Free Essays on The Digital Divide Theory

Advanced Divide: Why is it an Issue? Advanced partition is the apparent hole between the individuals who approach the most recent data innovations and the individuals who don't (Compaine 1). The possibility of Digital Divide doesn't just comprise of PCs and the web, yet in addition normal advancements, a large number of which we may underestimate. One prime model would be the phone. Over 80% of individuals on the planet have never at any point heard a dial tone, not to mention rode the Web (Black, standard. 2). Numerous on the planet advocate the hypothesis of Digital Divide, and we can't deny that the individuals who don't know about today’s innovation are genuinely somehow or another disappointed. Then again those individuals who don't approach these innovations do figure out how to keep living, and don't expect innovation to do as such. The way that they don't approach phones, PCs and so on., does to some degree impair them to make the most of the tremendous open doors that could be gotten to. Many inquiry wit h respect to why there is a partition; is it cost, powerlessness, obliviousness, or rather only an absence of intrigue? Today’s monetarily propelled nations are furnished with access to the web by methods for individual home PCs, libraries, schools, cafã ©s, and Rios 2 numerous others. These countries can give their economies the web by giving them openly spaces. The LSTA (The Library Services and Technology Act) is a model government program for subsidizing libraries to build the perceivability and validity of the open library as the â€Å"information place in their locale (Bertot, McClure, and Ryan 3).† Because of such administrations anybody can get to the web for nothing. In the event that there are free open doors for the overall population to use mechanical hardware, at that point for what reason are there still numerous who don’t use it? As per Henry Louis Gates, dark networks don’t locate the substance on the net important to them (Gates 500). He declares tha... Free Essays on The Digital Divide Theory Free Essays on The Digital Divide Theory Advanced Divide: Why is it an Issue? Advanced partition is the apparent hole between the individuals who approach the most recent data innovations and the individuals who don't (Compaine 1). The possibility of Digital Divide doesn't just comprise of PCs and the web, yet additionally ordinary advances, a large number of which we may underestimate. One prime model would be the phone. Over 80% of individuals on the planet have never at any point heard a dial tone, not to mention rode the Web (Black, standard. 2). Numerous on the planet advocate the hypothesis of Digital Divide, and we can't deny that the individuals who don't know about today’s innovation are genuinely somehow or another disappointed. Then again those individuals who don't approach these advances do figure out how to keep living, and don't expect innovation to do as such. The way that they don't approach phones, PCs and so on., does to some degree cripple them to make the most of the gigantic open doors that could be gotten to. Many inquiry with reg ards to why there is a gap; is it cost, powerlessness, numbness, or rather only an absence of intrigue? Today’s monetarily propelled nations are given access to the web by methods for individual home PCs, libraries, schools, cafã ©s, and Rios 2 numerous others. These countries can give their economies the web by giving them out in the open spaces. The LSTA (The Library Services and Technology Act) is a model government program for subsidizing libraries to expand the perceivability and believability of the open library as the â€Å"information place in their locale (Bertot, McClure, and Ryan 3).† Because of such administrations anybody can get to the web for nothing. On the off chance that there are free open doors for the overall population to use mechanical gear, at that point for what reason are there still numerous who don’t use it? As per Henry Louis Gates, dark networks don’t locate the substance on the net important to them (Gates 500). He declares tha...

Emma by Jane Austen Research Paper Example

Emma by Jane Austen Paper Cultural Affects of Love Emma, by Jane Austen, is an exemplary satire that occurred in the nineteenth-century close to London, England. Emma tells the story of a courageous woman endeavoring to be simply the relational arranger for everybody, and at last. Emma Woodhouse, the principle character, loses her dear companion and tutor, Miss Taylor, to Miss Taylor’s marriage, in which she becomes Mrs. Weston. Emma, looking for another treasured buddy, runs over Harriet Smith. Despite the fact that Harriet originates from a lower class in the public arena, Emma appreciates her excellence and willingly volunteers to improve Harriet so as to make her worthy to the high society. For example, Mr. Martin, a nearby rancher, appears to have become hopelessly enamored with Harriet, yet Emma recommends that she dismiss him since she trusts Harriet can possibly get a man who is high in the public eye. Harriet consents, and Emma proceeds to suggest Mr. Elton, a minister, whom she accepts is an ideal counterpart for Harriet. However, later on Emma acknowledges Mr. Elton has in reality experienced passionate feelings for her, as opposed to Harriet, making her inquiry her matchmaking abilities. After a time of nonappearance from matchmaking, Mrs. Weston’s stepson, Frank Churchill, drops by the neighborhood and Emma succumbs to him. Harriet approaches Emma with the affirmation that she has gone gaga for another man, anyway Emma demands that Harriet hush up about the name due to Emma’s dread of destroying a potential friendship as a result of her absence of expertise of matchmaking. Emma fears that Harriet is enamored with Frank, so she repudiates her own affections for him so as to assist Harriet’s chances at acquiring a man of higher class. We will compose a custom article test on Emma by Jane Austen explicitly for you for just $16.38 $13.9/page Request now We will compose a custom exposition test on Emma by Jane Austen explicitly for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Recruit Writer We will compose a custom exposition test on Emma by Jane Austen explicitly for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Recruit Writer Nonetheless, Emma finds that Frank is as of now connected with to Jane Fairfax and uncovers this data to Harriet. When Harriet is educated regarding this, she appears to be impartial, indicating she was in actuality not in adoration with Frank, but instead succumbed to Mr. Gallant. When this data is unveiled, Emma then acknowledges she is enamored with Mr. Knightley also and he conveys similar affections for her. As one peruses the story, it is effortlessly reasoned that social positioning is the obvious wellspring of the choices being made. Waldron says: Everybody with the exception of Jane Fairfax and Frank Churchill is up to speed in an intricate trap of social assumptions†¦ which makes a comical blend of misconception and botch, so no one is seeing precisely what is there, or hearing precisely what is being said. (141) Throughout the story, one can see that societal position and class influence the adoration for the characters, yet in addition, to a sense, decide their lives. Being viewed as high in the public eye, Emma Woodhouse likes to just be related with those of the privileged. This discloses her longing to change Harriet when she meets her since she sees the potential Harriet has despite the fact that she is of the lower class. The storyteller lets us know: Harriet Smith was the common little girl of someone. Someone had put her, quite a long while back, at Mrs. Goddard’s school, and someone had of late raised her from the state of researcher to that of parlor boarder†¦ She was an extremely pretty young lady, and her excellence happened to be of a sort which Emma especially respected. She was short, stout, and reasonable, with a fine sprout, blue eyes, light hair, standard highlights, and a look of incredible pleasantness; and, before the finish of the night, Emma was as much satisfied with her habits as her individual, and very resolved to proceed with the colleague. (22) Emma related with the lower class yet ensured that everybody knew there was a contrast among her and them. She would not like to destroy her notoriety by being seen with individuals underneath her. Miss Emma Woodhouse likes the sentiment of helping individuals who are lower than her; in this manner, that is the main time she blends in with the lower class. After Emma’s time went through with Harriet, Emma thinks she has brought Harriet up in the public arena. At the point when Mr. Robert Martin, a rancher, becomes hopelessly enamored with Harriet, he proposes. Emma doesn't care for this and is a manipulative young lady. Eugene Goodheart states, â€Å"Emma is stubborn, manipulative, an arranger or rather a misarranger of different people groups lives† (589). Emma, being the manipulative young lady she is, doesn’t legitimately advise Harriet to dismiss his proposition however indicates that she doesn’t need to acknowledge him since she could improve. Emma didn’t even truly know Mr. Martin. All she knew was that he was a rancher and ranchers were viewed as the low class, so she simply let her convictions about class positioning cow her sentiment to decay Mr. Martin. Miss Woodhouse then offers with Harriet that on the off chance that she had acknowledged his proposition, at that point they could never again be companions since she would be down lower on the social class positioning. Emma says: Perfectly, splendidly right, my dearest Harriet; you are doing exactly what you should. While you were at all in tension, I hushed up about my emotions, yet since you are so totally chose, I have no dithering in supporting. Dear Harriet, I give yself delight of this. It would have lamented me to lose your associate, which more likely than not been the outcome of your wedding Mr. Martin. (52-53) After declining Mr. Martin’s proposition, Miss Woodhouse and Mr. Knightley get into a contention since Mr. Knightley sees that Harriet is really lower in class than Mr. Martin, while Emma opposes this idea. Mr. Knightley states, â€Å"Nonsense! Harriet Smith reject Robert Martin! Frenzy, on the off chance that it is so; yet I trust you are mistaken† (60). Emma believes that since she is a companion of Harriet, she can't in any way, shape or form be that low in class on the grounds that Emma doesn’t partner with the lower class. When Harriet needs to restore a visit from Mr. Martin’s sister, Elizabeth, Emma advises her to make it brief since she can't stoop down to their level in class. This demonstration outrages the Martins on the grounds that Harriet had remained with them for two or three months and they figure the least she can do is remain and talk. I concur with Julia Brown in that, â€Å"Her most prominent sin in the novel is slicing off Harriets warm connection to the Martins; as Lionel Trilling has stated, she is a reactionary, out to stop social mobility† (Brown). Emma imagines that on the off chance that you are high in the public eye, at that point you have to connect with the higher classmen and on the off chance that you are lower, just partner with lower classmen. Another example wherein class positioning commands is when Emma needs Harriet to wed Mr. Elton. She thinks he is infatuated with her due to all the little signals she takes note. Earthy colored composes, â€Å"As consistently in Jane Austen, the littlest detail of conduct can legitimize the most authoritative judgment† (Brown). For instance, Emma is painting a picture of Harriet and Mr. Elton watches her the entire time and offers to go get it encircled in London when she is finished. Goodheart thinks: Emma overlooks both the unstable disaffinity and the social separation between themâ€and all the more shockingly she misconstrues the wants of Mr. Elton. He is a vicar from a decent family with social desire; Harriet†¦ entirely in bondage to Emmas matchmaking plots. (589-590) Mr. Elton doesn’t need to wed Harriet in light of the fact that she is low in the public arena and he doesn’t need to corrupt himself by wedding her. Mr. Elton discloses to Emma: Miss Smith! I never thought of Miss Smith in the entire course of my reality; never paid her any considerations, however as your companion; never minded whether she were in any condition, yet as your companion. On the off chance that she has liked something else, her own desires have misdirected her, and I am grieved, very sorry†¦ Oh, Miss Woodhouse, who can consider Miss Smith when Miss Woodhouse is close? I have just idea of you†¦ Everything that I have said or done, for a long time past, has been with the sole perspective on denoting my worship of yourself. (132) When Emma discovers that Mr. Elton adores her and not Harriet, she accepts that Mr. Elton just loves her since he feels that she can help raise him in the public eye: â€Å"She [Emma] barely cared about his connection, and was offended by his expectations. He needed to wed well and, having the presumption to raise his eyes to her, professed to be infatuated; yet she was impeccably simple regarding his not enduring any failure that need be minded for† (136). When Emma understands this, she is upset. She doesn't see this, however she is doing precisely the same thing. Her class positioning status consistently drives her into her choice or practices. Afterward, Emma recovers data that Mr. Elton had hitched a lady that increased his general public positioning. He wedded Miss Augusta Hawkins. She is viewed as an opportunist; somebody who has cash and riches, however not so much the stuff to be viewed as high in the public arena. She thinks cash alone makes you higher positioned, which bothers Emma. We additionally observe later on in the book how Emma thinks about The Coles as opportunists as well. They have as of late become wealthier and are attempting to act like they are high-class individuals since they have more cash. Emma doesn’t like this by any stretch of the imagination. To Emma, everybody winds up dismal, disappointed, and forlorn when they attempt to exceed expectations their social class positioning. Later on in Emma, after Miss Woodhouse abandons attempting to locate the ideal counterpart for Harriet, she discovers that Harriet is presently inspired by Mr. Knightley: â€Å"I never ought to have ventured to consider it from the outset, yet for you. You advised me to watch him cautiously, and let his conduct be the standard of mineâ€and so I have. Be that as it may, presently I appear to feel that I may merit him;

