Mumbai-the City of Dreams Essay

Mumbai – the city of dreams, the city of broken dreams. Millions go unnoticed like sand castles washed away at the beach, millions are attracted by the skyscrapers of Elphinstone, and millions are immortalized like the Elephanta-s. From Haji Ali to Siddhivinayak, from local trains to the Vada Pav, from the boulders of Bandstand to the sands of Juhu, from Mangeshkar to Tendulkar, from the Khans to the Bachchans, it is ‘Aamchi Mumbai’ all the way. From the trawlers’ struggle for fresh catch to the country’s top CEO-s’ meetings, India’s business capital doesn’t seem to sleep. With fruit juice at Rs. 5 a glass outside railway stations, to Rs. 200 a cappuccino at the Trident, life in Mumbai sails smooth with all its diversity. The night remains young from DJ jamming sessions to ek chaalis ki last local. Almost a hundred Bollywood movies have had as their opening scene a long shot of Victoria Terminus, introducing Mumbai as sapno ki na gari. Arvind Swami’s lovelorn ‘Tu Hi Re’ on old fort reminds us of Bombay, whereas Ranbir Kapur’s ‘Wake up Sid’ sketches Mumbai on a realistic canvas. Dreams come true here, dreams shatter here, but life doesn’t go off the tracks. The locals move on, carrying few lakh dreaming hearts every day. The Churchgate slow local arrives on platform 3 of Lower Parel station at 11am with about a dozen hanging on each footboard; the ladies compartments have decked up corporate women in formals and topknots to Marathi fisherwomen rushing to the markets to sell their fresh catch. In fact, Mumbai traffic compels few office goers to park their cars at stations and take the reliable local to office everyday! ‘Bombay to Goa’ to ‘Saathiya’, the local train has repeatedly come on the silver screen. Even the Oscar winning Indian movie ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ had one of its popular songs shot at the famous Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus platform. Over the decades, it has turned out to be Mumbai’s lifeline. The tracks take a three hour daily break from 1:40am to 4:45am, CST to Khopoli, Churchgate to Dahanu. There are three main lines — the Western, Central and the Harbour line. Life in Mumbai revolves around local trains; the truth about which was felt when the Motormen strike on May 3rd, 2010 had left Mumbai chaotic and overturned. Another thing that raises tourist’s eyebrows is the ‘on-track’ vendors and their items. The ladies on their way buy household items to earrings to kurti-s. There is trial option also; anyone can try a kurti before choosing to buy! Another familiar face in the 9:01am Ambernath-Lower Parel II class ladies compartment is a lady who sells home-made sweets. She has an amazing style of calling out the names of the sweets, a shrill loud voice coming unexpectedly out of her frail structure, and women indeed go berserk buying her delicacies. It is perhaps correctly said, â€Å"You will find answers to all the mysteries of the world, except one— What does a woman want?† The engine siren pierces through the silence of the night, the bogies rattle on the tracks, the signals go red and green, the pebbles on the fishplates turn and overturn, and the Mumbai locals go on and on.

Christian moralists Essay

According to Freud, they are â€Å"fulfillments of the oldest, strongest, and most urgent wishes of mankind; the secret of their strength lies in the strength of their wishes† (Pals 72). For him, the only way to test something is by the scientific method (Pals 72). The believers of religion draw their religion from feelings and emotions (Pals 72). He mentioned that it was a given that religion may have helped build civilizations however, since civilizations were already built, superstition and repression should not continue to be the foundation (Pals 72). According to Freud â€Å"Religion would thus be the universal obsessional neurosis of humanity† (Pals 73). In his perception, mature people are those guided by reason and science and not by mere superstition and faith (Pals 73). God, for this thinker, was not a being that was real (Pals 73). In fact, he saw God as an illusion that was nearly projected by the self because they had a deep longing to overcome guilt and to lessen their fears (Pals 73). Religion may be something that is rooted from the ego to be able to make sense of the struggles that are present in the world. But it is more than just a bunch of feelings and emotions because those fade. Religion has been around for centuries and that cannot be because most of the people around the world have felt like believing in God for all these years. Hope has in fact been seen to be built on nothing but illusion; in reality, it exists because of faith (Palmer 279). Faith cannot exist without religion. However, Christian moralists would still stay true to the fact that with hope in their lives, it would be significant and have moral worth (Palmer 279). Critics of religion would say that morality would depend on the need of a â€Å"psychologically realistic foundation† that calls for human purposes (Palmer 279). Going back to the question posed earlier, if it was about feelings and emotions, then religion should have been replaced by money or by other things. Even though in this secular world, most of religion’s areas are penetrated by such things, it still prevails for a reason; because people have faith. Majority of the people in the world believe in God, does this mean only a part of the human population are mature people? If the strength of religion lies in the â€Å"strength of its wishers,† how come faithless people have come to know God because of the things that happen in their own lives that they would consider nothing short of a miracle (Pals 72). If everything can be tested by the scientific method, it should have tested why people fall in love or why people can risk their lives to rescue someone else. How come students from the direst of neighborhoods can graduate from high school despite everything that could hinder him or her? Was it determination and hope? Where did those qualities come from? Is it the illusion of the people that God had always been able to provide for them even if they felt that all is lost and has ended? Is it an illusion that the sun rises in the morning and that planets are held in their axis and revolve around there orbit? If religion is just something for a person to overcome guilt, how come people have to place such emotions of God while there are a whole lot of other things that are more tangible that people can turn to? Why not you rely on something can see if that means having to have a better concept of that â€Å"illusion. † Religion from Society Following Emile Durkheim’s point of view relating religion with sociology, morality was perceived to be the obligation of each other to others wherein it cannot be separated from religion (Pals 95). Religion and morals mesh together in a social framework (Pals 95). Under his views, the success of the religious leader does not lie in the number of converts he had brought in the congregation but the event that has reinstated a sense of community amongst the people (Pals 95). Durkheim believed that â€Å"Religion is a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things, that is to say, set apart and forbidden† (Pals 99). When he talked about sacred things he referred to â€Å"unite in one moral community called church and those who adhere them† (Pals 99). Sacred things referred to the issues of the community while those that are not sacred referred to the private things and the everyday things a person encounters (Pals 99). Under Durkheim’s view of religion, it was more like a society. â€Å"The idea of society is the soul of religion† because the concept of religion needed the society in order to exist. It was based on creating a sense of belongingness. Society was formed by the collective commitment of the individuals because without such commitment the society would fail to exist. In the same way, religion exists merely because a lot of people are committed to the fact that it does exist. Like Freud, he referred to Totemism as an example of how society gave birth to religion. Freud saw how religion is exactly just like society, in comparison, the rituals and the rites and the church leaders can be seen as a mere superficial or surface part of religion because it is just a body of collective beliefs and practices that are endowed by such some kind of authority. This thinker also believed that there was nothing neither divine nor supernatural because he saw that it was just society that produced this concept in order to keep people in line and to give emphasis on certain things that the society should value as a whole. Society had survived from civilizations that have started in the past. The question whether how religion was formed was important to answer because defines the further need for it. Is it a mere creation of man that humanity exists? If not, then why did it exist; because of the perseverance of the human spirit? Where did this perseverance come from, more than that, where did the spirit come from? These are things the society cannot really provide for them if the premise is society gave birth to religion. Alienation Karl Marx, of all the thinkers in the past may have presented one of the most scornful and sarcastic contempt at religion (Pals 139). Most of the discussion about religion from this philosopher referred to religion as alienation. He never really just concentrated on discussing religion alone but his works have shown how he had pretty much a heavy opinion about it and that influenced the structure of Communism. It was plain and simple for Marx, â€Å"religion is pure illusion† (Pals 138). Similar to how Freud saw religion, Marx saw it more than an illusion but something that was dangerous and something that should be eradicated from society (Pals 138). He considered religion as the worst kind of ideology because of how it expressed a perceived bunch of excuses dressed as reasons in order to keep society in the manner that their oppression would like them to stay as (Pals 138). Religion is then related to a tool of oppression instead of being a liberating factor that most Christian ideals adhere to. Since he was consumed with how he taught a capitalist society brought about oppression he saw religion as merely another factor to keep people in line and to prevent them from having to go against the leaders of society. Since most of his arguments fall upon his hatred for the Capitalist society, he attacked religion saying it was fully determined by economics that made all the doctrines that was attributed to it to have no merits of their own (Pals 138). Since he had no respect for that kind of system, he did not see much of the structure and nature of religion as well (Pals 138). Marx found a profound parallelism between religion and socioeconomics wherein he saw how both areas of society alienated people from important parts of who they were (Pals 140). While religion took moral values; socioeconomics took productive labor (Pals 140-141). Religion took a way a part of the people, the morality part as humans and attributed it to a wholly imaginary being (Pals 141). Marx saw how it took away the credit from the people and awarded everything to God (Pals 141). On the other hand, socioeconomics took away the fruits of the labor of the people and awarded it to whoever had the money to pay, mostly to the rich (Pals 141). Marx saw how these two concepts were too much alike because of how they were related to each other. Like Durkheim, he saw that the capitalist society created religion as economics was the base for everything. He then moved for the abolition of religion under the Communist ideology as this was considered an illusory happiness (Pals 141). According to him, the abolition of religion was actually required for real happiness to occur (Pals 141). He saw that religion did not help the people, most especially the poor. For him, religion only created fantasies for the people that enabled them to ease the pain they felt from the oppression of society (Pals 141). He saw religion as the opium of the poor (Pals 140). He illustrated religion as nothing more than being addiction to any form of drug (Pals 142). It may be a form of escape that would make a person worry-free for a while but it does not serve anything (Pals 142). He saw religion as pure escapism (Pals 142). Religion, for Marx, only shifted the gaze of the people and their reliance on God instead of having to rely upon themselves for their own well-being (Pals 142). However, he also said that it blinded the people from the real injustice of the material, physical situation they had in society because they were much to focus on fixing their second life or their eternal life in heaven to be worried about their current stature on earth (Pals 142). The fact that religion was seen to oppress can be reflected in erroneous leadership on the part of the Church in the past but it cannot generalize the whole body of believers. If a person works for this current life with disregard for the consequences of the next life, what is he to gain? Is he to be satisfied? No person had ever found the ultimate satisfaction, no matter how hard they work or how wealthy they are, this cannot be attained in the present life. Whoever says he or she can must be fooling him or herself. Reliance on a supreme being is placed in the fiber of human nature for a reason, because they need God. It is not to oppress them to being helpless beings. It actually empowers them to be the best that they can become with the help from their creator. Conclusion No matter what such thinkers present regarding the false hopes and the perception of believers regarding religion, there are still so much areas that remain undisputed. There are still areas in the field of religion that remain to be untouched and simply ignored. The areas that cannot be explained cannot be test by scientific explanation. There are areas that can be denied that they exist even if they dispute that religion does not. If religion was birthed out of society, and there are a lot of atheists that can almost form a community out of themselves, how come they do not just create their own society that could affect the society of believers in the world? The argument about faith and the existence of God had been a long withstanding debate for centuries now and still, the world still contain a large body of believers that are willing to put faith first before reason. Does this make these people unintelligent beings? There had been thinkers as well who had defended the faith that had chosen to believe because they saw how reason cannot overcome everything, only faith can do that. The existence of religion cannot only be out of the desires of the leaders to keep society in line. It takes more than human power to be able to sustain this for centuries. If it was placed in the hands of mere humans, then there must have been a time wherein atheists have struggled for power and took the reigns of society to reverse the mindset. The protection around the concept of religion speaks tons for itself. It takes divine power to be able to stay significant for centuries for different peoples all over the world. Works Cited Pals, Daniel L. Seven Theories of Religion. New York: Oxford University Press, 1996 Palmer, Michael. The question of God: An introduction and Sourcebook. New York: Routledge, 2001.

