Ethics in Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethics in Human Resource Management - Essay Example .. Any other form of imprudent or non-diligent conduct by a financial advisor or any failure to protect client’s interests contravenes these duties and constitutes a breach of the fiduciary relationship (Koslowski, 2009, p. 39) Similarly, bankers will have to devise approaches that will not only cater to the needs of their clients but also comply with the needs of the â€Å"society as a whole† (Clerk, 2011 p. 5). Customers are the most important asset of a business, and they must be dealt with the most efficient way possible. Nevertheless, social responsibility should not be taken for granted; thus, â€Å"practitioners of ethical banking make the choice to only finance projects and organizations that contribute to a more sustainable society and they define absolute criteria about who they will lend money to† (Clerck, 2011 p. 5). There are several approaches that a bank may sustain in order to strengthen the aforementioned values in its employees. It may employ a â€Å"Customer Satisfaction Appraisal† program that will give opportunities for clients to voice out their opinion on the services provided, as well as their evaluation of the specific bank officer that handles each of their account.

Issue in my community (I live in Mecklenburg County which is in Case Study

Issue in my community (I live in Mecklenburg County which is in Charlotte, NC) - Case Study Example Unemployment occurs when people who are willing and able to work cannot find jobs appropriate to their level of expertise. This issue is highly prevalent in this community. In January 2012, the unemployment rate was 9.8%, which was less than the previous month but is still greater than the state-wide average which was 9.5%. As a result of this issue of unemployment, the citizens of Mecklenburg are forced to seek help even for basic survival. They need help even for basic necessities like food, housing, clothing etc. The unemployment rate rose from 9% in April to 9.6%in May2012 (Charlotte Business Journal, Web). This increase can has serious implications for the community as a whole. People who are unemployed look for other ways to earn income due to which the crime rate might also increase. It is really important to find the causes of this increase in unemployment in order to solve the issue completely. One of the major reasons of high unemployment is the lack of educational opportun ities for the citizens of Mecklenburg County. The leaders of the country should introduce reforms so that equal educational opportunities are given to all the citizens. Quality education is extremely important for the future of a country as the children who are educated today will be the leaders of the country tomorrow. ... Due to unemployment and illiteracy, people get involved in illegal activities and as a result, the crime rate of the country also rises. As a result of these criminal records, people find it even harder to get jobs as employers do background checks to ensure the credibility of the employee or applicant. This further increases the unemployment and affects the entire country as a whole. The people of Mecklenburg County also suffer because of lower employment opportunities available in their market. The government needs to attract foreign businesses to set up in this country which will create more employment opportunities and will benefit the citizens. This will also increase the career choices available for the youth of this country. As a result of these greater employment opportunities, the unemployed citizens will be able to will be able to support their families and the overall unemployment rates of the country would also fall. Unemployment has other disadvantages as well which affe ct the citizens as well as the entire nation as a whole. One of these is the unemployment benefits that these people would receive from the government. As a result of this, the working population would have to pay more for the rising cost of these benefits and more burdens would be placed on them. Another disadvantage is that the government might reduce its public spending such as on schools, healthcare etc. In the long run, this would result in fewer jobs and a higher unemployment rate. In economic terms, unemployed labor of Mecklenburg County is a waste of its resources as total output falls and the tax revenue also falls. The tax revenue paid for

Financial Markets Assignment Essay Example for Free

Financial Markets Assignment Essay Explain how interest rates decline following major Fed purchases of mortgage-backed securities. The FED implements quantitative easing by buying financial assets of longer maturity, e. g. , mortgage-backed securities, from commercial banks and other private institutions in order to inject a pre-determined quantity of money into the economy. This is a means of stimulating the economy and lowering longer-term interest rates further out on the yield curve; quantitative easing increases the excess reserves of the banks, and raises the prices of the financial assets bought, which lowers their yield. Graphically, this can be explained with the aid of Figure below. The supply of money is shifted from point 1 to the right (MS1 to MS2) and, all else equal, the new equilibrium point (with aggregate money demand curve) is at point 2, where the interest rate is lower. i i1 i2 AD1 MS1 MS2 Quantity of Money 2. What could be the implications of lower interest rates for households and businesses? By implanting the policy of purchasing mortgage-backed securities, the FED has set its sight on increasing consumption and investment, which will ultimately increase employment. As described in question one Bernanke’s policy decreased interest rates to new record lows, encouraging borrowing for both businesses and households. The ability to borrow money at more attractive rates stimulates investment in durable consumer goods, such as automobiles, and in operational necessities such as buildings and capital equipment for businesses. Indeed, after the implementation of the policy mortgage applications increased significantly. Because of low interest rates households and businesses as investors could shift their preference away from bonds and into stocks. According to frbsf. org, the increase in stock trading volume has the effect of raising the value of existing stock portfolios, which in turn stimulates consumer and spending across the country due to the psychological effects of rapid capital appreciation. Lower interest rates can have negative effects on the value of the local currency compared to other currencies. As foreign investors dump their local-denominated investments in favor of more profitable currencies, exchange rates can shift to the detriment of the local currency. The weakening of the local currency serves to increase the attractiveness of local goods to foreign purchasers, which has the effect of boosting exports and international sales. All of the factors