Deep Breathing Exercises for Panic Disorder

Deep Breathing Exercises for Panic Disorder Panic Disorder Coping Print Deep Breathing for Panic Disorder By Katharina Star, PhD facebook linkedin Katharina Star, PhD, is an expert on anxiety and panic disorder. Dr. Star is a professional counselor, and she is trained in creative art therapies and mindfulness. Learn about our editorial policy Katharina Star, PhD Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on August 05, 2016 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on January 26, 2020 PeopleImages / Getty Images More in Panic Disorder Coping Symptoms Diagnosis Treatment Related Conditions Relaxation techniques are strategies used to assist in managing panic symptoms, reducing stress, and eliciting a sense of calm. Such techniques, including breathing exercises, have also been shown to help manage panic attacks.?? The following describes the relaxation technique of deep breathing. Start practicing this technique today to begin feeling more relaxed. Benefits Breathing is a function that we all do naturally and with little conscious awareness or effort. Deep breathing, also called diaphragmatic breathing, involves bringing one’s focus to the breathing process.?? Attention and effort are brought to each breath, allowing the belly and ribcage completely fill with each inhalation, followed by complete exhalations, letting all of the air out. Breathing exercises are typically easy to learn and can quickly help decrease nervousness. The exercises can also provide a cleansing effect, making you feel more relaxed, refreshed, and energized. Deep breathing is also often the foundation for many other relaxation techniques, such as progressive muscle relaxation (PMR), meditation, and visualization.?? Your breathing plays an important role in managing the symptoms of panic disorder. Although you may not be conscious of your breathing process, it is likely that your breathing becomes accelerated when you are feeling nervous or afraid. Chest breathing, which doesn’t allow for full, complete breaths, is often associated with increased feelings of anxiety.?? In fact, hyperventilation (or feeling short of breath) is one of the most common symptoms of panic attacks. Is Shortness of Breath a Symptom of Panic Disorder? Taking fuller breaths allows you to feel calmer and in control when faced with panic and anxiety. Breathing exercises can work to help you cope with shortness of breath, along with other common anxiety- and panic-related symptoms, such as decreasing accelerated heart rate and relieving muscle tension.?? Additionally, diaphragmatic breathing exercises shifts focus towards the rhythm of your breath, clearing the mind of anxious, fearful, and negative thoughts. A Deep Breathing Exercise Deep breathing only requires a quiet environment and a few minutes of your time. The following are steps to a simple deep breathing exercise:Begin in a comfortable position with a straight spine, such as sitting upright in a chair or lying down on your back.Close your eyes or look down to assist in reflecting inward and focusing.Start to simply notice your breath. Are you breathing in and out from your chest? Are you breathing rapidly or slowly?Keeping your shoulders relaxed and still, begin to breathe with intention. Inhaling deeply and slowly through your nose, feeling your center expand as you fill your body with the breath. Gradually exhale out through your mouth, letting all of the stale air out.Continue to focus on your breath, noticing how your center rises and falls with each breath you take. Repeat for five to 10 more cycles of breath.As you breathe deeply, notice how you feel throughout your body. Are there areas that feel tenser than others? With each exhalation imagine th at your body releases stress and tension.Before ending your exercise, take a few moments to notice how you feel physically, mentally, and emotionally. Additional Tips Focusing on your breath during a panic attack is not as easy as it may seem. To get the most out of deep breathing, it is important that you practice regularly and at times when you are not feeling excessively anxious. If practiced often, you will be also to use this technique when intense anxiety or panic attacks occur. If you are having trouble focusing on the expansion and contraction of your center, it may be helpful to place your hands on your belly or ribcage. As you practice deep breathing, notice how your center widens and when you inhale and contracts inward with each breath out. When practicing deep breathing, always bring effort and focus to shifting from chest to abdominal breathing. Take deep breathing exercises slow and stop if you feel worse. It is possible that focusing on your breath may initiate increased anxiety.?? If this exercise makes you feel more nervous, try taking only a few deep breaths and gradually work your way up to more. Pick a time to practice your exercises that suits your lifestyle, but aim to work in your breathing for at least five to 10 minutes a day.?? Practice in the morning to start the day off relaxed, in the afternoon to recharge, or in the evening to get a better night’s rest. For an even more relaxing and anxiety-reducing experience, breathing exercises can also be used with visualization.   Strategies for Getting Through a Panic Attack

Case Analysis Enron Corporation - 891 Words

PROBLEM (ISSUE) STATEMENT: Having the position that you want, the money you dream about, and the company you love to work for are the things that will absolutely blind your eyes of seeing anything wrong or knowing how this money came from. This is how the employees in Enron Corporation felt at the time when the company was the biggest energy company in the nation, and was having the best stock in the market. â€Å"You could feel the excitement at 6 a.m. You walked in the door and got energized, all those creative juices flowing. You worked with the best, the most brilliant. It was a great, great company, says one of the employees in Enron for New York Times (Turnage and Keyton). Therefore, it is obvious that the employees were having the best time in their lives. In the meantime, it was obvious for them to notice there was something wrong financially, but they ignored it because they were living in paradise. However, Sherron Watkins, Enron vice president, who is known as the whistleblower, knows the problem t hat was happing in Enron, but she was in a dilemma in how to minimize the individual damages by blowing the whistle at the right time. The company got to the point where the employees have moral silence, deafness, and blindness. For moral silence, the employees were avoiding any kind of action against unethical behavior. Deafness is that the employees are not willing to listen to any ethical issues. When talking about moral blindness, the employees do not see the problemShow MoreRelatedThe Fall Of Major Telecommunications Company Onetel And Enron1319 Words   |  6 Pages OneTel and Enron were huge technology companies, dominating the competition that they faced although - everything changed. Both of these companies operated in the same era, coincedently both suffering financial collapse. 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Modern white collar crime focuses primarily on agriculture, productive activity, hand-tool technology, a nd farming villages as a community or family unit. While, postmodern white collar crime deals with more advanced technology such as computers, virtual communities, television/computer link-ups, and telephone communication. Overall, those who seek a career in criminology must navigate terminologyRead MoreEnron And The Collapse Of Enron1303 Words   |  6 PagesEnron, a company which originated in Huston, Texas, was one of the largest American energy trading corporations in the nation. Although it was one of the most well known companies, it was also one that crashed and burned the fastest, shocking many people when it did. Not only did it end fast, the company caused quite a scandal which is still being discussed and reviewed in today’s world. 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How to Use Ice Breakers With Your Adult Students

