Modern english literature Essay

The purpose of this course is to encourage students to gain an awareness of, and insight into, the evolution of modern English literature. Students will become acquainted with writers, poets and playwrights such as Thomas Hardy, William Somerset Maugham, Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw, Virginia Woolf, George Orwell, Henry Williamson, John Betjeman, Ted Hughes, Charles Causley, Samuel Beckett, Laurie Lee, Agatha Christie and John Le Carrà ©. Connexions with socio-political factors will also be explored. The course takes the form of lectures, to which students may contribute their research. Evaluation is by written unseen examination, in the form of short essays. The lectures form but the tip of the iceberg, providing you with a door to your own research and study. You are encouraged to share the results of your studies, helping not only your fellow students, but me. We are, after all, in the same boat, even if I am at the helm. I do not so much teach, as try to help you to learn. I shall provide some examples of examination questions at the end of this hopefully helpful guide. English literature is a huge field, and I can obviously only try to open a few windows for you, or at least loosen the locks, with apologies to the many superb writers who have been omitted. You will hopefully have had a grounding, by attending my other course. If you have not, talk to other students. So here we go! We kick off with two superb dramatists and writers, Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) and George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950). Wilde was quintessentially Irish in wit, humour, verbal prowess, blood, and origin, yet, having studied at Trinity College Dublin and then Oxford, was very ‘English’ in a pleasantly louche, supercilious and upperclassish way. In contrast, Shaw was an Anglo-Irish Protestant, morally, socially and politically conscious, even being a founder member of the Fabian Society. He was also self-taught, having left school at the age of fourteen. Their differences are reflected  in their work, although their pithiness unites them. Wilde is perhaps best known for ‘Picture of Dorian Gray’. Grey leads a life of debauchery, while remaining handsome and in good shape. But his portrait becomes increasingly corrupt and horrid: it represents his soul. The ending is pretty horrific. There is of course more to the book than just that, and although it is a superb work, I wouldn’t recommend it to adolescents! In the preface Wilde writes; ‘There is no such thing as a moral or immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written.’ In other words, he seems to be saying that art is for art’s sake. Another of his well-known works is the play, ‘The Importance of being Earnest’, from which we have the gem: ‘Really, if the low orders don’t set us a good example, what on earth is the use of them?’ Shaw found the work hateful and sinister, exhibiting ’real degeneracy’. In this connexion, on the other hand, Wilde said of Shaw: ‘He hasn’t an enemy in the world, and none of his friends like him.’ Other witty Wilde sayings are: ‘Modern journalism justifies its own existence by the greatest Darwinian principle of the survival of the vulgarest.â€⠄¢; ‘A cynic: a man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.’; ‘I can resist anything except temptation.’; and ‘When good Americans die, they go to Paris.’. Wilde’s wild life seems to have led to a tragically early demise, not as early as Mozart, but still premature: he sued the father of a poet friend of his, Lord Alfred Douglas, for libel, for accusing him of performing sodomy with his son (the poet). Wilde lost the case, was arrested, and sent to Reading Gaol for two years, for sodomy. He then left for Paris, changing his name to Sebastian Melmoth, dying two years later. Was he Dorian Gray? Was he a homosexual? Having read ‘De Profundis’ (which he wrote in prison) I can find no forensic evidence of his admitting to having actually practiced pillow-biting and shirt-lifting, but then perhaps he was a teaser. Well, perhaps he had certain tendencies towards young men, but the question is whether it was right to send him to gaol. I leave this to your judgment. It is not an easy question, since one needs to look at the morality of the Victorian Age, which some say had an element of hypocrisy: sometimes, those who persecute people manically and morally for something, are trying to hide their own tendencies, even from themselves†¦. At any event, having run out of cash, and written ‘The Ballad of Reading Gaol’, this former witty wordsmith par excellence said not long before he died: ‘I  shall have to die beyond my means.’ He left a wife and two children, for whom he had written a lovely, but slightly frightening book of tales. How great would he be today, had he lived to Shaw’s age? He is great enough, as it is. Shaw, perhaps somewhat more mature emotionally than Wilde, and surely a decent enough chap, was, like Wilde, healthily critical of people, but more as members of what we term ‘society’. Thus, in his plays, he criticized, inter alia, slum landlords and private doctors. In the preface to ‘The Doctor’s Dilemma’, he writes: ‘Thus everything is on the side of the doctor. When men die of disease, they are said to die from natural causes. When they recover (and they usually do), the doctor gets the credit of curing them.’ His play applies very much to today. Shaw was also an expert on class. If you wish to gain some insight into class and accent in England, you should red ‘Pygmalion’. If you wish to understand something about the England-Ireland problem, you can read ‘John Bull’s other Island.’ Some memorable sayings from Shaw are: ‘We have no right to consume happiness without producing it than to consume wealth without possessing it’; ‘He knows nothing; and he thinks he knows everything. That clearly points to a political career.’; and ‘ He who can, does. He who cannot, teaches.’ I escape this definition, since I do not teach, but try to help students to learn. He comments on the English were cutting; for example: ‘A person who thinks he is moral when he is only uncomfortable.’ Our course then rushes through John Galsworthy, Joseph Conrad (not even British-born) and T.S. Eliot. This highly educated chap is known, inter alia, for ‘Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats’. He wrote the play ‘Murder in the Cathedral’, a very good theatrical adaptation of the dastardly murder of Archbishop Thomas à   Becket. One of my favourite quotes of his, from ‘The Rock’, is: ‘Where is the wisdom lost to knowledge, where is the knowledge lost to information and where is the word we lost in words?’ After a brief glimpse of the amazing American Ezra Pound, who found Europe and Italy in particular, more to his liking intellectually than the USA, we come to William Yeats (1865-1939). He is the quintessential Celtic Irishman,  a friend of Shaw and Wilde, and a good dramatist and poet. ‘The Celtic Twilight’, a collection of traditional Irish stories, is a good pointer to Yeats’ thinking. Jumping now to Henry James (1843-1916), an American who, unlike many, preferred to settle in London rather than Paris, we see a man who could pick up the apposite word with the point of his pen, in a meticulous fashion. I find his style too precise for my liking, the very antithesis of ‘stream of consciousness’ writing. Nevertheless, he was a competent writer. ‘The Turn of the Screw’ is a good ghost story. Thomas Hardy (1840-1928), a giant in English literature, is worth chubby paragraph. A poet who wrote novels, he was born to a modest family (his father was a stonemason), trained as an architect, but returned to his beloved Wessex to write. Beautifully written, his novels can be quite pessimistic: ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’ ends with the heroine’s execution for stabbing her husband to death, a husband whom she was emotionally pressurised into marrying, although she loved another. ‘Jude the Obscure’ ends with three children hanging dead behind a door, on clothes hooks. His stories often bring out what he saw as the injustice of the divorce laws, especially for women who had married the wrong man, and were then trapped in their marriage, and how they and their lovers were then ostracized by society. His writing was sensitive, and some of his descriptions of nature in his beloved Wessex are touching. We now look at three childrens’ writers, Lewis Carroll (real name Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, an Oxford mathematician, non-practising Anglican deacon, and photographer, 1832-1898), Kenneth Graham (1859-1932), and Beatrix Potter (1866-1943). Few have not heard of Carroll’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’ and ‘Through the Looking-Glass and what Alice found there’, both of which are intriguing fantasies, almost making imagination real. From the latter, we have the memorable quote: ‘The question is’, said Alice, ‘whether you can make words mean different things.’ The question is, said Humpty Dumpty, ‘which is to be master, that’s all.’ It was rumoured that he had a not wholly healthy interest in young girls, although there is not a jot of evidence that he ever did anything untoward. From Alice’s fantasy world, the Scotsman Kenneth Graham takes us to the fantasy world of little animals,  with ‘The Wind in the Willows’, written to his son. We see the daily lives of the toad, the badger, rat and mole in a typical English country setting. Beatrix Potter also wrote short books about animals, illustrating them herself. Of note are ‘The Tale of Peter Rabbit’ and the ‘Tale of Mrs.Tittlemouse. She spent most of her later life in the Lake District, the most beautiful part of England. This had a kind effect on her writing. Moving now to more social and even sexual themes, we come to D.H. (David Herbert Richard) Lawrence (1885-1930). This man got through the bone to the marrow of passion, love and sex. His quintessential book is ‘Lady Chatterley’s Lover’, a story of illicit love, passion and unadulterated sex between the upper-class wife of an impotent aristocrat and the gamekeeper. Lawrence left England, and the book was published in Florence, not appearing in England until 1961, following a sensational obscenity trial. Lawrence wrote other books, such as ‘Women in Love’ and ‘Sons and Lovers’. He is very perceptive, revealing the real, rather than the politically correct and sanitised nonsense of hypocrisy. We can connect this to the English people’s dislike of being obvious, particularly when it comes to sex, and their embarrassment of sexual matters, often expressed in crude jokes. Now back to the Irish: James Joyce (1882-1942) was another of those linguists who chose Paris. His most well-known work is ‘Ulyses’, an example of his so-called ‘stream of consciousness’ writing, which tries to catch one’s deepest thoughts and imagination on paper, a kind of interior monologue. As such, it is naturally unstructured. ‘Ulyses’ deals with a day in Dublin, and a whole gaggle of characters. ‘Finnegan’s Wake’ is another example, and has been linked to Giambattista Vico’s ‘New Science’, which contains a good deal about the origins of language. Joyce certainly pushes written language to its limits. In contrast, his ‘Dubliners’, a series of short stories about life in Dublin, is surprisingly prosaic in style. He influenced another Irishman, the playwright Samuel Becket (1906-1989), another linguist residing in Paris, best known for ‘ En attendant Godot’, written ori ginally in French. The gripping play ends without Godot arriving. Let us now spare some thought for the wonderful and tragic Virginia Woolf,  known in particular for ‘To the Lighthouse’, ‘The Waves’, ‘Orlando’ and ‘Mrs. Dalloway’. As with Joyce, we see a certain amount of internal dialogue. Woolf was a leading light of the ‘Bloomsbury Group’, named after the area of London in which it met. She has also been seen as a feminist, having written : ‘A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction’. But does this not also apply to men? It is up to you to decide, by reading some of her work, whether or not she was a feminist. She is said to have had mental problems. At any rate, she drowned herself in the Thames. Back now to the men. Aldous Huxley (1894) is best known for ‘Brave New World’ (1934), a particularly negative critique of the future, where Britain is a wasteland of human ‘robots’ and scientific breeding (he virtually predicted test-tube babies), with subordination the ideal of happiness. He developed the theme in 1959, with ‘Brave New World Revisited’. At any rate, he is relevant today, as is the inimitable literary giant George Orwell (1903-50), whose real name was Eric Arthur Blair. His ‘1984’, published in 1948, predicts a future where the world is divided into huge power blocks, and where people are run on government propaganda. Wherever you live, ‘Big Brother’ watches you from a television screen, and so help you if you say anything against the government, or even try to have a loving relationship with someone. As for the Ministry of Truth, it is based on lying. ‘Animal Farm’ is an attack on communist totalitarianism. After Eton, Blair became a colonial policeman in Burma (he was born in Bengal), an experience which made him critical of the British Empire. ‘Burmese Days’ is a novel which brings out the hypocrisy of empire, and how social class mattered, in a story of unrequited love. Orwell was also a good short story writer. ‘Shooting an Elephant’ brings out the relationship between rulers and ruled, while ‘A Hanging’ is horrific in its detail. Orwell fought in the Spanish civil war, and wrote a very perceptive – if occasionally pedantic – book about the details of the conflict. He also spent several months living as a casual worker in London and Paris, working mainly as a dishwasher. He then produced a highly entertaining book, ‘Down and out in London and Paris’. Here is an example of his writing, from ‘E ngland, your England’: ‘As I write, highly civilised human beings are flying overhead, trying to kill me. They do not feel any enmity against me as an individual, nor I against them. They are only â€Å"doing their duty†, as the saying goes. Most of them, I have no doubt, are kind-hearted law-abiding men who would never dream of committing murder in private life.’ Like several writers, Orwell was also a journalist. We cannot end without mentioning his essay ‘Politics and the English Language’, a highly entertaining but effective lambasting of the influence of political ideology on the English language, and very relevant today, with the erosion of clear English through computer language, sloppy education and political correctness. From Orwell, we turn now to two children’s writers, although their books are also appropriate for adults. The South African J.R. Tolkien (1892-1973), Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford, is most well known for ‘Sir Gawain and the Green Knight’, ‘The Hobbit’ and ‘Lord of the Rings’, adventure stories laden with fantasy and drawing on Tolkien’s knowledge of the Celts. If I compare Tolkien to Rowling’s ‘Harry Potter’, the latter catapults itself out of existence. Roald Dahl (1916-1990) is also a wonderful writer, primarily but not exclusively for children. Born in Wales of Norwegian parents, his daughter was once one of the girlfriends of a cousin of mine. He wrote a series of short stories, ‘Tales of the Unexpected’, so gripping that they were serialised on television. Each story ends with a twist. Although they are for adults and older children, ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ is defi nitely for young people. ‘My Uncle Oswald’ is also an amusing book. So we come to a mammoth of English literature, William Somerset Maugham (1874-1965). Born in Paris, where his father was a legal adviser, hiss mother died when he was eight years of age, and his father two years later. He was sent to live with an uncle, the Vicar of Whitstable, apparently a cold character, and then attended King’s School, Canterbury, left early, and studied literature, philosophy and German at Heidelberg, ending up studying medicine at St.Thomas’ Hospital in Lambeth, London, where he qualified as a doctor. His second book, ‘Lisa of Lambeth’ (1897), a story about working-class adultery, sold so well that Maugham became a full-time writer, moving to the south of France in 1928, around the time of his divorce (it is said that he had rather special relationships with various  males). We cannot of course mention all his books (he even wrote some popular plays), but of note are: ‘Of Human Bondage’, autobiographical in nature, †˜Ashenden’, about a secret agent, and four volumes of very entertaining short stories, of which my favourite is ‘Salvatore’. Maugham was certainly a pretty rum character, and was good at irritating people, in particularly those whom he almost libeled in some of his books. For even if he did not mention real names, it was sometimes fairly obvious whom he meant. The following quote reveals some of Maugham’s sometimes bitter-sweet powers of describing people: ‘When she reddened, her pasty skin acquired a curiously mottled look, like strawberries and cream gone bad.’ Wending our way towards the writers of thrillers, I shall touch on only four, although there is a whole bevy of them. Graham Greene (1904-91), who converted to Rome in 1926, was educated at Oxford, and worked for British Intelligence for a while. His thrillers are gripping, and delve deep into morality. One of his best thrillers, the ‘Human Factor’, is based on espionage, as is ‘Our Man In Havanna’. Other superb books are books are ‘The End of the Affair’, ‘The Honorary Consul’ and ‘Ministry of Fear’. John Le Carrà © (1931- ), whose real name is David Cornwell, is still going strong. After Oxford, he taught at Eton for two years, and then worked for MI5 (which handles, along with the Police’s Special Branch, internal security, but often has rows with MI6 about responsibility for Northern Ireland, because of the connexions with the Republic of Ireland). His espionage thriller ‘The Spy who came in from the Cold’, won him worldwide fame, and was made into a very good film. It brought out the reality of intelligence work, the drudgery and the mutual suspicions that abound in the incestuous world of institutionalised spying. Some of his other books are ‘Smiley’s Circus’, ‘A Small town in Germany’, ‘A Perfect Spy’ and ‘The Constant Gardener’ which, despite the alleged end of the Cold War, is as thrilling as ever, questioning the morality of big business. To get a sense of his style, here is the beginning of ‘A Small Town in Germany’: ‘Ten minutes to midnight: a pious Friday in May and a fine river mist lying in the market square. Bonn was a Balkan city, stained and secret [†¦].’ In juxtaposition, Ian Fleming (1908-1964), author of the extremely well-known Bond novels, emphasises, perhaps a mite too much, the more glamorous aspects of the job,  but nevertheless remains plausible. He was in British Naval Intelligence for a while. Then we should mention Len Deighton (1929- ), who may have caught the writing bug when doing his National Service as a photographer attached to the Special Investigation Branch. ‘The Ipcress File’ made him an instant success, and was made into a good film, with Michael Caine as the hero. Some of his other books are ‘Horse under Water’, ‘Bomber’ and ‘Berlin Game’ (part of a series). We cannot leave these chaps without mention of a lady writer, who, although not an espionage expert, is one of the best crime novelists: Agatha Christie (1890-1978), wrote sixty six detective novels, using her experience as a hospital dispenser in the Great War to learn a good deal about poisons. Although her writing style is surprisingly simple, she manages to keep the reader hooked by misdirecting him. Who has not heard of Mrs. Marples and Hercule Poirot? ‘The Murder of Roger Ackroyd’, ‘Murder on the Orient Express’, ‘Ten Little Niggers’ and ‘The Mousetrap’ are just a few of her works. P.D.James was also an extremely good crime writer. Before now moving to a small selection of British poets and their poetry, we shall look at Henry Williamson, since he connects well to our first poet, Ted Hughes, who knew him, and spoke at his funeral. Williamson was a writer, journalist and farmer, who was in love with nature. He fought in the Great War, becoming disgusted with the greed and bigotry that had caused it, and determined that Britain and Germany should never go to war again. Because he had supported Oswald Mosley and his Fascists, and had admired Hitler before the next world war, a few small-minded individuals tried to damage his reputation. It is silly that the ‘Norton Anthology of English Literature’ does not include him, while including many lesser writers. After all, Oscar Wilde believed that art is for art’s sake, and should not be polluted by politics. Writers should be able to express their views without being sent to Coventry. The greatness of his books, however, saw him through. His masterpiece is ‘Tarka the Otter’, essentially about an otter being hunted to death. The reader actually becomes an otter. Williamson spent many months studying and watching otters before and while he wrote the book. So good was it, that Walt Disney twice approached him for the film rights, and was  roundly rejected. It was eventually made into a proper film, and Williamson died on the same day that the filming of a dying Tarka was taking place. Uncanny or merely coincidental? ‘Salar the Salmon’ is another masterpiece, as is his series of books on the life of Willie Maddison. The ‘Beautiful Years’ and ‘Dandelion Days’, partly autobiographical, describe beautifully a boy growing into adolescence and adulthood. And so to our poetic interlude: Laurie Lee was the quintessential Englishman: ‘Far-fetched with tales of other worlds and ways, My skin well-oiled with wines of the Levant, I set my face into a filial smile To greet the pale, domestic kiss of Kent. [†¦] The hedges choke with roses fat as cream.’ (from ‘Home from Abroad’). John Betjeman (a poet laureate), and lover of old England, loved Victoriana, the smell of old churches and musty books. But he is also perceptive about people: the following are extracts about an English lady at a service in Westminster Abbey, during the world war: ‘Gracious Lord, oh bomb the Germans. Spare their women for Thy Sake, And if that is not too easy We will pardon Thy mistake. But gracious Lord, what’er shall be, Don’t let anyone bomb me. Keep our Empire undismembered Guide our forces by Thy hand, Gallant blacks from far Jamaica, Honduras and Togoland; Protect them Lord in all their fights, And, even more, protect the whites. [†¦] Now I feel a little better, What a treat to hear thy word, Where the bones of leading statesmen, Have so often been interr’d. And now, dear Lord, I cannot wait Because I have a luncheon date.’ (from ‘In Westminster Abbey’). Unlike Betjeman, Charles Causley tends to look more at individual people and events, and is not as nostalgic. As regards his views on poetry, he writes in his introduction to a selection of his poems: ‘What a poem â€Å"means† is something that the writer as well as the reader each must decide alone. Only one thing is certain: that, unlike arithmetic, the correct answers may all be right, yet all be different.’ His imagery grips you hard: ‘Bank holiday, a sky of guns, the river Slopping black silver on the level stair. A war-memorial that aims for ever Its stopped, stone barrel on the enormous air.’ (from ‘At Grantchester’) or ‘Oh mother my mouth is full of stars As cartridges in the tray My blood is a twin-branched scarlet tree And it runs all runs away.’ (From ‘Song of the Dying Gunner A.A.1’). or ‘Charlotte she was gentle But they found her in the flood Her Sunday beads among the reeds Beaming with her blood.’ (from ‘The Ballad of Charlotte Dymond’). From poor Charlotte Dymond, we move to Clifford Dyment’s ‘Fox’, which begins: ‘Exploiter of the shadows He moved among the fences, A strip of action coiling Around his farmyard fancies.’ And so we come to another mammoth, a poet laureate into the bargain, Ted Hughes, who (see above) admired Henry Williamson. Cambridge-educated Yorkshireman Hughes was fascinated by the natural violence of nature – in particular as regards the behaviour of animals – , in power and in death: ‘I sit in the top of the wood, my eyes closed. Inaction, no falsifying dream Between my hooked head and hooked feet: Or in a sleep rehearse perfect kills and eat.’ (from ‘Hawk Roosting’). or ‘Terrifying are the attent sleek thrushes on the lawn, More coiled steel than living – a poised Dark deadly eye, those delicate legs Triggered to stirrings beyond sense – with a start, a bounce, a stab Overtake the instant and drag out some writhing thing. No indolent procrastinations and no yawning stares, No sighs or head-scrathings. Nothing but bounce and stab And a ravening second.’ (from ‘Thrushes’). or ‘The pig lay on a barrow dead. It weighed, they said, as much as three men. Its eyes closed, pink white eyelashes. Its trotters stuck straight out.’ (‘View of a Pig’). Hughes, who superbly described November as ‘the month of the drowned dog’, had a somewhat intense yet sad relationship with his wife, the American poetess, Silvia Plath, who committed suicide, allegedly because of Hughes relationship(s?) with another woman or more. Pity about the children: and Sylvia’s son committed suicide forty six years after his mother did. Nature, power and death. Our last two poems are by me, and I feel constrained to tell you that if a poem is to be unadulterated, and above the shackles of convention and/or self-interest, whether good or bad, it must come directly from the heart. The only question is how pure is your heart. ‘WILD RIVER TROUT Dark shadow lies beneath, no movement; Not even a twitch of the delicate tail While it seeks its food. More than hidden, it is part of the river. It darts, too quick for eye to follow, You see it in its new position. The upward stab, the plucking bite, The munching seconds, invisible to you. You see only spreading ripples, Then the golden glint, the creamy belly, In the evening sun. You cast, the sudden tug shocks you, Despite your expectation. It pulls and judders at your soul; Such beauty, as you take him out, Designed for hunting fly, To feed its perfect muscles. Body sculpted to living perfection; Colours glisten, yet as deep as the river. The hazel eye stares you out Long after the death. It hunts your soul. Thank God for procreation.’ or REMEMBER To your beauty-hunting body, Oh grant some time to feeling. To your love-thirsting heart, Oh grant some time to harmony. To your self-seeking soul, Please accord some time to thought. To your success-hungry ego, Just grant some time to others. To your power-seeking eyes, Oh grant some time to introspection. To your adventure-seeking feet, Oh grant some time to knowledge. To your God-seeking soul, Please give some time to prayer. Let us now talk quickly about John Fowles, who loved Greece. Indeed, one of his most famous novels, ‘The Magus’, is set on the island of Spetse, a story of intrigue, passion, obsession and sex, with an orchestrator, ‘Conchis’. ‘The Collector’ is also a rather frightening little story of a girl trapped by an obsessive collector, ending nastily. Returning to America, John Steinbeck is of considerable note for his novels about life during the Great Depression, in particular ‘Of Mice and Men’ and ‘The Grapes of Wrath’. Let us finish, as we began, with a couple of playwrights. Harold Pinter, famous for his skilful repartee, wrote, inter alia, ‘The Birthday Party’ and ‘The Caretaker’. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2005, and, although part-Jewish, led a group of Jews who campaigned for justice for the Palestinians, embarrassing fanatic Israeli Zionists. To obtain a flavour of his political views, you can look at his ‘A New world Order’, published in 1991. He was awarded an honorary professorship by the University of Thessaloniki. Another well-known playwright is Tom Stoppard, also a master of repartee, who escaped from Czechoslovakia in 1938, at the age of one. He wrote, inter alia, ‘Arcadia’. He also wrote and spoke on political matters. Now we really must stop, and move on to a few typical examination questions: ‘Compare George Bernard Shaw’s and Oscar Wilde’s works.’ ‘Do you think that Maugham was more imaginative in his writing than Orwell?’ ‘It is said that Ted Hughes was obsessed with nature, power and death. What do you think?’ ‘Compare the works of Agatha Christie to those of John Le Carrà ©.’ It goes without saying, almost, that merely learning the above few pages, parrot-fashion, will not be sufficient to pass the examination: they represent only a skeletal outline. Also, you need to be succinct. No linguistic bulimia or irrelevant sentences, please! I shall immediately see through any examination paper that appears to rely only on this brief guide. Most marks will be awarded for evidence of originality and thinking, as well  as of knowledge.

