver products or services that are different from the product mix of competitors. Due to the added costs in achieving differentiation for the  product or services, differentiated products or services are often marketed at premium prices. Model of Competitive Advantage Source: www.quickmba.com Competitive advantage derives out of value a firm is able to create for its buyers that exceeds the firm’s cost of creating it. Value is what buyers are willing to pay, and superior value stems from offering lower prices than competitors for equivalent benefits or providing unique benefits that reduce the price sensitivity of the buyer. Value can be achieved though utilizing the firm resources and capabilities that would then become core competencies of the particular firm. The core competencies created will allow the firm to position either as a cost leader or differentiation leader in the industry and this will in turn create value for the buyers which will become the firm competitive advantage in the industry. Resources and capabilities A firm needs to possess resources and capabilities that are better than its competitors in order to develop a competitive advantage over them. Any competitive advantage will disappear if the competitors can easily imitate what the firm was doing. Resources are assets of the company that its competitors cannot easily acquire. Some examples of a firm resource include the firm’s reputation, loyal customer base, patent and trademarks and strong branding. Capabilities refer to the ability of the firm to make the most of its resources. One good example of the capabilities of a firm is the ability to carry out a successful marketing campaign. The combination of both capabilities and resource will become the distinctive competencies of the firm. The competencies will allow the firm to achieve  innovation, efficiency, quality and customer responsiveness. The core competencies created will allowed the firm to position either as a cost leader or differentiation leader in the industry Cost advantage and differentiation advantage A firm will position itself as a cost leader or differentiation leader in the industry based on the distinctive competencies formed using its resources and capabilities which become the firm competitive advantage against other competitors. Value creation Value is created by firm through performing a series of value creating activities that Porter identified as the value chain. The value chain comprises 4 supporting activities (procurement, technology development, human resource and firm infrastructure) and 5 primary activities (inbound logistics, operation, outbound logistics, marketing as well as sales and service). On top of the firm own value creating activities, the firm operates in a value system of vertical activities including those of upstream suppliers and downstream channel members. In order to achieve competitive advantage, a firm must perform one or more value-creating activity that is more superior compared to other competitors. Superior value is created through lower costs or superior benefits to the buyers. IKEA Profile Ikea, the Swedish furniture giant was founded in 1943. It is the world’s largest furniture retailer that sells stylish but inexpensive Scandinavian designed furniture. It has outlets in 35 countries, including Singapore. The company is, perhaps, one of the World’s most successful multinational retailing firms operating as a global organization based on its unique concept that the furniture is sold in knock down form that are to be  assembled by the customer at home. Ikea mission statement Ikea’s mission is to offer a wide range of home furnishing items of good design and function, excellent quality and durability, at prices so low that as many people as possible can afford to buy them (www.ikea.com) Ikea competitive advantage Ikea’s success in the retail furniture industry can be attributed to its vast experience in the retail market and its ability to integrate both product differentiation and cost leadership strategies successfully. As pointed out in Ikea’s mission statement, the company is in business to produce high quality products at a low cost. This would support a cost leadership strategy. However, the company is also applying differentiation strategy due to its unique way of incorporating the customer in the value chain and unique marketing strategies Cost advantage Ikea cost leadership strategy allowed it to have a competitive edge over other competitors in term of pricing. Ikea achieved this through tight cost control and production efficiencies. Under Ikea’s global strategy, suppliers are usually located in low-cost nations, with close proximity to raw material and reliable access to distribution channels. These suppliers produce highly standardized products intended for the global market, including Ikea. This allows Ikea to take advantage of economies of scale. Ikea also practice tight cost control in order to keeps its product price low and affordable. Some key cost control measures undertaken by Ikea includes: * Locating their outlet outside the city area on places where the lease or the cost of the land is cheaper * Flat packaging of its product allows Ikea to transport its goods from suppliers to its outlet at low cost as it efficiently maximizes the space during transportation. Flat packaging also means lower warehousing costs for them. * â€Å"No waste† policy when Ikea develops product. For example, the remnants of fabrics that are left over the heart shaped FAMNIG cushion, one of Ikea product, are used to make smaller FAMNIG cushion. Door manufacturer are used by Ikea to make their table-top with the leftover raw material thus reducing production cost. In addition to tight cost control and production efficiencies, Ikea also incorporate customer into the value chain approach as a mean of reducing costs. Customers are to use the information on the product price tag to collect from the racks in the store self-service area, transport the items themselves back home and to assemble by themselves. The costs saved are passed back to the consumer in term of charging lower price for their product rather then including the labor costs and delivery costs into the selling price, a usual practice of other furniture stores. Differentiation advantage Ikea had also successfully integrated its cost leadership strategy with differentiation strategy that allowed it to further distinguish itself from other furniture stores and develop a strong branding for the firm. Ikea differentiate itself from other competitors by performing the following: * As mentioned earlier in page 6, Ikea incorporate customer into the value chain approach to reduce cost. Customers are to use the information on the product price tag to collect from the racks in the store self-service area, transport the items themselves back home and to do assembling of the  furniture. Ikea is the only furniture store that adopts this practice in Singapore and it is accepted by all Ikea customers as they understood it as a cost saving method through education by Ikea to the customer on their catalogues. * Ikea adopted different marketing communication strategy from the rest of its competitors. Instead of choosing to advertise every weekend in the newspaper to reach out to consumer, which is the norm of most of the popular furniture stores in Singapore, Ikea main communication strategy lies in the complimentary catalogue mail to every household in Singapore annually. This allowed customer to read the catalogue at the comfort of their home. Furthermore, the dimensions of the furnitures are indicates in the catalogue that allowed the customer to measure up their place for the furniture and come up with a systematic shopping list. Thus, the catalogue is the best way to prepare the customer for a visit to Ikea compare to newspaper advertisement used by other competitors. * Ikea provides child care services and supervised play area in their outlets to ensure parents can focus on their shopping in Ikea store without having any worries for their children. * In-store restaurant (Rare among furniture stores), Burger King as in the case of Singapore, offer a chance for shoppers to take meal breaks without the hassle of leaving the store. Summary The cost leadership strategy adopted by Ikea allows it to set attractive price for their product compare to other competitors in the same industry. By setting attractive price, it also reduces the price sensitivity of the consumer. The cost advantage is achieved by Ikea through tight cost control and production efficiencies. The differentiation strategy approach such as the Ikea catalogue, in-store restaurant, the incorporation of customer in the value chain and providing of child care services undertaken by Ikea helps to create a highly differentiated picture of Ikea in the target  market’s mind. Ikea through successfully integrating cost leadership and differentiation strategy had become one of the most successful international furniture retailers.

