Zheng He and the Treasure Fleet Timeline

Zheng He is justly famous as the commander in chief of seven voyages of Ming Chinas treasure fleet, between 1405 and 1433. The great Muslim eunuch admiral spread the word of Chinas wealth and power as far as Africa and brought countless emissaries and exotic goods back to China. Timeline June 11, 1360—Zhu Di born, fourth son of future Ming Dynasty founder. Jan. 23, 1368—Ming Dynasty founded. 1371—Zheng He born to Hui Muslim family in Yunnan, under birth name of Ma He. 1380—Zhu Di made Prince of Yan, sent to Beijing. 1381—Ming forces conquer Yunnan, kill Ma Hes father (who was still loyal to the Yuan Dynasty) and capture the boy. 1384—Ma He is castrated and sent to serve as a eunuch in the Prince of Yans household. June 30, 1398-July 13, 1402—Reign of the Jianwen Emperor. August 1399—Prince of Yan rebels against his nephew, the Jianwen Emperor. 1399—Eunuch Ma He leads Prince of Yans forces to victory at Zheng Dike, Beijing. July 1402—Prince of Yan captures Nanjing; the Jianwen Emperor (probably) dies in palace fire. July 17, 1402—The Prince of Yan, Zhu Di, becomes the Yongle Emperor. 1402-1405—Ma He serves as Director of Palace Servants, the highest eunuch post. 1403—Yongle Emperor orders the construction of a huge fleet of treasure junks at Nanjing. Feb. 11, 1404—Yongle Emperor awards Ma He the honorific name Zheng He. July 11, 1405-Oct. 2 1407—First voyage of the Treasure Fleet, led by Admiral Zheng He, to Calicut, India. 1407—Treasure Fleet defeats pirate Chen Zuyi at Straights of Malacca; Zheng He takes pirates to Nanjing for execution. 1407-1409—Second Voyage of Treasure Fleet, again to Calicut. 1409-1410—Yongle Emperor and Ming army battle the Mongols. 1409-July 6, 1411—Third Voyage of Treasure Fleet to Calicut. Zheng He intervenes in a Ceylonese (Sri Lankan) succession dispute. Dec. 18, 1412-August 12, 1415—Fourth Voyage of the Treasure Fleet to the Straits of Hormuz, on the Arabian Peninsula. Capture of the pretender Sekandar in Semudera (Sumatra) on return trip. 1413-1416—Yongle Emperors second campaign against the Mongols. May 16, 1417—Yongle Emperor enters the new capital city at Beijing, leaves Nanjing forever. 1417-August 8, 1419—Fifth Voyage of the Treasure Fleet, to Arabia and East Africa. 1421-Sept. 3, 1422—Sixth Voyage of the Treasure Fleet, to East Africa again. 1422-1424—Series of campaigns against the Mongols, led by the Yongle Emperor. Aug. 12, 1424—Yongle Emperor suddenly dies of a possible stroke while fighting the Mongols. Sept. 7, 1424—Zhu Gaozhi, the eldest son of the Yongle Emperor, becomes the Hongxi Emperor. Orders a stop to the Treasure Fleet voyages. May 29, 1425—The Hongxi Emperor dies. His son Zhu Zhanji becomes the Xuande Emperor. June 29, 1429—The Xuande Emperor orders Zheng He to take one more voyage. 1430-1433—Seventh and final Voyage of the Treasure Fleet travels to Arabia and East Africa. 1433, Exact date unknown—Zheng He dies and is buried at sea on the return leg of the seventh and  final voyage. 1433-1436—Zheng Hes companions Ma Huan, Gong Zhen and Fei Xin publish accounts of their travels.

Contemporary Management - 1199 Words

IRHR1001- Essay The Primary Article is: Carroll, S. and Gillen, D. (1987) Are the Classical Management Functions Useful in Describing Managerial Work? Academy of Management Review 12(1), pp. 38-51. The essay will endeavor to provide an insight into how Fayol’s basic principles of Classical Management Functions are indeed useful in describing managerial work. In the last (20th) century, the role of managers in business becomes more diverse as the number of tasks in which businesses were involved in significantly grew in quantity and complexity. As a result there was an increased interest in the most effective and efficient method of management. This led to the development of different management theories, which included classical†¦show more content†¦Having noted this, the primary article also acknowledges that the highlighted functions may need to be expanded as different managers have different goals to achieve which might require them to use some additional functions. This is an idea that is supported in the article ‘Successful VS. Effective Real Managers’ which goes into detail about how the differences in goals to be achieved separates successfu l managers from effective managers and how their approach, in terms of management functions, is different. Effective managers tend to focus on the basic classical management functions as this is makes it easier, because they find that the less the steps they have to carry out the better they are able to manage them. Having said all this one could argue that the article and readings agree that Classical Management Functions are useful in describing managerial work as they all suggest that managerial work can be based through the principles of Planning, Controlling, Commanding and coordinating (Fayol’s principles of Classical Management Functions). Thanks to the nature of and change in which businesses operate, it is essential for management functions to expand and adapt to meet these changes. 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Belonging represented in Peter Essay Example For Students

Belonging represented in Peter Essay As illustrated in Peter Jerkinesss Immigrant Chronicle poetry, having a strong sense of self-knowledge understanding and a deep connection to ones own culture, beliefs and values develops a feeling of belonging to and knowing ones self, and in turn, a strong sense of belonging to humanity. Feline Crooknecks, SST Patriots College and 10 Mary Street all support this thesis and position the reader to consider the concepts of belonging from the perspective of someone who feels alienated, excluded and alone. The poem Feline Crooknecks tells us of Pewters father, his life, and his clear sense of belonging. It explores the concepts of familial, cultural and self-belonging, and reveals the regretful feelings of Peter, in relation to his alienation, his familys migration and the filial bond with his father. The clear and possibly most significant message of the poem is that belonging comes from within, and requires an accepting and peaceful attitude. These concepts are expressed through the use of poetic devices and language techniques, which show the differences between the attitudes of father and son. The admiration Peter has for his father is evident in the first line -My gentle father. The use of the word gentle introduces Feline as a kind, peaceful man, and the possessive pronoun my can suggest a sense of ownership or the yearning to be associated with Feline. The fathers independence and emotional self- efficiency is evident in the first stanza Kept pace only with the Joneses of his own minds making. The reference to The Joneses is important to consider, as it not only refers to mainstream society, but Australian mainstream society. It shows that Feline is at peace with himself and has retained his own cultural beliefs, despite being pressured to assimilate and adopt a new way of life, and in result, has a strong sense of belonging. The repeated reference to Feline garden shows his compassion, connection with nature and dedication, and also his willingness to work hard. It signifies something that belongs to him, in a foreign and unfamiliar world. Throughout the poem, ideals of language are discussed. This shows language as a factor of belonging, and that it can be seen as a potential barrier that prevents the development of belonging. The language indifference between father, son and the community illustrates this barrier, and presents cultural identity as a concept of inclusion and belonging. As the distance between Peter and his Polish heritage grows, Feline accepts that his son, growing up in Australia, cannot adopt the same sense of cultural belonging that he has. While Feline is at peace and accepts the unavoidable, Peter has a completely different attitude. He feels a strong sense of regret and affliction towards his past, and feels that if only he had embraced his Polish culture, he would have belonged in his family. However, this is not the case. Peter felt isolated because he failed to form a strong connection with his inner self, not because he adopted the Australian way of life. As Peter has not developed a strong sense of self-belonging, he does not feel at peace, and does not realism that the cultural indifference and eventual complete disconnection between father and son was inevitable. Peter Crooknecks expresses feelings of regret throughout the poem, which can reveal he does not truly understand the concept of belonging. His fathers beliefs and circumstances provide a contrast to Pewters perspective and suggest that the poets reflection of his childhood and adolescence is not relative t the concepts of truly belonging that acceptance and self-sufficiency lead to a strop sense of belonging to ones self, and therefore, to humanity. Peter realizes that to truly belong somewhere or with someone, you must firstly establish a strong sense self. In addition, Pewters regret indicates a yearning to belong to his family and ultra. Sunday Morning - Wallace Steven’s EssayHe has not explored TTL so therefore does not value what the motto is jugs means embracing your own identity, and as Peter s poem, without embracing your own identity, you ca with alienating circumstances that can prevail at e did not belong to himself, SST Patriots College was n the line For eight years emphasizes the words to the effect of suggesting that even after eight years, Peter still felt isolated at school. The eight years Pee like a prison sentence. A statue of the Virgin Mary Meant to act as a welcoming figure at the entrance makes Peter feel afraid and anxious. The line UNC indicates that even after almost a decade, the stats figure of fear for the poet. The last four lines show yearning for approval. The recurrence of his mot seen as Peter blaming his mother for his poor expel dominantly represented in the poem by showing idea that belonging cannot be achieved without e Peter tells the reader how his mothers desire to co expectations has led to his feelings of unhappiness The poem 10 Mary Street focuses on describing t ensue of belonging it provides. It presents different through representations of people, relationships, p stanza, a key represents a sense of comfort, owner sense of continuous routine. The key symbolizes the leads to ownership of the home, which leads to owe belonging. The poems constant references to the support this idea. As the house will soon be pulled feelings of contentment and security will be lost. T to a key towards the end of the poem suggests a did disconnection, discomfort and disruption, as after will be useless, and therefore powerless. A familial nourishment is created using poetic devices. The is hyperbolic Bursting at the seams imply that Pete much love and care. The cultural heritage of the FAA with reference to cultural and social aspects such cigarettes. The lines heated discussions and embed passion and strong sense of belonging to their cult house The house stands in its china-blue coat of a strong, stoic and, perhaps even, noble house. Characteristics can also position the reader to view receptive the family has a strong connection with part of the family. The use of parentheses in the the been gazettes for industry) could be considered indicate extra and unimportant information, but the airily significant, and outlines a major event in the lives of the family. An important message of this poem is that the family will once more feel as though they do not belong, continuing the constant struggle faced by a family forced to dismiss what leads to self-belonging, and living in a country where they feel as though they do not truly belong. These families, like Peter Jerkinesss, are often met with the challenge of fighting exclusion, and remaining true to their culture and to themselves which, in essence, is the key to belonging. Peter Jerkinesss poems Feline Crooknecks, SST Patriots College and 10 Mary Street envoy a strong sense of belonging by exploring the concepts of not only feeling accepted and allied, but also displaced and insecure.

Mother Courage and Her Children Play Overview

'Mother Courage and Her Children' Play Overview Mother Courage and Her Children mixes dark humor, social commentary, and tragedy. The title character, Mother Courage, travels across war-weary Europe selling alcohol, food, clothing, and supplies to soldiers on both sides. As she struggles to improve her fledgling business, Mother Courage loses her adult children, one after another. The Setting Set in Poland, Germany, and other parts of Europe, Mother Courage and Her Children spans the years 1624 to 1636. This period is during the Thirty Years War, a conflict that pitted Protestant armies against Catholic forces and resulted in an enormous loss of life.   The Title Character Anna Fierling (aka Mother Courage) has been enduring for a long time, traveling with nothing except a supply wagon pulled along by her adult children: Eilif, Swiss Cheese, and Kattrin. Throughout the play, though she does show concern for her children, she seems more interested in profit and financial security than the safety and well-being of her offspring. She has a love/hate relationship with war. She loves war because of its potential economic benefits. She hates war because of its destructive, unpredictable nature. She has the nature of a gambler, always trying to guess just how long the war will last so that she can take a risk and buy more supplies to sell. She fails dreadfully as a parent when she is focused on her business. When she fails to keep track of her eldest son, Eilif, he joins the army. When Mother Courage tries to haggle for the life of her second son (Swiss Cheese), she offers a low payment in exchange for his freedom. Her stinginess results in his execution. Eilif is also executed. Although his death is not a direct result of her choices, she misses her only chance to visit with him because she is at the market working her business instead of at church, where Eilif expects her to be. Near the plays conclusion, Mother Courage is again absent when her daughter Kattrin martyrs herself in order to save innocent townspeople. Despite losing all of her children by the end of the play, it is arguable that Mother Courage never learns anything, thus never experiences an epiphany or transformation. In his editorial notes, Brecht explains that  it is not incumbent on the playwright to give Mother Courage insight at the end. Rather, Brechts protagonist catches a glimpse of social awareness in scene six, but it is quickly lost and never to be regained as the war wears on, year after year. Eilif, the Brave Son The eldest and most independent of Annas children, Eilif is persuaded by a recruiting officer who lures him with talk of glory and adventure. Despite his mothers protests, Eilif enlists. Two years later, the audience sees him again. He is thriving as a soldier who slaughters peasants and loots civilian farms to support his armys cause. He rationalizes his actions by saying necessity knows no law. In scene eight, during a brief time of peace, Eilif steals from a peasant household and murders a woman in the process. He does not understand the difference between killing during wartime (which his peers consider an act of bravery) and killing during peacetime (which his peers consider a crime punishable by death). Mother Courages friends, the chaplain and the cook, do not tell her about Eilifs execution. At the end of the play, she still believes she has one child left alive. Swiss Cheese, the Honest Son Why is he named Swiss Cheese? Because hes good at pulling wagons. Thats Brechts humor for you! Mother Courage claims that her second son has a fatal flaw: honesty. However, this good-natured characters real downfall might be his indecision. When he is hired to be a paymaster for the Protestant army, his duty is torn between the rules of his superiors and his loyalty to his mother. Because he cannot successfully negotiate those two opposing forces, he is ultimately captured and executed. Kattrin, Mother Courages Daughter By far the most sympathetic character in the play, Kattrin is unable to speak. According to her mother, she is in constant danger of being physically and sexually abused by soldiers. Mother Courage often insists that Kattrin wear unseemly clothes and be covered in dirt to draw attention away from her feminine charms. When Kattrin is injured, resulting in a scar on her face, Mother Courage considers it a blessing - now, Kattrin is less likely to be assaulted. Kattrin wants to find a husband. However, her mother keeps putting it off, insisting that they must wait until peacetime (which never arrives during Kattrins adult life). Kattrin desperately wants a child of her own. When she learns that children might be murdered by soldiers, she sacrifices her life by drumming loudly and waking up the townspeople so they are not caught by surprise. Although she perishes, the children (and many other civilians) are saved. Therefore, even without children of her own, Kattrin proves to be far more motherly than the title character. About the Playwright  Bertolt Brech Bertolt (sometimes spelled Berthold) Brecht lived from 1898 to 1956. He was raised by a middle-class German family, despite some of his claims that he had an impoverished childhood. Early in his youth, he discovered a love for the theater that would become his means of creative expression as well as a form of political activism. Brecht fled Nazi Germany before the onset of World War II. In 1941, his anti-war play Mother Courage and Her Children was performed for the first time, premiering in Switzerland. After the war, Brecht moved to Soviet-occupied East Germany, where he directed a revised production of the same play in 1949. Source: Brecht, Bertolt. Mother Courage and Her Children. Grove Press, September 11, 1991.

