Biology Paper on Evolution of Birds

Scott Lewis Evolution Lab BIO/101 University of Phoenix Evolution Lab The evolution lab report is based the theory of Darwin and Wallace and determining the type of seeds the birds feed on an average rainfall in the island of Galapagos. The birds in this experiment live on the island and survival is not easy and it is baking hot during the day, freezing cold at night and there isn’t much food available. Because of this, the birds have very specialized feeding behaviors. An example of evolution resulting from natural selection was discovered among birds living in the Galapagos Island.These birds have varieties that vary in what they eat and their appearance. The specialization developed allowed the birds to survive during the dry season or times of drought/low precipitation when little food is available. Then this specialized tool allows the birds to better compete for food resources with other birds and animals. The objective of this experiment is to differentiate and determin e what happen when the parameters are changed over time between the Darwin and Wallace report. The first experiment is meant to study the influence of beak size on the birds’ population numbers.Deep breaks are suited to crack hard seeds, and shallow beaks are better suited for cracking soft seeds. To test out the hypothesis, I was able to change the beak size of Darwin to 17. 0mm and let Wallace Island at 12. 0mm. By doing so, the average beak size rose over time whereas it fluctuates for Wallace. The clutch size was changed from 10 eggs to 30 eggs for Darwin and left at 10 eggs for Wallace as well as population of 600 and 200 respectively. I also wondered about the changes of bird beaks from island to island.When I changed the cm on the beak, I was able to conclude that these numbers help them adapt to the island and make them more fit to survival on available food. The material that was used to create this hypothesis was accessed through the Evolution Lab on the student web site. I was able to change the clutch size as well as the beak because I felt that those where the most important aspects of these experiment. The determine reason for this according to the Darwin and Wallace, is the difference in temperature between summer and winter and the associated consequences for the life of the birds.The different approach that I used for the clutch size was related to biological characteristics, such as the body weight or environmental factors such as climate. I was able to input the two sizes into the data to come up with the results as far as how the population grows with each size. ================ Input Parameters ================ Parameter DARWIN WALLACE ——————————————- Initial Beak Size: 17. 0 mm 12. 0 mm Heritability: 0. 7 0. 7 Variance: 2. 0 2. 0 Clutch Size: 30. 0 eggs 10. 0 eggsPrecipitation: 27. 0 cm 27. 0 cm Population: 600. 0 birds 200. 0 birds Isl and Size: 1. 0 km 1. 0 km ==================== Experimental Results ==================== Year Dar Beak Dar Pop | Wal Beak Wal Pop ————————-+——————- 1997 17. 08 600 | 12. 05 200 1998 17. 08 2142 | 12. 11 273 1999 17. 2 833 | 12. 16 401 2000 17. 35 2127 | 12. 27 447 2001 17. 46 866 | 12. 37 610 2002 17. 69 1875 | 12. 47 651 2003 17. 89 1096 | 12. 7 650 2004 18. 0 1924 | 12. 49 746 2005 18. 08 1149 | 12. 65 791 2006 18. 11 1727 | 12. 84 803 2007 18. 2 1280 | 13. 02 788 2008 18. 27 1885 | 13. 25 742 2009 18. 43 1100 | 13. 32 774 2010 18. 64 1999 | 13. 33 726 2011 18. 72 1097 | 13. 48 734 2012 18. 72 1974 | 13. 63 767 2013 18. 85 1063 | 13. 59 883 2014 18. 95 1960 | 13. 69 872 2015 18. 98 1225 | 13. 82 816 2016 19. 1 2039 | 13. 96 806 017 19. 16 1035 | 14. 11 815 2018 19. 27 2030 | 14. 16 805 2019 19. 31 1042 | 14. 34 859 2020 19. 37 2020 | 14. 47 803 2021 19. 41 1149 | 14. 59 908 2022 19. 4 6 2010 | 14. 69 1003 2023 19. 54 1108 | 14. 9 960 2024 19. 54 2090 | 15. 09 984 2025 19. 65 1000 | 15. 31 956 2026 19. 77 2150 | 15. 37 1049 2027 19. 84 1022 | 15. 41 950 2028 19. 94 2141 | 15. 56 974 2029 20. 03 1028 | 15. 67 961 030 20. 07 2196 | 15. 9 1024 2031 20. 1 924 | 16. 08 1090 2032 20. 15 2230 | 16. 12 989 2033 20. 11 897 | 16. 23 1051 2034 20. 13 2257 | 16. 33 1062 2035 20. 21 877 | 16. 5 1052 2036 20. 24 2286 | 16. 59 1052 2037 20. 23 865 | 16. 72 1094 2038 20. 29 2236 | 16. 83 1097 2039 20. 34 964 | 16. 97 1145 2040 20. 37 2261 | 17. 07 1133 2041 20. 48 916 | 17. 2 1133 2042 20. 52 2251 | 17. 5 1081 2043 20. 57 958 | 17. 37 1052 2044 20. 61 2331 | 17. 5 1095 2045 20. 66 847 | 17. 64 1082 2046 20. 74 2362 | 17. 78 1139 2047 20. 85 861 | 17. 9 1060 2048 20. 88 2518 | 17. 91 1097 2049 20. 82 703 | 18. 04 1160 2050 20. 77 2250 | 18. 16 1238 2051 20. 73 964 | 18. 3 1220 2052 20. 82 2231 | 18. 37 1211 2053 20. 92 930 | 18. 55 1135 2054 20. 96 2302 | 18. 72 1271 2055 21. 913 | 18. 85 1284 2056 21. 2 2254 | 18. 87 1189 2057 21. 28 902 | 18. 96 1224 2058 21. 29 2392 | 19. 09 1210 2059 21. 28 760 | 19. 23 1282 2060 21. 28 2463 | 19. 34 1150 2061 21. 29 735 | 19. 38 1196 2062 21. 38 2416 | 19. 39 1265 2063 21. 52 780 | 19. 47 1299 2064 21. 5 2431 | 19. 49 1268 2065 21. 51 824 | 19. 5 1348 2066 21. 53 2457 | 19. 55 1249 2067 21. 65 758 | 19. 62 1312 068 21. 73 2583 | 19. 65 1216 2069 21. 71 672 | 19. 85 1184 2070 21. 75 2334 | 19. 85 1291 2071 21. 66 870 | 19. 97 1248 2072 21. 68 2375 | 20. 06 1168 2073 21. 73 869 | 20. 12 1319 2074 21. 77 2302 | 20. 14 1316 2075 21. 77 894 | 20. 24 1230 2076 21. 74 2400 | 20. 32 1313 2077 21. 77 885 | 20. 4 1328 2078 21. 76 2316 | 20. 39 1297 2079 21. 78 911 | 20. 41 1343 2080 21. 78 2410 | 20. 5 1339 2081 21. 83 776 | 20. 44 1299 2082 21. 81 2550 | 20. 49 1286 2083 21. 8 712 | 20. 6 1303 2084 21. 88 2356 | 20. 69 1234 2085 21. 88 927 | 20. 75 1328 2086 21. 87 2318 | 20. 65 1347 2087 21. 87 856 | 20. 66 1405 2088 21. 89 239 6 | 20. 64 1296 2089 21. 9 875 | 20. 7 1327 2090 21. 93 2161 | 20. 7 1341 2091 22. 0 997 | 20. 74 1405 2092 22. 04 2458 | 20. 69 1328 2093 22. 7 781 | 20. 79 1246 2094 22. 09 2350 | 20. 81 1344 2095 22. 24 854 | 20. 83 1272 2096 22. 36 2432 | 20. 88 1293 2088 21. 98 2146 | 20. 6 1312 2089 22. 07 1051 | 20. 69 1368 2090 22. 14 2286 | 20. 71 1260 2091 22. 19 880 | 20. 83 1323 2092 22. 2 2386 | 20. 87 1316 2093 22. 24 869 | 20. 99 1336 2094 22. 33 2388 | 20. 96 1420 2095 22. 46 839 | 20. 97 1355 2096 22. 52 2362 | 20. 95 1389In conclusion, the hypothesis was accepted in the fact the environmental factors plays a huge role in the survival of the birds. The clutch size is very important in determining whether the population of the birds goes extinct on either island. Clutch size is the number of eggs that a female bird lays in her nest and in these experiment, birds mate for life and live for one year and each female produces only one clutch of eggs per year. References This is a hanging indent. To keep the hanging indent format, simply delete this line of text using the backspace key, and replace the information with your reference entry.

