Blood Diamond Study Note

sBlood Diamond (2006) CHARACTERS Danny Archer – Diamond Smuggler Maddy Bowden – Journalist Solomon Vandy – Fisherman Dia Vandy (see me no more) Jassie Vandy – Solomon’s Wife Captain Poison Benjamin Kapanay M’Ed Ambassador Walker Diamond Traders Diamond Traders Rudolf Van De Kaap Rupert Simmonds SETTING Sierra Leone 1996-1999 Civil War THEMES R. U. F (Revolutionary United Front) T. I. A (This is Africa) SCENE 1 Early Morning Solomon with his son Dia telling him to go to school so one day he can become a doctor instead of a fisherman like his Dad. SCENE 2Solomon and Dia walking to school and Dia say’s one day this place will be a paradise. Solomon and Dia have a really good relationship. They see the RUF and run to the village to get the rest of their family. Soloman gets captured by the RUF but saves his family. Solomon tells Dia to run because he has to look after Jassie and the daughter SCENE 3 The RUF are executing people and cutting of their hands. We are introduced to RUF and Captain Poison who is the leader. They bring Soloman forward to chop off his arm, but before they do Poison says no put him in the truck because he doesn’t show any fear and Poison respects that.SCENE 4 There is a G8, conference about Diamonds in Antwerp, Belgium. Ambassador Walker is talking about the Diamonds in Africa. While the meeting is talking clips of slaves in Africa are shown. Slaves dig the diamonds and then Poison keeps them. Slave finds a diamond and tries to hide it in his mouth. Poison sees it takes the diamond and then kills him. The conference introduces Mr. Van De Kaap and Mr. Simmonds which are the people from the diamond business. SCENE 5 There is a high up shot of Africa where Archer is arriving in Africa off a plane to meet Drunk RUF soldiers.Archer does not act scared so the RUF doesn’t kill him as he gives him his gun and plays it cool. Archer speaks to Captain Rambo while he wants to go see Commande r Zero. Archer talks to Commander Zero and says there is not enough Diamonds and says he will not help them with the government. Archer acts very calm and experienced. He is a good negotiator and is very determined to get what he wants. SCENE 6 Archer is crossing the border with cattle. He is attempting to smuggle the diamonds into Liberia with the diamonds inside the goat. He gets caught by an intelligent army soldier claims he is from national geographic doing a story on Liberia.The soldier arrests Archer after he finds the diamonds smuggled in the goats. He tries to intermediate, bribe and threatens the soldier but the soldier does not give in and they arrest him. SCENE 7 Back at the mines, Soloman is in the river trying to find diamonds. He finds the pink and he doesn’t know what to do with it. The water valve pops which draws the attention away from Soloman so he puts it between his toes and asks to go to the toilet. He runs into Poison and Poison searchers him and canâ €™t find anything. Poison finds Solomon hiding the Diamond and asks to take it but as he does that the Government troops attack which injure Poison nd free Soloman. He grabs Poison machete and does not kill him and runs away. He finds a spot and buries the diamond. He then gets taken by the government troops and taken to the Jail. SCENE 8 Now Soloman and Archer are both in the same jail. Poison is brought in and starts talking to Solomon about the big diamond. Soloman strips and starts screaming â€Å"where is the diamond!! † Poison threatens Solomon’s family saying â€Å"I will find your family† meaning he will find them and kill them. Archer is attracted to this because he is very interested in the big diamond. SCENE 9Archer is released from jail where he meets the pilot who bailed him out. Archer is being watched by one of the Colonel Coetzee’s men. Archers name and photo has been printed in a newspaper as being publicized as a diamond smuggler whi ch is not good for his reputation as a smuggler. He tells his pilot to bail Solomon out of jail. SCENE 10 Archer immediately rings London to speak to Simmonds the owner of the diamond company. He pulls a diamond out of his tooth. He gets changed and goes into the street where some prostitutes/thief comes up to Archer and talks about diamonds.Cordell goes into Archer’s room to try and find the diamond. SCENE 11 The pilot bails Solomon out and says â€Å"it seems you have made a friend in prison† and hands him money. SCENE 12 Danny meets M’Ed at his bar and hands him money for a really good gun. Archer asks him when the RUF are going to come to Freetown and M’Ed says very soon. Archer meets Maddy Bowen and they talk about how the world is falling apart, they are being very political, Maddy tells Archer she is a journalist. We’re here TIA for the first time. â€Å"America its bling-bling, out here its bling-bang†. Archer tells her to piss off.S he continues to follow Archer. SCENE 13 Archer returns to his room and realizes it has been searched looking for a diamond. Archer and Cordell meet and start talking like they are best mates. Archer asked for a smoke and then punched Cordell in the stomach and says â€Å"that’s for breaking my TV Bru†. This shows that Archer will not be intimidated by anyone. SCENE 14 Soloman legally searching for his family, (he is looking on the list). Soloman says he has been to kissy waterloo and Port Loko in search. He is sent to the whites and asks for help, the agency replies â€Å"then God help you, because I can’t†.The RUF comes to the village where Dia and his family are and takes Dia away. SCENE 15 Archer is in Cape Town South Africa because he is Meeting Colonel Coetzee. They are in the car going to see Colonel and Archer is asleep and very relaxed. Colonel and Archer are walking through the vineyards talking about diamonds and about how Archer worked for Colo nel as a soldier. Colonel says that Archer owes him money and he will stake a stone in payment. Archer says if he had the pink he wouldn’t be on this continent. Colonel says â€Å"you will never leave Africa†. SCENE 16Back in Sierra Leone and showing all the poverty. Solomon is living in a burnt out car. Archer finds Solomon, asking him about the Pink, Solomon rushes off to work. SCENE 17 They are in the RUF base punished the children, teaching them how to shoot and brainwashing them telling them they by killing people they are going to save the nation. â€Å"Shed their blood†!! Dia kills his first man and is shocked. Poison comes to see Dia and is being sympathetic because he knows Dia is upset. He is acting like a Father so Dia is attracted to Poison as he says â€Å"I will take care of you I am now your Father†.Dia has been rewarded with a position of Captain to make Dia feel special but its deliberate because he knows Dia’s dad Solomon has the Pink SCENE 18 At M’Ed’s bar talking about when the RUF is coming and M’Ed is saying he is not scared he underestimates the RUF. Archer and Bowen meet again and go for a dance talking about how Archer is a smuggler. Maddy says â€Å"is it possible that you don’t care how many die because of the deals that â€Å"you do? † and Archer replies â€Å"people here kill each other as a way of like. Always been like that! † now Archer is annoyed for the second time and walks off. She follows him again.Maddy gets offended by Archer’s generalization. SCENE 19 In free town Archer is talking to Solomon, Archer says â€Å"I got you out of jail we are partners† Solomon replies â€Å"we are not partners, you’re a liar† archer says â€Å"without me you’re just another black man in Africa. † The RUF arrive and while they are running Solomon says â€Å"you will say anything, how can I trust you† Archer replies à ¢â‚¬Å"you don’t have to trust me I said I don’t give a fuck about you, this diamond could be priceless, we split the diamond and I’ll get your family back? † There are people dying everywhere and Archer gets himself and Solomon through the Chaos.The army surrenders because they were scared by the RUF. SCENE 20 Rebels have taken Freetown and Killed M’Ed. The RUF are having a big party. Solomon and Archer are wandering around and eventually escape. SCENE 21 Archer and Solomon need to get across the bridge. Solomon and Archer are working together but Solomon does not approve. Solomon and Archer are travelling with refuges. Solomon says to Archer â€Å"I have agreed to nothing† Archer replies â€Å"you have no choice†. SCENE 22 They arrive at the refugee camp and Archer is trying to be nice but Solomon is being very short.Archer tries to bluff his way into being a journalist. Archer asks a man if he can tell Maddy Bowen that Danny Archer i s looking for her because he has the story she wants. Maddy and Archer meet and Archer gets straight to the point about helping Solomon out, Maddy says â€Å"your using him† archer replies â€Å"I’m using him your using me this is how it works, isn’t it? † SCENE 23 Maddy, Solomon and Archer are flying to the refugee camp to find Solomon’s family. Maddy is in charge and gives the name for Solomon’s family. Maddy starts taking of the refugees for her story.Solomon spots Jassie and his daughter but not Dia, he starts yelling because he realizes that Dia has been taken by the RUF, he gets wacked away from the fence by the army. Archer pulls Solomon away from the fence and says â€Å"do you want your family to see you get killed, get away from the fence. † They fly over the hills where the diamond is. SCENE 24 Solomon won’t tell Archer where the pink is because he still doesn’t trust Archer. Solomon is telling Archer that Dia was very smart and was going to become a doctor. Archer goes to speak to Maddy and Maddy is still angry and him. Maddy is writing a story.She is really angry and she realizes that what