The Devil and Tom Walker Summary and Study Guide

'The Devil and Tom Walker' Summary and Study Guide Washington Irving, one of early Americas greatest storytellers, was the author of such beloved works as Rip van Winkle (1819) and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1820). Another of his short stories, The Devil and Tom Walker, is not as well known, but it is definitely worth seeking out. The Devil and Tom Walker was first published in 1824 among a collection of short stories called Tales of a Traveller, which Irving wrote as Geoffrey Crayon, one of his pseudonyms.  The Devil and Tom Walker appropriately appeared in a section called Money-Diggers, as the tale chronicles the selfish choices of an exceptionally stingy and greedy man. Historical Context Irvings piece is a relatively early entry into the many literary works considered Faustian tales - stories depicting greed, a thirst for instant gratification, and, ultimately, a deal with the devil as the means to such selfish ends. The legend of  Faust  dates to 16th-century Germany, with Christopher Marlowe dramatizing the legend in his play The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus, first performed sometime around 1588.  Faustian tales have been a hallmark of Western culture ever since, the major theme of plays, poems,  operas, classical music, and even film and television productions. It is perhaps unsurprising that, given its dark subject, The Devil and Tom Walker sparked a fair amount of controversy, particularly among the religious population. Still, many consider it one of Irvings finest stories and an exemplary piece of narrative writing. In fact, Irvings piece triggered a rebirth of sorts for the Faustian tale. It is widely reported to have inspired  Stephen Vincent Benets The Devil and Daniel Webster, which appeared in The Saturday Evening Post in 1936 - more than a century after Irvings story came out. Plot Summary The book opens with the tale of how  Captain Kidd, a pirate, buried some treasure in a swamp just outside Boston. It then jumps to the year 1727, when New Englander Tom Walker happened to find himself walking through this swamp. Walker, explains the narrator, was just the kind of man to jump at the prospect of a buried treasure, as he, along with his wife, were selfish to the point of destruction. While walking through the swamp,  Walker comes upon the devil, a great black man carrying an ax, whom Irving calls Old Scratch. The devil in disguise  tells Walker about the treasure, saying that he controls it but will give it to Tom for a price. Walker agrees readily, without really considering what he is expected to pay in return - his soul. The rest of the tale follows the twists and turns one might expect as a result of greed-driven decisions and deal-making with the devil. Main Characters Tom Walker, the protagonist of the story,  is described as a meager miserly fellow and is probably Irvings most despised (or least likable) character. Despite his many unsavory characteristics, he is also memorable.  Initially, Walker rejects Old Scratchs offer, but he eventually gives in to the devils conditions. Walker has been compared to Faust/Faustus, a character who has appeared in countless works through literary history, from Marlowe, Goethe, and beyond. Walkers wife is such a minor character that her name is never given, but she can be likened to her husband in her miserly nature and volatile temper, as Irving describes: Toms wife was a tall termagant, fierce of temper, loud of tongue, and strong of arm. Her voice was often heard in wordy warfare with her husband, and his face sometimes showed signs that their conflicts were not confined to words. Old Scratch  is another name for the devil. Old Scratch is described as a dark-skinned man. Washington Irving wrote, It is true, he was dressed in a rude, half Indian garb, and had a red belt or sash swathed round his body, but his face was neither black nor copper color, but swarthy and dingy and begrimed with soot, as if he had been accustomed to toil among fires and forges. The actions of Old Scratch are similar to other tales where he is the tempter, who offers the protagonist riches or other gains in exchange for the characters soul. Major Events and Setting The Devil and Tom Walker may be a short story but quite a bit takes place in its few pages. The events - and the locations where they take place - really drive the overarching theme of the story: avarice and its consequences. The events of the story can be divided into two locations: Old Indian Fort Tom Walker meets Old Scratch: Tom takes a shortcut through tangled, dark, and dingy swamplands, which are so dark and uninviting that they represent hell in the story. Tom meets the devil, Old Scratch, at an abandoned Indian fort hidden away in the swamplands.Old Scratch offers Tom Walker great sums of money in exchange for certain conditions. The conditions are, of course, that Walker gives his soul in his deal with the devil.The devil offers Tom riches hidden by Captain  Kidd if Tom agrees to sell his soul to Old Scratch. Tom agrees.Toms wife confronts Old Scratch. She goes into the swamplands, twice, hoping that Old Scratch would make a deal with her instead of her husband. Toms wife absconds with all of the couples valuables for the second meeting, but she disappears into the swamplands and is never heard from again. Boston Bolstered by the ill-gotten riches offered by Old Scratch, Walker opens a brokers office in Boston. Walker lends money freely, but he is merciless in his dealings and ruins the lives of many borrowers, often repossessing their property.A ruined speculator asks for a debt he owes to Tom to be forgiven. Walker refuses, but the devil rides in on a horse, easily sweeps Tom up, and gallops away - and Tom is never seen again. After that, all the deeds and notes in Walkers safe turn to ash, and his house mysteriously burns down. Key Quotes The legend of a man who sold his soul to the devil and its devious consequences has been retold many times, but Irvings original words truly reveal the story. Setting the scene: About the year 1727, just at the time when earthquakes were prevalent in New England and shook many tall sinners down upon their knees, there lived near this place a meager miserly fellow of the name of Tom Walker. Describing the protagonist: Tom was a hard-minded fellow, not easily daunted, and he had lived so long with a termagant wife, that he did not even fear the devil. Describing the protagonist and his wife: ...they were so miserly that they even conspired to cheat each other. Whatever the woman could lay hands on she hid away: a hen could not cackle but she was on the alert to secure the new-laid egg. Her husband was continually prying about to detect her secret hoards, and many and fierce were the conflicts that took place about what ought to have been common property. Laying out the potential moral consequences of greed: As Tom waxed old, however, he grew thoughtful. Having secured the good things of this world, he began to feel anxious about those of the next. The communitys state of mind regarding the death of Walker and his wife: The good people of Boston shook their heads and shrugged their shoulders, but had been so much accustomed to witches and goblins and tricks of the devil in all kinds of shapes from the first settlement of the colony, that they were not so much horror struck as might have been expected. Study Guide Questions Once students have had a chance to read this classic tale, test their knowledge with these study questions: What is important about the title? Had you ever heard the phrase before reading the story?  What are the conflicts in The Devil and Tom Walker? What types of conflict (physical, moral, intellectual, or emotional) do you see?Does Irving reveal character in  The Devil and Tom Walker?  Who was Faust (in literary history)? How could Tom Walker be said to have made a Faustian bargain?How does greed factor into this story? Do you think the Walker familys financial situation plays a factor in their choices?  Ã‚  What are some themes in the story? How do they relate to the plot and characters?  Compare and contrast Tom Walker with Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, by  Charles Dickens  Is Tom Walker consistent in his actions? Is he a fully developed character? How? Why?  Do you find the characters likable? Are the characters persons you would want to meet?  Discuss some of the symbols in The Devil and Tom Walker.  How are women portrayed in this story? Is the portrayal positiv e or negative?  Ã‚  Does the story end the way you expected? How? Why? How did you feel about the ending? Was it fair? Why or why not?   What is the central or primary purpose of the story? Is the purpose important or meaningful?  How essential is the setting to the story? Could the story have taken place anywhere else?  What supernatural or surprising events are employed by  Washington Irving? Are these happenings believable?  How do you think Irvings Christian  beliefs impacted his writing?  Ã‚  What would you trade your soul for?  Do you think Tom and his wife made the right choice?

knowledge about Solar Power and advantages of using natural energy The WritePass Journal