How To Do The Best Content Marketing On A Limited Budget

How To Do The Best Content Marketing On A Limited Budget â€Å"It’s dangerous to go alone.† If you’ve ever played The Legend Of Zelda on the classic 8-bit Nintendo, then you’re probably familiar with this phrase (and if not, please bear with us, because we promise we’re going somewhere with this). For the uninitiated, these are the words Link (the main protagonist) hears from a shopkeeper who grants him his first sword before embarking on a treacherous quest to rescue Princess Zelda. Shortly after, the player is faced with overwhelming challenges, scarce resources, and no single path to victory. Sounds like many of our first journeys into content marketing. In fact, if you’re new to  the content marketing game and working with limited resources, you can probably relate to Link more than you might realize. Squaring off against better-financed competitors across a complex content marketing landscape can often feel like warding off monsters while wandering the desert with little more than your wits. Executing a comprehensive content strategy while under pressure to deliver results without an ideal toolset or a roadmap to victory can be stressful (and less fun than any video game). Fortunately, it s possible to succeed at content marketing on a limited budget. The key is to think like Link by making the most creative and efficient use of what you do have until you’ve got the strength to go toe-to-toe with bigger adversaries. To get there, you’ll need to generate maximum mileage with minimal effort while working smarter instead of harder. The only difference is you’ll be solving business problems instead of puzzles and slaying your competition instead of vicious monsters along the way. Take this guide and let’s begin. How To Do Outstanding #Marketing On A Limited Budget via @Ben_Download Your Free Small-Budget Content Marketing Bundle (See Below) Make the most of your limited time with these free downloadable resources. Your Small-Budget Content Marketing Bundle includes: A Marketing Budget Template to help make the most of your available funding. A Content Audit Spreadsheet to understand your existing blog and website content. A Social Media Content Strategy Template to help you build a time-saving social media plan. A Social Media Campaign Content Template to create and organize social posts fast. A Social Media Editorial Campaign Template to schedule your social posts. A Blog Writing Process Checklist to help you make the most of every blog post. A 101 Marketing Time Management Strategies guide to ensure you use your time effectively. An Email List Building tip sheet to build email subscribers quick with limited effort. Find Your Bearings With A Simple Content Audit If you’re working with an existing website or blog, especially one that has been around for awhile, then your first step is to figure out exactly what content you already have (and how much of it is still useful). Think of it like giving your wardrobe a solid spring cleaning, with boxes for things you'd like to keep, patch up or update, and things to get rid of. An easy way to keep track of your progress is to create a simple spreadsheet. There are a number of ways it can be laid out, but at a basic level, it should list all your URLs, page titles, and the following columns: Keep Consolidate Update Remove Get your very own content audit spreadsheet here via Google Sheets. If you’re working with a large website that has a lot of URLs, a free downloadable tool called Screaming Frog may help speed up this process. This desktop website crawler can be used to quickly generate a list of all the URLs that exist on your domain, which can be helpful for discovering broken links or old pages you might have forgotten about. If you’re short on time, keep in mind that your emphasis here should be on balancing speed with relevancy. Focus on posts or URLs that have the highest relevance to your readers to keep, and those that are objectively outdated or no longer relevant to get rid of. It’s also important not to burn yourself out while sorting through the URLs on your domain. This is especially true if your site features tens of thousands of pages (which is common with e-commerce websites, in particular). If you’re ready for a more in-depth guide on how to perform a content audit, take a look at this thorough guide from Moz. Recommended Reading: How To Improve Your  Blog With A Content Audit Play To Your Strengths And Focus On The Right Channels Once you’ve got a clear idea of what (if anything) is already on your blog or website, your next step is to determine which channels you’re going to create fresh content for. Beyond your site and your blog, you’ll also want to consider which social media are best for your needs. You may also want to consider whether other content channels make sense within your overall strategy. Recommended Reading from Neil Patel: The 6 Types Of Social Media Content That Will Give You The Greatest Value With so many different platforms available, it’s easy to start feeling some option paralysis. If time is at a premium, try to focus only on the channels that will both deliver the most impact for your business and that you have time to comfortably invest in. Concentrated efforts in a few areas may yield stronger returns than splitting your attention between more platforms than you can manage. Social Media Tips Choose the right platforms: In most cases, a Facebook page will be essential. Twitter is also a must-have for brands and  bloggers. From there, think carefully about Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Tumblr, and Google+. If you’re unsure whether you might have a potential audience on a particular platform, see what your competitors or other blogs in your niche are doing. Stay within what you can manage: Overextending yourself by committing to every new social media platform that becomes available can be exhausting. Worse than that, letting any of your channels stagnate can hurt your brand. Don’t give into pressure to chase every new flashy object if you don’t have time to spare. Email Marketing Tips Don’t be boring: How many times have you signed up for a company’s email newsletter, only to be let down with horrendous formatting or a lack of any visual styling? This bland approach is boring and provides a poor user experience. Low-cost email marketing doesn’t have to mean low quality. Services like MailChimp offer free entry-level accounts and easy-to-use templates that can make putting together professional-looking e-newsletters simple (and if you’re curious how hard hand-coding emails can be, ask any developer). Reuse blog and social content: Cut time off your email content creation process by linking to your social campaigns and teasing your blog posts. Save time building e-newsletters by  repurposing blog content. #email #marketingEstablish A Consistent Posting Schedule While there aren’t many hard and fast rules for how often you should post on any particular channel, it’s important that you keep them all updated on a regular, predictable basis. If your audience knows when to visit your blog for updates, or knows that you post on a particular social media network regularly, they’re going to be more likely to keep coming back for more of your content. Knowing when you’ll post in advance also helps get more done in less time. Best practices for post frequency vary by market and niche. But  here are a few general guidelines to follow: Be consistent:  Make sure users can reliably expect new content. Be social:  Follow up on user comments and reply. Be persistent:  Don’t allow social accounts to stagnate. Investing in a tool to manage your post schedule can help you get organized and save a ton of time.  That’s exactly what was built for. However, a simple spreadsheet or Google calendar can get you started with scheduling  posts if spending money is out of the question. Work Smarter, Not Harder To Generate Content Ideas Faster Generating ideas for unique and interesting things to write about isn’t easy. However, there are ways to speed up the process while avoiding the time and soul-sucking dread of writer’s block. Monitor Social Media Within Your Topic/Industry What topics are buzzing on Twitter within your industry or niche? What are Facebook fans discussing on your page? Listening in to social media chatter can give you a good idea of what your audience might be interested in reading about, as well as what questions or concerns they may have that you can create content to address. Google AdWords Keyword Planner You know your website and blog content needs to rank in search engines to bring in traffic. Use the Google Adwords Keyword Planner to get an idea of which keywords for your chosen blog or web page topic are generating the most attention. It’s worth keeping in mind that this tool reports how many times a keyword has triggered a pay-per-click ad on Google, rather than the total number of searches it has received in general. Even still, it’s useful for getting a ballpark idea for which keywords you should target for organic traffic as well. Recommended Reading:  How To Make An SEO Content Strategy That Will Improve Your #1–3 Results By 248% Google Trends Creating content that provides an original take on a trending topic is an excellent way to drive traffic to your blog. If you think you’ve got a good idea for a post, or need some assistance coming up with timely posts, try Google Trends. It’s a useful tool for monitoring how many news headlines have appeared around your chosen keyword, as well as seeing which searches are most popular on Google at the moment. Ubersuggest Before you can deliver content people want to read, it helps to know what they’re looking for. Ubersuggest is a free tool that generates lists of actual search terms users have typed into Google’s search bar based on a selected keyword. Do Some Competitive Analysis If you notice a high number of blogs or websites writing about a particular topic, it’s probably because there’s a lot of reader interest around that subject. Check out what other sources are writing about, identify what’s popular, and see how you can make your own post unique or more useful. You can do this by digging deeper into the research, including something that’s missing from other posts, or simply adding your own voice to the conversation. This can help you tap into what your audience wants to read, and drive more traffic by providing a more authoritative resource than your competition. How To Scale Content Creation On A Budget At this point, you know what kinds of content you’re going to create, when it’s going to be created, and where it’s going to be posted. However, without much (if any) assistance, you might quickly find that keeping up with content creation over the long-term can be difficult. But, it doesn’t have to be. By establishing efficient processes, finding ways to reuse content across channels, and maybe enlisting some outside assistance, you can generate more content than you might think. Content Curation If you don’t have much time to create content of your own (and even if you do), then leverage someone else’s. Now, this doesn’t mean you should go out and steal other people’s work. Rather, content curation  simply describes the process of gathering and sharing content around a topic from other sources, and adding your own commentary or insight. Here are a few content curation tips: Share content from authoritative sources. Include your own thoughts and insights. Stick to sharing what’s relevant to your audience. On a weekly or monthly basis, round up the most interesting posts on your subject or industry and put them into a blog post or email newsletter. You can also reshare content on social media. Make sure you always give credit to the original source. Over time, this approach can position you as a valuable resource to your readers by helping them find the best content on your subject. Recommended Reading:  5 Different Content Types That Will Help You Save Time Blogging Find Guest Bloggers To Write For You You might not always have time to write on your own blog as often as you’d like. Fortunately, someone out there probably does, and there’s a chance they might even want to work with you. By cultivating relationships with industry influencers and soliciting guest writers, you can leverage other’s expertise, build connections in your industry, and generate authoritative content while easing your own workload. Here are two  ways to find guest bloggers: Is there a blogger you’ve built a strong rapport with over social media? Or, is there a particular writer or subject matter expert out there you particularly respect? Try sending them a message to see if they’re interested in writing on your blog.You’ll want to be mindful and not overstep your bounds here, though. For example, if your site doesn’t generate much traffic yet, then it’s unlikely that a high-powered influencer will want to work with you (or at least not yet). Add a â€Å"write for us† section to your blog or website. There are a lot of writers out there looking for places to get published. Let them know you’re interested in seeing their pitches for post ideas. Repurpose Your Content Across Channels Have a great idea for a Facebook post? Try adapting it for Twitter (and maybe Google+). Just posted something awesome on your blog? Put that in your email newsletter. By finding opportunities to stretch your content across platforms, you can keep your various channels updated efficiently while giving your content maximum exposure. Don’t Skip Out On Visual Content Creating strong graphics for blog and social media posts  can be tough if design isn’t your forte. If that sounds like you (and you don’t have access to a skilled designer), consider these options: Canva Canva is a free web-based service, which allows you to create images using a wide variety of fonts, backgrounds, and templates. It has its limitations, but its capable of producing some surprisingly strong results in relatively little time. Info.gram People love data. Info.gram is great for data pertaining to Instagram. People loves pictures. Bring the two together with Info.gram. This free infographic tool makes it easy to plug in stats and numbers to create quick infographics and data visualizations easily. Piktochart Piktochart is another freemium graphic design tool. It's perfect for creating posters and infographics. Plus, it's used by some high-profile companies and media outlets, like TechCrunch, Forbes, and Survey Monkey. Shoot Better Mobile Video Video content dominates the Web. In fact, recent Facebook algorithm updates have started to give more weight to video on that platform. However, pro video equipment is expensive, and not much use without the expertise of a skilled shooter and videographer. There is a solution to this problem, however, and it’s probably in your pocket right now. Your phone. While shooting video on your smartphone won’t match the quality of what’s possible with a real camera, it is possible to shoot compelling footage with one in a pinch. Depending on your business, the more raw, unpolished look might even be perceived as more authentic too. If you don’t consider yourself much of a camera person, try following these tips: Fill the whole frame with each shot. Position your subjects slightly to the left or right (rather than right in the middle) of each frame. Consider using a tripod for balance. If you can afford one, try attaching an external microphone for better audio quality. Measure Your Success (And Act On Your Data) Once you’ve got your content machine rolling, you’ll want to measure your results and use that data to help drive better decisions moving forward. If you’re getting a ton of traffic from search engines, then continuing to work on content strategy and search engine optimization is probably smart. Or, if you notice that certain social media channels are driving tons of traffic while others are stagnating, that might be a sign that you should focus on the ones that are succeeding, or alter your strategy on the ones that aren’t. Google Analytics The best content marketing plan in the world doesn’t mean much if you can’t measure the results. Fortunately, one of the best digital marketing analytics platforms happens to be free and fairly easy to set up (at least at a very basic level). While Google Analytics is both free and relatively easy to get started with, it’s also a powerful tool with a lot of advanced functionality. Avoid wasting time drowning in data and analytics by focusing on the following three top KPIs (key performance indicators): Natural/Organic Traffic Bounce Rate Conversion Rate When time is of the essence, these are the most essential metrics to monitor. Cyfe Cyfe  is a freemium custom data dashboard. It connects data from other apps, services, and analytics tools, allowing you to monitor everything in one place. A free account allows for up to five custom widgets, while a paid plan ($19 a month) allows for unlimited data. Between these two tools, you should be more than capable of getting a clear view of how your efforts are performing. Pay Attention To SEO Let’s get one thing out of the way here: search engine optimization  isn’t dead. You will, however, ignore SEO at your own risk. If You're Looking To Save Time: Use An SEO Platform There’s a lot of competition out there for premium SEO software platforms (such as Moz, Raven Tools, and more). If you have enough budget, plans generally start around $99 a month and go up from there for more keywords. These options provide powerful capabilities and will make it easier to get more done faster. Common  functionality typically includes: Keyword rank tracking Content analysis Inbound link monitoring Browse around to find an option that fits your needs and budget. If You're Looking To Save Money: Use Free SEO Tools You’re not totally out of luck if that cost is too high. We’re talking about doing content marketing on a budget here, after all. Premium SEO toolset provider SERPS.com has put together a handy resource of free SEO tools, including a handy rank checking tool and more. Consider this option if budget simply isn’t available. Now You’re Ready To Do More With Less And Win This might seem like a lot of work. Frankly, that’s because it is a lot of work (at least until you get your plans and processes in place). Once you get your content marketing flywheel moving, however, you should find you’re able to get more done in less time on a limited budget with some simple planning, prioritizing, and persistence. Best of all, it won’t cost you much (or possibly anything at all), and you won’t have to cut (too many) corners to get it all done.

