Chartered Accountancy Essay

Chartered Accountancy as a profession is attracting a lot of young and witnessing a rapid growth, thanks to the growing corporate sector globally. Chartered Accountants usually occupy high and respectable posts in an organization. They are the ones responsible for handling accounts and finance related matters, deal with money management. Chartered Accountancy is also a dynamic, challenging and rewarding profession. Chartered Accountancy Course is a professional course in Accounting introduced in our country in 1949, with the enactment of the Chartered Accountants Act. The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) was formed the same year. This Institute is both an examining and a licensing body. It is the responsibility of the institute to conduct the Chartered Accountancy (CA) Course. Chartered accountants are the one who are specialized in accounting, auditing and taxation. They also serve as a management and corporate caretaker. In recent times, accountancy has become popular as a profession. The services of a Chartered accountant are required in money matters even in a small business. Moreover according to the Company Act only CA’s in professional practice are allowed to be appointed as auditors of companies in India. Chartered Accountants are the one who are accepted as a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) after having passed the Final examination of the Chartered accountancy course conducted by the institute. CA Program currently has three sections, Common Proficiency Test (CPT) that was earlier known as Professional Education exam (PE1), Professional Competence Course (PCC or PCE) and Final examination.

My Papa’s Waltz Personal Analysis

Index: Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦1 Essay†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦2 Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦5 Bibliography †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦6 Introduction: For this paper, you will be able to encounter the various meanings, tones, structure, my personal opinion and analysis of the poem â€Å"My Papa’s Waltz† by Theodore Roethke. For more to add, you will also encounter with a brief biography of the poet Roethke which will explain why the poet wrote this poem and how much meaning it has for him.The reason why I chose this poem out of the other seven choices that were given was because this poem captivated me. The poem itself has a lot of parts in which it amazed me, but what amazed me the most was of how the poet could give two opposite actions, feelings and emotions; that ambiguity all at the same time. 1 Essay: â€Å"My Papa’s Waltz† was first written in 1942 by Theodore Roethke. It centers in the idea of the relationship between a father and a son.Theodore Roethke was born in Saginaw, Michigan, in which he spent much of his childhood in the greenhouse –enlarging his lov e towards nature– where his father and uncle worked in. Roethke had a harsh childhood, which can be portrayed in many of his poems, as his father and uncle died at an early age. Maybe it was these harsh moments that depict the reason why Roethke’s poems are so confusing and hard to know what he wants to say. â€Å"My Papa’s Waltz† is an iambic trimeter with an ABAB rhyme. It consists of 4 stanzas, each stanza having 4 lines, also called a quatrain.It is iambic because according to the shmoop page, one unstressed syllable is followed by a stressed one(1). Also, it is a trimeter because it has three stressed syllables. Relating to the tone, it can be seen first as violent but when looked deeply, it has a lovely, amiable and cheerful tone. Last but not least, it is a poem considered to depict connotation as it gives the association of a secondary meaning of a word or expression(2). Related to the analysis of the poem, Roethke is describing about one of his f ew memories he had with his father before he passed out.It kind of leads you at first to believe that the father is abusing and mistreating him but when you reach to the end of the poem, you end up realizing that they were having a great time together. As Roethke is famous for being ambiguous in his writings, I will first talk about the dark and violent side and then the lovely and amiable side which can be perceived by the reader; but will clarify which side I’m taking at the final stanza. In the first stanza, it can be perceived as something violent right away by seeing the words â€Å"dizzy†, and â€Å"death†.These are strong vocabulary and the voice of the boy seems kind of scared. In contrast, it could have meant that the father just had a few sips of whiskey and because the boy was still a child, just a small amount of alcohol could have made him dizzy. Also, by saying that he ‘hung on like death’ could be that as he didn’t share too 2 saying that he ‘hung on like death’ could be that as he didn’t share too much time with his dad, he held on to his father very strong as he enjoyed it. In the second stanza, the violence gets worse as the utensils in the kitchen fall and the mother’s face frowns of disapproval.This can be the most direct evidence of violence in the whole poem. But, it can also show a positive side, for example they were having so much fun and delight that they created a mess in the kitchen and the mother was frowning because she had to clean all the mess up. Or, it could also have been that the mother was frowning in disbelief of how much fun the father and the son were having together. One last option of the mother frowning could be because she was jealous of not being part of the fun the father and son were having.But most likely it would be the second reason, as it is the most reasonable one. In the third stanza, details of where the son had wounds and signs of beatings are described literally. A tone of suffering can be perceived from the tip of the nose, however as the poem gets to the end, the violence seems to cease. This is because Roethke here describes that his father actually held his wrist which is a sign of love. The knuckle of the father being battered just shows how hard the father worked with his bare hands and that even though the father must be tired of labor work, he still shares time with his son.Also, when Roethke says ‘ear scraped a buckle’, he referred that as his height was small; his ear was just at the same level as of his father’s hips where he had a buckle. So every time they loosed their rhythm of the waltzing, the boy was hit not on purpose but mistakenly or as an accident. Any fun activity has its risk or accident so a little bit of danger won’t hurt that much. In the fourth and last stanza, it is where the author Roethke shows what he has meant to say from the beginning of the poem.The beatin g time of the head is that the father was measuring the tempo of the waltzing to his head as the boy was small and again the palm with dirt depicts the father’s hard work. The act of that the father took the boy to his bed is simply an action of love, tenderness and warmth. Not any father would do that after a long day of work unless the father feels a deep connection and love towards his child. And by saying that Roethke kept grabbing to his father’s shirt means that he didn’t want to let go of his father.This showed how much affection the boy had towards his dad and that all those actions that seemed violent were actually just fun to him. 3 From my personal view and analysis I’ve made, I stand and clarify that the poem is about an intimate moment Roethke had with his dad. The title alone states it because by using the word ‘Papa’, it refers to the father whom the child feels love, closeness and warmth. The word ‘Waltz’ is also used as a flow of calm music with rhythm for dancing. The title itself is remarkably positive and warm, meaning that the poem most likely is about the boy, Roethke describing one of his best moments with his father.But also, after reading the poem several times –by several times I mean over a hundred times–, I came to this idea that maybe the waltz was the symbol or the description of how the relationship with his father was but this time METAPHORICALLY. By metaphorically I mean that maybe the waltz was the direct symbolic representation of the bond between Roethke and his father. To make myself clear, Roethke could have had a really bad relationship –as the waltzing caused broken objects, parts of the body hurt and etc†¦- with his father but he still wanted to be with him –as when he still cling to his shirt–.The entire poem could be a metaphor of how bad his relationship with his father was (because Roethke almost never had time to be with h is father) but then even though it was bad, it didn’t matter to him as he still loved his father. 4 Conclusion: In â€Å"My Papa’s Waltz†, Roethke highlighted the fondness, attachment and love towards his father in a manner only he could express. The use of these abstract ideas –in another words: connotation– were used because his love towards his father, the memories he had with his father were not simple and literal, but rather complex, deep and symbolical.All in all, the most important thing is that Roethke leaves you as the reader a decision. This is why he is considered one of the best poets; no poet has given the reader a choice, a path or simply a decision. In this poem, Roethke gives you the decision to either take the poem from a negative side or from a positive side. It all depends on the reader, on how open-minded, understanding the reader is. This makes him unique, special and now, my favorite poet of all. 5 Bibliography: (1) http://www . shmoop. com/my-papas-waltz/rhyme-form-meter. html (2) http://dictionary. reference. com/browse/waltz? s=t 6

Effectiveness of 4p’s in Terms of Mch and Education Essay

Conditional cash transfers (CCTs) are among the most popular social protection schemes today. Promoted by multilateral institutions, notably the World Bank, CCTs have been adopted in at least 30 countries as of 2008, with further ones expected to follow suit in the coming years (WB‘s CCT Webpage). The map below shows these country-adopters. CCTs are grounded on the principle that human capital accumulation is a development vehicle which can be achieved by providing money to poor households, often to women, on conditions that they ensure children‘s regular attendance in school, accompany them to health clinics, and participate in classes and workshops on topics related to health, nutrition, and sanitation (St. Claire 2009: 177; Bradshaw 2008: 188; Hall 2006: 691). Citing the experiences of Latin American countries, particularly Mexico and Brazil, advocates have repeatedly claimed that CCTs are an effective and efficient means of reducing poverty and hunger, keeping childre n in school, enhancing the use of preventive healthcare, empowering women, and increasing the freedom of poor households to invest in their varied needs (WB‘s CCT Webpage; ECLAC 2004). No wonder, with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) deadline getting near, CCTs have been in vogue in a number of countries, including that archipelagic country in the east—the Philippines. In view of the worsening poverty situation and the MDG targets, the Philippine government ran a pilot CCT project in 2007, targeting 6,000 poor households in two provinces and two cities. It proceeded to implementing a full-scale program in 2008, calling it Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and targeting 320,000 additional households. When Benigno Aquino III was elected president in 2010, he decided to sustain his predecessor‘s 4Ps, and further expand its coverage so that when he bows out of the presidency in 2016, it will have reached a total of 4.3 million households (PCIJ 2011). Quoting the Philippine Development Plan 2011–2016, CCTs are the ―cornerstoneâ€â€" upon which the government ―has anchored [the] epic battle against poverty in the landâ€â€" (ibid.). This research has avoided the usual route of scrutinizing the implementation and (non)impact of CCTs in particular, and of development programs in general. It has taken one step back, and examined the factors that influenced or helped shape the government‘s decision to adopt CCTs in a country marked by a long history of poverty and inequality, and was once described as the Latin America in Asia1. The interest on this topic grew out of the observation of the government‘s continued adherence to the so-called residual type of social policy and social provision despite the lessons learned from and the criticisms hurled at past and on-going initiatives. It is in fact worth noting that the 4Ps which of late is called Pantawid Pamilya, is just one of the targeted and pallia tive poverty reduction measures pursued in the country. An earlier one, and internationally acclaimed at that, is the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan (Linking Arms Against Poverty) or KALAHI which has been the flagship poverty reduction program since 2003. A critical review of the KALAHI program reveals that its overall intervention does not offer a more permanent and effective way out of poverty because it lacks coherent plans and mutually supporting projects; and that its social protection component is neither broadly implemented nor viewed to provide permanent economic opportunities for the poor to accumulate assets and to engage in permanent income generating activities (Lim 2009: 29). An assessment of the Philippines‘ performance vis-à  -vis the MDGs supports this analysis. It stresses that†¦ Social protection in the Philippines is not universal; it is simply a bundle of safety net measures targeted at the poorest of the poor. It is [neither] a rights-based entitlement for all citizens†¦[nor a determined effort to] address the structural causes of poverty†¦Since it only targets the ―poorest of the poorâ€â€", many poor remained excluded from the government‘s anti-poverty programs. (Serrano in S ocial Watch Philippines 2010: 23) The analytical position adopted here is that ―policy choices are very politicalâ€â€" no matter how they are couched in technocratic jargon and touted as neutral (Fischer 2010: 40). As further explained, ―social policies are the outcomes of political bargains and conflicts since they touch upon power in society—its distribution and accessibility to different political actorsâ€â€" (Mkandawire 2004: 11 and 12). It is therefore imperative to unravel the interplay of different political processes, institutions, and actors, along with their diverse agenda and ideological persuasions in order to gain a better understanding of social policy choices. This research posits that the Philippine government‘s decision to adopt CCTs reflects the unchanged social policy trajectory marked by the tendency towards targeted, palliative, and supposedly apolitical social provision, not to mention externally-influenced, drawing ―encouragementâ€â€" and support from multilateral institutions, all at the expense of structural reform and redistribution (i.e., asset reform, employment creation, recall of unfair international trade rules and agreements). This trajectory has been defined by the interaction of various political institutions, also called ―the rules of the gameâ€â€", as well as actors, notably the elites whose longstanding dominance in the political and economic arenas has compelled and enabled them to suppress or overturn reform efforts that threaten their position and hold of power. That being said, CCTs paint a bleak picture for the long-term solution to poverty and inequality in the country mainly because like many other World Bank/multilateral donor-backed initiatives, they preclude rationalizing and confronting the structural roots of these problems. Framed in a way that appeals to the elites, middle class, masses, policymakers, bureaucrats, academics, and even a number of progressives—a program that addresses the laziness of the poor by requiring them to do something in exchange for some amount; a program that invests in the well-being of children; a program that efficiently uses the limited resources of government; a program that is supposedly ―apoliticalâ€â€", ―neutralâ€â€", or ―non-partisanâ€â€" and thus effectively reduces the likelihood of manipulation by politicos—a broad agreement of outright support for Pantawid Pamilya has been created despite warnings that it may only serve the Washington Consensus agenda of limiting the state, leaving the market to take care of income and welfare distribution, and granting mere safety nets to people who lose out in the process. Pantawid Pamilya is nothing but a continuation of the purportedly apolitical social policy of the country, and as such, runs the risk of obstructing government and society from going beyond palliatives and undertaking the untidy process of structural reform and distribution. With a situation like this, it is not to be expected that the program will catalyze the shift towards a redistributive and/or universal social provision. UNDP‘s Human Development Reports Webpage The Philippines is a country in the Southeast Asia in the western part of the Pacific Ocean. Its population based on the 2007 census is 88.5 million, of which 44.8 are males and 43.8 are females. Its average population growth rate as of that same year is 2.04 which registers a .32 decrease from 2000‘s 2.36. (NSO Website) Based on World Bank records, the growth in the country has been averaging around five percent over the last 10 years, except in 2010, where it has reached 7.6 percent, the highest in 30 years. Despite this positive picture, however, poverty continues to plague the country, while inequality remains a huge obstacle in achieving major strides in poverty reduction. The 2009 Official Poverty Statistics, the latest poverty report of the National Statistical Coordination Board, reveals that poverty incidence among the population has declined from 33.1 percent in 1991 to 24.9 percent in 2003, 26.4 in 2006, and 26.5 in 2009. Nevertheless, there still remains more than a quarter of the population, or roughly 23.14 million Filipinos livening in poverty. As for subsistence incidence among the population, the figures have decreased from 16.5 percent in 1991 to 11.1 in 2003, 11.7 in 2006, and 10.8 in 2006. As often the case, the official report differs from the unofficial report, especially if the bases are the perceptions of the poor themselves. Based on the survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations, self-rated poverty has ranged from 46 to 72 percent between 1991 and 2009. These numbers are obviously way about the official estimates. Within that period, overall self-rated hunger has averaged at 13.3 percent, of which moderate hunger has roughly been 9.8 percent, and severe hunger, 3.4 percent. Moderate hunger is when a family went hungry at least once in the last three months, while severe hunger is when a family often went hungry in the last three months. (SWS‘ Social Weather Indicators Webpage ) Inequality has shown a downward trend, but despite this decreasing gini ratio—from 0.4605 in 2003 to 0.4580 in 2006 to 0.4484 in 2009—it is still highest among the members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (UNDP as cited in NSCB 2011: 8). For instance, for the year 2009, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam recorded a gini ratio of 0.394, 0.425, and 0.378, respectively (ibid.). In terms of the Human Development Indicators, on one hand, the country‘s performance has been promising. Its score has consistently increased from 0.550 in 1980 to 0.571 in 1990, 0.602 in 2000, 0.641 in 2010, and 0.644 in 2011, although these are still below the global and the East Asia and the Pacific averages (UNDP‘s Human Development Reports Webpage). – 5 – It is also important to take into account the spatial dimension of poverty. The regions with highest poverty incidence by families are the Caraga Region (39.8%) and the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (38.1%), while those with highest number of poor families are Central Visayas (415,303) and Bicol (385,338). The regions with highest subsistence incidence are the Zamboanga Peninsula (18.6%) and Northern Mindanao (15.6%), while those with the highest number of subsistence poor families are Central Visayas (181,649) and Bicol (137,527). Almost 40% of the income poor families are in Luzon, and 40% of the subsistence poor families are in Mindanao. (NSCB‘s 2009 Poverty Statistics Webpage) Moreover, majority of the poor are still located in the rural area with figures that have remained in the 70-percent-mark since 1985 based on the estimates of Balisacan (2006). (Emma_s_RP_Final_Draft_Nov_2011)

