Issues Of The Renewable Energy Industry Essay - 1855 Words

Salient Issues in the Renewable Energy Industry For generations, the world has relied on the production and distribution of oil and gas to supply the world with the energy to complete necessary tasks to maintain and improve the world around us. Some of those tasks include powering manufacturing companies, our homes, or transportation that is used by everyday such as automobiles, airplanes, or trains. As the demand for oil and gas increases among companies and the world that we live in the demand for oil and gas have become heavily integrated in the strength of the economy domestically and internationally. While there is nothing wrong with the integration of oil and gas in the economy, there are however growing concerns about the future supply of oil and gas. Others have concerns about the dependence of oil and gas as they believe that the high use of oil and gas is creating and releasing too much carbon dioxide which is damaging Earth’s atmosphere. The concern about future energy sources and mother nature have led many lea ders throughout the world searching for alternative or renewable energy sources to supply energy to our homes and manufacturing plants. While several alternative energy sources exist, two of the most well-known sources of renewable energy are solar and wind energy. Solar is energy that is created by absorbing energy from the sun. Wind energy is energy that is consumed by wind turbines. Even though there are many companies that create, build, and installShow MoreRelatedClimate Change And Global Warming1474 Words   |  6 Pagesas Thomas Edison publicly demonstrated his new invention, the incandescent light bulb, the first time. This device was incredibly impactful and would eventually lead to electricity being within the houses of millions of people across the globe. Industries began to mass excavate large amounts of coal in order to produce electricity to light the homes of these people. 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Monopolistic Competitive Market Free Essays

string(203) " in a real market situation, also this paper will utilize the example to look at the type of decisions that are made by mangers of companies that operate in a monopolistic competitive markets structure\." Monopolistic Competitive Market Introduction The term market refers to the place where buyers and sellers meet to engage in transactions that entail the exchange of goods or the provision of services for a consideration. A market is not only characterized by a building where people carry out business transactions. This is because any place that people carry out commerce can be referred to as a market. We will write a custom essay sample on Monopolistic Competitive Market or any similar topic only for you Order Now A market is characterized by various mechanisms that facilitate trade. These mechanisms usually pertain to the supply and demand of products and services (Bergin, 2005). From this explanation it should be clear that a market is comprised of three main elements. The sellers these are the people who bring the products or services to the market to be procured by the willing buyers. At this stage it is imperative to highlight that in most cases sellers are the produces however in other instances the sellers are not necessarily the producers instead they can be traders. The second element of the market is the buyers. Buyers are individual who are willing and able to acquire the products or services being offered at the prevailing market price. Buyers are of two types; there are those that buy the products or services for their own consumption and there are those that buy the products or services in order to resell them in different markets. The buyers who buy the products for their own consumption are referred to as consumers whereas buyers who buy the products or services in order to resell them in different market are commonly referred to as trades and they can also be called arbitragers (Nicholson Snyder, 2008). The third element of the market is the products that are being traded. The term product can be used to refer to either goods or services that are being offered in exchange for a consideration. The term product can also be used to refer to commodities only. General Objectives One of the general objectives of this paper is to facilitate the readers of this document to gain an understanding of how markets work and most importantly how a monopolistic competitive market works. This paper will achieve this through briefly discussing various types of markets and their characteristics. Another general objective of this paper is to compare and contrast the various characteristics of the different forms of market structures. This will serve to enable the readers to carry out a comparative analysis of the various forms of market structures thus they will be able to enhance their knowledge on market structures. This objective will be attained through the analysis of the factors, which are mainly in play for the existence of a particular form of market. The paper will also seek to analyze how the various factors in such markets interrelate in order to develop a market mechanism for that form of market structure. This is because all forms of markets structures have market mechanisms. These market mechanisms are usually as result of the interaction of various factors that are both internal and external to a particular market. Specific Objectives One of the specific objectives of this paper is to discuss the conceptual theory of a monopolistic competitive market. The discussion of the monopolistic competitive market entails analyzing the various factors that characterize this particular form of market structure. This is will be important form enhance the knowledge of the readers of this paper, on monopolistic competitive market structure. The discussion of the conceptual theory will also enable the readers to have a good basis for analyzing and responding to questions that relate to monopolistic competitive market structure. Another objective is to discuss the characteristics of a monopolistic competitive market. The discussion of the characteristics of a monopolistic competitive market structure is important because it will serve to explain how the various factors involved in this type of market structure interrelate in order to this unique type of market. The discussion of the characteristic of a monopolistic competitive market will serve to enhance the understanding of the readers of how companies that operate in such a market carry out their operations. The discussion of these characteristics will serve to inform the readers the various factors that companies operating in this type of market put into consideration during decision-making. This discussion will also enable the readers to be able to identify a monopolistic competitive market in a real business situation. This paper also aims at establishing how market equilibrium is achieved both in the long – run and in the short run. This is mainly because in a monopolistic competitive market structure, market equilibrium is achieved differently both in the short – run and in the long – run. This analysis is imperative mainly because this knowledge enables the management to have a good basis for decision-making. The analysis will provide factors that the management should put into consideration whenever they are making decisions concerning either the short term or the long – term future of a company. The illustration of how market equilibriums are achieved in the short run or in the long run will enable the readers to gain understanding of how the various factors in this market structure relate in the determination of the equilibrium market prices. It will also enable to understand how companies that operate in a monopolistic competitive market adapt themselves in order to be able to operate in this particular form of market at minimal costs and manage to obtain maximum profits. This paper will also provide a practical example of a monopolistic competitive market. In this example, the paper will seek to illustrate how the conceptual theory is exhibited in this form of market structure. This paper will utilize this example in order to enhance the knowledge of the reader on how market equilibrium is attained both in the long – run and in the short – run. This example will illustrate how the various factors are displayed in a real market situation, also this paper will utilize the example to look at the type of decisions that are made by mangers of companies that operate in a monopolistic competitive markets structure. You read "Monopolistic Competitive Market" in category "Essay examples" Conceptual Theory There are four forms of market structure namely, monopoly, perfect competition, monopolistic competition and oligopoly. These forms of market structures are characterized by different market conditions. Markets are mainly classified according to the number of firms in the industry or the form of products sold in them. The number of firms operating in a particular market determines the level of competition in that market. Product markets are mainly categorized according to the number of firms in the industry and the degree of competition that is prevalent in a particular industry. At this stage it is also important to highlight that equilibrium prices in these markets are subject to the forces of supply and demand. The forces of supply and demand are known as the price mechanism. An individual firm on itself cannot influence the price of a commodity and can therefore only take the price prevailing in the market. Due to this condition a firm is therefore said to be a price taker (Nicholson Snyder, 2008). The movement along a demand curve is caused by changes in price of a commodity. An increase in price results in a decrease in quantity demanded hence a movement along the demand curve to the left. A shift in the demand curve is caused by changes in factors other than the price of the commodity in question. Different quantities are therefore demanded at the original price. A shift in the demand curve outwards to the right indicates that more quantities are demanded at the original price whereas a shift inwards to the left indicates that fewer quantities are demanded at the original price (Dwivedi, 2006). Movement in the supply curve is similar to movement in the demand curve. A shift in the supply curve refers to a relocation of the supply curve either outwards to the right or inwards to the left due to change in the factors that affect supply other than price. This means that at each price, a different quantity will be supplied that was previously supplied. Equilibrium price refers to the price, where the quantity demanded equals that supplied. It is the price at which the amount the customers are able and willing to buy is equal to the quantity producers willing and able to supply. The equilibrium point, refers to a point at which the demand and the supply curve intersect. Any price above the equilibrium price leads to excess supply, whereas any price below the equilibrium price leads to excess demand. Excess demand or supply causes disequilibrium in the market. Due to the excess demand for a particular commodity in the market, a shortage is created. This shortage causes the consumers to compete for the limited commodity in the market thus making the price of that commodity go up. As he price continues to rise, suppliers put more of the commodity into the market (Mandal, 2007). On the other hand, the high price also discourages some consumers from buying the commodity. This scenario of increased supply and reducing demand continues until the equilibrium price and quantity are set. When there is excess supply of a commodity in the market the prices begins to fall. As the price falls more consumers purchase the commodity. The suppliers also reduce the amount of t he commodity they are releasing into the market due to the falling prices. This scenario of falling supply and increasing demand continues until the equilibrium price and quantity are set. It is also important to highlight that a general assumption in the study of this subject is that firms aim at attaining maximum profits using minimal costs possible. This means during decision making the managers of the firm will always aim at using the least resources possible and utilise them efficiently in order to attain the maximum achievable profits possible. The level of output that will bring about maximum profit in a firm depends on the costs incurred and the revenues earned. Revenues refers to incomes obtained by a firm from the sale of its outputs and they may be categorized into three namely, total revenue, average revenue and marginal revenue. Total revenue refers to the total income earned by a firm from the sale of its output. Total revenue is obtained through multiplying the total output sold by the price. Average revenue refers to income per unit of output. Average revenue can be obtained by dividing the total revenue obtained by the number of units of output. It is important to note that the average revenue is the same as the price of the commodity (Dwivedi, 2006). This implies that the average revenue curve, which relates average revenues to output, is the same as the demand curve, which relates prices to output. Marginal revenue refers to the addition to the total revenue arising from the sale of an additional unit of output. Marginal revenue can also be obtained by subtracting the previous total revenue from the current one and can be seen to be equal to the price and average revenue. Characteristics of a monopolistic competitive market This is a market structure that combines aspects of perfect competition and those of a monopoly. There are many sellers and many buyers just like in perfect competition. The commodities dealt with are similar but each firm tends to differentiate its products from those of its competitors through acts such as branding, packing, wrapping and coloring. A monopolistic competitive market structure is a combination of the features that will be discussed in the succeeding paragraphs. In a monopolistic competitive market there exist many buyers and sellers. This comes in adequately because there is no single firm that can influence the prices of commodities or services in the market. If a business sells its goods or services above the market price then consumers can buy their goods from other businessmen. If a company sells its products at a lower price then chances of making a loss is very high (Mandal, 2007). Though a business may increase its prices in a perfect competition, the action may be risky since customers will move to another business. This is not the case with a monopolistic business, though a firm may lose some of the customers, some will remain due to the kind of relationship they have with the seller or even the quality of the given products. All the aforementioned factors are due to the fact that there is a large number of buyers and customers that act independently. In this form of market structure it is assumed that the sellers and the buyers of commodities are well informed about the market. That is they know the prices, quality of products and all the factors affecting the market. In this market the products are differentiated. The products from different producers either vary in quality or the product is a group of commodities which are close substitutes of each other (Mandal, 2007). For instance, in the toothpaste industry there are different brands such as Colgate, Close– up and Aquafresh. This differentiation of products from different firms enables each firm to enjoy a certain degree of monopoly power. A monopolistic competitive market is characterized by freedom of entry and exit. This means there are no barriers to a business entering or living the market. This means that new firms wishing to supply the same commodity are free to do so (Bergin, 2005). Similarly, existing firms wishing to leave the market are free to do so. How to determine equilibrium in the short – run and long – run on Monopolistic Competitive Market Structure Price and output determination under monopolistic competition Due to product differentiation, a firm under monopolistic competition is able to exercise some influence on the price of the product. This means that a firm can raise prices yet some customers will still buy at these high prices (Dwivedi, 2006). However, many customers will switch to rivals’ products. On the other hand, if the firm lowers the price, it would attract some buyers from the rival firms, thereby increasing its product’s demand. A monopolistically competitive market has a demand curve that slopes downward from left to right. In a monopolistic competitive market the demand curve is fairly elastic. This means that a small change in price will bring about more than proportionate changes in quantities demanded. This is because there are many substitutes in the market. The demand curve is more elastic than the one faced by a monopolist but less elastic than a perfectly competitive market whose demand is perfectly elastic (Jehle Reny, 2011). The relationship between average revenue and marginal revenue is similar to that of a monopolist. For average revenue to be increasing as more units of output are sold, the marginal revenue must be lower than the average revenue. Short – run equilibrium output under monopolistic competition A firm under monopolistic competition will be at equilibrium at an output when profits are maximized. This is the position when marginal revenue is equal to marginal cost. This is at price P1 and quantity Qe. However, there still excess demand and the firm can maximize its profits by changing price Pe. The firm will therefore produce quantity Qe and sell at price Pe (Jehle Reny, 2011). Qe represents equilibrium output and P1 represents equilibrium price. The price at which the equilibrium output can be sold is determined by the demand Curve (Average Revenue) and its price. Profits are maximized at a level of output between O (zero) and the equilibrium quantity demanded. Long – run equilibrium output under monopolistic competition A firm under monopolistic competition can make supernormal profits in the short – run. Since there is free entry of new firm into the market, the supernormal profits will attract the new firms with the effect that demand for the old firm’s customers will be taken by new firms. The demand curve for the old firm therefore shifts right to left (Mandal, 2007). A lower quantity is demanded at each price. Firms are likely to increase expenditure on product promotion due to increased competition, which in turn would cause the average total cost curve to shift upwards. New firms will continue to enter the market as long as the existing equilibrium is achieved and all firms would be earning normal profits. The equilibrium point is where the average revenue is equal to the average cost. This point is achieved in the long run when the average revenue curve is a tangent to the average cost curve. The firm will be at equilibrium when it produces output at the equilibrium quantity demanded (Bergin, 2005). This is where the marginal revenues equal the marginal cost because the firm is in the business of profit maximization. At the point of equilibrium, the average cost is equal to the average revenue. This is so because competitive pressure means that a firm can neither make a loss nor earn supernormal profits. At this point of equilibrium the firm is making normal profits only. Conclusion An example of a monopolistic competitive market is the toothpaste market. The toothpaste market is characterized by firms that offers products that are similar but they are highly differentiated. Consumers of Colgate toothpaste believe that Colgate is the number one brand of toothpaste that ensures strong teeth. As a result of this the consumers are normally willing to buy toothpaste regardless of the price. Consumers of Aquafresh toothpaste believe that Aquafresh is the number one brand that ensures healthy germs and fresh breathe. As a result of this customers are willing to always procure the Aquafresh toothpaste regardless of the price. Consumers of the two products believe the products are different and this is because of the way the manufacturers have positioned the brands. REFERENCES Bergin, J. (2005). Microeconomic Theory: A concise Course. New York: Oxford University Press. Dwivedi, D. N. (2006). Microeconomics: Theory Applications. New Delhi: Dorling kindersley. Jehle, G. A. , Reny, P. J. (2011). Advanced Microeconomic Theory. New York: Pretence Hall. Mandal, R. K. (2007). Microeconomic Theory. New Delhi: Atlantic Publisher. Nicholson, W. , Snyder, C. (2008). Microeconomic Theory: Basic Principles and Extension. New York: Cengage Learning. How to cite Monopolistic Competitive Market, Essay examples

