Benefits and Costs of Investing in China Essay

In terms of economic performance, China has been performing impressively compared to its neighbouring countries in Asia and can compete at par with top developed countries like United States and United Kingdom in terms of volume of trade and sources of competitive advantages. Likewise, due to its large population sixe and high disposable income of every Chinese household due to its impressive economic development for the past years, China offers great potential market to many multinational companies seeking for large number of customers. This will provide multinational companies high sales and profit from operating in China. Alongside with the influx of foreign direct investment in China, Chinese share of trade on their GDP continuous to increase every year as multinational firms increases the international trading transactions of China to the rest of the world. Furthermore, due to China’s large population, it has been able to offer cheaper laborers and large potential market which are both attractive to foreign investors leading to the improvement of their foreign direct investments for the past years since the late 1990’s. Without this component, it is impossible for China to attain its present state and achievements. Since 1999, the GDP growth rate of China has been performing impressively as foreign direct investments stabilized major economic indicators, specifically the trade balance and domestic consumption, which are vital in determining the overall performance of a given economy. This only suggests that China can offer high return on investments to investors in the next coming years as China’s GDP growth rate continuous to increase every year. Due to the effort of the Chinese government to attract more foreign investors into their market, it has been extensively supporting the development of its communication infrastructure by providing subsidies to telephone companies. This would soon boost the business activities all over the domestic market of China. Costs Compared to communication infrastructure, physical infrastructure of China seems to develop at a slower rate thereby could impede for the fast growth of foreign investments in China. Though the Chinese government is also on the process of improving their facilities in this area, but, overall it is still lower compared to the development of their communication facilities as mentioned above. On the communist government, one of the primary factors that scare foreign investors in putting their capitals in China due to rampant corruption and insufficient laws that would protect the interest of foreign investors. Â  Add to this the weak economic freedom, which could draw potential investors away of China if the situation continues to exist in the next coming years. Per capita GDP in urban areas are undeniably high but considering the conditions of those households from the rural areas, overall, per capita GDP of China is not in good condition as wealth distribution is still skewed towards to the households in the urban areas. Â  Another cost or disadvantage in the Chinese economy is the high inflation rate which has been one of the economic problems of China that it presently faces due to its fast-paced economic growth. This could pose either as beneficial or detrimental to foreign investors depending on the type of product they will sell in the Chinese market and the size of their operation in China. In terms of infrastructure, most of the major waterways of China are on the process of gradual formation as the Chinese government wants to utilize its waterways efficiently specially the river systems in the mainland. The Chinese government is still on the process of developing its roads and highways especially those roads that would connect different provinces to major cities. It would still take a few more years before this physical infrastructure will be fully developed. References: Bodde, Derk. Introduction. Chinese Thought, Society, and Science : The Intellectual and Social Background of Science and Technology in Pre-modern China. Honolulu University of Hawaii Press, 1991. pp 3-4. Qiang, Christine Zhen-Wei. China’s Information Revolution : Managing the Economic and Social Transformation. Herndon, VA, USA: World Bank, The, 2007. p 2.

