Ink Out of Yellowbell

In partial Fulfillment of the requirements in Physics Ink out of Yellows flower The world today is suffering for an economic crisis; many people seem to realize the importance of each item that needs to be bought. Ink is an ordinary item but prevalent in everyday use. Ball pens, pent pens, markers and everything that provides ink for its functions are expensive that not all people can afford. That's why the researcher investigated a project that can help lessen the economic crisis for the production of ink. L. Introduction Statement of the problem In school and office, we usually use pent pens and markers.However, the marker inks which we often used are to expensive to buy for a student like me. In times we need it the most, is also the time when we don't have the ink. It is very hassle to go out in the school or office Just to buy a marker ink. The marker ink which we usually used has bad odor that's why it is sometimes bad for our health. Objectives The objective of this project is to create an ink which is easy to produce and to get and also to recycle organic materials. Hypothesis The ink that will be produced will be a little bit pale in color And the product, somehow will have unexpected results.Significance of the study Creating this product will help you create a valuable things out of organic materials that could be found somewhere. Scope and limitations of the study This study covers only mostly about flowers and fruits that could be used to produce ink. However, using other material may not work effectively. Inclusive dates and places of study Gather some yellows flowers and put it in a mortar. Crush it using a pestle then get the extracts. After collecting the extracts, put it in a casserole then put the fire on. Wait until it boils. Add vinegar by the time it boiled. Let it cool for some hour then put it in a clean, empty container. ‘V. Presentation of data and results The ink we produce is a little bit brownish, because it is made from yello ws flower.Yellows flower doesn't seem to be able to produce dark-colored ink, and as what is expected, it turn out brownish in color. V. Analysis of data and results Based on the results of our project, the color of the Ink produced, matches somehow, the color of the material used to produce it. VI. Summary, Conclusions and recommendations Overall, our project seemed to turn out successful. Try to use a flower or a fruit that has a darker extracts such as rose. If you use a flower that has a light color of extract, you should multiply the measurement of the flower by two VI'. Literature Cited petals. HTML VIII. Bibliography

Large Amounts of Money on Consumer Goods Essay

Modern living often leaves us with more money than time. Add the Internet, advertisements and peer pressure, and we end up with a lot of young people who have difficulty distinguishing between needs and desires. Of course, they have the ability to understand money matters, but they still need guidelines. Even if it seems like they are growing up faster than any other generation before them, teenagers are still developing the basic attitudes and perceptions that will form the basis for life-long consumption patterns. It is often at this age that teenagers find their first jobs and start earning an income. Their goals are not typically to save or to invest for long-term financial security. For the most part, parents are still taking care of their teenagers’ needs and are still assuming responsibility for most of their purchases. For young teenagers, though, earning money means acquiring purchasing power. Now they can buy the things that used to require their parents’ permission. It’s one more step towards independence. It’s important for parents to remember that teenagers are still learning how to spend money. Help them focus on the rationale behind the purchases or demands they make. Point out how advertisements and marketing campaigns play an important role in decisions about spending. Advertisers take an almost scientific approach to studying human behavior. Marketing agencies know how to reach their target audiences and they spend large amounts of money to create new markets or expand existing ones. They emphasize image, fun, popularity and a way to be better. Whether it’s on billboards, television, posters or magazines, advertising is omnipresent in the lives of teenagers. There are regulatory and control systems in place, but advertisers still try to make people believe that they must have a certain product. As adults, many of us have probably been sorely tempted to make this kind of purchase, and with any luck, have learned from our mistakes. Teenagers will also make mistakes. But if they are well prepared, they will be more sceptical about advertising. At the very least, if they ever buy  something purely because of advertising or magazines, they will be able to understand why they did so and learn from it. The Internet is a way to communicate, shop, and entertain ourselves with music, games and downloaded movies. It’s also a lucrative arena for marketing and advertising. Advertising on the Internet is the least expensive and most effective technique for exposing goods and services to the largest possible number of people. Young adolescents may be particularly susceptible to unscrupulous Web marketing. It’s estimated that teens spend, on average, a little bit more than five hours per week surfing the Internet. Peer pressure is often thought of as something that affects especially teenagers. Peer pressure often has a big influence on a large portion of our society’s purchasing decisions. People and especially teenagers, often feel the need to keep up with the most modern technical gadgets, and to keep up with the images that we are exposed to every day in the media. It’s crucial to teach children to have self-confidence, and that there are more important things in life than what their friends think, have, or want. Teenagers will learn that while our needs and desires may be unlimited, our resources are not. It is important that they understand clearly that our decisions can’t always be just about our desires.

An Organizational Study of The United States Air Force

With the resignation of Mr. James Roach and Deputy Prime Minister Peter Tets, Secretary of State Secretary of State, the US Air Force faces the leaders vacuum. The Pentagon thought that no one could be held responsible, so he decided to take over the Air Force purchase decision. The Department of Defense is responsible for the support and support of the Air Force Headquarters to monitor and advise on important air force plans during the transition period. The US Air Force (USAF) is a branch of the US military aerospace service. It is one of five branches of the US military and one of seven US military uniforms. Originally founded as part of the US military on August 1, 1907, the US Air Force was established as an independent branch of the US military on September 18, 1947 and passed the National Security Act in 1947. It is the youngest branch in the country. US military, and priority ranked fourth. The US Air Force is the largest and most technically advanced air force in the world. The Air Force clarifies its core mission including sky and space advantages, global integrated ISR, rapid global mobility, global strike, and command and control The US Air Force Academy was established in 1954 in the north of Colorado Springs, Colorado. The US Air Force Academy School founded by the US Air Force is an institution for education and training interested in serving the US Air Force Academy. The US Air Force. Through training at the US Air Force Academy, students will strive to acquire a four-year bachelor's degree and become a lieutenant of the US Air Force. Currently, there are more than 4,200 students at the US Air Force Academy. In competitive schools, students enrolled in the US Air Force Academy are looking for work at the elite military school in the United States. Through this education students will be prepared to enter the leading role of the US Air Force and will learn how to be a reliable pilot and soldier.

Emergency Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Emergency Management - Assignment Example Lastly is the fire department in each and every county that handles all types of disasters and emergencies in their county. Each of the five mentioned emergency management and disaster response agency is keen on training people about the different types of disasters and how to response in case they happen as well as how to alleviate some of the disasters. For an individual who is used to emergency management, they react very fast to disasters in terms of seeking safety and the safety of others as well as preventing the effects from spreading further and communicating with others. However, for a private citizen not used to such emergency management, they take time to react. They try to save things that are not necessary as well as forget the safety precaution steps to take and they may find themselves injured. The first step in any disaster is to seek safety and try and calm down so as to take the other necessary steps. Panicking even though is human nature only tends to worsen things and bring disorientation. Keeping calm and planning way forward to safety is what people should always remember (Hyndman and Hyndman,

Causes of the American Revolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Causes of the American Revolution - Essay Example The thirteen states in North America had demonstrated the urge to be independent. In 1763, Britain won the Indian and French wars; however, it devastated the economic power of Great Britain necessitating it to pass laws to its colonies in order to raise funds1. In 1764, Great Britain passed the infamous sugar act. This act intended to increase taxes levied on sugar production. Unfortunately, the British colonies were not willing to pay taxes to representatives of the British regime. In 1765, the British parliament added more insult to the thirteen colonies by introducing the Stamp Act2. The act intended to collect taxes from printed materials. The aim the tax was to generate money that Great Britain could use to protect, defend, and secure its colonies. The colonist reacted vehemently to these laws arguing that they were not party to laws enacted without their participation. The people and the businesses in the thirteen states viewed the taxes as an extortion and control over their b usinesses. The Boston Massacre wounded the relationship between the Americans and the British. In 1770, the British troops did not succeed in quelling the colonists who had expressed their rejection to the colonial rule3. The incident led to the death of both British soldiers and the Americans. The incident spurred the reaction of the Americans in openly rejecting the British rule. The American people developed the urge to send their representative in the British parliament. The American community had been on the receiving end for a long time. The laws made by the British parliament did not address the interest of the Americans necessitating their cry for representation. It is arguable that the laws enacted and presented for adoption by the British colonies suppressed the interest of these states. The Tea Act enacted by British in 1773 granted British East India Company the opportunity to monopolistic activities in North America4. While the act intended to boost the economic status of the British owned company, the choice was hurting because it sought to give economic benefit to the colonist. The monopolistic policy did not only benefit the British owned company, but promoted economic â€Å"crimes† to the Americans. The Americans had no choice in influencing the prices of their tea an act that they did not accept. Another spectacular event that took place in 1773 was Boston Tea party. Colonist disguised as the Indians participated in dumping tea overboard from ships at the Boston Harbor. This act met vehement reaction because it did not plunder the tea trade but also wounded the trade relationship. In 1774 the colonist closed the Boston Harbor and outlawed meeting that the American held in towns. The passing of the intolerable acts in 1774 received contrasting response from the thirteen states. Twelve out of the thirteen states met in Philadelphia in the same year, September to October. The resolution of the meeting was to reject products from Britain. The boycott was an economic spat because it influenced the production of the British industries. British suffered because America was one of the chief consumers of her products. It is also arguable that the economic power that it derived from trade was instrumental in influencing its interest in the colonial territories. In 1775, British troops visited Concord

Acquisition of Major Competitors and Pricing Essay

Acquisition of Major Competitors and Pricing - Essay Example Many people would be against the acquisition of competitors because it is one of the ways through which monopolies can be created. This is because when a major player in an industry acquires their competitors, they end up accumulating the market share that was previously under the control of their competitors. As a result of such marketing strategies, big corporations have the luxury of controlling market prices without having to fear being out-priced by their competitors. In such scenarios, it can always be said that the consumers are the people who are most affected. A thing might even get worse in a scenario where an organization acquires a competitor then increases prices of products or services that they deal in while at the same time do very little to enhance the quality or even offer products or services that are of a lower quality than they used to before. In some cases, it will be seen that an organization has just acquired their main competitors but not all the competitors. The point in acquiring their main competitors is that even the minor competitors will not be able to go into a price war with them (Engelbeck 2002, p. 137). For instance, the proposed acquisition of Times Warner by Comcast will mean that Comcast will have more than 30% of the total broadband market share in the United States of America. This does not imply that they will gain total control of the broadband market in the United States of America. It will mean that they will gain majority shares of the market and the remaining shares will be divided among other organizations that do not have the resources that can put competitive pressure on them (Haws & Bearden 2006, p. 307). Even if they decide to increase their prices the other existing companies will not be in a position to take advantage of this and compete for the market share. In such a scenario, it is highl y possible that they will even offer lower quality services and still charge higher than they used to do before.