The concept of elasticity is defined as the percentage

The convex shape of the production possibility boundary is derived from the principle of opportunity cost. The production possibility boundary defines the maximum production potential of an economy given its resource and technology constraints.The opportunity cost is defined as loss of economic value that could have been gained if resources had been invested in an alternative. Therefore, the opportunity cost is an integral component of the production possibility boundary in terms of how much of one product can be produced given its opportunity cost.The convex shape of the production possibility boundary means that as the economy produces more of one good, its opportunity cost rises. As a result, fewer quantities of that good can be produced. In other words, more of the other good have to be sacrificed.This is because, as a result of being driven by resource and technology constraints, the economy is in the optimum position of producing a certain quantity of each category of goods. Be yond that point, the opportunity cost of producing one good instead of another continues to rise as it requires increasing resource and technology investments.

Final Project Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Final Project - Research Paper Example For example, it would be necessary to know why one needs to put up the department, what has changed in order for the company to decide to set up the department, the functions the company wishes the department to do, and how the department will contribute to the success of the company (Mathis & Jackson, 2011). In the case of Wabash Box Company, I would first consider hiring employees with prior experience in the manufacturing field. This is vital because it would reduce cost of training required to train inexperienced employees. I would also consider analysing categories of jobs required by the company in order to evenly distribute the 150 employees. To set up human resource department, I would also be required to set up a recruitment and selection team that will be mandated to hire new employees. Selection criteria will of course be determined by the working environment in Franklin, and this should go in line with the culture of Tennessee. Since the company needs to develop and offer distinct or quality corrugated containers, I would also strategically consider designing a career development plan, which will among other functions include training of the employees in order to develop and advance their skills. This should also go hand in hand with a strategy to maintain human resource. Question two: most appealing function of HR My most appealing HR management is employees motivating. Obtaining employees is one thing, and retaining them is a different thing all together. Retention of employees, however, requires a combination of multiple concepts. One and most obvious is as the function states â€Å"motivating†. There are various incentives and strategies of motivating employees. These need to be taken seriously as they may lead to employees leaving for another motivating organization or company, thus lose of credible asset to the company, which translates to loss of business (Mathis & Jackson, 2011). The articles I selected involves employees motivating. The argument in articles is about how to address the issue of employees when they tell their bosses that they are leaving the organization. A number of issues are raised in this argument, but, which all revolve around the issue of employees motivating. The problem arising is that these news may be surprising to the boss since it means losing that the employee would lead to lose of business. To some extent, the problem could be related to the boss refusal to motivate his or her employees, and probably the reason could be the organization could not be in a position to do so. The key point is that addressing employee’s salary should involve ensuring that they are market worth. The issue of employees motivating can be applied in academic and also professional career by a way of putting measures of employee’s retention into practice. Research on employees motivating can be of great importance to students, since this would help them dig deep in order to have an in-depth unde rstanding of the phenomena. Question three: 100 Best Companies to Work For Companies that I would like to work for: i. Google, The Boston Consulting Group, and SAS Institute a. Google’s mission is â€Å"to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful† (Google Company, 2012, 1). Google has a vast of jobs to offer ranging from sales and account management, product and customer service, administrative and many more. According to what Google displays on its career

Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay - Essay Example Evidence abounds that while some journalists lapped up such handouts and other Government-supplied material inadvertently, some others did it in good faith, while yet others did that in return for consideration. Understandably, therefore, the message they convey to the American citizens is that the Government is in full control of every situation. However, not many Americans seem to believe such rosy reports; they read between the lines, especially as doubts have been cast on the credibility of such media outlets as work as unofficial spokespersons of the Government. Public opinion in the United States has crystallized against torture in these two detention camps, despite the administration using the media for its own ends.For media outlets like Al Jazeera and Al Arabia, onthe other hand, any stick is good enough to beat theUnited States with, and, as such, they brainwashtheir essentially Arab audiences against the UnitedStates. Their message is that the days of USsupremacy are stric tly numbered. As such, there isa basic similarity between the mainstream mediain the United States and such media outlets in theArab world, in that for neither are facts sacred. Within the United States, while the liberaltraditions of the Democratic Party militate against detention camps and deprivation of the due process of law even to suspected terrorists, the conservative baggage of the Republicans is comfortable with them. Finally, the basic connection between Abu Ghraib and the Guantanamo Bay is that both are detention camps that have hit the headlines for human rights abuses. _____ "Federal authorities are investigating dozens ofAmerican television stations for broadcasting items produced by the Bush administration and major corporations, and passing them off as normal news. Some of the fake news segments talked of success in the war in Iraq." (Buncombe, Andrew; May 29, 2006) Investigators sought information about stations across the country after a report produced by a campaign group detailed the extraordinary extent of the use of such items. (Buncombe, Andrew, May 29, 2006) The report, by the non-profit Center for Media and Democracy, found that over a 10-month period at least 77 television stations were using the faux news broadcasts, known as Video News Releases (VNRs) (Buncombe, Andrew; May 29, 2006). "We know we only had partial access to these VNRs, and yet we found 77 stations using them," said Diana Farsetta, one of the researchers of the group. (Buncombe, Andrew; May 29, 2006) "I would say it's pretty extraordinary. The picture we found was much worse than we (had) expected going into the investigation in terms of just how widely these got played and how frequently these prepackaged segments were put on the air," she added. Public relations companies, commissioned to produce these segments by corporations had, according to her, become increasingly sophisticated in their techniques to get the VNRs broadcast. They were now very good at mimicking what a real, independently produced television report would look like. (Buncombe, Andrew; May 29, 2006). The range of VNRs is wide. Among items provided by the Bush administration to news stations was one in which an Iraqi-American in Kansas City was seen saying "Thank you, Bush; Thank you, USA" in response to the 2003 fall of Baghdad. The footage was actually produced by the State Department, one of 20 Federal agencies that have produced and