Archer said about using each other is true because she need facts. Archer tells Maddy that the only chance Solomon’s family will be released is through the Diamond. Archer explains the process of the diamond smuggling. Archer gives Maddy the details with the names and bank accounts, and he says â€Å"you right this story before I have given them the diamond I’m dead. † SCENE 25 Archer and Solomon get on the bus and pretend to be journalists. They get off the bus due to an accident so they take photos of the accident. The RUF start shooting at them and Archer starts taking leadership.They get in a car because someone on the bus doesn’t let them on. SCENE 26 The RUF are partying again and they are giving the kids Heroin. Dia calls himself â€Å"See me no more. † They are invading on different villages. Archer, Maddy and Solomon are getting shot at by the RUF again. Archer gets them out of trouble and starts driving off. The RUF start chasing them but they run into a bush and then run off. Archer starts to show affection towards Maddy to make sure if she is alright. Archer, Maddy and Solomon are walking through the forest in the dark. SCENE 27 The Sun is shining through the trees.The locals from the forest are protecting the own land and threating to kill them, Maddy takes charge and saves Archer and Solomon with her camera. The locals bring them to a school where they meet kids that have been saved from the RUF. They meet Benjamin and he explains what this place is and what he does. SCENE 28 Benjamin shows them around the school to show them the normal kids and how he saved them. They show some kids that are suffering. Archer says â€Å"you did well today† and Maddy replies â€Å"you too† this shows they start to bond. Benjamin bri ngs Archer a beer and they start to talk about the attacks in the area.Benjamin asks Archer â€Å"would you say that people are mostly good? † Archer replies â€Å"I’d say there just people. † Benjamin says â€Å"a moment in love even in a bad man can give meaning to a life†. Solomon is having fun playing soccer with the kids. SCENE 29 Children are singing and Maddy is in there in the light and Archer is outside in the dark. The light represents the happy life and the new day. The dark represent how he is finished if he stay, is in Sierra Leone. Maddy and Archer start drinking some wine which is very strong. Archer starts being completely honest to Maddy.Archer said his Mum was raped and killed and his Dad was decapitated. Archer says â€Å"sometimes I wonder, will god ever forgive us for what we’ve done to each other, then I look around and I realize, god left his place a long time ago. He is showing some emotion and is asking her without saying do you understand. Maddy holds his hand and become a kind of couple. SCENE 30 They are driving with Benjamin and run into some kids from the RUF kids asking what they are doing and who they are. They shoot Benjamin and Archer threatens the kids with a gun and drives off. They are trying to help Benjamin and he cracks a joke.So Archer has now saved them again. They drive to Colonel Coetzee to save Benjamin. They meet Colonel and Archer is forced to go with Colonel. Maddy and Archer start talking. Maddy distracts the soldier so Solomon and Archer can steal colonel’s goods so they can survive and not go with the army. Archer and Maddy say goodbye for the last time and Maddy gives Archer all her contact numbers. Archer is telling Maddy to get on the plane. SCENE 31 Solomon and Archer run off to go get the diamond. Archer is telling Solomon what to do and Solomon replies â€Å"yes, boss† which means that Archer is treating him like a slave.They are walking through the jungl e/forest. SCENE 32 In the dark when the RUF drive past and Solomon and Archer are hiding in the bushes on the side of the road. Solomon thinks he sees Dia on the RUF truck so he yells out which almost gets them caught. Luckily Archer grabs Solomon and runs to safety. So after all Archer has done for Solomon he puts there life in danger yet again. The next morning Archer wakes Solomon up and is talking about how he can capture baboons and how he can kill anybody, as archer says â€Å"if you risk my life like that again, I will peal your face back off your head. † SCENE 33They are walking through the hills. SCENE 34 They walk through a village and they meet another black African and he says the RUF are in the next town. Solomon lies to Archer saying they are going straight through to the RUF. Archer goes to turn right and Solomon continues straight. Archer starts threating Solomon and calls him a â€Å"kaffir† which is a huge insult to black people in Africa. Archer pull s a gun after fighting and says â€Å"your son is gone! † and Solomon replies â€Å"he is alive! † Solomon is getting really upset saying â€Å"I have to know if he is dead or not, shoot me if you want, why should matter I’m dead already. Archer replies â€Å"fine we will wait till dark† SCENE 35 They go into the RUF camp when it’s dark to have a look. The RUF base are walking and singing, part of the song is â€Å"go tell my parents they may see me no more† which is Dia’s new name. SCENE 36 Solomon and Archer are now walking and Solomon is asking Archer personal questions. Solomon says â€Å"I’m confused† archer replies â€Å"that makes two of us, my bru. † SCENE 37 Solomon is talking about his grandfather and his past. Solomon says â€Å"this place will be a paradise. † Archer makes a promise â€Å"we will get your back. After this they are walking up a hill and Archer falls and Solomon helps him up. SC ENE 38 They are looking down on the view to the diamond mine. Archer calls an attack helicopter as a diversion. Archer promises that Dia is not in the mine, but says â€Å"you can look all night†. SCENE 39 Solomon goes into the camp by himself in the dark. He spots Dia and goes up to him. Archer goes to rescue Archer again. Dia denies Solomon and screams â€Å"enemy, enemy, I hate you† SCENE 40 Poison finds Solomon and threatens him and his family in front of Dia. Poison says that he wants to get out of Africa.Poison tells Solomon to go get the Diamond or he will kill Dia. As this is about to happen to chopper appears and starts shooting. Poison takes Dia and Solomon starts chasing them. Solomon catches poison and kills him. Archer saves Dia. SCENE 41 The rebels are dead, Dia is alive, and this should be the happy part. Colonel comes to Archer and threatens to kills them if they don’t get the diamond. Archer screams at Solomon because he wasn’t telling th em where the diamond was. Archer puts Dia at risk so Solomon tells them where it is. SCENE 42 They go to find the Diamond.They find holes that Poison has tried to find it. He asks Cordell for a smoke, Cordell puts a gun to him and says â€Å"smoking will kill you†. Archer says â€Å"better stop smoking, hey, Solomon†. Solomon finds the diamond and then Archer and Solomon start to kill the army. Archer shoots Colonel and before he dies he says â€Å"TIA, huh, Danny† and Archer then shoots him. Archer realizes he has been shot and wounded. Solomon finds the diamond and then Dia holds a gun towards Archer and then Solomon, Solomon starts talking to Dia and reminding him what and who he really is and what he loves doing and who is his proper father.SCENE 43 Archer, Dia and Solomon are walking up the hill to where they are meeting the plane, Archer can’t walk any further and collapses, and Solomon picks him up over his shoulder and carries him. Archer tells So lomon to stop. Solomon has a worried look on his face as he realizes that Archer is dying. The plane flies over and Archer realizes that he cannot go on and gives Solomon the Diamond. Archer tells them to go. Archer says â€Å"take your boy home†. The Army troops start shooting and Archer shoots back at them. SCENE 44Archer calls Maddy and tells her what’s happened, he tells her to meet Solomon and help him out. The plane flies over Archer. Archer says â€Å"you can write the hell out of the story† because he is dead now. Archer says â€Å"I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be†. SCENE 45 It cuts from the silent calm Africa, to London where Solomon is meeting Mr. Simmonds. Maddy is taking photos for her story. Simmonds says â€Å"you diamond could not have ended up anywhere else† and offers him 2 million pounds. Solomon says â€Å"this isn’t enough, I want what is promised to me by Archer, and I want my family and the money†.Solomon looks around London and sees a diamond necklace and realizes this is what all the trouble is about. He meets with his family and then the diamond is put into a secure safe. SCENE 46 Kimberley, South Africa, January 2000. There is a conference about the blood diamonds. Solomon opens a magazine to Maddy’s article to see a picture of Archer. Solomon gets called in to talk about what happens in Africa. SCENE 47 There are credits telling us what has changed. Sierra Leone is at Peace, but there is still 200,000 children soldiers in Africa. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1) ARCHER – â€Å"you take your home boy, huh? Archer’s death proves he was a noble character all along – Discuss 2) Benjamin – â€Å"A single moment of love can give value to a life† does archer sacrifice himself for the sake of Solomon and Dia or does he just give up because he is wounded? 3) Then I realize, â€Å"God left this place a long time ago. † Archer complains a bout â€Å"this god-forsaken continent â€Å"without realizing that he and people just like him have helped to make it that way. Do you agree? 4) â€Å"T. I. A† (this is Africa) – Archer, captain Poison and Colonel Coetzee believe this is to be true: Solomon, Maddy and Benjamin believe it is a lie, who is right? Discuss.

