Consumer Relationship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Consumer Relationship - Essay Example Consumer relationship management is one area of organizations that calls for proper intelligence and understanding to achieve. Most organizations look into satisfying the needs of their customers without first understanding themselves. By giving so much focus to consumer satisfaction and ignoring the organization itself, in the long run even the customers themselves hardly get satisfied (Liveris 2011, p. 17). This paper critically analyzes the contribution of organizational/product- consumer relationship trends in the global beer industry by taking into consideration the demands of consumer relationships, theories around consumer relationships and the techniques that have been employed by organizations so as to achieve customer relationships. In purchasing goods and services, consumers are always faced with dilemmas before arriving at the decision to buy some specific products or services. In the beer industry, one may ask such question as, why do I need to buy â€Å"Heineken† but not â€Å"castle lager† for instance. Well, depending with the individual, different factors such as price, quality and satisfaction will start ringing in their minds. To others, however, the producer of the product matters a lot. It is common that people tend to choose products from well established organizations as opposed to the upcoming organizations. Described below is the process that most consumers undergo before arriving at the decision to purchase certain products: What triggers the mind of any individual to buy a certain product is the need to solve a certain need or problem that such a consumer may be facing. Here, the consumer tends to believe that by purchasing specific products, their problems will be solved. Most organizations start influencing the customer decision making from this point. Companies try to put to customers that those customers actually have problems and those problems can only be  solved with products from such organizations. A good example is alcohol consumption.  

Children, Young People and Families Essay Example for Free

Children, Young People and Families Essay Case Study Four (appendix one) describes a family which due to multiple issues including separated parents with mental health needs, siblings living apart, aggressive behaviour and truancy they present an extremely complex case for any social worker. It focuses on the story of Callum and his current status with brief mention of his brother and two sisters. I will explore the legal and policy guidance along with relevant theories and values that would inform and guide social work practice in relation to Callum as the majority of the information relates to him. The Every Child Matters (ECM) Green Paper introduced wide spread policy change and was underpinned by law in the 2004 Children Act. The ECM requires that social workers support the parents and carers instead of removing children to long term care (Hodge, 2004). For example the ECM set out the agenda for the unification of local childrens services such as schools, GPs, social services and so on (Hodge, 2004). The idea of a holistic approach to a persons needs by removing the legislative barriers between inter agency information sharing, directs services to work together towards a mutual aim which is what is best for the child in this case Callum. Another key theme set out in the ECM is early intervention, which means that children should receive the appropriate help then need but when they need it. An important step in reaching this goal is the use of the Common Assessment Framework (CAF). For Callum and others the CAF aims to put their needs ahead of the agencies agenda (Gilligan, 2008). The entire process  should be guided by a lead professional whose job it is to lead and follow up actions with all agencies involved while being the primary contact for the child with the extra needs, this helps when a child is working with more than one professional as it can easily become disorientating and counterproductive for the child developmentally to be dealing with multiple professionals (Howarth, 2010). For Callum and his family the CAF would be used by the Local Authority (LA) to assess the needs of the children and the family as under S.47 of the Children Act they have a duty to do so (Calder and Hackett, 2013). Within the assessment three key areas are explored. Firstly Callums developmental needs, parental capacity which although his mother is currently unable to demonstrate capacity to care for Callum the new policy context assures that she will be fully assessed and supported where possible if it is in Callums best interests to have an input in his life. Lastly family and environmental factors (Calder and Hackett, 2013). The three core assessment areas are explored in more detail in the assessment framework triangle. During the assessment the social worker gains information required from individuals involved including family members and all supporting agencies. The plan is to build a complete picture that will allow the social worker to begin to look at different theories and research which may offer insight or explanation for Callums behaviours. Professor Nick Frost (2013) when discussing the lessons learned from a Serious Case Review echoes the findings of the Munro report (2001) stating that the decisions undertaken by social workers on a daily basis, often with very little time, are extremely complex and involve a high degree of uncertainty. This something that the CAF attempts to address as it is to be approached as a partnership between services the young people and their families (Calder and Hackett, 2013). Each of the three sections of the assessment framework triangle are gone into in much more detail and guidance for this is laid out in the CAF guidelines. In order to make use of the information gained a robust foundation of knowledge is required to deliver evidenced based practice. For example When looking at Callums Health are  all his needs being met to enable him to develop physically as he should. He is staying out late and not attending school so we can reasonably assume that he may not be getting sufficient food or rest. The medical model suggests that without regular and nutritious meals and adequate rest Callums physical development will be retarded (Cowie, 2012). This is a rather simplistic example though it effectively demonstrates how research directly informs practice. The new policy also calls for flexibility so that services can be provided parallel to the assessment process meaning that children and their families dont need to wait until after the assessment process to start receiving support (Calder and Hackett, 2013). When Callums physical needs are identified it is possible then without delay to for example refer him to his GP for an examination to assess his physical condition. Further along the childs developmental needs assessment we come to emotional and behavioural development which looks at characteristics like the childs temperament, self control and how they respond to stress. These are all heavily informed by a broad base of research and theories some of which have conflicting views on how certain behaviours can be explained (Calder and Hackett, 2013). Before I look at some theories that would inform practice in relation to the case study I think it is helpful to look at how Beckett (2006) explains how social workers find a solution by first seeking for explanations. This he says is looking at the information gathered from the assessment and trying to find a theory that we think fits and them apply the relevant intervention. He calls these past orientated approaches, in the case of Callum we look at his past to try and find out why things are the way they are (Beckett, 2006). Callum is displaying aggressive behaviour, he resisted foster carers and now that he is back in a childrens home he stays out on occasion with his father. Attachment theory has plenty of empirical evidence and suggests that Callum like us all is hard wired to seek a relationship with his carer, in this case the attachment with his father is still felt by him. Bowlbys (2005) work on attachment suggests that during our formative years we develop an internal working model (IWM) from our initial  attachments, the resulting quality of the IWM is dependent on the quality of the original attachments. In Callums case he quality of this attachment could be questionable. Cassidy (1988, cited in Cowie, 2012, p.49) Bibliography Bowlby, J. 2005. A secure base. London: Routledge. Brayne, H. and Carr, H. 2012. Law for social workers. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Calder, M. and Hackett, S. 2013. Assessment in child care. Lyme Regis, Dorset: Russell House. Cassidy, J. and P. R. Shaver (eds). 1988. Handbook of attachment. New York: Guilford Press, pp.3-20. Quoted in Cowie, H. 2012. From birth to sixteen years. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge. pp.49. Cowie, H. 2012. From birth to sixteen years. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge. Frost, P. 2013. Lessons From a Serious Case Review. Interviewed by Anne Llewellyn [in person] Leeds, 27.11.2013. Gilligan, P. and Manby, M. 2008. The Common Assessment Framework: does the reality match the rhetoric?. Child Family Social Work, 13: 177–187 Green, L. 2010. Understanding the life course. Cambridge: Polity. Hodge, M. 2004. Every child matters. London: DfES Publications. Horwath, J. 2010. The childs world. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Causes of the Increase in FDI Flows Across Countries

Causes of the Increase in FDI Flows Across Countries Growth literature The significant increase in FDI flows across countries is a clear indication of globalization of the world economies over the past 2 decades. Neoclassical model of growth as well as endogenous growth models provides the basis for most of the empirical work on the FDI-GROWH relationship. According to the neoclassical growth theory, economic growth generally comes from two sources: factors accumulation and total factor productivity growth (Felipe, 1997). Growth is easier to quantity and analyse while difficulties abound in the measurement of the Total Factor Production growth due to the lack of appropriate economic modeling techniques as well as lack of appropriate data. Neoclassical growth projected that based on aggregate production function that relates the total output of an economy to the aggregate amount of the labour, human capital, physical capital and level of technology, poor countries will grow faster than rich countries. Neoclassical growth theory implies that return on cap ital stock should be higher in poor countries than in rich countries. This implies that the impact of FDI is limited to its output growth effect in the short run, with no change in the long run growth rate. On the other hand, the Endogenous growth literature state that FDI can not only contribute to the economic growth through capital formation and technology transfers (Blomstrom et al.1996) but also do so through the augmentation of the level of knowledge through labour training and skill acquisition ( De Mello, 1999). Endogenous growth models emphasize on other channels including human capital accumulation and externalities or spillover effect through which FDI can promote growth in the long run. (Romer 1986, Loungani and Razin,2001). The three channels identify through which FDI affects growth; First, FDI increases capital accumulation in the host country by introducing new inputs and technologies (Dunning, 1993; Blomstrom et al. 1996). Second, FDI may stimulate knowledge transfers, both in terms of labour training and skill acquisition and by introducing alternative management practices and better organizational arrangements (De Mello, 1997).Third, FDI increases competition in the h ost country by overcoming entry barriers and reducing the market power of existing firms. Channels of Growth When a country’s foreign investment increase international production also increase rapidly, and thus investment only contribute towards the expansion of national markets but also larger scale regional and global markets( UNCTAD,1990). It is obvious that FDI will convey many benefits to the host country; one of them is economic growth. Hermes and Lensink(2000) has summarized different channels through which positive externalities related with FDI can arise namely: i)competition channel where increased competition is likely to result in increased productivity, investment in human and physical capital and efficiency. Increased competition may lead to changes in the industrial structure towards more competitiveness and more export oriented activities. ii) Training channel through increased training of labour and administration. FDI can also increase the quality of domestic human capital and improve the knowhow and managerial skills of local firms. (learning by watching effect) ii i) Linkages channel whereby foreign investment is often accompanied by technology transfer. FDI can encourage the adoption of new technology in the production process through capital spillovers. According to De Mello (1997) and OECD (2002), FDI affect growth is likely to depend on the economic and technological conditions in the host country. Therefore, technological spillover is possible only when there is certain minimum or threshold level of human capital available in the host country (Borensztein, et al. 1998) iv) domestic firms imitate the move advance technologies used by foreign firms commonly termed as the ‘demonstration channel’. By adapting new technologies and ideas (i.e. technological diffusion) they may catch up to the levels of technology in developed countries. The use of new technologies may be important in contributing to higher productivity of capital and labour in the host country. Local firms have an opportunity to improve their efficiency by learnin g and interacting with foreign firms. Benefits of FDI The economic rationale for offering special incentive to attract FDI frequently derives from the belief that foreign investment produces externalities in the form of technology transfers and spillovers. Spillover effects may take place when the entry or presence of foreign firms leads to productivity and efficiency benefits in the host country’s local firms (Blomstrà ¶m and Kokko 1998). There are two forms of spillover effects that foreign firms bring to the local industries which are Inter- and intra- industry spillover effects. Horizontal spillover also called intra-industry spillovers correspond to technological externalities associated with specific knowledge, such as management strategy and know-how and superior production techniques. Kokko (1996) argue that domestic firms benefits from the entry of foreign firms competition, imitation and workers’ productivity. Local firms will allocate more resources to product development and quality assurance in order to remain competitive. Gorg and Greenaway (2004) state that there are 4 channels through which horizontal spillover might occur Imitation which involves simulation of exclusive technology, management and marketing skills of foreign firms such that it will improve the productivity of local firms( Halpenn and Murakozy,2007) Human capital and labour turnover; Gory and Greenaway (2004) identify two mechanisms through which there is productivity spillover. First a direct spillover to complementary worker, as skilled labour working alongside labour tends to raise productivity of the latter. Second, workers that move carry knowledge with them new technology, new management techniques and consequently can become direct agents of technology transfer. Competition- as competition increase due to foreign firms, domestic firms have to introduce new technology in order to increase their efficiency(Glass and Saggi,2002) Export- local firms can learn penetration tactics which are viewed as essential for the export market. Hence they may experience cost reduction with exportation Recent studies based on micro-level panel data call into question the evidence of positive spillover and find either insignificant or negative intra industry spillovers. Haddad and Harrison (1993) find no significant relationship between the level of FDI and domestic firm’s productivity growth in the same sector for Morocco in late 80s. Aitken and Harrison (1999) find a negative relationship between the two variables for Venezuela manufacturing industries for the period 1970 to 1980. Vertical spillover also known as inter-industry spillovers consists of externalities occurring due to FDI through backward and forward linkages to input market. Usually when MNE make transaction with local suppliers and customers it may lead to the transfer of technology and know-how which subsequently will improve the intermediate product. MNE can increase the demand for the local input as a backward link to intermediate good suppliers hence increasing the productivity of domestic firms. Productivity can also be increase through forward linkages when domestic producers purchase more sophisticated intermediate goods from MNEs. Moran (2001) states that there are case studies which show that knowledge is transferred from downstream foreign affiliates to upstream, training and assistance as well as supervision in implementation of new technologies