Pharmasim Preliminary Market Strategy Essay

Allstar Brands’ over-the-counter cold and allergy remedy Allround will continue to be the market leader among OTC cold medicines and continue to increase its stock price over the next decade in order to remain not only competitive, but the premier stock choice among competitors in the OTC cold and allergy remedy market. To further grow the Allround product it is essential to build upon the current strengths of the brand, but also seek additional areas for opportunity and growth. These goals will be accomplished by evaluating competitors entering the OTC cold and allergy remedy market and through careful planning and execution to enhance our current product to meet the desires and needs of consumers. Allstar Brands’ Allround product holds a strong position in the over-the-counter cold and allergy remedy market by being the market share leader, but there is no guarantee this trend will continue. Allround recognizes the need to continue to diversify and reformulate its current product line in order to remain competitive in light of an influx of competition. Allround competes in one of four product categories in the OTC market with no emphasis in the cough, allergy, or nasal categories. We will be better enabled to meet the desires and needs wanted most by consumers by enhancing the current Allround product line. Allstar Brands’ Allround product has been a profitable brand with manufacturer sales of over $355 million in its most recent period. To further increase sales it is crucial to ensure the Allround brand is being sought by all consumers in the OTC cold and allergy remedy market. Recent surveys show the Allround brand did not receive the best shelf space placement and this is a great concern to the future of the brand. It is important Allround reallocates its resources appropriately to maximize the efficiency of our channels of distribution in order to promote our brand to its fullest potential. Allround’s brand effectiveness and high recognition have allowed it to be among the price leaders in the OTC cold and allergy remedy market. This current trend is a great concern to the management team at the OCM group of Allstar Brands. In order to remain competitive Allround must closely monitor all pricing aspects associated with manufacturing and selling the brand. To ensure Allround can maintain a price leadership role in the market it must continually adjust its pricing tactics to better suit its consumers in periods of growth and decline. Allround’s success depends on the consumers who buy its product. To ensure consumers are purchasing our product Allround must offer the greatest value. By promoting our product to the appropriate demographics we can develop more sales and grow our customer base. Allround brand recognizes the need to promote its product through all types of mediums including coupons, point-of-purchase vehicles, and trial-size packages in order to maintain customer loyalty. If Allstar Brands is able to understand its customers on a more intimate basis then it can better provide for desires and needs sought by those purchasing medicine in the OTC cold and allergy remedy market. Situation Analysis The following is a situational analysis of all pertinent aspects of the current state of the market and of the Allround product. Using the â€Å"5 Cs† we have developed an overview of the current situation and hope to present it in a clear and concise manner. This covers the current external factors, major competitor factors, projected customer’s information, fellow distributor’s and retailer’s factors, and current company outlook. -Context: External factors -Collaborators: Who are we using to promote our product, and how do we motivate them? WhoWhyMotivate PharmacistsCustomers value and trust the opinions of pharmacistsMarket that boosting the sales of Allround will also boost drugstores sales Chain DrugstoresStatisticaly a high volume of sales come from thesePromoting this product will boost sales and garner more customers for both Allround and the drugstore Grocery StoresStatisticaly a high volume of sales come from theseConvince that this is the best OTC cold medicine and that stocking this will increase store sales DoctorsDoctors could recommend product to patientsDistribute samples to local doctors to encourage recommendations to patients -Company: Goal? Strengths and weaknesses? GoalsMetricsStrengthsWeaknesses Increase Stock Price10% increase per yearBrand awareness, market share, product quality, high potential growthUnacceptable budget allocation Increase Company Net Income10% increase per yearHigh income, high price, brand awarenessWeak portfolio Increase Company Annual Net Income~$74MBrand awareness, company growth, inelastic pricingSales coverage, Unused R&D capacity Increase Company Utilization~93%#1 product in market, new product line and reformulation optionsAlcohol additive in current formula, budget Increase Shelf Space Rank#1 product in retailBrand awarenessSales coverage and promotion, diluted advertising plan, budget constraints Target Market: The Allround initial marketing plan will be focused on four core groups. The four groups include empty nesters, mature families, singles, and retirees. The main marketing focus will be on singles and empty nesters, as those are our core customers. Singles and empty nesters is Allround’s primary demographic. These 2 groups are the perfect candidates due to their age. Young singles are defined as young adults living alone; Allround was made for fast relief for adults. Young singles, being largely independent, require fast and effective relief from cold symptoms. Empty nesters are classified as older people whose households are now empty. Mature families are also a large group of interest. Mature families usually have older children and are less cautious of the side effects on a teen. The parents of the household are also usually middle aged and still in the workforce, this is a perfect demographic for a fast relief cold medicine. Retired is an important, but already established, market for Allround. Due to this fact the company should focus less advertising on retirees. People past the point of retirement have already been largely exposed to the product. The chance of acquiring new customers from this demographic is low, and the advertising opportunity is past its prime. The marketing team has decided against advertising to young families, at least for the moment. Young families are especially concerned with side effects of medicine. Many families with young children won’t be as interested in adult cold medicines. Therefore, advertising efforts should be focused elsewhere. Allround should look into developing a child’s cold medicine in the future; bundle that with the original formula and market it to young families. Recommendations: Our recommendations are focused on the initial four major company expressed at the beginning of this report. First we will discuss how to improve our product, and by extension customer satisfaction, as well as possible new product lines. Second, we will focus on product placement and improving distribution channels. Third, we discuss possible pricing options and contingencies. Finally, promotion plans and increasing our circulation through major markets. The Allround product is a well recommended and widely trusted OTC cold and allergy medication. To maintain this image we need to further show our customers that we are listening. A major issue with current customers is the alcohol content, and resulting side effects, of the current Allround formula. To improve Allround’s image even further we must reformulate the current product to rid it of alcohol while still maintaining its effectiveness. Customers have also expressed interest in chest decongestant; by again reformulating the product we can add expectorant to further the overall quality of cold symptom relief. A final possibility would be to explore new product line options, such as an improved Allround product or a child’s cold medicine, to diversify the company and reach more markets. Allround has a very high shelf stock, however due to a large number of new competitors this number is decreasing. The first recommendation regarding placement of the product would be to increase the number of detailers to increase support of wholesalers and merchandisers; it is recommended that the number of initial detailers be at least doubled. Secondly, support must be shown for independent drugstores, therefore it is advised that the company allocate more of its sales force to that resource. Finally, more advertising and trial promotions need to be focused on chain drugstores and grocery stores. Allround has consistently been one of the higher priced OTC cold and allergy medicines, justified by its proven quality. Price is more mercurial than other factors in marketing; pricing must be determined on a yearly basis. Inflation rate and marketing forecast must be closely monitored to determine the companie’s actions regarding price. If the market outlook is favorable then price increase should match that of inflation rate; if the market outlook is not favorable the price increase must stay below inflation rate. Following this plan should ensure sales will follow a steady or upward trend, minimizing loss. Allround tries, and largely succeeds, at being a household name. To ensure this stays true promotion must be increased to compete with the influx of competition into the market, to do this we go back to reformulating the product. Due to Allrounds alcohol content, and subsequent side effects, doctors are more apt to recommend competitors with alcohol-free products. Removing the alcohol content would go great lengths in increasing doctor and pharmacist recommendations. More focus needs to be placed on trial promotions, while couponing should stay the same for the base product. Promotion funds need to be more targeted toward our major retailers, chain drug stores and grocery stores, as these largely use circulars and other promotional strategies.

