Marketing Strategy Study Guide

MKT 850 Study Guide Chapter 5 * SWOT Analysis: * One of the most useful tools in analyzing marketing data and information * Links company’s situation analysis and development of marketing plan * Uses structured information to uncover competitive advantages and guide selection of the strategic focus of the marketing strategy. * Broken down into: * Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats * Productive SWOT (manager should†¦) : * Use a series of SWOT analyses focusing on specific product/market combinations * Search for competitors both present and future Collaborate with other functional areas by sharing information and perspectives * Examine issues from the customers perspective by asking employees: * What do customers believe about us as a company? * Which of our weaknesses translate into a decreased ability to serve customers? * Looks for causes not characteristics considering the firms resources for each part * Separate internal and external issues using this key test: * Would this issue exist if the firm did not exist? * If yes, issue classified as external * Strengths & Weaknesses: Exist because of resources by the firm, or due to the nature of key relationships between the firm and its customers/employees/outside organizations * May be leveraged into capabilities (strengths) or overcome (weaknesses) * Meaningful only when they assist or hinder the firm in satisfying customer needs * Opportunities & Threats: * Not potential marketing actions. Issues/situations that occur in the firm’s external environments. * Not ignored as the firm gets caught up in developing strengths and capabilities for fear of creating an efficient, but ineffective organization. Stem from changes in the competitive, customer, economic, political/legal, technological, and sociocultural environments. * SWOT Matrix: * Allows marketing manager to visualize the analysis * Serves as a catalyst to guide the creation of marketing strategies that will produce desired r esults. * Allows manager to see how strengths and opportunities might be connected to create capabilities that are key to meeting customer needs * Assesses the magnitude and importance of each strength/weak/opp/threat. * Competitive Advantage: Capabilities in relations to those held by the competition * Based on both internal and external factors * Based on reality and customer perception * Based on the basic strategies of operational excellence, product leadership, and customer intimacy. * Strategic Focus Establishment * Based on developing an overall concept or model that guides the firm as it weaves various marketing elements together into a coherent strategy * Tied to firm’s competitive advantage * Use results of SWOT as firm considers four directions of strategic efforts: * Aggressiveness Diversification * Turnaround * Defensiveness * Ensures the firm does not step beyond core strengths to consider opportunities outside its capabilities * Visualized through the use of a strategy canvas where the goal is to develop a value curve that is distinct from the competition * Downplay traditional industry competitive factors in favor of new approaches * Lays groundwork for development of marketing goals and objective, connects SWOT outcomes to the rest of the marketing plan. * Marketing Goals: Broad, desired accomplishments started in general terms. * Indicate the direction the firm attempts to move in, as well as the set of priorities will use in evaluating alternative and making decisions. * Should be attainable, realistic, internally consistent, comprehensive, and clarify the roles of all parties in the organization. * Involves some degree of intangibility * Marketing Objectives: * Specific and quantitative benchmarks that can be used to gauge progress toward the achievement of the marketing goals * Should be attainable with reasonable effort Continuous or discontinuous depending on the degree to which they depart from present objectives * Assigned to sp ecific areas, departments, or individuals who have the responsibility to accomplish them Chapter Six * Buyer Behavior in Consumer Markets: * Often irrational and unpredictable as consumers say one thing and do another * Progress through five stages: * Need Recognition * Information Search * Evaluation of Alternatives * Purchase Decision * Post Purchase Evaluation Don’t always follow these stages in order or may skip stages * May be characterized by loyalty where consumers simply purchase the same product that they bought last time * Involves parallel sequencing of activities with finding the most suitable merchant. * Consider what product they want, and where to buy it * Can occur if a consumer is fiercely loyal to a merchant * Can be affected by: * Complexity of the purchase and decision making process * Demographics, Psychographics, and Sociocultural factors * Social influences: culture, social class, family, opinion leaders, reference groups. Situational influences: physic al and spatial influences, social and personal influences, time, purchase task/usage, consumer disposition * Consumers Wants & Needs: * Shouldn’t define needs as necessities because everyone has a different perspective on what constitutes a need * Needs occur when a consumers current level of satisfaction doesn’t equal their desired level * Wants are consumers desire for a specific product that will satisfy a specific need * Firm must understand basic needs fulfilled by its products. Allows firm to segment markets and create marketing programs that show needs into wants for their product * Most products are marketed on the basis of wants not need fulfillment * Wants are not the same as demand * Demand: occurs when the consumers ability and willingness to pay backs up a want for a specific product * Information Search: * Passive and Active: * Passive- consumer become more attentive and receptive to information * Active- consumer engages more aggressive seeking informati on search * Depends on several issues: Degree of risk * Level of expertise * Actual cost of search (time and money) * Culminates in an evoked set of suitable buying alternatives * Evaluation of Alternatives: * Translates needs into wants for specific products or brands * Evaluate products as bundles of attributes that have varying abilities to satisfy their needs * Priority of each consumers choice criteria can change * Want the product to be in the evoked set of potential alternatives * Constantly remind them of their company and products * Purchase Stage: Intent to purchase and the actual act of buying are distinct concepts * Key issues: * product availability: how easy is it to get the product where the consumer is * possession utility: how easy is it to transfer ownership * Postpurchase Evaluation: * Outcome of buying process is linked to the development of long-term customer relationships. Closely follow customers’ responses to monitor performance and ability to meet cus tomers’ expectations * Will experience one potential outcomes: Delight, satisfaction, dissatisfaction, or cognitive dissonance * Business Markets: * Purchase products for their use in their operations, like buying raw materials, buying office supplies, or leasing cars * Consists of four types of buyers: * Commercial markets * Reseller markets * Government markets * Institutional markets * Four unique characteristics not found in consumer markets: * The buyer center: economic buyers, technical buyers, and users * Hard and soft costs are equally important Hard- monetary price or purchase costs * Soft- downtime, opportunity costs, HR costs * Reciprocity: business buyers and sellers often buy products from each other * Mutual dependence: sole-source or limited-source buying makes both buying and selling firms mutually dependent * Business Buying Process: * Sequence of Stages: * Problem Recognition * Development of product specifications * Vendor identification and qualification * Solicitation of proposals and bids * Vendor selection Order processing * Vendor performance review * Can be affected by several factors including: environmental conditions, organizational factors, and interpersonal/individual factors * Market Segmentation: process of dividing the total market for a particular product or product category into relatively homogeneous segments or groups * Groups should have similar members, but groups must be dissimilar from each other * Fundamental decision of whether to segment at all Allows firms to be more successful due to the fact that they can tailor products to meet the needs of a particular market segment * Traditional market segmentation approach: * Used successfully for decades, not out of date, and are used by many of today’s most successful firms * Can be used in combination with newer approaches by the firm, depending on the brand/product or market in question * Successful segmentation: Must be identifiable and measureable * Substa ntial * Accessible * Responsive * Viable and sustainable * Avoid ethical/legally sensitive segments * Avoid viable segments that don’t match firm’s mission * Mass Marketing: no segmentation and is aimed at the total market for a product * Undifferentiated approach assumes all customers have similar needs/wants * Works best when needs are relatively homogeneous Advantage- production efficiency and lower marketing costs * Disadvantage- risky because a standardized product is vulnerable to competitors that offer specialized products that better match customers’ needs * Differentiated Marketing: divides the total market into groups of customers having relatively homogenous needs, attempting to develop a marketing program that appeals to one or more of these groups * Necessary when customer needs are similar within a single group, but the needs differ across groups * Two options: * Multi-segment approach * Market concentration approach Niche Marketing: focusing effor ts on one small, well defined market segment or niche that has a unique, specific set of needs * Requires that firms understand and meet needs of target customers. Although small in size, firms substantial share makes the segment highly profitable * Individualized Segmentation Approaches: * Viable due to advances in technology especially in communication and the internet * Organizations can now track customer with a high degree of specificity * Allows firms to combine demographic data with past/current purchasing behavior. Tweak marketing programs in ways that allow them to precisely match customers’ needs, wants, and preferences * Become more important in the future because their focus on individual customers makes them critical to the development and maintenance of long-term relationships * Expensive to deliver * Two important considerations: * Automated delivery of the marketing program * Personalization One-to-one Marketing: involves the creation of an entire unique produ ct or marketing program for each customer in the target segment * Common in business markets where unique programs and systems are designed for each customer * Growing rapidly in consumer markets, in luxury or custom made products or services * Mass customization: providing unique products and solutions to individual customers on a mass scale * Cost-effective and practical due to advances in supply-chain management. real time inventory control) * Used frequently in business markets, especially electronic procurement systems * Permission Marketing: different from one-to-one marketing because customers choose to become a member of the firm’s target market * Commonly executed via opt in email lists * Advantage: customers already interested in firms offerings * Allows precise target of individuals, eliminating the problem of wasted marketing effort and expense * Identify Market Segments: selecting most relevant variables to identify and define the target market, many of which com e from the situation analysis of the marketing plan. Isolation of individual characteristics that distinguish one or more segments from the total market (must have homogeneous needs) * Consumer markets involved examination of factors of one of these categories: * Behavioral segmentation: most powerful approach because it uses actual consumer behavior or product usage helps to make distinctions among market segments Demographic segmentation: divides markets using factors such as gender, age, income, and education * Psychographic segmentation: state-of-mind issues such as motives, attitudes, opinions, values, lifestyles, interests, and personality * Geographic segmentation: most useful when combined with other segmentation variables, geodemographic segmentation or geoclustering. * Business markets are based on types of market or on things such as: organization, characteristics, benefits sought/buying process, personal/psych characteristics, or relationship intensity. Top Marketing Str ategies: * Based on evaluation of the attractiveness of each segment and