Market structure

Four basic types of market structures are: 1- Perfect competition 2- Monopolistic competition 3- Oligopoly 4- Monopoly There is also another market structure called Monopoly. 1- Perfect competition It is considered more theoretical than practical, because it is very rare. In perfect intention a large number of firms sell identical products, where none of them has pricing power. There no berries or very easy to enter to the market by any new farm. Prices. For example if we go to normal retail shops to buy vegetables, we will get at same prices from each and every shop.Fish market at Male' is a very good and a simple example, where inside the market lot of sellers will be selling same fishes. Prices will be set by the demand and supply. Neither buyer nor seller sets the price. It is more like automates pricing. Characteristics of perfect competition include large umber of small firms, identical products, perfect resource mobility and perfect knowledge. 2- Monopolistic competition It is almost like perfect competition where large number of small firms sells similar but not identical products. Relative freedom of entry, to and exit from the industry.It means buyers will have substitutes to choose from. Alternatives to buy for fulfill their needs and wants. Examples of industries structures as monopolistic competition includes, clothing industry, restaurants, and shoes and so on. 3- Oligopoly It is a market situation where products are supplied by small number of firms where ACH of them has influence over pricing and supplies which directly effects the position of the competitors. I oligopoly there is a special case where there is only two producers are called Duopoly. 4- Monopoly This is a market structure where only one producer in a market who has to the total control.Buyers do not have substitutes and have no choice. They have total control over supply and prices. In this market structure, seller is always happy and consumers suffer. They take more profit with a huge marginal value from the products. Characteristics of monopoly includes single seller, unique product, berries o entry and specialized information. The fifth type of market structure which is not included in basic structures is Monopoly. It is upside down of a monopoly where there is only one buyer. If we relate to a Mammalian context, government is the only buyer for the explosives and guns. Where there may be many sellers.Exhibit 1 Perfect Competition Monopolistic Competition Oligopoly Monopoly Number of Sellers Many Few One Barriers to Entry Very Low Low Very High Type of Substitute Products Very good Good substitutes but differentiated Very good differentiated substitutes No good substitutes Nature of competition Price only Marketing, features and price Advertising Pricing Power None Little Little to significant Significant As mentioned above, from 1988 to 2005 telecommunication industry of Maldives was a monopoly market. The following will elaborate how it was a monopoly a nd what was the situation during the monopoly. 988-2005 Draught monopoly in Maldives It was history that people used to call Draught as â€Å"Blood Suckers†. When the company started in the Maldives in Maldives there was a telecommunication service by cable and wireless which uses USB set to communicate between the islands. After their establishment as one and only telecoms service provider in 1988 they brought a major upgrade to their network in 1989 in Male and introduced paging service in the Maldives. They also introduced internet service for the very first time in Maldives in 1996 followed by mobile phone service in 1997 which was upgraded to GSM in 1999.Being the only company to provide the service and major share controlled by the government of the Maldives, they introduced services at a huge marginal value. Consumers have no substitution in the market, which lead Draught to grow up and cake huge profit and extended its service to nationwide, while charging extraordina ry high charges to cover its expansion costs and making more profit. It is usual to charge more from the consumers in monopoly market structure. In monopoly, always seller is always happy and consumers are unhappy.Some pros and cons of monopoly are: Advantages Disadvantages Large capital scale benefit to the company More money to invest on development Earning national export revenues Price discrimination between consumers Very high market share Restricts production potential Do not actively pursue new clients Poor product quality Unfair wealth distribution Entry barrier for new comers When Waiting telecoms Maldives (presently called Ordered) started their service officially in Maldives on 1st August 2005 shortly after they were licensed on 1st of February 2005, the market structure changed to an oligopoly.Oligopoly In economics oligopoly means that there are few sellers of a certain product in a market. Usually these sellers are always in a high competition with each other. In this type of markets sellers knows very well about their competitors. They have a high power to in pushing their products to the consumers. When on seller makes a change, it will directly affect other sellers. There is a special case in oligopoly which is called duopoly. Which is when the there is only two sellers in the market. Here are some advantages and disadvantages of oligopoly.Advantages Lot of control Ability to fix prices Competitive pricing More profit making Perfect knowledge of the market Price controlling will be a disadvantage for consumers Creative ideas may fail to realist Difficult for small firms to establish in the market Not much of competition No fair wealth distribution Oligopoly in Maldives telecoms industry From 2005 Ordered became the major and the only competitor to Draught. As usual they have initiated their business with a huge investment to make existence of their network across the Maldives.It was a huge challenge for them to establish when there was a well- established and government controlled seller in the marker for almost a decade, market share was 100% controlled by monopolized Draught. Immediately after starting the service in the market by the new comer, the unhappy customers of the monopolized industry started to change their service provider. They started with introductory promotional prices which was far much better than the ajar market controller, which directly affected the business of Draught. Competition, strengths and weaknesses.When there are two or more sellers are there in a market, it is obvious that the competition will be born in the market. It is very interesting to study about the competition between Ordered and Draught. Luckily I have got very good connections at the top levels of both the companies, which made me to sit and talk about their respective companies. I found that they are tightly in competition with each other. Pricing: When Draught was alone in the industry, consumers pay around USED $100 average u ser used to pay around MOVE 2000 per month for the usage. Call rates are sky high.Rates differ from calls from mobile to mobile and mobile to landlines. When the competition started and if we see current situation, we have choices for individuals and businesses depends on what consumer needs. There are some consumers who want more talk time than data while others doesn't care about the talk time but data allowance the service provider offers. Those used to spend around 2000 per month now are spending less than 500 per month because of competitive pricing by the competitors. Advertising: Earlier days Draught keeps and average advertising.Unlike that now each and every TV channel is occupied by both Draught and Ordered advertisements. All the islands with more population see those companies' bill boards near harbors and schools. It is very clear that Ordered is doing more aggressive advertising while Draught use more informative advertising. Corporate Social responsibility: We used to say that both the companies do corporate social responsibility to a certain extent. But in real, in my study I found that rather than corporate social responsibility they both do corporate philanthropy. They do not actively participate in social activities.But they do help by donation some money to do the social activities by others. That is a form of advertisement they both do. They are present in the activities as bill boards. Just to advertise the company name. For example: Thieved league football tournament is always sponsored by one of these two companies. Competitive advantages: Draught uses â€Å"first in Maldives† â€Å"Largest network† and so on while Ordered uses â€Å"best network for smart phones†. Draught is first to come and still holds 65% market share while Ordered is gaining market share at a rapid speed.Bad the backbone of the company is much better with latest technologies while Draught is upgrading its backbone. Subsidized handsets to consum ers: Ordered started offering Samsung handset to its consumers with contract for the very first time in Maldives. And soon they will be starting offer apple handsets on contract, while Draught is working with apple to introduce subsidized apple handsets with contract. Apple currently certified Ordered network for their products while Draught is doing upgrades to obtain certification of using Apple products on contract. Is this industry good for the society?Unlike the history of the monopoly in the telecommunication industry in the Maldives, with existing oligopoly (duopoly) consumers are happy now. As is economic theory, human wants are unlimited with the scares resources available, people are still aiming for mush cheaper services with better quality. As mentioned earlier in this report, consumers' expenses, for the use of telecommunication are decreased by 60 percentages. We never heard of handset for installments by service providers before. But it is started now. We have heard a bout subsidized handset with contract with carrier locked, from other parts of the world.We never imagined that a small country with a small population like us will get phones on contract with subsidized prices. But it is soon to happen. Unlike perfect competition and monopolistic competition there are no much of sellers. So competition and pricing of the products will not be according to the demand and supply. Sellers will have the power to set the prices. Consumers are very happy when there is a perfect competition and monopolistic competition. Consumers are sad at most when there is a monopoly. But than they used to have, the monopoly. It is an average good for the society. Market structure Four basic types of market structures are: 1- Perfect competition 2- Monopolistic competition 3- Oligopoly 4- Monopoly There is also another market structure called Monopoly. 1- Perfect competition It is considered more theoretical than practical, because it is very rare. In perfect intention a large number of firms sell identical products, where none of them has pricing power. There no berries or very easy to enter to the market by any new farm. Prices. For example if we go to normal retail shops to buy vegetables, we will get at same prices from each and every shop.Fish market at Male' is a very good and a simple example, where inside the market lot of sellers will be selling same fishes. Prices will be set by the demand and supply. Neither buyer nor seller sets the price. It is more like automates pricing. Characteristics of perfect competition include large umber of small firms, identical products, perfect resource mobility and perfect knowledge. 2- Monopolistic competition It is almost like perfect competition where large number of small firms sells similar but not identical products. Relative freedom of entry, to and exit from the industry.It means buyers will have substitutes to choose from. Alternatives to buy for fulfill their needs and wants. Examples of industries structures as monopolistic competition includes, clothing industry, restaurants, and shoes and so on. 3- Oligopoly It is a market situation where products are supplied by small number of firms where ACH of them has influence over pricing and supplies which directly effects the position of the competitors. I oligopoly there is a special case where there is only two producers are called Duopoly. 4- Monopoly This is a market structure where only one producer in a market who has to the total control.Buyers do not have substitutes and have no choice. They have total control over supply and prices. In this market structure, seller is always happy and consumers suffer. They take more profit with a huge marginal value from the products. Characteristics of monopoly includes single seller, unique product, berries o entry and specialized information. The fifth type of market structure which is not included in basic structures is Monopoly. It is upside down of a monopoly where there is only one buyer. If we relate to a Mammalian context, government is the only buyer for the explosives and guns. Where there may be many sellers.Exhibit 1 Perfect Competition Monopolistic Competition Oligopoly Monopoly Number of Sellers Many Few One Barriers to Entry Very Low Low Very High Type of Substitute Products Very good Good substitutes but differentiated Very good differentiated substitutes No good substitutes Nature of competition Price only Marketing, features and price Advertising Pricing Power None Little Little to significant Significant As mentioned above, from 1988 to 2005 telecommunication industry of Maldives was a monopoly market. The following will elaborate how it was a monopoly a nd what was the situation during the monopoly. 988-2005 Draught monopoly in Maldives It was history that people used to call Draught as â€Å"Blood Suckers†. When the company started in the Maldives in Maldives there was a telecommunication service by cable and wireless which uses USB set to communicate between the islands. After their establishment as one and only telecoms service provider in 1988 they brought a major upgrade to their network in 1989 in Male and introduced paging service in the Maldives. They also introduced internet service for the very first time in Maldives in 1996 followed by mobile phone service in 1997 which was upgraded to GSM in 1999.Being the only company to provide the service and major share controlled by the government of the Maldives, they introduced services at a huge marginal value. Consumers have no substitution in the market, which lead Draught to grow up and cake huge profit and extended its service to nationwide, while charging extraordina ry high charges to cover its expansion costs and making more profit. It is usual to charge more from the consumers in monopoly market structure. In monopoly, always seller is always happy and consumers are unhappy.Some pros and cons of monopoly are: Advantages Disadvantages Large capital scale benefit to the company More money to invest on development Earning national export revenues Price discrimination between consumers Very high market share Restricts production potential Do not actively pursue new clients Poor product quality Unfair wealth distribution Entry barrier for new comers When Waiting telecoms Maldives (presently called Ordered) started their service officially in Maldives on 1st August 2005 shortly after they were licensed on 1st of February 2005, the market structure changed to an oligopoly.Oligopoly In economics oligopoly means that there are few sellers of a certain product in a market. Usually these sellers are always in a high competition with each other. In this type of markets sellers knows very well about their competitors. They have a high power to in pushing their products to the consumers. When on seller makes a change, it will directly affect other sellers. There is a special case in oligopoly which is called duopoly. Which is when the there is only two sellers in the market. Here are some advantages and disadvantages of oligopoly.Advantages Lot of control Ability to fix prices Competitive pricing More profit making Perfect knowledge of the market Price controlling will be a disadvantage for consumers Creative ideas may fail to realist Difficult for small firms to establish in the market Not much of competition No fair wealth distribution Oligopoly in Maldives telecoms industry From 2005 Ordered became the major and the only competitor to Draught. As usual they have initiated their business with a huge investment to make existence of their network across the Maldives.It was a huge challenge for them to establish when there was a well- established and government controlled seller in the marker for almost a decade, market share was 100% controlled by monopolized Draught. Immediately after starting the service in the market by the new comer, the unhappy customers of the monopolized industry started to change their service provider. They started with introductory promotional prices which was far much better than the ajar market controller, which directly affected the business of Draught. Competition, strengths and weaknesses.When there are two or more sellers are there in a market, it is obvious that the competition will be born in the market. It is very interesting to study about the competition between Ordered and Draught. Luckily I have got very good connections at the top levels of both the companies, which made me to sit and talk about their respective companies. I found that they are tightly in competition with each other. Pricing: When Draught was alone in the industry, consumers pay around USED $100 average u ser used to pay around MOVE 2000 per month for the usage. Call rates are sky high.Rates differ from calls from mobile to mobile and mobile to landlines. When the competition started and if we see current situation, we have choices for individuals and businesses depends on what consumer needs. There are some consumers who want more talk time than data while others doesn't care about the talk time but data allowance the service provider offers. Those used to spend around 2000 per month now are spending less than 500 per month because of competitive pricing by the competitors. Advertising: Earlier days Draught keeps and average advertising.Unlike that now each and every TV channel is occupied by both Draught and Ordered advertisements. All the islands with more population see those companies' bill boards near harbors and schools. It is very clear that Ordered is doing more aggressive advertising while Draught use more informative advertising. Corporate Social responsibility: We used to say that both the companies do corporate social responsibility to a certain extent. But in real, in my study I found that rather than corporate social responsibility they both do corporate philanthropy. They do not actively participate in social activities.But they do help by donation some money to do the social activities by others. That is a form of advertisement they both do. They are present in the activities as bill boards. Just to advertise the company name. For example: Thieved league football tournament is always sponsored by one of these two companies. Competitive advantages: Draught uses â€Å"first in Maldives† â€Å"Largest network† and so on while Ordered uses â€Å"best network for smart phones†. Draught is first to come and still holds 65% market share while Ordered is gaining market share at a rapid speed.Bad the backbone of the company is much better with latest technologies while Draught is upgrading its backbone. Subsidized handsets to consum ers: Ordered started offering Samsung handset to its consumers with contract for the very first time in Maldives. And soon they will be starting offer apple handsets on contract, while Draught is working with apple to introduce subsidized apple handsets with contract. Apple currently certified Ordered network for their products while Draught is doing upgrades to obtain certification of using Apple products on contract. Is this industry good for the society?Unlike the history of the monopoly in the telecommunication industry in the Maldives, with existing oligopoly (duopoly) consumers are happy now. As is economic theory, human wants are unlimited with the scares resources available, people are still aiming for mush cheaper services with better quality. As mentioned earlier in this report, consumers' expenses, for the use of telecommunication are decreased by 60 percentages. We never heard of handset for installments by service providers before. But it is started now. We have heard a bout subsidized handset with contract with carrier locked, from other parts of the world.We never imagined that a small country with a small population like us will get phones on contract with subsidized prices. But it is soon to happen. Unlike perfect competition and monopolistic competition there are no much of sellers. So competition and pricing of the products will not be according to the demand and supply. Sellers will have the power to set the prices. Consumers are very happy when there is a perfect competition and monopolistic competition. Consumers are sad at most when there is a monopoly. But than they used to have, the monopoly. It is an average good for the society.