The differences of social dance between east coast and west coast Essay

The differences of social dance between east coast and west coast - Essay Example The tradition of storytelling that was a popular mode of communication in Africa was transported to America when they were made slaves against their will. â€Å"One way they would cope with the tremendous amount of pain & heartbreak of slavery would be to sing. While they were working in the fields they would often sing using â€Å"call to answer†. One leader would call out a certain part of a song and the rest of the slaves would answer with the next line. In modern times performing artists call this emceeing or crowd participation† (Mize). With this rap music travelled through cities and was accepted as a new yet entertaining form of music. In 1970’s rap music gained popularity and with the first release of the music album by Sugarhill Gang it became to be known as a proper genre. â€Å"By the 1990s, rap matured from an old-school-style – which was based o ­n relatively simple lyrics – to a new-school-style, which was louder and included more complex lyrics† (plasticlittleraps). It completely revolutionized the music and youngsters began to follow their favorite rap singers. The popular rap singers were Tupac and Wallace aka The Notorious Big; they were contemporaries and belonged to West and East coasts respectively. These two popular figures were assassinated and to this date the mystery of the murder still remains an enigma. Tupac was killed to avenge the insult and humiliation of one of the members of the Crips. After his murder in 1996, Wallace was associated with the murder under suspicion. To avoid any sort of trouble he made it clear in the press that he is remotely involved in the murder. However despite his justifications 6 months later in 1997 he was killed by unknown assailants. With this the rivalry between East Coast and the West coast grew and became stronger over the years to a degree that even today these coasts differ

Business law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 7

Business law - Essay Example The CEO is also liable to pay damages to Ronnie for committing fraud and acting in bad faith when he offered to sell his house in order to trick him and play a practical joke on the buyer, by offering the house for sale for a low price of $50,000, when in truth and in fact, the property was non-existent because it was recently destroyed by a hurricane. B. Snookie Plumbing cannot revoke its offer. In the case of Campbell Co. General Contractors, Inc. V. Virginia Metal Industries, Inc. 708. F.2d 930 (1983), the Supreme Court laid down the principle of promissory estoppel of the subcontractors liability in construction bidding cases by stating that: â€Å"We are not the first court to encounter the situation where there has been a promise unsupported by consideration which has occasioned reliance and change of position so that the promisor who backs away from his undertaking visits a real hardship on the promisee. An absence of consideration in such cases should not permit an unjust result. Rather, the law has developed the concept of promissory estoppel which allows recovery even in the absence of consideration where reliance and change of position to the detriment of the promisee make it unconscionable not to enforce the promise or to award damages for its breach.† Therefore, Snookie cannot revoke its offer, otherwise, it shall be liable to pay damages to Contractor for breach of contract. C. The contract is enforceable because there was a contract signed by the CEO and Situation Construction. All element of a valid contract are present. The CEO consented to amend the contract when he signed the agreement which demanded increase in payment. The consideration is $2 Million, to which the CEO agreed. Under the law, the contract can be amended provided that consent was freely given by both parties. Here, the CEO was not forced to sign to new contract reflecting the increase in the cost of construction. Therefore,

Discuss how the four shipping markets are linked to each other Essay

Discuss how the four shipping markets are linked to each other. Demonstrate their interconnections using examples from the shipping industry - Essay Example This means that when before I can demolish 12 dirty ships in one year (at 1 month per ship), then if ships are easy to demolish and clean, they will take only 3 weeks to demolish. This means that I can demolish 1 ship every 3 weeks so in 12 weeks (3 months or 1 quarter) I can demolish 4 ships and in 1 year (12 months or 4 quarters) I can demolish 16 ships (4 ships/quarter x 4 quarters/year). That is 4 more ships per year. If I have the same number of workers, and I can demolish 4 more ships extra every year because it is easy to demolish 1 ship, then that means I can have more profits, right Again, this is an analysis of the effect of faster demolition of ships. Assume that today, we can demolish 12 ships a year. If there are 20 ships in the whole shipping industry that has to be demolished, then at the end of 1 year, we can demolish 12 and there will be only 8 ships left. The sales and purchase market will have 8 ships to sell or to buy. The freight market can also use these 8 ships.

Trade Marks Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Trade Marks - Case Study Example Section 3 of this Act requires a trademark to be distinctive. As such, section 1 of the Act stipulates that the trademark should render it possible to differentiate the goods or services of one undertaking from that of the others. An application for a mark that tends to mislead or deceive the public will not be registered. Moreover, under the provisions of section 5 of this Act, a trademark applied for registration is compared with protected trademarks in the UK. Some examples of protected trademarks are UK national marks, CTMs and international registrations that have specified the EU or the UK. In Philips Electronics NV v Remington Consumer Products, it was held by the court that a sign was anything that conveyed information. This definition clearly addresses signs involving words, designs, letters, and numerals, as all of these can be represented graphically without much difficulty. Apparently, this seems to create a difficulty with regard to odours and flavours (Lee, 1999). All t he same, this perceived obstacle to registering such marks did not prove to be difficult to overcome. A pyramid shape for chocolate mints, "pointymints", similar in some ways to a well – known brand of triangular chocolate â€Å"Toblerone.† In this problem a pyramidal shape for a mint chocolate had been applied for registration. This shape was already possessed by Toblerone, a well – known brand of chocolates. In order to register a trademark, it must have fulfilled three fundamental requirements.

Exploring the Mind of Internet Addicts Essay Example for Free

Exploring the Mind of Internet Addicts Essay Addiction is a commonly used word that is mostly associated with a substance(drug or alcohol) and sometimes thought of as an illness. We often hear the word addiction thrown around in conversations. I’ve often used the word addiction when referring to my love of chocolate, but in this case it’s just an expression of speech. For a long time now, though, a lot of controversy has been going on about adding other activities, other than substance use to the word addiction. In this case excessive use of the Internet, Internet Addiction(IA). Many people are wanting to take addiction to a whole new level, by adding Internet Addiction to the DSM-V (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition; in other words the â€Å"psychiatric bible†) but is our need, love, desire, and excessive use of the internet just a compulsion or an addiction? Addiction is when a person is dependent on a behavior or specific substance in order to cope with life. The dependence is so important to the individual that even when it becomes harmful to themselves, their family, work, and other important areas of their life they will persist in using the substance, or engaging in the behavior. Also, â€Å"There are actual changes that occur in the brains of addicts and treatments for addiction must address the biology behind the behavior.† So far addictions have focused on highs that are caused from the use of drugs or other substances that affect the brain’s chemical responses. However it has recently been discovered that a person can receive a similar â€Å"high† from using the Internet. The research for this disorder is scarce and fairly new, but the results leave something to argue about for the supporting side. Overly excessive use of the Internet affects everyone involved with the â€Å"user.† There have been con fessions from individuals who claim to suffer from IAD (Internet Addiction Disorder). A case was, reported in the New York Times, A woman who had been divorced by her husband because of her excessive use of the Internet. Still the woman did not come to her senses and continued to use the internet so much that she forgot to buy food for her children, to take them to doctor appointments, and to buy enough oil to warm her home.(Maria Garcia Duran) Sounds like an addiction, but this still doesn’t fit the whole criteria. Remember you have to experience a chemical effect in the brain when your considering an obsessive need for something to be a diagnose as an addiction. There may be some alternative chemical change in her brain, such as the internet use is causing her to be happy, which means endorphins are being released to the brain. But this article isnt clear on whether the internet use really makes her happy, or helps her hide from reality which may still leave her with the same mood set, but just in hiding. Most people who think they are addicted may just be suffering from the desire to not want to deal with other problems going on in their lives. Those problems may in fact be a mental disorder like anxiety or depression. It may be a a relationship problem, serious disability or health problem. The internet use is no different than TV use, so you won’t have to â€Å"go out with the boys† for drinks or talking to your spouse. Others who spend to much time online with out any other problems present may just be suffering from compulsive over-use.

The competitive field that businesses compete within

The competitive field that businesses compete within Businesses exist in a very competitive environment and competition happens whenever two or more parties make every effort for a goal which cannot be shared. For example, supermarkets are in competition with each other to offer the best possible value for money goods, and to offer the most appropriate variety of products for their customers. Businesses battle in many ways. One of the most noticeable ways is over price. Within a market businesses are faced by direct competitors. These are firms that produce the same or very alike goods. However, most products are set apart in some way. For example, although soap powders may look highly similar each will offer some form of special ingredient that sets them apart. A direct competitor is a business that produces or sells a product or service that is the same or highly comparable to another in the same market. Indirect competition happens when firms compete for the same amount of spending, although they might be in different sectors of the same market or in different markets. Every growing or a successful organization has some competitors. If we take an example of McDonalds and Burger King: In making an analysis of McDonalds, the first issue we will examine is their company goals. McDonalds has a goal of one hundred percent total customer satisfaction. They do understand that this goal is not always achievable. If for any reason they do not meet that goal, they will do whatever it takes to correct their mistake. McDonalds has a second company goal that sets them apart from most of their competitors. One of there goals is the principle of giving back to the community and that remains one of their major goals today. If we take a look at McDonalds Guarantee states, food will be hot and your service will be fast and friendly. The customer service of McDonalds focuses on one customer at a time. They are much more concerned with the quality of the service rather than the speed. Employees usually take one order at a time and then prepare that order while the customers wait. After the current customer is satisfied, they move on to the next customer. This process allows great accuracy and quality but lacks speed. Employees in McDonalds work at a quick speed but it seemed like they had no time for customers. They acted as if it was a burden for them to stop and answer a simple question or refill a drink Where as Burger King Wants to individualize each customers order and provide the fastest service possible. Burger Kings policy is to give the customer many choices and to accurately and quickly provide whatever the customer chooses. This policy is reflected in their slogan which is YOUR WAY, RIGHT WAY. Operating under this rule makes it very easy to achieve their goals. Through the various choices they give it is easy to customize each order. Burger Kings procedures are also consistent with their goals. In order to individualize each order they provide customers with many options when ordering. Some options include fries or onion rings, cheese, bacon, mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and onion. The customer can pick any mixture of these options that they wish. Burger King takes customer orders on a continual basis. One employee takes the customers order, the customer then moves down the line where another employee is preparing the order. Meanwhile, the original employee is taking another customers order. Customers also get their own drinks while they are waiting for their meal. This makes service much faster because employees do not have to prepare drinks. They also provided relaxing music for customers to listen to while dining. Burger King has got more than sufficient communication and leadership. Employees give the customers feedback on their orders. Each customer receives a receipt, which enabled them to double-check their order. The employees also read the order back to the customer before handing them the order. In terms of leadership, there is a manager to sort out things. Organizational Goals Both McDonalds and Burger King share the same basic organizational goals of profitability, sales volume, fast and courteous service, and cleanliness. There are slight differences to these goals by both companies. Organizational Structure When observing McDonalds and Burger king, the organizational structures of the two restaurants are very alike. There appeared to be a crew leader who was a non-managerial employee and, there was a manager who was present behind the counter. The managers of the restaurants seemed to be in command of every aspect of the whole food service procedure. Technology Both McDonalds and Burger King are on the cutting edge of technology. They both employ state of the art cash registers and both have electric timers built into their cooking machines. Although the cooking styles differ between Burger King and McDonalds, the method of production is the same. Large amount of food is cooked at once then placed under heat lamps or put in the microwave when an order is placed. Both stores have the same drive through technology with a speaker and a well-lit menu to relay the message to the cooks. Employee Motivation The motivation of both stores for employees to perform well is hard to ascertain from just observing, but it appears somewhat obvious. The people working in these establishments appear to have a lower social economic status, and the fact that a paycheck is coming at the end of the week may be the only motivation they have. Environment The environment at McDonalds and Burger King seems to be a simple, yet unstable one. It is apparent that the majority of people, who work there, are not choosing their employment as a career option. Therefore, the workforce is constantly changing and adapting to new employees and new situations. Leadership Style There was similar leadership style employed by the management at both stores. Task orientation was essential to meeting the goal of fast food. Each person had to be focused on the task at hand, because during certain hours of the day, both stores were very busy. There seemed to be little flexibility from management if it meant compromising their goals. McDonalds and Burger king have been competing with each other for several years now and theres no sign that its going to stop any time soon. As we all know that the economy is entering into a correction these two super-chains have to fight more and more to win business and defeat all there competitors. Burger King recently announced plans to drop the price of its double cheese burger from $1.99 to just 99 cents even though Burger Kings double cheeseburger is 30% larger than the version offered at McDonalds. This means that they are not making much profit on it. But they have to attract more customers towards them and defeat there competitor. On the other hand McDonalds is ready to drop the double cheeseburger from its dollar menu all together. Many franchisees are upset because the double cheeseburger is not a profitable item for the stores at a $1.00 price point. Complaints have been made that consumers will come in, order two double cheeseburgers and a glass of water and that means the store will lose money from that customer. The main fast food chains often offer special sandwiches and discounted prices on certain items as a way to draw customers back into their stores and keep them loyal to the company so they keep coming back. The method is very successful to draw in business, and as the economy continues to remain on unstable ground, we will likely see the fast food chains come up with better deals and more original food items to effort to draw customers in. http://www.americanconsumernews.com/2007/12/mcdonalds-and-burger-king-entering-into-new-price-war-competition.html Theyre continuously keeping an eye on each other and the competition, and making sure in McDonalds case, making sure Burger King didnt break in on its market share, and in Burger Kings case, finding ways to take away McDonalds market share. If we look at McDonalds versus Burger king 16 years ago, even with some of the challenges theyve had over that time horizon, McDonalds average U.S. sales per unit is up over 20 percent, while Burger King over that same time frame is down 8 to 9 percent. French fries have been a sore point for Burger King Operators for years. The company has tried new formulas in the last couple years, but Burger Kings fries are still considered by many in the industry to not measure up with McDonalds. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3957636/ The relationships between profits and product differentiation expose that both McDonalds and Burger King are better off avoiding close competition if the market area is huge enough. However in small market areas, McDonalds would be located together with Burger King. In contrast, Burger Kings profits always increase with greater differentiation. The balance depends on the markets size. In small markets McDonalds locates near the center of the market, and Burger King locates to the side of the market. In larger markets McDonalds and Burger King choose locations on opposite sides of the market although McDonalds locates closer to the best possible central location than Burger King. http://mktsci.journal.informs.org/cgi/content/abstract/26/6/792 One of the reasons why Burger King is so successful includes many factors but one of them was location. One of the best ways to explain it is Burger King has always found outlets where there is a large attention of people but that wasnt there only strategy because they also had the great idea of going head-to-head with McDonald across the street. By setting outlets in front or near a McDonald outlet they were guaranteeing visibility of their franchise.