Marketing plan about Tan Hiep Phat

Marketing Environment HTTP owns a modern production line and performs very well in managing quality tit international standard such as ‘SO, and others. Moreover, they have invested significantly in research and development. One of the important strengths of the company is that they have a strong distribution system. HTTP also has some limitations. The company has only one factory which cannot provide enough products to the market. In addition, the customer service of the company underperformed is another disadvantage.The limited liability company is going to develop to Join-stock company for its benefit of such organizational structure. The weather of Vietnam creates a great opportunities for the support of tea. Therefore, HTTP has a large number of supporters. Moreover, the development of technology fosters the communication between customers and producer more easily and inexpensively. Although there are great opportunities, HTTP is suffering from competitive pressure. While t he direct competitor – CO has dominated a large proportion of market, there are so many substitute products for consumers to choose for the same need.Furthermore, the unstable economy has made some impact on the input and purchase process. Target Market The target market of Zero Degree Green Tea is Vietnamese young adults who account or a large proportion of population in Vietnam. Zero Degree Green Tea aims to be a convenient drink that is good for health and has good taste in top of consumers' mind. Marketing Mix HTTP provides many kinds of green tea in the product line which satisfy different taste of target consumers. The Zero Degree Green Tea is produced by modern technology and contain healthy components such as vitamins.The product is packaged in PET bottle which is reusable. The bottle is designed with green color, so it looks fresh and eye-catching to target consumers. At the beginning, HTTP follows the skimming price strategy with the Zero Degree Green Tea product. T hey want consumers to know that the product has good quality and healthy. At the current time, Zero Degree Green Tea has been set at the market price to compete with other competitors. Promotion strategy of Zero Degree Green Tea focuses on media advertising.In addition, some sales promotion programs were implemented to attract its target market. Products provided by HTTP take advantage from the reputation of the company including Zero Degree Green Tea. HTTP has built good relations with society and media in variety of social activities. HTTP has invested 50 million dollar in striation and facilities. There are two new factories have been built in Chug Alai and Ha Name to provide inventory for the market in the Middle and the North of Vietnam. Zero Degree Green Tea is distributed intensively to the market through many intermediaries.Company Description Tan Hippie Path was well known as Ben Than bear before. It was established in 1994 by Dry. Trans Guy Than. Nowadays, besides hundreds of foreign brands in drinking industry like Pepsi, Coca Cola, Tan Hippie Path almost converts awareness of Vietnamese about carbonated drink into healthier drink. Tan Hippie Pears products intended to achieve the title â€Å"Vietnam High Quality Goods† by consumers voted in honor of National Brands in 2010 and the other valuable prizes which makes the customers trust in quality management as well as environmental protection of Tan Hippie Path.The company is recognized as Quality Management System according to ISO 9001 :2000 in 1999, Environmental Management system ISO 14001 : 2004 2006 and Hygiene Management System Food Safety HACK standards in 2006 Facilities of Tan Hippie Path Company are very large and organizing: Head Office is at 219 provincial highway located in Bin Dung, Vine PH, Than An, Bin Dung. Scale factory broader 110,000 mm, with the equipment, technological lines of research, and the most modern manufacturing Southeast Asia.Furthermore, HTTP is proud to be one of the units owned in many produce technology, the most modern lines Vietnam as sterile lines extracted Aseptic cold, fresh beer, beverages and fermented production line. In 2004, symbolism production with advanced technology shelling of Japan was first applied in Vietnam. Than Herbal Tea, Number 1 energy drink, soy milk Soya Number 1, and so on is the leading brand in the market, has proved HTTP always go early in accessing and understanding the ever-changing needs of consumers.For instance, the most well-known drink, also in one of the first product Tan Hippie Path has produced, Zero decree Green Tea has taken a huge place in drinking generation. Strategic Focus and Plan Vision The vision of company is to become the leading Asian corporations in three main business sectors such as industry drinks, instant food, and plastic packaging. This is measured by a lot of factors; firstly, the company is located in the top 10 leading company in the beverage market and food in Vietnam.Secon dly, it has to achieve Total Quality Management certification and international management standard. The final factor is internal market penetration; the company makes effort to enter brand of Zero Degree green Tea to Asian market. Mission Tan Hippie Path Group produces and does business the healthy products that are good for Asian consumers with the taste and quality of products according to international standards. At the same time, the company has to satisfy the highest demands of customers to deserve as preferred supplier as well as a reliable partner in business. GoalThe objective of the Tan Hippie Path Trading and Services Limited Liability Company is to create the best drink products through multiple brands such as Number 1, Zero Degree Green Tea, Herbal Tea Dry Than to consumers by an extensive distribution system and spread over 64 provinces in Vietnam. Core Competency and Sustainable Competitive Advantage Core Competency Each company has special core competency. So does Ta n Hippie Path, for them, â€Å"Today more than yesterday but not right by tomorrow with Spirit† Nothing is impossible† and they commit to achieve â€Å"International quality standards†.Moreover, the many sets orientation according to the highest spirit of family and becomes a trusted partner. HTTP group is striving to become responsible and respectable citizens in the society. Competitive Advantage To compete with the giants of world-class beverages are available in Vietnam, Tan Hippie Path beverage group tried incessantly to create differences. The advantage of HTTP is flexibility, quick decision making, know how to find out the potential demand of consumers to meet and continuous improvement.The more important thing is that HTTP group is always interested in the development of community because it plays the important role to successes of business. Therefore, HTTP involved in social activities and charity very much. â€Å"l am aware the consumer is king, decide the survival of your business, so in order to receive the support of consumers, we have the contribution by contrast, creates belief in love. Therefore, I have captured the hearts of Vietnamese customers. Success depends on many factors, but ultimately the quality of the product remains the number one criteria. (Businessman Trans Quiz Than-CEO of Tan Hippie Path group) Situation Analysis SOOT Analysts Strengths High-quality human resources Modern productions line and productions facilities HTTP is one of the most leading firm, which achieve integrated systems stability standards: ISO 9001-2004, 14001-2000 Having large share of the market for non-gas beverage Substantial investment in product research and development Numerous award for quality, participated in many social events Wide distribution system Weaknesses There is only one factory located in Bin Dung Firm only focus on domestic market Taps beverage products compete with each other.Customer service is not good Limited liabil ity company Opportunities Large market with modern consumer. High quality materials contribute to improve the quality of products Climate of Vietnam will be a business opportunity if HTTP development suitable products. Tropical climate increases demand for consumer beverage. There are a large number of material supplier of HTTP, That facilitates for manufacture to ensure inputs are favorable Information technology and mass media develop image of HTTP and its products Vietnam located in South East Asia and close to ocean.That is good position for export to foreign market Vietnam have Joint in WTFO since 2006 Drinking tea is traditional habit of Vietnamese and Asian Threats Competitive pressure: Taps products can be competed with other direct competitors like CO of ARC and other substitute goods Customers require more about quality of product and packaging. That increase pressure on R & D department of HTTP Unfair competition Inflation impact on cost of input and purchasing of custome r Complex criteria of hygiene and safety Industry Analysis It is predicted that, Vietnamese beverage tent to increase gradually in gas beverages at about 5% per year.Whereas, non-gas beverage will have a significant growth at a rate of 10% a year, within the period between 2007 and 2015. Specifically, mineral water ND bottle water will have average increase of 12% per year, fruit Juice's figures will increase at 4-7% per year (2007-20019) and 10-12% per year (2010-2015). Most of beverage firm tends to produce and sale non -gas beverage, especially products that's good for consumer's health. In Vietnam and world's beverage market, bottled green tea have been developing significantly, since ass.Almost famous brand which have appeared in Vietnam for many year have produced green tea products in Europe, the U. S, Japan's market. Such as: Lipton, Nestle, Unprinted, ARC. At the moment, there are a lot of green tea products which are bottled. The two most popular product are â€Å"Zero de gree green tea† of Tan Hippie Path, CO of ARC. Specifically, the Statistic of Nielsen in 2011 illustrated that. â€Å"Zero degree green tea† accounted for 13% of the market while, Co's figures were 8,1%.Furthermore, another statistic from Nielsen also showed development of Zero degree green tea proportion in bottled Vietnam green tea market that 1/2007: 30%3/2007: 40%4/2007: 48%5/2007: 49%6/2007: 53%7/2007: 52%8/2007: 57%9/2007: Fact of tea industry Vietnam have climate and geographic conditions for growing of tea. There are 33 over 54 provinces of Vietnam grow tea. Such as Thai Unguent, Lam Dong which is famous place for growing tea in Vietnam. Within period between 2003 and 2004, Tea's output growth steadily and Tea's area were 100. 0006 ha.Thus, it's good opportunity for bottle green tea to develop because of low cost of input. Competitor analysis Since, Tan Hippie Path discovered and developed bottled green tea market, â€Å"Zero degree green tea† brand have begun to be the most popular product in the market. Then, bottled green tea have become potential market that big brands began to Join in. In consequence, there are many bottled green tea products form other firms omitted in this market. Such as: Real leaf (Coca-Cola), Fresh (Vanilla), Lipton Pure Green (Pepsi), CO (ARC).Furthermore, many brands also diversified instance bottled green tea products. Such as artichoke tea, lemon green tea, honey green tea, free- sugar green tea. It creates their differences compared to other competitor. Prefigure 1: The bottled green tea market of Vietnam in 2011 (At-Nielsen) Although many products of many firm in the bottled green tea market, the report of Canticles illustrates that the two most popular products areas of ARC and Zero degree green EAI of Tan Hepatic. The two big ones still maintain a significant distance rather than other brands.Investing in Vietnam with total capital of 14,5 million, CO took aggressive advertising campaign, in 2010, ARC raised the yield to 70% by expanding factories in Ho Chi Mini City and completing new one in Ha Non. To compete against opponent- Tan Hepatic which discovered and had larger market shares, CO found its own way. It is focusing on developing distribution network, particularly in big cities and choosing PET bottles which have a small capacity (mall) to fit the customer hand's size. In consequence, ARC achieved 57% growth in Vietnam in 2011.Therein, CO is the major revenue of beverages segment with the best growth. Company The first and most important reason why Tan Hippie Path has a high position as it is today is the company's strengths in facilities and human resources. They have a high quality input sources from prestigious suppliers. Besides (in addition), a well- equipped infrastructure system with modern machineries, equipment, research facilities and the most modern manufacturing process in Asian, alongside with high regarded labor protection procedures to ensure safety for employees.In HTTP, their moderators (leader) are ambitious and visionary managers: They are very flexible, make decision based on hard working researches and discussions. The success of CO Green Tea is depicted by a great effort of them while they knew how to find out the potential needs of consumers to satisfy and continuous improvement, and not afraid to roll out new products to compete in a hot market of beverage drinks. Their workers are also professionally trained and with high responsibility.Furthermore, Tan Hippie Path has over 17 years of operation in beverage industries and serves the nonuser, company always get customer's trust and appreciation for high quality products and service. It is Illustrated with 11 consecutive years (1999-2009), HTTP was voted as â€Å"one of the top quality brand of Viet Name† by Saigon marketing newspaper readers. The company is one of the leading enterprises of the country reached an international quality standards system such as ISO 90 01-2004, 14001-2000, HACK etc.Especially, they have a larger market share of the beverage market with an extensive distribution system. Indeed, there are other reasons for the company's success and marketing strategies is one of the prominent factors to achieve that. Overall, Tan Hippie Path used their strengths in marketing strategies analysis and evaluation process to satisfy customer about high quality products as well as achieving mission goals. Consumer analysis Customers account for an inseparable part in Tan Hippie Path business.Therefore, customer segmentation and analyzing consumers' characteristics are very essential. Particularly, Tan Hippie Path realized that nowadays consumers have higher education levels and their living standard is better than before, so they always require better laity products. Viet Name is a populous country and with young population who follow modern lifestyle with fast food and convenient drink. Another pro for beverage development is a tropical climate (very hot) so this increase demands for cool drinking.In addition, with respect to the lifestyle of Vietnamese, their products are combinations of traditional (tradition of drinking tea) and modernity (the product is capable of using fast). Tan Hippie Path provides valuable contribution to customers through health and nutrition which is one of the issues people concern today. Take example, because green tea is good for human health: increase resistance, refresh body (compare with Coca cola). O degree green tea of company is a high quality product too that is guaranteed thanks to technology bottled still in high temperatures from 86 degrees C to 90 degrees C.This process keeps honest green tea flavor characteristics, pure quality, and nutrition. Market-product Focus Target Market Zero Degree Green Tea's target market is Vietnamese young adults who are suffering from the negative impacts of fast-paced lifestyle such as pollution, great pressure at school and work. Therefore, t hey raise awareness of healthy drinks use (Best Sustained Success, 2011). Since Vietnam has youthful age structure, this target market becomes very attractive.If GET dominates the market, HTTP can gain much profit. Points of Difference HTTP provides ready-to-drink green tea to the markets with some points of difference. Firstly, it is convenient to carry on and it saves time of making. Moreover, Zero Degree Green Tea is made by natural materials and it has no gas. Therefore, the product does not damage consumers' health. In addition, GET taste very good with lemon flavor. Another difference is that GET is packaged in high quality bottles using PET technology and they are reusable.Positioning The positioning of GET in consumers' mind is a healthy product which supports energy to young consumers. Green tea is also a traditional drink in Vietnam and HTTP has made it more convenient to consume. In addition, the product has low price which is more affordable for everybody, especially you ng people. Marketing Program Product strategy Product line. Tan Hippie Path also provides a variety of green tea products such as free-sugar green tea, lemon green tea, honey green tea honey and lemon green tea, ND even prepare to launch green tea in box.It has diversified the containers of original flavors such as producing lemon green tea in glass bottle, PET bottle and can to satisfy customer needs and wants. Unique product quality. Produced on modern Japanese technological production line with selected verdant leaves plucked out of tea plants on plains, green tea is able to keep its natural and pure flavor. Green tea is mad through hot extraction process in order to ensure food safety and hygiene standard and to detain precious essences of green tea. Zero Degree Green Tea has original flavors to satisfy consumer needs and increase customer value.With nutritious element such as vitamins E, C, and especially EGG, a strong anti-dioxide element, green tea helps people to reduce stre ss, reinforce resistance, prevent skin ageing and cancer in order to cool down your body and spirit after a hardworking day or after a long trip. Furthermore, this products have light yellow color which is same color with nature tea and is not too much sweet. It makes consumers believe that this beverage is good for their health, although, people normally think that bottled and manned drink is harmful from color chemical and sweeteners.It is very convenient to bring along Zero Degree Green Tea on trips, picnics, or in conferences†¦ And sometimes simply drink it at home instead of purified water. Packaging. Its cover are designed finely because green color on it makes consumers feel fresh and friendly with the environment. It is also eye-catching and distinguished from other competitors' products. With the use of heat-resisting mall PET bottle, the choice of trade mark logo (two circles), and green tea bears high aesthetic value under the sponsorship of Number One trademark.Its cover are designed finely because green color on it makes consumers feel fresh and friendly with the environment. It is also eye-catching and distinguished from other competitors' products. Price strategy Since Tan Hippie Path group explored the bottled green tea market in the early of 2006 and achieved success, this market has become an exciting† playground† with a lot of participants such as CO, Green tea 100 and Lipton green tea. In that situation, Tan Hippie Path used the advantage of â€Å"first-mover† in green tea market in order to apply skimming pricing strategy to Zero Degree Green Tea.It means that Tan Hippie Path sets the price which was 20 % more than the others beverage. However, customers still accepted and were willing to buy the product with that price because it was still consistent with Vietnamese standard of living at that time. PET bottle Zero degree green tea Green tea 100 Lipton pure green tea some VEND 7,500 VEND 6800 mall VEND 5,500 mall VE ND 6,000 Figure 2: Retail price comparison of RED green tea 2011 in Vietnam Although the price of zero degree green tea is higher than others, the customers really desiring the product are willing to pay.These people are not very price sensitive because they usually concern more about the quality of the product. When the company sets the higher price compared to the competitors, the customers think that the quality of product is higher than others, too. Tan Hippie Path grasped clients' psychology which most consumers believe that the high price is the good quality. This is one of the factors contributing to the success of this product. However, nowadays, the green tea market becomes more and more competitive with a lot of new brands penetrating the market such as Tea Plus, Fresh, Wonderland and Thin Tar.The customers have ore comparisons about price and quality between the different brands to choose the best product for themselves. Therefore, Tan Hippie Path does not concentrate on skimming price strategy as the first time. The price of Zero Degree green Tea at the moment is medium compared to the other brands in the bottled green tea market. However, within the advantage of â€Å"first mover†, Zero Degree Green Tea has been known and believed in high quality and healthy product, so customer behavior does not change significantly in purchasing decision making.Moreover, setting the medium price is also another advantage of this product in today's market because he company can prevent some brands from entering the market. If Tan Hippie Path still keeps high price as the first time, this makes lots of chances for the other brands entering the market by setting lower price but also ensuring to earn profit. Promotion strategy Zero Degree Green Tea is the first ready-to-drink tea in the market of Vietnam. By understanding consumer's psychology, it had a high position in the consumer's perception. However, today the market has a lot of substitute products.Faci ng this risk, it should focus more on promotion strategic to attract consumer. Tan Hippie Path articulated on activities sponsored in many different fields such as: sports, arts and culture-social activities. Whether being charities donation or trade the item are not out the main purpose for the consumer that is make consumer know about the product and its brand. In the year later, Tan Hippie Path was standing in the top 10 businesses spent on advertising in Vietnam. The most activities are funded biggest like brands for health care, such as: green tea, Barley tea.Advertising. The media which was used in advertising of Zero Degree Green Tea was variety such as newspapers, magazines, televisions and outdoor advertisement. Zero Degree Green Tea has creative advertisement, which has been broadcasting in popular channels like WV, TV and Vietnamese cable TV like ACTS, heal, Lets Viet, yang TV, ACTS. Target customers is people who concerned with health and nutrition so their advertisement concentrated on delivering the idea that Zero Degree Green Tea is able to keep tea's natural and pure flavor.Print Advertisement was posted on almost newspapers such as Auto tree (Youth), Than nine, The gigs pH nu (Women's World), Tip HTH gig Dinah (Marketing family). Advertising campaigns about utilities and benefits of Zero Degree Green Tea which were posted 1 time/week in 3/2006, is presented in the newspapers and magazines. There are several bus stations in which Zero Degree Green Tea puts their advertising panels. Painting advertising on the buses is also the best way for attracting consumer. Moreover, people possibly notice on those advertisements and try to drink Zero Degree Green Tea.They use tools to support sales such as promotions, consumer sampling, sampling route, display products, posters, billboards, organize event to increase brand perception for consumers. Internet is the quickest and shortest way to deliver information to any consumer. Their own website which is u pdated regularly. They also use social network such as backbone which is crowned with young people in community network. In some popular websites for specific group of people (zing. Van, heal . Com, yang. Net), Zero Degree Green Tea puts their animated banner to display attractively their product.Publicity and Public Relations. In the economy's situation today, advertising is declined gradually and abdicated for PR then raising activities and the creation of corporate value are not only in the quality of product, but also the brand's image associated tit the community activities. Tan Hippie Path considered this as a principle of its business operations. Zero Degree Green Tea's brand associated with sports activities, typical is ‘Student contest: Literature – Fitness -Art 2012 U – League' (Hoi HTH sins vine Van-The-My 2012 U-League).Besides the programs funded to the health care of community that were done by Tan Hippie Path such as ‘Day for blood glucose te sting and caring diabetes patients' (Nagy hoi HTH dung yet VA sham Soc been Nan dad that dung); TV Program ‘For the quality of life' (Vi chat lung choc song) aired on HTTP. The meaningful of community activities have asserted Tan Hippie Pat's brand increasingly not only production, good business but also serving the community benefits. Tan Hippie Path Group and music channels Hanta signed cooperation within two years from 9/9/2009.Because their customers are young people and with the same goal which is bringing quality products to consumers, the cooperation between the two sides will support each other in business expansion and exploitation market potential and advertising two brands. Tan Hippie Path got many certifications such as Vietnamese flag of Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs' Unit Emulation excellent work of occupational safety and health in 2006 (03/17/2007); certificate of famous Brand country (26/04/2008); -ran Hippie Path received Vietnamese' Gold Sta r Medals, honoring businesses WTFO, Vietnam Dragon Symbol (30/0112010).These prizes and certifications are recognition of government and community about product's quality. Sales promotion. Tan Hippie Path had many promotion's methods such as discount for buying block, lucky prices, promotions in supermarkets and other retailers to applying for consumers. They organized a lot of activities to promote and deliver their product. For example, promotion program ‘Fun spring, torn label, winning gold' (Year of the Dragon 2012); Zero Degree Green Tea-life moments cooling-Khan shack gigs intent choc song (2012); Zero Degree Green Tea- smile spread-Nu quoi Ian too.Goal of this event is creating opportunities for people to laugh with all people in Vietnam and spread the spirit of optimism, love of life to other people, discover the power of smile. In addition, Tan Hippie Path also held mini- contests for community networks on fan page of Zero Degree Green Tea. Game- shows were taken plac e every week with attractive gifts. On the occasion of holidays, hey were a sponsor for the promotion of the discount programs of Big C supermarket, Co-pop mart, Metro to stimulate consumption on last year's holidays.Personal selling. Main orientation of Zero Degree Green Tea is most concerned with agency. In the mature stage of the product life cycle should not promote this tool. Because of customers and distributors were aware of product's brand in market. Primarily based on advertising to inform, persuade and remind customers. Direct marketing. The company will directly promote their product to targeted customer and improve brand awareness as well. Tan Hippie Path has always focused on tools of discount for sales to wholesalers and retailers.Promote policies and programs as well as support sales and promotions to attract and retain the principal agents. Promotion cost. Nowadays, Zero Degree Green Tea is high in position in the product life cycle. Advertising campaign in favor of psychology attained good results in building images of a natural product, beneficial health, bringing fresh feeling fresh, cool. At the same time, awareness of the tea's benefits for consumers is quite high (over 50 %), besides that the Joining of another brands such as CO, Fresh, tea plus, hat also contributes to increasing competition in the market.Advertisements are not only introducing the product but also its purpose is increasing revenue and profit. However, depending on the life cycle of products that promotions have a certain goal, Zero Degree Green Tea of Tan Hippie Path is on saturated stage of the life cycle of product while rivals the brand's market share is quite Vietnam large, each brand launching different strategies to attract customers. It leads to market which is influenced by many factors detrimental to business so at this time, the primary objective of business is strategy to compete with rivals and large market shares.Therefore budget planning which is suitable for promotional activities will contribute to the success goals. Figure 3: The promotion cost and revenue of Zero Degree Green Tea over the period of life cycle product At the present, the bottled green tea market share is full, Zero Degree Green Tea has to compete more drastically with other opponent. Tap Hippie Path was assessed one of five companies having the highest promotion cost in 2009. Specifically, promotion cost increased 3 times at that time, while other competitor's figures were quite small

