Dr. Vert's Ch. 6 Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Dr. Vert's Ch. 6 Summary - Essay Example However, the trouble comes in because not all information is able to be put into a category easily, and because of that, it might fit into two or more categories. It also becomes confusing because one piece of information might relate to another in a very small way, but both should still be available, so that the person searching the information could see it and use it, if they wanted to. Most of the issues that come with managing information of this type are related to ‘spatial information’, or information that would be better characterized by the space it occupies rather than the information it actually holds. Examples of this are things such as street maps, climate maps, and scientific records of events such as earthquakes and tsunamis. The biggest issue that is faced in trying to retrieve and make sense of information about these events is that many pieces of information are scattered over many different computers, like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that has been dumped from its box and scattered throughout a room. It becomes more of a scavenger hunt to put the pieces of the puzzle together than to figure out the picture the puzzle tries to represent. Think about how much time is being wasted looking for the different pieces of the puzzle. Dr.

Rationale for Work Placement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Rationale for Work Placement - Essay Example Physical strength is one of the principle fitness skills that a good trainer aims at imparting to the clients. Football players need strength in order to gain position advantage in front of the defenders and maintain versatility for a longer time. The training involved targets mostly the legs, with an aim of physically lowering the player’s centre of gravity. Strength enables the player to attain high balance capacity needed in stability. Stability is not only needed in running and fighting for the ball but also in dribbling towards the opponent’s net (Kraemer and Zatsiorsky, 1995, p105). The other part of the body targeted in strength training is the upper body, which enables the player to coordinate aerial contests for the ball as well as ball control. Contact with the opponents must be solidly positioned to avoid unnecessary face-offs. The torso fitness training includes muscular ability enhancement. Strength endurance is particularly important in games with high tem po and contact like football. Endurance training involves improvement on the players’ ability to use sub-maximal energy in the entire game duration, to enable the muscles gain tolerance to extended energy taxing. It is not necessarily aimed at muscle mass but the ability of the muscle to endure long durations of workouts. Training includes use of three types of exercise; body weight tolerance, machine weight resistance as well as free weight (objects). Training controls the factors that limit strength and endurance abilities some which include reps.

Purpose of Economics and Price Mechanisms

Purpose of Economics and Price Mechanisms Task 1 Describe ‘economics’, the purpose of its activities and identify economic problem. Economic system is a system aim for producing, distributing and consuming goods and services. It includes the combination of the various institutions, agencies, consumers, entities that comprise the economic structure of a given society or community. Furthermore, it also includes how these agencies and institutions are related to each other, how information flows between them and the social relations within the system which including property rights and the structure of management. The mode of production will be the related concept. Every economic system provides solutions to four questions: what goods and services will be produced; how they will be produced; for whom they will be produced; and how they will be allocated between consumption (for present use) and investment (for future use). In a devolved economic system, these questions are resolved. This lead to economic coordination to achieved through the price mechanism(Elton, 2014). The basic economic problem is about scarcity and choice since there are only a limited amount of resources available to produce the unlimited amount of goods and services which human, people wants and needs. Because of scarcity, various economic decisions must be made to allocate resources efficiently. Resources A resource is a means of support also can be regarded as any feature of our environment that helps to support our well being. There are three main types of resource: The first Physical or natural resource – such as oil, climate, water, minerals, forests and fisheries. The second human resource – peoples and their various skills. The third man made resources – e.g. machines, equipments. Scarcity Scarcity can be broken down into four key ingredients of factors of production: Land – Land includes all natural resources. Labour – Labour includes all physical and mental effort. Capital – Capital includes machinery and other items that go into further production. Enterprise – enterprise is the art of combining the other three factors in the production process. Scarce goods and services As notes above, if did not exist, all goods and services would be free. A good is considered scarce if it has a non-zero cost to consume costs something and is scarce. By consuming one good, another good is foregone. Therefore decisions and trade-offs to be made.(T.Ming, 2014,) The cost of a food is a signal of its scarcity. One good maybe more scare than another, either because of limited resources or higher want (demand) for that good. Choice Because resources are scarce and most of our wants are extensive, a choice has to be made about how to use scare resources in the best way. Based on the choice, the highest-value option will be forgone and this is called ‘opportunity cost’. This rule applies to organisations, society as a whole, and to individuals. Choice and opportunity cost Choice and opportunity cost are two fundamental concepts in economics. Given that resources are limited, producers and consumers have to make choices between competing alternatives. All economic decisions involve making choices. Individuals must choose how best to use their skill and effort, firms must choose how best to use their workers and machinery, and governments must choose how to use taxpayer’s money. Making an economic choice creates a sacrifice because alternatives must be given up, which results in the loss of benefit that the alternative would have provided. Similarly, land and other resources, which have been used to build a new school could have been used to build a new factory. The loss of thenext bestoption represents the real sacrifice and is referred to asopportunity cost. The opportunity cost of choosing the school is the loss of the factory, and what could have been produced. It is necessary to appreciate that opportunity cost relates to the loss of the next best alternative, and not just any alternative. The true cost of any decision is always the closest option not chosen. (Bong, 2014) Define the theory of ‘price mechanism’ by Adam Smith and illustrate by examples(s) to supports yours answer with relevant issues. Adam Smith is one of the Founding Fathers of economics described the â€Å"invisible hand of the price mechanism† in which the hidden-hand of the market operating in a competitive market through the pursuit of self-interest allocated resources in society’s best interest. It was the notion of the invisible hand that enabled Adam Smith to develop the first comprehensive theory of the economy as an interrelated social system. (Tay, 2014) In common, the concept is composed of three logical steps: The first is the observation that human action often leads to consequences that were unintended and unforeseen by the actors. The second step is the argument that the sum of these unintended consequences over a large number of individuals or over a long period of time may, given the right circumstances, result in an order that is understandable to the human mind and appears as if it were the product of some intelligent planner. The third and final step is the judgments that the overall order is beneficial to the participants in the order in ways that they did not intend but nevertheless find desirable. The price mechanism performs three main functions: Rationing The aim is to ration scare resources when demand in market outstrips supply. When there is a shortage of a good, the price is bid up, leaving only those with the willingness and ability to pay to purchase the product. This can causes supply and demand to reach equilibrium of demand and supply. Signaling function They adjust to demonstrate where resources are required or not, via a change in demand. For example, the price of goods which are scarce will increase. This increase in price should provide an incentive for producers to increase production of the good so that can meet the demand. Transmission of preferences Consumers are able to alert producers to changes the nature in wants and needs through their choices so that the market provides the right amount of the right goods. When demand is weaker, then the supply will contracts as the producers cut back on output. Task 2 Identify factors affecting the economics of an organization. There are few types of competition in business. They are perfect competition, imperfect competition, and monopolistic competition. Perfect competition It is a low barrier to entry, many choices by consumers, and no business has supremacy. It means that many companies competing and nobody has a substantial lead. For examples, restaurants, grocery stores, barbers shop, shopping mall, professional services such as dentist, doctor, contractor and others. It is a theoretical state in which not only single buyer or seller has influence over the any products sold in the market. Sellers are free to enter the market to sell any product and buyers are free to purchase any product wanted. A large number of producers and sellers operate in the perfect competitive market, and the products sold by one producer are easily replaced by a similar product from another producer. Prices for goods or services would be established by the rate in majority of consumers are willing to pay and producers will adjusting the productivity to balance with the price. (ReemHeakal, 2014) Imperfect competition It describes a market where many firms offer variations of the same product or multiple products are offered with differences. The difference may be differs in quality, preference, durability, price or utility. However, firm will be forced to departure the market if their products are not purchase by consumers. For example, a hair style cutting may be assisted by more than numbers of barber shops which all differing in style, price and environment. Consumers are bound only by personal preference and affordability in choosing a barber shop. (Hans, 2014) Monopolistic competition The sellers feel they do have some competition. There is one big company dominating the market with a few medium or smaller sized companies. Identify source of finance. Source of finance Some sources of finance areshort termand must be paid back within a year. Other sources of finance arelong termand can be paid back over many years. Venture capital provides long-term, dedicated share capital to help unquoted companies grow and succeed. Obtaining venture capital is significantly different from raising debt or a loan from a lender. The lenders have a legal right to interest on a loan and repayment of the capital depends on the business weather success or failure. Venture capital is the money put into an enterprise which may all be lost if the enterprise fails. A businessman starting up a new business will invest venture capital of his own, but he will probably need extra funding from other source, and can be very successful if he gets very high profits and a substantial return on the investment. However, there must be a very high risk of losing the investment and it will take some times to get the return and profits. A venture capitalist will require a high expected rate of return on investments, to recompense for the high risk. Internal sourcesof finance are funds found inside the business. For example, profits can be kept back to finance expansion. Alternatively the business can sell assets that are no longer really needed to free up cash. Internal Sources of finance and growth It defined as organic growth which is the growth generated through the development and expansion of the business itself. An organic growth can be achieved through generating increasing sales which increase income to influence on overall profit levels. Besides that, it can be used of retained profit which used to reinvest in the business. Other than that, the company also can sale their asset which can be a double edged sword so that it can reduce the capacity. External sourcesof finance are found outside the business, eg fromcreditorsor banks. External Sources of finance and growth This can be categorizing into 3 groups which are long term, short term, and inorganic growth. Long term may be paid back after many years or not to be paid. Short term is used to cover variations in cash flow. The growth which generated by gaining is used to define inorganic growth. In long term, there are shares and loans can be practice. Long term There are few types of shares in long term shares which are ordinary shares, preference shares, new share issues, rights issue and bonus or scrip issue. Ordinary shares (Equities) Ordinary shareholders have the voting to rights in making any decision for company’s benefits. The dividend can be differing according to their contribution and share capital. Last to be paid back in event of collapse. They share the price varies with trade on stock exchange. Preference share The shareholders will be paid before ordinary shareholders. They have the fixed in return. It is cumulative preference shareholders which have the right to dividend carried over to next year in event of non-payment. Rights issue The present shareholders are given discount on buying new shares.Bonus or scrip issue- It is the change to the share structure which increase number of shares and reduces value but market capitalization will remain the same.There are few types of loan in long term loan which are Debentures, bank loans and mortgages, merchant or investment banks, and government. Debentures It has the fixed in rate of return which first to be paid.Bank loans and mortgages- It is suitable for small to medium sized of corporation where property or some other asset acts as security for the loan. Merchant or Investment Banks It act depends on clients to organize and underwrite raising finance. Short term There are some categories in 5 groups including bank loans, overdraft facilities, trade credit, factoring and leasing. Bank loans It has the necessity of paying interest on the payment. The periods of payment is generally from one year then not longer than ten years. Overdraft facilities It is the right to be able to withdraw funds that do not currently have. It provides flexibility for a firm. The interest only paid on the amount been overdrawn. There is an overdraft limit which is the maximum amount allowed to be drawn. Trade credit It can help the ease of cash flow which commonly can be paid within 90 days. Factoring It is about the sale of debt to a specialist firm who secures payment and charges a commission for the services. Leasing The used of capital can be secure without the ownership. It is effectively a hire agreement. Inorganic growth It is about achievement. The components to gain the external finance of inorganic growth are merger and also takeover. Merger The Company agrees to join together which both can remain some of the identity form. Takeover The firm will be secure control by the other, the firm taken over most probability will lose its identity. Task 3 Identify and describe types of financing sources which available for the said projects. On my opinion, this company should base on medium and long terms sources of finance. Medium term sources are usually repaid between 1 – 5 years. Some sources of finance areshort termand must be paid back within a year. Short term sources are repaid within one tear. Other sources of finance arelong termand can be paid back over many years. Long term sources are usually repaid between 5 – 20 years. Medium term Hire purchase:It involves purchasing an asset paying for it over a period of time. Usually a percentage of the price is paid as down payment and the rest is paid in installments for the period of time agreed upon. The business has to pay an interest on these installments. Leasing:Leasing involves using an asset, but the ownership does not pass to the user. Business can lease a building or machinery and a periodic payment is made as rent, till the time the business uses the assets. The business does not need to purchase the asset. Advantage Disadvantage The business can benefit from the asset without purchasing it. Usually the maintenance of the asset is done by the leasing firm. The total cost of leasing may end up higher than the purchasing of asset Medium term loans:The business borrows an agreed amount, which is advanced at the start of the loan. A repayment schedule between one and five years is agreed. Interest is charged in line with general interest rates and the category of the borrower is taken into consideration. The business will normally have to provide security for the loan but, with the cash raised, they can avail of cash discounts when buying assets. Leasing:This form of finance allows a business to use an asset without having to raise the full price. In essence, the business rents the asset from a financial institution. The advantage to the business is that it allows the business claim a tax deduction for the full leasing payments over the life of the lease. The downside is that the asset is not owned unless the business decides to buy out the lease. Leasing is appropriate for IT equipment, which may have to be changed every two to three years Long term Ordinary sharesmay be issued to finance a major expansion such as the building of a factory overseas. The board of directors must convince the existing shareholders or attract investors to subscribe to the new issue. The shareholders will expect a dividend and a capital gain on their investment. The proposed expansion must therefore be profitable or else the investors will be disappointed. Retained earningsare profits, which are ploughed back into the business to create growth. This form of finance is suitable for organic growth as the pace of the expansion can be matched to the funds available. The shareholders have to give up some or all of their dividends but, if growth is a success, the value of their shares will increase. Long-term loansare borrowed from financial institutions and must be repaid with interest within five to twenty years. If repayments can be met, borrowing allows the business to grow without introducing any new owners who would have a share of all future profits. Dunes Stores, one of Irelands leading retail chains, remains a private company and does not look for shareholder funds when expanding. Instead it uses borrowings and retained earnings. This means that a small family group retain absolute control of the business. Venture capitala special type of financial institution has been formed to help firms grow. Venture capital companies provide money for a limited period of time, usually in the form of a minority equity stake. It is hoped that at the end of this time the company will have grown large enough to achieve a stock exchange quotation. This allows the venture capital company to sell its shares for a large profit. Propose a financing source which is suitable for given project. Justify the reason of the chosen option. Some sources of finance are medium term and must be paid back within 5 – 10 years. Other sources of finance arelong termand can be paid back over many years. Long term sources are usually repaid between 5 – 20 years. Long term The term venture capital is more specifically associated with putting money, usually in return for an equity stake, into a new business, a management buy-out or a major expansion scheme. The institution that puts in the money recognizes the gamble inherent in the funding. There is a serious risk of losing the entire investment, and it might take a long time before any profits and returns materialize. But there is also the prospect of very high profits and a substantial return on the investment. A venture capitalist will require a high expected rate of return on investments, to compensate for the high risk. A venture capital organization will not want to retain its investment in a business indefinitely, and when it considers putting money into a business venture, it will also consider its exit, that is, how it will be able to pull out of the business eventually and realize its profits. Examples of venture capital organizations are: Merchant Bank of Central Africa Ltd and Anglo American Corporation Services Ltd. When a companys directors look for help from a venture capital institution, they must recognize that: The institution will want an equity stake in the company. It will need convincing that the company can be successful. It may want to have a representative appointed to the companys board, to look after its interests. The directors of the company must then contact venture capital organisations, to try and find one or more which would be willing to offer finance. A venture capital organisation will only give funds to a company that it believes can succeed, and before it will make any definite offer, it will want from the company management: A business plan Details of how much finance is needed and how it will be used The most recent trading figures of the company, a balance sheet, a cash flowforecast A profit forecast Details of the management team, with evidence of a wide range of management skills Details of major shareholders Details of the companys current banking arrangements and any other sources of finance Any sales literature or publicity material that the company has issued. A high percentage of requests for venture capital are rejected on an initial screening, and only a small percentage of all requests survive both this screening and further investigation and result in actual investments. 1