The 4p Applied by Coca-Cola Company

Title: The 4P applied by the Coca- Cola Company. 1. 0 Company Overview Coca-Cola history began in 1886 when the curiosity of an Atlanta pharmacist, Dr. John S. Pemberton, led him to create a distinctive tasting soft drink that could be sold at soda fountains. He created a flavoured syrup, took it to his neighbourhood pharmacy, where it was mixed with carbonated water and deemed â€Å"excellent† by those who sampled it. Dr. Pemberton's partner and bookkeeper, Frank M. Robinson, is credited with naming the beverage â€Å"Coca-Cola† as well as designing the trademarked, distinct script, still used today. Picture 1: Dr. John S.Pemberton Prior to his death in 1888, just two years after creating what was to become the world's number 1 selling sparkling beverage, Dr. Pemberton sold portions of his business to various parties, with the majority of the interest sold to Atlanta businessman, Asa G. Candler. Under Mr. Candler's leadership, distribution of Coca-Cola expanded to soda fountains beyond Atlanta. In 1894, impressed by the growing demand for Coca-Cola and the desire to make the beverage portable, Joseph Biedenharn installed bottling machinery in the rear of his Mississippi soda fountain, becoming the first to put Coca-Cola in bottles.Large scale bottling was made possible just five years later, when in 1899, three enterprising businessmen in Chattanooga, Tennessee secured exclusive rights to bottle and sell Coca-Cola. The three entrepreneurs purchased the bottling rights from Asa Candler for just $1. Benjamin Thomas, Joseph Whitehead and John Lupton developed what became the Coca-Cola worldwide bottling system. 2. 0 Product Description Coca- Cola Company comes out with plenty of product variations from the years it is invented until now.The most popular product is the original version of Coca- Cola, this is the key products for Coca-Cola company. Besides that there is plenty others product developed by Coca-Cola Company based on the demand, here is the top Coca-Cola products sell all around the world: Name| Launched| Discontinued| Notes| Picture| Coca-Cola| 1886| Present| The original version of Coca-Cola. | | Caffeine-Free Coca-Cola| 1983| Present| The caffeine free version of Coca-Cola. | | Coca-Cola Cherry| 1985| Present| Was available in Canada starting in 1996.Called â€Å"Cherry Coca-Cola (Cherry Coke)† in North America until 2006. | | New Coke/†Coca-Cola II†| 1985| 2002| Was still available in Yap and American Samoa| | Coca-Cola with Lemon| 2001| 2005| Available in:Australia, American Samoa, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, China, Denmark, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Iceland, Korea, Luxembourg, Macau, Malaysia, Mongolia, Netherlands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Reunion, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tunisia, United Kingdom, United States, and West Bank-Gaza. | Coca-Cola Vanilla| 2002; 2007| Present| Available in: Austria, Australia, China, Finland, Germ any, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Malaysia, Sweden, United Kingdom and United States. It was reintroduced in June 2007 by popular demand. | | Coca-Cola with Lime| 2005| Present| Available in Belgium, Netherlands, Singapore, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. | Coca-Cola Raspberry| 2006| Middle of 2007| Was replaced by Vanilla Coke in June 2007| | Coca-Cola Blak| 2006| Beginning of 2008| Only available in the United States, France, Canada, Czech Republic, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria and Lithuania| | Coca-Cola Citra| 2006| Present| Only available in Bosnia and Herzegovina, New Zealand and Japan. | | Coca-Cola Orange| 2007| Present| Was available in the United Kingdom and Gibraltar for a limited time. In Germany, Austria and Switzerland it's sold under the label Mezzo Mix.Currently available in Coca-Cola Freestyle fountain outlets in the United States since 2009. | | Beside of products variation, every Coca-Cola products must come with their official logo. The famous Co ca-Cola logo was created by John Pemberton's bookkeeper, Frank Mason Robinson, in 1885. Robinson came up with the name and chose the logo's distinctive cursive script. The typeface used, known as Spencerian script, was developed in the mid-19th century and was the dominant form of formal handwriting in the United States during that period. Robinson also played a significant role in early Coca-Cola advertising.His promotional suggestions to Pemberton included giving away thousands of free drink coupons and plastering the city of Atlanta with publicity banners and streetcar signs. Picture 2: Coca-Cola official logo. 3. 0 Pricing Strategies At United State, pricing strategies is the major factor contributing to the growth of the company in order to keep Coca-Cola as the leading brand for carbonated soft drinks. In November 2009, due to a dispute over wholesale prices of Coca-Cola products, Costco stopped restocking its shelves with Coke and Diet Coke.However, some Costco locations (suc h as the ones in Tucson, Arizona), sell imported Coca-Cola from Mexico. Coca-Cola introduced the 7. 5-ounce mini-can in 2009, and on September 22, 2011, the company announced price reductions, asking retailers to sell eight-packs for $2. 99. That same day, Coca-Cola announced the 12. 5-ounce bottle, to sell for 89 cents. A 16-ounce bottle has sold well at 99 cents since being re-introduced, but the price was going up to $1. 19. In 2012, Coca-Cola would resume business in Myanmar after 60 years of absence due to U.S. -imposed investment sanctions against the country. Coca-Cola with its partners is to invest USD 5 billion in its operations in India by 2020. In Malaysia Coca-cola products come with 3 sizes. It can be bought as low as RM 1. 70 per can (325ml), for 500ml bottles it can be bought at RM 2. 50 average, and for the 1. 5L bottle the price is between RM 3. 50 – 4. 00. 4. 0 Promotional Element Used. The first marketing efforts in Coca-Cola history were executed through c oupons promoting free samples of the beverage.Considered an innovative tactic back in 1887, couponing was followed by newspaper advertising and the distribution of promotional items bearing the Coca-Cola script to participating pharmacies. Coca-Cola's advertising has significantly affected American culture, and it is frequently credited with inventing the modern image of Santa Claus as an old man in a red-and-white suit. Although the company did start using the red-and-white Santa image in the 1930s, with its winter advertising campaigns illustrated by Haddon Sundblom, the motif was lready common. Coca-Cola was not even the first soft drink company to use the modern image of Santa Claus in its advertising: White Rock Beverages used Santa in advertisements for its ginger ale in 1923, after first using him to sell mineral water in 1915. Before Santa Claus, Coca-Cola relied on images of smartly dressed young women to sell its beverages. Coca-Cola's first such advertisement appeared in 1895, featuring the young Bostonian actress Hilda Clark as its spokeswoman. 4. 1 Holiday campaigns The â€Å"Holidays are coming! advertisement features a train of red delivery trucks, emblazoned with the Coca-Cola name and decorated with Christmas lights, driving through a snowy landscape and causing everything that they pass to light up and people to watch as they pass through. The advertisement fell into disuse in 2001, as the Coca-Cola Company restructured its advertising campaigns so that advertising around the world was produced locally in each country, rather than centrally in the company's headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.In 2007, the company brought back the campaign, according to the company many consumers telephoned its information centre saying that they considered it to mark the beginning of Christmas. The advertisement was created by U. S. advertising agency Doner, and has been part of the company's global advertising campaign for many years. 4. 2 Sports sponsorship C oca-Cola was the first commercial sponsor of the Olympic games, at the 1928 games in Amsterdam, and has been an Olympics sponsor ever since.This corporate sponsorship included the 1996 Summer Olympics hosted in Atlanta, which allowed Coca-Cola to spotlight its hometown. Most recently, Coca-Cola has released localized commercials for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver; one Canadian commercial referred to Canada's hockey heritage and was modified after Canada won the gold medal game on February 28, 2010 by changing the ending line of the commercial to say â€Å"Now they know whose game they're playing†. Since 1978, Coca-Cola has sponsored the FIFA World Cup, and other competitions organised by FIFA.One FIFA tournament trophy, the FIFA World Youth Championship from Tunisia in 1977 to Malaysia in 1997, was called â€Å"FIFA  Ã¢â‚¬â€ Coca Cola Cup†. In addition, Coca-Cola sponsors the annual Coca-Cola 600 and Coke Zero 400 for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina and Daytona International Speedway in Daytona, Florida. 4. 3 In mass media Fast forward to the 1970s when Coca-Cola's advertising started to reflect a brand connected with fun, friends and good times.Many fondly remember the 1971 Hilltop Singers performing â€Å"I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke†, or the 1979 â€Å"Have a Coke and a Smile† commercial featuring a young fan giving Pittsburgh Steeler, â€Å"Mean Joe Greene†, a refreshing bottle of Coca-Cola. You can enjoy these and many more advertising campaigns from around the world in the â€Å"Perfect Pauses Theatre† at the World of Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola has been prominently featured in countless films and television programs.Since its creation, it remains as one of the most important elements of the popular culture. It was a major plot element in films such as One, Two, Three, The Coca-Cola Kid, and The Gods Must Be Crazy among many others. It provides a setting for comical corporate shenanigans in the novel Syrup by Maxx Barry. And in music, in The Beatles' song, â€Å"Come Together†, the lyrics said, â€Å"He shoot Coca-Cola, he say†¦ â€Å". The Beach Boys also referenced Coca-Cola in their 1964 song â€Å"All Summer Long† (i. e. ‘Member when you spilled Coke all over your blouse? Also, the best selling artist of all time and worldwide cultural icon, Elvis Presley, promoted Coca-Cola during his last tour of 1977. The Coca-Cola Company used Elvis' image to promote the product. For example, the company used a song performed by Presley, A Little Less Conversation, in a Japanese Coca-Cola commercial. 5. 0 Place and The Products / Service Are Delivered To Customer. Coca-Cola as the number 1 carbonated soft drinks throughout all the nations, this soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in every country except Cuba and North Korea.Example like Malaysia, Coca-Cola products can be purchased at all 7 Eleven stores throughout this country 24hours per day. To make these products consistently at market, Coca-Cola Company come with idea to setup factory at the selected country for produce their products, called as franchised production model. The actual production and distribution of Coca-Cola follows a franchising model. The Coca-Cola Company only produces a syrup concentrate, which it sells to bottlers throughout the world, who hold Coca-Cola franchises for one or more geographical areas.The bottlers produce the final drink by mixing the syrup with filtered water and sweeteners, and then carbonate it before putting it in cans and bottles, which the bottlers then sell and distribute to retail stores, vending machines, restaurants and food service distributors. The Coca-Cola Company owns minority shares in some of its largest franchises, such as Coca-Cola Enterprises, Coca-Cola Amatil, Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company and Coca-Cola FEMSA, but fully independent bottlers produce al most half of the volume sold in the world.Independent bottlers are allowed to sweeten the drink according to local tastes. The bottling plant in Skopje, Macedonia, received the 2009 award for â€Å"Best Bottling Company†. 6. 0 Conclusion. Coca-Cola has been criticized for alleged adverse health effects, its aggressive marketing to children, exploitative labour practices, high levels of pesticides in its products, building plants in Nazi Germany which employed slave labour, environmental destruction, monopolistic business practices, and hiring paramilitary units to murder trade union leaders.In October 2009, in an effort to improve their image, Coca-Cola partnered with the American Academy of Family Physicians, providing a $500,000 grant to help promote healthy-lifestyle education; the partnership spawned sharp criticism of both Coca-Cola and the AAFP by physicians and nutritionists. Even though have been criticized by media, nutritionists, doctors and many parties, actually C oca-Cola Company are contributing to the growth of the country that they put their factory.As the giant player in carbonated soft drinks, Coca-Cola Company have build up their strong marketing strategies for many decades and they learned from past experience that make what they as today. Besides that the implementation of the 4P highlighted in this discussion is the key factor that makes them bigger, stronger and relevance all this time. In my opinion if anyone wants to setup a company for any industries, Coca-Cola Company experience, discipline and marketing strategies can be the best example to become a successful player in any businesses you entered.

Project Management for Information Systems Essay

Project Management for Information Systems - Essay Example This problem can be fixed through building several core load images which use a similar template for all computers in the environment. For instance, if this template uses windows 7, then it can support all other computers connected to this server. The language used may also be easy to support and the advantage of this is that licensing is easier to handle. For instance, Microsoft has this core image where one large license is used. Therefore, it is cheaper to buy an MSDN-package which is comprised of the core application. Each department should have its core application. 14 5.4Benefits of Cloud Computing(SAAS) 14 Selection of location 15 Locations can be selected freely and this helps to minimize overhead expenses. 15 Use of device 15 Cloud computing services can accessed from any devise such as computer or phone (http://www.cloudtweaks.com/2012/08/advantages-of-cloud-computing/) 15 6.Management Summary (250 word) 15 1. Introduction This report seeks to evaluate the processes involve d in implementing a standard software development methodology in an engineering company in order to streamline its project management and software development so that they become standardised. This report is comprised of four parts which include the following: the first part outlines and evaluates how Prince2 project management methodology can be implemented in managing such a project that is related to software development methodology, the second part deals with estimated set up costs of the standardisation project. The third part outlines the benefits of adopting a standard software development methodology and it outlines the benefits of replacing a mix environment of PCs, operating systems and applications with a standard PC hardware build which incorporates the same operating system. The last part summarises the findings of the project which will be used as the basis for decision making. 2. Project Management Report This section describes PRINCE2 methodology in order to meet the requirements of the directors who have underscored to implement a standard project management methodology for the whole company. Basically, PRINCE2 methodology is meant to incorporate different types of projects and it is a widely used tool in project management (Cradle & Yeats, 2004). 2.1 Project in Controlled Environments According to Prince2 official website (2012), Prince2 is a process based method for effective project management in controlled environments and it is mainly recommended by the UK government in carrying out major projects. Basically, it outlines the internal processes of the organization and the tasks to meet each process are clearly defined. The project is divided into smaller components that are easy to manage and control. 2.2 PRINCE2 organisation structure In order to implement the standard software development methodology in this company, the following structure is advocated. 2.3 Project Board The project board is responsible for authorising the project as we ll as all other activities that should be executed. The board has the role of approving the budget as well as to ensure that quality is guaranteed in the