Benin :: essays research papers

Benin, independent nation of W Africa, formerly called Dahomey. Once a French protectorate, it is a country of 40 ethnic tribal groups and a low-level economy.Land and EconomyLocated in the bulge on the S side of W Africa, Benin is bordered by Nigeria, Toga, Berkina Faso, and Niger, with 75 mi (121km) on the Gulf of Guinea. The coast is hot and humid, and there are two rainy and two dry seasons; average annual rainfall is 32in (813mm). Benin has three plateaus, one fertile, another of bare rocks, and a third with streams flowing to the Volta and Niger rivers and including the Atakora range. The E section is a plain. Subsistence agriculture is the economic base. Palm products and cotton account for half of export revenues.PeopleThe leading class in Benin is composed of male-line descendants of the Aja (Fons, or Dahomey) who had established the early kingdom. Trained for civil service by the French, they are the best educated; literacy is 25% among school-age children. In the N are the nomadic Fulani and the Somba tribe, hunters with no political organization; E are Baribas. 90% of the population is rural, and 65% practices animist religion. French is the common language.GovernmentBenin has been under military rule since 1970. The constitution of 1977 instituted a national assembly, whose members belong to the sole legal political party, the Benin People's Revolutionary Party.HistoryBenin's history dates back to three principalities-Allada, Porto-Novo, and Dahomey-in the S area who were being pushed by the N Kingdom of Abomey in the 16th century. Dahomey was the most aggressive, pushing N and selling slaves. In 1863 the king of Porto-Novo sought French protection. By 1892 France had subjugated all groups and made them protectorates as part of French West Africa. In 1960 the country became independent as Dahomey. The official name was changed to Benin in 1976. Economic and regional rivalries have caused numerous military coup d'‚tats and changes of government since 1960. The Marxist-Leninist military government in power since 1972, led by Brig. Gen. Mathieu Kerekou, relaxed its authority somewhat during the late 1970s and improved relations with France.

World Religions – Buddhism

The idea of a â€Å"union of opposites† pervades Taoist writings and exerts a tremendous influence over the root philosophical concepts of Taoism, encompassing issues which may be considered metaphysical or even mystical, but also influencing issues of applied ethics and personal behavior.The idea of conjoined opposites begins at the root, metaphysical level of Taoist thought which asserts that â€Å"being and non-being give rise to each other†; a stark departure from Christianity which posits that God is eternal and so has always been (Chen, 1989, p.  55).This metaphysical assertion continues from the macrocosmic (universal) to the microcosmic (personal) levels, where opposites are seen to give rise to the world of motion and being: â€Å"The difficult and easy complement each other, The long and short shape each other, The high and low lean on each other, Voices and instruments harmonize with one another, The front and rear follow upon each other† (Chen, 1989 , p. 55).Following up on the universally derived union of opposites from a macrocosmic level, the Taoist asserts a union of opposites, also, within the self and in regards to personal conduct: â€Å"the sage manages affairs without action,† and therefore should practice â€Å"creative quietude† in pursuit of personal wisdom and even ambition. The idea that opposites are, in nature, united through the Tao means that moral divisions are also damaging and artificial.The true sage accomplishes merit † without claiming merit† and since â€Å"he does not claim merit, His merit does not go away† (Chen, 1989, p. 55). Such seeming paradoxes are often difficult for Westerners to understand The idea that the universe itself could be comprised of a union of opposites, rather than a pervading and omnipotent single-Creator is not compatible with idea of Christianity which elevates a dualistic vision of the universe with good and evil at odds with one another and a single, benevolent God.Taoism seems to reflect a much more organic and complete of vision, at least in my opinion although the extension of Taoist philosophies into western religion is probably not something which will happen any time soon, such a â€Å"union of opposites† would provide a rich synthesis of spiritual and philosophical ideas. References Chen, E. M. (1989). The Tao Te Ching: A New Translation with Commentary (1st ed. ). St. Paul, MN: Paragon House.

What to Know Before Buying a Pet Tarantula

What to Know Before Buying a Pet Tarantula A tarantula can make a great pet, but its not right for everyone. Dont make an impulsive purchase at a pet store unless you understand your responsibilities as a tarantula owner. A spider is an animal, not a toy. Before making a commitment, make sure to ask yourself a few important questions. Are You Willing to Commit to a Long-Term Relationship With Your Pet Tarantula? Tarantulas are known for their long lifespans. A healthy female tarantula can live well over 20 years in captivity. During that time, it will need regular food and water, an environment with appropriate heat and humidity, and an occasional cleaning of its terrarium. Should you tire of caring for your pet tarantula, you cant just take it outside and let it go. Be sure youre committed to keeping the tarantula for the long haul. Do You Want a Pet You Can Touch and Cuddle? If so, you might do better with a hamster or a gerbil. Though common pet tarantula species are docile, they can easily spook if you are trying to handle them and squirm out of your hand. Falls are nearly always fatal for tarantulas, as their abdomens rupture easily. In addition, tarantulas can and will bite you if they feel threatened. Even worse, theyve got a nasty habit of flicking urticating hairs at the faces of potential predators, which could include you and your loved ones. Do You Want an Active Pet That Does Cool Tricks and Can Be Let Loose in Your Home? When theyre not capturing and eating live prey, tarantulas spend a great deal of time doing absolutely nothing. They are masters of repose. Though it may appear sluggish in its terrarium, once your pet tarantula escapes, it can run with lightning quickness to find a hiding place. Tarantula owners even recommend cleaning the tarantulas habitat within the confines of a bathtub so the resident spider cant make a speedy retreat to some dark corner of the house. Do You Enjoy Feeding Live Prey to Your Pets? Tarantulas eat live prey, which you will need to provide. For some pet owners, this might not be a concern, but for others, its not a pleasant thought. For smaller tarantulas, a diet of crickets, grasshoppers, and roaches might suffice. For larger spiders, you might need to feed an occasional pinky mouse or even a gray mouse. Youll need a reliable supplier of crickets or other live prey in your area to make feeding easier. Its not a good idea to feed wild caught crickets, as these can be infected with pathogens that may harm your pet tarantula. Do You Have a Responsible, Ethical Source From Which to Purchase Your Pet Tarantula? When pet tarantulas first became popular with spider enthusiasts, most of the tarantulas on the market came from the wild. As with any exotic animal in demand, over-collecting can soon put a species at risk in its native habitat. Such was the case with a few popular pet tarantula species, including the Mexican redknee tarantula, a vibrant species featured in several horror movies. A few tarantula species are now protected under the Washington Convention agreement, which limits or prohibits the commercial trade of listed species and their export from their native range. You can still obtain these protected species, but you must purchase a tarantula bred in captivity from a reputable source. Dont put the beautiful spiders at risk; do the right thing.