HNC Managing People Essay -- GCSE HNC Managing People Assignment

HNC Managing People Assignment Responsible for: Â · Recruitment, selection, training, and development of all staff. Â · The Management and Leadership of a team of 5 people. Â · The overall training budget of the Company. Â · Company Legislation appertaining to HR. Management and Employee Welfare. Duties include: Â · To produce accurate conditions of service contracts and process instructions for all aspects of salary payments for employee starters and leavers. Â · To issue accurate pay instructions to organisational pay services, ensuring information is received and processed, chasing queries as and when necessary. Â · To liaise with pay services on discrepancies, etc and inform members of staff of responses, ensuring all issues are dealt with in a timely manner. Â · To distribute pay slips to all employees on payroll. Â · To monitor and accurately maintain sick leave records for all staff, liaising with managers and the welfare service where appropriate. Â · To update and maintain the computerised Personnel system, ensuring data is accurate at all times. Â · To administer the recruitment process in an efficient and effective manner ensuring timescales and procedures are adhered to. Â · To act as an usher and provide assistance at interviews, selection tests and other assessments when required. Â · To act as HR representative on recruitment boards, as and when necessary. Â · To provide ‘first day’ induction to new employees in line with corporate policy. Â · To administer the flexible working scheme for staff. Â · To request references, health clearance, and security clearance for potential employees. Â · To fulfil the requirements of equal opportunities policy and procedures and implement equality principles and practices within the context of the job. The successful candidate must be able to prioritise work and meet deadlines, communicate effectively and have attention to detail. It essential that the successful candidate has intermediate to advanced MS Office skills and, ideally you will have a personnel qualification or be willing to study for the Certificate in Personnel Practice. Task 2 Interviews Interviews are a good way of the interviewer and interviewee of getting to known more information about the job and suitability of each other for the job, it is seen to be a... ... * Define the priority of each job responsibility and goal. * Define performance standards for key components of the job. * Hold discussions and provide feedback about employee performance, * Maintain a record of performance. * Provide the opportunity for broader feedback. Use a 360-degree performance feedback system that incorporates feedback from the employee's peers, customers, and people who may report to them * Develop and administer a coaching and improvement plan if the employee is not meeting expectations. Task 7 - Delegation Before delegating your workload you must identify a suitable person for the task. Prepare the person. Explain the task clearly. Make sure that you are understood. Make sure the person has the necessary authority to do the job properly. State reasons as to why the job needs delegating and when it needs to be done by. After the work has been delegated you should keep in touch with the person for support and monitoring progress. . Accept alternative approaches if they are necessary and Praise / Acknowledge a job well done. You should give the individual feedback on how they are doing and deal with any issues that do occur.