mentioned above have the combined effect of increasing productive output, or GDP, and increasing employment across a wide range of industries. As individuals, businesses and foreign investors are encouraged to spend more due to increased access to capital, higher portfolio valuations and weaker currency values, businesses in nearly every sector experience an increase in sales, often requiring them to grow their operations and employ additional labor. However, there are some negative implications from this policy. Without a strong commitment to control inflation over the long run, the risk of higher inflation is one potential implication of experiencing real interest rates below the economy’s natural interest rate. Low interest rates provide a powerful incentive to spend rather than save. In the short term, this may not matter much, but over a longer period, low interest rates penalize savers and those who rely heavily on interest income. If short-term interest rates are low relatively to long-term rates, households and firms may overinvest in long-term assets, such as Treasury securities. If interest rates rise unexpectedly, the value of those assets will fall (bond prices and yields move in opposite directions), exposing investors to substantial losses. Finally, low short-term interest rates reduce the profitability of money market funds, which are key providers of short-term credit for many (large) firms, e. g. the commercial paper market. 3. Explain the Fed’s policy dilemma and try to rationalize why unemployment in the US is stubbornly high while inflation is low. Based on the theory of the Philip’s curve diagram we notice that there is an inverse relationship between inflation and unemployment. Stated simply the lower the unemployment in an economy the higher the rate of inflation. Philip’s Curve Inflation Unemployment The explanation of the inverse relationship between inflation and unemployment is based on two assumptions. The first has to do with the fact that as unemployment rises there is no room for workers and labor unions to demand an increase so a wage inflation that would increase the prices of the final products cannot occur. Secondly high unemployment is a reflection of the decline in economic output and indicates an economy’s slowdown. Therefore competition among firms in recession will lead the prices at lower levels. But this is not the case currently in the US since we observe high unemployment and low inflation. The FED is concerned about the unemployment rate and in an effort to stimulate the economy and improve the labor market conditions it started implementing the quantitative easing policy. So the FED purchased MBS, helped banks to rebuilt their balance sheets, contributed into maintaining price stability, preserved interest rates near zero for more than three years, and prevented the economy from slipping into greater recession. Despite all these efforts the situation in the labor market did not improve. Apparently the fact that unemployment is still very high depicts the limitations of the monetary policy. The low business confidence, policy uncertainty, and the government’s reluctance to act are beyond the FED’s capacity. What is more the infinite use of the quantitative easing may produce undesirable effects in the long run such as stagflation. The only optimal solution under these circumstances is the co ordination of the FED’s monetary policy with the government’s fiscal policy plan that could boost the society’s confidence. . Do you think that another round of quantitative easing (QE) by the Fed would help stimulate the US economy? Please explain. The FED declared that the use of QE will be aggressively continued until the economy is improved. The cash injections into the economy helped interest rates to remain at low levels. Consequently everyone wins from this decision in the short run; homeowners can borrow at historical low levels of inter est rate, corporations can also take advantage of this act and invest, consumption increased and also the banks increased their profits and the stocks record a growth. So as long as the QE is active in the short run everyone is a winner. But in the long run things become vague. First of all historical evidence shows that despite the fact that interest rates may be at levels near zero it remains uncertain whether this will be the incentive to boost the actual economy. Secondly the fact that consumers will have more money to spend but fewer goods to buy might lead to a hyper inflation. Furthermore by repeating the use of QE is very possible to lead to a liquidity trap, unless the economy finds ways to stimulate production. Last but not least the FED’s decision to inject cash into the economy by purchasing MBS is questionable; Mortgage backed securities entail the risk of defaulting once again as they did in the real estate crisis and that would cost the Americans a lot more money repeating the history that started back in the September of 2001. To sum up the use of QE is indeed very effective but only in the short run. Short periods of economic recession can be avoided by stimulating the economy temporarily through cash injections but to maintain growth on the real economy we need to improve labor market conditions, productivity, innovation and bolster the economy’s confidence. So a combination of fiscal and monetary policy is the only way to prevent an economy from collapsing, and also is this is the only way to avoid a possible systemic risk that will negatively affect all the institutions and individuals. . How is a loose Fed monetary policy in the US affecting fundamentals (such as inflation, asset and commodity prices) in other countries? What does that imply about global monetary policy? Since the dollar is the vehicle currency in the global economy almost every country is tied to its value and everyone is affected by the monetary decisions of the FED. By the QE, the supply of dollars is increased and consequently the dollar depreciates against foreign currencies. This means that America’s exports will increase and on the contrary the imports will decrease. So countries trading with the US fear about the capital inflows and the possible inflation on commodities. On the other hand the FED support that there can be no further inflation since the global economy is in recession. Moreover countries experiencing huge capital inflows resulting in inflation can implement fiscal policy, such as imposing taxes, in order to contain the effects of foreign capital inflows which push up local stock prices and the currency itself. Every country should focus on its own monetary policy adjusting it to the problems that may experience. For example the US chose to inject more money in the economy. The results of such a decision are low interest rates, more exports but always with the risk of inflation. On the other hand a country experiencing high inflation might limit the money supply, increasing the interest rates with the risk of experiencing a decline in exports.

