If I Was Given A Second Chance To Visit This World

Birth and death are neither under our control nor a matter of choice People are born without much effort on their part and die without any choice of their own. I look upon life as a game and, when I have finished it, I will leave the field without any hesitation and complaint. The life on this earth is quite enough for any reasonable man. But there is no harm in getting a new base of life, if one can have all the good things of life.Every child during early years of school read stories and fancy many of the characters portrayed in them. I once read a Chinese story illustrating this point of view. There was a man who was in hell and about to be reincarnated, and said to the King of Reincarnation, â€Å"If you want me to return to the earth as a human being, I will only go on my own conditions. † â€Å"And what are they? † asked the King. The man replied, â€Å"I must be born the son of a cabinet minister and father of a future cabinet minister.I must have ten thousand a cres of land surrounding my home and fish ponds and fruits of every kind and a beautiful wife, good and loving to me, and rooms stocked full of grain and trunks full to the top with money, and I myself must be a Grand Councilor or Duke of the First Rank and enjoy honor and prosperity and live until I am hundred years old. † And the King of Reincarnation replied, â€Å"If I were such a lot on earth, I would go and be incarnated myself, and not give it to you.This is a very reasonable answer to any man who wants to have all the good things of life. Life is to be accepted with all its joys and sorrows, with its sunny days and cloudy nights. The world in which we live is necessarily an imperfect world, and man is, as it were, sandwiched between. Therefore, I do not seek at any moment in my life a world which is perfect in all respects. If I am given the chance (I wonder, if it ever happen) to be born again, I will not lay down any unreasonable conditions unlike the man in the Chi nese story which may embarrass my Creator.I shall be glad if I am delivered upon this beautiful earth as its transient guest and asked to leave after seventy five years (I ask only for this much concession) of rough and tumble life. After I have seen two generations of children and grand children I should be perfectly satisfied to rise from my seat and go away saying: It was a good game and I have really played well and enjoyed my innings to the full. But before my second earthly life comes to an end, I must make amends for the mistakes that I had committed in the first life.This time I will choose a country where people enjoy greater peace and facilities of life like United Kingdom or United States of America, or Switzerland or Norway; any will do provided they do not object to my skin color. I will not go to a school where teachers take students as pitchers and try to pour into what they deem necessary. Unfortunately, some time teachers take a conscious pleasure in insulting stude nts with their sly remarks. It does a little good to the mental advancement of back benchers and average students.I will go to a school where cricket is considered more important that literature or physics. I had enough of literature and physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics in my first life. All these subjects are good in their own way, but for myself, I am content to be less studious and more practical. After I have finished my education, I should like to become a business executive. I do know that the life of business executive in America or any European country is not easy. I have examples of lives of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs.But what makes me comfortable is that a business executive is always too busy to think of higher things such as poetry, art and contemplation on scientific notes. But I do not care for art and science if I have obvious things like the enjoyment of food, a laughing party of friends, my children ramping about on my grassy lawn or playing on merry go ro und. After all life is not spirit but matter. Some of us who are spiritually inclined towards life, may not like this picture of life, but they can have their own type of life when they are born again.A business executive, as you know, makes a good deal of money, by many clever tricks. When I have made a few millions I will charter a plane and go round the world. Singapore and Siam, Honolulu and Tokyo, Geneva and New Jersey will offer all their enchantments to me. I may even go to Africa and do a bit of big hunting. But I am terribly afraid of lions and rhinos. I will ask somebody to kill them for me and then get myself photographed while sitting on a big lion! I know the reader would be laughing at my cowardice, but this is how we big business executives do lion hunting.Now comes the sad part of the story. When I come back from my travels around the world, I go for a medical checkup. My doctor, who has specialized in all types of cancers, tells me that I am â€Å"ripe† for a cancer. It may be a ‘tropic of cancer’ but nobody can laugh at his own indisposition. I take his word for granted and apply for a bed in one of the most modern hospital. The doctors kill me in order to find out the cancer which never existed. I die without a word of protest, because I had enough of life. I have no regrets or remorse leaving this world.

Capitalism and Alienation: The Foundation

The development of capitalism can be correlated with the economic development in the West. Capitalism allowed innovation to take precedence over traditional forms of labor and business. It replaced these traditional forms because capitalism was by nature a flexible and adaptive economic system. By incorporating competition in its rubric (a sign of flexibility), it was able to encourage the private sector to invest more in the market, resulting inevitably to increased public welfare. It was also this competition that allowed innovation to develop. By increasing the number and quality of players in the market, economic collusion was prevented, and hence this forced all firms to formulate efficient means to capture a significant portion of the market share. Because other firms would want to â€Å"get† the same portion of the â€Å"pie†, their relative share in the market remained the same; increasing the benefits accrued to the society. Thus, we come to the second quality of capitalism: adaptability. Adaptability refers to the capacity of a system to capture new locations to which it may be situated. Being adaptive does not necessarily mean that capitalism will succumb to the power of tradition or existing cultural systems. Rather capitalism sought to redefine the foundations of society (Marx, 1844/1959). Changing some aspects of society would inevitably result to a categorical redefinition of societal institutions. Capitalism could then infiltrate the society and spread its scorching arms. At this point Marx began to examine the â€Å"evils† resulting from this economic system. He argued that although capitalism initially stimulated innovation, in the long-run the bad effects of capitalism would be revealed in the so-called â€Å"superstructures† (refer to the institutions of the society – as differentiated from â€Å"substructures† which refer to the overarching systems of any society). When capitalism developed into a full, working economic system, it encouraged the private sector to invest in the market. The market here referred to the manufacturing and industrial sectors of 19th century European cities. This caused widespread migration of laborers from rural areas to booming industrial centers. In exchange for wages, the laborers â€Å"sold† their labor to capital-owners – labor became a commodity. Because labor was treated as a commodity, the capital-owner became essentially the owner of labor (Marx, 1844/1959). Although it was far from slavery, its effects were never far from the â€Å"qualities† of slavery. Here Marx identified two major effects of capitalism that approached the characteristics of slavery. The first problem that workers encountered in the workplace was alienation. Alienation refers general to the breakdown of natural interconnectedness of entities (Marx, 1844/1959). Applied to the social sciences, this refers to the natural interconnectedness of man to other things. When a man produced a certain good, it was natural to consider the man as the owner of such good. In capitalism, because the laborer sold his labor to the capital-owner, the latter became the owner of the laborer’s labor. Thus, laborers experienced 4 types of alienation in the workplace. Here are as follows: 1) alienation of man to his own products, 2) alienation of man to his fellow workers, 3) alienation of man to the production process/activities, and 4) alienation of man to his own development. The first alienation refers to the inability of the worker to own the products made by his own labor. The second type of alienation refers to the breakdown of man’s relationship to his fellow laborers in the workplace. The third connotes the inability of man to control the production process to which his labor is a significant factor of production. The last type of alienation in the workplace refers to the incapacity of man, given current circumstances, to develop his personal being. According to Marx, even lawyers and respected professionals end up as laborers because of their incapacity to oppose capitalism. When alienation became immanent in the workplace, the capitalist could easily grapple the value of the laborers, exploiting it until valueless; thus the second problem – exploitation. Reference Marx, Karl. (1844/1959). Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts of 1844. Moscow: Progress Publishers.

Diet Pills and Women

How would you like to lose 10 pounds in one week? These words ring out through the media, newspapers, magazines, commercials, and many other advertisements that we are inundated in our society today. A model walks down the runway with her collar bones protruding, flat stomach, and protruding pelvic bones. When she weighs in, and is one pound over the expected weight, starves herself, or takes diet pills to shed the excess weight. The same pertains to young females. The desire to be thin at any cost causes physical, mental, and emotional problems. This is a lack of self-worth. It is easier to swallow a diet pill which involves no will power. Finding a diet that is right for them is not an option. They want a quick fix. Nutritionists and scientists have debated over these issues for years. Scientists have the belief that diet pills will take the weight off not acknowledging where the dangers lye. Whereas nutritionists believe that cutting out the â€Å"bad† carbohydrates and eating from the five food groups will help with healthy weight loss as opposed to taking diet pills. Eating â€Å"good† carbohydrates will make a difference in one’s weight loss. Many Doctors readily prescribe diet pills without caring about the dangerous effects they have for the person taking them. Women want to be thin, so the doctor helps them to achieve their goal. This is the mentality of many doctors; it is also for some women. Some diet pills whether prescribed or otherwise can have dangerous side effects. Most women who are desperate to lose weight do not care about the side effects, only about the weight loss. The danger of taking diet pills is that many cause emotional and physical dependence. Diet pills can also interfere with one’s metabolism. Diet pills suppress the appetite, which causes one to take in fewer calories. While taking in fewer calories, the metabolism also slows down and causes fat to store in the body. Diet pills are also associated with many health conditions such as: increased heart rate, high blood pressure, dizziness, possibility of seizures and or strokes. Even though, it is suggested to consult your doctor, many women do not care because they are desperate to lose the weight quickly. Becoming thin is the goal for the women who take the pills, they may not consult their doctor in fear that the doctor may not agree with their decision to take the diet pills. If prescribed diet pills are taken, it can help start a diet along with a healthy eating program, but too many women are not interested in doing this. They prefer to let the diet pill do the work and therefore starving themselves and their bodies. Some people do not have self- discipline to implement an eating program along with the diet pills. For example, Alli is an orilstat which when taken remains in the stomach. It does not affect the heart. When one eats any foods with fat, the Alli causes 25% of the fat to be eliminated from the body. Alli does not suppress one’s appetite. Some women want a â€Å"quick fix† when taking diet pills. However, with Alli the idea is to implement a healthy eating regiment when taking it with each meal. When Alli is taken on an empty stomach, does nothing. It must be taken with meals and is effective in helping with weight loss, as it reduces fat absorption in and requires a cut down on fat intake (around 15 grams). The only unpleasant side effects are oily discharge, loose stools and an immediate urge to have a bowel movement. This particular diet pill, Alli, is not an at risk diet pill like many of the others. It does not suppress the appetite, nor cause heart palpitations. It may take up to one year to lose the weight desired, where as taking another type of diet pill that appeases the appetite will cause a person to lose five to ten pounds in a week. However, it states that you must take a vitamin in the evening because minerals are depleted from the body. There are many people who have taken diet pills have died. There is a health risk with diet pills and should always be carefully assessed before taking them. If an individual chooses to take diet pills, doctors suggest following a healthy plan and exercising. In most cases, women, teens and young adults, do not want to take the time, but would rather pop a pill and lose weight quickly, and do not consider the ramifications in their haste. The way we look plays a big role in our lives. It determines the way that others see us and from that, it will determine how we feel about ourselves. The major issue here is our weight. We constantly see images of sexy women which remains in our minds that this is the way to look in order to be beautiful, and because of this, we subject ourselves to abusing our health and bodies just so we can look like the sexy women the media shows and we hear about constantly. Skinny is beautiful. Or at least this is what is on billboards, in magazines, and television, as most women idealize becoming thin. There are many ways to lose weight, but taking diet pills is less of an effort and more convenient a quick fix. This is what the media tells us, lose weight fast! No need to exercise. Many people think that diet pills are safe and effective, but the truth is they are not. In many cases people have died for the simple reason of wanting to lose weight fast because diet pills stimulate the nervous system, can be addictive, and can lead to abuse. The Food and Drug Administration issued a proposal that manufacturers of the diet pills include a warning to the customers about the dangers of their use. The doctor that prescribes diet pills for the safety of an individual, who is obese, also makes certain this person follows a program of exercise and healthy eating. Many doctors who dispense diet pills are careful. But, there are many who have diet clinics where all an individual needs to do is pay a fee and obtain their diet pills without a follow up. The women who are eager to lose weight quickly are in danger of hurting their bodies, especially the young females who do not research and do not care. They are only concerned with being thin and fast weight loss results. With the media screaming to the women, teens, and young adults that the only way to look beautiful is to be thin, will not hinder a woman to lose weight fast, look beautiful at any cost. The cost may result in death.