Homemade Fire Extinguisher Science Project

Homemade Fire Extinguisher Science Project A fire extinguisher is an important piece of safety equipment in both the home and lab. You can make your own fire extinguisher using common kitchen ingredients to learn how fire extinguishers work and to learn about gases. Then, apply the Ideal Gas Law to change the characteristics of your homemade fire extinguisher. How a Fire Extinguisher Works A fire extinguisher typically deprives a fire of oxygen. If you encounter a fire at home, on a stovetop, for example, you can smother the fire by putting a lid over your pan or pot. In some cases, you can toss a non-flammable chemical on the fire to reduce the combustion reaction. Good choices include table salt (sodium chloride) or baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). When baking soda is heated, carbon dioxide gas is given off, suffocating the fire. In this project, youll cause a chemical reaction to produce carbon dioxide gas. The carbon dioxide sinks in the air, displacing it and removing oxygen from the fire. Homemade Fire Extinguisher Materials Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)Vinegar (weak acetic acid)Jar with lid, with a hole in the lid Make the Fire Extinguisher Fill the jar about halfway full with vinegar.To activate the fire extinguisher, drop in a spoonful of baking soda.Immediately shake the jar and point the hole of the jar toward your fire. Test out your fire extinguisher on a candle or small intentional fire so you will know what to expect. Tips and Tricks If you want a directional fire extinguisher, you can insert a straw into the hole in the jar or bottle. Use caulk or duck tape to secure the straw so that it wont shoot out of the jar when you use the homemade fire extinguisher.Dont add too much vinegar to the container! You want enough room to add the baking soda and to prevent excessive build-up of pressure.You can prepare sachets of baking soda for easier use. Simply wrap a spoonful of baking soda in a piece of tissue or toilet paper. When youre ready to use the fire extinguisher, drop the packet of baking soda into the jar and close the lid. How to Make a Fire Extinguisher Shoot the Farthest You can apply the Ideal Gas Law to make a science project out of your homemade fire extinguisher. How would you make the fire extinguisher shoot as far as possible? You do this by maximizing the pressure in the bottle. The pressure in the Ideal Gas Law is related to the volume of the bottle, the amount of gas in the bottle and temperature. Maximize pressure by increasing the temperature and the number of moles of gas inside the bottle. PV nRT P is the pressure in the bottle V is the volume of the bottle n is the number of moles of gas in the bottle R Ideal Gas Constant T temperature Kelvin Solving for pressure or P, you get: P nRT / V So, to maximize the amount of pressure and thus the distance you can shoot the carbon dioxide, you can: Minimize the volume of the container (V). Using a larger bottle may make it easier for you to complete the project, but it wont improve the distance of your homemade fire extinguisher.Maximize the amount of gas produced by the chemical reaction (n). Youll need to experiment with the amounts of vinegar and baking soda you use in order to produce the most carbon dioxide. Usually, youll have plenty of vinegar in a bottle, but not necessarily enough baking soda to react all of it. Also, keep in mind you increase the reaction needed to produce the carbon dioxide when you increase the availability of baking soda by shaking the container to mix the chemicals or by breaking up the baking soda into a fine powder (rather than adding one large clump). Disclaimer: Please be advised that the content provided by our website is for EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. Fire extinguishers and the chemicals contained within them are dangerous and should always be handled with care and used with common sense. By using this website you acknowledge that ThoughtCo., its parent ​Dotdash, and IAC/InterActive Corp. shall have no liability for any damages, injuries, or other legal matters caused by your use of fireworks or the knowledge or application of the information on this website. The providers of this content specifically do not condone using fireworks for disruptive, unsafe, illegal, or destructive purposes. You are responsible for following all applicable laws before using or applying the information provided on this website.

The Rise Of Japanese Militarism Essays - Empire Of Japan, Militarism

The Rise Of Japanese Militarism Essays - Empire Of Japan, Militarism The Rise of Japanese Militarism Japan's political journey from its quasi-democratic government in the 1920's to its radical nationalism of the mid 1930's, the collapse of democratic institutions, and the eventual military state was not an overnight transformation. There was no coup d'etat, no march on Rome, no storming of the Bastille. Instead, it was a political journey that allowed a semi-democratic nation to transform itself into a military dictatorship. The forces that aided in this transformation were the failed promises of the Meiji Restoration that were represented in the stagnation of the Japanese economy, the perceived capitulation of the Japanese parliamentary leaders to the western powers, a compliant public, and an independent military. The ground work for Japanese militarism was a compliant Japanese public. This pliant public was created through a variety of factors. Beginning in the 1890's the public education system indoctrinated students in the ideas of nationalism, loyalty to the emperor and traditionalist ideas of self-sacrifice and obedience. Thus ideas that were originally propagated to mobilize support for the Meiji government were easily diverted to form broad support for foreign militarism. Japanese society also still held many of the remnants of feudal culture such as strong confusion beliefs that stressed support for social order and lack of emphasis on individualist values. These values taught obedience not to a democratic but to the emperor; so the fact that the militaristic government of the 1930's ruled under the emperor meant that the Japanese were loyal to this government just as they had been to the government of the 1920's. So when Japan's militaristic government implemented programs characteristic of totalitarian governments such as strong media control, a thought police, and community organizations the public did little to protest. Shintoism provided a religious justification for nationalism and support for the militaristic government. Shintoism before the 1930's was primarily a nativistic religion which stressed nature and harmony. But during the 1930's it became a ideological weapon teaching Japanese that they were a superior country that had a right to expand and that its government was divinely lead by a descendent of the sun god. The independence and decentralization of the military allowed it to act largely on its own will as characterized in the Manchurian incident in 1931 and the Marco Polo bridge explosion in Shanghai. Because these incidents went unpunished and the Japanese public rallied around them the military was able to push for greater militarism and an increasingly active role in government till the entire government was run by the military. The London Treaty and Japan's rejection by large European powers at the Versailles conference angered many in the military who felt that Japan was being denied its place at the table with the great powers. This lead to a disenfranchisement with the parliamentary government who the military felt had capitulated to the western powers in treaties and by stopping its colonial expansion during the nineteen twenties. Once Japan commenced on the path of militarism it found that because of its technological edge it could defeat other Asian powers this increased Japan's sense of superiority and feed the fires of nationalism. These fires grew as following the 1931 Manchurian incident Japan invaded Manchuria then most China. In South East Asia Japan quickly expanded breaking up British, Portuguese, and Dutch colonialism. Japanese militarism occurred not by an organized plan but rather through passive acceptance by the Japanese public. A compliant Japanese public coupled with a independent army were two factors that pushed Japan toward militarism in the 1930's.

Letter from a Birmingham Jail Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Letter from a Birmingham Jail - Essay Example He also supports his argument morally and politically. Morally, he believes that just laws are God’s laws while unjust laws ruin God’s law. Politically, he believes that just laws are not applied to everyone while unjust laws are applied which is unfair. In both arguments, King defined segregation as an unjust law. â€Å"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.† This is how King expresses his anger and disappointment. He wanted the Black Americans to stand up for their rights, to speak for their rights, equality, and harsh treatment. He criticizes the perception White people have about his thoughts and actions, how his peaceful non-violent movement becomes a violent movement according to them. King seems to throw light on the fact that most of the times the silence of good people leads to one’s repenting in future because if one might not speak for his/her own rights then no one is going to notice their grief and their emotions, He says ‘We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people†. This quote also seems to highlight the present conditions of King’s times when he got arrested for his parade without a permit during his non- violent protests against ‘unjust’ laws. He seems to be in favor of standing up for oneself and speaking for one’s rights. The quote also highlights the fact that if a person is silent and bears every ‘unjust’ act then it is the fault of the silence of those people that they allow such people to do injustice to them.

Dating in the Workplace is not Ethical Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Dating in the Workplace is not Ethical - Essay Example The reason being that â€Å"he had an affair with a female employee† which was not in agreement with the company’s Code of Conduct. The practice of dating happens much often in the workplace setting. People meet each other and get interested in each others’ lives and hobbies, and finally develop relationships. Workplaces are the offline social networks as opposed to the online social networks. Men and women get into contact and start seeing each other. Workplace happens to be a convenient place to go find a suitable person because an employee might not have extra time to spend somewhere else looking for one. However, working in a company does not necessarily mean that one is going to find his soul mate; instead, one is supposed to work toward the establishment of organizational goals and must not jump into relationships because honesty is rare. â€Å"Don’t dip your pen in the company ink!†, is an old saying Gardner quotes in his article. Experts adv ise employees not to date because there are many ethical issues related to it. There are cons of workplace dating that outweigh the pros. But the bitter reality is that employees will not stop dating each other. Let us now discuss the ethical considerations that come with the issue of workplace dating. Ethical Considerations Dr. ... But he decided to make it more than a professional relationship.† This means that although it is perfectly normal to develop a professional relationship between men and women at the workplace, yet it is not suitable by any means to make the relationship personal. Many companies even follow a Code of Conduct that all employees must have to abide by, which prohibits them to date at the workplace. Siegel further asserts that coworker relationships are not that much of an issue as hierarchical relationships like between a boss and a subordinate. When such a relationship develops, it is time for one of the two to quit the job because they are many ethical considerations that are being disturbed. Mixing of sex and power is not at all favorable for the reputation and success of the company in the long run. Sexual Harassment Although workplaces are great places for people to meet and develop relationships, yet an increase in the number of sexual harassment lawsuits warns employees not to develop hasty relationships through dating (Covey and Narvell 130). There are strict penalties for sexual harassment at work and reputed companies do not bear such employees. A male employee may be charged as a sexual harasser if, for example, he has been in a relationship with a female co-employee and after a break-up, still goes after her to patch things up. The latter may file a lawsuit against him for sexual harassment. Also, in case of hierarchical-based relationships, when a boss dates his secretary, for example, then it is not at all necessary that the relationship is mutually consented because there is element of power in it which cannot be ignored. Law will tend to protect the subordinate rather than the boss if at any point in time the former one files a

Shakespearean Drama Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Shakespearean Drama - Essay Example If she truly disagreed in getting married, Shakespeare would have written something to the effect of "thee shall be hang'd on Sunday first". As she could not openly state her opinion, and she never says anything nice, it can be assumed that she actually agrees to the marriage by saying she will be at the hanging. Wealthy young girls were never at public events. In Scene One of Act II, Katharina goes after her sister after being taunted that she likes Hortensio. She ties her sister up in order to make her confess in telling her who all her suitors are. Bianca resists. What is interesting here is that Baptista protects Bianca and tells her to "go ply thy needle". It is the first and only time Bianca is to do an activity of "ideal womanhood". Katherina responds expressing jealousy, fear, loneliness, humiliation†¦. "What will you not suffer me! Nay, now I see She is your treasure, she must have a husband; I must dance bare-foot on her wedding day; And for your love to her lead apes in hell. Talk not to me: I will go sit and weep Till I can find occasion of revenge." Bianca seems the perfect bride to be, but she shames the family. Her tutors are her suitors in disguise. Luciento changes places with Tranio. They make up such a sham that Bianca signs the marriage contract with Tranio. Luciento goes to Baptista and tells him, he is now married with his daughter. Shakespeare is criticizing the conflict of arranged marriages and love marriage. He is also questioning what is the ideal of womanhood. Though Bianca is outwardly the more peaceful of the two; and she is her father's favorite, there is a transformation that questions who has the happier marriage. Their father comments in Act V. (Baptista) "Another dowry to another daughter, For she is changed, as she had never been." Katherina also changes. The techniques are to shock the audience. In reality, Shakespeare is questioning the arranged marriage; the chattel contracts; the fact that a wife is a little bit higher than a man's horse. Women in the upper classes got married when they were 12 to 14 years old. What could they do without any life's experience. In the play, we see an inn keeper, servants, and the widow with the two girls. Either they got married young or they went to Convents. Katherina is more honest in nature than Bianca. She has been left to her own vices too long. She is lonely, highly intelligent, jealous of her sister and angry. Shakespeare writes the play from the male point of view. He is showing how men treat women in society. Shakespeare tries to add the women's side as well. When Petruchio negotiates the dowry with Baptista, he says "†¦.where two raging fires meet together they do consume the thing that feeds their fury, though little fire grows great with little wind, yet extreme gusts will blow out fire and all: So I to her and so she yields to me; For I am rough and woo not like a babe." He is essentially saying that he is not afraid of her emotions nor character and that they will meet equal grounds. He is also saying that he is pleased with what he sees. He will teach her to control the fire in her and he will learn to control his fear. Baptista agrees if Petruchia gets his daughter's love, they can get married. Petruchio enjoys the first encounter with Katrina. She lets him know that she is still young and cannot bear. "Not such jade as you, if me you mean" (Act II) Fine, I will wait. They both are enjoying

