Hotel Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Hotel Management - Essay Example As such, the organization does not have to deal with food problems that may arise; the problems can be solved by the company providing services. The other reason why the outsourcing food service has become a common phenomenon is because an organization can have expertise at providing food services while the other can be an expert at the management of cafeteria. Food services have also become the commonly outsourced function because back up support is provided for the program, as well as the food service team. For example, the company contracted to outsource can provide extra services at no extra cost; this includes expertise for a special function that an organization needs. Organizations in the hotel industry also outsource food services because the company contracted to provide such services provides high quality food at an affordable price. Food service outsourcing has also become common since the manufacturer guarantees production of nutritionally safe food, high quality products, and food of a high standard. Cost savings and labor efficiency, which comes with outsourcing food services, can be regarded as another reason why the outsourcing of food services has become common. The other reason for outsourcing food services is that it allows for price flexibility. Food services are also outsourced since they allow for increased information for nutrition, especially with regard to menu offerings. There are several advantages of outsourcing food services, which accrue to the management contractor. First, contract manufacturing of food services allows clients to have access to up-to-date processes and infrastructures involved in manufacturing. The other advantage is that it helps the management contractor in the management of day-to-day schedules, packaging, production, and management of labor services. The outsourcing of food services also gives the management contractor an opportunity to diversify, as well as evaluate

EU’s Fifth Action Programme Essay Example for Free

EU’s Fifth Action Programme Essay The introduction of European Union’s Fifth Action Programme into the continent pollution control mechanism has wide range benefits, several of which will be discussed in subsequent sections of this paper. Indeed, the application of the programme will completely change how people in the continent deal with pollution issues. One reason for this change is fact that most of pollution control measures would be done at the grassroots level as opposed to the traditional model of having measures develop and implemented at national and continental level. In explaining benefits of the programme, the paper is divided into five sections, each of which addresses a specific benefit. I. Creation of Responsibility Culture Decentralisation of solution to pollution issues in EU will lead to situation where individuals at the local level take responsibility for pollution problems in their respective localities. In this regard, it would be possible to develop measures that in line with local demands. This is because members of local community understand bets what could be ailing their environment. In addition, having an understanding that there’ll never be outside help will create a culture of responsibility among locals. This could be achieved through preventative measures ensuring that pollution is avoided in the first place, or even minimise effects minimal pollution that might occur. Individual communities and households will that start depending on themselves in matter pertaining to controlling pollutions. This is because they will understand that solutions would only come from local efforts. This factor has the benefit of cultivating competition between communities, because they would have been equalised under the programme. Such competition has the potential of leading to less pollution as communities try to out do each other on the ones that are more prosperous in terms of being pollution free. All this would lead to increasingly pollution free communities facilitated by residents themselves. By implementing the programme, individual communities and countries would not have anyone to blame for the status of their environment’s pollution levels. The involvement of people shall be a boon to stakeholder initiatives directed at reducing pollution. This is because people and groups shall feel freer in dealing with issues that have for many years been preserves of governmental organisations. In addition, stakeholder groups that have been pushing for individual efforts in the protection of environment in localities will now start becoming active. It has to be understood that localised stakeholder groups help individuals in societies to come together to develop initiatives that lead to better communities. Fact that the EU Fifth Action Program will provide them with a voice is indeed of great importance. In addition, individuals that are not in a position to participate in stakeholder groups will be free to develop their own mechanisms to control pollution in their own neighbourhoods. This can even be doe at the family level, where members of the same family join hands in protecting their small environment from pollution. Doing this in several private properties enable the creation of pollution free neighbourhoods. Fact that all this would be done through initiatives developed at local levels is something to be desired, because, as discussed later in the paper, policymakers at national and regional level would be able to concentrate on other pressing matters. Other than leading to productivity in the protection of protecting environment at local level, the programme is also a vital tool of education member of public that it is possible to make changes in their communities without depending too much on the European Union. People in the region will further understand that they have power to make changes. At the end, the mentality that successful measures can only be achieved through intervention of national and regional authorities will be demolished completely. This will lead to the genesis if self dependency in solving pressing issues at local levels without rushing to authorities for help. II. End Paternalism Application of the program in pollution control will also help members of public understand the role of European Union in their day-to-day lives. At it currently happens, members of the public in the region might tend to think that EU exists to solve problems like pollution. In this regard, the people will have to understand that EU’s environmental mechanisms are developed to help member countries harmonise their frameworks. In other words, member countries come together and help develop best frameworks to deal with environmental issues; it is up to the countries and their citizens implement these mechanisms and ensure of they are working. Fact that paternalism has become popular in most European countries could be leading to mentality that EU exists to improve lives of member country citizens. The application this program may help in the process of disseminating that mentality completely. In this regard, people will stop looking for top to bottom solutions in their problems and thus developing bottom to top solutions. In addition, leaders at the local level would feel empowered to lead their congregation in ways that would directly benefit the local community. This new process of solution finding would be good because it has the capabilities of developing preventative measures in the first place. The localisation of decision making processes would also help communities adapt to changes that get effected in the process implementing policy changes. This is a great move from the traditional frameworks that has tasked national governments with responsibilities of helping community members at the lowest level adapt to policy changes. In the new model, it shall be up to local leaders and authorities to help the community. This has positive gains because people have easy access to leadership that would help them in the process. Having the leaders being located close to the people will also improve passage of information between stakeholders, and with it deliver the desired message to the people. As mentioned earlier, the localisation of decision making and policy implementation would lead to competition between communities has the advantage of resulting to greater efficiency. The comparison of performance between communities would help in understanding best practices in the localities would help the areas performing poorly to copy from best performers. This copying from the best would help in the implementation of pollution policies, because each locality would take best practices and tailor them in accordance to local demands, which would be a shift from the traditional model of having one size fits all mechanisms developed at regional and national levels.

Essay --

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Individual Assignment Essay

1. Introduction Nowadays, as experts are studying further and further about personality, the importance of it in the society and workplaces is highly aware by everyone. The more we know about personalities, the better we can understand why people do the things they do, and how to communicate with them. Knowing about our own personalities, we can improve our styles, reduce stress and conflicts as well as develop positive attitudes in life (punctuality, flexibility, willingness to learn, friendliness†¦) Therefore, through this paper, I will examine deeply in my personalities as a particular example to further understand this matter. Moreover, with the focus on how it affects me in personal and professional development, I can find and improve myself to achieve the best success in my future. 2. Methodology The basic concept of my assignment is the Big Five Personality Model. â€Å"Five basic dimensions underlie all other and encompass most of the variation in human personality† are: * Extraversion: one’s comfort level with relationships. Extraverts get their energy from interacting with others, while introverts get their energy from within themselves. Extraversion includes the traits of energetic, talkative, and assertive while introversion personalities are usually quiet, reserved and shy. * Agreeableness: the extent to which a person is good-natured, helpful, trusting, and cooperative. Traits include being kind, affectionate, cheerful and warm. * Conscientiousness: responsibilities and reliabilities. Conscientious people have self-discipline, well-organized, careful and responsible. * Openness to experiences: creative minds and willingness to learn. People with high level of openness tend to be imaginative, curious, independent and somehow artistic. * Emotional Stability: ability to deal with stress and other tense situations. A person who is very stable emotionally would remain calm in many situations and would feel secure. Bases on this theory, with the help of an online website, I’ve got the result about my personalities according to Big Five Model. With this result, I will be able to evaluate and improve my career as well as my positive personalities. 3. Analysis results: Results: http://img841.imageshack.us/img841/9448/yourbigfiveresults.png In my opinion, this result is matched 80% with my real personalities. In real life, I can be comfortable with people that I already knew before, especially classmates, parents, siblings†¦ I can do silly things, say lots of random things, and joke freely. However, with strangers, I usually keep a secured distance, be formal and respective as much as possible. Sometimes, in disadvantaged circumstances, I might be shy and stay quiet all the time being with strangers as I don’t want strangers to know too much about myself. That’s why my result in Extroversion is a little above average score (59/100 respectively). Consequently, this will help me find balance in group working, be opened and be quiet when needed. My job performance will be improved along with my social skills. Moreover, in competitive situations, especially facing with rivals, I can keep them from knowing about my strength and weakness; or pretend like I am not a dangerous rival for them. Next, refer to Openness to Experience trait, because I really like original, conventional and unchangeable things so the low score (20/100) is reasonable. I don’t have a variety of interests but only a few one and do it thoroughly with my passion. However, sometimes the closeness in my mind prevents me from create new ideas and stay creative while brainstorming. But it’s true that I am a down-to-earth person as I really hate unclear, misleading, dishonest things/people. I know this attitude sometimes has a bad effect on my career and my personal life since I am not willing to learn new things so my training performance will not be as good as I expect. If I am a leader, I might ignore helpful creative ideas from my teammates. My honest and straight personality also bring me hard times dealing with others although it’s a really worthy trait. However, I believe that the original is always the best basement for my every innovation. It helps me balance a group that contains many open-minded people and keep conventional values of life. This conventional and honest personality might be one of the important reasons leads to my disagreeableness (22/100 of agreeableness). Because I am a little stubborn and hard to be persuaded, sometimes I find the dishonest people, the unclear things or the too-reliable-on-others person really uncomfortable and annoy me. Normally, I am quite kind and lovable; but whenever I am concentrating in doing something, I can easily be irritated by people who try to distract me. My perfection attitude also get me into quarrels as I always find the mistakes in others’ performances and try to fix it for them. Nevertheless, as my friends and teammates stated, the perfectionist inside me really helps them a lot when they complete their tasks. I am easy to be angry and annoyed but it’s always reasonable and related to work issues or problems of the equity. So I think this is not a disadvantage but an advantage for my career and personal life. Besides that, my flexibility in Emotional Stability helps me a lot in dealing with these two weaknesses. Despite easily being irritated by others, I can hold it in and balance my emotions really well. I made decision for tense situations really slowly and calmly. I don’t take it as a pressure or stress but only a problem like other problems everyone needs to face in life. One important reason for the low score is I am truly an optimist, seeing things with believe, happiness and hope. It’s not that I paint my life with pink, but my rational thinking always leads me to better things, not worsen the situations. As a result, my stress level will be reduced a lot, prevent me from being overload with tasks, problems, personal matters†¦ Because I know how to show my expressions and emotions at the right time, to the right person, my social relationships are really good, bring me benefits in both personal and professional life. I can tell that I have only one close best friend; but I have a lot of good friends who are ready to help me anytime I need, thanks to my emotional stability. The last trait is conscientiousness with high score at 83/100. This indicates that I am a well-organized, disciplined and reliable person. I really hate disorganized things and people. I always try to arrange my stuff into a fixed positions and I hate when someone try to change it or make it messy. I usually make plans; review its process regularly and try to finish as perfect as possible. If I am assigned a task, I will try to do it thoroughly and not let anyone complain about my performance, or at least reach the bearable stage. This is applied with not only my personal events but also my working tasks and problems, especially tasks I have a lot of interests in like handicrafts, writing for magazines, reviewing things. In my point of view, this is the most important trait among five traits. My great efforts and responsibilities will bring me more and more knowledge, then contribute to higher level of my job performance, as well as help me organize my life effectively. Not only those but people also trust me and respect me for my enthusiasm, concentration and reliability. Therefore, if I am a leader, I can easily affect and lead my teammates follow my decisions or instructions; also my position, status in the group will be firm and long lasted. 4. Conclusion & Lessons learned To summarize, my personalities according to Big Five are quite correct and bearable. The five traits, no matter how high or low, have certain effects on our personal and professional development. It also indicates that everyone has their own personalities and no one is similar to another one. Although this is only a test and might not say everything about oneself, but based on those personalities, we can find the best solutions for our problems, the best way to live and the best career to take. Knowing about personalities, we can try to improve the good side and reduce or fix the bad side of our attitude to improve our living standard, job performance and satisfaction. Moreover, when dealing with relationships in society, we can have a wider view of one person, especially when being a leader joining in group works or assigning suitable tasks.

