Demand difference/ focus of a business Essay

Methods: cause, solution(s), ED ( Elasticity of Demand), challenges, effects. Cause The main cause would be origin, LUMOS is based in the UK, has an British founder and aims on the British public. However this does not mean that all the marketing they produce is reaching British people. Since the fund is all about helping children in poor European countries and not aimed to only help British people, they receive a high percentage contribution from other counties as well. Solution(s) More attention can be received by using J.K Rowling giving a message, I think LUMOS can use het in their advantage compared, especially to other non-profit organisation. The message will be received worldwide since her books are an universal best- seller and not just in England. Another solution to make the international public more appealed to contribution to LUMOS is by starting to focus on other languages as well, like a Dutch website with a euro system ( they use pounds ) this makes it more complicated for people who have a basic or lower level English. Money available should go to promotions in the Netherlands, LUMOS is very unheard of in the Netherlands. PED The demand in the Netherlands is less than in the UK because the advertisements and promotion is kept in the UK. The demand to donate to LUMOS is 70% less from Holland compared to the UK. Percentage change of price has been replace by percentage change in advertising. % advertising PEA= x 100 % in demand Advertising There is 100% in the U.K % A = 20% There is 80% in The Netherlands There are  £9.834.037,- donations made in the UK. There are  £3.947.394 donations made by Holland. The change 5.886.643 % =x100x 100 = 149% Original figure 3.947.394 % QD = 149 % 13.4 Challenges: Making LUMOS well known and accepted in the Netherlands by making promotion and other communication tools Dutch. Effects on the business: There will be more contributors both from Holland as well as other parts of the word (note world-wide message for J.K Rowling) Environment 1B Business: Mc Donalds Environment difference: Demand difference Counties: Netherlands – UK Methods: cause, solution(s), PED ( Price Elasticity of Demand), challenges, effects. Cause The cause of a demand fall in the U.K compared to the Netherlands is because of the *1 difference in target tastes in both counties and *2 because of the prices in pounds ( inflation) Solution(s) To cause *1 -Get to know the (target) audienc(es) better so they can adapt their products to the consumers tastes. – offer more options in the menu to choose from. To cause *2 – lower the prices by finding cheaper suppliers or lower them and make less profit calculating from the same amount of Demand, however this might be a very good idea. (See PED) PED ( Price Elasticity of Demand) The following formula can be used to measure exactly how responsive demand is to a given price change: ( ceterus paribus ) Ed = The price elasticity of demand Δ = ‘change in’ Qd = Quantity demanded P = Price A Prices from mc Donald’s fall 17.8% Demand rise with 23.4% B Prices from mc Donald’s fall 10% Demand rise with 3% ( nobody really notice) This means that Price and Demand are inversely related ( Ceterus Paribus) Calculation: A -17.8:23.3= -.763 -10:3:3= -3.4 = elastic, or A is the best option. Challenges. Disequilibrium: since Mc Donald’s sells consumables the products have to be sold quickly otherwise it would creating a surplus in stock. But if either the prices are lowered or the food adapted to a more university liked taste the position would be equilibrium which in turn would create a shortage or an equal position. So the challenge is to estimate the higher number of sales so they can calculate the right stock and amount to purchase at the supplier. Effects There will be more or an equal number of consumers at the Mc donald’s in the UK compared to Holland. Some things are going to have to be changed, like I mentioned the purchases in stock.