How global warming works Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

How global warming works - Essay Example Global warming occurs because carbon monoxide and additional chemical emissions become trapped under the ozone layer; as a result, the temperature of the Earth steadily increases. The impact of global warming has been researched extensively, and in addition to the extinction of plant and animal species, the human race itself may one day become extinct. It has been suggested that global warming will have far-reaching consequences for all life on Earth. In observing the possible crash on the environment (the blend of all living and non-living basics in a specified area), the extinction of animals and plants as well as land formations are most important. It is thought that more than 120 species of amphibians have already vanished forever because of global warming. The Golden Toad, for example, which was once mostly found in Monteverde, Costa Rica, was one of the first amphibians to become extinct. This reptile was last seen in 1989. Animals are not the only living organism in danger of extinction-plants are also being harmed by the effects of global warming. Several plant species have been confirmed extinct because of radical changes in weather patterns in a number of areas (Abarbanel p57). The Fern Gully in Jamaica is an... Another example of the way in which global warming affects landscapes and ecosystems is the coral reef. These are important parts of the ecosystems in which they live-the death of a coral reef will in turn contribute to the eventual extinction of countless plant and animal species which live in it. The Pew Centre on Global Climate Change issued a report on February 13, 2004, stating that global warming might very well further contribute to the extinction of coral reefs. The report goes further to state that in areas with large geographic ranges and extremely high latitudes, certain coral species are very vulnerable to the effects of global warming, and that there is no doubt that coral species in these types of areas are affected. Plants and animals are not the only species which will experience the devastating effects of global warming. It is expected that the human race will be even more severely affected. Global warming will have far-reaching and destructive consequences, with famine in areas where the climate has been devastated to the extent that growing food is no longer possible, mass migration of people from significantly affected areas, and perhaps even war. Approximately two hundred million people may be affected if the sea-level rises significantly: Vietnam, Bangladesh, China, India, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia and Egypt are on the top of the list. The consequences of a large increase in sea-level in such areas are likely to be severe: a dramatic change in climate, scarcity of resources in affected countries, and perhaps eventually mass migration of people out of affected countries, leading to scarcity of resources in the

