Notes on Ecosystems

Topic 1: Ecosystems at Risk A. Ecosystems and Their Management 2. Vulnerability and Resilience of Ecosystems * Vunerability is the sensitivity of an ecosystem to cope with stress. * Resilience is the ability of an ecosystem (or a component of an ecosystem) to adapt to a changing environment and to restore function and structure following an episode of natural or human-induced stress. * All ecosystems function in a state of dynamic equilibrium or a continual state of balanced change. This state of dynamic equilibrium is the product of the interrelationship of the elements in the ecosystem: the atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere.* Change occurs because the interrelationship between minerals, energy and communities varies over time. * It is also the interdependence of these four elements that makes an ecosystem vulnerable. * A change beyond the limits of the equilibrium, in any of these elements, means that the system as a whole cannot exist in its original state. All ec osystems are, in a sense, vulnerable, but the level of vulnerability depends on how small a change is needed in any element to upset the equilibrium. * Ecosystems, are therefore, not equally at risk – some are more resilient than others. Which ecosystems have greater resilience? Resilience is the ability of an ecosystem (or component of an ecosystem) to adapt to a changing environment and to restore function and structure following an episode of natural or human- induced stress.Ecosystems rich in biodiversity generally have greater resilience than those with little diversity. They are able to recover more readily from naturally induced stress (including drought and fire) and human- induced habitat destruction. 2. Under what conditions does long-term degradation occur? Long-term degeneration occurs when the magnitude and duration of the stress exceed the ability of the component to repair itself. 3. Explain the process shown in Fig 1. 1. 28. Figure 1. 1. 28 shows the impact of stress on the functioning of ecosystems.It shows the Elasticity and the rate of recovery of an ecosystem property following disturbance. It also shows the rate of amplitude and the threshold level of strain beyond. The intensity and duration of stress is important in terms of the effect it has on ecosystems. 4. Outline how natural sources of stress can play an important role in the functioning of ecosystems. These changes could be in response to changes in the availability of water, average temperature or many other natural events. In nature, these changes usually take place very slowly.The biome gradually adapts as animals and plant species that have characteristics unsuited to the change die out and those more suited the environment remains alive to breed and pass on their characteristics to successive generations. This process is known as natural selection. Causes of Ecosystem Vulnerability * All ecosystems have some ability to withstand stress. * They tend to resist being distu rbed or altered and will restore themselves to their original condition if not disturbed too dramatically. * In other words, ecosystems maintain themselves within a tolerable range of conditions. A number of factors are relevant to the vulnerability of ecosystems to stress, including location, extent, biodiversity and linkages. a) Location * Where an ecosystem is will affect its functioning. * At a global scale, latitude, distance from the sea, and altitude play decisive roles in determining climate and ultimately the nature of particular ecosystems.* The microclimatic features of a location can be significant enough to create a range of distinctive ecosystem types within relatively small areas e. g. aspect. * Some ecosystems are located in nvironments that are extreme e. g. deserts, polar, hypersaline lagoons. * Organisms capable of living in such conditions are highly specialised. * The greater the degree of specialisation of an organism to a particular set of environmental condit ions the more vulnerable it is to changes in those conditions e. g. coral * Corals are highly specialised organisms that flourish in the relatively shallow, nutrient-deficient waters of the tropics. †¢ * Any increase in nutrient levels promotes the growth of algae, which reduces the amount of sunlight available for coral growth. If high nutrient levels continue the corals become stressed, reefs contract in size and the number of coral species declines. * Coral is also sensitive to changes in water temperature, and flourish between 25 °C to 29 °C. * A small increase in the temperature can kill the coral polyp, leaving only the white calcium skeleton (coral bleaching).* Proximity to large concentrations of people is another important contributing factor to ecosystem vulnerability; demand for land grows as populations grow. Urban, industrial and agricultural land uses destroy natural ecosystems, while oceans, rivers and the atmosphere become dumping grounds for pollutants. b) Extent The extent (size) of any particular ecosystem is the product of a variety of factors. †¢ Recent research has shown that the boundaries of ecosystems tend to overlap each other. †¢ E. g. river ecosystems extended beyond the river channel to include the whole drainage system. †¢ Thus, human activity in the drainage basin can impact on the river itself even when it occurs some distance from the channel. E. g. may increase soil erosion †¢ A study showed that stoneflies and other creatures living in shallow wells on the flood plain of the river, up to 2km away from the river, mated along the riverbanks before returning to lay their eggs in the wells.†¢ This means the floodplain and the river cannot be considered as separate systems. †¢ Ecosystems that are restricted to relatively small areas or have already been distributed extensively are especially vulnerable †¢ Tropical rainforest, have relatively small populations of a large number of pecies confined to relatively small, localised communities †¢ Loss of small areas of rainforest can lead to extinction of plant and animal species †¢ Savanna grasslands, have large populations of a small number of species spread out over much larger areas †¢ Loss of a small area of grassland therefore need not result in the extinction of species. †¢ Large herbivores typical of these regions require extensive grazing areas†¢ c) Biodiversity Biodiversity is usually considered at three levels: genetic diversity, species diversity and ecosystem diversity. ) Genetic diversity – Genetic diversity is the variety of genetic information contained in all the individual plants, animals and micro-organisms †¢ Genetic diversity occurs within and between populations of species as well as between species. †¢ Genetic diversity favours the survival of a species, because it increases the chance that some members of the species will have characteristics that aid thei r survival †¢ Often a gene has costs as well as benefits †¢ A study has shown that peach potato aphids that are resistant to common pesticides are less able to survive ii) Species diversity – Species diversity is a measure of the number of species at each trophic level of an ecosystem†¢ The greater the species diversity the more robust the ecosystem †¢ If the population of one consumer organism crashers there are other producers available that can fulfil a similar function in the ecosystem †¢ When ecosystems are diverse, there is a range of pathways for the ecological processes, such as nutrient recycling †¢ If one pathway is damaged or destroyed, an alternative may be used and the ecosystem can continue to function at its normal level †¢ If the level of biodiversity is greatly diminished, the functioning of the ecosystem is put at risk †¢ The greater the level of diversity, the greater the opportunity to adapt to change †¢ Many di verse ecosystems are characterised by highly specialised organisms †¢ A species may be vulnerable even if the ecosystem as a whole is not †¢ iii) Ecosystem diversity – Ecosystem diversity refers to the diversity present within ecosystems in terms of habitat differences, biotic communities and the variety of ecological processes d) LinkagesInterdependence, or linkages, is related to species diversity †¢ The greater the level of interdependence within an ecosystem the greater its ability to absorb change †¢ The loss of a primary consumer from a food web, e. g. s unlikely to have a major impact on secondary consumers if there is a range of alternative primary consumers on which to feed †¢ Ecosystems that have low levels of interdependence are much more vulnerable to change †¢ Krill are the dominant primary consumer organism and the main source of energy for some species of whale †¢ Interdependence can take very subtle forms e. g. some flowering plants can be fertilised by only one species of insect †¢ Anything that jeopardises this third organism, therefore, will affect the reproductive success of the flowing plant †¢ Primary consumers have highly specific food sources, and many parasitic organisms depend on specific hosts †¢ The same characteristics can be exploited by humans in the biological control of pest species †¢ Large consumer animals may range across a number of small, localised ecosystems, having genetically adapted to the variations in all of them †¢ 1.Outline (using examples) how the level of interdependence within an ecosystem will affect its vulnerability. Interdependence, or linkages, is related to species diversity. The greater the level of interdependence within an ecosystem the greater its ability to absorb change. The loss of a primary consumer from a food web, e. g. is unlikely to have a major impact on secondary consumers if there is a range of alternative primary consumers o n which to feed. Ecosystems that have low levels of interdependence are much more vulnerable to change 2. Give an example of the subtle forms this interdependence can take. Interdependence can take very subtle forms e. g. ome flowering plants can be fertilised by only one species of insect. This insect may turn, be dependent on some other organism for part of its life cycle. Case study: Vulnerability of Minnamurra Rainforest The Minnamurra rainforest is a small pocket of rainforest located on the South Coast of New South Wales near Kiama.The extent, biodiversity and location of the rainforest all work together to make this a vulnerable ecosystem. It is located close to urban development and is surrounded by farms. This increases the levels of pollutants entering the system and has lead to significant weed infestation. Natural and Human-Induced Environmental Stress Ecosystems are constantly changing and evolving in response to stress-induced changes within the total environment. * Th ese changes may be brought about naturally e. g. drought, or may be human-induced e. g. deforestation. * Natural changes usually take place more slowly than human-induced changes and the biome gradually adapts as animals and plant species that have characteristics unsuited to the change die out, and those more suited to the new environment remain alive to breed and pass on their characteristics to successive generations (a process known as natural selection).* Sudden natural disasters have occurred from time to time which have caused whole species to die out almost instantly because they had no time to adapt, however this is rare. In contrast, human-induced changes are usually rapid and do not allow species to adapt. * The ability to instigate large-scale environmental change means that people are able to push the state of dynamic equilibrium beyond its limits. * This means that people have created situations where they are required to maintain a state of equilibrium by utilising re sources found elsewhere e. g. the use of fertilisers and pesticides to maintain an agricultural monoculture, which would collapse without them.* Today, human activities destroy or seriously threaten species and destroy or degrade their habitat. Changes affecting ecosystems by cause and rate |Catastrophic |Gradual | |Natural sources of environmental stress |Drought |Climatic Change | | |Flood |Immigration of new species | | |Fire |Adaptation/evolution | | |Volcanic eruption |Ecological succession | | |Earth Quake |disease | | |Landslide | | | |Change in stream course | | | |Disease | | |Human-induced sources of environmental stress |Deforestation |Irrigation- salinization, waterlogging | | |Overgrazing |Soil compaction | | |Ploughing |Depletion of ground water | | |Erosion |Water/air pollution | | |Pesticide application |Loss and degradation of wildlife activity | | |Fire |Elimination of pests and predators | | |Mining |Introduction of new species | | |Toxic Contamination |Overhuntin g/Overfishing | |Urbanisation |Toxic contamination | | |Water/Air pollution |Urbanisation | | |Loss and degradation of wildlife activity |Excessive tourism | a) Natural environmental stress * Some natural sources of stress can be catastrophic and cause very rapid change e. g. droughts, floods, fire, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, landslides, disease, tsunamis and cyclones.* Most natural sources of environmental stress are more gradual and do allow species to adapt e. g. climatic change, immigration, adaption/evolution, ecological succession, disease, geographical isolation. Climate change was thought to be the reason behind the extinction of the dinosaur. * Ecological succession involves one species gradually taking over an environment from another as circumstances within the environment change e. g. as a climate becomes drier, drought-resistant species will gradually take over. Some of the effects of environmental stress Organism Level Physiological and biological changes Psychol ogical disorders Behavioural changes Fewer or no offspring Genetic defects in offspring Cancers Population Level Population increase or decrease Change in age structure Survival of different genetic strains based on stress threshold Loss of genetic diversity ExtinctionCommunity-ecosystem level Disruption of energy flows -Decrease or increase in solar energy uptake and heat output -Changes in trophic structure in food chains and webs Disruption of chemical cycles -Depletion of essential nutrients -excessive nutrient levels Simplification -reduction in species diversity -reduction or elimination of habitats -less complex food webs -possibility of lowered stability -possibility of ecosystem collapse Case study: Mt. St. Helens volcanic eruption 18th may 1980 at MT st Helens Washington state. A large volcanic eruption disrupts the natural order. New populations of flora and fauna were beginning to colonise the harsh environment.The new ecosystem formed and the process of regeneration was observed as the organisms with enough resilience survived and repaired. b) Human-induced environmental stress * People play a role in maintaining or disturbing the dynamic equilibrium of any ecosystem. * The impacts of human activity have a global dimension, operating within the context of an interdependent global environment. * Global co-operation is needed to address the threats to the world’s biophysical environment. * The causes of environmental degradation in today’s world include: – massive population growth – developing world poverty and the crippling burden of debt – non-sustainable agricultural practices in many countries environmentally damaging industrialisation and exploitation of natural resources, especially in poor countries struggling for export earnings* Each of these issues need to be effectively dealt with if humans are to combat environmental degradation. * Human threats to biodiversity include: – species introductions à ¢â‚¬â€œ habitat destruction – hunting/trade in animal products – pollution * The World Conservation Union’s analysis of animal extinctions since 1600 found that 39% resulted from species introductions, 36% from habitat destruction and 23% from deliberate extermination. answer the questions from the information on page 32-33 1. Outline the history of human-induced change. Humans have induced change in ecosystems since very early days in their evolution.The effects have been either caused intentionally or inadvertently. eg: Aboriginals burnt bushland to aid in hunting as well as inadvertently promoting growth and shaping the Australian bushland through natural selection promoting growth. 2. Outline how humans have simplified natural ecosystems and what this has resulted in the need for. Humans have been shaping ecosystems for their benefit. In this process the useful parts of the ecosystem have remained and the other parts have changed or died out. This process ha s also simplified the ecosystem in some cases making it unable to support itself. Eg crops, farms require money and time for upkeep. 3. What is the great environmental challenge for humans?The great challenge that humans face with their environment is to maintain a healthy balance between simplified ecosystems and neighbouring complex ecosystems. 4. Outline the ways in which humans modify natural vegetation, and the ability of the affected ecosystems to recover in each case. Human induced change can be either intentional, inadvertent or a result of negligence. The changes made can result in complete ecological destruction but occasionally the ecosystem can adapt due to its resilience and survive with the change. The Nature of Human-induced Modifications – Human-induced modifications to ecosystems may be either intentional or inadvertent. – In some cases they are the result of negligence on the part of people. i) Intentional ecosystem changeHumans bring about intentiona l ecosystem change for human benefit. An example of this can be found in the aboriginal burning for easier hunting or simply clearing land and producing food from crops or livestock. ii) Inadvertent ecosystem change ? These are changes that are not intended, but occur indirectly as a result of human activity. ? Meeting the needs and wants of humankind and a rapidly increasing human population will inevitably bring about large-scale environmental change. ? Unlike other species, humans have the ability to transfer resources from one region to another and to modify ecosystems in order to sustain continued population growth.Examples of human activities and the inadvertent effects they have include: Farming – Reduction of biodiversity, destruction of habitats, soil erosion, introduction of harmful pesticides killing native flora/fauna. Urbanisation- Total destruction of habitat, fragmentation of habitat destruction of ecosystem linkages, Increased pollution affecting surrounding e cosystems, Destruction of ozone o3 layer through use of cfcs iii) Ecosystem change caused through negligence People sometimes cause environmental change through negligence. Some of the more notorious examples of humanity’s failure to protect ecosystems at risk are the: ? Explosion of the reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the Ukraine ?Minamata children being poisoned by mercury accumulated in the food chain ? Grounding of the Exxon Valdez in Prince William Sound, Alaska which caused widespread environmental destruction Consequences of human-induced changes . Human induce change is occurring worldwide in ecosystems. . The magnitude and rate of change is closely linked to human population size. . Salinization and desertification are two large scale problems with deforestation a major cause of ecosystem destruction through change. . Almost 11 million ha of land is degraded each year. Takes between 100 and 250 years for topsoil to build up in an area, can be destroye d in less than 10 by human activity.

