Electronic and mobile commerce solutions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Electronic and mobile commerce solutions - Essay Example The service is operational twenty four hour a day everyday across the year. Nevertheless, consumers face challenges of no instant gratification so, delivery may take a while. There is limited consumer service because they have no one to attend to their questions hence can only see the goods without touching them. Bespoke is service offered to a consumer after the consumer has given order for it to be made. The bespoke products include; clothes, vehicles or furniture. This service is good because a consumer is assured of an original and new product of their choice unlike ready to use items on sale. On the other hand, there is lack of supervision by the consumer when their products are made therefore omission errors are inevitable (Andrew et.al, 1997). Consequently, since it is business on the internet, the choice of materials used may not be satisfactory to the ones requested by the consumers. An example is bespokemoda.com An online software solution is an ecommerce website solution that allows selling online by providing software that creates an online store. An example of online software is Shopify solutions. It is easy to set up and synchronizes the store’s products, inventory, orders and consumers between ecommerce site and retail stores. Open sources like magneto and e-commerce solutions is a platform that uses latest web technologies offering professional features, flexibility and controls the activities like shopping online for example Word Press. An Open Source establishes an e-business with convenient product and catalogue browser options, extended consumer management and has an intuitive interface of administration well rated with an extensive network support. Magneto can be used on PHP and MySQL installed in any web server because they are available as free software therefore is prone to hacking and virus attacks (Awad, 2006). In line with electronic commerce is the mobile commerce technology. Mobile commerce is an online commercial transactions

Apollo 13 Video Clip Essay Example for Free

Apollo 13 Video Clip Essay In chapters seven through ten several OB topics were examined. As you review the video, look for incidences that relate to OB concepts that you observe. Identify two concepts, explain where you observed them in the video and to which chapter they apply. Provide either work or personal examples to support each of the observations Post: Tiffany Demko Week 4 Discussion – MGMT 362 Apollo 13 Video clip First off this is a great movie, and I’m not much of a movie buff. I found way more than just 2 ob concepts in this clip. I think that managing a team is a difficult task because it requires a hardy personality to be a calming rational thinker while taking others in consideration, and blocking the negativity or tension that maybe building. Bill Paxton Tom Hank’s characters points out that the smartest people on the planet have been brought together to make sure every setting is correct, and all the resources needed are available. Tom Hanks points out that they have a large amount of variables to consider when overcoming the challenges before them, and they are just starting that â€Å"task† list so to speak. Making decisions fairly to limit the inequity amongst the group is vital to the members working together to achieve their common goal, getting home. Remembering that a team is brought together because of their diverse roles, and knowledge that they bring to the table, each person working in a group or on a team has been given that opportunity because of their expertise. In any crisis situation it is always a good idea to apply forward thinking, and I think that is what Kevin Bacon’s character was trying to point out. Handling a potential challenge before it becomes a real issue is value added indeed, all to often we can fix something at that moment that could help avoid other pitfalls, but if we wait until we get to that item on the â€Å"task list† one may not have the same options available to them. Respect must always be given among a team in my opinion, it’s how you grow, and it’s what you personally should be able to expect, and rely on from those your working with.

Understanding Food Health Nutrition And Diet Media Essay

Understanding Food Health Nutrition And Diet Media Essay Good nutrition is vital to good health. With such multiculturism and modern society, food has established to be much more sophisticated and in variety. Our world is swept away with not we eat as a normal food but it has been triggering our taste buds by colourful advertisements. Although minority of people in uk may eat well but most of them from backward and disadvantaged society care less about how they eat. Poor nutrition is the major problem in our country, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity, have produced to the growth of obesity in our country. The purpose of this assignment is to create a difference between food and diet and similarly it includes how the media representation has affected our lives with unhealthy choices and the impact on health wellbeing. The assignment reflects on the policy of food manufactures which influences the range and quality of the food consumed, and furthermore we will focus on unhealthy eating habits which have lead a threat to different kinds of diseases in Uk. Background As food industry is rapidly growing we will focus on how early advertisements for foods had helped in changing the way of food we eat. The word advertising is acquired from the French advertisement which is also said as a giving attention or broadcast. The aim of the advertisement is to publicly convey the information through mass communication. Advertising brings focus to variety of products such as consumer products, including food which is also a major consumer of advertising. Advertising depends on individual manufactures or as in a group and by wholesalers,retailes and distributors According to the long history of advertising, modern advertising began with discovery of printing in the sixteenth century. The early advertisements for foods which were implied those for books, medicines, cures and remedies meant to be for foods and drinks that were first dominated by upper class people. The English first reported coffee in 1652,chocolate in 1657 and tea in 1658. there was no significance expansion of print advertisements until the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The growth of the advertisement began to spread by changing and developing trade patterns especially the rail network and the improvement of roads, therefore the improvement of transportation granted the expansion of extended regional and national trade  networks. As  the goods and products began increasing they had to be more efficient and effectively distributed and marketed. The early stage of advertisement included the print media, the spread of literacy, newspapers and magazines ,after 1850 ,t he development  stimulated. In  the last hundred years that advertisement has developed in a major industry. So it has become important that it is the core to the production of general communications and provides the commercial basis that qualifies to exist. Understanding Food, Health, Nutrition and Diet Food Food can be defined as the any substance that provides the nutrients necessary to maintain life and growth when absorbed. However when most of the animals feed, they repeatedly consume foods necessary for their wellbeing but in humans, however, do not eat .they eat. Over the last 100 years the society has believed that the apart from supplying basic energy ,food has very little sustain on physical and mental health .food then, is something very powerful rather that of mere nourishment ,it forms the significance of the very being. Health Health comparable to love or joyness is hard to explain or basically impossibly to measure. According to WHO (World health organisation),health is defined as a state of complete ,physical ,mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of diseases and infirmity. This definition of health has a whole dimension of meaning on how we understand health. Our health is affected by how we choose to live our life and these aspects of life depends on mental issues ,significance such as climate ,our intake in nutritional food ,comfortable shelter, clean air to breath and pure water to drink and socially how much we are connected with our family, friends and in our workplace. Health is how we take decisions in our daily life, sometimes the social and physical environment present obstacles to making healthier choices. Health is not something that happens miraclously.There is three main things to remember about health. Being free from symptoms of disease and pain as much as possible. Being active ,able to do what you want and what you must at the appropriate time. Being in good spirits and feeling emotionally healthy most of the time. Nutrition Nutrition is the study of all the intercommunication that occur between people and food. It includes the understanding which nutrients we need ,where to find them in food ,how they are used by our bodies,and the result they have on our health .It s also considered the other factors such as