The American Dream Conspiracy in Death of a Salesman Essay

Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman tells the story of the failure of a salesman, Willy Loman. Although not all Americans are salesmen, most of us share Willy’s dream of success. We are all partners in the American Dream and parties to the conspiracy of silence surrounding the fact that failures must outnumber successes.(Samantaray, 2014) Miller amalgamates the archetypal tragic hero with the mundane American citizen. The result is the anti-hero, Willy Loman. He is a simple salesman who constantly aspires to become great. Nevertheless, Willy has a waning career as a salesman and is an aging man who considers himself to be a failure but is incapable of consciously admitting it. As a result, the drama of the play lies not so much in†¦show more content†¦To some extent she acknowledges Willys aspirations but, naively, she also accepts them. Consequently, Linda is not part of the solution but rather part of the problem with this dysfunctional family and their inability to face reality. In restraining Willy from his quest for wealth in the Alaska, the New Continent, ironically the only realm where the dream can be fulfilled, Linda destroys any hope the family has of achieving greatness. Even so, Linda symbolically embodies the plays ultimate value: love. In her innocent love of Willy, Linda accepts her husbands fa lsehood, his dream, but, in her admiration of his dream, she is lethal. Linda encourages Willy and, in doing so, allows her sons, Biff and Happy, to follow their fathers fallacious direction in life.(Griffin, 1996) Willys close friend Charlie on the other hand, despite his seemingly ordinary lifestyle, enjoys far better success compared to the Lomans. Charlie differs to his friend considerably: he is financially secure whereas Willy can barely afford to pay the next gas bill. Similarly, Charlie never indoctrinated his son, Bernard, with the same enthusiasm as Willy. Subsequently, Charlie stands for different beliefs to Willy and, ironically, ends up far more successful. He is a voice of reason for his friend but is only useful if Willy follows his advice. Instead, Willys proud and stubborn nature ensures that he will never accept Charlies manyShow MoreRelated Failure of the America Dream in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman1097 Words   |  5 PagesFailure of the America Dream in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman examines Willy Lowman’s struggle to hold on to his American Dream that is quickly slipping from his grasp. As Americans, we are all partners in the â€Å"dream† and Willy’s failure causes each of us anxiety since most of us can readily identify with Willy. Most Americans can readily identify with Willy. 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Evaluation Of The Employee Retention Rate At The Greater...

MEMO TO: Robin Fuller FROM: Scout Beckenbach, WRIT 3140 Student DATE: October 15, 2016 SUBJECT: Literature Review Defining the Problem Last week you asked me to give you a detailed report of the employee retention rate at the Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery as well as the retention rate at similar organizations across the nation. As you know, the Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery’s employee retention has been an on going problem for the Nursery. With the employee turnover rate averaging as a high as 84% in Children’s Services, children coming to the Nursery are in continuously changing hands (Joel Bergstrom, 2011-2016, Employee Report). The Nursery isn’t the only organization where child welfare workers have high retention rates (Fulcher and Smith, 2010 and Smith, 2005). A report published by ScienceDirect released data saying that out of the 105 participants that worked in child welfare from 25 different companies, 60.2% of employees left within 2 years of being hired in their field due to job stress alone (Children and Youth Services Review, 2014, Part 46, Part 3, Table 3). The same sourc e stated that 50.9% of participants left their jobs due to the workload, something that is also reported by employees at the Nursery (Children and Youth Services Review, 2014, Volume 46, Part 3, Table 3 and Bergstrom, 2011-2016, Employee Report). The information from the data was strikingly similar to that of the Nursery. While all factors that contribute to employee retention areShow MoreRelatedAccounting Information System Chapter 1137115 Words   |  549 Pageslaw firms) do not sell physical goods and, therefore, do not need inventory control systems. They must develop and maintain detailed records of the work performed for each customer to provide backup for the amounts billed. Tracking individual employee time is especially important for these firms because labor is the major cost component. Figure 1-4 shows that organizational culture and the design of an AIS influence one another. What does this imply about the degree to which an innovative

Huck Finn Analysis Essay Example For Students

Huck Finn Analysis Essay Huckleberry Finn: AnalysisConflicts: Man vs. Man-The man vs. man conflict is brought up many times throughout this story. The first that is posed is the conflict between Huckleberry and Pap. Pap is Huckleberrys abusive biological father, and an alcoholic to boot. He first comes in and tries to steal his sons fortune, just so he can get drunk. Huckleberry is kidnapped by his father for a short time, and during this is beaten many times. Huckleberry eventually escapes as he saws his way out of a shed with an old saw he finds. He then kills a pig to fake his own death and smears blood all over the shed so the story is more believable. This is a book of social criticism. Twain has his ways of criticizingpeople of their actions and the things they do. Twain does a good jobexpressing the characters social behaivors. Instead of upfront making fun ofHulks actions he hints towards them or tries to glorify them when he doessomething that is socially wrong or unintelligent. Huck stages his death. Thisis not a real bright thing to do even though Hucks father is real mean and is athreat to his life and Hucks life. Huck wants to get away from him so bad thatthe first thing that comes into his mind is to stage his death so Pap will thinkhes dead and wont be looking for him ever again. Twain feels that by makingHuck do this Twain is poking fun a Hucks intelligence. Not his natureintelligence but his book intelligence. In other words Twain is making fun ofHuck. Twain also portrays Huck and Jim as stupid when Huck dresses up like agirl. Everyone knows Huck will not pass as a girlJim is very much like a father to Huck. He looks o ut for Huck and he isrespected and looked upon by Huck.This is also more significant becauseHuckleberry Finn never had a father and he never really had a role model. Jimserves this purpose perfectly. On one occasion Huck and Jim were exploring anold house that had floated down stream. While they were looking in it Jimdiscovered a dead body. Jim then covered up the corpse so Huck wouldnt see it. Jim felt that seeing a dead body at such a young age could corrupt a boy forlife. Huck then wanted to talk about the dead body but Jim suggested that theydont talk about it because it might bring bad luck. Huck then tried to play apractical joke on Jim by putting a dead snake near him. Jim was scared. Laterthe snakes mate came back and bit Huck. Jim was not at the site and didnt knowabout it. Category: English

