Price, Consumer Behaviour and Marketing Activities Essay

Ferraris are a luxury good, known for their performance and prestige with prices of up to  £500,000. In this study there will be an effort to evaluate if a Ferrari would still be as desirable if it was available at  £20,000. To do this we must examine the relationship between the behaviours of consumers and price with a further examination of marketing activities. Firstly we need to define what consumer behaviour, price and marketing activities are, by understanding the consumer we can then create products that meets their wishes and needs which is vital in achieving success. An investigation of the Utilitarian (rational) consumption model will follow allowing the identification of driving factors that affect consumer’s decisions. This allows the introduction of Pricing, viewing towards perceived quality and value. The contrasting Hedonic view allows the introduction of socio-psychological factors on consumer behaviour such as personality and social class. We must appreciate our level of involvement with the product and what factors this may cause. This will allow us to fully appreciate whether the change in price will result in the Ferrari still being as desirable as when it was at a higher price. The study of consumer behaviour â€Å"is the study of the processes involved when individuals or groups select, purchase, use or dispose of products, service, ideas or experiences to satisfy needs and desires† (Soloman et al, 2002, p4). Therefore by studying what factors affect how and why consumers make these consumption decisions, marketers may be able to understand and therefore adapt to these decisions. Consumer behaviour incorporates ideas from many different disciplines such as psychology, sociology and economics. (Schiffman and Kanuk, 2000), in a marketing context we take note of all these concepts and try to come to a balanced answer. A full examination of consumer behaviour looks at how consumers maximise their utility (satisfaction) based on a cost-benefit analysis of price and product scarcity, this was thought of the Utilitarian or rational way of behaviour. (Baines et al, 2011). The key determinant is that the functional benefits must be greater than the costs exp ended. Very often we would class the cost expended as being the price paid for an item, this is a difficult term to classify but is best explained by Baines, Fill and Page (2011), (p331) â€Å"we consider price as the amount the customer has to pay or exchange to receive a good or service†. This however fails to mention that how consumers â€Å"perceive a price-as high, as low, as fair- has a strong influence on both purchase intentions and purchase satisfaction.† (Schiffman and Kanuk, 2000, p 144). For example a passenger who paid  £1 for his Ryanair flight will feel more satisfied one who paid  £71 due to purchasing at a later date. Here we look at whether a Ferrari is still as desirable at a lower price, to do this we must examine how customers affect to a change in prices, known in economic terms as the elasticity of demand. This measure how much demand will shift as a result of a change in price. To do this we can look at how in rational thinking consumers wish the be nefits to outweigh the costs, the benefits of buying a new Ferrari may be the quality and value you get for the price you paid. However as each person has a different wished level of quality we use the term ‘perceived quality’, often based on â€Å"informational cues that they associate with the product† (Schiffman and Kanuk, 2000, p145). Looking at the relationship between the perceived qualities and pricing often it is thought that price reflects quality (Baines et al, 2011). This is challenged by the aspect we take our perceived quality from many cues, not just price, such as more extrinsic values such as brand image. Therefore it can be classes that â€Å"consumers use price as a surrogate indicator of quality if they have little or no information to go on† (Schiffman and Kanuk, 2000, p150). The idea of brand image as a cue introduces the more hedonic concept of feelings, desires and perceptions into the consumer’s decision. As already discussed prices and quality are not measured in purely rational terms they encompass our perceptions of the product, price and measure of quality. Our perceptions are personal to us and it is vital for marketers to understand what factors may affect these perceptions. To do this we must understand how consumption may be irrational (hedonic) involving the â€Å"multi-sensory, fantasy and emotional aspects of consumers’ interaction with products† (Soloman et al, 2002, p37). This view stresses that we purchase products because of how they make us feel or look to others. This is sometimes classed as emotional or socio-psychological buying (Baines et al, 2011). The stark difference between utilitarian and hedonic consumption can be seen in the process of proposition acquisition. We draw up a motive for acquiring the product; this may be out of functional (rational) or desire (irrational) means. We then gather information on the product drawing up a shortlist of brands, followed by an evaluation of the proposition. When it comes to the purchase of the item it is important to consider â€Å"the personal importance a person attaches to a given communication message† (Baines et al, 2011, p 90) this is classes as the person’s involvement. As discussed in Fill (2009, p174) the characteristics involved with involvement can be seen in three phases, that of contextual elements, the influencers and the outcomes. Our level of involvement with a product can play a role in the price fairness we perceive for this product. At states of low involvement where â€Å"the purchase suggests little risk to the consumer† (Fill, 2009, p176) we require little information and use past experiences to make our decisions. However at high levels of involvement where, â€Å"a consumer perceives an expected purchase that is not only of high personal relevance but also represents a high level of perceived risk† (Fill, 2009, p 176), consumers will invest a great deal of time researching the item to reduce the perceived risk and will draw on extrinsic information and may draw more on hedonic terms. The relationship between price and involvement can be seen at both levels, at low levels price allows individuals to discriminate between low-involvement purchase decisions as â€Å"price, packaging, and point of purchase displays and promotion’s work together to cue and stimulate an individual into trying a product.† (Fill, 2009, p 180) At high levels of involvement price is not such a determining factor, with other factors playing a more significant role. Involvement does not juts affect the importance placed on price it also affects how a product is marketed to the consumer. This raises Ratchfords (1987) thoughts of involvement being linked with feeling and thinking. He sought to think how people thought about products and class them as high/low involvement and whether they were a product you bought rationally, what you thought of the product, or irrationally, how the product made you feel. In this instance the purchase of a Ferrari which would have been a high involvement/feeling product there is â€Å"a need for emotional advertising† (Baines et al, 2011, p91). With the shift in price it can be argued that the product has now became a high involvement/thinking product so more informative advertising is needed. Further links between price, consumer behaviour and price can be seen in Fill (2009, p 181) arguing that at low levels of involvement consumers will â€Å"decide upon their usual brand until they notice a price promotion† ,this then may be become there habitual buying pattern. As discussed earlier at high levels of involvement, more emotional and informative advertising is used there are many reasons for this including that factors such as lifestyle, social class and personality can all affect our hedonic consumption. In the sphere of personality there are three main approaches. Firstly the psychoanalytic approach Freud outlined how we are driven by subconscious drives in three parts our ID, Ego and Superego. It is argued that certain products are bought to fulfil our needs and urges such as the purchase of a Ferrari. The reduction of price may then not allow us to fulfil this urge. A differing approach is that of Trait theory, where we are classified by our types of personality. The purchase of a  £500,000 car may be seen as fulfilling one personality type, by reducing the price to  £20,000 the market segment may change and as â€Å"car manufacturers†¦ market products on the basis of personality types† (Baines et al, 2011, p96) this may ch ange the whole marketing process and the way this process is presented. The final school of thought is the Self Concept Approach that we â€Å"buy goods†¦ for the brand they represent and its relation to the buyer’s perception of their own self-concept or personality.†(Baines et al, 2011, p96). In this model it may be argued that price is a determinant factor as we may buy to show we can pay high prices to others. Added to this is the idea that the brand gives you a self-image therefore a change in the price can affect the branding and may lead you to a different purchase decision. The price change may also change what reference group a Ferrari would belong to it may no longer be an aspiration so may become less desirable. The change in price may however be beneficial when looking at consumer behaviour in relation to lifecycle and social class. Focussing on lifecycle â€Å"we hypothesize that people in the same stages of life purchase and consume similar kinds of products† (Baines et al, 2011, p108), a £500,000 Ferrari may fall into the stage of empty nest 1, where there is large disposable income, the shift downwards in price will allow a Ferrari to become more accessible to different stages of the lifecycle, thus making it more desirable to these groups. To conclude pricing, consumer behaviour and marketing activities are all linked. By determining whether the consumption is either rational or irrational we can investigate the level of involvement one may have with that product. This then allows us to look at how perceived values, price and quality link with the way the consumer behaves. As consumer behaviour study evolves from â€Å"early emphasis on rational choice†¦to a focus on apparently irrational buying needs† (Holbrook and Hirschman, 1982, p132) we are able to investigate other factors that may relate to consumer behaviour such as lifestyle, social class and what level of involvement is involved. As we can see in rational decisions there is a link between price and behaviour, with the benefits outweighing the costs, the same can be said at decisions of low involvement. However other extrinsic factors have to be considered when making higher involvement decisions. The decrease in price therefore may make the Ferrari more desirable if you are making the purchase at a low involvement level however at a higher level other factors need to be considered to give a true representation of its desirability. Reference List Books and Ebooks Baines, P. Fill, C. Page, A., (2011), Marketing, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press Fill, C. (2009), Marketing Communications : Interactivity, Communities And Content., 5th ed., Harlow: Pearson Education Limited Schiffman, L,G. and Kanuk, L,L. (2000), Consumer Behaviour, 7th ed., London: Prentice Hall International (UK) Limited Solomon, M., Bamossy, G., Askegaard, S. and Hogg, M. K. (2006) Consumer behaviour: a European perspective, 3rd ed., Harlow: Financial Times. Lecture Notes C18FM1 2012/2013 Online Journals Holbrook, M, & Hirschman, E (1982),. ‘The Experiential Aspects of Consumption: Consumer Fantasies, Feelings, and Fun’, Journal Of Consumer Research, 9, 2, pp. 132-140, Business Source Premier, EBSCOhost, viewed 22 October 2012.