Mobile report Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Mobile report - Coursework Example (Ahonen and Melkko, 2008, 44-99) PhyÃ'•ically, itÃ'• very Ã'•imilar to the iPhone 3G, much more Ã'•o than the Diamond, complete with Ã'•lim, candybar form factor, a large Ã'•creen dominating the front panel and minimaliÃ'•t controlÃ'•. Compare the phoneÃ'• Ã'•ide by Ã'•ide and youll find that dimenÃ'•ionÃ'• are remarkably Ã'•imilar too, though the Omnia iÃ'• a little Ã'•limmer, narrower and Ã'•horter than the iPhone 3G, at 12.5 x 112 x 56.9mm compared to 12.3 x 115.5 x 62mm. Ð…o how exactly doeÃ'• it Ã'•tack up elÃ'•ewhere? Well, aÃ'• youd expect from a modern WindowÃ'• Ã'•martphone, thereÃ'• a pile of featureÃ'• and many of theÃ'•e appear to match or outÃ'•trip the iPhone 3G equivalent. It haÃ'• a five-megapixel camera on the rear with an LED flaÃ'•h and a VGA video call camera on the front - the iPhoneÃ'• iÃ'• three megapixelÃ'• leÃ'•Ã'• and it haÃ'• no video call feature. It alÃ'•o haÃ'• HÐ…DPA of up to 7.2Mb/Ã'•ec, a 624MHz proceÃ'•Ã'•or, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, a GPÐ… receiver and an FM radio. PluÃ'• it comeÃ'• with a decent helping of Ã'•torage – either 8GB or 16GB with microÐ…D expanÃ'•ion aÃ'• well. ItÃ'• Ã'•creen, however, at 3.2 incheÃ'• iÃ'•nt quite aÃ'• luxuriouÃ'•ly Ã'•paciouÃ'• aÃ'• the iPhoneÃ'• and itÃ'• 400 x 280 reÃ'•olution iÃ'• alÃ'•o inferior. ThereÃ'• alÃ'•o no 3.5mm headphone Ã'•ocket and though a converÃ'•ion dongle iÃ'• included in the box, wed Ã'•ooner not have to carry an adapter around juÃ'•t to liÃ'•ten to muÃ'•ic and it Ã'•eemÃ'• a needleÃ'•Ã'• overÃ'•ight given the capaciouÃ'• Ã'•torage on offer. (Ahonen and Melkko, 2008, 44-99) The camera, however, iÃ'• the main highlight here. ItÃ'• reÃ'•olution iÃ'• the main headline: five megapixelÃ'• iÃ'• the higheÃ'•t reÃ'•olution Ive Ã'•een in a WindowÃ'• Mobile device, but it alÃ'•o haÃ'• image Ã'•tabiliÃ'•ation, which meanÃ'• you dont have to rely on the leÃ'•Ã'•-than-ideal LED flaÃ'•h in difficult lighting. The reÃ'•ultÃ'• are impreÃ'•Ã'•ive. Inevitably given the pinhole lenÃ'• Ã'•hotÃ'• are a little noiÃ'•y in low light

In What Ways Does the Choice of an Epistemological Perspective or Essay

In What Ways Does the Choice of an Epistemological Perspective or Stance Influence the Formulation of a Management Research - Essay Example The paper additionally examines issues like empiricism, constructivism, idealism, rationalism, and their influences on the formulation of a research in the field of management. Epistemology is a branch of the philosophical field that is mainly concerned with the nature and limitations of knowledge. The field addresses such issues as what knowledge is, how it can be acquired, and the extent to which it applies to certain entities (Easterby-Smith, Thorpe and Jackson, 2012). Epistemological perspectives are the different ways in which different people view knowledge, its nature and scope. There are different epistemological perspectives that can be used in the formulation of a management research; they range from empiricism, idealism, and rationalism to constructivism (Fumerton, 2006). In order to overcome the difficulties that may be encountered in formulating the management research the concepts of infinitism, foundationalism, and coherentism may be utilized (Krishnaswamy, Sivakumar a nd Mathirajan, 2009). Empiricism is a concept that emphasizes the role that experience plays when one formulates a management research. It is basically a conjecture of knowledge that emphasizes the use of the perceptual observations that we make through our senses (Easterby-Smith, Thorpe and Jackson, 2012). ... On the other hand, rationalism emphasizes the epistemologically privileged statuses of data that we have collected through our senses. It additionally emphasizes the dominance of reasoning and consists of abstracts, theory, and borrowings from empirical studies (Easterby-Smith, Thorpe and Jackson, 2012). When formulating a management research using epistemology, an individual has to collect data before he or she can utilize the knowledge acquired. Doing this, an individual will be able to make appropriate decisions (Audi, 2010). Many challenges may be encountered in the collection of data that may eventually lead to misinterpretation. Data may be incorrectly interpreted due to the fact that different people possess different forms of knowledge along with levels of understanding (Fumerton, 2006). A lot of time is additionally lost when references are made to previous empirical studies that have been carried out, though they are important in ensuring the best decisions in regard to dif ferent aspects in management that are to be resolved. After researching the studies of previous researchers, an individual will have the empirical material that can help avoid the obstacles encountered by others (Krishnaswamy, Sivakumar and Mathirajan, 2009). According to Fumerton (2006), a lot of consultations have to be made before an appropriate decision can be implemented for the purpose of solving the problems facing a business venture. Rationalism enables to epistemologically reason out a problem before one can come to a decision as to the best solution. It additionally helps researchers overcome any errors they may have made when formulating

Indian Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Indian Religion - Essay Example They comprise of two distinct parts, one is the Brahmanas or the knowledge, which deals with the direct realization of God and the Karma Kanda, which deals rituals and their performance. The Vedas are four in number Rig-Veda, Yajur-Veda, Sama-Veda and Atharva-Veda. No Hindu religious text can be based on anything other than the Vedas; hence, the Puranas or Epics are also based on the authority of the Vedas. In the epics, the Divine Incarnations of God are described. These Divine Incarnations also, followed the precepts of the Vedas implicitly, thereby setting an example to the common man. As such, the Vedas are unchangeable and eternal; nothing can be added to, reduced or changed in them. The Puranas serve to illustrate the injunctions laid down in the Vedas. The very same Brahma Vidyas of the Vedas, or direct methods to realize the Ultimate Reality, are to be found in the Puranas. However, the emphasis in Puranas, as they deal with Divine Incarnations, is on Faith or Bhakti. The Bra hmanas with their emphasis on Brahma Vidyas, are what comprises the Path of Knowledge to realize God. It must be emphasized that Sanatan Dharma has many paths or methods to realize God. It is a highly developed religion and has a very strong base in practical religion. Initially the emphasis was on the Path of Knowledge but over a period of time it was realized that such logical reasoning to arrive at the ultimate truth was not possible for everyone. The path of Bhakti or Faith was found to be uncomplicated and very easy.

Global climate changes are manmade Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Global climate changes are manmade - Essay Example Observations recorded from 1976 indicate an average increase in temperature of 0.12 0C for every 10 years (Dalton-Stein, Knebel & Wicke, 2005). The increase in global temperatures has been credited to the augmentation in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Many scientists and scholars have made the greenhouse effect the common claim supporting the rising temperatures. The greenhouse gases (GHGs) have formed a layer that absorbs long-wave radiations from the earth’s surface (Booker, 2010). This warming has created changes in the seasons with winter becoming shorter and warmer, and the snow coverage has reduced drastically. The mountain vegetation has changed due to the warm temperature, and extreme weather conditions are experienced in various parts of the world (Booker, 2010). Conversely, global warming is caused by the increase in the sun’s temperatures. The average surface temperatures rise faster than those of the atmosphere (Booker, 2010). This is as a result of additional solar radiation reaching the earth’s surface. According to the greenhouse effect, the radiation from the earth’s temperature warms the atmosphere. The surface temperature depends on the intensity of the sun’s radiation. Therefore, the high surface temperatures are as a result of rising radiation from the sun and not the effect of GHGs (Booker, 2010). The cloud cover is responsible for regulating the surface temperatures. Low-level cloud cover is responsible for cooling the earth’s surface. The decrease in cloud cover has increased the net radiation reaching the earth’s surface. The changes in the sun’s radiation have increased its irradiance (Stern, 2007). This effect is transmitted to the earth’s surface, which has the effect of global warming. This supports the claim that global warming is a natural phenomenon due to solar activities. This paper supports the claim that global warming is manmade due to the rising emission of GHGs

Reflective Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reflective Analysis - Essay Example d, highlight and report similarities of results and methods of research that is done in a particular subject matter over the specified number of years. Following are the analyses of works which I have done in the recent years. Finally, this report is intended for my parents and will be used as a means of communicating my educational progress to them. The first assignment was written to highlight the development of electronic and digital means by which humans can now take notes. The work also noted the adverse influences of the abovementioned technological interventions as people are not being to write manually when they have to while they also fail to remember spellings and commit lots of grammatical mistakes and errors in punctuation. On the positive side, the fashion of digital noting helped the students in the learning process because they can accumulate obscene amount of information both effectively and efficiently (Wang, 2). The work also had quite a few grammatical errors of its own but I am trying to overcome my weaknesses in regard to grammar by writing on a more frequent basis. The second assignment was nothing new but a refined form of the first one in which I duly attempted to control and manage quality of the content whereas I also put significant level of effort in terms of studying the subject in more detailed manner. I added that digital note taking is better as it allows the audience to record information with less effort. And there is nothing wrong in adopting new sand improved methods of taking notes as conventional ones are going to become obsolete in a few years from now (Wang, 2). Finally, the work suggested all people to master both traditional and modern techniques of note taking (Wang, 3) so that they will become capable of doing that despite of having technological difficulties that may render their modern devices inoperable. This review and analytical paper was developed in order to put my thinking ability to test and I put my best