Wage inequality report in the X city of China Coursework

Wage inequality report in the X city of China - Coursework Example We find evidence that level of education, age, experience and sector of employment poses the greatest variation in determining the wage limits in the city. The presence of trade liberization and international foreign investment policy imparts varying levels of exposure to some Chinese cities more than others. While the presence international firms operating in the X city do not have a direct effect on wage equality, a major difference is evident between the majority and minority foreign-owned firms. Majority foreign-owned firms exhibit skilled-biased changes that adversely increase wage inequality. INTRODUCTION. The unequal distribution of individual or household wage across various sectors in the economy is referred as wage inequality. It can be presented as a percentage of wages to percentage of population. China has witnessed rapid growth in national income, foreign investment and export volume in the last few decades. However these economic improvement has been accompanied by inc ome inequality. The wage inequality coefficient of China has steadily increased from 0.33 in the 80s to 0.46 in the year 2000 according to government statistics. These signify a 2-3% growth rate per year, alarmingly one of the fastest in ever recorded. (Yunbo Zhou, 2012) Investigated the causes of the disparities in the wage inequality in urban and rural areas and found that, in rural areas, it is explained by an increase in the wage earning jobs in poorer regions in the end of the 20th century and decrease in regressive taxes. There are allegations of wage inequality in the X state of China. Using the provided data we investigate it basing our research on three divisions we carry out data analysis and provide the results to the Bureau of Human Resources and Social Security; Gender Affiliation and membership in Communist party Local (Hukou) and non-local workers Given the data we determine the correlation coefficients between wage rates and the various variables. This will enable us to deduce whether to use the variables in our regression analysis. Table 1 summary statistics of wage rates by sector and by gender Manufacturing sector Construction sector Others All Male Female All Male Female All Male Female Mean 2.300194 2.389804 2.082571 2.091158 2.077667 2.334 2.24447 2.385095 2.071033 S.d. 0.106617 0.129925 0.180342 0.118321 0.124271 0 0.06246 0.084603 0.090478 No. obs 72 51 21 19 18 1 268 148 120 Table 2 t-Test results for male and female workers H0: ?1-?2=0 vs HA: ?1-?2?0 Manufacturing sector Construction sector Others Assuming ?1=?2 t statistic 1.316535 -0.47321 2.525396 t critical 1.994437 2.109816 1.968922 Assuming ?12 t statistic 1.382249 -1.75867 2.535402 t critical 2.018082 - 1.969201 The research conducted examines the phenomena of nature of two variables and their degree of relatedness. Altering the level of one variable will automatically affect the other. The concept behind the t - test is to determine the difference in the statistic means of two variables relative to the spread or variability of the wage. The purpose of statistical tests is fundamentally meant to test null hypothesis. The results in the Tables 1 and 2 can be used to draw the following conclusions; The wage earned by male workers in the manufacturing sector is significantly higher than what is earned by female workers. The same is also true in the other sectors. However female workers in the manufacturing sector earn more than their male counterparts. This deviation is attributed to the less number of female workers in the construction sector. Thus we can conclude that wage inequality is evident in the X town of China based on gender.

Coke is good for our health or not-Personal introduction Essay

Coke is good for our health or not-Personal introduction - Essay Example Nevertheless, I believe that this beverage itself is just but an absolute venom to the human body due to its high level of acidity that it contains. Moreover, the price of coke are cheaper and thus it can be afforded by most individual regardless of their social statuses. As a matter of fact, I think that in some arid areas and many third world countries it could be easier to find and purchase Coke than assessing clean drinking water. This is because the company has established numerous depots in every corners of the world thus making its consumption level to rise. In addition I have noted that Coke has excessively employed the use of â€Å"public relations propaganda† to persuade the consumers from different part of the world that the product is healthy and environmental friendly, something that I find hard to believe in. This is because the Coca-Cola Company has widely been associated with negative environmental and health problems such as diseases water shortages and various coronary disease among others. Furthermore, I also believe that excessive drinking of Coke could alleviate the chances of getting a heart attack, stroke and other coronary diseases. I say this because my uncle Ted, currently struggling with aortic aneurysms and cardiomyopathy (types of cardiovascular diseases) was advised by his doctor to refrain from the use of Coke and any types of sodas in general. Even though my uncle was for a long time a â€Å"Coke addict† he vowed to keep off the poisonous nectar, and it is worth noting that his health is improving significantly. In addition, during a biological academic trip, one of our high school professors mentioned that Coke and other typical sodas can cause calcium loss in the human bones. She explained that Coke contains phosphoric acid and carbon which irritates the stomach therefore making the body to release calcium, an anti-acid, as a healing mechanism. This would consequently lead to the reduction of calcium in blood which has to

Cultural Exploration Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Cultural Exploration - Term Paper Example These cultural patterns, which include beliefs, values, norms and social practices, do affect the quality of communication that takes place as the people from these different cultures interact. The result is either an enhanced quality of communication or a total breakdown in communication. To avoid this breakdown in communication, and to enhance the quality of communication between the different parties, it is very important for the two people who are communicating to be aware of the various attributes of the other culture. This way, mistakes that can be avoided and that can cause a breakdown in communication are identified. The cultural patterns of the two cultures might either lead to a competent intercultural communication or problems as far as the communication is concerned. This paper is going to examine the cultural patterns of two cultures and how the interplay between these patterns affects the intercultural communication of people from these cultures. The first culture is that of the writer, Southeastern Georgia Caucasian, and that of Chinese. Throughout this paper, the writer will be guided by one major objective. This will be the exploration of the various potential effects of the cultural patterns of Southeastern Georgia Caucasian and Chinese on intercultural communication between the two. To achieve the major objective, the writer will be guided by several specific objectives. It is through the address of these specific objectives that the writer will have effectively dealt with the major one. These specific ones are as follows: 1. An analysis of cultural value orientations of southeastern Georgia Caucasian and Chinese using the globe taxonomy approach 2. An analysis of verbal communication norms of the two cultures 3. An analysis of non-verbal communication norms of the two cultures 4. An analysis of relational communication norms of the two cultures The writer will not merely describe the cultural patterns of the two cultures picked. Rather, this will be a comprehensive analysis of the effects that the interplay between this set of pattern has on intercultural communication. Does it make it more productive or does it make it less productive and problematic 1: Cultural Value Orientations of Georgian and Chinese Cultures This analysis will be conducted using the GLOBE cultural taxonomy approach. This approach identifies nine dimensions of culture that are regarded important or ideal in a particular culture. These nine dimensions are a description of what people actually do, or what Millet (1) refers to as cultural practices. They also identify cultural values or what is regarded as ideal practice or conduct in the society under examination (Millet: 1). Power Distance Dimension Power distance dimension describes the degrees to which members of the society that are less powerful both "expect and accept that power is distributed unequally" (Leadlay & Jomy: 38). It is a fact that in any one society, there are differences in the distribution of power, resulting in powerful individuals and less powerful ones. But the differences between the societies occur because, to some, as much as the power

Energy Resource Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Energy Resource Plan - Essay Example energy production systems pollute the environment through emission of green house gases in to the atmosphere, which adversely affects humans and animals through climate change and health related issues (Carlson 2005). The renewable energy includes the energy sources that can be that can be used over and over again. It includes energy sources such as solar, geothermal, wave and wind energy, amongst other self-sustaining alternative energy sources. However, in order for renewable energy to be sufficient, large amounts of sources need to be harnessed, since they produce a relatively little energy. In other words the ratio of the energy produced to the energy source harnessed is relatively small compared to the non- renewable energy, whereby a small amount of the energy source produces substantial amount of energy. However, once used, these sources are irreplaceable (Schaeffer 2007). These include coal and petroleum products amongst others. They are a major cause of environmental degradation through emission of green house gases in to the atmosphere, and water pollution through oil spills as well as land degradation through mining of coal. The first and most important thing that each person ought to do in order to conserve the environment is to minimize the use of non-renewable energy. This will help in reducing the rate of environmental degradation through energy production from non-renewable sources. This can be accomplished through the use of solar energy for lighting, wind energy, and natural gas among other renewable energy sources. Electrical appliances, especially the air conditioners, refrigerators and lighting should remain switched off whenever they are not needed. People should also use energy efficient equipment such as less fuel consuming vehicles or the use of bicycles instead of vehicles that consume high energy as well as emitting green house gases to the environment. People should also insulate their living rooms more in order to minimize heating

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

Passage Analysis - Essay Example Poe then allows the reader to imagine what the rest of the "evidence" is on "her emaciated frame". It is as if the reader is seeing her for the first time along with the characters. She is just a "frame" rather than a body, seeming more dead than alive and more terrible in her aspect because of it. The use of the verbs "trembling" and "reeling" evokes the physicality of her precarious predicament, again making the reader actually see the woman with his/her mind's eye as they are reading. The sentence structure here copies the moment of suspense that the characters are going through. The ",then," reflects the uncertainty as to what is about to happen for the narrator. Will she fall outwards or inwards or will she stay trembling, caught between the two The rest of the sentence answers this question. A first year English student might be accused of writing a "run-on" sentence if she handed this in, proving that the 'rules' of grammar are in fact merely conventions that can and should be broken when needed. As the woman is in her final "death-agonies" it is her brother who is taken "to the floor a corpse". Poe brilliantly evokes the terror and suddenness with which the brother dies.