Organizational Change Essay

Given the complex nature and competitive environment under which modern organizations operate ,the way forward for organization is to adopt strategies ,methods and practices which enable them to be ahead of their competitors. Recently global ,political and economic events such as liberations of economics,arising cost of productions ,global economic downtown ,the many competing and substitute products in the market and the spill over effects of the terrorist attacks in America, have led many organization to retrench adopt stringent cost cutting measures and to think of appropriate measures of attracting the largest number of consumers and secure a leading market share in a given industry . To remain competitive, modern organization should aim at uniqueness and superiority in all spheres of their operations ;in technology ,work procedures ,good and services ,approaches to the various management function of planning ,organizing,staffing , directing and controlling . These changes are only possible through creative and innovative thinking . The survival and continued relevance of organizations in the market place therefore depends on the strategies and survival tactics evolved by these organizations to respond to changes in the operating environment. One of the greatest challenges facing organizations therefore is the management of change in a manner that encourages pro activity and ensures continued relevance . Organization change can be defined from various perspectives . One commonly used definition of change is alteration of existing activities ,change can also be defined as innovative; the basic sense of introducing something new in the organization. Organizational change in the sense of improvement therefore refers to activities aimed at strengthening organizational performance such as new technology, work policy ,procedure,product,work attitudes and structural design . Creativity is the process through which a change can be introduced in an organization. It refers to the generation of new ideas into a real product ,service or method of production . Organization change ,creativity and innovation through creative ideas most be capable of being implemented. A creative ideas work therefore be useless unless it is innovative . Organizational change may be necessitated by pressure from outside or within the organization Cole G. A. 1996), Management Theory and Practice says that external forces for change are those forces which operate from outside organization,These include ; forces of competition ,for example competitors changing their strategies and other methods of operations; economic forces such as poor economic performance may require new cost cutting measures; political and legal forces such as passage of new laws by the government . Economic liberalization policy which no longer affords protection to local firms may require them to adopt new methods in products strategies in order to remain in competitive in the face of the inflow of foreign goods. Technological forces,for example,new technology of a firm obsolete ;social cultural forces such as change as in societal norms,values and altitudes should be accompanied by corresponding changes in goods and services. For example, a changes in taste require that a company must change quality levels,feature of existing products and services or introduce a completely new product in the market;physical forces like change in weather and climatic patterns,for example,adverse weather effects may require a company to adjust its production program. This may be due to shortage of essential agricultural based raw materials. Other external forces for change may be;creditors changing their lending policies which would mean that companies must work harder than before;trade unions imposing new conditions on matters affecting employees;consumer protection organizations insisting on specific quality standards hence the need to be quality sensitive;consumer insisting on quality and efficient services other than low prices or fees charged. Internal forces for change include;existing procedures which have become irrelevant and the existing structures which are too rigid hence the need for flexible structures;centralized systems of authority which is no longer effective after major organizational growth and expansion ;negative working attitudes by workers which need to be changed through new policies,rules and procedures,existing technology which may be obsolete and the organization has to adopt the new technology for it to improve efficiency and the competitive edge against other competitors;existing products and services which are no longer competitive in the market;existing training program which have become irrelevant in light of changes in work methods and technology;existing compensation policy which is not motivational such as automatic salary increment not based on merit. Anew compensation method for example payment by results may be adopted or introduced in the organization n facing up these internal triggers for change,management have to plan how they will respond to them. Some potential changes will have been announced well before hand and in these cases planning is taken care of pro actively . Koontz and Weirich (1995)Management:A global perspective, defined a change agent as any person or a group of people who may identify and recommend the need for change in an organization . Examples include, a committee set by the management, a task force, board of directors,shareholders,managers or individual employees. An employee for example may identify a difficulty or a weakness in the existing work procedures and suggest change to the management. If the change is rather insignificant and may not affect the final results,an employee may just implement such a change without a further consultations. Organizational change may be introduced in a planned or in reactive manner. A planned change is introduced pro actively when the organization identifies the need based on the benefits believed to come from change without disrupting operational processes. All change will incur some direct costs,for example,equipment costs,relocation costs,recruitment costs and possible redundancy payments. There will be also indirect costs such as communicating the changes to employees ,providing appropriate training and temporarily redeploying key managers and staff on change projects. An organization should also consider what might be the costs of not introducing the proposed changes. The resources required are identified in advance,employees trained or prepared accordingly adequate measures put in place to deal with the effects of change such as resistance to change. A reactive change on the other hand is normally introduced in an abrupt manner through a piecemeal approaches. A company waits until the pressure for change becomes too much and simply reacts through measures which can lead to immediate solution of a problem. For example, when there is ‘cut throat’ price competition , a company may wait until it finds it unavoidable to reduce its prices when it is not able to survive in the market by maintaining its prices. According to Lewin Schein model , a model propounded by Kurt Lewin and Edgar Sshein,German Management theorists ,change can be introduced in an organization through the following steps:unfreezing that is,identifying the need for change and making it clear to employees how the organization will benefit by changing the status quo;change the transition period in the change process when employees abandon the old practices and adopt the new practices or change from the old to new attitudes ;refreezing which are the measures taken by the management which would ensure that employees sustain or continue with the changed attitudes or behavior. Emotional support,encouragement or financial reward may be provided. Through positive reinforcements ,new practices become the accepted ways of doing things in an organization. One of the principal ways in which organization can bring about planned change is by means of organization development. Organization development is a strategy for improving organizational effectiveness by means of behavioral science approaches,involving application of diagnostic and problem solving skills by an external consultant in collaboration with the organizational management. Organization development is an organization wide process,it takes an essentially systems view of the organization;it utilizes the techniques and approaches of the behavioral sciences that is psychology and sociology;it also involves the intervention of an external third party in the shape of a change agent trained and experienced in behavioral science application in the work situation. Organization development is aimed at organization effectiveness that is,it is something more than management development ;it is concerned with changing structures and decision processes as it is with changing people’s behavior. Organization development is about change and this change can be painful especially when it involves peoples attitudes ,beliefs and self image. The organization development is utilized when the senior management of an organization come to recognize that the key components of the organization system are not working harmoniously together. There is no one best way of introducing and designing an organization development program in an organization. It first takes a preliminary stage whereby the senior management team discusses the scope and implications of an a organization development with the change agent. This includes discussion about the aims of a possible program and the means by which it might be achieved. It also includes a consideration of the possible implication for the organization arising from the implementation of a program;it then define the nature of the relation ship between the change agent and the organization’s management that is,whether the change agent is to play the role of an expert , a catalyst for new ideas ,educator or some other agreed role. If the agreement is reached about the idea of commencing an organization development program then it goes to the next stage of analysis and diagnosis where the change agent usually takes the initiative by designing appropriate methods for obtaining relevant information for example,interviews and surveys and by proposing a strategy for putting these into operation with the full backing of the management team. The information obtained should clarify the problems facing the organization,and build up a picture of staff attitude and opinions as well as supplying some important suggestions as to how the problems would be solved. On the basis of information received,the management team and the change agent agree their diagnosis of the situation . The management team in close collaboration with the change agent agree on what are the aims and objectives of the program. These aims could be to improve profitability ,secure a share of new market ,improve staff motivation or other desired improve ment. To these ends,specific objectives would be useful,such as to achieve the restructuring of the company along matrix lines over a period of say , one and a half years and obtain the full commitment of all the management staff to an open and democratic style of leadership or to reduce substantially the number of customer complaints about after sale service. The organization’s problems have been analyzed ,a diagnosis of the overall situation has been made and agreement has been reached about the aims and the objectives of the exercise,it then behooves a moment of planning the content and the sequence of activities designed to achieve the aims of the programs. Much of the tactics in the planning stage will be influenced by the change agent whose skills and expertise knowledge in behavioral matters will be brought to bear on the manner of introducing the various organizational development activities. These activities will be examined more closely in bits noting the progression. Once the plans have been put into action,it is very imperative that they should be monitored at frequent intervals by the management and the change agent. Difficulties and misconceptions are bound to occur and these must be noted as soon as possible and dealt with quickly. If a particular activity is having adverse results,it will have to be amended or even dropped from the programs. From time to time more substantial reviews of the progress towards the aims and objectives of the exercise will be required ,and this often leads to comparing the results against the benchmarks which are the objectives of the whole change process. In light of the major review it is possible that some important revisions of the aims may be important for which further series of plans will be necessary. The success of any organization development concerning change process in an organization depends largely on the part played by the change agent. The change agent is at the core center of the entire organizations development process. If the change agent is not able to build a firm relationship between himself and the management team concerned,or if he fails to establish his credibility with a range of other groups,his chances of obtaining a sense of commitment required in the whole process are so low. Conversely,if the gains trust and respect both as a person and as a skilled adviser, then he stands a better chance of achieving his own contribution to the aims and the objectives of the program. The roles of a change agent are a multiple ones. These roles range from the highly directive,leadership type of roles to a non-directive counseling role. In the first place,he prescribes what is best for his clients and on the other hand ,he will reflect issues and problems back to his clients without offering any judgment to himself. Qualities of intellect and personality are also important with the change agent in particular the ability to listen and to apply rational approaches to problems and situations;also a mature outlook in terms of awareness and acceptance of personal strengths and weakness. Abilities required are not only those associated with behavioral science knowledge but more general skills such as interviewing skills,presentation skills and the ability to establish and maintain comfortable relationship with a wide cross-section of people. This combination of attributes suggests that a change agent will not always be readily available. It takes a certain kind of character to be able to make the contribution to joint problem solving and decision making that is required in the organization development. The most significant benefits of an organization development program obviously depends on the needs of the organization at the commencement of the program. Organization development enables an organization to adapt to change in away that obtains the full commitment of the employees concerned that is,it instills a mind of change in the employees minds where they perceive themselves as apart of the whole process of change ;organization development can also lead to organization structures that will facilitate employee cooperation and the achievement of tasks in that it brings about the issue of critical thought and mind development whenever the employees swaps between the jobs and the ranks unlike when the the employees would on a p[articular job and role until the retirement hence change brings about new challenges to the employee which eventually turns around the status quo and implement the policies of an enterprise into improvement of services;it also release the ;latent energy and creativity in the organization by way of specialization;it provides opportunities for management development in the context of real organization problems and the way to solve them by involving all the parties concerned including employees in the decision making process;it may also stimulate more creative approaches to problem-solving throughout the entire organization. Finally,change increases the ability of the management groups to look as teams and this will eventually lead to the achievement of longterm goals of the company. Resistance to change has been associated with the change and accepted as a major element of any change process. No matter how change may benefit the organization and individual employees,there will always be a tendency to resist it. Stower J.  F (2000) Management,says that change may result from fear of the unknown ,for example,potential difficulties or uncertainties which may come along with a new method or a procedure;fear of losing power,prestige or status that is fear of perceived inferiority complex towards the subordinates;fear of losing job related opportunities such as promotion or lack of care growth;failure to understand why a change is being introduced due to poor communication;perpetual differences between individual employees ,managers or work groups;fear of losing a job or going for further training when computerization program is to be undertaken or a major change are to be introduced through business process re-engineering . The management should device ways of reducing some of the resistance to change in an organization such ways as;conduct an education and communicate effectively with employees on the need and benefits of change;involve employees in planning the change process ;negotiate with employees or departments which are likely to resist changes ;introduce change in piecemeal manner and provide emotional support including time off during the most difficult period of the change process;selectively use information which gives emphasis on positive aspects of change. Employees likely to resist change may also be co-opted or assigned new positions created during the change process. In order to create an environment in which people think creatively and develop suitable ideas for change ,the management of an organization should take the following measures;develop an acceptance for change,employees must think strategically and believe that change is inevitable for the organization survival;provide a clea r objectives and freedom to achieve them. Organization members who are given clear objectives would be stimulated to meet them . Their creativity will have a purpose and direction ;a conducive environment for creativity is enhanced if individual have the opportunities to interact with members of their own and other work groups. Such interaction encourages team spirit ,exchange of useful information,free flow of ideas and fresh perspective on problems,also make it clear in word and deeds that the management welcomes new ideas. Managers who closely supervise every action of subordinates encourage them to follow orders rather than to experiment with new ideas. Because of tough competition ,resource scarcity and high equipment costs,the only way to ensure survival in any industry is change through creativity and innovation. Any idea that leads to more efficient and effective operation should be explored and implemented,hence a new idea may be a boon in an organization.