Communication Opinion Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Communication Opinion Paper - Essay Example writing neatly and clearly, organizing the points to ease their flow and understanding, having an eye get in touch with, by means of proper grammar and passing reliable message are the essentials needed to effectively pass a message. The sender should have an understanding of the receiver so as to modify the message and to make it more relevant. The recipient is the individual to whom the sender transmits the message. The recipient can also exchange a few words verbally and nonverbally. The most excellent and effective way to receive a message is to listen carefully, sitting upright and making eye contact. One should avoid getting distracted or trying to do something else while listening. Nodding or in good spirits as you pay attention to the correspondent address show that you comprehend the meaning being send to you. The message is send to the receiver in different forms; such forms are, by word of mouth staging, a written paper, an commercial or just a observations. For effective communication to take place, the correspondent must not only compile the point cautiously, nevertheless also weigh up the way in which then message can be interpreted. It is through the channel of communication that message travels from one point to another. Every channel of communication has some advantages and disadvantages. For instant, one particular shortcoming of words in black and white, on a central processing unit screen or in a manuscript, is that the recipient cannot weigh up the nature of the point. Intended for effective communication, word written communications are used so they don’t rely on a specific tone of voice to convey the message accurately. The advantage of television as a channel for communication is that reaches a wide audience and the sender’s ability to further manipulate the message using editing and special effects. The feedback describes the receiver’s response or reaction to the sender’s massage. The receiver can pass the feedback by asking

Gothic conventions Essay Example for Free

Gothic conventions Essay Dracula, as described in the play, can take many forms of different creatures. Ranging from a wolf to a mist. These creatures are described well in the play and create an atmosphere of suspense for the reader. It also shows just how strong Dracula is. This vampire which is amongst us is of himself so strong in person as twenty men This quotation shows us just how strong Dracula is and Bram Stoker describes this well by comparing Dracula to a living thing such as man. It gives us a good idea of just how strong Dracula is/becomes. In the play it describes the many forms that Dracula can take: The storm, the fog, and the wolf; he can grow and become small; and he can at times vanish and come unknown. This describes very well the different forms that Dracula can take and the last bit of the sentence just creates that extra bit of suspense, which can take this play to the next level. and he can at times vanish and come unknown This is the phrase which kicks in that extra bit of suspense and gets the reader wondering what this means and how Dracula does it. It overall draws a better picture of the creature himself and what is achievable for him. He can transform himself to wolf, as we gather from the ship arrival in Whitby, when he tear open the dog; he can be as bat He can come in mist which he create This is another of the forms that Dracula can take and as you progress on with the story you get a better and better image of Dracula and the powers that he has within him. Another one of the conventions is the weirdness of Dracula and how different he is in relation to the rest of mankind. He eat not as others. Even friend Jonathan, who lived with him for weeks, did never see him to eat, never! This is very weird, as we all know because every living thing needs to consume something in order for its body to keep functioning and to stay alive. But it seems as though Dracula is very different compared to humans as Jonathan, who had lived with him, had never seen him eat. This must mean that there is another way in, which Dracula consumes which has not yet been discovered. This part of the story creates suspense and gets the reader thinking about what Dracula exactly is and how he differs humans. It gets the reader thinking about how Dracula survives and what he survives on. He throws no shadow; he make in the mirror no reflect This is another phrase, which creates suspense for the reader and shoes just how weird Dracula is and once again it gets the readers thinking just what Dracula is. As we know everything and anything can throw a shadow as long as it is solid. The laws of physics tell us that. But Dracula somehow doesnt throw a shadow. This means that he is defying the laws of Physics, which once again shows how unusual and how inhuman like Dracula is. The last quotation which gets the reader wondering about Dracula is He can see in the dark-no small power this It isnt a small power indeed as no human can do this, which ultimately confirms just how inhuman Dracula is. The convention of the journal will be looked at next. Minas journal has a lot to reveal about Dracula and her encounter with him. The first quotation I will take is the parted red lips, with the sharp white teeth showing between; and red eyes This is a quote which strikes fear into the mind of the readers and it gives a fairly good description of Dracula. The sharp teeth instantly gets you thinking and gives u a sense of fear as u begin to picture what this person may look like. The red eyes also instantly puts fear into the minds of the readers as it describes Dracula in a very fiery/inhuman way. The word monster may come into the readers minds as they read this phrase. Silence! If u make a sound I shall take him and dash his brains out before your very eyes Here we are getting pretty gruesome as the writer takes a more graphic approach to the threat that Dracula makes to Mina. The very thought of someones brains being dashed before you instantly sends a shiver up your spine and gets you very involved in the passage as your brain instantly gathers an image of what it would look like if you were to be there. This slowly paints a better picture of Dracula and what he is capable of and what he has done before. Another chilling quote from Dracula is: You may as well be quiet; it is not the first time your veins have appeased my thirst This is a very chilling quote, which refers to the blood in Minas body. It gets the reader thinking about whether or not Dracula is about to do what they think he is about to do. But straight after there is another quote, which describes just how unusual and powerful Dracula is: strangely enough I did not want to hinder him. I suppose it is a part of the horrible curse that this happens when his touch is on his victim This quote gives an image of Dracula to be very inhuman like just like the others. It gets the reader into the story line and makes the reader believe more and more that Dracula is truly supernatural. But it seemed that a long time had passed before he took his awful sneering mouth away. I saw it drip with the fresh blood This can only be the action of a supernatural, as no human would even think of consuming someone elses blood. Dracula is a natural vampire as this sentence finally suggests and just shows what lengths the supernatural go to. Once again here a monster like image is created of Dracula and the instant feeling of fear kicks in as you read the sentence. The main reason that this sense of fear is created by the writer is because of how graphic the script becomes and how detailed it is and once again this instantly creates a picture in your mind of Dracula commencing with these gruesome acts. When my brain says Come! to you, you shall cross land or sea to do my bidding This describes a sense of power, which comes from Dracula. This is typical as power is one of the Gothic conventions, which is used in this story to good effect as Dracula commands his presence and shows his power. Straight after this we go from power to the gruesome side of Dracula: With that he pulled open his shirt and with his sharp nails opened a vein in his breast This is very gruesome and creates a sense of sickness for the reader but its all in the nature of Dracula as the story shows and Bram Stoker makes this very graphic once again which sends shivers up the readers spine. But even this is not enough. The writer goes one step further here as he goes into more graphic content When the blood began to spurt out, he took my hands in one of his, holding them tight, and with the other seized my neck and pressed my mouth to the wound, so that I must suffocate or swallow This once again is very sickening as it goes into great detail of how she is made to press her mouth against the blood spurting breast of Dracula. This creates a sickening image, which causes the reader to react in a way where he/she just wants to put the book down. As we move on to another extract in the story. We come to the part of the story where the Professor encounters Dracula himself.