society ,culture, economies and technology, which are involved in maintain and choosing the food we eat. we do not eat specific nutrient,we eat food and we choose the right amount of combination of foods and thus our diet provides all the nutrients we need to stay healthy and if we choose a poor amount of food in our body the essential nutrients will be missing in our body   but however to maintain the right nutrients it can be very challenging and difficult because we eat for many other reasons but we do not eat thinking that we need nutrients to maintain a good diet . There are over 40 different nutrients important to human life. We need to consume these nutrients in our diets because it   is not made by our body and it cannot be made in large amounts to get healthy. Different food contains different nutrients depending in amounts and combinations. Nutrients provide three basic functions in the body. Some nutrients provide energy, some provide antibodies and some provide structure. Each nutrients has its own unique way of performing all these functions and all the nutrients together are needed for growth, to maintain and repair the body and to allow us to reproduce Diet Diet is the right amount of food we eat according to our bodys resistance. Once our nature of diet is determined, it is important to develop and control of what we eat .this is important because to provide enough energy as well as balance our metabolic needs . Although we have the right amount of our nutrients it is important to have a balance diet. As for the formal routine of our meals which is three square meals depending on what we eat in our breakfast, lunch and dinner but many of us end up eating much more than how much we have to eat . we indulge ourselves with several snacks or treats thorough out the day depending on our food and energy .the pattern of eating has been changing thus to maintain of body nutrients we need to have a   balanced diet and approach to healthy eating. Life style and behaviour Early childhood is considered the most important stage of the development. Healthy early child development includes the physical. Healthy early child development includes the physical, social (emotional and language) and cognitive behaviours each of which is equally important . our early childhood stages of influenced by wellbeing ,obesity, or stunting ,mental health, heart disease,literacy and numeracy criminality and economic participation through life.   The relationship between lifestyle and health is regardless of understanding the consequences and of personal decision making and patterns of behaviour that have tremendous effect on health and on the nations economy. The range of other behaviours that adversely affect health is tremendous. Our dietary behaviours such as consumption of fat ,sodium, and sugar ,leading to an epidemic of obesity   and associated problems. Fast food has donimated the cycle of food industry .the cheaper price and tasty way of changing   how eat .it is impossible to count and focus on how to check the intake of carbohydrate and fatty food . on the other hand if we talk about exercises , it is yet very essential to at least jog or walk a mile everyday to reorganise our body but because of growing number of facilities and remedies were prolong to give ourselves some time, so should we blame on modernisation? We have easily coped with modern society and its technology .many researchers has revealed that t oo much spending time on for example television can cause harmful illness as it has less physical activity. These days children has no outdoor activities because they are lured in computers, video games and mobiles. Difference between Food and Diet food diet Provides nutrients(proteins, fats carbohydrate, minerals) Habitual eating Origin from plants and animals Maintains body nutrients Two methods Hunting, gathering and agriculture Restricting over eating according to our height and weight Consists variety of such as vegetables, meat and dairy products Healthy lifestyle   Nutritional requirements Proper nutrition is a very essential to our body because it keeps or body functioning normally. Our body cannot function on its on it needs nutrients from food to transfer all the energy we need and the nutrients is obtained from our diet therefore our body will store them . Nutrition also targets on how diseases, conditions and the problems can be prevented with a healthy diet but moreover it helps in recognizing certain diseases or problems such as poor diet ,food allergies and other metabolic diseases. A well-nourished body equally distributes all the nutrients in the food to all parts of the body. Nutrition is categorised in two ways macronutrients and micronutrients, both has a vital role to providing the right amount of nutrients. Macronutrients consists of carbohydrates, proteins and fats where as micronutrients includes minerals, vitamins and water. Advantages and disadvantages of processed food Food processing is the process of changing raw food materials into more readily usable form. Its advantages and disadvantages are: Advantages: 1. We get food materials out of season. 2. It prevents spoilage of food stuff. 3. It enables the availability of food material at distant places. 4. Storage period increases. Disadvantages: 1. Processed food-stuffs often lose nutrients. 2. Milled and polished rice results in loss of iron and vitamin B. 3.   There is loss in weight and nutrients. 4. The original taste changes to some extent. Function of food advertising Advertising has plays an vital role and has number of functions. it  is meant to launch new  products. It  is used to increase the sale of the products that are already established in the marketplace. In 1956 the advertisement for the biscuit company ,manufactured by Cadbury caused a high increase in its sales.the main function of advertisement is to promote the growth of the product.with higher incomes,fancy eating and changing drink makes a competition in the marketplace to regain its market strength. Costs of Advertising Plenty of money is being spend for food advertising. In Great Britain in 1999 the top food advertiser was Mars, a confectionery firm, which spent $99,488,921 ( £63,629,000) on its advertising; the second, spending $82,966,590 ( £53,062,000), was Kelloggs (GB), followed by the supermarket chain J. Sainsbury with $76,846,990 ( £49,151,000). The top brand was McDonalds fast-food restaurants, which spent $66,260,524 ( £42,379,000). Other highly advertised brands include the other fast-food restaurants, Kentucky Fried Chicken $19,279,797 ( £12,331,000) and Burger King $17,604,550 ( £11,259,000). Among the high food advertisers were supermarkets that promoted both their stores and their branded products. Sainsburys was the top supermarket brand ($45,528,848, or  £29,118,000) followed by Tesco ($28,564,912, or  £18,286,000), then Asda ($25,034,171, or  £16,010,000). As these figures suggest, not all foodstuffs are advertised to the same extent. In Britain in 1999, highly advertised foods include cereal products, confectionery, ice cream, potato crisps, snacks and nuts, margarine, lowfat spreads, and cheese. By comparison, small sums are spent on herbs and spices, excluding pepper and curry. Advertising-to-sales ratios vary greatly between products. For herbs and spices and fresh vegetables the figure may be as low as 0.06 percent and 0.07 percent respectively. Many foods had less than a 1 percent ratio. Intensive advertising at 11.31 percent was noted for cereals. Generally, advertising of food products shows a lower percentage of expenditure than that of other products, including alcoholic drinks and tobacco source:  http://www.answers.com/topic/advertising-of-food Advertising Media Food is advertised through a number of channels. As new technologies have become available, the opportunities for advertising have enlarged. A number of these are especially important. Newspapers and magazines have long been a significant vehicle for advertising. Newspapers in Britain published advertisements in the seventeenth century, and, as the provincial press expanded, greater opportunities became available for food advertising. In the later nineteenth century, magazines increasingly started to carry advertisements: In the United States in the 1930s, some 20 percent of products advertised in the major print advertising media of womens and domestic magazines were for food and drink products. When radio networks were discovered(in 1926 and 1927 in the United States), they used advertising to bring in cash flow. Food and drink manufacturers sponsored programs and also advertised their products in short commercial breaks. In the 1950s television introduced a further medium that owe s its effectiveness to the wide range of means that can be used to promote a product: moving pictures, sound (voice and music), and the written word. In the late twentieth century the introduction and extended use of the World Wide Web and e-commerce had an enormous initial growth. In the United Kingdom, growth rates for online marketing since the mid-1990s have been consistently well in excess of 100 percent, year after year. Internet advertising is undertaken through a number of means. In the year 2000, the majority (81 percent) of advertising took place through banners, and small