Major causes of unemployment Essay

â€Å"Outline the major causes of unemployment and social consequences of unemployment for the Australian economy†. There are a number of causes of unemployment, which ultimately result in both positive and negative consequences for Australias economy. These causes are outlined as follows. Economic growth is possibly the most influential factor causing unemployment. The demand for labour is a derived demand, meaning that it is determined by the level of demand for goods and services in an economy. This means that if an economy is experiencing low levels of economic growth, aggregate demand will fall, thus decreasing the demand for labour, which will result in an increase in unemployment. resulted in a strong decline in unemployment (stimulus). Australias unemployment rate is currently at 5.1%, its lowest since the 1970s (stimulus). Unemployment may also be caused by technological change This can have a negative effect on unemployment as a company may replace labour with capital in order to become more efficient. Jobs are lost as technology is now used instead, or people dont have the skills required for the new production methods therefore increasing unemployment. However, the labour force may undergo further education and training to acquire the new skills needed, thus reducing unemployment. Labour productivity is a significant factor affecting the level of unemployment. Low level of productivity tends to encourage employers to use capital in reference to labour in production therefor increasing unemployment. The cost of labour also impacts upon the unemployment rate. If the cost of labour is high, employers will replace labour with capital therefor increasing unemployment, but if it is relatively low, employers will rather choose to employ more workers, thus increasing unemployment. One of the reasons for a rapid increase in labour costs may be the inflexibility of the labour market due to regulations for e.g. 2006 IR laws resulting in higher minimum wages than would occur if wages were set through the interaction between the demand and supply of labour. In addition, the process of structural change in the economy often involves significant short term costs, unemployment. Job losses are greater in less efficient industries and in areas undergoing major reforms, such as public utilities that are being privatised. For e.g. large tariff cuts have contributed to the loss of jobs in the manufacturing sector. Structural change also includes reductions in protection. If local producers can no longer compete internationally there will be a rise in unemployment, however this will be beneficial to the labour market in the long term as efficient industries emerge. The unemployment rate may also occur as a result of government macroeconomic policy. The governments macroeconomic policy can influence the level of unemployment in the short to medium term, through their influence in the business cycle. With the implementation of contractionary macroeconomic policy, with budget deficits and tighter monetary policy this results in higher interest rates and less government spending leads to a slowdown in economic growth and investment causing unemployment to increase. Another reason for declining unemployment is changing participation rates and school retention rates. During an economic upswing the participation rate (labour force / working age population x 100) is known to rise as discouraged job seekers re-enter the labour force and begin to actively look for work again. This means economic growth needs to be high enough to absorb both the unemployed and those returning to the labour force for unemployment to decline. As more students are completing high school and entering tertiary education, young people are entering the work force later. This means that the size of the labour force is reduced, which improves the rate of unemployment. Furthermore, once students finish their studies and enter the labour force they have greater knowledge and skills, improving their  employment prospects. A consistently high level of unemployment has negative social effects on society, individuals and the economy. Unemployment within an economy has dire consequences on society. Increased inequality is the most severe cost within society. Unemployment tends to affect lower income earners such as the young, unskilled, indigenous Australians, regional Australia and those migrants who were born overseas. Because unemployment means a loss of income for these social class they become relatively worse off compared to higher income earners as they struggle to cater for their day to day needs, therefore contributing to poverty and overall inequality in income distribution. Unemployment is associated with many of the most serious and personal social problems in Australia. Among families and individuals, especially those who suffer from long-term unemployment, there is an increased incidence of social problems; including homelessness/housing problemssever financial hardshipfamily tensionserosion of confidence and self esteemincreased levels of debtloss of work skills making it all the more difficult to re-enter the workforceincreased social isolationpoor health, psychological disorders and suicideThese social problems have an economic cost for the community as a whole, since more resources must be directed towards dealing with them. Money to be spent on resurrecting peoples lives takes away funds from satisfying community wants. All in all, unemployment is one economic issue which has to be looked at very closely, as the consequences listed above are just some of the realities brought about by unemployment. â€Å"Discuss Australias recent unemployment performance.†Even though Australia has low unemployment rate in comparison to other OECD countries, unemployment has been a significant economic policy challenge in Australia for the past three decades. Australia began experiencing low unemployment rates during the 1960s and early 1970s, however an increase in unemployment figures gradually occurred during the mid 1970s. For the last 25 years to 2006 Australias unemployment rate has averaged 8%. However the current unemployment rate fell to its lowest in 30 years, to approximately 4.7% in 2006-2007, proving it has entered a new era of sustained unemployment due to sustained economic growth. During the 1990s the unemployment rate peaked at 10.7%, the highest level since the great depression due to the severe recession in Australia and the global economy. Falling AD resulted in the closure of many firms and cutbacks in production, which led to cutbacks in labour therefore increasing unemployment. Australias slow progress on unemployment during this period was also due to the strength of labour productivity growth which meant businesses were able to increase their output without hiring new staff. Through the extensive structural change and micro economic reform unemployment during this period worsened. As new technologies emerged and production techniques changed people who lost their job found it more difficult to obtain new jobs in emerging industries. Since the 1990s recession, Australias unemployment levels have been falling gradually due to its consistent economic growth levels over the past 15 years bringing unemployment to its minimum level of approximately 4.8%. Australia needs economic growth rates of at least 3.75% in order to make progress in reducing unemployment. This only occurs as unemployment can only be reduced if AD (economic growth) exceeds the total of productivity growth plus growth in the labour force. This relationship is mainly referred to as Okuns Law. Since the beginning of this decade, productivity growth has been much slower, which has meant the unemployment rate has continued to fall even though economic growth has only averaged around 3%. Over the last 5 years, Australias unemployment rate has remained below the OECD average but many countries still have lower unemployment levels including Ireland New Zealand  and Japan. â€Å"Assess the policy options available to the government to achieve a sustained reduction in the level of unemployment†The labour markets ability to sustain low unemployment is a result of improved Macroeconomic Policy frameworks and extensive Microeconomic Reform over a long period of time. Macroeconomic Policy allows the government to alter aggregate demand in the economy through the use of Monetary and Fiscal Policy. As 8 out of the last 9 budgets have achieved a Fiscal Balance, our 2004-05 Budget has a relatively small surplus with payments being sent, totalling to 1% of GDP, at the end of the financial year and the cash rate has been below 5.5% for 39 months the Howard government have held Macroeconomic Policy in expansionary ground for a substantial period of time. This has resulted in 13 years of strong sustainable economic growth and, thus, elimination of cyclical unemployment. Monetary Policy assists by smoothing out the business cycle and reducing fluctuations in aggregate demand. The RBA has chosen to maintain low interest rates because of the effects higher interest rates would have on unemployment, among other factors. Over the past three years Australia experienced a Real Estate boom. This has resulted in a major growth in debt and construction in Australia. An increase in interest rates for many of the heavily indebted would dramatically reduce their disposable incomes, hence reducing aggregate demand and causing unemployment. Also within the last 12 months 9 out of every 10 jobs created was in construction, meaning massive job loss should interest rates rise. Furthermore this will affect many other industries such as retail and whitegoods, which have benefited from this increased demand. Fiscal Policy enables the government to inject revenue into regions or specific groups within the economy. The Budget 2004-05 aims to address demands by increasing participation and productivity through a number of initiatives. One of the major incentives that will impact upon unemployment is the reduction of the Welfare Trap. This addresses mainly low and  middle-income families that remain unemployed, as they are financially better off just receiving welfare. The package will increase the incentives to take on additional work, seek advancement, acquire skills and ultimately increase the labour force participation rate. Microeconomic Policies are policies aimed at individual industries that are seeking to improve efficiency and productivity of the producers. These have allowed governments to deregulate the Labour Market as previously the over-regulated and inflexible labour market and wage determination process was viewed as damaging to the Labour Market. The introduction of the WORKPLACE RELATIONS ACT 1996 aims to decentralise the Workplace Relations System by discouraging the use of third parties, such as the AIRC. Instead the Australian Government are encourging encouraging employers and employees to reach outcomes based on the circumstances of their particular enterprise or organisation. Formal collective agreements can be made directly between employers and employees, known as Australian Workplace Agreements. Although these agreements must meet a global no-disadvantage test, to ensure the agreement isnt unlawful or less favourable, the agreement is largely between the employer and employee. Workplace agreements have contributed to improved productivity, higher real wages and greater access to family-friendly provisions. Previously rigid award regulations have been simplified. A safety net is ensured, providing minimum standards to protect employees (especially the low-paid). The actual terms and conditions are, however, determined by an agreement at the workplace. The WORKPLACE RELATIONS ACT also makes compulsory union membership illegal, allowing employees greater fredom of choice. This has also contributed to the declining power of the unions. The WORKPLACE RELATIONS ACT now protects businesses from unlawful industrial action. This has lead to reducing strikes to the lowest levels in Australias history. Unfair dismissal laws have been replaced with a new fair go all  round law, as it was found this law had contributed to the loss of at least 77,000 jobs in small businesses. Through the introduction of the Job Network inefficiencies of job training and placement were reduced. With more efficient Labour market Services the unemployed were able find desired positions faster, hence reducing Frictional unemployment. The Work-for-the-Dole Scheme is part of the Howard Governments mutual obligation principle. This requires 18 to 24 year olds that have been on benefits for more than six months to participate in and activity in addition to job search. This has assisted over 200,000 unemployed to rebuild self-confidence, and develop work ethic and skills Although this does encourage regeneration of work habits the Work-for-the-Dole Scheme conveys very few technical or vocational skills. The New Apprenticeship Scheme has also benefited by organising apprenticeships for 70% of school leavers that dont go to university. The Government also provides businesss that employ those previously unemployed with wage and training subsidies to provide incentive for employers taking a risk on the unemployed. Bibliography -Australian Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade (http://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/australia/index.html – Australian Facts). http://www.oecd.org/country/0,3021,en_33873108_33873229_1_1_1_1_1,00.htmlhttp://www.oecd.org/document/28/0,2340,en_2649_34569_37147228_1_1_1_1,00.htmlBooks-† TIm Dixon† Australian Economics 2007