Mahatma Gandhi Essay

In 1978, James McGregor Burns wrote about the dearth of leadership. â€Å"One of the most universal cravings of our time is a hunger for compelling and creative leadership.† McGregor Burns’ search for â€Å"moral leadership† reveals the tragedy of leadership studies- the confusion of leadership with power. Traditionally, leaders have been defined as those who hold power; allowing presidents, prime ministers and military generals, regardless of their accomplishments, to be considered leaders. Leadership studies have been further detracted from â€Å"moral leadership† because of the confusion of leadership with management. John D. Rockefeller, Henry Ford, and Bill Gates are considered leaders for the economic power they amassed. The confusion of leadership with power and leadership with management has led to a model of leadership that is Machiavellian (manipulative), hierarchical, authoritative, impersonal, elitist, and self-interested. The person I believe to be the greatest leader of the twentieth century exhibited none of the qualities named above. This person held no official political title; he commanded no army and he amassed no great wealth. He did, however, have tremendous influence. This truly exemplary leader derived his power from the conscious citizenry. The leader I am referring to is Mahatma Gandhi. Instrumental in the Indian Independence movement, Gandhi’s influence extended beyond the borders of India to the rest of the world. Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence inspired millions, including the great American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. A simple, pious man, Gandhi identified with and won the hearts of India’s most politically and economically marginalized people. He spent his life fighting to overcome modern forms of enslavement and oppression- caste oppression, religious hatred, gender oppression, and, what he saw as the worst form of violence, poverty. The purpose of this essay is to outline Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence and it’s influence worldwide as well as the strategies and characteristics that made Gandhi successful. Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence involved civil resistance, refusal to comply with unjust laws. He developed this philosophy while living and practicing law in South Africa. Organizing resistance to the notorious and grossly unjust apartheid system, which provoked significant legislative change, Gandhi left an indelible mark on the South African struggle for racial justice. Upon his return to India in 1915, Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence became infused with the struggle for swaraj (self-rule). In India, Gandhi raised his philosophy of non-violence to new levels of sophistication. Gandhi believed that organized non-violent civil resistance, not war, would awaken the consciousness of the British to their unjust domination over India. This was the belief that guided the Bardoili protest, the Amritsar Massacre and the Salt March. Gandhi’s mobilizations were so successful that they tarnished Britain’s international reputation and provoked irreversible change in Britain’s policy towards India, illustrating the potential of organized non-violent civil resistance. Gandhi was an uncompromising opponent of violence. He knew that using violence to fight violence corrupts and debases even the most noble of causes and leaves a legacy of bloodshed. If we look to the revolutionary movements of the twentieth century, we see the truth in Gandhi’s beliefs. The Bolsheviks, Maoists, the Khmer Rouge, the Shining Path, Sein Fein and the Palestinian Liberation Organization all left tremendous bloodshed in the paths towards â€Å"liberation.† They left a legacy of death and violence, rather than peace. Gandhi knew that the only solution to hatred, ignorance and fear was love, truth, and forgiveness. He knew that overcoming unjust hierarchies doesn’t mean inverting them; it means eliminating them altogether. Gandhi and his followers, like those who risked their lives to hide Jews during the Nazi regime, were prepared to die to make injustice visible for the entire world to see. For Gandhi, truth was a powerful weapon, needing no others. Indeed, truth has proven to be the most powerful weapon humanity has even known. One of the strategies that made Gandhi an effective leader was his ability to build bridges between communities, between upper and lower caste Hindus and among Hindus, Muslims and Christians. Gandhi saw the intrinsic humanity of all individuals, regardless of their caste, religion, gender, or social position in society. Deeply upset by communalism (Hindu-Muslim animosity), Gandhi was able to promote religious harmony through his personal and public actions. When this harmony was threatened, he fasted. Gandhi’s tremendous ability to bring an end to provincial and religious hatreds was tested time and time again with the Yeravda Pact and his fasts to end violence in Calcutta, Bengal and Delhi. One of the characteristics that made Gandhi successful was his ability to identify with the poor masses of India. Gandhi’s philosophy of self-rule distinguished itself from the elitism that characterized the Indian Independence movement, as well as virtually all other Independence movements of this century. Gandhi knew that freeing India from the yoke of imperialism also meant freeing the masses from economic servitude. Gandhi was opposed to Independence for only an elite few; he was fearful of an Independent India that would replicate past religious, caste and economic oppressions. Gandhi provided leadership by example. He exhibited the perfect marriage between personal morality and public action. The best example of this was his use of homespun cloth that provided employment for the poor masses and revived the village economy. In a world in which the inequalities generated by a global economy are becoming more obvious and frightening, Gandhi’s critique of technology and economies that benefit the powerful and marginalize the powerless is all too relevant today. The best demonstration of Gandhi’s leadership is his worldwide influence. American civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr., the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Archbishop Belo of East Timor, and countless other leaders have been deeply influenced by Gandhi and his philosophy of non-violence. For example, in 1994, in a Gandhian spirit of forgiveness and reconciliation, Nelson Mandela reached out to his adversaries- the same ones who had tortured and imprisoned him to bring an end to apartheid rule. Gandhi’s greatest legacy is the notoriety he achieved for advocating non-violence as a means of overcoming oppression. It is this belief that guides the actions of millions of average citizens who participate in civil society movements today across the globe. A tribute to Gandhi’s enduring lifetime achievements will be paid by naming the first decade of the new millenium the United Nations Decade of Non-Violence. No greater tribute has ever been paid to a leader of this century. Inspired and profoundly moved by his life and work, I hope the Decade of Non-Violence will truly awaken the consciousness of humanity into liberating ourselves from all and every kind of oppression; using truth as our only tool.

