The implications of the major determinants of demand and supply to Essay

The implications of the major determinants of demand and supply to domestic house building industry - Essay Example This paper starts with understanding this market. Here we will discuss about Porter’s Five Forces Model and try to understand the kind of customers marketers have in the domestic housing sector. This section would be followed by the discussion on determinants of demand and supply in the housing industry. Once we have understood the market structure and supply-demands we will be discussing various factors like economic, social, legal and environmental which affect the industry. This will be followed by the analysis and conclusion. The industry is made up of around 192,404 construction firms, 164,000 of which have less that 24 employees. Just 56 firms have more than 1,200 employees. (Source: Construction Statistics Annual 2002/CITB). 2 There are around 192,404 small and big firms. 56 firms have employed more than 1200 employees while 28,348 firms have employed 25 or more than 25 people and rest 164,000 firms have employed less than 24 people in their organization. Around 500 firms work for overseas contracts also.4 The segment rivalry and exit barriers are high. As it is almost mature industry in Britain, the number of suppliers and rivalry among them is high. This gives an added advantage to the constructor to negotiate for the quality and the price of goods supplied by them. The switching cost from one supplier to another is usually high. Buyers’ power in the case of houses is limited. There are several reasons for this i.e. increasing demand of house, lesser number of buyers, buyers not connected to each other, lack of information and others. The threat of substitutes is less and within the category. Housing requirements of an individual or family can be very specific leaving no room for many or instant substitutes. It depends upon the quality, price and availability of the house. The consumer behaviour can be divided on the basis of the type of consumers. They can be divided on the basis of

Historical Book Analysis Assignment Essay Example for Free

Historical Book Analysis Assignment Essay History, it has often been said, is as much a story of individual people as it is of places, events and larger circumstances. This is especially true when considering pivotal figures from American history, for in the stories of pivotal historical figures, the saga of the growth of America can often be seen. Such is the case with first lady, political activist and women’s rights pioneer Abigail Adams and former American slave, orator and anti-slavery advocate Frederick Douglass. It is with these two prominent historic figures in mind that two historical books about them, Dearest Friend: A Life of Abigail Adams and Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave will be discussed. Upon conclusion of the research, not only will two historical icons be better understood, but also, two key works about these people will be as well. Main Character of Each Work As was mentioned in the Introduction to this paper, two historical books as well as the people who were the main characters of those books would be discussed. Understanding the books first requires an understanding of the backgrounds of each of these main characters respectively. Abigail Adams, for all of the achievements that her life would hold, was not the product of fine universities or finishing schools; rather, she was for the most part an educated woman, and someone who possessed a great deal of inner drive and instinct, which more than made up for the lack of formal education. The wife of John Adams, who was a founding father of the United States and would eventually become president of the nation, Abigail managed the family farm, took care of the children, and showed a great streak of independence while John, early in his political career, was compelled to travel internationally. Abigail shared her husband’s passion for American independence, with one glaring exception- she did not subscribe to the idea that all men were created equal. For Abigail, there certainly was room to tolerate slavery, but this is not to say that Abigail felt the same about gender issues. One could fairly classify Abigail as a feminist, which she continued to advocate when she accompanied her husband to the White House. Overall, while not perfect, Abigail Adams contributed a great deal to the cause of women’s rights and by some accounts, aided her husband significantly during his presidency (Withey). Like Abigail Adams, Frederick Douglass was not the most formally educated man, but through sheer determination and a high level of natural intelligence, in time became one of the most articulate men in America, slave or free (Douglass). Early evidence of Douglass’ yearning for freedom and equality in a nation which promised this but only delivered to select races can be seen in his escape from slavery and refuge in northern free territory as a young man. This escape not only allowed him to pursue his own destiny, but also allowed him to seek the same for every man, with the abolition of slavery as Douglass’ main ambition. In fact, it was Douglass’ personal experience as a slave which gave him the credibility and passion that he required in order to be able to see the abolition of slavery to completion. Historical Events that Involved the Main Characters of Each Work When comparing Adams and Douglass, it can fairly be said that each of them were similarly exposed to extraordinary circumstances that inspired them to action, while being impaired to a certain extent by limitations that society attempted to place on them. In both cases as well, each of these individuals used that adversity not as a roadblock to future progress, but as a catapult to bigger and better things. Abigail Adams entered the stage of American history at a time when the role of the president as well as first lady was far from well defined, as well as a time when women were largely regarded as subordinates to their husbands and not worthy of equal opportunities or education. In the midst of all of these circumstances, Adams devoted a great deal of her energies in assisting her husband-some say too much- in the duties of the presidency and set the protocol for first ladies to come. Also, Adams chose as her cause the equality of women in all areas of society, making her an early pioneer for women’s equality. Like Adams, Frederick Douglass came upon the American scene at a time when pivotal issues were still undecided; for all of the talk of liberty and justice for all, Douglass had to flee from an environment whereby he was owned, like property, by another human being, as were tens of thousands of other African-Americans. Also, Douglass fearlessly spoke out against the evils of slavery, and became an influential resource for none other than Abraham Lincoln, who would become known in history as The Great Emancipator.