Relation between Economics and Law Essay

The study of Law without the knowledge of other related social sciences i.e., Political theory, Sociology and Economics, etc, is incomplete. In any law curriculum the study of Economics and Law and their interaction is increasingly found necessary. As Law influence Economics, Economics also influence Law. As a matter of fact Economics forms the basis of the study of Law. Economics reflects the socio-economic ethos of the country in particular and world in general. It becomes out of date and misleading if the Economic ethos change. But it was proved to be wrong by Dalton. The organisation, industrial structure and performance have changed in the thirty years. E.g.: policy goals, policy instrument, Economic institutions. Economics derives its aims and objectives from the study of man and must derive at least a large part of its methodology from a study of Nature. Legal Economics is a vital part in understanding the interactional dimension of Law and Economics, i.e., how modern Economics can be used to illuminate a number of legal problems. It is not sufficiently realised that the economic analysis can aid our understanding of the Law and how economic factors limit and shape the operation of crime control and legal systems. Economic considerations have varied and widespread effects on the costs and benefits that prospective offenders may expect from crime, on decisions to litigate or to settle out to court, on the significance of legal costs the practical problems of legal administration and the provision of legal services. Law and legal policy help to determine the behaviour of the economy. There are extensive legal constraints on the allocation and the distribution of resources and on labour and hou sing markets. The social functions of Law are broadly classified into three: (1) Encouraging good behaviour and discouraging bad behaviour. (2) Facilitating the people to transactions among themselves in organised legal system. (3) Distributing and re-distributing goods and services to the people. Law normally enters the scene in two guises; as public law, and as private law. The range extent of state intervention depends on the socio-economic ethos of each country. Western countries for a long time believed in laissez faire position, i.e. State interference in the economy will lead to misallocation of resources, economic inefficiency and a net wealth loss. Areas of law such as contact, tort and consumer protection legislations have obvious effects on financial dealings. In this changing scenario, there is need for guidance on the economic policy decisions by the legislature and courts which are increasingly involved with policy questions. Policy making courts need a behavioural theory of predict responses to change in Law and to evaluate these responses systematically according to normative standard. Ours is a market-oriented economy based on private enterprise. This implies two conditions- first, that all property can be privately owned and second, that people are economically free, i.e. subject to obedience to the law, they are free to use their time and means as they like. This is however, subject to the laws and regulations made by the society for the general good, otherwise it will lead to social cost. The classical economists, such as Adam Smith and his followers Marshall, Ricardo, Marthus, etc, believed that in a market economy perfect competition operates and through price mechanism (invisible hand) supply and demand of goods and services will reach equilibrium. Therefore, any interference in the market mechanism by the State will lead to economic waste and result in the economic inefficiency. Perfect competition operates only if the following conditions are satisfied: (1) Too many buyers and sellers,. They are price-takers and not price-givers; (2) Full knowledge of the products transacted in the market; (3) Homogeneity of products (product differentiation is not possible); and (4) Nil or negligible transaction costs. However, due to rapid economic development after the Industrial Revolution, the conditions mentioned above did not operate resulting in World Depression and complete collapse of the market system (in 1930’s). In these circumstances, J.M. Keynes, a well known economist propounded a new theory. He said the invisible hand relied upon by classical economists had developed arthritis and the visible hand of the Government was needed to correct the malady. He, therefore, advocated limited State intervention to correct the defects in the market mechanism so that the market operations can be revived and equilibrium achieved. He had faith in the market oriented economy. Later it was realised by the welfare and the third world economists that limited State intervention will not work and full intervention is necessary for the following reasons: (1) Steady increase in the divergence between private goods and social goods, i.e., economic development results in rapid industrialisation which in turn increases the tempo of urbanisation. (2) Rise of monopolies lead to distortion of the price system in the market economy through manipulation of supply of products and selling standard products, etc. (3) Rise of advertisement and propaganda (4) Steady increase in the divergence between private cost and social cost. Therefore, the introduction of a number of laws to protect environmental pollution (air, water and sound) has become necessary. The second feature of the market economy is the protection of property. Possession and ownership of property has been justified in economic theory because it is productive and contributes to economic growth. Propery rights are one of the incentives for efficient resource use. If there are no property rights, only common  rights, then economic behaviour takes a new form. Due to technological revolution and growth, the intangible, aspects of property surfaced and they had to be protected for economic development. Therefore, the definition of property has been widened to include not only physical property but also the intellectual property (i.e. goodwill, patents, copyright, etc). This wider definition of the property is attractive to economists and predates modern work on Demand Theory which in fact focuses on the characteristics of a ‘goods’ rather than the ‘goods’ it. The third feature of the market economy is contract. Under the classical concepts, contract between the two parties are binding and no third party can interfere. This, of course is subject to the exceptions provided in the Contract Act (i.e. contact by minors, lunatics, idiots, etc. Contracts obtained by fraud, coercion, undue influence are all void contacts). In India the sanctity of contract has been given go-by. The Supreme Court in many cases held that court can interfere in the contractual relations. For e.g., Justice Hidayatullah held that: â€Å"Social justice is not based on contractual relations and is not to be enforced on the principles of contract of service. It is something outside these principles, and is invoked to do justice without a contract to back it.† The right to personal security under the welfare State has been given more social interpretation which includes: (1) the right of the worker to be protected against the risk of sickness, unemployment and old age, (2) his right to be protected by social insurance, and (3) His right to enjoy the necessary services of Government loosely called ‘Social Services’. Another area in contract law which made inroads in the concept of ‘sanctity of contract’ is consumer protection law inasmuch as changed role in freedom of contact is viewed as one of the foundations of a well organised society. Broadly, there are four reasons for the use of consumer protection laws: (1) The doctrine of ‘caveat emptor’ does not make sense in the modern world since information is asymmetrically distributed. (2) The free market system does not lead to optional use of resources. (3) The value judgement implicit in the â€Å"devil take the hindmost† attitude to the parting of money from a fool is now much less widely held. The economic consequences of consumer protection laws are- the legislation produces a different outcome with respect to resource allocation, prices and income distribution to that which would otherwise occur, and it results in the companies’ devoting more resources to quality control or even withdraw from some markets resulting in higher market prices and different resource allocation. INTERNATIONAL DIMENSIONS OF LAW AND ECONOMICS The marrying of Economics and Law is not new. According to Posner, much of the common law can be explained in economic terms and all branches of common and statue law has been examined in the light of this theory. Empirical research has proved that law has developed according to the economic structure of the country. Economic analysis is part and parcel of several law courses. Besides, there are many courses directly on Economics and Law (Legal Economics). At present it is probably fair to say that most lawyers find it quite difficult to see how they can make use of or even sense of such of the work done by economists on law†¦ however, there are increasing signs of legal writers taking explicit account of economic arguments. There remains however considerable scope for further work on bridging the gaps between the disciplines. The high flown values that legal principles express are examined by legal economists in the light of their efficiency and their social effect and not just their self defined moral content. WHAT IS LAW? : In layman’s language law is the definition and enforcement of ‘social norms’. WHY LAW? : To maintain ‘socio-economic equilibrium’ in the society. If viewed in the static sense, then the preservation of the existing rights in the society is the purpose of the law. That is why positive law defines and defends existing rights in the society. There are three models followed by the non communist countries, i.e. (1) Pure capitalist model in a market economy where the State plays no role and market forces decide how the market operates (2) Mixed Economy model with capitalist orientation, where state plays a minor role, corrects failures in the market operations and leaves the rest to the market forces, and (3) Mixed economy with socialist orientation, where the State plays a major role, i.e., interferes in the market operations not only to correct market failures but also to social justice, not because states are richer, but people have a different concept and expectations from the State. The economic analysis of law is concerned with ‘efficiency’, i.e. rational allocation of scarce resources with lest cost to attain maximum satisfaction. In law, people are concerned with justice only and not about its cost. If there is conflict between efficiency and justice, the nature of trade-offs can be illuminated by economic analysis and since the attainment of justice involves the use of resources, the economic approach can contribute to normative discussions by providing information on the costs of justice. Use of Economics does not predict the impact of law, but to describe and explain the law-to provide it with an economic rationale. The third important feature of economic analysis of law is the resurgence of  Neo-Institutional Approach by making not the transaction, the basic unit of analysis. THE BROAD CHARACTERISTICS OF NEO-INSTITUTIONAL APPROACH (NIA) ARE: (1) It is Taxonomical. It lists a set of economically relevant categories that are useful for examining the law; (2) It is more micro-analytical. It focuses on the details of the environment in which the transaction takes place and suggests an empirical approach that requires the collection and compilation of relevant data; (3) It rejects market equilibrium analysis and instead places emphasis on the adaptation to disequilibrium; and (4) It investigates specifically institutional phenomena and uses these to develop conceptual categories. Our Constitution works on an economic system and not in vacuum. Ours is a market oriented economy where efficiency is the sole criterion and it has no place for a non economic input like social justice. Thus, there is a conflict between equality and efficiency. In a market economy where efficiency is the sole criterion, law plays a vital role in determining the efficiency of the economic activity it regulates. A law is ‘good’ if it guarantees and promotes economic efficiency and ‘bad’ if it impedes or disrupts it. The common criticism levelled against this approach is that by concentrating only on efficiency, it ignores justice in the sense that market system by encouraging efficiency, tolerates inequality of income and wealth resulting in unequal distribution of economic opportunity, thus violating the core objectives of our Constitution. However, there is a second meaning of justice i.e. in a world of scarce resources, waste or misuse of resources is considered as immoral and good law can prevent the misuse of resources and achieve efficiency and justice. In this approach, both are complementary. As Posner observes, ‘the demand for justice is not independent of its price’. A major contribution of economics is the framework that it gives the lawyer systematically to evaluate legal policy, reveal important trade-offs and interrelationships between legal goals and trace through the probable effects, costs and benefits of different laws. The economic approach not only provides an integrated treatment of the side effects but been responsible for drawing attention to the more subtle and hitherto unrecognised effects. Another contribution of economic analysis of law is that it treats legal rules as a system of incentives and disincentives which influences the actions of potential litigants. The law is seen as guiding the behaviour of groups or individuals and on the assumption of economic rationality the economic model is able to predict the direction of the response. Thus the economists tend to focus on the general effects of law such as the impact on trading behaviour of different contract remedies. This emphasis differs significantly from the way most lawyers are accustomed with grievances and of resolving individual disputes peacefully, fairly and consistently with legal doctrine. Law has also influenced socio-economic policies. â€Å"Laws and legal policy help to determine behaviour of the economy. In this context, Prof Barker observes that, â€Å"If Economic factors and economic interests have partly determined the legal framework, it is even more true that law has furnished the whole general framework of rules within which and under which the factors and interests of economics have had to work†. Legal Reform Legislations, Trust Law, Abolition of Bonded Labour (Art 23(1) of the Constitution), etc. are classical examples of how law has influenced the economic behaviour in the market economy. Legal constraints on the allocation and distribution of resources and on labour and housing markets which affect the economic activities in the market. These aspects have become vital in the globalisation of the economy and revival of the markets with privatisation as the focal point. Prof Paul Burrow said that, â€Å"Economics and Law can provide insights in places where traditional legal analysis fails to penetrate†. It is essentially nature of the two disciplines that makes us optimistic that collaboration between lawyers and economists will be increasingly fruitful in the future. TORT LAW The first topic of our study on the Economic Analysis of Law will be Tort Law because torts were one of the first bodies of Common Law to which formal economic models were applied. The broad features of tort law are: (1) It deals with civil offences only, i.e. trespass, nuisance, defamation, economic loss, etc. (2) it is judge-made law and therefore is flexible (unlike criminal law) (3) Tort Law aims at compensation as opposed to criminal prosecution which aims at punishment. There are three elements in torts: (a) Breach of duty owned to the plaintiff by the defendant; (b) Harm suffered by the plaintiff; and (c) The breach being the immediate or proximate cause of the harm. Breach of duty must give rise to measurable damages, valued in terms of money or moneys’ worth. The four possible bases of the action for damages are: (a) Appeasement; (b) Justice; (c) Deterrence; and (d) Compensation. (1) APPEASEMENT: The objectives of both tort and criminal laws are to encourage good behaviour and discourage bad behaviour. The victim receives money as appeasement and he is pleased that aggressor is discomfited by being made to pay. By this means, the victim is induced to let off stream ‘within the law rather than outside it’. (2) JUSTICE: two variants of this theory are: (a) The principle of Ethical Retribution: the pavement of compensation is an evil for the offender and that justice requires that he should suffer this evil. (b) The Principle of Ethical Compensation: this looks from the point of the victim. The payment of compensation is a benefit to the victim of the wrong and justice requires that he should receive compensation. (3) DETERRANCE: the action in tort is a â€Å"judicial parable† designed to control the future conduct of the community in general. According to Austin, the proximate end of evil action is redress to the injured party; but its remote and paramount end is the same as that of the criminal sanction, the presentation of the offences generally. (4) COMPENSATION: Compensatory or reparative theory demands that one who has caused injury to another must make good the damage whether he was at fault or not. It justifies strict liability. Be that as it may, we are concerned as students of Legal Economics with economic efficiency objectives of tort law. Before that we will discuss briefly the legal objectives of tort. Holmes and later others are of the opinion that tort law has no interests in shifting the loss from the victim of an accident to others unless this serves some special objective, ranging from vindication, preserving the peace by ‘buying off’ the victims, desire  to retaliate, ethical retribution, compensation and deterrence the connected question is whether Common Law imposes liability for failure to resume. This concept has been rejected as not practicable since it is difficult to set limits of social interference with individual liberty. ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY: it is not concerned with morality or social purpose, etc, as in legal objectives of tort liability. It requires the minimisation of three costs: (a) The losses due to accidents; (b) The cost of preventing the accidents; and (c) The costs of administering a system of accidental law. In the light of the above discussion, we can safely conclude that the Tort Law, in India, is out of date, costly and reliefs meagre. As a result, it is economically inefficient, apart from special injustice caused to many of the victims of civil offences. CONTRACT LAW In a market oriented economy, the core concepts are property and contacts. These are basically, economic concepts, but law regulates them, contracts are devices for facilitating trade and economising costs of making transactions. By trading in promises for future delivery, traders can reduce uncertainty about the future. This requires adequate legal safeguards so that both the parties to the contract are secure and pan their activities accordingly.

