Deurbanization in Detroit Essay Example for Free

Deurbanization in Detroit Essay Downtown Detroit has faced tremendous decline over decades, and only now is it undergoing some redevelopments. Many city-led efforts have altered the city and its economy by focusing on taking in corporate dollars and new residents, but it is said by some grassroots organizations that issues faced by Detroit’s inner-city neighborhoods are left ignorant by this method. To create a socially sustainable Detroit, a crucial notion will be the growing collaboration between the advocates of these disparate strategies. Present day Detroit stands at a junction in terms of its future and how it’ll pan out via these redevelopments. Since the early to mid 20th century Downtown has not looked any better. Loft living, casinos, new stadiums and resettlement of corporate offices of companies like Compuware and of very recent Quicken Loans are all supplying to people so they return, which stands to be a reflection of the return of cooperate development. With respect to history since the 1960’s and subsequently, in recent years majority of the city’s resources have been the focus of this traditional or corporate redevelopment model. However, the efficiency of these tactics comes to questioning when you see how throughout Detroit, both in downtown and innumerable neighborhoods, most of the post-industrial decay and desolation found is produced by corporations. Concepts like ‘Creative class†, the â€Å"Cool cities’, green collar jobs, urban agriculture and even ‘Imagination economy’ argufy the traditional corporate tax-break-downtown paradigm. Present debate over the city’s redevelopment also ruminate an urban culture which came upon arduous history of clashing classes, racism, deindustrialization and down grading environment, So to achieve conceiving the purpose of city and society and not just redevelop it. Today, in order to reinvent a new Detroit for the 21st century the city an d its residents must come in terms with the bygones and the crude realty which it has imprinted up on the city. Corporate Refurbishment With new lofts, residences and restaurants emerging near downtown Detroit, all thanks to corporate projects like Ford Field, Comerica Park and the relocation of Quicken Loans and Compuware, the city is made more vibrant. But these pledges are likewise a deliberate choice to entice back through, physical enhancements and attraction, the white middle that fled since the early Second World War and continue even today. Simultaneously, these policies neglect many concerns in the city’s neighborhoods where reside largely African American. Status quo policies are eventually implanted in the same system that originally resulted in Detroit’s downfall and it seems that it fails to acknowledge the history of decline that shaped the city’s problems to begin with. They carry a sense of immediacy and rightly so. But the long term reliability of these solutions is unclear, especially when attention given to alternatives is rare. Downtown city perhaps, being the most prominent city symbol, stands far from being a decent portrayal of Detroit as a whole. ‘Cool Cities’ program of the state of Michigan and ‘Creative Class’ notion of Richard Florida manifests some of the most prevalent concepts as substitutes to the strictly corporate and grand model of urban redevelopment. These ideas cater to create a ‘people climate’ to attract the crowd by emphasizing the link between education centers, a vibrant ‘authentic’ urban center and a lively middle class. Their bases rely on containing and appealing talented people via opportunities and educational institutions rather than creating casinos and stadiums to lure tourist. Successful examples of this strategy are: San Francisco, Chicago, Portland and New York. In some regards Detroit is striving to replicate these cities’s success. Loft living, local restaurants, the educational appeal of Wayne State University and to some stretch, the river walk, is this notions part. Nevertheless, there lies a prominent belief under these ideas that struggling cities like Detroit can only be revitalized by attracting fresh residents, instead of investing in the people having bore the living cost of urban decline, and go beyond radical and particularly class boundaries. Fresh solutions to the Urban Crisis: With a focal point being Detroit’s neighborhood, an increasing number of people prefer a truly new means of thinking on how urban centers be redeveloped in a holistic manner for a socially and an environmentally sustainable future. Entrepreneurial socialist Jackie Victor, â€Å"Community activist† Grace Lee Boggs, and Capuchin Monks and organizations alike The Greening of Detroit advocate for people and believe that residents, forgotten and abandoned by what Boggs titles the â€Å"dominant culture† must ‘grow their souls’ which meet their needs by visualizing a fresh way of redevelopment. The growing presence of urban organic farming in the city’s neighborhoods manifests new ways of conceiving Detroit’s present situation, business morals of Avalon Bakery (with a devotion to local community and socially responsible mission, is an organic bakery opened by Detroit residents) and even at university level, where from the University of Detroi t Mercy a group of students formed the Adamah Project, an agricultural and green vision for Detroit’s eastside. Co founder, Avalon Bakery , Jakie Victor highlights not only her business model but also wider themes of self determination and local reliance when she writes â€Å"Sustainability, local economy, and community are three pillars of the path not-yet taken in Detroit. A path that moves beyond downtown development, beyond ‘cool cities. The Imagination Economy can be an authentic expression of who we are, .However the uneven focus given on downtown leads to these themes not being presented on equal level in the city redevelopment strategies, which very similar to suburban sprawl, neglects and sustains in society class and racial division that have been Detroit’s and other cities – part for years of history. Not focusing on the needs and assets of the current residents, the local government seems vastly focused on luring people to the city. It is unwilling, amidst the continued desolation of its residents, to look for new solutions that would aim to profit a larger division of the city but is rather enraptured with the idea that community wellbeing and jobs can only come through physical improvements and corporations. As a result same people, who have been at the pit of this flunked system, receive a clear message of hopelessness and betrayal. A holistic approach to redevelopment In Detroit the community-centered ‘agri-urban’ sides of the redevelopment argument seeks to rebuilt the prevailing communities of the city and in an all-inclusive way , by linking environment issues, education and in Avalon Bakery’s instance, business ethics. In August 2007, after a lucrative garden tour of the city, one Detroiter remarked: Detroit, without a doubt is a stronghold of possibility. When these disparate, groups advocating redevelopment, harness the potential for collaboration and genuine dialogue, Detroit can reach beyond possibility, to become the next grand American city, by creating a authentic holistic redevelopment structure that addresses historically established problems of community degradation and race/class while dealing with subjective matters such as environmental sustainability. To some it seems unreasonable that Detroit should bear a radically dissimilar model of urban redevelopment policy alone, a city affected by treacherous Federal policies. If successful, Detroit will become an exemplar for the region as a compliant metropolitan future and that’ll make the entire difference.