numbers through sponsorship (9 percent), classified advertisements (7 percent), and other means (3 percent). Internet advertising includes sites from manufacturers, product manufacturing boards, supermarkets (which allow for online shopping and home delivery), and food enthusiast sites (for example, for British products in the United States). Other media have provided further means of advertising food. Billboards and hoardings were first used for this purpose in Britain in the 1890s and are found over a wide geographical area. Light displays in cities, such as those for the carbonated drink Irn-Bru in Glasgow and Coca-Cola in London, have presented advertisements as visual images within central cityscapes. Buses and electric cars (especially since the 1890s in the United States) have carried advertising, usually on their sides or rear. Manufacturers advertise their products on their distribution vans; some also have special promotional vehicles that they use in campaigns where they take their product to public places or special shows to advertise it. Sponsorship of major public popular and sporting events is undertaken by a number of manufacturers. Flora margarine, made from sunflower oil, which is high in essential polyunsaturated, has been the sponsor of the London marathon in the late 1990s; the Bells open golf champio nship is sponsored by Bells, the whiskey manufacturer. Advertising and promotion of foods is undertaken within the retail industry. Fancy displays draw attention to one or a range of products. In Britain, displays from the 1860s included decorative tins with hinged lids developed by the biscuit manufacturer Huntley and Palmers of Reading. As self-service supermarkets developed, largely after World War II, products could be displayed to draw special attention to them. Three-dimensional displays promoted a single product or a range, and tended to be developed by manufacturers. Supermarkets sometimes hold special testing events where customers can sample a product, thereby encouraging them to buy it. Food is also sold in special promotional packets, sometimes at a special introductory price or a special promotional price. These may hold a sample of the product that can be packaged in a way that reflects the packaging on the regular-sized product. A range of temporary material is distributed to food wholesalers and retailers by manufacturers and others involved in processing and distribution. Some of this, including calendars, pens, and pads of headed note paper, is intended to remind the consumer of the product on a daily basis. Coupons, which allow the consumer to receive a discount on the product when they present one to a retailer, are found in a range of print media, especially newspapers and magazines. The medium that is used to advertise a product is selected for its appropriateness to that product, the nature and scope of the advertising campaign, and its desired target audience. Each medium has its own values and qualities. When television started to become widely adopted in Britain in the mid-1950s, Birds Eye decided to use this new medium to advertise its frozen food products. The company was aware that families with televisions were more likely to be interested in new ideas such as Birds Eyes products. At that time it was recognized that there was a potentially large market for frozen food, which was a relatively new phenomenon. In the 1920s daily newspapers were best suited to advertise foods and other products that were bought on a regular basis. Magazines that were to be read by a particular social class or group carried advertisements for foods and other products that would likely be consumed by them. Advertising Targets Much food advertising is targeted at women, the main buyers of food in the household. As children are recognized as important persuaders in that process and as they may accompany their mothers to buy the family food, advertising is also targeted at them. Recent studies of food advertising in South Africa show the need of advertisers to monitor social changes because food advertising, like advertising in general, reflects social and cultural trends, values, and attitudes. Cultural differences are also reflected in advertising. Chinese television advertisements tend to signify family values, tradition, and technology, whereas themes in American advertisements tend to symbolize the importance of enjoyment, cost savings, and individualism. With the emergence of global culture, specific values such as global cosmopolitanism and modernity (often symbolized by the hamburger) will be spread around the world. Food advertising reflects changing food tastes, diet, and dietary habits. The extent of the references to nutrition, health claims, and weight loss has altered in advertisements in recent decades. Research has indicated that in the United States from the 1960s to the 1980s there was an increase in references to health and weight loss in advertisements for hot and cold cereals, bread and cake mixes, frozen and pre-prepared entrees, peanut butter, canned and instant dry soup, and carbonated beverages in a range of womens magazines. There was a significant rise in health claims in the 1980s, higher than in the 1960s, and the percentage of diet claims that appeared in food advertisements in the 1980s was significantly higher than the percentage reported in the 1960s and 1970s. At the same time, between 1960 and 1980, there were substantial decreases in claims of quality, taste, status, and consumer satisfaction. These may have resulted from changes in womens consumption and dieting behav ior and the increased demand for food that is low in calories but high in nutrition. Concerns about increasing prevalence of obesity in the United States and campaigns against fast-food artificiality-both within the United States and beyond-will likely influence food advertising. SOURCE http://www.answers.com Brand Names Central to the advertising of food is the promotion of brand names and trade names that distinguish between one manufacturers product and that of another. As the survival of these names depends on advertising, some brands and trade names have large advertising budgets allocated to them so that they can maintain their status as products and their place in the marketplace. Brands and trade names arose in the nineteenth century as a response to increased production and the need to efficiently and effectively market products. Brand names started to be promoted in the 1870s, after which their use spread quickly. Significant increases were especially noted in the early twentieth century. Even after they were rapidly adopted, the extent of their use varied geographically and throughout time. During World War II, when widespread restrictions caused materials and food shortages, brand names were abandoned in Europe and were replaced by utility products. They came into operation again once pea cetime conditions were restored. In some cases this was not until well after all controls on food and other raw products were lifted. Especially developed in Western Europe, brand names were, however, prohibited in Eastern Europe. Source http://www.answers.com Impact on health and well being   As we all know the effects of advertising on our lives but lets focus on how much damage it has build in our lifestyle. Large amounts of money are spent in food advertising but as we buy them it all ends up in costing our money as well as our health. In uk obesity is rising in vast number, but there is one reason that is very important is over eating and eating unhealthy food such as junk food, processed food is creating more problem than any other reasons. We are so much brain washed by the advertisements that we spend lots of money just to satisfy our needs and wants.   The childhood obesity is a serious public health problem .Food industry targets children and youth thus leading to body dissatisfaction, eating disorders, depression, bullying and low self-esteem. Obese children has many chronic illnesses such as diabetes,asthma,cancer and other cardiovascular disease but there can be many other psychological and social distress as well but although advertisements do not control on how much we spend and how much we eat it is basically the foods are getting cheaper and more tastier. Conclusion Food advertisement is nor good or bad but how much it has influenced on our health and diet has raised concerns. Food product choice is overwhelming as well as TV commercials and print advertisements has been increased in unhealthier choices. Everything is advertised from food to other materials. As we are lured into buying the food products it has been very difficult to cope with the health problems .Children and women are the main targets because it is very convincing and exclusive. It is not only important to realise that health can be deterioted by our personal choices but as giving ourselves a little bit of time and having a healthy lifestyle. We all seem to be aware about the consequences about the diseases but simple steps can change on how we choose to live our lives. physical activities, healthy food, social interaction ,comfortable shelter and good sleep are some examples that can change our health , therefore we should always control our stress level and try to maintain a healthier choices.