Equality and diversity in the health sector Essay

Assessment You should use this file to complete your Assessment. How to complete and send your Assessment Save a copy of this document, either onto your computer or USB drive. Work through your Assessment, remembering to save your work regularly When you’ve finished, print out a copy to keep for reference Then, go to www.vision2learn.com and send your completed Assessment to your tutor via your My Study area – make sure it is clearly marked with your name, the course title and the Unit and Assessment number. Please note that this Assessment has 6 pages and is made up of 3 Sections. Name: Section 1: Know how legislation and guidelines support equality and diversity 1. Use the table below to: a. Describe the rights of a range of individuals who have one or more of the 9 protected characteristics in the organisation/service you work for (or one that you are familiar with). b. State how the law protects the rights of these individuals. Name the legislation. c. Identify guidelines within your organisation to support equality, diversity, dignity and respect. Individual (colleague/manager or service user) and protected characteristic What are their rights? Legislation that protects their rights How does this legislation protect their rights? Which guidelines support equality, dignity diversity or respect in relation to this person? Example 1 Female disabled colleague Protects them from harassment, entitles to equal pay, treated like everyone  else Example 2 Service User, Client, Elderly person Not to be discriminated against. To be shown respect and dignity. For information about them to be confidential. Freedom from harassment (quiet enjoyment). Privacy within own room The Human Rights Act, 1998 Protects against discrimination, and harassment, Equal Opportunities Policy, Sex discrimination Policy, Safeguarding Policy, Human Rights Act, Health & Social Care Act 2008 Example 3 Black employee worker Equality, treated as an individual, and same as everyone else, not to be prejudiced in any way, The Equality Act 2010 Protects against discrimination, and harassment, Equal Opportunities Policy, Sex discrimination Policy, Safeguarding Policy, Human Rights Act, Race Relations Act 1976 Example 4 Transsexual Manager Equality, treated as an individual, and same as everyone else, not to be prejudiced in any way, The Equality Act 2010 Protects against discrimination, and harassment, Equal Opportunities Policy, Sex discrimination Policy, Safeguarding Policy, Human Rights Act, Sex Discrimination Act 1975 Section 2: Know how to work in ways that support equality and diversity 1. List a range of factors that might be a cause for discrimination in the health sector. Include at least 4 examples in your answer. Direct Discrimination occurs when someone is treated less favourably than another person because of a protected characteristic. Relevant protected characteristics include age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage & civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity. For example, a manager does not select a pregnant woman for promotion even through they meet all of the competencies because they are pregnant. This is probably direct discrimination and cannot be justified. Indirect discrimination occurs when a seemingly neutral provision, criterion or practice that applies to everyone places a group who share a characteristic e.g. type of disability at a particular disadvantage. Indirect discrimination may be justified if it can be shown that the provision, criterion or practice is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim. An example of this is when an employer decides to apply a â€Å"no hats or headgear† rule to staff. If this rule is applied in exactly the same way to every member of staff, then staff who may cover their heads as part of their religion or cultural background (such as Sikhs, Jews, Muslims and Rastafarians) will not be able to meet this requirement of the dress code and may face disciplinary action as a result. Unless the employer can objectively justify using the rule, this will be indirect discrimination. Relevant protected characteristic include age, marriage and civil partnership, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. In addition, the Act extends protection against unjustified indirect discrimination to gender reassignment and disability. Victimisation occurs  when an employer is treated unfavourably, disadvantaged or subjected to a detriment because they have made or supported a complaint of discrimination or raised a grievance under the Equality Act, thi s policy or the Harassment, Bullying and Discrimination policy or because they are suspected of doing so. (However, an employee is not protected from victimisation if they have maliciously made or supported an untrue complaint). An example, of this is when an employee requests to work flexibly and their manager refuses their request because they supported a colleague in a complaint of discrimination. Detriment arising from a disability arises when you treat a disabled person unfavourably because of something connected with their disability. This type of discrimination is unlawful where the employer or other person acting for the employer knows, or could reasonably expected to know, that the person had a disability. This type of discrimination is only lawful if the action can be justified and the employer can show that is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim. An example of this when an employer imposes a â€Å"no beards† rule as a part of a dress code and tells staff they will be disciplined if they do not comply. The employee is a disabled person who has a skin condition which makes shaving very painful. They have been treated unfavourably (threat of disciplinary action) because of some thing arising from their disability (their inability to shave). Unless the employer can objectively justify the requirement, this may be a detriment arising from a disability. It may also be a failure to make a reasonable adjustment. 2. Describe how people’s values and beliefs may differ. Think about the range of people you come into contact with to help you answer this question. Description of person Description of their values and beliefs How might they differ from your own beliefs or from other people’s? Service user fF Food and drink -how they like to be addressed and spoken to -personal care – living or deceased -privacy and dignity -the information they are given the support they would like their faith or belief. Everyone has different values, beliefs and preferences. What I believe in, what I see as important and what I see as acceptable or desirable is an essential part of who I am. The way in which I respond to people is linked to what I believe in, what I consider important and what interests me. I may find I react positively to people who share my values and less warmly to people who have different priorities. When I develop friendships, it is natural to spend time with people who share my interests and values. As a professional, I am required to provide the same quality of support for all, not just for those who share my views and beliefs. 3. Read these scenarios. Can you identify ways in which the people in them can be treated fairly in accordance with their needs? Scenario 1 Carl is a care assistant at a residential care home. Another care assistant, Helen, has worked there for a long time and is often not particularly fair to residents whose catering needs are different from others. So to vegetarians, she might say â€Å"Don’t you miss bacon?† and to Jewish residents she might say â€Å"the chef will have to prepare yours differently won’t she? That’s gonna take extra time for her.† She has also commented on Muslim residents’ needs to fast at certain times of the year and to pray at certain times of the day. Carl is uncomfortable when she does this and feels it may jeopardise his working relationship with her. Helen knows that Carl feels uncomfortable and is aware that she may come across as a bit of a ‘dinosaur’ in her attitude. She intends to go to her manager to resolve the issue. Person How can they be treated fairly? How is this treatment in accordance with their needs? Residents Should be treated with dignity and respect, and spoke to in a polite manner, and not be discriminated against This is in accordance with Equality Act 2010 Scenario 2 Dean has mild Downs Syndrome and enjoys an active and busy life with friends and family. He has applied for a job as a hospital porter. The interview goes well but Dean does not get the job. Dean’s friend Rajesh works at the hospital and tells Dean’s parents that he didn’t get the job because the manager has preconceptions about the capabilities of people with Downs Syndrome. Rajesh gets into trouble from his manager for speaking his mind and revealing confidential information. Person How can they be treated fairly? How is this treatment in accordance with their needs? Dean Should be given a chance and opportunity to get the job, as his interview went well This is in accordance with the Equality Act 2010 Section 3: Know how to respond to behaviour that is discriminatory 1. Take a look at the examples in the table below (or use your own). Complete the table by outlining the discriminatory behaviour and explaining how it undermines equality and diversity. Example of situation in the workplace Which behaviour is discriminatory? How does it undermine equality and diversity? A nurse who is not openly gay is ousted by his friend and colleague. Patients overhear and refuse treatment. Colleagues taunt him over the issue. Patients not allowing the nurse to give them treatment, colleagues taunting him, belittling and patronising comments By treating someone badly or victimising them, and being less fair about their equality rights. A healthcare assistant suspects one of the residents in the care home has dementia but instead of approaching the resident’s family or her manager about the issue, she simply tells her  colleagues what she thinks. Everyone starts treating the resident differently. As a result, the resident is confused and becomes withdrawn. Giving her own personal opinion and beliefs, and not being confidential about the residents’ illness, by not talking to the appropriate people involved with the care of the resident. This is inappropriate behaviour, as it is not treating the client with dignity and respect. A pregnant administration assistant in a clinic approaches her line manager about her fears for her job after she goes on maternity leave. Her line manager suggests she shouldn’t have got pregnant in the first place and says â€Å"We will need to replace you in some way. I can’t guarantee you’ll have a job to come back to.† This would be direct discrimination because of pregnancy and cannot be justified. It does not give fair treatment to the pregnant assistant and equal opportunity 2. Choose one of the situations from the table above. How would you report this discriminatory behaviour, and what impact would your actions have? Situation Which method or procedure would you use to report this behaviour? What impact would your actions have? A nurse who is not openly gay is ousted by his friend and colleague. Patients overhear and refuse treatment. Colleagues taunt him over the issue I would notify my line manager of any concerns with regard to the conduct of other employees, service users, the public or third parties. The impact this would have is that my manager will deal with the bad treatment and take steps to put an end to it. Once you have completed all 3 sections of this Assessment, go to. Log in to the platform and send your Assessment to your tutor via your My Study page for marking. Good luck!