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Ecotourism - Essay Example The World Tourism Organization (WTO) (n.d., p.4) defines ecotourism as a form of tourism having the characteristic of a â€Å"nature-based form of tourism† that attracts travellers who are seeking to visit natural spots, especially those that have preserved their â€Å"traditional cultures and natural sceneries.† Other characteristics of ecotourism are the following: (i) â€Å"contains educational and interpretation features; (ii) organised for small, locally-owned businesses and foreign operators that organised ecotourism tourism tours for small groups; (iii) lessens the negative effect on the natural and socio-cultural environment† (WTO, n.d., p.4). Ecotourism opens vast opportunities to local areas and small-sized companies, which eventually improves the status of living (WTO, n.d., p.5). It also encourages the local communities and tourists on paying attention to environmental preservation, especially nowadays in which the impact of environmental destruction is highly apparent (p.5). Argument: Ecotourism as a Minor Market Segment Ecotourism has found a competent position in a niche market within the tourism industry where it is being run by certain market forces and policies (Wood, 2002, p.10). In the market, ecotourism is usually being promoted as nature tourism (p.10). Nevertheless, this small, but gradually growing market segment is being developed to become a key driver of growth in the tourism industry.... In the market, ecotourism is usually being promoted as nature tourism (p.10). Nevertheless, this small, but gradually growing market segment is being developed to become a key driver of growth in the tourism industry. Still, there is a growing concern over the social and environmental policies and programs that nations implement to support ecotourism. Some nations are determined to enforce socio-environmental policies and programs for the improvement of ecotourism, but other nations are not that stern to implement such programs and policies (Wood, 2002, p.10). As a consequence, there is a variation with regard to how nations interpret ecotourism, and why it is deemed a major or minor sector of the tourism market in different nations. Ecotourism is under nature tourism, but it is as well connected to rural and cultural tourism. Most often, ecotourism is categorised as a small-scale tourism, since it caters only a limited number of tourists with them, seeking for the services of small tour groups and hotels; these hotels are those that have no more than 100 beds usually owned by small and medium-sized companies (Wood, 2002, p.11). Ecotourism is a market segment that focuses on the accommodation of small groups, hence, guiding them to natural areas in a way that is educational enough for them to realise the value of the place (p.11). Ecotourism in the UK There is not much of information with regard to the sector of ecotourism in the UK. Most of the time, the information is more on the tourism industry as a whole and not on ecotourism as a major part of the industry. Nevertheless, it has been stated that ecotourism comprised 20% of the entire tourism market (Hodgson, 2012). With this

Paraphrase the words which ever are highlighted in yellow..refrences Essay

Paraphrase the words which ever are highlighted in yellow..refrences should be same as mentioned in the - Essay Example The history of sport can’t be considered separately from the history of sports journalism that started already in 850 BC when Homer wrote about the victory of Ajax and Odysseus. Homer’s poetry is already considered to be the first sports journalism, notwithstanding that the real development of it began in 1800s when many sport events were fixed in written form. After the Olympics was held in 1908, the job of sports editor became popular (Andrews, 2005). Already in 1930 newspapers started offering vacancies of sports editors whose job was to create the content for sports news. The appearance of Associated Press in 1945 also contributed greatly to the popularity of sport as it published sports news on the front page that was never done before. Television also greatly influenced the development of sports journalism, particularly in the field of baseball and football (Andrew, 2005). The area of sports journalism underwent many changes after 1954. These changes were caused b y the creation of illustrated magazine, where sports issues were covered (Smith, 2008). The evolution of technology makes the area of sport always available even for those who do not go info sports but are still fond of sports competitions. These people can trace the results of their favorite sportsmen and teams on TV (Smith, 2008). The given paper will discuss the area of sports journalism. It will describe the organizational structure of the field as well as everyday life and the job of sports journalists. The work will also consider the future development of the field, and the issues sports journalists are currently facing. 1.1. The main task of sports journalist What does the job of sports journalist mean and what does it give to us? The main task of the sports journalists is to explain latest sports events. This literature is very popular among sport fanatics but for those people who are not interested in sport it represents common news, which they may hear every day but do not focus their attention on. The specialists in the area under consideration usually prepare informative articles and broadcasts about sports competitions and the participants. They present fanatics with interesting interviews they make with sports stars. The articles and broadcasts prepared by sports journalists are not just informative but also analytical as their task is not only to present the information about the sports event, but also the analysis of it. â€Å"In Champion leagues, Saturday’s final against Chelsea, the Bavarians did everything they could to avoid wining: after months of effort, it was as though they didn't want the trophy. A lack of sharpness in every way characterized their game, from putting just seven of their 35 attempts on target to conceding possession again and again in midfield. All the hallmarks of their game: the precision in finishing, the crisp, assured distribution in midfield, were abandoned† (Myson, 2012). This is an example of the r eport prepared by sports journalists, the review with commentaries they provide. The task of sports journalists is to present us with deep analysis of the sports event and the explanation why these or those participants failed or succeeded. They have to analyze the reasons of failure or success of sportsmen. There are many controversial events in the sports history and for now the most controversial is Zidane header to Matterazi in 2006 (Alexis 2012). IN order to prepare interesting

Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 27

Economics - Essay Example This is a clear indicator that people are more concerned about health than money. The discovery by economists that money can’t buy happiness is a justification for high taxes and more government spending. According to Lee .D.R (2005), pursuit of money is addictive and reduces the time available for friends, family and other activities that result in genuine happiness. In conclusion, we can not just totally dispute the fact that money does not bring happiness. Money does bring happiness especially with an increase in the level of income (which is a sign of achievement) although the happiness brought by money is temporary. It is very important for people to look for money because it increases their purchasing power .Money also enables one to be able to do what he so wishes, for instance, investment. Money can be obtained by earning as an income, borrowing and from savings. All these three methods of acquiring money have an opportunity cost (defined as the value of foregone opportunity).For instance the opportunity cost of earning income is loss of time for other activities like recreation. Money held as savings has the foregone opportunity of loss of profit for income generating activities in which the money could have been invested. Finally, the foregone opportunity of borrowing is the high interest rates although such borrowed money can be invested in more income generating activities in future. Therefore everyone strives to get money by whatever means considering the opportunity cost. The means of acquiring money whose opportunity cost is low is the best method chosen. Marginal utility of money is the extra satisfaction derived from an extra unit of money spent. Marginal utility of money is never constant because an extra unit of money given to a poor person will add much to his satisfaction than if the same coin was given to a rich person. This means that poorer people

English is seen by some as 'the global language'. Discuss with Essay

English is seen by some as 'the global language'. Discuss with reference to some of the domains in which English is gaining mos - Essay Example In order to do this, the countries force learning English through their educational system seeing to it that people master the language to decent extent. In case the countries, which adopt certain language as their ‘second language’, are influential enough in the world arena, it could be considered to be a global one. Why do we need a global language? The reason for some kind of international means of human negotiations is quite obvious: people from different countries need to have certain tool in order to communicate, understand and get on with each other concerning some mutual issues. In modern world, where exists a huge amount of languages, it is not possible to solve the problem through bilingualism and trilingualism and, thus, some commonly accepted and understood language is obviously needed. Such language is usually called lingua franca, and implies some simple rules application, so people would not meet a lot of difficulties when learning it. In these terms, a no tion of pidgin arises, which means that common language is drawn towards simplification and combines features from various languages (Todd, 1984). Furthermore, using common language is quite favorable in that sense that this practice significantly reduces costs for translation and interpretation work. Such international establishments as World Bank, UNESCO, the World Health Organization, and UNICEF spend a great part of their budget for removing all the discrepancies in their communication concerning diverse languages usage. Different business and scientific communities also favor from common language adoption as this would ease their exchange of experience essentially. Reasons why English is the global language There are a lot of factors, which forced English to be the global language and in order to analyze them we separate all the reasons into three main groups: geographical-historical, socio-cultural, and linguistic reasons. Geographical-historical reasons Geographical-historica l reasons are closely connected to English expansion through America, Asia, Africa, Australia and the whole South Pacific region, when English colonies were established in these areas. Specifically, English language came to British Isles from northern Europe in 5th century and rapidly widespread nearby areas of Scotland, Cornwall, Wales, and Cumbria. Further significant expansions of English occurred just at the end of 16th century, when English settlements were established in Virginia and New England. Active population movements within American continent led to English assimilation of new territories in the area of the Great Lakes, Texas, and California. Further, waves of immigrants moved to Canada and gradually expanded to the Caribbean islands and South Africa in 17th century, Australia and New Zealand at the end of 18th century (Kachru, 1988). Such powerful expansion led to presence of English an all parts of the world including St. Helena island in Atlantic region, Seychelles i n Indian region, the islands Hawaii and Fiji in Pacific region. Socio-cultural reasons Socio-cultural reasons are closely associated with dependence of various areas on English in terms of social and cultural development. A huge amount of world broadcasting programs are conducted in English, when you travel you always meet advertisements and signs written in English, if you