History of Somalia: Pre-colonial, Colonial and Post Colonial

History of Somalia: Pre-colonial, Colonial and Post Colonial Chapter 1 Introduction The work pertains to the pre-colonial colonial and post colonial history of Somalia and the factors it does contain leading to the collapse of the state of Somalia. Furthermore research will demonstrate the fall out of the failure on the international and regional politics. It should be bear in mind that the Somali issue is complex in nature and hence at the end of the paper, the reader should understand the nature of Somalias tribulations. Note that one of the features of African politics is that it comprises what can be considered as the worst political weakness, that is: political disequilibrium, and state failure and Somalia are a case among others. Somalia is situated on the so-called Horn of Africa, with a total population of 15 to 17 million people and extending into the Indian Ocean, Somalias harbors are natural ports of call for traders sailing to and from India. So the coast of the region is much visited by foreigners, in particular Arabs and Persians. But in the interior the Somali are left to their own arrangements. It is bordered in the north by Djibouti, in the west by Ethiopia and in the south by Kenya. Chapter 1.1 Pre-colonial and colonial Somalia By the early 1800th European interests begins to crop up in Somalia, the coasts were used as a coaling station for ships to India. Somalia was an important port of call on the Indian trade route, but its aridity and hostility fueled hesitation on the colonization issue. In the 1880s, France, Britain, Italy and Ethiopia competed for the Somali territory, the four competitors agreed among them and shared the land, the northern part were shared among French and British(now Djibouti and Eritrea) and the coastal regions were annexed by Italian protectorate and Ethiopian. But their interests grew when the Suez Canal opened creating tension between Italy and Ethiopia, the repercussion of this tension were felt in the Ogaden region found between Ethiopia and the coastal part of Somalia; an active Italian region, which was finally granted tot eh Ethiopians. By 1920 the colonial compromises in Somalia began to weaken through upheavals in the British Somaliland, and in the Ogaden region by Fasc ist Italy. The World War II complicated the situation; as Italy violently acquired Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia, then known as the Italian East Africa, which surrounded British and French Somaliland. Somalia got into a situation of constant colonial change until its independence in 1960. Chapter 1.2 Post-Independence Somalia and conflicts After independence, Somalia looked forward to reunite with three large Somali groups trapped in other states in French Somaliland, in Ethiopia and in northern Kenya. As Kenya and Ethiopia were in under the protection of the Western powers, Somalia turned towards the Soviet for help. But still Somalia kept a neutral stance in international affairs, but this soon changed when newly elected President M. Egal was assassinated (1969) and the accession to power by Siad Barre who sided on the Soviet side, he devoted himself to a brutal Marxist dictatorship and hence opposing clan ideology and the clan system; which was an inherent part of the Somali culture. In 1977 Somalia attacked Ethiopian garrisons in the Ogaden but his ally; that is the USSR soon turned on the Ethiopian side and Ethiopia used Soviet support to take back the Ogaden in 1978. Having lost its ally and with thousands of refugee coming back, Somalia headed towards a deep abyss where it still lies. To understand the collapse of the Somali state is a complex issue, but as a sum up of the issue it can be said that it was due to both, historical and cultural legacy. From a political point of view it can be said that during the 19th century, Somalia has been divided into five regions, namely: French Somaliland (Djibouti), British Somaliland, Italian Somaliland, Ethiopia (Ogaden) and the Kenyan Northern Frontier District. But since its independence in July 1960, the main objective of the nationalist was to reunite the whole territory, thing which was difficult as it implied conflicts with its neighborhood. Such ideology represents also a constant threat to all the countries concerned, that is: Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya. As a result, it weakened Somalias regional economic development and its diplomatic relations. Culturally speaking, it can be seen that Somalia is a complex body made up of several clan and sub-clans of nomads and pastorals. However the Somali believe that the clan system is their safeguard and protects them against foreigners, nevertheless, this belief is more complicated than it can appear. Moreover, above all they attach a deep affiliation to kinship and hence, for the Somali it can be sum up like the following: Families against families in a clan. Clan against clan in Somalia And Somalia against the World. The conflicts among clan is due spilling hereditary lineage and Siad Barre regime could maintain itself due to that Barre was able to play the game of rivalries between clans, furthermore, it is to be noted that major armed political groups are clan based. In the after effects of this disaster guerrilla groups, clan-based are formed in and around Somalia with the intention of bringing down Siads repressive and centralizing regime. By 1988 the result was a full-scale civil war, resulting in the overthrow of Barre in 1991. He joined his own clan, becoming one warlord among many in this increasingly chaotic nation. In 1991 the faction controlling the former British Somaliland confuses matters by declaring its independence as the republic of Somaliland. Unlike Somaliland, the south and central Somalia is under constant conflict and conquest by rival clans and establishment of de facto government(Ali Mahdi) but the question was not about how to rule but who rules as the tension revolved a round clan supremacy . Humanitarian turmoil reaches its peak and armed conflict generated food and health crisis but the situation is such that foreign intervention is difficult due to violent respons towards foreign aids. There is often a danger that fundamentalist peep into conflicts and tries to take advantage of the situation, the Islamic Courts Union confirmed the fundamentalists habit in Somalia extending its ideology. This Islamic fundamentalist group briefly tried to conquer Somalia. Chapter 1.3 Somalia economic overview â€Å"The economy has long been heavily dependent on livestock and agriculture. Stock rearing is practised throughout the country and accounted for about 40% of GDP [Gross Domestic Product] and 65% of export earnings in 2000, according to World Food Programme (WFP) estimates. Most of the farmland lies between the Jubba and Shabeelle rivers in the south of the country. The small manufacturing sector is based on the processing of agricultural products. In the south, the absence of a central government has meant that no economic data have been produced by national sources since 1990. In Somaliland, by contrast, the government collects tax and duties levied on trade.[1]† This can give an overview of Somali economy, hence its vulnerability and dependency on foreign economic aid especially in Puntland region where the data concerning the economic activity are almost absent. And this also brings in the ecological factor which is not in favor of the Somalis a clear example is the great droughts of 2006 which has caused a major humanitarian in Somalia, which touched nearly 1.5 million people, displacing 400,000 people due to a fall in crop production in practically all regions under cultivation[2]. But still, the Somalis economy is said to have flourished after the collapse; because the absence of a state and its institutions, has given birth to a laissez faire economy controlled by private sector. Private newspapers and enterprises mushroomed creating one of the best telecommunication systems in Africa, with an approximate GDP of $5.524 billion, and Somalia natural resources are: Largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, uranium, co pper, salt, petroleum and natural gas. It produce also agricultural product such as banana, livestock, fish, corn, and has established markets(United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Oman) to export its product and imports petroleum products, food grain, construction material, etc†¦ from countries like Brazil, India, Kenya, Djibouti, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Oman. Furthermore, Somalia also benefit from foreign economic aid especially from the United States of America, the European Union etc.[3] Its impact on the regional and international politics is more disastrous: it can be said in one paragraph which will clarify the rest; Somalia has been noted as a failed state in the international sphere, arms embargo imposed by the UN security council since 1992 till now, removal of humanitarian aid due to violence against the humanitarian aid volunteers, (particularly in Puntland state), and reinforcement of security in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean due to high piracy level in the zone, there is also the problem of mass migration of Somalis to Yemen. Chapter 2 State and State failure State A state is a set of components and institution that enable it to survive. The main pillars of the state are: the Government, territory and population. While population and territory are physical in nature government is institutional and most important, failing to establish one of the basic institutions, a country can be said to have failed. States function can be classified as ideal state functions and real state functions. Ideal state functions are divided into social functions and economic functions; social functions being: controlling the peoples fundamental rights and liberty and economic functions being provision of goods and services and income redistribution. But the real state functions are different, they are divided into state natural functions: that is power and coercion, social functions: for example protection of rights and liberty and economic functions that is limited to provision of goods and services. The state is presented as a tangible political entity; and the sta te has different characteristics: that is: Sovereignty; each state is sovereign and that is what creates the contract between the states prevents the interference of one state into another states matter. Territory: land and sea defined by a boundary. Nation: the concept of nation is very important, sometimes a nation leads to the creation of a state and sometimes a state leads to the creation of a nation. Somalia is a state with one nation but divided through cans. The Somali societys features match with the features of a nation that is same language, same culture, same religion, but different clans. Characteristics of a state are that it has also diplomatic recognition, internal organization and internal loyalty from the part of its population. [4] Chapter 2.1 Why a state? State has two sets of definition, the organizational definitions; that define the state as a set of governmental institutions making rules, controlling and supervising different element of the country. The functional definition depicts the state according to its social, economic, political and legal functions. The origins of the state dates back to the ancient civilization and the most antique form of state known is the Greek city state which evolved through time to give way to the modern nation state. State is a common word nowadays, members from each governing institutions claim that they can serve it and manipulate it, for instance, judges claim that they can discern its interests and politicians claim that they know how to run it. Liberals believed that the state should be a referee, Marxist sinister perception see the state as an â€Å"instrument† and relist perceive the state as a elitist organization of manipulators. A broader definition would be that the state is mainl y regrouping of all powers relations in society which acts as an automatic machine supervising the legal, economic, political and social elements of a country. Diverse thinkers view the state differently and below are the principal thinkers view of the state. Therefore, all the definitions show that a state is important and needed. 2 Locke rejects any notion of subordination and with it the relationship that it maintains in relations between men and relationships between men and inferior creatures. There is no difference between them inherent among men, there is no hierarchy: they are all free and equal in the eyes of God. The natural liberty requires both independence and equality; it makes the political authority to consent. Locke argues that men are originally free and equal and that the origin of Governments is a free association. It therefore opposes the theory of divine right monarchy and absolutism. Montesquieu developed in the spirit of laws theory of forms of government (monarchy, despotism, aristocratic republic, democratic republic). Its doctrine is based on separation of powers (legislative, executive, judicial) and opposes the speculative theory of natural law. There is no noble savage, but various companies where several elements govern men: climate, religion, morals. Thomas Hobbes sees the state as an institution whose individuals are self-centered in nature. Left on their own, they can create a state of war, as he called it. Hence, Hobbes upholds an absolute ruler to control the state. The will of the sovereign is the will of god and law of the state is the will of the sovereign, thus the sovereign or Leviathan, as he called it establishes the contract between various institutions and among individuals so as not to create chaos. The ruler is above law, the Leviathan is the state. So what can be deduced is that Hobbes defined the state as a primitive, individualist and anarchical institution where conflict of interest among individuals prevails and leads to collapse of the state, hence state must be a harsh institution which looks towards its survival, otherwise it would be the state of nature? But Jean Jacque Rousseau does not see the state as such. For him, the state and power is the evil that corrupts the good man. Rousseau corrects Hobbes by saying that it is state of nature is not just the removal of the governing body it is also the removal of all societal features; that is culture, belief, religion and even understanding of ones own self. Therefore it can be deduced that according to Rousseau, the state is a set of societal features, that is culture, religion belief, rational view of others and ones own self and governing institution. Marxist, view the state as something totally different: (The state) is a product of society at a certain stage of development; it is the admission that this society has become entangled in an insoluble contradiction with itself, that it is cleft into irreconcilable antagonisms which it is powerless to dispel. But in order that these antagonisms, classes with conflicting economic interests, might not consume themselves and society in sterile struggle, a power seemingly standing above society became necessary for the purpose of moderating the conflict, of keeping it within the bounds of order; and this power, arisen out of society but placing itself above it, and increasingly alienating itself from it, is the state.