Gustav Flaubert and Ivan Turgenev

The Romantics is a culturally inclined book written by Pankaj Mishra. The publication deals with life's differences and how people came to know more about their own respective cultures. It brings out every reader into a journey of culture. life and the true meaning of existence. The main character Samar, made his move while he is in a juxtaposition of cultures. One may find himself in the shoes of Samar who wanted to engage in more discoveries. Samar, is a fresh graduate who arrived in Benares, also known as the holy city in 1989.He wanted to continue with his solitary life with his book as he chose to stay in a room there. Samar loves to deal with his friends namely Edmund Wilson, Gustav Flaubert and Ivan Turgenev. But on the place where he stays, he lives adjacent to a woman from the west, Catherine. She is a French young woman who had a great impact on Samar's life. She made a vast change on his outlook in life and dealing with what the good world awaits for him. He was able to re cover from the past that he wanted to escape but then the conflicting part is that he falls for the wrong woman.Catherine is already committed which made the story interesting. It was really a big frustration for him to know the truth since he fall in love for the first time since he never believe in the set up of love before. In Benares he discovered many things that changed his life. Starting from the ancestors Brahmin down to practices and political issues. He was able to contemplate on the commonality of people who are there. They all wanted to escape their past. Going back to Samar and Catherine, the two had a chance to become lovers but then Catherine decided to cut their relationship off.Good thing Samar was able to recover and took a teaching job for young Tibetan children. When he was reunited with an old friend from Benares after seven years, he told himself that he is apart from those people who lives there. He is now far from the old tradition and on his way to recuperat ing for a better future. The Romantics tells about the clashing of culture in contemporary India. The author attempted to explore how people during the time differ from their backgrounds, culture and how it is romanticized to unveil the mysteries of India.