Portfolio Optimization using Linear, Non-linear and Integer Research Proposal

Portfolio Optimization using Linear, Non-linear and Integer programming and Black-schole theroy - Research Proposal Example Portfolio optimization dwells on the improvement of the portfolio and improving the value and level of the stock portfolio to that which proves attractive to the market. The criterion allows for the combination of the various aspects either directly or indirectly. The optimization aspect allows for the analysis of the expected value and the rate of return and their dispersion. The dispersion looks at the distribution of the rate of return to the stock adding value to it and through these measures, the financial risks also undergo analysis to provide evidence and confidence in the investors. It’s through portfolio optimization that investors understand the various risks existing in the market that allows them. Portfolio optimization will require identification of a portfolio that is rich in diversification to ensure it provides good support to the portfolio. Following the yahoo finance, the following portfolio was considered. Considering the modern portfolio theory as developed by Harry Markowitz, standard deviation of the various portfolios and its rate of return as means of maximizing the expected returns are considered for the risks that may engulf the portfolio. These provide an efficient portfolio. Considering the trade-off between the risks involved with the expected returns that the portfolio covers. Considering the historical factors of the stocks provides the investors with better decisions on the direction of the stock overtime. These based on the curves on the value of the stocks, its prices and volumes traded. Considering the standard deviation, the volatility of the stock, and the stock prices and volumes provides a better position on the stock. Considering these enables, the investors provide a better response to their portfolio needs. Considering the initial portfolio selection, the following portfolio is

Anonymity and Networks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Anonymity and Networks - Essay Example Though anonymity is a desirable security feature, it has certain disadvantages. Anonymity can be achieved through various security protocols like Single Socket Layer (SSL) protocol, Secure Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (SHTTP) and Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol among others. Security protocols allow the establishment of secure channels across two communicating parties that are linked through an insecure network. Though the various protocols have many similarities, each of the security protocols has inherent strengths, weaknesses and vulnerabilities. While encryption offers some anonymity, there are certain limitations. The major challenge is the possibility of eavesdropping by local ISP or a local system administrator. The internet security protocols allow transfer of some networking information like the traffic flow route and the source-destination pair which is revealed through traffic analysis. Traffic analysis allows transmission of times data packets. The challenges asso ciated with internet security protocols can be overcome by utilizing authentication and key agreement (AKA) protocols which provide a random-shared key that can be used to uphold confidentiality and anonymity and have less vulnerabilities. ... .13 Section VI: Proposed solutions to the challenges of internet security protocols†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦14 Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..15 Works Cited†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦16 Introduction In the wake of increasing dominance of internet as the preferred mode of communication, there has been a lot of interest on the use of anonymity as a means of ensuring user privacy and security. The unprotected nature of internet networks makes them vulnerable for eavesdropping by unauthorized persons. Though anonymity can exist without the internet, the increase in internet us age has made it easier for distribution of anonymous messages. The free information flow facilitated by increased internet communication poses potential security risks to individuals, businesses and government departments as well as the entire nation. As a result, various software and hardware security features have been suggested to address the issue of anonymity. This paper examines the issue of anonymity during internet use with focus on why, how, what and when anonymity should be exercised. The paper critically examines different security protocols involved in anonymity on the internet with regard to the hardware and software components involved. Additionally, the potential problems arising from anonymity and the possible solutions shall also be addressed. Section I: Anonymity in the context of internet communication: what does it imply? One of the major concerns in internet use is the extent to which their privacy shall be

Poverty Economics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Poverty Economics - Research Paper Example The model of trickle-down effect of growth is found to be prevalent in practice in the real world. Under this model, the benefits of growth are mostly savored by the upper and middle classes of the society. The lower middle class and the grass root level receive very little benefits of this economic growth. This is due to the fact that there is serious problem of income inequality in most of the economies in the globe, particularly in the developing countries (Altmann et al., 2013). All the sectors in the developing economies are not equally developed and there is huge inequality in income in the countries. In the concerned article, the Chief economist of World Bank has mentioned that the Bank has placed two new objectives that it would strive to achieve. These two goals are â€Å"ending extreme and chronic poverty in the world by 2030, and promoting shared prosperity, defined in terms of progress of the poorest 40% of the population in each society† (Basu, 2013). ... factors that affect this growth rate are rapid technological development, improvement in productivity and the lowering in the number of people living below poverty across the world. During the 19th century and also in the first few decades of the 20th century, over 1.2 billion people in the world used to live below the poverty level (the poverty line is set at $1 per day). Currently, this percentage of population has fallen marginally. According to the theory of poverty line, the people living below poverty line have the purchasing power of less than $1 dollar per day. Additionally, it must be noted in this context that more than half of the population of the world lives below $2 dollars per day. The variables that measure poverty are under nutrition, poor health condition, poor level or absolutely no literacy, environmentally degraded and unhygienic living condition, low or no access to essential things in life (such as clean water) and lack of protection of fundamental freedoms or rights. Poor people all over the globe are characterized by the living condition in slum areas and under nourishment. Scholars and economists have univocally agreed that poverty is integrally linked with inequality in income distribution (Naranpanawa, Selvanathan & Bandara, 2013). One commonly used method of measuring the personal income statistics is the Lorenz curve. The Lorenz curve helps to analyze the percentage of income against the percentage of income recipients. The further the line is from the diagonal, the greater is the degree of inequality. The following diagram illustrates the workings of the Lorenz curve. Figure 1: Lorenz curve (Source: Anonymous, n.d.) The further the curve bends from the diagonal, the greater is the inequality in income level. The area between the two

Marketing Strategies of Samsung Electronics and Apple Incorporated Essay

Marketing Strategies of Samsung Electronics and Apple Incorporated - Essay Example Due to the heightened competition, both Samsung Electronics and Apple Inc. have embarked in strategic marketing operations over the past five years in a bid to woo more customers. They have done this through the consideration of certain aspects of strategic marketing that include market segmentation into various unique products such as the smartphone for Samsung and the iPad for Apple. In this case, the companies consider special target markets for their products by looking at both the micro-environmental and macro-environmental aspects of their markets. The findings show that through strategic marketing approaches that include positioning and targeting strategies, the two companies have been able to stay afloat in the competitive market of electronics industry. Every organization that operates in the business environment understands the significance of applying good marketing strategies in order to gain a competitive edge in the market (Ottman, 2011). In most business enterprises, m arketing comes in as a first priority as it ensures that customers are adequately satisfied through regular contends and improvements (Doyle, 2008). Although virtually every market environment experiences varying degrees of competition, the competition so encountered at the global market is normally intense to the extent that call for extraordinary marketing strategies (Groucutt, Forsyth, & Leadley, 2004). Concerning the multinationals that deal with a wide range of products, certain crucial marketing principles and practices give them an edge, as their main intention is to appeal to a diverse clientele across the globe (Park & Gil, 2006). ... virtually every market environment experiences varying degrees of competition, the competition so encountered at the global market is normally intense to the extent that call for extraordinary marketing strategies (Groucutt, Forsyth, & Leadley, 2004). Concerning the multinationals that deal with a wide range of products, certain crucial marketing principles and practices give them an edge, as their main intention is to appeal to a diverse clientele across the globe (Park & Gil, 2006). With this in mind, it is prudent to define marketing as the whole process involves in the communication of certain values of products and / or services to target customers (Doyle, 2008). This is normally with the intention of increasing the sales margin and the customer base that are key aspects to any business enterprise (Burrow & Bosiljevac, 2012). Perhaps it is worthy to note that some of the renowned international companies have over the years engaged in intensive and extensive marketing effort in a bide to lure more customers thereby increasing their sales and profit margins (Groucutt, Forsyth, & Leadley, 2004). These include but not limited to Samsung Electronics and Apple incorporated that operate on a global platform with most of their products being of electronic nature. While Samsung manufactures, distributes, and sells, electronic products ranging from computers, televisions, cameras, to radios (Park & Gil, 2006), Apple Inc. does the same with most of its branded products including the iMac, iPod, iPad, and iPhone (Apple Inc., 2013). The purpose of this report is to explore marketing strategies of Samsung electronics and Apple Inc. borrowing heavily from the theories and principles of marketing in the critical evaluation. Industry background The electronics industry is a wide

What is jurisprudence all about Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

What is jurisprudence all about - Essay Example He is a legal positivist because he considers laws to be disconnected from morality itself and more in line with a system of social guidelines which come with punishments for violations. Thus the viewpoint taken of jurisprudence by him is one of the analytical side where jurisprudence is taken as the philosophy which guides rules in a society that are in turn made into the laws of the society. In effect, Jurisprudence is based on primary rules which actually define acceptable and unacceptable conduct in a social system and secondary rules which tell law officials how to use the primary rules. There are further subdivisions of secondary rules which include the rules of adjudication, the rules of change, and the rules of recognition. In these, the rules of adjudication show ways in which the jurisprudence governs the resolution of legal disputes. The rules of change govern how laws can be altered while the rules of recognition allow rules to be considered valid or invalid. In terms of jurisprudence as it connects with the rules that form the laws in society, it can be debated if morality should be made a part of the equation and there are those who suggest that morality is an important element when it comes to making or altering laws. However, considering that Hart takes morality out of the equation, it could make jurisprudence more dynamic as the norms of society may change much faster than the moral standards of a given social order. Ronald Dworkin is perhaps more important of these two legal thinkers since his contributions to the field of law extend far beyond jurisprudence alone. He also works with the philosophy of law and political ideology debates where his opinions have been widely accepted and opposed as well (Burgess-Jackson, 1998). With regard to jurisprudence, his leading theory is the theory of integrity as it applies to the philosophy of law and the participants in the legal system. An understanding of this

Importance of islam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Importance of islam - Essay Example By gaining an understanding of the history, the students will know how Allah’s almighty law works in the lives of people. Islam is derived from an Arabic word meaning peace and teaches that in total submission to Allah, the creator, one finds peace. Muslims believe Allah is the only God and He is the only one who deserves worship hence any praise of saints or human beings is perceived as idolatry. The five pillars of Islam are prayer, fasting, testimony of faith, alms giving and pilgrimage and help to strengthen the obedience and faith of Muslims. Islam religion is a daily way of life which organizes the social, political and economic aspects of life including relations with God, families and other brethren. Islam maintains that Archangel Gabriel relayed messages to Prophet Muhammad from the year 610AD to 632AD. Muhammad is the final messenger of God and the revelation he received was called Quran. In 633AD, the first Islamic ruler, Abu Bakr commissioned the production of Quran since there was no Quran that was completely written and approved. The sacred task that Mohammad was entrusted was important a nd the Quran has glorified and exalting Allah. Therefore, it is crucial for students to a have knowledge of the Quran and the origin of Islam (Sonn, 2004). The legitimate basis for a person to adopt a religion should be that the claims of the religion are true. The Quran and Hadith are important because they are the legal sources of Islam. The Quran is also a book of guidance therefore it is important for the religious studies students to know and be able to prove who composed it. The Quran explains the challenges accusations and attacks of different prophets who were sent to nations. In writing the brief history of the Quran, the students will also have to explain how the seven versions of Quran came about since God expressed it in Arabic only. Another