Why I Chose Construction Management

Page paper on why I choose construction manatees Construction has been in my background since 1988, when my father purchased his first piece of property. My brother and I wanted our room designed a certain way so we begged our father to fulfill our wants. In my father words, he said if you and your brother want your room other then the way IM designing it, then you two have to help build it. And that started my life in construction.As I furthered my education ND my experience grew In the construction field I also started to dabble in the business word. At the age of 17, I worked for my first construction company, Cap Stone Constructions. There, I was on the demolition crew Like most people that start off In the construction field. Not only did I demo, but I also learned how to frame, drywall, tape and mud. Not to long after my first Job, my father started his construction company and brought me on to work for him. There I worked various job in the residential sector as well as manage d his crew in his absence.From the outside looking in, it had seemed as though my father was making good money rehabbing buildings, renting them out and collecting money. As time went on, I started to notice that the residential sector was all that we dabbed in and even that sector was being run wrong. Yet, this was his construction company. Then I realized that his company was actually a company of family members, and him doing all the work. He was vary over worked in the construction field, and under educated In the In the business realm.For those reasons my father continued to make the same mistakes, and In turn get the same results. Till eventually, he ran himself Into the ground wondering why he worked so hard with minimal success. I am an entrepreneur by heart, so that means that different types of businesses interest me. I've owned several businesses from furniture stores to catalog distribution companies. I even owned a contracting company where I had contracted independent contractors to drive for a transportation business I ran.In my search for he perfect business to start, I realized that I always reverted back to the construction field and maybe that was where I needed to be focusing my entrepreneurial spirit. So I started kef contracting, and began to make the same mistakes as my dad. I focused on rehab and family members to help with my vision. I knew very little about the other sectors, the 16 divisions of construction, or even how to formulate a contract. All I knew was obtain some property, fix It up with small loans from small lenders, and rent It out.But having an entrepreneurial split, I knew that there was more to owning a construction company, so I returned to school. Taking construction management has taught me a lot about what I didn't know on how to run a successful to put construction and business together, two of my favorite subjects. By the end of this course, I should have the knowledge I need to go along with the experience I have in construction and in business, and put them together the right way to formulate a strong foundation for a successful construction business.