Debut Albums and Young Man Free Essays

A Talking Frog An older gentleman was playing a round of golf. Suddenly his ball sliced and landed in a shallow pond. As he was attempting to retrieve the ball he discovered a frog who, to his great surprise, started to speak! â€Å"Kiss me, and I will change into a beautiful princess, and I will be yours for a week. We will write a custom essay sample on Debut Albums and Young Man or any similar topic only for you Order Now † He picked up the frog and placed it in his pocket. As he continued to play golf, the frog repeated its message. â€Å"Kiss me, and I will change into a beautiful princess, and I will be yours for a whole month! The man continued to play his golf game and once again the frog spoke out. Kiss me,and I will change into a beautiful princess, and I will be yours for a whole year! † Finally, the old man turned to the frog and exclaimed, â€Å"At my age, I’d rather have a talking frog! † The Last Ticket During a busy holiday weekend, a woman who was eight months pregnant went to the railway station to return home to her husband. At the reservation counter, when her turn came, there was only one ticket left. Taking pity on a very old lady behind her in line, she offered her berth to the old lady and sent a telegram to her husband which arrived with a small error: â€Å"Shall be coming tomorrow, heavy rush in the train, ave birth to an old lady. † A Business Loan A businessman walked into a bank in San Francisco and asked for the loan officer. He told the officer that he is going to Europe on business for two weeks and needed to borrow $5,000. The bank officer explained that the bank needed some kind of security for such a loan. So the businessman handed over the keys to a Rolls Royce parked on the street in front of the bank. Everything checked out, and the bank agreed to accept the car as collateral for the loan. A bank employee drove the Rolls into the bank’s underground garage and parked it there. Two weeks later, the businessman returned, repaid the $5,000 with interest, which came to $15. 41. The loan officer said, â€Å"We are very happy to have had your business, and this transaction has worked out very nicely, but we are a little puzzled. While you were away, we checked you out and found that you are a multimillionaire. What puzzles us is why would you bother to borrow $5,000? The businessman replied, â€Å"Where else in San Francisco can I park my car for two weeks for only 15 bucks? † A Big Decision A six-year-old boy walked up to his father one day and announced, ‘Daddy, I’d like to get married. His father replied hesitantly, ‘Sure, son, do you have anyone special in mind? ‘ ‘Yes,’ answered the boy. ‘l want to marry Grandma. ‘ â⠂¬ËœNow, wait a minute,’ said his father. ‘You dont think I’d let you get married with my mother, do you? ‘ Why not? ‘ the boy asked. ‘You married mine. ‘ 100 Penguins A truck driver was driving 100 penguins to the New York Zoo when his truck broke down on the freeway. The driver got out of the cab and was looking at the engine when a second truck driver stopped in front of him and asked if he needed any help. The penguins’ driver explained that ne was taking the penguins to the zoo and asked f the other man would take the penguins there. He agreed. Some hours later, the second truck driver drove past the first one, who was still waiting on the freeway for help to come. The penguins, however, were still on the truck! â€Å"l thought I asked you to take those penguins to the zoo,† shouted the first driver. The second replied, â€Å"l did, but I had some money left, so we’re going to the cinema now. Supermarket Encounter A young man was walking through a supermarket to pick up a few things when he noticed an old lady following him around. Thinking nothing of it, he ignored her and continued on. Finally, he went to the checkout line, but she got in front of him. â€Å"Pardon me,† she said, â€Å"I’m sorry if my sta ring at you has made you feel uncomfortable. It’s Just that you look Just like my son who Just died recently. † â€Å"I’m very sorry,† replied the young man, â€Å"Is there anything I can do for you? † â€Å"Yes,† she said. â€Å"As I’m leaving, can you say ‘Goodbye mother’? It would make me feel much better. â€Å"Sure,† answered the young man. As the old woman was leaving, he called out, â€Å"Goodbye mother! † As he stepped up to the checkout counter, he saw that his total was $127. 50. â€Å"How can that be? † he asked, â€Å"l only purchased a few things! â€Å"Your mother said that you would pay for her,† said the clerk. Do you deserve to enter heaven? A man died and went to heaven. An angel met him at the Gates of Heaven and said, ‘Before you meet with God, I thought I should tell you – we’ve examined your whole life, and you really didn’t do anything particul arly good or bad. We’re not sure whether we can admit you into heaven or not. Can you tell us anything exceptional you did that can help us make a decision? ‘ The newly arrived soul thought for a moment and replied, ‘Yeah, once I was driving along and came upon a woman who was being harassed by a group of goons. So I pulled over, got out my tire iron, and went up to the leader of the gang. He was a big, muscular, hairy guy with tattoos all over his body and a ring pierced through his nose. Well, I tore the nose ring out of his nose, and told him that he and his gang had better stop bothering the woman or they would have to deal with me! ‘ ‘I’m impressed,’ The angel responded, When did this happen? The man replied, ‘About two minutes ago’. Return my horse! A cowboy rode into town and stopped at a saloon for a drink. Unfortunately, the locals always had a habit of picking on strangers. When he finished his drink, he ound his horse had been stolen. He went back into the bar, handily flipped his gun into the air, caught it above his head without even looking and fired a shot into the ceiling. â€Å"Which one of you sidewinders stole my horse?!?!? † he yelled with surprising forcefulness. No one answered. â€Å"Alright, I’m gonna have another beer, and if my horse ain’t back outside by the time I finish, I’m gonna do what I did in Texas! How to cite Debut Albums and Young Man, Papers

International Financial Management

Question: Discuss about theInternational Financial Management. Answer: Discussing Arbitrage The process of concurrent purchasing and selling of an asset from different types of market and locations in order to take the benefit of price fluctuations is known as arbitrage (The Economics Times, 2016). As per my point of view in arbitrage, the difference in the price of an asset is considered to be the net amount payable from the business. I believe that getting benefits from the usage of the different transaction for tax purposes is known as tax arbitrage. My understandings reveal that the company makes use of different places for purchasing the assets in order to take advantage of the tax rate. For instance, the company might take lease of an asset in one country, which is flexible in the treatment of the capital asset expenditure and the profits received by the company. Hence, the generous assistance of that country in the management of the transactions would allow the company to generate a significant straight tax loss on the agreement of the business (Murphy, 2012). From t he above example, I feel that tax arbitrage is a common thing in the present day scenario of a business. Many companies with a view to earn maximized profits utilize the practice of purchasing similar type of assets from different locations to save the taxes on the transaction. According to my view, the tax structure of Apple with the Irish government has helped the company to pay comparatively lower rate of tax in Ireland. Apple has formed two supplementary entities in Ireland. These subsidiary entities are named as Apple Sales International and Apple operations Europe, which possess majority of the companys assets. Apple Inc. in Ireland provides the license for selling phones to other subsidiaries in the global market. For example, if iphone is sold in China, the subsidiaries of Apple present therein would have to pay for using the property of the Irish company. So, the profit earned by providing license to the global subsidiaries would ultimately come to Irish subsidiary. Therefore, the profit generated from the different subsidiaries of Apple gets taxed at low rate in Ireland. This allowed the company to get benefits on taxes from such tax agreement with the Irish government (Taylor, 2016). From the above scenario, I can say that that Apple was not guil ty of practicing tax arbitrage in Ireland and instead continued to pay the corporate taxes as per the tax structure agreement that had been fixed between the company and Irish government European Union (EU) and Its Decision on Apple Yes, I think that EU has been unfair with Apple and this can be seen from the criticisms related to the European Unions decision on Apples operations in the global market. According to European commission, Irish government has allowed Apple to pay a comparatively lesser amount of corporate tax on the business operations. The government of Ireland and Apple have disagreed with the allegation of EU also decides to make an appeal against it. EU, therefore states that the company only paid 1% corporate tax in place of 12.5%, which is a standard rate of tax in Ireland for the corporate bodies. The government of the United States of America has responded that retroactive tax assessment made by EU is unfair and is discouraging the capability of the US companies to fight economically in Europe. The Irish government also seeks an approval from the Irish cabinet for the appeal against the allegations. 90%of the profits of Apple generated from the outside countries are legally treated in the Ir eland. Thus, this shows that EU was unfair with the performance of Apple on imposing 13bn as tax for breaking the state aid laws (BBC, 2016). The CEO of Apple, Tom Cook has mentioned several points regarding the operations of Apple in Europe which includes the following: The company had started business 36years ago in Europe, when iphone was not even introduced The company at that time was able to provide employment opportunities to more than six thousand people across Ireland The success of the company has been able to create more than 1.5 million jobs in the Europe. The company has always performed its role as a responsible corporate body and has even contributed largely towards the community and the nation The growing business has positioned the company as the major taxpayers in Ireland and even globally. The instructions and guidance of the Irish government regarding the operation of the business has been followed by the company to comply with the different types of tax rules (Source: Toor, 2016) Therefore, I feel that the claim of EU on Irish government favoring Apple on tax laws is baseless and would cause a disturbing environment pertaining to the sovereignty of the member states of EU on tax rules. Summary on Who Would Receive the 13bn That Apple Have Been Ordered To Pay I believe that, the amount paid by Apple as tax penalty must be received by the government of Ireland. Imposing back taxes on Apple according to EU means that the company has not been paying the real corporate tax rate of 12.5% as per then tax norms of Ireland. An investigation by the European commission has revealed that Apple pays only 0.005% tax on a regular basis, which is even lesser than the actual corporate tax rate. It is also comprehended that the selective treatment of the Irish government towards Apple has permitted the company to pay such lower rate of tax. The European commission has started rewriting the history of Apple regarding the negligence in paying taxes in Ireland and not following the International tax system (Baird, 2016). As per me, Apple in Ireland might have to incur $14.5 million as tax fine. The amount paid by Apple as tax has been found as 1% in 2013 out of 12.5 % of the corporate tax. The money would be payable by Apple to the government of Ireland as a compensation for not contributing the real amount of corporate tax. Hence, I think that, the decision by the European Commission has been seen as a controversial issue in the world. The taxation commissioner of EU has stated that such flexible treatment on tax would let the local small companies of Europe suffer in competing with the rivals in the market. For every 1 million profit, the company only paid 500 as tax, which is even less than 1% (Meyer, 2016). View from Investors Perspective on Apple Case As an investor, I suppose that the European Commissions tax penalty on Apple displays the dull reputation of the EU. I believe that the case of Apple would not stop the company from investing in its target market of Ireland and I would considerably purchase the shares of the Apple in the near future. My opinion is that the lowest corporate tax rate of 12.5% in the Western Europe has made Ireland the ultimate destination for the foreign companies to invest their capital therein. Thus, every investor think that the low relocation cost and tax would always attract the global investors to Ireland (Doyle Flanagan 2016). I consider that the penalizing Apple for tax arbitrage would not be a fair option to be undertaken by the EU. The tax arrangement of Apple with the Irish government is a part of an agreement and should not impose a tax punishment to the company. Apple has always operated its business by following the rules and regulations. Therefore, European commission is not able to control the federalism agenda and Apple has been penalized as it is one of the largest companies in the world with sound reputation in the international market (The Irish Times, 2016). My views say that, European Commissions decision of penalizing Apple if gets successful, the Irish government fund would get boosted, but the reputation of becoming good destination for the investment may not exist for the longer period of time. After Brexit, the EU has no authority on the corporate tax on United Kingdom and it could be a new choice for the investors like me to invest for future profit generation. There can be a willingness of outside country to invest openly in United Kingdom than the other EU countries. The amount of tax, if paid by Apple to the government of Ireland would then have been more than the government spending on countrys health services (The Guardian, 2016). Impact of Apple Case on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) On Ireland and EU In my opinion, the Apples case related to tax arbitrage would make a mixed impact on the foreign direct investment of Ireland and EU. Fiscal position of Ireland may get improved with the decision of European commission, but it may lead to an economic uncertainty in the medium term. The global investors may not see Ireland as the suitable destination for the FDI in case Apple is found guilty. Hence, there are possibilities of unstable political situation and economic impact of Apple case in Ireland and EU (RTE, 2016). I believe that the commissions decision on Apple case would hamper the FDI investment and hence the possibility of job creation in open economy would be less. Thus, Irelands image in the global market would tarnish as a result of which the outside country would show less interest in the building of financial infrastructure into the country. The ruling of EU has made an awkward environment for the foreign investors who mostly belong to the English speaking nations. The FDI of Ireland is 500% of the countrys economy and is considered to be the second largest in the European Union. The Ireland and EU may have to face the risks of losing its foreign investors, who facilitated the employment opportunities in Ireland (The Business Times, 2016). As per my understandings, the relation between the EU and the United States of America may also get affected with the Apple case in Ireland. The US investors and the US house representatives have stated that the decision of European commission to impose penalty on Apple is awful. The case of Apple would send a wrong message to the global investors such as United States of America, an English speaking country and might even have an impact on the job opportunities in the open economy. Therefore, there are possibilities that the American companies might start investing more on their home county rather than in FDI of EU and its member states. The FDI of Ireland and EU might even get affected in future after the case of Apple in Ireland as many multinational companies operating in Ireland are from the United States of America, who had opposed the decision of the EU for penalizing Apple (Financial Times, 2016). References Baird, R 2016. Apple Ordered To Pay Ireland 13bn In Back Taxes By EU Regulators, International Business Times, viewed 9 October 2016, https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/apple-ordered-pay-13bn-back-taxes-by-ec-1578709 BBC 2016, Europe's 'Unfair' Apple Tax Ruling Sparks US Anger, Business, viewed 9 October 2016, https://www.bbc.com/news/business-37226101 Doyle, D Flanagan, P 2016, Apples European Tax Woes Put Dublins Googletown on Edge, Market, viewed 9 October 2016, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-09-08/apple-s-european-tax-woes-leave-dublin-s-googletown-on-edge Financial Times 2016, Apple Hit With 13bn EU Tax Penalty Over Illegal Irish Aid, Home, viewed 9 October 2016, https://www.ft.com/content/b573ac02-6e90-11e6-a0c9-1365ce54b926 Meyer, D 2016, Here's What You Need To Know About Apple's $14.5 Billion EU Tax Bill, News, viewed 9 October 2016, https://fortune.com/2016/08/30/apple-tax-ireland-ruling/ Murphy, R 2012, How Companies Avoid Tax A Quick Summary In 8,000 Words, Tax Research UK, viewed 9 October 2016, https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2012/01/06/how-companies-avoid-tax-a-quick-summary-in-8000-words/ RTE 2016, Apple Ruling Has 'Mixed Implications' For Ireland Fitch, News, viewed 9 October 2016, https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2016/0905/814343-fitch-apple/ Taylor, H 2016, How Apple Managed To Pay A 0.005 Percent Tax Rate In 2014, Technology, viewed 9 October 2016, https://www.cnbc.com/2016/08/30/how-apples-irish-subsidiaries-paid-a-0005-percent-tax-rate-in-2014.html The Business Times 2016, Apple's European tax woes leave Dublin's 'Googletown' on edge, Government and Economy, viewed 9 October 2016, https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/government-economy/apples-european-tax-woes-leave-dublins-googletown-on-edge The Economics Times 2016, Definition of 'Arbitrage', Equity, viewed 9 October 2016, https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/definition/arbitrage The Guardian 2016, The Apple Tax Ruling What This Means For Ireland, Tax And Multinationals, Business, viewed 9 October 2016, https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/aug/30/eu-apple-ireland-tax-ruling-q-and-a The Irish Times 2016, Denis OBrien: Apple Should Not Be Punished Over Tax, Business, viewed 9 October 2016, https://www.irishtimes.com/business/economy/denis-o-brien-apple-should-not-be-punished-over-tax-1.2798706 Toor, A 2016, Read Apple's Letter To Europe On Irish Tax Decision, The Verge, viewed 9 October 2016, https://www.theverge.com/2016/8/30/12707932/apple-tim-cook-ireland-tax-european-commission