Finanical Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Finanical Management - Essay Example manufactures time series photographic equipment. It is currently at its target debt-equity ratio of 1.3. It is considering building a new 45million manufacturing facility. This new plant is expected to generate after-tax cash flows of 5.7 million to perpetuity. There are three financing options. It will be noted that the flotation charges made from issuing common stock has caused the shortage on the required investment for the new building. Initially, the firm has considered raising funds to finance new building construction, but it seems this option needs some mix re-alignment or additional financing either thru bonds or bank borrowings. Flotation cost is defined as the costs associated with issuance of new securities. It is the portion of the proceeds associated with the size of the spread. It includes costs incurred by the underwriting company in marketing the stocks. Annual coupon rate 9% YTM 20 yrs. Purchase value $950.00 Face value $1000.00 Current yield 9.474% Yield to maturity 9.570% A criterion for evaluation of NPV is when NPV is more than zero, accept the project when it is positive, and when the NPV is negative, reject the project. NPV also gives us an idea if the total net present value can finance the project cost. (Van Horne) M & M contends that capital structure is irrelevant, and that the value of the firm depends on its total asset and not by its capital structures. In the diagram above of two firms, both are levered by equity and debt and have similar financial capital structure. The only difference that could be observed is how they finance their operation. In diagram A, 70% is levered by stock

Great Expectations Custom Alternate Ending Assignment

Great Expectations Custom Alternate Ending - Assignment Example The next day, I walked with Pip, and we took time to know each other. He showed to me the trail that will lead to â€Å"an enchanted house, where a mysterious lady and a snob fairy is† as young Pip referred to. I saw the trail, which earth is covered with dried leaves brought by autumn. It is the trail that is going to the site location of the old house of Ms. Havisham. I was worried at first for the young Pip’s sake for seeing a mysterious lady and a snob fairy in this abandoned place. If he is referring to the beauty of someone when I first saw Estella, perhaps I could understand the boy. I scanned around the familiar place, no one in sight. I rested my eyes to the abandoned wall that is now covered with moss and crawling ivy. I remembered Estella; she had leaned on that wall when Ms. Havisham had her portrait taken by an artist. Her hair was flowing down and it shone strikingly when a streak of sunlight had escaped from the heavily covered window of near the wall. Ms. Havisham immediately ran to the window to pull the draperies and cover the gap. I have heard that Estella’s husband died two years ago from a freak accident involving a horse and his cruelty in it. Someone had said that her beauty had somehow taken its toll with age. I have heard also that she went off and secluded herself from everyone, shut herself from the world. In the deepest part inside me, sleeping, desiring to seek for her. Young Pip had wandered around and settled down by the lake. He sat at the bedrock and joyously watched the flock of geese floating in the water. I walked past beyond the garden wall and got surprised when I saw the tip of the what seems to be a tiny brick roof of a tiny house that were covered by tall bushes and low trees, it was positioned where the brewery was positioned before. Its chimney is fuming faintly with white smoke that is almost unnoticeable. Joe did not tell me anything about this site’s

Conraceptive use Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Conraceptive use - Essay Example Over a long period these studies have turned to be more thoroughgoing and have enhanced in analytical sophistication and size. This topic has been highly debated and researched and still being studied to find out any association between the mortality and the prolonged use of oral contraceptives. However, according to the study conducted by Colditz (1994), the prolonged utilization of oral contraceptives is found to be unassociated with increased risk of mortality of women. This research results seem to be valid and there is no linkage between the use of oral contraceptives and mortality among females as the study has been conducted for a period of twelve years. Through the design selected, the researcher gathered data for 12 years to follow the impact of oral contraceptives on the health of women. The instrument utilized was questionnaire and the responses collected then were further categorized into groups. The number of participants was 166,755 females between the ages of 30 to 55 years and the data was initially collected in the year 1976 that was followed till 1988. The design chosen seems valid for conducting a study over several years but this design does have certain drawbacks. The first and foremost drawback is that it lacks randomization thus causing imbalances in characteristics of patients. Moreover the recognition of cohorts could be difficult because of the confounding variables. Since a particular sample is selected, the masking or blinding is complicated as in the given case all the respondents were registered nurses of ages between 30 to 55 years. Moreover it is always a time consuming option to perform a cohort research as in the given research it took 12 years to get the research results. However apart from the drawbacks the design provides a chance to match the subjects involved in the cohorts thus limiting the impact of confounding factors. Moreover the outcomes of such study can be standardized and

Micro project 5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Micro project 5 - Essay Example Example of the good that has positive externnility is the education service. The benefit it has provided to the users has more social benefits than the private benefits. Private benefits in this case will be the advantages that an individual user gets whereas public benefit is what the society gain due to increasing rate of literacy and overall growth. Example of de-merit goods, which posses negative externality can be alcohol or cigarettes. These kinds of products reduce the ‘social marginal benefit of consumption’ and government usually taxed those products (Tutor 2 U, n.d.). 2. A. If Bart can charge only one price then he should charge $7 as only this way he can sale the maximum meal and can earn maximum revenue. Charging more than it would lead to loosing of one meal. The combination of charges and revenues can be presented with the help of one table. It has been mentioned that marginal cost of providing a meal is constant at $5. Therefore, producer’s surplus will be $2 ($7 - $5). Consumer surplus will be different for all the customers. Consumer surplus for Bob, Sue and Katie will be $0, $1 and $8 respectively. 2. B. Price discrimination is not possible in such case. For price discrimination, it is necessary to know the type of customer and also the amount of money. Only then, the shopkeeper can charge different price to the different customer. In that case, Bart will charge $7 from the group or from all of them. It is because, Bart knows that one of them has $7 and if he will charge more than that then he would loose one meal. Charging $7, he is able to earn revenue of $21 and that is the maximum revenue he can earn. 2. C. Being perfectly price discriminate, Bart should charge three different prices from three of them. For Bob, price should be $7 as it is the highest amount he can pay. Thus, Bart can gain $2 and he would

Aviation History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Aviation History - Essay Example Unfortunately, only the New Orleans and Chicago completed the circumnavigation. The four aircrafts official commenced the first flight around the world at Sand Point, Washington, near Seattle, Washington. Upon reaching Prince Rupert Island, Seattle, the lead aircraft flown by SSgt. Alva Harvey and Maj. Fredrick Martin developed mechanical problems making them remain behind for repairs. After repair, the Seattle tried to catch up with the other three; however, it crashed on 30 April in a dense fog near Port Moller, on the Alaska Peninsula. Chicago assumed the lead of the remaining three aircrafts with Lt. Smith and Lt. Arnold as the pilot and mechanic respectively (Head 94). During the circumnavigation, the Chicago had to land in a lagoon in the French Indochina because a broken connecting rod. The first and the fastest engine change ever in Indochina was effected in the city of Hue. On July 14, the flight arrived in Paris. From Paris, they moved to London to the north of Britain to prepare for the crossing of the Atlantic Ocean. While crossing the Atlantic Ocean on 3 August 1924, the Boston was forced down, capsized and sank. The Chicago and New Orleans continued crossing the Atlantic Ocean through Canada, Greenland, and Iceland. Boston II, the original prototype, joined with the Boston’s crew in Pictou, Nova Scotia, and the three made way to Washington DC to a heroic welcome (Head 94). The three Douglas Cruisers made a multi-city tour and finally landed in Seattle on September 28, 1924. In conclusion, it is apparent that the U.S Army Air Service increased their success chances by using four Douglas World Cruisers: Boston, New Orleans, Seattle, and Chicago. In addition, they pre-positioned spare parts, caches of fuel, and other equipment along the route. The U.S Army Air Service’s round the world flight has never been duplicated by any nation flying with a single-engine, open-cockpit