The Wanderer

I sat there on the bus, contemplating the abnormal events of the day and staring at the thick snow that lay outside. It was a long bus journey back to my house and I had a long time to spend with the not particularly talkative driver. I think the driver had become accustomed to my presence as I travelled on the bus every Friday night. He would always let me on the bus without charging me and wait for another ten minutes and see if anyone else got on, which they never did. I had not, for as long as I remember had a conversation with him, and had for a long time now forgotten the sound of his voice. The only sound I would hear on a typical journey was the quiet grumbling of the bus driver and the loud roaring of the buses engine. Nobody got on the bus this late at night. I was as I was saying, contemplating the events of the day, when I was interrupted mid thought by a more pressing realization. The bus was now stopping. This may seem a very normal thing for a bus to do, this bus however never stopped except for myself. The bus had stopped to let on another passenger. I looked forward to this, as my usual journey would include no human interaction. The passenger was a man, that I guessed to be in his mid thirties. I took a quick look up and down him. I looked up and down him again with a bit more detail. No snow, he must have been standing at the bus stop for a little while, as buses never come on time, yet he had avoided getting any snow on him. My own boots were cased in a think slushy mess, but his fine black shoes were hardly even wet. My jeans and thick jacket, which I was quite fond of, were no longer covered in snow but were wet from the snow that had melted in the comfortable warmth of the bus. His trousers that had been ironed to perfection and the suit that he wore were both black as midnight and looked of incredible quality. The man himself was bald and was cleanly shaven; he was yet to face me as he was talking to the bus driver. He carried nothing in his hands but kept his body still with his arms by his sides while talking. I started to hear their conversation after I was done scanning his person. â€Å"Shame that it had to happen isn't it?† The bus driver said in a burst of conversation. This in itself came as a shock to my system; it was such a long time since the bus driver had spoken in my presence. What was a real shock is what came next. â€Å"Yes, the poor elderly lady must have been quite shaken by the ordeal.† replied the stranger. His voice was eerie. He talked normally of course, but that was the problem, it was too normal. He voice stayed at the same volume and pitch all the time, he didn't change the level of excitement in his voice. He had no accent, he spoke perfectly and I was surprised to find that the bus driver, who had a strong accent, could understand him. It was then I realised that they were in fact talking about what they had interrupted me thinking about. Earlier in my day I had witnessed an attack on an elderly lady. A young teenager had an interest in her handbag and its contents. My good nature combined with my belief that today's youth should not be able to do as they please, caused me to leap into action. I had started shouting at the young boy and walking towards him, I expected him to run away and that to be the end of it. I pushed the boy back from the old lady and told her that she would be okay and should hurry home. It was after this as I was swinging round to give the boy a stern talking to, that I felt a sharp blow to my neck and then it was black. I woke up about two minutes later with a bit of a sore neck but otherwise unharmed. The stranger walked down the bus and sat at a seat just in front of mine. I had seen his face as he walked down but there was nothing interesting about it, apart from the fact there was nothing interesting about it. He sat with the same amazingly straight posture as when he was standing. â€Å"Where you gettin' off then?† the driver cried down the bus. â€Å"Crescent Road† the stranger replied. â€Å"Oh, surprise surprise† the bus driver chuckled to himself. The stranger didn't understand what the bus driver was talking about but I did. The bus driver still only had to make the one stop because mine and the stranger's stops were in fact the same. I thought this to be a remarkable coincidence. I returned to watching the snow falling gently outside. The night sky seemed to give me the impression that tonight was different in some way to every other night. I was snapped out of this small trance by the stranger standing and making his way to the front of the bus. Fortunately he was on the bus to remind me that at some point I would have to get off, and up I leapt. The bus pulled in to the stop as I staggered to keep my balance. The stranger moved to the side to let me past and to say thank you to the driver. I got off the bus and stepped onto the crisp snow that had just fallen. The stranger followed and we started on our way home. The stranger barged past me and started to walk briskly. I thought this to be quite rude and so I started to walk just as briskly to catch up with him. Even when in a hurry the man walked with impeccable posture. â€Å"I much prefer the summer to this.† I said jokingly in an attempt to spark a conversation. The man simply took a deep breath and proceeded to walk more slowly. I walked beside him, he looked quite troubled. I felt compelled to try and comfort him. I reached to put my hand on his shoulder as my brain prepared my next sentence. He stopped. His head darted in the direction of my face. It was not that he was looking at me, more that he was looking exactly in my direction. His look was empty and cold. He continued on his way and I kept my distance, I hoped he would enter one of the houses that we were passing but he didn't. He continued to wander the same way as I was. He wandered across the small road we came to and up onto the footpath that lead up to my cul-de-sac. The road was known for being dangerously icy. The path was also terribly dark and had trees along either side. This was all well and good during the daylight hours, but at night however the trees took on a more sinister presence and seemed to position themselves to block out the view of the moon or any other source of light. In front of me was the man, no more than five metres away. I could only just make out his suit and trousers. I could only just make out his shape. He was getting further away from me. I was trying to navigate the slippier parts of the path. â€Å"Are you having as much trouble as I am?† I exclaimed trying again to get the attention of the wanderer. â€Å"Don't be silly† the wanderer turned and said. I could only just make out his face and was unsure whether he was talking to me or himself. Before I could come to this decision he turned and started the brisk walking again. I followed to catch up with him and was looking for him through the black screen that was in front of my eyes. I hit the ground. It hurt and I was catching up on what had just happened. I had tripped up on the shape of the wandering man. He had fallen in on the ice and from what I could see had hit his head off the ground. I leant over to help him up but was knocked away as he lifted himself off the hard frozen ground. He held his hand to his head, and I was now quite worried about him, he looked like he had hit the ground with some force. He looked very frightened and was almost running along the road. We exited the small wooded path and to a fork in the road. I could see my house from here it was the first in the cul-de-sac on the right. The wandering stranger made his way along the road to the left and I felt it was my duty to follow him and to see if he was okay. Luckily for him his house was not far along the road and he entered the front gate of an impressive looking building, the wanderer had found his home. He left the gate open for me and I entered the garden. He entered the house and I followed. I stood in his porch as he rushed upstairs. I heard the sound of running water and I assumed that he was cleaning himself up. He returned a short while after and came slowly down the stairs. He was talking to a woman which I can only presume was his wife. â€Å"I am fine really, I just got a bit shook up along the path there† the man said. â€Å"I do worry about you, you know† Replied his wife â€Å"Look what happened to that kind gentleman in town today. He helps an old lady get her handbag back and gets beaten to death† I stood there baffled, and felt a shiver down my spine. I started to feel myself slipping away as I struggled with the events of the day. I had stopped wandering, I had found my home and I knew where I had to go†¦

Software risk management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Software risk management - Essay Example Risk management is a part of the project development process, which ensures that the proposed project is free from risks. Introduction Software Risk Management is a process which is composed of activities like risk assessment, analysis, risk management plan and implementation. Risk management is referred to as a plan that involves a series of steps which assist an organization to mitigate with the possible risks. Risk management is generally carried out by a team of people who analyze every project and process in an organization. This ensures that an implemented project is free from risks. Risk management is not limited to projects alone; instead it can be used to check the level of risk in the projects that an organization develops. This helps the organization to select and develop projects that are less prone to risk. Risk Management Process Risk management process constitutes of several components that make up the entire strategy. Risk management process involves clearly defined s teps that allow the organization to identify and analyze each process’s objectives. (Padayachee, 2002). When the objective is analyzed, the probability of risk is minimized. Once the risks are identified, they are put into a log list which specifies each process based on their level of risk. This ensures that the process with higher level of risk is resolved in the beginning. The safety of the project is also guaranteed and the possibility of effective implementation is also guaranteed as the processes or components that pose a risk to the project are resolved well in advance. (McCanus, 2004). In a software environment, the possibility of risk is high and the chances of disaster are also high. A software project which involves several phases like requirement identification, analysis, design, development, testing and implementation, the possibility of risk is more. In each level, a new component might be used and this might turn out to be the greatest risk for the project. (Ga lorath, 2006). To avoid such problems, it is better to implement risk management module so that the developer can be sure of implementing a project that does not create any problems in the future. A software project is prone to risks like technical risks, financial risks, resource risks and management risks. In each stage of project development, a risk parameter is introduced to analyze the project. This will enable the organization to have a control over the project’s development. (Boehm, 1989). This is advantageous as the risks can be found immediately and resolved. Among all the other components of risk management process, risk identification, risk assessment and risk control. All these modules provide a detailed look at the risk management process. Risk Assessment Risk assessment is the first process in the risk management process. This in turn involves risk identification, analysis and risk evaluation. Risk identification is carried out by identifying the sources which p ose risk to the project. (Sommerville, 2009). The identified sources must be listed in order to make sure that they do not occur again. Then the risk of each source is analyzed and they are ordered based on the risk priority. Risk analysis is done based on certain assumptions or using methods like path analysis method. Assumption analysis is carried out by deriving assumptions and checking whether the process falls in the