Answer the question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 29

Answer the question - Essay Example Academic achievement, also referred to as the academic performance is the outcome of education as far as results is concerned. It is the extent to which a teacher, student or institution has achieved their educational goals. It is determined through examinations. On the other hand, educational attainment is a term commonly used by statisticians to define the highest degree or level of education an individual has completed or attained. Social stratification is the way the society categorizes of people into socioeconomic classes, based upon their income and occupation, social status and wealth, and derived social and political power. As such, stratification is the social position of persons in relative with a social category or group. On the other hand, patterns of inequality are the socially defined characteristics of persons that add up to social status and, therefore, inequality or equality within a society. The occupational structure of a society is the combination of various types of occupations found there. Additionally, it also defines the distribution of persons among those occupations. As such, it gives some logic of which kinds of occupation dominate the society. Occupational structure is sociologically significant due to its effects on social class and social

WRAPUP 1 Bullish U.S. manufacturing construction data bolster growth outlook Essay Example for Free

WRAPUP 1 Bullish U.S. manufacturing construction data bolster growth outlook Essay America has always wanted to see growth within its system. Therefore with the growth in the manufacturing sector, the citizens are expected to benefit from it. The article has three points which in my opinion will be able to ensure that the country’s economy changes in a positive way; for instance, the ideology of the manufacturing activities rising from 2011 means that the global market will be bombarded with the goods from America. It also means that the workers in the manufacturing sector will have to benefit from this rise. At the same time, the rise in new orders will have to give room for the innovators to come up with new products to be manufactured. Therefore, the construction sector will also have to employ more people meaning that the country will have to curb unemployment. Why Main Street isnt creating jobs For a very long time the main street had been seen to be the leading sector in job creation. However, the small businesses are fighting for better market making it impossible for growth in the sector. The market is also flooded with the small businesses making the competition to be stiff. The entrepreneurs have also been made not to create more jobs with the rise of healthcare cost, red tape and minimum wages debate. For instance, the government has set up policies of minimum wages while the business might not be able to attain the threshold making it impossible to employ people in accordance to the policy. Fed keeps record-low rates for now, but investors, consumers, businesses face the inevitable The Fed has insisted on keeping these low records in the market while the people who are having problems are the employers and business owners. For instance, the market enjoys a growth within the construction and manufacturing sectors whereby people expect the employment rate to also be on the rise. Therefore it is expected that the job market should be high and layoffs should be low. This is why the middle class cant get ahead The middle class society has the highest number of individuals across the globe. However, during the recession they were the individuals who felt the pinch and it has been difficult for them to recover. At the same time, there are some of them who have not been able to recover citing that they are still facing recession. Downturn has made it impossible for business ideas to be implemented as majority of the people are yet to recover. This means that it would be impossible for median household income to sustain families or even give room for recovery. US job growth is rising solidly, so why isnt pay? From the look of things, individuals expected to have a lifestyle change after it was reported that the hiring rate in the United States was on the rise. However, after being employed things have been worse since the wage is minimal. One thing that the people need to understand that the five years of recession has made it difficult for companies to recover. At the same time, the companies are not capable of hiking the pay since it would interfere with their budget of running their businesses. The problem might not be hitting the employees alone, but rather also the government as the trend does not give room for the economy to strengthen. Investors gird for scarier days in markets Business individuals always have the best forecasting techniques for the market. This time their predictions might be right as the market has become volatile for them to withstand it. Their worry is related to the stock market that indicates weakness. As the stocks lower, the other regions might take advantages of the loopholes and beat the U.S. market. The hazardous nature of the market has made it impossible for the more investors to venture into the market or even new products. This would mean that the market will remain stagnant with the same products and lack of innovation. World economies warn of global risks, call for bold action It is important for bold action to be taken in aid of bolstering the global economy. The main aim is to ensure that there is a smooth recovery in the different economies across the globe. This will make government to have budgets that will be able to sustain their people and their businesses. The International Monetary Fund declared the call for action after it had realized that the governments were running under tight budgets that might not sustain their economies. Low budgets for the governments makes it impossible for governments to maintain some of its infrastructures, health sectors and better governance. The tight budgets are also associated with the high levels of poverty within a country. Why deflation is so scary The only individuals who are scared with the rise of deflation rate are the investors and the business owners. The prices of goods are seen to be dwindling. The consumers have a lot to celebrate but the entrepreneurs are afraid that soon they would be counting their losses. On average, majority of the goods in the market are having their prices lower to fit the budget of the buyers. Individuals should not be happy with the whole idea of deflation, as it would interfere with their economy. The price for production would have to be lowered making the companies to come up with goods that are not of good quality. Top economist looking for Fed to surprise market The Fed has been known to come up with policies, which strengthen the country’s economy. However, the entrepreneurs have seen it fit to give everything to the Feds. This might be a bad thing for the feds, as they will be held accountable if the economy goes the wrong way. The economists have seen it fit to put the blame on the feds incase the business does mistakes. They had noticed that there is a looming inflation rate and they needed someone to blame. Chinas October factory growth unexpectedly hits five-month low: official PMI From the look of things, it seems that all the economies around the world would have to come with different strategies to fit the market. For instance the drop in the manufacturing sector in China might be a big blow for their economy. The country is known to have the biggest market around the globe when it comes to having products in the market. However, the biggest reason as to why the growth is not being felt is due to the nature of the products they bring into the market. There have been numerous complains indicating that the goods from the region are not standardized. However, it is essential for the manufacturers to look at the market and know the type of goods required by the consumers. Annual China trade growth slows in October in further sign of fragility If the second largest economy is dropping in growth, then their strategy would have to change. It is understandable if Chinas imports reduce but a bad sign if the exports reduce. The reason for this statement is that, the country has been known to innovate and manufacture products that they acquire from other countries. The domestic demands for their own products is on the rise making it impossible for the export market to hit the region. Therefore, the policy makers venturing into china are supposed to come up with a product that the region does not have. Falling inflation a worry for Europe but also the world The European market has always been understood to be a mature market. This would mean that if it is hit by inflation then the global market would also have to suffer. The European Central Bank would lose in taxes and fall of the property market. Therefore, if inflation is curbed in Europe than the rest of the world will be at ease. U.S. crude down seven percent to May 2010 low on OPEC, new low likely The traders in the crude oil business estimated that their output had fallen by 7 percent. This might be true since the market has experienced emergence of other producers who have lower prices. Another reason for this is the decision by Saudi Arabia to block the United states to sell their products to the U.A.E. the only regions benefitting are the African and Arab nations that deals in crude oil. References http://www.cnbc.com/id/101963506#. http://finance.yahoo.com/news/why-main-street-isnt-creating-120034955.html http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/fed-signals-it-plans-to-keep-key-interest-rate-at-record-low-for-considerable-period-275482001.html http://finance.yahoo.com/news/this-is-why-the-middle-class-is-still-reeling-170441453.html http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-job-growth-rising-solidly-180238861.html?soc_src=copy http://finance.yahoo.com/news/investors-gird-scarier-days-markets-012706729.html?soc_src=copy http://finance.yahoo.com/news/imf-warns-global-economy-risk-175450932.html?soc_src=copy http://finance.yahoo.com/news/why-deflation-is-so-scary-202724649.html?soc_src=copy http://finance.yahoo.com/news/top-economist-looking-fed-surprise-205358922.html?soc_src=copy http://finance.yahoo.com/news/chinas-october-official-pmi-edges-011829371.html?soc_src=copy http://finance.yahoo.com/news/china-october-exports-11-6-023116488.html?soc_src=copy http://finance.yahoo.com/news/falling-inflation-worry-europe-world-093023683.html?soc_src=copy http://finance.yahoo.com/news/oil-steadies-near-four-low-162038436.html?soc_src=copy Source document