Project Management Essay

Project management is one of the most important and critical tool or technique, which defines the entire course of development of any kind of project. Project management works as an ignition for the chain reaction of the whole development cycle. It also helps to layout each and every step of the development cycle and defines the action plan to be followed during the risk-conditions. Not only this, project management methodologies help track down the success rate for a project and improve the understandability of the workforce. Conventionally, any project management approach revolves around the 5 basic processes involved in project management, named as: †¢ Initiation: This step determines the nature and scope of the project. All the basic elements of the project like requirements analysis and feasibility, review of current operations, goals are determined. It is the most crucial stage and if performed incorrectly, results in the failure of the whole project. †¢ Planning & design: This stage basically helps to plan time, cost, and resource during the course of the development. Risk planning is also performed to effectively tackle uncertainties. †¢ Executing consists of the activities used in the process to work in sync with the project plan so as to meet the deadlines of different milestones. †¢ Monitoring & control: These processes verify and validate the activities and their sequence and timelines with the project plan. The quality of activities is also considered here. †¢ Closing includes the formal acceptance of the product so developed. Administrative and other formal activities are performed to release the product to the end-user or client after thorough testing. Different project management approaches are designed for easily carrying out the different process in a planned way for accomplishing all the requirements. Each approach have key feature of its own which keeps the activities in sync with the project plan. Some project management approaches are: †¢ The traditional approach: This approach is the most basic approach in project management. It is quite similar to the waterfall model in software development services. All the five processes are executed in sequence, with the extension of recursive-ness of a few processes to support the development cycle. †¢ PRINCE2: It is a structured approach for project management introduced in 1996. It posses the  key feature of automatic control of any deviation observed against the project plan. Each specified process in this approach, has its key input and output with the associated activities to be performed and specified goals of those activities. Processes are divided into manageable stages and close monitoring of each stage results in an organized and controlled rolling out of activities. †¢ Lean Project-management: This approach to project management is based on the concept of lean-manufacturing. Lean-manufacturing is centered on the elimination of wastage in order to minimize the cost of production and hence improving the quality of the product. †¢ Event Chain methodology: It has a key feature of identifying and managing events and event chains which affects the schedule of the projects. This approach helps in handling the negative impact & allows the modeling of uncertainties in project schedule. However, it is not necessary that all the project management methodologies work well. In the dynamic industry environment, the basic aim of any project management strategy is to accomplish a task. However, it should be within the allocated budget and time while maintaining the quality of the final product. Project management approaches enable organisations to accomplish projects efficiently, addressing both internal constraints and dynamic external situations in the interim. Project management enables organisations to prevent or remove internal project constraints and also adapt to unforeseen changes in project scope or goals. An organisation can, depending on its requirements, either adopt a standard project management approach or combine multiple approaches. Additionally, an organisation has the advantage of project management software applications which facilitates intelligent planning, constraint removal and monitoring of projects. Here is a list of standard project management approaches. Traditional approach The traditional approach assumes that the project scope and goals will remain constant till project completion. Obviously, a project manager plans and identifies project resources based on this assumption. The traditional approach lays down the following project phases: †¢ Project initiation †¢ Project planning and design †¢ Project monitoring and control †¢ Project execution †¢ Project completion Since the approach is inherently rigid, many organisations may choose a hybrid project management approach. Critical chain approach The approach assumes that at least one constraint (behavioural or process-related) is likely to hinder projects which utilise complex processes and a large number of cross-functional teams. The approach recommends the use of behavioural and mathematical sciences to first predict, and then analyse and remove constraints. The project team can use data to remove the constraints. For example, if productivity is a foreseen concern, then a project manager could track the actual time spent by team members on the job. This approach is useful in sending quality deliverables on time by proactively removing constraints. Extreme project approach This approach is suitable for projects which handle dynamic situations, such as, changing customer requirements. Often, it may not be possible to obtain a full clarity of requirements and a project may purely be guided by market changes. The mobile phone industry, which experiences rapid changes, is a case in point. The project team, hence, plans purely on the basis of the currently available data and depending on requirement changes, modifies plans. Event chain project approach According to this approach, a single constraint can create a chain of constraints and severely impede a project. For example, in a project, if several departments depend on one another, then constraints in any one department can negatively impact the productivity of downstream departments. A project team can use past data to foresee a negative event and identify  preventive measures. Reliable data, collected over time, can even help track event chains. The Gantt chart is a popular event chain tracking tool. The event chain approach, hence, could be an excellent problem solving approach for critical projects. Project management software — how useful is it? Project management software capabilities have expanded notably and it gives more than just scheduling meetings and activities. A project management tool can estimate the effort, monitor project progress and highlight risks. It can also preserve historical data on past projects, which can be extremely useful in foreseeing constraints. Project management tools are available as desktop, web-based and collaborative applications and they are compatible for every type of project management approach. Many organisations have begun to adopt a hybrid project management approach, by combining the best features of standard project management approaches. This approach has been beneficial and indeed goes to show how flexible the project management approaches are. Read more at http://www.business2community.com/strategy/differing-approaches-to-project-management-0154472#iEJ2HHvpfEMXGPye.99

Inequalities in Titanic Essay

Titanic was a British passenger liner separated by a class system that would end up colliding with an iceberg resulting in it to sink. There were limited lifeboats that’s seating would be greatly outnumbered by the passengers. If one was to survive the sinking of Titanic they were likely a woman, child, or upper class male. In the film there were two main sociological concepts that were overwhelming when compared to the rest, gender roles and class inequality. Gender roles are continually reinforced in Titanic. Women would work towards impressing men because there was no other way women could take care of themselves without a man. Rose’s mother pressures Rose to marry rich because their family is out of money and insists because they’re women they don’t have choices, and within the film this appears to be true. Women would sacrifice their comfort for beauty in order to impress the men. Men would discuss business and politics amongst themselves because it was believed women weren’t capable of understanding such issues. Rose’s fiancà © commands her on how to behave similar to an animal, when she speaks up for herself her fiancà © becomes aggressive until Rose becomes submissive and complies with his orders. Rose’s fiancà © doesn’t see his treatment towards Rose as inappropriate because he grew up with social privilege and was treated like a hero because of the set power structure, this is s imilar to the treatment of athletes and their violence acts towards women (Preventing Violence Against Women & Girls: Steubenville & Sport, Mayeda, 2013). The athletes grew up receiving social privilege without it being earned and their negative actions were overlooked because of their athletic performance. If you were to ask â€Å"If her fiancà © had been spending time with another woman would rose have yelled at him and flipped a table?† the answer would likely be no, because the female gender isn’t to be viewed as masculine and aggressive. Class separated the passengers aboard Titanic and would dictate the treatment of individuals. The class system in the film and can be directly  referenced to the class system in â€Å"From Gap to Gucci† (From Gap to Gucci, Witt, 2007), when Rose’s fiancà © identifies Jack dressed as a rich man, he says â€Å"Amazing, you could almost for a gentleman†, indicating Jack cannot and will not be considered gentleman without money. Aboard Titanic the rich were displayed as sophisticated and intelligent, while the poor were displayed as a dirty group who drinks beer, gets overly obnoxious during gatherings, and have a lack of intelligence. Upon boarding the ship lower class went through health inspections, while the higher class had their bags carried and would board the ship immediately without being inspected because of their socioeconomic status. While Titanic was sinking it became Jack and Rose’s fiancà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s mission to save Rose, but if the genders were to switch between those three it would be likely that Rose would be the hero and at would be Rose’s duty to save the other two. This reinforces gender roles and the idea of heroism attributed to men. After Titanic sunk Molly, who was labeled as â€Å"New Money† proposed the lifeboat go back for the disadvantaged because of the extra room available, her proposal was immediately dismissed and she was threatened by the captain of the lifeboat if she continued to rebel, this depicted the women in the film as weak. This compliance to the captain immediately reflects Milgram’s study on obedience. Molly is similar to the participants electrocuting the stranger and the captain is like the doctor in the lab coat, and because the captain is in charge nobody considers questioning his authority (If Hitler asked you to electrocute a stranger, would you? Probably, Meyer, 1970). Jack was accused of theft, and because he’s not advantaged like the upper class it was easier for him to be punished, despite him being set up by Rose’s fiancà ©. Jacks lower class standing made his word invalid when put against someone of a higher class, which was similar to the Roughnecks, whose word generally meant nothing to the police because of their social class and viewing within society (The Saints and the Roughnecks, Chambliss, 1973). The poor were locked into their living quarters while the upper class was being loaded onto the lifeboats. It was apparent that the comfort of the upper class was more important than the lives of anyone beneath their  socioeconomic status. Throughout the film there are multiple patterns, men are heroic and to be pleased by women, women are helpless and can’t attain a comfortable lifestyle without a rich man, and the treatment of an individual will be entirely based on their standing within the social class system. The white men are in power because of socially constructed gender roles that were created by white men. Rose’s fiancà © says â€Å"I make my own luck† and doesn’t realize this â€Å"luck† he makes isn’t really made, but rather a system of advantages and disadvantages put in place by rich white males which perpetuates both gender and class inequality. Works Cited: Mayeda, David. â€Å"Preventing Violence Against Women & Girls: Steubenville & Sport.† Sociology In Focus. Sociology In Focus, 03 Apr. 2013. Web. 01 Dec. 2013. Witt, Jon. â€Å"From Gap to Gucci.† The Big Picture: A Sociology Primer. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2007. N. pag. Print. Meyer, Philip. â€Å"If Hitler Asked You To Electrocute A Stranger, Would You? Probably.† The Practical Skeptic: Readings In Sociology. New York: McGraw-Hill Education, 2013. 63-70. Print. Chambliss, William J. â€Å"The Saints And The Roughnecks.† The Practical Skeptic: Readings In Sociology. New York: McGraw-Hill Education, 2013. 265-276. Print. Titanic. Dir. James Cameron. Perf. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, 1997. DVD