Computer as a way of life

1.0 IntroductionIn today’s modern age where computer has become a way of life, it is evident that a majority of the country’s institutions still do not adapt the high technology. We all know that modern schools are now operating at great pace striving to serve as many students as possible with the best of their abilities. But as the years rolled by, the number of students has grown and various private and public schools arise that the manual method of monitoring students is no longer practical.In this study, the developer is hoping to develop a system that will help not only the students, but the whole campus as well. Adding function for the provided identification barcode of the ID school, and keeping track of students who will be enrolled to avoid trespassers that may cause unlikely activities such as stolen valuables, and the like, therefore will allow professors, guards, and staff ease in keeping the campus secured and monitored during the entrance of students †“ a system that will be automated, user-friendly, time effective, and efficient.1.1 Background of the StudyOur Lady of Perpetual Succor School, OLOPSS, came as a vision to a couple from Laoag City, Dionisio Alonzo Salvador, Sr. and wife Carmen Caday Salvador who found home in Marikina in the early 70’s. In 1995, College Department was opened, changing the school name into Our Lady of Perpetual Succor College, OLOPSC.During the developer’s college years since 2010 in Our Lady of Perpetual Succor College, OLOPSC, school IDs have their own barcodes, with only one function, for the use of the library. Where it is scanned by a barcode scanner or reader, to know if there are any other borrowed books that will be, or haven’t been returned.Now more than ever, growth of popularity have increased, that is why students enrolling to different universities and colleges increases. A college or university is primarily devoted to the progress and security of students. Basical ly, students spend a substantial amount of time in classrooms and/or laboratories waiting for information to be delivered by teachers/professors, and the safety performed by the security guards.The degree to which the students are satisfied with the knowledge and safety received is relative not only to the professors' expertise in their field and the guards' duties, but also to the quality of the school management. And we all know that as the number of students continually increase, maintaining the security of a school can also become increasingly difficult, especially if everything is done manually.1.2 Conceptual FrameworkInputs ProcessOutputsFigure 1.Paradigm for barcode enabled entrance system in college.1.3 Objectives of the StudyGeneral Objective: The general objective of this study is to design and develop an automated security help solution that will serve as a proposal to help security guards monitor the difference of enrolled students from not enrolled students and trespass ers. Specific Objective:1.To automate the entrance security system of students entering the campus; 2.To allow security guards to retrieve a student's status whether enrolled or not; 3.To let the security guards distinguish a student from a trespasser.1.4 HypothesisFrom the early data that has been gathered, the developer is able to conduct the study that the current school security is done manually and now requires automation.On the data that will be gathered from different sources, the developer will be able to come up to an intelligent guess that the creation of the proposed Barcode Enabled Entrance System, or BEES, will be probable and that its development will be beneficial to the whole college campus of Our Lady of Perpetual Succor College, OLOPSC.1.5 Statement of the ProblemSpecifically, this study aims to answer the following: 1.What are the common problems encountered with the existing manual system of entrance security? 2.What are the possible solutions to the problems enc ountered with the current system? 3.What is the difference between the manual system of security and the proposed security help system? 4.Is it possible to design and develop an automated security system that will help security guards to monitor the entrance of each student? 5.Will the said system really be useful not only for the security guards, but also for the whole school? 6.Will the system really provide a user-friendly interface for the convenience of the security guards and students? 7.What will be the cons of the proposed system?1.6 Significance of the StudySocio-economic significance. In this study, the proposed system will inspire other students to develop an effective and efficient system.Technological significance. The proposed system will introduce technology to other schools, colleges and universities that are until now adapting the manual method of security management.The result of this study will be beneficial to the following:College. The proposed system will autom ate everyday security tasks during entrances of the students and can help maximize time spent with all of the students thereby providing better service.Security Guards. The proposed system will make it easier for the security guards to manage the students entering the campus and convenient when it comes to determining a student of the institution or not.Students. Students are the school's principal assets. And the reason why this study is conducted is to provide a solution to the security guards' need to better secure the students and the campus.Professors and Other Staffs. Professors and staffs can benefit from this study, as they are an integral part of the whole college institution.Researcher. The researcher will develop her writing, analysis, and interpretation skills needed to make a good thesis.Future Researchers. This will benefit other researchers who wish to have similar studies as they can get background information from the result of  this study which will serve as temp late to modify their research.1.7 Scope and DelimitationIn general, the focus of this study is directed towards the design and development of an automated security help system. The study will be conducted within the vicinity of Our Lady of Perpetual Succor College, Marikina City with its students, professors, security guards, and staffs will be randomly selected from June 2013 to March 2014. The study is largely dependent on the honesty, sincerity and integrity of the respondents.1.8 Definition of TermsDefinition of terms has been provided in order to clarify words that might be foreign to different readers: Automated. Use of machines which can do the work easy and faster instead of people. Barcode. Series of black and white that holds data relating to the object which it is attached. Barcode Scanner / Barcode Reader. Electronic device for reading printed barcodes. Computer.An automatic electronic machine which calculates data and performs commands given to it by a person who uses i t. Developer. A person who develops something such as an idea, a design, or a product. Efficient. Always functioning at the highest of standards, and finding the best possible solution. Function. Operation that a particular object performs.High Technology. Use of new advanced machines and equipment.Institution. A large important organization.Integral. Important or necessary.Interface. Presentation on screen and how easy it is to operate. Maintenance. Keeping something in good condition by regularly checking it and repairing it when necessary. Manual. Operated by hand, rather than by electricity or a motor. Method. Particular way of doing something.Paradigm. A model for something which explains or shows how it can be produced. Security. Measures that are taken to ensure that only people with permission enter it or leave it. Socio-economic. Combination of social and economic factors.Substantial. Large in amount.System. Set of elements or components that interact to accomplish goals. T echnology. Result of scientific knowledge being used for practical purposes. Template. Basis.User. A person who uses something such as a facility, product, or machine. User-friendly. A machine or system that is well designed and easy to use. Variable. Factor that can change in quality, quantity, or size, which needs to take into account in a situation. Vicinity. Near or along a particular place.

Informatics in Healthcare Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Informatics in Healthcare - Research Paper Example Out of the 225 participants, 20 were interviewed personally whereas another 134 were interacted through questionnaire method. In order to collect information from the remaining 71 health organizations the tool of virtual interview was employed. For different reasons, 11 participants did not cooperate with the study and hence their responses could not be included. Medical informatics, clinical informatics, nursing informatics, pharmacy informatics, and biomedical informatics are some of the major branches that use the scope of informatics in healthcare. Many respondents claimed that the concept of healthcare informatics has benefited them to make use the expertise of health ‘informaticians’ in managing resources, standardizing medical care, and coordinating education and research initiatives. One of the key findings of the study is that healthcare informatics is a potential strategy to address the issue of growing healthcare costs because it avoids inefficient processes t hat contribute to nearly 50% of unwanted health costs in the United States. In addition, it is identified that health informatics can play a crucial role in eliminating the chances of medical errors and possible lawsuits. The most important knowledge obtained from this research paper is that health records management is the greatest advantage of healthcare informatics. Efficiency of electronic health records greatly depends on the performance of health informatics. Evidently, effective use of electronic health records can aid physicians to gain quick access to the health history of a patient in an emergency situation and respond fast in order to manage that particular situation. The respondents also indicate that healthcare informatics would assist healthcare professionals to keep track of the health trends in a region and to analyze health outcomes for a large population. Physicians may also utilize this system to increase

The consequences of the 1979 Iranian Revolution for Democracy, Term Paper

The consequences of the 1979 Iranian Revolution for Democracy, Freedom, and Justice in Iran - Term Paper Example The 1979 Iranian Revolution is ‘Never’ Successful According to some scholars, the governing clerics originally thought that the intellectuals and technocrats were inconsequential and that the state machinery could be transformed into something simpler to complement their motives (Lotfalian, 2009). It has been argued that Khomeini’s belief that the institutions of religious education are able to supervise state affairs is accurate. The requirements and value of the state were relaxed to suit the experience and knowledge of those occupying important government positions (Ganji, 2003). But it is the contention of this paper that Iran has greatly endured this ruinous strategy of ‘loyalty to the regime above technical and professional competence’ (Ganji, 2003, 209). The administration of the Akhonds has been unsuccessful in all aspects of nation building. Pervasive corruption has deeply worsened the impacts of its ineffectiveness, ignorance, and preferenti al treatment. The utmost justification of Akhond’s rule was that they would abolish the reliance of Iran on foreign countries and would be genuinely self-sufficient and autonomous. Their regime was to play as an exemplar for ‘the exploited and poor nations’ (Milani, 1993, 359). The rule was to consolidate the Muslim societies across the globe. Its objective was to communicate its revolution to every Islamic community. Yet, the agricultural and industrial sectors of Iran, according to Milani (1993), are wobbling and more reliant on overseas support and imports than ever before. Multinational firms and foreign investors are now gaining more success to the detriment of the local population. The revolution is greatly opposed and ruined in Iran that even the proposal for its transmission to other Muslim communities seems absurd. There are arguments that the Iranian revolution successfully attained its objective and ideology for building a new society. It commenced wit h a vow to improve the standard of living and build a democratic, just, and free society. Yet, it is the contention of this paper that after three decades, what the 1979 Iranian revolution has actually created is a system that has neither a rational or avant-garde foundation, nor a revolutionary blueprint for the nation. According to Kazemi (2003), it fails to carry a humanistic and moral bases and religious authority. Fundamentally, it has become an arrogant, authoritarian regime. The mullahs have been successful in retaining their powers through frauds, corruptions, and violence, yet their status is quite unsteady at present (Ganji, 2003). Obviously they have proved that they are willing to take any measure to remain in power, such as prioritizing over Islam the reinforcement of political control and to the detriment of the people and the nation. The leader of the invincible Assembly of Experts, Akhond Ali Meshkini, proclaimed in 2000 that â€Å"Ayatollah Khamenei’s powers are absolute and subject to no limitations of any kind. Popular elections have no influence on the matter. Until divine justice is restored on earth, he has guardianship over the goods and the souls of men†

Discuss the definition and the sources of christian theology and how Essay

Discuss the definition and the sources of christian theology and how is Systematic theology related to Biblical theology and Christian ethics - Essay Example ers to the knowledge of man about the supernatural, who is the creator, and this belief is fundamentally integrated into man’s constitution that, he is religious in every aspect (McGrath, 2011, pp. 21). Theology refers to the intellectual circle of religious constructs and observance. Religion refers to the spiritual experience of man and theology is the explanation or the rationale behind the experience (Gonzalez and Perez, 2002, pp. 89). Religion and theology are related in the same ways that astronomy is related to heavenly bodies, the human body and physiology and the earth and geology. In a similar manner, to the way the earth and the stars existed before humans had formulated knowledge and study about them, so were men intrinsically religious, prior to their formulation of theology (McGrath, 2001, pp. 12). Humans are instinctively religious, even without the need for reasoning religious issues out. It is not Christianity alone, but all other religions have their own theo logy. In the case of traditional religious systems, theology refers to the reasons underlying the religious actions of the fetish worshiper, irrespective of the fact that the actions may be crude (Gonzalez and Perez, 2002, pp. 90). This line of though demonstrates the intellectual aspect of the religious inclination of humans, irrespective of whether their theological practices are traditional or modern in nature. The major divisions of theological science include the exegetical, historical, the systematic and the practical divisions. Christian theology refers to the study that seeks to develop a coherent framework of Christian faith and practice. The constructs of Christian theology are primarily grounded on the writings of the bible teachings contained in the new and the Old Testament, together with traditional beliefs and the practices of the Old Testament (Gonzalez and Perez, 2002, pp. 18-19). Christian theologians use the rational analysis of bible teachings, biblical exogenesis, and