Social -- Redo Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Social -- Redo Society - Essay Example The results of the analysis suggested that not all, but most of the moral systems need some renovation in order to make them play a valuable role in saving humanity and the world. The conclusion of the results was that some moral systems should be restored to the point at which they were in earlier even centuries. Introduction Moral systems are the systems of justifiable and coherent principles, behaviors, thoughts, and ideas that work together to form a system (Ursery). Each moral system is the base of morality for a society that guides people when they deal with any particular matter of life. According to Edmonds, â€Å"moral systems can be shaped by different cultures, which is how people can look at the same situation and come to a different conclusion about it†. Moral systems help people live their lives according to a set of predefined ethics and rules. In this paper, the researcher will examine the need for renovating or replacing current moral systems considering the l evels of poverty, injustice, disease, war, and crime in the present world. ... Poverty If we analyze the level of poverty in 21st century with that of earlier centuries, we will come to know that poverty has increased significantly with the start of the 21st century. Today, there is no proper check and balance system in place due to which poor people are getting more poor with every passing day. As Smith states, â€Å"every man is rich or poor according to the degree in which he can afford to enjoy the necessaries, conveniencies, and amusements of human life†. Although this statement is true, but when we see the prices of products today and compare them with the buying power of people, we come to know that poverty is on rise everywhere in the world. Poverty has increased in today’s world because today hardly any one has the time or desire to help the needy. We can reduce poverty only if we start going back to our original norms that taught us to have some feelings for others. Crime Our moral systems have become so weak that we have forgotten the v alue of ethics and moral in our lives. Today, one can observe that the graph of crimes have gone very high and is still on rise because of less inclusion of ethics and norms in thoughts and actions. Crimes occur when people start ignoring the value of ethics and try to snatch the rights of others for his/her own sake. Again, the feeling of ‘for others’ start diminishing when the rate of crimes goes high. Crimes are not the ones which harm others physically or mentally. They also refer to such words or thoughts that may harm others unintentionally. According to Nietzsche, â€Å"our highest insights must, and should, sound like follies or even crimes when they are heard without permission by those

Allied strategy in WWII for campaign on mainland Italy Essay

Allied strategy in WWII for campaign on mainland Italy - Essay Example We are raising a generation of young people who are historically illiterate to a large degree. Everything we have--our institutions, our material advantages, our laws, our freedom, not to say our poetry...music and...architecture--all comes to us from people who went before us. And to not know anything about them, to be indifferent to them, which is even worse than being ignorant...is...really...mass ingratitude1. The allied invasion of mainland Italy began in September 1943. General Harold Alexander's 15th Army Group was responsible for starting this invasion. The first step was invasion of Sicily. This was completed successfully during the campaign. How did it all start After the defeat in North Africa, the differences between the axis powers began to grow. The next strategic step of the allied forces was now not clear. Winston Churchill said the next step should be to invade Italy. He wanted to remove the influence of Regia Marina on Italy. The invasion of Italy would open the routes for the allied forces to enter the Mediterranean. The entrance in the Mediterranean was important as later on it could give way to the allied forces to enter Middle East and Far East. Another important reason for this was the increase in supply from America and Britain. This invasion would also help stop Germans who were planning to execute operation Overload. Operation overload was about invading Normandy. General George Marshall was against this operation. He did not want to delay the operation overload in any circumstances. However, when no solution could be made and differences started to grow, it was planned that first Sicily should be invaded . Joint Allied Forces Headquarters AFHQ planned out all of this operation. They ordered the invasion of Sicily and the Italian mainland. Operation Husky, or in other words the invasion of Sicily began in July 1943. It was a very successful operation. Many of the allied forces escaped to the mainland Italy. Benito Mussolini was overthrown by a rebellion. He was the head of the Italian government. The actions were quick and swift. They thought that Italy would surrender if a quick invasion is done. However, they did not know that Italians and Germans together will be very strong. Even after Berlin was invaded, the Italians put up really good. The allied forces were now in a difficult position. They now had to provide food and other supplies to the troops in Italy. Germany was putting up resistance too. In fact it was because of the Germans that the Italians felt so strong. Even though Germans whole economy was at war too, they were putting up a lot of resistance. According to Milward "here was little that was new and less that was orderly in the New Order"3.Solely in economic terms, the new German Empire in Europe would have been a large-scale structure organized for, and run on the principles of, a colonialism of the crudest kind. Germany's economic policy toward occupied countries can in essence be summed up in two terms: exploitation and colonization. "Anti-Semitism as a political movement neither can nor should be based on fleeting emotions, but on the acceptance of

The Necklace by Guy De Maupassant Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Necklace by Guy De Maupassant - Essay Example This essay discusses that the author cleverly represents a lot of elements through the diamond necklace, most prominent of which is the high social statuses and wealth. While a diamond necklace represents beauty in the real world, within the novel it is representing the evils of the society. The satirical reference is clearly visible during the story as Madame Loisel is not content with her dress which is worth 400 francs, but would rather have the necklace too. She considers it unruly and humiliating for herself to go amidst rich women with a dress but no expensive jewelry. When she is asked to select between the different jewelry items by her friend, she skips on the Venetian cross, pearl necklace, and bracelets, and selects a diamond necklace instead. This shows her thirst for wealth and needs to belong to the upper class. She clarifies it herself when she states that the party will be attended by many riches and she doesn’t want to feel left out because of her social statu s. In the late 1800s, wealth was a factor that many people cared about, and social class even more. Maupassant uses situational irony and the social satire to deliver his message that money is not always wealth. Maupassant learned from his seniors about observation and reporting of daily life occurrences in a biting way. Very rarely would he show the sympathy for his characters? The Necklace was also inspired by his clerical work experience in the Public Instructions Ministry.

Ethical Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Ethical Behavior - Essay Example This is especially so by being the origin of all the wrong doings of all the rest. By following the logic of wrong doings, the moment one puts another individual in a position that compromises his or her beliefs morally and logically, one turn into the evil person. This is as is the case with the creation story, in which the tempter was the devil asking Eve to participate in wrongdoing (John, 2010). Therefore, in tempting his friends and acquaintances for exam papers, she is the most unethical person. This is despite the comments given by the acquaintances, which appear to be measures at stopping her from cheating in the exam, especially with Biff. The real deal comes with Rex who shows complete corruption of morality by both lying and extorting money from Babbs, which still appears as a creation of Babbs. However, it appears that Rex’s source of unethical behavior is his greed and innate desire to deceive, or offer punishment to Babbs for not taking her time to do that which is required of her, attend lessons and submit her own work on ethics. On the other hand, the professor’s lack of ethics is not dependent on Babb’s behavior on the exam but is based on his own bias. In relation to this, the professor is expected to be an individual of high moral standing, where they observe honesty, fairness and pay attention to cheating students, as well as respect their position in power (Friedman et al, 2005). However, professor Wind plenty only portrays his ethics with a bias by punishing Babbs appropriately and sparing another who cheats right before his eyes. This shows his lack of ethics as the concept of right and wrong is not based on relativity, but rather on black and white truth and untruth. Therefore, the professor offers partial justice by letting the student with disability go but still punishes Babbs. This is an extreme case of lack of ethics on the professors side, as it shows how easily swayed he is by explanation or reasons he

