Business Stabilization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business Stabilization - Essay Example This proposition features the disjoint and freedom in flexibly and request dependent on schedule and people. This is a sharp complexity to the perspective on the traditional monetarist who didn't mull over the chance of a delay in the middle of winning and use and the investment funds culture. This was the beginning stage for Keynesian Economics. As expressed before, financial arrangement is of more significance than fiscal approach in the perspective on Keynesian Economist. Keynesians accept that cash is an advantage which can be held for the good of its own and not similarly as a fleeting home of buying power. Keynesians do no accept that adjustments in cash flexibly effectsly affect financial exercises. Keynesianism additionally doesn't deal with the traditional conviction that cash can be directed to influence monetary exercises. In spite of the fact that it will be an exaggeration to state that Keynesianism doesn't perceive cash as being significant, it ought to anyway be placed in appropriate point of view. Cash doesn't directly affect the economy. Before cash can be said to affect the economy, Keynesians accept that an adjustment in cash gracefully should impact loan cost which ought to thus convert into an adjustment in speculation levels and at last affect national salary, at exactly that point would money be able to be said to issue. Pace of Ms1 Rate of Net Ms= Money Supply Interest Ms2 interest Md = Money request r1 r1 r2 r2 M1 M2 Ms Md r3 b Investment Passing by the graphical outline above, It is promptly detectable that, bringing down the loan fee will have no effect on an inelastic speculation bend. Keynesians likewise accept that the essential connection between cash gracefully and the economy is loan cost with two other auxiliary connection of the capacity of the financing cost to influence ventures and for changes in speculations to influence national pay these connections as per Keynesianism are exceptionally frail. Legislators in the UK over the span of electioneering and battle show immense information on Keynesianism with the manner in which Economic approaches are drawn up. The two principle parties in the UK today are the Conservative and Labor parties, each having their customary perspective on financial arrangements and how the Government is relied upon to intercede in the economy. Be that as it may, in the post war period, there hosts been cross-gathering accord as respects monetary strategy with extremely extraordinary tendency of both the left and the privilege towards Keynesianism. There has similarly been a lot of talk from the two sides on how best to control the monetary activities of the Government with the end goal of encouraging certain financial arrangement targets. These targets incorporate value solidness, outer harmony, financial turn of events and development, salary appropriation and so forth instruments of monetary arrangement, for example, charge, Government consumption and loan fees are thoughts that have been proliferated in the journey to accomplish the in advance of referenced destinations. The conviction is that by adjusting the monetary strategy, wretchedness inside an economy can be survived. Both the work and traditionalist gathering concurred that some key ventures ought to be possessed by the state in a procedure of nationalization. In any case

Government Censorship Essays - Content-control Software, Free Essays

Government Censorship Essays - Content-control Software, Free Essays Government Censorship Proposal: Government Censorship would harm the climate of the opportunity to communicate thoughts on the Internet; along these lines, government ought not energize restriction. Presentation I. In the Internet people group, there is an enormous volume of specialized terms. Therefore, it is first important to look at the phrasing explicit to Internet. 1.The web is an overall PC organize. 1.Electronic mail (email), which is one part of the Internet, approximates individual to individual letters, memoranda, notes and even calls. 2.Another term that is frequently utilized is electronic news (enews/Usenet), enews is a communicate, allowed to the Internet medium. 3.The term FTP is additionally every now and again utilized. Record move convention (FTP) began as an Web documented and recovery medium, fairly undifferentiated from conventional libraries. 4.The internet (WWW), which is another segment of the Net, can be utilized to distribute material that would customarily show up in diaries, magazines, banners, books, TV and even on film. 2.It is additionally basic to give a concise history on the web. 3.The U.S. government is currently attempting to pass bills to forestall abuse of the Net. II. So as to comprehend the requirement for the ever-developing assemblage of enactment, it is imperative to investigate the debate, and the present issues engaged with the Net as it exists must be presented. 1.The issue that worries the vast majority is hostile materials, for example, erotic entertainment. 2.Another vital web wrongdoing is the taking of Mastercard numbers. III. One response to this inapplicability has been the Censor the Net methodology (the control charge), we are currently to think about its preferences and hindrances. 1.First, the importance of Censoring the Net must be clarified. 2.However, numerous specialists have brought up that administration restriction is preposterous. 1.First, it isn't reasonable for avoid the opportunity and harm the air of uninhibitedly communicating thoughts only for the security of kids. 2.Most web clients are making the most of their ability to speak freely on the Net, which is expected to be ensured by our First Amendment. 3.Additionally, just an extremely little part of the Net contains hostile material, most individuals don't utilize the Net for erotic entertainment. 4.It must be comprehended that controlling the Net is in fact incomprehensible. 5.While individuals are worried about Internet erotic entertainment, it ought to be perceived that erotic entertainment is once in a while lawful; for instance, sex entertainment is legitimate in video and magazines. IV. There are numerous elective measures to government control which would forestall abuse of the Net and would have indistinguishable impacts from oversight. 1.It is significant for guardians to give moral direction to their kids, and guardians ought to have this obligation. 2.However, simultaneously as we do moral direction, we need to come out with a few momentary ways to deal with tackle the issue in a progressively proficient manner also. 3.An option in contrast to government oversight is the innovative fix, which would forestall abuse of the Net and would have indistinguishable impacts from government oversight. 1.One case of innovative fix is the SurfWatch programming. 2.Also, business Internet specialist co-ops, for example, America Online, permit guardians to control what Internet hand-off talk (IRC) meetings are accessible to their kids. 3.Another innovative fix is for guardians and gatekeepers to have a different intermediary server for their youngsters' internet browser. 4.There are no PC projects to consequently and dependably order material; just individuals can do it. Subsequently, while rehearsing mechanical fixes, the grouping of the substance of the material when posting is significant. 5.Nowadays, most web clients characterize their postings with standard classes, and leave marks toward the finish of postings. 6.The mix of the establishment of controlling programming and the arrangement of materials is a greatly improved arrangement than government control. End Book reference The Internet is a brilliant spot of amusement and instruction yet like all spots utilized by millions of individuals, it has some cloudy corners individuals would lean toward kids not to investigate. In the physical world society all in all plots to secure kids, however there are no social or physical requirements to Internet surfing. The Internet Censorship Bill of 1995, otherwise called the Exon/Coats Communications Decency Act, has been presented in the U.S. Congress. It would make it a criminal offense to make accessible to kids whatever is profane, or to send anything revolting with aim to disturb, misuse, undermine, or bother (Stop the Communications ... n.p.). The objective of this bill as composed (despite the fact that not

An Interview about the Interview

An Interview about the Interview Yimin asks: What is interview like? Good question. Lets start at the very beginning. (A very good place to start.) 0. Is an interview required? No, its not required, but I highly suggest having one. Your interview gives us a vivid sense of you as a person and how you would fit at MIT something the paper application alone can never match. Dont get me started on selection bias, but if you crunch some raw numbers, the admit rate for applicants who had interviews (or whose interviews were waived) is about three times the admit rate for those who didnt. 1. With whom do you interview? Youll interview with an MIT alum, otherwise known as an Educational Counselor (EC). 2. Where do you interview? Your interviewer will live/work nearby, so youll interview in your hometown area. Theres no need to bike/fly/hitchhike to Boston for your interview. 3. How do you schedule an interview? You will receive your Educational Counselors (EC) name and contact information via your MyMIT account. Please note that there may be times when there is no EC in your area and we will waive your interview. It is your responsibility to check your MyMIT account to find out the name of your EC, and to schedule the interview before the interview deadline. 4. What are the deadlines for interviews? If youre applying early action (which is non-binding, btw), youll need to set up the interview no later than October 20, and conduct it no later than November 1. For regular action, the deadlines are December 1 and December 15, respectively. Your EC will probably get busier as the deadline approaches, so I suggest scheduling your interview as early as possible. 5. What will happen in the interview? Every interview is different and ECs dont have a fixed set of questions you must answer. Basically, your EC wants to get to know you as a person so he/she can add another layer (both metaphorically and physically) to your application file. Because your EC is an alum of MIT, he/she will be able to share with you experiences and memories about his/her time at MIT. The interview really is a two-way exchange, so take advantage of this and feel free to ask questions of your EC as well. Remember: questions of science, science and progress, do not speak as loud as [your] heart. 6. What is your advice for the interview? Some interviewers like to see that you have researched MIT and have specific questions for them. This does not mean you should have memorized course numbers or already picked out your living group. I think good traits to convey during your interview are enthusiasm, maturity, and respect. It sounds hokey, but all that stuff about making your personality shine through really means a lot. If you are a freshman applicant with questions about the interview process that arent answered above, please send an e-mail to: [emailprotected] (I copied that sentence from the MyMIT section on interviews. To get to this page, which has additional information: sign in, click the light green tab how to APPLY and then on the left click INTERVIEWS)

Comparison of Evil in Edgar Allan Poe´s The Cask of...

â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† by Edgar Allan Poe and â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† by Flannery OConnor explore the depths of evil and what makes an individual truly evil. They both question are understanding of evil and the different forms it may present itself in. These stories do an equally good job at getting the reader to see true evil first hand, even though they present evil in much different ways. As humans we can differentiate evil from good most of the time there is usually a clean cut line from a morally just action from one that is not. When we look at Falnnery O’Connors â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† we see many forms of evil even before we meet the criminals. The family has a trip planned to Florida which the grandmother does not approve of because she would rather visit Tennessee. The grandmother then tries to per sway the family by instilling fear bringing up â€Å"The Misfits† who were local criminals that just escaped from prison; although her actions may seem rather insignificant and perhaps even debatable if they are evil, the grandmother’s actions can still be perceived as selfish. The grandmother’s selfish motives can be viewed as a form evil even if it is not the worst evil. This begs the question where precisely does the line lay on what is done through purely evil motives and if the line is really as clear cut as we may possibly think it is? In â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† the narrator Montresor claims that Fortunato has hurt him a thousand times before, but