Effect of Social Capital on Democracy

Effect of Social Capital on Democracy Critically assess the concept of social capital? What advantages, if any, does it offer the study of democracy? Introduction Since the 2001 general election much academic debate has centred on voter apathy as the lowest turnout, especially among the young, led many to posit a ‘crises in democracy’ (Russell, 2005: 555). Various theories have attempted to explain the problem as either the result of a ‘life-cycle’ argument, whereby ‘the youngest sections of society are always less likely to vote [†¦] but as they age [†¦] own houses and mortgages, and pay taxes they become more concerned with politics and more likely to vote’ (Denver in Russell, 2005: 556) or a ‘generational effect’ whereby there is an overall decline in active citizenship (Park in Russell, 2005: 556). Against this background the work of Robert Putnam appeared to strike a chord. In his influential Bowling Alone: the Collapse and Revival of American Community (2000)[1], and associated articles, Robert Putnam transferred the concept of social capital from sociology into the realm of p olitics, arguing that increasing individualism had resulted in the decline of community ties and political participation (Russell, 2005: 557), undermining good governance. In the first section I provide an outline of social capital as it was originally formulated by the French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, in the second I detail the concepts move from sociology to political science in the work of Putnam. My contention is that in the process of adapting ‘social capital’, Putnam changes the meaning of the term and thus undermines its usefulness to the study of democracy; that whereas for Bourdieu it was a property held by individuals, in Putnam’s account it is held by collectives. Also, that although Bourdieu believed that social capital was exchangeable with economic capital but not reducible to it, Putnam relies on a distinctly economic understanding of the term. Finally, that Putnam’s use of the term is essentially neo-liberal, whereas for Bourdieu social capital is ultimately about power relations. In the conclusion assess the usefulness of the term to political science and the study of democracy in light of this conceptual drift. Pierre Bourdieu and the Forms of Capital Pierre Bourdieu (1930-2002) originally developed his theory of cultural capital as part of an attempt to explain class-based differentials in educational achievement. His theory has five main features, the different forms of capital; cultural, social and economic, and the concepts of the field and habitus. For Bourdieu capital is best defined as accumulated labour and has the potential to reproduce (Bourdieu, 1986: 241): it is this ability of capital to reproduce that leads Bourdieu to conclude that it is part of the structure of society that shapes individual life chances: it is ‘the set of constraints, inscribed in the very reality of that world [†¦] determining the chances of success for practices’ (Bourdieu, 1986: 242). Social Capital, for Bourdieu, refers to the network of ‘connections’ that an individual enjoys which ‘produce and reproduce lasting, useful relationships that can secure material or symbolic profits’ (Bourdieu, 1986: 249 ): the amount of social capital that an individual can draw upon is thus dependant on the number of people in their social network and the amount of capital cultural, economic or social possessed by those so included. Both cultural and social capitals are therefore rooted in, without being determined by, the possession of economic capital: all three interact to hide the way that social hierarchies are reproduced. Finally, the three forms of capital combine to produce a persons habitus, or set of predispositions whilst the field refers to the arena in which a specific habitus is realised. Thus we can see that for Bourdieu not only was the concept of social capital embedded in relations of power (Burkett, 2004: 236), it was also part of a complex theory that sought to explain the social reproduction of inequality. Bourdieus’ theory has been criticized as being essentialist and deterministic; for John Frow (1995) it is essentialist in that Bourdieu posits ‘a single class â€Å"experience† common to the sociologically quite distinct groups [he] includes in the dominant class’ (Frow, 1995: 62): that an individuals’ class position makes them what they are, he ‘reads off’ both working and middle class culture from their class position, resulting in an essentialist reading of the aesthetic (Frow, 1995: 63). Bourdieus’ theory can also be viewed as deterministic, as individuals’ predispositions are posited as being the direct result of their class position, entailing a denial of individual agency. Further, such a class-based analysis can lead one to minimize the effects of other forms of differentiation, such as gender, ethnicity and age. However, Bourdieu’s use of the term ‘capital’ is both metaphoric and materialistic a nd can be viewed as similar to power: although convertible with economic capital, social capital is not reducible to it (Bourdieu, 1986: 243). Also, Bourdieu argued that the social capital possessed by an individual is a result of their ‘investment strategies’ via ‘a continuing series of exchanges in which recognition is endlessly affirmed and reaffirmed’ (Bourdieu, 1986: 250). Finally, Bourdieu argues that social inequalities become part of the very bodies and predispositions of the individual through his concept of habitus (McNay, 1999: 99), not as a ‘principle of determination’ but as a ‘generative structure’ (McNay, 1999: 100): returning autonomy to the individual his theory is able to transcend determinism; it is an open system which allows for social change (McNay, 1999:101). In summary, for Bourdieu social capital is ultimately about the way that power works through society, and is concerned with the life chances of individu als. Further, the wider theory, especially the concept of the habitus, is useful for theorists who seek to explain patterns of behaviour, including community participation and levels of voting. Robert Putnam: Social Capital and Democracy Robert Putnams’ argument may be summarised as being that the decrease in participation in voluntary organisations has undermined the effectiveness of good governance; ‘that successful and healthy democracies and economies are those possessing dense webs of community participation’ (Walters, 2002: 377). In so arguing, Putnam transferred the concept of social capital from sociology into the realm of political science, arguing that increasing individualism, the anonymity of urban living (Russell, 2002: 557), and the negative effects of television (Putnam, 1995: 75; Walters, 2002: 380), have resulted in the decline of community ties and political participation (Russell, 2002: 557) and thus a decline in social