Civil Disobedience and Antigone Essay

Martin Luther King Jr.’s â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech focuses on the importance of freedom and brotherhood in a nation and is intended to rally Americans to demonstrate their anger at the injustices of segregation and racism through â€Å"creative protest.† While King’s passion and anger at the status quo is obvious in the text, he specifically states that they â€Å"must not allow [their] [protest] to degenerate into physical violence.† He is pushing for defiance against the government. Antigone exhibits the same kind of defiance when she goes against Creon’s law and completes her brother’s burial rites. Antigone, like Martin Luther King Jr., was faced with conflicting obligations; the obligation of a citizen to follow the law, and personal obligation to fight what one feels is wrong. A theme appears in both texts that one’s morals are more important than the law of the land. Antigone sacrificed her life to complete what she felt needed to be completed based on her religious beliefs. King dedicated his life to obtaining freedom for black people in America and was eventually killed for what he believed in, linking the two. If Sophocles and Martin Luther King Jr. were to have a conversation, the two would most certainly agree on some things. Both would agree that one must follow their heart and fight things they feel must be changed. They would agree that one must not stand idly by as injustice takes place, such as segregation or the body of one’s brother left to rot above the ground. While Antigone is not a central figure in a civil rights movement, she does exhibit civil disobedience, bridging the â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech and Antigone.

Whey protein Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Whey protein - Essay Example Along this line, whey protein product is marketed as a nutritional dietary supplement, such as for bodybuilding enthusiasts to build muscle mass quickly without any inherent side effects. Actually, whey protein is a general term for variety of proteins found in whey, such as beta-lactoglobulin, alpha-lactalbumin, lactoferrin, bovine serum albumin, immunoglobulins, lactoperoxidase and other protein enzymes (Ward 9). The presence of these proteins in whey make it an ideal supplement because they are not complex proteins, easily absorbed by ingestion and helps in muscle buildup (Onwulata & Huth 385). There are many intrinsic benefits in taking whey protein supplements, such as amino acids which help promote muscle growth and development, stimulate and promote the bodys resistance to inflammation (which is a cause of many diseases, such as cancer), as alternative supplementary treatment for a wide variety of ailments, promote colon health, improve heart or cardiac function, speed up muscle formation and overall, improve physiological functions. Because of its health-giving properties, whey protein is added to a good number of products like medical food, high-protein beverage, baby food, infant formula, confectionery and meat. Among the various brands out in the market today, Whey Protein by Optimum is the best because it is concentrated to almost pure whey form, in terms of its protein isolates. The protein content of whey in Optimum has been increased from a unique manufacturing process in order to get the best value for money in terms of protein concentration by weight. Whey is available in its three basic forms, which are as whey protein concentrate (WPC), whey protein isolate (WPI) and whey protein hydrolysate (WPH). Whey Protein by Optimum is thought by most medical experts and health enthusiasts as the gold standard in whey protein concentrate. Whey is high-quality protein and Optimum is the best brand there is

SWOT analysis on Apple company Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

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ICS 120 - Anything from the Moors to Pancho Villa Term Paper

ICS 120 - Anything from the Moors to Pancho Villa - Term Paper Example However, the Vandals and Byzantine rulers failed to penetrate the interior that still under the Moorish control. The Berbers were also able to resist domination by the warring Arab armies that kept attacking them from the East. However, this resistance did not last long as the Moors became Islamised by 700 CE (Nicolle 22). The Islamic Moors were able to defeat and take control of much of Iberia by 711 CE. They named peninsula area the Al Indulus. They tried to move northeast towards and across the Pyrenees Mountains but they were revolted by Frank Charles and his army in 732 CE at the Battle of Poitiers. The Moors were ruled over Iberia for several years, converting several of the original inhabitants into Islam (Sertima 65). A small Christain Iberian Kingdom known as the Austrias started the reconquista, or Inquisition, in the 8th century. Slowly they were able to spread their control over the north and western parts of Iberia. By the 13th century, a group of Christian leaders were able to drive out the Islamic Moors from the central part of the peninsula. Although most of the Iberian area fell under foreign control, the Moor’s Kingdom of Granada in the south thrived for three hundred more years. During the late half of the 15th century, a mass exodus from the peninsula was caused by forced conversion into Catholicism. This led to the decline of the powerful Al-Indulus into small fiefdoms which were known as taifas. These fiefdoms were consolidated in part under the Cordoba Caliphate (Nicolle 55). During the wars of Inquisition, many of the Moors chose to remain in Spain and were converted to Christianity. They were heavily persecuted by King Phillip and his armies if and when they were thought to be practising Islam in secret. They revolted in 1568 and this led to more persecutions. Eventually, they were expelled from Spain. Although

E-goverment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

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Mission Statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Mission Statement - Essay Example The covert and overt implications of my study and work have to be properly understood through the best means of argumentative theory and practice that are to be found in literary discourses. A person who is a position to make decisions that could be life-changing for all life forms on earth should take into account all the possible pros and cons of research and action that emerge from such decisions. I hope that the classical and realistic aspects of discursive power would assist me all through my career. I could foresee situations, in which I will have to use my argumentative skills to persuade, convince and reassure those who would be eagerly awaiting the results or practical outcome of my line of work. Moreover, there could be situations in which I will have to defend the work carried out in my field against popular discontent. The best way to augment my knowledge and growth in my chosen area of expertise would be to get familiarized with the literature and culture that define the people with whom I will have to interact. At the end of this semester, I would like to see myself as an informed person in my area of study, equipped with the communicative and inter-personal skills that help me express well-balanced views. I would like to make use the best of my abilities and work towards this goal. I wish to be continually engaged with knowledge and expand it through meaningful discussions where my arguments are taken seriously. I would be a keen observer who is willing to learn from the classic models of arguments and to participate in any individual and group activity that would provide me with a hands-on experience of its practical aspects. The most important fact in my educational career is to be well informed in my area of

Reasons behind the Financial Crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Reasons behind the Financial Crisis - Essay Example Still on torts, directors can be held liable due to their subordinates both beneficial and non-beneficial. The financial crisis is fostered by inept decision making poor planning and general laxity in troubleshooting. These problems accrue from middle management personnel, but a director is liable (Berlatsky 3). Directors can be held liable for breaching fiduciary duty to the corporations they run. This situation arises when a director tries to avoid conflict of interest such that, through their actions or omissions, they are doing an injustice to the corporation. An example is when directors knowingly enter into contracts that are financially inappropriate for their companies. The directors view their personal interests in the contract to be of greater value. Most directors have a tendency to act outside their authority in regard to letters patent and other corporate governing documents. Such decisions result in misappropriation of company resources, poor investment decisions and an inevitable financial crisis (Berlatsky 34). Directors are also liable for Risk Management in regard to the investments made by the company. However, this liability extends even more to the Gate keepers. Gatekeepers include lawyers, accountants and investment bankers. This group of professionals plays a significant role in advising the directors on what ventures they should and should not undertake. The first group is the accountants. An accountant’s failure to comprehensively account for the acquisition and use of financial assets, therefore, is equal to the failure of the company. Investment bankers should transparently render their advice on which ventures are more profitable than the others. Most investment bankers lack transparency owing to their self serving motives this led to increased debt burden or over-leveraging. Another crucial batch of professionals is the lawyers. Their work should be to ascertain the legal financial implications made by a director and in exten t the company they represent. These professions collectively failed to render their services effectively and with efficiency. They also did not uphold integrity especially in regard to safeguarding company assets. Finally, they did not comply with the law especially in light of contract procurement (Hamdani & Olin 56). The most eminent failure of internal and external auditors is fraud. Auditors are the main whistle blowers in regards to a corporation’s failure and success despite how minimal. In the event that they turn a blind eye to illegal, inappropriate activities of a company in managing and investing finances the result will be a financial crisis (Hamdani & Olin 78). Notable failures of credit rating agencies are apparent in the following three areas: Ratings methodologies: in this case, most of the credit rating agencies did not follow the recommended rating methodologies. There are also reports of the ratings leaking to interested parties before publish which is surm ountable to fraud. This unfair rating systems contributed to the great number of poor financial decisions made that led to the financial crisis. Fiduciary legislation: managing conflicts of interest: the agencies do not have clear cut policies to manage cases of conflict of interest. This is especially notable in instances where the issuer holds large shares in the firm. Timely, accurate disclosures: credit rating agencies are slow to disclose errors and fix them especially in reg

Report on Religious Field Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Report on Religious Field - Research Paper Example This discussion is meant to investigate and discuss the misconceptions that people have about Buddhism religion. It will further, analyze the prior understanding about this religion, and if misconceptions about other people’s religion are common Buddhism exists in two different factions, Theravada, which is referred as school of elders and Mahayana. Theravada is found in Sri Lanka on the South-eastern side Asia and Mahayana is on the Eastern side of Asia. However, Buddhism is highly concentrated in Asia; it is scantly found in other parts of the world. The teachings of Buddhism differ in the kind on the course of freedom. The main teachings are on the dependent initiation and no self. The basis of this religion is the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. Association with any of those courses is an indication of being a Buddhist (Christopher, 2000). Misconceptions of Buddhism religion Buddhist is pagans Pagan is a term used to refer to people who do not ascribe to God commonly accepted by the Christian God. Buddhist on their part does not relate themselves to God or gods. Instead, Buddhist relates their faith to Dharma, which is not an idol. Buddhist concerns itself about the truth. Conversely, to other religion when an negative eventuality occur, Buddhist will not raise question as to such, this is because Buddhist do not belief in supreme being like the other religion that believe that there is a supernatural power that have control over everything. Buddhist concerns themselves with appreciation of happenings that take place in ones in life (Kuo, 2008). Idea of Reincarnation This misconception is appreciable. For instance, Tibetans Buddhists holds the belief of being born again and in different class of life higher than the one a person occupied before he died. There is a misconception, which might lure a person to believing Tibetan Buddhism symbolizes Buddhism in entirety. Shin Buddhist appreciate the belief of reincarnation in the same way as other people beli eve in their god but the difference is they do not give it much thought. The common ground of all Buddhist is concern about the truth, which exists in nature, and people ought to appreciate (Kuo, 2008). Kuo ( 2008) argues that Buddhist appreciate anguish, the argument behind this is the perception that Buddhist stands for the truth and honesty. Suffering is a common thing in nature, and the truth about this should not be dispelled in the minds of human beings. Lack of appreciation of this belief is seen by Buddhist as escapism. Buddhists do not appreciate suffering as an opportunity to learn through encounters. Further, to the Buddhist suffering is seen as a positive phenomenon that a person should experience in order to learn from it. Buddhist dressing in robes is another misconception. This is attributed to the time of the Hare Krishna a faction that was very evident. In the 70s and 80s when this faction used to be in many places that it was very simple to identify them in their r obes. Most of the American may have been lured into believing that the Faction of the Hare Krishna was Buddhists. While the Buddhists, Tibetan monks and the priests wear robes during religious ceremonies, the other followers of the religion wear normal clothes. Buddhist is a unique religion in that it encourages meditation. The forms of meditation one may involve in depend on