Commercial Law System

Question: Mark, Peter and Mary were out on a Saturday night celebrating the successful formation of a new business venture. They went to a special restaurant up in the hills, Hilltop Point, to mark this occasion. After a great night of eating and drinking, they decided to continue their party at Watchout Point, a scenic hilltop spot with a spectacular view of the city. On their way, they stopped at a bottle shop to buy 2 bottles of premium French champagne.When they reached Watchout Point, they parked the car at the car park which was located at the top of the cliff. There was a 2 meter fence to prevent people from going beyond that point as it was not far away from the cliff edge. There were no warning signs but the cliff was very visible. Anyone can very clearly see the cliffs. In fact, the cliff was part of this beautiful scenery which attracted visitors.At first, the trio sat in the car and chatted and drank champagne. As the night progressed Peter, who had too much to drink, got out of th e car and dared theothers to climb over the fence and walk to the edge of the cliff. While the otherswere reluctant, Peter climbed over the fence and walked to the edge of the cliff.He lost his balance and fell off the cliff and broke his leg. Peter wishes to sue theWillow Council who is responsible for Watchout Point.What must Peter do to establish a breach of duty by Willow Council? Is Peter likely to succeed in establishing such a breach? Give reasons for your answer. Answer: Issue: the issue in the present case is if Willow Council is liable for Johns injuries after felling from the cliff as he crossed over the fence that the council has installed. Therefore, Willow Councils liability under the tort of negligence needs to be decided as well as the question if the Council has failed to take reasonable steps which could have prevented people from falling off the edge. Another issue that needs to be decided is if Willow Council owes a duty of care towards John. There is another issue in the present case which is associated with the liability of the manufacturer of champagne bottle. The bottle of champagne had a different type of cap and while opening it, Mark was hit by the cock stopper. Rule: In order to decide the issue of liability of Willow Council, it needs to be seen if the Council has a duty of care towards John. In the same way, it also needs to be seen if the duty of care has been violated by the Council and the injuries suffered by John can be attributed to such breach of duty and the injuries suffered by John by the reasonable foreseeable consequence of Council's action or inaction. Generally, in such cases, compensation can be claimed by using the doctrine of duty of care. In this regard, the doctrine of duty of care provides that a party can be considered as liable under the law of negligence towards the other party. The neighborhood principle has also been provided by the court in Donoghue v Stevenson (1932) where Lord Atkins mentioned that a party should take reasonable care in order to avoid the acts or omissions that may cause injury to the neighbour of the party. The court sees in these cases if there is reasonable proximity between the claimant and defendant. Similarly, the court also asked to see if the damage caused by the act or omission was reasonably foreseeable by the defendant. It is also considered by the court if under similar circumstances, the risk of damage could have been foreseen by any reasonable person. Another requirement is to see that if it would be reasonable on part of the defendant to impose their duty of care. The concept of duty of care has been elaborated in Blyth v Birmingham Waterworks Co. (1856), where the court identified that the negligence of the defendant needs to be decided with the help of the standard of reasonable person. Thus, a party cannot be said to be negligent if the party has taken all the reasonable precautions and at the same time, the conduct of the party is according to the standard of any other reasonable person under similar circumstances (Sappideen, 2009). In the same way, the test for deciding the presence of duty of care was mentioned in Caparo Industries plc. v Dickman (1990). According to this test, it is considered it the injury or the loss of the claimant is the reasonably foreseeable result of the conduct of the defendant. But at the same time, the courts also have to look for the presence of a relationship of sufficient proximity or in other words, neighborhood, between the parties. Similarly, the courts have to see if under the circumstances of the case, it will be reasonable to impose liability on such party. The law states in such cases that usually, the duty of care is not present if steps have been taken to minimize or prevent the harm that may be caused to the other party. But if a person has created a dangerous situation, even blamelessly, the duty of care provides that care should be taken to avoid injury or loss to others. For example, a person has left his or her car on the road with the headlights off. Therefore, the duty of care provides that even if the road was well lit, such person has a duty towards other drivers on the road. Therefore, if another car collides with the stationary car, such person can be held jointly liable. On the other hand, under some circumstances, a person can be considered as liable for pure omissions also (Wyong Shire Council V. Shirt, 1980). Therefore, when a previous relationship is present, a body can be held liable. Similarly, a statute may also impose such a relationship among the parties. So far as the second issue is concerned, the Court has stated in Donoghue v Stevenson that the tort of negligence is a separate tort in itself. According to the law, civil action can be taken by the plaintiff in case of a loss or injury that has been suffered due to the negligence of the respondent. Before Donoghue v Stevenson (1932), in order to establish negligence, it was necessary for the plaintiff to establish a contractual agreement between the parties which included the sale of goods or services. But the drink was not purchased by the plaintiff in this case and therefore a contractual relationship could not be established. But in its judgment, the court stated that the manufacturer of the drink can be considered as liable. Therefore, the law provides that a duty of care is present on part of the manufacturers of products towards the consumers who ultimately consumed the product (Keenan, 2007). According to the neighbor principle divided by Lord Atkins, a neighbor can be consid ered as a person who is directly affected by the actions of the other party. Therefore, the court stated that the other party is required to take care and avoid the actions that can be reasonably foreseen by such party to injure the neighbor. Application: By applying the above stated legal principles to the present case, it can be said that Mark, Peter and Mary have consumed two bottles of champagne when they were celebrating the completion of their education. After consuming the champagne, Peter climbed the fence and went towards the edge. At this point, he lost his balance and as a result fell from there. Due to the fall, he broke his leg. As a result, he wants to sue the Council has he believes that the council has been negligent as it had failed to take reasonable precautions so that the people can be prevented from falling off from the cliff. Therefore, Peter claims that the Council has breached its duty of care towards Peter. On the other hand, Willow Council had created a fence in order to stop the visitors from going towards the edge of the cliff due to the danger that they may fall from the edge. But it needs to be noted in this case that although cliff was visible, no warning signs have been installed on that pl ace. Another point another point that needs to be mentioned is that when Peter fell from the cliff, he was drunk. In the present case, Willow Council was aware of the fact that due to the scenic beauty of the place, a large number of people came there. These people faced the risk of falling off in case they went near the edge. Regarding the issue of liability of the manufacture of champagne bottle, it needs to be seen if the manufacturers had reasonably discharged its duty to warn the ultimate consumers by informing that the cap of the bottle was of a special type and therefore, a person may receive injury if the water was not opened properly. However, in this case, the manufacturer of the champagne bottle has not provided any warning on the bottle due to which, Mark suffered an injury when he was trying to open the bottle and the cock stopper hit his nose. Conclusion On the basis of the above-mentioned discussion, it can be said that Willow Council can be held liable for the injuries suffered by Peter. The Council did not take all the reasonable precautions in this case as it was reasonably foreseeable for the council that a large number of people visited that place and any person may fall off the cliff. So far as the second issue concerning the liability of the champagne bottle manufacturer is concerned, the manufacturers can also be held liable as the duty of care has been breached in this case. As no warning has been provided by the manufacturer on the bottle in order to on the consumers that the cap of the bottle is of special type and the consumers may suffer an injury if they do not handle the cock stopper properly. Therefore in this case, Mark can succeed in case he decides to sue the wine company.