Coca Cola India Essays

Coca Cola India Essays Coca Cola India Paper Coca Cola India Paper Table of contents Executive Summaryi The Coca-Cola Company Firm Profileii The Beverage Industry in Indiaiii India’s Societal Systemvii Macroeconomic Indicators and Demographics. vii Market System Aspectsix Infrastructure and Legal Orderix Cultural Dimensionsx India’s Societal Predispositionxi Ideologiesxii Indian Caste Systemxii Valuesxiii Religionxiv Politicalxv Economicxv Strategies and Policiesxvi Constraintsxvi Coca-Cola Strategyxvii Future Strategic Initiativesxvii Market Penetration Strategyxviii Consumer and Market Focus Strategyxviii Marketing Strategyxx Conclusionxx Executive Summary India, as one of the world’s largest emerging markets, is quick to be seen as a source for new corporate growth and expansion by both large and small companies alike and The Coca-Cola Company is no exception. Since its second foray into the Indian market, The Coca-Cola Company has seen significant growth in its operations there, with average annual gains of 21 percent. As the company becomes more entrenched within the Indian market, it must continue to navigate the cultural, economic and political idiosyncrasies found in India to ensure continued growth and to sustain its competitive advantage over its rivals. For The Coca-Cola Company, long-term success hinges upon a myriad of factors that include expansion into the rural markets of India where inadequate infrastructure, widespread poverty and the legacies of the country’s caste system continue; product development and marketing strategies that cater to both the taste preferences of the Indian consumer and societal pressures for healthier alternatives; and acquisitions and partnerships that broaden the company’s internal distribution network while simultaneously giving the company access to long-standing relationships, which is important in a country that places a greater emphasis on relationships over rules and profits. As The Coca-Cola Company implements its strategies for continued operations and market share expansions within India, working knowledge of how the political, economic and cultural forces shape the corporate environment within the country will boost the company’s acceptance by local partners, employees and consumers, ultimately leading to a stronger competitive position for company. The Coca-Cola Company Firm Profile The Coca-Cola Company, publically traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol KO, is the world’s largest nonalcoholic beverage company with over 139,600 employees and reported revenues of USD 35,119 million during the fiscal year that ended in December 2010 (Global Data, 2011). With over 500 brands sold in more than 200 countries, The Coca-Cola Company maintains responsibility for three primary business elements for its product: the manufacture of the concentrates, beverage bases and syrups that are sold to bottling operations for final manufacture and packaging for consumption, the company’s brand and consumer brand marketing initiatives (The Coca-Cola System, 2011). The Coca-Cola Company is a dispersed, transnational organization that operates under a decentralized management structure. The company consists of six operating segments: Eurasia, Africa (includes India), Europe, Latin America, North America and Pacific. Two other business entities round out the corporate structure Bottling Investments, which are the Company-owned bottling operations and Corporate (The Coca-Cola System, 2011). Each operating segment holds significant autonomy as it drives sales within its region and develops market-specific products to meet local demands and preferences. The largest volume growth by operating segment has been Eurasia Africa, with 12 percent gains from 2009 to 2010 and the Indian market is driving the growth with average annual gains of 21 percent (The Coca-Cola System, 2011). In terms of financial performance and stability, the company’s global footprint offers the opportunity to offset sluggish market conditions in developed markets like the United States and Europe with growing sales in emerging markets like Brazil, China and India (Global Data, 2011). As the domestic demand for non-alcoholic beverages in these markets grows, The Coca-Cola Company is able to leverage its brand and breadth of portfolio to secure market share. The backbone of Coca Cola’s operations is its more than 300 bottling partners worldwide. Bottling partners manufacture, package, merchandise and distribute the final beverage products to local customers and vending partners (The Coca Cola System, 2011). The company does not own or control most of its bottling partners. In 2007, 79% of unit case volume was produced and distributed by bottling partners in which the company did not have a controlling interest (The Coca Cola System, 2011) and 2011 figures show the company having a 30 to 35 percent interest in its major bottling partners (Global Data, 2011). This organizational philosophy is evident in its Indian operations. Coca Cola reentered the Indian market in 1993 and by 1999 it had acquired 37 company-owned bottling operations and 16 franchise bottling operations (India: Coca Cola uncorks new growth plans, 2000). Volatile raw material costs and governmental regulations remain the most serious of threats to The Coca-Cola Company across the entire corporation (Global Data, 2011). As most of the raw material costs for The Coca-Cola Company arise from commodity products, their supply can be affected by weather and natural disasters, governmental controls and supply shortages (Global Data, 2011). For The Coca-Cola Company, governmental restrictions affect every operating segment that they are in and can include anything from foreign direct investment and national labor requirements to labeling requirements to environmental regulations. Failure to monitor and abide by individual governmental regulations can have severe consequences on the overall financial health of the organization and can impede successful operations (Global Data, 2011). The Beverage Industry in India Soft drink sales in the Indian market generated total revenues of $3. 8 billion in 2010 as market consumption volumes increased nearly 11 percent during the 2006-2010 timeframe (Datamonitor, 2011). For comparison, the global beverages industry saw total revenues of $1,749 billion in 2010 of which $560 billion is attributed to soft drink sales, which highlights the limited overall current consumption of soft drinks in the Indian market (Datamonitor, 2011). In terms of market share, the Indian market is dominated by The Coca-Cola Company (33 percent market share) and PesiCo, Inc. (22 percent market share), with Parle Bisleri Ltd. , a Mumbai-based drinking water bottler capturing 20 percent of the remaining market. Various other companies make up the remaining 26 percent of total available market for soft drink sales (Datamonitor, 2011). For The Coca-Cola Company, India led its segment in revenue growth, though it has the lowest annual per capita consumption globally at 11 for 2010. India’s annual per capita consumption rate has increased from 6 in 2009 (The Coca-Cola System, 2011) and continued growth is expected for the country. For the soft drinks/beverage industry, the primary factors of production include water, concentrates, and both natural and synthetic sweeteners (Datamonitor, 2011). For bottlers, product packaging comprises another major factor of production. Relative stability and limited controversy are evident for soft drink concentrates and sweeteners within the Indian market (Datamonitor, 2011). Water as a factor of production plays a critical and often controversial role in the soft drinks beverage industry. For the bottling process, water is the primary ingredient in products produced for The Coca-Cola Company (The Coca-Cola System, 2011). In addition, water is used extensively for rinsing, cleaning, heating and cooling within the manufacturing process. The Coca-Cola Company Corporate offices has an active, three-fold water stewardship program that looks to reduce water usage, recycle the water used in manufacturing processes at a level that supports aquatic life and replenish water used in the company’s finished products through supply chain initiatives, governmental cooperation and local community investments (The Coca-Cola System, 2011). In India, the company has faced allegations of excessive water extraction and water and soil pollution at several of its bottling facilities (Harish and Gopal, 2008). Since it re-entered the Indian market in 1993, the company has launched numerous local initiatives, including water harvesting in drought-prone regions with bottling facilities, public awareness campaigns and cooperation with Indian governmental agencies like the Central Pollution Control Board to mitigate these real concerns within the Indian market (Harish and Gopal, 2008). Much like water stewardship, The Coca-Cola Company Corporate division leads a sustainable packaging division that works to improve packaging material efficiency, recycle at least 50 percent of its bottles and cans consumed annually, and utilize recycled materials for future packaging (The Coca-Cola System, 2011). While not specific to the Indian market, concerns for sustainable packaging and the solutions being worked by the company are seen there. A supporting industry for The Coca-Cola Company within the Indian market is the mango fruit industry. According to The Coca-Cola Company, over 60,000 tons of mango pulp is required annually for its Maaza juice drink brand (Coke, Pepsi announce campaigns for mango brands, 2009). In addition to agreements with local farmers to purchase mangos directly, the company is also working hand-in-hand with Jain Irrigation there to boost mango production in order to meet projected demand (Coke, Jain Irrigation join hands to improve mango yield, 2011). Both actions allow the company to be better positioned within the local Indian market by building local relationships that boost public perception and facilitating output conducive to meeting local demand. The main distribution channels for the soft drink and beverage market make up another important supporting industry within the Indian market. Independent retailers make up the largest distribution channel for the soft drink market in India, accounting for more than 46 percent of the total market volume (Datamonitor, 2011). As with its other geographical centers, The Coca-Cola Company and its bottlers work branding and local marketing initiatives to create demand for its products and incentives for its retailers. The firm strategy for success in the Indian market is to capitalize on its strong brand equity while building consumer loyalty with its flagship products as well as with other Coca-Cola beverages that match local tastes and preferences – the Coke brand in Delhi, Thums Up in Mumbai and Andhra Pradesh, and Fanta in Tamil Nadu (India: Coca-Cola uncorks new growth plans, 2000). More recently, the company broadened its portfolio in India with the launch of Minute Maid 100% Pure Fruit Juices (Coca-Cola India uncorks fruit juice range, 2011). In 2011, the company broadened its portfolio in India with the launch of Minute Maid 100% Pure Fruit Juices (Coca-Cola India uncorks fruit juice range, 2011). In September 2011, Coca-Cola India launched milk-based juice beverages in support of Indian market trends for consumers to switch to health conscious beverages (All products aim at making us†¦, 2011). According to Atul Singh, president, Coca-Cola India and South West Asia, the key strategy drivers for Coca-Cola in India are products that match local preferences and trends, distribution efficiencies, and transportation and technology investments that allow the company to reach more deeply within the Indian population outside of metro centers with an appropriately chilled product (All products aim at making us†¦, 2011). India’s Societal System Macroeconomic Indicators and Demographics. The Republic of India provides advantages and disadvantages for future business opportunities concerning Coca Cola and the carbonated beverage industry. Economically, India has had triumphs and challenges over the past several years. Recent fluctuating trade policies and practices, along with an increasing GDP growth rate percentage, as well as a well-documented societal instability can make the country seem unstable. However, once reviewed, there are incentives for doing business in the country. As of July, 2011, the population of India is 1. 2 billion people, compared to 300 million people in the United States. India’s population growth rate is at 1. 344 percent. There are three major ethnic groups in India, the Indo-Aryan (72%), Dravidian (25%), and Mongolian and other small groups comprise the final 3 percent. There are several languages, with Hindi being the primary. The English language is also important for education, business, career and traveling reasons. The predominant religion is Hindu (80%), followed by Muslim, Christian and Sikh (www. cia. gov). 25 percent of the population of India is living below the poverty line, most of which live in the rural areas (www. cia. gov). India has most recently noticed a surge in urbanization among its population, with many of its citizens seeking employment and better education in the cities. Currently 30 percent of the country’s population resides in urban areas and that number is expected to grow 2. 4 percent annually over the next four years (www. cia. gov). Lack of development in many of the rural areas may be a contributing factor to the country’s urbanization. According to the CIA, only 88 percent of the population has access to clean drinking water, and most of the areas that lack are rural. In addition, only 31 percent of the population has access to sanitation facilities. The lack of availability of sanitation facilities and drinking water likely contributes to India’s high risk of infectious diseases among its population. Many of these are food, animal or water borne diseases. Interestingly, the CIA reports only . 3 percent of Indians living with HIV AIDS, while the rate in the United States is . percent. Further health issues in India include a low fertility rate and shorter life expectancy of 66 years (www. cia. gov). The result is a much younger median population. According to the CIA, the median age in India is 26 years-old. This can be a great advantage for a country that is struggling with unemployment. Through a surplus of young people who want to work, a nation can thrive and there will be more opportunities for growth. India’s GDP growth rate is at 10 percent as of 2010, and the GDP/purchasing power is at $4. 06 trillion, compared to the United States’ $14. 6 trillion. India’s GDP is ranked fifth in the world (www. cia. gov). Also, India’s debt of -$51 billion is minor compared to the United States’ $470 billion deficit (www. cia. gov). Additional international factors include an exchange rate of $1. 5 trillion and GDP per capita at $3,500, compared to $47,000 in the U. S. According to the CIA, India spends 2. 4% of GDP on health expenses, 2. 5% on military expenses and 3. 1% on education. Data concludes only 61% of India’s population can read. A creation of jobs by a new business could increase opportunities for education in India. India has the second largest workforce in the world with almost 480 million workers. India’s top occupations are agriculture, industry and services. However, CIA reports industry is â€Å"a major source of economic growth, accounting for more than half of India’s output, with only one-third of its labor force† (www. cia. gov). India exports rice, cotton, tea and chicken, and their industries include textiles, oil, machinery, clothing and pharmaceuticals (www. cia. gov). In more recent years India’s economy has boomed largely due to deregulation of industries and reduced control on foreign trade and investment. However, more recently India has come under fire for some of its trade policies. Indian online newspaper, The Economic Times, reported conflict between India, the U. S. , and the European Union. U. S. and EU complained that India’s trade tariffs were too high after they were reviewed by the WTO. Currently at 12%, the countries further argued that inconsistent rates can result in an unstable global market. In 2009-2011, India was able to recover from the recent global financial crisis rather quickly due to domestic demands (www. cia. gov). According to the CIA’s analysis, â€Å"India’s long term challenges include widespread poverty, inadequate physical and social infrastructure, limited non-agricultural employment opportunities, insufficient access to quality and basic higher education, and accommodating rural-to-urban migration† (www. cia. gov). A company like Coca-Cola will bring jobs, improve infrastructure and promote education. Market System Aspects India has in recent years become more geared toward market capitalism due to cross-border activities and increasing focus on urbanization and non-agricultural industry. Infrastructure and Legal Order As the economy continues to advance, India has been forced to make major upgrades to its infrastructure conditions. â€Å"Energy shortage, inadequate transportation network, and insufficient water supply system have caused a bottleneck in the country’s economic growth† (Maniar, 2010). India created the Build-Operate-Transfer (BTO) scheme in 1991 to specifically focus on these issues. Although it is an effective way to improve the country’s infrastructure and attract foreign investors, it may have a tendency to be misunderstood by foreign companies, which can pose a major problem (Mainar, 2010). If a firm chooses to enter India, it will be their choice to identify whether or not the BTO is worth investing in, considering the risks. When entering India, a firm must also be concerned with the country’s government and banking system. India’s law system is very inexperienced which has resulted in â€Å"widespread government corruption, financial speculation, and misallocation of investment funds† (Mainar, 2010). India also places more emphasis on interpersonal relationships rather than strict business transactions, therefore many firms are successful based on personal connections instead of merit. This can make entry by a foreign entity difficult. Additionally, India’s banking system is controlled and regulated by the government which contributes to corruption, affecting loan distribution. According to Mainar’s analysis, before entering India, the main risks to consider concerning infrastructure are, â€Å"availability of permits and licenses, operating performance risk, price of entering firm’s product, price of raw materials and energy, and enforceability of contracts for the product† (Mainar, 2010). Most of these factors will be controlled by the Indian government. Cultural Dimensions Eighty percent of India practices Hinduism, while remaining citizens prefer Christianity, Islam and Sikh. According to Hofstede’s analysis, India has a high power distance ranking of 77 (world average is only 56. ), indicating a large gap between the wealthy and the poor. Notably, this condition is the norm in India and is not traditionally forced on the people. India’s masculinity ranking is very high as well, indicating a lack of power between men and women. This is usually the case for Middle Eastern countries. Lastly, the country’s uncertainty avoidance ranking is a very low 40 (world average is 65), indicating less focus on rules and laws in the country (Hofstede, 2009). A low uncertainty avoidance ranking leaves the country prone to corruption. Education is more available in urban and wealthier areas, as mentioned earlier and India’s government spends only 3. 