[5] What Engels wants to explains is that the state is controlled by the economically dominant class, enabling it to maintain its control over the exploited classes. Although the state is usually the instrument of the economically dominant class, sometimes conflicting classes balance each other such that the state becomes somewhat independent. The state is part of the superstructure of society. Marx and Engels analyzed human society as divided into a material base and a superstructure that rests on it. The base is made up of the devices of production (machines, tools, and raw materials), the social classes, chiefly the exploiting and laboring classes, of the particular society, and the relations between these classes. The superstructure consists of political and cultural institutions, including the state, churches, schools, etc., as well as corresponding intellectual spheres: politics, religion, science, art, etc. The state is a major, if not the major, element of this superstructure as per the Marxists. As per principles of International Law, a state is a recognized and subject to international law only if it comprises of certain qualifications, that is: a permanent population, a defined territory, government, and capacity to enter into relations with other states.[6] Comparing these features to Somalia, it can be deduced that Somalia lacks two of these qualifications, that is; capacity to enter in relations with other states and it has a weak government controlling limited territory. Therefore, Somalia is a state without its full managerial capacity, but still it is a sovereign state and is recognize as such by the international community, as defined by the Declaration on principles of international law Elements: b).: Each state enjoys the right inherent in full sovereignty and element c).: Each state has the duty to respect the personality of other states[7] Chapter 2.2 State failure A state does not collapse one day or another, a state weakens fails and then collapse. A weak state still have control on the majority of the country but cannot solve major issue or is illegitimate in the eyes of some portion of the population. In fact the strength of a state is judge on the level of obedience and legitimacy accorded to it by the nation. State failure is an instable state experiencing civil war or invasion, then, the state collapse; this situation is the total paralysis of all institution of the state that is; legal, economic, military and political. State failure is a sensible but tangible issue in Africa, moreover, before defining state failure and its implication in Africa, first of all there must be a kind and close comprehension of the subject and its various facets. State failure is two words with various definitions, because circumstances and factors leading to state failure vary from one country to another. Before looking into the core subject, definitions of the word state is important, moreover, the definitions of state also vary. State failure concerns essentially the interrelationship between models of authority, political control and institution building in a country. What makes Africa the appropriate model to examine state failure, is that it has experienced shifts of government, that is, from colonial to post colonial or from democracy to autocracy. The shift of power, from colonial to independent has created political instability in most country and in some state failure. In the case of Africa and particularly, Somalia, when the term state failure is coined, it, means the there is a failure to control and to promote human prospering. Government is normally formed of various institution to promote Culture, economic stability, security, rights, liberty, justice and what is more important is to respect the concept of rule of law on the territory by all civilians. Hence these values are under the responsibility of a governing body which delegates the particular responsibilities to institutions like; the Army, Supreme Court, ministries, police force etc†¦ in respect of a Constitution[8]. There are some fixed and variable symptoms indicating a state collapse; fixed symptoms being common symptoms present in all cases and variable symptoms being particular to the specific Country. Examples of fixed symptoms are failure in the provision of national and international security and the preservation of order, failure in the implementation of the rule of law, no existence of; institutions of political freedom, channels of commerce and communication, lack of provision of an economic institution to promote growth and prospe rity, and no presence of basic services such as medical services, power, running water, and control of the environmental commons, and civil war. Variable symptoms, here in the case of Somalia, would be piracy, but the issue of piracy is subject to debate because the state failure is not the only causes of piracy in Somalia, ecological factors are responsible too. Therefore, a state is weakens when it loses control one of these institutions or all, in other words the state failed to provide basic functions for its citizen. But state failure or collapse, is not an instant event, it is rather an event of long lasting decay of the state due to internal or external factors, which will be explained later. Hence, the fall out of state failure is that the economy becomes weak, provision of education and heath care disappear, proliferation of crime and violence and it also generates opposing groups often engaged in armed conflict, creating humanitarian crisis and often genocide, population shift, refugee crises and food shortage. Chapter 3 Causes of the collapse Causes of the collapse can be divided and hence would be better understood, there are the founding causes and the contributing causes. Founding causes are those causes which are at the origin of the collapse of the state and contributing causes are as important as founding causes but have contributed to the collapse not originate it. The conflicts are to be divided into three categories; it must be beard in mind that all these factors have contributed to the collapse of the Somali state, but at different stages and different way. This chapter is an attempt to demonstrate how each causes has its importance throughout the failing process. The causes or factors of collapse are classified as such: Original cause(initiation of collapse) instable Contributing causes (declining factors) weak Final blow collapse Original causes: these factors can also be referred to as the initiation to the state collapse: that is the factors which rendered the state instable, but did not knock out the state. What is meant by instable is that; those factors created a state of tension in the country that gave little chance for Somalia to progress, socially, economically, politically. Original causes are; colonial division of Somalia into five parts and offering Ethiopia in particular a great portion of the territory[9]; and social division of the Somali society into small clan-based mini-states that lacked an organizational skill to regroup themselves into a state. These two factors could be considered as the core factors of the collapse of the state by causing the formation of a weak and deformed state. But another core factor can be added to this that is: wrong management of the national resources and the fact that Somalia lack effectively trained human resources to substitute colonial administration in running state institutions. The historical period for this condition is preceding the independence of Somalia in 1960. There are also the transitional causes which caused the state to collapse. Transit causes are mid causes; these are for example the Barre Socialist regime, and the final blow which lead to the downfall of Somalia. Chapter 3.1 Clan system It should be bearded in mind the cultural traditions of Somalia do not allow the country to be accustomed to building a modern state. The clan system in Somalia is both unite and divide, as explained above, the characteristic that unites, that it is a common form of social organization in Somalia. But the sharing feature is that: there is hostility between clans and sub-clans. The clans are divided into two categories: there are pastoral nomads and livestock mainly southern clans. But the conflict is mainly between pastoral nomadic clans and clans farmed. There are four major clans of noble families; the Darood, Hawiye, Isaaq and Dir,. Minority groups and low-caste clans included the Bantu of Somalia (being the largest minority group), the Benadiri, Rer Hamar Brawanese, swahili, Fumal, Yibir, Yaxar, Madhiban, Hawrarsame, Muse Dheryo and Faqayaqub. One third of the population, approximately two million people are from minority groups. Intermarriage between these groups and noble clans is limited. Some of these groups have limited access to all social services that are available, including health and education. Minority groups had no armed militias and continue to be victims of murders, tortures, rapes, abductions and looting of land and property. These groups have continued to live in conditions of great poverty and suffer numerous forms of discrimination and exclusion.[10] As indicated in the JFFMR[11] March 2004, the delegation met Omar Abdiaziz Daad: Daad Omar, former Minister of the reconciliation of President Siad Barre from 1986 to 1990, said he is a Marehan himself and the nephew of Siad Barre and next to Siad Barre, the son closest. Daad Omar left Mogadishu in 1991 and returned several times since. Daad Omar said he works as a mediator in central Somalia and has been accredited for the peace process in Kenya to the Darood clan. Daad Omar explained it is too difficult for Marehan to live in Mogadishu, they are designed to be high because many of them used to work for the regime of Siad Barre. He stated that all members of the clan would Marehan to blame for the suffering caused by the SiadBarre regime and they risk being killed. Omada Daad estimated 200 people Marehan clan live in Mogadishu today that are able to stay there only because they were married with members of stronger clans. Marehan An independent could not live safely in Mogadishu and manage a business. Daad Omar said that Marehan who had worked for the regime of Siad Barre could not return to Mogadishu. Even members of the family of a Marehan who had worked for Siad Barre would have had problems today. Any other clan member (eg a Hawiye and Habr Gedir) who had worked in the administration (including police) Siad Barre have no problems returning to Mogadishu today. But members of the Darood clan and Majerteen will not be able to live safely in Mogadishu, the Hawiye clans regard them as a challenge to their power â€Å" The complexity of the Somali clan system, it is difficult to identify the clan, but it is easier to identify them when they fall into political factions. This complex political structure, where there is only way to rivalry and competition for resources and territorial control, can not make a good organization policy. Good organization policy refers here to standard policies every country, that is, establishment of a modern state through democratic principles. But what was so undemocratic about the clan system? The answer is simple; the clan system that has long existed in Somalia, as well as conflicts between clans, but these conflicts has been an obstacle to the unification of Somalia under a local body[12] (after independence). An obstacle to the unification of Somalia that the issue of creating a modern state was another thing, it was more difficult with increasing conflict between the clan, where the modern nation-state was not the priority, the unification of the clans is paramo unt. But the intellectual elite choose the wrong option, they created the modern state in Somalia first and then tried to accommodate the clan, what followed was chaos! We can not find details of Somalia without being troubled by the importance of clan in the Somali culture, and it is so omnipresent that it is causing the conflict in Somalia. What brings the clan system as a basic factor for the collapse of the state is that, as mentioned above, it is an integral part of Somali culture, and furthermore, it has generated the de facto state by clan rivalries on then basis of clan identity. Siad Barre could remain so long at the head of Somalia because he used a policy of divide and rule and created rivalries between clans, favorising his own clan the main armed political groups as well that is;USC, SSDF, SNM, SPF, SDA, SDM. United Somali Congress (USC). The USC was created by the Hawiye clan in central Somalia around Mogadishu. Somali Salvation Democratic Front (SSDF). The SSDF was created by the sub-clan of Darood Majerteen, who live in north-eastern Somalia. Somali National Movement (SNM). The SNM was created by the Issaq clan of north-west Somalia, it proclaimed the independence of Somaliland. Somali Patriotic Front (SPF). The SPF was established by the Ogaden sub-clan of Darood who live partly in the south and partly in central Somalia. Somali Democratic Movement (SDM). The SDM is the movement Rahanwein clan; they live in the south and west. Somali Democratic Association (SDA). The SDA is the advantage of living Dir clan in Somalias north-west. The question of invasion is also very important for the inter-clan conflicts. Unlike northern Somalia, also known as Somaliland, which consists of five districts, but primarily inhabited by people fro the Issaq clan, southern Somalia is not homogeneous. The regions south and central Somalia is under conquest and occupation of the armed forces different clan, who have no legitimacy on the cities and agricultural lands for which they fought and. Chapter 3.2 Colonial division of Somali territory The colonial history of Somalia do not let anyone believe that this nation can easily form an effective state, the question that comes to mind all the readers is that the colonial history of Somalia, how can be linked to the collapse of the state. The countries sharing the same culture with the various rival clans, and the problem does not stop there, the colonial powers divided the land into portions thereby creating a situation of standstill, paralyzing the nation. As mentioned at the beginning, Somalia was formed by the union of two former colonial territories, British Somaliland in the north and Italian Somaliland, which was more populous. But the colonial division affects the breakdown as follows: Somali irredentism and conflict with Ethiopia and Kenya. When Somalia was unified in 1959, before independence in 1960, only the British and Italian Somaliland, which has created the new Somalia, there were still some Somalis living in Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti. In fact, this could be unified has been unified and the rest was considered that there was a Somali nation in these countries, Somalia and the whole is not united. And thats where the problem laid, Somali irredentism was much more important than solving the rivalries of clans that has brought the country to failure and collapse. The colonial history of Somalia do not let anyone believe that this nation can easily form an effective state, the question that comes to mind all the readers is that how can the colonial history of Somalia, be linked to the collapse of the state. The countries sharing the same culture with the various rival clans, and the problem does not stop there, the colonial powers divided the land into portions thus creating a situation of standstill, paralyzing the nation. As mentioned at the beginning, Somalia was formed by the union of two former colonial territories, British Somaliland in the north and Italian Somaliland, which were more populous neglecting portions of Somali in Ethiopia, Kenya and Djibouti. Therefore, the colonial division affects the collapse as follows: Somali irredentism leading to conflict with Ethiopia and Kenya. When Somalia was unified in 1959, before independence in 1960, only the British and Italian Somaliland had created the new Somalia, there were still some Somalis living in Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti. In fact, what could be unified has been unified and the rest was unconsidered, there was a Somali nation in these countries, Somalia as a whole was not united. And thats where the problem laid, Somali i rredentism was much more important than s Sainsburys: Competition With Other Supermarkets Sainsburys: Competition With Other Supermarkets J Sainsbury:  What will it take to make it ‘Great’ again? Contents (Jump to) Introduction Key Figures Products and Services Quality and Quantity Analysis Conclusion Bibliography Introduction The food and grocery retail sector is the United Kingdom’s largest employer, supplying 11% of all jobs in the UK, totaling in excess of 2.8 million people (IGD, 2004a) in a market that generates  £123.9 Billion in sales (IGD, 2006b). This traditionally British company dominated industry has been changed through the acquisition of ASDA by giant retailer Wal-Mart in late 1999, which then was the third largest supermarket with 229 stores and sales of  £8 billion. Wal-Mart’s entry into the UK food retailing sector and their low pricing retailing concept sparked a round of ‘full-scale food price wars’ as it embarked upon its strategy of gaining immediate market share increases (BBC News, 2001). This development represented a less than desirable market instance for J. Sainsbury’s, which at the time of the Wal-Mart invasion was number two in the UK market behind Tesco (BBC News, 2001). In fact, the troubles at Sainsbury’s were in progress before Wal-Mart’s entrance into the UK market as it lost its position as the number one food retailer to Tesco in 1995, and since ASDA’s acquisition by Wal-Mart the company has slide into third place (Food Business Review online, 2005). This examination shall seek to look into the overall United Kingdom supermarket industry as it relates to the large chains and identify factors acting upon as well as in it that have reversed the fortunes of Sainsbury’s from an internal as well as external standpoint. The question that said examination will endeavor to answer is â€Å"What will it take to make Sainsbury’s Great again?