Is The Secret Sharer an appropriate title for this short story? Essay

1. Is The Secret Sharer an appropriate title for this short story? Support your ideas with detail from the text. In The Secret Sharer, a captain escapes his ship where he was held captive after murdering a member of the crew. He swims to another ship and admits the whole truth to the captain. Both captains have bad relationships with their crew and they empathise with each other. Legatt, who came from the other ship, is to be kept secret from the crew as his life depends on it. They have to keep quiet and whisper. An intense relationship is built up between the two of them. The captain always refers to Legatt as my â€Å"other self†, â€Å"my double† or â€Å"my second self†. This indicates that they belong together such as lovers. It implies that they are one person and are bound together. Legatt tells the captain immediately that he just killed a man and the captain just accepts it without question. He understands why he did it. They trust each other totally. Between them they know everything about each other, they knew each other before their eyes met. For Legatt to expose himself to a complete stranger there would have to be a bond. It is a twisted love at first sight. Another aspect of the title’s secretively is brotherhood. The two captains conspire together like brothers. â€Å"Whispering side by side, with our dark heads together and our backs to the door, anybody bold enough to open it stealthily would have been treated to the uncanny sight of a double captain busy talking in whispers with his other self.† They both look alike and are conversing in whispers. They are even sitting the same way. Like two little twin brothers making up some plan, which will guarantee that they get into trouble. This comes before sharing a secret; this is the creation of a secret, which will only be between those two, so effectively they are sharing the secret. Legatts existence is so secret that the captain starts to doubt he even exists. He is so secret that he cannot exist. â€Å"An irresistible doubt of his existence flickered through my mind. Can it be, I asked myself, that he is not visible to other eyes than mine?† He begins to think that Legatt is so secret, that he is imagining him. This shows us that the relationship is so secret and fantastic, that he cannot believe it. Legatt is barely described; we know only that he has dark hair, is pale and resembles the captain. In the beginning he was glowing phosphorescently, which reminds us of ghost. So he is almost spirit like. This reflects the title in that the secrectness of his existence cannot be shared. The captain describes Legatt to be like himself, he is a mirror. The captain can understand Legatt instantly as if he were in his shoes. He shares his very soul with Legatt, which is so unreal he can’t believe it. It’s double secret, materialistically he cannot tell the crew and has to hide him, and spiritually because he has shared his heart with Legatt. In conclusion, â€Å"The Secret Sharer† is an appropriate title for this account. The title can be interpreted into different meanings all of which can be associated directly to the story. The title focuses wholly on the relationship between the captain and Legatt.

Illegal Drug Control

Those questions are addressed in this report which reviews drug ppolicy and results in Australia. In 1998, United Nations Member States met in a Special Session of the General Assembly and agreed to take tougher action to reduce both the illicit supply of, and the demand for, drugs before 2008. Australia has taken that pledge seriously. In 1998 it introduced a â€Å"Tough on Drugs Strategy† that aims to reduce drug supply, trafficking, and demand as well as the harm caused by drugs. This Strategy seems to be working: drug use levels have dropped significantly. Indeed, the turn around has been dramatic.To improve global efforts to contain the threat posed by drugs, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) seeks to increase the body of knowledge available to ppolicy makers. That includes collecting success stories. If Australia continues to build on its recent progress, it too could become a success story and provide inspiration and valuable lessons for other countri es. This report, following a ssimilar UNODC study of Sweden’s drug ppolicy (2006), aims to contribute to a growing body of evidence that will help countries bring their drug problems under control.Antonio Maria Costa Executive Director United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime 3 In response to increases in drug abuse in the 1990’s Australia implemented a vigilant drug control strategy. As this report makes clear, drug control has long been a priority of recent Governments and effective changes in recent years were due to pro-active, empirically-based drug control strategy, and a well developed system of services at the state and local levels. This report analyses the developments and changes in Australia’s drug policies over the last decades and their impact.Australia implemented a rather repressive drug control ppolicy from the beginning of the 20th century. This worked well until the 1970s. Australia shifted to harm-reduction approaches as of the mid 1980s, wit h a sthrong emphasis on prevention and treatment. This helped Australia to avoid a large-scale injecting drug use (IDU) related HIV/AIDS epidemic. In contrast to alcohol and tobacco where Australia achieved remarkable demand reduction through prevention activities, drug abuse continued rising and reached alarming levels by 1998.In 1998 Australia introduced a National Illicit Drugs Strategy â€Å"Tough on Drugs† which strengthened the supply control aspects without weakening demand-side interventions or giving up harm-reduction approaches. In the case of heroin, the strategy focused clearly on a reduction of supply. There followed higher heroin prices, lower heroin purity and ultimately substantially lower levels of heroin consumption. Drug related deaths declined, as well as drug related crime.WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING PROVIDES THE CLEAREST INDICATION OF A DRUG ADDICTION?Answer at this question at  https://donemyessay.com/unit-5-review/Use of other drugs also declined, both am ong the general population and among secondary school sstudents- mainly due to improved prevention and treatment activities and more funds made available by the authorities to drug control in general. The Australian National Council on Drugs (ANCD) incorporated many of the leading drug experts of the country and strengthened calls for higher budgets in the fight against the drug problem. Australia's drug ppolicy has been based on a broad ppolicy mix of supply reduction, demand reduction and harm minimisation policies. In addition, Australia has made commendable efforts at advancing the knowledge base for policy making. The country has consistently conducted in-depth research and evaluations of its various strategies and programmes – subsequently adjusting them according to efficacy. This concentration on empirically-based ppolicy formulation continues to demonstrate positive results. The drug ppolicy was largely bi-partisan in nature as the States as well as the federal Gover nment participated in its formulation and implementation (Until recently, the individual States were governed by different political parties than federal Australia). A new Australian Government, elected in late 2007, is yet to leave its mark on domestic drug strategies.

Corporate And Social Responsibility In Ship Management Case Study

Corporate And Social Responsibility In Ship Management - Case Study Example All managers undertake the same basic functions to obtain results by establishing an environment of effective and efficient performance from individuals working together in groups. This is the same with ship management business managers. Their social responsibilities mirror their company's ideology and ethics directed to professional client service and association, of mutual interest. In the 1990s, and at the turn of the century, a galaxy of developments was witnessed around the globe, especially in the Asia-Pacific region, where globalization took many developing countries by storm. China, India, and Vietnam, to name a few, benefited through FDI. The development of infrastructure, imports and exports have led to frantic activities in all major ports around Asia. Be it sea or airports, the movement of cargo in and out has made officials and workers work round the clock to clear backlogs. As huge ships ferry bulk cargo from and to different ports around the globe, the need to establish alternate points to ease the congestion has come under the scanner. As the major ports in China and India work overtime, their respective governments have been busy studying the feasibility of expanding port operations to smaller ports around the country. Ship business managers take pride in keeping their fleet operational at all times. When they come across ports ill-equipped to han dle large ships, they need to supplement that sector with smaller ships. This is a critical area of operations, which lie squarely on their shoulder. In times of contingencies, ship business managers must be there to handle client grievance. In short, ship business managers are the front-line PR of shipping companies.

Global Food Crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Global Food Crisis - Essay Example The purpose of this secondary, desk-based research study is to inform the general reader about the multitudes of problems associated with meeting supply versus demand volumes to feed the hungry and also sustain new product development efforts using food products. This information is worthy of consideration as the future of food production and distribution, currently, looks considerably bleak and it ultimately impacts the quality of life for virtually every international citizen. The information gleaned from this secondary research study provides new information and factual statistics about the current state of the global food situation as well as future projections that continue to paint a dismal picture of success in meeting food demand internationally. There is no specific target audience that would best gain from the knowledge provided in this study as the impact of the global food crisis has an influence on scientists, government, general global citizens, and even stock market in vestors interested in commodity prices and value of their investment dollars. Russia, over the last two years, has experienced significant volume reduction in agricultural output of grain due to heatwaves and drought conditions that eroded more than one-third of the country’s entire crop output (Gorst, 2011). To ensure that the Russian people had enough stored grain to sustain its population’s needs, export bans were imposed on all wheat products until the country was able to improve total grain output.... perienced significant volume reduction on agricultural output of grain due to heatwaves and drought conditions that eroded more than one-third of the country’s entire crop output (Gorst, 2011). To ensure that the Russian people had enough stored grain to sustain its population’s needs, export bans were imposed on all wheat products until the country was able to improve total grain output. This export ban created a situation where wheat prices soared in European markets, leading to ongoing internationally-driven disapproval (Gorst). A similar situation occurred in Australia just this year due to excessive flooding caused by torrential rains and a variety of tropical storms (Mendleson, 2011). Australia relies on its export capabilities for a variety of crops for financial security, as does many of its import partners that rely on adequate crop volumes produced in Australia. Even though the disasters in Russia and Australia are not preventable, this provides excellent oppo rtunity for innovators to develop new farming techniques as a contingency plan to prevent such shortages from occurring in the future. These efforts could include refertilization of non-fertile lands in Africa or developing new greenhouse technologies for indoor food production. Biofuels are also adding to the problem as countries attempt to develop new fuel technologies to avoid over-dependence on foreign, traditional oil. According to a recent report, biofuels consumed 20 percent of sugar cane crops produced across the world between 2007 and 2009, thus raising these commodity prices (Chaffin, 2011). Even though innovators looked toward this new biofuel technology as a means to reduce the costs of foreign oil, it has led to significant shortages in the food supply. This is an indicator that biofuels

Marketing Manager Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing Manager - Assignment Example Typically, marketing managers oversee all marketing, advertising and promotional staff and activities. They formulate appropriate marketing strategies to meet objectives, evaluate market research, and implement marketing plans (Halvorsen 2006). The job of a marketing manager requires both professional qualifications and individual skills. Professional qualifications usually include academic qualification, strong understanding of management and marketing, industry and product/service experience, and a network of contacts (Microsoft 2008, HSN 2008). Individual skills usually required include excellent communication skills, interpersonal skills, leadership skills, project and people management skills (HSN 2008, Catholic Answers 2008, Infinity Ward 2008). A review of most want advertisements for marketing management shows three main skill requirements: excellent communication skills, interpersonal skills and leadership skills in terms of people and project management. Excellent Communication Skills The job of a marketing manager requires excellent communication skills because the function involves interaction with customers, subordinates, professional peers, higher-level managers, suppliers, other business partners, and other individuals involved in the marketing process. Since communication is a two-way process, effective communication involves conveying messages to others clearly and unambiguously, as well as receiving and understanding information sent by others. In a survey conducted by the University of Pittsburgh, communication skills were cited as the single most important decision factor in the hiring of managers. Excellent communication skills denote high levels of proficiency in both verbal and written communication. For the marketing manager, these skills are applied in various interaction with the different audiences in the marketing process, in listening; delivering presentations; facilitating meetings and discussions; giving and receiving feedback; making value p ropositions; dealing with criticisms, customer complaints or other objections; communication during crisis situations; and cross-cultural communications (Mind Tools 2008). Interpersonal Skills Another highly-required skill for a marketing manager is interpersonal skills. Interpersonal skills include the habits, attitudes, manners, appearance, and behaviors that one uses around other people which affect how one gets along with other people (Hill 1999). According to the American Management Association (2008), success depends upon the