Writing a report on E-Commerce & how it relate to a current Coursework

Writing a report on E-Commerce & how it relate to a current Information System as used by business - Coursework Example The reliance on the ability of the internet to perform all business related transactions forms a major problem of this research study. In particular is the use of information systems that are so invaluable to E-commerce that its success relies on them. While E-commerce is important to the world, the use of information systems like Transaction System remains important and the subject of the research study. It is a common knowledge that E-commerce relies on different information systems to drive business and the utility of the systems enhance the competitive ability of companies which are in the industry. Scarle, et.al, (2012, p.382) defines transaction as methods of economic agents to initiate and execute business related transactions that involves orders and payments. The need to include transaction systems in E-commerce is due to the nature of extension in the range and scale of economic activities that E-commerce and use of internet has incorporated. Virtual transactions are a major part of e-commerce that enables consumers to experience products before they initiate purchases. Devoid of social interaction that characterizes traditional type of trade; virtual transactions have their own advantages and disadvantages. Thus, virtual transactions attract a wide range of issues that may require regulations (Scarle, et.al, 2012, p.382). Virtual transactions entail a lot of transactions that involve ordering, processing and payment. In many occasions, transactions processing systems should enable a customer to select their preferences without any hitches. Li, Tu, Yen and Xia (2010, p. 1 9) suggests that a transactions processing systems should allow a company to process the orders of the customers in a fast and an optimal manner. Transactions may fail due to the system that is used for ordering and processing the orders. Li, et.al, (2010, p.28) suggests that a new SQL model that caters for

Discuss the Ability of Private Individuals to Seek Damage for Breaches Essay

Discuss the Ability of Private Individuals to Seek Damage for Breaches of EU - Essay Example The outcome of the comparative report has enabled the European Commission to know the hurdles in the path of activating the private application of competition law within the Member States and discuss the ways by which a more dependable system of private antitrust enforcement could be created. The relative analysis of the various legal systems in the EU indicates a huge difference in the member states handling of competition law claims. Process-related differences between national legal systems in the EU are turning in favour of forum shopping in inter-state cases. Before taking an action, applicants involved in inter-state process can check the benefits and disadvantages of national jurisdictions before furthering an action for losses in one or many member states. The EU member states are expected to adhere to EC law, but the processes they follow for private enforcement cases are controlled at a national level. Changes to national law in one member state, like it happened in Germany , do not impress other member states. This gap between national process of the law and EC law needs to be settled for adopting an EU-wide universally dependable system4. This paper will discuss some leading trends in three of the Member States including Germany, UK and Italy. The role of European Commission in making the EU competition law very efficient on the private enforcements would be discussed. European Commission attained this aim by issuing the Green Paper in 2005, which was followed by the White Paper in 2008. The Courage5 verdict by the European Court of Justice (ECJ), brought more in focus the right of private individuals to fight for losses as an outcome of violations of EC competition rules, (specifically losses caused from breaches of Art 101 and Art 102 TFEU). One of the most significant reasons of the long ignorance of the private antirust from the competition policy is the distinct European system. The European Commission and European Courts impact private antitrus t cases as they have registered their attendance in public competition law enforcement. Furthermore, the European Courts are not competent enough to decree on private enforcement of EC law infringements. The European Court of Justice only considers preliminary references by national courts of the Member States such as Courage and later Manfredi6 cases. Only in select cases the ECJ has taken a stance, as Courage and Manfredi cases have huge impression on the competition law policy7. The fight between Entrepreneur Estates (previously Courage) and MrCrehan over a beer tie agreement prompted the ECJs Courage decision in 2001. The Court said that â€Å"[...] the practical effect of the prohibition laid down in Article 85(1) [Art 101(1)] would be put at risk if it were not open to any individual to claim damages for loss caused to him by a contract or by conduct liable to restrict or distort competition†8. This personal right to seek reward for the damage caused by infringement of competition rules was again reasserted in Manfredi case in Italy9. The ECJ stated as based on the principle of effectiveness the national courts o

Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 10

Psychology - Essay Example In fact, the paper seeks to identify ideas that can compare and contrast both classical and operant conditioning, and discuss both their strengths and weakness. Operant conditioning is a theory that seeks to explain the way organisms function in the environment, and this relates to the response associated with things offered by the environment (Greengrass, 2004). The study of Operant conditioning concerned a cat that was positioned in a box with a single point of exit, which had to be pushed for it to open, and the cat struggled to get out of the box, since this was a behavior reinforced through a reward, while attempt to escape was initiated by the opening of the door. When the cat had freed itself, it was taken to the box again, and it would naturally remember how to open the door by identifying an area that needed to be pressed. The ease of getting out of the box increased with the number of times it was placed back in the box, hence, it had learnt through the natural consequence and the reinforcement was freedom. People learn through Operant conditioning in every day of their lives, whereby through making a certain mistake and one experiences a consequence, there is a chance of doing the thing differently given the same situation in the future. In this case, one can learn to act differently due to the consequences of the actions; the same action is repeated in the future if the consequence was positive. Therefore, Operant conditioning has a strength related to the positive or negative outcome that lead to change of behavior and sustenance of a certain behavior (Nye, 2000). For instance, a student, who is misbehaving is entitled to a negative reinforcement in order to eliminate the chances of the behavior occurring in the future. In addition, the strength of the Operant conditioning is evident through understanding of the potential of

Problems in the Workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Problems in the Workplace - Essay Example Workers in the 21st century have increasingly raised concerns on how technology has changed their tasks as well as way of life, which could possibly lower performance. Some have lost their jobs because of mechanization and use of computers implying high level of unemployment. It has therefore become necessary for management to formulate policies for introducing new technology that do not lower workers ego but instead instills morale and motivation. In this paper, the issue of negative impact of technology on workers shall be discussed; issues related to technology change in working environment and suggest how to develop a mechanism to solve negative impact of technology, its implementation and suggestion on how to improve workers perception on new technology. Technology is in recent days among the greatest challenges that employees have because they fear losing their jobs after introduction of computers and other devices. Although job has been made easier and efficient, technology has lowered workers morale especially those that are convinced that use of computers, robots and advanced machinery will eventually replace them (Hodgetts & Hegar, 2008). Many workers are therefore not ready to embrace new technology; instead, they are resisting management move to introduce new technologically advanced equipment. This has made work become ineffective since workers are always on go-slows in embracing new technology especially the one that is deemed to take away their positions. Resistance has especially come from workers who are not skilled, those that like paper work and they fear that lack of knowledge on how to use computers can possibly eliminate them. Workers resistance to technology change has held some organization behind thus not sustain ing stiff competition especially in the 21st century. However, workers involvement in decision making and implementation of strategies to embrace technology changes has created a good working environment since