The Guilt of Lady Macbeth Essay example -- Macbeth essays

The Guilt of Lady Macbeth      Ã‚   Shakespeare's "Macbeth" holds many hidden themes within its already exuberant plot.   The first of these surrounds the murder of Duncan and the role that both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth himself played.   However, the true guilt of the murder can fall on either character.   Although Macbeth physically committed the crime, it was Lady Macbeth that pushed him to his limits of rational thought and essentially made fun of him to lower his esteem.   With Macbeth's defenses down, it was an easy task for Lady Macbeth to influence Duncan's murder and make up an excuse as to why she could not do it herself.   The guilt of Duncan's murder can be placed firmly on the head on Lady Macbeth.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lady Macbeth wants the murder of Duncan for her own gains.   Given the present situation, she is power hungry.   The wyrd sisters predicted that Macbeth would be king.   This means that the obvious result would be Lady Macbeth as queen.   Instead of waiting for Duncan to die naturally or to be killed by someone else, she ushers the task to Macbeth.   She forces it upon him, which is unfortunate, for he starts a moral character.   It is the methods she uses to convince Macbeth that murder is the answer that are extremely cruel and manipulative, sending no doubt that she is the chief culprit in the murder of Duncan, and his death may be put squarely in her hands.    Sex roles in the 1600s were very strict; women were forbidden from acting in theatrical works.   Shakespeare seems to play off this in his casting and dialect.   The masculinity of Macbeth is questionable in itself, with the provocative language used in the play.   He himself is unsure of his "abilities" as a member of the male sex.... ...tions, the use of her "womanly" features, and her attacks on the manliness of Macbeth all put more guilt on her shoulders than Macbeth by far.   She deserves no pity either.   Her eventual trip to insanity was her own fault, as well as the final battle where Macduff kills Macbeth.   Had she shown patience, fate may have eventually worked in Macbeth and her's favor.    Works Cited and Consulted:    Epstein, Norrie. The Friendly Shakepeare, New York, Viking Publishing, 1993.    Schlegel, August Wilhelm.   Criticism on Shakespeare s Tragedies . A Course of Lectures on Dramatic Art and Literature. London: AMS Press, Inc., 1965.   Ã‚      Shakespeare, William.   Tragedy of Macbeth . Ed. Barbara Mowat and Paul  Ã‚   Warstine. New York: Washington Press, 1992.  Ã‚  Ã‚      Wills, Gary. Lady Macbeth and Evil. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998.  