Across the Universe †All you need is love Essay

â€Å"Across the Universe† is a musical film based on 34 compositions by the legendary rock’n’roll quartet – the Beatles. The movie is called after the same name song of the band, â€Å"Across the Universe†, which was released in 1969 and later as one of tracks of a charity album â€Å"No One is Going to Change Our World† at the label â€Å"Apple†. The plot has nothing to do with the Beatles’ members life. However the pictured in the movie events represent many characteristics of their era being set in the 60’s and revolve around the songs which match up a lot of great scenes. All main characters bear the names derived from its original lyrics: dwarfed in life Lucy (â€Å"Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds†), ambitious Jude (â€Å"Hey Jude†), an amateur singer Sadie (â€Å"Sexy Sadie†), a good-for-nothing Max (â€Å"Maxwell’s Silver Hammer†), Prudence (â€Å"Dear Prudence†) etc. The first 45 minutes is hyper and let us meet the characters. It doesn’t really rely on plot, like most musicals, it relies more on character development. Jude moves to the USA in purpose to find his father. On arrival he accidentally meets Max who becomes his friend in a short time. Together the boys go to New York where they are joined by Max’s sister Lucy (she has just lost her boyfriend killed on the battlefield). They quickly find out that the dream of living independently and enjoying their lives as an adults has its own difficulties. The second act is different: Vietnam War, psychedelic trips caused by taking LSD, free love flavoured with rock’n’roll – that is the very scenery of the romantic and at the same time tragic storyline. In the third act we actually get to see the characters solve their problems, it deals a lot more with our feelings towards music and war. Across the Universe† is actually much different from most musicals. Where most musicals rely on either joy, emotion, or war, it relies on all three. There are some moments where you actually feel like you want to get up and dance. The music here is absolutely amazing. No seriously. It’s amazing. The cast members (and read how I say cast members and not vocalists) sang all of these songs and did such a great job that if I even had a choice, I would actually had to say that some of their versions of songs were better than the actual Beatles. Speaking about the strongest moments I would distinguish one perfect example of telling a story through the song that has profound significance to me and too intense for words – the scene where Jude paints a tore and nailed to the canvas bleeding strawberry during â€Å"Strawberry Fields Forever† being sang. The berry as a symbol of love, streams of blood as a symbol of war and death, flashing faces of the characters in the background and paint-made blood all over the screen – it’s all in red, the color of lust and destruction. While watching the movie I felt different emotions: laughter, happiness, excitement but also sadness, fear and anger. What I’ve got from â€Å"Across the Universe† is more than a film, it is an experience in itself. It could be any kind of experience — a fun and very different experience, or a deeply emotional and sensual experience. For me, it was more of the second. When â€Å"Hey Jude† played near end of the movie I had run out of tears. It felt like I knew all the characters forever but when the two hours and ten minutes were over I was dying to see more. I am actually planning on seeing this again and again.

Financial management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Financial management - Essay Example The Return on Equity, ROE, measures how much profit a company earned in comparison to the money shareholders have invested. Generally, the higher it is the more promising a company is. Potential investors rely on ROE when deciding whether or not to invest their money in a company. Furthermore, financial institutions use the ROE to assess capability of a company meeting its loan repayment obligations (Bull, p.29). Net profit margin is the ratio of net profits to net sales of a company.   This ratio reflects companys efficiency especially within its industry.   Investors are attracted to stocks of companies with high net profit margin (Moyer, James and William, p.70) It is the ratio of company market share price to Earnings per share and is mostly used as a valuation of investments indicator. P/E reflects the premium paid for a share and thus growth investors look for higher P/E ratios in contrast to value investors. It reflects future earnings growth of a company and consequently implying it has no debt risk to banks. . It is important for investors and financial institutions to note that financial ratios are subject to weakness in accounting methods. In addition, some ratios on their own are meaningless and thus need to be combined with others to draw a conclusive financial decision. Thus, in my opinion financial ratios should be used as indicators and not as complete evidence of company financial position (Beyer,

Psychoneuroimmuniology - The relationship between dealing with death Research Paper

Psychoneuroimmuniology - The relationship between dealing with death and patients with leukemia - Research Paper Example The immune system works hand-in-hand with the brain to control temperature in the body and sleep. Coordination between the nervous and the immune system facilitates communication by initiating the release of certain hormones. The nervous system regulates the release of neurotransmitters thus enhancing the body’s ability to sense danger and provides the necessary response. A common issue in PNI is stress, which refers to the increase in undesirable tension that inhibits proper body functioning. It is a known fact that anxiety, depression and issues related to stress have an impact of the immune system of an individual. To put the matter into perspective, health defects for instance arthritis and heart disease are mainly attributable to stress. According to Upton (2013), in the occurrence of stress, the hypothalamus produces hormones that the immune system works on to create energy necessary for quick response. It is important to point out that foods that enhance inflammation contain starch and fats contents. Biologically, starch influences the levels of insulin and glucose in the blood. A high level of insulin does not only increase stress but it also results in depression. Insights from the concept perceive depressed people to be more prone to osteoporosis and myocardial infarction. Troubled association between the immune and the nervous system delay s the healing process. The relevance of PNI stems from the ability to exercise control on stress thereby strengthening the body and mind of a person. As per research, PNI is a promising field that may revolutionize the functioning of the immune system by connecting the mind and the body. Improving the defence mechanism reduces illnesses thereby making health to be stable. Procedures of biofeedback make it possible to treat cases of anxiety and migraine among patients (MateÃŒ , 2011). This is because sensors involved in the procedures enable individuals to exercise the relaxation of muscles and