British airways

British airways Executive Summary: British Airways is one of the International Airlines that provides its flights to 570 destinations in 133 territories. It mainly operates from the Heathrow and Gatwick. It faces many problems like 531 million pounds loss in revenue because of lack of international market study, employee relationship (strike problem) and many more. Hence an effective strategy is the only chance to overcome these problems. The strategy of British Airways includes the innovation in technological accessories, customers relationship, employee relationship, safety and security of stake holders and so on. Introduction: Any business has challenges from different elements like globalisation, information and technology, socio and cultural factors, political factors and so on. To meet these challenges a clear strategy is very crucial for any organization. A strategy is a clear vision of what the organisation will be based on a sustainable competitive advantage. Actually, strategy is a road map for future directions and scope. It is a long range plan for five years and more. It develops mission, objective and goals for an organisation. To develop an effective strategy any organisation must set an account with different factors. Environmental analysis, present analysis, strength, weakness, opportunities and so on are the factor through which a strategy can be developed. Part 1 1) Identify the mission, Values and key objectives of an organisation within its environment. The mission statement of British Airways is â€Å"To be the undisputed leader in world travel for the next millennium†. The values of British Airways: Honest. Reliable On time Good service Objectives of British Airways: British Airways based in London is the largest airlines in the United Kingdom and provides daily flights to more than 400 cities world-wide. Like most large corporations the airline must focus on a variety of goals and objectives both for short-term and long-term survival in the competitive global market. General objectives of British Airways: With an objective of becoming the worlds largest leader in global premium airline, British Airways will continue to focus on customer service at every level of passengers journey. The overall Objectives are divided into three areas. Global (appeal to all passengers, whether for leisure or business travel in order to create repeat customers). Premium (ensure that passengers receive the highest quality of service where ever they encounter the airlines). Airline (maintain the focus on aviation with the largest equipment, products and services). Strategic objectives of British Airways: British Airways provides four strategic objectives: Airline of choice (remain the top choice for International flights for premium customers as well as cargo, economy and shorter flights). Top-quality services (provides the best customer service for passengers on all routes and classes of travel and improve online service). Global city growth (continue to expand the list of top-tier countries through airline partnership). Meet customers needs (exploring the latest options and products to enhance customer loyalty. A stakeholder is a person or organisation that has an interest in a business, for example benefit from it. As a customer you are a stakeholder in British Airways. Even if someone is working part time they are stakeholders in their employers business. You can be a stakeholder as a customer, in all shops you buy from and anywhere you spend leisure money, it could be going to the cinema or supporting your football match.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Stakeholders of British Airways are: Groups Relationship with business Customer Buy product or services Suppliers Rely on business for orders Employees Rely on business for employment Owners Have invested money in the business Local and national communities Directly affected by the actions and operations of the business. Influences of stakeholders: Groups The influences of stakeholders Customers Are looking to buy products or services, they are looking for a wide range of products and services. They also want easy accessibility and hope to buy good quality products and services at a competitive price. They are really important as they provide money for the business in order to be successful. Suppliers Suppliers stock the business with the supplies the business needs, if they are late then it will cause a conflict between business and suppliers. Therefor it is vital that all the business suppliers are on time. Suppliers are probably the third important part in a business, they provide the products/services and if they are not in time it poses to be a threat to the financial state of the business. On the other hand, suppliers arent that important in decision making because they are scared of losing their contract with British Airways. Employees May want an increase in pay rise. Staffs have a very big interest in British Airways, they have an interest in the business in the form of wages, bonuses, discounts, and holiday pension.   Owners In contrast it may want a decrease in pay rise for their employees you could say that the owners probably one of the most important people in a business. Local and national communities Give planning permission depending on the business a person wants to do. Part 2 2) Investigate the economic, social, and global environment in which organizations operate. What is an economic system: An organised manner in which a state or a nation allots its resources and allocates goods and services in the national community. An economic system is loosely defined as a countries plan for its services, goods, and the exact way in which its economic plan is carried out. Basically there are three major/different types of economic systems prevailing around the world and they are: Market Economy: In a market economy, national and state governments play a minor role. Instead consumers and their buying decisions drive the economy. In this type of economic system, the assumptions of the market play a major role in deciding the right path for a countrys economic development. Market economies aim to reduce or eliminate entirely subsidies for a particular industry, the pre-determination of prices for different commodities, and the amount of regulation controlling different industrial sectors. The absence of central planning is one of the major features of this economic system. Market decisions are mainly dominated by supply and demand, the role of the government in a market economy is to simply make sure that the market is stable enough to carry out its economic activities properly. Planned Economy: A planned economy is also known as a command economy. The most important aspect of this type of economy is that all major decisions related to the production, distribution, commodity and service prices, are all made by the government. The planned economy is government directed, and market forces have very little say in such an economy. This type of economy lacks the kind of flexibility that is present a market economy, and because of this, the planned economy reacts slower to changes in consumer