Pros and Cons of Airline Deregulation Essay Example

Pros and Cons of Airline Deregulation Paper Deregulation has brought charges that safety has been reduced in the transportation industries. Although theory suggests that safety might be lower in a competitive market than in a regulated one, experimental evidence shows that safety has not declined since the transportation industries were deregulated but has actually continued to improve. Even though deregulation and partial deregulation have brought great benefits to the economy and to the consumer, some interests have been adversely affected. In the airline industry, organized labor has been the principal loser. To this day, the major airlines are attempting to bring down their inflated labor costs. A number of airlines have established dual pay schemes where new employees are paid less. The deregulation process received a great boost in 1977 when President Jimmy Carter appointed Alfred Kahn to chair the CAB. This quintessential policy entrepreneur took charge at the perfect time. With a powerful intellect, a dedication to microeconomic efficiency, and a quick and infectious humor, Kahn set about reorganizing the CAB. Under Kahn, the board decided several landmark cases that tested open entry and unrestricted price competition (Civil Aeronautic Board 1978). The policy options, now, were narrowing. Early in 1978, both houses of Congress passed bills to liberalize regulation. Airline executives, such as American’s Crandall, faced with the prospect of a policy â€Å"that would leave the airlines half free and half fettered,† now shifted gears and called for the total elimination of economic regulation. In October, 1978, Congress passed the Airline Deregulation Act. President Carter signed it ten days later. We will write a custom essay sample on Pros and Cons of Airline Deregulation specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Pros and Cons of Airline Deregulation specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Pros and Cons of Airline Deregulation specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The act then place maximum reliance on competitive market forces. The Civil Aeronautics Board would automatically certify entry, unless doing so damaged the public interest. Fares would be flexible within a wide zone of reasonableness, and mergers would be readily approved. If all went well, the Civil Aeronautics Board would cease to exist by 1985 (Crandall 1978). The first year of airline deregulation was one of the most difficult years of the history, commented Bob Crandall. As an industry, Airline Company seemed bent on giving away the store. And 1980 proved worse still. All but two of the major carriers lost money, with American Airlines’ first half losses the worst in the industry. Passenger traffic slumped because of the recession, and the price of jet fuel had doubled again. Intense competition for key routes, with wild fares discounting, caught the industry and its regulators by surprise. The major carriers were not at all prepared for the suddenness of competition. Although the deregulation act had proposed an orderly phase-out of regulation, reallocation of routes and fare competition swept past the board’s half-hearted attempts at stabilization. By the spring of 1980, carriers were virtually free to determine the routes they served and the prices they charged (Office of Economic Analysis 1982). In May, 1979, World Airways, a former charter, offered a one-way fare of $108 between New York and Los Angeles and New York and San Francisco. This touched off the â€Å"transcontinental wars† among the major carriers, under-cutting revenues of more than $750 million, just for those two routes. TWA expanded the war to the semi-transcontinental market, matched by all of the other majors. Pricing madness went from bad to worse when Eastern tried to enter, with an unrestricted transcontinental fare of $99. World went to $88, the others matched, and the price war spread to â€Å"peripheral transcontinental markets of Boston, Washington, and Philadelphia (Praskell 1981). Hastily, the majors began dropping unprofitable routes and entering the potentially profitable markets of their competitors. Braniff challenged American in the Southwest, while Delta attacked American’s hub at Dallas from the East. Eastern expanded out of LaGuardia toward the west, and United contested more of the major city-pair markets connected to its hub in Chicago. Such unrestricted competition forced a dilution of yields, pushing break-even load factors higher. Accelerated hubbing was the clearest short-term strategic response by the major carriers. This practice, of concentrating connecting flights at a particular airport, had been Intense competition for key routes, with wild fares discounting, caught the industry and its regulators by surprise. The major carriers were not at all prepared for the abruptness of competition. Although the deregulation act had proposed an orderly phase-out of regulation, reallocation of routes and fare competition swept past the board’s half-hearted attempts at stabilization. By the spring of 1980, carriers were virtually free to determine the routes they served and the prices they charged (Office of Economic Analysis 1982). Used to a limited extent since the 1960s, both Delta and Eastern had developed a significant hub at Atlanta; United at Chicago; American at Dallas, and Allegheny (now US Air) at Pittsburgh. But hitherto, regulation had severely constrained the use of the hub-and-spoke route structure as an operating strategy. Only after receiving route flexibility could the majors contemplate the potential economies of scale and scope that the hub-and-spoke system had to offer. In terms of strategy, organizational structure, and performance, American Airlines’ adjustments to deregulation, starting as the second-largest, but least efficient of incumbent domestic carriers, was the most thoroughgoing and successful. As such, it provides the sharpest contrasts for examining the effects of regulatory change on business practice. Conversely, its size and revealed market power show how effective strategy, like regulation, can shape market structure to create sustainable rents. American Airlines was not prepared for deregulation. Its break-even load factor was the industry’s highest. Its labor costs were higher than the industry average and its productivity growth lower. Its fleet was the least fuel efficient, and its route structure the industry’s most fragmented. During the period in which regulation broke down (1968-1974), American’s management had made several serious errors: overexpansion into hotel properties, acquisition of too many wide-bodied aircraft, cutbacks in the development of computerized reservation systems, a failed merger attempt, and, finally, a managerial crisis. In September, 1973, George Spater, American’s chairman, admitted to making an illegal contribution to the Nixon campaign. He resigned, leaving American with operating losses, major organizational problems, and ruined morale (Serling 1985). C. R.  