Impact of “Healthy Lives, Healthy People” Policy

Impact of â€Å"Healthy Lives, Healthy People† Policy Impact of â€Å"Healthy Lives, Healthy People† Policy on Childhood Obesity The clichà © ‘Health is wealth’ rings true for anyone and in any situation. As individuals address their own health concerns, governments endeavor to come up with policies related to health that would benefit all. However, even if such policies are intended to be for the common good, inequalities in the implementation of policies and still occur consistently. Policies are created as guidelines for people to follow. With regards to public health a more general and thorough policy paper is presented to everyone so that not only are they ably guided about the rules and provisions of government but they also know what to expect. For this paper, the policy document to be analyzed with regards to a social problem is â€Å"Healthy Lives, Healthy People: Our strategy for public health in England† (2010). Policy May Jochim (2013) explain that public policies â€Å"provide benefits, regulate harms and deliver services† (p. 426). In relation to politics, policies trigger the selection of people who are deserving and undeserving of its benefits. It also sets up a method to collect feedback from all sectors which could affect the political operations of the policy as well as its future changes and demands. Public policies are considered key in governance. Lowi (1972) simplifies it as â€Å"policies beget politics† (cited in May Jochim, 2013, p. 427). Hence, policies may change with each term of incumbent politicians. â€Å"Healthy Lives, Healthy People (2010) is one example of policy document that claims to adopt changes from its previous platform. It presents the government’s strategies for their programs in public health in England. It promotes a radical new approach that empowers local communities to implement the government initiatives to improve the health of their constituents and reduce the inequalities that exist. This means that the government will allocate funding for health programs and services to local government agencies as well as increase their accountability. Thus, integration and partnership working across care, the NHS and public health shall likewise increase (HM Government, 2010). Grogan (2012) explains that in terms of ideologies, liberalism favors such radical transfer of power from the government to local communities. Liberals support individualism and the market mechanism that promotes competition. They prefer that the government play a minimal role in the implementation of health initiatives and instead provide equal opportunities to all local communities and non-government agencies in terms of the provision of education, health care, housing and nutrition programs. On the other hand, conservative-controlled governments have been known to spend less on social welfare and would rather keep the funds centralized in government stewardship. Because it is in the interest of everybody, the government has taken the responsibility to ensure that everyone is healthy. The World Health Organization (WHO) (Sorte et al, 2011) defines health as â€Å"a state of total physical, mental and social well-being, not just the absence of disease† (WHO p. 286). If health issues arise such as health inequalities or some disease becomes prevalent in society, then it becomes a political issue. This is echoed by the government in the following statement: â€Å"a healthy population is fundamental to prosperity, security and stability a cornerstone of economic growth and social development. In contrast, poor health does more than damage to the economic and political viability of any one country it is a threat to the economic and political interests of all countries†(Government HM 2008,, p.7). Not only does ill-health weaken members of the population but it also depletes government funding, hence affecting its economic status. Childhood Obesity One health problem that needs to be addressed is childhood obesity. The Department of Health (2013) reports that nearly 30% of children aged 2-15 are considered either overweight or obese, which is following the trend for overweight or obese adults (60%) in England. Obese children are at risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, orthopaedic problems, sleep apnea, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, among others (Snorof et al, 2004). It can also affect their activity levels and self esteem (DH, 2013). Such children can also be prone to social discrimination and are likely targets for taunts from peers and negative reactions from others. This may cause much psychological pain, lowered self-esteem and even depression at their very young age (Holmes, 1998). These negative effects pose to be detrimental to obese children, so the problem of obesity needs to be addressed early on to reverse the trend (Barnes, 2011). If not, the health problems may escalate and the risks c an heighten as they grow up to be obese adults. Ignoring the problem leads to a great societal impact which concerns NHS because the burden and costs of health care provision for obese patients with various health complications fall on them (NHS, 2011). More importantly, it deprives obese children of their right to a quality of life that promotes their well-being. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (1989) declared that: â€Å"the child should be fully prepared to live an individual life in society, and brought up in the spirit of the ideals proclaimed in the Charter of the United Nations, and in particular in the spirit of peace, dignity, tolerance, freedom, equality and solidarity† (para. 7). That is why the government takes much effort and planning of policies aimed to optimize the health of everyone, most especially the vulnerable children. Healthy Lives, Healthy People White Paper and The Marmot Review This policy documents the government’s strategic plans to ensure the health and well-being of people. It gives emphasis to providing better care for children’s health and development because these are key in improving their educational attainment and the reduction of mental health risks, unhealthy lifestyles, hospitalization and deaths (HM Government, 2010). It addresses the issue of health inequalities as reported by Professor Sir Michael Marmot in ‘Fair Society, Healthy Lives’ (2010). This report acknowledges a social gradient in health, meaning that the poorer an individual is, the worse is his or health. Social inequality should not hinder the delivery of health care services to all. Action on health inequalities â€Å"must be universal, but with a scale and intensity that is proportionate to the level of disadvantage†. Reducing health inequalities is vital to the country’s economy, and as one delays in addressing this issue, the costs to the economy continue to increase (The Marmot Review, 2010). The Marmot Review (2010) presented six policy recommendations to target the reduction of health inequalities as follows: Give every child the best start in life Enable all children, young people and adults to maximise their capabilities and have control over their lives Create fair employment and good work for all Ensure a healthy standard of living for all Create and develop healthy and sustainable places and communities Strengthen