capital. Similar debates were found within the British context, as were calls for a revival of participation and stakeholder values (Walters, 2002: 377). Arguing that a range of issues including ‘drugs, crime, unemployment, development, education and politi cal performance’ (Walters, 2002: 379), and the effectiveness of democracy itself (Putnam, 1995: 66) would benefit from a resurgence of voluntary associations, Putnam therefore calls for a reinvigoration of community participation (Walters, 2002: 377) as ‘members of associations are much more likely than non-members to participate in politics, to spend time with neighbours, to express social trust’ (Putnam, 1995: 73). Defining social capital as ‘features of social organisation such as networks, norms, and social trust that facilitate coordination and cooperation for mutual benefit (Putnam, 1995: 67), Putnam argued that not only has the post-war period witnessed a decline in participation in voluntary associations, but that such membership is now increasingly ‘tertiary’: that ‘the only act of membership consists in writing a check for dues or perhaps occasionally reading a newsletter’ (Ibid. p. 71). Putnam argues that this declining membership, and the increasingly tertiary nature of remaining membership, represents a significant erosion of American social capital (Ibid. p. 73) and, as such, undermines democracy. However, Putnams’ use of the term is markedly different from that of Bourdieu; whereas in Bourdieus’ conception social capital was held by the individual (Walters, 2002: 387), for Putnam social capital is held by collectives (Ibid. p. 379), further, it is difficult to see how there can be a reduction in social capital, rather than a qualitative change in its composition. William Walters (2002) argues that Putnam’s use of the concept differs from Bourdieu’s in another key respect; whereas for Bourdieu social capital, although transferable with economic capital, is not reducible to it (Bourdieu, 1986: 243), Putnam assumes ‘a self-maximising individual for whom associative activity can, under certain circumstances, be an investment’ (Walters, 2002: 379, my emphasis). Rather that discussing the social capital of individuals embedded within relations of power, for Putnam social capital ‘implies a learning mechanism that is more economic that socio-psychological’ (Ibid. p. 387), and as such represents an extension of the economic metaphor in order to convince us that society is ‘self-governing’ (Ibid. p. 391): by using social capital in this way, individuals are made responsible for good governance – now conceived as a ‘horizontal space of multiple communities’ (Ibid. p. 388) – adding the discourse of the ‘civic and uncivic’ to the list of divisions by which normative judgements are naturalised (Ibid. p. 392). Thus for Putnam ‘social capital is simultaneously cause and effect’ (Ibid. p. 380). Further, rather than situating the individual within a web of power relations, Putnam relies on the atomised individual of neo-liberalism (Burkett, 2004: 236). Finally, whilst this author agrees that society benefits when individuals participate in voluntary organisations, Putnam assumes a link between such involvement and an improved performance for democracy, yet this link remains to be clearly, empirically, demonstrated (Freitag, 2006: 124). Such an argument also undermines the role of government in shaping civil society (Walters, 2002: 380) and in shaping social capital (Freitag, 2006:128), and as such can only provide a skewed picture of the link between community participation and the functioning of democracy. In Conclusion In conclusion, we can see that in the process of adapting ‘social capital’ to the realm of political science, Putnam changes the meaning of the term; that whereas for Bourdieu it was a property held by individuals, in Putnam’s account it is held by collectives. Also, that although Bourdieu believed that social capital was exchangeable with economic capital he believed it was not reducible to it, whilst Putnam relies on a distinctly neo-liberal, economic understanding of the term: that whereas for Bourdieu the individual and therefore their social capital resources are ultimately concerned with relations of power, Putnam utilises an atomistic and self-maximising conception of the individual (Walter, 2002: 386) involved in building networks of self-governance (Walters, 2002: 388) and one wonders if such an argument may, in part, justify the ‘rolling back’ of the state. Finally, that the use of the term in political science rests on the assumption of a l ink between membership of voluntary organisations and political participation, but this link remains to be empirically proven. Indeed, Markus Frietag argues that it is political institutions that ‘matter’, that there are in fact three ‘political prerequisites’ for collective social capital: institutional provision for direct democracy, respect for minorities and outsiders as part of consensus building, and a degree of local autonomy (Frietag, 2006: 145). Ben Fine argues that academia has become subject to a ‘social capital fetish’ (in Burkett, 2004: 234); that it’s now weak conceptualisation ‘means that social capital can be virtually anything’ (Burkett, 2004: 238). He is also concerned that, too often, social capital is in fact ‘primarily participation from below imposed from above’ (in Burkett, 2004: 243): perhaps we should be wary that calls for increased social capital are not simply calls for a withdrawal o f state responsibility. Bibliography Bourdieu, Pierre (1986) ‘The forms of Capital’ in Handbook of Theory and Research for the Sociology of Education, London: Greenwood Press, pp. 241-258. Burkett, Paul (2004) ‘Book Review: Social Capital versus Social Theory: Political Economy and Social Science at the Turn of the Millennium’ by Fine, Ben (London: Routledge) in Historical Materialism, Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 233-246. Freitag, Markus (2006) ‘Bowling the State Back In: Political Institutions and the Creation of Social Capital’ in European Journal of Political Research, Vol. 45, pp. 123-152. Frow, John (1995) ‘Accounting for Tastes: Some Problems in Bourdieus’ Sociology of Culture’ in Cultural Studies, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 59-73. McNay, L (1999) ‘Gender, habitus and the Field: Pierre Bourdieu and the Limits of Reflexivity’ in Theory, Culture Society, Vol. 16, No. 1, pp. 95-117. Putnam, Robert (1995) ‘Bowling Alone: America’s Declining Social Capital, An Interview with Robert Putnam’ in Journal of Democracy, Vol. 6, No. 1, pp. 65-78. Russell, Andrew (2005) ‘Political Parties as Vehicles of Political Engagement’, Parliamentary Affairs, Vol. 58, No. 3, pp. 555-569. Walters, William (2002) ‘Social Capital and Political Sociology: Re-imagining Politics?’ Sociology, Vol. 36, No. 2, pp. 377-397. 1 Footnotes [1] New York, N.Y.: Simon Schuster.