Rising Powers And Global Balance Of Power

Rising Powers And Global Balance Of Power No one can forecast the future with certainty, though immediate future can be predicted with relative correctness based on contemporary realities, tendencies and realities. The cold war has ended. The US no longer faces the constant threat of aggression from its erstwhile adversary, the former USSR. Did someone ever forecast the demise of USSR, US emerging as the sole super power or the attack on the Twin Towers? Aggression grows in unsettled or disorderly times and explodes in power vacuum. The world is dynamic and so is the notion of power. Throughout history we can see the Balance of Power Concept in action. The states of Europe held each other in balance through the first 300 years of the modern state system. The clearest example of the balance of power concept can be found in the Cold War wherein two superpowers, the US and the USSR, held world balance between them. Both states sought to deter domination by the other through arms buildup and the creation of strong systems of all iances. Today power is distributed in a pattern that resembles a complex three dimensional chess game. On the top chess board, military power is largely unipolar, on the middle, economic power is multipolar, the bottom is the realm of transnational relations that cross borders outside the government control which includes non state actors. Since the end of the Cold War, the United States has been the sole super power in the world. No single state acted as effective counterweight to the US. However, some shifts have been witnessed recently due to globalization, market forces and operation of non state actors without regard for national boundaries and loyalties which has made the balancing phenomenon more complicated. Therefore, some recent studies in the field of International relations advocate that power politics including balancing of power has become obsolete and the theory of balance of power has lost its relevance. This phenomenon has raised a series of questions and just a few are:- a. Has the phenomenon of balance of power lost its relevance? b. Will the world be without any state in the global lead role? c. Is the world transforming to multipolarity? d. Are traditional measures and sources of power losing their relevance in the world? e. Are effects of globalization rendering the state borders and notion of sovereignty irrelevant? f. How are non state actors including VNSAs influencing the balance of power? g. Will the geo-economics really replace geo-politics? h. Will the current powers allow the shift in balance of power without violence? Scope Past and contemporary global order. Myths and realities of rising powers and global balance of power. Rising global trends in balance of power. Pakistan 2050, challenges and opportunities. Major conclusions and Recommendations for Pakistan HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF BALANCE OF POWER 4. Prehistoric and Medieval Periods. During the Period of the Warring States in China (403-221 BC), the development of large, cohesive states accompanied the creation of irrigation systems, bureaucracies, and large armies equipped with iron weapons. These Chinese states pursued power through a constantly shifting network of alliances. In ancient Greece during the Peloponnesian Wars (431-404 BC), the rising power of Athens triggered the formation of a coalition of city-states that felt threatened by Athenian power. 5. Pre World Wars Period a. In the 17th century the Habsburg dynasty, which ruled Austria and Spain, threatened to dominate Europe. During the Thirty Years War (1618-1648), a coalition that included Sweden, England, France, and The Netherlands defeated the rulers of the Habsburg Empire. b. Early in the 19th century, Napoleon repeatedly made efforts to conquer large areas of Europe. A broad coalition of European states-including Britain, Russia, Austria, and Prussia-defeated France in a series of major battles that climaxed with Napoleons defeat at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. c. The classical European balance of power system emerged thereafter in an alliance known as the Concert of Europe, organized in 1815 by Austrian statesman Klemens von Metternich. This loose alliance between Britain, Russia, Austria, Prussia, and France ensured that a handful of great powers would coexist, with none able to dominate the others. Under this system, and with Britain playing a balancer role, peace largely prevailed in Europe during the 19th century. It is not an accident that the doctrine of the balance of power-alike in international and in domestic politics-received its classic and most rigorous statements at a time when foreign policy was largely a matter for rulers who could use the war potential of their states for their own aggrandizement. It was because a ruler had to be able to wage effective war that he had to be allowed the armed force that contributed to his domestic control. d. British reliance on a navy rather than on a standing army was important to the growth of British liberties-and later to American liberty. In a sense, therefore, the international balance of power was needed to check the pretensions of rulers who lacked any effective domestic check. The balance of power, however, although it may act to restrain the actions of those who believe in the doctrine, is in the first instance a device to restrain others. 6. Inter and Intra World Wars Period (1914-1945) a. When World War I broke out, although all parties made some effort to maintain or protect the balance of power (which, of course, they interpreted differently), none of them could argue that governments, or princes, were behaving in the way that one would expect. German apologists had to contend that Germany was surrounded by malevolent foes and that the survival of Germany was at stake. The allies had to contend not merely that Germany was too powerful for comfort, but that German militarism threatened a European civilization that would otherwise be peaceful. The argument, in short, could not be cast in terms of the balance of power. b. In order to contain German and its allies, a formidable alliance was formed in Europe. German threat was such that USA broke away with the centuries long stand of neutrality and joined the alliance against Germany. Status quo however, was maintained in Europe. Historians will long continue to debate the causes that finally brought the United States into the war. c. Same was the case in World War II, where, a status quo was required to be maintained and German advances were to be stopped, alliance on the lines of World War I was formed. The alliance completely decapacitated German led axis powers. In both the World Wars, the entry of the United States so quickly and completely tilted the balance of power in favor of the side it joined. Had the United States been regarded as an element in the balance; the wars in the form they took would never have broken out and it is here that the world saw the introduction of WMD. 7. Cold War Period a. It was well recognized that the United States and the Soviet Union were in direct and unique competition. The appalling consequences of nuclear war introduced a new kind of stability. The so-called balance of terror or balance of deterrence ensured that each nuclear power was anxious not to give the other power any sort of signal that would justify an attack, and was also anxious not to identify such a signal. This caution was compatible with, and even required, an arms race. b. The ideological struggle reflected the knowledge of both great powers that they contended in a fast-changing world; and the Cold War began to lose intensity, not when the protagonists decided to abandon it but when world circumstances changed and new elements began to contribute to the balance. c. It became almost conventional to speak in terms of a world of four poles-the United States, the Soviet Union, Europe and Japan. d. US led West used all means and opportunities to balance Soviet military power and kept on trying to contain Soviet Union. On the other hand Soviet Union formed an alliance with the opposite block countries to counter the US. Struggle of countering each power continued till the Soviet Union finally collapsed. With the subsequent disintegration of the Soviet Union, the United States became incontrovertibly the worlds dominant power. 8. Post Cold War a. After the disintegration of Soviet Union, USA emerged as sole global power hence as per the ground realities, the entire world had to align its policies with the US. Without an apparent foe to challenge its security, the major question confronting U.S. foreign policy was what would succeed the Cold Wars bipolar balance of power. b. The issue among academics and political commentators was whether the United States should emphasize its dominant position as a unipolar global power, or seek a leading role in a tripolar or multipolar system. 9. Conclusions from Historical Perspective. In nut shell post cold war power balance is categorized by US unilateralism, Wests political, economic and social control to the extent that the situations symbolize with that of eighteenth and nineteenth centurys colonization. Striking conclusions of the post cold war power balance are as under:- a. The end of the Cold War in US and Europe and the ongoing integration of the European economies alongside attempts at greater political integration in the continent have given rise to a view that traditional concepts of security are no longer relevant. There is a powerful perception that the idea of the state and its sovereignty has been made irrelevant by processes that are taking place at both the global and local level. Concept of security has been widened to the extent that currently it includes everything under the sun. b. Concept of Balance of Power has also been changed from the known enemy threat to fear of unlimited unknowns. Interpretations of the balance has also been changed from balance among nation states to balance among civilizations and much beyond. c. Post cold war era reintroduces the phenomena of colonization with changed face of chaining the third world through economic, trade and technology transfer policies under the umbrella of IMF, world bank, various technological regimes and UN. MYTHS AND REALITIES OF RISING POWERS AND GLOBAL BALANCE OF POWER 10. Preamble: Balance of Power strategies amongst nations and regional and security alliances have been a recurrent and normal feature of global history. Power shifts when they take place generate corresponding responses in strategic jockeying by established powers to recreate new balance of power to ensure the continuance of the old established order. The present world order-characterized by an unprecedented number of democratic nations; a greater global prosperity, even with the current crisis, than the world has ever known; and a long peace among great powers-reflects American preferences, and was built and preserved by American power in all its political, economic, and military dimensions. The perception of US decline today is certainly understandable, given the dismal economic situation since 2008 and the nations large fiscal deficits, which, combined with the continuing growth of the Chinese, Indian, Brazilian, Turkish, and other economies, seem to portend a significant and irreversible shift in global economic power. Some of the pessimism is also due to the belief that the United States has lost favor, and therefore influence, in much of the world, because of its various responses to the attacks of September 11. The detainment facilities at Guantà ¡namo, the use of torture against suspected terrorists, and the widely condemned invasion of Iraq in 2003 have all tarnished the American brand and put a dent in Americas soft power-its ability to attract others to its point of view. With this broad perception of decline as the backdrop, every failure of the United States to get its way in the world tends to reinforce the impression. Powerful as this sense of decline may be, however, it deserves a more rigorous examination. Measuring changes in a nations relative power is a tricky business, but there are some basic indicators: the size and the influence of its economy relative to that of other powers; the magnitude of military power compared with that of potential adversaries; the degree of political influence it wields in the international system-all of which make up what the Chinese call comprehensive national power. Moreover, a great powers decline is the product of fundamental changes in the international distribution of various forms of power that usually occur over longer stretches of time. Great powers rarely decline suddenly. A war may bring them down, but even that is usually a symptom, and a culmination, of a longer process. After the brief overture we will now try to reconstruct the developments that are providing basis for the ongoing debates on the subject and also formulate basic definitions for the terms and phrases being used in this study. 11. Definitions Rising Power. Rising power is a national power having certain ingredients to threaten the status quo of global settings. Pedelford and Lincoln have described it as: Strength composed of economic, psychological, moral, military and political elements, successfully directed to the furtherance of national interests, co nstitute rising national power. In our opinion, this is by far the best definition of rising power in that it takes into consideration both classical and modern views regarding the sources of power and also touches on the objectives for which it is used. Rising power operates in international field in this sense. However, it should be noted that the concept of rising power is Relative, Conditional and Situational. Relativity of Rising Power. It is relative in that it has no absolute dimension. Power is rated by the effect it can bring about. State A may be powerful vis-à  -vis B but can at the same time be weaker than C. For instance, India is stronger than Brazil but at the same time weaker than China in terms of economic might. Conditional. Rising power is conditional in that it depends on variety of factors, the exact role of which is difficult to assess. States A and B may have equal resources, military strength etc yet they may differ in effective power. A strong sentiment of Nationalism, for instance, in State A may inspire popular support to government action and policies and may prepare the people for greater sacrifices. This is bound to add to As power. If any such sentiment is totally absent in State B and the nation is torn by intense internal dissentions, this may make it weaker vis-à  -vis A despite its equal or even superior resources and military preparedness. India and Brazil are cases in point. Situational. Rising power is situational in the sense that it depends on specific international situation. Despite unchanged condition of resources and military might of both, the power equation between States A and B may change because of changed international situation. B may at once become powerful vis-à  -vis A because of some favourable turn in the international situation. Development of friendly relations between America and India and the formation of an unwritten alliance between US, India and Israel has affected China and Pakistan equation with her neighbours. 