Business Ethics and Social Responsibility Essay

Business Ethics and Social Responsibility - Essay Example Restaurants should apply ethics in their food delivery, pricing, and internal environment. The fast food industry is part of the restaurant industry. There are ethical issues associated with the way fast food chain treat their employees. These workers are paid low wages, but are expected to do a lot of work. Restaurants should be responsible in their selection of suppliers. Corporate social responsibility can be used by restaurants to improve the quality of life of its stakeholders. Introduction People expect business enterprises to behave in a socially responsible manner and to apply the highest standards of ethics. Ethics can be defined as the study and evaluation of human conduct in the light of moral principles (Credo Reference). It involves making decisions between right and wrong. Business enterprises in all industries are faced with ethical dilemmas. It is important for companies to behave in a proper manner to resolve these types of issues. Corporations today have become the target of society due to the fact that their behavior affects the community. One of the largest industries in the United States in terms of locations is the restaurant industry. ... Going out to a restaurant is a good way for families to spend some quality time together. The atmosphere of the restaurant is very important towards satisfying the customer. Sometimes restaurant owners want to capitalize on the wall space of the restaurant by renting advertising space to other businesses. This may be a nice way to increase income, but it may be an unethical practice. The customers of a restaurant are looking to eat in a quiet environment. Seeing a bunch of ads on the walls can be perceived as an undesirable practice. People are bombarded with advertisement everywhere they go. They do not need the added hassle of viewing them while eating at a restaurant. A factor in the restaurant industry that can lead to ethical discussion is the pricing of the restaurant. It is common business knowledge that businesses have to price their goods or services at a level that will allow the company to make a profit. A particular attribute of the restaurant industry is that any meal se rved by the restaurant can be replicated by the consumer at their own home at a fraction of the cost. Some restaurants do not care about cost and they charge exuberant prices for their meals. This action can be viewed by many as an unethical action. Some restaurants charge their customers over $100 a plate for a meal. Their cost for that meal is likely to be less than 20% of the sales price. This implies that that restaurant would have made a nice profit at a lower price point such as $50, but many restaurants continue to charge their clients exorbitant prices. This type of ethical dilemma is more likely to occur in the high-end of the restaurant marketplace. An ethical dilemma faced by all restaurants is how much food to serve its

European Idea Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

European Idea - Essay Example United States had financed the European war effort through the lend lease agreement in which 50.1 billion US Dollars (almost 700 billion dollars at 2007 prices) worth of materiel was dispatched. However at the end of the Second World War, Europe was in no position to repay the mammoth debt. Also the tremendous rise in industrial effort in United States had led to a high level of production capacity whose only possible buyers could be the European states. Thus it was in American vested interests as well to finance the reconstruction of Europe through various instruments available, one of which was the European Recovery Plan or the Marshall Plan. But to American thinkers, the biggest hindrance to the reconstruction of Europe was the traditional strict protectionist trade structure of Europe. American thinkers rightly believed that quick recovery of European Continent could only be possible by the creation of a United Europe on the lines of United States where all the resources availabl e are synergized to achieve a faster reconstruction and growth. However this could not just be credited to United States as the promoter of European Idea as the entire continent was tired of the countless wars and long standing antagonism in the continent. Movements had started all over Europe for integration of Europe into one federal state or state like structure. However the Europeans wanted to stay away from American sphere of influence as well as the iron curtain of Europe and maintain a third European Pole. But the cold war ensured that this non alignment would be increasingly difficult to maintain and the Europe as on the border of expanding Soviet sphere of influence have to choose United States as its reliable partner and accept the American model of governance. The Marshall Plan was the first step in practically forcing the European idea into the real world. As per Marshall Plan, United States agreed to fund the reconstruction effort in post war Europe only on the condition that if the Europe act together and present a mutually agreed reconstruction plan. Indirectly United States dictated the European states to learn to negotiate towards a common European recovery goal rather than the narrow self interest they had hitherto been following. This had a remarkable effect on the integration of future Europe. The Marshall Plan itself and the institutional mechanism established to implement it became the training grounds for the bureaucrats who later on worked in institutional integration of Europe. The success of the plan demonstrated to all and sundry in Europe, the benefits of economic integration. The free trade and non protectionist environment generated due to Marshall Plan ensured continuous two decades of excellent Economic Growth. Thus Ma rshall Plan stands as one towering example of United States's influence in shaping up the European Idea into a practical reality. North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) became another fundamental effort by United States to shape up European thought into mutual coexistence in political and defence domains. What Marshal Plan achieved in economic domain was achieved by NATO in political / military domains. Though it can be argued that Marshal Plan started the economic integration process which culminated into one European Economy, while nothing of this sort is visible in military / political

Individual Behavior (Organizations) Essay Example for Free

Individual Behavior (Organizations) Essay Individual behavior is considered as one of the main determinants of the productivity of a given organization. The said relationship is believed to be very important that an entire academic discipline was created to focus on its study. Organizational behavior is a field of study that concentrates on describing, understanding, predicting and controlling human behavior in an organizational setting. It is divided into four sub-fields – individual behavior, group behavior, organizational structure and organizational processes. These allow organizational behavior to study a wide range of topics, such as personality, job satisfaction, leadership, group dynamics and the impact of stress on work (Answers, 2008). Basic Elements of Individual Behavior in Organizations It is true that human behavior varies from one person to another due to their individual differences. However, organizational behavior scientists argued that individual behavior is made up of the same elements. These elements must be identified in order to establish predictability in the study of human behavior. The consistency of these elements result in the development of reasonably accurate predictions of individual behavior (NEU-CBA, n. d. ). Understanding Individuals in Organization Organizational behavior scientists use the psychological contract in their study in order to understand the members of a particular organization. Psychological contract refers to a members expectations based on his or her contributions and the organizations inducements. Contributions are what the member provides to the organization. Inducements, on the other hand, are what the organization will provide the member in exchange for the latters contributions (Abelson, 2006). Personality and Individual Behavior In sharp contrast to psychological contract, the element of personality and individual behavior assert that individual behavior within an organization is determined by â€Å"the relatively permanent set of psychological and behavioral attributes that distinguish one person from another† (Abelson, 2006). One of the most popular personality frameworks is the â€Å"Big Five† Personality Traits. It is composed of the following: a) Agreeableness – A persons ability to establish good relationships with others b) Conscientiousness – The number of goals of which a person strives hard to achieve c) Negative emotionality – The extent to which an individual can remain poised, calm, resilient and secure d) Extraversion – The level of comfort a person has with interpersonal relationships e) Openness – An individuals flexibility in terms of beliefs and interests (Abelson, 2006) Attitudes and Individual Behavior Attitudes are the beliefs and feelings that people have regarding certain ideas, situations or other people. Cognitive dissonance occurs when an individuals encounters other people who does not share his or her attitudes. The element of attitudes and individual behavior believe that members of an organization behave the way they do because it is their means of dealing with people who possess attitudes that are different from theirs. For an organization to be productive, its member must learn how to respect each others differences and work as a team despite their diversity in beliefs, attitudes and values (Abelson, 2006). Work-related Attitudes It must be noted, however, that individual behavior in an organization can also be influenced by attitudes that were developed in the workplace. Some examples of work-related attitudes are the following: a) Job Satisfaction or Dissatisfaction – An attitude that reflects the amount of pleasure or fulfillment that an individual achieves from his or her work b) Organizational Commitment – An attitude that measures a persons degree of affinity with the organization itself c) Affect and Mood in Organizations i. Positive Affectivity – A tendency to exhibit an overall sense of optimism and well-being; sees things in a positive light ii. Negative affectivity – A tendency to exhibit an overall sense of pessimism and gloom; sees things negatively (Abelson, 2006). Perception and Individual Behavior This element defines a persons behavior as a result of his or her perception, or the set of processes by which he or she becomes aware of his or her environment and starts to interpret information about it. One of the most detrimental forms of perception is selective perception, or the practice of disregarding information that a person feels uncomfortable with or goes against his or her own beliefs. Selective perception may lead to stereotyping or the usage of a single attribute to categorize or label other people. Selective perception may also result in scapegoating or making other people take responsibility for ones own faults and shortcomings (Abelson, 2006). Stress and Individual Behavior Stress is â€Å"an individual’s response to a strong stimulus,† called a stressor (Ableson, 2006). The general cycle of the human body experiencing and recovering from stress is the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS). Often caused by task, physical, role and interpersonal demands, one of the major effects of stress is burnout, or the feeling of exhaustion produced by undergoing stress for prolonged periods of time (Abelson, 2006). Experts categorized people into two types, depending on how much they can endure stress. â€Å"Type A† people were those who are very competitive, hardworking and are extremely particular when it comes to time. â€Å"Type B† people, on the other hand, were those who were not as hardworking, dilligent and time-conscious. It was said that â€Å"Type A† people were more likely to experience burnout than â€Å"Type B† individuals (Abelson, 2006). Creativity in Organizations This element stresses the importance of an organizations creativity in affecting the behavior of its members. An organization that is always able to come up with new ideas or new perspectives that will improve existing ideas have a greater chance of improving productivity among its members than an organization who strictly adheres to convention and does not welcome innovation. Types of Workplace Behavior The effectiveness of an organization is very much affected by workplace behavior, or the pattern of action exhibited by its members while working. Workplace behavior is categorized into four types: a) Performance Behaviors – The â€Å"total set of work-related behaviors that the organization expects the individual to display† (Abelson, 2006). An organizations performance behaviors is usually indicated in its manual for its members. Performance behaviors are one of the organizations ways of communicating to its members what are its objectives and how will these be attained. b) Withdrawal Behaviors – Characterized by the absence of an organizations members i. Absenteeism – When people develop a habitual pattern of not showing up for work ii. Turnover – When people resign from their jobs c) Organizational Citizenship – When people display behavior that contributes positively and immensely to their organization. d) Dysfunctional Behaviors – Behaviors that are detrimental to organizational performance (e. g. stealing office property, fighting in the office premises, reporting to work in improper attire, etc. ) When a person shows dysfunctional behavior, he or she is sending the message that he or she does not belong to the organization that he or she joined and that he or she has contempt for those who do. In addition, the person who exhibits dysfunctional behavior also has contempt for the organization itself, as well as for its objectives (Abelson, 2006). Conclusion An organization is composed of individual members who have different backgrounds, beliefs, values and principles. Hence, it is very crucial to train them how to work harmoniously with one another despite their differences. By identifying the elements of individual behavior in an organization, employers can establish standards and rules that are firm but at the same time considerate towards the workers needs. Not only will the company prosper; the employees will also become better workers and persons as well. References Abelson, M. (2006). Chapter 15 – Basic Elements of Individual Behavior in Organizations. PDF File. Retrieved June 2, 2008, from http://wehner. tamu. edu/mgmt. www/mgmt. 363/non-business_363/Chapter%2015%20%20-%20Griffin%208th%20Edition. pdf. Answers. com. (2008). Organizational Behavior. Retrieved June 2, 2008, from http://www. answers. com/topic/organizational-behavior? cat=biz-fin Northeastern University – College of Business Administration (NEU-CBA). (n. d. ). Human Behavior in Organizations: An Introduction. Retrieved June 2, 2008, from http://web. cba. neu. edu/~ewertheim/introd/introd. htm