Desdemona Evaluation Essays

Desdemona Evaluation Essays Desdemona Evaluation Essay Desdemona Evaluation Essay let her have you knees: Hail to thee, Lady! And the grace of heaven he also refers to her on a separate occasion as The divine Desman. In Act 3 scene 4 we find Desman asking the clown to find Cassia. She is under the impression that Othello wants to forgive him. She is worried concerning the loss of her handkerchief, but Emilie is unable to shed light on the handkerchiefs disappearance. This is because Amelias loyalties lie with her husband. Desman is confident that her husband will to be Jealous concerning the loss of her handkerchief, but Othello enters and he is still acting strangely towards Desman, and he asks for Adhesions handkerchief. She says l have it not about me. Desman tries to deceive him. This however, it is not bad. Because Desman knew that if she told Othello the truth he would become very angry. Adhesions intentions for lying were good, because Desman loved Othello she decided to protect him from getting angry. Desman thought she had Just misplaced the handkerchief, and that she would soon find it. However this triggers Othello to madness, as he thinks she gave Cassia he handkerchief. By act 4 scene 1 Ago has now gained full control over Othello. He has brought down the noble moor. The fake conversation between Ago and Cassia that Othello overhears is even more successful than Ago had hoped, due to the interruption of Bianca. She possesses the valuable handkerchief that is a token of Desman and Othello love. She is conceived as nothing but a where and it makes Adhesions relationship with Cassia even more overwhelming. As far as he is concerned this is the hard evidence that he wanted in order to prove his wifes dishonesty. Ago now speaks suggestively about Desman and even suggests to Othello how he might kill her. Ladylove arrives with Desman. After a conversation concerning Cassia it becomes clear that there is friction between Othello and Cassia. Ladylove asks is there division between thy Lord and Cassia Desman replies, A most unhappy one; I would do much to atone them, for the love I bear to Cassia. It was foolish of her at this fragile time for Othello to utter her love for Cassia, as Othello at this stage is unable to see things clearly. In return he strikes her knocking her to the floor. This is intended to hurt her as she hurt him and demoralize her as she has done to him. She begins to leave but is called back by Othello, she replies My Lord, I believe that this could be taken two ways either she is upset and weeping, or she is placing sarcasm in amongst My Lord in a mocking manner, which would show that she is strongly willed and unafraid of Othello. Desman uses several religious statements, some AT teen are Heaven ton truly Know It Ana 0 heaven, forgiveness. I believe that the reason she is replying with these religious references is to try and remind Othello of the innocence which she possesses, that he once loved and was forced to hate. Conventionally in a soliloquy the character will only tell the truth, this is because the character is talking to him or herself. Desman only has one soliloquy and in it she says, Its meet I should be used so, very well; how have I been behaved, that he might stick the smallest opinion, on my greatest abuse? She is saying that she deserves this for what she has done wrong, be it the handkerchief, flirting, the pestering of Othello to return Cassias Job, but most of all not being a good wife. I think this is a significant decline in her will to fight. A completely different emotion engulfs Desman in 4. 3. She knows that her Cubans has decided upon a course of action which Desman can neither avoid nor stop. Her premonition of death invades the scene. She then recalls a song sung by her mothers maid Barbara. Barbara sang this song because the man to whom she was in love proved mad, and did forsake her. She was so in love, and so overwhelmed with sadness, that when she sang the song, she died singing it. For some reason that song came back to haunt Adhesions memory and she also began to sing it. The Willow Song is a song of disappointed love, which give the image of a dà ©colletà © lover weeping as she sings willow, willow, willow. Within this song is a line which mistakes for another line , the line which she falsely added was, Let nobody blame him, his scorn I approve. This line came from her imagination, meaning she doesnt blame him for his actions. This song is the preparation for her death scene. Another vital piece of this scene is the conversation after the Willow song between Desman and Emilie. They discuss their views on relationships and infidelity, Here the two characters are oppose, as Desman appears to be horrified not, by this heavenly light by Amelias statement that she would commit adultery if it aimed her husband the world. Amelias view is, why, would not you this is a comment which startles Desman Othello enters Adhesions room while she is asleep, and though she is beautiful, and appears innocent, he still is determined to kill her. Desman awakens, and he tells her to admit to any sins before she dies. She believes there is nothing she can do to stop him from killing her, and continues to plead her innocence. Othello tells her that he found her handkerchief with Cassia, though Desman insists it must not be true. She pleads, Kill me tomorrow- let me live tonight! , but he begins to smother her. Emilie knocks, curious about what is going on, Othello lets her in, but tries to conceal Desman, who he thinks is already dead. Emilie brings the news of Rodeos death, and Cassias wounding. Emilie soon finds out that Desman is nearly dead, Desman speaks her last words, A guiltless death I die. Emilie asks, O who has done this deed? With her last breath Desman utters, Nobody, I myself, farewell: even on her dying breath, whilst dyeing for a false accusation, her love was still too strong that she wouldnt confess the murderer, Othello. This could be because of female solidarity; she is protecting Emilie, as if she said in front of Othello he might have killed her. Another explanation could have been that she wanted a Christian death, and is sacrificing herself to masculine pride. Or possibly she is so romantic that she wanted a Romantic death. Adhesions role is to serve enhance Othello Jealousy and eventual downfall, which Is engineered Day Ago. Desman seems clueless Tanat seen Is Delve annulated Day Ago and cannot imagine that Othello would mistrust her because she has done nothing to deserve his mistrust. Unfortunately, Desman lived during a time when women had their place and could not exercise much independence. The societal rules of that time period for women involved being submissive to their husbands. Desman did, however, attempt to prove to her husband that she did not cheat on him by pleading with him and begging him to believe her. Emilie also tried for her, but it did no good. Desman also becomes aware that she will die and she does not try to fight Othello when he kills her. She could have fought him with all of her might or she could have run away from Othello before bedtime; however, she chose to do as he wished and die knowing that she was innocent of any wrongdoing.

10 Facts to Support Research Paper on Social Media With

10 Facts to Support Research Paper on Social Media With When students have to write an academic paper on social media, they need to support it with trustworthy facts. Students don’t only require research paper topics on social media, they also must find reliable sources which can supply them with proper evidence. The article gives examples of good facts which a student can use in the research. 10 Facts One Can Safely Use in the Academic Paper We have chosen 10 interesting and useful facts to use in the research paper on social media. The statistic says that the most active social media users are people aged between 18 and 29 (almost 88%). Then, people aged from 30 to 49 create 78% of active users. 64% of people who are 50-64 years old join social networks. Only 37% of senior people (over 65) use social media websites. More and more people become dependent on social media sites. American psychologists have introduced the notion â€Å"Facebook Addiction Disorder† in 2012. They found out that symptoms of the Internet dependency resemble those caused by drugs. If people have no opportunity to use social networks, they will suffer depression because they have to go back to the regular way of life. Some people feel anxious, have nightmares, and fear because of the inability to check the news and get likes. The first social website was Classmates.com. It was founded in 1995, and it didn’t have rivals till 2005. Its aim was to help people find their classmates, friends from kindergarten, college, and high school. Soon, the content changed; video, music files, pictures, and posts began to spread and attract a great number of people. Classmates.com gave a start to Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, and many other social networks.   Mark Zuckerberg together with college friends invented Facebook for students of Harvard College. Then they allowed students from other institutions to join them. It used to be a platform where students exchanged their experience and learned some details of students’ lives. Eventually, it attracted users from all over the globe. This social website lets people meet new friends, find their second halves, study, learn the news, watch videos, communicate, share information, earn money, volunteer, help others through charity programs, and do other activities. Today, there are more than 950 million active users on Facebook. Today, Britishers can do selfie using the special mirror at London boutiques. The mirror has a hidden camera and a person can take a photo when doing shopping. Then one can send photos via Twitter and ask friends to look at them and say what items suit best. In addition, a person can take some pictures to have a chance to compare and choose clothes on their own. Many companies launch â€Å"AntiFacebook† campaigns. For example, there was  «Whopper Sacrifice » provided by Burger King. The restaurant promised to give a free burger to people who would delete ten friends on Facebook. The motto was â€Å"Friendship is strong, but the whooper is stronger!† and it worked. More than 55,000 Facebook users got their free whoppers. A great number of sociologists and psychologists consider social networking to be very dangerous to the youth. European and American parents are afraid of social websites because of a high risk of pedophilia, nationalism, cyberbullying, and addiction. Russian users are afraid of spams and that their personal data is not well-protected.  «Twichhiking » is a program that helps people travel. Paul Smith decided to travel around the world with empty pockets. People from all over the globe helped him to reach his goal. He managed to do that with the help of Twitter users who followed him. Élite have their social networks. Though, it’s not easy to get there. For example, Qube is very popular among businessmen. Rich people exchange yachts, villas, planes, and other things on Squa.re.   Fortunately, people don’t need recommendations to register on Beautifulpeople. The main issue is to be beautiful. A potential candidate sends a photo, and if he or she is enough beautiful, BeautifulPeople accepts him/her. Susie, the user on YouTube from Netherland, published the video where she had tattooed 152 Facebook friends on her right arm. Then people started making MySpace tattoos, and it became a fashion. Presenting Facts Is Just the Tip of the Iceberg A student should be attentive when dealing with academic papers. There are too many requirements, and that’s not easy to follow them. Still, a student should learn all of them. As a rule, a paper should contain zero mistakes and plagiarism, correspond to the chosen style, consist of three main parts (an introduction, a body, and a conclusion), and have the required number of words and pages. In case there is some additional material (video, music, pictures, etc.), students should present them in the appropriate format (MP3, JPEG, Microsoft Office, etc.). That’s why a person should pay attention to details to become successful and get their A+. References: A. Summers (2011). Facebook Addiction Disorder - the 6 Symptoms of F.A.D. https://www.adweek.com/digital/facebook-addiction-disorder-the-6-symptoms-of-f-a-d/ N. Kapoor (2018). 8 Fascinating Facts of Social Media Usage in 2018. https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/8-fascinating-facts-of-social-media-usage-in-2018-infographic/529882/ Wikipedia. Classmates.com. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classmates.com Wikipedia. Facebook. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook L. Caruso. What IS a Tweet Mirror? http://stylecaster.com/what-is-tweet-mirror/ J. Wortham (2009). ‘Whopper Sacrifice’ De-Friended on Facebook. https://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/15/whopper-sacrifice-de-friended-on-facebook/ The Guardian (2009). Twitchhiker Meets The Guardian. https://twitchhiker.wordpress.com/2009/02/04/twitchhiker-meets-the-guardian/