whether each offers opportunities that match firms capabilities and resources * Single segment targeting, selective targeting, mass market targeting, product specialization, and market specialization. * Also consider issues related to noncustomers, like why they do not buy and finding ways to remove obstacles to purchase. Chapter 7 Product Strategy: at the heart of every organization and it defines what the organization does and why it exists * Creating a productive offering that is a bundle of physical (tangible), service (intangible), and symbolic (perceptual) attributes designed to satisfy customer wants/needs. * Strives to overcome commoditization by differentiating product offerings via the service and symbolic elements of the offering * Product Portfolio: * Used in both consumer (convenience, shopping, specialty, etc. and business markets (raw materials, process materials, installations, etc. ) * Used in most firms due to the advantages of selling a variety of products * Consists of a group of closely related product items (product lines) and the total group of products offered by a firm (product mix) * Involves strategic decisions such as variety and assortment of offerings * Can create benefits including: economies of scale, package uniformity, standardization, sales and distribution efficiency, etc. Service Products Challenges: stem from the intangibility of services. Other characteristics include simultaneous production/consumption, and perish ability/client based relationships * Other issues: * Experience problems in balancing supply and demand * Time and place dependent because customers must be present for delivery * Customers have a difficult time evaluating quality of service before it is purchased * Quality of service is often inconsistent and hard to standardize * Need for some services are not always apparent to customers.Service marketers often have trouble tying offeri ngs to needs * New Product Development: vital part of a firm’s efforts to sustain growth and profits * Six strategic options related to newness of products: * New-to-world products (discontinuous innovations)- which involve a pioneering effort by a firm that leads to the creation of an entirely new market * New product lines- represent new offerings by the firm, but they become introduced into established markets * Product line extensions- supplement an existing product line with new styles, models, features, or flavors * Improvements/Revisions of existing products- offer customers improved performance or greater perceived value * Repositioning- targeting existing products at new markets or segments * Cost reductions- modifying products to offer performance similar to competing products at a lower price * Depends on firms ability to create differential advantage for the new product * Proceeds through five stages: * Idea generation * Screening and evaluation * Development * Te st marketing * Commercialization * Branding Strategy: selecting the right combination of name, symbol, term, and design that identifies a specific product * Two parts: * Brand name: words, letters, and numbers * Brand mark: symbols, figures, or a design * Critical to product identification and factor used by marketers to differentiate a product from its competition * Successful- capture product offering in a way that answers a question in consumers mind *Involves many attributes that make up the way customers think about brands: * People (employees and endorsers) * Places (country of origin) * Things (events, causes, third party endorsements) * Other brands (alliances, the company, extensions) * Advantage- make it easier for customers to find and buy products * Four key issues: * Manufacturer vs. private-label brands- private label brands are more profitable than manufacturer brands for the retailers that carry them. Manufactured brands have built-in demand, recognition, and product loyalty. * Brand loyalty- positive attitude toward a brand that causes customers to have a consistent preference for that brand over all competing brands in a product category. Three levels: brand recognition, brand preference, and brand insistence * Brand equity- the value of a brand or the marketing and financial value associated with a brand’s position in the marketplace. * Brand alliances- branding strategies, such as co branding that involve developing close relationships with other firms. * Packaging and labeling: * Part of developing a product, its benefits, its differentiation, and its image * Issues such as color, shape, size, convenience of the package or container * Are often used in product modifications/co branding to reposition the product or give it new features. * Vital in helping customers make proper product selections * Important environmental and legal consequences * Differentiation and Positioning: Creating differences in the firm’s product offeri ng that set it apart from competing offerings (product differentiation) and the development and maintenance of a relative position for a product in the minds of the target market (product positioning) * Can be monitored through perceptual mapping- a visual, spatial display of customer perceptions on two or more key dimensions * Based on the brand, but also product descriptors, customer support services and image * Includes positioning strategies to strengthen current position, reposition, or reposition the competition * Managing Products and Brands over time: * Traditional product life cycle five stages: Development: a time of no sale revenue, negative cash flow and high risk * Introduction: time of rising customer awareness, extensive marketing expenditures, and rapidly increasing sales revenue * Growth: time of rapidly increasing sales revenue, rising profits, market expansion, and increasing numbers of competitors * Maturity: time of sales and profit plateaus, a shift from custom er acquisition to customer retention, and strategies aimed at holding or stealing market share * Decline: time of persistent sales and profit decreases, attempts to postpone the decline, or strategies aimed at harvesting or divesting the product * Influence by shifts in the market, or actions of the firms within the industry as they constantly reinvent themselves. Chapter 8 * Pricing: * Key factor in producing revenue for a firm * Easiest of all marketing variables to change * Important consideration in competitive intelligence * Only real means of differentiation in mature markets that are commoditized * Among most complex decisions to be made in developing a marketing plan * Sellers Actions regarding Price: Tend to inflate prices to receive as much as possible in exchange * Consider four issues in pricing strategy: * Costs * Demand * Customer value * Competitors’ prices * Have increased power over buyers when products are in short supply, high demand, or good economic times . * Buyers Actions regarding Price: * See prices as being lower than the market reality dictates * Two issues: * perceived value * price sensitivity * Considered value to be the ratio of benefits to costs. â€Å"More bang for the buck† * Increased power over sellers when large number of sellers, economy is weak, product information easy to obtain, or price comparisons are easy to make * Cutting prices: Viable means of increasing sales, moving excess inventory, or generating short-term cash flow * Based on two general pricing myths: * When business is good, a price cut will capture greater market share * When business is bad, a price cute will stimulate sales * Risky because a price cut must be offset by an increase in sales volume to maintain the same level of gross margin * Not always best strategy, maybe build value into the product instead. * Pricing strategy issues: * Pricing objectives * Nature of supply and demand in the market * Firms cost structure * Nature of competi tion and the structure of the industry * Stage of the product life cycle * Firms cost structure: Typically associated with pricing through breakeven analysis or cost-plus pricing * Not be the driving force behind pricing strategy because different firms have different structures * Used to establish a floor below which prices cannot be set for an extended period of time * Pricing Strategy in Services: * Critical as price may be the only cue to quality in advance of the purchase experience * Becomes important and more difficult when: * Service quality hard to detect prior to purchase * Costs associated with providing the service are difficult to determine * Customers are unfamiliar with the service process * Brand names are not well established * Customers can perform the service themselves * Service has poorly defined units of consumption Advertising within a service category is limited * Total price of the service experience is difficult to state beforehand * Often based on yield ma nagement systems allowing a firm to both control capacity and demand in order to maximize revenue and capacity utilization * Yield management: knowing when and where to raise prices to increase revenue or to lower prices to increase sales volume. * Implemented by limiting the available capacity at certain prices, controlling demand through price changes, and overbooking capacity * Common in services characterized by high fixed costs and low variable costs, like airlines, hotels, rental cars, cruises, etc. Allows firm to offer same basic product to different market segments at different prices * Price elasticity of demand: * Customers’ responsiveness or sensitivity to changes in price * Inelastic: quantity demanded does not respond to price changes * Elastic: quantity demanded is sensitive to price changes * Unitary: changes in price and demand offset, keeping total revenue the same * Not uniform over time and place because demand is not uniform * Price Sensitivity Increases: * Substitute products are widely available * Total expenditure is high * Changes in price are noticeable to customers * Price comparison among competing products is easy Price Sensitivity Decreases: * Substitute products are not available * Products are highly differentiated from the competition * Customers perceive products as being necessities * Prices of complementary products go down * Customers believe the product is worth the price * Time pressures or purchase risk are involved for consumers * Major base pricing strategies include: * Market introduction pricing: used of price skimming or penetration pricing when products are first launched into the market * Prestige pricing: intentionally setting prices at the top end of all competing products in order to promote an image of exclusivity and superior quality Value-based pricing (EDLP)- setting reasonably low prices, but still offering high quality products and adequate customer service * Competitive matching- charging what is c onsidered to be the â€Å"going rate† for the industry * Nonprice strategies- building a marketing program around factors other than price * Strategies for adjusting prices in consumer markets: * Promotional discounting: putting products on sale * Reference pricing: comparing the actual selling price to an internal or external reference price * Odd-even pricing: setting prices in odd numbers, rather than in whole, round numbers * Price bundling: bringing together two or more complementary products for a single price * Strategies for adjusting prices in business markets: Trade discounts: reducing prices for certain intermediaries in the supply chain based on the functions that they perform * Discounts and allowances: giving buyers price breaks, including discounts for cash, quantity or bulk discounts, seasonal discounts, or trade allowances for participation in advertising or sales support programs * Geographic pricing: quotes prices based on transportation costs (distance) * Transfer pricing: pricing when one unit in an organization sells products to another unit * Barter and countertrade: full or partial payments in goods/services/buying agreements rather than in cash * Price discrimination: charging different prices to different customers * Dynamic Pricing: * Started to replace fixed pricing in many product categories * Growing in importance and popularity due to the growth of online auction firms * Three pricing levels: * Opening position * Aspiration price Price limit * Long process, but is most logical and systematic way for two parties that don’t initially agree to reach agreement * Legal & Ethical Issues of Pricing: * Price discrimination: different prices to different customers. Illegal unless its basis is the actual cost differences in selling products to one customer relative to another. * Price fixing: when two or more competitors collaborate to set prices at an artificial level * Predatory pricing: firm sets prices for a product below the variable cost to drive out competitors or out of the market * Deceptive pricing: firm intentionally mislead customers with price promotions.

