Free Essays on Seperation Of State And Religion

Separation of church and state is a very sensitive topic in today’s society. Most people see the phrase â€Å"separation of church and state† and think it is concrete, constitutional, proof that nothing religious should set foot in anything relating to government. The intent of this paper is to present an alternate view of separation between church and state. Through exploring this controversial issue, this paper will touch on the history of separation of church and state, the principles of separation of church and state, and the elementary solution to church and state relations. Today’s Laws Concerning Separation of Church and State Today’s laws concerning church and state relations are very strict. The laws today treat religious morals as if they are harmful, and are going to severely detract from whatever they come in contact with. The notion that religion should be excluded from almost all facets of government related an issue is a very new thought. Th e very first Supreme Court case taking any form of religion out of schools, (and therefore government,) was in 1962. In the Engel v. Vital Supreme Court case, prayer was taken out of schools. A year after this case, Bible reading was taken out of schools in the Murray v Curlett Supreme Court case. Seventeen years later, in 1980, the Ten Commandments were taken out of schools in the Stone v Graham Supreme Court case. (Hall, â€Å"United States Supreme Court Decisions†) I have mentioned these court cases to show how recent this â€Å"new† view of separation of church and state re is. This new view of separation of church and state is called pluralism. The definition of pluralism is: law being decided by the majority or by the ruling group or individual apart from an objective morals. Today’s view is that the government should be tot neutral, and have no religious or moral prejudices when making laws. (Coyle, â€Å"Separation of Church and State†) Founding F athers View of Separation o... Free Essays on Seperation Of State And Religion Free Essays on Seperation Of State And Religion Separation of church and state is a very sensitive topic in today’s society. Most people see the phrase â€Å"separation of church and state† and think it is concrete, constitutional, proof that nothing religious should set foot in anything relating to government. The intent of this paper is to present an alternate view of separation between church and state. Through exploring this controversial issue, this paper will touch on the history of separation of church and state, the principles of separation of church and state, and the elementary solution to church and state relations. Today’s Laws Concerning Separation of Church and State Today’s laws concerning church and state relations are very strict. The laws today treat religious morals as if they are harmful, and are going to severely detract from whatever they come in contact with. The notion that religion should be excluded from almost all facets of government related an issue is a very new thought. Th e very first Supreme Court case taking any form of religion out of schools, (and therefore government,) was in 1962. In the Engel v. Vital Supreme Court case, prayer was taken out of schools. A year after this case, Bible reading was taken out of schools in the Murray v Curlett Supreme Court case. Seventeen years later, in 1980, the Ten Commandments were taken out of schools in the Stone v Graham Supreme Court case. (Hall, â€Å"United States Supreme Court Decisions†) I have mentioned these court cases to show how recent this â€Å"new† view of separation of church and state re is. This new view of separation of church and state is called pluralism. The definition of pluralism is: law being decided by the majority or by the ruling group or individual apart from an objective morals. Today’s view is that the government should be tot neutral, and have no religious or moral prejudices when making laws. (Coyle, â€Å"Separation of Church and State†) Founding F athers View of Separation o...