A Significant Symbol in U.S. Contemporary History Essay

The statement above is just one of the several famous and affecting quotes from a former president of the United States of America, Dwight David Eisenhower. In this short and concise statement, his general principles, beliefs, and ideologies may be observed. This man with a huge heart for peace and humanity has been perceived by millions of Americans as a tough yet upright and high-profiled symbol of the government over the decades. However, this man who has been looked up to by the whole of America may be discovered to have humble beginnings—brought up from a simple family, he was an average boy who grew up to fulfill great dreams and great aspirations for the United States of America. On the 14th day of October in 1890, Dwight David Eisenhower, of David Eisenhower, a mechanic, and Ida Elizabeth Stover, a religious pacifist, was born (Kelly). As a child, he had to help his family and work with extra effort in order to suffice their everyday necessities. He was brought up in a simple yet very religious environment where people are exposed to real-life plain-living (The Eisenhower Foundation). He was born in Denison, Texas, but they eventually moved to Abilene in Kansas where he spent his early education in humble community schools. During this stage of his life, he was raised to be a fun loving youth who was fascinated with the Western American history and had always dreamed of getting into college and obtaining a degree which was considered an extravagance for families like his during that time (The Eisenhower Foundation). It was in Abilene where he had his early foundations, and it was also the place where he acquired his early values which eventually molded him to what people know him for—a noble and principled individual. Eisenhower joined the U. S. Military at West Point, New York on the 14th day of June in 1911 (â€Å"Dwight David Eisenhower†). Here, he was made into a principled and trained fighter which helped him to reach the rank of Second Lieutenant on September 1915. This was the start of his career in the military which have been a difficult battle and a rich learning experience as well for the fighter Eisenhower. In his entire military career, he has been blessed with the might of an ultimate warrior and a fair mind of a just leader. He has been part of several historical events such as McArthur’s venture to the Philippine Islands and the First and Second World War (â€Å"Dwight David Eisenhower†). Eventually, he was able to receive several recognitions due to his selfless and self-sacrificing service for the United States. On the 4th day of November in 1952, he was awarded with the greatest authority an American citizen could ever have; he became the 34th president of the Unites States of America (The Eisenhower Foundation). As it appears, the presidents of the world are given this special privilege of being immortalized through their works and principles. However, people may still question why a person such as Dwight Eisenhower should be remembered when all the other presidents seem to have done the same thing: to serve the country. As Eisenhower ventured in the greatest challenge to rule America, he was faced with serious challenges through the problems and obstacles in the political and economic sectors. The American values and the national security have been put in great risk by the powerful Europe and Asia which vexed the newly appointed president (Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission). Yet, despite these challenges, he maintained his aim on his strategies and game-plans on how he can win every battle that the country was facing at that time, such as the Cold War which he skillfully handled with utmost determination. In addition, as Eisenhower went through the most difficult and complex challenges as a president, he was able to maintain the balance in the national budget, the credibility of the country’s fiscal responsibility, and the public works that were significant in the lives of his people. He became remarkable in his efforts to establish sturdy innovations to the government as a whole and to his presidency in order to improve not just the country’s infrastructures but also the morale and dignity of the government (Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission). Eisenhower also had that incomparable heart for his people. He recognized the needs and the grievances of the less fortunate Americans which led him to establish agencies like the Department of Health and the Education and Welfare in 1953, while he also made improvements in the Social Security through increased benefits for millions of Americans (Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission). These were just some of his simple yet very significant efforts that will forever rest in Americans’ memories as he left them after a long heart ailment on the solemn day of March 28, 1969 uttering his last words, â€Å"I want to go; God take me. † (The Eisenhower Foundation). Among the many presidents that the United States has met, Dwight Eisenhower created a difference as inspired by his upbringing. It provided him enough courage and determination to reach greater heights. It may appear that the function and role of the American president is one of the hardest and most complicated in the world. Yet, to think that Eisenhower was able to go through it while maintaining a spiritual and fair heart is also commendable. A leader who does not allow his power and authority to rule his heart has also been attributed to Eisenhower by the people themselves. This is because while he was a man who was very well exposed to violence and wars, he spoke of peace and freedom from strife. Over his years of service, aside from literally fighting for his nation and helping to winning the wars, he was able to win the trust and confidence of his people through keeping his values and morale in his leadership strategy. Truly, it may be hard to find a perfect leader. Nevertheless, finding a leader like Eisenhower who had a sense of humor and integrity at the same time can also be one in a million chances. Considering the accounts of history which tell stories of Eisenhower as a hero of America, it may appear that he indeed played a significant role in the U. S. contemporary history. A man who led a simple life as a child and grew up to become the person with the highest authority in America but never abused his powers for wealth and personal interest is indeed worthy of remembrance. Indeed, no person must be judged according to his or her roots. Certainly, societal status does not in any way make a discerning factor to tell the worth and value of a person, because if there is any symbol and example who best represents a story of humble roots to the height of glory and honor in America, it would be undeniably someone like former President Dwight Eisenhower of the United States. Works Cited Bancroft, David G. â€Å"Dwight D. Eisenhower: 34th President (1953-1961). † USA Patriotism. 2002. 24 November 2008 . Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission. Why Memoralize Eisenhower?. 27 August 2008. 24 November 2008 . â€Å"Dwight David Eisenhower†. The Eisenhower Library Information Resources. September 2000. Ibiblio. 24 November 2008 . The Eisenhower Foundation. Biography: Dwight David Eisenhower October 14, 1890-March 28, 1969. 05 August 2008. Eisenhower. com. 24 November 2008 . Kelly, Martin. â€Å"Dwight D. Eisenhower- Thirty-Fourth President of the United States. † About. com: American History. 24 November 2008. .

UCCS personal statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

UCCS - Personal Statement Example Moreover, it will be a dream comes true if my choice of carrier can be fulfilled. Apparently, since childhood, I have always had this urge to pursue nutrition since I believe good health depends on what a person consumes within the body. Evidently, biologist believes with the proper diet and workout, one’s health will never go wrong and medicines will be a mystery never to be uncovered. Furthermore, I am a person with a good heart to help others. In addition, I believe with the right training in a good institution I can impact other people positively and hence add some few days to other people’s lives. Moreover, I am deeply concerned that However, I already well informed on what a balanced diet entails. Actually, proteins, vitamins and carbohydrates constitute the basic components to a healthy diet. On the contrary, it’s not diet only that contributes to one’s good health. Another pertinent regiment towards perfect health is regular physical exercise. Furthermore, my inspiration towards studying nutrition is to intricately comprehend what good health means emotionally and spiritually towards the holistic wellbeing of an individual, A perfect example is the health advice pertaining to water therapy where one has to take like eight glasses a day. Evidently, this amount of water is proven to cure illnesses like headaches, flu and tiredness and prevent many more diseases. Therefore, in my endeavor to become a nutritionist I will be able understand the rationale behind such health therapies. In conclusion, I would like to humbly appeal for you to consider my request to join your institution of higher learning so that I can achieve my lifetime goal of engaging in the nutrition field. Clearly, I have a passion to in this field and will really appreciate if the fruits of my hard labour in education finally pay off. It is my utmost

Principal components and Changes to peasant and tribal life Assignment

Principal components and Changes to peasant and tribal life - Assignment Example After the establishment of the economic policies and the new reform, the Ottoman decided to turn their interest back to the provinces in the Arab countries. They began using large farmsteads in the form of profitable private holdings. Also, they gave out land in the form of grants to the migrants population and the colonists. Other areas that were used for sheep and goats were turned into farms. The kind of authority that existed before was cut completely without leverage. From the perspective of the peasantry, the expectations of the nature of the behavior of the urban notables and the rural shaykhs had to relate to the authority that they had. Later the forces that exist in the global market and the increase in the administrative centralization cause an adverse impact on the lifestyle of the peasants. Also, also the change in the previous relationship that between the peasantry and the traditional elites cause changes in the understanding of the Muslims on their religious identity with relation to the Islamic practice gradual formalization. The notables’ authority large developed to become the mediators between the peasantry and the formal Islamic institutions. A large number of the proletariat did not have a direct interaction or access to the facilities, and this caused a vague understanding of what constituted the Islamic behavior. In the middle nineteenth century, an increase in the interest in the authority of both the rural shaykhs and the urban notables became tied to the state of the European economy.

Heat Emergency Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Heat Emergency Plan - Essay Example Many heat - wave plans for several communities from around the world have already been developed and these have been included in the bibliography for this report. 1 2 3 A heat - wave response plan is often a plan under a health emergency disaster plan and such a plan places an emphasis on helping people to protect themselves by seeking a cooler environment, with high quality medical assistance being extended to the community, especially the elderly. Although the precise procedures for presenting an alert warning about an impending heat - wave vary from country to country, France serves as a good example because of its experience with a recent devastating heat - wave. The biometrological advisory system in France presents a first forecast announcement to health professionals and civil service as well as social correspondents 4 to 7 days before the event. A further warning forecast is issued to professionals, the media and the public 1 – 3 days before the event and this is followed by a four – color biometrological advisory to the public one day before the event. The colors green, yellow, orange and red point to the intensity of the danger that can be associated with an impending event, including a heat - wave. 4 Thus, it is possible to predict a heat - wave emergency and to plan for recovery and response. Older people are often more seriously affected by heat - waves because they have lost the resilience to cope with extremes of temperature. The plan tries to provide a well coordinated response by public agencies to the heat wave and the agencies that are likely to be involved include hospitals and health services, education, Police, Fire Services and the Wildlife Service. The heat - wave plan is activated once an extreme weather event is certain and the authority to do this often rests with the Medical Controller or an equivalent office for a region. 5 Advising people

Managing for the Future Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Managing for the Future - Essay Example Some of the major objectives of the company are to provide growth and opportunities to employees, fulfilling the shareholder’s expectations and creating shareholder’s value. (PepsiCo, 2013c). The vision of the company is to translate the mission and objectives through the development of social, environmental and economical development programmes (PepsiCo, 2013c). The values and philosophy of Pepsi signifies its responsibility towards societal and community needs (PepsiCo, 2013e). The main objective of the company is to attain the financial and business goals with a positive impact on the society (PepsiCo, 2013o).The company has expanded into several segments and regions by acquiring several business units and companies like Tropicana, Pepsi Bottling Group and Pepsi Americas in the year 2007 and 2009 respectively (PepsiCo, 2013f). 1 (a) Environmental Issues Environmental issues have been a cause of huge concern for the society, government and the companies. The major cau se of the environmental degradation has been the impact of the business activities and process. The alterations in the biodiversity have interacted in the most complex ways with the environment. The environmental issues in developed and developing countries have propelled the demand for restructuring the environmental reform. Environmental issues have become a growing concern for the government of varied nations and have compelled them to create knowledge of environmental imperatives, rules and regulations. The government of varied nations especially of the developing nations are trying to manage the situational crisis by developing measures of protection for the environment. Environment protection measures by the government have helped in creating awareness among the societal members and led to reduction of economic stress. The fundamental problems of environmental degradation could be solved with the aid of the multinational corporations. The aid of multinational corporations is r equired for the reduction in the carbon emissions and toxic elements (Chukwuma, 2000).The government of varied nations and the world health organizations have created several strict measures for the multinational corporations to abide by. The various environmental issues developed by Pepsi during the tenure 2007 to 2013 would be as follows: Year Environmental issues & Sustainability Technology 2007 The management had developed a programme which was known as human sustainability. The goal of this programme was to develop food products which were healthy and nourishing for customers. The company had taken measures of reducing the water and energy consumption per unit by 20 percent (PepsiCo, 2013m). The goals of the programme were also to decrease fuel consumption by 25 percent. The company had reused the water from processing methods to provide communities access to clean water. The company was included in the Dow and Jones Sustainability Index in North America (PepsiCo, 2013h). The c ompany was successful in developing successful technological transformation initiatives. It was also successful in implementing techniques in PCA, Tropicana and Quaker oats for enhancing the product development process. A ground work was laid to convert the financial process, contracts, and other projects into SAP technology (PepsiCo, 2013h). 2008 The company had t