Tourism in Rotorua, New Zealand

I have chosen Rotorua because I think it is a very interesting and important place to New Zealand as a tourist destination and has many distinctive characteristics which include physical characteristics, beliefs, attitudes and what to do in Rotorua. These characteristics are represented in my initial thoughts which are geothermal activity, culture and attractions. I am Rotorua and I am one of New Zealand’s prime tourist destinations. I have many highlights that encourage tourists to come and visit me as a destination. Whether seeking to experience Maori culture, geothermal earth forces, spa rejuvenation, thrills and adventure, or any of the other natural assets such as 16 lakes, some of the world's best mountain biking trails, fantastic trout fishing and myriad forest walking tracks† (Kia Ora welcome to Rotorua, home of the world's highest rafted waterfall, n. d. ). I deliver it all! All of these fun filled and relaxing activities make me a unique destination. I represen t authenticity, energy, fun, culture and learning opportunities. I am home to natural energetic geothermal activity and this is my primary attraction. I have a distinctive smell of sulphur that lets my tourists know they have entered my exquisite boundaries. My key geothermal areas include spectacular geysers, remarkable mud pools and calming thermal pools that have attracted visitors to my region since the 1800’s (Houghton & Scott, 2000). You can experience my relaxing Wai Ora Spa which is the only mud bath complex with therapeutic water and geothermal mud in New Zealand. I have a striking natural landscape that attracts visitors, and it never disappoints. I have a lot of evidence that supports me being a vigorous volcanic region including hissing steam that comes from my roadside vents (Houghton & Scott, 2000). At my many thermal parks I have silica terraces and fumaroles that display striking colours such as red, pink, orange and green (Houghton & Scott, 2000). Some of my breath-taking thermal parks include Te Puia, Wai-o-tapu and Waimangu. Te Puia is known for the famous stunning Pohutu Geyser which erupts up to 20 times a day and reaches heights of over 30m. (Te Whakarewarewa Thermal Valley , n. . ). Wai-o-tapu is a distinctive volcanic area which has a natural bush setting. At Wai-o-tapu the Lady Knox geyser erupts at 10. 15am everyday with heights that reach up to 20metres (Lady Knox Geyser, 2010). The dynamic Waimangu Volcanic Valley has the world’s largest hot water spring and also has the inferno crater which has magical geyser action (Waimangu Volcanic Valley, n. d. ). Many of my tourists that visit Waimangu enjoy walk ing through the peaceful forest passing by mud pools, hot streams and looking down into geothermal craters. My geothermal activity is very important to my destination as it offers authenticity. I am also the homeland of the unique Maori culture that encompasses warmth, spirit and history. â€Å"As wealth and education attainment increase, culture becomes more important as a destination driver† (Yeoman, 2008). This is very important to me as culture is offers a lot to my destination. I comprise many wholesome opportunities to come face to face with Maori culture found in energizing performances and displays and by meeting my people from the Te Arawa tribe. The Te Arawa tribe has now lived on my land for over 600 years. Magical tribal stories relate to their settlement and the developments of their tribe. These are woven into poi, song and haka which are featured in cultural performances. The Te Arawa tribe have guided my visitors as far back as the 19th century when people used to come and visit the historic and unique pink and white terraces at Lake Rotomahana. These were known as the eighth wonder of the world because of the beauty of the natural sinter formations. The pink and white terraces were destroyed in the Mount Tarawera eruption in 1886 that killed 150 people (Mount Tarawera Explodes, 2009). Since the 1930’s the site has been excavated and now thousands of my tourists come and visit my momentous buried village. There are also many night time activities I offer to my tourists that can further their understanding and knowledge of Maori culture. Some of these include the welcoming Matariki, gracious Tamaki Tours and the impressive Te Puia. I also have a thriving arts and craft cultural community. Traditional Maori carving and weaving can be found throughout my gardens and public and private buildings. I also have a community of artists, craftspeople, performers and musicians. My major annual festival and art events include Opera in the Pa, Te Ihi Te Wehi that is a performing arts festival and the Magna Short Film Festivals that include drama and film exhibitions. (What’s On, 2006) These are just many of the breathtaking cultural experiences I can offer tourists as a destination. A key trend in my destination is the development and presentation of the Maori culture and its relevance to my country as a whole. The cultural capital of a destination is how consumers talk about a place (Yeoman, 2008). This is why many people are now coming to my destination as they want to extend their knowledge on Maori culture as it is very important and authentic to New Zealand as a country. My secondary attraction’s includes many fun filled activities. I offer a large range that suits many people from all over the world who seek different experiences. My largest secondary attraction is the Agrodome. It is a world famous and world-class agricultural theme park. Here you can take part in a number of activities such as the sheep show, aqua jetting, farm tours, the swoop, zorb, and various other activities. The sheep show attracts a large number of Asian tourists who enjoy a memorable authentic experience learning about farms and New Zealand history (Agroadventures, 2006). The zorb, swoop and aqua jet attracts those wanting thrill seeking experiences. This is key trend and it emphasizes how diverse my destination is by providing many different opportunities to partake in many unique experiences in one destination. Another one of my very popular attractions is the enjoyable skyline skyrides situated on Mt Ngongotaha. Here you can take in my magnificent views while enjoying a ride on a gondola, go on the luge, try the skyswing or simply dine at the Cableway Restaurant. Skyline skyrides is an amazing attraction that everybody enjoys and it showcases the beauty of my natural landscape. This is a key trend as my natural landscape and its beauty and uniqueness are present throughout my destination. For those who love the outdoors and nature I have two very popular wildlife parks, Paradise Valley Springs and Rainbow Springs Wildlife Park. At Paradise Valley Springs you can relax and take in the fresh air as you stroll through the park. I have various animals that my visitors can get close to including lions, deer, angora goats, donkeys and emus (Welcome to paradise, n. d). Also here at Paradise Valley Springs I have a freshwater spring called Te Waireks, also known as sweet water. You can drink this pure water straight and it is very cleansing. As a destination I believe I am very interesting, diverse and unique and have many characteristics that are appealing. These include both physical and cultural characteristics that offer a wide range of variety that suits everybody. I believe that I don’t disappoint and everybody should come and visit me. I am a very captivating destination that offers authenticity and beauty, while providing many different cultural and learning opportunities to my trusty visitors. I have chosen the logo, â€Å"Rotorua, I offer it all!!! †Ã¢â‚¬ . I have chosen this slogan because I think it is important to tourism branding as it shows how diverse Rotorua is and how many different experiences it offers.

Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Resource Management - Essay Example The use of the World Wide Web as a medium of communication has played a key role in dissolving the national and regional boundaries. The rise of information technology has brought with it the concepts of terms like outsourcing. It has also led to people and ideas coming together closer. Despite globalization being considered as a feature that intends to convert the entire world into a single global village, it has some negative effects as well. The spread of globalization has also adversely affected the trade interests of the poorer nations. Globalization has also lead to spread of many infectious diseases which may have been quarantined if the feature was absent. The term globalization was first coined in the year 1980. Globalization since then has been cited by different people in many ways. Gordon (1995) concluded that there are three distinct and different meanings of the term â€Å"globalization†. He also stated that these three terms have separate implications and meanings for different sections of the society. The three meanings are Multi-nationalization, Internationalization and Trans-nationalization. Multi-nationalization is defined as a phenomenon in which business houses tend to locate their business units in different nations with the help of information technology aided tools like internet and e-commerce. Internationalization is a term which refers to the expansion of the businesses of a firm into different and diverse geographical regions cutting across national boundaries. Trans-Nationalization is defined as a term which is better known as strategic alliance in which two or more business organizations from diverse countr ies share their experiences and expertise to develop new services and products on a joint basis. (Ashford, NA. n.d.). He also stated the role of information technology towards bringing about globalization. Information technology has brought with it tools like internet and e-commerce which have wiped away national and regional

Article Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 6

Review - Article Example The main purpose of this article is, therefore, to provide information regarding integrity and reliability measures within healthcare institutions. It further looks at how they apply in a clinical setup. It will further outline the approaches used to collect relevant integrity and reliability data. Based on the Scientific Merit Rating Scale, this study has a rating of four. This rating is attributed to a single subject design that has more than three participants. Four people are part of the study research. The type of measurement is continuous with no calibration data of any kind; it has a reliability of over 80%. Several evaluators who were part of the research by using psychometrically sufficient instruments further confirmed the diagnosis. To collect the data, direct behavioral observation to show the reaction of various patients based on the types of treatments that they received was conducted. The responses showed that the patients could easily maintain their composure and record their conditions before commencing treatment; however, after the treatment their conditions changed, and they were no longer in a position to maintain their composure. The rate of this response was over 90%. The criterion for the various tasks was outlined using several specific details. The study showed an average procedural integrity score of 75%. This was determined using a checklist of various sessions. An SMRS rating of three can be given to the author if this article sessions. The three participants in this study had various conditions, and the nurses gave them distinct treatments to establish their independent reactions. Each change in the treatment process resulted in a different reaction in each patient. There were some common factors among the patients; all of them were ill and had the ability to fill in their reports at the beginning of the exercise. This study can be termed as being generalized.