Smith, American’s colorful chief executive from 1934 to 1968, came out of retirement just long enough to choose a new chairman – an outsider named Albert Casey, president of the Times Mirror Company. Casey, a rough-and-tumble Boston Irishman with a self-deprecating sense of humor, specialized in finance, liked a lot of people, but knew nothing about airlines. His immediate challenge was to restore confidence and eventually, to prepare the organization for the demands of deregulation. The effects of deregulation on market structure and performance were just as dramatic as on industry structure, but not quite so clear. Several exogenous events, including the second oil shock, the air traffic controllers (PATCO) strike in 1981, and the 1982-1983 recession, also shaped the patterns of adjustment. With this qualification in mind, we can observe significant changes in the following market characteristics: first, entry and exit conditions, second, price level and pricing mechanisms, third, segmentation, fourth, distribution channels, fifth, cost structure, sixth operations, seventh, demand eight, service levels (and safety), and nineth, industry profitability. Entry into the industry and into individual city-pair markets clearly opened up as soon as the CAB lowered its barriers. Relatively low minimum-efficient scale and capital costs made this possible, but few of these entrants survived to 1988. Despite the hopes of economists, particularly those associated with contestability theory, the airline industry did not turn out to be frictionless (Panzar and Willig 1982). By building economies of scale and scope, by segmenting markets with strategic pricing, and by developing control of distribution channels, the incumbent firms responded strategically to create competitive advantages and eventually foreclose entry. As the data came in, economists revised their views of the industry’s contestability. At best, it appeared to be a transitional condition. Deregulation prompted an immediate reduction of prices and a continuing fragmentation of pricing structure. Here too, the early pricing responses seemed to support the logic of contestability. Even monopolists lowered their fares. Eventually though, prices stabilized in the least competitive markets and then increased. Price structure, meanwhile, fragmented into a wide range of special packages, discounts, and incentive deals. By 1987, the proportion of passengers using some sort of discount fare had risen from 37 percent (1977) to 91 percent (Airline Deregulation 1988). Sophisticated customer and competitor analyses, drawing on computerized data bases, was performed daily to optimize revenue by adjusting schedules, fares, and seat allocations among discount categories. This development should not have been surprising, in view of airline economics and a history of similar, although constrained, pricing practices. Commodity like, price wars at the outset of deregulation were partly the result of the market’s desegmentation. Carriers only gradually implemented strategies to resegment the market by price, service, brand image, and loyalty. Among the most striking features of airlines deregulation was the development and newfound strategic importance of distribution channels (methods of selling tickets). Under regulation, distribution channels were unimportant and unsophisticated. But with the transition to competition, customer access and control suddenly became critical for sellers, while the fluidity of adjusting markets caused extreme informational problems for buyers. Computerized reservation systems, with a relatively small incremental cost of adding a travel agency and huge economies of scale and scope, quickly became a competitive bottleneck that first movers took a tremendous advantage of. By 1988, American (SABRE) and United (APOLLO) controlled 70 percent of the travel agency channel, leaving competing systems (TWA, Delta and Eastern) with too small a base and other carriers in abject dependency. Accordingly, Frontier and ten other carriers brought a civil antitrust suit, seeking damages and divestiture of SABRE and APOLLO. The case was based on the essential facility doctrine – the same concept that the government had used successfully to attack the Bell System. Although civil charges were dismissed late in 1988, the Department of Transportation continued to review proposals for divesting the airlines of their reservation systems. Cost reduction was a predictable result of deregulation. The most dramatic and politicized aspect of this process was the deco sting of labor. Elimination of work rules, increases in hard hours for flight crews, and wage givebacks all contributed to lower costs. Continental, by reducing labor costs to 1. 33 cents per available seat mile, set a competitive baseline for the others. Delta, even with its traditionally nonunion work force, remained at the high end with costs of 3. 