22 Must-Read Science Fiction Novels For Aspiring Sci-Fi Authors

22 Must-Read Science Fiction Novels For Aspiring Sci-Fi Authors Science fiction is a genre that has evolved in unpredictable and exciting ways. From The Burroughsian Period (named after Edgar Rice Burroughs and beginning in 1901) to todays bestsellers, the genre has moved from hard science to Space Age exploration to a new interest in self-actualization, the dark side of technology, and what it means to be human.If youre an aspiring science fiction writer, here are some novels- both newly published and classic- that you should add to your reading list. In them, youll discover how the genre has evolved and where it is heading, both of which will be invaluable to your writing and planning.Below are some must-read science fiction novels for aspiring sci-fi writers. Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.Newly publishedInfinite Detail by Tim Maughan (March 5, 2019)Infinite Detail is a fast-pasted thriller in which an act of cyberterrorism creates a techno-apocalypse and the Internet crashes, shutting everything as we know it down. Seeking answers for how to live , lost, unplugged souls head to the Croft, an area of Bristol where people who have already unplugged live. The Croft is a digital no-mans-land, without surveillance and Big Data dependence. As a center of creative counterculture, a young woman there named Mary claims she has found other ways of connecting with others without the use of technology. Its the end of the world as we know it, but does the world fare better after the Internets demise?Finder by Suzanne Palmer (April 2, 2019)Finder is an action-packed science fiction caper story that won a Hugo Award and is the debut novel from Suzanne Palmer. Its protagonist is Fergus Ferguson, interstellar repo man and professional finder (a name he prefers to con artist or thief). His latest job entails finding the spacecraft Venetias Sword and stealing it back from an ex-nobleman turned power-hungry trade boss. He finds the ship in the farthest corner of space, in a deep space colon called Cernee. There, he learns that the enemy of my e nemy is my friend, and must navigate a field of space mines, a small army of hostile mercenaries, and an alien species he once through to be only myth. He thought it would be a simple job- like the others- but its becoming more apparent that it isnt.The Gone World by Tom Sweterlitsch (February 6, 2018)Advertised as Inception meets True Detective, The Gone World follows a NCIS special agent on a murder case that involves the fate of mankind. When tasked with uncovering the truth of the murder of a Navy SEAL and the disappearance of his family, Shannon Moss learns that the missing SEAL was an astronaut aboard the spaceship U.S.S. Libra- a ship assumed lost to the currents of Deep Time. In her search, she encounters Terminus, a mysterious world-destroying event discovered by a top-secret team of government time travelers.In her search for the SEALs missing teenage daughter, Moss travels to the future to explore possible versions of what might be in order to solve the present-day case. There, she witnesses the cataclysmic end of humanity itself and is left to determine how to stop it.The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal (July 3, 2018)In this alternate history science fiction story, The Calculating Stars imagines an alternate history in which a meteorite falls to Earth in 1952, destroying much of the East Coast, including Washington, D.C. Following the event, space exploration becomes a necessity, as the Earth heads at breakneck speed toward becoming uninhabitable due to the events impact on the planets climate. Enter mathematician and World War II pilot Elma York, who sets her sight on flying into the stars to search for humanitys next great hope.Winner 2018 Nebula for Best Novel, Hugo Finalist for Best Novel, 2019 Campbell Memorial Award Finalist, and 2019 Locus Finalist for Best Science Fiction Novel- The Calculating Stars has a long list of accolades and spots on bestselling lists since it was published in 2018.Emily Eternal by M.G. Wheaton (April 23, 2019)Emily Eternal is about Emily, is an A.I. designed by scientists to help people cope with trauma. She has been designed to solve advanced mathematical problems and unlock the deepest secrets of the human mind, including its capacity for empathy. Her work and purpose take on a deeper meaning when it is discovered that the sun will explode 5 billion years before it was originally expected.With the human race at an existential crossroads, she does the unthinkable and determines a way to solve the problem. However, not everyone trusts her intentions, so her servers are destroyed, leaving Emily and her friends with limited hope- but hope nonetheless- that they can race against time and save humanity.Famous Men who Never Lived by K. Chess (March 5, 2019)Noted as a Most Anticipated Book of 2019 at The Verge, Barnes Noble Sci-Fi Fantasy Blog, and more, K. Chesss debut novel, Famous Men Who Never Lived gives readers a glimpse of an alternate history in which nuclear war sends 156,000 r efugees into modern-day New York City. Among them is Hel, a doctor who has difficulty adapting to the new reality shes facing, so she creates a museum to preserve the memories and stories that would otherwise be forever lost. In the midst of her work to preserve her lost past, she faces anti-immigrant attitudes and hostility. Then, when the only copy of a science fiction story from her world, The Pyronauts, goes missing, she is forced to face what has been lost and determine just how far she should go to recover it.Within a world that is foreign to her, and as she seeks to assimilate while grieving what has