Virtual Reality in Todays Society

Virtual Reality in Todays Society Virtual reality is a computer-generated simulation of the real world. This simulation is not static, instead it responds to the user’s input, whether vocal or tactile, in real time. In order to achieve this interactivity, the computer must constantly monitor the user’s movements or verbal commands and react instantaneously in order to change the synthetic world experienced by the user and in response to him or her. [1] By making use of all of a human’s sensory experience in this way, virtual reality takes the quality of interactivity achieved, say in a computer game, one stage further. Users of virtual reality can see and move objects, they can also touch and feel them. [2] This essay explores the evolution of virtual realities and the many uses of virtual reality in society today, as well as considering its ethical implications. Burdea, and Coiffet comment that the history of virtual reality dates back more than forty years. The Sensorama Simulator virtual reality video arcade game was invented by Martin Heilig in 1962. This game had the capability to simulate a motorcycle ride through a city, using 3-D effects, seat vibrations, appropriate smells, sounds and wind effects using fans. [3] Head-mounted displays were introduced in 1966 by Ivan Sutherland, but were heavy and uncomfortable. In 1985, Michael McGreevey of NASA developed a cheaper and lighter version of the helmet, fitted with mini display screens and sensors to track movement. The sensory glove had been designed in the early 1980s, but it was in 1986 that Jaron Lanier designed a new glove to fit in with the helmet to create a full virtual reality. [4] Advancements continued to be made in graphics and then in 1993 virtual reality became the theme for a major conference of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in Seattle, makin g it clear that virtual reality had entered the main stream scientific community. [5] Since the end of the 1980s, new interfaces communicate three-dimensional images using the head-mounted display (HMD), using video cameras to track the image of the user in a virtual world where he can manipulate objects. More recently there has been a development called CAVE (Cave Automatic Virtual Environment), where the user is enclosed in a six sided environment surrounded by projection screens which they view wearing light stereoglasses, giving the impression of 3-D. [6] The suggestive impression is one of one of immersing oneself in the image space, moving and interacting there in â€Å"real time†, and intervening creatively’. [7] However, Burdea and Coiffet point out that with the swift advancements in technology, ‘virtual reality today is done mostly without head-mounted displays, by using large projection screens or desk top PCs’, and sensing gloves are now regularly replaced with joysticks. [8] The world of computer games has become a major area of importance for virtual reality, where the sense of immersion is important for gaming excitement. This creation of interactive virtual worlds has used grand, sweeping cinematic sequences and other techniques used in traditional cinema, such as ‘the expressive use of camera angles and depth of field, and dramatic lighting of 3-D computer generated sets to create mood and atmosphere’. [9] Actors could be used, superimposed over 3-D backgrounds, or as the games became more advanced, synthetic characters were created moving in real time. [10] This means that the space in which the characters move can now change over time, rendering the same space different when visited at a later time during the game. These changes enabled computer designers to integrate the player more deeply into the gaming world cinematically and to create a sense of visual reality. The immersion experienced when playing a computer game is made a much more total and intense experience when the player becomes a part of the game, that is, physically enters a virtual world. Virtual reality ‘provides the subject with the illusion of being present in a simulated world.’ [11] This virtual world, unlike the purely visual engagement of a computer game, allows for bodily engagement with the synthetic world. Virtual reality also allows the user to change elements of this simulated world: it gives an added feeling of control. Virtual reality allows people to experience elements of life without any physical commitments, possible dangers or general inconveniences of a real experience. Lev Manovich comments that virtual worlds are sometimes put forward as the logical successors of cinema, that they are ‘the key cultural form of the twenty-first century just as cinema was the key cultural form of the twentieth century’. [12] Indeed, Grau and Custance compare virtual reality with film, saying: ‘virtual reality now makes it possible to represent space as dependent on the direction of the observer’s gaze: the viewpoint is no longer static or dynamically linear, as in the film, but theoretically includes an infinite number of possible perspectives.’ [13] Technically, virtual reality ‘utilises the same framing’ as a cinema rectangular frame. This kind of frame only allows a partial view of a wider space. The virtual camera, as with a cinema screen, moves around in relation to the viewer in order to reveal different parts of the shot. [14] This framing device is vital to the virtual reality world in that it gives a small shot of a larger world, thereby providing a wholly subjective and totally personal viewing experience. While Manovich looks to cinema as a basis for virtual technology, Grau and Custance look to art. They argue that the idea of virtual reality ‘rests firmly on historical art traditions, which belong to a discontinuous movement of seeking illusionary image spaces’. [15] Taking into account the lack of technology further back in history, Grau and Custance believe that ‘the idea stretches back at least as far as classical antiquity and is alive again today in the immersive visualization strategies of virtual reality art.’ [16] Indeed, for Grau and Custance, this basic idea of finding these ‘immersive spaces of illusion’ is threaded through the history of art. Grau and Custance also point out the lack of natural involvement with the world through the technological illusion of power and control. They say, ironically that ‘the adherents of virtual reality †¦ have often reiterated their claim that immersion in virtual reality intensifies their relationship with nature’. [17] Indeed, an experience so totally reliant on technology and devoid of anything natural can bring about this feeling of connection to nature due to its resemblance of the real world. Manovich too comments on the illusive quality of any ‘natural’ involvement or control. He says that the user is only altering things that are already inside the computer, the data and memory of the virtual world. [18] The realm of virtual reality is driven by the desire to find a perfect recreation of the real world, a perfect illusion. The ideal interface seems to be one in which the interface or computer itself is entirely invisible, it seeks to block out the very means of creation of the virtual world, making the existence of the user in the virtual world seem totally ‘natural’. [19] The experience means that the user is totally isolated from the actual world whilst at the same time given this feeling of total ‘natural’ immersion in a new world as well as a sense of omnipotence. The user in effect becomes a kind of fictional character that they have themselves created, doing whatever they like, whenever they like, always with a sense of immortality. There are ethical problems relating to the potential decrease in real physical interaction and normal human relationships as people may potentially come to prefer their virtual world to their real life. Indeed, in virtual reality, the physical world no longer exists at all, as all ‘real’ action takes place in virtual space. [20] There is another ethical concern, that of the possibility of children accessing unsuitable experiences in a virtual world, as censorship would be difficult. This is similar to the problem of violence and adult themes in films and on the internet being available to chi ldren today. Virtual reality is an area of even greater concern, however, as children will have the opportunity to take part in the action themselves. Another concern is that criminals could practice their crimes in a virtual world before acting in reality. There are many positive uses for virtual reality today in areas such as: medicine, education, entertainment and psychology. For example, virtual reality can provide flight and driving simulation, operation simulation, it can help with architectural design or treatment of phobias. These things can be practised realistically without the fear of anything going wrong with flying training, driving experience or surgery. Virtual reality can also potentially be used in medicine to evaluate a patient and diagnose problems as well as possibly aid in operations. Disabled people have the opportunity to join in activities not usually available to them. An architect can use the method to plan out a building before starting work constructing it: using virtual reality avoids the need to build several different prototypes. Someone afraid of spiders can meet one in a virtual world under careful programming to reduce sensitivity over a period of time, indeed, any phobia could be treated using this kin d of virtual reality exposure therapy. The field of education is a huge potential area of use for virtual reality; it can even be used to practice sport. There is another important use for virtual reality that is not related to entertainment or education. Telepresence is an ever-increasing part of the digital and virtual world. Telepresence combines three kinds of technology: robotics, telecommunications and virtual reality. With telepresence, ‘the user of a virtual environment, for example, can intervene in the environment via telecommunication and a remote robot and, in the opposite direction, to receive sensory feedback, a sensory experience of a remote event .’ [21] Manovich calls telepresence a ‘much more radical technology than virtual reality, or computer simulations in general’. [22] Indeed, Manovich explains that with virtual reality, the user controls a simulated world, that is, the computer data. In contrast, ‘telepresence allows the subject to control not just the simulation but reality itself’ because it allows the user to ‘manipulate remotely physical reality in real time through its image’, [23] that is, the user’s action affect what happens right then in separate place, useful for tasks such as, Manovich suggests, ‘repairing a space station’; [24] the technique can also be used successfully in battle to direct missiles. [25] So, virtual reality operates on two very opposing grounds. On the one hand it allows great freedom for the user, as he feels he can move anywhere through space with the camera, but at the same time, virtual reality totally confines the body in its simulated world. Manovich recognises that the physical world is subordinated in this way as he says virtual reality renders ‘physical space †¦ totally disregarded’, [26] However, with telepresence, the physical world is very much regarded. Indeed, Mark Hansen thinks Manovich’s comment on the lack of physicality overlooks the experience of space in the potential of virtual reality, even if the body is actually confined. [27] Hansen uses the example of telepresence to explain how simulation and space can coincide to be effective. Indeed, with telepresence, the physical actions, although limited in the space where the user resides, do have an effect at another location. In this way space has been found and used, if not in the same location as the user, their movements have still had a physical effect somewhere else. [28] It seems that virtual reality has many uses in society today, from entertainment to medicine; from psychology to architecture. Telepresence is now a powerful and extremely useful part of the virtual and digital world. With the continuing advancement of technology and the many great uses virtual reality can surely have in society, it is important to bear in mind the negative consequences if virtual reality techniques are not closely monitored, especially as they become more widely available. The ethical implications of a society plugged always into their private, virtual worlds would not be a positive development for human relationships; children also need to be protected from an environment where anything and everything can appear real and personal to the user. However, as long as we are aware of the potential negative implications, the development of advanced virtual reality has great potential benefits for society. Sources Used Burdea, G. C. and Coiffet, P. (2003). Virtual Reality Technology. Chichester: Wiley-IEEE Grau, O. and Custance, G. (2004). Virtual Art: From Illusion to Immersion. Cambridge: MIT Press Hansen, M. B. N. (2004). New Philosophy for New Media: A New Philosophy for a New Media. Cambridge: MIT Press Heim, M. (1994). The Metaphysics of Virtual Reality. Oxford: Oxford University Press Manovich, L. (2002). The Language of New Media. Cambridge: MIT Press Sherman, W. R. and Craig, A. B. (2003). Understanding Virtual Reality: Interface, Application, and Design. San Francisco: Morgan Kaufmann http://library.thinkquest.org/26890/virtualrealityt.htm Footnotes [1] Burdea, G. C. and Coiffet, P. (2003). Virtual Reality Technology. Chichester: Wiley-IEEE, p. 2 [2] ibid. p. 3 [3] ibid. [4] http://library.thinkquest.org/26890/virtualrealityt.htm [5] Burdea and Coiffet, op. cit. p. 8 [6] Grau, O. and Custance, G. (2004). Virtual Art: From Illusion to Immersion. Cambridge: MIT Press, p. 18 [7] ibid. p. 3 [8] Burdea and Coiffet, op. cit. p. 1 [9] Manovich, L. (2002). The Language of New Media. Cambridge: MIT Press, p. 83 [10] ibid. [11] ibid. p. 166 [12] Manovich, op. cit. p. 82 [13] Grau and Custance, op. cit. p. 16 [14] Manovich, op. cit. p. 81 [15] Grau and Custance, op. cit. p. 339 [16] ibid. [17] ibid. p. 201 [18] Manovich op. cit. p. 166 [19] ibid. p. 178 [20] ibid. p. 114 [21] Grau and Custance, op. cit. p. 278-279 [22] Manovich, op. cit. p. 166 [23] ibid. [24] ibid. p. 167 [25] ibid. [26] Manovich, op. cit. p. 114 [27] Hansen, M. B. N. (2004). New Philosophy for New Media: A New Philosophy for a New Media. Cambridge: MIT Press, p. 40 [28] ibid.