The 21 March 1960 Sharpeville Massacre

The 21 March 1960 Sharpeville Massacre On 21 March 1960 at least 180 black Africans were injured (there are claims of as many as 300) and 69 killed when South African police opened fire on approximately 300 demonstrators, who were protesting against the pass laws, at the township of Sharpeville, near Vereeniging in the Transvaal. In similar demonstrations at the police station in Vanderbijlpark, another person was shot. Later that day at Langa, a township outside Cape Town, police baton charged and fired tear gas at the gathered protesters, shooting three and injuring several others. The Sharpeville Massacre, as the event has become known, signaled the start of armed resistance in South Africa, and prompted worldwide condemnation of South Africas Apartheid policies. Build-up to the Massacre On 13 May 1902 the treaty which ended the Anglo-Boer War was signed at Vereeniging; it signified a new era of cooperation between English and Afrikaner living in Southern Africa. By 1910, the two Afrikaner states of Orange River Colony (Oranje Vrij Staat) and Transvaal (Zuid Afrikaansche Republick) were joined with Cape Colony and Natal as the Union of South Africa. The repression of black Africans became entrenched in the constitution of the new union (although perhaps not intentionally) and the foundations of Grand Apartheid were laid. After the Second World War the Herstigte (Reformed or Pure) National Party (HNP) came into power (by a slender majority, created through a coalition with the otherwise insignificant Afrikaner Party) in 1948. Its members had been disaffected from the previous government, the United Party, in 1933, and had smarted at the governments accord with Britain during the war. Within a year the Mixed Marriages Act was instituted – the first of many segregationist laws devised to separate privileged white South Africans from the black African masses. By 1958, with the election of Hendrik Verwoerd, (white) South Africa was completely entrenched in the philosophy of Apartheid. There was opposition to the governments policies. The African National Congress  (ANC) was working within the law against all forms of racial discrimination in South Africa. In 1956 had committed itself to a South Africa which belongs to all. A peaceful demonstration in June that same year, at which the ANC (and other anti-Apartheid groups) approved the Freedom Charter, led to the arrest of 156 anti-Apartheid leaders and the Treason Trial which lasted until 1961. By the late 1950s, some of ANCs members had become disillusioned with the peaceful response. Known as Africanists this select group was opposed to a multi-racial future for South Africa. The Africanists followed a philosophy that a racially assertive sense of nationalism was needed to mobilize the masses, and they advocated a strategy of mass action (boycotts, strikes, civil disobedience and non-cooperation). The Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) was formed in April 1959, with Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe as president. The PAC and ANC did not agree on policy, and it seemed unlikely in 1959 that they would co-operate in any manner. The ANC planned a campaign of demonstration against the pass laws to start at the beginning of April 1960. The PAC rushed ahead and announced a similar demonstration, to start ten days earlier, effectively hijacking the ANC campaign. The PAC called for African males in every city and village... to leave their passes at home, join demonstrations and, if arrested, [to] offer no bail, no defence, [and] no fine.1 On 16 March 1960, Sobukwe wrote to the commissioner of police, Major General Rademeyer, stating that the PAC would be holding a five-day, non-violent, disciplined, and sustained protest campaign against pass laws, starting on 21 March. At a press conference on 18 March, he further stated: I have appealed to the African people to make sure that this campaign is conducted in a spirit of absolute non-violence, and I am quite certain they will heed my call. If the other side so desires, we will provide them with an opportunity to demonstrate to the world how brutal they can be. The PAC leadership was hopeful of some kind of physical response. References: 1. Africa since 1935 Vol VIII of the UNESCO General History of Africa, editor Ali Mazrui, published by James Currey, 1999, p259-60.    Next page Part 2: The Massacre Page 1, 2, 3

The Kennedy Doctrine 1961-1963 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Kennedy Doctrine 1961-1963 - Research Paper Example If Kennedy would not have inherited the legacy of the Recession of 1960-61, and also if ‘the Bay of Pigs’ invasion would not have failed, the Kennedy Doctrine had been, possibly, read as an anecdote or sequel to his predecessor Eisenhower’s foreign policy which rigidly was permeated with the president’s confidence in the country’s military strength to suppress any threat in international politics. Though within the first six months of his presidency in the Oval Office, Kennedy recovered from the recession, the increased military expenditure in the following years was the reflection of Kennedy’s policy to deter any possible offensive role of the Soviet Union. In this regard Gaddis (2005) opined that also the failed CIA-backed military coup in Cuba, in spite of Kennedy’s promise to refrain from Cuban Affairs, provoked the president to be bold to pronounce the United States’ defensive stance regarding the Berlin issue and the diplom atic acknowledgement of the Soviet Union’s concern in Germany. (Gaddis, 2005, pp. 112-115). Outlines of the Kennedy Doctrine and Historical Background Though the Kennedy Doctrine is often misinterpreted as the elaborations of Eisenhower and Truman’s foreign policy prerogatives to contain Communist expansion around the world at any cost, even by involving into another war, the skeletal difference of JFK’s policy with his predecessor’s was determined by the country’s experience of fighting the recession during its earliest months, of failure of the â€Å"Bay of Pigs† and the â€Å"Cuban Missile Crisis†. Kennedy promised to pay â€Å"any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty† (The Avalon Project, 2008). In his augural speech; nevertheless he was aware of the pressure of a tumultuous economy that was suffering from the fourth great r ecession in the US history. In one of his Union addresses, Kennedy admitted it: â€Å"The present state of our economy is disturbing. We take office in the wake of seven months of recession. Insured unemployment is at the highest peak in our history. In short, the American economy is in trouble† (Sorensen, 2009, p. 98). Unlike his predecessor, Eisenhower, Kennedy took the reign of America at a time when â€Å"business bankruptcies had reached the highest level since the 1930s, farm incomes had decreased 25 percent since 1951, and 5.5 million Americans were looking for work† (Miller Center, n.d.). Failure of the â€Å"Bay of Pigs† Invasion: A New Turn in Kennedy’s Foreign Policy Indeed Kennedy’s perception of the country’s economy along with the failures of his overly enthusiastic but covert military enterprises in Cuba in April 17, 1961 seemed to provoke him to be more diplomatic in confronting Communism around the World. Researchers often t end to characterize the Bay of Pig Invasion as Kennedy Administration’s initial trend to tread down the predecessors’ path to respond to Nikita Khrushchev’s â€Å"support for the wars of national liberation† in January, 1961 and the Soviet role in Congo crisis in February, 1961. According to Gaddis (2005), such experience in the â€Å"Bay of Pigs† might bring a new twist in Kennedy Foreign Policy (p. 89). This event provoked the president to voice the US positions clearly, less depending on the covert role, in the Berlin

Port Reform - to Improve Productivity, to Become More Competitive, to Essay

Port Reform - to Improve Productivity, to Become More Competitive, to Attract Private Capital - Essay Example Specifically, this paper would assess the following rationales: to improve productivity, to become more competitive, and to attract private capital. Specific and actual examples of ports that have or are in the process of reform would be identified to expound on the rationales. Different ports would be utilized for each of the areas being evaluated and assessed. About 75% of the world is covered with water. No wonder people have long discovered ways and means to traverse this natural resource. As a consequence, the need for facilities and loading docks and ports have been given due importance. In California, McLaurin (2009, par. 4), President of the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association reported that â€Å"ports create hundreds of thousands of trade-related jobs throughout the state – and with that billion of dollars in tax revenue†. The Port of Los Angeles is the number one port by container volume and cargo value in the United States, handling a record-breaking 8.4 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) in the calendar year 2007. (The Port of Los Angeles 2008, par. 11) On the other hand, the port of Long Beach reported a â€Å"trade valued annually at more than $100 billion moves through Long Beach, making it the second-busiest seaport in the United States† (The Port of Long Beach 2007, par.2) Not to be outdated is the Port of South Louisiana which boasts of being the â€Å"largest tonnage port district in the western hemisphere†. (Port of South Louisiana 2009, par. 1)

Compare the article in the Independent Essay Example for Free

Compare the article in the Independent Essay Compare the article in the Independent with the article in the Daily Mail, addressing the following aspects; layout, content and language. From this comparison, what conclusion can you draw with regard to the targeted readership and intended selling point of each newspaper? In this essay I will be comparing two very different articles from The Independent- a broadsheet and The Daily Mail- a tabloid. The story I will be studying is about a 14 year old boy called Luke Walmsley. Whilst he was waiting in the corridor to enter a classroom he was stabbed in the chest by a fellow pupil. The incident took place at the school he attended; Birkbeck School in Lincolnshire. The whole incident is said to be over who was better at sport and a girl that both boys were fond of, Luke had been seen getting close to this girl and the boy must of grown jealous. The boy who stabbed Luke had come from a troubled background himself and he was said to be quite insecure. I will discuss the following aspects the layout, content and the language that is included within the two articles, from this I will draw a comparison with regard to the targeted audience and intended selling point of each newspaper. The Daily Mail and The Independent are two different types of newspaper. The Daily Mail is what is known as a tabloid newspaper and focuses directly on the most popular events, human interests and trivial matters . A tabloid newspaper differs from the broadsheet paper this is included in its size, the range and depth of its coverage and the ratio of images to text. A Tabloid is around half the size of a standard broadsheet paper. Reports are more simplified or more direct and compact versions of a report. They also include a lot more images relating to the article. A tabloid is often found to be extremely biased and tries to influence the publics opinions on the reporters own certain views. The Independent is a broadsheet style newspaper. It generally focuses on the true given facts and includes great detail and goes into great depth in its articles. The question is why do people want to buy these newspapers? The Daily Mail attracts its readers by using a high rate of colour and images on its front page which is bound to catch the eye of passers by and interests them to buy the paper. In comparison to information in other newspapers it is often found to be exaggerated and is therefore in my opinion aimed at the less educated person. It is simple, easy and quite enjoyable to read with a range of bright pictures to accompany the article. The Independent doesnt tend to use a lot of colour neither does it use many pictures. The reason I believe in which The Independent attracts the nation into buying the newspaper is by publishing truthful, detailed accounts. They only focus on what they know for certain are true facts and relevant figures. Tabloids are made up of celebrity news and gossip which is exaggerated to make the story more appealing. This type of article is aimed at the lower and of the market. Broadsheets, however, have a far more mature approach to what they publish and include news that is of a interest to the whole nation young or old, although in general it is often written to target the higher better informed end of the market. Broadsheets incorporate details about the shares and stock market, business news and in general financial information I think this would appeal to a high status businessman, a professional management team or a politician. However by saying this I am being quite stereotypical because many people are interested in the stock market so they may just buy this type of paper for the finance section and not care what else is published within the paper whether it may affect them or not. Concentrating on the article, firstly I will discuss layout. The layout of the Daily Mail is bold and in your face which is very eye catching. The pictures are vibrant in colour and stand out another eye catching feature. When using a picture, it has to be chosen carefully. They must have an effect on the person looking at it whether or not its on a personal level or an image you recognise. Having this image alongside the bright, bold headline that cannot be avoided makes the paper stand out and really makes you notice the paper. The way in which the headlines font and size is changed and how the headline is worded is well constructed to make the story stand out and appear more exciting and readable to the papers targeted audience. Due to the fact that the daily mail is a tabloid it is therefore aimed at the lower end of the JICNAR scale in the c1 e category making it easier to read. The jobs these people may have would be lorry driver, factory workers, building site labour and unemployment. The front page is the main selling point to actually encourage people to buy and read the paper. Many housewives would also read The Daily Mail for its gossip and celebrity news.