Wwi-Treaty Of Versailles Essays - France, Bulgaria In World War I

Wwi-Treaty Of Versailles World War I - Treaty of Versailles In the peace settlement Germany was forced to accept sole responsibility for causing World War I. This was a totally justifiable demand on the part of the victorious powers. The Treaty of Versailles was enacted into history in June 1919 with Germany forced to accept sole responsibility for causing World War I. Since then there has been considerable debate concerning the war but even today historians still cannot fully agree upon the causes. Some support has been given to the theory that Germany was totally responsible for the war however substantial evidence does not support that view. Therefore the insistence by the victorious powers to include in the Treaty that Germany accept total blame cannot be justified. This essay examines certain events and actions prior to the July crisis. These caused tension and hostility among nations but did not have a direct bearing upon the war. Also it has been determined that there were decisions and courses of action taken by several nations follow ing the assassination of Franz Ferdinand heir to the Austrian-Hungarian throne which did have a direct bearing upon World War I. Development of political and military alliances caused tension and hostility among nations leading up to World War I. Two major alliance systems developed due to conflicting national interests which had been evident during the past two decades throughout Europe. These were the Triple Alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy and the Triple Entente of Britain, France and Russia. Also several smaller countries became indirectly involved in the alliances which effectively divided Europe into two Armed Camps. Russia pledged to support Serbia in order to prevent further Austrian-Hungarian expansion into the Balkans. Germany stated its support for Austria-Hungary and Britain had given its support for Belgiums 2.neutrality in 1839. However while these political and military alliances existed there is no direct evidence to indicate that any nation declared wa r on that basis. There had been several crisis during the period 1905-1913. First the Moroccan crisis involving France and Germany during 1905 and 1911. No wars eventuated only tensions and fears regarding Germanys aggressive expansionist policies. Britain supported France being involved in Morocco and France conceded some territory in the Congo to Germany. Second the 1908 Balkans crisis eventuated because of the collapse of the Ottoman [Turkish] Empire. Austria-Hungary annexed the provinces of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Serbia was insensed and sought Russian assistance. Germany became involved and Russia backed down. Finally two wars developed in the Balkans. The first Balkan war [1912] was between Turkey and the Balkan League [Serbia, Bulgaria and Greece] with Turkey being driven out of the Balkans. The second Balkan war [1913] occurred between Bulgaria and Serbia/Greece. Winning this war strengthened Serbs position and this gave Austria-Hungary concern regarding its influence in the Bal kans. The main significance of the Balkan wars was the position of Britain and France placing restraint on Russia and Germany restraining Austria-Hungary. This did not happen with the July crisis of 1914 which resulted in World War I. [Condron - The Making of the Modern World] Also the two Balkan wars resulted in renewed antagonism between Bulgaria and the other Balkan states especially Serbia and caused general dissatisfaction because of the interference of the great powers in Balkan politics.[Grolier - World War I]. Evidence does support that while the various events discussed did not contribute directly to World War I they did indeed contribute to extreme tensions and suspicions between the great powers and certainly fueled the arms race which in effect prepared nations for the total disaster that was to follow the July crisis. The arms race which mainly involved Britain and Germany began in 1896 when Germany took the decision to significantly expand its navy. This intense compet ition which developed created significant tensions between nations. The intensity to expand was further fueled following each major crisis which developed during the period 1905-1913. Britain hardened its position towards Germany. The arms race also extended to other areas such as the expansion and modernization of armies. Evidence suggests that due to the large increase in expenditure on navies and armies together with 3.transport and equipment Britain and the European nations were in fact preparing for

Free Essays on Butterfly Effect

As Maximus says in the movie Gladiator, â€Å"What we do in life echoes in eternity.† The Butterfly Effect, in its essence, says that a small change, such as a flap of a butterfly’s wings in China, may trigger a much larger circumstance across the globe, such as a storm front in New York. Drastic changes result from small changes in the initial settings. When we take a closer look, it becomes evident that this idea is relevant is all of our lives. My experience with the Butterfly Effect started two years ago. Summer had begun and I was still without a summer job. My friends already had a couple of weeks of steady income under their belts, and I was beginning to worry that my ideal job would not present itself. Then, my problems were solved †¦ almost. Within a couple hours, I received phone calls by two possible employers. First, I was called by Paul, my volleyball coach, in need of someone to do manual labor for the summer. I would be sandblasting for him. The pay was very good for my age but would also come only with hard, tedious work. The other job offer came from Donna, a family friend, involving a new tennis camp she was directing. She asked if I were interested in being a counselor for the summer; there would be minimal pay but a relaxed workplace. Putting off my decision for a while, I went out with my friends, knowing I would have to face my decision when I came back. After weighing my options, I settled on working for Paul. It seemed like the right decision, especially with the bill for club volleyball still on my â€Å"To-Pay† list. When I got home, I went to the phone to call Paul and tell him that I was available for the summer. As I was looking up his number, the phone rang in my hand; it was my grandmother with her usual call to check up on me. Our talk lasted a good half an hour before I realized I had to call Paul before he closed up the shop. I finished with my grandmother and dialed up Paul. Wh... Free Essays on Butterfly Effect Free Essays on Butterfly Effect As Maximus says in the movie Gladiator, â€Å"What we do in life echoes in eternity.† The Butterfly Effect, in its essence, says that a small change, such as a flap of a butterfly’s wings in China, may trigger a much larger circumstance across the globe, such as a storm front in New York. Drastic changes result from small changes in the initial settings. When we take a closer look, it becomes evident that this idea is relevant is all of our lives. My experience with the Butterfly Effect started two years ago. Summer had begun and I was still without a summer job. My friends already had a couple of weeks of steady income under their belts, and I was beginning to worry that my ideal job would not present itself. Then, my problems were solved †¦ almost. Within a couple hours, I received phone calls by two possible employers. First, I was called by Paul, my volleyball coach, in need of someone to do manual labor for the summer. I would be sandblasting for him. The pay was very good for my age but would also come only with hard, tedious work. The other job offer came from Donna, a family friend, involving a new tennis camp she was directing. She asked if I were interested in being a counselor for the summer; there would be minimal pay but a relaxed workplace. Putting off my decision for a while, I went out with my friends, knowing I would have to face my decision when I came back. After weighing my options, I settled on working for Paul. It seemed like the right decision, especially with the bill for club volleyball still on my â€Å"To-Pay† list. When I got home, I went to the phone to call Paul and tell him that I was available for the summer. As I was looking up his number, the phone rang in my hand; it was my grandmother with her usual call to check up on me. Our talk lasted a good half an hour before I realized I had to call Paul before he closed up the shop. I finished with my grandmother and dialed up Paul. Wh...

Periodicity Definition in Chemistry

Periodicity Definition in Chemistry Periodicity Definition In the context of chemistry and the periodic table, periodicity refers to trends or recurring variations in element properties with increasing atomic number. Periodicity is caused by regular and predictable variations in element atomic structure. Mendeleev organized elements according to recurring properties to make a periodic table of elements. Elements within a group (column)  display similar characteristics. The rows in the periodic table (the periods) reflect the filling of electrons shells around the nucleus, so when a new row begins, the elements stack on top of each other with similar properties. For example, helium and  neon are both fairly unreactive gases that glow when an electric current is passed through them.  Lithium and sodium both have a 1 oxidation state and are reactive, shiny metals. Uses of Periodicity Periodicity was helpful to Mendeleev because it showed him gaps in his periodic table where elements should be. This helped scientists find new elements because they could be expected to display certain characteristics based on the location they would take in the periodic table. Now that the elements have been discovered, scientists and students used periodicity to make predictions about how elements will behave in chemical reactions and their physical properties. Periodicity helps chemists predict how the new, superheavy elements might look and behave. Properties That Display Periodicity Periodicity can include many different properties, but the key recurring trends are: Ionization Energy  - This is the energy needed to completely remove an electron from an atom or ion. Ionization energy increases moving left to right across the table and decreases moving down a group.Electronegativity - A measure of how readily an atom forms a chemical bond.  Electronegativity increases moving left to right across a period and decrease moving down a group.Atomic Radius - This is half the distance between the middle of two atoms just touching each other. Atomic radius decreases moving left to right across a period and increases moving down a group. Ionic radius is the distance for ions of the atoms and follows the same trend. Although it might seem like increasing the number of protons and electrons in an atom would always increase its size, the atom size doesnt increase until a new electron shell is added. Atom and ion sizes shrink moving across a period because the increasing positive charge of the nucleus pulls in the electron shell.Electron Affinity - This is a measure of readily an atom accepts an electron. Electron affinity increases moving across a period and decreases moving down a group. Nonmetals usually have higher electron affinities than metals. The noble gases are an exception to the trend since these elements have filled electron valence shells and electron affinity values approaching zero. However, the behavior of the noble gases is periodic. In other words, even though an element group might break a trend, the elements within the group display periodic properties. If youre still confused or need additional information, a more detailed overview of periodicity is also available.