Case of David Scott Mathers

Introduction This is a case of David Scott Mathers who suffocated his life partner after realising that her attempted suicide had failed. This is a case of euthanasia where help is given in dying so as to make the death more tolerable. It is also a case of assisted suicide because the deceased Eva Griffith has tried to end her own life in the previous night but had been unsuccessful.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Case of David Scott Mathers specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Since Scott Mathers gave her the pills then he had offered her a means for ending her life which is by definition assisted suicide. The case will therefore be analysed through two moral perspectives: the first will be through a utilitarian (consequentialist) dimension and the second will be through a deontological perspective as argued by Immanuel Kant. Definition of the two frameworks and why they are important in the case In deontology, one must consider the means/ methods that are used in order to execute one’s actions. Since issues of euthanasia and assisted suicide are matters that are driven by particular ideas, therefore the deontological framework will be essential in analysing the ethical dimensions involved. Kantian ethics is founded on the categorical imperative which requires individuals to ask whether their actions would be universalised by others who were in the same circumstances (Popkin Stroll, 1993). This theory will be crucial in analysing the theory because it will offer a rule based application of ethics on the issue. Utilitarianism on the other hand is a form of consequentialism which postulates that ethical actions are those ones which will cause better consequences than others available to the moral agent. Utilitarianism specifically refers to those actions which will increase the overall utility of the greatest number of people possible. Utility here is determined by the amount of happine ss that a person experiences. If something causes increased pleasure and minimises pain then that thing should continue to be perpetuated since it is ethical (Popkin Stroll, 1993). This perspective is important in understanding a rationally based application of ethics in the case study. Critical analysis Kant’s theory of morality is deontological because it largely represents obligations. In other words, the rules that govern certain situations are critical and the actions which follow these decisions can then be regarded as obligations. In the categorical imperative, Kant asserts that people should always question their actions can be applied as others as a universal law.Advertising Looking for essay on criminal law? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Kant also believed that acts have moral worth when they are done on the basis of duty. Therefore, this philosopher made a thorough distinction of duty and preference. In fa ct, if a duty was more difficult to carry out then it had greater moral value upon those involved. People who choose this path always attain greater moral development than those who disregard their moral duties. In this context, Kant would view the retention of life in a chronically ill patient as more important and of greater value than terminating it. In other words, if someone is filled with sadness or hardship and no longer enjoys life to the point of desiring death yet still chooses to preserve his life even without relishing it then the moral worth is much greater in this scenario. It should be noted that in order to qualify as a highly valuable moral decision, the choice to live should be based on one’s moral duty rather than preference or simply fear of the repercussions. Kant asserted that moral actions should only be labelled as such when they are motivated by the need to respect moral laws rather than the positive results that emanate out of them such as happiness and health. One must apply that law out of one’s own will rather than eternally imposed sanctions or benefits. According to Kant, the accused in the case study – Mr. Scott Mathers – should have behaved in a manner that promotes moral duty even if the consequences were unpleasant. Scott was a moral agent and the motive of either maintaining his partner’s life or terminating it was going to bring out his sense of moral duty. He should have gone beyond his preferences (whatever they were) to safeguard the needs of the ailing patient. In this case, Scott was moved by the pain and anguish that his family member was going through so his inclination or preference would be to assist her in ending that pain and suffering. On the other hand, he would be facilitating personal satisfaction on the part of his partner. Her desire to take away her own life would mean using herself as a means of satisfying those tendencies. A person is an end in oneself so suicide is not ethical in this deontological context. Mr. Mathers was acting unethically by assisting his partner in committing this unethical act. He needed to move beyond his preference to see the end of her suffering and should have stuck to his moral duty. According to Kantian ethics, he should not have thought about the consequences of his actions i.e. whether they were good or bad. Instead, he should have focused on the moral wrong or right of assisting his wife to commit suicide and finally suffocating her (Adams, 1992).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Case of David Scott Mathers specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The utilitarian view on the other hand offers a different take on this case study. Many people might be tempted to judge David Scott Mathers on the premise that killing a blameless individual is wrong. These assumptions are founded on religious doctrines but utilitarians might look at it from a different dimens ion because their concerns are not based on the rules but on the effects of the actions committed. In this particular instance, one should find out what makes killing another person wrong. The consequentialist would explain that life does possess some good and taking someone’s life would immediately put an end to that good. When a person is dead, they are no longer able to experience this happiness thus making the act of killing wrong. However, in certain scenarios, killing another person would result in more positives or greater happiness than if a person were alive. In this regard, one must then decide who will make those decisions to end another person’s life and must also look at the overall impact of that person’s death upon other people’s life (not just the deceased). The issue of deciding who has the right to take away another’s life is quite relevant to this case study because someone else made the decision for Eva Griffith, that is Mathers . Utilitarians such as John Stuart Mill assert that one must make one’s own decision because only that person fully comprehends the importance of living life or ending life (Singer, 1995). Indeed if someone witnessed certain people crossing a certain bridge and knew the dangers associated with crossing it then all one could do was to inform them about the wrong involved in doing so and then let them cross the bridge. Those people are the only ones who can safeguard their interests. In this example, Mill assumed that the people crossing the bridge were rational actors who fully took in the information, digested it and made the decision to continue with their journey. These persons are in a position of making choices about their lives. The utilitarian must stand aside and let others decide what is best. In the case study, Eva Griffith was therefore the best judge of her own actions. Her judgement was not impaired in any way so she knew how difficult her life was with the osteoa rthritis. Her future seemed quite bleak and she therefore came to the conclusion that it would be better to die than live in such torture. In this theory, it was permissible for Eva to terminate her life because there would be greater happiness after the end of life than during her life. Since she was already unsuccessful in ending her life, Scott was simply helping her in carrying out her own wishes by suffocating her. The second aspect concerns the impact of the euthanasia upon other people’s life. In certain circumstances, the termination of another person’s life can be so devastating to others but in other situations it may not even have any effect. Scott was the only significant person to Eva Griffith’s life as per the facts in the case.Advertising Looking for essay on criminal law? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It would therefore have been devastating for him if someone else took away his partner’s life. However, since he was the one who executed the killing then one can rule out emotional and psychological pain to close family as a likely negative consequence of Eva Griffith’s death. Also, if her life was prolonged then her family would have to bear with the additional financial, emotional and psychological constraints of taking care of her (Paterson, 2008). The other likely problem that euthanasia would cause is greater insecurity amongst people who may worry about getting killed. But, this cannot be a possible risk because other members of Eva Griffith’s society would only be killed upon request just like she was. Strengths and limitations of the theoretical frameworks The great thing about Kantian ethics is that it is overcomes the limitations of human reasoning. Kant believed that reasoning could never be depended upon because it is flawed and often led to bad cho ices. He therefore advocated for a focus on something more concrete than reasoning; moral law and moral duty. This makes the theory less ambiguous because it offers tangible solutions to problems faced by people like Mathers who are acting as moral agents. The major limitation in Kantian ethics lies in the fact that some of the premises found in his categorical imperative still depend on the very concepts that he frowns upon. For instance in order to act morally, one must act as though one is creating a new universal law. This denotes ability to reason yet that very concept is what has caused a lot of wrong choices as described by Kant himself. This apparent contradiction therefore leaves a lot of questions unanswered. The major strength of the utilitarian perspective is that it empowers the moral agent to act autonomously. It causes individuals to think of the practical implications of their actions and hence act in accordance with them (Quill, 1991). This theoretical framework is not judgemental on the patient or the person who assists the patient in carrying out the suicidal wish because it does not use external standards to assess the morality of an issue. On the other hand, utilitarianism places a lot of the decision making on the hands the ill patient who must be rational enough to make that crucial end of life choice. The problem with this presumption is that there are different states of mental capability. It has been shown through continual research that most terminally ill patients are susceptible to depression. In fact, clinical depression is treatable and once it has been eliminated then most patients no longer feel the need to commit suicide. Eva Griffith was clinically depressed for a very long time so her desire to die may have been linked to this condition. The utilitarian theory which supports this view therefore propagates a scenario in which irrational beings can choose to end their lives. It has been stated that Eva Griffith suffered from c ontinual depression but it was not affirmed whether the doctors had ruled out all possibilities of helping her deal with this depression. In this regard, utilitarianism creates a major loophole because not many doctors can diagnose clinical depression. Furthermore, since utilitarianism is based on the rational decisions of a person, one cannot be truly certain that the decisions of a certain patient will change. In these scenarios, it can be argued that Eva Griffith may have held the opinion that ending her life would be better than maintaining it at a certain point but may change her mind at a later point in her life (Wesley, 2007). Conclusion Through the two types of analyses, it can be argued that there are positive implications for almost all those concerned in the case. The utilitarian perspective would be favourable for David Scott because he respected his partner’s right to make choices so he simply assisted her in executing those wishes. This theory would be favourabl e for the government as well because taking care of terminally ill patients does utilise hospital resources and also puts a strain on social support systems for such people. Kantian ethics on the other hand would judge Scott’s actions harshly because he was rewarding a person who was acting as though she was a means and not an end in herself. This theoretical framework would focus on the values that are placed on life and the prevailing image of the medical profession would be tarnished. The moral dilemma would arise out of a need to determine which theoretical stance would be most appropriate. In such instances, it would be best to seek a middle ground that would look at the goals of the main issue in the case study. Much like the ethical pluralists, one should not judge David Scott with a degree of self righteousness because of what he did. However, the values, rights, benefits and drawbacks of his actions should be considered and if it can be found that these items are mor e prevalent in a certain school of thought then more of that perspective should be considered. Since this is a matter that has large scale implications for a vast number of people then utmost precedence should be given to the long term effects of the theoretical framework chosen. References Adams, R. (1992). Physician assisted suicide and the right to die with assistance. Harvard law review, 105(8), 2021-2040 Paterson, C. (2008). Assisted suicide and euthanasia. London, Ashgate Popkin, R. Stroll, A. (1993). Philosophy made simple. NY, Double day Quill, T. (1991). Death and dignity: a case of individualised decision making. New England journal of medicine, 324(3), 67 Singer, P. (1995). Rethinking life and death. NY, St. Martin’s press Wesley, S. (2007). Death on demand: the assisted movement sheds its fig leaf. Weekly standard, June 5, 2007. This essay on Case of David Scott Mathers was written and submitted by user Krystal Park to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