Australian Federalism

This essay will outline the issues discussed during the ‘Policy Roundtable on Federalism’ hosted by the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia (ASSA) and the Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA) on the 17–18 May 2007 and will explore their impact on federalism and provide possible steps to overcome them. The Roundtable discussion made it apparent that Australian federalism is dysfunctional and needed shaping up. The reasons included a combination of external and internal factors and pressures. The pragmatic reform process could address these factors and pressures to improve Commonwealth-State relations. This could achieve enhanced policy outcomes for the Australian community and provide a system of government that â€Å"delivers the Australian people the opportunities they deserve† (Brumby 2008). David Black (1998) describes federalism as ‘the process by which the Commonwealth of Australia was formed on 1 January 1901, was unusual then, and still is†. The federal system has provided a relatively stable cooperative form of government, however, changing demographics, global pressures and fiscal situations within government have meant that the system is now seen as being in a malaise and in need of repair (Wanna 2007). The modernisation and globalisation of markets, media and communication has eroded regional identities in Australia. In the past the Australian states were protected from a centralised form of federalism but as modern technology reduced the physical distance institutional barriers were decreased. These global pressures mean that Australian states risk becoming agent providers for a central government (Wanna 2007: page). Increased activity has resulted in hyper-interaction involving all three levels of government. Additionally, lack of cultural regions in Australia unlike most other federations meant lack of regionally based governance system (Wanna 2007: 276). Australia retains a highly centralised fiscal system, holds a high amount of concurrent powers across all levels of government and lacks institutional barriers that prevent a centralised system. Fiscal imbalance between states and the Commonwealth impacts directly at a regional level even though policies are driven nationally. Concurrent Commonwealth-State powers also impact at regional level due to lack of adequate attention given to real impacts while decisions are made at federal level. The reduced effectiveness of federalism has contributed towards these issues and has failed to keep pace with modern times. It is now in need of repair to make it more efficient and capable of providing support to the modern Australian public. Current federal arrangements are holding back necessary micro-economic reform while there is a continuous struggle to respond to global economic forces. (Podger 2008). Although federalism can work it is not performing at the level expected. Participants at the Roundtable agreed that the process of reform can improve federalism but needs a different policy approach. Individual agreements on shared responsibilities will be needed to reshape policy areas. Increased cooperation and collaboration around national and state issues would need to be achieved. Participants started by looking at improving the generic architecture by enhancing the primary cooperation of levels of government through the Council of Australian Governments (COAG). This could be the platform for any further detailed reform in order to avoid policy making failures around shared responsibility between governments. It is also important to note that the attendees agreed reform would need to start from the current position and not echoing any previous attempts. The Australian federal system is characterised by a significant level of vertical fiscal imbalance and this issue would need to be addressed to assist in reforming federalism. The Commonwealth holds the monopoly on tax revenue from income and GST and much of this is paid back to the states by way of Specific Purpose Payments (SPPs). These SPPs allow the Commonwealth to grant funds to states with conditions in areas that are constitutionally the states’ domain. As SPPs make up 40 % of Commonwealth grants the streamlining of these with a focus on outcomes would allow increased efficiency. In addition, guaranteed revenue would allow states to fund their responsibilities without central pressures. Whilst this imbalance could be reduced by assigning state expenditure responsibilities to the Commonwealth, it is an unrealistic expectation to reduce such a significant imbalance. (Carling, 2008: page/s) Clearly defined roles and responsibilities for the different levels of government is essential, as Carling (2008: page) states, â€Å"A federal system needs to be ?rmly anchored to a rational allocation of roles and responsibilities for the different levels of government† Lack of clearly defined roles can cause duplication of processes and conflict in policy making, giving states the opportunity to avoid accountability. A review of roles and responsibilities is a logical starting point, with the functional roles of Commonwealth and the state’ clearly defined. This may require that the Commonwealth takes a leadership role to ensure states are able to effectively deliver services. It is important to understand that the distribution of responsibilities between the levels Government has evolved aver time, and will presumably continue to change as policy and political imperatives require. (Podger 2008) Collaboration between governments to deliver long term sustainable national solutions is needed to face the significant social, economic and environmental challenges. Recently, all three levels of government have become receptive towards the idea of cooperative federalism. For effective federation architecture of cooperation consisting components such as principles to guide, supporting legal and institutional arrangements and appropriate cultural practices and attitudes are required. Focus could be on formalisation of COAG through intergovernmental agreement, clarification of COAG and ministerial council relation, ongoing review of federal financial relations and development of cultural practices to support the best of federalism. The change offers opportunities to make lasting improvements and Australian governments should seize the opportunity towards delivering effective national responses and generating substantial benefits for Australians. (Wanna, J. May 2009) Although the Australian federal system is perceived as declining and in need of reshaping, Australia is a prosperous nation. Federalism has seen Australia through times of significant stress including depression and war, and has led to the development of a welfare state. Rapid globalisation and modernisation demands that federalism adapt and adjust to meet competing demands. The options outlined in this essay provide the extending steps for already happening improvements by an ambitious government.