54 cents per average seat mile. Like American, every major carrier eventually moved to reduce costs across the entire range of operations, fuel, overhead, fleet and route structure, as well as labor. In all, the cost per passenger-mile traveled declined by about 30 percent 1981 and 1987. On the other hand, since November 1974 airfare increases have outpaced the rate of inflation, President Jimmy Carter (D, 1977-1981) shared Senator Kennedy’s views on this issue. In 1975, he endorsed legislation to provide airlines with greater flexibility to reduce airfares, ease Civil Aeronautics Board’s regulations on trunk entry, and made it easier, with some protections for small communities for airlines to eliminate nonprofit able routes. The airline industry strongly opposed the relaxation or elimination of national government rules concerning entry and exit of air routes and passenger ticket prices. During congressional hearings, they testified that head to head competition might cause ticket prices to fall, but it would also bankrupt many smaller airlines, leading to the concentration of airline service into just a few large carriers that could conceivably, control the marketplace and impose even higher fares on passengers than before deregulation took place. For example, Robert Six, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Continental Airlines, Inc. estified before the U. S senate Commerce Committee that deregulation will not lead to a more competitive situation. Rather, it is liable to result in a period of initial chaos and ultimately in a situation in which most of the air transportation system will be in the control of a few industry giants. The aviation industry also argued that deregulation would cause service reductions and in some instances complete elimination of service along many less profitable air routes, particularly those serving rural states and small-population cities. They also worried that deregulation would frighten investors making it more difficult for them to finance badly needed equipment facilities. They also warned that deregulation would adversely affect air safety because price competition would force airlines to defer maintenance and keep airplanes in service as long as possible. The industry’s labor unions also opposed deregulation. They feared that increased price competition might make it more difficult for them to win wage and salary concessions at the bargaining table. While Congress debated deregulation’s pros and cons, Alfred Kahn, President Carter’s choice to head the Civil Aeronautics Board, was sworn into office on June 10, 1977. He systematically altered the Civil Aeronautics Board’s regulatory behavior to allow airlines to fly as many routes as possible and at the lowest fares that they could afford. As airfares fell across the nation, Kahn received extensive and very positive media coverage. Although Congress was probably going to deregulate airlines regardless of Khan’s actions, the favorable publicity concerning Khan’s effort signaled to many on Capitol Hill hat it would be political suicide to fight airline deregulation. Sensing an opportunity to destroy its new competition, the larger airlines systematically reduced passenger airfares on routes also flown by the new start-ups. The practice was called predator pricing. The idea was to outlast the new start-ups and later recoup losses by raising passenger airfares after the start-ups were driven out of business. The strategy worked for Northwest Airlines. Its discount pricing forced People Express to abandon its Newark to the Twin Cities route. Northwest Airlines’ hub was at the Twin Cities Airport. However, in most instances, predator pricing resulted in economic losses for all airlines. Eastern Airlines, for example, lost to much money trying to kill off World Airline coast-to-cost routes that it was forced to withdraw from transcontinental service altogether. Also, United Airlines nearly went bankrupt trying to kill off People’s Express. By the late 1980s, predator pricing and other factors forced many start-ups into bankruptcy and many others to merge with other airlines. Overall, deregulation increased the number of air carriers but American, Delta, and United continued their dominance over the U. S market. Deregulation changed the basic nature of air service in the United States. Before deregulation most airlines exchanged passengers freely at major airports, a practice called interlining. After deregulation, airlines tried to keep their passengers to themselves. They discovered that it was more profitable to provide nonstop passenger air service between several major hubs instead of offering point to point, nonstop air service to numerous communities across the nation. Conclusion The airline industry appears to be evolving towards the segmented structure that existed prior to deregulation a small number of large trunk carriers offering long haul domestic and international services, regional carriers offering short and medium haul services within geographic areas and commuter carriers offering very short haul services to small communities. In aviation’s formative years, this structure was developed and controlled by government regulators. However, today’s evolution toward the segment marketplace is being driven and controlled by market forces with low entry barriers. Regulation has been a long-standing and indeed necessary feature of the airport transport industry the world over. Many countries, however, are now questioning the effectiveness, and indeed the relevance, of such regulations. More generally, questions are being asked about the appropriate balance between public and private sectors in the industry, whether existing regulations and operating structures are compatible with the introduction of new technology and more intense international competition, and many nations have sought to evaluate more systematically the overall contribution, an costs, of their ports to both domestic economic growth and inter-modal transport systems. In short, the world’s ports have reached a critical historical juncture. To date, however, airport reform in many countries has simply equated with labour reform, or more precisely a derogation of employment and working conditions. The propriety of such reform programmed must be questioned and, on the basis of the evidence presented in this paper. In developing countries in particular, where social protection for redundant workers is often more notable by its absence, the adverse effects of deregulation are indefensible. Furthermore, the experience of many countries suggests that deregulation by no means guarantees any improvement in airport performance. In fact, the long-term result may be the opposite. In contrast, there are several countries/ports where significant improvements in airport performance have been achieved while basic standards of employment have been at least maintained, if not improved. Thus, in several cases, productive efficiency continues to be founded on equity and efficiency in the labour market.