How to Ask Polite Questions in English

There are three types of questions in English: direct, indirect, and question tags. Direct and indirect questions are used to ask for information you do not know, while question tags  are generally used to clarify or confirm the information you think you know. Each of these three question types  can be used politely, but certain indirect forms are more formal and polite than other types of questions. One form to avoid when asking for things is the imperative form. Saying Give me that (imperative) instead of Could you give me that (indirect) puts you at risk of sounding rude. To learn more about how to ask polite questions, and use each form correctly, check out the overview below. Asking Direct Questions Direct questions are either yes/no questions such as Are you married?  or information questions such as Where do you live? Direct questions ask for information immediately without including  extra language such as I wonder or Can you tell me. Construction Direct questions place the helping verb before the subject of the question:   (Question word) Helping Verb Subject Verb Objects ? Where do you work?Are they coming to the party?How long has she worked for this company?What are you doing here? Making Direct Questions Polite Direct questions can seem abrupt or even impolite at times, especially when asked by a stranger. For example, if you come up to someone and ask: Does the tram stop here?What time is it?Can you move?Are you sad? There is nothing wrong with asking questions in this manner, but to sound more polite, its very common to add excuse me or pardon me at the beginning of a question. For example: Excuse me, when does the bus leave?Excuse me, what time is it?Pardon me, which form do I need?Pardon me, may I sit here? Key Words That Make Direct Questions More Polite In informal situations, one could use the word can in a direct sentence. In the United States, can is considered to be incorrect for written English in particular because, in the past, it was not a word used when asking for something. Saying May I have instead of Can I have is preferred in the U.S. In the United Kingdom, the word is not frowned upon. Cambridge University publishes English teaching materials with the phrase Can you lend me, Can I have, etc. In both countries, questions with can are made more polite by using could: Excuse me, could you help me pick this up?Pardon me, could you help me?Pardon me, could you give me a hand?Could you  explain this to me? Would can also be used to make questions more polite: Would you lend me a hand with the wash?Would you mind if I sat here?Would you let me borrow your pencil?Would you like something to eat? Another way of making direct questions more polite is to add please at the end of the question. Please should not appear at the beginning of the question: Could you fill in this form, please?Could you help me, please?Can I have more soup, please? May is used as a formal means to ask for permission and is very polite. It is usually used with I, and sometimes we. May I come in, please?May I use the telephone?May we help you this evening?May we make a suggestion? Asking Indirect Questions to Be Especially Polite Using indirect question forms is especially polite. Indirect questions request the same information as direct questions, but they are considered more formal. Notice that  indirect questions  begin with a phrase (I wonder, Do you think, Would you mind, etc.). Construction Indirect questions always begin with an introductory phrase and unlike direct questions, they do not invert the subject. To form an indirect question,  use an introductory phrase followed by question words for information questions, and if or whether for yes/no questions. Introductory Phrase Question Word/If/Whether Subject Helping Verb Main Verb? Can you tell me where he plays tennis?I wonder if you know what time it is.Do you think she will be able to come next week?Excuse me, do you know when the next bus leaves? Introductory phrase question word (or if) positive sentence I wonder if you could help me with this problem.Do you know when the next train leaves?Would you mind if I opened the window? NOTE: If you are asking a yes-no question, use if to connect the introductory phrase with the actual question statement. Do you know if she will come to the party?I wonder if you can answer a few questions.Can you tell me if he is married? Otherwise, use a question word where, when, why, or how to connect the two phrases. Using Question Tags for Clarification Question tags turn statements into questions. Depending on the intonation of the voice, they are used to verify information that we think is correct or to ask for more information. If the voice goes up at the end of the sentence, the person is asking for more information. If the voice drops, someone is confirming information that is known. Construction We can understand question tags as having two parts separated by a comma. The first part uses the subject followed by a helping verb as used in direct questions (Has she). The second part uses the opposite form of the helping verb followed by the same subject (Hasnt she). Subject Helping verb Objects ,   Opposite Helping Verb Subject? You live in New York, dont you?She hasnt studied French, has she?Were good friends, arent we?Ive met you before, havent I? Polite Questions Quiz First, identify which type of question is asked (i.e. direct, indirect, or question tag). Next, provide a missing word to fill in the gap to complete the question. Can you tell me ______ you live?They wont attend this class, _____ they?I wonder ______ you like chocolate or not.______ me, what time does the train leave?Excuse me, _____ you help me with my homework?Do you know how long Mark _____ been working for that company?_____ I make a suggestion?Excuse me, do you know _____ the next show begins? Answers wherewillif/whetherExcuse/Pardoncould/wouldhasMaywhen / what time

Do You Agree With This Portrayal Of The Reasons Why The Troubles Continued Into The 1990’s Free Essays

Do You Agree With This Portrayal Of The Reasons Why The Troubles Continued Into The 1990’s? Explain Your Answer Using The Source And Your own Knowledge. The cartoon in source J drawn in 1991 is an accurate depiction of the reasons and troubles in Northern Ireland in the early 1990’s. Each of the characters in the picture represents a factor that helped continue the problems in Northern Ireland. We will write a custom essay sample on Do You Agree With This Portrayal Of The Reasons Why The Troubles Continued Into The 1990’s? or any similar topic only for you Order Now The staircase continues in a vicious circle because all the factors are linked. However, the cartoon does not apply to the end of the 1990’s because the factors were beginning to be sorted out and the Good Friday Agreement was signed. One of the main reasons for the trouble in Northern Ireland was that the politicians weren’t working together or listening to each other’s points and views. In the cartoon, the man holding ballot papers and wearing a large badge represents a politician of either a republican or unionist organization. The unionists wanted to stay part of Great Britain and British Rule. The leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) Reverend Ian Paisley had a strong influence in the 1960’s 70’s and 80’s that caused violence. The republicans wanted a split from Great Britain and become part of the republic of Ireland. Gerry Adams, the president of Sinn Fein and Pat Doherty, vice President both were strong advocates of this. Gerry Adams was involved with the Irish Republican Army in the seventies, along with Martin McGuinness. The unionists and republicans didn’t want to work together even in the early and mid-90’s. In February 1995, the British and Irish Governments drew up the Joint Framework Document. This included a new assembly for Northern Ireland and North-south Council of Ministers, which have a say over a whole range of issues. 1995 saw Northern Irelands lowest death toll since the troubles began, but there were still problems. Unionists were sceptical about the plan for a North-South Council of ministers because they though there was a possible chance it would lead to a united Ireland. Then the IRS and Sinn Fein did not want to decommission their weapons because they did not trust the British Government. David Trimble, the new Ulster Unionist Party leader, gave his total support to the peace process and US Senator George Mitchell worked to achieve a settlement that everyone would agree to. By the late 1990’s most politicians were working together for peace and they signed the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. In the cartoon there is a man holding a gun and walking in the opposite direction to the others on the staircase. He represents the terrorism and during the early 1990’s paramilitary groups such as the Irish Republican Army (IRA), the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and the Ulster Defence Association (UDA), caused a great deal of destruction in Northern Ireland. The IRA is a mainly Catholic organization who wanted to push the British Army out of Northern Ireland and for Northern Ireland to join the Republic. Gerry Adams (Sinn Fein) had a leading role in the organization of Bloody Friday, along with Seamus Twomey and Ivor Bell (senior Provisionals), which took place July 21st 1972. The IRA planted and exploded 22 bombs, which, in the space of 75 minutes, killed 9 people and seriously injured approximately 130 others. Then on the 31st July 1972 the Claudy Bombing, also known as Bloody Monday, nine people were killed, (2 under 16 and four over 60). Although the IRA was suspected of planting the bombs, no proof was found or confession made. Martin McGuinness, a senior figure of the IRA and the ‘number two’ at the time of Bloody Sunday Massacre on 30th January 1972 where thirteen were killed and thirteen more were shot and injured on a civil right march. While McGuinness was in power, 17 British Army soldiers, 11 civilians, 9 from the Claudy Bombing, 4 UDR members and 2 Royal Ulster Constabulary officers were all killed. Martin McGuinness has since become Sinn Fein’s chief negotiator. The Protestant Paramilitary groups wanted to get rid of the IRA and protect the Protestant communities. In 1966, a group of Shankill Road loyalists began to use the UVF name. UVF members and members of Ian Paisley’s Ulster Protestant Volunteers (UPU) carried out a series of explosions at public utilities and tried to blame them on the then nearly non-existent IRA. In 1972 Billy Hutchinson and two others brutally stabbed to death Social Democratic and Labour Party politician, Paddy Wilson. In this horrific attack Mr Wilson’s girlfriend Irene McDonald had her breasts cut off. It appears that the attackers were particularly angry because Irene McDonald was a Protestant. Police believe that the Northern Ireland Paramilitary groups were responsible for 22 deaths, 251 shootings and 78 bombing all in 1997. Although this seems like a lot of violence, it was nowhere near as much as past performances and had become less active. 1994 saw ceasefires from the paramilitaries, but the IRA and Sinn Fein didn’t agree to it. By the late 1990’s Paramilitaries had stopped most of their violent activities due to the initiative of the Good Friday agreement. The man with a pipe in his mouth and the woman holding a small child may represent the social and economic situation and problems that were faced by many of the low working classes of both Protestant and Catholic backgrounds in Northern Ireland. Unemployment was a big issue in Northern Ireland where a higher rate of unemployment amongst members of the Catholic community than the Protestant community has always been the case. In 1976, the first Fair Employment Act in Northern Ireland established a Fair Employment Agency in an attempt to prevent religious and political discrimination in Northern Ireland. The 1989 Fair Employment Act brought about the establishment of the Fair Employment Commission, which exists today to keep an eye on employment practices, and a Fair Employment Tribunal to hear complaints. In 1981 47% of Catholics in Northern Ireland were unemployed to the 22% of Protestantwho were unemployed. But by 1997 Catholics had 40% of the jobs available in Northern Ireland. Housing was an even bigger issue. Overcrowding was a huge problem in 1960’s. For a house to be overcrowded if there was more than two people live there per room excluding the bathroom and kitchen. In the area of South Ward in Londonderry, a predominantly Catholic area, there was over 6 000 people living overcrowded accommodation. In the early 1970’s, much of the housing provision in Northern Ireland was inadequate. In 1971, only 63% of Catholic homes in Northern Ireland had hot water, a fixed bath or shower, and an inside toilet, as opposed to 72% of Protestant homes. This gap has however been narrowed over the past 25 years, with almost all homes in Northern Ireland (98%), both Catholic and Protestant being furnished with these facilities and since 1971, the Government has invested over à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½9 000 million in public housing in Northern Ireland. By the late 1990’s the economic situation had dramatically improved with grants, money from America and peace. On the walls of the staircase, two years are mentioned that represent both Catholic and Protestant successes. These past events have helped people remember their differences and this has led to violence. 1690 was the battle of Boyne. This was when William of Orange (Protestant) defeated the Catholic King of England, James the second. This came after James had been overthrown and his daughter Mary and her husband William of Orange were asked to rule. James fled immediately to France where he found support from the French King. Louis the fourteenth gave him troops and ship to help him retain his title. James set sail for Ireland where he would gather support from the Catholics. All went well for James and soon Ulster was in desperate need of help from William. James attacked Londonderry and the siege lasted long enough for William to form an army and bring them to Ireland. Then in July of 1960 William killed James but it wasn’t until the next year that the Jacobite forces (James supporters) were defeated. This is a very important event for the Protestants and every July they march through Dumcree to commemorate the event. The second date on the staircase is 1916 and in this year bought the battle of Somme, where the 36th Ulster division sent men across the cannel and began to disembark in France. They fought with other troops and there bravery was awarded with medals in 1918. This is also very important to the protestant today and they remember it accordingly. In the same year, on 17th April the Irish Citizen Army, together with the Irish Volunteers, rose up in arms against the might of the British Empire to strike a blow for Irish freedom and for the setting up of an Irish Republic. James Connolly, the General Secretary of the Irish Transport and General Workers Union and founder of the Irish Socialist Revolutionary Party, was one of the main leaders in the struggle for national freedom. 1000 volunteers and workers’ troops stayed put in the centre of Dublin in battle with the British army. After a week of fighting which destroyed the city centre, the volunteers were forced to surrender British troops succeeded although suffering great loses. Connolly was arrested and Arthur Henderson, the secretary of the Labour Party signed for hi death, which took place on 12th May. Catholics remember this as one of the first steps to their independence. However, unlike other causes of violence the remembrance of these events in the forms of the marching seasons of both Catholics and Protestants bought tension that led to violence and still saw problems in the late 1990’s. The man holing a bible is either a priest or minister and represents the problems religion caused in Northern Ireland. Ever since the sixteenth century when Henry VIII started to meddle in the way that Ireland was ruled and changing the Church of England there have been problems but it wasn’t until James II started plantations to balance the Catholic majority in Ireland so they couldn’t attack England. The Protestants pushed in and took the Catholics land and money and violence really started. The segregation of Catholics and Protestants meant that living arrangements, education and employment were affected. People of different religions were forced to live in separate areas and a person of a different religion found in the others area was often attacked. Children were also forced to attended segregated schools. They were taught that the other religion was bad and as they grew older that found problems created by prejudice. Some people had hardly any contact with another religion because catholic companies employed Catholics and Protestant companies employed Protestants. This caused many problems because when contact was made it would not be good because neither had been educated about the other and new nothing of each other. Many religious leaders have worked hard to find peace in the late 1990’s. Reverend Ian Paisley (Protestant leader in Northern Ireland), was ordained in the Reformed Presbyterian Church in 1946, co founded a new sect, the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster in 1951, which soon grew to over 30 churches. He fought and protested for many years. Although religion still divides many areas in Northern Ireland religious leaders are fully behind the Good Friday Agreement. The cartoon drawn in 1991 shows an accurate portrayal of the reasons for the troubles in Northern Ireland up until the early 1990’s. However in the late 1990’s the troubles were beginning to be resolved and the Good Friday Agreement had a strong impact. The agreement saw better housing, more employment, education and political opportunities, the end to the majority of the violence and politicians working together. The Good Friday Agreement has not eliminated all the problems as there is still violence going on today, for example, the Northern Irish police found explosives that had been dumped that were linked to the IRA. How to cite Do You Agree With This Portrayal Of The Reasons Why The Troubles Continued Into The 1990’s?, Papers