Legal Forms of Business in Sri Lanka

Introduction A business also called a company, enterprise or firm is a legally recognized organization, designed to provide goods and services to consumers. According to the purpose of the business, ownership of the business and nature of economic contribution of the business; the business can fall into one of the three standard sectors. There are; private sector, public sector and nonprofit sector. The part of the economy concerned with providing basic government services is called public sector. In most countries the public sector includes such services as the military, public transit, primary education and healthcare. Their aim is to give service to the people and less emphasis is made on profit making. Public cooperation is the widely known type of public sector business entity. The non-profit sector is derived with organizations that do not distribute their surplus funds to owners or shareholders, but instead use them to help pursue their goals. Examples include charitable organizations, trade unions, and public arts organizations. In private sector, businesses are financed and controlled by individuals or private institutions, such as companies, stockholders, or investment groups. These businesses run for private profit and they are not controlled by the state or the government. There are many types of business entities defined in the private sector and authorized by the legal systems of various countries. These legal forms of business include; †¢ Sole Proprietorship †¢ Partnership (General Partnership, Limited Partnership and Joint Venture) †¢ Corporation (C Corporation and S Corporation) †¢ Limited Liability Company (Private and Public) These legal forms have been derived according to their Source of the capital, Value of capital investment, Nature of ownership, Number of owners, Nature of liability and many other factors. Each legal form has its own advantages as well as disadvantages. When making a decision about the type of business to form, there are several criteria you need to evaluate based on advantages and disadvantages of above mentioned legal forms. The most important fact is cost of formation of the business and cost of ongoing administration. This includes cost of record-keeping and paperwork, as well as the costs associated with administrative requirements. Legal liability is the next thing to be considered and it defines to what extent the owner need to be insulated from legal liability. Based on the individual situation and goals of the business owner, he has to consider what the available tax implications are because it is also an important factor. Finally the owner has to think about the future needs and whether the legal forms support flexibility feature. Sri Lanka Company Act, No. 7 of 2007 and Company Act, No. 17 of 1982 have defined Sri Lanka legal forms of organizations, which can be the choices for Sri Lankan business community when forming a new business. Legal Forms of business in Sri Lanka include; †¢ Sole Proprietorship †¢ Limited Liability Company (Private and Public) †¢ General Partnership Sole Proprietorship A sole proprietorship also known as a sole trader is a type of business entity which is owned and run by one individual and where there is no legal distinction between the owner and the business. Sole proprietorships are forms of business ownership that mingle the owner's rights, liabilities and responsibilities with the business' rights, liabilities and responsibilities. Regardless of the state of the business, the procedures we need to follow to form a sole proprietorship are fairly simple, and do not even require an attorney, accountant, or business consultant. There are no legal requirements for establishing a sole proprietorship, other than obtaining the necessary local business license and permit. As the sole proprietor, owner has the full control and responsibility for the business and its operation and he makes all the decisions. With this type of business entity, owner has complete freedom over operating the business, because he is responsible for all transactions and activities occur in the business. All assets of the business are owned by the owner and all profits and all losses accrue to him. He is personally responsible for all debts of the business and must pay them from his personal resources. This means that the owner has unlimited personal liability for the business. Also, owner is less burdened by government restrictions and control, and he has less to do in terms of reporting and taxes. The main advantage of a sole proprietorship is that they are easy to start up and to close. The reason is, they are less expensive and also subject to fewer regulations compared to other types of businesses. Since the owner has full autonomy with regard to business decisions, sole proprietorship businesses are easy and inexpensive to discontinue. The second advantage is that the owner can take all the profits of the business and there is no profit sharing. This may be the most significant motivation for most businesses to become sole proprietorship type. At the same time, all losses accrue to the owner and he does not have the tension regarding conflicts among the partners as there are no partners. In sole proprietorship business type, the owner of the organization pays self employment taxes on the profits made. It makes tax filing much simpler and hence this can be considered as another advantage for sole proprietorship business type. Since this is not a corporation; it does not pay corporate taxes. The remarkable disadvantage of the sole proprietorship is that the sole trader will likely have a hard time with raising capital since he has to make up for all the business's funds. He may have to use his own money or personal loan for the business. The next disadvantage is; the owner of the business has unlimited liability as he is responsible for the business's debts. As the business grows, the risks accompanying the business also tend to grow, and if the business is sued, owner and his personal assets are at risk. Sole proprietorship business type is very prominent in Sri Lanka, may be because form of the business is very straightforward. As a third world country with low rate of individual income, starting up a business with low capital is a very convenient factor for any Sri Lankan business person who is thinking of having an own business. There several home based business running in Sri Lanka such as; groceries, stationary shops, pharmacies, fashion stores and they can be categorized as sole proprietorship business, because they are owned by single person. Freelance writers, copy editors, photographers and craftspeople also have chosen to run their businesses as a sole proprietorship. Sri Lankan government has identified the importance of sole proprietorship businesses, in terms of their contribution to the country’s development. So the government is encouraging this business community, to develop their businesses, by providing necessary financial aids, resources, equipment and guidance. Since Sri Lana is based on an agricultural economy, we can encourage more farmers to form their own sole proprietorship businesses to sell their goods, and this will reduce the terrible effects occurring from the intermediate business people. If farmers can sell their goods directly to consumers, they may be able to get full profit and it will encourage them to develop their business. This will ultimately lead to a high development in Sri Lanka’s economy as well as society. Limited liability Companies (LLC) A Limited Liability Company (LLC) is a type of business organization that combines some aspects of a corporation with those of a sole proprietorship or partnership. The primary characteristic a LLC shares with a corporation is limited liability; that is personal liability of company's members for the business's debts is limited. The primary characteristic LLC share with a partnership is the availability of pass-through income taxation; that is LLC is not taxed as a separate entity. Forming a LLC may not be as simple as a sole-proprietorship; however, the process is much less than a corporation. There are two main actions: †¢ Articles of Organization: Have to file articles of organization with the secretary of province and pay the required fees. Articles may be prepared by a lawyer. An LLC business entity may be file as a corporation, partnership or sole proprietorship in terms of tax return. †¢ Operating Agreement: Have to develop an operating agreement which helps to define the company profit sharing, ownership, responsibilities, and ownership changes An LLC may have one or more owners, and may have different classes of owners. If the LLC has a single member, it will be disregarded as separate from its owner, and will be treated as a sole proprietorship or a division of its owner, unless it elects to be taxable as a corporation. An LLC that is filed for taxation as a partnership can achieve both conduit tax treatment and limited liability protection under civil law and a LLC filed for taxation as a partnership does not have the ownership restrictions. An LLC is typically managed by its members, unless the members agree to have a manager handle the LLC’s business affairs. LLCs do not issue stock and are not required to hold annual meetings or keep written minutes. Generally, members of an LLC that are taxed as a partnership may agree to share the profits and losses in any manner. Members of an LLC receive profits and losses in the same manner as shareholders of a corporation. In general, all the owners and members are shielded from individual liability for debts and obligations of the LLC. The main advantage of LLC is that owners of the LLC have the liability protection of a corporation because it exists as a separate entity much like a corporation. Also members do not hold personally liable for debts unless they have signed a personal guarantee, and this is a great relief for all the members. LLC can select varying forms of distribution of profits, unlike a common partnership where the split is 50-50. Hence flexible profit distribution is another advantage of LLC. The LLC business structure requires no corporate minutes or resolutions and is easier to operate. This can be pointed out as the next advantage of LLC. All the LLC business losses, profits, and expenses flow through the company to the individual members. So, it avoids the double taxation of paying corporate tax and individual tax. Generally, this flow through taxation will be a tax advantage. The most significant disadvantage of LLC is the limited life time of business. A LLC is dissolved when a member dies or undergoes bankruptcy whereas corporations can live forever. Business owners with plans to take their company public, or issuing employee shares in the future, may be not best served by choosing a LLC business structure, because going public is bit complicated with LLC. So this can be again a vital disadvantage of LLC structure. Running a sole-proprietorship or partnership will have less paperwork and complexity compared to LLC. So this added complexity also can be pointed out as a disadvantage of LLC structure. There are two major types of companies operating with limited liability status in Sri Lanka. ? Private Limited Companies ? Public Limited Companies Private Limited Companies A Private Limited Company, theoretically also refer to a private company limited by guarantee, is a type of company incorporated under the laws of England in certain Commonwealth countries. Private limited companies are required to have the suffix â€Å"Limited† (often written â€Å"Ltd† or â€Å"Ltd. â€Å") or â€Å"Incorporated† (â€Å"Inc. â€Å") as part of their name. It has shareholders, but its shares may not be offered to the general public. This means that shares are usually sold to family, friends and business contacts. The liability of the shareholders to creditors of the company is limited to the capital originally invested; that is to the nominal value of the shares and any premium paid in return for the issue of the shares by the company. A shareholder's personal assets are thereby protected in the event of the company's insolvency, but money invested in the company will be lost. Most companies, particularly small companies, are private limited companies. One of the main advantages of Private Limited Company is, they are easy to set up because; the shares are sold among family, friends and business contacts. Limited liability is another advantage of a Private Limited Company. The shareholder's liability is limited to the value of the shares held by them. If things go wrong for the business, personal assets of a shareholder cannot be used to pay off the debts. Since boards of directors are usually the main share holders, the ownership and the control are closely connected. Therefore decisions can be taken more quickly and this can be pointed out as another advantage. A Private Limited Company has a separate legal existence. This means that properties will be owned by the company itself and all contracts would be signed on its behalf. The directors and secretary can only act as agents. Therefore the company is not dissolved on the resignation, bankruptcy or death of a director which is a vital advantage of Private Limited Company. The