needs and fluctuating patterns of supply and demand. On the other hand, a planned economy aims at using all available resources for developing production instead of allocating the resources either for advertising or marketing. Mixed Economy: A mixed economy combines elements of both the planned and the market economies in one cohesive system. This means that certain features from both market and planned economic systems are taken to form this type of economy. This system prevails in many countries where neither the government nor the business entities control the economic activities of that country both sectors play an important role in the economic decision making of the country. In a mixed economy there is flexibility in some areas and government control in others. Mixed economies include both capitalist and social economic policies and often arise in societies that seek to balance a wide range of political and economic views. http://www.economywatch.com/world_economic-indicators/type British Airways operates in the Mixed economic system as British Airways was privatised on February 1987 and the government has less intervention as its a private company the only intervention that the government would have is only setting the prices of the air tickets. What is Social Welfare: Social welfare is about how people, communicate and institutions in a society take action to provide certain minimum standards and certain opportunities. It is generally about helping people facing contingencies. Social welfare which British Airways does for its employees. Social Welfare Policy: Is basically to improve and protect the standard of living of the people or citizens as a whole.   In the United Kingdom the Name â€Å"Social Policy† is used to apply to the policies that the government uses for welfare and social protection and the ways in which welfare is basically developed in a society. There are various social welfare policies that the United Kingdoms adopts and they are: Social welfare policy that British Airways has adopted/follows: The impact that social welfare initiates on British Airways as well as the wider community is firstly that British Airways adopting the work place regulation is that it benefits the employees of British Airways and that the employees can work without any head aces as British Airways has provided all it employees with training in safety measures, plus rest time is given to the employees and to the crew members of British Airways accommodation is given because the crew is normally flying for endless hours/long journeys. The workers are also made alert about the basic terms and conditions of the organisation which are basically ethics, code of conduct, and the responsibility of the organisation. The other social welfare policy which British Airways provides its employees is social security for its employees similar to contribution benefits (Retirement pension, maternity allowances) and also non contributor benefits (social fund, working tax benefits) to its employees, which gives the employees the freedom to do whatever in their personal life. The Employment Law in British Airways states and illustrates the normal working hours, conditions, and the acts of the organisation. What is Industrial Policy: Industrial policy comprises all government interventions which consist of: Directed towards the supply side of the economy that consists of enterprises, industries, sectors). Aims to influence the industrial structure of the economy and its industrial changes. Industrial policy purposefully affects incentives to produce specific goods or incentives to enter or exit a specific goods market. It is not limited to manufacturing and includes all types of commercial economic activities. Industrial policy interventions have to be justified because if competitive markets worked adequately, any such intervention would:  Ã‚   Distort optimal allocation, Distort dynamic competition and its benefits (innovation, flexibility, consumers sovereignty etc.). Privilege specific enterprises or industries or sectors at the expenses of others, Would disadvantage taxpayers and consumers. (An European industrial policy: concepts and consequences, Oliver Budzinski). Industrial policy is concerned; it is the government sponsored economic program in which the public and private sector coordinate their efforts to develop new technologies and industries. Government provides the financial support and capital to the private sector by direct subsidies, tax credits or government- run developmental banks. Industries policy emphasise cooperation between government, banks, private enterprise, and employees to strengthen the national economy. http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com Impact of Industrial policy on British Airways: In the United Kingdoms the Industrial policy has affected a lot of industries but the Industry that suffered the most was the aviation industry including all the airlines even British Airways. Therefore British Airways has changed its strategy of working and has been successful as British Airways adopted new policies. One of the policy that states to reduce Co2 emissions by 15% by all airlines and British Airways has decided to reduce by 50% as they are working on creating a new kind of fuel which is known as bio diesel which is pollution free and environment friendly. Fiscal Policy: Government spending policies that influences macroeconomic conditions. These policies affect tax rates, interest rates and government spending in an effort to control the economy. Monetary Policy: The action of a central, bank currency or other regulatory committee that determine the size and rate of growth of the money supply, which in turn affects interest rates. Monetary policy is maintained through actions such as increasing the interest rate, or changing the amount of money banks need to keep in the vault or bank reserves. Impact of fiscal and monetary policy on airline industry as well as British Airways:   The principles of economics tell us that governments can sometimes improve market outcomes. Methods of influencing market outcomes can come in the form of monetary and fiscal policies. Monetary policies influence shifts in aggregate demand for goods and services by increasing the money supply, reducing the equilibrium interest rates and stimulating investment spending or decreasing the money supply, raising equilibrium interest rates, lowering investment spending (Mankiw, 2004). Fiscal policies shift the aggregate demand curve by increasing or decreasing government spending or through the increase or decrease in taxes (Mankiw). Because these policies influence aggregate demand, the government uses such policies to try and bring stabilization to the economy. Such polices affect different industries on many different levels. Some industries have positive effects and some negative. In analysing how monetary and fiscal policies affect the airline industry, we can look at how these policies affect employment, growth of the industry, and product prices. Many fiscal policies directed toward the airline industry have had profound effects. One such policy is represented by the excise taxes