the role and impact of ill-health prevention Healthy Lives, Healthy People (HLHP) responds to the Marmot Review’s recommendations and seeks to reduce health inequalities by cascading authority to implement programs to local communities because it is believed that local officials have a greater knowledge about the specific conditions of their constituents. With Marmot’s highest priority in their policy recommendation of providing children with the best start in life, HLHP shall invest to increase the accommodation of health visitors in public health centres partnering with the Family Nurse Partnership programme and the Sure Start Children’s Centres. Sure Start Over the years, government efforts to improve health initiatives for the poor have increased. It targeted a great reduction in health inequalities and improvement in health outcomes. Sure Start is a multi-agency working initiative established in 1999 to ensure the well-being and welfare of children. This organization implements the government’s initiative to ensure the best start in the life of every child. Start brings together early education, childcare, health and family support services for families with children aged five and under. In line with the government’s drive to fight child poverty and social exclusion, Sure Start works with parents and future parents, carers and other professionals working with children to promote the physical, intellectual and social development of babies and young children so they are readied for the challenges of school (Sure Start, 2009). Sure Start also networks with other service providers from the health, social services and early education sector as well as voluntary, private and community organisations to provide the necessary services for young children and their families (HM Government, 2006). Sure Start is one organization that shares the aim of breaking cycles of deprivation, closing achievement gaps in education between the privileged and the disadvantaged, endorsing better parenting strategies, enhancing child development, confronting poverty issues, promoting safeguarding and community cohesion and supporting healthier lifestyles and seeking opportunities for learning for all individuals (House of Commons, 2009). Childhood Obesity Embedded in Health Inequality The Black Report (1980) identifies the issue of health inequalities starting that â€Å"ill health and mortality is related to social class but also more generally to the ‘health differences between people in more or less favourable situations with respect to income, prestige (â€Å"standing in the community†) and education† (p. 1). The House of Commons (2009) identify some causes of health inequalities as lifestyle factors that people adopt that make them and the people around them unhealthy. Some of these are smoking, poor nutrition, lack of exercise and sleep. Other determinants of poor health are poverty, poor or lack of housing, employment and education and limited access to healthcare. Children are vulnerable to parental influences on health habits and attitudes because they are dependent on their parents. Section 4 of the Childcare Act of 2006 mandates local authorities to improve outcomes for all children in reducing inequalities. It was suggested that pro vision of early years services should be a priority and these should be delivered in integrated ways that maximize the access and benefits to young children and their families (Armstrong, 2007). Childhood obesity also follows the social gradient. Economic deprivation is a strange bedfellow of childhood obesity. One wonders how children of the poor can afford to eat so much to the point of obesity. This may be mainly due to the existence of ‘obesogenic environments which encourage the consumption of unhealthy foods and the adoption of lifestyle choices over healthier ones (Jones et al., 2007). With the cost of high quality healthier foods, people from low social economic status resort to buying cheap foods often lacking in the right nutrients. The feeling of deprivation may drive obese children to eat more than they should. Like the law of supply and demand, individuals who have an abundance of good food do not see much demand in it, and therefore, just eats enough as compared to individuals who seek more food because they simply do not have enough. Criticisms of the Government’s Health Reforms The Department of Health (2011a) of the English government claims to have updated its strategy on obesity in 2011 in continuation of the Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives (DH, 2008) policy commissioned under the previous administration. With the implementation of health policies, HLHP claims that progress is being made with regards to child obesity. â€Å"the rise among 2–10-year olds from 1 in 10 children in 1995 to almost 1 in 7 in 2008 appears to be levelling off. However, more than 1 in 5 children are still overweight or obese by age 3. Rates are higher among some black and minority ethnic (BME) communities and in lower socioeconomic groups.† (HM Government, 2010, p. 19) Although such report may be true, critics of this policy may doubt if such progress is directly due to the policy implementation. Since the main feature of HLHP is devolution of authority to local communities and multi-agency cooperation, sources of the cause of progress have increased. Parental awareness can be one of them, and because parents have become alerted to the risks of obesity, it is most likely that they have taken charge. It is also possible, though, that such awareness may have been borne from campaigns instituted by the government as part of HLHP. The shifting of power to local authorities have shown marked changes in some programs. For example, the programme called Change4Life recruits families to participate in regular physical activity (Change4Life, 2011). Increasing physical activity and engaging in exercise helps to maintain a healthy weight. This marketing campaign has been criticized for not directly promoting awareness on obesity and being sponsored by food and drink companies which were considered â€Å"unhealthy†. Still, this initiative was endorsed by the government because it was believed to create balance between autonomous choices of adults while protecting children from an ‘obesogenic environment’. With the implementation of HLHP’s shift in authority to more localized agencies, central government decreased its funding, changing it from a proactive central government marketing campaign for physical fitness to a light-touch brand available for sponsorship from commercial and independent partners (DH, 2011a). The effects of HLHP’s reforms in the provision of health services such as cuts in funding and less participation of central government in implementation are slowly being noticed by concerned groups (Penn Kerr, 2014). Health professionals have been lobbying for taxation of products which are high in sugar and fat and for food and drink companies to significantly reduce calories on their products as well as well as recommended the banning of junk food advertisements (UKFPH, 2011). However, with due respect to the voluntary Public Health Responsibility Deal (DH, 2011b) which the government endorsed, food and drink companies were then asked to just lower the calorie content of their products. Penn