Monday, December 30, 2019

FBIs Unique Role in the United States Law Enforcement...

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has a unique role in the United States law enforcement community. The FBI is not a national police force, unlike other nations (such as France, Italy, Spain and Columbia) where patrol units and first responders are organized under the national government. The FBI is purely an investigative and intelligence agency and focuses on cross jurisdictional crimes and national security issues. Its stated mission is â€Å"To protect and defend the United States against terrorist and foreign intelligence threats, to uphold and enforce the criminal laws of the United States, and to provide leadership and criminal justice services to federal, state, municipal, and international agencies and partners† (FBI.gov).†¦show more content†¦Protect the United States against cyber-based attacks and high-technology crimes; 4. Combat public corruption at all levels; 5. Protect civil rights; 6. Combat transnational and national criminal organizations and enterprises; 7. Combat major white collar crime; 8. Combat significant violent crime; The time is near for the next strategic plan to be published, and comments made by FBI Director Robert Mueller indicate that the FBI’s priorities may be shifting yet again: â€Å"â€Å"We are developing and putting into place a different structure for the FBI that reflects the particular threat today. My own belief is that as we look to 2010, as we look further in the future†¦increasingly the FBI’s mission will be to address transnational threats because†¦we are the intersection between the threat overseas and state and local law enforcement†. Rightfully so, Director Mueller has recognized the growing threat from transnational organized crime and will hopefully he make it a top priority in coming years. The reason that international organized crime should be a top priority for the FBI is that it represents the greatest chronic criminal threat to the safety and well-being of American citizens and to the national security. This is not to say that the other seven items that were FBI priorities from 2004-2009 are unimportant, but they pale in the frequency and magnitude at which international organized crime affects America. Certainly, terrorismShow MoreRelatedViolence And Culture : What Is A World Without Violence?2434 Words   |  10 Pagesbroken cycle of trust and protection in an us against them society. Is it safe to say the purpose of the American police and Sherriff department is to have a unique partnership with the community in accordance with the constitutional rights to not only provide a safe environment, preserve the peace but to also reduce the fear and enforce the laws in which the government has set forth for us all to abide by? The protection of the American nation has converted from the officer behind the uniform and badgeRead MoreWashington Dc For A Nation Youth Leadership Forum On National Security1798 Words   |  8 PagesEver since I entered high school I have been interested in working for a federal law enforcement agency. I have been to Washington DC for a Nation Youth Leadership Forum on National Security, and have had the chance to meet many people from different agencies. Being able to talk to these people about their jobs only increased my interest in this field of work. When thinking about what I want to do in the future I would like to work as a special agent. Almost every federal agency has careers thatRead MoreCauses of Bank Failure6382 Words   |  26 Pagesconspiring to commit bank and wire fraud for his role in a $1.5 billion fraud scheme that contributed to the failure of TBW. The guilty plea was announced today by Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Neil H. MacBride for the Eastern District of Virginia; Acting Special Inspector General Christy Romero for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP); Assistant Director in Charge James W. McJunkin of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; Michael P. StephensRead MoreNational Security Outline Essay40741 Words   |  163 PagesNational Security Law and the Role of Tipson 1 CHAPTER 2: Theoretical approaches to national security world order 4 CHAPTER 3: Development of the International Law of Conflict Management 5 CHAPTER 4: The Use of Force in International Relations: Norms Concerning the Initiation of Coercion (JNM) 7 CHAPTER 5: Institutional Modes of Conflict Management 17 The United Nations System 17 Proposals for Strengthening Management Institutional Modes of Conduct 23 CHAPTER 6: The Laws of War and Neutrality

Sunday, December 22, 2019

International Trade and Ad Campaign Essay - 1063 Words

Task Name: Phase 5 Group Project Group Mates: Gover, Kairee Harris, Angela Hodnik, Andrew Holder, Maria Howard, Octavia Hunter, Salina Joecken, Luann Johnson, Eric Deliverable Length: See assignment details Details: Weekly tasks or assignments (Individual or Group Projects) will be due by Monday and late submissions will be assigned a late penalty in accordance with the late penalty policy found in the syllabus. NOTE: All submission posting times are based on midnight Central Time. In a recent State of the Union Address, the President of the United States announced the formation of the National Export Initiative, an important endeavor that is necessary for long-term, sustainable economic growth for the country. The†¦show more content†¦Your assignment is to fill in the table. Risk Importer Exporter L/M/S How to Overcome It Economic conditions Fluctuations in industry Competition Technological change Change in preferences Costs and expenses Regulations Expropriation Interest rates Government monetary policy Government fiscal policy Internal and external wars Difference in culture and religion Ownership of factories and property Human resource restrictions Intellectual property Discrimination Red tape and corruption Blockage of funds or capital accounts Change in government Comment on whether the U.S. government would support a business owners decision to expand internationally or import in light of the balance of payments and how the move internationally may affect the businesss reputation as a local small-business owner. Part II Deliverable Length: 500–750words Part of a business strategy you are considering involves the reduction of labor and material costs. Your CFO suggested doing some of the manufacturing overseas. 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Saturday, December 14, 2019