Table Tennis Corruption

Question: Discuss about theTable Tennis Corruption. Answer: Introduction: Sports have been an important part of the living, but corruption in sports have ruined the real meaning of the sports and has dropped down the levels of many games. Sports are big phenomena in todays era. Corruption in sports has resulted in the real changes in the essence of the games, hence has to lead to a decrease in the curiosity of the fans to follow their sportsmen and appreciate their work. It is a divergent phenomenon which is very important part of life and the human values are connected with it. In this essay will discuss the corruption in the Table tennis. The game Table tennis also includes the factors such as the doping, match-fixing, and betting. It should be matter of concern and not of permission (Bakin Smirnov, 2012). Table tennis is governed around the globe by the organizationInternational Table Tennis Federation(ITTF). The organisation ITTF was founded in the year 1926 and is responsible for the regulation of the game. New challenges are being faced by the sport s persons in the Table tennis game. The involvement of the sportspersons into the drugs or the doping business results in losing the interest of the sports fans in their favourite sports Table tennis. In this essay will discuss about the Betting corruption in the Table tennis sport which results to challenge the confidence of the public in the integrity of the contest, which is essentially contrary to the spirit of activity and is to be eradicating at any costs. Therefore it is revealed betting corruption in Table tennis sports is becoming a huge problem which is affecting the game and the players in a great way (Mazanov Connor, 2010). After researching various cases all over the world in Table Tennis sports the main reason behind the corruption and their social costs are analysed. Betting in Table Tennis Betting is known as accepting, laying or making a gamble of money or the other structure of the economic speculation. It also includes, devoid of limitation, actions commonly referred to as the sports betting such as the unchanging and successively odds, totalisator games, betting exchange, live betting and spread betting that is offered by the operators resulting into the sports betting. Betting, act as an integrity threat to the Table tennis sport. The various corruption cases of table-tennis and criminal gangs launder involved more than 80million euro in a year from betting in which fans get disappointed by the doping, fixing and corruption that has been rampant in the game (Sindik, 2014). For the better understanding of the betting corruption in the Table tennis game will discuss the few scandals which occurred in the Table Tennis game. Including the different fraudulent activities related to the betting are divergent to the law and is correlated to the match-fixing and structured crime. Online betting and Internet gambling generate huge profits that are normally outside the control of existing management legislation and consequently a chance for the criminal activity. The data in the Australian Betting Statistics showed that in the year 2014-2015 Australian lost almost 30% in the sports due to the Betting (Maennig, 2002). Any support, participation or promotion of, any type of the betting related to an occasion or opposition includes betting with the other person, on the result, outcome, progress, conduct of such competition or event. This regulation applies to all the form of the betting which is related to the competition or the events, in which the participant directly participates. The betting in Table tennis was observed in the case of the corruption scandal held in Singapore regarding table-tennis. The president of the Singapore table tennis association(STTA) for almost twenty years who was also the member of the Singaporean parliament who use to look after the citizens interests held responsible for the breaking of law. The (CPIB) corrupt practices investigation bureau of Singapore received the various objections about the president whose name is Choo Wee Khiang was paying bills with STTAs money. (Martinent Decret, 2014) Many of his complaints were carried out by the CPIB investigation and player told that Liu Zhong, paid Choo around 1000 dollars for representing Singapore in the international tournaments. It was also told that in the year 2003 and 2004 Choo also received 1200 dollars from the national coach of China for approving the use of two training facilities in China. Soon after, it is also revealed that together with ex-high performance manager of STTA was also responsible for paying Luo Jie almost 6500 us dollars for a work that he never did (Bańkosz Szumielewicz, 2014). This was not the first time that happened STTAs president was found many times involved in such kind of issues, some facts also come to light that for two years he was imprisoned and had to pay around 7000 us dollars as a fine for helping a friend to cheat in a finance company and to get the loan of almost 6400000 US dollar. Because of these frauds made by him, Choos trial has been postponed twice during the mont h at the request of his lawyer. In case, if the Choo was found to be guilty then he has to pay the 70000 US dollars fine and has to be in jail for five years at a charge. For china, table tennis is a very serious game, and it is referred as national ball there, china is very secretive about the rules and regulation between the players, and are very suspicious and dishonest about the punishments. In 2012, Chinese table tennis player named Zhang Jike beat his competitor and also his teammate Ma Long in a seven-set match in the championship round of world cup in Dusseldorf, Germany. He is an awesome talent, one of the best players in the history of table-tennis. He has also won the last two tournaments in the world championship and also took gold in the London Olympics in 2012. But soon after his victory in Dusseldorf drag more headlines to Betting than what he has done before. Jike celebrated his victory by winning heavily and by kicking through a couple cardboard barriers of including the names of the tournaments advertisers, and removing his shirt and throwing it in the crowd (Bańkosz Szumielewicz, 2014). It was all PG- rated. Jimi Hendrix lighting his guitar on fire in Monterey and the tournaments jury decided that this was inappropriate behaviour for an athlete in a sport unassuming as table tennis. They plunder Jike of his entire purse about$56000. The celebrations for his victory and ensuing absurd punishment made headlines not only in china but around the world. They have to face the most press table tennis has ever got in the recent years (Numerato, 2009). The entire incident serves as a figure of speech for the table tennis establishments and the deep rooted and self-destructive tendency towards small time thinking. According to the jury, sports are supposed to be exciting and fun emotions are supposed to run so high that they occasionally spill over. It is an inappropriate fine but $56000 is a lot of money in Betting. This table tennis game should be treated with respect and dignity (Rodenberg Kaburakis, 2013). In order to ensure safety and also for the purpose of safeguarding the main integrity of table tennis, the following rules has been adopted by the ITTF (i) carefully prohibiting any kind of conduct which might impact the improper outcome of the competitions and the events (ii) to ensure the establishing of a mechanism of sanction and enforcement for all those concerned who, by their corrupt conduct, tries to put the game and its integrity at serious risk. The association of the ITTF is fully committed to making sure that all kinds of the practical steps, as well as the procedures, are adopted so that the game is played and the integrity and respect of the game are sustained.The Continental Federations and the National Associations are also to put in place various and similar rules and strict regulations so that the game remains away from falling into any bad hands. Any kind of the allegations or any type of suspicion of the violation of 6.2 is required to reported to the association of ITTF for serious investigation and also possible punishment is ensured to be given to the wrong doers. The association ay also blacklists all such people who take the help of the wrong to ensure their participation in the tournaments which are inaugurated by the ITTF. The wrong doings are carefully scrutinized and the guilty are tried to be found at the earliest and then the appropriate action is taken against them so that the game is always placed in safer hands. The ITTF have got its own discretion, where the association deems and provides the punishments to the guilty ones as per their rules and regulations. The decisions are taken by the competent authorities under strict outcomes so that in future no other attempt which is similar to it gets repeated. It is vital that the result of the sporting competitions is completely dependent and also based comprehensively on the merits basis and the competing spirits of the competitors are maintained. Any kind of the corruption which may undermine the people's confidence refer the integrity of the concerned sporting contest is strictly handled and is considered as fundamentally contrary refer the true spirit of the sportspersons. Such kinds of the thinkings and acts are eradicated at each step by the association. The association is often very friendly but at times where there exists the requirement to ensure to maintain the dignity of the game, the rules, and the activities which are performed by the association are really harsh ones. Conclusion: There are many scandals which are revealed every day and in it, many of the coaches are also involved. It seems like they are playing only for their self-motive and the money and not for the pride of their nation. Sports player in the world has been left disappointed by the recent doping, fixing, corruption that has been rampant in many games. In an interview conducted last year, the famous sports person Lance Armstrong who had already won seven Tour de France titles admitted that he use to take the performance enhancement drugs that helped him to win these titles (Lastra, Bell, Bond, 2016). In every game, whether it is cricket, tennis, boxing, soccer, table-tennis corruption is involved. According to these two personalities Paoli and Donate (2013), there are four trends which have affected sports activities medicalization by which the human problems and conditions come to be defined and thus become the matter of medical study. Secondly, politicization and commercialization where sport have become the business to trade, worth more than US$141 billion annually (Bańkosz, 2012). References Bakin, A. Smirnov, A. (2012). Main directions of corruption management in the sphere of physical culture and sports.Uchenye Zapiski Universiteta Imeni P.F. Lesgafta, (85), 15-21. Bańkosz, Z. (2012). The Kinesthetic Differentiation Ability of Table Tennis Players.Human Movement,13(1). Bańkosz, Z. Szumielewicz, P. (2014). Proprioceptive Ability of Fencing and Table Tennis Practioners.Human Movement,15(3). Forster, J. (2016). Global sports governance and corruption.Palgrave Commun.,2, 15048. Lastra, R., Bell, P., Bond, C. (2016). Sports Betting-Motivated Corruption in Australia: An Under-Studied Phenomenon.IJSSR,4(1), 61. Maennig, W. (2002). On the Economics of Doping and Corruption in International Sports.Journal Of Sports Economics,3(1), 61-89. Mao, B. (2012). Biomechanical Analysis of Two Techniques Performed in Table Tennis.AMM,182-183, 1658-1661. https://dx.doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/amm.182-183.1658 Martinent, G. Decret, J. (2014). Motivational Profiles Among Young Table-Tennis Players in Intensive Training Settings: A Latent Profile Transition Analysis.Journal Of Applied Sport Psychology,27(3), 268-287. Mazanov, J. Connor, J. (2010). The role of scandal and corruption in sports marketing and sponsorship.International Journal Of Sports Marketing And Sponsorship,11(3), 1-1. Numerato, D. (2009). The Media and Sports Corruption: An Outline of Sociological Understanding.International Journal Of Sport Communication,2(3), 261-273. Rodenberg, R. Kaburakis, A. (2013). Legal and Corruption Issues in Sports Gambling.Journal Of Legal Aspects Of Sport,23(1), 8-35. Sindik, J. (2014). The comparison of the psychological skills in sport trainers and recreational table tennis players.Fizicka Kultura,68(2), 148-156.