company can be dissolved only by winding up, liquidation or order of the Registrar of Companies or by the Court. When we think about advantages, tax benefits of Private Limited Company are also can be considered. The directors of the company are required to pay income tax but the company pays corporation tax on company profits which is one rate of tax only and averages out at much less than if income tax were paid on the profits. Though Private Limited Company has many advantages, there are some disadvantages which often deter small- and medium-sized business owners from setting up private limited companies. Many Private Limited Companies are very profitable. Unfortunately, these profits can become diluted because they must be evenly distributed among all shareholders, and many Private Limited Companies have up to 50 shareholders. So this becomes the major disadvantage of Private Limited Company. The next point that can be a vital disadvantage is shareholders in a Private Limited Company are not able to sell or transfer their shares to the general public. The 50 or so shareholders that comprise a Private Limited Company must keep their shares and cannot trade them on any stock exchange. A Private Limited Company can be quite complex to create, meaning that lawyers and accountants almost always need to be involved in the Private Limited Company from the start. This can be costly and hence a disadvantage. The importance of Private Limited Companies in Sri Lankan economy over the last 15 years has been tremendous. The opening up of Sri Lankan economy has led to free inflow of investments along with modern cutting edge technology, which increased the importance of Private Limited Companies in Sri Lankan economy considerably. Previously, the Sri Lankan market was ruled by the government enterprises but the scene in Sri Lankan market changed as soon as the markets were opened for investments. This saw the rise of the Sri Lankan private sector companies, which prioritized customer's need and speedy service. Most of the pioneering businesses in today’s Sri Lankan business world are categorized as Private Limited Companies. Some of the best examples are Richard Pieris & Company PLC; (One of the largest and most successful diversified business conglomerate), Abans Group – Abans Private Limited; (Represent world famous brands of household items), Singer (Sri Lanka) PLC; (Household durable company), ODEL (PVT) LTD; (Sri Lanka's foremost fashion gallery). Private Limited Companies are often considered the Sri Lanka's version of limited liability companies. This may be because; for many years, forming businesses with the family and friends has been a custom of Sri Lankans. There are many examples such as Perera and Sons (PVT) LTD; (One of Sri Lanka's foremost baker and caterer), H. Don Carolis & Sons (PVT) LTD; (Manufacturers of fine hand crafted wooden furniture), Ebert Silva Touring Co. Ltd; (pioneering Company in the travel and tourism industry) . These are consider as successful family businesses and categorized under Private Limited Company type businesses. To promote private sector domestic investments, the Sri Lanka government has recently brought the bank interest rates down from 20 percent to around 10 percent for borrowings. Public Limited Companies A public limited company (legally abbreviated to plc with or without full stops) is a type of limited liability Company incorporated under the laws of England in certain Commonwealth countries and it is permitted to offer its shares to the public. This means that Shares in a public limited company, can be traded on the Stock Exchange and can be bought by members of the general public. The Capital needed to start a Public Limited Company could come from two different sources; part of the money comes from a loan from the bank, and the rest comes from shares sold to the public, via the stock market. The liability of the shareholders to creditors of the company is limited to the capital originally invested; that is to the nominal value of the shares and any premium paid in return for the issue of the shares by the company. A shareholder's personal assets are thereby protected in the event of the company's insolvency, but money invested in the company will be lost. The dividend is paid out using the profits from a PLC. The profit of the public limited company is divided into percentages and is paid out to shareholders. There are many advantages of operating the business as a Public Limited Company, and of registering the company on the stock exchange. For example, equity capital obtained from an initial public offering is considered a permanent form of capital since there is no interest to be paid on the equity, and it is not repayable like debt. Funds generated by a public offering are, therefore, considered a relatively safe form of capital for a business and this can be pointed out as the main advantage of the Public Limited Company type. Going public can also allow a company the freedom and flexibility to spend capital, as it needs to finance its growth and further development, providing a solid financial base on which to build. This will be a vital motivate point for anyone who think to start a new business as Public Limited Company. Many companies use stock and stock option plans as an incentive to attract and retain talented employees. It is increasingly common to recruit and compensate executives with a combination of salary and stock. Stock can be instrumental in attracting and keeping key personnel. Public companies are more likely to receive the attention of major newspapers, magazines and periodicals. The proper use of press releases, interviews or news stories can increase investor awareness, shareholder value, and demand for the stock, sales and revenue. Once a company becomes public it has to disclose so much information to public on regular intervals. This includes share holding pattern, quarterly and annual financial statements, profiles of directors etc. So it can be pointed out as one of the disadvantage of Public Limited Company. In a Public Limited Company decisions take time is too long and it also can be a disadvantage. This is because implementation of any key decision is subjected to the approval by the board of directors elected by share holders. Shareholders in public companies expect a steady stream of income from dividends, which might mean that the business has to concentrate on short term objectives of creating a profit and this may be a vital disadvantage because it might be better to work on longer term objectives, such as growth and investment. The most significant disadvantage Public Limited Company has is the threat of takeover. This is because they are traded publicly and another company can buy up a large number of shares and they can then persuade other shareholders to join with them to vote in a new management team. The Sri Lankan stock market has become quite vibrant and booming, particularly as a result of the end of the war, and this was a vivid point for growth of Public Limited Companies. New companies made their public offerings and were oversubscribed during the first day itself. There is considerable demand for company shares in the market and we can see many giants companies have turned into Public Limited Companies. These companies represent banking, finance, insurance, healthcare, telecommunication, food, beverage and so many other sectors. Most important examples are; Commercial Bank of Ceylon Ltd; (Adjudged as the best bank in Sri Lanka), Janashakthi Insurance; (3rd largest general insurance company in Sri Lanka), Sri Lanka Telecom Ltd; (The premier telecommunication service provider in Sri Lanka), Cargills (Ceylon) Ltd; (Sri lanka's largest food network) and Nawaloka Hospitals Ltd; (Asia's largest and most trusted healthcare hospital). The end of the war has put Sri Lanka on the radar of global companies as a country with attractive investment proposition opportunities. As the issuances of shares by resident companies to foreign investors are permitted in terms of a general permission, many resident companies have issued their shares to foreign investors. They include; Lanka IOC; (75% of shares owned by Indian Oil Corporation) and Millenium IT; (Shares were bought by London Stock Exchange). General Partnerships A General Partnership is the most simplistic type of legal structure designed for the situation in which two or more people are collaborating in some type of business activity. The entities involved in a partnership can be individuals, corporations, or trusts. General partnerships are usually started with good friends or family. Starting up a new business is a huge risk and gigantic leap of faith. People who open up general partnerships need to trust each other and work well together. Even if the business does not need a lot of assets to start or operate, still it needs a lot of money to open up a business. General partnerships allow more than one individual to carry the financial burden. This is ideal and makes a business much easier to open. By default, the profits and losses generated by a General Partnership are shared equally among its partners. However, typically a partnership agreement is created to further define the rights, responsibilities, and duties of each partner, as well as the terms of perpetuity if one of the partners withdrawals from the partnership. Financial responsibility is shared equally among the partners, with each partner jointly and severally liable for all business debts and obligations which means that the partners are jointly liable for any and all legal claims against any of the partners. The taxation of a General Partnership is calculated at the individual level. General partnerships can be less expensive to form with a limited start up cost and it has a shared financial commitment, which can be consider as main advantages of this business type. Also it requires less paperwork and formalities which encourage people to form their businesses as general partnerships. General partnerships can thrive when each partner brings a specific strength to the business. If each partner takes on a defined role and there is general agreement on the business plan, goals, and visions from the outset, a partnership can be advantageous. Work can get done more quickly, and having several partners involved will increase the potential of acquiring resources and attracting backers. In the end, the success of such an endeavor depends largely on the personalities of the parties involved. General partnerships offer members the advantages of shared risk and total control over the transactions of the business. One of the most significant benefits of a General Partnership is simplified tax filing, since no corporate forms or double taxation is required. As a pass-through tax entity, this form of business pays no direct tax instead its individual owners carry the tax burden However, the wide array of disadvantages of a General Partnership is what makes it arguably one of the worst organizational business structures available. Because of the lack of corporate structure, a General Partnership does not establish any kind of separate business entity from the partners. This means that the partners are totally unprotected from any litigation against the business, and their personal assets can be seized at any time to cover the unmet obligations of the business. Even worse, each partner is liable for the actions of the others on behalf of the business. So if one of the partners was to execute an agreement without the knowledge of the others, each partner would become equally obligated to the terms of that agreement. The same is true for credit obligations. If any of the partners secure credit on behalf of the business, each partner would become equally obligated to the terms of that debt. In addition, without a Partnership Agreement, there is no guarantee of perpetuity for a General Partnership if one of the partners dies, becomes disabled, or withdrawals from the business. For these and other reasons, general partnership agreements should be drawn up carefully with legal counsel, and signed by all partners. Additionally, there should be a means in place of dissolving the partnership in the case of death, disability, or if one partner should want out of the business for any other reason, personal or professional. Sri Lanka, as a country with low individual income, general partnership would be an idle business type because it gives you pool of resources and financial encouragement to start a new business. Since family businesses are very famous in Sri Lanka, anyone can get together with his family and friends to form the business. Since each partner has a vital contribution to the business, skills and abilities of them will guide the business to success. There are several businesses in Sri Lanka, engaged in all types of sectors such as; grocery, pharmacy, restaurant, book shop and laundry; which can be categorized into general partnership business type. Sri Lankan government has identified the importance of general partnership businesses, in terms of their contribution to the country’s development. So the government is encouraging this business community, to develop their businesses, by providing necessary financial aids, resources, equipment and guidance.