Economics Assignment Free Essays

ECONOMICS ASSIGNMENT For a market of your choice, keep track of the spot or share price fluctuations during a period of at least two years. Prepare a report of approximately 3000 words, for each market, discussing in detail the multiple forces (interesting developments) responsible for the trends. Tuesday 24 May 2011 Table of Contents Executive Summary Executive Summary In analysing the consumer market, we have chosen the share prices of two JSE listed companies, namely SABMiller and Rainbow Chicken which belong to the beverages and food producer’s sub-sectors respectively. We will write a custom essay sample on Economics Assignment or any similar topic only for you Order Now Our two-year analysis is for the period March 2009 to May 2011. We will explore how Rainbow Chicken fared relative to its nearest competitor – Astral Foods. SABMiller allowed us to expand our thinking and methodology as the company also has a dual-listing on the London Stock Exchange. Its three closest competitors Heineken, Anheuser-Busch InBev and Carlsberg Breweries have foreign listings. It stands to reason, therefore, that we begin our assignment with an overview of the global context in which both companies operated in the period under review. The aftermath of the recession and changes in global economic indicators like the ZAR:USD exchange rate and the price of Brent crude oil will be examined. What we found particularly interesting was the resilience of both company’s share prices in the challenging global economic climate. We mention the factors that insulated each share from the global downturn. We then turn our attention to South Africa’s economic environment and examine the extent to which the foregoing global factors impacted on South Africa’s macroeconomic policy landscape. The two variables that we pay particular attention to are the local repo and CPI rates. We address the extent to which changes to these local variables impacted on the share prices of SABMiller and Rainbow Chicken. As mentioned in the first paragraph, our analyses consider the industries in which both companies operate by comparing their share prices with those of their nearest competitors. Our company analyses focus on internal considerations and the strategic objectives detailed in SABMiller’s and Rainbow’s annual reports for the 2009 and 2010 financial year ends. In our analyses of each company’s share price, we remain mindful of the fact that, although not directly responsible for the share’s daily performance, the objectives and calibre of management nevertheless impact on the share price. We conclude each analysis with a justifiable prediction of the expected trajectory of each company’s share price. The concentric eclipses in the diagram below depict the logical progression of our assignment’s structure, beginning with the outer-most eclipse. The diagram also shows the inter-relatedness of each eclipse relative to the other and how it is impossible to isolate the effects of one from the other. This reinforces the aphorism that: â€Å"in Economics everything is related to everything else; and usually in more ways than one. † The Global Environment [pic] Source: www. eia. doe. gov The price of Brent crude oil has been steady at an average level of $70 to $80 a barrel until November 2010. Since December 2010, the oil price has been rising, reaching a peak of $120 / barrel in April 2011. This has been partly due to uprisings in the Arab world, which holds the majority of global oil reserves. The oil price affects domestic inflation as fuel and energy are a major component of South Africa’s CPI basket. The price of petrol, which is based on oil prices, also raises logistical costs. SABMiller and Rainbow paid more to transport their products in the December 2010 to May 2011 period as a result of the spike in oil prices. It stands to reason that these higher transportation costs would be passed on to consumers as higher product prices by both companies. pic] Source: www. xe. com The graph above shows that the Rand has been strengthening relative to the US Dollar from 1USD:10ZAR to 1USD:6,3ZAR between March 2009 and May 2011. The strong rand has had a favourable impact on our terms of trade as can be seen from the self-explanatory graph below which depicts the Balance of Payments. The company analyses below reveal that SABMiller exports and imports a number of its brands across the world. Rainbow Chicken imports the soy component of its chicken feed wholly from Argentina. The rand’s strength impacts on both companies’ performances (and hence) their share prices favourably. [pic] [pic] Source: www. resbank. co. za The South African Environment Domestic interest rates [pic] Source: www. resbank. co. za The graph above shows that the Reserve Bank’s stance to monetary policy has been expansionary. This is shown by the gradual decline in the repo rate from 9,5% in March 2009 to its current level of 5,5% in May 2011. The Reserve Bank’s mandate is to keep the inflation rate within its target band of 3% to 6% and it uses the repo rate as the instrument with which to impact inflation. The Reserve Bank’s lowering of the repo rate is due to the CPI breaching its upper target limit of 6%. This is shown in the graph below. There is a positive relationship between the repo rate and CPI. It stands to reason, therefore, that the gradual lowering of the repo rate would be accompanied by a decline in the CPI rate. This is indeed the case. However, because of lags, the effect of a fall in the repo rate on the inflation rate is not reflected immediately and the CPI remains significantly above the upper limit. A fall in the repo rate eases pressure on consumers by raising their disposal incomes since they, theoretically, spend less on their credit commitments. All things being equal, this would raise the sales volumes of SABMiller’s and Rainbow’s products. Domestic Inflation [pic] Source: www. statssa. gov. za The graph above depicts the trend in inflation. It is clear that although the inflation rate has been on a downward trajectory (following the lowering of the repo rate) it was in breach of the upper limit of 6% from March 2009 to Oct 2009. It was within the target band in November 2009 but breached the upper limit again between December 2009 and February 2010. The latter breach is attributable to the market’s inflation expectations because of the steep increase in electricity tariffs during this period (www. eskom. co. za). As mentioned previously, the biggest components of South Africa’s CPI basket are food and fuel and the graphs below will be used to explain the impact of inflation on SABMiller’s and Rainbow’s performance specifically. CPI indicator relevant to SAB Miller pic] Source: www. statssa. gov. za This graph shows that inflation for alcoholic beverages has not only been consistently higher than the upper limit of the inflation target band, it has also been significantly higher than the country’s inflation rate. This is due to the fact that a major component of the price of alcohol is a â€Å"sin tax†, which is imposed by the finance ministry, because of the relative ly inelastic nature of the price elasticity of demand for alcohol as well as irresponsible and excessive consumption patterns. For some consumers, even a sharp increase in the price of alcoholic beverages does not result in a fall in the quantity demanded. There would, in all likelihood, be a shift away from the consumption of relatively more expensive alcoholic beverages towards relatively cheaper alcohol – not a complete cessation in the consumption of alcohol. This is one of the reasons that SABMiller’s share price has shown steady gains relative to the market. CPI indicator relevant to Rainbow Chicken [pic] Source: www. statssa. gov. za Consumer food price inflation decelerated sharply from December 2010. It is also interesting to note, that between January 2009 and January 2010, the prices of wheat fell by 24,58%, maize by 22,57% and sunflower seeds by 18,49% (www. finweek. co. za) Decreases in the prices of these staple foods has a positive impact on the poor as they spend 33,4% of their incomes on food; versus the rich who spend a mere 2,6% of their incomes on food. Poor people consume relatively more chicken than red meat because the latter is relatively more expensive. Chicken is the cheapest form of protein in South Africa and demand for it is high (www. astralfoods. com). Furthermore, the above staple foods are used as chicken feed which is a significant input cost for Rainbow Chicken, therefore the company has had cost savings because of bumper crops and the consequent price decreases in these commodities. The table on the following page clearly accounts for the nearly vertical decline in the graph above which shows food price inflation. [pic] Source: www. resbank. co. za GDP – South Africa [pic] [pic] Source: www. statssa. gov. za The graphs above show that South Africa was in a recession in 2009, as defined, because of the two consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth. Our recovery from the global recession was due to the fact that we had a low exposure to the sub-prime market crisis that was responsible for the global meltdown. Our banking and macroeconomic policies remain robust. The growth in the economy from the third quarter of 2009 is also due to infrastructural investments that were made for the 2010 Soccer World Cup as well as South Africa’s contributions to the BRIC emerging markets bloc – especially our trade with China. It is expected that our formal inclusion to the BRICS nations since April 2011 will maintain the upward trend in GDP (www. lobalsherpa. org). Positive GDP growth has a positive impact on the performance of SABMiller’s and Rainbow’s shares. In a boom everyone does well. SABMiller, in particular, has a presence in all five BRICS nations and is poised for growth as emerging market economies have overtaken developed economies in their contributions to global GDP. We now examine SABMiller’s s hare price in more detail and then turn our attention to Rainbow Chicken in light of the foregoing discussions on the global and local environments. Analysis of SABMiller pic] SABMiller is a global operation covering 75 countries on six continents and employing over 70 000 people. Its portfolio of businesses is divided into six regions and is well balanced between developed and emerging markets. Between them, the businesses produce over 200 different brands and sell 213 million hectoliters of lager a year. Since listing on the London Stock Exchange 10 years ago the company has grown substantially and has a market capitalisation of ZAR 419,837,700,000 on the JSE and GBP 36,099,310,000 on the LSE. The company’s markets range from developed economies such as the USA to the fast growing BRICS economies (SABMiller Annual Report, 2009). SABMiller is also the number one bottler of soft drinks for The Coca Cola Company. The breweries market can be seen as oligopolistic in nature since SABMiller and its three main competitors (Heineken, Anheuser-Busch InBev and Carlsberg) are the dominant players in the market and have significant market share amongst them. The oligopolistic market structure has a positive impact on the company’s operations and share price performance. In North America, SABMiller (through its strategic partners) is the second-largest brewer in the United States and owns nearly 30% of the US beer market. In Latin America, it is the number one brewer by market share. In the majority of the ten European countries in which it operates, the company is the number one or number two brewer by market share. The same holds for Africa and Asia. In the 2009 annual report Mayer Kahn, the Chairman of the Board, stated that the global brewing industry was expected to continue to consolidate and that participation in industry consolidation provides opportunities to enter growth markets and to create value from scale benefits. The graph below shows SABMiller’s share price relative to its three main competitors. It is clear that all four companies’ trajectories have moved in tandem but Carlsberg’s share price has significantly taken the lead with SABMiller in second place. At the turn of the century, the top 10 brewers accounted for just over one-third of global beer sales volumes. The past decade has seen a rapid consolidation, resulting in the top four brewers – Anheuser-Busch InBev, SABMiller, Heineken and Carlsberg – accounting for almost 50% of beer sales volumes and up to 75% of the global profit pool. (SABMiller Annual Report, 2010) [pic] Source: www. heineken. com Mr Kahn attributes the company’s good results (in both 2009 and 2010) to the operational strengths of the businesses and the power of their leading local brands. He concedes