Kerr (2014) argue that while the government’s actions shows respect for the autonomy and choice of people, it also frees it from responsibilities and leaves the bulk of the accountability to companies, local authorities and individuals. The UK Faculty of Public Health (UK FPH) a grees with this contention. This group of academic commentators criticized the government for being complacent with regards to tackling the problem of rising rates of obesity. They expect more ‘upstream’ government initiatives to investigate the underlying causes of obesity such as obesogenic environments, exposure of children to unhealthy food advertisements, control and quality of school meals and food prices. They also expect less of ‘downstream’ programmes that HLHP advocates, which encourage people to be more responsible for their own health and weight (UK FPH, 2011). Children who are at risk for childhood obesity are not yet reliable in assuming responsibility for their own food choices and frequency of physical activity to maintain a healthy weight. Hence apart from the influence of their families, schools and other social, environmental and economic influences, the government should take a more active stand in its advocacy to battle childhood obesit y and intervene in alleviating health inequalities, as the Marmot Review has strongly recommended (Penn Kerr, 2014). Implications on Children Being the most vulnerable members of the population, children need to be protected from threats to their health and well-being. The people around them, their parents, teachers, peers, and health advocates and government leaders should be dutiful in modelling healthy behaviours and attitudes to steer them in the right direction that prevents them from developing obesity. Parents should avoid creating obesogenic environments for their children, meaning they themselves should avoid unhealthy food and lifestyle choices as these are easily imbibed and copied by children. It is one of their main responsibilities to nourish their children with healthy and nutritious food and beverages that will help the children to grow and develop as healthy individuals. Such healthy practices should be consistently observed in all environments children are exposed to. Schools should have health promotion programmes in place which aim to inculcate in the students the value of adopting healthy practices suc h as eating right, exercising regularly, being well-groomed, having enough rest and visiting their doctors and dentists regularly. The Healthy Lives, Healthy People policy claims to put children as their top priority in the provision of programmes that reduce health inequalities. The document presents all their good intentions in helping children have the best start in their lives and achieve a their optimal development. It takes on the challenge recommended by the Marmot Review in battling health inequalities. The government enjoins all parts of society to actively take part in pursuing their own health and well-being and foster collaborative partnerships with local communities and other agencies such as Sure Start, which actively addresses children’s rights to quality health services, care and education. Because the policy is relatively new, its ambitious strategies for public health may often be criticized and regularly evaluated if they are being effectively carried out. Health advocates similarly have the best intentions in ensuring good health in everyone else so they keep a close watch on government efforts. Even without the mandate that individuals should be responsible enough to make wise lifestyle choices for themselves and their children, common sense dictates that all individuals in their right minds are expected to do this. However, it would greatly help if the presented strategies of the HLHP are truly put in place and appropriately delivered to the people especially those who are disadvantaged by health inequalities. HLHP should keep endorsing effective health programmes especially those for children which have been adopted by schools. Since it is in schools where children usually learn conformity to societal expectations, food choices in the cafeteria should be well-pla nned, leaving out junk food which contributes to childhood obesity. The curriculum should also emphasize the pursuit of healthy living and the encouragement of physical exercise. People from the medical field, especially doctors and nurses who mainly advocate for children’s health should also take a more active stand in pushing for effective health policies. They are in a position to empower children and their families to adopt healthy lifestyles. Penn Kerr (2014). Being vigilant in watching policy implementation unfold, nurses should support strategies that best serve children’s interests and speak out when they deem that they are not working well. With regards to the prevention of childhood obesity and the reduction of health inequalities in its management, an awareness of all factors contributing to obesity, coming from the environment, economics and society in general can help nurses support children and families better by providing informed, relevant and effective guidance to battle the illness (Penn Kerr, 2014).

Market strategy and recommendations to enhance the USP

Market strategy and recommendations to enhance the USP Air Asia share price has been volatile, with the possible reasons for this volatility. Marketing: Discuss the Market Strategy and recommendations to enhance the USP by using Models and diagrams. Operation Management: Analysis of prioritise operations issues which are of strategic nature for the company and possible solutions. Module Code: MGTM IM 002 Submitted to: Programme Administration Team (Kaplan Financial) Submitted by: Group 11 Group members Name: Student ID No. Chanakya C0346816 Buddha C0364220 Musharaf C0361333 Saif C0360683 Submission Date: Friday 23rd April, 2010 Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 1. Introduction: 3 2. Company Background 3 3. Meaning of Share Price Volatility: 3 3.2. Possible reasons for this volatility: 4 4.2. Mareketing Strategy of Air Asia: 8 4.3. Environmental Analysis of Air Asia on the basis of Porters Five Forces (Chart-3) 9 5.1. Air Asia Business Process 11 5.2. Air Asia prioritises issues: 12 5.3. Possible solutions 13 6. Conclusion 14 7. References: 14 1. Introduction: The company chosen for this report is Air Asia assigned by Kaplan Financial and assignment requirements as follow: A report of no more than 3500 words Possible reasons for the share volatility Market strategy to enhance USP Operational issues and possible solutions 2. Company Background Air Asia was initially established in 1996 as a full-service regional airline offering slightly cheaper fares than its competitors. It was not performing well and its turning point was 2001 when it was bought by Tony Fernandes. Tony Fernandes restructured the company and re-established in Malaysia by enrolling some low cost airline expert like Connor McCarthy (formal director of successful European LCC Ryan air) in late 2001 as first no -frills, low cost carrier(LCC) in Asia, then it got huge success and become awards winner and largest low fare airlines in the Asia. Now Air Asia flies to over 61 domestic and international destinations with 108 routes with its own 72 aircrafts and operates over 400 flights daily. Air Asia believes in the no-frills, hassle free, low fare business concept and feels that keeping costs low requires high efficiency in every part of the business. Through its unique selling point (USP), NOW EVERYONE CAN FLY, Air Asia gained a revolution in airline business with more and more people choosing as their preferred choice of transport. 