† The aim of this examination is to delve into the market forces, conditions, competitive influences and impacts within the United Kingdom grocery retail sector to gauge what has transpired since Sainsbury’s occupied the number one position in the market and why it has been supplanted. The historical perspective will provide an overview of how the market has changed from a consumer, competitive and internal standpoint of Sainsbury’s marketing, and market strategic planning and thus attempt to identify what the company either missed or failed to respond to with regard to the conditions that resulted in its losing significant market share and thus its leadership position. The objective is to uncover the salient and noteworthy market and competitive forces, inroads, developments and circumstances that enabled Tesco as well as ASDA to pass Sainsbury’s for the number one and two spots in the United Kingdom and what strategies, developments, changes and other factors which Sainsbury’s will need to consider and or implement to begin reclaiming significant market share. Key Figures As of October 2006 the Taylor Nelson Sofres study, which is also known as the TNSofres Superpanel, of the United Kingdom grocery retailing market showed the following (Answers.com, 2006) (Wikipedia, 2006): Table 1 – UK Grocery Retailing Market Share 13 August 2006 Table 2 – UK Grocery Retailing Market Share 2 January 2005 The foregoing indicates how much Sainsbury’s has slipped since the early 1990s when it was the undisputed market leader. An examination of accounting data for the company and or its competitors indicates that there is noting in this aspects that affects or has affected the abilities of the firms to either operate or obtain an advantage. The importance of market share, translates into customer traffic, the all important variable in generating sales. Products and Services The change in the UK grocery retiling sector to a more price competitive structure eroded Sainsbury’s advantage the existed prior to 1995, and the resulting price wars heated up with Tesco responding to the Wal-Mart / ASDA discounting strategy along with Safeway and Morrisons, which Sainsbury’s failed to respond to when this development hit the market (Food Business review online, 2005). This important misstep compounded consumer defections and eroded market share. Sainsbury’s heavy investment in private label brands did not provide the needed hedge as the consumer market shifted away from this prior initiative as they started buying lower price brand names offered by competitors (TNS, 2000). Another important factor in the decreased market share, which is a function of low store traffic is that Tesco, ASDA as well as Morrisons built or expanded to larger stores thus providing them the opportunity to stock non-food items thus making their locations more convenien t for one-stop shopping (Just Food, 2002). Sainsbury’s Savacentre format represented a subsidiary operation rather than a central format whereby it could not compete with the competitors’ number of stores in this format. The trend of grocery retailers into non food areas was not just a Wal-Mart innovation, as Carrefour also had moved in this direction. One stop shopping represents convenience for consumers, and this along with loyalty cards, big stores and lots of extras are what today’s more demanding consumer looks for, wants and expects. The preceding understandings as to the developments the occurred over time in the UK as well as in international grocery retailing segment are important to understanding not only what has happened to Sainsbury’s, but what it missed in terms of market developments and what it needs to concentrate on to return to its former greatness. Quality and Quantity Diversification has been the key to success for Tesco as well as ASDA in that their non-food items such as clothing, electrical items, appliances for the kitchen, soft toys and ceramics allow them to not only attract customers, it permits them to operate on lower margins in their food operations thus increasing the difficulty for Sainsbury’s (Food Business review online, 2005). The preceding diversification strategy represents the means via which Tesco as well as ASDA overtook Sainsbury’s, and thus indicates the path the company must take to not only hold its ground, but make up for lost customers. The preceding strategy permits these companies to offer a larger selection of items as a customer draw. The quantity of offerings represents a distinct advantage. The qualities of products as well as the environment in which they are sold are important points in attracting customers as well as keeping them, and is equal among competitors. Sainsbury’s 2005 Annual Report recognizes the preceding as the company stated â€Å"Our vision for Sainsbury’s is all about delivering great quality food at fair prices.† (Sainsbury’s, 2005). The company is committed to the importance of the low price position with regard to the UK market and has made this a center piece in its restructuring strategy (Sainsbury’s, 2005). In recognition of the importance of customer convenience, the company is expanding its non food mix which â€Å"†¦ includes items such as cards, gift-wrap, music and DVDs, and which for most customers are now a part of the weekly grocery shop† (Sainsbury’s, 2005). In this same vein, Sainsbury’s adds â€Å"Where space allows we will also sell clothing and home ware †¦Ã¢â‚¬  an d continues â€Å"We see a clear opportunity to grow sales by developing our non-food offer †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Sainsbury’s, 2005). Analysis Key to understating where Sainsbury’s and the grocery retailing sector market is today, is understanding where it was yesterday and the events that led to the company’s decline. The supermarket wars are nothing new as are the minor developments that signal competitiveness. Price cutting discounters were in the marketplace as far back as the late 1980s, yet Sainsbury’s continued to gain market share in spite of this (BBC Online Network, 1999). Tesco’s successful bid for supermarket chain William Low in 1994 provided it with a presence in the Scottish market, but does not represent a singular event that aided in its surpassing Sainsbury’s in the marketplace. In addition, Tesco introduced a highly successful marketing campaign, as well as its loyalty card well in advance of Sainsbury’s, which helped it to improve upon customer loyalty and repeat store visits (BBC Online Network, 1999). Other developments included Tesco’s â€Å"†¦ ow n label discount lines, as well as supermarket bank accounts (BBC Online Network, 1999). Correspondingly, Sainsbury’s 1994 Annual Report indicated that their prices were 3% below the other large chains (Sainsbury’s, 1994, p. 4), however this in and of itself did not counter Tesco’s more customer centric marketing strategies which increased customer loyalty and attracted new ones. By 1995 it was official, Tesco had achieved the status of the number one grocery retailer. And while Sainsbury’s also operated Savacentre hypermarkets which sold a broad array of goods, including clothing, the company’s focus on expansion into the United States through its acquisition of the Giant food retailing chains and modest opening of 20 new U.K. stores ran contrary (Sainsbury’s, 1995, pp. 10-12) to Tesco’s focus of expanding in the large store multi product mix format in the U.K. Table 3 – UK Annual Grocery Retailer Sales 1998 – 2000 (TNS, 2000) % Share The SWOT analysis of Sainsbury’s reveals: (S)trengths The Sainsbury’s name and reputation represents a strong advantage and strength for this British company serving its domestic market as well as the fact that it has learned the lessons and importance of non-food items, larger stores and customer loyalty programs from the successes of its rivals which it has implemented in it restructuring strategies (Sainsbury’s, 2005). (W)eaknesses The company’s weaknesses are its lack of superstores to match the strength of ASDA and Tesco who are and have benefited from the increased number of non-food items these types of locations can carry and the lost customers the company must win back. (O)pportunities The well known format of pricing has been inoculated into the company’s structure through cost cutting and paring down personnel, thus putting it in the position to do battle on this front. In addition, the proven successful strategies in internal operations as well as winning customers as learned from rivals provides it with the position and structure to now attack these areas. Opportunities exist in the acquisition of key superstores from other smaller competitors as well as a strategic acquisition. (T)hreats Continued discounting, and new superstores by the company’s competitors represent its biggest threats as well as the potential acquisition of smaller chains by rivals to increase their store placements. A Porter’s Five Forces analysis of Sainsbury’s reveals the following: Rivalry Tesco and ASDA hold market share leads over Sainsbury’s, and their size, strength and placements in the market provides them with a strong positioning that the company must not simply match, but exceed in order to gain market share from them as well as smaller firms. The high rivalry in the industry makes the preceding proposition difficult as the format is based on pricing for which there is little room to maneuver. Threat of substitutes The threat of substitutes is low as the extremely high cost of entry owing to real estate, store and other relationships rules out new players in the market except through the acquisition of existing firms. In addition the high degree of managerial savvy to operate in this environment represents another inhibiting factor. Buyer power Buyer power is strong in that the stores in this sector control to a great degree their supplier relationships through long standing agreements or out right ownership and control. Supplier power Supplier power is weak as a result of the number of competitive firms in the market all having long established existing relationships. Changing to new firms means an intense round of cost cutting measures to either replace or fit in with the chains supplier structures. Barriers to Entry and Threat of Entry The barriers to entry in this industry sector are represented by the extremely high cost of either starting up, acquisition and securing qualified management and store manager talent. The threat of entry is extremely low for the same reasons. In addition, the market is full of top line players thus making it improbable that an outside firm would be interested in entering this extremely tough competitive environment. Conclusion What it will take to make Sainsbury’s great again is the continued commitment by management and employees to surpass the service levels offered by its rivals as the company has already embarked upon the immediate and long internal, location and non-food formats that have proven successful for competitors. The all important ingredient in the entire strategy and marketing mix is the customer, as pricing and product mix are keenly watched, modified and adjusted by all competitors to either maintain parity or achieve it. Store layouts, modern designs, non-food items, convenience, location and size are all key aspects of the company’s plan as contained in its Annual Report to achieve market position gains by 2008 (Sainsbury’s, 2005). These things being equalizers in terms of the company putting its facilities and locations on a par with competitors is not enough, in and of themselves, as the key to the industry sector are its customers and their weekly shopping habits and needs. Sainsbury’s must forge an increased personal relationship with its customers in terms of product selections, quality, locations, convenience and deft utilization of customer relationship management to identify spending and shopping patterns and craft unique loyalty programs that respond to individual customer preferences, needs and desires. In an industry with little to differentiate one firm from another, the difference is in the interpersonal relationships and contact with a company’s staff that spells an advantage. Friendliness, personable, helpful and most of all key customer relationship management to present offers, are factors that appeal to customers. Despite all of the investment in facilities, stock and the like, the grocery retailing industry is a service industry, as such is the most important front via which to attract, retain and increase store visits. All of the facility designs, stock and related aspects go with this formula, but, it is the customer shopping experience that is the key to winning their attitudes. Bibliography Answers.com (2006) ASDA. Retrieved on 25 November 2006 from http://www.answers.com/topic/asda BBC Online Network (1999) Business: The Company File, A tale of two supermarkets. 12 April 1999. Retrieved on 26 November 2006 from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/the_company_file/317325.stm BBC News (2001) UK poised for supermarket wars. 28 August, 2001. Retrieved on 25 November 2006 from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/1512847.stm Just Food (2002) UK: Food retailers lead the way in product, store innovation. 22 July 2002. Retrieved on 26 November 2006 from http://www.just-food.com/article.aspx?art=50664type=1 Food Business review online (2005) UK supermarkets: diversify or die. 5 April 2005. Retrieved on 26 November 2006 from http://www.food-business-review.com/article_feature_print.asp?guid=F7002651-4884-4DDA-BE2C-CAE9A7C11D3C IGD (2004a) Employment in the Food Grocery Industry. Retrieved on 25 November 2006 from http://www.igd.com/CIR.asp?menuid=146cirid=1433 IGD (2006b) UK Grocery Retailing. Retrieved on 25 November 2006 from http://www.igd.com/cir.asp?menuid=51cirid=114 Sainsbury’s (1994) Annual Report. Retrieved on 26 November 2006 from http://www.jsainsbury.co.uk/files/reports/ar1994.pdf Sainsbury’s (1995) Annual Report. Retrieved on 26 November 2006 from http://www.jsainsbury.co.uk/files/reports/ar1995.pdf Sainsbury’s (2005)Annual Report. Retrieved on 25 November 2006 from http://www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/ar05/files/report05.pdf TNS (2000) Sainsbury’s Case History. Retrieved on 267 November 2006 from http://superpanel.tns-global.com/superpanel/Library/retailer_casehist_sainsbury.asp Wikipedia (2006) TNS Superpanel. Retrieved on 25 November 2006 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TNS_Superpanel