France in the American Revolution Essay Example for Free

France in the American Revolution Essay The role of France in the American Revolution can be identified as noticeable and visible. Despite the fact that the country experienced financial difficulties, it had managed to use the American Revolution as an effective tool to weaken arch-rival in both affairs of Europe, Britain and many other countries. The position of the British Empire was seriously damaged and therefore, France expected the United States to ally with it. There are many suggestions and assumptions about the role the country has played in the American Revolutionary War. Some argue that the sole purpose of the country was to revenge the British Empire as France had lost its territory in America after signing the Treaty of Paris in 1763. Others claim that the country has made up decision to intervene not to revenge, but because of strong desire to revenge the loss of Canada. However, the widely help suggestion is that France participated in the American Revolution because of desperate French position in Europe. Nevertheless, America had failed to weaken the British power and war appeared to be a tragic failure for French expectations. It is argued that the country â€Å"was desperate for peace but did not attempt to betray the United States†. (p. 87) Therefore, France can be defined as one of the most important supporters in American Revolution. Debt maintenance was the primary problem of the French government and the war resulted in more severe financial crisis which â€Å"which provided the immediate occasion for the release of those forces which shattered the French political and social order†. (p. 134) Summing up, France entered the revolutionary war in 1779 and helped the United States to become independent from the British Empire. France was willing to become the first commercial partner of the newly-formed and independent United States, but its hopes failed to be realized, but France became important trade partner. France expected to be recognized in the American Revolution and to be appreciated, as well as it was going to re-gain its territories in the United States. Works Cited Dull, Jonathan R. A. Diplomatic History of the American Revolution. USA: Yale U. Press, 1985.

Kite Runner Themes Essay Example for Free

Kite Runner Themes Essay Ethnic Pride Baba expresses a great deal of pride and attachment to the afghan culture so the move to America fills Amir and himself with a loss of heritage and identity. The escape from the previous culture however allows Amir to escape the incident of rape upon his best friend Hassan which has left a bad taste on his childhood. In America Amir doesn’t turn away from his Middle Eastern culture, and asks Soraya’s father, the general for permission to marry her even though he spurns it slightly by talking to her privately without consent. Amir towards the end, becomes proud of his blended culture. Although he enjoys visiting Pakistan, eating the traditional food and hearing references to childhood legends, he also likes the feeling of hope and freedom he gained from America. Social Inequality From childhood, Amir recognizes the difference in social standing between himself and best friend Hassan. As a Pashtun, Amir enjoys privileges of being a higher class and his father being a successful man whereas Hassan is poor and he and his father face prejudice from people every day. Despite this, Hassan and Ali are content with their lower class life and are good natured human beings. Hosseini is trying to convey that your social standing in society does not determine what kind of person you are and if you are better than someone else. You can only truly be better than someone else morally and having saint-like characteristics. During Amir and Hassan childhood, they’re differences of social class are conveyed by living standards, Hassan being illiterate and physical appearances. These are individually important but as a whole they all convey irony in the fact that it is Hassan who is content with life and Amir who is not. Later in the novel, Hazara prejudice which is taken to the extreme as they are massacred and abused by Taliban officials, such as Assef. When Sohrab returns with Amir to America, Amir is quick to dispel any mention of class as he believes it is has influenced his and Sohrab’s life too greatly and he perhaps finally sees them as his equals which he was afraid to do so as a child(never referring to Hassan as his friend). Personal Responsibility Many of the actions of the main character stem from personal responsibility. Baba takes on the responsibility of Ali from his father, who took him in when he was a child. He lets Ali and his son work for him, offers them shelter and food; making them feel part employees and part family. Air later realises this ‘personal responsibility’ baba showed for Ali may stem from his guilt of betraying Ali and fathering Hassan. Amir feels responsible for all the bad occurrences which happened to Hassan and his father. He feels many of the events which occurred later in the novel are down to him being too cowardly to prevent Hassan being raped. Though many suffer from the Taliban’s ruthlessness, he believes the events that happened to Hassan’s family are his responsibility/fault. The feeling of responsibility is what drives Amir to return to Afghanistan, to rescue Sohrab. Rahim Khan plants this idea in Amir’s head and suggests this is the way to achieve closure and absolution for the past. After he rescues Sohrab, Amir feels responsible for the boy in a different way and wants to protect him from anymore pain; furthermore, he sees Sohrab as a way to fill the emptiness in the marriage from his and Sorayas infidelity. Identity and Self- discovery Throughout the novel the protagonist struggles to find his true purpose and find his identity through noble actions. Amir’s failure to be loyal to his friend at such a crucial moment defines this conflict. His endeavour to overcome his own weaknesses appear in confronting Assef, returning to a war torn country oppressed by the Taliban and even his carsickness whilst during with Farid. The revelation of baba later in chapter 17, allows Amir to discover who his father really was and how alike they were in terms of betraying people who loved and were loyal to the end to them. The return to Afghanistan allows Amir to find out the type of man he can become and to confront his past which he has so desperately tried to bottle up. Family, Fathers and Fatherhood Family relationships play a great part in this novel but mothers are strikingly absent. Amir and Hassan grow up without their mothers and this is exemplified through the tension of Baba’s treatment of his sons. He makes it clear he is disappointed Amir is bookish, cowardly to protect his social standing and stick up for Hassan whilst on the other hand, he never publically acknowledges Hassan as his own son- although he shows a great deal of affection to Hassan. Likewise, General Taheri is a similar traditional, highly critical father who chafes his daughter for rebellious behaviour. The theme of family is then reintroduced when Amir and Soraya are unsuccessful in starting their own- punishment perhaps for their pasts or that Amir has yet to face up to his. The adoption of the troubled Sohrab however, provides them with the attempt to begin a complete family based on love and honesty. Journey and Quest The novel is mostly based around Amirs departure from Afghanistan as a young teenager and his return as a middle aged man to the war-torn country. At the same time, it is a symbolic quest. Amir makes great sacrifices to pursue his quest to atone for past sins by rescuing his nephew Sohrab in the hands of the Taliban. Symbolised at the beginning of the novel with Amir cutting his fingers with the kite string in order to sacrifice himself for his father’s love, sacrifice plays a big theme also. Amir towards the end of the novel again, willingly cuts his fingers, to revive his spiritually wounded nephew who is suffering from depression. By the end of the novel, this significant symbol of sacrifice shows how much Amir has morally developed as he is willing to sacrifice much in order to save Sohrab from a similar fate and to protect him. The most part of the novel is Amir hiding from his past and by returning to Kabul he is taking that all important journey to have complete redemption. Political power and Abuse The events of the novel occur against the backdrop of political change, the rise of the Taliban government. Assef, Hassans rapist and bully, who becomes a high ranking Taliban officer, embodies the consequence of abuse of power and violence and oppression caused by the Taliban. Assef is a sociopath who thrives in the atmosphere of chaos. Interpersonal violence leads to the split of Hassan and Amir; on a national scale the abuse of power by communist backed soviets results in massacres and Afghanistan forces to go into exile. The abuse of power and abuse is an important reference to how the hazara’s have been treated. From humiliation at the beginning of the novel for their looks to being massacred and horrifically abused. When General Taheri demands an explanation for their adoption of Sohrab, he echoes the discrimination against this entire ethnic minority and in a sense, Baba also condones the attitude towards Hazara’s by not admitting that he fathered a Hazara son. Kites After Hassan gets raped while running his kite, Amir cannot separate kite fighting and running from his own betrayal and cowardice. Therefore, even after all of his injuries and trials on Sohrabs behalf, it is the act of kite running that finally makes him feel redeemed. Beyond their significance to the plot, kites have multiple layers of symbolism in the story. One of these layers involves the class difference between Amir and Hassan, which largely dictates and limits their relationship. In kite fighting, one boy controls the kite while the other assists by feeding the string. Just as Hassan makes Amirs breakfast, folds his clothes, and cleans his room, so does he cater to Amir in kite tournaments. Even though Hassan shares in the excitement of kite fighting, he does not actually have control over the kite. Hassan may help the kite lift-and-dive, but Amir is the one who claims a victory. Hassan may catch a cherished rival kite and hold it in his arms, but always to bring it back to Amir, to whom it then belongs. His joy is vicarious, just like his experience of wealth and privilege while living in Babas household. In order to free himself of selfishness and cowardice, Amir must go from being merely a kite fighter-someone who seeks glory-to a kite runner, someone who genuinely does things for others. The activity of kite fighting is violent by nature. The kites battle and so too do the children flying them. The string, which is covered in ground glass, carves deep gashes into the fliers hands as they try to cut each other down, and once kites fall out of the sky, the kite runners retrieve them with the same furious determination as, say, a hunting dog does a slain bird. In its violence, kite fighting represents the conflicts that rage Afghanistan nearly throughout the course of the novel. When Hosseini paints us a picture of hundreds of kites trying haphazardly and with great determination to cut each other down, he shows us also the warring factions of Afghanistan overthrowing one another. At the same time kite fighting is violent, the mere act of kite flying is innocent and speaks of freedom. Amir and Hassan do not have control over the differences between them; in fact, they are both the victims of a lie, and their relationship would have been different had they known they were brothers. Yet despite their differences and the symbolism of their respective kite-fighting roles, flying kites is an activity that brings the boys together. For a moment, they are part of a team. For many years, Amir feels as though he and Hassan are adversaries for Babas love. After the rape, Hassans very existence infuriates Amir because it reminds him of his cowardice. Despite all this, when the boys fly kites together, they are on the same team. They are more like brothers then than perhaps any other time, because the activity is somewhat mutual. It allows them to momentarily escape their differences and enjoy a shared sense of exhilaration and freedom.