that even though SABMiller was not immune to the global crisis, beer is a fairly resilient product which placed the company in a better position than many to weather the storm. He goes on to say: â€Å"Thanks, partly, to our long experience of emerging markets, we are used to operating under difficult conditions. If we look back ten years to our London stock market listing, it is worth remembering that the Asian currency crisis at that time had shaken investor confidence in emerging markets and that the outlook was far from encouraging. Nevertheless, we prospered and grew and achieved the international expansion that our listing was intended to facilitate. Ten years on, our geographic spread is proving to be an advantage in that different countries are affected by the crisis at different rates and to differing degrees. So while demand in Europe has dropped sharply, countries in emerging markets such as Africa and Asia have fared relatively well despite falling back from the high – one might say unsustainable – rates of growth of recent years. † SABMiller Annual Report, 2009 In short, SABMiller’s diverse spread of businesses, strong market positions, and a portfolio of leading brands mitigated against the risks and negative consequences of the global downturn and contributed to the steady upward momentum in the share price. In response to the mismatch between the supply of, and demand for, certain brewing and packaging raw materials in Africa, the company is increasingly using locally grown crops such as sorghum and cassava to produce affordable brands. This is done to minimise supply shortages and the price volatility of key raw material inputs. Continued robust pricing and productivity enhancements offset increased commodity costs (SABMiller Annual Report, 2010). It comes as no surprise, therefore, that the combination of the above factors resulted in a steady upward trend in the company’s share prices on both the London and Johannesburg bourses in the period under review as seen in the graphs below. [pic][pic] Source: www. sabmiller. com In 2010, Mr Kahn had similar good news for investors, citing the same reasons as for 2009. However he mentions the company’s management team as being a key contributor to the positive results: This year, in addition, we have benefited from management’s ability to reduce costs and selectively increase prices in order to maximise revenues†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Source: SABMiller Annual Report, 2010 In the third paragraph of our Executive Summary, we mentioned that the management of any company is not responsible for the share price. However, in fulfilling its primary objective of maximising shareholder value, the credibility of and strategies employed by management invariably have an impact on the share price. It would appear that the management and directorship of SABMiller are market-friendly. The members of the executive team are representative of each of the continents in which the company operates; with Mr Cyril Ramaphosa and Dr Dambisa Moyo as the notable representatives for Africa. Other market-friendly strategies include the December 2009 announcement that 8. 45% of the shares in SABMiller’s South African subsidiary, The South African Breweries Ltd (SAB), would be placed under Black ownership as part of its commitment to Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment in South Africa. This transaction created 40,000 new shareholders among SAB employees and qualifying retailers. The deal also created a charitable foundation that holds 18% of the shares that were issued under the transaction. The dividend income will be used for the benefit of the wider South African community (SABMiller Annual Report, 2010). The company also capitalised on the strength of emerging markets (particularly in China and Africa) by channeling its growth strategies to these markets. â€Å"Globally, the beer market grew by 1. 5% in 2010, led by a continuing strong performance in Asia, Africa and Latin America. China grew by 6. 5%, Africa by 3. 1% and Latin America by almost 3%. Western Europe continued the trend of declining beer volumes, driven by a shift in consumption to other beverages and the decline of on-premise consumption. † Source: SABMiller Annual Report, 2010 In the 2010 financial year the company acquired four new breweries in China, invested in new breweries in Tanzania, Mozambique, Angola and Southern Sudan and carried out expansions and upgrades in Uganda and Zambia. The trends in the graphs depicting SABMiller’s share price on both the London and Johannesburg Securities’ Exchanges (given above) require no further explanation. With good management being both a contributory factor to and a consequence of the share’s strong performance, it is reasonable to conclude that the positive momentum will continue. [pic] Analysis of Rainbow Chicken [pic] Rainbow Chicken Limited is the largest processor and marketer of chicken in South Africa. It is a fully integrated broiler producer that breeds and rears its own livestock which it feeds from its own feed mills. Rainbow processes, distributes and markets fresh, frozen, value-added and further-processed chicken. The company has a market capitalisation of ZAR 6 124 893 000 009 was a very challenging year for the South African poultry industry, both locally and globally. The local chicken industry was negatively impacted by the fall in demand due to the recession. An oversupply by local producers and increased imports due to the strong rand also added to the industry’s woes. These difficult market conditions were a further test of Rainbow’s differen tiated brand strategy, which through its foodservice and consumer brands, seeks more consistent, profitable and sustainable business (Rainbow Chicken Annual Report, 2009). Despite these challenges, Rainbow managed to deliver an acceptable overall performance. Positive performance, like a rally in the share price, is a function of several variables and while we can make inferences about the correlation between the two, we make no such inferences about their causality. Like SABMiller, Rainbow’s Black Economic Empowerment transaction (which was concluded in July 2008) was market-friendly and boosted the company’s share price. Rainbow provided vendor financing for a 15% equity stake that was issued to a consortium that was constituted by its employees, Imbewu Consortium, Ikamva Labantu, and Mrs M Nhlanhla, a non-executive director. The BBBEE transaction resulted in the share price rallying from R12. 0 to R16. 80 in the latter period of the second quarter of the 2009 financial year as shown in the graph on the following page. 2010 was an equally challenging year for Rainbow but its effects were mitigated by South Africa’s steady recovery from the recession, a lower interest rate and inflationary environment. Maize prices d eclined since their peak in July 2008. The global financial crisis caused a dramatic decrease in the demand for maize, improving the previously dangerously low US and global maize stock situations to such an extent that international prices fell sharply from their record levels. Rainbow Chicken, Annual Report, 2010). The fall in maize prices, which is a major component in chicken feed, resulted in a reduction in the company’s input costs which boosted the bottom line. Local producers added significant production capacity for wheat, grain and soy over the past five years. Rainbow imports the soya component of its chicken feed from Argentina and it has a significant FOREX exposure. The strong rand, however, in the period under review, has been in the company’s favour. The company’s 2010 annual report reflected acceptable profit margins. In both 2009 and during 2010, the company’s share price maintained its upward momentum as reflected in the graph below. [pic] |Key Features – Rainbow Chicken Share Price | |Year |Low |High | |2009 |11500 |16800 | |2010 |15900 |16900 | The graph and table above confirm the findings in the preceding paragraphs. Although the difference between the year’s highest share prices is negligible, South Africa’s economic recovery may be gleaned from the fact that the lowest share price for 2010 was 4400c above the 2009 low. Consumer’s disposable incomes were higher in 2010 because of falling interest and inflation rates. Falling input costs and increased consumer demand increased the appetite for the company’s shares as investors’ expectations of earning better returns were supported. Other events that led to sharp movements in the company’s share price include the market’s speculative expectations immediately prior to the announcement of the group’s 2009 results. After the results were announced, the share price dropped to R13. 90 because of the 39. 6% decline in headline earnings. The reason for this decline in earnings can be attributed to the company’s policy of buying feed products forward. The share price stabilised for the remainder of 2010 due to an increase in the multitude of families that joined the ranks of South Africa’s middle class. As the middle class grows in size, so the taste of chicken diversifies allowing entrepreneurs to come up with new ways of marketing chicken to end consumers. We now turn our attention to Rainbow’s competitor, Astral Foods, to get a better idea of the South African poultry industry before making conclusions about how justifiable a continued rally in Rainbow’s share price is. Astral Foods is Rainbow Chicken’s nearest competitor. The company holds investments in subsidiary and joint venture companies. Its primary activities are animal feed pre-mixes, the manufacturing of animal feeds, broiler genetics, the production and sale of day-old broiler chicks and hatching eggs, integrated breeder and broiler production operations, abattoirs and the sale and distribution of various key poultry brands. Its current market capitalisation is R5,5 bn (www. moneyweb. co. za) Despite a 5% drop in sales volumes, revenue for Astral Foods’ poultry division increased by 13% for the 2009 financial year. (Astral Foods Annual Report, 2009). The market was neutral about the appointment of Chris Schutte as the Chief Executive Officer, effective 1 May 2009. The share price was also not responsive to the appointment of Daan Ferreira as the Financial Director. This may be because it was not perceived to be mindful of BBBEE. The improvement in Astral Foods’ revenue for the 2010 period was largely attributable to a sustained growth in volume. The volume growth was on the back of improved production results supported by better poultry health status. Depressed consumer spending, together with higher levels of imports and high local stock levels, contributed to vigorous promotional activity with prices at levels below historical levels. Reduced feeding costs during the period countered the effects of lower poultry selling prices. A lengthy period of industrial action at Earlybird Standerton negatively impacted the company’s share performance. (Astral Foods Annual Report 2010) |[pic] | |The graph above shows the steadily upward trend in Astral Foods share price. Not surprisingly, it follows a similar pattern to Rainbow | |Chicken’s share price – with pronounced sell-offs in the first and second quarters of 2009 and improvements thereafter. This pattern | |provides comfort because of the consistency of both company’s responsiveness to events in the poultry industry. It would be concerning if | |the companies had different trajectories. The consensus amongst analysts is that the South African poultry industry is poised for | |significant growth given that the price of chicken has risen by 30 per cent year-on-year while the cost of feed has come down. We | |anticipate that Rainbow’s share price will maintain its upward trend. | | | BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Astral Foods Limited Annual Report, 2009. www. astralfoods. com 2. EIA Independent Statistics and Analysis, US Energy Information Administration, www. eia. doe. gov 3. www. eskom. co. za 4. www. finweek. co. za/Economy/Food-inflation-still-a-concern-20100301 5. www. globalsherpa. org/china-africa-brics 6. www. heineken. com 7. www. moneyweb. o. za 8. Rainbow Chicken Limited Annual Report, 2009 and 2010, www. rainbowchicken. co. za 9. Reserve Bank Quarterly Bulletin March 2011,www. resbank. co. za 10. SABMiller PLC Annual Report, 2009, www. sabmiller. com 11. SABMiller PLC Annual Report, 2010, www. sabmiller. com 12. Statistics South Africa, Statistical release P0141, www. statssa. gov. za 13. www. xe. com [pic] ———————– Economics Assignment 2011 GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT LOCAL ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY / COMPETITORS COMPANY SHARE PRICE How to cite Economics Assignment, Essay examples