Create a crisis action plan Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Create a crisis action plan - Coursework Example It is also important for the management to attempt to create goodwill in the company so that it can have a good image in the eyes of the (Flippo, 1961). There are different steps that can be taken when resolving conflicts in an organization. According to Armstrong (1994), there are mainly four stages that are involved in conflict resolution which involve the following: carry out research about the root cause of the conflict, design an action plan, implement the plan and finally evaluate the effectiveness of the crisis action plan. Some claims of sexual harassment that are reported in the organization are baseless hence the need to conduct some investigations to establish if the case has actually happened. In the event that sexual harassment claims are real, a proper course of action will be required in order to rectify the issue so that the parties involved can work together in harmony again. The action plan ought to involve the parties involved in the case of sexual harassment. This action plan should not only be limited to the people who are directly involved in the case but should be a leading example to the would be offenders in the future. The people involved should be brought to the drawing table where their case is openly discussed. The views of both parties are taken into consideration and a solution that is satisfactory to both parties is found. For the sake of progress and unity in the organization, reconciliation is the way forward when the offender and the victim have understood each other and hav e agreed to forgive each other. Thus, in the case highlighted above, the action plan involves the parties involved burying the hatchet and working together in unity. However, this course of action ought to be implemented by a responsible person like a leader in the organization. In order to implement this course of action, the leader should make sure that the people involved do not revert to the issue again but they should just focus on

Gender ideology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Gender ideology - Essay Example G. Bissinger are no exception to what is stated above. Traditional masculinity is evident in the story of 1988 Permian â€Å"Mojo† Panthers football season. A superficial role is given to the Pepettes, who are senior high school girls. Hysteria prevails amongst the football fans during the entire season, and each tournament is a do-or-die act for the members of the team. The Odessa community has a social structure that intensely favors the male. The football players are treated like the royal princes. How does the football tournament begin? Bissinger provides a graphic picture of the opening ceremony related to the match. He writes, â€Å" Behind the rows of stools stood the stars of the show, the members of the 1988 Permian Panther high school football team. Dressed in their black game jerseys, they laughed and teased one another like privileged children of royalty. Directly in-front of them, dressed in white jerseys and forming a little protective phalanx, were the Pepettes, a select group of senior girls who made up the school spirit squad. The Pepettes supported all teams, but it was the football team they supported most. The number on the jersey each girl wore corresponded to that of the player she had been assigned for the football season. With that assignment came various time honored responsibilities.†(p.45) The mention of time honored responsibilities, indicates the subservient role of the female gender as per the societal norms. The girls had no part in the football game, and not one among them was directly connected to the game, except that they played the role of cheering the players. This is nothing but a subtle form of exploitation and assertion of superiority of masculinity. The exploitation in another form was also prevalent and the players were entitled to some special entitlement, at the cost of Pepette. Bissinger further writes, â€Å" As a part of the tradition, each Pepette brought some type of sweet for her player every week before

D.H. Lawrence's 'British Family' - Mother & Son Research Paper

D.H. Lawrence's 'British Family' - Mother & Son - Research Paper Example Education and proficiency in specialized arts were the only way to attain a high social position which is reflected in Lawrence’s own life (Spartacus). His father was an illiterate coal miner while his mother was fairly educated. The mother therefore nursed ambitions for her children and left no stone unturned in procuring a better education for them. The emotions and sentiments to which Lawrence must have been exposed during his childhood are therefore reflected in the structure of his short story entitled ‘The Rocking-Horse Winner’. In this short story, the relationship as depicted by Lawrence between the mother, Hester and her son, Paul shows how social pressures can rob true love from such a sacrosanct biological bond. The mother allows her aspiration for riches and better social status override the true love for her children. Though leading a fair lifestyle, Hester has allowed unhappiness to creep into her household by building up an aura where the requiremen t of more ‘money’ always haunts the family. ... In her pursuit for more money she works as an artist in a studio but despite her best endeavors she fails to attain the level of success she desires although other artists in the business are doing so. She expresses her frustration during a conversation with Paul in which her obsession with the idea of ‘luck’ gets transferred into the child’s psyche. Paul, therefore starts believing that only good luck was the answer to all his problems and starts looking for it in and around the house and also by asking questions related to luck from his supposedly ‘lucky’ Uncle Oscar Cresswell, and the family gardener, Bassett. Paul gets obsessed with the idea of being lucky and getting rich, which he foresees as the solution to the family’s misfortunes. He starts believing that once he is rich, he can give money to his mother which would make her happy. Subconsciously, it is true love that he actually desires from his mother, the need for which was always fe lt by him as well as his siblings. D.H. Lawrence, in this story, has tried to depict a typical British family of that era which had forgotten the true meaning of family life in a bourgeois and vain society. Social standing and money preoccupied the minds of the average citizen as they tried to attain a false sense of superiority by acquiring material wealth. In this fruitless race, mothers’ forgot to attend to the emotional needs of their children while their husbands’ toiled at work. In Paul’s family, the situation has been portrayed very clearly by the author. The emotional lacuna that exists in Paul’s psyche leads him to a single obsession of getting lucky which he tries to find in an inanimate object, the rocking horse

Coursework assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Coursework - Assignment Example It is estimated that the expenditure of US% 2 billion will boost the secondary school enrolment rate (expressed as a percentage of the secondary school age population) by about 6%, from the current figure of 55% to an estimated 61%. However, since the previous meeting of the committee, the country has experienced a financial crash. Senior representatives from the banks have been lobbying furiously for financial support to enable the banks to continue lending, in an attempt to avert a full-scale economic recession. They have argued that by providing emergency financial support now, the government can prevent the banks from shrinking their balance sheets, and maintaining a strong and vibrant banking sector is essential if the country is to achieve the targeted growth in its per capita GDP over the medium term. It has been estimated that US$ 2 billion allocated to the banking sector now will prevent a drop in the ratio of Private Credit by Deposit Money Banks and Other Financial Institutions to GDP, from the current figure of 0.52 to an estimated 0.38. You have been asked by the Minister of Finance to investigate the empirical evidence as to whether the sum of US$ 2 billion would be spent more effectively on boosting secondary school education, or on bailing out the banking sector. You can recall an empirical model that addresses exactly this type of question, which was presented in a series of tutorials/workshops in which you participated during your time as a masters student at Bangor University in the UK. You are concerned, however, that the data that were used in this exercise are now several years out of date, and you have decided that it would be a good idea to update the data and re-estimate the model. In order to complete this task, you have been assigned the following electronic resources: 1. An Excel file struct2.xls, which has been downloaded from Ross Levine's website, in which can be found data on the financial development indicator to be used in the empirical model, the ratio of Private Credit by Deposit Money Banks and Other Financial Institutions to GDP (see column M) 2. An Excel file tab396.xls, containing United Nations data on rates of secondary school enrolment per head of the secondary school-age population in selected years: 1980, 1990 and 1997 (see column BI for the 1990 data). 3. A link to the Centre for International Comparisons at the University of Pennsylvania website, from which you can download data on all of the other variables that are used in the model. http://pwt.econ.upenn.edu/php_site/pwt63/pwt63_form.php You intend to use these data sources to compile data for the following 50 countries: Brazil, Canada, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda, Zimbabwe Australia, Bangladesh, China*, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Phillipines, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Syria, Thailand When downloading Chinese data from the University of Pennsylvania website, select 'China version 2'. The specification of the empirical model is as follows: dlypci = 1 + 2lypc90i + 3lsecedi + 4govgdpi + 5openi + 6infli + 7crediti + ui where

A Clean, Well-Lighted Place by Ernest Hemingway Essay Example for Free

A Clean, Well-Lighted Place by Ernest Hemingway Essay 1. A Clean Well-Lighted Place 2. In the short story A Clean Well-Lighted Place written by Ernest Hemingway in 1933, there are three characters that are defined by light.   First there is the elderly gentleman who is a customer in the bar.   He regularly comes to the bar to get drunk while he sits in the shadows of the leaves of a tree.   This man has lived a long life and has known much pain.   In fact he has known enough pain that he has tried to commit suicide. The two waiters inside the cafe knew that the old man was a little drunk, and while he was a good client they knew that if he became too drunk he would leave without paying, so they kept watch on him. Last week he tried to commit suicide, one waiter said. (Hemingway)   He drinks to dull his pain of loss and pain.   The shadows are symbolic of all of his bead memories clumped together and the leaves that through tiny shadows to hide him are specific memories.   Even though he wraps himself in the darkness, he must be close to the light in order to survive.   The light, or goodness, gives him hope to carry on in a life that he cannot even successfully leave. The next character is the young waiter who must have the light.   He has not lived long, has a wife, and children.   Because his life seems to be exactly where it should be things are good and that is represented by the clean light of the bar.   Because of his youth, there has not been time for messes or losses.   He fears the shadows that shroud the elderly man because he sees them as foreshadows of his own life that he does not want to face. Hell stay all night, he said to his colleague. Im sleepy now. I never get into bed before three oclock. He should have killed himself last week. (Hemingway) The last is the older waiter.   This man has experienced enough life that he, like the elderly gentleman, prefers the dark.   He sees the light as only something to illuminate the defects in life.   The light is very bright and pleasant but the bar is unpolished, the waiter. said. (Hemingway)   This way feels that understands that he has more in common with the elderly man in the shadows, but he longs to be back in the light. I am of those who like to stay late at the cafe, the older waiter said. With all those who do not want to go to bed. With all those who need a light for the night. (Hemingway) 3. Hemingway uses A Clean Well-Lighted Place to ponder the meaning of life.   Life is lived and through the journey, individuals know the joy which leave them with a lack of understanding of others like the young waiter and the elderly man.   You should have killed yourself last week, he said to the deaf man. The old man motioned with his finger. (Hemingway) Only those who are satisfied with life should be around him.   Money is not what makes people happy. The elderly man has money, but still he tries unsuccessfully to committee suicide.   Hemingway was well into his career at this time and had plenty of money yet he was not happy.   He adds the quick glimpse of the girl and the soldier who brave the fear of getting caught for the sake of love or the physical part of love to show that there are things that are meaningful in life that are worth the risk.   Yet in the end people are left with their shadows of memories that are so painful that they either desire for nothing but to turn back to the light part of their lives or to desire to leave life.