Case study question- Indentify two potential areas of growth for the Essay

Case study question- Indentify two potential areas of growth for the 'Penang' Mutiara' hotel and discuss how these changes might be implemented from an operatio - Essay Example Speed and fast response are other strengths of the Penang Mutiara. Flexibility in exploiting opportunities and employment of staff through multi skill training has created unique strengths. This has resulted in the dependability factor, which a customer in the service industry cherishes and has improved occupancy rates leading to corresponding economies of scale. (www.booksites.net). The hotel can leverage its strengths as there is adequate potential for growth with continuous improvement with reference to organizational quality and performance, focusing on customer satisfaction, through constant incremental improvements to processes including removal of unnecessary activities. (www.managementhelp.com). A service industry has to balance between strategy and operations before it can consider growth options. Since Penang Mutiara is operating as an international destination, it has to see operational management from an international perspective. (Slack: 2003). International guests in the luxury segment whether these are business or tourists seek the comfort of familiarity. Thus if they have been looked after well by a particular hotel once, they would like to continue stay in the same hotel and also recommend this to their friends and associates. Word of mouth is a powerful communication tool for luxury clientele with a strong network. This aspect can be exploited by the Penang Mutiara. Thus a customer loyalty programme is the first growth area recommended for the hotel, exploiting its customer relationship, familiarity with the loyal customers and service orientation. At present the 50 percent returnee guests show that there is adequate potential for growth in this segment may be 70- 75 percent with schemes involving loyalty bonus and also loyalty recommendations which entails that any recommendation made by a customer will gain him loyalty points for him as well as his recommended guest.

The narrative of 'Second Glance' Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The narrative of 'Second Glance' - Essay Example The storyline is immensely influenced by literature on psychological thrillers and other movies of the same genre. Throughout the film, diversified literary techniques derived from other movies and texts shall be employed. The movie will open with a scene of Clarke, lying unconscious in a pool of blood washed up near the river Lea with police and ambulance sirens honking aloud, as rescue workers desperately transport Clarke for medical aid. The next scene will portray a man enveloped in gauze bandages, with a deep voice referring to the man in the bed as ‘I’. This direct participation of the hero through first-person narrative will fully absorb the audience; hence, enabling them to fully comprehend the mechanics of the character’s mental and emotional state. Furthermore, narration will aids in triumphantly manifesting character’s mental psyche by using emotionally laden and evocative words, vivid expositions illustrating his cognitive inability, and connect ion establishing visuals. This literary method is termed as stream of consciousness. (Sang 2010). Literary techniques derived from texts and other movies will play an integral role in direction to engage the audience fully and to retain their attention throughout. As memory is the crux of the plot; hence, it will be accentuated throughout the film by employing another favourite psychological thriller literary technique known as ‘back-story’ (Rendsburg 2000). This involves revealing the history behind the present situation or presenting a series of flashbacks as the main story progresses like Memento. This emphasizes the psychological facet of the plot, as the viewer is better able to apprehend the character, in particular, his motivations and past that paved the way to his present cognitive perceptions. The story features East London, which is an area characterized by worst capital deprivation. Despite the establishment of luxury apartments and accelerating property pri ces, this area is still to a great degree deemed as the hub of crime. Therefore, this has been a preferred spot of fictional social investigations (Clarke 1997). Crime, drugs, sexual offences, social status conflict, destituteness, and multi-cultural socializing are some of the primary themes attached with this part of the city. The notion of slums in what has been depicted has ‘forbidden East End’ has always fascinated literati and audiences alike (LeUnes 1974). The suspense will be derived from the internal mental conflicts needed to be resolved by Clarke. He will rely on his mental faculties to uncover and deal with his barbaric enemies by fighting for equilibrium within his own mind (Baxendale 2004). It is imperative to bear in mind that a psychological thriller stands out for portraying its characters prone to danger on a mental level, more than physical (McCollom 1971). Fundamentally, the suspense produced in

What is football hooliganism and what social factors underlie it Essay

What is football hooliganism and what social factors underlie it - Essay Example â€Å"Football hooliganism is seen by most to mean violence and/or disorder involving football fans. However there are two very specific types of disorder that have been labeled hooliganism: (a) Spontaneous and usually low level disorder caused by fans at or around football matches (the type that typically occurs at England away matches), and (b) Deliberate and intentional violence involving organized gangs (or firms) who attach themselves to football clubs and fight firms from other clubs, sometimes a long way in time and space from a match.† (Pearson, 2007) Media has always been actively involved in covering disruptions at football matches and tournaments. Media has played a vital rule in making the general public aware of the concept football hooliganism. Media also takes particular interest in reporting events of football hooliganism as these sensational stories are what the audience really wants to hear. Theses events give tabloids exciting happening events involving violence to report about and such stories increases their magazine or newspapers circulation. Therefore, media has been criticized time and again for playing an integral part in provoking football hooliganism. â€Å"Many researchers, and many non-academic observers, have argued that this sensationalism, together with a predictive approach whereby violence at certain matches is anticipated by the media, has actually contributed to the problem.† (SIRC) â€Å"Hooligan formations provide their members with a sense of belonging, mutual solidarity and friendship. Narratives of hooligans reveal how group members claim to ‘look after one another’ and stick together through thick and thin†. (Spaaij, 2006) â€Å"Higher the emotional involvement (represented by high score on the emotionality subscale) the person has with the team, the more likely the individual will cause or participate in incidents.† (Petrà ³czi et al., n.d) â€Å"There are several theories, but most sociologists maintain that

Thomson TUI Offline e-Tourism Strategy Case Study

Thomson TUI Offline e-Tourism Strategy - Case Study Example Hotelopia has made its presence prominent enough in the travel industry, which has resulted in its being the subject of news articles as well, which offer free publicity for itself. An example is the article that appeared on 10th September in newspapers (Dromore Leader) A favourable newspaper article about a business/company has the kind of credibility, which even the best crafted advertisement cannot have, since the reader views the article as written by an impartial observer, while the ad is a case of blowing one's own trumpet. This, notwithstanding the reality that newspaper articles on companies often are the result of a well-orchestrated publicity plan done by it, with much of the content of such an article being provided by the business concern itself to the writer. LateRooms provide customers with last minute accommodation, a facility which is not easily available offline, as a real-time offline facility covering destinations across the world is a physical impossibility. LateRooms charge the hotels a commission and not the customer. Besides, with last minute bookings, hotels are glad to provide accommodation below rack rates in order to maximise capacity utilisation, and minimise losses on account of rooms not hired out. LateRooms has been sufficiently prominent in the field, having won the award of the Hitwise UK Annual Online Performance in the Travel-Destination and Accommodation category (LateRooms Website) Winning an award is a strategy to automatically generate more business. LateRooms, by wresting the award from Lastminute.com this year, has enhanced its credibility. This is a strategy similar to the one employed by Hotelopia-getting a third party to certify the business quality, which beats putting an ad through the print media/ hoardings or online. Of course, it may be argued that a company cannot with certainty strategise to ensure winning an award. But we may reasonably assume that the company certainly can make a concerted attempt to win one. In the B2B sector, the divisions are split geographically into two, Hotelbeds and Portfoloio Incoming. Hotelbeds offers accommodation services on-line and destination services off-line to tour operators and travel agents. It has the brands Meetings, Events, Incentives and Conferences (MICE) in Asia, and Intercruises (the largest world provider of goods handling services to cruise liners). The Portfolio Incoming division "operates through a network of destination agencies worldwide", which includes separate brands for some countries-e.g. for Spain and for Greece (p 16- Results-Sept 2008) The strategies used by Thomson in its e-tourism business are world-wide coverage, excellent performance-reflected in awards won, and publicity-both self-generated and through liaising with the print media to have articles published on it. All this has resulted in enhanced returns to the company from e-tourism (p 16- Results-Sept 2008)Works Cited Dromore Leader dt. 10th Sept 2008, retrieved 10th Dec. 2008,

Huckleberry Finn Essay Example for Free

Huckleberry Finn Essay The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, written by Mark Twain, takes place during the antebellum era, and revolves around a young boy, named Huck. The antebellum era was the years right before the Civil War, so Huck was living in a dark and murky time in American History. Huck starts off by living with The Widow Douglas and her sister, Miss Watson, who is trying to civilize him or make him to be what the perfect child should look like and make him act how a perfect child should act. Huck does not want that. He just wants to live how he wants, just like most youth want. In the novel, Huckleberry Finn befriends a runaway slave, Jim, and his adventures begin. According to Dennis Puopard, Mark Twain exposed many of the dark problems of antebellum United States. Some say Mark Twain wrote this episodic novel as a boys adventure story and that Huck is a character that children should look up to. (422) Modern readers do not see Huckleberry Finn as a childrens book because the book is racist, there a themes of lying, and characters object and criticize authority. Because, modern readers see the book as improper for children The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is on the banned books list on many school in the United States. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn there are racial slurs, lies, and profanity. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is not a childrens book in todays society because of the prominent theme of race. The topic of race and racism is strong in todays society. If a modern American citizen uses racial slurs against another race in a hurtful way that citizen would be convicted with a criminal offense. A racial slur such as the word nigger is not tolerable todays society. The word nigger was used to belittle and dehumanize African American slaves, such as Jim, in antebellum United States. Through out the book, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, author Mark Twain includes racial slurs such as the word, nigger toward African American characters, such as Jim and other slaves. Good gracious! anybody hurt? Nom. Killed a nigger. Well, its lucky; because sometimes people do get hurt. ( Twain 109). This quote shows how the white society views Jim different then themselves. They view Jim as property rather than a human with a living breathing heart. This dialoged between two white characters just shows how hurtful and cruelly someone can sound just by taking. Barbra L. Jackson professor at Fordham University in New York City says, It is hard to teach The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in a diverse class because of its racial views. (63). If a college professor has a hard time teaching the book, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, to her class, how can it be easy for high school students who are studding the novel, or even young boys whom pick up the book and start reading it? Also, Barbra L. Jackson says, I always see a lack in participation, when studying the book, the students do not want to read out loud, (64). The students do not feel right saying nigger out loud because they do not want to offend any of their classmates. The students know that the word, nigger is a taboo in modern society. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should not be taught or read to children because of the racial slurs. The type of racial language that Mark Twain uses in the book is offensive and crude. The exposure of the racial slurs to young children would be harmful. The young children will think it is okay to say the new words they discover from reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which would get them into trouble in the future.