The Negative Impacts of Cybercrime on Business and Society Research Paper

The Negative Impacts of Cybercrime on Business and Society - Research Paper Example Computer crime (commonly referred to as cybercrime) is a reference to any type of criminal activity that involves the use of a computer or an internal/external network. This type of activity has been increasing at alarming rates over the past few decades, to the point that seemingly no one is immune from becoming a victim. Cybercrime can take on many shapes and forms. It can begin as something seemingly harmless, and rise to one of the gravest threats to personal and national security that exists today. It is also a troubling trend that the majority of the perpetrators of such crimes appear be young people under the age of 26. They often justify their actions initially as harmless hacking just for fun, but they quickly realize that their actions could prove to be quite lucrative. The harm done to victims of cybercrime, however, are immense. It is important to note that cybercrime does not only involve a financial element. There are crimes being committed that involve spam, harassment, threats, child pornography, and child endangerment just to name a few. Moreover, Cyber threats are becoming a dominant and challenging factor for organizations, as it leverages many risks that are constantly changing as cyber-crime spread by a number of peoples acting independently and having their own varied self-interest (Hardin, 1968), every now and then, there are new security breaches resulting in stolen credit card records, stolen personal information and losses in terms of customer confidence, as well as revenue. NO matter how advanced the security controls are, still incidents and security breaches are on the rise. Relevance and Significance The security of networks and computers globally has been called into question in recent years. Globalization has increased the presence the cyber criminals, compounding efforts to truly secure and maintain reliable networks that can be trusted. Even the most secure of networks, be them owned and operated by government or private individuals, have been hacked into from time to time, leading one to wonder if t rue security is even possible (Kirschner, Buckingham, & Carr, 2002). These problems become relevant because the job of maintaining network security has fallen on individual companies, reducing their ability to expand as rapidly and profitably as possible. This is the result of the reality that the insecurity of their networks has become a primary concern (Layton, 2007). Rather than devoting more resources to research and development, for example, many agencies are need to reallocate resources for combating the increasing prevalence of cybercrime. Current research alludes that, in the face of growing concerns with cybercrime, and with the lack of true network society, individuals are becoming more and more hesitant to use networks to conduct commerce and financial transactions (Peltier, 2001). While it is true that Internet usage is up, trust in conducting electronic transactions is going down. Should this continue, the rapid globalization that we have experienced to this point will likely be compromised (Hung, Chang, & Yu, 2006). To further examine the relevance of this problem, it is helpful to briefly touch on the various types of

Midlands Auto-Parts Limited Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Midlands Auto-Parts Limited - Essay Example However, after the emergence of the object-oriented languages new development technologies have turned out to be gradually more and more well-liked as well as extensively utilized in industrial businesses and university organizations (Firesmith, 1991; Holt, 2009; Stair & Reynolds, 2003). The object oriented development methodology is a components based system development methodology. Object oriented development methodology emphasizes on the creation of classes that encapsulates both data and algorithm used to manipulate the data. The main intention of the object oriented software development methodology is to develop a class that would be reusable to different applications and computer based system architecture (Pressman, 2001). In addition, object oriented development methodology incorporates lot of working functionalities of the spiral software development methodology. It is also an evolutionary system development methodology (Sommerville, 2004). Human resource required: This object oriented development methodology is more related to spiral model for the development of the overall system. In this way in this software development methodology there is no need of large development staff as compared to system size, because each problem is broken into small workable functions (Pressman, 2001). Resources needed: Due to less human resource working for system development through object oriented development methodology, there are fewer resources required for development of system (Pressman, 2001). Development domain: Object oriented development methodology is mostly used for huge application development that encompasses major aspect of reusability. It is also most excellent for complicated project for the reason that it develops system though components based approach (Pressman, 2001). The main similarity in this development methodology and object oriented methodology is the main phases of the system development. The system

Language Use and Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Language Use and Culture - Essay Example Informal language on the other hand is used in situations that are more relaxed and often involve people that we are very familiar with. Formal language is mostly used in writing, whereas informal language is used in speech. There are times, however, when informal language is used in writing. Such situations involve writing letters, emails and text messages to friends or family members. Informal Use of spoken language can also be formal. For instance, when a lecturer is giving lectures to students mostly the language is formal. For instance, a statement like ‘We went to Barcelona for the weekend. We have a lot of things to tell you’, is a formal statement. When said informally the statement would be ‘Went to Barcelona for the weekend. Lots to tell you. In his speech, John McWhorter says that people have stopped giving speeches formally and have now changed gradually to give informal speeches. He says that the kind of speech given in an old movie where one clears his throat before giving the speech I and go, â€Å" Ahem, ladies and gentlemen,† is a thing of the past. He continues to say that even the way we write has gradually changed from formal to informal. John says that people, especially young people write as if they are talking not giving about capital letters or punctuation especially when texting. John refers to texting as fingered speech because it is basically a form of speech in writing. Informal language sometimes involves use of slang. Slang may be described as a subset of a language used by a particular group of people. Slang usually consists of words and phrases which are not in the English dictionary. These words and phrases could be distortions of already existing English words or entirely new creations. Slang is used by almost all groups of people in society who have common interests or situations. The group of people that uses slang

The Negative Impacts of Cybercrime on Business and Society Research Paper

The Negative Impacts of Cybercrime on Business and Society - Research Paper Example Computer crime (commonly referred to as cybercrime) is a reference to any type of criminal activity that involves the use of a computer or an internal/external network. This type of activity has been increasing at alarming rates over the past few decades, to the point that seemingly no one is immune from becoming a victim. Cybercrime can take on many shapes and forms. It can begin as something seemingly harmless, and rise to one of the gravest threats to personal and national security that exists today. It is also a troubling trend that the majority of the perpetrators of such crimes appear be young people under the age of 26. They often justify their actions initially as harmless hacking just for fun, but they quickly realize that their actions could prove to be quite lucrative. The harm done to victims of cybercrime, however, are immense. It is important to note that cybercrime does not only involve a financial element. There are crimes being committed that involve spam, harassment, threats, child pornography, and child endangerment just to name a few. Moreover, Cyber threats are becoming a dominant and challenging factor for organizations, as it leverages many risks that are constantly changing as cyber-crime spread by a number of peoples acting independently and having their own varied self-interest (Hardin, 1968), every now and then, there are new security breaches resulting in stolen credit card records, stolen personal information and losses in terms of customer confidence, as well as revenue. NO matter how advanced the security controls are, still incidents and security breaches are on the rise. Relevance and Significance The security of networks and computers globally has been called into question in recent years. Globalization has increased the presence the cyber criminals, compounding efforts to truly secure and maintain reliable networks that can be trusted. Even the most secure of networks, be them owned and operated by government or private individuals, have been hacked into from time to time, leading one to wonder if t rue security is even possible (Kirschner, Buckingham, & Carr, 2002). These problems become relevant because the job of maintaining network security has fallen on individual companies, reducing their ability to expand as rapidly and profitably as possible. This is the result of the reality that the insecurity of their networks has become a primary concern (Layton, 2007). Rather than devoting more resources to research and development, for example, many agencies are need to reallocate resources for combating the increasing prevalence of cybercrime. Current research alludes that, in the face of growing concerns with cybercrime, and with the lack of true network society, individuals are becoming more and more hesitant to use networks to conduct commerce and financial transactions (Peltier, 2001). While it is true that Internet usage is up, trust in conducting electronic transactions is going down. Should this continue, the rapid globalization that we have experienced to this point will likely be compromised (Hung, Chang, & Yu, 2006). To further examine the relevance of this problem, it is helpful to briefly touch on the various types of

Language Use and Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Language Use and Culture - Essay Example Informal language on the other hand is used in situations that are more relaxed and often involve people that we are very familiar with. Formal language is mostly used in writing, whereas informal language is used in speech. There are times, however, when informal language is used in writing. Such situations involve writing letters, emails and text messages to friends or family members. Informal Use of spoken language can also be formal. For instance, when a lecturer is giving lectures to students mostly the language is formal. For instance, a statement like ‘We went to Barcelona for the weekend. We have a lot of things to tell you’, is a formal statement. When said informally the statement would be ‘Went to Barcelona for the weekend. Lots to tell you. In his speech, John McWhorter says that people have stopped giving speeches formally and have now changed gradually to give informal speeches. He says that the kind of speech given in an old movie where one clears his throat before giving the speech I and go, â€Å" Ahem, ladies and gentlemen,† is a thing of the past. He continues to say that even the way we write has gradually changed from formal to informal. John says that people, especially young people write as if they are talking not giving about capital letters or punctuation especially when texting. John refers to texting as fingered speech because it is basically a form of speech in writing. Informal language sometimes involves use of slang. Slang may be described as a subset of a language used by a particular group of people. Slang usually consists of words and phrases which are not in the English dictionary. These words and phrases could be distortions of already existing English words or entirely new creations. Slang is used by almost all groups of people in society who have common interests or situations. The group of people that uses slang