Organizational Structure Of Nestle Pakistan Marketing Essay

Organizational Structure Of Nestle Pakistan Marketing Essay Now companies are improving their production by adopting different strategies in which backward integration is one of them. Backward Integration is a type of vertical integration in which a company gets control over its suppliers to improve the efficiency and save the cost which improves its profit margins and make the firm more competitive. Backward integration occurs through acquiring input suppliers, establishing long-term contracts with existing suppliers or investing in new input production capacity through internal corporate growth. The main advantages of backward integration regardless of the industry are decreased marketing expenses, the stability of operations, the certainty of supplies of materials, much control on the distribution of products, tighter quality control, the on time review of fabrication and allocation policies, more control over inventory, and additional profit margins or the ability to charge lower prices on final products. These advantages must be weighed against the disadvantages which normally are disparities among productive capacities at a range of stages of manufacturing, governmental pressure, lack in interest of specialty, the firmness of operations, the extension of the management team and lack of direct competitive influence on the costs of transitional products. Background: This report highlights the comparison of two companies from Pakistan Food Industry the ENGRO FOODS and NESTLE PAKISTAN, which are applying backward integration to enhance their production capability. In Pakistan these are the top most companies which are playing a vital role in the food industry through their dairy and beverage products. Nestle is a subsidiary of Swiss origin company which headquarter is located in vevey, Switzerland. Nestle Pakistan started its operations in 1988 with the collaboration of Milk Pak Ltd in Pakistan which is further took over total control in 1992. In Pakistan, its head quarter is located in Lahore and the company currently operating four production facilities. Two of its factories are located in sheikhupura and Kabirwala while one in Islamabad and one in Karachi. It has also the biggest milk collection operation in Pakistan through which they collects milk from an estimated 190,000 farmers and from their dairy farms located in different areas of Pakistan. Nestle Pakistan is currently the leading food beverage company of Pakistan. While Engro food is another biggest and fastest growing company in Pakistan. In 2005 Engro Foods limited was established and it is 100% owned by Engro Corporation. Engro Foods limited began their operations in 2006 and within 5 years they make realization to their competitor by increasing their market share gradually. At the end of 2010 Engro Foods Limited took control in the market of Ultra High Temperature by launching new products including ice cream, juices, powder milk and flavoured milk which contain great potential to compete in future. The Company is also entering into global markets. Its first mission is that to administer a Halal food business in North America known as Al-Safa, which was recently acquired by Engro Corporation at a total cost of 6.3 mn dollars. INDUSTRY OVERVIEW Recently a seminar Current Status of Foods Industry in Pakistan: Threats and Challenges was held at Lahore on September 07, 2012 in which different analysts of PCSIR and Federal Minister of Science and Technology addresses that food industry in Pakistan has become the second largest industry by participating with 17% share in GDP and in Pakistan it is now become most consuming industry because people spent 42% of their earnings in foods products. And at the end of the session some analysts point out weak point of the food industry that the in appropriate management of food products and the large harvest losses in vegetables, fruits and grain create a food shortage in market. There are several sectors of food industry while some are given below which are related to the project report, we will mainly focus on these. These sectors are as follows: Dairy Juices Ice creams 2.1 Dairy Dairy sector is one of the most important sectors of Pakistan which affects more than 10 mn families. There are a lot of companies in Pakistan who are purchasing milk from farmers for their satisfaction. The dairy industry is providing packed milk to its consumers in the shape of UHT, Pasteurized, Tea Whitener and Flavored milk. The industry is also producing Ice Cream, Yoghurt, Cheese, Butter and miscellaneous food items for childrens.   Milk is the most consumable food item having a life of 4 hours under at a certain temperature level of room. Pakistan is 3rd leading milk producing country in the world with more than 47 billion litters production and 11.30% contribution in GDP and a milk economy that in value terms is 27.7% of the total agriculture sector. According to analysts the milk production is expected to grow at 2% annually, however the processed industry is only 7% of operated milk. The milk, remaining wastages and farmer preservation is 20.7 bn liters of which 1.4 bn goes into processing and the rest is sold as a commodity in retail outlets and through door to door Gawala system. So, there is an immense prospect and +prospective to grow the processed milk business. The processed milk has segmented into three categories namely: Ambient UHT Powder 2.1.1 Ambient UHT As of 2010, Ambient UHT constitutes only 4% of the total Tradable Milk segment. Industry volumes have grown 10% from 2006-2010 and the market size was 790 million liters as of December 2010. 2.1.2 Powder Currently, the size of the branded powder market is approximately 57,000 tons, which uses approximately 540 mn liters of milk and 3% of tradable milk. Powder market size has grown 17% from 2006 to 2010 and it is expected to grow 14% in the next five years due to economy that powder offers as well as its specialize use as growing up and infant nutrition source. Nestle Pakistan is the market leader in this segment. 2.2 Juices The Juices, Nectars and Still drinks market are of 507 Million Liters which has total market value of PKR 31 Billion. This market is subdivided into Juice and Nectar and Value added Still Drinks. Juices contain 100% fruit substance, Nectar contain 25% to 99% fruit substance while still drinks contain 0 to 24 % fruit substance value added still drinks have innovative packaging or addition of pulp etc. Nestle Pakistan is the market leader in this segment. 2.3 Ice Cream The Ice Cream sector of Pakistan has growing constantly and registers a volume growth of 20% in 2010 as compare to 2009. The overall volume of ice cream sold in 2010 was 71 Million liters while the total market value was PKR 8.8 billion. The industry volumes have grown 11% over the last four years. However, it is expected that growth will be higher in next five years on the back of significant investment by the industrys key players. Walls are the market leader in this industry which is followed by Omore. COMPANIES PROFILE 3.1 Engro Foods Engro Corporation Limited initially introduced with Engro Chemical Pakistan which rapidly built their growth in chemical industry and after few years Engro Chemical become Engro Corporation Limited by making diversified investment in different sector like Foods, Energy, Fertilizer and Business solutions. It started operations in 1957 as an Esso/Mobil joint venture which discovered the Mari Gas field near Daharki. Engro food is now becoming the biggest and fastest growing company in Pakistan. From the beginning till date Engro Foods Limited 100% owned supplementary company of Engro Corporation. Engro Foods Limited operations began in the year of 2006 and within 5 years company started to climb the ladder of growth rapidly. It has manage to be the market leaders in Ultra High Temperature (UHT) Industry at the end of 2010 and has launched multiple new products including Ice Cream, Flavoured Milk, Fruit Juices and Milk Powders, that show great potential for future. In order to back these products and to achieve high quality standards Engro Foods Limited made backward integration strategy in which they heavily invested in milk processing and collection infrastructure. The Company has innovated by venturing out of the dairy sector and stepping in the Beverage Industry by launching Olfrute and ice cream industry by launching Omore. The Company is also entering into the global markets. Its first mission is to manage a Halal food business in North America known as Al-Safa, which was recently acquired by Engro Corporation at a total outlay of 6.3 mn dollars. PRODUCTION FACILITIES Dairy Plants Engro Foods has two UHT processing plants which are located in Sukkur and Sahiwal with total filling capacity of 1.1 million liter per day. Sukkur Plant capacity is 400,000 liter per day whereas Sahiwal plant facility is 700,000 liter per day. Engro Foods also has a powder plant at Sukkur with a capacity of 24 tons per day. Covered area of freehold land of Sukkur is 27 acres and Sahiwal production facility is 33 acres freehold land. These production sites are equipped with plant and machinery of European origin. Sukkur Production site started its operation in Feb 2006, whereas Sahiwal plant started its operation in December 2007. Ice Cream Plant The ice cream plant was set up in the same facility as the Dairy Plant. The total manufacturing capability of Sahiwal is 33 acres of free holding land. This provides deliberate advantage to the Company in terms of the supply of raw material, the utilities, and manpower and warehousing. The ice cream plant has total capacity of 22 million liters per annum. Organizational Structure of Engro Foods: President/CEO Secretary Secretary Vice President Manufacturing Vice President Marketing Manager Public Affair Manager Internal Audit Special Projects Vice President HR Vice President HR Compensation Benefits Sales Production Accounting Recruitment Planning development Maintenance Treasury Training development Technical Services Process Engineering Industrial Trade Instrumental/Fleet Purchasing Administration Legal Brands of Engro Foods: The product portfolio of Engro Foods comprises some of the countrys biggest and best selling brands which include: Olpers Olpers Lite Olfrute Omore Omung Omung Lassi Tarang. 3.2 Nestle Pakistan Nestle is basically a Swiss company and their head office is situated in Vevey, Switzerland. And Nestle Pakistan is one of it supplementary company. Since 1988 Nestle Pakistan is working with the alliance of Milk Pak Ltd and within short time period Nestle Pakistan took over Milk Pak Ltd. It is also listed in Karachi and Lahore Stock Exchange. Nestle Pakistan is one of the most prominent company which ensures it place among top 25 companies who are registered at Karachi stock exchange for last couple of years. The Headquarter of Nestle is located in Lahore and the Company operates four fabrication facilities. In which the factories located in Sheikhupura and Kabirwala are producing different products under same umbrella. The other factory is present in Islamabad and one in Karachi produce packed water. Nestle Pakistan now operates the biggest milk collection process in Pakistan. At present, Nestle Pakistan gathers milk from a projected 190,000 farmers. At present Nestle is market leader in dairy and beverage industry of Pakistan because they are very keenly focusing on Nutrition and health by covering almost at all locations throughout Pakistan to serve the consumers. Nestle Pakistan distinct feature is that they are the leaders in Nutrition. PRODUCTION FACILITIES Sheikhupura Factory The factory located at sheikhpura produces many most popular products s of Nestle Pakistan such as  Milkpak UHT milk, Nevista  products,  Nestle pure water,  Cerelac and yogurt. The factory starts operation as part of Milkpak Ltd in 1981. Formerly it produced only UHT milk but in 1988 it had expanded to produce butter, cream, ghee and fruit drinks as well. But with the passage of time Nido powder milk also started to produce in this factory. Kabirwala Factory Milk Pak took over this factory which is located in Khanewal district of the Punjab in 1990. In 1997 Nestle Pakistan got 100% share of that unit.  After acquiring it Nestle upgraded its capacity and in 1992 they added Maggi Noodle  plant to the factory. Over the years past the Kabirwala factory was constantly enhanced as Everyday  tea whitening powder was introduced in 2002 . Islamabad Factory In Islamabad Nestle purchased the AVA water plant in year 2001. And in 2003 Nestle fully owned that unit. Gradually Nestle upgraded and introduced machineries to become more efficient in production through which they was able to provide differentiated products to their consumer with good packaging. Organizational Structure of Nestle Pakistan: Chief Executive Water Group Corporate Affairs Human Resource Supply Chain Milk Collection Agriculture Services Nestle Business Excellence Technical Operations Finance Control Unit Marketing and Sales Division National Sales Management Legal Affairs Technical Purchasing Financial Accounting Corporate purchase Treasury National Brand Management Budget Control Information System Taxation Brands of Nestle Pakistan: Nestle Pakistan has a lot of top most brands of Pakistan which added a lot of value to Nestle Pakistan over a last couple of years like: Milkpak Nevista Nido Everyday Milkpak Cream Nestle Desert cream Nestle yogurt Nestle fruit vitals Nestle Zeera Raita Actiplus Yogurt Nestle Rawaiti Maza Nestle Milo Nestle Nescafe 4. FUNCTIONAL DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATIONS (BACKWARD INTEGRATION) Nestle Pakistan and Engro Foods are currently doing backward integration to enhance their production efficiency by creating their own dairy farms and taking control of transportation. Currently they are focusing of creating their own farms to get control over their suppliers. Both the companies are also now directly approaching to the farmers and collecting milk form them as the old concept of middle man and gawala system has start perishing. The main advantage of creating own farms is that both the companies get on time delivery of their material, which help them to enhance their production and deliver their product on time to the end consumers. The details of Engro Foods and Nestle Pakistan farms are given below: 4.1 Engro Foods Dairy Farm Engro Food has selected the Nara Canal due to the presence of its outstanding water, farming land availability and suitable weather for its Dairy Farm. The company has launched a comprehensive vaccination programme with the provision of clean water and balanced nutrition to have infection free, strong and happy animals at all times. The Companys Nara Dairy Farm continued to remain a rich and nutritious source of raw material for its dairy section. The Nara Farm formed over 5.8 mn liters of milk in 2011 with a total herd size of over 3,000 animals. But in 2012, Dairy Farm produced 26,979 liters of milk per day. At March 31, 2012 Dairy Farm herd increased to 3,204 animals. Through it the profit after tax stood at Rs. 5 million versus loss of Rs. 19 million in March 2011, primarily due to higher yield and production. 