12. Shift in Global Balance of Power A Myth or Reality The global shift of power to Asia and the global strategic dominance of the United States has been the subject of discussion since many years. Main theme of the debates and discussion is that whether United States power is in absolute decline or relative decline. Either way, with the global shift of power to Asia what would inevitably follow is that the global balance of power would also be acquiring newer contours. The shape of the global order is largely a function of the prevailing balance of power. As discussed earlier, since 1945, this global order has been dominated by the United States, a question arises that will the relative U.S. decline and the rise of the rest lead to the decaying of this established order? The international system is both complex and contradictory at the same time. The world being dynamic, predictions and forecasts tend to be subjective than objective. Nobody predicted at least not out loud- the fall of the Berlin Wall, Japans loss of influence, the terrorist attacks of September 11th 2001, the upsurge in Islamic fundamentalism, Arab Spring and the meteoric rise of the oil prices. Without wishing to predict the future, and instead taking the current situation as a starting point, the international system is characterized by three general tendencies. a. A new international order which is both uni and multi-polar at the same time. b. The rise of Asia (China) which will come to dominate the 21st century in the economic dimensions of world order. c. The (re)enforcing of the religion. 13. New Uni and Multi-Polar International Order a. Moving Towards Geo-Economics. During the Cold War, international system was differentiated by the ideological confrontation between two superpowers. In the early stage of the post Cold War, the tripartite world dominated by Europe, the USA and Japan characterized the environment. The current constellation of global forces and alliances is much less clear than it was in the two previous stages. In this third stage, a world order which is multi-polar and uni-polar at the same time is taking shape. It amounts to an a la carte menu which makes room for both old and new powers as well as old and new alliances. The world is uni-polar in the military and political spheres on account of the clear domination of USA, and multi-polar in all other facets of international relations. The upcoming world economies of the BRICS-countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South-Africa) up to now seem to follow an approach of pursuing geo-economics while avoiding to reopen the existing conflicts, at least for the time being. China is following a comprehensive approach towards national power. India is also pursuing geo economics while simultaneously modernizing its military might for a more dominant and perceived global role. Other countries and alliances/blocks also follow to varying extent different models to modernize their economies. Sanjaya Baru puts it: Indias economic opening up in 1991 created the basis for Indias re-integration with not just the global economy but also its own wider Asian neighborhood. That was the geopolitical and strategic consequence of Indias improved economic performance and greater openness since 1991. Indias Look East and Look West policies were logical consequences of her re-integration into the global economy. The geo-economic and geopolitical consequences of the reforms of 1991 were not an accident. They were well understood at the time based on an analysis of what had happened to the closed Soviet and Soviet-style economies in the 1970s and especially 1980s, and the open economies of east Asia, including Dengist China.  [1]   b. Contemporary Political Order-Future Trajectories. No phenomenon dominates the current global political landscape more than the USA being the sole Super Power. The US is currently the only country that has the military might that influences global affairs and deploys military power across the globe. However, there are other power centers such as China, EU and Russia. NATO also figures out at this power calculus. Prior to the collapse of the Soviet Republic in 1990, the erstwhile Cold War ensured a balance of power which greatly stabilized the global political landscape. In contrast however, the current uni-polarism has presented attendant consequences for the world. This has been seen in unprecedented anti US sentiment around the globe. Conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan and the US- Iran debacle therefore reflect a current global political system which is becoming increasingly unstable partly due to US unilateralism. 14. The New Hierarchy of International States Although there are many other players in the globalised world multinational companies, the churches, and social movements amongst them nation states continue to determine the pecking order of international power. The European Union (EU) is no exception to this. Its principle springboard into the international arena is economic, both diplomatic and military spheres remaining the prerogative of member states. Its failure to present itself to the world as a body which acts and speaks with one voice, means that the European model of using integration as an instrument for international influence has not succeeded in establishing itself as an alternative to the nation state. When considering the international state hierarchy, various terms continue to co-exist which have not been clearly defined: (1) superpower (USA), (2) global power or great global power (China, India, Russia), (3) emerging powers (Brazil, Russia, India, China, BRIC), (4) medium sized powers (Brazil, Canada, South Africa and others), (5) regional power (several), (6) smaller powers (Luxemburg or Haiti, for example). a. Superpower and Global/ great power. When considering the international state hierarchy, various terms continue to co-exist which have not been clearly defined. To belong to the category of Super Power like USA or global/ great power like China, India and Russia. Besides quantifiable statistics, two components which are more difficult to evaluate are prerequisites: first of all, an efficient diplomacy and foreign policy capable of projecting power and, secondly, the perception and/or recognition of that status of power by third party countries. In line with these criteria, the following quantifiable data allow us to single out a number of influential countries by size, economic weight, growth, military capacity or their contribution to the international system. Apart from these criteria, there are other factors which allow us to reassess certain countries in the international hierarchy: above all, the demand for energy, which justifies the international importance of Iran, Iraq and even Russia in the international system. To a large extent, oil also explains Middle Eastern countries strategic position in international politics. After all, a third of all black gold is produced in Arab states. Another criteria is a countrys technological level, something which explains, amongst other things, Chinas economic success (electronics industry) and also Indias (software). Another more recent element is the use of religion as a political instrument, justifying the international relevance which countries like Israel, Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan have acquired in recent years. b. Emerging Powers, Medium Size/Regional and Smaller Powers. In terms of quantifiable data, China tops the list along with India and Brazil, in the hierarchy of international power. Other countries (like Mexico, Iran, Pakistan, Indonesia or South Africa) are on the waiting list or in the second row. Amongst these, it is worth distinguishing between soft powers and hard powers, depending on the resources, military, economic, diplomatic or cultural. In line with this, apart from the so-called BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) whose basis is economic, other emerging powers with global influence can be identified: in terms of hard, or military power, Pakistan (nuclear power) and Iran (potential nuclear power), in terms of economic weight, Mexico and South Africa and, for reasons of population, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nigeria also feature. 15. Emerging Blocks. It is commonly perceived that some emerging blocks and regional alliances like SCO, ASEAN and BRICS respectively will gradually transform the existing power balance in the future. a. Shanghai Cooperation Organization SCO. SCO was originally founded to counter terrorism and separatism on its member states territory. The security interests of the organization are now increasingly complemented by economic and trade issues. The bloc is expected to counter US influence in areas including Chinese neighborhood and Russias near abroad. b. Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS). An acronym for the economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa combined. The general consensus is that the term was first prominently used in a Goldman Sachs report from 2003, which speculated that by 2050 these five economies would be wealthier than most of the current major economic powers. The BRICS thesis posits that China and India will become the worlds dominant suppliers of manufactured goods and services, respectively, while Brazil and Russia will become similarly dominant as suppliers of raw materials. It is important to note that the Goldman Sachs thesis isnt that these countries are a political alliance (like the European Union) or a formal trading association but they have the potential to form a powerful economic bloc. BRICS is now also used as a more generic marketing term to refer to these four emerging economies. 16. Regionalism. The study of regions, regionalism, regionalization, regional governance, regional integration, regional cooperation and other proximate terms have burgeoned since the 1990s, along with the real world emergence of the so called new regionalism in that period. Major regional forums include the European Union (EU), the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the Organization of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to count few of them. Regionalism appears to be growing rapidly. Regionalism in fact is a byproduct of globalization, yet, it offers a collective response to the coercive dimensions of globalization. Therefore, the political unanimity of thought against countries of a particular regional organization such as ASEAN, would not be easy to muster when seen in the backdrop of such coercion if applied against a country which is not part of any such regional dispensation. The core regions are politically stable and economic ally dynamic. They organize for the sake of being better able to control the rest of the world, the world outside their own region. The intermediate regions are closely linked to the core regions. They will be incorporated as soon as they conform to the criterion of core-ness, that is, economic development and political stability. The peripheral regions, in contrast, are politically turbulent and economically stagnant. Consequently they must organize in order to arrest a process of marginalization. Their regional arrangements are at the same time fragile and ineffective. Their overall situation makes security regionalism and developmental regionalism more important than the creation of free trade regimes. They are necessarily more introverted. The core regions are those regions which are politically capable, no matter whether such capability is expressed in the form of a political organization or not. So far only one of the three core regions, namely Europe, aspires to build such an organization. The other two, that is North America and East Asia, are both economically strong, but so far they lack a regional political order. Structurally close to core are the intermediate regions, all in preparation for being incorporated in the core, the speed depending on their good, core-like, behaviour. They are:- a. Central Europe, obediently waiting first in line for membership in the European Union. b. Latin America and the Caribbean, in the process of becoming North Americanized. c. China, South-East Asia and the European Pacific, or Oceania (Australia, New Zealand), all now being drawn by Chinese and Japanese capital into the East Asia economic space. 17. Remaining in the periphery are thus the following five regions:- a. The post-Soviet area, the major parts of it now in the process of being reintegrated in the form of Commonwealth of Independent States (perhaps laying the ground for a future core region). b. The Balkans, where the countries have lost whatever little tradition of cooperation they once might have been involved in. c. The Middle East, a region defined from outside and with a most unsettled regional structure. d. South Asia, with a very low level of regionness, because of the cold war (sometimes getting hot) between the two major powers, India and Pakistan. e. Finally, Africa, where in many countries the political structures called states are falling apart. 19. Major indicators. By 2025, According to an International Futures model measuring GDP, defense spending, population, and technology for individual states, the relative political and economic clout of many countries will shift. The United States however, will find itself in the position of being one of a number of important actors on the world stage, albeit still the most powerful one. The relationship between achievements in science and technology and economic growth will be one of the leading factors of the US power. As per National Innovation System (NIS) contracted global survey of scientific experts, the United States currently boasts a stronger innovation system than the developing economies. Main indicators and determents of the major powers in 2025 Country Population GDP Economy Military Spending USA China 6.8 India 6.2 Russia Graphically the data could be depicted as International Organizations, 2020-2025 (%/year) 21. Analysis. Five very different countries: China, India, Brazil, Russia and South Africa are emerging. The shape of the global order is largely a function of the prevailing global power balance. Nevertheless, there are three conditions that could lead to the end of this liberal international order. a. Though it is possible that another hegemon would rise at some point, this is unlikely to happen at least in the next two decades. We have had two dramatic transitions in the global system in the last century, but both happened as a consequence of the collapse of major powers. The end of the Second World War saw the demise of not just Germany and Japan but many European great powers, leaving a bipolar order dominated by the U.S. and the Soviet Union. The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 converted that bipolar system into a unipolar one. While there are plenty of predictions of other great powers rising, there are none that suggest the U.S. will collapse. And short of that, what we are likely to witness are gradual rather than dramatic changes in the balance of power, and these will take a lot longer than two decades. Hence, the possibility of a new global order framed by another global hegemon is not very likely in the immediate future. b. The second possibility, more probable than the first, is the rise of several new powers such as China, Russia, Brazil, India, South Korea who are growing strong enough to share the stage with proportional strength with the U.S., even if they do not necessarily match the U.S. Such a multipolar order could gradually erode the current international liberal order. But this will not be because these powers do not share the norms of the curre