and fees levied on air carriers. Such taxes and fees are allocated by the Government to fund improvements of airports, provide security for the airlines and airports, allocate funding for the FAA, provide for services for international customers, and support operations at airpark facilities. These fees represent roughly 26% or $52 of a standard 200-dollar round-trip airline ticket (Air Transport Association, 2005). Current economic conditions of the airline industry are dismal, especially due to the tragic events of September 11th. The Air Transport Association (ATA) argues that such fiscal policy in these trying times hinder the air carriers ability to right themselves through a self-help policy. The ATA further explains that in an effort to stabilize the industry, such taxes and fees can account for the elimination of over 129,000 jobs, forced many carriers into bankruptcy, and, because consumers react heavily to price increases in this industry, hinder their ability to allocate funds by raising ticket prices. With this current fiscal policy, air carrie rs have little manoeuvrability of funds to meet the demands of an operating budget. Mike Smith (personal communication, June 10, 2008), former owner of Pacific Crest Aviation in Big Bear Lake, CA, adds that governing agencies institute other fees to generate operating revenues for airports. On example of this is landing fees. Landing fees vary from airport to airport, but play a key role in the determination of where air carriers decide to base their operations. In attempts to accumulate more funding through fiscal policy, Mr. Smith explains that the FAA continues to suggest the implementation of user fees. Still to be determined how such a fee would impact the airline industry; present fiscal policies have air carriers screaming for reform. Deregulation is another fiscal policy that has considerably impacted areas of the airline industry. Since deregulation in 1979, the airline industry experienced substantial growth. With the emergence of new competition in the industry this created numerous amounts of jobs, drove ticket prices down, and expanded the available market for various air carriers. Through an industrial wide growth of over 200%, new carriers were able to open positions to thousands of new employees in various parts of the nation. Average ticket prices in 1979 remain relatively unchanged today. As an extremely competitive market emerged, the rally for passengers on each carriers flights kept ticket prices down as carrier created connecting flights through this new open sky policy; reaching more consumers, minimizing opportunity cost, and offering competitive pricing. The Airline industry continues to be affected by the overall condition of the nations economy. When healthy spending exists and pleasure travel is frequent, air carriers are able to fill flights, raise prices, and maintain a stable economic environment. However, when condition of the nations economy falls, so do the buying habits of the consumer. This is where the airline industry finds itself today. Struggling to fill flights in a slow economy and fighting heavy fiscal policy. Recent monetary policies made by the federal government to improve market conditions are sure to have an effect, but how it will impact employment, growth, and prices in the airline industry are still unknown. The most Recent monetary policy made by the government came in the form of economic stimulus checks. This in-flow of money into the economy in an attempt to stimulate the purchase of goods and services throughout the United States may help diminish the effects of our current sluggish economy. Little to no data exists to show how this has impacted any growth in the airline industry. So far, there seems to be little change in the spending habits of the consumer to travel via air. Because the economic position of the airline industry has been struggling for so long, improvements due to any single event may be impossible to track. Whether changes in fiscal policies, monetary policies, or internal carrier structure help to improve conditions in the airline industry, changes will happen slow and will reflect economic condition in the nations marketplace. By successfully managing opportunity cost, and adapting to an ever changing economic environment, airline industries can have economic success. However, the well-being of the nations economy will have a direct impact on the level of success experienced in the airline industry. During economic shortfalls in the nations economy, travellers will have fewer resources available to travel for pleasure. Contributing to the negative economic influences in the airline industry, future and existing policies targeting the airline industry will continue to hinder the industrys ability to recover losses in periods of economic hardships. http://www.taxreformpanel.gov Makiw, N.G. (2004) Principles of economics (3rd edition). Chicago, 2: Thomson South-Western. PESTLE Analyses on British Airways: PESTLE Factors Key Points Implications for British Airways Political Heavy regulation (AEA, 2009). Increased security due to past terrorist threats (DFT, 2008) Compliance is essential if British Airways wants to continue. Sufficient security measures should be in place to ensure consumer confidence and competitive advantage in maintenance. Economic Global economic crisis: world growth is projected to just over 2 per cent in 2009 (IMF, 2008). Pound weakness especially against the Euro. Oil prices declined by 50% since their peak retreating to 2007 levels. Decline in fuel prises the dollar strengthens (IMF, 2008). UK Consumer spending saw its sharpest decline for 13 years between July and September 2008 (Channel 4, 2008) Possible reduction in the amount of business travel as companies are cutting costs and using alternative means of communication such as telecom fencing. British Airways is vulnerable as a United Kingdom operating airline to a poor exchange rate. Fluctuation in oil prices and exchange rates will directly affect British Airways cost base. More intense competition.   Social The United Kingdom has an aging population. Increasing Unemployment Potential opportunities for growth as older generations have more time to spend on leisure activities such as international travel. Increased bargaining power as an employee. Technological A recent survey revealed that 34% of online consumers plan to use price- comparison sites more in 2009 (NMA, 2009) Online booking services and check-in is becoming increasingly used by the airline industry. Increased consumer awareness and therefore bargaining power. British Airways must ensure that they remain up to date with these technological advances whilst avoiding becoming overly reliant, as this may isolate certain consumer markets (i.e. the elderly) who dont feel comfortable using such technology. Environmental/Ethical Noise pollution controls and energy consumption controls. Cancellations of flights and loss of baggage. New legislation (e.g. climate change bill) enforcing tighter environmental regulation may increase operational costs each year. Such ethical issues could have a detrimental effect on reputation if left