Friday, December 6, 2019

Marketing Management for Maggi - Nescafe and Kit Kat- myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theMarketing Management for Maggi, Nescafe and Kit Kat. Answer: Introduction The report focuses on basic understanding of marketing techniques performed by one of the prominent company named Nestle in Malaysia. It includes the several tools and techniques in developing a management of marketing operations. In order to analyse the management strategy, it must require appropriate interpretation of marketing management. Company Analysis Nestle is known for its bestselling and manufacturing products in a sector of food and beverage. The company headquarter is situated in Vevey, Switzerland. From the time when the year of 1912, Nestle still holds a successful position in nurturing every Malaysians by its excellence services provided in its product (Urde, 2009). The Nestle considered as a trademark by a name of its products like Maggi, Nescafe and Kit Kat. The history of Nestle trace from a year of 1866. The Henri Nestl, the Swiss chemist founded the core theme of Nestle. He is considered as a founding father of Nestle Company and creator of the product called Farine Lacte Nestl, a condensed milk for babies who were unable to have mother feed at the period of infant mortality in the 18th century. In the year of 1867, Henri Nestl implemented a new idea to his own coat of arms as a logo in 1867. The meaning the tag line in Nestle was little nest represented a concept of cherishing and caring, nourishment, security and family closeness. These characteristics are still considered as the guiding factor for the legacy of the Nestle Company as it achieves its assurance to 'Good Food, Good Life.' SWOT Analysis The marketing of Nestle Company analyses on the basis of its following strength, weaknesses, opportunity and threat (Moura, Branco and Camoesas, 2015). Strengths of the Nestle Company Matchless research and development competency- The Company expended billions on its Research and Development in the year of 2015. Presence of strong geographical segmentation to regulate diversified market in manufacturing and selling - The Nestl Company regulates a highest selling of its product in approximate hundred and nine countries that is selling almost the whole world. Matchless assortment in product and brand the Nestl company portfolio is broader than any of its competitors in the market. Make a best Endeavour in providing sustainability in Environment the Nestle putting every best possible measure to protect the realm of environment. Absolute Ownership on most of the identifiable products- the Nestl having an absolute ownership in its most and recognizable products like Nestl, Nescaf, Maggi and Kit Kat. (Friesner, 2011) Weaknesses of the Nestle Company The company faces allegation in a matters like improper usage of water, bonded labour and practising of several corrupt activities. Memories of contaminated product like Maggi in India- In the year of 2014, the company demolished a selling of adulterated Maggi noodle product in India. (Armstrong, 2010). Opportunities of the Nestle Company Strong and correct marking specifying of any adulterated products- the researcher of marketing states thatbuyers usually purchase products by its clear description and accurate labelling. Clearness in sourcing- nowadays the customer having more and more awareness in finding out the source of materials used in a product. Increasing number in trifling food start-ups- the food start-ups is a significant step to boost the products by attracting next or young generation in foods and drinks. Exploring markets especially in coffee and tea -.although the company considered as a largest coffee vendor, it still lack in significant brands in coffee and tea market. Threats of the Nestle Company Lack in eminent services of water the scarcity of water treated as a most critical issue due to the factors of change in climate, over inhabitants, exploitation of natural resources and improper controlling of water. (Piper, 2014). Increased opposition in the sector of food and beverage the company having a competitive rivalry in the industry of food and beverage. The industry of food and beverage running slowly in present time. The value of coffee beans might suggestively increase due to major environmental issues or tragedies- the company nets profit completely depend on the generation of coffee. Segmentation, Target and Position Market Segmentation of Nestle The marketing segmentation states the basic understanding of customers' requirements and satisfaction (Hassan and Craft, 2012). The Market segmentation requires searching of unmatched part of the market so that a proper segmentation can be provided by the company for the purpose of satisfying requirements of the majority of the customer (Sowey, 2010). The following sources for segmentation are divided on the basis of customers choice Geographic area Firstly, the segmentation of a product depends on the geographical factors like the selling of Nescafe coffee boost in the winters. Demographic area Secondly, the segmentation depends on the product according to the demographic criteria. The criteria of demographic include the selling of a product in different ages of customers like cerelac, lactogen, attracts infant or young consumers. Psychographic area Thirdly, the segmentation of the market depends on the factor of the life style and personality criteria. Such factor include in psychographic area. In Malaysia, kit Kat attracts consumers due to the taste of chocolate. Behavioural area Fourthly, the segmentation depends entirely on the consumer behaviour. For example- the product Cerelac provide a nutritional level for infants. Such inclusion of nutritional level judged the consumer behaviour. Target Marketing of Nestle The targeting of the product considered as a second step after segmentation process in marketing. The targeting of the product evaluates the classification of segmentation and decides the quality and quantity of the product (Peck et.al.2013) The company distributes the target marketing due to distinctive requirements and choices of consumer. The Nestle Malaysia classified their target strategy according to distinguish marketing policies such as Nescafe three in one product made especially for those consumers who are involved in hectic routine. Thus, the company provides targeting products according to the age, profession, seasonal time and weather of Malaysia (Baumgarth and Merrilees, 2013). Positioning Strategy of Nestle The positioning policy of nestle creates by its diversity of products, channels and differentiation on reputation, consumers choices or services. The company make a distinguish positioning on the basis of food processing such as it brings product like Nido with 25 kind of minerals in it. The company able to focus equally on all three process of marketing that is segmentation, targeting, and positioning process. It able to conclude which categories of customers supports the products of the company (Kotler and Gertner, 2007). Competitors analysis The Nestle Company holds a close competition or rivalry with the companies like Cadbury, Parle-G and Amul. These companies are having strong market shares and more popularity in a public. The chocolate like Dairy milk holds a centre of attraction more than the kitkat, much or milky bar of the Nestle. Other product like amul dairy products contains a strong sell and demand in the market. Moreover, the medium of the advertisement is stronger of Amul, Parle-G, and Cadbury than the company of nestle. Other strong competitors of the Nestle are Hersheys, Mars and Pearson. The Hersheys company is known as a largest American candy enterprise. The Hersheys is also contains a largest chocolate company worldwide. The incorporation like Mars is a largest private firm of United States. The popular brands of Mars are star burst and a snicker holds a public choice. Salted nut roll and mint patty of Pearson Company have a highest revenue than the Nestle company. It is recommended to the Nestle that to establish a strong advertisement policy like its competitors. There is an urgent need to introduce new healthy and flavorsome products to attract the largest number of customers. 4 P's Of Nestle The marketing strategy of Nestle analyses on the universal principle of 4PS that is Product, Price, Place and Promotion. Product The company is the worlds largest industry of food and beverage. It focuses on the products according to its nature and characteristics such as dairy products are Nestle milk, Nestle slim and Nestle Every Day Milk. The strategy of Nestle products classifies mainly according to its nature. The nature of the product includes its quality and excellence, design scheme, specifications and its brand tag. For example- the nestle is able to provide the diversity in the food products like infant foods, breakfast products, beverage items like coffee and tea, kitchen utilising items, nutrition foods etc. The brand like Nestle captures a market only by its products superiority. The Nestle Company is able to stress on the proper monetisation of its product. Thus, it is significant measure of the Nestle to provide a permanent assurance and safety guidelines to its customers. Price The general definition of the Price is the product worth in an exchange of its production and manufacturing. The term Price signifies that the companys revenue in the market. Hence, the mechanism of the price is a significant tool in the marketing strategy for a purpose to establish the visibility of the competitors and customers. Further, the price of the product ascertains its a quality and excellence specification. It creates a judgment power in the customer to sought any product of its choice. The company like Nestle focus mainly on the theory of price orientation. The price orientation deals with a competency to tackle current price issues in the market. The value of the products is depends on the excellence and superiority characteristics of the product. The value of the nestle products almost identical with the value of other rivalry in the market. Therefore the pricing strategy in the Nestle entirely depends on the factors such as the quality the product. Place The place considered as a foremost element of marketing. The strategy on the factor of place mainly deals with the usable conditions of the company. The place targets the uniformity in the channel diversity of the company. Moreover, time and place is important segment into the production or manufacturing of any product by the company. The place of the company affects the entire business of the company. The nestle Malaysia having an excellence place strategy which able to attract consumers globally. In context of place, the company follows the strategy of FMCG that is fast moving consumer goods. Company monitors the effective system of product distribution in several places globally. In context of Place factor, the nestle company also promoting the electronic marketing so that the direct supplying of the product takes place to the customer without storing the product at any specific place. Promotion According to Gertner (2007) the promotion is a main aspect of the marketing in which a customers choice can be determined. Promotion stimulates the core attention of the customers personal response and actions. The Nestle Company often come in a market with his unique techniques used for promotion. The promotion of the company always focuses on the consumers choices and needs. The company believes in pushing the excellent product quality and services. It successfully targets the consumers requirements. The techniques of promotion involve a smart approach or idea. For example- Kit Kat having an excellent tagline take a break which shows the good marketing skills of the company. The company is able to balance overall promotional strategy through the mode of advertising on Television, Posters, design and virtual advertisements over internet. Key issues of the Nestle The common issues and challenges of the nestle company are identified mainly on the following factors: First challenge There is an urgent need to Innovate and Renovate the nutritious and safe products in order to curb the existing health issues in the society. These health issues mainly are obesity, malnutrition and other disorders or deficiencies in any individuals customers. Even the time has changed today, customers are opting more healthy and nutritive products. The competitors of the Nestle are good in handling the current approach of the customers. The products of Amul or Cadbury are catching good eye in terms of the customers health. For instance- the dairy products of the Amul are very popular in the customers as it is providing healthy and nutritive dietary supplements in it. Hence, the Nestle Company requires stressing the current perspective of the customers choice and must ensure meeting all the fundamental priorities of health and wellness of its customers. Second challenge The Nestle Company requires a more productive and effective policy and scheme on Strict Responsibility towards an Environment. It must compliance respect to environment. There is a serious issue or a challenge facing by the company is the scarcity in the water conservation. The company must target the proper monitoring on the water usage in context of environmental aspect. It must ensure the transparency and proper traceability of the eco-friendly technology for the production or manufacturing the products. There must be proper installation of the environmental techniques like biotechnology and nanotechnology. It should contain a proper execution of the fair policies and schemes for the healthy and safe environment. It should focus on promoting the environmental methods in every level of the production units. Every employee must be concern for the environment rather than its own individual profit. Therefore, awareness plays a significant role in curbing the environmental issues at ev ery level of the company. Marketing strategies of the Nestle The marketing strategies of the Nestle form its core existence in the market. These strategies are able to attract a number of customers due to its strong marketing campaigning. The Nestle company mainly focus on the strategy of Think globally, act locally where marketing channels is enhanced at both national and international level. It targets the uniformity in the distribution and supply chain of the products. In order to establish the proper accountability and transparency in the distribution of products, the Nestle introduced the strategy of Answerable Sourcing. The sourcing aids in promotion of environmental welfare. The Nestle Company has a strong brand value which ultimately helps in strengthen its sales and economical strategy with ease accountability. The general rule of the sales marketing in the company follows with a principle of creative innovation. The factor of creative innovation deals with a factor to increase numbers of the customers due to its quality and excellence feature inbuilt in the products of it. Best illustration of the marketing strategy provided by classification on Micro Environment and Macro Environment. The strategy of Micro Environment deals with an internal environment of the company. Such internal environment includes a proper uniformity and balancing in the relations of the employee and labours. While the macro environment deals with external factors where a proper balancing and uniformity based in the context of political, social or economic aspect with a competitors of the market. Therefore, the marketing strategies of the Nestle Company recommended that the company must meet the current requirement or demand of the customers to establish the strong position in the market. To stretch more accountability and transparency in the marketing strategy, it is recommended that Nestle should disclose the public knowledge and awareness in it. Thus, the theme of brand line good food, good life is able to furnish practically all the requirement and core objects of the Nestls marketing strategy. Marketing orientation of the Nestle The concept of marketing orientation deals with a study of philosophical aspect in order to target and discover the basic needs and choices of the customer through the product. Generally, the reaction of the customer is evaluated on the usage of the product. The Nestle company follows the market orientation classifies on the basis of strategic marketing and operational marketing. The strategic marketing deals with an implementation of the strengths of the company that is nestle company holds a strong brand tag where nestle putting all innovative strategy to attract its customer. While, the operational marketing deals with a practical implementation in the products quality and design where nestle is able to provide prompt customers services by its excellence and superiority specification in it. Corporate Social Responsibilities of Nestle Every Corporate are obliged to comply with code of ethical, legal, and commercial. This is a general principle that every business has to implement in order to meet expectation of the public. The policy on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) plays a vital role in the marketing. The Corporate Social Responsibility described as a concept of broadening social factors in the marketing strategy (Gayo, 2012). The policy of CSR includes ethical or social norms in the marketing. It refers as an implementation of ethical principles by an organization in order to improve social disorders. Thus, Corporate Social Responsibility is generally company policy to accomplish a balance of financial, ecological and societal imperatives. The CSR Policy of Nestle creates value for society by its contribution in improving the nutrition, health and wellness through its products and services. The tagline of Nestle Malaysia is Nestle nourishing in order to achieve complete wellness and delivering promise to carry Good food, Good Life to all citizens of Malaysia. The fundamental principle of the Nestle is based on the principle of transparency and ethical codes and conduct. The Nestle CSR policy provides a three zone mainly focussing (Polonsky and Jevons, 2009). The three zones are Creating a shared value- it is considered as a core theme of Nestle CSR policy which aims to introduce different and countless value for society. It includes company mainly focuses on nourishment, water and overall development of public at large. Sustainability of Environment- the company puts equal effort to enhance the environmental values day by day. Such sustainability deals with a motto to provide healthy and green environment. The company forms a several protocol in order to implement long term approach in the conservation of the environment. Compliance- the Nestle respects every norms or standard in regard to legislation, principles of business affairs and other regulatory codes of conduct. Hence, it is proved that the company playing well in a social front as it is observing all practices of a business and influence directly on the nations economy, community. It is recommended that Nestle CSR policy should apply the human right policy across the globe. It is highly recommended that company should provide an assurance to its every employee that they are provided with adequate wages and extra wages according to their potential and capabilities. It is important step to encourage the hand working labor of the company. One must be provided with equal attention to its requirements and needs. The laborers should entitle to attain an equal pay with equal work and right to work with dignity (Shaw, 2007). The company should focus on banning child labor and forced labor. The humanity should be the core theme of the company. Such human rights policy should straightaway preserves the all basic needs of the employees as well as consumers needs and requirement. The business of the company should not compromise the needs of the public at large. The company should warrant and encourage that every unit of a company observes the codes of the human right policy with honesty and responsibilities. Conclusion The report on the Nestle Company concludes that the company is one of the successful brands in the world. In the present time, the company is putting an innovative idea in the industry of food and beverage and acquires a dominating position in the market. The consumers of nestle hope that nestle preserves constantly a quality products with the unique presentation of marketing methods (Azimont and Arauj, 2007). The company often putting a best endeavour to spread its product among every unit of markets either of big or small markets. The company keeps focussing especially in the rural marketing and to those remote areas where people are unable to consume products at a best quality (Witkowski, 2007). References Armstrong, G., 2010.Principles of marketing. Pearson education. Azimont, F. and Araujo, L., 2007. Category reviews as market-shaping events.Industrial Marketing Management,36(7), pp.849-860. Baumgarth, C. and Merrilees, B., 2013. Brand orientation and market orientationFrom alternatives to synergy.Journal of Business Research,66(1), pp.13-20. Carlin, T.M., Finch, N. and Hidayah Laili, N., 2009. Goodwill accounting in Malaysia and the transition to IFRSA compliance assessment of large first year adopters.Journal of Financial Reporting and Accounting,7(1), pp.75-104. Cherry, K., 2011. Nestl. Strategic marketing management. Czinkota, M.R. and Ronkainen, I.A., 2013.International marketing. Cengage Learning. Day, G.S., 2011. Closing the marketing capabilities gap.Journal of marketing,75(4), pp.183-195. Friesner, T., 2011. History of SWOT analysis.Marketing Teacher, pp.2000-2010. Gayo, S., 2012, September. Mandatory and voluntary corporate social responsibility policy debates in Indonesia. InICIRD conference paper. Haley, G.T., 2009.Marketing planning and strategy. Cincinnati South-Western Publishing Company 1985. Hassan, S.S. and Craft, S., 2012. Examining world market segmentation and brand positioning strategies.Journal of Consumer marketing,29(5), pp.344-356. Kse, Y., 2007. Nestl: a brief history of the marketing strategies of the first multinational company in the Ottoman Empire.Journal of Macromarketing,27(1), pp.74-85. Kotler, P. and Gertner, D., 2007. Country as brand, product, and beyond: A place marketing and brand management perspective.Journal of brand management,9(4), pp.249-261. Moura, A., Branco, M. and Camoesas, M., 2015, June. NESTL, A GLOBAL FIRM AND ITS CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS. InIMC 2015 International Management Conference 26th June 2015(p. 96). Nestle, M., 2009. Reading the food social movement.World Literature Today,83(1), pp.37-39. Peck, H., Christopher, M., Clark, M. and Payne, A., 2013.Relationship marketing. Taylor Francis. Peter, J.P., Olson, J.C. and Grunert, K.G., 2007. Consumer behavior and marketing strategy. Piper, K., 2014.The price of thirst: Global water inequality and the coming chaos. University of Minnesota Press. Polonsky, M. and Jevons, C., 2009. Global branding and strategic CSR: an overview of three types of complexity.International Marketing Review,26(3), pp.327-347. Shaw, H.J., 2007. The role of CSR in re-empowering local communities. Social Responsibility Journal, 3(2), pp.11-21. Soong, S.F.V., 2007. Managing halal quality in food service industry. Sowey, K.R., 2010. A comparative study of swot of nestle Malaysia LTD and nestle India LTD. Urde, M., 2009. Brand orientation: A mindset for building brands into strategic resources.Journal of marketing management,15(1-3), pp.117-133. Witkowski, T.H., 2007. Food marketing and obesity in developing countries: analysis, ethics, and public policy.Journal of Macromarketing,27(2), pp.126-137.

