The Soothing Sensation That Is Bath Salts

The Soothing Sensation That is Bath Salts Introduction â€Å"Oh yeah, me and my girlfriend have a big bag of lavender bath salts sitting at home,† was the initial reaction when I asked a fellow engineer to portray as a testimonial for our borderline inappropriate bath salts infomercial. Contrary to popular belief, this new synthetic drug is far away from producing any effects that are similar to that of a relaxing bath. Until recently, bath salts were popularized to be a â€Å"legal high. In order to tip toe around the federal drug regulatory laws, bath salts were marked with a warning label that mentioned â€Å"not for human consumption. † In South Carolina, before the ban on October 24th 2011, bath salts could be purchased at one of the many head shops, gas stations, and even online. The appearance of the drug itself is usually in a powdered form that is sold within a package that is very aesthetically pleasing. These packages are sold under a variety of appealing na mes such as Ivory Wave, Vanilla Sky, Bliss, Blue Silk and etc.The composition of the synthetic drug bath salts can vary from dealer to dealer. Sometimes you may find traces of other stimulant drugs such as cocaine, amphetamines, or ecstasy, but the most important culprit in bath salts is 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV). MDPV falls under the category of phenethylamines and it is structurally related to synthetic cathinones. Synthetic cathinones are a group of drugs that are derivatives of the natural plant Catha edulis (also known khat), that contain the chemical phenylalkylamine alkaloid (Coppola, 2011).The remainder of the paper will provide some of the current available information such as pharmacokinetics, neurophysiology, and a brief discussion about MDPV as the primary active ingredient in bath salts. Pharmacokinetics The routes of administration of bath salts are similar to that of drugs in the â€Å"salt† class. The most common method is insufflation which result s in faster onset of the effects but does not have a long duration. There are also other routes of administration preferred by drug enthusiasts; these mechanisms include parietal injections, intravenously, â€Å"bombing,† and also rectal administration.The â€Å"bombing† method involves putting the salt crystals in to cigarette paper to form a capsule and then simply swallowing it. The rectal administration requires an individual to dissolve the salt crystals in a type of liquid vehicle (i. e. water) and then introduce the liquid to the rectum via the anus. The absorption of MDPV is primarily dependent on the route of administration. The nasal route obviously has the quickest absorption. On the other hand, the oral administration is absorbed poorly because when taken orally, the rate of absorption compares to that of cocaine.The metabolism of MDPV in the human liver occurs similarly to that of other synthetic cathinone. The process involves multiple steps and the last of which is where the catechol ring of MDPV is methylated by COMT (Prosser, 2011). COMT is one of several enzymes that are involved in the degradation of catecholamines (i. e. dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine). Finally, after the metabolism, the excretion of MDPV waste occurs through the urine of feces. Since there are no published, the duration of the effects of MDPV must be recorded with the word of mouth from experienced users.The drug effects start presenting themselves approximately 10-20 minutes after nasal administration and duration is close to 2. 5 hours. With oral administration, users report the effect to set in between 15-45 minutes after ingestion and the duration can last anywhere from 3-4 hours (in rare cases as much as 12 hrs) (Psychonaut, 2009). Neurophysiology As mentioned previously, due to the limited amount of available information for understanding the mechanism of physiological action of MDPV, the neurophysiology is theorized to have a similar mechani sm to that of amphetamines and MDMA.This comparison is highly based on the structural similarities between amphetamines and synthetic cathinones (Prosser, 2011). The effects of amphetamines and their derivatives are produced by the three-fold effect on monoamine synapses. First, amphetamine-like drugs cause a leakage of neurotransmitters (NTs) from the presynaptic vesicles into the synaptic cleft. Second, they also increase the amount of NTs released in response to an action potential.Finally, there is an inhibition of monoamine reuptake from the synaptic cleft. As a result of the three-fold effect, there is an increase in concentration of NTs in the synaptic cleft which prolongs and enhances the effect of MDPV. Effects of MDPV on the Mind and Body Similar to most highly abused substances, MDPV has a laundry list of physical and psychological effects, including both desired and undesired. This data of effects is generated from first hand users and from the thousands of hospital admi ssions.With initial administration of MDPV, users can feel some desired effects that are not necessarily harmful (including but not limited to): increased energy, increased sociability, mild euphoria, increased concentration, sexual arousal (Coppola, 2011 & Psychonaut 2009). Individuals that experience these non-harmful side effects are considered to be very lucky because on the other side of the coin are some very serious undesired psychoactive side effects. These undesired effects include extreme paranoia, delusional thinking, visual & auditory hallucinations, self-mutilation, insomnia, violence, and restlessness (Prosser, 2011).Side effects of MDPV travels in pairs, if it affects the mind it will also have an effect on the body. Effects on the body include hypertension, tachycardia, chest pains, vasoconstriction, muscle twitches, bruxism, insomnia, and lack of appetite (Psychonaut, 2009). Currently, there is no effective treatment against MDPV overdose. The only method that is co nsidered is to treat the physiological symptoms as they rise in order to prevent the individual from cause harm to themselves or others.To integrate all of the information I have provided in the paper thus far, I will present one of the many case studies that were published by medical doctors after this dramatic increase in hospital admissions as a consequence of MDPV psychosis. A 27-year-old female named J. H was brought to the emergency room by the local police after they received multiple phone calls reporting an assailant breaking into their home. Upon arrival of the police, they were notified that there was a dead body in the hallway and that the homeowners were next for being killed. The police soon deduced that J. H. as suffering from paranoid delusions. In the emergency room, J. H. presented with hypertension, tachycardia, diaphoresis, and extreme fear but there were no sign of a physical disorder. When the results for her complete blood count, the comprehensive metabolic pa nel and the drug urine test returned completely unremarkable, she was transferred to the hospital’s psychiatric unit. The psychiatric staff recorded that she had a disorganized thought process, poor memory and was still convinced that she was in imminent danger. The only option for the doctors that was available was to start J. H. n treatment for Schizophrenia. The following day, her condition mildly improved and she was able to inform the doctors about the events that resulted with her being hospitalized. Apparently, she had a past history of opiate dependence, and one day, her and her boyfriend discovered bath salts, under the name of â€Å"Powdered Rush,† at a local head shop. They admitted to being on a binge period by insufflation for about five to six days prior to admission. The doctors concluded that paranoid psychosis from MDPV developed very much like that seen with methamphetamines and other psychostimulants.After three to four days of sleep deprivation, the re was an onset of paranoid psychosis symptoms. She was released from the hospital a few days later after she was able to recover from sleep exhaustion (Antonowicz, 2011). Discussion As of November 2011, it was reported that there is currently no research that focuses on addiction and withdrawal related to synthetic cathinones (Prosser, 2011). This means that conclusions about MDPV related addiction, dependence, and withdrawal must be extrapolated from other drugs that are similar in structure and mechanism of action.As discussed previously, the mechanism of MDPV is by inhibiting the reuptake of catecholamines to produce strong stimulant effects. MDPV stimulates the ventral tegmental area to release more dopamine, which in turn will project to multiple areas of the brain: prefrontal cortex (PFC), nucleus accumbens (NAcc), and the hippocampus. All of these structures contribute to the conditioning and reinforcing behavior of MDPV. Since the reuptake of dopamine is inhibited, there is going to be an increase in the concentration of dopamine in the synaptic cleft.One can imagine the addictive, dependence, and tolerance properties of MDPV to be a combination of the properties of morphine, cocaine, and ecstasy. To elaborate, the pattern of administration of MDPV resembles to morphine because there is a slow increase in the dose over time required to acquire the necessary effect. Then the administration pattern of ecstasy also factors in because of cravings it causes. When an individual abuses ecstasy the serotonin will become scarce over time due to overstimulation.The low levels of serotonin will cause the individual to crave more ecstasy, but no amount of ecstasy will help. Similarly, the over production of MDPV causes the catecholamines to run low in supply and cause the addict to crave more. Finally, the other pattern that contributes to MDPV resembles the administration pattern of cocaine. The components of cocaine administration pattern that is relative to MD PV are the binge and exhaustion periods. Individuals will abuse MDPV for a period of time and due to sleep deprivation the individual will crash.In conclusion, when we integrate the three patterns together, the overall pattern of MDPV will show an increase in dose of administration until the individual either crashes from exhaustion or passes away due to an event that occurred in psychosis. When viewing the overall pattern of MDPV use, it is easy to see that majority of the time this drug can be extremely harmful. But, some users report that when MDPV is ingested at low doses, it produces a stimulant effect that is similar to methylphenidate. This glimpse of reported user experiences can make MDPV a candidate for ADD/ADHD treatment (Psychonaut, 2009).One of the factors that can increase the frequency of abuse of MDPV is the marketing of the bath salts themselves. The overall design and nomenclature that the bath salts are sold under are very aesthetically pleasing. Through personal experience, prior to the ban of bath salts, the price was very affordable when compared to the quality of effect (approximately $18 for 50 mg). Now after the federal ban, the price of some bath salts online range from $900 to $2200 for a large quantity. Many news reports suggest that there is a common misconception of harm when it comes to substances such as bath salts or other similar â€Å"legal† substances.Just because there are substances that seem to sneak around the drug regulations, they should be assumed as being safe. Statistics from the American Association of Poison Control Centers state that there were 1782 calls nationwide to poison centers about designer drugs labeled as â€Å"bath salts† just during the first four months of 2011. This was an exponential increase when compared to just 302 calls in all of 2010 (AAPCC). Mark Ryan, director of the Louisiana Poison Center, writes a quote for an article on Drugs. com that said: â€Å"If you ake the very worst effects of the illegal drugs LSD and Ecstasy with their hallucinogenic, delusional type properties, and combine them with the extreme agitation, superhuman strength and combativeness of PCP, as well as the stimulant properties of cocaine and methamphetamines, you have summarized the potential negative effects of bath salts use. † In conclusion, there has been a dramatic increase in the abuse of bath salts with the primary ingredient being MDPV. The current approach of gathering information for the mechanism of action of MDPV is mostly done by modulating the internet.Despite the lack of research on synthetic cathinones, individuals still take the risk to abuse MDPV. But based on similarities found between MDPV and other stimulants, we can theorize the mechanisms of action in the central nervous system. In my opinion, if you have not exposed yourself to MDPV it would be a wise decision to keep it that way because, metaphorically speaking, MDPV is like your girlfriend; it not on ly screws with your body but also your mind. 🙂 (I thought I would put a smiley face so that I can actually get to see it). References 1. American Association of Poison Control Centers. . Antonowicz, J. , Metzger, A. , & Ramanujam, S. (2011). Paranoid psychosis induced by consumption of methylenedioxypyrovalerone: two cases. General Hospital Psychiatry, 33, 640. e5-640. e6. Retrieved December 4, 2011, from the SciVerse ScienceDirect database. 3. Coppola, M. , & Mondola, R. (2011). 3,4-Methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV): Chemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology of a new designer drug of abuse marketed online. Toxicology Letters, 208(1), 12-15. Retrieved December 4, 2011, from the ScienceDirect database. 4. Hallucinogens Legally Sold as ‘Bath Salts' a New Threat – Drugs. om MedNews. (n. d. ). Drugs. com | Prescription Drug Information, Interactions & Side Effects. Retrieved December 6, 2011, from http://www. drugs. com/news/hallucinogens-legally-sold-bath-salts-new- threat-2 9344. html 5. Prosser, J. , & Nelson, L. (2011). The Toxicology of Bath Salts: A Review of Synthetic Cathinones. American College of Medical Toxicology, 7, 1-10. Retrieved December 4, 2011, from the SpringerLink database. 6. Psychonaut: Psychonaut WebMapping Research Group, MDPV Report, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK (2009).

Examining Yourself as a Writer Essay

The art of writing is a unique skill that requires the writer to have great flexibility and be open to improvement. Some may consider themselves a â€Å"perfect writer†, when in reality, no one is, and will ever be. Writing is a process that requires one to continuously build on skills learned in previous situations, applying new techniques and strategies to future writing projects. Different settings require different writing styles, and with that being said, one must be willing to change their writing skills to suit the requirements of their current setting. In the following essay I will reflect on past writing assignments, identifying my best and worst writing courses, strengths and weaknesses as a writer, and my opinion on why writing may or may not be beneficial to me throughout my career. Although I consider English/Composition one of my strong points, writing wouldn’t fall into the category of things I like to do. As bad as it sounds, I’m the type of person who only writes when it’s required of me to do so. As I look back on my writing career I’d have to say my best writing course was a course entitled Health Disparities. I took this course my junior year at Spelman College and was required to write quite a few papers. I would name this course my best in terms of writing because we were able to choose between a number of topics to write our papers on, versus just one, and each topic focused on something I personally am very interested in, which is health. Most of the papers required 5-10 pages, but because I was interested in the topics 5-10 pages felt like 3-5. The professor provided detailed feedback on our papers, giving us the opportunity to revise the paper before turning in the final copy. I would have to say that my worst writing co urse was Intro to Eastern Religious Traditions. I disliked this course because the subject matter itself confused me. The writing assignments were outlandish and required a great deal of critical thinking and research on a topic that I found to be very complex and confusing. I am not a big fan of research papers, especially when I have no interest in the topic of discussion. Another thing that made it so bad was the fact that the professor was very strict and it seemed like nothing was good enough. It was from this course that I learned the importance of being an open writer, in  terms of adjusting my writing style to accept new forms and topics of writing. All writers have strengths and weaknesses when it comes to their ability to formulate a piece of literature. One of my main strengths in writing is the ability to formulate sentences that are grammatically correct. I have always been particular about using correct punctuation, spelling words correctly, and making sure my sentences flow. I would also consider my vocabulary to be quite extensive, allowing for the use of more sophisticated words throughout my writing. My weaknesses include issues with starting my introduction, expressing my ideas and thoughts in a concise and coherent manner, and formulating the body of my paper, as far as weeding out what is and isn’t important in relation to my thesis statement. When given a prompt, so many thoughts start flowing through my head that I sometimes get overwhelmed and can’t decide what information I should and shouldn’t use. One thing I’ve never been too keen on is outlining my thoughts before beginning a piece of writing. I’m the type of person who thinks and writes at the same time, which may not allow me to adequately brainstorm on the information that should be provided in my writing. With that being said, I will work on first, placing my ideas on paper, then placing those ideas into an outline, and lastly formulating my paper into a smooth and concise piece of writing In my opinion, writing is a fundamental aspect of all facets of life, especially in most, if not all careers. If one is unable to write, it can be very hard for them to carry out even the smallest tasks. You don’t have to be an expert writer, but basic writing skills are a must. In my future career as a Nurse, writing will be very relevant. Nurses have to complete patient charts, provide detailed explanations of the patient’s care regimes for those who will be providing care to the patients after them, etc. Communication between nurses and doctors is crucial and if not documented with precision a patient’s life could be in jeopardy. A nurse without writing capabilities would not be able to perform their job with the proficiency that they should. As previously mentioned, writing is a process that welcomes proficiency, but not perfection. One must understand the importance of being flexible and open to change when it comes to writing. Practicing good writing skills can be a little difficult but, it’s a long-term commitment which facilitates the ability to develop better writing habits. With great effort, weaknesses can be turned into strengths,  and current strengths can always be improved. I look forward to improving my ability to articulate my ideas in a clear and intelligent manner, as well as practicing my new skills in and outside of this course, as well as in my future career as a Nurse.

Qualitative Research Method Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Qualitative Research Method - Assignment Example For the qualitative research method, the anticipated data collection technique to use is the interview, with which a corresponding interview transcript shall be designed. For the interview, the kinds of data anticipated to be generated are open ended subjective questions that will yield a qualitative type of data. This is said against the background that once interviewees are asked questions by the researcher, the researcher does not limit their scope and range of response, thereby making the responses as subjective as possible (Gay and Airasian, 2000). As the major feature of qualitative method is to permit the researcher undertake subjective data collection and analysis, it is said that the kind of data to be generated will be the qualitative type of data. Directly related to the use of the interview, the researcher proposes to design an interview transcript that will be used as a data collection instrument. The most underling feature of this research instrument is that it would pe rmit the researcher to assign codes to all the responses that are collected so that the corresponding data analysis exercise shall be easier and precise (Denzin and Lincoln, 2005). Having touched on the data analysis plan to be used, it would be said that the selection of data analysis techniques is very important for this purpose of qualitative data collection research because the data analysis will make large volume of rich text data accessible and meaningful to all users of the research findings. The selection of the data analysis technique is backed with the need of ensuring that the researcher shall not take advantage of the subjective collection of data to present data that cannot be authenticated and substantiated to be factual and reliable. To this end, the hand coding technique shall be used. Hand coding is advantageous because it is interpretive and aims at organizing data so as to introduce the interpretation of the data into an empirical method (Creswell, 2007).

Better Use Computer Assisted Auditing Techniques for Auditing Thesis

Better Use Computer Assisted Auditing Techniques for Auditing - Thesis Example Over the recent years many audit firms have shifted towards using this technique, as this technique has helped in analyzing audit data more quickly and rapidly. The other discussion point in this report is the flexibility of CAAT with auditing and other standards such as SOX. The other issue in this report is the concern of using this technique after having proper analysis of the business being audited. Finally, the report is concluded by pointing out that its benefits clearly outweigh its risk. The purpose of this project is to discuss the main features of Computer Assisted Audit Techniques (CAATs) and how the use of such technique can assist in better auditing procedures being followed up by auditors. With such better procedures being followed by auditors, the conclusion that they draw would be considered stronger as CAATs help in huge data to be analyzed. To give the reasoning as to why CAATs are better than traditional audit techniques, it is compared with those techniques. Practical examples and case studies are given to further elaborate the upper hand that CAATs have over other techniques and how they assist auditors in drawing better conclusions. Finally its advantages and disadvantages are looked upon which suggest that the advantages prevail over its disadvantages. (Warren, 2007) An auditing process is automated by the use of techniques such as CAAT. The adoption of this technique has led many audit firms to change their way of auditing any particular company i.e. rather than using the traditional audit techniques, CAAT is hugely used and encouraged by audit firms. The basic aim of this technique is to assist the auditor in reducing his manual work; major data can be processed with ease hence leading to a better opinion being made by the auditor. Auditors using manual audit technique have to manually select sample data upon which to base their conclusion, while selecting this sample data

Australian Law Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Australian Law - Coursework Example Legislative issues arising from the legislature are resolved in the high courts of Australia. The governor-general takes leadership roles in both the executive and the legislature. However, he does not have such power over the judiciary ((Chisholm & Garth 2012, 140). This makes the judiciary part of the government independent from the other arms of government and this ensures that justice is served if the persons serving the other arms of the government misbehave. Court Hierarchy in Western Australia The highest level of the court hierarchy in Australia is the high court. This court deal with court appeal cases from the lower court bodies such as the supreme courts, the federal courts, family courts and the full court. The high court has a special role of dealing with cases of great significance to the federal government which includes challenges to the legitimacy and constitutionality of legislature decisions. Below the high court we have the federal courts which delegates on civil matters. These courts can be presided over by a full court of three judges or a single judge. The family courts is the third type of court in Australia an deals with family and marriage related cases together with the cases related to rights of children born in Australia. Below this we have the federal magistrate courts dealing with cases of minimal complexities. These include cases arising from civil rights, family law, industrial law and bankruptcy. After this comes the federal tribunals that have been created to deal with specific cases related to immigration, native title, human rights and industrial relations ((Chisholm & Garth 2012, 156). Lastly we have the state courts that deal with issues unique to each state. These are further subdivided into supreme courts, intermediate and lower courts, special courts and tribunals. Alternative Dispute Resolution There are various alternative dispute resolution methods that are used in conflict resolution. One of the techniques is arbitr ation where two conflicting parties seek the help of a third party (arbitrator) whose decision they decide to comply with instead if taking a case to court. The arbitrator is expected to be impartial and should not take any sides. This method is cheaper and faster than a court proceeding. However, it may be difficult to resolve the issue in cases requiring high level of expertise that the arbitrator does not possess. Conciliation is another alternative where the conciliator meets with each party in a conflict separately. Mediation is another technique where the conflict parties seek the help of a mediator who develops a settlement that works for both parties ((Chisholm & Garth 2012, 138). Tribunals are like informal courts where disputes in different areas are resolved outside a formal court system and are also quick. All these methods have been seen to be effective in reducing the reoccurrence of the same conflicts. This is because all the parties involved get chances to influence the final decision and get a settlement that works for them. This is unlike when the conflicts are resolved in a court where the parties are forced to abide by the court orders whether they agree with the decisions or not. Role of Specialized Courts and Tribunals The special courts and tribunals are part of each of the states court system and deal with special issues that affects people

Acute chest sydrome Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Acute chest sydrome - Research Paper Example Basically, the illness is defined as follows: â€Å"ACS is the term used to describe a new pulmonary infiltrate with respiratory findings in a person with sickle cell disease.† (Miller, 2011). The causes of Acute Chest Syndrome have been found to be both infectious and noninfectious. Thus causing its treatment modalities to be different and not typical when compared to the treatment of other pulmonary illnesses that might be found in non Sickle Cell patients. Hence the unique nature of Acute Chest Syndrome as a stand alone illness or as part of the Sickle Cell complications. â€Å"2504 febrile events in 466 children with SCD resulted in 466 of the infants acquiring ACS. The incidence of ACS cumulatively decreased over time from 27.0% to 17.4% among febrile children with SCD (P More commonly seen as a complication among children suffering from CSD, ACS has proven to have a peak incidence among children between 2-4 of age, which accounts for 25.3 per 100 patients years among children with hemoglobin SS. The epidemiology of the illness also offers evidence that among patients with SCD; â€Å"ACS is the second most common cause of hospitalization (second to vasoocclusive pain) with a reported rate of 12.8 hospitalizations per 100 patient years. It is the most common cause of death, with one-fourth of SCD-related deaths due to ACS. In a report from the CSSCD, the death rate in patients with ACS is 1.8 percent in children and 4.3 percent in adults.†(Uptodate.com, 2014) Among hospitalized patients with SCD, almost half of those confined can be

Extra Credit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Extra Credit - Essay Example The most important concept that I learned from the episode is the unity and cooperation among Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, Carnegie, Ford, and Morgan. They often seemed to combine their efforts and in the process make more discoveries. For example, discovery of electricity made it easier for other industries such as finance, and transport to flourish. However, I tend to think that this episode fails to show the ethical issues that characterized the making of America. For example, the episode does not show how thousands of people were oppressed in the process of industrialization. I actually wonder if some of the research standards used by the men who build America would stand the test of time in the modern society. Nevertheless, we can say that the end justifies the means since America is what it is today because of such hardworking and dedicated men who put all their energy and commitment to developing America from nothing to something. â€Å"History†. The Men Who Built America - New Episodes. Web 18 October 2012.

Strategic Plan Developement Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Strategic Plan Developement Paper - Essay Example For Riordan, their success as a leading manufacturing company has only been because of their successful sales and marketing strategies which were also responsible for preserving excellent customer associations. Riordan also realizes the fact that the company needs to redefine and redeem itself along with the time in order to progress consistently and reach the new horizons while taking the business to the subsequent height so as to remain competitive and spirited. Therefore, it becomes imperative for Riordan Manufacturing Company’s top level management to devise a new strategic plan for bring extremely important developments which may guarantee Riordan the rank they have endeavored to attain. This is also because of the fact that most of the modern day entrepreneurs and business managers are often so anxious with instantaneous subjects that they temporarily forget their ultimate objectives unintentionally. My development of Strategic plan for Riordan Manufacturing Company will revolve around the broader future vision2 of the company itself. This vision circles around producing the final products at optimum costs while focusing upon the company’s future, maintaining excellent long term customer oriented relationships, maximizing employees’ utility while incorporating employee-friendly policies, maintaining environment friendly activities while growing business’ prospects, and complimenting the quality related issues in accordance with international standards. Since Riordan is not the only company which produces molding materials made off plastic, there always remains a chance of fearsome competition in the market. However, this leads to the fact that correctly identifying and capturing of market opportunities may bring more success for the company. While having factory facilities placed in San Jose, California, Albany, Georgia, Pontiac, Michigan, and Hang Zhou in China3, Riordan has certainly found new markets around the world. Emerging

The Concept of Externalities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Concept of Externalities - Essay Example Among externalities are ecological issues. When ecological issues come in, it is hard to control it. Example for these is the oceans, the rivers, and the air (Gale, 2001). It is hard for a market to cope up especially if there is an ecological exploitation. Most affected to this are those market whose products are taken directly to the one exploited, e.g. like sea foods. But usually the causes of the negative externalities are done also by the market itself. Example are those factory owners, if they dispose there wastes to the streams, they cause pollution. The market maybe aware about the impact they are doing but they think they can get away with it, or because the disposing of the garbage is too high, or they limit the budget for disposing waste to avoid costly method of disposing it (Mind your Business, 2003). In the long run, the negative impact will go back to them and that's when they realize the result of there actions. The market should regulate their waste disposal. They should invest a food was to dispose their wastes. In this case, they can be able to prevent ecological issues. To avoid the market failure, there are things that can be done not only by the market itself but the government can also intervene. Since the market know little about environmental impacts this requires research. This way though causes high costs for research. But there's another way, the government. The government has many accesses to more related action firms about this. The government can enforce an environment-protecting set of standards on the polluting industry. They can also limit the activities of this markets that can cause negative externalities. With this policy, markets will be controlled on their activities that may affect the environment. The government can enforce a tax on the polluter basing on estimated cost the damage done; in return the tax will then be used to eradicate pollution (Thompson, 2005). This way the only affected by the tax imposed are the producers and the consumers of the goods. Quoted from Mind Your Business news (Oct., 2003), "During the summer, they released their annual report - part of which was devoted to reporting on the performance of businesses in relation to incidents of pollution. The report suggests that overall incidents of serious pollution were 20% lower than in 2001 but cautions against any complacency and identifies well known businesses as being guilty of repeat offencesThe average fine per company rose by over one third to 8,744. Fines of more than 20,000 rose by nearly 42% compared to 2001 but the Environment Agency clearly feel that the size of the fines are insufficient to persuade companies to change their behavior. They cite numerous examples of businesses who flouted the regulations including a company director who dumped soil containing arsenic, mercury and cyanide. Arsenic is a deadly poison it its pure form and can cause circulatory problems, skin damage and increases the risk of cancer. Cyanide causes nerve damage and thyroid pr oblems and mercury causes skin disorders, internal bleeding, liver, kidney and intestinal damage. He was jailed for a year!" So for those markets out there beware about the rules and the consequences you might get into when it comes to environmental issues! According to Schultze (2006) that when a market failure occurs the resources fails. He emphasized that

Sustainable Design and Its Place in my Pedagogy Essay Example for Free

Sustainable Design and Its Place in my Pedagogy Essay I believe that a person needs to know how to make (they need an understanding of the theories of manufacture at very least). They need to have that skill before they can become an accomplished designer. Equally, I believe that a maker needs to have a good understanding of the design process (they need a concept of design at least). This conceptual understanding will in turn inform the manufacture of designs. This maybe a bold statement to make, but my prior experiences have led me to stand by this assertion. My BA (Hons) in Furniture Design Craftsmanship was a fifty per cent design based course with a fifty per cent making aspect. This meant that with my understanding of how furniture was constructed, this informed my designing. But by the same token, not a complete compromise was ever made on the design. We were encouraged to stick by our guns with regards to form and function, and to whichever way our particular project was slanted. From that, when I entered the world of employment, realisations hit me thick and fast. It was evident when working with some interior designers, as well as some architects, that there was clearly no real concept of how their designs were going to be brought to three-dimensional life. This put a lot of pressure on me as a maker, to work through the problems of the designs. Now, if I was unfamiliar with the processes and concepts of design at this stage, I could have (as many in the same workshop did), said that it was not possible and not offered much in terms of alternatives or solutions (even though the designer seems to take a larger chunk of the commission and never pays for that problem solving that a manufacture has to deal with). If however, the designer is more familiar with the processes of manufacture, many problems could be resolved at the drawing board. I have also experienced levels of craftsmanship that are not worthy of that title. I am strong in my belief, that in Britain (or at least in the South-East and London areas); there is a distinct lack of practical ability regarding manufacturing expertise. Great Britain was once famed for its remarkable craftsmen and women of all fields, but working on building sites over the last three or so years has led me to ask; what happened to them? I believe, important hand skills are being lost and that design technology in schools is one of the only tools to try to reintroduce a revival. This could be done through a series of Focused Practical Tasks (FPTs); this will inform later Design Make Assignments (DMAs). However; Ofsted has reported consistently that designing skills lag behind making skills. In 2002 Ofsted reported that in some schools, there is insufficient attention to the processes of designing, particularly in Key Stage 3 where pupils experience of design and technology is merely a sequence of short focused practical tasks with no opportunity to apply their own ideas in a longer design task. (ITE, 2009) I personally have a pet dislike towards the current linear style project folder. An ADDIE model (Analyse, Design, Develop, Implement, and Evaluate) these processes are considered to be sequential but also iterative. (Molenda, 2003) This is present in most schools and has been for a number of years, certainly during my education. It wasnt until I started my higher education that I realised that design is not linear at all. Design practice in Technology education in high schools context is not a representation of the professional realm of design. (Leahy, 2009, p. 25) We dont write a brief, research, write a specification, design, develop and make on after the other. In reality, we are constantly researching all along the way, we are then testing at a number of different stages and that advises our designs, developments require another level of research and so on. I understand the ease that a linear style can prove to be in school practice, but it is an artificial way of design. Both Linear process and assessment are stifling creative design outcomes. (Leahy, 2009, p. 25) I would like to build into my teaching a way of a addressing the folder design, so that it becomes more natural and closer to real industry approach. I also feel that as designers or makers, we have a conscience role and obligation to making a sustainable planet. On my degree course an emphasis towards sustainability was always implied, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) was one of many governing bodies spoken about. We were always encouraged to be as least wasteful as possible and very conscience of selecting the right timber or other materials. I gained a great amount of respect for the importance of sustainability from two key sources. One was that in Native American Indian culture, that when a buffalo or bison was slain, not one piece of its body was ever wasted, all flesh became foo d, organs we delicacies, hides became clothing and shelters and bones became tools. The second was a book One Tree. The book shows the workings of a number of artists, sculptors, furniture makers and other craftsmen and women, that all used material from one oak tree. Every single bit of the tree was used, so that one persons waste was the next persons to manipulate. (Olson, 2001) Sustainable Design is a focus towards elements of social, environmental, developmental and ethical concerns. When going through the processes of designing physical objects and built environments; Questioning the need for a product; achieving more for less; a concern for quality of life instead of material standard of living; a focus on causes of environmental problems rather than their symptoms; and an onus on service as opposed to ownership (Goggin, 2002), all need to be considered along the design journey. This relates directly to my topic regarding the 6 Rs. The intention of sustainable design is to eliminate negative environmental impact completely through skillful, sensitive design (McLennan, 2004). This can only be achieved by: empowering people (children as well as adults) with the knowledge, ideas and tools that not only address current needs but also those of future generations (United Nations, 1992). Sustainable design will naturally lend itself to sustainable development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet the needs of their own (Goggin, 2002, p. 257). Two biologists Anne and Paul Ehrlich (1990) proposed that environmental impact (E) equates to population (P), multiplied by material consumption, or affluence (A), multiplied by the environmental impact of technology used to produce goods (T). This is shown as: E = P x A x T. Goggin and Lawler (2002) then explained that as a benchmark of today we can show it as 1 = 1 x 1 x 1. The United nations International Panel on Climate Change have called for a sixty per cent cut in green house gases. Population is set to double in the next forty years and the affluence mark is supposed to increase four times. This means to balance the equation: 0.4 (E) = 2 (P) x 4 (A) x ? (T), Technological Impact needs to be 0.05. That is a ninety-five per cent reduction. Clearly sustainability cannot be achieved through design alone and in the absence of a Draconian population control, we are left with affluence. (Goggin, 2002, p. 258) Does this then mean that the task of simply reducing the amount of products we manufacture is not enough, we then have to consume a lot less as well? We can consume far a smaller amount by addressing the six Rs, or in particular; Repair, Reuse and Recycle, and on a deeper level Refuse products that are not fit for purpose or/and non-sustainable. We can also address the issues of material consumption and technologies environmental impacts, through adopting an Ecodesign methodology or even a consideration for Life Cycles. These approaches look at every impact in every stage of the products life span towards the environment, as well as looking to improve the products function, appearance and quality (or Fit for Purpose). I have written into my topic of work an analysis task which in turn leads on to a redesign task or a development task, where a somewhat non-sustainable product is evaluated and redeveloped sensitively, in order to reduce the environmental impact of that product. Even if this is only on a basic introductory level, it will provide and use some, if not all, the relevant skills that are required for sustainable design. I believe if an element of sustainability is written into all design briefs, whether it is a small FPT, or a full DMA, then a thought at least to sustainability will be second nature. When walking around classrooms on my placement (also of my own schooling experience), challenging a pupils design folders for their inclusion of sustainable thought, seemed to receive a strained after-thought explanation. I have found myself trying to question further their intentions for material choices and production techniques. In doing this, sometimes the answers are good and seem well informed as if the knowledge is present in their understanding, but not applied in their designing. On other occasions, they simply do not have the knowledge and depth of understanding to inform their designing. That then puts the responsibility on us as design technology educators, to deliver not only the knowledge for their understanding, but also to write into project briefs and assessment criteria an aspect of environment consideration. There are a number of natural areas where sustainability fits neatly into the current ADDIE project folder style. I know I have mentioned my dislike for this unnatural linear way of designing, but maybe small steps are in order. In a full DMA project folder, for example a KS4 GCSE or A-Level controlled assessment folder, research, analyses and design developments are all areas to include sustainability, at very least. Most projects require an element of researching a current market product. While researching an analysis can be carried out to outline its level of sustainability and in this analysis evaluation, suggestions can be made to how to improve these levels. This subsequently leads onto writing in to a specification these findings and that will inform the design stages of the project. This is then revisited at the modification stage as well as the evaluation. This is not a new concept by any means. It was included in the 1995 National Curriculum frameworks. The approach to pupils understanding the issues of sustainability take three forms: eco-logging, eco-choice points and life-cycle design. (Goggin, 2002) Although I am suggesting that we ensure that sustainability is featured in design technology lessons, it is actually a statutory requirement. It is mentioned on a number of occasions throughout the 2008 National Curriculum and could also be interpreted into the Every Child Matters policy, under Making a Positive Contribution. Sustainability was also one of the buzz words at a recent AQA Teacher Standardising Meeting I attended. The AQAs controlled assessments guidance are pushing for an emphasis in pupils folders to be on sustainable design. (AQA, 2009) My chosen topic of sustainability fits into my personal pedagogy, as the importance of sustaining our environment is a not only crucial, but more of an obligation of a designer. The theory delivered over the 3 lessons maybe a bit intense for Key Stage 3, but as I am aiming at year 10 (Key Stage 4), it would do well to inform their GCSE controlled assessment folder and ultimately their design practice. I believe that it would be better used as part of a scheme of work, in which the theory would enlighten a full DMA project. Sustainability is one area of design technology amongst others, that if its knowledge is put into action/context then it enables creative problem-solving. (Lunn, 2008) The 2008 National Curriculum calls for creative problem solvers. The link between problem-solving and creativity also has two aspects: perceiving a problem is a creative act of an agentive mind; and seeking solutions, students improve their own practice. (Lunn, 2008) Sustainability is an ever-developing subject area, it develops with science, with new materials and will keep doing so, therefore the three lessons are very relevant and up to date now, and the main concepts will be as well for some time, but the content and examples will need to be revised regularly to still keep the lessons significant. The ability to be creative and flexible is critical in the face of a rapidly changing world. (Mishra, 2008) Bibliography AQA. (2009). AQA Controlled Assessment Teacher Standardising Meeting: GCSE Design Technology: Resistant Materials Technology delivered by Smith, R. Maidstone, Kent: AQA. Campbell, R.J., Robinson, W., Neelands, J., Huston, R. and Mazzoli, L. (2007). Personalised Learning: Ambiguities In Theory and Practice. British Journal of Educational Studies, 55 (2), P. 135-154 Chester, I. (2008). 3D-CAD: Modern Technology Outdated Pedagogy?. Design and Technology Education: An International Journal, 12 (1), P. 8-10 Ehrlich, P. and Ehrlich, A. (1990). The Population Explosion. New York: Simon and Schuster. Goggin, P. and Lawler, T. (2002). Sustainability and Design and Technology in Schools. In Owen-Jackson, G. (Ed.), Aspects of Teaching Secondary Design Technology Perspectives on Practice (2002 ed., pp. 257 266). London: Routeledge Falmer and The Open University. ITE. (2009). Pedagogy: Secondary Induction Subject Resources Network. Aspects of Secondary DT teaching, [Online] , Available: URL:http://www.data.org.uk/index.php?option=com_contentview=articleid=592Itemid=539 [Access date 7 November 2009]. Leahy, K., Gaughran, W. and Seery, N. (2009). Preferential Learning Styles as an Influencing Factor in design Pedagogy. (E. Norman, Ed.) Design and Technology Education: An International Journal , 14 (2), P. 25-44. Learning-Theories.com. (2009, November). Constructivism at Learning-Theories.com. Learning Theories Knowledgebase (2009, November) , Available URL:http://www.learning-theories.com/constructivism.html[Access date 9th November 2009]. Lunn, S., Davidson, M. and Murphy, P. (2008). Developing an effective Pedagogy for Creative Problem-Solving in Design and Technology. Centre for Curriculum and Teaching Studies, Faculty of Education and Language Studies, The Open University , Available: URLhttp://kn.open.ac.uk/public/getfile.cfm?documentfileid=4186 [Access date 9th November 2009]. McLennan, J. F. (2004). The Philosophy of Sustainable Design. Kansas City, Missouri: Ecotone LLC. Mishra, P. a. (2008). Teachers, Creativity TPACK: SITE Keynote. Michigan State University, USA. Molenda, M. (2003). The ADDIE Model (Draft). In A. . Kovalchick, Eds, Educational Technology: An Encyclopedia. Santa Barbara, CA: Copyright by ABC-Clio. National Curriculum. (2009), London: QCA Olson, G. and Toaig, P. (2001). One Tree, London: Merrell Publishers Oxford Dictionaries. (revised 2008). Concise Oxford English Dictionary (11th ed.). Oxford: Oxford Dictionaries. Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. (2009). Sustainable Development in Action: A Curriculum Planning Guide for Schools. London: Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA). Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency. (2008). National Curriculum. London: Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA). United Nations. (1992). Conference on Environment Development, Agenda 21, Promoting Environmental Awareness. Agenda 21: United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (p. Chapter 36). Rio De Janeiro, Brazil: United Nations.

Separatism and Conflict in Catalonia

ï » ¿Separatism and Conflict in Catalonia Abstract The following research paper focuses on Catalonia’s desire for Independence. The study was carried out on a week-long field school in Barcelona, Northern Spain. Throughout this study, the history, culture and politics and the evolved landscape of the city was analysed. These aspects were analysed to enable us to get a vivid understanding of the conflict that has taken place in Catalonia throughout its struggle for independence. Through this analysis three main themes surfaced, these were memory, difference and separatism. The main aim of the research carried out through surveys was to answer the following question: â€Å"Will Catalonia resort to violence to achieve independence?† A mixed methods approach was used in order to get answers from participants, it was a suitable method because high quality information and opinions were established. Introduction: The history of Catalan separatism is complex. Giner (1984) has stated that â€Å"Modern Catalonia is the outcome of the unification of numerous great and intricate sets of long-term historical phenomena†. Catalonia is a member of Spain’s self-governing societies in the Northeast of the country whose history is somewhat separate from that of Spain, in that large fragments of Spain were historically ruled by the crown of Castile, authoritatively speaking barbaric Spanish, and Catalan was part of the crown of Aragon, officially speaking old Catalan. Catalonia is an area which is rich in separatism, an area which is longing for its own independence from Spain. The following paragraphs will analyse and discuss the separatism that exists in Catalonia in Barcelona.   To describe separatism, one would say that it is the promotion or practice of separation of a particular assembly of people from a superior body because of factors like ethnicity, religion, or gender.   Separatism is continuously occurring throughout Europe. A prime example of a separatist area is the region of Catalonia within Barcelona. Catalonia, who is proud of its own identity and language, is one of Spain’s wealthiest and most industrialised regions, and also one of the most independent-minded. However, since 1714, Catalonia has struggled to maintain its own culture, language and territory (Mantlethought.org, 2017). There are three key events that have led to the emergence of Catalan separatism, the 1705 War of the Spanish Succession, Catalonia’s support for rival claimant to the Spanish throne, and Franco’s Dictatorship. Archduke Charles of Austria of the House of Habsburg, against King Philp V from the House of Bourbon, resulted in the suppression of its parliament and traditional liberties upon the latter’s victory (BBC News, 2017). In the 19th century there was somewhat a revival in Catalonia. At this point in its history, Catalonia was the leader of industrialisation within Spain and had experienced a cultural revitalisation, here commenced a movement to revive Catalan culture and language, which resulted in the rise of Catalan nationalism. After the formation of a political union with the Aragon regions in 1137, Catalonia arose and seized extensive economic and political control through the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Then, in 1479 came the replacement of a single monarchy after the unification of Aragon and Castille.   These houses then amalgamated in the late fifteenth century, a period that also marked the deterioration of the old Catalan language. Succeeding eighteenth-century political manoeuvrings in Castile caused the Spanish War of Succession in which the regions in Catalonia were in support of the Austrian contender for the crown. Catalonia merged into Spain which resulted in the inhibition of its language and governance. This then lead to the appearance of Catalonian nationalism towards the end of the nineteenth century as numerous cultural movements began to insist more recognition (Breen et al., 2016). The Commonwealth of Catalonia was first established in April 1914, and devoted a large amount of finance to infrastructure, cultural and scientific institutions. It was then solidified in 1925. A fraction of independence was granted during second Spanish Republic, 1931-1938 (Breen et al., 2016). In the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) and Franco’s progression of power, the Catalan language, political organizations and cultural codes including its anthem and flag were further suppressed. In November 1971, a large number of cultural and political leftist protestors gathered together and established the Assembly of Catalonia, encouraging the restoration of independence and recognition of Catalan culture and identity (Breen et al., 2016). Research Context It has been said that separatism is primarily associated with nationalism and nationalist ideologies. A nation is an assembly of people who have the belief that they are comprised of a ‘single people’ on the basis of a cultural or historical criteria, such as a shared language (Flint, 2017). Members of a nation share common ideas about their origins and hope for a common destiny. They possess common national symbols including customs, language and religion, and oftentimes are unaware of the fact that their country’s narrative may be built on myths.   They are often committed to a certain territory over which they attempt to gain authority, or even the capacity to deal with their own country’s matters. Nationalism therefore, is the theory that each nation has the right to a state, thus having the right to govern a portion of territory. The geopolitics of nationalism has resulted in millions of deaths as people fought to create a state for their nation and defend their states in the name of national defence, against genuine and alleged threats. Separatism, secession, irredentism, self-determination, independence, sub-state nationalism are many of the words that are used interchangeably to describe the conflicts that exist between states and would be sub-state. This sort of conflict is nothing original even with the arrival of globalisation, transnationalism and the influence of multinational associations. Separatist schemas continue to be a powerful political force and a challenge to present-day global borders. Though separatism in Catalonia is new, nationalism is not. Tensions between Spain and Catalonia have been notoriously strained since Catalonia came under Spanish rule in 1714 during the War of Spanish Succession. In the 19th century, the nationalist movement developed and demanded greater independence for Catalonia. The movement later dealt with the problems Catalonia faced throughout the 19th and 20th centuries including the dictatorships of Miquel Primo de Rivera and Francisco Franco. Franco’s dictatorship had a major impact on Catalonia, with their culture and language being suppressed, because of the practice of the Catalan language and expression of Catalan culture being prohibited. The people of Catalonia struggled to possess their own identity separate from Spain during this time. After the death of Franco in 1975, the nationalist movement began moving in a different direction. As the first decade of the 21st century came to a close, the movement developed further as nationalists began demanding independence. Tensions remain between Spain and Catalonia in relation to the use of their own separate language and carrying on with their own culture. Many separatist movements follow a mostly diplomatic direction that focuses on the practice of culture and tradition to activate support and drive onward with their own plans (Breen et al., 2016).   It is difficult to tell if Catalonia will take a violent route in order to reach independence, however it was evident in our surveys that the people of Barcelona do not think that their country will. Separatism has always remained a fundamental part of the character of Europe. It is continuously argued that separatist movements are rising in many European states, reinvigorated by a backdrop of economic crisis and political uncertainty (Bieri, 2014). A quantity of these separatist movements are linked with violent campaigns for independence (e.g. the Basque Region, Corsica) while others including Scotland and Catalonia have followed a mainly peaceful route that has concentrated on the use of culture and heritage to mobilise support and drive forward separatist agendas (Breen et al,. 2016). There are thought to be around 45 active separatist movements across 30 countries with their political aspirations and methodologies all being very diverse. An integrated European Union was at one point according to Liable touted as some kind of ‘magical elixir’ which could quieten the demands of separatist organisations and curb unrest among national minorities. Perhaps separatism is a resurgent force across Europe, separatism according to Bieri has been reinvigorated in part by an all-encompassing impact of the economic crisis and pervasive political uncertainty throughout the EU. It has been said that separatist movements either pursue independence within their central states or to form independent states. Separatist movements are protruding within the European Union, which is now estimated to have over 40 separatist parties (EFA, 2014). The most noteworthy of these movements include Scotland in the United Kingdom, Catalonia and the Basque Country in Spain, and Flanders in Belgium (Bieri, 2014). Separatism in the European Union appears contradictory at first, the European Union is frequently looked upon as a â€Å"post-sovereign† system and perhaps a model for globalization (Mathews, 1997).   The European Union resulted from the economic and institutional integration of European states in the decades following World War II (Jones, 2012). While the European Union isn’t a state itself, it is capable of intervening the national laws and policymaking decisions of its member states (Krasner, 2009). Under the European Union, Europe’s economy has assimilated into a single market under one currency, the Euro. Despite being so highly integrated, separatist movements are not only emerging but have the potential to destabilize the European Union (Dayton, R. 2015)   Bieri has stated that separatism has been revived in part by the all-inclusive influence of the economic crisis and prevalent political ambiguity throughout the EU. Other than Catalan separatism, another sovereignty well known for their desire for independence, is Scotland. Scotland ceased to be an independent state in the early 1700s. Unique heritage, culture and civil society was not diluted by the union with England, and this is something the people of Scotland passionately wanted. Scottish nationalism as a political force did not intensify until the 1960s, with the Scottish Nationalist Party winning a by-election. The discovery of oil in the North Sea inspired nationalists to think more aggressively about separatism. Debates about devolution gained momentum during the 1990s and under a labour government the Scottish parliament was formed in 1999. 2007 elections saw the SNP make significant gains at Labour’s expense and Salmond became the First Minister. Further electoral success in 2011 led to calls for a referendum and in 2012 it was announced that a referendum would be held in 2014. This was purposely set to coincide with the 700th anniversary of the victory of Scottish forces over English invaders at the battle of Bannockburn. The result of the Scottish referendum returned a marginal victory for the No campaign. However, the advent of Brexit has once again instigated a push for independence. Catalonia, in their fight towards independence, has developed various issues over the years. These include Language, Culture and Self -governance. Tensions over language in Catalonia, particularly from an educational perspective, persevere and in recent years have been intensified. At the same time the political struggle between the Catalan and the Spanish central governments has also increased. Woolard and Frekko (2013) have pointed out that the present debates resemble those of past decades, and thus one could have the notion that nothing has changed in the sociolinguistic makeup of Catalonia (Soler-Carbonell, Gallego-Balsà   and Corona, 2016). Democratic consolidation resulted in a renewed state nationalism that saw in the last wave of territorial reforms the culmination of the autonomic model set up in 1978, and the current context of economic crisis has reinforced the debate on the necessity of introducing recentralization policies for economic and efficiency reasons (Keating, 2009).   Thus, after 30 years of democracy and devolution the question of self-governance and self-determination remains at the centre of the political debate in Catalonia and Spain. Thus, it is clear that much of the separatism that now exists in Catalonia has stemmed from historical grievances centred around cultural and linguistic identities. Part B Methodology: In the formation of this report, a mixed methods approach was used which involved both quantitative and qualitative surveys being carried out. This proved to be both a successful but challenging approach. One of the main challenges being language barriers. Although the participants were passionate about their views, it was difficult to get sufficient information from them as they had limited English. A number of people refused to respond as they didn’t understand what was being asked of them. The interviews were carried out over a number of different areas scattered across the city of Barcelona. Culture within Barcelona The museums of Barcelona are perhaps the best way to explore and get a better understanding of Barcelona’s Culture. Museums became symbols of the shared social memory establishing the ‘imagined community’ a space where the nation could present itself, to itself and to others (Anderson, 1983).     El Born Cultural Centre is a prime example of this. The Born Centre Cultural is now a Cultural Centre that is in â€Å"El Born†. El Born is a quarter that was part of the old Barcelona when the city was inside the walls, it is now a significant place to visit for its historical burden. Where we find nowadays the Born Centre Cultural, it was an old market of iron built in the 19th Century. Some years ago, it was originally planned to build a new library for the city of Barcelona, and when they started constructing, a tercentenary ruins were found inside that floor. These were the ruins of the houses and streets of the people who lived during 1700, the century that lived the Spanish invasion which made Catalonia to be part of Spain until nowadays where there is a longing for independence from Catalans. El born is categorised as a public space which aims to attract multiple audiences into a conversation about Catalonia’s past, present and future. For an example, the centre employs a trilingual style to its exhibits and artefacts with signposting in Catalan, Spanish and English, with guide books available in French, German and Dutch. The political utilisation of external visitors is arguably just as important as the mobilisation of the city’s residents (Breen et al., 2016) The cultural and emotive meaning that the people gave to this ruins must be remarked. In Catalonia, the following proverb exists: â€Å"Roda al mà ³n I torna al born† which means â€Å"Visit the world and come back home†. Ironically, the word â€Å"born† means â€Å"home† to them. This sentence, in fact is the one that is being used for the campaign about the Born Cultural Centre in order to capture the connection between the past, present and future that exists in this space. When visiting the site we were able to imagine the daily life of Spanish ascendants and, in most cases, how they earned a living. El Born Cultural Centre, taken on Tuesday, 28th March, 2017) Interior of the El Born Cultural Centre. This represents the layout of the houses in Barcelona during the 1700’s. During the visit to the El Born Cultural Centre, we carried out a survey investigating various aspects of this very important cultural museum. The interviewees appeared to be very passionate about the centre, saying that it attracts hundreds of visitors on a daily basis, some of them being the people of Barcelona themselves. When asked what the role of the cultural institution was, one interviewee replied that it was â€Å"to preserve the history of the succession war†. She went on to say that â€Å"it is a real-life representation of what life was like during this time, how difficult it was during the war, it shows how small our living space was and how little we had†. When asked whether heritage plays a role in the Catalan separatist movement, she replied â€Å"Yes, it is the reason why there was a war†. Landscape within Barcelona: Landscape is the outcome of a collective revolution of nature. It is the cultural translation of a society on a particular portion of nature, and this translation is not only material, but also spiritual, ideological and symbolic. In this sense, landscape acts as a hub of meaning and symbolism, and produces a sense of belonging and a territorial identity that is predominantly strong in some nations (Noguà © and Vincente,2004).   Landscape has been described as a concept that is hugely saturated with cultural and, above all, ideological implications (Peet, 1996). The landscape can be understood as a dynamic code of symbols that speak of the culture of the past, present and maybe also the future. The semiotic legibility of a landscape or the ease with which its symbols can be decoded, can be complex to a greater or lesser degree, but is always linked to the culture that produces the symbols (Noguà © and Vicente, 2004). The architecture of Barcelona has clearly evolved parallel with Catalan architecture. Within Catalonia both physical and concrete cultural heritages have been used repeatedly in the past to justify and promote a culturally distinct peoples and region (Mellon, 2008). The majority of this has taken place against the background of Catalonia’s intervention of its place within Spain and as an aspirant autonomous region. Espelt and Benito (2005) have argued that this process of heritage development emerged during a period of ‘national and cultural reawakening’ in the late nineteenth century, for example, the glamorized physical and visual appearance of Girona was successfully created. A similar process of reconstruction or re-edification took place in Barcelona. The landscape has changed dramatically over a period of time due to urban reconstruction and autocratic regimes. Catalans aim was to have a different landscape to that of Spain’s and therefore modernization occurred. Modernization is linked closely with urban aesthetics and beautification. Each leader set off to celebrate by political order by means of the building of urban and architectural settings with regards to embodying the ideology on which a new era is based and to commemorate the political achievements and purposes of his autocratic regime (Cavalcanti, 1997). The urban characteristics that exist in the city along with its tourist appeal are not purely the result of the Modernist period or a recent dramatic transformation. In fact they are the result of an extensive and riotous historic evolution. The following are the most note-worthy landscapes within Barcelona. Each uphold a remarkable and significant history, and through decoding the landscape, visitors at these sites are able to find out more about the history of the area. Parc de la Ciutadella Perhaps the most beautiful landscape of Barcelona can be found in Parc de la Ciutadella. After a seize which lasted thirteen months, Barcelona fell to the army of King Philips V throughout the war of the Spanish Succession. In order to keep secure control over the city of Barcelona, the Bourbon king built the biggest fortress in Europe, a star-shaped citadel or ‘Ciutadella’. An enormous part of the Ribera region was destroyed in order to make room for this fortress. The neighbourhood was rebuilt thirty years later at another location as ‘Barceloneta’ (authorSTREAM, 2017). Barceloneta:   A distance from the inner city lies Barceloneta. This is deceptively called the Fishermen’s Quarter, an area which was in fact born as a result of a political, military decision. It was in this area that the inhabitants of La Ribera were repositioned when their own homes were destroyed to make way for the building of Felipe V’s fortress La Ciutadella. The four cubes represent the size of homes around this shanty area. This mark of remembrance is a significant example of Barcelona preserving its history for the future generations. This residential area is now a very attractive mix of traditional and modern; washing can be seen hanging along narrow balconies, while bars and restaurants have developed the night life (Insightguides.com, 2017). The Eternal Flame Another important example of Barcelona preserving their history is the Eternal Flame. Located on Fossar de les Moreres, it burns to commemorate those that died during the War of the Spanish Succession 1713-1714. It is a place that marks abundant symbolic importance where the mass of history takes centre stage. This monument stands as a reminder. It is of great meaning to the Catalans themselves. In the year 1989, it was the architect Carme Fiol who revealed the victims’ burial site by destroying the buildings that had stood there, and covered the whole ground with ‘brick as red as the blood that had been spilt’. This is another prime example of the Catalans preserving their history for the future. Monumentalisation The most earliest monumentalisation of Barcelona in the introductory decades of the twentieth century can be seen as a method designed to relocate the city as the capital of the region. The succeeding Modernista buildings of Domenech, Puig and Gaudi demonstrated the uniquely Catalan architectural expressions of identity and aspiration. These extremely glamorized nineteenth and early twentieth century discourses are now being displaced by more pragmatic agenda-led narratives that are being used to justify and promote territorial conflicts where landscape and built heritage are presented as ideological cornerstone (Breen et al., 2016). La Sagrada Familia has been described by Hughes as Barcelona’s Eiffel Tower. It is of extreme importance to the people of Barcelona. Despite the re-imaging of the city, it still is the emblem of Barcelona. Gaudi’s work, including the Sagrada Familia   are all particularly resilient Catalan symbols as they were constructed during a period of great significance for Catalonia, during which contemporary Catalan nationalist thought and praxis was founded (Scholars-on-bilbao.info, 2016). Perhaps the most outstanding part of the landscape in Barcelona is the Barcelona Gothic Quarter. The Barcelona Gothic Quarter was re-constructed in the twentieth century. Even though historic monuments, hypothetically, refer back to past eras, in many cases they were produced recently. In Barcelona, feudal buildings were restored in a gothic style, while other historic buildings and facades were moved stone-by-stone into the area and ordinary residential houses were removed and replaced by seemingly historic buildings. As a result, the new Gothic Quarter look as if it is a space which is completely medieval but was actually re-built between 1927 and 1970. This regeneration was meant both as an example of the invention of tradition in the context of Catalan nationalism and as a way to promote the city through remarkable historic monuments (Gant, 2013). Redevelopment in Barcelona: The city of Barcelona is an exceptional case study of many of the key themes of urban development and change. It has a large tertiary sector, its traditional manufacturing industries have been declining, and multinational investment has become increasingly vital. The rapid development of Technical Parks for high-tech industry is a modern feature associated with the growth of what is becoming known as the European ‘sun-rise’ belt, along the Mediterranean coast between Valencia and Northern Italy.   The motivation behind Barcelona’s physical expansion has been the growth of the economy. Remaining factories and workshops in the Poblenou district are being changed into a zone of new technologies (Geographyfieldwork.com, 2017). With some buildings not being in use, they appeared to be covered in graffiti, often expressing the person’s views towards the government.   Political Landscape: Landscape results from the collective transformation of nature. It is the cultural translation of a society on a particular portion of nature, and this translation is not only material, but also spiritual, ideological and symbolic. In this sense, landscape acts as a centre of meaning and symbolism, and creates a sense of belonging and a territorial identity that is particularly strong in some nations.   It was proven from the observations made throughout the field study that landscape, understood as the cultural prognosis of a society on a certain space, develops into a fundamental element in the creation process of a national identity, in our case the Catalan identity, both in its late 19th century origins and in its present- day form (Noguà © and Vicente, 2004). It has been noted that the landscape of Catalonia was to play an important role in the building of Catalan nationalist ideology. At the height of the nationalist Renaixenca, Catalonia was delicate to the new aesthetic and symbolic gratitude to landscape, especially mountainous landscape, which was sweeping the rest of Europe. The mountain therefore, became a key figure among Catalan nationalist symbols, part of the â€Å"essential landscape† (Noguà © and Vincente, 2004). It has to be said that the dominant cultural symbols that are scattered throughout the city of Barcelona are flags. But to the people of Barcelona, these are more than just a flag. These are representation of what they desire – to remain a united country or an independent Barcelona, a representation of whether they want to remain in the present or progress to a future where Barcelona becomes an independent state from Spain. In Catalonia, the burning of a flag is seen as an offence and oftentimes results in imprisonment. Overall, in the city of Barcelona, in terms of single flags displayed, the dominant symbol numerically was the Catalan flag. The Barcelona flag, though numerically second, nevertheless registered a significant presence. A considerable number of balconies displayed both, and the Olympic flag was often added, while a small n umber incorporated the Spanish flag as well. The distribution in the metropolitan area covering the total conurbation of about four and a half million people is more difficult to measure. In both the city and the studied area the nature of displays varied with the character of the district. Where Castillian was the predominant language, that is, in working-class barrios populated mostly by immigrants from the rest of Spain and where socialist sympathies were stronger, Barcelona flags tended to predominate, whereas in the more middle class districts like Gracia, nearer the centre, the flags were overwhelmingly Catalan, with a good proportion of these in this particu lar case being ‘indepencia’ flags. Grievance Diagram: The 7 core grievances that are included in the following diagram are: Government PoliticsEconomic CrisisLanguageCultureIdentityMedia Grievance Core Diagram for Barcelona, it represents the main grievances of the city and it is clear that the most part of these are linked to the divide in political views amongst the people of Barcelona Qualitative Survey The first survey carried out on the field work was a qualitative survey, which aimed to establish what fraction of the population wanted independence and what remaining number did not want independence, and whether or not they thought that their country would resort to violence in order to achieve it. From the surveys carried out, 50.58% said yes and 41.27% said no. The remaining 8.14% were unsure. Social Vulnerability The second survey that was carried out was the social vulnerability survey, it was carried out to find out what parts of the structure of Barcelona are under threat or at risk. This was completed under the following headings: SocialEconomic Environment Governance Future threats The aim of the survey was to establish what parts of Catalonia’s social structure was most at risk. Social Vulnerability Diagram Summary of Findings from the Social Vulnerability Survey: From our analysis of the results from the survey, it was clear that there is a clear difficulty with governance within Catalonia. This can be explained by the struggle of the state to receive legal and financial autonomy. Furthermore, it is clear from the diagram that socially, Barcelona is not at risk. It can be said that in times of crisis, communities come together again as there is an obvious decrease in social cohesion. It is evident from the diagram that politics is the most at risk, so it is essential that steps are taken so as not to increase the vulnerability of the state, and to avoid all potential conflict triggers. The following is a list of potential conflict triggers: Further suppression of identity.A continuance in the unequal distribution of wealth.Negative perceptions displayed through the Media. In terms of lessening social tension in Catalonia, it would be suggested that: The government address their financial issues and perhaps restructure their economy.Encourage the media to become more open minded so as not to create negative perceptions of Catalans.Currently the dialogue used within Catalonia is conflicted, it is suggested that they change this dialogue, aiming it at resolution. To conclude, the main hypothesis of this research was â€Å"Catalonia will not resort to violence to achieve independence†. From the research carried out over the field study in Barcelona, it can certainly be said that they will not resort to violence. From our observations and surveys, it was evident that in the future, Catalonia will experience stability and will no longer experience pressure from the Spanish state over its own affairs. In my opinion, if it strengthens its foreign affairs and strengthens its already growing economic output then it will transform into a strong, viable state, one that does not need to resort to violence to achieve independence. If Catalonia was to build upon its strength as a separate part of Spain, perhaps in the future it will gain the independence it has always been passionate about. Bibliography Anderson, B. (1983) in Breen, C., McDowell, S., Reid, G. and Forsythe, W. (2016). Heritage and separatism in Barcelona: the case of El Born Cultural Centre. International Journal of Heritage Studies, 22(6), pp.434-445. authorSTREAM. (2017). A Weekend Walk in Barcelona27, Parc de la Ciutadella1. [online] Available at: http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/sandamichaela-1936055-walk-barcelona27/ [Accessed 15 July 2017]. Bieri, M.(2014) in Breen, C., McDowell, S., Reid, G. and Forsythe, W. (2016). Heritage and separatism in Barcelona: the case of El Born Cultural Centre. International Journal of Heritage Studies, 22(6), pp.2-3. Bieri. (2014) in Dayton, R (2015) Separatism, Globalization, and the European Union. Vol 15, 1 Breen, C., McDowell, S., Reid, G. and Forsythe, W. (2016). Heritage and separatism in Barcelona: the case of El Born Cultural Centre. International Journal of Heritage Studies, 22(6), pp.434-445. Cavalcanti, M. (1997). Urban reconstruction and autocratic regimes: Ceausescus Bucharest in its historic context. Planning Perspectives, 12(1), pp.71-109. Cosgrove, D. (1989) in Landscape and national identity in Catalonia. Political Geography, 23(2), pp.113-132. Dayton, R. (2015) as cited in Separatism, Globalization and the European Union. Available at:   http://aei.pitt.edu/74525/1/Dayton_SeparatismGlobalizationEU.pdf [Accessed 2 July 20017] EFA, (2014). in Dayton, R (2015) Separatism, Globalization, and the European Union. Vol 15, 1. Available at: http://aei.pitt.edu/74525/1/Dayton_SeparatismGlobalizationEU.pdf [Accessed 2 July 2017] EFA, (2014). in Dayton, R (2015) Separatism, Globalization, and the European Union. Vol 15, 1 available at: http://aei.pitt.edu/74525/1/Dayton_SeparatismGlobalizationEU.pdf [Accessed 2 July 2017] Ermengem, K. (2017). Parc de la Ciutadella, Barcelona. [online] A View On Cities. Available at: http://www.aviewoncities.com/barcelona/parcdelaciutadella.htm [Accessed 12 Apr. 2017]. Flint, C. (2017). Introduction to geopolitics. 1st ed. Abingdon: Routledge, pp.96-97. Geographyfieldwork.com. (2017). Barcelona Urban Development and Change. [online] Available at: http://geographyfieldwork.com/BarcelonaUrbanDetail.htm [Accessed 11 Apr. 2017]. Insightguides.com. (2017). Available at: https://www.insightguides.com/destinations/europe/spain/barcelona/city-areas/the-waterfront-and-poblenou?cv=1&session-id=d42c55c9ff8c8272ff33cf080899b2ca [Accessed 2 Aug. 2017]. Jones, B. (2012) in Dayton, R (2015) Separatism, Globalization, and the European Union. Vol 15, 1 available at: http://aei.pitt.edu/74525/1/Dayton_SeparatismGlobalizationEU.pdf [Accessed 2 July 2017] Keating, M. (2009) in Serrano, I. (2017). Just a Matter of Identity? Support for Independence in Catalonia. Krasner, S, D. (2009) Dayton, R (2015) Separatism, Globalization, and the European Union. Vol 15, 1 available at: http://aei.pitt.edu/74525/1/Dayton_SeparatismGlobalizationEU.pdf [Accessed 2 July 2017] Mantlethought.org. (2017). The Independence Movement in Catalonia: Is It Worth It?. [online] Available at: http://www.mantlethought.org/other/independence-movement-catalonia-it-worth-it [Accessed 11 Apr. 2017]. Matthews, J, T. (1997) in Dayton, R (2015) Separatism, Globalization, and the European Union. Vol 15, 1 Mellon, J. (2008) in Breen, C., McDowell, S., Reid, G. and Forsythe, W. (2016). Heritage and separatism in Barcelona: the case of El Born Cultural Centre. International Journal of Heritage Studies, 22(6), pp.434-445. Mc Dowell, L. (1994) in Landscape and national identity in Catalonia. Political Geography, 23(2), pp.113-132. Noguà ©, J. and Vicente, J. (2004). Landscape and national identity in Catalonia. Political Geography, 23(2), pp.113-132. Noguà ©, J. and Vicente, J. (2004). Conceptualizing City Image Change: The ‘Re-Imaging’ of Barcelona, pp 398-423 Peet, R. (1996) in Landscape and national identity in Catalonia. Political Geography, 23(2), pp.113-132. Soler-Carbonell, J., Gallego-Balsà  , L. and Corona, V. (2016). Language and education issues in global Catalonia. Questions and debates across scales of time and space. Language, Culture and Curriculum, 29(1), pp.1-5.

Exemplification Essay: Cruising Should be Banned -- Exemplification Ess

Most of us have enjoyed "cruising" sometime in our lives. For many, it was one of our favorite pastimes. If you lived in the "American Graffiti" era, it was the in thing of to do. I remember when cruising was a popular activity on Main Street in Mesa for many years, until it was banned a few years ago. Now the controversy is over whether to ban cruising on Central Avenue in Phoenix. City officials are trying to reroute the weekend riders to Washington and Jefferson streets. Although cruising may be enjoyable to quite a few teenagers, there is no positive purpose for it. The negative effects of cruising outweigh the reasons for it by far. Cruising should be banned altogether because cruisers have proven to be very loud, dangerous, and a contributor to our pollution problem. I have sympathy for those who live near Central Avenue. The weekends are very noisy in this vicinity. For example, some of the stereos blasting away could accommodate a rock concert. The base volume coming out of these speakers is felt in your heart as you drive along Central...

BVU Rides :: Buena Vista University Transportation Essays

BVU Rides College students love to have fun at Buena Vista University. As many may already know, Buena Vista University has a reputation as a drinking college. Whether it is good or bad, a majority of college students are going to participate in drinking on the college campus and in the local community bars. There are many reasons for partying and drinking on campus. Students could be celebrating a big win for the football team, or getting a good grade on a test. Students like to have a good time. Of the students who party and choose to drink on campus, a large majority of them like to go to the bars. The question is how to get to and from the bar safely? Enjoying the Bar Scene When people head to the bar they are looking forward to the quality social atmosphere. Malarkys, the bar most kids head to, is decorated with fancy neon lights, the quantity of other college students there, and the lively dance floor. Students also look forward to the ever so famous drink specials that are offered. The notorious bar for these drink specials is Malarkys. The reasons students may be attracted are as follows: Wednesday nights are the famous nickel pitcher night, where anyone age 21 or older can get a pitcher of beer for only one nickel. Friday nights=Free Beer. That’s right, from 9-11 p.m. anyone 21 or older receives free beer. Saturday’s offer 1.00 mixed drinks and various other specials decided upon by management. The BVU Rides Bus With all of these specials offered and a lot of students excited to go enjoy them, the BVU Rides bus is relied heavily on by students heading to the bar. BVU Rides offers free rides from the college campus to Malarkys, the main bar college students go to, every fifteen minutes, from 10:30 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. The bus allows anyone to ride, but the bus only follows a predetermined route, with stops only at the bar and the college. Despite the fact that this is a good way for students to get to and from the bar, some members of the community think the BVU Rides is a program offered by the community that is not needed. Here are some of their ideas and our responses rebutting the citizens’ thoughts: Some of the people in the community believe that the BVU Rides bus promotes students to go out and drink.

Was William Shakespeare an Author? Essay -- Biography Biographies Essa

Was William Shakespeare an Author?      Ã‚  Ã‚   "That every word doth almost tell my name / Showing their birth, and where they did proceed..." Some might say that this quote from Sonnet 76 eloquently expresses the narrator's desire to be heard. This is a normal enough emotion to have. In today's society, people will fight behemently for that right. In Elizabethan times, however, to be heard was not a right at all, but a privilege. The queen, Elizabeth I, had the power to silence any opposition. One could easily see how a verse like the above example could find its inspiration. Some would argue that, with the necessary information, one could just as easily see a darker purpose uncovered, William Shakespeare: Did he exist? There is no doubt of that. Was he responsible for the greatest poetry and prose the English-speaking world has ever known? That, it would appear, is a greater mystery than one would initially think. I intend to search for the answer to the question: Was William Shakespeare responsible for the writing s traditionally attributed to him?    When I first became aware of this debate, I was skeptical. Who wouldn't be? A 400-year old conspiracy theory always invokes doubt, especially one of this caliber. The plays and poetry of William Shakespeare are frequently called the greatest writings of the English language. The Guiness Book of World Records, using only his plays and poetry or the word count, lists him as the man with the largest vocabulary. How then can these works be attributed to the son of a glove maker with no formal education? This is the backbone of the debate raging through the literary world today. Stratfordians, the people who hold to the traditional view, have no real answers. Oxfordians, however... ... Haugen, Peter. (1997, April 20). Who wrote Hamlet? [Online] http://www.sacbee.com/leisure/goingout/theater/hamlet.htm. Kathman,Dave, and Terry Ross. (1997) Shakespeare authorship. [Online] http://www.bepl.net/~tross/ws/will.html Kelly, Kathleen. (1997, April 25). The bard by any other name. . . [Online] http://www.dailycal.org/archive/04.25.97/feat/shakespeare.html McFarlan, Donald, ed. (1990, April). Guinness book of world records. New York, NY: Bantam. Shaking the spear. (1997, February 18) [Online] http://hhs.stcharles.k12.la.us/mypages/devere.htm Sim, Kevin. (1992, December 22). The Shakespeare mystery. Frontline. Stevens, John Paul. (1992, April 4). Shakespeare canon of statutory construction. [Online] http://www.shakespeare-olford.com/stevens.htm William Shakepeare: the complete works. (1998). New York, NY: Dorset Press.

Hnd Judge How the Business and Cultural Environments

HND Business Birmingham Metropolitan College Mathew Boulton Campus Riddle of the day A woman shoots her husband. Then she holds him under water for over 5 minutes. Finally, she hangs him. But 5 minutes later they both go out together and enjoy a wonderful dinner together. How can this be? 3. 3 judge how the business and cultural environments shape the behaviour of a selected organisation This builds to answer; Judge how Lloyds TSB has been behaviour has been affected by political, economic, social, technical, legal, and environmental pressures.Industrial concentration Over the last 100 years the size of firms has generally been increasing. 50 years ago in the UK most shops were privately owned and supplied the local area, however over time larger shops have become more and more important. Tesco for instance is a huge employer in the UK and now serves millions of customers with an estimated one in every seven pounds spent on retail being spent in Tesco, it has now extended well beyond the UK and is operating in many different companies.In 2002 Walmart was the biggest earning firm in the world, with an annual revenue of $219 billion. This was a higher figure than the GDP of many countries. As a general rule different industries are dominated by a smaller number or larger firms. This trend is referred to as industrial concentration. How has industrial concentration been achieved? It has happened in a number of different ways, primarily many of the firms have naturally gained in size, e. g. opened more and more stores, or built bigger and bigger factories.However it has also been achieved through mergers, where firms combine themselves together And By takeover where one firm will buy out another firm Why grow in size? One of the major reasons or advantages of growing in size is to achieve economies of scale. Merger as a method of growth Mergers offer firms a great advantage because over night they can grow substantially, they can become more secure, gain great econ omies of scale and have greater diversity. Case study Barclays In 2003 Barclays Bank was looking for a major European Bank to merge with.It started looking at mergers for three main reasons Barclays had previously been a target for a takeover, by being a larger organisation it is a lot harder to become a target for takeover The bigger it becomes the greater the economies of scale it could gain It allowed Barclay’s access to European markets, far more easily than setting up its own branches abroad. Merging gave Barclays overnight access to a large customer base that was already established, additionally it gave Barclays technical experience of Europe.What economies of scale do you think Barclays gained from expanding abroad? †¦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‚¬ ¦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‚¬ ¦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‚¬ ¦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‚¬ ¦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‚¬ ¦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‚¬ ¦. Vertical mergers Vertical mergers are mergers of firms in the same chain of production, for example a brewer merging with a farmer (producing the raw ingredients hops) or a brewer merging with a pub. Both of these are examples of vertical mergers because they are in the same chain of production e. g. eer The brewer merging with the farmer would be a vertical backwards merger, because the brewer is merging with someone at an earlier stage in the production chain. From the farmers point of view merging with the brewer would be a forward vertical merger, because he is merging with someone at a later stage of production. Motives for vertically backward mergers Firms can gain a number of advantages by vertically merging backwards these might include Economies of scale Guaranteed supply Not supplying competitors without knowledge (might mean not supplying any competitors) Motives for vertically forward mergersMost manufacturers never sell directly to t he public, they rely on retailers to do it for them, by merging with a retailer demand for your product is guaranteed. You can stop your competitors products being stocked (or controlling them, e. g. charging a higher price for them Key factors in a merger Both firms must feel they are gaining from it, they must both feel they are gaining more control Horizontal mergers A horizontal is where firms at the same stage of production merge. These firms usually produce the same goods and are usually at least to some extent in direct competition with each other.Motives for horizontal mergers Greater efficiency, for example getting rid of duplicated management roles Greater use of staff, under-utilised staff might be used at another plant or location Greater control of the market Greater combined buying power, therefore gain economies through bulk buying. Job saving, redundancies almost always follow mergers, and this creates cost savings for the new organisation Eliminate competition; what better way to eliminate a competitor than to merge with them, this helps reduce down competition and mean price competition is reduced. We have seen how governments may oppose this) Increase market share, you will gain new customers, possibly in locations where you didn’t have any before Examples of horizontal mergers P & O and Stena Line merged in November 1997 saving 1000 out of a combined workforce of 5000 Commercial Union and General Accident merged, the merger caused nearly 3000 redundancies Lateral mergers Lateral mergers are where two firms that are at the same stage of production, but where the products do not directly compete. For example a brewery with a soft drinks manufacturer. The products are likely to be sold in the same places, e. . shops, restaurants, pubs etc, but they do not compete directly against each other. They do not lure each other customers away. So a pension company (Scottish Widows) merged with Lloyds TSB, they didn’t compete directly agai nst each other, but they were in a related market. Reasons for lateral mergers Economies of scale can be gained, but one of the major reasons will be to have a wider range of customers in more diverse markets. Both firms will have access to customers they didn’t have before. The new firm only gains in customers from the combined companies E. Lloyds TSB could access customers from Scottish Widows, and Scottish Widows had access to a lot more customers than it had before at Lloyds TSB. Conglomerate mergers This is a merger where the two firms have nothing in common, for example a brewery and a washing machine manufacturer. The two have nothing in common Reasons for conglomerate mergers Some economies of scale can be gained, but mostly it is risk bearing that is the major drive, both firms are more likely to be secure in the new form where they have a combined much wider range of products over possibly a much wider area Case study The merger of Carlton and GranadaIn 2003, Carlto n and Granada TV companies announced their intention to merge and form a firm worth about ? 4. 1 billion. It was estimated that the new company would control about 50% of the television advertising market. Advertisers and media agencies both expressed their fears over the potential creation of a single airtime sales house if the two existing houses owned by the two companies combined. The Competition Commission decided that an investigation was in order, and they produced a 456 page report into the proposed merger. What are the benefits for the two companies in merging? †¦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‚¬ ¦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‚¬ ¦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‚¬ ¦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‚¬ ¦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‚¬ ¦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‚¬ ¦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‚¬ ¦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‚¬ ¦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‚¬ ¦.. Why was the Competition Commission so concerned over the merger? †¦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‚¬ ¦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‚¬ ¦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‚¬ ¦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‚¬ ¦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‚¬ ¦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‚¬ ¦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‚¬ ¦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‚¬ ¦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‚¬ ¦..Multinational corporations Perhaps an inevitable consequence of industrial concentration was the multinational corporation. These are firms that have extended beyond their native counties and have become global organisations, that in many cases are worth many billions. Why have they grown? Beyond economies of scale there are other advantages, a firm might be nearer its customers, be able to modify its product and not have to pay import duty. Other advantages can include lower labour costs i n other countries Lower production costsBeing closer to raw materials (therefore transport costs are reduced) Growth of multinationals There has been a rapid increase in multinationals from 7000 in 1970 to 40,000 in 1995. More than half of multinationals come from five counties United States, Japan, Germany, France and the Netherlands By going global many of these firms have been able to expand hugely, some are economically more significant then small countries. Exxon for instance has comparable economic size to Chile BP which is the UK’s largest multinational is placed as being more economically significant than Cuba, or UruguayConcerns about multinationals Many people are concerned over multinationals, concerns include Power they have over many governments due to their size Some have been accused of exploiting cheap labour They control many of the planets resources, e. g. gas and oil is largely controlled by a number of multinationals. Financing growth Not only can firms ga in money to grow from the traditional routes of borrowing money from banks, they can also gain revenue from rights issues and venture capital. Rights issuesIf a firm is expanding it may well look to its existing shareholders to help finance that growth Rights issues allow shareholders to buy new shares in the company in proportion to what they already own, usually at a better price. So if a firm was planning to expand shareholders will be contacted and asked to see if they want new shares in this new venture, shareholders will be offered preferential rates (it is usually seen as a reward for shareholders) The firm gains extra revenue, but with a huge advantage that it doesn’t need to pay the money back (like a bank loan) If a shareholder wants to get their money back they will sell the shares.Both firm and shareholder can see it as a good option, hence forth it is a popular way to raise revenue. Venture capital Venture capital firms, or individuals will look to see if they ca n get a good bargain. This is very much want the Dragons on Dragon’s Den aim to do. Venture capital firms will inject money into the firm, but often will gain a significant share of the business as part of the deal. They may well want to have directors positions and may also want some kind of control in the business. This is not always a bad thing for the business, where the new company can gain valuable management help from the venture capital firm.Venture capital investment can happen at a number of different stages Seed investment; providing at the very earliest stage, possibly before a product has been fully realised Early stage investment; helping a firm in its opening stages, which can quite often be a difficult time for a business Expansion and later stage financing; helping a more mature company to expand Turnaround financing; helping failing firms to regain themselves Joint ventures Joint ventures are very similar to mergers, this will be where two firms form a separ ate division or new company.It will be financed and staffed by both companies, it might be used for instance for one firm trying to break into a new market, or a new country. By using a joint venture a company might gain all the experience of another firm, adding to its own advantages. However no upheaval or loss of staff. Outsourcing This is where an individual or another firm carries out some of the operation of the business, for example carries out the cleaning services carried out at the organisation. The firm gains by using outsourcing by Saving money that it doesn’t have to spend on training staff There are no recruitment costsThere are no issues with redundancies or sacking of staff because they are employed by another company The firm can start a new service very quickly by using outsourcing By outsourcing it may be easier to get the experts needed. The firm wont have to worry about covering staff absences, the firm doing the contracted outsource work will have to wor ry about it instead. It can offer a quick and cheaper alternative (because there are no recruitment costs etc) to employing staff at the firm It is very good if the service is only needed in the short term. Technology and innovationResearch and development is very expensive and doesn’t always work. However if it does work it can offer the firm huge advantages offering a new product or service that wasn’t available before. Because of copyright, many of these products will remain exclusive to the firm. Research and development is effectively another economy of scale, because usually only the large firms can afford it, and can afford it when it goes wrong. It is usually just major corporations that carry out research and development. Top 11 research and development companies 2002 1 Ford 2 General motors Siemens 4 Daimler Chrysler 5 Pfizer 6 IBM 7 Ericsson 8 Motorola 9 Matsushita Electric 10 Cisco 11 GlaxSmithKline Looking at the above firms, what are the main areas that r esearch and development is carried out for? †¦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‚¬ ¦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‚¬ ¦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‚¬ ¦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‚¬ ¦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‚¬ ¦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‚¬ ¦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‚¬ ¦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‚¬ ¦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‚¬ ¦. Why do you think these areas have a lot of research and development carried out in them? †¦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‚¬ ¦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‚¬ ¦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‚¬ ¦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‚¬ ¦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‚¬ ¦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‚¬ ¦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‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Labour market trends A very important consideration for businesses is the state of the labour market. A higher rate of unemployment gives a firm an advantage to pick suitable workers from a wider pool. The bigger the choice the easier it is for them to get the right member of staff, and significantly without increas ing wages. As the pool of workers reduces down so it is harder to get the right worker.On a similar basis the skills of the workforce are also very important, many positions in firms may require significant training. Proportion of managers with qualifications 2003 | All| Men| Women| Degree or equivalent| 48%| 55%| 39%| Higher education| 38%| 44%| 33%| A – level equivalent| 23%| 25%| 18%| GCSE or equivalent A – C| 17%| 22%| 13%| Looking at the above figures what doe it suggest is the trend between managerial position and qualification †¦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‚¬ ¦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‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦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‚¬ ¦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‚¬ ¦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‚¬ ¦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‚¬ ¦Generally the UK government realises the need of UK business for a more skilled workforce. This was behind the labour parties policy of encouraging high er education amongst the population and encouraging modern apprenticeships. However this has still not been enough. Many firms have looked outside of the UK for skilled workers at a lower cost. Additionally with the growth of communications technology it is easier for firms to employ members of staff in other countries. PEST of Lloyds TSB Lloyds Banking Group plc is a financial services group based in UK.It was initially known as Lloyds TSB Group plc and covers 40 countries in the world. However, its primary market is UK and it operates in three verticals namely, retail banking, wholesale and international banking and insurance and investments. The Lloyds Banking Group plc acquired the Halifax Bank of Scotland plc or the HBOS on January 16th this year (Company Profile par. 1) The subprime crisis which started in the US had its effect on those countries whose financial companies were participating in the US based risky financial instruments.UK was one of those countries and approxima tely around November 2007 the banking sector saw the unfurling of a major crisis (Caine). $323 billion was the amount of total assets write-down and credit loss in the world’s top 100 banks till May 2008. Amongst these, UK banks were also present; HBOS had a loss of $5. 9 billion while RBS or Royal bank of Scotland lost $15. 2 billion (Onaran). Due to the subprime and credit crisis towards the end of 2008 UK went into recession and since then the crisis has deepened. This is evident from the fact that the UGK GDP has declined further by 1. % in the period between January- March 2009. This has also been the sharpest decline since 1979. It is being predicted that the fall in GDP would be even more than 3. 5%, which was the common estimation among experts last year. The IMF has also predicted that the UK economy would decline by 4. 1% in 2009 (Monaghan par. 1, 3, 5, 13). But in comparison to other EU members the UK economy is in a slightly better condition. Yet public finances w ill be in a very bad condition in comparison to its EU member states. Also, the country’s government deficit is predicted to be amongst the worst in EU for the next year (Giles, par. , 2, 10). Macro economic forecasts by different agencies have also predicted a depressing picture for the economy in the near future. GDP growth is predicted to be less than 0. 5% in 2010 while the Retail Price Index inflation is going to be between 2% to 2. 5%. Consumer Price Index inflation on the other hand is predicted to be at 1. 5%. Current account for 2010 would be at least -? 26 billion by April (Forecasts for the UK economy 12-13). http://mb atermpapers. om/an-analysis-of-lloyds-tsbs-current-strategic-position-part-i/ PESTEL Analysis of the Banking Crisis and Royal Bank of Scotland POLITICAL There are numerous entities comprising RBS’s political arena, including but not limited to: The Bank of England (BOE), BOE’s Monetary Policy Committee, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Fin ancial Services Authority (FSA), HM Treasury, HM Treasury’s UK Debt Management Office, UK Financial Services and Markets Tribunal (which provides judicial review of the FSA), and Treasury Select Committee (which reviews HM Treasury’s activities).Each entity influences RBS’s ability to compete in a highly regulated sector. Each entity’s influence originates from their ability to sway and/or enact legislative acts which envelope RBS’s investment activities, reporting procedures, costs of capital, international participation and horizontal and/or vertical integration. The overall political mood of these government entities during the current banking crisis inculcates numerous feelings and perspectives, including but not limited to such attitudes as   i). angst about available credit to businesses and consumers; ii). repidation towards watchdog groups like rating agencies and government inspectors; and iii). worry concerning free market capitalism an d the nationalization of key industrial sectors. Immersed in such a political atmosphere, RBS’s expectations include augmented publicly scrutiny regarding loan portfolios and lending activities, even greater banking regulation, increased governmental activities such as inspection parameters and enhanced reporting requirements. RBS’s political arena is struggling to recompense constituents for the government’s inability to stave off volatility despite huge expenditures of taxpayer dollars.RBS will identify trend lines in each governmental entity in order to position each entity into a governmental landscape attempting to redefine itself as a public body capable of ascertaining significant risks to the economy. By analyzing the decisions of entities like the BOE, FSA, UK Financial Services and Markets Tribunal, and Treasury Select Committee – RSB may fully assess the country’s political framework, the direction being taken by the government on a per entity basis and the ramifications upon the socio-economic canvas.One political activity is the HM Treasury’s establishment of the Bank Recapitalization Fund and the UK Debt Management Office’s 2008 Credit Guarantee Scheme. These programs are part of the Government’s attempt to stabilize the financial system and to protect and promote confidence in depositors, borrowers and other clients of RBS and other financial institutions. Under these programs the government will possess the capacity to set RBS’s dividend policies and bonus schemes. It will also require RBS to support lending to small businesses and home owners. Moreover, in October 2008 the HM Treasury purchased approximately ? billion in RBS preference shares[1], for which RBS will have to pay approximately ? 600m per annum. The government also underwrote a ? 15 billion share issue for Royal Bank of Scotland – as a result of which the government gained a 58 percent stake in the company. The performance of RBS’s Corporate and Global Banking divisions – in an atmosphere inundated with public and private institutions who failed to ascertain an accurate picture of the credit markets and banking industry – may be expected to benefit from funds made available from HM Treasury’s programs.Regarding the FSA, it has been perceived by some to be relatively weak and ineffective. FSA behavior is often criticized as being reactive rather than proactive. Some banking experts assert the FSA has allowed irresponsible banking and the FSA’s ineptitude may have precipitated the credit crunch. Indeed, the public acquisition of Northern Rock in mid-February 2008, and the takeover of HBOS by Lloyds TSB are key indicators that the FSA may have failed to oversee with insight and expertise.Once recent activity is that in September 2008, the FSA announced a ban on short selling to reduce volatility in difficult markets, including financial institutions. Another recent activity is the FSA’s Consultation paper entitled ‘Financial Services Compensation Scheme reform’. Published in January 2009, the paper recommends that a potential seven-day time limit, after the collapse of their account providers, for paying out to depositors could be imposed on the Financial Services Compensation Service (FSCS) in future.FSA also recommended a simplification for the eligibility parameters for depositors and for the processes of account providers transferring their customers’ information on the FSCS. ECONOMIC: The economic state of the nation will propel RBS towards activities based on reduced GNP growth, reduced demand for credit, decreases in consumer confidence and reductions in revenue sourced from interest rate spreads. However, clients in RBS’s Wealth Management division may realize long term gains if the market is currently near the bottom and grows in the future.With historical lows in interest rates and a monetary policy flooding the banking sector, RBS may capitalize upon low costs of capital and potential increases in the demand for credit. However, due to the economic climate, RBS is expected to be substantially risk averse and may avoid the tried and true real estate market. Large and small businesses seeking working capital, companies seeking merger financing and product development financing are potential opportunities for RBS given the current real estate climate.RBS’s may be expected formulate strategic merger opportunities, gravitate towards a greater risk averse position, raise capital through selling assets and increase the quality of its capital base. RBS may sell assets like its 10% stake in Bank of China[2]. The RBS has also placed t its near-1,000 pub estate up for sale, as it looks to improve its balance sheet with cash holdings[3]. RBS is also poised to cut around 3,000 jobs from its Global Markets investment banking division. 4] Moreover, RBS will compete in an econo mic climate experiencing increases in unemployment. The company’s layoffs are indicative of the financial sector reducing payrolls in order to streamline operations and enhance profitability. However, the economy’s overall increases in unemployment may facilitate a corresponding increase in small business start ups such that RBS may make loans to unemployed workers attempting to start their own firms.Per the aforementioned real estate situation, housing prices experienced a plunge of approximately 16 per cent last year, the biggest annual drop on record and RBS is poised for another turbulent year in real estate investment activities. The fall during 2008 established a current average house price at ? 153,048,   down ? 20,000 since December 2007[5]. However, in a discounted real estate market, RBS may facilitate real estate investors seeking long term gains and may also conduct businesses unrelated to real estate i. e. manufacturing, technological, agricultural, and health care.SOCIAL Social aspects of the credit crisis include, but are not limited to: career attitudes, consumer confidence, and worries regarding pensions. Career attitudes may be improved if RBS campaigns for unemployed workers to attempt to start their own small business. Consumer confidence may increase if RBS markets the low costs of capital for borrowers. And worries regarding pensions may be alleviated by RBS’s Wealth Management division and subsequent campaigns emphasizing investments in staple sectors, emerging markets and firms experience above average growth.TECHNOLOGICAL The aforementioned FSA’s Consultation paper entitled ‘Financial Services Compensation Scheme reform’ also recommends Britain’s banks spend approximately ? 1bn on upgrades for information technology systems. The proposed IT investment facilitates a bank’s capacity to produce a list of all customers’ deposits within 48 hours of the institution failing. This may support the FSCS’s ability to ensure that bank customers get their money back within seven days.Such a system may also limit the risk of a collapse of confidence from spreading. Furthermore, technological variables like software platforms based on data mining, neural networks, risk analysis and algorithms scanning financial criteria may offer RBS the tools necessary to optimize networks, maximize knowledge procurement and minimize data absence such that assets, liabilities, expenses and revenue streams are analyzed, assessed and reported upon in order to alert management on significant changes and/or potential problems. LEGALRBS confronts numerous legal issues, including but not limited to: securities law, bank note regulation, separation of lawful matters centered on England and Scotland, country specific regulatory committees and a trade structures negotiated separate from England. RBS is poised to capitalize on the Scottish reputation for developing a wealthy nation s uch that, the concomitance of national legal frameworks may expedite innovation, facilitate the discovery of economic tools and promote a banking sector that leads the international economy into a more efficient, less volatile and improved transparency framework.By immersing itself in the legal framework of both regions, RBS may reap insight into the legislation the behind domestic economy and participation in an international marketplace. ENVIROMENTAL Several groups assert that RBS is one of the world’s top financing sources for oil and gas extraction. Allegations that RBS is funding oil and gas extraction in politically and environmentally sensitive regions and further entrenching dependence on oil and gas. These believes have resulted in campaigns against RBS   Protests have taken place at some RBS and Natwest branches in the UK.RBS supplies financial services to firms constructing coal-fired power stations and developing new coal mines at sites all over the world. RBS i s accused of helping billions of pounds over the last two years to E. ON, and other companies emphasizing coal. On 17 January 2008 environmental groups wrote to RBS hoping to resolve environmental problems associated with the ABN AMRO-financed Sakhalin II project (RBS, Fortis and Banco Santander acquired ABN AMRO in 2007).RBS’S green holdings may alleviate these antagonistic positions while also offering investment returns in industries experiencing relatively positive growth rates. As alternative energy becomes a viable source for transportation and electricity, RBS may identify and locate potential businesses (whether small businesses or conglomerates) that offer above average yields. Further, RBS may spearhead the banking industry’s emphasis on alternative energy in a marketplace poised to replace oil even during a banking crisis.Industrial Analysis: Current Market Forces in Banking Sector There are several forces operating in the banking sector. A few of these are related to the current crisis and others are constant parts of the banking sector. Such forces include, but are not limited to: i). a demand for reform; ii). a supply of private money (whether publicly financed or not) that has experienced a constraining shift in risk adversity; iii). a nationalization of private sectors; iv). uncertain alterations of capital standards; v). ossible shifts in portfolio risks; vi). homeowner and depositor protection; and vii). possible prioritization of small and medium sized business. These demand and supply issues are drivers of change. Other drivers of change include regulatory bodies, private organizations and competitors within the banking industry. As alterations in portfolio risks shift capital, changes in specific industries may occur. For example, an influx of capital into alternative energy alongside a reduction in real estate investment may fuel energy independence.As alterations in capital standards occur, banking companies are expected to change attitudes towards riskier loans. And as small and medium sized enterprises become a priority, the may be changes in the rate of innovation, the effect of small transactions and general economic data like unemployment or personal consumption. A banking sector’s industrial analysis would note that banking has existed so long that ascertaining the whole sector’s position in the life cycle is rather difficult.However, the sector is experiencing a nationalization, which in turn reverts back to antiquated stages of the sector’s life cycle. On the other hand, banking could be poised to accelerate its position in its life cycle due to the current economic crisis i. e. necessity is the mother of invention and the banking sector may invent methods to draw the economy out of the current crisis MADEAN2. WORDPRESS; http://madean2. wordpress. com/business/swot-pestel/ (2012) http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=1cV-R26kMrU&feature=related