Managing Human Capital Collective Bargaining External Factors

Managing Human Capital Collective Bargaining External Factors Introduction:- HRM is very important for every organization. The function of HRM is to cover the several elements like inside and outside of the organization. The HR managers very carefully pay attention on the external environment, because external environment also significantly affect the human resource practices, planning and polices, due to this reason human resource managers are busy for scanning and analysing the external environment, after analysing and scanning the external environment factors the role of human resource managers are to balance these external factors very efficiently with the internal factors to achieve the goals of the organization. Definition:- The HRM involves in four different functions lead, organize, plan and control, such kinds of function may affect the business environment internally and externally. The main external environmental factors which affect the business are economical, technological, political and sociological (Montana charnov, 2000) Technological:- Technology is one of the most dramatic external environmental factor. It changes very quickly. If market changes it overnight the management keep the organization position in flexible and adopt new technology or change in technology for the organization objective. (Karger, 1991) Technology is the external factors. This factor also affect the human resource practices, planning and policy, because in this modern age without technology the organization cannot achieve its strategic goals. In order to develop new products to remain in the competitive, technology is very helpful by using the technology the HRM and organization can store the unlimited data. Role of HRM in Technological:- The human resource managers play very vital role for the implementation of the technology in an organization. The implementation of technology means change in an organization as well as polices. They call the meeting of the employees and tell them about the technology as well as human resource managers also provide training to the employees about the technology which they implement in an organization. The successful HRM in an organization identify and take action when the change in technology. The very essential role of HRM when change in technology they also help to the line manager and give the proper training to the line managers regarding the new technology as well as they also tell that how the line manager will train the new employees and also ensure that new employees have right technological skills. Political Factor:- Political/Governmental factors are also external factors. These factors change when the Government change. The political factors are like trade regulation, minimum wage, tax policies etc. The HRM is bound to adopt this external environment factor. Role of HRM in Political/Government Legislation:- The major role of HRM when any change in political factors, they adopt the political factors and must follow the political factor as above we discussed the some political factors like minimum wage, new legislation etc. The essential role of HRM in any organization in UK that they are bound to give minimum wage to their employees as well as implement the new legislation which the Government settled as well as HRM must follow the laws, rules and regulation when they are recruiting or terminating the employees. The managers also predict that what are the major political changes are coming in the countries, because any change come in this external environment factors it also disturb the human resource manager planning and polices. The political factor is also called the Government Issue/legislation. Economic Factor:- The one of the most important external environment factors is economic factor. This factor affect very effectively to the country as well as the organization, in general this factor includes interest rate, inflation and unemployment. The organization cannot control such kinds of factors. Role of HRM change in Economic Factor:- The main role of HRM when any change comes in economy they take action as soon as possible if the economic factors is not good for the organization the human resource manager take the step of downsizing in staff as well as stop the new recruitment for manage the organization financial stability and stabilize the organization in the economic crisis. When the economic condition of the organization is good the role of human resource managers is totally different they recruit the staff train the staff for achieving the strategic goals of the organization. Socio-Cultural Factor:- The socio-cultural is an external environmental factor. In general environment this is very vital element. The socio-cultural includes social classes, reference groups, language, population, lifestyle, pressure groups, the above mentioned elements directly affect the organization. Role of HRM change in Socio-cultural Factor:- Human resource managers must change their actions according to the desire of the society in which they work with the change of social and customs values and the change in taste human managers need to adopt change as well, for instance the HRM provides good working environment, flexible working hours and children care facility to their employees. Examples of External Factors:- Pizza Hut:- Technology is very important for every organization when any change come in technology the role of every human resource manager is same like the role of Pizza hut human resource manager. When change in technology the role of Pizza hut HRM was they put the organization in to flexible position and adopted the new computer technology and they trained their staff according to the new computer technology, like online ordering, mobile portable card machines. This was the external change which the Pizza hut HRM implemented. (Interview) Iris Trading Company:- When the economy of Pakistan went down the organization economy of Pakistan also went down the iris trading company human resource manager took the step of downsizing to save the organization they stopped the new recruitment and cut off the employees to give them the lump sum amount or golden hand shake before the retirement of the age. (Personal Experience) Tesco:- The British Government introduced the legislation that no company will sell the cigarette to underage. Role of Tesco human resource management they implemented this law in to the organization as well as train their staff according to this Government legislation and Tesco HRM also pay to their employee above the minimum pay per hour which the British Government has settled. (Interview) Primark:- When any change comes in socio-cultural the role of Primark HR is they judge the people attitudes their culture, life style, language and area then recruit the staff regarding the people life style, culture and language in the particular area, which is very beneficial for the customers as well as to the organization to attract the customers. (Interview) Benefits of External Environmental Factors:- As the above discussion there are four external environmental factors which especially influence in every organization as well as their HR department. These four factors are economic, technological, socio-cultural and political. The main advantage of latest technology is HR can easily perform their functions very efficiently, with the help of technology the HR can reduce the cost of employee and provide better result to the organization. If any change comes in economy factor it is also very good for HR the main advantage of economy factor is HR can recruit the staff to achieve the strategic goals of the organization which are very beneficial for the organization as well as if any change also occur in political and socio-cultural this change also give advantages to the human resource managers. if any change in socio-cultural it good for HR to understand the people thinking their life style and the nature of people with the help of this HR may recruit the staff according to the socio-c ultural environment which is good for the organization as well as any change in political give advantage to the HR easily implement the Government polices without any confliction between the HR and the employees. (Robert L. Mathis, 2007) Drawback of External Factors:- Every factor has advantage and disadvantage if any change comes in technological factors it is very difficult for HR to replace the old technology with new once, because this thing affect the HR polices and planning as well as HR managers are addict to use the old technology when they adopt the new technology they will spend more money on technology as well as the staff training which is not good for the organization, same as if change in economy factor then there is also a big cons for HR they will recruit the staff spend money on the training of staff as well as to cut off the staff both condition are unfavourable for the HR planning. The major disadvantage for HRM is when change in political change in this change HRM bound to implement this change within the organization. This external environmental badly affect he HR polices and planning. (Robert L. Mathis, 2007) HRM Practices to Gain the Sustainable Competitive Advantage:- Definition:- Sustainable competitive advantage is the unique position that an organization develops in relation to competitors that allows it to outperform them consistently (Hofer and Schendel, 1978) HRM Practices:- Many organizations use their HR to gain the sustainable competitive advantage, because HR plays very vital role in the hiring of staff. HR practices, theoretically, have little potential for being a source of sustained competitive avantage (Wright et al, 1994) Pfeffer in 1994 has described 16 HR practices that HRM may gain the sustainable competitive advantage through employees as well. But we are discussing 5 more effective practices of HRM for gaining the continuously competitive advantage which are given below. Team Job redesign Staffing, Including recruitment Appraising/Performance Incentive Pay Training and Development Employment Security Participation and Empowerment Long Term Perspective Employee Owner Ship Wage Compression Measurement of Practices Cross Training Cross Utilization Promotion Overarching Philosophy Symbolic Egalitarianism Information Sharing Team Job redesign: The role of HR in any organization is very important to achieve the sustainable competitive advantage as well as to achieve the strategic goals of the organization. The HR departments of big organizations make the team and give them the task regarding the strategic planning of the organization as well as HR is also design the job for the team. The team work in any organization is very helpful to gain the sustainable competitive advantage. Apple:- Apple is a company deal in electronic like IPHONE, IPAD, and APPLE MAC etc. The HR department of apple is very helpful for the success of apple products, because the HR of apple keep the people in to teams and design the jobs for them round about 10 thousand peoples are working on apple applications, due to this reason no one can steal or copy the apple applications as well as day by day apple is introducing new products in the market which are such a outstanding as well as apple is gaining with the help of this hr practice sustainable competitive advantage. Staffing, Including Recruitment: The one more important HR practices to gain the continuously competitive advantage is staffing, including recruitment, because very important asset for the organization and HR is staff. HR practices include to motivate the staff motivated staff means more productivity for the organization. If the organization needs more staff the HR recruit the excellent and efficient staff train the staff regarding the job and design the job and also motivate new staff, however productive staff is very helpful to gain the sustainable competitive advantage. 2) Toyota:- According to M. Reza Vaghefi Toyota is achieving the sustainable competitive advantage with the help of human resource, because they told that human resource recruit very competitive staff and give them proper training according to the company desires so M. Reza also include Toyota employees are very productive and motivated, due to this reason Toyota today Toyota is gaining continuously competitive advantage in the market. (sysdoc.doors.ch/TOYOTA) Appraising/Performance: HR practices always have link with the strategic of the organization. This HR practice is very essential to check the performance of the whole organization employees, because if the mangers as well as the employees performance are good then the organization is able to achieve the sustainable competitive advantage, however HR use the method of appraising to check the performance of individual employees. Now a days many organizations check the performances of their employees through 360 degree appraising method. To gain the continuously competitive advantage this appraising/performance HR practice very important for any organization. Primark:- The HRM of Primark checks the performance of their employees through 360 degree appraising method once in a year. This HR practice is very beneficial for the company because day by day Primark getting more and more profit as well as Primark has been nominated two time retailer of the Year Award at the World Retail Awards in 2008 and 2009. So we can say that appraising is very important practice of HR to achieve the sustainable competitive advantage. (Interview) Sainsburys:- Sainsburys deals in all kind of food, HR of Sainsburys use the 360 degree appraising method to check the performance of the employees. The sustainable competitive advantage is also depending on the performance of the employees. (Interview) Incentive Pay: Incentive pay also includes the HR practice this practice is very essential to motivate the staff, because motivated staff is a key of success as well as to achieve the sustainable competitive advantage to the organization. We can also say that it is a pay of performance. After checking the performance of the employees the organization HR gives pay of performance to them who performed very productivity to gain the sustainable competitive advantage as well as the strategic goals of the organization. The incentive pay could be in the form of bonuses, share, debenture etc. Tesco:- Tesco is the world 3rd largest retail company in the retail chain. The HR of tesco plays very vital role to achieve the strategic goals of the organization as well as to remain the tesco in the sustainable competitive advantage. Tesco HR gives the incentive pay to their staff after check the performance in the form of share and bonuses. (Interview) Training and Development: The main practice of HR is training and development of employees. Training is very important and vital for the employees because with the help of training HR tell to the employee regarding the job task etc. Training give the idea to the employee that when to do, how to do, a trained employee can perform their duty very efficiently which is very beneficial for the organization to