Identifying, Organizing, and Analyzing Your Sources Essay Example for Free

Identifying, Organizing, and Analyzing Your Sources Essay Each statement below contains a logical fallacy. Identify the fallacy and briefly explain, in one or two sentences, why it is an error in reasoning. 1. Mabel is not qualified to lead the school board because she used to drink liquor in her 20s. †¢ Ad hominem: committed by attacking the person whos making an argument, rather than the argument itself. One of the most common fallacies, it is a direct attack on a persons character rather than focusing on his or her arguments. Stating that Mabel used to drink that why she is not qualified it a person attack. 2. A child can be either an athlete or a good student. †¢ Either/Or: An oversimplification that assumingly reduces several alternatives to a mere binary opposition, basically means you only have two choices. You only have two choices of being a athlete or a good student. You can choose to be bad student if you wanted. 3. Any change in health care will lead to socialism; we don’t want to live in a socialist country, so we can’t reform health care. †¢ Slippery Slope (Bad Precedent): assuming that a proposed step will set off an uncontrollable chain of undesirable events. Changing health will lead to socialism is an extreme statement. 4. All teenagers text while they drive; therefore, we should raise the driving age to 21. †¢ Hasty Generalization: drawing conclusions from too little of evidence and often relying on stereotypes. Say all teenager text and drive, well some teenager don’t have a car and/or a cell phone. 5. If we don’t all drive hybrid cars, the world will end in the next decade because of environmental damage. †¢ Slippery Slope (Bad Precedent): assuming that a proposed step will set off an uncontrollable chain of undesirable events. That an extreme statement stating that the world will end because we’ll don’t drive hybrid. 6. Senator Range has been seen entering a strip club; therefore, his economic reforms are not plausible. †¢ Ad hominem: committed by attacking the person whos making an argument, rather than the argument itself. One of the most common fallacies, it is a direct attack on a persons character rather than focusing on his or her arguments. In this case strip club makes the senator economic reform wrong it a personal attack, degrading his character which will degrade his reforms as mediocre  or of no value to the public. 7. Everyone else is getting rid of TV, so we should too. †¢ Bandwagon: Just because everyone is doing it doesn’t make it right. We used to think that our planet was flat. 8. Because of the recent shootings in schools and theaters, we can conclude that these are inherently dangerous places that need more regulation. †¢ Begging the Question: an argument is held to be true because of practical truths and common sense. Common sense is sometimes correct, but all too many times all too commonly incorrect. 9. If you want a successful child, you should enroll him or her in as many early learning classes as possible. †¢ Creating false needs: emotional proof appeals to what people value and think they need. Advertisers often create a false sense of need in order to sell a product. 10. Music education is useless because it just teaches kids how to play music. †¢ Begging the question: restating the premise in the conclusion rather than disproving. Choose your answers from these eight fallacies. Note: Some of these will be used more than once. †¢ Begging the question †¢ Either-or †¢ Slippery slope †¢ Ad hominem †¢ Creating false needs †¢ Red herring †¢ Hasty generalization †¢ Bandwagon

The Social Contract Theory Essay Example for Free

The Social Contract Theory Essay The Social Contract Theory as propounded by Hobbes is based on the ratiocination that if left entirely free, human beings will act against their own self interest in the long term unless they are subjected to an authority figure which monitors their interests for peaceful co-existence on the whole. The scenario which constitutes freedom employs the concept of State of Nature while the provision that envisages an authority figure forms the basis of Social Contract. Under State of Nature, a mans own self interest when followed without consideration for others under the pretext of competition, survival and vainglory results in a sort of cataclysmic man against man scenario. In such a scenario, man starts giving reins to his baser instincts of survival without consideration for others. To avoid this, individuals need to cede their rights to a sovereign authority, in a Social Contract, that protects their interests without infringing on another’s interests. For this, it is imperative that the ruling authority be above petty prejudices and biases to bind each individual who would otherwise on their own be competitors and not always agree with their different notions of justice and fairness. The direction of actions of individuals to a peaceful co-existence requires a set of rules that forms the basis of morality which is meaningless under State of Nature, where personal interests without regard for others is the only rule at play. The covenant of Social Contract thus enforces a positive transformation of men from chaotic self serving entities to individuals enjoying order and peace in an organized society. Pleasing all being an impossible proposition, any misgivings against the authority in a Social Contract resulting due to abuse of power have to be borne as a price for peace over the chaos in State of Nature. It must be mentioned however that the individuals still retain the right to protest and demand explanations in case of excesses by the sovereign authority. References Hampton, Jean (1988). Hobbes and Social Contract Tradition. Cambridge University Press.