Mountain Man Brewing Company Case Study Essay

What is the current situation? Mountain Man Brewing Company (MMBC) is a family business founded in West Virginia in 1925 by Guntar Prangel. The company is now operated by Guntar’s grandson, Oscar. Oscar’s son, Chris, is slated to inherit the business in five years when his father retires. Mountain Man (MM) Lager is the flagship product and the only beer currently produced by the company. The recipe for the lager was based on a refined family recipe and is known for its flavorful, bitter taste. By the 1960s, the lager had established itself as a legacy beer with a rich history, and the company continues to maintain its independent, family-owned status which appeals to its core drinkers. By 2005, the popularity of MM Lager in the East Central region of the U.S. had grown to generate revenues of just over $50 million, and the beer held the top market position among lagers in West Virginia. MM Lager won â€Å"Best Beer in West Virginia† in 2005 for the eighth year in a row. What has made MMBC successful & distinguishes it? MMBC has enjoyed success because of several factors. Although it is a regional brewer, it has superb name recognition. A recent study showed that Mountain Man Lager was considered by many to be West Virginia’s best known beer. In addition, it has very strong brand position with consumers favoring MM Lager’s unique taste and quality ingredients from the family recipe. Finally, MMBC has a trained sales force that is very adept and getting its product into the right channels to compete with national breweries. The legacy of the company is its main distinguishing trait from its competitors. As mentioned before, the very strong brand equity has made MMBC stand out as a brewery that has experienced customer loyalty for successive generations. Holding the title of â€Å"West Virginia’s Beer† allows MM Lager to have an ingrained exposure to consumers in the region and act as a natural default for its blue collar patrons. What enabled MMBC to create such a strong brand? To quote the Mission Statement, â€Å"Mountain Man is still standing because we manufacture an exceptional beer with a great brand name, we’ve never lost sight of our core customer, and we’ve never been seduced by the other guy’s market.† MMBC stands for such unique qualities that have been the boilerplate for developing an enriched brand with strong equity. For almost 50 years it held the top market share for lagers of West Virginia in the majority of the states where it was distributed distinguishing them in prime position among competitors. Research of working-class males determined that MMBC was as recognizable as leading manufacturers Chevrolet and John Deere in the East Central region. Besides successful branding efforts in a large  market, MM Lager was priced with an extremely competitive Every Day Value below specialty brands, but above premium domestic brands. This allowed for an aura of authenticity distinguishing it as higher quality than Mill er and Budweiser, for instance, all while gaining incremental revenues from the craft brewers like Sam Adams. MMBC could generate increased turns at registers without having the deep pockets of their competitors. What has caused MMBC’s decline in spite of its strong brand? Analysis of MMBC’s business model requires the backdrop of the U.S. beer industry. Since 2001, U.S. per capita beer consumption has declined by 2.3% due to increasing competition from wine and spirits-based drinks. MMBC’s revenues are down 2% relative to the prior fiscal year. The current state of the company and market conditions suggests that a single product line may be unsustainable. As of 2005, MMBC was the only major regional beer company to not expand beyond its flagship lager product. A segment of the population was still interested in MMBC, but that segment, while loyal, was aging. The rate at which MMBC was building new consumers was only going to replace a fraction of their current buyers. Distributors were discriminating about which smaller brands they would carry, and the percentage of new consumers by age group was continuing to decrease. There have also been numerous uncontrollable circumstances that have been attributed to MMBC’s decline despite their strong brand. Increased taxes and fees to manufacturers have been clearly evident in the rising retail costs of goods in the marketplace. Companies cannot afford to absorb the added expenditures and therefore pass them on to the consumer whom tends to buy less as prices increase; these increases are hitting their pockets on the home front as well. In addition, the average consumer is becoming much more health conscious and has made changes in their preference of alcoholic beverage segment. Beer is very high in calories; for instance, as compared to wine or spirits and decreasing caloric intake has been one of those fairly recent health conscious changes being made. Beer lovers are sticking with their choice of libation; however, substituting a light version of their favorite brand. With these factors on the rise every day and the core demographic of MM Lager reaching an age bracket were considerably less  portions of income are dedicated to alcohol purchases, the brewery has slowly lost market share to the larger domestic brewers that have been fortunate enough to capital to invest on increased advertising and marketing. Should MMBC introduce a light beer? With sales declining and seeking new areas of business growth, Chris Prangel, a recent MBA graduate, is considering a campaign to launch MM Light. Light beer sales in the U.S. have been growing at a compound annual rate of 4%, while traditional premium beer sales, such as MM Lager, have declined by the same percentage. The core age group for light beer drinkers is 25- 44 which extends below the current core age group of MM Lager (men over the age of 45). Currently, MM Lager has a 4-to-1 male-to-female ratio while the light beer category ratio is roughly 3-to-2. Using current rates of decline with profit margin down 6.2% in 2005, 2010 sales of MM Lager will continue to decrease at the current rate of decline. Given the current state of the beer industry, it is reasonable to project that the rate of sales decline will continue to accelerate in the future. In 2005, MMBC was still profitable and could afford to take on the costs of extending its product line; however, each year that the company waited to do so jeopardized its ability to afford new costs. At first glance, there appears to be an obvious opportunity to expand the brand by introducing a light beer to the market. The concern is that a light brew would alienate the core customer base and erode the attributes that make MM a profitable company. MM Light will add additional capital expenditures for plant and equipment upgrades and could potentially hurt sales of the lager as brand loyalty may become threatened. To arrive at a well-informed decision  supported by strong financial calculations, it is first necessary to perform a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis (Exhibit 1). While weaknesses and threats identified are serious, they are few in number when compared to the many strengths and opportunities of expanding the MMBC product line. Because 9.4% of the region’s light beer production was captured by small brewers, there are successes to be had in producing a light beer. In addition, light beer is responsible for more than 50% of all beer sales in MMBC’s East Central region. Even a small percentage of the biggest market had the potential to be valuable for MMBC. Is MM Light financially feasible for MMBC? MMBC must produce a light beer product in order to remain a competitive player in the beer industry. This decision is based on financial projections of sustained profitability. Both industry and company data were initially provided to set the groundwork for these calculations (Exhibit 2). MMBC revenues for 2005 were estimated at $50 million; however, that revenue base was projected to decrease by 2% annually. Additionally, the number of barrels of MM Lager sold in 2005 was approximately 520,000. Regional light beer sales totaled just over 18.7M barrels that year and were estimated to grow at an annual rate of 4% as judged by industry experts. As judged by Chris Prangel, the initial market share for MM Light in 2006 is estimated to be 0.25%. Following Chris’ prognostication, we also assumed an annual growth rate of 0.25% in MM Light revenue for follow-on years. Lastly, we were provided with variable cost per unit data: $66.93 for MM Lager and $71.62 for MM Light. This foundatio nal set of data allowed for a series of critical assumptions to be logically made (Exhibit 2). Break-Even Point (BEP) Analysis In an attempt to demonstrate the viability of extending MMBC’s product line to include a light beer, breakeven point (BEP) analysis was conducted. These calculations were performed for both MM Lager and MM Light as both products will comprise MMBC’s total revenue in years to come (Exhibit 3). It is important to note that MMBC’s fixed costs were partially comprised of aforementioned financial assumptions. SG&A costs for each product line were given, however we chose to allocate an additional $50K in fixed costs for MM  Light to help with label design. Advertising remained consistent with 2005 data for MM Lager, but an additional $750K was added for MM Light as part of an intensive six month marketing campaign. This incurred cost is significant in introducing a new product to the burgeoning light beer market in the east central region. Completing the BEP calculations, we have determined that 66,982 barrels of MM Light and 364,738 barrels of MM Lager must be produced in order for MMBC to break even (Exhibit 3). At a cost of $97/barrel, this is possible for MMBC to achieve by 2008. The following cannibalization analysis provides added detail to support this assertion. MM Lager Cannibalization An increase in MM Light production will require shelf space that had previously be devoted to the MM Lager product. This will directly impact the sales of MM Lager to some degree. Analysis of cannibalization is necessary in order to show sustained profitability despite an anticipated drop in MM Lager sales. Three estimates (Optimistic, Realistic, and Extreme) were chosen for this analysis, each associated with a percentage (5%, 10%, and 20%, respectively) of MM Lager revenue cannibalization (Exhibit 4). In all three cases, as the revenue from MM Lager decreases each year, that loss is offset by the revenue gained from MM Light. Of particular interest is a comparison of Total Revenue (with MM Light) and Total Revenue (without MM Light). Although higher levels of cannibalization negatively affect MMBC’s total revenue each year, the growing revenue of MM Light will continue from 2007-2010 as MMBC earns a larger share of the light beer market. In a worst case scenario of 20% cannibalization of MM Lager, MMBC’s total revenue with  MM Light is projected to overtake its revenue without MM Light by 2009 (Exhibit 4). It is important to consider, however, that extending the product line does not necessary equate to MM Lager cannibalization. Shipping light beer as a standalone product offers MMBC freedom to market to a totally new segment without alienating their existing drinkers. MM Light should not erode sales of their core Lager product as MMBC’s sales were already declining due to erosion by other brewers light beers. Also a brewer with a broad product offering was seen as a more attractive prospect to consumers. According to consumers, additional products not only introduced new drinkers to the brand, but to the brand’s other product lines. If MMBC did not branch out, they are in jeopardy of being dropped from sales channels in their home territory. Additionally, the same amount of effort that supported their single product could be going to support multiple products from a different brewery because MM Light would not require capital expenditures in plant and equipment in the short term due to existing excess capacity in MMBC’s facility Product line extensions help brewers obtain greater shelf space for products and created greater product focus among distributors and retailers. MM Light Marketing Strategies The issue of marketing and advertising the new MM Light product was analyzed using industry data from 2005 along with an aggressive marketing plan for the first six months of production. We examined marketing strategies for introducing MM Light to not only MMBC’s current customers, but also to the growing population of light beer consumers. Basing our calculations off of industry advertising expenditure data from 2005, we segmented our $750K advertising budget for the first six months of 2006 as shown in Exhibit 5. This strategy, based on prior successes throughout the U.S. beer industry, will help gain consumer confidence in our new product primarily through the medium of television. After the first six months of 2006, a refined analysis of marketing alternatives will be necessary in order to judge MMBC’s next steps. Producing a light beer also presents an opportunity for MMBC capture part of the 19.5 million barrels forecasted to sell in 2006. The introduction of light beer will cause a 7% increase in per barrel cost but  given current trends the company needs to change the status quo or risk succumbing to the fate of many other regional brewers (Exhibit 2). MMBC has the chance to tap into a large sales opportunity. Since light beer sales in  U.S. have been growing at a compound annual rate of 4% whereas traditional premium beer sales had declined annually by 4%. Also, younger beer drinkers view MMBC as strong and a â€Å"working man’s beer†. This represents younger people‘s general dislike of â€Å"big business†. It would be effective to entice younger beer drinkers to emotionally and intellectually support the product whil e catering to their general taste for light beer. MMBC has also strategically positioned itself from a marketing perspective as a preferred alternative to large breweries due to its brand and business model. For example, MMBC does not attempt to compete against large breweries directly in its advertising with MM Lager. Instead, they pursue their own style of marketing, chiefly with a trained sales force. What is required is a strategy founded on the principle that MM Light should have a new product name and logo to differentiate it from MM Lager. For example, a bold new label with a subtle, â€Å"by Mountain Man Beer Company† would help further this cause. MM Light should also be marketed as a reducedcalorie beer brought to consumers by the legendary craftsman of MMBC. MM Light needs to set itself apart from the light beer crowd with quality ingredients and complement the bitterness of MM Lager by delivering a rich distinct flavor of its own. The introduction of light beer to MMBC product portfolio represents a classic adapt-or-die scenario. Fortunately for MMBC, its strong brand equity makes it possible to leverage the brand to expand to new products. MMBC must be  aggressive in developing a light beer to take advantage of its brand power, the economic conditions, and its current ability to afford the costs associated with a start-up product. It is imperative that MMBC market its extended product line to customers with the goal of taking advantage of its attention to quality and its niche hold in regional beer brewing.

Terrorism Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Terrorism - Research Paper Example d political fractions), motivation is based upon global jihad, its goals are based on political and religious supremacy of Islam, threat is related to the rapid spread of religious fundamentalism and terrorism, and anti-terrorism policies can save Somalia from the negative influence of this terrorist organization. First of all, the origin of the jihadist group, named as Al-Shabaab, is indebted to the military aims of political Islam in Somalia. To be specific, Al-Shabaab originated as a military subsidiary of the Islamic Courts Union or ICU. When the ICU lost influence and support during its clash with Transitional Federal Government in Somalia (TFG), Al-Shabaab gained momentum and began to exert its influence in Africa. Besides, this terrorist organization was formed in the year 2006. One can see that the origin of this terrorist group is deeply rooted in the Islamic concept of jihad. For instance, the masterminds behind the origin of this terrorist group served in Afghanistan during late 70s. Hansen (2013) states that, â€Å"A proper exploration of the history of Al-Shabaab should start with the origins of this network, which are amongst the Somalis travelling to Afghanistan in the wake of the Soviet intervention, during the Afghan war of 1979-89† (pp.19-20). To be specific, those wh o (say, Somalis) served during this time returned to Somalia and helped the ICU while fighting against the TFG. The defeat of ICU by the TFG resulted in the fragmentation of ICU into different groups. During this time, Al-Shabaab (say, one among these fragmented groups) declared its aim, i.e., the leadership of jihadists in Africa or the fight against the foes of political Islam. One can see that Al-Shabaab amalgamated the idea of political Islam to the core of religious fundamentalism. To be specific, the leaders of this jihadist group gained the confidence of the mass by proclaiming their ultimate aim, the superiority of religion beyond the government. As pointed out, Al-Shabaab

The Energy Debate Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Energy Debate - Lab Report Example The most important pro in the usage of active solar energy as a source of power is that it does not emit carbon or any pollutant when it provides us energy. The most serious con is the high cost of its installation that it can sometimes be prohibitive. Definition: passive solar energy is the energy taken from the warmth of the sun without the implements or aid of machines. Thus, passive solar energy can be said to be free and is often taken advantage in heating a home or building to save on cost. People may be unwilling to replace their old appliances with new ones for the sake of efficiency. US just came from a crisis where people are now skimping on cost and making the most of their dollars. It may be difficult to convince people to spend for a new appliance when an existing one still works. Consume more vegetables. Vegetables require less energy to produce and also reduce the CO2 in the atmosphere because they are plants (they use CO2 as food). Meat on the other hand requires so much energy and water resource to