External And Internal Audit Of Zurich

External And Internal Audit Of Zurich The scope of the report is a comprehensive external and internal audit of the company Zurich Insurance, providing a base for formulation of its new 5-year marketing plan. The company, Zurich Financial Services (Zurich Insurance) is a global insurance-based financial services provider, which offers life insurance, non-life insurance, risk management and other related products. Group headquarters are in Zurich, Switzerland, it employs 60,000 people, while its main markets are in Europe and North America. The group operates thought three main units targeting three main segments (Zurich Insurance 2010): General insurance targeting the non-life insurance segment; Global life targeting the life insurance segment; and Farmers that targets the life and non-life segment in US. The analysis in the report identified several key issues of importance for the further activities of the company. Key emerging issues The current external and internal situational impact as provided with the audit identifies several important opportunities for development of the company in the period to come. In line with its current corporate objectives, these directions include: Expansion on emerging insurance market especially the non-life market; Capitalisation on its position at the mature markets for a better positioning in the new segment (ageing population) at the mature markets Improve its operational profit margin; and Placing Corporate Social Responsibility at the core of its strategic positioning reinforcing its brand and working towards decreasing the high level of groups risks. Table of Contents 1.Vision, Mission and Corporate Objectives 4 1.1 Vision 4 1.2 Mission Statement 4 1.3 Corporate Objectives 5 2.Situational Analysis 6 2.1 External Analysis 6 2.1.1.Macroeconomic Analysis-PESTEL 6 2.1.2.Industry Analysis 8 2.1.3. Market Analysis 11 2.1.4. Opportunities and Threats 11 .2. Internal Analysis 12 2.2.1. Value Chain Analysis 14 2.2.2. The Balance Scorecard 15 2.2.3. Core Competences and Capabilities 15 2.2.4. Zurich Insurance Culture Web 16 2.2.5. Identified Strengths and Weaknesses 16 2.3.Summary of the current situation impact- SWOT 17 3.Marketing Objectives Five year plan 20 4.Marketing Strategies 21 6. Marketing Implementation 7Ps 22 7. Budgetary Requirements 23 8. Gantt 25 Vision, Mission and Corporate Objectives The concept of vision and mission comes from the influence of the rationalists approaches towards strategy promoted by Chandler and Ansoff and the famous hierarchy of plans (Linstead et.al. 2004, p. 501). Within the hierarchy of plans, there are four levels of strategy: enterprise, corporate, business and functional plans, while at the top of the pyramid is the enterprise strategy. The enterprise strategy is the broadest level of strategy that articulates the role of the business entity in the society. Its main aim is to answer two questions why does the company exist and what does it serve for the society. In contemporary management language it seeks to provide the Mission and the Vision of the company as a whole. 1.1 Vision The Zurich Way or the Zurich vision is to become the best global insurer as defined by its customers, its shareholders and its people (Zurich Insurance 2010) in serving its three target segments. 1.2 Mission Statement Zurichs mission is to deliver help when it matters so that customers feel valued and taken care of (TheTimes100 2010, p121) is reflected in its comprehensive range of general and life insurance products and services accustomed to the needs of all of its customers, accompanied with an in-depth customer knowledge, a global network and local expertise, high-quality service and ease of doing business, backed by strong capital and talented employees (Zurich Insurance 2010). 1.3 Corporate Objectives According to Linstead et.al. (2004, p. 502) ,the corporate objectives should be specific, realistic considering the internal and external environment, achievable with a reasonable amount of effort, and must reflect the expected reality, or in short SMART. For Zurich Insurance they are (Zurich Insurance 2009a): 1.3.1 Profitable growth The company seeks to identify and exploit opportunities for profitable growth. These opportunities arise when there are strategic gaps in offer at target markets or locations. It is either achieved though the existing business of the company or through acquisition of new business. Key performance indicators (KPI) for this objective are groups operating profit margin and its net profits. 1.3.2 Operational transformation The operational transformation objective aims at building strength at core areas as risk management, investment management, underwriting and claims, measured through the level of quality of services. 1.3.3 Customer centricity The customer centricity is the centre of companys mission achieved through five specific indicators as presented in Figure 2. People management The companys objectives are to employ the best talent, and to provide opportunities for its further professional development. Situational Analysis A situational analysis in the strategic management, consists of analysis of the external and internal context of the company, and serves to identify possible gaps in the strategic positioning of the company that can be a strategic opportunity or threat, and in identifying its internal strengths and weakness. In essence, it is what practitioners call a marketing audit. A marketing audit is a comprehensive, systematic, independent, and periodic examination of a companys or business units marketing environment, objectives, strategies, and activities with a view to determining problem areas and opportunities and recommending a plan of action to improve the companys marketing performance (Kotler and Keller 2006, p.719). Thus it is a tool that assists the management in describing current activities and their outcomes, performed for setting new strategic direction of the company, or as in the case of Zurich Insurance for setting a new marketing plan. 2.1 External Analysis The analysis of the business environment is a significant step in understanding the external concept in which the company functions. According to Johnson et.al (2005, p.64) this understanding is built on several levels: the macro environment, the micro environment-the industry, the competitors (strategic groups) and the markets (segments). 2.1.1.Macroeconomic Analysis-PESTEL The PESTEL tool helps in identifying the factors that determine the external strategic opportunities and threats of companies operating in a certain industry (Johnson et.al 2005, p.57). Thomson and Strickland (2003, p.93) regard these factors as key drivers of change, shaping the strategic environment of the industry (Lynch 2009, p.79), and significant in the process of building scenarios of possible futures (Johnson et.al 2005, p.57). In the case of Zurich Insurance, these factors are given as follows. Political environment The more conditions which globalisation brings to businesses and their operations as are the openness of trade and easier movement of capital, the impact of the lack of more structured global governance represents a high systematic risk for the insurance sector. According to the Global Risk Report (WEF 2010), in most of the cases of risk identification, the experts identified weak or inadequate institutions or agreements in almost all of the risks covered. This is why global governance gap emerged as a systematic risk crucial in addressing many critical global issues over the coming years of importance for the insurance industry as are the climate change effects and the natural disasters. Economic environment The GDP growth is one of the most important pre-conditions for the profitability in the insurance sector. The global economy is a contrast of the stagnant growth in the developed countries (2-3% projected growth in the next 5 years) and a stronger positive growth in the developing regions (7% growth by 2015) (IMF 2010, p.4). This slowdown, negatively affects the insurance business in the areas of property and casualties, as the market is not growing causing a fierce competition pressuring margins. Many countries, especially the ones from the developed world as a response to the financial crisis from 2007, responded with overextending their fiscal positions, endangering unsustainable levels of debt which, in turn, may lead to full-fledged sovereign debt crises (WDF 2010). Based on IMF data, WEF (2010) reports of G20 budget deficits at 7.9% of their combined GDP. Although necessary these costs created a mountain of debt, that will have to be serviced on behalf of reduction in government spending on health and pensions, increasing the opportunities for the private life and pension insurance. Socio-cultural environment A key socio-economic driver influencing the environment of the insurance industry and thus Zurich Insurance is the ageing of the population in the developed countries. At the moment, many public health are not designed for meeting these needs, and will contract pushing the population towards the private insurers (WEF 2010). Technological environment Technology as a key driver of change, in particular affected the insurance sales channels, enabling transparency for the end buyers and a possibility to compare prices. In some target markets this possibility affected and still affects insurance premiums. From the aspect of the fast penetration of the IT/IS in the operations of companies, the risks of a major failure which could jeopardise the operations of the industry on a global scale are small, as the financial industry in general is very conservative towards the new trends of use of IT, while cloud computing is still out of industry comprehension. Environmental environment A key driver of change for the insurance industry coming from the environment is the global climate change. The severity of extreme weather accompanied global catastrophes in the form of natural disasters as hurricanes, wildfires and floods, may result in greater damage of the environment, infrastructure and property, even loss of life, increasing insurance claims (WEF 2010). Legal environment The financial industry in general, and the insurance sector is particular is one of the most regulated areas in the world that penetrates all its operations. In many cases, insurance is obligatory as is the motor-insurance, and in some countries the prices are set. As a result, it can be argued that the industry products in general are price inelastic. 2.1.2.Industry Analysis Economic theory defines an industry as a group of firms producing the same principal product (Rutherford 1985 as cited in Johnson et.al 2005, p.77) or, more broadly, a group of firms producing products that are close substitutes for each other (Porter 1980, p.5). From a strategic management perspective, analysing the attractiveness of the insurance means determining the profit potential through understanding the competitive forces in that industry and the way in which Zurich Insurance chooses to compete (Johnson et.al. 2005, p78). 2.1.2.1. Key Strategic Groups The insurance industry is characterised with two specific market segments, life and non-life insurance. The industry is highly fragmented with large number of players (Datamonitor 2010b, p.) of which most function in the both markets, and the markets are heavily regulated, as a result there are no specific strategic groups within this industry. 2.1.2.2. Five Forces Analysis While many times put on test, challenged and questioned, for almost three decades Porters five forces model (1980, 1985), is the dominant model accepted for analyzing the attractiveness of industries. Porters analysis shows that in the insurance industry the competitive rivalry is high and intensive. It is an industry in the shakeout phase of its cycle, characterised with small annual growth (Johnson et.al. 2005, p.86). The industry phase is characterised with a shakeout of the weakest competitors, encouraging acquisitions and consolidation. The main buyers in the industry are the policy holders, individuals and corporations, while the main suppliers are seen in the IT companies. Although the switching costs for the buyers are high due to contract obligations, the overall buyer power is assessed as moderate due to the large number of individual customers, which devaluates the meaning of the choice of an individual buyer. Within the business segment, the buyer power is lowered further due to the fact that businesses actually require insurance to protect their companies from risk; however, large companies excursive stronger negotiating power compared to the individuals. As the insurance industry works with information and stores huge amounts of data, the IT companies and software houses are its main supplier. It usually is a larger company as IBM, while the software systems are complex and interlinked, which increases supplier power and the switching costs. In recent years there have been trends of outsourcing the tasks to off-shore companies; however, this is not the dominant trend in this industry, which is why the supplier power is assessed as strong. It is a capital incentive industry which serves as a major entry barrier to newcomers; however, competitors from within the large financial industry as Banks, wherever the legislation allows them, can easily enter at the market. The overall treat coming from newcomers is assessed as moderate. There are no real substitutes to insurance. Many insurance products are legally required in many countries, which is why the threat coming from the substitutes is assessed as weak. Overall, the attractiveness of the industry in combination with its life cycle stage is assessed as moderate (Datamonitor 2010b). 2.1.3. Market Analysis The insurance market consists of two very important segments: the life and non-life insurance. Zurich insurance operates in the both segments. The life insurance segment participates with 57% in the total value at the market. The non-life segment has a significant growth potential in the emerging markets as China where this rate is very low (Datamonitor 2010c), where the state still covers the life-insurance. According to the estimations of Datamonitor (2010b), the market had a compound annual growth rate of 2.7% for the period 2005-2009 with an anticipated annual growth of 6.7% for the period 2009-2014, with a higher market growth expected on the Asian market. 