The Scarlet Letter Plot Motif Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Scarlet Letter Plot Motif - Essay Example The way in which sin is associated with darkness and repentance to light is well consumed by the writer. The entire romance thus becomes a kind of exposition of nature. The mood of the characters is effectively set using the motifs. All the major actions of the characters can be categorized to those which happen in the darkness and those which happen in light. It takes place at Boston where people consider religion and law almost similar .The door of the jail was flung open. Led by the down beadle, a young woman emerged, bearing in her arms a child. On the breast of her gown appeared the letter A, done in fine red cloths, and elaborately embroidered. She was Hester Prynne who had been ordered to wear the scarlet letter â€Å"A†- â€Å"A† standing for adultery upon her bosom, for the reminder of her life as a mark of shame. Hester went up the steps of the scaffold. She was condemned to stand on the platform of the pillory for a space of three hours, as a mark of public d isgrace. The real sinner, the guilty lover, Dimmesdale is their itself before all, in the cold rays of light. Though he is exposed to deal with the sinner standing in front of him, he successfully hides himself in the darkness of his mind. Before the people like Governor Belligham , the reverend John Wilson ,the eldest clergyman. Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale was assigned the special charge of dealing with the poor sinners soul . It was at Dimmesdale that Hester had brought her scandalous sin. So Dimmesdale, her pastor came forward and exhorted Hester to name the man who was her partner in guilt. Hester says â€Å" Be not silent from any mistaken pity and tenderness for him †¦. But Hester refused to say the name of the father of her child Pearl instead says â€Å"my child must seek a heavenly father ...† The physician, before whom Hester was brought, is the real husband of her. Being afraid of the reality he also hides himself at the corner of his heart. After the captivity, on the day of her public punishment itself, he came to the town; saw her standing as a sinner. He suddenly raised his fingers near to the lips, thus making her silence about their past relations. They repented each other for misusing their youth. Though Roger begged her to reveal the name of her child’s father, she did not and also promise not to reveal the relation between the two. The period of punishment was over and Hester decided to settle in a small house on the outskirts of the town with her child Pearl. She engaged in needlework .But Pearl was growing up as an undisciplined girl. To save her from the custody of her mother and to bring her up as a good child, the governor Bellingham, Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingworth decided to take the child away from her. But Dimmesdale interfered and Hester was allowed to keep Pearl. The reverend believes that in the presence of pearl, Hester will not go into darkness. Thus once gain Pearl stand for the powerful light that can brig hten the life of Hester After that Dimmesdale began growing emaciated or the darkness in his mind began to fade always to receive the light of repentance. Roger Chillingworth was there to look after him. â€Å"Chilling worth maniacally uses his skills as a physician to probe, control, and otherwise torture the ailing Dimmesdale† (Johnson 63). The doctor understood that he was much perturbed by feeling of conscience and guilt. Chillingworth, so shrewd he was, could clearly infer the cause of Dimmesdale malady. Probably Dimmesdale was suffering from a troubled conscience because of his involvement with Hester in adultery. Dimmesdale longed to confess his sin from the pulpit of his participation in adulterous act. He wanted to tell the people how impure he was. The anguish in him was so strong to pull him to stand on the pulpit where Hester

Alcohol Abuse -and explain physical part what it does to people Research Paper

Alcohol Abuse -and explain physical part what it does to people - Research Paper Example Majority of the people in this world might have consumed alcohol at some point of time in their life. There are many people who use alcohol in a controlled manner. When alcohol is used in a controlled manner, it may not cause many damages either to a person or to the society. However, it is difficult to use alcohol in a controlled manner because of its abilities to make person addictive to it. Most of the people start alcohol use just for a joke and become addicted to it unknowingly. Alcohol abuse is one of the major multifaceted problems in the world which has social, emotional and physical dimensions. The social dimension of alcoholism is the family problems and subsequent divorce issues. Alcoholism may cause sexual dysfunction which can create problems in family life. In many cases, divorce is taking place because of the alcoholic husband or wife. Moreover alcoholism can cause mental diseases such as anxiety, depression, psychosis, schizophrenia etc. The most vital aspect of alcoholism is the possibility of development of physical diseases to body organs such as liver, pancreas, heart etc. In many cases, alcohol can cause cancer disease also. In short alcoholism can generate physical, mental and social problems. This paper limits its focus only to the physical problems which can be generated as a result of alcoholism. The commitments of current generation are more than that of the earlier generation. Current generation has lot of social, cultural, professional and personal commitments. It is difficult for them to fulfill all these commitments equally well. The failure to fulfill commitments will increase the stress levels of the people which may lead them to an imaginary or virtual world- the world of alcohol. Most of the people take shelter in the world of alcohol in order to stay away from realities in the real world. â€Å"More than 2 million American people experience

Great Expectations, Romeo and Juliet and To Kill a Mocking Bird Essay Example for Free

Great Expectations, Romeo and Juliet and To Kill a Mocking Bird Essay Great Expectations, To Kill a Mocking Bird, and Romeo and Juliet are all very diverse pieces of literature. Each piece of literature is unique to one another, but they all share common characteristics and themes. All of the works include a key character that gains understanding of himself resulting from events in his life that caused confusions or prejudice. Pip, the main character of Great Expectations, learns a great amount resulting from confusion in his life. His confusion is caused by his love for Estella, a beautiful and proper girl of the upper-class. Pip becomes intrigued by Estella the moment Ms. Havisham, Estellas guardian, has him over to visit. Ms. Havisham encourages and strengthens Pips feeling for Estella by always reminding him of Estellas beauty and intelligence. As Pip grows older, his love for Estella never fades. Pip becomes confused when Estella makes him think that he may have a chance with her when in reality she doesnt love him at all. Estella is incapable of loving because Ms. Havisham taught her to hide her affection and love and to never open up to a man. Once Pip realizes that he will never marry Estella he learns never to set his mind on one thing and that he must keep an open mind. Jem, the main character of To Kill a Mocking Bird, learns a lot from the prejudice he must experience in his life resulting from a trial his dad is involved in. Jems dad is defending a black man who was accused of raping a young girl in town. This is especially hard for Jem because he is growing up in a very racist southern town and time. Even though the majority of the people in the town know the black man is innocent, his color causes them to discriminate against him and accuse him as being guilty. The things Jem must experience as a result of the trial, such as getting beat up by a grown man, teach him many things about his life. He learns to give every person a chance no matter what their race, gender, or any other classifying features are. Most importantly, Jem learns to never cower down from what he believes in and to never give up. Juliet, the main character of the play Romeo and Juliet, also learns a lot from the confusion in her life. Romeo and Juliet fall in love at first sight. Unfortunately Romeo and Juliet must express their love in secret  because their families are arch enemies. Juliet becomes confused a number of times throughout the play because she is put in the position of choosing between her lover and her family. For example, when Romeo kills Juliets cousin, she doesnt know who to side with. Juliet decides to go against her family and quickly forgive Romeo. She figures love is the most important thing. Juliet learns that to be happy you must follow your heart. Even though the play ends in tragedy, the only thing that would make Juliet happy was to be with Romeo, even if it was in the afterlife. As one can see Pip, Jem, and Juliet all learned important lessons from their experiences. The confusion in Pip and Juliets lives and the prejudice in Jems cause them all to come to conclusions about themselves and their lives. Overall, the lessons each character learned helped them to become a better person who was more aware of himself.

Free Essays: The World of the Odyssey and Todays Society :: Homer Odyssey Essays

The World of the Odyssey and Today's Society In the book the Odyssey by Homer violence, deceit, disorder, absence of law enforcement, and it's principal of self-sufficiency, obviously differs from our modern society today. In modern world today we have laws and law enforcers, which is to help keep away from as much violence as possible. We have legal systems and courts to decide whether people deserve punishments, and this shows in many ways how the present differs from the past. That is why many leaders of the past couldn't be successful leaders in running today's society. Odysseus went by his own rules and made up his own rights, which he lived by, and would set the tone for the rest of his crew. Odysseus would be a poor leader in today's society based on his leadership skills in the book. Odysseus would be a terrible leader today because his way of being just and solving problems is to kill people. He believes in no sound reasoning and cares about himself and how much of a great fighter he is. " Lady, it's not possible to interpret this dream in any other way. You have learnt from Odysseus himself how he will make the dream true. Clearly, the Suitors are all of them doomed: there is not who will escape his destined death (p.301)." When Odysseus heard of the suitors in his home, he had it set in his mind to kill them all before even trying to reason with them or asking them to leave. Also, he plans to take revenge and kill his servants when he believes that they were disloyal and instead of giving them the chance to explain why they had been disloyal to him. In today's society you can't go out and kill someone because you feel what they are doing is wrong. For that we have legal systems where people have the right to prove their innocence if thought to be guilty. If Odysseus killed someone today because he didn't like what they were doing, he would be jailed. If killing people were the answer to everyone's problems, then there would never be peace in our society today. Odysseus had his own way of thinking and doing things and in today's society that