Dominos Pizza Essay Example for Free

Dominos Pizza Essay Before 2007, wheat prices didn’t have a pulse. We’d buy for the next six months and the price would be plus or minus 10 cents a bushel over the last six months. Then one day in 2008 wheat shot up $24 a bushel! Now, as a norm, we strategically consider corn, dairy, and wheat to better leverage our supply chain expertise and improve store economics. — John Macksood, executive vice president, Domino’s Pizza On the morning of August 22, 2011, John Macksood, executive vice president for supply chain services at Domino’s Pizza, Inc. (Domino’s), was reading the daily headlines while sitting in his office at the Domino’s World Resource Center, the company’s global headquarters in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Domino’s was the world’s second-largest pizza company and the largest pizza delivery quick-serve restaurant (QSR) chain. One item in particular jumped out at Macksood. An article, titled â€Å"Quiznos chain faces tough finance issues,† indicated that Denver-based Quiznos, a privately owned QSR sandwich company with 4,000 U. S. stores, was nearing bankruptcy due to â€Å"sharpening competition, waning sales, and debt woes. †1 One of the problems cited was Quiznos’ â€Å"protracted battle† with its franchisees over operating costs and profitability, with some franchisees blaming low or nonexistent store profit margins on Quiznos’ requirement that they buy food at â€Å"allegedly above-market prices from a Quiznos-mandated supplier network. †2 Analysts also blamed Quiznos’ problems on rising commodity prices, which had dramatically increased the cost of raw ingredients. As Macksood finished reading the article, he felt proud to have been part of a team at Domino’s that had proactively responded when the prices of wheat, corn, and dairy soared in 2007 and 2008. Since then, Domino’s senior leadership met on the last Thursday of every month to discuss the commodity market outlook and decide how purchasing decisions and supplier relationships should be managed in an increasingly volatile market. The goal of this strategic effort was to maintain an efficient supply chain, competitive prices, and quality menu items. â€Å"Now in 2011, we have become a well-informed group that is more comfortable with how we manage risk,† Macksood remarked. Domino’s approach to managing risk and costs both within the company-owned domestic supply chain system and at the store level was critical to its approximately 1,150 U. S. franchisees that collectively owned and operated 4,475 domestic stores in 2010. As a company built around a franchise model, Domino’s—which itself only owned 454 stores, all in the U. S. —was at the heart a supply chain and brand management business focused on supporting the franchised stores. â€Å"We call our headquarters the World Resource Center because Domino’s truly operates as a support system and resource for all of our franchisees,† said J. Patrick Doyle, CEO and president of Domino’s. â€Å"There is a reason we drilled through four floors of concrete to construct a pizza store as the centerpiece of a Professor David E. Bell, Research Associate Phillip Andrews, Global Research Group, and Agribusiness Program Director Mary Sh elman prepared this case. HBS cases are developed solely as the basis for class discussion. Cases are not intended to serve as endorsements, sources of primary data, or illustrations of effective or ineffective management. Copyright  © 2011, 2012 President and Fellows of Harvard College. To order copies or request permission to reproduce materials, call 1800-545- 7685, write Harvard Business School Publishing, Boston, MA 02163, or go to www. hbsp. harvard.edu/educators. This publication m ay not be digitized, photocopied, or otherwise reproduced, posted, or transmitted, without the permission of Harvard Business School. 512-004 Domino’s Pizza new atrium inside the World Resource Center. Not only do we use it to train all of our corporate employees to operate a Domino’s store, but its visibility serves as a constant reminder that our business hinges on the success of each and every one of our franchised stores. † Maintaining cost control was vitally important for Domino’s and the success of its franchisees’ stores. The U. S. pizza market was highly competitive, with both chains and independent â€Å"mom and pop† pizza stores battling for customers. The recent economic conditions had made the fight even fiercer with some recession-weary diners trading in pizza delivery for less-expensive frozen offerings from the grocer. 3 As such, companies like Domino’s could not simply pass increased costs on to consumers by raising the price of a pizza. â€Å"Domino’s was ahead of the curve when we first reacted to how a changing market would affect our supply chain costs,† Macksood said. â€Å"Chains that didn’t take a preemptive approach are hurting and independent pizza shops that have little influence over the price they pay for goods are really suffering. † In 2010 Domino’s recorded annual global retail sales of $6. 2 billion, the highest in company history and a 23% increase since 2006. 1 Domestically, the company saw room for another 1,000 stores in the U. S. market and the opportunity to increase sales through the addition of new menu items and by targeting different eating occasions. For example, Domino’s had begun to pursue a larger share of the lunch market by introducing sandwiches and pasta dishes to compete with Subway and Pizza Hut. This, however, meant that Domino’s historically simple menu would continue to expand with new ingredients, complexity, and costs that Macksood’s team would have to manage. (See Exhibit 1 for U. S. same-store sales growth and store counts. ) Outside the U. S. , Domino’s had identified many markets where the number of stores could be increased significantly. Internationally, Domino’s used a â€Å"master franchise† system that awarded a franchise for an entire country or region to one entity. This included the master franchisee’s right to operate its own supply-chain system. Macksood and his team had to determine how to bring the company’s domestic purchasing and supply management capabilities, and particularly its commodity pricing knowledge, to the rest of the world. As global commodity prices showed no signs of dropping, Macksood and others at Domino’s wondered if they should attempt to implement global buying for some product categories or develop supply chain partnerships with some or all of the master franchisees in order to control costs and reduce risks across the global brand. Company Background In 1960, brothers Tom and James Monaghan borrowed $500 to purchase the Dominick’s pizza store in Ypsilanti, Michigan. 4 After just a year in the pizza business, James traded his interest in the business to Tom for a Volkswagen Beetle. As the sole owner of the company, Tom renamed the business Domino’s Pizza, Inc. The company awarded its first franchise license in 1967 and the first franchised store was opened in Ypsilanti. Domino’s continued to license an increasing number of franchisees which led to the brand’s growth regionally and then nationally. Domino’s first international franchise license was granted in 1983 for a store in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. By the end of 1983, 1,000 Domino’s stores were in operation. When Macksood joined the company in 1986 as the general manager of the North Carolina regional supply chain center, Domino’s had just opened 954 U. S. units during the previous year, making it the fastest-growing pizza company in the country. Unlike its primary competitor Pizza Hut, Domino’s focused on pizza delivery and customer carryout and did not traditionally offer dine-in seating areas. As such, Tom Monaghan was dedicated to 1 Global retail sales represented sales by company-owned stores and franchised stores. 2 Domino’s Pizza 512-004 ensuring the efficiency of Domino’s delivery service. Despite the brand’s rapid growth, Monaghan kept the menu simple compared to other quick-serve restaurants. From Domino’s founding until 1989, the menu consisted of just one type of hand-tossed pizza dough available in two sizes (12-inch â€Å"small† and 16-inch â€Å"large†), 11 topping choices, and bottled Coca-Cola as the only beverage option. The first menu expansion occurred in 1989 when Domino’s introduced â€Å"deep-dish† pizza after market research showed that 40% of U. S. pizza customers preferred thicker crusts. The company’s first non-pizza item, breadsticks made from Domino’s hand-tossed pizza dough, was added to the menu in 1992. In 1993 industry trends led Domino’s to add medium and extra-large sized pizzas and to introduce thin-crust dough; in 1994, the menu was diversified even further with the introduction of chicken wings. Still, the menu remained simple so as to streamline production and maximize economies of scale on purchases of principal ingredients. While changes to the Domino’s menu were in response to consumer preferences and competitors’ offerings, Domino’s had led the competition in innovations that with time became standard in the industry. Domino’s was the first to utilize the belt-driven pizza oven, which had one temperature setting and a conveyor belt that continuously moved items through the oven, which resulted in consistent and effortless baking. Domino’s invented the â€Å"spoodle,† which was a cross between a spoon and a ladle, in 1985 to help reduce the time it took to â€Å"sauce† a pizza (see Exhibit 2 for photos). Domino’s was also the first major pizza chain to replace wooden and stainless steel pizza cooking trays with pizza screens that allowed for more even baking. To make sure that its pizzas arrived hot, the company was the first of the major pizza chains to use corrugated cardboard pizza boxes in the 1960s rather than thinner (and less expensive) boxes. Domino’s took its commitment to hot pizza a step further in 1998 when it developed the â€Å"Heat Wave† electrical delivery bag to keep pizza hot during transit. Between 1986 and 1993, Domino’s guaranteed that customers would receive their pizzas within 30 minutes of placing an order or they would get $3. 