4.2 Nestle Dairy Farms Nestle Pakistan manages the project under its Agricultural Division. Over 75 professionals are currently associated with these services; intend to help in  increasing the sustainability of the dairy segment in Pakistan. They give the farmers with free technical assistance and veterinary services to build the skills of the farmers in best farming practices and improved livestock management and link them to small businesses and to the dairy market. For this purpose,Nestle has built two demonstrations and teaching  farms, one of which is still under process. The main training facility is the Sarsabz Demonstration and Training  Farm  which  is located on Multan Road, near Okara. The  second training Sukeki Farm,  is under in building process near Lahore. At the farm, there are more than 250 cows, animal huts,  milking machinery, a teaching centre, and hostel for  the farmers, management office and necessary farm equipment and highly qualified instructors  who train farmers on high quality dairy farming and livestock management. Nestle Pakistan has established this training facility over 103 acres of leased land as an investment for the development of  the dairy sector and to  work towards  sustainable farming and an improved rural economy. 5. LITERATURE REVIEW The concept of vertical integration is very old and we saw a lot of academic and legal debates over the costs and benefits of vertical integration. McGee, Bassett and Williamson (1975, 1985, 1989) said that vertical integration is a mean of reducing transactions costs, assuring supply, reducing risk and alleviating the efficiency losses. But on the other side, economists see vertical integration as a means for firms to reduce competition or extract market rents (Scherer, Perry 1978, 1989).Perry, Hart and Tirole (1978), said that most discussions have focused on the effects of forward integration into a competitive product market and little work exists on the effects of backward integration into a competitive input market. However, Knoeber and Thurman (1996) further said that backward integration is of growing importance in many agricultural and natural resource industries. According to Azzam (1996), backward integration occurs through acquiring input suppliers, establishing long-term contracts with existing suppliers or investing in new input production capacity through internal company growth. In some businesses, there is growing concern about the effects of such integration on remaining un- integrated input suppliers. First he said that backward-integrated dominant firm benefits from production efficiency gains. Second he further adds that backward-integrated dominant firm may benefit from a lower acquisition price for externally supplied raw inputs. As per Blois (1972), the biggest advantages of backward integration are to lower down transportation and marketing expense, production or operation stability, timely supplier services, high quality control, necessary revisions in production and execution policies, maintained inventory control, and high profit margin able produces to charge lower prices on finished products. While Williamson (1971) do not consider supply dependability as a necessary advantage and point out the interests harmonization and efficient utilization in process of decision making as the core advantages of backward integration. As per Williamson (1971), backward integration allows management to easily harmonized interest as possible differences can be resigned. As per Lambertini and Rossini (2008), backward vertical integration is indirectly proportional to producers and suppliers. As compare to forward vertical integration, backward vertical integration provides large incentives in investment to the manufacturer. The biggest disadvantage of backward integration for trader is that it discourages them for innovation, on the other hand forward integration discourages producers to innovate. This theory is not parallel to transaction cost theory which does not consider forward and backward integration as a separate concept. Many researchers like Armour, Teece, Langlois, Robertson, Gopala Krishnan, Bierly (1980, 1989, 1992, 1996, and 2001) have stated that vertical integration facilitates the development and implementation of systemic innovations. Further, Armour and Teece (1980) argue that if the innovation at one stage involves adaptation in a preceding or a consequent stage, then the usual ownership of the various stages i.e. vertical integration enables the necessary adaptations and adjustments to be made in a timely and efficient fashion. Similarly Langlois, Robertson (1989) and Langlois (1992) propose that vertical integration is the most appropriate organizational structure for integrative systemic process innovations because the necessary learning and experience proceed faster between functions in a vertically integrated environment. Furthermore, Teece (1996) explains that vertical integration enables the successful development and implementation of systemic innovations by facilitating information flows and coordination and removing institutional barriers such as cost and benefit allocation. Similarly, Gopal krishnan and Bierly (2001) point out that open exchange of information is easier and safer in house than between different organizations because each firm wants to gain more from the innovation and therefore unwilling to share information freely. Teece (1996) however adds that while systemic innovations favour vertically integrated structures from the coordination point of view and some relevant technological or other capabilities needed in the development and implementation of the innovation may exist outside of the vertically integrated firm. Therefore, larger firms may still have an advantage by using their scale to create sufficient momentum and attract smaller firms to get involved with the innovation or simply by being able to secure minority investment positions in smaller firms that have the necessary capabilities needed in the innovation. 6. ANAYSIS 6.1Swot Analysis Strengths Of Engro Foods Strengths of Nestle Pakistan Brand Association: Engro being a renowned and well established brand in fertilizers, infrastructure and IT solutions, it creates a great brand association and consumers can relate to Olpers as a high quality and premium product. This is evidence that Engro Food in its first year crossed 1.4 billion sales figure. Financial Backing: Engro being renowned brand and can attract foreign investors, which enable them to compete with global brands like Nestle. They can afford high costs for research and developments for their current products and in introducing new products. Strategic Relationship: Engro has been creating business relationship with farmers who supply milk to them which enables them to secure the supply and to solve shortage issues. Engro also has created long-term business relationship with distributors this help them to ensure smooth distribution through better channels to make sure that there are no shortages for their product. Research and Development: Engro for Olpers precisely has done strong consumer and product research before launching the product and are continuing this practice post launch. This has helped them to emerge as a strong brand in food industry. To further development and new products, they have engaged various global research partners Mindshare, AC Nielsen, JWT Asiatic and MARS marketing and advertising agency. State of the Art plants: Only Engro Foods has the 3rd generation UHT milk plant in the country. It is the only plant that uses Bactofuge technology to virtually eliminate bacteria and ensure premium quality and hygiene. Parent Company: Nestle has a global presence and is recognized as a huge name worldwide. Nestle Pakistan has a strong support from its parent company, which is the worlds leading processed food and beverage company. Company Image: Nestle has been doing business since many years. It has created an excellent image and reputation in consumers mind all around the world. This helps them to retain market even in unfavorable conditions. High Quality Products: Nestle always ensure to produce good quality products. Nestle being worldwide renowned company creates high quality product to retain that image and to attain consumer loyalty. It cannot compromise on quality as consumers nowadays are more quality conscious. Market Share: Nestle has the highest market share almost in every SBUs line, like as in Milk pack Nestle pure life. Brand strength: Nestle Pakistan has created some very strong brands like Nescafe, Milpak , Everyday, Nestle water and most of these brands have become generic to their product category. When a brand becomes generic it creates a strong presence in minds of consumer. Research Development Team: Research and development is a continuous process at Nestle. It gives updated info on consumer behaviors, changing trends and consumer demands; this helps Nestle to adapt to changing trends. Weakness of Engro Foods Weakness of Nestle Pakistan Packaging: Engro Food is dependent on Tetra Pak for packaging of its entire dairy products. It is the only option for them as Tetra pack has monopoly in packaging sector. This cause higher production costs. Distribution cost: About 85% milk collection centers of Engro Foods are located in Punjab, and its processing facility is in Sind. This huge distance increase distribution cost and increasing overall cost of production. Also it increases the chances of milk getting spoiled due to long travelling time. Narrow Product Line: Since the launch of its first dairy product, Engro Foods has only extended to very few products, where as its competitors like Nestle has diversified and extensive product lines. Owning Red Color: Engro Food like its competitors has not owned colors that identify its products. Colors represent products, like green represents Milkpak. There is no color connection attached to Olpers which creates problems for consumers in remembering the product. Less Proactive: Nestle being a huge company is very less proactive to the demands. Unless competitors initiate a campaign or come up with new strategy, Nestle does not bring changes. Limited Distribution Channel: A major weakness of Nestle is their limited distribution channel as compared to their competitors. Nestle distribute their products to whole sellers in their own factory vehicles. Stock outs: Due to their in-efficient distribution channels, Nestle has experienced stock outs on regular basis. This had adverse effect on companys image and consumer base. It also gives opportunity for competitor to penetrate into market and capture large market share.   Premium Brand: Common men generally perceive Nestle as a premium brand, and have perception that all Nestle products would be highly expensive. Opportunities for Engro Food Opportunities for Nestle Pakistan Government Funding: Government has provided increased funds to farmers. This has allowed farmers to invest in better storage facilities to save milk for longer period of time and to cope bad weather conditions. Awareness: Extensive awareness programs for health and hygiene has created awareness among consumers for the benefits of processed milk. More and more consumers are shifting from loose milk to processed milk. This will create higher demands and consumption of processed milk. This is a great opportunity for growth and to gain more market. Fifth Largest producer of milk: Pakistan is the 5th largest milk production country in the world, the country is blessed four seasons and high quality crop, good species of buffaloes and cows and largest canal system. However it is only obtaining 2500ltr of milk per annum from an animal in comparison with 18000ltr per animal in developed countries. This is a good opportunity to increase production significantly by adopting best practices and modern techniques. Support from Foreign Investors; Government is supporting overseas outlay in Pakistan which is a great opportunity for Nestle to expand its business in Pakistan and to cater large markets. Enhance Distribution Channel: Nestle should work on its distribution channel to make it efficient in order to maintain supply of their products. This will not allow consumer to shift to competitors brand in case of stock outs. Changing Social Trend: Consumers, especially younger generation are hugely influenced by western societies. This has changed the trends for packed ready to use products. This changing social trend has created large demand and opportunity to increase market share. Best Practices and Assistance; Nestle should invest in educating the farmers for best practices and providing them resources and assistance to create greater value and to ensure high capitalization and quality. Threats for Engro Food Threats for Nestle Pakistan Competition: Engro foods biggest competitors like Nestle has been in market since very long. For its brands it might be difficult to penetrate in the market where these brands have created loyalties and presence in mind of consumers. Perceptions and Price Differentials: Consumer preferences and perceptions plays very important role in success of a brand. It is very important for Engro to understand and come up with ways to meet consumer expectations and provide quality that a brand promises. Price factor is also a very important factor, as still consumers prefer loose milk as it is cheaper than processed milk. Economy: Higher inflation rates is eroding buying power of consumers, making products more expensive to use. No Entry Barrier: Industry is growing at rapid rate,  very low entry barriers making it attractive for new competitors. Dependency: Nestle is dependent on whole sellers and super market shelves which can be influenced by the competitors. Loss of Market Share: When the market drenches the loss of the market share of Nestle products is the major threat to them. Differentiated products: Consumers are indifferent to buying Engro products or Nestle. It is a threat to Nestle that consumers can easily shift to Engro products in case of any unfavorable condition. 6.2 Pest Analysis PEST analysis is used to determine and understand external factors such as Political, Economical, Social and technological, and their effect on business. For understanding Nestle and Engro foods position in market, we will carry out PEST analysis to understand the external forces. 6.2.1 Political, Legal Economic Factors Pakistan current fiscal year inflation rate has been grown to 7.7% which decreases the purchasing power of consumers as a whole and which also create higher impact on those products which transform from another products like packed milk powder milk because these is