The Color Purple :: essays research papers

The Struggle to Express Themselves A Struggle to Express Themselves There is one primordial reason why we do not doubt Europeans have taken the lead in history, in all epochs before and after 1492, and it has little to do with evidence. It is a basic belief which we inherit from prior ages of thought and scarcely realize that we hold: it is an implicit belief, not an explicit one, and it is so large a theory that it is woven into all of our ideas about history, both within Europe and without. . . (Blaut pg. 6-7). African-American people have had to climb over many obstacles to get to their position today. First, was the selling of their people into slavery. Then, they endured slavery itself, being treated like an animal. After slavery was abolished, Colored people still had to deal with racial discrimination and hatred. If this sounds rough, black women had it worse. African-American women had to deal with all the previously mentioned things, but they were women too! Females were oppressed almost as bad as the blacks. White women were not able to vote until the 1920. Therefore colored women had a double edged sword, they had to fight for freedom, but not be to dominate as to effect the men. Alice Walker's The Color Purple is a good example of colored women's plight. Three obstacles black women had to overcome to be able to express themselves were Racism, the lack of education, and the stereo-type that women are inferior. African-Americans have always experienced racism throughout their habitation in America. Slavery, is what caused most of the hatred towards blacks. African Americans were sold by their people and sent off to a foreign land. Colored people were used as work horses when they entered America. "It was acceptable for a white person to be lazy (in the South), and therefore, a white person takes advantage of this" (Theriault). White people wanted to keep their laziness. If the slaves were set free, then the whites would have to do more work. The slaves still fought for what they wanted, and finally won their "independence." Another dilemma was "if the south could abolish slavery, what would happen to the slaves? These slaves have been slaves for all their lives and would require education. These slaves would also require homes, some type of compensation, and more" (Theriault). Blacks were put in prison for rebelling against the white establishment. Most times these crimes were minuscule in comparison to the crimes committed against blacks or by whites. A colored person could be put in jail for looking at someone inappropriately, but if a black man was

gender codes :: essays research papers

Gender Codes   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As I have read through this chapter I have noticed the one thing that is common in every section. Each one talks about how men seem to be more powered over women, and then the next it goes to how women then how more control over men, but I think it is all based one the one theory. What era it is. If you talk about the 50’s women who were big and HAD curves where gorgeous. One example would be Marilyn Monroe, she was a size 16 at that time, and she was considered one of the most beautiful women of that time. Next if we go tot he 60’s and 70’s, what ever you looked like you were beautiful too. If we skip forward to the 90’s you will now notice that look are everything. Being ‘bigger’ isn’t the thing. Its either being twig like or muscle like. Now that is for the common women. If you look at men they have never really been judged as harshly as women. A guy could get away with having a big beer belly and no one would rea lly think differently of him. They say the perfect man is business like, muscular, tall, dark and hansom. But honesty how many men REALLY strive for that. Women look at pictures and say to themselves she is blonde, tall, skinny., I can dye my hair blonde, go anorexic, and wear pant that make my legs look longer. Most men don’t sit there and say, ok, I’m going to go to school to become MORE of a business man, I’ll work out everyday for two hours, go tanning so I look darker especially in the winter, and go to a really expensive hair dresser to make me look hansom. I honestly don’t think men would do that. I can see them working out, I can see them going to the hairdresser for a nice haircut, and they might go swimming in the summer.

Tesco: Assessing the change implications of Tesco’s Rapid International Business process.

Executive summary Change is inevitable in any organization that aspires to grow. As an organization, Tesco has diversified its operations and extended into new markets in various countries such as China, Japan among others. However, its largest market base is still in the United Kingdom. This paper discusses the implications that the company’s rapid internationalization has had on its operations. Penetration into new and undiscovered markets which seem unattractive to many retailers and selling for low prices is the key strategy employed by this organization in its expansion process. They are able to charge these low prices due to the numerous benefits of economies of scale they enjoy due to mass production and sale. This strategy however, does not lack challenges just like any other strategy employed by other organizations. For instance, the competitors in the new markets can also reduce their prices thereby limiting the market to new entrants such as Tesco. This is especially so in large emerging markets such as China and Japan. This paper also addresses the need for change and factors that have contributed to change at Tesco. There are a number of reasons why change is important. For instance, in order to ensure it remains competitive, some aspects of the organization have to change. The factors which drive change in this organization include political factors, social factors, technological factors, economic factors and even its objectives as an organization. The change process in this organization receives support from all the levels of the organization and the goals and vision are clearly communicated to the members. This is evidenced by its exemplary performance. Despite the numerous challenges faced in the change process, it has remained afloat and the benefits of the change are evident through its continued expansion. This paper exhaustively explores the change process at Tesco, analyzes the situation and makes suggestions that the company can use in implementation of the change. Introduction Tesco is a general merchandising retail chain and an international grocery store. Founded in 1919, it has grown over the years and is currently operating in over 12 countries globally with a total of 530,000 employees. In 2012, it had ?3.03 billion in profits and ?59.4 billion in turnover. Most of its revenue (65%) comes from the United Kingdom. However, other places such as Asia, United States and Europe also are responsible for a large portion of its revenue (Tesco, 2012). It operates under different brand names, which include Superstore, Express Extra and Metro. It sells about 40,000 food items in its superstores, clothes and other nonfood items. It also owns petrol stations and offers personal finance services such as life insurance. Its expansion has placed it at a top position globally and currently is ranked as the largest retailer in Britain and as the third largest retailer globally (Lowe et al., 2012). The own-label products of the company are grouped into three segments na mely: the value level, normal level and finest level products. Despite the extensive development of the retailing and nonfood services, Tesco has undertaken huge investments internationally in a bid to ensure its continued growth. To ensure efficiency in operations and costs in its international operations, it has incorporated IT solutions to facilitate business processes (Miozzo et al., 2012). This paper provides an in-depth analysis of Tesco’s rapid internationalization. Situation and Culture Every organization has its own culture which either serves to identify its employees and customers or serves to ensure efficient running and cohesive relationships among the employees (Maitah, 2010). Tesco’s culture is distinctive through its numerous corporate social activities. These demonstrate its ideologies and values such as honesty, responsibility and fairness. This sense of social responsibility drove the organization into stating up supermarkets in areas where other supermarkets would not go into due to their native nature. At Tesco, there are string bonds among the staff and customers. This has been quite instrumental in contributing to wards employee job satisfaction and offering services that are satisfactory to customers. These relationships have ensured efficient operations within the organization due to the social groups formed (Tesco PLC, 2014). There are shared values upheld by the staff thereby ensuring a reduction in conflicts among them. This also encourages loyalty