Bubonic Plague Essays (1110 words) - Plague, Second Plague Pandemic

Bubonic Plague Bubonic Plague Just mention the name and you will send shivers down the spine of many people. There is no doubt that this disease was deadly. Deadly and gruesome to watch. The death rate was 90% for those exposed to the bacterium. It was transmitted by the fleas from infected Old English black rats. The symptoms were clear: swollen lymph nodes (buboes, hence the name), high fever, and delirium. In the worst case, the lungs became infected and the pneumonic form was spread from person to person by coughing, sneezing, or simply talking. From the time of infection to death was less than one week. There were three major epidemics - in the 6th, 14th, and 17th centuries. The death toll was 137 million victims. As a result, the plague is considered to be the worst epidemic of all time Black Death Plague is a term applied randomly in the Middle Ages to all fatal epidemic diseases, but now restricted to an acute, infectious, contagious disease of rodents and humans, caused by a short, thick bacillus, Yersinia pestis. In humans, plague occurs in three forms: bubonic plague, pneumonic plague, and septicemic plague. Bubonic plague is the best-known form and is so called because it is characterized by the appearance of buboes, in the groin or armpit or on the neck. Bubonic plague is transmitted by the bite of any of numerous insects that are normally parasitic on rodents, and that seek new hosts when the original host dies. The most important of these insects is the rat flea Xenopsylla cheopis, which is parasitic on the brown rat. Untreated bubonic plague is fatal in 30 to 75 percent of all cases. The Black Death, the name later given to the plague, ravaged Europe between 1347 and 1351, taking a great toll of life. Modern research confirms the estimate of the chronicler Jean Froissart that about one-third of the population died. Originating in China and Turkestan, the plague was transmitted to Europeans when a Kipchak army catapulted plague-infested corpses into the town. The Plague spread from the Mediterranean ports, affecting Sicily, North Africa, Italy, Spain, France , Austria, Hungary, Switzerland, Germany, and England, and Scandinavia and the Baltic lands.There were recurrences in 1361-63, 1369-71, 1374-75, 1390, and 1400. In bubonic plague, the first symptoms are headache, nausea, vomiting, aching joints, and a general feeling of ill health. The lymph nodes of the groin or, less commonly, of the armpit or neck, suddenly become painful and swollen. The temperature, accompanied by shivering, rises to between 101? and 105? F. The pulse rate and respiration rate are increased, and the victim becomes exhausted and apathetic. The buboes swell until they approximate a chicken egg in size. In nonfatal cases, the temperature begins to fall in about five days, and approaches normal in about two weeks. In fatal cases, death results in about four days. The purple color, which appears in all plague victims during their last hours, is due to respiratory failure; the popular name Black Death that is applied to the disease is derived from this symptom. Many preventive measures, such as sanitation, killing of rats, and prevention of the transport of rats in ships arriving from ports in which the disease is endemic, are effective in reducing the incidence of plague. Famine, which reduces resistance to the disease, results in spread of plague. Individuals who have contracted the disease are isolated, put to bed, and fed fluids and easily digestible foods. Sedatives are used to reduce pain and to quiet delirium. During World War II, scientists using sulfa drugs were able to produce cures of plague; subsequently, streptomycin and tetracycline were found to be more effective in controlling the disease. The coming of the Black Death, when in just two years perhaps one third to one half of Europe's population was destroyed, marks a watershed in Medieval and Renaissance European History. Bubonic plague had been absent from Western Europe for nearly a millenium when it appeared in 1348. The reaction was immediate and devastating. Up to two thirds of the population of many of the major European cities succumbed to the plague in the first two years. Government, trade and commerce virtually came to

Essay on Notes for Censorship of Books

Essay on Notes for Censorship of Books Essay on Notes for Censorship of Books Note card one Source Title: About banned & challenged books Author(s): ALA How to find: ala.org/bbooks/about Author's Words (quotes, statistics)... "Books usually are challenged with the best intentions- to protect others, frequently children, from difficult ideas and information..." "Often challenges are motivated by a desire to protect children from â€Å"inappropriate† sexual content or â€Å"offensive† language..." "In his book Free Speech for Me- But Not for Thee: How the American Left and Right Relentlessly Censor Each Other, Nat Hentoff writes that â€Å"the lust to suppress can come from any direction.† He quotes Phil Kerby, a former editor of the Los Angeles Times, as saying, â€Å"Censorship is the strongest drive in human nature; sex is a weak second.†..." My words: The difference between challenging a book and banning it is that a challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, while banning a book is the removal of those materials. Most books are usually challenged with the thought of good intentions. The top three reasons for challenging a book are: 1.) The material was considered to be "sexually explicit" 2.) The material contained "offensive language" 3.) The material was "unsuited to any age group" Note card two: Source Title: About banned & challenged books Author(s): ALA How to find: ala.org/bbooks/about Author's Words... "If there is a bedrock principle underlying the First Amendment, it is that the government may not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive or disagreeable..." "Restriction of free thought and free speech is the most dangerous of all subversions. It is the one un-American act that could most easily defeat us..." My words: Throughout the years, many more and different kinds of people and groups of all persuasions who have attempted-and continue to attempt-to challenge books that disagree with their own beliefs. Note card three: Source Title: First Amendment Site Author(s): Lehigh University How to find: lehigh.edu/~infirst/bookcensorship.html Author's Words... "Censorship is when a person or group successfully imposes their values upon others by stifling words, images or ideas and preventing them from reaching the public marketplace of ideas..." "Books are challenged or censored in cities and towns all over the country for a multitude of reasons..." My words: Book censorship has been noted as early as 399 B.C., when Socrates was sentenced to drink poison for corrupting his students. Challenges are not just and individual expressing a point of view or even complaining about the content of a book. Instead, challenges are an effort to remove that book from the school's curriculum of library. Note card four: Source Title: First Amendment Site Author(s): Lehigh University How to find: lehigh.edu/~infirst/bookcensorship.html Author's words... "Powerful institutions may support censorship the Catholic Church compiled lists of banned books since 1559, and only stopped the practice in 1966..." "Books involving sexual relations, especially homosexual relationships, are often targeted..." "A contemporary favorite was challenged in Arkansas because it depicted witchcraft..." My words: Most books involving sexual relations, especially homosexuality, are most often targeted. A 1995 federal court case involved with the Olathe, Kansas, school board voted to remove the book "Annie on My Mind," (Nancy Garden, July 1982) from school libraries because the book illustrates a lesbian relationship between two teenagers. Note Card five: Source Title: Frequently challenged books of the 21st century Author(s): ALA How to find: ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/top10 Author's words... "Each year, the ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF)

Peoples Republic of China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Peoples Republic of China - Essay Example Globalization has been instrumental in guiding business operations around the world in the modern business environment. But there are scholars such as Ghemawat (â€Å"Cosmopolitan† 3) and Khan, Palepu, and Sinha who still believe that most countries would have their operations rooted in their countries. The authors note that just as 90% of people fail to leave the countries where they were born, organizations concentrate most of their operations in the countries of their origin. For example, in 2004, the US companies that operated in foreign countries were less than 1% with 60% and 10% of those with foreign operations being based in Canada and the UK respectively. In this paper, the People’s Republic of China, PRC would be analyzed based on four key aspects: dimensions of distance, institutions, diffusion of technology and its industrial clusters. Four dimensions of distance suggested by Ghemawat (â€Å"Distance† 138) have been adopted in analyzing the aspect of distance and include cultural, administrative, geographic and economic, CAGE distance. This framework has been noted to be important in helping managers point out and assess the effect of distance to their organizations. Different industries would be affected differently by these four dimensions. These dimensions encompass varied factors ranging from the readily apparent to the quite subtle. The cultural distance of a country largely determines people’s interaction with each other and with institutions and companies. Distance could arise due to the difference in race, religious beliefs, language and social norms, which affect trade. According to Ghemawat (â€Å"Distance† 140), with all factors held constant, trading between countries that share a language would be three times better than between counties without a common language. The unpopular Man darin being the official language in China has significantly hindered international trade in the region.