Indian Telecom Sector free essay sample

A Decadal Profile Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Mahanagar Doorsanchar Bhawan, Jawaharlal Nehru Marg, (Old Minto Road), New Delhi 110 002 Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Telecom Sector in India: A Decadal Profile Mahanagar Doorsanchar Bhawan, Jawaharlal Nehru Marg, (Old Minto Road), New Delhi 110 002 Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, 2012 All rights reserved, no part of this publication may be in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, prior written permission of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, New Delhi. Prepared at the behest of by reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, photocopying, recording and/or otherwise, without the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India National Council of Applied Economic Research, Parisila Bhawan, 11, Indraprastha Estate, New Delhi–110 002 i | Telecom Sector in India: A Decadal Profile Telecom Sector in India: A Decadal Profile | iii iv | Telecom Sector in India: A Decadal Profile CONTeNTS List of Tables List of Boxes Foreword List of Figures Executive Summary vii iii ix xi 1 x 3. 5 Spectrum Management 3. 7 Regulatory Timeline 3. 6 Recommendations made by TRAI 53 55 55 59 4 Investment 4. 2 Total Investment 4. 4 Conclusion 4. 1 Introduction 1 Introduction 59 59 62 69 1. 2 Brief Overview of the Telecommunications Sector 1 1. 3 Importance of the Telecommunications Sector 3 . 1 Backdrop 1 4. 3 Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) 5 Socioeconomic Impact 5. 1 Introduction 5. 2 Macro Impact 2 Trends in the Telecommunications Sector 2. 1 Introduction 2. 2 International Comparisons 2. 4 Regional Variations 2. 6 Conclusion 71 71 71 74 75 80 86 96 97 5 5 5 5. 3 ICT and Economic Development 5. 5 Individual Sections of Society 5. 6 Applications of Technology 5. 7 Conclusion 2. 3 Growth of Telecommunication Services in India 9 2. 5 Trends in Telecommunication Manufacturing 39 46 48 49 5. 4. Micro Studies on the Impact of ICT 6 Conclusions 6. 2 Challenges and Suggested Policies 6. 3 Other Challenges Appendix 6. 1 Introduction 3 evolution of Telecom Regulation 3. 2 New Telecom Policy (NTP), 1999 3. 3 Institutional Framework for Telecom Policy 3. 4 Licensing Framework Regulation in India 3. 1 National Telecom Policy (NTP), 1994 49 50 50 52 97 97 99 101 105 Abbreviations vi | Telecom Sector in India: A Decadal Profile LIST Of TABLeS 1. 1 2. 1 2. 2 2. 3 2. 4 2. 5 2. 6 2. 7 2. 8 2. 9 2. 10 2. 11 2. 12 Snapshot of the Telecommunications Sector Estimates of Share of Expenditure on Mobile Phones PCO and VPT, March 2000–December 2011 (million) Number of Subscribers for Other Value Added Services, March 2000– December 2011 (million) Market Share of Leading ISPs in Terms of Subscribers, December 2011 Sector-wise EBITDA, PBIT, PBT (Rs crore) Sector-wise Profitability Ratios (%) Quality of Service Performance of Wireless Service Providers, December 2011 Quality of Service Performance of Wireline Service Providers, December 2011 Parameter-wise Status of QoS Benchmarks for Broadband Service, December 2011 Service Area-wise Teledensity, December 2011 Mobile Ownership by Households 1 14 21 21 24 29 29 2. 13 2. 14 2. 15 2. 16 2. 17 3. 1 4. 1 4. 2 4. 3 5. 1 5. 2 5. 3 5. 4 5. 5 5. 6 5. 7 State-wise Broadband Subscribers as on March 31, 2011 e-Readiness Index Universal Service Obligation Fund Position (Rs crore) Telecom Equipment Manufacturing in India (Rs crore) Revenue of Top 10 T elecom Equipment Players (Rs crore) Regulatory Reforms 43 43 46 47 48 56 Total Plan Outlay and Outlay for Communications in Five Year Plans (Rs crore) 59 Foreign Direct Investment Policy FDI in Telecommunications Sector: April 2000–August 2010 Summary of ICT4D Phases Mobile Information Services for Farmers Status of Women Increased Use of Mobile Devices (%) Bandwidth Required for Various Applications Super Specialty Consultations Some Applications with Mobile Governance 63 66 74 77 83 86 87 90 91 Composition of Revenue, December 2011 (%) 30 33 35 37 40 41 Telecom Sector in India: A Decadal Profile | vii viii | Telecom Sector in India: A Decadal Profile LIST Of fIguReS 1. 1 2. 1 2. 2 2. 3 2. 4 2. 5 2. 6 2. 7 2. 8 2. 9 2. 10 2. 11 2. 12 2. 13 2. 14 Share of Telecommunications as per cent of GDP, 2000–01 to 2009–10 India’s Position in Telephone Subscriptions India’s Position in Mobile Cellular Prepaid Tariffs (US$ per month), 2008 Internet Users in India and in the World, 2010 India’s Position in Fixed Internet Subscriptions in the World, 2010 Total Number of Telephone Subscribers in India, 1981–2011 (million) Total Number of Wireline Subscribers and Growth Rate in India, 1981–2011 Total Number of Wireless Subscribers and Growth Rate in India, 1996–2011 Teledensity, March 2000–February 2012 Mobile Phone Prices in India Internet Subscriptions and Growth Rate, March 2000–December 2011 Wireless Subscribers Capable of Accessing Data Services/Internet March 2007– December 2011 2 6 7 8 9 10 11 11 14 16 16 17 2. 15A Share of Service Provider in Wireline Subscriptions, 2001 (%) 2. 15B Share of Service Provider in Wireline Subscriptions, December 2011 (%) 2. 16 2. 17 2. 18 2. 9 Share of Service Provider in Wireless Subscriptions, February 2012 (%) Share of Service Provider in Wireless Subscriptions based on GSM, December 2011 (%) Share of Service Provider in Wireless Subscriptions based on CDMA, December 2011 (%) Service Provider-wise Details of Data Services, December 2011 (%) 22 22 23 23 23 24 24 24 25 25 26 28 28 30 2. 20A Service Provider-wise Shares in PCO, December 2011 2. 20B Service Provider-wise Shares in VPT, December 2011 2. 21 2. 22 2. 23 Market Share of PMRTS Providers (%) Market Share of VSAT Service Providers (%) Average Outgo* per Outgoing per Minute (Rs per minute) for Postpaid, Prepaid and Blended (GSM and CDMA), 2007–11 Market Share of Internet Access Technologies including Broadband, December 2011 17 Broadband Access, Technologies and Market Share, December 2011 Public–Private Wireline Subscriptions, March 2000–December 2011 (million) 18 22 2. 24A Telecom Sector Revenue, 2005–06 to 2010–11 (Rs crore) 2. 24B Telecom Sector Revenue, 2005–06 and 2010–11 (Rs crore) 2. 25 ARPU and MoU for Wireless Subscribers, 2000–01 to 2010–11 Telecom Sector in India: A Decadal Profile | ix 2. 26 2. 27 2. 28 2. 29 2. 30 2. 31 4. 1 4. 2 4. 3 4. 4 Revenue of Internet Service Providers, June 2008–December 2011 Minutes of Usage per Subscriber per Month of Dial-Up Access, 2005–06 to 2010–11 31 31 4. 5 4. 6 4. 7 4. 8 FDI in Telecommunications (Rs crore) and Wireless Subscribers (million), 2000–01 to 2011–12 FDI in Telecommunications (Rs crore) and ARPU Rs per minute (GSM), 2000–01 to 2011–12 67 68 Total Duration of Usage for Internet Telephony, 2004–05 to 2010–11 (million minutes) 32 Quality of Services for Wireless, 2003–10 Average of Percentage of Calls Answered by the Wireline Operators (Voice-to-Voice) within 60 Seconds across States, 2006–10 Percentage of Village Panchayats having Broadband, March 2011 Public and Private Sector Live Projects, 2001–11 (Rs crore) 33 35 42 62 FDI and Gross Revenue in Telecommunications Sector (Rs crore), 2000–01 to 2010–11 68 FDI Inflow, Exports and Imports in Telecommunications Sector (Rs crore), 2000–01 to 2010–11 Relationship between Economic Growth and Telecom Services: 2008 Total Teledensity ( June 30, 2010) and Share of GSDP as a percentage of Indian GDP (2008–09) Factors Influencing Tele-health Utilisation in Developing Countries Diagrammatic Representation of the Process of Transfer of Funds 69 71 73 89 94 5. 1 5. 2 5. 3 5. FDI in Telecom Sector (Rs crore) and Grow th Rate of FDI in Telecom, 2000–01 to 2011–12 64 Share of FDI in Telecom Sector as Percentage 65 of Total FDI, 2000–01 to 2011–12 Sector-wise FDI Inflows: April 2000– August 2010 65 LIST Of BOxeS 2. 1 2. 2 2. 3 2. 4 2. 5 2. 6 4. 1 The Budget Telecom Network Model Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) Broadband Technologies Competition in the Telecommunications Sector USOF Schemes Currently Undertaken Capital Employed, Return on Capital Employed and Capital Investment (Gross Block) in the Telecom Services Sector 7 12 13 18 27 45 60 4. 2 5. 1 5. 2 5. 3 5. 4 5. The Impact of the Crisis on Foreign Direct Investment in Telecommunications Rural Initiatives in ICT Impact of Information Technology Helps Deliver a Big Catch: Taking a Chance on New Information 64 76 78 79 BPO Opportunities for Rural Women in India: The Case of Source for Change 81 Improvement in Productivity due to Mobile Phone: Case Study of a Wom an 82 x | Telecom Sector in India: A Decadal Profile exeCuTIve SuMMARy he report presents the evolution of the telecommunications sector in India in the last decade. The telecommunications sector plays an increasingly important role in the Indian economy. It contributes to Gross Domestic Product (GDP), generates revenue for the government and creates employment. From 2001 to 2011, the total number of telephone subscribers has grown at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 35 per cent. The comparable rates in the 1980s and 1990s were 9 per cent and 22 per cent, respectively. However, the composition of the subscribers shows that mobile subscribers have led the way. The increase in teledensity has mainly been driven by the increase in mobile phones. Demand side factors—ultra low cost of handsets, low tariffs and ultimately the ease of using a phone—as well as supply side factors have made mobiles popular in India. The number of Internet subscribers has increased but the number of data subscribers far exceeds the former. The Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) is the most favoured technology to access the Internet through the personal computer (PC). Other services like Village Public Telephones (VPTs), Public Call Offices (PCOs), Public Mobile Radio Trunk Service (PMRTS) and Very Small Aperture Terminal Services (VSAT) show slower growth. The data show that private providers dominate the four services including wireless subscriptions, data services, T PMRTS and VSAT, while public service providers dominate the other sectors. International comparisons show that India has one of the lowest mobile tariffs in the world. Between 2007 and 2010, prepaid and blended rates show a decline of 25. and 21. 5 per cent, respectively. In contrast, postpaid tariffs show a decline of only 8. 23 per cent. The majority of the subscriptions in India are of the prepaid type. This has been termed as the budget telecom network model, an innovation that took birth in South Asia. Usage statistics also show that Indians talk more on the phone than their international counterparts. The revenue statistics show that service providers are earning 50 per cent of their revenue from calls and 8. 3 per cent from Short Message Service (SMS). Ringtones form the dominant category of value-added services (VAS). The size of the VAS market is also growing over time. Teledensity shows wide regional variations across states. There is widespread variation in broadband availability across regions too. However, the states are making efforts to improve their ICT abilities over time. The roles of three main agencies in the telecommunications sector—DoT (Department of Telecommunications), TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) and TDSAT (Telecommunications Dispute Settlement and Appellate Tribunal)—are an important aspect of the policy making and regulatory processes. Telecom Sector in India: A Decadal Profile | xi The Indian telecom sector has undergone major transformations through significant policy reforms. The regulatory reforms in the telecom sector from 2000 to 2011 can be broadly classified into the following three distinct phases. Phase 1 – 2000–2003: Telecom sectors were opened up to competition. Phase 2 – 2004–2007: Regulator encouraged competition and also set the stage for future growth. Phase 3 – 2008–2011: More choices were brought in for consumers in terms of technology and services. Planned investment outlay in the telecommunications sector has increased over time. Majority of the investment over the decade has come from the private sector. The private sector performs better in terms of return on average capital employed. The telecom sector has received on average 8. per cent of total inward FDI between 2000–01 and 2010–11. Most of the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has gone to the cellular mobile segment. Mobile telephony and economic growth positively reinforce each other. The micro studies on the impact of mobile p hones are more telling. Fisheries, as an industry, has hugely benefited from introduction of mobile phones. The impact of mobile phones on agricultural productivity and revenue varies on the type of service, literacy status of farmers and the type of complementary infrastructure available. However, middle men and traders in both fisheries and farming are dependent on the mobile to monitor their business needs. Small and medium enterprises are also realizing the benefits of mobile telephony either through increases in productivity or finding new business ventures through the use of mobile phones. Several studies have also examined the impact of mobiles on individual sections of society. Mobiles are now being seen as an empowerment tool since research has shown that mobiles have a positive impact on the social status of women in India. Studies indicate that mobile phones make women feel more secure. The urban poor also show evidence of economical benefits from using mobiles. Mobiles also affect people interaction by increasing their tele-interaction with each other. Mobiles are now being used to deliver services like health, education, banking, commercial services, and so on. The three major challenges of the next decade are (i) to overcome the digital divide, (ii) growth of broadband sector, and (iii) development of the telecommunications manufacturing sector. xii | Telecom Sector in India: A Decadal Profile 1 INTRODuCTION 1. 