Friday, November 29, 2019

Functions of the Heart Essays - Anatomy, Circulatory System

Functions of the Heart By: Gabby Bouthot Composition I S. Redmond September 13, 2017 Essay 1 The Functions of the Heart The average rate of a heart beat is seventy-two times per minute, in just one day the heart beats over a hundred thousand times but what some people don't know is the intricate workings that go into this small, fist sized muscle. Understanding how the heart works is not as complicated as some might think, functions of the heart start with the pulmonary circuit, then the systemic circuit , and the processes that these sections of the heart preform are able to happen through the power of the pump. Blood circulates through two pathways in the heart, the pulmonary circuit and the systemic circuit. The pulmonary circuit is the pathway from the heart to the lungs, where the deoxygenated blood becomes oxygenated. Blood is pumped throughout the heart through a process called cardiac cycle. Blood that has been depleted of oxygen enters the heart through two large veins called the vena cava and enters the right atrium. The electrical impulses in the heart "pump" the blood down into the right ventricle through the process of cardiac conduction. Once in the right ventricle, on the next contraction the oxygen depleted blood is sent out of the ventricle and to the lungs through the pulmonary artery. In the lungs the blood becomes oxygenated, once this process is complete the oxygen-rich blood is transported into the left atrium via the pulmonary veins. When the heart contracts again blood is pumped down to the left ventricle. The now oxygen rich blood leaves the le ft ventricle through the aorta. This sends the blood through the systemic circuit which is the process of sending oxygenated blood to the rest of the body through major and minor arteries . The heart is able to pump blood through these circuits through a process of contracting and relaxing the heart muscle. Systole refers to the contraction part of the process while diastole refers to the relaxation in this sequence. This process of cardiac contractions is directed by the nervous system. The vagus nerve stimulates the SA node or the pacemaker of the heart which is located in the upper wall of the right atrium. The cluster of cardiac muscle be tween the atria and ventricles, the atrioventricular node, delays the electrical signals before entering the ventricles so the atria contracts before the ventricles do . When the atria contr acts it sends impulse to the Bundle of His, which sends an impulse to the ventricle walls causing a contraction. The heart works hard to keep pumping and a lot goes in to this small muscle in order to keep a person alive. Every minute the heart pumps 1.5 gallons of blood to keep the body stable and in working condition. Keeping the heart healthy will allow these individual functions to continue working, as they should.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Free Essays on Suffering