Concept of Organisational Misbehaviour: Analysis

Concept of Organisational Misbehaviour: Analysis Organisational Misbehavior Critically evaluate the argument that organisational misbehavior is a ‘normal’ feature of organisational life Introduction The notion of organisational misbehavior can be interpreted in a lot of ways based on different perspectives, different people, shifting situations, and by the changing level of awareness and understanding on the life of an organisation. There is a primary purpose of organisations in the context of fulfilling certain individual goals. Northcraft and Neale (1990, p.5) say that people come together and form organisations because organisations can accomplish things that are beyond the reach of individuals. They come together to accomplish what each individual cannot accomplish alone. The meaning of behavior in organisations according to Northcraft and Neale revolve around managing behavior to take advantage of the performance benefits of groups over individuals. This is where the concept of a good behavior and misbehavior takes shape. Organisational Behavior Organisational behavior is a multidisciplinary definition that illustrates a number of points (Gibson et al, 2000). Some of these points relate directly to the conduct of the organisation in society. First, it indicates that the behavior of people operate at individual, group, or organisational level. This suggests that when trying to study the organisational misbehavior in the perspective of being a normal part of organisational life, it must identify clearly the levels of analysis – individual, group, and the organisation being used. Second, there’s a distinctively humanistic orientation within the organisation behavior. People’s attitudes, perceptions, learning capabilities, and objectives are important to the organisation. They provide the rich mixture for their organisation’s culture and strategies to evolve and prosper. Thirdly, the external environment is seen as having significant impact on the organisational behavior. Finally, there’s also the application orientation which concerns providing useful answers to questions that arise in the context of managing the organisation. Misbehavior is often interpreted to mean ‘bad behavior’ or a deviation from the normal norms and ethics expected of individuals and organisations. To say that organisational behavior also involves other certain kinds of misbehavior still descends to the fact that any type of behavior can be either good or bad depending on the context that it is applied to in real life situations. When this type of behavior exists and eventually prevails in any organisational setup, it would likely grow into a certain stature of normalcy and seep into conventional wisdom. In order to understand why this argument seems to make sense in the framework of an organisation’s life, it is important to first identify the different compositions of an organisation, its objectives, culture, structure, and strategies. The complexities associated with these compositions have made it virtually impossible to model and envision a ‘perfect’ organisation. Organisations have had some bouts with internal and external conflicts in one way or another. Some have mastered the arts of deception and impropriety. It is unrealistic to say that organisational misbehavior is not part of organisational life either. People in the organisation may misbehave and some people may blame the entire organisation. Others may blame specific people (especially managers) when the real shortcoming came from the organisation’s policies. Other groups within the organisation or network may deviate from agreements and norms. The organisational culture may not also be up to the times and the current business strategies may not sit well with government regulation policies and industry norms. If these things do happen (and they happen a lot), it is not viable and healthy to draw the line between laying out unspoken rules in classifying organisational behavior to be good and a bad. People and Human Behavior People make up the internal social system of the organisation (Newstrom and Davis, 1997). This system consists of individuals and groups, and large groups as well as small ones. People are the living, thinking, and feeling beings who work in the organisation to achieve their objectives. An organisational structure is filled up with people who decide and deliver the goods for the organisation. Diversity presents a lot of challenges for management to handle. When people become members of an organisation whether in official, unofficial or informal capacity, they bring with them different educational background, talents, interests, and behavior that they eventually contribute for the success or failure of the organisation. The relationship among individuals and groups in an organisation create expectations for an individual’s behavior (Gibson et al, 2000, p. 7). An individual can be presented here as the organisation itself. These expectations result in certain leadership and foll ower roles that must be performed so that there will be some kind of order and system. Collective expectations can either conform or not to standard behavior. Collective misuse of resources interests, talents, expertise, and management strategies can constitute organisation misbehavior. Punch (1996, p.1) views these misconduct as harmful to the viability of the organisation and constitutes deviance by the organisation. To put it more bluntly, organisational misbehavior eventually boils down to the issue of profits and how it should be maximized. Money has always been a central issue in any organisation and it has often been used to measure the survivability of a business. Organisational goals always take into their mainstream policy the issue of financial and economic stability and prosperity. Punch (1996, p.214) strongly suggested that formal goals of the organisation thus constitute a ‘front’ for the real goals of management which is to provide a money machine for its owners and other insiders. If it is already common and normal for criminals to use any tool or weapon to perpetuate a crime, it would also seem normal for organisations to use the organisation itself to obtain money from ‘victims’ of its misbehavior. The ‘victims’ may actually be the customers or the members themselves. It is a prime example of what is called the â€Å"organisational weapon† – the organisation is for white-collar criminals as the gun or knife is for the common criminals (Wheeler and Rothman, 1982, cited in Punch, 1996). In short, an organisation is set up for the primary purpose of making a substantial amount of money in the form of a profit and improving the quality of life for the individual members of the organisation. Organisations have systems of authority, status, and power, and people in organisations have varying needs for each system. People need money and a sense of fulfillment. People also need power to impose their will to others. People want to attain a certain level of success as measured by their status and standing in the organisation. Taken as a whole, organisations follow certain types of ethical behavior and standards defined along its objectives and future goals. It is also believed that adherence to moral standards on the job can have positive outcomes on the organisation and society by promoting strong ethical behavior in any aspects of life (Mares, 2005). This strong behavior of one organisation can be used as a strong issue against another organisation which is considered to be ‘misbehaving’ just because it was not able to adhere to certain moral standards previously attained. Organisational Structure An organisational structure defines the formal relationship and use of people in organisations. According to Newstrom and Devis (1997), different jobs are required to accomplish all of an organisation’s activities. There are managers, employees, accountants, assemblers, and others who have to be related in some structural way so that their work can be effectively coordinated. How is the structure of the organisation related to the conduct of an organisation? According to Thompson (1997, p.588), structure is the means by which the organisation seeks to achieve its strategic objectives and implement strategies and strategic changes. Assuming that these strategies and changes are concerned with relating the organisation’s resources to its goals, will these resources be used in the proper way acceptable to all in the society? If change is necessary, it is correct to point out that resistance to change can constitute another concept of misbehavior. People confronting changes in their working environments often exhibit dysfunctional behaviors like aggression, projection, and avoidance (Hirschheim, 1995 p. 160). These types of behavioral patterns affect the overall behavior of the organisation. Another thing to consider in the organisational structure is the way decision making is delegated and observed. Thompson described the extent by which a decentralized and centralized setup of management decision making is vital in adapting to strategic change. In a centralized setup, organisational misbehavior is usually highlighted at the top management level because only a handful of people are empowered to do the decision making. A decentralized setup allows decisions to be made by most people who must implement change and usually allows the organisation a more collective approach to making decisions based on what is morally and ethically correct. This statement however, does not imply that a decentralized structure eliminates instances of misbehavior. It only lessens the probability. On the other hand, a decentralized setup could empower smaller groups within the organisation to abuse their power and open the possibility of misbehavior on a smaller scale. According to Tsahuridu, specialization and division of work that occurs in organizations may make people in organizations unable to see the illegality and immorality of certain actions. Each action is a part of a chain of actions, and even though each individual act may be legitimate and moral, all the actions linked together may constitute an illegal or immoral activity, which each individual participant may be ignorant of. Organisational Objectives and Culture Organisations must have objectives in order to exist. Objectives are always centered on what is basically ‘good’ for the organisation, whether the resulting action or consequences is ‘bad’. How is organisational objectives tied to organisational behavior? Profit and growth are means to other ends rather than objectives in themselves (Acoff, 1986, cited in Thompson, 1997). There is then a question of whether profit is the ultimate objective of profit seeking business organisations or whether it is merely a means to other ends, which themselves constitute the real objectives (Thompson, 1997, p.153). Organisational behavior can be better understood by assuming whether the real goal of the organisation is to maximize profit or to provide them with a good quality of life and better standard of living. Harris and Hartman (2002, p. 75) said that an organisation’s culture consists of the values, norms, and attitudes of the people who make up the organisation. Values show what is important; norms reveal expected behavior; attitudes show the mind-set of individuals. Organisational culture therefore tells people what is important in the organisation, how to behave, and how to see things. Culture is a part of organisational life that influences the behavior, attitudes, and overall effectiveness of members (Gibson et al, 2000). Managers are usually in the forefront of formulating organisational strategies and policies. Johnson and Scholes (1997, p.79-80) argued that in formulating policies, managers should regard experience (good or bad) as constraints on developments. They say that in order to develop the organisation to cope with today’s changing environments, they need to challenge the people around them and experiment with their different ideas and conflicting views in a pluralistic approach. The job of top management therefore is to create this sort of organisation by building teams that can work in such ways through the development of the everyday behavior and culture of the organisation. All of the issues related to the organisation in general have a tendency to influence and affect the behavior of the organisation. While it is safe to assume that the notion of misbehavior in the organisation tends to focus on the ‘wrong’ or ‘negative’ side of the organisation, it is preferred that misbehavior should be ‘corrected’ and dealt with by focusing on how to manage and institute reforms in the different aspects of the organisation. This is a tall and complex order. Organisational behavior is not only influenced by the different factors previously mentioned. Management policies have a tendency to adapt to changing situations in their environments. Some organisations’ strategies may take advantage of ‘weak’ government policies and regulations and find loopholes with which they can misbehave without being noticed. Other organisations’ strategies tend to focus on covering up unethical practices with good and conv incing arguments that their actions go against standard practices but at the same time, benefit a large segment of society. Punch (1996, p.1) described the behavior of today’s organisations as problematic and worrying. He reasons out that different kinds of organisational misbehavior are often caused by managers ‘lending’ themselves to deviant activities and the inability of government, business, and regulatory agencies to control effectively such misbehavior. He explains that this was largely because the subjects of business crime and corporate deviance have been sadly neglected by criminologists and crime-fighting bodies in favor of other areas such as street crimes, low-level law enforcement, and the prison system. Almost everyday, new types of organisation misbehavior are being uncovered and brought out into the open. As these corporate scandals and other forms of financial misconduct often perpetuated by top level management are exposed, more and more sophisticated strategies and techniques are slowly being uncovered. It is quite interesting to know that one kind of misbehavior can be linked to another form of misbehavior in another corporate partner within the network of organisations. Other sets of misbehavior can involve almost all levels of the organisational hierarchy. The realities faced by an organisation are different from others. Each organisation has an identity, an objective, a strategic plan, and differing sets of policies and regulations. Harris and Hartman (2002, p. 97) said this is because the underlying premise in the ideal culture is that the formal organisation’s norms and values are to be consistent with those of the various individuals and groups within the organisation. They say that the norms and values of individuals and groups of the organisation are hostile to formal organisational goals. This is especially true to members of top-level management and the rank and file members. Their hidden values may contradict the official policies of the organisation. Sometimes, the organisation may not value the potential contribution of its members. The need to create competitive advantage for profit and growth without the proper ethical system in place can lead to drastic steps and ethically questionable decisions and actions. Some m embers of the organisation may feel the need to make reforms while others may think taking radical steps will eventually spell success. Discontentment and trouble may brew over different ‘signals’ and messages that the inner structure of the organisation send out to the outside world. It is therefore evident that culture can become very counterproductive and the basis of confidence, cooperation, and adherence to standard norms and behavior can be damaging to the overall behavior of the organisation. This is the start of the decay of organisational values and norms and provides a fertile ground for breeding misconduct and misbehavior in any front of the organisation. Conclusions Misbehavior is a normal part of an organisation’s life. It is not a question of whether it exists or not. It tends to become an issue when organisations tolerate and do nothing to correct these deviances from normal behavior and when organisations formulate policies that sheer away from ethical standards that govern them. Why is it that organisational misbehaviors tend to exist even in model companies and organisations recognized for their professional excellence? There are different ways of understanding organisational misbehavior in the context of whether it is normal or not in an organisational life. If we try to look closely at the term ‘normal’ and ‘misbehavior,’ there are two things which would come into mind. First, nothing is perfect and it is perfectly normal for people to commit mistakes, either willingly or unwillingly. People can always create rules and policies to counter certain misconduct. Organisations can always innovate and deviate from these rules in order to attain their goals. In these instances, there is no such thing as a perfect law governing businesses and there is also no such thing as a perfect business strategy. In normal instances, mistakes are part of the learning process. As this cycle continues today, organisational misbehavior has already come to the point where people have already considered it part and parcel of their everyday life. It is part of the reality of life that has something to do with existence and how mankind adapts to ongoing changes. The only thing that people consider to be an issue in organisation misbehavior is the level or degree of how it affects society. Second, in order to survive, some organisations have to take the risk, whether this will put them in the burner for good or elevate their status in the business community. These risks are normally present in their business strategies, structure, objectives, and culture. They can follow the business rules by the book and end up earning nothing or they may deviate from certain rules and norms and reap profits. Again, it is normal for organisations to take risks and reap the benefits. All of the characteristics of an organisation are linked to one another to form their own identity and behavior. People are in a social structure within the organisation and are empowered to make good or bad decisions. The structure of the organisation limits or expands the power to make decisions. Bibliography Books Gibson, James et al. (2000).Organizations: Behavior, Structure, Processes. 3rd edition. McGraw-Hill, Manila. Harris, J and Hartman, S. (2002). Organizational Behavior. Haworth Press. New York. Hirschheim, R.A. (1995). Office Automation: A Social and Organizational Perspective. John Wiley. Oxford Johnson, Gerry and Scholes, Kevan. (1997). Exploring Corporate Strategy.Prentice Hall. UK Newstrom, John and Davis, Keith. (1997) Organizational Behavior: Human Behavior at Work. McGraw-Hill. Northcraft, Gregory and Neale, Margaret.(1990).Organizational Behavior:A Management Challenge. Dryden Press, Florida. Punch, Maurice. (1996). Dirty Business: Exploring Corporate Misconduct. SAGE Publications, London. Thompson, John (1997).Strategic Management: Awareness and Change. 3rd Edition.International Thompson Business Press.Boston Journal Article Mares, Micheal (2005), â€Å"The Importance of Business Ethics†,Retrieved last February 26, 2005 from http://www.webcpa.com Tsuahurido, Eva, â€Å"Ethics and Integrity: What Australian Organizations Seek and Offer in Recruitment Advertisements†,Retrieved: March 3, 2005 from http://www.pamij.com/7_4/v7n4_tsahuridu.html