1 BACkDROP The ubiquitous sight of a shop offering to re-charge your mobile phone is symbolic of the telecom revolution that has changed the face of India in the first decade of the twenty-first century with significant social and economic impact. The total number of telephone subscribers in India stood at 943. 49 million in February 2012 as against 28. 53 million in April 2000. The purpose of this report is to review the extraordinary journey of the Indian telecom sector in the 2000s. The report presents the growth story in telecom sector in India in terms of significant policy changes and regulatory initiatives and conse quent socioeconomic impacts. Table 1. 1 : Snapshot of the Telecommunications Sector variable Teledensity†  Urban teledensity†  Rural teledensity†  Total number of subscribers Total number of wireless subscribers Total number of wireline phones Number of Internet subscribers Number of broadband subscribers Number of wireless data subscribers Production of telecom equipment# Total exports of telecom items# Total imports of telecom items # India’s export of telecom consultancy# Date February 2012 February 2012 February 2012 February 2012 February 2012 February 2012 December 2011 February 2012 February 2012 2010–11 Status 78. 10 169. 37 38. 53 943. 49 million 911. 17 million 32. 33 million 22. 39 million 13. 54 million 431. 37 million Rs 535 billion* (Rs 510 billion in 2009–10) Rs140 billion* (Rs 135 billion in 2009–10) Rs 450. 3 billion Rs 12. 7 million up to September 2010 (Rs 72. 70 million in 2009–10) Rs 75. 46 billion Rs 1,717 billion 1. 2 BRIef OveRvIew Of The TeLeCOMMuNICATIONS SeCTOR The subscriber base for telecom services in India is large but skewed in favour of urban areas. Urban teledensity is 4. 4 times that of rural density (Table 1. 1). Further, wireless phones dominate the market in India and wireline phone segment constitutes merely 3. 4 per cent of the total subscriber base. The numbers of Internet and broadband subscribers are a very small fraction of the population. However, the number of people capable of accessing the net through mobile phones is substantially higher, if wireless data subscription through mobile is an indication. 2010–11 2009–10 2010–11 FDI in telecom†¡ Gross revenue of telecom services sector 2010–11 2010–11 1 Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. Source: Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. †  Number of telephone subscribers per 100 people. * Projected. Annual Report 2010–11, Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Government of India (2011), www. dot. gov. in †¡ Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India (http://dipp. nic. i n/). Telecom Sector in India: A Decadal Profile | 1 The share of revenue from telecom services is higher than manufacturing/production of telecom equipment. About a quarter of the domestic telecom production is exported and the needs of telecom equipment in India are largely met by imports. Most of the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has gone to the cellular mobile segment. The pace of growth of the telecom sector, particularly the telecom services has increased its significance to the overall economy in the past two decades. The share of telecommunication services (excluding postal and miscellaneous services), as per cent of the total GDP, has increased from 0. 96 in 2000–01 to 3. 78 in 2009–10 (Figure 1. 1). The importance of telecommunications sector for the Indian economy can be judged by its contribution to GDP, tax revenue, and jobs. Studies have suggested that mobile phones have a positive impact on GDP. 2 The potential impact of wireless broadband is also estimated to be highly positive. 3 Further, the industry generates tax revenues for the government. The 3G spectrum auction combined with the bid values for broadband wireless access licenses yielded more than Rs 100,000 crore in 2010 to the Government of India, amounting to approximately 1 per cent of the GDP. 5 Employment data shows that the share of employment in the transport, storage and communication sectors went up from 3. 7 per cent in 1999–2000 to 3. 8 per cent in 2004–05. Figure 1. 1 : Share of Telecommunications as per cent of GDP, 2000–01 to 2009–10 Share of telecommunications (excluding postal and telecommunication services) as a per cent of GDP (%) 4. 00 3. 50 3. 00 2. 50 2. 00 1. 50 1. 00 0. 50 0. 00 01 0– 00 2 02 1– 00 2 03 2– 00 2 04 3– 00 2 05 4– 00 2 Year 06 5– 00 2 07 6– 00 2 08 7– 00 2 09 8– 00 2 10 9– 00 2 Sources: National Accounts Statistics of India (2009) and various issues (NAS); EPW Research Foundation, Mumbai. Note: The telecommunications sector of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is sum of the GDP of the phones of the public sector and private sector. Intermediate consumption in the overall public telecommunications sector has not been subtracted out but they form a relatively small proportion of the sector. 2 3 4 5 McKinsey and Company (2006), Wireless Unbound: The Surprising Economic Value and Untapped Potential of the Mobile Phone, http://ww1. mckinsey. com; and Vodafone (2009), India: The Impact of Mobile Phones, Vodafone Policy Paper Series No. 9, http://www. vodafone. com Analysys Mason (2010), Assessment of Economic Impact of Wireless Broadband in India, Report for GSMA. COAI and OVUM (2005), OVUM Report on Economic Benefits of Mobile Services in India: A Case Study for the GSM Association, http://www. coai. com/; and Bhide, S. (2010), The 3G Auction: What will we do with the extra money? Macrotrack, National Council of Applied Economic Research, 12(5). Bhide, S. (2010), The 3G Auction: What will we do with the extra money? Macrotrack, National Council of Applied Economic Research, 12(5). 2 | Telecom Sector in India: A Decadal Profile The employment in BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) shows high rates of growth throughout the 2000s. 6 The mobile telephone industry generated 3. 6 million jobs both directly and indirectly. 7 In 2008–09 2. million people were directly employed in the IT–BPO industry with 1. 9 million in Tier 1 cities and 0. 17 million in Tier 2/3 cities. 8 During the same period the IT–BPO industry employed 7. 3 million people indirectly in Tier 1 cities. Mobile phones are popular due to their personal, portable, and digital nature, enabling people to be always connected. There are increasing innovations, especially development of mobile applications. The low cost of handsets in India and the innovative budget telecom network have lowered the barrier to entry of consumers to the market. 9 On the supply side, mobile connections are relatively cheaper than fixed line telephony. 0 The telecommunications sector plays an increasingly important role in the Indian economy. It contributes to economic growth and the GDP and generates revenue for the government and generates jobs. In short, telecom sector has a multiplier impact on the economy. We have come a long way. However, certain challenges such as encouraging telecom manufacturing in India, spreading teledensity, and Internet services across India to bridge the digital divide are still to be fully met. 1. 3 IMPORTANCe Of The TeLeCOMMuNICATIONS SeCTOR The interplay of three factors—regulation, liberalisation, and technology—makes t his sector an interesting study. There are continuous technological changes and evolving regulatory climate. While Indian elecommunication companies, increasingly buoyant and confident, have started venturing outside the country and investing abroad, the telecom manufacturing in India is still to attract investment on a sustained basis. 6 7 8 9 10 Planning Commission, Government of India (2008), Report of the High Level Group on the Services Sector, www. planningcommission. nic. in, accessed August 11, 2010. COAI and OVUM (2005), OVUM Report on Economic Benefits of Mobile Services in India: A Case Study for the GSM Association, http://www. coai. com NASSCOM (National Association of Software and Service Companies) (2010), Impact of IT-BPO Industry in India: A Decade in Review, www. nasscom. in Figure 2. shows that most of the mobile phone models available in the market fall within the range of Rs 1,000–4,000, with the models in other price ranges being substantially smaller. W ith increasing prices, the number of models available in each range is falling. Bhavnani, A. , Chiu, R. W. , Janakiram, S. and Silarzsky, P. (2008), The Role of Mobile Phones in Sustainable Rural Poverty Reduction, ICT Policy Division, World Bank, www. worldbank. org Telecom Sector in India: A Decadal Profile | 3 4 | Telecom Sector in India: A Decadal Profile 2 TReNDS IN The TeLeCOMMuNICATIONS SeCTOR 2. 1 INTRODuCTION The last decade, especially since 2003, has seen tremendous growth and dynamism in the Indian telecommunications sector. A phone has been transformed from a â€Å"luxury† good to a â€Å"necessity† connecting millions of people. Earlier India was primarily concerned with increasing teledensity, i. e. telephones. Now, the idea of phones has itself changed from fixed line/wireline phones to mobile/wirless phones connecting people everywhere and anywhere (except perhaps the rural areas where unfortunately majority of Indians reside). The concept of connectivity itself has changed. The term telecommunications now includes many other services namely Internet services, radio paging services, Very Small Aperture Terminals (VSATs), Public Mobile Radio Trunk Service (PMRTS) and global mobile personal communication by satellite (GMPCS). Of all the above mentioned segments, wireless and Internet have registered the highest growth in the last few years. The number of total telephone subscribers in India increased from 28. 53 million in March 2000 to 943. 49 million in February 2012. 11 Wireless subscriptions increased from 1. 88 million in March 2000 to 911. 57 million in February 2012 and wireline subscriptions increased from 26. 65 million in March 2000 to 32. 33 million in February 2012. As a result, India has the 11 12 13 14 second largest mobile market in the world after China. India reached its Eleventh Five Year Plan (EFYP) target of 600 million subscribers in 2010 itself. 12 The number of total Broadband subscribers in India is 13. 4 million in February 2012. 2. 2 INTeRNATIONAL COMPARISONS The total number of telephone subscriptions in the world including fixed line and cellular sector grew at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 17. 43 per cent between 2000 and 2010. 13 A total of more than US$ 3,670 billi on (6 per cent of the world’s GDP) was spent on telecommunication services by governments across the world in 2008. 14 India’s expenditure on telecommunication services in 2008 was to the tune of US$ 52 billion. This was 4. 3 per cent of the country’s total GDP. Government’s expenditure on telecommunications in India increased at the rate of 14 per cent during 2005–08. This section compares India’s position to that of the world in telephones and Internet availability and usage. India has risen through the ranks to be amongst the top telephone and Internet users in the world in absolute numbers but on a relative scale (to population) it still ranks low. All Indian subscription numbers in this paragraph are from Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. Planning Commission, Government of India (2010), Mid-Term Appraisal of Eleventh Five Year Plan. Available online at www. planningcommission. nic. in International Telecommunications Union. Available online at www. itu. int The rest of the data in this paragraph are from World Development Indicators. Available online at www. worldbank. org Telecom Sector in India: A Decadal Profile | 5 2. 2. 1 Telephones 2. 2. 1. 1 Telephone Subscriptions Available international comparisons till 2010 show that India has the second largest number of telephone subscribers in the world (222 countries), accounting for 12 per cent of the world’s total telephone subscribers as shown in Figure 2. 1. It is also one of the fastest growing in terms of telecom subscribers. Total telephone subscribers in India have increased at a CAGR of 32 per cent in 2000–10 against the world average growth rate of 17. 34 per cent. However, India’s teledensity, 64, is still lower compared to the world average of 108 (Teledensity as on February 2012 is 78. 1). This indicates low penetration of telephones in the rural areas. Figure 2. 1 : India’s Position in Telephone Subscriptions 1,400 Total Telephone Subcribers (Fixed-Line and Mobile) in 1,200 1,000 million, 2010 64 800 20 600 400 200 0 139 198 108 126 127 182 184 171 15 10 5 0 86 Total Telephone Subscribers in Average Growth Rate of Telephone Subscribers in the World: 17. 43% 25 30 CAGR of Telephone Subscribers (2000–10) the World: 6,559 Million 35 40 a R Fe uss de ian ra tio n In do ne si a a pa n US Ch in Br az m an UK di In Ja Total Telephone Subscribers (Fixed Line and Mobile) in million, 2010 Ge r CAGR: 2000–2010 Source: International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Available online at www. itu. nt Note: Teledensity numbers are shown in the circles above the bars of the respective countries. Teledensity has increased in India and around the world especially in the developing countries due to the rise of mobile phones. As of 2010, the ratio of mobile phones to fi xed lines in the world ranged from 0. 4:1 to 386. 5:1. 15 The average ratio of mobile phones to fixed lines in the world stood at 21. 5:1 in 2010. In India the same ratio is 21. 