The Death of Catherine the Great

The Death of Catherine the Great There is a well-known legend surrounding Empress Catherine the Great of Russia, and it involves a horse. The myth is that Catherine was crushed to death by a horse while attempting to have sex with it. Usually, the collapse of a harness or lifting mechanism is blamed. This would be bad enough, but theres a second myth thats often added when debunking the first. The second myth is that Catherine died on the toilet. But, whats the truth? The truth appears to be that Catherine died in bed of illness. There were no equines involved, and a Catherine with horse nexus was never attempted. Catherine has been slandered for several centuries. The Horse Myth Catherine the Great was Tsarina of Russia, one of the most powerful women in European history. So, how did the idea that she died while attempting an unusual practice with a horse become one of the most virulent myths in modern history, transmitted by whispers in school playgrounds across the western world? Its unfortunate that one of historys most interesting women is known to most people as a beast, but the combination of perverse rudeness and the relative foreignness of its subject makes this a perfect slander. People love hearing about sexual deviance, and they can believe it of a foreign person they dont know much about. So if Catherine didnt die while attempting sex with a horse (and just to reiterate, she absolutely, 100% didnt), how did the myth arise? Where did the fireless smoke come from? During past centuries the easiest way for people to offend and verbally attack their female enemies was sex. Marie Antoinette, the hated queen of France, was subjected to printed myths so deviant and obscene they would make spam emailers blush and certainly cant be reproduced here. Catherine the Great was always going to attract rumors about her sex life, but her sexual appetite, while modest by modern standards, meant that the rumors had to be even wilder to make up the ground. Historians believe the horse myth originated in France, among the French upper classes, soon after Catherines death, as a way to mar her legend. France and Russia were rivals, and they would continue to be on and off for a long time (particularly thanks to Napoleon), so both slated the citizens of the other. If this all seems a bit odd, consider that even in Britain in 2015, Prime Minister David Cameron was accused of an intimate act with a dead pigs head by a political enemy, which was widely reported, and which threatens to become a popular footnote to his governance. David Cameron may no longer be Prime Minister, but the pig jokes remain. It still happens today just as easily as it happened to Catherine the Great. Perhaps even easier, see below. The Toilet Myth However, in recent years another myth has emerged. Take a quick look around the web, and youll find pages debunking the idea of Catherine with the horse while stating that the great Empress of Russia died while on the toilet. Admittedly such sites are quick to point out another fact as myth, that Catherine’s bloated body was so heavy it cracked the toilet (this variation was also spread by Catherines contemporary enemies), but the toilet features prominently nonetheless. Indeed, some sources quote this from John Alexanders marvelous biography of Catherine: Sometime after nine chamberlain Zakhar Zotov, not having been summoned as anticipated, peeked in her bedroom and found nobody. In a closet adjacent, he discovered the Empress on the floor. With two comrades Zotov tried to help her up, but she barely opened her eyes once before emitting a faint groan as she exhaled and lapsed into unconsciousness from which she never recovered. If you take closet to mean water closet, another name for a toilet, the quote seems fairly conclusive. Unfortunately, this fact isnt true but the product of a desire for belittling humor. The toilet is a common enough location of death to be true, but still intrinsically humiliating, especially for a great Empress. Much the same process is behind the spreading of this myth; its just a little bit nicer and easier for the storyteller to be polite about. The truth is in the next section of Alexanders book. The Truth: Catherine may have never recovered full consciousness after her collapse, but she wasnt yet dead. Alexanders book goes on to explain (in paragraphs rarely quoted) how Catherine was laid in her bed as doctors tried to save her body and priests made rites to save her soul. Throughout she was racked with pain, her convulsing appearance causing great distress to her consorts. It was over twelve hours after Zotov found her, well past nine oclock at night, that Catherine finally died of natural causes, in bed and surrounded by friends and carers. Legacy She could have been remembered internationally for many things, but sadly most people know her for horses and toilets. In a sense, her enemies in France have won the longest game of all, because while Catherine dominated her era, the historical memory of her is tarnished, and the internet has turned the whole world into one giant school playground for rumors and hate to be spread, meaning Catherines reputation is unlikely to be corrected anytime soon. Source Alexander, John T. Catherine the Great: Life and Legend. 1 edition, Oxford University Press, November 3, 1988.

Alzheimers Disease Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Alzheimers Disease - Essay Example Alzheimer’s disease is defined as a progressive, degenerative brain disorder manifested by memory loss, impaired thinking, difficulty in finding the right word when speaking, and personality changes and which eventually lead to cases of dementia (Harvard Health Publications, 2009, p. 2). Continual loss of nerve cells and synapses and decreasing levels of neurotransmitters which are crucial to memory, mental functions, and relaying of complex messages to the nerve cells in the body affects not only the cognitive aspect but also the activities of daily living and one’s personality. The prevalence rate of diagnosed Alzheimer’s disease is approximately more than five million and by 2050, 11 to 16 million of the American population will be probably diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease; that is, one in eight people ages 65 and above is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease cause financial and emotional strain to families and is estimated to have caused the nation a $148 billion health costs annually (Lu & Bludau, 2011, 3). When a person was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, it usually takes 8-10 years to death. Because there is no cure or prevention for the disease, it is essential that different warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease are noted in order to prompt early diagnosis and care and to temporarily stabilize or delay worsening of symptoms through drug interventions. In line with this, the Harvard Health Publications (2009) identified seven warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease, which includes: trouble remembering things starting from short-term memory such as a new acquaintance then progressing to loss of long-term memory such as recognition of family members; mood or personality changes (very angry to sad, socially-outgoing to withdrawn, and signs of depression); trouble completing ordinary tasks such as simple tooth brushing; difficulty expressing thoughts particularly in language (e.g. ringer for telephone); impaired judgments such as inability to balance a checkbook; di sorientation manifested by losing track of date and time; and unusual behavior like wandering in the community (p. 3).

Stem Cell Research Legislation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Stem Cell Research Legislation - Essay Example The Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, aside from its ability to establish potential information for the benefit of the Americans, was hoping from the start to receive financial support from the government, and consensus votes among the legislators in both Congress and Senate (US Congress, 2010, p.9967). However, the Congressional Bill, Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, vetoed by Bush administration, was highlighting scientific progress which would be under constraint through living up to ethical responsibilities (Rimmer, 2008, p.258). Under this point, stem cell research has difficulty finding funding support from the Federal Government, which leads to varying scrutiny from the point of view of the scientific community. Recently, the stem cell research is heading forward to human embryonic stem cells by viable preimplantation embryos through in vitro fertilization. However, it is not only in the US this substantially receives rejection leading to highly controlled legislative reg ulation, but including in some European countries like Austria, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, and Slovakia, primarily due to controversial ethical concerns associated with it (Atala, Lanza, Thomson & Nerem, 2010, p.215). However, some countries especially India, Israel, Singapore, China, Australia, Italy, Sweden, United Kingdom and other European countries have already implemented liberal and research-favorable regulatory policies associated with stem cell research (James, 2009, p.6). Unlike the US which is currently struggling to draft regulatory policies, these countries are remarkably looking forward to investigate and know more about the health benefits and great promises of stem cell technology for the humanity. Understanding this will eventually lead someone to think the prevailing legislative state of affairs going on in the US with stem cell research. In addition, some concern on this issue would be in line with knowing where the law on stem cells in th e US is heading in the future considering its highly conservative effort on this matter. As already stated, the prevailing state of affairs concerning stem cell research in the US is quite politically motivated from the point of view of scientific community. However, the federal government on the other hand just like with the stand of Bush administration, would want to emphasize the great influence of science and technology on the humanity together with its huge ethical concerns. In line with this concern, the Obama administration is also considering substantial restriction concerning legislative regulation for stem cells technology and research (Atala, Lanza, Thomson & Nerem, 2010, p.215). From the stand point of scientific community, the restrictions on legislative regulation hinder stem cells researchers to optimize better understanding on stem cells’ potential advantage for the humanity. However, it is clear that the law on stem cells in the US is heading to major progres sion. Just this year, Texas Board approves rules on use of stem cells (Park, 2012). However, there is a great controversy that proliferates upon the emancipation of this ruling. The rules include the use of adult stem cells. However, the great issue of concern at this point is on the safety of using adult stem cells, which at this point has not yet been proven feasible and safe (Park, 2012). So the real issue has

The article is Origin of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium Research Paper

The article is Origin of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum in gorillas by Weimin Liu1 - Research Paper Example The study also revealed that the infections contained mixed species. Over 1100 nuclear, mitochondrial, and apicoplast genes were analyzed. Additionally, 99 percent of the genes were classified in any of the six Plasmodium species. Plasmodium falciparum does not originate from human, chimpanzee, or bonobo. It mainly originates from gorilla. The study is based on Plasmodium species as the cause of malaria. Among the species, the most prevalent is Plasmodium falciparum. The background of the study was that P. reichenowi that has close relations with P. falciparum was found in chimpanzee. Furthermore, there have been more plasmodium relations that have been found in Western gorillas and bonobos. Contrastingly, previous studies were used to develop the hypothesis that cross-species transmission among apes could have given rise to P. falciparum in human beings. The study revealed that the main reservoirs for Plasmodium are Western gorillas and chimpanzees. It also found that distribution of malarial parasites among apes depends on seasonal, regional, and ecological differences. Consequently, that gave details of the existence of the Plasmodium species in different locations. A study was designed to find colonization of human beings by gorilla parasites. It involved the construction of phylogenetic trees which compared genome equivalents. Accordingly, it was found that the human P. falciparum consequences had their routes to an ancestor in the gorilla parasite. The findings assert the evidence that human P. falciparum have its origin in gorillas (Weimin, 11). Alternatively, the study portrays a monopoly in the sequences of human parasites and establishes the different human strains that originated from one cross-species in terms of transmission from gorilla-to-human. However, infections in bonobos were from human parasites when the apes resided in urban sanctuaries. The study discovers that over nine plasmodium species naturally infect