The Dangers of Fossil Fuel Use :: Fossil Fuels Essays

The Dangers of Fossil Fuel Use Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary defines the term fossil fuel as â€Å"a fuel, as coal, oil, or natural gas, that is formed in the earth from plant or animal remains.† The major fossil fuels include coal, petroleum, and natural gases. Here in the United States, and all over the world, fossil fuel functions as an extremely beneficial resource. We use gas to fuel our cars and depend on electricity produced from coal and oil to heat and cool our homes. But, these positive aspects do not come without drawbacks. Environmental health, climate change, acid rain, and air pollution are among the top problems with fossil fuel production and consumption. (http://environment.about.com/library/weekly/aa050700.htm) Fossil fuel use creates severe impact on the environment in all stages of use: recovery, transportation, preparation/refining, storage, and end use. Recovery, the first stage is basically the process of coal mining. This includes the destruction of topsoil, and the risk of gushers or accidents. Also, recovery leads to discolored local creeks and rivers because of the acidic run-off of these waters (Lecture 3/11/02). Next, these resources must be transported all over the world, where they will go into the preparation and refining stage. During this stage, there is a risk that refuse or sludge will result from coal cleaning parts (Lecture 3/11/02). Also, air and water pollution may result from the process of petroleum refining, which involves the change of the chemical composition of petroleum to produce desirable chemicals and fuels. However, that means that the undesirable results are released to pollute the atmosphere. (Lecture 2/22/02) After being properly refined, the resources are stored. This stage may cause environmental problems such as gasoline leaks in underground tanks at gas stations. Finally, end use results in the release of pollutants from combustion. These pollutants include unburnt hydrocarbons, particulate matter, such as ash or soot, and sulfur and nitrogen oxides (Lecture 3/11/02). The combination of these pollutants often results in smog, a problem most pressing in California (http://www.sparetheair.org/). Major challenges exist concerning environmental problems with fossil fuel use. One challenge is to reduce fossil fuel use, in general, while also accommodating the increasing population and industrialization (Lecture 3/18/02). A second challenge is to remember to put human life before the need for industrialization. The National Resource Defense Council states that every year, some â€Å"64,000 people may die prematurely from cardiopulmonary causes linked to particulate air pollution".

English Language: Key to Global Access

English Language: Key to Global Access By: Kyle A. Tumapang â€Å"Language is the blood of the soul in which thoughts run and out of which they grow,† as once said by Oliver Wendell Holmes. We cannot deny that we are all experiencing the effects of globalization. Globalization, as we all know, is the process of interaction, and integration among peoples, companies, and governments of different nations. Due to its continuous rise, the unity of people around the world is greatly needed.But how can unity be achieved if these people, with different cultures and languages, fail to communicate and understand each other? English language plays a great role in having global access. Not just for the reason that it is the universal language, but also to the fact that it contributes much to many aspects of life, like when you are travelling to other countries, you can really expect that these people will speak using their native language. Yet, you can assure that a few of these people kn ow how to speak using the English language.Their accent might be different and would vary every now and then, but their statements are completely understandable. Let me cite you an example, from an accent of â€Å"Good day mate! † to a simple â€Å"Good day†, both still have the same meaning. In countries like the Philippines, which it consists of 7,107 islands with people of various cultures, the languages they speak also differ. During these situations, English can be the bridge in their communication. In the field of education, English is the medium used in most of the basic subjects like Physics, Biology, Chemistry, and Math.Moreover, all correspondences between offices in different countries, and also between political leaders of various nations, are still in English. This linking factor significantly tells us the importance of the English language. English is also the mainstay of internet users. This is the language in which most of the information and websites a re available. Thus, the given situations emphasize the importance of the English language in the field of globalization. In addition to this, English language can also lead the progress of a nation.Citing the Philippines as an example, the country is recently proclaimed as the third largest English speaking nation in the world. With this information there is no surprise that Philippines was named as the best country in Business English, according to a recent study of the Global English Corporation. Philippines attained a score above 7. 0, â€Å"a BEI level within range of a high proficiency that indicates an ability to take an active role in business discussions and perform relatively complex tasks†.The corporation also noted that a country’s business English capability is an indicator of its economic growth and business success. If also other countries would imitate the Philippines, there is no doubt that one day these countries would contribute in the field of global ization. English is the queen of all languages. It has become the language of science, commerce, trade and international negotiations. We, would not be surprised that in the future, English can be the reason of the union of various nations, and also be the key to global access.

A Separate Peace-John Knowles Essay

The novel A Separate Peace is a story about two best friends, Gene and Phineas (Finny), who both attend the Devon school in New Hampshire in 1942. Gene Forrester is an intellectual, confined, straight-laced seventeen year old, while Finny is an athletic free-spirit who isn’t afraid to say what he thinks and is admired by everyone. The story is a flashback in which Gene recalls his fears and insecurities during the midst of the Second World War at the Devon school. Out of jealousy and the fear that Finny is trying to sabotage his studies, Gene shakes a tree branch that they were both standing on, and Finny falls out of the tree and shatters his leg. It is at that point where their relationship changes into more of a codependency which leads to them developing their own individual identities by living within their own illusion that World War II is a mere conspiracy. Finny dies suddenly during the operation on his broken leg , but Gene doesn’t cry. He deals with the tragic news with a sort of tranquility because he believes that he is a part of Finny. Gene reflects on the constant enmity which takes over the present youth, and he believes only Finny was immune to this plague. A Separate Peace is a novel that criticizes society, based on a romantic point of view of human nature. Firstly, Gene’s aggressive nature is being nurtured by societies preoccupation with competition, inner-enemies, and power. Contrasting to Gene, Finny has a natural goodness about him that has not been corrupted by society. Lastly, the Devon school is a symbol of rivalry and competitiveness of the world, which has produced a devastating war on a much larger scale. Gene Forrester is the narrator of the novel, telling the story as a flashback on his youthful days at Devon. He is the source of all the reader’s information, but is somewhat an unreliable source, regarding his insights into his actions and motivations. We see that he has an aggressive nature about him which has been nurtured by societies preoccupation with competition, inner-enemies, and power. We first meet him as an adult, therefore we immediately assume a sort of maturity and wisdom about him and his memories at Devon. The adult Gene is, in reality, still the same as the adolescent Gene in terms of fears and security. He sees the Devon buildings as â€Å"defensive† then â€Å"exhausted†(3) which is a representation of himself as an adult. We see that nothing has changed over the years, not the school, and most importantly, not himself. After the accident, him and Finny lived in codependency. Finny lived through Gene. As the reader, we see that by Gene’s actions by equalizing them and becoming at the same level may have been deliberate, even though it seemed like an accident to everyone else. The fact that Gene shook the tree had stemmed from a deep personal desire to lose his identity, and himself in another. This is represented when he puts on Finny’s clothes and sees that he looks just like him. He feels strangely peaceful. This symbolizes Gene’s own desire to leave himself and become Finny, for he is his own â€Å"war† yet also his love. The accident causes his feeling of resentment and fear to be overcome by devotion to Finny. We see this inner-war develop as he continuously tries to make peace and apologize to Finny, an only then can he forgive himself. The shaking of the tree stirred up an unconscious impulse that sets the chain of events leading to Finny’s death, making Gene the killer and destroyer of the one thing he loved. He is his own enemy, and the destroyer of himself, because he felt that he and Finny were the same person. That is why he didn’t cry at the funeral, because â€Å"[he] could not escape a feeling that it was [his] own funeral, and you do not cry in that case†(186). We see here that he has a tendency to mix love and hate, which is practiced as a habit by society. His action in the tree is also an instinct, which is based on a primitive aggression, defensiveness and rivalry which is the side of human nature that is being nurtured by society. Gene symbolizes the narrow, confined, sort of paranoid world that surrounds humanity. He always leans towards the rules that are set. When Finny wants to go to the beach, Gene creates a scenario in his head that Finny is trying to sabotage his studies, and from there, descends into darkness. This fear of his is, in actuality, a defensive anxiety which finds a potential threat in everyone. This is shown when he says â€Å"I was used to finding something deadly in things†¦ and if it wasn’t there then I put it there myself. â€Å"(92) He us unable to let up his defenses because he sees the enemy everywhere, but the enemy is himself. Society teaches the boys to develop a particular frame of mind that creates an enemy wherever they see a potential threat. This defense mechanism only creates inner-enemies, and it is what corrupts the youth. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Finny has a natural goodness about him that has not been corrupted by society. Finny’s character is seen through the eyes of Gene, therefore his perception of Finny is significant. He is able to talk his way out of any situation which, according to Gene, is rare among humans. He has a â€Å"calm ignorance of the rules with a winning urge to be good†(16). His hypnotic charisma shows just how different he is from the other characters by his element of goodness and innocence. He is so different because he operates outside the world of rules and authority, which he considers to be â€Å"a necessary evil†(11), which in terms means that the rules are made to be broken. He is the essence of careless peace in humanity which is so rare. Yet, while he constantly tests the limits of authority, he neither seeks to be victorious, nor be defeated. This is represented in the game of Blitzball, where everyone furiously competes but no one wins, and this perfectly demonstrates Finny’s attitude towards life. Another example of this is when he broke the swimming record. He simply wanted to â€Å"see if [he] could do it†(35), and Gene calls him â€Å"too good to be true†(36), which shows how Gene and the other boys may view innocence and freedom. They are uncomfortable with people showing sincere emotions(40), and they see the enemy everywhere. Finny has â€Å"a simple unregulated friendliness†(15) which has to do with a more profound wisdom and goodness regarding other human beings. Just like he doesn’t see life as winners and losers, he also thinks the best of people, and no one is an enemy in his eyes. His assumptions that the world is friendly make him unique. For example, Gene believes that society creates enemies where they do not exist, but Finny’s inability to see others as evil or hostile is his strength and weakness. His blindness of Gene’s dark motives create dangerous situations in their codependent relationship, and he never imagines that Gene’s feelings for him are not as true as his feelings for Gene. He inspires Gene in loyalty but also jealousy by his charismatic personality. He assumes that everyone thinks like he does, therefore he acts with himself and Gene in mind, doing whatever he pleases. His care-free attitude is what triggers Gene’s resentment and Finny, aware of only himself, never picks up on Gene’s darkness. He â€Å"was the essence of this careless peace†(16), being the one who facilitates most of the boy’s fun throughout the school year. While they are all caught up with the war and striving for themselves to one-up each other, Finny creates a protective bubble around them to shield them from growing up. His tendency to have fun and be care-free is an indication that there is a streak of decency in human nature, but this basic innocence also makes him vulnerable to those unlike himself. The Devon school is a symbol of rivalry and competitiveness of the real world, which has produced a devastating war. In the beginning of the novel when Gene is an adult, he revisits the school. He sees the â€Å"contentious harmony†(4) of the buildings, which is an oxymoron because it reflects the idea of rivalry. It tells us that the school buildings are â€Å"perpendicular† and â€Å"straight-laced†, and represent the world of order and rules. This harmony of the buildings is a trick of architecture. In reality, Devon represents a world of rivalry, competition and one-upmanship practiced by the students as a habit. The school is simply a symbol of the world on a much larger scale, where competition has produced a war. Seeing others as enemies is common in both the school and society. Everyone but Finny is â€Å"pitted violently against something in the world around them†(196). This something around them is Devon, being their main influence to see everyone as a potential threat. The Devon school is a â€Å"jungle† of a boys’ school(45), where hostility and aggression on a smaller scale lead to war on a much larger scale. Their practiced rivalry is mentioned when Gene states that â€Å"there were few relationships among [them] at Devon not based on rivalry†(37). The seasons at the school also represent a change and transformation in the boys. The summer session at Devon is a time of freedom, where the teachers allow Finny’s hypnotic personality to get away with whatever he pleases. The session symbolizes youth and innocence, which in turn comes to an end when Finny falls from the tree. This event marks the beginning of the winter session, where the atmosphere is sombre and dark, filled with discipline and work. It represents adulthood and war approaching them, and becomes a more predominant feature throughout the course of the novel. The transition from the summer to the winter session embodies societies shift from a care-free nature, to a darker, more mature one. We don’t see Finny transition because he is unable to face adulthood and dies, thus never entering into the school’s new mode of existence. As he reflects on his time at Devon, Gene explains that he â€Å"was on active duty all [the] time at school; [he] killed [his] enemy there†(196). This suggests that everyone is battling an ongoing war with themselves, seeking an enemy fight. The school is merely a battleground on a smaller scale, but still has the same effect. Finny’s innocence caused him to oversee these notions of war and enmity, which lead to his death. In the other case, Gene had an ongoing war with himself, and/or Finny. In either case, it demonstrates Finny’s inability to cope with betrayal. He is the lone character in the novel that doesn’t undergo the school’s strong influence on the boys, that prepare them for the war they have to fight after graduation. The role society plays on the school and the boys is their main influence for their actions. The novel criticizes society based on a romantic view of human nature, and this nature has been explored in many ways. Gene’s inner savage and aggressiveness had been nurtured by societies preoccupation with competition, territory and power. Finny’s natural goodness has not been corrupted by society, but his innocence caused him to blur admiration with jealousy lead to his death. Finally, the Devon school is the main symbol or rivalry in the novel, which represents the war on a much smaller scale than the war in reality. The natural paranoia of the human race leads one to seek an enemy wherever they may see a potential threat, and this leads to destruction and inner-enemies in the end.

Andrew hellen essays

Andrew hellen essays In our continuous discussion of ethics and death Benjamin, in chapter 7 of Philosophy and this Actual World, asks us to imagine a case where a child, Andrew, is born with anencephaly, ... a condition in which the embryologic closure of the neural tube never completes, leaving the embryo to develop without the upper portion of its skull. These embryos sometimes continue to develop into the fetal stage and may even survive to be born alive, but with upper cranium and scalp missing and the brain open to the outer world. [Although anencephalic infants have a function brain stem but because they lack the functioning cerebral hemispheres, they do not and will never experience consciousness] These babies may survive outside the womb for varying amounts of time, anywhere between minutes and weeks. Although the condition is always fatal and there are no techniques to correct the problem...(anencephaly web page). In another hospital there is Helen, a newborn with hypoplastic left heart syndr ome [which] consists of an underdeveloped Left Atrium and Left Ventricle. The whole left side of the heart which pumps the blood to the body is underdeveloped and small and is unable to perform that function. This means the baby is unable to get blood to his body through the Aortic Valve, the Aortic Arch and the front parts. [a congenital malformation very likely to lead to an early death] (childrens heart institute). Apart from their conditions both infants are healthy; Helens brain, in particular, is fine, and Andrews heart is fine. So comes the question If it is surgically possible to replace Helens heart with Andrews healthy one should the surgeons do it? Is it morally right or wrong? There are many aspects to take into account when surveying a situation like this. Aside from mere ethics there are people involved, and differing opinions from religion to background belief. Right away when conc...