Characteristics of Giant Silkworm Moths and Royal Moths

Characteristics of Giant Silkworm Moths and Royal Moths Even people with no particular love of insects find the giant moths (and caterpillars) of the family Saturniidae fascinating. The name is thought to refer to the large eyespots found on the wings of some species. The eyespots contain concentric rings, reminiscent of the planet Saturns rings. These showy moths are easy to rear in captivity if you can find enough foliage to keep their very hungry caterpillars fed. Physical Characteristics Among the Saturniids, we find the largest moth species in North America: the luna moth, the cecropia moth, the polyphemus moth, the imperial moth, the io moth, the Promethea moth, and the royal walnut moth. The cecropia moth is a giant among giants, with the longest wingspan- a remarkable 5-7 inches- of all. Some Saturniids may seem dwarf-like compared to their gigantic cousins, but even the smallest of the wild silkworm moths measures a respectable 2.5 cm in wide. Giant silkworm moths and royal moths are often brightly colored, which may mislead first-time observers to refer to them as butterflies. Like most moths, however, Saturniids hold their wings flat against their bodies when at rest, and usually have stout, hairy bodies. They also bear feathery antennae (often bi-pectinate in form, but sometimes quadri-pectinate), which are quite conspicuous in males. Saturniid caterpillars are hefty, and often covered with spines or protuberances. These tubercles give the caterpillar a threatening look, but in most cases, theyre quite harmless. Do beware of the io moth caterpillar, though. Its branched spines pack a painful dose of venom and will inflict a long-lasting sting. Classification Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: ArthropodaClass: InsectaOrder: LepidopteraFamily: Saturniidae Diet Adult silkworm and royal moths dont feed at all, and most have only vestigial mouthparts. Their larvae, however, are a different story. The largest caterpillars in this group can exceed 5 inches in length in their final instar, so you can imagine how much they eat. Many feed on common trees and shrubs, including hickories, walnuts, sweetgum, and sumac; some can cause significant defoliation. Life Cycle All giant silkworm moths and royal moths undergo complete metamorphosis with four life stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. In the Saturniids, an adult female may lay several hundred eggs during her brief lifetime, but perhaps only 1% will survive to their own adulthood. This family overwinters in the pupal stage, often in silken cocoons joined to twigs or nestled in a protective envelope of leaves. Special Adaptations and Behaviors Female Saturniid moths invite males to mate by releasing a sex pheromone from a special gland at the end of their abdomens. The male moths are renowned for their determination and unwavering focus on the task of locating the receptive female. They have a keen sense of smell, thanks to their feathery antennae brimming with sensilla. Once a male giant silkworm moth catches a whiff of a females scent, he will not be deterred by foul weather, nor does he let physical obstacles impede his progress. A Promethea moth male holds the long-distance record for following a females pheromones. He flew an incredible 23 miles to find his mate! Home Range References vary greatly in their accounting of how many Saturniid species live worldwide, but most authors seem to accept a number in the range of 1200-1500 species. About 70 species inhabit North America. Sources Family Saturniidae - Giant Silkworm and Royal Moths, Bugguide.net. Accessed January 10, 2013.Saturniidae, Butterflies and Moths of North America. Accessed January 10, 2013.Saturniid Moths, University of Kentucky Entomology. Accessed January 10, 2013.The Wild Silk Moths of North America: A Natural History of the Saturniidae of the United States and Canada, by Paul M. Tuskes, James P. Tuttle, and Michael M. Collins.

Challenges in Access Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Challenges in Access - Essay Example ted only this month and gauged the current public sentiment on health care amidst current conditions, particularly from September 21-22 (Rasmussen, 2012). The polls by Rasmussen Reports and Reuters depict the manner by which public opinion changes according to the movements in the policy networks. For example, when the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the validity of the health care law, Reuters reported that the public was slightly more supportive of it. According to what they found, opposition fell to 52 percent from the posted 57 percent previously. This development depicts how institutions can wield influence on the way people perceive specific issues. Then, there is the case of the Rasmussen poll. It found that more and more Americans are accepting the health care law, stating that even though 52 percent of Americans are in favor of repealing the law, most of them see that such repeal is no longer likely. The period by which the poll survey was conducted came at the heels of several polls released showing Obama’s rally in presidential election surveys. The defeat of the Republican contender in the presidential race - if the poll is to be believed or if the election was held September 22 - meant that the health care reform will persist, as the Democrats prevail. Of course, there is the other story to these two polls. Although, the trend seems to be gradually favoring the health care reform, certain aspects to the public opinion of it remain strong. It should be noted that after two years, there is still strong opposition to the so-called Obama-care. The length of time should have steadily eroded public opposition but this does not appear to be happening at all. If one goes back to the Reuters’ poll, the bump in the figures supporting the health care reform was given by the public unwillingly. This is supported by the public’s acceptance, according to Rasmussen, that the law will persist because it came with Obama’s possible reelection. I would also

Oedipus Rex (play) Critique Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Oedipus Rex (play) Critique - Movie Review Example This is indicative of his search for his own personal position in the superficial world he has constructed around his identity. E: This quotation proves that Oedipus is destined to find out that he has already harmed himself. He has already lived up to the prophecy that was delivered to him, now he pursues the knowledge that will vindicate the verdict. A: A senator told Creon that he does not stay focused on the actions of his masters. At that moment, Oedipus entered and immediately confronted Creon and asked if he though he was a fool who would immediately defend himself after being accused of murdering the former king. This quotation represents Oedipus’ deployment of defense mechanism as a means of justifying why he could never be implicated in the murder of his father. While at the same time, he deploys the mechanism because he is coming to grips with the conclusion that he could indeed be the murderer. Oedipus is attempting to escape the knowledge of his fulfillment of his preordained fate. While his search for the answer drives him further insane, he feels as if he will never returned to normality until he knows for sure. He escapes the bliss of ignorance out of pure curiosity. Oedipus realized that his self fulfilled prophecy could have been handed down to his daughters who will have no husbands. Hence he seeks their departure with him to a land where he will not be followed by his dreadful past. At this point, Oedipus has accepted his fate and wanted to reveal it to society as a means of self purification. But even then he feels as if the pain is to bearable and travels further down the path of self destruction. This shows that rejection of ones fate forces the individuals to suffer from more pain. If he would have accepted his fate as destiny, he would have been less hard on himself and attributed the wrongful actions to the gods who cast that fate upon

Comparison and Criticism

Comparison and Criticism OUR MISSION: * Comparison and Criticism Hofstedes aim was to evaluate work values, while Trompenaars Hampden-Turners questionnaires inquired into respondents preferred behaviour in a number of both work and leisure situations. What both studies have in common is that in both questionnaires the focus is on the ultimate goal state, and that the underlying values, the underwater part of the culture iceberg, are derived from a series of questions about more outer layers of the culture onion, closer to the top of iceberg. Trompenaarss system appears focus-oriented; it speaks a lot about what is on peoples minds and what is in their sight, it speaks about the logical organization and framework of their behaviour (specific vs. diffuse, internal vs. external control, universalism vs. particularism) and relationships (individualism vs. collectivism; achievement vs. ascription; neutral vs. affective). Hofstede, on the other hand describes some of values present in people and finally affecting their behavior. The difference therefore is that Trompenaarss investigation lies on the surface of the investigation of the persons culture, showing exactly the choice and manner in which the actions are planned and handled, while Hofstede tries to go in the very deep of culture layers and lets us make our own forecasts of peoples behavior based on the knowledge of the hidden part of iceberg. . Taking a closer look into the comparison between the dimensions themselves, we can notice similarities between the two theories. One of these is the closeness between the notions of collectivism vs. individualism of Hofstede and communitarianism vs. individualism of Trompenaars. For a marketer, from our point of view, there is close no difference which index to use. There is some degree of similarity in Hofstedes power distance index and achievement vs. ascription. One values the accepted degree of high class/low class lifestyle and secondary characteristics difference, while the other measures the motivation of the low class to move higher. A marketer can infer that customers are better evaluated with the high power distance index in relation of selling status-emphasizing products (like luxury brands), while Trompenaarss index is better used when selling low cost practical business tools (like cheap PDAs). We would advise to use the two indices together as they complement each other. Long-term vs. short-term orientation index of Hofstede has got something in common with the past/present/future orientation of Trompenaars. That is in the way, how i.e. short-term oriented cultures will show the same tendency to be populist, tradition-oriented as the past- and present-oriented cultures. After taking a look into evaluations of different cultures one can find that the results, obtained by the two theories are often counter logical. German corporate culture is hierarchical, as is claimed by Trompenaars in his studies. Whereas Hofstede identifies Germany as relatively low in terms of Power Distance. These differences in the approach attracted some serious criticism over the years. One of the most prominent points often criticized is Hofstede perception of culture as a static characteristic of societies and their representatives. This approach does not take into the account the cultural drift that can easily be observed as the time passes by. As a vivid example, one can take the comparison between, say, the UK of the Victorian age and the Post Second World War UK and just try to assess the Power Distance Indices. Apparently, over this period of time peoples behavior has altered enough to allow a society with a lot lower power distance, the expressions of which found their way in the art of the time as well as in the politics (Rise of the Labor Party in 1945-1951) people of lower class were have become conscious to demand equality in these dimensions with the former unapproachable higher class, the expression of wealth and power and respect to it have decreased, as well as PDI. S imilar drift patterns can now be observed today in some of the underdeveloped countries, like Mexico, where former strong collectivist communities are dissolving, as their member become more individualistic, pushed by their desire to be successful in the new highly commercialized society. The same can be said about political influence on the culture (transition from Communist to Capitalist values). In other words it is easily observable that through time cultures evolve. Therefore the estimations for indices are slowly becoming outdated. Hofstede was later pushed by this evidence to regularly update his Index database, still retorting that cultural evolution is a very slow process. However the problem that may be hard to identify is actually not the quantitative, but rather the qualitative obsolescence of the framework itself, that will sooner or later present itself. I.e. what was reasonable and precise description in the 1970s can be an incomplete, flawed and vague characterizatio n for 2010, and even more so for future. That is however just one of the many debatable things. Among the others are: 1. Question interpretation of the surveyed, i.e. will the question really be a precise way to determine the culture, as the culture and personality may directly affect the way the question is translated and thus produce errors in the resulting evaluation. 2. Researchers background diminishes the completeness of cultural description and offers one-sided look at the problem. This way it would be preferable for marketers to have a marketer, not a manager, to make the proper evaluations framework, which would be more suited for marketing decision making. 3. Ignoring the ethnic group and communities presence, national culture fragmentation. Just saying that Germany has low UAC index may totally confuse the policymaker, as this does not differ between East, West and especially Turkish communities. Moreover, a study carried out only in only one company (Hofstede) cannot give an outlook on the entire cultural system of a country. Conclusion As described in this paper, there are several approaches to the classification of the cultures of different nations. The ones that were observed closely here are Geert Hofstedes and Fons Trompenaarss classifications, so-called cultural dimensions. These, as shown have a number of things in common and many differences as well. Thus, a marketer has to make a decision, which part of which study is to be used to develop a successful strategy. However there is little doubt that some way of adapting the strategy to the local culture is to be used. We may live in a globalized enviroment, however, so far there is no mundial culture and different clusters of people, whether they are separated geographically, historically or socially; some may choose one product instead of the other because of their culture and values. All of that is to be taken into consideration. And there are so far not many standartised approaches to the culture evaluations, other than Hofstedes and Trompenaarss, which eco nomise time and enable the creation of a consolidated strategy in approach to culture. It is not surprising that some of the companies nowadays are already fully involved in applying these methods in their decision making, and the amount of them will inevitably grow as the studies of the theories are being held in many Universities and Business Schools, from wich the future excecutives will come. However one has to rememember, that both these method are quite controversial and obviously imperfect, therefore we should learn learn to use the questionnaires and the databases responsibly. Only in this way can they provide precise, trustworhy and calculated assistance to people learning to work effectively in other countries. 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We are a full service firm practiced in the design and administration of all areas of employee benefits programs. Our people are our most valuable resource, each a licensed agent, cross trained in all aspects of our operation. We are committed to helping our clients successfully manage the evolution of health care and the ongoing challenge of enhancing the value of compensation through employee benefits. Our well earned relationships and market shares with local and national carriers afford our clients the strongest possible negotiating leverage for their benefit plans. We are committed to quality work above sales volume and while we recognize service promotes good will, we sincerely believe it to be its own reward. * The Fringe Benefit Company Community * Chris Durkin gets a Masai warriors blanket from Ataulwah and Simon, Young Life leaders and friends in Tanzania and Unganda. * Orphans at the Koomba school in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania August 2005 * Ryan Durkin, young life leader, with children from the Muslim orphanage in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, August 2005 * Chris Durkin gets acquainted with some village children in the outskirts of Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, August 2005 * After lunch potty party for the 1-2 year olds at Mother Theresas orphanage in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, August, 2005 * Dedication plaque for the basketball courts in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, August 2005 * Shawn Durkin carries an orphan at the Muslim orphanage in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, August 2005 * Brett Durkin with an orphan, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania August, 2005 * Aaron, Brett, Garrett, Ryan and Chris Durkin, building the Young Life basketball courts in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania August 2005 * Julie, Young Life leader, with children in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania during the building of the basketball courts, August 2005

1984 †Big Brother Essay

Our world is actually growing closer to the world of 1984 because of the use of technology. America is turning into oceania because we are starting to lose privacy. For example, Big Brother is the ruler of oceania. He is the name of the govenment not a person. Big Brother could represent america’s government. One of the books element that can be compared to todays society is the telescreen. The telescreens in 1984 were everywhere and never turned off. It Picked up everything you did in your apartment. It even picked any noise you made. It was Winstons fear of being over heard or seen. See more: Strategic Management Process Essay Surveillance is frightening to some people. Most of the palces we go to is full of camera’s. There is cameras in the mall, schools, and even on the streets ATM machine. Phone lines are also a way of spying on you. It is also east to tap a phone call. Mostly everytime you call a store or a bussiness your phone call is being recorded. The excuse that they make is that your phone call is being monitered for your protection. If televisions in todays society had a chip that is called the â€Å"V Chip†, The government would be able to control what you watch on your televison. The chip does actually exsist in todays world. Even without the chip the govenment could still control all the media on televison. A computer called the â€Å"The Pentium III† by Intel is able to note everywhere you go online in order to get feedback of what people like to see in the internet. The govenment tracks what people do and see on daily basis. A lot of people have a Easy-Pass. This keeps track of how many times you go through a bridge. Who knows if they could track it by satelite.

International Organisations and their role in environmental protection Essay

Our planet has become a risk society; being exposed to the disastrous efforts as a result of the harm caused by humans. There are several risks with varying magnitude and severity such as the natural disasters like earthquakes, tsunami, tornado etc. and man-made disasters such as biological weapons, nuclear programme and so forth. Ulrich Beck, the German anthropologist intimates that the above mentioned factors indicate a world risk society. Natural hazards are existential threats to the entire human lives. Rising or falling sea level can remold the world’s coastlines and seashores and most of the densely populated areas on earth will be affected as a result. There is a drastic change in the behavior and rhythm of the sea that the uniformity of the sea which was found previously is terribly missing now. The living beings in these coastal areas would be going for a task; it affects the agricultural fields and extends to a level of causing great damage to cities across the coastal areas. As per the reports of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the coastal regions inclusive of mangroves, reefs and several other regions are on high risk. Another alarming effect is the greenhouse effect. The role of Carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and hydrogen nitride are proportionately high when relatively compared to the other greenhouse gases. Reports from IPCC confirm an anticipated response in proportion to the rapid increase in greenhouse gases. The overall effect is observed to increase the temperature of atmosphere, precipitation and evaporation rates. Rising ocean levels and relative changes in the atmosphere are additional effects. Another relevant effect which is thrown in lime light is global warming- a rapid increase in the temperature of earth’s atmosphere (in simple words the air we breathe) due to the blockage of the earth’s radiation, that reflects back from the surface of the earth, caused by the formation of a blanket like layer from the excessive emission of hazardous gases such as Carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and hydrogen nitride. This is also the reason for acid rain; due to the hazardous contamination of clouds with these gases the rain gets polluted and returns to the earth in the form of nitric acid, sulfuric acid, carbonic acid and so on. All the above mentioned effects have led to the depletion of a huge diameter of ozone especially in Australia and according to the reports it continues to expand. The practice of nuclear energy testing and the dumping of nuclear waste has led to change in the demographic position of tectonic plates which was the main reason for tsunami and earthquakes in India, Indonesia and the other coastal regions. It is important to be reminded that the disaster has caused a huge death toll. In addition to the existing hazards, there are so many pandemic diseases such as SARS, bird flu, swine flu and other diseases that have targeted several countries, leading to a significant death toll. International Organisations Every individual has started giving a thought about the environmental protection and preservation of energy. They are worried that the next generation would be left empty with nothing in reserve for survival. Environmental protection has become every country’s concern in today’s world. In their attempt to preserve environment from further deterioration of environment, the states push off the economical cost to be borne by someone or the other, walking away with whatever benefit that could be incurred in the attempt. We are running on high risk with clear evidences such as hole in the Ozone layer, fast melting of icebergs, global warming and many natural havocs which are a result of exceeded exploitation of nature by human. The forthcoming natural hazards would be even worse beyond the imagination of human brain. Many International organisations such as World Meteorological Organisation, UNEP, UNDP and IPCC have played a major role in the protection of environment. UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (shortly recognized as DOALAS) is the secretariat of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). DOALAS in coordination with UNCLOS assists, advices and submits reports on the marine resources, ecosystem and environment. Similarly the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) – established in 1902; an International Organisation attributed to the protection and preservation of the living beings and to maintain a check on the ecological balance of the North Atlantic Sea. The report also includes the rate of contamination and the source of contamination. This guides them to decide on the steps to curtail preventable contamination if any. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) – an association formed to create awareness on the issues of environmental hazards, the causes of the environmental hazards and eventually to raise voice against the industrial sectors or individual accountable for environmental degradation. When the depletion of ozone layer was brought into limelight by the American scientists, UNEP and few NGOs volunteered to make a consolidated effort to build awareness among public through public awareness programmes. In response to the bourgeoning harmful effects of climate change, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) came up with a group that would focus entirely on various scientific and socio-economic contributions geared towards understanding environmental and resource degradation brought about by climate change. This notable body was called Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Its main objective is to get the perspective of different scientists and other professionals from all over the world in order to touch all facets of causes and effects of climate change. Through this way, concrete actions could be taken based on the reports released by the intergovernmental body. According to the Global Environment Outlook 1 (UNEP Report, 1997), there has been a remarkable progress with regards to the implementation of biodiversity, climate and desertification conventions; however, there is still a visible lack of urgency present from across the globe. These reports which consist of environmental issues would be nothing if the society continuously fails to recognize the implications of their actions towards nature. Environmental progress in an international level could only be met if strong governmental structure and environmental unity would be strictly imposed on all regions of economic development. European Environmental Agency was established in 1990; aimed at consistent development and record maintenance on the improvements in Europe’s environment. They conduct periodical meeting and exchange information on the report submitted to know the real condition of the environment. They also established European environment information and observation network (Eionet) to provide a coordinated effort towards the protection of environment and preservation of resources. They form a group of 27 EU member countries which is inclusive of Turkey, Liechtenstein, Iceland, Switzerland and Norway Just recently, the European Environmental Agency (EEA) released their report entitled â€Å"Signals 2009† which highlights the primary environmental issues confronting Europe. One of the most impacting challenges of Europe is the sustenance of water in certain regions experiencing the blow of climate change. Some of the regions such as Cyprus and Turkey have been experiencing calamitous drought over the past few years which is why the water demand continuous to increase in an annual basis. In response to this trend, EEA recommends the need for adaptation and climate change mitigation in order to lessen the emissions of greenhouse gases within Europe. Governmental policies on adaptation also call for concrete projects that would tap the necessary resources in order to store and supply enough water for the people (Signals, 2009, p. 11). Nevertheless, the Signals 2009 Report covered fascinating yet informative depictions of what will become of our planet if none of these highly suggested plans of action were realized by the end of this year. Another enlightening and results-driven undertaking rose in October 2008 and it was managed by the International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change (IHDP). This program wanted to veer away from the regional impact of climate change. It would rather focus on building an all-in-one package that would support the way nations govern their society as well as incorporate earth friendly systems in their future developmental plans. The scheme deemed necessary to build the Earth System Governance Project which aims â€Å"to engage more and more actors who seek to strengthen the current architecture of institutions and networks at local and global level† (Earth System Governance Organization, 2008, p. ). More so, this project finds it important to concentrate on five specific aspects that would form the structure and content of their science plan, and these are: architecture, agency, adaptiveness, accountability and allocation and access. All the same, they have integrated the themes of power, knowledge, norms and scale into their agenda in order to strengthen the formulation and implementation of their analysis on massive environmental pr oblems hitting our planet today. Though it is a politically-driven concept, it aspires, nonetheless, to create a globally regarded research network where every country can benefit from the projects and breakthroughs done by concerned scientists. The Role of United Nations UNEP conducted an international conference in Washington in 1977 with the issuance of World plan of Action for the Ozone layer and an Ad Hoc working party was formed to be in charge of the issue. The working party was constituted of environmental experts from 22 countries, eventually they submit a report of all the negotiations at the end of the ever year. The Toronto Group (IO formed by USA, Canada and Scandinavian countries) pinpointed the increased release of CFC from EU. EU refused to agree to reduce the production of CFC by using the lapse that there was no evidence to prove the connection between ozone depletion and CFC. Eventually in 1985, Vienna convention was established. It is an agreement signed by most of the European countries and the objective is to acknowledge the efforts to protect ozone layer and to cooperate to protect the layer. The UNEP along with the Toronto Group conducted marathons for public awareness and various conferences to insist the reduction of CFC by a significant proportion say 95%, but the EU agreed to reduce it only by 50% in 1999 due to the pressure from Germany. Yet the developing countries and small countries were under tremendous pressure as the reduced production of CFC would affect their growth, eventually they agreed to reduce it to a great extent as much as 300 grams per capita. In 2000, EU joined 81 states and showed an active participation in ban the production of CFC. The developing countries were guaranteed financial aids to assist the reduced production of CFC. The USA and Japan was slowly backing out with its slowing of the process whereas EU was very concerned and it continued till 2004, until the issues were resolved and the countries agreed to stop the production of CFC completely. There were a number of treaties such as Vienna convention of 1985, the Montreal Protocol of 1987, the Amendments of London (1990), Copenhagen(1992), Vienna(1995), Montreal (1997) and Beijing (1999) (www. nep. org/ozone/index. asp) regarding the fund allocation and technical assistance. World Bank, UNEP and UNDP played a major role in allocation of funds to execute Montreal Protocol. In the context of dealing with transboundary environmental issues, UNEP and WMO (World Meteorological Organisation) played a major role in the formation of Coordinating committee on the Ozone Layer (CCOL). The objective of the committee was to create awareness and to spread the pros an d cons of Ozone depletion. Later with the help of the scientists they were able to discover the fact that the reduced production of CFC will contribute towards the decelerated depletion of Ozone perhaps would not stop the depletion completely. The Ozone was measured by the US space agency NASA, the connection between the CFC emancipation and the depletion in the Ozone layer was also proved. Conclusion Global environmental issues have always been an issue of concern since there were no coordinated efforts from the International organisations. As a result, the continued efforts to preserve Mother Nature from the industrialist countries and developing countries have not been successful down the years. The industrialised countries were concerned about their growth and in the process failed to realise hazardous effect that was caused in turn. The most prudent effort of an International organisation purely depends on the way it deals with the political and technical accords. Several times their attempt to convince the developing countries and capitalistic countries was in vain. Most of the times the International Organisations are driven by the politics of the global economy and that is the major cause for a biased decision making. Nations which follow the ideologies of capitalism and socialism, both followed paths to develop their countries at the cost of exploiting the environment and causing maximum utilization of available resources. The major reason for such an unorganised work style, according to liberalists, is due to the lack of global governance.