Flat organization Group Essay Example for Free

Flat organization Group Essay Organizational structures developed from the ancient times of hunters and collectors in tribal organizations through highly royal and clerical power structures to industrial structures and todays post-industrial structures. The typical hierarchical arrangement for lines of authorities, communications, rights and duties of an organization. Organizational structure determines how the roles, power and responsibilities are assigned, controlled, and coordinated, and how information flows between the different levels of management. A structure depends on the organizations objectives and strategy. In a centralized structure, the top layer of management has most of the decision making power and has tight control over departments and divisions. In a decentralized structure, the decision making power is distributed and the departments and divisions may have different degrees of independence. A company such as Proctor Gamble that sells multiple products may organize their structure so that groups are divided according to each product and depending on geographical area as well. The Importance of Organization Structure A number of writers have pointed out the importance of an organization’s structure and the relationship between it and an organization’s size, strategy, technology, environment and culture. Mintzberg (1989) has written extensively and significantly on the importance of organizational structure. Miller (1989) has explored the importance of configurations of strategy and structure. Burns and Stalker (1961) concluded that if an organization is to achieve maximum performance then its structure must fit with or match the rate of change in its environments. Handy (1990, 1993) has discussed the importance of culture in relation to organizational design and structure and the need for new organizational forms. Pascale, Milleman and Gioja (2000, p.197) consider ‘design is the invisible hand that brings organizations to life and life to organizations.’ Further, organizational structure and design are closely entwined (Mabey, Salaman Storey, 2001) with many aspects of human resource management. Thus structure has a key role in the all important human dimension of an organization. Too often the importance of Organization structure is overlooked and Miller (1989) points to a gap in the literature whereby the content of corporate or business strategies has not been widely considered in relation to structure. One of the most important aspects of a manager’s role is the design of Organizational structures, yet this is often a neglected responsibility (Senge, 1994). McMaster (1996) argues that Organizational design is not well understood and traditional management education does not include the development of any understanding of the principles of corporate design. The impact of the floury of corporate restructures that took place in the 1980s and 1990s, discussed later in this paper, supports this view. I would suggest that this lack of genuine understanding is a serious shortcoming. Definition of Structure Mullins (1993) and Mabey, Salaman Storey (2001) describe the structure of an Organization as the pattern of relationships between roles in an Organization and its different parts. They see the purpose of this structure as serving to allocate work and responsibilities in order to direct activities and achieve the Organization’s goals. Structure enables managers to plan, direct, organize and control the activities of the organization (Mullins, 1993, Mabey, Salaman Storey, 2001). Here is a traditional view of Organizational design that uses principles derived from classical and scientific Management. A non traditional approach is taken by Pascale, Milleman and Gioja (2000, p.197). They consider the role of architects and the principles they use to create buildings that provide ‘(1) structural integrity (sound buildings), (2) functionality (space appropriate for its intended use), and (3) aesthetic appeal.’ Using these principles an architect is able to work with the client in order to create a structure that is an integral and facilitating aspect of the life of the people who move in and around it. Thus architectural approaches can offer us a good model with which to consider Organization design principles. I would define an Organization’s structure as the architecture both visible and invisible which connects and weaves together all aspects of an Organization’s activities so that it functions as a complete dynamic entity. One simple approach is to consider how an Organization’s structure is described when represented diagrammatically, which most is often shown in the Organization chart. This provides useful insights into the underlying design principles. It will not show informal structures, but this is not the focus of this paper, except where they are an integral part of the design, as in for example, design Principles derived from complexity. The 20th Century –Traditional way Henri Fayol is credited by many as being the founder of modern management theory and practice. Writing at the beginning of the 20th century he advocated an Organization structure that was centralized, functionally specialized and hierarchical, in which everything had its specific place. Management was viewed as being all about planning, organizing, forecasting, co-coordinating and controlling. Others built on Fayol’s work, which Morgan (1986) claims provided the foundation of management theory in the first half of the last century, and which is still much in use up to the present day. Also in the early 20th century Frederick Taylor drawing on his understanding of traditional science and scientific method devised a theory of management – scientific management. He advocated the use of ‘scientific’ methods of measurement and analysis and broke all tasks down into small repetitive components. This was considered the most effective way of operating a production process and his methods achieved their apogee in the Ford motor car production line process. Thus the basic structure of many large Organizations in the 20th century was founded on linear, segmented, hierarchical design principles as typified by Figure 1. The larger the Organization the larger the structure and the more sub divisions. It was an approach to Organization design that reflected the classical scientific worldview as did the early management theorists Figure 1. Traditional Organization Chart / Structure During the mid 20th century there was a trend for Organizations to create huge corporate structures, often composed of many varied and different businesses, for example, the Hanson Trust, Trafalgar House, Unilever, and GKN in the UK and General Electric in the USA (Mabey, Salaman Storey, 2001). In the public sector too, huge bureaucracies were created with the nationalization of the public utilities after World War II and the creation of the NHS in 1948. The management of these huge Organizations required a complex multilayered structure with many sub divisions. ‘Tall structures were created with as many as 20 plus levels between the chief Executive and the shopfloor operative. Managerial control of employees at all the Multiple levels was based on a mixture of direct command and budgetary Responsibility. Hierarchy, command and control were the governing principles of Employee management.’ But by the last decades of the 20th century, however, the trend for larger and larger structures was over. Almost every Organization experimented with some kind of structural change process (Ashkenas et al, 1995). Large conglomerates were broken up and large bureaucracies slimmed down as Organizations sought to become more effective and flexible (Mabey, Salaman Storey, 2001). Companies merged and demerged, made acquisitions or sold them off and experimented with a range of approaches designed to make them more effective and responsive to a rapidly changing world. During this period Organizations were awash with notions of delayering, right / downsizing and business process re-engineering and for a time returns to shareholders were at record levels (Willis,2001). Downsizing was used by many companies as a way of adjusting their structures in order to be fitter and more effective. Large Organizations with many bureaucratic aspects like Kodak, IBM and General Motors restructured in this way (Mabey, Salaman Storey, 2001). This and the often accompanying trend for outsourcing resulted in a wave of new problems particularly with employee insecurity and loss of expert knowledge. Coulson- Thomas and Coe (1991) report that in many of these slimmer Organizations there were issues of work overload, increased work stress, lack of vision, poor decision making, corporate in fighting and so on. Further, this approach proved to be an unsatisfactory one, not only because of the immediate social costs and the loss of experience and valuable skills, but because many Organizations failed to capitalize on the restructuring and implement new supportive systems (Mabey, Salaman Storey, 2001). They changed the structure of the Organization but not in such a way as to improve its overall long term effectiveness. This apparent lack of insight concerning the importance of the relationship between structure and internal and external systems and human behaviours displays a restricted understanding of the principles of Organization design. Business process re-engineering was another approach which many adopted during this period as an effective way of improving efficiency and removing bureaucratic structures. But, Mumford and Hendricks (1996) point out, many companies became obsessed with cost cutting and associated staffing reductions and did not consider how best to reorganize and restructure. Also some chief executives used the process to rid themselves of cumbersome bureaucratic chains of command but failed to cede control Mabey, Salaman Storey (2001, p.158) describe this period as one of ‘apparent chaos’ as Organizations also tried out approaches based on networking, outsourcing and notions of virtual forms of Organization. However, they provide an analytical framework which I shall use to describe the different types of structure that still redominate. It offers four main types of structure: bureaucracy, divisionalized structures, strategic business units and ‘de-structured’ forms. Organizational – 21st Century At the end of the 20th century some less traditional forms of organization structure beganto emerge as evidenced by the ‘de-structured’ forms described by Mabey, Salaman Storey (2001). Handy (1990) observes that the old mechanistic systems are everywhere breaking down. Mabey, Salaman Storey (2001) talk of the emergence of a new paradigm for organizational form which seeks to replace the rigidity and cumbersome nature of the traditional form. Ashkenas et al (1995) report on a change in design principles that amounts to a major shift.