2.1.4. Opportunities and Threats The external analysis presented in the preceding sections identifies the existence of several external strategic opportunities and threats for Zurich Insurance. The opportunities come from the process of consolidation and geographic expansion in the emerging markets, from the ageing population at the developed markets and the good developments at the assets management market. The industry faces tough times due to the slow recovery of the global economy and the increasing environmental risks for the only risk taker in the society. The risks from a catastrophe, either from a severe weather, or a major natural disaster, are high, and the insurance industry is the only one taking accountability for these occurrences on a global level thus there is a global governance gap that threatens the industry. Table 1.Telescopic ObservationFramework Technological considerations Economic considerations Legal and regulatory requirements Ecological and Environmental issues Sociological Trends Competition Organisational Culture Portfolio analysis International issues Cost efficiencies and cost structures New technology and fast penetration of IT in the insurance channels Slow growth of the global economy, Heavily regulated industry in almost all countries. Climate Change causing severe weather and catastrophes Ageing population in the mature markets; longer life expectations; Population growth at the emerging markets Intensive rivalry, many players Strong and unique Life and non-life products, and products for global companies Global governance gap a major risk for the insurance industry Strengths Zurich is successful in IT implementation. Zurich is 5thglobal player Unique Culture Proposition UPS Strong Weaknesses Needs more security Opportunity Increased demand for new life insurance products; Penetration at the emerging markets Opportunity to acquire competitors Threats It will decrease company revenues It will increase insurance claims No strong global governance increases global risks .2. Internal Analysis In the contemporary strategic management, the analysis of internal business environment covers a wide range of issues that developed in the past two decades mainly as a result of the emergence of the resource based view on strategy (Barney 1991, Rumelt 1991). Unfortunately, as Herrmann (2005) argues, since the RBV did not produce a dominant design, it developed in many different ways identifying key company resources, capacities, core capabilities, dynamic capabilities, ending with the knowledge-based competitive advantages (Johnson et.al 2005, Lynch 2009). At the end it got merged with the positioning school providing a strong academic background to the use of SWOT (used by companies from 1960s) (Linstaed et.al. 2004, p.502). Today there are several models available for the internal analysis. This report will use the Porters value chain (1985), which explains how the company is internally organised to reach its objectives. The chain further serves as a good base for identifying comp anys core capabilities and competencies (Hamel and Phrahald 1990), while the use of the Balance Scorecard (Kaplan and Norton 1996) as a tool, complements Porters Value chain as it provides the measures and the benchmarks against which the companys internal performance is measured in line with corporate goals. 2.2.1. Value Chain Analysis Zurich Financial is one of the largest insurance groups in the world serving approximately 60,000 people in more than 170 countries (Zurich Insurance 2010). Its value chain is developed using information from companys Annual reports. Table 2. Zurich Insurance Value Chain Analysis PROFIT MARGIN Firm Infrastructure (ZI Annual report 2009a) Successful integration of activities in a strong international value-chain with highly developed IT infrastructure; Centralised organisational structure, but with strong local adaptation decision making as products depends on national legal requirements and culture (EB 2008); Companywide culture emphasising customer centric behaviour. Human Resource Management (ZI Annual report 2009, ZI Business Review 2009,EB 2008) Recruitment and selection of the best high qualified teams of employees; Succession planning structures; Global approach to leadership development; Continuous training and development; Global performance management,; Global learning management system; Compensation programs with variable remuneration designed to encourage customer centric behaviour and creativity, but discourage risk-taking (ZI Annual report 2009, p.99); Innovative benefits scheme encouraging employee collaboration; Technology development Heavy investments in technology deployment 0 needs a good security (Insley 2010) Procurement (ZI Annual report 2009) Long-term contracts with major IT suppliers; Procurement systems in place for the other minor suppliers. Inbound logistics Information technology and internet Operations New Product development; Underwriting, Risk management, Investment management; Outbound logistics Forms, design management, filling and printing of the insurance policies. Marketing and sales Strong CRM build on a unique proposition deep customer understanding; Frequent promotional activities; Use of many sales channels and different compensation schemes of third party agents to reach customers but avoiding cannibalisation. After Sale Service Technology driven claims handling and servicing which enable easy fast way to deal with the company (ZI BR 2009b, p.27); Following up the client and its needs; Increasing knowledge on the client needs deep customer understanding; It is important to note, that Porters Value chain is designed to focus on a business unit, rather than on a group comprising of three core business units as Zurich; however, due to the merge of many of its core operations, the value chain can be simplified as provided in the Table above. 2.2.2. The Balance Scorecard The application of the Balance Scorecard propositions (Kaplan and Norton 1996), provides for the capability of measuring the financial and non-financial impact of the operations of the company, seen through measuring four thematic areas: Financial, Customers, Processes and People (Competence). It indicates that Zurich Insurance operating model as presented with the Portes Value chain, resulted in the 5th global rank of the Company in 2009 with an annual increase of the operating profit margin of 8% (target at 10%) (Zurich Insurance 2009b). The company in 2005, had a significant improvement in companys operations from 2007, when the group reported a decrease of 64.9% with a decrease in net profits of 46.8% . In the more mature countries, UK, US, Switzerland and Japan, it is among the top three insurers on every service (Zurich Insurance 2009b). Zurich strongest business unit is the general insurance, which brings the highest revenues and profits ((Zurich Insurance 2009b p.13), and with USD 34,157 million in premium fees, reflects the immense scale of companys global operations. Zurich Insurance employees more than 60 000 employees globally are one of its main stakeholder groups. Employees receive trainings and developments, while a sophisticated annually survey measures employee satisfaction (Zurich Insurance 2009b, p.35). The group as well implements annual customer feedback surveys. 2.2.3. Core Competences and Capabilities The core capability of Zurich lies in its right combination of tangible (finances, people, premises) and intangible resources (knowledge, expertise, culture and brand) (Grant 2005, p.140). Zurichs strong risk management knowledge combined with its social capital, supported with strong companys culture based on trust and knowledge-sharing, and its innovative, but risk-averse provision of new solutions, differentiates the company from the rest at the market and is the essence of its core competency and competitive advantage (Zurich Insurance 2009b). The strong customer relationship and customer dependability increase Zurich Insurance ability to introduce new products, charge premium price on certain products and cross-sell on others. It as well builds on the strong and unique Culture, which as Kingl (2010) argues is Zurichs Unique Selling Proposition, or Unique Culture Proposition. 2.2.4. Zurich Insurance Culture Web To better understand the premise of Zurichs UCP, we will use the culture web tool as recommended by Johnson et.al. (2005 p.202), based on the preceding analysis Zurich Insuranc and on the findings of Kingl (2010) case study 2.2.5. Identified Strengths and Weaknesses The company is characterised with a strong market position, a strong brand, a unique, value delivering culture and an impressive financial performance in terms of profits and revenues (compared to the results from 2008). Moreover, the company has an impressive record of successful integrations with acquisitions which indicates that it is using the opportunities presented from the shakeout phase of the industry business cycle (Zurich Insurance 2010). There are only very few weaknesses. First, the operating profit margin is still bellow the target of 10%. Second, the group is highly dependent from the revenues coming from the general insurance segment which participates with 53% in the operating profit. Third, the risk management system of the general insurance segment must improve to provide better capacity for accumulating larger number of claims in cases of natural or other type of disaster, having in mind that the main impact of the increased claims in these areas impacted the low financial results in 2007. Summary of the current situation impact- SWOT The current external and internal situational impact as provided with SWOT and with the telescopic Observation Framework (Panagiotou and Wijnen 2005) in the table below identifies several important areas of development for the company in the period to come. In line with its corporate objectives, Zurich should: exploit the good opportunities that come from the growth in the emerging and the developed markets; improve its operations, especially the operating profit margin. In addition, as the companys operations are extremely vulnerable to the effects of the climate change and the global governance gap, and as its interests are aligned with the interests of the majority of stakeholders (which is not the case in many industries as the oil or tobacco industry), it should make the CSR at the core of its strategic positioning in line with the model of Porter and Keller (2006). It can be done through promoting its knowledge, analysis and insightful perspective regarding the global risks as much as possible, and positioning in the minds of its current and potential customers as a business genuinely interested in reducing these effects. Marketing Objectives Five year plan Marketing objectives are specific and quantitative benchmarks of marketing goals that guide the implementation of marketing plans (Ferrell and Hartline 2008, p.140). Objectives exist because marketing goals without measurements are meaningless. Researchers and practitioners (Armstrong 2009 et.al., McDonald 2008, Kotler and Keller 2006) emphasise that they must reflect: (1) the corporate and business objectives; (2) the target market needs and companys competitive capability to serve these markets; (3) the industry and markets evolution, and be (4)SMART (Sustainable, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound). In line with the findings of the preceding analysis, and the Telescopic Framework (Table 3) the following marketing objectives should guide the Zurich Insurance five year plan: Increase its market share at the emerging markets, in all targeted segments, but in particular in the non-life segment which is underdeveloped; Increase its penetration at the mature markets of the developing countries thorough targeting current and new segments (the ageing population needs); Make Corporate Social Responsibility part of its positioning and tide it strongly to the word help associated with its customer centric culture and its strong brand. The CSR will reinforce the positioning of the brand across all segments. Marketing Strategies For accomplishing these objectives, the companys choice of market activities will depend on its choice of strategic development strategy. 4.1 Ansoff s Matrix According to Johnson et.al. (2005, pp: 341-347) the Ansoff product/market can be used for identifying directions for strategic development, taking into account the product/market coverage and the strategic capabilities of the company. Figure 6 Ainsoff Matrix of Zurich Insurance Market Development New capabilities (existing products in new markets) Life and non-life penetration into the emerging markets; Market Development New segments Increasing the scope of existing life insurance policies to certain segment of the ageing population at the mature markets in the developing world. Diversification with new capabilities (new products at new markets) Not suggested at the moment, as the finances are required to fuel the growth in the mature and the emerging markets. Market penetration Penetration and market share accumulation on the existing markets through acquisitions. Product development with new capabilities (new products at existing markets) New products for the ageing population at the mature markets in the developing world. 6. Marketing Implementation 7Ps According to practitioners (Kotler and Keller 2006, p), the implementation of the marketing strategies is achieved through making decisions regarding the content of the offer (product), its price, how it will be delivered to the customers and what distribution channels will be used, i.e. the 4Ps of the marketing mix. The 4Ps of the marketing mix were introduced in the 70s of the past century, and since then dominate the methodology used in strategic marketing. As Kotler et.al. (2008) services have three very distinctive characteristics compared to the physical products as are intangibility, inseparability and perishability. These characteristics made it difficult for the service practitioners to adapt the 4Ps model to their offerings, which is why the model expended with three additional elements: People, Processes and Physical assets. In its essence the insurance industry is a service industry, which is why the designed marketing mix will have 7Ps and will aim at accomplishing compa nys marketing objectives in terms of market share, development, or penetration. The 7Ps implementation model for the three business units of Zurich Insurance is given in Table 4. Table 3. 7Ps Segments General Insurance (non-life) Global Life (life) Farmers Product/Service: 1. The traditional product offer, strengthened with new products at the mature markets; 2. New products for the needs of the emerging markets. The traditional product offer, strengthened with new products in the pension insurance; The traditional product offer, strengthened with new products due to the good prospects of the market; Price: Price reflects the regulatory requirements in each of the sectors and the intense rivalry in some segments. Place:

A Lost Identity Within I Am A Martinican Woman :: essays research papers

There is no single criterion that provides a necessary basis for identity, and neither is there a threshold, a critical mass of sufficient conditions. It is possible to assume that because â€Å"a† happened to a person, and â€Å"b† happened to the same person that he or she is a â€Å"c†-type person; however, it’s impossible to make up a definition which covers all that there is about identity. In the novel I am a Martinican Woman by Mayotte Capecia, the reader sees the main character, Mayotte, hopelessly striving to find a static definition of her identity. Mayotte has a need to feel anchored in something that she can define herself as, yet at the very same time, she feels torn between who she is and what she needs in life. These contrasting feelings only lead to the exaggeration of Mayotte’s emotions through her thoughts and actions, and her lack of identity becomes magnified to the reader. By analyzing the theme of racial identity and the stron g presence of patriarchal structures within the Martinican society, one is able to see the difficulty in Mayotte finding a separate identity for herself.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout the novel, Mayotte denigrates blacks, when, in fact, she is partially black. At the very beginning of the novel she depersonalizes herself from the â€Å"groups of young black girls† that carry baskets filled with food on their heads (Capecia, 34). Mayotte observes them and their graceful manner, but in no way associates herself with them, and even ventures to describe the crude details of how the girls stopped â€Å"to [meet] a need right there on the path; after which, she would simply wipe herself with her skirt and go on her way†(Capecia, 34). After her mother tells Mayotte the story about her grandmother, she expresses how proud she is that she had a white grandmother, yet she ventures to ask â€Å"How could a Canadian woman have loved a Martinican?†(Capecia, 63). She is amazed, it seems, that a white woman would stoop to marry a black man. Mayotte specifically states that a â€Å"grandmother was less commonplace than a white grandfather†(Capecia, 62).Here, it is evident, that Mayotte sees blacks as inferior. But at the same time, she is partially black. Many critics see this as an expression of the â€Å"lactification complex,†or the mind frame of idolizing whites as well as a desire to be white, that silently existed within not only Martinican society, but also throughout the Caribbean (CLA, 260).

John Dourley and God Essay -- Religion Christianity Psychology Essays

John Dourley and God It is my understanding that Dourley does not explain god as a creation of the human mind. Rather, the point that Dourley makes is that notions of god as existing outside the psyche are the result of archetypal expression of which the individual is unaware. This in no way eclipses the existence of god. Rather, it defies the orthodox notion of a transpsychic being by arguing that god is wholly contained in the psyche, albeit the limitless nature of the unconscious. Dourley argues this in his discussion of Jung’s arguments with Martin Buber. While Buber argues that "such a Being must be conceived as existing independently of the psyche" (1995, p 181), Jung points out that Buber’s conclusions are "based on archetypal possession of which Buber remained unaware" (1995, p 183). The creation of a deity from encounters with archetypes as Buber had done is dubbed by Dourley as the "deity-creating function of the unconscious," a term he uses twice (1995, p 177; 199). Herein lies the possible misinterpretation that Dourley sees Jung as beholding god to be a human creation void of a reality of existence. Dourley points out that religions that live "do so because the founder’s personal experience and imagery are recognized by the collective as meeting its needs" (1995, p177-8). Collective in this case refers to the collective unconscious. The unconscious resolves its needs by influencing individual consciousness, and invariably produces god-creations that partially satisfy its needs although not bringing total fulfillment. In this way, all the religions of the world are explained. To further illustrate how Dourley’s concept of a "deity-creating function" does not relegate god to a mental creation, consider the ... ...ed life is sustained despite the law of entropy. I offer the arguments of changed consciousness and the idea of growth to show the reality of god beyond our mental creations. It is also important to note that both of these notions are premised on the idea of god existing inside the human psyche, not beyond it. It is my hope that my endeavors at the beginning of the paper have that I am in agreement with Dourley, not opposition. Following my arguments to a logical end, I draw the conclusion that some minds are, in fact, more receptive to the psychically contained god than are others. Works Cited Dourley, John P. The religious implications of Jung’s psychology. Journal of Analytical Psychology, 40. Halligan, Fredrica R. Jungian theory and religious experience. In RW Hood, Jr. (Ed) Handbook of religious experience. Birmingham: Religious Education Press, Inc.

Stonehenge :: essays research papers

In the hill country of northern England, many sites of Stonehenge exist. Approximately 150 to 200 enormous stones lie stacked on top of each other forming somewhat of an altar. Tall stones stand upright surrounding the center stone which is bluestone. This is unlike the sandstone columns which surround it. This may not seem unusual at first; however, there are three main factors that make Stonehenge extremely odd. Each of these stones weigh close to 4 tons. There are also no other stones in a radius of 15 miles. With today’s sophisticated equipment the moving of these large stones would not be difficult, but one must remember, Stonehenge was built approximately 4800 B.C. Radiocarbon dating shows that these stone structures are older than the great pyramids of Egypt, and the large cities of Rome. Of course Stonehenge is not as advanced as the great pyramids but it was built in an area which wasn’t as advanced as the Egyptians or Romans.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The outside stones are made completely of sandstone, this is at least 18 miles from the site where the sandstone was quarried from. Each stone stands upright and are expertly balanced. Stones of the same composition and size, rest on top forming a circular structure. In the middle of these stones, giant pieces of bluestone lay on the ground in â€Å"horse shoe† like shapes. These stones are also called spotted dolorite, and are not found within a 225 mile radius. In the very center, a piece of Welsh sandstone lay as a monument.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the most interesting facts about Stonehenge is that it is perfectly lined up with the winter (December 21) and summer (June 21) solstices. This is when the beginning of summer and winter when the Earth’s axis changes. As the sun rises over the horizon on those two days, its rays go through a small hole in one of the rocks. The alignment is perfect. The other significant characteristic of these prehistoric masterpieces, is that absolutely no mortar or cement exists throughout the entire structure. These huge stones lay balanced on top of each other with no glue or substance to hold them together. The only thing that stops these gargantuan stones from falling is a simple system of joints. Originally these structures were thought to be circles. In fact, many people still think they are circular; however, they are not. Some have flattened sides, some are hexagonal and some are elliptical. This is not easy to see with the naked eye which is why so