1984 Questions for Study and Discussion

1984 Questions for Study and Discussion 1984  is one of the best-known works by  George Orwell. This classic novel describes life in a surveillance state where independent thinking is referred to as thoughtcrime. 1984 coined terms like Big Brother and Newspeak that are still in use today, and its powerful exploration of totalitarianism is a key reference point in political discussion and analysis. Reflect on the following questions as you learn about 1984. Whether youre preparing for an exam or preparing for a book club, these questions for study and discussion will strengthen your knowledge and understanding of the novel. 1984  Questions for Study and Discussion What is important about the title of 1984?  What are the conflicts in 1984? What types of conflict (physical, moral, intellectual, or emotional) are in this novel?How does George Orwell reveal character in 1984?What are some themes in the story? How do they relate to the plot and characters?What are some symbols in 1984? How do they relate to the plot and characters?Is Winston consistent in his actions? Is he a fully developed character? How? Why?Do you find the characters likable? Would you want to meet the characters?Does the story end the way you expected? How? Why?What is the central/primary purpose of the story? Is the purpose important or meaningful?How does this novel relate to dystopian literature? Is Winston a strong character?How essential is the setting to the story? Could the story have taken place anywhere else? In any other time?What is the role of women in the text? Is love relevant? Are relationships meaningful?Why is 1984 controversial? Why has it been banned?How d oes 1984 relate to contemporary politics/society? Would you recommend this novel to a friend?Why do you think words like Big Brother and Newspeak have entered into our everyday lexicon?What, if anything, scares you about the future Orwell describes? Why or why not?How is doublethink used in the novel? Do you think it could or is used in our current society?Do you think its important that Oceana is constantly at war with someone? What point do you think Orwell is trying to make?How does the age difference between Julia and Winston affect how they view the actions of Big Brother and the government? Do you see differences like this in your own life?  How is technology used by Big Brother and the Party? Does it remind you of any current technological issues?  If you were in Room 101, what would be waiting for you?What is the significance of the name Ministry of Love?How is sexual repression used to oppress the people of Oceana? Are there examples of this kind of oppression in the real world?How are characters brainwashed in the nove l? Do you think this sort of brainwashing can happen in real life? What warnings can we take from Orwells novel?

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Rhetorical Analysis - Essay Example Summary of the Article Carr in his article offers an interesting look on the recent growth of online courses. He alleges that with the increased growth of online automation and analyzing algorithms, the MOOCs have become quite effective (36). The author meticulously describes the transitions that have taken place from the traditional means in which classes were undertaken to the new concept of the MOOCs. Additionally, he talks in length about ways in which the computers have helped in customizing the students’ learning experience. However, he points out to some of the challenges that are facing the MOOCs, alleging that, â€Å"of the 160,000 people who enrolled in Norvig and Thrun’s AI class, only about 14 percent ended up completing it† (Carr 40). In that case, the high dropout reveals the challenges that emanates from keeping online students motivated and attentive. One of the major implications that the author fails to address in regard to the increase of techn ology and MOOCs is the effect that the lack of professors would have on education and the field of research. If the technology ends up pushing the professors out of the classrooms, then it would be necessary for the author to focus on telling readers where that places the state of research. Nevertheless, he clearly explains on the reason why most people prefer online classes to classroom college education, asserting that people are dissatisfied with college education because it is time consuming and expensive. He confirms, â€Å"the average price tag for a bachelor’s degree has shot up to more than $ 100,000† (Carr, 34). Another reason behind the rise of MOOCs that is well argued out is that despite the rise in the cost of higher education, its quality has dropped. Generally, the pros and cons of MOOCs have been well argued and Carr looks as to be spot on in his scrutiny of the future of the universities. Rhetoric Analysis In Carr’s article, he uses a descriptiv e tone to appeal to readers in addressing the issue of technology and its pros and cons. Through his descriptions, he manages to paint a picture of slowly diminishing universities, owing to the rise of MOOCs. For instance, he creates imagery of a population that is slowly moving towards online classes, following the high expenses and low quality education. On the same note, he uses contrast to create a tone of disapproval among few people who still think that online classes tend to pose more challenges. For instance, he asserts, â€Å"but not everyone is enthusiastic. The online classes, some educators fear, will at best prove a distraction to college administrators†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Carr 34). Carr commences the article with historical facts, describing how technology has advanced over the years and has had an impact on higher education. This technique helps in establishing the tone of the article as one that is formal; hence, drawing the reader’s interest because of the credib ility that comes with historical facts. Additionally, the author uses comparative and contrasting techniques to give an overview on what education was like before and how it has changed with the revolution of technology. For example, the author compares correspondence courses to traditional on campus lessons, arguing that they were both beneficial to students though

British Legal systems and Contract law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

British Legal systems and Contract law - Essay Example In the leading case of Olley v.Marlborourgh Court Hotel (1949) 1 KB 552, a lady deposited her fur cloak in the hotel locker which was subsequently stolen. She sued the hotel for loss of the cloak, but the hotel management pleaded that in the contract of service there was a specific disclaimer for liability arising out of theft. It transpired that the disclaimer notice was in the hotel room, and not at the reception where the contract was enforced between the lady and the hotel management. 1 Moreover she did not have constructive notice of this diclaimer when she booked her room. The Court held that the hotel was liable for the loss since, the claimant was not aware of the facts at the time of booking the contract. However, in this case, it is seen that Metalinque was aware of the material fact that the goods need to be shipped to Aberdeen, and not delivered at London office. The writer's opinion is that the seller, Metalinque cannot be absolved of liability in this case merely on the fact that their agreement was with the London office, and not with the Aberdeen plant since the purpose of the agreement was not fulfilled due to (1) delay in performance and (2) Subsequent losses to the buyer, arising out of breach of contractual obligation by the seller due to material variation in delivery terms Further if the law were to consider, the application of Section 4 and Section 4 (5) of the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982, it is seen that there is an implied condition that the goods supplied should be fit and should serve the purpose for which it is sought. It is also seen that in the event that a party relies on the skill or judgment of another, whether the terms are expressly, or by implication, the implied condition shall be deemed to be present. In this case there is an implied condition that goods be delivered to Aberdeen. "Where, under a contract for the transfer of goods, the transferor transfers the property in goods in the course of a business and the transferee, expressly or by implication, makes know to the transferor, any particular purpose for which the goods are being acquired., there exists an implied condition that the goods shall meet such conditions." 2 (b) Even if there was a breach of contract, the sum sought is excessive. Under Section 20 (2) of the Sale of Goods Act 1979, the goods remain at the seller's risk until the title in them is vested on the buyer. When the buyer has accepted the goods at London, it is deemed that delivery has been affected. However, "where delivery has been delayed through the fault of either the buyer or seller, the goods are at risk of the party at fault, as regards any loss, which may not have occurred but for such fault." 3 In this case it is seen that, prima facie, there is a fault on the part of Metalinque for having caused losses due to belated delivery. However, this fault has been alleviated to a certain extent, due to the fact that Amethyst Ltd, had not explicitly and specifically stated under Clause 20 of the Purchase Contract that the goods need to be delivered at Aberdeen. In the absence of certainty of delivery of contractual obligation, they were at liberty to

Sikhism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Sikhism - Essay Example Some Sikhs believe their religion to be a purified Hinduism, but most consider it to be a direct revelation from God, with no connection to any other religion (Robinson, 2005). Whatever be its’ origins, Sikhism has emerged as a religion in its’ own right, with its’ unique history, beliefs, prayers, practices and concept of God. The word ‘Sikh’ in Punjabi is defined as ‘disciple’ and connotes a disciple of God. ‘Guru’ is a Sanskrit word for teacher. In Sikhism, the Gurus are considered to be Enlightened Masters. The Reht Maryada, the official Sikh Code of Conduct, defines a Sikh as any man or woman who believes in One Immortal Being, the ten Gurus, the Guru Granth Sahib- the holy book of the Sikhs, the teachings of the Gurus and the baptism introduced by the tenth Guru and does not owe allegiance to any other religion. The history of Sikhism is mirrored in the life of its’ Gurus. The first Guru was Guru Nanak Dev (1469 – 1539), who founded the Sikh religion. He was born into a Hindu family. He attained enlightenment at the age of thirty, while bathing in the river Bain and proclaimed the immortal words, â€Å"There is no Hindu, no Muslim.† He traveled extensively through the Indian subcontinent and the Persian Gulf, spreading his message of one, tr ue God through the medium of hymns and stories that would reach the common people. He was followed by Guru Angad Dev (1504 – 1552), who popularized the Gurmukhi script among the Sikhs and advocated a casteless society. He was succeeded by Guru Amar Das (1479 – 1574), who institutionalized the free Sikh communal kitchen, or langar, opposed the subjugation of women through the purdah and sati and supported widow remarriage. Through trained apostles, called Masands, he spread Sikhism throughout the country. The Fourth Master was Guru Ram Das (1534 – 1581), who founded the holy city of