00 off. In 1999, with more than 6,500 stores in operation—including more than 1,700 stores outside the U. S. —Monaghan sold 93% of the company to Bain Capital for almost $1 billion and retired as CEO. 5 Bain installed David Brandon, the former head of Michigan-based marketing firm Valassis Communications, as president and CEO. While Brandon continued to focus on store operations, he also emphasized the importance of building the Domino’s brand. This included better definition and consistent execution of the consumer brand experience across every element—from stores, to trucks, to people—as Domino’s sought to accelerate its global expansion. In 2004, Domino’s was first recognized as the leading pizza delivery company in the U. S. based on reported consumer spending, a title the company held ever since. In July 2004, the company completed an IPO and began trading common stock on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol: DPZ). Over the next five years, Domino’s expanded its international footprint from 2,987 franchised stores in 2005 to 4,422 by 2010. Changes were also made to the company’s marketing strategy beginning in September 2008 when Russell Weiner was hired from Pepsi-Cola to serve as Domino’s executive vice president of Build the Brand and chief marketing officer. Weiner guided Domino’s away from its traditional practice of using price-driven â€Å"limited time† promotional offers, which created temporary sales spikes, and instead focused on developing new permanent product platforms that could be promoted through advertising. New offerings such as â€Å"Domino’s Oven-Baked Sandwiches† and â€Å"BreadBowl Pastas† were permanently added to the menu with the intention of creating sustained sales increases. In 2010, Domino’s delivered approximately 400 million pizzas in the U. S. , accounting for 71% of its U. S. pizza sales (the other 29% came from carryout) and generated record system-wide revenue of $1. 5 billion, of which $1. 4 billion came from domestic operations. (See Exhibit 3a and 3b for company 3 512-004 Domino’s Pizza financial reports. ) Doyle, a 13-year Domino’s veteran who took over from Brandon as CEO in March 2010, was proudest of the increase in same-store sales,2 which were up 9. 9% domestically and 6.9% internationally. â€Å" This is a tremendous feat for any brand, especially one that is 50-years old,† he remarked. In 2010, Forbes ranked Domino’s the number one â€Å"franchise for the money† and Pizza Today, a leading industry publication, named Domino’s the chain of the year, an honor that was repeated in 2011. 6 By July 2011, Domino’s had grown to 9,436 company-owned and franchised stores in all 50 U. S. states and across 65 international markets, making it the second-largest pizza company in the world behind Yum Brands’ Pizza Hut. Domino’s had approximately 10,900 employees, referred to as team members, spread across company-owned stores, supply chain centers, the World Resource Center, and regional offices. The company estimated that another 185,000 individuals were employed by independent Domino’s franchisees worldwide. For the first time in Domino’s history, international retail sales eclipsed U. S. sales in the second quarter of 2011 when overseas markets generated 51% of total company sales. The U. S. Quick-Serve Pizza Industry In 2010 there were 67,554 pizza stores in the U.S. , which represented 12% of all restaurants in the market. 7 Franchised or chain stores made up 60% of the units and generated half of the revenue; the remainder came from independently owned stores, which were often referred to as â€Å"mom and pops. †8 (See Table A for a list of the top U. S. -based chains. ) Independent pizza shops had always been a strong source of competition for consumer dollars even though these (usually) single units did not have the purchasing power or the advertising ability of the large chains. The pizza business in the U. S.generated $34 billion in sales revenues in 2010, accounting for 10% of all food industry sales. 9 Roughly two-thirds of the annual pizza segment revenue came from the pizza delivery business where Domino’s led the competition with 19. 8% of delivery sales. Table A Leading U. S. -based Pizza Chains, 2010 U. S. Sales ($ billions) $5. 0 $3. 3 $2. 1 $1. 1 Share of U. S. Market 14% 8% 6% 3% U. S. Units 7,566 4,929 2,781 2,500 International Units 5,715 4,475 688 200 Percent Franchised 84% 95% 82% 81% Company Pizza Hut Domino’s Pizza Papa John’s Pizza Little Caesars Source: Jonathan Maze, â€Å"2010 Franchise Times Top 200 Franchise Systems,† Franchise Times, October 2011, http://www. franchisetimes. com/content/page. php? page=00138, accessed September 2011; and, Domino’s company documents. Domino’s U. S. Franchise Structure From the time Monaghan signed the first Domino’s franchise agreement in 1967, a central tenet of its strategy was to make it as easy as possible for franchisees and store managers to run their stores. 2 Same-store sales growth was a statistic used by retailers and industry analysts to compare sales at stores that had been open for a year or more. It allowed investors to determine what portion of sales came from sales growth and what portion came from the opening of new stores. Although new stores were a positive factor, a saturation point—where future sales growth was determined by same-store sales growth and not simply the addition of new units—eventually occurred. 4 Domino’s Pizza 512-004 Domino’s had developed a cost-effective business model with low capital requirements, a focused menu of affordable pizza and other complementary items, and an interior specially designed to support delivery and carry-out. â€Å"At the store level, we believe that the simplicity and efficiency of our operations gives us significant advantages over our competitors, who in many cases, like Pizza Hut, also focus on dine-in,† said Stan â€Å"The Pizza Guy† Gage, vice president for training and development. Domino’s domestic stores and the majority of its international locations did not have extensive dine-in areas which cut costs for space, furnishings, and staff. As a result, Domino’s stores were small, averaging approximately 1,200 to 1,500 square feet in size with 15 to 20 employees. The units were relatively inexpensive to build, furnish, and maintain. The amount of capital investment required to open and operate a new Domino’s franchise location averaged $150,000 to $250,000, which was considered low in the QSR segment. The average Domino’s U. S. franchisee owned and operated three to four stores, and many had only one or two. At the end of 2010, only seven franchisees owned 50 or more stores with the largest domestic franchise operating 144 stores. This was different from many QSR franchise models in the U. S., which often awarded franchises on a regional basis with one franchisee owning many or all of the locations in a metropolitan area or state. Rather than controlling a region, a Domino’s franchisee was granted a specified delivery radius. The size of this delivery area was based on the ability to deliver a pizza from the store to the customer’s door in 10 minutes or less. To protect the brand, Domino’s placed rigorous standards on its franchisees such as usually requiring prospects to manage a Domino’s store for at least one year before they were granted a franchise. Generally, Domino’s also restricted franchisees from pursuing active, outside business endeavors so as to align the interests and success of the franchisees with that of the brand. Based on these two factors, the vast majority of Domino’s U. S. franchisees had historically come from within the Domino’s system; many started as a Domino’s delivery driver. Under a Domino’s franchise agreement, the owner was granted the right to exclusively operate in a particular area for a term of 10 years with an option to renew for an additional 10 years. In 2010, the average length of Domino’s relationship with its top 50 franchisees was 19. 5 years. Domino’s franchise contract renewal rate was over 99% and its collection rate on domestic franchise royalties and supply chain receivables was also over 99%. Each franchisee had discretion over the prices charged to its customers with some national sales promotions set at the corporate level. Domestic franchisees paid Domino’s a 5. 5% royalty fee on weekly sales3 and until 2009 made contributions to fund marketing and advertising at the national and local level, which varied by market. In 2009, all domestic franchisees amended their franchise agreements to include a flat marketing contribution of 5. 5%. As such, franchisees were no longer required to contribute to regional or local level advertising campaigns, although they were allowed to if they desired. (See Exhibit 4 for details of initial and ongoing franchisee costs). In 2010, average reported annual EBITDA per domestic franchise store was between $50,000 and $75,000 on average annual sales volume of $650,000 per unit. 3 The royalties generated by Domino’s franchise system, which included its U.S. and international franchisees, generated a steady stream of free cash. Domino’s used this free cash flow to reinvest in the company, such as funding technology enhancements and supply chain improvements, and also to buy back debt, repurchase stock, and pay dividends. 5 512-004 Domino’s Pizza U. S. Supply Chain System The supply chain system was the hub of Domino’s U. S. franchise model. Domestic franchisees were free to source and purchase their own menu ingredients and supplies as long as the items were approved by Domino’s and sourced from approved suppliers. However, the system had earned Domino’s a strong and dedicated following among its domestic franchisees; in 2011, over 99% of them choose to be customers of the Domino’s supply chain. As such, Domino’s provided virtually all of the company’s 4,900 U. S. stores with over 240 individual products including fresh pizza dough, menu ingredients such as cheese and pepperoni, and store supplies ranging from delivery boxes to cleaning products and toilet paper. Macksood explained how the U. S.supply chain created value: Our centralized purchasing, vertically integrated dough manufacturing, and nation-wide distribution system allows us to leverage Domino’s combined volume to achieve economies of scale and lower costs, and to tightly control quality. This system allows store managers to focus on store operations and customer service rather than worrying about making dough, grating cheese, and preparing toppings and sourcing other ingredients. This enhances our relationship with franchisees and ensures that every Domino’s customer gets a great pizza. Supply Chain System. Domino’s supply chain system was comprised of 19 facilities located in 15 states, which allowed for nationwide coverage. Of these facilities, 16 were regional dough manufacturing and supply chain centers (SCC). Domino’s also operated three other supply chain facilities, which included an equipment and supply distribution center 25 miles east of the World Resource Center in Michigan, a fresh produce facility in Georgia that supplied some franchisees with cut vegetables, and a â€Å"pressedproduct† plant in Illinois that manufactured thin-crust dough for distribution to the 16 SCCs. 4 (See Exhibit 5 for map and details of U. S. supply chain system. ) Domestic franchisees were required to purchase and use the company’s Pulse point-of-sale computer system. This system was used for taking customer orders, submitting store orders to their designated SCC, and for connecting with the Domino’s network. The Pulse system included forecasting software that allowed store managers and owners to track inventory and sales to customers. This differed from the forecasting tools utilized by Domino’s at its SCCs, which tallied total