Compare and contrast two case studies of strategic management Essay

Compare and contrast two case studies of strategic management techniques in the public sector in order to examine a) the impact of strategic leadership and b) t - Essay Example We shall try to apply theoretical knowledge to the case study research. This theoretical knowledge will become the basis for fulfilling the main purpose of the present case study. Glaxo is a health company with strong foundation into science. It is occupied with production of medicine for World health Organizations three priority diseases – HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. The strategic management of the company consists of four steps – draw, see, think and plan. Reuters is known to be news service organization. It is necessary to mention that the company was established in 1851 by Paul Julius Reuter. Nowadays Reuters provides reports to newspapers from the whole world. But news provides only less than 10% of Reuter’s income. It concentrates on providing financial markets with necessary and essential information about new products and their trading. Their activities involve currency rates, share price and other market data. (Kay 1995) Strategic management is â€Å"the process of specifying an organizations objectives, developing policies and plans to achieve these objectives, and allocating resources so as to implement the plans†. (Strategic management techniques) It is known that strategic management is the highest level of managerial process. This process is performed by executive team headed by CEO (Chief Executive Officer). (Kay 1996) Strategic management is also concerned as combination of formulation and implementation of company’s strategy. But there must be strong correlation between purpose and the chosen strategy. There are several steps of strategy formulation: These two processes are on-going and ever-lasting. It is a common knowledge that strategic management is really dynamic and it requires permanent reformation and improvement. It also includes patterns of complex actions and reactions,

Comparative Analysis Of Hobbes Locke And Rousseau Philosophy Essay

Comparative Analysis Of Hobbes Locke And Rousseau Philosophy Essay Hobbess, Lockes and Rousseaus imagination of the Social Contract. Social Contract Theory, is one of the oldest philosophical theories on the origin of state .The original inspiration for this notion is said to have derived from the bible, covenant between God and Abraham and later by the Socrates in Greece  [1]  , but it is mostly brought up by the writings of Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. The social contract is moral and/or political obligation dependent upon a contract or agreement between the people to form society. The social contract theory has three main stages of progression, namely- state of nature, contract or covenant and civil society. These three stages provide the basic differences between the theories of Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. THOMAS HOBBES THEORY OF THE SOCIAL CONTRACT Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) was an English philosopher and political thinker. The English civil war became the back drop for all his writings. In the context of a number of overlapping conflicts Hobbes wrote various versions of his political theory, begning with The elements of Law (1630s),De Cive(1642),and Leviathan (1651).  [2]   According to Hobbes, the state of nature represented the interactions of human beings with each other in the absence of any kind of relations of political authority. In other words the state of nature represented a state of war. Hobbes believed that the human beings in the state of nature were concerned only with their desires  [3]  . The human nature here was selfish. No person was superior over the other. Hobbes further said that the desire to acquire power never ended and thus it aggravated the state of war where everyone was trying to ensure that no one will stop them from fulfilling their desires of glory. Thus creating a situation favorable for long-term projects, like farming, industry, etc. became impossible. It was a situation of continuous fear and violence.Such a state called for some laws to be enforced. Hence, the need arose to have an authority that would enforce the laws of nature and help man to fulfill his desires in a more efficient way. This led to the signing of the Social Contract between men leading to the formation of a state as well as a sovereign. In such a state or commonwealth, as stated by Hobbes, men authorized a particular individual or a group of individuals to perform all actions. Moreover men also gave up certain rights on a condition that such rights were also given up by the entire multitude. Hobbes sovereign had absolute authority. His judgments and actions could not be questioned as this sovereign was not a part of the social contract. Opposing this sovereign meant opposing oneself as this sovereign represented the people itself. The only right that men had against this sovereign was the right to life or self-preservation. JOHN LOCKES THEORY OF THE SOCIAL CONTRACT Initially, although John Locke (1632-1704) believed in the absolute power of the monarchy and religious uniformity, his stance changed drastically later. His changed stance is best put forward in the work Two Treatises of Government. Unlike, Hobbes for whom the state of nature is a state of war, Lockes state of the nature is the state of peace, Good Will, Mutual Assistance, and Preservation.  [4]  His theory brings out that man is a wise, sociable being who can judge the ill effects of going to war . It can be noted that Lockes has positive view of the state of nature and of human beings. Locke brings in the concept of private property which in all probability leads to inequalities of wealth. In order to ensure the security of the natural laws, and the inequality of wealth, man to enter into a community governed by a set of laws and the government. Locke disbelieves in censorship by the state, and says that state must exist and function separately from the people. The main goal of state is to ensure personal safety and protection of personal property rights. If it fails so he empowered people to revolt against the state, and, to go for a revolution if it abuses its authority. Hence Lockes view of government, which is not absolute, and is against that of Hobbes. The governments powers are limited to an extent where it starts encroaching on public good. JEAN JACQUES ROUSSEAUS THEORY OF THE SOCIAL CONTRACT Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) remains one of the first thinkers to offer us a strong critique of modern social and political institutions in the name of the modern values of equality, liberty and democracy.  [5]   Rousseaus theory on the state of nature shows in progressive stages how men, from behaving like animals, transform themselves into a society. This society, according to Rousseau, is not civil at all as it gives rise to more corruption and negative feelings in Mans mind. Thus Rousseaus view point differs from Hobbes or Locke who believe in the transformation of men from the state of nature to a more civil society. Rousseau in his theory favours men in the state of nature in which they only have natural differences rather than having political, social or economic differences. But however we have no moral liberty in the state of nature, because we have not yet developed a moral sense. This moral sense can only be born in society, and we need to establish a society in which, not only do we preserve the liberty of the state of nature, but also provide the conditions for us to achieve moral freedom.  [6]  So in order to solve this problem men enter into a social contract. The new polit ical entity which is formed as a result of this contract reflects and works for the general will. This general will leads to the protection of individual liberty which as a corollary leads to the removal of economic, social and political inequality. Thus; Rousseau says; that it is only because of this general will that the sovereign is indivisible, inalienable and infallible.  [7]  Because of this people are ready to lay down even their right to self-preservation. This concept, as clearly seen, is a stark contrast to Hobbes and Lockes theory. In this way one sees that all three Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau differ in their theories of the Social Contract. All three of them start off by describing the state of nature and mans progression into civil society. Each philosopher agrees that before men came to govern themselves, they all existed in a state of nature. But, however, the reasons which force man into such a society differ from one author to the other. This, in turn, leads them to have a contrasting view point on the powers and duties of the sovereign as well the state. Despite the differences in their viewpoints, their theories have one common thread running through them which reflects that The Social Contract is the best way to maintain peace and order. Though this end propagated by them is the same, the means and prerequisite conditions differ. Despite their differences these three are regarded as the most influential political theorists in the world created a revolutionary idea of the state of nature