Internet marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Internet marketing - Essay Example ating a good and long term relationship with the customers which helps the company in getting many innovative and creative ideas from the customers to better its service (Bailey, 2011, pp. 56-64). Starbucks website and social media pages are interactive and clients can ask questions and get answers to their enquiries in company products, locations and prices. They can also have their complaints addressed. Among the all the categories of marketing mix, the one which varies in case of internet marketing is the promotional activities as the product, place and price remains the same. Thus in this case Starbucks looks to promote its product using various social media websites by conducting events and attracting more number of customers. It also attracts the young generation by communicating the exact message across the customers regarding the value that the company creates for its customers. The price related to internet marketing is reduced compared to the marketing activities that have been done using other platforms. Starbucks is already using blogs and social media websites as tools for internet marketing. The company has always looked to use latest marketing techniques to reach the customers in better way. In future it can look to use other tools in internet marketing like SpyFu to know about the competitors’ strategies. Hub Spot internet application allows the company to track leads and maintain direct communication with clients. This sort of communication also allows for segmentation of the market into different sections so as to ease marketing (Chaffey, 2009, pp. 34-42). As of now, Starbucks most effective means of reaching their clients has been facebook, twitter and the company website. This could be because these sites have the highest number of users in the country and in the world. Starbucks uses the latest and available technology in its operational processes so as to provide good and high quality service to the customer. The customers have special

Work issues Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Work issues - Assignment Example Due to the shortage, nurses have to extend their working hours under hectic, demanding, and traumatic situations. This elevates their chances of experiencing fatigue, are more likely to be harmed as a result of loss of concentration caused by tiredness, and are also likely to appear more de-motivated in their work. Long working hours also increasing the chance of medical errors (Maville and Huerta, 2012). According to Maville and Huerta (2012), "Lack of necessary manpower to provide this care will result to work-related stress; poor health practices such as skipping meals, overeating, or excessive drinking off alcohol; working long hours; and possibly physical and mental exhaustion or profession dropout" (p. 441). It is also worth noting that the quality of health care as well as delivery is affected by nursing shortages. Less motivated nurses as a result of being overworked are more likely to deliver low quality services. Delivery of services is affected as patients have to wait for long hours queuing in health institutions as a result of inadequate nurse to patient ratio (Maville and Huerta, 2012). In conclusion, inadequate number of nurses attending to the high number of patients in many health institutions can have health consequences on the part of nurse due to long working hours, low levels of concentration on their work, low levels of motivation, and also patient spend a lot of time

Logic Model and Performance Managements Assignment

Logic Model and Performance Managements - Assignment Example The program is further meant to provide better health care services to the LGBT community without any discrimination on the basis of gender, age, race and cultural background. Additionally, the program is geared towards the provision of specialised treatments to the LGBT community. The program further is aimed to provide security to the LGBT community and avoid any kind of ill-treatment or any other kind of discrimination. The program is also meant to undertake serious public awareness initiatives in order to recognize and treat the LGBT community with due respect and also value them as other human beings. Failure to honour the heath care needs of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender lead to trauma, societal discrimination and worse health risks by the affected subjects. Increase in psychological and mental disorders especially in lesbian, gays, bisexuals and transgender is associated to societal discrimination. This aspect makes most of the people in the group to engage on drug and substance abuse, homophobia, suicidal activities among others (Ortiz-Hernà ¡ndez, 2015). With proper implementation of the program, the LGBT community will be fully incorporated in the society and their contributions to the societal growth will be upheld. Home needs services will ensure that lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender are fully incorporated in the communities or societies they live and hence accorded due respect. The success of the program is dependent on the effectiveness of the various awareness campaigns and initiation of the better policies to overcome any kind of discrimination (Price 2011). Training medical practitioners on various issues related to LGBT community and provision of specific medical attention has made the LGBT Community Program to be a success. Through the abolishment of societal discrimination, the LGBT community is engaged in day-to-day running

Reading response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 37

Reading response - Essay Example However, the family dwells on Orwell’s misfortune and decides to vacation prior his arrival. The situation leaves him unemployed and poor for a month. Orwell borrows a little amount of money like he did back in Paris through pawning his suit. He spends most of his money quickly through renting beds within overpriced hotels as he is not used to living in cheap ones. Soon after, he joins other homeless people in London and wanders between shelters. Even as the shelters are relatively free, most of them do not accommodate the theme for more than a night. The food served is meager and does not satisfy human consumption (Root 48). While Orwell shares between shelters, filth and hunger are constant accompaniments coupled with the considerations of contemptible majorities in the society. The narrative ends with Orwell organizing for the last loan. The employers are set to return in a week’s time and with little efforts of enduring destitution, he bids farewell to his comrades for a long time rest of their

Nursing Informatics Article Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Nursing Informatics Article Review - Essay Example r them to be provided with all necessary information so that their provision of care can be more efficient since this will help in improving patient outcomes. Nurses have for a long time, played a pivotal role in health provision, but despite their efforts, Sensmeier notes that they are being left behind by government healthcare policies. She declares that if the government is indeed willing to reform the healthcare system, it is essential that nurses be actively involved because it is they, more than any other medical practitioner, who have an active knowledge of patient problems, as well as most weaknesses in healthcare provision. Therefore, nurses should take new technology to bring about a change in health care, and this should include an inclusion of nursing informatics in patient care. Nursing informatics should be given a prominent role in breaking the barriers that prevent nurses from being more efficient in their work because it provides them with much needed information con cerning how to bring care to their patients at a personalized level. The article recommends that the future of healthcare depends on ensuring nurses receive at least a bachelor’s degree whose significant parts involve informatics, allowing them leadership positions within healthcare as well as ensuring that they all provided with the opportunity to practice without any barriers as has previously been the case. Susan Rosenberg and Jeff Rodik in their article declare the role of bedside nurses in informatics is quite limited in scope and this is mainly because it is normally not included in their training. They state that most organizations, which have implemented go-live projects, tend to ignore including bedside nurses for ongoing maintenance as required for clinical application programs (Rosenberg & Rodik, 2012). Go-live projects tend to be discontinued after one week and this does not provide bedside nurses with ample time to utilize the system on behalf of their patients. These

My Dad.. My Hero Essay Example for Free

My Dad.. My Hero Essay Today, 16th June, Fathers Day will be celebrated across the world- a day dedicated to those men who are an integral part of a childs life. While the mother is always acclaimed for the role of being a homemaker and bringing up children with the right values, the father plays a silent role of being a hero. Though we may not understand this role when we are young, but the fact is it our father who has groomed us to be the person we are today. Each of his actions or words subtly leaves an impression in our mind and without realizing we follow it. While the caring role of a mother continues to remain through our growing years. During our childhood he protects us from all the problems we fear to face. He is our provider, our Man Friday who has a solution to all our anxieties. As we grow up he evolves to be our friend and a guardian angle who not only protects but also let us make our mistakes and learn from them. As the years pass and we move on in different stages he set the tone and makes us ready to accept the practical aspects that life throws up at us. holding our hands in that big, strong hand makes everything right in the world. Fathers are usually compared to the coconut shell which has a hard exterior and a very soft interior. Yes this is exactly what they are .. and I tell this from my personal experience. As I evolved through life, I saw my father evolving me- accepting me with my mistakes, comforting me with his words and keeping me smile with his his little thoughts and actions. Wherever he goes my father leaves an indelible impression on all those he met. His warm and selfless nature will make any unknown person a friend and I learnt the lesson of accepting people without trying to change them. My Dad is an encyclopedia of facts and knowledge. He believes that reading is the only way to widen our knowledge and he made it a point to bring all sorts of books for me to read, whatever the price and I learnt the lesson that knowledge is priceless.. His dedication to his work and his family was out-of-this world and even today his office colleagues vouch for the perfection in which my dad executed his responsibilities. At the same time, I have seen him always being there for us whenever we needed him. He is a good luck charm and so I would insist on him accompanying me for all my exams and he always did that with a smiling face. Here, he taught me a lesson of balancing and prioritizing goals and responsibilities alike.. to make a good identity in public through in studies, through my family values.. The biggest joy for him has always been the smiles of his dear ones and even today he will go out of his way to ensure the smile remains through the years, the crucial lessons I am learning from him, evolving into a person I am and today when people say you just be like your father, there is no greater joy I feel.. because I always want to be like you my dad