product and raw ingredient sales made to franchisees. This information was then used by a group of team members at the World Resource Center who conducted centralized replenishment of all 16 SCCs in the system. Each SCC manufactured fresh dough on a daily basis and served about 300 stores located within a one-day delivery radius. Each Domino’s store received an average of two full-service food deliveries per week, amounting to 515,000 total system-wide deliveries in 2010. Stores placed their orders for dough—which had a seven-day shelf life—and food and other supplies electronically via Pulse, usually by 5:00pm. SCCs actually began manufacturing dough at 5:00am using an internal forecast. Domino’s fleet of 200 leased tractor-trailers were loaded in the early evening and rolled out of the SCCs starting between 9:00pm and 10:00pm. Drivers unloaded food and supplies at the stores, stocked coolers and shelves (rotating items so older products would be used first), and even mopped the floor if they had tracked in mud or snow. Deliveries were typically made in the middle of the night to 4 Domino’s â€Å"pressed-product† facility produced thin-crust dough that was parbaked (e. g. , cooked for roughly 80% of the normal cooking time and then rapidly cooled and frozen) for distribution to the 16 SCCs. 6 Domino’s Pizza 512-004 minimize disruptions to store operations. Domino’s guaranteed delivery within 48 hours of when the order was placed and the company regularly achieved an on-time delivery performance rate of 95%, with the majority of orders delivered within 24 hours. Gage explained that ordering through Domino’s offered one-stop shopping and other benefits: The supply chain eliminates many of the typical back-of-store activities that our competitors’ managers must undertake—such as figuring out which supplier has the best price on cooking oil or what cleaning supplies to order. The single most important person in Domino’s is the store manager and this system allows them to focus on the quality and consistency of menu items and customer service. New franchisees were exposed to the efficiency of the supply chain system long before their first fresh dough order was placed with a SCC. The equipment and supply chain center was the first stop for franchisees worldwide. There, store owners could buy capital items such as ovens, coolers, pizza preparation areas, counters and fixtures, signage, and other large equipment as well as â€Å"re-use† items including delivery bags, uniforms, small wares, and promotional materials. â€Å"The operation was born out of the concept of selling and shipping a pizza store in a box, a model that dates back to the beginning of the company,† explained Jim Murabito, vice president of product management. â€Å"With an inventory of over 2,500 individual SKUs, this facility is a one-stop shop able to supply our franchisees with everything they need to set-up, open, and operate a Domino’s location. † Adding Value Domino’s domestic menu reached its largest and most diverse state in 2010 when the company offered four different pizza crusts, over 25 topping choices, eight oven-baked sandwich options, five pasta dishes, two types of chicken, two styles of breadsticks, and two baked dessert options. (See Exhibit 6a and 6b for Domino’s menu items.) Menu prices across the highly competitive pizza delivery industry were relatively identical; therefore, the major pizza chains had to differentiate themselves based on taste, quality, and customer experience. Domino’s helped franchisees maintain consistent quality while improving store economics using various tools, including the spoodle and the pizza oven that Domino’s had designed. Another important piece of equipment was â€Å"the makeline† station, which served as the assembly line for a pizza. The make-line, which was a metal counter with containers and refrigeration for ingredients and toppings, had been designed—and was continually being updated—to support speedy pizza making. For example, a refrigerated cheese catch tray under the counter—another Domino’s proprietary design—allowed pizza makers to quickly spread shredded cheese on a pizza without worrying about food waste. As a result, Domino’s head pizza trainer could prepare a pizza (e. g. , flatten and shape the fresh dough ball, apply sauce, and top with cheese and pepperoni) in 24 seconds. â€Å"These tools allow stores to consistently produce menu items that meet the Domino’s standard and delivery those items in the fast, efficient manner that is required for success in the pizza delivery segment,† explained Murabito. In fact, the only piece of cooking equipment in a Domino’s store was the belt-driven oven; there were no microwaves or stoves. This meant that all of the items on Domino’s domestic menu—pizzas, chicken, sandwiches, pasta, bread, and desserts—had been designed to cook at approximately 500 degrees Fahrenheit for six minutes. Not only were Domino’s franchisees attracted to the company’s domestic supply chain for its efficiency and consistency; their participation was also encouraged through a profit-sharing arrangement. Generally, Domino’s shared 50% of the pre-tax profits generated by its regional dough manufacturing and SCCs with the domestic franchisees who purchased all of their ingredients and supplies from the company. While franchisees were allowed to opt out of the supply chain with 7 512-004 Domino’s Pizza notice, doing so would eliminate their right to profit sharing. Participating franchisees were allocated a profit share based on the volume of their purchases from SCCs. This profit sharing reached a record level in 2010 and â€Å"continued to strengthen Domino’s ties with its franchise network by enhancing franchisees profitability while maintaining a source of revenue and earnings for Domino’s,† noted Macksood. â€Å"The greatest advantage of this arrangement is that it brings us closer to our franchisees and encourages us to work together to reduce costs and food waste. † Macksood provided an example of how his group responded to franchise feedback: With nine product groups accounting for 90% of sales volume in our supply chain, our biggest challenge is managing an increasing variety of ingredients. When pasta was introduced to the menu, we began supplying a cheese sauce that was packaged in a one-pound bag. Within a few months, franchisees reported that the amount was more than needed to meet their daily sales volume, which forced them to throw away product. We experimented with smaller packaging options and eventually settled on individual portion-sized packs. Smaller packaging is more expensive for us, but it creates less food waste for our franchisees. In addition to allowing Domino’s to work closely with franchisees to manage costs and gain product feedback, the supply chain also helped the company respond to natural disasters that could disrupt store sales. When Hurricane Katrina struck the U. S. Gulf Coast in 2005, Domino’s quickly placed trailers at stores that were destroyed or without electricity, allowing franchisees to feed rescue workers and displaced citizens. According to Macksood, Domino’s stores in the area were the last QSRs to close before the storm and the first to re-open. In the time since the hurricane, Domino’s encouraged franchisees in the area to build new stores that would be â€Å"hurricane ready with generators, an extra-large cooler, and the ability to reopen quickly. In February 2011, an ice storm paralyzed usually snow-free Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, just days before the area played host to the Super Bowl. Super Bowl Sunday was historically the pizza delivery industry’s busiest day of the year. The company was expecting to sell 1. 2 million pizzas nationwide with especially strong demand across the 123 stores serving the Dallas-Fort Worth market. 10 It was customary for SCC managers to monitor meteorological reports in their respective distribution regions. By doing so in this instance, the supply chain system was able to proactively position extra resources and make early deliveries when warned about the pending Texas storm, allowing Domino’s to meet customer demand on the day of the game. The Agricultural Commodity Market and Domino’s Suppliers. Historically, the agricultural commodity market—although cyclical—had been relatively stable and predictable. This continued to be the case even as prices for corn, milk, soybean oil, and wheat rose steadily from 2000 to 2005. However, global commodity prices soared in 2007 and 2008 due to record high oil prices, severe weather events, food security fears, and trade restrictions. The price of wheat, corn, rice, and oilseed crops nearly doubled. Some pricing relief came in late 2008 and in 2009 when the most serious global economic recession since the 1930s dampened demand. However, prices rose again at the beginning of 2010 as demand, driven primarily by developing countries undergoing rises in per capita incomes and population growth, outpaced supply. Reduced global inventories added to the price volatility, which was exacerbated by a high number of severe weather events. In the summer of 2010, droughts followed by fires in Russia, the world’s third-largest grain producer, reduced the country’s wheat production by 25% and led the government to stop exports. The U. S.commodity market followed the same global trends into 2011 due to a combination of factors, including droughts in key grain-producing regions, spring flooding on the Mississippi and 8 Domino’s Pizza 512-004 other U. S. rivers, low stocks, increased use of corn to produce biofuels, and rapidly rising oil prices. In April 2011, corn futures prices,5 which had increased almost 90% over the previous 12 months, reached a record high of $7. 44 per bushel and for the first time in a decade surpassed the price of wheat futures on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT). Only four months earlier, wheat had traded at a 31% premium over corn. The growing use of corn for ethanol in the biofuels industry and a rise in demand for livestock feed kept demand up and prices high. 6 Other factors, such as increased demand for corn feed in China, were also blamed for sustained high prices. 11 Rising corn prices hit protein producers particularly hard. Tyson Foods, Inc. , the largest meat producer in the world, cited higher poultry feed costs for a 21% year-on-year drop in its second quarter 2011 earnings. 12 From July 2010 to July 2011, the price that U. S. meat producers charged for chicken grew 4. 3% and was projected to increase another 5% by the end of 2011. Similarly, pork prices had increased 27% and both pork and chicken had reached record high prices. The trading price for milk, the primary ingredient in cheese, had escalated 56% 13 to a record high of $21. 39 per cwt (100 pounds) in July 2011,14 a price Macksood called â€Å"sticker shock. † Many meat and dairy producers started to include increasing amounts of wheat as a feed substit.