Caffeine Community Essay Example for Free

Caffeine Community Essay As we go about our busy lives, going here, there and everywhere like a colony of ants building up supplies for the winter, we never truly take a moment to look at the world around us, stop to smell the roses, to coin a popular phrase. We never seem to take in the sights, sounds, smells and feelings that we often disconnect ourselves from in our obsession to make the world a perfect place. There is hardly a moment that we stop to notice the other people around us that even though we do not know them from Adam, they could enrich our lives without us even knowing it, if we just took the time for a smile and polite hello. These people can remind us that there is a diverse world of goals and aspirations. It is quite amazing where such an event can happen. Going for a daily coffee at a favorite cafe can bring about this epiphany. As one sits in this modern coffee shop that caters to the needs of young and old alike, one can look around and simply see the decorative art work on the walls, the small scratches in the table that sits in front of you. But let’s look at little deeper and see the true character of the environment around us. What brought about the scratch in the table. Is it just normal every day wear and tear caused by the many people coming and going to take in their hurried morning coffee or could it, perhaps, be caused by say a bored teenager waiting for the long walk to school, using their pen to make back and forth marks in the table. As one sits and contemplates this, they can take a look around and recognize the other sights, sounds and smells of the little cafe. As one looks two tables away, an elderly man helps his wife to the seat at their table with a gentle hand and beaming smile. They look into each other’s eyes lovingly as a couple would do in an old time movie. He tells her,† have a seat dear and I’ll get our coffees. I still love you very much. The distinct voice patterns give away the fact that they are from New York, but they are very much home in their little coffee community. As the manager of the store brings over their order, they engage him in conversation about how he likes working at this particular place. In the meantime, a young man with the burly looks of a high school football player sits at the table next to the older couple and the gentleman begins a lively chat about the sport of football. A sudden, intoxicating smell of fresh brewed coffee and warm toasted bagels brings you out of your daydreams of a long and loving life with the man that you love, caused by the very happy couple. You look around to see a small table at the center of the busy room. There sit a mother and young daughter. The mother seated at the edge of her seat at the table, sipping on her steamy latte, and desperately trying to relate to her young teenage daughter in an attempt to keep the close relationship with her that she shared when the girl was little and thought that her mother was the only person in the world. The young daughter, dressed in what appears to be a dingy soccer uniform, absently sips on her orange juice with a distant look in her eyes thinking that she would much rather anywhere else but here with her boring mother. Thinking perhaps of that grassy field where she could be playing soccer with her friends, or maybe she is in chemistry class, glancing out of the corner of her eye at the cute boy across the room that she has a crush on. The mother gets a mixed expression of pain and lonliness on her face as she realizes that as she tries to hold onto her daughter, that the young girl is slowly drifting away. But that is the way of life, we do all we can to keep the bonds with our children even though deep down we realize that one day soon, we will have to send them from the nest to live their own lives. As the mother and daughter leave to spend their day with separate agendas, you hear the grating of metal against stone and look around to find the cause of the noise that makes your skin crawl and teeth hurt. You look up to see that the table by the window has grown from a six seat table for a cozy conversation for a small group, to a table fit for a King’s Court. Several smaller tables have been added to the larger one, reminding you of someone trying to piece together a jigsaw puzzle. The creators of this elaborate set up are the group of regular coffee drinkers that start each day enjoying each other’s company and sharing their lives with each other. They are so diverse in appearance and personality. There is Martha with her perfectly coifed hair, outrageously oversized jewelry and too bright red lipstick, she is outspoken and her laugh sounds eerily like a hyena. She laughs and gathers everyone around her wanting to be the center of attention because maybe she is ignored at home. Sitting next to Martha is Charles. The tall, slender man sits back in his chair with the ease of man who is comfortable with himself and the way his life is. He is wearing a set of earphones with a microphone on them and one wonders why on earth what use he would have for such a contraption. Then the question is answered a few minutes later when he places a hand held amplifier to his neck and welcomes the newcomers to the table with a hardy good morning and a beaming smile, sounding very much like an electronic voice from a computer. He obviously has had some tragedy that has caused him to lose the use of his vocal cords and possibly hearing and the entire set up is a way for him to communicate with others. The use of this machine is an everyday occurrence and is second nature to him now. Like he doesn’t even know it is there. One has to wonder how this all came about. Is this a case of perfect strangers coming to start their lives each day in the same place? Perhaps this group of unique and diverse friends starts out with a simple smile, with an apprehensive good morning, like children on a playground for the first day of school trying to decide if it is okay to play with each other. Is it possible in this modern world where most people are concerned with number one that there are still people out there that are truly content with inviting others into their little world? You catch an additional name here and there, Tom, Grace, John and Mike. The smiles from the friends are genuine and the laughter is contagious. Everyone at this table is completely different in every way, yet very much the same. A diverse group with different backgrounds, goals, dreams, that found a common bond floating in a steamy, rich drink. Perhaps this group of friends started out like the two young men at the table next to mine. It is hard not to eavesdrop on the lighthearted and endearing conversation that these two obviously longtime friends are having. The two men were best friends in school and because of circumstances beyond their control, were separated to live their own lives. After spending four years being completely inseparable, the first young man left the country to protect the freedoms of his friend, while the second young man went on to college to earn a degree to protect the rights of the second young man. Relaxed and happy as if it has not been ten years since they have seen each other, only keeping in touch through emails and the occasional phone call. The young men chatter on about their lives and families as easily as a pair of school girls talking about the upcoming dance and what they are going to wear. They shuffle through a stack of pictures of the lives that they shared together and separately. Pointing and laughing at the precious, shared memories of times past, reliving the past as it was only yesterday. When they first entered the cafe, the small amount of tension was obvious as they barely spoke as they ordered their coffees and bagels and then waited to pay. By the time they sat down across from each other they were talking more freely and growing more comfortable with each other’s company. Watching these two men can make someone almost want to relive the past. Maybe go back and do things differently with a life that is half way gone. Looking at other people’s lives is like looking at a picture through a glass of water. We think we know what the real image is, it may look clear as a bell, but if we slow down for just a moment, remove the obstacle of the water and look closely and listen with earnest, we see that the picture we are envisioning in our minds may not be the reality of the lives we are surrounded by in this world. We tend to be so self-absorbed in our own lives, in our little world that leads us to believe that is revolves around us, which causes us to forget to look at the big picture and realize that we are all here together. There is an abundance of diversity and culture that we can see and listen to and learn from, and if we take the time to open ourselves up to others, to share what we feel and want with them and at the same time accept what they have to teach us about our lives, that we can enhance and enrich our lives in so many ways.