â€Å"We cannot directly experience anyone else's pain, whether that "anyone†is our best friend or a stray dog. Pain is a state of consciousness, a "mental event, †and as such it can never be observed. Behaviour like writhing, screaming, or drawing one's hand away from the lighted cigarette is not pain itself; nor are the recordings a neurologist might make of activity within the brain observations of pain itself. Pain is something that we feel, and we can only infer that others are feeling it from various external indications . . . †( Singer, 1990 ). Many environmentalists like Aldo Leopold and Holmes Rolston III criticize as unecological the emphasis those animal liberationists like Peter Singer place on preventing animal suffering. Their argument holds that animal liberationists must regard predation as bad by extending the role of moral consideration to include things that do not feel pain or pleasure. The view that Leopold and Rolston hold maintain that like the natural system of the animal world ( humans and non-human animals ), the eco systems of the land (including soil, plants, and all animals) is highly debatable and should be taken into moral consideration. This paper disputes the latter view by arguing that the capacity for suffering and enjoying things is a prerequisite for having interests at all. As Holmes Rolston III argues, â€Å"Singer has himself proved blind to the still larger effort in environmental ethics to value life in all its ranges and levels, indeed to care for biosphere Earth . . . His victory is mainly for vertebrates, who form only 4 percent of living things by species and only a tiny fraction of a per cent by numbers of individuals†( Rolston, 1990 ). It is reasonable to suppose all vertebrate animals to be capable of feeling pain. With invertebrates the matter becomes unclear but some invertebrates also seem likely to experience pain. As Singer says, â€Å"In each case we must look at the n... Free Essays on Suffering Free Essays on Suffering â€Å"We cannot directly experience anyone else's pain, whether that "anyone†is our best friend or a stray dog. Pain is a state of consciousness, a "mental event, †and as such it can never be observed. Behaviour like writhing, screaming, or drawing one's hand away from the lighted cigarette is not pain itself; nor are the recordings a neurologist might make of activity within the brain observations of pain itself. Pain is something that we feel, and we can only infer that others are feeling it from various external indications . . . †( Singer, 1990 ). Many environmentalists like Aldo Leopold and Holmes Rolston III criticize as unecological the emphasis those animal liberationists like Peter Singer place on preventing animal suffering. Their argument holds that animal liberationists must regard predation as bad by extending the role of moral consideration to include things that do not feel pain or pleasure. The view that Leopold and Rolston hold maintain that like the natural system of the animal world ( humans and non-human animals ), the eco systems of the land (including soil, plants, and all animals) is highly debatable and should be taken into moral consideration. This paper disputes the latter view by arguing that the capacity for suffering and enjoying things is a prerequisite for having interests at all. As Holmes Rolston III argues, â€Å"Singer has himself proved blind to the still larger effort in environmental ethics to value life in all its ranges and levels, indeed to care for biosphere Earth . . . His victory is mainly for vertebrates, who form only 4 percent of living things by species and only a tiny fraction of a per cent by numbers of individuals†( Rolston, 1990 ). It is reasonable to suppose all vertebrate animals to be capable of feeling pain. With invertebrates the matter becomes unclear but some invertebrates also seem likely to experience pain. As Singer says, â€Å"In each case we must look at the n...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Apple Company Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Apple Company - Research Paper Example (Philip Kotler et al. 4). Apple has continued to provide high quality goods and it keeps attracting more people especially the younger generation. Historical background: Apple computers Inc. was started by Steve Jobs,  Steve Wozniak, and  Ronald Wayne. The Apple 1 computer kit was its first product which was designed and built by Steve Wozniak. In the years between1983 and 1996, Apple manufactured products like portable CD players and TV appliances but they were not able to capture the interest of the targeted consumers. In the 1990`s, Apple made an important decision by choosing not to license its technology and as a result Microsoft captured the market and Apple`s share of the worldwide market for personal computers declined to its lowest level. In 2007, Steve Jobbs changed the company`s name to Apple Inc. With the introduction of the iPod, in 2001, Apple started becoming popular. Its innovative and advanced products resulted in rapid growth and high sales. Apple spent a large amount on marketing campaigns in order to promote its products. In 2011, however, Apple suffered a great loss with the death of its co-founder and chief executive officer Steve Jobs Nature of the firm: The company started as Apple Computers which designed and built customer electronics, computer softwares and personal computers only. Then, Steve Jobs transformed it into Apple Inc. and its non-Pc devices started gaining popularity. The company has retail outlets in Japan, Europe, Asia, US etc. Its headquarters is in Cupertino, California. It is a company with competes with a large number of firms throughout the different industries it has entered till now. The target market for Apple includes home users, creative individuals from the younger generation, small and medium sized business etc. Its major competitors include IBM, Dell, Microsoft Windows, Samsung, Nokia etc. Apple`s marketing approach is one which focuses entirely on its customers. It focuses on emerging stronger and presen ting the global market with high-technology products. Products: IPod: This product of apple provided the customers to listen to digital music in a different way and it comes with a unique look. In 2003, Apple also opened the ITunes store. With its features like more storage, high sound quality, elegant design and moving large quantity data very quickly all these specifications made this product competitive in the market. Product’s different color like white makes this Apple device special. Ipad: Another apple product Ipad is the one product that brings you close to the things you love to do like reading a book, playing piano, listening to music or looking at your photos. It’s a new experience, one you have never imagined. Its elements like camera, wireless connection and display are even better Mac: Macbook is a full sized laptop with extremely low weight and uses SSD storage and Intel CPUs. It was the first subcompact laptop offered by Apple. Its updated model was rel eased in June`2012. Its major competitor is ultrabook by Intel. Most recently, Macbook Pro has been released by Apple Inc. Iphone: It includes a line of smartphones which was first released by Steve Jobs in 2007. The entire industry of smartphones was revolutionized through its introduction. The first ever iPhone was released in 2006 in 22 countries which could function as a portable media player, a video camera with

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Integrated emergency management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Integrated emergency management - Essay Example What is the aim of Disaster risk reduction? It has an intention to reduce economic and social hazards vulnerabilities to emergency disasters. In empirical terms when managing a disaster its always right to apply professionalism, embrace the use of technology, good planning and proper management to avert a risk that can kill or rather injure large number of people and animal .The effects of disasters goes beyond loss of lives but also property worth of millions is destroyed and the community life disrupted(Kassim 890) The emergency managers should indentify and prepare adequately to mitigate the catastrophe when they occur. Businesses are starting to realize the need for disaster management because when the hazards occur the business community losses major stakes in investments (Howari 1090).Emergency management in the recent past event management has been a collaborative effort by all stakeholders both the government and the nongovernmental organisations. There have been major factors that have led to increase of awareness for establishment of disaster management in the U.A.E .There have been a principle of autonomous imm unity at all state levels in the 25 years. Furthermore legal provision such as the tort of liability for state and local government has led to more emphasis o disaster risk management. The government or individual person can be sued if convicted with tort of negligence .There are some situations some disasters can be avoided such as leakages in chemical plant. The chemical fumes may adversely affect the surrounding population and the person who is assigned the duty of being the custodian is liable for negligence. Another school of thought suggest that it’s the professionalization of the emergency managers have developed the urge to have integrated system to manage disasters(Roger Bird 48) The need to manage emergency was developed because of the adverse effects realize when these

Monday, November 18, 2019

Models of change Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Models of change - Research Paper Example These include increase in urgency for change, team building, vision construction, communication, empowerment, creation of short-term goals, persistence an establishment of permanent change (Kerollos, 2012). This model works best for small organizations and institutions due to its simplicity. It is also applicable in cases where change is intended for reasons of altering the goals of an organization, where it prepares employees for change beforehand. The third change model is that Change Management Model by Lewin and is organized into three stages known as unfreeze, transition, and refreeze (Kerollos, 2012). The model is characterized with hesitation towards change due to the discomfort caused by change in the environment that people work. Therefore, in order to overcome this state, unfreezing must be done to enter the transition zone where the actual change occurs. The refreeze stage occurs in order to stabilize the organization from the change process (Cellars, 2007). It is best suitable due to its nature in motivating employees towards a given goal that would not naturally work. In conclusion, the above three business models of change are diverse in nature with their modes of operation. They also have different suitability concerning use and application in their independent situations. In conclusion, the above three business models of change are diverse in nature with their modes of operation. They also have different suitability concerning use and application in their independent situations. Cellars, Tara. (2007). â€Å"Change Management Models: A Look at McKinseys 7-S Model, Lewins Change Management Model and Kotters Eight Step Change Model†. Yahoo! Voices. Retrieved from http://voices.yahoo.com/change-management-models-look-mckinseys-7-s-model-334598.html?cat=3 Kerollos, Joseph. (2012). The Management and Sustainability of Organizational Change in Primary Care Adoption of Electronic Medical Record

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Structural Impediments In Social Mobility: Pakistan