Neither Black Nor White

When focusing on racial identity, the use of appearances as signifiers of group membership is not always clear cut.   This relationship between appearances and individual identity choice becomes even more complex when we examine bi-racial identity.   Research on bi-racial identity has often cited the reactions of whites to bi-racial individuals, but with Joseph E. Holloway’s novel Neither Black Nor White the politics of shin color among African Americans are look at.   His novel is an historical account of the Hadnot family whose migration from Gloucester England in 1585 to New Orleans describes a family that were never slaves, but owners of slaves.   They never thought of themselves as whites or as blacks, one parent that was white and one black to create a whole new identity. It is clear that there is only speculation as to the relationship between appearance and racial identity among bi-racial individuals.   There has been little to no theoretical development on this relationship.   One important distinction is that color is both a personal and a social characteristic.   That is one who perceives their skin color and one that interprets their appearance through the eyes of others within any given interactional sphere. Such as the Hadnot family, they interpreted their sense of belonging within their family structure.   It would be difficult for a person to choose an exclusively Black or exclusively White identity if their physical appearances do not match their chosen identity.   In the end literature on the appearance identity link is sparse and seriously underdeveloped. There is a love and hate relationship with this group on the one drop rule with skin color.   The argument is that a three leveled society existed in the South with the following hierarchy from highest to lowest status.   White, Mulattos, and Blacks, mixed race individuals often served as a buffer group between Whites and Blacks through which cross color interactions and business transactions could happen. This situation caused a preferential treatment of Mulattos by Whites and a generational advantage for Mulattos. Perhaps this was true for the Hadnot family in England but there were problems they had to face in New Orleans.   The foundation for a social and cultural system of color classisms within Black America was laid.   The author provided strong evidence that those members of the community with the lightest skin color and the most Caucasian looking features have been allowed the greatest freedoms and achieved at higher rates. There is argument that goes further to display the ways that darker-skinned members of the Black community discriminate against mixed-race individuals in the workplace, how patterns of dating with the community are tangled up with phenotype, how networks are constructed or dismantled on the basis of color classism and how culturally, Blacks use unique cultural coding, such as hair or first names, to distinguish between those who are black and those who are not. This is so because a bi-racial individual’s understanding of their own appearance seems to be rooted in others perceptions and assumptions of appearance and its link with identity. Appearance is distinctly more social than phenotypes because it is created by the bi-racial individual’s understanding of their skin color as conditioned through the judgments of others in interactions.   So we expect that it is appearance, not skin color, which will influence the racial identification of bi-racial, and that skin color works through one’s appearance to affect identity.   Mutual identification is critical to both identity construction and maintenance.   If an individual exists within a social context where bi-racial has a meaningful existence, then they may cultivate a border identity. If this cultural category does not exist and one becomes accustomed to and adept at switching from Black to White they will cultivate a protean identity, I think was evident in the novel Neither Black Nor White.   If their appearance is White then members may develop a transcendent identity, but only if their social context does not demand categorization.   If none of these options are available to an individual then the existing cultural norms dictate the racial identity above and beyond their appearance. Reading the novel and researching the meaning of the novel, colorism.   I love history and this historical novel put into perspective an issue I really had never thought of.   It gave the reader a good sense of what it was like being in limbo with your identity.   I was impressed with the research that went into writing this historical novel and with the detail to genealogy.   I recommend this book for all undergraduates to help understand racism and all of its hidden secrets. Reference: Davis, F.J. (1991)   Who is Black? One Nations Definition.   University Park, P.A.:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Pennsylvania State University Press. Holloway, J.E. (2006)   Neither Black Nor White.   C.A.: New World African Press.

Differential Association Theory

The paper discusses Edwin Sutherland’s Differential association theory. The nine principles of Differential association theory are discussed. The paper aims to connect fighting to Sutherland’s Differential association theory. Based on Sutherland’s theory, fighting is a form of deviant behavior, which young people learn via face-to-face communication with other people. Individuals choose to fight, when group beliefs that favor fighting overweigh group beliefs that do not favor violations of law.Whether individuals choose to fight or not to fight depends on the intensity and duration of messages that favor this form of deviance. Those who fight and those who do not fight usually express the same values and beliefs; the only difference is in the means they choose to pursue their goals. Differential Association Theory Crime and deviance have always been the objects of the peer sociological analysis. Dozens of theories were developed in an attempt to explain what crim e is, how it develops, and what can keep people from committing a crime.The list of possible explanations of deviance is endless – from genetics and social status, to television, oedipal complexes and severe mental deficiencies; yet, Edwin Sutherland’s Differential association theory remains one of the most important theoretical foundations of sociology. According to Differential association theory, individuals learn deviant behaviors through face-to-face communication with other people.As a result, fighting is a form of deviant behavior individuals learn from other people and use to achieve their goals. Differential Association Theory: The Basic Principles Differential association theory reflects Edwin Sutherland’s beliefs about the origins of crime: Sutherland was confident that crime and deviance were not biologically or economically driven, but learned through various socialization processes (Finley, 2007).Generally, the theory of differential association co mprises nine different principles: (a) delinquent behavior is learned; (b) delinquent behavior is learned from other people via face-to-face communication; (c) learning usually occurs in intimate groups and small face-to-face gatherings; (d) in these intimate groups, individuals learn techniques for committing crime, as well as appropriate attitudes and rationalizations for doing so; (e) individuals learn to direct their motives, based on whether they consider the legal code as favorable or unfavorable to crime; (f) individuals learn deviant behaviors and crime when definitions favorable to deviance overweigh the definitions unfavorable to violating law; (g) specific tendencies toward delinquency will depend on the frequency and duration of learning experiences; (h) learning delinquency is similar to any other form of learning; and (i) deviant and non-deviant behaviors usually express the same needs – the only difference is in the means individuals use to pursue their goals ( Regoli, Hewitt & DeListi, 2010).These are the principles that can readily explain any form of deviant behavior, including fighting. Fighting As a Form of Deviant Behavior: Making Connections Fighting is a popular form of deviant behavior among youth. Nine principles of Sutherland’s theory help to explain fighting in terms of communication, socialization, and peer influence; however, to make the explanation more plausible, some important connections should be made.The fact is that Sutherland’s nine propositions are grouped around three important concepts – normative conflict, differential association, and differential group organization (Matsueda, 2000). As a result, the roots and origins of fighting are easy to trace through the societal, group, and individual levels (Matsueda, 2000). At the societal level, crime is always rooted in normative conflict – a conflict of attitudes toward specific norms, beliefs, and ideas (Matsueda, 2000). Different segments of society hold different beliefs about law: some consider law as the set of rules to be followed under all circumstances, while others view law as the set of rules to be violated under certain circumstances (Matsueda, 2000).These are favorable and unfavorable attitudes to deviance, which Sutherland mentions in his theory. Fighting is a form of deviant behavior, which develops under the influence of excessive beliefs that favor fighting. Fighting will be uncommon in societies that do not consider it as an appropriate form of behavior. The question is in how these beliefs transform into individual fighting acts. According to Sutherland, fighting is always the act of learned behavior (Regoli, Hewitt & DeListi, 2010). Fighting is learned via face-to-face interactions with other people. For example, individuals will choose to fight if their parents welcome this form of deviance. However, peer influence alone cannot suffice to make individuals fight.Individuals must learn (a) specific fi ghting techniques; and (b) definitions favorable to fighting (Matsueda, 2000). The latter are, actually, the rationalizations which individuals use to justify their fighting acts. Some individuals justify fighting by telling that everyone fights. Others view fighting as the best expression of true masculinity. Certainly, fighting can be easily offset by definitions that do not favor violations of law, e. g. â€Å"Fighting is bad† or â€Å"Fighting causes pain and sufferings to other people†. Whether a person chooses to engage in or refrain from fighting depends on the duration, frequency, priority, and intensity of presenting these definitions.Here, group influence is of critical importance: Sutherland’s theory assumes that â€Å"when groups are strongly organized against crime, they will present an abundance of definitions favorable to crime and few definitions unfavorable to crime† (Matsueda, 2000, p. 131). Individuals growing up in groups that favor fi ghting will be more likely to fight, than those who live in groups strongly organized against fighting. Through the intimate interaction with groups that favor fighting, individuals will learn techniques and rationalizations for doing so. The process of learning to fight will be similar to any other form of learning. The goals of those who fight and those who do not fight will be similar, too. What will be different is the means fighting and non-fighting individuals choose to pursue their goals (Regoli, Hewitt & DeLisi, 2010). ConclusionFrom the viewpoint of Sutherland’s Differential association theory, fighting is a form of deviant behavior learned through face-to-face communication. Such learning usually occurs in intimate groups, where individuals learn specific fighting techniques and rationalizations for doing so. Fighting prevails in groups, where definitions that favor fighting overweigh the definitions that do not favor this form of deviance. Whether individuals choos e to fight depends on the frequency, duration, priority, and intensity of messages and beliefs that favor fighting. Learning to fight is similar to other forms of learning. Those who fight and those who do not fight express similar ideas and values. The only difference will be in the means these individuals choose to pursue their goals.

psycho stages essays

psycho stages essays Freuds Five Psycho Stages in Children Freud did a large study on how children feel and react to certain things as they are growing up. First, Freud believed that children have sexual tendencies as they grow up. Then, he felt that the child would learn to be infatuated with the parent that was the opposite sex from them. For example, if the child was a boy. The boy would start to become very jealous of the father as time went on. Same thing goes for a girl. In Freuds five theories, we will take a look at how each of them explains his beliefs on what children go threw as they are growing up. The first stage was the Oral phase. The Oral phase begins at birth and lasts for about eight months. During those eight months, the child will experience needs to suck, bite and swallow. These things will need to be done in order to control a childs sexual needs. However, the most obvious oral stage is the eating stage. When a child eats, it is manipulating many parts of the mouth. This manipulation was said to be the activities of fulfilling a childs sexual urges according to Freud. Each time a child goes and takes a bit of something or swallows something, Freud believes that it is all a part of controlling the childs sexual needs. During those first eight months, the child was experiencing the ID. The ID was a controlling stage in a child, satisfying a childs demands, needs and wants. A child will do anything to get what they felt was needed due to the ID. A child will cry, throw things and even point just to express and show what they want. As long as they have the power of controlling their parents, the ID will keep on growing inside of the child demanding more and more during the first eight months. Soon after the Oral phase was over, the Anal phase began to start. The Anal pha...