The Recording Of Lets Dance By David Bowie Music Essay

The Recording Of Lets Dance By David Bowie Music Essay He produced it and plays all rhythm guitar sections. Stevie Ray Vaughn recorded the guitar solo. He said in an interview that he sat in a corner and waited for his cue then added an improvised Albert King style solo. All in one take. This songs lyrical message is simple but David usually has a more complex character and this song seems to be a bit out of his style. That is why the song is not appreciated by a lot of Bowies fans. I see it as Bowies way of getting out of his skin, »Ã‚ ¿ letting his spirit run free forgetting all that holds up back to thinking with clarity. Bowie said that it was one of his lowest periods as an artist, although Stevie Ray Vaughn was credited on the album he wasnt still that famous and after that he became internationally famous with his own album. Bowie admits that this wasnt his best period creative wise but great at the time. Reinventing himself as an 80s pop icon was the kiss of death on his imitators such as David Sylvian, yet in truth the 2 becam e even more alike. It was almost like Bowie was playing him at his own game. LetHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lets_Dance_(David_Bowie_album)HYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lets_Dance_(David_Bowie_album)s Dance was released as the first single from the album with the same title in 1983, and become one of his most successful records during that underrated part of his creative work. Bowies approach to the song and lyrics seems different compared to previous albums. The song is simple, but polished not neccesarily following the true image of Bowie in the seventies. The single was the fastest selling in Bowies career. It entered the UK single charts at number five and two weeks later the song stayed in top of the charts for a period of three weeks. That was Bowies only song to reach number one on the two sides of the Atlantic Ocean. It narrowly missed topping the australian charts, peaking at number two. Lets dance was the fourth best selling single in 1983. Lets Dance helped Bowie to find a new younger audiences, unaware of his past career in the 1970s. The piece was one of the most played on the Serious Moonlight Tour (the name came in from the lyrics in lets dance I have been using the studio version for the analysis which is approximately seven minutes and thirty eight seconds. There is an edit of that version for the single release of the track, which is shorter in length 4:10. The song was recorded and produced by Nile Rodgers. He had a strong influence on the song and was working with his band Chic at that time. Lets Dance was the most commercial product in the album according to Bowie. Thats why it was also chosen for title of the album. It represents his best work from that time. Almost like it was written to remind the public that hes still writing quality, in fashion music. He wanted to be famous and he achieved it once again. The song was designed to appeal to young generations at the time, but still he managed to combine the disco with his own style and that makes it harder. Nowadays the typical mainstream artists such as Lady GaGa appear to be a bit monotonous compared to Bowies work. All of her songs that are mostly played by drum machine and a single DJ. The usage of a DJ limits the improvisation in a piece, because that way you have everything controlled by a single person that has to do all the work. Theres a strong element of electronic instruments and sequencers involved in the production. Even on her live performances shes doesnt use real musicians and the music is played by a single DJ usually. It feels like its missing the human feel compared to Bowies art. Lady gagas music seems a bit narrow in terms of improvisations and experimenting with harmonies and melodies. She also tried to use the same dance clichà © with a song with the title Just Dance. In an interview she admits that she was influenced by Bowie who spent the majority of his early career pretending that he came to this planet from outer space. Gaga has been sporting a collection of shiny suits made popular by Bowies alter-ego Ziggy Stardust. Gaga once said Fashion is everything to me in contrast with her Bowie oversaw the downsides and benefits of using digital instruments, but he remained true in his nature. He changed, but while listening is easy to distinguish his version of Lets Dance to the one by Lady Gaga which is not that unique. They are both similar in the whole dance approach to the piece, but musically Bowies delivers a lot more musical content with regards to the solo of Steve Ray Voughn whos still a legend today. Bowies art is evergreen it should last for a long time and its not just the music that makes it. Its the whole approach to it, the makeup and the drama he makes. Twenty years later his music is still relevant to whats going on nowadays. As in the music video there are still many third world poor people. And the dance music still dictates the commercial industries. The Disco became mainstream or popular in 1978-80 Its roots are coming from the jazz, classical and soul music. At first the music was in support of the rights movements and homosexual people. There was major revolution in a musical cultural and ethical form in that pre nineteen eighties pop. One of the first underground dance genres was strongly influenced by chic. Similar to the way that Blues, Jazz and Soul were used as a platform for a cultural revolution the disco was mainly exploited by black people in the beginning until it became popular. Chic dominated the charts for several y ears with a series of carefully crafted songs, including Le Freak and Good Times. Before long, other artists were turning to Rodgers and Edwards for their production, arranging, and songwriting skills, resulting in massive hits like Sister Sledges We are Family. In 1979, Rodgers brought his magic touch to David Bowies Lets Dance and a few years later he hit solid gold, producing Madonnas landmark singles Like a Virgin and Material Girl. He later continued to work with a diverse crop of famous artists, including Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Mick Jagger, Duran Duran, David Lee Roth, INXS, Grace Jones, and even jazz legend Al Jarreau. Nowadays Rodgers heads up his own label and production company, as well as Sumthing Distribution, a national record distribution company. The song was produced mimic early dance production in the eighties, although recorded with acoustic instruments the gated drums and the delay effect on almost everything suggest that song was intended to recreate the atmosphere of the new decade. Nile Rodgers is known to use drum machines in most of his productions, even though the groove of the band is more important to him as a producer. The groove has to be right before the start of overdubbing. He never used a metronome in Chics records even thou they were supposed to be a dance band. Years later he developed that technique. Theres a melody in the bass that was performed by Carmine Rojas who is known for working for Rod Stewart as a bass player and also a music director. During his time with David Bowie he was one of the most respected bass players in the industry. He was introduced to Bowie by drummer Tony Thompson. Carmine and Tony knew met when they were playing together in Labelle. In 1986 Carmine worked as a studio musician on a song recording for Alphavilles album Afternoons in Utopia. The bass seems to be a bit artificial like it was double tracked with a synthesizer. Thumping the bass in that way gives it more character to sustain the beats typical for many records in that era. Theres also a guitar in these first eight bars that was performed by the producer Nile Rodgers. He was a producer and a guitar player at the same time. He first began his career as a session musician living in New York he had the opportunity to play at the famous Apollo theater on one stage with the likes of Screaming Jay Hawkins, Maxine Brown, Aretha Franklin, Ben E. King, Betty Wright, Earl Lewis and the Channels, Parliament Funkadelic. Later in the seventies he met bassist Bernard Edwards. Together they formed a band called the big apple band. They made a huge success with a single hit, which allowed them to tour and even an opening for the Jackson five on their first tour in 1973. The band was disbanded after the second album failed to reach enough popularity to provoke enough sales, but Rodgers and Edward didnt give up and joined the drummer Tony Thompson. With his influence in the band they recorded as a Funk-Rock band called The Boys, which played many gigs on the East Coast. Despite the huge interest from the labels to sign them they didnt have any luck just because they were black. There was a concern that the black artists were too hard to promote. The band was playing at the local pubs at that time. Another New York artist, Walter Murphy, had a band also called The Big Apple Band and Rodgers and Edwards were decided to change the band name to avoid confusion in the public. In 1977 the band changed their name to Chic. They begun recording material with back vocalist Luther Vandross mainly disco tracks. Their success later helped the disco become popular, two of their most popular songs were called Everybody Dance and Dance, Dance, Dance I think David Bowie thought of the song as a clichà © to what became popular since his last album. Compared to his old songs such as Space oddity (1969) Life on mars (1973) that changed peoples lives and influenced revolutions. Althought David Bowies frequent changes of image, direction and carrer have been written about and discussed to the point of saturation, his songs are often overlooked. For instance Space Odity, released in 1969 to coincide with the US landing on the moon was his first major hit. Bowies fascination with space figures frequently in his early carreer. After abouncing he was gay, he reinvented himself from hippy singer-songwriter into Ziggy Stardust full on glam rocker from another planet. With the same unusual combinations he used Lets Dance as a clichà © for that period of time and how the trends were changed. He wanted that to work with musicians of Chics class, because they were the godfathers of the disco that was pretty popular at the time. Most of their records have a similar feel of the bass line being chopped to eights and sixteenths in 4/4 in tempo. Although the line is in short rhythmical dura tions still theres a pulsing downbeat every crotchet, just like on modern underground dance music. The music tended to layer soaring, often-reverberated vocals, which are often doubled by synthesizers. The use of wah pedaled effects that sounds like metallic scratches in short durations. Peculiar backing keyboard instruments such string synthesizers and electro acoustic keyboards such as the Fender Rhodes piano, Wurlitzer electric piano, and Hohner Clavinet. Synthesizers are also fairly common in disco, especially in the late 1970s. The rhythm was usually played by spectacular, syncopated basslines (with common use of octaves) played on a bass guitar double tracked with synthesizers. The drum part was played on acoustic drum kit, African/Latin percussion or electronic drum machines such as the Simmons and Roland drum modules. Although some of James Browns songs are strongly influenced by black people the disco it still remains heavily improvised on stage, but with the disco there wa s a new way to improvise live with the recently invented digital and analog pads and samplers implemented in the recent technology development. A shift in the audience from younger generations introduced the disco as a new type of funk mixed with analog synthesizers that could hold a sustained and controlled downbeat and without the need of a real drummer. The fixed beat technology developed enough with the help of drum machines to ease the process of live production holding a fixed tempo without a need of a drummer and at the same time sacrificing the musical content in it. The role of Nile Rodgers was to balance these two aspects. The song begins with a voice intro performed by Bowie which reminds of something from the sixties called layered seventh. In the first bar there is only one vocal which is the first tone in Eflat major, then in every new bar there is a new vocal layered, the third and the fifth until reaching the dominant seventh major and resolving to first at the fifth bar (0:09)Thats where the basics of the pre-verse are formed. After the intro the chord verse structure is changed with a tonal centre of Bflat7sus . Followed by a Eflatseventh in the second bar. Fsharp in a six chord in the third bar and Bflat minor sixth in the fourth. In instrumental intro which consists of eight bars trumpet solo in the beginning performed by Mac Gollehon. It can be characterized as a jazz improvisation. Bowies voice enters the verse, which consists of sixteen bars. Theres a wooden block played percussion instrument played in sixteenths, a stereo delay is also applied. Splitting the signal into a dry sound, which is panned to the right and the delayed sound is panned to the left. Theres a short saxophone melody played by Bowie at the end of every eight bars in the first verse. A big amount of delay was used on the lead voice; it bounces in far left and right. The rhythm guitar and snare seem to use the same technique with using a long delay time. And then it goes to the chorus section with the lyrical content: With the harmony change in A flat in the first bar that goes to C sharp major and Eflat major on the phrase run with you and its repeated again by the guitar and bass. The whole melody line is repeated once again. And then on my love it goes from Aflat major through F minor, C sharp and E flat. The end part of the chorus from and tremble like a flower Is in Eflat major seventh followed by a Bflat7suspended4, eflat major again Fsharp major six chord and the whole chorus ends on Bflat minor sixth. ABBA Dancing Queen (1976) Andy Gibb Shadow dancing 1978, (B)Anita Ward Ring my bell 1979, Barry White »Ã‚ ¿ Youre The First, The Last, My Everything (1974), Hot Chocolate You Sexy Thing (I Believe in Miracles) (1975), Lipps Inc Funky Town (1980), Sister Sledge We are family (1979),