Learning Team Assignment Hardware and Software Essay Example for Free

Learning Team Assignment Hardware and Software Essay This pack of NTC 362 Week 4 Learning Team Assignment Hardware and Software Paper comprises: Time Division Multiple Access, Frequency Division, Multiple Access, and Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing Computer Science General Computer Science Write a 3- to 5-page paper comparing the advantages of Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), and Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing, as used in wireless mobile communications. Define the technical details of each access method, then compare their strengths and weaknesses in system use. Address the following: Explain radio frequency (RF) transmission characteristics. Identify common frequency bands used in current RF communications. Analyze the necessity for different protocols in wireless communications. Compare the challenges of using satellites in end-to-end communications links. There are a lot of things you can do to prepare for college, but it will still hold many surprises for you! This article will offer you some sound advice on how to get through classes, campus life and all the other obstacles that you will encounter in your efforts to reach graduation. This pack of NTC 362 Week 4 Learning Team Assignment Hardware and Software Paper comprises: Time Division Multiple Access, Frequency Division, Multiple Access, and Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing Computer Science General Computer Science Write a 3- to 5-page paper comparing the advantages of Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Code  Division Multiple Access (CDMA), and Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing, as used in wireless mobile communications. Define the technical details of each access method, then compare their strengths and weaknesses in system use. For downloading more tutorials visit https://bitly.com/12BtkCD There are a lot of things you can do to prepare for college, but it will still hold many surprises for you! This article will offer you some sound advice on how to get through classes, campus life and all the other obstacles that you will encounter in your efforts to reach graduation. Computer Science General Computer Science Write a 3- to 5-page paper comparing the advantages of Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), and Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing, as used in wireless mobile communications. Define the technical details of each access method, then compare their strengths and weaknesses in system use. Address the following: Explain radio frequency (RF) transmission characteristics. Identify common frequency bands used in current RF communications.

Banking Industry Because There Are Always Information Technology Essay

Banking Industry Because There Are Always Information Technology Essay Recently the Banking business has taken a rather remarkable change in the last few years. There has been a new development, and a precedent of online banking. The Banks allow customers to access everything concerning their financial records online without getting out of the convenience of their own homes. This new development does not only allow immense opportunities for banks to provide to all of its customers needs but it also allows a great chance for hackers to access a greater amount of the customers information. According to an ehow contributing writer Online transfer is a transfer of money from one bank account to another, the actual transfer is done by the bank, and neither the sender nor the receipt of the money sees or touches the actual funds. The reason a bank would want to adopt an online transfer policy would be because the banks are under increasing attack from phishing gangs who send emails to customers purporting to be from their bank, requesting account and password details. The money is then transferred to an account with the bank and typically sent abroad through a money transfer. To support this According to a writer Joe Morgan of Times online one of the biggest banks in Britain Barclays introduced a one day delay for transfers. This delay enables us to carry out checks that seek to prevent fraud. In addition to that the only reason why a bank should not adopt an online transfer delay policy should only be because we live in a global economy, we need to be able to communicate effectively with people, and also in this changing world, each and every day there are several evolutions and revolutions which are impacting the way we work, live, and do things, and also this means immediate satisfaction for many people. In the case study mentioned in the textbook of all the Banks only Barclays bank mentioned the online transfer delay. This allows them to continue to providing additional security but they forget that they have a tendency to lose feedback because several customers expect real time response when dealing with the internet. A bank may choose not to put into practice an online transfer delay, if its customers scrutinize both speed and competence a key factor. In the conference the past week with the article on Building a Collaborative Enterprise, I elaborated on Collaborative enterprises being built on people, process, and technology because it helps an organization become very effective and productive because businesses with good team work produce industrious work. The two primary lines of security defense are both people and technology because banks continue to deal with money they must offer the most highly developed security features to keep their customers finances secure. The difference between the types of security offered by the different Banks; Bank of America, Barclays bank, wells Fargo and company, and e-trade financial corporation mentioned in the case study. I currently bank with Bank of America, and would definitely encourage everyone to open an account with them because they are all over the place that makes it so much convenient and easier having to use an ATM, they have better benefits compared to other banks for example, its free for students no monthly surcharge like other Banks, and also they have a great online service, and international account program. According to our textbook Business Driven: Information system. Bank of America is implementing authentication and authorization technologies such as online computer identification. For example, their site key offers two factor authentication, the customer picks an image, writes a brief phrase as well so that whenever the customer signs in from their personal or a different computer an image and phrase are displayed indicating that the bank recognizes the computer and the customers identity. Wells Fargo company as well as implemented authentication and authorization technologies such as additional criteria, for example, implementing an out-of-wallet which consists of questions that is not found on the drivers license or ATM card. E-trade financial corporation is also implementing authentication and authorization technologies such as digital security IDs, for example, the free digital device displays a new six digit code every 60 seconds which a customer must use to log on. Lastly, Barclays bank is also implementing prevention technologies such as online transfer delays and account mentoring. Additional types of security Banks need to implement, when it comes to both authentication and authorization this entails what the user knows such as the user ID and password, something the user has such as a smart card, and also something that is part of the user such as fingerprint. Prevention and resistance such as content filtering, firewalls. Detection and response such as antivirus software, and also providing a combination of all three types is very advantageous. Three policies a bank should implement to help improve information security, the information security plans must identify and assess risks to customer information, make sure the security and confidentiality of protected information, and protect their information against unauthorized access, loss of data integrity, errors introduced into the system, unauthorized access of data and information. Describe monitoring policies; information technology monitoring is tracking peoples activities by such actions such as number of keystrokes, error rate, and number of transactions processed. An organization must continue to put together the right monitoring policies and put them into practice, the right path for an organization planning to engage in employee monitoring is open communication surrounding the issue. The organization needs to continue educating their employees on whats unacceptable behavior, and the organization will find out that the employees not only become accustomed to a policy but also reduce the burden of the organization by policing themselves.

NYLON Essay examples -- essays research papers

An incredible event happened in the 1930 ¡Ã‚ ¯s that has changed lives ever since. That event, the creation of nylon, has manipulated the way people dress and live their everyday lives. It even provided more employment opportunities and job improvements throughout the years. A team of DuPont researchers, led by Dr. Wallace Hume Carothers, invented the first synthetic material, nylon, in 1934 (Adams 21). They were searching for an artificial replacement for silk when they drew out an elastic string from plastic, creating nylon. There are two popular ways of creating nylon for fiber applications. One,  ¡Ã‚ °molecules with an acid (COOH) group on each end are reacted with molecules containing amine (NH ©Ãƒ ¼) groups on each end. ¡Ã‚ ± The nylon 6,6 is made in this fashion. The other common way of making nylon fibers is by polymerizing a compound containing an amine at one end and an acid at the other, to form a chain with reoccurring groups of (-NH-[CH ©Ãƒ ¼]n-CO-)x. If the x=5, the fiber is named nylon 6 (Nylon Fiber). This new invention had many better qualities and/or abilities than any other material in use already. Nylons are mostly known for their abilities to be dyed, to be unharmed by many kinds of household cleaning products or greases and oils, its rapid drying time, and above all, its silk-like appearance (The World Book). Nylons ¡Ã‚ ¯ tensile strength is greater than that of cottons, rayon, silk, and wool (Encarta). They also have characteristics that include elasticity, easy to clean,...

Is Slim handicapped - of mice and men :: essays research papers

Assessment Piece on â€Å"OF Mice and Men†: ‘Slim? Handicapped?’   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I ain’t much good with one hand. I lost my hand right here at the ranch.† You will consider this as a handicapped person. What else will you include in this category? Mental disorder, parallelization, amputated, etc., everything that makes you depend on others or any other things including loneliness, emotionless, discriminated or anything that you can do but there is something stopping you from what you want to do. This book, or novel should I say, is about loneliness, which is why every character in it faces this; in some way or the other, in different and various circumstances. Loneliness is a sign or is handicap ness as well. Crook, the Negro stable buck, longs for justice and camaraderie. Candy was not lonely but was made when Carlson, the impassive freak, killed his dog because he was old and worth nothing. Lennie and George were lucky in this matter. These two were all ways there for each other. They would keep each other out of loneliness. Curley’s wife is very flirtatious. Wonder why? Her marriage to Curley, for her, was just a compromise that she had to do. Now it’s as if her life is not hers anymore. She is in search of friendship. We don’t get to know about her main reason behind flirting so much until late in the book. She is lonely and has been ditched by many men earlier. She has been used by them and now she wants to develop a serious relationship. Everyone i n this book have different reasons and tribulations for their loneliness. America, at that time, was a very diverse place to what it is now. Friends were not very common. People who stand out in the crowd are those that have friends. â€Å"Ain’t many guyz travel around together.† Believe it’s because of the atmosphere they themselves have created and also because they are scared of each other. Candy’s dog is very precious to him, not only because he had been with him ever since he was a pup but also because he could see himself in the dogs place after a very short period of time. He was getting old and would be of no use soon. Just like the dog, everyone would be eager to get rid of him. He had lost his hand at the ranch. He is disabled, both, physically and mentally.