A Personal Study on B. F. Skinners Theory on Operant Conditioning

A Personal Study on B. F. Skinner's Theory on Operant Conditioning The theory that I chose to write about is B.F. Skinner’s Operant Conditioning because it intrigues me and is the one that I agree with the most. B.F. Skinner is an incredible American psychologist who developed one of the most influential theories there is. Skinner is a behaviorist and had developed his theory through conducting numerous amounts of research on shaping behavior. Operant conditioning is a behavior modification technique, which he developed in contrast with classical conditioning from Pavlov and Watson. His idea of the behavior modification technique was to put the subject on a program with steps. The steps included setting goals, which would help you determine how the subject would be changed by following the said steps. Operant conditioning is a type of learning where a person’s actions are reinforced or punished. The principle of Skinner’s theory reflects on how behavior that is positively reinforced will most likely reoccur again. In order for responses to be reinforced, information should be presented in small amounts. Another key principle states that reinforcements will also generalize across similar stimuli, which, in turn produces secondary conditioning. In summary, behavior is influenced by the consequences of actions, and reinforcement is crucial in changing or altering behavior. The term reinforcement in itself is any characteristic in the environment that increases the likelihood that a person will repeat a behavior in the future. On the contrary, punishment is any characteristic that decreases the probability that a person will repeat a behavior. According to B.F. Skinner, â€Å"children operate on their environments (hence the term operant conditioning), adjusting their b ehaviors to attract more reinforcements and to avoid punishments†. (12) This theory of Skinner’s proves that children adjust behavior to gain reinforcement and to avoid punishment as well. Operant conditioning and Skinner’s theory have been applied throughout various forms of research and clinical settings. Teachers use this method of operant conditioning to control children in their classroom and parents apply both positive and negative reinforcement to their children as well throughout their daily lives. When it came to more complex sorts of behaviors, the idea of shaping came into play. The procedure of shaping is selectively reinforcing certain behaviors while ignoring or punishing others. It is said that language development and how children come to produce speech have to do with shaping. â€Å"Learning theorists believe that the specific language training a child receives governs language development and that biological predispositions do not play an important role†. (264) When conducting research, Skinner and his students have had successful outcomes in getting simple animals to do extremely difficult things using shaping. We, as humans, are essentially shaped by our environment to enjoy or dislike certain things. This theory both compares and contrasts with my childhood and how I was growing up in a numerous amount of ways. In regards to shaping, I noticed that my parents would reinforce positive behavior as much as possible when I was learning math because it was something I struggled a bit more with as a kid. I would be placed in an environment where all I could do is learn and there would be no distractions. My parents would constantly tell me how crucial it was that I receive good grades. I would be praised for the good grades I received and it made me want to work harder to receive that praise continuously. I still experience a form of operant conditioning even during college. Credit cards give more student loan options to students who are performing well in a university which is another form of a reward that makes them work much harder. However, sometimes operant conditioning doesn’t work and if parents were to punish their child constantly for receiving bad grades, a child can grow to have a hatred towards school as they grow up. It is important to be understanding as well as notice that sometimes children struggle and reinforcement isn’t always going to provide the outcome you want. I believe strongly in discipline and not caving in to your children when you already told them no multiple times. For example, if a kid wants to buy candy or a toy in a store and starts crying, a parent should be stern and continue to refuse the candy bar. If the parent ends up giving in and buying the child the candy or toy, the child can start to put two and two together and apply this method of operant conditioning in a negative reinforcement way. Therefore, there needs to be a consistent pattern displayed through this method. Certain ethical or cultural issues that may connect with the operant conditioning theory from Skinner would be any time that there is physical or mental abuse being placed upon a person. Punishment being placed upon a person should never do any physical harm and reinforcement should be healthy and not anything that could be considered addictive. There needs to be a lot of care and attention that goes into both correcting and teaching behavior. B.F. Skinner is said to have also â€Å"grossly underplayed the role of biology in forging and regulating human behavior dismissing the burgeoning fields of behavioral genetics, evolutionary psychology, and cognitive science. Skinner argued that humans dont really think — that they merely respond to environmental cues†. Therefore, this theory can’t apply across all cultures because there are certain cultural factors that one person may experience opposed to someone else. Parents may use stricter forms of operant conditioning in different countries because that is how they were raised and a child may not have th e same positive effect like Skinner would hope his theory proves. My interactions with children are now influenced by this theory because I have grown more cautious in understanding that essentially you can try to train a child through delivery and reinforcement but ultimately it all comes down to how the kid is. Operant conditioning doesn’t necessarily always provide the outcome you want if the kid refuses to go along with it. I will try to apply the method of operant conditioning when babysitting or when I have my own kids someday to alter behaviors as best as I can if a child is acting up unnecessarily. Some parenting advice that I would give parents would be to stray away from the authoritarian approach as best as possible and realize that there is a difference between discipline and damaging discipline. Using the operant conditioning method to keep children â€Å"in line† and exactly how you want them to act can be harming for them down the line. If a child is always harmfully punished for his wrong actions, there will be a lot of mental damage done and it can hurt the child instead of allow him to grow and understand his wrongdoings. The best advice to understand and incorporate into parenting is that there is a fine line between discipline and compassion/understanding. If a child does something incorrectly, talk to them patiently and calmly without the reinforcement. Sometimes a child can grasp and have a better understanding through the kindness a parent shows because they see the concern come from the heart. It is also important to be consistent if applying B.F. Skinne r’s method of operant conditioning because a child can get confused on what is right and what is wrong. If a child gets punished for doing something but also receives positive reinforcement, they may perform their behavior once more in hopes of receiving that positive reward once again. All in all, B.F. Skinner’s method of operant conditioning does work but it is important to use it to an extent in parenting and understand that it may work for some but not for others. It is all dependent on outside factors such as cultural values, parenting styles, and our lives in general.

How Far Do You Agree that Video Games Have Had a Negative Effect on Essay

How Far Do You Agree that Video Games Have Had a Negative Effect on Society - Essay Example There is a constant need to update oneself in the field of technology. Although video games are considered a separate industry of computers and online games it is extremely popular all around the world. It is for this reason that the need arose to study the effects of video games on society. Research has it that these games have had negative impact causing the society to collapse due to globalization. Video games are a virtual mode of entertainment. This form of entertainment received much attention when there was any better to be done in order to utilize time. Eventually the senior generation and traditional values became things of the past. One of the major negative effects of video games is the violence caused by it. The violent form of entertainment made the world scarier place forcing the youth to carry guns to places like school for their own protection which indirectly increased the chance of getting shot (Gentile, 2003). This vicious circle was a result of addiction to video games which included online games as well. The negative impact could easily be controlled if allowed access in a proscribed atmosphere. Unfortunately the world of gaming dragged the feeble mind into an abyss from which it was very difficult to pull oneself out. Another very significant downbeat influence of video games is the desensitization towards the harsher realities of life. The actual violence which occurs all around the world seems to be of lesser importance with the next level of the game in mind. The preoccupied mind fails to integrate the daily life situations with personal interests (Gentile, 2003). â€Å"Highly involving games would be more likely to disrupt cognitive rehearsal of thoughts related to positive mood† (Vorderer & Bryant, 2006). This implies that negative moods are likely to be generated with the exposure to violent and aggressive video games. Studies link exposure to violent content of these games (Gentile 2003). Video games became the center of disc ussion ever since the over-playing of these games started to reflect among children and especially teenagers. A lot of research has been done on the effect of video games hence there is much hype about the negative aspect of gaming. Games are good for human mind. But society in the modern world is surrendering to the latest development in technology allowing experimentation on younger minds without putting disclaimers on games which are easily accessible through the internet. Video games have become a source of comfort for the teens. They console them in times of loneliness and alienation from their own family (Ritzer, 2004). Social trends in the United States have been observed to go in a decline because of lesser interaction among people. This is because they spend more time on the computer mostly playing video games or using the social media network which has confined their socialization to a box instead of open gatherings (Sparks, 2006). It is a fact that video games are not age restricted. They are played by people of all age groups. The rate of playing video games increased from two hours a week to two hours a day in the 1980s. Everyone, however, does not agree that video games have an adverse effect on children. Psychologists point out that this may not be the case. Video games can damage the cognitive development of people and lead

Rolls-Royce and the Stock Market Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Rolls-Royce and the Stock Market - Case Study Example Factors that are apt to influence the market are inflation, exchange rates, government takeover and marketing needs. In this paper an effort will be made to determine why Rolls-Royce plc had such serious difficulties in the 1970s and how they either have, or should try to, offset any difficulties that might arise. Over the past 20 years, with successful deregulation and innovation in important areas of the economy, Britain has been doing well, and in keeping with that economy, Rolls-Royce has also been doing well. This was not always the case for the company. The 1970s were a time of instability for Rolls-Royce, so much so they almost went out of business completely, declaring bankruptcy in 1971. At the end of the decade, Rolls-Royce was in trouble again when their exchange rate predictions went awry. Could the company have foreseen the difficulties they would be facing in their engine production and was their financial crisis due to lack of foresight or a roll of the dice With empirical research, up-to-date news, government articles and papers on the business economy, an effort will be made to answer this question. Henry Royce built the first motor car in 1904 and joined with Charles Rolls to manufacture and sell a range of cars in Britain under the name Rolls-Royce. The company was formed in 1906 and within a year, the Silver Ghost, a six-cylinder car, was lauded as the best in the world. At the start of World War I, Royce designed his first aero engine, the Eagle, which provided half the horsepower used by the Allies in the air war. With the production of the "R" engine, business continued and Rolls-Royce gained the technological base to develop the Merlin, used in the Battle of Britain during World War II, and the gas turbine for the civil aviation market which led to the Comet, the first turbo jet to enter transatlantic service . In 1960 the Conway engine in the Boeing 707 became the first turbofan to enter the airline service ("History: Timeline, 2004; "The History of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars" [online]). Rolls-Royce was enjoying success as the only "British aircraft engine company that cou ld contemplate competing in global markets" (Lazonick and Prencipe, 2004, p.6). In 1966, Rolls-Royce and Bristol Siddley merged and continued production of the Rolls-Royce aero engines in both companies. However, with each company retaining old loyalties, integration was never complete, perhaps creating the first crack in the veneer of the heretofore financially solid, growing business. At the same time, American Airlines in the United States announced a contest for a new trans-Atlantic aircraft. Both Douglas and Lockheed responded with designs, the DC-10 and the Lockheed L-1011, respectively. The designs were