4:1 in 2010 whereas the comparable numbers for China and U. S. are 2. 9:1 and 1. 8:1, respectively. 15 16 2. 2. 1. 2 Tariffs Mobile cellular prepaid tariffs ranged between US$ 1. 3 and 37 per month across countries in 2008 (Figure 2. 2). 6 Average mobile cellular prepaid tariff in the world is US$ 10. 1 per month. Mobile tariffs are the lowest in countries such as Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and so on. Mobile tariffs in India are the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Available online at www. itu. int Mobile cellular prepaid tariff is based on OECD’s (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) low-user definition, which includes the cost of monthly mobile use for 25 outgoing calls per month spread over the same mobile network, other mobile networks, an d mobile to fixed line calls and during peak, off-peak, and weekend times as well as 30 text messages per month. | Telecom Sector in India: A Decadal Profile I ta ly il y second lowest (US$1. 6 per month) in the world after Bangladesh. Countries with the highest mobile tariffs in the world include Austria, Venezuela, Greece, Portugal, Australia, Japan, Spain, Switzerland, France, and Brazil. This particularly low tariff in South Asia was an innovation (driven by intense competition, low purchasing power and strict regulatory environments) from this region called the â€Å"budget telecom network model† (Box 2. 1). 17 Figure 2. 2 : India’s Position in Mobile Cellular Prepaid Tariffs (US$ per month), 2008 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 2. 6 2. 8 2. 9 3. 0 3. 0 3. 1 1. 3 1. 6 1. 9 2. Pakistan Nepal Bhutan Austria Portugal Australia Japan Bangladesh Sri Lanka Macao SAR, China Ethiopia Venezuela, R. B. de Switzerland Lao P. D. R. Greece France India Spain Hong Kong SAR, China Braz il World average: 10. 1 24. 3 24. 7 25. 1 26. 4 26. 5 Countries with the lowest mobile cellular prepaid tariff Countries with the highest mobile cellular prepaid tariff 32. 2 35. 5 35. 7 33. 3 37. 0 Source: World Development Indicators. Available online at www. worldbank. org Box 2. 1 : The Budget Telecom Network Model This model first emerged in South Asian markets of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh to cater to â€Å"customers who only use a few calling minutes per month. This innovation rests on the reduction of transaction costs of generating and transmitting a monthly bill for prepaid customers. Low-value recharge cards, especially electronic reload, give the greatest payment flexibility making this model work† (OECD, 2009). This model is advantageous for people with low, irregular incomes, no permanent address and no credit history (Castell et al. , 2005 and Sinha, 2005). Also, these contracts allow exact monitoring of use (Waverman et al. , 2005 and Sinha, 2005). Low purchasing power of customers forced companies competing against each other to innovate. Vodafone (2009) estimates that the own-price elasticity of mobile is minus 2. 12, i. e. 10 per cent price fall would increase demand by approximately 21 per cent, keeping everything else constant. This implies that the fall in prices of mobile phones brought in more customers, increasing total revenue of operators. Operators in South Asia are as profitable as their Western counterparts (OEC D, 2009). Lately Indian operators have experienced a decline in their profits Margins. Sources: Castells, M. , Qiu, J. L. , Fernandez-Ardevol, M. , and A. Sey (2005), Mobile Community and Society: A Global Perspective, Annenberg Research Network on International Communication. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (2009), ICTs for Development: Improving Policy Coherence. Paris, France. Sinha, C. 2005), Effect of Mobile Telephony on Empowering Rural Communities in Developing Countries, International Research Foundation for Development (IFRD) Conference on Digital Divide, Global Development and the Information Society. Available online at www. irfd. org Vodafone (2009), India: The Impact of Mobile Phones, Vodafone Policy Paper Series No. 9. Available online at http://www. vodafone. com Waverman, L. , Meschi, M. and M. Fuss (2005), The Impact of Telecoms on Economic Growth in Developing Countries, Vodafone Policy Paper Series: Africa: The impact of mobile phones, No. 2 , Vodafone Group. Available online at www. umich. edu 17 OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) (2009), ICTs for Development: Improving Policy Coherence. Paris, France. Telecom Sector in India: A Decadal Profile | 7 2. 2. 2 Internet 2. 2. 2. Internet Users India is ranked fourth amongst Internet users in the world, accounting for 4. 56 per cent of the world’s total Internet users in 2010 as shown in Figure 2. 3. Internet users in India expanded at a significantly high CAGR of 32. 27 per cent during the period 2000–10 while those in the world 18 expanded at an average rate of 17. 46 per cent. However, India ranks low in terms of Internet users per 100 people in the world (143 out of 186) with only 7. 5 per 100 people using Internet, compared to the world average of 30. 48. The growth numbers in terms of users are dazzling but as the next section will show, India is still far behind in Internet subscriptions. Figure 2. 3 : Internet Users in India and in the World, 2010 Nigeria France United Kingdom Russian Federation Germany Brazil India Japan United States China 0. 0 50. 0 100. 0 150. 0 200. 0 250. 0 300. 0 350. 0 400. 0 450. 0 500. 0 Total Internet users in the world: 2 billion World average (Internet users per 100 people): 30. 48 India (Internet users per 100 people): 7. 5 India’s rank in Internet users per 100 people: 143 Total countries reported: 186 Internet users (million) Internet users (per 100 people) Source: World Development Indicators, World Bank. Available online at www. worldbank. org 2. 2. 2. 2 Internet Subscriptions19 Out of the 91. million people using Internet in India, there were only 18. 7 million fixed Internet subscribers in 2010 as shown in Figure 2. 4. India was ranked the seventh highest (out of 214 countries) in this category in 2010. The country accounted for 3. 54 per cent of the world’s total fixed Internet subscribers in 2010. The number of fix ed internet subscribers per 100 inhabitants in 2010 was 1. 53 as compared to the world figure of 7. 73. 18 19 Internet users include subscribers who pay for Internet access (dial-up, leased line, and fixed broadband) and people with access to the worldwide computer network without paying directly, either as the member of a household, or from work or school. Therefore, the number of Internet users will always be much larger than the number of subscribers, typically by a factor of 2–3 in developed countries and more in developing countries (International Telecommunication Union). Internet subscribers include people who pay for access to the Internet (dial-up, leased line, or fixed broadband). The number of subscribers measures all those who pay for Internet use, including the so-called â€Å"free Internet† used by those who pay via the cost of their telephone call, those who pay in advance for a given amount of time (prepaid), and those who pay for a subscription (either flat rate or volume-per-usage based) (International Telecommunication Union). 8 | Telecom Sector in India: A Decadal Profile Figure 2. 4 : India’s Position in Fixed Internet Subscriptions in the World, 2010 Mexico Italy Korea (Rep. India United Kingdom Brazil France Russia United States China 0. 0 20. 0 40. 0 60. 0 80. 0 100. 0 120. 0 Total Internet s ubscribers in the world : 0. 53 billion World fixed Internet subscribers per 100 inhabitants : 7. 73 Fixed Internet subscriptions (million) Fixed Internet subscriptions per 100 inhabitants Brazil: Dial up portion estimated based on CETIC. br (CGI. br). Source: International Telecommunication Union. Available online at www. itu. int Notes: The 2009 numbers have been used for the China and Russia figures. Mexico: Preliminary estimates. Italy: In terms of broadband lines (excluding internet dial-up subs. ). Source: Agcom-Cocom. 2. 3 gROwTh Of TeLeCOMMuNICATION SeRvICeS IN INDIA Telecom services in India can be basically divided into two major segments: (a) telephones, wireline and wireless, and (b) Internet services. In addition, it also comprises of other smaller segments including radio paging services, VSATs, PMRTS and global mobile personal communication by satellite (GMPCS). As mentioned earlier, wireless phones and Internet services have registered the highest growth in the last few years. 2. 3. 1 Total Subscriptions of Telephones and Stage III: post-2001. This refers to mainly the era of wireless. As can be seen in Figure 2. 5, the total subscriptions of telephones witnessed a sluggish growth (CAGR of 10 per cent) in the state owned era corresponding to the period 1981–90. The foundation of growth of this sector was laid with the introduction of reforms in 1992 mainly in the form of increased competition due to opening up of the sector to private players. This facilitated easy market access for telecom equipment and a fair regulatory framework for offering telecom services to the Indian consumers at affordable prices. As a result, telephone subscriptions grew at a CAGR of 20 per cent during 1991–2000. The introduction of wireless phone in mid-1990s coupled with increased competition has completely changed the picture. The number of mobile phone connections crossed Growth of telephones sector can be summarised in three stages (Figure 2. 5). Stage I: Before 1990. This refers to the period when the telecom sector was mainly state owned; Stage II: 1991–2000. This refers to the period between the onset of reforms but the absence of wireless phones; Telecom Sector in India: A Decadal Profile | 9 fixed line connections in September 2004. 20 As a result the number of telephone subscriptions grew at a CAGR of 35. 3 per cent during the period 2001–11. Total telephone subscribers in India increased from 28. 53 million in March 2000 to 943. 49 million in February 2012. 21 Wireless subscriptions increased from 1. 88 million in March 2000 to 911. 17 million in February 2012 and wireline subscriptions increased from 26. 65 million in March 2000 to 32. 33 million in February 2012. Figure 2. : Total Number of Telephone Subscribers in India, 1981–2011 (million) 1000 900 800 Total Subscriber (million) 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 CAGR 10% CAGR 20% State-Owned Introduction of Private Competition Growth in Cellular Mobile CAGR 35% Sources: World Development Indicators. Available online at www. worldbank. org Note: These are subscriptions at the end of each calendar year. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. 2. 3. 1. 1 Wireline Subscriptions Wireline subscriptions increased from 2. 3 million in 1981 to 32. 44 million in 2000 to reach its peak at 50. 18 million in 2006. Thereafter, it started registering negative growth (Figure 2. 6). By the end of February 2012, wireline subscriptions came down to 32. 33 million. India has followed the worldwide trend where the mobile phone is 20 21 Bhavnani, A. , Chiu, R. W. , Janakiram, S. and P. Silarzsky (2008), The Role of Mobile Phones in Sustainable Rural Poverty Reduction. ICT Policy Division, World Bank. Available online at www. worldbank. org All Indian subscriber numbers in this paragraph are taken from Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. 10 | Telecom Sector in India: A Decadal Profile 19 8 19 1 82 19 83 19 84 19 85 19 86 19 8 19 7 88 19 8 19 9 90 19 91 19 92 19 93 19 94 19 95 19 96 19 97 19 98 19 99 20 00 20 0 20 1 02 20 0 20 3 0 20 4 05 20 0 20 6 0 20 7 08 20 0 20 9 1 20 0 11 Fixed Line Subscriber (million) Mobile Cellular Subscriber (million) substitute to fixed line phone, through competition has forced the landline services to become more efficient in terms of quality of services. The landline network quality has improved and landline connections are now usually available on demand. Figure 2. 6 : Total Number of Wireline Subscribers and Gro wth Rate in India, 1981–2011 60 Number of Subscriber (million) 50 40 30 20 10 0 19 8 19 1 82 19 8 19 3 8 19 4 85 19 8 19 6 8 19 7 8 19 8 8 19 9 9 19 0 9 19 1 92 19 9 19 3 9 19 4 95 19 9 19 6 9 19 7 98 19 9 20 9 0 20 0 0 20 1 02 20 0 20 3 0 20 4 05 20 0 20 6 0 20 7 08 20 0 20 9 1 20 0 11 25. 0 20. 0 15. 0 10. 0 5. 0 0. 0 -5. 0 -10. 0 -15. 0 -20. 0 -25. 0 Annual Growth Rate (%) Number of Subscribers Annual Growth Rate Sources: World Development Indicators. Available online at www. worldbank. org Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. Note: These are subscriptions at the end of each calendar year. 2. 3. 1. 2 Wireless/Cellular/Mobile Phone Subscriptions Cellular or mobile segment has been the key contributor to record growth in telephone subscriptions with its wide range of offers of services. It has led the growth wave of telecom sector in the country. After triple digit growth rate in the first two years, growth rate reduced to 35. 6 per cent in 1998. The annual growth rate of wireless phones increased again till 2003 and peaked at 159. 2 per cent. Since then the growth rate has tapered down and has averaged around 51. 8 per cent during 2004–11. In 2011, growth rate significantly came down to 18. 8 per cent (Figure 2. 7). Mobile phones accounts for nearly 96. 6 per cent of the total telecom subscriptions as of February 2012. 22 Figure 2. 7 : Total Number of Wireless Subscribers and Growth Rate in India, 1996–2011 1000 Mobile Cellular Subscribers (million) 900 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 150. 0 100. 0 50. 0 0. 0 350. 0 300. 0 250. 0 200. 0 Annual Growth Rate (%) 20 00 20 02 20 05 20 03 20 04 20 08 20 06 20 01 20 09 20 07 19 98 19 96 19 97 20 10 19 99 Mobile Cellular Subscribers Annual Growth Rate Sources: World Development Indicators.