Telecommunications Act of 1996 Essay examples -- essays research paper

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 The Telecommunications Act of 1996 can be termed as a major overhaul of the communications law in the past sixty-two years. The main aim of this Act is to enable any communications firm to enter the market and compete against one another based on fair and just practices (â€Å"The Telecommunications Act 1996,† The Federal Communications Commission). This Act has the potential to radically change the lives of the people in a number of different ways. For instance it has affected the telephone services both local and long distance, cable programming and other video services, broadcast services and services provided to schools. The Federal Communications Commission has actively endorsed this Act and has worked towards the enforcement and implementation of the various clauses listed in the document. The Act was basically brought into existence in order to promote competition and reduce regulation so that lower prices and higher quality services for the Americans consumers may be s ecured. Of particular importance is the deregulation of the telecommunications industry as mentioned in the act (â€Å"Implementation of the Telecommunications Act,† NTLA). This reflects a new thinking that service providers should not be limited by artificial and now antique regulatory categories but should be permitted to compete with each other in a robust marketplace that contains many diverse participants. Moreover the Act is evidence of governmental commitment to make sure that all citizens have access to advanced communication services at affordable prices through its â€Å"universal service† provisions even as competitive markets for the telecommunications industry expand. Prior to passage of this new Act, U.S. federal and state laws and a judicially established consent decree allowed some competition for certain services, most notably among long distance carriers. Universal service for basic telephony was a national objective, but one developed and shaped through feder al and state regulations and case law (â€Å"Telecommunications Act of 1996,† Technology Law). The goal of universal service was referred to only in general terms in the Communications Act of 1934, the nation's basic telecommunications statute. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 among other things: (i) opens up competition by local telephone companies, long distance providers, and cable companies ... ...ns especially when it came to deregulating the telecommunications industry. The new law was expected to bring radical changes to the communications industry, providing high quality services to the masses at minimal cost. The act was also designed with the specific purpose of ensuring that advanced telecommunications will be available to every citizen as part of the policy for universal service. The FCC and the states, as the regulatory bodies, implement the law. Its been over three years since the law was passed and most critics have claimed that nothing worthwhile came out of the act besides the mergers of course. Ultimately however, the services brought to the public will depend on the providers of those services and their success in the marketplace. Bibliography 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Telecommunications Act of 1996.† Available online at: http://www.fcc.gov/telecom.html 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Implementation of the Telecommunications Act.† Available online at: http://www.ntia.doc.gov/opadhome/opad_act.htm 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Telecommunications Act of 1996.† Available online at: http://www.technologylaw.com/act.html

Explain the Importance and Benefits of Assessment for Learning Essay

Assessment for learning is an essential part of a child’s education as it defines whether or not the objectives of teaching are being met, assessments affects decisions about grades, educational needs of children and in some cases funding. Assessment for learning is a significant way to raise a pupil’s academic achievement and is centred on the belief that in order for children to progress in school then they must understand the purpose of their learning, where they are in relation to this purpose and how they can achieve their goals. Assessments will help a pupil reflect on their own development which in turn will help them recognize and appreciate their own strengths as well as developing an insight into themselves as students. If a child is given the opportunity to discuss their learning either with a teacher or one of their peers then they will develop a deeper understanding of their learning which can build confidence and motivate them as students. Effective assessment will identify individual educational needs of all children as well as informing them about their specific performances and achievements, this will then allow teachers to utilise approaches that are personalised to the needs of a child. Assessment can be used not only to measure learning but also to promote learning by teaching children how to ask questions as well as answering them, by emphasising to a child that it is acceptable to ‘Have a go’ and that by giving the wrong answer it is still learning.

Womens Menopause And Perimenopause Symptoms Health And Social Care Essay

â€Å" Most people would see the old stage â€Å" alteration of life † a euphemism for the medical term â€Å" climacteric † , but I, who am now traveling through the alteration, get down to inquire if it is n't the other manner unit of ammunition. â€Å" Change of life † is excessively blunt a phrase, excessively factual. â€Å" Menopause † , with its chime-suggestion of mere intermission after which things go on as before, is reassuringly fiddling. † – Ursula K. Le Guin â€Å" The Space Crone, † Dancing at the Edge of the World [ 1 ] Menopause is a foreordained phase of life for every individual adult female, characterised by the surcease of ovarian map and monthly period. [ 6 ] It is defined as the stoping of a adult females catamenial period and it is further affirmed when there has been no catamenial period for 12 back-to-back months and no other causes can be identified. Fertility comes to an terminal at this point. Less estrogen and Lipo-Lutin are produced by the ovaries and this consequences in climacteric. [ 13 ] Menopause has to travel through by all adult females, by and large between the ages of 40 and 55. [ 14 ] There is more frequently than non a passage period called perimenopause that lasts for a few old ages. During that minute, climacteric occurs due to hormonal alterations, including low Lipo-Lutin degrees and fluctuating oestrogen degrees, taking to many symptoms such as 1.jpg Decreased sex thrust. Changes in period. Hot flashes. Dryness of vagina. Night workout suits. Mood swings. Insomnia. [ 13 ] [ 14 ] Figure 1. Symptoms of Menopause [ 21 ] ( 242 words ) Furthermore, there are a few effects of hormonal alterations on the organic structure ‘s organ system, particularly the skeletal system and cardiovascular system. [ 7 ] In due class, in short supply of estrogen will ensue an impact on wellness. Long term complication associated with oestrogen diminution may include Osteoporosis Heart disease [ 13 ] [ 14 ] So, what are the current available interventions to assist better the immediate and long-run effects of climacteric? [ 7 ] Figure 2. Frequency of menopausal symptoms as assessed by the Menopausal Rating harmonizing to menopausal position. [ 8 ] ( 323 words )A Possible SolutionHormone Replacement TherapyHormone replacing therapy ( HRT ) is a conventional medical specialty ‘s chief intervention for menopausal symptoms & A ; job. Edginess caused by decrease of go arounding oestrogen and Lipo-Lutin endocrines could be prevented by this intervention. [ 15 ] The aim of endocrine therapy is to cover with the symptoms by utilizing the smallest measure that is efficient, for the shortest period possible. [ 2 ] Oestrogens and Lipo-Lutin are the major type of endocrines used to hike endocrine degrees. [ 15 ] Hormone replacing therapy plays the function in supplying the organic structure with either oestrogen entirely or oestrogen and Lipo-Lutin in combination during climacteric. [ 18 ] These endocrines are usually produced by the ovaries. When the ovaries no longer fabricate sufficient sums of endocrines ( as in climacteric ) , the organic structure is supplemented with equal degrees of oestrogen and Lipo-Lutin by HRT. [ 18 ]Why is Oestrogen indispensable for the organic structure?Oestrogen and Lipo-Lutin jointly contribute in the thickener of the liner of uterus fixing it for the nidation of fertilised egg. [ 18 ] Calcium in castanetss is retained and balance of cholesterin is regulated by estrogen. It helps maintain tegument healthy by replacing dead cells and keep collagen construction. [ 3 ] In the passage stage of climacteric, oestrogen degree faces fluctuations until the ovaries shut down wholly. [ 3 ] This will follow by the happening of climacteric symptoms such as hot flashes an d medical status such as osteoporosis. [ 3 ] ( 543 words )Why is Progesterone necessary for the organic structure?Progesterone is normally used together with oestrogen in adult females who still have uterus. [ 18 ] If estrogen is taken without Lipo-Lutin, there is an addition hazard for the adult females in developing endometrial malignant neoplastic disease. During generative old ages, during menses endometrial cells are shed. When the endometrium no longer shed, estrogen will do an giantism of cells in the womb and this can take to malignant neoplastic disease. [ 18 ] In this instance, Lipo-Lutin will do the endometrium shed and reduces the hazard of endometrial malignant neoplastic disease. Womans who had undergone hysterectomy do non necessitate to take Lipo-Lutin. [ 18 ]Oestrogen TherapyOestrogen is administered entirely. It may be given in five ways which are unwritten pills, intramuscular injections, transdermic spots, hypodermic pellets or vaginal endocrine pick. [ 19 ] Generally, low dosage of oestrogen is prescribed t o be taken as pills or spots daily. In order to alleviate climacteric symptoms and to forestall osteoporosis, lowest possible dosage of oestrogen needed is taken. [ 18 ] Oestrogen therapy has been used for hot flowers since the 1950s ; its effectivity has been late reassessed and confirmed. The Cochrane reappraisal calculated a 75 % decrease in the frequence of hot flashes and a important lessening in symptoms badness. [ 9 ]Progesterone-Oestrogen Therapy( 822 words ) Besides known as combined therapy, this method combines doses of oestrogen and Lipo-Lutin. [ 18 ] Progesterone normally taken in the signifier of pills, vaginal picks and suppositories, injections every bit good as in a base of oil. Progesterone is typically given by oral cavity in a assortment of combinations with estrogen. Injectable Lipo-Lutin and suppositories are available but unpopular. [ 20 ] Recent recommendation suggests that the lowest dosage of endocrine therapy is taken for the shortest clip possible and it is re-evaluated yearly. [ 18 ] Figure 3. The per centum of doctors who ranked the benefits of HRT as â€Å" really high † in relation to assorted wellness concerns. [ 10 ] The tabular array shows that the benefits of HRT are extremely recognised in relation to menopausal symptoms relief and osteoporosis by a big figure of doctors. ( 868 words )Social & A ; Economic DeductionsMost of the adult females who are undergoing the phase of climacteric suffer from temper swings & A ; some even depression. Harmonizing to surveies, adult females who experience depression and have a history of depression before have a higher opportunity of enduring from depression during perimenopause. Many of the employees who are enduring from depression due to menopause brush jobs during work clip. Some of them see backdown from co-workers, are discouraged from taking undertakings, are passed over from publicity and may even be the object of snide or sarcastic remarks. They contribute low productiveness due to their deficiency of public presentation. Therefore, ensue an impact on the economic. Besides, those who suffer from depression besides become anti-social and sometimes they tend to be self-destructive. [ 17 ] Personally, I strongly urge the household of the patients should supply full support and assist them to accommodate to the ir new life styles. Menopause can put off the feelings of sorrow and episodes of depression in a figure of adult females. It is though that someplace in between 8 % and 15 % of menopausal adult females see some signifier of depression. [ 22 ] In perimenopause, the organic structure of a adult female produces less oestrogen, doing her more susceptible to wellness hazards like bosom disease, osteoporosis and malignant neoplastic disease. Patients who are diagnosed with these diseases require immense sum of money in order to acquire intervention and hospitalization. This consequences in immense fiscal load and economic impact. On top of that, interventions such as bosom graft and chemotherapy which are effectual in bring arounding the diseases are really dearly-won. In this instance, I feel that authorities should help those who are unaffordable by supplying subsidy or possibly a fund should be set up merely to assist those destitute 1s. Harmonizing to Treatment Abroad Price Watch Survey, in UK, the cost of coronary angioplasty scopes around ?8500 while in US, the cost ranges about $ 14875. [ 23 ] ( 1177 words )Benefits & A ; RisksHRT provides adult females a assortment of dependable and solid wellness benefits, in footings of the moderation of menopausal symptoms and in the bar of some terrible wellness dainties that caused by the loss of endocrine in the organic structure. It is proven that HRT helps in keeping bone wellness and forestalling osteoporosis. Surveies confirm that the hazard of hip break is reduced by 11 per centum for the adult females who use oestrogen and progestogen HRT compounds for each twelvemonth of HRT interventions. Besides, HRT is the most effectual method for alleviating hot flashes, vaginal waterlessness and other uncomfortable menopausal symptoms. Most surveies show that the hazard of colorectal malignant neoplastic disease is besides reduced by oestrogen. [ 4 ] After a average followup of 5.2 old ages, the Women ‘s Health Initiative ( WHI ) research workers reported important decreases in hip ( 34 % ) , vertebral ( 34 % ) and entire breaks ( 24 % ) in those who had undergone HRT. [ 11 ] On the other manus, there ‘s besides hazard of acquiring the side effects of it. The combined therapy of utilizing oestrogen and progestogen consequences in a greater hazard of developing the adverse consequence which includes malignant neoplastic diseases and cardiovascular diseases. However, it can be prevented by merely obtaining oestrogen in the signifier of HRT. This will in bend lessening the hazard of developing the side effects. Furthermore, adult females who are under the intervention of HRT face greater hazard for developing chest malignant neoplastic disease. It is found that adult females who were on the long-run HRT have 26 % more invasive chest malignant neoplastic disease among them compare to those who were non holding HRT. Furthermore, the development of blood coagulums in venas can be trigger by HRT. Harmonizing to the survey of Women ‘s Health Initiative, adult females who were holding HRT had dual the figure of blood coagulums as the adult females who were non taking HRT. [ 16 ] ( 1471 words ) 234.jpg Figure 4. Number of instances of different results due to combined therapy and oestrogen therapy entirely. [ 24 ] It is shown that the combined therapy generates a greater hazard of developing the inauspicious effects of undergoing endocrine replacing therapy. Personally, I feel that HRT remains the most effectual therapy although it may trip side effects. Therefore, adult females who had HRT should be monitored on a regular basis in order to extinguish any unwanted inauspicious effects every bit early as possible before it ‘s excessively late. ( 1549 words ) Figure 5. Accumulative jeopardies for selected clinical results. [ 9 ] The combined therapy decreases the hazards of developing colorectal malignant neoplastic disease and hip break but in bend increases the hazards of developing coronary bosom disease, shot, pneumonic intercalation and chest malignant neoplastic disease. ( 1587 words )Alternate SolutionsHerbs & A ; Other Supplements [ 5 ]Harmonizing to Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act ( DSHEA ) of 1994, dietetic addendums provide substances like vitamins, minerals, nutrients, botanicals, amino acids which serve as addendum to the usual consumption of these substances. Herbal redresss have been one of the subset of larger group of nutritionary addendums. For centuries, herbs have been used widely to contend the symptoms of climacteric. In fact, it is the lone method used before the arising of wellness engineering. [ 5 ] Since pharmaceutical scientific discipline has develops over the past few decennaries, it has been understood the benefits of supplementing healthy diets with nutritionary substances such as vitamin and mineral. Nowadays, most of the adult females consume assorted types of vitamin, herb or nutritionary addendums at certain clip. Furthermore, adult females are advised by most of the wellness attention professionals to take up healthy diet with nutritionary addendums as they come near to menopause. Majority of adult females opt for workss and herb infusions and addendums to battle the symptoms of climacteric and to antagonize the physical alterations of organic structure due to cut down oestrogen and natural aging procedure. [ 5 ] ( 1773 words ) 3309.jpg vitaminsandstroke.jpg Figure 6. Herbal Supplements. [ 27 ] Figure 7. Vitamin and Mineral Supplements. [ 25 ] Figure 8. Herbal redresss used in direction of climacteric. [ 12 ] ( 1782 words )Curative Programs [ 5 ]Curative plans have been one of the most effectual interventions used for handling some of the symptoms of climacteric. Below are some of the curative plans that found to be utile in intervention symptoms of climacteric: Acupuncture is a traditional antediluvian Chinese therapy that involves rotary motion of all right acerate leafs until they enter the tegument at peculiar points on the organic structure. Surveies of North American Menopause ( NAMS ) province that there ‘s a important lessening in hot flashes, enduring for up to three months by those who were treated with stylostixis. Besides, it is besides shown that stylostixis decreases dark workout suits and anxiousness in menopausal adult females. Harmonizing to The National Institute of Health Consensus Development Panel on Acupuncture, illnesses like concern, fibromyalgia, degenerative arthritis and spasms ( conditions faced by adult females in climacteric ) can be treated by stylostixis. [ 5 ] Cognitive therapy which is a signifier of talk therapy used on helping the patients to understand the nexus between the forms of negative though and depression. Patients are taught to interrupt destructive thought forms that lead to depression and anxiousness by replacing negative ideas with positive 1s. [ 5 ] In my sentiment, adult females who are undergoing menopausal phases should be encouraged to take up herbal addendums and curative therapy which are both natural traditional methods in covering with climacteric before sing HRT which involved chemical-based synthesised medical specialty. In this instance, HRT may be the most efficient solution but at the same clip it may convey about assorted inauspicious effects. ( 2027 words ) acupuncture_500.jpg Figure 9. Acupuncture [ 28 ] cognitive therapy.jpg e-t-b.gif Figure 11. Three interconnected constituents in which cognitive therapy focal point on. [ 30 ] Figure 10. Cognitive Therapy. [ 29 ]Evaluationâ€Å" Research on the Menopause in the 1990s † has been one of the best beginnings I had found. It is from WHO which is the directing and organizing authorization for wellness within the United Nations system. It plays a function in supplying counsel on planetary wellness affairs, finding the wellness research docket, puting norms and criterions, jointing evidence-based policy options, offering proficient support to states, oversing and measuring wellness tendencies. The study gives an overview and includes an all rounded facets sing climacteric. It is a study by WHO so the information provided should be dependable unless it has out of day of the month since it is published in 1996. As WHO is the universe chief wellness organisation, personally I feel that all the information published is precise as they had undergone phases of treatment and confirmation before being published. Besides, I besides found that the beginning hypertext transfer protocol: //www.nichd.nih.gov/ to be really utile in supplying information, support, articles, research and instruction related on climacteric. It is the chief web site for â€Å" THE NATIONAL INSTUTUTE OF CHILD HEALTH AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT † which ab initio established to look into the wide facets of human development as a agency of understanding developmental disabilities.A At present, the organisation carry out researches on all stages of human development, from prepossession to a better understand on the wellness of kids, households, and communities. Information from this beginning should be legitimate as similar inside informations are besides found in other beginnings. The beginning is utile but it is non in deepness. Besides, it merely provides general information about climacteric, non a item one. ( 2286 words )

Disneyland Paris Marketing Analysis Essay

Introduction Following the success in America, Walt Disney decided to build a similar entertainment and vacation park in Europe. On April 12, 1992 the park was opened the first time as Euro Disney ® Resort. Nowadays it is known as Disneyland ® Paris, which is located close to Paris in France. It consists of two theme parks (Disneyland ® Park and Walt Disney Studio Park), one entertainment district (Disney Village)1 and 14 hotels owned by Disneyland ® Paris2 The opening of Disneyland ® Paris was debated. People were afraid of being affected by the unhealthy life style and consumption of the Americans. A French journalist wrote, â€Å"I wish with all my heart the rebels would set fire to [Euro] Disneyland† and a French philosopher said, â€Å"It is not America that is invading us. It is we who adore it, who adopt its fashions and above all, its words.† All in all people were against the opening of Disneyland ® Paris.3 How important is Disneyland ® Paris at this moment? How is it using marketing? Who are the customers, Americans and/or Europeans? Is Disneyland ® Paris a competitor in comparison to other amusement parks? Which challenges does it currently face? To find answers these questions, we will analyse Disneyland ® Paris? performance through a SWOT-Analysis, which gives us an idea of its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. As we come to a conclusion, we will also give an advice to Disneyland ® Paris on what it can improve in order to perform better. Internal analysis The market Disneyland ® Paris is in a heterogeneous oligopoly. A heterogeneous oligopoly is a market in which there are a few sellers, and a lot of buyers. The sellers are in competition with each other and they are well informed about the actions of other sellers. Therefore, the decisions firms make, mostly are affected by decisions that their competitors make, and the other way around. Disneyland ® Paris is an actor in the market of amusement parks. In almost every European country you can find an amusement park. However, not all of these parks are offering accommodations and dining services, which makes the trip more of an unique and exciting experience. This market is  heterogeneous because, even though amusement parks seem the same, the feeling and experience in each one is completely different. Furthermore, only a few sellers can oversee decisions made by competitors. Next to that, there are many buyers. In 2013 14.9 million people visited Disneyland ® Paris4. Disneyland ® Paris’ position and performance As mentioned before, Disneyland ® Paris welcomed 14,9 million guests last year. This makes it the biggest tourist destination in Europe, especially compared to the Eiffel tower, which only attracts approximately 7 million visitors per year5. In comparison to other amusement parks How many visitors did other amusement parks in Europe welcome in 20136? ‘De Efteling’ (Holland) – 4 million visitors per year ‘Movie Park Germany’ (Germany) – 1.3 million visitors per year ‘Europa Park’ (Germany) – 4.6 million visitors per year ‘Gardaland’ (Italy) – approximately 7 million visitors per year Set side by side to other amusement parks in Europe, Disneyland ® Paris is doing really well on their visitors count. Financial performance Disneyland ® Land has been taking losses in 2011, 2012 and 2013. So with respect to its profit, Disneyland ® Paris is not doing that well at all. Their net loss was admittedly high in 2012, with 100.2 million euros. In 2013, they managed to cutback the loss to 78.2 million euros. See appendix, table 1. Notwithstanding, it is still a considerable amount of money. So how come that Disneyland ® Paris, the biggest amusement park in Europe, is taking a loss? 14,9 million visitors per year seems to be a high amount of visitors, but in the past three years, the number of visitors per year has decreased and the hotel occupancy rate has gone down. Even though the amount of money that visitors spent (per visitor) has slightly gone up, it is not enough to make up for the decrease in visitors. See appendix, table 2. Conclusion Despite the fact that Disneyland ® Paris is the biggest tourist attraction in Europe, and even draws more visitors than the Eiffel Tower, it is not financially healthy. Disneyland ® has again been taking a big loss.  Disneyland ® Paris has to change its strategy to achieve positive numbers and to start making profits. Value What Disneyland ® Paris offers to their guests is not only an amusement park, it is an experience. Disneyland offers two parks, Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios Park, with a total of 59 attractions. As stated by http://corporate.disneylandparis.com/: ‘Disneyland Park captures the wonder and fantasy of a classic Disney theme park while the Walt Disney Studios Park features the magic of movie-making.’ To make the Disneyland ® Paris experience complete, it offers several hotels, 63 restaurants, sport facilities, a wellness center, baby-care service, life-size Disney characters and a lot of shows and parades in the classic park as well as in the studios park. The value that Disneyland ® Paris offers is not just visit an amusement park with only fun rides, but an actual chance meet the characters from the Disney movies. Visitors can hug and take a picture with their favorite movie characters. Besides Disneyland  ® Paris made sure that its visitors stay in the Disney-feeling, even when having diner for example. Another part of the value that Disneyland ® Paris offers is that it combines the Walt Disney Studios Park with the classic park. For example ‘De Efteling’ (Holland) does not have a movie-oriented park, and ‘Movie Park Germany’ (Germany) does not have a classic park, but only the movie segment. The fact is that the customer does not need to choose between those two options at Disneyland ® Paris, but can have both at Disneyland ® Paris. A lot of other amusement parks in France or Europe also have astonishing attractions, but Disneyland ® Paris offers more than that. Disneyland ® Paris’ marketing mix As mentioned before, Disneyland ® Paris has a lot to offer. It serves their customers an amazing experience. Due to all this, the park had 14,9 million visitors last year. However, just like any other company, they used different tools to be this successful. Product Disneyland ® Paris offers several products and not just the amusement parks that people always seem to think about. Next to the two parks, they also own seven hotels owned by itself and seven partner hotels, including a free bus  connection from and to the park. Most of the hotels have their own special features, for example tennis courts, swimming pools, fitness centers, and pony ride. Furthermore, the resort includes Disney Village, which is a street where many shops, bars, restaurants, and attractions are located. Next to all this, the resort also includes a golf complex. The target segments of Disneyland are mainly families with children. When customers come to Disneyland ® Paris they expect to have a good time, not only for the children, but also for the parents. They might even want to feel as children themselves again. Disneyland ® Paris tries to give its visitors this experience using their parks, hotels and all the other features. Apart from feeling like a child again, some parents are looking for some relaxation and sports, which can be found at Disneyland ® Paris as well. All these products are part of the well-known brand Disney, even the hotels. This big mixture of products sets Disneyland ® Paris apart from other attraction parks. Even though other parks may have a brand and shops, most of them do not include a hotel. Even less parks accommodate a golf complex! These advantages make Disneyland ® Paris to what it is: a very attractive get-away. Strengths: Disneyland ® Paris offers a lot of different products. This makes it interesting for many target groups. It is not only for families with children, but can also be for groups of friends. Weaknesses: All the Disney items may become a bit too overwhelming. Price When the decision to visit Disneyland ® Paris is made, tickets need to be bought first. Tickets are sold on the website of Disneyland ® or throughout a travelling agency. The prices for tickets can be found in the appendix, table 2. As seen in the table, the park gives some discounts. For example, instead of paying for three day, one day is given for free. When the intention is to stay for more than one day, the opportunity to book a hotel is available. The tickets are already included in the price of the room. The price of the hotel for one night and one adult range from â‚ ¬111.00 to â‚ ¬663.00. Children from the age of 3 till 11 can spend the night in the hotels for free. However, these prices are not fixed but can fluctuate according to the needs and wants of customers. The prices in restaurants differ. They range from less than â‚ ¬15.- to over â‚ ¬25.-. This gives a wide range for customers and includes something for every target segment, rich or  poor. Having an inexpensive dinner might sounds great to most parents, since often the food in (other) attraction parks is very expensive. Strengths: The low prices of some of the restaurants can be considered as a strength. Usually the food in attraction parks is very expensive. Also, parents often believe that the trip itself already cost much money, so having some inexpensive restaurants gives Disneyland an advantage. Weaknesses: The entrance price of the park is very high, much higher than those of other parks, which are usually around â‚ ¬30.-. Furthermore, the stay in hotels might be too expensive for some customers. Promotion Disneyland uses several tools in promotion, such as the television, radio, advertisements and face-to-face communication. It sends out advertisement on the television on children and family senders. It also play ads on the radio, using the voice of Mickey Mouse. By reaching out to mostly children, it achieves its success. Next to these forms of promotion, it also posts advertisements for example in newspapers and children magazines. Also, there is the face-to-face communication. Visitors inform friends and family about their experience in Disneyland ® Paris, making the listener start thinking about Disneyland ® Paris positively or even negatively. Finally, there is a form of promotion that is not in the hands of Disneyland ® Paris itself, namely the media. Reporters and journalists write about Disneyland. These articles can be positive, but can also be negative. Unfortunately for Disneyland, it is very hard to prevent negative news. The only thing that Disneyland ® Paris can do is to show the journalists are wrong with their writings after their publications. Strengths: Focussing commercials on children is a smart move. Children can be very powerful towards their parents’ spending. Which parent does not want to see his or her child happy? Disneyland ® Paris is a fun experience and makes families bond. Weaknesses: Just like any other company, Disneyland can come across some negative media. Not only by journalists, but also people that have been in the park and have had a negative experience. All of them can start spreading the word about their experience. For example, in an article in The Independent, from May 6th 2010, which explains how employers of Disneyland ® Paris have had accidents or committed suicide, due to some issues with the management of Euro Disney. 7 Place Disneyland ® Paris is located very near to Paris, 32 kilometres to the east. This makes it a central point in Europe. It is well accessible by car, since the park is located near a high way. Across from the entrance of the two parks lies a train station, Marne la Vallee-Chessy. This train station has a direct high speed train service to cities like Bordeaux, Marseilles, Nice, Lyon and even Brussels. Also, the Eurostar services a direct line from London to this station. Another easy way to get to the park is to go buy bus, since there is a direct bus service provided from two international French airports, Charles De Gaulle International Airport and Orly Airport. Strengths: Disneyland ® Paris is easily accessible, which gives them a great advantage. Weaknesses: Disneyland ® Paris is located in a place where the weather is very unpredictable. You are never a 100% certain whether the weather will be good or whether it will rain all day. Also the surrounding villages might experience some troubles with Disneyland and its facilities. For example the train passing by only 200 meters from a city like Chessy. This can cause nuisance for the people living there. External Analysis An external analysis concentrates on all external variables that influence a company’s performance. They determine a company’s success, its chances and risks. Therefore it is a very important task for marketers to know the environment in case to adapt to trends. Marketers need to know and understand them in case to adjust their strategies. The external analysis is split up into two parts, which are called microenvironment and macroenvironment. 8 Micro-Environment The microenvironment is about â€Å"[†¦] the actors close to the company that affect its ability to serve its customers [†¦]† (Kotler/Armstrong 2012, p. 66). In order to handle the customers, a company?s task is to build up a good relationship with those actors, that consist of other companies, suppliers, marketing intermediaries, competitors, publics and its customers. Customers As mentioned above a company has to create value for its customers. In order  to do so, Disneyland ® Paris has to know its customers’ needs and wants. First of all Disneyland ® Paris has to divide the market into smaller segments. Afterwards it has to decide which groups to target. There are many variables to use to split up a market into smaller groups and to decide whether to enter or not. In the following consumer analysis we look at the main variables like geographic, demographic, psychographic and behavioural. 1 Disneyland ® Paris? consists of a consumer market, which means Disneyland ® Paris is targeting individuals and households buying services and goods. The consumer market is a combination of a local and international market. Even Disneyland ® Paris is located in France, using the geographic segmentation, which divides a market into different nations, states, regions, countries, cities or even neighbourhoods, its main target group is Europe. As we can see in table 4 (see apendix), Disneyland ® Paris? target market consists of seven major groups and the rest of the world. T he table describes the major groups with the share in percentages from 2011 to 2013. The groups are France (51%), United Kingdom (14%), Spain (8%), Belgium (6%), Netherlands (6%), Italy (3%), Germany (3%) and the rest of the world (9%). With certainty we can conclude these are the biggest groups, not only through the table, but also through the official website which is presented in many languages. 9 A company also needs to make a decision whether for example which age, gender, family size, income they want to reach. These variables belong to the demographic segmentation. The book â€Å"Principles of Marketing by Kotler and Armstrong†¦p 191† says: â€Å"Demographic factors are the most popular bases for segmenting customer groups. One reason is that consumer needs, wants, and usage rates often vary closely with demographic variables.† (Kotler/Armstrong 2012, p. 191) Transferring this strategy to Disneyland ® Paris? customers, we can easily see its target groups w ithin the geographical segmentation. Disneyland ® Paris is mainly focusing on families with children within the age of 3 to 15 years10, which remains to be a problem as analysed later on. Secondary it also provides services and attractions to adolescents and older generations. As we have analysed in the first part of the paper, Disneyland ® Paris offers services and attractions for people in each life-cycle stage.11 As a result we can see Disneyland ® Paris is not mainly focusing on children, it is primarily focusing on family activities as a whole. The family size does not play a big role, because  also singles, classes or just big groups are welcome to visit the world of Disneyland ® Paris. Other variables are psychographic and behavioural. Disneyland ® Paris is targeting consumers who are looking for adventurous and unforgettable holidays, which belongs in the behavioural segmentation. Disneyland ® Paris requires visitors who are enthusiastic, active and dreamer. To achieve holidays like that people has to pay a high amount of money, therefore Disneyland ® Paris is targeting the working class with a higher income. All in all Disneyland ® Paris typical customers are not only young families with their children, also adolescents and groups, all from Europe. Because of the fact Disneyland ® Paris is quite expensive it is focusing on families with higher income, who want to experience a unique and adventurous entertainment. Competitors A company in the same business or in a similar business is called a competitor. In order to be successful, a company has to grant higher value than its competitors do. The same applies for Disneyland ® Paris. What are its competitors and how strong are they? In Disneyland ® Paris? case its competitors are not only located in France, also in Europe (compare table 5). The amusement park business is growing at a steady rate. Still Disneyland ® Paris is the market leader in this business. To evaluate its competitors in this market, it is necessary to take a more detailed look at them. One way is to look at the customers the amusement parks are targeting. Those parks who have the same target groups are closer competitors for Disneyland ® Paris. As mentioned above, Disneyland ® Paris? target groups are families with children and adolescents, who want to make a unique experience in connection with a longer holiday stay in Disneyland ® Paris. The majority of amusement parks are listed in table 3, which are focusing on customers who just want to stay for a day. Therefore Disneyland ® Paris and the other parks in comparison have mostly different target groups and goals. Another factor are the yearly guests. The main competitors are ?De Efteling? in the Netherlands with 4.2 million visitors and ?Europa Park? with 4.6 million visitors in Germany. Even if Disneyland ® Paris has twice as much guests (16 million) (see table 5), those theme parks have the same strategy in creating an overall theme-park atmosphere while targeting the same groups (families with their children and adolescents). Nonetheless, Disneyland ® Paris has  the highest market share and is definitely the market leader in this business. Its overall appearance with the whole Disney World makes the park unique in comparison to ?De Efteling? and ?Europa Park?. But it is very important we do not leave out of account the fact, Disneyland ® Paris is struggling from its debts and losses, as mentioned before. While Disneyland ® Paris is recording losses, the other two parks are recording profits and performing better financially.12 Disneyland ® Paris needs to watch out in order to stay the market leader. Competitive Strategies Disneyland ® Paris is using an effective brand strategy. These results in having a strong image of the Disneyworld in the customers? minds and reaching a higher value people put on Disneyland ® Paris. Besides, there are four basic competitive strategies used by marketers. The first one is called overall cost leadership, which tries to achieve the highest market share while having the lowest costs as possible. Another one is focusing on creating a high differentiation within the companys? product line (differentiation). Some companies also choose to serve just a few market segments instead of reaching the whole market. The fourth strategy is called middle-of-the-road which combines the strategies. Company performances are showing they are performing worse with it.13 While following one of these strategies – overall cost leadership, differentiation, focus or middle-of-the-road- companies want to give a superior value through value disciplines. Introducing all of them, operat ional excellence concentrates on reducing â€Å"[†¦] costs and creat[ing] a lean and efficient value-delivery system.† (Kotler/Armstrong 2012, p. 537) Another strategy is to concentrate on the needs and wants of the target groups (customer intimacy), while the last discipline called product leadership is always offering new and better products to their customers. Disneyland ® Paris? strategy is to combine the differentiation strategy with the customer intimacy strategy. Through the analysis in part one, where we have seen the financial debts of Disneyland ® Paris, it is definitely not pursuing the overall cost leadership strategy. Instead Disneyland ® Paris is focusing to expand its park while creating new products and services for all stages of the age life circle. This implies for the differentiation strategy. Doing this, Disneyland ® Paris has to know  its customers’ needs and wants very well, which results in customer intimacy. Reaching this goal Disneyland ® Paris is spending a high amount in research to develop modern products and services.14 It is marketing its amusement mark through digital media and internet to reach the adolescents and teens. Disneyland ® Paris owns the position as the product leader in its business, because it is always innovating and creating new products to keep its park attractive. It is steadily offering leading-edge products and services, not only to reach new customers also to convince customers to visit Disneyland ® Paris again. Macroenvironment In comparison to the micro-environmental analysis the macro-environmental analysis is not about the close actors around the company, it is about the larger societal forces as demographic, economics, natural, technological, political, and cultural forces, that effect the microenvironment. The trends of the factors listed before form the opportunities and threats companies have to deal with15. In case of Disneyland ® Paris the demographic change is one of the most important topics. The demography is looking at the populations’ structure and its shift. As we see in figure 1 (see appendix) the economy experienced an enormous decreasing trend in the birth rates, which resulted in an aging society. Smaller family sizes are the aftereffect of this trend. More important is to take a look how the demographic change will go on in the future. Figure 2 (see appendix) gives us an economic prediction of how the current situation affects the population structure in the future until 2060. Figure 2 (see appendix) shows the development from a bell shaped population towards a form like an urn. This is an indication of an aging population with less births. In 2011 the biggest age group was defined of people in the age of 15 – 55 years. In 2060 it might happen, this group becomes less and the age group of 60 – 90 years will increase. Referring to Disneyland ® Paris, as we analysed earlier in the paper, the main target group of Disneyland ® Paris are young families with children and adolescents. Therefore the demographic trend is a threat it has to deal with. Disneyland ® Paris has to change its structure towards satisfying older generations instead of focusing only on children and adolescents in order not to lose a high amount of customers. In addition Disneyland ® Paris has to  experience a price increase i n non-renewable resources such like oil and water, which belongs in the category of the natural environment. The price increase in oil in the last years is obvious16. Through higher prices for the resources, Disneyland ® Paris has higher costs. Disneyland ® Paris could increase its ticket prices, but how would customers react? Disneyland ® Paris is saying by itself it has to learn how to use its resources mainly water, paper and energy more wisely and efficient17. Even Disneyland ® Paris is geographically not affected by the consequences of the climate change, it is fighting against it. In its ?2013 Reference Document† Disneyland ® Paris is saying it helps †[†¦] through its environmental policy, in particular with its water consumption initiatives and its efforts in preventing and fighting pollution discharges.† Also within the social environment Disneyland ® Paris is putting a high emphasis on negotiating contracts with its suppliers. Disneyland ® Paris is listing its requirements in the ?2013 Reference Document? (p. 144): â€Å"Not to use child labor or forced labor; To treat each employee with dignity and respect and refrain from adopting discriminatory practices in hiring and employment; To respect employees’ right to associate, organize and bargain collectively; To provide employees with a safe and healthy work environment and to ensure that all accommodations provided to employees comply with health and safety standards; To apply laws and regulations relating to wages and working time, environment, manufacturing, pricing and sales and distribution of merchandise, Not to use subcontractors to manufacture Disney products or components without a prior written agreement [†¦] When a breach in standards is identified, the supplier must correct it or stop producing for [Disneyland ® Paris].† These points are showing the high social responsibility Disneyland ® Paris cares about. Besides this it is also trying to market its products child-oriented, improving its food in quality and safety and provides customer health and safety. Disneyland ® Paris also agreed to support the French economy and the employment18, but we won’t elaborate about that too much right now. Strategic advice and conclusion As analysed in the paper there are many threats Disneyland ® Paris has to deal  with. But, threats are not necessary bad for the company, they can also constitute opportunities to improve its strategy. Mentioned before, the demographic change is one of the biggest threats. Disneyland ® Paris has to change its concept towards older age groups in case of not losing customers. Disneyland ® Paris has already done a lot in this direction offering products and services to those age groups.19 This does not mean Disneyland ® Paris is safe, it still need to analyse its older customers? needs and wants in order to innovate products and services satisfying them. One advice is to improve the arrival and departure. Even though Paris and therefore Disneyland ® Paris are easy to reach, it can be still improved. An idea is using the international train Thalys. Thalys is offering many routes through five European countries – namely Belgium, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Unit ed Kingdom, stopping in 31 cities20. Disneyland ® Paris could cooperate with this company to create new packages (combining Disney-tickets with traintickets) for an easier and cheaper arrival/departure. Referring to the countries mentioned above, mainly these countries are presenting the target groups within Europe. As we analysed Disneyland ® Paris need to reach new customers. A possibility is to advertise itself more in eastern European countries such like Poland and Russia, which population became more willing to spend money on holidays. As we can see on Disneyland ® Paris? website, it does not offer its official website in those languages (www.disneylandparis.com). This is a point that can be improved to reach completely new target groups. Not only those countries seem to be interesting, also emerging countries such like south-western European countries. In order to reach them, Disneyland ® Paris could try to convince Thalys to expend its routes towards these countries. Another factor is Disneyland ® Paris seriously has to keep its prices stable or even lower them. Of course it is not that easy to reduce them while resource prices and therefore costs are increasing, but Disneyland ® Paris could building its own wind farm using renewable resources to produce own energy. This fact will not only contribute in lowering prices, it will bring a new philosophy that pays attention to the environment and it earns the trust of those people who are environmental conscious. Disneyland ® Paris can include this point, in case they implement this strategy, in their advertisements. Coming away from lowering costs and prices, Disneyland ® Paris can improve its image  through higher sociable responsibility. The main advice giving Disneyland ® Paris is to introduce a sensitization campaign, which is called cause-related marketing. â€Å"Cause-related marketing has become a primary form of corporate giving. It lets companies â€Å"do well by doing good† by linking purchases of the company?s products or services with fund-raising for worthwhile causes or charitable organizations.† (Kotler/Armstrong 2012, p. 85) Considering that Disneyland ® Paris is focused on families and children, for every ticket sold a portion can be donated to a charity for poor children. Not only Disneyland ® Paris would benefit of this marketing concept through higher profits, also children living in the underclass are better off. In one sentence: Disneyland ® Paris would not only give smiles to children visiting the amusement park, it also gives smiles to children that are not experiencing the unique and exciting dream world of Disneyland ® Paris. Reference List ?De Efteling?, official website http://www.efteling.com/NL/Over-de-Efteling/Pers-en-Publicaties.html 19-02-2014 21:36 De Efteling, Press Information 2013 http://www.efteling.com/media/Pdf/Persmappen/Persmap%20ENGELS%202013%20DEF.pdf 17-02-2014 20:18 ‘The independent’ http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/the-dark-side-of-disneyland-paris-1964505.html 16-02-2014 15:39 Disneyland ® Paris http://www.disneylandparis.com/ 20-02-2014 18:06 Disneyland ® Paris, article about Disneyland ® Paris? decline http://disneyatwork.com/2013/08/is-disneyland-paris-in-decline/ 20-02-2014 18:03 Disneyland ® Paris, brochure http://corporate.disneylandparis.com/CORP/EN/Neutral/Images/Community%20report %202012.pdf 19-02-2014 14:23 Disneyland ® Paris, financial performance http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fcorporate.disneylandparis.com%2Finvestor-relations%2Ffinancial-indicators%2Findex.xhtml&h=NAQG1F7MB 20-02-2014 16:26 Disneyland ® Paris, overall information http://corporate.disneylandparis.com/about-our-company/the-narrative-of-numbers/index.xhtml 20-02-2014 18:02 EURO DISNEY S.C.A. (2013): 2013 Reference Document http://corporate.disneylandparis.com/CORP/EN/Neutral/Images/fr-uk-reference-document-2013.pdf 19-02-2014 15:48 Europapark http://www.europapark.de/lang-en/Home/c1174.html?langchange=true 20-02-2014 18:03 ?Moviepark?, article http://www.derwesten.de/staedte/bottrop/kirchhellen/1-25-millionen-besucher-im-moviepark-id6139835.html 20-02-2014 18:07 Oil prices http://moneyweek.com/prices-news-charts/oil/ 17-02-2014 16:23 Philip Kotler & Gary Armstrong (2012, 14/E): Principles of Marketing, Global Edition, Pearson, Harlow, England Philip Kotler & Gary Armstrong (2014, 15/E): Principles of Marketing, Global Edition, Pearson, Harlow, England