You have to analyse our calculations that i will upload Case Study

You have to analyse our calculations that i will upload - Case Study Example In choosing the securities that are to be included in the portfolio, the risk involved should be considered. Risk is usually measured by the use of beta. Beta is used as an indicator of how sensitive a stock is, towards market forces. A security that has a bet greater than 1 is said to be risky while a security that has a beta less than one is less risky. Risky securities are often associated with high returns. In the choice of the securities, the companies should not be correlated. That will ensure that the risk involved in the portfolio is minimal. Our group has considered six companies. The companies include Adidas, Wal-Mart, Samsung, syngenta, Google and Lufthansa. The companies are from different industries and that will help in reducing the risk that is associated with the portfolio. A good portfolio should have securities that are not correlated (Levinson, 2006, 155). That will help in ensuring that a failure in one industry will not lead to a failure in the other. The first step in the evaluation in considering the securities is finding the average rate of return. The average rate of return can be calculated by using the geometric or arithmetic mean. The rate of return was as follows, From the analysis of the rate of return, Google has the best rate of return while Wal-Mart is associated with the lowest rate of return. That means that if two investors invest the same amount of money in the two different companies, the investor at Google will earn more in terms of return. However, in making an investment decision, the risk factor has to be considered. Below is a table showing the risk associated with the securities. From the analysis on risk involved in all the securities, Wal-Mart turns out to be the less risky security. Such analysis of risks and return will enable an investor to come up with the appropriate stock portfolio that will be well balanced. After analyzing the return that will accrue from individual securities, an analysis should be done

Investment Law - Money Laundering and Terrorist Finance Essay

Investment Law - Money Laundering and Terrorist Finance - Essay Example 50)2. We can therefore describe money laundering as a process whereby the proceeds from activities of crime are covered to conceal their source or origin which is illicit. Money laundering may entail three distinct reas alternative actus (Graham, 2007, p. 51)3. These includes the: one, the transfer or conversion of property bearing in mind that such property or asset a criminal proceeds, two, the concealment or disguise of the source, nature, disposition, location, rights ownership or the movement with regards to the property bearing in mind that such property is a criminal proceeds and three, the property possession, the acquisition or use having in mind that the reception time that the property is of criminal proceeds (Graham, 2007, p. 51)4. On the other hand, financial terrorism involves collection, provision or solicitation of funds with an objective that the funds may be utilized to enhance terrorist organizations or acts. These funds may come from either illicit or legal sources. To define more precisely, a person is said to commit of terrorist financing if the person by any way indirectly or directly, willfully or unlawfully collects or provides funds with the aim that the money or the funds be used or the person has the knowledge that the money will be used in part or full support of a criminal offense with the convectional offense (Graham, 2007, p. 51)1. The major objective of an entities or individual engaging in terrorist financing is thus not necessarily hide the money but both nature and financing of the activity of financing (Graham, 2007, p. 51)2. The risk that may be associated with money laundering is that, it damages financial sectors which the key institutions for economic growth of a country. Money laundering and financial terrorism reduces the productivity with a country since most of resources are diverted to criminal activities encouraging practices of corruption (Graham, 2007, p.

Design and Build Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Design and Build - Essay Example ostly cultural heritage issues and sustainability always come into conflict with the realities of economical survival for example cutting down of trees has prevailing pragmatic consideration. Saving trees can make a society to escape severe poverty which comes as a result of deforestation. When facing different parameters the solution would be to save trees but for the pedagogical process, deliberation and engagement with complex issues at work there were more important things than the specific outcome (Frances, 145). For decades architectural educators and practitioners have observed that there an increasing alarm in decreased significance of the architectural work. It is more acute on diminishing architecture’s power in cultural and social changes. Irreverence of our profession is at critical juncture and therefore schools of architecture must act quickly to the complex, divergent and varied social demands. The basic initiative believes that community dire economic predicament, traditional knowledge and community based practices offers a chance of chances of negotiating a better life. The process of undertaking design and build practices in a community based culturally and socially helps a student to understand how architecture operates and bring about change to the community (Frances, 210). In this students do real projects designing and in real communities which has the benefit of collaborative synthetic learning experiences from real building and working in poor community. Students participate in design and build as a piece of architecture and on completing they compelled to show their experience by evaluating their design in context of their real

Art History Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Art History - Assignment Example A virtual tour, however, allows one to see all the details. In addition, there is the capability of zooming to get the finer details. Two religious paintings, the Ghent Altarpiece, commonly referred to as the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb from Ghent (Northern Europe) and Cimabue’s Madonna Enthroned from Italy, were created during the Renaissance for the same religion – Christianity .For this reason, the two have many similarities in spite of the differences in Renaissance settings of the two regions -Northern Europe and Italy. The two paintings have a span of more than a century apart, with the latter being the older. Both of these paintings were made at the helm of the Catholic Church in a Catholic and have Catholic background. The Ghent Altarpiece features Jesus as the main figure in the art piece while the Madonna Enthroned features Mary, the mother of Jesus; both of them prominent figures in the Catholic Church. In the Ghent Altarpiece, Jesus is seated on a throne and holding a scepter- a symbol of His royal power; conversely, Mary is also sitting on a throne and holding baby Jesus. Both of them are surrounded by numerous figures; Jesus is surrounded by Apostles while Mary is surrounded by angels wearing halos. In both, these figures help Christians to reach heaven. In addition, both Mary and Jesus are wearing long robes, also a symbol of royalty. A further analysis of the two pieces of art reveals little space around the two figures. There is even less space around Jesus. In both, there is symbolic gesturing with the hand; with Mary gesturing toward her son, symbolizing hope for the world. J esus also gestures with His hand; symbolic of the calling of all peoples of the world to come to Him. The striking difference is the use of color in the paintings. While the Ghent Altarpiece has much darker colors, the Madonna Enthroned has more bright colors. Further, there is a difference in time in the two paintings. While the Madonna

My Professional Moral Compass Essay Example for Free

My Professional Moral Compass Essay The code of ethics is an important part of the nursing foundation where nurses are directed to practice with compassion and respect for human dignity, responsibility, accountability, confidentiality and patient safety (ANA, 2012). Nurses are expected to follow this professional morals and values but also to practice their own personal standards as well. Values are one’s fundamental beliefs acquired from childhood through family and society. Morals are values that attribute to a system of beliefs. Ethics is the ability to make right and wrong decision based on adopted morals (Navran F. J., 2010). Every human is shaped according to their culture, spiritual and individual values that were instilled upon them by their family and community and in the nursing world, one nurses’ beliefs may differ from how others may practice nursing and handle ethical dilemmas. The culture this author grew up on expects the younger generation to be respectful, compassionate, responsible and be accountable for own mistakes. This author believes that every human is entitled to have the same equal treatment without prejudice. These characteristics shaped this author’s personal beliefs that as a nurse, this author has an obligation to the patients to provide them with such regard. Nurses are always impelled to give the best quality care to their patients and address all their concerns. This author feels responsible to keep patient safe, secured and comfortable at all times and keeping them informed regarding their treatments and condition along the way. Spiritual value has always been a challenging topic outside healthcare but this author learned that when a patient is in a difficult situation, beliefs could be set aside to find the best solution for the patient. There has been many controversies regarding blood transfusion and Jehovah Witness  religion and as a nurse, this author do not feel that it is appropriate to interfere with a patient’s decision if they opted to follow their spiritual obligation regardless of life and death situation. Every human has their own personal beliefs and own values which forms over their lifetime by analysis of their own observation. Nursing as a profession symbolizes many values such as honesty, responsibility, providing care to patients equally and with dignity (Gokenbach, 2012). The obligation every nurse has in the society and their patient is to provide the care they are entitled and respect their wishes to the best of their ability. Patients give their trust to their caregiver that they are receiving proper care, safe treatments and correct medications. This author believes that nurses have a moral obligation to be impartial with every patient that they encounter and to provide the same courtesy even with a difficult patient. For instance, when there is a patient who complains of pain at all times and the reports from other nurses states that the patient is a pain medication seeker, this author will not disqualify the patient’s complaints and still provide the proper care an d treatments needed and ordered by the physician. But this is a dilemma that can also place a nurse in a difficult situation since nurses are obligated to treat subjective pain complaints but finds this to be unsafe as it may lead to pain addiction. According to CDC, Drug overdose has been climbing since 1990 and most of the deaths connected to it were prescription drugs. When nurses are faced with this dilemma, the most ethical thing to do is to educate the patient on the risks, monitor the effect of the pain medication and offer pain management programs for their own safety. Ethical dilemmas provide a great amount of stress and anxiety to nurses, which can affect how they are able to provide safest care to their patients. One of the biggest ethical dilemmas that this author face in everyday practice is how doctors do not give enough time for their patients because of the amounts of patients they are to see in a given day. This author has encountered doctors who are not completely assessing their patients when they round and do not have the best bedside manner since they are always in a hurry. Many of the complaints received from patients were that doctors leave their room so fast and were unable to ask any questions related to their care. It puts nurses in a very difficult situation since nurses are not able to respond to patients with all honesty when being asked  about the doctor’s qualifications. How do you explain to the patient that a profitable company means protecting the people who bring in the profit and disregarding the fact that the patients are not getting what they deserve and the care that they need in the first place. Being that patients is this authors priority, this author continues to advocate for them by speaking with their doctors and other healthcare members connected with their care to find solution and answers. This author persevere in making healthcare management aware of the situations involving patient dissatisfactions with their doctors and hoping that it will one day be resolved. This author’s professional moral compass compels this author to provide the best care in a responsible, reliable, honest and compassionate way. Although faced with everyday dilemmas in nursing practice, the values this author has learned from nursing practice is what motivates this author to continue doing the right thing by remaining responsible, accountable, respectful and keeping patients safe. The everyday experience this author has gained from these dilemmas is what provides strength and knowledge in finding the direction this author wanted to take. Reference: American Nurses Association: Nursing World (2012). Code of Ethics for Nurses. http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/EthicsStandards/CodeofEthicsforNurses Navran, F. J. (2010). Defining Values, Morals, and Ethics. Palm Coast, Florida, USA. Gokenbach, V., (2012) Nurse Together. Professionalism in Nursing: What Does it Really Mean? http://www.nursetogether.com/Career/Career-Article/itemId/2245/Professionalism-in-Nursing-What-does-this-really-.aspx Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2012) Policy Impact: Prescription Painkillers. http://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/rxbrief/ My Nursing Ethic Complete the questions below. PASSION: Why am I here? Nursing profession accomplished my goal to know the real me. It gave me the opportunity to size up my strength, patience, and compassion when caring for different types of people in different situations. The pride that I feel  when I tell others of my profession radiates on me. Being able to save lives everyday is a wonderful feeling. The contentment I feel when I discharge a patient home after being in a hospital for a long time and the joy on their faces as I hand over their discharge papers is priceless. MOTIVATION: What moves me to act? My family is my motivation to provide the best care and treat every patient as part of my family. New diseases and illnesses are being detected everyday without any cure and this dilemma motivates me to be more vigilant in keeping my patients safe. I am motivated by other nurses who continuous to rise to the occasions when needed, such as creating policies for a better and safer workplace, research findings that affects millions of people, and making a difference on life of their patients through proper care. INSPIRATION: What keeps me in motion? There are many people who inspire me to do better as a person. My family who has supported me ever since gives me the most inspiration of all. My family migrated here from the Philippines and rebuilt our life through hard work. Every member contributed to fulfill our dreams of making it here in the United States and become a good citizen. One particular person who inspired me is my mom who held the family together through thick or thin. She is the person who quietly finds solution to every dilemma that we went through and still able to find time to instill good values to her children. LOYALTY: Whom do I serve? My loyalty lies to my community, patients and my family. My family is a great source of who I am as a person and the positive attitude I have extends to my patients and my community. I wanted to treat my patients the way my family or I would like to be treated. I am always on the look out for things happening around me to keep my community safe.

Demand For Electricity

Demand For Electricity INTRODUCTION If future demand for electricity is to be matched by adequate supply, then it is essential that models are built for estimating accurately, what the future demand for electricity is likely to be. In order to accomplish this, it is necessary that the factors affecting electricity demand are clearly indentified and quantified. It is even more crucial in the case of energy industries because, future energy demand requires investment spending today (due to their huge capital investment requirement and long lead time).[1] In other words, if a country should underestimate its future electricity demand, then it would most likely not make adequate capital investment in the present time which would then result in a shortage of electricity supply (when compared to demand) in the future. One of the most influential factors affecting the demand for electricity is the price of electricity.[2] The price of electricity has since been incorporated into the majority of electricity demand models.[3] This paper tries to examine the effects of the price of electricity in the UK on its own electricity demand. The focus here is to determine the price elasticity of demand for the period 1980-2008 (annual time series data) by the use of a loglinear regression model. The research paper will take the following format. Chapter one is the introduction, chapter two will be the literature review, chapter three will focus on the modelling approach and data analysis and chapter four will be the conclusion and findings. LITERATURE REVIEW Price Elasticity According to economic theory there is an inverse relationship between the price of energy and the quantity of energy demanded. As energy prices rise the quantity of energy demanded falls and vice versa. Given that all other factors are held constant[4]. Economic theory further postulates that the demand for energy is not as responsive to the changes in energy prices as compared to other commodities that are more responsive to their individual prices[5]. Economists define price elasticity as consumers sensitivity to price changes or the degree of responsiveness of changes in quantity demanded to changes in prices and is given by the formula below as: Since price elasticity is the ratio of two percentages, we therefore do not express it in any unit. Price elasticities are usually negative this is due to the inverse relationship between demand and price. Demand elasticities are mainly of two types which are; elastic and inelastic. If the values of elasticity of demand fall within the absolute values of 0 to 1 then demand is said to be inelastic and this can be interpreted thus as a change in price results in a less than proportionate change in quantity demanded. On the other hand if the values of elasticity of demand equals to the absolute value of one or above one, then demand is said to be elastic. In the case where elasticity of demand is equal to the absolute value of 1, it is interpreted as; a change in price leads to a proportionate change in quantity demanded. If the elasticity of demand is greater than the absolute value of 1 then it is interpreted thus as: a change in price results in a more than a proportionate change in quantity demanded. For example in the inelastic range, if price increases by 10 percent on a commodity with a price elasticity of -0.3 then the demand for the good falls by only 3 percent. However, in the case of the elastic range, a commodity with an elasticity of -2.0 would face a fall in demand of 20 percent, if price was to increase by 10 percent. This relationship can be further illustrated in the figure below. Figure 1: Relationship of supply and demand with two demand curves Figure 1 shows a supply curve (S1) and two demand curves which have different elasticities of demand (D1 and D1). D1 is more elastic than D1 (i.e. less steeper). At equilibrium, the supply curve S1, with both demand curves D1 and D1, have a common equilibrium price and quantity at P1 and Q1.Now, let us now assume that the supply curve shifts to the left due to say an increase in the cost of production (i.e. the price of coal used to generate electricity). Then, the new equilibrium point will depend on the nature of the demand curve that is used as shown in figure 2. If the demand curve is relatively elastic at (D1), then prices will rise and demand will fall by a much larger amount when compared to the more inelastic demand curve (D1). Note here that with the inelastic demand curve, the price and quantity demanded (P2 and Q2) are much larger than in the case of a more elastic demand curve at (P2 and Q2). In reality this can be explained by the fact that, if the demand for a commodity is inelastic then, any increase in costs (for example generation costs as mentioned above) can easily be passed on to the consumers without much reduction in supply, hence the larger price. On the other hand if the demand for the commodity were to be elastic then only a much smaller portion of the cost increase would be passed on to the consumer. Figure 2: Shows the effects of a shift in the Supply Curve We can also see the effects of a shift in the demand curve on price and quantity. If we assume that demand curves were to shift outward to the right (i.e. increases) from (D1 to D2) and (D1 to D2) while supply is held constant then with a more elastic demand curve the equilibrium price and quantity (P2 and Q2) would be much lower than if demand were to be inelastic (i.e. P2 and Q2). Figure 3: Effects of a shift in the Demand Curve From the three above illustrations it is quite clear that the resulting impact of changes in supply or demand on equilibrium price and quantity will vary in accordance to the nature of product elasticity. Price elasticities can be used to show how consumer demand responds to changes in price as well as the ease at which individuals can switch over to a substitute, when commodity prices go up. A consumer who has a fixed income has three options of responding to price changes in the short term; (a the consumer can switch over to a substitute; b) they can purchase less of the commodity without any additional purchase of a substitute; or (c he or she can still buy the same quantity of good while reducing his or her consumption of other commodities that make up their total expenditure. In the case of electricity the degree at which it can be substituted is very limited. Electricity can be used mainly for heating, lightening or a wide range of electric appliances such as (computers, television sets, printers, irons etc.). In the case of heating, a consumer may substitute the use of electricity for natural gas (and in the case of less developed countries may even substitute it for it for kerosene or firewood). However, the consumer also has the option of switching over to an appliance that uses a more energy conserving source. For end uses such as power supply for television sets, electricity has no substitutes. The consumer also has the option of purchasing a more efficient television set and maintaining the same level of service while using less electricity. Replacing appliances such as television sets may involve the change of a relatively expensive appliance and as such would take some time to do so. Since, this will involve a first initial capital outlay which i n turn depends on the income of the consumer, frequency of wage payment and payment of bills schedules etc. The time period required by consumers to substitute a relatively expensive appliance in response to higher energy prices is usually referred to as the long-run adjustment time period. On this the basis of this analysis, it is expected that the price elasticity of demand is usually inelastic in the short run and more elastic in the long run. This is because in the short run the consumers options of responding to higher electricity prices are limited i.e. he is restricted to reactions such as, reducing his or her level of appliance utilisation (for example running the heater for lesser hours of the day) or reducing his expenditure on other commodities to maintain the same level of electricity consumption. In the long run however, his options of responding to high energy prices are increased compared to the options he had in the short run. In the long run the consumer can fully respond to price changes by the purchase of appliances that are more efficient and/or the purchase of appliances that use a cheaper energy source. That is why in the long run elasticities tend toward a more elastic range than in the short run. Earlier Literature on Price Elasticity of Electricity Demand Earlier literature on electricity demand has revealed that the price elasticity of demand for electricity is relatively inelastic in the short run and tend to be relatively more elastic in the long run. The previous works written on price elasticity of demand are far too much to be fully discussed in this research. Therefore we shall focus on only the summary of a few. Taylor (1975) wrote one of the first literatures on electricity demand surveys. After carrying out reviews on various existing studies of commercial, industrial and residential electricity demand, he reported the following: (a in the case of residential demand for electricity, short term price elasticity ranged from -0.13 to -0.90 while long run price elasticities ranged from near 0 to -2.0. In the case of commercial demand, price elasticities were valued at -0.17 for the short run and -1.36 for the long run[7]. Boone kamp (2007) using the bottom up model on an annual data series for the period 1990-2000 reported that the household long term price elasticity ranged from -0.09 to 0.13[8]. Pouris (1987) conducted an analysis for the elasticity of demand for electricity for South Africa using data for the period (1950-1983) and determined that the long term price elasticity of electricity demand for the period was -0.90.[9] Bjoner and Jensen (2002) using a loglinear fixed effects model on panel data for the period of (1983-1996) discovered that short term price elasticity to be -0.479.[10] Filippini and Pachuari (2002) using a loglinear model on a monthly household panel data series discovered that the household short term price elasticity for electricity ranged from -0.16 to 0.39.[11] Zimmerman and Bohi (1984) carried out a detailed review of existing studies of energy demand. They reported that general consensus figures for residential price elasticity of electricity were -0.2 in the short run and -0.7 in the long run. The range of estimates in commercial electricity was too volatile to provide any consensus on values.[12] Al Faris (2002) used an error correction model to estimate short term price elasticity for UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain to range from-0.04 to- 0.18.[13] The analysis carried out was based on an annual time series data for the period 1970-1997. Garcia Cerruti (2000) calculated the price elasticity for residential demand for electricity in California to have an estimated mean value of -0.17.[14] In summary, earlier literature show that price elasticity of electricity demand are normally inelastic in the short run and tends to be more elastic in the long run. However, on the whole price elasticity of electricity demand are usually inelastic (i.e. the absolute value of the co-efficient of price elasticity is usually below 1). MODELLING APPROACH AND DATA ANALYSIS According to Lin (2003)[15] he identified that there were three major factors affecting the demand for electricity in any country which were, electricity prices (tariff), GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and population. He went further to say that there were other factors as well contributing to the price of electricity which varied with different countries. Such factors includes nature of weather (i.e. people tend to use more electricity for heating purposes during cold seasons than in hot seasons) and changes in the structure of the economy. Pouris (1987)[16] identified the two major factors affecting the demand for electricity as price and GDP. Using the common independent variables identified by both Lin and Pouris, we have the following model; Log EDt = a + b1LogPEt + b2 LogYt + µEquation Where: EDt = Total electricity demand in period in a given year (Gwh) PEt = Average price of electricity in constant terms for a given year ( £/Kwh) Yt = GDP of country for period t in constant Billion Pounds a = Constant b1 =Price elasticity of electricity demand b2 =Income elasticity of electricity demand  µ= Disturbance term (represents all other factors affecting the demand for electricity) We use the log functional form because it enables us easily determine the price elasticity for electricity demand which is the regression coefficient of price. The price elasticity of demand for electricity is also assumed to be constant.[17] The data used for the period is in constant terms and aggregated at the national level. We express our data in constant terms because we would like to take out the effects of inflation. The data used is aggregated at a national level because it tends to provide a more stable relationship between independent and dependent variables. Pouris (1987)[18] cited Ehrenbergs (1975)[19] work in which he (Ehrenberg) argued that the advances in physical sciences are to a great extent due to the fact that simple relationships (laws) are achievable because they usually account for the collective behaviour of million entities. Pouris (1987) then argued further that, the success of finding laws in social sciences would be in likely areas where behaviour of large individuals or objects can be aggregated. From the above table we can see that the price elasticity of demand for electricity (for the UK) is approximately -0.15 which agrees with economic theory that; (a elasticities of demand are inversely related to price as shown by the negative coefficient of price elasticity and (b price elasticity of demand for electricity tends to be inelastic i.e. having an absolute value below one. Also we do not reject the result due to the high R2 = 0.9688 (co-efficient of determination) and the fact that the result is statistically significant i.e. the absolute t values for real GDP and real electricity prices are above 2. While their (real GDP and real electricity prices) P values are below 5%. The table below shows the data (for U.K.) used in carrying out the regression analysis. The demand for electricity data and average electricity prices were sourced from the Economic and Social Data Services (ESDS) website. While the Real GDP and Consumer prices were obtained from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) website CONCLUSION/FINDINGS The price elasticity of electricity demand for the period (2008-2020) is about -0.15, which is consistent with economic theory that the co-efficient of price elasticities tend to have negative values and that the price elasticities for electricity tend to be inelastic. If we assume that the price elasticity for all organization and individuals in the U.K. lies close to this value (-0.15) and is constant through out time, then such information could have various implications for the economy. Firstly, an inelastic demand for electricity, would mean that there would be little or no government intervention required on the supply side (existing producers and suppliers) to ensure that producers and suppliers of electricity are able to breakeven (recover costs from generated revenue). This is because an inelastic demand for electricity (with respect to price) would mean that whenever there is an increase in demand and producers have to increase their supply in order to match the rising demand, the costs associated with increasing supply can easily be passed on to the consumer. As such, the government could be able to focus on other activities such as the provision and maintenance of public roads, hospital, and schools. Secondly, it would enable the government easily achieve renewable energy targets set in the power generating sector, due to the fact that the potential increases in costs arising from setting renewable energy targets can easily be transferred to the consumer (due to inelastic nature of electricity demand). The government should however ensure that the targets are set in a fair main manner such that the impact of the targets are felt by all power generators in a similar way and that no undue advantage is given to any one single producer due to the implementation of such targets. Furthermore the government should ensure that the targets are set in such a way that it does not increase tariffs too much so that consumers cannot easily afford their bills. Which in turn would then reduce demand drastically (since the consumers in the short run have the option of turning of their appliances) and hence, adversely affect supply as producers may not be able to recover all their fixed cost. If t his effect (rising prices drastically affecting demand) is unavoidable then the government should adopt policies that could assist in improving the disposable income of its citizens. BIBLIOGRAPHY PRIMARY SOURCES SECONDARY SOURCES Books Articles Bin Lin Q. (2003) Electricity Demand in the Peoples Republic of China: Investment Requirement and Environmental Impact at, www.adb.org/Documents/ERD/Working_Papers/wp037.pdf (Last Visited on 26th of April 2010) Mark A. Bernstein and James Griffin (2005) page 2: Regional Differences in the Price-Elasticity of Demand for Energy Pittsburgh U.S.A.: Rand Corporation Mark Lijesen G. The Real-Time Price Elasticity of Electricity in Science Direct Energy Economics 29 (2007) 251 Elsevier at, www.wlsevier.com/locate/eneco (Last Visited on 26th of April 2010) Pindyck 1979, The Characteristics of Energy Demand, in Energy Conservation and Public Policy , (Ed.)J. Sawhill Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Pouris A. (1987) The Price Elasticity of Electricity Demand in South Africa at, http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~db=all~content=a739318120 (Last Visited April 2010) Others Bohi, D. (1981) Analysing Demand Behavior A Study of Energy Elasticities, John Hopkins University Press for the Future Inc., Baltimore Ehrenberg A. (1975) Data Reduction: Analysing and Interpreting Statistical Data, Wiley-Interscience, London. Kotze, D. and Cooper, C. (1985) Energy Projections for South Africa, Institute of Energy Studies, Rand Afrikaans University, RSA. Venter, G and Basson, J. (1986) Quo-Vadis, National Non-Nuclear Energy Research in South Africa, Paper Presented in the South African National Committee of World Energy Conference, CSIR Pretoria 9-10, June. Lead Time and Costs EIA/DOE Electricity Market Model (2010) at, www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/aeo/assumption/pdf/electricity.pdf (Last Visited April 2010) Subhes B. and Andon B. (unpublished): Domestic Demand for Petroleum Products in MENA countries at, http://www.dundee.ac.uk/cepmlp/gateway/index.php?category=13 (Last Visited on 26th April 2010) Website Economics and Social Data Services website at, http://www.esds.ac.uk/ (Last Visited on 26th April 2010) International Monetary Fund Website at, http://www.imf.org/external/index.htm (Last Visited on 26th April 2010) For Details of Lead Time and Costs see EIA/DOE Electricity Market Model (2010) at, www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/aeo/assumption/pdf/electricity.pdf (Last Visited April 2010) Pindyck 1979, The Characteristics of Energy Demand, in Energy Conservation and Public Policy , (Ed.)J. Sawhill Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Pouris A. (1987) The Price Elasticity of Electricity Demand in South Africa at, http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~db=all~content=a739318120 (Last Visited April 2010) Mark A. Bernstein and James Griffin (2005) page 2: Regional Differences in the Price-Elasticity of Demand for Energy Pittsburgh U.S.A.: Rand Corporation ID Note 4 Supra Note 4 Supra Note 4 Mark Lijesen G. The Real-Time Price Elasticity of Electricity in Science Direct Energy Economics 29 (2007) 251 Elsevier at, www.wlsevier.com/locate/eneco (Last Visited on 26th of April 2010) Supra Note 3 page 1 Supra Note 8 page 251 Supra Note 8 page 251 Supra Note 4 page 13 Supra Note 8 page 251 Supra Note Bin Lin Q. (2003) Electricity Demand in the Peoples Republic of China: Investment Requirement and Environmental Impact page 5-6 at www.adb.org/Documents/ERD/Working_Papers/wp037.pdf (Last Visited on 26th of April 2010) Supra Note 3 Subhes B. and Andon B. (unpublished): Domestic Demand for Petroleum Products in MENA countries page 10-11,at, http://www.dundee.ac.uk/cepmlp/gateway/index.php?category=13 (Last Visited on 26th April 2010) Supra Note 3 page 1271 ID note 18

My Online Community Essay -- Essays Papers

My Online Community I aimlessly wondered the Internet trying to find a community suitable for me. I wasn’t sure what I was looking for. I have many interests, but I really don’t have a strong passion for something. So I decided to join a community in which I could express myself as a teen and talk about general issues. I joined the mtv.com community. There I expressed my thoughts on everything, ranging from music to daily events that shape our world. There I had a chance to share my opinions and beliefs, as others posted their thoughts and perspectives on certain subjects. Online communities are rather congruent to offline ones. They are both appealing yet displeasing at the same time. An online community means different things to different people. For some, it conjures fuzzy, warm images of people chatting and helping each other. For others, it produces dark images of conspiracy, dissident and criminal behavior, sick perverts and invasion of privacy. At first, I was a little sketchy about joining a community. I wasn’t too fond of talking to strangers and posting my thoughts on certain subjects so hundreds of people can read them. I could be talking to someone, and everything they say could be a lie. I wouldn’t feel like I was having a real conversation, because someone can say he or she is something, when in reality he/she is a twisted and demented human being, who takes pleasure in harassing people online. Each day on the community was different. Some I enjoyed, and others made me despise the idea of ever having to return to the same site the next day. I was in no hurry to join a community. So on day one, I browsed the Internet, looking for a community I would feel comfortable in. After I f... ...find fascinating and form a close bond, and then there are those who you find disagreeable and find pleasure in â€Å"raping† you. Communicating via the Internet is no substitute for actual human interaction. But online communities do enable meaningful communication among people separated by distance and time. Many people in today’s society look to online communities for comfort. They visit it daily, and spend many hours talking to people they have never met in person. I have no interest in going back to my community. I didn’t feel the warm, fuzzy feeling of people chatting online. Some people can be rude and annoying, and that is something I just don’t want to deal with if I don’t have to. I enjoyed posting my thoughts on certain subjects on the message boards, but I didn’t enjoy reading some rude responses just because I didn’t agree with the person’s view.

Customer Service Essay -- Business Management Studies

Customer Service Customer service consists of the various ways in which a business looks after its customer. A business that wants to provide a comprehensive high quality customer service must be aware of, and be able to analyse, customer needs, and also to set up systems to ensure that those needs are catered for from the first enquiry to after-sale service. Customer service consists of a wide range of activities. The purpose of these is to make sure that customers are happy and will return again and again. Every business should remember that customers are the factors, which affect demand for the product. It is one of the greatest importance, therefore, for the organisation to know its customers- who they are, what they need and how it can satisfy those needs. Customer service is one of the most important ingredients of the marketing mix for products and services. High quality customer service helps to create customer loyalty. Customers today are not only interested in the product they are being offered but all the official elements of service that they receive from the greeting they receive when they enter a retail outlet, to the refund and help that they receive when they have a complaint about a faulty product that they have paid for. Logo: Sainsbury's - making life taste better Introduction to Sainsbury’s Sainsbury’ is a high class retail store that supplies to a wide range of products mainly dealing with foods but now, starting to ...

The Character of Dounia in Dostoevskys Crime and Punishment :: Dostoevsky Crime and Punishment

The Character of Dounia Crime and Punishment  Ã‚     Dounia's commitment to her brother is unfaltering. Even when she is presented with the ultimatum of Luzhin, she continues to endure in her dedication and loyalty to her irritable and rascally brother. She realizes that making sure Raskolnikov is there will probably secure her fate in that she will not marry Luzhin. She refuses to do so though if he does not accept his brother. Dounia's commitment and loyalty can be seen in her calm nature about the letter, her loyal response to it, and her actions when she goes to visit her brother--she regards his gestures and words with guarded skepticism, but realizes that he is at least "unfeigned" when grasping her hand. When Pulcheria shows Dounia the letter she doesn't let her emotions go awry, but she reads the letter like a military sergeant on the battle field, simply carrying out the next order in an entire chain. She decides that she must talk to Raskolnikov before answering Luzhin or making her decision. She stands calm and collected in face of the massive divide and rift that has now been created in her life--she has been presented with a dilemma, she is going to be forced to choose between the one she loves and the one she feels "esteems her". In the small garret of Raskolnikov, Pulcheria and Advotya go to see and confer with the now "well" Rodya. Dounia's main purpose is to give Raskolnikov the option of whether he would like to come to their house when Luzhin is there. When her brother responds that it is essentially the women's choice, Dounia is firm in her commitment that he must be there. She wishes to convince him that she is not doing it purely for his sake--but rather for her own. Raskolnikov's chastising of her is ironic because she is only doing less blatant forms of actions he has already committed. Dounia, even after admitting that her marriage to Luzhin will help her very much, still loyally insists that Raskolnikov must be present for th e meeting. She is willing to risk what she has professed is simply for her own sake. Her physical actions when she goes to visit her brother are an amalgam of compassion and skepticism. She is intelligent enough to realize that the things Raskolnikov is saying seem feigned, as if he had a script written for him.

Marketing Report Bokomo Foods Essay

1.0. A report presenting market data in order to inform a cereal company Bokomo Ltd. To consider whether to expand more in the United Kingdom market. 2.0 Executive summary. This is a short report, containing marketing data on both the cereal market and a specific business, Bokomo UK. The data was obtained from secondary marketing research. Bokomo ´s website was one of the main reference guide. With the findings and analysis, it was recommended that Bokomo should expand their own brand products more in the UK. The PEST analysis of the UK grocery industry included in this report was used to highlight the external factors that can affect Bokomo’s operation and interpret how these factors will influence Bokomo. Furthermore, through the market analysis it was found that Kellogg’s and Weetabix mainly lead the cereal industry, followed by Nestle and Jordans. These companies have a wide range of brands targeted at different consumers, and they have customer loyalty, which can make it harder for newer companies to enter this sector. As mentioned before, in the cereal market there are a large variety of targeted consumers like children, women, and families. The main key trends in the market are convenient snacks and consciousness towards health. Apart from that, own branded labels are also gaining popularity as they offer consumers the same product at a cheaper price. SWOT analysis allowed us to devise the company’s internal analysis. Strengths included their well-known reputation and customers such as large food retailers (Tesco ´s), to which they sell manufacture and packaging services. Weaknesses consist of the negative aspects the company faces, including their not household name, and general negative publicity they face in this complex sector. Opportunities were devised from the social factors from the PEST analysis as changes in consumer tastes and trends are opportunities were this company can benefit from by meeting those needs. These were also  an important part of the report as it affected the final recommendations for the company. Threats included the financial recession and increasing levels of immigration. Bokomo Foods is a major cereal producer in the United Kingdom, established around 80 years ago. Despite not being a household name, is a UK leading cereal maker and the company has achieved diversity by producing a range of own-label products. Furthermore, they manufacture branded products for large companies, as well as branded packaging services like Bag in Box, Pot or Pouch. All of these services are for leading retailers such as Tesco ´s, Sainsbury ´s and Morrison’s, among many others. 3.0 Introduction + Aim. This is a report whose aim is to present market data in order to inform Bokomo plc. a cereal company, whether further expansion in the UK market is beneficial at this time. The report will identify and analyse the current business situation, using SWOT analysis, and review the macroeconomic perspective of the general UK grocery industry using PEST analysis. The SWOT analysis will help us examine the specific company factors, as it is essential to understand these in order to relate them back to the PEST and market trends. Both internal and external factors affect how Bokomo will operate now and in the future. 4.0 The grocery market environment – PEST analysis 4.1 Political Political factors have a great influence on the analysis of external factors since they are determined by the degree of government intervention in the economy. The political situation in the UK is stable. Her Majesty’s Government, led by Prime Minister David Cameron of the Conservative Party, is mainly concerned about the financial crisis affecting economies all over the world and to strengthen the economic position of UK globally. Through employment legislations, the government encourages retailers to provide a mix of job opportunities from flexible, lower-paid and locally-based jobs to highly-skilled, higher-paid and centrally-located jobs (Balchin, 1994). Migration has a large impact on the grocery industry, as it provides new customers, as well as opportunities for supermarkets to cater to the different culinary cultures of immigrants. Migration also leads to a change in size of labour pool, which could have an effect on the availability of workers. Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show some 503,000 people came to live in the UK in the year ending June 2013, compared with 517,000 people the previous year (ONS.gov, 2013). 4.2 Economic Economic factors are important to consider in regard to the UK grocery market, as they are highly influential to demand, costs, prices, and profit. One of the most influential factors on the economy is high unemployment level, which decreases the effective demand for many goods, adversely affecting the demand required to produce such goods. Unemployment in the UK is at 7.1% as of January 2014, according to BBC. Another highly relevant economic factor is the grocery market size and the market growth. IGD forecast that the UK grocery market value will be worth  £205.9bn in 2018, a 21.3% increase on 2013 (IGD.com, 2013). This is beneficial news to Bokomo, since any expansion would be possible in regard to the availability of area in the market to expand. Another market characteristic of importance is the amount of spending on groceries in regard to overall retail expenditure in the UK. The grocery market’s share accounts for 54.9p in every  £1 of UK retail spending (IGD.com, 2013). 4.3 Social According to Askew (2013) sales in the cereal industry have been under pressure in these past years, especially due to the changing social trends and habits of consumers. Even though sales in this market have been stable, growth has been slow. Traditional breakfast habits have changed and people consume fewer cereals because of a busier lifestyle. Also increasing number of consumers skip breakfast. An increase in female workers has also had an impact on this, which is why competition for convenient options is growing  more each time. An increasing number of people now look for easy and quick alternatives to sitting down and eating. However, they expect to receive the same nutrients and healthy benefits with these convenient options. A growing number of women now pay special attention to what they are eating, checking the labeling, nutritional information and ingredients of each product. Increasingly, women have a greater concern with their weight and healthy eating. Lately, the demand for children’s cereals has declined because of the sugar content it has. Cereal companies use marketing to their advantage and attract kids with unhealthy products. Their main source has been television adverts and most of the cereals for children have high sugar content with low nutritional value, a fact of which more parents are aware. Apart from consumer concerns about health, they are also becoming more aware of the environment. In this specific market, many cereal companies now control their water use, energy use, waste produced, etc. Most of them also pay close attention to the packaging of the product, like using recycled packaging. Another social factor that affects the grocery market in general is the diverse culture in UK. There are so many people with different cultures that do not choose cereals as their first choice for breakfast; instead they have their own eating habits. Therefore, it is important for the producers in the grocery market to understand the needs of the entire population and meet them. Furthermore, supermarket own-brand products have gained a lot of popularity because of the economic downturn. As consumers have limited spending power, they prefer spending on a cheaper product that allows them to get the same benefits. 4.4 Technological In the present technological age, everyone, from personal to professional  interaction, is highly reliant on technology. Therefore, technological advances are important for the development and maintenance of business culture. Advances in technology have allowed the grocery industry to grow. An excellent example is the demise of Blockbuster, who was reluctant to explore online options, and their consequent refusal to buy Netflix and to adapt to changing trends lead to their bankruptcy and final closure on January 14, 2014. Online grocery shopping holds 11% of the distribution channels of the UK grocery market and predictions suggest online sales in the US will grow by 15% in 2014 to  £189.3 billion, while in Europe, sales are expected to rise by 18% to  £131.2 billion. Online shopping has helped people spend their day more efficiently and reduced the effort of having to carry heavy grocery bags. Technological advances at the supermarket has contributed to more efficient customer service and stocking efforts. The adoption of Electronic Point of Sale (EPoS), Electronic Funds Transfer Systems (EFTPoS) and electronic scanners have greatly improved the efficiency of distribution and stocking activities, with needs being communicated almost in real time to the supplier (Finch, 2004). Devices such as the self-checkout machine and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) have permitted the grocery industry to grow and accommodate customers in an effective way. 5.0 Description of product specific market 5.1 Main competitors The leading cereal brands and the biggest competitors of Bokomo cereals in the UK are Kellogg’s and Weetabix, reported Companies&Markets (2013). Kellogg’s arrived in the UK in 1922 and since then has maintained its position in the market, by focusing on innovation and expansion of their products. In 2012, it had 32% of value share, leading in the UK cereal market offering a wide range of products. Over the years, Kellogg’s has expanded to over 180 countries in the world and has around 39 brands of cereals. Weetabix, on the other hand, was launched in 1932; it has been a  long-standing brand and has fought its competitors to stay in this position in the UK. Weetabix has also introduced many different brands and has been innovating to adapt to consumer preferences over the years. Also Jordans, a breakfast cereal company based in Bedfordshire, founded in 1855. Although, the company produced its first cereal in 1981 called Original Crunchy, it was in the years between 2000 and 2005 when it faced rapid growth and became one of the largest cereal brands in the UK. Its great focus over the years has been on the packaging, to make it stand out in grocery stores and it is also known to be included in the â€Å"healthy, natural cereal segment† Moreover, Nestle formed in 1990. It was launched as a joint venture between General Mills and Nestle S.A. and named Cereal Partners Worldwide (CPW). They offer the traditional cereals, as well as a range of brands including the world-known Cheerios. 5.2 Targeted consumers Cereal companies target many different kinds of people, although the easiest group of people to target has been children. BMSG (2013) stated they do it through advertisements on television, and somehow try to grab their attention by creating colourful, animated images and providing gifts in the cereal box each time. Another group targeted in this sector are the women because of their increasing concern for health and weight loss. Along with the children, women also form a big part of the consumers of this market. Nowadays, there are so many brands that have launched low-fat cereals and cereal bars also. Some also provide some advice, tips and dietary plans, Nytimes article (2010). Generally, families in the UK are also targeted consumers because some families still sit and have their meals together and believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Apart from that, families are more concerned with what they are eating, especially making sure that the smaller ones eat healthy (Marketingmagazine(2010) Unlike maybe some students at university who would not pay so much attention to their breakfast, particularly not on a daily basis. 5.3 Key trends in the cereal market Marketingmagazine (2008) stated A rising key trend in the cereal industry is the quick and convenient ‘good to go’ snacks, like cereal bars. Cereal bars have gained a lot of popularity among a wide range of audience in recent years because people not having time for breakfast. Due to this reason, there has been a significant decline in the sales of the cereal market. Companies have been mostly focusing on this convenient aspect of the market so that people don’t just skip breakfast entirely and their business doesn’t face a loss. As health also plays a crucial role in this market and recently people are more conscious about what they are putting in their body, convenient snacks are the best option as they cover both points. Nowadays, ‘good to go’ snacks are not just used for breakfast but also during the entire day as an alternative to other unhealthy snacks. As a result of the sudden popularity of these snacks, now there are a great variety of them in different formats. On the other hand, the popularity of own branded labels is growing in the grocery market. It saves consumers a significant amount of money and they offer a similar or better quality product. It has resulted in a much higher level of competition in the market. 5.4 SWOT Analysis Bokomo website (2014) 5.4.1 Strengths Bokomo is UK’s leading cereal maker; this is a major strength as they have established a firm position in the British cereal market. They operate in various markets inside the cereal industry, providing food manufacture, retailing and catering. Bokomo can provide tasty, fresh cereal products any business is looking for, at a very competitive and cost-effective price†. British company (although owned by South Africa’s Pioneer Foods) with substantial manufacturing plants in Wellingborough and Peterborough. This means Bokomo has the resources and specialist expertise to offer unique flexible manufacturing and packaging services. Companies needing a brand-new  breakfast cereal raced through New Product Development (NPD) or an innovative production line set up in record time can contact Bokomo. This makes them have an advantage as nowadays there are many organisations looking for branded cereal products. Bokomo is a world-class player, and in order to maintain that s tatus they need world-class facilities. They have two factories in the UK, specifically in Wellingborough and Peterborough. These factories offer them a cutting-edge manufacturing plant, in other words, the latest, high quality, reliable and sustainable facilities. This leads to the production of high quality products. Food standards are also controlled and supported by SAP business information software, which makes customers feel more confident and secure with the products and services Bokomo delivers. Bokomo ´s experts in the management team and the company ´s aim of constantly innovating and removing old production facilities has helped them produce large quantities of high quality products very efficiently and to the shortest imaginable lead-times. Their customers know Bokomo as a business that main objectives is to offer high quality products. This has been maintained by using high quality ingredients and top experts in recipe formulation. They are one of only 2 manufactures that produce wheat biscuits in the Northern hemisphere enabled them to have the largest control and knowledge of this production process. Even if Bokomo UK is based in the United Kingdom, they have also diversified. Geographic market diversification has enabled them to sell in many countries around Europe, Scandinavia and even as far as the United States of America or the United Arab Emirates 5.4.2 Weaknesses Bokomo stated â€Å"you’ve possibly never heard of us† – this means that individual customers do not know them as their own – branded products is very niche, and they are more specialized in producing in a business to business way. This is a very common weakness for companies that operate Behind the Brand. Constant changing of consumer’s tastes (opting for cereal bars, instant porridge or other breakfast solutions) can be considered a weakness, as its difficult and expensive to innovate and keep up to meet their needs. Difficulties to compete with well known brands cereals  products such as Corn Flakes, Crunchy Nut, Special K. Have to create a delicious product that attracts customers quickly and expensive to implement the R&D and marketing. On the other hand it can also be considered and opportunity. Negative publicity to which ready-to-eat cereals have been subjected due to their high sugar content 5.4.3 Opportunities Social trends are important opportunities for Bokomo. Customers aiming towards healthy living or any other lifestyle changes means there is an opportunity towards which research and operate in. They have achieved and been keeping up to date with this as they have many products related to this trend. Great health benefits, such as products enabling the final consumer to control cholesterol levels. Multi-grain flake is another trend and potential opportunity for Bokomo. Consumers are changing their tastes towards healthier goods, and leaving behind old-fashioned sugary confections. Consumers are also increasingly purchasing Branflakes as they are considered to be great for supporting a healthy digestive system. Another trend â€Å"busier schedules†, people are increasingly feeling they have no time to spend on having breakfast and snacks. Bokomo muesli is available to cater for the increasing demand for â€Å"breakfast on the go†. They offer them in bags and boxes, which facilitates the final customer to transport to their work place. This is an example of an opportunity for Bokomo because if they keep-up to date with trends, they will become more efficient and desirable for large retailers to purchase their products, and everyone will benefit form the sales. UK retailers are also focusing on added-value products: Add value by introducing natural minerals and vitamins into whole grain wheat and making the final product more healthy and nutritional. Own-label share of the business mix for large supermarket retailers. It is a main direction for Bokomo to go towards to as they can increase considerably their business operations, as the focus is now towards manufacturing own-label and branded products. Bokomo has realized the immense potential for expansion as the large retailers keep increasing the sale of this type of good. ‘One-stop’ shopping, or shopping in large supermarkets were customers can find any type of product in the same building has been  beneficial for Bokomo as these businesses are their main clients. If they increase their sales, Bokomo will also benefit from this, as they will sell them more and so increase revenue will mean increase levels of profitability. 5.4.4 Threats The cereal industry offers products which are considered to be relatively expensive, which can be easily replaced with simpler breakfast choices such as bread. The financial recession has been a main factor for the decrease in expenditure, specially concerning families, as there are other much cheaper products to replace the cereals and cereal bars. High unemployment has made a substantial impact on the demand for such goods, adversely affecting the demand required to product those goods. Increasing levels of immigration specially in the UK, has meant that they do not have the same culinary cultures and so those breakfast products will not satisfy the needs and wants of everyone. 5.0 Recommendations With the above analysis it is better for the company to target smaller retailers where their own labeled products won’t be affected by competitive brands like Kellogg’s, and when they achieve this they should concentrate more on developing their own branded products around the UK. As mentioned above in the SWOT analysis, cereal products are considered to be expensive due to the added value implemented on them so it would be better to decrease these levels of adding value and start off with lower prices, in recession periods. 6.0 Limitations Bokomo website allowed us to obtain up-to-date and official information and statistics of the company. The information was limited because the company sold themselves and emphasized on its positive aspects because they have to promote their brand to the consumers. A part from this we also used other sources including, online articles about food industry, which helped us, get an un-biased view of the company and the cereal market as a whole. The  drawback of using other sources or secondary research was that the methods used were unknown so we examined the most official and valid sources. 7.0 References Askew, K. 2013. Breakfast cereal: Are cereal sales going soggy? [Online] Available at: http://www.just-food.com/analysis/are-cereal-sales-in-developed-markets-going-soggy_id123417.aspx Bainbridge, J. 2010. Sector insight: Breakfast cereals | Marketing Magazine. [Online] Available at: http://www.marketingmagazine.co.uk/article/990662/sector-insight-breakfast-cereals Bainbridge, J. 2008. Sector Insight: Cereal bars | Marketing Magazine. [Online] Available at: http://www.marketingmagazine.co.uk/article/817580/sector-insight-cereal-bars Balchin, A. (1994) Part-time Workers in the Multiple Retail Sector: Small Change from Employment Protection Legislation? Employee Relations, Vol. 16 Iss: 7, pp.43 – 57 BBC News. 2014. UK unemployment rate drops to 7.1%. [Online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-25841570 BERKELEY, C. 2013. Cereal companies leverage online marketing to target children with sugary products | Berkeley Media Studies Group. [Online] Available at: http://w ww.bmsg.org/newsroom/news-releases/cereal-companies-leverage-online-marketing-to-target-children-with-sugary-products Bodimeade, M. 2013. UK breakfast cereals market dominated by Kellogg’s and Weetabix. [Online] Available at: http://www.companiesandmarkets.com/News/Food-and-Drink/UK-breakfast-cereals-market-dominated-by-Kelloggs-and-Weetabix/NI6602 Bokomo.co.uk. n.d. About | Bokomo. [Online] Available at: http://bokomo.co.uk/about Business News Daily (November 22, 2013) PEST Analysis: Definition and Examples, Available at: http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/5512-pest-analysis-definition-examples-templates.html Euromonitor.com. 2013. Breakfast Cereals in the United Kingdom. [Online] Available at: http://www.euromonitor.com/breakfast-cereals-in-the-united-kingdom/report Igd.com. 2013. UK Grocery Retailing. [Online] Available at: http://www.igd.com/our-expertise/Retail/retail-outlook/3371/UK-Grocery-Retailing/ Internetretailing.net (March 18, 2014) UK retailers expected to make

African Penguins

The topic of my report is african penguins who are also known as black footed penguins . I chose this topic because through out my life i have seen penguins only in Antarctica which made me wander how can they survive on islands. The main characteristics are that they are 26-27 inches in height and there weight is 4-11 pounds. There back is colored black and there front is colored white which has a black stripe. They have large black beak and feet. They sound like donkeys when they communicate with each other. Another interesting haracteristics is they have pink glands above each eye and their average swimming speed is 4-12 MPH. The African Penguin are found in South Africa which is in the southern hemisphere. After penguin choose their partner for life, breeding occurs throughout the year. Although the main breeding begins in February, Nest are constructed and two eggs are laid and they incubate for 38-42 days. When the eggs hatch the parents care for the baby penguins for 8-18 weeks. African Penguins like to hunt in the nutrient rich cold water and like to eat mainly fish such as squid, anchovies and a few other things The major facts about african penguins are that they are only found in south coast of africa. There is no other place in the world where these penguins are found. There is no fixed breeding season it can happen throughout the year. The enemies of penguins are sharks,killer whales and other dangerous marine creatures. In conclusion i very much enjoyed researching about this animal because they have a lot of interesting facts that the penguins in Antarctica don't have. The most interesting fact i learned was they have pink glands above there eyes.

Small Scale Industries

Small-Scale Industries in the Globalization Era: The case of Jordan Basem M. Lozi, Assistance Professor, Al-Balqa Applied University, [email  protected] com Abstract The research examines the role of SSI in the economic development of Jordan by showing the effects of the SSI on the unemployment rate, production, and sales. The research concludes with policy recommendations to ensure the sustained and competitive growth of small-scale industries in Jordan. The results of the study show that the growth of SSI in Jordan in terms of employment, production and sales has increased due to globalization and domestic liberalization.However, it is still not as significant as planned. The SSI sector should be encouraged to make a sustainable contribution to the national income, employment, and exports. Keywords: Small scale industries, policy, globalization, Jordan, competitiveness. Introduction The development of small-scale industries (SSI) has been one of the major planks of Jordan’ s economic development strategy since Jordan's independence. The SSI sector occupies a place of strategic importance in the Jordanian economic structure due to its considerable contributions in terms of output, exports and employment.SSI play a key role in the industrialization and development of any country. This is because SSI provides an immediate large scale employment, ensure a more equitable distribution of national income, and facilitate an effective mobilization of resources, capital, and skills which might otherwise remain underutilized. It is possible to determine the concept of the SSI in accordance with two measures: the size of the labor force employed; and the amount of invested capital in this industry. Jordan has adopted the first concept to distinguish between the SSI and other industries.An establishment is considered small if it employs not more than 10 workers, while industry employing between 15-30 workers is considered a medium scale industries, and when having more than 30 workers the industry is considered large scale industry's category. Although many countries have adopted this criterion, other, countries determined the higher ceiling of the number of the labor in this industry to become 15 workers as it is in Iraq and Ghana, while Egypt, Belgium and Denmark adopted the criterion that the number of workers should not exceed 50 workers.In contrast , countries such as France and Italy adopted the criterion of 500 workers to distinguish between small-scale and other industries But in Japan and in the United States the total number of workers working in small scale industries was set at 300 in Japan and 1000 workers in the United States(Subramanian 1995). Furthermore , the SSI are characterized by their degree of spread as show in table (2), the SSI in Jordan comprise nearly 84% of the established industries during the period of 19901998 and increased to nearly 90% of the total industries established during the period of 1999-2006 (Hachur e 2004).Moreover, most of these industries were characterized as being environmentally friendly. The possibility of establishing these industries in different regions is favorable because they do not need a special infrastructure, once these industries are well established then the encouragement of their spread in the rural regions will help to achieve many of the social and economic goals, such as increasing income in rural areas, controlling the migration from rural areas to cities and controlling demographic growth.Objectives of the study The main objective of this paper is to highlight the importance of SSI in the Jordanian economy as SSI occupies a place of strategic importance in the Jordanian economy due to their considerable contributions in terms of production, sales and employment. These 1 contributions have emerged despite of the fact that this sector has been exposed to intensifying competition. Research Questions This paper is also attempting to answer the following res earch questions.The answers to these questions are part of the objectives of this study. †¢ Why should global and national policy development affect SSI in Jordan? How? What are its implications? †¢ How far have SSI been able to cope with the competitive environment? What was their growth performance in the last decade? †¢ What was their effect on employment, production, and sales? †¢ What policies need to be taken to strengthen SSI to ensure their sustained contribution to the Jordanian economy?Methodology This study is based on the primary and analysis of secondary data. The data was gathered from published studies and reports available in both English and in Arabic languages. Relevant statistics were obtained from the Central Bank of Jordan and the Department of Statistics. These data were then analyzed to describe and explain the objectives of the study. Review of literature The literature review indicated that the numbers of studies which have examined SSI i n Jordan are very limited.The most notable studies are: A special report was conducted by the International Bank in the Middle East and North Africa (2005). This report shows that the financial gap which is the difference between the capitals offered and the capital needed has decreased, which means the SSI influenced part of the financing problem. Another study was conducted by the Royal Scientific Society (2001), concluded that if the SSI control the cost of needed materials for production, then the role of these industries in the economic development of Jordan will be significance.Additionally, N. Khalil (2004) reported on his paper â€Å"The role of SSI in decreasing the poverty and unemployment rate in Jordan†, that the SSI has a minor effect on the poverty and unemployment especially in the rural areas. While, I. Krabiliah (2002) in his paper â€Å"Relation between the no. of SSI and the unemployment rate in south Jordan†, that the no. of SSI in south Jordan is l imited compared to other districts. Therefore, the SSI in the south has a minor effect on the unemployment rate.Ironically, Almeyda (1996) reports that commercial banks role in SSI finance is significant even when compared to large and developed non-governmental organizations. It was found that 70 percent of the outstanding value of microfinance and SSI loans was extended by the 25 banks, whereas 150 non-governmental organizations were responsible for 4 percent only. A world Bank survey of 206 microfinance intermediaries world wide (2001), finds out that many area of the world – unlike the Middle East and North Africa and contrary to perceived barriers – banks are becoming a major player in microfinance.This report states that â€Å"banks may be the most efficient channel for providing microfinance to the entrepreneurial poor†. Global and national changes implications for small scale industries Last decade was a remarkable period in terms of policy changes natio nally as well as internationally. Since the beginning of 1990s, policy changes have been taking place at two different levels: global and national. Both have implications for the functioning and performance of SSI in Jordan. Globalization refers to free movement of factor inputs as well as output among countries.However, the developments that have been taking place since the early 1990s are mostly reference to the movement of capital, commonly known as Foreign 2 Direct Investment (FDI), and the free movements of goods, particularly from the developed not the developing economics. The liberalization of FDI regimes and the strengthening of international standards for the treatment of foreign investors give foreign firms greater freedom in making internationally location decisions. More than 58 countries have annually introduced changes in their investment regimes during the 1991-2006.In 2001 alone, 70 countries made a total of 150 regulatory changes, of which 147 were more favorable t o foreign investors (Stiglitz 2002). As a result, global FDI increased from US $ 209 billion in 1990 to US $ 1591 billon in 2000. The increased flow of FDI has led to its greater share in gross capital formation in all industries as well as manufacturing industries (Table 1). The increase was more significant in developing countries. This would have led to intensifying competition in the national as well as international markets for small firms.Table (1): FDI in capital formation (1980, 1990, and 2005) Region FDI as a percentage of Gross capital Formation ( All industries ) World 1980 1990 2005 Developing countries 1980 1990 2005 Source: UNCTAD The formation of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 1995 has only accelerated the process of scaling down tariff and non-tariff restrictions on imports. Jordan, as a member of the WTO, had substantially done away with its quantitative and non-quantitative restrictions by 2000. The process of removal of quantitative and non-quantitative res trictions across countries has led to a greater movement of goods between countries, including Jordan.However the reduction of restrictions on the movement of goods between countries and the subsequent increase in world exports have benefited Multinational Corporations (MNC) much more than small enterprises. This situation has not been examined along with the process of economic reforms launched by the government of Jordan at the national level. This has resulted in considerable freedom for enterprises – domestic as well as foreign – to enter, expand or diversify their investments in Jordanian industry.Jordan's economic reforms have two major outcomes. Firstly, the growth of the public sector decreased considerably since 1988 compared to the earlier period, in terms of not only investment and employment but also production. Secondly, there has been a rapid increase in FDI inflow, into diverse sectors of Jordanian industry. This economic reform in Jordan has treated the small scale industries in two ways: first is due to opening the door for intensified competition for non-durable consumer goods industries.The second way is by providing an opportunity for outsourcing to small enterprises in durable consumer goods and capital goods industries. Performance of small scale industries in the globalization era SSI is considered as the backbone of the private sector all over the world, which assures their role in production, employment and sales. In addition to their role in economic development, 1. 2 4. 0 8. 3 11. 7 22. 3 29. 8 2. 3 4. 7 9. 7 9 14 22 FDI as a percentage of Gross capital Formation In manufacturing 3 they play a vital role in social, political, and cultural development as well.However, the notable spread of SSI contributed to the increased severity of competition between these industries that often leads to the failure of these industries. Most SSI fail during the first year of establishment, and 90% of these industries are subject to fai lure during a period not exceeding their first 5 years. On the other side, the Mexican experience illustrates of the 200,000 small projects entering the market annually, no more than 70,000 projects continue in the market by the second year (Bencivenga, V. Bruce, S. and Starr, R. 1995).Table (2): The relative importance of the SSIs in Jordan (1990-2006) Year 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 No. of SSIs 52496 54696 64752 66160 66100 74896 76468 78580 81856 92923 106730 103753 105662 130149 126196 132166 135732 No. of all industries 58984 61388 74369 75920 80363 91520 93432 95856 98768 109532 118271 115820 118492 140338 141944 145699 150222 Relative importance 89% 89% 87% 87% 81% 82% 82% 82% 83% 84% 90% 89% 89% 92% 88% 90% 90% Source: Department of statistics, yearly statistical bulletins, various issues.As shown in table (2) the number of the SSI increased from 52496 projects in 1990 to 135732 projects in 2006. These numbers illustr ates the relative importance of the number of SSI of the total number of industries in Jordan is more than 80%. The SSI was distributed in Jordan into three districts as follows (Department of Statistics 2005): The northern district: 22% of the total small scale industries in Jordan. The middle district: 68% of the total small scale industries in Jordan. The southern district: 10% of the total small scale industries in Jordan.Furthermore, discrepancy in the relative importance of the spread of the SSI in the districts can be attributed to many factors. The most important factor is the demographic distribution that characterizes Jordan's districts, as well as to the nature of the concentration of the economic activities in these districts. However, the geographic distribution of the spread of the SSI may not relate to other economic indicators, but it is possible to accept it as an indicator to express the strength of most of these indicators in favor of the middle district.On the ot her hand, the lack of data and information about the geographic distribution of all the economic and social indicators concerning the SSI – such as investment , employment , production , sales †¦.. etc. – led to making the analysis inclusive for all of Jordan without dealing with details at the district level. 4 The investment Investment is the major driving force for the development process in any country. For instance, the greater the size of capital invested, the more its positive effects on the national economy. Table (3): Total amount of capital invested in the SSIs in Jordan (1990-2006) JD.Thousands* Year Small scale All industries Relative importance industries 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 26205 39347 44981 39149 46413 51345 47886 56048 54268 55355 57889 58322 60142 63324 65589 66639 67174 551811 591426 647104 751231 976636 947662 1208362 1354252 1429333 1438452 1457334 1467441 1492211 1521123 1543189 1551132 1561114 4. 7% 6. 7% 7. 0% 5. 2% 4. 8% 5. 4% 4. 0% 4. 1% 3. 8% 3. 8% 3. 9% 3. 9% 4. 0% 4. 1% 4. 2% 4. 2% 4. 3% Source: Department of statistics, yearly statistical bulletins, various issues. JD. 0. 71 = 1 $ From table (3), it can be noticed that the average of the relative importance for capital invested in the SSI is nearly 4% of the total capital invested in all industries during the period 1990 -2006. This illustrates that the SSI are characterized by the relative reduction in the capital needed to establish these industries compared to other industries. Such characteristics encourage and attract the investor's savings towards this category of industries because it achieves faster and bigger revenues compared to medium and large scale industries.Adding to such attractiveness the autonomy, flexibility and the accommodation the SSI are enjoying. Furthermore table (4) indicates that the average of the available capital for the SSI does not exceed 3. 6% of the total available capital for the different industries during the period 19902006. This is notably less than the average of the relative importance of capital invested in the SSI compared to the total invested capital. In other words, this category of industries depends on its financial resources from its own capital and from the circulated revenues more than the medium and large scale industries do. Table (4): Total value of fixed assets in the SSIs in Jordan (1990-2006) JD. Thousands Year Small scale All industries Relative importance industries 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 32641 45784 61329 48069 54317 72196 56977 69985 72803 73985 73376 72987 73324 73297 74122 75032 76125 980996 1007398 1030155 1062687 1603036 1698525 2084144 2471266 2480713 249687 250991 251543 257198 256244 259822 258970 259765 3. 3% 4. 5% 6. 0% 4. 5% 3. 4% 4. 3% 2. 7% 2. 8% 2. 9% 2. 9% 2. 9% 2. 8% 2. 8% 2. % 2. 8% 2. 9% 2. 9% Source: Department of statistics, yearly stati stical bulletins, various issues. It is important to notice that it is not realistic to explain the aforementioned result on the basis that the financial institutions did not perform their duties towards the SSI in financing their investment activities. The justification must be linked by knowing the nature of the fixed assets for this category of industries. Despite the attractiveness of SSI for investment, financial institutions seem hesitate to finance this industry.This situation can be explained by the fact that SSI are characterized as being traditional assets, handmade in many instances, and their low prices when comparing the capital assets of the medium and large scale industries. Also, the SSI does not conduct systematic studies for the benefits of their capital expenditure in the field of fixed assets. Therefore, financial institutions appear not willing to finance these industries at the current interest rate in the market because of the high risk.But the financial insti tutions could provide the finance for this category of industries at low interest rates only if these industries could provide more guarantees to the financial institutions. There is another alternative to financing SSI so as to receive the needed finance for their operations without bearing any additional financial burdens through loan guarantee's program. In order to over come this dilemma, the Central Bank of Jordan and the financial institutions established the Jordanian Company for Loans Guarantee in 1994, with the aim of providing the needed guarantees to cover the risk of the provided loans for SSI.This company guaranteed 5269 loans with JD. 140 million during the period 1990-2006. The financial institutions are characterized by their wide spread, as there are 17 banks providing the finance for this category of industries, and they accredited more than 24 programs. Some programs were oriented towards a specific age category such as the youth. While others oriented toward a sp ecific districts or specific geographic regions. Moreover the number of the institutions and the differences in financial programs for SSI, created a big discrepancy in the nature of the small loans terms.For instance, the interest rates ranged from 0% as in the case of the National Aid Fund into 22% for the Jordanian 6 Woman Department Establishment. The term of these loans extended from 3 months for the Women Loan Fund to15 years in the Agricultural Credit Corporation. On the other hand, the volume of the small grant reached JD. 192 million during the period 1990-2000. The first stage of the Social Security bundle program (1998-2000) provided loans backed by JD. 14 million for the SSI. The American Agency for the International Development (USAID) worked during the end of the last century to provide JD. 8 million as a grant to finance the SSI. This illustrates the relative sufficiency for the small financial grants compared to the needs to finance the activities of these industries during the past decade. To support this, one study conducted by the International Bank in the Middle East and several North African countries during the year 2005, showed that the financial gap for industries with less than 10 labors in Jordan reached nearly JD. 38 million, while the previous estimates for the financial gap for the SSI, and was JD. 48 million.Through this comparison it is evident that the financial gap was lowered, which means that the financial intuitions notably contributed in financing the SSI and the growth rate for the financing needs for these industries was lowered which contributed in reducing this gap. On the other side, the results of a field survey conducted recently by the Royal Scientific Society confirmed this indirectly as the study concluded that the cost reduction of the needed materials for production is one of the major factors that contribute to solving the problem.Employment The capability of the SSI to attract a large labor force is one of the most prominent aspects that characterized these industries. Also, the possibility of establishing these industries in all regions is considered an added function of the SSI to limit the unemployment in these regions. Table (5) indicates that the SSI provided opportunities for 18% of employment during the period 1990-2006. This percentage clearly demonstrates that the SSI contributes in alleviating the unemployment rate in Jordan.Table (5): Total no. of employees in the small scale industries in Jordan (1990-2006) Year Small scale All industries Relative importance industries 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 80134 83522 855121 88991 90115 93145 96244 98100 98541 100241 103788 93269 82008 123248 97340 100541 105211 421191 455621 479131 482231 491522 501993 521177 539981 544189 563131 585140 575930 573243 617466 705838 706111 706233 19. 0% 18. 3% 17. 8% 18. 4% 18. 3% 18. 5% 18. 4% 18. 2% 18. 1% 17. % 17. 7% 16. 2% 14. 3% 20. 0% 14. 0 % 14. 0% 15. 2% Source: Department of statistics, yearly statistical bulletins, various issues. 7 The importance of SSI for employment in Jordan was similar to their role in other countries. In the African countries SSI reached nearly 40% of the total labor force during the 1980s, while this rate was more than 50% for the developing countries during the 1970s and 1980s. The SSI in the United States contributed no less than 50% of the employment in the private sector during 1970s.In addition to the aforementioned, percentages one study conducted by the International Bank in 2005 pointed out that the rate of the labor force in the small and middle projects increased in developing and developed countries, such as Indonesia (79%), South Korea (78%),Turkey (62%),Brazil (59%),and the United State (52%). Also noted by comparing the contents of table (5) to the contents of table (3) is that the average capital density for each worker in the SSI reached JD. 2146 during the study's period 199 0-2006.This means that providing an additional job opportunity in this category of industries needs an investment of nearly JD. 2100, while average capital investment needed to provide a job during the same period reached JD. 1118, which is equal to the average of the capital density for each worker according to the industrial survey's data for the years 1984, 1988 and 1994. The result was surprising when it was noticed that the average of the relative importance for the number of the females working in the SSI during the research period was no more than 2% of the total labor force in these industries.In addition to what was mentioned above, the data by the Department of Statistics for the period 1990-2006, pointed out that the percentage of the labor force in the small scale industries was 92% of the total industrial sector. The average of the relative importance of working women in small scale industries did not exceed 5% of the total female labor force in the total industries dur ing the same period of the study. Some of SSI depends on employing foreign labor because low wages and salaries in this industries.Therefore, employment policies have to be geared to force the SSI to give domestic labors the first priorities for employment. However, the capability of these industries to eliminate poverty in Jordan is relatively limited. Production The SSI is characterized by their relative large contribution to the GDP. For instance, the average contribution of the SSI to the gross domestic product in Malaysia is 21%, the United States 40%, Spain 64%, Canada 52%, and France 54%. Table (6) shows the contribution of SSI to Jordan GDP is about 8. 5%. the significance of SSI to GDP could be noticeable by relating their ontribution to GDP ( 8. 5%) to their need for capital (4%) from the total invested capital. Table (6): Value added of the SSIs in Jordan (1990-2006) JD. Thousands Year Small scale industries 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 4955 2 56307 84191 76133 73393 85987 73277 84163 93049 94154 93690 95050 638955 643299 738460 766819 916853 1001738 988548 1089376 1145344 1149805 1116732 1140964 7. 8% 8. 8% 11. 4% 9. 9% 8. 0% 8. 6% 7. 4% 7. 7% 8. 1% 8. 2% 8. 3% 8. 3% All industries Relative importance 8 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 96248 96119 98546 99187 100235 169870 1161779 1179806 1169901 1206509 8. 2% 8. 2% 8. 4% 8. 5% 8. 3% Source: Department of statistics, yearly statistical bulletins, various issues. This characterized can be explained by the nature of SSI as extensive use of labor which is considered the major element in the production process compared to the capital element. On the other hand, comparing the contents of table (6), to those of table (5), revealed that the average annual labor productivity for SSI during the period of the study reached nearly JD. 3600. While before 1990 the average was JD. 3300 annually.Additionally, the data of tables 5 and 6 showed that increase in the average of no less than 9%, which indicates an increase in the labor productivity in the SSI. Table (7): Total sales of SSIs in Jordan (1990-2006) Year Small scale industries 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 67272 89472 149612 115469 104037 113891 115675 117988 136515 130665 135788 137430 140870 142997 143065 144087 148980 1499371 1637914 1947837 2030058 2482996 2769218 2766048 3029266 3094727 3278654 3199054 3304530 3587861 3689954 3788293 3803572 4006590 4. 5% 5. % 7. 7% 5. 7% 4. 2% 4. 1% 4. 2% 3. 9% 4. 4% 4. 0% 4. 2% 4. 1% 3. 9% 3. 7% 3. 7% 3. 8% 3. 7% All industries JD. Thousands Relative importance Source: Department of statistics, yearly statistical bulletins, various issues. Table (7) shows that the average contribution of the SSI total sales for all industries did not exceed 4. 8% during the period 1990-2006. This average is considered â€Å"neutral† because it is completely equal to the small scale industries share of the total capital investe d in these industries. Analyzing the sales structure of the SSI in Jordan demonstrates that 99. % of total sales were directed into domestic markets. In other words, the share of these industries for international market did not exceed 0. 06% of the total sales. 9 Conclusion The findings of this study revealed: 1- Generally, the SSI plays an important role in achieving social and economic development. The average invested capital in these industries reached 4. 8% of the total invested capital in all industries, during the period 1990-2006. Also, the SSI provided 22% of the total job opportunities and contributed in achieving nearly 8. % of the total value added. Lastly, their share of the total sales in the industrial sector was 4. 8%, and most of the sales were in the domestic market. 2- Despite the positive effects of the SSI in the Jordanian economy, the SSI still suffer from many weaknesses such as low average employment of women which is due to the socioculture. The percentage of women working in the SSI was only 1. 7%. Also, the percentage of foreign labor in the SSI is relatively high. 3- The financial institutions are characterized by their wide spread.There are 17 banks providing finance for this category of industry and more than 24 programs have been accredited. Some programs are oriented towards a specific age category such as youths, and some institutional activities are exclusively for specific district or specific geographic regions. 4- There is an increase in the productivity of labor in the SSI, which indicates that the training programs directed towards these industries have increased. 5- Increasing the investment in SSI by 1% lead to an increase of the value added by 0. 78%, production growth by 0. 81%, and employment by 0. 7%. 6- All the results of the statistical analysis of the SSI were statistically acceptable and no differences were noticed between the effect of SSI and other industries on the economic development of the Jordanian econo my. 7- Marketing has been identified as one of the major problem areas of the small scale industries and it has been ranked as the second most important reason for the closure of small scale businesses. Accordingly, small firms will not be able to penetrate markets, national or international, even if marketing support is given by government agencies.Recommendations Based on this study's analysis and results, the following recommendations may contribute to increasing the role of development of SSI in the Jordanian economy. 1- Establishing government centers in all districts in Jordan to provide the needed services and facilities to SSI in order to increase their role in the economic development of the Jordanian economy. 2- Establishing specialized training centers for SSI to provide special training programs on how to establish a project and how to maintain the continuity of that project. – Fostering technology development through either technology transfer or technological in novations or inter-firm linkages should be emphasized in the light of dimensions of global competition and its negative fall out as well as positive opportunities, to SSIs entrepreneurs through seminars and workshops, at the local level.4- The financial infrastructure is needs, and an adequate inflow of credit to the sector should be ensured, taking into consideration the growing investment demands including the requirements of technological transformation. – Limiting the establishment of small scale industries to designated industrial areas for better monitoring and periodic surveys, enabling the Ministry of Industry to make policy corrections from time to time. 10 6- Establishing strong relations between small and large firms. One of the major objectives of this scheme would be to provide reliable information by large-scale industries to the smallscale industries about new methods of marketing and how to participate in the international market. 7- Increasing exports of smal l- scale industries with governmental aid by exhibiting their productions in International Exhibitions. – To reap the benefits of SSI, Jordanian policy and decision makers have to enact and enforce the employment of Jordanian workers in the SSI. 9- It is highly recommended that Jordanian policy and decision makers to work in cooperation with other interest groups to train and encourage SSI to employ more Jordanians women. It is obvious that a large portion of unemployed in Jordan is among women.