of the staff to the organization thereby ensuring its good performance is sustained. Lastly it helps them get a better understanding of the customers’ needs (Tesco PLC, 2014). Tesco has a flexible work environment, which ensures an increase in employee participation in various roles and decisions and also enhances their adaptability to possible changes within the organization. An inflexible work environment would in most cases lead to resistance from the employees, thereby limiting their productivity and innovation. In the long run, it will affect the performance of the organization (Tseng, 2011). The management practice undertaken by the organization tends to be in line with theory Y assumptions. In this theory, the management believes that the employees view their work as normal and will aim at obtaining additional responsibilities in their places of work (Russ, 2011). Given the right conditions, these managers believe that workers will be self-driven and work efficiently. Therefore, there will be joint decision making in regards to setting of objectives and development of strategies required to achieve these goals. Also these managers will delegate most duties and promote team work (Lowe et al., 2012). Even though the managers at Tesco have incorporated some of these propositions in the daily management of the organizations activities, it may not entirely lead to efficiency. This is because of the extensive number of the subordinates one manger supervises making it difficult to use the approach (Be nfari, 2013). Also, tasks allocated to the subordinates do not need specialized skills hence continued supervision by the managers is required in order for them to issue direction and ensure continuity in a bid to achieve the set goals of the firm (Inman et al., 2014 ). Drivers of change and the organizations stage in the change process There is always need for change in any organization, which is usually propelled by a variety of factors, which is also the case at Tesco. This section outlines the different factors that have contributed to the need for change at Tesco. It also addresses the stage of change in which the company currently is. One of these is the changing political environment. New legislations come up every day and therefore it needs to conform to these standards in order to avoid any legal suits against them. Legal suits may affect its cash flows as a majority of people may claim compensation. Issues also such as political instability may affect the operations of the organization (Lowe et al., 2012). Economic factors are also responsible for the changes. Factors such as economic crisis and fall in demand for goods may affect the cash flows adversely as sales will slump. This therefore poses a need for diversification of its operations hence a presenting a need for change (Benn et al., 2014). As the c ompany expands its operations, it manages this risk because when the risk is high in a certain market, there is another market with stable economic conditions (Polak et al., 2011). Social factors also contribute to this. Customer loyalty is a key social factor needed to ensure growth and sustainability of any business (Mahatma et al., 2013). For instance, news that the beef burgers from Tesco had horsemeat adversely affected the image of the organization and lowered the customer loyalty (The Guardian, 2013). This therefore drives for change as it has to ensure those who were affected are compensated and that corrective action is taken so no such occurrences are experienced in the future. Changes in the marketing strategies therefore are needed in order to restore the customer base (Anderson & Swaminathan, 2011). It can also be argued that technological factors are responsible for these changes (Hitt & Tambe, 2012). Due to Tesco’s extensive operations all over the world, it needs to adopt new technological advancements in order to ensure efficiency in its operations such as production and marketing. Issues such as social media marketing through twitter and Facebook should be considered in order to ensure they meet their target audience (Tuten & Solomon, 2012). Online shopping channels should also be enhanced further (Plunkett, 2009). At present, Tesco has undertaken numerous steps towards the change process. It has diversified its operations in order to prevent losses due to economic factors in one area. For instance it produces products such as petroleum and food products, both of which have inelastic demand (Tesco PLC, 2014). It complies with both the legal and ethical requirements especially in regards to food products and also compensates affected individuals in order to avoid law suits which could harm its operations. Also, the organization has undertaken numerous technological advancements in its operations in order to ensure its operations are well managed and that their customers are served efficiently (de Kervenoael et al., 2011). With reference to the j-curve model, there are stages which an organization goes through in the change process (Grabenwarter & Weidig, 2005). These include: †¢ Plateau: At this level there are minimal disruptions in the organization. †¢ Cliff: This stage is characterized by a lot of anxiety and uncertainties surrounding the new process. †¢ Valley: At this point, production is low and there are a lot of frustrations in the work place. It is the most critical part as it determines whether the change will be taken to completion. †¢ Ascent Stage: At this stage, the benefits from the development are reaped. There are no challenges at this point and the limited challenges faced can be easily resolved. †¢ Mountaintop: This is the final stage. Here, both productivity and performance have been improved. According to the j curve model, Tesco is at the ascent stage. This is because some of the benefits from the internationalization strategy are already being ripped by t he company (Lowe et al., 2012). Whether there is a strategy for this planned change or is it a response to a problem. For Tesco, the changes are both in form of a prior vision and as a response to changes in the issues in the market. Tesco has two key strategies which it employs in a bid to achieve its goals. These are: â€Å"How Tesco sells for less†- Tesco‘s goal is to sell large volumes of a wide range of products and services. In order to achieve this, they make use of the economies of scale benefits derived from producing and selling in bulk. This therefore implies that it can lower its prices hence sell its products globally at competitive prices (Tesco PLC, 2014). â€Å"Steering wheel† –this is related to its primary areas of concern. These are operations, people, financial and customers. Of all the four areas of concern, the customers are the most important. Tesco therefore, has ensured that the relationship between them is cordial and built on a t rust basis thereby securing their loyalty. It has ensured it provides quality products at very low prices and also that there is professionalism in service delivery to the customers (Bather & Tucker, 2011). The increase in competition in Tesco’s major markets is the main problem that has also led it to implement the internationalization strategy. With companies like Wal-Mart and Carrefour also struggling for the market share in the UK and other main markets, Tesco has had to consider expanding to other regions where there is less competition (Ryu & Simpson, 2011). Exploration of the problem to be addressed Whereas Tesco has successfully established itself in the many countries and is generally performing well, there are several problems it faces that ought to be addressed. This will improve the company’s performance and give it an edge over its main competitors in the market. These issues are discussed hereunder. Over dependence on the UK market Despite its extensive expansion to other market areas globally, its profits still largely depend on the UK market. About 73.8% and 65% of its profits in 2003 and 2009 respectively came from its UK market (Palmer, 2012). Even though this is not a problem in the short run, it may affect its operations in the long run if its competitors such as the Morrison’s group expand their operations and market share (Benn et al., 2014). Debt International expansion is expensive hence requires heavy cash flows used for marketing and investment purposes. Therefore, Tesco requires huge cash flows and these are raised through borrowing (Randall & Seth, 2011). The repayment of these debts has further been worsened by the economic downturn and has become expensive overtime. Its aggressive expansion activities reduce the cash available for financing other activities in the organization (Benn et al., 2014). Acquisitions Due to its large size, and wide range of products, Tesco can easily take over other firms, especially in the United Kingdom. However, there is a risk posed by it turning into a serial acquirer since these actions will lower its quality, brand visibility and even earnings. This therefore should be addressed