A Query into the Relationship between Gender and Self Esteem in Adolescent Females essays

A Query into the Relationship between Gender and Self Esteem in Adolescent Females essays Self-esteem is defined as the way in which a person views their performance in areas principal to them personally, and the way they believe others of significance perceive them. Those who suffer from a deficiency of self-esteem have a heightened susceptibility to experiencing depression, becoming involved in drug use or other precarious behaviors; they may suffer from insomnia due to anxiety and are more likely. To show prejudice and disparage others. Abraham Maslow, creator of the hierarchy of needs, recognized the importance of self-esteem when he included it as the last necessary level one must fulfill before one can be actualized. Psychodynamic psychologist Alfred Adler once said that the Supreme Law of life should be that the sense of worth of the self shall not be allowed to be diminished. Despite the importance of having high self-esteem, far too many adolescent girls are allowed to fall through the cracks and suffer from the diminished senses of self at ever increasing ages. Why do girls experience more pronounced problems with self-esteem than their male counterparts and what has caused this gender gap to emerge in a supposed society of equality? Kennon M. Sheldon Ph.D of the University of Missouri-Columbia states in a report issued in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology that once identified, psychological needs can be targeted to enhance personal thriving, in the same way that the organic needs of a plant, once identified, can be targeted to maximize thriving in the plant. According to the study, self-esteem is the most fundamental psychological need of American college students. Participants were asked to identify most satisfying and unsatisfying events in their life at different time intervals. The most unsatisfying events lacked the top four qualities associated with psychological well being. In all three United States samples self-esteem topped the list w...

Creating a Policy Map Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Creating a Policy Map - Assignment Example The online tourism resources of Hadassa are being transformed and managed by the Internet California Resources. The business will focus primarily on the tourists in California and some other states in the U.S. Hadassa Tourism Website Company will be providing website development services to the vast tourism niches in California. Much as the company is still in the operational stages, the founders who are Martin, Janice and Rene have vast experience that is required to deal with the competencies in this industry. The company will have more than the required capital investment with an overflow of $310,000.The Company is dream is to provide clients with solutions to their tourism needs (Kaplan, 2012). However, the company will depend on a number of external vendors to advice and supply web hosting and implementation of the websites. The company would provide all the other services. The company will provide a turn-key solution to its clients. However, we will rely on multiple outside vendors to supply website implementation and hosting. The company will provide all other aspects of the service. The Californian Internet Resource Company will make uniform the language and technology required for the clients in the tourist destinations, so that all barriers and bottlenecks are removed. This would be done so as to reach out to most of the English-speaking tourists in various destinations around the world. Hadassa Tourism Website Company will provide a flexible, fun-filled and conducive environment that would explore numerous opportunities so as to provide state of the art exotic travel for the employees and also offer incentives and bonuses for all personnel (Kaplan, 2012). The project manager oversees the affairs of the organization and implements major policies in the organization. He also manages the resources of the organization. The project sponsor helps in sourcing of funds to manage various projects (Kaplan, 2012). The steering committee is

Independent research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Independent research - Essay Example The credit cards involve much risk such as theft, fraud, misuse of personal information, etc. however these risks can be managed by paying just a little attention to once financial position and the purchasing power. The card holder must communicate his rights and obligations to the issuing authority which strengthens their relationship and reduces risks (Anderson & Schroder, 2010). Credit cards offered by the Banks Credit cards are offered by the Banks to their customers, through whom they can make payments for online products, in shops, products available with the telemarketers, for paying bills of hotels and resorts, for paying fare, etc. As indicated by name they are based upon the credit system, the user of the card would have to pay interest to the bank whenever he makes payments through the credit card. The issuer of the card is the Bank itself which allows the consumers a continuous balance of debt with the interest payments. The idea of a credit card was emerged somewhere in 1887. The concept of the modern credit card was based on the idea of merchant credit schemes which were used among the companies to make payments. Later the horizon of the card become wide and it became available to the local public. Initially these cards were made of celluloid plastic but these days mostly polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is used. The credit card holder does not require having an account in the bank. Since the whole process revolves around the concept of credit therefore it is better to say that the card owner borrows some amount from the bank to make purchases which are later paid with an additional amount of interest. People often make purchases without considering their payback power that either they would be able to pay the credited amount to bank or not. Just in case if they are unable to pay their credits then they face the consequences of credit card debt. Whenever a purchase is made the card holder enters the personal identification number (PIN) on the basis of whi ch he will pay the Bank in future (Crouhy, Galai & Mark, 2010). Credit cards are often attached with lots of free goods and services that the consumers enjoy on their side whenever they make payments. These services are provided by the banks and different companies. For instance, if you use a credit card of the certain bank, then it will give you several transactional benefits and also easy payment methods. While on the other hand the companies give discounts or additional services to purchase their product. But to enjoy the extra services customers need to make purchases up to the required limit (Carrol, 2010). Now there are electronic devices available to check the balance and the purchasing power of the card holder instantly. The purchasing power of the card holder can also be analyzed by the security code printed on the card. This is usually done in online purchases or the one that are made over the telephone where the sales person verifies that either the customer is able to ma ke the payment or not. Every month the card holder receives a bill indicating all of his purchases and the final amount that he has to pay to the Bank. If the card holder is also having an account in the same bank then the unpaid balance is deducted from their otherwise he can choose to make the payment later with a late fee or additional interest amounts. Regulatory aspect of credit cards: In 2009, President Barrack Obama signed the credit card