Plate Tectonics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Plate Tectonics - Research Paper Example is composed of plates that are in motion with respect to one another and that the majority of the deformation associated with this motion is concentrated along the plate boundaries (Fichter, 2000). Back in 1968, Morgain provided an explanation that plate tectonics constitutes "a kinematic model which describes the relative motion between the rigid plates that make up the outer shell of Earth" (Morgan, 73). Practically, the relative motion between the plates is accommodated by seafloor spreading and the creation of new plates at ocean ridges, subduction of the surface plate at ocean trenches, and strike-slip motion at transform faults which allows plate motion without creating or removing surface plates. The motion of the continents is facilitated by the movement of the lithospheric plates, and this transport of the continents is referred to as continental drift. Plate tectonics on Earth has been determined to have been in operation for at least two billion years and may well have bee n in operation much earlier (Cawood et al., 5). theory, with its collisional orogenies and other episodic events, was in some wise dependent or interdependent upon "new catastrophism." That is, though plate tectonics largely relies upon uniformitarianism as a basis of understanding plate motion and subsurface processes, it nevertheless proffers catastrophes and other episodic events that proceed at rates greater than those existing between events. Examples include mountain building, various volcanic processes, and sea-level change resulting from mid-oceanic ridge formation. Between 1908 and 1912, Frank B. Taylor, American geologist, and Alfred Wegener, a German meteorologist and astronomer, working independently, proposed the idea that the continents were not fixed on the surface of the Earth but were slowly moving about. One point of Taylor's argument was that continental drift was needed to account for the folding and compression of the Alps and the Himalayas. Wegener was more influenced by the rough parallelism between the opp osing shores of the Atlantic and by evidence of climatic changes through geological time. Later Wegener proposed that all the Earth's land area was at one time "united in a single primordial supercontinent, which he named Pangaea, from Greek meaning 'all land" (Hallam, 93). The continents had shifted, becoming increasingly separated through millions of years. He believed that the continent were made up of light-weight granitic rocks, which like giant ships driven through the heavier basaltic seas (Hallam, 95). Wegener looked upon the continents as flexible masses instead of rigid plates. Some of his work was in error, for example, the amount of time involved in continental drift. Alfred Wegener established a tradition in geology and geophysics, according to which further development of theory of plate tectonics has been formed within the scientific debate over the ideas of stationary continents and continental drift. For instance, Hallam commented that "interpretation of how science

Merketing research strategy for a case study Paper

Merketing strategy for a case study - Research Paper Example This matter has been made worse by a section of the media, which has published derogatory article showing that the event should not be sponsored by the government. Another section of the public argues that the event benefits commercial businesses in the Gold Coast, and hence it is not worth government sponsorship. The following report is prepared with the aim of justifying the current financial commitment for the event. Table of Contents Problem statement 4 Background 4 Management Decision Problems 4 Marketing Research Problem (MRP) questions/statement 5 Research objectives 5 Proposed mixed method to address MRP 5 The proposed Research design 5 Data collection instruments – questionnaire 7 Sampling plan, data collection procedures and data analysis 8 Key limitation of the study design 10 Independent-samples t-tests 10 Analysis of variance (ANOVA) 12 Bivariate correlation coefficient matrix 14 References 15 PART A Problem statement Background ‘Schoolies’ week is a major tourism attraction event, which takes place annually at the Gold Coast, Australia. The event, which attracts many sponsors and participants, is usually attended by students who have completed their Year 12 (the final year at high school). ... 4. How can the negative perception of the members of the community against ‘Schoolies’ be changed? 5. What actions can be taken to curb the media’s negative publicity of the ‘Schoolies’? 6. What information can be gathered to justify the financial commitments of ‘Schoolies’? 7. What actions can be taken to show the locals that ‘Schoolies’ is a worthy public project? Justification Since the ‘Schoolies’ events were started in 1975, many negative behaviors have resulted in the events’ negative publicity, and actions needs to be taken to address this problem, if the event is going to get public good will. This negative publicity has been as a result of negative behaviors, such as drunkenness, which cause civil disturbances in the main street. As such, the actions that should be undertaken to rescue the good name of this project, should focus on changing the behavior of the students who participate, because thi s is the root cause of problems. Despite its perceived social economic benefits, the role of the state government as a financier of the event has faced many hurdles because some groups, including the members of the opposition have argued that the event is largely benefiting the private sector such as the hotels along the beach, hence not worth the sponsorship. This calls for a deliberate action by the government to ensure that the real benefit of the event to the members of the public is evident, to justify its financial commitment. Marketing Research Problem (MRP) questions/statement 1. Why do the media and the public consider ‘Schoolies’ as a negative project that is not worthy commitment of public resources? 2. Why do the youth who attend the

An interview with a manager Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

An interview with a manager - Essay Example Two different managers tackle the same matter in two different ways, yet both can be right or wrong. Taking this into consideration, it often becomes very difficult to realize how theoretical knowledge and concepts about management can be applied in practical work. In order to resolve such conceptual problems, an interview with a manager can often prove very useful so that the management theories can be compared with the practical trends in place. This can particularly help business management students realize the issues that obstruct the practical realization of ideal management so that they may be equipped with prior knowledge of them and prepare themselves accordingly. Owing to their central role in running an organization, the need of interviewing a manager for various purposes is commonly felt. However, it is not very easy to make a manager commit to the interviewer. It is not unusual for responsible managers to be ignorant of an appointment made with an interviewer. The haphazard and complex nature of work explains the reason. Therefore, the interviewer should have taken necessary measures on his/her own part so that the interview may be conducted with least inconvenience to any of the parties. This paper discusses the factors that need to be considered and taken care of while interviewing a manager. The information will be very useful for researchers, news reporters and representatives of other agencies who have to often seek information from the managers. In the paper, I have also discussed an interview with a manager that I personally conducted so that it may be presented as an example to refer to when required. For the interview, Ross Bannerman was selected who is the General Manager (GM) of the â€Å"Bannerman Seafoods† in Scotland. GM Ross Bannerman’s contact information was retrieved from the Bannerman Seafoods official website. A letter was faxed to him on the fax number mentioned in the website, followed by a

Merketing research strategy for a case study Paper

Merketing strategy for a case study - Research Paper Example This matter has been made worse by a section of the media, which has published derogatory article showing that the event should not be sponsored by the government. Another section of the public argues that the event benefits commercial businesses in the Gold Coast, and hence it is not worth government sponsorship. The following report is prepared with the aim of justifying the current financial commitment for the event. Table of Contents Problem statement 4 Background 4 Management Decision Problems 4 Marketing Research Problem (MRP) questions/statement 5 Research objectives 5 Proposed mixed method to address MRP 5 The proposed Research design 5 Data collection instruments – questionnaire 7 Sampling plan, data collection procedures and data analysis 8 Key limitation of the study design 10 Independent-samples t-tests 10 Analysis of variance (ANOVA) 12 Bivariate correlation coefficient matrix 14 References 15 PART A Problem statement Background ‘Schoolies’ week is a major tourism attraction event, which takes place annually at the Gold Coast, Australia. The event, which attracts many sponsors and participants, is usually attended by students who have completed their Year 12 (the final year at high school). ... 4. How can the negative perception of the members of the community against ‘Schoolies’ be changed? 5. What actions can be taken to curb the media’s negative publicity of the ‘Schoolies’? 6. What information can be gathered to justify the financial commitments of ‘Schoolies’? 7. What actions can be taken to show the locals that ‘Schoolies’ is a worthy public project? Justification Since the ‘Schoolies’ events were started in 1975, many negative behaviors have resulted in the events’ negative publicity, and actions needs to be taken to address this problem, if the event is going to get public good will. This negative publicity has been as a result of negative behaviors, such as drunkenness, which cause civil disturbances in the main street. As such, the actions that should be undertaken to rescue the good name of this project, should focus on changing the behavior of the students who participate, because thi s is the root cause of problems. Despite its perceived social economic benefits, the role of the state government as a financier of the event has faced many hurdles because some groups, including the members of the opposition have argued that the event is largely benefiting the private sector such as the hotels along the beach, hence not worth the sponsorship. This calls for a deliberate action by the government to ensure that the real benefit of the event to the members of the public is evident, to justify its financial commitment. Marketing Research Problem (MRP) questions/statement 1. Why do the media and the public consider ‘Schoolies’ as a negative project that is not worthy commitment of public resources? 2. Why do the youth who attend the