knowledge about Solar Power and advantages of using natural energy Abstract knowledge about Solar Power and advantages of using natural energy AbstractAims and objectivesIntroductionHistory of Solar PowerTypes of Solar PowerSolar thermal:Solar electricity:Advantages of Solar Power:Future of Solar Power: Conclusions:References:Related Abstract This report is about Solar Power. Reader would be interested in reading this report because nowadays natural energy is very important and its’ importance increases every day. In report are included advantages, types, future and history of solar power. As well reader will find information about how solar thermal power works and what is the function of the photovoltaic panels. Also there is a comparison between Solar Power and other types of power sources. That will help you to understand importance of natural energy.   Nowadays Solar Power is not as popular, as it will be in the future, because installation of systems to get energy from sun costs a lot. These factors are also introduced in this work, to show, that people must pay more attention on natural energy, to reduce price and take all advantages of it. Aims and objectives This project was designed to generate knowledge about Solar Power and to learn advantages of using natural energy. The objective is to explain people how to acquaint reader with solar power using examples and interesting facts.    Introduction For thousands of years, people have been using sun for simple needs, such as drying clothes and growing food. But only less than age ago, people have been able to use it for generating power. Majority of people are used to use fossil fuels and are not interested in using new sources of energy. But they would change their opinions and their habits after they learned more about damage made by fossil fuels and all the benefits of natural materials.    History of Solar Power Many consumers thinks that solar power is a relatively new power source but thats not true. The sun has been known to be a source of energy dating back to ancient times. The ancient Greek were the first to use solar power to their benefit, as they built their houses into the side of hills to take advantage of the heat storage from the sun during the day that would then be released during the night. The ancient Romans were the first people to use glass windows to steal the warmth of the sun in their homes. They were so serious about the preservation of this solar energy that they erected glass houses to create the right conditions to grow plants and seeds. While people were benefiting from solar power, the first solar collector was built only in 1776. The collector was built by a gentleman called Horace de Saussare. This invention attracted much interest in the scientific community through the 19th century. In the interest of making use of solar power, Auguste Mouchout created a steam engine that was powered only by solar energy in 1861. This was an exciting event, but the invention was very expensive and it could not be reproduced or even maintained so the steam engine was quickly forgotten. It was during the later half of the 1950’s that solar power saw its first mainstream usage. The first solar water heated office building was built during this time by an architect named Frank Bridgers. A short time later a small satellite of the US Vanguard was powered by a solar cell of less than one watt. After such big strides in the 1950’s, the solar power really took off,   because of cheap oil prices in the 1960’s, it was more affordable for people to power their homes with oil than it was to power their homes or offices with solar energy. There was a rebirth of the solar power in the 1970’s with the steadily increased oil prices; in fact the US Department of Energy financed the Federal Photovoltaic Utilization Program. This program was responsible for the installation and testing of over 3,000 photovoltaic systems. The 1990’s brought an even more mainstream interest in solar power. Solar power was seen as a great alternative to oil and petroleum products. During the 1990’s over one million homes had some form of solar power installed. Today, solar energy is one of the most useful and commonly used source of energy all over the world. Types of Solar Power Solar thermal: Solar thermal power is the process of taking heat from the sun to generate energy.  This type of solar thermal power is usually installed in homes to reduce the cost of heating and cooling the dwelling.  Ã‚  In many cases solar thermal power is used to power the hot water system in a home. Solar thermal power can be used in a passive or active mode.  Ã‚  A passive type of solar thermal system will use the convection to circulate the water where the active water heater uses a pump to circulate the water.  Ã‚  Solar thermal power is also used to power turbines and even some machinery. Solar electricity: Solar panels and are used to convert sunlight into electricity; this is probably the most commonly seen type of solar power.  Ã‚  This electricity can be used to power many different things in a home, such as appliances.  This conversion of sunlight into electricity is done through the photovoltaic panels. Advantages of Solar Power: The most obvious advantage is that solar power is a renewable resource. The sun is available the world over and even though it may go behind clouds and it may go down at night, the sun is still available consistently enough to provide the power we need. In fact, the sun provides more energy than the whole world currently uses! Another awesome benefit of using solar power is that it doesn’t pollute the environment in which we live. Solar power is not associated with toxins or greenhouse gasses like other forms of power are. Solar power is the only type of power that is not harmful to the environment. An amazing thing about solar power is that it is free. You don’t have to pay for the sun. If you simply use solar panels or lights you don’t have to pay to run them. You do have to pay for the installation, but once this is done you get the power for free. In addition, solar cells don’t require the maintenance and they can last a life time so there is relatively little expense associated with solar power. Another often overlooked advantage of solar power is that it is a silent type power. There is no need to use heavy machinery, as is the case when drilling for oil; the solar power just relies on the sun, which is silent. While most people don’t think about noise, when there is an absence of it suddenly we realize how noisy energy production currently is. Future of Solar Power: Solar energy has been used in some form or another since ancient times but the solar energy future remains wide open. The reason for this is that there are so many variables associated with how mainstream solar energy usage becomes.   The biggest deciding factor of solar energy in the future is its cost. Current critics of solar energy state that overall coal and other fossil fuels are just much more affordable, but while fossil fuels may be more economical in the short term, the damage on the environment must be considered!!! Fortunately, the cost of solar power is coming down, which means that the future of solar power is looking good. How quickly solar power is the rule not the exception really has to do with cost. The more that the government pushes consumers toward a fossil free future, the more attention solar power will get and the more attempts will be made to reduce the cost and increase the production of solar power.    Conclusions: In conclusion, the advantages of solar power are vast and far reaching. Not only does this type of power benefit the individual and their home, it benefits the environment that we all live in. Solar power could not only make energy costs plummet for one and all, it could make the earth a better place to be in the long run. References: Miss K. L. Barraclough â€Å"A guide to report writing for first year†, School of engineering, design and technology, The University of Bradford. Mrs Elizabeth Gadd â€Å"An example report† Loughborough University Library, November 2008. darvill.clara.net/altenerg/solar.htm Perlin, John (1999). From Space to Earth (The Story of Solar Electricity). Harvard University Press Halacy, Daniel (1973). The Coming Age of Solar Energy. Harper and Row. Mazria, Edward (1979). The Passive Solar Energy Book. Rondale Press Bolton, James (1977). Solar Power and Fuels. Academic Press

Cheating Behavior Among Undergraduate Students Psychology Essay

Cheating Behavior Among Undergraduate Students Psychology Essay The journal articles that are reviewed here have common keywords which are students and cheating, which can be classified as academic dishonesty. The research in the first journal is about cheating behavior among undergraduate students. The critical review in the first journal basically criticized the Methodological issue and theoretical issue which involve the sample of the study, procedures and how the research is beneficial to others. The research in the second journal however is about Academic dishonesty and perceptions of Pakistani students. The critical review in the second journal criticized about the Methodological issue and theoretical issue which involve Sample of the study, research instrument and procedure of study. Journal 1 Cheating behavior among undergraduate students Batool, Saeeda; Abbas, Anam; Naeemi, Zahra. International Journal of Business and Social Science, ISSN 2219-1933, 01/2011, Volume 2, Issue 3, p. 246 Summary This research paper has taken into considerat ion the factors that persuade students at the undergraduate level to cheat. The basic purpose of this research paper is to analyze the reasons that persuade students to cheat at the undergraduate level. In this paper, the factors taken in to account are student CGPA, parental pressure, lack of preparation for a particular exam, student’s time consumed in extracurricular activities and gender on the level of cheating done by students. Specifically, for this paper the term ‘cheating’ means the following; cheating on quizzes, exams and assignments. For research and data collection purposes, the total sample size taken is 300 undergraduate students from five different universities. With the data that was collected, analysis was done through cross-tabulation and other tools for defining the relationship between the dependent and independent variables. Lastly, this paper also talks about the relationship between the factors that cause undergraduate to cheat. Journal 1 Critical Review Methodological Issue Sample of the Study A total of 300 undergraduate students were involved in this research. 60 undergraduate students were selected from five different universities and colleges. The universities and colleges that were involved were NUST Business School, Bahria University, FAST, Islamic International University and Shifa Medical College which are all situated in Islamabad. Even though the sample size of each institution was equal, the data from this research cannot be generalized worldwide due to the small sample of this research and the race of the sample. Even though the sample size of the study was equal, but it is unknown that whether the male ratio and female ration are equal in each sample size. Moreover, the data that were collected were all from the undergraduates in Islamabad, which composed of mostly Middle Eastern students. In addition, the institutions were not chosen at random, due to the institutions were chosen based on the authorsâ €™ ability to conduct the study. Thus, it will be inappropriate to use the title of this research which is â€Å"cheating behaviors among undergraduate students† due to the data cannot be generalized. Aside from, that it is unknown that whether the participants were selected randomly or the participants voluntarily participate the research. But, in this case, the researcher most probably adapted the method of convenient sampling. Even though, convenient sampling allows researcher to collect data easily, but it also has the element of selection bias which might affect the results of the research.

Brief a case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Brief a case - Essay Example The appellant offered to take her to where she was going. She did not accept the offer and continued walking. She then saw the victim standing next to his van. The appellant took the victim by the neck at gun point in an attempt to get her into his van against her will. However, the victim was able to free herself and ran home, where she telephoned the police. Legal Reasoning: Pursuant to Florida Statute Section 90.803(2) (2001), an excited utterance is an exception to the rule against hearsay when the statement/excited utterance relates to a â€Å"startling event or condition† and is made while the maker of the statement/excited utterance â€Å"is under duress† (Bell v State, 2003). An excited utterance is made when the event causing excitement is â€Å"startling enough to cause excitement† (Bell v State, 2003). The statement is required to have been made â€Å"before there was time to contrive or misrepresent† (Bell v State, 2003). The statement must also be made when the speaker is â€Å"under the stress of excitement caused by the event† (Bell v State, 2003). In order to be an excited utterance, it is not necessary for the statement be made in a manner contemporaneous to the event causing excitement. All that is necessary for establishing an excited utterance is that the speaker is excited when the s tatement is made. Pursuant to Section 90.803(2) an excited state of mind may persist for a while following the event. It is for the court to determine whether or not the statement was made in an excited state. In determining whether or not the speaker made the statement in an excited state of mind the court may consider the speaker’s age, mental and physical conditions, the event itself and the contents of the statement. According to the responding officer’s evidence, the victim was clearly hysterical and scared when he arrived at her home. She was too