Environmental Issues in the Car Industry

Environmental Issues in the Car Industry What are the environmental issues facing the future of the European car industry? Abstract This paper looks at the issues facing the European car industry with regard to environmental issues. This is done by looking at past and present published material that revolves around the subject matter under specified themes. Theoretical perspectives within the European business environment such as pestle, models of market structure, profit maximisation, sources of finance, market segmentation, branding strategy, European business and its effects on the environment are all explained in relation to their relevance of environmental issues. These theoretical themes are used because they all act as a catalyst to the subject matter of the problems caused by cars which are not fuel efficient or less pollutant within Europe. In addition, a recently published paper on the directive for labelling on cars with regard to CO2 emissions, awareness of consumers, and fuel efficiency types in the European Union is used as empirical evidence to support ones findings as there was a shortage of time to carry out one. Finally a critical review of matches and miss-matches is used to compare and contrast similarities between the theoretical perspectives identified to prove the latter mentioned and the empirical evidence gathered for this paper, so as to forge a way forward for the European Car Industry. Chapter 1: A Brief History of The Car Industry Introduction The European Car Industry is one that has come of age. From its early beginnings over 100 years ago, it is beginning to show signs of struggling in today’s modern society. This has come about due to the new challenges that the industry is facing in the new millennium. Issues such as air pollution, congestion, traffic jams etc., are all factors that have made the car industry rethink its goals, objectives, its marketing, and the consequences that are not foreseen. As a whole the car industry makes nearly 60 million cars and trucks every year, and employs millions of people around the world. Average profit margins have declined from 20 present or more in its hey days of the1920’s to around 10 present in the 1960’s and less than 5 present in this present day, infect some volume car makers such as Fiat, Ford, and Vauxhall, have actually been losing money. It can be stated that over century ago the car industry feasibly invented modern industrial capitalism. In the Economist (2004) the car started life in Germany and early development of the industry began in France (hence the word automobile, a French word) in the 1900’s, but it was in America that the car industry came of age with the Henry Ford T-Model of mass production which started in Chicago round about the same period(1900’s). In the 1920’s Alfred Sloan’s ideas of running General Motors provided the model for the great corporations that grew up to dominate the second half of the 20th century. General Motors soon swept past Ford as Alfred Sloan revolutionized the young car industry, and Ford never regained the dominance it enjoyed in its infancy days of mass production. The car industry can be said to be ahead of its time in many respects. For example, in ‘planned obsolescence, which is the frequent changes in design and style that tempted customers to switch to a newer model every year or so. In the 1970’s when the oil price quadrupled, the industry found itself under attack from environmentalists outraged by its products gas consuming and exhuming nature, (air pollution, etc.). It was also the first industry to come under government scrutiny, from safety concerns to environmental issues to antitrust worries in the days when General Motors had 60 present of its domestic market and could shut out competitors with a few well-chosen price cuts. However, when small economical and reliable Japanese Cars started to eat into Detroit’s market share, the American government imposed restraints on those imports. Soon afterwards, theca industry in Europe came under the same similar pressures and followed suit. Due to the sporadic recognition and existence as a pillar of industrial capitalism, the car industry also found itself at the mercy of trade unions in the 1920’s and 1930’s. Its workers increasingly pushed for trade unionisation in which a times the car factories in the Detroit area, the British Midlands, in Frankfurt, Germany, and the huge plants around Paris were the main battleground of the Class war. Although today trade union membership is still as high as ever, the power they wielded in the 1920’s to 1970’s has diminished immensely. Today, the motor car is the epitome of mass production, mass marketing and mass consumption, with some of the strongest brands in the world. For most households in rich countries, it is the second-biggest purchase after a house or flat, which makes the industry a pillar of modern industrial capitalism as earlier mentioned. Few other consumer goods industries depend so heavily on second hand market for their products. Now, understanding how the European Car Industry operates and the many pressures that it faces is essential to an understanding of the predicament the UK car buyers currently faces. Around 70 present of new cars sold in the UK are imported, with the great majority of these imports coming from the rest of Europe. The UK market is intrinsically tied into the pattern of car making and distribution across Europe. Thus the behaviour of the UK motor industry towards both its retailing and service partners and towards consumers is part of the wider behaviour of the European Car Industry. The industry can be said to be mature one. In virtually every country of North West Europe, the density of car ownership has almost reached its practical maximum. There are some opportunities for growth left in Southern and Central Europe, but they will be largely used up in the next few years. Following on, the consequences of mass production, and a slow introduction of cars that run on synthetic or alternative fuels has led to a rapid increase in environmental pollution, CO2 emissions, traffic jams, congestion, and human related diseases such as lung cancer, all of which are serious environmental issues, which the European Car Industry have found itself slow to adapt, change, amend and implement to the betterment of the wider society. This has led to directives and committees from the European Union to be setup to tackle the issued mentioned above and the latter. With this in mind a review of existing material that has been published in the press and journals will now be critically analysed. Chapter 2: Existing Literature Reviewed The need to galvanise and understand the unforeseen circumstances of mass car production and environmental issues in the European Union has been stressed by researchers for more than three decades. According to the Europa (2005), the EU is the largest automotive production region (34%) in the world and the industry comprises 7.5% of the manufacturing sector in the union. Direct employment by the automotive industry stands at about two million employees, while the total employment effect (direct and indirect) is estimated to be about ten million. It also adds that since the year 2001, the motor vehicle production has decreased in the European Union, from 17.2 million units in 2001 to 16.9 million units in 2002. The decline continued into2003, with 70,000 motor vehicles less being produced, compared to2002. This decline is due to the worsening of the macro-economic situation where consumer demand has been decreasing. Lagunas (2005)correlates with this by stating that motor vehicles have become the prime means of personal and commercial mobility in today’s world. Growing prosperity has led to a spectacular rise in car use, phenomenon being repeated in the new member states which joined the Union in 2004. In China and other booming countries with looser anti-pollution rules than the EU, trends show major increases in private transportation. This success has generated serious concerns about the environmental effects of vehicle use, in particular traffic congestion, air pollution, traffic-related diseases, and noise. In addition Lagunas (2005) states that these concerns have led the EU to formulate the objective of decoupling economic growth from transport growth. The EU has come up with legislation and initiatives to drive the change towards cleaner cars while promoting sustainable transport modes and model shift. It goes on to state that the interest in cleaner, less polluting vehicles and fuel has grown rapidly in recent years. Emissions from petrol and diesel engines have been significantly reduced in the last decade, driven mainly by European legislation and will continue to be reduced. In elaboration Lagunas(2005) states that in the EU, almost 40 present of the transport sector’s CO2 emissions are produced by the use of private cars in cities, CO2 emissions are damaging the environment and contributing to climate change; both petrol and diesel engines have their good and bedsides as regards emissions; engines working with diesel fuel emit lessCO2 than the ones working with petrol; on the other hand diesel engines are releasing more cancer causing particles in the air. Air pollution caused by car emissions has health impacts; problems include aggravation of respiratory and cardio-vascular diseases, asthma, and decreased lung functions. Gartner (2005) also argues that the effectiveness of the directive made by the EU relating to the availability of consumer information on fuel economy and CO2 emissions has been successful and gained momentum in some European countries but not all. Reasons being consumers lack awareness of fuel economy and environmental impacts of fuels as well as available information tools, in which one of the possibly ways to tackle this as stated by Gartner(2005) was to increase consumers awareness by standard equipment of new cars with fuel consumption indicators or cruise control. In addition Gartner (2005) argues that fuel economy and environmental impact are in general no major factor in vehicle purchase decisions and fuel consumption is mostly only important because of the cost, but not to environmental issues. ACNielsen (2005) agrees with this by saying when it comes to what influences consumer’s choice of car brand, manufacturers of luxury vehicles may be surprised to learn that image and prestige do not appear to be a top priority, in which engine size and environmentally friendly cars are regarded as the least important features to the Europeans when it comes to buying a car. Interest; however is growing slowing with a greater awareness of climate change and CO2 emission issues. Gartner (2005) also states that general awareness of label, poster/display and guide on CO2 emissions and fuel efficiency on cars is quite small and most of the information tools are not regarded as very informative or effective, although it can be said that this varies f rom one EU country to another. For example, in Austria, the label is regarded as the most informative and efficient element, compared to teak where the label was not assessed as effective in detail. In an article by the BBC (2002) it was argued that there are five major groups of car manufacturers in the world, they are General Motors, Ford, DaimlerChrysler Benz, Toyota, and Volkswagen. Of these only Toyota relies on one global brand name. All the others have a web of subsidiaries spanning the world. We must understand that the real reason why the car manufacturing firms are in business is to make money and maintain their prestige as a world class car manufacturer. To do this means they (car manufacturers) will have to constantly roll-out new models, with better gadgets, with performance and style. That is why, as Madsen (2002) argues, Volkswagen launched its luxury car, ‘the Phaeton’ to compete against the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, and Lamborghini brands. This initiative was and is deemed as a risky push by the Group. However, the Chairman of the group Rd. Bernd Pischetsrieder argues that success would not be measured by sales volumes that the key was to enhance the Volkswagen brand. It was also argued by critics from within and outside the firm that the launch of the Phaeton, delayed the launch of the Audi, which is a car from within the group. However, he was quick to mute the negative by stating that possibly, the dealers learn to be a bit quicker and not to find the competitor in-house but out-house, and this will help the business; adding it is the engineers and marketers of the Audi brand that have the serious challenge of making sure that the brand does well. With this type of attitude within car firms it shows that environmental issues are the least likely concern within the European Car Industry. In the UK, white paper by DETR (2002) stated that many towns and cities suffer from traffic jams and polluted streets and as a result, are less attractive places in which to live and do business. Reducing the negative impacts of traffic on the quality of people’s lives is a key element of improving the urban environment, as set out in the government’s recent urban white paper. Adding that emissions of air pollutants arising from road traffic are set to decline over the period to 2010 as a result of improvement s in vehicle technology and fuel quality, but are forecast to begin rising again beyond 2010 due to increased traffic growth. Indirectly, an increase in car sales that are not fuel efficient means more air pollution, increased traffic jams, and lung cancer. However, in Europe the car market has become largely a market for replacement vehicles within a largely static market rather than one driven by a growing buyer base, Consumer association (2000). In addition, the market is crowded with over 40 marques and 250 models on offer and major product innovation is rare and rapidly imitated. Notwithstanding, product branding activity is intense and advertising spends are large and directed at creating a sense of differentiation. In another article by the BBC (2002) it was argued that in the UK, car prices were still too high and one of the major reasons for this was the ‘block exemption’, which allows network of national or regional dealers selected by car manufacturers, to flourish. However, this (block exempt) has now been abolished byte European parliament. In another article by the BBC (2002), it was argued that the number of car manufacturing companies had shut down due to the fall in export demand owing to the euros weakness against the pound; this is in relation to the fact that 70% of cars driven on Roads are European Imports. In the Economist (2004), it was argued that out of the world’s top 17 car compani es, only half were earning more than the cost of their capital. The value creators in Europe were Porsche, the Mercedes bit of DaimlerChrysler, BMW, and Peugeot. In Asia, Toyota, Nissan, Honda, Hyundai, and Kia made the cut. But America’s big three GM, Ford, and Chrysler, were all in the value destruction group, along with Renault, Fiat, Mazda, Mitsubishi, and. In the same article GM’s boss argues that the Japanese government is providing indirect aid to the country’s car companies by holding down the yen, thereby lowering their costs of producing export models and parts for the American assembly plants and also in Europe. American and European manufacturers maintain that the Japanese do this solely to boost their exports; but it can be stated that the real reason for the Japanese government of implementing such a policy may have been to head off deflation and revive the domestic Japanese economy. In another article by Europa (2005) Verheugen, the vice-president of the European Commission responsible for Enterprise and Industry argues that a legal framework will need to be created via CARS 21 High level group, in which the overall objective is to make recommendations for the short, medium and long-term public policy and regulatory framework for the car industry that enhances its global competitiveness as well as employment, while sustaining further progress in safety and environmental performance at a price affordable to the customer. Corby (2005) also argues that the environmental performance of cars has been improved dramatically over the past decade. New cars have become more fuel efficient and they emit less toxic emissions than cars in the 1970’s, adding that environmental innovation is essential for the sustainability and competitiveness of the European car industry. The previous mentioned shows that great changes are being made in the European Car Industry with regard to environmental issues. In a press release by the Auto Industry (2003), it was argued that new car average CO2 emissions fell to 174.2 g/CO2per km in 2002, 8.2 present down on the 1997 baseline and 1.9 present below the 2001 average. The rise of the superman in the UK over recent years has helped to lower average CO2 emissions through the wider appeal of smaller cars. In the same article, it was stated that Diesel fuelled cars have been a significant influence on the reduction in average CO2 emissions. Diesel models took a record 23.5 present share of the UK market in 2002, with demand up 38 present. In another published article by Lagunas (2005), it was suggested that the average new car in the EU – 15 was releasing almost 12% less CO2 in 2003 than it did in 1995, however pressure was growing, especially from Berlin, to push automakers to make further cuts. In the same article, the German Advisory Council on the Environment (SRU), a government body, blamed the European commission for allowing car makers to exceed limit values for particulate matter (pm) and CO2. It criticizes the industry’s voluntary target to reduce emissions to 120 g/km by 2012 as being too modest, saying a target of 100g/km is achievable by that date. It therefore, proposes an ‘innovation forcing strategy’ to push carmakers embarking on the global competitive race for improved environmental performance of vehicles. Balzac (1998) adds to the furore that because the Yen is one of the leading international currencies, solving the problem (devaluation of Yen) requires international answers. In the same article, as the Car industry is considered one of the key industries in Japan and Europe, a devaluation of the Yen directly affects the European Car Industry. As mentioned in the latter sections a devaluation of the Yen enables Japanese car manufacturers to sell their cars at much lower affordable prices to potential customers in Europe, and North America, in which the European Car Industry would suffer the most due to a high value of the currencies within the European Union member states. With all this in mind, the remainder of this paper proceeds as follows: Chapter 3: Theoretical Perspectives on the European Business Environment  and Marketing Chapter 4: Empirical Evidence. Chapter 5: Critical analysis of Theoretical perspectives and empirical evidence Chapter 6: Summary and Conclusion. Chapter 3: Theoretical Perspectives On The European Business Environment and Marketing In order to have a clear understanding of the concept of the business environment within Europe and the marketing of the car industry, we will first need to identify the meaning of the terminologies. European business is a generic term which describes Avery wide variety of agricultural, industrial and service activities undertaken by a large number of different organisations across the continent of Europe. Examples of European business might include: Privatised telecommunications companies such as Deutsche Telekom; a French recording company based in a converted barn in Normandy, France; a farm in Eastern England, highly mechanised and engaged in agribusiness; a transnational organisation such as the German car producer Volkswagen, with factories in Germany (VW and Audi), Spain (Seat), the Czech Republic (Skoda) and the UK (Bentley) etc. European business may be run by one person or it may be a small private company. Alternatively it may be a large organisation employing thousands of people, with assets worth hundreds of millions of euros and based in many different European countries. The European business environment refers to the conditions within which European businesses operate. Typically it involves a number of different interacting forces which shape the environment, and thus how a business formulates its long-term strategy, its tactics and its daily operations within this environment. These factors may include political, economic, social, cultural, religious and linguistic forces. Now, marketing is the social and managerial process by which individuals and groups obtain what they need and want through creating and exchanging products and value with others Kilter et al. (2005). For example, important terms such as needs, wants, and demands; products and services; value, satisfaction and quality; exchange, transactions and relationship; and markets are all core marketing concepts which are linked, with each concept building on the one before it. Each part of the marketing definition defines what marketing is and how it is practised. With this in mind we can now move on to discuss about the theoretical concepts used in the understanding of the business environment and marketing of the European car industry. There are several important conceptual frameworks that are used for understanding the environmental impacts of the European car industry. The ones used in this paper are: †¢ PESTLE †¢ Models of Market Structure †¢ Profit Maximisation †¢ Sources of Finance †¢ Market segmentation †¢ Branding strategy †¢ The European Business and the environment 3.1 PESTLE This means, Political factors influencing a business environment; Economic factors; Sociological influences; Technological influences; Legal factors; and Environmental/ethical issues. This framework issued to analyse the European business environment. 