3. Meaning of Share Price Volatility: Many of us use the word volatility in a loose sense, in a way that belies the accuracy with, which it can be calculated. In fact, volatility is a statistical measure of the scale of fluctuations in the price of a share, a commodity or a stock market index in the recent past. It is generally taken to be a good measure for the relative riskiness of an asset the higher the volatility, the greater the risk of losing money. Volatility, however, is not a static thing. It fluctuates sometimes quite sharply over time. (Peter Temple 02.08.2007) 3.1 Air Asia Share Price Volatility: As per Air Asia case study the share price of Air Asia has been volatile. Exhibit 5: Case Study Airline Price on 3Dec 2007 US$ Price on 11 Jan 2008 US$ Share Price Change Air Asia 0.52 0.43 -16% Period of Change in Share Price: In a very short term of a period share price of Air Asia goes down by -16% in a period of 1 month and 1 week this is extreme change in share price so this is the sign of high volatility in share price. Air Asia Volatility from 2005-2009 (Chart -1) 3.2. Possible reasons for this volatility: There are lots of reasons for share volatility here in our case study of Air Asia. We have calculated on the basis of each year that volatility graph of Air Asia shown above. Latest Information in Stock Market: Investing on share price needs lots of information about companys present situation. Investor always invests their money if they saw the potential of getting good return from that investment. So information plays vital role to attract the investors. |Market adjusts the prices up or down depending on the way the market interprets that the information will affect the companys future earnings ability. In Air Asia case study in November 2004 they listed in Malaysia Stock Exchange that air Asia is going to purchase 175-aircrft airbus A320-200 to replace Boeing 737-300s because A320-200 more fuel efficient. This information attracts the investors to invest their money because market interprets that this will affect the companys future earnings ability. We can see in chart-1 in 2005 how share price go up by +0.63% so it shows the latest information has direct impact on share price volatility. Uncertainty: Future is always uncertain some decision is made on the basis of future predictions. Investors are always keen on the past experience, current performance and future expectations of the company. Uncertainty is a major barrier for investor to make their mind to invest in share market. What exactly had happened in the Air Asia, in 2006 they choose to enter in to a domestic-route rationalising arrangement with MAS. Under this contract Air Asia took over more than two-thirds of MASs loss making routes assuming they can make profit from it as they are the LCC but this decision turns wrong because of uncertainty which is clear in chrat-1 that companys share price goes down by -5.03% . Psychological Issues on Stock Prices: Human behaviour is one of the important factor that affect the share price of the company how investor think about the company will determine whether to invest in it or not. Entering the British tycoon, founder and chairman of the Virgin Group Sir Richard Branson with 20% stake in Air Asia X in 2007. Expansion of business with Sir Richard Branson attracts the large numbers of investors in the company because psychology of people believes the successful image of Richard Branson which as a result there is hike of share price by +6.62% in the year 2007. Inflation: The overall general upward price movement of goods and services in an economy, usually as measured by the Consumer Price Index and the Producer Price Index. Over time, as the cost of goods and services increase, the value of money is going to fall because a person wont be able to purchase as much with that money as they previously could. Inflation is also one of the factors that affects the share price and leads to share volatility. As from the case study fuel cost had a significant impact on Air Asia, as it was the recession time occurs during the year 2008 were the international oil price reached at the high of about US $150 per barrel. So it was very costly for the airlines to purchase fuel at that high price which leads to increase the price of the tickets. As it was the recession time customers also could not afford the increased price plane fare so they used the alternatives way. Where there is less numbers of customers airline industries had lost Billions of dollars due to that occurrence. So inflation affected the share prices a lot. Although Air Asia tried to cover its operational cost by hedging, buying fuel-efficient airbus A320-200 and cutting fuel consumption by nearly and doubled the number of landing that we get from the tyre. They were not able to sustain on the same price of tickets. As per exhibit 6: case study. Following are the calculation: Fuel and oil ratio = fuel and oil cost à · Revenue (2008) Fuel and oil ratio= 74164.88à ·146731.5 (2008) Fuel and oil ratio= 50.5% (2007) Fuel and oil ratio= 44488.62à ·111346.3 (2007) Fuel and oil ratio= 40.0% Ά% = Current year ratio-base year ratio à · Base year ratio Ά% = 50.5-40.0 à · 40.0 Ά% = 26.25% So cost of the fuel increased by 26.25% due to hike in oil price in 2008 the cause of inflation has direct impact on companys net profit ratio if net profit is going to decrease so investor dont want to invest their money in non profit company. See chart-1 due to inflation the share price decreased by-45.34% in 2008. Demand and Supply: It is another important factor that affects the share price. Demand is willingness and ability to pay where as supply depends on the market demand and suppliers ability. When demand is high supply is less and vice versa and when demand is high price of the product is also high and is low. In case of AirAsia recession caused its demand per share down in 2008, entering of British tycoon Richard Branson increased the demand of share because of investors psychological beliefs. Restructuring of the no-frills, low cost in Asia increased the numbers of customers travelling with Air Asia which gives the US$6 million of profit December 2002 which obviously rise of demand of share which leads to increased in share price. Economic Strength of Market and Peers: Doing business in current market everyone should know the market strengthens and the competitors of the business without considering these things it is impossible to do business. The economic strength of the peers heavily affected the share price of the company. The strong competitor of the Air Asia is MAS, as it is national carrier of Malaysia. To promote healthy competition in 2006 Malaysian government brought MAS and AIRASIA together then government starts with route rationalisation of MAS where Air Asia took 96 loss making routes of MAS while these routes were operated by MAS government used to provide subsidies for the fuel cost. This is totally unfair competition which leads share price down of Air Asia in 2006 you can see in chart 1. In 2008 MAS come up with the unaccepted everyday low fare Campion .It received an over whelming response which was funded by the government it was totally win-win position for MAS and that caused negative impact on Air Asia in 2008 which is clear from chart-1. 