Jose Rizal and his Nationalism Essay

Jose Rizal was idealistic, who wants to free his countrymen from ignorance, exploitation and discrimination. With the use of his works and writings especially his novels – Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, he reveals to his people their experiences and sufferings, sufferings which he brought to light in an effort to awaken his countrymen to the truths that had long remained unspoken, although not totally unheard of. He showed to his people their sufferings friars and civil authorities, how the friars whom were guilty of bribery and corruption had made of the Catholic religion an instrument of domination and had prostituted it with exterior practices which foster the appearance of worship. The friars also enriched themselves not only by exhorting excessive fees for church services, but also by unjust acquisition of land estates. They made themselves feared by civil officials. They enjoy priorities over high government officials whose tenure of office they can control. The government itself sees nothing, hears nothing, and decides nothing except what the parish priests makes it see, hear, and decide. And the civil guards do not protect the citizens like they supposed to but protect the interests of the friars and the Spaniards only. The priests controlled also the acts of the ignorant natives and threatened the indios’ heads with excommunication for the slightest sign of disrespect and disobedience. Many Filipinos had become victims of human indignities. They were deprived of their right. They had no right to question authority – they were born only to serve. But Rizal did not put the blame entirely on the religious and civil authorities; he also honestly showed the weaknesses and defects of the Filipinos. The people themselves, by their timidity, fear, and cowardice had shackled their minds and debased their souls. Contaminated by the airs of superiority of the Spaniards, despise their own countrymen and make themselves ridiculous with their pretensions at false imitation. Rizal criticized this, the unspoken embarrassments of the natives for their own ancestry, and aspires to become a Spaniard to leave behind any trace of Filipino in them and then boasts to everyone. With that they gradually allowed the Spaniards to enslave them. As Rizal often said, â€Å"there are no tyrants where there are no slaves†. And that Rizal wanted to vindicate his race from the insults and prejudices upon the Filipinos, and that his people were not an anthropoid race, as the Spaniard asserted. Although Filipinos have some vices and defects, the same with other people in the world, they are not those which the Spanish writers attribute them – that there is no stimulus to worth or to merit. On the contrary, when Filipinos rise above heap they are ridiculed and made the object of mockery unless they serve the friars. Many Filipinos are persecuted in false conspiracies or exiled from their towns for standing up for their rights. Rizal wanted to bring back the pride in Filipino ancestors, a necessary component in the formation of national consciousness, and answer criticisms against Filipinos and their culture. He disproved the Spaniards and showed that the past of the Philippines already had a developed culture. Rizal in all effort tried to convince the Spanish government that there was an urgent need for reforms in the society in the government, and in the Catholic church of the Philippines. And that violence is not the preferred solution and it should come about peacefully and sensibly and that one great solution is education. He tried to show that there was no rebellion or revolution in the Philippines, but there would be, if the abuses and excesses of the friars and the administration push the Filipinos to their limit.

Networking Essays - The Pearl, John Steinbeck, Pearl, La Perla

Networking Essays - The Pearl, John Steinbeck, Pearl, La Perla Networking THE PEARL by John Steinbeck. Written in 1940 and published in 1947, The Pearl is another of Steinbecks novels, which tells the great American dream. The English he uses, as in most of his books, is fairly simple. The message that he attempts to put through to the reader, which makes this short and effortlessly understandable. Steinbecks protagonists comprise of Kino, a young Mexican fisherman, and his poverty-stricken family, consisting of Juana (his wife) and Coyotito (his baby boy). The story begins set in the bare darkness of the interior of Kinos mud hut, where the family awakens before the dawning of each day to perform their retual of preparing and eating corn cakes-the familys staple. Their living quarters is situated next to the Gulf of Mexico, where Kino would go out to dive for oysters and catch his familys next meal. Every single day he dreams of finding the great pearl, whom everybody believes, will make him rich. It is the incident of his sons illness that puts the fire and sense of urgency in his h eart to search for the prized object. The author drawn comparison to the American dream: To gain material wealth, obtain success. Ironically, when Kino does find the Pearl, it is to his great disappointment, too large and virtually worthless. Kino, as a character, is represented by Steinbeck, as the general American public of his day, where innocent victims compromise their moral values. His dream blinds him to greed and suspicions of his neighbors. Even Juana, is unable to temper his obsession and the events leading to tragedy. Kino eventually comes to realize that material wealth is nothing when you vision of good and evil. John Steinbeck was able to write The Pearl in the style of a folktale by keeping it short. By doing that, he made it is easier to keep in the memory, to pass it down to the next generation. Storys characters are common everyday people. They are not in the upper class, but they are hard working-class laborers, it makes the story closer to people. They are able to relate to the characters and how the characters feel. Also it provides a moral lesson which gives parents a reason to pass it down to their children. Steinbeck himself said that in The Pearl, ...perhaps everyone takes his own meaning from it and reads his own life into it. That means that it does not matter who hears the story, they will each get something out of it. Steinbeck made it exciting, which appeals to the listener and keeps them focussed on the story and wanting to hear more. By using these simple techniques, Steinbeck achieved his goal in writing a true folktale. In The Pearl, Steinbeck kept referring to songs. These were songs that Kino learned as a boy in the camp that they created for everything they saw, thought or did. There were songs for every aspect of his life: family, evil, the enemy, and eventually the pearl. They represented the good and the evil. But the Song of the Pearl was different. At the start of the story Kino said, but no new songs were added. However, the Song of the Pearl was added, and Kino placed in it whatever he could see in the pearl. At the start he saw in the pearl his family and all the things he could buy for them when he sold the pearl. So because of what he saw, the Song of the Pearl became the same as the Song of the Family. But soon the song changed. As Kino began to doubt and became afraid after he could not sell the pearl, the Song of Evil slowly took over and replaced the Song of the Family inside the pearl. Kino could not even see his own nice visions in the pearl, but all he saw was his own death. Evil was brought into the story very early on as the scorpion stung the baby. Good won over again as the swelling diminished with Juanas love and the seaweed remedy. After Kino found the pearl, evil began to take over. Greed, jealousy, arose in the town as everyone wanted the pearl and its money