3.1.1 Political The political beliefs of governments and the policies they implement to pursue them have a major impact on the European business environment. This is both in their own right and also through other policies, such as economic ones; hence the re-emergence of political economy in recent years. Additionally, other political philosophies may also have an impact on EU society and hence on the business environment. In the extreme case the economic policies pursued by the former Soviet bloc, with its emphasis on central planning, clearly had massive impact on the ownership, organisational structure, operations and lack of profitability of government-owned European businesses operating in this area. Similarly, the UK Thatcher governments of the1980s created a business environment of entrepreneurship which was largely shaped by the political beliefs of Margaret Thatcher and her close advisors, which subsequently influenced other countries in Europe 3.1.2 Economic The economic policies pursued by EU governments clearly have significant influence on the environment within which European businesses operate. Since the signing of the Treaty of Maastricht was completed in 1993 EU currency (SEC), formerly called the European currency unit (ecru) but now known as the euro, as part of the moves to Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). The commitment by EU governments to meet the Maastricht convergence criteria, as a precondition for acceptance to the first wave of membership of the single European currency, has obliged them to demonstrate fiscal restraint to meet the criteria relating to budget deficit (not to exceed 3 present of the country’s gross domestic product or GDP) and national debt (not to exceed 60 present of GDP). The purpose of the convergence criteria, as their name suggest, is to converge potential members’ economies to broadly similar levels in terms of the rate of inflation, the level of long-run interest rates, and the stability of their exchange rates and, as noted, government debt. In addition the ability of countries to converge to a common position in their business cycles, in practice to converge their business cycles with that of Germany’s as the leading Economy. In practice the problems of non-convergence were demonstrated in the early 1990s when Germany raised its interest rates to counter inflationary pressures. These had resulted from borrowing to fund major expenditure in Eastern Germany to redevelop the infrastructure and productive capacity after the collapse of the communist regime of the former East Germany. 3.1.3 Sociological This is examined in three broad areas: culture, language and religion. Culture: The fact that the British have a totally private sense of distance. This is most visibly seen in the shared pretence that Britain is a lonely island in the middle of an empty green sea. Culture has been described as ‘the way we do things round here’. In this sense it may be viewed as the inherent values, attitudes, social conventions and mores of a nation. In most cases these are transmitted from one generation to another, usually through the family. Increasingly, however, culture is modified by education, the media and peer influences as the pace of change accelerates in modern society. Cultural differences contribute to the diversity of the people who live in Europe and hence are an enriching experience. Cultural differences can also create barriers, however, which in turn have significant implications for European Businesses since, if they are to succeed another than their domestic market, these differences must be taken into account. Examples of cultural differences are: the business organisation, in Germany businesses are rigid in their approach and expect everything to be done through proper bureaucratic channels with full technical detail provided. In contrast, British firms involved in collaborative ventures, or who have opened subsidiary companies in Germany, are more casual and relaxed enabling them to be more flexible when sudden response is needed to market change. This difference in operational philosophy can cause problems. Class is also a major factor in determining social attitudes in the business environment, particularly in the UK but also in other parts of Europe. In contrast, in less class-divisive societies such as Denmark, Sweden, and Norway attitudes may be quite different, people such as senior managers secretaries are regarded as important people in the organisation, whereas in the previously mentioned countries this would not be so tithe same extent. Business attitudes to delivery dates are also important. European businesses operating in Germany soon find that when they promise a delivery date for a new product consumers expect it in the shops on that day, not several weeks later Firms who slack on this simple rule find themselves bombarded with telephone calls-mails, and letters. In contrast, in Spain and Greece attitudes are much more causal in this respect; the personal appearance and behaviour, the French place much emphasis on establishing personal contact in business dealings and expect the people they deal with to have style. The Spanish believe in the importance of being smartly but conservatively dressed and demonstrating worldly knowledge, for example of good cuisine and wine; these are important issues when dining out, attending trade delegation receptions and so on, where business contacts are made. Scandinavians in contrast are much more casual in their dress; Cultural training programmes, these differences have implications for the training policies adopted by companies; some European businesses are now adopting recruitment policies where new employees are expected not only to have fluency in more than one language, but also to demonstrate some cross-cultural knowledge. Language: In the EU there are currently 13 EU official languages and another 35 territorial minority languages, which include Basque, Breton, Catalan, Cornish, Frisian, Galician, Letzeburgesh, Irish Gaelic, Occitan, Slovene, and Welsh. Language above all else defines group of people as distinct from all others in Europe, since it also implies culture, inherited knowledge and beliefs and terms of reference and thought specific to that group alone. In that sense there is therefore an overlap with the above. Different languages and dialects as a whole all create market differences. Religion: In the traditional Catholic countries of Europe, particularly Eire, Italy, Poland and Spain, the impact of formal organised religion on society and hence business is very important. Past controls on the sale of contraceptives in Eire are one such example. In Poland the Catholic Church has a vital role to play in the political scene with all parties having a commitment to Christian values in their policies. As a whole, businesses in Europe must bearing that increasingly the EU is becoming a society of many faiths. Certainly the large number of Jews resident in Europe has always been obvious. Now however many Muslims have entered EU countries and their religious and moral susceptibilities must also be heeded as much as another religion. 3.1.4 Technological Clearly technology has had a major impact on the European business environment, particularly information technology. The impact of its use will be so pervasive as to be hard to imagine life without it. This ranges from autopilots on aeroplanes to computer-controlled traffic management systems in our cities; from computer-controlled robots on factory assembly lines to screen trading in stock and foreign exchange markets; from the growth of consumer purchases via the internet to the use of e-mail rather than conventional letters or faxes. In this sense Bill Gates of Microsoft has argued that the internet will in effect act as a market-maker, bringing together buyers and sellers with minimum friction, and not just for goods and services but also in the Labour market. In 1994 the EU setup a first policy framework for the EU information society. These proposed initiatives to regulate the information society: it sought to bring together all those involved in creating networks, applying information technology and establishing the basic services; and it sought to raise public awareness about information technology. Most of these have now been implemented or are in the process of being implemented. This has had significant implications for European businesses by shaping the environment within which they operate. 3.1.5 Legal Inevitably legal systems can differ significantly from European country to country both in terms of their content and how they are interpreted. At the one extreme in Russia, transformation has required work, in the 1990s, to develop a legal system to come to terms with the concepts of private property (particularly ownership of land) and the legal existence of private and public limited companies with the ability to hire and dismiss labour, enter into contracts, buy, own and sell assets and so forth. At the other extreme, in the EU, Union legislation applies to all member countries and is establishing elements of a common legal framework for all, even though individual countries still, of course, have their own laws. This is based on key treaties, such as, the Treaty of Rom 1957, the Single European Act1987, the Maastricht Treaty 1993, and so forth. All these treaties will directly affect European Businesses. The main influences of country’s legal system on a business are through their impact on the business’s marketing mix and the laws affecting competition. For the most legal systems are based on civil law that is detailed rules and regulations which are strictly interpreted. In the UK, in contrast, the legal system is based on common law which is determined by past precedent and is more flexible in its interpretation. In terms of marketing a product EU countries tend to be more regulated because the Environmental Issues in the Car Industry Environmental Issues in the Car Industry What are the environmental issues facing the future of the European car industry? Abstract This paper looks at the issues facing the European car industry with regard to environmental issues. This is done by looking at past and present published material that revolves around the subject matter under specified themes. Theoretical perspectives within the European business environment such as pestle, models of market structure, profit maximisation, sources of finance, market segmentation, branding strategy, European business and its effects on the environment are all explained in relation to their relevance of environmental issues. These theoretical themes are used because they all act as a catalyst to the subject matter of the problems caused by cars which are not fuel efficient or less pollutant within Europe. In addition, a recently published paper on the directive for labelling on cars with regard to CO2 emissions, awareness of consumers, and fuel efficiency types in the European Union is used as empirical evidence to support ones findings as there was a shortage of time to carry out one. Finally a critical review of matches and miss-matches is used to compare and contrast similarities between the theoretical perspectives identified to prove the latter mentioned and the empirical evidence gathered for this paper, so as to forge a way forward for the European Car Industry. Chapter 1: A Brief History of The Car Industry Introduction The European Car Industry is one that has come of age. From its early beginnings over 100 years ago, it is beginning to show signs of struggling in today’s modern society. This has come about due to the new challenges that the industry is facing in the new millennium. Issues such as air pollution, congestion, traffic jams etc., are all factors that have made the car industry rethink its goals, objectives, its marketing, and the consequences that are not foreseen. As a whole the car industry makes nearly 60 million cars and trucks every year, and employs millions of people around the world. Average profit margins have declined from 20 present or more in its hey days of the1920’s to around 10 present in the 1960’s and less than 5 present in this present day, infect some volume car makers such as Fiat, Ford, and Vauxhall, have actually been losing money. It can be stated that over century ago the car industry feasibly invented modern industrial capitalism. In the Economist (2004) the car started life in Germany and early development of the industry began in France (hence the word automobile, a French word) in the 1900’s, but it was in America that the car industry came of age with the Henry Ford T-Model of mass production which started in Chicago round about the same period(1900’s). In the 1920’s Alfred Sloan’s ideas of running General Motors provided the model for the great corporations that grew up to dominate the second half of the 20th century. General Motors soon swept past Ford as Alfred Sloan revolutionized the young car industry, and Ford never regained the dominance it enjoyed in its infancy days of mass production. The car industry can be said to be ahead of its time in many respects. For example, in ‘planned obsolescence, which is the frequent changes in design and style that tempted customers to switch to a newer model every year or so. In the 1970’s when the oil price quadrupled, the industry found itself under attack from environmentalists outraged by its products gas consuming and exhuming nature, (air pollution, etc.). It was also the first industry to come under government scrutiny, from safety concerns to environmental issues to antitrust worries in the days when General Motors had 60 present of its domestic market and could shut out competitors with a few well-chosen price cuts. However, when small economical and reliable Japanese Cars started to eat into Detroit’s market share, the American government imposed restraints on those imports. Soon afterwards, theca industry in Europe came under the same similar pressures and followed suit. Due to the sporadic recognition and existence as a pillar of industrial capitalism, the car industry also found itself at the mercy of trade unions in the 1920’s and 1930’s. Its workers increasingly pushed for trade unionisation in which a times the car factories in the Detroit area, the British Midlands, in Frankfurt, Germany, and the huge plants around Paris were the main battleground of the Class war. Although today trade union membership is still as high as ever, the power they wielded in the 1920’s to 1970’s has diminished immensely. Today, the motor car is the epitome of mass production, mass marketing and mass consumption, with some of the strongest brands in the world. For most households in rich countries, it is the second-biggest purchase after a house or flat, which makes the industry a pillar of modern industrial capitalism as earlier mentioned. Few other consumer goods industries depend so heavily on second hand market for their products. Now, understanding how the European Car Industry operates and the many pressures that it faces is essential to an understanding of the predicament the UK car buyers currently faces. Around 70 present of new cars sold in the UK are imported, with the great majority of these imports coming from the rest of Europe. The UK market is intrinsically tied into the pattern of car making and distribution across Europe. Thus the behaviour of the UK motor industry towards both its retailing and service partners and towards consumers is part of the wider behaviour of the European Car Industry. The industry can be said to be mature one. In virtually every country of North West Europe, the density of car ownership has almost reached its practical maximum. There are some opportunities for growth left in Southern and Central Europe, but they will be largely used up in the next few years. Following on, the consequences of mass production, and a slow introduction of cars that run on synthetic or alternative fuels has led to a rapid increase in environmental pollution, CO2 emissions, traffic jams, congestion, and human related diseases such as lung cancer, all of which are serious environmental issues, which the European Car Industry have found itself slow to adapt, change, amend and implement to the betterment of the wider society. This has led to directives and committees from the European Union to be setup to tackle the issued mentioned above and the latter. With this in mind a review of existing material that has been published in the press and journals will now be critically analysed. Chapter 2: Existing Literature Reviewed The need to galvanise and understand the unforeseen circumstances of mass car production and environmental issues in the European Union has been stressed by researchers for more than three decades. According to the Europa (2005), the EU is the largest automotive production region (34%) in the world and the industry comprises 7.5% of the manufacturing sector in the union. Direct employment by the automotive industry stands at about two million employees, while the total employment effect (direct and indirect) is estimated to be about ten million. It also adds that since the year 2001, the motor vehicle production has decreased in the European Union, from 17.2 million units in 2001 to 16.9 million units in 2002. The decline continued into2003, with 70,000 motor vehicles less being produced, compared to2002. This decline is due to the worsening of the macro-economic situation where consumer demand has been decreasing. Lagunas (2005)correlates with this by stating that motor vehicles have become the prime means of personal and commercial mobility in today’s world. Growing prosperity has led to a spectacular rise in car use, phenomenon being repeated in the new member states which joined the Union in 2004. In China and other booming countries with looser anti-pollution rules than the EU, trends show major increases in private transportation. This success has generated serious concerns about the environmental effects of vehicle use, in particular traffic congestion, air pollution, traffic-related diseases, and noise. In addition Lagunas (2005) states that these concerns have led the EU to formulate the objective of decoupling economic growth from transport growth. The EU has come up with legislation and initiatives to drive the change towards cleaner cars while promoting sustainable transport modes and model shift. It goes on to state that the interest in cleaner, less polluting vehicles and fuel has grown rapidly in recent years. Emissions from petrol and diesel engines have been significantly reduced in the last decade, driven mainly by European legislation and will continue to be reduced. In elaboration Lagunas(2005) states that in the EU, almost 40 present of the transport sector’s CO2 emissions are produced by the use of private cars in cities, CO2 emissions are damaging the environment and contributing to climate change; both petrol and diesel engines have their good and bedsides as regards emissions; engines working with diesel fuel emit lessCO2 than the ones working with petrol; on the other hand diesel engines are releasing more cancer causing particles in the air. Air pollution caused by car emissions has health impacts; problems include aggravation of respiratory and cardio-vascular diseases, asthma, and decreased lung functions. Gartner (2005) also argues that the effectiveness of the directive made by the EU relating to the availability of consumer information on fuel economy and CO2 emissions has been successful and gained momentum in some European countries but not all. Reasons being consumers lack awareness of fuel economy and environmental impacts of fuels as well as available information tools, in which one of the possibly ways to tackle this as stated by Gartner(2005) was to increase consumers awareness by standard equipment of new cars with fuel consumption indicators or cruise control. In addition Gartner (2005) argues that fuel economy and environmental impact are in general no major factor in vehicle purchase decisions and fuel consumption is mostly only important because of the cost, but not to environmental issues. ACNielsen (2005) agrees with this by saying when it comes to what influences consumer’s choice of car brand, manufacturers of luxury vehicles may be surprised to learn that image and prestige do not appear to be a top priority, in which engine size and environmentally friendly cars are regarded as the least important features to the Europeans when it comes to buying a