Ikea report Essay Example for Free

Ikea report Essay Executive summary This report describes the importance of market research, the target market and market segmentation. How a business can use a situation analysis and SWOT to provide a direction for Ikea. This examines how types of customers and buyer behaviour will impact marketing strategies. Evaluates as a key marketing strategy for Ikea as a case study. Analyses marketing strategies can be used to achieve marketing objectives and describes some ethical and legal things that a business must manage and respond to while marketing. Business Overview Ikea is a well-known global brand with hundreds of stores across the world. In order to improve performance, it must assess its external and competitive environment. This will reveal the key opportunities it can take advantage of and the threats it must deal with. Ikea responds to both internal and external issues in a proactive and dynamic manner by using its strengths and reducing its weaknesses. Through this, Ikea is able to generate the strong growth it needs to retain a strong identity in the market. Ikea’s passion combines design, low prices, economical use of resources, and responsibility for people and the environment. The companys products, processes and systems all demonstrate its environmental stance. For example, clever use of packaging and design means more items can fit into a crate, which means fewer delivery journeys. This in turn reduces Ikeas carbon footprint. Ikea believes that there is no compromise between doing good business and being a good business. It aims to go beyond profitability and reputation. Ikea is intent on becoming a leading example in developing a sustainable business. This will create a better everyday life for its customers. Market research When Ikea conducts market research it is important that the business first determines its information needs. The business should have some idea about the type of information it is looking for. It could vary from customer profiles or brand awareness through to attitudes towards certain new products. Once its information needs are established, the business can determine the most appropriate research method. This is primarily done by IKEA group although individual stores would use sales reports in order to  gather data about the types of customers and popular products that are particular to the area or store. The Target Market The target market is a group of customers for whom a particular product has been developed. The business hopes that these people will buy the product when it is made available in the marketplace. Some products appeal to all consumers, while others have limited appeal. A business needs to understand the nature of consumer markets. The three types of markets Ikea appeals to are Consumer, Mass and niche. The products in Ikea produce are universal to all and with their flat pack design they fall into the niche market. Ikea focuses on meeting the customer demands and satisfying their needs. Ikeas main focus is that of the selling orientation. Market segmentation Market segmentation is the process of breaking down a total market into small markets It allows businesses to focus their efforts and resources on a section of the market. By focusing on a particular target group, It would consider the features that consumers of this target group would be looking for in a product, the appropriate promotional strategies to generate awareness of and sustain interest in the product, and the most suitable pricing policies and distribution channels. Market segmentation and product/service differentiation,Demographic segmentation, dividing consumers into groups based on selected demographics, so that different groups can be treated deferent Situation analysis and SWOT Situation analysis is the way in which a business can examine the current position within the market and provides them with direction for their marketing campaign. SWOT is the first stage of planning and looks at the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats involved in a project or business venture. For example, one of Ikeas key strengths is its strategic aim to use no more material than necessary in the production of each item. One particular table, the NORDEN table, uses knotty birch wood. The knots in this wood usually mean it is rejected by other retailers and manufacturers as unsuitable for use. However, IKEA has made the knots part of its design feature. Types of customers. psychographic segmentation, this is based on lifestyle and personality, values and interest, Ikea does not divide the store into sections but you have to walk through the whole store before you can exit, this is a strategy to sell more products. The types of customers vary from people, households, firms, educational institutions, government, clubs and societies, religious organisations. The customers that account for most of Ikeas sale is the bold customer. Ikea is a business that is not aiming towards a purchase occasion but the usage rate of their product, being household items they aim for their products to last well and function to a good quality standard. Ikea has a good user loyalty with a wide range of buyers from the types of customers. Consumers see how affordable Ikea products are and how well they last, as long as they don’t mind putting the product together. The buying process would not be different from Ikea customers but the free yearly catalogue gives purchasers time to plan a trip to Ikea as the Ikea stores are not usually located conveniently due to the large floor space required to house their product. Ikea stores are not usually located outside the inner metropolitan area for this reason. There are psychological, sociocultural, economic and government reasons why people shop or don’t shop are Psychological segmentation Branding. Ikea is ranking 41 in the world’s most valuable brands. The brand name alone is worth 8 million. The brand image for Ikea stands for affordable, contemporary design and its flat pack product range that gives Ikea its identity. The brand name or logo essentially provides a message to the people of the quality and value associated with that product, when they see it they immediately form judgements on the quality, a strong brand name is essentially enhancing the relationship between a business and its customer. Marketing and strategies Product Ikea’s products are tangible, Product matters because it is the reason that customers go to Ikea in the first place. Ikea has the market in flat pack furniture and the unique design attracts customers and meets their needs, this product could include the prestige of owning the product which would also relate to psychological factors. Place Place matters because it is how the customers access the product. The Ikea experience is more than just products, it is a retail concept laid out in such a way that families, singles, couples etc. can enjoy shopping for furniture. A day at Ikea has been described as more of an outing than a shopping trip. Price Price matters because it is at the heart of the Ikea concept. Flat pack furniture cannot compete on price with upmarket, fully assembled pieces, so it is essential that Ikea continues to keep its prices below the competition. Price including pricing methods, market and competition based, Competition based pricing is the commonly used pricing strategy. Promotion Promotion is the most public aspect of marketing and it matters because it helps to drive customers into the stores in order to buy furniture. Ethical and legal. Ikea is recognised as a business that is both legally and ethically a responsible business that looks beyond profit and develops a positive workforce with these practices, advertising is very powerful in developing the wrong or wright idea and misleading advertising is bad ethics. Developing products in 3rd world country is considered unethical because they get payed well below minimum wage. Ikea produces environmentally responsible products, the flat pack design would be argued that it minimizes wastage and the cardboard would be environmentally friendly. The role of consumer law deals with Deceptive and misleading advertising which could be false information about products features and content, false special offers which don’t exist and  overstating the benefits that a product will provide to the consumer. Price discrimination, giving preference to some retail stores by providing them with lower prices than is offered to the competitors of those retailers. The competitor and consumer act aims to discourage the price discrimination in the business environment. Implied conditions and warranties is a great way for a business to ensure the product will last at least the warrantee time, this attracts customers and the consumer expects the business to fulfill their legal obligation to provide a refund or replacement or the product if there is a manufacturing problem within the warranted date, regardless the business by law. Resale price maintenance, this aims to balance the profit maximization of a business, Ikea ensures that the quality of a product in one country doesn’t differ from another. A manufacturer cannot refuse to sell the goods to a retailor if the retailor intends to sell the product for below the recommended price.

Green Mile Book Report Essay Example for Free

Green Mile Book Report Essay To some people the words Book-report  mean rent the movie and write a report on that. Yes, it is easier to watch a three-hour movie rather than read a 536-page book. With most books turned movies, though, the book is far too detailed to fit everything. This is how it is with the book The Green Mile and the movie The Green Mile. There are similarities but, there are also a lot of differences between the two. The main parts of the book and movie are alike: Coffey being caught with the two dead girls in his arms, Coffey saves Hals wife and Coffey dying at the end. There are smaller details that are alike and that is more important than the main parts. One small thing is that Paul does have a UTI in both the book and the movie. This is a small part but it brings a lot to the movie and the book because this is how Paul finds out that Coffey is innocent. Another small thing is the placement of the prisoners in the book and the movie. They arent exact but they are pretty close and this shows importance when the mouse, later called Mr. Jingles, walks up and down the green mile. Lastly, a small detail that is the same in both the book and the movie is the last sentence. Paul explains his punishment for killing one of Gods great miracles. This is very important because it brings the whole movie and the book to a close. Along with the similarities there are major differences and minor differences between the book and the movie. The major differences that I noticed between the book and the movie are: the mouse doesnt die at the end in the movie, and there is no real character in the nursing home that bugs Paul in the movie like there was in the book. A smaller detail that is different is that in the book Paul asks Coffey to tie his shoe and Coffey cant do it. This turned into a major point in the book because it went through how the dog was killed with meat and Coffey was carrying his lunch tied up, when he was found with the girls. The only way Coffey would have been able to use the meat would have been to untie the package his lunch was in and then retie it. In the movie this isnt even explained which is kind of sad because it shows that he really isnt the one who killed the girls. Another factor is that in the movie everything is shortened to save time. This is because people dont want to sit through a five-hour movie. Lastly, the movie was created by the  impression the scriptwriter got with the help of Stephen King so of course there is no way they could have the exact same ideas all the time. This is a great book and a great movie and there is no way that the movie could cover everything that the book covers because there is a time limit with movies when people start to lose interest. Ways that the differences could become less evident would be by in each scene add detail even if it is just one line for a character it would make the book and movie seem more alike. Instead of two people looking at the book and combining their idea it would be one idea shared by millions. Everyone says dont just a book by the cover , well with more books turning to movies I think that that saying should be modified. The saying for nowadays would have to be Dont judge a book by its movie.  I am not saying that all books turn movies are bad. I am saying if you didnt like the movie and see the book try to read it because there might be more to the story than what the movie covered. Overall both the movie The Green Mile and the book The Green Mile are very good stories but to get the whole story you should both read the book and watch the movie.