Police Moonlight Essay -- Ethical Issus, Conflict of Interest

A global problem Police moonlighting is not just a problem in the United States. Moonlighting is severally restricted or prohibited in Australia, England and Japan. It however is fairly common in one form or another in Canada and the USA (Bayley 1996). Under Russian law, police are permitted to engage in only very limited outside employment. Under the Law of the Militia, permitted occupations are limited to those connected to teaching, research and the arts. One study of officers in Russia found that 49% of the over two thousand surveyed stated that they engaged in some type of outside work in their off hours. Eighteen percent also reported engaging in other work during their on-duty hours. Nearly all officers were engaging in work that is prohibited by the Law of the Militia. Most were working in some form of private security while off-duty. Almost half were working in transportation services off-duty and approximately 30 percent were working in retail/wholesale. Slightly under half reported working as private security during the hours in which they were employed as police officers. Low wages were described as the primary reason for taking additional employment. There was an average 72 percent increase in officer's monthly income as a result of their additional employment (Wilson, et al. 2008). Slovenia forbids police officers from moonlighting in functions that overlap with those of police such as for private security companies or private detectives. Though illegal moonlighting was not observed by Sotlar and MeÃ… ¡ko, they suspect that it is occurring as it does in other countries with similarly restrictive policies (Sotlar & MeÃ… ¡ko 2009). Similarly in Brazil, Police moonlighting is prohibited by law, though it commonly occur... ...and public safety Moonlighting can prove to be a serious threat to officer safety. With fewer resources and increased fatigue, officers may be at greater risk for serious injury. Many officers are killed while moonlighting as private security (AIMS 1991). According to Brazil military statistics, the majority of military police killed in Brazil, were killed while moonlighting (Macaulay 2007). About nine percent of officers killed in the past decade in the USA were killed while off-duty. Though the report does not specify the officer's function beyond their status as off-duty, based upon the reported circumstance of the officer's death, thirty five cases could conceivable have occurred while moonlighting (FBI 2011). A search of the The Officer Down Memorial Page finds 61 deaths over the past few decades that occurred while the officer was moonlighting (ODMP 2011). Police Moonlight Essay -- Ethical Issus, Conflict of Interest A global problem Police moonlighting is not just a problem in the United States. Moonlighting is severally restricted or prohibited in Australia, England and Japan. It however is fairly common in one form or another in Canada and the USA (Bayley 1996). Under Russian law, police are permitted to engage in only very limited outside employment. Under the Law of the Militia, permitted occupations are limited to those connected to teaching, research and the arts. One study of officers in Russia found that 49% of the over two thousand surveyed stated that they engaged in some type of outside work in their off hours. Eighteen percent also reported engaging in other work during their on-duty hours. Nearly all officers were engaging in work that is prohibited by the Law of the Militia. Most were working in some form of private security while off-duty. Almost half were working in transportation services off-duty and approximately 30 percent were working in retail/wholesale. Slightly under half reported working as private security during the hours in which they were employed as police officers. Low wages were described as the primary reason for taking additional employment. There was an average 72 percent increase in officer's monthly income as a result of their additional employment (Wilson, et al. 2008). Slovenia forbids police officers from moonlighting in functions that overlap with those of police such as for private security companies or private detectives. Though illegal moonlighting was not observed by Sotlar and MeÃ… ¡ko, they suspect that it is occurring as it does in other countries with similarly restrictive policies (Sotlar & MeÃ… ¡ko 2009). Similarly in Brazil, Police moonlighting is prohibited by law, though it commonly occur... ...and public safety Moonlighting can prove to be a serious threat to officer safety. With fewer resources and increased fatigue, officers may be at greater risk for serious injury. Many officers are killed while moonlighting as private security (AIMS 1991). According to Brazil military statistics, the majority of military police killed in Brazil, were killed while moonlighting (Macaulay 2007). About nine percent of officers killed in the past decade in the USA were killed while off-duty. Though the report does not specify the officer's function beyond their status as off-duty, based upon the reported circumstance of the officer's death, thirty five cases could conceivable have occurred while moonlighting (FBI 2011). A search of the The Officer Down Memorial Page finds 61 deaths over the past few decades that occurred while the officer was moonlighting (ODMP 2011).

Failure In Ethan Frome :: essays research papers

The main theme of the book Ethan Frome is failure. It is shown in three ways throughout the story: Ethan's marriage, him not being able to stand up to Zeena, and his involvement in the "smash up". Ethan marries Zeena so he won't be alone after his mother dies. She seemed like a very cheerful, vivacious person while his mother was sick. After their marriage all this changed. She became a very nagging, sick wife. Because of Zeena's "complications" they had to hire someone to help around the house. Mattie, Zeena's cousin, needed a place to live and seemed fit for the job. She moved in and Ethan took and immediate liking to her. He found someone that cared for him, was always happy, and could share his youth. All of which, Zeena was incapable of doing. Ethan longed to be with Mattie, but he was loyal to Zeena. Being married to Zeena was Ethan's first failure. Ethan's second failure was not standing up to Zeena. She claimed the doctor said that she was extremely sick and needed more help around the house. She told him without any discussion that Mattie had to go. Ethan could not find the words to make her alter her decision. Zeena also decided that Mattie had to leave the next day. It was stated in the book that Zeena had the upper hand in the house by the line "Now she [Zeena] had mastered him [Ethan] and he obeyed her." Ethan could not find the right things to say, and it was because of his failure of not being able to stand up to his wife that he was going to lose the only thing that made him happy. Ethan's last failure was the way he modified his and Mattie's lives regarding the "smash up". He wanted to run away with Mattie, but he could not because his practical sense told him it was not feasible to do so. Mattie wanted so desperately to be with Ethan that she suggested in order to stay together forever, to die together. It was Ethan's job to steer into the tree with the sled so that it looked like an accidental death.