been lost, Hels character offers a fresh perspective on what it means to be an immigrant facing the end of ones culture. In this important debut novel, readers will find parallels with todays news in a world that is both different and familiar.Vigilance by Robert Jackson Bennett (January 29, 2019)Robert Jackson Bennetts Vigilance takes readers on a dark and twisting ride in what can only be classified as a science fiction action parable of an America that has accepted gun violence as the norm. Its satire at its best and spins the idea of Hunger Games in an even darker direction.Set in 2030, the story follows the life of executive producer John McDean, who produces Vigilance, a reality game show designed to ensure American citizens remain alert and vigilant to all threats, both foreign and domestic. In the reality game environment, an active shooter is introduced to public spaces and prize money is given to anyone who is armed and ready to take down the shooter. Then, McDean ends up on the other side of the camera, and his whole reasoning for the show is seen through new eyes.Much like the worlds depicted in the stories, the science fiction genre has evolved significantly, from the classics to modern bestsellers. Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.The Classics1984 by George OrwellNominated as one of Americas best-loved novels by PBSs The Great American Read, 1984 is a chilling, dystopian tale that will ring strangely familiar in modern times, despite having been written in 1948. It is the story of Winston Smith, who works for the Ministry of Truth and lives in one of the three totalitarian super-states that rule the world. At first, Winston does what hes told and tows the Party line; however, he begins to see through the lies built around government surveillance, controlled narrative, and serious loss of civil rights. Meanwhile, Big Brother is always watching, so he must hide the fact that he is beginning to think for himself.From revised dictionaries attempting to control human thought through language, to the concept of using perpetual war to keep citizens in their place, this story has become a manual of sorts for describing the course of modern political movements getting dangerously close to the dystopian world that Orwell foretold.Altered Carbon by Richard K. MorganAlthough written in 2003, Altered Carbon has already found its place amon g the classics and has been reimagined into a popular Netflix series, created by Laeta Kalogridis. It shows a world in the 25th century, where humankind lives throughout the galaxy and is monitored by the U.N. There is also an expensive procedure available where one can store his or her consciousness in a cortical stack at the base of the brain, which can then be downloaded into a new body (called a sleeve), thus escaping death itself.The main character is ex-U.N. envoy Takeshi Kovacs, who has been dispatched 180 light-years from his home into another body living in Bay City, in what was once San Francisco. In the shady underbelly of the city, in a decidedly cyberpunk world, he discovers how existence can be bought and sold as he attempts to solve a rich mans murder.Brave New World by Aldous HuxleyWritten in the 1930s and influenced by political fascism, Aldous Huxleys Brave New World offers dystopian world that is both prophetic and terrifying. While addressing 21st-century issues such as the domination of mass-entertainment, technology, medicine and pharmaceuticals, and elitism, it offers a glimpse into a future world where humans are genetically bred and indoctrinated into castes chosen for them before birth by an authoritarian government.With heavy references to Shakespeares work, it is sometimes a biting criticism on capitalism, and often a glimpse of the potential horrors that come with the power of genetic engineering getting into the wrong hands. Its a must-read for anyone wanting to see how modern political movements can inspire classic science fiction bestsellers.A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter MillerFirst published in 1959, A Canticle for Leibowitz is a post-apocalyptic science fiction novel depicting a planet ravaged by nuclear war razed the Earth, as its survivors return to a type of dark age where science is hated and books are destroyed. In this setting, a small order of Catholic monks seeks to fight against the ignorance and barbarism that n ow faces humanity. Having won the 1961 Hugo Award for best science fiction novel, it explores the themes of religion and church versus state in a world where civilization has severely decayed.The Children of Men by P. D. JamesAlso released as in a film adaptation, The Children of Men is a dystopian novel published in 1992 set in a time of mass infertility. The story takes place in the United Kingdom, which is under autocratic rule, and explores themes of human frailty in a narrative voice that alternates between first and third person points of view.While the beginning is set in the year 2021, the narrator reveals events that occurred in 1995, which is referred to as Year Omega, where the sperm count of males fell to zero and a feminist civil war broke out, threatening the mass extinction of humanity. There is an elite class known as the Omegas, who are young and the last-born humans on earth, but they are both spoiled and violent. They treat their elders, the non-Omegas, with conte mpt, and live in a world where newborn animals are treated like infants, dressed in infant clothing, and pushed around in strollers.Theo, the protagonist, who is known as a dissident, encounters a revolutionary group known as The Five Fishes, who task him with helping to protect a woman who is an anomaly because she is pregnant. Beautifully written with poignant characterization, Children of Men explores themes of politics and power in times when the fate of humanity is grim.Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. DickFirst published in 1968 and the inspiration for the 1982 film Blade Runner, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? is set in a post-apocalyptic San Francisco, where nuclear global war has severely damaged the planet and humanitys way of life. Those who are able have already fled the planet, ravaged by war and pollution, and those who remain exist in a world that is nearly uninhabitable.The protagonist, Rick Deckard, is one of the not-so-fortunate. He makes his living as a government-sanctioned bounty hunter destroying renegade androids, which have been built in the dearth of living creatures (along with realistic animals). The androids are so life-like and sophisticated, that they are indistinguishable from real humans, prompting the Earths government to distrust them. However, Ricks interaction with one android in particular forces him to question what it means to be a human.Dune by Frank HerbertPublished in 1965, Frank Herberts Dune tied with Roger Zelaznys This Immortal for the Hugo Award in 1966 and won the inaugural Nebula Award for Best Novel. It imagines a feudal interstellar society of planetary fiefs controlled by noble houses and tells the story Paul Atreides, whose family are stewards of the planet Arrakis.Despite the planet being a desert wasteland that is mostly inhospitable, it is the only source of mà ©lange, commonly known as the spice- a drug that enhances mental abilities and can extend life. With themes of politics, re ligion, ecology, and technology, Dune explores common topics within a very uncommon place and is often considered to be one of the best and imaginative science fiction books ever written.Foundation by Isaac AsimovFirst published in 1951 and nominated as one of Americas best-loved novels by PBSs The Great American Read, Foundation contains five interrelated short stories and is often considered to be one of the most important works in hard science fiction. Within the five stories- The Psychohistorians, The Encyclopedists, The Mayors, The Traders, and The Merchant Princes- Asimov reimagines the fall of the Roman Empire taking place on a galactic scale. With themes focusing on economics and history, and a notoriously tough read, it is considered to be one of Asimovs best works.Frankenstein by Mary ShelleyPublished in 1823, Frankenstein is one of the earliest examples of science fiction and allegedly was written in a contest of sorts among some of the literary greats of the Romantic per iod to see who could write the most horrific tale. Considered to be a classic in Gothic and Romantic literature, it tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, whose efforts to cheat death lead him to the creation of monstrosities. Its narrative framework consists of letters written by Captain Robert Walton, who details the events taking place at an unspecified time in the 18th century and the story, as told to him by Victor Frankenstein himself.The Handmaids Tale by Margaret AtwoodOriginally published in 1985, The Handmaids Tale is a dystopian novel written by Canadian author Margaret Atwood. It won the 1985 Governor Generals Award and the first Arthur C. Clarke Award in 1987, and was nominated for the 1986 Nebula Award, the 1986 Booker Prize, and the 1987 Prometheus Award. It has also been adapted into a film, an opera, and a TV series on Hulu.Set in the near future the Republic of Gilead, a fundamentalist theocratic state with a low birth rate, the men in charge enslave fertile women known as handmaids and force them to have their children. As a seminal work of feminist literature, it explores the subjugation of women in a patriarchal society, and is told through the point of view of Offred, a handmaid for a Commander who is suspected to be infertile.The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas AdamsPublished in 1979, The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy follows the misadventures of the last surviving man, Arthur Dent, after the Earth has been destroyed by a Vogon constructor fleet to make way for a hyperspace bypass. It was first broadcast as a radio series on BBC radio in 1978, and later became known as a trilogy in five parts.The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy is absurdist, bombastic, and a lot of fun. It is a wildly imaginative adventure building off multiple science fiction tropes, but retains enough cynicism to be appreciated as a work that is much deeper than it initially appears on the surface. Simply put, it is a must-read for any science fiction ent husiast, and has been adapted into comic books and stage shows, and earned Douglas Adams a spot as Guest of Honour at the 1979 World Science Fiction Convention, held in Brighton, England.Neuromancer by William GibsonPublished in 1984, Neuromancer, one of the best-known works in the cyberpunk subgenre of science fiction, was written by American-Canadian writer William Gibson as his debut novel. It was the first novel to win the Nebula Award, the Philip K. Dick Award, and the Hugo Award.Its protagonist is Henry Case, a washed-up computer hacker and hustler surviving in the dystopian underworld of Chiba City, Japan. The story imagines a world where hackers and cyborgs work together to against massive, nefarious corporations, and is a must-read for fans of the more recent Ready Player One.Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt VonnegutPublished in 1969, Slaughterhouse-Five is a novel containing equal amounts of science fiction and anti-war sentiment. Its protagonist is Billy Pilgrim, a soldier who has become unstuck in time, and bounces back and forth in a nonlinear fashion on his personal timeline in a time-traveling narrative that explores the horrors of war through an unreliable narrator. Billy believes he was held in an alien zoo on the fictional planet Tralfamadore as he experiences post-traumatic stress disorder from his experiences as a soldier. With extensive use of irony, black humor, and didacticism, Vonneguts signature simplistic style of writing makes Slaughterhouse-Five one of his best-loved works.Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. HeinleinWritten in 1961, Stranger in a Strange Land is speculative fiction set in a post-Third World War United States, where organized religions control politics. It tells the story of Valentine Michael Smith, a human who was born on the planet Mars and raised by Martians, only to come to Earth as a young adult. He must learn what it means to be a man, while simultaneously teaching Earthlings about Martian concepts such as grokk ing and water-sharing.It won the 1962 Hugo Award for Best Novel and the 1987 Prometheus Hall of Fame Award.The War of the Worlds by H. G. WellsPublished in 1898 and first serialized in 1897 by Pearsons Magazine in the UK and by Cosmopolitan magazine in the US, The War of the Worlds is a classic tale of alien invasion. As one of the earliest stories depicting conflict between humanity and an extraterrestrial race, it is told via first-person narration by an unknown protagonist living in Surrey, and his younger brother living in London as Martians invade the Southern part of England.The War of the Worlds is a seminal work in the science fiction classic canon, and has been reimagined for feature films, radio, comic books, a television series, and sequels or parallel stories written by other authors.

Hydroponics essays

Hydroponics essays Growing plants hydroponically is the method of growing plants in chemical solutions opposed to the traditional style of growing plants in soil. With the continual increase of industrialised society, large farm are becoming drastically less common and growing plants hydroponically is fast becoming one of the most popular methods of farming. When growing plants hydroponically they are easily monitored and any nutrition lacking can be seen and immediately added. In this experiment tomato plants were grown in several different solutions over a four week period in order to determine what nutrients plans need and why. There were nice different chemical solutions, these were Iron, -Magnesium, -Calcium, -Potassium, -Phosphorus, -Nitrogen and sulphur. Full nutrients and distilled water were also used to contrast the extremities of all nutrients and no nutrients. It is known that plants with an iron deficiency commonly have small leaves that do not remain green. These characteristics were apparent in the plants viewed as they had small yellow leaves. The plant in general looked considerably healthy with plant roots and stems reaching average lengths. The common trend of plants lacking sulphur is purple veins of lower leaf surfaces and petioles are commonly more vertical. These same results were apparent in the plants viewed however these characteristics did not appear until week four when the stems began to show a purple colour and the plants leafs strangely appeared to grow vertically up. The reason it did not show these characteristics until week four may have been because the plants had retained a fair amount of sulphur when originally in the soil to not become sulphur deficient immediately. Throughout the duration of the experiment sulphur deficient plants were considerably larger then most of the other plants viewed. ...

IT capabilities transformation of cloud computing Essay

IT capabilities transformation of cloud computing - Essay Example Established organizations have strategic vision that drive their future direction offer guidance toward business strategies, which in turn drive the IT strategy useful in developing the enterprise architecture. This offers an organizing principle, which aligns the mission of the enterprise with its IT strategy and implementation plans. Cost flexibility and IT scalability in cloud computing Business organizations large and small all over the globe and in almost all industries embrace cloud computing as a means of reducing the difficulty and costs linked to conventional IT approaches. Cost flexibility is an essential reason many companies value adoption of cloud computing because cloud environment has the ability to decrease fixed IT costs and shift to variable cost structure. Cloud computing enable organizations to decrease fixed IT costs because it allows shift from expenses on resources to operational expenses. Capital expense in IT that often involves enterprise software licenses, servers and expensive networking equipment that are less fluid and hard to forecast compared to IT operating costs associated cloud computing. Therefore, cloud computing applications make the conventional hardware, software installation and dedicated software license fees redundant because cloud services allow an organization to shift costs from capital to operational costs. By adopting cloud environment, organizations pay only for what the organizations need when necessary; hence, this pay per use offer great flexibility and eradicates the desire for significant IT capital expenditure. Cost flexibility is an appealing attribute of cloud computing because apart from cost flexibility, cloud computing offer firms access to tool and computing power that would normally be affordable to large companies (Berman, et al, n.d). IT scalability is acknowledged as major benefit associated with cloud adoption; but for organizations, cloud offers more than