The difference of being a social worker

The difference of being a social worker What is the difference between helping service users and being a professional Social Worker? Social work in UK has been a regulated profession since 2005 and the title Social worker is protected by its regulatory body (GSCC) that entitles only those professionally qualified to use this term to describe themselves. Social work professionals are held accountable to the law, their employers, service users and to the GSCC code of ethics. They are guided by principles which make up an ethical framework these can sometimes prevent a social worker to do what service users may see as helping. More than helping, social work is seen as enabling people to resolve their problems. Therefore, working with them to develop skills required to overcome the problem, rather than providing a quick fix. The skills of empowerment, advocacy and user involvement are needed in professional practice so the social worker would be able to exercise their duty in line with the professional code of practice and conduct. This would help to limit bad practices while also promoting moral and job satisfaction. Firstly, this essay will give a brief definition of what is social work; it will then go on to examine the key principles in social work practice. The role of a social worker, their responsibilities and the ethical framework will be described in some detail. It will then conclude with an examination on the significance in working in partnership. Lastly, I will look into the issues of diversity along with AOP and ADP. Finally, this essay will look on the significance of service user and carer experiences and perspectives along with a brief conclusion. Social work is defined by the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) as a profession that promotes social change, problem solving in human relationships and the empowerment and liberation of people to enhance well-being. Utilising theories of human behaviour and social systems, social work intervenes at the points where people interact with their environments. Principles of human rights and social justice are fundamental to social work (IFSW, 2000). This definition of Social work shows that the duties of social work practitioners are linked with principles of empowerment, human right and social justice. Social works main duty is to enable all people to develop their full potential, enrich their lives, and prevent dysfunction (IFSW, 2000). They will act as advocates on behalf of the people they serve and their duty is focused on problem solving also bringing about change. Social work is an interrelated system of values, theory and practice (IFSW, 2000). Social work is also a form of social control, this because it involves promoting and protecting the welfare of not only the individual but also the wider community this dual responsibility often causes conflicts and tensions, (Thompson, 2009, p.3). Social workers come to contact with individuals from many different backgrounds. Their aim is to help people overcome difficulties and live a successful life, while there are times where practitioners are there to support people in accepting a situation that cannot be changed (e.g. terminal illness, etc.). What differs social work from other professionals is the complexity and the variety of the roles in which they are involved. The need to involve service users wherever possible and working closely with other professionals is required by a number of legislations, this makes the practice in a way easier, as it rules out misunderstandings or the possibility of missing out on important information. Individuals and other professionals involved in the process of working in partnership have to be involved during each stage of intervention. Partnership working is seen as a highly skilled activity, it requires the ability to communicate and engage, assess and plan, to be sensitive and observant, and so on, (Thompson, 2009, p.118). Social work practitioners are expected to take regular training in order to expand their knowledge as the result of continuous developments in policies, theories etc. Social work is an evolving profession, constantly responding to new policy aspirations, expanding knowledge and rising public aspirations. (GSCC, 2008, p.10). Trevithick (2009) categirizes knowledge under three headings that overlap and are linked together: Theoretical borrowed theories, analyse theories (purpose of SW), practice theories/approaches Factual law/legislation, social policy, etc. Practice/practical/personal acquisitioned, used, created knowledge. Trevithick (2009, p.25-43). The advantage of this framework would be that it gives directions where there is a need to further expand your knowledge. Social work profession requires a breadth and in depth knowledge base, however, the knowledge base of the caring profession is not appreciated by the general public .. partly due to the assumptions about the caring professionals being common sense and requiring little or no specialist knowledge or skills, (Thompson, 2009, p.11) Social work professionals are guided by a set of values and a Code of Practice. Practice ethics are based on these values which aim to inform social workers intervention with service users. The code of practice set up by the general social care council (GSCC) offers an ethical framework to its practitioners, this aims to maintain a standard of conduct for both employers and employees. The social work code of conduct is designed to serve social workers when practicing their profession, it contains ethical principles which will underpin the approach taken in practice. The professional code of conduct serves many different functions such as; guidance, regulation, discipline, protection, information, proclamation, negotiation, (Values and ethics in practice, p.127). It is very helpful to social workers as it offers guidelines as to what is expected from them as professionals. Social workers have to be familiar with their value base and abide to them in day to day work. They have to put into practice the understanding of the values when practicing their profession. Ethical awareness is an essential part of the social work practices, a social workers ability to act ethically is vital when aiming to provide a high standard of services. The code of conduct, ideally, offers the prospect, tantalizing if theoretical, of resolving value and ethical issues in social work (Adams et al. 2009, p.37). The day to day practice and the uncertainty which social workers can sometimes face would carry ethical dilemmas which will challenge their practice, ethical dilemmas occur when the social worker has a choice between two different courses of action that can be both morally right but only one choice can be made, or when either course of action if chosen, would lead to the compromise of values or principles, (Purtilo, 1993), (Values and ethics in practice, p.117 ). Ethics and values can also intersect when values or moral principles are in conflict, which poses a challenge about what to do, then an ethical problem has occurred, (Purtilo, 1993),'(Values and ethics in practice, p.117 ). The traditional values developed by Biestek (1961), outlined the principles which formed the fundamentals of the social work practice. These principles were made up of seven points and act as an underlying framework to intervention with service users. Individualisation; Non-judgmental attitude; Acceptance; Purposeful expression of feelings; Controlled emotional involvement; User self-determination; Confidentiality. (Crawford and Walke, 2008, p.6) These principles are essential to social work practice as they comply with what social work stands for, human right and social justice. Individuality for example gives the right to the service users to be free from bias and prejudice, therefore the social worker should avoid labels and stereotyping. Non-judgmental attitude would assure the situations are examined without bias, requiring social workers to avoid personal feelings and prejudices. Acceptance implies the expression of genuine concern, acknowledging the service users point of view, mutual respect, etc. Social workers have to give the opportunity to service users to purposefully express their feelings. In this way they will feel empowered and respected. Controlled emotional involvement requires the social worker to express their feelings but however in a controlled way, they should not come across as cold or disinterested this should be guided by knowledge and purpose, at the same time avoiding to over identify with the ser vice user. Self determination is a principle that places importance in recognising the service users rights and needs to autonomy, right of decision making and the right of choice. Confidentiality is a right that service users are entitled to; this implies that consent must be taken from the service users before the information can be disclosed, unless there is a situation where other people may be at risk. In social work there is a wide variety of theories and methods that help social workers intervene, the theory or method chosen will influence the language used and will shape the relationship between the social worker and service user. Language is the wealth of communication, it can open or close doors but also it can influence actions. Language plays a big part of power relations that have to be unpacked and understood for empowerment to occur, (Dominelli, 2002) (Adams et al. 2009, p.175). Being a good communicator is essential to social work practice as communications skills are essential to building a relationship and also interviewing. Lishman (1994) identifies four types of communicating: symbolic, verbal, nonverbal and written, any type of communication is essential to all professional practices therefore social workers have to simultaneously ask good questions, listen actively, convey information, exercise scepticism and reflect on interaction, Adams et al (2009, p.176-178). Social work professionals are expected to work in partnership with people to find the solutions and achieve the outcomes they want, and to collaborate with other agencies and disciplines to ensure support is delivered in a coordinated way. (GSCC, 2008, p.6) One of the principles in building an effective relationship will be honesty (e.g. explaining the reason for intervention). Exercising mutual respect should be another fundamental principle in relationship building, keeping appointments or being on time is a very simple example but however very important. Respect should be exercised even in a case of different personal values as social workers are not there to judge but to help. Consistency is another principle that the service users appreciate, as it shows concern about their situation and understanding. Ethical behavior is essential, because as a social worker there is the duty to respect the code of conduct that social work abides to. Explaining issues that might arise during the intervention and making things clear before work is commenced can rule out later misunderstandings. All these principles will contribute to underpin the trust aspect of the relationship and make the intervention more effective. Social workers always try to involve service users as much as possible in every aspect of their intervention, however, this is not always possible. There are times where social workers are requested to reach decisions and make judgments so that they can protect vulnerable people or in order to implement control. Social workers have legal powers which they would exercise to protect vulnerable people who may be at risk, this however may sometimes conflict with what other people involved wish for. Anti-oppressive practice is a frame work that aims to incorporate the social work value base, it is a response to the continual lobbying by the oppressed individuals. Professionals providing anti-oppressive services redefine professionalism within an open power sharing framework and precise human rights-based value systems. Practicing equality involves practitioners in valuing difference in life-styles and identity instead of demanding uniformity (Adams et al. 2009, p.55). Power imbalance is an important issue that should be addressed when working in an anti-oppressive way. The power that the social worker holds can be used both ways, constructively aiming to empower the service user, but also social workers can abuse this power therefore reinforcing the power imbalance and oppression. However there is always the risk of being oppressive even though not intentionally, e.g. Through naivety or ignorance, reinforcing stereotypes, inappropriate language, using power inappropriately and by acting as an expert, Thompson (2009, p.158-159). Social workers are involved in many complex interactions, we have to recognize the potential for social work to do harm as well as good (Thompson, 2009, p.80). When looking at how inequalities and oppression manifest themselves, the PCS (Thompson, 1996) would be helpful. Service user and carer involvement and participation can be challenging and also rewarding. However it is very valuable to social work practice, service users and carers can get involved in their own package of services or in a strategic planning and service development. Users views of the quality of services and their participation in providing regular feedback on all aspects of social work are therefore an essential part of good practice,(Warren, 2009, p.15). Service users and carers perspectives on services provided, have been sought by many researches for and also evaluators. However, in the recent years there has been a distribution of power which has resulted in the participation of the service users but also giving them the power to drive the research project. In conclusion, social work is a challenging profession which continually challenges the boundaries of its practitioners, whether on a personal, cultural or professional level. Ethics, morals and values are all essential parts of the profession practice. Social workers have to practice in e reflective way, while recognizing diversities which they come across in a daily basis. A social work practice that takes no account of existing inequalities runs the risk of: failing to recognize important factors in someones live, causing tension, reinforcing the negative effects of discrimination (Thompson, 2009, p.26). Word Count: 2 217 Bibliography References Adams, R., Domilelli, L., Payne, M., (2009), Critical Practice In Social Work, 2rd edition, Palgrave Macmillan. Adams, R., Domilelli, L., Payne, M., (2009), Social Work: Themes, Issues and Critical Debates, 3rd edition, Palgrave Macmillan. BASW (1996) The Code of Ethics for Social Work, (www.basw.co.uk accessed: 09/04/2010) Crawford, K., Walke, J., (2008), Social Work with Older People, 2nd Edition, Learning Matters. Eby, M., Gallagher, A., Values and Ethics in Practice, Chapter 7, (Course material). http://www.ifsw.org/f38000138.html (accessed: 12/04/2010) Thompson, N., (2009), Understanding Social Work, 3rd Edition, Palgrave Macmillan. Trevithick, P., (2009), Social Work Skills a practice handbook, 2nd Edition, Open University Press. Warren, J., (2009), Service User and Carer Participation in Social Work, Learning Matters.

David Gauthiers Answer to Why Be Moral :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

David Gauthier's Answer to Why Be Moral ABSTRACT: In this paper I argue that David Gauthier’s answer to the Why be moral? question fails. My argument concedes the possibility of constrained maximization in all the senses Gauthier intends and does not rely on the claim that it is better to masquerade as a constrained maximizer than to be one. Instead, I argue that once a constrained maximizer in the guise of "economic man" is transformed through an affective commitment to morality into a constrained maximizer in the guise of the "liberal individual," then a purely rational justification for morality must become invisible to the latter. If I can show this, then I can show that rational justification can have no motivational power for the "liberal individual" and that Gauthier fails to answer the problem of moral motivation. I begin by making what I take to be a crucial distinction. This distinction separates two levels at which a contract theory may operate. At the first level the contractarian theory is directed at the question of moral motivation. That is, it takes the idea of agreement to be the source of motivation to be or become moral. The agreement thus serves to bring into the moral domain agents who, prior to the agreement, were not moral agents. At the second level the contractarian theory is directed at the question of the content and justification of our most general normative principles and values. That is, it takes the idea of agreement to be the source of both content and justification. For convenience I will describe a theory which is contractarian at both levels as complete, and a theory which is contractarian at only one level as partial. The problem of moral motivation, when understood as a problem of enticing non-moral agents into the moral domain, is a specific problem only for a contractarian theory which is complete or which is partial at level one. A contractarianism which is partial at level two has no special obligations, qua contractarian theory, to answer the Why be moral? question. In other words, such a theory does not offer, and does not aim at offering, a contractarian answer to the Why be moral? question since it is not concerned with moral-non-moral distinction. The early Rawls (1971) and Gauthier (1975,1986) both offer complete theories, while the later Rawls (1980) and Thomas Scanlon (1982) offer theories which are partial at level two (I will drop the ‘at level two': this can be assumed unless I indicate otherwise).

Evil and an STN God :: Philosophy of Religion Essays

Evil and an STN God The problem of evil makes theists discern a reason for an STN God to allow evil and suffering in the world. The basic setup for the problem of evil is that either a God who is all knowing, all powerful, wholly good, eternal, and creator of this universe but separate from it (STN) or evil exists. Atheists believe that since evil exists then there is no STN God. Theists branch into two categories, either believing in God, but not an STN God or believing that God has a reason for allowing evil into the world. The latter type is a narrow theist and they use a theodicy to solve the problem of evil, the best of which is the ontological defense. However, the ontological defense does not solve the problem of evil. The problem of evil stems from the contradicting beliefs that either an STN God exists or evil exists (93).1 The problem of evil can be expanded into two arguments against the existence of an STN God: the logical and the evidential arguments (93).1 The argument from the logical problem of evil is simple. The basic form of this argument is that if an STN God exists, then evil cannot exist (93).1 Since there is evidence that evil does exist an STN God cannot exist (93).1 The evidential problem of evil is based more on how any greater good can come from the evil (99).1 In the argument from the evidential problem of evil, there are times when an STN God could have prevented intense suffering without interfering with a greater good (99).1 An STN God would prevent any suffering that would not interfere with a greater good and since suffering has occurred that does not interfere with a greater good an STN God cannot exist (99).1 The problem of evil is solely a problem for theists. In order for a theist to keep their beliefs in an STN God they must find a way to solve the problem of evil by using a theodicy (103).1 Or they can change their beliefs so that they no longer believe in an STN God, but just a God (108).1 The ontological defense appears to be the most successful theodicy at solving the problem of evil. This defense essentially says that it is impossible for good to exist in the world without evil. The ontological defense is the strongest defense because it merely puts forth the concept of opposites and does not try to explain any other reasoning for why evil exists or why God puts evil in the world.