Five Years Strategic Plan Essay

Executive summary You are employed by a Swiss subsidiary of a transnational company in the processed food business whose products are sold via retailers and direct to the food service industry in a number of countries. Recently in Swiss subsidiary has been allocated responsibility for the Asia-Pacific Region and you have been assigned the task of spearheading the firm’s push into china and adjacent countries. In the light of opportunities and constraints to be awaited on the chinese market, the evaluation of alternative entry options showed that our best opportunity was on health food products related to the dairy products actual massive trend. We also decided to adress chinese cultural sensitivity issues by entering in long term close relationship with customers instead of being too focused on quick deals and to adapt our networking strategy to chosen entry strategy. We also examined how we should select a strategic partner, should the Chinese government advise us to do so, and how we should be adapting our global marketing processes to the issues raised by national sovereignty in China. Finally, we decided to include as adjacent market either Thailand or Vietnam in order to benefit from the existing trade relationship between them and China, even if countertrade obligations are to be met. INTRODUCTION The overall purpose of this paper is to present our five years strategic plan which objective is to enable our firm to become a major player in the processed food market adressed to retailers and food service industry. Among our very wide range of products, we will examine alternative market entry options in the light of potential opportunity and constraints, then examine the question of the influence of cultural sensitivity on negociations and on introduction of our product to chineses market. The next step of our analysis will be to examine the impact of adhesion of China to WTO on market environment and the consequences of cultural sensitivity to network and relationships. Our next field of investigation will be to examine the threat represented by a potential obligation to enter a strategic alliance with a local player and by our global company culture regarding national sovereignty issues. And we will finally include perspective of developping an adjacent market with eventually compulsory countertrade involved. Section 1 Alternative chinese market entry option for breakfast cereals and cereal bars in the light of potential opportunities and constraints. The recent huge success of dairy products in China, although a majority of the population is lactose intolerant and milk was never part of the traditional chinese food is showing that chinese market has become increasingly open to adopting foreign fooding habits. This is even reinforced by the success encoutered by Mc Donald’s and Starbucks. But one very interesting element of dairy products success is that its main reason and marketing idea is to value its good impact on health. This is what makes us think that the best way to introduce our firm’s product range is to be highly positionned on health benefits to be awaited from consuming our products, their total safety through high level controls. In terms of politics, China is a stable country, which has invested huge efforts into modernisation of its institutions and legal framework in order to enter the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in 2001. Contract enforcement and business matters involving foreigners are to be brought before high courts specifically trained. Intellectual property protection is still a broad problem through counterfaiting and brands like Starbucks are now facing parasite competitors who sell similar products to much lower prices. Chinese market is a huge opportunity but the country still lacks infrastructure and geographic entry has to be limited to main big cities, with a view of extending to the ever increasing number of middle sized cities growing all around the country. The idea of staying in urban areas is linked to two factors: our products are distributed through retailers networks, and food service industry which can only be found in big cities in China at the moment. As we work with retailers and food service industry, indirect market entry strategy through intermediary could prove worthy, at least at the beginning, as long as our products are not known. We could benefit from the intermediary’s network and his expertise on selling foreign products to chinese market. However, using and intermediary is not the prefered solution as it would increase our costs, and as chinese market is very price sensitive due to copycats, keeping good price/value ratio is a key strategic point. With direct market entry methods, we would have more control on market reactions and be able to lower our export costs. Alternative solutions to enter market range from specialised trade fairs (on dairy products, health products, breakfast and snacking products, etc†¦) to a campain of trial gifts to be organised with either yoghurt or milk distributors, or by giving free samples in school, university and working areas cafeterias. We could also reach agreements with already installed foreign companies who would be interested in distributing our products on their shelves. Considering our objective of becoming a major player on processed food within the next 5 years, it would probably be worth it to make a large upfront investment to develop internal expertise in chinese market, in order to maintain our own relationships in the target market, which could be later used in order to introduce other product range on the same market. Therefore, and in the context of a long term investment, prefered market entry would be on health safe products targeting families and young working singles. SWOT Analysis Opportunities: Economic climate : a double digit economic development favourable to high quality trendy foreign food processed products with an attraction to health promising food. Demographic changes turning a rural population into city office working people whose life standards have increased dramatically over the last few years. Market opening through China’s entering WTO system and making legal and administrative environment more import friendly Threats: Competitive activity: other global firms are already on the market and Mc Donald’s, Vuitton and Starbucks experience of the market show that any brand valuation generates its army of copycat making it difficult to keep up with very low prices in a very price sensitive market. Culture: Reluctance to adopt new foreign fooding habits in a very traditional culture Pricing: chinese market is very sensitive to pricing and client segment will have to be chosen carefully and matched to pricing range. Strength: Health food image connected to dairy products Processed food in a booming ever increasing market Product adaptability: Cereals can be flavoured according to Chinese market tastes Networking: Company’s excellent ethic reputation Large target: Product attractive to kids and adult alike Weaknesses Not enough differentiation in products Need high advertising budget to gain trendy attracting image Section 2 How culture might impact on (i) negotiating in china and (ii) introducing your firm’s product into china. The usual tip when you prepare a business trip to China is to carry business cards, bring an interpreter, wear a conservative suit. These advice are easy to follow and have proven usefull, but they are too superficial to get you into the kind of association with chinese you need to be able to negociate agreements and introducing on a long term perspective the firm’s products in China. Graham and Lam (2003) have described the roots of chinese culture which have bound chinese people for 5,000 years and show through chinese business negociation: agrarism which superseedes business(survival depends on group cooperation and harmony, loyalty and obdience to familly hierarchy), confucianist morality (relations of ruler and ruled between husband and wife, parents and children, older and younger, and of equal between friends), being more concerned by means than by end in negociations, the fact that chinese tend to see easily the big picture, and finally that chinese people are very cynical about rule of law and rules in general, only trusting their families and their bank account. The elements that are important in chinese negociation are: have personal connections (friends, relatives and close associates), use an intermediary in order to avoid suspicion and distrust, be formal in order to show social status, pay attention to interpersonal harmony (smile, be nice and friendly), see the big picture and leave the detail to a later stage, be patient in order to get concessions on prices, never embarrass or provoque a lost of composure to a chinese (equivalent to loosing face), value endurant work more than talent. As a result of the above, introducing our products into China will probably require either a very long time necessary to build a trusted network, or the use of an intermediary. It is of first importance to try to establish close contact with significant actors of the retail and food service industry. The pricing of the products will probably also be of concern, as, if too low, it might not have the value effect, but, too high, it might repell consumers more tempted by a local copycat.    Impact of recent access of China to the WTO on other environmental variables which can be encountered when doing business in China and how it might benefit to our ability to establish worthwhile business in China. When China joined WTO in 2001, it made a transition from a centrally planned economy to a market driven economy. The institutional framework for foreign trade was inexistent, the information transparency culture still to be invented, existing judicial and administrative system inadapted. A tremendous amount of work was requested before China could integrate WTO system. China agreed with its major trading partners to open chinese market within 3 to 4 years to foreign companies in various sectors, including telecommunications, distribution and wholesaling, financial services, and banking and insurance. The change in laws included codifying existing administrative practices into written laws and regulations, therefore increasing transparency and predictability, covering around 200. Foreign trade law had to be modifyed. Regulations on international trade of goods and rules of origins were created. Regulations on transnational mergers and acquisitions and franchising were developped according to their new objectives. Anti-dumping, subsidy, countervailing and safeguard measures were prepared, and altogether, the capacity of the Government to provide legal information to the public was strengthened. Under the China’s central planning system, foreign trade was administered with both tariff and nontariff controls, including quantitative controls which WTO rules require to eliminate. To ensure that the WTO’s nondiscrimination principle is met in the judicial process, China issued an order that took effect on 1 March 2002 to elevate the jurisdiction over commercial cases involving foreigners from the primary courts to the higher level of courts, the question of training the judges to the appropriate regulation still being an issue at the moment. (Mitchell:2004). Altogether, when entering WTO system China had the tools to a market economy. These modifications created a foreign investment friendly framework, but the cultural reluctance to rules and the natural reliance to human bonds are still to be watched when doing business in China (Usunier & Lee:2005). It had a great impact on having major competitors entering the chinese market with success and provides market with the stability and rules needed to establish worthwhile invesment. Section 3 Significance of the focus in China on relationship and network on our chosen entry strategy. As, in China, all business is subject to relationship and network, and as we have chosen to invest into a direct market entry strategy, we will have to rely on building our network with key players. Relationship marketing involves creating, maintaining and enhancing strong relationships with customers and other stakeholders. This type of marketing is moving away from focusing on individual transactions and moving towards to focusing on on building value-laden relationships and marketing networks. This type of marketing is long term oriented, very demanding as it is aimed at delivering long term value and satisfaction to customer (Kotler &al:2005) It also involves building relationships at different levels: economics, social, technical and legal resulting in high consumer loyalty. Kotler (2005:476), distinguishes five different relationships that can be formed with customers: basic (sale is made but no follow up on satisfaction) Reactive (salesman encourages customer to come back if any question arises) Accountable (salesperson contacts customer shortly after the sale to check that product meets expectations) Proactive (salesperson or company person phones customer from time to time to suggest other products) Partnership (company works with its customers to discover ways to deliver better value) Considering that we intend to sell our product to a large number of customers with medium profit margin, the adapted relationship level would be â€Å"accountable†. Therefore, salesperson would phone retailer or food service company shortly after the sale to check if product meets expectations. Of course, identifying key customers and being more proactive with them would also enhance efficiency of such relationship marketing. Company would probably take advantage to using other marketing tools as giving special treatment and reward to good customers, or inviting them to special events. Chosen strategy network map and discussion on focal and subsidiary relationship involved. First step is to identify key player in retail networking and food service industry, like main wholesalers to be met at trade fair, mass retailers like supermarkets, trendsetters to be identified on TV or sports like football. Next step is to initiate contact with them with a focus on long term relationship and not on result. These relationship, due to their weight on market and the advantage that can be gained from being referenced with them have to be favoured at a first stage. Then, once this network is established, and in order to continue expansion, identify other distribution channels than wholesalers or mass retailers and initiate subsidiary relationship with them, as smaller restaurants, or hotels. Section 4 Adressing the issues related to rumour that Chinese government might request that we enter into a strategic alliance with a Chinese owned firm: selecting and managing strategic alliance partners in china. As in many asian country there is a rumour that we may have to enter a strategic alliance with a chinese partner in order to be allowed to market processed food in China. As Charles Revson, founder of Revlon cosmetics said once â€Å" I don’t meet competition, I crush it† and this should be remembered when entering a strategic partnership with a chinese partner. In fact, as cultural analysis hereabove showed, chinese only trust their family and their bank account, so, in order to enter a sound alliance, a few criterias must be met. Criterias for selecting strategic partner in China should be: good reputation of loyalty and integrity on the market, but also of product quality for reputation purposes natural feeling and common values, understanding of what our goals are and willingness to collaborate extensive network on our targeted customers, on the areas where we have the greatest growth or the most profitable areas proven synergy opportunity between our two companies instead of competition long term relationship seems possible through mutual cooperation (strategic alliance must be a win-win situation in order to be sustainable on the long term) Impact of the issues of national sovereignty in China on application of our standard marketing approaches in order to enhance global image and additional profits through economy of scale. China is very sensitive on the issue raised by separatist claims by   Taiwanese nationalists, Tibet and Xinjiang separatists. Our standard marketing approaches, designed to enhance global image and enable additional profits through economy of scale, mustn’t be a threat to our main objective which is to become a major player in dairy products in China. Therefore, our standard marketing approaches should be amended in order to avoid any differenciation between the average product sold within China and the ones sold in these three areas. The main market should be priviledged against the particularism of the three separatists areas. No marketing argument that our product would be specifically adressed to the separatists areas should be set forth and it should under no circumstances become a selling argument or even be mentioned, because it would probably cause us to loose main market. Section 5 Criteria to select an adjacent market between Taiwan, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam The first criteria to take into account is capacity to use both markets to enhance presence on each other. Creating synergies in a market entry phase might be vital and the level of trade relationship already existing between China and that country is the right measurment. The second one is to choose a market which might be governed by the same cultural trends in order to be able to adopt the same marketing approach to both. A third criteria, maybe more operational, is distance and accessibility (custom tariffs, roads, etc†¦) between both territories. This might enable to base product in one country and ship to the other from thereof. Fourth criteria might be existing trade relations with Switzerland which might make it easier for us to start networking, as the swiss image would already be a commercial advantage. Myanmar being subject to economic sanction from China due to compulsory labor is not a valid adjacent market, though it has entered the asian liberalisation trend and was even acknowledged by the UN Conference on Trade and Development in 2001 as a member that performed ‘well to better’ in the trade liberalisation process under the WTO’s principles It also does not have the right development stage to be interesting and human rights issues might be damaging our image. It has very little commercial bonds with Switzerland. Thailand had rather recent diplomatic relations with China (dating 1975) but shows since then a real will to become a partner of choice of China. Both nations have common roots and share common ancestors. The commercial agreement between the two countries (Sino Thai Free Trade Agreement) only covers fruits and vegetables at the moment but could possibly be extended. Thailand is also member of the WTO. Its main advantage is to already have strong network trade connections with Switzerland (on machinery, watches, etc†¦), where we are based, which could be a decisive advantage for us in terms of network. Taiwan is actually administrated by China which makes it a priviledged area to invest in. It also has a long tradition of trade with China which makes it a good candidate due to the need for trade network to enhance each others, and as a little dragon, it also has the wealth to be interesting, but choosing it would probably not be the best in terms of advantage on chinese market as it does not really add anything different to being only present in China. Also it does not have any specific links with Swiss market. Vietnam has a common frontier with China and is following more or less the same path towards becoming a market economy and entered WTO in january 2007. Though it does not have the same laws, it has a similar development trend, close traditions and the close commercial links with China in all sectors that makes it a suitable adjacent market. It is also a so called little dragon, a booming economy that could be a very profitable market. The trading network between Vietnam and Switzerland is not too developped though Switzerland is present in Vietnam with a swiss embassy in Hanoi. Finally, in order to develop a global brand image in asia, it might be a good choice to choose between Thailand and Vietnam. How to turn the risk of being obliged to countertrade into a profitable trade More than 80 countries nowadays use or require countertrade exchanges. A concensus of experts opinions (Okaroafo, 1989) has put the percentage of the value of world trade volumes related to countertrade at between 20 to 25%. Counter trade usually occurs when countries lack sufficient hard currency. There are five main variants of countertrade which could be of different value to our firm. Entering a barter (exchange of goods or services directly for other goods or services without the use of money as means of purchase or payment) could eventually be interesting if we manage to find good quality bulk products that could be integrated in our products, like fruits or packaging. Using the switch trading practice (in which the country would exchange allowing our importations against an obligation to make a purchase on the domestic market) could also be of interest to us for the same reasons. A buyback (buying machinery necessary to our production in exchange for products) agreement is not a really interesting deal for us as it involves very heavy transportation. Finally, entering an offset agreement (offsetting a hard-currency purchase of an unspecified product) would be a very dangerous operation as we would have to cover currency exchange variations. Proactive strategy to trade profitably with the selected country In order to be ready when the ban on import occurs, we will implement a proactive strategy by identifying products that could be of use in our production process. Then we will start making contacts with producers of these products and gain market knowledge of prices and quality available, identify suitable suppliers that meet our quality requirements and are able to supply us with the adequate quantities. Therefore, when we will be forced to countertrade, we will already have our network in place. Conclusion: As stated in this document, our five year strategic plan on entering Chinese market involves: entering market with health food linked to dairy products mass trendiness with direct marketing tools Always keep in mind the cultural sensitivity of China in order to use it as a competitive advantage instead of a falling trap. Utilise the huge work done by China to be able to keep up with WTO entering necessary standards in terms of transparency and legal framework to our profit in developping our business Invest in developping extended network and long term relationship marketing in order to open the route to introducing our other products on the market later If needed, choose carefully strategic partners Amend global marketing policy in order to avoid sovereignty issues Choose between Thailand and Vietnam as adjacent market, even if countertrade is involved. Reference Table SunfaithChina Ltd,September 2006,†Market Analysis report on China Yoghourt industry†, http://www.mindbranch.com/listing/product/R521-158.html Chen, C, February 2003, â€Å"Got Milk?†, Wall Street Journal http://www.mindfully.org/Food/2003/China-Dairy-Drinks28feb03.htm John L. Graham and N. Mark Lam, 13 october 2003, â€Å"Negotiating in China†, Havard Business School, Excerpted with permission from â€Å"The Chinese Negotiation,† Harvard Business Review, Vol. 81, No. 10, October 2003 Mitchell, A â€Å"Implementing WTO rules: The Importance of Law Reform, Remarks of Arthur M. Mitchell, General Counsel Asian Development Bank, February 2004, apeC Workshop on Best Practices in WTO Capacity Building, http://www.adb.org/Documents/Speeches/2004/sp2004050.asp Vertariu, P., (1992), â€Å"Trends and Developments in International Countertrade,† Business America, (November 2), 2-6. Okaroafo, S., (1989) â€Å"Determinants of LDC Mandated Countertrade,† International Management Review, (Winter), 1624 â€Å"Interview: Thailand aims to further enhance Thailand-China strategic partnership† People’s Daily, Beijing, 28 June 2005, http://www.bilaterals.org/article.php3?id_article=2180 Swiss Federal State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, 2005, â€Å"Report on Swiss Economic Development Cooperation with Vietnam† Kotler,P, and al: (2005), â€Å"Principles of Marketing†, Pearson Education Ltd Usunier, J-C and Lee, J (2005) â€Å"Marketing across cultures†, Pearson Education Ltd Buksbaum, L (1999), â€Å"Choosing strategic partner that really partner†, press release on Inc.com, (http://www.inc.com/articles/1999/11/19511.html)