Market Equilibrium Process Essay Example for Free

Market Equilibrium Process Essay Relate the concepts of the market equilibrating process in the Weeks One and Two readings and learning activities to a prior real-world experience occurring in a free market. The experience does not necessarily have to be work related. Explain the market equilibrating process in relation to your experience. Include academic research to support your ideas. Consider the following components in your explanation: †¢ Law of demand and the determinants of demand †¢ Law of supply and the determinants of supply †¢ Efficient markets theory †¢ Surplus and shortage Use University of Phoenix Material: Appendix A to create graphs illustrating the equilibrating process in price relation to the shift in supply and demand. Deliver the content as a 350- to 500-word paper, 7- to 10-slide Microsoft ® PowerPoint ® presentation, 2- to 3-minute video, or 1-page comic strip illustration. http://academicwritingtips.org/component/k2/item/932-market-equilibrium-process.html Market equilibrium refers to the selling price â€Å"where the intentions of buyers and sellers match†. This means that the quantity sellers are willing to sell at a particular price matches the quantity buyers are willing to purchase at that same price, or, in other words, where the quantity demanded equals the quantity supplied. A surplus results when the price is too high (quantity supplied is more than consumers are willing to buy) and a shortage occurs when the price is too low (quantity demanded is more than quantity supplied). The equilibrium price changes when there is a shift in either supply or demand. The market is made up of two basic groups, households and businesses. These two units buy and sell goods and services from and to each other. The market system uses competition among buyers and sellers to regulate the price of available goods and services. Theoretically, this insures that no one buyer or seller will be able to monopolize the market because others can c ome in and undercut the price. Supply and demand are affected by changes in consumer preferences, number of buyers in the market, consumers’ incomes, the prices of related goods, and consumer expectations. The economy is currently in a recession, or depression depending on whom you ask, that has greatly affected these determinants of demand. Many industries and individual consumers have seen a steep decline in income due to this market low period. The recession has had a significant affect on the construction industry in which this author currently works. There is currently a surplus of commercial and residential properties on the market. This surplus discourages businesses from starting new construction projects. This has led to businesses reducing their workforces which has in turn led to consumers reducing their spending and has become a circle of lower buying and selling. The construction industry was not the only one affected by this cycle. Nearly all industries that depend on consumers discretionary funds, those not spent on necessities, were affected. Large manufacturers that have been around forever went bankrupt and small companies everywhere  suffered the same fate. The United States economy is market based. Sellers and consumers are free to trade in any way that works for them with relatively little interference from government. This system allows the price of products and services to be set by supply and demand and determines the allocation of limited resources. Suppliers and consumers are connected in a circle of buying and selling, and when there is a major shift in the economy all can be affected. References This is a hanging indent. To keep the hanging indent format, simply delete this line of text using the backspace key, and replace the information with your reference entry. http://www.e-m-h.org/introduction.html http://www.healthmr.com/resources/newsletter-archive/1011-fa-3-ways-to-increase-revenues-in-home-health-and-hospice http://academicwritingtips.org/component/k2/item/932-market-equilibrium-process.html http://ajrccm.atsjournals.org/cgi/content/full/165/6/750 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supply_and_demand