The Pestel Analysis Of Construction Industry Economics Essay

The Pestel Analysis Of Construction Industry Economics Essay General Objective: To come up with an eco-friendly construction material using shredded PET bottles as an aggregate (replacing the gravel component of CHB) in the production of an alternative construction material, ecological hollow block (EHB), which could result to a better cost effective product. Specific Objectives: To prepare an industry study of all the construction materials currently being used in housing and commercial developments. To review the waste management system in the Philippines and look for areas that are sustainable sources of PET materials. To identify the current drivers and trends of the real estate and construction industry, as well as the Non-government Organizations (NGOs) in order to explore the viability of introducing the EHB products for their construction needs. To prepare a business model for each market segment, namely: (1) Non-government Organizations (NGOs) and (2) Real Estate Developers and Contractors. Scope and Limitations This MRR is focused on the following market segments: real estate developers, construction companies and NGOs. The study is limited to the Philippines specifically the National Capital Region (NCR) and provinces within a 130 km radius. Other construction materials that have the potential to be used with PET flakes aside from the concrete hollow block are excluded from this study. Central Hypothesis This MRR focuses on the Ecoblock venture into the Philippine market through the NGOs specifically on housing and development programs; and eventually cater to the local real-estate developers and contractors. Hence the desired outcome of this MRR would be a venture strategy considering the economic conditions, market outlook, competitive analysis, risks analysis and capital sourcing. II.PESTEL Analysis of Construction Industry Political Factors President Aquinos State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July 2010 highlighted the importance of Public-Private Partnerships (PPP).  [1]  The PPP was seen as an important strategy for infrastructure development. It has also been estimated that the pipeline of PPP projects (infrastructure projects for transportation, water, power, health, and agriculture) for the year 2012 will amount to USD 5.49B. Another factor that can have an effect on these projects is the upcoming election in the year 2013 that can increase government spending on infrastructure developments. Lastly, the issue of corruption (specifically in government infrastructure projects) is seen as an important political factor in the construction industry of the Philippines. The corruption issues of the Philippines regarding infrastructure was discussed during Finance Secretary Cesar Purisimas meeting with Ernie Bower, the senior adviser and director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington DC.  [2]  In this meeting, it was cited that the PPPs program of the Philippines will be able to address the current issues on corruption. According to Purisima, the right infrastructures should be accompanied by forward-looking policies for the Philippines to be competitive through highly-viable and promising ventures. It was also made clear that corruption is a major factor that will hinder the gov ernment to increase spending for infrastructure projects. Economic Factors Figure 1. GDP year-on-year Growth Rates, 2006-2011. Source: National Statistic Coordination Board As shown in Figure 1, the Philippines gross domestic product (GDP) decreased from 7.6% in 2010 to 3.7% in 2011. This is due to the negative export growth rates in 2011 that was influenced by the global economic conditions particularly the economic and financial crises in US and Euro countries  [3]  . The domestic factors on the other hand include the decreasing demand and negative growth rate in agricultural production and the under spending of the government in infrastructure projects. Based on the GDP projections of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Asian Development Bank (ADB) and World Bank, the Philippine economy will slightly improve in 2012 due to the support of growth in private consumption (higher OFW remittances), investment, and government spending  [4]  . However, if the debt woes in Europe will worsen and the recovery of the US economy will not be sustained, the Philippines will experience lower exports and foreign investment that may lead to lower GDP growt h. Considering these factors the Philippine government must be able to increase government spending on infrastructure projects to prevent the economy to slow down further. Figure 2. Peso-dollar rate, Inflation Rate, and 91-day T-bill in the Philippines, 2006 to 1Q 2012. Source: Bangko Sentral ngPilipinas As shown in Figure 2, even if demand in the economy is lower in 2011 due to the lower GDP growth rate, overall prices still increased which was brought about by the increase in prices of petroleum in the global market.  [5]  Looking at the disposable income of Filipinos, if the overall prices increase, the purchasing power will tend to decrease. This might affect the amount of disposable income that might be allocated for house purchase. Based on Figure 2, inflation is lower in the 1st quarter of year 2012. Meanwhile, the 91-day Treasury bill interest rate decreased when the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) attempted to stimulate economic growth. The peso-dollar rate remained stable due to the increase in inflow of remittances. The stability of the peso-dollar rate is very important in the construction industry due to the fact that some of the materials being used in construction are imported. The instability of the peso-dollar rate will affect the price of these materials. Figure 3. Construction Output (in million Php and share to total GDP) Source: National Statistic Coordination Board As shown in Figure 3, construction output in 2011 went down. This is due to the under spending of the government in infrastructure projects.  [6]  The construction-to-GDP ratio decreased from 5.7% to 5.2%. The increase in government spending can increase the GDP for the coming years. Table 1. Growth in the Tourism Industry, Business Process Outsourcing, and Mining Industry that may Affect the Construction Industry. Year Tourism Industry (Foreign Tourist Arrivals) Business Process Outsourcing (Projected Growth) Mining Industry (Expected Investment) 2010 3.52 M 2011 3.921 M (exceeded 3.74M target) 18% $3.4B 2012 1Q: 2.14M 20% $3.9B Source: Philippine Constructors Association Country Report, 2011. Department of Tourism Growth of other industries will also open opportunities for the construction industry. As shown in Table 1, the tourism industry, the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), and the mining industry are continuously experiencing growth which may lead to more construction projects. For the tourism industry alone, 47 hotels with 14,000 rooms will be constructed by the year 2013.  [7]   Due to the Philippines stronger financial position, the Standard and Poor raised the Philippines international debt rating to one notch below investment grade (BB+).  [8]  According to the DBS Group, the Philippines can achieve investment-grade credit rating with a year or two. Once this is achieved, more investments will flow to the country. Social Factors The social factors that we will be considering in this study will give emphasis on the population growth rate, age profile, and housing backlog in the Philippines and try to correlate them with the construction industry in the country. Population Growth Rate As of July 2011 the Philippines has an estimated total population of 103.775 million and out of this, 11.86 million reside in the National Capital Region (NCR). The Philippines has an average population growth rate of 1.9% and the NCR has an average population growth rate of 1.78%. Age Profile The majority of the population in the Philippines belongs to the working class (15-64 years: 61.1% or 62,201,170 as of 2010). This is the portion of society who are about to start their own families until those who are about to retire from their respective careers. People in this segment are also the ones who have the capacity to invest in residential developments. Housing Backlog As of 28 December 2011 Philippines housing backlog is currently 3.6 million.  [9]  The government will tap shelter agencies like the Housing and Urban Development Coordination Council (HUDCC), the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB), the Pag-ibig Fund, the Social Housing Finance Corporation, the National Housing Authority, the Home Guaranty Corporation, and the National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation to reduce the housing backlog by 50% with an annual target of 350,000 housing units. To achieve this, the Aquino administration highlighted the need for more PPP programs to use the underutilized government lands. The insufficiency of available funding resulted to this housing backlog. The government needs Php 1.7 trillion to address the Philippines housing needs. In 2011, several typhoons and flash floods occurred in the Philippines between May and September. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will develop recovery and rehabilitation projects for victims of flash floods in NCR and other provinces with a total of 187,008 families. Also, projects will be developed for the victims of typhoons that entered the country, which affected 1.4 million families  [10]  . Technological Factors Last June 28, 2012, the general membership meeting of the Philippine Constructors Association (PCA) was held to discuss the current issues that the industry currently faces. In this meeting, innovation was considered as a driver of productivity. According to Executive Director Cosette V. Canilao, the players of the industry must be able to re-evaluate their resources and processes to make it more efficient, responsive and relevant to the present stringent requirements of the industry.  [11]  Regarding PPP for infrastructure projects, the government must demand from its private partners new technologies that will accelerate delivery time while ensuring public safety. However, Canilao also recognized the fear of being the first to try something different. With this, he emphasized that those players who will not invest in technological innovation might be left behind at bidding time. According to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the Philippines may adopt new construction trends in Japan, particularly on the latest technology on roads and bridge construction.  [12]  The construction and engineering technologies from Japan through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will help the Philippines build disaster-resilient infrastructures that would mitigate the effects of climate change. Technological innovation in the Philippines doesnt only happen with government projects, private manufacturers of construction materials also try to innovate the products and processes to improve the product offering. Cement manufacturers like the Holcim Group created a green sustainable solution for cement.  [13]  The company is trying to minimize the impact of cement manufacturing in the environment. The company focuses on bringing down carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by reducing the clinker factor by using mineral components as alternative materials.  [14]  Innovation on the use of raw materials was accompanied by improvement in the process namely: (1) use of alternative fuels; (2) co-processing; and (3) quarry habilitation policy. Co-processing is considered as a globally accepted technology that helps the company process water streams in the cement kilns to properly dispose hazardous industrial wastes.  [15]  The quarry habilitation policy would ensure that the quarry sites can be used productively by the community before they are completely mined out. Holcim Philippines was the first company to submit a Final Mine Decommissioning and Rehabilitation Plan to the Department of Natural Resources (DENR), which will serve as a blueprint in restoring quarry sites. Environmental Factors Land development and construction have a direct impact on the environment wherein land conversion from agricultural to urban and residential greatly reduces bio-capacity (ability of the land to produce food and other resources for the society).  [16]  Because of this, sustainable land development is becoming more important in the construction industry. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Ayala Land, Inc. (ALI) developed an ALI Sustainability Framework to chart, monitor, and report the companys progress in sustainable land development. The increasing awareness about environmental impact of construction activities will eventually affect the way residential and commercial developments are built. In 2006, the Philippine Green Building Council (PHILGBC) was formed as a national non-profit organization through the alliance of building and construction industry leaders from the private and public sector.  [17]  This organization was formed to ensure an ecologically and economically sustainable industry. This resulted to a local green building rating system that is now called Building for Ecologically Responsive Design Excellence (BERDE). The BERDE scheme will serve as a benchmark for all property developers in the country. Last August 17-19, 2011, the first Philippine International Total Green Movement Exhibition and Conference was held at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex in Manila. The joint venture of the Philippine Constructors Association, Inc. (PCA), Global-Link Exhibitions Specialist, Inc. (GESI), Philippine Society of Ventilating, Air-conditioning, Refrigerating Engineers, Inc. (PSVARE), Philippine Center for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development, Inc. (PCEPSDI), and Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) Manila, created the Green Philippines 2011.  [18]  This event featured four exhibit segments on construction (Green Construct), manufacturing (Green Manufacturing), lifestyle (Green lifestyle), and energy (Green Energy). Also, last August 16-17, 2011, the 2nd Sustainable Building Technology Conference was held that invited international sustainability experts to discuss the best practices for a green industry. These events would show that the players in the c onstruction industry are already leaning towards environment friendly development projects. Legal Factors The construction industry is one of the most hazardous and risky occupations in the country. With this, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWG), the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) signed a Memorandum of Agreement last May 4, 2011 to strengthen the campaign to minimize accidents in construction activities. This MOA aims to promote the welfare of construction workers and prevent the recurrence of construction-related incidents, notably the ones that recently killed or severely injured workers early 2012.  [19]  Also, this MOA is an off-shoot of DOLE Department Order No. 13 (which provides the Guidelines Governing Occupational Safety and Health in the Construction Industry) and aims to intensify the holistic and extensive execution of the policies and programs set forth in D.O. No. 13 in construction sites. III. Construction Materials Industry Existing Eco-friendly Construction Materials The construction industry in the Philippines is currently leaning toward ecological friendly materials due to the global campaign to save the environment. The materials that are available range from pre fabricated walls and blocks to bricks that is considered to be the oldest building material used. The pre-fabricated walls and blocks use polystyrene as an aggregate that is added to the concrete mixture to produce a lighter and insulating product. Reinforced fire bricks are also one of the common construction materials that are used in construction of homes. Reinforced bricks are made of industrial wastes such as rice hull, coal ash, silt, mud and clay. Existing Market and Availability The existing market for pre-fabricated walls and blocks are the contractors for commercial buildings and high-rise residential buildings. There are also some contractors that use pre-fabricated materials for home construction but the homeowners still prefer to use concrete hollow blocks (CHB) because of the high cost of the pre-fabricated material. The walls are pre-ordered by the contractor and are sometimes manufactured on site to avoid delivery expenses. On the other hand, the reinforced firebricks are used in home construction. This material is usually specified by the people who belong to the higher class of society mainly because of the price of this construction material. Advantages disadvantages of using existing eco-friendly construction material Pre-fabricated walls are used in exterior and interior applications in building construction. The lighter wall means that the foundations of a building project could be smaller due to the reduction in weight that the foundation needs to support. Installation time for the pre-fabricated wall is shorter compared to using conventional materials in wall construction. The product is smoother and does not need additional plastering (only the joints require additional concrete) because of the smooth finish that these walls generally have. The pre-fabricated walls also serve as good insulators that result to less energy consumption. A notable disadvantage of using this product, aside from the cost, is that the sizes that are available are only limited and could not be cut to size. The advantages of using reinforced fire brick in construction is that it uses less cement and is stronger than concrete. Bricks are also weather resistant and are considered to be ideal in tropical countries like t he Philippines because it slowly absorbs heat to keep the inside of the house cooler. Bricks do not need cement plastering and the walls do not need to be painted. The disadvantage of using this material is the high cost. Even if it requires less cement and no paint the cost of the material is still higher compared to common construction materials used. Concrete Hollow Blocks (CHBs) CHB as a backyard industry In the Philippines, CHB remains as a backyard industry because it is easy to produce, especially the non-load bearing CHB. The CHB can be produced manually by using an improvised mold. In producing a non-load bearing CHB, a mixture of sand, gravel, cement, and water can be manually compressed using the improvised mold. Reasons why CHB is still being used in construction There are three reasons why CHB is still being used in construction, namely: (1) cost; (2) availability; and (3) ease of installation and handling. CHB still remains as the a cheaper choice in construction of a concrete house. As a backyard industry, CHB is available nationwide with similar product specifications. Lastly, CHB is a traditional product. With this, majority of the laborers or construction workers are familiar with CHB in construction. The familiarity of the laborers with a product is the main reason why CHB is still being used. Innovations from CHB The demand for quality, economy, and completion time are the major considerations for all construction projects that usually dictate the choice of technology  [20]  . The traditional construction material currently being used for construction projects is the CHB. Based on the interview with key players in the real estate industry, another alternative is the pre-fabricated walls. For fabricated walls, the entire wall is built off- site or on-site before installation as compared to CHB that are stacked one on top of another. In the Philippines, only 5% are using prefabricated building material in housing construction  [21]  . Over the years, different types of construction materials have been offered containing recycled plastic, such as PVC pipes. Recycling is especially important for thermoset polymers since this form of plastic cannot be reheated and melted back to liquid form. In the Philippines and in other countries, shredded plastic has been used as aggregates for bricks and construction blocks. Most of these, however, are not widely offered commercially and are not load bearing. Porters Five Forces and Key Success Factor Figure 4. Porters Five Forces for the Construction Materials Industry Industry Rivalry Among Existing Players- Medium The demand for this product is readily accessible in most areas and the market is sensitive only to the price relative to the quality of the product they receive. At present the 4-6inchconcrete hollow blocks prices are standard for all and vary only between the volume suppliers and the backyard suppliers because of their respective approach to the business. The buyers of the product favor the suppliers who are nearer to them (because of transportation costs) and if satisfied with the quality they retain their suppliers. However there are instances where the buyer changes suppliers in lieu of quality issues for this reason, industry rivalry will be considered medium. Threat of New Entrants Medium The technical skill and labor required isnt advanced nor does it require highly specialized machines to deliver the product, the only obstacle is the cash required to: 1) purchase the hollow block maker and; 2) to secure working capital requirements. The cost of a concrete block mixer is between Php30,000-P40,000, and a mold container would be approximately Php5,000 per piece. Normally a block maker can start a small-time business with 6 molds which is equivalent to Php30,000 therefore a backyard business can start at a Php60,000 investment excluding working capital. The disadvantage of this practice is it sacrifices the quality/durability of the blocks due to the lack of compression of the block being formed thereby resulting in a lower PSI rating. The difficulty in securing funding for this particular business is high because the business is not unique while the returns in this type of business do not instantly translate to high growth profits. The local venture capitalists who provide seed capital to startups look to sunrise industries such as the BPO sector and IT services delivery, or the next big website investment. The prospects of a potential participant to capture market share will primarily be on their ability to reduce the cost of their concrete hollow block while maintaining a reasonable quality and service. In order to achieve this, the potential participant must have a large base of clients in order to achieve economies of scale in their production of quality products and a person who will provide assistance to the client to ensure proper delivery and satisfaction, a backyard hollow block maker will not be able to be competitive and for this reason the threat of new entrants is rated as medium taking into consideration these factors. Bargaining Power of Buyers Medium Some projects outsource their hollow block while others make it onsite. While it is preferred to buy the product in order to avoid the cost of investment and taking into consideration that there is abundant supply for this product (but at varying prices depending on which type of supplier: backyard supplier, volume supplier or a wholesaler, and depending on the volume purchase of the buyer the bargaining power of buyer is medium given the availability of a quality product in the market. Bargaining Power of Suppliers Low / Medium The demand for reasonably priced hollow blocks are assumed to be growing at 10.5% and construction materials 5.4% which supports the argument that demand is good. Another consideration is that the real-estate residential development is in the form of condominiums and they make use other products such as pre-fabricated walls instead of hollow blocks. The construction boom doesnt directly translate to increased hollow block use and the prices of hollow block are generally stable therefore for these reasons the suppliers bargaining power is low. The bargaining power of cement and sand suppliers remain low since there are abundant sources for these suppliers. The PET flakes suppliers have a medium bargaining power since they are less abundant than the cement and sand suppliers. Moreover, the local PET suppliers have different methods in shredding and cutting the plastic such that those suppliers that have the ability to shred PET flakes at a certain size have a stronger bargaining power than others. Threat of Substitute Products Low For the low cost housing sector and other housing projects hollow blocks are still preferred. The emerging sector of high-rise residential projects make use of pre-fabricated products and gypsum boards however the market share of these products is only 5% for construction materials, therefore the threat of substitutes are rated medium. Key Success Factors (Industry) The success in this industry will be in the costing of the product and the quality. In order to reduce the overall cost of the product there is a need to meet operation efficiency and effective marketing in order to achieve economies of scale that will bring down overall costs for our firm while producing a good quality product. Opportunities and Threats Opportunities Emphasis on PPP programs for government infrastructure projects Good forecast for the tourism, BPO, and mining industry Movement towards sustainable community development The use of plastic as an aggregate is not yet widely introduced in the Philippines The high amount of investment on PPP programs is seen as a good opportunity for the construction materials industry. For year 2012, several PPP projects are in the pipeline, namely: (1)14 projects on transportation; (2) 2 projects on utilities-water (3) 2 projects on power; 1 project on health; and (4) 2 projects on agriculture that amounted to USD 5.49B will increase the demand for construction materials. These PPP programs will also serve as an opportunity for private companies to increase their annual construction projects. The growth of three industries, namely: (1) tourism industry; (2) BPO; and (3) mining industry will also contribute to the growth of the construction materials industry. The increasing annual foreign tourist arrivals and domestic travelers opted for the increased in resorts, hotels, and condominiums. The increase in number of accommodation facilities was accompanied by the Republic Act of 9593 or Tourism Act of 2009 wherein the roads that are not initially classified as national but lead to tourism sites, airports, and seaports will be improved which will be included in the DPWH budget for 2012.  [22]  For the BPO, construction of commercial buildings is also expected to increase to meet the demand of the industry. The investment of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) would show that the mining still remains as a promising industry (Table 1). Investment on mining would result to more office sites and barracks for mining companies. The movement towards building more sustainable developments is seen as an improvement for the construction industry. New technologies for products and processes will help improve the viability of construction projects in the Philippines. By focusing on the impact of construction of the environment, the need for environment-friendly products may increase as the industry try to include the societys welfare in planning construction projects. The use of plastic as an aggregate is currently being used in Germany. However, this new aggregate is not yet widely introduced in the Philippines. This is seen as an opportunity for the company to introduce a product with more benefits than the existing products in the market. Threats Competition (large companies) Emergence of new products Competition especially against large competitors is seen as a major threat because these companies are already established in the industry. New companies that may introduce new products in the market may face difficulties especially if these products are not patented. Large companies can simply launch the same product at a larger scale. The availability of funding for these large companies will give them an advantage to produce more products. The more products a company manufactures, the opportunity to capture a larger market is bigger. Also, large companies can be seen as good suppliers for developers and contractors who want a steady supply of materials. Even if CHB currently remains as the primary choice for wall construction, emergence of new products as a substitute may pose as a threat for the CHB market. Even if only 5% in Philippines uses prefabricated bu