Current Event Report-1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Current Event Report-1 - Essay Example In this paper an attempt has been made to identify the possible stakeholders and their interest in relation to a particular decision. For this purpose, the decision taken by Apple to reduce the negative impact of its supply chain and respond to the queries of the environmental groups have been analyzed. This is presented in the news article by Godelnik (2011) by the title â€Å"Apple Expands Stakeholder Engagement to Chinese Environmental Groups†. The interests of Apple Incorporation are to maintain the market image of the company and make profits. This is only possible by taking more social responsible decisions. Non Profit Organizations, NGOs, and environmental groups are working to make sure that all large and small organizations take necessary measures in order to reduce the hazardous waste and other negative impacts of its operations on the society and environment (Godelnik, 2011). Suppliers of Apple and factories in China where the part of Apple phones and other devices are assembled have their own business interests and are also one of the stakeholders associated with this decision. They are interested in maintaining their business relations with Apple and want to increase their profits and business. Lastly, the general public is concerned about the social environment and maintaining healthy conditions. Every stakeholders have certain impact on the overall decision, however some stakeholders have more strong influence on the decision in comparison to some less powerful stakeholders. In reference to this decision about reducing the negative implications of the supply chain of Apple on the social environment, the most strongest stakeholder are the environmental groups who are forcing Apple to improve its overall supply chain in order to reduce the negative impacts on the environment. Secondly, Apple is also forced to take this decision in order to maintain its image in the market and to retain

Do gay athletes affect sports Annotated Bibliography

Do gay athletes affect sports - Annotated Bibliography Example In connection to this, the objective of this paper is therefore to find out how gay athletes affect sports. In order to understand how gay athletes affect sports, I am going to use three sources; Rethinking Homophobia in Sports: Legal Protections for gays and lesbian athletes by Anne Gregory. This article is relevant to this study because it looks at how the law protects gay athletes. For example, it looks at what are the consequences for those who will be found to be intimidating gay athletes. The article is divided into two parts; part 1 looks at the causes of homophobia in sports. While part 2, looks at the legal protections for gays and lesbian athletes. The second article that I will use is the ESPN magazine, which was published in 2013. The magazine conducted a survey on N.F.L players, to find out how many people would agree to have a gay team mate. Therefore, this magazine is very relevant to this study because it shows how players perceive their team mates based on sexuality. The third article is the New York Times magazine, which was published on 18th March, 2013. The article shows what N.F.L top management, has been doing to cope up with the increasing number of gay athletes in its team. Goessling, Ben. â€Å"86 % ok with gay team mate†. ESPN magazine. 14 February, 2014. Web. 28 February, 2014. The ESPN magazine carried out a survey on NTFL players and found out that 86 % of them would accept a gay team mate. According to the source, the players did not see how, the sexuality of their team mate would affect their play. Batista, Judy. â€Å"N.F.L. Is Pressured on Issues of Gay Rights†. The New York Times. 18 March, 2013. The

Marketing advertising report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing advertising report - Essay Example building brand awareness for both Southeast Asian Laneway festival and existing local festivals, but she was unsure about the exact marketing activities required to promote the brand. In such a context, the manager has asked the researcher to recommend suitable marketing and advertising strategy to promote the brand, thereby helping her to fulfill the proposed objectives. The manager has asked the researcher to focus on certain issues, while making recommendations such as, 1- propose strategic recommendations that can help Laneway Festival to address their current needs, 2- provide justification regarding functionality of proposed campaign, 3- illustrate look/feel of the proposed advertisement in order to specify how the proposed campaign would achieve success, 4- identification of target audience for the advertisement and 5- make broad media recommendation by addressing budget, time period and brief description of activities. As marketing personnel, the researcher will analyze the b rief and try to locate anomalies present in there. In the next section, the study will conduct a brief literature review in order to understand arguments, presented by previous researchers, to identify the working pattern of advertising campaign. In the book, â€Å"Confessions of an Advertising Man†, Ogilvy (1988) had stated the phrase, â€Å"If it doesn’t sell, it isn’t creative†, in order to highlight the importance of outcome while employing advertisement to promote brand. According to Ogilvy (1988), success or creativity of advertising campaigns can only be appreciated, if it is able to sell the product/service. Hence, advertising campaigns cannot be created only for the sake of creativity. Kawashima (2006) found that look and feel of advertisements changes with the background story of the brand, nature of target audience and divergence of marketing objectives. Grabher (2001 and 2002) argued that incorporation of creativity in advertisements can be done by experimenting with

Pricing Strategy River Side Cafe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Pricing Strategy River Side Cafe - Essay Example This gives River Side Cafe a distinct competitive advantage over its competitors as its unique Mexican style attracts and retains coffee and tea lovers at its premises. Therefore, the premium pricing strategy is the best strategy for River Side Cafe to adopt because it is also a new entrant into the market with the hope of maximizing its revenues especially in the first stages of the cafe’s product life cycle (Smith, 2011). River Side Cafe is a new player in the tea and coffee industry. As such, it has to curve out a name for itself in the beverages service industry in order to attract and retain loyal customers. However, it faces stiff competition from established industry players who already have reputable brand names and command a large share of the market. These include the likes of Tchibo, Nestle, Wal-Mart and Starbucks. These companies have a wide capital outlay to expand and promote their business thereby remaining relevant in the market over a long period. Therefore, River Side Cafe has to establish its own competitive advantages in order to enter this strongly guarded beverages market. Owing to its unique features in brewing and serving coffee and tea, the cafe also incorporates a pricing strategy in order to penetrate the market further (Jensen, 2013). Premium pricing is the best pricing strategy for the cafe to use in entering the beverages business under such competitive markets. This strat egy gives the cafe class, style and prestige as well as promoting its clients’ base through word of mouth references. Being a new kid in the block and charging high prices for their products and services attracts high-end consumers as well as establish a reputable

Research Methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

Research Methods - Essay Example According to Bryman (2008, p. 25), a sample has advantages than a complete count in that; Different sampling techniques exist and they are divided into two categories namely formal and informal (non probability sampling). The formal sampling techniques operate on a known probability of choosing and they include; simple random sampling, stratified sampling, cluster sampling, systematic sampling and multistage sampling. Simple random sampling is a technique where all the elements are said to have the same chance of being selected. The probability of selecting any elements in the population is equal (Green and Salkind 2008, p. 57). This technique is applied in cases where all the elements in that certain population have same traits (characteristics). Such populations are said to be homogenous. Another formal sampling technique is stratified sampling and is applied in cases where the population is made up of elements of different traits. In this technique, the population is sub-divided into non-overlapping sub-groups called strata (each is a stratum) each made up of elements with the same traits. Once this has been done, a simple random sample is selected from each stratum and then combined for final analysis. This technique is advantageous in that it eliminates biasness which is present if simple random sampling is used and also leads to higher precision. Cluster sampling on the other hand is a probability sampling technique in which the population is divided into clusters and then the researcher selects randomly the clusters to be included in the final analysis. It is mostly used in cases where getting the entire population for the research study is impossible or where the study population is concentrated in regions e.g. schools, churches, counties etc. The only disadvan tage of this technique is less precision than even simple random sampling and stratified sampling. Systematic sampling is the selecting of sample

Gambling on Our Future Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Gambling on Our Future - Essay Example The increased revenue motivated other states to adopt gambling. The acceptance was possible through implementation of laws that allow gambling. The increased activities are observed in the impoverished areas as people struggle to overcome poverty. Moreover, gambling is shown to have spread to other areas. Such areas include groceries, convenience stores, and gas stations in the form of lotteries. Traditionally, gambling was concentrated in casinos. There has always been the rise of online gambling with the rise of the internet. The effect has been shown to be a change of nations view on gambling. The change has occurred through increased acceptance of state lotteries and internet. Hence, many states have adopted gambling as a way of increasing revenue. Moreover, the percentage of those that participate in gambling is shown to be on the rise. The habit has been shown to have an adverse effect on people. The effect is seen through the rise of habitual gamblers. For example, the habit makes an individual fail to manage time and money. The ultimate effect is shown as being bankrupt, loss of job, alcoholism, drug addiction, and welfare. The effects are shown to be costly to the states and people