1% of its GDP on education. Socially, India is also a collectivist society, meaning interactions are mostly geared toward interpersonal relationships, with political connections being most valued. Contracts and agreements are not as formal as in the U. S. , while personal relationships have more merit than a binding piece of paper. In India, religious beliefs and interpersonal relationships are major factors of the society. India’s Societal Predisposition In order for a firm to successfully enter India, they must consider the country’s current economic, political and social climate. Economically, the firm must be more than willing to contribute to the development of infrastructure, an issue that has been plaguing India’s economy for years. India’s BTO scheme is a viable option for those who wish to help the problem. Joining the BTO could also increase relationships with the government and have a positive influence on consumers, thus increasing a better return on the firm’s products and services. Political instability must be assessed as well. The Indian government has a history of corruption in its banking system as well. Socially, the collectivist way of life must be fully understood and embraced. Any benefits to this type of society will need to be exploited in all ways possible. The economic and political dynamics in India lay the foundations for the manner in which the country operates. In a way they are complementary, considering the country’s recent focus on infrastructure versus a historically corrupt government. It seems that while India lacks in government regulations, it is making major moves to improve crucial aspects of economic development. However, the cultural dynamic is the most significant, in that it truly is the underlying force behind both the economic and political dynamics. India’s low uncertainty avoidance is a contributing factor to political corruption, which can directly affect economic conditions, further proving that each dynamic is intertwined. Ideologies With a population of over a billion people, one of the biggest issues facing India is overpopulation. This issue is weaved into the socio-economic framework of the entire country and is the root cause of several other problems in the country, including poverty, corruption and poor sanitation. These problems, along with a historically vibrant culture shape the lives of ordinary Indians every day. Indian Caste System One of the biggest characteristics of Indian society is the Indian caste system. In the past, the Indian caste system controlled all social relationships in India. People from higher caste systems did not interact much with those from lower caste and it was uncommon for a person from a high caste system to even enter into the house of an â€Å"Untouchable†, the term used to refer to one from the lowest caste or out of the caste system. India’s modern social structure is based on its historic caste system. This is a hereditary structure that keeps the population in social groups, ranging from laborers to kings (Alex, 2003). This caste system is derived from Hinduism, that largest religion practiced in India. Members of the other two religions, Islam and Christianity also recognize the Hindu caste system, but more for historic and cultural reasons. This system gives privileges to people that belong to a high caste while giving lower priority to people of lower caste and places a divide in the society by institutionalizing inequality within the population. In recent times, the caste system is not strictly adhered to and caste-based discrimination is illegal, however government institutions have quotas on their hiring from the different caste and collect data on the different caste during national censuses (Alex, 2003). People from higher caste tend to have better jobs and access to social services, whereas people from lower caste tend to be marginalized by the rest of the population and even the government. As globalization continues to move people across borders, the caste system is having less of an effect on business, since several of the multi-national enterprises in India, which hire large amounts of people, do not recognize the caste system. The discrimination of certain groups in India may impact Coca Cola since this system leaves an entire section of the population marginalized and usually poor. This means less people with the money to purchase Coca Cola products. In addition, because the government spends fewer resources in areas dominated by people of lower caste, the necessary infrastructure for trade, for example paved roads, may inhibit the distribution of Coca Cola’s products to certain rural areas. Values Indians value piety, modesty and conservatism. These values are derived from their strong religious beliefs. Both Islam and Hinduism call for modesty in their followers’ dealings with others in society. Even members of the higher caste systems tend to be modest in their dealings with other members of society. This differs from American values where wealth is displayed openly. Americans often feel the need to advertise that they are well-off and do so by purchasing expensive goods and services. These values also relate to the India work ethic. Whereas in America, workers tend to set themselves apart from their jobs, Indians are their jobs. In India, people have a more relaxed attitude towards to their work; however their work is their life (Steen, 2007). They often take long breaks and negotiate deadlines with their supervisors, however they work long hours and often work on weekends. The Indian work ethic keeps employees determined to complete their tasks and produce good results (Steen, 2007). This is somewhat different from the American work ethic. It is not uncommon to meet an American who does not enjoy their job, but simply puts in the hours necessary to get paid. They often work strict work hours and deadlines are very important. Because of the notion that Americans hold their own destinies and are able to break through all social-economic barriers with hard work, there is often a determination to work as hard as possible. In India, relationships are more important than rules. This attitude comes from a culture and religions that respects personal relationships. Although this culture builds relationships, it can often lead to corrupt practices since rules are often broken (Corruption in India, 2011). Coming from America, where rules usually trump relationships, Coca Cola will have to adapt to this culture to learn how to build strong relationship in the Indian market, while maintaining the company’s integrity. Religion Religion is a major part of Indian society. There are two main religious groups in India, the Hindus, which make up 80. % of the population and the Muslims, which make up 13. 4% of the population (CIA Factbook). During the 80’s and 90’s, there were serious clashes between m embers from the two groups, causing the deaths of thousands of people (Alex, 2003). More recently, there have a number of terrorist attacks, including the bombing of a popular hotel in Mumbai in 2008 carried out by extremist Muslims. These attacks often target foreigners in India. As a foreign company in India, Coca Cola is vulnerable to terrorist attack, more especially because Coca Cola is an icon for globalization and the spread of western culture. Political India is the world’s largest democracy. It operates on a multi-party system and British-style parliament. Although India has over 40 political parties, the dominant parties that hold power in the country are the Indian National Congress (INC), which holds â€Å"leftist† ideologies and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is to the â€Å"right†. Parties on the left have held power in India since independence. Parties such as the INC generally oppose unregulated trade and businesses, most especially unregulated foreign investment. In 1974, the Indian parliament passed the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA) (India Export Import Portal). This act required foreign companies to sell majority of their shares to Indians.  ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬ In addition to regulating company ownership, FERA imposed strict regulations on specific types of payments, the dealings in foreign exchange and securities and the transactions which had an indirect impact on the foreign exchange and the import and export o f currency. Economic Indian economic policy has evolved over the years since independence reflecting the different ideologies that have dominated over the years. In the years soon after independence, India, led by the leftist Indian National Congress (INC) took a more liberal approach to foreign investment, placing emphases on the need for foreign investment for development and industrialization (State Regulation). Although the government made some welcoming statements regarding foreign investment, there was still a lack of clarity of the exact measures the government would take when it came to take-over and how long foreign firms would be allowed to maintain control of their firms. This led to reluctance of foreign firms to invest in the country (Dhar, 2011). However, in 1956, India fell into a foreign exchange crisis, which required the government to open up the country to more foreign investment. There was also a large push for India to industrialize, also requiring a large amount of capital (Dhar, 2011). Strategies and Policies Constraints Constraints to doing business in India can come from various factors. The Coca-Cola Company needs to remain conscientious to the market and the macro view of India. The company and its subsidiaries rely on significant amounts of electricity, natural gas, and other energy sources to operate plants, distribution facilities, and delivery channels. An increase or disruption in fuel or natural disaster that would disrupt power outages would have a negative impact on business operations and profitability. Higher interest rate fluctuations would impact net income. Also Coca-Cola relies on business partners and maintaining a good relationship is priority. It is in the interest of Coca-Cola to ensure their suppliers relationships are aligned with Coca-Cola’s interest to ensure continuous flow of material and product. Government regulations or political instability would encumber business operations to compete fairly within domestic markets. In the early 80’s Coca-Cola and foreign businesses exited the Indian market due to weak political structures that would have severely damaged business performance. Government regulations such as higher taxes, lack of protection for intellectual property and market size restrictions to favor domestic industry are constraints to growth and profits. India’s obesity and other health concerns associated with the product is a growing concern that might hurt market sales unless the company continues its expansion into healthier alternatives. Consumers and health officials are becoming increasingly concerned about the public health consequences due to obesity, particularly among the young. Scarcity and poor quality will have a negative impact on production and capacity output. Water is the main ingredient and overexploitation and poor management of the environment is cause for Indian government and public to be concern. Also, increases in supply cost or the disruption of supply or a shortage of national energy supplies could have profound impacts on business operations and contribute to a loss of profits. Coca-Cola Strategy The Coca-Cola Company’s goal is to use company assets, brand, financial strength, unrivaled distribution system, global reach and human talent to become more competitive and to accelerate growth in a manner that creates value for its shareholders and stakeholders. Future Strategic Initiatives The Coca-Cola Company should consider opportunities to reduce company ownership interest in the Bottling Investments group. It would free up capital and liquidity to meet current and future obligations to ensure no business disruption that would harm profits. Alternatively, the company may merge company owned bottling interests with the established bottling companies to share the cost and form a strategic business alliances that would expand Coca-Cola reach into the market. Moves to strengthen the company’s internal core business structure by consolidating operations and eliminating waste and redundancies that are costly to business operations would contribute to sustained growth in the Indian market. Market Penetration Strategy In 1993 Coca-Cola’s purchased Thums Up, India’s largest beverage operations, which granted immediate access to consumer base, established suppliers and a thriving distribution network. The acquisition gave Coca-Cola physical manufacturing, bottling plants, and distribution assets that allowed the company to quickly introduce its product to a new demographic. The branding and partnership with Thums Up enabled Coca-Cola to shift into the market and gain a competitive advantage over domestic competitors and PepsiCo, the second largest soft drink company globally. Coca-Cola has the capital to update and improve physical assets and the knowledge to increase the efficiency within the distribution channels. When Coca-Cola reentered the Indian market in early 1990’s, its market penetration strategy was to gain larger market share and market advantage over its primary rival PepsiCo by taking over the ownership of valuable distribution and supplier networks. Coca-Cola’s capital investment is a strategic focus to introduce other primary brands in the Indian market to boost sales on a global scale and create global sustainable. Consumer and Market Focus Strategy Consumer demand determines optimal levels of product of a company’s product offerings. Consumer demand can vary from one location to another and change over time within a single location. It is recommended that the company develop a specific consumer demand strategy with a strong focus on ensuring product availability to meet seasonal and cyclical demands. The Coca-Cola Company can build brand recognition and expand its customer base by making the product available in all established locations. Beverage market consumption in India is mainly focused in urban cities. Coca-Cola generates the majority of revenues within urban cities. As the urban locations mature and sales peak, Coca-Cola is looking to target rural location to expand sales network. Over seventy percent of the India’s population is located in rural areas. A strategic focus to move products to target rural areas will create sustainable revenue streams in the out years. Strategic partnerships with Indian non-governmental organizations, or NGOs, could assist The Coca-Cola Company as it seeks to become further entrenched within the Indian market. NGOs generally bring with them intricate knowledge of governmental regulations, laws and, quite importantly, connections with local officials. The NGOs knowledge of the local and national market could positively impact the company’s efforts to develop supplier connections and relationships and to deliver the company’s message at the community level. Coca-Cola’s market strategy is an attempt to gain leadership in the Indian market and capitalize on significant growth potential, particularly in rural markets. The foundation of the new strategy is based on product positioning at retail outlets. Targeted brand positioning positing at the retail levels to highlight product for consumers’ views. The company should deliver communications and advertisements in specific markets to gain consumer acceptance and create a reticular activator mindset of Coca-Cola that will encourage sales over rivals. The strategic goal to make sure product is close in distance and available to maximize profit potential. Marketing Strategy Through strategic partnerships with distributors and local chain outlets The Coca-Cola Company may offer incentives that would include price discounts, cash, funds for promotional programs for local marketing activities to help improve area and regional sales. Moreover, the company could develop an incentive program that is tied to volume sales. Throughout the promotion process, The Coca-Cola Company may extend low interest loan or advance payments to specific retailers or customers for marketing activities intended to generated high volume sales that will increase company top lines sales and grow brand identity in the Indian market Conclusion The foundation of Coca-Cola’s strategy in India is to target urban and rural populations and identify the differences on marketing penetration, communications, and how to address perceptions of product introduction and delivery as to packaging, size, and price points to reach full sales potential in a growing market. References Alex, Perry. Indias Great Divide. Time Magazine. 08 Aug 2003: n. page. Web. 17 Oct. 2011. . All products aim at making us a total beverage company. Financial Express. New Delhi. Sept. 23, 2011 Amiti Sen. (2011, September 24). Amid criticism by West, India strongly defends its tariff walls [Policy]. The Economic Times (Online), Retrieved October 11, 2011, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID: 2466719961). Coca-Cola India uncorks fruit juice range. (2011, March 29). Business Line. Coke, Jain Irrigation Join Hands to Improve Mango Yield. India Business Insight. Sept. 15, 2011. Coke, Pepsi Announce Campaigns for Mango Brands. AsiaPulseNews, Feb. 26, 2009. Corruption in India: A Rotten State. Economist. 10 Mar 2011: n. page. Web. 17 Oct. 2011. . Datamonitor. (2011). Soft Drinks in India. Dhar, Biswajit . State Regulation of Foreign Private Capital in India. n. page. Web. 23 Oct. 2011. . Foreign Exchange Regulation Act. Indian Export Import Portal. IndiaMart, n. d. Web. 23 Oct 2011. . Global Data. (2011). The Coca-Cola Company Financial and Strategic Analysis Review. Harich, R. and Gopal, B. (2008). Coca-Cola in India: A Responsible Corporate Citizen? Case Study. Retrieved October 11, 2011, from ABI/INFORM Global. Harich, R. and Gopal, B. (2008). Coca-Cola in India: A Responsible Corporate Citizen? Case Study. Retrieved October 11, 2011, from ABI/INFORM Global. Hofstede, G. (2009). India Geert Hofstede Cultural Dimensions Explained . Geert Hofstede Cultural Dimensions. Retrieved October 12, 2011, from geert-hofstede. com/hofstede_india. shtml India: Coca-Cola uncorks new growth plans. (2000, August 21). Business Line. Maniar, H. (2010). Risk Analysis of Infrastructure Projects: A Case Study on Build-Operate-Transfer Projects in India. IUP Journal of Financial Risk Management, 7(4), 34-54. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Soft Drinks Industry Profile: India. (2011). Soft drinks industry profile: India, 1. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Steen, Margaret. Business Ethics in a Global World: Indias Changing Ethics. Santa Clara University. Santa Clara University, 2007. Web. 23 Oct 2011. . The Coca-Cola System. (2011, September 24). Retrieved from The Coca-Cola Company: thecoca-colacompany. com/citizenship/the_coca-cola_system. html United States. Central Intelligence Agency. CIA Factbook: India. Web.