The Theme of Identity in Sonnys Blues Essay example -- Literary Analy

James Baldwin's short story "Sonny's Blues" highlights the struggle because community involvement and individual identity. Baldwin's "leading theme - the discovery of identity - is nowhere presented more successfully than in the short story 'Sonny's Blues" (Reilly 56). Individuals breeds isolation and even persecution by the collective, dominant community. This conflict is illustrated in three ways. First, the story presents the alienation of Sonny from his brother, the unnamed narrator. Second, Sonny's legal problems suggest that independence can cause the individual to break society's legal conventions. Finally, the text draws heavily from biblical influences. Sonny returns to his family just like the prodigal son, after facing substantial trials and being humiliated. The story's allusion to the parable of the prodigal son reflects Baldwin's profound personal interest in Christianity and the bible. First of all, the identity of Sonny is contrasted sharply with his brother, the narrator. The most obvious difference between the two is their names. Sonny's name is prominent and part of the story's theme. Sonny's brother, on the other hand, is never given a name. Despite being the voice and the perspective of the story, the narrator does not have a distinct identity. He is known solely by his relationship with others, his status as a brother, a son, a husband and a father. The omission of the brother's name by the author is clearly intended. By having no defined identity, the brother stands in as the representative of the black community. The narrator is a responsible family man. His job as a high school math teacher illustrates his interest in helping others through education. His decision to marry suggests that he is respons... ...ny does suffer isolation, persecution and imprisonment. However, he finds redemption in the eyes of his brother without sacrificing his individualism. Sonny manages to use music to bridge the gap, taking a greater responsibility for his reintegration into family and community than the prodigal son. Works Cited Albert, Richard. "The Jazz-Blues Motif in James Baldwin's 'Sonny's Blues," College Literature Vol. 11, No. 2 (Spring, 1984): 178-185. Booth, Alison, Hunter, J. Paul and Mays, Kelly (eds.). The Norton Introduction to Literature, Ninth Edition. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company, 2005. Reilly, John M. "Sonny's Blues: James Baldwin's Image of black community," Negro American Literature Forum Vol. 4, No. 2 (July, 1970): 55-60. Tackach, James. "The biblical foundation of James Baldwin's 'Sonny's Blues,'" Renascence Vol. 59, No. 2 (2007): 109-117.

Essay --

Taylor Gehrcke Talat Rel 314 2/17/14 Reflection and review of Bruce Lawrence’s â€Å"The Qur’an, A Biography† In the book â€Å" The Qur’an, A Biography† Bruce Lawrence, takes the reader on a journey through the book all Muslims believe sacred, the Qur’an. It was a very unique read in the sense that it depicts the complexity and importance of the Qur’an, however never shares a specific Qur’anic message. The text is a fairly simple read that allows individual with entry-level information to understand. Lawrence’s use of background information provides great insight and understanding in the text. Something unique to point out is that this text is that it is considered part of the ‘books that shook the world’ Series. Meaning, it has provided essential insight to what can be understood about such a sacred text. This is unique, because as we live in a society that has a lack f understanding, more people should be immersed in this novel. Lawrence dedicated this text to a friend Dr Ibrahim Abu Nab (acknowledgments), who Lawrence recognizes as a key component in writing this text, alongside wit...

Booker T. Washingtons Influence on Historically Black Colleges Essays

BOOKER T. WASHINGTON: THE AMBIGUITY OF INFLUENCE ABSTRACT My paper will discuss the continuing influence of Booker T. Washington's writings on historically black colleges. While my paper will focus on the ways in which the historically black college continues to adhere to the model provided by Washington, it will also explore the ways in which it diverges from the early Hampton-Tuskegee ideal. According to James D. Anderson in The Education of Blacks in the South, both contemporary observers and later historians have portrayed the white south as taking a monolithic view of black education. However, many secondary schools in the south did not emphasize the kind of industrial education advocated by Washington. In the same manner, the historically black college no longer places the emphasis on vocational training it did at one time. However, there are still advocates for Washington's model although the training under discussion is in technical fields. Washington's influence can also be found in the importance often placed on action in hi storically black colleges, such as mine, which can undermine attempts on the part of faculty to pursue a life of the mind. At the same time, stimulating new influences emerging from African-American studies are changing and enhancing the campus culture enriching both students and faculty. My paper will conclude by considering the influence of honors programs as well as multi-ethnic and multi-cultural student bodies and faculties on the future directions of the historically black college. INTRODUCTION The freedmen and women of the Ante-Bellum South had a thirst and hunger for knowledge known by few; often learning from another freedman who had just learned to read himself, freed... ... bonds to a past and to an American tradition erase all personal feelings of self-aggrandizement and intellectual pride, a place where the self encounters the struggle of America's past, a place where the soul grows deep like the rivers. WORKS CITED Anderson, James D. The Education of Blacks in the South, 1860-1935. Chapel Hill: U of North Carolina P, 1988. Du Bois, W. E. B. The Souls of Black Folk. 1903. New York: Penguin Books, 1989. Sims, Serbrenia J. Diversifying Historically Black Colleges and Universities: A New Higher Education Paradigm. Westport: Greenwood P, 1994. Washington, Booker T. A Sunday Evening Talk. Tuskegee Institute, Alabama. 15. Jan. 1911. Washington, Booker T. Up From Slavery. 1901. New York: Doubleday & Co., 1963. Willie, Charles V., and Edmonds, Ronald R. Black Colleges in America. New York: Teachers College Press, 1978.

A study of Influence in Online Shopping Essay

Research Question: How online shopping influence purchasers buying decision? Research Objective: To investigate how online shopping might influence purchasers’ decision. ___________________________________________________________________________ Online shopping is the procedure of purchasing products and services from vendors over the Internet. In view of the fact of the emergence of the World Wide Web, merchants have wanted to market their products to potential purchasers who occupy their time on online. Purchasers are able to visit website stores from the amenity of their residences as well as shop as they take a seat in front of their electronics via online. Purchasers are able to purchase a massive assortment of products from online stores, plus just about anything are able to be purchased from companies that provide their products or services online. Clothing, reading materials, hardware, household appliances, toys, software, and health insurance are just a number of the thousands of products or services purchasers are able to purchase from an online store. Individuals are getting more contented upon the concept of online shopping. This may perhaps be endorsed to a variety of factors, for example, hectic modern lives, longer working hours, ability to look through products from the amenity of one’s home, as well as a wide range of alternatives are available.(Quinn,2013) Adding on, online review influences purchaser’s buying decision. From the reviews, purchasers are educated with the quality of the product, the rate of shipping, the efficiency of refundable or exchangeable term, the past customer’s review, the variety of options, the incoming of new product and last but not least, which most people are facing, the special size matter. According to the recent survey carried out by Dimensional Research, an overpowering 90% of respondents stated that buying decisions are influenced by positive online reviews. Despite the fact that, 86 % said negative online reviews influenced buying decisions. (Gesenhues, 2013). â€Å"Customers are firmly in the driving seat in today’s  rapidly changing retail landscape; with more choice and information at their fingertips than ever before. As retailers, we have to change with them and ensure we’re offering a more personalized, inspirational shopping experience which fits in with their busy lifestyles†, Laura Wade-Gery, the Executive Director E-Commerce Multi-channel of Marks & Spencer quoted. Furthermore, according to the researcher of marketingcharts.com in the year of 2013, one of the strongest influences that determine the purchasers’ buying decision are deals and discounts. According to the researcher of RetailMeNot.com, a survey carried out by Ipsos, 56% of US respondents stated that promotions on the products they are purchasing influences their judgements or decisions, meanwhile 51% takes in reviews , ratings or opinions of customers who have bought the same product as an influence on their purchase into account. Respondents were asked their preferences to shop online rather than shopping in store for the identical product, 47% of US respondents stated that they prefer to be able to weigh against costs at different retailers effortlessly, and an equivalent percentage stated that it is because they are able access stores that are far from them. However, 16% stated that it is because they find online shopping a rather pleasurable process and experience. â€Å"It’s now very clear: consumers prefer to shop through bits and bytes, with the majority of shopping behaviours and expectations shaped by online sources. To shift shoppers into buyers, retailers need to merge online and physical services to meet the demands of today’s digital shoppers†, Dick Cantwell, the Vice President and Global Lead, Retail of Cisco Internet Business Solutions Group quoted. Purchaser personalities that are important in understanding why purchasers online shopping consist of demographic aspects and characteristics. Four related demographic aspects which are age, sex, income and education have a moderating result on the affiliation among the three essential determinants â€Å"usages†, â€Å"convenience†, and â€Å"pleasurable† and purchasers’ approach towards online shopping. The inï ¬â€šuence of age is obvious throughout the detail that compared to elder purchasers, younger adults are more fascinated in using latest technologies, to know new products, explore for product details, and judge and weigh up alternatives. While a large number of purchasers that shops online, the study on what makes purchasers to shop online has naturally been patchy. The review explains that the approach towards online shopping and purpose to shop online are not only influenced by ease of use, usefulness, and enjoyment, as well as by aspects like purchasers’ personality, situational aspects, product quality, online shopping experiences, promotions, and online reviews. Bibliography â€Å"Eight Out of 10 Consumers Shop Through Bits and Bytes, According to Cisco Study.† Network. (2013): n. page. Web. 27 Jan. 2014. . Gesenhues, Amy. â€Å"Survey: 90% Of Customers Say Buying Decisions Are Influenced By Online Reviews.†Marketing Land. (2013): n. page. Web. 27 Jan. 2014. . â€Å"HOW SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCES PURCHASE DECISION WHEN BUYING ONLINE.†Sovedo. (2013): n. page. Web. 27 Jan. 2014. . Jusoh, Zuroni Md, and Hai Ling Goh. â€Å"FACTORS INFLUENCING CONSUMERS’ ATTITUDE TOWARDS E-COMMERCE PURCHASES THROUGH ONLINE SHOPPING.†International Journal of Humanities and Social Science. Vol. 2 No. 4. (2012): n. page. Web. 27 Jan. 2014. . Katawetawaraks, Chayapa, and Lu Wang Cheng. â€Å"Online Shopper Behavior: Influences of Online Shopping Decision.† Asian Journal of Business Research. Volume 1.Number 2 (2011): n. page. Web. 27 Jan. 2014. . KIM, JONGEUN. â€Å"UNDERSTANDING CONSUMERS’ ONLINE SHOPPING AND PURCHASING BEHAVIORS.† (1996): n. page. Web. 27 Jan. 2014. . Ruyter, Ko de, and TonËÅ"ita Perea y Monsuwe ´, Benedict G.C Dellaert. â€Å"What drives consumers to shop online?.† International Journal of Service Industry Management. Vol. 15 No. 1. (2004): pp. 102-121. Web. 27 Jan. 2014. . â€Å"Top Influence on Online Purchase Decisions? Deals and Discounts.† Marketing Charts. (2013): n. page. Web. 27 Jan. 2014. . Quinn, K.J. â€Å"Consumer research: How social media influences purchasing decisions.† Floor Covering News. Volume 27/Number 7. (2013): n. page. Print. . Veronika, SvatoÃ… ¡ovà ¡. â€Å"Motivation of Online Buyer Behavior.† Journal of Competitiveness. Vol. 5.Issue 3 (2013): pp. 14 – 30. Web. 27 Jan. 2014. .