10 Good Reasons to Keep Studying on Holidays

10 Good Reasons to Keep Studying on Holidays Holidays are the most perfect time of the year for a college student, and of course it is very tempting to start hanging out all the time and forget even about the existence of homework. Very often studies are associated with constant stress and deadlines, but with a right approach you can change things for the better and start to actually enjoy your homework! So why should you continue studying and how to make it more enjoyable? You can be your own boss Remember those papers with specific deadlines and the topics you dont actually like? Theres no need to follow these requirements anymore – you can do things you actually want to. Imagine that youre the professor who tells you what to do and what kind of assignments to complete. You dont have to rush anymore The hardest thing during the semester is the amount of work you receive and all the deadline which need to be followed. During the holidays you can create your own schedule – when and what to study. It will make things much easier and youll be free at nights to spend some time with your friends. You dont have to study in the classroom anymore The best way to concentrate on your studies is to change places where you study. Class rooms may be very boring, so you need to find another place. It is almost impossible to study at home, when you get distracted by your family. And it is tempting to start watching your favourite TV show instead of studying. Choose some other places where no one can disturb you – it can be a park, a coffee shop or a public library. You will be able not only to study, but also explore your city and find some new exciting places! You can have as many breaks as you want It is proven that its much easier to study with a lot of short breaks. It is very hard to concentrate on studying for more than 40 minutes. So try to change your activities – after studying, relax for about 10-15 minutes and do something fun, like playing Xbox. It will distract you for a while, and will be good motivation to keep on studying. You can set realistic goals There is no need to push limits and set unreasonable goals. You cannot possibly study more than 3 hours a day during holidays. Stick to the time you can actually handle! You should be results oriented, not on working hours. With proper motivation, you can complete much more in 1 hour, than usually. You can choose different types of on-line education There is no need to stick to old class books – since you have a lot of free time now, try to use websites that offer on-line education like Coursera! It is very interesting, it will take about 4 hours of work during the week. The assignments are usually creative. On discussion boards you can meet new people from all around the globe. You will be able to explore new topics If you chose to take some classes on-line, you can retake the courses youve already learned this year, like marketing or economics, or you can try something totally new – start programming, learn some music theory or basic cryptography. Such new topics may be super exciting to learn, and you can expend your horizons. You will be ready for the next semester Remember the time when you got back from the school break and you forgot everything youve learned so far? It is easy to get distracted from the studies at summer, especially with all that partying and having fun. So if you study at least couple of times a week, you will notice your progress after everybody start a new school year. You can stay active and study at the same time You have a lot of free time at summer, so if you chose to study, you shouldnt forget about being active. Go swimming or running, spend some time at the gym. It will make you more energetic and help you with the further studies, which may become boring if youre not active enough. Sports will make you more confident in completing complex tasks. You will have enough rest Since its summer now, you dont have to exhaust yourself with studying till 3 AM to meet the deadlines. It is very important to get enough sleep, at least 8 hours a day. It will keep your mind fresh, and ready for learning something new. You can try to read something interesting and useful before going to bed and your brain will process all the information, while youre sleeping. Studying may be a very hard thing during the semester and students start to dream about holidays to avoid it and have some fun. But if you think about the whole process from another angle, you will understand that studying and learning new things could become perfect activities. Especially during holidays! So dont think about studying as something painful and stressful. Make it fun! Any study tips to share? Well, at least tell us how do you spend your summer holidays!