car. Interest; however is growing slowing with a greater awareness of climate change and CO2 emission issues. Gartner (2005) also states that general awareness of label, poster/display and guide on CO2 emissions and fuel efficiency on cars is quite small and most of the information tools are not regarded as very informative or effective, although it can be said that this varies f rom one EU country to another. For example, in Austria, the label is regarded as the most informative and efficient element, compared to teak where the label was not assessed as effective in detail. In an article by the BBC (2002) it was argued that there are five major groups of car manufacturers in the world, they are General Motors, Ford, DaimlerChrysler Benz, Toyota, and Volkswagen. Of these only Toyota relies on one global brand name. All the others have a web of subsidiaries spanning the world. We must understand that the real reason why the car manufacturing firms are in business is to make money and maintain their prestige as a world class car manufacturer. To do this means they (car manufacturers) will have to constantly roll-out new models, with better gadgets, with performance and style. That is why, as Madsen (2002) argues, Volkswagen launched its luxury car, ‘the Phaeton’ to compete against the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, and Lamborghini brands. This initiative was and is deemed as a risky push by the Group. However, the Chairman of the group Rd. Bernd Pischetsrieder argues that success would not be measured by sales volumes that the key was to enhance the Volkswagen brand. It was also argued by critics from within and outside the firm that the launch of the Phaeton, delayed the launch of the Audi, which is a car from within the group. However, he was quick to mute the negative by stating that possibly, the dealers learn to be a bit quicker and not to find the competitor in-house but out-house, and this will help the business; adding it is the engineers and marketers of the Audi brand that have the serious challenge of making sure that the brand does well. With this type of attitude within car firms it shows that environmental issues are the least likely concern within the European Car Industry. In the UK, white paper by DETR (2002) stated that many towns and cities suffer from traffic jams and polluted streets and as a result, are less attractive places in which to live and do business. Reducing the negative impacts of traffic on the quality of people’s lives is a key element of improving the urban environment, as set out in the government’s recent urban white paper. Adding that emissions of air pollutants arising from road traffic are set to decline over the period to 2010 as a result of improvement s in vehicle technology and fuel quality, but are forecast to begin rising again beyond 2010 due to increased traffic growth. Indirectly, an increase in car sales that are not fuel efficient means more air pollution, increased traffic jams, and lung cancer. However, in Europe the car market has become largely a market for replacement vehicles within a largely static market rather than one driven by a growing buyer base, Consumer association (2000). In addition, the market is crowded with over 40 marques and 250 models on offer and major product innovation is rare and rapidly imitated. Notwithstanding, product branding activity is intense and advertising spends are large and directed at creating a sense of differentiation. In another article by the BBC (2002) it was argued that in the UK, car prices were still too high and one of the major reasons for this was the ‘block exemption’, which allows network of national or regional dealers selected by car manufacturers, to flourish. However, this (block exempt) has now been abolished byte European parliament. In another article by the BBC (2002), it was argued that the number of car manufacturing companies had shut down due to the fall in export demand owing to the euros weakness against the pound; this is in relation to the fact that 70% of cars driven on Roads are European Imports. In the Economist (2004), it was argued that out of the world’s top 17 car compani es, only half were earning more than the cost of their capital. The value creators in Europe were Porsche, the Mercedes bit of DaimlerChrysler, BMW, and Peugeot. In Asia, Toyota, Nissan, Honda, Hyundai, and Kia made the cut. But America’s big three GM, Ford, and Chrysler, were all in the value destruction group, along with Renault, Fiat, Mazda, Mitsubishi, and. In the same article GM’s boss argues that the Japanese government is providing indirect aid to the country’s car companies by holding down the yen, thereby lowering their costs of producing export models and parts for the American assembly plants and also in Europe. American and European manufacturers maintain that the Japanese do this solely to boost their exports; but it can be stated that the real reason for the Japanese government of implementing such a policy may have been to head off deflation and revive the domestic Japanese economy. In another article by Europa (2005) Verheugen, the vice-president of the European Commission responsible for Enterprise and Industry argues that a legal framework will need to be created via CARS 21 High level group, in which the overall objective is to make recommendations for the short, medium and long-term public policy and regulatory framework for the car industry that enhances its global competitiveness as well as employment, while sustaining further progress in safety and environmental performance at a price affordable to the customer. Corby (2005) also argues that the environmental performance of cars has been improved dramatically over the past decade. New cars have become more fuel efficient and they emit less toxic emissions than cars in the 1970’s, adding that environmental innovation is essential for the sustainability and competitiveness of the European car industry. The previous mentioned shows that great changes are being made in the European Car Industry with regard to environmental issues. In a press release by the Auto Industry (2003), it was argued that new car average CO2 emissions fell to 174.2 g/CO2per km in 2002, 8.2 present down on the 1997 baseline and 1.9 present below the 2001 average. The rise of the superman in the UK over recent years has helped to lower average CO2 emissions through the wider appeal of smaller cars. In the same article, it was stated that Diesel fuelled cars have been a significant influence on the reduction in average CO2 emissions. Diesel models took a record 23.5 present share of the UK market in 2002, with demand up 38 present. In another published article by Lagunas (2005), it was suggested that the average new car in the EU – 15 was releasing almost 12% less CO2 in 2003 than it did in 1995, however pressure was growing, especially from Berlin, to push automakers to make further cuts. In the same article, the German Advisory Council on the Environment (SRU), a government body, blamed the European commission for allowing car makers to exceed limit values for particulate matter (pm) and CO2. It criticizes the industry’s voluntary target to reduce emissions to 120 g/km by 2012 as being too modest, saying a target of 100g/km is achievable by that date. It therefore, proposes an ‘innovation forcing strategy’ to push carmakers embarking on the global competitive race for improved environmental performance of vehicles. Balzac (1998) adds to the furore that because the Yen is one of the leading international currencies, solving the problem (devaluation of Yen) requires international answers. In the same article, as the Car industry is considered one of the key industries in Japan and Europe, a devaluation of the Yen directly affects the European Car Industry. As mentioned in the latter sections a devaluation of the Yen enables Japanese car manufacturers to sell their cars at much lower affordable prices to potential customers in Europe, and North America, in which the European Car Industry would suffer the most due to a high value of the currencies within the European Union member states. With all this in mind, the remainder of this paper proceeds as follows: Chapter 3: Theoretical Perspectives on the European Business Environment  and Marketing Chapter 4: Empirical Evidence. Chapter 5: Critical analysis of Theoretical perspectives and empirical evidence Chapter 6: Summary and Conclusion. Chapter 3: Theoretical Perspectives On The European Business Environment and Marketing In order to have a clear understanding of the concept of the business environment within Europe and the marketing of the car industry, we will first need to identify the meaning of the terminologies. European business is a generic term which describes Avery wide variety of agricultural, industrial and service activities undertaken by a large number of different organisations across the continent of Europe. Examples of European business might include: Privatised telecommunications companies such as Deutsche Telekom; a French recording company based in a converted barn in Normandy, France; a farm in Eastern England, highly mechanised and engaged in agribusiness; a transnational organisation such as the German car producer Volkswagen, with factories in Germany (VW and Audi), Spain (Seat), the Czech Republic (Skoda) and the UK (Bentley) etc. European business may be run by one person or it may be a small private company. Alternatively it may be a large organisation employing thousands of people, with assets worth hundreds of millions of euros and based in many different European countries. The European business environment refers to the conditions within which European businesses operate. Typically it involves a number of different interacting forces which shape the environment, and thus how a business formulates its long-term strategy, its tactics and its daily operations within this environment. These factors may include political, economic, social, cultural, religious and linguistic forces. Now, marketing is the social and managerial process by which individuals and groups obtain what they need and want through creating and exchanging products and value with others Kilter et al. (2005). For example, important terms such as needs, wants, and demands; products and services; value, satisfaction and quality; exchange, transactions and relationship; and markets are all core marketing concepts which are linked, with each concept building on the one before it. Each part of the marketing definition defines what marketing is and how it is practised. With this in mind we can now move on to discuss about the theoretical concepts used in the understanding of the business environment and marketing of the European car industry. There are several important conceptual frameworks that are used for understanding the environmental impacts of the European car industry. The ones used in this paper are: †¢ PESTLE †¢ Models of Market Structure †¢ Profit Maximisation †¢ Sources of Finance †¢ Market segmentation †¢ Branding strategy †¢ The European Business and the environment 3.1 PESTLE This means, Political factors influencing a business environment; Economic factors; Sociological influences; Technological influences; Legal factors; and Environmental/ethical issues. This framework issued to analyse the European business environment. 3.1.1 Political The political beliefs of governments and the policies they implement to pursue them have a major impact on the European business environment. This is both in their own right and also through other policies, such as economic ones; hence the re-emergence of political economy in recent years. Additionally, other political philosophies may also have an impact on EU society and hence on the business environment. In the extreme case the economic policies pursued by the former Soviet bloc, with its emphasis on central planning, clearly had massive impact on the ownership, organisational structure, operations and lack of profitability of government-owned European businesses operating in this area. Similarly, the UK Thatcher governments of the1980s created a business environment of entrepreneurship which was largely shaped by the political beliefs of Margaret Thatcher and her close advisors, which subsequently influenced other countries in Europe 3.1.2 Economic The economic policies pursued by EU governments clearly have significant influence on the environment within which European businesses operate. Since the signing of the Treaty of Maastricht was completed in 1993 EU currency (SEC), formerly called the European currency unit (ecru) but now known as the euro, as part of the moves to Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). The commitment by EU governments to meet the Maastricht convergence criteria, as a precondition for acceptance to the first wave of membership of the single European currency, has obliged them to demonstrate fiscal restraint to meet the criteria relating to budget deficit (not to exceed 3 present of the country’s gross domestic product or GDP) and national debt (not to exceed 60 present of GDP). The purpose of the convergence criteria, as their name suggest, is to converge potential members’ economies to broadly similar levels in terms of the rate of inflation, the level of long-run interest rates, and the stability of their exchange rates and, as noted, government debt. In addition the ability of countries to converge to a common position in their business cycles, in practice to converge their business cycles with that of Germany’s as the leading Economy. In practice the problems of non-convergence were demonstrated in the early 1990s when Germany raised its interest rates to counter inflationary pressures. These had resulted from borrowing to fund major expenditure in Eastern Germany to redevelop the infrastructure and productive capacity after the collapse of the communist regime of the former East Germany. 3.1.3 Sociological This is examined in three broad areas: culture, language and religion. Culture: The fact that the British have a totally private sense of distance. This is most visibly seen in the shared pretence that Britain is a lonely island in the middle of an empty green sea. Culture has been described as ‘the way we do things round here’. In this sense it may be viewed as the inherent values, attitudes, social conventions and mores of a nation. In most cases these are transmitted from one generation to another, usually through the family. Increasingly, however, culture is modified by education, the media and peer influences as the pace of change accelerates in modern society. Cultural differences contribute to the diversity of the people who live in Europe and hence are an enriching experience. Cultural differences can also create barriers, however, which in turn have significant implications for European Businesses since, if they are to succeed another than their domestic market, these differences must be taken into account. Examples of cultural differences are: the business organisation, in Germany businesses are rigid in their approach and expect everything to be done through proper bureaucratic channels with full technical detail provided. In contrast, British firms involved in collaborative ventures, or who have opened subsidiary companies in Germany, are more casual and relaxed enabling them to be more flexible when sudden response is needed to market change. This difference in operational philosophy can cause problems. Class is also a major factor in determining social attitudes in the business environment, particularly in the UK but also in other parts of Europe. In contrast, in less class-divisive societies such as Denmark, Sweden, and Norway attitudes may be quite different, people such as senior managers secretaries are regarded as important people in the organisation, whereas in the previously mentioned countries this would not be so tithe same extent. Business attitudes to delivery dates are also important. European businesses operating in Germany soon find that when they promise a delivery date for a new product consumers expect it in the shops on that day, not several weeks later Firms who slack on this simple rule find themselves bombarded with telephone calls-mails, and letters. In contrast, in Spain and Greece attitudes are much more causal in this respect; the personal appearance and behaviour, the French place much emphasis on establishing personal contact in business dealings and expect the people they deal with to have style. The Spanish believe in the importance of being smartly but conservatively dressed and demonstrating worldly knowledge, for example of good cuisine and wine; these are important issues when dining out, attending trade delegation receptions and so on, where business contacts are made. Scandinavians in contrast are much more casual in their dress; Cultural training programmes, these differences have implications for the training policies adopted by companies; some European businesses are now adopting recruitment policies where new employees are expected not only to have fluency in more than one language, but also to demonstrate some cross-cultural knowledge. Language: In the EU there are currently 13 EU official languages and another 35 territorial minority languages, which include Basque, Breton, Catalan, Cornish, Frisian, Galician, Letzeburgesh, Irish Gaelic, Occitan, Slovene, and Welsh. Language above all else defines group of people as distinct from all others in Europe, since it also implies culture, inherited knowledge and beliefs and terms of reference and thought specific to that group alone. In that sense there is therefore an overlap with the above. Different languages and dialects as a whole all create market differences. Religion: In the traditional Catholic countries of Europe, particularly Eire, Italy, Poland and Spain, the impact of formal organised religion on society and hence business is very important. Past controls on the sale of contraceptives in Eire are one such example. In Poland the Catholic Church has a vital role to play in the political scene with all parties having a commitment to Christian values in their policies. As a whole, businesses in Europe must bearing that increasingly the EU is becoming a society of many faiths. Certainly the large number of Jews resident in Europe has always been obvious. Now however many Muslims have entered EU countries and their religious and moral susceptibilities must also be heeded as much as another religion. 3.1.4 Technological Clearly technology has had a major impact on the European business environment, particularly information technology. The impact of its use will be so pervasive as to be hard to imagine life without it. This ranges from autopilots on aeroplanes to computer-controlled traffic management systems in our cities; from computer-controlled robots on factory assembly lines to screen trading in stock and foreign exchange markets; from the growth of consumer purchases via the internet to the use of e-mail rather than conventional letters or faxes. In this sense Bill Gates of Microsoft has argued that the internet will in effect act as a market-maker, bringing together buyers and sellers with minimum friction, and not just for goods and services but also in the Labour market. In 1994 the EU setup a first policy framework for the EU information society. These proposed initiatives to regulate the information society: it sought to bring together all those involved in creating networks, applying information technology and establishing the basic services; and it sought to raise public awareness about information technology. Most of these have now been implemented or are in the process of being implemented. This has had significant implications for European businesses by shaping the environment within which they operate. 3.1.5 Legal Inevitably legal systems can differ significantly from European country to country both in terms of their content and how they are interpreted. At the one extreme in Russia, transformation has required work, in the 1990s, to develop a legal system to come to terms with the concepts of private property (particularly ownership of land) and the legal existence of private and public limited companies with the ability to hire and dismiss labour, enter into contracts, buy, own and sell assets and so forth. At the other extreme, in the EU, Union legislation applies to all member countries and is establishing elements of a common legal framework for all, even though individual countries still, of course, have their own laws. This is based on key treaties, such as, the Treaty of Rom 1957, the Single European Act1987, the Maastricht Treaty 1993, and so forth. All these treaties will directly affect European Businesses. The main influences of country’s legal system on a business are through their impact on the business’s marketing mix and the laws affecting competition. For the most legal systems are based on civil law that is detailed rules and regulations which are strictly interpreted. In the UK, in contrast, the legal system is based on common law which is determined by past precedent and is more flexible in its interpretation. In terms of marketing a product EU countries tend to be more regulated because the