Reversal of Male/Female Roles in Sister Carrie :: Sister Carrie Essays

Dreiser's Reversal of Male/Female Roles in Sister Carrie    The novel Sister Carrie seems to be the platform from which Dreiser explores his unconventional views of the genders. In the world of Sister Carrie, it would seem that the role of women as trusting, caring creatures, and men as scheming victimizers is reversed; it is Carrie that uses the men around her to get what she wants, and it is those men who are victimized by her. Thus Dreiser uses this novel as a means of questioning the popular notions of gender and the role that it plays in modern society.      Ã‚  Ã‚   In Sister Carrie, it would seem that Carrie, while outwardly benign, and possibly even deserving of her portrayal as sweet and innocent at the beginning, soon emerges as a ruthless predator in the guise of a helpless woman. From her relationship with Drouet, she manages to gain the experience and social skills to pursue higher aspirations. She seems to stay with Drouet only long enough to see that better things are available, comforts more extravagant than Drouet can provide, and cultural experiences and social nuances whose existence Drouet seems unaware of. Drouet, then, acts as a stepping stone for her. When he no longer has anything he can offer her, she drops him in favor of Hurstwood. In Hurstwood, Carrie sees all that lacks in Drouet--a more acute sense of culture and worldliness, and the wealth to explore the new wonders of civilized Chicago life.    Hurstwood serves as yet another step in her ladder to success, and when he sinks into poverty and self-disgrace after his divorce, she sees him as a no longer being an asset, and leaves him in favor of striking out on her own, leaving him to turn into a beggar, while she makes it big. Too, after she makes it big, and Drouet comes to see her, she can no longer see him as a friend worthy of her company, and in fact avoids ever seeing him again. The fact that she owes her success to Drouet and Hurstwood seems inconsequential to her. It would seem also at the end of her road to fame, when she is receiving social invitations from millionaires and famous figures, that she sees herself as being to good for any of them; she sees herself as being too good for the company of any man.

Legislations health and social care Essay

Health and safety: It’s important for everyone to be in a safe environment so they can do daily tasks without feeling scared and uncomfortable of something will happen to them for certain so that’s why in every health care setting the health and safety at work act 1974 has been introduced so they can safe guard vulnerable patients in their care. Providers in health care settings need to provide some of the following services to ensure that the service users and the employees themselves are safe when working for example: They need to provide and maintain safety when using equipment’s Provide a safe place of employment Ensure equipment is used safely, stored and delivered from one place to another. Provide a safe place to feel safe and welcomed at all times Look after the health and safety of others. Food standard regulation: The food standard regulation is one of the most important legislation in a health care setting because most hospitals, care homes, schools etc all serve food and it needs to be in a good standard for the service users to eat it without becoming violently ill for example poor hygiene can result to abnormality of different foods compared to the others which can make the person ill. For the service uses to eat without becoming ill this legislations helps guide the workers to do some of the following The controls include: Premises are clean and in a good state of repair Good drainage, lighting and ventilation Sufficient waste disposal facilities Toilet facilities for staff Equipment is in good condition and kept clean Also another guideline they should follow would be the temperature of the food needs to be monitored in order for the food to be served without any  complications and here is the temperature guideline for the foods being stored in specific places: It is an offence to allow food to be kept at temperatures that would cause a risk to health, so you must make sure foods that need temperature control are kept at the right temperature. Foods that need to be kept hot should be kept at 63 °C or above Foods that need to be kept cold should be kept at 8 °C or below (preferably at 5 °C or below) Foods that need to be kept frozen should be kept between -18 °C to -24 °C Manual handling regulations Manual handling regulations is a legislation that was introduced in 1992 for the safety of the people who handle equipment for example people who work in an industry will carry equipment’s and for that reason this legislation was introduced so the people can handle equipment safely without injuring themselves. It was found by a survey that 3 out of 5 people suffered a common injury known as musculoskeletal injury which caused many people to hurt themselves badly and some still haven’t recovered from it. This legislation avoids people lifting something that their body is unable to do, also avoids hazardous manual handling. This is what the employees follow: Use equipment safely according to instructions and training, immediately reporting any defects to their line manager/supervisors. Check each item of manual handling equipment is in safe working order before use

Business Transaction Essay

1.1 – Account Receivable(AR) (AR and Management Policy: Theory and Evidence – Shehzad L. Mian & Clifford W. Smith, Jr) The basis of my subject â€Å"Bad debt expense estimation model† stems from account receivable. Account receivable is the term used by companies to describe money owed to them by clients or customers for goods and services provided. Bad debt expense is that portion of account receivables that will not be collected. Therefore, without any receivables a company will not have bad debts, thus no need to estimate any bad debt expense. Business to business transactions are mostly done with a promise to pay for goods and services provided at a later date. When a company sells its products or provides its services to other businesses or even individuals, it expects payment for the products or services. In most cases, these payments are not done immediately. The company then expects payment at some future date. This promise to pay becomes a receivable to the company providing the goods or services. Thus, the customer goes into a legal obligation to transfer cash to the company at some future date. Receivables form a large part of most company’s assets. Going through the balance sheet of every company, one would come across account receivables registered as an asset to the company. Financial and management accounting cannot over emphasize the importance of account receivable in every organization. Being an asset, account receivable management has gained momentum in recent years in organizations and financial institutions. Since receivables ultimately stem from extending credits to customers, the issue of who to extend credits to and by how much cannot be stressed enough. It might not always be the case, but companies want to grant credit to other companies that are financially sound in order to have a greater degree of certainty that payment will be received in the future. Thus, it becomes absolutely important to grade companies and even financial institutions with regards to their payment behaviors. Companies definitely do not want to write off a big part of their assets at the end of the year as bad debt expense. Generally, there are two main types of trade account receivable. -Current AR -Past due AR Current AR are debts that have not yet exceeded the amount of time allocated for the debt to be paid as agreed upon by the creditor and the debtor. In most cases, the length of time for the payment of a debt ranges from ten(10) to as long as ninety(90) days and even to a year in rear cases. This length of time could be longer for specific debts like notes receivable(loan related) issued by companies. Past due debts are those that have not been paid within the agreed payment term. These are the ones that mostly draw the attention of managers and credit professionals. This is because, the longer a debt is past due, the greater the chances of a debtor defaulting on the payment of the debt. Managing account receivable has always been a daunting task for managers and other finance professionals. Each organization has its unique operating characteristics and this also calls for different techniques and ways of managing AR. Nonetheless, the foundation behind AR is the policy and procedure for granting credit of the organization. Most organizations obviously want to increase their sales, but the policies they use to assess clients to whom they extend credit will ultimately determine the size of their receivables and to a greater extent, the size of the allowance for bad debt and bad debt expense. Thus, the credit policies an organization uses will determine the amount of receivables which they need to achieve at any given time. A credit policy is a key financial management guideline that should be prepared under the guidance of top finance managers and accountants. It should incorporate the company’s goal, the criteria and timetable of achieving these goals as they relate to credit functions and the type of accounts/clients that would be required to generate liquidity. Changes in business or economic environment sometimes require that credit policies be readjusted to cope with these changes. Some flexibility must be written into any credit policy to avoid adverse effects of over or too less rigidity. Different organizations adapt different credit policies. Basically, there are three credit policies and they include restrictive, moderate and liberal credit policies. 1 – Restrictive/conservative credit Policy This is a very conservative outlook on lending credit to potential customers. Companies that adopt this kind of credit policy mostly deal with only well established customers and customers that pay within terms of payment. The company is unwilling to take risks that are more than minor, preferring to do business with customers that are financially stable. Most companies adopting this policy are invariably in solid financial position themselves and would want to maintain this status quo. Most of them survive even long after more aggressive companies have failed. These companies do not have the need to make any estimate for bad debt expense or allowance since they will have almost no client defaulting on their debts. However, this policy of conservatism is not without its own inherent risks. It can stifle the growth and cash flow of the company to dangerous levels. The company becomes less competitive and potential customers become reluctant to do business with it. Receivables could reduce drastically since tough credit policies hinder the rapid replacement of old customers or customers that have gone out of business. 2 – Moderate credit(Middle-of-the-road) policy Companies adopting this policy generally extend credit to good customers as well as to average customers. It strives to find a healthy mix of customers that would both support company growth prospects as well as minimize risks of default. Most companies fall under this category with regard to their credit policies. These companies would tolerate late payments to an extent, they would mostly extend discounts to encourage risky customers to pay within agreed payment terms. They would also require bank guarantees to monitor cash flow and risks of default while attracting more customers. These companies do have a greater need to estimate bad debt expense and allowance since they do make risky sales that will result to nonpayment at the end of the period. Thus, by virtue of their moderate credit policy, they expect to write off some part of their receivables as bad debt. Applied Materials Europe B.V. is a good example of a company that adopts such a policy. 3 – Liberal credit policy This is the most dangerous of the three policies. Companies adopting this kind of policy are high risk takers in every area of their operation, mostly with the aim of propelling sales and company growth. They expand much too rapidly for the size and worth of the company, and this often indicates accepting customers that are not financially stable enough for the credit line they receive. The loss of receivables can be heavy and the danger to the company’s survival can be real. Liberal credit grantors are frequently incapable of handling any major loss due to customer defaulting their payments. In addition, undercapitalization and sporadic cash flows may afflict these companies with liberal credit policies. The companies may find themselves not being able to financially accommodate their rapid growth due to insufficient capital brought about by the loss of receivables and sporadic cash flows. These companies, more than others, have to have a robust model in place for estimating their bad debt expense and allowance since payment default probability from their clients will be high and it will happen frequently. It will not be surprising that companies like these will have a high percentage of their receivables written off as bad debt at the end of the period . 1.2 – Bad Debt Expense and Bad Debt Allowance(Allowance for Doubtful Accounts) Bad debt expense is that amount of money which a company is unable to collect from its debtors. This is regarded as an expense because it comes as a cost to the company. It is as a result of doing business with other companies that this cost/loss is incurred. This amount is periodically written off from the client’s account especially when the client goes bankrupt or when the company thinks that the cost of pursuing this client for payment will outweigh what is due by the client. At this stage, the amount owed by the client is credited in the client’s account to remove the balance due. Depending on the accounting system used by the company, the account that is debited is the â€Å"allowance for doubtful account†. Or, the write off could be done by debiting the bad debt expense account and crediting the allowance for bad debt(doubtful) account. Being an expense, bad debt expense is usually recorded on the income statement of the company since it affects revenue or sales. Bad Debt Allowance or Allowance for Doubtful Account(these account names mean one and the same thing and could be used interchangeably) is a balance sheet account. When a company is in doubt that a particular client will not pay, the company will record the amount owed to it by this client in this special account. This is a contra asset account that reduces the account receivable account. This account is adjusted periodically with current estimated amounts and it is from this account that write offs are made in conjunction to bad debt expense. The Financial Accounting Standard Board(FASB) Accounting Standard Codification(ASC) 310-10-35-7 through 310-10-35-9 requires companies to account for these losses from uncollectible receivables when it is probable that the asset(account receivable) will not be collected and when this amount can be reasonably estimated. The allowance balance is subtracted from account receivable to get the â€Å"net accounts receivable† as shown on the balance sheet of most companies. The amount in the â€Å"net accounts receivable† accounts is a more realistic figure of receivables since this takes into account the uncollectible.