Structural Impediments In Social Mobility: Pakistan Social Mobility is an all-encompassing concept that includes but is not limited to economic prosperity. Social mobility is concerned with a relocation of individuals and groups to a class they aspire to be in. Economics is a big but not the only determinant of moving to the aspiring class. The state is dependent upon its structural development to promote the wellbeing of its population. The structure of the state is then determines the policy formulation and most importantly its implementation. A state not only requires strong structures but adequate ones too. Apart from formal state structures, the Pakistani society also includes informal social structures such as cast, creed, and political influence, connection to power bases (military and bureaucracy). In this case then, structures both formal and informal interact to ultimately determine and influence policies that determine the wellbeing of the masses. Structures do not survive in vacuum and are therefore dependent upon politica l and policy stability. Structures should also be designed to maximize autonomy and decentralization for people to make choices in how the state should best meet their needs .Social mobility in Pakistan is subject to the states policies that promote it such as education, health, housing, spending taxes effectively. Lastly social mobility as a state policy can only be achieved if both formal and informal structures form a conducive atmosphere for the policies. 1. Introduction There is no dearth of literature and research on poverty alleviation and improving governance in Pakistan. While there is no doubt about the excellent quality and in-depth research, there is however not enough attention being given to determining what are the impediments in the way of implementing these programs. These specific constraints that emerge as structural issues that discourage social mobility are a topic of new interest amongst various social scientists. The purpose of this research is then to describe these impediments in hope that policy makers can understand the problems properly and draft policies that tackle these issues and eventually ease the implementation of their programs. While there can be little or no argument against the merits of tackling these issues, it is however still questionable as to what prevent policies designed specifically to address these issues, to actually overcome these. The term social mobility has seen to been a great interest amongst sociologists and other scholars. Various definitions and meanings have been giving while the concept itself has evolved throughout the years. However this paper describes social mobility as the movement of individuals from one class or status group to another. Horizontal social mobility corresponds to the social status changes of individuals, having no influence on their material welfare, employment. Absolute social mobility occurs when the majority of the individuals in the class move from one social status to another. While various academics have studied various facilitators for social mobility this paper will mainly focus around issues that fall under governmental and public sector structural purview such as rapid economic growth, performance of public sector institutions and effective policy design and implementation. Cheema and Sial (2012) record the incidence of poverty as high as 23% of the total population in Pakistan. Various reports on the poverty conducted show that the poverty is double in rural area than that in urban Pakistan. The World Bank defines governance in terms of how power is exercised in the management of a countrys economic and social development. However the term governance is often interchangeable and carries different meanings in different contexts. Under most contexts governance is the rules and the subsequent practice of directing public affairs. In simpler terms governance can then be seen as the art of conducting matters that affect the state of the public. Governance is only made possible through institutional structures that implement the decisions. According to (Haq Zia 2009) governance is then determined by the quality of institutions and how decisions are executed. It is with this view that defines governance as the formation and stewardship of the formal and informal rules that regulate the public realm, the arena in which state as well as economic and soci al actors interact to make decisions (Hyden, Court Mease 2003). Governance is highly subjected and dependent upon public sector institutions and structures. The public sector institutions works with other societal organizations to develop public policies and programs that bring about peoples welfare and more specifically reduce poverty. Policies that increase welfare and realize other positive public and societal goals are the intended function of governance. 2. Research Methodology Purpose of research This study will be undertaken to ascertain how government functioning and structures discourage social mobility in the economically poor class of Pakistan. This research will help all stake holders identify how and what parts of government are responsible for increasing poverty levels and how difficult it is for people to get out of the poverty trap. 3. Method of research Research Design: Philosophy The philosophical approach to this research is the critical approach. The reason for selecting this approach is that this philosophy studies society in terms of a conflict of different groups and how tensions of one group eventually lead to a confrontation and a change in society. Although positivism would also be suitable for studying this topic, but it is the feeling of the researcher that it may ignore to explain why such structures might behave the way they do. Here the conflict approach will examine the structural imbalances and explain how status quo keeps the Pakistani society in a state of monopolised resources. Approach adopted An inductive approach is then suitable to study how these structures impose themselves upon society. This approach also leaves room to develop alternative explanations and meanings as to why the structures discourage social mobility. Strategies This research study falls under the broad category of descriptive research further narrowing down in to case study research; one of the many available qualitative strategies. This study looks in to how formal and informal structures have hindered the marginalized populations effort to step out of their class. It means to pronounce no judgments or one-sided definite conclusions aiming at becoming an interpretive case study led endeavour. Choices Research choices being present in much variety gave way to purely mono method standards being chosen for this study, namely qualitative befitting the genre of the topic. A mixture of methods or only a quantitative methodology was deemed unfit because of the wide array of opportunities to create a logical understanding, space and flexibility qualitative research provides. Time Horizon: Cross-sectional in form, this exercise was a onetime investigative effort in to the subject of the study conducted over a brief period of time although a longitudinal study covering more aspects depending on the interest of the researcher is possible. Techniques procedures: Data collection techniques involve at first existing secondary sources that point in the direction of the themes selected for investigation. Procedures used for analysing secondary data in this case, include coding, sorting and sifting at first that leads to a typological stage which requires a taxonomic or hierarchical depiction of the typological categories established to better ensure clarity of the concepts and themes of research. Also because the definitions of what constitutes good structures and bad structures is not universally acknowledged , it must be created in the context of Pakistani society and whether the said structures promote equal opportunity for all . It must be noted that analysis of secondary data is treated similarly to that of primary data within the qualitative paradigm. With this comes the next step, and the qualitative technique used to comprehend and convert all collected data into a whole being logical analysis, allows the development of an all-encompassing analysis and discussion. With respect to the genre of this study, discourse analysis could have been selected as a qualitative procedure of analysis but that would have required expertise in the selected area as a pre-set condition and a further in depth study of available discourse requiring more time along with the establishment of other philosophical and historical parameters which would have expanded the scope of this project. However, no choice of procedure is better than the other and logical analysis if anything, allows the development of a more cohesive interpretation and understanding of the topic at hand. Measurement/ Instrument selection Data will be collected from secondary sources such books and research papers which will aid the analysis of this paper based on accurate and established constructs and themes. Primary data collection would involve a longer amount of time and require greater expertise to extract information. Variables Qualitative research allows one the space and flexibility to not have variables to start with and this being a case study can do without propositions also. However, the former will remain absent not the latter because the idea behind this research project is to look in to what define formal and informal structures, and what elements govern them in the context of Pakistani society. Variables, if identified will further narrow down the focus of research by placing the study of structures the background and isolated variables in the foreground making them the subject of study , thus a disconnect will be avoided . In this descriptive case study, the idea is to identify and then describe the structural functioning in Pakistani society to highlight their role in social mobility in an effort to better understand them. Thus there is no need to use variables. Definitions for structures and social mobility used Structures, which are also known as institutions are a very subjective concept. However scholars tend to generally define structures as the development of an organised action that seeks to establish norms, enforce rules and guide practices in society. Structures can then be classified into formal or informal. The formal structures come together by the effect of laws promulgated, contractual agreement, or other codified artefacts (Prell et al. 2010). Prell et. al furtherises his argument by stating structures that are informal refer to practices that have become conventional in a society and produce groups of people in an organized collective. Beliefs, social networks, cultures and norms are responsible for developing these informal structures. These informal structures than exist side by side, challenge or sometimes even reinforce formal structures. In the case of Pakistan the clan system, bridari, connections with power bases such as military, bureaucracy or politicians, jobs in state institutions and family connections are some of the informal structures that are a focus of this research. Informal structures are not organizations, as they are not backed and recognized by the state. Moreover there authority has no bases in law and are not a separate identity than their patrons. Meaning that without its members, informal structures cannot exist. Formal structures are known as organizations because they are not dependent on their members to survive. They are recognized by the state as separate entities that can be run by different people. There by continuity and membership are the two distinguishing characteristics of formal structures (Prell et al. 2010). Secondly informal structures manifest in social relations and rather social networks. Social networks a then the ultimate regulatory tool in the functioning of these structures . There is no law backing the functioning of informal structures. But where both cases converge is the constraints and incentives for individuals to think and/or act a particular way is provided. Social mobility measures the equality of life opportunities for groups in a society. These opportunities allow groups equal access to areas through which they can climb economic and subsequent social ladder. Thus social mobility is the fluidity afforded to marginalised groups to move vertically in the class system. While there is a sociological and an economic definition for social mobility, in this research paper the researcher will be using social mobility in the economic sense. The debate of social mobility and its relationship with inequality and economic growth is of great interest to scholars. Research undertaken by Nunn et al. (2007) shows that high levels of inequality of resource distribution constrain the potential for movement within the social hierarchy, leading to a double-bind of high income inequality and low mobility. On the other, high levels of inequality and mobility might be thought to be good bedfellows, suggesting that sufficient incentives are built into the so cial structure to allow the economy to make the best use of its resources, allocating talented labour to high value jobs (Nunn et al. 2007). However most evidence favour the cyclic nature of high income inequality leads to low mobility which closes access to resources to climb out of the poverty trap. The States role is widely acknowledged to maximize access to resources to all segments and provide avenues of social mobility. The state and its structures are then fundamentally responsible for correcting an imbalance of access to resources. For this reason, the structures of the state are empowered to make policies and decisions that provide maximum benefit to the marginalized. It is in this paradigm, the study of the structures of Pakistan and their role in social mobility will be undertaken. 4. Data analysis The data gathered from secondary sources would be categorized using axial coding and then divided in to groups according to the categories recognized in the discussion of structures and social mobility. Once sorted, the data during this initial process has been sifted, edited and tailored to match the research objectives. The data will be analysed in categories in a hierarchy. This will then help to show demonstrate level by level the relationships between various structures and their role in promoting or discouraging social mobility. This will provide for the flow, interconnectivity and congruence of the data collected. Lastly this will be backed by scholarly research on similar topics. Research Ethics During the course of the research, utmost care was taken to treat the study as ethically as possible. In order to properly follow the pre-set code of conduct and ethics for any research process, several measures were taken. At the developmental stage of this research it was ensured that all prior literature reviewed and referred to at any instance in the research report, be properly acknowledged with citations and full-length references. Furthermore, proper attention was also given to the fact that most of the literature and resources used for this study derived from the internet, or otherwise came from authentic sources. 