A Place Where the Sea Remembers free essay sample

by Rohanâ„ ¢-Enjoying Life! Member since: June 16, 2007 Total points: 19,555 (Level 6) * Add Contact * Block Best Answer Chosen by Asker 1. Remedios Remedios is la curandera, a healer. She knows the town’s stories, and the sea is witness to those stories. El pico, the swordfish beak, tells her the drowned body will wash up on this part of the shore. 2. Candelario Marroquin Cande celebrates his promotion to salad-maker by painting his door his favorite color, blue. He works at a restaurant in Santiago owned by Don Gustavo del Norte. Don Gustavo has taught him to make Caesar salad, hoping the restaurant will become famous for it.His 19-year-old wife, Chayo, and her 15-year-old sister, Marta, arrive. Marta was raped by Roberto Ramos and wants an abortion from the visiting doctor from Guadalajara. Luz told her it costs 100,000 pesos. Chayo hasn’t been able to have children, so without thinking, Cande says he’ll raise the baby. We will write a custom essay sample on A Place Where the Sea Remembers or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page As a man, he can’t take his word back. Months later, Chayo has a nightmare about throwing the flowers she makes to sea. Cande makes salad for the doctor and his wife at don Gustavo’s. The doctor says the abortions he does aren’t illegal because they have good causes, like rape. He charges 20,000 pesos.They don’t like the salad, so don Gustavo blames and fires Cande. 3. Remedios Elementales: Tierra In Remedios’s hut on top of a hill sits la mesa santa, an altar, with relics from earth and sea, and statues. Remedios chants, â€Å"I am she who knows. † 4. Fulgencio Llanos Fulgencio, el fotographo, roams the Mexican countryside, taking pictures. He misses the bus because he’d spent too much time cajoling dona Elvira Cantos. Yesterday, he’d photographed the famed masked wrestler El Santo without his mask, and plans to sell the photos to La Tribuna and become famous. He goes into a cantina for a drink when a hippie gringo, Jaime, offers him a ride.They leave in his Ford station wagon, filled with merchandise. Fulgencio offers to photograph the amphibian mariachi band. The gringo takes a detour to the beach at Playa de Oro. As night falls, Fulgencio realizes the gringo’s going to rob him and tries to bargain with God. At the beach, the gringo gets out. He returns just as Fulgencio is reaching for a machete in the back. The gringo throws him out and drives off with his valise. Fulgencio’s hopes are ruined without the pictures of El Santo. As he walks, he finds his valise intact by the road, and realizes the gringo was terrified of him. 5.Marta Rodriguez Marta, la recamerera, cleans a room at the hotel. She sees Elizabeth Taylor, her favorite actress, in Life magazine, on the table. She plans to give her baby to Chayo and has been saving money to leave and find work in El Paso, where she’ll live in luxury. Luz Gamboa comes in to help. Her husband, Tito, has run off with Tula Fuentes to El Paso, and she’s enlisted Remedios’s charms to bring him back. She thinks Tula had el brujo put a spell on Tito. Marta goes to help Chayo make flowers. Marta’s ashamed of her pregnancy and is the talk of the town. Cande hasn’t found work, so he’s fishing.Chayo says she’s pregnant and that Cande won’t take her baby anymore. Marta goes to talk to Luz, then goes to the apartment she shares with tia Fina and cries. Her neighbor, Don Justo, says Tito has come home. Thinking Remedios has been successful, she goes to see her for the first time. Remedios tells Marta she should not cross the border, and refuses to make Cande change his mind. Marta leaves, angered, to convince Cande. He claims he never said he wouldn’t take her baby—it was Chayo’s idea. Betrayed, Marta finds el brujo, don Pico Lara, who says he will kill the baby. Marta thinks he means her baby, but he means Chayo’s baby.She consents. 6. Remedios Elementales: Fuego Remedios prepares breakfast, affirming herself. She envisions her spirit flying to release a magpie, urraca, from a cage. The bird tells her it is her own spirit. She feeds her real magpie. 7. Rafael Beltran At 41, Maestro Rafael feels he’s let life pass him by. He doesn’t go to lunch with the other teachers. At the bus stop, he chats with Cuco, who’s told him Indian legends for a book he’s compiling. When he gets home to Santiago, he finds his mother, Dona Lina, has hired a 14-year-old Indian servant, Ines Calzada. He objects to her calling Ines la indita (derog).His two brothers live elsewhere and send money. As Dona Lina listens to a radio soap, Ines asks him to teach her to read. Her graveness reminds him of himself. Dona Lina disapproves of the arrangement. He wants to rebuke her, but he knows he’s meek and obedient. He visits the poor town El Cerro to speak with Concha Burgos, Beto’s mother, about Beto’s absences. She says he’s been fishing. She’s taking her sons to Oaxaca, but Beto will stay. He sees Ines down the street being pushed around by an older man who must be her father. Serving lunch, Ines collapses and bleeds. Rafael fetches the nurse and midwife, Esperanza, whom he loves.Dona Lina tells him the girl is having a miscarriage because her father beat her, which is just as well since Rafael is the father of the baby. He’s infuriated at the assumption. Esperanza tells her the old man is Ines’s husband. Later, the well-known photographer Llanos comes to take their picture, but Rafael refuses. His mother knows the truth now, but still thinks he could have slept with Ines anyway. He leaves her and finds Esperanza, who says a couple in Guadalajara will take Ines in. The next day, he gives Ines the satchel his mother gave him when he became a teacher and sees her off. . Cesar Burgos Cesar, el pescador, awakens to a chilly day. He’ll fish anyway, because it’s an escape from his troubles. Ever since the accident, his son Beto has refused to talk. Cesar has lost his wife, Concha Ojeda, and his two younger sons, whom Beto used to tell stories about his seashell collection to, in a bus accident. Cesar is working on a road shrine, but it’s plain and Beto won’t help decorate it. Beto refuses to eat breakfast. Cesar tells him to come fishing with him, but gets no response. He realizes there’s nothing he can do for his son. As they fish, it begins to rain.Cesar weeps for the first time since the accident. He tells Beto he’ll send him to his tia Bersa, who has offered to take him in. Beto shakes his head. Back home, Cesar is mending his fishing net when Beto takes out his seashell collection. He glues seashells to the shrine (Concha means â€Å"seashell†), and Cesar joins him. When they run out of seashells, they use his collection of polished glass shards, which look like jewels, to add the finishing touch. They buy paper flowers from Chayo, who gives them lunch. Her warm home reminds mournful Cesar of happy times. Cande asks Santos, the cab driver, to provide free transport.On Christmas Eve, Santos drops them off on the road to Oaxaca, where the bus flew into a deep ravine. They set up the shrine. Beto drapes his mother’s rebozo over it and apologizes for not following her to Oaxaca (el maestro didn’t want him to miss school). If he’d gone, he could’ve saved his brothers. Thunderstruck, Cesar assures him that nobody could’ve saved them. Beto replies that he should’ve died too, then, so he wouldn’t be a burden. Cesar tells him he’s all he has left in the world, and hands the rebozo back to him. 9. Remedios Elementales: Agua Remedios stands before the ocean with Urraca.People tell her their stories—their dreams, secrets, burdens, grief. â€Å"It is stories that save us. † She has come to the sea for renewal, for â€Å"people’s stories take a toll. † The listens, remembers, preserves. 10. Justo Flores Don Justo Flores, el pajarero (the birdman), goes with his 13-year-old German shepherd to check his canaries: Romeo, Julieta, and his pride, Rita. Each day, people at the beach pay to see the birds perform tricks and to have Rita pick their fortunes. He’s had two wives and five children, including Justina, his first, and Ernestina, his fifth. Suddenly, he receives a telegram. He suspects bad news, but can’t read.Marta, who’s named her son after Elizabeth Taylor’s husband Richard, is at work. Meddlesome tia Fina comes over and tries to engage him in conversation. The other day, she’d told Chayo that Marta asked el brujo to curse her child. Although Marta had gone to Remedios to reverse the spell and begged Chayo for forgiveness, Chayo refused. Don Justo escapes la tia and goes to the beach. He’s nervous about the telegram and wants a drink. He hasn’t drunk for ten years as penance. He hopes the telegram is from Justina, saying all is forgiven. A customer reads the telegram for him: â€Å"Come home at once, Papa. Justina is gone from us. -Ernestina. Don Justo gathers up his things and goes to town for a tequila. Back home, the accusing look in Rita’s eye reminds him of the past. He’d allowed his second wife to turn Justina out of the house. He can’t stand the pain. When he awakens with a hangover, he discovers that he’s killed Rita. 11. Esperanza Clemente Esperanza helps a woman give birth to a son. She herself is defiled, single, and childless. Marta, her servant and friend, tells her that Rafael’s mother is having rheumatism again. She visits dona Lina, who complains and claims Rafael wants to â€Å"get rid of† her by planning a one-month trip to visit his brother in Veracruz.She’ll leave in ten days is she’s well enough. Privately, Rafael tells Esperanza the trip would be good for both of them. Is dona Lina well enough to go? Esperanza leaves it up to fate. When dona Lina gets worse because of hysteria, Esperanza enlists Remedios’s help. Dona Lina leaves as scheduled. The next evening, Rafael takes Esperanza to a cafe, where they express their happiness. Two weeks later, they go to don Gustavo’s restaurant, then walk on the beach. They kiss, but she pulls away, thinking she doesn’t deserve such 11. Esperanza Clemente Esperanza helps a woman give birth to a son.She herself is defiled, single, and childless. Marta, her servant and friend, tells her that Rafael’s mother is having rheumatism again. She visits dona Lina, who complains and claims Rafael wants to â€Å"get rid of† her by planning a one-month trip to visit his brother in Veracruz. She’ll leave in ten days is she’s well enough. Privately, Rafael tells Esperanza the trip would be good for both of them. Is dona Lina well enough to go? Esperanza leaves it up to fate. When dona Lina gets worse because of hysteria, Esperanza enlists Remedios’s help. Dona Lina leaves as scheduled. The next evening, Rafael takes Esperanza to a cafe, where they express their happiness. Two weeks later, they go to don Gustavo’s restaurant, then walk on the beach. They kiss, but she pulls away, thinking she doesn’t deserve such happiness. She tells him how she was raped at 17, as a nurse in Miami. When she returned, she told no one and broke off her engagement to her boyfriend. Rafael becomes distant. A few days later, Cande comes for help for his dying son, Tonito. Marta and Chayo are sure it’s el brujo’s spell at work. Esperanza rushes to their house and finds Tonito in anaphylactic shock. Santos drives them to the hospital.Back home, Marta believes the outbreak has broken el brujo’s spell, and Chayo will forgive her. Esperanza knows better. She tried to help the two reconcile a year ago, but Chayo had refused. From now on, any insect sting or bite could kill her son. Rafael comes and asks Esperanza to forgive him. She accepts. 12. Remedios Elementales: Aire Remedios dreams of ascending to the stars with San Rafael Arcangel, Urraca, etc. They lead her to the center of the wind, where the ancestors (stars) reside, collecting wisdom, stories. The elements sustain her. Nothing dies in her heart, because she remembers. 13. Rosario â€Å"Chayo† Rodriguez de MarroquinChayo sells flowers to tourists on the beach. She’s saving up to buy clothes and to make mole for Esperanza’s upcoming wedding. She and Tonito, who sells gum, meet Don Justo as it begins to rain. His dog has died and he has a new blue canary, Carolina. He gives Tonito a fortune, but she takes it away, saying she doesn’t believe in stuff like that [but she believes in el brujo’s curses? ]. At home, as she makes mole, Tonito says he doesn’t want her to kill the turkey. Mischievous Santos describes turkey killing. Chayo tells Santos the governor should fill up the stinking arroyo, but it empties into the sea.Marta brings Richard, whom Tonito takes to see the turkey, but Chayo coldly shuts the door on her. During the wedding feast, Luz and Cesar dance and Tonito and Richard run about and get their photographs taken. Chayo allows Richard to come home with Tonito for the night. They make it home before the thunder and lightning storm begins. Before dawn, Santos gets Cande and Chayo to help him catch a pig that’s stranded in the flooded arroyo. However, the current carries the pig away. She thinks the boys are asleep when she sees Tonito fall into the river.Then she realizes that the boy is Richard. She and Cande are ready to save him themselves when the current washes away the tree he’s holding onto. 14. Remedios Remedios has been at the beach all day with el pico, waiting for Richard’s body to wash up. She had indeed expunged el brujo’s curse on Tonito. Others wait at the site where Richard fell, expecting him to be washed up there. Marta and Chayo join Remedios, and Marta says she was raped here. Remedios knows. â€Å"Seed spilled on this shore to this shore returns. † Marta says she’ll leave for El Paso, but Chayo cries no. The boy nears