Accident Victim Interview Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Accident Victim Interview Report - Essay Example The victim was engrossed in his job and since he was wearing ear buds to protect him with too much noise he didn’t notice the chaos. He was unfortunately caught by the fireball after the explosion and sustained burn injuries. The quick action of his fellow co-workers and immediate first aid given to him saved his life. The Chemical Safety Board investigated the cause of accident and reported that a contractor had accidently switched a carbon steel pipe elbow with a low alloy steel pipe elbow during the maintainance work. This caused rupture in the pipe leading to leading to a failure mode called High- Temperature Hydrogen Attack (HTHA) causing fireball. The CBS found that it was not solely the mistake of the contractor, the company had not informed that the elbows were different and the maiintainance contractor had not used any method like tagging to re-install the elbows in their position. The victim was immediately rushed to the nearby hospital where he was immediately diagnosed and admitted for treatment. Doctors reported 20 percent first degree minor skin burns on covering his upper part of the body. He stayed in the hospital for about a week and missed work for another week before recovery. Some burn marks he still sustains on his body, however he is completely fit for work and thanks God for giving him a second life. The company took responsibility to bear the cost of his treatment and the labour union also demanded descent compensation for him till he recovered and joined work again. His company has witnessed two more accident cases prior to this one and they were fatal accidents leading to severe loss of capital and labour. This accident was followed by OSHA visit to issue safety guidelines and check the safety standards in the refinery. Following this accident the CBS recommended that industry should have its own committee to monitor the safety standards, hazard identification and

Lnternational Marketing of Coca Cola Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Lnternational Marketing of Coca Cola - Essay Example This study looks into Coca Cola Enterprises Limited that intends to introduce a new energy drink in Chile. The drink is Lucozade which is made by using Glucose Fructose Syrup, orange juice from Concentrate, Citric Acid and Sodium Benzoate. The company has already made the decision for the selling price by establishing a price which should not be more than 5% difference with existing drinks in the market. The packaging shall be done in both 275ml plastic bottles and 250ml cans. The company intends to Launch Lucozade brand in Chile. Most of the consumers are health conscious and prefer the low calorie energy drinks. The promotional activities will include endorsements by sports personalities and mass advertisements. The company has set enough financial resources for the operations and timelines for the execution of the marketing plan. The marketing organization includes the chief marketing director, the territory directors, the area directors and the public relations personnel. A situa tional analysis is the foundation of the marketing plan. The situational analysis will include a thorough examination of the internal and external factors which affect the introduction of Lucozade drink in Chile. It will enable Coca Cola to understand the factors which will influence the market growth in the future. Internal analysis will consider the strengths and weaknesses of Coca Cola enterprises Limited. The internal analysis will consider the company culture and image, the staff, the operational efficiency and capacity. (Kotler 2010). The internal analysis will also consider the weaknesses which hinder the launch of the Lucozade drink in Chile and which may impair the growth in market share and profitability. The external analysis will evaluate the suppliers, the trade partners, customers, new technology, competitors and the economic environment prevailing in Chile which may enhance the operations of Coca Cola Enterprises Limited in Chile (Dibb, Simkin, Pride and Ferrell 2005) . The external analysis will also consider the treats which exist in the market which could curtail the achievement of the Coca Cola Enterprises objectives in Chile. 2.1 Market Summary Coca Cola Enterprises Limited is the world’s largest bottler of non-alcoholic drinks by volume. The company produces, sells and distributes its drinks using a wide distribution channel which covers all the continents in the world (Kotler 2010). Coca Cola Company is the largest bottler for the Coca Cola Company since it produces 20 percent of the entire Coca Cola drinks world wide. 85 % of its products are classified as carbonated soft drinks while the rest are non-carbonated soft drinks. The company annual revenue was $ 21.65 billion in 2009 while the net income from its operations was $ 731 million. 2.1.1 Market demographics This section of the marketing plan will include analyzing the customers in terms of the demographic features such as the age, the race, gender, educational attainments, ma rital status, income levels, attitudes and beliefs, and the household size. Chile population comprises of 15,166,500 people but the population has been on the decline due to controlled birth rate. It is estimated that the population is likely to hit 20 million people by 2050. About 80 percent of the populations live in urban areas with the population mainly concentrated in Greater Santiago. Chile population consists of all races including European and Indians. The most dominant religions are Roman Catholics and Evangelical (Kotler 2007). Spanish is

Option 1 Amadeus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Option 1 Amadeus - Essay Example In his confession, Salieri describes how his professional jealousy led him to force Mozart to write his own requiem mass, which Salieri intended to steal from him and present to the world as own musical work (Amadeus, 1984/2002). Salieri also describes how the fateful turn of events lead Mozart to die, his requiem mass unfinished, along with the murderous plot of Salieri for Mozart also imcomplete (Amadeus, 1984/2002). This writer chose this film for analysis, because the music of this film is inextricably connected with the central plot and its unfolding. This kind of a film on a musical genius could not have been possibly made without incorporating his musical works into the film. Every crucial dramatic moment in the film is linked to what these two musicians were doing in the field of music. Hence this film is a rare instance where the plot and music tracks merge inseparably into each other. It is music that generates the theme of this film, leads it to its climax and gives it a sense of purpose. The film opens with the Symphony no.25 in G Minor, K.183 composed by Mozart, as the opening credits are displayed. The calling of the name, ‘Mozart’, in the opening sequence has a timing that fits rhythmically into the accompanying musical bit (Amadeus, 1984/2002). The composer, Salieri is seen trying to commit suicide and being taken to the hospital when the symphony plays on, but not continuously- there are dramatic breaks that let the dramatic events to unfold. And after this symphony stops, there is the noises of the crowd, which reminds one of the cheering crowds inside a musical theatre after a concert. But then the visuals show that it was the noises inside a mental asylum. Here, it can be seen that the music suggests what is going to happen, prepares for the forthcoming shock, mourns the tragic events, but yet withdraws at the crucial moment as if it is lea st bothered. This

The Influence of the Laocoon in Bernini's Neptune and Triton Essay

The Influence of the Laocoon in Bernini's Neptune and Triton - Essay Example For this reason, his influence was widespread in the 17th and 18th century. Apart from being a sculptor, Bernini was also gifted as a stage set designer, an architect, funeral trappings and painter among others1. Bernini’s art was highly influenced by the ancient Roman and Greek art and the Italian masters of the 16th century. Among some of his most celebrated sculptures include the Ecstasy of St. Theresa in Santa Maria Della Victoria, the Neptune and Triton sculptor and the Blessed Ludovica Albertoni in San Francesco among others. In 1622 to 1623, Bernini created the Neptune and Triton, which portrays the life-size figure of Neptune and the sea-god Triton (Pollitt, 1990) 2. Thus, this paper will examine the influence of Laocoon on the carving technique of Bernini’s Neptune and Triton sculpture, and how this sculpture has an emotional power through facial expression and body language. Bernini began learning art at an early age from his father who was also a sculptor. At seven years, his family moved to Rome where they worked for the Barberini and Borghese families. This gave him a chance to learn to sculpt even further, and at the age of eight, he made his first authenticated work: The Goat Amalthea with an infant Jupiter and a Faun, which was a considerable achievement for a boy his age. Boardman states that Bernini was able to absorb the realism of Caravaggio that was the basis of all his art, and always sought full verisimilitude in his figures, which retained the classical art features of the previous period 3. The great influence of Greek art in his work was such that one of his works was classified as Hellenistic from 300 BC. Bernini expected so much from himself as well as his assistants. His work shows a level of virtuosity in his ability to carve marble, and to assemble it together from several blocks in order to produce an effect of realism. Additionally, he thought in terms of settings just like Michelangelo and intended his art to be s een from one viewpoint only. Thus, Virgil argues that Bernini made his marble appear real through shouting, speaking, laughing, screaming and even sighing4. For instance, the statue of the damned soul, which is a three dimensional horror from a Caravaggio scene of terror, appears to emit blood which shows fear2. Moreover, Bernini’s statue of David is portrays how David was able to use every muscle in the body to slay the giant. The grim of his jaw reflects how he is straining and sweating as he tries to slay the giant. Thus, these features make Bernini’s statue of David quite distinct from those created by Verrocchio, Donatello and Michelangelo. It portrays sculptural realism taken to greater heights by Bernini. During his youth, Bernini studied the works of Raphael and Michelangelo, but his work was influenced more by the Hellenistic sculpture and the Roman sculpture in the Hellenistic tradition. This classical art helped him to develop a more powerful dynamic and flu id style that characterized his art. According to Boardman, his stylistic work in art was inspired by contemporary paintings such as the Guido Reni and the carraci that were made by Caravaggio 5. Bernini’s art was based entirely on the baroque style in which he was able to achieve a maximum drama and movement of change. Baroque art was influenced and inspired by political and social factors, as well as exploration and discovery of the

Romance and Foundations Common Characteristics Essay Example for Free

Romance and Foundations Common Characteristics Essay Courtly love is characterized by the poetry of the troubadours in southern France which originated in in the late 11th c. Its ennobling effect on the male lover who assumes a subservient position in relation to the beloved, of the woman loved, and certain codes of conduct, whether implicit or explicit, that guide the lover in his amorous pursuit (COURTLY LOVE2012). After rereading the poem several times and understanding why she is saying what she said it was understandable for women to express their forbidden feelings through poetry. It’s surprising to learn that true love began in the medieval days. My Reactions to the Expression Romantic Love My reaction to romantic love is the need to express your true deep feeling for another in such a way that one could compare it to the feelings and loyalty showed in worshiping their God or Goddess. Surprising Contents Yes the content of the poetry surprised me totally. I have never absorbed the concept of what was being said in a poem or why it was said, but now I see that lust and adultery stated perhaps from the beginning of time. It seems in today’s world it’s written and expressed in poems lot less and committed more often than medieval days. Observation and Connections The observation and connection I gather about the role of women and their freedom of speech is very open and unconcerned by their husband if Contessa de Dia’s poem â€Å"Cruel Are the Pains I’ve Suffered,† from Lark in the Morning:† was written and published (Sayre, H. M. 2010). Contessa de Dia poem is really expletive and just written to the lust of her eyes, she talking like as if her husband can’t read. These female troubadours had noble backgrounds and they lived privileged lives. Women during this period also had power in that society. They had control over their land, and society was more accepting their noble women. Maybe it was of no concern because it was just feelings on paper or perhaps because of their nobility and power they were allowed to pursue their affairs with the person of whom they lusted. References COURTLY LOVE. (2012). COURTLY LOVE. The New Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2012. Credo Reference. Web. 21 February 2013. Sayre, H.M. (2010). Discovering the Humanities. 2nd Ed. pp.166- 167. Pearson