mere IT scalability because it allows or ganizations to scale business operations as well. By offering quick provisioning of IT key resources with no scale restrictions, cloud computing enables organizations to gain from economies of scale without accomplishing large volumes of vital resources on their own. Apart from business scalability and cost flexibility offered by cloud, cloud computing also provides the advantage of masking complexity. Cloud computing provides businesses a means of hiding some complexities of their operation, which is helpful in attracting a broad scope of consumers. Since cloud computing veils complexity from end users, a company is able to expand product and service sophistication without increasing the level of knowledge within user regarding use or maintenance of the product or service. Convergence of enterprise architecture and cloud computing has enabled a shift from monolithic systems to multitier architecture. As service-orientation concepts become pervasive and popular, IT in enterprises fu lly embraces them in order to be flexible in its operations, offerings and outlook. With massive adoption of cloud computing, enterprises are changing themselves into on-demand, instant-on, lean and adaptive organizations. Cloud computing being an enterprise-class technology naturally merges and mingles with enterprise

Assignment 7 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Assignment 7 - Research Paper Example This paper will also seek to come up with expected outcomes, how to implement these outcomes, and how to assess the changes after initial implementation of the expected findings. Data Collection and Measurement The research will utilize a demographic survey and focus groups in order to collect required data. The use of a short survey was made in obtaining self-reported information with regards to the perception of nurses to interpersonal relationships with their patients (Anderson, 2006). During and following each session, field notes and PI observations were made to complement analysis of voice data that is digitally recorded. Observation will also be used to study the nurses in the focus groups in order to compare, as well as validate, the information discussed in the sessions, as well as to observe the interpersonal interactions between patients and staff. An observation guide will give consistent items that each of the nurses will be observed for. The observed behavior of patient s and nurses will be recorded. For the survey questions under investigation, a comprehensive measurement summary will be given by the qualitative descriptive method. The interviews will be transcribed verbatim. Common themes, metaphors, and concepts will then be identified through a transcript review for subsequent identification of thematic trends (Anderson, 2006). Statistical measures will be done inferentially through predictions about the nursing population in the hospital on satisfaction and attitudes, as well as in the analysis of the studied sample. The results after analysis of the sample will be taken and generalized for a larger population of the nurses in the hospital, which will be possible since the selected sample is representative of the nursing population in the two units under study. The levels of measurement used for this research study are ordinal scales since is wishes to measure the satisfaction of a particular group, in this group the nurses, with bedside repor ting. The scale items for the questionnaires and survey will from most to least satisfied. Expected Outcomes of the Research This study is expected to show common differences and concerns about bedside reporting, particularly with regards to interpersonal relationships. The geriatric unit, which consistently carries out bedside reporting, will have a higher level of interpersonal relationships than the telemetry unit that dos not consistently carry out bedside reporting. It is also expected that there will be inconsistency in, as well as lack of, information from one shift to the next. This affects the ability of the nurses to deliver quality care and discuss meaningfully with the family members and the doctors (Laws & Amato, 2010). Therefore, interpersonal relationships between nurses, patients, patient families, and doctors will have to be improved in order to improve perceptions about bedside reporting among nurses. Improvement will be made through informing nursing staff on chan ges required and the importance of these changes. The staff will also be trained through role-play, video, and power point slides. The message in the training will involve the importance of bedside reporting to safety and quality of healthcare (Laws & Amato, 2010). Finally, bedside reporting should be made using a checklist to ensure that its key elements are covered. It is anticipated that the

Marketing Module Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Marketing Module - Assignment Example The organisation selected for this report is Vodafone, a UK based Telecommunications Company that is one of the top players in the global telecommunications market. This report details the macro environment factors, analysis of competitors, customers, markets and type of segmentations Vodafone used in the international arena. Further, it critically evaluates the strategies by using Porter’s five forces competitive model over Vodafone. Macro Environment – PEST Analysis PEST analysis is an important tool for every company because it can provide an outline of the external environment where the company’s business is positioned. It can also help in developing the value of the company and form a business strategy. Political Political aspects can affect a company’s business in various ways. Every