Social Linguistics essays

Social Linguistics essays Linguistics is a major part of the anthropology field. Today, one of the largest obstacles in anthropology, is language groups becoming endangered. During the last couple years they have become more concerned about groups that are switching from the original language to a different one that has more power and opportunities. The other reason why linguists have become concerned is the groups are becoming so small that there is very little chance of continuing use of the groups language. The problem now is the extinction of languages, the loss of cultures, and the people they symbolize. There are different ways of explaining endangered languages, the easiest definition would be, languages below some critical number of speakers. (Kindell 1) Less spoken languages are in more danger, but the complex social, economic, political, or religious are major factors for the teaching of an original language from parents to their children. Nancy Dorian from the International Journal of the Sociology of Language describes three symptoms of language death, she says they are due to fewer speakers, fewer domains of use, and structural simplification. As of right now there a few options we can do to be involved with endangered languages. One, do absolutely nothing; deal with the changes in language use as normal. A second option is to attempt some sort of language maintenance program. Such as, language development plans, including education, literature production, and translation. There are certain problems for such a plan. A couple questions would be; should we even try to save languages from extinction? Is it even worth trying and can we really make a difference? Third, in the case of a moribund language (languages no longer being learned as mother-tongue by children), document the language and recording the most data as possible. In Sarah Gudschinsky's work, with the last known speaker of Ofaie, gave valuable information...

How the Burma Military Became a Reflection of the British Colonial Assignment

How the Burma Military Became a Reflection of the British Colonial Government - Assignment Example After the British government had left Burma, Frustrations due to the inability to come up with clear resolutions of numerous problems that had long been standing were clearly manifested in outbreaks of army post-independence. Due to this, the military of Burma engaged itself in suppressing several rebellions from ethnic groups since the country’s independence. After a decade of democracy in the country, the military took over following a political crisis. The army seized total control of the nation afterward. Since then the army has been ruling the country through a council of revolution by a decree. The people of Burma were facing similar situations they faced during the British colonial era under the military leadership. The economic collapse of the country, frustration in the political arena, poor leadership from the military and poor education state drove anger and bad attitude thereby leading to Burma uprising. Following the period of post-colonialism in Burma, the political crisis drove the military to take over the countries leadership. Burma has been under military leadership for a very long time. The military has been unwilling to recognize any traditional minority religious rights. Its agenda was to have a united Buddhist country that has one culture and language. This policy reduced the autonomy of the ethnic groups. In addition, several people were put in detention for trying to spearhead Burmanisation including Aung Su Kyi. The detention without trial was used as a tool to silence the opposition leaders and ultimately the public for any thought of an uprising-taking place. In addition, the military has been responding harshly to crash out the juntas but not focusing to any of their political demands.  Ã‚  

Individual report about Tesco Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Individual report about Tesco - Essay Example In the past ten years the general UK grocery market has been increasing steadily. The total grocery market has increased from  £ 93 billion in 1998 to  £ 146 billion in 2008. But following uncertainties like high unemployment, financial crisis, tight household budgets etc. the UK grocery market is facing difficulties. Though the UK grocery market has not been able to completely get rid of these uncertainties, the growth rate assumed by it is still reasonable. In 2008, the grocery market of UK was worth  £ 146 billion which is an increase of 5% from 2007. The above two sectors have given tough competition to the traditional retail, due to which the market share of it has decline to less than 5 %. Online retail channel has a very small market share in the grocery market. There are other supermarket chains in UK namely M&S, Waitrose, Iceland, etc. This report will take a look at the strategic analysis of Tesco. The main direct effect which politicians will have in shopping and retailing is through their power over the land-use planning system. Though land-use planning is a local authority matter, but national government intervene to give guidance and directions on the assessment of development proposals and opportunities. It has become difficult to obtain planning permission for developments away from existing town centres. This has emerged as a general concern among all the retailers. Retailers are also affected by many public policy which tries to regulate competition, trading conditions and safeguard consumer interest. There have been many changes like easing of restrictions on trading hours. There has been tight regulation on food stores due to concerns over public health (Saloner, Shepard and Podolny, 2008, p. 211). This is done for ensuring that the retailers do their jobs properly and to make sure that there is a level playing field. Further political parties draft legislation

Disneyland Paris & Legoland Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Disneyland Paris & Legoland - Essay Example Visitor attractions can easily be considered as one of the main economical and social matters in the world today, and this is speaking of theme parks especially particularly; Disneyland Paris and Legoland are two of the most recognized and well known theme parks in the world, and so in order to be able to understand the purpose and reasoning behind theme parks in general, as well as how these two in particular work and what they are all about, there are several questions in particular that need to be answered fully and thoroughly: 1.What is the historical development of Disneyland Paris and Legoland? 2What is the range of current position in the field for Disneyland Paris and Legoland? 3.How does the management and ownership and levels of provision work in Disneyland Paris and Legoland? 4.What is the market for theme parks in general and what is its potential for expansion as a market? 5.What are the key operational management issues? 6.What are some present and future trends and oth er key related issues that are involved here? By thoroughly and rather elaborately answering these questions, we will not only be able to come to a much more knowledgeable and understanding viewpoint on the subject matter at hand altogether, but as well, we will be able to understand theme parks as a whole in general, and furthermore, we will be able to see how they actually work, what type of market they refer to, what the issues are if any, and what trends are in relation to them