Expert Systems: The Past, Present and Future of Knowledge-based Systems :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Expert Systems: The Past, Present and Future of Knowledge-based Systems Expert Systems were invented as a way to decrease the reliance by corporations on human "experts" -- people who apply reasoning and experience to make judgements in a specific field, such as medicine, insurance underwriting or the operation of a power-plant. Hence, an expert system should include a database of facts and a way of reasoning about them. In many, but not all, applications it is also helpful to have a way for the system to reason with probabilities or non-Boolean truth values. Expert systems are also sometimes referred to a "knowledge-based systems". In classical AI many different reasoning methods have been tried. A few of the common ones are "forward chaining", in which conclusions are drawn from a set of facts by using modus ponens, syllogism, and other simple tools of logic; "backward chaining", which uses trickier logic, such as modus tollens; and neural nets. Most expert systems simply use forward chaining and backward chaining, with some non-Boolean component such as Fuzzy Logic only where necessary. Expert systems tend to be more practical than AI in general. It is quite possible to build an expert system in a conventional programming-language, such as COBOL, C or Java. However, much of the machinery inside an expert system can be abstracted away from any specific domain, and the main criterion in the success of an expert system is its ease of use and maintenance, not it's ability to make decisions in a fraction of a second. Therefore, it is possible to build a "knowledge system shell" which can then be prepared for almost any domain simply by listing rules and data in a standard form. Few expert systems are written in LISP, because most LISP implementations lack robust user-friendly input-output routines. A good knowledge system shell includes I/O routines, a way to accurately and generally represent facts, and an easy, efficient, accurate way to give the system inference-rules. However, even the best expert system shell is limited by the problem domain to which it is applied. One researcher divided problem domains into four categories: "Class 1. ... if the effective domain decompositions are not known and the available domain knowledge is limited to the set of allowable actions and constraints. An example of such a problem is maze traversal, where the knowledge about the structure of the maze is not available a priori. "Class 2.

green house effect :: essays research papers

GREEN HOUSE EFFECT INTRODUCTION In temperate countries some economically important plants that cannot grow outside at a very low temperature during the winter are grown in glass-walled & glass-roofed growth chambers (known as glass houses)exposed to sunlight. Glass houses are also used in sub tropiacal regions during winter months & relatively cold high altitude for high value horticultural annual crops including flowers on a cmmercial scale as well as for research work especially for breeding of new varities & crop physiological & pathological studies. Temperature within the glass house rises because of the glass of the roof & walls through it allows entry of sunlight with little obstruction,resist the escaping of the reflected light of longer wave-lengths rich in infra-red rays resulting in a heat built up. Such glass houses are called green housesas the light & heat within such houses prove very effective for profuse growth of green plants. The property of trapping heat by carbon di oxide & other gases of the atmosphere is similar to the glass cover of green house that reasists the escaping of heat radiated from inside of the house.As such, these atmospheric gases are called green house gases that resist the escaping of radiated heat from the earth by absorbing infra red rays & particularly reflecting the trapped heat back to earth's surface.this phenomenon is therefore called the green-house effect in wicch certain atmospheric gases act in a manner similar to the glass cover of glass house,as earth itself act as a green-house. MAJOR GREEN HOUSE GASES The major sources of green house gases are (i)CARBON DI OXIDE - It comes from burning of fossil fuels &from deforrestation. (ii)METHANE- It comes from paddy field,burning of wood,wetland etc. (iii)CHLOROFLURO CARBONS -which is populary known as CFC. It comes from air conditioning industry,foam packaging industries. (iv)NITROUS OXIDE-It comes from coal burning,motor veicheles,breakdown of chemial fertilizer,biomass burning. Carbon-di-oxide is the major green-house gas responsible for more than 55% of the green-house-effect. Methane is responsible for 20%,CFC is responsible for 15% & NO is responsible for 5% of the green-house effect. If the amount of carbon-di-oxide & other green-house gases would increase in the atmsphere ,the temperature on the surface of the earth & that of the layers of air adjuscent to the surface would increase,on the other hand global temperature would increase with the decrase in amount of the green house gases in the atmosphere.In fact the amount of all the green-house gase in the atmosphere is gradually increasing, as a result of which it is predicted that the global temperature would increase & there would be climatic changes on the earth resulting in adverse effects on the ecosystem of earth.

The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare Essay -- Merchant of Ven

The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare The character Shylock was a stereotypical Jew of his time, and as Jews were generally unpopular, the audience would have been automatically prejudiced against him. In Shakespeare's time, Jews were not treated well at all. This was because they were a minority group, as they had been previously banned from the country by Edward I unless they were willing to become a Christian. But, in large European cities, like Venice there was a large Jewish population. As these cities relied on trade, the authorities encouraged Jews to become moneylenders. This was because the Christian law, which forbade money lending for profit, did not apply to them. Moneylenders were not popular, because up until 1571 it had been illegal to receive interest on lent money, and even after that, although legal (it became vital for trade), it was considered a sin. Many moneylenders charged high rates of interest, even though the legal rate was 10 percent, as people were willing to pay more, and some became very rich. Before Shakespeare wrote The Merchant of Venice, his friend, the playwright Marlowe wrote a play about a Jew, which became very successful. This may have influenced Shakespeare to write a play on a similar theme. Also, in 1594 the Jewish doctor, Roderico Lopez, supposedly tried to kill Queen Elizabeth. Even though he was probably innocent, he was charged guilty and was executed. Because this case was much talked about, the dislike of Jews was a present issue and the audience would have been able to relate to the play and understand how the Christian characters in the play would treat Shylock. One of t... ...an accent. This singles him out and shows he is an outsider. At the beginning of the court scene, when the Duke is talking to Shylock, he says: "We all expect a tender answer Jew." In the production set in the 1920's, the Duke puts huge emphasis on the word 'Jew', showing he dislikes Shylock, although he was asking him to be generous and let Antonio go. At the end of the court scene, after Shylock has been forced to become a Christian, he throws down his skullcap onto the scales. Even though the scales were originally there to weigh Antonio's flesh, they now represent the scales of justice, and Shylock is making a very powerful point that what has been done to him is completely unfair. This happens just after Shakespeare has changed the audience's opinion of Shylock, and adds to the pity that they feel for him.

Scientific Method Allows to Uncover Truth

The scientific method consists of five steps: first, observing and recollecting information. Second, creating or formulating a hypothesis. Thirdly, scientists experiment, with the information and the observations they have made so as to reach to a conclusion, which is the fourth step. Finally, the last step consists in the communication, which is when you tell society about a new discovery or theory and the verification of this conclusion, in order to see if it is valid or not. Along this method there are lots of perceptions which are made, such as sense perception or induction, which may limit this method. What I will try to analyze along this essay is if the scientific method allows us or not to uncover truth. In order to do so, I will analyze whether the scientific method gives us absolute or provisional truth and how it gives us that truth. To start with, the scientific method can allow us to uncover truth. It is needed to say that it allow us to uncover provisional truth. Related article: Disagreements in Science Examples Truth can be provisional because we accept it may change over time, as new discoveries are made and the supposedly â€Å"truth† is no longer but it’s replaced by another and new â€Å"truth†. We accept one statement as true or not according to its degree of objectivity. Scientific method recollects empirical evidence, which is measurable and comparable and allows for the application of consistency tests. The application of consistency tests reduces the impact of subjectivity and the limitations of sense perception in the recollection of evidence. This allows us to construct explanations that are objective enough for society to define these explanations as provisional truth. Furthermore, as the scientific method is a very rigorous and complex method. Scientists do observation, formulation of a hypothesis, experimentation, they reach a conclusion and they then communicate and verify this conclusion. These steps are followed thousands of times, in order to be as objective as possible and in order to prove or create a theory. But these steps are followed not by just a scientist but by many, under different circumstances and places, again in order to be as objective as possible. All this repetition of the steps and the analysis made by lots of different scientist allows the scientific method to be, in part, objective and, in consequence, to give us a provisional truth. Finally, we can say that natural sciences objective is to build up provisional truths which are accepted by society and which predict future phenomena but not to build up absolute truth. During all times there have been many theories about evolution, which were replaced one by another and, the last accepted one is Darwin’s but before his theory there had been others theories of evolution which were â€Å"true†, so the ideal of the scientific method is to allow us to uncover provisional truth, as we know there are going to be, afterwards, new theories or changes in older ones. On the other hand, the scientific method doesn’t allow us to uncover absolute truth. When scientists observe, experiment, formulate a hypothesis or reach a conclusion, there are, mainly, two ways of knowing used: sense perception and intuition. These ways of knowing have limitations which don’t allow the scientific method to give us absolute truth. As regards sense perception, our senses have a limited range and they are selective. This means they can’t perceive everything which goes around us and that out of what we perceive (which isn’t everything) we remember or pay attention to some stimuli, according to our expectations, interests, culture and past experiences. Furthermore, as our senses are limited and there is variability in the ability of individuals to capture stimuli, we’ll never be sure if what we perceive is the real reality or just an interpretation of it. As regards induction, which is when from a variety of particular premises we get to a general conclusion we also have some limitations: As there’s no magical number that tells us how many people or things we’ve got to analyze to reach a generalization, we’ll never be sure that a generalization is right. Also because we need just one case in order to contradict a generalization, so we’ll never be sure a theory is right, as there’s nobody who may be able to analyze each particular case in every part of the world. So the scientific method is limited, as it doesn’t analyze each particular case and as, the observation made by scientists is limited. So, as from the beginning of the scientific method (observation) there are limitations, it will probably have failures along all the method. Secondly, there’s a limit to what science can explain. There are things which science can’t explain. As the scientific method uses empiricism and rationality to give us truth, it denies the mystical knowledge, such as the religious beliefs. So how can we say that scientific method allows us to uncover truth if it denies many things, such as religious beliefs, which many people believe are true? As we’ve said before it gives us provisional truth, as it gives us about natural or social sciences, but not absolute, as it doesn’t give us truth about religion or any similar theme. Moreover, as sciences are based on assumptions, looking for patterns in nature assumes nature is regular. Here we can clearly see that scientific method doesn’t allow us to uncover absolute truth, as nature evolves and changes, so it will never be regular. Finally, the scientific method doesn’t allow us to get truth, as there are some scientists which first get to a conclusion or make a hypothesis and then look for the information or patterns which suit their conclusion or hypothesis. So, they may look for patterns in nature which only fit with their conclusion or, in order to fit their conclusions, they’ll avoid certain features or patterns of nature which will contradict or which won’t fit to their hypothesis. So, this idea together with the limitations that sense perception and induction has, makes the scientific method unable to uncover truth. All in all, I strongly believe that scientific method can’t allow us to uncover truth, if we consider truth as absolute. But what is necessary to clarify is that there’s not any way of knowing which will allow us to uncover absolute truth. In this case we should take truth as a provisional concept and, if we take truth as provisional then the scientific method allows us to uncover it, as it takes us to discover truth in a provisional way. We can then say that the scientific method can take us to a provisional truth, but that it will never lead us to absolute truth, as it will always have some limitation.