unresolved. Legal Collusion and price fixing. Recognition of trade union and industrial action e.g. cabin crew strikes. Open skies agreement. Restriction on mergers will have an impact on British Airways proposed alliance with American Airlines. Good employee relations are essential if British Airways wants to avoid industrial action and interrupted operations. Opportunity for British Airways and its competitors to freely transport aircrafts between the European Union and the United States. Part 3 3) Investigate the behaviour of organizations and the market environment. What is Oligopoly: Oligopoly is a market which is normally dominated by a few numbers of large suppliers. The degree of market concentration is very high. Firms within an oligopoly produce branded products and also sometimes there is a barrier to new entries. Advantages as general: Firms or companies are able to reap economies of scale, due to large scale competition. Products cannot produce by individual firms on a small scale. There is an incentive to engage in research and development. They have the ability to earn super normal profits and capture large market share. Firms enjoy lower costs due to technological improvement. This results in higher profits which will improve the firms or companies capacity to withstand price war. http://www.blurtit.com/q2774865.html Disadvantages as general: Firms and companies are concerned with the activities of their competitors. If one firm or company reduces its prices the other companies would have to. How oligopoly has impacted the airline market and British Airways: In the late 1990s the European airline market was liberalised, lowering the barriers to entry. Traditional firms then faced competition as firms could enter the market more easily. New entrants used leased aircrafts to keep costs low. Firms have merged (such as Liberia Airways and British Airways did in 2000) to improve the firms horizontal integration. What is monopoly: A situation in which a single company owns all or nearly all of the market for a given type of product or service. This would happen in the case that there is a barrier to entry into the industry that allows the single company to operate without competition. In such an industry structure, the producer will often produce a volume that is less than the amount which would maximize social welfare. www.investwords.com/3112/monopoly.html Advantages of monopoly as general: There is no risk of excess production. There is sufficient capital for research. Price of goods are reduced. The market can be controlled. Disadvantages of monopoly as general: The consumers are exploited. There is hardly and consumer choice. The price is high on products. As there is no competition it leads to inefficiency. The labour is exploited as the price charged is higher than the marginal cost. How monopoly has impacted the airline market and British Airways: There is no competition which would make the airlines inefficient. As there is no choice the consumer would have to take that one airline only. As the ticket prices could be high the consumers would prefer to take a train to their destination if the consumers destination is in Europe and this would cause a loss for the company. What is perfect competition: An ideal market structure characterized by a large number of small firms, identical products sold by all firms, freedom of entry into and exit out of the industry, and perfect knowledge of prices and technology. This is one of four basic, market structures. The other three are monopoly, oligopoly, and monopolistic competition. Perfect competition is an idealized market structure that is not observed in the real world. While unrealistic, it does provide an excellent benchmark that can be used to analyse real world market structure. In particular, perfect competition efficiently allocates resources. http://www.amosweb.com. Advantages of perfect competition as general: Optimal allocation of resources. Competition encourages efficiency. Consumers charged a lower price. Responsive to consumer wishes, change in demand, leads extra supply. Disadvantages of perfect competition as general: Insufficient profits for investment. Lack of product variety. Lack of competition over product design and specification. Unequal distribution of goods and income. Externalities .e.g. pollution. How perfect competition impacts airlines market and British Airways: As in the Airlines Industry there are many airlines and there is competition there can be either positive effects as well as negatives effects the positive effects of perfect competition is that the resources of the airlines is allocated to the point as t

Canada Cultural Landscape :: essays research papers

Canada is the world's second largest country, and it is the largest country in the Western Hemisphere. It comprises of the entire North American continent north of the United States, with the exclusion of Alaska, Greenland, and the tiny French islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon. Its most easterly point is Cape Spear, Newfoundland and its western limit is Mount St. Elias in the Yukon Territory, near the Alaskan border. The southernmost point is Middle Island, in Lake Erie and the northern tip is Cape Columbia, on Ellesmere Island. Canada has an abundance of mineral, forest, and waterpower resources. The mining industry has been a major force in Canada's economic development in the past and is still the main force in the advance and economic activity and permanent settlement into the northlands. The principal minerals are petroleum, nickel, copper, zinc, iron ore, natural gas, asbestos, molybdenum, sulfur, gold, and platinum; in addition extensive beds of coal, potash, uranium, gypsum, silver, and magnesium are found. Fresh water covers an estimated 8% of Canada. The many rivers and lakes supply ample fresh water to meet the nation's needs for its communities and for irrigation, agriculture, industries, transportation, and hydroelectric power generation. Canada has four principal drainage basins: the Atlantic Basin which drains to the Atlantic Ocean by way of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River, the Hudson Bay Basin which drains northward into Hudson Bay via the Churchill, Nelson and Saskatchewan rivers, the Arctic Basin which is drained by the Mackenzie River and the Pacific Basin which drains into the Pacific Ocean via the Fraser, Yukon and Columbia rivers. Most of Canada's people live in the southern part of the country, in an elongated, discontinuous belt of settlement parallel to the U.S.-Canadian border. The most populated provinces are Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia. During the last couple years, the Canadian economy has been transformed from on based primarily on agricultural production and the export of agricultural products and raw materials to one based primarily on its manufacturing and service sectors, as well as a mining sector of continuing importance. Canada's economy reflects a high-tech industrial society and resembles the United States, with whom it has close economic ties. This is one reason why a large percentage of the population, live by the U.