5. Literature Review Shafqat (1999) undertook the study on Pakistans bureaucracy and its role in governance and institutional structures. Shafqat noted that while initially the countrys bureaucracy was seen as the instigator for the engine of growth, development and an agent of change, in the later years it was seen as a highly corrupt group striving for maintaining its grip in status quo. Shafqat credits the various movements against the authoritarian to highlight the repressive role of the bureaucratic machine. Bureaucrats were then seen as being inimical to their own vested interests (Shafqat 1999). Corruption, inefficiency, absence of accountability, and maintenance of the status quo were portrayed as the manifestations of bureaucracy (World Bank Report 1993, as cited in Shafqat 1999) Husains (1999) work on governance and institutions of Pakistan highlights problems specific to Pakistan and the local decay of state. He argues that weak institutions and the emergence of informal groups at the expense of the state authority work in a cyclic pattern in Pakistan, with weak institutions formulating inadequate policies and failing to implement them. Hussain (1999) then argues that well designed public institutions must be seen as investments for a country and help to improve resource allocation, comparative trade advantage, productivity, market allocation efficiency and distribution of benefits of growth. Husains research focuses on how power is exercised by bureaucrats in the management of the country. He argues that economic and social resources have been plundered thanks to the flexibility available to bureaucrats in pursuing arbitrary action. He then goes on to highlight the collusion between different structures both formal and informal in saving each other from accountability. Finally he maintains that accountability is not anchored in the core of the state institutions and that power remains fixed within the hierarchy of the bureaucracy and elite instead of counter checking institutions like the judiciary. He therefore argues that the power afforded to the bureaucracy and elite tilts the balance as the political process in the country has been unstable and has produced politicians and leaders that are ill equipped to deal with matters of governance. Hussains (1999) view is supported by Hussain and Hussain (1993). The authors maintain that the impediments in governing Pakistan arise from a sluggish bureaucratic system. They maintain that despite some economic growth social policy making has been fundamentally flawed. The bureaucratic strain has tilted the states favours on the side of the connected and powerful. Governance is then subservient and accommodating to only a few and ignores the wellbeing of the population. Hussain and Hussain attribute this to nonprofessional training of the bureaucrats as the main reason why governance and institutions remain inadequate for pursuing pro poor policies with current resources available. Hussain and Hussain clarify that state policies and institutions are limited in providing relief to the already well to do and operate on patronage and favours. The authors conclude that social mobility is highly restricted for people who cannot access power through personal connections. Haq and Zia (2009) studied the ability of governance structures to effectively formulate and implement sound policies that promoted welfare for the poorer segments of society. The focus of their research is on the poor input given by the bureaucracy at various stages required for the government to be able to produce and implement good policies. They also noted the failure or deliberate inadequacy of the bureaucracy particularly in the role of regulatory bodies that developed and implemented market friendly policies such as price control and adequate public funds supervision, excessive regulation in area such as foreign trade and business development. Haq and Zia further studied the structural dimension of governance. They found many instances where exercise of public power was curtailed in favour of private gains by top officials. They also found instances of bureaucracy colluding with politicians to control corruption measures and in some cases limit charges under anti-corruption laws. The aspects of corruption in the structure ranged from the occurrence of additional payment to get things done to grand corruption in the electoral arena and the capture of state resources. Haq and Zia conclude that since lawmakers and law implementers colluded with each other it was a simple case of a lack of respect on the part of both the corruptor and the corrupted for the rules that govern their interaction, thus representing a failure of governance (pp.39). Ghani et. als (2006) study found that people across the third world aspire of gaining access to the lifestyle enjoyed by citizens in developed countries. It found that their exclusion from these benefits by the powerful fuel the resentment of the population. A structurally weak and flawed governance state, instead of providing resources and mobility out of poverty, becomes an instrument for repressing the many by the few. States like Pakistan then by comparison fail to acquire the range of functions routinely associated with state-capacity (Ghani et. al 2006). The monopoly on state resources and power then are seen as the failure of governance and structures of Pakistan. Pasha (2002) undertook the study focusing on the segments that benefited the most during Pakistans economic growth periods. His study found that despite periods of good economic performance the lack of social security policy framework prevented most of the poorer segments of society from climbing up the economic mobility level. Pasha found that countries who focused on the development of social safety nets together with growth managed to sustain social mobility. Pasha emphasized that even if one was missing the other would not be enough to reduce poverty. Pasha concluded by stating that public policies in Pakistan can be even influenced by bureaucracy to generate and distribute income for persons in favour to them. Pashas (2002) work is supported by the findings of Hussain and Hussain (2009). They highlight the patron-client model of governance in bureaucracy in the Ayub government has somewhat still continued till today. The bureaucracy granted licenses and contracts to favoured individuals in the private sector within a highly regulated economic regime (Hussain Hussain 2009). Government postings and appointments were then made to establish a network for the patronage of bureaucrats and military ruling elite. During the 1960s, the government systematically encouraged import substitution industrial growth, and nurtured an industrial elite dependent on state patronage. 6. Research Questions What are the informal and informal structures in Pakistan? Do informal structures prevail over formal state structures? Do informal structures ultimately determine the fate of the marginalized in Pakistan? 7. Propositions (P1) The Pakistani state has inadequate structures to address the need of social mobility in the marginalized groups (P 2) The informal social structures of political influence and connections with power bases override state authority across all levels 8. Discussion The foundations of governance are built on the smooth functioning of the state structures. Pakistans governance and its structures were inherited from the British in 1947. These state structures have since then been subject to rules that have ranged from complete dictatorship to a weak hobbling democracy. Unfortunately as transition period for governments has been far removed from smooth, the structures of the state have not progressed in terms of responding to challenges. This has made the atmosphere for implementing pro poor plans very difficult. The instability of the political scene has caused various structures within the formal framework to be ill equipped to meet challenges of the country or lacking in real autonomy and transparency. The bumpy transitions have also meant that economic and social policy plans have been cut short or even in some cases reversed by the preceding government. Thus the true functioning of the state structures in equalizing resource access and pluggin g wastage has been sabotaged due to the uncertainty that prevails in the countries governance. While Pakistans governance has shifted between dictatorship and democracy, the sufferers have been the people of Pakistan. While governments come and go, a structure has worked with and facilitated governance regardless of who was at the helm of affairs. The bureaucracy and its state structures have worked with both dictators and the politicians. The bureaucracy inherited the skills that the British left them with to govern the Indian sub-continent. As the bureaucracy managed the day to day affairs, it was the British who they reported to and thus best represented their interest. Being answerable to a parliament was something that was alien to this structure. The bureaucratic formal structure is then an important and a crucial component in the state of Pakistan. The structures role has largely been facilitators of the current ruler. The structure has also the ability to then link its main and core function policy formulation directly to the personality in power rather than a system or a vision. The reason for this is has been the structures past where answering to the viceroy were the procedure. This str ucture is also crucial as it plays a major role in developing social programs and implementing them. While it has been colluded with both formal and informal structures, its role is central to understanding the problem of social mobility in Pakistan. There is a great consensus amongst Pakistani sociologists and political scientists that the military plays a great role in the functioning of the state of Pakistan. Some go as far as declaring the military structure as the final authority in Pakistan. What makes the military an important part of the state is its economic dimension. The Pakistani military has an industrial component, which includes fertilizer companies, cereal manufacturing, cement and etc. The second component is the share of the defence expenditure in Pakistans budget. The military structure has been the main player in the countrys 65 years of existence as far as the state is concerned. Dominant till the 1971 war and omnipotent from the 1980s, the military structure has a fundamental role in all aspects that govern the land of Pakistan. Its role has been more than what is defined in the constitution and laws of Pakistan. Primarily still a fighting force; it has administrative, economic, and political functioning. Th is has made it the important player in any and all affairs of other structures. The military structure then supersedes all other structures by sheer force. The political structure of Pakistan is the last of the formal structures that play a major role in drafting policies that promote social mobility. While periods of democracy puts the structure in spotlight, political organizations as they are legally known, have maintained varying amounts of influence on the state of Pakistan. The political structure has largely been a victim of unstable governance. With periods of democracy peppered on a series of dictatorships, Pakistans political structures have been weak, divided and un-evolved. Structurally weak, the politicians have then maintained ties with the aforementioned bureaucrats and military to stay relevant. While formulated by law, political setups have been always at the mercy of bureaucrats for implementing their decisions and the military for the functioning of democracy. Lastly the large business and land owning class has been a somewhat formal and an informal structure in Pakistan. This is a somewhat stable structure that consists of a heterogeneous class. The structure although is not formally recognized by the laws of the land, has made its presence felt by attaching itself to formal structures through relations, patronage and networking. This class has economic interests in the state, and therefore works across all structures to further their interest. The structural make up of this class makes it dependent on who ever best facilitate its objectives. This has led to the growth of power of this structure dependent on its relations with all formal and informal structures. What is interesting to note however is the informal structure that cuts across all the mentioned formal state structures? Largely based on personal connection, kinship, relation or belonging to clan system, the informal structures of Pakistan permeate across all structures of society. Largely still an agriculture based society, Pakistan has a population that still values these traditional structures over formal ones. The bridari system will connect army generals to politicians. Bureaucrats belonging to the same ethnicity tend to favour each other. Connections to power base i.e.: the military, bureaucracy and the political class is also a major part informal structure. The connection of this structure eventually determines the access to resources for the population. As these three bases use the power granted to them vis-Ã  -vis the formal structure to further their personal agenda. The presence of this structure is largely documented, but its role in formal structures and eventually policy making has not been explored fully. The question then remains do informal structures eventually prevail over formal state structures. Influence and personal connection play a significant role in the upward mobility in Pakistan. The informal structure through network and relation play a large role in the inadequate governance response to social mobility issues. Interest groups operate with impunity via these informal networks and are not held accountable. This is because of their client-patronage method of dealing with the very structures on which the state is built on. The interest groups serve their economic objectives through licenses and permits etc. that are easier to come by if one knows the right people. Hence groups and individuals who wield influence are able to gather wealth and move upwards in social mobility. This locks out the rest of the population from accessing resources to use in the increase of their social and economic status. Social and economic inequality is then closely linked. As a consequence of personal connection with the right structures, poverty, economic power and political dominance are then inter-connected. Control over economic resources via personal influence is then central to social dominance. Thus the informal structures ability to socially exclude groups results in social inequalities and prevents social mobility. It is due to this that even if the country passes through the period of economic growth, wealth might not trickle down because the informal structures maintain exclusive control over economic resources and political influence. The economic dependence of a tenant and agricultural laborer on their landlord, or that of a small business man on a politically connected man for license, helps to perpetuate these very informal structures. The informal structures act as monopolies and keep power and economic resources in the hands of already dominant groups and thus making social mobility for other groups a distant dream. The final question that must be answered is that do informal structures ultimately determine the fate of the marginalized in Pakistan. The Pakistani attitude towards employment in the public sector as compared to the private sector demonstrates the influence of informal structures in society. While employment in both private and public sectors of economy are perceived as an important source of upward mobility in the rest of the world, public sector employment is more prized because of the power and influence involved with holding the office. The other route to private sector employment is only accessible through education. It is no surprise then, that Education is too leads to upward mobility. The meagre spending on education in the budgets and lack of a robust education policy for 65 years in evidence that individuals in the formal structures are not connected to the marginalized. The disconnect that exists, because of the economic interests of individuals