Mount Saint Helen's Video (Back from the Dead) Essay

Mount Saint Helen's Video (Back from the Dead) - Essay Example According to researchers the mountain is categorized as a composite volcano due to its characteristics, emanating from the cone shape and also the composition of the mountain’s layers which include lava, ash and volcanic debris. The mountain was symmetrical before its eruption; it also commanded a considerable height. As indicated earlier the effects of the Mt. St. Helens eruption caused losses, in economical and geographical spheres. According to the information collected, the destruction spread to an area of more than 500 square kilometers. The lava emitted flowed and covered the area indicated above, bringing about destruction to the existing vegetation, killing the animals located within the area, and also displacing a lot of people from the region (Carson p 79). According to research, 57 people died, the group included inhabitants of the region, scientists and geologists. Historical data clearly shows that the area had been locked up to prohibit the entry of residents, si nce scientists had made a conclusion that the mountain was at its dormant stage. As the video clearly indicates, the respondents interviewed through the documentary are not certain whether the mountain will erupt within the coming years. Indications from the remnant vegetation and land cover only attests to the magnitude of the eruption. The process started with a gradual occurrence which proceeded to a bigger result. The process began with a series of earthquakes being experienced from the bottom part of the mountain. As the number of earthquakes increased the mountain erupted releasing ash and steam. After the eruption, a continued earthquake process and the bulging of the northern part of the mountain clearly indicated that magma was moving up, through the vent (Carson p 124). As the bulge continued, the continued earthquake action led to the busting of the northern compartment of the mountain, triggering the sliding of ice and rocks down the mountain. Consequently after the viol ent earthquake action, the mountain erupted releasing gases, magma and water from the northern side where the bulge had been spotted. The eruption triggered the acceleration of the molten rock, hot rock and ash all over the surface. The effects of the eruption can be accounted for, through the covering of the nearby basins and lakes. Other forms of disturbances are accounted for through classification into various disturbance zones where the effect was witnessed. The first disturbance zone is the flow of the pyroclasticmaterial through the face of the mountain. This process generally involved the flow of pumice and gas through the crater into the overlooking land. This flow caused destruction to the existing organism, with both the vegetation and organic organisms not spared. Debris thrust from the crater also cascaded down the mountain, with avalanches also being witnessed. The second disturbance zone, also known as the northern debris avalanche was witnessed soon after the norther n region of the mountain collapsed due to the bulging of the surface. The debris collected from the collapsed material formed into a large mound which caused a large landslide, which according to the historical evidences indicates that it was the largest land slide witnessed. After the landslide had been experienced, the ice found at the peak of the mountain melted into water which combined with other materials such as sand, boulders and other debris to form a thick material,

Phase 4 Discussion Board 2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Phase 4 Discussion Board 2 - Assignment Example This can only be achieved through motivated employees. Therefore, using my leadership, I feel it’s my responsibility to ensure that I befriend each and every employee, and strain to make the employees working environment as comfortable as possible to ensure efficiency. Given that Cokingtin is a small organization with less than 50 employees, then reaching each employee won’t be a difficult task for me. Note that befriending employees would not loosen my management roles of supervising and punishing non-performers. All this will be deemed at ensuring customer satisfaction, hence increase the number of customers, which will boost returns giving room for the firm’s growth, development and expansion. As mentioned earlier, I am experienced in offering health care services to patients through my vast knowledge in physiology and anatomy, than incorporated a lot of practical work. However, I realized that I perform better while in a team rather than as an independent nurse practitioner. For this reason, I advanced my leadership and management skills. I consider my capability to function in a team, analyzing other people’s opinions and letting them criticize mine a vital strength towards success in my job. Secondly, I have trained in various managerial aspects such as project management, organizational behavior principles, quality management. Most importantly, in the health sector, i adequate knowledge on economics of health care, global health systems, fiscal management in health care in addition to basic health care knowledge. Therefore, although this position is my first of its kind, my background knowledge especially in management and my ambitions towards the firm’s success make me fit to the position. Noteworthy, I have been sharing opinions with my colleagues when I was a medical assistant, always being a ringleader and creating discussion topics during tea breaks. As a matter of fact, these discussions made my colleagues open up and share

Land law part 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Land law part 2 - Essay Example The property which was habitable in 1997 has deteriorated over the years. It has become very damp, because the gutters are very dilapidated and when it rains water runs down the outside walls of the property rather than down the pipes and into the drains. The sash window frames are rotting and mould is growing in the bathroom where it is impossible to open the window at all. Cracks are appearing in the ceiling and P thinks there could be some loose slates on the roof. He has rung Bridley Housing Association’s offices on a number of occasions this year to tell them about the damp, but no-one from the Association has visited the property or carried out any repairs. In order to be able to advise P and Q it is necessary to examine the law in relation to short term licences. This will involve a discussion on the difference between a lease and a licence, and the different rights given to leaseholders over licence holders. From this it should then be possible to advise P and Q of their rights to insist on the repairs being carried out. In the UK leases can be distinguished from licences in relation to the occupation of the property. With a lease the occupier will enjoy exclusive occupation and the amount paid for the property will not include any services. Landlords cannot terminate leases at short notice. By comparison those who have a licence do not have exclusive occupation and the landlord can allow other persons to move into the property. Where the agreement is deemed to be a lease the lessee would have full ownership rights over the property.1 If the occupier does not have exclusive ownership, than the courts will deem that a licence has been created. In Shell-Mex & B P Ltd v Manchester Garages Ltd [1971]2 the court distinguished between a lease and a licence by examining where the control lay. In this case the court

Constituent Parts of the Law on Contracts Article

Constituent Parts of the Law on Contracts - Article Example There is a high likelihood of the exercise of undue influence in certain relationships wherein one person  holds a substantial position of trust and/or authority over the other and has adequate control to influence the decision of others, such as the relationship between parent and child, doctor and patient, teacher and student, lawyer and client, husband and wife etc. Undue influence is alleged to be implemented or used in case of lack of adequate substantiation to the contrary, and hence it is customary for the third parties involved in such a transaction to advise their customers, clients to request autonomous legal counsel prior to entering into an agreement at the behest of the person who is deemed to be in an influential position owing to their particular relationship. Actual undue influence refers to a situation whereby one of the parties to the contract enters into a transaction owing to the inappropriate exercise of influence by the other party. To institute the existence and exercise of actual undue influence the party desiring to set aside the contract must establish that: While presumed undue influence, on the other hand, refers to incidences where one of the parties to a contract was influenced into entering into a contract by the other party and where there is a relationship of trust and confidence between both the parties to the contract. Such contracts may be set aside by the aggrieved party after they have adequately and effectively established that: In cases involving presumed undue influence, the court of law presumes the existence of a relationship of trust and confidence if the parties to the contract comprise of teacher and student, solicitor and client, doctor and patient, etc.

He ability of private individuals to seek damages for breaches in the Essay

He ability of private individuals to seek damages for breaches in the EU competition law - Essay Example This essay discusses that since last twenty years, the enforcement of European competition law has major changes. Particularly the enactment of Regulation 1/2003 that brought a remarkable shift towards the decentralized enforcement of the competition rules and the opportunity for the national courts to rule on private antitrust cases.However, the position of private enforcement of European competition law is less clear than the status of the public enforcement within the European Competition Network that seems to become a significant achievement. According to a study on the condition of claims for damages in case of infringements of EC competition rules in August 2004 (which was prepared for the European Commission), it concluded â€Å"The picture that emerges from the present study on damages actions for breach of competition law in the enlarged EU is one of astonishing diversity and total underdevelopment".As a result of that comparative report, the European Commission was able to identify the obstacles to activate the private enforcement of competition law within the Member States and consider the means by which a more effective system of private antitrust enforcement could be facilitated and improved. The comparative analysis of the different legal systems in the EU has shown a huge disparity in the member states controlling of competition law claims. Procedural disparities between national legal systems in the EU are tending to encourage forum shopping in cross-border cases. Before bringing an action, claimants involved in cross-border activity can be expected to scrutinize the advantages and disadvantages of national jurisdictions before bringing an action for damages in one or several member states. Although the EU member states are obliged to give direct effect to EC law, the procedures they adopt for private enforcement cases are governed at a national level. Any changes to national law in one member state, such as those recently implemented in German y, do not affect other member states. This tension between national procedural law and EC law needs to be reconciled if a uniform effective system can be adopted throughout the EU4. In this essay, it will firstly identify the obstacles that make it so difficult for the private individuals to seek damages for breaches of EU competition law. Then, it will examine the most important development of private enforcement field in the UK, Germany and Italy, as these States considered to have attractive jurisdictions for private actions against infringements of EU competition law. The essay will conclude by illustrating the European Commission attempts to ensure that private enforcements in EU competition law are very effective and sufficient. European Commission achieved this goal by publishing the Green Paper in 2005 and followed by the White Paper in 2008. The remarkable Courage5 decision by the European Court of Justice (ECJ), gained increasing attention in which the private individuals have the right to sue for damages as a consequence of infringements of EC competition rules, (particularly damages suffered from breaches of Art 101 and Art 102 TFEU). One of the most important reasons of the long absence of the private antirust from the competition policy is the unique system of Europe. This means that the European Commission and European Courts have a slight influence on private antitrust litigations since they are very present in public competition law enforcement. Moreover, the European Courts are not competent to hear claims on private enforceme