Calligrammes essays

Calligrammes essays The song settings of Guillaume Apollinaires ideographic Calligrammes demonstrate Francis Poulencs exceptional ability to unite poetry and music, without compromising the integrity of either medium. The graphical notation of the poetry presents a formidable challenge to Poulenc, requiring that he convey both the visual implications and the spirit of cubism that are fundamental to their interpretation. By creating his own musical calligram, he succeeds in synthesizing his music with the visual elements of the poetry. After modulating through Poulencs medium, the poignant symbolism of the poetry resonates with a greater intensity. Together with his profound connection to the poetry, Poulencs, Calligrammes empower a readers voice that would otherwise strain to convey the visual implications of the poetry. This analysis begins with an examination of the poetry and the implications of the ideograph; I will discuss the influences of cubism in Apollinaires poetry, the ability of Calligrammes to capture the spirit of cubism, and the appeal of the poetry to Poulenc. Next, I provides an analysis of Il Pluet (It rains), Aussi Bien que les Cigales (As Well as the Cicadas), and Voyage. The analysis will reveal that, although their mediums differed, the composer and poet employed analogous compositional techniques. Before exploring how Poulencs music successfully reflects the spirit of Apollinaires Calligrammes, one must first understand the influence of cubism on the poetry. Surfacing from the chaos of World War I, cubism was a reaction to modernism, globalization, and the subsequent increase of information that waylaid the population in the early 1900s. During the incipient throes of globalization, people struggled to process the inundation of information by juxtaposing the new and ambiguous with the preconceived and familiar. Cubism emerged d...

Charlemagne the King of the Franks and Lombards

Charlemagne the King of the Franks and Lombards Charlemagne was also known as: Charles I, Charles the Great (in French, Charlemagne; in German, Karl der Grosse; in Latin, Carolus Magnus) Charlemagnes titles included: King of the Franks, King of the Lombards; also generally considered the first Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne was noted for: Consolidating a large portion of Europe under his rule, promoting learning, and instituting innovative administrative concepts. Occupations: Military LeaderKing Emperor Places of Residence and Influence: EuropeFrance Important Dates: Born: April 2, c. 742Crowned Emperor: Dec. 25, 800Died: Jan. 28, 814 Quote Attributed to Charlemagne: To have another language is to possess a second soul. About Charlemagne: Charlemagne was the grandson of Charles Martel and the son of Pippin III. When Pippin died, the kingdom was divided between Charlemagne and his brother Carloman. King Charlemagne proved himself a capable leader from early on, but his brother was less so, and there was some friction between them until Carlomans death in 771. Once King, Charlemagne had sole rule of the government of Francia, he expanded his territory through conquest. He conquered the Lombards in northern Italy, acquired Bavaria, and campaigned in Spain and Hungary. Charlemagne used harsh measures in subduing the Saxons and virtually exterminating the Avars. Though he had essentially amassed an empire, he did not style himself emperor, but called himself the King of the Franks and Lombards. King Charlemagne was an able administrator, and he delegated authority over his conquered provinces to Frankish nobles. At the same time, he recognized the diverse ethnic groups he had brought together under his dominion, and allowed each to retain its own local laws. To ensure justice, Charlemagne had these laws set down in writing and strictly enforced. He also issued capitularies that applied to all citizens. Charlemagne kept an eye on events in his empire through the use of missi dominici, representatives who acted with his authority. Though never able to master reading and writing himself, Charlemagne was an enthusiastic patron of learning. He attracted noted scholars to his court, including Alcuin, who became his private tutor, and Einhard, who would be his biographer. Charlemagne reformed the palace school and set up monastic schools throughout the empire. The monasteries he sponsored preserved and copied ancient books. The flowering of learning under Charlemagnes patronage has come to be known as the Carolingian Renaissance. In 800, Charlemagne came to the aid of Pope Leo III, who had been attacked in the streets of Rome. He went to Rome to restore order and, after Leo purged himself of the charges against him, he was unexpectedly crowned emperor. Charlemagne wasnt pleased with this development, because it established the precedent of papal ascendancy over secular leadership, but though he still often referred to himself as a king he now also styled himself Emperor, as well. There is some disagreement as to whether or not Charlemagne was really the first Holy Roman Emperor. Although he did not use any title that directly translates as such, he did use the title imperator Romanum (emperor of Rome) and in some correspondence styled himself deo coronatus (Crowned by God), as per his coronation by the pope. This appears to be enough for most scholars to allow Charlemagnes hold on the title to stand, especially since Otto I, whose reign is generally considered to be the true beginning of the Holy Roman Empire, never used the title either. The territory Charlemagne governed is not considered the Holy Roman Empire but is instead named the Carolingian Empire after him. It would later form the basis of the territory scholars would call the Holy Roman Empire, although that term (in Latin, sacrum Romanum imperium) was also seldom in use during the Middle Ages, and never used at all until the mid-thirteenth century. All pedantry aside, Charlemagnes achievements stand among the most significant of the early Middle Ages, and although the empire he built would not long outlast his son Louis I, his consolidation of lands marked a watershed in the development of Europe. Charlemagne died in January, 814.

French missionaries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

French missionaries - Essay Example Some people held the notion that the missionaries had a smooth time in their missions simply because they were Christians. On reading this article, they must have changed their thinking. Reading about the hardships faced by the missionaries, people agree that their work, though considered in good faith, must have taken them a lot of tolerance and determination. The narrator chooses to give the narration in two faces; one where their leader Father Paul advised them on how to behave with the Savages and the events that happened in Oumamis and Machkoutench in India. In his astounding speech to the missionaries, Father Paul issued stern and stick rules to the yet to depart missionaries. Since human is to error, he made it clear that misconduct was intolerable. Their character was supposed to depict them as the astute Christians they were, by maintaining good morals and having a clear mission and vision. While some of them could be tempted to socialize, in his speech, he made it clear tha t were to stick to their mission. Not only was this advice a warning to them, but also a sign of the seriousness of the assignments they were to handle in India. The mission to Oumamis and Machkoutench had a number of challenges, but yet very successful. In his narration, the narrator reveals the naivety these people had in their reasoning that missionaries could solve their issues. For instance, when the Savages met them, they gave them tobacco to smoke, as a sign of appreciation and their welcome. No sooner had they started smoking than one of them started addressing their issues, begging for mercy. Problems and real issues clobbered the Village, as this man reveals. They were dying of hunger, their land produced no yields, and neither did the waters harbor any fish. In their appeal, they wanted the missionaries to reverse these misfortunes, and make their land yield, diseases stop taking away their children among other problems facing them. The narrator had to correct them that t hey were not indeed the true God, but servants on a mission to spread his gospel. Thus, he managed to convince them that missionaries would pray to the living God to reverse the situation. The tone used in the narration gives the article a formal and serious appeal. Even as he narrates the incidence with the Savages, though sarcastically the villagers thought of them as God, he maintains that the serious narration of the story. Not at one point does he use casual and light wording, rather, he maintains the tone established as he gave Father Paul’s advice to them before their departure. Evidently, he proves of the difficulties they faced, right before their departure. Father Paul spared none of them, when issuing the code of conduct to them. He warned them of making the savages wait for them, cautioned them of being ceremonious with the savages, they were to provide the savages with mirrors or a tinder box or both to light their smoking pipes, they were supposed not start some thing unless they were sure they would accomplish and eat anything provided to them by the savages. On their arrival at the Village, the Savages invited them, where they offered them tobacco to smoke. Immediately, they started confessing of their problems, leaving none. Following the strict advice given by Father Paul, the narrator offered his services to the people in different capacities. After reading the article, it is hard to believe of the hardships the missionaries had to contend with in their

Financial Status and Policy of ConocoPhillips Case Study

Financial Status and Policy of ConocoPhillips - Case Study Example Its refinement technology focuses on upgrading high-grade petroleum coke and removing sulfur. With approximately 32,700 employees in 40 countries, it has assets of $171 billion with core competencies in petroleum exploration, production, refining, supply, marketing and transportation as well as natural gas gathering and processing and chemicals and plastics production. The company has a 50 percent interest in Colorado-based natural gas liquid producer DCP Midstream, LLC and Texas-based petrochemical company Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LLC. This paper will provide an assessment of the existing company in terms of its current status, including stock trading and financial standing, and the issues that have significant effect on its performance. ConocoPhillips is actually the recent marriage between two pioneer oil companies in the US, Conoco Inc. and Phillips Petroleum Company. The two companies merged on August 30, 2002 amidst some speculation that the $15.5 Billion deal was a necessary move for the two contenders to avoid being out-competed by bigger petroleum companies. At the time of the merger, oil prices had taken a disastrous turn downward that threatened the survival of smaller gas companies. The merger was expected to save about $750 million in overhead costs, mostly based on planned downsizing of some of the combined roster of 58,000 employees. ("Analysts: Phillips-Conoco merge to survive," 2001) Isaac Elder Blake founded Conoco in November 25, 1875 as the Continental Oil and Transportation Co. that would bring in petroleum in bulk to the pioneers of Ogden, Utah, making it more affordable and convenient for individual use. In the course of operations, Blake developed new uses for petroleum including benzene, ready mixed paints, birthday candles and paraffin chewing wax, but the focus was more on gasoline for use in automobiles. Continental built the first filling station in the West in 1909. By 1913, Continental was the top petroleum marketer in the Rocky Mountain region and an attempt by Standard Oil to take over the company was rebuffed by order of the Supreme Court. In 1929, Continental Oil merged with Oklahoma-based Marland Oil because each company could benefit from each other's strengths, marketing know how from the former and supply of crude oil for the latter and was named Continental Oil Company, assets including 3,000 wells and retail outlets in 30 states. Conoco st ock began trading in the New York Stock Exchange in September 15, 1929, just in time for the stock market crash. The company survived only by drastically cutting overhead costs and expanding refinery capacity under the direction of Dan Moran. He was succeeded by Leonard F. McCollum who led Conoco overseas, acquiring oil fields in Dubai and retail acquisitions in Europe. He diversified the company to such an extent that by 1972 Conoco was worth more that $2.3 Billion in assets. On September 30, 1981, in the midst of political and economic ups and downs and a threatened hostile takeover, Conoco merged with DuPont, which resulted in the former becoming a wholly owned-subsidiary of the latter, until Conoco separated from Dupont in 1997 to become an independent oil company. ("Conoco History," 2005) It was in 1905 that the Philips brothers hit their first oil well, eventually

CAPM Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

CAPM - Assignment Example An investment of risky investment calls for compensation of the respective investor for the time and money devoted to the investment. Typically, the time value of money is symbolized by risk free (rf) in the formula. This is meant to reimburse an investor for investing money for some period of time. On the other hand, the risk measures the amount of reparation that is needed by an investor for taking an additional risk. It is computed by taking the beta that measures the return of the asset in the market over a period and market premium. Other assumptions of the model are: there is perfect competition in the market and, therefore, an individual cannot affect any price of an asset by selling or buying. All the investors have the same information regarding the availability of the securities prices and their respective risks involved. All investors in the market have an idea of making decisions based on variances and expected returns of the portfolios they desire to invest. It should be noted that beta indeed measures the amount of risk that is involved in investing in a particular stock in relation to the market risk. For example, if the market beta is 1 and an investor’s security has a beta of 2, it would be riskier than an investor’s security of 0.25. The theory postulate that expected return of a portfolio is equal to risk free security plus a risk premium then multiplied by systematic risk of the asset. Ra = rf + Beta (rm –rf). For example in the market, the risk free rate =4%, the beta of the stock = 2 and market return is 12% over time, the expected return of the stock will be 4%+2(12%-4%) =20%. The beta, therefore, provides an answer to the risk return relationship. CAPM model provides a vital account for pricing the debt and equity. This is because it takes into consideration factors like risk free rate that is

The measurement of arterial and blood pressure Lab Report

The measurement of arterial and blood pressure - Lab Report Example Korotkoff sounds: A sound heard during the measurement of blood pressure by a sphygmomanometer. The pressure differences created in the cuff results in the turbulence of blood flow which leads to the audible sound known as first Korotkoff sound. Korotkoff sounds can be classified into five types. First heard when the pressure in the cuff is equal to the systolic pressure, second and third can be described as murmurs and tapping sounds respectively. Fourth sound is heard at 10mm above diastolic pressure while the last Korotkoff sound is heard at the precise diastolic pressure.Oscillometric principle: Another method of measuring blood pressure. It makes use of the same instrument but in addition, uses a transducer which gives the oscillation readings of the blood flow. As the pressure in the cuff varies with simultaneous expansion and contraction of brachial artery an oscillation is produced.Hypertension: A medical phenomenon indicating an increased systemic blood pressure. Normal bloo d pressure is described as ≠¤ 120 systolic and ≠¤ 80 diastolic. Generally, it is classified as primary and secondary hypertension with primary meaning with no apparent cause.  Ã‚  iv) S1 and S2 heart sounds are produced due to the closure of valves in the heart namely the atrioventricular valves and the semilunar valves. On the other hand, Korotkoff sounds are produced when the pressure in the cuff varies and creates turbulence for the blood flowing through the brachial artery. This the need to differentiate between the two.

A raisin in the sun Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A raisin in the sun - Essay Example Even though Beneatha is the one with the college education, Mama is the more worldly and intelligent of the two. It may not be book intelligence, but it is the kind of knowledge about life and the world that makes someone wise. Mama has the kind of intelligence and knowledge that comes with having lived a long life full of various experiences. â€Å"There is always something left to love. And if you ain’t learned that, you ain’t learned nothing (145, individual).† This comes after Beneatha makes a comment that she can no longer love her brother after he messed up the way he did with their money. Mama, though also upset by the situation and where it has led the family, is more wise to understand that people make mistakes and that this is no reason to love them any less. Beneatha also believes that her type of intelligence makes her more wiser than her mother. Mama strives to bring respect into her household regardless of the situation or the person. This is seen especially during the debacle with the welcome man from the neighborhood that they want to move into. Mama tries to respect the gentleman and the news he has to bring, understanding the closed-mindedness of some people during that day and age, but she also tries to keep respecting herself and her family. â€Å"And you’ve stopped caring?† â€Å"Yes - I think so (133).† As the world crumbles, Beneath loses respect for everybody - her brother, her mother, and humanity as a whole. Mama just finds this as an opportunity to grow. Again, Beneatha is unable to see eye-to-eye with Mama. In the Younger household, Mama is the sole caretaker, tending to everybody at once. For the most part, the other members of the household try to put the others before themselves. Beneatha, on the other hand, focuses only on herself. While the family slowly collapses around her, she can only take notice to the fact that her education might suffer.

The measurement of arterial and blood pressure Lab Report

The measurement of arterial and blood pressure - Lab Report Example Korotkoff sounds: A sound heard during the measurement of blood pressure by a sphygmomanometer. The pressure differences created in the cuff results in the turbulence of blood flow which leads to the audible sound known as first Korotkoff sound. Korotkoff sounds can be classified into five types. First heard when the pressure in the cuff is equal to the systolic pressure, second and third can be described as murmurs and tapping sounds respectively. Fourth sound is heard at 10mm above diastolic pressure while the last Korotkoff sound is heard at the precise diastolic pressure.Oscillometric principle: Another method of measuring blood pressure. It makes use of the same instrument but in addition, uses a transducer which gives the oscillation readings of the blood flow. As the pressure in the cuff varies with simultaneous expansion and contraction of brachial artery an oscillation is produced.Hypertension: A medical phenomenon indicating an increased systemic blood pressure. Normal bloo d pressure is described as ≠¤ 120 systolic and ≠¤ 80 diastolic. Generally, it is classified as primary and secondary hypertension with primary meaning with no apparent cause.  Ã‚  iv) S1 and S2 heart sounds are produced due to the closure of valves in the heart namely the atrioventricular valves and the semilunar valves. On the other hand, Korotkoff sounds are produced when the pressure in the cuff varies and creates turbulence for the blood flowing through the brachial artery. This the need to differentiate between the two.

The Contemporary Hospitality Industry Assignment - 2

The Contemporary Hospitality Industry - Assignment Example When assessing the scale of the hospitality industry, it can be observed that the sector has accomplished a momentous growth of strengthening its capital market over the past few decades. Owing to its consistent and rapid growth, the hospitality industry is also known as a major contributor for Gross National Products (GNP) today where it has been observed to play a pivotal role in encouraging regional developments along with employment opportunities. As per the recent economic performance of the industry, it has been observed that the core hospitality market has been estimated to earn an annual turnover of GBP 90 billion on an average, employing almost more than 2.4 millions of employers in its different business practices all over the world (British Hospitality Association, 2010). In relation to diversity, it can further be recognised that the hospitality industry of the present business world, has been inclined towards delivering increasingly heterogeneous services being influence d by the changing needs of people, globalisation effects and also due to the relocation or migration among different cultures. According to the present scenario, the increasing diversity within the hospitality workforce has been considered as one of its major strengths to satisfy the diverse needs of its customers (National College of Business Administration, 2009). According to the recent transformation of the hospitality industry, it has been recognised that the structure of hospitality industry involves a range of commercial, public and voluntary organisations that principally involves food and catering services along with other housekeeping and maintenance facilities.

Patent Nonuse and the Role of Public Interest as a Deterrent to Technology Suppression Essay Example for Free

Patent Nonuse and the Role of Public Interest as a Deterrent to Technology Suppression Essay Patents are contracts between the society and the inventor to encourage development in the field of science and technology. It helps the society by enabling them to utilize this technology, and the inventor by protecting his rights and rewarding him appropriately for this intellectual efforts and innovations. Once a patent is given by the patent office, the inventor has to work the invention by himself or through somebody else by means of an assignment or a license. The patent office does not look at the potential commercial value of the invention whilst giving the patent. The invention should have a specific use and should fulfill what it is meant to do. Many inventions given patents have turned to be commercial failures. However, there are several instances in which neither the patentee has worked the invention by himself, nor has he allowed others interested to do so. This is a very serious situation, because it goes against the very intention of granting the patent. The patent system grants patents only to those inventors who are willing to reveal their invention with others, so that it can benefit society. Some patentees may not work their invention due to several reasons, one of which may be to wrongfully hide or suppress technology from the public. One of the first such cases was the Continental Paper Bag Co. v. Eastern Paper Bag Co. case of 1908. In this case, the patentee had invented a machine that could make a folded paper bag with a rectangular bottom. However, he had not made his invention available to the public, thus preventing others from working the invention. At that time, this invention was a breakthrough, and many people felt bad, because the very intention of giving a patent was not fulfilled. No concrete rules regarding nonuse of patents and compulsory licenses were existent at that time, and everything was left at the mercy of the patent holder. Lower courts also found that the patentee was unreasonable. They in fact tried to draw a line between ‘reasonable nonuse policy’ (inventor unable to use his invention because or some understandable problems) and ‘unreasonable nonuse policy’ (purposefully suppressing technology). However, as no concrete rules existed at that time, the higher court had to give its decision in favor of the rightful owner of the invention. Many breakthrough technologies exist which are being currently suppressed from the public. A plastic that is strong, long-lasting, and can be utilized to make houses that last forever, was granted patents, but not accessible to the public by the owner. New rubber for tires is invented which does not blow up. If this technology could be utilized currently, the lives of many people who die in road accidents could be saved. A new material has been invented for use in toothpastes, which protects the teeth from developing cavities. These technologies are being suppressed due to the anticompetitive intentions of their owners. Some patentees may not use or license their technology so that others may be forced to infringe up on their patents. Lawsuits for infringements could be filed, which could give them earning in millions. An instance of this is a case between Minolta and Honeywell’s, in which Minolta had to pay $127 million to Honeywell for infringing their auto-focus camera patent, although the owners were not using their patent. The patent office should come up with strict rules such that all the patentees have to give an annual report of how their patent is being worked commercially, and in case it is not being worked, the reasons for the same. In case the inventor does not respond, the patent should be revoked. Instances of patent nonuse can be used as evidence in the court, against individuals who indulge in anticompetitive practices. Such practices are strictly considered unlawful under the US Antitrust Laws. The Sherman Act was one of the first such as to protect against unfair trade practices. According to this act, any individual monopolizing or attempting to monopolize, or combines with other people or with other nations to monopolize any trade business in the US, shall be held guilty of an offense under the act. Patent is a monopoly granted to the owner, but they are also contracts between the owner and the public, to permit the later to access the technology. Patent laws are likely to be misused. The exclusionary right (to prevent others from using or making the invention without the license of the owner) is limited and should be more meaningful. The patent system does not give absolute monopoly to the owners. In the case Pfizer V. Government of India [434 US 308 (1978)], the US permitted foreign nations to sue under the Section 4 of the Clayton Act. The Government of India was asking Pfizer to grant licenses for certain broad spectrum antibiotics. However, the company refused to give reasonable licenses. Several antitrust violations such as price-fixing, fraud, market-division, etc were being imposed by the Indian Government against Pfizer and group. The respondents also said that petitioners were trying to limit and monopolize the production, sale and distribution of their patents. The respondents also said that these practices had destroyed businesses. The Company said that the Indian Government could not bring this case forward, as they belonged to another nation. However, the court went on to say that foreign nations could also claim under antitrust laws. The court said that the case was similar to having a citizen having his rights under the antitrust laws being violated. In the case Remington Products V. North American Philips corporation [107 FRD 642, 1985], Remington alleged that the company Philips, a leading Dutch MNC, was indulging in anticompetitive behavior by not disclosing information needed to work the discovery. The defendant claimed that certain clauses in a Dutch statue did not permit disclosure. However, the US court granted the case in favor of Remington saying that the defendant wrongfully withheld information regarding the discovery. The plaintiff had previously approached the defendant to provide information regarding the discovery. However, the defendant refused to give this information needed saying that the information was irrelevant. In the Chevron Research Company’s patent [1970; RPC, 580], the court said that the patentee has to disclose full and relevant information regarding the patent. In the Image Technical Services V. Eastman Kodak Co. [504 U. S. 51 (1992)] provides an association between the antitrust laws and the intellectual property rights regime. Kodak Company had a patent for a photographic device. The case was alleged by companies that serviced Kodak’s products. In this case, a distinction is being made between ‘attempting monopolization’ and ‘attaining monopolizing by exploiting’. The court had to study the market situation to determine if the company was trying to control prices or destroy competition. Kodak in fact monopolized manufacture of components of its photographic equipment and even monopolized servicing of its equipment. The court had said that both patents and copyrights did not come under antitrust laws. An inventor had the right to license or refuse license of his invention. However, a patent owner may be held for developing practices against the antitrust laws (that could destroy competition). The extent to which antitrust laws could be applied to patent laws had to be determined by studying the market situation. The plaintiffs had gathered enough proof that Kodak were trying to monopolize their market situation by limiting the availability of its components to the service companies Nowadays, exclusive license holders may also try to misuse their rights by monopolizing their licensed to make or use the patent. This can be demonstrated in the Medtronic Sofamor Danek, Inc. v. Michelson case. Dr. Michelson had invented a new spinal treatment device and had given a license to Medtronic which manufactured medical equipment. However, the company did not promote his treatment device, and hence the doctor had to grant licenses to other companies that would compete with the original license holder. The company filed a case in the court claiming that the patent holder breached clauses of the contract. However, the Court felt that the company had adopted certain anticompetitive principles that did not promote the patent. Patent holders are trying to maximize their monopoly, by indulging in anticompetitive acts. Often there is a clash between patent laws and antitrust laws. Patent laws provide the holder with rights to eliminate competition, whereas antitrust laws enable protection of healthy business competition practices. A clear border line has to be drawn between these two conflicting legal regimes. In the case Illinois Tools Works V. Independent Ink, the question of the manufacturer having a market power over a patented product or process could be presumed whilst granting the patent, was being asked. A patent holder may hold so much of powers in the market such that he/she may dominate the scene. A patent holder will usually violate antirust laws if he or she feels that they are in a situation to dominate the market. In this case, Illinois printers invented a printing device and had prohibited the customers from using non-patented ink. The defendant felt that such terms were against the true spirits of competition, and were under the impression that Illinois tool works were trying to dominate the market situation. It may be difficult in such a case to determine the party that would carry the burden of proof. The patent holder had tried to extend his patent. In this manner, they had created both, primary and secondary market rivals. The primary rivals included other manufacturers of printers, and the secondary rivals included other manufacturers of printer inks. The court gave its decision in favor of Independent Ink, citing that patents could not be extended to non-patentable areas. A patent had only specific boundaries, and crossing such boundaries constituted infringement. In another case, Schering-Plough held a patent for a drug. A company that manufactured a generic version of the same drug felt that the original company’s patent was invalid. They wanted to file for a patent opposition, but Schering-Plough decided to pay the generic drug manufacturers to withdraw the case and also stay out of the market for some period. Federal Trade Commission filed a case before the Supreme Court, saying that Schering-Plough was trying to destroy all competition in the market by wrongfully preserving its invalid monopoly. The Court felt that the agreement between Schering-Plough and the generic manufacturers was invalid and was executed to destroy competition in the market. Patent laws should make it easier to obtain a compulsory license in case the patentee wrongfully suppresses the invetion from the public. A compulsory license should be given to anybody in case:- The patentee is unable to meet the reasonable requirements of the public with relation to his patented process or product. †¢ The patentee does not make the invention available to the public at an affordable cost. †¢ The invention is not being worked in the jurisdiction of the patent office. †¢ Special considerations should be given to inventions that relate to public health and nutrition, and emergency situations. Compulsory license should be a sanction (for the patentee) and a remedy (for the public); in case the patentee indulges in anticompetitive practices. The concept of compulsory licenses developed following the African AIDS crisis situation. The continent was in a crisis situation with the HIV/AIDS pandemic. A few companies such as Glaxo, Merck, etc held a patent for an antiretroviral drug which could be life-saving for people suffering from HIV/AIDS. However, these companies had indulged in several anticompetitive practices. The cost of treating each AIDS patients in Africa was exceedingly high (US$ 10,000 per patient per year). Hence, the drugs were inaccessible for many poor patients who belonged to underdeveloped nations. Cipla, an Indian pharmaceutical company volunteered to supply the drug at a fraction of the overall costs the other companies were offering (US $ 350 per year per patient). Some of the African Nations had to modify its trade laws so that parallel imports and compulsory licenses could exist. However, the original companies that held the patents for antiviral drugs began to sue for infringement. These companies had to later withdraw their infringement cases, as there was a worldwide agitation against the anti-public health policies adopted by the patent holders. Later, at the WTO conference in Doha, a comprehensive agreement to protect public health issues was adopted to prevent unhealthy practices by the patent holders (through compulsory licenses). Some people feel that the patent system can create an obstruction in the development of science and technology, as instances of nonuse often arise. Once a patent is granted, it may even prevent others from inventing around a particular invention or inventive concept. This will seriously hinder the developments in that particular field. Inventors, who tend to sit on their inventions by refusing access to the public, should be henceforth refused patents.