The Madina Collection of Islamic Art at the LACMA Essay example -- ess

The Madina Collection of Islamic Art at the LACMA Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) announced recently that it had acquired â€Å"the remarkable Madina Collection of Islamic art. The collection contains works of various media dating from the late 7th through 19th centuries from the vast areas that comprise the Islamic world, from Southern Spain to Central Asia† (Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2005). While the museum already had quite an extensive collection of Islamic art, this particular exhibit truly adds the collections as a whole. The Madina Collection of Islamic Art   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first item to be examined is a bowl from the 14th century, from either Egypt or Syria (Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2005). It is ceramic, fritware and is underglazed-painted (Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2005). It is 10 and  ¾ inches in diameter. The design is very symmetrical and incredibly colorful in its green and cream along with black lines. Without knowing what the design symbolizes one could imagine that it is very much an Islamic design, and appears to be religious or spiritual in content. There is a Mandela presence to the design, with very strong lines and striking elements. http://collectionsonline.lacma.org/mwebcgi/mweb.exe?request=record&key=8533   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The next piece to be examined is cup from the 13th century, from Greater Iran. This cup is â€Å"Silver, gilded, chased and punched† and measures â€Å"3 7/8 x 4 5/8 in. (9.84 x 11.75 c...

World war

Such question can be increasingly heard from radio speakers and be read on the pages of political magazines. Such assumptions relate primarily to the war in Syria and the Ukrainian tense political situation in which experts see a possible cause for conflict of interests of other countries that may lead too new world war. Since March 2011, unrest In Syria have not cease and managed to develop Into a fierce religious war and, according to some, has already claimed the lives of about 93 thousand people. If recently the war In Syria might seem an Internal conflict, now theUkrainian crisis can be drawn Into a bloody fight between major world powers. Now there are more and more of assumption that the Russian Invasion In Ukraine could be the beginning of World War Ill, which nuclear weapons may be used. At the moment, the U. S. Is the most interested side of fueling the conflict in Syria. They have long been eyeing Ukraine, and the Russia invasion in the Ukrainian South- East region, which occurred this spring in Lagans and Donates, gave the U. S. A legitimate reason to intervene in the conflict. Without presenting any formal evidence, the U.S. Laid the blame for the violence on the east border of Ukraine on the Russian attempts to split the country according to Gremlin's plan and expressed commitment to support the Ukrainian anti-terrorist operation in the region! The same pattern was developed a few years ago prior the U. S. Invasion of Iraq. It seems that the situation is repeated. The U. S. Determined to introduce sanctions on Russia, and they are not alone in its decision â€Å"to stand up for the Ukrainian people and to release it from under the yoke of authoritarian rule.They are Joined by Turkey, United Kingdom, France, and some other countries. Russian's actions, on the contrary, was to call to prevent World War Ill, based on unsubstantiated speculation by the U. S. Government, for whom the war in Ukraine could be economically viable. Russian President Vladi mir Putting suggested that attempts to the U. S. Intervention in the Internal affairs of Ukraine to be doomed to failure. Russia intends to prevent the United States to strike the country. China has also expressed the objection to the conflict escalation and agreed to support Russian's actions.At the Pentagon, the Russian government's decision Is not taken seriously, considering that Russian's actions are Limited to expressing their protest and that would be It. And they surely have the reason to think so, If you remember a salary situation in Iraq and Yugoslavia. But somehow it seems that right now the Russian government does not give up its position, and if the U. S. Strike on Ukraine, then Russia may enter the war, which, in turn, will lead to World War Ill. World war 3 By Jonathan to a new world war. Since March 2011, unrest in Syria have not cease and managed to develop into a housing people.If recently the war in Syria might seem an internal conflict, now the Ukrainian crisis can be drawn into a bloody fight between major world powers. Now there are more and more of assumption that the Russian invasion in Ukraine could that attempts to the U. S. Intervention in the internal affairs of Ukraine to be doomed At the Pentagon, the Russian government's decision is not taken seriously, considering that Russian's actions are limited to expressing their protest and that would be it. And they surely have the reason to think so, if you remember a similar World war Mr. Johnson Due date: Friday 18th of October 861 words By Matthew Chin World war 1 was ultimately caused by imperialism. Different nations wanted control over more land and to be the dominant nation in Europe. The assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sophie was a small but very powerful event that led to the beginning of a very long chain of events. Alliances between lots of different countries also contributed to World War 1 .The war first started Just In Europe, but alliances with many other countries outside of Europe caused the conflict In Europe to become a world war. The Arms Race was another factor of the war. Certain European countries competed against each other to see who would have the most powerful army. A large amount of money was spent and pretty much every country In the Arms Race adopted conscription. Global conflicts on such a large scale are rarely ever because of 1 simple cause.Nation leaders acted unreasonably and the war could ver y easily have been prevented, and many lives saved. All the countries that were involved in World War 1 really had one primary desire, to main control of more land for their nation or country. They do this because they are trying to be loyal to their nation and want to do whatever they can for its benefit. This is called imperialism and nationalism. Imperialism and nationalism have been the cause of many long-term tensions and conflicts all around the world, even before the First World War.Countries wanted to take land off other nations