A Basic Model Of Consumer Decision Making Marketing Essay

A Basic Model Of Consumer Decision Making Marketing Essay The demographic environment is defined as the demographic factors that marketers used to analyze market trends by segmenting the targeted population. BusinessDictionary.com, 2013. It consists of six factors which are; population ethnic mix, education levels, population size and rate of growth, age distribution and migration shifts and attributes. According to statistics, Singapore Residents Growth Rate has decreased from 0.9 to 0.8 from 2010 to 2011 (Department Of Statistics Singapore [DOSS], 2012). However, the growth rate is insignificant as compared to the Non-Residents which grew from 4.1 to 6.9 ( DOSS, 2012). As most of the non-residents are workers that cater to the low end jobs in Singapore, they do not earn high income and may find Singapore Airlines (SIA) too expensive. Therefore, SIA view it as an opportunity to launch a budget airline service to cater to this group. The age distribution of the Singapore population also affects the marketing strategies of SIAs decision to launch Scoot. Singapores population percentage for ages between 45 and over accounted for 38.4% (DOSS, 2012). This is a significant result and it indicates a trend to an ageing population. It is projected that by 2030, there will be a 2.1 replacement ratio to each citizen above age 65 (Our Demographic Challenges And What These Mean To Us, n.d.). Therefore, compared to SIA, the lower cost fare of Scoot is able to cater to this group of consumers as many of the aged are retirees who may not be able to afford the standard flight fare. This may be due to reasons such as not having stable incomes, high medical and living expenses. The other group of consumers that may opt for cheaper ticket fares are the young adults. They are aged between 15 to 34 and accounted for 28.4% of the population (DOSS, 2012). They represent an opportunity for Scoot as their commitments to family, work and study means they may have to control their expenses. Thus, they may have lower purchasing power and might be unable to afford SIAs travel fares. In addition, foreigners are projected to take up half of Singapores population by 2030 (Singapore Population Half Foreigners By 2030, 2013). This trend can be attributed to the migratory movement of foreigners from developing countries such as India and China to Singapore. They come from different parts of China and India and pose an opportunity for Scoot. Thus, this provides a wider targeted consumer group for marketers to promote their services. Citing from the case study, it states that Scoot, which will compete in the growing low-cost travel sector, will fill a gap that now exists within the group. This group of commuters may travel back to their own countries annually for festive seasons or visiting of families and would not desire an expensive trip to exotic countries for holidays such as Europe or Japan. Therefore, SIA launched Scoot to provide low cost travels for these expanding targeted consumers to increase its profitability. To further maximize its market potential, the c ase study also states that Scoot will do longer flights, to Australia, China, India and eventually Europe. Thus, SIA aims to create more opportunities by increasing services to this group of people. The political-legal environment is defined as the legal and political factors that affect marketing decision making strategies. The factors are; changes in business legislation and laws, the number and strength of special interest groups and market reforms and corruption. The recent growth of special interest groups over the years may have contributed to SIAs decision to launch Scoot to serve the lower income consumers needs. The groups such as CASE (Consumer Association Of Singapore) serves to protect the consumers interest, educate and inform the consumers. It also ensures business ethics within the company by advocating fairer legislation. Since SIA is a private competitive firm with no government intervention, it has to maintain constant good services to consumers. Since such consumerist movement is increasing and SIA being one of largest airline company, it will need to establish relationships with consumers and formulate policies to increase consumers interest and reduce custom er complaints. With regards to the political-legal factor, Singapore is liberal in its aviation policy and has continue to adopt this policy in recent times by signing agreements with more countries such as United Kingdom, United States, United Arab Emirates , New Zealand and other countries (The impact of international air service liberalization on Singapore, 2009). This allows Scoot with its bigger aircrafts to fly to more destinations and longer distances where other budget airline competitors cannot reach. The economic environment is defined as the economic factors that affect the marketing decision making strategies. The economic factors include income distribution and savings, debt and credit availability of the population. As per reported, the income levels of all classes have risen over the years. The median monthly household income has risen from 5,600 SGD per month per household in 2010 to 6,310 SGD per month per household in 2011 (DOSS, 2012). Although median income has increased, majority of the increment is due to a raise in the income for the higher income group. The middle and lower income groups might not have higher income and might even be worse off due to inflation. The rich are getting wealthier and the poor are getting poorer. Hence SIA can cater to the wealthier consumers who want premium air travel services and Scoot can cater to people who need to travel at a budget air fare (Scoot: Asias Newest Low-Cost Airline, 2012). The other factor is Singapore populations savings, debt, and credit availability. The Singapore economy has contracted in the 2nd quarter in 2011 triggered by the economic crisis that happened in 2008 (Singapore may escape technical recession but downside risks remain, 2011). This uncertain outlook of the economy combined with inflation rate at 5.7%, (Global recession likely, Singapore says, 2011) may have contributed to SIAs launch of Scoot. With higher inflation rate and slower economic growth, people may be worried about the future and cut back on unnecessary expenditures. Consumers may choose to travel by other cheaper alternatives hence, demand for SIAs flight services will decrease. However, the trend of Singapores future economy and inflation rate remains uncertain as economists have forecasted that for 2013, median inflation rate for CPI would be high at 3.0% (Monetary Authority Of Singapore, 2012). Singapores GDP forecasted growth is expected to be between 1% to 3% indicating a slow economic growth ( Singapore economy expected to grow 1-3% in 2013, 2012). Thus, majority of the people in Singapore are most likely going to save more and spend less on luxury goods and services like expensive air fares which will lead to a decrease in the demand for SIA air travel. As disposable income reduces, more people would opt for budget airlines such as Scoot, Tiger Airways and Jetstar Asia for air traveling. This presents an opportunity for Scoot to expand its services. However, it might be a threat if competitors pricing of tickets are comparatively lower and economy continues to shrink in the future. Question 2 All companies which render services to customers should be highly sensitive to their own service quality and achieved level of customer satisfaction. Service quality is the totality of features and characteristics of a product or service that bear on its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs (Kotler, Keller, Ang, Leong, Tan, 2009). Companies performances may fall short, meet or exceed customers expectations. Therefore, companies performances and customers expectations determine customer satisfaction which is customers feelings of pleasure or disappointment resulting from comparing a product or services perceived performance (or outcome) in relation to his or her expectations (Kotler et al., 2009). A business entitys main aim should be to generate consistent profits for its shareholders or owners. Sustained profitability is achieved when companies yield revenue streams that exceed the cost streams of attracting, selling and servicing the customers over time (Kotler et al., 2009). Scoot is a budget airline which strives to be sustainable, at the same time retaining and expanding its market share through ensuring desired service quality and achieving customer satisfaction. For cost reduction purposes, Scoot emphasizes to its customer that they are no-frills. With the removal of certain features which are prominent in full-service airlines, it is unavoidable that customers will make comparisons and mark down the service quality of Scoots flights. Scoot has made conscious efforts to distance itself from its parent company Singapore Airlines (SIA), as well as to create deeper impressions in its customer that it is a budget airline, by having its cabin crew to wear casual crew uniform (Kaur, 2011). With the use of Boeing 777 aircrafts, Scoot provides its customers with more leg space and rooms in the aircrafts to maneuver. This gives Scoot a comparative advantage over its budget airlines, which usually operate smaller aircrafts. Air travelers are expected to be more hands-on when they travel on budget airlines. With no dedicated customer service platform available to these air travelers, they have to navigate the budget airlines websites and online systems themselves, in order to obtain information or make amendments to their bookings. With large pool of available resources and experience, SIA has an efficient and comprehensive online system for its customer. Through the introduction of SIA, Scoot can discuss with SIAs service providers on how to design and implement a user-friendly online system, which is cost effective at the same time. Even though Scoot will not respond to complaints from its customers, they must take note of the complaints and implement corrective and preventive measures, in order to maintain or even improve service quality. Additionally, Scoot can also provide Feedback forms to its customers. This will give quick and accurate information on their service quality, at relatively low costs. Like most if not all budget airlines, Scoot does not offer flight packages which include free in-flight entertainment, food and drinks. With the limited services provided, it is difficult for Scoot to achieve customer satisfaction. Therefore, Scoot has to focus on constantly improving its performances, as well as to mitigate the expectations of its customers. SIA is world renowned to provide great services to its customers, therefore meeting or even exceeding the expectations of its customers. Scoot can leverage on SIAs experiences and methods, as well as the trainings regimes provided to its staff, in order to achieve similar results and have a pool of well-trained staff. Scoot has vigorously tried to shed the public impression of it being a subsidiary of SIA. The marketing strategy of Scoot has to continue in this line, that is to distance itself from premium, full-service carriers and to be in the same market as other budget airlines. Scoot can distance itself from full-service carriers, by having its customer to board and alight from its aircrafts in the same airline terminals also utilized by other budget airlines. This could also prevent customers from using full-service carrier expectations, to judge the performances of Scoot. Scoot will be able to achieve fuel-efficiency by using Boeing 777 aircrafts. This allows Scoot to have lower costs than its competitors who are using older and less fuel-efficient aircrafts. With greater savings from less fuel consumption, Scoot should pass on some of the cost-saving benefits to its consumers. For example, Scoot can afford to reduce its air ticket prices due to lower costs. This will enable Scoot to maintain and capture a bigger market share through securing new customers from its competitors. With the advancement in technology and the popularized use of social media, many companies have turn to social media and internet to advertise their products and services. Scoot has actively tried to portray a lively and young image. Therefore, they should further strengthen this image, as well as to reach out to greater market of potential customers, by exploring and utilizing the social media platform. For example, Scoot can engage fresh-faced foreign celebrities with positive images who are active on the social media platforms, to be their spokespersons in destinations where they wish to gain greater market share. This couples with more online advertising spending, could assist Scoot to reach out to greater diversity of air travelers who are not based in Singapore. Budget airlines like Scoot face mammoth tasks in achieving desired levels of customer satisfaction and service quality, while cutting costs and maximizing revenues to ensure sustained profitability. With concerted efforts in providing basic and necessary services, as well as improving performances and lowering expectations, Scoot can secure its customer base and reduce operating costs which will in turn result in Scoot meeting its main aim of earning consistent revenues and profits. Question 3(a) With the availability of a wide range of choices for air