Ethical Stance for Research on Sustainable Tourism

Ethical Stance for Research on Sustainable Tourism Introduction Dr Jim Macbeth (2005, p.963), a lecturer and researcher in Australia who specialises in tourism research, has put forward the argument that, in the modern world, the stakeholders involved with the tourism industry, primarily the educators, developers and providers, need to find an â€Å"ethical† stance that will create a natural and appropriate platform for studying sustainability in tourism. To assess the validity of this assessment, one has to first consider the way that tourism research has been conducted and evolved in recent decades, together with the approach that has been used by the tourism industry in dealing with and combining the ethical and sustainability issues. From this a discussion on the relevance of ethical issues that are needed to address sustainability can be developed. Tourism Research As Dr Macbeth (2005) observes, historically, tourism research had evolved into a multi-faceted approach, which is based upon the four main threads outlined in the study conducted by Jafa Jafari (1990). In the initial stages, such research concentrated mainly upon the economic aspects of the tourism process. Being directed in this manner, the result of this research tended to emphasise the fiscal benefits that developing tourism would bring to a particular destination and the commercial organisations. However, with the increasing prevalence of the implementation of the economic research and their impact on destinations, researchers began to ask questions about the adverse social and cultural effect tourism was having. These two processes covered the tourism industry through the era of growth in mass-tourism. Alternative Tourism The third stage of tourism industry research development moved to the study of a new tourism phenomenon, alternative tourism, Initially, this was just seen and studied as a different level of tourist consumer, one whose demands and expectations were more than just the for the sun, sea and sand vocation of the mass-market vacation. These are the tourist who want independent and self-fulfilling vacations, ones that provided a unique level of escape. They were seeking the more active vacations, ones that gave the feeling of â€Å"self-autonomy and self-invention† (Cohen and Taylor, 1992, p.25) It was as a result of this movement that the educational institutions, particularly universities, became more interested in treating tourism as a bona-fide study subject. Universities increasingly offered courses aimed specifically at tourism as they took a deeper interest in the subject. Jafa Jafari (1990) was also correct in his prediction that the global educational commitment to tourism has increased at a faster rate from the date of his publication than it did previously. In addition, the educationalists, scholars and researchers have expanded the areas of their research into other and dedicated aspects of the subject. Sustainability In the last two decades two areas of tourism have attracted particular attention in educational and research, these being sustainability and ethics, in that order. Sustainability, which has been a driving focus in business for several decades, was the first area that caught the interest of tourism researchers. Initially it was approached on the basis of how to protect and maintain the attraction of destinations that were experiencing mass tourism growth. However, with the advent of increasing concerns regarding protection of the historical and natural environment, together with the increased interest in the physical damage that man was causing the climate, the scope of research into sustainability in tourism broadened significantly. Studies were conducted into ways in which destinations of historical and cultural interest could be exploited for tourism purposes, and to the economic benefit of the local community, whilst at the same time ensuring that the sites remained intact and did not become damaged or adversely affected by the increasing tourist traffic influx. Sustainability in natural destinations also received a lot of attention. The question of how one managed the dichotomy of conflicting issue that arise between the expectation and perception of the tourist consumer on the one hand, and the sustainability requirements of the destination on the other, were issues that resulted in a number of studies. For example, as Dr Macbeth (2005) has observed in terms of â€Å"wildlife† tourism, one has to decide how far to provide the natural experience of wildlife adventure that the tourists demands, whilst at the same time allowing the wildlife the ability to be sustained in their own environment. The discussion as to whether limited captivity, as is the case of the safari parks of Africa, provided a sustainable answer, namely would it still provide the experience that the tourist consumer required although not strictly a natural experience, was undertaken. One study into this specific subject by Newsome, Hughes and Macbeth (2005) showed t hat captive wildlife, seen in a natural setting, received a positive response from the tourists, fulfilling their expectations, whilst at the same time this environment offered some protection for the animals and their habitat. Similar issues and concerns have arisen regarding the tourist attraction to natural places of outstanding beauty, such as lakes and mountains. Here again, studies have concentrated on the complex issue of how to satisfy the tourism need without allowing that need to destroy the environment being enjoyed. However, problems began to develop when the theories were put into practice. As Fennell (2006, p.1) mentions in his book, a â€Å"negative backlash that has come about regarding the so-called ‘new tourism.’† One of the main reasons for this was that not all of the stakeholders involved in the tourism research were being adequately considered. As Fennell (2006, p.4) explains, there are three significant human sides to this triangle, being the tourist, the organisation that arranges the travel or vacation, and those who reside at or close to the destination. As a result of these mounting concerns, the issue of â€Å"ethics† began to arise. Ethics Ethics are codes that are derived and constructed from the moral value that is attached to an action, and they apply to every aspect of our lives. In other words the fundamental ethos of ethics dictates that the action or behaviour of a person, group or organisation should be appropriate to the issue and be seen to be conforming to the expectations of those affected by that behaviour (Fennell 2006, p.57). Like the word â€Å"sustainability†, the term â€Å"ethics† has in recent years become a featured part of the rhetoric within the business world as a whole and the tourism industry is no exception (Pearce, Moscardo and Ross 1977, p.89). Much is written in promotional material by tourism organisations about the ethics of their product and the ethical principals by which they work. In fact a plethora of ethical codes have been produced for all tourism industry stakeholders including, â€Å"codes of ethics for travellers; codes of ethics for tourists, for government, and for tourism businesses. Codes for all†¦ † (Fennell, 2006 p.241). However, partially as a result of the fact that such codes were not considered to be sufficient, and did not respond to the issues that were being raised, tourism researchers such as Jim Macbeth (2005) and others began to study how ethics should be viewed and used when dealing with the problems of sustainability within tourism. To do this meant that one had to look at ethics from the point of view of all shareholders, which, when addressing the three mentioned in Fennell’s (2006, p.4) study, meant understanding the effects that tourism policy and planning had on them. In addition there is the ethics related to the impact vacations will have upon environmental issues and how to handle these facets. In term of the application of ethics to the tourist consumer, research has to consider both aspects of these stakeholders. Not only is there the moral and ethical issue of ensuring that the tourist perceptions and expectations are honestly matched, but there is also the tourists own ethical standards and how they impact upon the success of otherwise of the sale of the destination product. The authenticity of the wildlife issue has been mentioned previously. Although, the majority of tourists considered the â€Å"captivity in natural surroundings† to be a natural wildlife experience, is it ethical for the destination to be portrayed in this manner? Similarly, is it ethical for the wildlife to be subjected to this sort of unnatural control simply to satisfy the needs of the tourist consumer? The tourist attitudes to â€Å"alternative tourism† have also changed. The tourist consumer has become more aware of the environmental issues surrounding destinations and vacations. As Pearce, Moscado and Ross (1997, p.152) explain in their study regarding the tourist relationship with the destination they are visiting, the â€Å"environmental attitudes to tourism are not held in isolation but, for some citizens, are a part of a larger environmental ethic.† An increasing number of tourists no longer expect their vacations to include all of the environmentally damaging aspects that were previously provided, neither do they expect the planners and policy makers to develop areas for vacations to the detriment of the environment; historical and cultural values. Similarly, they do expect those same persons and organisations to act towards the tourist consumer in an ethical manner. The perception is that, whilst providing the destination for vacation, this should be conducted in an ethical manner, ensuring that the correct measures are taken to ensure sustainability of the site and those communities, wildlife and natural resources that depend upon it. Brokers Brokers include all of those parties that have an interest in providing the destination and its activities to the tourist. This includes the local governments and policy makers, those who develop and maintain the sites, such as the hoteliers and attraction owners, and the sellers, being travel agents. All of these organisations need to address ethical issues that attract to the services and facilities they provide. Research has shown that many of these operators and brokers are already promoting the ethical aspect of their service, and are claiming that they have taken on board the demands of the consumer. For example there are corporations whose â€Å"Ethical tours claim to combine environmental education with minimal travel comfort, help protect local communities and environments† (Mowforth and Munt 2003, p.51). However, research and studies undertaken cast doubt on many of these claims. As Mowforth and Munt’s (2003, p.202) studies show, whilst the terms â€Å"environment,† â€Å"sustainability† and may appear in the organisation’s publicity to promote their ethical stance, it does not necessarily mean that these are factual claim. One representative, when questioned by these researchers in regards to their corporate responsibility to inform their consumers about the affect of tourism, responded that their primary task was to sell vacations. Much of the research work that Dr Macbeth (2005) has undertaken over the years, has been specifically targeted at endeavouring to create a platform which allows these organisations to address the ethical issues that face them in the provision of destinations and services, so that the claims made can be supported by genuine action. Macbeth has provided both theoretical and practical examples of how a destination can be designed in such a way that it incorporates the needs of all the stakeholders, whilst at the same time limiting the damage that can be caused by unethical methods. This includes how to involve the communities at all levels of the development of the destination and its running; ensure safety of the local environment, historical venues and places of interest; and at the same time presenting the destination in an ethically positive manner that will still address all of the tourist consumer demands and expectations and sustain tourism usage. One of the most difficult ethical issues facing tourism today is the community that live around or are involved in the destination site. This is especially true in areas such as developing countries and where there is a new destination being developed or exploited, as well as areas that have not had previous experience of such ventures within their locality. In the case of communities in and surrounding new destination developments, there are a number of ethical issues to be addressed. For example, whilst most may desire the benefit of such a development, Dr Macbeth believes that the developer has an ethical duty to ensure that the community is fully aware of the impact that the developed destination will have on their lives, environment and, potentially, their culture. It is accepted that this is not an easy task to achieve, particularly as with no previous experience by which to make a comparison, these communities may not fully comprehend the impact even when it is explained to them. Nevertheless, as the case studies and actual projects carried out by Dr Macbeth and his students have demonstrated, it is possible for such an understanding to be achieved (Jim Macbeth 1997). Community reactions are very important to the successful development of any destination site. Therefore their involvement with and acceptance of the project is important to achieve. As Pearce, Moscardo and Ross (1997, p.6) confirm, â€Å"the issue of how communities shape and respond to social and environmental changes is a driving factor in assessing community response to tourism.† Environment Finally, there is the issue of ethics in respect of the environment. In the current climate of potential threat to wildlife, dwindling natural resources, locations and the larger environmental issues, destination managers have an ethical duty to play their part in its sustainability. They also have a duty to ensure that their development does as little environmental damage as possible and contribute to the protection of the environment, rather than add destructive forces that will increase the dangers and damage. This includes such matters as energy conservation, emission control, and protection of wildlife, heritage and local communities. For example, with wildlife it is important that the planners are aware of any endangered species located within the destination target area, and ensure that the neither the development, nor the resultant tourist consumer activity can in any way add to the endangerment of that species. Ethical research It is important that, prior to the commencement of any development, research is undertaken to ensure that all of the ethical issues are addressed. The organisation needs to understand the impact that construction projects might have on the local environment, and its impact on issues such as wildlife protection and climate emissions. The research must also evaluate the effect of the development on the local population, its culture and heritage. One important proviso of the research that is undertaken is the independence of the researchers who undertake the study. Whilst, as is increasingly the case with studies and research projects that take place within universities, the planners and policy makers may contribute funding for the project, it is essential, and ethically correct to ensure that these people and organisations are able to carry out their tasks without any influence or pressure applied by those organisations. The purpose of such research is to reach a conclusion that provides for an ethical stance that all of the stakeholders can agree is desirable and, in addition, provide recommendations as to how the project and the ethical stance can be achieved and protected. In essence it should form the basis for â€Å"the purpose of identifying a template from which to aid in the development of tourism ethics.† (Fennell, p.197) Conclusion From the various researches that have been studied in the preparation of this paper, it is the author’s opinion that the hypothesis statement made by Dr Jim Macbeth is supported. There is a need for the educators and other stakeholders in the tourism industry to review the issues and construct an â€Å"ethical stance† that provides for a sustainable platform. It is equally importance that the strategy evolved from such a stance is seen to be effective and transparent to all concerned, with a determined effort to address and maintain all of the issues that constructing and maintaining a vacation destination involves. It is equally important to ensure that any studies and researches undertaken in an effort to achieve such a position are arrived at as a result of full discussion with, and involvement by all of the stakeholders involved with the product. Fennell (2006, p.346) observes, â€Å"In allowing ethics into tourism, we open the door to philosophy and the humanities.† Whilst it is accepted that this is the case, in the view of the author, there is no possibility of omitting this factor from the tourism research process. Ethics is an integral part of the tourist consumer’s human decision process. It is the stance that is taken on those ethics and the way it is approached that is important. References Butcher, Jim (2003). The Moralisation of Tourism: Sun, Sand†¦ and Saving the World? Routledge. London UK. Cohen, S. and Taylor, L (1992). Escape Attempts. The Theory and Practice of Resistance to Everyday Life. Routledge. New York. US. Fennell, David A (2006). Ethical Tourism. Channel View Publications. Clevedon, UK. Jacobsen Damien, Carson Dean, Macbeth Jim and Rose Simon (2005) Prosper Pilot Case Study. Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre. Queensland, Australia. Jafari, Jafar (1990). Research and Scholarship: The Basis of Tourism Education. The Journal of Tourism Studies, Vol.1, No.1. Queensland, Australia. MacBeth, Jim (2005). Towards an Ethics Platform for Tourism. Elsevier Ltd. Annals of Tourism Research, Vol 32. No. 4, pp 962-984. Oxford, UK. Macbeth, Jim (1997). Tourism, Policy and Planning in Australia and New Zealand: Issues and Cases. Irwin Publishers. Sydney, Australia. Section 3, Chapter 13. Mowforth, Martin and Munt, Ian (2003) Tourism and Sustainability. Routledge. London, UK. Pearce, Philip L., Moscardo, Gianna and Ross, Glenn F. (1997) Tourism Community Relationships. Elsevier Ltd. Oxford, UK. Cohen, S. and Taylor, L (1992). Escape Attempts. The Theory and Practice of Resistance to Everday Life. Routledge. New York, US. Newsome, D, M. Hughes and J. Macbeth (2005) Captive Wildlife Tourism in a Natural Setting: Visitor Satisfaction as a Measure of Success at Barna Mia, Western Australia. Journal of Ecotourism. Vol. 4, No. 2, pp73-91. Australia.