4. Definition of Marketing Strategy: A marketing strategy is a process or model to allow a company or organization to focus limited resources on the best opportunities to increase sales and thereby achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. 4.1. Porter generic strategies: Strategy on the dimensions of strategic scope and strategic strength. Strategic scope refers to the market penetration while strategic strength refers to the firms sustainable competitive advantage. The generic strategy framework (porter 1984) comprises two alternatives each with two alternative scopes. These are Differentiation and low-cost leadership each with a dimension of Focus-broad or narrow. Product differentiation (broad) Cost leadership (broad) Market segmentation (narrow) (Chart-2) 4.2. Mareketing Strategy of Air Asia: After the restructured of the airline, the foundation is based on Low Cost and Strong Cash Flow,strategy is based on Low fare and service so goal is obviousely on high margin and sustainable growth and vision is continue to be LOWEST cost. So you can see they are totaly focusing on the Low cost Low Pricing so they getting strong cash flow sustainable growth. So they are following porters generic strategy. Their strategic scope is referring to market penetration and while strategic strength refers to the firms sustainable competitive advantage. (On the basis of chart-2) Product differentiation: Air Asia was the first airline operator in Asia to adopt with the low-fare, no-frills concept. It also becomes the regions first airline to introduce fully ticketless travel and implements free seating policy. Thats Product differentiations makes It a successful airline in the market. Cost leadership: Air Asia become the businesses that fully adopted cost leadership through operational effectiveness and efficiency. The cost advantages were enabled Air Asia to offered airfares 40% to 60% lower than those of its rivals. Some even cost less than bus fare. Even in 2008 when oil prices gone up they controlled over the cost by layered-hedge strategy to pay for fuel in advance and qualify for low price its pilots have cut fuel consumption by nearly 20%. Market Segmentation: Air Asia changes the human psychology in Asia by offering low fare and targeting middle class society. Earlier people think that only rich people can fly but then come with the No Frills, Low Cost Carrier under the tagline Now Everyone Can Fly. This whole idea captured the middle class and now no one is felling faired to fly. 4.3. Environmental Analysis of Air Asia on the basis of Porters Five Forces (Chart-3) The threat of the entry of new competitors: Air Asia is using penetration strategy under this there is always threat of the new entry exist because Air Asia is get success in the field of LCCs so now everyone want to do same business with same strategy. The intensity of competitive rivalry: Competition rivalry is currently in Air Asias favour. With price being the main battlefield of competition, Air Asia leads the way due to its low operating costs. However, there are more competitors entering the market that have major carriers as backers or owners which may lead to an unrealistic price war in the future. The threat of substitute products or services: Air Asia is domestic carrier so there is existence of substitute services are high customer can go for Bus services either for Railways or for their own transport facilities because of low distance if their services and prices are not effective. The bargaining power of customer: Today is world of Information Technology and communication everyone can find the world easily so easy availability of information and knowledge can make the bargaining power of consumer strong. E.g. customer can easily switch to other airlines by comparing the fares of different airlines. Even there are now lots competitors in LCCs so customer can easily move. The bargaining power of suppliers: For Air Asia bargaining of suppliers is major factor. In the airline industry basically there are only two major aircraft provider Boeing and Airbus. Although Air Asia is major customer of Airbus even than the bargaining power of suppliers is high due to expertise and few substitutes. 4.4. Unique Selling Proposition of Air Asia: Fernandes restructured Air Asia in 2001 , with the No Frills, Low Cost Carrier under the tagline Now Everyone Can Fly this unique selling point for Air Asia. This new business model was huge success. With this new unique selling point the company gained impressive profit. Then they come with Easy to Book, Easy to Pay Easy to Fly to encourage sale through online booking, telephone booking and through co-partner local banks and post offices. 4.5. Recommendation: Some modification in current market strategy on the bases of Marketing Mix (7Ps) to enhance Unique Selling Point. Product (service): There is a huge opportunity for Air Asia to expand its route and service and numbers of flights, they also lacking in good service in terms of flight delay. Because of it they get lots of complaints they should work on that to enhance good service Price: They are working on penetration price strategy and under this they are providing the cheapest price in the market and that is a strengths but if you see the margins per seat is very low it makes turn over high but not the net profit so they should control the operating cost to cover up that margin. So they should go with penetration. Place: Presently Air Asias putting more stress on Malaysia. Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia wherever Air Asia X only on Australia but low cost concept can also capture the market of India, China, Pakistan and Bangladesh and for long haul they can go for Europe and US. Promotions: As LCCs they are moreover targeting the middle class so to keep up the sale and to enhance USP they should come up with the new promotions scheme after a certain period of time because middle class is major customer, they should know they like changes and savings in their purchasing. People: From the starting they are only providing standard-class service on board its seems they are not targeting business class so if they come up with some of its more business concerned routs with business class they must get positive response. Process: Refers to the systems used to assist the organisation in delivering the service. Process must be very easy so that customer feels comfortable and convenient and preferred again and again. Physical Evidence: Where the service is provided. Physical Evidence is factor which makes customer to make judgement on the company or service. E.g. Customer accept what he/she spent so from the starting Air Asias tag line is No Frill airline but if you provide the frills even in the low cost it makes everyone happy. My meaning for frills is good service with the outstanding staff presentation and an unexpected interior of the craft. 