Critical Thinking Week 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Critical Thinking Week 2 - Essay Example Nothing is accepted on face value and every aspect of a communication, whether oral or written, is questioned to clearly identify the issues, stated conclusions, arguments, evidence in support and assumptions/omissions/fallacies. This should lead to the right conclusions and right decisions. Clear thinking is all about ‘the ability to engage in reflective and independent thinking’ (Anon., n.d., philosophy.hku.hk). According to Study Guides, clear thinking involves ‘placing the facts and information in a pattern †¦ and †¦ accepting or rejecting the source values and conclusions†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Anon., n.d., studygs.net). In the following paragraphs, a memo from the Director of Human Resources, Federated State Employees Union (FSEU), Local 343 to its President, in response to the proposal of the Governor of the state of Illinois for economizing the budgeted personnel cost of the department of transportation (DoT) through outsourcing its information systems m anagement, is analyzed applying the critical thinking process through its various steps (Browne and Keeley, 2007). Analysis Step 1: Issue and conclusion The memo lays down the union’s opposition to privatization of jobs as a means to curtail costs, dilates on the perils of the proposed action on union and its members, and attempts to justify the opposition on multiple grounds. The prescriptive issue conveyed is: Should the Governor’s proposal to cut costs by eliminating certain jobs by resorting to privatization be allowed to be implemented? The conclusion is: It is not only a bad idea but also bad in law, and is in effect an attempt to control the union. Step 2: Reasons offered FSEU is questioning the rationale of eliminating jobs through outsourcing, which opens up the possibility of permanent unemployment of the concerned union members. Since outsourcing would potentially invite foreign agents with their unfair advantage of low-wage workers, the proposal is seen as anti-American and as a forerunner for similar attempts in other departments too. Further, it would lead to reduced wages as a result of competition from foreign workers. Dispersal to other departments and potential wage reduction are attempts by the management to gain control over the union. Displaced workers, if at all they get new postings, would need to learn new skills and to cope with new environs, in spite of their age, experience and merit. It is contended that employee reduction/displacement through privatization runs contrary to the Pendleton Act of 1883. Step 3: Ambiguity in reasoning The Wikipedia reference to the relevance of Pendleton Act of 1883 is tenuous and not specific. Words and phrases like ‘instability, most likely, similar, attempt to drive out old experienced workers’ are ambiguous in context and not supported by reason or evidence. Step 4: Value assumptions/conflicts The major value assumed in the memo is the union’s right to protect the i nterests of its members and for citizens at large, both on the present issue and for future. Further, it is argued that yielding by the union on the issue would weaken its position for future negotiations with the management. At the same time, the assumed threat for the union members is sought to be used to garner votes