because of the raw materials the contained, take care of a threat or for some other need or want. This led to war between nations. As the opposing side were usually nationalists and cared or their country, they would defend it and fight back at the enemy. A very significant act of nationalism was when the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie were assassinated and Austria fought back. Austria then had an excuse to declare war on Serbia and thi s was the first step to world war.This started the chain of events that eventually led to World War 1 . Sometimes, other countries even tried to take over other countries Just to show other nations their dominance and that they were powerful. No matter what the reason, imperialism eventually led to conflict. Imperialism also led to alliances sometimes, when a country wanted the reassurance of another country to make them feel safer and to Increase their chances of success. Alliances also helped the world war to happen.They were not directly starting the war but once a conflict had started, alliances would be like a spark that would start out of control war if some of the nations were involved in an alliance. The countries that started the conflict may think making an alliance with other countries was a very smart decision at the time, but it Just causes more trouble for everybody because ore people being dragged into the war means more people will suffer. World War 1 started off as conflict between a few countries in Europe.But as other countries stepped in, to protect allies, the solvable conflict became a world war. As the world entered into chaos as the war started, the Arms Race in Europe began. The Arms Race was a competition between some of the great powers in Europe for superiority in the army, Ana and air force, by accumulating more weapons, soldiers and developing weaponry. The air force at the time of WWW was not very powerful as technology was not as developed as it is today. Nearly all the countries in World War 1 were involved in the Arms Race. All the countries in the Arms Race had adopted conscription.This is when all the men in that country are forced to enlist in the war as a soldier. This greatly increased the amount of people involved in the war. Large amounts of money were also spent for the purposes of the Arms Race. The great powers of Europe increased military expenditure by 300%! France's standing army in 1913 was 690,000 but rapidly gr ew to 827,000 by 1914! When more weapons are accumulated, the likelihood of war increases, as the Race started before the war did. The Arms Race also led to nations wanting more power. Militarism was especially powerful during this time.World War 1 was a massive war that could not have been the outcome of 1 simple cause. Imperialism, nationalism, the assassination of the Archduke and his wife, militarism, the Arms Race and alliances all played a part in the war. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie was a very significant even in the war that triggered a long chain of events. It started off with Austria declaring war on Serbia, then more countries declared war on each other because of he alliances they had made and the Arms Race Just made the war worse. World war Such question can be increasingly heard from radio speakers and be read on the pages of political magazines. Such assumptions relate primarily to the war in Syria and the Ukrainian tense political situation in which experts see a possible cause for conflict of interests of other countries that may lead too new world war. Since March 2011, unrest In Syria have not cease and managed to develop Into a fierce religious war and, according to some, has already claimed the lives of about 93 thousand people. If recently the war In Syria might seem an Internal conflict, now theUkrainian crisis can be drawn Into a bloody fight between major world powers. Now there are more and more of assumption that the Russian Invasion In Ukraine could be the beginning of World War Ill, which nuclear weapons may be used. At the moment, the U. S. Is the most interested side of fueling the conflict in Syria. They have long been eyeing Ukraine, and the Russia invasion in the Ukrainian South- East region, which occurred this spring in Lagans and Donates, gave the U. S. A legitimate reason to intervene in the conflict. Without presenting any formal evidence, the U.S. Laid the blame for the violence on the east border of Ukraine on the Russian attempts to split the country according to Gremlin's plan and expressed commitment to support the Ukrainian anti-terrorist operation in the region! The same pattern was developed a few years ago prior the U. S. Invasion of Iraq. It seems that the situation is repeated. The U. S. Determined to introduce sanctions on Russia, and they are not alone in its decision â€Å"to stand up for the Ukrainian people and to release it from under the yoke of authoritarian rule.They are Joined by Turkey, United Kingdom, France, and some other countries. Russian's actions, on the contrary, was to call to prevent World War Ill, based on unsubstantiated speculation by the U. S. Government, for whom the war in Ukraine could be economically viable. Russian President Vladi mir Putting suggested that attempts to the U. S. Intervention in the Internal affairs of Ukraine to be doomed to failure. Russia intends to prevent the United States to strike the country. China has also expressed the objection to the conflict escalation and agreed to support Russian's actions.At the Pentagon, the Russian government's decision Is not taken seriously, considering that Russian's actions are Limited to expressing their protest and that would be It. And they surely have the reason to think so, If you remember a salary situation in Iraq and Yugoslavia. But somehow it seems that right now the Russian government does not give up its position, and if the U. S. Strike on Ukraine, then Russia may enter the war, which, in turn, will lead to World War Ill. World war 3 By Jonathan to a new world war. Since March 2011, unrest in Syria have not cease and managed to develop into a housing people.If recently the war in Syria might seem an internal conflict, now the Ukrainian crisis can be drawn into a bloody fight between major world powers. Now there are more and more of assumption that the Russian invasion in Ukraine could that attempts to the U. S. Intervention in the internal affairs of Ukraine to be doomed At the Pentagon, the Russian government's decision is not taken seriously, considering that Russian's actions are limited to expressing their protest and that would be it. And they surely have the reason to think so, if you remember a similar