Meaning of Life and Success Essay

Extended Definition Essay Success The most Important thing In my life Is thought to be happiness. In order to achieve success you must adjust to very situation with ease. Success Is It the process of doing a task and receiving a positive result, or Is It simply achieving ones own personal goals. According to The American Heritage dictionary success Is, â€Å"the achievement of something desired, planned, or attempt†. The word success itself means to achieve your goal or get the point that you looking for. Some people success meant to them to be rich or to finish school and work high pay Jobs. But for me success means more han that. Success means to me have peace and love; also to get married and to enter heaven after this life is over. To be sure, everybody who has peace and love is a successful succeeding person. Wthout peace and love there is no success. You wake up in the morning and you don’t worry about anything that day; that is success for me, because the life is short, you dont have to be concerned about anything. Also if you have a family that loves you and is always happy for what you are doing, that is success. In addition, if you take care of your old parents and they love you and they live a happy life, which is uccess tor me. Additionally, success Is also something that Is viewed differently In the eyes of everyone. This is because success means doing what I have always wanted do being where I have always wanted to be. My goal In life Is to eventually get married toa good wife and have many happy children and If I accomplished that, then I could view myself as having success. Lastly, meaning of success for me Is to enter the heaven after this life Is over. We know that life in this world is too short, and we don’t know when we are going to die and what we are going to get after this life. That is a simple answer; do good deeds in this world and you are going to be successful in the Ife hereafter. That means you enter the heaven for sure and that is big reward from God to his mankind. There is no dying after this life; that means f you dont enter the heaven you will be the loser and who ever go in the heaven will be the winner. In conclusion, I still agree with the Idea I presented: however according to the dictionary and many other resources, success means to them achievement. But according to my own opinion success means to believe the ones of God, and to have eace and love in your whole life, and to get in heaven the life hereafter. Meaning of Life and Success BY elm12696 The most important thing in my life is thought to be happiness. In order to achieve success you must adjust to very situation with ease. Success is it the process of doing a task and receiving a positive result, or is it simply achieving one’s own personal goals. According to The American Heritage dictionary success is, â€Å"the achievement of Without peace and love there is no success. You wake up in the morning and you you don’t have to be concerned about anything. Also if you have a family that loves uccess for me. Additionally, success is also something that is viewed differently in the eyes of where I have always wanted to be. My goal in life is to eventually get married to a good wife and have many happy children and if I accomplished that, then I could Lastly, meaning of success for me is to enter the heaven after this life is over. We this world and you are going to be successful in the life hereafter. That means you no dying after this life; that means if you don’t enter the heaven you will be the loser In conclusion, I still agree with the idea I presented: however according to the

Nintendo Marketing Plan

| Marketing Plan Nintendo Encore| | | | | | | | | | | | | TABLE OF CONTENT 1. Executive Summary4 2. Problem Statement4 3. External Analysis5 3. 1 Macro Analysis5 3. 1. 1 Demographic5 3. 1. 2 Economic5 3. 1. 3 Social-Cultural6 3. 1. 4 Technological6 3. 2 Meso Analysis7 3. 2. 1 Global Video Game Industry Sales7 3. 2. 2 New Trend in Video Game Industry8 3. 2. 3 Porter’s Five Forces9 3. 3 Competitors Analysis10 3. 3. 1 Sony10 3. 3. 2 Microsoft11 3. 3. 3 Apple12 4. Internal analysis13 4. 1 The Company13 4. 2 Current Marketing Strategy13 5. SWOT Analysis16 5. 1 Strengths16 5. 2 Weaknesses16 . 3 Opportunities16 5. 4 Threats16 5. 5 Confrontation Matrix17 6. STP17 6. 1 Segmentation17 6. 2 Target Market22 6. 3 Positioning22 Strategy23 7. 1 Market Share Strategy23 We focus our area of expertise which is to entertain everyone, especially the household. We do not enter the segment that we don’t excel such as hardcore video games (wars, violence, etc. )23 7. 2 Product Strategy23 We e nter mobile gaming sector as the mobile gaming industry is booming. People are buying games and applications on every available device including iOS devices, smartphones, tablet PCs and more.Our main competitors, Sony and Microsoft are also jumping into the mobile gaming industry, in order to compete with them, we need to focus on the mobile industry. 23 We should continue to Improve our current consoles. Some of the ways that we can do this is by letting the consumer play DVD and MP3s, giving the Wii remote a rechargeable battery, and allow the consumer to save games on an SD card. 23 Product improvement will enable consumers to play social network games on Wii consoles, 3D games on Wii consoles. 23 7. 3 Pricing Strategy23 8. Objectives23 8. 1 Long Term Goals23 8. 2 Short Term Goals25 8. 2. Operational Goals25 8. 2. 2 Financial Goals25 ?To increase a 3% of growth rate in UK operation by the end of 201225 ?To reduce costs of goods sold by 10% in the end of 201225 ?To increase profit margin by 5% from UK operation by in the end of 201225 ?To invest 5% more on promotional cost by the end of 201225 9. Marketing Mix25 9. 1 Product25 9. 2 Price25 9. 3 Place25 9. 4 Promotion26 10. Budget26 11. Recommendations26 12. References27 13. Appendix28 1. Executive Summary At the moment, Nintendo is facing some serious problems regarding to its decreasing sales revenue, less productive and less innovative.It is important that in the coming three until five years that the company can gain back or even increase its sales and thus to reach higher annual growth rate. To overcome those problems mentioned above, Nintendo needs to focus on their competitive advantage and also entering new segment in the mobile gaming as well as social media gaming. From the external analysis we can see that UK is one of Nintendo’s most potential markets since it holds 12% of market share in video game industry. Furthermore, the increase use of mobile devices and internet connections have also been new opportunities for the company.Meanwhile, strong competitors (e. g. Sony and Microsoft )and the existence of substitute products (e. g. mobile gaming and social network gaming )have also caused serious threats to our company to lose more market share . Our company offers various product lines for its Nintendo Wii, namely â€Å"Wii Fit† which is a fitness game,† Wii Balance† Board which enables players to â€Å"head† virtual soccer balls and to experience ski jumping on a TV screen. Besides, handheld console like Nintendo DS is also our second best product. However, all these current product lines are apparently not sufficient in strengthening our sales revenue.Therefore new strategies formulated, they include improving our current Nintendo Encore consoles, inventing new 3D game consoles, and also switching handheld gaming to mobile devices and social network gaming. In short, we will mainly use line extension in our strategy. In addition to that, h igher investment on our Research and Development Department and stronger promotion activities will also be implemented in the coming 3 horizontal years. We will use our current distribution channels including retailers and outlets.Online selling through company websites and another webshops are also included. Some promotion activities include advertisement through TV commercials, newspapers, posters, billboards, social media pages and special display spaces in retailers and outlets. Finally, the budget highlights some key financial figures such as an 10% decrease in COGS by the end of 2012 2. Problem Statement For many years Nintendo had been number one console manufacturer in the video games industry. However, the company is losing sales as well as market share to its competitors for some reasons.First, some competitors have become more innovative because they have improved the technology discovered initially by Nintendo in creating their Wii. It is very important to remain innovat ive in this highly competitive industry and we could say that the company might stayed too long on their ‘comfort zone’ with the launch of the Wii which was a massive success. It did not take long before the competitors created imitations of the similar technology and, even more they developed further making other game consoles (Xbox360 and Play Station) which are more appealing due to the new features.As a consequence at the moment Nintendo has been a step behind them. Furthermore the needs of the gamers are changing in the day by day basis. Nowadays more and more people do not play video games in front of the TV like they did before since the development technology has made the TV unnecessary. The introduction of smart phones and tablets have change the gamers’ way on playing video games. These new gadgets allow people to be 24-7 connected on the internet and the amount of games available online that can be play on a telephone or a tablet is huge.Therefore, mob ile device gaming is a segment with a fast growth rate at the moment, though the world is in a recession. All these developments have created a new type of market. The video games industry has changed dramatically, from a teenage boy playing in front of the TV to a business man or woman playing on a smart phone, blackberry or tablet. Video games are socially accepted as an entertainment tool and has being viewed positively. Finally new online companies are creating new games that do not need a console so they can be played easily, anytime and anywhere.This factor affects our sales dramatically because our product might be seen as old fashion. Nintendo however is not present in this new market and therefore it is very important to take in consideration to enter this new area because at the moment the company does not have products that satisfy those new needs resulting in the loose of sales and consequently revenues. 3. External Analysis 3. 1 Macro Analysis 3. 1. 1 Demographic The cu rrent population in the United Kingdom (UK) has reached 62. 3 million based on mid-2010 estimation and this puts UK on the 22nd position worldwide based on total population point of view.This number has increased by an average of 0. 6 percent each year since 2001. Furthermore, natural change which is the difference between births and deaths has accounted for an increasing proportion of the total population change in this country. In 2011 there are 17. 9 million families in the UK and of these 12 million consisted of a married couple with or without children. There are also 26. 3 million households of which 29% consisted of only one person while almost 20% consisted of four or more people. The density in this country is around 255. 6/km2. 3. 1. 2 EconomicUK’s economy has been the sixth-largest national economy measured by nominal GDP and seventh-largest measured by purchasing power parity (PPP). The total GDP has accumulated to $2. 253 trillion in 2011 and $35,646 per capita w ith 0. 8% of annual growth and 1. 2% projected for 2012. The main sectors include agriculture, manufacturing, construction and services industries. The number of real GDP fell slightly in the last few years due to the recession that hits EU region. Meanwhile the current unemployment rate in UK is 8. 4% compared to its employment rate of 70. %. According to the report from the Office for National Statistics, the inflation (CPI) in UK stands around 4. 2% in December 2011 with the largest downward pressures of change in CPI came from petrol, gas and clothing 3. 1. 3 Social-Cultural British people show high appreciation on certain cultural issue for example literature, education, sports and another sociological aspects. Over 75% of UK citizens consider themselves to belong to a religion while only 27% of them who regularly attend religious services according to a report from Gallup International.Weekends are considered important occasion for families in the British society because paren ts are free after working for five days during the week and therefore the chance when families can spend time together. An Euro statistic survey showed that UK citizens spend about 45% of their free time watching television, 24% on socializing, 22% on sport and hobbies and 10% on other activities. Some popular sports in UK are rugby, tennis, cricket and football. Meanwhile, average of only 15 minutes a day are spent on doing sports by the either young or old British people. 3. 1. 4 TechnologicalThe technology sector has shown big changes through the years. The use of mobile phones as well as internet services has increased dramatically in the last ten years. For example in the UK there is a significant growth in the use of mobile internet in the previous 12 months with an extra 6 million people using their mobile phone to access the internet from 44% to 71% in one year. The graph below shows us some information about the use of internet from 2009 until 2011 divided in 6 groups of ag e categories. Graph 1. Mobile Phone Internet Connections 2009-2011 Source: Office for National Statistics, 2011We can see that the most active internet browsing are the first 3 groups which range from 16 until 44. Moreover, the usage of mobile internet has doubled from 2009 to 2011. This will be a perfect chance for companies that are related or engaged to this field to strengthen their position in the market. 3. 2 Meso Analysis 3. 2. 1 Global Video Game Industry Sales The gaming industry is one of the most dynamic growing sectors in the last century. The projected total sales of video game industry in 2011 was around $65 billion compared to the revenue in 2007 which was $41. billion as shown in the next graph. This number will keep growing in the future. According to the Price WaterhouseCooper’s report â€Å"Global Entertainment and Media Outlook: 2008-2012†, the console games category is growing by 6. 9 per cent annually. Meanwhile the global video game industry is g rowing at the annual rate of 10. 3 per cent. By looking at the graph we might conclude that this particular industry is currently still growing at relative high speed. This means great opportunity for companies whose main focus are on this field. Graph 3. Global Video Game Revenue Source: PriceWaterhouseCooperFurthermore, the table below shows us the top ten markets for global video game business. It reveals the average amount of money spent on game consoles, revenues and percentage of market share of each country. The USA has the biggest market share about 40% with the revenue around $22 billion, while the UK is on the second position with 12. 57% of market share and total revenue $6. 825 billion. After that Japan follows with 11. 87% of market share and revenue of $6. 443 billion. Table 4. Major Markets of Video Game Industry Source: VGsales 3. 2. 2 New Trend in Video Game IndustryAs stated in the introduction part, the video gaming on mobile devices is the current trend worldwide . People feel the need of playing game everywhere and anytime when they are not at home. Another supporting factor is the availability of internet access to mobile devices. By referring to the Graph 1. Mobile Phone Internet Connections 2009-2011, the numbers of people who use the internet connection through their mobile devices has doubled in the last three years. It has created more options for the consumers on the video games they wish to play and how or when they want to play. 3. 2. 3 Porter’s Five Forces . 2. 3. 1 Threat of New Competition In UK video game industry, the threat of new competitors will be unlikely occurred due to many barriers in this sector. These barriers prevent new entrance to the industry and this means that company like Nintendo do not need to worry about the possible new competitors in a certain length of period. 3. 2. 3. 2 Threat of Substitute Products Nowadays people travel more often that includes longer time and distance than few decades ago. The needs of having mobile devices or portable electronic devices such as tablets during their travel time become significant.This segment creates the threat of substitute product to Nintendo with their mobile video gaming. Another substitute product for Nintendo is social network gaming, in which consumer can play games through their social network pages or account. 3. 2. 3. 3 Bargaining Power of Customers Heavy gamers might have formed strong attitude towards their favorite game consoles. However, for majority of casual gamers, most video game consoles deliver more or less the same value that is to entertain during their leisure time.Therefore, choosing another video game consoles when the first choice is not available can be easily done and this means that our consumers have high bargaining power 3. 2. 3. 4 Bargaining Power of Suppliers In manufacturing video game consoles, Nintendo’s suppliers might have high bargaining power since the company depends highly on suppliers in producing specific custom-made computer chips which are used in the consoles. Moreover, our suppliers might also decide to enter the same market where Nintendo is currently serving by producing their own consoles.Therefore, the possibility of our suppliers becoming our competitors is always a concern in this business. Moreover, the decision of switching from one supplier to another can also be very difficult due to time, costs and energy consumption. 3. 2. 3. 5 Intensity of Competitive Rivalry Big market players in UK video game industry are always at the edge of inventing and producing the newest innovation in the shortest period as possible. When one company starts to introduce a new product in the market, then the competitors will also do the same or even develop a higher level roduct. This means that in video game industry Nintendo is facing a high intensity of competitive rivalry. 3. 3 Competitors Analysis 3. 3. 1 Sony Profile of competitor: ‘’Sony is committed to developing a wide range of innovative products and multimedia services that challenge the way consumers access and enjoy digital entertainment. By ensuring synergy between businesses within the organization, Sony is constantly striving to create exciting new worlds of entertainment that can be experienced on a variety of different products’’, says Sony about their company.The 8 major product categories Sony is active in are: Audio, Video, Photography, Home Cinema, Computers, Communication, Semiconductors, Electronic components . Threats they can pose: Sony has recently registered for a patent on incorporating real-life with video-games in the form of a â€Å"depth sensing device†; â€Å"a three-dimensional camera† that uses â€Å"controlled infrared lighting† to scan an area. This is proof that they are thinking ahead to a new console already, which means we need to make haste in our development. Objectives of competitor:Sony’s areas which t hey are focusing on to expand can be divided into four parts: Networked Products and Services, 3D World, Competitive advantages through differentiated technologies and Emerging markets. Strategies they are pursuing and how successful are they: They are introducing the Sony tablets S1 and S2 to enter the media entertainment on tablets market, and while this could very well be successful it is not a market we are currently aspiring to enter so the effect on our sales needs to be researched further.Another broad strategy they are incorporating is to lower their prices since sales of certain products have been low due to high prices. They have consistently been cutting the prices of their products, including their games and game consoles, so meeting these prices is imperative. Strengths and weaknesses: An example of Sony’s strengths is the fact that they have a strong brand image, as people who have had their most successful console, the PlayStation 2, will have positioned them f avorably in their minds as ‘the company who produced the PlayStation 2’.This means that they do have meanly loyal consumers. One of Sony’s weaknesses is that while they are present in many markets (ex. Gaming, photography, home cinema’s, computers, etc. ), they are not the leading company in any of them. Their product lines are too broad and they have to focus on too much to be able to be the market leader in specific markets, where Nintendo focuses on the gaming industry alone and Apple mainly focuses on its own software on computers, cellphones and IPods. This gives them an advantage and Sony a disadvantage.Another weakness is that the pricing of their latest PlayStation 3 has been relatively high compared to the other newer consoles on the market, and many consumers found this price to be too steep. Sales of the PlayStation 3 have therefore been slow, and Sony was not able to make the PlayStation 3 the success it should have been. Their new product pric ing strategy is something for us to focus on and to use to our advantage by pricing our products lower than theirs if possible and using market penetration as a pricing strategy. 3. 3. 2 Microsoft Profile of competitor: ’We are committed long term to the mission of helping our customers realize their full potential. Just as we constantly update and improve our products, we want to continually evolve our company to be in the best position to accelerate new technologies as they emerge and to better serve our customers’’ says Microsoft about their own company. They have 8 business divisions they focus on, namely: Interactive Entertainment Business, Windows Phone, Windows & Windows Live, Online Services, Server and Tools, Microsoft Business Solutions, Microsoft Office and Skype.Threats they can pose: The fact that they already have new products planned for release is a disadvantage as they will hit the market before our new product will, and they could benefit from that with their sales. Objectives of competitors: The objectives of Microsoft or 2012 are; to make the Windows Phone weather the strong competiton they expect to get from other mobile companies, to engage in media partnerships to make the Xbox a connected TV and media device and to make their PC Windows 8 program work on every platform (tablets, PC, etc. ).Strategies they are pursuing and how successful are they: One strategy of Microsoft to compete with the Nintendo Wii is the Xbox Kinect System, which allows users to play controller free (a feature the Nintendo Wii does not have) and has a similar motion detection play which Nintendo used for the Wii. This has enables them to fiercely compete with the Wii and gave the them an advantage that made many consumers consider buying the Xbox Kinect System over the Wii. Another thing they are focusing on is the incorporation of Xbox Live into the Windows phone platform. ’ Mobile phones as handheld gaming consoles are very challengi ng markets as phones have got better design and technology, and we’ve chosen to make our bet around the phone instead and add Xbox Live services to Windows Phone 7 instead’’, stated by Microsoft in their press release . The big hit for the future will be the release of the Xbox 720 late in 2013, and it is said that it will have 6 times the graphic capability of the current Xbox 360. This new Xbox will also be accompanied by a new version of the Kinect system which will have an on-board processor to be able to detect user motion better.Strengths and weaknesses: A major advantageous factor of Microsoft is that they already have some new developments and products coming out in the future. They are already one step ahead of us, both in terms of the phone as a handheld gaming-device as the new version of their Xbox 360 (with an even better version of their very competitive Kinect system)23/24. The sales of the Xbox 360 and Kinect have been good since they introduced the products, as they sold 66 million consoles and 18 million Kinect systems so far. A newer version of the Xbox would have many followers who were satisfied with the Xbox 360.A weakness is that, compared to Nintendo’s prices, the Xbox series has been priced relatively high. Even the games themselves rate $20 to $40 dollar more per game compared to Nintendo Wii games. 3. 3. 3 Apple Although Apple is not aiming for a top spot in the gaming industry, the convenience of the Iphone as a handheld gaming device has risen through the roof as many consumers download apps and games on their mobile to entertain them during their day. Why should consumers buy a separate Nintendo DS or other handheld device when they always carry around their mobile phone?This is a threat to us on the mobile phone platform, yet is it also a threat to our competitors who also have plans of integrating mobiles with handheld gaming. 4. Internal analysis 4. 