Ghost In The Nursery And Compulsion To Repeat Psychology Essay

Ghost In The Nursery And Compulsion To Repeat Psychology Essay In this essay I will be referring to Sigmund Freud, Anna Freud and Selma Fraiberg to explain how psychoanalytic theory views the ghost in the nursery and the compulsion to repeat, and John Bowlby, Mary Ainsworth and Peter Fonagy to account for these concepts on behalf of the attachment theory. This essay is organized as follows. First, I define the main concepts in question and relate these to Fraiberg. Then I discuss to what extent affect regulation and mentalization (Fonagy and Ainsworth) can explain these concepts. Secondly, I turn my attention to classical psychoanalysis and how transference helps us understand the compulsion to repeat. From internal conflict I move on to the external environment and how Bowlby views its importance to repetition and ghosts. Finally, I discuss Anna Freuds defence mechanism of identification with the aggressor. Whilst going through these different explanations I identify how much each theorist is accounting for these concepts and show that neither the attachment theory on its own nor the psychoanalytic theory singly explain the compulsion to repeat and the ghost in the nursery. Moreover, attachment theories also have a psychoanalytic background,  [1]  so one cannot exclude the psychoanalytic influence from attachment theory. So as we will see studies in attachment theory quantify, backup and build up from the psychoanalytic theory. In the paper Ghosts in the nursery, Fraiberg, Adelson and Shapiro (1975) use the term ghosts to represent negative experiences parents had as children which they repressed and excluded all feelings from, in order to deal with the situation. Fraiberg et al. argue that if parents do not allow themselves to feel this pain, they will be pushing the affect associated with these memories into the unconscious (i.e. repression). Consequently, unresolved issues will manifest themselves in dreams and in behaviours with their own infants. Like ghosts, unresolved issues are invisible (unconscious), and like ghosts, they come back to haunt us. Such parents are likely to unconsciously repeat their parents behaviour with their own children since they would not be able to empathise with them and understand their feelings. Fraiberg et al.s (1975) explanation gives importance to affect regulation of parents to be able to identify with the distressed child in them. Their hypothesis is substantiated by observations in their clinical experience but this methodology is subjective as no measuring tools are identified for this intergenerational link. Moreover, this account may be deterministic and reductionist: no feeling of childhood pains will result in compulsion to repeat pains caused to them on their children. It appears that development does not teach us anything and later experiences are not able to dispel the ghost. As we will see, whereas for Fraiberg et al. there is something extra in the nursery the ghosts, for Fonagy there is something missing the mothers ability to mentalize. Fonagy, Steele, M., Moran, Steele, H., and Higgitt (1991) use the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI)  [2]  and Ainsworths Strange Situation  [3]  (SS) (Ainsworth, Waters Wall, 1978) to prove the link between the adults type of attachment to their own parent/s to the attachment they build with their own children. They explain that the attachment we build with our parents acts as an internal working model which compels parents to repeat this attachment with their children. Fonagy et al. argue that parents need to be able to attune to the feelings expressed by their infants since they do not yet have the mental capacity to understand their feelings (psychic containment). However if a parent is not able to observe her own mental function, it is highly unlikely that she  [4]  is able to reflect the infants feelings.  [5]  This will hinder the child from developing a reflective self, leading to the use of defensive thinking processes which are likely à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ to distort, disorganize, or limit access to memories, feelings, interactions and recognition of options (Main, 1991, p. 146). This lack of meta-cognitive monitoring  [6]  may lead to a vicious circle as the infant will not be able to provide an appropriate psychic development to his own infant, leading to the compulsion to repeat and to the ghosts to reappear in the nursery. So Fonagy et al. (1991) in their study are proving the intergenerational link in attachment behaviour hypothesised by Fraiberg et al. (1979). For Fonagy et al. what needs to be present in the nursery is the mothers ability to mentalize and the presence of ghosts is not acknowledged. Fonagys theory postulates that the mother should be able to contain the child, but does not account what the mother does with her understanding of her childs mental state. If the mother understands that the child is frustrated, will she always know what to do to regulate her childs emotions? Fonagy and Target (1994) also relate the trauma experienced in early childhood with how feelings are evoked in the people in their adult life to confirm childhood identifications. Since the therapeutic situation is likely to recreate the nursery, I will be giving Fonagy and Targets example to explain how ghosts may be dispelled from the nursery. Fonagy (in Fonagy and Target, 1994) relates how, as an analyst his patient (Mr. T) had blocked painful feelings in childhood so that he was not in touch with his mental state. According to Fonagy and Target (1994, p. 53-54) what frees us from this state is being mentally involved with someone (e.g. in therapy) that clarifies our sense of identity through their (the therapists) mental state. In this way, Fonagy is explaining the role of thinking processes about ourselves (mentalizing) in the compulsion to repeat and reappearance of ghosts. Thus, if the therapeutic situation is reflecting real life, the mother needs to be in able to reflect abo ut why she is doing things so that she is aware not the repeat and invoke the ghosts of her childhood into her childs nursery. Freud and Breuer (1893) first refer to people forgetting certain moments in life in their paper on Hysteria. They argue that due to trauma, experiences in a persons life are not available to conscious thought, and so properly abreacted. This occurred either because these experiences were so painful that their bearer decided to forget them or because they occurred when the person was in an abnormal psychical state (p. 11). They argue that during such situations splitting of consciousness occurs, making it difficult for the person to connect to his memories, and so the feeling related to the experience is transformed into a physical symptom. At this time Freud dealt with these forgetful memories by inducing a hypnotic state in his patients whereby they could associate memories to their feelings and release cathartic energy. However, soon Freud realised that through hypnosis he was forcing people to talk about their memories and was not allowing resistance to occur. It was when Freud (1905) was analysing Dora that he discovered a form of repetition in relationship which he called transference. In the nursery, transference occurs when the mother acts out unconscious wishes with her child. Freud (1909) surmises that these repressed experiences are like ghosts who reappear in our life and will not go away until we face them: like an unlaid ghost, it cannot rest until the mystery has been solved and the spell broken (Freud 1909, p. 122). Freuds first reference to the compulsion to repeat was in 1914 when he postulated that in obsessional neurosis, forgetting is characterized by dissolving thought-connections (Freud 1914, p. 149). Although the person does not remember the trauma, he unconsciously re-enacts this event in his life thus inviting ghosts in the nursery. The more resistance there is to repress the memories, the more the person will replace remembering by acting out. The resolution of this resistance lies in how the therapist handles transf erence. Transference acting as a playground (Freud 1914, p. 154) allows repressed material to show the secret of its game in the persons mind and for the analyst to work through what the resistance consists of. According to Freuds theory, the compulsion to repeat can only be resolved through transference or the acting out of the compulsion and overcoming resistance a concept which Fraiberg does not recognise. While Freud gives importance to childhood trauma, he does not dedicate equal importance to how current experiences effect a persons life. Nor does Freud give any importance to the affects which as we have seen Fraiberg and Fonagy give so much importance to. Freuds main explanation for the compulsion to repeat is that it is a result internal conflict. He (1920) postulates that the compulsion to repeat is ingrained in our human nature. Freud (1920) states that the function of the pleasure principle is to reduce unpleasure. Material enacted in the compulsion to repeat was once repressed because it was not pleasurable to one of the systems, so the mental apparatus will struggle to keep these instincts away from consciousness. These instincts are persistently trying to push their way into consciousness, and this is felt as unsatisfying by the ego. Impulses can nonetheless breach the protective shield in traumatic dreams, forms of play and as already explained, in transference. Freud (1920) attempts to interpret reasons why children in the nursery are compelled to repeat some actions. He recalls boy re-enacting his mothers disappearance and appearance in games. This repetition of the distressing experience (p. 15) causes pleasure to the child. This could be because the mothers departure is followed by the pleasure of her arrival or during repetition, the child changed from being passive in the real event to playing an active role in the game by throwing away toys he is revenging against his mother for leaving him, something that he cannot do in real life. This part gives him pleasure and causes him to repeat the act. By repeating what has impressed him during the day, the boy can abreact his feelings. In doing so, his game is also reflecting a wish to be grown-up (p. 17) and taking control like adults do. Children can also repeat distressing experiences with peers, causing distress to them and revenging on their playmate who might be representing the real distressing object. Thus, Freud is explaining that a person may use this defence of repeating because it satisfies the pleasure principle but this could also reflect the daemonic aspect inside us. Bowlby criticises Freud for only looking at the persons internal conflict and for not giving enough attention to the persons external environment (1979, p. 21), suggesting that ghosts can be dispelled by environmental change. Bowlby (1969) refers to experiments on rhesus monkeys (Griffin and Harlow, 1966) and on puppies (Scott, 1963) to point out to a sensitive period in which attachment can be formed or be forever doomed. In these studies, animals that were kept away from contact for the first six months of their life did not show recovery of social interactions. He postulates that attachment, or the loss of it (deprivation), acts in similar way in infants. Thus, if a baby is not shown sensitivity, it is unlikely that once a grown-up he would be able to do so with his own children, and so the ghosts of his past will reappear giving him no choice other than to repeat. Bowlby emphasises that attachment is an evolutionary process that helps the infant to survive (the survival of our sp ecies). Conversely, Fonagy (2001) argues that Bowlby gives too much importance to the biological role of attachment. What is important is the infants own survival to distress which could, for instance cause neurodevelopmental abnormalities if he is neglected (Perry, 1997). So what kind of survival would an infant have if attachment is disrupted or inadequate? Bowlbys (1944) own research on juvenile thieves sheds light on the link between hostile and neurotic mothers leading to delinquent children and at times even affectionless characters. This view that the relationship with the mother is important is corroborated by Emde (1999) who suggests that social rules are internalised in early infancy. When an infant has repetitive experiences of stressful episodes he will become hyper-vigilant to his environment leading to persistent physiological hyper-arousal if the mother cannot regulate his emotions. In this case, the infant cannot use the mother to regulate himself and reach homeostasis. This often happens in infants whose attachment is classified as disorganised  [7]  (Lyons-Ruth Block, 1999). According to Hesse and Main (2000) this occurs when the attachment figure frightens or maltreats the toddler. In their study, adults who had a disorganised a ttachment with their children were classified as unresolved/disorganised adult attachment in the AAI. These observations show the likelihood of perpetuating the attachment style from generation to generation. These studies show that Bowlbys theory is backed up by an array of research whereas Freuds theory is only supported by people he came in contact with during their analysis. Bowbly saw it important to ground his work on science rather than Freuds psychic energy. Bowlby (1979) suggests that the infant forms an inner working model which acts as a cognitive map for future relationships from the cradle to the grave (p. 129). This has been supported by studies such as that of Hazan and Shaver (1987) where attachment styles (Ainsworth et al., 1978) in infancy are applied to love relationships in adulthood. Bowlby explains that when one becomes a parent powerful emotions are evoked related to how one felt as a child towards his parents and siblings (p. 17). A parent might not be able to regulate these old feelings because she has not resolved the ambivalent conflict concerning these feelings. When the parent was young, she might have defended herself against these feelings by repressing, displacing or projecting them. With all the changes parenthood brings with it, these conflicts are renewed and come back to haunt us. Such a parent will find herself tormented by these forces and has no option other then resorting to the primitive defences used in childhood to deal with feelings regarding her own child, using her own children as her scapegoats. Unfortunately parents are not aware of these processes or the intentions behind their actions. For Bowlby in order to abolish the ghost, the most important thing is to commit to change in the environment change in the caregivers behaviour and in the defences used. Although different terminology is being used in this explanation, the reasoning behind it is very similar to that postulated by Failberg, mainly that childhood defense hinder the caregiver to feel through her childhood trauma. Anna Freud suggests that another defence mechanism is at play in the compulsion to repeat. For Anna Freud (1936, p. 117-131) parents undergo the compulsion to repeat because of an ego defense experienced in their childhood which she labels identification with the aggressor. If a child endures a trauma, he feels helpless and is likely to identify with the aggressor as a normal part of the growth of the superego. This will enable the child to feel stronger and fearless. He will either imitate the actions of the aggressor, take on this features (e.g. wearing high heels to feel tall), or pretend to be the aggressor (1936, p. 121). In this way he does not feel a victim of the aggressor but this leads him to repeat the actions of his aggressor with his toys, peers and later with his own children. Fraiberg et al. (1975) also links the appearance of ghosts in the nursery and the compulsion to repeat with this defense mechanism but affirms that it is not clear why a person chooses this defens e (p. 419). For instance, why didnt the child use the denial in this traumatic situation instead of identification with the aggressor? In this essay, I argued that both psychoanalysts and attachment theorists give importance to the first years of life by linking personality development to attachment. For the two schools of thought, the compulsion to repeat and ghosts in the nursery are due to problems in the infants early environment. Maternal sensitivity is also important to both of them although they interpret the concept in different ways. In attachment theory maternal sensitivity is seen as the behaviour and personality of the caregiver, whilst psychoanalysis is concerned with how the child organises his self development as a result of maternal sensitivity use of unconscious processes (Fonagy, 2001). Thus, we would need a combination of both theories to understand the importance of the caregiver-infant relationship to the compulsion to repeat and ghosts in the nursery. For whilst psychoanalytic theory analyses internal processes in the infant and the mother, attachment theory try to classify and quantify attach ment patterns through an array of research. They explain that repression of the associated affective experience (p. 419) is involved in this defence. So through remembering they are able to identify again with the distressed child in them and the alliance to the aggressor is broken.