Tribal Living :: Government Lifestyle Social Essays

Tribal Living As post 9/11 Americans, we've spent a lot of time claiming unity and community while we waive our bloodstained flags with pride. Our sense of union is a warm fuzzy at most while we watch the evening news, but in reality is choked by the hate and fear that is instilled in us by the "Great State." It is comparable to the church, we go to be spiritual one day a week and live like hell the other six days, making the trip in vain. I want to attempt to unravel the bandages and let the scales fall from blinded eyes so we can see what true community is. The government in place can only lead to more disappointments and less comradery. I plan to expose big American bureaucracy that leaves many in a very closed off, narcissistic lifestyle, and find solutions in more concentrated forms of rule, so we can achieve unity through a more communal process. The first observation can be made from the comfort of our cars. Weà ­ve all seen the star-striped flags on the rear windows of other vehicles on the road, but try to pass and youà ­ll catch a great big finger from the front. Why is this? Why do we not sponsor the motto, "Live and let live?" Washington calls for one voice against terrorism and has used it as license to kill anyone who slightly threatens that voice. We are the biggest threat to the world, only it has become our manifest destiny to be its peace holder. We go and enforce our way of life, leaving other nations in ruins while our own homes lay in more destructive, less obvious ruin. We lack community and social obligation. Our era is often characterized by individualism (Firat and Venkatesh, 1993), which is the logical conclusion when government is impersonal, and the only way of being noticed is by taking personal action to show our own existence, our own difference (Elliot, 1997). The faà ade that is our American uni ty will not hold back the waters, and will only lead to a more detached, self-absorbed society. One of the most visible consequences of a nation turning to individualism is a lack of social interaction. With technology increasing, and products and services right behind, many are freed from tasks that would have previously required their confrontations with others. The internet has made it so that shopping, paying bills, and even conversing can be done by punching a few keys (all this weà ­ve known for years).

Gang Violence Essay -- essays research papers

Gang Violence   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nowadays gangs are big issues in America. People who are in gang feel like they belong some where and people care about them. There are various reasons people join gangs, and almost all age group between ages 12-40 are involved in gangs. One of the big reasons people join gangs is because of their needs, protection, and also they want attention from people around them. Gang’s should be taken seriously because today’s gangs are more violent and brutal then they were in 60’s. Gangs do more violent act every day and if police don’t do anything about gangs then it will be hard to control the gangs in the future.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Today gang is a big issue when it comes to steeling and money. Usually young kids ages between 13-18 steel more then the older gang member who are eighteen and older. Once the kids start steeling they want more and more things like CD players, walkman, clothes, school supply, games, music, movies and whatever the kids could get their hands on. Also money is the biggest problem in the world because even if people have enough money they want more. But money problem was different for Luis because his family didn’t have much money and they lived in a poor neighborhood. So Luis’s mom told Luis to start working somewhere when Luis was only nine year old. Later Luis started to work with his mother and helped out the family bit. Then Luis met Yuk Yuk who was older then him. Yuk Yuk taught Luis and his ...

Gulf War :: essays research papers

The United States was just in sending military aid to Kuwait during the Persian Gulf War. Kuwait was invaded by Saddam Hussein and taken over in six short hours due to the lack of strength in Kuwait’s Army. Once Hussein took control he seized Kuwait City, airports, army barracks, and oil fields. This left Kuwait helpless and in desperate need. Therefore, the U.S. invaded after, Hussein’s control of Kuwait for six months.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The U.S invaded for many reasons; Hussein was a threat and currently is to the Middle East as well as the world. He was beginning to build up an arsenal of chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons, which are very deadly and even dangerous to the environment. If they are used, they leave harmful waste for many years such as radiation or hazardous chemicals. He was also dumping oil from Kuwait into the Persian Gulf because he couldn’t sell it due to embargoes. This was an immediate threat to the environment. Hussein alone is a very dangerous man and one of the missions of the war was to kill him. However, we were unsuccessful, and today he is a huge threat.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hussein’s control of Kuwait affected the U.S. economically. All of Kuwait’s oil was in Hussein’s power and the U.S. was unable to trade with him because of sanctions. Therefore, oil based product prices raised 50 percent due to the lack of oil and a high demand for it. The U.S. was also giving financial aid to the Middle East to help drive out Hussein. These attempts were hopeless which gave the U.S. even more reason to send military aid into Persian Gulf.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The final reason the U.S. sent military aid to the Persian Gulf was because of the lack of success of the UN. The UN made many resolutions and sanctions to drive Hussein out of Kuwait; however, he was not moving and nothing was happening. It took the U.S, to send in ground troops. Then other nations followed, and then Hussein was driven out. Although many nations helped by sending in ground troops, the U.

Joseph Conrad †Heart of Darkness The Real World Essay

In Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad relies heavily on the differences between appearances and reality to develop conflict in the story. From the appearance of the ivory trade and the continent of Africa, to the image of Kurtz himself, Conrad clearly shows us that appearances can be deceiving. As Marlow relates his story, the reader is drawn into a world of contradictions. These contradictions challenged the widely accepted European views of that time. When Marlow begins his quest to sail his ship up the Nile river to partake in the adventure and excitement that is the ivory trade, he describes the enterprise as a â€Å"noble cause† (pg 6). Marlow’s aunt called him â€Å"an emissary of light, something like a lower sort of apostle† whose purpose was to â€Å"‘ [wean] those ignorant millions from their horrid ways'† (pg 10). Yet through Conrad’s use of diction, our first image of the ivory trade is an image of darkness, death, and despair: â€Å"pieces of decaying machinery† (pg 12) â€Å"shadows of disease and starvation† â€Å"picture of a massacre or a pestilence† (pg 14). This may have been a harsh criticism of the British colonialism in Africa, and revealed the hypocrisy of those in the ivory trade who claimed to be civilizing the savages: â€Å"It was as unreal as everything else-as the philanthropic pretense of the whole concern †¦ The only real feeling was a desire to †¦ earn percentages† (pg 21). Throughout the story, the African jungle is presented as a dark and alien landscape with â€Å"the lurking death, †¦ the hidden evil, †¦ [and] the profound darkness of its heart† (pg 28) of an â€Å"unknown planet† (pg 32). To Marlow, while he was in the heart of the African jungle, the â€Å"earth seemed unearthly† (pg 32). Yet, as he ventured deep into this jungle and comes into contacts with its savage natives, he feels a â€Å"remote kinship† (pg 32) with them. He understands that this is his ancestry in the far off past, and views Africa as â€Å"an accursed inheritance† (pg 32). This furthers the conflict of Marlow’s fear and loathing of this primitive land, and his feeling of belonging and appreciation of this savage lifestyle. Finally, perhaps the most interesting contradictions of appearance and reality are those in Kurtz himself. When Marlow first encounters Kurtz, he  comments that his name â€Å"means short in German† but that â€Å"[h]e looked at least seven feet long† (pg 54). He goes on to generalize this contradiction to his entire life: â€Å"the name was as true as everything else in his life-and death† (pg 54). He appeared to be weak and feeble as â€Å"an animated image of death† (pg 55), yet throughout the story we find that he is strong and powerful, frequently being compared to Jupiter: â€Å"‘he came to them with thunder and lightning'† (pg 51). In his great work for the Suppression of Savage Customs he â€Å"[appealed] to every altruistic sentiment†. Yet, at the end in a footnote, scribbled the words â€Å"‘Exterminate all the brutes!'† (pg 46). Perhaps this biggest irony of Kurtz is how all the world viewed him as a creature of light with â€Å"his promise,† â€Å"his greatness,† â€Å"his generous mind,† and â€Å"his noble heart† (pg 70), yet, in the end, his noble heart was the Heart of Darkness. In the end, the contrasts between the appearance and reality of the ivory trade, of Africa, and of Kurtz, provide a backdrop of confusion in which Marlow struggles with nature and truth, and, in the end finds himself superior for it. Joseph Conrad challenges the views of his nineteenth century civilized and sheltered readers. Yet, this message still bears meaning for us today. We, who rely upon the media and news for all of our information have little idea of the reality of life in far off places like Africa, Afghanistan, and Peru. The savage jungle still exists, and most of us are still blissfully unaware of how our perceptions of such places, of such people, holds up to the reality of life there.