Understanding The Road To A Liberal Democracy Politics Essay

Understanding The Road To A Liberal Democracy Politics Essay There were fundamental changes in the world of politics in 1989 and 1990 with the collapse of evil empires that had ruled since the end of the Second World War. The hegemony of the Soviet Union came to an end in Eastern Europe and at the same time the apartheid regime of the Afrikaner National Party in South Africa began a process of democratization. In 1990, Nelson Mandela, leader of the African National Congress (ANC), was released after being imprisoned for 27 years and South Africas first non-racial democratic elections were held four years later. The ANC later went on to gain the votes of the majority that led to the formation of an interim government of national unity under Nelson Mandelas presidency in 1994. It seemed like a miracle but unlike miracles, political processes are susceptible to analysis. Firstly, this paper aims to describe South Africas passage from a racial oligarchy to a multi racial democracy. This segment provides a brief narrative regarding the historical context of African democratization. Secondly, the paper will analyze the various political factors involved in the democratization process and how they fit into the theoretical framework of Huntingtons typology of democratic transition. This section will also focus on the prevalent conditions within South Africa in order to determine what triggered the transition process. Through this, the paper will seek to answer the question of how and why democracy emerged. Finally, the paper will analyze the consolidation process of South Africa by looking at the prevalent state of her democracy. In order to accurately ascertain the level of democracy and hence, gauge whether South Africa has undergone a consolidation process, various aspects of the democracy have been described. South Africas Journey to Democracy Three transitions occurred in South Africa since the mid 1970s: transitions through transformation, after regime breakdown and through replacement respectively.  [1]   Transition through Transformation Huntington defined transformation as a process wherein the government in the authoritarian regime took the lead in ending that regime and changing it into a democratic system  [2]  . Backward legitimacy is defined as attempts of democratizing governments to legitimize a preexisting authoritarian order by insisting that the latter give birth to a new order.  [3]   In South Africa, the existing government insisted in procedural continuity and at the same time promoted backward legitimacy. Both P.W. Botha and Gorbachev introduced new rules and laws that granted more rights and freedom to the Blacks. They included legalizing black trade unions, permitting blacks to acquire freehold title, providing for electing Black township councils and creating houses of parliament for the colored and Asians but not for the Blacks  [4]  . However, these new rules and laws were not meant to fundamentally change the political system in the country but mainly to bolster the existing political system so as to make it more acceptable to all societies. Bothas reformed government attempted to neutralize standpatter opposition by weakening and reassuring them.  [5]   Transition after Regime Breakdown The ANC in exile held the assumption that the breakdown of the apartheid regime would eventually lead to the black rule. They were wrong. According to the ideology that the ANC held, South Africa was representing colonialism of a special type. Therefore, they felt that the ending of oppression would come in the form of decolonization. Despite a series of talks between the De Klerk government and the ANC, the latter continued to contend that negotiations and revolutionary transformations were not incompatible. There was a comprehensive breakdown of the authoritarian regime in the transitions of Greece, Romania and Argentina due to the disaffection of a part of the military. The military junta did not hold a major social base in the society. The situation in South Africa was different because the military remained loyal to the government; there were no defections to the ANC and the government rested on the social base of the white community. The white did not support the ANC. As of 1993, white support still remained below 5 percent  [6]  . Transition as Transplacement Huntington defines the transplacement process as a transition negotiated between the reformers within the government and the moderates of the opposition. In such a process, there is a balance of power between the opposition and the government. Dominant groups on both sides realize that they are equally incapable of determining the nature of the future political system alone and hence must co-operate with each other to achieve smooth transfer of power. In the transition process within South Africa, this can be seen in the various negotiations that took place within the government and the ANC between 1980 and 1994. Most of the negotiations in the first 3 years after the legalization of the ANC were focused on the cessation of the armed struggle, neutrality of the security forces and controlling of the escalating violence in the townships. For example, in a negotiation between the ANC and the government, it was agreed that white and other minorities had to articulate their values and interest through an alliance or a party. The ANC and other parties also entered constitutional negotiations in 1991 and finally accepted the principle of a government national unity. The ANC accepted constitutional continuity, proportional representation and the idea that a future constituent assembly would not have complete freedom to draw up a constitution but rather adhere to broad principles negotiated beforehand. There were 3 stages in the negotiating phase of transition to liberal democracy in South Africa.  [7]  In the first stage, both the government and the ANC were forced to the negotiating table by economic and international factors, which will be discussed in-depth later. However, both sides were reluctant to fully accept the need to compromise on the means of negotiation, whether to choose a multi-party conference or constituent assembly, or the model of democracy to be pursued. The NP believed that negotiations could control the pace and limit the scope of democratization because the balance of power was still on its side. The ANC, on the other hand, was keen on ending the white rule by relinquishing the power that the government had without making concessions in return. The state of the economy deteriorated and the level of violence within the country escalated, especially among the blacks. The lack of legitimacy of the police force and the easy availability of firearms resulted in high level of criminal violence within the country. Protagonists on all sides manipulated the force both legally and illegally so as to impede or influence the outcome of negotiations  [8]  . Discussions on the terms for negotiation were broken off because ANC felt that de Klerk had failed to control anti-ANC violence. It was necessary to reduce the level of violence in the country for talks to begin again. This was done by including other interest groups, particularly the Inkatha Freedom Party that was responsible for most of the attacks, in the negotiation process. The second stage of negotiations, the Convention for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA) showed how far South Africa was from the ideal of a transition pact by à ©lites. The ANC withdrew from the negotiations due to the influence of the institutions of apartheid, causing the CODESA to collapse in mid 1992. Both the NP and the Inkatha wanted substantial agreement over a constitution before a constituent assembly was elected and a protracted transition of at least ten years. The ANC, however, wanted a constituent assembly and freedom to write the constitution. It was fearful of being locked in the interim government for indefinite duration where their decisions to improve the country would be hindered to a large extent. In the final stage of negotiations, the Multi-Party Negotiating Forum appeared to conform more closely to the idea of a pact between the old and the new elites. There was a lack of progress by negotiators and the ANC adopted a policy of rolling mass action, which pushed the leadership into a more military stance. The level of violence in the country escalated and the state of the economy worsened. As a result of the incident, the NPs support among all prospective voters in the republic fell from 25 percent in July 1992 to 14 percent in April 1993  [9]  .The ANC made gains by forcing the relegation of Inkatha to the position of a minor player. Both the ANC and the NP were convinced that it was necessary to reach a bilateral agreement due to the internal conditions of the country. This agreement could be used as a framework to constrain the disruptive potential of the Inkatha Freedom Party. On 5 March 1993, a new Multi-Party Negotiating Forum began its deliberation. There was a power-sharing system in which all parties receiving more than 5 percent of the votes would be given seats in cabinet in proportion to their strength and there was a substantial devolution of power to the provinces. Also, it was decided that elections would be held for a constituent assembly, which would also serve as an interim government for five years. All parties were to play a role in the drafting of the constitution and the bill of rights that formulated the general constitutional principles. The government was to remain the highest authority between the adoption of the constitution and the holding of elections but they had to consult closely with an all-party authority.  [10]  The ANC were willing to promote black advancement via affirmative action and restitution of losses sustained under the apartheid at the cost of reducing the notion of nationalization. South Africas transition from an authoritarian rule to a liberal democracy was finally consummated in the April 1994 elections. The elections allowed the participation of all South Africans, regardless of background, to participate in the democratic process of choosing their own rulers. There were many challenges that hindered the democratic process in the country- voting had to be extended for several days in order to satisfy voter demand and the reliability of the election results were highly skeptical. Nevertheless, the independent Electoral Commission declared the contest substantially free and fair and an outcome that all parties came to accept and celebrate. South Africas Transition: An Analysis Having described the events that led to South Africas transition, it is now important to analyze these events in the context of political science discourse. This segment of the paper now turns to analyze some of the important conditions that led to the transition in South Africa at that time. Causes of the South African Transition International Influences Withdrawal of Superpower support from the African government South Africa needed the support of the West but the latter was only prepared to give if internal concession allowed the economy to stabilize. The collapse of Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War removed South Africas bargaining power as a surrogate for the USA in the fight against communism in South Africa and the USSR financial support for the supply of arms to the ANC. This led to the NP and the ANC coming to the negotiating table. Introduction of Political Conditions for Western Development Assistance Due to the reasons stated above, the economy kept shrinking. Hence, the government was forced to seek political accommodation with the West. By the end of the 1980, the collapse of communism in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe deprived the ANC of its main source of political, economic and military support  [11]  . There was increasing pressure to negotiate the limitations of the strategies of armed struggle and mass insurrection and the success of town level negotiations within the country itself due to pressure by Soviet Union and neighboring African states. Diffusion of mass pro-democracy protests The Second World War led to the development of new classes due to changes in the economic structure of the country. There was strong international emphasis on human rights and freedom. The Western governments indicated that political reform was a necessary condition for further assistance rendered to South Africa. Western governments gave due importance to democracies and encouraged countries to move towards greater pluralism, accountability, respect for human rights and the rule of law  [12]  . Economic conditions Perhaps some of the more important factors leading to democratization emerged as foreign sanctions played an integral role in influencing the economic pressures. South Africa was not able to provide a safe environment for local businesses to invest in and for the country to enjoy economic growth despite having enough investment capital. The gross domestic product (GDP) of South Africa declined from 5.7 percent from 1960 to 1.5 percent in 1980  [13]  . At the same time, South Africa was experiencing a budget deficit in the balance of payment as the government consumer spending rose sharply from 15 percent to 21 percent in 1991 so as to increase the employment level in the country. Private investment and the employment rate among the Blacks fell. The number of new jobs created decreased substantially from 448000 in the 1960s to 28000 in the 1980s  [14]  . This resulted in a wave of strikes across the country as existing black unions strengthened and encouraged the formation of others who wanted to end the apartheid in the 1980s.The government had to increasingly borrow money from other countries to cope with the administrative demands of the fast growing Black population and to mollify the white population who worked for the public sector causing the country to experience drastic budget deficits. The disinvestment sanction played a role in ensuring that no apartheid government could roll back sanctions in the industrialized world as state in the U.S. Congress adoption in 1986 of the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act. But countries refused to provide sanctions to South Africa unless she democratized. International pressure was brought on both the NP and the ANC and a UN mission headed by former US Secretary of Stae Cyrus Vance, was dispatched to South Africa to make it clear that the economic position of the country will not improve unless an agreement has been reached  [15]  . Combined, these factors meant that that there were few options for the parties involved other than to engage in the final transplacement that took place. Has democracy in South Africa been consolidated? Democratic consolidation goes beyond the mere survival of democratic institutions; it requires that participants hold themselves accountable to the rules of democracy, eschewing patronage and corruption  [16]  . This segment will now turn to assessing the quality of democracy in South Africa presently by utilizing Diamonds checklist of democratic quality to correctly conclude if democratic consolidation is possible in the future. The higher the quality of democracy, the more stable the democratic institutions and the likelier consolidation will take place  [17]  . Quality democracy is defined as one which satisfies citizen expectations regarding governance (quality of results); allows citizens, associations, and communities to enjoy extensive liberty and political equality (quality of content); and provide a context in which the whole citizenry can judge the governments performance through mechanisms such as elections, while governmental institutions and officials hold one another legally and constitutionally accountable as well (procedural quality)  [18]  . The state of democracy in South Africa will be assessed based on the following variables: Accountability Accountability is defined by the obligations of elected political leaders to answer for their political decisions when asked by votes and constitutional bodies. Horizontal accountability goes between different branches of the government while vertical accountability goes from leaders to citizens. Vertical accountability is the obligation of elected political leaders to answer for their political decisions when asked by voters or constitutional bodies  [19]  . In this aspect, South Africa seems to score rather low despite constitutional bodies monitoring each others actions and citizens being able to exercise their rights to remove leaders from powers through elections. South Africa was ranked 55 out of 180 countries surveyed in Transparency Internationals 2009 Corruption Perception Index. For example, 920 government officials were charged with corruption linked with housing fraud in November 2009 by the Human Settlement Department  [20]  . There have also been corruption charges against the current president Jacob Zuma. Competition In a democracy, there must be free, regular and fair elections held. An indicator of quality democracy is the additional attribute of competitiveness: the ease at which incumbents can be defeated and the equality of different political parties in access to mass media and campaign funding  [21]  . Since 1994, there have only been 4 elections held in South Africa. The ruling party, ANC, has dominated electoral politics and has been winning supermajorities in every democratic election. However, parties such as the Congress of People (COPE), the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and the Democratic Alliance (DA) are increasingly gaining support from traditional voters. The electoral process is generally fair but the state-owned South African Broadcasting Corporation has been accused of being pro-ANC  [22]  . Equality Legal and political equality is essential in a democracy. Active prohibitions against unfairness must check all efforts to discriminate invidiously on the basis of gender, race, ethnicity, religion, political orientation, or other extraneous conditions  [23]  . All South Africans enjoy legal equality and political rights under the constitution. However racial imbalance still persists in workplace and majority of the countrys business assets are still white owned. Equal rights for women are guaranteed by the constitution and promoted by the Commission on Gender Equality. Despite a robust legal framework, South Africa still has one of the worlds highest rates on sexual abuse  [24]  . Wage discrimination prevails in the workplace and women are not well represented in the top management positions. As of 2010, women hold 45 percent of seats in the National Assembly and lead 5 out of 9 provincial governments. Also, the premier of Western Cape Province and the main leader of the DA party is lead by Helen Zille  [25]  . Freedom There are basically 3 types of rights: political, civil and social  [26]  . In South Africa, in addition to the political rights already mentioned, the constitution caters for the freedom of religion, academic freedom, freedom of association and peaceful assembly, the press, speech and expression. The Freedom House rated South Africa as free with a political right and civil liberties score of 2. However, according to Amnesty International, problems have emerged with allegations of police torture and excessive force during arrest, interrogation and detention  [27]  . Participation Democratic Quality is regarded highly when there is extensive participation in voting, political parties, and the civil society and in the discussion and monitoring of public officials and policy. All rights necessary for political participation including those deemed necessary by Dahl have been enshrined in the constitution of South Africa. In terms of the civil society, more than 6000 groups have been formed in South Africa, many of them mostly non-governmental organizations. Voter participation has increased to 77% in the 2009 elections up from 75% in 2004. Rule of Law Everyone is equal before the law, which is fairly and consistently applied to all by an independent judiciary. The laws need to be clear, known to all, universal, stable and no retroactive. Also, laws are democratic when the legal system defends civil and political rights and procedures as well as reinforces the authority of other agencies of horizontal accountability that ensure the legality and propriety of official actions  [28]  . The system of justice in South Africa generally conforms to all of the above requirements concerning the rule of law. Judicial independence is guaranteed by the constitution and the courts operate with substantial autonomy. In South Africa, there are barriers to the assessment of justice system, poor court management and the lack of efficiency, thus affecting the delivery of justice. Also, there is a question of representation of all sectors of the society. Many people feel that the justice system within the country still reflects South African colonial and apartheid legacy. Tension will exist between the judicial and the executive and legislative branches in South Africa, as a result of the problems created by legacies of apartheid. Responsiveness Responsiveness is partly related to the aspect of accountability. A responsive democratic government is defined as one that has been induced to make and implement policies that the citizens want  [29]  . In South Africa, the infancy of democratic institutions seems to have led to the government being less than optimally responsive., The people were especially unhappy with council performance at integrating citizens into the agenda-setting and decision- making processes of local self-government. Only about one third feels that these leaders listen regularly to what their constituents have to say. The others either listen occasionally or dont bother at all. However, local councilors are seen as more responsive than leaders elected to national political office  [30]  . Conclusion There are many areas within the South African government that still lack reform. Further consolidation is required for this new fledgling democracy is necessary. Threats to consolidation and room for improvement of the quality of democracy still remain. Nonetheless, democracy seems to be commonly accepted by the Whites and Blacks in South Africa after democratization indicating perhaps that democratic institutions are here to stay and democratic consolidation is possible in the future years.