achieve the strategic and continuously competitive advantage. This is possible with the help of HR training practice. Asda:- Asda is the American company but established in Britain. The HR of Asda is playing very essential role for the Asda to gain the sustainable competitive advantage in the UK as well as company strategic goals. The main role of HR in Asda is to train the staff according to the job. Asda has multi skills staffs. They can work anywhere, any place in the store. This is very helpful for Asda to reduce the staff cost as well as to achieve the competitive advantage. (Interview) Conclusion:- As the above discussion the role of HRM is very prominent when any changing in the external environmental factors. HRM try to adjust these factors with the internal factors and try that these factors does not affect the organization internal environment as well as today HR practices are very important for every organization to gain the sustainable competitive advantage, because HR plays very essential role in the hiring of the employees. If the employees of the organization are productive and innovative then the organization has sustainable competitive advantage, so the HR practices are the bon of the organization. B) Collective Bargaining:- Introduction:- Collective bargaining is a negotiation among the employees and employers it could be regarding wage, incentive, sack of the employees etc. The main purpose of collective bargaining is to remove the confliction or dispute among the employees and employers. In this bargaining employers on the one hand and employees on the other hand with their representative called union. In the collective bargaining union must has some collective interest since the negotiations which are the beneficial for the several employees as well as union charge their services from the employees. Union role is very vital in this negotiation, because union is representing the whole employees ideas, interest and their demand. Union do the bargain with the employer regarding new terms and condition of the employment. This negotiation and new agreement among the employers and employees is called collective bargaining agreement. Research on Collective Bargaining:- The research which has been done on the collective bargaining for 50 years says that collective bargaining point outs the cost of people behaviour which is the more important as compare to benefits, while planning the national collective bargaining structure to compete in international market. Many countries are giving special consideration for the welfare of the employees. Definition of Collective Bargaining:- The collective bargaining is the procedure of negotiation among the employees, employers and union. This negotiation is regarding the working terms and conditions between employees and employers as well as removes the confliction between both parties (Clegg, 1976) Collective Bargaining:- Collective bargaining when the worker union negotiate with the employer regarding the terms and condition of the employee is called collective bargaining like holidays, working hours, job rotation, employment security, wage etc. Collective Bargaining Agreement:- This is an agreement which is done as a result of negotiation or collective bargaining among the workers, union and employers regarding the wages, is called collective bargaining. Mostly employees terms and condition brings change in this agreement. This agreement is very beneficial for employees rather than the employers. Compensation Packages/Collective Bargaining Issues:- According to Robert L. Mathis (2007) Most of the times compensation packages are negotiated through collective bargaining, this is also known as collective bargaining issues which are given below. Working Conditions Pay/Wages Job Security Hours Fee Collection Pension Suspension Overtime Grievance Procedures Bonus Evaluation Medical Leaves Shifts of Timing Basic Pay Recalls Maternity Leaves Relaxation Periods Insurance Dismissals Paternity Leaves Overtime Charges Promotion Regular working hours Allowances Seniority Holiday Pay Incentive/Pay Performance These are the compensation packages or collective bargaining issues which are mostly negotiated through collective bargaining agreement. Working of Collective Bargaining:- The working of collective bargaining means that employers and union should have to agree on an action plan of collective bargaining E.G. Who is a representative of employees for negotiation? How many time, when and which place both parties will meet up for bargaining/discussion If more than one union is involved then how dialogue will be take place. In the bargaining how many employees are involved Which terms and condition is debateable in the bargaining? The bargaining will take place in the organization or outside the organization. (direct.gov.uk) Collective Bargaining In Good Faith:- The procedure of collective bargaining should be decided by using the positive thinking and best efforts. Both parties talk get-together and should have to consider all the suggestion of each others. In the bargaining if there is any standstill or any other matters both parties should have to carry on the negotiation until they reach an agreement. Both parties should have to give respect to the representative. In the bargaining do not try to talk with the people who is behind the scene. In the bargaining do not deflate the representative this may cause of deterioration of bargaining process. Both parties do not spoil the agreement by crossing its clauses and provision to employees not covered by that agreement. There is an authentic reason for an agreement that must have not any excuse. ( Kiely Thompson,  2007) Advantage to workers:- Collective bargaining gives the high self-esteem as well as productivity to the employees. The management cannot take any illogical action against the workers because collective bargaining restricts the management autonomy. The employees of the organization can easily bargain with the top level of management for their benefits and interests. It also gives the job protection to the employees. Disadvantage to Employees:- If any employee is not the member of union he pays union services. Probably it makes the division between employees and the management/employer. Advantage to Employers:- Collective bargaining is very important for the employers as well, because through it they can easily resolve the problems of the workers instead of individuals. It opens the communication channel between the employees and employers and employees can contribute in decision making. It also plays very essential role to resolve the confliction in the organization. Disadvantage to Employers:- The employers cannot force the employees The management freedom is restricted. The involvement of external body In collective bargaining the employers accept all the demands from the employees. Individual Bargaining:- The concept of individual bargaining is between employee and employer no union involve in this bargaining, in the individual bargaining the employer take more potency rather than the collective bargaining. According to Flanders the individual bargain (agreement) between the employer and the employee, and which is given legal status in the form of an employment contract, provides for an exchange of work for money.(1986) Mostly the individual bargaining is based on when any new contract is take place between employer and employee this contract can be organization new terms and conditions, wages and job timing, eventually in individual bargaining mostly employer is on benefit side as compare to collective bargaining. Examples of collective bargaining and individual bargaining:- Pakistan Tele Communication Limited(PTCL):- In 2006 PTCL workers union which is also known as PTCL announced the strike, the strike is based on that PTCL is reducing the staff as well as not increasing the wage and not increasing the pensions. The PTCL union president Choudhry Manzoor came with three demand which we discussed above. But the management of PTCL denied the three demands but after 15 days both parties announced the content of deal, after this deal the president of PTCL union Choudhry Manzoor took the strike back. This deal is known as collective bargaining agreement between PTCL management and PTCL workers union. In this agreement management of PTCL accepted the three demands.( telecompk.net) British Telecom (BT):- In the British telecom there was confliction regarding the wage between the BT worker union (CWU) and the management of the BT. the confliction started when the BT CEO Ian Livingstons took triple bonus in current year 2010 because of company performance financial recovery. The increased in bonus from  £343000 to  £1.2 M in current year and the total salary of CEO is from  £1.2M to  £2.1M as well as 2% also increased in basic salary which is mentioned in the BT annual financial report. The BT union (CWU) demanded 5% increase in pay and BT management offered only 2%. When the negotiation was not going to success the CWU gave the call of strike. It was happen after 23 years. Both parties at 9th July 2010 through collective bargaining agreement settled the pay rise of 3% until 2013. When both parties announced the content of deal the BT share were rise up 3p or 1.9% which was very good sign for BT. (Lilly Vitorovich) Underground Tube:- The agreement has been done between bosses of rail and transport and RMT union recently, which was regarding the job security of the employees as well as the rising in pay. Everyone knows that maintenance work is going some underground lines. The worker whos doing maintenance work called strike for 2days started from 14th July 2010. The RMT union has suspended the strike after the negotiation both sides have been settled a new agreement of rise the pay 4.2% as well as the guarantee of the job protection. This new agreement is also known as collective bargaining agreement. (bbc.co.uk/news/10604873) Arriva Bus Drivers:- In north wale near to the Easter the arrive bus drivers called strike the strike reason was that they said that their colleagues whos are working in liver pool are getting  £1 more an hour rather than us so they called the strike on Easter and busy weekend. The unite union came as a representative of bus drivers and negotiated with the bosses of buses. The bosses of buses accepted the bus driver demand and both parties announced the content of deal is called collective bargaining agreement. Pakistan Ship Breaker Strike:- In the mid of June the 15000 ship breaker worker union which is known as Gadani ship breaking democratic workers union (GSBDWU) as well as affiliated with the national trade union federation (NTUF) announced the strike for 2days. The reason of strike was low wage, lack of working hours as well job protection. The negotiation is being held between the owner of the association and union. But the owner denied all the demands of the unions. The union once again called the strike on 5th July until our demand will not be accepted. The owner and union again negotiated. The owner accepted the whole demand and both parties are settled on an agreement. British Airways (B.A):- The confliction between cabin crew works union which is known as unite and B.A since last 14 months. The confliction between two parties started, when B.A cut off the cabin crew workers to reduce its expenditure. This situation was worst when B.A staff went on strike. The B.A took the disciplinary action as well as sacked the many workers whos are the member of unite union. B.A offered on 25th June 2010 was 2.9% rise next year and after year 3%. But the union did not accept this offer and also gave new date of strike which is in September 2010. Due to this reason B.A shares value day by day are going down in to the market. (bbc.co.uk/news/business-10695976) Iris Trading Company:- In April 2008 the iris trading company worker union which is name is PWU announced the strike. The reason for strike was very low wages and timing. 7% increase in basic salary of every worker. This was the demand from the union. The union announced strike for 4 days strike on 6th May 2008. The owner of the company Rizwan Hameed and PWU union leader Asif Ghori negotiated and settled the agreement of 5% rise of basic salary of every worker. After this agreement PWU union leader suspended the strike. (Personal Experience) Bangladesh River Worker:- At 16th May 2010, the Government Minster of Dhaka signed an agreement with the leader of union. After this agreement the union leader Ashikul Islam said call of the strike. The demand was from the union leader which the Government Minster agreed was remove all the criminal cases and realise the entire worker. Increase the pay scale 50% to 100%, bonuses for all workers, BOSS Plastic Company strike:- In Pakistan many companies do individual bargaining when we go for job regarding the pay, working hours, bonuses, holidays etc. BOSS is a company which make the plastic furniture. Every employee of BOSS has individual and separate agreement which is mostly done according to the owner desires. In this agreement no union is involved all the terms and conditions set the employers. The agreement which is done without the involvement of union is called individual bargaining agreement. BBC:- In April 2010 BBC offered increase in pay  £300 to the Bectu. The union of its IT worker welcome this offered and cancelled the industrial action (Karl Flinders, 2010) Royal Dutch Shell:- The steel worker united union said that they reached a tentative agreement with the Royal Dutch Shell, this move avert the possible strike and handle the U.S crude oil refining capacity. The union announced that new pack become standard wage, benefits for the workers and good working condition for all 3000 refinery workers whos are the member of union as well as working in U.S (Steve Gelsi, 2009) Royal Mail:- In March 2010 there is an agreement signed between Royal mail and its union worker to finish the long term conflict/ dispute which was job cut and over pay, regarding the new agreement there was rise 7% in the workers wage. Both parties are very happy on the deal. (Christopher Hope and Harry Wallop, 2010) Lindsey Oil Refinery (LOR):- There were dispute in Lindsey Oil Refinery and its worker after very lengthy negotiation. The LOR agreed to reinstatement of 650 worker sacked during the strike as well as the union also ensure that which took an industrial action LOR will not take any action against all those workers, (telegraph.co.uk) Agree or Disagree:- As the above examples it is very clear that when there was any confliction among the employers and employees then this dispute was solve with the help of collective bargaining, the reason of dispute among the employers and employees always in the term of increase in pay, sacking, employment security and incentive pay. The confliction among the employees and employers is not good for the organization economic and production condition, so collective bargaining agreement is very helpful to resolve the dispute and for the organization economy. Therefore we are not agree that the compensation packages negotiated through collective bargaining agr