1 The Company Nintendo is a company that manufactur es and distributes interactive entertainment products. It was founded and located in Japan with its main focus on the home entertainment and portable game devices. Nintendo also provides hardware and software for its video consoles. The company operates primarily in Japan, however its business has expanded globally.The main factory is located in Japan with subsidiaries in the UK, Spain, Germany, France, Italy, and Australia. Moreover this firm is also involved in the manufacturing and distribution of poker cards (Pokemon). 4. 2 Current Marketing Strategy Nintendo’s products include home video game consoles and handheld video game systems, such as Game Boy and Nintendo DS. The company also offers various product lines for its Nintendo Wii, namely â€Å"Wii Fit† which is a fitness game,† Wii Balance† Board which enables players to â€Å"head† virtual soccer balls and to experience ski jumping on a TV screen.The basic strategy that Nintendo has been usi ng is the expansion of the world wide gaming population. The company is encouraging people from all over the world, regardless of age, gender, language, cultural background or gaming experience, to embrace and enjoy video games as a way of entertainment. The firm wants to expand his market, by creating Nintendo DS which is a portable game system that has the goal of attracting the new gamers that demand a portable gaming device and, with a Wii console that targets the families because it put smiles in the people around the gamer.If we look at video games we can see that nowadays they are more accepted in society than before. Video games are used as a learning and entertaining tool for the youngest, a way of staying fit for the house wife and finally and more importantly playing a video game is something that the whole family can do together in the living room of the house so the family can have some quality time together. At the moment Nintendo wants to further the penetration of Wi i by encouraging communication in the living room of each user through continuous software launches which will positively surprise consumers with brand new game play.In addition, Nintendo will release Nintendo 3DS that allows people to play video games in 3-D without the need for any special glasses, and will strive to satisfy more people by offering innovative game-play with Nintendo 3DS. The brand Nintendo is one of the most recognized brands in the video games industry. The company has been operating since 1977 with color television games, and is consider being the oldest in firm in the market. It is one of the largest console manufactures in the world, and is a leader in the handheld console market.The company has released four generation of gaming console devices in the past 20 years; (Nintendo entertainment system, ; Super Nintendo Entertainment System; Nintendo 64; GameCube; Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi and Wii). In the handheld device segment, Nintendo DS hardware sold 27. 11 m illion units in 2010, Nintendo DSi which was lunch in 2008 sold more than 100 million units, faster than any console in the history of video games. In the console area Wii hardware achieved world sales of 70. 93 million units and Wii software achieved 16. 4 million units, Wii fit plus use to help people to be fit, sold 12. 65 million units globally, The new Super Mario Bros which allows four players to interact at the same time sold 14. 7 million units in 2010 . Due to all the previously mention Nintendo is well established Brand name in the Video game industry with 47. 2 percent of the market. Graph 5 & 6 Console Sales Market Share by Company & Positioning Key Consoles Source: The Video Gaming Industry Outlook, Business Insight, May 2011 The company can be found in countries such as in Japan, US , South and North America and Europe.The manufacturing premises are located in Japan and it operates throughout subsidiaries in US, Canada, the UK, Spain, Germany, France, Italy, and Austra lia. Moreover his global presence allows Nintendo to sell his products to most of the world. The company get his revenues as follows: 44% from America,33% from Europe,16. 1% from Japan and the rest from other countries . However not everything is good news for Nintendo, the company has been experiencing a decline of sales in 2010, The earthquake in Japan affected sales in that country. The operating profit in 2009 was 30. 9% going down to 24. 85% by 2010. Moreover declining operating profits affected the making profit capacity of the company affecting the confidence of the shareholders of the firm. In 2011 sales are declining as well falling below predictions. Heavy completion and the appreciation to the Yen against the Dollar, and the low price of the Wii consoles are affecting the profit were affecting the operating profits of the company Nintendo have only one source of income which is selling video consoles and video games. However, Sony and Microsoft have more sources or income .For instance Sony is a leader in the production of electro domestics, phones, computers, smart phones, tablets, audio systems among others. This gives to this company more resources that can be invest in R&D without taking a big risk. Microsoft is the world lieder computer manufacturer and this products are known globally. These two competitors improved the technology created by Nintendo with the Wii. Play Station and Xbox 360 have lunched better game consoles base on the revolutionary technology of the Nintendo Wii. Graph 7 Comparison between key video game consolesSource: The Video Gaming Industry Outlook, Business Insight, May 2011 The company depends heavily on outside manufactures for some of the parts of his products, moreover most of this suppliers are located in other countries. This could become a problem if any of the suppliers interrupt production, this could have a devastating effect in the company business performance. Also de possibility of any disagreement with these producers can create a problem for Nintendo 5. SWOT Analysis 5. 1 Strengths * Nintendo’s well-known brand * Existence in global market * Specialized in-house R&D department 5. Weaknesses * Limited source of income * Declining profit margins * Dependency on suppliers * Low investment in R&D compared to main competitors Sony and Microsoft * Low brand loyalty 5. 3 Opportunities * Dynamic growth of video game industry * The increasing use of mobile devices (iPhones, iPads, Smartphones, etc. ) * The easy access to internet connections * UK as the second biggest country holding video games market share * The high amount of average money spent on video consoles by UK consumers 5. 4 Threats * Strong competitive markets * Cheaper by-products (softwares) from competitors High varieties of competitors’ softwares (types of games) * Competitors’ better technological improvements 5. 5 Confrontation Matrix Graph 8 Confrontation Matrix 6. STP 6. 1 Segmentation Geographic in UK : | | Country | Unite Kingdom – is the largest video games market in Europe with the sales of $6 billion in 2008, however, the market has been fallen by 13% in 2011. | Major Cities | Birmingham EdinburghGlasgowLeedsLiverpoolLondonManchesterIn the major cities, there is a limited space and choices for children to play outside or adults to interact with each other. Climate| Rainy, cloudy and foggy. People prefer to stay at home rather than going out in such weather. | Density| Urban, suburban, rural | Population| The UK population is 62. 3 million by mid 2010. 16 – 59 year-old people are 43. 3 million; they are the major working people. ? The average gaming age is now 23+. ? 38. 2% of the UK population is an active computer gamer.? 51. 2% of British men and 25. 1% of British women aged 10-35 play games regularly. ? The average computer gamer has been playing for over 10 years. On average, gamers play for 11 hours per week. ? 27. 2% of all active gamers in the UK are wome n. ? The average age of the UK female gamer is 30-35 years old. | | | | | Demographic in UK: | | Age: 6 – 55 year-old| Consumer needs and wants change with ages. As we offer game players to not only 12-16 years old boys, but also to mature generation. â€Å"Heavy† (At least once a week and up to daily: the younger the gamer, the more likely they are to play daily)48% of UK 6-65 year olds (21. 6m) – 27% male (12m), 21% female (9. m)â€Å"Medium† (1-3 times a month)7% of UK 6-65 year olds (3m) – 3% male (1. 4m), 4% female (1. 6m)â€Å"Light† (Less than once a month) 4% of UK 6-65 year olds (1. 9m) – 2% male (0. 7m), 3% female (1. 2m)Age 6 – 10: Light users. They like to play games with their friends and classmates either by internet or individually. Age 11 – 15: Medium users. Most of people from this group are still at school; they play games via mobile and internet with friends and classmates. Age 16 – 24: Heavy us ers.These people are very busy with establishing a career, starting a family, getting started in their home and have a bit of fun as well. Age 25 – 35: Heavy users. Age 36 – 50: Medium users. As for this group, besides males, the females who plays games, most of them are housewives and have several children at home. The purpose they play it because their children are at school or they want to keep fit. They are not heavy users. Age 51 – 65: Light users, most of them are either housewives or retired people.Some of them are still very active and play Nintendo with their grandchildren. | Gender: male, female| We are offering a game machine to both males and females. As we know, boys like soccer and fighting games better, but girls like sports and dancing games more. To make sure that we will fulfill the wants, we have to develop games, which fit for both genders at the same time. | Family size: 2-4| Most families nowadays have 2-4 people, but we have to say there a re some over 20 year-old young adults are living by themselves. | Income: | Average income is 1200 pounds. Generation: Baby blooming generation,Generation X, generation Y| For the baby blooming generation, we say that most of them are over 40 years old. They could use our product because they are either housewives or have children, in that case they are light users and just want to keep in fit. With the younger generation, we should realize that smart phone are their â€Å"best toy† for people under 18 years old, and for people over 18 years old, mobile phones are their â€Å"best mate† which could help them to find friends, places, read a book and etc.If we want to develop a new product, we need to relate our games with their so-called â€Å"toys† or â€Å"mate†. | | | Behavior: | | Benefits:| Fun, entertaining, keep fit, increase self-esteem, improve social skills, stress relief, improve eyes and hands coordination and learning. | User status:| We defin ed a â€Å"gamer† as someone who had played a game on a mobile, handheld, console, PC, Internet or interactive TV at least once in the last 6 months: a broad definition designed to capture any â€Å"light† gamers as well as medium or heavier gamers. Loyalty status:| No brand loyalty, since consumes are easier to switch to a new and better quality and technology game machine. | Usage rate:| – â€Å"Heavy† (At least once a week and up to daily: the younger the gamer, the more likely they are to play daily)48% of UK 6-65 year olds (21. 6m) – 27% male (12m), 21% female (9. 6m)- â€Å"Medium† (1-3 times a month)7% of UK 6-65 year olds (3m) – 3% male (1. 4m), 4% female (1. 6m)- â€Å"Light† (Less than once a month) 4% of UK 6-65 year olds (1. 9m) – 2% male (0. 7m), 3% female (1. m) | Attitude toward product:| 6 – 25 years old: Enthusiastic26 – 36 years old: Positive neutral37 – 65 years old: Neutral There are certain amount of people in the above groups are Negative about our products. | | | Psychographic in UK Social Class| The Upper ClassOften people with inherited wealth. Includes some of the oldest families, with many of them being titled aristocratsThe Middle ClassThe majority of the population of Britain. They include industrialists, professionals, and business people and shop owners. Lower or Working ClassPeople who are agricultural, factory workers.The British Class System todayAlthough some people in the UK still refer to themselves as â€Å"working-class†, â€Å"lower-middle† or â€Å"upper-middle† (and of course there are those who think of themselves as the â€Å"elite† class), to the majority of the British the meanings don't seem to matter much these days. | Lifestyle| Teenagers: They use mobile phones a lot for gaming, communicating and Facebook. (Mobile heavy users)Adults: They use mobile phones also quite often for communication, agendas a nd few of them use that for on-line gaming.Retired people: Most of them who have a mobile phone are used as just a phone, to communicate with people for emergency. | Occupation| Kindergarten children Primary school studentsMiddle school students High school students College studentsHousewivesWorkers Retired people| 6. 2 Target Market After analyzing the segmentations, we are targeting the groups of people as follow: – All the 7 major cities in UK. | -16 – 59 years old people are 43. 3 million, they are the major working people . (But however we also target the people from 6-16 years old)| – Occupation: Children, teenagers, workers, housewives, retired people. To make these targeting groups, we based our brand image and our products functions. The main point is to entertain people, it doesn’t certainly mean that we have to fulfill only young boys’ needs and wants, but we are targeting more variety groups of people. For example, as in one family, if there are 4 members who are a housewife (43 years old), husband- businessman (45 years old) and a son (16 years old), a daughter (10 years old). They just have to buy one gamer to entertain the whole family. For housewife, she could keep herself still in shape by doing some yoga while the kids are at school. * For husband, he could play some games as darts or golf during the weekend. * For the little son, he can play super Mario or online game with his classmates after school. * For the daughter, she can invite her friends over to play the †just dance† game. 6. 3 Positioning Nintendo has been a major contender in the video industry for past several decades, and has faced the challenge of developing and maintaining the competitive advantage over the years.With the introduction of Nintendo Wii console, the company gained a stronghold as a leader in the video game industry. However, Sony and Microsoft are quickly gaining on Nintendo’s competitive advantage, forcing t he company to monitor to reevaluate its strategies. To maintain the competitive advantage, Nintendo must looking forward influencing the customers of Sony and Microsoft, continue developing innovative technologies, and also consider the impact of the social networking and mobile devices on the gaming industry.Nintendo is delivering the fun gaming experience to customers. Since it has a unique advantage to its competitors. They do not providing the violence games as shooting for teenage boys which are the common gamer user in the society. That’s the reason Nintendo could target a wide age and occupation range customers. Strategy 7. 1 Market Share Strategy We focus our area of expertise which is to entertain everyone, especially the household. We do not enter the segment that we don’t excel such as hardcore video games (wars, violence, etc. ) 7. 2 Product StrategyWe enter mobile gaming sector as the mobile gaming industry is booming. People are buying games and applicati ons on every available device including iOS devices, smartphones, tablet PCs and more. Our main competitors, Sony and Microsoft are also jumping into the mobile gaming industry, in order to compete with them, we need to focus on the mobile industry. We should continue to Improve our current consoles. Some of the ways that we can do this is by letting the consumer play DVD and MP3s, giving the Wii remote a rechargeable battery, and allow the consumer to save games on an SD card.Product improvement will enable consumers to play social network games on Wii consoles, 3D games on Wii consoles. 7. 3 Pricing Strategy We are focusing on keeping the existing product, however we should be not expanding ; improving current product that we have in order to attract more consumers and keep developing product till it meets consumer’s needs. Since there is strong competition in a market from Sony and Microsoft, often customers are faced with a wide choice of who to buy from. They may buy fro m the cheapest provider or perhaps from the one which offers the best customer service.Nintendo, being the cost leader therefore can offer prices lower than the competitors. 8. Objectives 8. 1 Long Term Goals * To be the biggest video game manufacturer in terms of market share in UK in the coming five years (2013-2017) * To realize a total 15% of annual growth rate of the UK operation in the first five years starting from January 2013 * To make the Nintendo Encore brand the most preferred video game brand of 6 – 65 years old of family and casual gamers in UK by January 2017 8. 2 Short Term Goals 8. 2. 1 Operational Goals To realize a total sales of 6 million units Nintendo consoles in UK market by December 2013 * To increase UK customers’ brand awareness by December 2012 through intensive advertising programs * To invest 10% of UK’s annual revenue in Research ; Development Department starting by beginning of 2012 * To put the Wii encore on the market by July 201 2 in the UK market * To train * To maintain good relationship with customers through social media pages by updating newest product information starting from June 2012 8. 2. Financial Goals * To increase a 3% of growth rate in UK operation by the end of 2012 * To reduce costs of goods sold by 10% in the end of 2012 * To increase profit margin by 5% from UK operation by in the end of 2012 * To invest 5% more on promotional cost by the end of 2012 9. Marketing Mix 9. 1 Product For the UK market our main focus on the product will be Nintendo Encore consoles. Meanwhile our handheld consoles such as Nintendo DS and its product lines will still be manufactured and sold as they are at the current moment.However, new improvements will be created to fulfill consumer’s needs in mobile gaming sector. This can be in the form of mobile games applications (Apps) and it will allowed consumers to play Nintendo’s games through their mobile devices. Below are more options on our product development: * Development of more varieties of new games * Concentration on 3D consoles * Reintroducing old famous games in new Nintendo consoles and mobile gaming application with better quality and features. 9. 2 Price * Using the current consoles price as the basic price reference * More for less strategy will be implemented Bundle price(Wii+ Super Mario New Limited Edition, buy 2 get 1 free, Wii Encore+ accessories) 9. 3 Place * Current distribution channels ; outlets (big retailers, smaller digital shops, toy stores) * Online selling through company websites and another online stores such as Amazon, eBay, etc. 9. 4 Promotion * Advertisement through television commercials, posters, billboards, social medias. * Buy some display space in outlets * Training and distributing the specialized sales team in outlets and retailers that sell our consoles 10. BudgetOur budget is based on the 3-year forecast starting from 2012 and can be found in the appendix. Some important points are: * Cost of goods sold is expected to decrease 10% in 2012. * Advertising/ promotional costs are increasing * Income tax is 10% 11. Recommendations If Nintendo want to recover sales and become number one in the video games industry is necessary to take some actions: One way to accomplish this is to extend or expand its video game genres to attract more gamers than the family-friendly games. If we look at our competitor we can see that they ocus on intricate fantasy role-playing games (RPGs) for mature audiences. When we develop games for this groups the company will be in better position to compete with Sony and Microsoft, however, this could risk damaging Nintendo’s brand and to move from one public to another can have possibly more negative effects than positive. Another option is for Nintendo to continue developing innovative games and technology. As an example we can mention Nintendo’s recent introduction in Japan of the 3DS, a hand-held console that allows users to pl ay games in three-dimension.Because of this we can say that the company is a leader in handheld consoles, and this new console definitely helps the company maintain its competitive industry in that field, moreover Nintendo could start to develop a similar 3D capability for the Wii to further revolutionize the gaming experience. Lastly Nintendo should consider to expand to social networking and mobile devices, which is growing rapidly. More than one third of mobile phones owners play video games whit their telephone. To enter this market Nintendo could consider develop simple, puzzle-type games for Facebook and mobile devices.As a consequence the company would align with the current focus on simple and casual gamers and more importantly it can open a brand new market with enormous potential given the popularity of smart phones and tablets at the moment. The company can further develop its capabilities to allow users to play social networking games on the Wii console. As a conclusion Nintendo must continue with the development of innovative technology and new game concepts. It is necessary to be realistic and in to take in consideration that the company has very strong competitors in this market.Moreover it is necessary to pay attention to the change in needs of our current and not customers so the company can deliver customer satisfaction if we want to remain profitable. 12. 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Appendix ——————————————– [ 1 ]. http://www. ons. gov. uk/ons/taxonomy/index. html? nscl=Population,