5. Operation Management: The collection of people knowledge, technology, and systems within an organisation that has primary responsibility for producing and providing the organizations products or services is referred to as operations. Operations management is the planning, scheduling, control and co-ordination of the activities that transform inputs into finished goods and services. It is important because it can reduce costs, differentiate the organizations products and services and impact upon quality and therefore may increase revenue through increased customer satisfaction. (Phil Kelly 2009). This section is a process analysis to identify and prioritise current strategic operation issues and possible solution for Air Asia. 5.1. Air Asia Business Process Air Asias Operations management is focusing carefully on managing the processes to produce and distribute its services. These processes include:- Procurement:- buying various materials from suppliers and vendors Management control and coordinating functions to ensure goals are being met. Product (service):- managing the service- creation, development, distribution and sales. Quality management: important to effective operations management by continuous improvement. Inventory management:-Method like JUST-IN-TIME inventory control saves costs and improves on quicker delivery to end customers. Logistics management: focuses on the flow of services from Air Asia to its customer prioritizing on efficiency and cost effectiveness. Distribution channels. 8) Booking by mobiles is also available. 5.2. Air Asia prioritises issues: 1. Air Asia always focused on how to reduce inefficiency and make it low possible fare in the airline business: As we know they are operating penetration on market strategy to reduced costs, they even reducing the salaries and incentives of the employees, cutting down the staffs and even cutting down this facilities given to staffs and implementing the new efficient system like YMS, CRS AND ERP, which were helpful to reduced the cost but not to that extent. 2. Higher fuel cost around the world: Frequent fluctuation in fuel cost is one of the major problem for Air Asia as its emphasis on low cost their profit margin per ticket is low as price of fuel goes up they have to charge tickets price which creates negative effects in customers eyes. 3. Complain: Its because of delay in flight and even cancellation is one of the major current issues in Air Asia. 4. No maintenance, repair and overhaul: As we know they dont have their own maintenance, repair and overhaul so they have to spend on maintenance, repair and overhaul. 5. Incresing competition: At present competition in the airline industries growing day by day many full service airlines start cut costs to compete and new entry of LCC. 6. Aviation regulation and government policy: Changing rules and regulation in aviation industry and government policies is also one of the issues that Air Asia facing today. 7. Easy to buy, easy pay and easy to fly: In Malaysia Air Asia company was the first internet ticket seller airlines company. They are offering Easy to Book, Easy to Pay Easy to Fly system for their customers. So customers are easily paying and booking their ticket by online 5.3. Possible solutions 1. Cost control: As we know cost is one of the main possible solutions that can save any organisation from loss and compete in the competitive market. Air Asia can save their cost by starting their own maintenance and repair wing and overhaul routes. 2. Implementing the APS system: Implementation of APS system will provide several new functions to Air Asia. The followings are several APS functions that can help Air Asia in increasing its performance: APS system will help Air Asia in assessing suppliers performance and providing the capability to streamline monitoring process. (Aberdeen Group, 2004). Supplier portal will provide information hub for airlines and their suppliers to prevent errors happened during operational activities such as order processing (Aberdeen Group, 2004) These functions enable airlines and aircraft manufacturers and other suppliers to have collaboration strategy in managing inventory (e.g. spare parts), maintenance schedule, and design collaboration. Route profitability analysis tools enable airline companies to conduct analysis for planning efficient routes. 3. Outsourcing: Air Asia can use outsourcing strategy to be a lowest carrier in airline industry. If they can implement outsourcing strategy then they will get some benefits like, Cost benefits It will reduce risk. Outsourcing can give competitive advantage in Air Asia. Air Asia can reduce cost for IT. 4. Expansion of Air Asia business: As Air Asia is focusing on middle class people its expansion towards Indian and China has potential to gather the huge success. We know the population of Asian middle class are rising very fast. So it is a great opportunity for LCC cost airlines including Air Asia to expand their business in Asia. 6. Conclusion As we know Air Asia is a leading low fare airline in Asia. Its low cost attracts more and more customers and its market value and has increased its revenue. But knowing it from near its share price is volatile so management should focused on sustainable development with utilising marketing mix as we discussed above and should focused on customers as customers are key point for the companys success. Only low cost will not sufficient to survive in the competitive market. Providing good services like as they are saying easy to book, easy to buy and easy to fly but it is not always the facts as they are getting complains of delaying flight and even cancellation which makes bad reputation in the eyes of customers. Thats why they need to operates APS systems to overcome such a problems.

Edwin Muirs Poem The Horses Essay -- Horses Edwin Muir Essays

Edwin Muir's Poem "The Horses" "The Horses" is a poem by Edwin Muir. It tells the story of a world ravaged by nuclear war, where the few survivors live hopelessly in a desolate reality. Their outlook is changed by the arrival of the horses, a relic of the past which lets them rediscover humanity's bond with nature. "The Horses", as well as being a very beautiful and moving poem, has an important message to convey. The poet uses various methods to illustrate this. Throughout the poem, there are many biblical references. The nuclear war is described as a "seven days war", which is an allusion to Genesis, the creation and destruction of the world in seven days. This idea is furthered by the use of the phrases "our fathers' land" and "our fathers' time". The word 'covenant' has connotations of the 'Arc of Covenant', the Israelites sacred vow to God. And later in the poem, the horses are described as appearing from their own 'Eden', another biblical reference. This illustrates the importance of the poem's subject matter, by introducing a parallel to the Bible. It bears a resemblance to when God flooded the world, to wipe out all sin and allow the few on Noah's Ark to rebuild a new, better world. This poem also shows the totality of nuclear war. Although there are survivors, the ammount of death and destruction is immense. It takes so little time to destroy the world, in a way a punishment for mankind's vanity and arrogance. Technology, for so long thought to be a d...