A Study On Unethical Behavior In Sport Sport Essay

A Study On Unethical Behavior In Sport Sport Essay The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well. This phrase was said by the founder of the Olympics, Baron Pierre de Coubertin. Where has this Olympic message gone to? Nowadays, it seems like everyone is only interested in the medals. Where is the motto of the Olympics; Citius, altius, fortius swifter, higher, stronger, which can be interpreted as â€Å"striving to beat ones personal best† (Introduction: Its not the, 2010). When I was younger, and still competing, I remember people telling me that it is not important to win, but to take part. Nowadays, sport is all about money. If you have money, you can be better, stronger and more successful. But what about the ethical issue? Is todays sport with all the money, commercialization, drug abuse and bribing still ethical? Can we be sure that the winner is really the best, not just the one who paid off the referees, or the one who has taken performance enhancing drugs? In my opinion, sport in general has become more about the money than the true competition within the fair-play and has gone far beyond what was sometimes called a celebration of the fittest, therefore unethical behavior in sport industry has increased rapidly. Competition by itself â€Å"is not unethical†. It is normal that the success in the competition be rewarded. Competition is essential to sport as a good motivator; it pushes each individual to strive for his/her best. â€Å"Celebrating achievement† is also not unethical† either, â€Å"but it can drive some competitors to unethical behavior† (Introduction: Its not the, 2010). In current sport industry, there are many forms of unethical behavior starting from players and referees all the way to the media and fans. At first, we need to clarify what the fair play means, as a synonym to ethics in sport. In sport fair play â€Å"means using only tactics that are in accord with the spirit of the sport†. Unfortunately, many athletes do not follow this fair play rules to achieve the victory, but use other unfair methods, sometimes â€Å"dubious but legal, sometimes illegal. Players These days, professional players, athletes or sportsmen earn gigantic amounts of money. They do not only represent themselves as individual, but many times, they are the icons of certain brands. These brands create multi-million contracts with athletes in order to connect their brand with excellent performance of the athletes. Therefore, these athletes are put under enormous pressure, not only from their teams, but also from their sponsors. Besides this fact, many of the professional athletes represent the icons, or are role models to many young people all over the world, so the pressure is even bigger. This creates fertile conditions for unethical behavior, sometimes unintentionally, sometimes on purpose.   Being unfair, does not have to necessarily mean illegal, but it can still be referred to as cheating. Such forms of cheating may be distracting your opponents during the game or the race by saying different rude things to your opponents, also â€Å"misrepresenting ones skills is another technique, where you make your opponent over or underestimate you, which may benefit the athlete. These examples are not against the rules, but certainly could be referred to as unethical behavior. Another example of unethical behavior especially favorite among football players is called faking or simulation of the foul. This has been incorporated in to the rules of football because of the frequent misuse by players (Rules and Regulations, 2010). The most concerned unethical behavior among players is using performance enhancing drugs. This form of cheating is illegal, and doping controls cost international federations lots of money. Performance enhancing drugs â€Å"are any substance taken to perform better athletically†, or are also called anabolic steroids (Performance-Enhancing Drug, n.d.). The taking of such drugs not only enhances your performance, but it causes serious health problems. This issue is not only a problem of health of the abusers, but these athletes are role models for many young people, so if the case reveals, young people can copy their models in order to win. We are living in a very competitive world with everyone trying to push the borders. That is why many people start using drugs; they are unable to keep up with the others, who might also use doping. There is a long list of forbidden substances created by anti-doping agencies, but there is still a big controversy. Some of the medically prescrib ed drugs contain forbidden substances and even this is being misused (Guler, 2003). Taking drugs is unethical, but also very questionable, because the use of â€Å"enhancement substances†¦ dates back to Ancient Greek†, where athletes were taking some natural products to enhance their performance (Performance-Enhancing Drug, n.d.). There are debates, to create two categories of sport, one â€Å"clean† and another one where steroids will be allowed. Cycling is one of the sports where doping is used. Lance Armstrong has been accused several times for using such drugs, but it has never been confirmed. Many people think he must have taken something, because of his extraordinary performance at The Tour de France. Another case with the use of doping was revealed in 2003, it was â€Å"the biggest doping cover up†. In the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Ben Johnson, a Canadian sprinter, won a gold medal in a World record. But later, he was positively tested on a forbidden substance, so the medal was taken from him and given to Carl Lewis, the American athlete. But 15 years later, it was revealed that 19 American athletes who had not passed the drug tests â€Å"were allowed to compete at Olympic Games† from 1988 to 2000. Among them was Carl Lewis, who was given the gold medal, after Ben Johnson was disqualified (10 Drug scandals, 2003). As we can see in the table below, the number of athletes that failed the drug tests has an increasing potential. This is not a good sign for the sport, it gives bad impression. Many athletes that failed the tests publicly claim that the others are using it as well; they just have not got caught yet. I have had a personal experience with unethical behavior of players. When I was a cross country skier, I heard about some of my colleagues taking some kind of performance enhancing substances. I refused to be like them, because I believe in clean sport, and it was against my values and principles, but on the other hand, I was never the best. I think this is the issue of taking such drugs, which some people, even if they prepare, and train their hardest, never win, so they are frustrated and agree to take these drugs to equal to their competitors. Referees In this group, bribery is very common and unethical practice. Referees are also exposed to enormous pressure since there is a lot of money involved in the sport, therefore winning can sometimes be achieved by other way then just a matter of chance. If the team is about to fall out of the first league, or it is a very important match, referees might be bribed to make decisions in favor of only one party. Mostly this is the case in countries were referees have low salaries, therefore they are very vulnerable to accept a bribe. Referees should be honest, and their top value should not be money, otherwise they are very likely to be bribed (Guler, 2003).   Referee can also influence the game unintentionally, without being bribed. It is because referees are also only humans, and humans make mistakes. In some sports, referees have to make decisions in milliseconds, where technology is being used to help the referees out if they are not sure about the call. In hockey for example, there is also a video referee, in cases the main referees on the ice do not see what happened. Also in tennis, a new technological feature was introduced, a â€Å"Hawk-eye†, which is an â€Å"electronic line-calling system†. This feature is used when a tennis player challenges the line call. The questioned call is replayed on the screen, and the new call is then made (TENNIS: Hawk-Eye, 2007). Many people would like to see such feature in football, where a video- referee would be included, and there would also be cameras inside the net to show whether the ball passes the line or not in disputable cases. Betting is another situation, when referees are being paid off. There was one case in the NBA, where a referee was pleaded guilty in 2007 for receiving $ 5000 bribe in a betting case (NBA Referee Tim Donaghy, 2007). Media Television and the radio are also to be blamed for unethical behavior in sport. These two are the main form of commercializing the entire sport industry. The entire pressure we talked about before is derived from the media advertising and commercializing. It is questionable to what extent does the media tell the truth about the player or the team. The evaluations from the media can be biased as well. A private television can be a partner of a sport team, and they can intentionally create a better picture for their viewers about that concrete team. This is also very unethical. Sport journalist or commentators can favor one team or the other, and his evaluation of this team can be biased compared to the reality, and so the public may perceive it this way too. Media can very easily destroy the whole reputation of certain player or entire team (Guler, 2003). On one side, it is good to have media, because we can watch many different matches all over the world, but on the other side, the pressure of the media on the industry is enormous. While I was in the United States, I went to an American football match. I remember Notre Dame was playing against the Navy. It was a great experience for me, but what surprised me, that the game was interrupted by the referee, for the advertisement in the media. I thought it was kind of annoying, an also unfair for both teams of the game, because they were interrupted in the middle of the action. Fans This group is also connected to sport ethics, even though fans do not get any money from the actual sport, instead they have to pay to watch it. Some groups think that if they pay for the match, they have the â€Å"right to act against the rules†. For some fans it is hard to understand that not only their team must win, but also the opponent has the same chance to win. There are fans that †[believe] everything is fair for [their] team to win†, which is different from supporting the team. Such fans are called â€Å"hooligans† or â€Å"ultras† in Slovakia, and their actions are sometimes very unethical. Such fans are many times very aggressive either towards referees, players, innocent fans, or also to the property around (Guler, 2003). In Slovakia, it was this years ice- hockey play-offs between Slovan Bratislava and HC Kosice, where the Slovan fans pulled out a transparent with this heading: â€Å"Julo, is it true your girlfriend has cheated on you?† Julo is a Kosices goalkeeper, and I know personally his girlfriend. I think this was very unethical, very offending. Such a behavior should not be present at sporting events, because it is against fair play. This might be a failure of the organizers, and also of the law, because it is sometimes ridiculous, what the hooligans are capable of. As mentioned above, the sport environment is becoming more and more connected with unethical behavior. Sport as such, should be â€Å"creating unity, promoting values and community pride†. It can affect peoples lives and therefore, everyone involved in sport from coaches, parents, athletes, fans to referees should try to make it as fair and enjoyable as possible. Not only rules are important in sport, but also values and morals. It is essential for the coaches to teach their athletes what behavior is good and fair, because people have different values, and some of them cannot even distinguish between what is good and what is bad. According to Ms. Sandler, these four values are â€Å"the most important†¦in sport ethics†: fairness, integrity, respect and equity (Sandler, 2009). Integrity, according to Cambridge dictionary, means â€Å"having strong moral principles that you refuse to change†. Fairness means to treat people fairly and equally. Equity in a meaning that everyone should be treated equally, and finally respect; athletes should treat others with honor. In order to be ethical while enrolling in sport activity, these steps should be remembered: â€Å"Glory cannot be owned†. Everyone can get a hold of it, but not for ever. â€Å"Dont give up after the bad game†. Bad games should only make us more prepared. Success does not have to mean happiness in sport. If you do not find self- respect, you will not be happy. â€Å"Successful athletes do not have enemies†. We should respect our competitors, rather than looking for ways how to attack them (Sandler, 2009). As I suggested in the introduction, I think sport has become unethical. While in the past, in the ancient Greece, when there were Olympics, no wars were allowed, everyone was celebrating the beauty and the art of sport. People were cheering all together, and when the winner came up, they treated him with respect. Unlike today, when we have Olympic Games, we are worried about the terrorist attacks and anti-doping controls have to be run to ensure the fair-play.   I am against the doping or any other steroid use, therefore I support the clean sport without any performance enhancing drugs. I think there should be more serious penalties for abusing drugs. It should be part of our educational system to educate young children about the cons of using such substances. Also the morality in sport and ethics in general needs to be improved. Nowadays people, young kids especially are being very aggressive towards each other, which leads to similar consequences as mentioned. Fans fight against the fans of other clubs, people are afraid to go to a football match with their kids. I also think sport should not be sponsored so much by corporate businesses, and the salaries and transfer fees should be much lower. I think it is unbelievable, how much money some of the best players or athletes earn. If we imagine there are people on this planet that do not have their basic needs satisfied, it is against the logic. On the other hand, there are people supporting doping and the use of steroids in sport, claiming that they want to see the borders of human ability to be pushed, and so are supportive. There are even people who would choose to die earlier, from the side effects of the steroids, just to be the best, to feel the glory. Ethics in sport is very important. Our culture has created this competitive hatred against each other along with all the money involved in the present form of sport. Sport can have a huge influence on people therefore we should try to stop the unethical issues around it. We have to understand that it is not possible to win every time. What is important to learn is how to handle losing in a way it can help us in the future. Even if we lose, it is important to show respect to our competitors. We, the people on Earth have caused this turn-over of what was sometimes a celebration, to so called â€Å"sport† full of hatred, jealousy and shortcuts, therefore it is up to the mankind to decide which way are we going to follow. References 10 Drug Scandals. (2003, January 19). Retrieved May 27, 2010 from http://www.cbc.ca/ sports/indepth/drugs/stories/top10.html Guler, N. (2003, December 31). Ethics in sports. Retrieved May 27, 2010 from http://erc .forumone.com/resource/ethics-sports Introduction: Its not the winning. (2010). Retrieved   May 27, 2010 from http://www.bbc.co .uk/ethics/sport/overview/introduction.shtml NBA Referee Tim Donaghy Cops to a Plea Deal. (2007, August 16). Mirror on America. Retrieved May 27, 2010 from http://mirroronamerica.blogspot.com/2007/08/nba-referee-tim-donaghy-cops-to-plea.html Performance-Enhancing Drug Resources. (n.d.). Retrieved May 27, 2010 from http:// www.drugfreesport.com/drug-resources/performance-enhancing-drugs-steroids.asp Rules and Regulations. (2010). Retrieved May 27, 2010 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/ ethics/sport/fair/fairplay.shtml Sandler, L. (2009, January 26). Ethics in Sport. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http:// ezinearticles.com/?Ethics- ­in- ­Sportid=1921824 TENNIS: Hawk-Eye to give fans eagle-eye view of tight calls. (2007, March 6). Retrieved May 27, 2010 from http://www.independent.ie/sport/tennis-hawkeye-to-give-fans-eagleeye-view-of-tight-calls-48321.html