Foreign aid vs. International trade Essay

Foreign aid vs. international trade is a long lasting debate as to which strategy leads to the greatest level of economic development. Foreign Aid is defined as any assistance that is given to a country not provided through normal market forces. There are numerous forms of aid, from humanitarian emergency assistance, to food aid, military assistance, etc. Development aid has long been recognized as crucial to help poor developing nations grow out of poverty. International trade is the exchange of goods or services across international borders. Economic development as defined by AmartyaSen, 1998 Nobel prize laureate, â€Å"requires the removal of major sources of unfreedom: poverty as well as tyranny, poor economic opportunities as well as systematic social deprivation.† (1) In 1970, the world’s affluent countries agreed to give 0.7% of their GNI (Gross National Income) as official international development aid, annually. Since then, these rich nations have rarely met their actual promised targets. â€Å"The US is often the largest donor in dollar terms, but ranks amongst the lowest in terms of meeting the stated 0.7% target.† The two charts below, reproduced from the OECD publications (2012) shows aid granted in constant dollars and as a percentage of GNI. Both support the conclusion regarding the failure to meet agreed upon aid commitments and the level of decreasing donations. (2)Billions have been donated, but it appears that Africa which has received the most aid remains a continent impoverished. As Dambisa Moyo in the Wall Street Journal writes â€Å"money from rich countries has trapped many African nations in a cycle of corruption, slower economic growth and poverty. Cutting off the flow would be far more beneficial†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.the insidious aid culture has left African countries more debt-laden, more inflation-prone, more vulnerable to the vagaries of the currency markets and more unattractive to higher-quality investment. It’s increased the risk of civil conflict and unrest †¦.. Aid is an unmitigated political, economic and humanitarian disaster†. (3) Wall Street Journal, March 21st, 2009 Over the past 60 years at least $1 trillion of development aid has been granted to Africa. And unfortunately real per-capita income in 2014 is less than it was in the 1970s. â€Å"More than 50% of the population — over 350  million people — live on less than a dollar a day, a figure that has nearly doubled in two decades† (4) Wall Street Journal, March 21st, 2009 In 2005, the International Monetary Fund’s report â€Å"Aid Will Not Lift Growth in Africa.† concluded that governments, donors and campaigners should be more modest in their claims that increased aid will solve Africa’s problems. (5) Historically Asia was underdeveloped too. Yet various policies by governments to enhance international trade have resulted in many Asian countries i.e. Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Singapore achieving spectacular economic growth and along with it, higher standard of living for its citizens. Dato Kim Tan, the co-founder and trustee for the Transformational Business Network (TBN) wrote â€Å"growing up din Asia, I saw the Asian tiger economies that 30-40 years ago had a lower GDP than Uganda or Kenya, transform themselves through enterprise, not through aid and philanthropy.† (3)Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda and that country’s first democratically elected president wrote: â€Å"There is bad aid and there is good aid. The bad aid is that one which creates dependencies, as we’ve known for a long time now. But good aid is that which is targeted to create capacities in people so that they are able to live on their own activities.†¦ In the long-term they have to depend on themselves rather than depend on aid.†(4) Poverty Cure The issue to be addressed is whetherforeign aid achieveslong-term growth and development – is it a positive or negative catalyst to economic well being. And the corollary to this statement is whether international trade is a better alternative to economic achievement. Trade Theory: The historical basis for concluding that there is gain from trade originates from David Ricardo’s work: Principals in Political Economy and Taxation. The historical context of the time was the protectionist English corn laws, restricting wheat imports. Ricardo’s conclusion, arrived at by his theory of comparative advantage, showed that countries could benefit if they  specialized and promoted free trade. Figure 1: Comparative Advantage Country A has an absolute production advantage of both goods A and B because it can produce more of these goods. Since the PPC is not parallel we can presume that the opportunity cost are both different. As a consequence specialization and mutually beneficial trade can occur. Country A has a comparative advantage in the production of good B and Country B has a comparative advantage in the production of good A. Country B PPF curve has a lower slope therefore its comparative advantage of production is the good on the horizontal axis. To establish a policy of international trade, governments need to develop programmes that require important changes in the society. For example, states must develop competitive market economies based on environmental sustainability, infrastructure, establish a stable currency, a transparent political framework and legal system, security, and educated populace as prerequisites. Good A= Capital Goods Good B= Consumer Goods Figure 2: PPF curve with improved production via exports Country A allocates its resources to mostly consumption. Country C allocates its resources towards investment/capital goods. Countries that allocate their resources mainly in investment/capital goods are greater to have long-term growth than those countries who are more focused on consumption who are using up more current resources. With respect to Aid, money that is allocated to current consumption will not improve future conditions where as aid money allocated for such production of infrastructure, health, etc. will in the long run exhibit economic growth. Interestingly,South Korea’s economic growth from the early 1960s to the late 1990s was one of the world’s fastest, and South Korea remains one of the fastest growing developed countries in the 2000s.This experience is known as the Miracle on the Han River. Like many underdeveloped society’s, S. Korea  possessesno natural resources and suffers from overpopulation.In addition, the Korean War destroyed much of its infrastructure. The solution was South Korea adapting an export-oriented economic strategy.Remarkably in 1980, the South Korean GDP per capita was $2,300, about one-third of nearby developed Asian economies such as Singapore and Japan. In 2010 South Korean GDP per capita advanced to $30,000 – almost thirteen times since 1980. (See two charts below on Korean Economic Growth and South Korean Economic Recovery after 1997.) It is acknowledged that the Korean GDP per capita in 1960 was lower than some sub-Saharan African countries. The growth of the Koreanindustrial sector was the principal stimulus to economic development. It is true that initially some foreign aid was granted by the U.S. given the contentious communist threat, nevertheless, it was from strong domestic government support and a move toward competitive markets and international trade that resulted in the investment of modern technology and newly built facilities at a rapid pace. The export to foreign markets and the plowing of the foreign currency back into further industrial expansion was the strategy for growth. In addition, this economic strategy suited South Korea given its poor natural resource endowment, low savings rate, and small domestic market. Labour-intensive manufactured exports, permitted South Korea to develop a competitive advantage. No doubt government initiatives were essential to this process. â€Å"The inflow of foreign capital was greatly encouraged to supplement the shortage of domestic savings. These efforts enabled South Korea to achieve rapid growth in exports and subsequent increases in income.†(5) Finally, the later development of a unique multinational firm known as the chaebol – family-controlled firms owning numerous international enterprises,enhanced Korean economic growth. There is strong cooperation with government receiving financial support and guidance i.e. innovation and research. Today of these multinationals are Samsung, Hyundai, and LG. Thus, it is evident that South Korean expansion and wealth for its citizenry has derived from the adoption of a competitive market manufacturing economy, and the development of a high-tech commercethat emphasizes international trade. Foreign loans, supportive government policies, and not aid have been the critical catalyst to such a Han miracle. Aid Theory: Aid assists, mostly economic which is normally provided to distressed communities or underdeveloped countries for the enhancement of their socioeconomic condition. Aid is linked to need, is often not linked to the ability to enhance trade. Trade can result in inefficient distribution of income while if aid is mishandled the distribution of aid will be unfair, with people being deprived of the benefits of aid and effect economic growth of the country. Does Aid lead to the establishment of good infrastructure? Development aid is given by governments, i.e. the US being the largest aid donor in the world (As of 2010) and other organizations such as the World Bank. â€Å"Aid to all countries in the world declined† (2007, World Bank) An overview of a number of African countries that have been recipients of aid will consider the use and allocation of the foreign aid, and assess the outcome of these donations upon the populace of the continent. One would note initially that there is a need for humanitarian aid to assist in emergencies and alleviate suffering but long term growth and development requires a different approach. Besides charity aid is a minimal portion of the over-all aid from governments. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to a report by Transparency International, the Zairian president Mobutu Sese Seko (1965-1977) is listed as having embezzled at least $5 billion form the nation. (6) Transparency International In 2009, the former president of Malawi – Bakili Muluzi was prosecuted for stealing $12 million allocated for aid. And Zambia’s former president, Frederick Chiluba is under investigation for taking millions from money that was set aside for health, infrastructure, and education. Thus, these examples of corruption pervert the opportunity for aid to assist the average African improve their conditions. Economic theory will emphasize that inefficiency will result from government intervention and in particular ‘free’ funds. Bad government worsens the situation as they are often bureaucratic in addition to corrupt. The civil service is inefficient and vulnerable to cronyism which has consequence for responsible governance. Economic incentives are nullified and governments need not respond to citizen needs. Investors require transparency in government and business but such a prerequisite is not  required when donations are the source of funds. Policies such as taxation can be deferred since donations flow in to the country. The priority is to remain in power. Africa continues to be the most unstable region. There are numerous examples of civil strife as exemplified by the current war in Southern Sudan and The Congo. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Africa had a greater number of wars than elsewhere in the world. Obviously, such strife has immense impact upon daily life and thwarts any possibility of private investment. Aid thus fills the vacuum. As stated in his book, Dead Aid: Why Aid Is Not Working and How There is a Better Way for Africa, by D. Moyo, â€Å"†¦aid-financed efforts to force-feed democracy to economies facing poverty and difficult economic prospects remain, at best, precariously vulnerable.† (7) Further evidence of endemic problems is observed in Nigeria. This government is one of the most mismanaged in Africa. For example, during the World Economic Forum of 2005 in Davos Switzerland, four state governors were being investigated in the U.K. for money laundering. Large amounts of aid are looted. â€Å"Speaking at the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, in December 2003, the former British secretary of state for international development, Lynda Chalker, noted that 40 percent of the wealth created in Africa is invested outside the continent.† (8) Advantages and Disadvantages to Trade: Trade provides development countries with an important base for their own improvement. Countries can develop their own strategies and outcomes to achieve their development objectives i.e. focusing on agriculture of manufacturing services. Countries are the determinants of their own economic destiny. One difficulty of trade is the international economic system imposes impediments i.e. trade barriers. The global market is not an international free trade market i.e. tariffs, taxes and subsidies, regulations and such restrictions operate to the disadvantage of the developing countries. The donor country puts restrictions on the recipient country i.e. the requirement for government transparency, human rights, political support at the UN or Ideological support. Japan gains support from small countries on whale killing/harvesting using trade. Developing countries have weak economic power to challenge economic injustices i.e. EU and USA  have large program of subsidies and economical protectionism.One argument states that trade is a foundation for international cooperationi.e. one country is the resources base and the other importing country is the manufacturing base. Trade would benefits those countries who are engaged in trade (based on the market). Trade relationships would result in a more equitable partnership and thus might be a catalyst for investment and growth. Developing country could receive direct foreign investments and the benefits that would sue from that, technology, employment etc. The result of this would lead to lower prices, greater choice, more efficient allocation of resources, foreign exchange and idea flowing between countries. Once getting passed trade impediments it can seen as long-term development strategy for a developing country. A summary of the advantages and disadvantages: Advantages A country may import things which it cannot produce Maximum utilization of resources Benefit to consumer Reduces trade fluctuations Utilization of surplus produce Fosters international trade Disadvantages Import of harmful goods It may exhaust resources Over specialization Danger of starvation One country may gain at the expensive of another It may lead to war Advantages and Disadvantages to Aid: Aid has been said to decrease the development for countries with their own improvement. Aid has many advantages but as it can be seen using examples such as African countries it can be seen that aid has decreased the development for countries. Countries can be giving aid for ethical reasons,  if there was a natural disaster and were in need of assistance. Aid is based on need, aid permits to countries to retain their dignity because aid if often perceived as condescending. There are different types of aid, tied and untied. Tied aid is foreign aid that must be spent in the country providing the aid or in a group of selected countries. Untied aid is assistance given to developing countries, which can be used to purchase goods, and services in virtually all countries. Jeffery Sachs (UN advisor) argued that aid is important, it is essential to break the poverty cycle and a determinant of long term growth. His argument stated that poor countries are not wealthy because of diseases such as malaria, they need to remove problems such as disease because the free market will not due this. Giving of aid is perceived as an inducement to behave or support certain policies. Aid can be used as blackmailing or getting the upper hand on another country in order to gain their vote in the UN. William Easterly (Professor of economics, NY university), aid does more harm than good, its often wasted, it inhibits peoples inventiveness, devising their old solutions. Aid is corrupt because its given to corrupt officials and often its fragmented that there is many donors and misallocations of the funds. Aid often comes with a lot of preconditions. Furthermore, aid has often come with a price of its own for the developing nations. Aid is often wasted on conditions that the recipient must use overpriced goods and services from donor countries. Most aid does not actually go to the poorest who would need it the most. Aid amounts are dwarfed by rich country protectionism that denies market access for poor country products, while rich nations use aid as a lever to open poor country markets to their products. Large projects or massive grand strategies often fail to help the vulnerable as money can often be embezzled away. Conclusion: In conclusion, it appears that generally trade is more beneficial to  long-term growth and development than aid. African examples discussed are proof that aid is counterproductive and the road to economic failure. The opposite appears true. Those countries able to divorce themselves from aid dependency are more likely to succeed as evidenced by China, India, and even South Africa. A strategy of transparent government, efficient civil service to meet social needs i.e. education, incentives, entrepreneurship, the rule of law, patent protection, institutions to attract foreign direct investment by creating attractive tax structures and reducing the red tape and complex regulations for businesses. Private capital investment into sustainable companies, with aid directly to community based non-profitable organizations is recommended. African nations should also focus on increasing trade, but there have been cases where rapid growth in international trade has led to bottlenecks and impediments to growth and development. There appears to be no panacea but one does conclude that in order to achieve economic, social, and political progress there are essential non-economic and economic prerequisites – cultural (i.e. individualism, attitudes of personal achievement, hard work, etc.) political (i.e. transparent governments, stability, the rule of law,) and economic (i.e. infrastructure, communications network, merit goods i.e. education and health etc.). Each nation is unique with regard to trade and aid. The answer is not either or – aid or trade .but accountable and transparent aid in conjunction with sustainable trade and honest and efficient government. Bibliography: (Complete bibliography after check by Ms. Kerr) 1. Amartya Sen. 1999. Development as Freedom. Oxford university press 2. http://www.globalissues.org/article/35/foreign-aid-development-assistance 3. wall street journal 4. wall street journal 5. http://www.povertycure.org/voices/kim-tan/ 6. http://www.povertycure.org/voices/president-paul-kagame/ 7. http://books.google.ca/books?id=_adMWevoEq0C&pg=PA137&dq=The+inflow+of+foreig n+capital+was+greatly+encouraged+to+supplement+the+shortage+of+domestic+savings.+These+efforts+enabled+South+Korea+to+achieve+rapid+growth+in+exports+and+subsequent+increases+in+income.%E2%80%9D&hl=en&sa=X&ei=iZ7NUq7AIMTd2QWmyIHABw&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=The%20inflow%20of%20foreign%20capital%20was%20greatly%20encouraged%20to%20supplement%20the%20shortage%20of%20domestic%20savings.%20These%20efforts%20enabled%20South%20Korea%20to%20achieve%20rapid%20growth%20in%20exports%20and%20subsequent%20increases%20in%20income.%E2%80%9D&f=false 8. OECD Development Statistics Online, last accessed April 7, 2012 9. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20405140 10. http://www.guesspapers.net/1593/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-international-trade/ 11. http://www.moeasmea.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=72&CtNode=263&mp=2 12. http://www.globalissues.org/article/35/foreign-aid-development-assistance 13. http://www.ryanallis.com/sustainable-capitalism-and-the-role-of-aid-vs-trade-in-prosperity-creation/ 14. http://www.cato.org/publications/economic-development-bulletin/african-perspectives-aid-foreign-assistance-will-not-pull-africa-out-poverty

Individual Assigment Essay

Narration: The world of technology has evolved over the years, and that means the need for technology has increased as well. Businesses have evolved over time with the use of technology, it allows us to shop, sell, trade, and function overseas. As I read over your business plan it seems that it is designed to compete in the local market, as well as add value to the community. Technology will play a huge part in both, it allows you to create and implement a plan that will help increase profit and customer satisfaction. As your business will compete in the local market, you will need to consider implementing Enterprise 2.0 or Web 2.0. Both Enterprise 2.0 and Web 2.0 offer many benefits to help your company succeed and grow with the ever changing economy and local market, both will allow your company to widen your market from county to county, state to state and even other countries. Enterprise 2.0 The attributes of Enterprise 2.0 practices can be very useful and sufficient in brainstorming, sharing, and evaluating ideas by utilizing enterprise social networking. Enterprise 2.0 helps business decrease IT costs by decreasing the amount of hardware and software that is needed (McAfee, 2010). Enterprise 2.0 would be a good asset to your business, it would keep it cost down and allow the marketing that you need to be competitive in your local market. Web 2.0 Web 2.0 also has many beneficial factors that would also be a good asset to your company, it includes social networking sites that would create great marketing tools, it allows you to create website which can also be a great tool for marketing and it allows you the user to be in control over the data  used. Web 2.0 offer rich user experience, user participation, scalability, and freedom. Web 2.0 offers a wide variety of marketing tools as well as creating a safe and valuable way to increase profit, and safe guard your assets (McAfee, 2010). .