and a different expansion strategy considered (Johnson & Turner, 2010). Aggressive expansion into large markets such as China and Japan may lead to a decline in returns due to reasons such as the existing economic conditions in these markets, reactions by competitors and failure of the company’s strategy (Benn et al., 2014). The key players and what each player may lose or win The key players here include: †¢ Competitors- these are most likely to lose their market share due to an increase in Tesco’s market share. Some of its competitors include ASDA, Carrefour S.A, Safeway Inc. and the Royal Dutch (Palmer, 2012). †¢ Government- the governments in various cou ntries where Tesco operates would most likely gain additional revenue from the taxes paid in by Tesco (Johnson & Turner, 2010). †¢ Customers- the consumers will benefit due to quality products at cheap prices since this is the main aim of Tesco. As the company seeks to gain a larger market share, it will be beneficial to clients (Anderson & Swaminathan, 2011). Articulation of the vision to the members or the organization As an organization, Tesco has a clear mission and vision. With a massive workforce of 597, 784 employees (as of 2013) there are strategies that are put in place to ensure that every one is at par with the organization’s mission and vision (Tesco PLC, 2014). The vision of Tesco is to be valued by the customers they serve, the communities in which they operate, colleagues and the shareholders. The organization seeks to transform lives through innovative products and inspire future generations. In all the 12 countries where Tesco operates, the company is va lued and appreciated. The people are served in the best regard and they are loyal clients. This is a clear indication that the vision of the company has been articulated by the members of the organization (Taylor, 2014). The level of support within the organization at each level For the change process to be efficiently implemented in an organization, it is vital for all parties to be equally involved. This will reduce resistance and facilitate an easy transition from the state prior to the change to the state after (Kotter, 2007). Generally, there is extensive support from the various levels in the organization at Tesco. For instance, the top level management makes decisions in regards to the possible areas of expansion. There have been minimal or no reports of resistance to internationalization at Tesco (Taylor, 2014). This means that as the company implements these strategies, it takes all the necessary measures to ensure that all the parties that are likely to be affected are well informed of the need for the change and the process that will be undertaken in the change process (Benn et al., 2014). Other levels in the organization, including the middle and lower levels, are also supportive of the changes (Taylor, 2014). Other key players to be consulted Apart from the parties within the organization, it is also vital for the company’s management to ensure that it consults other external stakeholders that are likely to be affected by the change (Kotter, 2007). There are different groups that need to be consulted. One of these groups comprises of the company’s creditors. These are the financers who facilitate the change process. Hence, their approval is needed because they need to certify that the expansion is profitable and that their funds will not be put in risky businesses (Bennett & Bush, 2013). Shareholders also have to be consulted. These are the owners of the business hence their interests must be factored in any decision making process. Their consent must be given before the expansion is undertaken. The governments of the home country and the target country into which the company intends to expand (Liguori, 2012). Before entering into any new markets, there are legislations set which must be observed. Compliance with these laws is needed before they can set up their operations in any country. Recommendations for forming or not forming a coalition It would be optimal for Tesco to form further coalitions with other organizations. This is because it will benefit in a number of ways. For instance, there will be an acquisition of additional skills from the company with which it is partnering. This also applies to other tangible and in tangible resources that might have cost the company a lot to acquire (Hogg et al., 2012). The potential market for Tesco will increase at a faster rate. By forming merger with companies that have already established themselves in the market, Tesco will automatically inherit the market share of the other companies. This is as opposed to a situation where the company could have entered the market on its own (Matsushima et al., 2013). Another advantage is that there will be improved information access and sharing, especially information about the markets being targeted (Hogg et al., 2012). Whereas there are benefits that the company can get by entering coalitions with other companies in expanding its op erations, there are also several limitations that it can be exposed to as a result of this. For instance, there can be conflicts in terms of how profits are shared among the companies involved (Matsushima et al., 2013). As a result of varying organizational cultures and structures, entering coalitions can also limit employee productivity as employees as there will be a conflict in the way they operate. This challenge is usually mostly felt in the early stages of the coalition (Benn et al., 2014). Recommendations on useful tools for managing change at the organization Generally, it is difficult for any organization and its employees to adjust to change. It is therefore recommended that an organization uses a model as this will give the leaders a guideline on how to effect this change and make it acceptable (Boje et al., 2012). There are several models that have been suggested by researchers to help in change management. One of these is Kotter’s eight-step model, which is summa rized in detail in the table below (Kotter, 2007). By following the steps that have been suggested by Kotter above, there is a high likelihood of succeeding in the change process. However, critics have faulted the model for being mechanistic and assuming that all organization can chronologically follow these steps. It fails to acknowledge that organizations differ (Liguori, 2012). Additional advice It is important to see to it that there is e continued success in operations of the organization. Presently, Tesco has greatly diversified its operations. Though it can be seen as a good strategy for business in terms of spreading risk, it can choose to focus and specialize in a few of them. The expansion of the nonfood operations offers a greater potential than the others and hence it can choose to concentrate in this area due to the extensive demand for these products. This however, can be adversely affected by the economic environment. Therefore, an extensive assessment of potential risk factors should be made before investments in this unit are undertaken. Of importance is to note that sales here are generated by the consumer confidence levels and ratings. At present, these are quite low. There is also an increase in the demand for organic and natural product in the United Kingdom. Tesco therefore should take advantage of this opportunity to conform to these lifestyle changes and develop products in order to tap into these new markets. This would be more efficient if Tesco could lower the costs of production in order to ensure that the product prices are not so high and hence are available to the consumers. In conclusion, Tesco can penetrate into new markets such as the United States through its current penetration strategy into undiscovered markets as this has been effective in the past and still is. This is because the current retailers are not willing to delve into these markets. This would also require an extensive risk assessment especially in regards to transportation and supply as this would affect the cash flows .hence, it would be effective to use a clustered approach in development of stores instead of placing them indiscriminately. If it can penetrate the fresh foods market in the United states then they will continue to be successful as the demand for food is relatively inelastic and will not be adversely affected in case of economic downturns. References Anderson, R.E. & Swaminathan, S., 2011. Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty in E-Markets: A PLS Path Modeling Approach. The Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 19(2), pp.221 – 234. Bather, A. & Tucker, R., 2011. Legitimacy Theory and a Compliance Analysis of Tesco’s 2008 Business Review. International Review of Business Research, 7(2), pp.137-56. Benfari, R.C., 2013. Understanding and Changing Your Management Style: Assessments and Tools for Self-development. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. 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