Challenges Facing The Translator English Language Essay

Challenges Facing The Translator English Language Essay The personal pleasure derived from translation is the excitement of trying to solve a thousand small problems in the context of a large one. A translation obligates the translator to make a number of decisions so that a complete translation is produced. Such a translation must be written in a way which serves the same function as the source text and be culturally coherent between the source and target languages. In this essay I will discuss a range of decisions that the translator must make and making specific references to textual analysis, cultural mediation and some applied aspects of translation. The translation begins with the reading of the source text which allows the translator to identify the several key components which will form the foundations of the translation. The translator must do a detailed textual analysis so that the intention, readership and setting of the source text are identified. (Newmark P, 1988) I find this to be the first challenge that faces the translator as a number of decisions must be made to clarify where the translation will be published, who the translation is going to be targeted at; and what the function of the text will be. (Alfano V, 2012) Newmark (1988) states The intention of the text represents the source language writers attitude to the subject matter.For the translator, understanding what is meant by the author of the source text is vital as the attitude of the author will suggest the language function and setting of the target text. Bà ¼hlers theory of language functionality can determine a text to have an expressive, vocative or informative function depending on the core topic and status of the author. The challenge for the translator is to determine ones own status within the text in order to identify the language function. Newmark gives examples of the authors status being anonymous; he shows that this status can be used for an informative or vocative text depending on its main function. If the main function of the text was to tell the truth, it would suggest that the text takes an informative language function, whereas a text concentrating on the readership would suggest a vocative function. (Newmark P, 1988 ) During the textual analysis the translator must assess the readership; I consider this to be a particular challenge for the translator as one must try to assess the level of education, class, age and sex of the readership before determining it to be for an expert reader, uninformed reader or educated layman. (Newmark P, p.13) Depending on the readership the translator may need to pay more attention to the readers of the target text than that of the source text. A physical geography textbook aimed at an uneducated readership would use general vocabulary in order to aid the readership into understanding the text; The floor of the sea is covered with rows of big mountains, whereas for the educated layman, the translator may use topic specific vocabulary as there is an assumption that the context of the text would be enough for the reader to handle the key issues; The floor of the ocean is covered with great mountain chains and deep trenches. (Newmark P, p.p.13-14) The variation in style depends on the readership and setting of the target text. Newmark (1988) suggests using Martin Joos and Strevens stylistic scales when assessing the level of formality within the text. The final aspect of the textual analysis that I consider to be challenging for the translator is determining the setting of the target text in order to fulfil the requirements of the client. The translator must decide what the target text equivalent is for the source text, and then decide the type of language that must be used to suit the publication. For example, The Guardian newspaper is aimed at an educated upper-middle class readership; this means that the language used would be educated and written in a formal style. The translator in this example does not need to pay particular attention to the readership unless there are cultural discrepancies within in the text. This essay has referred to a number of issues that the translator faces before translating into the target language. Here, we can see that it is imperative that the translator makes the correct decisions whilst conducting a textual analysis in order to identify the key features within the text so that one can appropriately translate into the target language. Following the textual analysis there are further issues which cause concern for the translator. These issues come under the heading of cultural mediation; a translator must be aware that some expressions, professions and activities are not realised in every language, thus the translator must decide how to translate them. The translation of culture specific references poses a particular issue for the translator as some words may not be translatable, therefore the translator must employ the relevant translation method to suit the problem. During a translation the translator must ask oneself whether the words in the source language are transferable in the target language. The translation of cultural words such as les pieds noirs and les maghrà ©bins cannot be literally translated as they have no meaning in the target language. Cultural and descriptive equivalents can be used to solve this issue. The translator can give extra information in order to maintain a functional equivalency within the text. Descriptive equivalent: les pieds noirs ou les maghrà ©bins; 2nd generation immigrants originating from Algeria and North Africa. Cultural equivalent: les pieds noirs ou les maghrà ©bins  ; French Algerians (les francais dalgerie) Neutralisation: les pieds noirs ou les maghrà ©bins; black Immigrant    Newmark (1988) states that the translators role is to make people understand, not to mystify by using vogue words. thus literally translating the words may not be enough for the reader to understand what has been written in the text. le ministre de lintà ©rieur being translated as the minister of the interior holds no value in English whereas Home secretary or Director of homeland security is a known position to the readership in the target language. This is an example of using cultural equivalency in order to ensure that the Target text reader can understand the text. I will now discuss some of the applied aspects of translation. There are many fields in which a translator can practice ones profession; other than literary translation, one can work in an array of subject areas such as commerce, law and film. Even though the translators role is the same in every field, some challenges are presented to the translator more clearly in some practices than others. The translation of humour may seem straight forward in ones mind but the question must arise to the translator that some expressions and phrases that are funny in ones own language and culture may be different in another. Vandaeles definition of humour: Humour is what causes amusement, mirth, a Spontaneous smile and laughter. (eds Gambier Y and Van Doorslaer L, 2010) The translator must understand the catalyst which makes phrases humorous in the target language, so that one can appropriately replicate the effect of the source text. The translator must provoke feelings of positive arousal when enticing these emotive feelings from the readership; however a balance between fidelity and transparency must be maintained in the target language in order to receive the same humorous effect as one receives from the source language. (Vandaele J, 2002) How does the translator achieve this? There are a number of factors which make a phrase or expression funny. Often the topic, situation and presentation of a joke can evoke feelings of humour and could be seen as a branch of translating culture. Kopp J (2012) explains that current affairs play a big part in the context of humour and uses the example of topic based current affairs programs such as Have I got news for you, (by the BBC) to elaborate this: Alan Davies: Eight hundred Americans die in a McDonalds every year. Rich Hall: Which one? Best to avoid that one. (QI.wikiquote, 2013) The above quote shows that context is important in order to find the joke humorous. Even though it is possible that the presentation of the joke can affect the recipients perception of the joke, those living in the west are knowledgeable that America is facing a crisis in terms of the levels of obesity within the country. Alan Davies is portrayed to be giving a fact about the number of deaths that occur within the fast-food franchise McDonalds each year. However Rick hall plays on Davies use of the singular proper noun, a McDonalds, giving the impression that eight hundred Americans die in one particular franchise of the fast-food chain each year. Why is this funny? Kopp J (2012) suggests that the ridicule of a nation or group of people can evoke a humorous outcome; here, the emphasis on the death of Americans suggests a cultural elitism amongst those who are not of an American nationality, thus creating a humorous situation. She also states that the knowledge shared by the recipient is important as one that does not know of the situation on Americas obesity crisis or does not have knowledge of the McDonalds fast-food chain cannot readily understand the joke. The translator must understand that some communities may not recognize this because they do not have knowledge of the subject. Therefore the translator may add information to the translation in order to achieve the same humorous effect. [FR] Alan Davies : il y a 800 amà ©ricains qui meurent dans un McDo chaque annà ©e. [FR] Rick Hall  : Ça cest Vrai  ? On ne devrait pas aller du mà ªme McDo alors  ! Here we can see that all of the key elements from the source language remain in the translation as the audience of the target language are culturally aware of the situation created by Davies and Hall during their sketch. However the use of meme by Hall clarifies his point of not wishing to go to a restaurant in which 800 people have died. The next challenge I will refer to is the issue of legal translation. I find this to be an issue for the translator as one must show transparency in ones translation. The fidelity to the source text is no longer sacred as one must be even more conscious of the technicality of the subject matter. The translator must be faithful to the law and communicate it effectively, rather than concentrating on the translation of idiomatic expressions in the source text, the translation must remain transparent enough so that the message of the law remains clear whilst maintaining a functional equivalence to the source text. The requirement for legal translation is increasing due to an increased access for people and businesses to travel freely. This means that the law in every country needs to be translated so that there is access for people to read on the law of the country they plan to visit or work. This only becomes an issues for translators when legal conventions and government institutions do not have a cultural equivalent in the target language or that the running of the institution is governed in a different way to that of the same institution in the source language. (Riberi, 2012) thus the greatest obstacle in legal translation is the incongruity of legal systems between countries. (Ã…Â  arcevic S, 2000) This poses a problem when translating legal texts as there are a number of functions which a legal text can perform. However I find that the problematical legal text takes a prescriptive function; it is used to inform the reader about actions and sanctions that will occur if one does not co nform to a specific ruling. However, how does one translate a course of action that does not exist in the target language? Continental law does not prescribe the death penalty, yet a French holiday maker traveling to a country, such as Thailand, which does prescribe the death penalty could unknowingly be put under this sanction without knowledge of it unless the translator appropriately translates the term. Thus the translation of prescriptive legal texts is a challenging practice for a translator. Throughout this essay I discussed a number challenges that face the translator. Even though this essay has not explored all of the issues that face the translator, it gives a broad perspective on the decisions that the translator must make during ones practice and that the translator can sometimes be accountable for the reader not receiving the same effect from the target text than that of the source text. I have answered the question to what I consider to be the biggest challenges facing translator and I think the work to be done during the textual analysis is the hardest challenge that translator faces during ones work. The decisions which the translator makes during this time will affect the quality of the final translation. Thus making the correct decisions in the textual analysis is vital to a complete translation. A key theme shown within the essay is cultural mediation. The translator must assume what the readership knows and what the readership is culturally able to understand. When one is translating the text, the translator must make decisions to change the ideas in the text to suit the readership in order to evoke the same effect given when reading the source text. This concept is clear in the translation of humour as some cultures are not able to readily understand western humour, and therefore must be given an alternative discourse to the source text in order to maintain a functional equivalent; which is to evoke laughter from the readership. (Vandaele J, 2002) My final point on challenges for the translator is legal translation and this essay concludes on the difficulties that the translator faces when trying to maintain function equivalents between texts whilst coping with incongruent legal systems and maintain the fine between fidelity and transparency in the target language. The translator must make decisions when facing sanctions which are not realised in other countries and find ways to inform the readership of this whilst holding ones fidelity to the effectiveness of the plurilingual communication of the law. (Riberi J, 2012)