The Economic Systems Essay -- Economics Economy Essays

The Economic Systems Within the overall umbrella of the word "economy", one speaks today of the market economy, the formal economy, the informal economy, the underground economy, the productive economy and perhaps even the reproductive economy, the post-industrial or post-modern economy and the global economy. Thus while the concept of an economy is not fixed but arbitrary, and may have strayed rather far from the management of household resources, it is nonetheless spoken of in official circles as if there were genuine agreement (sometimes almost as if it were tangible, as "we must get the economy back on track"). The official economic paradigm operative in Canada is that of the market economy -- or the formal economy. This is what is being measured, analysed and reported on. An economy is said to work within a framework reflecting the values of the society in which it is embedded. Traditionally, three models of an economy have been used: the traditional or feudal, the command economy (where the state determines resource decisions) and the market economy which is the model in use in USA and in most industrialized Western countries. Indeed, even within the market economy, there are different models; for example, the Scandinavian model of social democracy, the Asian corporatist mode, and the capitalist model of North America. Each model has been seen and judged both from inside and outside its parameters. Individual freedom is one of the hallmarks of the market economy -- each person is free to choose how they wish to put their income to use. Adam Smith, hailed as the founder of classical economics, suggested that the sum of individual's self-interest would produce results that corresponded to the overall good of society. The Economic systems: There are three types of economies: traditional (also known as subsistence), command (also known as planned) and market (commercial). Traditional Economy In a traditional economy, goods and services are produced by a family for their personal consumption. There is little surplus and little exchange of goods. There is only a limited need for markets (places to buy and sell goods and services). This is the type of economy found in less developed nations of the world, usually in rural areas. Most less developed nations today are a mix of traditional and either market or command economies. Command Econ... ...ts worship of competition it is amoral. On the other hand, the Soviet experience clearly demonstrated that state socialism and a centralized economy can be mishandled. Perhaps it is human nature, not political organization that lies at the root of inequality in both North America and Eastern Europe. Bibliography  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aghion, Philippe and Olivier Blanchard and Robin Burgess, The Behavior of State Firms in Eastern Europe, Pre-Privatization  ¨European Economic Review 38: 1994, pp1327-1349.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Belozertsev, Alexander and Jerry W Markham, Commodity Exchanges and the Privatization of the Agricultural Sector in the Commonwealth of Independent States Needed Steps in Creating a Market Economy  ¨Law and Contemporary Problems 55: (4), Aut 1992, pp119-155  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cunningham, Frank Understanding Marxism Progress Books Toronto: 1977.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dyker, David Restructuring the Soviet Economy Routledge New York: 1992  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nove, Alec An Economic History of the USSR, 1917-1991 3rd Ed Penguin Books, London: 1992  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lane, David Soviet Society under Perestroike Routledge London: 1992  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Yarolavsky, E Landmarks in the Life of Stalin Lawrence & Wishart Ltd London: 1942

Moving Away from Home Can Be Astessful Experience for Young People

Moving away from home can be a stressful experience for young people Nowadays, many young people don’t want to live with their parents because they think if they live along, they can do whatever they want. But maybe few months later, they will find some problems that they never know how to do before because their parents always do everything for them when they are at home. At that time, they will feel stressful. However, I think it’s a good way to teach them how to live by themselves, especially for teenagers. They can’t be dependent on their parents all of their life so they have to learn many things and do many things by themselves. Moving away from home not only can be a stressful experience for young people but can also be a good way to let them learn how to become independent. The other reason that young people will feel stressful when they move away from home is they don’t know many people in the new place or even they don’t know anyone there. When they have something they can’t solve, they don’t know they can ask who or who can help them. They will feel so lonely and upset in the beginning, especially for someone who has nothing is smooth. In conclusion, moving away from home is a stressful experience for young people but also it is a helpful experience to them because they can learn many things by this kind of experience.

Individual Assignment Collecting Data Essay

Resource: University of Phoenix Material: Case Study Scenarios located on the student website. Select and review a case study scenario from the University of Phoenix Material: Case Study Scenarios located on the student website. Feel free to embellish the scenario with additional details, as needed. Complete the New Referral or Inquiry Form based on your selected case study scenario. Write a 350- to 700-word paper in Microsoft ® Word in which you discuss the importance of collecting appropriate data for intake and assessment forms.   Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. Saying no to things that make you uncomfortable is just as important in college as it was when you lived with your parents. Many students experiment with alcohol or sex during their college years, but if you don’t want to do these things, don’t let anyone pressure you into them. Your college experience should be about having fun, exploring who you are and preparing for your future via your classes–not about doing things you don’t truly want to do. This pack includes BSHS 405 Week 2 Individual Assignment Collecting Data Business – Management Resource: University of Phoenix Material: Case Study Scenarios located on the student website.   Select and review a case study scenario from the University of Phoenix Material: Case Study Scenarios located on the student website. Feel free to embellish the scenario with additional details, as needed. Complete the New Referral or Inquiry Form based on your selected case study scenario. Write a 350- to 700-word paper in Microsoft ® Word in which you discuss the importance of collecting appropriate data for intake and assessment forms.   Format your paper consistent with APA guidel†¦ To get this material Click this link – https://bitly.com/12BY8mO Saying no to things that make you uncomfortable is just as important in college as it was when you lived with your parents. Many students experiment with alcohol or sex during their college years, but if you don’t want to do these things, don’t let anyone pressure you into them. Your college experience should be about having fun, exploring who you are and preparing for your future via your classes–not about doing things you don’t truly want to do. Business – Management Resource: University of Phoenix Material: Case Study Scenarios located on the student website. Select and review a case study scenario from the University of Phoenix Material: Case Study Scenarios located on the student website. Feel free to embellish the scenario with additional details, as needed. Complete the New Referral or Inquiry Form based on your selected case study scenario. Write a 350- to 700-word paper in Microsoft ® Word in which you discuss the importance of collecting appropriate data for intake and assessment forms.   Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines.