Investigating business Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 5

Investigating business - Assignment Example This paper seeks to investigate the Alton tower theme park, water park and hotel, otherwise called Alton Towers Resort. Given that the company seeks to move a branch to the Qatar, its SWOT analysis will be undertaken in view of making out its ability to sustain the move. Secondly, the research will constitute an external environmental analysis by use of the Qatar PESTLE analysis of the hotel industry. The swot analysis considers the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in an organization. In this case, the Alton Towers Resort has its own internal strengths as related to the external opportunities and threats. Given the resources at the resort, one of the strengths is that it has great experience in resort business that has run for the past one and a half centuries. Over the years, the company gained a lot of experience going by the way it responds to the changing market tastes and preferences (Altontowers, 2014, p. 2). The other Strength is that the place is renowned which gives it a world wide appeal. This attracts a very large number of revellers given its strong brand name and reputation. The other strength is that the company has a very wide collection of products and services. Over the years, the company has been inventing different new products of which the latest is the 2014 family area and there is additional live entertainment. The products range from tickets and prices, short breaks, rides and attractions, water parks, hotels and spa and other event offers. This is indicative of financial stability which is an added strength to the resort. One of the weaknesses of the company is that it has a very large work force. This issue is associated with the many services that the resort offers (theme park, Water Park and hotel), it is forced to employ a very large number of employees that highly contribute to use of its resources. This situation

Ethnic Market Essay Example for Free

Ethnic Market Essay With mounting western influence and focus on revival of traditional Indian fashion elements, diversity in India sees many faces. To maintain the dignity of the culture and to provide a platform to small Indian brands, future group initiated ethnocentrism concept by opening ethnicity store in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. This initiative has provided new format insights to organized retailers to expand their horizons in highly volatile Indian consumer oriented market. A new format has always been a challenge to any retailer to sustain into the market. In the changing face of market, to regain preference of consumers towards nationalized brands, can be looked from a confronting angle. This created an anxiety in the mind of researchers and inspired them to undergo the research to understand the ethnicity concept. Ethnicity format is studied based on the first ethnicity store set up in the city of Ahmedabad, Gujarat and glimpses are taken from the second and third store set up in Mumbai and Pune respectively. Research is secondary followed by primary in nature. This paper gives insights into the overall set up of ethnicity format that includes differentiating Criterias of ethnicity in comparison to regular retail formats based on observation at the store. Questionnaire based survey is also performed to get opinion on ethnicity store and paper gives insights into preferential category for purchase for future developments Consumers have given a very good response to the new concept. Along with shopping, experiences of consumers with the format have given a lasting impact on their mind-set. Further Raja market, Rani Market, Thoda aur market are found attractive to consumers and have gained good preference of consumers followed by Sona-chandi market Chota India and Ghar aangan market. The insights into concept development and suggested potential extended formats of ethnicity may readily work as a pillar to stand into the market for new retailers. Keywords: Ethnicity, Ethnocentrism, Organized Retail, Nationalized brands. Introduction Indian fashion industry is moving towards westernization due to high level of acceptance of foreign brands by the consumers. Due to this ,western brands are getting a wider platform than the ethnic brands across the country. As a result, national/ethnic products are even overlooked by consumers and time may come that such products may disappear from the market. To protect the Indian heritage, Future group took up the maiden initiative to provide a space to Indian products and brands under its own name and fame Future Group, Indias leading business house with strong presence in retail sector, launched a new retail format, family lifestyle store Ethnicity, in Ahmadabad to market ethnic brands and products of India in 2008. This chain is a major family format developed after the launch of *Professor, G. H. Patel Post Graduate Institute of Business Management, Sardar Patel University, Vallabh Vidyanagar. **Assistant Professor, N. R. Institute of Business Management (GLS-MBA), Gujarat Technological University, Ahmedabad. Pacific Business Review International 2 highly successful family formats like Pantaloons, Big Bazaar, and Home Town. The new store format that has been billed as Everything Indian, seeks to promote ethnic brands, ranging from ethnic and fusion wear, Jewellery, handicrafts, home decor, beauty products to accessories and gifts. Thus ethnicity showcases a large number of small Indian brands under one roof. Ethnicity besides promoting the culture of ethnic products, provide a modern platform to augment the presence of the retailers into the industry. Research Objectives †¢ †¢ †¢ To understand the concept of ethnicity as a new retail format To understand differentiating factors of ethnicity store in comparison to the modern retail stores. To understand the consumers preference towards the new format. Scope of the Study The study has explored the concept of ethnicity. In includes understanding of the theme and concept development, merchandise development and differentiation criteria of format in comparison to existing formats. Further to understand acceptance of the new format, consumers preference towards the offerings has also been analyzed Data Collection Sources Secondary data sources have been used to understand the concept the ethnicity. Information has been taken from leaflet provided by ethnicity store of Ahmedabad, and Company website to get insights into ethnicity store of Pune and Mumbai. Articles kept on the websites are also used at the launch of ethnicity. Primary data has been collected through questionnaire to know consumers preference towards the new format. Respondents were the consumers of Ahmedabad who visited ethnicity store. Sample of 100 respondents was administered out of which 94 responses identified as valid sample for the study. Literature Review Ethnic origin has been defined as a group of people who share a common descent, a sense of collective identity and usually a shared cultural heritage and tradition (Crysdale and Bettie, 1973). Ethnicity implies common customs, values, and attitudes within a group of people who are bound by a common cultural identification. Because values reflect a standard or criterion that people use in the guidance of behavior, they act as a norm for ethnic consumer behavior and an influence on many consumption motives. Ethnic Marketing Ethnic marketing is an important aspect of lifestyle marketing, a strategy that tailors a companys products and services towards the customers lifestyles. According to Technopak Analysis, the current market of sarees and ethnic wear stands at Rs 31,000 crore and is projected to grow at 10 per cent to reach Rs 45,000 crore in 2014. Views expressing rationale towards ethnic marketing Mr. Arvind Singhal, chairman of management consulting and retail specialist firm Technopak Advisors (201011) said, Overall apparel category spends are rising, with special focus on ethnic wear brands, where many new brands have emerged as market heroes. They sensed the vacuum in the market, ease of entry, and attracted women the most interesting target consumer, which places the Indian ethnic wear market at Rs. 56,800 Crore, growing at 9% annually. Govind Shrikhande, customer care associate and managing director, Shoppers Stop said Branded ethnic Volume 5 Issue 5 (November 2012) wear is one of the top selling categories in our stores. For the past few years this segment has seen double digit growth, Mr. Gaurav Mahajan, CEO, Westside, a Tata group company said ,Indian ethnic wear is an integral part of our customer promise. We widened the Westside range and introduced Zuba, which offers silks and authentic handlooms. This autumn will see the launch of two more brands, Mr. Rakesh Biyani, joint managing director, Future Group said ,There is a significant rise in demand for womens ethnic clothing. There is a big gap between the opportunity and what is being delivered today by organized players. This gap identification generated a lead to cover the untapped ethnic market and future group took up the initiative to establish ethnicity store as a revolution in the existing apparel format. Concept development of Ethnicity Store by Future Group. Store Design Future Group has launched the first of a chain of stores aimed at retailing Indian wear in 2008 in Ahmedabad city. It is the branded Ethnicity store that keeps the a range of ethnic and fusion wear, jewelry, handicrafts, home decor, beauty products and accessories and gifts. All the products are India inspired. The store is having a spread over an area of 25,000 to 30,000 sq. ft. Store Objective The apparel labeled as traditional and indoor clothing a decade ago, has laid the foundation for todays contemporary Indian ethnic chic. Ethnicity proudly follows the Indian values of being sensitive to Ahmedabad city, environment and community. It provides a platform to bring together traditional or ethnic 3 retailers and consumers. It recreates the know-how of a traditional ethnic market in a modern retail format and is an aggregator of the multi-faceted ethnic merchandise and traditional selling practices. It revives and rejuvenates anything and everything that is Indian. It aims to truly open out the urban ethnic market and redefine the scale of ethnic merchandising. Ethnic-Theme Positioning at the Store The concept Ethnicity is not limited to ethnic clothing but it is a destination to get the unique experience. The key differentiator for Ethnicity lies in its 360-degree shopping experience. Ethnicitys store design reflects a distinctly ethnic character visual merchandising tools include artifacts, paintings and decor pieces from Rajasthan, Orissa and Gujarat. Visual merchandising at ethnicity is like the synopsis of a story book. Ethnicity has gone the Desi way (Highly traditional) to become attractive and communicative. It is vital to not only be a differentiated retailer but also to draw out the true essence of the products. Branding in ethnic wear has been led by region of origin of the product like Benaresi sarees, Lucknowi kurta, Kutchchi Bandhani. The store is colorfully designed and the flashiness gives it an ambience of luxury and festivity. Atmosphere at Ethincity Store Atmospheric at ethnicity store is a reflection of Indian heritage. Instead of halogen lights, everywhere light is reflected by lanterns. Instead of room freshener or perfumes, a raw fragrant of essential oil from flowers known as attar is used to mesmerizes the entrant and bring them to the Indian culture. All the racks for display of merchandise are developed from wooden and outside decoration is of handicraft, which gives a reflection of Indian art. Instead of having all the racks or shelves for display, few of the merchandise is displayed on cot. Store assistants are dressed in ethnic kurtas for refreshments, Coconut water is served in a lorry (Cart) which gives a flavor of typical Indian culture, on the road serving. Pacific Business Review International 4 Use of multi colors, art and fancy designs, air fragrance and traditional lightings give all time festival feeling experience. market. Chosen name for the market is based on arterial language of India. With the theme of ethnocentrism, the collection represents only Indian brands in all the merchandise. Merchandise at Ethnicity Store. All the offerings are divided into a Niche name of Overall Analysis of Ethnicity Store Table 1 Store Sections Generic category name Ethnic name at ethnicity store Women’s wear category Rani market-everything ethnic for women Men’s wear category Raja market-everything ethnic for men Kid’s wear category Chota India market Jewellery/ accessories Sona –chandi market- ethnic Jewellery Home accessories Ghar –aangan- ethnic ideas for your home Stationary/medical items Thoda aur- ethnic accessories and more Source: http://www. indiaretailing. com/organising-ethnic-retail. asp Data Analysis Regular formats of organized retail stores have their specific offerings. While ethnicity store has differentiated the same to give a new experience to the consumers. Based on observation at ethnicity store, the following comparison has been made to derive the differentiation criteria Table 2 Comparative Analysis: Organized Regular Retail Format V/s. Ethnicity Format Parameter Organized Retail Organized retailOutlet outlet Theme A move culture Objective To give exposure to western To give platform to Indian brands culture dynamics and appeal to ethnocentrism Size of the outlet Large size Comparatively small size Structure Vertical departmentation Horizontal departmentation. Availability of brands Global brands Only Indian brands Atmospheric Exclusive halogen lights lantern /yellow lights towards Ethnicity Store Ethnicity store western A move towards Indian legacy Volume 5 Issue 5 (November 2012) 5 Decoration No additional decoration Fully decorated with colors, lamps, handicraft ,puppets etc. -looks like all time festival Music Western songs Indian instrumental Fragrance Room fresheners Raw fragrant of essential oil from flowers known as attar Shelves Racks Along with racks Traditional village themed cots with four legs Merchandise division Products are separate Gender wise product bundling. Apparel gets displayed in one section, accessories other section, footwear another section and so on e. g. Raja market includes apparel ,accessories ,footwear addressing men. Rani market includes apparel, accessories, footwear for women Merchandise name English names Traditional Indian names Store assistant’s dressing Western formal wear Traditional Indian kurta Packaging Plastic printed bags Paper bags with traditional look Merchandise Western outfits western designs and indo- Indian traditional embroidery work outfits with Shoes Mojaris and chappals Indo-western painting Handicraft Cosmetic products. Natural ayurvedic products and aromatherapy Perfumes Incense stick, fragrances Light chandelier Candles and Lantern Artificial jewellery Stone work, Kundan jewellery Refreshments Food court with multi cuisine Small push cart/lorry with coconut water Deliverable Shopping Experience attar, natural Source: Primary data collection through observation Analysis of Consumers Preference Towards Ethnicity Store: Consumers survey has been performed to get insights into their experience towards the format with the help of questionnaire. Respondents were the consumers who visited the ethnicity store. Pacific Business Review International 6. Figure 1 Consumers Preference towards the Market based Merchandise at Ethnicity Store with Mean Rank ( where 1 is least and 5 is maximum) 0 1 2 3 4 5 4. 25 Raja Market 4. 02 Rani Market 2. 80 Chota India 3. 20 Sona Chandi Ghar Aangan 2. 05 4. 15 Thoda aur Source: Primary data collection through questionnaire Consumers preference towards the ethnic theme based markets is analyzed to know the preferred market. This analysis is aimed at developing the market to increase the preference †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Consumers are highly satisfied with Raja Market offerings followed by Rani market and thoda aur market. New introductions in thoda aur market like lamps, candle and fragrances, ayurvedic products etc have grabbed attention of people which gives a lead to introduce more unique and Indian traditional items. Sona chandi market has got a good response. Thus it can be interpreted that fashion accessories in ethnic look are keeping tune with the ethnic garments. As per consumers opinion, Chota India is yet to gain preference may be because of traditional designs that are not preferred more for kids in †¢ comparison to western attractive outfits with cartoon characters Again as per consumers opinion, Ghar aangan is also yet to gain preference may be because of bed sheets, utensils, toys , purchase for rituals like puja ka saaman etc. have pre-existence of established unorganized market. Volume 5 Issue 5 (November 2012). 7 Consumers Preference towards Ethnic Products for Three Most Preferred Markets Figure 2 Preference has been Analyzed towards Offerings for Females as Rani Market Source: Primary data collection through questionnaire Fusion wear and Mix Match are able to attract consumers as it is a new and unique base of ethnic products. As Saari, salwaar kamiz have become a common purchase and many platforms are available to address the demand, preference is found at the moderate level. Figure 3 Preference has been Analyzed towards Offerings for Males as Raja Market Source: Primary data collection through questionnaire In mens wear traditional wear in the form of Jodhpuri, Chudidar and kurtas along with traditional mojaris have attracted consumers to larger extent Pacific Business Review International 8 Figure 4 Preference has been Analyzed towards Offerings for Thoda Aur Market Source: Primary data collection through questionnaire Full range of Fragrances and Candles Incense has been introduced by ethnicity store. It has got extra ordinary preference of consumers. Thus it has contributed towards maintenance of Indian legacy Consumers preference towards Aromatherapy Aromatherapy is the use of aromatic plant oils, including essential oils, for psychological and physical wellbeing. Aroma therapists blend therapeutic essential oils especially for each individual and suggest methods of use such as topical application, massage, inhalation or water immersion to stimulate the desired responses. Aroma therapy oils may include : †¢ Peppermint Digestive disorders †¢ Rosemary Muscular pains, mental stimulant †¢ Sandalwood Depression, anxiety and nervous tension †¢ Sweet orange Depression and anxiety. †¢ Tea tree Respiratory problems, antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral †¢ Lavender Headaches, insomnia, burns, aches and pain Ethnicity store has provided the platform for Aromatherapy. Full range of essential oils has been displayed to generate the awareness and preference towards the same. It is aimed at generating awareness towards ayurvedic medicine in the arena of allopath for better and secure treatment. Ethnicity has taken maiden initiative to mould the consumers psychology towards naturopath. (Graph on next page) It can be interpreted from figure-5 that first hand response has been satisfactory with 49% for. Aromatherapy and thus it enjoys the potential to increase the preference in future. The atmospheric of traditional products is supporting the purchase of traditional way of health supplements. The advice and explanation given along with the product has played important role in making realization to go for natural products Volume 5 Issue 5 (November 2012) 9 Figure 5 Preference has been Analyzed for Aroma Therapy Source: Primary data collection through questionnaire Figure 6 Analysis of Consumers Satisfaction towards Ethnicity Store: Consumers level of satisfaction towards the differentiated offerings has been analyzed. Such analysis is aimed at identifying the most appealing differentiation for future positioning of the store and developing the strategies that may lead to future satisfaction Competitive Assessment Matrix with Mean Rank ( Where 1 is least and 5 is maximum) Regular Organized Retail Formats and Ethnicity Store Consumers’ satisfaction on competitive assessment matrix 0 1 2 3 4 5 4. 05 4. 95 Theme 2. 30 2. 60 Price 3. 25 4. 00 Variety 3. 94 4. 35 Display 4. 00 Experience Source: Primary data collection through questionnaire Keys : Regular organized retail outlets Ethnicity store 5. 00 Pacific Business Review International 10 †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢. Competitive assessment matrix depicts that ethnicity theme is highly appealing to the people. The differentiation point of giving experience to the consumers than only to provide a platform for shopping is getting correct positioning in the mind set of consumers as it is applauded by consumers with the mean rank of 4. 95. Unique display of ethnicity is highly appreciated by consumers in comparison to regular organized retail formats. On the dimension of variety ethnicity is lagging behind in comparison, the contributing reason may be limited number of Indian brands into each category. As far as pricing is concerned none of the outlets satisfied the consumers expectation. It brings out the fact that price structure is too high. Here opportunity lies with ethnicity store to discriminate pricing strategy to get competitive edge over other formats. It might be feasible to reformulate the pricing strategy due to nationalized brands. †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Suggestions †¢ Major Findings †¢ †¢ †¢ Ethnicity is indeed a revolutionary move towards consumers ethnocentrism. National players have also joined hands with the big retailer and accepted the opportunity to address the mass market. Thus it has contributed to a greater extent in providing a wider platform to small retailer of India. Further is has contributed towards generating awareness of ethnic products and brands of allover India which were not noticed by the consumers and importance was not realized by consumers. It is an absolutely unique model into organized retail formats. Everything starting from atmospherics to collection of brands, merchandise display and packaging is uniquely positioned with the nationalized theme. It provides a feel-good factor and thrilling experience to the consumers. Consumers are getting attracted by the theme and getting exposed and penetrated by ethnic products. Today consumers look for fashionable clothes. National brands which were not recognized earlier, have provided a platform of fashion to explore Consumers are highly satisfied with Raja Market offerings followed by Rani market and thoda aur market. Fusion wear, Mix Match, Jodhpuri,Kurtas, Chudidars, Mojaris and fragrances ,candles and incense are able to get preference of people. Aroma therapy is able to get good welcome form the consumers. Ethnic designs are getting acceptance in the form of novelty. In all this innovative concept well applauded by consumers as they are getting exposed to all the variety and designs of products of all the corners of India under one roof. †¢ †¢ †¢ More Indian retailers should be motivated to provide huge collection of ethnic products in the categories of mens wear and womens wear to provide more varieties. There is a need to increase the range of aroma therapy offerings to increase the awareness and consumption. Fragrances, candles and incense offerings have brought Indian values back in the preferences. This has showcased a very good business potential as a whole. There is a need to provide more and more offerings into the segment with more and more varieties. Potential revolutions into existing format of ethnicity for India. Format can be expanded by introducing specialties of major states/cities of India †¢ Rajasthan market Art craft †¢ Jamnagar market-Bandhani Volume 5 Issue 5 (November 2012) †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Bangalore -Silk garments Chennai- Pearl jewellery Kerala market-Spices Format can be expanded by introducing specialty food of major states/cities of India it may help to give a back shift to the consumer trend which is moving towards western food Gujarati food Punjabi food South Indian food Rajasthani food North Indian food Kathiyawadi food Potential revolutions into existing format of ethnicity for other countries. It has been witnessed that countries are getting specialized into technological innovations but spread of such innovations into the same continent reflects questionable behavior of consumers. Many a times it is because of lack of awareness. Such type of format may provide a common platform to explore the small innovative products at consumer end E. g. European countries. Fashion based Ethnicity- As fashion industry is one of the major growing industries in Europe, all fashion statements can be displayed under one platform †¢ Fashion statement of Italy †¢ Fashion statement of France †¢ Fashion statement of United kingdom Technology based ethnicity- Technical Research innovation driven countries, all innovations can be displayed under one platform †¢ Big to small innovative products of Finland. †¢ Big to small innovative products of Germany †¢ IT Renewable technology based products from Sweden †¢ Electric technology innovations of Netherland E. g. Asian Countries 11 Technology based ethnicity †¢ Robotic technology based innovative small to big products from South Korea Japan References Crysdale and Bettie, 1973, Retrieved from, http:// www. manifolddatamining. com /html /products/ ethnicmarketing. htm on 15/02/2012 Anuradha Shukla, Ethnic wear market booms in India retrieved from http://wonderwoman. intoday. In/ story/ethnic-wear-market-booms-in-india/1/ 88440. html http://indiatoday. intoday. in/story/ethnic-wear-marketto-grow/1/124981. html retrieved on 06/02/2012 koregaonparkplaza, pune (2011) retrieved from http:// w w w. k o r e g a o n p a r k p l a z a . c o m / s t o r s details. asp? id=77catid=1st=1 retrieved on 06/ 02/2012 Runul Vashistha, (2009) retrieved from http:// www. indiar et a iling. com/ R et ailC oncep t _ details. aspx? Id=58 retrieved on 02/02/2012 Pooja nair, (2009). retrieved from http://ahmedabad. metromela. com/Lamps+and+ethnic+ wear+at+. Ethnicity/article/3183 retrieved on 15/02/2012 Shailesh Shah, (2012). Ethnicity: Towards organising ethnic retail, retrieved from http: // www. indiaretailing. com/organising-ethnicretail. asp retrieved on 02/02/2012 http://www. pantaloonretail. in/pdf/ethnicity_karigari. pdf Reference Book Jr. Churchill Gilbert A. , Lacobucci Dawn, Israel D. , (2009),Marketing Research- A South Asian Perspective, India Edition, Delhi: Cencage Learning. Additional material Leaflet circulated at ethnicity store 12 Glossary Attar: A fragrant of essential oil typically made from rose petals Ayurvedic: It is a Hindu system of traditional medicine native to India and a form of alternative medicine. Ayurveda can be defined as a system, which uses the inherent principles of nature, to help maintain health in a person by keeping the individuals body, mind and spirit in perfect equilibrium with nature Bandhani: A process of patterning cloth by tie-dyeing in which the design is reserved on the undyed cloth by tying small spots very tightly with thread to protect them from the dye especially popular in Rajasthan and India Chappal: An item of Indian footwear, similar to a flipflop with a toe strap Chota (India market): Younger, junior child related products. Pacific Business Review International Kundan Jewellery: Kundan is a traditional Indian gemstone jewelry, a method of gem setting in a jewellery piece, consisting of inserting gold foil between the stones and its mount, usually used to create elaborate necklaces believed to have originate in royal courts of Rajasthan and Gujarat. It is the oldest form of jewellery made and worn in India Kurta: A knee-length, collarless shirt worn over pajamas by men in India Mojaris: A style of South Asian handcrafted footwear mostly using vegetable-tanned leatherproduced in India Organized retail: Organized retail has been defined as a network of similarly branded stores with an element of self service Raja (Market): A prince, chief, or ruler related products in India Rani (Market): Indian princess related products Ethnicity: Ethnicity implies common customs, values, and attitudes within a group of people who are bound by a common cultural identification Saree: a dress worn primarily by Hindu women; consists of several yards of light material that is draped around the body Ethnic groups: A group of people who share a common descent, a sense of collective identity and usually a shared cultural heritage and tradition Sona-chandi (market)-Gold silver related products/jewellery Ethnic Marketing: Ethnic marketing is an important aspect of lifestyle marketing, a strategy that tailors a companys products and services towards the customers lifestyles Ghar -aangan (market):Home decoration related products Handicraft: Items made by hand, often with the use of simple tools, and are generally artistic and/or traditional in nature . They are the objects of utility and objects of decoration. Incense stick: It is composed of aromatic biotic materials, which release fragrant smoke when burned Thoda aur (market): somewhat more than the existing here in the context of more than the regular offerings.

A Strategic Analysis of Walgreens and the Retail Drugstore Industry Es

Introduction Knowing the importance of a strategic vision, every company undertakes a complete analysis periodically. In order to create a strategic plan the parties involved must know every aspect of the industry and the company at hand. The purpose of this paper is to describe and analyze the retail drugstore industry and then focus on Walgreens, the industry leader in terms of sales. As part of the in-depth analysis of Walgreens, its major competitors will also be described and analyzed. The retail drugstore industry consists of all those stores that contain a pharmacy and sell prescription drugs. It also includes businesses that sell prescription drugs online and through the mail. Most retail drugstores also offer other consumer goods and services to augment the low margin earned on prescription sales. To be considered a member of the retail drugstore industry requires sales of prescription pharmaceuticals to the end consumer. Many convenience, food and discount stores sell over-the-c ounter medicines, but these stores would not be considered retail drugstores because they do not also sell prescription medicines. Relevant Environment Competition: The relevant environment, which consists or interactions between the task environment and task environment, has been changing over the past 25 years. As competition has increased among grocery, discount and mass merchandising chains, blurring of channels has occurred. This is due to stores selling an increasing variety of goods to try to broaden their customer base and provide â€Å"one-stop† shopping. Many of these stores have added pharmacies as a source of convenience for their customers, and to increase store traffic, usually positioning the pharmacy in the back of the store. In response to this pressure, both independent and chain drugstores have greatly increased the variety of their retail product offerings. The sale of cosmetics, along with health and beauty aids, has become an important profit generator for retail drugstores. Many are now also positioning themselves to compete with convenience stores by offering snack food items, beverages, and st aple items. The move to stand-alone stores located on major roads with ample, close-in parking has been an important factor contributing to convenience. Customers: As indicated by the type of competition seen in the retail drugstore ... ...Top Performing Companies.† March 24,1998. www.riteaid.com. â€Å"Rite Aid Reports 6.6 Percent Same-Store Sales Increase For May.† June 7,2000. www.walgreens.com/about/history/default.jhtr, June 15, 2000. Walgreens/Page Through Our Past. www.walgreens.com/about/history/hist2.jhtr, June 15, 2000. Walgreens/Page Through Our Past. www.walgreens.com/about/history/hist3.jhtr, June 15, 2000. Walgreens/Page Through Our Past. www.walgreens.com/about/history/hist4.jhtr, June 15, 2000. Walgreens/Page Through Our Past. www.walgreens.com/about/history/hist5.jhtr, June 15, 2000. Walgreens/Page Through Our Past. www.walgreens.com/about/history/hist6.jhtr, June 15, 2000. Walgreens/Page Through Our Past. www.walgreens.com/about/history/hist7.jhtr, June 15, 2000. Walgreens/Page Through Our Past. www.walgreens.com/about/press/facts/fact2.jhtr, June 15, 2000. Walgreens/Company Overview. www.walgreens.com/about/press/othernews/040400.jhtr, June 15, 2000. Walgreens/Walgreens Joins Katie Couric in National Campaign. www.walgreens.com/about/press/othernews/051100b.jhtr, June 15, 2000. Walgreens/Walgreens Joins Katie Couric in National Campaign. A Strategic Analysis of Walgreens and the Retail Drugstore Industry Es Introduction Knowing the importance of a strategic vision, every company undertakes a complete analysis periodically. In order to create a strategic plan the parties involved must know every aspect of the industry and the company at hand. The purpose of this paper is to describe and analyze the retail drugstore industry and then focus on Walgreens, the industry leader in terms of sales. As part of the in-depth analysis of Walgreens, its major competitors will also be described and analyzed. The retail drugstore industry consists of all those stores that contain a pharmacy and sell prescription drugs. It also includes businesses that sell prescription drugs online and through the mail. Most retail drugstores also offer other consumer goods and services to augment the low margin earned on prescription sales. To be considered a member of the retail drugstore industry requires sales of prescription pharmaceuticals to the end consumer. Many convenience, food and discount stores sell over-the-c ounter medicines, but these stores would not be considered retail drugstores because they do not also sell prescription medicines. Relevant Environment Competition: The relevant environment, which consists or interactions between the task environment and task environment, has been changing over the past 25 years. As competition has increased among grocery, discount and mass merchandising chains, blurring of channels has occurred. This is due to stores selling an increasing variety of goods to try to broaden their customer base and provide â€Å"one-stop† shopping. Many of these stores have added pharmacies as a source of convenience for their customers, and to increase store traffic, usually positioning the pharmacy in the back of the store. In response to this pressure, both independent and chain drugstores have greatly increased the variety of their retail product offerings. The sale of cosmetics, along with health and beauty aids, has become an important profit generator for retail drugstores. Many are now also positioning themselves to compete with convenience stores by offering snack food items, beverages, and st aple items. The move to stand-alone stores located on major roads with ample, close-in parking has been an important factor contributing to convenience. Customers: As indicated by the type of competition seen in the retail drugstore ... ...Top Performing Companies.† March 24,1998. www.riteaid.com. â€Å"Rite Aid Reports 6.6 Percent Same-Store Sales Increase For May.† June 7,2000. www.walgreens.com/about/history/default.jhtr, June 15, 2000. Walgreens/Page Through Our Past. www.walgreens.com/about/history/hist2.jhtr, June 15, 2000. Walgreens/Page Through Our Past. www.walgreens.com/about/history/hist3.jhtr, June 15, 2000. Walgreens/Page Through Our Past. www.walgreens.com/about/history/hist4.jhtr, June 15, 2000. Walgreens/Page Through Our Past. www.walgreens.com/about/history/hist5.jhtr, June 15, 2000. Walgreens/Page Through Our Past. www.walgreens.com/about/history/hist6.jhtr, June 15, 2000. Walgreens/Page Through Our Past. www.walgreens.com/about/history/hist7.jhtr, June 15, 2000. Walgreens/Page Through Our Past. www.walgreens.com/about/press/facts/fact2.jhtr, June 15, 2000. Walgreens/Company Overview. www.walgreens.com/about/press/othernews/040400.jhtr, June 15, 2000. Walgreens/Walgreens Joins Katie Couric in National Campaign. www.walgreens.com/about/press/othernews/051100b.jhtr, June 15, 2000. Walgreens/Walgreens Joins Katie Couric in National Campaign.

Agriculture & Industry

Industry, in general, is taken to be categorized into three types, which are the agricultural industry, the commercial industry, and the manufacturing industry. The highlight of this paper focuses on the first of the three, which is the agricultural industry.More specifically, the impact of shifts and price elasticity of supply and demand, positive and negative externalities, wage inequality, and monetary and fiscal policies are investigated in order to make a holistic assessment of the level of success that the industry has achieved and the economic influences that has affected it in a negative way.The agriculture industry is among the three categories that deal with the acquisition of resources from land and water that provide the necessities in life (Jackson, 1841). Likewise, it serves as the source from which raw materials could be taken and are subsequently passed on to the manufacturing industry for processing (Jackson, 1841).It could be remembered that the manufacturing indust ry is among the three industries that form an important part of the economy. It is considered to have an impact both in direct and indirect terms in achieving economic growth and the reasons behind this is two-fold (Faruqee, 1999).First, both the linkages in farm inputs, which includes equipment, fertilizers, and chemicals, and processing of food and fiber is considered as strong (Faruqee, 1999). Second, any increase in the income derived from the agriculture industry is also spent on locally-produced goods and services (Faruquee, 1999).An important economic aspect is that of the element of labor which is also present in this particular industry.   It is important to take note of this because of the important role it plays in the growth and success in achieving the intended purpose expected from the society.Labor, in this particular sector, is further categorized into three, which is composed of those whose task involve the collection of the products from â€Å"the land and water , animal, vegetable, and mineral†; those who preserve, augment, and process these products; and those who are associated with the production of agricultural tools and infrastructure (Jackson, 1841).Taking this into consideration, the agricultural industry is affected in such a way that overproduction or underproduction in relation to the consumption of people have to be weighed carefully in order for the commodities to be sold at a competitive price in the market. Likewise, the following shifts in the curves would help in determining the market price for the produce.However, an important aspect, which is referred to as elasticity, should be related to this as there are important impacts that it has over the equilibrium price and quantity in relation to the shifts in demand and supply curves.In situations where there is a shift in the demand for a good that has a greater value of elasticity in terms of supply, the change in equilibrium quantity is larger and the change in equil ibrium price is smaller (Lipsey & Harbury, 1992).On the other hand, the shift in the demand does not have impact on the equilibrium market price should the supply of the good being considered is perfectly elastic and there is no effect on equilibrium quantity should the supply be perfectly inelastic (Lipsey & Harbury, 1992).As for the supply curve, the shift in the supply leads to a larger change in the equilibrium quantity and a lower degree of change in the equilibrium price if the elasticity of demand is greater (Lipsey & Harbury, 1992).For goods with a perfectly elastic demand, the shift in supply has no corresponding impact on the equilibrium market price and there is no effect for the equilibrium quantity if the demand for the good is perfectly inelastic (Lipsey & Harbury, 1992).The consideration of the shifts in both the supply and demand curve together with that of the elasticity in terms of supply and demand of the good is particularly of great help in making decisions in t erms of the planning for the industry regarding the production of the goods and consumption especially in areas where there is hunger.

Nursing and midwifery council Essay

Malnutrition can be defined as a serious condition that occurs when a person does not include the right amount of nutrients in their diet such as water, protein, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals in their diet (NICE, 2012). This can lead to serious adverse circumstances where one can become malnourished. Kirch (2008) also stresses that malnutrition can also arise as a result of disease. The rational for the chosen topic ‘malnutrition in elderly patients, was based on being one of the largest contributors to elderly mortality in health care. In support Sinclain (2011) states that up to 15% of elderly in the community, 62% of hospitalised patients and 85% of nursing home residents suffer from malnutrition which is a strong independent predictor of mortality in elderly. Evidence based practice in nursing is finding solid research and applying them in nursing practices, in order to promote quality of care given to patient’s. Furthermore Baker (2013) states that it i s a process which involves the use of evaluation, research process, problem solving, assessment of care, decision making and requires the patients involvement. Evidence based practice is important in clinical settings having the potential to improve the of care patient, implemented to improve recovery. The nursing and midwifery council (NMC 2008) recommended that all nurses must have the ability to critique and use evidence based practice. Developing a framework for critiquing health research (Caldwell et al, 2005) will be used as an appraisal method to critique the 3 empirical research articles. This was chosen by the writer because the authors made it clear, straightforward, easy and precise to use in critiquing academic research papers, both qualitative and quantitative using tables, numbers, keywords subheadings, guidelines and relevant websites. It was also discussed that this assists the ‘novice’ nursing student and health-related research with learning about the two approaches to research by giving consideration to aspects of the research process that are common to both methodologies approach and different stages of crit iquing them. Boud et al (1985) articulate reflection as a act in which an individual examines their experiences, beliefs, values behaviour and knowledge that leads to a new understanding and appreciation of a situation which prompted the reflective process. Yun, (2008) emphasise reflection is an active and intentional process that uses thinking in order to learn from experience. We reflect in order to learn from current or future experiences  aiding us in improving academic skills in theory and in practical, the ethics of reflection contain information such as asking questions or reflecting on what actually happened, looking at the skills that were used to deal with the situation, examine the negative and positives looking into what feelings arose from the experiences, what could have be done and what can be done better in the future. As nurses we need to reflect on our own practice to enhance the care given to patients. Rolfe et al model (2001) Cycle has been chosen to support writer reflection and this was chosen because it is a simple model which raises the following questions what, so what and now what in order to reflect effectively and improve the quality of care given to patients stimulating both personal and professional growth. In nursing practice we need to plan and leave time in order to reflect on the care delivered to patients. Following this we need to reveal the service given has confidentiality, privacy and dignity and this is being maintained, check if the patient treated is being fairly and with respect, if the nurses communicate with the patients in ways they understand. All these collective questions need to be in place when caring for patients in order to support reflection and deliver a good standard of care. Elder, Evans and Nizette (2012) states reflection allows nurses to examine both thei r practice and the accompanying cognitions and effective meanings in relation to values, biases and knowledge and in relation to the context in which the situation occurred.

DaVinci code essays

DaVinci code essays Discuss the main characters/ relationships between characters/ internal and external conflicts. Use the characters names. Robert Langdon is a man suspected of the murder of the curator of the Louvre. He is convinced to run my Sophie Neveu, the curators granddaughter, to run. They encounter a series of external conflicts like Silas, the killer albino monk, Fache, Coller, the local polices, and the codes they have to solve. Some internal conflicts were that Sophie kept thinking about her grandfather and both had were frustrated with the ciphers. Langdons major internal conflict was the decision to run and not defend himself in court or against Fache. Plot Summary In a two days, the American symbologist Robert Langdon finds himself accused of murdering the curator of the Louvre. While on the run through the streets of Paris and London, he teams up with French cryptologist, Sophie Neveu, to uncover the secret location of the Holy Grail. Also, a conservative Catholic bishop is on the edge of destroying the Grail, which includes a secret history of Christ that could bring down the entire church. Whoever is ordering the deaths of the Grail's guardians, most likely modern-day members of an ancient society started by the famed Knights Templar must be stopped before the treasure is lost forever. In order to do so, Langdon and Neveu have to solve a series of ciphers, riddles, and codes while also evading the French police commander, Fache and a murderous albino monk named Silas. Right now, (halfway) they are stuck solving ingenious riddles and codes each leading to another set of codes and ciphers, over and over again. What will happen next? Read the next reading log by me, Dennis Chen. 3 Examples of Foreshadowing 1. When I read the part where Dan Brown describes the crime scene, in my head I knew it was just like the Vitruvian ...

Reality TV

Reality TV There are many problems with reality television. Some of the problems of reality television are violence, language, and that children are allowed to watch these types of shows. Children pick up on things very fast, and allowing them to watch TV shows that contain inappropriate material should not be allowed. The names of the most common shows that have these types of inappropriate material are The Ultimate Fighter, and The Osborn's, just to name a few.Violence is everywhere in life. So why should we have to be subjected to have to watch it on TV? We don't. All we really have to do is change the channel. The only problem with that is that people like to watch violence. Watching violence on TV is a way for people to see what other people are capable of and there for make sure not to do the same. Children on the other hand see what others do and want to try it.Children at N.Y. Zoo (LOC)As Steven Reiss and James Wiltz put it, "the most significant reason that reality TV is popular with such a wide variety of viewers is that Americans identify with the desire to be famous." What this means to me is that children think that if they do what they see others doing, even if it is wrong, nothing will happen to them if they do the same. With out thinking of the consequences of there actions, this allows them to get in trouble. The Ultimate Fighter for example, is a show about men fighting to become the best. This show has scenes of men hitting and kicking each other in which there can be a considerable amount of blood. When children watch this it makes them want to fight with each other. There have been many reported cases...

5 big mistakes Googles head of HR sees on resumes

5 big mistakes Googles head of HR sees on resumes It’s a real truism in life: We often learn best from mistakes- both our mistakes and those that others have made. Humans are creatures of â€Å"trial and error†- we bravely take risks and try out new things. Sometimes we meet success; other times we hit unexpected obstacles and find failure. This tendency to make mistakes impacts all facets of life- including our search for a new job. Talk with any HR professional or hiring manager and ask them if they have any stories of folks who have absolutely fumbled the opportunity to get a new job, and chances are you’ll hear a bunch of them. Some are funny, others odd, and some will be downright sad but they’ll all have something in common- the person likely made a bad choice or neglected to do something they should have, and it wound up wrecking their chances for success.The unfortunate truth is that some people make mistakes at the very beginning of the job hunt- on their resumes- and take themselves out of conte ntion before even getting started. It happens more than you realize, and in countless ways!In fact, resume gaffes are such a pervasive problem that Laszlo Bock, former Senior Vice President of People Operations at Google, wrote a LinkedIn article about it, entitled â€Å"The Biggest Mistakes I see on Resumes and How to Correct Them.† Bock estimates that he’s personally reviewed over 20,000 resumes, so he certainly knows what he’s talking about.Let’s take a look at what he says are five of the biggest mistakes that he’s seen on resumes so you can avoid them on your job hunt.1. Bad formattingWhen it comes to foolish resume formatting Bock has seen it all, from wildly â€Å"creative† designs and outlandish fonts to splashes of color and crazy margins, all done in an effort to try and stand out from other resumes and grab the reader’s attention. Unfortunately- what you may earn in attention grabbing could cost you in another key area- eff ectively, clearly, and professionally conveying your background, experience, and skill set.Artistic bells and whistles simply don’t work on resumes. A clean, legible, and professional looking document is what works best. If you want to be taken seriously in the job market, save the creativity for your next arts and crafts project.2. Careless typosIt’s a real shame that such an avoidable problem like resume typos is such a pervasive issue, but Bock reports that a surprisingly high percentage of the resumes he’s reviewed, for positions at all levels, contain pesky typos. And good luck being taken seriously during the job hiring process if the first impression you make is someone who can’t be bothered to put in the extra effort to get such an important document correct. Typos are absolute resume killers, so be completely sure that yours is error free and in perfect shape before sending it out.3. Excessive lengthThis is a trickier problem, because the longer you’re in the job market the more things you’ll have to say about yourself. However if your document reads more like a novel then a resume, chances are it’ll either get ignored or glossed over and key parts will get overlooked. Bock has a great rule of thumb for resume length- 1 page for every 10 years of experience. Do your best to stick to this guideline, and remember that you’ll have an opportunity to say more about yourself on interviews- if you make it that far.4. Leaking confidential informationThis doesn’t happen very often, but when it does it raises big red flags. If you’ve worked with a company that handles sensitive information or have had jobs with which you’ve had confidentiality agreements, be very careful about what you put on your resume. If you cross the line and the hiring manager figures it out, your chances of moving to the next stage of the hiring process are slim to none.5. LiesHopefully this one’s obvious ! Despite what you may have heard, there are no such things as â€Å"good lies† when it comes to your resume. If you get caught making something up on your resume, there’s just no way to explain it away or cover up for it. Your chances of getting a job with a resume built on lies- no matter how small or insignificant- are effectively obliterated. Even if you wind up getting the job, if your lie is figured out sometime later you could even lose your job. Bottom line- lying is just not a good way to search for your next job.There you have it: Five of the biggest resume mistakes according to a real industry veteran and insider. Make sure you’re not committing any of these gaffes before you send out your next resume, and you’ll be one step ahead of the job-hunting crowd.

Week 3&5&7&8 discussions Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Week 3 discussions - Coursework Example Just before the 16th century ended Islam had spread through conversion and had surpassed Buddhism and Hinduism as the most dominant religion of Sumatra and Java peoples. Initially the spread of Islam was driven mostly by increased trade links. The second factor that led to the dominance of Islam as a religion was the role played by missionaries (Sufis).Thus the Sufis played a major role by spreading the religion by syncretising of Islamic ideas with the existing local religious notions and beliefs. Eventually Islam was embraced by the ruling classes which greatly helped the permeation of the faith throughout the whole region. Islam is still dominant in Indonesia where it harbors 12.7% of all the world’s Muslims. 2. Muslims in Malaysia have rejected Islamic Fundamentalism because of its hard line policies and amid fears that the country could plunge into religious extremism, instability and terrorism. Some Malaysians therefore fear there could be rise in religious fundamentalism if Islamic Fundamentalism was accepted. Over the years Malaysia has detained several suspected terrorist, some of which are linked to al-Qaeda. 3. Ethic Chinese economic success dates back to several centuries ago. It is true that many Chinese people are good entrepreneurs and they are always willing to work hard and smart for money. This has led to their being discriminated against by the locals in several SE Asian countries such as Indonesia. Another economic success factor of the ethic Chinese is that they have a free market under a communist rule. The fact that ethic Chinese businessmen are dealing with America, means they are owed trillions of dollars by America. Dealing with America has made them very rich and successful. Several Chinese Company owners are super rich whereas low class is struggling since they are paid very little for their labor. China does not have tough employment laws and thus has very cheap available, which ensures very high profits. 4. Singapore

Organizational Behavior Article Contrast Paper Term

Organizational Behavior Article Contrast - Term Paper Example Organizational culture is a common concept among organizations and this has attracted a lot of attention from both managers and scholars. The topic has been very crucial in determining the success of a number of institutions. This is a contrast paper on three articles that discuss an organizational behavior topic of organizational culture. The paper aims at identifying the similarities and differences among the three articles. It also includes a discussion of the main points that have been reconciled from the articles and how the concepts within the paper can be integrated. I am also going to give a personal opinion about the contents and presentations of the three articles. From a practical perspective, I will provide an explanation on how managers can use the ideas presented in the articles in his daily routine at work. Similarities a) Research Papers The most significant similarity among the three articles is that they are all research papers. The authors of the articles have cond ucted research studies on different areas of business and have provided a comprehensive discussion of their findings and results. The articles contain three most important parts of a research paper including literature review, methodology and results. The authors have done their research on different areas of studies and presented their findings along with a discussion on the results. b) Main Theme The main theme of the three articles is a discussion on the topic of organizational culture. Organizational culture occupies the central thoughts of the authors in their respective articles. Their research studies are centered on a comprehensive analysis of organizational culture relative to their topic of study. The three articles have a common definition of organization culture as they refer to it as values and behaviors that create a unique environment within an organization. The authors also appreciate the role of organizational culture in the success of any organization. They also re late the main theme of organizational behavior to the success of an organization. The theme is discussed in the context of an organization. c) Comprehensive Literature Review The three authors have managed to provide a comprehensive literature of the topic of organizational culture in their articles. The literature materials in the three articles cover key areas such as the definition and application of the concept of organization culture in various settings. The literature review part of their articles cover an average of two pages of the total content of their articles. This is a clear indication that the authors are committed to making their readers understand the concept of organizational culture as well as their discussions of their findings. Anyone reading through the literature contents of the articles will have a comprehensive view of the topic and have an understanding of how it relates with the topic of study. d) Implication of research studies The three articles present i mplications of the respective research studies in terms of future research studies and application of the concept of organizational culture. According to the three articles, readers will be able to improve their understanding of the topic of o

There Is an Ultimate Control of the Entire Universe Research Paper

There Is an Ultimate Control of the Entire Universe - Research Paper Example There Is an Ultimate Control of the Entire Universe Some of the explanation they have provided to counter the creation theory are quite amusing, since at some point they fail to provide a very comprehensive answer. This makes them still go back to the creation theory as the base for the existence of the world. Among some of the critics of creation theories are the scientific studies and some religious beliefs. Thesis Statement With the immense discrepancies and failures in the critical explanations offered, we are taken back to one origin of creation being the Supreme God. It is then that we accept the fact that the world and all that happens in it is controlled by a supreme being. This supreme creator, in my opinion, is God. Buddha Teachings The teachings of Buddha are quite fascinating. Buddha as we can say is the founder of the Buddhist religion. In the book, What Buddha taught by Ra?hula (1974) we are introduced into beliefs and convictions of Buddha about what happens to the world. In this text Buddha teaches about the attaining of enlightenment and perfectness. Through his life Buddha was able to find the path of liberation. Liberation in this case is the attainment of enlightenment through knowing the truth. Buddha teaches that human beings are the supreme beings of all the creatures, and as such they are the masters for themselves. They should not, therefore, be enslaved to any other supreme being. He goes further to point out that human beings have an ultimate control over their destiny, and there is no other being that is responsible for the destiny of a person. Buddha displays that he himself achieved the highest level of enlightenment and liberation. This made him to be seen as even superhuman and a perfect being. He attributes his achievements to his own will and intelligence. According to this teaching then, one can attain anything and can decide anything in life and get it. All that happens in the world is, therefore, through the mind and intelligence. The more one gets to be enlightened, the more they become intelligent, and the easier they find it to manipulate the world around them. So, it is not that there is some being somewhere that controls one’s life and destiny. It is your mind that can do all this and not any other thing. What the humans need to do is to go through the meditations taught in Buddhism, and through this meditation enlightenment will come in (Charles, 2012). The meditation as described by Buddha is the deep and continuous soul search that leads to the realization of the truth about the world. Through the process of meditation one gets insight because they look at things objectively and extract that thing from the environment. In doing this the thing is investigated carefully only by the mind of a person and not with the help of any other person or any other supernatural being. This is the point where Buddha takes the basis, that it is only human intelligence that is able to find truths about what is happening in the universe. This view is what b rings serious critics of the Buddha teachings. There is a being that is responsible for what happens in the universe, and that human beings have little control and influence of the happenings. The Critics of Buddha Teaching Though Buddha himself claims to have attained enlightenment through the medit

International Accounting in Colombia (South America) Research Paper

International Accounting in Colombia (South America) - Research Paper Example The desire to keep abreast with the information needs that globalization brought about, motivated Colombia to adopt these standards. In the whole of South America, Colombia has the most advanced accounting system, having incorporated the accrual basis of accounting in its Public Sector Accounting Standards. Accounting profession entails the process of communicating financial information of an organization, a corporation, or a business entity to the stakeholders and other interested parties. This communication serves to ensure that those stakeholders who do not have any accounting or financial knowledge gets to understand the financial position of the entity and can thus participate in decision making regarding the entities financial issues(Neal,125). The role of accounting profession therefore is to look into all transactions of the entity and ensure they are accurate, and then report this information to the entity’s stakeholders, who can use this information for their decisio n-making purposes. In Colombia, a law enacted in July 2009 guides accounting regulations. This law requires that the national accounting standards of that country tally with the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). ... A good example is the fact that Columbia has shortened the requirements of the IFRS into very brief provisions and directions, although they appear explained in many pages. This shortening of the IFRS requirements comes with elimination of some of its sections. A good example of this, is the elimination of the Disclosure requirements of the IFRS in the Columbian accounting standards and practices (Elliot,7). Most notable is the fact that there are no legally binding financial statement audit standards requirements in Colombia (Pixley,4). Any auditing practice and procedures in Colombia occurs according to the Colombian GAAP and not in accordance with the requirements of the IFRS. The general requirements of IFRS auditing requirement practices and procedures have been reduced to a one-page guideline. The requirements of the IFRS general auditing standards such as undertaking of audit of books of accounts of an entity by an independent auditor has been eliminated in the Columbian audit guidelines (Willies). The laws of Columbia does not provide for any development and issuance of auditing standards. Thus, Columbian organizations, business entities, and corporations determine the nature of auditing practice and procedures to appear in their books of accounts. The law does not bind these practices and procedures. The difference between accounting in Columbia and in the USA is in the fact that, while in the USA all accounting practices follows the provisions and requirements of the IFRS, in Columbia, there are issued decrees that requires the local entities to apply the IFRS only voluntarily (Pixley,4). Thus, observation of the IFRS standards of accounting is not a requirement in Columbia. Better still, even when the local entities in

Termpaper on Designer Gianni Versace and Donatella Versace Research Paper

Termpaper on Designer Gianni Versace and Donatella Versace - Research Paper Example Over the Versace fashion world, the designs have reached more than 300 boutiques and 2,000 stores. The Versace fashion name has brought in $2 billion in sales in retail in the US, or around $557 million estimated in 1996. The company was on the verge of expansion when the respected 50-year-old designer, Gianni Versace, was shot in front of his Miami home. The family business was threatened to be pulled apart when his brother Santo and his sister Donatella stepped in to save it. The essay goes into more detail about Gianni’s experience and how Donatella became the chief designer and carried on the Versace legacy. Gianni was born in 1946 in Reggio Calabria, Italy to a small tailor-shop owner. He learned most of what he knew about fashion from his mother and working in her shop. He did not have a formal education in fashion design. He did, however, attend school for architecture in Calabria from 1964 to 1967. He spent much of his time as a child in his mother’s shop where he gained most of his experience. At times he was asked to assist in the selection of beads, crystals, stones and braids to trim some of his mothers designs. Through this experience as a young child he learned about fabrics, decorations, how to create a design, and fittings. He gained much of his knowledge about the actual creation of a garment by watching her. He later worked in his mothers shop as a designer and buyer for five years. After a few years working in the shop, he began to experiment with designs of his own. He started with nontradition combinations of color and fabric. He would sometimes encompass silk, f ur and cotton in one garment, which was totally different from traditional designs. He later moved to Milan to pursue a fashion career of his own. He became well know under three of the design houses of Callaghan, Complice and Genny. Since he was well known

International Accounting in Colombia (South America) Research Paper

International Accounting in Colombia (South America) - Research Paper Example The desire to keep abreast with the information needs that globalization brought about, motivated Colombia to adopt these standards. In the whole of South America, Colombia has the most advanced accounting system, having incorporated the accrual basis of accounting in its Public Sector Accounting Standards. Accounting profession entails the process of communicating financial information of an organization, a corporation, or a business entity to the stakeholders and other interested parties. This communication serves to ensure that those stakeholders who do not have any accounting or financial knowledge gets to understand the financial position of the entity and can thus participate in decision making regarding the entities financial issues(Neal,125). The role of accounting profession therefore is to look into all transactions of the entity and ensure they are accurate, and then report this information to the entity’s stakeholders, who can use this information for their decisio n-making purposes. In Colombia, a law enacted in July 2009 guides accounting regulations. This law requires that the national accounting standards of that country tally with the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). ... A good example is the fact that Columbia has shortened the requirements of the IFRS into very brief provisions and directions, although they appear explained in many pages. This shortening of the IFRS requirements comes with elimination of some of its sections. A good example of this, is the elimination of the Disclosure requirements of the IFRS in the Columbian accounting standards and practices (Elliot,7). Most notable is the fact that there are no legally binding financial statement audit standards requirements in Colombia (Pixley,4). Any auditing practice and procedures in Colombia occurs according to the Colombian GAAP and not in accordance with the requirements of the IFRS. The general requirements of IFRS auditing requirement practices and procedures have been reduced to a one-page guideline. The requirements of the IFRS general auditing standards such as undertaking of audit of books of accounts of an entity by an independent auditor has been eliminated in the Columbian audit guidelines (Willies). The laws of Columbia does not provide for any development and issuance of auditing standards. Thus, Columbian organizations, business entities, and corporations determine the nature of auditing practice and procedures to appear in their books of accounts. The law does not bind these practices and procedures. The difference between accounting in Columbia and in the USA is in the fact that, while in the USA all accounting practices follows the provisions and requirements of the IFRS, in Columbia, there are issued decrees that requires the local entities to apply the IFRS only voluntarily (Pixley,4). Thus, observation of the IFRS standards of accounting is not a requirement in Columbia. Better still, even when the local entities in

Toxic Chemical Agent Incident Response Assignment

Toxic Chemical Agent Incident Response - Assignment Example Incident command system is a well-organized tool that can be used to manage a disaster in a smooth way. It is a tool that is used for control, command and coordination of the emergency response to protect life, property, and the environment. The tool integrates procedures, policies, facilities, equipment and personnel into a common organizational structure that is specifically designed to improve the emergency response operations. By applying the principles of the incident command system, management of disaster can occur smoothly without confusion. These principles occur in a systematic manner and functions to allow smooth rescue plan for casualties in an emergency response. For methyl isocyanate leak, immediate response plan using the principles of incident command system can minimize the number of casualties (Williams, 2013). In case of the of the methyl isocyanate gas leak, the response teams should use similar terminologies to avoid confusion. The response team should use a common language that each person understands and all commonly used areas should have the same names. For instance, the area where casualties are being staged should have a common name such as the staging area. The gas plant facilities and units should be given similar titles that each response team is familiar with for easy access of resources and to avoid confusion (Strong, et al., 2009). During the gas leak, the first arriving officer to the gas plant assumes the position of the incident commander. The incident commander will start activating other section areas of the response team. The incident commander will raise the alarm, call the ambulance and start organizing on how to evacuate the casualties from the power plant after triaging. The incident commander will, therefore, help make a communication flow smoothly during the rescue process (Williams, 2013). There should be a common communications plan between different response teams.

Why People Should Read Books Essay Example for Free

Why People Should Read Books Essay It is a disappointment that people read books less often in these days of widespread technological reliance. Books were the primary source of intellectual entertainment just a hundred years ago, but with the invention of radio, television, cinematography, and the Internet and computer games, it seems that reading books is no longer a popular leisure activity. However, I believe that books are an irreplaceable part of our lives, and the role that masterfully-written books play on the personal growth and development of a particular person throughout one’s life is a remarkable one. Books directly expand our consciousness of how we live and where we live, enrich our power to express ourselves, supply us with inspiration in a way that other mediums cannot compete with. Books expand our knowledge and conception of the world around us. One may argue that films and TV documentaries do that too, but I believe that books are a much better alternative, since they allow each reader to experience the same story using one’s own imagination. When a hundred people watch a film or a TV show, they see the same content – whatever the director and the producer wish to show. Books are different. The experience achieved through reading is richer and more personal, since the same description and the same word choice will result in as many different interpretations as there are readers. We are all unique, and books allow us to experience whatever is narrated in the light of our own personal values, through our ideas and our imagination. In addition, books enrich our vocabulary, introduce us to new notions and offer a wider choice of words to us. With every book we read, we become more intelligent. Even reading one seemingly more primitive pulp fiction book per month can enrich one’s personal vocabulary with dozens of new words, help us build more concise sentences on our own and express oneself better, make one’s speech more intelligent. Watching certain TV programs and documentary films can also widen one’s vocabulary, but hardly as effectively as books do, since reading operates with both more sophisticated visual and audio (if reading aloud) receptors. Moreover, our imagination reproduces mental pictures of what we are reading about, so a new word automatically links to a certain image and a particular feeling that it relates to. Therefore, reading books is a wonderful tool when it comes to learning and developing one’s vocabulary at any age. Books are a fantastic source of inspiration. Unlike fine art, architecture or travelling, books help us create our own mental illustration for what we read on paper. In a way, books make us all artists and creators of our own mental cartoons, movies or illustration collections. Every image we create ourselves is automatically allotted a certain emotion, whether a simple or a more complicated one. Every mental image that a written word projects is vibrant with feelings and emotions. This is what makes books powerful and memorable. Books are an endless source of inspiration and motivation to become a better person. I am certain that creating a system of symbols and eventually an alphabet, words, and books was the greatest series of inventions of humankind. The books I am talking about are classics, those that do not have an expiration date and will be priceless for any generation. They will continue sparking new ideas, inspiring new deeds and enriching the lives of every generation to come. I am positive that books will eventually regain their popularity with today’s youth, since unlike the popular kinds of entertainment in fashion today, books are those roots to which people will go back, in search of the motivation, inspiration and aspiration, to find the true meaning and value of life.

Beijing Capital International Airport Development Project Construction Essay

Beijing Capital International Airport Development Project Construction Essay 1. This guideline has been prepared as an evaluation and condensation of a full environment impact assessment (EIA) of the proposed Project Beijing Low Cost International Airport (PLCA), which will be prepared for the Government by the consulting group of the Faculty of Economics and Management, Universiti Putra Malaysia, following China Government guidelines by The Ministry of Environmental Protection of the Peoples Republic of China, formally known as Chinas State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) and the methodologies described in Environmental Assessment Requirements and Environmental Review Procedures of the Asian Development Bank (1993) and Environmental Guidelines for Selected Infrastructure Projects (1990). The objective of the EIA is to ensure that environment aspects are addressed and potential problems are foreseen at the appropriate stage of project design. Hence, at the preliminary level, a coordinator is selected for the EIA to collect detail background in formation. The EIA report would be based on (i) the Project feasibility study prepared by Airways Engineering Consultants under Bank technical assistant (TA), (ii) discussions with principal authors of the above documents, (iii) field visits to the Project site and local government capital, and, (iv) discussions with local government and pertinent National Government officials with environmental responsibilities. 2. The methods used to carry out the EIA for impact identification included: (i) review of available literature, (ii) meetings with National and local government officials, (iii) site visits to the PLCA and surrounding areas, (iv) discussions with inhabitants near the site via door to door survey, (v) ambient noise and air quality and surface water quality sampling and testing in the field and in the laboratory, and (vi) application of professional knowledge and experience. 3. Besides, the EIA would require a baseline study on data and impact evaluation, assessment, documentation, decision making and post audits that incorporates the results and conclusions in the report of the EIA. II. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT 4. The rapid economic growth in China has led to the increase numbers of demand for air transport service consumer, in both passengers and cargo. Being located at the capital of the Peoples Republic of China, the flourish of tourism sector, business and cargo service had caused the current capacity of Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) registered 65.3 million passengers and achieved 1,420,997 tonnes of cargo traffic in year 2009, which ranked the 3rd and 14th busiest in international respectively. It has reached an efficiency score since year 2006 till now (Andrew Yuen Zhang, 2009). However, the PEK which has three terminals can only handle 78 million passengers per year. At the same time, since the projection for passenger capacity in 2012 would reach more than 90 million, it would be over congested in just round the corner. The current alternative or nearest international airport available is Tianjin BinHai International Airport, however it is located too far, 160km from Beijing. While the nearby Beijing Nanyuan Airport (NAY) located north to Daxing is owned by military and serves as a middle cost domestic airport that capable of handling only 1.2 million passengers per year, hence it is viable to look for a new destination to build an international airport that in future might accommodate the airlines currently using NAY. Strategic locality might be one of the factors that passengers are generally still prefer to land at PEK due to time and cost convenient. Besides, the design of PEK cannot accommodate airbus A380. Hence, it is urgent to look for a new suitable location to build a new airport that is schedule for completion in year 2015 to cater the future demand. 5. Previously, there was suggestion that the major difference between the current and new Beijing airport to segregate into either serving the local or international market so that there would be no overlap. However, it had received many objections due to its unfairness nature. It is proposed here that due to the rising of the low cost proposition in international market, the proposed Project is to design and construct a Beijing Low Cost International Airport. This can divert the passengers from the PEK that PLCA can be an aviation hub based low cost service that encourage more tourists and tap in the budgeted travel market. This is not the latest concept for low cost terminal building in China as the first has operated in Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport, which was limited only for domestic flights from May 2008 to October 2009. A survey conducted by Civil Aviation Net of China showed that 92% of respondents opt for low cost flights, if is needed to pay the air ticket by the ir own. Following the global market trend, due to increasingly cost-conscious travelers, a huge new low cost airport that can cater 70-80 million passengers is proposed to be reasonable. The Beijing concept would be a successful one since it is not like the Zhengzhou model which failed due to restricted for domestic. In order to meet the forecasted traffic, the size for new airport would be 3,800 hectares (ha) of land. 6. The suggested locations for the new airport include Lixian Town in Daxing District (39Â ° 33 8 North, 116Â ° 26 42 East), a downtown rural area covers an area of 1,012 square kilometers with a population of 671,444, as in year 2000 statistics. It is about 40 kilometers (km) south of the Beijing and can be connected to Beijing via Jingkai Express Highway. Another suggested location for the PLCA is at Guan District which is 60 km away from the current airport. 7. The first phase of development of the PLCA, the Project, will meet air traffic forecast demand for the year 2016, would involve the size of 1, 800 ha. This involves large turboprop aircraft with sufficient range to cover both the local and international demand. Development covers the soil improvement and earthworks necessary of construct a landing strip 2,300 meters (m) in length, with an initial runway length of 3,500 m. The project will also complete with enough passenger and cargo terminals, car park and access roads; control tower; crash; fire, and rescue building; ancillary buildings; housing for airport staff; wastewater treatment plant and a potable water system; electric power; fuel farm; perimeter fencing; and supporting airfield lighting and navigation aids. All of the security verification system, luggage system and other essential facilities are well equipped. The new runway would be fitted for Boeing 737, Airbus A320 and Airbus A380. There would be various choices of restaurants, stores and duty free shops. It is not a luxurious one, but with just a simple interior decoration. All these would reduce in the airport landing fee and airport construction fee (ACF). As the proposed airport would be a low cost and incorporate the trendy green airport concept, boarding ramps is not provided. The following phase would claim another 1,700 ha land, and total runway 7000 km. A 100 ha of unoccupied land is reserved as part of the Project to provide added protection in the approach areas from future possible encroachment by non-airport development. Every passenger is allowed to carry 15 kg luggage, five kg less than under normal regulations. III. DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT A. Physical Resources and Natural Environment 8. The PLCA is proposed to be located at an area of plain land, which is typical of the Lixian Town at Daxing District (Wu, et. al, 2010). The soil is heavy metal and hence not suitable for vegetable growing, but can be used for construction (Hu, et. al, 2006). Currently, the residence in the area depends on agriculture or food service that support Beijings demand. Due to the changing characteristics of the soil, a transition of economic activity is predicted. A detail studies should be carried out at the Project site for determining the suitability of the land and the possibility of earthquake and other natural disaster. 9. The climate of the area follows the four seasons, as similar to Beijing. The average temperature ranges from a high of 17.9 to a low of 7.2 Celsius. The wind velocity needs to be obtained from the China Meteorological Administration. 10. The baseline monitoring should be carried out. Both on the site itself and the nearby highway Jingkai Expressway. The air quality, level of hydrocarbons and carbon dioxide have to be determined and compared with the national benchmarks. 11. The Longhe River and Xintiantang river are required to be carried out environment assessment as both of the rivers support the agriculture activities at the area. 12. Baseline monitoring of the surface water quality ought to be conducted at the two rivers. Sampling and testing are needed to understand the pollution level by human waste in surrounding areas. 13. Since the site of the airport is nearby to residents are and some of them are still relying the usage well, so the groundwater have be tested on the requirement of water treatment. 14. Since there are twelve forests and Yongding River as the mother river supporting many subrivals in nearby town within Daxing district, so the level of possibility of endanger to the flora and fauna need to be assessed. It is understood that the fishing activities have decreased due to the less raining in past few years. C. Human and Economic Development 15. The PLCA is in an area of low population density. 16. Most of the residents of the area are farmers and small businessman who sell vegetable that supports the demands from Beijing city. However, the income level is quite low compared to the city. 17. The predominant land use around the PLCA is agriculture. D. Quality of Life Values 18. Near to the site in other town but not at Lixian Town itself, only forests and some Mosques which are served as heritage conservative sites. There is healthcare service, power line, electricity, telephone, water treatment service for the area. IV. ANTICIPATED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES 19. This section assesses the potential impact of the proposed development of the PLCA on the surrounding environment and presents mitigation measures. It would cover the potential effects associated with location, design, construction and operation. A. Environmental Impacts Due to Location 1. Disruption of Surface and Groundwater 20. The environment impacts of the location need to be carried out. 2. Relocation 21. Resettlement is required for some affected villages or called as cun but the impact is needed a further studies. 3. Land Values 22. There would be an increase in land values for residential areas, nearby to the highway, airport. The local government hence has to do a proper planning to avoid bubble economics for the housing sectors. 23. The impact of the ecology from airport need to be taken into consideration. B. Environmental Impacts Due to Project Design 1. Nearby River Erosion, Flooding 24. The construction of the airport could create a large impervious surface in an area that is now covered by grassland and some brush and trees. If the drainage is poor designed, it would affect the nearby rivers. 2. Disposal of Human Waste 25. There is potential pollution of surface water and groundwater due to the possible introduction of turbidity and coliform bacteria from human waste will be mitigated by the design of a wastewater treatment plant. 3. Petroleum Water Disposal 26. Some spilling of fuel is likely to occur during the aircraft refueling on the aircraft parking aprons, and it is necessary to trap and filter out these wastes before they enter the main drainage system of the aprons, which will empty into the nearby small river. To reduce such impact, the drainage system of the aprons will be designed so that water runoff during rains will be channeled into subsurface drains that will contain a trap system, accessible through access holes, to filter out and collect wastewater treatment plant after being treated to break down the hydrocarbons. C. Environment Impacts During PLCA Construction 27. With the good design and construction standards and procedures are adopted according to Green Airport, it is expected to have minimum impacts. A contractual guarantee which include the environment impact associated with construction is a most appropriate way to ensuring such implementation to be adhered. 1. Sediment Runoff 28. The construction program might have impact towards the nearby river and altering its natural flow. This would affect the number of fish population in the river. Hence, implementation of erosion and sedimentation control is required to minimized the impact. The area should also replant threes alongside to ensure the green environment to be accomplished. 2. Dust and Noise/Vibration Pollution 29. The dust pollution would be under control due to latest technology. The noise and vibration pollution is minimized via strict rules and regulations so that it wont affect the living hood of population nearby. No construction work is allowed before 7am and after 7pm on weekdays, weekends and public holiday. Penalty of RMB5000 would be imposed once there is an enforcement operation or any complaints regarding the constructor violate the rules and regulations. 3. Worker Safety and Health 30. Worker safety and health will be ensured via protection through contractual undertakings to implement safe site practices. 4. Slum Creation 31. Since there is job creation and recruitment of workforce from the residence nearby and no sourcing of workers from other areas are needed, hence there is little needs for building temporary on-site house and this reduce the risk of slum creation. 5. Traffic Congestion, Blocking, or Disruption of Utilities 32. The current level of traffic on the main highway near the site is not congested. There are new highways opening soon. Hence, there is little traffic problem arises. D. Impacts During PLCA Operation 33. The impacts during operation phase should be analyzed and forecasted. 1. Noise/Vibration Disturbance 34. The accepted level of noise/vibration disturbance is about 65 decibels or 65 Ldn (day-night noise level) to the nearest residential area, since there would be some distance from the airport, hence the impact can be minimized. The distance between the airport and nearest housing area, hence, is needed to be estimated. Besides, controlling of noise/vibration disturbance can be done via the arrangement of the air traffic control by having schedule in the daytime and less air traffic in the night time. However, a completed noise analysis has to be carried out based on the forecasted future flight traffic volume. Noise monitoring terminals would be build to ensure the minimal impact of noise pollution. 2. Water Pollution/Escape of Sanitary Wastes 35. The construction of wastewater treatment plant and sewage distribution lines must be part of the Project. The water, especially at the terminal area needs to be treated with the latest green technology. Potable water for airport operations need to be provided from a drilled well, or wells with treatment to meet World Health Organization standards. 3. Air Pollution 36. The EIA should ensure minimum impact of air pollution even the operation of PLCA starts. 4. Congestion at Airport Access and Exit 37. The congestion level is ought to be estimated, regardless of current low level of usage and new highways are opening soon. 5. Hazards to Traffic from Operation Aircraft 38. The residential areas or buildings nearby are low and little risk arises for the height over aircraft passing. How, the accurate level is needed to be assessed to reduce any potential risk. 6. Human and Economic Development 39. The impact on possible changes from rural-to-urban would lead to migration towards areas nearby PLCA is needed to be assessed. Although it would bring job creation and have minor socio-economic changes from agriculture or small business towards service based, a details assessment would be required to ensure the culture is balanced and not change drastically. 40. The local government would play a very major role in permitting licenses for buildings and business. The potential positive impact would most probably be the increasing public facilities which is currently lacking. 7. Quality of Life Values 41. The current lacking of public facilities and facilities would be improved via the proposed project. The income level would be increased while the potential changes would be the population migration from other area in searching for employment opportunity. 8. Environmental Overview 42. The project will not involve scare or irreplaceable resource in line with the green airport concept. Raw materials such as sand and gravel should be employed for its construction and future expansion. No loss of biodiversity should be achieved. V. ALTERNATIVES 43. The other alternative which is considered feasible is Guan as one of the nominated site. It is a downtown further down than Lixian Town. VI. COST BENEFIT ANALYSES A. Internal Rate of Return 44. The economic internal rate of return for the Project should be estimated. B. Economic Benefits 45. The potential main economic benefit would be income generated from visitors expenditures, time saving for passengers, and the value of foregone passenger and cargo traffic. Cost saving due to low landing cost and additional employment and increased in property value are not included in this analysis. C. Project Costs 46. Project costs include (i) civil works, (ii) other construction, (iii) equipment and its installation, (iv) consulting engineering design and supervision, and (v) cost for abatement for pollution. D. Monitoring and Reporting Cost 47. Monitoring will be required to carried out during construction and operation of the Project. It would be a contractual base. E. Nonqualified Environment Impacts 48. Any negative impacts in environment would be internalized into the cost of Project. Hence, cost-benefit and cost effectiveness of such pollution is not based on separated budget. VII. INSTITUSIONAL REQUIREMENTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING PROGRAM A. Institutional Capacity 49. Since there are many experiences on airport building by China Aviation Society, hence with the assistant from consultant on EIA, which adhere to rules and regulations as mentioned earlier, no special training is required. However, the government needs to support on the low cost airline in order to be successful implemented. B. Monitoring Program 50. The impacts of the proposed PLCA Project is needed to carried out whether it is significant in order to decide on the relevant type of monitoring program. 51. Sedimentation and control of erosion and water runoff, water quality, worker safety and health, and traffic interference would be the utmost monitoring items during construction period. All other monitoring programs are yet to be indentified after a thorough study. 52. Monitoring program for operation phase are also required for the preparation of control over kinds of potential serious pollution. C. Documentations 53. Clear documentations are required. Appropriate recommendation should be included in the working document with the alternative environmental and economic impacts adhered. VIII. PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT 54. Public involvement is important in this 21st century that the demand and supply is matched without major objection from the public. Local residents can be consulted via public hearing on the Project plan or random door-to-door survey can be carried out with sets of questionnaire on their view of potential impacts in term of the environment, social and economic towards the communities. 55. The public involvement between public and developer is needed for the negotiation on the required acquisition and compensation. IX. DECISION-MAKING 56. The EIA would be important to facilitate the decision making process for the decision makers, however it does not serve as an absolute path. If it is rejected, further studies is required on alternatives. IXI. POST AUDITS 47. Post audits are required to determine how closely to reality the EIA predictions. It is important to avoid any form of bureaucratic constrains. General statements in the body of legislation would be good as supplementary guidelines would be required from time to time.

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Harry Potter ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’, written by J.K. Rowling, is an excellent example of a modern novel that uses medieval influences extensively. Many of the novel’s characters are based on medieval ideas and superstitions. The settings in the book resemble old medieval towns as well as castles. The book is also full of medieval imagery such as knights in armour, carriages etc. Whilst there is no time travel involved in the novel, the medieval period is used to such an effect that the reader is encouraged to ignore the fact that the book is set in the present. People in the medieval era were quite superstitious. They believed in fictional characters such as witches and wizards. ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’ is a novel based on the existence of witches and wizards in secret communities. The medieval period is well known for the hierarchy of society. The society consisted of landlords and their servants. This medieval element was brought into the story in the form of house elves. House elves are little creatures that work for the wizarding communities that have no rights and are unable to use any magic: â€Å"The tiny creature looked up and parted its fingers, revealing enormous brown eyes and a nose the exact size and shape of a large tomato†¦it was†¦unmistakably a house-elf, as Harry’s friend Dobby had been. Harry had set Dobby free from his old owners, the Malfoy family.† (p88) The novel also incorporates fictional animals that medieval people believed to be real. These include creatures such as dragons, trolls and three-headed dogs: â€Å"Dragons. Four fully grown, enormous, vicious-looking dragons were rearing on their hind legs inside an enclosure fenced with thick planks of wood, roaring and snorting- torrents of fire were shooting into the dark sky from their open, fanged mouths, fifty feet above the ground on their outstretched necks.† (p286) People living in the medieval era created stories about creatures such as these and heroes that defeated them. In this way ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’ uses medieval influences. The settings used in ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’ are typical of those found in literature of the medieval period. The opening scene is set in a very typical present day suburban street. The following scene is set at the ‘Hogwarts Castle’. A castle is a very typical medieval image used in a lot of medieval literature.