Importance of Understanding Cultural, Ethnic, and Gender Essay Example for Free

Importance of Understanding Cultural, Ethnic, and Gender Essay Culture is defined â€Å"as a set of values, practices, traditions or beliefs a group shares, whether due to age, race or ethnicity, religion or gender† (Mayhew, 2014). Diversity is â€Å"the inclusion of individuals representing more than one national origin, color, religion, socioeconomic stratum, sexual orientation† (2014). Diversity in the workplace refers to the variety of differences between people in an organization. It can include gender, age, personality, background, race, ethnic group, and much more. It doesn’t just include how people see themselves but how they see others as well and this affect how they act in a work environment. Some of the issues companies have to deal with are communication, adaptability and change. Embracing diversity and accepting and appreciating the differences means individual strengths and weaknesses can be understood and factored into building workplace teams. Recognizing and appreciating cultural differences is only the tip of the iceberg. Subordinate group attitudes that have developed over time may cause them to be defensive. It is necessary to work towards bridging the gap between dominant and subordinate groups to help them to communicate better. Managers and leaders need to step out of their comfort levels and develop knowledge of cultural differences and be sensitive to the fact that there are diversity issues. If you establish relationships at work with people who are different than you, you start to learn about the talent and knowledge that diverse culture can add to your company. Most hospitals have come to the realization that people from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds, genders, as well as religions, bring with them different values and perspectives. Managers have to make sure that top priority is given to  patient care. If there are misunderstandings between employees related to culture, ethnicity, or gender, it will eventually affect patient care. It is the managers’ duty to keep in mind that it is important to make the hospital unit as diverse as possible but making sure there is also a balance. â€Å"Fortunately, attitudes are changing. Nursing managers in hospitals must creating workplace and educational programs to help nurses overcome discriminatory feelings they may consciously or unconsciously hold toward colleagues or patients. (Rob Douglas, 2004). If there are diverse groups in the unit, there are a number of nurses who think differently and have a different way of looking at patients and their needs. Therefore there is a better chance that patient’s needs will be tended to. Being a lefty for a day is a challenge that left handed people endure on a daily basis. Tasks such as opening a bottle of wine, using a wall mounted pencil sharpener, and turning the pages of a book were all rather difficult. Daily tasks that we don’t think twice about become r a daunting mountain to climb. My mom is a left-handed so in addition to my own experience, I asked her what she has gone through since she was born a lefty. She told me that her mom, my grandmother, would always yell at her for using her left hand to write and do day to day tasks. When my mom would do her homework with her left hand, my grandmother would threaten her and make her use her right hand. Her reason was that left handed people are not â€Å"smart.† In today’s modern day and age, we know and understand that is not the case. â€Å"Forcing a left-handed to be right-handed causes reduced activity in the dominant right hemisphere and increase activity in the non-dominant side. Since creativity and imagination are dominant parts of right brain, they will remain under-developed and the left-side of the brain sees increased activity that deals with reality, facts and logic, characteristics that are opposite of the person’s true potential† (Abbasi, 2011). Forcing people therefore tends to make them slower and do not reach their potential in life. It does seem being a lefty in a right handed world is a very big disadvantage. However, lefty’s do learn to adapt to doing things with both hands making them ambidextrous. So, in the end they gained something, rather than losing something. References Chron. (2007, May 4). Examples of Cultural Differences in the Workplace. Retrieved From the Chron small business website: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/examples-cultural-differences-workplace-11494.html Reason before Passion. (2011, August 8). Never force left-handed child to be right-handed. Retrieved from the Reason before Passion website: http://wasioabbasi.wordpress.com/2011/08/08/never-force-left-handed-child-to-be-right-handed/

How Photography And Photojournalism Has Been Transformed Media Essay

How Photography And Photojournalism Has Been Transformed Media Essay Visual culture and its relationship with photographic image have developed alongside technology, production and culture. Over the last decade digital technology has changed the way in which we percieve the photographic image and transform its ability to report and produce the knowledge of representation. Digital images differ from analog photographic images in ways that affect how they look, the ways in which they are generated, stored and disturted, and the types of technical devices (digital cameras, mobile phones, computers, ipods, websites, etc.) on which they can be created and displayed.Yet there are many similar ways in which digital images are used as analog photographic images were; as forms of personal expression, for family albums, and as documentary evidence. Although, analog cameras produce images that must be processed and developed, digital cameras allow the photographer to see the image on the camera immediately after the take, allowing even more instantaneous pleasur e. The most widely discussed difference between conventional and digital photography concerns what happens after the take and before the print is produced. Digital technology has transformed photography, allowing anyone with a digital camera, a computer, and a cable to download images not only to print them out as they are but also to copy them into programs in which they can be edited, enhanced, corrected and manipulated to alter composition, colour, framing and combinations of elements and scenes. In digital programs such as Adobe Photoshop, it is easy to be creative as its digitally techniques have made it possible to build on this ability to artifically construct realism. Until the 1990s tools for the manipulation of the analog photograph remained restricted to the commercial and fine art photographer. Commercial photographers often used airbrushing and other professional techniques to tidy up, modify and combined their photographs. Today, these techniques are now common practice, to have personal photographs digitally reconfigured, to remove relatives out of birthday pictures, for instance or to erase ex- best friends or boyfriends from treasued images. In many cases, this kind of playing with the historical record is realively harmless. By the end of the 20th century, digital imaging and processing and computer- based techniques had made it possible to manipulate images in many ways, creating revolutionary changes in photography. What changed with digital photographs is not the ability to manipulate the image but the wide availabily and accsessibility of these techniques to the consumer, making not just image production but also image reproduction and alteration an everyday aspect of consumer experience. The way in which images are displayed has also changed. Before collecting your prints at a parmacy may have included a duplicate set to give to a family member that could be cherished along with the original in the family album. Now the album exisits in the form of muliple duplicate disks that can be sent to family member worldwide via e-mail, all of them of equal quality. They can also be accessed through websites set up privately thus the family photo album has moved online making it much more accessible to the public than ever before. What the purpose of a photograph use to be convey realsim, proof and evidence. Throughout its history, photography has been asscoiated with realism and truth. (talk a little bit about evidence and proof). As critic Marita Sturken notes, a photograph is often percieved to be an unmediated copy of the real world, a trace of reality skimmed off the very surface of life, and evidence of the real, (Practices of looking an introduction to visual culture) however this no longer seems to be the case. As Geoffrey Bathen argues that although all forms of photography involve intervention and some manipulation, digitalization abandons even the rhetoric of truth that has been such an important part of photographys cultural success. However, Bathen also argues that digitalization loses credibility because it strips an image of its indexicality. There can be no guarantee that the digital image existed in a real time and space. () Peirces concept of the indexical quality of signs suggests a way to understand the changes taking place with digital technology. As already noted, the power of the anolg photograph is derived largely from its indexical qualities. The camera has coexisted in physical space with the real that it has photographed. Many digital images and all simulations lack this indexical relationship to what they represent. For example, an image generated exclusively by computer graphics software can be made to appear to be a photograph of actual objects, places or people, when in fact it is a simulation, that is that it does not represent something in the real world. The difference resides in the fact that the process of producing a digital image does not require that the subject (the object, person or space) is present or that the subject even exisits. Digital simulations of photographs imitate photographs of real occurence. For instance, an image in which people are digitally inserted into a landsc ape where they have never been does not refer to something that has been. While the acknowledged manipulation of photographs has always been a cause of concern for some, theses worries appear to have increased dramatically with the advent of digital techniques. This Technology has undermined the nature and meaning of images as representation. Images and photography is now more than ever open to non-detectable transformation and manipulation. What was once trusted as reality can now be altered and edited. The activity of photography together with digital technology is transforming our contemporary visual culture. This raises the question of what happens to the idea of photographic truth when an image looks like a photograph but has in fact been created on a computer with no camera at all. In Peirces terms, this marks a fundemental shift in meaning from the photograph to the digital image, as we take these computer generated images to resemble real life subjects. While the knowledged manipulation of photographs has always been a cause of concerm for some, these worries appear to have increased dramatically with the advent of digital techniques. Frequently, these worries centre on issues of truth and reality. For example a century and a half ago photographs relieved paintings of the burden of recording reality; now in turn, computers have weakened photographys claim on depicting the real world. For all of computers extraordinary precision, their impact in news photography has been to obscure the boundaries of fact and fiction, in other words, to blur. (Leslie 1995;113) Questions of the verifiability and manipulation of images takes on a particular importance in the context of photojournalism and documentary photography. There are very high stakes in the news industry in certain ethical codes of truth telling. These include, the idea that photographic news images are realistic and unmanipulated. In other words, as viewers we assume that the photographs that are presented in the mainstream newspapers and news journals are unaltered. When a photograph is introduced as documentary evidence, it is often presented as if it were incontrovertible proof that an event took place in a particular way and in a particular place. As such, it is percieved to speak the truth in a direct way. (talk about the credibility decreasing at least 50 words) Discovery that a news orginzation has altered an image can spark scandal and debate, such as the debate over Time magazines cover of O.J Simpson when he was arrested and charged with murder. Time magazine heightened the contrast and darkened the skin tone of the O.J mug shot to create a more sinster look. Time followed the historical convention of using darker skin tones to connote evil and to imply guilt. However Time magazines argued that the cover was not manipulated, but rather illustrated. () It is here where images that have been altetered or reranged to generate a certain meaning and to ultimately persuade a particular point of view and an emotional response, where the lines between fact and fiction become blurred. (talk abit how views how images like this anger the public as it tricks them because most manipulations remain indected and how because of this these images are eroding the publics trust and the media credibility) talk a little bit about/ how because of technology w e as views can detect obvious forms of manipulation however The trust in the image as a representation of reality has been degraded part because of the overload of images in the world around us but also with a greater and more widespread knowledge about the image as something produced in contrast to a reflection. However, despite this most critics agree that photography is accepted by the public as believeable, People believe photographs, Coleman wrote in 1976 (Coleman, The directorial mode: Notes Toward a definition, in Light Readings, p248. and Andy Grundberg reiterated the point that photography is the most stylistically transparent of the visual arts, able to represent things in convincing persepective and seamless detail. Never, mind that advertising has taught us that photographic images can be marvelous tricksters: what we see in a photograph is often mistaken for the real thing. (Andy Grunberg, blaming a medium for its message, New York Times, Arts and Leisure section, Au gust 6, 1989, P1. No matter how much manipulation went into the taking or development of a picture, the viewer feels assured that the photograph documents truth. In how to do things with pictures, William Mitchell, says that the fact that what is represented on paper undeeniably existed, if only for a moment, is the ultimate source of the mediumss extraordinary powers of persuasion. Does this mean phptpgraphic truth is at an end? One notion/ arguement is to suggest that photography as we know it (active witness) has changed as a result to digitalization, so much so that truth within photography is becoming non-exsitent. Critic Nicholas Mirzoeff, goes as far as to say Photography met its own death some time in the 1980s at the hands of computer imaging. Although, another arguement is to suggest it never exsited to begin with. Many people think the manipulation of images started with the invention of Photoshop, however photography has always been altered, long before the digital age, in the sense that the creation of an image through a camera lens has always involved some degree of subjective choice through selection, framing (what to include and what to reject) and personalization. Some types of image recording seems to take place without human invention. In surveillance videos, for instance, no one stands behind the lens to determine what and how any particular event should be shot. Yet even in surveillance video, someone has programmed the camera to record a particular part of space and to frame that space in a particular way. (and what one persons reality is, another might not be) Another is to suggest that digital technology has imerged photography into an art form, as digital images are being cropped and adjusted on a daily basis to create more aesthically pleasing images, streering away from the contentional appearance of optical reality, thus making it an expressive piece of fiction rather than historical evidence. As Susan Sontag states in her 1977 book, On Photography, the photographer is not simply the person who records the past, but the one who invents it. Spanish Photographer and critic Joan Fontcuberta alsoo noted that because the computer has become a sophisticated technological prothesis we cannot do without. This also suggest that because digital technology has become so accessible and easy to use, editing images has become second nature, that is to say it is essental to correct images once that have been uploaded, in order to percieve the perfection that photographers and amauture photographers desire. Altough it has been estabishlished that computers can compile data and create pictures that mimic the appearance of the world without capturing any visual information from optical reality, such as films and computer games. Most digitally modified pictures are processed in oder to make them look more real and thereby conveys a sense of truth. we cant do without digital imaging- small touch ups like cropping and adjust light and colours could generate new meaning to the image, thus making it an expressive piece of fiction rather than historical evidence. Conclusion 400 words There are numerous examples of controversies over the manipulation of images to produce more aestheically pleasing documentary images. For instance (Opera Winfery) By exploiting the use of digital manipulation tools, journalists are abusing their power as representors of truth. Altough manipulation is not rare to digital imaging, it could be argued that but the technology makes composing easier to do and harder to detect thus creating a blur In the context of of digital imaging, with its increased capacity to change images in seamless and realistic ways, can the idea of photographs as unmanipulated evidence survive? Bathen theorizes that the perceived manipulability of digital photography will upset photographyà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s association with objectivity. For the first time, the issue of a à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"fake,à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚  a non-authentic, photograph is discussed. Regardless of what viewers think about the nature of photography, most critics agree that photography is accepted by the public as believeable, People believe photographs, Coleman wrote in 1976 (Coleman, The directorial mode: Notes Toward a definition, in Light Readings, p248. and Andy Grundberg reiterated the point that photography is the most stylistically transparent of the visual arts, able to represent things in convincing persepective and seamless detail. Never, mind that advertising has taught us that photographic images can be marvelous tricksters: what we see in a photograph is often mistaken for the real thing. (Andy Grunberg, blaming a medium for its message, New York Times, Arts and Leisure section, August 6, 1989, P1. No matter how much manipulation went into the taking or development of the a picture, the viewer feels assured that the photograph documents truth. In how to do things with pictures, William Mitchell, says that the fact that what is represented on paper undeeniably existed, if only for a moment, is the ultimate source of the mediumss extraordinary powers of persuasion. With most media related images being manipulated, to ultimately persuade the viewers to a particular point of view. The audience is generally unaware of the alterations, creating a blurring of the truth. The debate has brought forward larger questions about the notions of objectivity that are attached to images published in journalistic contexts. Manipulation techniques have continued to proliferate and are now the norm in digital photography, chipping away at the photographic conventions that previously were associated with truth in photojournalism. The trust in the image as a representation of reality has been degraded part because of the overload of images in the world around us but also with a greater and more widespread knowledge about the image as something produced in contrast to a reflection With easy to use tools that can immediately alter images to create a manipulated copy, causing truth to become a manufactured entity. With most media related images being manipulated, to ultimately persuade the viewers to a particular point of view. The audience is generally unaware of the alterations, creating a blurring of the truth. No matter how much manipulation went into the taking or development of the a picture, the viewer feels assured that the photograph documents truth. In how to do things with pictures, William Mitchell, says that the fact that what is represented on paper undeeniably existed, if only for a moment, is the ultimate source of the mediumss extraordinary powers of persuasion. one assumption is to consider that reality in the photo imagery is becoming non-exisitent, with most media related images being manipulated, to ultimately persuade the viewers to a particular point of view. The audience is generally unaware of the alterations, creating a blurring of the truth. the arguement made by critic Nicholas Mirzoeff that is that Photography met its own death some time in the 1980s at the hands of computer imaging. Death of photography and what it once stood for. This raises the question of what happens to the idea of photographic truth when an image looks like a photograph but has in fact been created on a computer with no camera at all. Many people think the manipulation of images started with the invention of Photoshop, however photography has always been altered, long before the digital age, in the sense that the creation of an image through a camera lens has always involved some degree of subjective choice through selection, framing and personalization. Some types of image recording seems to take place without human invention. In surveillance videos, for instance, no one stands behind the lens to determine what and how any particular event should be shot. Yet even in surveillance video, someone has programmed the camera to record a particular part of space and to frame that space in a particular way. How digital technology has become apart of our everyday lives- how we can not do without it As Spanish photographer and critic Joan Fontcuberta noted the computer has become a sophisticated technological prosthesis we can not do without. How images today have become more asthetically pleasing rather than historical evidence or proof With photographers interpreting what it is they see in a myriad of ways, by making simple asthetic choices such as a camera lens always involves some degree of subjective choice through selection, framing and personalisation. by making simple asthetic choices such as .. focal, lens objectivity even with survillance cameras every image is manipulated to some extent. Manipultaion is not rare to digital imaging, but the technology makes composing easier to do and harder to detect. Since the dramatic growth of communications since the 1990s, technologies such as satellites, the internet and virtual reality seen photographs and images seamlessly modified to produce new and morally questionable representations. Widespread use of digital imaging techologies since the 1990s has dramatically altered the status of the photograph relative to truth claims, While the knowledged manipulation of photographs has always been a cause of concerm for some, these worries appear to have increased dramatically with the advent of digital techniques. Frequently, these worries centre on issues of truth and reality. For example a century and a half ago photographs relieved paintings of the burden of recording reality; now in turn, computers have weakened photographys claim on depicting the real world. For all of computers extraordinary precision, their impact in news photography has been to obscure the boundaries of fact and fiction, in other words, to blur. (Leslie 1995;113) (insert footnote) So does this mean photographic truth is at an end? or did it ever exisit? (main body of text- argue) With the increase of digital technology used to retouch and clean up images on a daily basis it could be considered that photographs no longer represent a window of reality or documentary evidence but are instead decorative piece of fantasy and fiction. Conclusion What changed with the digital photograph is not the ability to manipulate the image but the wide availability and accessibility of these techniques to the consumer, making not just image production but also image reproduction and alteration an everyday aspect of consumer experience. The capacity for manipulation and multiple contextualization is not new, of course, with the digital photograph. It has always been possible to fake realism in photographs. Photographic prints and negatives have been physically altered since the beginning of photography. At time this has been for aesthetic effect, or for political or social reasons. While some early photographic manipulation had the aim of enhancing the seeming truthlikeness of the image, other examples appear purely decorative. For years, photographers have retouched both negatives and prints in darkrooms, removing speckles and dust or hiding blemishes on the faces of subjects. Points and arguements The possiblilties of digital imaging are endless, for example, the unique and cherished old photograph of our great grandfather at age five, fading and crumbling in the family album, becomes a bit less difficult to lose when it hasw been preserved in a copy that will not erode over time and will not decrease the quality with copying as a photographic original would. While the acknowledged manipulation of photographs has been a cause of concern for some, these worries appear to have increased dramatically with the advent of digital techniques. Frequently, these worries centre on issues of truth and reality. For instance a century and a half ago photographs relieved paintings of the burden of recording reality; now, in turn, computers have weakened photographs claim on depicting the real world. For all of computers extraordinary precision , their impact in news photography has been to obscure the boundaries of fact and fiction. In other words, to blur. (Leslie:1995;113) Most critics agree that photography is accepted by the public as believeable. People believe photographs, Coleman wrote in 1976 (Coleman, The directorial mode: Notes Toward a definition, in Light Readings, p248. and Andy Grundberg reiterated the piont that photography is the most stylistically transparent of the visual arts, able to represent things in convincing persepective and seamless detail. Never, mind that advertising has taught us that photographic images can be marvelous tricksters: what we see in a photograph is often mistaken for the real thing. (Andy Grunberg, blaming a medium for its message, New York Times, Arts and Leisure section, August 6, 1989, P1. People have inhertited a cultural tendency to see through the photograph to what is photographed and to forget that the photograph is an artifact, made by a human. Photographers are well aware of the aura of credibility the photograph has that other media representations do not share. Jacob Riss and Lewis Hine, for example, wrote and made photographs in the cause of social refoem and knowingly used the medium of photography to give their writing more credibility. Hine stated, the average person believes implicitly that the photograph cannot falsify, but he was quick to add, you and I know that while photographs may not lie, liars may photograph. (Lewis Hine, Social photography , How the Camera May in the Social Uplift, in Classic Essays, P 111. FIT THIS IN SOMEWHERE USE THIS!!! Critic Nicholas Mirzoeff declared that photography met its own death some time in the 1980 at the hands of computer imaging. ()8 Likewise, Williams J. Mitchell too backed Mirzeff claim by announcing that from this moment on, photography is dead or more precisely, radically and permanently redefined as was painting one hundred and fifty years before. ()9 Spanish photographer and critic Joan Fonctcuberta also noted that, because the computer has become a sophisticated technological prosthesis we cannot do without. Moreover, all photography has been altered in the sense that the camera frames and focuses on a chosen subject, thus eliminating other topics. (talk about objectivity here and how every image is altered beacuse of this even surviallance) Photographs are treated as active witnesses

The Concept of Efficiency Essay -- Efficiency Philosophy Essays

The Concept of Efficiency This article aims to give an analysis of the concept of efficiency. The importance of such an analysis lies in the fact that the role which efficiency plays in different sectors of our society leads to opposite evaluations resulting in a clash of opinions concerning this role. In order to clarify this situation, I first trace the historical roots of the concept. This brief historical reconnaissance shows that ‘efficiency’ is not a unitary concept. Moreover, I also argue that our use of the concept of efficiency presupposes the decisions which we make with regard to the kinds of costs we recognize. Such decisions do not come out of the blue; they relate to the opposite evaluations of efficiency mentioned above. The decisions concerning what we consider to be costly determine in part the actual content of the concept of efficiency. I argue that this content must be in harmony with the meaning of the different practices in which we are engaged, otherwise this concept can ea sily lead us astray. Therefore, a proper use of the concept of efficiency demands a clear and reliable view of these meanings. 1. Introduction Efficiency is a concept widely used by economists, engineers, organization theorists, consultants, politicians, managers and others. It figures large in the many vocabularies that abound in the world today and it seems that 'efficiency' is one of the focuses of Western culture. Efficiency has met with enthousiasm as well as critique. An early advocate of efficiency is Frederick Taylor (1911). (1) Shortly after, John Dewey made critical remarks on scientific management but considered efficiency to be a "servant of freedom" (Middle Works, Vol. 10, p. 119). Kotarbinsky (1968) defended e... ...8 R.Heilbroner An Inquiry into the Human Prospect. New York 1974. ———Business Civilization in Decline. New York 1977. ———Behind the Veil of Economics. New York 1988. T.Hobbes The English Works of Thomas Hobbes, Vol.3. Aalen 1962, repr.London 1839-1845. F.Klemm A History of Western Technology. New York 1959. T.Kotarbinsky Praxiology. An Introduction to the Sciences of Efficient Action. Oxford 1968. G.W.Leibniz SÃ ¤mtliche Schriften und Briefe. Erste Reihe. Berlin 1950. J.St.Mill Complete Works, Vol. II, III. London 1968. H.Mintzberg Mintzberg on Management. New York 1990. H.Simon Administrative Behavior. New York 19763. Reason in Human Affairs. New York 1983. R.C.Solomon Ethics and Excellence. Oxford 1993. F.W. Taylor The Principles of Scientific Management.19111, New York 1967. Xenophon Memorabilia and Oeconomicus. London 1923.

Comparative Essay: Compare Nothings Changed with Vultures, Analysing :: English Literature

Comparative Essay: Compare Nothings Changed with Vultures, Analysing the Political Message Conveyed Introduction My essay is based on comparing the poems ‘Nothings Changed’ with ‘Vultures’. I am looking at the similarities and differences in the writing, characters, setting, structure, words and poetic devices used. I am also looking at the different emotions the different poets have used. How do the poets use setting to convey mood? ============================================ In ‘Vultures’ the poet uses sad and dull words to convey the mood. I know this because in the poem the poet has used words such as ‘greyness’ and ‘dead tee’. He has used these to express his emotions and to reinforce the atmosphere of the poem and what the poem is about. In ‘Nothings Changed’ the poet has used words to describe what he is looking at and how he feels. He has used words like ‘new up-market, haute cuisine’ and ‘working mans cafà © which sells bunny chow’. The words he has used are to enhance the setting and for the reader to acknowledge the comparisons between blacks and whites in the poem I think that the similarities in the poem are that both poems enhance the poet’s emotions and feelings. The differences are that in ‘Vultures’ has described his setting in a simple way, whereas in ‘Nothings Changed’ the writer has gone into detail. How does the poet use characters? The poet who has written the poem ‘Vultures’ has used his main characters as animals, which are vultures. He has also added the commandant. I know that the vultures are the main characters because the title of the poem is ‘Vultures’ and in there he has used sentences such as ‘a vulture perching high’ and ‘Nestled close to his mate’. The commandant has been introduced in the poem in the sentence ‘Thus the commandant’. As the word ‘Vultures’ is a metaphor it creates an image in the readers head to make the poem more effective and he commandant has been given two personalities to say what the character is like and to give more of an idea of what the poem is about. First, the commandant is said to be grouse, yet affectionate and capable as he stops at the sweet shop to buy his kids some sweets. The characters in ‘Nothings Changed’ are blacks and whites, which are against each other. The poet himself is also a character. The reason for this is that the poet tells how different whites are to blacks, as he uses setting and actions to suggest how the blacks and whites are seen to others. Sentences he uses are ‘New, up-market, haute cuisine†¦ Whites only inn’ and refers to the blacks in this sentence; ‘Working Comparative Essay: Compare Nothings Changed with Vultures, Analysing :: English Literature Comparative Essay: Compare Nothings Changed with Vultures, Analysing the Political Message Conveyed Introduction My essay is based on comparing the poems ‘Nothings Changed’ with ‘Vultures’. I am looking at the similarities and differences in the writing, characters, setting, structure, words and poetic devices used. I am also looking at the different emotions the different poets have used. How do the poets use setting to convey mood? ============================================ In ‘Vultures’ the poet uses sad and dull words to convey the mood. I know this because in the poem the poet has used words such as ‘greyness’ and ‘dead tee’. He has used these to express his emotions and to reinforce the atmosphere of the poem and what the poem is about. In ‘Nothings Changed’ the poet has used words to describe what he is looking at and how he feels. He has used words like ‘new up-market, haute cuisine’ and ‘working mans cafà © which sells bunny chow’. The words he has used are to enhance the setting and for the reader to acknowledge the comparisons between blacks and whites in the poem I think that the similarities in the poem are that both poems enhance the poet’s emotions and feelings. The differences are that in ‘Vultures’ has described his setting in a simple way, whereas in ‘Nothings Changed’ the writer has gone into detail. How does the poet use characters? The poet who has written the poem ‘Vultures’ has used his main characters as animals, which are vultures. He has also added the commandant. I know that the vultures are the main characters because the title of the poem is ‘Vultures’ and in there he has used sentences such as ‘a vulture perching high’ and ‘Nestled close to his mate’. The commandant has been introduced in the poem in the sentence ‘Thus the commandant’. As the word ‘Vultures’ is a metaphor it creates an image in the readers head to make the poem more effective and he commandant has been given two personalities to say what the character is like and to give more of an idea of what the poem is about. First, the commandant is said to be grouse, yet affectionate and capable as he stops at the sweet shop to buy his kids some sweets. The characters in ‘Nothings Changed’ are blacks and whites, which are against each other. The poet himself is also a character. The reason for this is that the poet tells how different whites are to blacks, as he uses setting and actions to suggest how the blacks and whites are seen to others. Sentences he uses are ‘New, up-market, haute cuisine†¦ Whites only inn’ and refers to the blacks in this sentence; ‘Working

Tourism in Thailand :: essays research papers

Tourism in Thailand’s National Parks: The Problems it Brings â€Å"Rainforests are currently being destroyed at a rate of over 200,000 square kilometers a year according to the US National Academy of Sciences† (Wheeler). Some of these rainforests are located in Thailand’s national parks. In Thailand, there are 15 national parks set aside for conservation, though only 80% of these parks remain intact today. These Parks represent approximately 13% of Thailand’s land. The purpose of these parks is for the conservation of the forests and wildlife, educational tours and research studies, as well as recreational adventure (Wheeler). In 1961, The Royal Forest Department (RFD) of Thailand passed the National Park Act. This act stated that activities which endanger any resource within the park boundaries are strictly prohibited. These activities include settlement, land ownership, grazing, the manipulation of waterways, geological deterioration, logging, hunting, and colleting of forest products. These provisions obviously do not a pply to park officials who protect and maintain the park for education, technical research, and facilitate recreational activities† (Pipithvanichtham). One of the main reasons for the Thai government’s plan to expand tourism facilities in the national parks is to bring in foreign money into the economy through tourism to these areas. However, there are concerns that the effects of increasing tourism in these areas will lead to mismanagement, corruption, and environmental destruction. Therefore, the Thai government should not be promoting tourism in Thailand’s national parks. The government claims that problems associated with tourism in national parks can be dealt with by careful planning and with the participation of government agencies. For example, the RFD is making an effort to protect the National Parks. The RFD plans to update their existing park laws and regulations to make them more suitable for the modern times. The RFD and the Kasetsart University conducted a training session for all national park chiefs to provide them a chance to learn about park management policies. The RFD hopes to develop some means of cooperation with other countries, particularly in the fields of expertise which it lacks† (Pipithvanichtham). While the RFD has a plan, it will require money to enact it. Currently, there is not enough money to fund this plan coupled with governmental mismanagement. The parks are not funded well enough, which has caused the amount of upkeep in the parks to decrease. The cost of managing Thailand’s national parks is met using the government’s central budget and park entrance fees.