traveling, which includes budget and full-service airlines, air travelers will make thorough comparisons to decide on the most value for money option for leisure travel and business purposes. The procedure from recognizing a need to fulfilling it is shown in Figure 3.1 which is a form of cognitive learning that depicts the five-stage decision making process model. The definition of consumer learning is the process by which individuals acquire the purchase and consumption knowledge and experience they apply to future related behaviour (Belch, Belch, Guolla, 2011). Figure 3.1 A basic model of consumer decision making. (Source) According to Bauer, Consumer behavior involves risk in the sense that any action of a consumer will produce consequences which he cannot anticipate with anything approximating certainty, and some of which at least are likely to be unpleasant (1960, p. 24). Thus, consequences and uncertainty are the two basic factors that are used to determine the level of perceived risks. Bauer stresses that his main concern is only with subjective (perceived) risk and not real world (objective) risk. This is because consumers will only buy a product that he believes to be good and trustworthy. Perceived risk might not be actual risk but the amount of risk a consumer believes that could be incurred when he buys a certain product from a certain vendor (Kotler et al., 2009). The risks include functional, physical, psychological, financial and time risks. Functional risk occurs when the product is not up to consumers perceived level of service. As Scoot is a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines (SIA), most of us will expect it to be exceptional. However, Scoot is a budget airline and hence, like all other budget airlines, its main concern is to provide cheap air transportation. The basic air fare covers only transportation from one point to another. So, one has to pay for whatever is desired. The utilitarian approach is to ensure that all costs are reduced to the minimum which allows the air fare to be low, yet, profitable. Thus, consumers who expect regular amenities on budget airlines will be greatly disappointed. If a person thinks that consuming a certain product can be harmful to him or his loved ones, then this is a physical risk perceived and he would probably never consume that product. When travelling with budget airlines, the usual complaint would be limited space and uncomfortable seats. When one has to sit in a cramped aircraft with little moving space for a few hours, it can be very uncomfortable and may cause backaches and other minor aches or even death (space adaption syndrome). These are physical risks of travelling with budget airlines that travellers might want to avoid. Psychological risk is defined as the product that affects the mental well-being of the user (Kotler et al., 2009, p. 186). Some conservative consumers may feel that flying in bigger aircrafts would give them more sense of security and comfort. Hence, they would avoid by travelling by budget airlines such as Scoot. If one purchases a product and it is defective, he will incur financial losses when he has to pay extra money to repair or find a replacement. Hence, the cost exceeds the value of this product. If one intents to travel by budget flight, then he must be prepared to carry extra cash in case he gets stuck in a foreign country when his flight is delayed or cancelled. This is because budget airlines do not provide any other recompense besides ticket refund. That means, one needs to pay for whatever expenses incurred, be it lodging or purchase of another ticket to fly to the next destination. It is believed that budget air flights experiences frequent delays and cancellations. Thus, it is commonly believed that one should avoid budget flights to avoid financial risks. Moreover, with frequent cancellations and delays for budget flight is time wasted. One needs to wait indefinitely or buy another air ticket, which requires extra time and effort. In addition, one could miss an important appointment which might have undesirable consequences. Question 3(b) In order to overcome the perceived risks, marketers should know that consumers are worried about risks that they believe are true and not necessarily real. As per Gordon Allport (1935), Attitudes are learned predispositions to respond to an object in a consistently favorable or unfavorable way.. Consumers hold attitude toward many things that are vital to the marketer. Moreover, their attitudes indicate their emotions, assessment and behavioral tendencies towards a product. Therefore, we need to change the consumers attitude regarding budget airlines. To overcome perceived risks, Scoot could publish statistics of the level of customers satisfaction, of light delays, cancellations and the amount of money saved compared to the cheapest flight available. This can be done through the market research process in which marketers could identify the problem caused by the five perceived risks and provide decision alternatives. When consumers realise that the level of statistics shown is actually similar to other regular carriers, plus the incentive of the amount of money saved, they will feel more encouraged to travel on Scoot. The proven performance will help to build customers confidence in Scoots ability to meet their expectations. Hence, the perceived functional risk is solved. The growth of competitors such as Tiger Airways, Jetstar , Airasia and Webjet may influence consumers purchasing decision with extremely competitive prices and numerous attractive promotions. Scoot marketers could identify the consumers needs and wants and apply differentiation strategies through product improvement, better services and well trained personnel. Some of the frequent complaints while flying budget airlines are poor services, cramped spaces and uncomfortable chairs. Scoot uses product differentiation by offering wider spaces in planes and more comfortable seats. Also, there are pictures of the aircraft interior posted in their website to allow people to see their offerings. Additionally, on-line forums or memo boards on Scoots website allows consumers who have used Scoots service to post their reviews and share their experiences. This marketing strategy could alleviate the conservative consumers psychological risk. These include good and bad experiences and tips when fly ing Scoot. The feedback and control system also allows Scoot to track its results such as customer satisfaction and retention rate and sales. This will also allow Scoot to adapt to a shift in consumers expectations such as better services or technological access. In this way, Scoot has addressed perceived physical risks of the consumers. The purpose of using budget airlines is to save money. It defeats the purpose if consumers have to pay extra money in order to proceed with the journey. However, occasional delays are inevitable and the worst case scenario would be stuck without accommodation. Since budget airlines sustain with minimum expenses, it is impossible to make allowance for lodgings. Thus, Scoot could make a list of cozy corners or cafes that offer comfortable resting venues at minimum or no cost for the passengers as a reference. Hence, the consumers will not need to spend extra money on contingency plans. This will reduce financial risk of a consumer. It is true that delays and cancellations are possible when flying on budget flights. This is because budget flight operates like a bus and travels the identical path to and fro many times daily. Minor delays could occur but, after a long day, the slight delays become significant when many delays build up into major time lapse and even cancellations. However, delays could also happen to any regular air flights. So, it should be made very clearly to passengers that punctuality is very important and any delays will affect subsequent flights. As Scoot target consumers are the young and young at heart, a comic strip could be used to illustrate this scenario to make it fun but not offensive. In conclusion, perceived risks are what consumers believe are true but not necessarily real. In order to overcome these perceptions effectively, we need to understand their worries and help them to correct their perceptions and gain a positive Scootitude. Hence, we gain attention from hesitant potential customers and retain current customers. Question 4 Every business needs effective strategies to meet ever changing demands of the market. For a business to be sustainable, it needs to satisfy its customers expectations and build a lasting relationship. This means it needs to fulfill the customers perceived value (CPV) which is the difference between the prospective customers evaluation of all the benefits and all the costs of an offering and the perceived alternatives (Kotler et al., 2009, p. 133). Hence, long term strategies must be implemented to cultivate strong customer relationships. Customer relationship management (CRM) is essential in cultivation of long term customer relationship. It is defined as the process of carefully managing detailed information about individual customers and all customers touch points to maximize customer loyalty (Kotler et al., 2009, p. 144). There are four ways to good CRM which are: identify its prospects and customers, differentiate customer in terms of their needs and their value to the company, interact with individual customers and customize products, services, and messages to each customer (Kotler et al., 2009). When booking air tickets on-line, consumers are already giving their personal details to the airlines. The information includes: gender, date of birth, billing address, nationality, passport number and payment methods. We can use the customer data base to identify the different market types and establish effective communications to the respective consumers. Through such data mining, we can identify the trend and segments to forecast the needs and wants of different consumers. The consumers could be segmented into different nationality, gender and age distribution. With the market segmentation, Scoot could differentiate customers in terms of their needs and values brought to the company. Scoot has limited financial resources, so it needs to attract more good customers, and retain profitable existing customers. In order to build customer loyalty, Scoot need to implement special benefits for long term customers. The main objective for travelling with budget airline is to save money. Customers will have their personal accounts with Scoot upon successful purchase and they will be able to access this account to check their transactions. Hence, Scoot can emphasize this point by letting consumers know how much they have saved by frequently travelling with Scoot. The amount saved will be translated to reward points for reward redemptions. Loyal customers will be able to redeem rewards with Scoot and its overseas partners like getting free transportation at pick up points and drop off at desired destinations. This will make members feel privileged that they are rewarded for their loyalty. This also acts as a one-stop comprehensive portal that provides cost savings to these loyal customers by providing cheap lodging options and discounted ticket prices to places of interest in other countries, offered by working partners of Scoot. This is in line with Scoots objective of providing low cost and no-fr ills travel for consumers and maximise customer perceived value. Scoot needs to interact with individual customers in order to understand the requirements of different customers and implement changes where required. However, a budget airline is operating within budget constraints; hence it will not be viable to maintain a customer service department to entertain consumers enquiries and complains. Booking fees or administrative fees usually incurred when online transactions are performed. In order to encourage consumers to fill up questionnaires and survey forms designed by Scoot, Scoot can offer customers waiver of these fees when they book air tickets, after the completion of the questionnaires and survey forms. With incentives, consumers will be more willing to provide feedbacks which can help to enhance Scoots services. With data collected from these surveys, Scoot can customize communications to each customer by sending them information only for what they are interested in. This will allow Scoot to identify and differentiate customers in terms of their needs and wants. These include promotions for certain locations which are of interest, special occasions in certain countries and new exciting happenings in certain countries. As such, consumers will not feel frustrated when receiving mail trailers but will be anticipating what Scoot can offer them. In conclusion, while Scoot can lookout for potential consumers and offer them some encouragement to become its customers, the focus is still to establish and strengthen long term relationship with current customers. As such, Scoot needs to identify prospects and customers to differentiate their preferences and allocate resources effectively to enhance profitability and retain customers simultaneously. Interaction is essential to understand customers requirements which will allow Scoot to customize their services to loyal customers who will continue to patronize Scoot with its incentives and loyalty programmes which maximizes perceived customer value.