company must abide by the rules and regulations of the country where it operates. The regulations can be the country’s law and anti–trust law, which is app licable to all actions of a company. Vodafone’s major business operations are situated in EU countries. The EU countries passed the ‘EU Regulatory Framework’ for telecommunications companies in the year 2002. The main objective of this law is to support fair competition in the telecommunications market. Vodafone also has to abide by the ‘EU Regulatory Framework,’ which has had great impact on the business of Vodafone. For example, Vodafone was compelled to decrease the ‘mobile termination rate’ because of the law of EU nations (Saplitsa, 2008). Another key aspect of the political environment was the spectrum regulation. The modernisation of spectrum regulations of EU had affected Vodafone’s business. In 2005, the EU Commission passed a scheme that permits holders to buy and sell spectrum within the telecommunications market and develop coordination among different brands. Due to the new spectrum policy, Vodafone faced risks relate d to the price of spectrum, risk of restitution of existing spectrum and difficulties in licensing (Saplitsa, 2008). Economic Adverse economic changes – i.e. a slowdown or recession – in any country can result in less demand for existing and new business services. Difficult financial conditions often lead customers to delay any purchasing decisions including those related to telecommunications services. Decreasing their optional spending, people tend to make fewer calls and avoid extras such as data or broadband services. Such decisions in a tough economic environment can severely impact company sales. A country's economic condition as well as people’s purchasing power can be measured by the rate of GDP (Vodafone Limited, 2010). In the year 2009, the economic troubles of three major EU nations (Spain, Italy and Greece) resulted in poor performance of Vodafone and also led to reduction of the termination rates. On the other hand, the financial recovery of norther n EU market helped to reduce the revenue loss of Vodafone from -3.8% in the

Identify a corporate situation that could disturb you as a manager Essay - 1

Identify a corporate situation that could disturb you as a manager. Evaluate the situation and use marketing research methodolo - Essay Example , What attitudes do these buyers hold towards MAC products?, How does in-store experience affect these women’s experiences of the make-up purchase process at MAC stores?, What strategies do these women use to cope with a gap in the cosmetics markets, if any?. The paper involved 105 participants from 15 different MAC stores who were all black and representative of different complexions. They responded to structured questionnaires containing 15 questions, which were documented by the investigator. The research hypothesis was proved. MAC does not cater to black women’s divergent needs. Key recommendations include expanding the product range to meet their needs, training in-store makeup artists and assistants as well as creating marketing plans that target this demographic group. Outline Executive summary 2 Outline 2 Introduction and problem definition 4 Research methods and limitations 7 Conclusion and Recommendations 13 References 15 MAC Cosmetics and Black Female Consume rs Introduction and problem definition The company under consideration is MAC cosmetics; it is an offshoot of Estee Lauder (EL), which is a conglomerate of over 23 brands. MAC has about 1,000 stores worldwide and dozens in the UK. The brand contributed to a 13% profit margin at EL in 2012. MAC’s input was equivalent to $274.8 million worth of profit (Castleberry, 2001). It has marketed its products as high-profile, through the use of celebrity endorsements and artists. Most times, the company gets makeup artists to work with famous actors or singers, and thus uses this platform to market their products. Consumers are willing to pay a premium for the personalised service offered by makeup artists in their stores. Regardless of these successes, the company is need of new marketing strategies. It needs to expand its customer base so as to avoid slow growth (Wilson, 2011). The corporation may be making money but its profitability has not been increasing significantly over the pas t few years. It needs to redefine the way it sells its products. Any marketing process often starts with identification of the target group. Here is where the problem lies for MAC cosmetics. The organisation has relied on the same set of consumers for as long as it was established. Most of them are young and Caucasian. There may be a need to redefine their demographic groups in order to expand their market base. The group that needs to be embraced is black women. In the United Kingdom’s metropolitan areas, black women account for slightly more than 15% of the population, and represent 7% of the entire UK population (Isokariari, 2013). They are quite enthusiastic about beauty products as seen through their purchase of hair extensions, weaves and other hair products. However, a problem exists in the cosmetics industry because regardless of these women’s enthusiasm for beauty products, makeup companies do not respond in kind. MAC Cosmetics may pride itself in the diverse range of its products. Its eye shadows come in a variety of colour pallets. Additionally, it has been marketed as a product for women of colour owing to its wide range of colour selections. However, these options are still not adequate enough to cater to black women’s makeup needs. Black women have some of the most divergent skin tones in the world, yet the colour choices that dark concealers and foundations have are quite limiting