Fedex Competitors Analysis and Customer Retention Strategies

Fedex Competitors Analysis and Customer Retention Strategies Introduction It is apparent from FedEx Corporation’s (FedEx) track record of success; it is clearly a leader in the industry. Ranked the world’s #1 express transportation company with 3 million packages delivered daily, FedEx surely knows what it is doing to keep the business growing and prosperous (Williams 2005). However, like most businesses these days, there are always trials and tribulations. Important decisions must be made everyday, it is critical that quick thinking and a clearly defined method of operations management must be followed to keep things running smoothly. Of course, the true test to whether or not a solid operations management flow is in place is how the company is able to deal with the unexpected. This brief will examine who makes up FedEx’s complete customer base and how the company attempts to satisfy and retain its customers. As well, the risks taken in day to day business will be evaluated coupled with the manner FedEx is able to manage the chances it must often take. Another item for discussion is the impact of sudden demand for the industry and specifically for FedEx. Finally, FedEx’s top competitors will be studied, weighing strengths and weaknesses of each company. An evaluation will be presented as to how FedEx would fair if one of its main competitors would try to win a valued client based on the strength and weaknesses outlined. The Customers As with most successful businesses, FedEx is aware that it has a variety of different customers, including internal and external. Both external and internal customers need to be satisfied with the performance of the company to keep things on track. Reviewing the importance of both external and internal customers is critical. The internal customer for FedEx is obviously its own employees. 250,000 strong in 2005 with a 27 percent growth rate from 2004 shows that FedEx is growing quickly (Williams, 2005) and that type of growth needs to be managed appropriately. To maintain employee satisfaction, FedEx offers a competitive salary, fair working conditions, and the ability to â€Å"climb the corporate ladder† if desired. Employees boast of their success at FedEx and their true delight at working for this company throughout the company website (Fed Ex Company Website 2005). Externally, there a few more customers to consider including corporate, consumer, shareholders and stakeholders. Corporate clients, including Dell and Hewlett Packard, expect their products to be delivered on time and in good condition. As well, consumer clients expect to receive their products on time and in good condition. Shareholders, since FedEx is a public company, expect profits to be up and costs to be down. Finally, stakeholders are those people affected by the corporate actions of FedEx. Are its operations interfering with something in the community? Are its airplanes breaking noise ordinances? The bottom line is that the customers for FedEx are many and their needs are different so FedEx must consider the management of its operations from many angles. The risks There are many risks that one of FedEx’s packages not to arrive at its intended destination on time including unexpected volumes, weather, misrouting, and bottlenecks at customs. Luckily, FedEx has put into place the appropriate controls to prevent a delay of any package. As mentioned earlier, in efforts to prevent the loss of clients, FedEx has adopted policies and practices that have proven successful. To address the issue of unexpected volumes and weather problems, FedEx has built in quite a bit of redundancy into its systems. Its contingency planning is superior with proactive monitoring of weather and air traffic. As well, managers stay in close communication each day to plan, always staying one step ahead of the game. Additionally, FedEx actually has multiple hubs across the world in the case that packages need to be redirected. The automation of the sorting process keeps packages that are misrouted to a bare minimum. Packages that need special customs attention are also proactively reported to local authorities so there is minimal opportunity for those packages to slow the process. Even with these modern forms of automation in place, FedEx still prides itself on providing a human touch and treating each package as a â€Å"golden package†(FedEx Company Website 2005). Of course, if packages are delayed or do not ship to the accurate address, the company runs the risk of losing clients. Corporate clients can decide to take their contracts elsewhere and consumers will lose their feelings of loyalty if FedEx does not deliver the service it promised. FedEx’s philosophy of â€Å"Absolutely, Positively, Whatever it takes† (FedEx Company Website 2005) as discussed on its website is a direct reflection of what FedEx is willing to do to get the job done. In the unfortunate case where something goes awry with a package, FedEx also wants it customers to know there is a place to go for help and someone available at the end of the line to help work through issues. Indeed, FedEx offers many online tools to track packages as well as a phone number with live support staff 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year (FedEx Company Website 2005). The effects of sudden demand The effects of an unexpected and sudden demand increase can be challenging for any company. In not managed correctly, a myriad of problems can result in the express service industry. This is a direct result of the company not being able to inventory products when the demand arises (Melnyk Denzler 1996 p.447). Specific issues that can arise when sudden demand occurs include late shipments, incorrect shipments, bottlenecks, scheduling difficulties, cost increases, and capacity issues. Externally, late or incorrect shipments affect the customer relationship and have a negative impact on future business. Internally, bottlenecks can cause major issues in making shipment deadlines. In addition, without appropriate notice, staffing can be off and there can be inadequate human resources available to meet the unexpected demand. Directly, if staff needs to be scheduled at the last minute, there is a good chance that overtime wages will be required and costs can skyrocket. Finally, capacity issues are created by the unexpected demand and lack of equipment to actually transport the additional packages. Overall, to regulate unexpected demand, the operations manager needs to focus on mastery of forecasting coupled with having a flexible base of resources (Melnyk Denzler 1996 p.448). Luckily, FedEx is well positioned with its contingency plans. Like David Rebholz, executive vice-president of FedEx’s US operations and systems states â€Å"Ninety percent of the package flow is predictable – but that other 10 percent can really throw you†. All FedEx, like any other company, can do is have the procedures in place to manage that 90 percent perfectly and have the contingency plans to deal with the other 10 percent when it happens. The Competition According to a recent article in the World Trade publication (The Big Three: UPS, FEDEX and DHL 2005 p.20), FedEx, UPS, and DHL are referred to as â€Å"the big three† in the express service industry. Another formidable competitor in this market space is TNT Logistics. To consider what type of threat each one of these competitors may pose to FedEx, it is important to review each of its competitor’s strengths and weaknesses as well as their market positions. Specifically, it is important to analyze each company’s history, leadership, market presence, and potential for future growth. UPS History The United Parcel Service (UPS) began in 1907 as the American Messenger Company and has continued to grow and flourish every since (UPS Company Website 2005). The company’s ability to continually reinvent themselves to fit the markets needs has kept them at the top of its game. Leadership Michael Eskew, the current Chairman and CEO for UPS, has been at the helm in his current post since 2003. Although relatively new in this leadership role, he has served with the company since 1972 as a faithful and forward thinking employee. Ninety percent of the company is owned by managers, employees, founders, and families. This ensures that those with a vested interested in the company are represented from the front lines to upper management (UPS Company Website 2005). Market Presence UPS has established itself as the largest package delivery company in the world. To grow its express delivery services, it recently purchased Overnight and is also committed to provide its customers a full line of supply chain management services. Potential for future growth As mentioned, UPS has a strong history of positioning itself for growth during times of change and shifts in the marketplace. Last year, employee growth was 8.2% and Net Sales Growth was 9.2% (Williams, 2005). DHL History Thirty Five years ago in 1969, DHL Worldwide Network took shape as the â€Å"low cost delivery service† as it entered the marketplace and attempted to carve a niche for itself as the low cost provider. Since then, the company has been working hard to gain new customers and convince them that with lower costs, quality need not be sacrificed (Hannon 2005). From the start, DHL has committed itself to providing what it customers need. As early as the 1970s, the company realized that the globalization of trade was playing a key factor in the current business climate and adapted itself to be able to provide the services required for success in the international arena. Leadership Dr. Klaus Zumwinkel, current Chairman of the Board, is leading the way to establish DHL as a premier service with the highest quality at competitive prices (DHL Company Website 2005). Market Presence Ranked as the world leader in cross border express deliveries, DHL is spreading its wings to capture even more of the delivery services market. Setting its sights on winning more of the ground delivery business, it recently acquired Airborne. In addition, DHL seems to be stepping it up a notch in focusing on its human touch for customers as Karen Johns reports, â€Å"customers say we are much more responsive, flexible and human to deal with (Hein 2005).† Potential for future growth Another company that seems positioned as ready for growth, DHLs net sales grew by 21.6 percent last year while the employee count grew by 7% (Williams 2005). TNT History Thomas Nationwide Transport (TNT) began back in 1946 as the first express delivery service. In the 80s, the company began to offer more logistical services as they understood the market demand for it. In the 90s, the company also began to offer supply chain solutions and looked to establish themselves as innovators in the total supply chain arena (TNT Company Website 2005). Leadership Dave Kulik, Group Managing Director, is at the forefront of leading the company with new ideas in the supply chain and express delivery services industry. Leadership in the company seems to embrace advancement from within and reflects a true commitment to employee growth through many initiatives, including â€Å"Investors in People† ( TNT Company Website 2005). Market Presence Although TNT offers only about 1/6 the sales numbers of its major competitors like DHL, UPS, and Fed Ex, their customer list is impressive. A key to TNTs focused success is the targeting of specific industries. Their client list includes big users such as BMW, GM, and Proctor and Gamble (TNT Company Website 2005). Potential for future growth Although TNT appears to be flexible in adding new products and services to offer its client base, it does not seem to be as aggressive in earning additional market segments as some of its competitors. However, for the last six years, the company has recorded 22% revenue growth each year (TNT Company Website 2005). In addition, back in 2004, TNT launched a $115 billion, six-year improvement program to keep its business up to speed (Keane 2004). FedEx History Frederick W Smith had the vision for FedEx while attending Yale back in 1965. His dream became a reality in 1973 when the company first became incorporated (Journal of Business Strategy 1988, pp.15-21). Leadership FedEx’s original founder is still the CEO, Chairman, and President of the company. Since the beginning, Smith has positioned FedEx as the industry standard setter and has given all others a bar to reach for in terms of overall performance. Market Presence FedEx is the #1 express transportation company in the world and continues to grow and diversify. Its recent purchase of Kinko’s has helped to expand its retail presence as well as the supply chain management services it can provide to its customers. Potential for future growth FedEx has enjoyed exponential growth each year since the beginning and has always been able to manage the growth with ease. Last year alone, FedEx supported an 18.8% boost in sales and a jump in employees of 27.7% (Williams 2005). How does FedEx measure against the Competition? After review of FedEx and its main competitors, it is interesting to consider what may happen if one of its competitors would try to win clients from its customer base. Cleary, FedEx is a strong player in its field but the competition is fierce. In a competitive bid against its foes, FedEx would need to go on the offense, highlighting all of its attributes that make it stand out above and beyond. The best sales pitch is always a positive one, focusing on your company’s strengths rather than bad mouthing the competition. In an effort to keep important client relationships, FedEx could highlight the following: It’s original visionary and founder is still at the helm and directing the company that is still considered the industry standard setter. FedEx is the #1 express transportation company with sales revenue growth of 18.8% over last year, and net income growth 72.9% over last year (Williams 2005). FedEx’s commitment to do â€Å"Absolutely, Positively Whatever it takes† to keep the customer satisfied. It’s positive track record in the industry and ability to adapt to meet the growing needs of its client base (i.e. the purchase of Kinko’s). The commitment FedEx has to not only deliver on time but to treat each package like a â€Å"golden package†. In the case that questions arise regarding a delivery, there is always live support staff ready and available to field phone calls from consumers. Of course, packages can always be tracked on line. A competitive price offered for a competitive service with high quality standards. It appears that FedEx and UPS are both making plays to meet the end customer’s needs from both ends of the spectrum. FedEx got its start with the idea to guarantee delivery of overnight packages anywhere in the US. UPS, however, ramped up as a company focusing on ground deliveries. Both now are trying to get a piece of the other’s pie, and both are attempting to do it through acquisitions (DNS Retailing Today 2005, pp35-37). Many analysts and recent articles have placed FedEx and UPS in a direct competition for each others market space. In the article â€Å"Can FedEx Deliver More Than UPS?†, it is reported that both companies are projected to do very well but there is a belief that FedEx will do better (Tsao 2005). Specifically, the more positive outlook for FedEx has much to do with their expansion into ground deliveries where margins are higher. Conversely for UPS, it is looking to expand into a market with lower margins. Conclusion After review of FedEx’s specific customer base, the risks that it takes, the problems of sudden demand, its rivals, and a possible scenario of stolen customers, it is evident that FedEx is well positioned for success in the future. Existing competition in the marketplace will continue to put pressure on FedEx to provide high levels of service at a competitive rate. Overall, Fed Ex is well positioned to serve as an industry leader. References DHL Company Website 2005, http://www.dhl.com. ‘Federal Express Spreads its Wings’ 1988, Journal of Business Strategy, vol.9, issue 4, pp.15-21. Retrieved on October 28, 2005 from Business Source Premier Database. ‘FedEx and UPS deliver much more than mail’ 2005, DSN Retailing Today, vol.44, issue 10, pp.35-37. Retrieved on October 28, 2005 from Business Source Premier Database. FedEx Company Website 2005, http://www.fedex.com. Hannon, D 2005, ‘DHL to focus on quality, not low-cost in US market’, Purchasing, vol.134, issue 12, p.113. Retrieved October 28, 2005 from Business Source Premier Database. Hein, K 2005, ‘DHL Delivers Message: We’ll Serve You Better’, Brandweek, vol. 46, issue 32, p.4. Retrieved on October 28, 2005 from Business Source Premier Database. Keane, A 2004 ‘TNT Express Growing Plans’, Traffic World, vol. 268, issue 26, p.30. Retrieved on October 28, 2005 from Business Source Premier Database. Melnyk, S Denzler, D 1996, Operations Management; A Value-Driven Approach, William Schoof. Slack, N Chamber, S Johnston, R 2004, Operations Management, 4th Edition, Prentice Hall. Terrill, C Middlebrooks, A 2000, Market Leadership Strategies for Service Companies, NTC Business Books, Lincolnwood, IL. ‘The Big Three:UPS, FEDEX and DHL’ 2005, World Trade, vol.18, issue 8, p.20. Retrieved October 28, 2005 from Business Source Premier Database. TNT Company website 2005, http://www.tntlogistics.nl. Tsao, A 2004 ‘Can FedEx Deliver More Than UPS?’, Business Week Online, 9/10/2004. Retrieved October 28, 2005 from Business Source Premier Database. UPS Company Website 2005, http://www.ups.com. Williams, R 2005, ‘Hoovers DHL Worldwide Network S.A./N.V Corporation Overview’. Retrieved October 28, 2005 from http://www.hoovers.com/dhl. Williams, R 2005, ‘Hoovers Fed Ex Corporation Overview’. Retrieved October 28, 2005 from http://www.hoovers.com/fedex. Williams, R 2005, ‘Hoovers TNT Logistics Holdings B.V. Overview’. Retrieved October 28, 2005 from http://www.hoovers.com/tnt-logistics. Williams, R 2005, ‘Hoovers United Parcel Service, Inc. Overview’. Retrieved October 28, 2005 from http://www.hoovers.com/ups.

