Agriculture and Population Growth Essay -- Agricultural Economy Scienc

Agriculture and Population Growth The earth is increasing its population by 90 million people per year, and yet we still have 5.9 billion people left to feed and to give shelter (Mitchell, 1998). Along with the increase in the population, there are also more people on Earth who are living longer lives. The global population boom has coincided with the improvement of health, and of productivity, around the world. On average, the human population today lives longer, eats better, produces more, and consumes more than at any other time period in the past (Eberstadt, 1995). Agriculture feeds people, but will it be able to feed the expanding global population, especially with its exponential increase? One way for the population of today and tomorrow to live in harmony in regards to nourishment provided by the environment is to be able to intensify agricultural yields. With a projected population of 10 billion people, an increase of global average grain yields from 2 to 5 tons of grain per hectare would ensure a per capita diet of 6,000 calories and would save a land area twice the size of Alaska (Waggoner, 1994). Most of the world’s increased output is no longer a result of expansion of area used in agriculture, but resulting from the intensification of production on existing agricultural areas. In the last 50 years, agriculture has intensified and yields per hectare have been rising. Intensification has allowed for a reversal of destruction of land. More land has been spared due to increased intensities. In India, 42 million hectares of land have been spared, approximately the size of California and globally, the world has saved an area the size of the Amazon (Ausubel, 1996). Of all human activities, agriculture transforms the... ... and supported in a sustainable manner, agricultural intensification might just be able to keep up with the demand. In the up-coming decades, we will soon find out. Bibliography Ausubel, Jesse H. 1996. Can Technology Spare the Earth? Scientific American 84; Pages 166-178. Brown, Lester R. 1997. Can We Raise Grain Yields Fast Enough? Worldwatch 10(4): Pages 9-17. Eberstadt, Nicholas. 1995. Population, Food, and Income: Global Trends in the Twentieth Century. The True State of the World. Pages 7-48. Mitchell, Jennifer D. 1998. Before the Next Doubling. http://www.worldwatch.org/may/1998/98-1.html. March 1, 1998. Vitousek, Peter M. et al. 1997. Human Domination of Earth’s Ecosystems. Science. Vol. 277. Pages 494-499. Waggoner, Paul. 1994. How Much Land Can Ten Billion People Spare for Nature? Council for Science and Technology, Ames, Iowa.

Accounting Information Sytems

Wikipedia: An accounting information system (AIS) is a system of collection, storage and processing of financial and accounting data that is used by decision makers. An accounting information system is generally a computer-based method for tracking accounting activity in conjunction with information technology resources. The resulting statistical reports can be used internally by management or externally by other interested parties including investors, creditors and tax authorities. The actual physical devices and systems that allows the AIS to operate and perform its functions 1. Internal controls and security measures: what is implemented to safeguard the data 2. Model Base ManagementThe collection, storage and processing of financial and accounting data that is used by decision makers. An accounting information system is generally a computer-based method for tracking accounting activity in conjunction with information technology resources. The resulting statistical reports can be used internally by management or externally by other interested parties including investors, creditors and tax authorities. An accounting information systems that combines traditional accounting practices such as the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) with modern information technology resources. Six elements compose the typical accounting information system: People – the system users.Procedure and Instructions – methods for retrieving and processing data. Data – information pertinent to the organization's business practices. Software – computer programs used to process data.Information Technology Infrastructure – hardware used to operate the system. Internal Controls – security measures to protect sensitive data.MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTINGManagement accounting or managerial accounting is concerned with the provisions and use of accounting information to managers within organizations, to provide them with the basis to make informed bu siness decisions that will allow them to be better equipped in their management and  control functions.In contrast to financial accountancy information, management accounting information is: primarily forward-looking, instead of historically  model based with a degree of abstraction to support decision making generically, instead of case based; designed and intended for use by managers within the organization, instead of being intended for use by shareholders, creditors, and public regulators; usually confidential and used by management, instead of publicly reported; computed by reference to the needs of managers, often using management information systems, instead of by reference to general.The process of preparing management reports andaccounts that provide accurate and timely financial and statistical information required by managers to make day-to-day and short-term decisions. Unlike financial accounting, which produces annual reports mainly for external stakeholders, manage ment accounting generates monthly or weekly reports for an organization's internal audiences such as department managers and the chief executive officer. These reports typically show the amount of available cash, sales revenue generated, amount of orders in hand, state of accounts payable and accounts receivable, outstanding debts, raw material and inventory, and may also include trend charts, variance analysis, and other statistics. Also called managerial accounting.BUSINESS POLICYThis course examines the components and processes of the strategic management model, using examples from Canada and the United States. Students learn to do case analysis throughout the course. Topics covered include strategic management, social responsibility, environmental and internal analysis and diagnosis, strategy selection, and implementation and evaluation After completing this course, students should be able to:Perform a rigorous analysis of a company's strategic direction. Identify and explain a company's mission and vision statement and relate and critique  these statements to the company's strategic direction. Prepare a SWOT (strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats) analysis and explain and evaluate the relationship between the SWOT and a company's strategic direction. Identify and explain all micro and macro forces that shape a company's strategic plan and determine performance. Analyze and evaluate all the steps for the proper alignment of financial and non-financial resources within a company's strategic plan.Analyze a company's strategic plan in the context of the industry life cycle and environment in which it operates. Analyze, evaluate, and draw conclusions on the effectiveness and performance of control and integration mechanisms. Establish metrics to assess and measure strategic performance. Analyze and evaluate the company's communication and feedback loop relative to company strategy and performance.Analyze, evaluate, and draw conclusions on the finan cial performance relative to the company's strategic plan. Analyze, evaluate, and identify risks and risk mitigation strategies appropriate to the company's strategic direction. Analyze, evaluate, and develop strategies for a single or multi-business organization. Assess, analyze, and recommend changes to company strategy based on a full analysis of a company's strategic plan. Develop and prepare a strategic review document presented in a consistent form and properly documented.PRODUCTION AND OPERATIONS MANAGEMENTProduction and Operations Management (â€Å"POM†) is about the transformation of production and operational inputs into â€Å"outputs† that, when distributed, meet the needs of customers.The process in the above diagram is often referred to as the â€Å"Conversion Process†. There are several different methods of handling the conversion or production process – Job, Batch, Flow and Group. POM incorporates many tasks that are interdependent, but whi ch can be grouped under five main headings:PRODUCTMarketers in a business must ensure that a business sells products that meet customer needs and wants. The role of Production and Operations is to ensure that the business actually makes the required products in accordance with the plan. The role of PRODUCT in POM therefore concerns areas such as:– Performance – Aesthetics – Quality – Reliability – Quantity – Production costs – Delivery datesPLANTTo make PRODUCT, PLANT of some kind is needed. This will comprise the bulk of the fixed assets of the business. In determining which PLANT to use, management must consider areas such as: – Future demand (volume, timing)– Design and layout of factory, equipment, offices – Productivity and reliability of equipment – Need for (and costs of) maintenance – Heath and safety (particularly the operation of equipment) – Environmental issues (e.g. creation of wa ste products)PROCESSESThere are many different ways of producing a product. Management must choose the best process, or series of processes.They will consider: – Available capacity – Available skills – Type of production – Layout of plant and equipment – Safety – Production costs – Maintenance requirementsPROGRAMMESThe production PROGRAMME concerns the dates and times of the products that are to be produced and supplied to customers. The decisions made about programme will be influenced by factors such as: – Purchasing patterns (e.g. lead time)– Cash flow – Need for / availability of storage – TransportationPEOPLEProduction depends on PEOPLE, whose skills, experience and motivation vary. Key people-related decisions will consider the following areas: – Wages and salaries – Safety and training – Work conditions – Leadership and motivation – Unionisation – Communicati onGOOD GOVERNANCEGood governance is about the processes for making and implementing decisions. It’s not about making ‘correct’ decisions, but about the best possible process for making those decisions.Good decision-making processes, and therefore good governance, share several characteristics. All have a positive effect on various aspects of local government including consultation policies and practices, meeting procedures, service quality protocols, councillor and officer conduct, role clarification and good working relationships.

Business Valuations

Q1. Which of the following is the correct formula for Market Capitalization? (MCQ)Previous share price Ãâ€" Number of issued sharesCurrent share price Ãâ€" Number of issued sharesPrevious share price Ãâ€" Number of issued preference sharesCurrent share price Ãâ€" Number of issued convertible shares(2 marks) Q2. Statements given below relate to asset-based valuation for equity. Select appropriate types of asset-based valuation. (HA)Historic Cost Values are easily available BOOK VALUE NET REALISABLE VALUE REPLACEMENT BASISMaximum Cost to be paid for assets by a buyer BOOK VALUE NET REALISABLE VALUE REPLACEMENT BASISAsset Stripping BOOK VALUE NET REALISABLE VALUE REPLACEMENT BASIS(2 marks) Q3. Given below is summary of Vento Co.'s balance sheet: Assets $m Financed by $mNon-current assets 8 $1 Ordinary shares 1Net-current assets 4 Reserves 6- – Loan notes 5Total 12 12Non-current assets include Bulldozer which cost $7m when it was purchased five years ago when it had a useful life of ten years. The company's depreciation policy is on a straight-line basis. These assets were valued $2m by a professional. What is the value per share using NRV basis? (MCQ) $5$5.25$5.5$5.75(2 marks) Q4. Following statements relate to asset-based valuation. (HA) It ignores intangible assets DRAWBACK USEFULNESSIt ignores cash flows from the assets DRAWBACK USEFULNESSTo set a minimum price in an event of a takeover DRAWBACK USEFULNESS(2 marks) Q5. A Target company's dividend per share is $0.3/share ; its competitor has a dividend yield of 8%. Calculate the target company's share price? (FIB)4114804699000$ (2 marks) Q6. Dosed Co has an earnings yield of 17%. Calculate the value of the Dosed Co. based on the present value of the expected earnings? Using the following information given below: (MCQ)Year 1 2 3 4Earnings ($m) 3.4 3.9 4.1 4.5$26.47m$45.9m$62.5m$68.625m(2 marks) Q7. Cato Co. has been open for bidding and it currently has earnings of $3.5m and has 1 million shares in issue & Cato Co. has a current share price of $11 in the market. Calculate the earnings yield of Xerox Co, a business in the same industry sector? (MCQ)3.5%11%31.8%35.3%(2 marks) Q8. VV Co. has price/earnings ratio of 15 and it's industry competitor Kato Co. has an earnings yield of 20%. If assumed, a share price of $1. When comparing VV Co. to Kato Co, which of the following is correct? (HA)Earnings Yield HIGHER LOWERPrice/Earnings Ratio HIGHER LOWER(2 marks) Q9. Ivo Co has made an offer to buy two of its every three shares of Rico Co. Due to this merger, there is a chance that earning after deduction of tax will increase by $10m per year. Assuming that Ivo Co share price increases by $0.5 after its merger and Ivo issues new shares as consideration. What will be the price/earnings ratio of the group using the following information to nearest two decimal places? (FIB)Ivo Co. Rico Co.Profit after Tax $150 $40Market Share Prices $2.5 $1.2Number of shares 200m 60m901702476500(2 marks) Q10. Which TWO of the following are the problems relating to Price/ Earnings ratio? (MRQ)Quoted companies with similar business activities are difficult to findNot applicable for those who do not prefer paying dividends Represents historical costListed company's capital structure might differ from unlisted company's(2 marks) Q11. Yugo Co is acquiring Lotto Co. Yugo Co cost of acquisition at the time of acquiring Lotto Co.'s 20,000 shares will be $400,000. The cash flows are as follows: Year 20X3 20X4 20X5 20X6Cash flow ($) 170,000 235,000 200,000 85,000The weighted average cost of capital for the company is 10%. Calculate the share price of Lotto Co using discounted cash flow? (MCQ)$7.5$7.84$8.20$8.61(2 marks) Q12. Hath Co. has a future dividend forecast: In the current year and the first year, there will be no dividend paid. In year two a dividend of $0.36/share will be paid. In year three a dividend of $0.75/share will be paid and it will grow at 2% every year. If the cost of equity is 8% what will be Hath Co. current share price to the nearest $? (FIB)3613152286000$ (2 marks) Q13. Bitola Co is financed using equity only. The company has just paid the dividend of $80m and the earnings retained and invested were 55%. The investment returns 27% and cost of equity is 18%. What is the market value of the company? (MCQ)$2,917m$3,023m$3,487m$3,716m(2 marks) Q14. Dividend growth model takes many assumptions into account. Select the assumptions from the given statements? (MRQ)The estimates of future dividends and the cost of capital are accurateAll investors are homogenous Influential factors of the market are incorporated in the share price The dividend grow constantly or not grow at all (2 marks) Q15. Which of the following statements is a disadvantage for dividend growth model? (MCQ)The growth rate in the market is equal to the growth used in dividend growth model The cost of equity used is an estimate of a capital asset pricing modelThe method is applicable to all companies even if they don't provide dividendsThe dividends paid by the company are perpetual (2 marks) Q16. A firm has an issue 15% preference shares with a nominal value of $1 each. Currently, the required return of preference shareholders is 25%. The corporation tax is 30%. What is the value of a preference share? (FIB)3714753873500P0 (2 marks)144653070104000 Q17. Jorum Co has issued irredeemable loan notes with a coupon rate of 8%. If the required return of investors is 2%, what is the current market value of the debt? (FIB)Market Value ($) (2 marks) Q18. B4U Co. has 11% redeemable bonds in issue having a cost of debt of 16% before tax. The tax rate in the market is 27%. If the bonds are redeemed in six years' time at a premium of 6% above the par value. Calculate the market value of the bond? (MCQ)$69.35$76.12$84$103.2(2 marks) Q19. Curry has in issue 12% bonds with total nominal value $100,000 and a total redemption value $90,000, with interest payable quarterly. The cost of debt on the bonds is 12% annually. The bonds are redeemable on 31st March 20X2 and it is now 31st December 20X0. Calculate the market value? (FIB)14770102159000Market Value ($) (2 marks) Q20. A 6% redeemable loan note in Voltage Co is due to mature in four years' time at a premium of 10%. It can be converted into 15 ordinary shares at the same time. Voltage Co pays a tax rate of 25%. Its current share price is $4.65 and growth is expected at 8%. If the shareholders require 10% return what is the market value? (MCQ)$51$75.13$94.15$110(2 marks)

Attrition Rate in It Industry Essay

According to human resource experts, the average attrition rate is projected to grow at 31 per cent in Indian firms in the April-June quarter, a rise of 9-10 per cent from the preceding quarter (January-March). SPECIAL: Best companies to work for India In the April-June quarter of 2011-12, the average attrition rate was 27 per cent. Generally, employees would have received their annual appraisals during the April-June period and those not happy with their performance review or salary hikes seek better opportunities. Consequently, attrition rates are seen going up in these three months, experts opined. â€Å"In the current quarter, we are expecting an average attrition rate of 30 per cent. In Q4 employees were not keen to switch jobs due to appraisal season. Now in April they reached on higher salary compared to previous one and have a chance to negotiate for better salary with new employer along with new appraised designation,† MyHiringClub.com CEO Rajesh Kumar said. â€Å"Salary and designation are the major factors for higher attrition outlook in Q1, FY13. One more concern is having in employees mind if they’ll change their job in this quarter they are entitled to enter into appraisal cycle with their new employer also. So they are not going to loose anything with job change,† he added. Another HR consultant Ripples Consultancy Services CEO and MD Rishi Raman said. â€Å"We would see a high attrition rate of 30-31 per cent in the first quarter of the current fiscal. The reason behind such attrition is many employees are not satisfied with their appraisals. â€Å"A good performer did not expect 10-15 per cent of hike, their expectation is not less then 20 per cent,† he added. Experts said that attrition would be in double digits in all the sectors. It would be highest in the IT/ITeS sector at 31 per cent, followed by telecom (26 per cent), banking and financial services (23 per cent), aviation and hospitality (22 per cent ), real estate (15 per cent), FMCG (21 per cent), automobile and manufacturing (19 per cent). HR consultants are of the view that employers needs to take various steps in order to retain talent like providing career opportunities and suitable work environment as high attrition impact the company’s resource negatively. â€Å"One of the most effective way to ensure good working conditions for your employees is to provide them with advancement opportunities,† Raman said. HeadHunter Solution Director Priyanka Pawar said,† the high attrition costs increases the costs to the organisation considerably. â€Å"The more the people leave an organisation, the more it is a drain on the company’s resources like recruitment expenses, training and orientation resources and the time. The high attrition rate also affects the productivity of the organisation,† she added. High attrition rate hits IT companies’ bottomlines TNN | Aug 26, 2010, 12.44AM IST CHENNAI: Bad things happen in good times too. Indian IT companies are finding it hard to recruit and retain employees as the recovery takes a definite shape. And their bottomlines are getting hit due to rising wages and high attrition. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) margins or operating margins have been dipping for most of the IT biggies in the recent quarters largely because of the spurt in wage inflation. Operating margins of Infosys Technologies declined by 2.36% in June quarter compared with the March quarter. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and HCL Technologies saw their operating margins falling by 0.7% and 1.1%,  respectively. This slide is not an aberration. The companies’ EBITDA has been on a decline for the past four quarters. On the attrition front, a report by Motilal Oswal, a financial services firm, said that Wipro leads the pack with 23% attrition, followed by Infosys (15.8%), HCL Tech (15.7%), and TCS (13.1%) in the June quarter. The figures have been increasing for all these companies for the past few quarters.

Retail Sector in Uk

THE UK RETAIL SECTOR Retailing is one of the major economic sectors of United Kingdom, with retail sales of ? 221 billion, employing around 3 million people and operating over 300,000 shops. Within the sector there is a scale polarisation at both the business and the store level. The leading retailers are huge, multinational businesses which dominate the sector. They operate a range of stores from major hypermarkets and supercentres through to small convenience stores. Retailing is also significant it its social dimension as well.Whilst economically retailing bridges production and consumption, in social terms it effects most of the population every day. It is the rare person who does not go shopping, or indeed has not worked in retailing or been involved in it in some way. For some, retailers offer their major social intercourse of the day or week and act as a social network, setting or centre. The quality of UK retailing and its locations thus has both an economic and a social bear ing on the perceptions of the country.COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS 1. 1 Political Structure and Trends The activities of retailers and thus shoppers are affected by the political structure and trends in a number of ways. It would be wrong, however, to see this as a direct relationship derived through a body of legislation specifically targeted at retailing or shopping. Instead, trends in retailing and shopping are more dependent on a number of national debates and initiatives that have been developed recently by various levels in the political process.The main direct effect that politicians have on retailing and shopping is through their exercise of power over location through the levers of the land-use planning system. Whilst land-use planning is a local authority activity, national government can intervene to provide directions and guidance on the assessment of development opportunities and proposals. Whilst land-use planning towards retailing in the 1980s allowed decentralised activity, since the early 1990s there has been a growing consensus on the tightening of restrictions on off-centre and green field evelopment. Thus it has become much harder to obtain planning permission for developments away from existing town centres and newer forms of retailing such as factory outlet centres and regional shopping centres have become harder to accommodate. This consensus has emerged through a general concern with the health of town centres and a desire to see town centres as vital and viable parts of the urban structure, fulfilling traditional nodal activities, including providing a focus for shopping.Whilst land-use planning affects the location of retailing, other instruments of government can affect the operations of the business, although as we note there is no overall retail trading legislation. Instead, shoppers are affected by a battery of public policy which attempts variously to regulate competition, safeguard consumer interests and to regulate trading conditions. Recent changes in this arena have seen an easing of restrictions on trading hours for example but a strengthening of powers over retail selling and employment practices. Concerns over public health have led to tighter regulation on food stores.In essence the approach could be summed up as ensuring that retailers do their jobs properly and that there is as much a level playing field as possible. Again there is no reason to suspect that this will change, though the scale of the legislation will change as globalisation continues in this market. Big retailers will be created on a pan-European level and will be subjected to standard operating conditions across for example Europe, which safeguard consumer interests. The European dimension obviously has another political aspect as well, most notably in terms of the Euro.Whilst decisions about the Euro are beyond this report, retailers as a key service sector, will have to deal with its introduction (or not). For some this is already antici pated through their acceptance of Euros in the UK, their Irish and continental European experiences and in their forward planning of technological (eg POS) investment. Smaller retailers in particular however may be less prepared for any positive decision. Overall there will be costs in implementation, as well as potential trading disruption depending on timing of introduction. 1. 2 Economic Structures and TrendsTo a considerable extent, the economic structures and trends driver for change operates at such a macro-level of the economy that it is very hard to consider it in any detail. The general economic position of the country will condition to a great extent the outcomes retailers experience from the shopping activity. Thus the volume and value of retail sales is of importance in this arena, but it is hard to be certain of magnitudes looking forward. Political policy can have an impact by its promotion of certain sectors and locations in the economy, in pursuit for example of grea ter social inclusion and a fairer distribution of wealth.However alternative policies could equally be considered. The economic structure also has an affect on the retail landscape through the encouragement or otherwise of the construction of landscapes for consumption. Businesses have to be willing to invest in the built environment and to feel comfortable that such investments will make a return. Probably the only safe assumption to be made is that the broad economic structures will remain in place and that in the future Britain will be economically approximately ranked similarly to where it is now in the world.Taking this assumption, then it would seem that we can expect many of the trends we have seen in recent years to continue. Thus, there would seem to be scope for further growth in retail sales, if we take a broad definition of retailing. There will be developers wishing to invest in the UK in commercial property, but much of this development may take the form of redevelopme nt or enhancement of existing locations. The exceptions to this might be purpose built new facilities in areas of identified deprivation, though the exact form of these facilities will be open to question.The economic structure has an impact on retailers and retail structure. British retailing is dominated by large corporate chains, many of which are head-quartered outside the country. Whilst there is in a sense a requirement to improve local knowledge to meet consumer needs, large retailers have demonstrated that computing power can be used to understand markets. Knowledge management becomes a key element in the future economy. There does not seem therefore to be any particular reason why current trends towards bigger and foreign retailers (eg.Wal-Mart) dominating more of the market should not continue, although they will probably structure some of their activities on a national (ie. local) basis. There will be opportunities for local and new retailers, but overall the market struc ture is likely to remain dominated by such big and increasingly global players. The interaction of the political will and the economic situation of the country and locations and individuals within the country will be important in determining the affluence of otherwise of the population, and thus the attractiveness of sites for retailers.This personal disposable income is critical to the future of locations, though it is tempered by the aspirations and lifestyle choices, and the costs of these eg. monthly rental of satellite television reduces out-of-home shopping. Most recently there has been announced major investment in the country’s infrastructure, funded in part by increased tax and NI revenues. This could affect perceptions of affluence and personal disposable income for years to come. More worryingly perhaps is the possible pensions timebomb which is currently being exposed through the switch out of final-salary schemes.Continuing concerns over mortgage payments based u pon endowment policies and the high level of credit in the economy reinforce these worries. Socio-Cultural and Lifestyle Aspirations Changing socio-cultural and lifestyle considerations have fuelled much of the change in shopping and retailing in recent years. Attitudes and beliefs as well as wants and needs have been transformed. They continue to develop and further change can be expected. In particular, attitudes to work and leisure are worth identifying separately as they are potentially so important.Modern consumers are a mass of contradictions, many of which are inexplicable on any rational basis. Some travel miles by car, damaging the environment, to refill a plastic bottle which costs virtually nothing, or to place bottles in a bottlebank located on a superstore car park. Branded products with a conspicuous logo are purchased in preference to identical generic products selling at a vastly reduced price. People pay 50% more for a 30% smaller microwaveable pot of baked beans ra ther than have to open a tin and heat the product ‘normally’.Ready-washed salads or chopped vegetables in their millions are purchased to ‘save time’ or to cover up for lost culinary ‘skills’. Understanding and predicting change in this arena is therefore a little difficult. What can be said is that there is a tension in this aspect of shopping. On the one hand consumers have ever broader experiences and expectations that have been increased by their exposure to new events, horizons, ways of doing things etc. So holiday experiences are brought back and combined with UK products and behaviours. Things that are seen in TV programmes become available in local stores.On the other hand, the very nature of the global experience, particularly through leisure products such as TV and cinema, tends to reduce things to the lowest common denominator – Pringles, Coke, Gap, Nike – and it is no coincidence that the majority of exemplars are Amer ican. This differentiation/similarity paradox will also emerge in other ways, and in particular in terms of the attitudes and belief statements of individuals and the way they translate these into shopping actions. Single-issue causes are fundamentally important now and look set to remain a force.Attitudes to corporate or government activities may lead to both small-scale individual behaviour changes but possibly to more aggregate corporate behaviour changing movements. The ‘battle’ over GM foods and the rapid development of organic food sales are examples of the start of this rather than the end. Consumers and businesses will spend a lot of time in the future working out their positions on issues and changing behaviours appropriately. However, the number of individual positions by their very nature will outnumber choices available.This points to a continuing fragmentation of much of consumer demand, but overlain by certain common themes. For retailers, identifying thes e themes early will be critically important and reacting quickly will be vital. The issue of mobility is complicated. It is clear that people’s understanding of mobility has been transformed in a number of directions. The overall perception of mobility has extended significantly. This extension is both in terms of the mental view of locations and travel and a dramatic extension of what may be possible and also a willingness and ability to actually travel.The location of holidays and the influence this has on price perception and product purchase is one example of this. The willingness to travel longer distances to shop on a regular or an irregular (shopping centres) basis is another. It is also the case that as we are spending more time ‘on the move’, our needs in consumption terms have changed. We need to be able to consume as we go (food, music, information etc) and retailers have changed locations, products and shop formats to adjust to this. 1. 4 Demographic Structures and TrendsShopping and retailing are obviously heavily dependent on people, both as an industry, but also as the basic consuming unit. Changes in the population structure and the location of this population, as well as the make-up of the households in which people live, are fundamentally important to retailers and to understanding the shopping future. For example, population growth in specific locations or of age-groups of people encourage or discourage retailers to construct the retail environment differently.The ‘baby-boomers’ or ‘Generation X’ concepts have their reality in the shopping behaviour each group carries out and the demand for experiences and products they exhibit. Similarly, the growth of children as consumers and acknowledgement of the spending power of the â€Å"tweenies† represent new foci for retailers and service providers. Similarly, the breakdown of the nuclear family and the rise of single person households changed t he consumption landscape, both in non-food because of the absolute number of households, but also in food due to pack size issues and so on.More but smaller households will have an effect on the type of products and services purchased and the shopping trips undertaken. In short, understanding likely future demographic structures and trends provides a good base from which to examine future shopping, and because of the nature of population dynamics provides us with a solid foundation of understanding. New births notwithstanding, we have good estimates of population demography for the next twenty years.Population estimates for the UK suggest that there will be in the next twenty years an extra 4 million people in the country on the current base of 58 million. It is forecast that current trends will continue leading to a substantially older composition of the population than at present. There will be significant growth in the 45+ age groups, many of whom will be young in body and mind a nd will be able to finance their consumption (a group of time rich/cash rich). There is within this also an increase in the 75+ age group which will present significant issues for the delivery of shopping opportunities.The ageing of the population will present an opportunity to target older consumers, but it would seem to be likely that the differences within this group will be as great as differences between the 45+ age group and other groups. The ageing of the population has another dimension of interest to retailing. Retailing is a traditional user of young people and the workforce in retailing has been seen as being more youthful and transient than many other sectors. With a decline in the youth cohort and a large increase in older consumers, retailers are going to have to question their hiring policies.Some retailers have been aware of this for some time, but it is going to become a wider phenomenon. Older consumers are going to want to be served by older well-informed staff an d retailers are going to have to draw on this older workforce in order to keep their stores staffed in the first place. Willingness to work and the expectations of work for these groups may be much changed in the future. 1. 5 Product and Process Innovation Of all the drivers of change, the one that is most obviously in the news with respect to shopping and retailing is that of product, or more particularly, process innovation.The rapid development of the digital revolution, linked on occasions to the development of electronic commerce has caught the imagination of many, but perhaps blinded them to some of the pitfalls. Despite the fall from grace of the B2C Internet, most large retailers have a web site and are seriously exploring the opportunities or dangers of this new channel. The implications of this wave of experimentation for home delivery and for the very nature of retail organisations needs to be considered.In short, is the Internet the new way of shopping and retailing, whi ch will eventually conquer all, or is it a small additional channel of limited impact? Whilst it is crucial to consider the possible implication in this area, it is important to emphasise (unlike perhaps the UK Foresight process) that retail futures are not all technologically based or driven. Product innovation is almost impossible to predict due to the rapid development and innovation of technology and other components. There are some possible ‘straws in the wind’ associated with developments in miniaturisation, communications and digitisation.Books, videos, films and music may all be transformed by product changes associated with new mechanisms for making, storing and communicating such material. Beyond that however it is almost impossible to predict what new products will be around and futile to attempt to predict in any detail what we will be buying. Process innovation is however another matter. The process of shopping has for well over a century been composed of m ultiple channels, but process innovation in the form of e-retailing is challenging the balance amongst these channels, chiefly because the nature of the medium has changed.In addition, the current implementation of e-retailing has the scope to change the nature and cost structures of retail activities. The â€Å"traditional† model – in which the customer via self service undertakes most of the shopping tasks (and bears the costs) -changes with many tasks and the associated costs transferred to the retailer. The retail business economics of e-retailing differ from those of store based retailing. Predicting the extent of Internet or e-retailing take-off is foolhardy given the breadth of experimentation and the pace of change. It is however worth reflecting on the use to which the new format is being put.It would appear that e-retailing is being used in three different ways at least for shopping. First, there are sites and opportunities that are essentially price driven. The focus is on getting the cheapest price for the product. Secondly however some sites are being used to provide a form of service delivery. In this case, products are sought because they are special, unique, different or distinctive or because they are hard to find and thus a broad data source is needed. In short, the Internet can allow the breadth of retailing to be consulted more quickly than might otherwise be the case.It is possible to identify a third type of use, namely the time-saver, when basic components of shopping (provisioning? ) are routinised into some form of home delivery service. These three illustrations are themselves further (and this time ‘virtual’) examples of the categorisation of shopping behaviour outlined earlier. With the exception of downloadable digitised products such as video and music, most products purchased remotely will require some form of home delivery system. Shopping in the real world, with the exception of mail order places the onus for this aspect primarily on the consumer.However, Internet retailing separates these activities and thus reinforces the distinction between purchasing and obtaining. In order to obtain virtual purchased goods, home delivery points will probably be needed and solutions will need to be found to the problems of delivery timings, people absent deliveries and the like (though other solutions are possible focusing on local stores/distribution points). It is also the case that one of the conventionally perceived benefits of Internet retailing, namely the removal of many car journeys, might be obviated by the expansion of local home (or workplace) delivery services.In terms of process, the emergence of the Internet has also had effects ‘behind the scenes’. 1. 6 Environmental Changes and Trends The UK is a congested set of islands, although this can be overstated by those living in the South East of England. As such the environmental aspects of shopping and retailing are p articularly important given that the sector is a large user of land and the consumers are travellers to and from locations. Retailing of course is not only about consumers moving products, as shops are the commercial end of an entire supply chain.The way in which land is used for retailing and the retail supply chain have not remained static and there is good reason to presume that this will continue. Similarly the design and architecture of retail locations is not static and plays a considerable role in both the construction of the ‘feel’ of the retail location and experience and also, in environmental terms, its efficiency and effectiveness. Retailing uses land and locations for its physical activities. Consumers tend to travel to the store or shop components of this system.Space use by retailers has changed dramatically with broad trends towards the polarisation of shop size. In the main this has not led to any particular problems over space although many retailers h ave sought the prime locations. However some problems have been felt in secondary locations as concentration and competition effects have washed through the system. All the pressures being identified thus far suggest that there is not going to be a dramatic increase in space needs but rather that it is the quality of the space that will be most important. Current estimates of retail space, from CB Hillier Parker, suggests a stock of over 1. billion square feet of gross shop floorspace, which translates into 524 million square feet of net floorspace. Of the total gross floorspace 17. 7% is in â€Å"managed† retail environments (town and out-of-town shopping centres and retail warehouses), compared to 13. 5% in 1990 and 8% in 1980. Longer term however, it might be that existing space may be more problematical leading to either wholesale transformation or re-use as something else. Retail Sector Structure Size and Scope of Retail Sectors As has already been indicated, the definit ion of retailing has become more problematic.The horizontal and vertical blurring of activities and boundaries means that putting precise dimensions on the sector as a whole, and any component sub-sectors, is more difficult than before. Many examples of the issues abound, but we could for example contrast the coffee shop in the local Tesco, to the purchase of take-away sandwiches at Pret-a-Manager and the purchase of sushi for lunch at Sainsbury. Are they all retailing? Similarly Tesco sell pre-packaged insurance at the store but the same ‘product’ is available via the telephone and from banks and brokers. Where do we draw the line for retail sales?Even Delia Smith’s cookery programmes on the BBC could conceivably be seen as a retail activity, given the direct correlation between transmission and product purchase. The boundaries of retailing are highly blurred and volatile and government conceptualisations and statistics focused on product are not necessarily the most appropriate or helpful. There has been growth in product purchase, though of course in most cases the products themselves have not been static. New products have been introduced and dramatically changed categories, as computers replace typewriters and sunglasses, watches and fashion jewellery are sold by clothing chains.In non-food we can point to new products such as CDs and mobile phones, and in food ready meals would be a simple example. Furthermore in most product categories the range and choice available has expanded Organisational Structure and Competition As major retailers have grown in scale, so they have expanded their activities into new domains. With emerging scale has come a greater degree of knowledge and power in the channel. The pace of growth of retailers has been greater than for many manufacturers. Allied to operational changes such as the development of retailer brands and the better knowledge of consumer atterns and trends, retailers have reconstructed the traditional supply chain. In essence a dominant retail organisational type has emerged, characterised by strong vertical power which has been used to control, administer and command supply chains. Major retailers have also been involved in the use of horizontal power through their construction and reconstruction of the retail landscape. Where retailing locates and the form it takes has been transformed by the activities of major retailers and developers. Decentralisation is a key theme in this, and ‘waves’ of off-centre or out-of-town development have been identified.In most cases, these developments represent retail formats (eg. the food superstore and non-food retail warehouse) that can not readily be accommodated in existing centres. Such new locations tap into consumer needs, but have an impact on existing retailers and customers not able to travel to them. Moreover, they are in virtually all cases operated by major retailers and thus reinforce the competitive imba lance amongst organisational types. International Opportunities and Threats British retailers have had a chequered history in terms of international operations.At the same time, Britain is an open market and retailers who wish to enter the market can in most cases do exactly as they wish. The exceptions to this are those formats eg. Supercentres, which are constrained by land-use planning on the grounds of space use and various dimensions of impact. Essentially though the UK is a retail supermarket with the best bits of many retailing cultures. This open market is illustrated by the growing presence of many non-indigenous retailers in British retailing. This presence has been generated both by organic growth and by takeover.It encompasses most, if not all, retail sectors and formats. An increasing proportion of UK retail sales is therefore being captured by non-UK businesses operating here. This inward investment is a threat to the main ‘British’ retailers in competitiv e terms. Whilst international activity is risky, the retailers coming here are entering in many places a cosmopolitan market and one used to purchasing non-local products or travelling abroad. As such it seems not to matter to consumers where a retailer is from or who owns whom. If however competitive action combined with technological change eans that more imports are then generated and managerial head office positions, including research and development, are located outside the country, then these should be issues of concern for the country. For retailers entering this market, they have to adapt to a different (generally higher) cost structure and this can create difficulties for their positioning and performance. It is not likely that the pressure from overseas retailers will subside. Britain is a large market with a relatively small number of major cities and centres.For retailers looking for organic growth and being town or shopping centre-located, entry is relatively easy. Mor e problematic is the entry for free-standing or off-centre stores, where sites may not be as available. More likely however is entry via take-over. Given most major UK retailers are publicly quoted, such an entry is available at any time at the ‘right’ price. Whilst it is true to note that British retailers have not been overwhelmingly successful when they have internationalised, there is emerging evidence that some leading UK retailers are now seeing success.In a number of sectors, leading retailers have expanded across the globe, but particularly into Europe and Asia. Some of this expansion is due to opportunities to buy companies at reduced prices, and some is due to knowledge gained as international sourcing has expanded. Retailers such as Kingfisher, Tesco, and WH Smith are well known international retailers and have imported some of their experiences abroad back into their UK formats. Other smaller chains have also internationalised capitalising on niche strengths (eg Signet, Courts, Body Shop, Lush, Carphone Warehouse, Game, Thomas Pink).

Green Buildings Improve Occupants Health Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Green Buildings Improve Occupants Health - Essay Example Construction of a green building is exceptionally costly as opposed to construction of a regular building. Before an individual is able to construct a green building he must consolidate a lot of money (Coussens, Pp 43). Individuals may save money from less energy consumption, but before this, they need to pay handsomely. Construction of green buildings is dreadfully expensive because eco-friendly materials used in building is not available in many regions. These materials have to be imported from other parts, thus increasing construction cost. There is a lot of indoor pollution in green building because these buildings are heavily sealed, hence ventilation is not enough. This worsens if the builder uses materials that emittoxic substances as it may result to health problems to the occupant. Green buildings are built in a manner that ensures maximum utilization of light. This results in construction of the buildings in the opposite direction to the neighborhood buildings, thus causing problems with the neighbors. Green buildings may take a long time before they are completed and this may put the home owners in difficult situations. The home owners are in difficult situations because some of them want the building to be completed at a specific time (Coussens, Pp 54). Green houses may take long before they are completed because materials are scarce and they have to be shipped from other countries. Another cause of delay is unavailable recycled materials that are supposed to be used in construction. It is difficult to install air cooling features that are self regulating like natural environment.

Research critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Research critique - Essay Example For purposes of this analysis, the following article, â€Å"Why do students fail to disclose health problems?† will be analyzed. As a means of doing this, the basic premises of the research will be reviewed, weighed, analyzed, and a level of inference drawn. Moreover, the author will seek to lay out the basic statements and findings and analyze them in such a way as to seek to agree or disagree with the findings that have been presented. To the piece’s credit, the title directly expresses to the reader the type of study which will therein be undertaken. Such a point may seem superficial; however, the fact of the matter is that a large number of studies will delve directly into the subject matter without taking the time to ensure that the potential reader has a firm explanation of the topic in a way that even a laymen would understand (Skinner 2011, p. 4). As such, the piece in question clearly and succinctly lays out the topic before moving on to describing the research which will be performed, measured, and interpreted. Likewise, the reader is introduced to the rational for performing such a study within the opening lines as well as within the abstract to the piece itself. This rational is based upon the fact that the given level of dishonesty is hurting the academic process itself and should sought to be understood as a means to better hone the process as well as determine to the extent that the dishonesty is currently taking place. In much the same way, the article begins by utilizing a well written abstract which details the way in which the measurements and the study will proceed (Ryan 2007, p. 740). This is of course done as a way to further provide the reader with a level of detail of specificity as well as clear aim with regards to the means whereby the study will be carried out, measured, and inferred upon (Marshal 2005, p. 56). Though this analysis of the piece will find fault with certain aspects of the study, the fact remains that with regards to the specificity of the abstract and/or the title, both have been done in a way that necessarily helps the reader/potential reader to understand the full scope of the work that is about to be engaged upon. In much the same way, the authors themselves are credible as they are professionals within the field and have provided a level of scholarship on other related topics in the past. This prior scholarship and publication helps to give the authors a degree of credibility when attempting to understand, analyze, and dissect the given piece in question. With respect to the methodology for the study that was presented within the case in question, it was both qualitative and quantitative. Due to the fact that respondents were tabulated and outcomes were drawn from this tabulation, the research took on a decidedly quantitative approach; however, at the same time, levels of expression were gleaned from the individual interviews which were also reported within the research. The com bination of both forms of data helps to make the research more thoroughly grounded rather than simply exclusively reliant on one form or the other. With respect to the quantitative and qualitative data itself, the following brief paragraph will discuss the means by which