Real World

Real world cyber crime cases This document is an extract from the book Cyber Crime & Digital Evidence – Indian Perspective authored by Rohas Nagpal. This book is available as courseware for the Diploma in Cyber Law and PG Program in Cyber Law conducted by Asian School of Cyber Laws www. asianlaws. org Cyber Crime & Digital Evidence – Indian Perspective 23. Real World Cases This chapter serves as a ready reference guide. First the various scenarios are covered. A detailed discussion on the various cyber crimes, is covered in the ASCL publication titled â€Å"Understanding Hackers and Cyber Criminals†. This is provided as official courseware for the ASCL Certified Cyber Crime Investigator course. Then the applicable law and legal liabilities are covered. Then the modus operandi usually followed by the criminals is discussed. The investigation guidelines for cyber crime investigators are not discussed in this book as they are part of the syllabus of the ASCL Certified Cyber Crime Investigator course only. For real world case studies on investigation of cyber crimes, please refer to the ASCL publication titled â€Å"Case Studies on Cyber Crime Investigation†. This is provided as official courseware for the ASCL Certified Cyber Crime Investigator course. – 130 –  © 2008 Rohas Nagpal. All rights reserved. Cyber Crime & Digital Evidence – Indian Perspective 23. 1 Orkut Fake Profile cases Orkut. com is a very popular online community and social networking website. Orkut users can search for and interact with people who share the same hobbies and interests. They can create and join a wide variety of online communities. The profiles of Orkut members are publicly viewable. The scenarios 1. A fake profile of a woman is created on Orkut. The profile displays her correct name and contact information (such as address, residential phone number, cell phone number etc). Sometimes it even has her photograph. The problem is that the profile describes her as a prostitute or a woman of â€Å"loose character† who wants to have sexual relations with anyone. Other Orkut members see this profile and start calling her at all hours of the day asking for sexual favours. This leads to a lot of harassment for the victim and also defames her in society. 2. An online hate community is created. This community displays objectionable information against a particular country, religious or ethnic group or even against national leaders and historical figures. 3. A fake profile of a man is created on Orkut. The profile contains defamatory information abut the victim (such as his alleged sexual weakness, alleged immoral character etc) The law Scenario 1: Section 67 of Information Technology Act and section 509 of the Indian Penal Code. Scenario 2: Section 153A and 153B of Indian Penal Code. Scenario 3: Section 500 of Indian Penal Code. Who is liable? Scenario 1: Directors of Orkut as well as all those who create and update the fake profile. Scenario 2: Same as Scenario 1. Scenario 3: Same as Scenario 1.  © 2008 Rohas Nagpal. All rights reserved. – 131 – Cyber Crime & Digital Evidence – Indian Perspective The motive Scenario 1: Jealousy or revenge (e. g. the victim may have rejected the advances made by the suspect). Scenario 2: Desire to cause racial hatred (e. g. Pakistani citizens creating an anti-India online community). Scenario 3: Hatred (e. g. a school student who has failed may victimize his teachers). Modus Operandi 1. The suspect would create a free Gmail account using a fictitious name. 2. The email ID chosen by him would be unrelated to his real identity. 3. The suspect would then login to Orkut. com and create the offensive profile. – 132 –  © 2008 Rohas Nagpal. All rights reserved. Cyber Crime & Digital Evidence – Indian Perspective 23. 2 Email Account Hacking Emails are increasingly being used for social interaction, business communication and online transactions. Most email account holders do not take basic precautions to protect their email account passwords. Cases of theft of email passwords and subsequent misuse of email accounts are becoming very common. The scenarios 1. The victim’s email account password is stolen and the account is then misused for sending out malicious code (virus, worm, Trojan etc) to people in the victim’s address book. The recipients of these viruses believe that the email is coming from a known person and run the attachments. This infects their computers with the malicious code. 2. The victim’s email account password is stolen and the hacker tries to extort money from the victim. The victim is threatened that if he does not pay the money, the information contained in the emails will be misused. 3. The victim’s email account password is stolen and obscene emails are sent to people in the victim’s address book. The law Scenario 1: Sections 43 and 66 of Information Technology Act. Scenario 2: Sections 43 and 66 of Information Technology Act and section 384 of Indian Penal Code. Scenario 3: Sections 43, 66 and 67 of Information Technology Act and section 509 of the Indian Penal Code. Who is liable? Scenario 1: Persons who have stolen the email account password and who are misusing the email account. Scenario 2: Persons who have stolen the email account password and who are threatening to misuse it.  © 2008 Rohas Nagpal. All rights reserved. – 133 – Cyber Crime & Digital Evidence – Indian Perspective Scenario 3: Persons who have stolen the email account password and who are misusing the email account. The motive Scenario 1: Corporate Espionage, perverse pleasure in being able to destroy valuable information belonging to strangers etc. Scenario 2: Illegal financial gain. Scenario 3: Revenge, jealousy, hatred. Modus Operandi 1. The suspect would install keyloggers in public computers (such as cyber cafes, airport lounges etc) or the computers of the victim. 2. Unsuspecting victims would login to their email accounts using these infected computers. 3. The passwords of the victim’s email accounts would be emailed to the suspect. – 134 –  © 2008 Rohas Nagpal. All rights reserved. Cyber Crime & Digital Evidence – Indian Perspective 23. 3 Credit Card Fraud Credit cards are commonly being used for online booking of airline and railway tickets and for other ecommerce transactions. Although most of ecommerce websites have implemented strong security measures (such as SSL, secure web servers etc), instances of credit card frauds are increasing. The scenario The victim’s credit card information is stolen and misused for making online purchases (e. g. airline tickets, software, subscription to pornographic websites etc). The law Sections 43 and 66 of Information Technology Act and section 420 of Indian Penal Code. Who is liable? All persons who have stolen the credit card information as well as those who have misused it. The motive Illegal financial gain. Modus Operandi Scenario 1: The suspect would install keyloggers in public computers (such as cyber cafes, airport lounges etc) or the computers of the victim. Unsuspecting victims would use these infected computers to make online transactions. The credit card information of the victim would be emailed to the suspect. Scenario 2: Petrol pump attendants, workers at retail outlets, hotel waiters etc note down information of the credit cards used for making payment at these establishments. This information is sold to criminal gangs that misuse it for online frauds. 2008 Rohas Nagpal. All rights reserved. – 135 – Cyber Crime & Digital Evidence – Indian Perspective 23. 4 Online Share Trading Fraud With the advent of dematerialization of shares in India, it has become mandatory for investors to have demat accounts. In most cases an online banking account is linked with the share trading account. This has led to a high number of online share trading frauds. The scenario Scenario 1: The victim’s account passwords are stolen and his accounts are misused for making fraudulent bank transfers. Scenario 2: The victim’s account passwords are stolen and his share trading accounts are misused for making unauthorised transactions that result in the victim making losses. The law Scenario 1: Sections 43 and 66 of Information Technology Act and section 420 of Indian Penal Code. Scenario 2: Sections 43 and 66 of Information Technology Act and section 426 of Indian Penal Code. Who is liable? Scenario 1: All persons who have stolen the account information as well as those who have misused it. Scenario 2: All persons who have stolen the account information as well as those who have misused it. The motive Scenario 1: Illegal financial gain Scenario 2: Revenge, jealousy, hatred Modus Operandi Scenario 1: The suspect would install keyloggers in public computers (such as cyber cafes, airport lounges etc) or the computers of the victim. Unsuspecting victims would use these infected computers to login to their online banking and share trading accounts. The passwords and other information of the victim would be emailed to the suspect. Scenario 2: Same as scenario 1. – 136  © 2008 Rohas Nagpal. All rights reserved. Cyber Crime & Digital Evidence – Indian Perspective 3. 5 Tax Evasion and Money Laundering Many unscrupulous businessmen and money launderers (havala operators) are using virtual as well as physical storage media for hiding information and records of their illicit business. The scenario Scenario 1: The suspect uses physical storage media for hiding the information e. g. hard drives, floppies, USB drives, mobile phone memory cards, digital camera memory ca rds, CD ROMs, DVD ROMs, iPods etc. Scenario 2: The suspect uses virtual storage media for hiding the information e. g. mail accounts, online briefcases, FTP sites, Gspace etc. The law Scenario 1: Depending upon the case, provisions of the Income Tax Act and Prevention of Money Laundering Act will apply. Scenario 2: Depending upon the case, provisions of the Income Tax Act and Prevention of Money Laundering Act will apply. Who is liable? Scenario 1: information. The person who hides the Scenario 2: The person who hides the information. If the operators of the virtual storage facility do not cooperate in the investigation, then they also become liable. The motive Scenario 1: Illegal financial gain Scenario 2: Illegal financial gain Modus Operandi Scenario 1: The suspect would purchase small storage devices with large data storage capacities. Scenario 2: The suspect would open free or paid accounts with online storage providers.  © 2008 Rohas Nagpal. All rights reserved. – 137 – Cyber Crime & Digital Evidence – Indian Perspective 23. 6 Source Code Theft Computer source code is the most important asset of software companies. Simply put, source code is the programming instructions that are compiled into the executable files that are sold by software development companies. As is expected, most source code thefts take place in software companies. Some cases are also reported in banks, manufacturing companies and other organisations who get original software developed for their use. The scenario Scenario 1: The suspect (usually an employee of the victim) steals the source code and sells it to a business rival of the victim. Scenario 2: The suspect (usually an employee of the victim) steals the source code and uses it as a base to make and sell his own version of the software. The law Scenario 1: Sections 43, 65 and 66 of the Information Technology Act, section 63 of the Copyright Act. Scenario 2: Sections 43, 65 and 66 of the Information Technology Act, section 63 of the Copyright Act. Who is liable? Scenario 1: The persons who steal the source code as well as the persons who purchase the stolen source code. Scenario 2: The persons who steal the source code. The motive Scenario 1: Illegal financial gain. Scenario 2: Illegal financial gain. Modus Operandi Scenario 1: If the suspect is an employee of the victim, he would usually have direct or indirect access to the source code. He would steal a copy of the source code and hide it using a virtual or physical storage device. – 138 – 2008 Rohas Nagpal. All rights reserved. Cyber Crime & Digital Evidence – Indian Perspective If the suspect is not an employee of the victim, he would hack into the victim’s servers to steal the source code. Or he would use social engineering to get unauthorised access to the code. He would then contact potential buyers to make the sale. Scenario 2: If the suspe ct is an employee of the victim, he would usually have direct or indirect access to the source code. He would steal a copy of the source code and hide it using a virtual or physical storage device. If the suspect is not an employee of the victim, e would hack into the victim’s servers to steal the source code. Or he would use social engineering to get unauthorised access to the code. He would then modify the source code (either himself or in association with other programmers) and launch his own software.  © 2008 Rohas Nagpal. All rights reserved. – 139 – Cyber Crime & Digital Evidence – Indian Perspective 23. 7 Theft of Confidential Information Most business organisations store their sensitive information in computer systems. This information is targeted by rivals, criminals and sometimes disgruntled employees. The scenario Scenario 1: A business rival obtains the information (e. g. tender quotations, business plans etc) using hacking or social engineering. He then uses the information for the benefit of his own business (e. g. quoting lower rates for the tender). Scenario 2: A criminal obtains the information by hacking or social engineering and threatens to make the information public unless the victim pays him some money. Scenario 3: A disgruntled employee steals the information and mass mails it to the victim’s rivals and also posts it to numerous websites and newsgroups. The law Scenario 1: Sections 43 and 66 of the Information Technology Act, section 426 of Indian Penal Code. Scenario 2: Sections 43 and 66 of the Information Technology Act, section 384 of Indian Penal Code. Scenario 3: Sections 43 and 66 of the Information Technology Act, section 426 of Indian Penal Code. Who is liable? Scenario 1: The persons who steal the information as well as the persons who misuse the stolen information. Scenario 2: The persons who steal the information as well as the persons who threaten the victim and extort money. Scenario 3: The disgruntled employee as well as the persons who help him in stealing and distributing the information. The motive Scenario 1: Illegal financial gain. Scenario 2: Illegal financial gain. Scenario3: Revenge. – 140  © 2008 Rohas Nagpal. All rights reserved. Cyber Crime & Digital Evidence – Indian Perspective Modus Operandi Scenario 1: The suspect could hire a skilled hacker to break into the victim systems. The hacker could also use social engineering techniques. Illustration: A very good looking woman went to meet the system administrator (sysadmin) of a large company. She interviewed the sysadmin for a â€Å"magazine article†. During the interview she flirted a lot with the sysadmin and while leaving she â€Å"accidentally† left her pen drive at the sysadmin’s room. The sysadmin accessed the pen drive and saw that it contained many photographs of the lady. He did not realize that the photographs were Trojanized! Once the Trojan was in place, a lot of sensitive information was stolen very easily. Illustration: The sysadmin of a large manufacturing company received a beautifully packed CD ROM containing â€Å"security updates† from the company that developed the operating system that ran his company’s servers. He installed the â€Å"updates† which in reality were Trojanized software. For 3 years after that a lot of confidential information was stolen from the company’s systems! Scenario 2: Same as scenario 1. Scenario 3: The disgruntled employee would usually have direct or indirect access to the information. He can use his personal computer or a cyber cafe to spread the information.  © 2008 Rohas Nagpal. All rights reserved. – 141 – Cyber Crime & Digital Evidence – Indian Perspective 23. 8 Software Piracy Many people do not consider software piracy to be theft. They would never steal a rupee from someone but would not think twice before using pirated software. There is a common perception amongst normal computer users to not consider software as â€Å"property†. This has led to software piracy becoming a flourishing business. The scenario Scenario 1: The software pirate sells the pirated software in physical media (usually CD ROMs) through a close network of dealers. Scenario 2: The software pirate sells the pirated software through electronic downloads through websites, bulletin boards, newsgroups, spam emails etc. The law Scenario 1: Sections 43 and 66 of the Information Technology Act, section 63 of Copyright Act. Scenario 2: Sections 43 and 66 of the Information Technology Act, section 63 of Copyright Act. Who is liable? Scenario 1: The software pirate as well as the persons who buy the pirated software from him. Scenario 2: The software pirate as well as the persons who buy the pirated software from him. The motive Scenario 1: Illegal financial gain. Scenario 2: Illegal financial gain. Modus Operandi Scenario 1: The suspect uses high speed CD duplication equipment to create multiple copies of the pirated software. This software is sold through a network of computer hardware and software vendors. Scenario 2: The suspect registers a domain name using a fictitious name and then hosts his website using a service provider that is based in a country that does not have cyber laws. Such service providers do not divulge client information to law enforcement officials of other countries. – 142  © 2008 Rohas Nagpal. All rights reserved. Cyber Crime & Digital Evidence – Indian Perspective 23. 9 Music Piracy Many people do not consider music piracy to be theft. They would never steal a rupee from someone but would not think twice before buying or using pirated music. There is a common perception amongst people users to not consider music as â€Å"property†. There is a huge business in music piracy. Thousands of unscrupulous businessmen sell pirated music at throw away prices. The scenario Scenario 1: The music pirate sells the pirated music in physical media (usually CD ROMs) through a close network of dealers. Scenario 2: The music pirate sells the pirated music through electronic downloads through websites, bulletin boards, newsgroups, spam emails etc. The law Scenario 1: Sections 43 and 66 of the Information Technology Act, section 63 of Copyright Act. Scenario 2: Sections 43 and 66 of the Information Technology Act, section 63 of Copyright Act. Who is liable? Scenario 1: The music pirate as well as the persons who buy the pirated software from him. Scenario 2: The music pirate as well as the persons who buy the pirated software from him. The motive Scenario 1: Illegal financial gain. Scenario 2: Illegal financial gain. Modus Operandi Scenario 1: The suspect uses high speed CD duplication equipment to create multiple copies of the pirated music. This music is sold through a network of dealers. Scenario 2: The suspect registers a domain name using a fictitious name and then hosts his website using a service provider that is based in a country that does not have cyber laws. Such service providers do not divulge client information to law enforcement officials of other countries.  © 2008 Rohas Nagpal. All rights reserved. – 143 – Cyber Crime & Digital Evidence – Indian Perspective 23. 10 Email Scams Emails are fast emerging as one of the most common methods of communication in the modern world. As can be expected, criminals are also using emails extensively for their illicit activities. The scenario In the first step, the suspect convinces the victim that the victim is going to get a lot of money (by way of winning a lottery or from a corrupt African bureaucrat who wants to transfer his ill gotten gains out of his home country). In order to convince the victim, the suspect sends emails (some having official looking documents as attachments). Once the victim believes this story, the suspect asks for a small fee to cover legal expenses or courier charges. If the victim pays up the money, the suspect stops all contact. The law Section 420 of Indian Penal Code Who is liable? The sender of the email. The motive Illegal financial gain. Modus Operandi The suspect creates email accounts in fictitious names and sends out millions of fraudulent emails using powerful spam software. – 144 –  © 2008 Rohas Nagpal. All rights reserved. Cyber Crime & Digital Evidence – Indian Perspective 23. 11 Phishing With the tremendous increase in the use of online banking, online share trading and ecommerce, there has been a corresponding growth in the ncidents of phishing being used to carry out financial frauds. Phishing involves fraudulently acquiring sensitive information (e. g. passwords, credit card details etc) by masquerading as a trusted entity. The scenario Scenario 1: The victim receives an email that appears to have been sent from his bank. The email urges the victim to click on the link in the email. When the victim does so, he is taken to â€Å"a secure page on the bank’s website†. The victim believes the web page to be authentic and he enters his username, password and other information. In reality, the website is a fake and the victim’s information is stolen and misused. The law Sections 43 and 66 of Information Technology Act and sections 419, 420 and 468 of Indian Penal Code. Who is liable? All persons involved in creating and sending the fraudulent emails and creating and maintaining the fake website. The persons who misuse the stolen or â€Å"phished† information are also liable. The motive Illegal financial gain. Modus Operandi The suspect registers a domain name using fictitious details. The domain name is usually such that can be misused for spoofing e. g. Noodle Bank has its website at www. oodle. com The suspects can target Noodle customers using a domain name like www. noodle-bank-customerlogin. com The suspect then sends spoofed emails to the victims. e. g. the emails may appear to come from [email  protected] com The fake website is designed to look exactly like the original website.  © 2008 Rohas Nagpal. All rights reserved. – 1 45 – Cyber Crime & Digital Evidence – Indian Perspective 23. 12 Cyber Pornography Cyber pornography is believed to be one of the largest businesses on the Internet today. The millions of pornographic websites that flourish on the Internet are testimony to this. While pornography per se is not illegal in many countries, child pornography is strictly illegal in most nations today. Cyber pornography includes pornographic websites, pornographic magazines produced using computers (to publish and print the material) and the Internet (to download and transmit pornographic pictures, photos, writings etc). The scenario The suspect accepts online payments and allows paying customers to view / download pornographic pictures, videos etc from his website. The law Section 67 of Information Technology Act. Who is liable? The persons who create and maintain the pornographic websites are liable. In some cases cyber cafe owners and managers may also be liable in case they knowingly allow their customers to access the pornographic websites. The motive Illegal financial gain. Modus Operandi The suspect registers a domain name using fictitious details and hosts a website on a server located in a country where cyber pornography is not illegal. The suspect accepts online payments and allows paying customers to view / download pornographic pictures, videos etc from his website. – 146 –  © 2008 Rohas Nagpal. All rights reserved. Cyber Crime & Digital Evidence – Indian Perspective 23. 3 Online Sale of Illegal Articles It is becoming increasingly common to find cases where sale of narcotics drugs, weapons, wildlife etc. is being facilitated by the Internet. Information about the availability of the products for sale is being posted on auction websites, bulletin boards etc. The scenario The suspect posts information about the illegal sale that he seeks to make. P otential customers can contact the seller using the email IDs provided. If the buyer and seller trust each other after their email and / or telephonic conversation, the actual transaction can be concluded. In most such cases the buyer and seller will meet face to face at the time of the final transaction. Illustration: In March 2007, the Pune rural police cracked down on an illegal rave party and arrested hundreds of illegal drug users. The social networking site, Orkut. com, is believed to be one of the modes of communication for gathering people for the illegal â€Å"drug† party. The law Depending upon the illegal items being transacted in, provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, Arms Act, Indian Penal Code, Wildlife related laws etc may apply. Who is liable? The persons who buy and sell these items. The motive Illegal financial gain. Modus Operandi The suspect creates an email ID using fictitious details. He then posts messages, about the illegal products, in various chat rooms, bulletin boards, newsgroups etc. Potential customers can contact the seller using the email IDs provided. If the buyer and seller trust each other after their email and / or telephonic conversation, the actual transaction can be concluded. In most such cases the buyer and seller will meet face to face at the time of the final transaction.  © 2008 Rohas Nagpal. All rights reserved. 147 – Cyber Crime & Digital Evidence – Indian Perspective 23. 14 Use of Internet and Computers by Terrorists Many terrorists are using virtual as well as physical storage media for hiding information and records of their illicit business. They also use emails and chat rooms to communicate with their counterparts around the globe. The scenario The suspects carry laptops w herein information relating to their activities is stored in encrypted and password protected form. They also create email accounts using fictitious details. In many cases, one email account is shared by many people. E. g. one terrorist composes an email and saves it in the draft folder. Another terrorist logs into the same account from another city / country and reads the saved email. He then composes his reply and saves it in the draft folder. The emails are not actually sent. This makes email tracking and tracing almost impossible. Terrorists also use physical storage media for hiding the information e. g. hard drives, floppies, USB drives, mobile phone memory cards, digital camera memory cards, CD ROMs, DVD ROMs, iPods etc. They also use virtual storage media for hiding the information e. g. mail accounts, online briefcases, FTP sites, Gspace etc. The law Terrorists are covered by conventional laws such as Indian Penal Code and special legislation relating to terrorism. Who is liable? Terrorists as well as those who help them to protect their information are liable. If email service providers do not assist the law enforcement personnel in the investigation then they are also legally liable. T he motive Keeping terrorism related information confidential. Secure communication amongst terrorist group members. Modus Operandi The terrorists purchase small storage devices with large data storage capacities. They also purchase and use encryption software. The terrorists may also use free or paid accounts with online storage providers. – 148  © 2008 Rohas Nagpal. All rights reserved. Cyber Crime & Digital Evidence – Indian Perspective 23. 15 Virus Attacks Computer viruses are malicious programs that destroy electronic information. As the world is increasingly becoming networked, the threat and damage caused by viruses is growing by leaps and bounds. The scenario Scenario 1: The virus is a general â€Å"in the wild† virus. This means that it is spreading all over the world and is not targeted at any specific organisation. Scenario 2: The virus targets a particular organisation. This type of a virus is not known to anti-virus companies as it is a new virus created specifically to target a particular organisation. The law Scenario 1: Sections 43 and 66 of Information Technology Act and section 426 of Indian Penal Code. Scenario 2: Sections 43 and 66 of Information Technology Act and section 426 of Indian Penal Code. Who is liable? Scenario 1: The creator of the virus. Scenario 2: The creator of the virus as well as the buyer who purchases the virus (usually to target his business rivals). The motive Scenario 1: Thrill and a perverse pleasure in destroying data belonging to strangers. Scenario 2: Illegal business rivalry. financial gain, revenge, Modus Operandi Scenario 1: A highly skilled programmer creates a new type or strain of virus and releases it on the Internet so that it can spread all over the world. Being a new virus, it goes undetected by many anti-virus software and hence is able to spread all over the world and cause a lot of damage. Anti-virus companies are usually able to find a solution within 8 to 48 hours.  © 2008 Rohas Nagpal. All rights reserved. 149 – Cyber Crime & Digital Evidence – Indian Perspective Scenario 2: A highly skilled programmer creates a new type or strain of virus. He does not release it on the Internet. Instead he sells it for a huge amount of money. The buyer uses the virus to target his rival company. Being a new virus, it may be undetected by the victim company’s anti-virus software and hence would be able to cause a lot of damage. Anti-virus companies may never get to know about the existence of the virus. – 150 –  © 2008 Rohas Nagpal. All rights reserved. Cyber Crime & Digital Evidence – Indian Perspective 3. 16 Web Defacement Website defacement is usually the substitution of the original home page of a website with another page (usually pornographic or defamatory in nature) by a hacker. Religious and government sites are regularly targeted by hackers in order to display political or religious beliefs. Disturbing images and offensive phrases might be displayed in the process, as well as a signature of sorts, to show who was responsible for the defacement. Websites are not only defaced for political reasons, many defacers do it just for the thrill. The scenario The homepage of a website is replaced with a pornographic or defamatory page. In case of Government websites, this is most commonly done on symbolic days (e. g. the Independence day of the country). The law Sections 43 and 66 of Information Technology Act [In some cases section 67 and 70 may also apply]. Who is liable? The person who defaces the website. The motive Thrill or a perverse pleasure in inciting communal disharmony. Modus Operandi The defacer may exploit the vulnerabilities of the operating system or applications used to host the website. This will allow him to hack into the web server and change the home page and other pages. Alternatively he may launch a brute force or dictionary attack to obtain the administrator passwords for the website. He can then connect to the web server and change the webpages.  © 2008 Rohas Nagpal. All rights reserved. – 151 – www. asianlaws. org Head Office 6th Floor, Pride Senate, Behind Indiabulls Mega Store, Senapati Bapat Road, Pune – 411016. India Contact Numbers +91-20-25667148 +91-20-40033365 +91-20-64000000 +91-20-64006464 Email: [email  protected] org URL: www. asianlaws. org