Business Strategy In Global Environment Mcdonald Marketing Essay

Business Strategy In Global Environment Mcdonald Marketing Essay McDonalds is one of the worlds leading fast food makers, 1995 when Ray Kroc started the franchising system till now McDonalds have seen an era of constant growth in both in terms of reach to the customers across the globe or in terms of sales and profits. There are number of driving forces of its basic aims that kept it at above all system wide sandwich market throughout its most magnificent years. The idea of making a system of restaurants with low priced menu items available to local community in a fast, efficient and hygienic way as well as a enjoyable environment lead McDonalds to become worlds largest sandwich chain. (Marino, 2004. p.C213) http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQpd5oqJsfyDAeDoy7AST6YNQfaNhLV25kSdfuI_KXZH6mcilIt=1usg=__7clK98n3FRPjsriVl9qBT21ydm8= After a years of hard work McDonalds has developed its customer loyalty and brand image across the world and strong financial base to counterbalance the impact of extreme competition by the similar sandwich industry players such as Subway, Burger King, Wendys. During early 1990s, when MacDonalds intensified its international operations to balance the impact of growing competition in USA, its brand image became so popular outside USA that on its opening in Beijing 1992 more than 40,000 customers flooded the restaurant. Earlier in 1990, an opening of a new restaurant in Moscow drew about 30,000 people. (Marino, 2004, p.C214) throughout 1990s McDonalds have seen many year of radical transformation in its strategic policies besides its glorious years, particularly in the later years of 1990 most of its efforts to overcome its falling performance, customer satisfaction and monetary profits resulted in further decline in brand image as well as sales. The top management launched a plan to further boost restaurants growth and diversification away from just a sandwich maker by adding no less than 40 new items in the menu. In order to achieve the target of 10 to 15 percent of profits an investment of $420 million was made to upgrade few things such as kitchen and research and development. Despite all these efforts it appeared that nothing was working to put McDonalds back on track. (Marino, 2004, p.C215) This was the first time when McDonalds posted its first time ever fourth quarter loss in 2002. It is the same time when Jim Cantalupo took over the charge of the corporation and introduced Plan to Win strategy to win back the lost empire of unprecedented history of McDonalds. Jim Cantalupo preferred to focus companys generic strategy on marketing mix of the company in order to overcome the declining brand image and negative publicity experienced just before him taking over the company. His plan focused on offering customers a better experience of enjoying their fast food as compared to competitors. (Marino, 2004) WHAT IS A BUSINESS STRATEGY By all the management scientist and academicians business strategy has been defined in many variable ways. Strategy can be simply defined as a plan to reach from one point to another or it can be as composite as the global market place. In a global corporate industry environment strategy is a complex and comprehensive framework of actions put together after careful analysis of capabilities and strengths and the environmental impacts of peripheral forces manipulate the organization (Elkin, 1998) Strategy can also be defined as a framework which steer those choices that determine the nature and direction of an organization. (Tregoe Zimmerman, 1980) Leadership in a highly competitive market depends on narrowing the focus of business strategy instead of broadening it. Business strategy includes identification of organizations operational excellence, its customer intimacy, and the product leadership. These three elements are the powerful dynamics of a business strategy. (Treacy Wiersema, 1989) To achieve objects an organization can exploit its unutilised resource strength and capabilities or it can altogether develop a core competency. A companys strategy is a plan of its management to achieve and sustain a market position, conduct its operations, attract and please customers, compete successfully, and achieve organizational objectives. (Thompson Strickland, 2003, p. 3) http://www.softsia.com/screenshots/Deep-SWOT-analysis-software_sxtn.gif INTERNAL STRENGTH AND RESOURCE CAPABILITIES STRENGTHS: The assessment of in-house resources of an organization is evaluated in relation to the competitors. (Thompson Strickland, 2003) MacDonalds business strategy still upholds the philosophy of Ray Crok who in 1958 said that, the basis for our entire business is that we are ethical, truthful and dependable. It takes time to build a reputation. We are not promoters. We are business people with a solid, permanent, constructive ethical program that will be in style years from now even more than it is today. (mcdonalds.com) a) Market Leadership In the fast food chains in the world McDonalds has one of the strong international presence, in the USA alone it has over 13,500 restaurants and 16,500 restaurants worldwide. It was operation in 120 countries of the world with Burger King at number two in 2002 was operating in 120 countries of the world with Burger King at number two with only 58 countries. Its operating income from worldwide operations almost compared the income from domestic operations. In USA McDonalds secured over 32 percent of the sales of top no less than 30 chains in 2003 out of which about 30 percent of the sales come from its international operations. The leadership of McDonalds amongst restaurants chains have widely been recognized and have placed it in a very strong position to increase and retain a major part of this market share. (Marino, 2004) B) Financial Strength Another very important policy of McDonalds is to own all real estates for franchised or company operated location. This gives a large rental income and asset base for the company. Beverley Vasquez in his article; McDonalds Takes Bite from its Land holding published in Denver Business Journal in 1998 says that McDonalds generate more money from its rent than from its franchise fees. (Denver Business Journal 50, p. B9) its strategy to own its real estates has given it even more control over what it can do with the land. The major advantage of this policy was to choose a piece of land to build a restaurant in any suitable location to generate maximum sales and to make financial assets and remove the impact of development McDonalds keeps about 100% of profits from company owned restaurants. (Marino, 2004) like any other company in the same business McDonalds liquidity is within the industrial standards. McDonalds current ratio in 2003 was 0.76, maintaining or improving current ratio help meet current liabilities and short term debts without putting further constraints on company operations. c) Brand Image In 2003 McDonalds brand value was placed at 8th number among worlds most valuable brand with $24.69 billion (source: interbrand). Brand image is the totality of consumer perceptions about the brand, or how they see it. Companies have to work hard on the consumer experience to make sure that what customers see and think is what they want them to. (Temporal, 2002 Marino, 2004) d) Innovative Skills In a global market place a company needs to be well aware of particular needs and requirements of the people defined by their cultural and religious affiliations and their particular eating habits. Due to changing eating habits of its customers McDonalds has improved its menus many times. This was due to many reasons such as innovation in food processing and cooking and growing health awareness in people. (Marino, 2004) Its menus in almost all countries reflect the local traditional elements and tastes. Kosher for Jewish people in Israel, introduction of low fat food across the chain, and menus according to particular French, Chinese and South American tastes are a few examples. It has integrated local eating trends and traditions successfully across the world by changing the local menus in several regions of the world, McDonalds have almost always adapted to the changes in the costumers preferences despite some of its failure to regain sales revenues in late 1990s. WEAKNESSES: a) Weak Strategic Direction Chairman and CEO Alan Greenberg took the full responsibility of its poor performance and resigned after face the first ever loss In fourth quarter 2002. The collapse was mainly cause of launching many concordant initiative and be deficient of will to completely implement them or waiting for the outcome of any particular initiative. Due to this deprived strategic decision making, management was left with no clear directions. Increased competition and hostility among the franchises forced company to review its policies regarding development, association, quality and customer services. At one stage company publicized 40 new menu items and customized cooking system which cost company a hefty $420 million. (Marino, 2004) A week strategy or failure to fittingly launch a strategy may result in a week performance of the overall business. (Thompson Strickland, 2003) If a company alter its business strategy it may result in customer confusion, price oriented customer may switch to another low cost leader if the business employing a low cost strategy shifts its focus to differentiation strategy At the same time those customers willing to pay a premium price may not identify the organizations strategic change. (Parnell, John A.,2003) b) Customer Services McDonalds discontinued its principal of restaurant evaluation system in early 1990(namely QSVC, Quality, Service, Value, and Cleanliness) in order to reduce the tension among franchises and to pave way for international growth and to improve its partnership with leading superstores. It was expected that companys image would regain When Greenberg reinstituted its Quality, Service, Cleanliness inspections and mystery shopping in 2001, but in 2002 company was ranked lesser than its main rivals including KFC, Wendys, Burger King, and even US internal revenue services. c) Revenues Losses and Share value In the start of 2003, McDonalds had to face a loss of $343.8 million in its first quarter Followed by a constant decline in revenue during 12 months to April 2003. Companys share value dipped to all time low. At one point in March 2003 it was being traded at $12.50. Putting further pressure on short term and long term liquidity and constraining the company to keep equity at sustainable level. d) Employees Turnover Employee turnover is very important in any organization accurate, efficient and quick customer service mostly relies on staff training and experience. McDonalds has 300 percent high employees turnover than industry average. This clearly means McDonalds not only have to train more than average employees but also have to wait until they are fully functional and experienced. It is 40 seconds slower than its close rival Wendys in drive-thru operation but still it generates almost 60 percent of its revenue from them. EXTERNAL MARKET FACTORS OPPORTUNITIES: a) Revenue Generation The strong worldwide presence of McDonalds provide it an opportunity to produce revenues from public offering and this was experienced successfully in case of Japan. Public offering could be phased out in 120 countries of the world once McDonalds could grow strong in each country. b) Diversification materialization of mega-store and expansion in their process has unlocked a new market segment for McDonalds retail products. Further new opportunity include launching McDonalds novelty products like watches and toys to be sold across the world and going into joint schemes with non rival companies to use MacDonalds premises to uphold their product. THREATS: a) Trends in Sandwich Restaurant industry McDonalds has faced challenges by the new trends in eating healthier food alternatives along with the other industry players. Customer dietary awareness grew after findings of various scientific researches advocating eating healthy food with lesser fats, oil and sugar contents. Sandwich chain have to keep modifying their menu in order to be concerned about customers wellbeing. McDonalds has to continue focusing on adjusting its policy to reflect healthier aspects of menu items or it could be an easy target for negative publicity. McDonalds main rivals Burger King and Wendys have addressed current consumer health trends more successfully. Particularly, Wendys has responded to this with the introduction of their gourmet salad line. Typically 30% of those consumers visiting Wendys do so specifically for the purpose of purchasing salads from their Garden Sensations salad line. (Marino, 2004) Soon after recognizing the market, the super store jumped into sandwich industry by offering read ymade meals and sandwiches at competitive prices further increasing competition for McDonalds and its rivals as well. b) Intense Competition After 2003 it was expected for systemwide sandwich industry in USA to grow around only 2 percent for foreseeable future. There was a shrinkage in local restaurant industry due to increased competition amongst traditional rivals, many chains were copying McDonalds theme at that time increasing market share was more difficult in both USA and worldwide. (Marino, 2004) a large number of customer was shifting to other low price outlets of similar quality and service as they were becoming more price conscious. The ideal condition is for the strength/ competitive assets to outweigh its weakness/ competitive liabilities by an ample margin-50/50 balance is definitely not the desired condition. (Thompson Strickland, 2003, p120) PEST ANALYSIS The analysis of macro environment in which business operates is called PEST analysis its consist of four elements Political, Economical, Social and Technological. POLITICAL FACTORS Individual state policies enforced by the government greatly influenced the international operations of McDonalds. Many groups in Europe and USA clamor for the actions taken by the state pertaining to the hygiene, health and fitness proposition of eating fast food. They have pointed out that things like cholesterol are harmful for human body and adverse effects like obesity are attributable to consuming fast food products. (ivythesis 2010) On the contrary, there are number of internal policies and regulation in order to control the company, specific segments of the market focus on different fields of concern for example environment, worker protection and specially health. In all parts of country and outside the country government check all these elements before issuance of any kind of license in the respective states. In countries like India it is a looming legal dispute in the franchise of McDonalds where certain breach of rights and violation of religious laws pertaining to the contents of the food, it is highly offensive to the Hindu religion in that region to have meat in their menus. There are also other studies that points to the infringement of McDonalds Stores with reference to the existing employment laws in the target market. Like any business venture, these McDonalds stores have to contend with the issues of employment procedures as well as their tax obligations so as to succeed in the foreign market. (ivyth esis 2010) ECONOMIC FACTORS It is seen that there are always numerous problem available to fast food industry and no organization in this business are excused for any disputes and troubles, all have concerns up to certain extant regarding economic factors individually. Branches and franchises of fast food chains like McDonalds are likely to experience difficulties in case the economy of any country is hit by inflation and a rapid change in exchange rates. In conditions like this customer have to go over the usual budget and they have to think whether or not they should use up more of these foreign fast food chains therefore these businesses must think of some solutions to deal with the effects of the economic environment specially when the problem are caused by the consumer behavior these issue can lead to a serious problem as it could influence their general sales. In regarding the operations of the company, food chains like McDonalds tend to import much of their raw materials into a specific territory if ther e is a dearth of supply.   Exchange rate fluctuations will also play a significant role in the operations of the company. if a franchise operates in a particularly economically weak state, hence their products shall cost higher than the other existing products in the market, then these franchises must take on certain adjustments to maintain the economies of scale. (ivythesis 2010) SOCIAL FACTORS The surveys and articles on the international strategies of McDonalds have been working in many areas to assure worthwhile returns for the organization. The company put so much effort to improve on establishing a favorable mind set from their basic consumer. McDonalds indulge a particular variety of consumers with definite types of personalities. It has also seen that McDonalds has provide the market such as United Kingdom an extra option in their dining needs and requirements as they have introduced a valued and reasonable set of food that affectionate a reliable level of quality for the respective market where it operates.   Additionally, those who are aged just below the bracket of thirty-five are said to be the most frequent consumers of McDonalds franchises. ( 2005) TECHNOLOGICAL FACTORS McDonalds produces demand for their own products. Television advertisement is one of the companys key tool for marketing. It has also been seen that McDonalds are inclined to the interest the younger populations more, this can been seen in different ways such as distribution of toys in their meals offered by the company and the existence of play spots in the restaurant areas. Similar demonstrations can be seen in the commercial they make it clearly reflects their marketing strategy. They employ animated depictions of their characters like Grimace and Hamburglar. On the other hand they hire popular celebrities in order to promote their products. Their campaign regarding their logo Im Loving it is renowned across the globe and is recognized well in people of all ages. Moreover McDonalds has significantly been infused with new technology in their operating system and their biggest achievement is to introduce a Just In Time strategy Elements like the inventory system and the management o f the value chain of the company allows for easy payments for their suppliers and other vendors which the individual stores in respective markets deal with. The integration of technology in the operations of McDonalds tend to add value to their products. Basically, this is manifested in the improvements on its value chain. The improvement of the inventory system as well as its supply chain allows the company to operate in an international context. (ivythesis 2010) FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS 1. Rivalry Amongst Existing Competitors It has been seen that the competition in restaurant industry is too high as there are large number of many fast food businesses that are fighting with each other in order to get the bigger market share and to improve their customer base, McDonalds is not an exception to this, it has excelled in this sector of the market since its commencement in 1940. Nevertheless to stay competitive they started with McCafe and gained a huge success as a fast food providers. Another major step came out when McDonald started Breakfast to compete with the existing business serving breakfast. Hence, this industry is extremely competitive and the MDC should be up to date with customer taste preferences.(quickmba 2010) 2. Threat of Entrants It is hard to set up a different brand name as well as to enter the restaurant business, The cost of entry in the market is extremely high there is big research and development costs. Large established companies with strong brand identities such as McDonalds do make it more difficult to enter and succeed within the marketplace, it is difficult for new entrants to find their place as they are faced with price competition from existing chain restaurants.(quickmba 2010) 3. Threat of Substitutes There are many substitutes in this industry. Since there are a wide variety of products that people can choose, they could either be substituted by MDC Burgers, Beverages, dairy products, and others. 4. Bargaining Power of Suppliers Power of suppliers within the fast food industry would be relatively small, unless the main ingredient of the product is not readily available. 5. Bargaining Power of Buyers Relatively strength of buyers is low in this industry http://maven.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/porter5forces3.gif SCHOOLS OF STRATEGY Mintzberg, Ahlstrand and Lampel discuss various approaches to strategic planning and they identify 10 different schools of thought which are divided into Prescriptive and Descriptive. We can apply Prescriptive schools for Strategy formulation and Descriptive School for Strategy formation. A) PRESCRIPTIVE SCHOOLS Prescriptive means what can be done most realistically. The prescriptive strategy takes other factors into consideration while analyzing multiple criteria and conflicting objections. After this, then chooses what strategy would or could be done realistically based on the objectives previously listed. According to the prescriptive strategy, the second best decision might be more appropriate. The prescriptive approach includes an analysis of possible decisions around a chosen solution known as sensitivity analysis. 1. Design School: This strategy is adopted by McDonalds in a way they have matched their internal situation of the company with the outside situation caused by the environment. Thus the strategy of the company is made and function to signify the best likely fit. 2. Planning School: Here strategy arrangement is seen as a prescribed procedure, which follows a thorough set of steps from scrutiny of the condition to the growth and exploration of different substitute scenarios. 3. Positioning School: This is very important approach as it is very much influenced by the Porters work, formation of strategy as an logical process that place the organization in the same context of the business the company is in, McDonald as a business used this as a strong tool of their strategy. B) DESCRIPTIVE SCHOOLS Descriptive means what is usually done. The descriptive strategy is done based on past evidence. It is something that has been most likely done in the past. 1. Entrepreneurial School: In McDonalds this approach look upon strategy formation as a visionary process, that is going on within the mind of the captivating founder or leader of the company. 2. Learning School: The whole function of this strategy is to educate people where the management of an the company take care of the workers that they work efficiently and does not work over time and incorporates these lessons learned into their overall plan of action. 3. Power School: Here strategy progress is appear to be a process of cooperation between power holders within the company, and or between the company and external stakeholders. 4. Cultural School: This strategy talk about developing a culture that makes the working condition comfortable for all this school takes the strategy formation as collective process that includes multiple groups and departments within the organization the strategy developed is thus a reflection of the corporate culture of the organization. 5. Environmental School: In response to the current challenges imposed by the external environment, this strategy structuring is seen to be a reactive process. 6. Configuration School: This is the last school and the purpose of strategy formation can be easily seen as method of altering the organization from one type of decision making structure into another. CONCLUSION McDonalds have increase its product line to ensure they have multiple products to choose form and to remain competitive to their rivals, and have focused to provide better and continuous service, they also have reduced their cost by reducing their supply chain expenses. In order to retain customers they have expanded their happy meal choices and took further step by adding premium and different coffees in their beverages menu as well as cakes and pastries. The concept of toys introduced by McDonalds for all kind of generations specially for kids was new to everyone in the market. 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