How the Environment Effects Food and Supply

How the Environment Effects Food and Supply Introduction The purpose of this report is to discuss the current state of food and environment in the field of natural resources like soil, ocean, climate and melting glaciers and their affects. By examining a range of academic articles in summary books, newspaper articles and internet sites on the topic of food and environment, this report states the situation of natural resources, environment pollution, over development and some global phenomenon caused by global worming and melting glaciers. The report then considers the further development and global worming, melting glaciers effect on food and environment. Floods and droughts In the beginning of this essay, the issue of how environmental disasters impact food will be discussed. It is clear that our Mother Earth is getting hotter, with the effect of global warming. It is because of Greenhouse effect which is due to the massive and rapid development of several industries from developing countries. It was proved that the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere has increased from 316 ppm in 1958 to 385 ppm in 2008 (Kirkham 2011, p.370). It has worsened the issue of melting glaciers; which, in turn, causes flooding and droughts over many areas in the world. The high percentage of glacier melting is the main reason of the rise of sea level which causes floods in over the world. Unexpected floods could impact seriously on crops growth, it can have a negative effect on the financial performance of farming as a result of crop damage à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ reduced crop and livestock yield and quality/condition (Thorne, Evans and Rowsell 2007, p.130). It means that flooding does not only affect the quantity but the quality of food source as well. For instance, a recent flooding that happened in 25th of August in 2012 in Burma after several weeks of continuously raining has driven eighty-five thousands of people homeless as well as more than two hundred thousand hectares of rice field have been swamped (The Guardian 2012). It was also expected to require a long time for the people and fields to recover. While there are countries that are struggling with floods, drought is also a problem in others because the weather changes wind patterns that moves cloud and humidity through the air that causes the imbalance in water distribution. Since May this year, North Korea has been suffering the most severe drought in 105 years which threatened to damage this countrys breadbasket, especially when this country has already experienced a critical lack of food. North Korean was also notified an estimate amount of 3.5 million people are with the risk of malnutrition and famine (The Telegraph 2012). Because of these destructions, it is possible that in the near future, countries using rice as a main food will have to face with a huge shortage of food, while Burma and North Korea are considered sources for rice suppliers. Furthermore, even if the amount of food could be sustained, its quality is unsure due to the pollution issues. Marine pollution Marine pollution can be traced back as early to the Roman times. Industrial waste, farm runoff and trash dumping into the oceans have caused much imbalance to the ecosystem in which many organisms thrive in. Despite many efforts made by eco-friendly organizations and campaigns to reduce pollution, it is still happening at a large scale. Pollution is essentially the introduction of harmful contaminants not part of a natural ecosystem. They may range from the man-made pollutants like chemicals, pesticide, industrial residue, oil, sewage, plastics and other solids. These contaminants end up contaminating not only the water in which much of the marine life live in but they also cause a disruption in the global food chain. When fish consume these contaminants, humans are simultaneously affected as they catch and eat the fish. Therefore, radioactive or poisonous contaminants may drastically harm us and as such pollution does affect us as much as it does the marine ecosystem. Excessive pollution may even cause any entire ecosystem to collapse and thus fishing may be near impossible once this happens. Fish will become scarce as an entire food chain will be broken beginning with water in the ocean being unsuitable for inhabiting. Oil spills Oil spills are usually the most common of all marine pollution. Much of it comes from spillage from large ships and vessels as well as oil rigs. In addition, drainages and rivers also transport oil into the oceans from cities and industry. As oils density is lesser than water, it usually stays at the surface which causes sea mammals and birds to be affected much more than fishes as it causes these animals to die when they drink the water or come out to the surface to die due to the toxins of the oil. Sewage disposal Another cause of pollution if sewage disposal. Much urban sewage that is dumped into the ocean is untreated or under treated. Sewage alone contains much bacteria and even diseases. Fishes may sometimes eat these sewage and the bacteria may then thrive in them. This affects us when we catch and later consume the fishes, causing the bacteria to then be transferred into our bodies. Aside from affecting us in that manner, humans may also be affected by the diseases in the water and beaches closures may occur. Toxic chemicals Toxic chemicals make up the bulk of marine pollution. Much of these toxic chemicals are dumped into the oceans deliberately despite much international laws banning such dumping. Accidental leakages from industries also cause these chemicals to disseminate through soil, water and through water vapour in the air. From the tiniest organisms in the ocean such as plankton to larger animals up the food chain like polar bears. They become affected by these chemicals as they are able to travel long distances through currents in the ocean. People, who are at the highest end of the food chain, end up consuming the highest chemical load as it is multiplied up the food chain. To conclude, our food is largely dependent on the physical environment that it comes from. Pollution causes much disarray to the purity and freshness of our food as it affects us directly once we eat them. Fish that has been tainted by toxins from chemicals may cause cancer, damage to immune systems, behavioral problems, reduced fertility and even death in extreme cases. Global warming and its effects on sea levels Global warming is causing a drastic problem to humans and their food source alike, namely fish, by causing alarming increases in sea levels. The cause of global warming is initiated by the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is when the suns heat is trapped in the earths atmosphere when greenhouse gases cause it to be radiated back to earth. Normally, some heat from the sun is absorbed into the earths surface while the rest is radiated back to space. When humans burn fossil fuels like petroleum, natural gas and coal, they create excessive amounts of carbon dioxide which are the major components of greenhouse gases. When excessive heat is trapped in the earths atmosphere, this causes our earth to heat up beyond normal temperatures. This increase in temperature is causing ice caps on Mount Kilimanjaro and ice sheets in Antarctica and Greenland to melt. When this happens, water levels will rise which will cause many problems which will upset the balance in nature. Cold water fish will not be able to survive as the water would be too warm. This would cause problems for people fishing them as a food source. Even coral reefs are dying as a result of the increase in water temperatures. This in turn could cause many species of fish who call it home to die which could in turn affect humans fishing for them. Another great drastic issue is raising water levels. Research has shown that low lying nations like the Maldives could be completely submerged should this occur. Such a rise would have a devastating impact on low-lying island countries, such as the Indian Oceans Maldives, which would be entirely subm erged. (Stefan Lovgren, 2004). Densely populated areas like Nile Delta and Bangladesh would become uninhabitable as well. Not only will fishing be difficult but people will have a greater problem at finding higher ground suitable for living. An imbalance in natures food chain would be caused by global warming that could drastically affect fishes as food source. As ice sheets melt in the Antarctic, the polar bears living would be adversely affected as the temperature would be increasingly too warm for them to live in. Polar bears are entirely dependent on sea ice, you lose sea ice, you lose polar bears. (Jay Malcolm, 2004). Hence, they may not be able to survive and the seal and sea lion population that would otherwise be controlled by the polar bears as part of their diet would multiply and overpopulation may occur resulting in many fishes being eaten and depleted. This depletion would be a negative factor for fisheries and human civilizations living in the northern hemisphere would have to then look for an alternative food source which would be difficult as their main source of protein and food are fish. Intrusion of sea water The rise in sea level also leads to the intrusion of sea water. As the development environment for rice crops is the fresh water, the increased salinity in soil can hinder rice growth and affect rice production. A study carried out by World Bank (2000) indicates that increased salinity alone from a 0.3 meter sea level rise will cause a net decrease of 0.5 million metric tons of rice production. Some low-lying deltas (which are the major rice crops in the world) of such river systems as the Ganges, the Mekong, the Nile, the Yellow, and so forth, have been affected by tidal wave. For example, as reported by FAO (1998), there were estimated amounts of 650,000 ha of saline soils along the coastal belt in the Mekong River Delta and 350,000 ha in the Red River Delta of Vietnam. The release of pesticides Water in lakes or rivers where the melting glacier flows through can be contaminated with pesticides. Some types of pesticides which contained harmful elements used to be used in agricultural production but they then were banned worldwide years ago. Most of the pesticides evaporated into the air and were finally trapped in layers of glaciers. Now, the rapid glacial melting is causing these hazardous chemicals to be released back into the environment, lakes, and rivers. For example, organochlorine is a type of pesticide having harmful contents. It was banned in entire USA due to its bad effects on humans health like leading to headache, dizziness, muscle weakness, or even cancer (Delaware Health and Social Services, 2010). This chemical, according to Blais (2001), shows an increase in one of the sub-alpine lakes in Canada. Such type of contamination can bring about negative impacts on the underwater ecology and creatures, while at the same time affects the source of water used for hum ans life as well as farming. Global Solution The only way to slow down glaciers melting is to slow global warming. The global greenhouse effects requires a global solution, which requires the participation of the entire global community. (Rogers, 2012) We only have one earth, the protection for it need all citizen take part in. Humankind has become dependent on burning fossil fuels to support our way of life, but it increases global warming at an unnatural rate. To restore the glaciers we need to utilize alternative energy sources, increase our energy efficiency and decrease our individual carbon output. (Rae, 2012) There are many alternative energy available. Solar panels are made up of solar cells that trap the heat from the sun and convert it into energy. Wind turbines are towers that use the kinetic energy from the wind to generate power. Biofuels such as ethanol can be produced in your back yard by fermenting and mixing vegetable, fruit and grain waste; ethanol is used to make biodiesel fuel, a clean burning fuel for diesel engines. Electric cars are battery-powered instead of relying of the highly polluting internal combustion engine. Tidal and wave power utilize the massive power of the ocean by harnessing the energy with generators placed on the ocean floor. (Rae, 2012) For individuals, try to take public transportation instead drive ourself; ride a bicycle if it helps; walk or jog to destination is also a good way to save time and strengthen body. Save power at home by taking shorter showers, recycling used water, turning off power for resting television, computers. Little things can make a big difference if done in a large scale, and theyll go a long way toward reducing carbon footprint and saving the glaciers, slow down other effects of global warming. Conclusion This report has stated the currently major effects that environment made to the food growth and supply. They are the field pollution due to over fertilization, unbalance of marine organism caused by over fishing, air pollution because of industrialization and urbanization. And even the melting glaciers which is a result of global warming has being a big concern: When we see melt in places that we havent seen before, at least in a long period of time, it makes you sit up and ask whats happening. said NASA chief scientist Waleed Abdalati. Its a big signal, the meaning of which were going to sort out for years to come. It is not only simply the food or the environment that we should think about, but also the connection between. More systematic development need to be considered by government, organizations and companies.