How Islam responds to issues about Equality Essay

Introduction Throughout this project, the intention of the information is to answer the question: How does the religion of Islam respond to issues on equality? All through this Booklet, I have kept in mind to focus on the ideas of Islamic equality and what this means to a Muslim, in the Islamic definition. In Islam a definition of equality means evenness, uniformity, impartiality, parity etc. Therefore, if applied to Islam in liaison to the now modern everyday life this would involve issues such as * Racism * Sexism * Forgiveness * Religious attitude Which are the subjects I will be talking about and looking over at the Islamic perspective on these topics of concern. To portray the view Islam has over these issues I will be using: * The genuine teachings from the word of our God `Allah` himself, doing this through the Qur’an. * Referring to important hadiths (lessons) and quotes from the prophet Mohammed (pbuh) * The message given out today by the most knowledgeable top scholars. These should give a clear message of what, the view on these issues used to be like, how they have progressed and possibly altered over the years, the differences on these matters from today in contrast to when the religion began, and how it is today, right now in Muslim houses and nations across the world. Racism Constantly throughout the world today and especially in the history of humans since the beginning of civilisation. There has a been a power struggle between those trying to gain power and have authority over others whether it is because of their skin colour, lineage, education, origin or physical disabilities. Islam has extinguished the discrimination which subsisted in the land of Arabia, the roots of the religion and the main reason it was created was to give equality among men and women of all races. It punished those who lowered women to the level of slaves and transferable goods. It also punished those who took advantage of their privileges. Being the 1st kind of religion to truly do this won the hearts of nations and the admiration and respect of its enemies. In the Qur’an Allah even shames those who cannot understand the purpose of the variation in skin, colour and language. `And among those His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the Earth, and the variations in your languages and your colours; verily in that are Signs for those with sound knowledge` In some societies those who are poor and live a life in poverty are considered lower class, with less intelligence and the worst company. But it is these people who the prophet of Allah was asked to seek for their company. At this the idol worshippers (Quraish) began to make mockery of how the majority of the people following Islam were poor, lower class people. Allah then sends down this verse to the prophet: `And keep yourself (O Mohammed) patiently with those who call their Lord morning and afternoon, seeking his face, and let not your eyes overlook them, desiring the pomp and glitter of life of the world; and obey not him whose heart we have made heedless of our remembrance, one who follows his own lusts nd whose affair (deeds) have been lost` The verse meant that a new society would be built with no racism and equality at its base such as justice and equal opportunity. No one is Islam should ever be judged by his skin, colour or any part of his physical appearance or origin whatsoever. Also no man should be bale to judge another only Allah is the judge. `Allah does not look at your appearance, or wealth, rather he looks at you hearts and deeds. ` Sexism It is disputed by some non-Muslims that in Islam, it is becoming increasingly apparent that the image of women is one of sexism and lower class and it is quite clear that Islam has become very male dominant and women are shown to be inferior and of less-importance. Or possibly as Muslims are allowed to have more than one wife it’s thought they are mis-treated. In fact, this is not how Islam has placed the role of women. In Islam there are very precise guidelines relating to the equality of men and women. They are both looked upon as being equal in soul and in mind and in religious responsibilities. Of course, they are not looked upon as the same but merely different. The importance of the mother has the same importance of the father. Although they play a different role. But one cannot say that one is inferior to the other. As regards the care of children, the mother cares for a child a lot more than the father does and this sort of motherly love is held in the highest regard in Islam. The father is expected to supply the family with care, food and money and can only have more than 1 wife under the condition that he has the wealth to pay for them. The Prophet Mohammed one day was questioned by a follower whom should he treat with more affection, he asked the prophet 4 times one after the other who are the most important. The prophet answered; ` Your mother, ` then `Your mother, ` then `Your mother, ` at the forth time `Your father,` he went onto say `Paradise lies at the feet of your mother.` Such is the treatment and respect given to women in Islam, from my own personal experience when I am in Jordan and I am with my grandmother; everywhere she goes, people call her grandma/mother and treat her with the utmost respect and courtesy. When anyone comes to visit, they immediately enter the room and kiss her hand three times, such is the respect men in Islam have towards women. Violence against women is extremely wrong and is not allowed. A women’s honour is held in high regard and no verbal or physical abuse is permitted at all, to the extend where our prophet said; `Those whom so ever beat their wives, in the eyes of Allah are no Muslim` Any crime against women especially rape etc. is treated very seriously and in the Islamic Shari’ah court the punishment for such a crime is severe. During the month of Ramadan, women are given leave from having to fast, if their menstruation cycle is kicking in, this also applies to their praying. Men whoever always have to fast unless they are ill and are incapable. However women do still have to pray, have to perform Hajj, they must render Zakat; all Muslims must perform these duties; there are no differences between them, and both shall be held accountable by God in the life of the here and after. `Whoever does deeds of righteousness, be they male or female, and have faith, they will enter paradise and not the least injustice will be done to them` Attitudes towards other Religions Muslims have a very open view to other religions, and they are the only religion that have kept strict to the instruction of their holy book. Muslims are given a duty to lead other people into their faith, and making people revert (Every human is born Muslim) back to Islam is very important and held in high regard, so much so that in one of the hadiths (lessons from the prophet) he says; `One who changes the faith of another towards Islam and helps him unto the righteous path, will be rewarded in heaven most greatly` Allah also said `Strongest among men in enmity to the believers wilt thou find the Jews and the Pagans; and nearest among them in love to the believers wilt thou find those who say, We are Christian`: because amongst these are men devoted to learning and men who have renounced the world and they are not arrogant.` Islam also teaches that all people have the natural instinct to be Muslims- the term for this in Arabic (as mentioned before) is `fitrah`. People may be born into another religion, but this is due to the way they are brought up and the will of Allah, as he tests your strength and willpower (a.k.a as one’s `iman` in Arabic) If someone does convert back to Islam, they are reverting back to the religion into which they were born as. Allah also rewards those who turn back to Islam tremendously. Also to try and avoid any kind of conflict between Islam and those who follower other faiths, Allah did send down a message to Mohammed, clearly showing there is no wilful approach to any other religion for trouble or arguments. `Follow your path, let me follow mine and there shall be no conflict between us` Islam does not bring out clashes with other religions but only wishes for there to be peace. From the above quote it clearly states, the Muslim intention not to have any fight/conflict with those of any other religion. However should any Muslim be attacked by one of another religion they are permitted to fight back and to stand up for themselves as long as they are in the right. Forgiveness/Reconciliation Allah has granted human beings with intelligence, this intelligence demands responsibility. Therefore, the more intelligent a person is the more he/she is responsible. When the intelligence is missing, the responsibility is neither there. This also means that little children are not held responsible for their actions or words, because their intelligence has not developed. The insane are not responsible, because they have lost the rational capacity. However, part of us being Human, is also that we make mistakes, nobody’s perfect. Sometimes we make mistakes without thought and intention. But sometime we knowingly and deliberately commit sins and do wrong to others. It is said that `To err is human and to forgive is divine`. Both parts of this statement are very true. As human beings we are responsible, but we do also make mistakes and we are constantly in need of forgiveness. Two Types of forgiveness: * Forgiveness from Allah * Forgiveness from other people Both are important as we do wrong to both our God and towards other people. Allah’s Forgiveness Allah is the most forgiving, of all. There is a hadith recited by the prophet that talks about the mercy of Allah. `Allah has written down the good deeds and the bad ones. Then he explained it {by saying that} he who has intended a good deed and has not done it, Allah writes it down with Himself as a full good deed, but if he has intended and has done it, Allah writes it down with Himself as from ten good deeds to seven hundred times, or many times over. But if he has intended a bad deed and has not done it, Allah writes it down as a full good deed, but if he has intended it and has done it, Allah writes it down as one bad deed.` There are many names given to Allah in the Qur’an, some of these names are related to His mercy and forgiveness. Here are some of them, with their meanings. Al-Ghafoor: The most forgiving. This name appears in the Qur’an more than seventy times. There are other names from the same root, such as Ghafir and Ghaffar. The meaning of the `ghafara` is to cover, to hide and from it comes the meaning `to excuse`, `to pardon`, `to remit` and `to forgive`. Allah does all these things. In the Qur’an it is mentioned that Allah does not forgive however without `Shirk` repentance but he may forgive every other sin for whomsoever he wills. Al-Thawwab: The Acceptor of repentance. This name of Allah is mentioned in the Qur’an about eleven times. Allah accepts repentance of those who truthfully and whole- heartedly repent and turn to him. The word `thawwab` gives the sense of `often returning` which means that Allah again and again accepts out repentance and forgives us. We commit sins and mistakes then we repent and he forgives us, then we go and commit more sins and repent and accepts our repentance again and gives us another chance. The Qur’an teaches that Allah is a Judge and He also punishes but Allah is not bound to punish. The justice of Allah, according to Qur’an is that Allah does not and will not inflict undue punishment on any person. He will not ignore the good of any person, but if He wishes to forgive any sinner, He has the full freedom to do so, His mercy is unlimited as shown in the hadith above and his love infinite. Human Forgiveness in Islam: It is very important to believe in the mercy and forgiveness of Allah but it is also necessary to base relationships on forgiveness. We cannot expect Allah’s forgiveness unless we also forgive those who do wrong to us. Forgiving each other, even forgiving one’s enemies is one of the most important Islamic teachings. In the Qur’an Allah has described the believers as: `Those who avoid major sins and acts of indecencies are those who when they are angry they forgive. ` `The reward of the evil is the evil thereof, but whosoever forgives and makes amends, his reward is upon Allah. ` Even in another Hadith, the Prophet once said that Allah had commanded him nine things, one of which he mentioned was: `That I forgive those who do wrong to me` The Prophet of Islam was the most known truthful and especially forgiving man. He was always ready to forgive his enemies even the very worse ones. When he went to the town of Ta’if to preach the message of God with his adopted son Mahmood, its people mistreated him, they abused him and hit him with stones. He left the city upset and wounded, then when he took shelter under a tree; the angel of Allah visited him and told him that Allah sent him to destroy the people of Ta’if because of their sin of mistreating the prophet. The prophet [rayed to Allah to save the people of Ta’if, because what they did was out of their ignorance. He said, `Oh Allah, guide these people, because they did no know what they were doing. ` When he entered the city of Mecca after the victory, the Prophet had in front of him some his most terrible, hateful enemies. Those who had fought ruthlessly against him, plotted to kill him for many years, persecuted his followers and killed many of them. Now he had full power to do whatever he wanted, to punish them for their crimes. It is then described that the prophet asked them: `What do you think I shall do to you now? ` They pleaded for mercy The Prophet returned `Today I shall say to you what Prophet Yusuf (Joseph and his 11 brothers) said to his brothers, `No blame on you today. Go, you are all free. ` Such was his immense mercy that they all came to finally realise the greatness of Islam and accept it with their hearts. He even forgave the previous rulers wife Hind who had caused the murder of his uncle Hamza. After killing him she had his body cut open wide and chewed on his lever leaving him to bleed. Despite this atrocious crime, when she accepted Islam and submitted herself to Allah, the prophet still forgave her. Conclusion Overall, all in all in my total truthful opinion, I do believe that Islam the true words from Allah does promote equality among society. `O Mankind! I have created you from a male and female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one from another. Verily, the most honourable of you in the sight of Allah is he who has the most taqwa among of you. Verily, Allah is All-knowing, All-Aware. ` With this verse, Islam declares its equality among people, that is because Islam respects a human for being a human not for any other reason; Islam does not distinguish between two races or two groups of people or between two colours and the Prophet Muhammad spoke to the people signifying that concept during his last pilgrimage, saying: `O People! Your God is one; your father is one; no preference of an Arab neither over non-Arab nor of a non-Arab over an Arab or red over black or black over red except for the most righteous. Verily the most honoured of you is the most righteous. ` Despite the teachings of our Lord and Prophet, these are all empty words if people do not listen to them and use them as their guides, and unfortunately when conflict does arise it is not because Muslims are fighting for their freedom in Jihad, No it is an extremely small minority of people who using Islam as a cover, go against the word of Allah and commit crimes. However, the majority of Muslims emphasize the equality in their religion, practically and theoretically. When all are praying whoever comes to the mosque 1st, can sit down in the front row regardless of his financial state or position and whoever comes last takes his place in the last row regardless of his position or importance. If you look along each row, one can see a diversity of people all kneeling down together sitting on the floor, the rich and poor, the knowledgeable and the unknowledgeable. There are no differences among these people as they are all the same in the sight of Allah, their direction during prayer, as well s their holy book, as their Lord is one and also their movements during the prayer follow one imam. Especially in Mecca and Medina, when hajj or umrah is performed, equality there is at its highest, everyone side by side all wearing the same clothes all bowing to the same God, only thing differing among them is the strength of their belief and the good they have done. An example of such was when some of the companions talked to Osama Bin Zaid, the favourite of Prophet Muhammad, to intervene for the sake of the well reputed woman from the Quraish tribe who deserved punishment for stealing (that is having her hand cut) Osama talked to the prophet, the prophet got angry and said: ` Those before you were districted, that is because the renowned is untouched when he steals, and the poor is punished, verily if Fatima (daughter of Muhammed) stole, I would have her hand cut. ` Islam is emphasizing the equality and applying it into the society since 1400 years ago, when during that time mankind used to suffer the worst distinction among people and individuals in culture and prepared the enslaving o humans. This is where the secret to Islam’s great real power, strength and past triumph lie. One is mistaken to think that Islam prevailed only because Muslims like dying in battles as others like to live, no!. Islam did not win through battles only, but because Islam is a complete unique guidance for life, unique in its rituals, beliefs, dealings and ethics and from all in all that is the religion of Allah. Â   Bibliography The holy qur’an the companions of the prophet book2 al-nawawi’s 40 hadiths Religion & equality booklet www.islamonline.net www.islam101.com www.bbc.co.uk/gcse/bitesize www.islamicforums.com