Building Materials Market in Vietnam

Building Materials Market in Vietnam This part of the research provides a deeper view on Vietnam building materials industry with concentration on the recent business situation of construction and building materials market. Information about building materials firms is also provided. 1.1 Construction and real estate Vietnam’s economy has gone through a struggling period of insubstantial credit expansion, because of the decelerated development in the banking system characterized by non-performing loans (NPLs) and a property market slump. The property market in Vietnam is currently disheartened, disputing with market conditions including a lack of capital resources have resulted in construction companies being unable to complete projects, while purchasers are finding it challenging to afford property because of a lack of access to loans. As a result, many construction projects, housing, apartments, etc. are being unfinished .There are also signs of distressed property assets in the country. Therefore the construction industry’s growth rate declined from 19.7% in 2011 to 6.5% in 2012, although the industry reached a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 19% from 2008 to 2012 (Timetric, 2013). The construction market in Vietnam is expected to be higher than average growth rates until the end of the decade (CB Richard Ellis Group, 2008 2013). Construction spending was approximately US$18.6 billion in 2012, which accounted for slightly under 20% of the country’s GDP. This spending is estimated to grow by nearly 7% per annual over the next five years (Savills, 2013). In Vietnam construction market, the residential sector made up the largest proportion of more than half of total construction spending in 2012, followed by the infrastructure sector. The non-residential market constituted just about 10% of total construction spending in 2012. (IHS Inc., 2012) Currently, a mismatch between supply and demand in the Vietnamese property market has happened. Demand perseveres for affordable housing, office but construction developers of mid to high end assets are in difficulty to attract buyers or rental consumers. This table showed the existing and the new supply for office market in Vietnam. Chart 10: Existing and new office supply. Unit: sqm (000s) (Savills, 2013) In Cushman Wakefield Market outlook 2013, it stated that current average rents for Grade A in Vietnam have decreased by 46% and 41% in HCMC and Hanoi respectively, compares to 2008. Meanwhile the total value of inventory in housing projects was estimated at more than VND125 trillion (US$6 billion) in 55 cities and provinces in May 2013. High real estate prices and over-supply, which have rocketed due to speculative activities at the peak of the market, are serious problems. They resulted in rental rates declined during the recent years with average rents throughout all grades falling by approximately 2% quarter-on-quarter (DTZ Vietnam, 2012). Contractors are holding on a lot of purchased real estate products at relatively high prices and are unwilling to sell at a loss price throughout the current downward trend. In many reports were submitted to construction firms and Vietnamese government, they all advised to address the over-supply issue, adjustments to the apartment size and lev el of development are necessary. In Asia Construction Outlook by AECOM in 2013, they forecasted that all major sectors in Vietnam would grow over the next five years at similar rates. Specifically, total construction output of Vietnam would be at around $18.5 billion till 2018, with the growth rate of about 6.7%. Infrastructure investment, such as highways, rail and ports, will be a main growth area until the end of the decade. However, the government is likely to have limited capacity for funding much of this because it is likely to be constrained by public debt levels. As a result Vietnam is set to offer significant opportunities through privately financed infrastructure projects, with the funding likely to take the form of foreign direct investment or PPP joint ventures. Geographically, the large amount of the investment will be focused on Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh and the North-South corridor in between. 1.2 Building materials market 1.2.1 Characteristics The companies In Vietnam building materials industry, almost top manufacturers are state-owned. See the table 3 and 4 below for the top building materials firm in Vietnam according to VNR500: Table 3: Top 12 biggest building materials firms in Vietnam Rank Company Type Products 1 Ha Tien Cement JSC State-owned Cement 2 Viglacera Corporation State-owned Tiles, Building Glass, Sanitary wares, AAC, bricks 3 Cement Holcim Vietnam Joint Venture Cement 4 Nghi Son Cement Joint Venture Cement 5 Chinfon Cement Corporation Joint Venture Cement 6 Vincem Hoang Thach Co. Ltd State-owned Cement 7 Vincem Bim Son JSC State-owned Cement 8 Vissai Group Private Cement 9 Phuc Son Cement JSC Joint Venture Cement 10 FICO JSC State-owned Cement 11 Phu Tai JSC Private Stone, Tiles, Wood 12 Vincem Hoang Mai JSC State-owned Cement Note that the joint venture companies above are among state-owned companies and foreign investors. Table 4: Top 12 biggest private building materials companies in Vietnam Rank Company Products Note 1 Vissai Group Cement 2 Phu Tai JSC Stone, Tiles, Wood 3 Quangninh construction and cement JSC Cement Sub-company of SOE 4 Prime Vinh Phuc Company Tiles 5 Vinh Tuong Industrial Corporation Ceiling, drywall grid 6 Song Gianh Cement Co. Ltd. Cement Sub-company of SOE 7 Viglacera Ha Long JSC Terracotta tiles Sub-company of SOE 8 DIC Intraco JSC Steels, AAC, Wood, Roof tiles, Klinkers Sub-company of SOE 9 Le Phan Construction Co Ltd Concrete 10 Vicostone Stone 11 Prime Dai Viet JSC Tiles 12 Tay Do Cement JSC Cement Sub-company of SOE As you can see from the above tables, the state-owned building materials companies account for large proportion in the industry. They also are the dominating factor in private sector, it has created bad business environment in Vietnam due to incentives that SOEs have received. Therefore, they do not have very active domestic rivals who put pressure on them to innovate. Regarding to types of products, it is seen that cement is the top priority in the industry. 10 out of 12 biggest manufacturers are producing cement and cement related products. This sector has contributed a large ratio in export activities of Vietnam (see table 9). However, nowadays, tiles sector attracts more attention of government because of this sector’s importance on the global market. Vietnam ceramic tiles sector was ranked in the top ten countries of manufacturing and exporting tiles (Stock, 2010). 1.2.2 Domestic performance As stated in above part, all 3 main sectors of construction and real estate (residential, infrastructure and non-residential) has been struggling in the ability to complete their projects. Not only that, the economic crisis led to high inflation, tightened credit expansion, and lower spending of people. It made people less likely to buy, or rent a new house or even fix or upgrade their house. Therefore, the building materials market of Vietnam has also suffered a serious downward trend in development. Regarding ceramic market, according to reports and articles from Vietnam building ceramic association (VBCA) in 2013, the amount of manufactured tiles was slightly under 70% of total capacity, estimated around 289.8 million square meter. This number is much lower than 375 million square meter in 2010 when Vietnam was ranked the 5th on top manufacturing countries over the world with 3.9% on the world production (Stock, 2010). Stock of tiles that was difficult to clear, was approximately 50 days of production, about 40 million square meter or 112.800.000 USD. On the other hand, sanitary ware products were produced nearly 70% of total capacity, assessed at 9 million units, and number of units in inventory hit an average of 50-60 days of production, about 1.2 million units or approximately 28.200.000 USD. Table 5: Total consumption for tiles and sanitary ware of Vietnamese manufacturers. 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Total domestic consumption volume Tiles (million sqm) 150 203.65 297.5 290 272 246,9 Sanitary ware (million unit) 7.5 7.8 9.0 9.7 9.3 8.5 (Vietnam Ceramic Business Association, 2013) As we can see from Table 5, the volume of domestic consumption for tiles and sanitary ware started to decrease significantly from 2011, since Vietnam stand in its own recession. Before this year, the world economic crisis obviously had no negative effects on the local market because the amount kept raising until 2010. Table 6: Total tiles (ceramic and porcelain) in stock of some Vietnamese manufacturers No. Company Max Capacity (million sqm/ year) Actual Capacity (million sqm) In Stock (million sqm) 1 Mikado 1.5 1.07 0.1 2 Viet Y 1.8 1.30 0.25 3 Granite Trung Do 3.5 2.43 0.4 4 Prime 99 74 5.5 5 Catalan 15 10.5 1.3 6 CMC 5 4 0.3 7 Vinh Thang 9 6.5 0.6 8 Vitaly 4.5 2 0.3 9 Thach Ban 2 1.2 0.2 10 Toko 15 10.5 2 11 Viglacera 25 20 2 (Vietnam Ministry of Construction, 2013) From Table 6, it is clearly seen that those 11 manufacturer of tiles in Vietnam did not reach the maximum target capacity of them, and also had a large quantity of tiles in stock which is very difficult to clear. Regard to building glass products, Vietnam has 7 companies producing over-size building glass with maximum capacity is over 150 million square meter. However, in 2012, the goods in stock was approximately more than 60 million square meter of standard glass. It slightly equaled 4 month capacity of all manufacturers. Moreover, in that 60 million, there was 57 million meter of float glass, respectively 5 month production output. Besides that, imported glass from China and ASEAN countries with lower price also impacted on Vietnamese firm’s consumption. Therefore, some factories had to temporary stop producing for a while, for instance, Viglacera Dap Cau glass factory was closed from middle 2012 to September 2013 due to oversupply. In 2013, consumption of bricks and roofing tiles experienced a 70% of overall capacity. The actual produced quantity of brick was estimated of 17 billion units, but the purchased quantity just reached 14 billion bricks, about 80%. Table 7: Bricks manufacturing capacity and consumption in 2012. Product Maximum Capacity Actual output Consumption Factory standard brick 14 billion 12 billion 10 billion Manual brick 6 billion 5 billion 4 billion Total 20 billion 17 billion 14 billion Unit: brick. (Vietnam Ministry of Construction, 2013) A new kind of brick (or block that is non-fired) which was started to produce in Vietnam not long ago, is Autoclave Aerated Concrete (AAC) blocks. It also has been struggling with output clearance because of low demand in construction, especially no new projects tend to implement this kind of brick. Beside the unstable quality, lack of synchronous building solution also one of the stand-out issues. Therefore, there was not many construction contractors in Vietnam using this building material. As a result, consumption of AAC is limited, it reached just around 60-80% of total capacity and some fresh-built factories are facing perfunctory production or threat of bankruptcy. However, according to non-fired products development program of the government, the prime minister signed the decision that AAC will replace 30-40% traditional bricks, and it is mandatory for building higher than 8 floors. So, with this policy the future of AAC in Vietnam is valuated as brightest among other material s. Table 8: Vietnam AAC Factories production and consumption in 2012. No. Company Location in Vietnam Capacity (m3/year) Actual Consumption (m3) Total 9 factories 1.500.000 1 Viglacera AAC Bac Ninh 200.000 150.000 2 Vinema Ha Nam 100.000 60.000 3 Song Da Cao Cuong Hai Duong 200.000 100.000 4 Phuc Son Hoa Binh 150.000 90.000 5 An Thai Phu Tho 300.000 240.000 6 Truong Hai Hai Duong 200.000 110.000 7 Vinh Duc Lam Dong 100.000 50.000 8 Vuong Hai Dong Nai 100.000 60.000 9 Ky Nguyen E-block Long An 150.000 70.000 (Vietnam Ministry of Construction, 2013) Concerning cement market in Vietnam, it has been even worse than other materials. Due to government policy on lowering inflation, stabilizing market price and macroeconomic, from 2008 to present, cement price just increased about 30% while input materials, coal price raised 4 times. In addition, electricity, fuel price also rocketed continuously. Moreover, from 2010, the exchange rate between VND-USD rose and the access to banking credit was difficult, so cost over cement price jumped up 20-30%. According to Vietnam Cement Association, total cost of manufacturing is 60% of selling price, exchange rate increased, loan interest is about 20%/year, almost all cement companies in 2011, 2012, 2013 suffered losses. For example, Cam Pha and Ha Long cement factory had accumulated debt of 1200 billion VND (about 56 million USD) and 1090 billion VND (51 million USD) respectively. Reports of Vietnam Cement Association said 48 million tons of cement was manufactured in 2012, the number decreased 5% compared to that of 2011. Domestic consumption recorded a figure of 40 million tons, around 18% of decline. The designed capacity is approximately 70 million tons, but the actual production just hit 52 million tons (72% of capacity). Vietnam steel and metal industry has stayed in the same situation. However, the troubles are not only oversupply caused by frozen construction sector, but also the limited capital, numerous debt from loans, raw input ingredients relied on importing sources, out-of-date production technology. All of those reasons led to weak competitive strength on its own home-market. According to Vietnam steel association’s 2013 report, about 30% of Vietnam steel manufacturers were using old technology, more than 40% with average technology, and just less than 30% of steel firms had new technology for production and management. Moreover, 2013 growth rate was 7%; total capacity reached 10 million tons, 8.5% y-o-y growth but the actual domestic consumption poorly hit 1/3 of capacity. In summary, Vietnamese building materials companies have been endeavoring to find solutions to overcome domestic crash since crisis happened. Although the government provided some supporting actions for the sector since 2011 and then ratified $3.3 billion economic package in early 2014 (Dieu Tu Uyen, 2014), the building materials industry seems to be difficult to recover. In 2013, there were 10077 construction and real estate companies went bankruptcy, while other firms were struggling in tackling the oversupply issue. 1.2.3 Export international business situation Due to the difficulties of local market, many companies have tried to enhance exporting activity. However, the majority of products is still mainly used for consuming inside the country and export’s profits could not cover the losses of domestic sale. It happened to all kind of building materials. In general, export turnover of building materials in 2011 hit slightly over 766 million USD, that was an 86.45% increase compare to 2010. See the table below: Table 9: Export turnover of building materials in 2011 and percentage of increase. No Type of building material Turnover (thousand USD) Percentage of increase (%) 2010 2011 1 Building Stone 105.646 131.715 24.67 2 Tiles 109.656 185.144 68.84 3 Sanitary ware 46.481 64.343 38.42 4 Glass 40.135 49.027 22.15 5 Clinker and cement 96.887 319.101 229.35 6 Raw materials 12.027 16.682 38.70 Total 410.832 766.012 86.45 Regarding building stones, top ten companies accounted for more than 66% of total exporting revenue of stone. The top consuming markets of Vietnam stone are Belgium (29.21%), Australia (13.38%) and United States (9%). Referring to ceramic products, just about 15% of total manufactured goods was exported. Top ten companies constituted 56% of total revenue, and the biggest markets are Laos, Taiwan, Thailand, Cambodia, etc. Besides that, tiles and sanitary ware have been imported with lower price than Vietnamese firms, most of them come from China. It has pushed domestic manufacturers to face high pressures and challenges in selling products in the country market. Table 10: Import and Export situation of tiles and sanitary of Vietnam. Consumption 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Export (million USD) Tiles 77.16 80.88 69.57 109.66 185.14 190 Sanitary ware 35.7 41.3 37.4 46.5 64.3 65 Import (million USD) Tiles 33.65 22.4 70.16 95.5 46.4 46 Sanitary ware 4.2 6.8 6.7 8.07 12.54 12 (Vietnam Ceramic Business Association, 2013) According to top exporting countries of ceramic tiles, Vietnam was ranked the 12th with 28 million square meter exported in 2010, that accounted for 0.3% and 1.5% on the world consumption and the world export respectively (Stock, 2010). However, in terms of money, the total value of exported tiles of Vietnam is much lower than Thailand and Malaysia (not mentioned China here). The Vietnam Association for Building materials A said that the reason is because the competitive strength of Vietnamese firms is lower than Thailand, Malaysia, and China. Regarding to glass, total value of glass and glass related products was $0.54 billion in 2012. It was a 46.7% rise compare to 2011. However, because of the domestic downturn, this increase could not cover the loss in glass sector. For example, Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan said in the interview that Viglacera Corporation still had to close their glass factory in the north for more than 12 months in spite of having foreign customers. About cement sector, in the last 10 years, Vietnam cement generally had the lower selling price than other countries in ASEAN. It stayed at around $50/ton, while the ASEAN average cement price fluctuated from $65 to $75/ton (Vietnam National Cement Association, 2013). In 2012, exporting volume levelled up to 1.7 million tons of cement and 7.3 million tons of clinker. After that, in 2013, total cement and clinker exported increased to nearly 14 million tons. This was a big leap in Vietnam cement industry on international business. It is clearly seen that building materials products such as tiles, sanitary ware, glass, cement, or steel have had a stable increase in export. However, these improvements could not help to overcome the downward trend in domestic market. According to building materials business community, the ASEAN market is considered as similarities and has strong points for Vietnamese companies to expand businesses. So, most of building materials manufacturers in Vietnam has focused mostly on this areas. The imposed tax for goods from Vietnam is 0%, but the technical barrier and quality is highly required. Especially, ASEAN countries also strictly control and apply the anti-dumping policies. Together with the competition with China, it makes the profits of exports stay relatively small. However, if Vietnam succeeds in signing the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, Vietnamese firms will have greater chances to expand their business into different nations outside ASEAN. Currently, Vietnam companies are paying import tax for members of TPP such as Mexico 25%, Chile 6%, Peru 5%, etc. Therefore, when Vietnam joins TPP, import tax equals 0%, companies will have more incentives to exploit these potential markets. This also true for other trade agreements Vietnam is negotiating. 1.3 Conclusion The financial crisis did have an extremely negative impact on construction and building materials industry. Factories had to cut down their capacity around 30% in general. The goods in stock increased and was difficult to sell, especially for tiles sector. Many companies went bankrupt, some have to close their factories, and many of them suffered losses. The export volume and value of building materials products have kept rising recent years. However it can not cover the huge losses in domestic market. On the other hand, the state-owned enterprises have dominated the sector over the private companies.