The Strategic Planning Of British Airways

The Strategic Planning Of British Airways The purpose of making this report is to provide British Airways (BA) with a strategic plan for future improvement. In the airline sector British Airways known to be the UK market leader, but for the last decade British Airways has been challenged by other competitors, resulting in wearing down in their market share. The report in detail analyzes the overall environment of British Airways. This report also describes the organizational structure and other important aspects of the organization. In this report through strategic assessment, recommendation has been given to British Airways to concentrate on their primary qualities like service delivery in order to re-establish their competitive advantage. There are two strategies which British Airways will have to implement, one is related with the HR development strategy and the other is to concentrate on technological improvement. In the UK British Airways Plc (BA) is the biggest international scheduled airline. It flies to more than three hundreds destinations and carries more than thirty three million passengers. According to British Airways annual report 2008 approx  £8.7 billion of revenue was earned and according to (Data monitor, 2008) total numbers of employees as of march 2008 stays at 42,377. Along with the passenger flights British Airways engaged in the operation of domestic and international carriage of mail and shipment. Regardless of the global economic downturn, British Airways future seems promising. According to latest yearly report (British Airways, 2008) which stated that British Airways objective is to become worlds most dependable airline. Strategic Corporate Development History: British Airways came into picture after the merger of the British European Airways and British Overseas Airways Corporation. After the merger, British Airways had faced numerous problems and issues such as the cultural difference. British Airways was facing noticeable problems in cross national operations and acquisitions. According to Lubatkin Calori it was the different organizational culture and organizational culture entrenched in different national culture which was coming together (Very, Lubatkin Calori, 1996). Problem arose when employees from different organization, different background and culture had to interact with each other and when one culture had to adopt the practices of the other culture (Schneider and DeMeyer, 1991). The main reason of the problem was the mind-set of employees, different employees would think in different ways. So, coming on the same page was little difficult for the employees. Another difficulty or problem faced by British Airways is in terms of its obligatory management system. British airways have compliance with its strict policies and regulation like status difference in an organization due to various dress codes. Too much rule oriented in the management is creating problem among staff. Along with those problem another problem was arose by the new management, they were unable to identify the proper need and want of the customer. Because company has given importance on its internal management approach and focus on holding its diverse routes which resulted on unsatisfied customers. Effects of Conflicts: These problems and conflicts between management had a bad and harmful effect on the new company. British Airways has been considered as the most disreputable company because of its poor service. In addition, the organizations operation has been pretentious and in 1980 the company had been regard to have the worst timekeeping record all over European carriers flying from UK and named as the airline to circumvent. This resulted in the extensive loss for the company. Management Change at the British Airways: After being named as the airline to avoid, British Airways had to look for some changes within the organization. As a result they considered vital management changes, called change management. Some big changes were made by John King who was appointed as the chairman of British Airways by British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in 1981. The new appointed chairman had made some changes like closing many routes, selling off the freight system and aircraft, along with these actions he also lay off approximate twenty thousand employees. According to Carlopio change may be called as the implementation of an innovation, it can be done through an adaptation of practices in which improvement will be seen in the output (Carlopio, 1998). British Airways has recognized the need for change in order to gain competitive advantage. Colin Marshall took charge as the Chief Executive Officer of British Airways in 1982. In this period British Airways was making its first surplus, but this was happening in the effect of the changes made by John King in which he tried to cut the cost. Colin Marshall wants to know about the staff and what they deliver to the customers, so he hired consultant. Later Marshall found out that there is a huge gap between what the employees are delivering and what the customer actually need. For this reason, Marshall took initiative in changing the system from staff oriented to customer oriented company through the formation of customer is king policy culture within the British Airways. This approach of satisfying customer continued until the late 1990s and to keep the employee motivated, Marshall introduced Award for Excellence in 1987. The main objective of this strategy is to appraise high performers and motivate employees to efficiently do well in satisfying customers and fulfil customers needs. Another good change made by Marshall for employees was to work with Lancaster University to provide MBA course for British Airways employees. Additionally, the organizational structure of British Airways also changed to a much flatter and smartest structure. Five sectors of the company are directly reporting to the CEO and eleven profit hubs were formed. These structural changes aimed to boost the staff assimilation and communication within British Airways. Extra pay scheme and appraisal system was also introduced by the management on the basis of satisfying customers and being consistent at work. It included key investments in planes, ground facilities and Information Technology in order to stick to the needs of its customers. All the major changes were happened after privatization of BA in 1987 and took over British Caledonian Airways in 1988. Changes Helped the Organization: The main goal of all the changes which are imposed by British Airways is to make the industry sustain its position in the marketplace and become competitive in the airline sector. The result of the changes were positive, the company had become more customer oriented by giving excellent services. All the hard work and dedication of the management paid off when British Airways was nominated to receive the worlds best Airline award in 1989. It was a prestigious award for British Airways and it helped the organization to be efficient and productive. Without HR effective strategies, it is difficult to be strong and competitive in the market, so in this case Human Resource Management strategies were the key elements to help the company achieved competitive advantage and the prestigious award. Problems Due to Management Change: Like in any other organization whenever there is a change in the management; problems and issues arises, same case with British Airways during and after the management change, it faced different problems. At one side these changes were able to give British Airways the position it deserved in the market and on the other hands this management change was causing some problem. The problem wasnt related with the employee performance or its achievement, this problem tends to be associated with the employee. The problems were recognized was the behaviour of a number of employees which causes internal problems to the operation of the company. Response of the British Airways to Problems: British Airways was outstanding in 1999; in that year it faced so many problems and conflicts and used effective approaches to solve such issues. British Airways introduces e-commerce strategy to increase online sales. (BA) was also offering flat beds, laptop, and for business class passenger they offered email, phone and fax facility to provide full satisfaction to its on board customers. British Airways focuses on having good employee relationship and customer relationship, so it brought back its policy of putting People First. By doing this they had satisfied millions of customers and employees as well. This strategy of putting People First had made a great impact on the mind of their customers in a positive way. Current Strategic Situation: Corporate Level Structure: At a corporate level, BA has a good quality structure. There is a fresh Acting Customer Director on a provisional basis, Silla Maizey (British Airways, 2008). She has initiated a fresh customer service squad working with Heathrow Customer Services, intended to put client first. Utilizing the present structure in order to apply recommended strategy, it is suggested that an enduring director must be hired. In reference to technological strategy, no adjustments in the present structure are needed because current system of BA is accordance with the technological aspects. Business Level Structure: At a business level all division are bound to make such policies which will implement strategy effectively and efficiently, all the staff should be bound to follow strategic rule accordingly. Every division should also adapt the corporate level goals specifically to its own aims. This will assist to make value for brand, perk up its client relationship and help to accomplish the settled goals. Functional Level Structure: Each function should be harmonized with each other to achieve organizational objective effectively in a synchronized manner. All the strategies and functional objective should be aligned as well it will help each function to determine whether these functional departments are in lined with the corporate department. Adequate instruction on the fresh involved technology will be needed on continue basis to make certain that workers are completely know to that service. Organisation and Stakeholder Power It is significant to assess the expectations of diverse stakeholders and the degree to which they are likely to influence over BAs strategies. Followings have interest power on company; Charity Organizations Government/Regulators Customers Creditors Workers Rivals Suppliers Financial Associations Shareholders Stakeholder Map: INTEREST LOW HIGH POWER HIGH LOW Charity Organizations BA give cash to some of listed aid organizations in UK (British Airways, 2008) smallest impact on the strategies. Government/Regulators Fresh legislation (if initiated) will have a large impact on the company. Customers Customers give the entire sale but show less curiosity in how the corporation is administered. But they have a large impact therefore; the basic objective is to create more customer satisfaction. Creditors Should be kept knowledgeable due to cash yet to be paid though this will not impact on the options implemented at BA as they have an excellent credit ranking (Financial Analysis). Workers Are the important parts of BA, likeness workers having the power to satisfy customers. Workers have a vested awareness as BA gives their financial safety. The personnels at BA are deeply unionised, this add to the power of the workers. Rivals BAs key competitors within their strategic group have a large interest and power in manipulating BAs strategy. The oligopolistic character of the marketplace will have an effect on the choices BA takes. Suppliers Two airline suppliers, Boeing and Airbus. Both have a high interest and power upon BA, as BA is a giant source of earnings for both suppliers and BA also rely upon them for supply. In short suppliers are more focused toward BA strategies. Financial Associations Monetary support perhaps will be required from Financial associations to finance these strategies and yet despite the fact that BA has lesser its gearing ratio and enlarged its liquidity. In the present circumstances the associations have large power over BA and can reject monetary assistance. Shareholders Shareholders have a large interest as to gain financial profits. They have large input in choosing board members and approving fresh strategies. The shareholders have to be well educated about the threat of new strategy and expected profitability about the firm. PESTEL Analysis Internal Analysis: It is now necessary to examine the internal environment in order to devise appropriate strategies. Value Chain Analysis (VCA): SUPPORT ACTIVITIES FIRM INFRASTRUCTURE Structured hierarchy let BA to utilize multitude of expert knowledge in order to achieve competitive advantage over downsized companies. HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Spend in the advancement of customer service training in 2007 drawing attention of the most excellent workers. Speak Up view surveys give confidence workers to give opinions (British Airways, 2008). TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT BA has supplemented value in this category over minor corporations, due to relaxed resources that can improve the presentation of service (e.g. LCD screens). PROCUREMENT Due to the volume and past business dealings and coalitions, BA was capable to influence suppliers and by economies of scale create efficiencies where rivals might loss. PRIMARY ACTIVITIES INBOUND LOGISTICS Stock handling Far above the ground quality training credited by City Guilds (British Airways, 2008). On-going association with suppliers (e.g. Gate Gourmet.) OPERATIONS Baggage security has been increased. Rapid check-in services and safe online bookings with capability to pre-book added services. OUTBOUND LOGISTICS Customer Service Huge database of airport slots allow travellers to access the bulk of destinations from favoured airport. MARKETING SALES Marketing conversation to all stakeholders. Brand permitting for large budget to be used up in this field. POST SALE SERVICE Allegiance club card. Update conversation on other services BA has tried to organize the system additionally by forward and backward alleviation. Through handling numerous component supplies in-house, BA boosted their reach in the value system to the supplier and channel value chains. Resource Based View (RBV): It is considered that corporation competitive advantage and greater performance is resulted from its distinguishing capabilities (Johnson et al., 2008 p95). The resource based view highlight BAs resources and competencies as below: RESOURCES COMPETENCIES THRESHOLD CAPABILITIES Threshold Resources Tangible 245 aircraft flying over 550 different places (British Airways, 2008). Supplementary services (e.g. BA Holidays The London Eye Company (Datamonitor, 2008)). Intangible Worldwide Customer Database. Joint ventures coalition with one world (incl. American Airlines), code share/franchise partners, and subsidiaries. Threshold Competencies Training of ground school, flight simulators, and cabin security training (BAFT, 2009). Economies of Scale from suppliers. Capability to fly passengers securely to various routes and handle passengers (Davies, 2000). CAPABILITIES FOR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE Exclusive Resources Tangible Sole access to London Heathrow Terminal five (BBC News, 2008). Intangible Highly regarded brand image. BA is familiar worldwide as a good reputation brand, toughened by its long-standing survival within the business. Core Competencies Open Skies subsidiarys aircraft never have above than 64 travellers per flight, with 1 assistant per 12 customers (British Airways, 2008). Initial UK airline known as a training centre by the City Guilds, qualifying all cabin crew with NVQ Level 2 (British Airways, 2008). SWOT Analysis: It is significant that strategic formulation is reflective of BAs strengths and weaknesses comparative to competitors and the opportunities and threats presented by its outside environment (Pitts Lei, 2003). Internal Strengths: Brand likeness Joint ventures coalitions Financial volume and steadiness Internal Weaknesses: Bad worker relations history Dependability and trust Modernization modification External Opportunities: SkyTrax Quality structure Rivals forced exit Rivals deteriorating on delivering dependability Appearance of new markets External Threats: Open Skies accord Environmental consciousness Worldwide economic crisis Lesser cost competition Different Aspects of Proposed Strategies: PESTEL Worldwide economic crisis. High regulatory requirements. Growing environmental consciousness. Turn down in consumer expenditures. Greater than before utilization of the internet by consumers. Centre their attention on technological and environmental matters. Customer Analysis Consumer tendency in far above the ground expediency and elevated expectations of service. Make certain changing customer needs should be tackled and fulfilled Strategic Group Analysis Strong rivalry within strategic group and tendency for consolidation. The major other intimidation comes from low cost airlines. Though low cost airlines are the major threat to BA, stirring into low cost market is not believed suitable based on earlier unsuccessful attempts. Airline Quality Review BA = bad baggage managing poor on flight amusement and low customer contentment. Service excellence requires to be enhanced to achieve a competitive advantage The Value Chain BA adds value; financial volume and steadiness, brand likeness, business expertise, and joint ventures and coalitions. BA loses value to rivalry; worker relations and performance, marketing delivery, dependability, and slow modernization. BA requires addressing the areas where worth is being missing to avoid offensive rivals strategies. Resource Based View Tough resources including sole access to hub inside largest UK Airport. Tough training competencies. Make use of BA core competences to get competitive advantage. Financial Analysis Greater than before profits and lower operational costs. Lesser gearing ratios and elevated liquidity. Option of a loss in 2009 as a result of the economic recession. Investment resources on hand greater than before inspection on strategic projects for risk evaluation. Strategic Direction for the Future TOWs Matrix A range of strategic options will now be formulated using the TOWs matrix to resolve the strategic issues highlighted from the analysis. External Opportunities Threats Skytrax- star structure of excellence Rivals forced exit Rivals deteriorating on delivering dependability Appearance of new markets Open skies accord Environmental consciousness (Climate change bill) worldwide Economic Crisis lesser cost rivalry Internal Strengths Brand likeness Joint ventures and coalition Financial volume steadiness Terminal 5 Strategies for strengths to meet opportunities: Division focus. Supply chain migration. Introduction of admiring services. Present Broader service Strategies for Strengths to defend threats: Reformation of brand likeness. Expand into other transport markets. Weaknesses Deprived worker relations history Current negative attention on dependability conviction Rapid modernization and modification Strategies for opportunities to overcome weaknesses: Enhanced people processes. Technological improvement Strategies for Weaknesses not to expose threats: Enhanced environmental position Ansoffs Matrix: Strategy Linked to Ansoff Strategic Options Explanation 1. Market Infiltration 1. Enhancement to people processes Decrease present tension from harmful worker and customer relations. 2. Enhanced environmental position. Go over and beyond the present environmental needs. 3. Reformation of brand likeness. Reformation and modernization of brand likeness in an effort to gain market share. 4. Division focus Giving centre of attention on business class consumers as the most Lucrative segment of the business. 2. Product Growth 5. Technological improvement. Opening of internet access on flights to perk up the overall excellence of service. 6. Introduction of admiring services. Presenting of admiring services such as car rental or hotels. 3. Market Expansion 7. Present broader service Add to number of places BA fly to, put centre of attention on places of growth Such as India and China. 4. Diversification 8. Expand into other transport markets. Broaden your horizons into substitute services such as rail, in an effort to preserve competitive advantage. 9. Supply Chain integration. Vertical integration in the supply chain. I.e. Gate Gourmet or Boeing. Strategy No.1: People Processes Aim: Enhanced stakeholder brand likeness productivity Objectives: Make use of databases. Perk up service delivery effectiveness. Develop internal communication. Put into practice efficient review monitoring. Performance Measures: Income margin add up to of 2 3%. Amplified repeat purchasing by 25%. Enlarged consumer recommendation from 58% (2007/08) to 69%. Improve worker survey rate from 34% (2007/08) to 79% Strategy No.2: Technological Advancement: Aim: Customer Loyalty Market Share Objectives: Following progression with test internet execution, roll out internet and on-board internet facility. A suitable pricing strategy involving admiring service for first class whilst targeting business class as the main lucrative market. Constant market research to make certain that this is an appreciated service and seek chances for further growth Performance Measures: Put in equipment on 244 aircraft which were left. Amplify business class market share by 11%. 79% of business class consumers buying internet usage. Pursuing RD put into practice 1 new technological service. Future of British Airways: The corporation is still in front of great problems in spite of its plans and modification imposed. In this case, the Gate Gourmet increases up in the cause of the troubles in terms of the BAs brand likeness. Such argument has shaped up a concept that the business practices imposed by British Airways is not pertinent to what it demonstrate in its company images. With this, the administration is now trying to look for some strategies and methods to resolve these troubles with different strategy and along with these marketing communications will be utilized as well. In addition, the present administration also understands that the lack of leadership and entrepreneurial capability have been the root cause of all the troubles faced by the corporation. Recommendations: It appears that the main reason of the troubles faced by British Airways is due to the unplanned management transformation imposed. Additionally, the troubles also occurred because of the insufficient awareness about the strategic management system and along with the other administrative system. Strategic management is the course of identifying an organisations intentions, creating policies and plans to attain these intentions, and assigning resources, so as to execute the plans. It gives overall track to pursue to the whole enterprise (Abell, 1999). It can be sighted as a set of theories, frameworks intended to give details of the issues underlying the performance of corporation and to help managers in viewing, planning and acting tactically (Campbell, Evans Stonehouse, 2002). Conclusion: As the main objective of this assignment was to study Longitudinal Strategic Development of company for that reason one of the best airline of UK has been selected, as per requirement different analysis has been made with reference of the British Airways which includes Strategic Corporate Development History, Current Strategic Situation and Proposed Strategic Direction for the Future. Different methods were used to analyse and review British Airways current strategic situation for instance SWOT Analysis, Resource Based View (RBV), Value Chain Analysis (VCA), PESTEL Analysis, and Stakeholder Map. For Proposing Strategic Direction for the future, TOWs matrix to resolve the strategic issues highlighted from the analysis. As an outcome of the external and internal examining a number of strategic options were given. It was stated that a collective strategy method to perk up service quality was considered most appropriate. Due to the present business climate the most appropriate strategy is to consolidate BAs status as market leader. Due to lack of primary research and limited access to corporation information there might be some lacking in findings and proposed strategies, if the general direction of recommended strategic intent will lead BA to victory.