Coca Cola Globalisation Methods And Plans Business Essay

Coca Cola Globalisation Methods And Plans Business Essay This part of the research report would provide a detailed account of Coca-Colas globalisation methods and plans using the business techniques explained in part 2 which are the SWOT analysis and Ohmaes five Cs. It would include a description of results of Coca-Colas globalisation plans and methods with any limitation. Besides that, market results of Coca-Cola expansion with the use of tables and flowcharts. There would be a critical analysis of the results of the globalisation effect of Coca-Cola. Lastly, conclusions would be drawn based on overall research findings while overseeing how well projected objectives and research questions are met and appropriate recommendations. 3.1 Globalisation According to the Levin Institute, Globalisation is the process of interaction and integration among people, companies, and governments of different nations, driven by international trade and investment and aided by information technology. This process has major effect on the environment, culture, political systems, economic development and prosperity, and on human physical well-being and societies around the world. (Levin Institute, n.d) Its effects influences people as businesses tend to move beyond their domestic and national markets to other markets around the globe, where different markets are interconnected. It is also seen as extending its reach to other parts of the world. 3.2 Why did Coca-Cola globalise? Using Kenichi Ohmaes 5Cs framework with reference to the BPP textbook, we can understand the reasons why Coca-Cola moved towards international markets for expansion. Customer The Coca-Cola Company wanted everyone around the world to enjoy its product. It was the owners vision for its product to be enjoyed worldwide. The companys success was also ensured since it enjoyed homogenous customers where people around the world enjoyed the same taste. This partnered with major advertising campaigns made Coca-Cola one of the most famous brand name in the world. With the help of creative advertising, Coca-Cola was able to capture the loyalty of consumers to continue use of its products. Advertising is seen as a medium for the company to communicate and promote its products to its customers which is widely used by The Coca-Cola Company. According to Figure 1, there is clear indication of gradual increase of unit case sales over the 4 year period. Table 1 show that the increase of unit cases sold over the 4 years compared to the previous year has dropped slightly in 2009 with only 2.95% whereas the highest increase was in 2007 with a 6.07% increase from 2006. The Coca-Cola Company has also introduced new products to existing markets in order to suit to a particular country taste bud. In 2009, research testing of a new fountain dispenser called the Coca-Cola Freestyle is able to dispense more than 100 different brands of beverages which is currently being placed in selected US markets and would continue to be placed worldwide. The purpose of the new dispenser is to capture data of what kind of taste people have in preference, this allows the company to gather data on statistics of peoples choice in order to develop and introduce a new product into the market. (The Coca-Cola Company) Company The Coca-Cola Company enjoys large economies of scale by moving into international markets. Large scale bottling in the long run makes the company more competitive by improving their production methods in order to achieve the lowest cost possible. They also look into potential international markets for growth and investment opportunities. After local market needs are fulfilled, the company would want to enter into new markets in order to increase its sales and profits. It would also increase the companys customer base since there is a new supply of demand to be met. Listed below in Figure 2 and Table 2 is the net operating revenue, operating income and net income for the Coca-Cola Company over 4 years. Net operating revenue, operating income and net income ($ millions) $ (millions)Figure 2: Net operating revenue, operating income and net income of The Coca-Cola Company over a 4 year period According to Figure 2, the companys net operating revenue is seen to be increasing gradually over the 4 year period while dropping only slightly in 2009 although there was a major recession. Net income also has been increasing over the 4 year period to a record high of $ 6.8 billion in 2009. This could be due to better cost management. Further analysis on Table 3 indicates that the companys cost is also kept at a constant level of around 33% to 36% of total net operating revenue in order to maintain a high gross profit margin of 63% to 66%. This is to ensure that the company is always profitable to attract move investors. According to the recent capital expenditures made by The Coca-Cola Company, the company is still seen expanding its operations worldwide with increased capital expenditure made over the 4 years. This can be found in Table 4 below which show the capital expenditures made by the company from 2006 to 2009. Competition The Coca-Cola Company competes in the non-alcoholic beverages segment of the commercial beverages industry. The beverage industry is highly competitive, as there are many different types of drinks in the market ranging from non-alcoholic to alcoholic products. There are many companies that are similar to The Coca-Cola Company, some of which tends to compete for share of market across the world. The company particularly globalised due to the fact that they wanted to gain access into new and bigger markets since their domestic market needs are already fulfilled. Another reason would be due to strong competition from The Pepsi-Cola Company as they are the companys biggest rivals. According to the Coca-Cola Company, there are numerous competitive factors that could impact the business which include pricing, advertising, sales promotion programs, product innovation, increased efficiency in production techniques, the introduction of new packaging, new vending and dispensing equipment, bran d and trademark development and protection. (The Coca-Cola Company) Below Figure 3 and Table 5 indicates the top 10 beverage companies ranked accordingly by market share. According to Figure 3, The Coca-Cola Company still leads in market share of 41.9% ahead of PepsiCo of 29.9%. This is a good sign for the company as PepsiCo is the companys biggest competitor. The company should remain focus on defending its market share and stay the market leader. According to the data in Table 5, market share for The Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo have negative share change in 2009 while the others have a slight improvement or no improvement. This should not be taken lightly by the company as the competitors might team up and take on the company. Currency Coca-Cola also went international so that they can mitigate their foreign currency exchange rates by earning revenue in a different currency through sales in a particular country. Selling products and services in multiple countries also reduces the companys exposure to possible economic and political instability in a single country. In 2009, The Coca-Cola Company traded in 71 different functional currencies in addition to the U.S Dollar. A total of 74 percent net operating revenue was derived from outside the United States. Therefore, increases or decreases in the value of the U.S. dollar against other currencies will have a major effect on the items that are denominated in foreign currencies. Listed below in Figure 4 are foreign exchange rate gains or losses from 2006 to 2009. Country The Coca-Cola Company would want gain access to cheaper labour, raw materials and finance. Such as the cost of labour hour in China is only $1.27 per hour (Malone, 2008) which is ranked fairly low compared to other developed countries. This would minimize the cost of bottling and result in higher revenue gained. Bottling plants in China as of end of October 2009 total at 39 plants and is still increasing at a high rate. (The Coca-Cola Company) Furthermore, resources that are difficult to obtain in their home market can be located elsewhere at a better price while going international. This can be achieved by outsourcing some of their operation to other countries in order to improve efficiency since service providers are specialised in its services rendered. Outsourcing is widely used by todays company, as it allows the company to focus on its core activities where non-core activities are outsourced to specialist industries. This can lead to a saving in fixed cost as there is no need t o hire monthly salaried staff. As per Figure 5, we can see that average salary earned in the United States of America (USA) is much higher than the salary earned in China which is more than a 150 percent difference. This is mainly because China is still a developing market while USA is a developed market. This enables the company to fetch a lower cost for labour in China than in USA. 3.3 How did Coca-Cola globalise There are different entry modes a company can choose on how to enter a market. The Coca-Cola Company uses different stages of entry modes depending on the markets. It mainly depends on the total size or market population, the percentage of that population using their products, and the quantity of products that they can sell to non-users. Once the market is identified and selected, they would first consider the degree of resource commitment and the extent of the firm operational involvement in that particular region. As their bottling strategy, the company would first help their bottlers to build up their business. This is by injecting funds into the said bottlers through equity investments. This is beneficial for both the company and its bottler as in increase in production capacity at bottler level would have a resulting increase in concentrate sales. The level of investment depends on the bottlers capital structure and resources at the time of investment. (The Coca-Cola Company) According to the company, it maintains business relationship with three types of bottlers which are: Bottlers in which the company has no ownership interest; Bottlers in which the company has invested and has a non-controlling ownership interest; and Bottlers in which the company has invested and has a controlling ownership interest. Bottling operations in which the company has as of 31st December 2009: According to the company, controlling interest is only often held for a temporary basis. By owning such interest, it helps by being able to exert influence in monitoring bottlers revenue. It also develops the bottlers business where funds are used to build the capital structure of the bottle which would enable them to widen its operations. As part of their long term strategy, the company would consider reducing their ownership interest in the bottler when their investment matures. The company then comes down to two options, one is to combine their bottling interest with others to form strategic alliances, or the other is to sell their interest to equity method investee bottlers. However, the company will still continue to monitor the bottlers results. For investments that are non-controlling interest, the company would provide its expertise and resources to strengthen those businesses. China The stages of entry are explained in detailed below using China as an example by referring to Moks journal review. (Mok et al. , 2002) During the first stage (1974-84), Coca-Cola exported and sold its concentrate to its franchised Chinese-owned bottlers. Local market agents were held fully responsible for production and distribution whereas the company were in charge of advertising. Due to the bottlers opportunistic behaviour which first prioritise their own bottom line, it limited the expansion of Coca-Colas market share in early stages. The method used is seen as exporting through contractual agreements as trust of the bottlers has yet to be gained. During the second stage (1985-92), Coca-Cola bought equity shares in the bottling businesses in order to reduce the effect of uncertainty. Besides that, it was also to restrict the opportunistic behaviours of its local bottlers since their only focus was on their own bottom-line which were disadvantageous to Coca-Cola. This is known as Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into the said bottlers which may include acquisitions of well established companies in the later stage. During the third stage (1993-present), Coca-Cola teamed up with two foreign bottlers which are the Kerry and Swire group under a franchise agreement. The company then began to internalise its management and operations by sourcing locally. Soon then, the whole operation was handed to locals and watched over by the foreign division manager. Sourcing for upstream suppliers is decentralised to the division manager since buying locally would have savings on taxes. Contracting in local language would be made easier as a result of the localisation. India Coca-Cola was the leading bola business in India before 1977. However, a change of government forced them to pull out their business since new legislations required the sharing of the secret formula with a local partner which posed a huge risk. The Coca-Cola only re-entered the market in 1993, after Indian regulations were changed to allow foreign brands to operate without any Indian partnership. By then, PepsiCo had already captured majority share and ruled without competition as they were there since 1988. (Srivastava, 2010) To make things worse, Coca-Cola suffered a huge blow to their brand name in India as their plants had huge demands for water, which led thousands of farmers out of work by draining the water that feeds their crops which had implications on the local economy. Besides that, the waste sludge produced by their plants sold as fertilizer was proven to be toxic to the soil. (Brown, 2003). PepsiCos market in India has been strong since then, as it has become the default name for colas in India. However, the company has not given up on the Indian market as growth is picking up slowly. Their strategy includes introducing other products in their portfolio to the market and buying up a local brand cola competitor Thums Up, to compete against PepsiCo. Thums Up is now ranked first in India with a market share of 16.16% as of 2009, Sprite also a product of Coca-Cola is ranked second with 15.6% compared to Pepsis market share of just 13% according to AC Nielsen data. (Bhushan, 2009) The Coca-Cola Companys mode of entry often changes according to suit the particular country. Internationalisation is seen as a sequential process whereby firms gradually increase their commitment to new markets and accumulate knowledge slowly in order to increase their capabilities. It suggests that firms initially use entry modes that allow them to maximise knowledge acquisition whilst minimizing the risk of their assets. 3.4 Effects of globalisation The effects as a result of The Coca-Cola Companys globalisation have had a huge impact on the world. By using the SWOT analysis, the effects of globalisation of The Coca-Cola Company can be separated into positive and negative effects. Positive effects consist of strengths and opportunities, whereas negative effects are the companys weaknesses and threats. 3.4.1 Positive effects Strengths Competition to improve quality Globalisation has led to increased competition for the non-alcoholic beverage market for the company. Hence, there is an overall competition to improve the quality of their products for them to compete for market share. In order to survive, the company must be able to cope with the rising standards of their customers. The company must be able to compete at low prices and continuously improve their bottling processes. Keen competition forces companies to accelerate their product innovation and advertising campaigns which can be seen as strength for the industry. Innovation The economic environment is changing rapidly as a result of globalisation. The future development of the world is shaped as a result of globalisation. Benefits to society are often shared among people for the greater good. With the invention of seatbelts by Volvo shared, it increased the survival rate of car accidents. (Bellis, n.d) An example would be the bottling plants built by The Coca-Cola Company uses mechanics that are advanced automated robotics which introduces countries to a more effective and efficient way of bottling which could then be improved further to suit local needs. By improving their production line around the world, it would strengthen the companys presence. The company will be able share their technical know-how around their bottling plants based on experience in different countries. Such as improvements made in one country can be shared with other bottling plants owned by the company around the world. The first bottling plant that follows Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards was opened in 2009 in Latin America. (The Coca-Cola Company) Popularity and recognition As a result of mass expanding and advertising programs, the company was able to enter into countries worldwide which eventually made their brand name one of the most well-known brands of today. Many companies have since followed by expanding into international waters while keeping focus on brand recognition would eventually come to known worldwide still can be seen in todays industry. Advertising campaigns are the strengths of The Coca-Cola Company as it can capture the loyalty of consumers with easily recognised advertisements. An example would be the commercial advertisement in 1971 where The Hillside Singers sang a song called Id like to teach the World to Sing in Perfect Harmony. (The Coca-Cola Company) In this commercial, people of all different cultures and races come together to sing about wanting world peace and infers that world peace can be achieved by buying someone a coke. Opportunities Job opportunities With the companys global expansion, it was able to provide job opportunities in over 200 different countries worldwide which would definitely build and enhance the economic development of ones country. The Coca-Cola Company itself currently has 92,800 employees worldwide as of 2009 (Hoovers, 2009) and much more if other related parties are added. This is seen as an opportunity for the company as it would be able to employ a diverse background of employees from all around the world. Cultural influence Cultures around the world have come together and created so many different societies across different cities around the globe which have grown and improved according to globalisation. Some old traditions are discarded while new ones are form from day to day. The same can be said of Coca-Cola, which has pop-up in countries across the world and change the way people have their meals. The brand is widely accepted by different nations due to homogenous markets. This is such a great opportunity for the company to make an impression and an indelible move as the different types of cultures around the world, where there is a similar or common culture, that is, Coca-Cola. (Kulkarni, n.d) Huge portfolio to pursue Since The Coca-Cola Company has over 200 brands in its portfolio, there are other many up and coming new brands for the company to pursue. This would ensure the companys survival in the late future if a brand succession plan is in place. An unknown product does not mean its a failure, just not yet discovered by people. Once discovered it will pave the road to success and therefore securing the companys future. One of the main company strategies is to buy out competition of rising brands that they think would do well in the distant future. 3.4.2 Negative effects Weaknesses Lack of popularity in other portfolio brands In addition, the other brands offered besides the main brand Coca-Cola lacks popularity. It is mostly unknown or rarely seen on shelves probably due to restricted distribution in a particular country as testing acceptance of the market. These brands are kept low profiled and no related link is made to the main brand in case the brand fails. This is seen as a weakness in the line of products Coca-Cola has to offer as advertising allowance is not fairly distributed to all their products. Health effects There are also certain health effects to be concerned with as a result of Coca-Colas globalisation. By referring to the book Liquid Candy written by Jacobson (Jacobson, 2005), he discusses the effects of consuming soda drinks that could lead to several health concerns. Below are adverse health effects viewed as a threat to the companys going concern if people boycott their products which would have adverse effect on the companys revenue and survival. Sugar is important source of carbohydrates for our body. However, soft drinks contain high amounts of sugar (Better Health Channel, n.d) where regular consumption could lead to overweight or obese problems. By being obese, it tends to increase the chances of having diabetes and many other types of diseases. Obesity could also lead to social and psychological problems such as starving oneself to reduce weight. Soft drinks often have links with lower calcium levels which could lead to the disease osteoporosis. Deep concern should be placed on children since calcium is needed in early stages for development of bones. Too much soft drinks could lead to poor bone materialisation in the future life of the children. Therefore, in order to safeguard ones future, parents should control the intake of soda drinks of their children. Soft drinks also have high levels of phosphoric acid which can be harmful to ones teeth. The acidity level in soft drinks can be compared to that of vinegar which can cause corrosion of the enamel. Most of the soft drinks contain caffeine for its energy boosting effects. Therefore consuming too much soft drink could lead to caffeine addiction. There are withdrawal symptoms such as nausea or headache if one is addicted. High intakes of caffeine can lead to insomnia and even irregular heartbeats. (Yakowicz, 2010) Threats Changing health consciousness With the companys globalisation, bad aspects of foreign cultures would tend to affect its way into local cultures. Such as the soft drinks craze that is spreading around the world. Although beneficial for the company where higher consumption leads to higher revenues, consuming too much will have adverse health effects on its consumers. The health consciousness of people are starting to change, as they are moving towards a healthier lifestyle in which avoidance on soda drinks may be a threat to the company future. Job insecurity Companies often seek to lower their cost in order to earn a higher profit margin. One of the methods is to outsource their non-core activities such the payroll function to service providers. This would ensure a lower cost with an acceptable level of quality in work done. As a result, it increases unemployment rate in developed nations. Developing countries like China and India dominate the outsourcing market because of their fairly low labour cost. There is a higher risk of retrenchment for employees in the developed countries as they can be replaced by their counterparts across the world in pursuit of low cost. Therefore, a threat exists where the company might lose its good employees to competitors if it shows the slightest signs of restructuring. Local industries taken over by foreign multinationals Foreign multinationals often take over local companies as a mode of entry into the particular country. It would deprive the upbringing of local industries as those who remained will have to face a tougher competition posed by the foreign multinational. This is one of the strategies used by The Coca-Cola Company as they are actively acquiring local bottling plants around the world. A threat would be present if the local governments start to restrict the company from further expansion in its country in order to safeguard their home grown companies. This would serve as an obstacle to the companys expansion plans into the said country. (Pillai, n.d) Waste and pollution Developing countries are often taken advantage of by foreign multinationals. Since developing nations need high levels of foreign investment to boost its economic development, the local governments would tend to overlook on the pollution caused as they cannot risk a withdrawal of funds from the country. The environmental laws and regulations of a developing nation are also in the process of setting up. Therefore, foreign multinational companies often take this advantage by setting up plants at an early stage. The Coca-Cola Company has taken advantage of this matter in India where their factories produced waste sludge and were sold as fertilizer which was proven toxic to crops. (Brown, 2003) As this poses a threat to the environment, the companys licenses can be revoked if not settled. Measures should be taken by the company to implement environmentally friendly plants for the future in deluding the toxic waste. 3.5 Conclusions The international expansion of The Coca-Cola Company can be seen worldwide. Its products have permeated into societies all over the world. The first project objective of this research project has been met, which evaluates the positive and negative effects of globalisation of Coca-Cola brand name where the SWOT analysis was used is outlined below in Figure 7. (S)trengths Popularity and recognition Competition to improve quality Innovation (W)eaknesses Lack of popularity in other portfolio brands Health effects (O)pportunities Huge portfolio to pursue Cultural influence Job opportunities (T)hreats Job insecurity Changing health consciousness Local industries taken over by foreign multinationals Waste and pollution The second project objective was to assess the job opportunities The Coca-Cola Company created jobs worldwide. As of 2009, the company has 92,800 employees employed worldwide. By providing jobs to developing countries such as China and India, it would greatly help the development of the said country. We can understand why The Coca-Cola Company moved towards globalised markets based on Ohmaes 5Cs as discussed previously. According to market research, The Coca-Cola Company has the largest non-alcoholic beverage market share worldwide with a market share 42.9% as of 2009 according to (Sicher, 2010) with 24.4 billion unit cases sold worldwide in 2009. (The Coca-Cola Company) Therefore, the third project objective was also met. 3.6 Recommendations The main recommendations for The Coca-Cola Company are to exploit their strengths and opportunities, while mitigating their weaknesses and threats. The main strength is its popularity of the brand Coca-Cola. The company can use the Coca-Cola name to support their other products if the product is accepted by consumers. A step further is to advertise the products side by side since its advertising campaigns are refreshing and easily recognised. This enables the company to capture a new type of customer loyalty. Popularity of a brand name mainly depends on the peoples word of mouth. This can either be positive or negative in different conditions. Other brands that the company offer lack popularity which is a weakness for the company. The company should not just focus on the main brand but also push potential brands to the public. The Coca-Cola Company should pursue other brands in their portfolio since Coca-Cola is already a world known product. This can be done with increased advertising for the less popular products which would lead to more brand recognition if the product is successful. If a product is unable to capture a market and operations are running at a loss, the product should be discontinued. Funds saved from closing the division can be used to improve other brands or to acquire new potential brands. A major threat to the company is the changing health consciousness of the people. The company has made efforts since then by introducing low sugar and caffeine-free products into their portfolio and must continue doing so. Besides that, there is strong competition from other rival brands such as PepsiCo. The main idea here is to steal market share from its rivals such as finding out what are the strong brands the rival have and to introduce a similar product that would serve as an alternative.

Importance of Training and Mentoring :: Human Resource Employee Improvement Strategy

Importance of Training and Mentoring The management is committed to training and development in the field of industrial cleaning and sanitation industry. These two components are part of our culture, and we believe that the way to fulfill this commitment is to provide training for new and current employees. For this reason, we have implemented a new training program with a mentor base. We recognize the value of mentoring as an important instrument of organizational learning. Mentoring provides an opportunity for successful individuals to share knowledge and to advise employees. This interactive mechanism will not only enhance the skills of the sales team but will also enhance professional and career skills of employees. Our goal is to provide our employees with reliable mentors. Our mentors have strong knowledge of and professional expertise in their fields. The mentors will help employees learn to handle various situations, enhance their developmental skills, and avoid some of the pitfalls that can potentially sidetra ck a career or delay promotion opportunities. Mentoring also has the potential of broadening skills, experience, and expertise through the organization. Our training program is based on a method that provides employees the skills they will need to perform their job. For example, the program will teach a new salesperson how to sell our products, or a new supervisor will learn how to fill out the company’s weekly payroll timesheet. Our sales team is considered one of the best teams in the industry, with higher production numbers, customer service, and community service. In the same line we want our training program to be the best. We believe that, as a means for you as our employee to expand into a winning professional, two types of schooling in business and interpersonal maturity should be in place. We understand that business is important. However, the success of a business is contingent on our employees’ personal and professional development. We want our employees to have fun in their daily work and in their training. Objective of the Training The reason for the training program is to pair the trainee with a mentor in order for the trainee to become more knowledgeable about the products and services that we provide. With a mentor, the trainee has instant access to a person who can answer questions and concerns. The training program provides the trainee with other important information including the following: the company history, features and benefits, compliance standards, contract related training, computer/software training, leadership training, customer service, communication, and regulations.

Netflix competitive analysis Essay -- essays research papers

Competitive Analysis Blockbuster Inc. and Movie Gallery are currently the two strongest competitors in the market, and therefore pose the biggest threats to Netflix. Amazon, Intelliflicks, and Cleanfilms are all present in the market, but don’t possess enough force at this time to be considered a threat to Netflix. Blockbuster As of right now, Blockbuster is the biggest competitive threat to Netflix. Blockbuster was incorporated in 1989 in Delaware and is a major renter of home videocassettes, DVDs and video games throughout the Americas, as well as Europe, Asia and Australia. Blockbuster operated about 9,100 stores in the U.S. and 24 other countries, as of Dec. 2004. In the summer of 2004, Blockbuster launched an online rental program that provides a challenging competitive match for Netflix. Blockbuster’s online debut was in development for years. In 2002 Blockbuster purchased FilmCaddy, an online movie rental company that became Blockbusters internet channel. Blockbuster completed consumer research, both qualitative and quantitative, and found that online customers preferred a program that would give them both Internet convenience and in-store benefits. Blockbuster decided to incorporate its extensive network of stores to provide a powerful competitive edge. In addition, the chain has said it wil l invest $170 million this year alone in its online-rental operation. Financially, Blockbuster has revenues of 6.10 billion, with a gross profit of 3.61 billion, and a negative ne...