Business partnerships and their benefits to organizations, suppliers, and customers Essay

Introduction A business partnership is an alliance of two or more parties that take on in a business venture in which the earnings and losses are divided equally. The legal description of a partnership business is an alliance of two or more people to collaborate as co-owners of a company for income. The formation of a partnership necessitates a deliberate alliance of parties or businesses that co own the company and aim to conduct it for profit. Partners can shape the partnership by written or verbal agreement. A partnership accord often directs the partners’ dealings with each other and to the company. Each partner has a right to share in the profits of the partnership. Unless the company accord asserts otherwise, associates share profits equally. Additionally, partners must donate equally to joint venture losses except if a partnership accord offers another arrangement. Each partner is also required to participate equally in the management of the partnership. A popular vote settles disagreements involving the administration of the partnership. On the other hand, some choices such as letting in a new partner or force out a partner entail all the partners’ undivided consent. Every partner owes a fiduciary obligation to the firm and to copartners. This duty necessitates that an associate ought to deal with copartners in good faith. It also requires that an associate should report to copartners for any profit that he or she obtains while engaged in partnership business. Each partner also has a responsibility of trustworthiness to the partnership. Unless the copartners assent, a partner’s obligation of loyalty constrains the partner from utilizing partnership assets for personal benefit. It also constrains the partner from rivaling with the partnership, taking on in self-dealing, or seizing partnership opportunities. It is a fact that firms that participates in the business system as partners complement the company and its suppliers, thereby increasing the value to customers. Business partnerships’ benefits to companies, suppliers, and consumers Firms that participate in the business system as partners allow for minimal formalities and regulatory and reporting requirements required in conducting business deals. Although partnerships are governed by statute, the required statutory formalities are few. A concise written partnership agreement is a good investment in almost any circumstance. However, it is not required, and a partnership may be formed by a verbal agreement between two or more people and can be implied by behavior. State statutes vary with regard to partnerships filing requirements and other formalities. The pertinent state statutes must always be reviewed and must be complied with. Most states do not require partnership registration with the secretary of state or other state official before commencing business. However, a certificate of assumed name or similar document is usually required when the partnership will be transacting business under an assumed name, trade name, or fictitious name (Schneeman, 2007, p.73). Minimal formalities ensure that a partnership business is able to do business with its suppliers smoothly without having to jump major hurdles. This saves a lot of time and resources for both the organization and its suppliers (Practicing Law Institute., and United States, 1971, p.47). This smooth operation between the company and its suppliers ensures that the customers are provided with quality services or products in a timely fashion, thus benefiting the organization, its suppliers, and customers. With partnerships, there is participation and flexibility in management. Unless one or more partners waive their rights, every partner has equal power and authority to manage the partnership affair. Partners of smaller partnerships may find this appealing if they have varied backgrounds and areas of expertise, and all wish to participate actively. All partners are allowed to act freely on behalf of the partnership, with few restrictions. Larger partnerships on the other hand are allowed the flexibility of putting the management of the partnership into the hands of the best individual or group of individuals for the job. According to Bradley, firms which participate in the business system as partners are both competitors and collaborates with respect to their suppliers. Participation and flexibility in the management of an organization ensures that only the best suppliers are targeted as partners. For example, British Airways and Singapore Airlines compete for passengers but they played a partnership role in the development of the Airbus superjumbo for which both are major customers. Organizations need to develop partnerships with the best suppliers to leverage their expertise and technologies to create a competitive advantage. Learning how an organization’s suppliers are performing can lead to superior visibility, which can offer prospects for more collaborative involvement in value-added activities. Many organizations are tracking product and services quality, on-time deliveries, customer service efforts and cost-control programs as part of the supplier rating system. This information can be used to develop supplier programs that will improve supply chain management, thus creating more value for consumers. Participation and flexibility in management creates knowledge environments for managers in firms that participate as business partners. Knowledge environments for administrators look like experience environments for clients. Innovations in knowledge environments must reflect the granularity of managerial experiences, just like innovations in experience environments must reflect the depth of consumer experiences. To create more value for consumers, organizations must continually create new knowledge. The opportunities to do so may come from solving a particular problem, for example, reducing the recharge time for a battery pack in a particular cell phone configuration. The opportunity may also come from identifying major emerging opportunities, for example, the explosive growth of market for cell phones in China and India. To make this happen, organizations must create knowledge environments that facilitate the discovery and action in the new competitive space through participation of partners and flexibility in management processes. This creates value for the company, its suppliers, and its customers. Firms in a business system that participate as partners have the added advantage of shared management. A partner will have other partners to rely on to provide expertise in needed areas. Decisions can be made jointly after thorough discussion. This feature of shared decision-making can also be a disadvantage when a quick decision is needed. Partners must consult with each other on significant issues. Partners have the advantage of appointing a certain partner as managers of the business. They can be delegated the authority to make certain decisions by themselves. Shared organizational management by business partners enables purchasing management. This refers to all activities necessary to manage supplier relationships in such a way that their activities are aligned with the company’s overall business strategies and interests. It focuses on structuring and continuously improving purchasing processes within the organization and between the organization and its suppliers. For example, before applying to be a Volvo supplier, an interested supplier must understand and agree on Volvo’s core values. This helps to eliminate any misunderstandings on the quality of products that the company offers. This benefits the company, its selected suppliers and creates value for its customers. In the business system, shared organizational management by firms in a business partnership enables the development of customer loyalty. Customer relationships are built on the basis of trust. Repeat business gets generated only when customers believe their suppliers and perceive them as creating more value. Loyalty is created only when the customer perceives fairness, equity, and transparency in his or her relationship with the seller. This is possible with a shared organizational management by businesses in a partnership agreement because all parties involved create strategies that improve customer relations, ensuring that they remain loyal to the organization. This generates more profits for the organization. Business partnerships require a low cost of organization. There are no minimum requirements for starting a partnership. The startup costs, including any required state filing fees, tend to be lower than those for corporations are. This in itself is a great advantage for small businesses wishing to form business partnerships. Additionally, the low cost of organization ensures that the partnership business has enough resources to conduct numerous transactions with many suppliers. This means that the supply of any needed raw materials is constant. This ensures that the production of goods or services goes on smoothly without hitches. For the company’s consumers, this is a great advantage for them because the production of goods or services will be relatively cheaper. This means that consumers will have access to the products or services at a relatively cheaper price as compared with other organizations, thus benefitting the organization, its suppliers, and customers. In the business system, business partnerships enable the partner organizations to raise capital easily. Because two or more firms contribute financial resources, business partnerships can raise funds more easily for operating expenses and business expansion. The partners’ combined financial strength also increases the firm’s ability to raise funds from outside sources. This ability of a firm to raise capital easily is an advantage for nonfinancial stakeholders such as suppliers, customers, employees, and the community in which the firm operates. They have no direct monetary stake in the company and no direct influence on the firm’s financial policy. This means that they have no decision or voting power. They only have a state in the firm’s financial health. Nonfinancial stakeholders are interested in the firm’s investment options because they can be hurt by its financial difficulties. Specifically, a firm’s capital structure choices can affect nonfinancial stakeholders by affecting the probability of default on their explicit and implicit claims on the firm and by influencing the firm’s production and pricing decisions. Consequently, firms in partnership may be forced implicitly to take the interests of their nonfinancial stakeholders into account in formulating financial policy. The capital structure of a business partnership can serve as a signaling device to these nonfinancial stakeholders and thereby affect their behavior. A firm’s financial condition can affect how suppliers and customers perceive its reliability. Therefore, the ability of a business partnership to raise capital easily from many different sources means that its suppliers and customers trust its ability to make profitable business for all involved parties. This benefits the firm and its suppliers, and consequently, creates value for its customers. Firms participating in the business system as partners combine a variety of diverse skills and expertise. Partners share the responsibilities of managing and operating the business. Combining partner skills to set goals, manage the overall direction of the firm, and solve problems increases the chances for the partnership’s success. Ideal business partnerships bring together people with complementary backgrounds rather than those with similar experience, skills, and talents. This enables the firm to view the diversity of skills in labor as an asset rather than a cost. These are the skills and expertise in employees that contribute to the firm’s level of productivity. With a business partnership therefore, production of goods or services is of a high quality. This benefits the organization and creates worth for its customers, thus leading to its success. Firms that participate in the business system as business partners increase the size of the organization. In businesses, size matters. Corporations that are big enough to control significant shares of sales and profits in one or more industries and enjoy tremendous financial and organizational advantages over small businesses. Financially, large revenue streams mean big budgets, enormous purchasing power, and great bargaining advantage with suppliers of goods and services. Organizationally, the bigness of an organization facilitates the development and application of specialized human and technological resources. Additionally, this enables the organization to determine its future sourcing strategy for every spend category. The organization is able to decide whether to reduce or expand its supply base, and where the suppliers should come from. The company is also able to decide on the type of relationship it would need to pursue with its suppliers. The company is then able to decide on the type of contract it would put in place in its dealings with suppliers. This ensures that the company has a constant supply of raw materials throughout the year. This means that the products and services produced by the company will be of high quality and would meet the consumer demands. This benefits the organization and its suppliers, and creates value for its customers. In the business system, business partnerships lead to reduced price competition. This according to Bradley means that the decisions made by one company affect and are affected by decisions made by other firms. If one company decides to reduce its prices, it will force other companies to do the same. Modern industries remain full of aggressively price-slashing firms. Modern corporate capitalists are compelled by the market to pass the benefits of productivity improvements to customers through price cuts. Failure to do so would mean that rival firms would soon copy an organization’s innovations and lower their prices, thus forcing them to run out of business. Full-fledged price wars are now so anathema that, even in the most competitive industries, corporate wisdom is to try anything and everything before entering into even a single round of unrestrained price-cutting. Corporate capitalism means price inflation. From a corporate capitalist’s perspective, such steady, mild inflation is a good thing. Major firms can bank on being able to charge a bit more for next year’s model than for this year’s and on taking in a bit more revenue for the same output. This is achievable when corporations form partnerships (Dawson, 2003, p.24). The bargaining power of a firm over its suppliers is crucial because it can improve the price, quantity, reliability, and timely delivery of raw materials. The company’s power increases the more the inputs are commodity items and are subject to price competition. The company, rather than the supplier should add the value. For example, a restaurant buys commodity items like vegetables, meat and drinks, all of which are readily available and subject to intense competition. It has power over suppliers and adds the value by processing them into expensive meals. This also creates value for the consumers because the company will have the ability to produce top quality products. Business partners enjoy income tax benefits. The net income or loss of the partnership is passed through to the associates, according to the partnership accord. The partnership is required to file a partnership return form annually with the revenue services in their countries, but no income tax is owed by the partnership itself. Rather, the partnership’s return indicates the income earned by the partnership and allocated to the individual partners. A partnership is not taxable as a separate entity. The partners on income derived from the partnership pay a single tax. Additionally, because the income of the partnership flows through to the individual partners, if the partnership experiences a net loss, each partner’s share of that loss may be written off on the partner’s individual income tax return. Conclusion A business partnership is an association of two or more parties engaged in a business enterprise where all parties involved share the profits and losses equally. This type of association creates benefits for the organizations involved and its suppliers, thereby creating more value for its customers. The minimal formalities required in starting a business partnership enable the company to deal easily with its suppliers without major red tapes. This enables the company to produce products and services in a much quicker way. Partnerships enable flexibility in management. This ensures that only the targeted suppliers are selected for business partnerships. 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