Type 2 Diabetes :: essays research papers

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic illness that is a result of the body’s insulin not functioning correctly. It was formerly called adult-onset or insulin-dependent. It is also the most common kind of diabetes accounting for about 90 percent of all diabetes cases. Type 2 diabetes can also cause obesity and high cholesterol. About 6 percent of the population suffers from diabetes while about one-third of those who do have it, do not know about it. Insulin is a chemical that is released by the body to control blood sugar levels. It allows glucose to enter cells where it is used for daily functions. When blood glucose cannot be absorbed into cells, the energy cannot be expended and is then expelled through the kidneys. It starts as some of the body’s cells develop a resistance to insulin. This causes the liver to function without control, so it continues to release glucose. Without the cells picking up glucose high levels of glucose in the blood persist, which is a condition called hyperglycemia.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some symptoms are excessive thirst, urinating frequently, and hunger. Fatigue can also be a sign of diabetes. Diabetic ketonacidoses can also occur in people with type 2 diabetes. This is when the cells do not get enough glucose and begin to burn fat. When the cells burn fat for energy it results in the release of waste products, know as ketones. High levels of ketones in the body can produce large amounts of acid, and if not tended to, will cause a person to go into a coma or can possibly be fatal. Diabetes is usually diagnosed by testing blood glucose levels. These tests tell doctors if the body is using insulin correctly by detecting how much glucose stays in the blood stream. Most doctors recommend daily exercise and strict diets to treat type 2 diabetes.

Beauty Pageants Argumentative

The Problems and Pleasures of Pageants Beauty pageants have been questioned on whether or not their truly innocent. In some cases, the smiles are more likely than not phony. On the other hand, the abundance of memories and skills gained from these extravaganzas can create a positive effect on the child. On the negative side, pageants are found to be full of drama from both the parents and from the stress of the requirements, including eating disorders. They also lead to bad sportsmanship and the parent’s desperate attempts to win, even at the risk of their own children.According to The Merriam Webster Dictionary (1899), the definition of a beauty contest, also called a pageant, is â€Å"an assemblage of girls or women at which judges select the most beautiful. † In other words, if one is the most beautiful, she, or sometimes even he, will be the most successful. This may be true physically, but the personality of certain parents or contestants prove otherwise. As you ca n see here, this mother is injecting her 8-year old child with Botox, a toxin used to make the face fuller in order to make certain features pop out or remove wrinkles.This toxin alone is dangerous to an adult, let alone a young girl. This Botox, if administered into the wrong place, would drip down her throat and kill her. Unfortunately, there are several parents who are desperate enough to win that will do treatments such as this. Other treatments include but are not limited to waxing, spray tanning or natural tanning, and heavy applications of make-up. Several of these so-called strategies to win are unhealthy for the contestant. An often occurrence at child pageants is feeding them high doses of sugar and caffeine.Often, they serve pixie sticks which are called â€Å"pageant crack. † Here we have young Alana, age 6. Her mother, known as â€Å"The Coupon Queen,† believes it’s perfectly fine to give her young daughter what she calls â€Å"Go-go† Juice. She defends this by saying â€Å"there are far worse things. I could be giving her alcohol. † She also claimed that plenty of mothers use caffeine and sugar in order to keep their toddlers awake and energized. Excuses like this are unacceptable. No child should be given large amounts of caffeine and sugar, if any at all.Parents are setting them at risk for obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and several other diseases caused by bad health choices like this. On the other extreme, there are eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating. This is Cleo Glyde, a model who is now a healthy size 12. She used to struggle with eating disorders, which are very common amongst the fashion world. Cigarettes and willpower were her only two friends against food. She eventually became a stick, much like the rest of the models, all because of peer pressure to be skinny rather than her normal self.She did an interview for Marie Claire, a high fashion company. She went on to e xplain the different things she had witnessed, such as the Brazilian woman who collapsed like herself in a fashion show and a beautiful girl who starved herself to nothing but bones, her beauty withering down as her skin became paler and dark circles grew under her eyes. The cold world of fashion is no different than the world of beauty pageants. The same effects can happen, and can be devastating. What makes child beauty pageants even sadder is the fact that the children can’t have a true childhood.They must spend their time practicing their moves, fixing their make-up and hair, practicing their smile, and trying on different dresses and outfits to parade around. They’re treated more like dolls rather than they are children. Everyone is admiring them while they walk about on stage, but those children dream about climbing trees and playing hide-and-seek with their other friends. There is, however, a lighter side to the pageant world. Children can believe that they are performing skits in a play and can have a wonderful time prancing about on the stage before them.Alliances and friendships are formed between the contestants and pageant moms. In fact, the definition could be considered misleading. Children do not need only beauty, but also talent, poise, confidence, and even communication skills. Truth be told, not everyone develops bad habits such as eating disorders and bad sportsmanship, or at least don’t pursue it. Former Miss Michigan Kirsten Haglund developed an eating disorder at the age of 15 because of the demands to stay thin. She was in denial at first, but after she had received help, she overcame her obsession and now visits high schools to talk about eating disorders.To add on, according to statistics, only 6% of girls who compete in competitions suffer from depression. Although psychological disorders seem to occur often in the world of beauty, it’s not a guaranteed thing. Winning a competition does not mean winning fro m pure beauty. Almost all pageants use some form of a talent competition or an intelligence test, even for the younger ones. Miss South Carolina 2007 lost because she could not answer the question she was given. Meanwhile, on a different website, quotes from the beauty queens showed their not-so-perfect side of them. While one considered knitting a sport, another called Bob Barker â€Å"Mr.Parker. † Most of them seemed to create their own words, such as â€Å"challengement† and â€Å"instrumentation. † These are not negative things, necessarily. None of these Miss USA contestants won, making it true that intelligence is needed in order to win the contest. Several misconceptions are made about these parades of glitter and hairspray. Most negatives a person thinks of when asked about pageants are the extremes being shown on television, just as television does. The show Toddlers and Tiaras display the extreme mothers who will do anything to win, even if that means teaching the child bad behaviors.Fortunately, the majority of pageant parents know how to balance the shows and the regular life of a child. In order to be able to speak to an audience and use good communication skills, a child must have practice, which is used in these competitions. Whether considering a career in business, acting, or even staying at home to take care of the children, a woman needs a voice to be heard. The pageants for young children and adults assist in gaining the confidence and social manners one needs in order to be taken seriously. The characteristics gained can only be measured with the side effects that come with them.The facts of a beauty pageant are the same as rumors: some hold their ground and turn out to be factual, while others crumble away as every lie does. To put a child in a contest is up to the parent, but it is highly recommended that they be cautious of the feelings of the child. As for the expositions of the young adult, they may choose themsel ves what they want to do; however, they cannot depend on beauty alone in order to gain wealth. Whether considered innocent or pure evil, pageants will still have a place on the world. Works Cited Beauty pageants do more good than harm. (2011). Retrieved from http://www. ebate. org/debates/beauty-pageants-do-more-good-than-harm/1/ Glyde, C. (06 A). Marie Claire. Retrieved from http://www. marieclaire. com/health-fitness/news/anorexia-model Harden, S. (2012, March 28). Statistic brain. Retrieved from http://www. statisticbrain. com/beauty-pageant-statistics/ The family factor:child beauty pageants- the misconceptions. (2011, 04 17). Retrieved from http://www. thefamilyfactor. com/2011/04/child-beauty-pageants-misconceptions. html Grosaru, L. (2011, May 30). Debatepedia. Retrieved from http://debatepedia. idebate. org/en/index. php/Debate:_Child_beauty_pageants