Kone Case

GONE managers, however, weren't quite sure how they would take Moonscape to market. GONE managers had to decide what segment of the market they were going to target, how they were going to penetrate this segment, and how they could quantify the overall economic value of their product to their potential customers. Recommendations The marketing strategy that we chose for GONE Fugue was to advertise their product at trade shows, sales visits, and exhibitions such as Constructor. We also chose to install fully functional Moonscape elevators in all regional offices throughoutGermany in order to demonstrate the potential benefits of this revolutionary new product first hand to our customers. Moonscape elevators will come with a price guarantee between initial quotes to final delivery. This will alleviate any financial anxiety that our customers might have about dealing with a single supplier. Furthermore, we recommend that GONE set the price of the new Moonscape elevator at DMS 85,000 and increase their sales force, especially in regards to introducing new products, in order to compete with their competitors.Analysis GONE Moonscape is a revolutionary machine-room-less elevator that yields significant advantages over other designs. The gain of additional usable space for revenue-generating purposes and the greater architectural freedom In the design and construction of new buildings are some of the many reasons why GONE Moonscape is a truly innovative product that will help increase revenues of potential clients. There are many savings that potential clients will see when operating a GONE Moonscape elevator in addition to using new freed up space for revenue generating purposes.Those Savings include saved energy costs of G 1,540 per year vs.. Hydraulic elevators and G 740 per year vs.. Eared traction elevators. There Is no machine needed to operate the elevator which accounts for another savings of G 7,500. Finally, it is estimated that the savings for a construction company is upwards of 5% of construction costs when using a GONE Moonscape elevator as compared to any other hydraulic or geared traction elevator. Please see attached Excel Spreadsheet for savings comparisons. In addition to the quantitative savings factors, there are also qualitative benefits that Moonscape elevators provide.These qualitative benefits Include the reduced risk of a fire hazard when compared to unforgettable to ride in with shorter average ride times and are more aesthetically appealing. These improvements will be very popular among future riders. The perceived disadvantages that potential customers may have to the GONE Moonscape elevator are the higher initial investment and the size of the Ecocide required machine room for greater than 16 floors. However, the higher initial investment costs are almost immediately recovered in the cost savings from the machine room of G 7,500, as well as the energy savings of G 1 ,540 per year vs.. Hydraulic elevators and G 740 per year vs.. Geared traction elevators. Our target market segment includes those customers who are less than 16 stories in height, which would eliminate the latter concern. Customer, Company, ; Competition GONE was established in 1910, and headquartered out of Finland. Its core business was focused on the sale and maintenance of electrical motors. Over the years GONE expanded its core business to include steel equipment manufacturing, maritime equipment sales, and elevator manufacturing and services, among many others.GONE is currently the world's third largest elevator company behind rivals Otis and Schneider. GONE Fugue A. G. Which operated in Germany and was the most important market in mainland Europe. It manufactures and sells low-rise passenger elevators, medium-rise elevator systems, and high-rise elevator systems. Low-rise elevators accounted for approximately 75% of Cone's equipment sales, while mid- rise and high-rise elevators accounted for 15% and 10% of sales, respectivel y (Case). CONE'S elevator business was organized into two distinct divisions: New Equipment, called VI; and Services, called IV.According to case statistics, the New Equipment Division accounted for 38% of revenue, while the Service Division accounted for 62% f revenue. Over 90% of CONE'S sales are outside of Finland with 53% in the European Union, 29% in North America, 10% in Asia, and 4% in Australia (Case). CONE'S new revolutionary Moonscape elevator is a machine-room-less elevator that will yield significant additional usable space for its customers and allow greater architectural freedom in the design and construction of new buildings.Moonscape is being targeted at low rise buildings in Germany, which constitute 74% of real estate in Germany. Currently, this segment is served by 60% hydraulic, 40% geared traction elevators. We will target the geared traction segment, albeit with a price slightly higher than current price levels. We make this decision based on the fact that the elevator market is not as cost sensitive as it is quality and utility sensitive based on the fact that over 66% of the geared market went for the more expensive option.Product, Price, Place, & Promotion Moonscape elevators are a revolutionary product which take induction motors to a new level and offer the chance to architects to get rid of the clumsy and inconvenient machine rooms which so often spoil the perspective of the building or hampers basement and foundation design. It offers developers the chance to save the significant costs related to building these machine rooms. It was attractive owners of projects in that they would be substantially cheaper and safer to operate.GONE Fugues branch managers have often commented that the sales force of their competitors in Germany often outnumbered those of GONE by one to five. We believe force should be drastically increased to be at par with the competition in order to maximize exposure and to launch this brand new product. Demo insta llations at our regional headquarters throughout Germany will also convince those careful buyers ho wouldn't want their project to be the ‘Guiana pigs' for this new technology. Moonscape has typically found that going to Constructor and other trade shows is not as lucrative.However, because we are launching a completely revolutionary new product, it is essential that the contractors and architects (who together make up 90% of the elevator decision makers) are exposed to this new product. So while we will continue to invest in trade press and Journal advertising, we will have to make the investment to attend expensive trade shows for maximum impact. While the cost, ease and speed of construction will be emphasized to the contractors, the selling point to the Architects would be the aesthetic value that the absence of a machine room can bring to the skyline.According to the company's policy for markets with less than 15% market share, we have decided to price Moonscape slightly above current price levels, I. E. , at DMS 85,000. Most elevator models across brands have been making an average loss of 5% on initial elevator sales. For the first time, Cone's Moonscape would be profitable in the initial sale as well. Conclusion GONE Moonscape is a revolutionary product with a great potential to bump up avenues for Gone and to regain lost market share even in an economy where construction activity was slow.GONE has the technology to vastly and dramatically differentiate its products from anything else in the market and be not only qualitatively better, but much more cost effective. With this marketing strategy, we believe GONE has the potential to make the most of Moonscape as a lucrative new product. We believe that with a marketing strategy along the lines of the recommendations made above, Moonscape can be a very lucrative new elevator product and can reap large benefits for GONE in the German market. Kone Case GONE managers, however, weren't quite sure how they would take Moonscape to market. GONE managers had to decide what segment of the market they were going to target, how they were going to penetrate this segment, and how they could quantify the overall economic value of their product to their potential customers. Recommendations The marketing strategy that we chose for GONE Fugue was to advertise their product at trade shows, sales visits, and exhibitions such as Constructor. We also chose to install fully functional Moonscape elevators in all regional offices throughoutGermany in order to demonstrate the potential benefits of this revolutionary new product first hand to our customers. Moonscape elevators will come with a price guarantee between initial quotes to final delivery. This will alleviate any financial anxiety that our customers might have about dealing with a single supplier. Furthermore, we recommend that GONE set the price of the new Moonscape elevator at DMS 85,000 and increase their sales force, especially in regards to introducing new products, in order to compete with their competitors.Analysis GONE Moonscape is a revolutionary machine-room-less elevator that yields significant advantages over other designs. The gain of additional usable space for revenue-generating purposes and the greater architectural freedom In the design and construction of new buildings are some of the many reasons why GONE Moonscape is a truly innovative product that will help increase revenues of potential clients. There are many savings that potential clients will see when operating a GONE Moonscape elevator in addition to using new freed up space for revenue generating purposes.Those Savings include saved energy costs of G 1,540 per year vs.. Hydraulic elevators and G 740 per year vs.. Eared traction elevators. There Is no machine needed to operate the elevator which accounts for another savings of G 7,500. Finally, it is estimated that the savings for a construction company is upwards of 5% of construction costs when using a GONE Moonscape elevator as compared to any other hydraulic or geared traction elevator. Please see attached Excel Spreadsheet for savings comparisons. In addition to the quantitative savings factors, there are also qualitative benefits that Moonscape elevators provide.These qualitative benefits Include the reduced risk of a fire hazard when compared to unforgettable to ride in with shorter average ride times and are more aesthetically appealing. These improvements will be very popular among future riders. The perceived disadvantages that potential customers may have to the GONE Moonscape elevator are the higher initial investment and the size of the Ecocide required machine room for greater than 16 floors. However, the higher initial investment costs are almost immediately recovered in the cost savings from the machine room of G 7,500, as well as the energy savings of G 1 ,540 per year vs.. Hydraulic elevators and G 740 per year vs.. Geared traction elevators. Our target market segment includes those customers who are less than 16 stories in height, which would eliminate the latter concern. Customer, Company, ; Competition GONE was established in 1910, and headquartered out of Finland. Its core business was focused on the sale and maintenance of electrical motors. Over the years GONE expanded its core business to include steel equipment manufacturing, maritime equipment sales, and elevator manufacturing and services, among many others.GONE is currently the world's third largest elevator company behind rivals Otis and Schneider. GONE Fugue A. G. Which operated in Germany and was the most important market in mainland Europe. It manufactures and sells low-rise passenger elevators, medium-rise elevator systems, and high-rise elevator systems. Low-rise elevators accounted for approximately 75% of Cone's equipment sales, while mid- rise and high-rise elevators accounted for 15% and 10% of sales, respectivel y (Case). CONE'S elevator business was organized into two distinct divisions: New Equipment, called VI; and Services, called IV.According to case statistics, the New Equipment Division accounted for 38% of revenue, while the Service Division accounted for 62% f revenue. Over 90% of CONE'S sales are outside of Finland with 53% in the European Union, 29% in North America, 10% in Asia, and 4% in Australia (Case). CONE'S new revolutionary Moonscape elevator is a machine-room-less elevator that will yield significant additional usable space for its customers and allow greater architectural freedom in the design and construction of new buildings.Moonscape is being targeted at low rise buildings in Germany, which constitute 74% of real estate in Germany. Currently, this segment is served by 60% hydraulic, 40% geared traction elevators. We will target the geared traction segment, albeit with a price slightly higher than current price levels. We make this decision based on the fact that the elevator market is not as cost sensitive as it is quality and utility sensitive based on the fact that over 66% of the geared market went for the more expensive option.Product, Price, Place, & Promotion Moonscape elevators are a revolutionary product which take induction motors to a new level and offer the chance to architects to get rid of the clumsy and inconvenient machine rooms which so often spoil the perspective of the building or hampers basement and foundation design. It offers developers the chance to save the significant costs related to building these machine rooms. It was attractive owners of projects in that they would be substantially cheaper and safer to operate.GONE Fugues branch managers have often commented that the sales force of their competitors in Germany often outnumbered those of GONE by one to five. We believe force should be drastically increased to be at par with the competition in order to maximize exposure and to launch this brand new product. Demo insta llations at our regional headquarters throughout Germany will also convince those careful buyers ho wouldn't want their project to be the ‘Guiana pigs' for this new technology. Moonscape has typically found that going to Constructor and other trade shows is not as lucrative.However, because we are launching a completely revolutionary new product, it is essential that the contractors and architects (who together make up 90% of the elevator decision makers) are exposed to this new product. So while we will continue to invest in trade press and Journal advertising, we will have to make the investment to attend expensive trade shows for maximum impact. While the cost, ease and speed of construction will be emphasized to the contractors, the selling point to the Architects would be the aesthetic value that the absence of a machine room can bring to the skyline.According to the company's policy for markets with less than 15% market share, we have decided to price Moonscape slightly above current price levels, I. E. , at DMS 85,000. Most elevator models across brands have been making an average loss of 5% on initial elevator sales. For the first time, Cone's Moonscape would be profitable in the initial sale as well. Conclusion GONE Moonscape is a revolutionary product with a great potential to bump up avenues for Gone and to regain lost market share even in an economy where construction activity was slow.GONE has the technology to vastly and dramatically differentiate its products from anything else in the market and be not only qualitatively better, but much more cost effective. With this marketing strategy, we believe GONE has the potential to make the most of Moonscape as a lucrative new product. We believe that with a marketing strategy along the lines of the recommendations made above, Moonscape can be a very lucrative new elevator product and can reap large benefits for GONE in the German market.