BARGAINING II - AT THE TABLE Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

BARGAINING II - AT THE TABLE - Assignment Example The arising conflict issue for this paper is conflicts in performance review. There is no single employee who enjoys a negative review of his or her performance. However, it is difficult to avoid negative feedback depending on the actions of the employees during the time of the review. This is a major reason for workplace conflict in the organization. Employees become angry when they fail to get the expected pay rise, promotions, and any other performance related incentives. As a result, they lash out spreading their discontent through gossiping the management and having a negative attitude towards work. These employees often argue directly with their supervisors creating very tricky and sensitive situations that require effective communication methods to resolve. The underlying problem is the employees failing to maximize on their full potential in work due to negative performance review. In most cases, the employees trigger this negative feedback based on their actions during the period of the review. As a result, they end up getting angry with their supervisors and may even lash out at them. This creates a tricky situation that may worsen if not handled properly. Moreover, the employees might lose their jobs in the event that the situation worsens. The parties in conflict are the employees and the management or supervisors. Thus, the side I choose is that of the management or supervisors. It is up to the employees to ensure that their performance in the organization is up to the required standards of the organization. Failure to do so would result into a negative performance review that would not be taken lightly by the employees. In addition, there is no way a supervisor can give a positive performance review while the employee’s o utput is not satisfactory (Gramberg, 2006). The supervisors and the management exercised various forms of behavior during the discussion phase. One of them is

Eastman kodak Essay Example for Free

Eastman kodak Essay Evaluating the financial condition of Eastman Kodak can be troublesome. Per my evaluation of their quarterly report which was found at http://www. kodak. com, some red flags have appeared that the auditors should be aware of. These stand out and should have special focus on. This quarterly report is based on the companies’ business activities as well as their subsidiary companies between the reporting periods of January 1, through December 31, 2011. It has been speculated that some of the previous reports have not been dealing on actual performance data basis (Avery, 2012). While many believe this to be impossible and untrue, however, there seems to be that there were no exceptions reported or noticed on prior reports. Once again, while analyzing this report there seems to be correspondence in regards to data exclusion from the outsourced operations and data for leased facilities were indicated. The cash flow analysis of Kodak has always been cause for concern. The Kodak companies the past several years have had many issues as seem by the financial statements. â€Å"The internal cash flows are negative indicating that this company has a financial problem (Arnold, 2012). Items such as the operating costs, investing, and the use of the cash and its outflow when it has cash are what we consider internal cash flows. Kodak company is aimed its focus on funding numerous functions and operations. This funding was to make sure that the IP licensing strategy would a hit. For this to be applicable, the company would have to sell its assets. â€Å"Thus in order to be successful in the IP portfolio strategy EASTKOD 3 Eastman Kodak set there sites aimed at getting funds of over $200 million and then to have licensing transactions to generate between #250 and $350 million dollars (Anderson, 2012). Some of the red flags that they should be aware of can be economic factors, earning problems, excessive debt. With these factors in mind it is clearly visible that Kodak focused on clearing their work on the idea of sustainability that they had place in process within the 2011 fiscal year. For Kodak to stay competitive they had to initiate new programs to generate business in the areas in which they operate. These programs would boost business. â€Å"After the 2011 quarterly report, Kodak was more sustainable and looked to prosper and take advantage of their customer’s economic, environmental, and social performance in order to maintain and attain a profitable , sustainable, and digital company (Anderson, 2011). With these red flags mentioned, Kodak and its position economically, either would attract or not attract investors. This is due to the fact that the economic factors such as the earnings of an organization give an idea of what its profits, and the shareholders value to be. The public willingness to invest and to get companies to fall in line with them, Eastman Kodak is not an attractive company. This is true due to its low profits the company makes based on its last quarterly report. Kodaks last quarterly report and its last 3 previous years indicate that the company if financially falling. During the audit procedure they should be alerted that Eastman Kodak has adjusted its financial statements making its return on capital and its economic stability unreliable. Eastman Kodaks free cash flow is well below par. Their strategy has failed, and this will not attract new investors. The financial statement show that the cash flow has reduced and this is partly contributed to the board and the lack there of on their fiduciary duties.

Global Warming Essay Example for Free

Global Warming Essay Among The most profound environmental problems, Global Warming is one of the serious problem. Former vice president Al Gore takes his environmentally friendly political agenda to the big screen with the documentary ‘An Inconvenient Truth’. The film follows Gores platform of recognizing global warming as a worldwide problem. Gore says the truth must be revealed or there will be consequences to pay . Since the beginning of Industrial Revolution, atmospheric concentration of CO2 have increased by 30%, Methane concentration by 100% and Nitrous oxide concentration by about 15%. These increases have enhanced the heat trapping capability of the Earth’s atmosphere. The combustion of coal, oil and natural gas accounts for most of the heat trapping greenhouse gases emitted by human activities. Most of the best and brightest in the world scientific community, however, believe we are heading for the trouble. But coal and petroleum products are abundantly used for moving the life cycle of people. Asking such people to slow down or choose more expensive alternative energies is asking for trouble. Petroleum industry is very big industry In which there are millions of people employed and the millions of families thriving on this for their livelihood. To find out the solution of Global Warming merely alleging the petroleum industry and burning of fossil fuels then those millions of people who are depending on these industries are badly affected. There are so many other causes also which are responsible for the Global Warming like industrial revolution, nuclear radiations and emitting of green house gases. 98% of total global greenhouse gas emission are natural, mostly water vapour; the effect of water vapour is not well understood. Some of the critics of Al Gore’s ‘Inconvenient of Truth’ says â€Å" An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore makes absurd remarks about global warming that stretch well beyond the IPCC claims. This clip demonstrates some of Gores various exaggerations on the subject of global warming†. There could be benefits in the wake of the planet’s warming. Increased rainfall, created by climatic fluctuations, in a semi arid region will raise agricultural productivity. Rising CO2 levels cause plants to grow faster and absorb more CO2, through photosynthesis. Longer growing seasons may boost yields in northern Canada and Europe. In fact, a vast majority of scientists now believe that even an immediate and dramatic cut in global greenhouse gas emissions would not fully prevent climate change impacts. Even USA, world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, is not willing to be subjected to any kind of restraint on their energy use. USA has not ratified the Kyoto Protocol. The country claimed that if it has to implement the provisions of the Protocol, the economic losses will be heavy and will drive 5 million Americans out of work. Policies to promote energy efficiency, in the long run, will improve economic performance, at the individual firm or country level. Global warming is a global problem calling for global solutions; no nation alone can defeat the problem. Industry must develop energy – efficient vehicles, consumer goods and production processes. â€Å" Most important, individual households must contribute to emissions reduction through their power of consumer choice and their personal lifestyle decision†. Reference: With inputs from â€Å" Is Apocalypse Near, Far or Never? † by G. Vijaya Raghavan V S M Nair.

Differences between Qualitative and Quantitative Research

Differences between Qualitative and Quantitative Research DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATITVE RESEARCH METHODS What is the difference between quantitative and qualitative research? In a nutshell, quantitative research generates numerical data or information that can be converted into numbers. Qualitative Research on the other hand generates non-numerical data. Many times those that undertake a research project often find theyare notaware of the differences between Qualitative Researchand Quantitative Research methods. Many mistakenly think the two terms can be used interchangeably. So what is the difference between Qualitative Research and Quantitative Research? Qualitative Research is primarily exploratory research. It is used to gain an understanding of underlying reasons, opinions, and motivations. It provides insights into the problem or helps to develop ideas or hypotheses for potential quantitative research. Qualitative Research is also used to uncover trends in thought and opinions, and dive deeper into the problem. Qualitative data collection methods vary using unstructured or semi-structured techniques. Some common methods include focus groups (group discussions), individual interviews, and participation/observations. The sample size is typically small, and respondents are selected to fulfill a given quota. Quantitative Research is used to quantify the problem by way of generating numerical data or data that can be transformed into useable statistics. It is used to quantify attitudes, opinions, behaviors, and other defined variables – and generalize results from a larger sample population. Quantitative Research uses measurable data to formulate facts and uncover patterns in research. Quantitative data collection methods are much more structured than Qualitative data collection methods. Quantitative data collection methods include various forms of surveys – online surveys, paper surveys, mobile surveys and kiosk surveys, face-to-face interviews, telephone interviews, longitudinal studies, website interceptors, online polls, and systematic observations. Snap Survey Software is the ideal solution for a Quantitative Research tool where structured techniques such as large numbers of respondents and descriptive findings are required. Snap Survey Software has many robust features that will help your organization effectively gather and analyze quantitative data Quantitative vs. Qualitative Research Methods The similarities and differences between quantitative and qualitative research methods can be confusing. Here is a simplified explanation. In quantitative research, you generally end up with data reduced to numbers, which are analyzed using statistics. Frequently, quantitative research is used to support or expand a theory that already exists. In qualitative research, you usually dont end up with numbers. Instead, you will describe and analyze a phenomenon using words. Sometimes, qualitative research is used to develop new theory that didnt exist before. The first thing to do in any research project is conceive, clarify and write a research question. After composing the research question, you compose a research plan, which includes the research method or methods you think would be best in answering the question. Quantitative and Qualitative Research What is the difference between quantitative and qualitative research? In a nutshell, quantitative research generates numerical data or information that can be converted into numbers. Qualitative Research on the other hand generates non-numerical data. Only measurable data are being gathered and analyzed in quantitative research. Qualitative research focuses on gathering of mainly verbal data rather than measurements. Gathered information is then analyzed in an interpretative manner, subjective, impressionistic or even diagnostic. Here’s a more detailed point-by-point comparison between the two types of research: 1. Goal or Aim of the Research Quantitative Research on the other hand focuses more in counting and classifying features and constructing statistical models and figures to explain what is observed. Qualitative Quantitative Hypothesis Broad Narrow Description Whole picture Focused Type of Research Exploratory Conclusive 2. Usage Qualitative Research is ideal for earlier phases of research projects while for the latter part of the research project, Quantitative Research is highly recommended. Quantitative Research provides the researcher a clearer picture of what to expect in his research compared to Qualitative Research. Qualitative Quantitative Phase Early Late 3. Data Gathering Instrument The researcher serves as the primary data gathering instrument in Qualitative Research. Here, the researcher employs various data-gathering strategies, depending upon the thrust or approach of his research. Examples of data-gathering strategies used in Qualitative Research are individual in-depth interviews, structured and non-structured interviews, focus groups, narratives, content or documentary analysis, participant observation and archival research. On the other hand, Quantitative Research makes use of tools such as questionnaires, surveys, measurements and other equipment to collect numerical or measurable data. 4. Type of Data The presentation of data in a Qualitative Research is in the form of words (from interviews) and images (videos) or objects (such as artifacts). If you are conducting a Qualitative Research what will most likely appear in your discussion are figures in the form of graphs. However, if you are conducting a Quantitative Research, what will most likely appear in your discussion are tables containing data in the form of numbers and statistics. 5. Approach Qualitative Research is primarily subjective in approach as it seeks to understand human behavior and reasons that govern such behavior. Researchers have the tendency to become subjectively immersed in the subject matter in this type of research method. In Quantitative Research, researchers tend to remain objectively separated from the subject matter. This is because Quantitative Research is objective in approach in the sense that it only seeks precise measurements and analysis of target concepts to answer his inquiry. Determining Which Method Should Be Used Debates have been ongoing, tackling which method is better than the other. The reason why this remains unresolved until now is that, each has its own strengths and weaknesses which actually vary depending upon the topic the researcher wants to discuss. This then leads us to the question â€Å"Which method should be used?† If your study aims to find out the answer to an inquiry through numerical evidence, then you should make use of the Quantitative Research. However, if in your study you wish to explain further why this particular event happened, or why this particular phenomenon is the case, then you should make use of Qualitative Research. Some studies make use of both Quantitative and Qualitative Research, letting the two complement each other. If your study aims to find out, for example, what the dominant human behavior is towards a particular object or event and at the same time aims to examine why this is the case, it is then ideal to make use of both methods.

How the hippies changed the world :: essays research papers fc

â€Å"People today are still living off the table scraps of the sixties. They are still being passed around- the music and the ideas† - Bob Dylan (1992) From 1964 to 1968, there swelled a gigantic wave of cultural and political change that swept first the city of San Francisco, then the whole United States, and then the world. The efforts of the pioneers in the Haight-Ashbury to create an enlightened community took about two years, from 1964-66, to reach the flashpoint, and during those years the music reached an artistic high point. But the Summer of Love in 1967 lasted only a few months, and by the end, overcrowding and the negative reaction of police and the city's government combined to make life in the Haight miserable for everyone. Still, the taste for enlightenment had left a lasting impression on the minds and hearts of those who participated in the "hippie scene". The term hippie is derived from "hip" or "hipster" used by the beats to describe someone who was part of their scene. It literally means to know, so someone who's "hip" is wise. Hippies never adopted this term for themselves. They preferred to be called the "beautiful people". However the media played up "hippy" as the catch-all phrase to describe the masses of young people growing their hair long, listening to rock music, doing drugs, practising free love, going to various gatherings and concerts, demonstrating and rejecting the popular culture of the early 60's. Hippies were the adults of the baby boom post-World War II. They wanted to test and enjoy the limits of life adopting a motto of - â€Å"Being alive should be Ecstasy†. They were also associated with participation in peace movements, including peace marches such as the USA marches on Washington and civil rights marches, and anti-Vietnam war demonstrations including the 1968 Democratic Convention. A popular slogan of the time was â€Å"Make love not war†. Philosophically, hippie thought drew upon the earlier Beat generation. Hippies started the ecology movement. They combated racism. They liberated sexual stereotypes, encouraged change, individual pride, and self-confidence. They questioned robot materialism. In four years, they managed to stop the Vietnam War. They got marijuana decriminalised in fourteen states during the Carter Administration. Hippie political expression often took the form of dropping out of society to implement the changes they sought. The back to the land movement, cooperative business enterprises, alternative energy, free press movement, and organic farming were all political in nature at their start.

Beowulf: The Ultimate Hero Essay -- Epic of Beowulf Essays

A hero is one who places himself or herself at risk for another by performing great deeds of courage. In the epic poem Beowulf, the character of Beowulf is clearly a hero. Not only is Beowulf a hero because of his physical strength, but he also gives the glory to God. Beowulf is the ultimate hero who put his life on the line for an entire kingdom. Beowulf's heroism can be seen when he takes 14 of the bravest in his land to go help Hrothgar. Hrothgar was Beowulf's father's close friend who had been plagued by attacks for twelve years that threatened an entire kingdom. Beowulf did not have to offer Hrothgar's kingdom help, but does so because he wants to uses his God given strength to the best of his ability. As soon as Beowulf heard of the troubles in this land he set sail immediately. Beowulf continues to show his thankfulness by thanking God for giving them safe travel across the sea. Beowulf is lead to Hrothgar and offers him is "services." "-Now sit down to the feast, and, in due time, listen to lays of warriors' victories, as your heart may prompt you. (15) Beowulf is asked by the warriors to tell of his past defeats while eating in Hrothgar's palace. Beowulf is already a hero to the people of this land for he is about to rid them of their enemy. The warriors are anxious to here what he has done and what he plans to do to Grendel. Here Beowulf "puts on his running shoes" and runs through his battle plan mentally just as any great athlete would do before a big meet. As the Banquet continues, Hrothgar thanks Beowulf, and promises him gre... ... Beowulf can be called the ultimate hero because he put his life on the line for an entire kingdom. Even though Beowulf had hoped that his people would benefit from all of the treasures he had stored up, we are taught, the material things that one earns during one's life can not stop what is God's will. For everything in life must come to an end and that time is always uncertain, even for a hero. Works Cited Beowulf and Other Old English Poems. Trans. Constance B. Hieatt. New York; Odyssey Press, 1967.

Jordan craters :: essays research papers

The Jordan Craters volcanic field is located on the Owyhee-Oregon Plateau at the southeastern end of a series of young basalt fields extending from near Bend, Oregon, through Diamond Craters in south-central Oregon (Volcanoes of the World). The Jordan Craters field is limited to the northern most and youngest portion of a larger (250 square kilometers) Quaternary alkaline basalt field. There are three major vent areas aligned north to south along surficial and inferred expressions of the regional Basin and Range faulting (Hart, W.K., and Mertzmann, S.A.). Fluid pahoehoe basalt flows emanated from each of these sources, with pyroclastic activity confined to small scatter cones and to a larger crater-cone complex (Coffeepot Crater) at the northernmost edge of the Jordan Craters portion of this field (Volcanoes of the World). This entire Quaternary alkaline basalt field is part of a larger field (nearly 800 square kilometers) that includes Pleistocene and Pliocene olivine tholeiite to t ransitional basalt flows and vents. Jordan Craters is a wonderful sight mainly because of its well-preserved vents and striking flow features. Near Coffeepot Crater, the flow surfaces are vesicular shelly pahoehoe, which grade to massive tube-fed ropy pahoehoe in the distal regions. A 75-square-kilometer coffeepot Crater is a heart-shaped tephra cone constructed of numerous overlapping lobes of alternating densely to weakly welded scoriaceous lapilli and bombs (Volcanoes of the World). The walls of the crater show good evidence for a fluctuating lava pond, which appears to have broken through and rafted away portions of the northeastern and southeastern crater walls. Backflow of the lava pond into the conduit is indicated by pahoehoe crust on the present crater floor. The Jordan Craters lava flow field is mineralogically and chemically homogeneous, whereas proximal tephra and flow deposits exhibit significant chemical heterogeneity which correlates with the eruptive history. Also noteworthy are the many excellent examples of basalt flow

Bangladesh Rmg Sector

For example, with the removal of the Multi- Fiber Agreement (MFC) in 2005, fear of imminent doom stroked in the hearts of the garments owners. Despite the adverse predictions of different studies, the ARM sector of Bangladesh managed to pull through the abolishment of the MFC unscathed. Bangladesh later secured a position under the Generalized System of Preference (SSP), which allowed the country to enjoy privileged trade links with the Western producers. However, after the most recent tragedy of Ran Plaza where more than 1200 garments workers lost their lives, the US government suspended the SP of Bangladesh.Even though EX. promised not to withdraw SSP for Bangladesh it comes with stipulations attached. In this circumstance, the question that everyone is compelled to ask themselves is- â€Å"Will the ARM sector of Bangladesh collapse with the recent crisis it is faced with, or will it be able to hold its ground? † The Evolutionary Path of the ARM Sector Before delving further into the recent crisis and its impacts, let's first identify the contribution of ARM sector in Bangladesh economy and its strengths that led to its immense growth over the last few decades.ARM sector is the highest foreign exchange generating sector of Bangladesh, constituting 79% of total export and around 22 percent of total GAP in FYI 2012-13. It is evident from graph 1 that the sector's contribution to total export and economy as a whole has only increased over time. Currently it employs 44 million worker 80% of which are women. Therefore, it would not be wrong to say that ARM sector has become the lifeline of Bangladesh economy.Graph: ARM export and Total Export hourly wage rate of ARM Sector source: BAGGAGE Graph 2: Minimum Source: ILL The global hegemony of Bangladesh in ARM sector can be ascribed to the fact that it enjoys a competitive advantage in terms of low wages and lax regulation that transformed into competitive global prices. With a minimum wage of USED 0. 26 per h our, the rate is one of lowest in the world (see Graph 2). The biggest earner of foreign exchange in Bangladesh has also been showered with favorable incentives such as back-to-back LLC, import and customs duty rebates and short and long term interest rates discount.Harnessing on its cheap labor, Bangladesh ARM sector has found a strong foothold to sustain on its own. For example, the MFC quota system which had initially acted in favor of the Bangladesh ARM sector was phased out in allowing the abolishment. According to the McKinney report 2011, Bangladesh has all the potential of becoming the no. 1 apparel sourcing hotshot replacing China. Buyers at the cost of labor wages According to Doug Miller, professor emeritus of supply chain ethics, â€Å"In Bangladesh, you have a glut of buyers in search of a cheap product wanting to place enormous orders, and the capacity is built hurriedly. With a clause of deferred payment in letter of credit (L/C) I. E. The formal loan agreement for p urchases, merchants in Bangladesh get products shipped out and release payments to manufacturers after months of delay of as much as 6 months. With payment being deferred, Bangladesh manufacturers are actually forced to subsidize the buyers. Garment-makers take loan, free of interest for 90 days, against the L/C in executing orders. So, for the period beyond 90 days, manufacturers have to fork out 1 PC interest.Moreover, an order worth a dollar that a buyer places actually does not add up to a dollar. On different pretexts and through underhand dealings, they take back almost 25 cents, leaving the manufacturers to complete the Job with the remaining 75 cents with which the manufacturer buy fabrics and accessories, make clothes, pay establishment costs, ship out clothes, and are expected to pay workers reasonably and make good profit as well. Factory installations are shoddy, workers' lock in and lead times are too tight- all in order to minimize costs and attend to stringent deadlin es.Since victims fear veering off foreign buyers, the central bank and garment owners' association has not yet initiated a reform. The Current Crisis Today there is a vast network of some 5,000 garment factories in Bangladesh, far more than any other low-wage country. They aim at churning out clothing quickly and cheaply without bothering to comply with rules and worker safety standards. Faced with a government imposed minimum wage of USED 38, the average factory owner seeks cost minimization by tweaking other variables such as infrastructure, power and freight.Such hard core profit seeking behavior has resulted in a regulatory disaster. According to Bangladesh institute of labor studies, at least 730 workers were killed and 4,700 garment workers have been injured in ARM accidents between years 1990 to 2012. Five deadly incidents from November 2012 through May 2013 brought rocker safety and labor violations in Bangladesh to world attention. However, the biggest, deadliest disaster s o far has been the collapse of the factory building in Saver which has led to the death of over 1100 workers.The fatal accidents occurring in regular interval have put the bright future of Bangladesh ARM sector in Jeopardy. One of the five criteria that buyers look into while evaluating a destination/country as a major sourcing market is risk (as outlined in a report by McKinney, 2011). Taking that into account, recent incidents in Bangladesh point out that there has been a age surge in the risk factor surrounding the readmes garments (ARM) sector in Bangladesh. Following the collapse of Ran Plaza, the Western companies are now already seeking new sources of ready-made garments.Well known companies already contemplating a move out, fearing that association with Bangladesh factories would damage their reputations. Low wage that once has been the main attraction circumstance it is only natural that competitors like China, India and Vietnam will snatch business away from Bangladesh. Re gulations The regulatory disaster that the Bangladesh ARM sector is facing now is a result of ears of negligence and malfeasance. Laws ensuring the rights of workers are in place, but are scattered, outdated and not enforced properly. A National Labor Law Commission was formed in 1992 to enact a Labor Code.The National Trade Union Leaders of The Labor Law Review Committee was reconstituted in 1998. However, workers' rights are highly violated and trade unions are very weak. In 2008, the government had enacted the Dacha Metropolitan Building (Construction, Development, Conservation and Demolition) Rules aimed at ensuring construction of any structure in the capital Dacha in compliance with the prevailing construction deadlines. However RAJAH, the Capital Development Authority, has failed to enforce the law seriously which further adds to the flimsy regulatory framework governing workers' safety.Regulatory Capture The failure by the governmental bodies in Bangladesh to ensure the prop er enactment of safety standards reflects â€Å"regulatory capture† that occurs when policymakers or regulatory bodies favor special interest groups rather than working in interest the public.. The perfect example would be the sanction of building permit of Ran Plaza in Saver. The design of the building was not architecturally sound but as granted by an RAJAH office that wasn't authorized to issue such permits to begin with but he did it anyway in exchange of bribe; thus serving the interest of the building owner.The regulatory agencies such as Ministry of Labor and RAJAH, created to act in public interest, instead advance the commercial or special concerns of interest groups that dominate the industry or sector it is charged with regulating. Understandably the authority seems to turn a blind eye on this very matter as at least 10 percent of Bangladesh parliament members are direct owners of about 5000 garment factories in Bangladesh.The apparent inter-involvement reflects in the way there have been no convictions on any of the major disasters that had resulted in hundreds of death and injuries prior to the collapse of the Ran Plaza building in Saver in May 2013. The businessmen-UCM-politicians fear the pullout of Western buyers responsible for their profit margins as well as Arm's contribution to the economy should the costs of implementing the regulations properly cause higher prices.Stakeholders' Response Since the collapse of the building Ran Plaza and the corresponding international attention it has received, the reputation of Bangladesh ARM sector and its international buyers are in Jeopardy. Companies like Disney, Orion etc have terminated import from Bangladesh while major US importers like Walter have not made any concrete commitment to improve the working conditions of the factories from which they import clothes for its outlets. Most of the big global companies have decided to stay and try to improve safety in their contractors' factories and build inspection of some factories under which millions work.The most severe blow that the Bangladesh ARM sector has faced after the Tragic Ran Plaza incident is the suspension of Generalized System of Preference (SSP) facility provided by the US overspent. This action comes as a result of Bangladesh government's failure to improve working conditions and ensure worker safety inside the country. In the short run, the suspension from US SSP is projected to reduce export by a meager 0. 8 % as ARM products (which make up most of the US import from Bangladesh) are not included in the list of duty-free products in SSP.However, the cancellation of SSP will translate to major export loss for industries like ceramic products, processed and frozen prawn, tobacco, etc as these products used to enjoy duty free entry in US market. Most importantly, Bangladesh image as a trade partner of the USA is tainted. Therefore, the prospect of future export growth of Bangladesh in US market seems dimmer a s this may discourage US and other foreign investors, new and old, from venturing into Bangladesh. Nonetheless, the US government has assured that the suspension is temporary and accordance with the provided guideline will result in reinstatement of the facility.The key points of the guidelines are * Fast track registration of unions * Increase the number of government labor inspector * Proper implementation of Factory standard and stricter punishment for failure to imply * Assess architectural soundness and fire safety of all apparel units * Close or relocate risky factories * A hotlist for workers to unanimously report fire, building safety and rights violation * Amend PEG law to match international standard * Prevent harassment and violation against labor activists and resolve ongoing dispute The repercussion of SSP suspension will be much more severe if adopted by European Union (ELI) since unlike USA, garments products enjoy SSP facility in ELI. EX. had previously threatened to remove preferential access of Bangladesh ARM reduces in EX. market if the government did not take measures to improve the working condition in Bangladesh factories. They have called for immediate safety improvements, and said they were considering changes in Bangladesh duty-free and quota-free status to encourage more responsible management by the country's garment industry.The United Nations labor agency, International Labor Organization (ILL) had also sent an inspecting team a week following the building collapse, and has called for greater commitment and social dialogue for the overall regulation of the ARM industry. ILL has welcomed an agreement signed by some international fashion brands and retailers, and trade unions to prevent workplace disasters. Thus there is increasing oversight by the international community to oversee the safety of the industry drivers. Response of Bangladesh Government and Regulatory Bodies Back home, the government of Bangladesh is working to amend t he Labor law to make it time-befitting as well as protect the interest, rights and security of workers. RAJAH has also started an inspection of unauthorized factory buildings.Moreover the Anti Corruption Commission (AC) will look into the alleged irregularities in the Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BAGGAGE) have also issued a list of tests and standards that must be met by all the factories. This list includes: reports of soil tests and structural design to assess the suitability of the building to be used as a factory, to remove generators from the roof to the ground floor, to install equipments that would aid in a disaster and so forth. These were requested of all factories and are to be submitted by the end of May, 2013. For the owners, the course of action is to initiate compliance with the international standards and assist BAGGAGE in all activities y providing the reports asked of in time.They also need to educate and train their workforce on the steps to take in the event of a disaster and also conduct regular fire drills. Response of Civil Society The civil society has also raised a voice and become increasingly involved in the brewing demand for regulatory reform. Not only have individuals and organizations offered assistance to the collapsed building victims but many have also offered corrective measures. Sir Faze Abed, founder of BRACE, has asserted that instead of Western buyers pulling out, the buyers should invest in ensuring workers' safety assure while the workers must also coalesce into unions and engage in collective bargaining.The government must also end neglecting worker safety issues and ensure Justice for the owners' criminal negligence. Nobel Laureate Dry. Muhammad Yuan's has recommended two proposals: one is for the Bangladesh government and foreign buyers to Jointly fix a minimum international wage level, and work on increasing labor productivity, specialized labor skills, and build buyers' trust in order to remain competiti ve. The second is to set up a Workers' Welfare Trust Fund, so that he international buying company will pay 10% of the amount it has agree to pay the garment factory owners to work in the welfare of the workers. A citizen action group can also be created in order to accelerate the positive changes taking place in business.Conclusion The ARM sector as the biggest foreign exchange earner in Bangladesh, is considered a â€Å"national treasure†, therefore a tacit bi-partisan agreement between the politicians and businessmen to protect it was an outcome, albeit blindly. However the failure of regulations and prevailing of criminal negligence can be mitigated by stricter law enforcement and by the presence of a proper non-partisan regulatory body or watchdog to ensure transparency, mitigated corruption and the assurance of worker safety. For the government, the most important action is to ensure enforceability of the steps that need to be undertaken. More often than not, it is seen that there is a flurry of activity right after an accident, which dies out soon with no significant changes that would prevent such an accident from being repeated.Trade unions and labor activism must not be shut down by the new Industrial Police to ensure transparency and accountability of the workers and their rights. The workers must be allowed to organize themselves and be allowed to function as gracious counterpart of the existing ARM owners' associations, not simply as appendages The ARM sector to demolish the entire sector if not addressed immediately. These include: poor infrastructure, low compliance to international standards, weak supplier performance and workforce supply, overconfidence on imported raw materials and lastly poor economic and political stability. The government must act swiftly to avert the impending doom one of the most important industries in the Bangladesh