Cold Drinks Essay

Soft drinks are non-alcoholic water-based flavoured drinks that are optionally sweetened, acidulated and carbonated. Some carbonated soft drinks also contain caffeine; mainly the brown-coloured cola drinks. PROBLEM STATEMENT To find out consumers buying behaviour and to identify gaps in the industry if any. RESEARCH OBJECTIVE To find out the factors affecting soft drinks buying pattern. To find out the consumers buying habits. Seasonal changes in the buying habits. To find out the consumer’s future requirements and conceptualize an innovative product. To study the overall Beverages industry. SOFT DRINKS MARKET – AN OVERVIEW. Global Scenario The global soft drink industry is highly concentrated, being largely controlled by the two multinational companies; Coca Cola and PepsiCo. Coca Cola leads the carbonated soft drink market in most countries in the world with 60% of the global cola market with its flagship Coca-Cola brand. Other notable players include Cadbury Schweppes. Indian Scenario In the booming soft drinks industry, multinationals seem to be the biggest winners in terms of market share. The Coca-Cola Company led the highly consolidated market with a 42. 8% volume share, followed by PepsiCo at 28. 6% in 2004. Danone is a minor player in India with a 0. 5% share, chiefly due to its late market entry and limited offerings. According to government estimates soft drinks marketed in India were 6540 million bottles in March 2001. The market growth rate, which was around 2-3% in ‘80s, increased to 5-6% in the early ‘90s and is presently 7-8% per annum. Most of the sales of soft drinks take place during summers while just 5-6% of total sales take place in winters. In summers the high season lasts for 70-75 days, which contributes more than 50% of the total yearly sales. In terms of regional distribution cola drinks have main markets in metro cities and northern states of UP, Punjab, Haryana etc. Orange flavoured drinks and sodas are popular in southern states. Western markets have preference towards mango-flavoured drinks. Non-alcoholic beverage market can be divided into fruit drinks and soft drinks. Soft drinks available in glass bottles, aluminium cans, PET bottles or disposable containers can be divided into carbonated and non-carbonated drinks. Cola, lemon and oranges are carbonated drinks and non-carbonated drinks include mango drinks. Soft drinks can also be divided into cola products and non-cola products. Cola products in Indian include brands like Pepsi Cola, Diet Pepsi, Coca- Cola, Diet Coke, Thumps Up etc. Cola drinks account for nearly 61-62% of the total soft drinks market in India. Non-Cola products account for 36% the total soft drink market. Until 1990s, domestic players like Parle Group (Thumps Up, Limca, Goldspot) dominated the softdrink market in India. However, with the advent of the MNC players like Pepsi (1991) and Coke (re-entered in 1993 after it was banned in 1977) in the early 1990s, the market control shifted towards them by the late 1990s. The per capita consumption of soft drinks in India is among the lowest in the world – 5 bottles per annum compared to the 800 bottles per annum in the USA. Delhi reports the highest per capita consumption in the country – 50 bottles per annum. The consumption of PET bottles is more in the urban areas (75% of total PET bottle [plastic bottles] consumption) whereas the sales of 200ml bottles were higher in the rural areas. According to a survey, 91% of the soft drink consumption in India is in the lower, lower middle and upper middle class section. After a somewhat subdued performance in 2006 due to a recurrence of the pesticides controversy, soft drinks sales bounced back strongly to record double-digit volume growth in 2007. With carbonates growth back on a positive upward curve alongside burgeoning sales of fruit/vegetable juice and bottles water, soft drinks showed impressive growth in 2007. Off-trade volumes grew slightly faster than on-trade volumes, driven by higher consumption of packaged and branded soft drinks at home and on the go. The emergence of supermarkets/hypermarkets, heavy consumer promotions and various new product launches played a key role in driving off-trade volume growth. Soft drinks sales in 2007 were propelled by bottled water and fruit/vegetable juice with their healthier positioning helping to drive sales of soft drinks. While carbonates posted single-digit growth in 2007, rebounding from the pesticides controversy of 2006, it was bottled water and fruit/vegetable juice that stormed ahead with high double-digit growth rates. Poor municipal infrastructure for tap water has pushed sales of bulk packaged water to households. Fruit/vegetable juice is growing as a result of increased consumer expenditure on naturally healthy (NH) beverages. While functional drinks and RTD tea also posted impressive growth in 2007, they were growing from a very small base and are yet to achieve a critical mass in terms of establishing a loyal consumer base. With consumers showing a growing preference for healthier soft drinks such as bottled water and fruit/vegetable juice rather than carbonates in 2007, the two carbonates giants suffered a marginal decline in share. Although both players embarked on a change in strategy to focus more on non-carbonated soft drinks in their portfolios, they were unable to maintain share and lost out slightly to home-grown players Parle Bisleri and Dabur India. Coca-Cola India launched Minute Maid and pushed the sales of its juices while PepsiCo India heavily promoted Tropicana, Aquafina and Gatorade during 2007. In addition, Coca-Cola India and PepsiCo India embarked on re-branding themselves as total beverage players and not just carbonates players. With the retail scene in India undergoing a rapid metamorphosis with the establishment of supermarkets/ hypermarkets and convenience stores, soft drinks sales have benefited positively. People in urban areas are increasingly flocking to supermarkets to pick up speciality items that are not available in the kirana stores that are found all over India. Modern retail outlets have provided soft drinks players with many opportunities to push their brands. Consumer promotions for fruit/vegetable juice and emerging sectors such as RTD tea and functional drinks are driving product sampling. Attractive point-of-sale (PoS) displays and gift packs of concentrates are also drawing consumer attention in supermarkets/hypermarkets. Heath drinks Soft drinks is expected to post a strong performance on the back of increasing affluence amongst consumers and evolving lifestyles which lead to consumers devoting less time to preparing fresh food and drink at home. Competition from the unorganised sector will diminish gradually as consumers show greater aversion to buying unpackaged and unbranded soft drinks from street vendors due to health and hygiene concerns. Rising health consciousness is also expected to drive sales of naturally healthy (NH) soft drinks such as 100% juice and mineral water. In addition, soft drinks such as sports drinks and juice-based carbonates are also expected to fare well over the forecast period as consumers perceive them to be healthy. Softdrinks can be segmented on the basis of carbonation, flavor type or place of consumption. Based on carbonation, soft drinks are principally classified into carbonated and non-carbonated drinks. While the carbonated drinks mainly include Cola, orange and lemon, the non-carbonated drinks include mango flavors. Cola products account for over 60% of the total soft drink market and include popular brands such as Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Thumps Up etc. Non-cola segment constitutes for over 35% of the market and can be divided into four sub groups based on types of available flavours that include – *Orange: Popular brands include Fanta, Mirinda Orange etc. *Clear lime: 7Up, Sprite *Cloudy lime: Limca, Mirinda Lemon. *Mango: Maaza, Slice Carbonates account for over 54% of total soft drinks sales in volume terms in India, with sales amounting to 2. 3 billion litres in 2004. CONSUMER’S PROFILE Soft drinks are impulse purchase products, and there is an element of indulgence associated with them. It does not figure very high on the shopping list. The consumer buys it just to while away time or as a substitute to water. Since, the older generation is of the opinion that nothing can substitute water, the companies generally target the youngsters, teenagers, children, employee of corporate offices. As these products are general fun drink, brand loyalties are not strong for a particular brand and consumers look for novelty and new flavors. Soft drinks consumption heavily relies on seasons. Though consumers are becoming health conscious, fans of classic carbonated soft drinks (CSDs) still are on the large. SAMPLING DESIGN TARGET POPULATION Consumers are surveyed to know their preference. The respondents are between the age group of 15 to 40. All the respondents are residents of Mumbai city. SELECTING A SAMPLING TECHNIQUE The sampling was done on a random basis whereby the respondents visited and primary data is collected. The Respondents were selected as per convenience sampling. RESEARCH DESIGN The research design was Exploratory in nature. Secondary Data and the Data from the Questionnaire were used to do the Analysis. This Exploratory research was done to give the insights about Consumers buying behaviour. The factors affecting their purchase of Soft- Drinks. DATA COLLECTION: The Primary data was collected through questionnaire administered to Consumers. The Secondary Data was collected through Internet, Business journals. The questionnaire was designed keeping the overall objectives and the information required. The questionnaire administered to the Consumers was aimed at finding out their preference & factors affecting their purchase decision for Soft drinks and also to identify how these existing products can be improved according to the consumers. DATA ANALYSIS: Data Analysis is being done arranging the data in tabular forms and using graphical representations. The survey conducted and the related findings. How many bottles (consider 350 ml) of cold drinks do you consume? CONSUMPTION IN BOTTLES (350 ml) 1 in a week1 in 4 days1 in 2 days>1 in a day 25 %42%27%6% Analysis. Consumers proffered having cold drinks once in a week or 4 days. Regular consumers were few. Consumption increased during the summers. Consumption is more amongst teenagers and youngsters. Young professionals also consumed cold drinks regularly mostly since it came complimentary with other food items such as pizzas or burgers. It is also used by working professionals as lunch-time substitute for water. Do you generally stick to brands ? YES89% NO11% Analysis: It is seen that, consumers are highly brand conscious. The big brands have been successful in creating loyalty towards their products in the long run. But, it is seen that, the consumers are not particular about one specific brand. As long as the brand is known to him/her, the product would be consumed. Also, the safety issues concerning beverages are high. Hence, unbranded beverages are not popular. Do you stick to a particular brand? YES27% NO73% Analysis: It is seen that consumers look for branded beverages, but not for a particular product as such. As long as the product is from a well- known brand, it will be consumed. It is also seen that, whenever a particular soft-drink isn’t available, any other substitute works. Hence, switching brands is relatively easy. Do you prefer ‘no fizz’ drinks (e. g. Slice, Maaza) or ‘strong fizz’ drinks e. g. (Thumbs up or Pepsi) ? Fizz LevelPercentage Strong Fizz16. 7% Light Fizz25% No Fizz58. 3% Analysis A very significant trend-shift towards no-carbonated drinks is seen. Previously, CSD (carbonated Soft drinks) have been very popular. Recently this trend has been changing. People now prefer ‘no fizz’ drinks. ‘Strong fizz’ i. e. cold drinks with high carbon concentration are running low on popularity. How Important are the following Factors ? Analysis. Most important factors as considered by consumers as per the survey results, are Brand, flavour and nutritional value. Shape of the bottle or packaging is the least important criteria. Flavour is also an important factor. Data table is given below : FactorsLeast ImportantSomewhat ImportantAverageImportantCriticalN/ARating Average Color22. 2% 44. 4% 11. 1% 0. 0% 11. 1% 11. 1% 2. 25 Flavour0. 0% 22. 2% 22. 2% 33. 3% 22. 2% 0. 0% 3. 56 Quantity0. 0% 16. 7% 50. 0% 33. 3% 0. 0% 0. 0% 3. 17 Nutrition value0. 0% 20. 0% 10. 0% 50. 0%20. 0% 0. 0% 3. 70 Shape of bottle42. 9%0. 0% 28. 6% 0. 0% 14. 3% 14. 3% 2. 33 Packaging50. 0% 16. 7% 0. 0% 0. 0% 0. 0% 33. 3% 1. 25 Brand11. 1% 0. 0% 11. 1% 22. 2% 44. 4% 11. 1% 4. 00 Exclusivity0. 0% 16. 7% 16. 7% 16. 7% 0. 0% 50. 0% 3. 00 Would you prefer nutritious drinks over others? YES72% NO22% Analysis : People are growing more health conscious due to the changing trends, growing awareness levels, better education and standard of living. This leads them towards more nutritional drinks. Consumers are now looking for cold-drinks that also satisfy other needs or provide added benefits along with being just a cold drink, Do you like energy drinks more? YES68% NO32% Analysis: Energy drinks are quite popular in the Indian markets with Red Bull being the prime player and a few other brands. The prices are still high considering the Indian markets. Would you like a glucose induced packaged drinking water ? YES79. 3% NO20. 7% Analysis: Packaged drinking water sales have grown manifolds in the last decade due to improper hygiene and improper municipal care. Consumers seem keen on having a product that can provide them added benefits with the packaged drinking water, such as, glucose induced water. Do you prefer the classic CSD (carbonated soft drinks) over anything else ? YES41% NO59% Analysis There are a significant percentage of consumers who have strong preferences towards carbonated soft drinks. Most of these respondents are male. Would you buy a drink that comes in 3 variations depending on its level of ‘fizz’? YES79. 3% MAYBE23. 1% NO20. 7% Analysis : In this question, a conceptual product with 3 levels of fizz was put up to the respondents. The audience responded quite favourably towards the idea. Since there is a divide amongst consumers who prefer strong fizz and the others who prefer no fizz drinks, such a product is given a thumbs up by the consumers. Would you like to have an additional product (e. g. chips) as a packaged product along with your cold drinks? YES53. 8% MAYBE30. 8% NO15. 4% Analysis: Generally, consumers have cold drinks along with wafers, chips or some kind of snack. In this question, the reaction of consumers is noted for how would they like it if the companies could come up with some offer where in the snacks come up bundled with the soft drink. These snacks can be suited best for the taste of the particular product along with which it could be supplied. CONCLUSION AND RECCOMMENDATIONS: The soft drinks market is an attractive industry with lot of scope for new entrants. Even if there are branded players since decades, trends are shifting now towards unconventional products. New innovations regarding flavour and nutritional value are most welcomed by the consumers. Lifestyles are changing and stress levels are high. This drives consumers to look for added benefits with the conventional ‘colas’. Hence, now consumers prefer cold drinks with natural fruit extracts, flavoured milk or energy drinks. A certain dislike towards carbonated drinks is seen especially amongst female consumers. As compared to other soft drinks these nutritional drinks are bit pricier. Ways should be thought of to reduce these rates and make them more affordable. Also, there are only mango flavoured, lemon flavoured or orange flavoured drinks available in the no-fizz category. More flavours can be tried. Brands should stress more on the nutritional value of the cold-drink and specify exactly how much of the daily nutrition will it provide them. A new product especially for females could be come up with. APPENDIX Cold drinks 1. Default Section 1. How many bottles (consider 350 ml) of cold drinks do you consume? How many bottles (consider 350 ml) of cold drinks do you consume? one in a week one in 4 days one in 2 days one in a day more than 1 bottle in a day Other (please specify) 2. Do you generally stick to one brand or easily switch brands? Do you generally stick to one brand or easily switch brands? Yes No Maybe 3. Do you prefer ‘no fizz’ drinks (e. g. Slice, Maaza) or ‘strong fizz’ drinks like Thumbs up or Pepsi? Do you prefer ‘no fizz’ drinks (e. g. Slice, Maaza) or ‘strong fizz’ drinks like Thumbs up or Pepsi?no fizz light fizz strong fizz Other (please specify) 4. Please select according to your preference (5 being the highest) Least ImportantSomewhat ImportantAverageImportantCriticalN/A Color Please select according to your preference (5 being the highest) Color Least Important Somewhat Important Average Important Critical N/A Flavour Flavour Least Important Somewhat Important Average Important Critical N/A Quantity Quantity Least Important Somewhat Important Average Important Critical N/A Nutrition value Nutrition value Least Important Somewhat Important Average Important Critical N/A. Shape of bottle Shape of bottle Least Important Somewhat Important Average Important Critical N/A Packaging Packaging Least Important Somewhat Important Average Important Critical N/A Brand Brand Least Important Somewhat Important Average Important Critical N/A Exclusivity Exclusivity Least Important Somewhat Important Average Important Critical N/A 5. Would you like your cold drink bottle to come in varied sizes so that it can be accomodated anywhere? Would you like your cold drink bottle to come in varied sizes so that it can be accomodated anywhere? Yes No Maybe. Other (please specify) 6. Would you buy a drink that comes in 3 variations depending on its level of ‘fizz’? Would you buy a drink that comes in 3 variations depending on its level of ‘fizz’? Yes No Maybe 7. Would you prefer your cold drink bottles to preserve the fizz for several days after opening the bottle? Would you prefer your cold drink bottles to preserve the fizz for several days after opening the bottle? Yes No Maybe 8. Would you like to have an additional product (e. g chips) as a packaged product along with your cold drinks? Would you like to have an additional product (e.g chips) as a packaged product along with your cold drinks? Yes No Maybe 9. Would you like to buy cold drinks, if you will get some promotional offer along with your cold drinks? Would you like to buy cold drinks, if you will get some promotional offer along with your cold drinks? Yes No Maybe 10. Gender? Gender? Male Female. BIBLIOGRAPHY http://resources. bnet. com/index. php? http://www. agriculture-industry-india. com/agricultural-commodities/soft-drinks. html http://www. foodindustryindia. com http://www. euromonitor. com http://www. icmrindia. org.