Buddhism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Buddhism - Essay Example It is normally interpreted as good words, good conduct, and good thoughts. This entails giving, compassion, kindness, love, and delight in other people’s joy and all act of generosity and selflessness. Buddhists also directs themselves via the ethic fields with the knowledge of 6 realms. Rebirth is never guaranteed, and committing to bad behaviors will result to suffering bad rebirth ones in hell, animal realms, or even prate. Clear predictions of suffering and the nature of being in the reals are bound in Buddhist literature, apparently to shock and scare followers to improve their conduct. However, the attitude that befalls Buddhism towards bad deeds is more therapeutically rather than heavily judgmental. No believer can be written off beyond the salvation on the ground that what he has done is depicted to be irretrievably bad, evil, sinful, or wicked. Additionally, there has been no attempt to render or condemn those perceived to be guilty. In some instances, they are seen sympathetically, for they develop a path that could easily be followed, But the Law can never be evitable; we reap what and where we have sown. The above is certainly applicable and correct, yet to some extent it is proper to say that the ethics of Buddhism are rooted in rebirth and Karmas. ... Indeed one can say that without the dimensions of life, the ethics would not be there at all. This is because people would be the end product of interactions between molecules from where the consequences of morals would not flow. Therefore, in this scenario the only benchmark for the ethics would be relative, social, subjectively shifting, and based on the biological survival. Buddhism says a lot of the problems and how to solve them. Buddhism teaches people on the basic noble truth. Meaning there are four true facts and four truths that any person can truly realize. The four are certainly the problems that people face in their daily lives. Therefore, the teachings of Buddhism are directed to enable people to overcome the problems they face in life. The methods are very down to earth and very rational. The teachings show that every problem that one experiences came from a cause. It is imperative to look into one life and see the difficulties that one faces. There is no bid difference between the Buddha and the ordinary person. The difference is dwelled in the mind and the action of someone. It is very crucial to appreciate that the earlier Buddhism aspiration has been the wish to be happy together with other people. Buddhism has so believed that it is pure and eternal desire of everyone in the depth of one’s life. The thought is equally and originally inherent in the Buddha lives and in conventional people alike. Anyone who is awakened and lives according to the teaching of Buddha can attain the Buddhahood status by having profound self-esteem that the Buddha has. It is always tricky to see the Buddhahood principle manifesting in the life of a person but as a deal which is unattainable. Few will believe that when respecting other people, is the proper way for

Asian Contributions Essay Example for Free

Asian Contributions Essay Many years ago, the laws of the United States prohibited Asian immigrants from entering the country. This law was eventually revoked and in 1952 legislation passed that allows people of all races to become United States Citizens. According to the U.S. Embassy website (n.d.), â€Å"today Asian Americans are one of the fastest growing ethnic groups in the country, currently approximately fifteen million people of Asian descent live in the United States† (para. 2). This paper will examine the influences these growing Asian-American communities have on the social and cultural structure of American society. According to an article by Lam (2009), â€Å"Asian cultures have evolved and fully integrated into the American culture in the twenty-first century to the extent it is often non-Asian Americans who practice and promote Asian cultures† (para. 9). Asian Americans are individuals whose ancestries and backgrounds originate in the Far East and Southeast Asia. Asian American communities and their cultural influences have made their mark on the social and cultural structure of American society. From herbal medicine to acupuncture, the Asian American impact is visible in numerous aspects of American society. Medicine – Herbal medicine and acupuncture are an alternative medicine for pain management that originated in the Asian culture. This along with meditation and India’s yoga as well as herbal massage therapy are viewed as a holistic approach to health and stress management. Exercise – Tai chi chuan as it is known is an ancient Chinese exercise that has been adopted by Americans as a graceful form of exercise. Tai chi as it is known in America focuses on deep breathing and focused movements. This exercise that has been adapted to American societies is also used as a form  of martial arts. Martial Arts – Asian American’s have influenced American societies with the incorporation of martial arts into American culture. From Jiu Jitsu to Judo to Karate or Mixed Martial Arts all are types of defensive training that remains prominent in Asian American communities. Asian cuisine – It is difficult to travel in any part of the United States without encountering some type of Asian cuisine. Some of the most likely restaurants are Chinese, Japanese, Thai, and Vietnamese. This Asian style of cuisine has offered Americans such dishes as fried rice, chow mein, egg rolls and teriyaki. Not to mention that many American homes now have woks as part of their kitchen utensils in order to prepare Asian dishes at home. Religion – While the largest portion of the Asian American population is Christian there are still some members that continue to recognize the religion of their homeland. This religiously diverse ethnic group has contributed to the growth of Hinduism and Buddhism among American societies and cultures. As stated by Lam (2009) â€Å"according to a survey completed in 2003, thirty percent of Americans state they are familiar with the Buddhist teachings and twenty-two percent claim to be acquainted with Hinduism† (para 23). This author is unfamiliar with the concept of Asian American television networks, periodicals or magazines; however it is uncommon to tune into a Saturday morning cartoon network without seeing the Japanese animes dominating these stations. It is the consensus of this essayist that the Asian American communities have in the past throughout their immigration to the United States and will continue to influence the cultural and structural framework of American society. References Lam, A. (2009). From philosophy to food, Asian culture inspires americans. Retrieved: December 21, 2012. From: www.america.gov United States Embassy. (n.d.). Retrieved: December 22, 2012. From: www.usembasy.de/society-asians.htm

A Tale Of Two Cities: Dr. Alexandre Manette :: Tale Two Cities Essays

A Tale Of Two Cities: Dr. Alexandre Manette Dr. Alexandre Manette the great survivor of the Bastille and father to Lucie Manette. Dr.Manette is the most important character in the book. Throughout the book he is the stories backbone. Few subplots ignore Manette. Dr. Manette loves his daughter. She is the world to him, without her he would still be a crazed old man. Dr. Manette's love for his daughter is clear throughout the story he expresses his thought verbally. When his daughter Lucie is married he tells her "Consider how natural and how plain it is, my dear, that it should be so. You, devoted and young, cannot fully appreciate the anxiety I have felt that your life should not be wasted."1 Dr.Manette is a very caring man. Caring, that is the one adjective I would use to describe Dr.Manette. As I said before Dr.Manette loves his daughter. Lucie Manette is his driving force. Dr.Manette wants little except for his daughter to live a full and happy life and himself to be a part of it. His desire to be a part of Lucie life makes it hard for him to give her up to Charles Darnay. After the wedding Dr.Manette says "Take her, Charles. She is yours."2 He does so with a quite sadness. A huge portion of the story revolves about Dr.Manette's past suffering in the Bastille. The Doctors Bastille time is pure hell. Ever after being freed he still mumbles crazy things such as "It is a lady's shoe. It is a young lady's walking-shoe. It is in the present mode. I have had a pattern in my hand."3 Outbursts such as that show that he is not nor may he ever heal his scars. Though the book starts after his imprisonment, his Bastille time contains his actions that effects the stories plot the most. The action that truly stands out is his writing and hiding of the letter that later convicts Charles Darnay. The exposure of the letter during the trail is in my opinion the most interesting twist in A Tale Of Two Cities. Dr.Manette has few contacts with the Defarges however in my opinion the

Cyber crime Essay

The proliferation of the use of internet technology for some time now has seen the growth of crimes that are committed over the net which is also referred to as the cyberspace. These crimes are referred to as cyber-crime. Basically cyber-crime is part of electronic crime and it is a criminal activity that is executed through computer network (Balkin, 2007). Traditionally the term espouses such crimes as fraud, theft, forgery, blackmail, and other illicit activities that are done over the network. However as the use of computer networks have increased and more types of computer crimes have come up and the definition of the crimes has also become expounded. The web is a worldwide thing in which materials are posted and accessed from all corners of the world. This worldwide coverage of the net gives rise to a diversity of information that is found in the net and it follows that cyber-crimes are a worldwide crimes. The nature of the differences in cultures in the world for example give rise to a need make sure the net is an objective platform of information dissemination, be it religious, social, or political material. The growth of business over the internet; e-business has also brought in another type of cyber crime whereby people may defraud potential customers of their money by advertising goods, services or even jobs that are non existent. Other types of cyber crimes exist, and they shall be looked at in the following discussion. According to the USA’s Department of Justice, there have been very many cases of cyber-crime that are reported annually. This made the US government to join hands with the European council’s Convention against Cyber crime in 2006. Look more:Â  the issues concerning identity theft essay Types of cyber-crimes The crimes that are common in the cyber are fraud. Fraud is a dishonest misrepresentation of facts that is intended to cause loss for somebody else and benefit the fraud doer. This includes changing inputs in internet in unauthorized manner, altering or deleting data that is already stored in the net, altering existing system tools, manipulating bank systems so as to make unauthorized access to bank ATM’s (Shinder, 2002). Offensive content is another form of cyber crime. Harmful contents of websites are considered as cases of cyber crime. Also distasteful or offensive the information carried in a cyber sites is not allowed. All materials that have the potential of inciting hate crimes in societies, materials that encourage political rebellion, or blasphemous material are not allowed also as they are basically offensive in significant manner. If these kinds of materials are found posted on the web their owners are accused of cyber crime. The reason for the restriction of these materials is that they lead to hostilities based on faith, race, etc that the modern world does not have a place for. Harassment is another type of crime that occurs over the net. It includes the circulation of derogatory comments, and obscenities that are directed at certain individuals that are based on their aspects of gender, religion, race, sexual orientation or national identity. This is mainly done through news groups, e mails with hate messages, and chat rooms. Another crime that is supported by the net is drug trafficking. Drug trafficking is done through the net in that the illegal substance sellers use encrypted e-mail and other available internet technologies. The substances themselves are delivered to the buyer after they make payments. This crime leads to more sales for the drug sellers since the trade is restricted in most countries and the intimidated users of the drugs resort to this option as a save haven. Cyber terrorism is another kind of cyber crime. This crime is the coercion or intimidation of organizations or the government to advance a certain persons political or social goals. This is done by launching attacks on their computer networks, and the information stored there using computer. This vice can be defined as an act of terrorism that is committed via the use of computer resources or cyberspace. It ranges from simple propaganda to the use of the internet to commit a serious terrorist attack (Blane, 2003). Hacking activities are classified as acts of cyber terrorism. This activity is the attacking of websites of families, individuals, and groups within a network, in order to collect information that is useful for criminal activities such as blackmailing, robberies, or ruining the activities of the web owners. A Canada case in 2000, which involved a Mafia boy who had committed 54 counts of illegal access to computers, is a classical case of cyber crime. The defendant also faced ten counts for mischievous data attacks on dell computer, yahoo, among other companies’ websites. There are many let downs in the fight against cyber crime. Many countries around the world lack systems and laws that are aimed at combating the crime. In extreme cases there are nations that condone or encourage some cyber crimes. In many of the countries the burden of fighting cyber-crime is left to corporations that are affected in one way or the other by the vice. Some of the countries have laws against the crime but the law is not implemented while others have proposals for the law but they have not made the law. Nigeria here serves as an example of such a country which has a good plan for fighting the crime only that the proposals have not been made into law. The bill addressing the crime is in the national assembly waiting to be discussed. If the bill were passed, cyber criminals would be prosecuted and duly punished. This go slow attitude is seen in many countries that don’t seem to realize the danger that cyber-crimes pose to the victims. In any case government agencies like the police force, and crime investigation departments are among the leading victims of cyber crimes. Also politicians get lots of cyberspace blackmail and hence they should be in the forefront of finding a solution to the problem. Again cyberspace crimes are an image destroying affair. For instance a cyber-criminal operating from a country A to injure a victim in country B destroys the overall image of their country and this may translate to less trust for his country in the eyes of other countries. The result of this may be economical loss of for the country that hosts the cyber-criminals as web based companies refrain from investing in the country (Yar, 2006). Protections against cyber-crimes The enactment of laws against cyber crime by the governments has been a move in the right direction. In US there are such laws as; Computer Abuse and Fraud Act that address issues of fraud that is related to computers, SPAM act that is intended to at controlling assaults of non solicited pornography. Other laws address extortion threats, identity theft, wire fraud, electronic communications privacy, and secrets of trade (Thomas, 2000). Legal frameworks that address each emergent form of cyber-crime should be made. The laws that are made should be implemented and avoid the situations from the past where some of the laws have not been put into practice. There should be cooperation with among the stakeholders concerned in the cyber-crime inclusive of all operators and technical solution providers in the sector. Such cooperation is a fast way to eliminating cyber criminals as their life in the community will be made difficult. The operators of cybercafes should not involve themselves with people who abuse the internet and commit the crimes. Public awareness on the crimes should be instituted. This campaign should inform the public about the dangers involved in the crimes. Awareness about cyber-crime should be created among members of the society so as to cut the number of cases that are likely to occur if the people are not aware. The structure of the Europe’s convention against cyber-crime is that nations who become signatories of it harmonize their national laws, improve their investigative capacity on the matter and cooperate with other nations in the fight against the crimes. If this convention is adopted internationally it is able to stop the problem to a great extent. This is due to the trans-border nature of the problem. Since the net is used and violated worldwide then a workable solution to the problem should be worldwide. If the convention is not adopted in all countries, and cyber-criminals continue to operate freely there still will be effects on those countries that have ratified the convention (Shinder, 2002). On top of all this, victims of cyber-crimes should report the cases to the authorities for actions to be taken. Cyber criminals should be named and shamed so that they may cease from the practice. Conclusion Cyber crimes are very prevalent in today’s world and all actions that is required should be done to curb them. The current actions taken against the crimes are not enough and more should be done to address the problem as it posses a grave danger to the entire population of the world as it has the potential to influence political, social and economical wellbeing of communities, individuals and institutions. Protection of the self’s interest can only be guaranteed through the concerted efforts of all stakeholders and nations in fighting the crime. References Balkin, J. (2007). Cybercrime: Digital Cops in a Networked Environment NYU Press Blane, J. (2003). Cybercrime and Cyberterrorism. Nova Publishers Shinder, D. (2002). Scene of the Cybercrime: Computer Forensics Handbook. Syngress Thomas, D. (2000). Cybercrime: Law Enforcement, Security and Surveillance in the Information Age. Routledge Yar, M. (2006). Cybercrime and Society: Crime and Punishment in the Information Age. SAGE http://www. usdoj. gov/criminal/cybercrime/ http://computerworld. co. ke/articles/2008/11/10/nigerian-govt-rated-low-curbing-cybercrime

Popularity of Fast Food Production Essay

Introduction The popularity of fast food production today is a direct result of busy families. In today’s society both husband and wife usually obtain full-time careers. These careers take up much of the family’s time and energy. Children of these families are usually very active in many extracurricular activities such as, Boy Scouts, football, baseball, and basketball. With all of the practice, games, and outings, these activities consume a great amount of the family’s time. In this fast paced life people find it more and more convenient to grab some food on the way home than to prepare a full meal for their family. Families find it more convenient to have someone else do the cooking and cleaning than to take more time away from each other and do it themselves. Single people find it easier to pick-up some fast food than cook a big meal for one person. It is also a result of the most obvious, people these days are just lazier than people in our past were. A person who forgot their lunch at home is more likely to choose fast food over a restaurant because of the cost difference. They could go to a fast foodrestaurant for fewer tk. than they could go to a restaurant where they would spend for one meal. Actually, it is the result of time and convenience and sometimes it is a result of the low cost. Popularity of Fast Food The growing popularity of fast food has brought about ruthless competition in the fast food industry. Fast food chains are constantly trying to please growing consumer demand by selling more food at lower prices. In order to do so, these fast food giants continuously incorporate new â€Å"efficient† business practices which provide better services to customers resulting in bigger sales and larger profit margins. In most cases, these practices are obvious. For instance, precooked hamburger patties, computer systems, and drive-throughs were each introduced to minimize production time in turn allowing for increased sales. Nevertheless, less obvious business practices have also been implemented which most consumers fail to recognize. All together, increased fast food popularity has led to the adoption ofbusiness practices involving the careless treatment of modern day farm animals. * First of all, fast food is prepared from unhealthy meat. Most animals raised as food for fast foodrestaurants come from â€Å"factory farms. † At each of these factory farms millions of animals live torturous lives. Fast food companies choose to purchase from these farms because they minimize all production costs and provide cheaply. * Fast Food Growth- Comparison * History Fast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store with preheated or precooked ingredients, and served to the customer in a packaged form for take-out/take-away. The term â€Å"fast food† was recognized in a dictionary by Merriam–Webster in 1951. Outlets may be stands or kiosks, which may provide no shelter or seating,[1] or fast food restaurants (also known as quick service restaurants). Franchise operations which are part of restaurant chains have standardized foodstuffs shipped to each restaurant from central locations. he concept of ready-cooked food for sale is closely connected with urban development. In Ancient Rome cities had street stands that sold bread, sausages and wine. Pre-modern Europe. In the cities of Roman antiquity, much of the urban population living in insulae, multi-storey apartment blocks, depended on food vendors for much of their meals. In the mornings, bread soaked in wine was eaten as a quick snack and cooked vegetables and stews later in the day at a popina, a simple type of eating establishment. In the Middle Ages, large towns and major urban areas such as London and Paris supported numerous vendors that sold dishes such as pies, pasties, flans, waffles, wafers, pancakes and cooked meats. As in Roman cities during antiquity, many of these establishments catered to those who did not have means to cook their own food, particularly single households. Unlike richer town dwellers, many often could not afford housing with kitchen facilities and thus relied on fast food. Travellers, as well, such as pilgrims en route to a holy site, were among the customers. United Kingdom In areas which had access to coastal or tidal waters, ‘fast food’ would frequently include local shellfish or seafood, such as oysters or, as in London, eels. Often this seafood would be cooked directly on the quay or close by. The development of trawler fishing in the mid nineteenth century would lead to the development of a British favourite fish and chips, and the first shop in 1860. A blue plaque at Oldham’s Tommyfield Market marks the origin of the fish and chip shop and fast food industries in Britain. After World War II, turkey has been used more frequently in fast food. As well as its native cuisine, the UK has adopted fast food from other cultures, such as pizza, Chinese noodles, kebab, and curry. More recently healthier alternatives to conventional fast food have also emerged. United States. As automobiles became popular and more affordable following the First World War, drive-in restaurants were introduced. The American company White Castle, founded by Billy Ingram and Walter Anderson in Wichita, Kansas in 1921, is generally credited with opening the second fast food outlet and first hamburger chain, selling hamburgers for five cents each. Walter Anderson had built the first White Castle restaurant in Wichita in 1916, introducing the limited menu, high volume, low cost, high speed hamburger restaurant. Among its innovations, the company allowed customers to see the food being prepared. White Castle was successful from its inception and spawned numerous competitors. Franchising was introduced in 1921 by A&W Root Beer, which franchised its distinctive syrup. Howard Johnson’s first franchised the restaurant concept in the mid-1930s, formally standardizing menus, signage and advertising. The United States has the largest fast food industry in the world, and American fast food restaurants are located in over 100 countries. Approximately 2 million U. S. workers are employed in the areas of food preparation and food servicing including fast food in the USA. FAST FOOD INDUSTRY IN BANGLADESH Fast food culture was started in the early nineties. In Bangladesh it has mainly geared towards the younger end of the market and the employees of the corporate sector. The fast food culture in Bangladesh has taken the country by storm. The first fast food shop started its business in the Bailey road of Dhaka. After that, a number of fast food shops started to grow exponentially in different places of the Dhaka city. Local entrepreneurs are leaders in pioneering the fast food industry of Bangladesh. New brands i. e. Swiss, Helvetia etc. are to name of some Bangladeshi fast food shops formed in franchising system. In early 2000, Bangladesh experienced the entry of the first international brand of fast food franchise in the country. Pizza Hut and KFC entered into Bangladeshi market having franchise with Transom Foods Limited (TFL). Both Pizza Hut and KFC are subsidiaries of the world’s largest restaurant company Yum! Restaurants International. TFL has opened three Pizza Huts and three KFC outlets in Bangladesh in a span of five years. Pizza Hut opened its flagship restaurant in 2003 at Dhaka. Following its grand success in Dhaka, the Chittagong outlet was opened in 2005. The third Pizza Hut restaurant was launched in Dhaka in 2008. Meanwhile, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) perceived as high-quality fast food in a popular array of complete meals to enrich the consumer’s everyday life. TFL successfully launched the flagship KFC in 2006 and gained attention of the people with its taste, high standard of hygiene, cleanliness, interior attractiveness, affordable pricing etc. Following its enormous success in Dhaka, the second and third outlets were opened in 2008. ————————————————- Globalization In 2006, the global fast food market grew by 4. 8% and reached a value of 102. 4 billion and a volume of 80. 3 billion transactions. In India alone the fast food industry is growing by 41% a year. McDonald’s is located in 126 countries and on 6 continents and operates over 31,000 restaurants worldwide. [20] On January 31, 1990 McDonald’s opened a restaurant in Moscow, and broke opening day records for customers served. The Moscow restaurant is the busiest in the world. The largest McDonald’s in the world is located in Orlando, Florida,USA[21] There are numerous other fast food restaurants located all over the world. Burger King has more than 11,100 restaurants in more than 65 countries. [22] KFC is located in 25 countries. [23] Subway is one of the fastest growing franchises in the world with approximately 39,129 restaurants in 90 countries as of May 2009,[24] the first non-US location opening in December 1984 in Bahrain. [25] Pizza Hut is located in 97 countries, with 100 locations in China. [26] Taco Bell has 278 restaurants located in 14 countries besides the United States. [27] Current Market Size Economists at the National Restaurant Association estimated total foodservice sales for 2011 at ? 313 billion, representing a 5 percent increase over 2010. That means consumers spent an average of ? 855 million per day on food away from home. According to the National Restaurant Association’s Foodservice Industry Forecast, fast food comprised the largest segment of this market, capturing 47. 8 percent of the Takas spent. The report attributes this success to â€Å"fast food’s ability to meet consumers’ desire for value and convenience. † It was further estimated that at least 64 percent of all fast food purchases were consumed off-premises. According to Technomic, Inc. , a food industry consulting firm, almost half of consumer food Takas are spent on meals prepared away from home. In addition, food expenditures rise significantly as income increases according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Expenditure Survey Data. Industry Trends This significant trend of consumers purchasing prepared meals is so pervasive that the foodservice industry has coined a new term to describe it: â€Å"home-meal replacement. † Many businesses are shifting their focus to meet the growing demands of consumers: * Most supermarkets now include a deli, bakery, and a prepared-foods section. Also, many offer fast-food service. * Boston Market has continued to expand its product lines and market share. * Famous chefs, such as Wolfgang Puck, are offering high-end prepared meals in upscale supermarkets. * Fast-food chains such as KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell have formed alliances to offer multiple product lines under one roof. There are also several economic and cultural trends that have contributed to this growing demand: * Increasing number of women in the workforce * Increasing number of woman-owned businesses * Growing number of higher-income households * Americans working longer hours * Decreasing amount of leisure time * Premium placed on convenience * Trend toward purchasing personal services (i.e. , personal-trainers, house-cleaning services, home shopping services). According to Foodservice Solutions, a hospitality consulting firm: â€Å"Home-meal replacement is not a luxury today – it’s a necessity. People don’t want to take the time to cook; they have too many other things to do. People want high-quality prepackaged foods†¦ to make life easier. â€Å"| Entrepreneur Magazine selected â€Å"Personal Chef Services† as one of the top service businesses to start today: â€Å"Convenience-craving consumers are always looking for a way to do things better, faster and cheaper. Often, that means turning to a specialty-services entrepreneur who knows how to get the job done right. Those with culinary competence can likely find a hungry clientele among the ranks of America’s busy working families. â€Å"| Growth Potential of the Market Based on the National Restaurant Association’s Foodservice Industry Forecast, the percentage of food Takas spent away from home has grown from 25 percent in 1955 to 50 percent today. More importantly, the proportion of the food budget spent on meals away from home increases significantly as income increases. Households with incomes of ? 70,000 spent 81 percent more per capita (? 1,278 per person) on food away from home than the average income-reporting household (? 705 per person) according to the Consumer Expenditure Survey conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Also contributing to the potential growth in the market is the rise in affluent households documented by the Current Population Survey from the Bureau of the Census. From 1990 to 1994 the number of households earning ? 50,000 to ? 74,999 increased by 16. 4 percent; households earning ? 75,000 to ? 99,999 increased 36. 1 percent; and households earning ? 100,000 or more increased by 61. 1 percent in the same period. Affluent Households Gaining Ground Change in Number of Households| | Household Income| Increase (Decrease) in Number of Households| Percent Change| Less than ? 35,000| (1,638,000)| -3. 0%| ?35,000 to ? 49,999| (331,000)| -2. 0%| ?50,000 to ? 74,999| 2,310,000| +16. 4%| ?75,000 to ? 99,000| 1,841,000| +36. 1%| ?100,000 or more| 2,496,000| +61. 1%| Total| 4,479,000| +5. 0%| Source: Bureau of the Census A personal chef service is uniquely positioned to take advantage of the increasing demand for fast food, growing health concerns, and the rise in high-income households. Affluent working couples want â€Å"fast food,† but they want it upscale, healthy, and convenient. The founders of Truly Unique Personal Chef Service report that their business has grown 10 to 15 percent every year since opening in 1992. Many of their clients said they were getting bored with going out to restaurants and wanted something different. Customer Profile Creative Cuisine’s’ target customer will be families with two working, professional parents who are too busy to cook every night but are fed up with takeout and restaurant food. Their specific demographics are as follows: Household Income: Over ? 100,000 Age: 35 to 55 Education: College degree and/or advanced degree Marital Status: Married couples or high income single Job: Professional status (one or both partners) Children: Preferably ages 7 to 18 Homeowners: Preferably Location: Live in neighborhoods with high concentration of affluent families Customer Benefits Here are just a few of the benefits to customers if they hire Creative Cuisine: * 6 hours per week more free time (1 hour per day cooking/acquiring meal plus 1 hour per week grocery shopping) * Very convenient. * Meals customized to personal tastes * More variety * Health and nutrition benefits * Less stress * Client feels pampered * It makes life easier * Don’t have to cook * Less grocery shopping * Minimal kitchen clean-up * Peace of mind The Competition There are a handful of other personal chef services in the metropolitan area; however, since this is still a new business concept, there remains a large untapped market. Most competition for home-meal replacement exists from neighborhood restaurants, upscale fast-food outlets and supermarket prepared meals. Following is a competitive analysis of the various meal replacement alternatives: Fast Food Industry in 2012 at a Glance It is no secret: Americans love fast food. And its not just us! The Golden Arches have spread across the globe, and emerging markets are one of the fastest growing areas in the industry. But the fast food industry is not without its challenges, especially in the United States. From rising food costs, economic recession and changing perceptions about health, many fast food franchises have been feeling some heat. But rather than flee from this challenge, the fast food industry has been adopting new practices and offering new products. Modern society is on the go, and there is plenty of demand for a quick bite at all times of the day. Fast food franchising opportunities exist in the â€Å"traditional† spaces like burgers and pizza, but are also sprouting up in healthy and unique ways as well. The Industry The fast food industry, also known as Quick Service Restaurants (QSR), has been serving up tasty morsels for as long as people have lived in cities. The modern system of fast food franchising is believed to have started in the mid 1930’s when Howard Johnson franchised his second location to a friend as a means to expand operations during the Great Depression. And oh how it has grown! As cars became commonplace, the drive-thru concept brought explosive growth to the idea of food-on-the go. â€Å"Fast Food† was added to the Merrion-Webster dictionary in 1951 and U. S. fast food companies are now franchised in over 100 countries. In the U. S. alone there are over 200,000 restaurant locations! Revenue has grown from $6 billion in 1970 to $160 billion last year, an 8. 6% annualized rate. Fast food franchises focus on high volume, low cost and high speed product. Frequently food is preheated or precooked and served to-go, though many locations also offer seating for on-site consumption. For stands, kiosks or sit-down locations, food is standardized and shipped from central locations. Consumers enjoy being able to get a familiar meal in each location, and menus and marketing are the same in every location. What’s Been Going Wrong? There have been challenges for the fast food industry in recent years that have been pressuring profit margins. The industry as a whole has proven robust enough to withstand these challenges, though some players have done better than others. Over the last decade there has been increased focus on the quality of food served in fast food restaurants. Typically highly processed and industrial in preparation, much of the food is high in fat and has been shown to increase body mass index (BMI) and cause weight gain. Popular books such as Fast Food Nation and documentaries like Super Size Me have increased public awareness of the negative health consequences of fast food. Fast food companies have responded by adopting healthier choices and have had some measure of success, but the shadow of bad press still hangs over the industry. Rising commodity prices have also significantly crunched many fast food franchises. With food and beverage inputs making up approximately 33% of costs, higher prices for livestock, corn, wheat and more have seriously shrunk margins over the past decade. In such a fiercely competitive space it is impossible to force a price increase on customers, so profit margins are often south of 10%. The recent economic recession did lower commodity prices, but the recession brought on its own complications, and now prices for commodity inputs are on the rise again. Fast food had been thought to be largely recession proof, and indeed the industry did not suffer nearly as much as other discretionary spending sectors. In fact, there was some increase in consumer visits as people choose cheaper fast food options over fast casual or traditional restaurant choices. But overall, the recession hurt spending, and consumers overall purchased less with each trip. Fast food franchises fared reasonably well but still felt some pain. Market saturation is also a relevant issue in the fast food industry today, at least in the U. S. There is a McDonald franchise is in almost every town, and it usually sits in a row with several competitors. With so many competitors which offer similar products there are fewer customers per location. Increasingly fast food restaurants are also losing market share to fast casual, a relative newcomer in the restaurant space. Where do we Go from Here? Busy citizens still need quick meal options, and fast food restaurants are fighting these challenges with gusto. Now offering healthy choices to battle the stigma of unhealthy food, some quick service restaurants now focus on fresh or organic products. From franchises focused solely on salads or healthy wraps to the lower calorie options offered at traditional burger franchises such as Wendy’s or McDonald’s, consumers are able to make better choices†¦if they want! Fast food franchises are also focusing on expanding into new product lines, such as the coffee initiative in the McCafe. Intended to offer competition to Startbucks, McDonalds is luring customers back into their stores, hoping they will purchase food as well. Many franchises have been exploring other meal times such as breakfast and the mid-afternoon snack for growth opportunities and to increase real estate utilization. The industry is most effectively battling saturation within the United States by creating a much more diverse range of offerings. Sure, there is a McDonalds in every town, but there are very few crepe franchises†¦yet! From new cultural cuisines to fresh takes on a traditional story, there are many moretypes of quick service restaurants than ever before. The fast food industry is still a large and diverse industry with plenty of opportunity. As one would hope, challenge is being answered with innovation, and fast food franchises are responding with new offerings, pricing and strategies to lure consumers back in. Non-traditional fast food franchises are springing up and gaining traction, and more creativity will always be welcome! Consumers are now on the look-out for new ways to eat fast and healthy. And as the industry continues to evolve and the economy strengthens, fast food franchise profitability will continue to grow. Porter’s five forces industry analysis for Krispy Kreme Saturday, January 29th, 2011 at 9:00 am. What is Porter’s Five Forces? Well I doubt there is any need to explain one of the most famous strategic tools around but just in case, it is a tool to analyse the external industry to find the root causes of profitability. Again seeing an example is useful and below is a five forces analysis of Krispy Kreme. Rivalry among existing competitors (High +++) * High concentration of rivals e. g. Starbucks and local chains * Static market growth * High fixed costs * Perishable products (food and drink) A large number of competitors in the industry are all competing for the same customers. Coffee chains (e. g. Costa, Starbucks) are all competing to be number one in the market and have similar corporate goals. While product differentiation is limited, there is fierce differentiation by product range, brand and store ambience (e. g. seating). There are zero switching costs for customers, which promotes price wars. Market growth is static, which promotes fierce fighting for market share, and there is saturation of competition due to the limited number of prime locations available for outlets. Smaller chains have to pay a premium for prime sites or settle for less desirable locations. Threat of new entrants (Medium +) * Large capital requirements required to build chain of stores * Favourable locations are already occupied * Economies of scale in distribution and raw ingredients (lower per unit costs due to the experience curve) * Product and brand differentiation Capital requirements for individual stores are low, however new entrants wishing to compete on a like basis with national store networks, distribution channels, brand equity development and advertising, face large capital requirements to gain market share. This is reflected in the large number of individual outlets compared with the small number of large, proven top specialty eateries. The UK commercial property market is landlord-driven and controlled; premium locations in the UK are scarce and command high prices with most of the favourable locations within town centres, airports and train stations already being occupied by existing competitors. Threat of substitutes (Medium +) * Large choice of alternatives with similar products e. g. energy drinks, cakes, biscuits, ice-cream, chocolate * No switching costs. Although a consumer can choose from multiple substitutes (e. g. desserts, pastries or drinks), speciality eateries compete based on convenience and opportunity. Most people buy from speciality eateries when travelling, shopping or meeting people. This is evidenced by the location of the eateries, which is concentrated around high footfall locations such as train stations, business districts and shopping centres. For a consumer this becomes a competitive choice rather than a substitute choice (e. g. do I buy a coffee from Starbucks or Costa). Other substitutes come from full menu eateries such as restaurants and fast-food outlets with a smaller threat from supermarkets. Bargaining power of suppliers (Low) * Vertically integrated businesses with only commoditised raw ingredients * Large number of suppliers to choose from and low switching costs Bargaining power of buyers (Low) * Buyers are fragmented and numerous * Although there are no switching costs for the buyer the food and drink market is part of the fabric of society Conclusions and Recommendations. Fast food consumers of Bangladesh, especially the university students, considered brand reputation as the most important factor when choosing fast foods followed by nearness and accessibility, similarity in taste, cost and quality relationship, discount and taste, clean and hygiene, salesmanship and decoration, fat and cholesterol, and self-service. The recent upset in the fast food industry of Bangladesh was created by the discovery of unethical practices conducted by several fast food businesses resulted in consumers putting their trusts on renowned fast food brands only. Thereby it is seen that the fast food houses with reputed brand name and recognition i. e. KFC, BFC, Pizza Hut, Coopers etc. are carrying out their businesses in a usual manner even in the toughest time of the industry. The majority of the fast food brands that passed with flying colors during the mobile courts inspection for quality maintenance were able to either establish or revitalize their brand reputation. Eventually as suggested by the research findings, the university students will select such fast food brands that have brand reputation. Besides the brand reputation, the other important factors were nearness and accessibility, similar taste of fast food, cost and quality relationship, discount and taste. In case of nearness or proximity and accessibility factor, consumers prefer to go to the fast food outlets that are close from their own home or study institutions. It is seen that the fast food shops in Bangladesh has already considering the factors by establishing their outlets near big corporate houses and private universities. Especially, in Dhaka city this practice is seen in Bailey road where majority of fast food shops are located. Near Bailey road, there are 3 girls’ school and collages, and 3 boys’ school and 2 collages in walking distance. Almost similar situation prevails in Gulshan, Banani area of the city where KFC and Pizza Hut outlets are situated near 3 private universities. It is understandable from the situation that the students studying at these institutions consider these nearby fast food outlets whenever they decide to consume fast foods. There is an opportunity here however, for new fast food shops to compete with the existing fast food outlets. Since establishing a new outlet in an already competitive business space is expensive and difficult, the new fast food businesses can introduce mobile fast food outlets. Through mobile fast food outlets, new fast food businesses can deliver their fast foods that are already cooked fresh in their shops, but kept hot and delivered to the students instantly with their own choice of accompanying taste enhancers i. e. tomato sauce, cheese etc. These mobile fast food outlets could be on top of a mini-truck, van etc. The similar taste of the fast food factor refers to the fact that no matter which fast food outlet a particular fast food item is bought from, the taste should be similar. For example, if a chicken burger is bought from an outlet of KFC, the taste would be similar to any other chicken burger bought from any other KFC outlet. The taste could differ from other fast food shops as the different business use taste as differentiating factor in case of food items. But the businesses have to keep in mind that too much difference in taste of similar fast food items makes the consumers confused. The cost and quality relationship is also an important factor considered by the consumers of fast food. If the cost of a fast food item is high, it is usually considered to be carrying high quality and vice versa. So, the businesses of fast food products have to be careful in setting the prices of the fast food items. The pricing should be such as it offers the right amount to value to the consumers in a competitive price that at the same time ensures adequate profit margins for the fast food businesses. Finally in terms of discount and taste factor, the consumers consider the availability of discounts in fast food outlets. Usually these discounts are offered as group discounts i. e. arranging a party or social gathering at a reduced price package etc. Consumers consider this option when choosing fast food products. They might not immediately use this factor but it puts the fast food shop in their consideration set for later use. This study recommends that the fast food producers or distributors at Dhaka city should focus more on the brand reputation, nearness or proximity and accessibility, cost, quality, discount, and similarity in taste factors. If they are able to fulfill these needs, university students of Bangladesh will be induced to buy and consume fast food whenever they are out of their houses. However, there is an ample scope to conduct further study on the preference factors used by the office-goers, housewives, and visitors in buying fast food to determine if there are any more common or unique factors prevailing among these different groups that might be important in making decisions regarding the choice of fast food items in Bangladesh. Abstract. Fast food industry is a high growing sector of Bangladesh. It is concerned with the tastes and habits of the people. The food-taking habit especially in fast food segment has been changing very fast over last decade among the people of Dhaka – the capital city of Bangladesh. The reasons could be attributed by the increase of awareness, growth of education, development of information technology, and expansion of television channels and print media in Bangladesh. Hence, this paper aims at identifying the preference factors of fast food consumers living in Dhaka city. This study was conducted among the university students who usually eat fast food at their leisure time. To conduct the study, a total of 250 respondents were interviewed with a structured questionnaire. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used in analyzing the data. Multivariate analysis technique like factor analysis was performed to identify the preference factors of the fast food student-consumers of Bangladesh. Multiple regressions were run to identify the relationship between the factors identified and the overall preference of the consumers. Results show that the consumers give most importance on brand reputation of the food item followed by nearness to receive and accessibility, similarity of taste with previous experience, cost and quality of the food, discount and taste, cleanliness and hygiene, salesmanship and decoration, fat and cholesterol level, and self-service factors. This study suggests that the brand reputation, nearness and accessibility, similarity in taste, and cost and quality relationship should be emphasized to improve the attraction of the university students towards the fast food items in Bangladesh.

Leadership Test

Leadership Test Introduction Leadership traits are the qualities and the features that characterize an effective leader making him/her outstanding from other leaders (Aurelius 1). They are the features that enable a leader practice strategic leadership in an organization and act as a role model for his sub-ordinates.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Leadership Test specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The issue of leadership traits came to existence in the 1940’s in a survey carried out by Bird. Bird had an intention to identify various characteristics and traits that made up an effective leader. Bird carried out twenty different studies in which he identified seventy nine traits. Among these traits, only five percent were common for leaders. Some of the features that were complied by Bird include â€Å"intelligence, scholarship, responsibility, activity and social participation† (Geier 316). There are different leadership traits that are possessed by leaders that make leadership more effective in any organization. For example, honesty is considered the most important trait in effective leadership. When a leader is honest it becomes easy for him/her to win the approval of his/her followers. An effective leader should have emotional intelligence in order to control his/her emotions. The hospitality industry may at times require a lot of patience and self control since it mainly deals with customer relations. Again, an effective leader ought to inspire the people he/she is serves by the way he/she works, communicates and behaves. This may attract more clients to the business and may also motivate the staff to be more productive. It has been noted that people with inborn characteristics for leadership usual make excellent leaders (Perry 8). Ducker has expressed similar views that leaders with innate characters for leadership easily make great leaders. Leadership Leadership can also be viewed as the abili ty to influence followers towards achieving a common goal. Exerting influence on the followers can be accomplished by giving a sense of direction, alignment, commitment and then being able to agree collectively without violating their freedom (Velsor, McCauley Ruderman 1). Some major characteristics of leadership in any organization that make a leader to be authentic include knowledge of history of the organization one is leading. Leadership requires that the leaders address the truth about the history of the organization they are representing.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Discipline and competency is another core characteristic in leadership. A leader should carry out his/her duties honestly by for instance hiring the right and competent people for the right job. Leadership also calls for good organizational structure which is brought about by transforming rig id organizational structures into flexible ones and designing and maintaining systems that link various parts of the organization. Organizational power is vital in any organization. Leadership recognizes shared power through togetherness. Most of these core leadership characteristics are similar regardless of the organization that one is serving (Velsor, McCauley Ruderman 76). However, the characteristics might take slightly different approach in different industries. In the hospitality industry leadership should be practiced with a lot of care since the industry is very interactive with the outside world. Followership Followership is a very distinct process from leadership. The process involves following up the directions which leaders give in an organization. Most followers are mainly fellow employees who take up the directions given by the leaders in order to achieve the required results. However, leaders may also act as followers in an organization. This happens when decisions are made in an organization and everyone including the leaders takes their positions towards the targeted goal. The hospitality industry touches on very sensitive areas that require direct relationship between the follower and the customers. For instance, in the hotel industry, the waiters interact directly with the customers thus calling for a lot of commitment in the business as well as competence in order to have these customers frequent the business consistently. Followership is very important in the hospitality industry since it displays the image of the company in general to the clients. The relationship the followers will create and the image they display to their client determines whether the customers will come back for the service again. Followership determines the future of an organization because the followers make it possible for the implementation of long term and the short term goals of the company (Burton 60). For instance, consistence of the customers in a hotel is determined by the services rendered by the followers which will determine the growth of the hotel to the future.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Leadership Test specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For a follower to be effective in the hospitality industry, he should be knowledgeable on the tasks he is undertaking and work with competence. This gives his clients confidence that they are receiving quality services and they are not likely to seek the services elsewhere. A follower should also build good relationship with his co-workers as well as the leader in order to boost the business in unity. Furthermore, he should support and defend his leader when need arises to display a good public image of the business. This will always attract more clients to the business. Such traits can have very positive rewards especially in the hotel industry, tours and travel among others (Burton 62). Supportive Leadership This is a kind of leadership which involves a leader who is concerned with the well being and the personal needs of his subordinate leaders. Supportive leaders are open, friendly, and approachable and create a conducive working environment for all their subordinates by treating them fairly and equally. When supportive leadership is applied in an organization, it brings along so many benefits. For example, it is a way of motivating staff to be more productive since most of them will love their working positions thus the likelihood of them giving their best is quite high. When leaders incorporate their subordinate needs in to their day to day life, it reduces the instances of employees creating excuses to avoid reporting to work. Furthermore, communication breakdown between the employees and their leaders exposes most of the information to the leaders thus making their roles easier to carry out (Burton 65). Some of the supportive behaviors that have been greatly rewarding in the hospitality industry include courteous and friendly interaction, genuine follow up of the well being and the personal needs of the employees and creating an environment that allows subordinate staff to follow up the leader freely. Friendly interactions allow the employees to share most of their thoughts concerning the company with their leaders. When employees know that their leader not only requires them to work but also considers their needs, they are motivated to work harder. When the leaders are approachable, there is no communication breakdown in the company and most of the burning issues are resolved before they get out hand. Taking an example of a tour guide, support from his manager would mean that he will deliver the best to the tourists.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Power Power refers to the art of achieving goals though influence. For example, a manager of a restaurant may come up with means of improving the income of the business by improving the services rendered by the followers. He may achieve this by influencing the employees through promising them a better package, giving them incentives or even acting as a role model. Different kinds of power are employed in companies to achieve the stipulated goals, some of which are discussed below. Reward power refers the use reward as a means of appreciating what the employee has contributed towards a certain goal. Reward power is composed of two components. First, the employer must see the power to reward in his employer and secondly, the reward must have some kind of value. For instance, a hotel manager may take the best followers for a summer holiday together with their families. Coercive power refers to the kind of power that involves punishment or withholding something valuable to the employee in case he fails to meet the stipulated standards. It is composed of the fact that the employee is always aware of the repercussions that are accompanied by his failure to deliver accordingly. For instance, a hotel waiter may receive less pay or be stopped from working for a while if he does not deliver quality to the customers. Legitimate power is the kind that a person possesses depending on his role or position. It has three components namely culture, social structure and delegation of power. This involves the power associated with the male or females in a hospitality company like a hotel, age or a position in the hotel. Managers have a challenging task of effectively exercising power in the hospitality industry. For instance, a manager may create a sense of obligation to a good chef by doing her a favor knowing that it will be backed with applying her abilities in the industry. Other means leaders can employ include building their reputation on their areas of expertise and creat ing a sense of dependence among the employees. Drucker’s Definition of a leader Drucker exclusively refers to a leader as someone who has followers. A leader is key component in strategic planning since he is responsible for every success or failure in an organization (Drucker 28). The hospitality industry has employed so many followers thus it has very good examples of leaders. Leadership effectiveness is mainly judged on personality basis mainly by looking at the effectiveness of the leaders. The followers are the best placed people to judge leadership effectiveness since the work of the leaders affects them directly. The main areas that are considered by followers of leaders when judging leadership effectiveness are mainly technical competence and knowledge. However, subordinates mainly judge leadership effectiveness through personality features especially honesty. Most of the effective leaders have been found to possess emotional intelligence, a trait that enables them to have self control under all circumstances when dealing with their clients (Lande Conte 575). The questions leaders ask are varied and may be directed to diversified groups of people. First, there are those questions they need to ask themselves and come up with the answer in order to be competent in their leadership roles. or example, ‘What does leadership mean, what would I like to be remembered for, Am I happy? What am I afraid of? Some of the questions leaders should ask their employees include, ‘How do you contribute to the success of the business? How could you make your work more effective, How do we make money, How do we save money? Some of the questions directed to the clients include ‘How can we effectively appreciate your contribution to us? How and when did we make our business relationship hard? These are just some of the questions that leaders ask (Lande Conte 575). Leadership Behaviors Leadership behaviors influence the outcomes of the subordinates or the followers to a great extent. When leadership behaviors are acceptable by the followers, they tend to contribute towards positive performance and satisfaction. The supportive leadership style supports mutual understanding between the leader and his followers whereby the leaders puts in to consideration employees’ well being and personal needs among other features. This is therefore a friendly style of leadership. Directive leadership on the other hand is accomplished through guiding the followers on methods and means of planning and scheduling work according to the stipulated standards in order to obtain the results (Pang 18). According to Hersey and Blanchard Situational Leadership Model, several leadership styles combine directive and supportive leadership behaviors. Let us look at some of these styles. The delegating leadership style is a kind of style that allows the followers to take responsibility of some decisions made by the leadership. This style has proved to be a low task and a low relationship style since followers are rarely involved in decision making. This kind of leadership style may be seen in cases where managers for instance in a hotel make decision without involving the subordinate staff and later on direct the staff to implement them (Schermerhorn 320). A participating leadership style emphasizes on sharing of ideas between the employees between the leaders and the followers. It encourages followers’ participation during decision making. It can be viewed as a low task but a highly interactive leadership style. In the hospitality industry, it may be seen in a situation where a manager involves all the employees probably in a hotel for most of decision making. In this kind of style, followers are likely to respond more positively (Schermerhorn 320; Clarke 1). The selling leadership style involves explaining the task in a highly supportive and persuasive manner. It is generally a high task and a high relationship style. It may be applied better in the hospitality industry when the followers are taken through the already made decisions carefully so that they may feel as part of the team and if possible, they are included in decision making (Schermerhorn 320). The telling leadership style involves a situation whereby the followers are given specific task directions after which they are closely monitored to confirm effectiveness. This leadership style is highly tasking but has a very low relationship profile (Schermerhorn 320). This may be viewed in situations where employees are employed and are not completely involved in decision making. Leadership vs. Management Leadership and management are two very distinct terms which may assume very different meanings and roles. Traditionally, leadership was viewed as a hard, higher and a totally different subject from management. Though leadership may not be as complicated, there is some truth in this traditional view of leadership (Krause 47). Most people assum e that leaders are very rare to find since they are mostly born but managers can be trained to be. However, every business requires both leaders and managers. In several scenarios, you may find a leader who can make a good manager or you find a manager who can make a good leader but this does not necessarily mean that a leader and a manager refer to the same person (Aurelious 1). It is necessary to differentiate the two terms in order to have a clear distinction of what each of these terms could be referring to and avoid instances of using them interchangeably. Leadership refers to being able to influence followers towards achieving a common goal by giving a sense of direction, alignment and commitment and then influencing a collective agreement. On the other hand, managers mainly tells the workers what to do by engaging their mind and causing them to take action. Managers are mainly involved in scheduling of tasks, telling workers when to perform what task or when to start working among others (Aurelious 1). This traditional approach has greatly changed today due to complexity of these organizations. The two terms are used interchangeably whereby leadership is inclusive of all positions including management. People portraying leadership roles are usually appointed to management position. This lack of distinction has led to poor leadership in many organizations (Landy Conte 1). Dwight D. Eisenhower Throughout history, the leadership of Dwight Eisenhower has been very significant and successful. His leadership traits were majorly influenced by nature. First, his physique portrayed him as a very able leader. He had a strong, tough, big, athletic body which was accompanied by very significant good looks, a notable grin coupled with a lot of intelligence. Apart from the physical body, Dwight D. Eisenhower inherited a strong outstanding streak from his parents, uncontrollable temperament, unquestioning love, self discipline, religion as well as great ambitions (Am brose 1). Some of the features that this great leader possessed were not very interesting, for example bad tempers which would trigger him to take up some task in order to manage it properly. His ability to control his tempers and emotions gave him a strong Victorian look on the relationship between men and women and also on proper conduct. He was also very careful on the way he carried himself in front of ladies (Ambrose 2). Dwight D. Eisenhower continued participating in leadership positions continually which helped him to develop his leadership traits that made him a very effective leader. With time he is said to have demonstrated great decision making abilities, diplomacy and was always true to his word (Ambrose 2). If a leader today is able to employ some of the character traits demonstrated above by the leadership of Dwight D. Eisenhower then such a leader can be termed as a great and effective leader. The emotional intelligence of Eisenhower was one of the most outstanding tr aits that made his leadership so effective. This enabled him to manage his bad tempers and treat all his subordinates with understanding. Ambrose, Stephen. Dwight D. Eisenhower. PBS Org, 2011. Web. Aurelious, Marcus. Leadership Traits. Buzzle, 2010. Web. Burton, MacArthur. Management out of the Blue. New York: Lincoln, 2005.Print. Clarke, Chris. 78 Important questions leaders should ask and answers. USA, AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn, 2002. Print. Drucker, Peter. Managing the nonprofit organization. Woburn: Gulf Professional Publishing, 1990. Print. Geier, John. A Trait Approach to the Study of Leadership in Small Groups. Journal of Communication, 2006. Web. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1460-2466.1967.tb01189.x Krause, Thomas. Leading with Safety. New York: John Wiley Sons, 2005. Print. Landy, Frank Conte, Jeffrey. Work in the 21st Century: An Introduction to Industrial and Organizational Leadersip.California, John Wiley and Sons, 2010. Print. Pang, Peter. Es sentials of Manufacturing Engineering Management. Lincoln: iUniverse, 2004. Print. Perry, James. The Jossey-Bass Reader on Nonprofit and Public Leadership. San Francisco: John Wiley Sons, 2008. Print. Schermerhorn, Nancy. Organizational Behavior in Health Care. Sudbury: Jones Barlet Publishers, 2011. Print. Velsor, Ellen., McCauley, Cynthia and Ruderman, Marian. The Center for Creative Leadership Handbook of Leadership Development. New York: John Willey, 2010. Print.

Creating a Plan for a Culturally Diverse Classroom Essay

Creating a Plan for a Culturally Diverse Classroom - Essay Example Classroom differences do not only show ethnic and racial groups but also religious and political groups. These differences may affect the students’ behaviour towards their classmates, teachers and other people. Learning about the diversity in a classroom will not be easy. The differences of the students will take extra effort, patience, creativity, attentiveness and guts on the part of the teacher. However, a teacher must be able to work out the issues and differences in a multicultural classroom to help build a stronger foundation for the students’ growth and development. The teacher should create an atmosphere of tolerance, acceptance, and caring the in environment. This diversity demands more work, sincerity, resolution and understanding. Thus, to address these issues, a multicultural education was developed. According to Gollnick and Chinn (2006), multicultural education is â€Å"educational strategy in which students’ cultural backgrounds are used to develo p effective classroom instruction and school environments.† This educational strategy carries the concept of diversity, equality, culture, social justice and democracy in the classroom (Gollnick, Chinn, 2006). These concepts are the foundational areas that are given importance in the developed strategy. It is very important that we give meaning and sentiments to the issue of multiculturalism. Thus we need to create an atmosphere of tolerance, acceptance, and caring in our classroom environment to promote unity and commonality to the students. Diversity has long been an issue and thus we can only address this if we somehow demand conformity. If we embrace multiculturalism in our classroom, it gives us the chance to practice the students with democracy on which our state was founded. Thus, despite the diversity, we need to commit to find new language of unity and mutuality based on equality and respect and to gain courage to face the fears of differences. Teachers should be able to address the diversity and unequal power relations because these have huge impact on a student’s and group’s capacity to classify and achieve their own ambitions and purpose. These differences can lead to confusion and misperceptions that would eventually cause conflict. In the near future, these differences will end in political alliances. The coalitions respond to both perceived and real dominations and subordinations faced by such groups. Strong feelings of unity and patriotism stemmed from these perceptions and may result in armed conflicts in tribes, ethnic groups, and religious communities and even across the state. Thus, as early as in the classroom, we should be able to help create a unified and unbiased setting despite the differences. The Plan To be able to help address the issue on multiculturalism in a certain classroom, the teacher should be able to implement and handle the class very well. Before anything else, orient the students of the learning activ ities that are going to be implemented and taught during the school year. Also, explain the objectives and outcomes of activities thoroughly. Also, set academic standards and expectation and make sure that these have been explained and understood by the students. Students have different understanding and interpretation of every topic discussed in class. Thus it is very important to explain very well the teacher’

Supply chain management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 7

Supply chain management - Essay Example However, such a move could not cope with increasingly seasonal demand patterns, along with short-term variations resulting from weather, political instabilities in cocoa producing nations, and aggressive marketing campaigns (Slack, Stuart, & Johnston, 2010, p.57). The intricacies in terms of processing, production and transportation, is mirrored by the multilayered makeup of the chocolate industry, whereby there are discrete product markets within the various stages in the supply chain. This then generates massive implications in terms of transportation, legal disputes based on competition laws, and unbalanced exportat requirements, especially when defining pertinent product market within the chain (Waters, 2003, p.60). For instance, the chocolate market is widely perceived to be distinct from the consumer chocolate products, which is then categorized into numerous product segments. The goal is not just to control the constancy of the chocolate products, but also to influence it, and they have made dependability as an important external aspect, when it comes to consumer service. The changes that are occurring along the chocolate supply chain are mostly driven by the developments towards branded consumerism. In this industry, public perception is focused on the responsibilities of key chocolate brands. Therefore, the companies have to contend with their level of direct publicity to social plus developmental matters in cocoa-producing nations. This shift should be based on the premise that operations management within a strategic level entails performance objectives being linked to the interests of the chocolate operation’s stakeholders (Slack, Stuart, & Johnston, 2010, p. 56). In this case, they connect to the company’s responsibility to their consumers, suppliers/famers, their shareholders, employees, as well as the wider society (Slack, Stuart, & Johnston,